JP2018197667A - Inspection device for containers - Google Patents

Abstract

To facilitate transportation of containers having different sizes and shapes for inspection of the containers.SOLUTION: The inspection device (100) for inspecting a seal portion (12) sealed at one end of a container (1) in which a content is sealed includes a transfer line (2) for transporting and dropping the container from a previous process, an inspection line (3) provided at a dropping point of the container falling from the transfer line and for performing inspection of the seal portion, and an inspection portion (6) provided on the inspection line for inspecting the quality of the seal portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a container inspection apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a tube-like container is known as one of containers that contain contents such as cream and other highly viscous fluids and liquids. The tube-shaped container has a band-shaped seal part in which one end of a body part for storing contents is sealed with heat.
Such a product in which a tube-shaped container is filled with contents needs to be inspected for the sealing performance of the seal portion before shipment. For example, the tube-shaped container is set in a standing state on the conveyor and passes between a pair of pressurizing means arranged to face each other in the conveying direction of the conveyor. The tube-shaped container is pressed by being sandwiched between a pair of pressurizing means, and the thickness and the like when the body is crushed are detected by a sensor to seal the seal portion in the tube-shaped container. The quality is determined (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

JP2015-152460A

  By the way, in recent years, consumer demands have diversified, and the types and amounts of contents to be filled in containers differ according to consumer demands. It is becoming a trend. Therefore, when setting containers on the conveyor for inspection of the seal part of the container, devices for setting various types of containers on the conveyor and devices such as grippers for holding the containers according to the various types of containers Therefore, the replacement work becomes complicated, and the equipment cost of the apparatus and the cost increase due to an increase in the number of jigs are caused.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a container inspection apparatus that can deal with various types of containers and can easily inspect the containers.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is a container inspection device for inspecting a seal part in which one end of a container in which contents are enclosed is sealed, and a conveyance line for conveying and dropping the container from a previous process And an inspection line that is provided at a drop point of the container that has fallen from the transport line and in which the inspection of the seal portion is performed, and an inspection portion that is provided on the inspection line and inspects the quality of the seal portion, It is characterized by providing.

  Moreover, it is preferable to provide the guide part which guides the fall of the said container from the said conveyance line to the said inspection line at the terminal part of the said conveyance line, extending toward the said inspection line.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the said inspection line is provided with the inclination conveyance surface inclined diagonally downward in the direction away from the said conveyance line.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the said test | inspection part is provided with the pressurization part which pressurizes the trunk | drum of the said container, and the sensor which measures the thickness in the said seal part.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the said test | inspection part is equipped with the imaging part which image | photographs the surface of the said container.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the said inspection line has a holder which hold | maintains the said container in the width direction, and this holder is detachably attached with respect to the said inspection line.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the said holder has a pair of holding part holding the said container, and this pair of holding part is formed so that the space | interval of the said width direction can be adjusted.

  Also, a stopper part provided on the lower side in the drop direction of the container from the transport line with respect to the inspection line, and a stopper part that contacts the container, and the stopper part is moved with respect to the inspection line in the drop direction of the container It is preferable to include a moving mechanism that can be freely moved.

  In addition, the container is provided with a carry-out line that is inclined downward with respect to the inspection line at the terminal end side of the inspection line in the conveyance direction of the container, and the carry-out line extends in the carry-out direction. It is preferable to include a rotating unit that rotates about an extending axis, and an opening / closing unit that is provided downstream of the rotating unit in the unloading direction so as to be movable forward and backward with respect to the unloading path of the container.

  Moreover, it is preferable to provide the control part which controls the advance / retreat of the said opening / closing part with respect to the said carrying-out path | route, and rotation of the said rotation part.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to deal with a wide variety of containers and easily inspect the containers.

It is a schematic plan view which shows the whole structure of a container inspection apparatus. It is the schematic which shows the arrangement | positioning relationship of the conveyance line and inspection line in a container inspection apparatus. It is a partial schematic diagram for demonstrating the structure of an inspection line. It is a top view of a holder. It is the back perspective view which looked at the holder from the back. It is the schematic for demonstrating the structure of a test | inspection part. It is the schematic for demonstrating the structure of a carry-out line. It is a block diagram for demonstrating the structure of a test | inspection part and a discharge part. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the structure of the rotation part of a discharge part. It is a flowchart which shows the test | inspection of a container, and carrying out or exclusion. It is the schematic for demonstrating the method of attaching a holder to an attachment. It is the schematic for demonstrating the method to remove a holder from an attachment.

  A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiment described below is merely an example, and various forms can be taken within the scope of the present invention.

<Configuration of container inspection device>
The container inspection apparatus 100 determines whether or not the container 1 filled with the contents can be shipped as a product with the tube-shaped container 1 filled with a highly viscous content such as cream or paste as an inspection target. Inspect.
As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the container inspection apparatus 100 receives, for example, a transport line 2 for transporting the container 1 processed in the upstream process (previous process) and the container 1 from the transport line 2. The inspection line 3 transported for the inspection, the guide part 4 provided between the transport line 2 and the inspection line 3, the stopper part 5 provided below the inspection line 3, and the container 1 are to be inspected. The inspection part 6 and the unloading line 7 which carries out the container 1 which passed the inspection part 6 from the container inspection apparatus 100 to the next process (for example, a packing process, a shipping preparation process, etc.) are provided.

[container]
First, the container 1 to be inspected by the container inspection apparatus 100 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the container 1 is made of a flexible material such as a synthetic resin, and has a cylindrical main body (body) 11 in which contents are stored, and one end of the main body 11. A seal portion 12 sealed by heat treatment and a cap 13 that closes an opening through which the content flows out from the main body portion 11 are provided at the other end opposite to the seal portion 12.

[Transport line]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the transport line 2 is provided at the most upstream side in the transport direction of the container 1 in the container inspection apparatus 100. The container 1 is transported on the transport line 2 along the transport direction T1 with the cap 13 at the head.
For example, a known belt conveyor can be used as the transport line 2. The transport line 2 includes a plurality of pulleys 21 (only two are shown) along the transport direction T <b> 1 and an endless belt 22 wound around the pulley 21. The surface of the belt 22 becomes the conveyance surface of the container 1.
The pulley 21 is coupled so as to be driven by a driving device (not shown) such as a motor. The drive timing for driving the pulley 21 is synchronized with the drive timing for driving the pulley of the inspection line 3 to be described later.

[Inspection line]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the inspection line 3 is provided on the downstream side of the transport line 2 in the transport direction of the container 1 in the container inspection apparatus 100. As the inspection line 3, for example, a known belt conveyor can be used.
The inspection line 3 includes a plurality of pulleys (not shown) along a transport direction T2 intersecting the transport direction T1 of the transport line 2 and an endless belt 31 wound around the pulleys. Yes. The pulley is driven by a driving device (not shown) such as a motor, for example. The drive timing for driving the pulley of the inspection line 3 is synchronized with the drive timing for driving the pulley 21 of the transport line 2 and is controlled in consideration of the inspection time of the container 1 by the inspection unit 6 described later.

The inspection line 3 is provided below the transport line 2 in the height direction of the container inspection apparatus 100. Specifically, the inspection line 3 is at a point where the container 1 transported by the transport line 2 falls from the transport line 2. Is provided. The inspection line 3 is provided such that the transport direction T2 intersects the transport direction T1 of the transport line 2 at a right angle, for example.
A conveyance surface formed on the belt 31 in the inspection line 3 is an inclined conveyance surface 32 inclined with respect to the conveyance surface 23 in the conveyance line 2. Specifically, the inclined conveyance surface 32 is formed to be inclined obliquely downward in a direction away from the conveyance line 2.

As shown in FIG. 3, the inspection line 3 is provided on the belt 31 with a predetermined interval and a plurality of holders 33 that receive and hold the container 1 that has dropped the cap 13 from the transport line 2 to the top. And a plurality of attachments 36 to which the holder 33 is attached.
The holder 33 is made of a synthetic resin such as plastic. As shown in FIG. 4, the holder 33 holds the container 1 from the side of the container 1, that is, from the width direction (corresponding to the transport direction T <b> 2), and is detachably attached to the attachment 36. The holder 33 has a pair of holding portions 33 a that hold the container 1 from the width direction on the front side that accommodates the container 1. The pair of holding portions 33a are provided apart from each other in the transport direction T2 in a state where the holder 33 is attached to the attachment 36.
As shown in FIG. 4, when the holder 33 is set in the attachment 36, the upper end of the holding portion 33a is inclined toward the center of the holder 33 so that the container 1 can be easily inserted into the holder 33. The formed inclined guide surface 33b is formed.
In addition, the holding part 33a of the holder 33 suppresses a significant positional deviation of the container 1 in the width direction, and does not restrict the movement in the longitudinal direction. The movement of the container 1 in the longitudinal direction is restricted by a stopper portion 5 described later.

As shown in FIG. 5, the holder 33 integrally has an attachment portion 34 that is detachably attached to the attachment 36 on the back side. The attachment part 34 has a pair of side wall parts 34a and an intermediate wall part 34b provided between the pair of side wall parts 34a. In the mounting portion 34, two metal bars 34c and 34d are spaced apart in the vertical direction and extend from one side wall portion 34a through the intermediate wall portion 34b to the other side wall portion 34a. Yes.
In addition, each component of the holder 33 may be formed integrally with each other, or may be formed separately from each other. If formed individually, it is only necessary to be connected to each other by screws or the like.

(attachment)
As shown in FIG. 3, the attachment 36 is attached to the frame F of the inspection line 3 and moves along the transport direction T <b> 2 following the traveling of the belt 31. The attachment 36 includes a main body portion 37 that contacts the belt 31, an overhang portion 38 that projects to the front side above the main body portion 37 in the vertical direction of the container inspection device 100, and an overhang portion that projects from the lower side to the front side. 39.

In a state where the holder 33 is attached to the attachment 36, the overhanging portion 38 is engaged with the upper bar 34c of the holder 33, and the overhanging portion 39 is engaged with the lower bar 34d (FIG. 11). And FIG.
Specifically, the overhanging portion 38 is provided in the width direction of the holder 33 so as to be spaced apart from each other, and an elastic engaging member 38a that engages with the upper bar 34c, and a hole that supports the engaging member 38a. 38b. The engaging member 38a includes an engaging portion 38aa, a shaft portion 38ab, a head portion 38ac, and a coil spring 38ad.

The engaging portion 38aa is engaged with the bar 34c from above, and a front side slope 38ae and a back side slope 38af are formed on the tip side. The shaft portion 38ab is integrally formed on the rear end side of the engaging portion 38aa and is inserted into the hole 38b of the overhang portion 38. The head portion 38ac is formed integrally with the shaft portion 38ab on the side opposite to the engaging portion 38aa. The coil spring 38ad is mounted on the shaft portion 38ab, and is positioned between the engaging portion 38aa and the overhanging portion 38 in a state where the engaging member 38a is attached to the overhanging portion 38. The coil spring 38ad urges the engaging portion 38aa to be pushed inside the attachment 36 in the natural length state.
The overhang portion 39 has a protrusion 39a whose tip in the overhang direction protrudes toward the overhang portion 38 on the upper side. That is, the cross-sectional shape of the overhang portion 39 is a hook shape, and the protrusion 39a engages with the lower bar 34d from below.

[Guidance Department]
As shown in FIG. 2, a guide 4 is provided between the transport line 2 and the inspection line 3 in the transport direction T <b> 1 to assist the drop transport of the container 1 from the transport line 2 to the inspection line 3. The guide part 4 has the sliding part 41 and the cover part 42 which are formed with the metal board | plate material, for example.
The sliding portion 41 extends straight from the lower side of the transport line 2 along the belt 22, and extends downward toward the inspection line 3 on the way. That is, the sliding portion 41 is formed obliquely downward from the transport line 2 toward the inspection line 3 as it goes from one end to the other end. Since the guide portion 4 has the sliding portion 41, the container 1 falls downward by gravity from the end of the belt 22 and is guided to the inspection line 3.
The cover part 42 is provided so as to face the sliding part 41 while being spaced apart in the height direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the cover portion 42 extends toward the sliding portion 41 from a ceiling wall 42a facing the sliding portion 41 and an edge portion in the longitudinal direction (direction along the conveying direction T) of the ceiling wall 42a. And a pair of side walls 42b.
A transport space Tr of the container 1 between the transport line 2 and the inspection line 3 is defined by a sliding portion 41, a ceiling wall 42a of the cover portion 42, and a pair of side walls 42b.

(Stopper part)
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the stopper portion 5 is formed of, for example, a metal material, and is provided below the inspection line 3 in the dropping direction of the container 1 from the transport line 2. The stopper portion 5 is provided so that the cap 13 protruding downward from the holder 33 abuts when the container 1 is held by the holder 33. The stopper portion 5 extends from at least a drop point from the transport line 2 of the container 1 to a front side where a later-described transport line 7 is provided along the transport direction T2 of the inspection line 3 (see FIG. 7). .)
The stopper portion 5 is movable along the inclined conveyance surface 32 of the inspection line 3 in the direction in which the container 1 drops from the conveyance line 2. That is, the stopper portion 5 can be moved toward and away from the inspection line 3.

The container inspection device 100 includes a moving mechanism 51 that allows the stopper portion 5 to approach and separate from the inspection line 3. The moving mechanism 51 is, for example, a mechanism including a known cylinder and a rod that can be expanded and contracted in and out of the cylinder.
The moving mechanism 51 is connected to the stopper portion 5 and adjusts the distance between the inspection line 3 and the stopper portion 5 by moving the stopper portion 5. The moving mechanism 51 has an adjustment handle 51a. By rotating the adjustment handle 51a, the stopper portion 5 approaches or separates from the inspection line 3. The position of the stopper portion 5 with respect to the inspection line 3 can be variably adjusted by the moving mechanism 51, so that the containers 1 having different sizes (lengths) can be flexibly handled.

[Inspection unit]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the inspection unit 6 is provided on the inspection line 3 in the middle of the conveyance path of the inspection line 3, and the container 1 is an inspection target. Specifically, the inspection unit 6 includes a pressurizing unit 61 that pressurizes the main body 11 of the container 1, a sensor 63 that measures the thickness of the container 1, and an imaging unit 65 that images the surface of the container 1. .

(Pressure part)
The pressurizing unit 61 pressurizes the main body 11 of the container 1 held by the holder 33 in the inclined posture in the inspection line 3. The pressurizing unit 61 is provided at a position facing the inclined conveyance surface 32 of the inspection line 3, and pressurizes the container 1 at a right angle with respect to the surface of the main body unit 11.
The pressurizing unit 61 includes a cylinder rod 61a, a support base 61b that supports the stroke motion of the cylinder rod 61a, and a pressurizing plate 61c attached to the tip of the cylinder rod 61a. A coil spring 61d is mounted on the cylinder rod 61a between the support base 61b and the pressure plate 61c.
As the cylinder rod 61 a approaches the inspection line 3, the pressure plate 61 c comes into contact with the main body 11 of the container 1. Since the container 1 is held by the holder 33, the container 1 is sandwiched between the holder 33 and the pressure plate 61c and is pressurized.

(Sensor)
As shown in FIG. 6, the inspection unit 6 includes a U-shaped frame 64 at a position where the seal unit 12 of the container 1 conveyed on the inspection line 3 passes. The seal portion 12 of the container 1 passes between a pair of opposing wall portions 64 a and 64 b of the frame body 64. Each of the pair of wall portions 64a and 64b is substantially parallel to the inclined conveyance surface 32.
The sensor 63 is, for example, a laser sensor, and is provided on each of the upper wall 64a and the lower wall 64b (only the upper sensor 63 is shown). In other words, the pair of sensors 63 are arranged so as to sandwich the seal portion 12 of the container 1 from the front side and the back side of the holder 33. Among the pair of sensors 63, the sensor 63 on the back side of the container 1 is provided with a light projecting part (not shown), and the sensor 63 on the front side is provided with a light receiving part (not shown). ing.
The sensor 63 measures the thickness of the seal part 12 of the container 1 pressurized by the pressure part 61. Specifically, the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit included in the pair of sensors 63 scan the seal unit 12 with the transport direction T2 as the scanning direction.

(Imaging part)
As shown in FIG. 1, the imaging unit 65 is provided on the downstream side of the sensor 63 in the transport direction T2, and is provided on the inspection line 3 so as to photograph the container 1 from the front side. The imaging unit 65 is configured by a known digital camera, for example, and captures character information stamped or printed on the surface of the main body unit 11 or the seal unit 12 of the container 1. The captured image is inspected by performing known image processing.

[Unloading line]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, the carry-out line 7 is provided on the end side of the inspection line 3 and on the downstream side of the inspection unit 6 in the transport direction T <b> 2, and carries out the container 1 to the next process. Specifically, in the carry-out line 7, the inspection unit 6 determines that the seal state of the seal unit 12 is “good” and only the container 1 on which the printing on the container 1 is normally engraved or printed is transferred to the next process. The container 1 that has been unloaded and determined to be “impossible” is discharged to a location different from the next step.

As shown in FIG. 7, the carry-out line 7 is positioned below the inspection line 3 at the terminal position of the stopper portion 5 extending along the inspection line 3, and downward in a direction away from the inspection line 3. Inclined.
The carry-out line 7 includes chute parts 71 and 72 and a discharge part 73. The chute part 71 is responsible for carrying out the container 1 from the inspection line 3 to the discharge part 73, and the chute part 72 is responsible for carrying out the container 1 from the discharge part 73 to the next process. That is, the chute portion 71 is provided between the inspection line 3 and the discharge portion 73, and the chute portion 72 is provided on the downstream side of the discharge portion 73.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the discharge unit 73 can communicate with the inspection unit 6, and carries out the removal of the container 1 from the unloading line 7 and the unloading of the container 1 to the next process according to the inspection of the inspection unit 6. . The discharge unit 73 includes a control unit 75, a rotation unit 77, and an opening / closing unit 79. The control unit 75 is communicably connected to the inspection unit 6, and controls driving of the rotation unit 77 and the opening / closing unit 79 in accordance with a command from the inspection unit 6.

As shown in FIG. 9, the rotating portion 77 includes three accommodating portions 77a that accommodate the container 1 and a rotation shaft 77b that rotates the accommodating portion 77a. For example, three accommodating portions 77a are provided in the rotation direction R, and are attached to the rotation shaft 77b. Only one of the three accommodating portions 77 a is positioned on the carry-out line 7.
A belt V driven by a driving device (not shown) such as a motor is wound around one end of the rotating shaft 77b, and the belt V transmits the power from the driving device to the rotating shaft 77b. The accommodating portion 77a rotates in the rotation direction R. The driving of the driving device is controlled by the control unit 75.
In FIG. 7, the opening / closing part 79 drawn by a two-dot chain line is provided on the downstream side of the rotating part 77 and opens and closes the carry-out path of the container 1 in the carry-out line 7. The opening / closing part 79 is configured to be movable forward and backward with respect to the carry-out path in the carry-out line 7. The forward / backward movement of the opening / closing unit 79 is controlled by the control unit 75.

<Transport, inspection and unloading process>
Next, the conveyance, inspection, and unloading steps of the container 1 in the container inspection apparatus 100 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the container 1 is transported on the transport line 2 from the previous step with the cap 13 at the top in the transport direction T <b> 1 and after the seal portion 12. When the container 1 reaches the end of the conveyance line 2, the container 1 is dropped by gravity from the conveyance line 2 toward the inspection line 3 due to the rotation of the belt 22, and then toward the inspection unit 6 on the inspection line 3. It will be transported.

  The container 1 that has fallen from the transport line 2 to the inspection line 3 is accommodated in the holder 33 attached to the inspection line 3, and comes into contact with the stopper portion 5 with the cap 13 protruding from the holder 33 (FIG. 3).

  The container 1 is accommodated in the holder 33 and conveyed toward the inspection unit 6 along the conveyance direction T2 of the inspection line 3. When the container 1 reaches the inspection unit 6, first, the cylinder rod 61a of the pressurizing unit 61 extends toward the container 1, and the pressurizing plate 61c is pressed against the main body 11 of the container 1 by a predetermined pressing force (see FIG. 6). .)

The thickness of the seal portion 12 of the container 1 is measured by the sensor 63 while being pressed by the pressure plate 61 c of the pressure portion 61. After scanning by the sensor 63, the container 1 is transported on the inspection line 3 so as to pass below the imaging unit 65. The imaging unit 65 captures, for example, a print date such as a manufacturing date or an expiration date printed on the main body unit 11 or the seal unit 12 of the container 1 that is conveyed below the imaging unit 65.
The image captured by the imaging unit 65 is displayed on the display. Here, the print inspection may be performed by comparing the stored print data with the captured image data, or an operator may visually check the projected image.
The container 1 transported through the inspection unit 6 is transported on the inspection line 3 as it is, and moves so as to slide to the unloading line 7 by gravity at the position where the stopper unit 5 is finished.

Here, the inspection and carrying out or removal of the container 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a process of inspecting and carrying out or removing a container. Note that “START” starts when the container 1 to be inspected passes through the inspection unit 6.
When the container 1 reaches below the sensor 63 of the inspection unit 6, first, the cylinder rod 61 a of the pressurizing unit 61 extends toward the container 1, and the pressurizing plate 61 c presses the main body 11 of the container 1. In a state where the container 1 is pressed by the pressurizing unit 61, the sensor 63 scans the seal unit 12 of the container 1 to determine whether or not the seal unit 12 has a defect (step S1). More specifically, it is determined whether or not the thickness of the seal portion 12 has changed abruptly before and after pressing.

  When there is no problem in the sealing state in the seal part 12, that is, when the contents of the container 1 do not flow out from the seal part 12 when pressed by the pressurizing part 61 (step S1: NO), the container 1 is inspected by the imaging part 65. Move on. When the container 1 reaches below the imaging unit 65, the imaging unit 65 captures a print portion of the container 1 and determines whether there is a defect in printing (step S2). If the printing is normally performed (step S2: NO), the inspection unit 6 determines that the inspected container 1 is a non-defective product, and the inspected container 1 is in the carry-out line 7 with respect to the control unit 75 of the carry-out line 7. Is moved, the opening / closing part 79 of the discharging part 73 is instructed to be opened or maintained. Thereby, the container 1 determined to be a non-defective product by the inspection unit 6 is sent from the carry-out line 7 to the next process.

  On the other hand, when the contents of the container 1 flow out of the seal part 12 due to pressing by the pressurizing part 61 in step S1, that is, when the seal state of the seal part 12 is poor, the contents of the container 1 Flows out from the seal portion 12, so that the thickness of the container 1 in the seal portion 12 increases. As a result, the thickness of the seal portion 12 exceeds the reference reference thickness in advance, and the sensor 63 determines that the seal portion 12 is defective (step S1: YES).

The inspection unit 6 determines that the container 1 is defective, and closes the opening / closing unit 79 of the discharge unit 73 when the inspected container 1 moves to the carry-out line 7 with respect to the control unit 75 of the carry-out line 7. (Step S4). As a result, the container 1 determined to be defective by the inspection unit 6 cannot pass through the storage unit 77a in the discharge unit 73 of the carry-out line 7, and remains on the storage unit 77a.
In addition, when the container 1 is determined to be defective in the inspection by the sensor 63, the inspection by the imaging unit 65 on the downstream side may or may not be performed.

Next, when the inspected container 1 moves to the carry-out line 7, the control unit 75 drives the drive device to rotate the rotary shaft 77b (step S5). Thereby, the accommodating part 77a rotates, with the container 1 determined to be defective being placed. Thus, the container 1 determined to be defective is excluded from the carry-out line 7.
Thus, the inspection and unloading / exclusion process of the container 1 is completed.

In addition, even if the container 1 is determined to be a non-defective product in step S1 (step S1: NO), if the printing is not normally performed in step S2 (step S2: YES), the inspection unit 6 transmits a command to the control unit 75 of the carry-out line 7 so as to exclude the container 1 whose printing is not normally printed.
That is, the inspection unit 6 instructs the control unit 75 of the carry-out line 7 to close the opening / closing unit 79 of the discharge unit 73 (step S4), and the control is performed in a state where the container 1 is held in the storage unit 77a. The unit 75 drives the drive device to rotate the rotation shaft 77b (step S5). As a result, the container 77a rotates with the container 1 determined to be defective printing placed thereon, and the container 1 determined to be defective is discharged from the carry-out line 7. Thus, the inspection and unloading / discharging process of the container 1 is completed.

  According to the container inspection apparatus 100 as described above, the container 1 to be inspected can be easily dropped by the gravity acting on the container 1 from the transport line 2 installed with a vertical difference to the inspection line 3. Can be set. Thus, the container 1 can be easily transported from the transport line 2 to the inspection line 3 regardless of the size of the container 1. For example, the setting of the container 1 from the transport line 2 to the inspection line 3 does not require an apparatus dedicated to the setting, and it is not necessary to change the chuck hand that directly holds the container 1 according to the size of the container 1. Since the container 1 is not directly gripped, the container 1 is not damaged by the chuck hand.

  In the container inspection apparatus 100, a guide unit 4 is provided between the conveyance line 2 and the inspection line 3. Due to the presence of the guide part 4, the container 1 falls while sliding on the sliding part 41 of the guide part 4, and the container 1 can be transported from the transport line 2 to the inspection line 3 with high accuracy.

  Since the inspection line 3 has a holder 33 that holds the container 1, the container 1 that has fallen from the transport line 2 to the inspection line 3 is transported while maintaining a posture suitable for inspection in the inspection unit 6. Go. Since the holder 33 can be easily attached to and detached from the attachment 36 of the inspection line 3, the holder 33 having a size matching the size of the container 1 can be selected and attached to the inspection line 3.

When attaching the holder 33 to the attachment 36, as shown in FIG. 11A, the lower bar 34d of the holder 33 is engaged with the protrusion 39a of the overhanging portion 39 so as to be hooked. In this state, the upper bar 34c is in contact with the front side inclined surface 38ae of the engaging portion 38aa. When the holder 33 is further pushed toward the attachment 36 from this state, the engaging portion 38aa moves toward the protruding portion 38 while compressing the coil spring 38ad. Finally, as shown in FIG. 11 (b), the upper bar 34c abuts against the back-side inclined surface 38af of the engaging portion 38aa, and the engaging portion 38aa is restored by the elastic restoring force of the coil spring 38ad. Return to position.
When removing the holder 33 from the attachment 36, first, the holder 33 is pushed up toward the overhanging portion 38 in the state shown in FIG. As a result, as shown in FIG. 12B, the coil spring 38ad is compressed while the upper bar 34c is in contact with the rear-side inclined surface 38af of the engaging portion 38aa. The protrusion 39 a of the overhanging portion 39 of the attachment 36 is disengaged from the lower bar 34 d of the holder 33, and the holder 33 can be detached from the attachment 36.
In this way, the holder 33 can be easily attached to and detached from the attachment 36, so that work efficiency is improved.

A stopper portion 5 that can adjust the interval with respect to the inspection line 3 is provided obliquely below the inspection line 3, so that the container 1 is always at a desired position in the inspection portion 6 by adjusting the position of the stopper portion 5. Can be.
For example, when the container 1 is set in the holder 33 and the seal portion 12 is expected to be located above the scanning position of the sensor 63 in the inspection portion 6, the adjustment handle 51a is turned to stop the stopper portion from the inspection line 3. By separating 5, the position of the container 1 in the holder 33 can be lowered. When the seal portion 12 is expected to be located below the scanning position of the sensor 63 in the inspection portion 6, the position of the container 1 in the holder 33 is raised by bringing the stopper portion 5 closer to the inspection line 3. be able to.
Thus, even when the inspection portion 6 inspects the seal portion 12 of the container 1 having a different size, the position of the seal portion 12 with respect to the sensor 63 can be easily and reliably adjusted. Accordingly, the container 1 can be reliably held between the holders 33a of the holder 33, and the sensor 63 that is not affected by the size of the container 1 can pass through the seal part 12 of the container 1 at the scanning position. A highly accurate inspection can be performed.
The position of the container 1 relative to the imaging unit 65 can be adjusted by the stopper unit 5 regardless of the size of the container 1.

The conveying surface of the container 1 in the inspection line 3 is an inclined inclined conveying surface 32. Since the conveyance surface on the inspection line 3 is inclined, it is easy for an operator to visually confirm the container 1. That is, the operator can face the container 1 directly in a standing posture, and can monitor the surface of the container 1 for scratches, conveyance of the container 1, and the like. On the other hand, for example, when the container 1 is transported in a vertical state, the worker has to change his / her posture to a position facing the container 1, and the burden on the worker is heavy.
Further, since the container 1 is transported in an inclined state, the pressurizing plate 61c of the pressurizing unit 61 comes into contact with the main body 11 of the container 1 accurately and pressurizes the main body 11 so Pressure efficiency is improved.

  In the container inspection apparatus 100, in addition to checking the quality of the seal state of the seal part 12 by the pressurizing part 61, the inspection of the printing in the main body part 11 or the seal part 12 of the container 1 is also performed. The inspection standard of 1 becomes high, and the container 1 with high quality can be shipped.

Due to the presence of the carry-out line 7, the container 1 determined as a non-defective product in the inspection by the sensor 63 and the imaging unit 65 in the inspection unit 6 can be easily transported to the next process through the carry-out line 7.
A control unit 75 that is communicably connected to the inspection unit 6 is provided on the carry-out line 7. The control unit 75 receives the information of the inspection from the inspection unit 6 and stops the container 1 by closing the conveyance path by the opening / closing unit 79 so that the container 1 determined to be defective by the inspection unit 6 is not conveyed to the next process. Thus, the rotating part 77 can be rotated and easily eliminated. Since the container 1 determined to be defective is removed along with the rotation of the rotating unit 77, it is not necessary for an operator to approach the carry-out line 7 in order to remove the container 1.

<Others>
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the pair of holding portions 33a of the holder 33 may be configured to be movable in the width direction so that the interval between them can be changed. Thereby, it can respond easily to the container 1 of various sizes.
Further, the number of containers 1 to be inspected at a time by the inspection unit 6 is not particularly limited, and may be one or two.
The image obtained by the imaging unit 65 may be used not only for inspection such as printing, but also for finding, for example, wrinkles attached to the surface of the container 1.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Container 11 Main body part 12 Seal part 13 Cap 2 Conveyance line 3 Inspection line 33 Holder 36 Attachment 4 Guide part 5 Stopper part 51 Movement mechanism 6 Inspection part 61 Pressurization part 63 Sensor 65 Imaging part 7 Unloading line 71, 72 Chute part 73 Discharge unit 77 Rotating unit 79 Opening / closing unit

Claims (10)

A container inspection device for inspecting a sealed portion in which one end of a container in which contents are enclosed is sealed,
A transport line for transporting and dropping the container from the previous process;
An inspection line that is provided at a drop point of the container that has fallen from the transport line and in which the inspection of the seal portion is performed;
An inspection unit provided on the inspection line for inspecting the quality of the seal unit;
A container inspection apparatus comprising:   The terminal part of the said conveyance line is provided with the guide part extended toward the said inspection line, and guides the fall of the said container from the said conveyance line to the said inspection line. Container inspection device.   The container inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inspection line includes an inclined conveyance surface that is inclined obliquely downward in a direction away from the conveyance line.   The said test | inspection part is equipped with the pressurization part which pressurizes the trunk | drum of the said container, and the sensor which measures the thickness in the said seal part, The Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. Container inspection device.   The said inspection part is provided with the imaging part which image | photographs the surface of the said container, The container inspection apparatus as described in any one of Claim 1 to 4 characterized by the above-mentioned.   The said inspection line has a holder which hold | maintains the said container in the width direction, This holder is detachably attached with respect to the said inspection line, The any one of Claim 1-5 characterized by the above-mentioned. The container inspection apparatus described in 1.   The container inspection according to claim 6, wherein the holder has a pair of holding portions that hold the container, and the pair of holding portions are formed so that the interval in the width direction can be adjusted. apparatus. A stopper part which is provided on the lower side in the drop direction of the container from the transport line with respect to the inspection line, and the container abuts;
A moving mechanism that allows the stopper portion to move with respect to the inspection line in the drop direction of the container;
The container inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: Provided with a carry-out line for inclining downward with respect to the inspection line on the terminal side of the inspection line in the conveyance direction of the container and carrying out the container to the next process;
The unloading line includes a rotating unit that rotates about an axis extending in the unloading direction, and an opening / closing unit that is provided on the downstream side of the rotating unit in the unloading direction so as to be movable forward and backward with respect to the unloading path of the container; The container inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the container inspection device is provided.   The container inspection apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a control unit that controls advancing / retreating of the opening / closing unit with respect to the carry-out path and rotation of the rotating unit.

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