Method and device for imaging liquid-filling container

• US 6,753,527 B1
• Filed: 01/07/2002
• Issued: 06/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Suntory Holdings Limited (Kotobuki Realty Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Suntory Ltd (Kotobuki Realty Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tamura, Shigeki, Yamagishi, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Gutierrez, Diego
• Assistant Examiner(s): Guadalupe, Yaritza
• Application Number:
  US09/937,989
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 250/339.06, 250/339.12, 250/338.1, 250/339.02, 250/339.11, 250/341.7, 250/341.8, 250/577, 250/223.B
• US Class Current: 250/339.06
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/2921 for discrete levels
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/359 using near infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9027 in containers after filling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9054 Inspection of sealing surface and container finish
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/909 in opaque containers or opaque container parts, e.g. cans, tins, caps, labels

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for imaging a liquid-filling container in which a plurality of imaging devices each comprising a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit are provided. Light from each light emitting unit is irradiated onto a liquid-filling container and this light transmitted through the container is received by each light receiving unit. The object of the present invention is to provide such method and an apparatus for imaging a liquid-filling container. This method or apparatus allows for simultaneous and highly reliable imaging of two or more kinds of condition of the container. For accomplishing this object, according to the present invention, wavelengths of the lights emitted by the respective light emitting units and received by the respective light receiving units of the imaging devices for imaging the liquid-filling containers are different from each other.

Claims

1. A method of imaging a liquid-filling container with a plurality of imaging devices, each imaging device including a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit, comprising the steps of:

a) irradiating light from each light emitting unit onto the liquid-filling container; and

b) receiving at each light receiving unit the light transmitted through or reflected from the liquid-filling container,

wherein said plurality of imaging devices differ from each other in optical axes and wavelengths of the lights irradiated by the respective light emitting units and received by the respective light receiving units corresponding thereto; and

said plurality of imaging devices are used for different detection purposes associated with said liquid-filling container.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said light emitting units respectively have light emitters each capable of emitting and irradiating light of a predetermined wavelength and the light receiving units respectively have light-receiving cut filters for allowing transmission of a light in the predetermined wavelength and light receivers for receiving the light transmitted through the respective light-receiving cut filters corresponding thereto.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said light emitting units emits and irradiates near infrared light.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said light receiving units receives near infrared light.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of imaging devices images a state of liquid-filling containers which are conveyed one after another along a conveying line.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of imaging devices is a filled-amount detecting device for detecting the filled amount of the liquid filled in the container.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of imaging devices is a liquid foreign substance detecting device for detecting foreign substance present in the liquid filled in the container.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of imaging devices is a container/container material foreign substance detecting device for detecting foreign substance present in the container or in material forming the container.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of imaging devices is a container-mouth detecting device for detecting condition of a mouth of the container or attachment condition of a cap to the container mouth.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each said light emitting unit comprises a light emitter including a number of LEDs arranged in a plate-like format.

11. An apparatus for imaging a liquid-filling container comprising a plurality of imaging devices, each imaging device including a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit, the apparatus irradiating light from each light emitting unit onto the liquid-filling container and receiving at each light receiving unit the light transmitted through or reflected from the liquid-filling container,

wherein said plurality of imaging devices differ from each other in optical axes and wavelengths of the lights irradiated by the respective light emitting units and received by the respective light receiving units corresponding thereto;

and

said plurality of imaging devices are used for different detection purposes associated with said liquid-filling container.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said light emitting units respectively have light emitters each capable of emitting and irradiating light of a predetermined wavelength and the light receiving units respectively have light-receiving cut filters for allowing transmission of a light in the predetermined wavelength and light receivers for receiving the light transmitted through the respective light-receiving cut filters corresponding thereto.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein at least one of said light emitting units emits and irradiates near infrared light.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein at least one of said light receiving units receives near infrared light.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of imaging device images a state of each of liquid-filling containers which are conveyed one after another along a conveying line.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein one of said plurality of imaging devices is a filled-amount detecting device for detecting the filled amount of the liquid filled in the container.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein one of said plurality of imaging devices is a liquid foreign substance detecting device for detecting foreign substance present in the liquid filled in the container.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein one of said plurality of imaging devices is a container/container material foreign substance detecting device for detecting foreign substance present in the container or in material forming the container.

19. The apparatus of to claim 11, wherein one of said plurality of imaging devices is a container-mouth detecting device for detecting condition of a mouth of the container or attachment condition of a cap to the container mouth.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each said light emitting unit comprises a light emitter including a number of LEDs arranged in a plate-like format.