US 12,434,874 B2
Unit for controlling or managing products
Massimo Franzaroli, Castel Maggiore (IT)
Assigned to PULSAR S.R.L., Castel Maggiore (IT)
Filed by PULSAR S.R.L., Castel Maggiore (IT)
Filed on Sep. 21, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/480,618.
Application 17/480,618 is a division of application No. 15/550,950, granted, now 11,142,360, previously published as PCT/IB2016/051031, filed on Feb. 25, 2016.
Claims priority of application No. BO2015U000016 (IT), filed on Feb. 27, 2015; application No. BO2015U000039 (IT), filed on May 4, 2015; and application No. 202015000025907 (IT), filed on Jun. 19, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2022/0002014 A1, Jan. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. B65B 25/14 (2006.01); B65B 11/58 (2006.01); B65B 35/10 (2006.01); B65B 57/00 (2006.01); B65B 57/02 (2006.01); B65B 57/10 (2006.01); B65B 65/00 (2006.01); G01N 21/90 (2006.01); G01N 21/95 (2006.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01); B65B 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC B65B 25/146 (2013.01) [B65B 11/585 (2013.01); B65B 35/10 (2013.01); B65B 57/00 (2013.01); B65B 57/02 (2013.01); B65B 57/10 (2013.01); B65B 65/006 (2013.01); G01N 21/90 (2013.01); G01N 21/95 (2013.01); G06T 7/0002 (2013.01); G06T 7/0004 (2013.01); G06T 7/0006 (2013.01); G06T 7/0008 (2013.01); G06T 7/001 (2013.01); B65B 11/00 (2013.01); B65B 2210/02 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30108 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30124 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A unit for control or management of packs containing rolls of paper, the unit being usable in a plant for making the packs, the plant comprising:
an operating line including a section for making the packs containing rolls of paper;
a packing section where the rolls are packed and enclosed in a transparent outer wrapping to form the packs;
a conveying section by which the products are transported between one section of the plant and another;
a detection system configured to detect and take external images of respective faces of outer surfaces of the outer wrapping of each of the packs and also internal images of interior contents of each of the packs through the transparent outer wrapping, the detection system including at least one camera and at least one illuminator; and
a process control system for controlling functioning of the plant sections, the process control system including an electronic processor, the process control system suitable for analyzing the images of the packs for determining at least one chosen from the following defects with respect to each of the packs:
with respect to the internal images:
missing roll inside the pack;
incorrect orientation of a roll inside the pack;
paper ends trapped in the sealing zone between two sealed layers of film;
with respect to the external images:
defective lateral seal or lateral seal flaps detached;
defective lateral seal or presence of openings in the film or a wrapper on account of film melting or folding problems;
defective underside transverse seal;
missing or incorrectly positioned handle on the pack;
wherein the at least one camera includes:
a first top camera positioned above the conveying section and having a lens directed perpendicularly or substantially perpendicularly, to at least one chosen from a product supporting and transporting surface of the conveying section and a face of the pack to be detected;
a second bottom camera adapted to take snapshots of the pack from below from below the pack to capture at least one image of an underside face of the pack; and wherein the second camera includes a lens directed perpendicularly, or substantially perpendicularly, to an underside surface of the pack;
third and fourth side cameras adapted to take snapshots of the pack from both sides to capture at least one image of both lateral faces of the pack; wherein lenses of the third and fourth side cameras are directed at least one chosen from parallel or substantially parallel to a product supporting surface of the conveying section and perpendicular to lateral faces of the pack;
wherein the second bottom camera is configured for taking images of the pack for detecting:
the paper ends trapped in the sealing zone between the two sealed layers of the film defining an outer wrapper of the pack;
the defective underside transverse seal.