Finished pallet inspection apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11475554-B2
Application number	US-201816642451-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2018
Priority date	Sep 1, 2017
Publication date	Oct 18, 2022
Grant date	Oct 18, 2022

Abstract

An image recorder (18) supported above a conveyor (22) captures images of a top surface of the loaded pallet (30) supported on the conveyor (22). The image is transmitted to a computer (26). A software routine stored on a memory on the computer (26) compares the image to a manufacturing specification. The software routine determines whether the image is within a manufacturing tolerance of the manufacturing specification.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A loaded pallet inspection system comprising:
a generally horizontal support surface;
an image recorder supported near the support surface;
a computer having a memory with a software routine stored thereon, for determining whether an image of a loaded pallet is within a manufacturing tolerance of a manufacturing specification;
a communication link transmitting signals between the image recorder and the computer,
a target area defined by a boundary having a surface area greater than a cross-sectional surface area of the loaded pallet, wherein the manufacturing specification comprises a position of the loaded pallet on the generally horizontal support surface and the target area corresponds to the manufacturing tolerance;
a first guide mounted above the support surface, wherein the first guide supports the image recorder and is configured to allow longitudinal movement by the image recorder in a direction of a traverse of a conveyor; and
a second guide mounted above the support surface, wherein the second guide further supports the image recorder and is configured to allow transverse movement by the image recorder in a direction transverse to the direction of the traverse of the conveyor,
wherein the image recorder is multi-positional relative to the support surface.

2. The loaded pallet inspection system of claim 1 wherein the target area is visibly marked on the support surface.

3. The loaded pallet inspection system of claim 1 wherein the target area is defined by crosshairs on the image recorder.

4. The loaded pallet inspection system of claim 1 wherein the support surface is a conveyor for moving loaded pallets.

5. The loaded pallet inspection system of claim 1 wherein the manufacturing specification is further directed to an arrangement of straps securing a plurality of articles to the loaded pallet.

6. The loaded pallet inspection system of claim 5 wherein the software routine uses a pattern recognition subroutine or a pattern matching logic subroutine to determine whether loaded pallet is within a tolerance of the manufacturing specification.

7. The loaded pallet inspection system of claim 6 the computer is in electrical communication with the conveyor to control a movement of the conveyor in response to an output from the software routine.

8. The loaded pallet inspection system of claim 1 wherein the target area is transverse to the support surface.

9. The loaded pallet inspection system of claim 1 wherein the target area is three dimensional forming a virtual volume.

10. A method of inspecting a loaded pallet inspection using the loaded pallet inspection system of claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of: providing an image recorder supported adjacent a conveyor; capturing an image of the loaded pallet supported on the conveyor; transmitting a signal from the image recorder to a computer wherein the signal carries digital information for reproducing the image on the computer; comparing the image to a manufacturing specification using a software routine stored on a memory on the computer; determining whether the image is within a manufacturing tolerance of the manufacturing specification using the software routine.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of:
moving the image recorder relative to the conveyor in a direction of a traverse of the conveyor.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:
moving the image recorder relative to the conveyor in a direction transverse to the traverse of the conveyor.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of:
automatically stopping movement of the conveyor in response to an output by the software routine by sending a signal from the computer to the conveyor.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the image recorder is supported above the conveyor at height greater than a height of a loaded pallet wherein the capturing an image step includes capturing an image of a top surface of the loaded pallet supported on the conveyor.

Assignees

• Ball Corp
• Ball Coporation

Inventors

• Robinson David C
• Siles John

Classifications

• G01N2021/8893

  providing a video image and a processed signal for helping visual decision · CPC title

• G01N21/8806 Primary

  Specially adapted optical and illumination features · CPC title

• G01N21/8851

  Scan or image signal processing specially adapted therefor, e.g. for scan signal adjustment, for detecting different kinds of defects, for compensating for structures, markings, edges (G01N21/8806 and G01N21/93 - G01N21/95692 take precedence; optical measurement of dimensions G01B11/00; optical scanning G02B26/10; image transformation G06T3/00; computerised image enhancement G06T5/00; image processing per se for flaw detection G06T7/0002) · CPC title

• G06T7/001 Primary

  using an image reference approach · CPC title

• B65G1/137

  with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed · CPC title