Inspecting apparatus for foreign matter

• US 6,825,925 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2002
• Issued: 11/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scan Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Scan Technology Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yagita, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Stafira, Michael P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VALENTIN, JUAN D
• Application Number:
  US10/251,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20030214649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 356/437, 356/440, 356/239.1, 356/239.4, 356/239.5, 356/240.1, 250/223
• US Class Current: 356/240.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9027 in containers after filling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9081 Inspection especially designed for plastic containers, e.g. preforms

Abstract

In an inspecting apparatus for a foreign matter for detecting a foreign matter got entered an object being inspected that contains a liquid product by inspecting the object being inspected optically with imaging means, a conical prism is disposed between the object being inspected and the imaging means. Consequently, it is possible to provide an inspecting apparatus for a foreign matter for use in a production line for manufacturing liquid products, such as drinks and liquid drugs, which can detect in a reliable manner whether a foreign matter has entered a liquid inside a container, such as a bottle or a PET bottle, and a foreign matter in a colored bottle or PET bottle or in a colored liquid as well.

Claims

1. An inspecting apparatus of a foreign matter for detecting the foreign matter contained in a sealed bottle, containing a liquid product, characterized by:

a light source radiating light from over the top portion of said sealed bottle into said liquid in order to intensify the contrast of light and darkness of the liquid and the foreign matter;

a conical prism disposed closely to the bottom face of said sealed bottle in order to enlarge said foreign matter;

an imaging means disposed under said conical prism, intensifying the contrast of light and darkness of said liquid and the foreign matter and also obtaining an enlarged image of the foreign matter in said liquid by receiving the light through said conical prism from said light source and passing through said liquid; and

a detecting means detecting the foreign matter contained in said sealed bottle containing the foreign matter in the liquid deposited in the concavity of the inside bottom portion of said sealed battle by processing signals of said images including all area of the bottom face of said sealed bottle obtained by said imaging means.

2. The inspecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said conical prism is a single-side conical prism.

3. The inspecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said conical prism is a double-side conical prism.

4. The inspecting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said imaging means is a CCD sensor.

5. The inspecting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said imaging means is a CCD sensor.

6. The inspecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said liquid product and said sealed bottle being inspected are transparent, and said foreign matter is one of a suspended foreign matter and a deposited foreign matter.

7. The inspecting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said sealed bottle being inspected is one of a bottle and a PET bottle.

8. An inspecting apparatus of a foreign matter for detecting the foreign matter contained in a sealed bottle containing a liquid product, characterized by:

a light source radiating light having a wavelength of 750 to 1000 nm wavelength from over the top portion of said sealed bottle into said liquid in order to intensify the contrast of light and darkness of the liquid and the foreign matter;

a conical prism disposed closely to the bottom face of said sealed bottle in order to enlarge said foreign matter;

an imaging means disposed under said conical prism, intensifying the contrast of light and darkness of said liquid and the foreign matter and also obtaining an enlarged image of the foreign matter in said liquid by receiving the light through said conical prism from said light source and passing through said liquid; and

a detecting means detecting the foreign matter contained in said sealed bottle containing the foreign matter in the liquid deposited in the concavity of the inside bottom portion of said sealed bottle by processing signals of said images including all area of the bottom face of said sealed bottle obtained by said imaging means.

9. The inspecting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said light is radiated at power in a range from 0.7 mW to 100 W both inclusive.

11. The inspecting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said conical prism is a double-side conical prism.

12. The inspecting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said imaging means is a CCD sensor.

13. The inspecting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein one or both of said liquid product and said sealed bottle being inspected are colored, opaque or translucent.

14. The inspecting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said sealed bottle being inspected is one of a bottle and a PET bottle.

15. The inspecting apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said conical prism is a single-side conical prism.

16. The inspecting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said conical prism is a double-side conical prism.

10. The inspecting apparatus 8, wherein said conical prism is a single-side conical prism.

17. A process for detecting a foreign matter in a sealed bottle containing a liquid product, characterized by:

radiating light from over the top portion of said sealed bottle into said liquid in order to intensify the contrast of light and darkness of the liquid and the foreign matter;

enlarging said foreign matter by a conical prism disposed closely to the bottom face of said sealed bottle in order to enlarge said foreign matter;

intensifying the contrast of light and darkness of said liquid and the foreign matter and also obtaining an enlarged image of the foreign matter in said liquid by receiving the light through said conical prism from said light source and passing through said liquid by an imaging means disposed under said conical prism; and

detecting a foreign matter contained in said sealed bottle containing foreign matters in the liquid deposited in the concavity of the inside bottom portion of said sealed bottle by processing signals of said images, by a detecting means, including all area of the bottom face of said sealed bottle obtained by said imaging means.

18. The process according to claim 17 wherein said light has a wavelength of 750 to 1000 nm.

19. The process according to claim 18, wherein said light has a power in a range from 0.7 mW to 100 W.

20. The process according to claim 17, wherein said conical prism is a single-side conical prism.

21. The process according to claim 17, wherein said conical prism is a double-side conical prism.

22. The process according to claim 20, wherein said imaging means is a CCD sensor.

23. The process according to claim 21, wherein said imaging means is a CCD sensor.

24. The process according to claim 17, wherein said liquid product and said sealed bottle being inspected are transparent, and said foreign matter is one of a suspended foreign matter and a deposited foreign matter.

25. The process according to claim 18, wherein one or both of said liquid product and said sealed bottle being inspected are colored, opaque or translucent.

26. The process according to claim 17, wherein said sealed bottle being inspected is one of a bottle and a PET bottle.