Container Inspection Segmentation for CO2 Bubble Dissolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for inspecting filled containers with CO2-containing products, such as beer or lemonade, face challenges in differentiating between gas bubbles and foreign bodies, leading to incorrect rejections and increased production costs due to the formation of undesired gas bubbles during the inspection process.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that allow containers with gas bubbles or mist to be re-examined at a later time, enabling the dissolution of bubbles back into the product, thereby reducing the error rate of incorrectly rejected containers by distinguishing between contaminants and gas bubbles through image analysis and threshold values in the spin-stop process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the spin-stop inspection method is used to detect foreign objects in CO2-containing products, then foreign objects can be detected through image analysis, but gas bubbles form during rotation causing false rejections
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection process is segmented into multiple phases: initial inspection, rejection for further inspection, and final inspection. This segmentation allows containers with gas bubbles to be separated and re-inspected later, preventing false rejections while maintaining foreign object detection capability
Solution Approach 2:
Containers are preliminarily inspected and those showing gas bubbles are diverted to a holding area before final inspection. This preliminary action allows gas bubbles to dissipate before the second inspection, reducing false rejections while maintaining detection accuracy
2Productivity
If containers with gas bubbles are immediately rejected, then the inspection process is efficient, but non-contaminated containers are incorrectly removed from production
Solution Approach 1:
The rejection process is segmented into immediate rejection for clear contaminants and deferred rejection for containers with gas bubbles. This allows efficient processing of definitely contaminated containers while giving benefit of doubt to containers with only gas bubbles
Solution Approach 2:
A feedback mechanism is implemented where containers rejected for further inspection are re-examined after gas bubble dissipation. The outcome of the second inspection feeds back into the production process, either confirming rejection or returning containers to production
3Reliability
If a longer dwell time is provided between filling and inspection, then gas bubbles can dissipate reducing false rejections, but transport routes must be longer or bulk carriers larger
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary inspection immediately after filling, identifies containers with gas bubbles, and diverts them to a holding area. This allows controlled dwell time in a compact space rather than requiring extended transport routes
Solution Approach 2:
A holding area or bulk carrier serves as an intermediary between filling and final inspection. This intermediary provides the necessary dwell time for gas bubble dissipation without requiring extended transport routes, using a compact intermediate storage space
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces the error rate of incorrectly rejected containers by allowing non-contaminated containers with gas bubbles to be re-examined and potentially returned to the production process, while ensuring contaminated containers are properly removed, thus optimizing the inspection process and reducing production costs.
Implementation Method 1
The container is first set in motion around its own axis until the product, i.e., the liquid, (partially) follows the rotation
Implementation Method 2
the product, i.e., the liquid, (partially) follows the rotation
Implementation Method 3
fine gas bubbles can form during rotation around their own axis, depending on the CO2 content and the degree of solubility of the CO2 in the product
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
The invention relates to methods for examining filled containers (B1-B5) that are filled with CO2-containing products, such as beer or lemonade, with regard to impurities, such as glass splinters, which comprises a container being examined with regard to small glass bubbles in the product/in the container and/or with regard to gas clouds in the container, for example using a camera (K), and the container is sorted out when small glass bubbles are detected in the product and/or when CO2 clouds are detected in the container, for example in the container conveyor belts R, F, C, and is re-examined at a later point.