US20060273080A9 - Conveyor speed monitor - Google Patents
Conveyor speed monitor Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20060273080A9 US20060273080A9 US10/860,756 US86075604A US2006273080A9 US 20060273080 A9 US20060273080 A9 US 20060273080A9 US 86075604 A US86075604 A US 86075604A US 2006273080 A9 US2006273080 A9 US 2006273080A9
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- speed
- conveyor
- sealing system
- induction sealing
- signal
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
- 230000006698 induction Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 65
- 238000007789 sealing Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 41
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 claims description 23
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 16
- 230000005236 sound signal Effects 0.000 claims description 3
- 230000004044 response Effects 0.000 claims 3
- 239000011888 foil Substances 0.000 description 13
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 description 6
- 238000012360 testing method Methods 0.000 description 4
- 230000001965 increasing effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 239000000047 product Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000006073 displacement reaction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000000155 melt Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229920000642 polymer Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 230000000007 visual effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000004913 activation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000003990 capacitor Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000006243 chemical reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000011161 development Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000003814 drug Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000005516 engineering process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000002708 enhancing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000007613 environmental effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000013021 overheating Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000012466 permeate Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000000275 quality assurance Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000000717 retained effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000012546 transfer Methods 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01P—MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT
- G01P3/00—Measuring linear or angular speed; Measuring differences of linear or angular speeds
- G01P3/42—Devices characterised by the use of electric or magnetic means
- G01P3/44—Devices characterised by the use of electric or magnetic means for measuring angular speed
- G01P3/48—Devices characterised by the use of electric or magnetic means for measuring angular speed by measuring frequency of generated current or voltage
- G01P3/481—Devices characterised by the use of electric or magnetic means for measuring angular speed by measuring frequency of generated current or voltage of pulse signals
- G01P3/486—Devices characterised by the use of electric or magnetic means for measuring angular speed by measuring frequency of generated current or voltage of pulse signals delivered by photo-electric detectors
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B23K13/00—Welding by high-frequency current heating
- B23K13/01—Welding by high-frequency current heating by induction heating
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B23K2101/00—Articles made by soldering, welding or cutting
- B23K2101/16—Bands or sheets of indefinite length
Definitions
- the present invention relates to induction sealer systems and more particularly to an induction foil system that includes a speed sensor.
- Induction foil cap sealers are well known.
- a prior art induction foil cap sealer includes induction head 10 which includes a plurality of field coils 12 .
- field coils 12 receive an electrical current which causes the development of magnetic fields that project away from field coils 12 .
- the projected magnetic fields are schematically shown as circular lines surrounding field coils 12 for illustration purposes only. The magnetic fields projecting from field coils 12 are used for sealing a cap onto an opening of a bottle in the following manner.
- Cap 14 is mechanically coupled to the opening of bottle 16 and placed under induction head 10 . Due to the mechanical coupling between cap 14 and bottle 16 , metallic foil 18 , which is received in cap 14 , is pressed between the end of cap 14 and the sealing edge of the opening of bottle 16 . Included inside cap 14 is polymer sealing film 17 which is interposed between metallic foil 18 and the opening of bottle 16 . Optionally, wax layer 20 and pulp board liner 22 are also included in cap 14 and sandwiched between metallic foil 18 and the closed end of cap 14 .
- Induction head 10 may assume any number of shapes depending on the type of cap used.
- FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate three examples of induction heads.
- Assuring the quality of the hermetic seal is commercially important. For example, when the content of a container is medicine, it is important for the consumer to know that the container has been sealed since leaving the manufacturer's plant. Otherwise, a consumer may suspect tampering and return the product, which results in the increase in the overall cost to the manufacturer.
- a hermetic seal may be required to keep the content of a container unexposed to environmental factors such as moisture in order to avoid damage to the content. In either case, assessing the quality of the seal before the container leaves the manufacturer is of great interest.
- One factor is the amount of time a container is exposed to induction heating. If the amount of time is too short, a good seal may not be obtained. If the amount of time is too long, there may be overheating, which can damage the container, the seal, the product, and the sealing head itself.
- the amount of exposure time is directly related to how fast a container passes under induction head 10 .
- the speed of the carrying platform which carries the container e.g. a conveyor belt, is important in attaining a good induction seal.
- an induction sealing system includes a conveyor belt which carries the containers that are to be sealed, and a speed monitor which monitors the speed of the conveyor belt.
- the speed of the conveyor belt as determined by the speed monitor is compared to a desired speed. If the speed of the conveyor belt is determined to be outside of a designated range, a fault signal is generated which in turn activates a warning signal generator to alert the operator of the system.
- an optical encoder is operatively connected to the conveyor belt in order to determine the speed of the conveyor belt.
- a fault signal is generated.
- the fault signal is then used to trigger the activation of a warning signal generator such as an alarm or a strobe light.
- FIG. 1 schematically illustrates sealing by induction heating according to prior art.
- FIGS. 2A-2C schematically show a number of sealing head con figurations according to the prior art.
- FIG. 3A shows a top plan view of an induction sealing system according to the present invention.
- FIG. 3B shows a front plan view of an induction sealing system along line 3 B- 3 B in FIG. 3A viewed in the direction of the arrows.
- FIG. 3C shows a side plan view of an induction sealing system along line 3 C- 3 C in FIG. 3B viewed in the direction of the arrows.
- FIG. 3D shows an enlarged view of portion 3 D in FIG. 3A .
- FIG. 3E shows an optical encoder and a drive shaft components of an induction sealer system according to the present invention.
- FIG. 4A shows a front view of an optical encoder plate as may be used in an optical encoder according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 4B schematically illustrates the various components of an optical encoder.
- FIG. 5 illustrates an induction sealer system according to the present invention.
- FIG. 6 shows an example of a user interface which may be used in an induction sealer system according to the present invention.
- FIG. 7 illustrates a method according to the present invention.
- an induction sealing system includes an induction sealer unit 30 which includes induction head 10 , which is not shown in FIGS. 3A-3E , but examples of which can be seen in FIGS. 1 , and 2 A- 2 C.
- Induction head 10 of induction sealer unit 30 is preferably positioned over conveyor belt 32 .
- Conveyor belt 32 is used to transport containers (e.g. bottles) that are to be subjected to induction heating under induction head 10 of induction sealer unit 30 .
- An induction sealing system further includes a speed sensor.
- the speed sensor senses the speed of conveyor belt 32 and reports the same to induction sealer unit 30 .
- the speed sensor in the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes optical encoder 34 .
- An optical encoder is a common device for measuring the speed of, for example, a motor or a wheel.
- a typical optical encoder includes encoder disk 36 , which is connected to a shaft such that the central axis of the shaft is in registration with the center of encoder disk 36 .
- Encoder disk 36 includes a plurality of spaced slots 38 wide enough to allow the passage of light. Slots 38 are normally spaced at regular intervals.
- a typical optical encoder further includes light source 40 , which may be an infrared emitting diode, disposed at one side of encoder disk 36 , and light detector 42 , which may be an infrared phototransistor, disposed at the other side of encoder disk 36 in order to receive the light from light source 40 .
- the body of encoder disk 36 is not transparent to the light so that when encoder disk 36 is rotated light only passes through slots 38 and is received by light detector 42 . Each time light is received by light detector 42 a signal is produced which is usually referred to as a tic.
- the duration of time between the tics indicates the speed of the rotation of encoder disk 36 .
- the number of tics is indicative of the total displacement.
- a microprocessor 48 receives the tics from encoder 34 periodically, thereby decoding the speed of encoder disk 36 .
- knowing that 500 tics corresponds to one foot of displacement can be used by a microprocessor to conclude that 500 tics received in one second corresponds to the average speed of 1 foot per second.
- optical encoder 34 in the preferred embodiment is operatively connected to drive shaft 44 .
- Drive shaft 44 is operatively connected to conveyor belt 32 , whereby the motion of the rotating drive shaft turns the sprocket which moves conveyor belt 32 .
- the rotation of drive shaft 44 about its central axis 44 A causes the rotation of encoder disk 36 ( FIGS. 4A-4B ) of optical encoder 34 .
- the rotation of encoder disk 36 produces tics which are transmitted via encoder transmission wire 34 A to induction sealer unit 30 .
- induction sealer unit 30 includes speed monitor 46 .
- Speed monitor 46 includes microprocessor 48 which receives the tics from optical encoder 34 and calculates the speed of the conveyor belt 32 .
- a suitable microprocessor may be a 16 bit micro-controller such as a PIC processor available from Microchip Technology Inc.
- Induction sealer head 30 further includes comparator 50 which compares the speed of conveyor belt 32 to a predetermined desired speed in order to determine whether the speed of conveyor belt 32 falls within an acceptable range. For example, comparator 50 compares the speed of conveyor belt 32 to the desired speed to determine whether the speed is not more than 5% of the desired speed and not less than 5% of the desired speed.
- signal generator 52 in induction sealer unit 30 If the speed of conveyor belt 32 is outside an acceptable range, signal generator 52 in induction sealer unit 30 generates a fault signal.
- Warning signal generator 54 which in turn generates a warning signal.
- Warning signal generator may be an audio signal generator, for example, an alarm and/or an optical signal generator, for example, a strobe light.
- a gate may be provided to prevent containers from passing under induction sealer head 30 .
- the desired speed is retained in electronic memory location 56 , retrieved from the electronic memory location 56 and compared to the conveyor speed that is determined by speed monitor 46 .
- the latter steps can be carried out periodically, for example, every fifteen second, or can be carried out after a predetermined number of tics have been counted.
- the conveyor constant (explained later) can be used to convert the number of tics to the number of feet. The conversion can be carried out by software.
- Electronic memory location 56 may be suitable memory device.
- the desired speed is determined experimentally and entered into electronic memory location through user interface 58 .
- User interface 58 may be a keyboard.
- FIG. 6 shows an example of a suitable keyboard that can be used as user interface 58 .
- the up/down keys 60 may be used for selecting the proper speed.
- up/down keys 60 can be used to increase and decrease respectively the desired speed.
- the value of the desired speed can be used in any known conventional manner to drive conveyor belt 32 at the desired speed.
- user interface 58 may include visual display 62 , which may be an LCD. Visual display 62 is preferably operatively connected to speed monitor and is capable of displaying the speed of conveyor belt 32 .
- the desired conveyor speed is determined experimentally and entered into electronic memory location 56 (S 100 ).
- a conveyor constant is determined and entered into a second electronic memory location (S 102 ).
- the conveyor constant is used to determine the speed of the conveyor. Specifically, the conveyor constant is multiplied by the number of tics received from optical encoder 34 in order to determine the distance conveyor belt 32 has traveled. The distance is then divided by the elapsed time in order to determine the average speed of conveyor belt 32 during the elapsed time.
- an external day clock may be employed to provide a signals periodically. For example, a clock may be used that generates a signal every millisecond in order to provide good accuracy.
- a fifteen second time lapse provides 15,000 signals from the clock.
- a microprocessor can then be used to determine the speed based on the time measured by the clock (number of signals from the clock) and the number of tics received from the encoder by dividing the distance measured by the elapsed time.
- the conveyor constant is calculated based on the number of encoder tics per unit distance.
- the number of encoder tics per unit distance is typically supplied by the manufacturer of the optical encoder. If not, the number of tics per unit distance may be determined experimentally.
- the conveyor constant may be calculated. Conveyor constant is typically calculated in relation to specific unit of distance. Specifically, if the encoder tics is provided in relation to feet, the conveyor constant is equal to 60,000 divided by the tics/foot. If the encoder tics is provided in relation to meters then the conveyor constant is equal to 195,000 divided by tics/meter. Thus, for example, if the encoder produces 15 tics per foot the conveyor constant is 4000 (60000/15).
- the conveyor constant is multiplied with the number of tics received to determine the distance conveyor belt 32 has traveled.
- the distance so calculated is then divided by the unit time to determine the speed (S 104 ).
- Using a conveyor constant is advantageous in that it allows for the use of different optical encoders. That is, the system need not be designed around one specific optical encoder. Rather the encoder may be changed, which allows for flexibility. For example, a higher or a lower resolution optical encoder may be employed as desired.
- induction head 10 It is next determined whether induction head 10 is ON (S 106 ). If not, the average speed is measured again. If it is determined that induction head 10 is ON, the determined speed is compared to the desired speed (S 108 ). That is, the desired speed is retrieved from electronic memory 56 , and compared to the determined speed to assess whether the determined speed is within a pre-designated acceptable range (S 110 ).
- the desired speed is subtracted from the determined speed, divided by the desired speed and multiplied by 100 in order to determined the percentage by which the speed of conveyor belt 32 varies from the desired speed. If it is determined that the variance falls outside of a range a fault signal is generated.
- the fault signal preferably serves to trigger warning signal generator 54 . For example, if the variance is more than 5% of the desired speed or less than 5% of the desired speed, a fault signal is generated. If it is determined that the determined speed is within the desired range, the process is returned (S 104 ).
- the desired speed can vary from container to container. Therefore, the desired speed should be determined experimentally.
- the speed at which a proper seal is obtained is first determined according to the following procedure.
- Sealing head 10 is centered with conveyor belt 35 and bottles 16 are run under sealing head 10 such that caps 14 of bottles 16 are positioned near or at the center of sealing head 10 .
- Conveyor line speed is set. Initially, conveyor speed is set at the slowest possible speed to keep up with production (a slow speed maximizes sealing time).
- caps 14 of bottles 16 are free of burrs, product, seams, etc.
- the power is set at an initial value (e.g. 35%) and a single bottle is subjected to induction heating, and is examined to determine whether it has been sealed. If partially sealed, a new bottle 16 is subjected to induction heating with increased power. If not, the test is conducted again with a 10% power increase. The test is repeated with increasing power until a proper seal is obtained. If after a test the inside of cap 14 of bottle 16 that is being tested is scorched or burned, power is reduced by 5-10% and the test is repeated.
- an initial value e.g. 35%
- step six (6) is repeated.
- the speed of conveyor belt 32 may be increased in order to limit the amount of power supplied to each container to attain a proper seal. Once a proper seal is attained (either by selection of the proper speed or both), the speed of conveyor belt 32 is recorded. The recorded speed can then be used as the desired speed in order to obtain a proper seal for the containers.
- factors such as the type of bottle used, the conveyor speed, and other relevant factors may be stored as a “recipe” in a memory location and retrieved when desired.
- information such as the conveyor speed, and other information relevant to obtaining a proper seal as obtained experimentally can be stored as a “recipe” in an electronic location for more than one bottle type so that a cap sealer according to the present invention can be ready to seal a number of bottle types without the necessity of the re-entry of the required information.
- the information relating to that bottle type is retrieved from the memory location and used for sealing.
- a number of references have been made to electronic storage facilities for the storage of data, such as, for example, the conveyor speed.
- information can be stored in a flash memory (erasable memory) which can be part of a microprocessor, or it can be stored in the non-volatile (battery-backed) RAM of, for example, a time keeping chip.
- Flash allows storage for forty years without having to worry about batteries, and thus is suitable for information that should not be lost (e.g. total hours of machine use, not desirable to lose this time if battery is changed; or recipes settings (e.g. temperature settings) which are not desired to be redone).
- Other less important information may be kept in, for example, the time keeping chip.
- a capacitor may be used with stored power to quickly transfer information to the flash memory when the apparatus is powered down in order to avoid losing the data.
- the present invention is not limited to induction foil cap sealing, but may be applicable to any manufacturing application in which speed sensing may be considered an important quality assurance factor.
Abstract
An induction sealer system which includes a speed monitor to ensure proper sealing of containers.
Description
- The present application is based on and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. ______, filed on May 17, 2004, in the name of Kenneth J. Herzog, and entitled A BAR GRAPH DISPLAY, AN IR THERMOMETER, AND A SPEED SENSOR WHICH CAN BE USED INDIVIDUALLY OR IN COMBINATION WITH AN INDUCTION SEALER, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
- This application is related to U.S. application Ser. No. ______ filed concurrently with the present application in the name of Kenneth J. Herzog, and entitled BAR GRAPH, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
- This application is also related to U.S. application Ser. No. ______ filed concurrently with the present application in the name of Kenneth J. Herzog, and entitled INDUCTION SEALER SYSTEM WITH TEMPERATURE SENSOR, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
- The present invention relates to induction sealer systems and more particularly to an induction foil system that includes a speed sensor.
- Induction foil cap sealers are well known. Referring to
FIG. 1 , a prior art induction foil cap sealer includesinduction head 10 which includes a plurality offield coils 12. In operation,field coils 12 receive an electrical current which causes the development of magnetic fields that project away fromfield coils 12. The projected magnetic fields are schematically shown as circular lines surroundingfield coils 12 for illustration purposes only. The magnetic fields projecting fromfield coils 12 are used for sealing a cap onto an opening of a bottle in the following manner. -
Cap 14 is mechanically coupled to the opening ofbottle 16 and placed underinduction head 10. Due to the mechanical coupling betweencap 14 andbottle 16,metallic foil 18, which is received incap 14, is pressed between the end ofcap 14 and the sealing edge of the opening ofbottle 16. Included insidecap 14 ispolymer sealing film 17 which is interposed betweenmetallic foil 18 and the opening ofbottle 16. Optionally,wax layer 20 andpulp board liner 22 are also included incap 14 and sandwiched betweenmetallic foil 18 and the closed end ofcap 14. - To effect the seal, magnetic fields that project from
field coils 12permeate cap 14 and causefoil 18 to heat up. The heat so generated causespolymer sealing film 17 to melt and thus sealmetallic foil 18 to the opening ofbottle 16. As a result, a hermetic seal betweenmetallic foil 18 andbottle 16 is obtained which can survive the removal ofcap 14. Ifoptional wax layer 20 is used, the generated heat meltswax layer 20 further enhancing the hermetic effect. -
Induction head 10 may assume any number of shapes depending on the type of cap used.FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate three examples of induction heads. - Assuring the quality of the hermetic seal is commercially important. For example, when the content of a container is medicine, it is important for the consumer to know that the container has been sealed since leaving the manufacturer's plant. Otherwise, a consumer may suspect tampering and return the product, which results in the increase in the overall cost to the manufacturer. In addition, a hermetic seal may be required to keep the content of a container unexposed to environmental factors such as moisture in order to avoid damage to the content. In either case, assessing the quality of the seal before the container leaves the manufacturer is of great interest.
- Several factors affect the quality of the seal. One factor is the amount of time a container is exposed to induction heating. If the amount of time is too short, a good seal may not be obtained. If the amount of time is too long, there may be overheating, which can damage the container, the seal, the product, and the sealing head itself.
- The amount of exposure time is directly related to how fast a container passes under
induction head 10. Thus, the speed of the carrying platform which carries the container, e.g. a conveyor belt, is important in attaining a good induction seal. - It would be desirable to have an induction sealing system and an induction sealing method that can monitor the amount of induction exposure in order to produce a good seal quality.
- It is an object of the present invention to provide an induction sealing system and method in which the speed of the carrying platform is monitored to ensure that the containers carried thereon receive an optimum exposure to the induction heating in order to obtain a good seal quality.
- According to the present invention an induction sealing system includes a conveyor belt which carries the containers that are to be sealed, and a speed monitor which monitors the speed of the conveyor belt.
- According to one aspect of the present invention the speed of the conveyor belt as determined by the speed monitor is compared to a desired speed. If the speed of the conveyor belt is determined to be outside of a designated range, a fault signal is generated which in turn activates a warning signal generator to alert the operator of the system.
- In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, an optical encoder is operatively connected to the conveyor belt in order to determine the speed of the conveyor belt. Preferably, when the speed of the conveyor belt exceeds 5% of the desired speed, or falls below 5% of the desired speed a fault signal is generated. The fault signal is then used to trigger the activation of a warning signal generator such as an alarm or a strobe light.
- Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention which refers to the accompanying drawings.
-
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates sealing by induction heating according to prior art. -
FIGS. 2A-2C schematically show a number of sealing head con figurations according to the prior art. -
FIG. 3A shows a top plan view of an induction sealing system according to the present invention. -
FIG. 3B shows a front plan view of an induction sealing system alongline 3B-3B inFIG. 3A viewed in the direction of the arrows. -
FIG. 3C shows a side plan view of an induction sealing system alongline 3C-3C inFIG. 3B viewed in the direction of the arrows. -
FIG. 3D shows an enlarged view ofportion 3D inFIG. 3A . -
FIG. 3E shows an optical encoder and a drive shaft components of an induction sealer system according to the present invention. -
FIG. 4A shows a front view of an optical encoder plate as may be used in an optical encoder according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 4B schematically illustrates the various components of an optical encoder. -
FIG. 5 illustrates an induction sealer system according to the present invention. -
FIG. 6 shows an example of a user interface which may be used in an induction sealer system according to the present invention. -
FIG. 7 illustrates a method according to the present invention. - Referring to
FIGS. 3A-3E , an induction sealing system according to the present invention includes aninduction sealer unit 30 which includesinduction head 10, which is not shown inFIGS. 3A-3E , but examples of which can be seen inFIGS. 1 , and 2A-2C.Induction head 10 ofinduction sealer unit 30 is preferably positioned overconveyor belt 32.Conveyor belt 32 is used to transport containers (e.g. bottles) that are to be subjected to induction heating underinduction head 10 ofinduction sealer unit 30. - An induction sealing system according to the present invention further includes a speed sensor. The speed sensor senses the speed of
conveyor belt 32 and reports the same toinduction sealer unit 30. - The speed sensor in the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes
optical encoder 34. An optical encoder is a common device for measuring the speed of, for example, a motor or a wheel. Referring toFIGS. 4A and 4B , a typical optical encoder includesencoder disk 36, which is connected to a shaft such that the central axis of the shaft is in registration with the center ofencoder disk 36.Encoder disk 36 includes a plurality of spacedslots 38 wide enough to allow the passage of light.Slots 38 are normally spaced at regular intervals. - A typical optical encoder further includes
light source 40, which may be an infrared emitting diode, disposed at one side ofencoder disk 36, andlight detector 42, which may be an infrared phototransistor, disposed at the other side ofencoder disk 36 in order to receive the light fromlight source 40. The body ofencoder disk 36 is not transparent to the light so that whenencoder disk 36 is rotated light only passes throughslots 38 and is received bylight detector 42. Each time light is received by light detector 42 a signal is produced which is usually referred to as a tic. - The duration of time between the tics indicates the speed of the rotation of
encoder disk 36. Thus, thefaster encoder disk 36 rotates the shorter the time between the tics. In addition, the number of tics is indicative of the total displacement. - In a typical application, a microprocessor 48 (
FIG. 5 ) receives the tics fromencoder 34 periodically, thereby decoding the speed ofencoder disk 36. Thus, for example, knowing that 500 tics corresponds to one foot of displacement can be used by a microprocessor to conclude that 500 tics received in one second corresponds to the average speed of 1 foot per second. - Referring back to
FIGS. 3A-3E ,optical encoder 34 in the preferred embodiment is operatively connected to driveshaft 44. Driveshaft 44 is operatively connected toconveyor belt 32, whereby the motion of the rotating drive shaft turns the sprocket which movesconveyor belt 32. - The rotation of
drive shaft 44 about itscentral axis 44A causes the rotation of encoder disk 36 (FIGS. 4A-4B ) ofoptical encoder 34. The rotation ofencoder disk 36 produces tics which are transmitted viaencoder transmission wire 34A toinduction sealer unit 30. - Referring to
FIG. 5 ,induction sealer unit 30 includesspeed monitor 46. Speed monitor 46 includesmicroprocessor 48 which receives the tics fromoptical encoder 34 and calculates the speed of theconveyor belt 32. A suitable microprocessor may be a 16 bit micro-controller such as a PIC processor available from Microchip Technology Inc. -
Induction sealer head 30 further includescomparator 50 which compares the speed ofconveyor belt 32 to a predetermined desired speed in order to determine whether the speed ofconveyor belt 32 falls within an acceptable range. For example,comparator 50 compares the speed ofconveyor belt 32 to the desired speed to determine whether the speed is not more than 5% of the desired speed and not less than 5% of the desired speed. - If the speed of
conveyor belt 32 is outside an acceptable range,signal generator 52 ininduction sealer unit 30 generates a fault signal. - The fault signal is sent to
warning signal generator 54 which in turn generates a warning signal. Warning signal generator may be an audio signal generator, for example, an alarm and/or an optical signal generator, for example, a strobe light. Optionally, a gate may be provided to prevent containers from passing underinduction sealer head 30. - In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the desired speed is retained in
electronic memory location 56, retrieved from theelectronic memory location 56 and compared to the conveyor speed that is determined byspeed monitor 46. The latter steps can be carried out periodically, for example, every fifteen second, or can be carried out after a predetermined number of tics have been counted. The conveyor constant (explained later) can be used to convert the number of tics to the number of feet. The conversion can be carried out by software.Electronic memory location 56 may be suitable memory device. - Preferably, the desired speed is determined experimentally and entered into electronic memory location through
user interface 58.User interface 58 may be a keyboard.FIG. 6 shows an example of a suitable keyboard that can be used asuser interface 58. In the preferred embodiment the up/downkeys 60 may be used for selecting the proper speed. Specifically, up/downkeys 60 can be used to increase and decrease respectively the desired speed. The value of the desired speed can be used in any known conventional manner to driveconveyor belt 32 at the desired speed. It should be noted thatuser interface 58 may includevisual display 62, which may be an LCD.Visual display 62 is preferably operatively connected to speed monitor and is capable of displaying the speed ofconveyor belt 32. - Referring now to
FIG. 7 , in a method according to the present invention first the desired conveyor speed is determined experimentally and entered into electronic memory location 56 (S100). Next, a conveyor constant is determined and entered into a second electronic memory location (S102). The conveyor constant is used to determine the speed of the conveyor. Specifically, the conveyor constant is multiplied by the number of tics received fromoptical encoder 34 in order to determine thedistance conveyor belt 32 has traveled. The distance is then divided by the elapsed time in order to determine the average speed ofconveyor belt 32 during the elapsed time. To determined the elapsed time an external day clock may be employed to provide a signals periodically. For example, a clock may be used that generates a signal every millisecond in order to provide good accuracy. Thus, a fifteen second time lapse provides 15,000 signals from the clock. A microprocessor can then be used to determine the speed based on the time measured by the clock (number of signals from the clock) and the number of tics received from the encoder by dividing the distance measured by the elapsed time. - The conveyor constant is calculated based on the number of encoder tics per unit distance. The number of encoder tics per unit distance is typically supplied by the manufacturer of the optical encoder. If not, the number of tics per unit distance may be determined experimentally.
- Once the number of tics per unit distance is known, the conveyor constant may be calculated. Conveyor constant is typically calculated in relation to specific unit of distance. Specifically, if the encoder tics is provided in relation to feet, the conveyor constant is equal to 60,000 divided by the tics/foot. If the encoder tics is provided in relation to meters then the conveyor constant is equal to 195,000 divided by tics/meter. Thus, for example, if the encoder produces 15 tics per foot the conveyor constant is 4000 (60000/15).
- The conveyor constant is multiplied with the number of tics received to determine the
distance conveyor belt 32 has traveled. The distance so calculated is then divided by the unit time to determine the speed (S104). - Using a conveyor constant is advantageous in that it allows for the use of different optical encoders. That is, the system need not be designed around one specific optical encoder. Rather the encoder may be changed, which allows for flexibility. For example, a higher or a lower resolution optical encoder may be employed as desired.
- It is next determined whether
induction head 10 is ON (S106). If not, the average speed is measured again. If it is determined thatinduction head 10 is ON, the determined speed is compared to the desired speed (S108). That is, the desired speed is retrieved fromelectronic memory 56, and compared to the determined speed to assess whether the determined speed is within a pre-designated acceptable range (S110). - Specifically, for example, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the desired speed is subtracted from the determined speed, divided by the desired speed and multiplied by 100 in order to determined the percentage by which the speed of
conveyor belt 32 varies from the desired speed. If it is determined that the variance falls outside of a range a fault signal is generated. The fault signal preferably serves to triggerwarning signal generator 54. For example, if the variance is more than 5% of the desired speed or less than 5% of the desired speed, a fault signal is generated. If it is determined that the determined speed is within the desired range, the process is returned (S104). - Due in part to the fact that different containers are made from different materials, the desired speed can vary from container to container. Therefore, the desired speed should be determined experimentally.
- To determine the proper speed for
conveyor belt 32, the speed at which a proper seal is obtained is first determined according to the following procedure. - 1.
Sealing head 10 is centered with conveyor belt 35 andbottles 16 are run under sealinghead 10 such that caps 14 ofbottles 16 are positioned near or at the center of sealinghead 10. - 2. Height of sealing
head 10 is set. - 3. Conveyor line speed is set. Initially, conveyor speed is set at the slowest possible speed to keep up with production (a slow speed maximizes sealing time).
- 4. It is ensured that
caps 14 of bottles 16 (seal point on bottle) are free of burrs, product, seams, etc. - 5. It is ensured that
caps 14 ofbottles 16 are properly tightened. - 6. The power is set at an initial value (e.g. 35%) and a single bottle is subjected to induction heating, and is examined to determine whether it has been sealed. If partially sealed, a
new bottle 16 is subjected to induction heating with increased power. If not, the test is conducted again with a 10% power increase. The test is repeated with increasing power until a proper seal is obtained. If after a test the inside ofcap 14 ofbottle 16 that is being tested is scorched or burned, power is reduced by 5-10% and the test is repeated. - 7. A group of bottles is run under sealing
head 10 to verify seal quality remains the same in each bottle. If not, step six (6) is repeated. - The steps in Table 1 can be carried out to determine the quality of a seal.
TABLE 1 DESCRIPTION YES NO 1 Was the seal completely cool Go to two (2) Let the cap cool for before removing the cap? two (2) minutes before removing the cap 2 Foil liner melts bottle top? Reduce power Go to three (3) level 3 Was there any burning or Reduce power Go to four (4) scorching of the cap? level 4 Did the wax release from the Go to five (5) Increase power foil liner and pulp board? level 5 Did the liner seal completely Go to six (6) Increase power around the opening? level 6 Does the seal leak? Increase power Go to seven (7) level 7 Drop the bottle or step on an Increase power Go to eight (8) empty bottle with the cap off level. (plastic bottles only). Does the seal come off the bottle? 8 Does the seal release easily Power level set Reduce power (for peel off seals)? correctly. slightly 9 For security liners, is a foil Power level set Increase power level ring left on the bottle? correctly - If power cannot be changed to improve seal quality (e.g. power cannot be lowered beyond a certain minimum), the speed of
conveyor belt 32 may be increased in order to limit the amount of power supplied to each container to attain a proper seal. Once a proper seal is attained (either by selection of the proper speed or both), the speed ofconveyor belt 32 is recorded. The recorded speed can then be used as the desired speed in order to obtain a proper seal for the containers. - In the preferred embodiment of the present invention factors such as the type of bottle used, the conveyor speed, and other relevant factors may be stored as a “recipe” in a memory location and retrieved when desired. Preferably, information such as the conveyor speed, and other information relevant to obtaining a proper seal as obtained experimentally can be stored as a “recipe” in an electronic location for more than one bottle type so that a cap sealer according to the present invention can be ready to seal a number of bottle types without the necessity of the re-entry of the required information. Thus, for example, when the bottle type is changed, the information relating to that bottle type is retrieved from the memory location and used for sealing.
- In the present application a number of references have been made to electronic storage facilities for the storage of data, such as, for example, the conveyor speed. One skilled in the art would recognize that any known electronic storage devices can be used to in an apparatus according to the present invention. Thus, for example, information can be stored in a flash memory (erasable memory) which can be part of a microprocessor, or it can be stored in the non-volatile (battery-backed) RAM of, for example, a time keeping chip. Flash allows storage for forty years without having to worry about batteries, and thus is suitable for information that should not be lost (e.g. total hours of machine use, not desirable to lose this time if battery is changed; or recipes settings (e.g. temperature settings) which are not desired to be redone). Other less important information may be kept in, for example, the time keeping chip. To ensure that such information is not lost, a capacitor may be used with stored power to quickly transfer information to the flash memory when the apparatus is powered down in order to avoid losing the data.
- It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to induction foil cap sealing, but may be applicable to any manufacturing application in which speed sensing may be considered an important quality assurance factor.
- Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is preferred, therefore, that the present invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.
Claims (26)
1. An induction sealing system comprising:
a conveyor;
an induction head disposed over said conveyor;
a speed sensor to sense a speed of said conveyor; and
a signal generator in communication with said speed sensor to generate a signal when said speed of said conveyor falls outside of a selected range.
2. An induction sealing system according to claim 1 , further comprising a warning signal generator to generate a warning signal in response to a signal from said signal generator.
3. An induction sealing system according to claim 2 , wherein said warning signal generator generates an audio signal.
4. An induction sealing system according to claim 2 , wherein said warning signal generator generates an optical signal.
5. An induction sealing system according to claim 1 , wherein said speed sensor is an optical encoder.
6. An induction sealing system according to claim 1 , wherein said selected range includes a selected target speed and a speed that is a percentage higher than said target speed.
7. An induction sealing system according to claim 6 , wherein said selected target speed is empirically determined.
8. An induction sealing system according to claim 1 , wherein said conveyor is either one of a conveyor belt and chain.
9. An induction sealing system comprising:
an induction head;
a conveyor;
an electronic memory that stores a value for a target speed of said conveyor;
a speed sensor that senses a speed of said conveyor;
a comparator that compares said speed of said conveyor to said target speed; and
a signal generator that generates a signal when said speed of said conveyor is outside a predetermined range.
10. An induction sealing system according to claim 9 , further comprising a warning signal generator to generate a warning signal in response to a signal from said signal generator.
11. An induction sealing system according to claim 10 , wherein said warning signal generator generates an audio signal.
12. An induction sealing system according to claim 10 , wherein said warning signal generator generates an optical signal.
13. An induction sealing system according to claim 9 , wherein said speed sensor is an optical encoder.
14. An induction sealing system according to claim 9 , wherein said predetermined range includes said target speed and a speed that is a percentage higher than said target speed.
15. An induction sealing system according to claim 9 , wherein said target speed is empirically determined.
16. An induction sealing system according to claim 9 , further comprising a user interface for entry of said target speed into said electronic memory.
17. A method of assuring quality of a seal comprising:
placing objects to be sealed on a conveyor;
selecting a target conveyor speed;
measuring a speed of said conveyor;
comparing said speed of said conveyor to said target conveyor speed; and
generating a signal when said conveyor speed has varied from said target speed by a predetermined value.
18. A method according to claim 17 , wherein said predetermined value is a percentage of said target conveyor speed.
19. A method according to claim 17 , further comprising generating a warning signal in response to said signal generated when said conveyor speed has varied.
20. A method according to claim 17 , wherein said speed is measured by an optical encoder.
21. A method of assuring quality in an automated system comprising:
moving work pieces;
measuring speed of said work pieces;
comparing said speed of said work pieces to a target speed; and
generating a signal when said speed has varied from said target speed by a predetermined value.
22. A method according to claim 21 , wherein said work pieces are moved by a moving platform.
23. A method according to claim 22 , wherein said moving platform is either one of a conveyor belt or a chain.
24. A method according to claim 21 , wherein said target speed is determined experimentally.
25. A method according to claim 21 , wherein said signal is generated when said speed is higher than said target speed by a predetermined value.
26. A method according to claim 21 , wherein said signal is generated when said speed is lower than said target speed by a predetermined value.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US10/860,756 US7544918B2 (en) | 2004-05-17 | 2004-06-02 | Conveyor speed monitor |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US57202704P | 2004-05-17 | 2004-05-17 | |
US10/860,756 US7544918B2 (en) | 2004-05-17 | 2004-06-02 | Conveyor speed monitor |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20060151478A1 US20060151478A1 (en) | 2006-07-13 |
US20060273080A9 true US20060273080A9 (en) | 2006-12-07 |
US7544918B2 US7544918B2 (en) | 2009-06-09 |
Family
ID=36652250
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/860,756 Active 2025-08-19 US7544918B2 (en) | 2004-05-17 | 2004-06-02 | Conveyor speed monitor |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US7544918B2 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20050284102A1 (en) * | 2004-05-17 | 2005-12-29 | Herzog Kenneth J | Monitoring system for induction sealer |
Families Citing this family (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US8997968B2 (en) * | 2009-04-20 | 2015-04-07 | Otis Elevator Company | Automatic adjustment of parameters for safety device |
CN104717771B (en) * | 2013-12-17 | 2016-08-17 | 北京交通大学 | Steel cord belt induction heating apparatus |
FI125862B (en) * | 2015-01-28 | 2016-03-15 | Kone Corp | An electronic safety device and a conveyor system |
Citations (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4017704A (en) * | 1974-03-28 | 1977-04-12 | Aluminum Company Of America | Induction heating apparatus and method for using the same |
US4288673A (en) * | 1978-07-12 | 1981-09-08 | Toyo Seikan Kaisha, Ltd. | High frequency induction heating apparatus |
US5092446A (en) * | 1991-06-13 | 1992-03-03 | Ecs Corporation | Handrail monitoring system |
US5237143A (en) * | 1990-07-13 | 1993-08-17 | Scheuchzer, S. A. | Process and installation of on-track neutralization of the rails of a railway with high-frequency heating |
US5844501A (en) * | 1996-03-18 | 1998-12-01 | Reliance Electric Industrial Company | Speed reducer including temperature sensing device |
US5952796A (en) * | 1996-02-23 | 1999-09-14 | Colgate; James E. | Cobots |
US6069558A (en) * | 1997-12-22 | 2000-05-30 | Kershaw; Denis | Warning system for vehicles operating in confined spaces |
US20030042248A1 (en) * | 2001-08-28 | 2003-03-06 | Witt Allan E. | Conveyor speed control system for a conveyor oven |
-
2004
- 2004-06-02 US US10/860,756 patent/US7544918B2/en active Active
Patent Citations (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4017704A (en) * | 1974-03-28 | 1977-04-12 | Aluminum Company Of America | Induction heating apparatus and method for using the same |
US4288673A (en) * | 1978-07-12 | 1981-09-08 | Toyo Seikan Kaisha, Ltd. | High frequency induction heating apparatus |
US5237143A (en) * | 1990-07-13 | 1993-08-17 | Scheuchzer, S. A. | Process and installation of on-track neutralization of the rails of a railway with high-frequency heating |
US5092446A (en) * | 1991-06-13 | 1992-03-03 | Ecs Corporation | Handrail monitoring system |
US5952796A (en) * | 1996-02-23 | 1999-09-14 | Colgate; James E. | Cobots |
US5844501A (en) * | 1996-03-18 | 1998-12-01 | Reliance Electric Industrial Company | Speed reducer including temperature sensing device |
US6069558A (en) * | 1997-12-22 | 2000-05-30 | Kershaw; Denis | Warning system for vehicles operating in confined spaces |
US20030042248A1 (en) * | 2001-08-28 | 2003-03-06 | Witt Allan E. | Conveyor speed control system for a conveyor oven |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20050284102A1 (en) * | 2004-05-17 | 2005-12-29 | Herzog Kenneth J | Monitoring system for induction sealer |
US7322160B2 (en) * | 2004-05-17 | 2008-01-29 | Herzog Kenneth J | Monitoring system for induction sealer |
US20080053038A1 (en) * | 2004-05-17 | 2008-03-06 | Herzog Kenneth J | Monitoring system for induction sealer |
US7406807B2 (en) | 2004-05-17 | 2008-08-05 | Kenneth J Herzog | Monitoring system for induction sealer |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US20060151478A1 (en) | 2006-07-13 |
US7544918B2 (en) | 2009-06-09 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US7406807B2 (en) | Monitoring system for induction sealer | |
US6592005B1 (en) | Pill count sensor for automatic medicament dispensing machine | |
KR920007632B1 (en) | Inspecting machine of plastic bottle | |
WO2009019700A2 (en) | Thermally based system for detecting counterfeit drugs | |
US7544918B2 (en) | Conveyor speed monitor | |
KR900700864A (en) | Stereolithographic Beam Profiling | |
CN113318911A (en) | Dispensing method, dispensing control device and computer storage medium | |
JP5152181B2 (en) | Powder supply apparatus, powder filling and packaging machine, and method for manufacturing powder package | |
US8030602B2 (en) | Induction sealer system with temperature sensor | |
US10669055B2 (en) | Control apparatus | |
CN103221827A (en) | Method for determining an analyte in an automated manner | |
US5526975A (en) | Method and apparatus for detecting the amount of wire remaining in a wire bonder | |
JP2009008637A (en) | Device for inspecting angle seamed with cap in bottle-cap assembly | |
CN102842069A (en) | Integrated drug management system and method of providing prescription drugs by using the same | |
KR20170091918A (en) | METHOD of AUTOMATICALLY MANAGING SILO, CONTROL SERVER, AND USER TERMINAL USING THE SAME | |
CN102854198A (en) | Apparatus for inspecting defective medicines | |
JPS6026230B2 (en) | Identity verification device | |
JPH07500183A (en) | Irradiometer used for induction heat sealing of containers | |
CN203528928U (en) | Imaging detection mechanism for aluminum-plastic blister packaging machine | |
US4814734A (en) | Search coil assembly for metal detectors | |
EP2786315B1 (en) | Method and system for controlling packaging of items on a production/distribution line | |
MXPA05004451A (en) | Contact lens manufacture. | |
JPH063141A (en) | Rotating-position measuring apparatus | |
JP2012104508A (en) | Electronic component mounting device and electronic component mounting method | |
CN104691855B (en) | High-speed intelligent screw packing machine divides nail counting device and its method of counting |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: AUTO-KAPS, LLC, NEW YORK Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:HERZOG, KENNETH J;REEL/FRAME:020704/0465 Effective date: 20080307 |
|
STCF | Information on status: patent grant |
Free format text: PATENTED CASE |
|
FPAY | Fee payment |
Year of fee payment: 4 |
|
FPAY | Fee payment |
Year of fee payment: 8 |
|
MAFP | Maintenance fee payment |
Free format text: PAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEE, 12TH YR, SMALL ENTITY (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: M2553); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: SMALL ENTITY Year of fee payment: 12 |