Method and apparatus for airborne ultrasonic testing of package and container seals
AssigneePackaging Technologies and Inspection, LLC
InventorAnton Stauffer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for testing or inspecting the integrity of package closure seals using contact and non-contact ultrasonic systems wherein a relative movement is created between a package seal and at least one ultrasonic transmitting transducer and at least one receiving transducer such that ultrasonic energy is focused so as to be transmitted toward and along a length of the seal from the transmitting transducer to the receiving transducer in a gaseous environment to thereby monitor energy signals which are analyzed to provide an indication of the seal integrity.
Claims17
A method for inspecting a package seal of a package using an airborne ultrasonic system including at least one airborne ultrasonic transmitting transducer and at least one airborne ultrasonic receiving transducer, the method including, in a gaseous environment,
- mounting the at least one airborne ultrasonic transmitting transducer on one side of the package seal and mounting the at least one airborne ultrasonic receiving transducer on an opposite side of the package seal,
- providing relative movement between a package and said at least one airborne ultrasonic transmitting transducer and said at least one airborne ultrasonic receiving transducer so that the package moves between the at least one airborne ultrasonic transmitting transducer and the at least one airborne ultrasonic receiving transducer,
- directing ultrasonic energy in a non-liquid environment toward the package seal from the at least one airborne ultrasonic transmitting transducer to the at least one airborne ultrasonic receiving transducer as there is relative movement therebetween while preventing ultrasonic energy from passing about an edge of the package adjacent the seal toward the at least one airborne ultrasonic receiving transducer, and
- using the energy received at the at least one airborne ultrasonic receiving transducer to provide a signal to a device to thereby obtain an indication of integrity of the seal.
A method for inspecting a package seal adjacent an edge of a package using an airborne ultrasonic system including at least one airborne ultrasonic transmitting transducer and at least one airborne ultrasonic receiving transducer, the method including, in a gaseous environment,
- directing ultrasonic energy toward the package seal from the at least one airborne ultrasonic transmitting transducer to the at least one airborne ultrasonic receiving transducer,
- preventing the ultrasonic energy directed toward the package seal from passing about an edge of the package adjacent the seal toward the at least one airborne receiving transducer, and
- using the energy received at the at least one airborne ultrasonic receiving transducer to provide a signal to a device to thereby give an indication of integrity of the seal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.