JP2001272301A - Pinhole inspecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an economical pinhole inspecting device of a voltage application type for inspecting the presence of a sealed-packing container of an item to be tested of a fluid content containing gas for a pinhole, a seal defect and the like. SOLUTION: A voltage is applied only to the part in contact with the tabular item to be tested of a fluid content and an inspection for a pinhole is made, while avoiding the insulating effect of gas by conveying the item to be tested on a flat-belt conveyor, interposing the item to be tested between guide friction plates and making the item revolve taking advantage of the friction of the guide friction plates which are set parallel to an endless floating rope belt, which has been arranged in the same direction as the advancing direction of the conveyor, and which function as the cathode corresponding to the anode to apply a voltage.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pinhole inspection apparatus for inspecting sealing defects such as pinholes of various types of hermetically sealed packaging containers formed of an insulating material such as a resin and filled with food, cosmetics, chemicals and the like. It is about.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional pinhole inspection apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-70725 or proposed in Japanese Utility Model Application No. 9-1000.
As described in 8), there are many systems in which the belt conveyors of the object transporting means are arranged alone or in pairs in front and rear and in series and horizontally, and a voltage is applied to the seal portion of the object being transported for inspection.

In these methods, when a large amount of air is contained in a subject, when a voltage is applied, the pin is not provided due to the insulating effect of air depending on the thickness of an air layer interposed on the upper surface. There was a problem that the flashing phenomenon of the hall portion was hindered and sufficient performance could not be obtained.

[0004] When a cylindrical container having an upper seal portion such as a resin cup enclosing a mitsumea sealed with an upper lid or an upper lid enclosing a similar fluid product and containing air or a specific gas is intentionally enclosed, Due to the insulation resistance of these gases, there is a problem that it is extremely difficult to inspect a sealing failure by a voltage application method, and there has been a strong demand for improvement.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a cylindrical container top cover which is free from the insulating effect of gas containing water or fluid foods, cosmetics, or chemicals containing a large amount of air or gas. As a means for detecting and inspecting seal failure and pinholes in the entire upper seal portion such as, during inspection, while rotating and transporting the subject on a transport means inclined at a fixed angle in the transport direction or a direction perpendicular to the transport direction. Utilizing the buoyancy of the contained gas, the following configuration is adopted so that the application of a voltage to the inspection surface creates an area where gas does not intervene due to the rotation of the subject and inspects the entire area. (1) A horizontal guide friction plate fixed to one side of the belt and also serving as a negative electrode when voltage is applied, and an opposite side of the belt, for transporting and inspecting the subject on an electric flat belt conveyor inclined at a fixed angle. A plurality of floating endless rope belts facing in parallel with the guide friction plate provided in the above-described manner, lightly sandwich the subject, and use the friction with the guide friction plate by the conveying force of the belt conveyor to rotate the subject. It was made to move. (2) A positive electrode for applying a voltage to an upper seal portion such as an upper lid is formed while the subject rotates by one rotation. (3) Next, a motor-operated type that is disposed in parallel with the transport direction so as to sandwich a rectangular metal inspection passage for slidingly transporting the subject, which is fixed at a fixed angle and fixed. A set of endless rope belts with different rotation speeds are configured so that, during inspection, when the subject is lightly pinched and conveyed on the inspection path, the subject moves forward while rotating due to the speed difference between both endless ropes. . (4) The positive electrode for applying a voltage to the upper seal portion such as the upper lid of the subject and the test passage function as a negative electrode while the subject rotates by one rotation. (5) In addition to this, the conveying surface of the flat belt conveyor is inclined at a fixed angle in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, and a guide friction plate having exactly the same function as the above (1) is fixed to the side with the lower inclination. Further, the subject is lightly sandwiched between the floating endless rope belt having exactly the same function as the above (1) and the guide friction plate, so that the subject is rotated and conveyed as the flat belt conveyor advances. It is configured to have the same function as the above (1) and (2). (Claim 3) (6) Further, these include an AC or DC power supply unit and a control unit that determines the amount of flash current when a pinhole or a seal failure exists and converts it into a signal for detection or the like. Function and configuration to be connected to (The above is common to claims 1, 2 and 3)

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0006]

1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the present invention.
This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the principle of the present invention and the relationship with a control circuit. FIG.
Is inclined by the angle α as shown in FIG.
Is a plan view showing that there is a liquid-contact portion which is unevenly distributed on the left side of the figure due to buoyancy and has a width of δ determined by the inclination angle and the contained air amount as shown by W 'on the right side.

FIG. 3 shows an object 40 tilted by a certain angle α.
Guides the positive electrode 1 which applies a voltage while lightly contacting the entire surface of the seal portion 41 with the upward gradient proceeding in the P direction, and also serves as the negative electrode in which the outer periphery of the body of the subject 40 is always in sliding contact during the examination. FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a friction plate 3, a rotatable floating rope belt pulley 5, 6, and an endless rope belt 4 system-extended with the pulley.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of FIG.
And the endless rope belts 4, 4 'extended on the floating rope belt pulleys 5, 6 which are slightly pressed against the inside of the conveyor belt 10 to guide the friction plate 3 which also functions as a negative electrode when voltage is applied. A state is shown in which the subject 40 is lightly pressed to move along the P direction of the conveyor belt 10 and the subject 40 pivotally moves as shown by the T arrow.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the second embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a side view of the same. The test object disposed between the conveyor 50 in the pre-charging process and the conveyor 60 in the post-ejection post-process after the completion of the pin pole inspection. A sliding plate-shaped inspection passage 12 which also serves as a negative electrode for rotating and transporting and is fixed at a fixed inclination angle α, and a sliding plate 12 having a distance S such that the subject 40 sliding on the upper surface is lightly sandwiched. Endless rope belts 4, 4 'and 14, 14' which are respectively extended on a pair of electric rope belt pulleys 7, 17 and floating rope belt pulleys 6, 16 which are arranged in parallel opposite to each other. ,

The difference between the rotational speeds of the electric belt rope pulleys 7 and 17 is such that the endless rope belt speed has a sufficient speed difference of V> v, as shown by the arrow lengths of V and v. I have. Here, the dimension L is the subject 40
The length is set to be equal to or slightly longer than the circumference of the subject, and when the subject rotates and advances due to the speed difference of the rope, it is configured to make one complete rotation in the direction of the arrow T.

Further, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 8 is a plan view of this embodiment. As shown in the side view of FIG. 9, the upper surface of the belt 10 is inclined at a fixed angle β in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction.
Therefore, the subject 40 is also inclined by the angle β, and the liquid surface Wa of the contents in the fluid world has a form similar to that shown in FIG. Other configurations are the same as those shown in FIGS.
0 is horizontal and is substantially the same configuration except that it is inclined by an angle β in a cross section perpendicular to the transport direction, and the inspection function itself is completely the same as that of the first embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 3. It can be understood.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view in which the idle rope belt pulleys 5 and 6 in FIGS. 3 and 4 and the electric rope belt pulleys 7 and 17 in FIGS. 6 and 7 are respectively used. It is illustrated. Each rope belt pulley 5, 6, 7, 16 and 1
7 is rotatably supported by a bearing 22 slidably connected to a guide groove 24 of a bearing base 25.
During operation, the rope belt pulleys are lightly pressed in the Y direction in the drawing by the screw rods 23 to slightly slide. Reference numeral 26 denotes a support for the motors 8 and 18.

Next, the utility of the first embodiment will be described based on the mechanism and operation of the present invention. The cylindrical object 40 loaded and conveyed on the conveyor belt 10 shown in FIG. 4 is lightly pressed against the conveyor by a coil spring 21 disposed in parallel with the distance S to the guide friction plate 3 also serving as a negative electrode. When it comes to the entrance side pulley 6 of the loosely configured rope belt pulley, it is sandwiched between the oblique opening of the guide friction plate entrance 3 ′ and the pulley 6, and the subject 40 is connected to the P of the conveyor belt 10 as shown in the figure. Due to the conveyance force in the direction and the pressing force of the endless rope belt 4, the robot advances while rotating one turn in the direction of arrow T due to the friction with the guide friction plate, and passes the inspection machine after the inspection is completed.

As a result, a voltage is applied to the upper lid seal portion 41 of the subject by the positive electrode 1 waiting as shown in FIG. 3, and the entire transport system is tilted by the angle α. When W ′ shown in FIG. 2 relatively rotates, one rotation is performed, and a complete voltage application inspection is performed only on the liquid contact portion of the seal portion.

Therefore, if there is a pinhole or a seal failure in the inspection part, the applied voltage causes the negative and positive electrodes (1,
Flash current is generated at the defective part between 2).
The magnitude of the current is compared with a set reference value, and a warning signal for a defect, an exclusion signal in a later process, and the like are transmitted at the time of confirmation.

Next, a second embodiment will be described. The test object 40 conveyed from the charging belt conveyor 50 upstream of the inspection machine of the present invention is, as shown in FIG. A plate-shaped inspection passage 1 which is sandwiched between the entrance-side pulleys 6 and 16 and advances in the P direction and also serves as a negative electrode
2, the endless rope belts 4, 14 having different speeds have different speeds (V−v), so that they rotate on the inspection passage 12 by one rotation to advance, and the belt conveyor 60 in the post-process after the inspection is completed. Will be transferred to

The inspection function and the operation during the passage through the inspection machine are almost the same as those in the first embodiment, and the detailed contents will be omitted.

The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in that the tilt angle of the subject is different only in the transport direction or the right angle direction. Not at all. The details are the same as those described in the third embodiment with reference to FIGS. This concludes the description of the operation and utility of the present invention.

【The invention's effect】

As described above, the contents of each invention are based on a configuration in which a very common transport mechanism of a subject is inclined at a fixed angle, and the air or gas in the subject is rotated while the subject is rotated. By moving using buoyancy, a portion where gas does not exist can be properly inspected while always creating a liquid contact portion of the subject seal portion at the time of inspection, so that pinhole inspection can be efficiently performed over the entire seal portion.

As a specific example of the above, a pinhole inspection machine having a flat upper cover seal portion such as a beetnut cup is mentioned. In the present invention, the body of the subject has a cylindrical cross section or a pseudo-cylindrical cross section. If the inspection unit is provided at the upper part, the present invention can be applied not only to a flat lid but also to inspection of a different shape such as a cap shape greatly deformed from a specific example.

In each of the above two embodiments, the mechanism, structure, and various conditions such as size are extremely simple and simple, so that an apparatus which can be manufactured at extremely low cost for the delicate functions required is provided. Can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration and functions of the principle of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a subject 40 handled by the present invention, and is an explanatory view of a state in which an unevenly distributed portion a of a gas interposed in contents and a liquid contact portion W coexist because the object is inclined.

FIG. 3 shows a test object 40 inclined in the conveying direction of the present invention and an endless rope belt 4 and a guide friction plate 3 also serving as a negative electrode. It is a state side view in which voltage is applied.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of FIG. 3 of the present invention, showing a relation between a guide friction plate 3 and an endless rope belt 4 configured to lightly sandwich and rotate a subject 40 with a coil spring. (The drawings for claim 1 above)

5 is an explanatory view of pulleys 5, 6, 7, 16 and 17 for endless rope belt rotation of the present invention, and a bearing 22 slidably supported by a coil spring 21. FIG. (The above is a combined drawing of claims 1, 2 and 3)

FIG. 6 shows a test object 4 with two parallel facing endless rope belts having different rotation speeds on the high speed side 14 and the low speed side 4 of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a plan view of a state in which the light-feeding device is rotated lightly on the inspection passage 12 while nipping the light-transmitting device 0.

7 is a side view of FIG. 6 of the present invention, illustrating a state in which a subject 40 applies a voltage to a test portion on an upper surface of a seal with a positive electrode 1 on a test passage 12 also serving as a negative electrode. is there.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of an embodiment in which the belt 10 of the flat conveyor belt of the present invention is inclined at a fixed angle β in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction.

FIG. 9 is a side view of FIG. 8, in which the subject is tilted by an angle β, the subject comes into contact with the guide friction plate 3 also serving as a negative electrode by the floating endless rope belt 4, and the belt 10 advances. FIG. 6 is a view for explaining a state of turning in the T direction in accordance with FIG.
(The above is Claim 3)

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 positive electrode 3 guide friction plate 4 endless rope belt 5 idle rope belt pulley 6 idle rope belt pulley 7 electric rope belt pulley 8 electric motor 10 conveyor belt 12 inspection passage 14 endless rope belt 16 idle rope belt pulley 17 electric rope belt pulley 18 electric motor DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 Coil spring 22 Bearing 23 Screw rod 24 Guide groove 25 Bearing stand 26 Motor support bracket 31 Control circuit 32 Power supply 33 Connection circuit 34 Connection circuit 40 Subject 41 Seal part 50 Belt conveyor 60 Belt conveyor

Claims (3)

[Claims] An upper sealing portion (41) such as an upper lid of a sealed packaging cylindrical container (40 or less, hereinafter referred to as a subject) made of an insulating material such as a resin in which a fluid content partially containing air is sealed and packaged. ) An AC or DC voltage is applied to the surface, and if there is a pinhole or a seal failure in the upper seal portion such as the upper lid of the container, the principle of detecting and detecting by the amount of flash current generated in the relevant portion is determined. In a pinhole inspection machine, an electric flat belt conveyor inclined at a certain angle (α) in the conveyance direction P, and a belt disposed along one side of a longitudinal outer end face of the conveyor belt (10). Sample (40)
When the torso moves while being pressed lightly, the average height (h) of the subject (40) and the same length (L) as the circumference of the subject (40) for the subject to rotate and slide on the belt conveyor due to friction. A linear guide friction plate (3) made of a conductive material and also serving as a negative electrode when a voltage is applied, fixed to the machine base, and a set of grooved cylindrical floating rope belt pulleys supported in a freely rotatable manner. A plurality of endless rope belts (4) extended in (5, 6) are parallel to each other at an interval (S) for slightly sandwiching the guide friction plate (3) and the subject (40), and the guide friction plate (4). 3) and an endless rope belt (4) having the same distance (L) between the rope belt pulleys and the endless rope belt (4). Is forced between the guide friction plate (3) and the endless rope belt (4). The positive electrode (1) for applying a voltage to the entire surface of the upper sealing portion (41) such as the upper lid of the subject and the negative and positive electrodes (1, 2) are connected during the rotation (T). Circuits (33 and 34)
If a pinhole or a defective seal is detected by applying a voltage to the power supply (32) and the inspection location connected by the above, the determination is made based on the amount of flash current generated at the location, and an alarm and a defective product are eliminated. And a control circuit (31) for transmitting a signal for the pinhole inspection. 2. A slide that is inclined at a fixed angle (α) in the transport direction P and slides on the bottom of the subject (40) fixed to the machine base and having the same length as the circumference of the subject (40). An inspection passage (12) made of a conductive material such as a movable metal and serving also as a negative electrode when a voltage is applied by the positive electrode (1) to an upper seal portion such as an upper lid of a subject; It is driven by an electric rope belt pulley (17) of a grooved cylinder driven by an electric motor (18), which is disposed at one side of the side surface of the inspection passage at the same angle as the angle (α) and parallel to the direction of travel of the subject. A plurality of endless rope belts (14) on the high speed (V) side having the same center distance (L) as the circumference of the subject, and a grooved cylindrical electric rope belt pulley (7) driven by an electric motor (8). ), Driven in parallel with the endless rope belt (14), and The endless rope belt (14) disposed so as to lightly sandwich the subject (40) when passing through the subject (40) at a distance (S) slightly smaller than the diameter of the subject (40). And the endless rope belt (4) on the low-speed (v) side having the same inter-axis distance (L), and the subject (40) is rotated by the speed difference (Vv) between the high-speed and low-speed endless rope belts (v). 2. The pinhole inspection machine according to claim 1, further comprising: T) a rotating conveyance unit for inspection configured to advance while traveling. 3. An object (4) in which the conveying surface of the belt (10) is inclined at a certain angle (β) to one side in a cross section orthogonal to the conveying direction P.
0) a flat belt conveyor, and a test object (40) at an average height of the test object on the lower position side of the belt (10) surface and in parallel with the side surface in the belt traveling direction.
A guide made of a conductive material that is fixed and has the same length as the circumference L of the conductive material that serves as a negative contact when rotating and rotating by contact and friction when the subject advances. By a friction plate (3) and a plurality of floating endless rope belts (4, 4 ′) spread at intervals (S) that lightly sandwich the subject (40) in parallel with the guide friction plate (3), A rotating conveyance means for inspection configured so that the subject (40) advances while rotating on a flat belt conveyor; and a distance between the subject (40) and the guide friction plate (L). The pinhole inspection device according to claim 1, further comprising: a positive electrode (1) configured to apply a voltage to an upper seal portion of the subject (40) during the movement.