Optics: measuring and testing – Inspection of flaws or impurities – Containers or enclosures
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-30
2004-08-24
Adams, Russell (Department: 2851)
Optics: measuring and testing
Inspection of flaws or impurities
Containers or enclosures
C356S427000, C356S239600
Reexamination Certificate
active
06781689
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a continuous inspection apparatus for inspecting a subject to be inspected in a continuous production line without stopping the flow of the subject to be inspected, for example, relates to a continuous inspection apparatus for automatically examining to see whether the subject to be inspected, such as an ample, a vial or the like which contains liquid, is acceptable or not.
2. Prior Art of the Invention
Conventionally, as a continuous apparatus of this kinds, there is known an inspection apparatus for examining if liquid charged into a transparent container contain foreign materials or not, by taking a photograph of the subject by making the subject to be inspected pass in front of a camera to allow the camera to take a photograph of the subject with making light pass through the transparent container as the subject, and then processing the photograph by using an image, processing device.
In order to meet a requirement to increase inspecting speed of the subject, such an inspection system where both a floodlight and a camera follow the subject so as to realize a condition that the floodlight, the camera and the subject are aligned in a straight line for a while, to thereby be able to take a picture of the subject to be inspected without disturbing the production line, such as stopping the flow of the subject in the production line.
As shown in
FIG. 3
, one of the actual examples of such a conventional continuous inspection apparatus has a pair of inspection instruments. Inner supporting portion
51
and outer supporting portion
52
are disposed to be turntable around a rotation center of conveying table
50
and also are disposed in such a way as to sandwich ring-like conveying table
50
which turns in one direction. Camera
53
is mounted on inner supporting portion
51
, and floodlight
54
is mounted on outer supporting portion
52
.
Subject to be inspected
57
, which is taken onto conveying table
50
from supplying line
56
, passes through a place between floodlight
54
and camera
53
when conveying table
50
turns, and then subject to be inspected
57
is discharged into a carrying out line. During a time when subject to be inspected
57
is placed on conveying table
50
, moving speed of floodlight
54
and camera
53
is adjusted to a speed corresponding to the moving speed of subject
57
in a prescribed (certain) period of time. With taking a photograph being completed during the prescribed period of time, inspection for detecting foreign materials in the liquid is enabled to be finished during the time subject to be inspected
57
is conveyed.
Next, as is shown in
FIG. 4
, an upper portion of subject
57
is supported by holding cap
59
so as for subject
57
to be conveyed in a stable position or attitude thereof. Holding cap
59
is mounted on subject
57
during all the time from an in-taking stage where subject
57
is taken onto conveying table
50
to a discharging stage where subject
57
is discharged from conveying table
50
. And there is a necessity of providing mechanical operation portion
60
for attaching holding cap
59
to subject
57
when subject
57
is taken onto conveying table
50
, and for detaching holding cap
59
from the subject
57
when the subject
57
is moved out from conveying table
50
. There is also a need to provide upper table
61
in order to support mechanical operation portion
60
.
And upper table
61
is required to be positioned at a prescribed height and to be rotated together with subject
57
. Considering convenience of taking photograph, it is undesirable to provide a pole or a wall for supporting upper table
61
between floodlight
54
and camera
53
. Therefore, as shown in
FIG. 4
, ceiling
62
is provided over upper table
61
in order to suspend upper table
61
from ceiling
62
.
Furthermore, ceiling
62
is supported, by gate-like frame
65
having enough rigidity and extending from body portion
64
of continuous inspection apparatus
63
.
From the condition mentioned above, conventional continuous inspection apparatus
63
, which has a structure to suspend upper table
61
from ceiling
62
, is required to provide gate-like frame
65
having high rigidity rigid enough for supporting upper table
61
and a driving portion (not shown) for driving upper table
61
in order to secure a precise location of upper table
61
, so that the apparatus tends to become large in size, and processing of parts of the apparatus and assembling of the apparatus take a lot of time and the production cost of the apparatus also becomes high.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to eliminate these shortages residing in the conventional continuous inspection apparatus. More precisely, an object of the present invention is to provide a continuous inspection apparatus having a cable attached to a camera, which runs through an opening (aperture or hole or clearance) in a center portion of a conveying table so as to eliminate inconvenience that hampers movements of the subject to be inspected in continuous rotation of the conveying table at a time of verification of the continuous inspection apparatus. Another object of the present invention is to provide a low manufacturing-cost continuous inspection apparatus with an upper table having accuracy in its rotational movement without adopting gate-like frame structure having high rigidity.
A feature of the continuous inspection apparatus of the present invention is that the apparatus comprises 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 running downward through the opening.
According to the feature of 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.
Another feature of the continuous inspection apparatus of the present invention is that the driving means in the apparatus mentioned above has a gear mechanism for transmitting a rotational driving force of the central axis to the conveying table.
According to the feature of the apparatus mentioned above all mechanism in the driving system driven by both the conveying table and the central axis is driven synchronizedly. Thereby stable operation of the continuous inspection apparatus can be ensured.
Still another feature of the continuous inspection apparatus of the present invention is that the apparatus further comprises, in addition to the features of the apparatus mentioned above, an upper table fixed to the central axis, and a holding cap for holding an upper portion of the subject to be inspected being attached to be vertically movable to the upper table, and the upper table being driven to rotate synchronizedly with the conveying table.
According to the feature of the apparatus mentioned above, without adopting a gate-like frame having high rigidity, the upper table can exert rotational movement with high precision, and inspection can be carried out with high accuracy, to thereby be able to provide a low manufacturing cost continuous inspection apparatus.
The nature and further characteristic features of the present invention will be made more clear from the following descriptions made with reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 421256 (
Adams Russell
Rieckerman (Japan) Ltd.
Sever Andrew
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