JP4848547B2 - Display inspection device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a display inspection apparatus that inspects a label attached to a container, for example.

  In order to display a predetermined name such as a product name or date (production date or expiration date) on a container such as a bottle, a label printed with the predetermined display may be attached to the container. In such a case, the label is inspected after the label is attached to the container. In this inspection, it is checked whether the label is broken, the label is pasted, the printed characters are blurred, the product name or date is incorrect.

As a label inspection apparatus, there is an apparatus that images a label with a camera and inspects for tearing of the label or the like while a bottle with a label attached is conveyed on a conveyor (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP-A-6-186002

  In the present specification, a container group having a cylindrical portion with a label attached thereto and a plurality of containers including contents in a continuous manner in the width direction of the container is detachable. According to the container group, a plurality of containers including contents can be packed at a time, which is convenient.

  As a container group, for example, there is a group of plastic containers containing an injection solution or an infusion solution. This is formed in a state where a plurality of containers are connected in the width direction of the container, and an injection solution or a drip solution is injected and sealed in these, and a label is attached to the cylindrical portion. A container containing an injection solution or the like is separated from the container group when used. Therefore, the label is inspected in the state of the container group.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a display inspection apparatus suitable for inspecting a predetermined display on each container of a container group.

The display inspection apparatus according to the present invention includes the predetermined group of containers configured to have a cylindrical portion on which predetermined display is performed and a plurality of containers including contents are continuously connected in a radial direction of the cylindrical portion. A display inspection apparatus for inspecting the display of the display device, wherein the display unit is provided to be rotatable about a horizontal axis and has a concave surface group in which a plurality of concave surfaces are formed in a circumferential shape, and is set toward the mounting portion. Imaging means for scanning a predetermined reading position, and the container group is placed one by one on each concave surface with the cylindrical portion along the concave surface of the mounting portion, and the predetermined display is It passes through the reading position .

In the display inspection apparatus according to the present invention, the concave group, there are a plurality in the rotational direction of the mounting portion, a plurality of the concave group, characterized in that the concave width are different from each other.

  In the display inspection apparatus according to the present invention, the predetermined display can be performed by a label attached to the cylindrical portion.

  The container group is conveyed to a display inspection device by a conveyor or the like. When the container group is in an upright state, it is easy to fall down and unstable, so it must be transported sideways. According to the present invention, the loading unit on which the horizontal container group is placed is rotated about the horizontal axis, thereby passing the reading position while rotating the container group. Therefore, it is possible to send the container group conveyed horizontally to the reading position while keeping the container sideways. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a display inspection apparatus suitable for inspecting a predetermined display on each container of the container group.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a display inspection apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. This apparatus 1 can also be called a label inspection apparatus. The display inspection apparatus 1 includes a line sensor camera 13 (hereinafter “ And may be described as “camera 13”). In the present embodiment, a case where a predetermined display such as a product name or date is indicated by a label 11 affixed to the cylindrical portion 9 will be described. It may be displayed.

  FIG. 2 is a plan view of an example of the container group 3. The container group 3 is configured such that a plurality of (in this example, five) containers 7 including contents such as an injection solution are continuously connected in the width direction of the containers 7 so as to be separable. In other words, the plurality of containers 7 containing the contents are configured to be continuous in the width direction of the container 7 so as to be separable from each other. The container 7 is made of plastic. The container 7 can be separated from other containers 7 constituting the container group 3 at the separation part 15. A label 11 is attached to the cylindrical portion 9 of the container 7.

  Another example of the container group 3 is shown in FIG. The difference from the container group 3 shown in FIG. 2 is that the size of the container 7 is small. By increasing the width of the separating portion 15 of the container group 3 shown in FIG. 3, the width of the container group 3 shown in FIG. 3 is made the same as the width of the container group 3 shown in FIG. Thereby, the width | variety of the box which packs the container group 3 can be unified.

  Returning to the description of the display inspection apparatus 1 shown in FIG. The container group 3 to be inspected for the label 11 is conveyed to the placement unit 5 by the belt type conveyor 17. The conveyor 17 includes a roller 19 and a belt 21 moved by the roller 19. If the container group 3 is transported while standing on the belt 21, the container group 3 is liable to fall down and unstable, so that the container group 3 is placed on the belt 21.

  The container group 3 laid sideways on the belt 21 is placed on the placement unit 5 while being laid sideways. A shaft 25 that penetrates from one end surface 23 to the other end surface is inserted into the mounting portion 5. The shaft 25 is fixed sideways.

  The structure of the mounting portion 5 and the shaft 25 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 in addition to FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting portion 5 and the shaft 25 along the end surface 23. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the shaft 25. A bush 26 is disposed between the placing portion 5 and the shaft 25. The bush 26 is fixed to the mounting portion 5 and serves as a slide bearing (surface bearing). Thereby, the mounting portion 5 is rotatable with respect to the fixed shaft 25. A gear 27 is attached to one end surface 23 of the mounting portion 5. A driving force from a servo motor (not shown) is transmitted to the mounting portion 5 via the gear 27, whereby the mounting portion 5 rotates in the direction of arrow A around the horizontal shaft 25 together with the bush 26. By this rotation, the reading position P of the camera 13 is passed while rotating the container group 3 placed on the placement unit 5.

  The mounting portion 5 is a member having an outer peripheral surface composed of ten concave surfaces 29. That is, the mounting portion 5 has a concave surface group configured by providing a plurality of concave surfaces 29 in the rotational movement direction (arrow A direction) of the container group 3. The concave surface 29 functions as a positioning portion for positioning the containers 7 of the container group 3 placed on the placement portion 5. The concave surface 29 has the same or substantially the same curvature as that of the cylindrical portion 9.

  A suction port 31 is formed in each concave surface 29. The suction port 31 is connected to an opening 33 provided at one end of the shaft 25. This structure will be described in detail. In the mounting portion 5, a plurality of through holes 35 connected to the suction ports 31 are formed radially. The through hole 35 reaches the shaft 25 through the bush 26. The shaft 25 is a tubular member having an opening 33 at one end.

  A notch portion 36 is formed in the portion of the shaft 25 with which the bush 26 contacts. A hole 36 a connected to the inside of the tube of the shaft 25 is formed at the bottom of the notch 36. Therefore, the suction port 31 is connected to the opening 33 provided at one end of the shaft 25 through the through hole 35, the notch 36 and the hole 36 a. A hose from a suction machine (not shown) is connected to the opening 33. While the display inspection apparatus 1 is in operation, the suction machine is operated so that the container 7 placed on the concave surface 29 is sucked and sucked into the suction port 31. Therefore, the suction port 31 functions as a positioning unit for positioning the containers 7 of the container group 3 placed on the placement unit 5. The position of the container group 3 on the placement unit 5 is stabilized by the suction port 31 and the concave surface 29.

  In addition, it is not set as the structure where a suction force produces at all the suction ports 31 simultaneously. More specifically, the notch 36 has a dimension in which a part (three consecutive in FIG. 4) of the ten through holes 35 is connected to the notch 36. For this reason, when the mounting part 5 rotates around the axis | shaft 25, the through-hole 35 located on the notch part 36 will change in order. A suction force is generated at the suction port 31 of the through hole 35 located on the notch 36, and no suction force is generated at the suction ports 31 of the other seven through holes 35. This is to smoothly guide the container group 3 for which the label inspection has been completed to the downstream side, as will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the reading position P is illuminated by an illuminator 37 such as an LED or a high-frequency lighting fluorescent lamp. The line sensor camera 13 is fixed above the reading position P. The label 11 is scanned at the reading position P by rotating the container group 3 and passing the reading position P while operating the camera 13 at a predetermined scan rate. Thereby, the label 11 is read. The container group 3 that has finished reading the label 11 slides on the guide plate 39 and is sent downstream.

  Since the camera 13 continues to operate during the operation of the display inspection apparatus 1, the image data obtained by scanning includes image data other than the label 11. In order to extract the image data of the label 11, the photoelectric sensor 41 arranged near the terminal end of the conveyor 17 is used. That is, since the photoelectric sensor 41 detects that the container group 3 has passed the end of the conveyor 17, the timing at which the label 11 passes the reading position P can be known. Based on this, the image data of the label 11 is extracted from the image data obtained by scanning.

  Next, a control system of the display inspection apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 shows a hardware configuration of the display inspection apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. The control system of the display inspection apparatus 1 can be divided into a personal computer side having a CPU 51 and a sequencer (PLC) 53 side. On the personal computer side, the CPU 51, ROM 55, RAM 57, line sensor camera 13, image memory 59, keyboard 61, mouse 63 and display 65 are connected by a bus 67.

  The CPU 51 controls the hardware and executes software necessary for the operation of the display inspection apparatus 1.

  The ROM 55 stores software necessary for the operation of the display inspection apparatus 1. The RAM 57 temporarily stores data generated when the software is executed. The line sensor camera 13 functions as an imaging unit that scans the label 11 by imaging the label 11 passing through the reading position P. The image memory 59 stores image data obtained by scanning.

  The user makes settings necessary for the operation of the display inspection apparatus 1 using the keyboard 61 and the mouse 63. On the display 65, the setting contents and the inspection result of the label 11 are displayed.

  The CPU 51 is connected to the sequencer 53 by an input / output port and a cable (not shown). A servo motor 69, a photoelectric sensor 41, and a servo motor 71 are connected to the sequencer 53. The placement unit 5 is rotationally driven by the servo motor 69. By rotating the mounting unit 5 on which the horizontal container group 3 is mounted by the servo motor 69 and the mounting unit 5 around the horizontal shaft 25, the reading position P is set while rotating the container group 3. A moving means for passing is configured. As described above, the photoelectric sensor 41 detects the container group 3 that has passed through the end of the conveyor 17. The roller 19 of the conveyor 17 is rotationally driven by the servo motor 71.

  Next, the operation of the display inspection apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 7, only the placement unit 5 and the line sensor camera 13 in the display inspection apparatus 1 are shown, and the illustration of the conveyor 17 and the like is omitted. In addition, the shaft 25 and the gear 27 are not shown in the placement unit 5.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, the container group 3 in which the label 11 is inspected is laid sideways and conveyed to the mounting portion 5 rotating in the arrow A direction. As shown in FIG. 7B, the container group 3 conveyed to the placement unit 5 is placed on the side of the placement unit 5 rotating in the direction of the arrow A in order from the first container 7 while being laid down. It is placed on the concave surface 29. After the container group 3, the container group 3 to be inspected next is conveyed toward the placement unit 5.

  Since the mounting portion 5 rotates in the direction of arrow A, the container group 3 passes the reading position P while rotating. The label 11 is scanned by imaging the container group 3 passing the reading position P with the camera 13 operating at a predetermined scan rate. The reason why the label 11 is scanned while rotating the container group 3 instead of linear movement is as follows.

  As shown in FIG. 1, since the label 11 is affixed to the cylindrical portion 9 of the container 7, the label 11 has a curved surface. For this reason, in the width direction of the container 7, the distance from the camera 13 to the label 11 varies depending on the position on the label 11. Therefore, depending on the position where the label 11 is attached to the container 7, the end of the label 11 may become a blind spot of the camera 13 in the width direction of the container 7. In the present embodiment, the blind spot of the camera 13 is prevented from being generated on the label 11 by scanning the container group 3 while rotating it. For the same reason, the label 11 is not imaged by one shot but is scanned while being rotated.

  Further, as is clear from the above description, when the rotation radius of the mounting portion 5 is made as close as possible to the radius of the cylindrical portion 9 of the container 7, when the container group 3 is rotated, the cylindrical portion 9 has its central axis set. It becomes the same as the state rotating to the center. In this case, it is possible to obtain the same image as that of a general inspection in which a label attached to the cylindrical container is scanned by rotating the cylindrical container around its central axis.

  However, since the container group 3 has the separation part 15, the radius of rotation of the placement part 5 cannot be made as close as possible to the radius of the cylindrical part 9 of the container 7. If it is intended to approach, the separation part 15 is stressed and the container 7 may be detached from the container group 3. Therefore, it is preferable to make the rotation radius of the mounting portion 5 close to the radius of the cylindrical portion 9 so as not to apply stress to each separation portion 15 of the container group 3. If the rotation radius of the mounting portion 5 is infinite, the container group 3 is scanned while moving linearly.

  As shown in FIG. 7C, when the container group 3 passes the reading position P, the image of the label 11 attached to each container 7 of the container group 3 is the image of the label 11 serving as a reference prepared in advance. By comparing and collating, the label 11 is broken, the product name, date error, etc. are examined. Specifically, for example, the following method is used. After the image of the reference label 11 is binarized, it is divided into regions, and the area of the dark part of each region is obtained and registered. The dark part corresponds to the character printed on the label 11. Similarly, the image of the label 11 obtained by scanning is also binarized, divided into regions, and the area of the dark part of each region is calculated. For the scanned label 11 and the reference label 11, the area of the dark part is compared for each region, and when the dark part ratio exceeds a certain value, the label is determined to be NG.

  As shown in FIG. 7B, the container 7 (7a) located at the reading position P and the containers 7 (7b, 7c) on both sides thereof are sucked into the suction port 31 shown in FIG. This prevents the container 7 (7a) located at the reading position P from moving. Since no suction force is generated in the suction ports 31 other than these suction ports 31, the container group 3 that has been scanned is smoothly guided onto the guide plate 39.

  As described above, according to the display inspection apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the placement unit 5 on which the horizontal container group 3 is placed is rotated in the arrow A direction about the horizontal shaft 25. . Thus, the reading position P is passed while the container group 3 is rotated. Therefore, the container group 3 conveyed sideways can be sent to the reading position P while being kept sideways. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to realize the display inspection apparatus 1 suitable for inspecting the label 11 attached to each container 7 of the container group 3.

  A modified example of the placement unit 5 will be described focusing on differences from the placement unit 5 shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a plan view of a modified example of the placement unit 5 as viewed from the one end face 23 side, and corresponds to FIG. 4. In the modified example of the mounting portion 5, the five concave surfaces 29 that are continuous in the rotational movement direction of the container group 3 (the rotational direction of the mounting portion 5 indicated by the arrow A) among the ten concave surfaces 29 are the first. The concave surface group 81 is used, and the remaining five concave surfaces 29 are used as the second concave surface group 83. Each concave surface 29 of the first concave surface group 81 has a width w1, and each concave surface 29 of the second concave surface group 83 has a width w2 (w1> w2). Therefore, there are a plurality of concave surface groups in the direction of rotational movement of the container group 3, and the widths of the concave surfaces 29 of the plurality of concave surface groups are different from each other.

  As shown in FIG.2 and FIG.3, when the kind of the container group 3 differs, the width | variety of the container 9 may differ. In the placement unit 5 shown in FIG. 4, since the width of the concave surface 29 is one type, it is necessary to replace the placement unit 5 according to the width of the container 9.

  On the other hand, according to the modified example of the mounting portion 5 shown in FIG. 8, the first concave surface group 81 including the concave surface 29 having the width w1 and the second concave surface group 83 including the concave surface 29 having the width w2 are provided. Yes. Therefore, when placing the container group 3 shown in FIG. 2, the first concave surface group 81 can be used, and when placing the container group 3 shown in FIG. 3, the second concave surface group 83 can be used. . Therefore, the label 11 of the container group 3 having a different width of the container 7 can be inspected without exchanging the placement unit 5.

  The operation of the display inspection apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment when using a modification of the placement unit 5 will be described with reference to FIG. 9 shows only the mounting unit 5 and the line sensor camera 13 in the display inspection apparatus 1 as in FIG. 7, and the illustration of the conveyor 17 and the like is omitted. In addition, the shaft 25 and the gear 27 are not shown in the placement unit 5.

  For example, when the label 11 of the container group 3 shown in FIG. 3 is inspected, the container group 3 is placed on the second concave surface group 83 including the concave surface 29 having the width w2. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9A, the conveyance of the container group 3 and the rotation of the placement unit 5 are synchronized so that the container group 3 can be placed on the second concave surface group 83.

  As shown in FIG. 9B, the label 11 is scanned while passing the reading position P while rotating the container group 3 placed on the second concave surface group 83. Then, as shown in FIG. 9C, the container group 3 in which the label 11 is next inspected is conveyed at the timing when it is placed on the second concave surface group 83.

  8 includes the first concave surface group 81 and the second concave surface group 83, that is, the concave surface group having two types of concave surface groups. The structure provided with the concave surface group more than a kind may be sufficient.

It is a perspective view of the display inspection apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a top view of an example of a container group. It is a top view of other examples of a container group. It is sectional drawing of a mounting part and a shaft. It is a perspective view of a shaft. It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions of the display inspection apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the display inspection apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the modification of a mounting part. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the display inspection apparatus which concerns on this embodiment at the time of using the modification of a mounting part.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Display inspection apparatus, 3 ... Container group, 5 ... Placement part, 7 ... Container, 9 ... Cylindrical part, 11 ... Label, 13 ... Line sensor camera, 15 ... Detaching part, 17 ... Conveyor, 19 ... Roller, 21 ... Belt, 23 ... End face, 25 ... Shaft, 26 ... Bush, 27 ... Gear, 29 ... concave surface, 31 ... suction port, 33 ... opening, 35 ... through hole, 36 ... notch, 36a ... hole, 37 ... illuminator, 39 ... Guide plate 41 ... Photoelectric sensor 51 ... CPU 53 ... Sequencer 55 ... ROM 57 ... RAM 59 ... Image memory 61 ... Keyboard 63 ... -Mouse, 65 ... Display, 67 ... Bus, 69, 71 ... Servo motor, 81 ... First recess Group, 83 ... second concave group, P ... reading position

Claims (5)

A display inspection apparatus for inspecting the predetermined display of a container group having a cylindrical portion on which a predetermined display is made and a plurality of containers including contents are continuously arranged in a radial direction of the cylindrical portion. There,
A mounting portion having a concave surface group that is rotatably provided around a horizontal axis and has a plurality of concave surfaces formed in a circumferential shape ;
An imaging means that is installed toward the mounting section and scans a predetermined reading position;
With
A display inspection apparatus , wherein the container group is placed on each concave surface with the cylindrical portion along the concave surface of the mounting portion, and the predetermined display passes through the reading position . The concave group, there are a plurality in the rotational direction of the mounting part,
The display inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of concave groups have different concave widths. The mounting portion is a tube having one end opened, and has a shaft in which a hole is formed from the inside of the tube toward the reading position,
A suction machine for sucking the gas in the shaft from the opening;
A plurality of through-holes extending from the concave surfaces toward the shaft are formed, and the mounting portion rotates with respect to the shaft so that the through-holes sequentially pass over the hole portion. The display inspection apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. The shaft has a notch formed along a part of its circumferential direction,
The said hole part is located in the bottom of this notch part, The display test | inspection apparatus in any one of Claims 1-3 characterized by the above-mentioned.   The display inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the predetermined display is performed by a label attached to the cylindrical portion.

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