Container Ring Inspection Device Using Segmented Sensor Gauges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inspection devices for containers, particularly glass containers, face limitations in speed, accuracy, and ability to determine the nature of dimensional defects, often resulting in damage to containers and inability to precisely identify fault origins during the inspection process.
Innovation Solution
A device with a movable assembly driven by a motorization system for alternating movement, equipped with external and internal gauges that measure position and detect contact, providing detailed dimensional conformity and defect type analysis through a processing unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a heavy inspection head is used to ensure contact with the container, then the inspection reliability is improved, but the inspection speed is reduced due to limited acceleration and speed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the heavy mechanical inspection head with a lightweight sensor-based system. Optical sensors, capacitive sensors, or other non-contact detection methods are used to measure container dimensions and detect defects without requiring physical contact, thereby eliminating the mass limitation that constrained inspection speed in conventional mechanical systems
Solution Approach 2:
The inspection system is divided into separate functional modules: positioning system, sensor detection system, and data processing system. This segmentation allows the inspection head to be lightweight while maintaining inspection reliability through coordinated movement control and multiple sensing points, rather than relying on a single heavy mechanical probe
2Measurement precision
If the inspection head travels a defined path to inspect the container, then the inspection precision is improved, but the impact on the container increases causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical contact-based inspection with non-contact sensing methods. Optical sensors measure dimensions and detect defects without physical contact, eliminating impact damage to the container while maintaining high measurement precision through sophisticated sensor systems and image processing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements soft or compliant inspection heads with damping mechanisms that cushion any necessary contact with the container. This prevents hard impacts that could damage the container while still allowing the inspection head to travel a defined path for precise measurement of dimensional characteristics
3Reliability
If the inspection head is lowered to contact the container for inspection, then the defect detection capability is improved, but the inability to determine fault origin reduces the inspection quality
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection system uses multiple sensors positioned at different locations and orientations to detect defects. By segmenting the detection function across multiple sensing points, the system can determine both the presence of defects and their specific locations or origins on the container, providing comprehensive inspection quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a data processing and analysis system as an intermediary between the sensors and the inspection results. This intermediary processes sensor data to not only detect defects but also determine their origin and characteristics, transforming raw sensor signals into actionable inspection information with fault location identification
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device for inspecting the rings and necks of containers, comprising a movable element (6) provided with an outer gauge (14) for checking the outside of the ring of the containers, and an inner gauge (15) for checking the inside of the ring and neck of the containers. According to the invention, the movable element comprises: a system for measuring the position of the movable element (6) relative to the frame; a system (35) for detecting the contact between the inner gauge (15) and the container; a system (37) for detecting the contact between the outer gauge (14) and the container; and a processing unit for determining, on the basis of the measurements of the position of the movable element (6) and of the instances of contact between the gauges (14, 15) and the container, whether or not the size of the rings and/or necks of the containers are acceptable, and the types of defects for the containers the sizes of the rings and/or necks of which are not acceptable.