METHOD OF IN-LINE TESTING DEVICES AND TESTING APPARATUS

• US 20160167899A1
• Filed: 07/19/2013
• Published: 06/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wilco AG
• Original Assignee: Wilco AG
• Inventors: Prinz, Heino
• Granted Patent: US 10,435,253 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/36 Sorting apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution sorting according to destination B07C3/003, B07C3/02
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 54/02 electrostatic, electric, or magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/845 Objects on a conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/02 using a plurality of sample containers moved by a conveyor system past one or more treatment or analysis stations G01N35/0098 and G01N35/0099 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/04 Details of the conveyor system G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence

Abstract

Devices to be tested are conveyed towards, into and from a testing station and are tested there being kept stationary. Conveying into and from the testing station is performed by a mover of a linear motor, which is controllably operated in a stepped manner.

Claims

1. Method of in-line testing devices comprising:

in-line conveying devices towards, into and from a testing station,

performing on selected once of said in-line conveyed devices a testing step in and by said testing station, thereby

keeping said selected device in said testing station stationer with respect to a translatory movement relative to said testing station;

said conveying comprising conveying said selected device into and from said testing station and holding said device in said testing station during said testing step on a mover of a linear motor controllably operated in a stepped manner.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising providing said linear motor with a closed loop stator.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising providing on said linear motor at least two of said movers both simultaneously carrying one of said selected devices and controlling operation of said at least two movers individually.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising more than one of said testing stations along said linear motor and controlling operation of said at least two movers individually.

5. The method of claim 3, comprising monitoring position of each of said movers along said stator of said linear motor.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising sensing an electromagnetic radiation from said device by said testing station.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said device is a liquid filled container, a wall of the container and the liquid being transparent to said radiation, comprising performing said sensing by said testing station by single or multiple subsequent stand still picturing sensitive to said radiation.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising spinning said liquid on said mover about a central axis of said container during said sensing.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising picturing with a picturing device of said testing station having a picturing axis obliquely intersecting said central axis and a plane containing a bottom surface of said container.

10. The method of claim 7, said testing station performing multiple subsequent picturing preferably in the visible spectrum of light, the result of said picturing being exploited as an indication of solid particles present in said liquid.

11. The method of claim 1 comprising selecting all devices of said in line conveyed devices.

23. A method of manufacturing tested devices comprising manufacturing untested devices, and subjecting said untested devices to a testing method according to claim 1.

12. In line device testing apparatus comprising:

at least one testing station;

a conveyer constructed to convey at least one selected one of said devices towards, into and from said testing station and for holding said selected device in said testing station during a testing;

said conveyer being a linear motor with at least one mover constructed to hold said selected device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, the stator of said linear motor being shaped in a closed loop.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, comprising two of said movers and a control unit adapted to individually control operation of said at least two movers.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, comprising more than one of said testing stations along said linear motor.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 comprising mover-position sensing means.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, said testing station comprising a radiation sensing arrangement.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, said at least one mover being adapted to hold a container with liquid content said testing station comprising a stand still picturing arrangement for said container and said liquid contained therein and being adapted to perform said picturing of a container and liquid once or more than once subsequently.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a spinning drive for said container on said mover and about a central axis of a container on said mover.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, said picturing arrangement comprising a camera, said mover being adapt to hold said container bottom down, with the bottom of said container defining a plane perpendicular to said central axis, a picturing axis of said camera intersecting said axis and said plane.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, comprising an evaluation unit, an input thereof being operationally connected to a picture output of said camera said evaluation unit generating at an output thereof a signal indicative of whether a container tested in said testing station has solid particles in the liquid content.

22. A method of in-line testing devices comprising:

conveying devices with fixed mutual spacing on a first conveyer;

handling at least a part of said devices from said first conveyer to a second conveyer and conveying said devices into and from a testing station and holding said devices in said testing station by said second conveyer;

performing testing of said devices in said testing station;

handling said devices conveyed by said second conveyer from said testing station to a third conveyer, conveying said devices with a fixed mutual spacing;

whereby the movement of devices along said second conveyer is individually controlled.