High speed method and system for inspecting a stream of parts

A high-speed system for inspecting a stream of parts, the system comprising:

• a conveyor subsystem having a forward reach and a return reach and including at least one traveling carrier, the at least one traveling carrier controllably receiving a stream of parts in rapid succession at a load station, the conveyor subsystem transferring the stream of parts in rapid succession from the load station to a part inspection station at which a bottom surface of each part has a predetermined position and orientation for inspection and from the part inspection station to an unload station, wherein the conveyor subsystem includes a pair of spaced rollers including a drive roller and actuator assembly for rotatably driving the drive roller and wherein the at least one traveling carrier is a single, transparent, belt which is directed around the rollers when the actuator assembly drives the drive roller;
• an illuminator configured to illuminate the bottom surface of each part through its traveling carrier with radiant energy when the part is located at the inspection station to generate reflected radiation signals which travel through its traveling carrier;
• a lens and detector subsystem configured to form a bottom image of each illuminated bottom surface from the reflected radiation signals at an imaging location between the forward and return reaches at the inspection station and configured to detect the bottom images at the imaging location, wherein each traveling carrier is substantially transparent to the radiant energy and the reflected radiation signals;
• at least one processor configured to process the detected bottom images;
• at least one device configured to remove the streams of parts from the conveyor subsystem at the unload station after inspection at the inspection station;
• and
• a system controller coupled to the conveyor subsystem to control the conveyor subsystem so that the at least one traveling carrier controllably receives and transfers the stream of parts in rapid succession.

A high-speed method of inspecting a stream of parts, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a conveyor subsystem having a forward reach and a return reach, wherein the subsystem includes a pair of spaced rollers including a drive roller and actuator assembly for rotatably driving the drive roller and a belt trained around the rollers when the actuator assembly drives the drive roller, the belt having at least a transparent surface area;
• controllably receiving a stream of parts in rapid succession on the at least one traveling carrier at a load station;
• utilizing the conveyor subsystem to transfer the stream of parts in rapid succession from the load station to a part inspection station at which a bottom surface of each part has a predetermined position and orientation for inspection and from the part inspection station to an unload station;
• illuminating the bottom surface of each part through the transparent surface area of the belt with radiant energy when the part is located at the inspection station to generate reflected radiation signals which transmit through the transparent surface area of the belt;
• forming a bottom image of each illuminated bottom surface from the reflected radiation signals at an imaging location between the forward and return reaches at the inspection station, wherein the transparent surface area of the belt permits the radiant energy and the reflected radiation signals to be transmitted therethrough;
• detecting the bottom images at the imaging location;
• processing the detected bottom images;
• and
• removing the stream of parts at the unload station after inspection at the inspection station.

A high-speed system for inspecting a stream of parts, the system comprising:

• a conveyor subsystem having a forward reach and a return reach, wherein the conveyor subsystem includes a pair of spaced rollers including a drive roller and actuator assembly for rotatably driving the drive roller and a belt trained around the rollers when the actuator assembly drives the drive roller, the belt having at least a transparent surface area, the belt controllably receiving a stream of parts in rapid succession at a load station, the conveyor subsystem transferring the stream of parts in rapid succession from the load station to a part inspection station at which a bottom surface of each part has a predetermined position and orientation for inspection and from the part inspection station to an unload station;
• an illuminator configured to illuminate the bottom surface of each part through the transparent surface area of the belt with radiant energy when the part is located at the inspection station to generate reflected radiation signals which travel through its traveling carrier;
• a lens and detector subsystem configured to form a bottom image of each illuminated bottom surface from the reflected radiation signals at an imaging location between the forward and return reaches at the inspection station and configured to detect the bottom images at the imaging location, wherein the transparent surface area of the belt permits the radiant energy and the reflected radiation signals to be transmitted therethrough;
• at least one processor configured to process the detected bottom images;
• at least one device configured to remove the streams of parts from the conveyor subsystem at the unload station after inspection at the inspection station;
• and
• a system controller coupled to the conveyor subsystem to control the conveyor subsystem so that the at least one traveling carrier controllably receives and transfers the stream of parts in rapid succession.