Abstract: A surface inspection apparatus has a detection unit that irradiates an inner circumferential surface of an inspection object with inspection light from a laser diode through a light projecting fiber, and detects the intensity of the reflected light of that inspection light. The detection unit comprises a first light receiving fiber group, which is disposed at the circumference of the light projecting fiber, a second light receiving fiber group, which is disposed further on the outer side thereof, and photodetectors, which are connected to each of the fiber groups.

Abstract: A chuck device having a pair of arms rotatably supported by arm shafts and an operation member. One of the arms is provided with a roller shaft rotatable together with the arm about one of the arm shafts. The other arm is provided with an arm drive portion rotatable together with the arm. The arm drive portion is biased so as to press a second roller. Between the operation member and the roller shaft is provided a motion input mechanism for converting the motion of the operation member to rotational motion of the roller shaft about the arm shaft as the center of rotation. Between the roller shaft and the arm drive portion is provided an interlock mechanism that causes the arm drive portion to rotate about the arm shaft in conjunction with the motion of the roller shaft about the arm shaft as the center of rotation.

Abstract: A surface inspection apparatus has a detection unit that irradiates an inner circumferential surface of an inspection object with inspection light from a laser diode through a light projecting fiber, and detects the intensity of the reflected light of that inspection light. The detection unit comprises a first light receiving fiber group, which is disposed at the circumference of the light projecting fiber, a second light receiving fiber group, which is disposed further on the outer side thereof, and photodetectors, which are connected to each of the fiber groups.

Abstract: A glass bottle inspecting apparatus is presented which can detect a defect at a specific location of a bottle-mouth portion of a glass bottle. An inspecting apparatus detects a defect of a glass bottle by imaging light from the glass bottle while the glass bottle (2) is illuminated and rotated, and processes the obtained image. A glass bottle inspecting apparatus includes a lighting device (7) disposed at a predetermined position with respect to the glass bottle, a plurality of CCD cameras (11-20) disposed around the glass bottle for imaging a specific part of the glass bottle, an angle detection device (10) for detecting a rotation angle of the glass bottle with respect to a reference position, and an image processor (8) for processing the images obtained by the CCD cameras. The image processor stores rotation angle information detected by the angle detection device in such a manner that the rotation angle information corresponds to the image imaged by each of the CCD cameras.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing a reference image (template) used in a glass bottle inspecting apparatus for detecting a defect at a specific location of a bottle-mouth portion and the like of a glass bottle, and used for being compared with the image obtained from the glass bottle to be inspected in the inspecting apparatus. According to a method of producing a reference image of the present invention, plural images are formed by using a CCD camera to image a plurality of glass bottles as samples which may contain defective glass bottles, and a reference image is provided from the obtained plural images, a range of brightness when light is applied to a non-defective glass bottle being specified in said reference image.

Abstract: In a surface inspection apparatus that receives, through receiving optical fibers, reflected light from light from a light source projected onto the surface of an article being inspected through a projection optical fiber and generates a two-dimensional image corresponding to the surface of that article being inspected based on the amount of that light received, a plurality of receiving optical fibers are disposed around the projection optical fiber and the diameter of those receiving optical fibers is greater than the diameter of the projection optical fiber.

Abstract: A photosensor device is provided which includes a light-applying fiber to apply an inspection light to a subject to be inspected; a light-receiving fiber to receive a reflected light from the subject to be inspected; a laser beam source to emit the inspection light to the light-applying fiber; and a photosensor to receive the reflected light via the light-receiving fiber. A disk inspection apparatus for inspecting surface conditions of a disk is also provided which includes a turning table for rotating the disk; a photosensor body disposed opposite to the surface of the disk; and a transfer mechanism for reciprocally transferring the photosensor body in a direction perpendicular to a rotating direction of the disk along the surface of the disk; wherein the photosensor device is utilized as the photosensor body.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing a reference image (template) used in a glass bottle inspecting apparatus for detecting a defect at a specific location of a bottle-mouth portion and the like of a glass bottle, and used for being compared with the image obtained from the glass bottle to be inspected in the inspecting apparatus. According to a method of producing a reference image of the present invention, plural images are formed by using a CCD camera to image a plurality of glass bottles (2) as samples which may contain defective glass bottles, and a reference image is provided from the obtained plural images, a range of brightness when light is applied to a non-defective glass bottle being specified in said reference image.

Abstract: A glass bottle inspecting apparatus is presented which can detect a defect at a specific location of a bottle-mouth portion of a glass bottle. An inspecting apparatus detects a defect of a glass bottle by imaging light from the glass bottle while the glass bottle (2) is illuminated and rotated, and processes the obtained image. A glass bottle inspecting apparatus includes a lighting device (7) disposed at a predetermined position with respect to the glass bottle, a plurality of CCD cameras (11-20) disposed around the glass bottle for imaging a specific part of the glass bottle, an angle detection device (10) for detecting a rotation angle of the glass bottle with respect to a reference position, and an image processor (8) for processing the images obtained by the CCD cameras. The image processor stores rotation angle information detected by the angle detection device in such a manner that the rotation angle information corresponds to the image imaged by each of the CCD cameras.

Abstract: An automatic inspecting apparatus has a function for generating a discharge signal for discharging a defective object at a predetermined position. The automatic inspecting apparatus comprises an imaging device for imaging a moving object, a sensor for detecting the arrival of the object, an image processing unit for processing images produced by the imaging device to detect defective objects, and a discharge signal generating unit for discharging defective objects at a predetermined position. An ID number is assigned to each image produced by the imaging device, and pulses generated by an encoder start to be counted when each ID number is assigned. If the object is determined to be defective after image processing by the image processing unit, the discharge signal generating unit generates a discharge signal when the number of pulses counted for the corresponding ID number reaches a pulse number equivalent to the distance between the sensor position and the discharge position.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for detecting a defect in a barrel portion of a bottle. The defect in the barrel portion of the bottle includes a thin blister and a longitudinal streak. The defect in the bottle barrel is detected by imaging the bottle barrel with a CCD camera based on light which has passed through a light shield plate having a plurality of oblique slits and the bottle barrel, and processing the image of the bottle barrel generated by the CCD camera to determine whether or not the defect is present.

Abstract: A container rejecting apparatus is used for rejecting a container filled with a liquid such as beverage from a feed conveyor to a discharge conveyor adjacent thereto. The container rejecting apparatus has a pusher for pushing the container from the feed conveyor onto the discharge conveyor. The pusher has a front face comprising a plurality of tubes of synthetic resin.

Abstract: A container inspection apparatus inspects sealing performance of a closure of a container such as a bottle filled with effervescent beverage. The apparatus include a plurality of support members for placing a container thereon and movable along a certain path, a plurality of ultrasonic transducers fixed to one of the support members for generating ultrasonic vibration, and a supply device for supplying liquid to an upper surface of the support member. The ultrasonic vibration of the support member caused by the ultrasonic transducer is transmitted to a bottom of the container through liquid interposed between the bottom of the container and the upper surface of the support member. After vibrating the bottom of the container, beverage in the container is imaged by an imaging unit to detect a defective container which is not sealed properly.

Abstract: Small pieces of foreign matter on the surface of a cake such as freeze-dried preparations in a vial are detected as distinguished from cake surface irregularities including cake collapses and cracks that should be passed as being acceptable. The cake is imaged by a CCD camera or the like to produce an image signal representing an image of the cake. The level of an image signal which is higher than a predetermined upper limit is set to the upper limit and the level of an image signal which is lower than a predetermined lower limit is set to the lower limit. At least three pixel points, which include a point of interest and surrounding points one on each side of the point of interest, in an inspected region of the image are compared, and the point of interest is judged as being an abnormal point if the point of interest is brighter or darker than the surrounding points.

Abstract: A container inspecting apparatus for inspecting containers such as vials, ampuls, or the like has an inlet star wheel rotatable for admitting containers successively, and an outlet star wheel rotatable for discharging the containers successively. A plurality of feed units are movable along a circular path for successively receiving containers from the inlet star wheel, stopping the containers in respective inspecting positions, and successively transferring the containers to the outlet star wheel. A plurality of inspecting devices, each comprising an illuminating unit and an imaging unit, are disposed respectively in the inspecting positions for inspecting the containers in the respective inspecting positions. The feed units are intermittently moved along the circular path by a feeding and indexing device. A support mechanism is vertically mounted on each of the feed units for supporting bottoms of the containers on the feed units.

Abstract: An feeding and indexing apparatus has article feed units which can start and stop along a circular path at specific time intervals when drive arms are rotated at a constant speed. A cam assembly is disposed radially inwardly of and concentrically with the circular path, and cam followers are movable in contact with the cam assembly. The drive arms are rotatable about the center of the cam assembly. Driven arms are operatively coupled to the drive arms, respectively, at respective junction points and to the cam followers, respectively. The cam assembly has a wavy cam profile including a plurality of mountains and a plurality of valleys alternating with the mountains. A pitch angle between adjacent ones of the mountains or valleys of the cam assembly is different from a pitch angle between adjacent ones of the junction points of the drive arms and the driven arms, so that the article feed units operate at slightly different times.

Abstract: A rotary index apparatus for treating an article at predetermined positions while the article is conveyed, has an indexing conveyor unit with a plurality work support tables, a rotary disk unit rotated at a constant speed and having a plurality of swinging arms at its periphery for provision of an intermittent motion to the work support tables, and a cam unit having a guide passage, which engages with a cam follower of each swinging arm for provision of a special swinging motion. Thus, the work support table are stopped at predetermined positions for a predetermined time while the work support tables is conveyed along the indexing conveyor unit.