JP2946613B2 - Light guide for container inspection equipment - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a container inspection apparatus for inspecting foreign substances in a filling liquid filled in a container, a liquid level, and the like, and more particularly, to an inspection thereof. The present invention relates to a light guide for illuminating a container at the time.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a container inspection device for detecting foreign substances and the like in a filling liquid filled in a container, a conveying means for continuously conveying a translucent container filled with the filling liquid at predetermined intervals. And a light source disposed at a required position outside the conveying means, a light guide provided on the conveying means, for guiding light from the light source to irradiate each container, and further inspecting the container illuminated by the light. (See Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 59-172365 and Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 57-6325).
No. 0).

In a conventional container inspection apparatus, the light guide is generally formed of a hollow cylindrical member, and the light from the light source passes through the hollow of the cylindrical member to irradiate the container.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, when the light guide is formed of a simple tubular member, the attenuation of light in the tubular member is relatively large. In such a case, the time required for the light guide to pass through the light source becomes short, and the amount of light required for the inspection becomes insufficient, and the light source must be enlarged.

In view of such circumstances, the present invention makes it possible to efficiently guide light from the light source to the container in a state close to parallel light as much as possible, thereby enabling high-speed operation without increasing the size of the light source. It is like that.

"Means for solving the problem" That is, the present invention relates to the container inspecting apparatus described above,
The light guide is formed of a columnar transparent body provided in the transport means such that one end faces the container side and the other end faces the light source side, and the transparent body is provided on an outer peripheral surface of a light source side end of the transparent body. A light reflecting layer for reflecting light introduced into the body toward the inside in the radial direction is provided, and a light absorbing layer for absorbing the light introduced into the transparent body is provided on an outer peripheral surface of a container side end of the transparent body. Is provided.

According to the configuration, the light introduced into the transparent body from the light source is reflected by the light reflecting layer provided on the outer peripheral surface of the light source side end of the transparent body inward in the radial direction. So
As compared with the case where the light reflection layer is not provided, the absorption of light in that portion can be reduced, so that a relatively large amount of light can be guided toward the container.

In addition, since the light absorbing layer is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the end of the transparent body on the container side, light irradiated toward this portion is not reflected, thereby scattering light irradiated toward the container. Light can be reduced and the container can be irradiated with light as close to parallel light as possible. And if it is possible to irradiate the container with light as close to parallel light as possible,
Since the inspection accuracy can be improved by reducing the adverse effect of the scattered light on the inspection means, it is possible to cope with high speed without increasing the size of the light source.

As described above, if the light can be efficiently guided to the container with a relatively small amount of light and as close to parallel light as possible, it is possible to cope with a high speed without increasing the size of the light source.

"Example" Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to an illustrated example. In the figure, a container inspection device for inspecting foreign matter and the like in a filling liquid filled in a translucent container 1 is driven by rotation of a drive shaft (not shown) A rotating body 2 that is integrally rotated in a horizontal plane is provided, and a large number of mounting tables 3 are rotatably provided at equally spaced positions on an outer peripheral portion of the rotating body 2.

The container 1 in which the filling liquid is filled and the cap is attached to the mouth is sequentially carried into each of the mounting tables 3 from a supply star wheel (not shown), and the container 1 is supplied onto each of the mounting tables 3. The container holder 4 provided on the rotating body 2 is lowered to hold the cap portion of the container 1. Accordingly, when the mounting table 3 is rotationally driven by the rotation mechanism 5, the container 1 is allowed to rotate integrally with the mounting table 3, and the container 1 is prevented from dropping from the mounting table 3. You can do it.

Each of the mounting tables 3 is formed in a cylindrical shape.
Is mounted on the upper end of a hollow rotary shaft 6 that is rotatably supported on the rotating body 2 in the vertical direction. And while providing the transparent protective glass plate 7 on the upper surface of the mounting table 3,
The protective glass plate 7 is fixed to the mounting table 3 by a ring-shaped support plate 8 on which the container 1 is mounted.

A light source 11 is disposed and fixed at the inspection position of the container 1 below the movement trajectory of each of the mounting tables 3, and the light from the light source 11 is efficiently placed in the hollow rotary shafts 6. A light guide 12 is provided for guiding. Light guide 12 above
Is provided with a columnar transparent body 13 made of, for example, glass, transparent acrylic, polycarbonate, or the like.
Light reflection layer 14 on the outer peripheral surface of the lower end of the light source side end,
Light absorbing layers 15 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the upper end, that is, the end on the container side.

The inner surface of the light reflecting layer 14 is a mirror surface, so that the light introduced into the transparent body 13 can be reflected inward in the radial direction, and the inner surface of the light absorbing layer 15 is By applying a matte black color, light introduced into the transparent body 13 can be absorbed. In the illustrated embodiment, the light reflecting layer 14 is formed to a height of about 3/4 from the lower end of the transparent body 13.
The light-absorbing layer 15 is formed at the remaining 1/4 of the height of the light-absorbing layer 15 continuously from the light-absorbing layer 4.

Next, the rotating mechanism 5 includes a rotating shaft 12a on the rotating body 2.
And a drive shaft 2 connected to the rotary shaft 21a via a coupling 22 with the servomotor 21 mounted vertically downward.
3, a belt wheel 24 attached to the drive shaft 23, a belt wheel 25 attached to the lower end of the hollow rotary shaft 6, and a belt 26 extending between the belt wheels 24, 25. .

The rotation mechanism 5 moves the mounting table 3 in one direction, for example.
The rotation is normally performed at 1200 to 1500 rpm, and then the rotation of the mounting table 3 is temporarily stopped just before the inspection position by the inspection means 31. When the stop time elapses, the rotation mechanism 5 rotates the mounting table 3 in the reverse direction at 300 rpm, and passes the inspection position in a state where the mounting table 3 is rotated in the reverse direction. Foreign substances mixed therein are inspected.

By rotating the mounting table 3 in one direction to sufficiently rotate the filling liquid in the container 1 and stopping the rotation of the mounting table 3 in that state, foreign substances in the filling liquid can be brought to the center of the container. However, the reverse rotation can reduce the time required for the foreign matter to move to the center due to the rotation stop.

In addition, the inspection means 31 includes a follow-up mirror which is rotated and operated following the container 1 conveyed with the rotation of the rotating body 2.
A servo motor 33 for rotating the following mirror 32 from a predetermined start position to follow the movement of the container 1 and rotating it backward when the predetermined end position is reached to return to the start position. The video camera 34 can take an image of the container 1 by the following mirror 32.

In the above configuration, when the container 1 is carried from the supply starwheel onto the mounting table 3, the container holder 4 descends and clamps the container 1 between the container holder 4 and the mounting table 3. . In this state, the rotation mechanism 5 is mounted on the mounting table 3.
Is rotated forward to rotate the container 1. When the container 1 is transported to a position before the inspection means 31 with the rotation of the rotating body 2 in this state, the rotation mechanism 5 rotates the mounting table 3 The mounting table 3 is temporarily stopped for a predetermined time, and then the mounting table 3 is rotated backward to pass the inspection means 31 in front.

While the container 1 passes in front of the inspection means 31, the container 1 passes over the light source 11, and light from the light source 11 is introduced into the transparent body 13 of the light guide 12. The light introduced obliquely to the lower end of the transparent body 13 with respect to the axial direction is reflected radially inward by the light reflecting layer 14 provided at the lower end of the transparent body 13. Light reflection layer
The absorption of light in that portion can be reduced as compared with the case where 14 is not provided, so that a relatively large amount of light can be guided toward the container 1.

And since the light absorbing layer 15 is provided at the upper end of the transparent body 13, light irradiated toward the portion while passing through the transparent body 13, that is, greatly inclined with respect to the axis of the transparent body 13 Light is absorbed by the light absorbing layer 15,
The scattered light emitted toward the container 1 can be reduced, so that the light can be applied to the container 1 as parallel light along the axial direction as much as possible.

The inspection means 31 takes an image of the container 1 illuminated with the parallel light by the video camera 34, and determines whether or not a foreign substance is present in the filling liquid from the image by a determination circuit (not shown). Is reduced, adverse effects due to the reduction are reduced, and the inspection accuracy can be improved.
The container 1 that has been inspected by the inspection means 31 is
After the container holder 4 is lifted and the holding of the container 1 is released, the container 1 is discharged from the mounting table 3 via a discharge star wheel (not shown), and only the container determined to be defective is subsequently returned to the normal container by the reject device. It will be discharged from the processing line.

In the above embodiment, the container 1 is rotatably transported by the rotating body 2, but it is needless to say that the container may be transported by the linear transport means.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, even a relatively small amount of light can be efficiently guided to the container in a state as close to parallel light as possible, without increasing the size of the light source. The effect that it can respond to high speed is obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

 FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Container, 2 ... Rotating body (conveying means) 3 ... Mounting table, 6 ... Hollow rotating shaft 11 ... Light source, 12 ... Light guide 13 ... Transparent body, 14 ... Light reflecting layer 15 ... ... Light absorption layer, 31 ... Inspection means

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Hidefumi Motonaga 5-33-1, Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo Within NEC Corporation (56) References JP-A-51-14221 (JP, A) JP-A Sho JP-A-58-176535 (JP, A) JP-A-50-146384 (JP, A) JP-A-1-96540 (JP, A) JP-A-63-282640 (JP, A) A) (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G01N 21/90 D

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A transport means for continuously transporting containers having a light-transmitting property at predetermined intervals, a light source disposed at a required external position of the transport means, and a light source provided on the transport means, wherein the light from the light source is provided. A light guide for guiding each container to irradiate each container, and an inspection means for further inspecting the container illuminated with light, wherein one end of the light guide faces the container and the other end faces the light source. And a light that reflects the light introduced into the transparent body radially inward on the outer peripheral surface of the light source side end of the transparent body as described above. A light guide for a container inspection device, comprising: a reflective layer; and a light absorbing layer for absorbing light introduced into the transparent body, provided on an outer peripheral surface of an end of the transparent body on a container side.