Optical fault detection in glass bottles - using scanning beam mirror rotation and integrating sphere and photodetector evaluation

摘要

An arrangement detecting faults in glass bottles, eg. those for alcoholic drinks having been returned for re-use, has a light source and optical system and is capable of detecting all types of possible faults in bottles or similar objects. Conventional devices tend to miss faults in side walls and their sources are directed at the base of the object. Two oscillating mirrors (14, 15) in the path of the light (11) from a source (10) imparts a circular or spiral scanning motion to the light beam. The beam can thus scan the desired surfaces of the object (22) under test. The light from the object is evaluated for faults in an integrating sphere (24) with a photodetector (27) receiving light reflected from the sphere's inner surface.