| 摘要 |
An automated inspection system for inspecting packages, such as blister packages, to verify the presence therein of products, such as contact lenses, prior to heat sealing of the blister packages. The automated inspection system includes a transport and ejector mechanism for ejecting any defective packages determined by the automated inspection system not to have a product therein. The automated inspection system includes an optical inspection station at which packages are optically inspected by video cameras to verify that a product is, in fact, present in each package base. A package conveyor system is provided for conveying the packages by the optical inspection station. Following the optical inspection station, an ejector ramp of the transport and ejector mechanism is selectively switchable between a first raised position in which package bases are passed on for further processing, and a second lowered position in which defective packages are transferred from the package conveyor system to the ejector ramp and a buffer area for ejected packages. In a disclosed embodiment, each package base is part of a linear array of six connected package bases, and the optical inspection station includes three video cameras placed in a series along the package conveyor system. Each video camera optically examines an adjacent two connected package bases, such that the three video cameras simultaneously optically examine all six connected package bases in each linear array.
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