HK1194463B - Method for establishing the presence of specified characteristics of a container product and device for performing said method - Google Patents

Description

Method for determining the presence of a predetermined characteristic of a container product and device for implementing the method

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a method for determining the presence of a predetermined characteristic of a product in a container, in particular made of plastic material. The invention also relates to a device for carrying out the method.

Background

Container products composed of plastic materials are widely distributed and used for various application purposes in various shapes, sizes and designs as large-scale products. In the production of products, such production must be carried out particularly reasonably for economic reasons because of the high number of pieces, it being necessary to carry out quality control in close association with the respective production process, which allows deviations of the predetermined properties of the product from the relevant nominal values to be recognized and thus allows corrective interventions to be carried out on the production plant before a large reject quantity is produced.

In the prior art, samples are picked out of the relevant production line at predetermined time intervals and the deviation of predetermined important use characteristics from a target value is checked. This is cumbersome and time consuming, especially when a large number of containers should be spot checked, the containers manually operated and the presence of predetermined characteristics checked by trained inspection personnel in order to achieve reliable inspection results. The time expenditure required and the associated personnel expenditure impair the economics of container product manufacture.

Disclosure of Invention

In this respect, the object of the invention is to provide a method which, by means of a rational design of the quality control, provides the prerequisite for improved economy in the production of container products.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by the measures having the general features of claim 1.

By automatically determining the actual value of at least one predetermined characteristic in at least one test station of the test system according to the invention and comparing it with the target value of the characteristic, the need for a corresponding test procedure to be carried out by the test personnel is eliminated, which results in a saving in time and personnel costs. Particularly in the case of large quantities of container products to be manufactured, results in a significant improvement in the economy. By automating the checking step, it is furthermore achieved that subjective checking errors, such as checking errors which cannot be completely ruled out by the application of the checking staff, are eliminated, which have a negative effect on the measurement result.

Since the measurement results can furthermore be summarized very reliably, they can be routed directly further to the production machines respectively arranged upstream in the processing sequence in order to optimize the production process.

In the case of a corresponding number of test stations belonging to the test, various different main product characteristics such as weight (for example as a measure of the filling quantity of the container contents), container wall thickness, force consumption required for handling and/or using the container, etc. can be determined in a rational manner.

The container products with plastic containers can advantageously be produced in large quantities according to the known methodThe method produces the production of container products in the form of container strips with containers made of plastic (for example as bottles or ampoules), which are detachably connected to one another in a connecting position. In an advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, the container can be separated by a machine in a first testing station of the testing device and the separating force required for the separation can be determined. The recognition of the magnitude of the separating force allows the production process to be controlled in such a way that, on the one hand, the connecting point forms a sufficiently reliable connection for packaging and transporting the strip sections to be shipped, while the end user can nevertheless comfortably separate the respective container to be separated from the strip.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the containers are separated from the container band by twisting off in the first inspection station for this purpose and the torque required for twisting off is determined automatically.

In particular, it is advantageous to carry out the method in such a way that, during the filling of the containers with the container contents, the separated containers are introduced by the machine into a second testing station and the containers are weighed in the second testing station in order to automatically determine their total weight, after which the weighed containers are introduced by the machine into a third testing station and are emptied there.

In order to determine the weight of the container contents, the emptied containers can be placed by machine into a further testing station and the containers are reweighed in the testing station in order to determine their net weight, wherein the determined total weight is automatically compared with the determined net weight in order to determine the weight of the container contents.

In the case of such containers, which have an end piece assigned to the removal region on the neck part, which end piece can be removed from the container main part by a rotary movement, the container is placed by a machine into a test station, in which the end piece is unscrewed by the machine and the torque required for the unscrewing is automatically determined. In the case of containers in the form of ampoules, the end piece on the neck part is usually a handle which can be unscrewed from the neck part in a nominal breaking position. The determination of the screw-off torque provides a conclusion as to whether the target breaking point is designed in a suitable manner such that the user can comfortably remove the end piece. In a corresponding manner, in another type of container, for example a bottle, which has a removal region with a threaded closure on the neck part, a corresponding determination of the screw-off torque can signal the presence of the use characteristic.

The containers can advantageously be introduced by means of a machine into an inspection station, in which a cut is formed by the machine, which exposes a cross section of at least a part of the container wall. This opens up the possibility of automatically determining the thickness of at least one cut container wall in an inspection station after the cut container has been introduced into the inspection station by the machine.

Instead of the destructive testing of the container to determine the wall thickness at least one measuring point of the container, it is also possible to dispense with such a destructive testing and to carry out a non-destructive testing of the wall thickness of the container at least one point, for example by means of ultrasound or by means of an optical measuring method to check the respective wall thickness. The nondestructive testing also has the advantage that no separation powder or sawing powder can occur during the destructive testing of the containers, which powder, despite a suitable suction, cannot be completely ruled out from impairing the measurement accuracy of the other testing stations.

The containers are preferably introduced into a discharge station by a machine in the last method step, for example after the wall thickness has been determined, and discharged from the discharge station to the test device, so that the entire sequence of the method can be carried out by the machine without human intervention. The individual method steps can also be separated in the case of the integration of the respective plant testing stations, without the automation characteristics of the testing process being impaired. The checking method steps can also be arranged in succession in the case of deviations, together with the device.

The method according to the invention can be extended to other inspection processes. For example, possible markings on the container surface or in other areas can be measured and the quality of the marking can be checked with the aid of mechanical or optical detection methods.

In addition to the methods described above, other testing methods can be used, in which the wall thickness can be determined in various regions of the container or parts thereof, for example by means of ultrasound or laser beam measurement, wherein corresponding measuring methods can be used to determine the container content, if necessary in combination with an acoustic measuring station.

Due to the modular construction system associated with the individual testing devices, with which the above-described testing methods can be carried out and which can also be easily adapted to the different constructional shapes of ampoules and container products, the possibility also exists of testing the containers or ampoule products, the individual containers or the individual ampoules, which are connected to one another in a strip-like manner, as described above.

In addition to the method according to the invention, the measured values of at least one part of the containers can preferably be determined and stored by means of an electronic determination, storage and evaluation medium at least one of the test stations in which the measurement is carried out, in order to obtain a statistical analysis as to in which direction (and with which direction) and with which value the determined actual values deviate from the setpoint values. The difference between the actual value and the target value obtained is transmitted to a machine control of the production plant, so that during or at the beginning or end of the production process the production parameters are optimized in such a way that the difference approaches zero and/or the material properties of the production material to be fed to the production plant are adapted to the predetermined value.

If, for example, it is statistically determined that the container contents are above or below a specified target value in volume, the production plant can be started on the basis of statistical analysis in such a way that a smaller or larger filling quantity is fed into the respective container. If the torque value in one or the other direction during shearing or rotation (unscrewing) proves to be insufficient relative to the nominal set value, the required value can be reached during the manufacturing process by changing the plastic material applied or by changing the wall thickness. If small differences between the actual values and the setpoint values can be determined and the statistical analysis can identify trends in the manufacturing development, this deviation can be effectively limited. In expanding the described measures, statistical analyses can be stored and recorded accordingly, so that the manufacturing process history can be displayed when the customer accepts the manufacturing equipment and/or container product.

The invention also relates to a device for carrying out the method, having the features of claim 14. Advantageous embodiments of the device are given in the dependent claims 15 to 29.

In a particularly advantageous manner, in a device of this type, it is provided that, in the case of container products in the form of a container band having containers made of plastic which are detachably connected to one another at a connection point, the device has a first checking station which has a separating device for separating the containers from the container band by the machine by twisting them off.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the first inspection station has, for the respective container to be separated from the container band, a holder which partially encloses the container and can be rotated by the rotary drive to twist off the enclosed container, and the rotary drive has a torque sensor for determining the twist-off torque.

In a particularly preferred manner, the device can be designed such that a transport device is provided which has a plurality of receptacles which can be provided with corresponding containers by means of a first testing station and which can be moved to further testing stations arranged along the testing path.

Advantageously, the conveyor device has a motor-driven carousel which moves the receptacles along a circular test path to further test stations arranged on the test path.

Alternatively, it can be provided that the inspection stations are arranged along an inspection path extending in the longitudinal direction, and that the transport device has transport elements for moving the containers in succession from one inspection station to the other inspection station.

Drawings

The invention is explained in detail below with the aid of exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings. The figures show:

FIG. 1 is a strongly simplified top view of a first embodiment of an apparatus for carrying out the method according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic simplified perspective oblique view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

fig. 3 is a perspective oblique view, shown only partially on an enlarged scale, of a first testing station of the device with a separating device;

fig. 4 is a perspective oblique view of the first inspection station shown in a slightly reduced scale relative to fig. 3;

fig. 5 shows an enlarged partial view of fig. 2, shown in perspective oblique view, in which the region of the second testing station with the weighing device is mainly shown;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective oblique view of a portion of the weighing device of the second testing station;

fig. 7 is an enlarged and greatly simplified illustration of a third testing station with an emptying device in relation to fig. 1 and 2;

fig. 8 is an oblique view, in perspective, shown slightly enlarged in relation to fig. 2, of a fifth inspection station with a device for twisting off the container end piece;

fig. 9 is a perspective oblique view, shown slightly enlarged with respect to fig. 2, which mainly shows the region of the sixth inspection station with the cutting device;

FIG. 10 is a side view, shown enlarged, of a part region of a seventh inspection station with a device for measuring the wall thickness of containers;

fig. 11 is a perspective oblique view, shown in a strongly schematic simplified manner, of a second embodiment of the device according to the invention;

fig. 12 is an oblique view, in perspective, on an enlarged scale and also strongly schematically simplified, in relation to fig. 11, in which only the checking stations of the exemplary embodiment of fig. 11, which are successive in the longitudinal direction and have associated conveyors, are shown;

fig. 13 is a perspective oblique view of only the transfer device of the second embodiment of the apparatus, shown in further enlargement;

FIG. 14 is a perspective oblique view, shown only partially on an enlarged scale, of a first inspection station having a separating device according to a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 15 is a perspective oblique view of a first inspection station according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged perspective oblique view of the second and fourth inspection stations according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a further enlarged perspective oblique view of a portion of the weighing apparatus of the second and/or fourth inspection station in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 18 is an enlarged and strongly schematic simplified illustration of a third testing station with an emptying device according to a second embodiment of the invention, compared to fig. 1 and 2;

fig. 19 is an oblique view, in perspective, shown slightly enlarged in relation to fig. 2, of a fifth inspection station with a device for twist-off of a container end piece according to a second embodiment of the invention; and

fig. 20 is an enlarged oblique view of a part region of a seventh testing station with a device for measuring the wall thickness of containers according to a second exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

The method according to the invention and the device for carrying out the method are explained below with the aid of two examples, wherein a container product in the form of a container strip made of plastic has a series of ampule-shaped containers formed integrally with the strip, which containers can be produced, for example, according to the known methodThe system is manufactured in a combined bottle blowing, filling and sealing process. It should be appreciated that the method according to the invention can be carried out also in the case of other types of containers.

In a first embodiment of the apparatus shown in the overall view in fig. 1 and 2 and in the partial view in fig. 3 to 10, the apparatus has a plurality of stations into which the containers 11 to be characterized are introduced in succession by the machine. The stations are shown in a strongly simplified schematic in fig. 1 and are not all visible in fig. 2. Fig. 1 shows a first testing station 1, a second testing station 2, a third testing station 3 and a fourth testing station 4, a fifth testing station 5, a sixth testing station 6, a seventh testing station 7 and an eighth ejection station 8. As mentioned above, in the present example a carrier strip 9 has a series of containers 11 in the form of ampoules, which are connected to one another at connecting points 12, which form the intended breaking points for separating the containers 11 from the carrier strip 9.

As fig. 1 to 3 show, the container web 9 is moved by means of a conveyor 13 to the first inspection station 1. The conveyor 13 is designed as a step conveyor, which moves one container 11 per feed step into a separating position, in which the separating device 14 separates the last container 11 in each case. The separating device 14 has a movable holding-down device 15, see in particular fig. 2, which holds the penultimate container 11 of the belt 9 for the respective separation process. In order to separate the last container 11 in the separating position, the separating device 14 (as can best be seen from fig. 3 and 4) has a holder for the container 11 to be separated, which has movable jaws 16 and 17 which enclose the container 11 to be separated in the closed position shown in fig. 3 and 4.

For movement between the closed position shown and an open transport position, in which the containers 11 to be separated are accommodated between the jaws 16, 17, the upper jaw 16 in the drawing is movable as indicated by the arrow 10 by means of an actuator 18. The two jaws 16, 17 with the container 11 held between them are rotatable by means of a rotary drive 19 to be screwed off at the connecting point 12. From this rotary drive, drive torque is transmitted to the jaws 16, 17 via the safety clutch 21 and the torque sensor 22. In order to determine whether the characteristic of the connection point 12 corresponds to the nominal state, the torque determined by the torque sensor 22 is determined. After the separation has been effected, when the jaws 16, 17 return to the initial rotational position, the containers 11 are pushed out of the jaws 16, 17 by means of the machine-operated slide 23 and, as can be seen most clearly from fig. 1, are brought into a position in which they are located in the receptacles 24 of a carousel 25 (see fig. 1).

The electrically driven carousel 25 has eight receptacles 24 distributed uniformly over its circumference and moves the receptacles in a rotary motion along a circular test path on which the test stations 1 to 7 and the ejection station 8 are arranged. The receptacles 24 each have a support 26 for the respective container 11 and a movable cover 27, the detailed design of which is best shown in fig. 5. As shown there, the support 26 has a seat 28 for the associated container 11. The cover 27 is mounted in an articulated manner on the support 26 by means of a hinge 29, on the axis of articulation of which a torsion spring 31 is arranged, which pretensions the open position shown in fig. 5. The cover 27 has a locking pin 32 which engages with a locking slide 33 which is spring-biased in the locking position when the cover 27 is deflected into the closed position against the force of a torsion spring 31. When the locking slide 33 is moved out of the locking position, the cover 27 is automatically moved out of the closed position into the open position shown in fig. 5. As can be seen from fig. 1 and 2, the cover 27 is in the open position in the checking stations 1 to 4 and the removal station 8, respectively, and in the closed position in the checking stations 5 to 7, respectively. In the closed position, the container main portions 41 of the respective containers 11 are respectively secured in the seats 28 of the support 26.

In the first testing station 1, after the twisting-off moment is measured when separating the containers 11 from the container belt 9 and the separated containers 11 are inserted into the associated receptacles 24 on the carousel 25, the containers 11 are transferred into the testing station 2 by one rotation step of the carousel 25. The inspection station is a weighing station for automatically determining the total weight of the filled containers 11. Fig. 5 and 6 show a detail of the weighing device with a vertically movable weighing cell 34 functioning as a weighing pan, which is movable upwards from the lowered position shown in fig. 5 in order to lift the container from the seat 28 of the support 26 by action on the front end of the container 11 and on its rear end in order to determine the weight of the lifted container 11. As shown in fig. 5 and 6, the cover 27 is in the open position here.

After the total weight has been detected, the weighed container 11 reaches the inspection station 3, which has means for emptying the container contents. The main details of the emptying device can be seen from fig. 7. As can be seen, the inspection station 3 has a support 37 for the containers 11 which is movable in the direction of the arrow 35 and which places the containers in an inclined position in which the neck parts 39 of the containers 11 are higher than the end of the bottom side of the main container part 41. For emptying the container contents, a ventilation opening is formed in the neck part 39 by means of a movable piercing needle 43, while a movable cannula 45 forms an emptying opening in the base part of the container main part 41. The cannula 45 has a suction fitting 47 to evacuate the container 11.

In a subsequent conveying step of the carousel 25, the emptied containers 11 pass from the inspection station 3 into the inspection station 4. This is a second weighing station which corresponds in structure and function to the testing station 2 described with the aid of fig. 5 and 6, apart from the fact that the net weight of the previously emptied containers 11 is now detected. The mass of the contents of the container is thus determined as a result of the test by comparing the total weight/dry weight.

In the subsequent transfer step to the checking station 5, the cover part 27 (as can be seen in fig. 1 and 2) in the open position comes into contact with a control device having a control roller 49 which pivots the cover part 27 travelling thereon into the closed position, where the locking pin 32 engages with the locking slide 33, so that the cover part 27 is locked in the closed position. In this position, the container 11 is fixed in the seat 28 of the support 26, see fig. 8, which shows more detail of the relative checking station 5. The checking station 5 has a twist-off device 53, which removes an end piece in the form of a lug 51 formed on the neck part 39 of the container 11 by twisting off the container 11 and determines the torque required for rotation. For this purpose, the screwing-off device 53 has a screwing-off unit which is movable on a carriage 55 and which drives a controllable gripper 63 by means of a rotary drive 57 via a safety clutch 59 and a torque sensor 61. The pliers 63 grip the wrench 51 so that it can be unscrewed by means of the drive 57. The measured twist-off torque gives a signal whether the connection of the wrench 51 to the container 11 corresponds to a nominal state.

The inspection station 6 following the inspection path inspects a cutting device 65 having a circular saw 67 which forms a cut in the form of the cross section of the container 11 in a cutting region with a plexiglas protective sleeve 69, which separates the front portion 71 from the remaining main portion 41 of the container 11.

In a subsequent step, the cut container 11 arrives at the checking station 7, which has a measuring device 73 for measuring the wall thickness of the container wall 77 exposed at the cutting point 75. For this purpose, the measuring device 73 has movable measuring calipers 79 and 81, which can be moved in order to detect the upper wall 77 and the lower wall 77 in fig. 10. Fig. 10 shows the measurement process on the upper wall 77 before the calliper 81 comes to bear against the inner side of the wall 77.

After measuring the actual value of the wall thickness in the inspection station 7, the container 11 finally reaches the ejection station 8, which ejects the inspected container 11 into the waste collector 83.

The second exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention shown in fig. 11 to 20 differs from the first exemplary embodiment in principle in that instead of the test path having the test stations 1 to 7 arranged on a circular path, which is fed to the containers 111 to be tested by means of a conveyor in the form of a carousel, a test path is provided which extends in a longitudinal direction 220.

In a second embodiment of the apparatus, which is shown in general view in fig. 11 and 12 and in partial view in fig. 12 to 20, there are a plurality of stations into which the containers 11 whose properties are to be determined are placed in succession by the machine, and which are shown schematically in fig. 11 and 12 in simplified form and not all of which are visible in fig. 12.

As shown in fig. 11, the test path is disposed on a rack 120 having a cover cap 142. A camera 186 arranged above the test path allows monitoring of the operation from the outside even when the cover cap 142 is closed.

The individual stations, see fig. 11 and 12, are a first testing station 11, a second testing station 102, a third testing station 103, a fourth testing station 104, a fifth testing station 105, a seventh testing station 107 and an ejection station 108. The sixth inspection station required in the first embodiment can be saved in the second embodiment for the reasons explained below.

As described above, in the present example a carrier strip 109 has a series of containers 111 in the form of ampoules, which are connected to one another at connection points 112, which form the form of predetermined breaking points for separating the containers 111 from the carrier strip 109. Looking at fig. 14, the container product 111 is shown on the right side in the form of a sphere and on the left side at a distance therefrom, a single container 111 is shown, which is designed as a flat product. As shown in fig. 11, 12 and 14, the container belt 109 is machine-fed to the first inspection station 101 by means of a conveyor 113. The conveyor 113 is designed as a step conveyor, which moves one container 111 per feed step into a separating position, in which a separating device 114 separates the respective last container 111 in the row. The separating device 114 has a displaceable holding-down device 115 (see in particular fig. 14), which holds the respective penultimate container 111 of the belt 109 for the respective separation process. The holding-down device 115 is an L-shaped component which is deflectable at its other end about a deflection axis 222. To facilitate this feed, the deflection shaft 222 is mounted on a bearing block 223, which is movable in the feed direction 224 by a drive mechanism 225.

In order to separate the last container 111 located in the separating position, the separating device 114, as can best be seen from fig. 14 and 15, has a holder for the container 111 to be separated, which holder has movable jaws 116 and 117, which in the open position shown in fig. 14 and 15 enclose the container 111 to be separated. For movement between the open position shown and a closed position in which the container 111 to be separated is clamped between the jaws 116 and 117, the upper jaw 116 in the figure is movable as indicated by the arrow 110 by means of an actuator 118. The two jaws 116, 117 with the container 111 clamped between them are rotatable about a rotational axis 221 parallel to the longitudinal direction 220 by means of a rotary drive 119 for screwing off the connecting point 112. From this rotary drive, drive torque is transmitted to jaws 116, 117 via a safety clutch 121 and a torque sensor 122. In order to determine whether the characteristic of the connection point 112 corresponds to the nominal state, the torque sensor 122 determines the torque to be applied.

To supply each inspection station arranged in succession, a conveyor 130 is provided which moves the containers 111 in succession from inspection station to inspection station. As is clear from fig. 13, the transport device 130 as the actual transport element has a carrier 136 in the form of a strip, which extends along the test path above the test stations 101 to 105 and 107 in fig. 12. For the ampoules 111 to be transported, the carrier 136 has receptacles 138 on the bottom side, which are arranged at a distance from one another, which corresponds to the distance of the individual testing stations along the testing path. For holding an ampoule 111 on the respective receptacle 138 and for releasing the respective ampoule 111, the receptacle 138 has a vacuum holder which can be actuated via the suction line 140. As a conveyor, which can operate according to the periodic feed principle, the carrier 136 is movable back and forth and up and down along the test path, as is illustrated with the double arrow 188 in fig. 13. In this case, the carrier 136 receives one ampoule 111 from a separating device 114 on the test station 101 by means of the receptacle 138, which is outermost on the left in fig. 13, and transfers it to the following test station 102 in the following transfer step, from which one ampoule 111 is simultaneously removed by means of the receptacle 138 adjacent on the right and immediately transferred again to the following test station 103. For these movement steps, the transport device 130 has a drive 192, the transmission motor 194 of which, via a crankshaft linkage, which is covered in fig. 12 and 13 and is therefore not visible, moves a carriage 190 horizontally along a guide rail 196 and vertically together with the latter, so that the carrier 136 connected to the carriage 190 executes a combined transport movement, while the holding device is controlled on the receptacle 138 via the suction line 140 for receiving and releasing the ampoules.

After the twist-off torque is determined in the first testing station 101 during the separation of the containers 111 from the container belt 109, the containers 111 are fed into the testing station 102 by means of the conveyor 130. The inspection station is a weighing station for automatically determining the total weight of the containers 111 filled with the container contents. Figures 16 and 17 show details of the weighing apparatus. As can be seen in particular in fig. 16, the weighing devices 193, 194 of the test stations 102 and 104 are arranged on a separate support 195 independently of the other test stations in order to increase the measurement accuracy by eliminating interference factors of the other test stations. A plate 17 which is movable in the depth direction by means of a slide 196 is arranged on the support 195 and has two weighing devices 193, 194, wherein one weighing device 193 weighs the entire container product and the next weighing device 194 weighs the empty container 111. A container 111 placed in the holder 199 can be lowered vertically onto a U-shaped weighing element 134 by means of a lowering device 198 at each test station 102, 104. A spacer 200 is arranged between the weighing cell 134 and the weighing devices 193, 194. If the container 111 is placed on the weighing device 193, 194, it is decoupled from the holder 199 which can be provided, so that the weight of the holder cannot confuse the measurement result.

After the weight has been determined, the still filled or filled container 111, which is weighed, arrives at the inspection station 103, which has means for emptying the container contents. The main details of the emptying device can be seen in fig. 18. For emptying the container contents, a ventilation opening is formed in the neck part 139 by a puncture needle 143 which is movable in the depth direction and in the vertical direction, while a cannula 145 which is likewise movable in the depth direction and in the vertical direction forms an emptying opening in the bottom part of the container main part 141. The cannula 145 has a suction fitting 147 to evacuate the container 111. The puncture needle 143 and the cannula 145 are mounted for this purpose on holders 201, 202, which are fastened to slides 203, 204, the positions of which can be adjusted independently of one another by means of handwheels 205, 206. The position indicators 207, 208 simplify and speed up the required setting process. During emptying, the container 111 is held in a receptacle 209 between a holder 210 and a closable lid 211.

The containers 111 emptied in the next transport step of the transport device 130 pass from the inspection station 103 to the inspection station 104. The test station 104 is a second weighing station which corresponds in terms of structure and function to the test station described with the aid of fig. 16 and 17, the empty weight of the previously emptied container 111 now being measured. By comparing the total weight with the dry weight, the mass of the container contents of the preferred fluid is accurately determined as a measurement result.

The subsequent testing station 105 (see fig. 19) has a twist-off device 153, which removes an end piece (in the form of a so-called stem 151) formed on the neck part 139 of the container 111 by twisting off the container 111 and determines the torque required for the twist-off. For this purpose, the screwing device 153 has a screwing unit which is movable on a carriage 155 and which is driven by a rotary drive 157 via a safety clutch 159 and a torque sensor 161 by a controllable gripper 163 which grips the stem 151 and clamps it firmly by movement of the carriage 155, so that the stem can be screwed off by means of the drive 157. The measured twisting-off torque signals whether the connection of the wrench 151 to the container 111 corresponds to a nominal state.

In the next step, the container 111 arrives at the inspection station 107 (see fig. 20), which has an optical measuring device 173 in order to determine the wall thickness of the container wall 177. For this purpose, the measuring device 173 has a movable laser measuring sensor 179 which can be moved into position on a carriage 226 by means of a hand wheel 227. In order to enable precise positioning, the carriage 226 is provided with a positioning sensor 228. The measuring sensor 179 is designed such that it can measure the thickness of the opposing container walls 177 in one step. For this purpose, the container can be gripped and rotated by a gripping device 229, which is movably arranged on a carriage 230. The gripper 229 comprises a servomotor 231 and a gripper 223, which is rotatably mounted on a bearing block 232 and has gripping fingers 234. By means of laser measurement, sawing or otherwise opening the container 111, which is still required in the first embodiment, is dispensed with.

After the actual value of the wall thickness has been determined in the testing station 107, the container 111 finally reaches a discharge station 108 (see fig. 12), which discharges the container 111, which has been tested, into the useful material collector 183.

Due to the modular design of the individual elements for the testing device, the holding insert for the container or ampoule product can be varied within a wide range of applications, so that various different types of production products can be tested with only one testing device for their predeterminable properties. The container or ampoule product having a cylindrical, oval or polygonal cross-sectional shape can thus be tested with a testing device with a correspondingly adapted receiving module. Individual ampoules or individual containers can also be tested as can the case of the combined ampoule and container products in strips. It is believed that not the entire product quantity of the manufacturing machine is subject to inspection, but rather only statistically significant sample products are picked from a continuous product quantity for inspection. Furthermore, very different drives can be used for operating the test stations. In addition to hydraulic and pneumatic drives, electric drives such as stepping motors and the like can also be used.

The greatest advantage of automated testing is that the test values contained can be reproduced and do not have to be subjected to subjective evaluation by the testing personnel. The test values obtained in such a way that automation is of such a degree are suitable for making reliable conclusions about the setting parameters of the upstream production machine during operation. For example, more plastic material can be introduced into the molding machine at too low a wall thickness. If the plastic quality proves to be too poor, the plastic material to be conveyed can be changed, in particular other mixtures of the plastic materials to be applied can be used. If the container or ampoule is filled incorrectly, the input can be automatically controlled on the production machine. In particular, wear on the production machine can be determined by monitoring the test results over a long period of time and components of the machine can be replaced when a predeterminable wear value is reached; for example by replacing the worn manufacturing mould by a new one. Suitable machine controls, in addition to memory programming, also support a corresponding adaptation process between the test device and the corresponding production machine.

Claims (29)

1. A method for determining the presence of a predetermined property of container products (9, 11, 109, 111), wherein an actual value of at least one predetermined property is automatically determined in at least one testing station (1-7, 101-107) of a testing device and compared with a target value for the property, characterized in that, in the case of container products in the form of container strips (9, 109) with containers (11, 111) made of plastic which are detachably connected to one another in a connecting position, the containers (11, 111) are separated by a machine and the separating force required for the separation, or the separating force required for the separation, is determined

In a separate testing station, the containers are separated from the container band (9, 109) by twisting off and the torque required for twisting off is automatically determined.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the case of containers (11, 111) filled with container contents, the separated containers (11, 111) are placed by machine into an inspection station (2, 102) and in that the containers are weighed in the inspection station in order to automatically determine their total weight.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the containers (11, 111) to be weighed are placed by machine into a test station (3,103) and emptied there.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the containers (11, 111) to be emptied are placed by machine into a testing station (4, 104) and in that the containers are weighed in the testing station to determine their net weight, and in that the determined total weight is automatically compared with the determined net weight in order to determine the weight of the contents of the containers.

5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, in the case of a container (11, 111) which has an end piece (51, 151) assigned to the removal region on the neck piece (39, 139) and which can be removed from the container main part (41, 141) by a rotary movement, the container (11, 111) is placed by machine into a test station (5, 105) in which the end piece (51, 151) is broken by machine and the torque required for the breaking is automatically determined.

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the containers (11, 111) are introduced by machine into an inspection station (6) in which a cut (75) is made by machine, which exposes a cross section of at least a part of the container wall (77).

7. A method as set forth in claim 6, characterized in that the cut containers (11, 111) are placed by machine into an inspection station (7, 107) in which the thickness of at least one container wall (77, 177) is automatically determined.

8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the container (11, 111) is placed by machine into a discharge station (8, 108) after the wall thickness has been checked and is discharged from the discharge station to the inspection device.

9. Method according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the container wall thickness in at least one position of the respective container (111) to be examined is determined without destruction in at least one of the examination stations (107) or in a subsequent examination station.

10. Method according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the measured values of at least one part of the container (11, 111) by the measuring, storing and analyzing station are determined and stored by means of an electronic determination, storage and analysis medium at least one of the measuring-performing testing stations in order to obtain a statistical analysis as to in which direction and with which values the determined actual values deviate from the nominal values.

11. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the obtained difference between the actual value and the setpoint value is further transmitted to a machine control of the production plant in such a way that during the production process or at the beginning or end of the production process the production parameters are optimized in such a way that the difference approaches zero and/or the material properties of the production material to be fed to the production plant are adapted to the predetermined value.

12. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the container product is made of a plastics material.

13. Method according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the separate inspection station is the first inspection station (1, 101).

14. Method according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the container wall thickness is determined in at least one of the inspection stations (107) or in a subsequent inspection station by means of ultrasound or by means of an optical measuring method in at least one position of the respective container (111) to be inspected.

15. An apparatus for carrying out the method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, comprising at least one inspection station (1-7, 101-107) having means for automatically determining the actual value of at least one predetermined property of the container product (9, 11, 109, 111) concerned, characterized in that, in the case of container products in the form of a container band (9, 109) with containers (11, 111) made of plastic detachably connected to one another at connection locations (12, 112), the apparatus has a first inspection station (1, 101) having separating means (14, 114) for separating the containers (11, 111) from the container band (9, 109) by machine, or

The first inspection station (1, 101) has, for a respective container (11, 111) to be separated from the container belt (9, 109), a holder (16, 17, 116, 117) which partially surrounds the container and which can be rotated by a rotary drive (19, 119) for twisting off the surrounded container (11, 111), and the rotary drive (19, 119) has a torque sensor (22, 122) for determining a twisting-off torque.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the inspection station (3,103) has means (43, 45, 143, 145) for emptying the container contents of the associated container (11, 111).

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that the checking station (4, 104) has a weighing device (34, 134) for automatically determining the weight of the emptied container (11, 111).

18. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims 15 to 17, characterized in that a transport device (25, 30, 125, 130) is provided which has a plurality of receptacles (24, 38, 124, 138) which can be provided with respective containers (11, 111) by means of a first inspection station and which can be moved to further inspection stations (2-7, 102, 107) arranged along the inspection path.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18, characterized in that the conveyor means have a motor-driven carousel (25) which moves the receptacles (24) along a circular test path to respective further test stations (2-7) arranged on the test path.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, characterized in that an ejection station (8) is provided on the circular test path before the first test station (1) for ejecting the containers (11) by machine from the associated receptacles (24) of the conveyor device (25).

21. The device as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the receptacle (24) has a support (26) for the containers (11) and a movable cover (27) which can be moved between a closed position in which it surrounds a partial region of the supported containers (11) and an open position raised from the support (26), and the conveying device (25) has a control device (31, 49) by means of which the cover (27) can be moved into the closed position and into the open position as required.

22. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims 15 to 17, characterized in that the inspection stations (101) are arranged along an inspection path extending in the longitudinal direction and the transport device (130) has transport elements (136) for moving the containers (11) in succession from one inspection station to the other.

23. An apparatus as claimed in claim 22, characterized in that a carrier which is movable back and forth and up and down along the test path is provided as a transport element (136), on which carrier the receptacles (138) are arranged at a spacing which corresponds to the spacing between the test stations, and in that the receptacles (138) for holding and releasing the respective containers (111) have means (140) which can be controlled such that the containers (111) can be received one after the other in one test station and can be released in a subsequent test station.

24. The apparatus according to one of the preceding claims 15 to 17, characterized in that the second checking station (2, 102) has a weighing device (34, 134) for automatically determining the weight of the containers (11, 111) filled with the container contents.

25. The apparatus as claimed in one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that, for containers (11, 111) having an end piece (51, 151) on a neck (39, 139) which can be removed from the container main part (41, 141) by a rotary movement, a test station (5, 105) having an unscrewing device (53, 153) is provided which has a rotary drive (57, 157) and a torque sensor (61, 161) for determining the torque required for removing the end piece (51, 151).

26. The apparatus as claimed in one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that the inspection station (6) has a cutting device (65) for forming a cut (75) which exposes a cross section of at least one wall element (77) of the associated container (11).

27. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims 15 to 17, characterized in that one inspection station (7, 107) has measuring means (79, 81, 179) for automatically determining the wall thickness of the container wall (77, 107) to be cut.

28. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims 15 to 17, characterized in that the wall thickness of the containers in at least one position of the respective container (111) to be examined is determined without destruction in at least one of the examination stations (1-5, 101-107) or in a subsequent examination station.

29. The apparatus as claimed in one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that the container wall thickness is determined in at least one of the inspection stations (1-5, 101-107) or in a subsequent inspection station by means of ultrasound or by means of optical measurement methods in at least one position of the respective container (111) to be inspected.