Abstract:
The present invention relates to an apparatus and methods for inspecting and orienting manufactured articles. The apparatus and method include recirculating inspected articles to the inspection station for additional processing.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention generally relates to article inspection and handling. The present invention more particularly relates to a method and apparatus for automatically visually inspecting and orienting blow-molded containers. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    In the manufacture and packaging of blow-molded articles, such as hollow plastic containers or bottles, it is necessary that the containers be of uniform size and shape, and be free of defect. Additionally, scrap material from the manufacturing process may need to be separated from the blow molded articles before the blow-molded articles are packaged or further processed. 
         [0003]    In the manufacture of blow molded bottles, the blow-molding operation results in th formation of “tail” at the closed end of the bottle, which tail must be snapped of, this generally being accomplished during removal of the bottle from the blow-molding machine. The blow-molding operation also results in the formation of a ringlike collar (also known as a “moil”) around the opening to the bottle, which moil is cut off from the molded bottle substantially upon completion of the molding operation. The blow-molded bottles, tails and moils are then generally discharged from the blow-molding machine, and must be later separated before further processing. 
         [0004]    Further processing may include inspecting and orienting of the blow-molded bottles prior to filling, packaging, or other bottle handling operation. The blow-molded bottles may be fed to an inspection device where the bottles may be manually or automatically inspected. The bottles may also be fed to an unscrambling device where they are unscrambled. 
         [0005]    The use of a large number of varying-sized articles to orient and/or package poses a particular problem to the manufacturing and packaging industries because they oftentimes are designed for a fixed size article. Thus, in order to change from one size container to another, for example, the various machinery, tooling, parts (such as guide arms, unscrambler bowl, etc.), had to be “changed out” before the machinery could accommodate another size. This change over not only results in additional costs, but also results in lost revenue due to down time. 
         [0006]    Accordingly, there is a need in the industry for a cost effective and operationally efficient inspection and alignment apparatus and method for blow molded articles. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    An objective of the present invention is to provide method and apparatus for inspecting and orienting manufactured articles, such as blow-molded containers. 
         [0008]    According to one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus is disclosed that includes an article receiving station, a waste separation station, an inspection station, and a conveyance device for transporting articles between the article receiving station, the waste separation station, and the inspection station. The conveyance device recirculates articles not removed from inspection station back to the article receiving station. 
         [0009]    Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an article inspecting and orienting apparatus including an article receiving station, a waste separation station, an article leveling station, an inspection station, and a conveyance device for transporting articles between the article receiving station, the waste separation station, and the inspection station. The conveyance device recirculates articles not removed from inspection station back to the article receiving station. 
         [0010]    Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a method of inspecting and orienting a plurality of articles including the steps of receiving a plurality of articles from a manufacturing process at a receiving station, separating manufacturing waste from the plurality of articles, providing the plurality of articles to an inspection station, inspecting the received plurality of articles, removing defective articles from the plurality of articles that fail inspection, orienting acceptable articles from the plurality of articles that pass inspection, and recirculating remaining articles that pass through the inspection station to the receiving station. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    Referring now to the figures, which are exemplary embodiments, and wherein the like elements are numbered alike: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of an inspection and orienting apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  illustrates a partial cutaway, perspective view of the inspection and orienting apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  illustrates another partial cutaway, perspective view of the inspection and orienting apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  illustrates a top view of the inspection and orienting apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective view of the second section of the conveyance device according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  illustrates a perspective view of the leveling device according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  illustrates a top view of an embodiment and inspection and orienting apparatus according to another embodiment of the disclosure. 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  illustrates a simplified top view of the inspection and orienting apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    Specific embodiments of systems and processes for inspecting and orienting articles according to the invention are described below with reference to the drawings. 
         [0021]      FIGS. 1-4  illustrate an apparatus  100  for inspecting and orienting articles  105  according to an embodiment of the disclosure. Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , the apparatus  100  includes a housing  110  having a generally rectangular footprint. In another embodiment, the housing  110  may have a rectangular, square, or other footprint geometry capable of housing inspection and orienting components of the apparatus  100 . 
         [0022]    The apparatus  100  further includes a conveyance device  120  for conveying articles  105  between various stations within the apparatus  100 . In this embodiment, the conveyance device  120  includes a first section  122 , a second section  124 , and a third section  126 . In another embodiment, the conveyance device  120  may include one or more sections. 
         [0023]    In this exemplary embodiment, the first, second and third sections  122 ,  124 ,  126  are belt conveyors. The first, second, and third sections  12 ,  124 ,  126  include a conveyor belt  140  having an upward facing belt surface  142  and a drive (not shown) for causing the conveyor belt system  140  to move. The conveyor belt  140  of the different sections have different lengths. In another embodiment, the conveyor  140  of one or more of the sections may have the same length. 
         [0024]    The first section  122  further includes a plurality of evenly spaced support dividers  123 . The support dividers  123  are structures that are at least partially protruding or above the belt surface  142 . The support dividers  123  may support, divide, and/or stabilize articles  105  on the belt surface  142  as the articles are moved up an inclined conveyor belt. In another embodiment, one or all of the first, second, and third sections  122 ,  124 ,  126  may be or may include a belt conveyor, matt top conveyor, roller conveyor, chute or slide or other similar article transport. 
         [0025]    The apparatus  100  further includes an article receiving station  200  configured to receive articles  105  from an article source (not shown). The article receiving station  200  may be a chute, opening or other receiving area for receiving articles  105  onto the first section  122  from an article source. The article source may be a chute, belt, conveyor, manual feed, or other similar article providing device or means for providing and/or loading articles onto the first section  122 . In addition to articles  105 , the first section  122  may receive manufacturing waste  106 . The manufacturing waste  106  may include, but is not limited to tails  107  and moils  108 . The apparatus  100  may further include a second article receiving station  201  for receiving articles  105  from an article source. The second article receiving station  201  is an opening in the housing  110  that allows for articles  105  to be placed, fed or otherwise received on the second section  124 . In yet another embodiment, the apparatus  100  may include one or more article receiving stations positioned at different locations on the first section  122 . The first section  122  transports the articles  105  and any manufacturing waste  106  from the article receiving station  200  to a waste separation station  300 . At the waste separation station  300 , manufacturing waste  106  is separated from articles  105 . 
         [0026]    In this exemplary embodiment, the waste separation station  300  includes an open bar grid  310  configured to support articles  105  while allowing manufacturing waste  106  to pass through to a waste discharge chute  320 . The waste separation station  300  may include a transverse grid of ¼ inch rods  302  that form a screen and angled chute. In one embodiment, the rods  302  may be ¼ inch rods. In another embodiment, the rods  302  may have a diameter between about ⅛ inch and about ½ inch. In another embodiment, the rods  302  are of a diameter selected to support the articles  105  while passing manufacturing waste  106  therethrough. The rods  302  are perpendicular to the movement of the conveyor belt  140 , and thereby orient the manufacturing waste  106 , especially the tails  107 , with the rods  302  to effectively remove the manufacturing waste  106 , especially the tails  107 , by passing the manufacturing waste  106  through the space between the rods  302 . The waste discharge chute  320  discharges manufacturing waste  106  from the apparatus  100 . In another embodiment, the waste separation station may include a grid, screen, automated waste removal device, such as, but not limited to a robotic visually guided arm, vacuum removal system or other devices configured to remove manufacturing waste  106  from the articles  105 . 
         [0027]    The articles  105  are transported from the waste separation station  300  to the second section  124 . In this exemplary embodiment, the articles  105  are transported from the waste separation station  300  to the second station by gravity feed from the angle of the chute formed by the rods  302 . In another embodiment, the articles  105  may be transported from the waste separation station  300  to the second section  124  by a conveyor, scraper, bar, chute or other similar transport device. 
         [0028]    The articles  105  are transported by the second section  124  to an article leveling station  400 . The article leveling station  400  will be described with reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 . The article leveling station  400  includes a leveling device  410 . The article leveling device  410  includes a paddle wheel  420 . The leveling device  410  further includes a motor  430  configured to drive the paddle wheel  420 . In this exemplary embodiment, the paddle wheel  420  include four paddles  422 . In another embodiment, the paddle wheel  420  may include one or more paddles  422 . The paddle wheel  420  is driven by the motor  430  to rotate above the conveyor belt  140  to level the articles over the conveyor belt  140 . In other words, the article leveling station orients the articles  105  such that a major thickness axis is oriented parallel to the belt surface  142 . In other words, the leveling device  410  creates a single layer of articles  105  on the conveyor belt  140  by re-orienting leaning, stacked or other non-conforming articles  105  to form a single layer. The paddles  422  may be formed of a complaint or soft material, such as but not limited to rubber, fabric or polymeric material so as to not damage the articles  105 . This may be particularly important when the articles  105  are still warm or hot from manufacturing and may be easily damaged. The conveyor belt  140  then transports the articles to an article inspection station  500 . 
         [0029]    Referring again to  FIGS. 1-4 , the inspection station  500  includes at least one automated device  510 . In this exemplary embodiment, the automated device  510  is a vision guided robot configured to identify and remove articles  105  determined to be defective and being transported through the inspection station  500  by the conveyor belt  140 . In another embodiment, the automated device  510  may include vision and pick and place devices capable of identifying and moving articles  105  within the apparatus  100 . The vision guided robot includes software and hardware capable of identifying articles  105  which are determined to be outside of one or more acceptable design criteria, or in other words, defective. The vision guided robot further includes a removal device  511  for removing defective articles  105  from the conveyor belt  140 . In this exemplary embodiment, the removal device  511  is a vacuum pad or nozzle that is brought in contact with an article  105  so as to temporarily attach to the article  105 , thereby allowing the article  105  to be lifted from or otherwise removed from the conveyor belt  140 . In another embodiment, the removal device  511  may be a mechanical gripper or other attachment device. The automated device  510  then places any removed articles onto a defective article chute  520  (see particularly  FIG. 4  for an articles  105  placed on the chute  520 ) for removal from the apparatus  100 . Removed articles  105  may then be collected and/or recycled for further processing. 
         [0030]    In addition to removing articles  105  determined to be defective from the conveyor belt  140 , the automated device  510  further selects articles determined to meet acceptable design criteria and similarly removes the acceptable articles  105  from the conveyor belt  140 . The acceptable articles  105  are placed in a predetermined oriented position on a discharge conveyance device  540 . The automated device  510  further includes software and hardware configured to determine acceptable design criteria and place the acceptable articles  105  in a predetermined orientation upon the discharge conveyance device  540 . The discharge conveyance device  540  includes a conveyor belt  542  having an upward facing belt surface  544  and a drive (not shown) for causing the conveyor belt  542  to move. The conveyor belt  542  includes perforations  546 . 
         [0031]    Referring again to  FIGS. 1-4 , the apparatus  100  further includes an air vacuum device  143  configured to draw air through perforations  546  in the belt surface  544 . The air vacuum device  143  includes a vacuum blower  145  and various conduits, ducting, and vacuum flow devices (not shown) configured to apply a vacuum to a bottom surface (not shown) of the conveyor belt  542 . The drawn air creates an object-stabilizing suction force on articles  105  located on the belt surface  544  when the conveyor belt  542  moves relative to the air vacuum device  143 . In one embodiment, the conveyance device  100  may include a control (not shown) for changing the suction force imposed on the articles  105  while being transported on the belt surface  544 . In another embodiment, the discharge conveyance device  540  may be a conveyor belt, mat top conveyor, roller conveyor, cable conveyor, table top chain conveyor or other similar article transport device. 
         [0032]      FIG. 7  illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the apparatus  100 . As can be seen in  FIG. 7 , the inspection station  500  includes a first automated device  512  and a second automated device  514 . The first automated device  512  is configured to determine those articles  105  that meet acceptable design criteria, remove those articles  105  from the conveyor belt  542 , and place those articles  105  in a predetermined orientation upon the discharge conveyance device  540 . The second automated device  514  is configured to determine those articles  105  that do not meet acceptable design criteria or in other words are defective, remove those articles  105  from the conveyor belt  542 , and place those articles on defective article chute  520  for removal from the apparatus  100 . In another embodiment, the inspection station  500  may include one or more automated devices  514 . 
         [0033]    Referring to  FIGS. 2-4  and  8 , the articles  105 , after passing through the inspection station  500 , are transported by the second section  124  to the third section  126  for return to the first section  122 . The third section  126  may a cross-feed belt conveyor. In another embodiment, the third section  126  may be a belt conveyor, roller conveyor, mat conveyor, chute or slide or other similar article transport device. In one embodiment, the third section  124  may be of a narrow conveyor belt width compared to the second section  124  in order to facilitate the transport of the articles  105  from the second section  124  to the first section  122 . In such a manner, articles  105  and manufacturing waste  106  not removed by the apparatus  100  are recycled through the article receiving station  200 , the waste separation station  300 , the article leveling station  400 , and the inspection station  500 . The recycling of the articles  105  and manufacturing waste  106  allows for the additional opportunities for manufacturing waste  106  and articles  105  determined to be defective to be removed, as well as articles  105  deemed to be acceptable to be oriented. This is accomplished by the repositioning and/or re-orienting of the articles  105  and manufacturing waste  106  during recirculation process. 
         [0034]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the apparatus  100  further includes a control system  101  to operate the various components of the apparatus, including, but not limited to the operation of the conveyance device  120 , at least one automated devices  510 , the article leveling device  410 , and the air vacuum device  143 . The control system  101  may include any number of manual and automated systems for performing the apparatus functions. 
         [0035]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 ,  3 ,  4  and  8 , the conveyance device  120  includes sections that are inclined and/or at different horizontal levels or heights. In this exemplary embodiment, the first section  122  is inclined upward from an initial position  610  below the third section  126  to a final position  615  above the waste separation station  300 . The waste separation station  300  is inclined downward from an initial position  310  below the first section  122  to a final position  315  proximate the second section  124 . The second section  124  is approximately level and extends from an initial position  620  proximate the final position  315  of the separation station  300  to a final position  625  above the third section  126 . The third section  126  extends approximately level from an initial position  630  below the final position  625  of the second section  124  to a final position  635  above the initial section  610  of the first section  122 . In such a manner, the conveyance device  120  and separation station  300  form a continuous loop that recirculates articles  105  through the apparatus  100  to re-orients and/or repositions articles and manufacturing waste  106  to be further separated and/or identified and/or classified as acceptable or defective. In another embodiment, any one or combination of the sections and/or separation station  300  may be at the same or different heights and/or inclinations. 
         [0036]    While the invention has been described with reference to various exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.