METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING THE ANGULAR POSITION OF A CAP IN RELATION TO A BOTTLE
By capturing and cleaning images of the cap and bottle to remove impurities, the method addresses errors in determining the angular position, ensuring accurate calculation and comparison of the closing torque.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- BR · BR
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- FT SYST SRL
- Filing Date
- 2018-07-31
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-07
AI Technical Summary
Existing methods for determining the angular position of a cap relative to a bottle are subject to high margins of error due to impurities, particularly liquid droplets, which hinder the accurate identification of markers on the cap and bottle, leading to incorrect determination of the closing torque.
A method involving the capture of initial and cleaned images of the cap and bottle, with impurities removed by mechanical means such as air jets, followed by image comparison to determine the relative angular position of markers, thereby eliminating detection errors.
The method effectively eliminates noise from impurities, allowing precise determination of marker positions and the angular position, enabling accurate calculation and comparison of the closing torque against reference standards.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING THE ANGULAR POSITION OF A CAP IN RELATION TO A BOTTLE TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] The present invention relates to a method for detecting the angular position of a cap relative to a bottle, more particularly for detecting the angular position of a cap relative to a bottle made of plastic having a threaded neck.
[002] The present invention also relates to an apparatus suitable for implementing the method mentioned above.
[003] In particular, the invention finds application in inspection systems for verifying the closing torque of a cap on a corresponding bottle. PRIOR ART STATE
[004] Bottling systems are known in which plastic bottles are filled with a desired liquid and subsequently closed by means of a cap.
[005] Generally speaking, these plastic bottles have a neck fitted with a thread and, after being filled, they are closed by means of a cap having an internal thread, which is screwed onto the thread of the neck of a respective bottle.
[006] For this purpose, said bottling systems include a capping station in which said caps are applied to said bottles by means of a suitable capping device which screws each cap onto the threaded neck of the corresponding bottle.
[007] According to the prior art, the aforementioned bottling systems also include, downstream of the aforementioned capping station, in the direction of the forward movement of the bottles, an inspection station in which the closing torque of each cap on the corresponding bottle is measured and compared with a reference value (or range of values), in order to determine whether said closing torque corresponds to predetermined standards.
[008] In fact, a very high closing torque can result in a certain Petition 870200015034, dated 01 / 31 / 2020, pp. 75 / 98 2 / 14 difficulty for users in removing the cap, especially in the case of elderly people. On the other hand, a closing torque that is too low can result in the container being improperly closed, with a consequent risk of loss and / or deterioration of the liquid contained in the bottles.
[009] For this purpose, there is already a known provision of a suitable marker on the bottle, for example on the ring (the so-called protruding rim) at the base of the bottle neck, with a corresponding marker on the screw cap, so that the closing torque of the screw cap on the bottle neck can be determined by comparing the relative angular position of said markers.
[010] Based on the state of the art, inspection devices are known that are capable of capturing an image of the screw cap and at least a portion of the bottle to which the cap is associated; analyzing said image to detect a first marker provided on said screw cap and a second marker provided on said bottle (for example, on the edge of the neck of said bottle); and determining the relative angular position of said markers.
[011] Subsequently, it will be possible, according to the aforementioned relative angular position, to calculate the closing torque of the cap on the bottle neck and compare the calculated value of the closing torque with a predetermined reference value (or range of values). If the aforementioned comparison does not present the desired result, the bottle is discarded and removed from the bottling line.
[012] An inspection apparatus of the type described above is known, for example, from US document 6,643,009.
[013] Alternatively, inspection devices are known in the state of the art that are capable of: capturing a first image of the screw cap and of a corresponding first marker provided thereon; capturing a second image of at least a portion of the bottle and of a corresponding second marker provided thereon (for example, on the rim of the neck of said bottle); and comparing the aforementioned first and second images in order to determine the relative angular position of said first and second markers.
[014] Subsequently, in this case as well, it will be possible, according to the aforementioned Petition 870200015034, dated 01 / 31 / 2020, pp. 76 / 98 3 / 14 relative angular position, calculate the closing torque of the cap on the bottle neck and compare the calculated closing torque value with a predetermined reference value or range of values.
[015] An inspection apparatus of the type described above is known, for example, from US document 9,417,145.
[016] However, the two types of inspection devices described above, as well as the method they implement, are subject to high margins of error and, consequently, have limited efficiency.
[017] This is mainly due to the fact that, due to the different operations to which the bottles and their respective caps are subjected before arriving at the inspection station (particularly, but not exclusively, with reference to filling the bottles with the corresponding liquid), the surfaces of said bottles and said caps are not perfectly clean, but are, on the contrary, covered with impurities, especially drops of liquid, which can make it difficult to correctly identify the markers provided on the bottles and the corresponding caps, respectively.
[018] This problem is compounded by the fact that, for consumer safety reasons, said markers must not be protruding or pointed. Furthermore, for marketing purposes, the markers must be only slightly perceptible so as not to negatively affect the aesthetic appearance of the final product and its appeal to the consumer.
[019] Consequently, the methods and apparatus of the prior art are not capable of unequivocally determining the actual positions of said markers and, therefore, the actual angular position of the caps in relation to the respective bottles, and thus the actual value of the closing torque.
[020] Therefore, the main objective of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks and limitations of the prior art, providing a method and apparatus by which errors in determining the angular position of a cap relative to a corresponding bottle are eliminated.
[021] More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus in which the angular position of a cap relative to a corresponding bottle is Petition 870200015034, dated 01 / 31 / 2020, pp. 77 / 98 4 / 14 determined according to the detection of respective markers provided on the said cap and on the said bottle, and in which errors in detecting the positions of these markers are eliminated.
[022] The above objectives, and others, are achieved by the method and apparatus as claimed in the appended claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[023] The method according to the invention comprises at least the following steps: - Capture at least one initial image of the cap and at least one portion of the bottle to which the cap is attached; - Remove impurities (e.g., liquid droplets) from the cap and at least one portion of the bottle, and / or move such impurities away from the cap and the portion of the bottle; - Capture at least one second image of the aforementioned cap and at least one of the aforementioned portions of the bottle; - Compare at least one of the first images mentioned and at least one of the second images mentioned, to detect the position of a first marker provided on the said cap and the position of a second marker provided on the aforementioned portion of the bottle; and - Determine the relative angular position of the aforementioned first marker and the aforementioned second marker.
[024] The aforementioned relative angular position can be advantageously exploited to calculate the closing torque value of said cap on said bottle, which value can then be compared with pre-established reference standards.
[025] Preferably, the portion of the bottle from which at least one first image and at least one second image are captured is the neck portion of the bottle, with the second marker being provided on the neck of the bottle, in particular on the protruding rim at the base of the neck of the bottle.
[026] Thanks to the fact that at least one first image and at least one second image of the cap and portion of the bottle are captured, with the cap and portion of the bottle being subjected to a cleaning operation between the capture of at least one of the aforementioned first images and the capture of at least one of the aforementioned second images. Petition 870200015034, dated 01 / 31 / 2020, pp. 78 / 98 5 / 14 image, the noise represented by the presence of liquid droplets and other possible impurities can be effectively eliminated, and errors in determining the correct positions of the first marker provided on the cap and the second marker provided on the bottle portion can be eliminated.
[027] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the removal and / or displacement of liquid droplets and other possible impurities from the cap and bottle are carried out mechanically, in particular by means of one or more suitably directed air jets.
[028] The use of one or more jets of air directed against the surfaces of the cap and the bottle is particularly advantageous. Even if such jets are not strong enough to completely remove the liquid droplets from the surfaces of the cap and the bottle, they will nevertheless produce a displacement of said droplets, thus allowing in any case the correct determination of the positions of the markers (which obviously will not be displaced by the jets of air).
[029] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the method comprises the steps of: - Capture an initial image of the cap and portion of the bottle; - Remove any impurities from the cap and the bottle section, and / or move such impurities away from the cap and the bottle section; - Capture a second image of the aforementioned cap and the aforementioned portion of the bottle; Compare the first image mentioned and the second image mentioned, to determine the positions of the first and second markers; and - Determine the relative angular position of the aforementioned first and second markers.
[030] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the method comprises the steps of: - Capture a first image of the cap and a separate first image of the bottle portion; - Remove any impurities from the cap and the bottle section, and / or move such impurities away from the cap and the bottle section; - Capture a second image of the aforementioned lid and a second separate image of the Petition 870200015034, dated 01 / 31 / 2020, pp. 79 / 98 6 / 14 of the mentioned portion of the bottle; - Compare the aforementioned first image of the lid and the aforementioned second image of the lid, to determine the position of the first marker; - Compare the aforementioned first image of said portion of the bottle and the aforementioned second image of said portion of the bottle, to determine the position of the second marker; and - Determine the relative angular position of the first marker and the second marker.
[031] Advantageously, according to this last embodiment of the invention, it is possible to use specific configurations, different from each other, to obtain said first image and said second image of the cap, and said first image and said second image of the bottle portion, with said configurations being selected each time in order to obtain optimized images of the corresponding markers.
[032] The apparatus includes, respectively, according to the invention: - An image capture device, comprising means for capturing at least one first image of the cap and at least one first image of the portion of the bottle to which the cap is attached, as well as at least one second image of said cap and at least one second image of said portion of the bottle; - A cleaning device arranged so as to remove impurities (e.g., liquid droplets) from said cap and at least one mentioned portion of the bottle, and / or to displace such impurities relative to the cap and the bottle portion, between the capture of at least one of the first mentioned images and the capture of at least one of the second mentioned images; and - A processing unit for comparing at least one said first image and at least one said second image, to determine the position of a first marker provided on said cap and the position of a second marker provided on said portion of the bottle, and to determine the relative angular position of said first and second markers.
[033] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, said cleaning device Petition 870200015034, dated 01 / 31 / 2020, pp. 80 / 98 7 / 14 includes one or more nozzles arranged to direct respective jets of air against the surfaces of the cap and portion of the bottle.
[034] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the image capture device includes a camera arranged so as to capture at least one first image of the cap and portion of the bottle, and also arranged so as to capture at least one second image of said cap and said portion of the bottle.
[035] In a particularly preferred variant of the aforementioned embodiment of the invention, said camera is arranged so as to capture a first image of the cap and a first separate image of the bottle portion, and also arranged so as to capture a second image of said cap and a second separate image of said bottle portion.
[036] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the image capture device includes a first camera arranged so as to capture at least one first image of the cap and portion of the bottle, and at least one second camera arranged so as to capture a second image of said cap and said portion of the bottle.
[037] In a particularly preferred variant of said embodiment of the invention, said first camera is arranged so as to capture a first image of the cap and a first separate image of the bottle portion, and said second camera is arranged so as to capture a second image of said cap and a second separate image of said bottle portion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[038] Other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of some preferred embodiments of the invention, provided by means of non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: - Fig. 1a is a block diagram illustrating the steps of the method for detecting the angular position of a cap relative to the bottle, according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure lb illustrates, in the form of pictograms, the steps of the method shown in Figure 1; Petition 870200015034, dated 01 / 31 / 2020, pp. 81 / 98 8 / 14 - Fig. 2a is a block diagram illustrating the steps of the method for detecting the angular position of a cap relative to the bottle, according to a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 2b illustrates, in the form of pictograms, the steps of the method shown in Figure 2; - Figures 3 and 4 schematically illustrate a possible way of incorporating an apparatus to implement the method of figures 1a to 1b and 2a to 2b. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[039] With reference first to figs. 1a and 1b, the main steps of a first embodiment of the method, according to the invention, for detecting the angular position of a cap T relative to the bottle to which it is applied, are shown schematically.
[040] More specifically, the T-cap is a screw cap having an internal thread, and the bottle is a bottle made of plastic material having a neck provided with a thread.
[041] In a way that is already known, to detect the angular position of the cap T in relation to the corresponding bottle, a first marker M1 is provided on the surface of the cap and a second marker M2 is provided on the surface of the bottle, for example, on the rim B at the base of the bottle neck.
[042] It will be clearly apparent to the person skilled in the art that the provision of the second marker M2 on the rim B, or, in any case, in the neck region of the bottle, is advantageous, insofar as it is possible to capture a single image in which both the cap and the portion of the bottle that has this second marker are present. However, it will also be clearly apparent to the person skilled in the art that such an arrangement is not intended to have a limiting meaning, and that the second marker may even be located in another portion of the bottle.
[043] In a first step 100 of the method according to the invention, the process of detecting the angular position of the cap T is initiated.
[044] For example, it is possible to assume that bottles with their associated caps advance in a line along a conveyor line of a bottling system, and that said bottling system is equipped with a photocell or similar sensor for the purpose of signaling that the bottle to be inspected is in the correct position. Petition 870200015034, dated 01 / 31 / 2020, pp. 82 / 98 9 / 14 correct.
[045] In a second step 110, a first image 10 of the cap T and rim B of the bottle is captured.
[046] As can be seen in fig. lb, at this stage a plurality of liquid G droplets and possibly other impurities are present on the cap T and edge B, and the said liquid G droplets will be reproduced in the aforementioned first image 10. Fig. lb also shows how the correct detection of the actual positions of the first and second markers M1, M2 is difficult and subject to high margins of error.
[047] According to the invention, in a third step 120, the liquid droplets G and other impurities are removed from the cap T and the rim B of the bottle.
[048] Preferably, the said liquid G droplets are removed by mechanical action using a cleaning device 20, for example, which directs one or more jets of air against said cap and said rim.
[049] In a fourth step 130, a second image 30 of the cap T and rim B of the bottle is captured.
[050] As can be seen in fig. lb, in this step many of the liquid droplets G previously present on the cap T and rim B were removed. Furthermore, even if the liquid droplets were not completely removed in the cleaning step, in any case the remaining liquid droplets G' were displaced by the air jets of the cleaning device 20.
[051] In a fifth step 140, the first image 10 of the cap T and rim B of the bottle and the second image 30 of the cap T and rim B of the bottle are compared, and a processing 40 of the image of the cap T and rim B of the bottle is generated.
[052] Thanks to the removal of liquid droplets and other impurities, any noise or interference in the detection of the positions of the M1, M2 markers (whose noise or interference is present in the first image 10 and, to a lesser degree, in the second image 30) is completely eliminated.
[053] Consequently, in a sixth step 150, the position of the first marker M1 on the Tea cap and the position of the second marker M2 on the rim B of the bottle can be detected from processing 40, without risk of error, and the angle 50 between the Petition 870200015034, dated 01 / 31 / 2020, pp. 83 / 98 10 / 14 mentioned Ml markers, M2 can be determined.
[054] Based on the aforementioned angle 50, it will be possible to calculate the closing torque of the cap on the bottle, and the calculated value can be compared with a predetermined reference value (or range of values).
[055] In the case of a bottling system including a capping station equipped with a plurality of capping devices, it is possible that the method according to the invention stores the calculated values for the angle 50 between the Mie M2 markers, and classifies them according to the specific capping device used, so that the stored data can be used for calibration and maintenance purposes of the different capping devices.
[056] Looking now at figs. 2a and 2b, a second embodiment of the method according to the invention is shown for detecting the angular position of a cap T relative to the bottle on which it is applied.
[057] Also in this embodiment, in a first step 200 of the method according to the invention the process of detecting the angular position of the cap T is initiated.
[058] In a second stage 210, a first image 10a of the cap T and a first separate image 10b of the rim B of the bottle are captured.
[059] Advantageously, the capture settings for the first image 10a of the cap T and the capture settings for the first image 10b of the rim B of the bottle can be different, and can be selected to optimize the capture of the respective markers M1, M2 provided on the cap T and rim B.
[060] In fact, since cap T and rim B are made of different materials (e.g., clear plastic material for the bottle and white or colored plastic material for the cap), selecting settings that allow effective detection of both M1 and M2 markers can be difficult.
[061] Advantageously, in this form of embedding, the first image 10a of the T cap can be captured using settings, in terms of exposure time and integration, that are ideal for detecting the first marker M1, and the first image 10b of the rim can be captured with settings, in terms of exposure time and integration, that are different and ideal for detecting the second marker M2. Petition 870200015034, dated 01 / 31 / 2020, pp. 84 / 98 11 / 14
[062] Also in this embodiment, according to the invention, in a third step 220 the drops of liquid G and the other impurities are removed from the cap T and the rim B of the bottle, for example, by directing one or more jets of air against said cap and said rim.
[063] In a fourth step 230, a second image 30a of the cap T and a second image 30b of the rim B of the bottle are captured.
[064] Also in this case, the second image 30a of the lid can be captured using settings, in terms of exposure time and integration, that are ideal for detecting the first marker M1, and the second image 30b of the rim can be captured using settings, in terms of exposure time and integration, that are different and ideal for detecting the second marker M2.
[065] In a fifth step 240, the first image 10a of the Tea cap and the second image 30a of the T cap are compared, and a first processing 40a of the T cap image is generated. Similarly, the first image 10b of the B rim of the bottle and the second image 30b of the B rim of the bottle are compared, and a second processing 40b of the B rim of the bottle image is generated.
[066] Thanks to the removal of liquid droplets and other impurities, any noise or interference in the detection of the position of the first marker M1 is completely eliminated from the first processing 40a of the cap T image. In the same way, any noise or interference in the detection of the position of the second marker M2 is completely eliminated from the second processing 40b of the bottle rim B image.
[067] Consequently, in the sixth step 250, the position of the first marker M1 on the Tea cap and the position of the second marker M2 on the edge B of the bottle can be detected from a third processing 40c, obtained by combining the first processing 40a and the second processing 40b, and the angle 50 between said markers M1, M2 can be determined without risk of error.
[068] Also in this case, according to the aforementioned angle 50, it will be possible to calculate the closing torque of the cap T on the bottle, and the calculated value can then be compared to a predetermined reference value (or range of values).
[069] In addition, in this case as well, it will be possible to provide a step of Petition 870200015034, dated 01 / 31 / 2020, pages 85 / 98 12 / 14 storage of the calculated values for the 50° angle between markers M1 and M2, possibly classified depending on the specific cap-placing device used, so that the stored data can be used for calibration and maintenance purposes of the different cap-placing devices.
[070] From the description above, it is therefore clearly apparent that the invention achieves the stated objectives, since the step of removing liquid droplets and other possible impurities from the cap T and the rim B of the bottle allows eliminating (or at least drastically reducing) errors in detecting the correct positions of the markers M1, M2 provided on said cap and rim, and in determining their actual relative angular position.
[071] Looking now at figs. 3 and 4, a form of incorporation of a device 1 suitable for implementing the method described above to detect the angular position of a cap relative to a bottle is shown only by way of example.
[072] More generally, the said apparatus 1 includes: an image capture device 3, comprising means for capturing at least one first image of the cap T and the rim B of the bottle, and also for capturing at least one second image of the said cap T and the said rim B; a cleaning device 20, comprising means for removing liquid droplets and other impurities from the surfaces of the said cap T and the said rim B; and a processing unit (not shown), comprising means for processing the images captured by the image capture device 3, for generating the corresponding processings, and for determining the relative angular position of each cap in relation to the respective bottle, by detecting the respective markers.
[073] The aforementioned image capture device 3 and the aforementioned cleaning device 20 may have any structure and any mode of operation known to those skilled in the art.
[074] In the illustrated embodiment, the image capture device 3 includes a first camera 5a arranged upstream of the cleaning device 20 in the direction of forward movement of the bottles (indicated by arrow F in the figures), and a second camera 5b arranged downstream of said cleaning device 20 in said direction of forward movement of the bottles. Petition 870200015034, dated 01 / 31 / 2020, pp. 86 / 98 13 / 14
[075] Both the first camera 5a and the second camera 5b are provided with an optical system 7a, 7b, through which it is possible to frame the side wall of the cap region T and the rim B of the bottle from above, to capture an image in which the two markers M1, M2 are simultaneously visible.
[076] Furthermore, both the first camera 5a and the second camera 5b are provided with a lighting system 9a, 9b. The said lighting system may comprise, for example, a ring located above the bottles and provided with a plurality of light sources, preferably LEDs, and even more preferably white LEDs.
[077] In a first possible mode of use, the first camera 5a is arranged to capture a first image of the cap T and the rim B with their respective markers, before the removal of liquid droplets and other possible impurities, and the second camera 5b is arranged to capture a second image of the cap T and the rim B with their respective markers, after the removal of said liquid droplets and other possible impurities.
[078] In a second possible mode of use, the first camera 5a is arranged to capture a first image of the cap T with the first marker, and a first separate image of the rim B with the second marker, before the removal of liquid droplets and other possible impurities, and the second camera 5b is arranged to capture a second image of the cap T with the first marker, and a second separate image of the rim B with the second marker, after the removal of said liquid droplets and other possible impurities.
[079] In the latter case, the first and second cameras 5a, 5b are provided with a specific function (known as variation) which, with a single actuation, allows capturing two different images with a very short time difference and possibly with different settings, in particular in terms of exposure time and integration.
[080] The cleaning device 20 is preferably configured to clean the cover T and the rim B by means of a mechanical action, and includes, more particularly, one or more nozzles arranged to direct jets of air. Petition 870200015034, dated 01 / 31 / 2020, pages 87 / 98 14 / 14 corresponding against the surfaces of said lid and the aforementioned rim.
[081] In the illustrated embodiment, said cleaning device 20 includes a ring structure 11 located above the bottles, provided with a plurality of nozzles arranged along the circumference of said ring structure, and directed towards the cap and the rim of the bottle below them.
[082] In a particularly preferred variant of this embodiment of the invention, the ring structure is divided into a plurality of sectors 11a to lld, and only the nozzles in a given sector are actuated at a time in order to direct their jets of air against the cap and rim of the bottle below them.
[083] For this purpose, the processing unit of device 1 is arranged in such a way as to determine an estimate of the marker positions based only on the first image(s), and the nozzles of one or more specific sectors of the ring structure 11 are activated according to this estimate.
[084] It will be clearly evident to a person skilled in the art that the apparatus described above is suitable for implementing the method according to the invention.
[085] Furthermore, it will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiment described above has been provided only by way of non-limiting example, and that various alterations and modifications are possible within the knowledge of those skilled in the art, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
[086] For example, by providing an appropriate optical system, it is possible to use a single camera capable of capturing either a single or multiple first images of the bottle cap and rim upstream of the cleaning device, and a single or multiple second images of the bottle cap and rim downstream of the cleaning device.
[087] On the other hand, it is also possible to provide the image capture device with separate cameras to capture images of the cap and to capture images of the bottle rim (or the different portion of the bottle in which the second marker is provided).
Claims
1. METHOD FOR DETECTING THE ANGULAR POSITION OF A CAP (T) IN RELATION TO A BOTTLE, to which said cap is applied, wherein a first marker (M1) is provided on the surface of said cap (T) and a second marker (M2) is provided on the surface of a portion (B) of said bottle, said method comprising a capture step (110; 210) of at least one first image (10; 10a, 10b) of said cap (T) and said portion (B) of the bottle, further characterized by comprising: - a removal step (120; 220) from said cap (T) and said portion (B) of the bottle of liquid droplets (G) and other possible impurities, existing on said cap (T) and said portion (B) of the bottle, and / or displacement of said droplets (G) and possible impurities in relation to said cap (T) and to the aforementioned portion (B) of the bottle; - a capture step (130; 230) of at least one second image (30; 30a, 30b) of the said cap (T) and the aforementioned portion (B) of the bottle;- a comparison step (140; 240) of at least one cited first image (10; 10a, 10b) and at least one cited second image (30; 30a, 30b) of said cap and mentioned portion of the bottle, generating at least one processing (40; 40a, 40b, 40c) of the image of said cap and said portion of the bottle; - a detection step (150; 250) of the positions of said first and second markers (M1, M2) in at least one cited processing (40; 40a, 40b, 40c), determining the angle (50) between said markers (M1, M2).
2. METHOD, according to claim 1, characterized by a single first image (10) including said cap and said portion of the bottle being captured, and a single second image (30) including said cap and said portion of the bottle being captured.
3. METHOD, according to claim 1, characterized by a first image (10a) of said cap and a first separate image (10b) of said portion of the bottle being captured, and a second image (30a) of said cap and a second separate image (30b) of said portion of the bottle being captured.
4. METHOD, according to claim 3, characterized by the aforementioned first Petition 870260055249, dated 08 / 06 / 2026, p. 14 / 22 2 / 3 image (10a) and the aforementioned second image (30a) of the said cap being captured with the selection of ideal capture parameters for the detection of said first marker (M1), and the aforementioned first image (10b) and the aforementioned second image (30b) of the said portion of the bottle being captured with the selection of ideal capture parameters for the detection of said second marker (M2).
5. METHOD, according to claim 1, characterized in that said liquid droplets (G) and other possible impurities are removed and / or displaced by directing one or more jets of air against said cap and the mentioned portion of the bottle.
6. METHOD, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the portion of the bottle is the rim (B) at the base of the neck of said bottle.
7. APPARATUS (1) FOR DETECTING THE ANGULAR POSITION OF A CAP (T) IN RELATION TO A BOTTLE, to which the cap is applied and which advances through said apparatus, with a first marker (M1) being provided on the surface of said cap (T) and a second marker (M2) being provided on the surface of a portion (B) of said bottle, said apparatus being characterized by comprising: - a cleaning device (20), comprising means (11) for removing from the surface of said cap (T) and said portion (B) of the bottle liquid droplets (G) and possible other impurities, and / or for displacing such droplets (G) and possible impurities in relation to said cap (T) and said portion (B) of the bottle; - an image capture device (3), comprising means (5a, 7a, 5b, 7b) for capturing at least one first image (10;10a, 10b) of the said cap (T) and the said portion (B) of the bottle, upstream of the said cleaning device (20) in the direction of forward movement of the bottle, and to capture at least one second image (30; 30a, 30b) of the said cap (T) and the said portion (B) of the bottle, downstream of the said cleaning device (20) in the direction of forward movement of the bottle; and - a processing unit, comprising means for comparing at least one said first image (10; 10a, 10b) and at least one said second image (30; 30a, 30b) of said cap (T) and the said portion (B) of the bottle, and for generating Petition 870260055249, dated 08 / 06 / 2026, page. 15 / 22 3 / 3 at least one corresponding image processing (40; 40a, 40b, 40c), to detect the position of the aforementioned first and second markers (M1, M2) in at least one of the aforementioned processing (40; 40a, 40b, 40c), and to determine the angle (50) between the aforementioned markers (M1, M2).; 8. APPARATUS (1), according to claim 7, characterized in that said image capture device (3) comprises a first camera (5a), disposed upstream of said cleaning device (20) in the direction of advancement of said bottle, and a second camera (5b), disposed downstream of said cleaning device (20) in the direction of advancement of said bottle, said first and second cameras (5a, 5b) each being provided with a respective optical system (7a, 7b).
9. APPARATUS (1), according to claim 8, characterized in that said first and second cameras (5a, 5b) are each equipped with a respective lighting system (9a, 9b), comprising a ring provided with a plurality of light sources, preferably LEDs, and more preferably white LEDs.
10. APPARATUS (1), according to claim 8, characterized in that said first and second cameras (5a, 5b) are provided with a variation function and are capable of capturing two different images with different settings.
11. APPARATUS (1), according to claim 7, characterized in that said cleaning device (20) comprises a ring structure (11) provided with a plurality of nozzles arranged along the circumference of said ring structure.
12. APPARATUS (1), according to claim 11, characterized in that said ring structure (11) of said cleaning device (20) is divided into a plurality of sectors (11a to 11d), wherein one or more sectors are selectively activated according to an estimate of the positions of said markers (M1, M2), said estimate being performed by said processing unit, according to at least one said first image (10; 10a, 10b) of said cap and said portion of the bottle, captured by said image capture device (3).