JPH07214009A - Can inspecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely expel defective cans from production stages by executing inspection with high efficiency and high accuracy. CONSTITUTION:This can inspecting device includes a transporting mechanism 4 for continuously transporting cans C while sucking these cans to a vacuum means, an inspecting means 5 which is arranged in mid-way position thereof and decides normal/defective condition of the cans C and a discharging means 6 which expels the defective cans C from the transporting mechanism 4. This discharging means 6 consists of suction releasing means for releasing the suction state by vacuum means and nozzles 25, 26 for blowing pressurized fluid in a direction intersecting with the transporting direction. These suction releasing means are disposed separately to the vacuum means of the adjacent cans C, by which the suction state by the vacuum means is surely released even in the case of discharging of both of the adjacent cans C.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a can inspection device which is disposed in a can manufacturing process and inspects the surface condition of the can and the presence or absence of pinholes to eliminate defective cans from the manufacturing process. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a can such as a beverage can filled with a beverage is formed by deep-drawing an aluminum plate material or an iron plate into a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and then each process such as a trimmer, an oven, and a washer. Finally, a product that can be filled with a drink is obtained. In this case, pin holes are formed in the can during deep drawing, various dust such as aluminum chips, soot, insects, etc. adhered during the above steps and transportation, or surface defects such as dents due to defective molding, etc. May occur and it is necessary to exclude such defective cans from the manufacturing process. Conventionally, the method of finding such defective cans and eliminating them from the manufacturing process has been to visually inspect the cans one by one.

[0003]

By the way, in recent years, the production rate of cans has dramatically improved due to the progress of the production technology, and a large amount of cans has been produced at a rate of about 1600 cans per minute. Therefore, as in the conventional case, in the case of visually judging the quality of each manufactured can, a large number of personnel and man-hours are required for the inspection, and the inspection operator's This is inconvenient because inspection accuracy varies due to individual differences, and it is virtually impossible. Moreover, if the pinholes are fine, it is extremely difficult to find them visually.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and inspects each can produced in a large amount with high efficiency and high accuracy, and the defective cans are removed from the production process. An object is to provide a can inspection device that can be reliably excluded.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a transport mechanism for continuously transporting a can while adsorbing it to a vacuum means, and a quality of the can disposed at an intermediate position of the transport mechanism. And a discharging means for excluding a defective can whose defectiveness is judged by the checking means from the transport mechanism, wherein the discharging means is the vacuum of the defective can being transported by the transport mechanism. The adsorption release means for releasing the adsorption state by the means, and the nozzle for spraying the pressurized fluid in the direction intersecting the transport direction, the adsorption release means are provided separately for the vacuum means of the adjacent cans. We are proposing a can inspection device.

Further, in the above can inspection device, the suction release means is the pressurized fluid supply means for supplying the pressurized fluid to the vacuum means, and the supply and stop of the pressurized fluid in response to the output signal from the inspection means. It is effective to adopt a configuration including a valve that switches the switch.

[0007]

According to the can inspecting device of the present invention, the can placed in the can inspecting device is conveyed by the conveying mechanism while being adsorbed by the vacuum means, and is arranged at an intermediate position. Inspected by means. Then, when the inspection means determines that the defective can is, the discharging means is operated and the defective can is discharged from the inspection device. In this case, the suction state by the vacuum means is released by the operation of the suction release means, and the pressurized fluid sprayed by the operation of the nozzle is blown away in the direction intersecting the transport direction. Then, if the next conveyed can is defective, the suction release means other than the above is activated to release the suction state of the defective can by the vacuum means, and the nozzle The operation of will ensure that defective cans are discharged.

Further, in the above can inspection device, if the suction release means is constituted by a pressurized fluid supply means for supplying pressurized fluid to the vacuum means and a valve for switching between supply and stop, only opening and closing of the valve This makes it possible to switch the suction state by the vacuum means quickly and reliably. Further, since the valve for releasing the suction state by the vacuum means is made different for the adjacent cans, even if the operating speed of each valve with respect to the transport speed of the transport mechanism is insufficient, there is no leakage of defective cans. It is possible to prevent erroneous discharge of a good can and speed up the processing.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a can inspection device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1, the inspection device for a can C according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, inserts a can 2 into which cans C arranged in a line are dropped and dropped, and a can 1 that is introduced is conveyed at a constant interval 1 A pair of star wheels (conveyance mechanism) 3/4, an inspection unit 5 for determining the quality of the can C in the middle of conveyance by the star wheels 3/4, and a defective can C separated from the star wheel 4 outside the inspection apparatus 1. And a discharging means 6 for discharging the liquid.

[0010] The star wheel 3 is a can C
The can C can be conveyed in the circumferential direction while stably holding between the claws 3a. Further, the star wheel 4 has a plurality of semicircular groove-shaped can pockets 4a for arranging the put-in cans C in a fitted state at intervals in the circumferential direction, and holds the cans C in the can pockets 4a. The vacuum means 7 is provided. Further, the star wheel 4 is provided with a rotation angle detecting means 8 such as an encoder, so that the position of the can pocket 4a can be recognized based on the rotation angle information obtained from the rotation angle detecting means 8. It has become.

As shown in FIG. 2, the vacuum means 7 are arranged one by one corresponding to each can pocket 4a.
The bottom surface of the suction pad 9 is sucked by a negative pressure, and a negative pressure supply unit 10 that supplies a negative pressure to the suction pad 9.

The suction pad 9 is axially slidably mounted on an outer peripheral portion of a turret 11 which is connected to the star wheel 4 and is rotated at the same time. The cam follower 13 is made to follow a cam 12 fixedly arranged. By
The suction surface 9a can be moved back and forth in the direction of the can pocket 4a. Further, the negative pressure supply unit 10 is
It is fixed to the turret 11 and a negative pressure is applied to each suction pad 9
Supplying a negative pressure to the distributor 14 by sliding the distributor 14 in the form of a ring plate and the distributor 14 fixedly arranged so as to be in close contact with one surface of the distributor 14 and rotated together with the turret. The unit 15 and a suction pump (not shown) connected to the supply unit 15 are provided.

As shown in FIG. 3, the distributor 14 has a plurality of distributor holes 16 formed in the radial direction from the outer peripheral surface thereof. Each of the distribution holes 16 has a vacuum port 17 and a blow port 1 penetrating the surface to which the supply unit 15 is brought into close contact.
And 8 are provided. Further, a joint 19 for connecting the distribution hole 16 to the corresponding suction pad 9 is attached to each distribution hole 16 at the opening end of the outer peripheral surface of the distribution portion 14, and the joint 19 and the suction pad 9 are connected to each other by air. It is connected by a tube 20. Further, each vacuum port 17 is provided at the same radial direction position through all the distribution holes 16, and the blowing port 18 has two different radiuses so that it is at the same radial direction position in every other distribution hole 16. They are provided alternately at the directional positions.

The supply unit 15 is a half ring plate-shaped member arranged at a position to close about half of the vacuum ports 17 and the blow ports 18 of the distribution unit 14 when brought into close contact with one surface of the distribution unit 14. And is pressed against the distribution portion 14 by the spring 21 shown in FIG. The supply portion 15 is provided with an arc-shaped groove portion 22 that communicates with all of the closed vacuum ports 17. The suction pump is connected to the groove portion 22, and a negative pressure is supplied to the suction pad 9 from the vacuum port 17 opened in the groove portion 22 through the distribution hole 16 to bring the suction pad 9 into the suction state. It is supposed to do.

The inspection means 5 is a surface inspection means 23 including a CCD camera or the like, which is disposed during the transportation by the star wheel 3 and inspects the surface condition of the inner surface of the can body of the can C, the inner surface of the can bottom or the outer surface, and a star. It is provided with a pinhole inspection means 24 which is arranged during the transportation by the wheel 4 and inspects the can C for pinholes. The surface inspection means 23 can instantly detect the presence or absence of dust such as chips and soot adhering to the inner surface or the outer surface of the can C and a surface defect such as a dent formed on the surface of the can C. It is like this.

The pinhole inspection means 24 includes a light (not shown) for irradiating the outer surface of the can C with inspection light, and a light receiving element (not shown) arranged on the inner surface of the can C for detecting the inspection light leaking from the pinhole. ) And is composed of. According to the pinhole inspection means 24, the can C is irradiated with the inspection light on its outer surface by the light when the can C is passed through the pinhole inspection means 24 while being conveyed by the star wheel 4, and the light is received. The presence / absence of a pinhole is instantly determined by the presence / absence of detection of the inspection light passing through the can plate material by the element.

The discharge means 6 has two nozzles 25 and 26 for blowing pressurized air from the inside of the star wheel 4 toward the can C arranged radially outward of the star wheel 4, and the can C formed by the vacuum means 7. And a shooter 28 for discharging the can C, which has been separated from the can pocket 4a of the star wheel 4 by the air blow from the nozzles 25 and 26, to the outside of the inspection device 1. ing. In the figure, reference numeral 29 is a block to which the nozzles 25 and 26 are attached.

As shown in FIG. 4, the suction release means 27 is provided in the supply section 15 and has the nozzles 25 and 26.
Only when the can C is placed in the front position of the air supply port 30, the air supply hole 30 communicated with the blowing port 18 of the distribution hole 16 corresponding to the can C is connected to the air supply hole 30 via the air supply pipe 31. And a valve such as a solenoid valve 33 for opening and closing the air supply pipe 31 to turn ON / OFF the supply of pressurized air from the air pressure source 32. There is. Corresponding to the nozzles 25 and 26 provided at two places, the air supply holes 30 are provided at two positions at two positions in the radial direction of the blow-in port 18 at a total of four places, and each of the air supply holes 30 is provided at a supply unit. The blower port 18 of the distribution unit 14 rotated with respect to 15 is formed in a circumferentially long groove shape so as to be in communication with the air supply hole 30 for a predetermined time.

Further, one solenoid valve 33 is provided for each air supply hole 30. These solenoid valves 33
a, 33b, 33c, 33d are valve controllers 3
4 and is operated in response to an output signal from the surface inspection means 23 or the pinhole inspection means 24. That is, for example, when the surface inspection unit 23 determines that the can C is defective, the solenoid valve 33 a is operated immediately before the defective can C is arranged in front of the lower nozzle 26, and the air supply hole 30 is provided. And the air pressure source 32 are in communication with each other. Then, in this state, when the blowing port 18 is opened to the air supply hole 30, pressurized air is supplied from the blowing port 18 to the suction pad 9 through the distribution hole 16, and the suction state by the suction pad 9 is changed. It is supposed to be released.

The shooter 28, as shown in FIG.
The star wheels 4 are arranged diagonally below and in parallel vertically. Guide plates 34 are provided at both ends in the width direction of each shooter 28 so as to maintain the posture of the discharged cans C in a constant state with a space slightly larger than the height of the cans C. Has been. The upper shooter 28 is adapted to discharge the defective canister C having the pinhole which is separated from the star wheel 4 by the upper nozzle 25. In addition, the lower shooter 28 is the lower nozzle 2
The can C having a defective surface which has been separated from the star wheel 4 by 6 is discharged.

The operation of the inspection device 1 for a can C according to this embodiment having the above-described structure will be described below. Multiple cans C
When they are thrown in from the throwing section 2 in an aligned state, they are arranged between the claws 3a of the star wheel 3 so that they are conveyed at a constant interval and along the circumferential direction of the star wheel 3. . Then, while the star wheel 3 is being conveyed, the surface inspection means 23 is inserted and the quality of the surface state is judged. In this case, the position of the can C that is determined to be defective is recognized by the valve controller 34 based on the rotation angle information obtained by the rotation angle detection means 8 of the star wheel 4 that interlocks with the star wheel 3.

Next, the can C whose surface condition has been inspected
Are transferred from the star wheel 3 to the star wheel 4. At this time, the suction pad 9 corresponding to the can pocket 4a to hold the can C has a distribution hole 1 connected thereto.
Negative pressure is supplied by opening the vacuum port 18 of No. 6 in the groove 22 of the supply unit 15, and the bottom of the can C is adsorbed. Then, the can C adsorbed to the adsorption pad 9 is conveyed in the circumferential direction by the rotation of the star wheel 4, and the pinhole inspection means 24 is inserted during the conveyance to inspect for the presence of pinholes. . The position of the defective can C having such a pinhole is also recognized by the valve controller 34 based on the rotation angle information obtained by the rotation angle detection means 8.

Then, the defective can C having the pinhole is
When it is arranged in front of the upper nozzle 25 shown in FIG. 1, immediately before that, the suction release means 27 is operated,
The suction state of the defective canister C by the suction pad 9 is released.
Specifically, an open signal is transmitted from the valve controller 34 to the solenoid valve 33 connected to the air supply hole 20 in which the blowing port 18 corresponding to the suction pad 9 of the defective can C is opened, The air pressure source 32 and the air supply hole 30 are communicated with each other. As a result, the pressurized air supplied from the air pressure source 32 is supplied from the blowing port 18 to the suction pad 9 through the distribution hole 16, and the suction state of the can C by the suction pad 9 is released.

In this state, if pressurized air is jetted from the nozzle 25, the defective can C is removed from the can pocket 4a and discharged to the outside of the inspection device 1 through the upper shooter 28. . Also, the can C is the star wheel 4.
After being released from, the open signal to the solenoid valve 33 is released, the solenoid valve 33 is closed by the spring return, and the supply of the pressurized air to the suction pad 9 is stopped.

Here, in the inspection device 1 for a can C according to the present embodiment, the blowing ports 18 corresponding to the adjacent cans C are arranged at different positions in the radial direction, and the air supply holes 20 are provided.
Since the solenoid valves 33 for supplying the pressurized air to the two are different from each other, every other blowing port 18 is opened in the same air supply hole 20. Therefore, if the electromagnetic valve 33 that has once been opened to remove the defective canister C is in the closed state by the time the blowing port 18 corresponding to the second canister C is opened to the air supply hole 20. , The other can C is not removed.

That is, the time during which each can pocket 4a of the star wheel 4 is placed in front of the nozzle 25 is about 30 msec during normal operation, and within this time, the one solenoid valve 33 is reliably opened and the defective can. Although it is difficult to separate and securely close C, according to the inspection device 1 for a can C of this embodiment, the time is doubled, so the solenoid valve 3
It is possible to effectively compensate for the operation speed of No. 3.

Further, the can C having a defective surface has the lower nozzle 2
The same processing as above is performed even when the sheet is conveyed in front of 6. As a result, the defective can C determined to have a surface defect is discharged to the outside of the inspection apparatus 1 through the lower shooter 28. If both surface defects and pinhole defects are found, for example, the upper shooter 2
8 is to be discharged. Further, the good can C in which no defect is found is sent out in the direction indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 1 and is conveyed to the next step.

As described above, the inspection device 1 for a can C according to this embodiment.
According to the above, the surface inspecting means 23 and the pinhole inspecting means 2 are applied to each of the large numbers of cans C that are continuously introduced.
The inspection according to No. 4 is performed, and the quality is immediately determined, so that the inspection of the can C can be performed with high efficiency and high accuracy. Further, since the cans C judged to be defective by the respective inspection means 23 and 24 are discharged from the respective different shooters 28, it is possible to immediately determine the type of defect depending on the type of the shooter 28.

Further, even when two or more cans C which are judged to be defective by either of the inspection means 23 and 24 are continuously conveyed, the same solenoid valve 33 is continuously operated. Therefore, the suction state by the suction pad 9 can be surely released to prevent the defective can C from leaking out and the good can C from being erroneously discharged. Further, the defective can C having the surface defect and the defective can C having the pinhole can be reliably separated and discharged from the predetermined shooters 28, respectively.

The following technique can be employed in the inspection device 1 for a can C according to the present invention. The air supply holes 20 for supplying the pressurized air to the blow-in port 18 are provided at two different radial positions.
In the case where the conveyance speed of 1 is further increased, or when the number of can pockets 4a of the star wheel 4 is increased, it may be provided in three or more places. Although one electromagnetic valve 33 connected to each air supply hole 20 is provided, instead of this, a plurality of electromagnetic valves 33 may be arranged in parallel as a measure to prolong the life of the electromagnetic valve 33. The pressurized fluid supplied from the air supply hole 20 was air,
Alternatively, any other pressurized fluid may be supplied.

[0031]

As described in detail above, the can inspection device according to the present invention is a conveying mechanism for continuously conveying a can while adsorbing the can to the vacuum means, and a can disposed at an intermediate position thereof to judge the quality of the can. And a discharge means for removing a defective can from the transport mechanism, the discharge means releasing the suction state by the vacuum means, and a nozzle for spraying a pressurized fluid in a direction intersecting the transport direction. Consists of
Since the suction release means is provided separately for the vacuum means of the adjacent cans, when both the adjacent cans are determined to be defective cans, the suction release means are operated separately to suck the cans by the vacuum means. The state can be reliably released. As a result, it is possible to increase the speed of the transfer mechanism and to reliably discharge the defective can from the cans that are transferred at high speed.

Further, the adsorption releasing means may be constituted by a pressurized fluid supply means for supplying a pressurized fluid to the vacuum means and a valve for switching the supply / stop of the pressurized fluid in response to an output signal from the inspection means. For example, the suction state by the vacuum means can be quickly and surely released by a simple method of supplying the pressurized fluid. Even if it is difficult to make the valve operating speed sufficiently high compared to the can conveying speed, this can be effectively compensated to prevent defective cans from leaking out and good cans to be erroneously discharged. The effect is that it can be surely prevented.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of a can inspection device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing the inspection device of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a vacuum means of the inspection device of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a suction release means of the inspection device of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 C can 1 inspection device 3.4 star wheel (conveyance mechanism) 5 inspection means 6 discharge means 7 vacuum means 25/26 nozzle 27 adsorption release means 32 air pressure source (pressurized fluid supply means) 33 solenoid valve (valve)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A transport mechanism for continuously transporting a can while adsorbing the can to a vacuum means, an inspection means disposed at an intermediate position of the transport mechanism for determining the quality of the can, and a defect determination made by the inspection means. Discharge means for excluding defective cans from the transport mechanism, wherein the discharge means intersects the suction direction with suction release means for canceling the suction state of the defective cans transported by the transport mechanism by the vacuum means. And a nozzle for spraying a pressurized fluid in a direction in which the suction release means is provided separately for the vacuum means of the adjacent cans. 2. The adsorption release means comprises a pressurized fluid supply means for supplying a pressurized fluid to the vacuum means, and a valve for switching the supply / stop of the pressurized fluid according to an output signal from the inspection means. The can inspection device according to claim 1.