Method for contactless in-line inspection of containers, and station for implementing same

An in-line inspection station for containers each having a vertical axis and at least one outer profile to be inspected and displaced in the vertical position in a queue by a conveyor belt along a direction of translation to successively travel through the inspection station, the inspection station including:

• a contactless measuring head having an axis of rotation about which the measuring head is mounted to rotate in a circular movement, the measuring head including an image-capturing system able to deliver the image of at least a first outer profile of the container in a first field of observation and at least one lighting system illuminating the first field of observation in the background of the first outer profile,
• a structure for displacing the measuring head configured to position the measuring head such that the axis of rotation is substantially coaxial with the vertical axis of the container during the rotation of the measuring head and to linearly displace the measuring head parallel to the direction of translation,
• a unit for commanding the measuring head and the displacing structure receiving the information from a system for determining the position, in the plane of the conveyor belt, of the vertical axis of each container travelling in translation past the inspection station, the command unit being configured to displace the measuring head in successive displacement cycles to successively inspect the containers during their translation through the inspection station, each displacement cycle to inspect a container including an outward journey and a return journey and a rotation to inspect the entire periphery of the container, for each displacement cycle, the displacing structure positions the measuring head such that the axis of rotation is substantially coaxial with the vertical axis of the container during the rotation of the measuring head and linearly displaces the measuring head parallel to the direction of translation, the command unit controlling the image-capturing system in such a way as to acquire images of the outer profile over the entire periphery of the container during the rotation of the measuring head.