METHOD FOR INSPECTING SPINNING BOBBINS, AND SYSTEM FOR IMPLEMENTING SUCH METHOD

Abstract: The method which is applicable to the inspection of bobbins of yarn of any size, colour and material, is based on the acquisition of images of the surface of the bobbin and on their processing by a computer program in order to evaluate defects, and comprises various steps of exploring the bobbin (1) taking a plurality of images of various areas of said bobbin, each step occurring under specific conditions of lighting and relative position of particular image sensors (3, 4) in order to identify specific defects, displacing either the bobbin (1) or the image acquisition means (3, 4), or bot to explore, sector by sector, the whole surface of interest, each of the focused images, related to a particular defect being processed individually by the evaluation program.

Description: FIELD OF INVENTION This invention relates to a method for inspecting spinning bobbins and system for implementing such method. The method and system according to the invention are applied to scanning yarn bobbins after their winding process on a core which gives rise to one or more stations embedded in a conveyor line for said recently formed bobbins carriage towards a point of use or storage. The method and system proposed are adapted for processing bobbins having different sizes, colours and material, comprising a step for acquiring (capturing and lighting) images on the bobbin surface, a second step of processing said images through digitizing and an end process by means of an analysis computer program applied to withdraw and assess the defects. The system according to the invention allows to detect a great number of defects which can appear on the spinning bobbins and namely, broken filaments, loops, webbing, scratching or defibered parts and blows, stains on the bobbin end faces and on its sides, scratching, blows and unevenness, deformations, cavings and bobbin density, tube colour and yarn butt end as well as circles or stains on the bobbin end faces. The system is based on a generally sequential and matched action of a plurality of image acquiring sensors, several of which are moveable in order to be able to locate them at predetermined points before starting each cycle of image capture of a related detection or scanning step, generally specific for each of the defects and in which a whole bobbin area is scanned, sector by sector, and the images acquired are also processed one by one or integrated with other images corresponding to a scanning step. At each of said detection steps a lighting has been provided specially adapted to each case whose arrangement, matched with a suitable optics, provides a sufficient field depth effect in order that the defects present in the sector are perfectly focused in resulting image. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Several embodiments are known in the state of the art which are applied to detect defects in yarn bobbins. Japanese patent application 62-62938 and U.S. Pat No. 5,138,151 disclose methods for detecting based on sensors for acquiring image by line by line reading, provided to give rise to a station embedded in a line to transfer bobbins toward a storage or service area. This prior art methods have the main drawback that for localizing a defect it requires two or three acquisitions of the image sensor, its use meaning in addition limitations as for the bobbin colour and/or material, which make the general use of this method difficult which is mainly useful for direct reflection bobbins. In addition, as this kind of sensors only read one line, the encompassed field is then very restricted and the shots have to be performed at points very near to achieve effective results. On the other hand, Japanese patent application 134105 and U.S Patent No. 5,359,408 disclose devices for inspecting spinning bobbins comprising a matrix type camera image acquisition means, the later of these backgrounds disclosing arrangements applied for detecting different defects with the use of several types of lighting sources such as ultraviolet rays, fluorescent or other. However in said prior art patents the possibility is not contemplated to perform a complete scanning of all the bobbin surfaces, carrying out an inspection of multiple and different defects, which occurs in some cases twice or more times and by means of one or two stations embedded in a conveyor line of recently produced bobbins with the peculiarity that it is adaptable to different bobbin sizes and regardless the bobbin colour and material characteristics be. There are not either disclosed in the state of the art the series of arrangements relative to image acquisition sensors and lighting sources this invention proposes and which namely provides with an effect of field depth such it allows to accurately focus the defects at each scanned sector which significantly facilitates their identification. EP-A1-0691273 discloses an automated inspection system for inspecting packages with transport and ejector conveyor which discloses the features of the preamble of claim 1 DE-A-4211985 discloses a system for inspecting spinning bobbins which discloses the features of the preamble of independent claim 5. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Essentially the method according to the invention is based on several bobbin scanning steps according to the characterising portion of claim 1. According to said method, it is in addition operated in every case under field depth conditions so that they make possible to correctly focus the defects present in a related sector, and each of the focused images associated to a particular defect or group of defects is likewise processed in a single way or integrated with other images corresponding to a scanning step obtained through the same image acquisition sensor, by an assessing program, depending on an specific defect to determine and regardless of the size, colour or material of said bobbin According to this method, inspecting bobbin end faces is achieved by image acquisition by means of at least three different arrangements of the image acquisition sensors and lighting sources to be used, two of the sensors on the sides and a third one located above the bobbin end faces, with the peculiarity that the side sensors are moveable, moving in parallel to the bobbin shaft to cover end faces defects and on its side wall by automatically governed driving means operation. As for the system, it is characterised by the features of claim 5. In addition this system includes means to rotate the bobbin at constant speed in order to make workable a sequential shot of a plurality of images thereof and comprising in addition a plurality of lighting sources associated one by one to related image sensors and if fit moveable with same, or fixed, operating individually jointly with one determined of the image sensors and with specific spatial orientations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding, the invention will now be described in a non-limiting way, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 schematically shows the arrangement of two matrix cameras associated to side columns in order to encompass the bobbin end face or a part or the whole of its side surface. In general, each column will have available at least one of said cameras to simultaneously scan the bobbin end faces and adjacent areas. Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the means for acquiring and treating the images captured by said matrix cameras and which comprises a processing and signal analysis circuit and an associated program for processing corresponding images. In the following figures the arrangements of the image acquisition means and lighting sources are shown one by one, depending on the defect to be detected on a yarn bobbin. Thus, Figure 3a shows a bobbin, and it is indicated that on its top face there exists webbing and Fig. 3b and 3c show a side elevation and plan view, respectively of the image acquisition sensor and lighting source arrangements used in this case according to the system proposed. In the event of Fig. 3c an alternative arrangement of the lighting source has been also shown. Figure 4a is a perspective view of a bobbin in which, on the top portion of the winding core protruding from the bobbin a yarn butt end is emphasized and Fig. 4b and 4c show in a side elevation and plan view the image acquisition sensor and lighting source arrangement used to detect this defect according to the system proposed. Figure 5a shows in perspective a bobbin which at its top face shows loops and broken filaments and Fig, 5b and 5c show in side elevation and plan view the image acquisition sensor and lighting source arrangement used according to the system proposed. It must be emphasized in addition that inspecting tasks detailed in Fig. 3a to 5c can be carried out by a same sensor or matrix camera as those shown in Fig. 1, conveniently moving the camera involved along the supporting column with suitable driving means, automatically controlled. In Fig. 6a and 6b the bobbins are drawn in perspective which in their top face show circles or stains, respectively, the image acquisition sensor and lighting sources related arrangements for inspecting according to the invention being illustrated in elevation and plan view in Fig. 6c and 6d. Fig. 7a shows a drawing in perspective of a bobbin with some stains on its side surface, Fig. 7b and 7c showing the image acquisition sensor and lighting source arrangements used for inspecting this particular defect. The camera used can be same as the one used for inspecting defects of Fig. 3a to 5c, with a convenient moving and use of specific lighting means. At last, Fig. 8a shows in perspective a bobbin with deformations of its body and Fig. 8b and 8c show the image acquisition sensor and lighting source arrangement used to assess this defect. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION According to Fig. 1, the system comprises two side columns 20, 21 in which two image sensors 3, 4 such as a matrix camera are located, designed to cover the bobbin top and lower end faces, which sensors can be moved by suitable electromechanical means along said columns 20, 21 in order to also focus a bobbin side strip 1, 1a. Fig. 2 schematically shows an operation diagram of the means for processing each of the images comprising an image acquisition block 30, a block for improving said image 31, a filtering step 32, a binarization step 33 of the image, a block for extracting characteristics 34 and a final classification step 35. Each of the images acquired are converted into two-colour digital images and from said two-colour image elements those geometrical characteristics particular for each defect are withdrawn, which compared against preestablished determined values stored in memories allow to assess whether a defect is existing or not. The system comprises, for detecting broken filaments, loops or other protrusions or bulging from the surface of one of the bobbin ends or scratches, i.e. defibered parts as shows Fig. 5a, an image sensor 3 whose optical axis is approximately parallel to the plane defined by the bobbin end face 1 and is arranged approximately level with said face and an elongated lighting source 9 for adapting bobbin different lengths located in a sector comprised between 135 and 180 degrees, clockwise far away with respect to said image sensor 3 so that reflection is helped and said image sensor blinding is prevented said lighting cooperating in a suitable focus for detecting defects in the sector. According to the explained system, the same image sensor 3 applied to detect broken filaments and loops can be operated in order to detect webbing, scratches and blows, on bobbin end faces 1, whose detecting step is shown in Fig. 3a to 3c for which said sensor 3 optical axis is displaced in elevation with respect to the plane defined by the bobbin end face 1 so that all said end face remains always visible in the field of view and in that an elongated lighting source 7 is used, having a development parallel to the bobbin shaft 2, for adapting it to several lengths, located in a sector between 270 to 350 degrees far away, clockwise, with respect to said image sensor 3, 4 preventing blinding it and helping the light reflection from the defect to be detected. Fig. 3c shows an alternative lighting source 10 also suitable for detecting webbing, located within a sector about 45 to 90 degrees far away, clockwise, elongated but parallel to one of the bobbin end faces 1, la with a screening such to allow a beam of light projection following a plane with an about 30 degrees slope above the one corresponding to the bobbin end face 1, 1a. Fig. 4a to 4c shows the butt end yarn and winding core colour protruding from the bobbin by its ends detection step for which same image sensor is used as for detecting the webbing 3 which has incorporated in this case a lighting source 8, 8a arranged behind the lens of said image acquisition sensor in order it produces an image by reflected light. The bobbin side stains and unevenness or bulging are detected by means of at least one of the image acquisition sensors 3, 4 applied to cover the bobbin two end faces 1 conveniently displaced along the columns 20, 21 to focus the area of interest whose location has been illustrated in Fig. 7a to 7c. In Fig. 6a to 6d, it can be seen that each of the image acquisition sensors 5, 5a located above the bobbin end faces 1, la has available a lighting source 11a, llb located behind the sensor lens and which allows to detect circles and stains in said two faces as well as to detect webbing which cannot be detected with specific means applied to their detection. In Fig. 8a to 8c an additional image detection sensor 6 has been shown which allows to capture the complete bobbin image 1, la with a suitable resolution, providing a focusing and field depth such that the bobbin outline is detected by contrast of it with respect to a lighting source 12, opposed located behind said bobbin, allowing to calculate bobbin sizes and density, as well as determining the bobbin cavings and deformations.

Claims: Method for inspecting spinning bobbins after their winding on a tubular core and during a carriage thereof to a point of use or storage, the method involving an acquisition of images from a bobbin (1, 1a) surface, a subsequent digitizing of said images, and comprising several scanning steps moving said bobbin to scan sector by sector a whole surface of interest and operating under field depth conditions allowing to correctly focus images of defects which may be present in a scanned sector the images obtained being processed by an assessing computer program, depending on an specific defect to determine and regardless of a size, colour or material of said bobbin. characterized in that at each of said bobbin scanning steps, a plurality of images are captured from different areas of said bobbin (1, 1a), in general sequentially and at each step under particular lighting conditions and with a definite position of several specific image acquisition sensors (3, 4, 5, 5a, 6) provided to facilitate for each of said lighting conditions and definite positions of said specific sensors an identification-withdrawal of some special defects to be detected, moving accordingly either said bobbin (1, 1a) or said image acquisition sensors (3, 4, 5, 5a, 6) or both, each of said focused images, related to a particular defect or group of defects being then processed in an individual way or integrated with other images corresponding to a scanning step obtained through a same image acquisition sensor (3, 4, 5, 5a, 6). Method, according to above claim characterized in that an inspection of the bobbin ends comprises image acquisition according to at least three different arrangements for each of the bobbin ends of some different image acquisition sensors (3, 4, 5, 5a) and individual lighting sources (7, 8, 8a, 9, 10, 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d) two of said sensors (3, 4), located on the sides, a third one (5) above the bobbin end faces( 1, la) and a fourth one (5a) under the bobbin end faces and in that said side image acquisition sensors (3, 4) are moved for detecting defects on different parts of the end faces and side surface. Method, according to claim 2, characterized in that the bobbin (1, 1a) is rotated at a constant speed and during said movement and synchronically a shot of a predetermined number of images is carried out by each of said image acquisition sensors, so that a whole face, surface or part of the bobbin to be inspected is covered and, at same time it carried out either an independent process of each image or an integration of a particular sequence of images in a single one by means of a specific processing thereof, according to the kind of defect. Method, according to claim 3, characterized in that sequential simultaneous shots of the bobbin two end faces (1, 1a) are carried out with image sensors (3, 4) and lighting means (7, 8, 8a, 9, 10), spatially shifted. System for inspecting spinning bobbins, in continuous, with one or several working stations integrating a plurality of images acquisition (capture and lighting) sensors (3, 4, 5, 5a, 6) such as a matrix camera, with a distribution which comprises image sensors (5) and (5a) above each of the bobbin end faces (1, 1a), with their optical axis approximately parallel to the bobbin shaft (2) but shifted sideways with respect to it and with means that habe been provided to rotate the bobbin (1, 1a) in order to carry out a sequential shot of a plurality of images thereof, and a plurality of lighting sources (7, 8, 8a, 9, 10, 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 12) having further been provided, associated to said image sensors and optionally moveable with them or stationary, operating individually jointly with one specific image sensor with specific spatial orientations characterized in that it further includes other image sensors (3, 4) mounted on columns (20, 21) parallel to the bobbin (1, 1a) winding shaft (2), with its optical axis oriented perpendicularly to said bobbin (1, 1a) and moveable by driving means along said columns (20, 21) in order to be positioned, approximately level or slightly above each of the end faces or covering partly or completely, the bobbin (1, 1a) side area. System, according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises two side columns (20, 21) in which are located two image sensors (3, 4) designed to cover the top and lower bobbin end faces, capable to be moved by suitable electromechanical means, along said columns (20, 21) in order to also focus a bobbin side strip (1, 1a). System, according to claim 5, characterized in that for the detection of broken filaments, loops or other bulging protruding from the surface of each bobbin end face, or handling defibered parts, it comprises an image sensor (3, 4) whose optical axis is approximately parallel to the plane defined by the bobbin end face (1, 1a) and is arranged approximately level to said face and in that an elongated lighting source (9) is used for adapting it to the different length of the bobbin located in a sector comprising from 135 to 180 degrees, clockwise far away with respect to the straight line which joins said image sensor (3, 4) with the bobbin shaft (2), in such a way it helps the reflection and prevents blinding said image sensor cooperating in a focusing adapted to detect defects in the sector. System, according to claim 7, characterized in that the same image sensor (3, 4) applied to detect broken filaments and loops is applied to detect webbing, handling defibered parts and blows on the bobbin end faces (1, 1a) the optical axis of said sensor (3, 4) being upwardly moved with respect to the plane which defines the bobbin (1, 1a) end face, so that in the field of view said whole end face remains always visible and in that an elongated lighting source (7) is used which has a development parallel to the bobbin shaft (2) for adapting to different lengths thereof, located within a sector clockwise 270 to 350 degrees far away, with respect to the straight line formed by said image sensor (3, 4) and the bobbin shaft (2), preventing to blind it and helping the light reflection from the defect to be detected. System, according to claim 8, characterized in that an alternative lighting source (10) is used, located within a sector clockwise 45 to 90 degrees far away from the plane formed by the sensor and the bobbin shaft (2), elongated, but parallel to one of the bobbin (1, 1a) end faces with a screening such that it allows the projection of a light beam following a plane with an about 30 degree slope above corresponding bobbin (1, 1a) end face. System, according to claim 8, characterized in that for detecting the butt end yarn as well as for assessing the colour of the winding tube protruding from the bobbin by its ends, the same image sensor as for detecting webbing (3) is used, said sensor incorporating a lighting source (8, 8a) arranged behind the lens of said image acquisition sensor in order it produces an image by reflected light. System, according to the claim 10, characterized in that the stains and side unevenness or protuberances/bulging of the bobbin are detected by means of at least one of the image acquisition sensors (3, 4) applied to cover the bobbin (1, 1a) two end faces, conveniently positioned by a displacement along the columns (20, 21) to focus the side areas of interest. System, according to claim 5 characterized in that each of the images acquisition sensors 5, 5a) located above the bobbin (1, 1a) end faces has available a lighting source (11a, 11b, 11c, 11d) located behind the sensor lens and which allows to detect rings and stains on said two faces as well as to detect webbing which cannot be observed with the specific means applied to their detection. System, according to claim 5 and in that it further comprises an image detection sensor (6) allowing to capture a bobbin (1, 1a) complete image with a suitable resolution, providing a focusing and field depth such that the bobbin outline is detected in order to calculate the bobbin density and to electively determine the cavings and deformations thereof by contrast of said bobbin outline with respect to the lighting source (12) opposed located behind said bobbin or alternatively by reflection. System, according to claim 5, characterized in that it further integrates means for processing each of the images or each group of images acquired, means for improving said images and means for converting them into a digital image in two colours, except in the event of step involving a colour detection of the bobbin tube, from which two colour image elements said geometrical characteristics, particular of each defect are withdrawn, which compared against preestablished determined stored values, allow to assess whether a defect exists or not.

Inventors: LLORENS CASTELLO ANTONI, SANFELIU CORTES ALBERT, LLORENS CASTELLO, ANTONI, SANFELIU CORTES, ALBERT
Applicants: COGNIVISION RES SL, COGNIVISION RESEARCH, SL
Application year: 1997
Main classification: B65H63
IPC codes: G01N21, B65H63