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US 11,892,417 B1Granted
Finishing line automatic inspection system and method
AssigneeColumbia Insurance Company
InventorsRichard Glassell, Chad Christman, Alex Epstein
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Automatic detection of mechanical defects in piece parts, such as floor covering planks, enables removal of the defective parts off an inspection path. A bypass conveyor system enables defective parts to be transported beyond or around a manual inspection, enabling personnel performing the subsequent inspection to focus on appearance defects. Once the remaining parts have been inspected by a manual process, the parts transported by the bypass conveyor system are returned to the production line. Defective parts may be distinguished by a marking capability that provides the ability to mark according to a variety of classes of defects.
Claims27
A system for automatic inspection of piece parts in a production facility, the system comprising:
- a driven production path for serially transporting individual units of the piece parts along a direction of travel;
- an alternate conveyance path proximate the production path;
- a first optical system for detecting characteristics of the individual units as each progresses on the production path;
- a database of standards for each of a plurality of characteristics of the piece parts;
- a processor in communication with the first optical system and the database of standards for analyzing the detected characteristics of each of the individual units using the standards for one or more of the plurality of characteristics from the database;
- and
- a piece part diverter assembly intermediate the production path and the alternate conveyance path for selectively diverting ones of the individual units from the production path onto the alternate conveyance path in response to input from the processor having determined that at least one of the standards associated with a respective characteristic has not been met
- wherein the alternate conveyance path is above a portion of the production path,
- wherein the piece part diverter assembly comprises an elevator system comprising a pneumatic pusher for selectively contacting an underside of an individual unit and elevating the ones of the individual units from the production path to the alternate conveyance path,
- wherein the pneumatic pusher comprises a marking system, and
- wherein the alternate conveyance path comprises at least one diversion conveyor for returning the selectively diverted ones of the individual units back to the production path.
8 more elements
A system for automatic inspection of piece parts in a production facility, the system comprising:
- a driven production conveyor for serially transporting individual units of the piece parts;
- an alignment module comprising two vertically actuatable rods, each having a respective actuator in communication with the processor, disposed adjacent to the production conveyor and mutually orthogonal to the direction of travel of the production conveyor, the rods adapted to be selectively moved upwards to prevent one of the individual units from proceeding along the production conveyor and to be selectively moved downwards to allow the one of the individual units to proceed along the production conveyor;
- a movement dampening module for inhibiting movement of the individual units with respect to the production conveyor;
- a diversion conveyor proximate and above a portion of the production conveyor;
- a first three-dimensional laser scanner system for detecting characteristics of the individual units as each progresses on the production conveyor;
- a second three-dimensional laser scanner system for detecting characteristics of the individual units proximate the ends thereof as each progresses on the production conveyor;
- a database of standards for each of a plurality of characteristics of the piece parts;
- a processor in communication with the first optical system and the database of standards for analyzing the detected characteristics of each of the individual units using the standards for one or more of the plurality of characteristics from the database;
- at least one robotic manipulator intermediate the production conveyor and the diversion conveyor for selectively diverting ones of the individual units from the production conveyor onto the diversion conveyor in response to input from the processor having determined that at least one of the standards associated with a respective characteristic has not been met;
- and
- a marking system configured for selectively marking the diverted ones of the individual units using one of plural chalks, each chalk having a unique respective color, the diverted ones of the individual units being marked in response to the processor analyzing the detected characteristics of each of the individual units using the standards for one or more of the plurality of characteristics
- wherein the marking system is part of a piece part diverter assembly that further comprises the at least one robotic manipulator.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.