Container Inspection Lighting Array for Signal Strength
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container inspection devices face challenges in achieving sufficient signal strength for effective inspection while maintaining compactness, as beam splitters weaken the signal and stronger lighting is costly and bulky.
Innovation Solution
A device with a single illumination system that partially illuminates multiple inspection areas, allowing each observation device to use the lighting independently and efficiently, eliminating the need for beam splitters and reducing the device's size and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If beam splitters are used to enable multiple observation devices to share the same lighting, then device compactness is improved, but signal strength is weakened
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting device is divided into multiple independent light sources arranged in a linear array, each corresponding to a specific observation device. This segmentation allows each observation device to receive full-intensity light directly from its dedicated light source without signal loss through beam splitting, while maintaining compact device dimensions through the organized arrangement of segmented components.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting device performs multiple functions by providing dedicated illumination for each observation device simultaneously. Each light source serves multiple purposes: illuminating the container for its corresponding observation device, contributing to overall inspection coverage, and enabling flexible configuration for different inspection requirements without requiring separate lighting systems.
2Illumination intensity
If stronger lighting is used to compensate for signal loss, then signal strength is improved, but device cost and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using one extremely strong light source that would be costly and complex, the system segments the illumination into multiple moderate-intensity light sources. Each light source provides sufficient illumination for its corresponding observation device without requiring excessive power, thereby reducing overall device cost and complexity while maintaining adequate signal strength for all inspection tasks.
3Illumination intensity
If multiple independent lighting systems are provided for each observation device, then signal strength is improved, but device size and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple lighting functions are merged into a single integrated lighting device structure. The linear array of light sources is combined with corresponding observation devices in a compact arrangement, allowing each observation device to have dedicated illumination while sharing the overall device housing and control systems, thereby maintaining compact size without compromising signal strength.
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
The solution enables compact, cost-effective container inspection by ensuring each observation area receives full lighting power, allowing for simultaneous inspection of multiple container features without signal loss, thus improving inspection efficiency and reducing device size and expense.
Implementation Method 1
an illumination device (2) which illuminates the containers (10)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A device (1) for inspecting containers (10), comprising a lighting device (2) which illuminates the containers (10), a transport device (4) which transports the containers (10) along a predetermined transport path (P) relative to the lighting device (2), a first observation device (6) which observes a first area of the containers (10) and takes at least one image of the observed first area, and a second observation device (8) which observes a second area of the containers (10) and takes at least one image of the second observed area, wherein at least a part of the lighting device (2) serves both to illuminate the first areas of the containers (10) observed by the first observation device (6) and to illuminate the second area of the containers (10) observed by the second observation device (8).According to the invention, the first observation device (6) and the second observation device (8) record the images of the areas of the containers (10) at different positions (P1, P2) of the containers (10) along the transport path (P).