Inspecting method and apparatus for foreign matter

Abstract

An object being inspected that contains a liquid product is irradiated with light from a first side face thereof and with light given with a tilt from either side of a second side face opposite to the first side face with respect to the object being inspected, transmitted light and reflected light from the object being inspected are received by imaging means provided at the second side face, and an image signal from the imaging means is processed, whereby a foreign matter got entered the liquid product is detected based on the image processing. Consequently, it is possible to provide inspecting method and apparatus for a foreign matter for use in a production line for manufacturing liquid products, such as drinks and liquid drugs, which can detect, at a high speed in a reliable manner, whether a foreign matter has entered a liquid inside a container, such as a bottle or a PET bottle, and a foreign matter got entered a colored bottle or PET bottle or a colored liquid as well.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.