System and method for analyzing dimensions of can tops during manufacture
First Claim
1. A system for making precision measurements of different parameters of a metal can top as it is progresses through various stages in a manufacturing process involving multiple forming steps, comprising:
- a base having a working area surface and including a bridge spanning across the working area surface;
stage means movable in X and Y directions in a horizontal plane on the base over the working area surface;
rotary table means disposed on the X,Y stage means and including means in a number of positions in a horizontal plane for receiving can tops following various forming steps, the rotary table means including drive means for controlling angular position;
video camera means coupled to the bridge and movable along a Z axis for presenting electronic signals representing an image of the can top at the working surface level;
data processor means responsive to the electronic signals from the video camera means for providing measurements thereof, the data processor means providing signals to control the positions of the stage means, the video camera means and the angular position of the rotary table means; and
optical sensing means mounted along the plane of the working surface on opposite sides of the rotary table means for measuring Z-axis dimensions of a can top.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A can top measuring system is disclosed, including a rotatable turntable (40) containing can top receiving apertures (44). The turntable (40) may also be translated in either the X or Y direction. A differential height sensor (50) surrounds the can top (70) in order that two laser ranger finders (51,52) may emit beams toward opposite sides of the can top (70), the reflected beams being sensed by two dimensional detector arrays (58, 60). Height measurements can also be accomplished by an autofocusing optical system (28) movable along the Z axis. A score line (76) depth in the can top (70) may be measured by observing the characteristic sinusoidal variation (94) of a beam (93) scanned transversely across the score line (76). A node (96) resides on the score line (76) centerline (95), which can thus be scanned as reprsentative of the deepest portion (91) of the score line (76).
36 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A system for making precision measurements of different parameters of a metal can top as it is progresses through various stages in a manufacturing process involving multiple forming steps, comprising:
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a base having a working area surface and including a bridge spanning across the working area surface; stage means movable in X and Y directions in a horizontal plane on the base over the working area surface; rotary table means disposed on the X,Y stage means and including means in a number of positions in a horizontal plane for receiving can tops following various forming steps, the rotary table means including drive means for controlling angular position; video camera means coupled to the bridge and movable along a Z axis for presenting electronic signals representing an image of the can top at the working surface level; data processor means responsive to the electronic signals from the video camera means for providing measurements thereof, the data processor means providing signals to control the positions of the stage means, the video camera means and the angular position of the rotary table means; and optical sensing means mounted along the plane of the working surface on opposite sides of the rotary table means for measuring Z-axis dimensions of a can top. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for making precision measurements of a plurality of parameters of a can top as the can top is being inspected, comprising the steps of:
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(a) affixing the can top to a working area surface, said working area surface residing on a movable stage; (b) translating the movable stage in either or both of a first direction and a second direction, the first direction being orthogonal to the second direction, the first direction defining an "X" axis and the second direction defining a "Y" axis, said translation being controlled by processor generated instructions so as to achieve a first desired orientation of the can top; (c) rotating the movable stage through an angular displacement, said angular displacement defining a direction O, said rotation being controlled by processor generated instructions so as to achieve a second desired orientation of the can top; (d) generating an electronic signal image of the can top by video camera means, the video camera means being translatable in a third direction, said third direction being mutually orthogonal to both the first direction and the second direction, the third direction defining a "Z" axis; (e) analyzing the image of the can top, thereby providing measurements of the can top, the analysis supplying information to the processor so as to assist in the generation of instructions in controlling the translation and rotation of the movable stage; and (f) measuring the "Z" axis dimensions of the can top by scanning the opposite sides of the can top concurrently. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for determining the score residual thickness in a can top during a phase of the fabrication thereof comprising:
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means for holding the can top in a predetermined reference plane; first and second light beam range sensing means disposed on opposite sides of the reference plane each including light source means directing a light beam at an angle other than normal to the direction of the reference plane and two dimensional sensor means disposed in the path of a beam reflected off the can top, the relative positions of the sources being known; analyzer means responsive to the positions of the beams reflected on to the sensor means for calculating the score residual thickness from the reflections off opposite sides of the can tops and the known source positions; and means for providing relative movement between the can top in the reference plane and the range sensing means such that the score line is scanned in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of the score in the scanning position. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A system for receiving and controlling the position of can tops for analysis by an electronic system, along different axes comprising:
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rotatable spindle means disposed concentric with a vertical axis; turntable means coupled to the rotatable spindle means and disposed along a horizontal plane, the turntable means including a plurality of means for receiving individual can tops in angularly separated positions in the horizontal plane; drive means coupled to the spindle means for rotating the turntable means to different angular positions. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A system for positioning and examining objects to be analyzed by a machine vision system in three dimensions, comprising:
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X axis positioning means disposed to be movable along a first predetermined horizontal axis; Y axis positioning means disposed to be movable along a second predetermined horizontal axis normal to and below the first; rotatable object support means positioned on a superior position of the Y axis positioning means and bearing a number of the objects to be examined; Z axis positioning means coupled to the X axis positioning means and including camera means movable therewith; and differential range measurement means including sensors spaced apart along the Z axis coupled to the Z axis positioning means, whereby an object to be examined that is on the object support means can be transported between the sensors in the differential range measurement means in a selected angular orientation within a selectable range of positions along the X,Y and Z axis. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for determining the thickness of material beneath a scored region of a surface, comprising the steps of:
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(a) securing the surface such that the surface is oriented in a predetermined reference plane; (b) emitting a first and second beam of light at the reference plane, the beam of light impinging the surface at a nonorthogonal angle relative to the reference plane, the first and second beams of light emanating from known positions relative to the reference plane; (c) sensing the first and second beams of light, the sensing occurring after each beam of light has been reflected from the surface, the sensing occurring at known positions relative to the reference plane; (d) moving the surface relative to the first and second light beams such that the first and second light beams scan the scored region of the surface in a direction substantially perpendicular to a score line residing with the scored region of the surface; and (e) analyzing the position of the sensed reflected first and second beam of light, thereby calculating the thickness of material beneath the scored region based on the known positions of the emitted and reflected light beams. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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30. A method for measuring the thickness of material remaining beneath a score line on a surface, comprising the steps of:
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(a) emitting a first laser beam toward a first side of the surface, the emitted laser beam impinging the surface at an angle of approximately 45°
, the emitted laser beam traveling in a direction substantially parallel to the scoreline at the point of the emitted laser beam impingement, the scoreline residing on the first side of the surface;(b) emitting a second laser beam toward a second side of the surface, the emitted laser beam impinging the surface at an angle of approximately 45°
, the emitted laser beam traveling in a direction substantially parallel to the scoreline at the point of the emitted laser beam impingement;(c) sensing the first laser beam after the first laser beam is reflected from the first surface, the sensing providing a first range measurement "R1"; (d) sensing the second laser beam after the second laser beam is reflected from the second surface, the sensing providing a second range measurement "R2"; (e) determining a calibration constant "K" by measuring a surface of known thickness with the first and second laser beam emission where "K" is derived by adding "R1" and "R2" for the surface of known thickness; (f) calculating the thickness of the material remaining beneath the score line by solving the equation;
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">thickness=K-R1-R2.
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31. A method for determining the location of the scoreline appearing on the surface of a material, comprising the steps of:
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(a) directing a laser generated beam at the surface of the material, the beam impinging the surface at an oblique angle so as to create an illuminated spot on the surface; (b) translating the laser generated beam across the scoreline in a direction substantially perpendicular to the scoreline; (c) tracking the illuminated area as the illuminated area translates across the scoreline, the illuminated area tending to periodically deviate in a first direction parallel to the scoreline and to periodically deviate in a second direction parallel to the scoreline, the second direction being opposite to the first direction; and (d) locating a centerpoint position during the translation of the beam across the scoreline, the centerpoint position residing within the scoreline in a region where the illuminated spot has substantially no deviation as the spot transitions from a maximum deviation in the first parallel direction to a maximum deviation in the second direction, the centerpoint position defining a point on the centerline of the scoreline.
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Specification