JP3066350B2 - Glassware model number recognition device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for recognizing a model number printed on a glass container using ultraviolet fluorescent ink.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A glassware forming mechanism usually has a plurality of sections or molds, and each section or mold produces a glassware having exactly the same shape. When defects occur in the glassware during the molding process, if it is possible to know which section or mold the glassware produced in has defects, it is possible to correct the defects quickly, and quality And yield can be improved. However, the products produced have exactly the same shape and it is not possible to know the section produced from the shape.

Techniques for recognizing the model number of a product, that is, the section number of the molding machine that manufactured the product, are already used in production lines for glass bottles. In the related art, a symbol similar to a bar code is engraved on a bottom mold for molding a glass bottle to represent a mold number. By using an image processing device to read this in the inspection process, the user recognizes which mold the product was produced from.

However, glass dishes, vases, ashtrays, etc.
The engraving of the model number mark on the glassware where design is a more important selling point impairs the design of the product, so that the above-mentioned conventional method cannot be used.

To solve this problem, a glassware forming mechanism having a plurality of sections, a slow cooling mechanism, an inspection mechanism,
In a glassware manufacturing apparatus having a transfer mechanism within these mechanisms or between mechanisms, the apparatus has a model number printing means near the end of the slow cooling mechanism, and the inspection mechanism has a model number recognition means for reading the model number printed by the model number printing means. A glassware manufacturing apparatus has been proposed (Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 8-22755).

Various printing means such as silk printing and stamping are conceivable as printing means of this manufacturing apparatus, but they are excellent in that an ink jet printer can print free characters and symbols with one printing head without contact. As the ink used for printing, ultraviolet fluorescent ink is hardly noticeable with visible light,
It can be easily washed off with water and is excellent.

[0007]

However, in the conventional configuration, when recognizing the model number printed using the ultraviolet fluorescent ink, various disturbance lights caused by, for example, field illumination enter the recognition device. However, there is a problem that the model number cannot be accurately recognized.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a model number recognition apparatus for glassware, which can accurately recognize the model number without entering various disturbance lights.

[0009]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
In a model number recognition device for recognizing a model number printed on a glass container using an ultraviolet fluorescent type ink in a place illuminated by using an in-field illuminator, an ultraviolet irradiator that irradiates the model number printed on the glass container with ultraviolet light. A model number recognition means for receiving light emitted from the model number when the model number is irradiated with ultraviolet rays through the ultraviolet irradiator and recognizing the model number, and an interposition between the model number recognition means and the model number. A band-pass filter that transmits only light having a wavelength substantially equal to the light emitted from the model number, and a band-pass filter provided in the in-field illuminator to shield light having a wavelength substantially equal to the light emitted from the model number. And shielding means.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a model number recognizing device for recognizing a model number printed on a glass container using an ultraviolet fluorescent ink in a place illuminated by using an inside illuminator,
An ultraviolet irradiator that irradiates the model number printed on the glass container with ultraviolet light, and receives light emitted from the model number when ultraviolet light is applied to the model number via the ultraviolet irradiator to recognize the model number Model number recognition means, provided between the model number recognition means and the model number, a band-pass filter that transmits only light having a wavelength substantially equal to the light emitted from the model number, the field illuminator is the The illuminator does not output light having a wavelength substantially equal to the light emitted from the model number.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for recognizing a model number printed on a glass container using an ultraviolet fluorescent type ink in a place illuminated using a fluorescent lamp in a field of an AC power supply. An ultraviolet irradiator for irradiating the model number with ultraviolet light, a model number recognizing means for receiving the light emitted from the model number when the ultraviolet light is applied to the model number via the ultraviolet irradiator, and recognizing the model number; A band-pass filter interposed between the means and the model number, and transmitting only light having a wavelength substantially equal to the light emitted from the model number;
Means for causing the model number recognizing means to recognize the model number only when the power supply voltage is 0 V during the lighting of the indoor fluorescent lamp.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the ultraviolet irradiator is formed in a ring shape.

According to these inventions, a band-pass filter is provided between the model number recognizing means and the model number and transmits only light having a wavelength substantially equal to the light emitted from the model number. Even if unnecessary visible light is emitted from the vessel, this unnecessary visible light is blocked,
It does not enter the model number recognition means.

Further, since light having a wavelength substantially equal to the light emitted from the model number does not come out of the in-field illuminator,
Light emitted from the interior illuminator does not enter the model number recognition means. According to this, it is possible to shield the light of the interior lighting as far as the model number recognition is concerned, without turning off the interior lighting or covering the entire apparatus with a dark curtain or the like.

[0015]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an annealing furnace for cooling the glassware G. The glassware G is formed via a forming mechanism (not shown), and is conveyed in the lehr 1 with the bottom portion facing upward. The glassware G is inverted at the outlet of the lehr 1 via an inverting machine (not shown) and sent to the conveyor 3. The conveyor 3 is divided into two parts, and has a slit 22 at the center. Reference numeral 4 denotes a product detection sensor, which detects the body of the glassware G that the reversing machine pays out onto the conveyor 3. Although three are drawn in FIG. 1, they are actually arranged by the number of rows of products in the lehr. Reference numeral 5 denotes an ink jet printer. Reference numeral 6 denotes a print head of the ink jet printer 5, which is located at the bottom of the glassware G.
It is installed so that printing may be performed from the bottom through the slit 22 of the conveyor 3. Reference numeral 7 denotes a print timing confirmation sensor, which is installed upstream of the print head 6. Reference numerals 8 and 24 denote encoders serving as angle sensors, which are attached to the conveyor 3. 9a and 9b are drive systems of the conveyor 3.

The glassware G in the annealing furnace 1 is arranged in multiple rows. All glassware G belonging to each product group a to f are products molded in the same section. When the glassware G reaches the outlet of the lehr 1, it is dispensed by the reversing machine so that the mouth is upward. Since the model number is determined by the row, when the product detection sensor 4 confirms that the glassware G has been dispensed, a signal is sent to the controller 20.
0, and is tracked by the encoder 24. In the controller 200, the glassware G of each model number is sent.
Is located on the conveyor 3.

Eventually, the glassware G reaches above the print head 6. At this time, the arrival of the glassware G is detected by the print timing confirmation sensor 7, and the print positioning in the transport direction of the transport conveyor 3 is performed. The speed of the conveyor 3 is detected by the encoder 8, and the speed of the conveyor 3 is detected.
The printing width in the transport direction is kept constant. An encoder 24 is provided at the center of the bottom of the glassware G by the print head 6.
Is printed as a model number mark.

The ink used for printing is an ultraviolet fluorescent ink. This ultraviolet fluorescent ink is hardly noticeable by visible light and can be easily washed away with water. It is. The model number mark is not limited to alphanumeric characters, but may have various character symbols.

The glassware G on which the model number is printed is discharged from the end of the conveyor 3 in the direction of arrow A, and is sent to the inspection mechanism 10 in the direction of arrow B as shown in FIG. In the inspection mechanism 10, the glassware G is transferred by an index operation using the star wheel 12 of the handling device for the inspection machine. Reference numeral 11 denotes an entrance conveyor of the inspection machine handling device, and reference numeral 13 denotes an exit conveyor of the inspection machine handling device. Various inspection machines are provided at the No. 1 to No. 5 stations of the inspection mechanism 10, and when the glassware G passes through this station, the inspection machines installed here are used to check the top tilt, poor cutting, cracks, wrinkles, falling powder, etc. Inspection for defects is performed.

At the No. 5 station of the inspection mechanism 10, a model number recognition device 100 is provided. This model number recognition device 10
0 is, for example, as shown in FIG.
Is installed in the place where is provided. In FIG. 3, a dessert glass with a stand for putting ice cream or the like instead of a cup is shown as the glass container G.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, reference numeral 14 denotes a CCD camera of an image processing apparatus,
The five stations are installed from bottom to top, aiming at the center of the bottom of the product. Reference numeral 15 denotes an image processing device. Reference numeral 16 denotes an ultraviolet irradiator that irradiates the model number with ultraviolet light, and is installed at the No. 5 station so as to illuminate the center of the bottom of the glassware G. The ultraviolet irradiator 16 is formed in a ring shape.

When the product reaches the No. 5 station, the model number mark on the bottom of the product is illuminated with ultraviolet light by the ultraviolet irradiator 16 to emit fluorescent light, and can be read. The data of the model number mark is read by the CCD camera 14 and the image processing device 15. The controller 200 is No1
The information of the inspection result is received from the inspection machine installed in the No. 5 to No. 5 stations, is collated with the model number information from the image processing device 15, and is sent to the host computer C as shown in FIG.
In addition, a display device such as a graphic display D connected to the controller 200 quickly and accurately displays information such as the number of exclusions in the inspection machine and occurrence of serious defects on a manufacturing site and an inspection line.

When the model number recognition apparatus 100 having the above-described configuration recognizes a model number printed using ultraviolet fluorescent ink, various disturbance lights caused by the in-field illuminator 101 and the like enter the recognition apparatus and accurately recognize the model number. May not be recognized.

In a product having a complicated shape, such as a product with a base (for example, FIG. 3) and a product with a bottom mark, optical noise that is not generated in a normal product is generated, and the recognition rate is significantly reduced. The cause of the light noise is that the illumination in the field (fluorescent lamp) is refracted and reflected into the CCD camera 14 due to the complicated product shape as described above,
Since the ultraviolet irradiator 16 emits unnecessary visible light, it is refracted and reflected and enters the CCD camera 14.

It is easy to take measures such as turning off the lighting in the hall (fluorescent lamp) or covering the inspection machine in which the CCD camera 14 is installed with a dark curtain. However, such a method causes problems in safety and workability. One of the causes of the optical noise is unnecessary visible light emitted from the ultraviolet irradiator 16, so that the fundamental problem cannot be solved.

According to this embodiment, the ultraviolet irradiator 16
As shown in FIG. 3, a wavelength substantially equal to the light emitted from the model number is interposed between the CCD camera (model number recognizing means) 14 and the model number at the bottom of the glassware G as shown in FIG. A bandpass filter 103 for transmitting only the light having the bandgap is interposed.

According to an experiment, as shown in FIG. 5, when ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of, for example, 300 nm to 400 nm are irradiated from the ultraviolet ray irradiator 16 toward the model number at the bottom of the glassware G, the wavelength near 700 nm is simultaneously emitted. Unnecessary visible light is emitted, which is refracted and reflected, enters the CCD camera 14, and appears as a shadow on an image captured by the CCD camera 14 (light noise), and the model number recognition rate is reduced. did. As shown in FIG. 4, the light emitted from the model number is a light having a wavelength having a peak at 435 nm. For example, the light other than the light having a wavelength of 405 nm to 465 nm is CC light.
It is desirable not to enter the D camera 14. In order to shield the unnecessary visible light, a bandpass filter 10 is used.
For 3, a bandpass filter that transmits only light having a wavelength of 405 nm to 465 nm is selected.

When a white fluorescent lamp is used as the interior illuminator 101, the fluorescent lamp emits visible light having a wavelength of, for example, 400 nm to 750 nm as shown in FIG. When the glassware G has a complicated product shape,
As described above, when the illumination in the field (fluorescent lamp) is refracted and reflected and enters the CCD camera 14, the model number recognition rate is reduced as described above. Except for light having a wavelength of 405 nm to 465 nm, C
It is desirable not to insert into the CD camera 14.
Therefore, for example, a shielding means (not shown) for shielding visible light having a wavelength of 465 nm or more is provided. As a specific example, this is achieved by covering the inside illuminator 101 with, for example, a yellow cellophane or the like.

According to this, since only visible light having a wavelength of 405 nm to 465 nm does not enter the CCD camera 14, the recognition rate of the model number is improved.

In this embodiment, the interior illuminator 101 is formed of a yellow fluorescent lamp instead of providing the shielding means. The visible light from this yellow fluorescent lamp is 470 nm to 700 nm
405 nm to 465 n
Light having a wavelength of m is not emitted. Therefore, 405 nm
Since only visible light having a wavelength of ４６465 nm does not enter the CCD camera 14, the recognition rate of the model number is improved.

In this embodiment, since the ultraviolet irradiator 16 is constituted by an annular fluorescent lamp (black light), when illuminating the bottom of the glassware G, adjustment for focusing on the bottom is easy. It should be noted that the numerical values such as 405 nm to 465 nm adopted in this embodiment are merely examples, and it is clear that the numerical values are not limited.

Another embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

The indoor lighting device 101 is connected to a commercial power supply. Since this commercial power supply is an AC power supply, the voltage fluctuates in a sine wave shape as shown in FIG. 7A. When the power supply voltage is maximized, the fluorescent lamp becomes bright as shown in FIG. 7b, and when the power supply voltage comes near zero, the fluorescent lamp becomes dark. This is a phenomenon called flickering of the fluorescent lamp, and the brightness of the fluorescent lamp always fluctuates, although it is not visible to the eyes. In this embodiment, as means for preventing the light emitted from the inside of the hall from entering the CCD camera 14, the flickering of a fluorescent lamp is used, and an image is captured at the moment when the fluorescent lamp goes out. For example, in FIG.
Indicates a comparator, and this comparator 31 detects the moment when the commercial power becomes zero volt. The device 33 is a logic circuit. When a comparator detects zero volts of the commercial power supply and an image capture trigger signal is input, an image capture signal is output to the image processing device 15 and the C signal is output in accordance with this signal.
An image is captured through the CD camera 14.

With this arrangement, it is possible to prevent the light of the interior lighting from entering the camera without turning off the interior lighting or covering the entire apparatus with a dark curtain or the like.

The present invention has been described based on one embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in this embodiment, the print head 6 of the inkjet printer 5 is installed below the conveyor 3 downstream of the lehr 1, but it may be provided immediately before the outlet of the lehr 1,
It is also possible to provide it in a reversing machine or the like. In this case, since it is irrational to provide the print heads 6 in the number of product rows, one print head 6 can be moved by the slide device so that one print head 6 can print all rows. It is desirable. When printing is performed before the exit of the annealing furnace 1, the condition is that the glassware G is cooled to a printable state.

[0037]

According to these inventions, there is provided a band-pass filter interposed between the model number recognition means and the model number and transmitting only light having a wavelength substantially equal to light emitted from the model number. Even if unnecessary visible light is emitted from the ultraviolet irradiator, the unnecessary visible light is shielded and does not enter the model number recognizing means, so that the model number recognition rate can be improved. Also, since light having a wavelength substantially equal to the light emitted from the model number does not emerge from the in-field illuminator, the light emitted from the in-field illuminator does not enter the model number recognizing means. Can be improved. In the production line, interior lighting is indispensable, and turning it off is a safety problem.In addition, the method of covering the whole equipment with a blackout curtain often has limited space, Reduce the nature. According to this, it is possible to perform model number recognition without turning off the interior lighting or covering the entire apparatus with a dark curtain or the like, and to prevent malfunction in the image processing apparatus without lowering safety and workability. it can.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing a part of a manufacturing process of a glass container.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of an inspection mechanism of the glassware manufacturing apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating light emitted from a model number.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a detection range of a CCD camera.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating light from a fluorescent lamp connected to a commercial power supply.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Annealing furnace 3 Conveyor 4 Product detection sensor 5 Inkjet printer 6 Print head 7 Print timing confirmation sensor 8 Encoder 14 CCD camera 15 Image processing device 16 Ultraviolet irradiation device 100 Model number recognition device 101 Field illumination device 103 Bandpass filter 200 Controller G Glassware

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A model number recognizing device for recognizing a model number printed on a glass container using an ultraviolet fluorescent ink in a place illuminated by using an in-field illuminator, wherein the model number printed on the glass device is irradiated with ultraviolet rays. An ultraviolet ray irradiator, and a model number recognizing unit that receives light emitted from the model number when the ultraviolet ray is irradiated to the model number via the ultraviolet ray irradiator and recognizes the model number, and the model number recognizing unit and the model number. A band-pass filter that is interposed between and transmits only light having a wavelength substantially equal to the light emitted from the model number, and is provided in the in-field illuminator and has a wavelength substantially equal to the light emitted from the model number. A device for recognizing a model number of a glass container, comprising: a shielding means for shielding light. 2. A model number recognizing device for recognizing a model number printed on a glass container using an ultraviolet fluorescent ink in a place illuminated using an in-field illuminator, wherein the model number printed on the glass device is irradiated with ultraviolet rays. An ultraviolet ray irradiator, and a model number recognizing unit that receives light emitted from the model number when the ultraviolet ray is irradiated to the model number via the ultraviolet ray irradiator and recognizes the model number, and the model number recognizing unit and the model number. A band-pass filter that transmits only light having a wavelength substantially equal to the light emitted from the model number, wherein the in-field illuminator has a wavelength substantially equal to the light emitted from the model number. An apparatus for recognizing a model number of a glass device, comprising an illuminator that does not output light. 3. A model number recognizing device for recognizing a model number printed on a glass container using ultraviolet fluorescent ink in a place illuminated by using a fluorescent lamp inside a field of an AC power supply, wherein the model number printed on the glass container is An ultraviolet irradiator for irradiating ultraviolet light, a model number recognizing means for receiving light emitted from the model number when the ultraviolet light is applied to the model number via the ultraviolet irradiator and recognizing the model number, and a model number recognizing means A band-pass filter interposed between the light source and the model number, and transmitting only light having a wavelength substantially equal to the light emitted from the model number; and the model number recognition only when the power supply voltage is 0 V while the indoor fluorescent lamp is turned on. An apparatus for recognizing a model number of glassware, comprising: means for recognizing a model number. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet irradiator is formed in a ring shape.