Alltrista Corporation

Thomas H Palombo

Richard L Fedor

Gareth O Ridout

A can end to be inspected, including a portion coated by a sealing material, is illuminated by polarized light. The light reflected from the object and sealing material is viewed by a camera through a polarizing filter. The polarizing filter blocks out polarized light reflected by the can end and sealing material that does not contain any defects, but passes light reflected by the sealing material that has been depolarized by a defect in the sealing material.

Method and apparatus for illuminating and imaging a can end coated with

A system and method for inspecting opaque objects, such as metal beverage containers, is presented including a light source for illuminating the interior surface of the container, an ellipsoidal first mirror for forming a first image of an upper interior portion of the container, a first camera for capturing the first image of the upper interior portion of the container, a planar image-splitting second mirror for forming a second image of the flange of the container, a second camera for capturing the second image of the flange, an image combiner for electro-optically combining the first and second images, whereby a resultant composite image corresponding to substantially the entire upper interior surface of the container can be generated and analyzed for defects, a third camera located at a separate location for viewing directly the lower interior portion of the container and capturing a corresponding third image, and a computer means for analyzing the resulting images for defects. In an alternative embodiment, a fourth camera and a planar image-splitting third mirror may be disposed at the separate location for forming and capturing a fourth image corresponding specifically to the bottomwall of the container, and an image combiner can electro-optically combine the third and fourth images, whereby a second resultant composite image corresponding to substantially the entire lower interior portion of the container can be generated and analyzed for defects.

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Akron, OH, United States of America

Thomas H Palombo