Patent ID: 8896828

Claim:
An apparatus for inspecting a container, said apparatus including: a container having a mouth and a base with a punt opposite the mouth, wherein the punt extends into the interior volume of the container; at least one light source for directing light energy into the container, off at least a portion of the punt extending into the interior volume of the container, and out of the container through the container mouth; and a light sensor disposed with respect to said at least one light source and the container to receive light energy transmitted through the container mouth, wherein said at least one light source is disposed on at least one side of the container so that said light energy is directed through a side wall of the container and onto the punt of the container base such that at least a portion of the light energy is reflected off the punt to extend through the container mouth to said light sensor, and said at least one light source is disposed adjacent to, but not beneath, the container base and adjacent to a bottom half of the container below a half-height line bisecting the height of the container but not adjacent to an upper half of the container above the half-height line, and said at least one light source is oriented in a generally transverse direction with respect to a longitudinal axis of the container, and said at least one light source is generally positioned such that it axially overlaps at least a portion of the punt extending into the interior volume of the container.