Cap analysis technique

• US 9,417,145 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2014
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pressco Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pressco Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Cochran, Don W., O'Brien, Thomas P., Palombo, Thomas Henry, Seifert, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Noori, Max
• Application Number:
  US14/259,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20140311256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 356/240.01, 738/00, 738/620.8, 738/623.24, 732/400.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 3/261 Devices for controlling the tightening of threaded caps, e.g. testing the release torque torque testers in general G01L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/24 for determining value of torque or twisting moment for tightening a nut or other member which is similarly stressed
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9054 Inspection of sealing surface and container finish
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9081 Inspection especially designed for plastic containers, e.g. preforms
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/909 in opaque containers or opaque container parts, e.g. cans, tins, caps, labels

Abstract

A technique to assess or analyze cap removal or opening torque or rotational position is provided. In at least one form, a high speed, on-line machine vision system measures or determines the rotational position of a cap on a bottle, measures or determines the rotational position of the finish or neck of the same bottle, and then optionally uses such positional information to predict the opening or removal torque that will be required for a consumer to remove the bottle cap from the bottle.

Claims

1. A method useful in a filling and capping system for analyzing caps fitted to containers having support rings by a capping machine, the caps and support rings having fiducials, marks or orientation patterns consistently oriented with respect to a start of their respective thread elements, the method comprising:

capturing a first image of a cap fitted to a container;

capturing a second image of at least a portion of a support ring of the container, wherein the capturing of the first image and the second image occurs non-simultaneously; and

,

analyzing the first image and the second image to determine a removal torque required to remove the cap from the container based on the fiducials, marks or orientation patterns.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the removal torque is acceptable;

if the removal torque is not acceptable, performing at least one of sending a reject signal to reject the container and sending a feedback control signal to the capping system; and

,

repeating the capturing, analyzing, determining and performing for subsequent caps fitted to containers.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the obtaining the at least two images is accomplished using multiple cameras.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the obtaining the at least two images is accomplished using telecentric lensing.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4 wherein the support ring is inspected using the telecentric lens.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the analyzing of the at least two images comprises comparing a final rotational position of the cap relative to the container to estimate the removal torque.

7. The method as set forth in claim 4 wherein the rotational position is determined based on positions of fiducials or marks.

8. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the feedback control signal facilitates torque correction for multiple capper heads of the capping machine.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising using at least one of engineered lighting and filters to obtain images.

33. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising analyzing the first image and the second image to determine a rotational position of the cap.

37. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising optimizing lighting during capturing the first image.

38. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising optimizing lighting during capturing the second image.

10. A method useful in a filling and capping system for analyzing caps fitted to containers having support rings by a capping machine, the caps and support rings having fiducials, marks or orientation patterns consistently oriented with respect to a start of their respective thread elements, the method comprising:

capturing a first image of a cap fitted to a container using a first camera;

capturing a second image of at least a portion of a support ring of the container using a second camera; and

,

analyzing the first image and the second image to determine a removal torque required to remove the cap from the container based on the fiducials, marks or orientation patterns.

11. A method as set forth in claim 10 further comprising:

determining whether the removal torque is acceptable;

if the removal torque is not acceptable, performing at least one of sending a reject signal to reject the container and sending a feedback control signal to the capping system; and

,

repeating the capturing, analyzing, determining and performing for subsequent caps fitted to containers.

12. The method as set forth in claim 10 wherein the obtaining the first and second image is accomplished using telecentric lensing.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12 wherein the support ring is inspected using the telecentric lens.

14. The method as set forth in claim 10 wherein the analyzing of the at least two images comprises comparing a final rotational position of the cap relative to the container to estimate the removal torque.

15. The method as set forth in claim 14 wherein the rotational position is determined based on positions of fiducials or marks.

16. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the feedback control signal facilitates torque correction for multiple capper heads of the capping machine.

17. The method as set forth in claim 10 further comprising using at least one of engineered lighting and filters to obtain images.

34. The method as set forth in claim 10 further comprising analyzing the first image and the second image to determine a rotational position of the cap.

39. The method as set forth in claim 10 further comprising optimizing lighting during capturing the first image.

40. The method as set forth in claim 10 further comprising optimizing lighting during capturing the second image.

18. A system useful in a filling and capping system for analyzing caps fitted to containers having support rings by a capping machine, the caps and support rings having fiducials, marks or orientation patterns consistently oriented with respect to a start of their respective thread elements, the system comprising:

an imaging system including at least one camera and a lensing system, the imaging system being configured to capture a first image of a cap fitted to a container, capture a second image of at least a portion of a support ring of the container, wherein the capturing of the first image and the second image occurs non-simultaneously; and

,

a processing system configured to analyze the first image and the second image to determine a removal torque required to remove the cap from the container based on the fiducials, marks or orientation patterns.

19. The system as set forth in claim 18 wherein the processing system is configured to determine whether the removal torque is acceptable, perform at least one of sending a reject signal to reject the container and sending a feedback control signal to the capping system if the removal torque is not acceptable, and repeat analyzing, determining and performing for subsequent caps fitted to containers.

20. The system as set forth in claim 18 wherein the obtaining the at least two images is accomplished using multiple cameras.

21. The system as set forth in claim 18 wherein the lensing system comprises a telecentric lens system.

22. The system as set forth in claim 18 wherein the processing system is configured to analyze the at least two images by comparing a final rotational position of the cap relative to the container to estimate the removal torque.

23. The system as set forth in claim 22 wherein the rotational position is determined based on positions of fiducials or marks.

24. The system as set forth in claim 19 wherein the feedback control signal facilitates torque correction for multiple capper heads of the capping machine.

25. The system as set forth in claim 18 further comprising a user interface.

35. The system as set forth in claim 18 wherein the processing system is further configured to analyze the first image and the second image to determine a rotational position of the cap.

41. The system as set forth in claim 18 wherein the determined removal torque provides a basis for manual correction of the capping machine.

26. A system useful in a filling and capping system for analyzing caps fitted to containers having support rings by a capping machine, the caps and support rings having fiducials, marks or orientation patterns consistently oriented with respect to a start of their respective thread elements, the system comprising:

an imaging system including at least a first camera, a second camera and a lensing system, the imaging system being configured to capture a first image of a cap fitted to a container by the first camera, capture a second image of at least a portion of a support ring of the container by a second camera; and

,

a processing system configured to analyze the first image and the second image to determine a removal torque required to remove the cap from the container based on the fiducials, marks or orientation patterns.

27. The system as set forth in claim 26 wherein the processing system is configured to determine whether the removal torque is acceptable, perform at least one of sending a reject signal to reject the container and sending a feedback control signal to the capping system if the removal torque is not acceptable, and repeat analyzing, determining and performing for subsequent caps fitted to containers.

28. The system as set forth in claim 26 wherein the lensing system comprises a telecentric lens system.

29. The system as set forth in claim 26 wherein the processing system is configured to analyze the at least two images by comparing a final rotational position of the cap relative to the container to estimate the removal torque.

30. The system as set forth in claim 29 wherein the rotational position is determined based on positions of fiducials or marks.

31. The system as set forth in claim 27 wherein the feedback control signal facilitates correction for multiple capper heads of the capping machine.

32. The system as set forth in claim 26 further comprising a user interface.

36. The system as set forth in claim 26 wherein the processing system is further configured to analyze the first image and the second image to determine a rotational position of the cap.

42. The system as set forth in claim 26 wherein the determined removal torque provides a basis for manual correction of the capping machine.