JPH0217045B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an inspection apparatus for inspecting glass containers, and in particular to an apparatus for inspecting glass containers such as deformed and occluded bottles.

To inspect glass containers (generally bottles),
There are devices or gauges that detect conditions or parameters conventionally known as deformed bottles and occluded bottles. Here, the term "deformation" refers to the extent to which the top of the bottle is offset relative to the base. The term "occlusion" is also used for an opening at the top or end of a bottle. Bottles that are excessively tilted or have restricted openings are defective and must be rejected.

Conventional occlusion gauges and most deformation gauges require contact with the bottle to be inspected, and these types of devices require the bottle to be stopped and inspected. Accordingly, this type of equipment requires an inspection process that is relatively slow, complex, and not optimal for current high speed glass container manufacturing equipment.

Also, the deformation gauge is often constructed as a separate device from the occlusion gauge, thus requiring the use of two test stations to perform these functions. Most conventional inspection devices for deformed and closed bottles are therefore relatively inefficient, expensive, and slow.

Furthermore, conventional deformation and occlusion gauges are often of mechanical construction. The former uses a fixed ring gauge to check for excessive deformation of each bottle, while the latter uses a fixed plug gauge to check for restricted opening. Such devices do not allow for easy adjustment of allowable deformation and occlusion. Therefore, there is a need for a single non-contact deformation and occlusion gauge that allows for rapid adjustment of tolerance parameters.

U.S. Patent No. 1 for conventional non-contact deformation gauge
No. 4,107,523 discloses a device configured to detect deformed bottles by illuminating the rim at the end of the bottle and detecting the reflected light. This device is complex, requires careful setting to the correct operating position, does not provide information about the amount of deformed bottles, and is not easily adjusted. An adjustable non-contact deformation gauge is disclosed in US Pat. No. 3,549,890. However, this device is still complex, expensive and incapable of detecting obstructed bottles. No conventional occlusion gauge has been known to allow easy adjustment of the occlusion range.

In consideration of the above points, the present invention seeks to provide an apparatus for inspecting deformed bottles and closed bottles at a single inspection position without contacting the bottles or stopping the bottles. Yet another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus in which parameters representing deformation and occlusion of defective bottles can be easily adjusted.

These and other objects are achieved by the preferred embodiment of the present invention, which is an apparatus for inspecting deformed bottles continuously moving on a conveyor passing through an operating position, as disclosed below. The apparatus comprises: a light source for illuminating the interior of a bottle in the operating station; a trigger means for detecting the position of the bottle at a predetermined point with respect to the operating station; a video camera that generates a video signal representing an instantaneous image of the aperture when is at the predetermined point, the video camera being positioned substantially along the vertical centerline of the bottle at the predetermined point; responsive to the video signal and said triggering means;
means for comparing the opening area of the bottle with a predetermined minimum allowable area and rejecting the bottle if the opening is smaller than the minimum allowable area.

In yet another aspect of the invention, a light source for illuminating the interior of a bottle in the operating station; trigger means for detecting the position of the bottle at a predetermined point with respect to the operating station; a video camera that observes light and generates a video signal representing an instantaneous image of the opening when the bottle is at the predetermined point, generally along the vertical centerline of the bottle at the predetermined point; a video camera disposed responsive to said video signal and said triggering means;
processing means for determining an opening area of said bottle opposite to a reference central area, comparing said opposite area with an allowable predetermined minimum area, and if said opposite area is smaller than said allowable minimum area; and means for removing the bottle.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2, a deformation and occlusion gauge 10 constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention is shown. The gauge 10 is disposed in close proximity to the conveyor 12 at a working station 14 which is positioned on a longitudinal centerline 16 for inspecting the bottles 18 as the deformed bottles are successively moved through the working positions 14. It is set. Guidance means 20
are used to vertically position the bottles so that the opening 22 of each bottle passes across the centerline 16, which is perpendicular to the centerline 24 of the conveyor 12.

A pair of light sources 30 and 32 (FIG. 1) are arranged to illuminate the interior of each bottle as it passes through the operating station 14. The required light intensity is determined as a function of the transparency of the bottle.
A video camera 34 is focused through a lens arrangement 36 to view the opening 22 of each bottle as it passes through the lateral centerline 16. As described above, the light sources 30 and 32 are arranged to illuminate the inside of the bottle, and the light illuminated inside the bottle passes through the opening 22 of the bottle and reaches the video camera 34. , there is a difference between the amount of light that reaches the video camera from the opening of the bottle and the amount of light that passes through the other parts, that is, the bottle material, and it is possible to obtain an image in which the opening of the bottle can be clearly identified from the rest. Trigger mechanism 40 comprising a light emitter 42 and a light receiver 44
is disposed at a predetermined distance from and parallel to the lateral centerline 16 to detect passage of the rising edge (near its base) of each container 18 through the motion station 14. . In operation, trigger mechanism 40 generates a trigger when the opening of bottle 18 coincides with the approximate cross-section of lines 16 and 24.

A video camera 34 is located on the vertical centerline of the bottle at the operating station, and a trigger mechanism 4
An instantaneous image of the aperture 22 is generated in response to a trigger signal generated by the aperture 22. A video image signal is continuously generated by camera 34 as the deformed bottle is moving, and the resulting image is fixed in response to a trigger signal. The video signal generated by camera 34 passes through processing circuitry 50 to monitor 52 . FIG. 3 schematically depicts a monitor screen representing a camera screen showing an ideal bottle 18A (i.e., the base and opening are symmetrical about a vertical axis and have an opening of a predetermined size). . Processing circuitry 50 processes the instantaneous video signal to determine whether the bottle is excessively deformed or occluded and therefore unacceptable, as described below. This circuit then provides a predetermined signal to a reject mechanism 54 located downstream from the operating station 14 to reject the defective bottles.

Circuit 50 processes the video signal in two auxiliary circuits 60 and 62 that calculate various parameters to determine whether the bottle is a deformed bottle or a closed bottle. Auxiliary circuit 60 calculates the area opposite aperture 22 (as displayed on monitor 52 as shown in FIG. 3) and also converts this area into a reference area represented by circle 64 on the monitor screen. Compare with. The reference area may be preset in the auxiliary circuit 60 or adjusted by the operator by means not shown. If the computed area for a bottle is found to be less than the reference value up to the predetermined adjustable amount, the auxiliary circuit 60 provides a signal to the rejection mechanism 54 to subsequently reject the excessively deformed bottle. do. Similar results are obtained for aperture 2
2 and compare the result with the reference center. Any excessively deviated bottles are rejected.

Similarly, auxiliary circuit 62 determines whether a particular bottle has excessive occlusion by calculating the area opposite opening 22 and calculating its smallest diameter. Both the calculated area and the smallest diameter are compared to predetermined adjustable standard values, and bottles are rejected if they have operational parameters outside the predetermined adjustable limits.

The auxiliary circuits 60 and 62 are comprised of components known per se, and the operation of each is considered to be within the scope of the prior art, and will not be illustrated and described in detail here.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, bottles 18B and 18C with excessive deformation and occlusion, respectively, may result in calculating the same areas 22A and 22B. (It should be noted here that this condition is emphasized). Therefore, calculation of the areas 22A and 22B of the aperture 22 can be performed by one of the auxiliary circuits 60 or 62 without calculation of the minimum diameter of the aperture. This means that deformed bottles and obstructed bottles can be detected with a simple circuit, although the reason why the bottles are excluded is not displayed. If it is now necessary to determine whether the bottle has been excluded due to deformation or occlusion, it is necessary to calculate other parameters on this area.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous variations and modifications can be made to the preferred embodiment of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing the device according to the invention removed in close proximity to a conveyor carrying glass containers to be inspected; FIG. 2 is a plan view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1; , FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5 are schematic diagrams showing monitor screens that respectively display an ideal bottle, a deformed bottle, and a closed bottle as planar images. 10...gauge, 12...conveyor, 14...
Operating station, 18...Glass container, 20...
...Guiding means, 22...Aperture, 30, 32...Light source, 34...Video camera, 36...Lens device, 40...Trigger mechanism, 42...Light emitter, 44
... Light receiver, 50 ... Processing circuit, 52 ... Monitor, 60, 62 ... Auxiliary circuit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A bottle inspection device for inspecting bottles that continuously move on a conveyor passing through an operating station, comprising: a light source that illuminates the inside of a bottle in the operating station through a side wall of the bottle; triggering means for detecting the presence of said bottle placed at a predetermined point with respect to said operating station and generating a trigger signal upon detecting the presence of said bottle; a video camera positioned along the vertical centerline of the bottle at the predetermined point, the video camera generating a video signal representative of an instantaneous image of the aperture when at the predetermined point; the video signal and the trigger signal; in response to
Processing means for determining the opening area of the bottle; comparing the area with a predetermined minimum allowable opening area of the bottle, and rejecting the bottle if the opening is smaller than the minimum allowable area; A bottle inspection device comprising: means for inspecting a bottle; and a means for inspecting a bottle. 2. In a bottle inspection device that inspects bottles that continuously move on a conveyor passing through an operating station, a light source that illuminates the inside of the bottle at the operating station through the side wall of the bottle, a predetermined point with respect to the operating station. a trigger means for detecting the presence of said bottle placed in said bottle and generating a trigger signal when said bottle presence is detected; a video camera positioned along the vertical centerline of the bottle at the predetermined point, generating a video signal representative of an instantaneous image of the aperture; , and processing means responsive to the video signal and the trigger signal to determine an opening area of the bottle opposite the reference area, comparing the opposed area to a predetermined minimum allowable area; a means for rejecting the bottle if the detected area is smaller than the above-mentioned minimum allowable area.