US-12618787-B2 - X-ray inspection apparatus and X-ray inspection system

Abstract

To provide an X-ray inspection apparatus capable of obtaining a clear transmission image with less noise without reducing a conveyance speed of an inspection object. There is provided an X-ray inspection apparatus in which an X-ray generator and an X-ray detector are disposed to face each other with a conveyance path interposed between the X-ray generator and the X-ray detector, conveyance path through which inspection objects that are sequentially conveyed pass. The X-ray generator is configured to rotate within a range of a predetermined angle, and the X-ray detector is configured to move back and forth in a conveyance direction of the inspection object and an opposite direction, in conjunction with the rotation of the X-ray generator. A capturing axis from the X-ray generator to the X-ray detector follows the inspection object moving forth in the conveyance direction during at least capturing an image of the inspection object.

Inventors

• Itaru MIYAZAKI
• Eiji Tsujimura

Assignees

• ANRITSU CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20240314

Priority Date

20230331

Claims (11)

1. 1 . An X-ray inspection apparatus comprising: an X-ray generator that irradiates inspection objects that are sequentially conveyed with X-rays; an X-ray detector that detects the X-rays that have been transmitted through the inspection object; and a conveyance path through which the inspection object passes, wherein the X-ray generator and the X-ray detector are disposed to face each other with the conveyance path interposed between the X-ray generator and the X-ray detector, the X-ray generator is configured to rotate within a predetermined angle range when an image of the inspection object is captured, the X-ray detector is configured to move back and forth in a conveyance direction of the inspection object and an opposite direction in conjunction with the rotation of the X-ray generator, and the X-ray generator and the X-ray detector perform a following movement to follow the inspection object in a period when the inspection object moves from an image capturing start position to an image capturing end position, and the X-ray detector captures an image of the inspection object.
2. 2 . The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the X-ray generator and the X-ray detector are configured to perform the following movement to the image capturing end position, and then perform a return movement of returning to the image capturing start position before an inspection object to be conveyed next reaches the image capturing start position.
3. 3 . The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising: a reference image information storage unit that stores reference image information that is image information of a reference image obtained by capturing an image of the inspection object in advance; a determination unit that determines whether or not image information of an X-ray image obtained by the image capturing coincides with the reference image information; and a control unit that adjusts an irradiation range of the X-rays and a movement speed of the X-ray detector in a case where the determination unit determines that the image information of the X-ray image obtained by the image capturing does not coincide with the reference image information.
4. 4 . The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the determination unit performs determination to be a first pattern in which the image information of the X-ray image obtained by the image capturing does not coincide with the reference image information, in a case where a contrast of the inspection object in the X-ray image obtained by the image capturing is different from a contrast of the inspection object in the reference image, and the control unit adjusts a movement speed of the following movement in a case of the first pattern.
5. 5 . The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the determination unit performs determination to be a second pattern in which the image information of the X-ray image obtained by the image capturing does not coincide with the reference image information, in a case where a position of the inspection object in the X-ray image obtained by the image capturing is different from a position of the inspection object in the reference image, and the control unit adjusts a movement speed of the return movement in a case of the second pattern.
6. 6 . The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the determination unit performs determination to be a second pattern in which the image information of the X-ray image obtained by the image capturing does not coincide with the reference image information, in a case where a position of the inspection object in the X-ray image obtained by the image capturing is different from a position of the inspection object in the reference image, and the control unit transmits, to an outside, a notification that the image information of the X-ray image obtained by the image capturing does not coincide with the reference image information, in a case of the second pattern.
7. 7 . The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the X-ray generator and the X-ray detector are configured to perform image capturing even during the return movement, the determination unit determines whether or not there is an inspection object in an X-ray image captured during the return movement, and the control unit transmits, to an outside, a notification that conveyance of an inspection object is abnormal, in a case where the determination unit determines that there is the inspection object in the X-ray image captured during the return movement.
8. 8 . The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the X-ray generator and the X-ray detector are unitized by being joined to each other via a joining bracket, and the X-ray detector moves back and forth in the conveyance direction and the opposite direction in conjunction with the rotation of the X-ray generator.
9. 9 . The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the X-ray generator and the X-ray detector are unitized by being joined to each other via a joining bracket, and the X-ray detector moves back and forth in the conveyance direction and the opposite direction in conjunction with the rotation of the X-ray generator.
10. 10 . The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the X-ray detector is configured by an area sensor.
11. 11 . An X-ray inspection system comprising: the X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 3 ; a conveyance device that conveys an inspection object to the X-ray inspection apparatus; and a loading device that loads the inspection object into the conveyance device, wherein the determination unit performs determination to be a second pattern in which image information of an X-ray image obtained by the image capturing does not coincide with the reference image information, in a case where a position of the inspection object in the X-ray image obtained by the image capturing is different from a position of the inspection object in the reference image, and the control unit outputs a signal to the loading device to adjust a loading timing of the inspection object into the conveyance device, in a case of the second pattern.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an X-ray inspection apparatus and an X-ray inspection system. BACKGROUND ART Patent Document 1 discloses an X-ray foreign matter inspection apparatus including an X-ray generator that is disposed at a predetermined height apart above an inspection space in the middle of a conveyance path and irradiates inspection objects that are sequentially conveyed with X-rays in the inspection space, and an X-ray line sensor that is disposed in a conveyance section to face the X-ray generator and detects X-rays that have been transmitted through the inspection object. RELATED ART DOCUMENT Patent Document [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 7060446 DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problem that the Invention is to Solve However, in the X-ray foreign matter inspection apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, if the exposure time for the inspection object is short, the obtained transmission image becomes an image with a lot of noise. Furthermore, for example, in a case where a relatively thick inspection object is to be inspected, if the exposure time is short, the obtained transmission image becomes an unclear image. Therefore, if the exposure time for the inspection object is short, it is not possible to improve inspection accuracy. On the other hand, if the exposure time is set to be long, it is possible to obtain a clear transmission image with less noise, but as the exposure time becomes longer, it is necessary to reduce the conveyance speed of the inspection object or to temporarily stop the conveyance in some cases. Thus, it is not possible to perform efficient inspection. The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an X-ray inspection apparatus and an X-ray inspection system capable of obtaining a clear transmission image with less noise without reducing a conveyance speed of an inspection object. Means for Solving the Problem According to a first aspect of the present invention, an X-ray inspection apparatus includes an X-ray generator that irradiates inspection objects that are sequentially conveyed with X-rays, an X-ray detector that detects the X-rays that have been transmitted through the inspection object, and a conveyance path through which the inspection object passes, in which the X-ray generator and the X-ray detector are disposed to face each other with the conveyance path interposed between the X-ray generator and the X-ray detector. The X-ray generator is configured to rotate within a predetermined angle range when an image of the inspection object is captured. The X-ray detector is configured to move back and forth in a conveyance direction of the inspection object and an opposite direction in conjunction with the rotation of the X-ray generator. The X-ray generator and the X-ray detector perform a following movement to follow the inspection object in a period when the inspection object moves from an image capturing start position to an image capturing end position, and the X-ray detector is configured to capture an image of the inspection object. With this configuration, in the X-ray inspection apparatus according to the present invention, the X-ray generator rotates and the X-ray detector moves in the conveyance direction and captures an image of the inspection object so that the X-ray generator and the X-ray detector follow the inspection object in a period when the inspection object moves from the image capturing start position to the image capturing end position. Thus, it is possible to lengthen an exposure time without reducing the conveyance speed of the inspection object, as compared with a configuration in which the X-ray generator and X-ray detector are fixed and perform image capturing. Therefore, in the X-ray inspection apparatus according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a clear transmission image with less noise without reducing the conveyance speed of the inspection object. According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the X-ray inspection apparatus in the first aspect, the X-ray generator and the X-ray detector are configured to perform the following movement to the image capturing end position, and then perform a return movement of returning to the image capturing start position before an inspection object to be conveyed next reaches the image capturing start position. With this configuration, in the X-ray inspection apparatus according to the present invention, the X-ray generator and the X-ray detector move to the image capturing end position, and then return to the image capturing start position before the inspection object to be conveyed next reaches the image capturing start position. Thus, it is possible to bring the X-ray generator and X-ray detector back to the image capturing start position provided for image capturing of the next inspection object, by using a gap time between inspection objects that are seque