# US 12,182,992 B2 · Apparatus for inspecting appearance of can for secondary battery > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,182,992 B2 - Document ID: US12182992B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/051,808 - Filed: 2022-11-01 - Published: 2023-10-26 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2022-04-25 - Assignees: Enscape Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Enscape Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Nam Dong Kim; Sang Sik Min; Won Young Jeong; Jae Hyuk Choi; Jin Hyeok Ko; Yong Deong Kang; Sang Baek Kim; Yoon Been Cho - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12182992B2 ## CPC - G01N 21/952: Inspecting the exterior surface of cylindrical bodies or wires (G01N21/956 takes precedence) - G06T 7/001: {using an image reference approach} - G01N 21/954: Inspecting the inner surface of hollow bodies, e.g. bores - G06T 7/11: Region-based segmentation - H04N 23/56: provided with illuminating means - H04N 23/698: for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture - H04N 23/74: by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means - H04N 23/90: Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums - G06T 2207/20021: Dividing image into blocks, subimages or windows - G06T 2207/30108: Industrial image inspection - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract Disclosed is an apparatus for inspecting the appearance of a can for a secondary battery, which can obtain an image of the appearance of the can for the secondary battery and determine whether there is a defect. The apparatus for inspecting the appearance of a can for a secondary battery according to the disclosure obtains lateral images of a plurality of cans at once, and generates the lateral image for one can by extracting an area where each can is captured, thereby speeding up the inspection. Further, the lateral images of the can are obtained with light emitted in various combinations, thereby having an effect on improving the accuracy in defect diagnosis. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for inspecting an appearance of a can for a secondary battery, the apparatus comprising: a transport configured to load a hollow can for a secondary battery in a widthwise direction and transport the can in the widthwise direction; a first inspection module configured to obtain a lateral image of the can while rotating a plurality of cans, which are loaded side by side in the transport, with respect to a lengthwise axis; a second inspection module adjacent to the transport, and configured to obtain an image of a lower surface of the can loaded in the transport; a third inspection module adjacent to the transport, and configured to obtain an image of an inside of the can loaded in the transport; and an image processor configured to determine a detect of the can based on the images received from the first inspection module, the second inspection module and the third inspection module, wherein the first inspection module comprises: a hand configured to adjust an angle of the plurality of cans loaded in the transport with respect to the lengthwise axis at once; a first lighting unit configured to simultaneously emit light to lateral surfaces of the plurality of cans adjusted in angle by the hand; and a first camera configured to simultaneously obtain captured images of the plurality of cans illuminated with the light, and wherein the image processor is configured to: divide the captured images of the lateral surfaces of the plurality of cans obtained by the first camera into entity image areas as areas in which the cans are individually captured; and generate an inspection image by combining the entity image areas according to the captured images for one can. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first lighting unit comprises a plurality of light emitting units provided at a position obliquely facing in the lengthwise direction of the can picked up by the hand, and the image processor is configured to generate at least two inspection images based on the images obtained by emitting light from different light emitting units among the plurality of light emitting units to each can. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, further comprises a controller, wherein each light emitting unit is extended in a direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction, and wherein the controller controls the light emitting units of the first lighting unit are disposed at different positions along the lengthwise direction of the can, to operate in sequence. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller controls the operating light emitting units of the first lighting unit to be switched. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first lighting unit is disposed to emit light obliquely to a direction in which the cans loaded in the transport are arranged. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first camera has an optical axis disposed perpendicularly to a direction in which a predetermined number of picked-up secondary batteries are arranged. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second inspection module comprises: a second camera configured to obtain an image for a lower inspection position to capture a lower surface of the can loaded in the transport; a lens module provided on an optical path between the lower inspection position and the image sensor module, and configured to adjust a focal length; and a second lighting unit configured to emit light to the lower inspection position, the second lighting unit comprises: a coaxial lighting unit configured to emit light to the lower inspection position coaxially with the optical path; a fiber lighting unit comprising a plurality of optical fibers provided along a circumferential path of a predetermined radius with respect to a central axis of the optical path of the second camera; a dome lighting unit configured to emit light to a reflective surface provided at one side so that reflection light can be emitted to the lower inspection position; and an inclined lighting unit configured to emit light having an inclination at the lower inspection position. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the third inspection module comprises a pinhole camera. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the third inspection module comprises: a third camera disposed to form an optical axis in a direction of viewing an inside of the can disposed at an inside inspection position for inspecting the inside of the can; a third lighting unit configured to emit light toward the inside of the can; and a mirror provided between the third camera and the can disposed at the inside inspection position, and the third camera is configured to obtain an inside inspection image for an image comprising the inside of the can reflected from the mirror. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the inside inspection image comprises images of an upper surface of a lower wall and an inner surface of a lateral wall of the can, and the upper surface and the inner surface reflected from the mirror. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the mirror comprises a reflective surface which is at least partially curved. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the mirror has a cylindrical shape, of which a first inner diameter at a first end adjacent to the third camera is greater than a second inner diameter at a second side adjacent to the can seated at the inspection position. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the second inner diameter is greater than an outer diameter of the can. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the third camera is configured to simultaneously obtain images of 360 degrees in a circumferential direction with respect to the inner surface of the can. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the third camera and the mirror are spaced apart by a first distance, and the mirror and the can seated at the inside inspection position are spaced apart by a second distance, and the first distance is greater than the second distance. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the third inspection module comprises a beam splitter, the third lighting unit emits light toward the beam splitter in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the third camera, and the light emitted from the third lighting unit is converted to have the same optical axis as the optical axis of the third camera by the beam splitter. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the third lighting unit is provided at an end portion of the third camera, and comprises at least one light emitting module along a recessed surface. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the third lighting unit comprises light emitting modules along an annular path with respect to the optical axis of the third camera. ### Claim 19 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second inspection module and the third inspection module face each other at opposite sides in the lengthwise direction of the can with the can positioned therebetween.