Apparatus and method for treating plastics preforms

Abstract

A production device for producing plastics preforms has a transport device configured for transporting the produced plastics preforms along a predetermined transport path, and a first inspection device configured for inspecting a first portion of the plastics preforms. The inspection device has at least one image recording device configured for recording a spatially resolved image of at least said first portion of the plastics preforms and a second inspection device configured for inspecting a second portion of the plastics preforms. The second inspection device has a second image recording device which is configured for recording a spatially resolved image of at least the second portion of the plastics preforms.

Claims

1. An arrangement for treating plastics preforms, wherein the plastics preforms are configured to be formed into plastics containers and wherein said plastics preforms are formed in one piece and have at least one main body and a mouth portion arranged on said main body, said arrangement comprising a production device for producing said plastics preforms, a transport device which is configured for transporting the produced plastics preforms along a predetermined transport path, a first inspection device which is arranged along the transport path and is configured for inspecting a first portion of the plastics preforms, and wherein said first inspection device comprises at least one image recording device which is configured for recording a spatially resolved image of at least said first portion of the plastics preforms, wherein the arrangement comprises a second inspection device which is configured for inspecting a second portion of the plastics preforms, wherein said second inspection device comprises a second image recording device which is configured for recording a spatially resolved image of at least the second portion of the plastics preforms.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the transport device has a holding device for holding the plastics preforms, wherein this holding device is configured for receiving a plurality of plastics preforms.

3. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the transport device is configured for transporting the containers in at least two different directions.

4. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement has a discharge device which is configured for discharging individual plastics preforms on the basis of a result of the inspection by the first inspection device or the second inspection device.

5. An inspection apparatus for inspecting plastics preforms, wherein the plastics preforms are configured to be formed into plastics containers and wherein said plastics preforms are formed in one piece and have at least one main body and one mouth portion arranged on said main body, said inspection device comprising a transport device which is configured for transporting the produced plastics preforms along a predetermined transport path, a first inspection device which is arranged along the transport path and is configured for inspecting a first portion of the plastics preforms, and wherein said first inspection device comprises at least one first image recording device which is configured for recording a spatially resolved image of at least the first portion of the plastics preforms, wherein the inspection apparatus comprises a second inspection device which is configured for inspecting a second portion of the plastics preforms, wherein said second inspection device comprises a second image recording device which is configured for recording a spatially resolved image of at least the second portion of the plastics preforms.

6. The inspection apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first inspection device has a plurality of image recording devices, each of which is configured for recording at least one image of at least one portion of the plastics preforms transported by the transport device and/or the second inspection device has a plurality of image recording devices, each of which is configured for recording at least one image of at least one portion of the plastics preforms transported by the transport device.

7. The inspection apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the at least one first image recording device of the first inspection device is arranged above the transport path of the plastics preforms and/or the at least one second image recording device of the second inspection device is arranged above the transport path of the plastics preforms.

8. The inspection apparatus according to claim 5, wherein at least the first or the second inspection device has a lighting device for illuminating the plastics preforms transported by the transport device.

9. The inspection apparatus according to claim 8, wherein at least one lighting device assigned to the first inspection device is arranged above the transport path of the plastics preforms and at least one lighting device assigned to the second inspection device is arranged below the transport path of the plastics preforms.

10. The inspection apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the inspection apparatus has a control device which is configured to activate different image recording devices of the first inspection device with a time delay and/or the inspection apparatus comprises a control device which is configured to activate different image recording devices of the second inspection device with a time delay.

11. A method for treating plastics preforms, wherein the plastics preforms are configured to be formed into plastics containers and wherein said plastics preforms are formed in one piece and have at least one main body and one mouth portion arranged on said main body, wherein a production device produces said plastics preforms, wherein a transport device transports the produced plastics preforms along a predetermined transport path, and wherein a first inspection device which is arranged along the transport path inspects a first portion of the plastics preforms, wherein said first inspection device has at least one image recording device which records a spatially resolved image of at least one portion of the plastics preforms, wherein a second inspection device inspects a second portion of the plastics preforms, wherein said second inspection device has a second image recording device which records a spatially resolved image of at least one further portion of the plastics preforms.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the transport device transports the plastics preforms in at least two different directions and/or the transport device transports the plastics preforms at a transport speed between 0.1 and 10.0 m/s.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the plastics preforms are transported in parallel with one another and/or the plastics preforms are transported in a regular arrangement.

14. A method for inspecting plastics preforms, wherein the plastics preforms are configured to be formed into plastics containers and wherein said plastics preforms are formed in one piece and have at least one main body and one mouth portion arranged on said main body, wherein a transport device transports the plastics preforms that are produced along a predetermined transport path, and a first inspection device which is arranged along the transport path inspects a first portion of the plastics preforms, and wherein said first inspection device has at least one image recording device which records a spatially resolved image of the first portion of the plastics preforms, wherein the arrangement comprises a second inspection device that inspects a second portion of the plastics preforms, wherein said second inspection device has a second image recording device which records a spatially resolved image of at least the second portion of the plastics preforms.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the plastics preforms are illuminated from at least two different directions.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0100] Further advantages and embodiments emerge from the accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

[0101] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an apparatus according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0102] FIG. 1 shows an arrangement according to the invention for treating plastics preforms 10. In this case, reference numeral 5 relates to a production device, in particular, but not exclusively, an injection molding machine for example, which produces plastics preforms 10.

[0103] After their production, the produced plastics preforms 10 are transported through a post-cooling and/or handling unit 12 where they are preferably also cooled.

[0104] Reference numeral 6 designates a transport device in its entirety for transporting the plastics preforms. This transport device 6 comprises a holding device 62 which is suitable and intended for receiving and/or holding a plurality of plastics preforms.

[0105] The holding device is preferably movable in the horizontal direction H between two positions P1 and P2.

[0106] In addition, the holding device 62 is also movable in the vertical direction when in the horizontal position P1. In this way, the holding device 62 can be raised and brought to the receiving space 12 where it receives a plurality of plastics preforms 10. For this purpose, the holding device preferably comprises a plurality of recesses for receiving the plastics preforms.

[0107] It would be possible to provide gripping devices which pass the individual plastics preforms to the holding device.

[0108] The holding device can be transferred from position P1 to position P2. In position P2, plastics preforms can be output or even discharged to a further transport device.

[0109] Preferably, this further transport device (not shown) is a transport device that transports the plastics preforms in a disorganized fashion.

[0110] Reference numeral 8 designates (roughly schematically) a discharge device which is suitable and intended for discharging individual plastics preforms and in particular plastics preforms 10 which are evaluated as defective.

[0111] Reference numeral 100 designates an inspection apparatus in its entirety, which is used to inspect the plastics preforms transported by the transport device 6.

[0112] This inspection apparatus 100 further comprises a second inspection device, designated as a whole by 4, which is suitable and intended for inspecting second portions of the plastics preforms. This second inspection device has at least one, and preferably a plurality of, image recording devices 42 such as cameras, which are aligned such that they record spatially resolved images of the plastics preforms 10 transported by the transport device 6.

[0113] These second image recording devices are preferably arranged such that they are assigned to the respective transport lanes in which the plastics preforms are transported.

[0114] Preferably, each image recording device records an image of each plastics preform transported in exactly one transport lane. However, it would also be possible for each image recording device to record images of several plastics preforms transported in different lanes.

[0115] Reference numeral 44 designates a (second) lighting device, which is also a component of the second inspection device 4. This lighting device 44 is arranged below the transport path of the plastics preforms 10 here. Preferably, this lighting device 44 is suitable and intended for illuminating the second portions of the plastics preforms, which are in particular bottom portions.

[0116] The above-mentioned control device 18 preferably also controls the image recording devices 42 and in particular the recording of an image by the recording devices recording images. Preferably, said control device also controls the lighting device(s) 44.

[0117] Particularly preferably, the recordings of the images of the plastics preforms are also controlled by the control device on the basis of a position of the plastics preforms along the transport path.

[0118] 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. A 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, a 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.