Adhesion inspection apparatus and adhesion inspection method using the same

1. An adhesion inspection apparatus for inspecting adhesion of a package box constructed with use of an adhesive, comprising:

a vacuum pad for sucking an outer surface of said package box at an area proximal to an adhered region;

an inspection arm carrying said vacuum pad at one end of said inspection arm;

a rotating shaft joined to the other end of said inspection arm;

a driving device for driving said rotating shaft to make a rotational movement; and

a torque sensor for detecting a torque induced in said driving device.

2. The adhesion inspection apparatus claimed in claim 1 , wherein said vacuum pad is connected with a suction tube in communication with a vacuum source.

3. The adhesion inspection apparatus claimed in claim 1 , wherein said rotating shaft is coupled with at least two sets of said vacuum pad and said inspection arm.

4. The adhesion inspection apparatus claimed in claim 1 , wherein said rotating shaft is parallel with an axial line of a rotational movement of a flap of said package box, which is triggered when said adhered region of said package box is peeled off.

5. The adhesion inspection apparatus claimed in claim 4 , wherein said rotating shaft is disposed proximal to said axial line of a rotational movement.

6. The adhesion inspection apparatus claimed in claim 1 characterized in that a peel-off detection device capable of detecting peeling-off of said package box is disposed in the vicinity of said inspection arm.

7. An adhesion inspection method using said adhesion inspection apparatus claimed in claim 1 .

8. The adhesion inspection method claimed in claim 7 , comprising the steps of:

sucking said outer surface of said package box by said vacuum pad;

retracting said inspection arm from said package box by said rotational movement of said driving device;

detecting a value of torque which is induced in said driving device when said inspection arm is in a predetermined angular position; and

determining an adhesion to be defective, if said torque value is not greater than a predetermined value.

9. The adhesion inspection method claimed in claim 7 , wherein during said step of sucking said outer surface of said package box by said vacuum pad, air is suctioned from said vacuum pad through said suction tube.

10. The adhesion inspection method claimed in claim 1 , wherein during said step of determining an adhesion to be effective or defective, said torque value is detected with said inspection arm fixed in a predetermined angular position.

11. The adhesion inspection apparatus claimed in claim 1 , wherein sucking power of said vacuum pad is in such a magnitude that as said inspection arm is retracted, said pad could disengage from said outer surface of said box having proper adhesion but not disengage from an outer surface of said box having defective adhesion.

12. The adhesion inspection method claimed in claim 1 , wherein sucking power of said vacuum pad is in such a magnitude that as said inspection arm is retracted, said pad could disengage from an outer surface of said box having proper adhesion but not disengage from an outer surface of said box having defective adhesion.

13. The adhesion inspection apparatus claimed in claim 1 , wherein the inspection is carried out for the box continuously moving in a packaging line.