Method and apparatus for examining the gaseous content of returned drink bottles

Method for examining gas phases in containers, such as drink or beverage bottles, particularly for sorting and eliminating bottles in a drink bottle filling plant, the method comprising the steps of removing a gas sample from the bottles, examining the gas sample by spectroscopy by passing an IR light beam through the gas sample, directing the spectroscopically widened beam to a detector array of juxtaposed detectors, wherein a wavelength range of approximately 3.2 to 3.6 .mu.m is received by the detector array and then examined, subdividing the containers in accordance with substances detected by the detector array over at least two transportation paths, wherein the containers containing an unknown, undefinable substance or toxic substance is supplied to one transportation path and containers exclusively containing water vapor or air are supplied to the other transportation path, and wherein containers found to contain harmless fermentation products or flavoring substances are supplied to the second transportation path.

Method for examining gas phases in containers, such as drink or beverage containers, particularly for sorting and eliminating bottles in a drink bottle filling plant, the method comprising the steps of removing a gas sample from the bottles, examining the gas sample by IR spectroscopy by passing an IR light beam through the gas sample, and directing the spectroscopically widened beam to a detector array of juxtaposed detectors, wherein a wavelength range of approximately 3.2 to 3.6 .mu.m is received by the detector array and then examined, and wherein the containers are supplied to at least three transportation paths for respectively receiving toxic substances, unknown and undefinable products, harmless fermentation products and flavoring substances, and mineral water vapor and air.

Method for examining gas phases in containers, such as drink or beverage bottles, particularly for sorting and eliminating bottles in a drink bottle filling plant, the method comprising the steps of removing a gas sample from the bottles, examining the gas sample by IR spectroscopy by passing an IR light beam through the gas sample, and directing the spectroscopically widened beam to a detector array of juxtaposed detectors, wherein a wavelength range of approximately 3.2 to 3.6 .mu.m is received by the detector array and then examined, test cells receiving the gas samples are moved with the containers along an outer and inner path, and wherein the containers receiving the gas samples are alternately filled into the test cells in the outer and inner paths by equal length flexible lines.

Method for examining gas phases in containers, such as drink or beverage bottles, particularly for sorting and eliminating bottles in a drink bottle filling plant, the method comprising the steps of removing a gas sample from the bottles, examining the gas sample by IR spectroscopy by passing an IR light beam through the gas sample, and directing the spectroscopically widened beam to a detector array of juxtaposed detectors, wherein a wavelength range of approximately 3.2 to 3.6 .mu.m is received by the detector array and then examined, test cells receiving the gas samples are moved with the containers along an outer and inner path, and wherein a gas content of the gas samples of the test cells in the outer and inner paths is simultaneously analyzed by individual analysis stations.

Method for examining gas phases in containers, such as drink or beverage bottles, particularly for sorting and eliminating bottles in a drink bottle filling plant, the method comprising the steps of removing a gas sample from the bottles, examining the gas sample by IR spectroscopy by passing an IR light beam through the gas sample, and directing the spectroscopically widened beam to a detector array of juxtaposed detectors, wherein a wavelength range of approximately 3.2 to 3.6 .mu.m is received by the detector array, and wherein test cells are stopped in a vicinity of analysis stations for a measurement time, without impairing a continuous bottle transport.

Apparatus for examining gas phases in containers, such as drink or beverage bottles, particularly for sorting and eliminating bottles in a drink bottle filling plant, with test cells for receiving a gas sample from a container and with an IR spectrometer in which the radiation passing through the gas sample is dispersed, wherein the IR spectrometer has an array of juxtaposed detectors, the array is simultaneously illuminated by a dispersed light of a wavelength in a range of approximately 3.2 to 3.6 .mu.m, two transportation paths are provided behind an examination station for the containers, containers supplied to the first transportation path contained unknown, undefinable or toxic substances, containers supplied to the second transportation path contained mineral water, vapor or air, and wherein containers containing harmless fermentation products and flavoring substances are supplied to the second transportation path.

Apparatus for examining gas phases in containers, such as drink or beverage bottles, particularly for sorting and eliminating bottles in a drink bottle filling plant, with test cells for receiving a gas sample from a container and with an IR spectrometer in which the radiation passing through the gas sample is dispersed, wherein the IR spectrometer has an array of juxtaposed detectors, the array is simultaneously illuminated by a dispersed light of a wavelength in a range of approximately 3.2 to 3.6 .mu.m, and wherein three separate transportation paths are provided for respectively transporting unknown, undefinable toxic substances, harmless fermentation products and flavoring substances, and mineral water vapor and air.

Aparatus for examining gas in containers, such as drink or beverage bottles, particularly for sorting and eliminating bottles in a drink bottle filling plant, with test cells for receiving a gas sample from a container and with an IR spectrometer in which the radiation passing through the gas sample is dispersed, wherein the IR spectrometer has an array of juxtaposed detectors, the array is simultaneously illuminated by a dispersed light of a wavelength in a range of approximately 3.2 to 3.6 .mu.m, and wherein the detector array includes HgCdTe or PbSe photocells.

Apparatus for examining gas in containers, such as drink or beverage bottles, particularly for sorting and eliminating bottles in a drink bottle filling plant, with test cells for receiving a gas sample from a container and with an IR spectrometer in which the radiation passing through the gas sample is dispersed, wherein the IR spectrometer has an array of juxtaposed detectors, the array is simultaneously illuminated by a dispersed light of a wavelength in a range of approximately 3.2 to 3.6 .mu.m, and wherein a substance identification and concentration determination device using real time comparison of a measured spectra and spectra in a memory is provided.

Apparatus for examining gas in containers, such as drink or beverage bottles, particularly for sorting and eliminating bottles in a drink bottle filling plant, with test cells for receiving a gas sample from a container and with an IR spectrometer in which the radiation passing through the gas sample is dispersed, wherein the IR spectrometer has an array of juxtaposed detectors, the array is simultaneously illuminated by a dispersed light of a wavelength in a range of approximately 3.2 to 3.6 .mu.m, and wherein a micromechanical displacement device is provided for a displacement of the individual detectors of the detector array in a periodic manner along an extension direction of the detector array to positions between starting positions of, in each case, two individual detectors.

Apparatus for examining gas in containers, such as drink or beverage bottles, particularly for sorting and eliminating bottles in a drink bottle filling plant, with test cells for receiving a gas sample from a container and with an IR spectrometer in which the radiation passing through the gas sample is dispersed, wherein the IR spectrometer has an array of juxtaposed detectors, the array is simultaneously illuminated by a dispersed light of a wavelength in a range of approximately 3.2 to 3.6 .mu.m, and wherein a device is provided for enabling a cyclic wavelength calibration of the detectors by introducing a test gas into an optical path.

Apparatus for examining gas in containers, such as drink or beverage bottles, particularly for sorting and eliminating bottles in a drink bottle filling plant, with test cells for receiving a gas sample from a container and with an IR spectrometer in which the radiation passing through the gas sample is dispersed, wherein the IR spectrometer has an array of juxtaposed detectors, the array is simultaneously illuminated by a dispersed light of a wavelength in a range of approximately 3.2 to 3.6 .mu.m, and wherein a device is provided for increasing a partial vapor pressure of the gas phase by heating container walls with infrared radiation or microwave radiation.

Apparatus for examining gas in containers, such as drink or beverage bottles, particularly for sorting and eliminating bottles in a drink bottle filling plant, with test cells for receiving a gas sample from a container and with an IR spectrometer in which the radiation passing through the gas sample is dispersed, wherein the IR spectrometer has an array of juxtaposed detectors, the array is simultaneously illuminated by a dispersed light of a wavelength in a range of approximately 3.2 to 3.6 .mu.m, and wherein the test cells are arranged in a double manner, namely, on an outer path and on an inner path and can be moved together with transported containers.

Apparatus for examining gas in containers, such as drink or beverage bottles, particularly for sorting and eliminating bottles in a drink bottle filling plant, with test cells for receiving a gas sample from a container and with an IR spectrometer in which the radiation passing through the gas sample is dispersed, wherein the IR spectrometer has an array of juxtaposed detectors, the array is simultaneously illuminated by a dispersed light of a wavelength in a range of approximately 3.2 to 3.6 .mu.m, and wherein the test cells can be stopped in a vicinity of analysis stations for a measurement time without impairing a continuous bottle transport.