Apparatus and process for inspecting sealed packages

An apparatus for inspecting sealed packages of product the apparatus comprising:

• a conveyor belt for receiving sealed packages of product and conveying the packages in a first direction;
• an inspection belt disposed adjacent to said conveyor belt, said inspection belt being pivotally connected to a support wherein the inspection belt pivots upon being contacted by the packages located on said conveyor belt;
• a detector for detecting movement of said inspection belt upon said inspection belt being contacted by the packages;
• and
• wherein said detector is a photoelectric sensor which receives light emitted by a photoemitter.

An apparatus for inspecting sealed packages of product, the apparatus comprising:

• a conveyor belt for receiving sealed packages of product and conveying the packages in a first direction;
• an inspection belt disposed adjacent to said conveyor belt, said inspection belt being pivotally connected to a support wherein the inspecton belt pivots upon being contacted by the packages located on said conveyor belt;
• wherein said inspection belt includes an indicator which moves therewith upon said belt being contacted by the packages;
• a detector for detecting movement of said indicator belt upon said inspection belt being contacted by the packages;
• and
• wherein said indicator is an elongated member having one end connected to an end of said inspection belt and an opposite end disposed away from said inspection belt, and further including a flag located away from the one end of the elongated member, wherein movement of said flag is detected by said detector.

An apparatus for ispecting seal quality for leaks in sealed packages of product, the apparatus comprising:

• a conveyor belt for receiving sealed packages of product and conveying the packages in a first direction;
• an inspection belt disposed adjacent to said conveyor belt and being movably mounted on a support wherein the inspection belt moves away from said conveyor upon being contacted by the packages located on said conveyor belt;
• a detector for detecting movement of said inspection belt upon said inspection belt being contacted by the packages;
• and
• a package engaging member located upstream of the inspection belt which presses the packages to facilitate discharging of air from a leaky package;
• said package engaging member having an inclined lower surface which contacts and is raised by packages on the conveyor belt;
• and
• said package engaging member being free from any position detection means such that detection is conducted only at said inspection belt.

An apparatus for inspecting sealed packages of product, the apparatus comprising:

• a conveyor belt for receiving sealed packages of product and conveying the packages in a first direction;
• an inspection belt disposed adjacent to said conveyor belt, said inspection belt being pivotally connectcd to a support wherein the inspection belt pivots upon being contacted by the packages located on said conveyor belt;
• a detector for detecting movement of said inspection belt upon said inspection belt being contacted by the packages;
• and
• wherein said inspection belt extends around a first section having one end pivotally attached to said support and a second section that is pivotally connected to said first section at an end opposite said one end.

An apparatus for inspecting sealed packages of product, the apparatus comprising:

• a conveyor belt for receving sealed packages of product and conveying the packages in a first direction;
• an inspection belt disposed adjacent to said conveyor belt and being movably mounted on a support wherein the inspection belt moves away from said conveyor belt upon being contacted by the packages located on said conveyor belt;
• detector for detecting movement of said inspection belt being contacted by the packages;
• and
• wherein said inspection belt extends around a first section having one end pivotally attached to said support and a second section that is pivotally connected to said section at an end opposite said one end.

An apparatus for inspecting seal quality for leaks in sealed packages of product, comprising:

• a conveyor belt for receiving sealed packages of product and conveying the packages in a first direction;
• an inspection belt disposed adjacent to said conveyor belt and being movably mounted on an inspection belt support such that said inspection belt moves away from said conveyor belt upon being contacted by packages on said conveyor belt;
• a detector for detecting movement of said inspection belt upon said inspection belt being moved by contact with said packages;
• and
• a separate package-engaging belt disposed upstream of said inspection belt and being movably mounted on a package-engaging belt support such that said package-engaging belt moves away from said conveyor belt by the force of contact with packages located on said conveyor belt;
• wherein said package-engaging belt has a lower package contact surface that is inclined with respect to an upper surface of said conveyor belt such that packages upon said conveyor belt contact said inclined surface so as to raise said package-engaging belt;
• whereby said package-engaging belt discharges air from leaky packages prior to inspection of the packages performed at the inspection belt;
• and
• wherein said package-engaging belt is free from any measurement devices.

An apparatus for inspecting seal quality for leaks in sealed packages of product, comprising:

• a conveyor belt for receiving sealed packages of product and conveying the packages in a first direction;
• an inspection belt disposed adjacent to said conveyor belt;
• support means for supporting said inspection belt to contact packages on the conveyor belt and to move away from said conveyor belt by the force of contact with the packages on said conveyor belt;
• a detector for detecting movement of said inspection belt due to contact with the packages;
• a separate package-engaging member disposed upstream of said inspection belt;
• engaging member support means for supporting said package-engaging member to contact packages on the conveyor belt and to move away from said conveyor belt by the force of contact with the packages on said conveyor belt while applying sufficient force via the package-engaging member to discharge air from leaky packages prior to the inspection of the packages performed separately at the inspection belt;
• and
• wherein said package-engaging member and said package engaging support means are free from any measurement devices such that movement of said package-engaging member is not measured.

A method of inspecting seal quality for leaks in sealed packages, comprising the steps of:

• conveying sealed packages in a first direction via a conveyor belt;
• providing an inspection belt adjacent to said conveyor belt;
• upwardly moving the inspection belt by contacting the inspection belt with packages on the conveyor belt so as to move the inspection belt upward from said conveyor belt by the force of contact with the packages on said conveyor belt;
• detecting the movement of said inspection belt due to contact with the packages;
• providing a separate package-engaging member disposed upstream of said inspection belt;
• upwardly moving the package-engaging member by contacting the package-engaging member with the packages on the conveyor belt so as to move the package-engaging member upward from the conveyor belt by the force of contact with the packages on said conveyor belt while applying sufficient downward force via the package-engaging member to discharge air from leaky packages prior to the inspection of the packages performed separately at the inspection belt;
• and
• keeping movement of said package-engaging member undetected and not measured for inspecting leaks.

A method of inspecting sealed packages, comprising the steps of:

• conveying sealed packages in a first direction via a conveyor belt;
• providing an inspection belt adjacent to said conveyor belt;
• upwardly moving the inspection belt by contacting the inspection belt with packages on the conveyor belt so as to move the inspection belt upward from said conveyor belt by the force of contact with the packages on said conveyor belt;
• detecting the movement of said inspection belt due to contact with the packages;
• providing a separate package-engaging member disposed upstream of said inspection belt;
• and
• upwardly moving the package-engaging member by contacting the package-engaging member with the packages on the conveyor belt so as to move the package-engaging member upward from the conveyor belt by the force of contact with the packages on said conveyor belt while applying sufficient downward force via the package-engaging member to discharge air from leaky packages prior to the inspection of the packages performed separately at the inspection belt;
• wherein said step of providing said package-engaging member includes providing said package-engaging member from a package-engaging belt;
• and
• wherein said step of upwardly moving said package-engaging belt includes pivoting said package-engaging belt upon contact with packages.

A method of inspecting sealed packages, comprising the steps of:

• conveying sealed packages in a first direction via a conveyor belt;
• providing an inspection belt adjacent to said conveyor belt;
• upwardly moving the inspection belt by contacting the inspection belt with packages on the conveyor belt so as to move the inspection belt upward from said conveyor belt by the force of contact with the packages on said conveyor belt;
• detecting the movement of said inspection belt due to contact with the packages;
• providing a separate package-engaging member disposed upstream of said inspection belt;
• and
• upwardly moving the package-engaging member by contacting the package-engaging member with the packages on the conveyor belt so as to move the package-engaging member upward from the conveyor belt by the force of contact with the packages on said conveyor belt while applying sufficient downward force via the package-engaging member to discharge air from leaky packages prior to the inspection of the packages performed separately at the inspection belt;
• wherein said step of providing said package-engaging member includes providing said package-engaging member from a package-engaging belt;
• and
• wherein said step of upwardly moving said package-engaging belt includes supporting said package-engaging belt via slides and rails.