Method and device for testing preforms
AssigneeIntravis Gesellschaft FüR Lieferungen Und Leistungen Von Bildgebenden Und Bildverarbeitenden Anlagen Und Verfahren Mbh
InventorsKlaus Schönhoff, Michael Rick, Gerd Fuhrmann, Matthias Lenzen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device and method tests preforms that are rotationally symmetrical with respect to an axis of rotation during their conveyance along a conveyance path. The device and method tests only a statistically relevant number of produced preforms, thus allowing substantial reduction in the constructive complexity required for aligning the preforms prior to being tested. A certain number of preforms that have not been correctly aligned are allowed to continue along the conveyance path without being tested.
Claims23
A method for testing preforms during their transport along a transport path by a transport device, each of the preforms being rotationally symmetrical with respect to an axis of rotation and having a mouth and a bottom end situated opposite the mouth, the transport device including a plurality of supports disposed parallel to one another and spaced apart from one another, the plurality of supports forming a transport surface movable in a transport direction from an inlet side to an outlet side of the transport device, wherein the method comprises the following steps:
- moving the supports at the same speed so that the transport surface moves in the transport direction,
- depositing preforms on the supports on the inlet side of the transport device with any alignment of the axes of rotation and any orientation of the mouths of the preforms,
- aligning the axes of rotation of at least some of the preforms in the transport direction by introducing an angular momentum into the preforms, wherein each of the at least some of the preforms deposited on the supports is a correctly aligned preform after the step of aligning, and wherein each of the correctly aligned preforms rests at a total of four bearing points on two adjacent supports,
- transporting the correctly aligned preforms in the direction of the outlet side along the transport path by static friction between two supports in each case and the four bearing points of the preforms,
- recording images of the preforms during transport in the direction of the outlet side, and
- processing the recorded images in a processing device.
A device for testing preforms during transport along a transport path, said preforms being rotationally symmetrical about an axis of rotation, the device comprising:
- a transport device configured to transport the preforms along a transport path, the transport device having a plurality of supports parallel to one another and spaced apart from one another, the plurality of supports forming a transport surface movable from an inlet side to an outlet side of the transport device,
- a feed arranged on the inlet side of the transport device configured to deposit the preforms on the supports with any alignment of the axes of rotation and any orientation of the mouths,
- an alignment region along the transport path configured to align the axes of rotation of at least some of the preforms in the transport direction by introducing an angular momentum into the preforms, wherein each of the at least some of the preforms deposited on the supports is a correctly aligned preform after the step of aligning, and wherein each of the correctly aligned preforms rests at a total of four bearing points on two adjacent supports,
- a transport region of the transport path configured to transport the correctly aligned preforms in the direction of the outlet side by static friction between two supports in each case and the four bearing points of the preforms,
- at least one image recording device for recording images of the preforms during transport in the direction of the outlet side, and
- a processing device for processing the recorded images.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.