JP4163039B2 - In-container bubble determination method and apparatus - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for determining bubbles in a container by irradiating light to a transparent or translucent container enclosing a liquid.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, a method that has been filed and published by the present applicant is known as a method for determining bubbles in a liquid-filled container such as an infusion pack. In this method, the entire suspended matter in the container in which the first part that is recognized as having high brightness and the second part that is recognized as having low brightness are mixed with the transmitted light and reflected light to the container has high brightness. By adjusting the light amounts of transmitted light and reflected light so as to be exposed, the suspended matter that is exposed with high brightness as a whole is determined as a bubble (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-116703
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
According to the method of Patent Document 1, the amount of transmitted light and reflected light must be adjusted in order to expose the entire bubble with high brightness, which is troublesome. Further, when plastic powder is mixed in the container, the plastic powder must be excluded as a defective product. However, in the method of Patent Document 1, the plastic powder is always brightly displayed with low brightness. Therefore, there is a problem that bubbles and plastic powder mixed in the liquid container cannot be accurately discriminated.
An object of this invention is to provide the method and apparatus which can distinguish easily and correctly the bubble mixed in the liquid container.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The method for determining bubbles in a container according to the present invention provides a difference in intensity between transmitted light and reflected light of the same optical axis that irradiates the container from opposite positions across a transparent or translucent container filled with liquid. When the floating part in the container in which the first part recognized with high brightness and the second part recognized with low brightness are mixed is confirmed, and then the strength relationship between transmitted light and reflected light is reversed. If the brightness level relationship between the first part and the second part of the suspended matter is reversed, the suspended matter is determined to be a bubble.
The in-container bubble determination device of the present invention includes a transmitted light generator at one position facing each other across a transparent or translucent container in which a liquid is sealed, and a reflected light generator at the other position. The light generating unit alternately generates strong transmitted light and weak transmitted light that irradiate the container every predetermined time, and the reflected light generating unit generates reflected light having the same optical axis as the transmitted light. When the transmitted light generating part generates strong transmitted light, weak reflected light is generated. When the transmitted light generating part generates weak transmitted light, strong reflected light is generated. And an inspection camera that captures an image of suspended matter in the container irradiated with reflected light and outputs an image signal for each image frame or field, and compares the image signal between temporally continuous image frames or fields, The brightness is recognized high When it is detected that the brightness relationship between the first part and the second part of the floating substance in the container in which the part and the second part whose brightness is recognized to be low is mixed, the floating substance is a bubble. And a determination means for determining.
[0006]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The bubble determination device according to the present invention is used, for example, when performing a screening inspection of non-defective products and defective products of containers such as infusion packs, pharmaceutical containers such as glass and plastic, beverage containers, and industrial liquid storage packs. Containers are filled with liquids according to various applications, but when liquid is filled, air or various floating substances adhering to the container or liquid injection means are mixed. There is. As this floating substance, in addition to bubbles, foreign substances such as insects, dust, hair, and plastic powder are assumed. Even if air bubbles are floating in the container, the quality of the product is not affected at all. However, a container in which the foreign matter is mixed needs to be excluded from the product as a defective product. According to the bubble determination device of the present invention, it is possible to accurately determine bubbles that do not affect the quality of products, and to accurately distinguish good products from defective products.
[0007]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an in-container bubble determination device used in an in-container bubble determination method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the in-container bubble determination device according to the embodiment includes transmitted light 2a and reflected light 3a having the same optical axis from opposite positions across a transparent or translucent container 1 filled with liquid. In order to irradiate the container 1, the transmitted light generator provided at the one opposite position, the reflected light generator provided at the other opposite position, the transmitted light 2a and the reflected light 3a The inspection digital camera K that captures an image of the suspended matter in the container 1 that is irradiated and outputs an image signal for each image frame or field is compared with an image signal between temporally continuous image frames or fields, It was detected that the first and second parts of the suspended matter in the container 1 in which the first part recognized with high brightness and the second part recognized with low brightness were mixed were inverted. If the suspended matter is a bubble And a determination unit P by determining a computer or the like.
[0008]
The transmitted light generating unit alternately generates strong transmitted light and weak transmitted light every predetermined time. The reflected light generating unit generates weak reflected light when the transmitted light generating unit generates strong transmitted light. When the transmitted light generating unit generates weak transmitted light, strong reflected light is generated.
The transmitted light generation unit is configured by, for example, a strobe light source 2.
The reflected light generator, for example, reflects the light from the strobe light source 3 and the light from the strobe light source 3, and receives the reflected light 3a having the same optical axis as the optical axis of the transmitted light 2a from the side opposite to the transmitted light 2a. And a half mirror 4 for irradiating the light.
[0009]
Reference numeral 5 denotes a diffusion plate for preventing shading (uneven brightness of the screen), and 6 is an action inducing means for inducing a flow in the container 1 to induce movement of bubbles and foreign matter. As this action induction means 6, it can be set as the structure which induces a flow in the container 1 by rotating the container 1, for example. For this reason, for example, the motion inducing means 6 can be composed of a gripping portion 6a that grips the upper and lower portions of the container 1 and a support bar 6b that rotatably supports the gripping portion 6a in the horizontal direction as shown. Thereby, the flow which rotates a bubble and a foreign material in a horizontal direction in the container 1 arises. In addition to rotating the container 1, the motion inducing means 6 may be one that induces a flow by swinging the container 1 up, down, left, or right.
[0010]
Next, a determination method by the in-container bubble determination device according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
A flow is induced in the container 1 by the operation inducing means 6, and the stroboscopic light source 2 for transmitted light and the stroboscopic light source 3 for reflected light are turned on. Then, the strobe light sources 2 and 3 alternately repeat the state of generating strong light and the state of generating weak light every predetermined time. Here, in the strobe light sources 2 and 3, the timing for generating strong light and the timing for generating weak light are reversed. That is, when the transmitted light strobe light source 2 generates strong transmitted light, the reflected light strobe light source 3 generates weak reflected light, and the transmitted light strobe light source 2 generates weak transmitted light. At times, the strobe light source 3 for reflected light generates strong reflected light.
[0011]
FIG. 2 shows an optical state when the transmitted light 2a and the reflected light 3a are irradiated to the bubble A and the foreign matter B floating in the container 1. FIG.
For example, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2A, in a state in which the strobe light source 2 for transmitted light generates strong transmitted light 2a and the strobe light source 3 for reflected light generates weak reflected light 3a. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the outer portion f of the bubble A irradiated with the transmitted light 2a and the reflected light 3a having the same optical axis shines white by the transmitted light 2a and is recognized as having high luminance. However, the inner part i of the bubble A becomes a shadow due to the transmitted light 2a and becomes dark, and is recognized as having a low luminance.
Next, as shown in FIGS. 2 (2) (a), the transmitted light strobe light source 2 generates weak transmitted light 2a, and the reflected light strobe light source 3 generates strong reflected light 3a. 2 (2) (a), the outer portion f of the bubble A irradiated with the transmitted light 2a and the reflected light 3a of the same optical axis becomes dark because the transmitted light 2a is not irradiated, Although the brightness is recognized to be low, the inner portion i of the bubble A is recognized to be in a high brightness state by shining white by the reflected light 3a.
[0012]
Therefore, the brightness state of the floating substance has changed from the state of FIG. 2 (1) (a) to the state of FIG. 2 (2) (a) (or from the state of FIG. 2 (2) (a) to FIG. ) (B) changed), that is, it is determined that the brightness relationship between the outer part f and the inner part i of the floating object irradiated with the transmitted light 2a and the reflected light 3a having the same optical axis is inverted. By determining by means P, the corresponding suspended matter is determined to be a bubble A.
That is, by taking an image of the suspended matter in the container 1 irradiated with the transmitted light 2a and the reflected light 3a as described above with the inspection digital camera K, and outputting the image signal for each image frame or field to the determination means P, The determination means P compares the image signals between temporally continuous image frames or fields, and the relationship between the brightness levels of the outer portion f (first portion) and the inner portion i (second portion) of the floating object is inverted. By detecting this, the suspended matter is determined to be the bubble A, and the determination result is output.
[0013]
On the other hand, the floating object such as insects, dust, hair, and the like has an irregular shape as shown in FIGS. As a result, as shown in (3) (a) in the figure, the black state with a low luminance is always grasped. B can be determined. That is, the determination means P tracks the floating substance by comparing the image signals between temporally continuous image frames or fields, and detects the floating substance moving downward (lowering) in the container 1. Then, it is determined that the floating substance is the foreign substance B, or the floating substance is determined to be the foreign substance B by detecting a change in the shape or area of the floating substance.
[0014]
When the floating substance is plastic powder, when the transmitted light 2a and the reflected light 3a are irradiated to the plastic powder, the plastic powder is always displayed with a thin brightness and bright, and like the bubble A, the outer and inner surfaces are exposed. The relationship between brightness levels is not reversed. Therefore, it is possible to reliably and accurately distinguish between plastic powder and bubbles. That is, the bubbles in the container 1 can be determined reliably and accurately.
[0015]
According to the apparatus according to the embodiment, it is possible to easily and accurately determine bubbles that do not affect the quality of the product, and it is possible to prevent products containing only bubbles from being excluded as defective products, thereby improving the product yield. In addition, only products containing foreign matters such as insects, dust, hair, and plastic powder can be easily and accurately identified and eliminated. The above-described bubble determination processing and foreign matter determination processing can be realized by software processing by a computer that executes the bubble determination processing and foreign matter determination processing program.
[0016]
In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, it is desirable to employ a vertical parabolic concave half mirror 4A which bulges in the direction of the inspection digital camera K and has a concave shape on the container 1 side, instead of the half mirror 4. This is because, in the flat half mirror 4, the reflection on the surface of the container 1 becomes strong, and the suspended matter inside cannot be sufficiently emphasized by the transmitted light. However, if the concave half mirror 4A is used, light is scattered. Since it becomes light, an image without shadow and without regular reflection can be obtained regardless of the shape of the surface of the container 1. That is, an image having the same luminance can be obtained evenly on the surface of the container 1.
[0017]
As the strobe light sources 2 and 3, a strobe light source that blinks every predetermined time may be used.
[0018]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, air bubbles in a container can be easily and accurately discriminated, and a good product and a defective product can be accurately distinguished.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an in-container bubble determination device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a method for determining bubbles in a container according to an embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 container, 2, 3 strobe light source, 4 half mirror, A bubble, B foreign material, K inspection digital camera, P judging means, f outer part (first part), i inner part (second part).

Claims (2)

A first part that is recognized to have high brightness by making a difference in intensity between transmitted light and reflected light of the same optical axis that irradiates the container from opposite positions across a transparent or translucent container in which liquid is enclosed And the second part that is recognized to have low brightness are confirmed, and then the first part and the second part of the floating substance are reversed when the strength relationship between the transmitted light and the reflected light is reversed. An in-container bubble determination method, wherein the suspended matter is determined to be a bubble if the brightness level of the portion is inverted. A transparent light generating part is provided at one position opposite to each other across a transparent or translucent container filled with liquid, and a reflected light generating part is provided at the other position. The transmitted light generating part is attached to the container at predetermined time intervals. Irradiated strong transmitted light and weak transmitted light are generated alternately, and the reflected light generating unit generates reflected light having the same optical axis as the transmitted light, and the transmitted light generating unit generates strong transmitted light. When generated, weak reflected light is generated, and when the transmitted light generating part generates weak transmitted light, strong reflected light is generated. Further, floating in the container irradiated with transmitted light and reflected light is generated. An inspection camera that captures an image of an object and outputs an image signal for each image frame or field, and a first portion that recognizes a high brightness by comparing image signals between image frames or fields that are temporally continuous The brightness is perceived as low Judgment means for determining that the suspended matter is a bubble when it is detected that the brightness relationship between the first part and the second part of the suspended matter in the container in which the part is mixed is reversed. An in-container bubble determination device characterized by the above.

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