DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DETECTING THE PRESENCE OF ABNORMALITIES IN A REEL

Abstract

A device for detecting the presence of abnormalities in a reel includes an image capturing module for capturing images of the reel including at least one camera, a displacer for displacing the reel in a field of view of the at least one camera, an analyzer for analyzing the images captured by the at least one camera and detecting the presence of abnormalities. The image capturing module including an upper capturer and lower capturer, the upper capturer fixed on a movable support arranged for being movable with respect to lower capturer, the upper capturer and/or the lower capturer including at least one three dimension camera arranged for providing a three dimension image of the reel.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A device configured to detect the presence of abnormalities on an external surface of a reel, the device comprising: an image capturing module configured to capture images of the reel, the image capturing module comprising at least one camera; a displacer configured to displace the reel in a field of view of the at least one camera; and an analyzer configured to analyze the images captured by the at least one camera and to detect the presence of abnormalities; wherein the image capture module comprises an upper capturer configured to capture images of an upper face of the reel, and a lower capturer configured to capture images of the lower face of the reel, the upper capturer fixed on a movable support arranged for being movable with respect to lower capturer, the upper capturer and/or the lower capturer comprising at least one three dimension (3D) camera arranged to provide a three dimension (3D) image of the reel.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein the image capturing module further comprises an illuminator configured to illuminate while the image capture module captures the images of the reel.

18. The device according to claim 16, further comprising: at least one actuator configured to actuate movement of the movable support.

19. The device according to claim 16, wherein the upper capturer comprises at least one 3D camera and at least one 2D camera, and/or the lower capturer comprises at least one 3D camera and at least one 2D camera.

20. The device according to claim 16, further comprising: at least one sensor module configured to activate and deactivate the image capture module to control capture of the image depending on the position of the reel with respect to the at least one camera.

21. The device according to claim 16, wherein the displacer includes at least a conveyor belt configured to convey the guiding of the reel through the field of view of the at least one 3D camera.

22. The device according to claim 21, wherein the at least one conveyor belt includes a plurality of rollers, the rollers having a beveled surface arranged for contacting the reel.

23. The device according to claim 16, further comprising: a cleaning system configured to clean a lens of the at least one camera.

24. The device according to claim 23, wherein the cleaning system includes a pneumatic system that includes at least one blow nozzle and at least one regulating valve configured to regulate the air flow to the at least one blow nozzle.

25. The device according claim 16, further comprising: a computing arrangement configured to compute at least one parameter of the detected abnormality, including at least one dimension of the abnormality.

26. The device according to claim 25, wherein the at least one dimension includes at least one of a width, a diameter, a height and a volume of the abnormality.

27. The device according to claim 16, wherein the analyzer is arranged for stopping the displacer and is configured to issue an audible warning and/or sending a warning message to a user if one or more of the abnormalities are found.

28. The device according to claim 16, wherein the abnormalities are chosen among misaligned core, core dimensions default, crushed core, width variation, diameter variation, irregular side, telescope effect, nail head, waving or color contamination.

29. A method for detecting one or more abnormalities on an external surface of a reel, the method comprising: providing the device according to claim 16; activating the displacer so as to place the reel between the upper capturer and the lower capturer; actuating the movable support so as to place the reel in the field of view of the 3D camera; capturing images of the reel; and analyzing the captured images to detect the presence of the abnormalities.

30. The method according to claim 29, further comprising: providing a theoretical value of at least one parameter of the reel, for instance the width in cross-section of the diameter; and moving the movable support depending on the theoretical value of the reel to adjust the position of the reel with respect to the 3D camera.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the at least one parameter of the reel include a width in cross-section of a diameter of the reel.

32. The method according to claim 29, wherein the image capturing module comprises at least one 3D camera and at least one 2D camera, and wherein the method further comprises: computing the captured 3D and the 2D images to generate a processed image; and analyzing the processed image to detect the presence of abnormalities.

33. The method according to claim 29, further comprising: a computing arrangement for computing a parameter of the detected abnormality by measuring at least one dimension of the abnormalities.

34. The method according to claim 29, wherein the abnormalities include at least one of width, diameter, visual defects, core dimensions default, crushed core, irregular side, telescope effect, nail head, waving or color contamination.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0070] Further particular advantages and features of the invention will become more apparent from the following non-limitative description of at least one embodiment of the invention which will refer to the accompanying figures, wherein

[0071] FIG. 1 shows an overview of the device according to a first embodiment;

[0072] FIG. 2a shows a perspective view of the upper part of the device of FIG. 1;

[0073] FIG. 2b shows a perspective view of the lower part of the device of FIG. 1;

[0074] FIG. 3 shows an overview of the device of FIG. 1 operating a reel;

[0075] FIG. 4 shows the beveled surface of the roller of the conveyor belt of the device shows in FIG. 3;

[0076] Table 1 represents comparative results between the invention and the existing prior art to detect some abnormalities; and

[0077] Table 2 illustrates some abnormalities that could be detected with the presented invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0078] The present detailed description is intended to illustrate the invention in a nonlimitative manner since any feature of an embodiment may be combined with any other feature of a different embodiment in an advantageous manner.

[0079] FIGS. 1 to 4 represent a device 1 according to an embodiment of the invention. The device 1 comprises a frame 2 hosting an image capturing module 3, and displacing means 4 represented here as a conveyor belt 5 with beveled shapes rollers 22 as shown in FIG. 4. In the disclosed embodiment, the device was used in a nonwoven factory where after cutting of said reels, these are individually taken and transported, one by one, to the conveyor belt of the device for abnormalities detection.

[0080] The image capturing module 3 comprises upper capture means 6 and lower capture means 7, as shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b.

[0081] When the device 1 operates a reel 8 to be inspected, as shown in FIG. 3, the reel 8 is placed on the conveyor 5 that displaces the reel 8 toward the image capturing module 3, in other words between the upper capture means 6 and the lower capture means 7. The upper capturing means 6 capture image of the upper face 9 of the reel 8. The lower capturing means 7 capture image of the lower face 10 of the reel 8. The upper capturing means 6 and the lower capturing means 7 are also capable of capturing images from the circular lateral face 11 of the reel 8, in addition to the upper 9 and lower 10 faces of the reel 8.

[0082] In the illustrated embodiment in FIGS. 1-3, the upper capture means 6 and lower capturing means 7 are respectively received in an upper housing 12 and a lower housing 13.

[0083] In the present invention, the image capture module 3 comprises at least one camera 14.

[0084] In this embodiment, the image capturing module 3 comprises both 2D cameras and 3D cameras. The upper capture means 6 comprises five 2D cameras and five 3D cameras, whereas the lower capture means 7 comprises five 2D cameras and five 3D cameras.

[0085] The upper housing 12 further comprises linear guides 15 for guiding the displacement of a movable support 16 with respect to the lower capture means and with respect to the reel 6 displaced by the displacing means, in the present case the reel being placed on the conveyor belt 5.

[0086] The cameras 14 of the upper capture means 6 are fixed on the moveable support 16. The camera 14 fixed on the movable support 16 are oriented toward the reel 8 placed on the conveyor 5. When the movable support 16 is sliding in the linear guides 15, the distance between the upper face of the reel 8 and the cameras 14 fixed on the movable support 16 varies.

[0087] The translation motion of the movable support 16 is actuated by an actuator 17, for instance a servo motor received in the upper housing 12.

[0088] According to the present embodiment, the device 1 further comprises illumination means 18 for illuminating the reel 8 during image captures. The upper capturing means 6 and the lower capturing means 7 are each coupled to a series of LED.

[0089] In the disclosed embodiment, the position of the moveable support 16 is adjusted according to the width of the reel 8. The conveyor belt 5 carries the reel 8 between the upper capture means 6 and the lower capture means 7 to an area named inspection area 19. In the present invention, the inspection area corresponds to the field of view of the camera 14. Upon arrival in the inspection area 19, the reel 8 activates a first sensor 20. This first sensor 20 switches on the illumination means 18 and controls the 2D cameras 14 and 3D cameras 14 of the image capture module 3.

[0090] Therefore, the cameras 14 begin recording the images. Upon leaving the inspection area 19, the reel 8 deactivates a second sensor 21, which switches off the illumination means 18 and commands the cameras 14 to finalize image capturing. The captured images are transmitted to the analyzing means, in the present case a software. The software processes (also called “sews”) the captured images of the cameras 14 to form at least four images, two 2D images (upper and lower surface) and two 3D images (upper and lower surface). The software saves the images and tracks these images for abnormalities.

[0091] Preferably, the software is designed for detecting the following abnormalities: misalignments of both the core and the material, when wound, crushing of the reel, incorrect width along the spool, disproportional diameter, irregular sides, telescopic effect in the winding, undulation when winding, defects such as for example the center of the reel having a smaller diameter than the ends and still contaminations by hair strands among others.

[0092] Depending on the presence or the absence of abnormalities in the reel, the software:

[0093] (i) stops the conveyor belt until the operator checks the reel,

[0094] (ii) points out segregation of the reel as warning message in a report,

[0095] (iii) issues an audible warning.

[0096] (iv) robot moves the bad reel to the scrap position.

[0097] As shown in Table 1, applicants have performed comparative studies to compare the results of the present invention versus the existing technics for the detection of a given abnormality.

[0098] Overall, the claimed solution is the only one allowing the detection, measuring and automatic rejection of all the tested abnormalities.

[0099] For instance, contrary to the existing prior art, the claimed invention is capable of detecting and measuring the following abnormalities: [0100] Contamination strange, object cardboard; [0101] Telescope effect [0102] Core misaligned [0103] Splice in a wrong way [0104] Irregular side [0105] Wrinkled reel [0106] Width less than specified [0107] With greater than specified [0108] Variation of width in the same reel [0109] Blurred reels [0110] Tears/breaking [0111] Color

[0112] Table 2 illustrates the rules applied by the present invention, in an embodiment, to detect some abnormalities. For instance, the reel is considered to have irregular side/coning if the difference between the outer and the inner width is greater than 3 mm. If the analyzing means detect a difference greater than 3 mm for instance, it means the reel 8 has an abnormality, Advantageously, in the present invention, there is no a fixed difference, it is settable on the software by the user according customers' requirements for instance.

[0113] While the embodiments have been described in conjunction with a number of embodiments, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations would be or are apparent to those of ordinary skill in the applicable arts. Accordingly, this disclosure is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, equivalents and variations that are within the scope of this disclosure. This is for example particularly the case regarding the different apparatuses which can be used.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0114] 1 Device according to a first embodiment [0115] 2 Frame [0116] 3 Image capturing module [0117] 4 Displacing means [0118] 5 Conveyor belt [0119] 6 Upper capture means [0120] 7 Lower capture means [0121] 8 Reel [0122] 9 Upper face of the reel [0123] 10 Lower face of the reel [0124] 11 Circular lateral face of the reel [0125] 12 Upper housing [0126] 13 Lower housing [0127] 14 Camera [0128] 15 Linear guide [0129] 16 Moveable support [0130] 17 Actuator of the movable support [0131] 18 Illumination means [0132] 19 Inspection area [0133] 20 First sensor [0134] 21 Second sensor [0135] 22 Beveled shaped roller of the conveyor belt