Inspection device

Abstract

To provide an inspection device capable of reliably inspecting that two or more egg cartons with uneven surfaces are not stacked.SOLUTION: An inspection device 4 for inspecting whether an egg carton P placed on a conveying surface 11 is a single carton includes a guide section 41 and a sensor section 42. The guide section 41 holds the egg carton P with its lid P3 open. The sensor unit 42 transmits ultrasonic waves through the egg carton P held by the guide section 41. The guide section 41 has at least one of an opening direction restriction guide 43 restricting movement in the direction of opening the lid P3 and a closing direction restriction guide 44 restricting movement in the direction of closing the lid P3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inspection device for inspecting egg cartons separated from a stack for abnormalities. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a device that detects whether or not there is only one tray by transmitting a sensor signal after separating dish-shaped trays from a stacked state (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In egg carton production lines, stacked egg cartons are peeled off one by one and fed to downstream processes. However, because egg cartons are transparent and thin, it is difficult to visually confirm that two egg cartons are stacked on top of each other while being transported on the production line. Furthermore, egg cartons have unique characteristics, such as a lid that is integrated with the carton body that contains the eggs, and uneven surfaces due to the unevenness of the carton itself.

[0004] If egg cartons are supplied to downstream processes with two or more stacked on top of each other, problems may arise, such as the device that closes the lids on the egg cartons not being able to close them properly, or the device that holds the lids and transfers them to cardboard boxes, etc. not being able to hold the lids properly. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-177516 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention provides an inspection device that can stably inspect whether two or more uneven egg cartons are stacked on top of each other. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The inspection device of the present invention is an inspection device that inspects whether there is a single egg carton placed on a conveying surface, and is equipped with a guide unit that holds the egg carton with the lid open, and a sensor unit that passes ultrasonic waves through the egg carton held in the guide unit, and the guide unit has at least one of an opening direction control guide that controls movement of the lid in the opening direction and a closing direction control guide that controls movement of the lid in the closing direction.

[0008] The above and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic plan view of a system according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a schematic plan view of a transport device in which the inspection device of the embodiment is used. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the inspection device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the inspection device according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of a first modified example of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of a second modified example of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of a third modified example of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of a fourth modified example of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of a fifth modified example of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. An inspection device 4 according to this embodiment is used in a system 10 as shown in Fig. 1, for example. This system 10 is an egg grading and packaging system operating at a GP center. This system 10 includes a conveying device 1 and a pack supplying device 2. The conveying device 1 conveys egg packs P after egg packs P conveyed by an upstream conveying device 12 join together on the downstream side, and multiple types of egg packs P are conveyed on the conveying device 1.

[0011] First, we will explain the egg carton P. The egg carton P is made of transparent plastic and comprises a carton body P1, a folding portion P2, and a lid P3. The carton body P1, folding portion P2, and lid P3 are integrally formed. Flanges P5 and P9 are provided on the periphery of the carton body P1 and the lid P3, respectively. The egg carton P may be a "regular pack" in which the lid P3 has an irregularity (egg seat P8) formed on it that conforms to the shape of the egg E, or a "flat pack" in which the top surface P6 of the lid P3 is flat.

[0012] The pack body P1 has unevenness in the thickness direction. The pack body P1 has an egg seat P4 formed to fit the shape of the egg E and contains the egg E. The egg seat P4 has multiple ribs (not shown) to prevent a decrease in its strength. The folding portion P2 is provided on one side edge of the pack body P1.

[0013] The lid P3 has a top surface P6 and side surfaces P7. The lid P3 has unevenness in the thickness direction. The lid P3 is provided with multiple ribs (not shown) to prevent its strength from decreasing. The lid P3 is attached to one side edge of the pack body P1 via a bent portion P2. The lid P3 of this embodiment has an egg seat P8 formed to fit the shape of the egg E. The egg seat P8 is provided with multiple ribs to prevent its strength from decreasing.

[0014] The system 10 further includes a pack detection device 3, an inspection device 4, a label application device 5, and a sealing device 6. The pack detection device 3, the inspection device 4, the label application device 5, and the sealing device 6 are arranged along the conveying device 1. The locations and types of the pack detection device 3, the inspection device 4, the label application device 5, and the sealing device 6 are not limited to those shown in the figure.

[0015] The conveying device 1 conveys egg packs P. The conveying device 1 is a conveyor that supports the lower surface of the pack body P1.

[0016] The pack detection device 3 detects the arrival of egg packs P transported by the conveying device 1. The pack detection device 3 is, for example, a retro-reflective photoelectric sensor. The pack detection device 3 is composed of light emitters and receivers 31, 32 provided on the sides of the conveying device 1, and a reflector (not shown) provided on the opposite side of the conveying device 1. The arrival of an egg pack P is detected when the egg pack P blocks the light from the light emitter 31. The information obtained by the pack detection device 3 is used to determine the timing for the inspection device 4 to inspect whether there is a single egg pack P.

[0017] The label applying device 5 applies a label (not shown) to the egg pack P. The label applying device 5 may be one that places a label inside the egg pack P, or one that attaches a label to the top surface of the eggs E.

[0018] The sealing device 6 has a lid closing guide 61 and a tape sealer 62. The lid closing guide 61 lifts the lid P3 of the egg pack P transported by the transport device 1 and guides it to the closing position. After closing the lid P3, the tape sealer 62 seals the flanges P5 and P9 with adhesive tape (not shown).

[0019] Inspection device 4 inspects whether or not there is only one egg pack P placed on conveyance surface 11. Inspection device 4 includes guide unit 41, sensor unit 42, and a determination unit (not shown).

[0020] The guide portion 41 holds the egg pack P with the lid P3 open. The guide portion 41 holds the lid P3 at a predetermined angle relative to the pack body P1. Note that the guide portion 41 is not shown in Figures 1 and 2. An opening is provided in the guide portion 41 at a portion through which the ultrasonic waves pass. The guide portion 41 of this embodiment has an opening direction restricting guide 43 that restricts movement of the lid P3 in the opening direction, and a closing direction restricting guide 44 that restricts movement of the lid P3 in the closing direction.

[0021] Opening direction restricting guide 43 holds top surface P6 of lid P3. Opening direction restricting guide 43 is a plate-like member arranged along the conveyance direction. As shown in FIG. 3, in one egg carton P, the side surface of opening direction restricting guide 43 holds top surface P6 of lid P3. On the other hand, in another egg carton P, the end portion of opening direction restricting guide 43 holds top surface P6 of lid P3, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0022] Closing direction guide 44 holds, for example, a protrusion (not shown) provided between adjacent egg seats P8 of lid P3 or a part of flange P9 provided on the periphery of lid P3. Closing direction guide 44 is a plate-like member arranged along the conveyance direction. As shown in FIG. 3, in one egg carton P, closing direction guide 44 does not come into contact with lid P3 during inspection. On the other hand, in another egg carton P, as shown in FIG. 4, the side of closing direction guide 44 holds lid P3.

[0023] In this way, during inspection, in the guide portion 41 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, for one egg pack P1, the opening direction regulating guide P43 holds the lid P3, while for another egg pack P, as shown in Figure 4, the opening direction regulating guide P43 and the closing direction regulating guide P44 work together to hold the lid P3.

[0024] The sensor unit 42 passes ultrasonic waves through the egg carton P held by the guide unit 41. The sensor unit 42 has a sound projector 45 and a sound receiver 46. The sensor unit 42 is positioned so that the ultrasonic waves pass through the side P7 of the lid P3. The sound projector 45 is positioned on one side of the lid P3 and emits ultrasonic waves. The sound projector 45 is positioned below the open lid P3. Meanwhile, the sound receiver 46 is positioned on the opposite side of the lid P3 from the sound projector 45 and receives the ultrasonic waves. The sound receiver 46 is positioned above the open lid P3. In order to ensure stable detection when the sensor unit 42 passes ultrasonic waves, it is preferable to install the sound projector 45 and the sound receiver 46 at a predetermined distance and at an angle to the object to be inspected.

[0025] The determination unit determines the state of the egg carton P based on the ultrasonic volume received by the sensor unit 42. If the ultrasonic volume received by the sensor unit 42 is smaller than the threshold, the determination unit determines that there is more than one egg carton P (two or more eggs overlapping). Specifically, based on information from the carton detection device 3, the determination unit monitors the ultrasonic volume received by the receiver 46 for a certain period of time during which "an egg carton P is present at the sensor unit 42." The certain period of time may be, for example, the period from when the leading edge of an egg carton P being transported by the transport device 1 begins to pass the sensor unit 42 until the trailing edge of the egg carton P has passed. If the rate at which the received volume falls below the threshold during that certain period of time is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the determination unit determines that there is more than one egg carton P. The determination unit is composed of a dedicated or general-purpose computer, including a CPU, internal memory, input / output interface, and AD converter. The CPU and other peripheral devices work together in accordance with a program stored in the internal memory to perform the determination unit's function.

[0026] If the determination unit detects an abnormality, the conveying device 1 may be stopped, or the corresponding egg pack P may be removed from the conveying device 1 on the downstream side.

[0027] As described above, the inspection device 4 of this embodiment inspects whether there is a single egg pack P placed on the conveying surface 11. The inspection device 4 includes a guide unit 41 and a sensor unit 42. The guide unit 41 holds the egg pack P with the lid P3 open. The sensor unit 42 passes ultrasonic waves through the egg pack P held by the guide unit 41. The guide unit 41 of this embodiment includes an opening direction restricting guide 43 that restricts the movement of the lid P3 in the opening direction and a closing direction restricting guide 44 that restricts the movement of the lid P3 in the closing direction. This structure allows the lid P3 to be held at a predetermined angle relative to the pack body P1. The inspection device 4 of this embodiment stabilizes the position of the lid P3, allowing the sound projector 45 and the sound receiver 46 to be closer to each other when the lid P3 of the egg pack P passes between them. Since the sensor unit 42 can be positioned in a preferred location, stable detection is possible.

[0028] Inspection device 42 of the present embodiment inspects side surface P7 of lid P3, so inspection is possible regardless of the type of egg carton P and the shape of top surface P6 of lid P3.

[0029] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

[0030] Modified examples of the present invention are shown in Figures 5 to 11. In the modified examples, parts that are the same as (or equivalent to) the above-described embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and their description will not be repeated unless necessary.

[0031] In the first modified example shown in Figures 5 to 7, the guide unit 41 has an opening direction restricting guide 43 that restricts movement of the lid P3 in the opening direction. The guide unit 41 holds the top surface P6 of the lid P3. The guide unit 41 is rod-shaped and arranged along the conveyance direction, and supports the lid P3 with its peripheral surface. The guide unit 41 holds the lid P3 at a predetermined angle relative to the pack body P1 that is different from that in the above-described embodiment. The sensor unit 42 is arranged so that ultrasonic waves pass through the side surface P7 of the lid P3. Note that the lid P3 is not shown in Figures 6 and 7.

[0032] In the second modified example shown in FIG. 8 , the guide unit 41 includes an opening direction restricting guide 43 that restricts the movement of the lid P3 in the opening direction and a closing direction restricting guide 44 that restricts the movement of the lid P3 in the closing direction. The opening direction restricting guide 43 holds the top surface P6 of the lid P3. The opening direction restricting guide 43 is a plate-like member arranged along the conveyance direction, and its upper surface supports the lid P3. Meanwhile, the closing direction restricting guide 44 holds, for example, a protrusion (not shown) provided between adjacent egg seats P8 of the lid P3 or a portion of a flange P9 provided on the periphery of the lid P3. The closing direction restricting guide 44 is a plate-like member arranged along the conveyance direction, and its lower surface guides the lid P3. The guide unit 41 holds the lid P3 at a predetermined angle relative to the pack body P1, which is different from that of the above-described embodiment. The sensor unit 42 is arranged so that ultrasonic waves pass through the top surface P6 of the lid P3. An opening is provided in the guide unit 41 at the portion through which the ultrasonic waves pass.

[0033] In the third modified example shown in FIG. 9, the guide unit 41 has an opening direction restricting guide 43 that restricts movement of the lid P3 in the opening direction. The guide unit 41 holds the side surface P7 of the lid P3. The guide unit 41 is plate-shaped and arranged along the conveyance direction, supporting the lid P3 at its end. The guide unit 41 holds the lid P3 at a predetermined angle relative to the pack body P1, which is different from that of the above-described embodiment. The sensor unit 42 is positioned so that ultrasonic waves pass through the top surface P6 and side surface P7 of the lid P3. Because the guide unit 41 of this modified example holds the side surface P7 of the lid P3, it is possible to guide the lid P3 regardless of the type of egg pack P or the shape of the top surface P6 of the lid P3.

[0034] In the fourth modified example shown in FIG. 10 , the guide unit 41 includes an opening direction restricting guide 43 that restricts the movement of the lid P3 in the opening direction and a closing direction restricting guide 44 that restricts the movement of the lid P3 in the closing direction. The opening direction restricting guide 43 holds the top surface P6 of the lid P3. The opening direction restricting guide 43 is a plate-like member arranged along the conveyance direction, and its side surface supports the lid P3. Meanwhile, the closing direction restricting guide 44 holds, for example, a protrusion (not shown) provided between adjacent egg seats P8 of the lid P3 or a portion of a flange P9 provided on the periphery of the lid P3. The closing direction restricting guide 44 is a plate-like member arranged along the conveyance direction, and its side surface guides the lid P3. The guide unit 41 holds the lid P3 relative to the pack body P1 at a predetermined angle different from that of the above-described embodiment, specifically, perpendicular to the conveyance surface 11. The sensor unit 42 is arranged so that ultrasonic waves pass through the top surface P6 of the lid P3. An opening is provided in the guide part 41 at the portion through which the ultrasonic waves pass.

[0035] In the fifth modified example shown in FIG. 11 , the guide unit 41 has an opening direction restricting guide 43 that restricts movement of the lid P3 in the opening direction. The guide unit 41 holds the side surface P7 of the lid P3. The guide unit 41 is plate-shaped and arranged along the conveyance direction, supporting the lid P3 with its upper surface. The guide unit 41 holds the lid P3 at a predetermined angle relative to the pack body P1 that is different from that of the above-described embodiment. The sensor unit 42 is positioned so that ultrasonic waves pass through the top surface P6 and side surface P7 of the lid P3. Because the guide unit 41 of this modified example holds the side surface P7 of the lid P3, it is possible to guide the lid P3 regardless of the type of egg pack P or the shape of the top surface P6 of the lid P3.

[0036] The sensor unit 42 may be such that ultrasonic waves pass only through the side surface P7 of the lid P3, or may be such that ultrasonic waves pass through the seam (folded portion P2) between the lid P3 and the pack body P1. In particular, if the egg pack P does not have perforations at the folded portion P2, detection is possible by passing ultrasonic waves through the folded portion P2. Furthermore, when no eggs E are contained, the sensor unit 42 may be such that ultrasonic waves pass through the pack body P1.

[0037] Conveying device 1 may be one that conveys one type of egg pack P. Furthermore, conveying device 12 on the upstream side may inspect whether or not there is only one egg pack P on the conveying surface.

[0038] In the sensor unit 42, the positional relationship between the sound projector 45 and the sound receiver 46 may be upside down with the lid P3 in between.

[0039] The guide portion 41 may have only the closing direction restricting guide 44. Furthermore, the form of the guide portion 41 is not limited to that shown in the drawings.

[0040] The embodiments disclosed herein are examples and are not intended to be limiting. The present invention is defined not by the scope of the above description but by the scope of the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims. [Industrial Applicability]

[0041] The present invention can be used in an egg carton inspection device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 10...System 1...Transportation device 11...Transport surface 2...Pack supply device 3...Pack detection device 31...Floodlight 32…Receiver 4...Inspection equipment 41...Guide part 42...Sensor section 43...Opening direction control guide 44...Closing direction control guide 45...Sound projector 46...Sound receiver 5...Labeling device 6...Sealing device 61...Lid closing guide 62...Tape sealer P...egg carton P1...Pack body P2: Bending part P3…Lid P4...Egg (on the pack) P5...Flange (of the pack body) P6...Top surface (of the lid) P7...(lid) side P8...(lid) egg seat P9...(lid) flange E…Egg

Claims

1. An inspection device that inspects whether there is one egg carton placed on a conveying surface, A guide portion that holds the egg carton with the lid open; a sensor unit that passes ultrasonic waves through the egg carton held by the guide unit, The guide portion has at least one of an opening direction restricting guide that restricts movement of the lid in the opening direction and a closing direction restricting guide that restricts movement of the lid in the closing direction.

2. The inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein the guide portion holds a side surface of the lid.

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