Inspection device and system for inspecting foreign matters in a liquid filled transparent container

• US 6,937,339 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2002
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Industry & Control Solutions, Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Engineering Co.,Ltd (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Asano, Kunitaka, Matsushima, Mitsuhiro, Yamazaki, Hiromi, Fukuda, Hirohisa, Katane, Tadahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Toatley, Jr., Gregory J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Punnoose, Roy M
• Application Number:
  US10/092,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20020171054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 356/426, 356/427, 356/432, 356/433, 356/434, 356/435, 356/445, 356/448, 356337-343, 356/239.4, 356/239.5, 356/239.6, 382/142
• US Class Current: 356/427
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/4778 Correcting variations in front distance
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/559 Determining variation of specular reflection within diffusively reflecting sample
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9027 in containers after filling

Abstract

In an inspection device for inspecting for possible foreign matters contaminating a liquid filled transparent container, a red color illumination unit 23A is disposed behind a glass container 22 filled with liquid and a pair of blue color illumination units 23B and 23C are disposed so as to sandwich the red color illumination unit 23A. Both the red color and blue color illumination units 23A, 23B and 23C are disposed so that the red color light transmits through the glass container 22 and the blue color light reflected by a possible foreign matter in the liquid merges with the red color transmission light. Both the transmission light and the reflection light are separated by a color separation mirror 4 and are imaged by CCD cameras 5 and 6 so as to detect both black color series and white color series foreign matters can be detected at the same time.

Claims

1. A foreign matter inspection device for inspecting foreign matters in a liquid filled transparent container comprising:

a first irradiation light source which is disposed behind the transparent container and irradiates a first irradiation light to the transparent container;

a second irradiation light source which is disposed adjacent to the first irradiation light source and irradiates a second irradiation light of a different color from that of the first irradiation light from a different direction from that of the first irradiation light to the transparent container;

a color separation mirror which is disposed on a transmission light optical path of the first irradiation light from the transparent container as well as on a reflection light optical path of the second irradiation light from the transparent container, and which causes to advance in straight optical path the transmission light of the first irradiation light and performs color separation of the reflection light of the second irradiation light and guides the same in another optical path than that of the transmission light;

a first imaging means which is disposed on the straight advancing optical path and images the transmission light of the first irradiation light;

a second imaging means which is disposed on the another optical path and images the reflection light of the second irradiation light; and

an image processing means which image processes picture images taken by the first and second imaging means and detects foreign matters in the liquid filled container.

2. A foreign matter inspection device for inspecting foreign matters in a liquid filled transparent container comprising:

a first irradiation light source which is disposed behind the transparent container and irradiates a first irradiation light to the transparent container;

a second irradiation light source which is disposed adjacent to the first irradiation light source and irradiates a second irradiation light of a different color from that of the first irradiation light from a different direction from that of the first irradiation light to the transparent container;

a half mirror which is disposed on a transmission light optical path of the first irradiation light from the transparent container as well as on a reflection light optical path of the second irradiation light from the transparent container and performs optical path separation;

a first filter which is disposed on a straight advancing optical path of the half mirror and selects the transmission light from the first irradiation light;

a first imaging means which images the transmission light of the first irradiation light selected by the first filter;

a second filter which is disposed on another optical path of the half mirror and selects the reflection light of the second irradiation light;

a second imaging means which images the reflection light of the second irradiation light selected by the second filter; and

an image processing means which image processes picture images taken by the first and second imaging means and detects foreign matters in the liquid filled container.

3. A foreign matter inspection device for inspecting foreign matters in a liquid filled transparent container according to claim 2, wherein the first and second irradiation lights from the first and second irradiation light sources are guided through a light guide device.