JPH095259A - Inspecting equipment of plastic bottle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide equipment for optical inspection of a plastic bottle which is supported at the neck ring and supplied by an air jet. CONSTITUTION: This equipment has a suction belt conveyor 3 which sucks the bottom part 1d of a plastic bottle 1 supported at the neck ring 1c and supplied by an air jet, by a belt being put on a vacuum surface and having many holes, and conveys the bottle and a holding belt conveyor 7 which holds the body part 1b of the plastic bottle 1 on the suction belt conveyor 3 from the opposite sides and conveys the bottle at the same speed as the suction belt conveyor 3, and a camera 6 for inspecting the neck part of the plastic bottle 1 is disposed above the suction belt conveyor 3, while a camera 9 for inspecting the bottom part is disposed above the holding belt conveyor 7.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for optically inspecting a lightweight plastic bottle while transporting it.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, lightweight plastic bottles have been widely used for filling soft drinks and the like. The defect inspection of the plastic bottle is carried out by a total of two video cameras by the reflected illumination from above the mouth and the transmitted illumination from below the bottom. The plastic bottle placed on the belt conveyor and supplied is uprightly transferred to an inspection unit which is supported by the star wheel and is located off the belt conveyor, and after the inspection, is returned to the belt conveyor downstream.

[0003]

However, in recent years,
Plastic bottles are transported by a method that supports the neck ring (reinforcement disc at the neck) of the plastic bottle and propels it with an air jet. Since the conventional star wheel cannot be used in the method of transporting by this air jet, it has been demanded to cope with this.

The present invention aims to provide an apparatus for the optical inspection of plastic bottles in which a neck ring is supported and which is supplied by an air jet.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention adsorbs the bottom of a plastic bottle, which is supported by a neck ring and supplied by an air jet, by a belt having a porous surface which is placed on a vacuum surface. Equipped with a suction belt conveyor that transports the plastic bottle and a grip belt conveyor that grips the body of the plastic bottle on the suction belt conveyor from both sides and transports it at the same speed as the suction belt conveyor. The bottom inspection camera is arranged above the belt conveyor and above the grip belt conveyor.

[0006]

According to the present invention, the plastic bottle supported by the neck ring and supplied by the air jet flows is adsorbed by the adsorption belt conveyor and stands upright. Therefore, here, the portion that needs to be inspected in an upright state, that is, the mouth is inspected. The plastic bottle that is conveyed upright on the suction belt conveyor is transferred from the suction belt conveyor to the gripping belt conveyor at the same speed, the body is gripped, and the gripping belt conveyor also maintains the upright state. Therefore, here, the portion that needs to be inspected in the upright state and without any obstruction and in which the bottom portion is opened, that is, the bottom portion is inspected.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the plastic bottle inspection device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 is a side view showing the overall configuration of the plastic bottle inspection device, FIG. 2 is a view taken in the direction of arrow II in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the plastic bottle 1 has a collar-shaped neck ring 1c formed between a neck portion 1a and a body portion 1b connected to the neck portion 1a. The neck ring 1c of the plastic bottle 1 is engaged with and supported by two linear guide rails 2 and 2 installed in parallel. An air jet A is blown onto the neck portion 1a of the plastic bottle 1, and the plastic bottle 1 is supplied by the air jet while being supported by the guide rails 2 and 2.

Below the guide rails 2 and 2, there is arranged a suction belt conveyor 3 which has a large number of suction holes 3a and which is driven by a feed roller 10 in the direction of the arrow. Below the upper transfer surface 3u of the suction belt conveyor 3, a vacuum chamber 4 having an open upper surface and arranged to communicate with a vacuum source is disposed.
Therefore, the upper transfer surface 3u of the suction belt conveyor 3
Is placed on the vacuum surface formed on the upper open surface of the vacuum chamber 4, and the suction belt conveyor 3 sucks the bottom portion 1d of the plastic bottle 1 through the suction hole 3a to erect the plastic bottle 1. And carry it.

A ring-shaped lamp 5 and a video camera 6 are disposed above the substantially central portion of the suction belt conveyor 3, and the mouth portion 1e of the plastic bottle 1 to be conveyed (see FIG. 2). Is illuminated by the lamp 5 and the reflected light from the mouth portion 1e is received by the video camera 6 to be imaged.

On both sides of the plastic bottle 1 conveyed by the suction belt conveyor 3, a feed roller 11 is provided.
A pair of gripping belt conveyors 7 that travel by (see FIG. 3) are provided. The grip belt conveyor 7 is set to the same traveling speed as the suction belt conveyor 3, and the body portion 1 of the plastic bottle 1 on the suction belt conveyor 3 is set.
Hold b from both sides and transport.

Further, a lamp 8 is arranged at a substantially central portion of the grip belt conveyor 7 and slightly downstream of the end portion of the suction belt conveyor 3. A video camera 9 is arranged at a position facing the lamp 8 above the plastic bottle 1 conveyed by the grip belt conveyor 7, and the bottom portion 1d of the plastic bottle 1 conveyed.
Is illuminated by a lamp 8 and transmitted light which has passed through the bottom 1d is received by a video camera 9 to be imaged.

Next, the operation of the plastic bottle inspection device constructed as described above will be described. The plastic bottle 1 is supplied to the suction belt conveyor 3 in a forwardly inclined state by the air jet A while the neck ring 1c is supported by the guide rails 2 and 2. The bottom portion 1d of the supplied plastic bolt 1 is adsorbed by the adsorption belt conveyor 3 and stands upright. While the plastic bottle 1 is being conveyed in an upright state by the suction belt conveyor 3, the mouth portion 1e is imaged by the lamp 5 and the video camera 6 by the reflected light method.

The plastic bottle 1 conveyed upright on the suction belt conveyor 3 is transferred from the suction belt conveyor 3 to the pair of grip belt conveyors 7 at the same speed,
The body portion 1b is gripped by the grip belt conveyor 7. Therefore, the plastic bottle 1 is kept in the upright state even at the grip belt conveyor 7.

The plastic bottle 1 is imaged by the lamp 8 and the video camera 9 in a transmitted light system in an upright state by the gripping belt conveyor 7 without any obstruction and the bottom portion 1d is opened to inspect the bottom portion 1d. Be seen.

[0016]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION The plastic bottle supported by the neck ring and supplied by the air jet is pushed forward by the propelling force of the air jet at the neck portion, so that the portion that needs to be inspected in an upright state cannot be correctly inspected. However, according to the present invention, the suction belt conveyor can form the upright state of the plastic bottle, and the gripping belt conveyor can also maintain the upright state. Therefore, while the plastic bottle is being conveyed by the suction belt conveyor, it is possible to correctly inspect the part that needs to be inspected in an upright state, that is, the mouth portion, and the bottom portion while being conveyed by the gripping belt conveyor. Can be inspected correctly.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing the overall configuration of an embodiment of a plastic bottle inspection device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view on arrow II in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Plastic Bottle 1a Neck 1b Body 1c Neck Ring 1d Bottom 1e Mouth 2 Guide Rail 3 Adsorption Belt Conveyor 4 Vacuum Chamber 5,8 Lamp 6,9 Video Camera 7 Grip Belt Conveyor

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A suction belt conveyor for sucking and transporting the bottom portion of a plastic bottle, which is supported by a neck ring and supplied by an air jet, by a belt having a porous surface and placed on a vacuum surface, and the plastic on the suction belt conveyor. Equipped with a gripping belt conveyor that grips the body of the bottle from both sides and conveys it at the same speed as the suction belt conveyor.A plastic bottle mouth inspection camera is above the suction belt conveyor and a bottom inspection camera is a gripping belt conveyor. An apparatus for inspecting plastic bottles, characterized in that it is placed above.