Beverage bottling plant for filling bottles with a liquid beverage material having an inspection apparatus for inspecting bottles

Abstract

A beverage bottling plant for filling bottles with a liquid beverage material having an inspection apparatus for inspecting bottles. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

1 . A beverage bottling plant for filling beverage bottles with liquid beverage material, said beverage bottling plant comprising: 
 a plurality of machines comprising at least a rotary beverage bottle filling machine, a rotary beverage bottle closing machine, a bottle labeling machine, and a bottle inspection machine;    a first conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey beverage bottles to be filled to said beverage bottle filling machine;    said beverage bottle filling machine being configured and disposed to fill beverage bottles with liquid beverage material;    said beverage bottle filling machine comprising: 
 a rotor;  
 a rotatable vertical machine column;  
 said rotor being connected to said vertical machine column to permit rotation of said rotor about said vertical machine column;  
 a plurality of beverage bottle filling elements for filling beverage bottles with liquid beverage material being disposed on the periphery of said rotor;  
 each of said plurality of beverage bottle filling elements comprising a container carrier being configured and disposed to receive and hold beverage bottles to be filled;  
 each of said plurality of beverage bottle filling elements being configured and disposed to dispense liquid beverage material into beverage bottles to be filled;  
 at least one liquid reservoir being configured to hold a supply of liquid beverage material;  
 at least one supply line being configured and disposed to connect said at least one liquid reservoir to said beverage bottle filling machine to supply liquid beverage material to said beverage bottle filling machine;  
 a first filling machine star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move beverage bottles into said beverage bottle filling machine;  
 a second filling machine star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move beverage bottles out of said beverage bottle filling machine;  
   a second conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey filled beverage bottles to said beverage bottle closing machine;    said beverage bottle closing machine being configured and disposed to close tops of filled beverage bottles;    said beverage bottle closing machine comprising: 
 a rotor;  
 a rotatable vertical machine column;  
 said rotor being connected to said vertical machine column to permit rotation of said rotor about said vertical machine column;  
 a plurality of closing devices being disposed on the periphery of said rotor;  
 each of said plurality of closing devices being configured and disposed to place closures on filled beverage bottles;  
 each of said plurality of closing devices comprising a container carrier being configured and disposed to receive and hold filled beverage bottles;  
 a first closing machine star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move filled beverage bottles into said beverage bottle closing machine;  
 a second closing machine star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move filled, closed beverage bottles out of said beverage bottle closing machine;  
   said bottle labeling machine comprising: 
 a labeling station being configured to label bottles;  
 an input arrangement being configured to transfer bottles to be labeled into said labeling machine;  
 an output arrangement being configured to transfer labeled bottles out of said labeling machine;  
   a conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey closed, filled, labeled bottles to said bottle inspection machine;    said bottle inspection machine being configured to inspect bottles;    said bottle inspection machine comprising: 
 a housing;  
 a light source being configured and disposed to illuminate the inner walls of said housing;  
 a conveyor apparatus being configured and disposed to move bottles though said bottle inspection machine;  
 at least one camera being configured to sense at least the position of a label on a bottle;  
 a computer being configured to determine from a set of stored values whether the label on the bottle is acceptable or defective upon receiving signals representing the image of a bottle from said at least one camera;  
 said inner walls of said housing being configured to have a substantial angle of half intensity, substantial spectral reflection factors, and substantial scattered reflection;  
 the optical texture of said inner walls of said housing being configured to provide an optically flat finish to provide a substantially uniform and substantially glare-free light to illuminate the bottles being inspected such that a substantial portion of light impinging upon said inner walls of said housing is reflected for use by said at least one camera to illuminate the bottles being inspected within said housing;  
 the optical texture of said inner walls of said housing being configured to provide light to the bottle and a bottle image to said at least one camera, with substantial definition such that said at least one camera and said computer can distinguish between at least labels on bottles which are defective from at least labels on bottles that are acceptable with substantial accuracy;  
 the optical texture of said inner walls of said housing being configured to minimize a false rejection rate of acceptably labeled bottles; and  
 an apparatus being connected to said computer, and being configured and disposed to remove defective bottles from acceptable bottles from said housing upon receiving a signal from said computer that a bottle is defective.  
   
     
     
         2 . The beverage bottling plant according to  claim 1 , wherein said inner walls of said housing are matte.  
     
     
         3 . The beverage bottling plant according to  claim 2 , wherein said inner walls of said housing are realized so that the light is reflected diffusely.  
     
     
         4 . The beverage bottling plant according to  claim 3 , wherein said inner walls of said housing have a scattering power of at least 0.4.  
     
     
         5 . The beverage bottling plant according to  claim 4 , wherein: 
 said inner walls of said housing have a field angle of at least 27 degrees measured with respect to a line perpendicular to the surface;    said inner walls of said housing have a reflectance or reflectivity of at least 65%; and    said at least one camera is located inside said housing, whereby said at least one camera is located so that it is concealed except for the inlet opening of its lens.    
     
     
         6 . The beverage bottling plant according to  claim 5 , wherein: 
 said inspection machine comprises a plurality of cameras, and wherein said plurality of cameras are a the same distance from the bottle at the time the container is photographed; and    the floor surface of said housing is realized at least partly in the form of a drawer and/or in the form of shutters or flaps.    
     
     
         7 . The beverage bottling plant according to  claim 6 , wherein: 
 said optical texture of said inner walls of said housing contains at least one metal oxide; and    said optical texture of said inner walls of said housing is baked or enameled onto the surface.    
     
     
         8 . A container filling plant for filling containers with liquid material, said container filling plant comprising: 
 a plurality of machines comprising at least a rotary container filling machine, a rotary container closing machine, a container labeling machine, and a container inspection machine;    a first conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey containers to be filled to said container filling machine;    said container filling machine being configured and disposed to fill containers with liquid material;    said container filling machine comprising: 
 a rotor;  
 a rotatable vertical machine column;  
 said rotor being connected to said vertical machine column to permit rotation of said rotor about said vertical machine column;  
 a plurality of container filling elements for filling containers with liquid material being disposed on the periphery of said rotor;  
 each of said plurality of container filling elements comprising a container carrier being configured and disposed to receive and hold containers to be filled;  
 each of said plurality of container filling elements being configured and disposed to dispense liquid material into containers to be filled;  
 at least one liquid reservoir being configured to hold a supply of liquid material;  
 at least one supply line being configured and disposed to connect said at least one liquid reservoir to said container filling machine to supply liquid material to said container filling machine;  
 a first filling machine star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move containers into said container filling machine;  
 a second filling machine star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move containers out of said container filling machine;  
   a second conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey filled containers to said container closing machine;    said container closing machine being configured and disposed to close tops of filled containers;    said container closing machine comprising: 
 a rotor;  
 a rotatable vertical machine column;  
 said rotor being connected to said vertical machine column to permit rotation of said rotor about said vertical machine column;  
 a plurality of closing devices being disposed on the periphery of said rotor;  
 each of said plurality of closing devices being configured and disposed to place closures on filled containers;  
 each of said plurality of closing devices comprising a container carrier being configured and disposed to receive and hold filled containers;  
 a first closing machine star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move filled containers into said container closing machine;  
 a second closing machine star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move filled, closed containers out of said container closing machine;  
   said container labeling machine comprising: 
 a labeling station being configured to label containers;  
 an input arrangement being configured to transfer containers to be labeled into said labeling machine;  
 an output arrangement being configured to transfer labeled containers out of said labeling machine;  
   a conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey closed, filled, labeled containers to said container inspection machine;    said container inspection machine being configured to inspect containers;    said container inspection machine comprising: 
 a housing;  
 a light source being configured and disposed to illuminate the inner walls of said housing;  
 a conveyor apparatus being configured and disposed to move containers though said container inspection machine;  
 at least one optical sensor being configured to sense at least the position of a label on a container;  
 a computer being configured to determine from a set of stored values whether the label on the container is acceptable or defective upon receiving signals representing the image of a container from said at least one optical sensor;  
 said inner walls of said housing being configured to have a substantial angle of half intensity, substantial spectral reflection factors, and substantial scattered reflection;  
 the optical texture of said inner walls of said housing being configured to provide an optically flat finish to provide a substantially uniform and substantially glare-free light to illuminate the containers being inspected such that a substantial portion of light impinging upon said inner walls of said housing is reflected for use by said at least one optical sensor to illuminate the containers being inspected within said housing;  
 the optical texture of said inner walls of said housing being configured to provide light to the container and a container image to said at least one optical sensor, with substantial definition such that said at least one optical sensor and said computer can distinguish between at least labels on containers which are defective from at least labels on containers that are acceptable with substantial accuracy;  
 the optical texture of said inner walls of said housing being configured to minimize a false rejection rate of acceptably labeled containers; and  
 an apparatus being connected to said computer, and being configured and disposed to remove defective containers from acceptable containers from said housing upon receiving a signal from said computer that a container is defective.  
   
     
     
         9 . The container filling plant according to  claim 8 , wherein said inner walls of said housing are matte.  
     
     
         10 . The container filling plant according to  claim 9 , wherein said inner walls of said housing are realized so that the light is reflected diffusely.  
     
     
         11 . The container filling plant according to  claim 10 , wherein said inner walls of said housing have a scattering power of at least 0.4.  
     
     
         12 . The container filling plant according to  claim 11 , wherein: 
 said inner walls of said housing have a field angle of at least 27 degrees measured with respect to a line perpendicular to the surface;    said inner walls of said housing have a reflectance or reflectivity of at least 65%; and    said at least one camera is located inside said housing, whereby said at least one camera is located so that it is concealed except for the inlet opening of its lens.    
     
     
         13 . The container filling plant according to  claim 12 , wherein: 
 said inspection machine comprises a plurality of cameras, and wherein said plurality of cameras are a the same distance from the bottle at the time the container is photographed; and    the floor surface of said housing is realized at least partly in the form of a drawer and/or in the form of shutters or flaps.    
     
     
         14 . The container filling plant according to  claim 13 , wherein: 
 said optical texture of said inner walls of said housing contains at least one metal oxide; and    said optical texture of said inner walls of said housing is baked or enameled onto the surface.    
     
     
         15 . An inspection device for the inspection of closed containers such as bottles, jars or similar containers, realized in a linear or rotary design, with at least one camera, at least one illumination device and at least one system for image processing, with a housing which encloses at least a portion of the container conveyor line, at least one illumination device and at least one camera, wherein the interior surfaces of the housing are light-colored.  
     
     
         16 . The inspection device according to  claim 15 , wherein the interior surfaces of the housing are matte.  
     
     
         17 . The inspection device according to  claim 16 , wherein: 
 the interior surfaces of the housing are realized so that the light is reflected diffusely; and    the interior surfaces of the housing have a scattering power of at least 0.4.    
     
     
         18 . The inspection device according to  claim 17 , wherein: 
 the interior surfaces of the housing have a field angle of at least 27 degrees measured with respect to a line perpendicular to the surface;    the interior surfaces of the housing have a reflectance or reflectivity of at least 65%.    
     
     
         19 . The inspection device according to  claim 18 , wherein: 
 the at least one camera is located inside the housing, whereby the camera is located so that it is concealed except for the inlet opening of its lens; and    all of the cameras are a the same distance from the container at the time the container is photographed.    
     
     
         20 . The inspection device according to  claim 19 , wherein: 
 the floor surface of the housing is realized at least partly in the form of a drawer and/or in the form of shutters or flaps;    the coating of the interior surfaces of the housing contains at least one metal oxide; and    the coating of the interior surfaces of the housing is baked or enameled onto the surface.