JPH0577262B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a buckled can detection device that automatically detects buckled cans that occur during the manufacturing process of canned goods.

[Prior Art] In the manufacturing process of canned goods, there are processes such as neck-in processing and flange processing on the mouth of the can, and furthermore, a process of tightening the other lid after filling the empty cans with contents. A large load may be applied in the axial direction of the can.

That is, in the step of winding the lid onto the can body, the edge of the lid is rolled up with a seaming roll while the lid is pressed and fixed to the can body by a chuck or the like. In addition, in the netsuin processing process,
A squeezing machine applies a load in the axial direction while squeezing the can mouth inward.Furthermore, in the flange processing process, a flanging machine applies a load in the axial direction and opens the can mouth outward. ing.

For this reason, buckling often occurs in the can body during the can manufacturing process. Canned goods with buckled can bodies have poor aesthetic appearance and significantly reduce commercial value, and are a major cause of poor sealing of canned goods due to poor sealing. Further, due to the phenomenon in which a portion of the can body protrudes due to buckling, the cans may become clogged during transportation during the can manufacturing process.

Therefore, it is necessary to detect buckled cans and distinguish them from good cans, but it is important to understand that the most important drawback of buckled cans, the loss of aesthetics, is a sensory one, and that automatic Since there is no suitable detection means, buckled cans have conventionally been detected by human visual inspection.

[Problems to be Solved] As described above, buckled cans have conventionally been detected by human visual inspection. As a result, the criteria for determining whether or not a can is buckled varies, and human detection errors due to worker fatigue or carelessness cannot be avoided, making it impossible to achieve high-accuracy detection. It was hot.

In addition, with visual inspection by workers, it is difficult to speed up the inspection, and there are major problems in automating the inspection and, by extension, the can manufacturing process.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, the can 1 is rotated,
A method of inspecting the presence or absence of a buckled can by measuring changes in the shape of the can in the circumferential direction, that is, changes in the distance l between the proximity sensor 51 and the circumferential surface of the can 1 using the proximity sensor 51 or the like, is also considered. In the case of this method, there is a risk that changes in the distance l between the sensor 51 and the circumferential surface of the can 1 due to uneven rotation of the can or fluctuations in roundness may be mistaken for buckling, and this may result in poor detection accuracy. There's a problem.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and detects a buckled can by determining the output difference between adjacent proximity sensors in the axial direction of each proximity sensor group arranged in multiple rows in the circumferential direction. Accordingly, the present invention aims to provide a buckled can detection device that enables accurate and highly accurate buckling detection.

[Means for Solving Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the buckled can detection device of the present invention has means for transporting the can along a transfer path, and outputs a signal corresponding to the circumferential shape of the can. A plurality of proximity sensor groups are formed by arranging a plurality of proximity sensors in parallel on the same line in the axial direction of the can at positions close to the can on the transfer path, and these plurality of proximity sensor groups are connected to each proximity sensor. Proximity sensors in a group are arranged in the circumferential direction of the can so that they are at different height positions, and based on the difference in signals between proximity sensors adjacent in the axial direction of the can in these proximity sensor groups. The configuration includes a determination section for determining whether or not the can is buckled.

Note that the present invention can also be implemented to detect cans with unevenness on the outer peripheral surface due to causes other than buckling.
Of course, it can also be applied to containers other than cans.
Therefore, in the present invention, these are collectively referred to as buckling cans.

[Examples] Examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of the embodiment device in which the detection device is installed during the lid tightening process, Fig. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the detection device, Fig. 3 is a circuit configuration block diagram of the control section, and Fig. 4 The figure shows a waveform diagram of the control section.

In the drawings, reference numeral 1 indicates a can as an object to be inspected for the presence or absence of buckling. 10 is a turret;
A pocket 10a for transporting the can 1 on the outer periphery
It has multiple warehouses spaced at equal intervals. This turret 1
0 rotates intermittently at a predetermined speed and transports the can 1 to the inspection position A. A rotary table 11 is disposed at the bottom of each pocket 10a, and this rotary table 11 rotates when the can 1 is transferred to the inspection position A, and usually rotates the can 1 once.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a pre-stage auxiliary turret, which feeds the can 1 sent from the pre-process into the pocket 10a of the turret 10. Reference numeral 13 denotes a post-stage auxiliary turret, which receives the can 1 from the turret 10 and sends it to the post-process conveyance line. 14 is a timing sensor that detects when the can 1 is transferred to the inspection position A;
It outputs a signal when it is sent out from inspection position A. Further, 15 is a pulse generator, which outputs a pulse signal corresponding to the number of cans to be delivered based on the rotation speed of the rear stage auxiliary turret 13.

S ₁ , -, S ₉ are proximity sensors that output signals corresponding to the circumferential shape of the can 1, and in this embodiment, three proximity sensors S ₁ , S ₂ , S ₃ and S ₄ , S ₅ , _S6 and _S7 ,
Three sets of proximity sensor groups 21, 22, and 23 are formed by setting S ₈ and S ₉ as one set, respectively.

The three proximity sensors in each of the three proximity sensor groups 21, 22, and 23 are arranged in parallel on the same line in the axial direction (height direction) of the can, with appropriate intervals between them. In addition, three sets of proximity sensor groups 21,
22 and 23 are arranged in the vicinity of the can 1 at the inspection position A in the circumferential direction of the can. in this case,
The axial positional relationship of each proximity sensor is such that the proximity sensors in the other two proximity sensor groups are located between the proximity sensors in one set of proximity sensor groups with some deviation in the can circumferential direction. It's summery.

That is, between the proximity sensors S ₁ -S ₂ and S ₂ -S ₃ in the proximity sensor group 21, the proximity sensor group 22,
The proximity sensors S ₄ , S ₇ and S ₅ , S ₈ in the proximity sensor group 23 are also the proximity sensors S ₄ -S ₅ and S ₅ in the proximity sensor group 22.
- S ₆ , the proximity sensors S ₂ , S ₇ and S ₃ , S ₈ in the proximity sensor groups 21 and 23, and the proximity sensors S ₇ -S ₈ and S ₈ -S ₉ in the proximity sensor group 23. In between, there are proximity sensors in the proximity sensor groups 21 and 22.
They are arranged so that S ₂ , S ₅ and S ₄ , S ₇ are located respectively. This allows the proximity sensor to move in the axial direction of can 1.
S ₁ , . . . , S ₉ are densely arranged, allowing accurate inspection.

In this example, there are three proximity sensor groups,
There are three proximity sensors in each proximity sensor group, but these can of course be increased or decreased depending on the height and diameter of the can.
It is also possible to vary the number of proximity sensors in one set or each set of proximity sensor groups.

As the proximity sensors S ₁ to S ₉ , various sensors such as a sensor that oscillates high frequency, an optical sensor, or an eddy current sensor can be used.

Reference numeral 30 denotes a control unit that determines whether the can is buckled or not based on signals sent from the respective proximity sensors S ₁ to S ₉ . Here, in order to make the explanation easier to understand, the proximity switches S ₁ ,
The circuit system that processes the signals sent from S ₂ and S ₃ will be explained. (The same applies to the circuit systems of the other two proximity switch groups 22 and 23.) The circuit of the control section 30 includes the proximity switches _S1 , _S2 , and _S2 .
and a subtracter 31 that calculates the difference between the signals output from _S3
a, 31b, comparators 33a, 33b that compare the values obtained by the subtracters 31a, 31b with the values preset in the setting device 32, and the can 1 at the inspection position A.
The buckling can A discriminator 3 that discriminates whether or not
It consists of 5.

41 is a display device which displays whether the inspected can 1 is a good can or a buckled can based on a signal from the control unit 30, and also indicates whether a buckled can has occurred using a signal from the timing sensor 14 or the like. Displays the pocket number etc. of the turret. Reference numeral 42 designates a solenoid valve provided in the discharge air pipe 43, which is activated when the buckled can is discharged from the conveyance line, and blows out air from the discharge air pipe 43 toward the discharge position B. The activation signal to this solenoid valve 42 is
Stored in the shift register 44 mentioned above,
When the number of buckled tubes detected at inspection position A are sent to discharge position B is determined in advance, and the pulse signal from pulse generator 15 is counted by that number using shift register 44. It is now output to .

Next, the operation of the device of this embodiment will be explained.

The cans 1 sent sequentially from the neck-in process, flange process, seaming process, etc. are rolled up one by one by the auxiliary turret 12 at the front stage.
0 into the pocket 10a and placed on the rotating table 11. As a result, can 1 is placed at inspection position A.
At the same time, it is rotated once by the rotary table 11 at the inspection position A. The timing sensor 14 detects this movement, and the gate circuit 34
Test start and end signals are output to a and 34b.

As the can 1 rotates, each proximity sensor S ₁ , S ₂ , S ₃ outputs a signal corresponding to the shape of the can periphery on the same line in the axial direction of the can 1 . The subtractor 31a is a proximity sensor
The difference between the signals from S ₁ and S ₂ is determined, and the subtractor 31b determines the difference between the signals from the proximity sensors S ₂ and S ₃ . The values obtained by the subtracters 31a and 31b are compared with preset values from the setter 32 in comparators 33a and 33b, respectively.

Now, there is buckling at the top of can 1, and subtractor 31a
When the output value changes beyond the measurement range of the set value, the comparator 33a outputs a buckling detection signal. When this buckling detection signal is output by a signal from the timing sensor 14 while the gate circuit 34a is open, that is, while the can is being inspected, the discriminator 35 inputs this signal.

The discriminator 35 is one of the comparators 33a, 33
When a buckling detection signal is input from b,..., the inspected can is determined to be a defective can, a signal is output to the display device 41, and the
Indicate that there is a buckled can in a. At the same time, the buckled can detection signal is stored in the shift register 44.

When the inspection is completed in this way, the cans 1 that have been inspected are sequentially transferred by the turret 10 and sent to the conveyance line for the next process by the rear auxiliary turret 13, and the inspection results indicate that buckled cans have been detected. If this is the case, the number of cans sent to the discharge position B is counted by the shift register 44 (for example, by counting pulse signals from a timing detection sensor). and,
When the buckled can reaches the discharge position B of the conveyance line, an activation signal is sent to the solenoid valve 42, air is blown out from the discharge air can 43, and the buckled can is removed from the line.

Note that it is also possible to perform this buckled can detection at the same time as the lid seaming process.In this way, a separate buckled can detection process is not required, and the buckled can detection device can also be used. A lid tightening device can be used, and the device can be simplified and the detection process can be shortened.

In addition, by totaling the buckled can occurrence pocket numbers displayed on the display device 41, the turret 1
It is also possible to monitor the condition of the lid tightening device provided in each pocket 10a of the 0.

Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes, for example, the following modifications.

When used as a device to detect buckling of a real can after filling with contents and tightening the lid.

A device that detects buckled cans by incorporating a proximity sensor into the turret pocket. In this way, buckling can be detected while the can is being transferred by the turret, and the detection time can be shortened.

A device that detects buckled cans by rotating the can using a rotating means other than a rotary table, such as a belt or roll.

A device that detects a buckled can using a circuit other than those described above as a constituent circuit of a discriminator.

This device detects a buckled can by arranging proximity switches on the same line in the axial direction of the can, in a part where buckling is most likely to occur and a part where buckling is least likely to occur.

Buckling can be determined by connecting the input and output of each part to a microcomputer via an interface.
A device that detects buckled cans through processing using a microcomputer program.

A device that detects a buckled can by sounding an alarm or flashing an indicator light as a predetermined process when a buckled can is detected.

A method and device in which a buckled can removal device is a device other than an air exclusion type, and the removal device is installed near a detection position as necessary to detect buckled cans.

A device that detects buckled cans by rotating the can less than 360 degrees at the inspection position. Usually, buckling occurs in a range of 90 degrees or more in the circumferential direction around the outer periphery of the can, so a certain effect can be obtained even with this method.

A device that detects a buckled can based on the difference in the outputs of the three or more adjacent proximity sensors when three or more proximity sensors are arranged in parallel on a straight line in the axial direction.

A device designed to detect buckled cans in plastic cans, paper cans, etc. other than metal cans.

A device for detecting buckled cans by appropriately combining the above-described embodiments and modifications.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, detection of a buckled can can be determined by the output difference between adjacent proximity sensors in the axial direction of each proximity sensor group arranged in multiple rows in the circumferential direction. Accordingly, buckled cans can be detected accurately and with high precision.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of an embodiment in which the detection device is installed during the lid tightening process, Fig. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the detection device, Fig. 3 is a circuit configuration block diagram of the control section, and Fig. 4 5 is a waveform diagram of the control section, and FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of buckling detection other than the present invention. 1: Can, 10: Turret, 10a: Pocket, 14: Timing sensor, S ₁ , ~, S ₉ : Proximity sensor, 21, 22, 23: Proximity sensor group, 3
0: Control unit, 41: Display unit, A: Inspection position, B:
Ejection position.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A means for transporting a can along a transfer path, and a proximity sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to the circumferential shape of the can, at a position close to the can on the transfer path, is connected to the axis of the can. A plurality of proximity sensor groups are formed by arranging a plurality of proximity sensor groups in parallel on the same line, and the plurality of proximity sensor groups are arranged in such a way that the proximity sensors of each proximity sensor group are at different height positions. and a determination unit for determining whether or not the can is buckled based on the difference in signals between proximity sensors adjacent in the axial direction of the can in the proximity sensor group. A buckled can detection device characterized by the following: