US 12,111,269 B2
Apparatus and method for inspecting an object
Massimo Balducci, Imola (IT)
Assigned to SACMI COOPERATIVE MECCANICI IMOLA SOCIETA' COOPERATIVA, Imola (IT)
Appl. No. 17/435,925
Filed by SACMI COOPERATIVA MECCANICI IMOLA SOCIETA′ COOPERATIVA, Imola (IT)
PCT Filed Mar. 4, 2020, PCT No. PCT/IB2020/051845
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 2, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/178758, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 10, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 102019000003169 (IT), filed on Mar. 5, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0317059 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. G01N 21/90 (2006.01); B65B 29/02 (2006.01); B65B 43/52 (2006.01); G01N 21/84 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 21/9081 (2013.01) [B65B 29/022 (2017.08); B65B 43/52 (2013.01); G01N 2021/845 (2013.01); G01N 2021/8472 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for inspecting an object, where the object is made up of a first layer of plastic material and a second layer of EVO or EVOH and has a base wall and a side wall which is inclined relative to the base wall, the apparatus comprising:
an inspection zone in which the object can be placed for inspection;
a conveyor for feeding the object to the inspection zone along a feed plane;
an imaging device configured to view the object positioned in the inspection zone, to capture infrared rays having a wavelength of between 2 μm and 5 μm and to generate an image of the object as a function of the infrared rays;
a processor, connected to the imaging device to receive the images generated and configured to process the images, to inspect the second layer,
wherein the conveyor is configured to dispose the object in the inspection zone with the base wall positioned according to a predetermined orientation relative to the feed plane,
wherein the imaging device is oriented along an inspection axis and wherein the apparatus comprises a deflecting system, the deflecting system being configured to intercept infrared rays emitted by the side wall of the object and inclined relative to the inspection axis and is configured to deflect the infrared rays in such a way as to reduce their inclination relative to the inspection axis.