# US 12,467,873 B2 · Electrified component hairpin inspection device

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- Number: US 12,467,873 B2
- Document ID: US12467873B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/693,896
- Filed: 2022-12-19
- Published: 2024-11-21
- Granted: 2025-11-11
- Earliest claimed: 2021-12-23
- Assignees: Viewon Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Viewon Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Young Wook Yoon; Young Yeop Yoon
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12467873B2

## CPC

- G01N 21/8806: {Specially adapted optical and illumination features}
- G01N 21/88: Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination
- G01N 21/95: characterised by the material or shape of the object to be examined (G01N21/89 - G01N21/91, G01N21/94 take precedence)
- H04N 23/71: Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation
- H04N 23/74: by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
- 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)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

A hairpin inspection apparatus for inspecting a hairpin included in an electrification component includes an electrification block seated on a rotating device and rotated by the rotating device, a hairpin mounted on an electrification block, and a lighting unit provided on the hairpin to irradiate light to the electrification block and the hairpin, in which the lighting unit includes a light source generating light and a lens collecting the light generated from the light source.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A hairpin inspection apparatus for inspecting a hairpin included in an electrification component, the apparatus comprising:
an electrification block seated on a rotating device and rotated by the rotating device;
a hairpin mounted on an electrification block; and
a lighting unit provided on the hairpin to irradiate light to the electrification block and the hairpin,
wherein the lighting unit comprises a light source generating light, and a lens collecting the light generated from the light source.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The hairpin inspection apparatus of claim 1, wherein a slope is formed at an end of the hairpin.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The hairpin inspection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lighting unit is provided in plurality, and a plurality of the lighting units are configured to irradiate light to the electrification block and the hairpin in different directions.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The hairpin inspection apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:
an angle adjusting unit configured to adjust directions of the lighting units; and
a controller configured to control the directions of the lighting units by controlling the angle adjusting unit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The hairpin inspection apparatus of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to:
analyze illuminance distribution when light is irradiated through the lighting units; and
when two or more bright parts are detected in the illuminance distribution, control the lighting units while reducing a distance between the plurality of lighting units or reducing an angle between the plurality of lighting units, such that there is one bright part in the illuminance distribution.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The hairpin inspection apparatus of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to:
analyze illuminance distribution when light is irradiated through the lighting units; and
when a bright part is convex in the illuminance distribution, control the lighting units while increasing the distance between the plurality of lighting units or increasing the angle between the plurality of lighting units, such that the bright part is flat in the illuminance distribution.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The hairpin inspection apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a photographing unit provided on the hairpin to photograph the hairpin and the electrification block,
wherein the photographing unit is arranged on an extending line of a center line of the electrification block.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The hairpin inspection apparatus of claim 7, wherein the hairpin is arranged between center lines along which light is irradiated from the plurality of lighting units.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The hairpin inspection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of hairpins are mounted on the electrification block, and an angle at which the light is irradiated from the lighting unit to the hairpin is less than arctan (a distance D between hairpins/a length L of a hairpin).