JPH10261388A - Quality inspection method and device for applied condition of sealant applying part - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily and surely judge the quality of the applied condition of an applying part, by applying a color different from that of both the inner and outer area parts and a picture image from at least one side of points in the annular inner and outer area parts of the picture image, obtained by picking up a sealant applied part applied annularly to the lid placed part such as a battery jar. SOLUTION: Inner and outer points 47 and 46 are set in the inner and outer area parts of an picture image 45, wherein the pick up signal (by an inspecting device) of a sealant applying part 13 annularly applied, is photographed on a display part in the annular stepped part upper surface of a lid placed part such as a cylindrical battery jar. This display picture plane 44 is processed into binary, becoming picture image A and B of monochrome, etc. A means, for performing applying treatment, applies e.g. on the outer area part a color different from the black of the sealant applying part 13 and colors A and B; and a color comparing means comparingly treats colors in the vicinity about the outer and inner points 46 and 47. When the seal compound applying part 13 is properly applied, the inner area part is white; but when a defect exists, quality can be judged, because an uncontinuous part 48 and the inner area part (continuing with the uncontinuous part 48) too are applied in a color C, consequently both the inner and outer area parts are judged having the same color.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an inspection of the application state of a sealant application section for judging, by image processing, the quality of an application state of a sealant application section applied to a lid mounting portion of a container such as a battery case. The present invention relates to a method and an inspection device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in manufacturing a sealed battery, for example, a group of electrodes is housed inside a battery case composed of one cell chamber that houses one group of plates (cells). After a sealant is applied in a ring shape to a square or circular annular lid mounting portion so as to surround the opening of the container, a battery case lid is provided, and the battery is sealed by welding, caulking, etc. to produce a sealed battery. However, if the application state of the annular sealant application portion is poor and there is a discontinuous portion where the sealant is not applied to the sealant application portion, the electrolytic solution may be discharged through the discontinuous portion after the sealed battery is assembled. Leakage inconvenience occurs. Therefore, before the lid is applied to the battery case, it is necessary to determine whether or not the applied state of the sealant applied portion is good. As a conventional method and apparatus for judging the quality of application of a sealant application section, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-37955, a sealant application section is photographed with a camera, and the image signal is sent to an inspection device. In the inspection device, image processing is performed to compare the area of the part where the sealant is applied and the area where the sealant is not applied within a predetermined range with the area under the normal state, and the image is different from the normal state by a certain degree or more. If it is determined that the product is defective, it is known that the product is discharged as a defective product.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing an inspection apparatus 21 for judging whether or not a coating state of a sealant application portion applied to a battery case of a storage battery is known as the above-mentioned prior art. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a use state in which the camera 20 provided in the device 21 is disposed immediately above the subject 1 and an upper surface of the subject 1 is photographed.
At the time of the imaging, a ring-shaped illuminator is arranged above the subject 1 (not shown), for example, on the outer periphery of the camera 20, and the illuminator illuminates the seal application portion of the subject 1. The subject 1 is, for example, a cylindrical container containing a group of electrodes (cells), that is, a single-cell container, and 12 is the container 1
A lid mounting portion composed of an annular step formed by grooving on the upper portion of 1, and a sealant application portion 13 is provided in a ring shape over the entire upper surface of the lid mounting portion 12. Numeral 14 denotes a portion of the battery case 11 which extends above the lid placing portion 12 and which has an upper wall end portion.
2 is a portion for caulking and closing a lid (not shown) placed on 2. FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view in which a part of the battery case 11 has been further clarified, and FIG.
, 16 is an insulating plate provided on the upper surface of the electrode group 15, 17 is a cutout provided on one side of the insulating plate 16, 18 is a cutout of the electrode group 15 inside the battery case. Connected to the positive plate,
The lead plate led out from the opening of the battery case 11 upward to the outside through the notch 17 is shown. The sealant is preferably applied to the entire inner surface of the upper wall step 14 as shown. In order to determine whether or not the coating state of the annular sealant application portion 13 applied to the lid mounting portion 12 of the battery case 11 is good or not, an image is taken by the camera 20 disposed above the battery case 11, and The imaging signal is sent to the inspection device 21 shown in FIG.
Thus, in the display unit 22 provided in the inspection device 21,
An image of the sealant application section 13 taken by the camera 20 can be observed.

The features of the device 21 shown in FIG. 8 include an arithmetic unit 23 for calculating the application area of the sealant application unit 13, a setting device 24 for setting a standard data value of the application area of the sealant application unit 13, An area comparison device 25 for calculating a difference between a measured value of the application area of the sealant application unit and a set value of the application area of the sealant application unit 13 by the setting device 24.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of image data displayed on the display unit 22, showing a method of determining the application state of the sealant application unit by the apparatus 21. Since the sealant is asphalt-based, the imaged annular sealant application portion 13 is displayed as a darker black background than other portions such as the background. In the illustrated example, the annular sealant application section 13 shows a case where there is a discontinuous portion 48 to which no sealant is applied. Reference numeral 50 denotes a processing range for performing data processing on image data as described later. If the sealant is lighter than the other parts, the color scheme is reversed.

In the operation of the above-described conventional inspection device 21,
An image signal from the camera 20 is output to the display unit 22 and the arithmetic unit 23. As shown in FIG.
Displays an image of the sealant application section 13. On the other hand, the imaging signal from the camera 20 is calculated by the arithmetic unit 23 in the image data processing range 50 to calculate the area of the sealant application unit 13 which looks dark, and the calculated area value S1 is compared with the one of the area comparison unit 25. Output to the terminal.

To the other terminal of the area comparison device 25, a set value S2 of an area for a normal image, which is set and stored in advance by the setting device 24, is input. Thus, the area comparison device 25 performs an operation for calculating the difference between S1 and S2. If the difference is within a value based on an empirical rule, it is determined that the application state of the sealant application section is good. If the difference value is equal to or greater than a value based on an empirical rule, the area comparison device 25 sends an alarm signal 26.
The alarm signal 26 activates an alarm (not shown) or performs processing of discharging the subject from the transport line so as not to enter a subsequent processing step.

[0008]

As in the above-mentioned conventional means for judging the application state of the sealant application section, the set area of the normal seal application state and the application area of the sealant application section of the void in the subject are determined. In the case of comparing and judging the quality, depending on the image processing, even if there is a discontinuous portion 48 in the minute sealant applying portion 13 as shown in FIG. 11, the discontinuous portion has a small area. In such a case, since the difference value is extremely small in the area difference calculation, there is a tendency that the battery is erroneously determined as a non-defective product.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and makes it possible to easily judge whether or not the application state of an application portion of a sealant applied annularly to a portion where a lid of a container such as a battery container is to be placed is good. It is an object of the present invention to provide a pass / fail determination method and apparatus that can be reliably performed without determination.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a container, comprising the steps of: The inner and outer regions and the image are filled with different colors from at least one of the inner point set in the inner region and the outer point set in the outer region outside the ring, and the inner and outer regions are filled. The present invention also relates to a method for judging the quality of an application state of a sealant application portion, wherein the quality of the annular application portion is determined based on whether the color is filled with the color.

Further, the present invention provides an inspection apparatus used in the above-described inspection method of the present invention, wherein an annular image of an image of a sealant-applied portion applied in an annular shape to a lid mounting portion of the container is taken. Means for setting an outer point and an inner point where the sealant is not applied to the outer area and the inner area, and the inner and outer areas and the image are different colors from at least one of the points where the sealant is not applied. And a color comparing means for judging the color difference between the inner and outer regions of the output of the filling means.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an inspection apparatus used when performing the pass / fail determination method according to the present invention. The device is shown at 30. The device 30 has a camera 20 provided thereon mounted directly above the subject 1 as shown in FIG.
And the display unit 22 displays the lid mounting unit 12 of the subject 1
The means for displaying the image of the sealant application section 13 applied in a ring shape to the device is the same as that of the conventional device. Further, the subject 1 shown in FIG. 2 is the same as that shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

The feature of the inspection device 30 of the present invention for judging pass / fail of the sealant application portion is that a digital data processing device, a so-called electronic computer, is used because it processes digital signals as described below. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the characteristic configuration of the apparatus 30 of the present invention is to capture an image signal captured by the camera 20 and set an annular sealant application section, as shown in FIGS. Means for setting two points where the sealant is not applied in the outer area and the inner area of the annular image 45; Means 32 for performing a filling process with pixels having a color different from the color of the sealant, and a color comparison for judging the difference between the colors of the inner and outer regions of the ring-shaped sealant application section with respect to the output of the fill means 32 Means 33.

An inspection method using the inspection apparatus 30 according to the present invention for determining whether or not the applied state of the sealant-applied portion is good is as follows.
By the camera 20, as shown in FIG.
In the same manner as in the conventional use mode shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the camera 20 captures an image of the sealant application section 13 applied in an annular shape over the entire upper surface of the annular step section 12 of the tank 11, and displays the image signal on the display section 22 of the apparatus 30. The projection as the image 45 is the same as the conventional one, but is characterized in that the above means 31, 32, and 33 of the present invention sequentially perform the above-described operations. 13 is in good condition,
Only one of the inner and outer regions of the image 45 of the annular sealant application unit 13 is filled by the color comparing means 33 through observation on the display unit 22, or both the inner and outer regions are filled and the inner and outer regions are filled. Since it is possible to easily visually recognize whether the colors are the same color, it is easy to determine the quality of the sealant application unit 13, and the determination output 34 issues an alarm when the determination is negative. Alternatively, the defective subject can be excluded from the production line.

Further, the method for judging the quality of the sealant application portion according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG.
(A) shows a state in which an image of the ring-shaped sealant application section 13 that has been well applied is captured by the camera 20, and an image of the signal is displayed on the display section 22. FIG. 3 (b)
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an inspection method by image processing according to the present invention. More specifically, in FIG. 3A, reference numeral 44 denotes a display screen in the display unit 22, and reference numerals 46 and 47 denote screens 44 in an outer region and an inner region of the annular image 45 of the sealant application unit, respectively. The two points set at the upper positions are shown. The point in the outer region is referred to as an outer point 46, and the point in the inner region is referred to as an inner point 47. For convenience of explanation, a bright white screen of the display screen 44 is indicated by A,
A dark black image of the sealant-applied portion is indicated by B.

First, when image data is taken into the display section 22, as shown in FIG. 3A, the entire display screen 44 is binarized, and the entire image is composed of black and white images A and B. Next, an outer point 46 and an inner point 47 are set.

Next, regarding the screen shown in FIG.
3 (b) by means of the color filling means 32 provided for the color 0.
As shown in (1), for example, the outer region is filled with a color C different from A and B. This filling is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. FIG.
In the white and black binarized image shown in FIG.
One of the inner points 47, for example, the inside of the white outer region to which the outer point 46 belongs is filled with another color C. That is, for the black ring-shaped sealant application portion 13 indicated by hatching on the lower left side of the display screen 44 and the external area surrounded by the outer peripheral circle and the rectangular display screen 44, for example, a red C Is designated, and the designated outer region is painted in red C. Since the state of application of the annular sealant application section 13 is good, the red solid fill does not change the inner area surrounded by the annular sealant apply section 13 to red C, but to white A Remains. Therefore,
The color of the inner region and the color of the outer region are different from each other.

Next, processing is performed by the color comparing means 33 provided in the apparatus 30 on the screen on which the processing of the filling means shown in FIG. The color comparing means 33 is to perform a color comparison process between the outer point 46 and the inner point 47 in the vicinity of the point. In the state shown in FIG. 3B, since the outer point 46 is red C and the inner point 47 is white A, the two points are determined to be "no color uniformity", that is, "different from each other". Then, the discrimination output 34 outputs a signal to that effect. Such a determination indicates that the application state of the annular sealant application section 13 is good. If the determination output 34 is the signal, the battery case 11 is determined to be a good product, and the next lid Sent to the production line.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment in the case where the application state of the sealant application section 13 is defective. FIG. 4 (a),
3B, the same components as those in FIGS. 3A and 3B are denoted by the same reference numerals. The annular sealant application section 13 is incompletely applied, and has a discontinuous portion 48 as shown. From the state of FIG. 4A, the outer region of red C and white A is painted as shown in FIG. 4B, that is, the pixel of the outer point 46 is painted in red C. Since the annular sealant application section 13 has a discontinuous portion 48, the discontinuous portion 48 is also filled with a red color during the filling process in the vicinity of the discontinuous portion 48. Since the pixels from the outer region of the outer point 46 to the inner region where the inner point 47 exists are white pixels of the same color, the inner region is also painted out and hatched downward to the right in FIG. Is painted out in red C as shown by. Thus, both the inner and outer regions are filled with the same red C.

When the color comparison processing of the color comparison means 33 is performed on the screen shown in FIG. 4B, the color of the outer point 46 and the inner point 47 is "identical in color", The areas are the same color. " The result of this judgment is
This indicates that the application state of the annular sealant application section 13 is defective, the determination output 34 generates a determination output indicating that “identity has occurred”, and the defective subject is discharged from the production line. .

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the processing of the filling means 32 is started from the outer point 46, but it is of course possible to start the processing from the inner point 47. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 (a), the inner area is painted red, but the outer area remains white A.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4A, both the inner and outer areas are filled with red C via the discontinuous portion 48, and the quality of the same coating state as above is determined.

FIG. 5 shows the inspection apparatus 30 of the present invention shown in FIG.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a case where the quality of a sealant application portion 13 applied to a lid mounting portion on an upper end surface of a multi-cell type battery case 19 integrally configured with (cell chamber) is determined. The battery case 19 is composed of a plurality of battery cases (cell chambers) 11, 11,... Divided by a partition wall 19b crossing the inside of the outer case wall 19a vertically and horizontally. Are formed by the rim of the outer peripheral wall 19a and the rim 19a of the grid-shaped partition wall 19b, the upper end surfaces of the annular rims of the six battery containers (cell chambers) 11, 11,. A sealant is applied to the mounting portion of one common lid over six cells, and FIG. 5 shows the quality of the application state of all annular sealant application portions 13, 13,... Of the battery case. The inspection device 3
1 shows a state where the multi-cell type battery case 19 is disposed immediately below the camera 20 of FIG. The camera 20 photographs the sealing agent coating portions 13, 13,... Of the rims of the six cell chambers 11, 11,. It is sent to the inspection device 30 and carried out in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment.
The quality of the application state is determined. In addition, each cell room 11, 1
The illustration of the electrode group housed inside 1,... Is omitted for convenience.

FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b) show an embodiment of the discrimination inspection method. As in the previous embodiment, the display unit 22 of the inspection apparatus 30 incorporating the image signal from the camera 20 is shown.
, And the same components as those in the previous embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals and symbols. FIG.
As shown in (a), the screen of the display unit 22 includes a rectangular annular sealant application unit 13, 13, provided on the square rim of six battery containers (cell chambers) 11, 11,. ... black image B
And the six white A inner regions surrounded by the respective rectangular annular images and the outer white A portions of the rectangular annular image on the outer periphery thereof are shown. After setting an outer point 46 in the outer region and an inner point 47 in each of the six inner regions, first, as shown in FIG. 6B, one of the six inner regions is painted in red. Crush. In the state where the filling has been completed, if the other inner region adjacent to this and the outer region remain white A, the color comparing means 3
3, it is determined that there is no "identity of color", that is, "the colors are different from each other", and the sealing agent at the rim of one battery case (cell chamber) 11 surrounding the inner region C painted in red. The application unit 13 is determined to be good. Similarly, although not shown, when the remaining five inner regions are painted red, when the judgment of “no color identity”, that is, “different colors” is made, as described above. Are all good in the sealant application state applied to the rims of the six battery containers (cell chambers) of the multi-cell battery container 19, and are judged to be good specimens.

In the case where the discontinuous portion 48 exists in the sealant application portion 13 provided on the rim of the outer wall of the multi-cell type battery case 19,
As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, in the image, when the outer region of the white A is filled with red C, the white A
Among the six inner regions described above, the inner region surrounded by the rectangular annular sealant application portion where the discontinuous portion 48 exists is shown in FIG.
(B) Since it is painted red as shown, the color comparing means 33 issues a signal indicating that "the colors are identical", that is, "the colors of the inner and outer regions are the same color", and the application of the sealant application portion is performed. The subject whose state is bad is determined.

Although not shown, the partition walls 19b, 19b,...
In the multi-cell battery case 19 in which a discontinuous portion 48 exists somewhere in the sealant application portion 13 provided on the upper end of the
When one of the inner areas of the white A on both sides of the partition wall with the color is painted in red, the inner area on the other side (the inner area surrounded by a ring painted in red in one example, the outer area and the outer area) ) Is also painted in red, so that the color in the cell chambers 11 on both sides of the partition wall whose coating state is defective is judged by the color comparing means 33 to be “color identical”. As a result, it is determined that the subject is defective, and the subject is removed out of the production line.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, the quality of the application state of the annular sealant application section is determined by performing image processing by filling in colors, so that the quality can be easily and accurately determined.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a configuration of an inspection device for determining the quality of an annular sealant application section according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an example of an embodiment in which the inspection device of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 is applied to one battery case to determine the quality of an annular sealant application section.

3 (a) and 3 (b) are views when the application state of a sealant application section is good, and FIG. 3 (a) is displayed on the display section in the pass / fail judgment inspection method of the present invention shown in FIG. FIG. 3B is a view showing an image of an annular sealant application portion of the single cell type battery case, and FIG.
It is the figure which performed the filling process about the image of the display part in the pass / fail inspection method of this invention shown in (a).

4 (a) and 4 (b) are diagrams when the application state of the sealant application section is defective, and FIG. 4 (a) is a view when FIG. 3 (a) where the application state of the sealant application section is defective. FIG. 4B is a diagram illustrating an image similar to the diagram illustrated, and FIG. 4B is a diagram in which a filling process is performed on the image of the display unit in the pass / fail determination inspection method of the present invention illustrated in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the embodiment in which the inspection apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 is applied to a multi-cell type battery case, and the quality of a sealant application portion at an edge thereof is determined.

6 (a) and 6 (b) are views when the application state of the sealant application section is good, and FIG. 6 (a) shows an image of the display section in the pass / fail judgment inspection method of the present invention shown in FIG. 5; FIG. 6B is a diagram in which the image of the display unit in the pass / fail inspection method of the present invention shown in FIG.

FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b) are views showing a case where the application state of a sealant application section is defective; FIG. 6 (a) is a view showing FIG. FIG. 7B is a diagram showing an image similar to the diagram shown, and FIG. 7B is a diagram in which a filling process is performed on the image of the display unit in the pass / fail judgment inspection method of the present invention shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a conventional inspection device that determines the quality of an annular sealant application section.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view when a subject is determined using a conventional inspection device that determines the quality of an applied state of an annular sealant application section.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view obtained by cutting a part of a battery case as the subject.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an image of an inspection method using the conventional inspection device shown in FIG. 8 for judging pass / fail of a sealant application portion.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Subject 11 Single cell type battery case, cell room 19 Multi-cell type battery case 20 Camera 22 Display part 30 Inspection apparatus of the present invention 31 Means for setting two points where sealant is not applied 32 Filling process Means 33 Color comparison means 34 Discrimination output 45 Image 46 Outer point 47 Inner point A, B, C Different colors

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Hiroaki Furukawa 23-6 Tsukuwashi Funao-cho, Iwaki-shi, Fukushima Prefecture Inside the Iwaki Works of Furukawa Battery Co., Ltd. 23-6 Pile production Furukawa Battery Co., Ltd. Iwaki Plant

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An inner point set in an inner region surrounded by the ring and an outer region outside the ring in a ring-shaped image obtained by imaging a sealant-coated portion applied in a ring on a lid mounting portion of a container. The inner and outer regions and the image are filled with a different color from at least one of the outer points, and whether the inner and outer regions are filled with the color is used to determine the quality of the annular coating portion. A method of inspecting the quality of the applied state of the sealant applied portion. 2. An external image and an internal point of the annular outer region and the inner region where the sealant is not applied are obtained by picking up an image of the sealant application portion which is annularly applied to the lid mounting portion of the container. Setting means, at least one of the uncoated points, means for performing a filling process with a different color from the inner and outer areas and the image, and an output of the inner and outer areas with respect to the output of the filling means. An inspection apparatus for judging the quality of application of a sealant application section, comprising a color comparison means for judging color heterogeneity.