Leak inspection device with external surface inspection function for cup containers, and method for inspecting the external surface and leaks of cup containers.

Abstract

To execute both of leak inspection and external surface inspection of a cup container.SOLUTION: A leak inspection device with an external surface inspection function includes a container-holding mandrel part to be inserted into an opening of a cup container, a first turret capable of rotating while radially holding a plurality of container-holding mandrel parts such that the mandrel parts extend in the radial direction, a pressure application mechanism capable of applying at least one of positive pressure and negative pressure to the container-holding mandrel part, a leak detection part for detecting a leak from the cup container sucked and held by the container-holding mandrel part, a mandrel rotation mechanism for rotating the container-holding mandrel part holding the cup container, and a trunk-part external surface imaging device for imaging a trunk part of the cup container sucked, held and rotated by the container-holding mandrel part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a leak inspection device with an outer surface inspection function capable of performing an outer surface inspection and a leak inspection of a cup container capable of storing articles such as food and pharmaceuticals with one device, and a method for inspecting the outer surface and leaks of a cup container.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, various containers have been used to store contents such as beverages. In particular, containers for storing fluids such as liquids and liquid substances are subjected to leak inspections during the manufacturing process so as not to leak. For example, in Patent Documents 1 to 3 and the like, leak inspection devices for PET bottles capable of storing liquids are disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document ①

Patent Document ③

Disclosure of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] All of the above-mentioned patent documents can be said to be suitable for leak inspection of PET bottles On the other hand, for example, in addition to beverages, cup containers and tumbler containers for storing food and pharmaceuticals (hereinafter, these are also collectively referred to as "cup containers") are known Such cup containers are often decorated on the outer peripheral surface of the container body for the purpose of, for example, improving the design and the discriminability of products

[0005] However, conventional leak testing devices, including those mentioned in the aforementioned patent documents, are not suitable for leak testing of cup containers, and there has been a need for a leak testing device suitable for such cup containers. Furthermore, since the outer surface of cup containers is often decorated as described above, it is desirable that both leak testing and external surface inspection can be performed at least in parallel during a single inspection.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and one of its objectives is to provide a leak inspection device with an external surface inspection function for cup containers that can perform both leak inspection and external surface inspection on cup containers, and a method for inspecting the external surface and leaks of cup containers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A leak inspection device with an external surface inspection function for a cup container according to one embodiment of the present invention is a leak inspection device with an external surface inspection function for a cup container having a bottom and a body, which performs an inspection of the presence or absence of leaks from the cup container and the external surface of the cup container, comprising: a container holding mandrel part inserted into the opening of the cup container; a first turret that can hold and rotate a plurality of container holding mandrel parts radially so as to extend radially; a pressure application mechanism that can apply at least one of positive pressure and negative pressure to the container holding mandrel part; a leak detection unit that detects leaks from the cup container held by the container holding mandrel part; a mandrel rotation mechanism that rotates the container holding mandrel part that holds the cup container; and a body external surface imaging device that images the body of the cup container that is held by the container holding mandrel part and rotates.

[0008] Furthermore, in the leak inspection device with external surface inspection function for cup containers described in (1) above, (2) the mandrel rotation mechanism is preferably configured to include a motor, a belt that rotates via the motor, a roller fixed to the first turret corresponding to the container-holding mandrel portion and capable of contacting the belt, a bevel gear connected to the roller and converting the rotation of the roller into rotation around an axis along the radial direction, and a rear gear provided at the rear end of the container-holding mandrel portion and meshing with the bevel gear.

[0009] Furthermore, in the leak inspection device with external surface inspection function for cup containers described in (2) above, (3) the container holding mandrel portion is preferably configured to include a container holding portion that is inserted into the opening of the cup container and capable of holding the cup container, a tip portion in which flow paths are formed to which positive pressure and negative pressure applied by the pressure application mechanism are respectively applied, and an internal rotating body connected to the tip portion and equipped with the rear gear, which is built into the first turret via a bearing.

[0010] Furthermore, in the leak inspection device with external surface inspection function for cup containers described in any of (1) to (3) above, (4) a displacement detection marker provided on the container holding mandrel portion and rotating together with the container holding mandrel portion, and an encoder that detects the rotation state of the container holding mandrel portion via the displacement detection marker, wherein the external surface imaging device of the body portion preferably captures an image of the body portion based on the rotation state of the container holding mandrel portion detected via the encoder.

[0011] Furthermore, in the leak inspection device with external surface inspection function for cup containers described in (4) above, it is preferable to further include (5) a bottom external surface imaging device that images the outer surface of the bottom of the cup container while the cup container is held by the container holding portion of the container holding mandrel portion via the pressure application mechanism.

[0012] Furthermore, in the leak inspection device with external surface inspection function for cup containers described in (4) above, it is preferable to further include (6) a second turret comprising a plurality of external surface holding holders capable of holding the body of the cup container held by suction in the container holding mandrel, wherein the central axes of the plurality of external surface holding holders are arranged radially, and a container internal surface imaging device for imaging the inner surface of the cup container after it has been transferred from the container holding mandrel to the external surface holding holders.

[0013] Furthermore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a method for inspecting the outer surface and leaks of a cup container according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: (7) a step of suction holding the cup container through the container holding portion of the container holding mandrel portion; a step of rotating a first turret, which holds the container holding mandrel portion radially so that the container holding mandrel portion extends radially from the center position, with the center position as the base point; a step of detecting the presence or absence of a leak based on a change in negative pressure applied to the inner surface of the cup container that is suction held by the container holding mandrel portion rotating via the first turret; and a step of performing an outer surface inspection of the body of the cup container by imaging the body of the cup container that is suction held by the container holding mandrel portion while a predetermined negative pressure is applied to the inner surface of the cup container through the container holding mandrel portion and the container holding mandrel portion is rotated with an axis along the radial direction as the axis of rotation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, leak tests can be performed sequentially on multiple cup-shaped containers, and external surface inspections can also be carried out quickly and in parallel. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing a leak inspection device with an external inspection function in an embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing a part (container input section) of a leak inspection device with an external inspection function in an embodiment. [Figure 3]It is a schematic diagram showing a part (disk valve part) of a leak inspection device with an outer surface inspection function in an embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a partially enlarged view of the α part in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] It is a state transition diagram showing the relative displacement between the disk valve part and the turret part when the turret part is driven. [Figure 6] It is a schematic diagram showing a part (outer surface (barrel part) inspection means) of a leak inspection device with an outer surface inspection function in an embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a schematic diagram showing a part (mandrel rotation mechanism) of a leak inspection device with an outer surface inspection function in an embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a schematic diagram for explaining the difference between the rotation axis and rotation direction of the first turret part and the rotation axis and rotation direction of the container holding mandrel part. [Figure 9] It is a schematic diagram showing a part (rotation unevenness detection means) of a leak inspection device with an outer surface inspection function in an embodiment in a modified example. [Figure 10] It is a schematic diagram showing a part (outer surface (bottom part) inspection means) of a leak inspection device with an outer surface inspection function in an embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a schematic diagram showing a part (second turret part and outer surface (inner surface part) inspection means) of a leak inspection device with an outer surface inspection function in an embodiment. [Figure 12] It is a flowchart showing the outer surface and leak inspection method of a cup container in an embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, while appropriately referring to the drawings, a leak inspection device with an outer surface inspection function in the present invention and an outer surface and leak inspection method of a cup container will be specifically described. Note that the following embodiments illustrate an example of the present invention and do not intend to limit the present invention, and other known configurations may be appropriately supplemented. Also, for configurations other than those detailed below, various known mechanisms may be appropriately incorporated. In the following embodiments, the vertical direction is defined as the Z direction, and the X and Y directions are set as shown in the figures. However, this setting is for convenience of explanation and does not intend to limit the present invention.

[0017] <Leak inspection device 100 with outer surface inspection function> Figs. 1 to 11 show the leak inspection device 100 with outer surface inspection function in the embodiment. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 for example, the leak inspection device 100 with outer surface inspection function in the present embodiment is configured to have a function of inspecting the presence or absence of leakage from a cup container Cp (see Fig. 2) having a bottom portion 1 and a body portion 2, and the outer and inner surfaces of this cup container Cp.

[0018] As the "cup container Cp" suitable for the present embodiment, containers having known openings such as a bottomed cylindrical cup shape or a cup shape can be exemplified. As the material of such a container, known materials can be applied, and examples include paper or paper coated with resin. Also, as long as leak inspection is required, the container may be made of other materials such as resin other than paper. Further, as the content stored in the container, as long as it does not deviate from the gist of the present invention, for example, in addition to foods and clothing, liquids such as beverages and liquid substances such as jelly can be applied.

[0019] Also, such a cup container Cp may have decorations or printing on the outer surface (for example, the body portion 2, etc.) of the container body 3 for the purpose of, for example, improving the design or the product discriminability. Regarding the shape of the opening in the cup container Cp, although a circular shape is preferable, any known shape such as an elliptical shape or a square shape may be adopted as long as it can be suction-held by the container holding portion 11 of the container holding mandrel portion 10 described later.

[0020] The leak inspection device 100 with external inspection function of this embodiment is composed of a container holding mandrel section 10, a first turret 20, a pressure application mechanism 30, a leak detection section 40, a mandrel rotation mechanism 50, a body external surface imaging device 60, a bottom external surface imaging device 61, a container internal surface imaging device 62, and a second turret 70, among others.

[0021] Such a leak inspection device 100 with an external inspection function can perform leak inspections based on the rotational movement of the first turret 20 while holding multiple cup containers Cp that require inspection with the container holding mandrel section 10, and can also perform external inspections of the cup containers Cp positioned at predetermined stations by the first turret 20 using an imaging device.

[0022] Furthermore, the leak inspection device 100 with external inspection function of this embodiment has a function for transferring cup containers Cp between the first turret 20 and the second turret 70. This makes it possible, for example, for a cup container Cp that has undergone leak inspection and external inspection of the body and bottom in the first turret 20 to be continuously inspected internally in the second turret 70.

[0023] The following describes in detail each component of the leak inspection device 100 with external inspection function, with reference to the drawings. The container-holding mandrel portion 10 can be inserted into the opening of the cup container Cp described above. As shown in Figure 3, the container-holding mandrel portion 10 of this embodiment is equipped with a container-holding portion 11 capable of holding the cup container Cp. As can be seen from Figure 2, the leak inspection device 100 with external inspection function is configured to have a plurality of the above-described container-holding mandrel portions 10, thereby making it possible to hold multiple cup containers Cp that require inspection, each with a plurality of container-holding mandrel portions 10.

[0024] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the container-holding mandrel portion 10 of this embodiment is composed of a tip portion 13 and an internal rotating body 14. The tip portion 13 is equipped with a container holding portion 11 that can be inserted into the opening of the cup container Cp and hold the cup container Cp, and has flow paths 12 formed therein to which positive pressure and negative pressure, respectively, applied by the pressure application mechanism 30 described later, are applied. Furthermore, as shown in the figure, the flow paths 12 formed in the container holding mandrel portion 10 consist of a negative pressure flow path 12A to which the negative pressure described above is applied, and a positive pressure flow path 12B to which the positive pressure described above is applied and compressed air can flow.

[0025] As shown in Figures 4 and 8, the internal rotating body 14 is connected to the aforementioned tip portion 13 and includes a rear gear 56 that meshes with a bevel gear 55, which will be described later. In this embodiment, the internal rotating body 14 is housed inside the first turret 20, which will be described later, via a known bearing Br. The flow path structure of the container-holding mandrel section 10 described above is just one example, and the flow path structure within the tip section 13 is not limited to the illustrated form, as long as it is erected radially on the first turret 20 (described later) and capable of adsorbing and holding the cup container Cp with the container-holding section 11.

[0026] The first turret 20 is configured to have the function of holding and rotating the container-holding mandrel section 10 radially so that it extends radially. More specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first turret 20 of this embodiment is configured to hold a plurality of container-holding mandrel sections 10 radially so that each of the container-holding mandrel sections 10 extends radially from a central position C, and is also configured to be rotatable around an axis with respect to this central position C.

[0027] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the first turret 20 is configured to include a main body 21 capable of holding the container-holding mandrel 10, a slide ring 22 located on the upper end side of the main body 21 and in contact with a disc valve 31, which will be described later, and a gas flow path 23 that can communicate with the flow path 12 of the container-holding mandrel 10.

[0028] The pressure application mechanism 30 is configured to apply at least one of positive pressure and negative pressure to the container holding mandrel section 10 via the first turret 20. The pressure application mechanism 30 of this embodiment includes a disc valve section 31 capable of applying positive pressure to the container holding mandrel section 10, and a negative pressure tube (not shown) capable of applying negative pressure to the container holding mandrel section 10. Furthermore, the pressure application mechanism 30 can apply negative pressure to the container holding mandrel section 10 via a known negative pressure tube (not shown) mounted on the first turret 20 (see Figure 4). The pressure application mechanism 30 of this embodiment is configured to allow the first turret 20 to rotate around its axis, and to apply at least one of positive pressure and negative pressure to the container holding section 11 of the container holding mandrel section 10 via the disc valve section 31 and the negative pressure tube via the first turret 20.

[0029] <Applying pressure to the mandrel section for container holding> Next, with reference to Figures 2, 4, and 5, the manner in which positive or negative pressure is applied to the container-holding mandrel portion 10 by the pressure application mechanism 30 in this embodiment will be described. First, as shown in Figure 2, the first turret 20 of this embodiment can rotate intermittently under the control of a control device described later. In other words, the multiple container-holding mandrel sections 10 mounted on the first turret 20 can move sequentially from the input position (a) to positions (b), (c), ..., (h), pausing at each station, as shown in Figure 2. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the cup container Cp is held in the container-holding mandrel section 10 at position (a) so that it falls with its opening facing vertically downwards.

[0030] On the other hand, as can be understood by referring to Figures 4 and 5 together, even when the first turret 20 rotates in the θy (around the Y axis) direction (see Figure 4), positive or negative pressure can still be applied from the pressure application mechanism 30 as needed. As shown in the figures, the slide ring 22 of the first turret 20 and the disc valve portion 31 are separated by a sliding surface SS, and the slide ring 22 can rotate in the θy direction while sliding against the fixed disc valve portion 31. From this perspective, the surfaces of the slide ring 22 and the disc valve portion 31 that constitute the sliding surface SS described above may be coated with a known material with excellent wear resistance (for example, Teflon® material or turcite material) on at least one of them.

[0031] As shown in Figure 5, openings through which gas can flow are formed on the opposing surfaces of the slide ring 22 and the disc valve portion 31. Specifically, the disc valve portion 31, which is fixed to the frame FM, is provided with a first gas flow hole 32A, a second gas flow hole 32B, a third gas flow hole 32C, a fourth gas flow hole 32D, and a fifth gas flow hole 32E, which are intermittently arranged along the circumferential direction, as shown in Figure 5. Of these, for example, the third gas flow hole 32C, the fourth gas flow hole 32D, and the fifth gas flow hole 32E are elongated holes that extend far in the circumferential direction, allowing for continuous communication over that section. For the sake of explanation, Figure 5 shows a negative pressure gas flow hole as an example, but positive pressure gas flow holes are similarly provided in the disc valve portion 31.

[0032] On the other hand, in the slide ring 22 facing the sliding surface where each hole of the disc valve portion 31 is formed, the gas flow paths 23 described above are arranged in multiple locations along the circumferential direction so as to be concentric with the gas flow holes 32 of the disc valve portion 31 at approximately the same radius.

[0033] Therefore, in the leak inspection device 100 with external inspection function of this embodiment, as the first turret 20 rotates in the θy direction (around the Y axis), the slide ring 22 rotates while contacting the disc valve portion 31 via the sliding surface SS, and the necessary positive or negative pressure is applied to the container holding mandrel portion 10 via the pressure application mechanism 30 through changes in the open and closed states of the gas flow holes. For example, in Figure 5, it can be seen that in the state on the left side of the page, the first gas flow hole 32A, the second gas flow hole 32B, the third gas flow hole 32C, the fourth gas flow hole 32D, and the fifth gas flow hole 32E are all in communication with the gas flow path 23, but when transitioning to the state on the right side of the page, the first gas flow hole 32A and the second gas flow hole 32B become blocked.

[0034] As an example, in this embodiment, the pressure application state and processing content at each position of the container holding mandrel section 10 shown in Table 1 below are defined by the cooperation of the pressure application by the pressure application mechanism 30 described above and the opening and closing state of the gas flow hole based on the rotational movement of the first turret 20.

[0035] [Table 1]

[0036] For example, referring to Table 1, Figure 2, and Figure 5, after the cup container Cp requiring inspection is received by the container holding section 11 at position (a) described above, the first turret 20 operates intermittently to move the container holding mandrel section 10 to position (b). At this time, the opening of the gas flow path 23 in the slide ring 22 is positioned to align with the first gas flow hole 32A of the disc valve section 31 (see Figure 5). At this time, the necessary negative pressure is applied via the pressure application mechanism 30 and the negative pressure flow path 12A, etc., making it possible for the container holding section 11 to suction and hold the cup container Cp.

[0037] Furthermore, when the first turret 20 operates intermittently to move the container-holding mandrel section 10 to position (e) described above, the opening of the gas flow path 23 in the slide ring 22 aligns with the second gas flow hole 32B of the disc valve section 31 (see Figure 5). In other words, until the first turret 20 operates intermittently to move the container-holding mandrel section 10 from position (b) to position (e) described above, the gas flow path 23 in the slide ring 22 does not align with the gas flow hole of the disc valve section 31 and remains sealed, maintaining a reduced pressure state, for example, at positions (c) and (d). At position (e), a known differential pressure gauge (not shown) is connected to the gas flow path 23, allowing a leak inspection to be performed by the leak detection unit 40, which will be described later.

[0038] Furthermore, when the first turret 20 operates intermittently to move the container holding mandrel section 10 to the position (f) described above, the opening of the gas flow path 23 in the slide ring 22 aligns with the rear end of the third gas flow hole 32C of the disc valve section 31 (the right end of the third gas flow hole 32C in Figure 5). During this process, the pressure application mechanism 30 applies negative pressure via the negative pressure flow path 12A described above to prevent the cup container Cp from detaching from the container holding section 11. On the other hand, for the container holding section 11 that holds the cup container Cp which has been judged as defective in the leak inspection (details described later) performed at position (e) described above, the pressure application mechanism 30 detaches the cup container Cp from the container holding section 11 via the gas flow path 23 and the positive pressure flow path 12B to perform the NG product discharge process. At position (f), the outer surface inspection of the body is performed by the outer surface inspection means described later.

[0039] Furthermore, when the first turret 20 operates intermittently to move the container-holding mandrel section 10 to the position (g) described above, the opening of the gas flow path 23 in the slide ring 22 aligns with the rear end of the fourth gas flow hole 32D of the disc valve section 31 (the upper right end of the fourth gas flow hole 32D in Figure 5). At this time, the pressure application mechanism 30 applies a negative pressure via the negative pressure flow path 12A described above, to the extent that the cup container Cp does not detach from the container-holding section 11.

[0040] In this embodiment, the ON / OFF switching of the fluid is achieved by the friction between a sliding component (a slide ring 22 in this example) attached to the rotating first turret 20 and the disc valve portion 31. This makes it possible to stably apply the required pressure (negative or positive pressure) to the container holding portion 11 of the container holding mandrel portion 10 when the holes in the sliding surfaces of the slide ring 22 and the disc valve portion 31 align.

[0041] <Leak testing> Next, we will describe the leak test of the cup container Cp performed at position (e) described above. In this embodiment, a predetermined negative pressure is applied to the inside of the cup container Cp supplied to the container holding mandrel section 10 from position (b), and this state is maintained for a certain period of time (such as while passing through positions (c) and (d) above). Then, at position (e), an inspection is performed to check whether damage (such as a hole) has occurred in the cup container Cp due to the difference between the applied pressure and the pressure after holding. As described above, the application of negative pressure, the maintenance of pressure, and the switching of pressure supply to the differential pressure gauge, which is a measuring instrument, are performed by a disc valve section 31 and a negative pressure tube that rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the first turret 20.

[0042] The leak inspection described above is performed by a leak detection unit 40 that constitutes the leak inspection device 100 with an external inspection function. Specifically, the leak detection unit 40 is configured to have the function of detecting leaks from the cup container Cp held by the container holding mandrel 10. More specifically, the leak detection unit 40 detects the presence or absence of a leak based on the change in negative pressure applied to the inner surface of the cup container Cp, which is held by the container holding mandrel 10 that rotates via the first turret 20. In this way, in the leak inspection device 100 with an external inspection function of this embodiment, a predetermined negative pressure is applied to the inner surface of the cup container Cp by the pressure application mechanism 30 via the container holding mandrel 10, and the leak detection unit 40 detects gas leaks from the cup container Cp held by the container holding mandrel 10.

[0043] Such a leak detection unit 40 may be incorporated as part of an operating program into a known control device that comprehensively controls the leak inspection device 100 with an external inspection function. Such a control device may be, for example, a known computer, and is configured to include one or more processors (CPU (Central Processing Unit)) and one or more storage devices (memories) that are communicatively connected to the one or more processors. The control device of this embodiment may, as an example, be configured to be connectable to an external server or the like via a known network.

[0044] <External (body) inspection> Next, referring to Figures 6 to 8 as appropriate, we will describe the shell exterior inspection means, which is one of the exterior inspection means that make up the leak inspection device 100 with an exterior inspection function. The outer surface inspection means of this embodiment has the function of inspecting the outer surface of a cup container Cp that has passed the leak inspection as a good product, and is composed of the mandrel rotation mechanism 50 and the outer surface imaging device 60 described above. The outer surface inspection means of the body has the function of imaging the body of the cup container Cp held by the container holding mandrel 10 while rotating the cup container Cp which is held in the container holding part 11 by suction with the negative pressure described above.

[0045] The mandrel rotation mechanism 50 is capable of rotating the container-holding mandrel section 10, which holds the aforementioned cup container Cp, around a central axis which is the longitudinal direction of the container-holding mandrel section 10. In other words, the mandrel rotation mechanism 50 of this embodiment is configured to have the function of rotating the container-holding mandrel section 10 in the θz direction with a rotation axis (in this example, the Z axis) that is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the first turret 20 (in this example, an axis parallel to the Y axis) as its central axis (see Figures 6 and 8).

[0046] In this embodiment, even as the container holding portion 11 rotates in the θz direction, the supply of negative pressure from the pressure application mechanism 30 via the negative pressure passage 12A is maintained. Therefore, as shown in Figure 8, the negative pressure passage 12A is provided in an annular shape around θz within the tip portion 13, and the portion of the pressure application mechanism 30 that fixes the tube holding portion TS that holds the negative pressure tube is installed on the first turret 20, and the supply of negative pressure during rotation is maintained by the sliding of these parts via the sliding surface SS. In Figure 8, for the sake of explanation, the part with a diagonal line from the upper right to the lower left is the part that can rotate in the θz direction, and the part with a diagonal line from the upper left to the lower right is the part that rotates in the θy direction. From this perspective, for example, a known wear-resistant material such as the Teflon® material or Turkite material described above may be interposed on the end face of the tip portion 13 that constitutes the sliding surface SS.

[0047] As shown in Figure 7, such a mandrel rotation mechanism 50 comprises a known electric motor 51, a belt 52 that rotates via the motor 51, a support roller 53 mounted on the frame FM to support the belt 52, driven rollers 54 fixed to the first turret 20, each corresponding to a plurality of container-holding mandrel sections 10, a bevel gear 55 connected to the driven rollers 54 and converting the rotation of the driven rollers 54 (around the Y-axis in this example) into rotation around a radial axis (around the Z-axis in this example), and a rear gear 56 provided at the rear end of the container-holding mandrel section 10 and meshing with the bevel gear 55. The support rollers 53 may be configured to move automatically or manually to adjust the tension of the belt 52 relative to the driven rollers 54.

[0048] As described above, the first turret 20 is equipped with a plurality of driven rollers 54 corresponding to each container-holding mandrel section 10. Therefore, when the first turret 20 rotates intermittently as described above, one of the driven rollers 54 that reaches the outer surface (body) inspection position (position (f) described above) comes into contact with the belt 52. As a result, the driven roller 54 rotates first via the belt 52 driven by the driving force of the motor 51, and the container-holding mandrel section 10 begins to rotate around a radial axis (Z axis) via the gear mechanism (bevel gear 55 and rear gear 56) following the rotation of the driven roller 54.

[0049] In the leak inspection device 100 with external inspection function of this embodiment, by adopting the above configuration, it is possible to rotate the container holding mandrel 10 with its radial axis as the axis of rotation while a predetermined negative pressure (a pressure value different from the negative pressure value used when performing the leak inspection described above) is applied to the cup container Cp.

[0050] The body outer surface imaging device 60 is configured to image the body of a cup container Cp that is held by suction and rotated by a container holding mandrel 10. More specifically, the body outer surface imaging device 60 of this embodiment images the body of a cup container Cp that is held by suction and rotated by a container holding mandrel 10 via the mandrel rotation mechanism 50 described above.

[0051] In addition, there are no particular limitations on the specific body outer surface imaging device 60 as long as it can continuously image the outer surface of the cup container Cp, and a known line scan camera can be used as an example. In this embodiment, as an example, the above-described line scan camera is used to generate a single inspection image by stitching together the images captured with each scan. In this embodiment, it is preferable to image the cup container Cp one and a half times (1.5 rotations) in order to generate a single inspection image.

[0052] In the external (body) inspection described above, the body (side) of the cup container Cp, which is held by suction in the container holding part 11 that rotates around θz by the mandrel rotation mechanism 50, is imaged. Therefore, the image obtained by the body external imaging device 60 is inevitably dependent on the accuracy of the rotational movement of the mandrel rotation mechanism 50. From this viewpoint, in the leak inspection device 100 with external inspection function of this embodiment, it is preferable to further include the following image adjustment means as a suitable modification of the external inspection means for the body.

[0053] Figure 9 shows the external inspection means for the torso in a modified example. In this modified example, the mandrel rotation mechanism 50 constituting the outer surface inspection means of the body is configured to further include a displacement detection marker 15 and an encoder ER, in addition to the configuration of the above-described embodiment.

[0054] The displacement detection marker 15 is provided on the container-holding mandrel section 10 and is configured to rotate together with the container-holding mandrel section 10. Such a displacement detection marker 15 may be any known scale, such as a grid-like mark detectable by the encoder ER described later. Since the first turret 20 in this embodiment is equipped with multiple container-holding mandrel sections 10, the displacement detection marker 15 is provided on each of the multiple container-holding mandrel sections 10.

[0055] The encoder ER is configured to have the function of detecting the rotational state (absolute position or relative position) of the container holding mandrel portion 10 via the displacement detection marker 15 described above. The encoder ER in this embodiment is fixed to the frame FM, for example. As such an encoder ER, for example, a known incremental or absolute encoder capable of optically detecting the displacement detection marker 15 described above can be applied.

[0056] As a result, the body outer surface imaging device 60, which constitutes the body outer surface inspection means related to the modified form, can capture an image of the body of the cup container Cp based on the rotation state (detected value of rotation angle) of the container holding mandrel part 10 detected via the encoder ER. More specifically, the body outer surface imaging device 60 can adjust the timing of imaging the body of the cup container Cp according to the rotation state detected by the encoder ER. Subsequently, the body outer surface imaging device 60 may generate a single image by arranging the images captured according to the rotation state in chronological order, and perform a pass / fail judgment by comparing this generated image (image data) with a previously stored image of a good product (normal data). This makes it possible to adjust the image to correspond to the rotational irregularities in the mandrel rotation mechanism 50 with high precision, even if irregularities occur (for example, due to vibration during startup or poor contact (slipping) between the belt 52 and the driven roller 54). The outer surface imaging device 60 adjusts the imaging timing of the body of the cup container Cp based on the detection result of the encoder ER, but this embodiment is not limited to this configuration. For example, the outer surface imaging device 60 may process and correct the image of the body of the cup container Cp that has been captured based on the detection result of the encoder ER (the rotational state).

[0057] <External (bottom) inspection> Next, with reference to Figure 10 as appropriate, we will describe the bottom external inspection means, which is one of the external inspection means that constitutes the leak inspection device 100 with external inspection function. The bottom outer surface inspection means of this embodiment includes a container holding mandrel 10 and a bottom outer surface imaging device 61. Furthermore, as described above, the outer surface (bottom) inspection of the cup container Cp in this embodiment is performed at position (d) when it is rotated by the first turret 20.

[0058] In other words, the bottom outer surface imaging device 61, which is installed to correspond to the position (d) described above, images the outer surface of the bottom of the cup container Cp while the cup container Cp is held in place by suction at the container holding portion 11 of the container holding mandrel portion 10 via the pressure application mechanism 30. As for specific examples of such a bottom outer surface imaging device 61, there are no particular limitations as long as it is capable of imaging the bottom of the cup container Cp, and examples include a known digital camera capable of capturing still images and videos.

[0059] At this time, as can be seen from Figure 5 and Table 1, the opening of the gas flow path 23 on the slide ring 22 side does not overlap with any of the gas flow holes 32 of the disc valve section 31. Furthermore, any cup container Cp that is determined to have a defect at the bottom by the bottom external inspection means may be discarded as a defective product at the subsequent location (f).

[0060] <Transfer of cup containers from the first turret to the second turret> Having reached position (g) through the process described above, the cup container Cp is transferred from the first turret 20 to the second turret 70 via a transfer device (not shown), as shown in Figure 1. There are no particular restrictions on such a transfer device, and known gripping mechanisms such as a robot hand may be used.

[0061] As can be seen from Figures 1 and 11, the second turret 70 is configured to have multiple outer surface holding holders 71 capable of holding the body of the cup container Cp that is held by the container holding mandrel portion 10 as described above. As shown in Figure 11, in this embodiment, the second turret 70 is configured with multiple outer surface holding holders 71 arranged in an annular shape such that the central axes of each of the multiple outer surface holding holders 71 are radial.

[0062] In this embodiment, when the first turret 20 positions the cup container Cp at position (g), the body of the cup container Cp is inserted into the outer surface holding holder 71 at position (i) of the second turret 70 via the transfer device described above. Therefore, after the cup container Cp held in the outer surface holding holder 71 is transferred from the first turret 20 to the second turret 70, it moves to the stations shown in Figure 11 by the rotational movement of the second turret 70.

[0063] <External (Internal) Inspection> Next, with reference to Figure 11, an internal inspection means, which is one of the external inspection means constituting the leak inspection device 100 with external inspection function, will be described. The internal surface inspection means of this embodiment is configured to include the external surface holding holder 71 and the container internal surface imaging device 62 described above. The container internal surface imaging device 62 is configured to have the function of imaging the inner surface of the cup container Cp that has been transferred from the container holding mandrel portion 10 to the external surface holding holder 71. As shown in Figure 11, the internal surface inspection of the cup container Cp in this embodiment is performed at position (m) when it is rotated by the second turret 70.

[0064] In other words, the container inner surface imaging device 62, which is installed to correspond to the (m) position described above, holds the outer surface of the cup container Cp with the outer surface holding holder 71 and images the inner surface of the cup container Cp. As for specific examples of such a container inner surface imaging device 62, there are no particular limitations as long as it is capable of imaging the inner surface of the cup container Cp, and examples include a known digital camera capable of capturing still images and videos. Furthermore, cup containers Cp that are determined to have defects on their inner surface by the container inner surface inspection means may be discharged as defective products at the subsequent (p) position by a known method (e.g., by extruding with compressed air).

[0065] Furthermore, it is preferable that the second turret 70 performs cleaning of the inner surface of the cup container Cp before reaching the (m) position described above. That is, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, a cleaning device 63 may be provided that cleans the inner surface of the cup container Cp at position (k) (see Figure 1). Examples of such a cleaning device 63 include, for example, a known dust collector.

[0066] According to the leak inspection device 100 with external inspection function of this embodiment described above, leak inspections can be performed sequentially on multiple cup-shaped containers, and external inspections can also be performed quickly and in parallel.

[0067] <Method for inspecting the outer surface and leaks of cup containers> Next, with reference to Figure 12, a method for inspecting the outer surface and leaks of a cup container using the leak inspection device 100 with the external surface inspection function described above will be explained in detail. In this external surface and leak inspection method, the presence or absence of leaks from a cup container having a bottom and body, and the inspection of the outer surface of the cup container are performed in the following procedure. In the following, an example focusing on a specific cup container will be explained, but as mentioned above, in this embodiment, multiple cup containers Cp can be sequentially transported to each position by the first turret 20 and processed accordingly.

[0068] Furthermore, the method for inspecting the outer surface and leaks of this cup container can be stored as a program in, for example, the control device that constitutes the leak detection unit 40 described above, and executed by the CPU. In addition to being stored in the memory of the control device described above, this program for inspecting the outer surface and leaks may also be downloaded to the control device via a network such as the cloud.

[0069] First, in step 10 shown in Figure 12, for example, at position (a) described above, the cup container Cp to be inspected is supplied to the container holding portion 11 of the container holding mandrel portion 10 in the first turret 20. Subsequently, in step 11, the first turret 20 is intermittently driven around the Y axis (θy direction). This moves the container holding mandrel section 10, which holds the cup container Cp in the container holding section 11, to position (b) (the position of the container holding mandrel section 10 moves to each station in the same manner during subsequent intermittent drives). In addition, in step 11 described above and in subsequent steps such as step 13 described later, the first turret 20, which holds the container holding mandrel section 10 radially so that the container holding mandrel section 10 extends radially from the center position C, is rotated around this center position C as a pivot point.

[0070] Next, in step 12, the cup container Cp is sucked through the container holding portion 11 of the container holding mandrel portion 10 via the pressure application mechanism 30 and the negative pressure flow path 12A described above. In the following step 13, similar to step 11, the container holding mandrel section 10, which holds the cup container Cp, is moved to the next station by the drive of the first turret 20.

[0071] Then, in step 14, it is determined whether or not the bottom outer surface inspection position has been reached. Specifically, for example, the control device described above detects whether or not the cup container Cp to be inspected has reached the position (d) described above. If the cup container Cp has reached position (d) in step 14, then in step 15, the outer (bottom) inspection is performed via the bottom outer surface inspection means described above.

[0072] After the external (bottom) inspection is complete, in the following step 16, the first turret 20 is again driven intermittently to transport the cup container Cp to position (e). In the subsequent step 17, a leak test is performed on the cup container Cp that has reached position (e). Specifically, in step 17, the leak detection unit 40 detects whether or not there is a leak from the cup container Cp held by the container holding mandrel 10 based on the measurement value from the differential pressure gauge described above. In this way, the presence or absence of a leak is detected based on the change in negative pressure applied to the inner surface of the cup container Cp, which is held by the container holding mandrel 10 that rotates via the first turret 20.

[0073] After the leak test is complete, in the following step 18, the first turret 20 is again intermittently driven to transfer the cup container Cp to the next station. Next, in step 19, it is determined whether or not the container has reached the position where the outer surface of the body is to be inspected. Specifically, for example, the control device described above detects whether or not the cup container Cp that requires inspection has reached the position (f) described above.

[0074] Then, in step 19, if the cup container Cp reaches position (f), in step 20, an external (body) inspection is performed via the body external inspection means described above. Specifically, in this process, while a predetermined negative pressure is applied to the inner surface of the cup container Cp via the container holding mandrel 10, the container holding mandrel 10 is rotated with its radial axis as the axis of rotation, and the body of the cup container Cp held by the container holding mandrel 10 is imaged to perform an external inspection of the body.

[0075] From this point onward, if a container is determined to have defects on its outer surface or bottom (a defective product) in step 20, the defective product will be discharged at the next station as described above. After the external inspection of the body and the removal of defective products as described above, the process proceeds to step 21, in which the cup container Cp is transferred from the first turret 20 to the second turret 70 as described above.

[0076] After the cup container Cp is transferred to the second turret 70, the control device intermittently drives the second turret 70 so that the cup container Cp held in the outer surface holding holder 71 is transferred sequentially. After the transfer of the cup container Cp held in the outer surface holding holder 71 begins, in the following step 22, dust is collected from the inner surface of the cup container Cp via the cleaning device 63 described above.

[0077] In the following step 23, similar to step 21, the outer surface holding holder 71 that holds the cup container Cp is moved to the next station by the drive of the second turret 70. Next, in step 24, it is determined whether the cup container Cp has reached the position where the internal surface of the container is to be inspected. Specifically, for example, the control device described above detects whether the cup container Cp that requires inspection has reached the (m) position described above.

[0078] Then, in step 24, if the cup container Cp reaches position (m), an internal surface inspection is performed in step 25 via the container internal surface inspection means described above. After the internal inspection of the cup containers Cp is completed in step 25, the final sorting of good products is performed in the following step 27. For example, the control device may perform a process in which, for example, good cup containers Cp are discharged from position (o) of the second turret 70 using a known method, while cup containers Cp determined to be NG are discharged from position (p) using a known method.

[0079] Thus, the outer surface of the cup container and the leak inspection method of this embodiment are A step of suction-holding the cup container via the container holding portion of the container holding mandrel portion, A step of rotating a first turret, which holds the container-holding mandrel portion radially so that the container-holding mandrel portion extends radially from the central position, with the central position as the base point, A step of detecting the presence or absence of a leak based on a change in negative pressure applied to the inner surface of the cup container, which is held by suction in the container-holding mandrel that rotates via the first turret, The method includes the step of performing an external inspection of the body of the cup container by imaging the body of the cup container held by the container holding mandrel while a predetermined negative pressure is applied to the inner surface of the cup container via the container holding mandrel, and the container holding mandrel is rotated with its axis along the radial direction as the axis of rotation. This allows for sequential leak testing of multiple cup-shaped containers, while simultaneously and quickly performing external inspections.

[0080] The embodiments described above are examples that embody the spirit of the present invention, and may be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, known structures and methods may be added and modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0081] For example, in the embodiment described above, additional processing other than that described above may be performed on the cup container Cp at position (h) of the first turret 20, or at positions (j) and (n) of the second turret 70. Furthermore, the positions on the turrets where each of the above-mentioned leak inspections and external inspections are performed are merely examples, and the above-mentioned processes may also be performed at other stations where the first turret 20 or the second turret 70 are intermittently stopped. [Industrial applicability]

[0082] This invention is suitable for realizing an inspection device that can rapidly perform leak testing and internal and external surface inspections on multiple cup containers in parallel. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 100 Leak detection device with external inspection function 10 Mandrel section for holding container 20 First Turret 30 Pressure application mechanism 30 40 Leak detection unit (control device) 50 Mandrel Rotation Mechanism 60 External imaging device for the torso 61 Bottom external imaging device 62 Container internal surface imaging device 70 Second Turret Cp cup container

Claims

1. A leak inspection device with an external surface inspection function for a cup container, which performs inspection of the external surface of a cup container and the external surface of the cup container, wherein the device performs inspection of the external surface of the cup container and the presence or absence of leaks from the cup container having a bottom and a body, A container-holding mandrel portion is inserted into the opening of the cup container, A first turret that can hold multiple container-holding mandrel sections radially so as to extend in the radial direction and is rotatable, A pressure application mechanism capable of applying at least one of positive and negative pressure to the container-holding mandrel portion, A leak detection unit for detecting leaks from the cup container held by the container holding mandrel section, A mandrel rotation mechanism for rotating the container-holding mandrel portion that holds the cup container, A body outer surface imaging device for imaging the body of the cup container which is held by suction and rotated on the container holding mandrel, A leak inspection device with an external surface inspection function for cup containers, comprising the following features.

2. The aforementioned mandrel rotation mechanism is Motor and, A belt that rotates via the aforementioned motor, A roller fixed to the first turret and capable of contacting the belt, corresponding to the container holding mandrel portion, A bevel gear connected to the roller and converting the rotation of the roller into rotation around an axis along the radial direction, A rear gear is provided at the rear end of the container-holding mandrel portion and meshes with the bevel gear, It consists of including, A leak inspection device with an external surface inspection function for cup containers as described in claim 1.

3. The container-holding mandrel portion is, The container holding portion is inserted into the opening of the cup container and is capable of holding the cup container, and the tip portion has flow paths formed therein to which positive pressure and negative pressure applied by the pressure application mechanism are applied, An internal rotating body, which is connected to the aforementioned tip and equipped with the aforementioned rear gear, is housed inside the first turret via a bearing, It consists of including, A leak inspection device with an external surface inspection function for cup containers as described in claim 2.

4. A displacement detection marker is provided on the container-holding mandrel portion and rotates together with the container-holding mandrel portion, The system further includes an encoder that detects the rotational state of the container-holding mandrel portion via the displacement detection marker, The external imaging device for the body captures an image of the body based on the rotational state of the container-holding mandrel detected via the encoder. A leak inspection device with an external surface inspection function for cup containers according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The device further includes a bottom outer surface imaging device that images the outer surface of the bottom of the cup container while the cup container is held in place by suction at the container holding portion of the container holding mandrel portion via the pressure application mechanism, A leak inspection device with an external surface inspection function for cup containers as described in claim 4.

6. The second turret comprises a plurality of outer surface holding holders capable of holding the body of the cup container held by suction in the container holding mandrel, with the central axes of the plurality of outer surface holding holders radiating outwards, The device further includes a container inner surface imaging device for imaging the inner surface of the cup container after it has been transferred from the container holding mandrel to the outer surface holding holder, A leak inspection device with an external surface inspection function for cup containers as described in claim 4.

7. A method for inspecting the outer surface and leaks of a cup container, comprising a bottom and a body, for checking for leaks from the cup container and inspecting the outer surface of the cup container, A step of suction-holding the cup container via the container holding portion of the container holding mandrel portion, A step of rotating a first turret, which holds the container-holding mandrel portion radially so that the container-holding mandrel portion extends radially from the central position, with the central position as the base point, A step of detecting the presence or absence of a leak based on a change in negative pressure applied to the inner surface of the cup container, which is held by suction in the container-holding mandrel that rotates via the first turret, A step of performing an external inspection of the body of the cup container by imaging the body of the cup container held by the container holding mandrel while a predetermined negative pressure is applied to the inner surface of the cup container via the container holding mandrel, and the container holding mandrel is rotated with its axis along the radial direction as the axis of rotation. A method for inspecting the outer surface and leaks of a cup container comprising the above.

Images