US 6,275,603 B1Granted

Method and apparatus for detecting glass particles in glass bottles filled with beer

AssigneeHeineken Technical Services B.V.

InventorsAnthony James Cronshaw, Christopher James Hodges, Mark Robson Humphries, David Livingstone, Stephen Peter Woodall, Bernardus Cornelis Johannes Landman

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Abstract

This invention provides a method and apparatus (100) for detecting small glass particles (12) in bottles (1) filled with beer (10). The beer (10) is caused to rotate with respect to the bottle (1), and successive images are obtained from the bottle by means of a CCD-camera (40) which is arranged such that its optical axis (41) makes an angle α of about 135° with the axis (13) of the bottle (1), which is illuminated from below. The successive images are subtracted from each other to detect refracted light emanating from glass particles. These measurements are repeated a plurality of times. The invention thus offers an improvement in sensitivity and reliability of a detecting method. An apparatus (100) comprises a carousel (103) with a plurality of cameras dedicated to a single bottle. A system is described to reduce costs by having eight cameras share one image processing unit.

Claims25

Dependent claims

Method of detecting the presence of glass particles in a bottle filled with a beverage, the bottle (1) having a bottom (4) with a central, inwardly directed convex portion (6), and also having a longitudinal axis (13);

the method comprising the steps of:
a) causing the beverage (10) in the bottle (1) to rotate with respect to the bottle (1);
b) holding the bottle (1) stationary with respect to a camera (40);
c) illuminating the bottle (1) with a light bundle (31) impinging on the bottom (4) of the bottle (1), said light bundle (31) being directed substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis (13) of the bottle (1);
d) directing the camera (40) such that an optical axis (41) of the camera (40) makes an angle α in the range of 120°-150° with the direction (32) of the bundle (31);
e) obtaining a first image signal representative for a first image obtained by the camera (40) at a time t1 when a present glass particle is in a first position and a first orientation within said bottle;
f) obtaining a second image signal representative for a second image obtained by the camera (40), the second image being obtained at a moment in time t2 subsequent the moment in time t1, said glass particle being in a second position and a second orientation within said bottle;
g) comparing the first and second image signals to obtain a first compared signal;
h) obtaining a third image signal representative for a third image obtained by the camera (40) at a moment in time t3 subsequent the moment in time t2, said glass particle being in a third position and a third orientation within said bottle;
i) obtaining a fourth image signal representative for a fourth image obtained by the camera (40) at a moment in time t4 subsequent the moment in time t3, said glass particle being in a fourth Position and a fourth orientation within said bottle;
j) comparing the third and fourth image signals to obtain a second compared signal;
k) generating a bottle reject signal if at least one of the compared signals obtained in step (g) or step (j) indicates the presence of a moving object.

9 more elements

A production line (200) for filling bottles (1) with a beverage, each bottle (1) having a longitudinal axis (13) and a bottom (4) having a central, inwardly directed convex portion (6);

the production line (200) comprising a detecting apparatus, a first transportation means (201) for transporting the filled bottles (1) towards the detecting apparatus (100), and a second transportation means (202) for transporting the checked bottles (1) away from the detecting apparatus (100);
the detecting apparatus (100) comprising:
a carousel (103) which is rotatably mounted with respect to the fixed world;
a plurality of detecting stations (20) fixed to said carousel (103), each detecting station (20) comprising:
a subframe (21);
holding means (22) for accepting and holding a bottle (1) in an upright position stationary with respect to said subframe (21);
an illumination device (30) for generating a bundle of visible light (31), said light bundle (31) being directed substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis (13) of an accepted bottle (1) held by said holding means (22);
a camera (40) fixed to said subframe (21), an optical axis (41) of the camera (40) being directed such that it makes an angle α in the range of 120° to 150° with the direction (32) of the bundle (31) and intersects the central axis (13) of said accepted bottle (1) at a point S which is located near the top of the hill portion (6), said camera (40) being adapted to obtain first, second, third, and fourth image signals respectively at subsequent moments in time t1, t2, t3, and t4;
the apparatus (100) further comprising:
at least one image processing unit (50), a central processing unit (130), and a reject device (120) associated with said second transportation means (202), each image processing unit (50) being adapted to receive said first, second, third, and fourth image signals from said camera (40), to compare said first and second image signals to provide a first compared signal, to compare said third and fourth image signals to provide a second compared signal, and to communicate said first and second compared signals to said central processing unit (130), said central processing unit (130) being adapted to control said reject device (120) such as to remove rejected bottles from said second transportation means (202) if at least one of said compared signals indicates the presence of a moving object.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.