Continuous inspection apparatus

• US 6,781,689 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2001
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Industry & Control Solutions, Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Rieckerman Limited
• Inventors: Chiba, Shigehisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Adams, Russell
• Assistant Examiner(s): SEVER, ANDREW T
• Application Number:
  US09/984,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20020054287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 250/223.B, 250/223.R, 356/240.1, 356/241.3, 356/237.3, 356/237.4, 356/237.5, 356/237.6, 356/426, 356/427, 356/428, 356/441, 356/442, 356/239.4, 356/239.5, 356/239.6
• US Class Current: 356/240.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9027 in containers after filling

Abstract

A continuous inspection apparatus comprising a central axis placed in a vertical direction, the central axis penetrating a disc-like conveying table which conveys a subject to be inspected, a driving means for driving the conveying table, and a pair of inspection instruments for inspecting the subject to be inspected, one of the inspection instruments being placed at an inside of a circle where a plurality of the subjects are aligned in a circle and another one of the inspection instruments being placed at an outside of the circle, wherein an opening is provided at a place between the central axis and an inner peripheral portion of the conveying table, and a cable extending from one of the inspection instruments is run downward through the opening. According to the apparatus mentioned above, there is no difficulty in movement of the subject to be inspected when the conveying table rotates continuously in a prescribed direction during its operation for inspection and during its operation for verification of accuracy of the apparatus as well.

Claims

1. A continuous inspection apparatus comprising:

a central axial member positioned in the vertical direction, the central axial member penetrating a disc-like conveying table which conveys a subject to be inspected;

driving means for driving e conveying table; and

a pair of inspection instruments inspecting the subject to be inspected, one of the inspection instruments being placed at an inside of a circle where a plurality of the subject are aligned in a circle and another one of the inspection instruments is placed at an outside of the circle,

wherein a rotating axial member rotates about the central axial member and has an opening provided at a place between the central axial member and an inner peripheral portion of the conveying table, and wherein a cable extends from one of the pair of inspection instruments, and is passed downward through the opening.

2. A continuous inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driving means has a gear mechanism for transmitting a rotational driving force of the central axial member to the conveying table.

3. A continuous inspection apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

an upper table fixed to the central axial member, and

a holding cap holding an upper portion of the subject to be inspected, the holding cap being attached to the upper table be vertically movable, and the upper table being driven to rotate synchronously with the conveying table.

4. A continuous inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said conveying table, said central axial member and said rotating axial member rotate independently with respect to each other.

5. A continuous inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said central axial member rotates independently from the rotating axial member.

6. A continuous inspection apparatus comprising:

a conveying table having an inner peripheral portion conveying a subject to be inspected, a plurality of the subjects to be inspected being aligned in a circled line on the conveying table;

a central axial member placed in the vertical direction, the central axial member penetrating the conveying table so as to make the conveying table turn around the central axial member;

a pair of inspection instruments inspecting the subject to be inspected, one of the inspection instruments being positioned at an inside of the circled line of the subjects and another one of the inspection instruments being positioned at an outside of the circled line of the subjects, the pair of inspection instruments being placed opposite to each other across the circled line of the subjects;

a mounting member mounting the inspection instruments, the mounting member being penetrated by the central axial member so as to make the mounting member turn around the central axial member;

driving means for driving the conveying table and the mounting member around the central axial member;

a rotating member rotating about the central axial member and having an opening provided at a place between the central axial member and an inner peripheral portion of the conveying table.

7. A continuous inspection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the subject to be inspected is a transparent container having an upper portion and a bottom portion.

8. A continuous inspection apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the container contains liquid.

9. A continuous inspection apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

an upper table fixed to the central axial member; and

a holding cap holding the upper portion of the subject to be inspected, the holding cap being attached to be vertically movable with respect to the upper table, and the upper table being driven to rotate synchronously with the conveying table.

10. A continuous inspection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the mounting member exerts a swing-type rotational movement.

11. A continuous inspection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein one of the pair of inspection instruments is a camera, and the other of the pair of inspection instruments is a floodlight.

12. A continuous inspection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the conveying table turn around the central axial member synchronously with the mounting member.

13. A continuous inspection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the driving means has a gear mechanism for transmitting a rotational driving force of the central axial member to the conveying table.

14. A continuous inspection apparatus comprising:

a conveying table having an inner peripheral portion conveying a subject to be inspected, a plurality of the subjects to be inspected being aligned in a circled line on the conveying table;

a central axial member placed in the vertical direction, the central axial member penetrating the conveying table so as to make the conveying table turn around the central axial member;

a pair of inspection instruments inspecting the subject to be inspected, one of the pair of inspection instruments being positioned at an inside of the circled line of the subjects and another one of the pair of inspection instruments being positioned at an outside of the circled line of the subjects, the pair of inspection instruments being placed opposite to each other across the circled line of the subjects;

a mounting member mounting one of the inspection instruments, the mounting member being penetrated by the central axial member so as to make the mounting member turn around the central axial member;

driving means for driving the conveying table and the mounting member around the central axial member;

a rotating axial-member rotating about the central axial member and having an opening provided at a place between the central axial member and an inner peripheral portion of the conveying table;

a swing table having a fan shape in plan view being fixed to the mounting member;

an upper table being fixed to an upper portion of the central axial member and being moved horizontally; and

a holding member holding an upper portion of the subject to be inspected and being attached to a lower surface of the upper table,

another one of the pair of inspection members being fixed to an outer peripheral portion of the swing table, exerting a swing-type rotational movement.

15. A continuous inspection apparatus comprising:

a central axial member;

a rotating axial member rotating about the central axial member and having an opening;

a conveying table conveying a subject to be inspected, said conveying table having an opening therein and being coupled to said rotating axial member; and

first and second inspection instruments inspecting the subject to be inspected, said first and second instruments being positioned adjacent said conveying table, so as to be on opposite sides of the subject to be inspected, said first inspection instrument having a cable extending therefrom which extends through the opening in said conveying table, and the opening in said rotating axial member.