Inspection method and inspection device for the closure control of containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10520449-B2
Application number	US-201615737238-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2016
Priority date	Jun 19, 2015
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

Implementations disclose methods and devices for closure control of containers. A method includes performing, by an inspection apparatus, optical 3D measuring of a closed container, the closed container comprising a closure coupled to the container; generating, by the inspection apparatus, 3D data based on the optical 3D measuring; and processing, by an evaluation device, the 3D data to determine at least one of tightness or correct seating of the closure relative to the container.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for closure control of a container, the method comprising:
performing, by an inspection apparatus, optical 3D measuring of a closed container, the closed container comprising a closure coupled to the container;
generating, by the inspection apparatus, 3D data based on the optical 3D measuring; and
processing, by an evaluation device, the 3D data to determine at least one of tightness or correct seating of the closure relative to the container.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 3D data comprises 3D data of the closure and 3D data of the container, wherein the processing of the 3D data comprises separating the 3D data of the closure from the 3D data of the container.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing of the 3D data further comprises determining geometric correlation features between the closure and the container.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing of the 3D data further comprises determining one or more of a position, a height, a crooked seat, an eccentricity of the closure relative to the container, or a curvature of the closure.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing of the 3D data further comprises:
comparing the 3D data with a reference geometry of at least one of the closure or the container; and
determining, based on the comparing, deformation data of the closure.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical 3D measuring comprises light-section 3D measuring comprising:
illuminating at least a portion of the container and the closure from a first direction via a structured light source; and
capturing, by a camera, an image of the container and the closure from a second direction that is different from the first direction.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical 3D measuring comprises:
capturing, three-dimensionally with a resolution of lower than 0.5 mm, an image of at least a portion of the container and the closure.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical 3D measuring comprises:
capturing, three-dimensionally with a resolution of lower than 0.2 mm, an image of at least a portion of the container and the closure.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical 3D measuring comprises:
capturing, three-dimensionally with a resolution of lower than 0.1 mm, an image of at least a portion of the container and the closure.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein an image of at least a portion of the closure or a mouth of the container are captured by a pericentric objective lens.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
transporting, by a transport apparatus, the closed container to the inspection apparatus;
determining whether at least one of the closed container is tight or the closure is seated correctly in relation to the container;
in response to determining that the container is tight and the closure is seated correctly, transporting the container; and
in response to determining that the container is not tight or the closure is not seated correctly, ejecting the container.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 3D data comprises one or more of 3D points, 3D line elements, or 3D area elements.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical 3D measuring comprises stereoscopic 3D measuring comprising capturing images of at least a portion of the container and the closure from at least two image perspectives.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the stereoscopic 3D measuring comprises illuminating one or more portions of the container and the closure by a diffused light source.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the stereoscopic 3D measuring comprises illuminating one or more portions of the container and the closure by a structured light source for correlation of object points in the at least two image perspectives.

16. An inspection device for closure control of containers, the inspection device comprising:
a transport apparatus to transport a closed container comprising a closure coupled to a container;
an optical 3D measuring sensor to capture a three-dimensional (3D) image of at least a portion of the container and the closure; and
an evaluation device to process the 3D image to determine at least one of tightness or correct seating of the closure relative to the container.

17. The inspection device of claim 16 , wherein the optical 3D measuring sensor is to perform stereoscopic 3D measuring of the closed container, wherein the optical 3D measuring sensor comprises a camera comprising a stereoscopic objective lens, wherein the optical 3D measuring sensor is coupled to a diffused or structured light source.

18. The inspection device of claim 16 , wherein the optical 3D measuring sensor is to perform stereoscopic 3D measuring of the closed container, wherein the optical 3D measuring sensor comprises two or more cameras, each of the two or more cameras comprising an objective lens, wherein the optical 3D measuring sensor is coupled to a diffused or structured light source.

19. The inspection device of claim 16 , wherein the optical 3D measuring sensor is to perform light-section 3D measuring of the closed container, wherein the optical 3D measuring sensor comprises at least one camera comprising an objective lens coupled to a structured light source.

20. The inspection device of claim 18 , wherein the objective lens is pericentric.

Assignees

• Krones Ag

Inventors

• Piana Stefan

Classifications

• G01N21/9054 Primary

  Inspection of sealing surface and container finish · CPC title

• G01B11/167

  by projecting a pattern on the object · CPC title

• G01B11/24 Primary

  for measuring contours or curvatures · CPC title

• G01M3/38

  by using light (G01M3/02 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N21/9009

  Non-optical constructional details affecting optical inspection, e.g. cleaning mechanisms for optical parts, vibration reduction · CPC title