Device and method of reading a mark printed on containers moving along a conveyor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10776596-B2
Application number	US-201816603535-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2018
Priority date	Apr 5, 2017
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

Device and method of reading a mark printed on containers moving along a conveyor, wherein the mark is printed on a lateral portion of the container. The device comprises a drive unit for applying torque on a container in a reading area to generate rotation along its vertical axis, and a camera for reading the mark while the container is spinning. The drive unit comprises a motor and a spinner disposed at a first zone of the reading area for applying torque on a lateral wall of the container. The device comprises a pushing assembly, e.g. an air knife applying high-pressure air flow that drives the container towards the first zone to ensure rotational movement of the container. The device allows safe capture of the mark at high line feeding speeds.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of reading a mark printed on containers moving along a conveyor, wherein the mark is printed on a lateral portion of the containers, the method comprising:
supplying a container into a reading area;
applying torque on the container at least in the reading area to rotate said container along a vertical axis thereof;
reading the mark of the container while the container is spinning, wherein the step of generating rotation of rotating the container comprises applying torque by a spinner on a lateral wall of the container at a first zone of the reading area, and pushing the container against the spinner to ensure rotational movement of the container, wherein the step of pushing the container against the spinner comprises applying of a first high-pressure air flow directed at least partially towards the first zone of the reading area.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising supplying the containers into the reading area one at a time.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising extracting the container out of the reading area.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the extraction of the container comprises propelling the container with a second high-pressure air flow.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising retaining the container in the reading area by exerting force against a running direction of the conveyor.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reading of the mark is performed while the container is positioned in the reading area.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting the container entering the reading area.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reading of the mark is performed using a high-speed camera.

9. A device for reading a mark printed on containers moving along a conveyor, wherein the mark is printed on a lateral portion of the container, the device comprising:
a drive unit configured to apply torque on a container at least in a reading area to rotate the container along a vertical axis thereof;
a camera configured to read the mark of the container while the container is spinning, wherein the drive unit comprises a spinner activated by a motor, the spinner being arranged at a first zone of the reading area for applying torque on a lateral wall of the container,
wherein the device further comprises a pushing assembly configured to drive the container towards the first zone to ensure rotational movement of the container,
wherein the pushing assembly comprises an air knife, configured to apply a first high-pressure air flow directed at least partially towards the first zone of the reading area.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the spinner comprises a knurled roller.

11. The device of claim 9 , further comprising an ejector for extracting the container out of the reading area.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the ejector is configured to propel the container using a second high-pressure air flow.

13. The device of claim 9 , further comprising at least one retention element configured to retain the container in the reading area by exerting force against a running direction of the conveyor.

14. The device of claim 9 , wherein the camera is a high-speed camera.

Assignees

• Sicpa Holding Sa

Inventors

• Earl Sherwin
• Miller Lonny

Classifications

• G06K7/10861 Primary

  sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels (postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48) · CPC title

• B65G47/244

  by turning them about an axis substantially perpendicular to the conveying plane · CPC title

• G06K7/10871

  randomly oriented data-fields, code-marks therefore, e.g. concentric circles-code · CPC title

• B65G2203/041

  Camera · CPC title

• B65B35/58

  Turning articles by positively-acting means, e.g. to present labelled portions in uppermost position · CPC title