APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR INSPECTING CONTAINERS

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for inspecting containers, wherein the containers are transported along a predetermined transport path using a transport device and are inspected using an inspection device, wherein the inspection device records at least one spatially resolved image of a container to be inspected using an image recording device and an image evaluation device evaluates this image. According to the invention, data of a model of this container are used to evaluate this image.

Claims

1. An method for inspecting containers, wherein the containers being transported along a predetermined transport path using a transport device and being inspected using an inspection device, wherein the inspection device records at least one spatially resolved image of a container to be inspected using an image recording device and an image evaluation device evaluating this image, wherein data of a model of this container are used for evaluating this image.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data of the model are three-dimensional data characteristic of the model of this container.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a reference model of the container is created on the basis of the data, which is used to evaluate the captured image.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one evaluation variable to be used for evaluating the captured image is automatically determined on the basis of the data of the model.

5. The method according to claim 1, a synthetic image of a 3D model of the container is created at a predetermined selectable position in space.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a size of the model of the container which is invariant with respect to spatial operations, is used to evaluate the recorded image.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the inspection device outputs at least one value which is characteristic of the inspected container.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a container sorting and/or a container inspection is carried out by the image evaluation, which is selected from a group of container inspections which includes a foreign container detection, an equipment inspection, a label inspection, a mouth inspection, a sidewall inspection, a sidewall detection of plastic preforms and the like.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein dimensions for a 360° processing of the container are obtained from the data, wherein these dimensions are selected from a group of dimensions comprising a height of the container, a diameter of the container, a mouth cross-section of the container, a lateral contour of the container, a lateral contour of a mouth region of the container, a lateral contour of a neck of the container and the like.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a calibration of the model determined on the basis of the data is determined with respect to the captured image.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein data are loaded from a memory device into the evaluation device.

12. The method according to claim 5, wherein object points of the 3D model are projected back into the image recording device.

13. The method according to claim 5, wherein a contour of the container is generated from a 3D model of the container.

14. An apparatus for inspecting containers, having a transport device which transports the containers along a predetermined transport path, and having an inspection device which inspects the containers, wherein the inspection device having an image recording device which takes at least one spatially resolved image of a container to be inspected, and an image evaluation device is provided which evaluates this image, wherein the image evaluation device uses data of a model of this container to evaluate this image.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the apparatus comprises a model creation device which creates a three-dimensional model of a reference container using the data.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0094] Further advantages and embodiments can be seen in the accompanying drawings: In the drawings:

[0095] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an apparatus for inspecting containers according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0096] FIG. 2 shows a representation of a model of a container and a database in which the data of the models of several containers are stored;

[0097] FIG. 3 shows a representation of a model of a container together with an alignment of the model; and

[0098] FIG. 4 shows a captured image to illustrate the evaluation of this image.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0099] FIG. 1 shows an apparatus 1 for inspecting containers 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. The reference sign 2 indicates a transport device which guides the containers 10 to be inspected along a (predefined) transport path to the inspection device 4 and discharges the containers here from the inspection device.

[0100] The inspection device 4 can have one or more image recording devices 42, such as cameras. In FIG. 1, for example, 12 image recording devices are arranged, which are arranged here on two different inspection levels, wherein the image recording devices of one inspection level record images of a lower container area, while the image recording devices 42 of the other inspection level record images of an upper container area of a container 10 to be inspected.

[0101] The image recording devices 42 can be arranged in such a way that several or all of these image recording devices 42 each capture at least one image of the container to be inspected while it is essentially in at least one inspection position or while it is in a (fixed) predetermined inspection area. Preferably, the container to be inspected is in (transport) motion while the image is being captured by the image recording device(s) 42. Preferably, the transport speed of the container 10 to be inspected is not or not significantly reduced for image recording and, in particular, the container is not stopped for this purpose.

[0102] Furthermore, the apparatus 1 comprises an image evaluation device 44, in particular processor-based, which evaluates the captured image on the basis of data of a model of the container 10.

[0103] The apparatus 1 may further comprise at least one or more illumination device(s) 50 for illuminating the container to be inspected.

[0104] FIG. 2 shows a representation of a model M of a container 10 and a database in which the data of the models of several containers are stored. For example, (available) data of a model of a container can be stored in a database, such as an SAP database. For example, it could be the database of a manufacturer of blow moulding machines and/or a manufacturer of blow moulding moulds and/or a manufacturer of inspection equipment or a service provider thereof, in which customer objects (e.g. for administration) are stored in the form of 3D models.

[0105] For example, bottles that are available digitally and in particular in 3D can be directly imported into the evaluation software (or transferred to the image evaluation device) and preferably processed in the respective recognition units.

[0106] Typical detections can be: [0107] contour for bottle sorting and/or foreign bottle detection; [0108] sidewall inspection

[0109] The current sidewall inspection composes the evaluation image from several views. For this purpose, however, a contour must always be determined in the first step by means of false exposure, (“over-illumination”). With the ideal data, the determination of the contour and/or the evaluation image is significantly more accurate and subject to fewer errors. [0110] 360° label inspection [0111] The correct dimensions of the container (height, diameter, lateral contour) for the following 360° processing can be obtained directly from the 3D data. [0112] Preform sidewall detection [0113] These preforms are also available in 3D and can also be loaded into the evaluation software as a target contour.

[0114] The “loading” of a model or data of one (or more models) of a container is done in particular by a corresponding software library such as Halcon, PatMax (Cognex) etc.. This software processes the 3D data accordingly so that it can be used in the following evaluation algorithms.

[0115] In the database a plurality of data sets relating to (in each case) a container (to be manufactured and/or inspected) can be stored. In the database shown in FIG. 2, for example, the data sets 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105 are stored for different (customer) containers. A data record associated with a container can be uniquely identified, in particular, by means of a reference identification 100 and/or a designation.

[0116] Furthermore, a data set associated with a container (to be manufactured and/or inspected) may include a customer designation of the container and/or a customer identifier such as a customer number.

[0117] Preferably, a data set associated with a container (to be manufactured and/or inspected) comprises, in addition to the data of a model of the container, properties and/or characteristics of the container (to be manufactured and/or identified), which may be selected from a group comprising a (nominal) volume, a (nominal) weight, a material, a (total) height, an (outer) and/or (inner) diameter and the like, and combinations thereof.

[0118] A data set assigned to a container (to be manufactured and/or inspected) can, in addition to the data of a model of the container, also comprise data that are characteristic of a filling material, an equipment of the container such as a label, a closure, a mouthpiece, a pallet, a preform, a bundle, a packaging material, a packaging aid, a filling material assignment, an equipment assignment, such as a label assignment, and/or a preform assignment.

[0119] FIG. 3 shows a representation of a model M of a container together with an alignment of the model, which is represented by a coordinate system. This allows the evaluation of a recorded image to be precisely adapted to the alignment of the container to be inspected. For this purpose, data of the model can be processed, for example by rotation, in such a way that the alignment of the model is adapted to the alignment of the container to be inspected or to the alignment of the container on the recorded image. This enables a direct comparison of the model with the captured image without having the image data to rotate or the like.

[0120] FIG. 4 shows an image 20 recorded by an inspection device 4, in particular by an image recording device 42 such as a camera, to illustrate the evaluation of this image 20.

[0121] Such a captured image 20 is usually parameterised for evaluation, for example by generating a contour line 24a, 24b and 24c by comparing the container 22 in the foreground of the image with a (here striped) illustrated background 26 of the captured image 20.

[0122] By determining the (relative) position of the nodes 24b and/or the extension and/or relative (angular) relationships and/or lengths of individual sections of the contour line 24a, 24c to one another and comparing them with the contour generated, for example, from the data of a model of the container, it is possible, for example, to draw conclusions about a particular type of container.

[0123] The applicant reserves the right to claim all features disclosed in the application documents as essential to the invention, provided they are individually or in combination new compared to the prior art. Furthermore, it is pointed out that the individual figures also describe features which may be advantageous in themselves. The skilled person immediately recognises that a certain feature described in a figure can also be advantageous without adopting further features from this figure. Furthermore, the skilled person recognises that advantages can also result from a combination of several features shown in individual figures or in different figures.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0124] 1 apparatus

[0125] 2 transport device

[0126] 4 inspection device

[0127] 10 container

[0128] 20 captured image

[0129] 22 illustrated container to be inspected

[0130] 24a-c container contour

[0131] 26 illustrated background

[0132] 42 image recording device

[0133] 44 image evaluation device

[0134] 50 illumination device

[0135] 100 reference identification

[0136] 101-105 data sets

[0137] M model