Apparatus and method for inspecting filled containers and their filling product

Abstract

An installation for producing containers filled with a liquid, and in particular beverage containers, has at least one transport device which transports containers along a predetermined transport path, a filling device which fills the containers, a closure device which closes the filled containers, and an inspection device that inspects the filled and closed containers, wherein the inspection device is arranged downstream of the closure device along the transport path. The inspection device is configured to output at least one measured value that is characteristic of a composition of the filling product filled into the containers.

Claims

1. An installation for producing containers filled with a liquid, comprising at least one transport device configured to transport containers along a predetermined transport path, comprising a filling device configured to fill the containers, comprising a closure device configured to close the filled containers, and an inspection device that inspects the filled and closed containers, wherein said inspection device is arranged downstream of the closure device along the transport path, wherein the inspection device is configured to output at least one measured value which is characteristic of a composition of the filling product filled into the containers, wherein the installation has a spectrometer and/or a monochromator and/or a radiation device having a variable emission spectrum.

2. The installation according to claim 1, wherein the inspection device is configured to inspect for inspecting the beverage containers during their transport.

3. The installation according to claim 1, wherein the measured value is characteristic of a property of the liquid which is selected from a group of properties consisting of the presence of predetermined constituents or substances, a concentration of a substance, and a concentration of components of the liquid.

4. The installation according to claim 1. wherein the measured value to be output is selected from a group of measured values.

5. The installation according to claim 1. wherein the inspection device has a radiation device configured to direct radiation on-to the containers and a radiation detector device configured to detect the radiation passing through the containers.

6. (canceled)

7. The installation according to claim 1, wherein the installation has an evaluation device configured to evaluate the measured values output by the inspection device.

8. The installation according to claim 1. wherein the installation has a discharge device which is arranged downstream of the inspection device in the transport direction of the containers and which is configured to discharge containers from the transport path, taking into account a result output by the inspection device.

9. The installation according to claim 1. wherein the installation has at least one further inspection device which is configured to inspect the filled containers.

10. The installation according to claim 1, wherein the installation has an assigning device which is configured to inspect a filling member to an inspected container, which filling member has filled this container, wherein the installation has a spectrometer and/or a monochromator and/or a radiation device having a variable emission spectrum.

11. A method for producing liquid containers, wherein a transport device transports containers along a predetermined transport path and a filling de-vice fills the containers and a closure device closes the filled containers, and an inspection device inspects the filled and closed containers, wherein said inspection device is arranged downstream of the closure device along the transport path. wherein the inspection device outputs at least one measured value which is characteristic of a composition of the filling product filled into the containers.

12. The method according to claim 11. wherein the inspection device inspects the containers during movement of the containers.

13. The method according to claim 11. wherein a radiation device directs radiation onto the containers and a detector device detects radiation passing through the containers.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the inspection device carries out a spectroscopic measurement.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the measured values recorded by the inspection device are compared with comparative values.

Description

[0055] Further advantages and embodiments can be seen in the accompanying drawings:

[0056] In the drawings:

[0057] FIG. 1 shows a rough schematic representation of an installation according to the invention.

[0058] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an installation according to the invention for producing beverage containers. Here, plastic preforms 20 are supplied to a forming device 12, such as a blow molding machine, and formed into containers 10. These containers are filled by means of a filling device 4 and closed by means of a closure device 5. An optional inspection device 16 can be connected to this closure device, which inspection device for example checks specific criteria, for example whether the filling level corresponds to predetermined criteria or whether there are foreign bodies in the container.

[0059] A transport section 18, which serves to bring the medium in the container to rest, is preferably connected to this inspection device. In its entirety, the transport device which transports the containers along a transport path P is denoted by 2.

[0060] Reference sign 6 denotes the inspection device which serves to analyze the medium in the container, i.e., in particular the beverage. This inspection device has a radiation device 62 and a radiation detector device 64, wherein the containers being transported between these devices 62, 64. Reference sign 66 denotes an evaluation device that analyzes the radiations recorded by the detector device 64.

[0061] Reference sign 8 denotes a discharge device which is suitable and intended for discharging containers, and in particular defective containers, from the transport path in response to signals from the inspection devices 16 and/or 6.

[0062] The applicant reserves the right to claim all features disclosed in the application documents as essential to the invention, provided that they are novel over the prior art individually or in combination. It is also pointed out that features which can be advantageous in themselves are also described in the individual figures. The person skilled in the art will immediately recognize that a particular feature described in a figure can be advantageous even without the adoption of further features from this figure. Furthermore, the person skilled in the art will recognize that advantages can also result from a combination of several features shown in individual or in different figures.