JP6912191B2 - Cracked bottle detection device, beverage manufacturing device and cracked bottle detection method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cracked bottle detecting device for detecting cracking of a liquid-containing bottle such as a beverage, a beverage manufacturing device, and a cracked bottle detecting method.

In Patent Document 1, a bottle is photographed with an infrared camera, the photographed image is converted into an image signal, image processing is performed, and the bottle is compared with a pre-registered image pattern of the bottle to sort the types of bottles. The device is disclosed.
Patent Document 2 discloses a measuring device that measures the liquid level by photographing a container containing a beverage such as a bottle or a resin bottle with an infrared camera and measuring the surface temperature distribution from the photographed image. There is.
On the other hand, returnable bottles (recovery bottles) may be used in beverage manufacturing equipment that manufactures beverage bottles, and when the returnable bottle has small scratches or damage, it is filled with beverages, especially carbonated beverages, and then covered. The bottle may crack with the crown left.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-206700 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-116611

However, if the broken bottle is transported with the crown left, it may not be detected by the crown detection device after filling the beverage and may be transported to the next process as it is. In such a case, there is a problem that it takes time and effort to search for broken debris unless the broken bottle is found at an early stage.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive cracked bottle detecting device, a beverage manufacturing device, and a cracked bottle detecting method, while being able to detect a cracked bottle at an early stage.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a transport conveyor for transporting a bottle containing a liquid, a floodlight and a receiver arranged across the transport conveyor, and the intensity or amount of light received by the receiver exceeds a predetermined threshold value. It is equipped with a control unit that determines whether or not it has been attenuated, and the light that the floodlight projects and the receiver receives is infrared light. The cracked bottle detection device is characterized in that it is determined to be a cracked bottle when it has not been attenuated beyond a predetermined threshold value even once.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, a transport conveyor for transporting a bottle containing a liquid, a floodlight and a receiver arranged across the transport conveyor, and the intensity or amount of light received by the receiver exceeds a predetermined threshold value. It is equipped with a control unit that determines whether or not it has been attenuated, the light projected by the floodlight and received by the receiver is infrared light, and the threshold value was obtained based on experiments performed on samples of normal bottles and cracked bottles. It is a value, and in the case of a normal bottle, the intensity or amount of transmitted light is attenuated beyond this value, but in the case of a cracked bottle, the intensity or amount of transmitted light is not attenuated beyond this value. The control unit determines that the bottle is not a cracked bottle if the bottle containing the liquid is attenuated once or twice beyond a predetermined threshold while passing between the floodlight and the receiver. It is a bottle detector.

The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the light projected from the floodlight to the receiver is between the liquid level in the bottle and the printed portion or label of the body portion. It is characterized by.

The invention according to claim 4 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit determines that the bottle is not a cracked bottle when the light intensity is attenuated by exceeding the threshold value twice. It is characterized by doing.

The invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that, in the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , the liquid in the liquid-containing bottle is a carbonated beverage.

The invention according to claim 6 comprises the cracked bottle detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , and a filler for filling the bottle with a beverage and covering the filled bottle with a crown. The transport conveyor of the detection device transports the bottle containing the beverage after the crown is put on, and the control unit is a beverage production device characterized in that the transport conveyor and the filler are stopped when a damaged bottle is detected. ..

The invention according to claim 7 is the invention according to claim 6 , wherein the conveyor includes a plurality of sets including a floodlight and a receiver, and the height of the light projected by the floodlight and received by the receiver is each set. It is a beverage manufacturing apparatus characterized by being different for each.

The invention according to claim 8 is a transporting step of transporting a bottle containing a beverage, a light receiving step of receiving infrared rays projected from a floodlight toward the bottle containing a beverage to be conveyed by a receiver, and a light receiving step. It includes a measurement step of measuring the intensity or amount of infrared rays and a determination step of determining whether or not the measured intensity or amount of light has attenuated beyond a predetermined threshold, and the threshold is set between a normal bottle and a cracked bottle. It is a value obtained based on the experiment conducted with the sample. In the case of a normal bottle, the intensity or amount of transmitted light is attenuated beyond this value, but in the case of a cracked bottle, the intensity or amount of transmitted light is attenuated. Is a value that does not attenuate beyond this value, and the judgment step is to use a cracked bottle if the bottle containing the beverage has not been attenuated beyond the threshold even once while passing between the floodlight and the receiver. It is a cracked bottle detection method characterized by determining that there is.
The invention according to claim 9 has a transport step of transporting a bottle containing a beverage, a light receiving step of receiving infrared rays projected from a floodlight toward the bottle containing a beverage to be conveyed by a receiver, and a light receiving step. It includes a measurement step of measuring the intensity or amount of infrared rays and a determination step of determining whether or not the measured intensity or amount of light has attenuated beyond a predetermined threshold, and the threshold is set between a normal bottle and a cracked bottle. It is a value obtained based on the experiment conducted with the sample. In the case of a normal bottle, the intensity or amount of transmitted light is attenuated beyond this value, but in the case of a cracked bottle, the intensity or amount of transmitted light is attenuated. Is a value that does not attenuate beyond this value, and the determination step is that if the bottle containing the beverage is attenuated once or twice beyond a predetermined threshold while passing between the floodlight and the receiver, the bottle is broken. It is a cracked bottle detection method characterized by determining that the bottle is not.

The invention according to claim 10 is the invention according to claim 8 or 9 , wherein the infrared rays projected from the floodlight and received by the receiver are between the liquid level in the bottle and the printed portion or label on the body. It is characterized by that.

According to the inventions of claims 1, 2, 8 and 9 , when a liquid-filled bottle is filled with a liquid, when the projected light is transmitted, the thickness of the bottle and the absorption and reflection of the light by the liquid are exhibited. Upon receiving, the intensity or amount of light received by the receiver is attenuated and becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold.
On the other hand, when the bottle containing the liquid breaks and the water level of the liquid in the bottle drops or disappears, the projected light passes only through the thick part of the bottle, so the intensity or amount of light received by the receiver is , It will be higher than when there is a liquid, and will not decay beyond a predetermined threshold (a value above the threshold).
Therefore, when the light transmitted through the liquid-containing bottle is received, if the intensity or amount of the received light does not exceed the threshold value and is not attenuated even once, it is determined that the bottle is broken.
According to the cracked bottle detection device of the present invention, it is only necessary to determine whether or not the intensity or amount of transmitted light exceeds a predetermined threshold value for a bottle containing liquid passing between a floodlight and a receiver. Since the cracking of the liquid-containing bottle can be determined, the cracked bottle can be found at an early stage, and it is simple and inexpensive.
Infrared rays have a longer wavelength and are less likely to scatter light than light of other colors such as red, so they have excellent transparency to bottles and liquids, and changes in the intensity and amount of transmitted light can be easily measured. .. In addition, infrared projectors and receivers are highly versatile and easy to obtain.

According to the inventions of claims 3 and 10 , the same functions and effects as those of the invention of claim 1 are exhibited, and the pattern or characters printed on the body of the bottle are attached to the printed portion or the bottle. The label may hinder the transmission of the light projected from the floodlight, but the detection accuracy can be improved by transmitting and measuring the light projected from the floodlight while avoiding such a portion.

According to the invention of claim 4 , the same action and effect as the invention of any one of claims 1 to 3 can be obtained, and a bottle containing liquid can be prepared depending on the type of bottle and the state of shaking of the bottle. Since errors and variations may occur in the detection accuracy of transmitted light, false detection due to such errors and variations can be prevented by determining that the bottle is not a broken bottle when the transmitted light is attenuated twice beyond the threshold. can.

According to the invention of claim 5 , the same action and effect as that of the invention of any one of claims 1 to 4 is obtained, and cracking of the liquid-containing bottle is likely to occur in a carbonated beverage in which the internal pressure is increased. Therefore, it is effective in detecting cracked bottles.

According to the invention of claim 6 , the same operation and effect as that of the invention of claims 1 to 5 is obtained, and when a cracked bottle is detected in the beverage manufacturing apparatus, the conveyor and the filler are immediately stopped. As a result, the cracked bottle can be identified, and the debris scattered by the cracked bottle can be smoothly removed and maintained.

According to the invention of claim 7 , the same operation and effect as that of the invention of claim 6 can be obtained, and even if the type and size of the bottle are changed, the production line can be handled as it is, which is convenient. Is high.

It is a figure which shows the relationship between the timing which the broken liquid-filled bottle passes between a floodlight and a receiver, and the light-receiving intensity, and (a) outlines the state which a broken liquid-filled bottle passes between a floodlight and a receiver. It is a horizontal cross-sectional view which shows, and (b) is a graph which shows the light-receiving intensity for each elapsed time. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the timing when a normal liquid-filled bottle passes between a floodlight and a receiver, and the light-receiving intensity, and (a) outlines the state where a normal liquid-filled bottle passes between a floodlight and a receiver. It is a horizontal cross-sectional view which shows, and (b) is a graph which shows the light-receiving intensity for each elapsed time. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the light-receiving intensity and the timing when another normal liquid-filled bottle passes between a floodlight and a receiver, and (a) is a state which a normal liquid-filled bottle passes between a floodlight and a receiver. Is a horizontal cross-sectional view schematically showing, (b) is a graph showing the light receiving intensity for each elapsed time. It is a figure which shows the normal liquid-filled bottle, the cracked liquid containing, and the measurement position of each bottle, (a) is a figure of a normal liquid-filled bottle, and (b) is a figure which contains a broken liquid. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the beverage manufacturing apparatus. It is a flowchart of a control part. It is a figure of the conveyor which provided the floodlight and the receiver, (a) is a side view, and (b) is a plan view.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As shown in FIG. 7, the beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a filler 7 in which a bottle 2 is filled with a beverage (liquid) and covered with a crown 5, and a beverage-containing bottle 3 discharged from the filler 7 is next. It is provided with a transport conveyor 9 for transporting to the process.
The conveyor 9 is provided with a cracked bottle detection device 11 that detects whether or not the bottle 3 containing a beverage that is continuously transported is not a cracked bottle. The cracked bottle detection device 11 is provided near the outlet side of the filler 7.
The beverage filled in the beverage-containing bottle 3 is a transparent and colorless carbonated beverage. Bottle 2 is a transparent and colorless returnable bottle.
In the following description, when the bottle 2 filled with the liquid (beverage) 4 is used generically, it is referred to as a beverage-containing bottle 3, and as shown in FIG. 4, the beverage-containing bottle 3 is a normal bottle. When (normal beverage bottle) 3a and cracked bottle (broken beverage bottle) 3b are used separately, such a name and a code are given.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the cracked bottle detection device 11, the intensity or amount of light received by the above-mentioned transfer conveyor 9, the floodlight 13 and the receiver 15 arranged with the transfer conveyor 9 interposed therebetween, and the receiver 15 is determined. It is composed of a control unit 17 for determining whether or not the attenuation exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
As shown in FIG. 7, in the conveyor 9, a detector 19 for the beverage bottle 3 to be transported is provided corresponding to the position where the floodlight 13 and the receiver 15 are located, and the detector 19 detects the bottle 3. The control unit 17 receives the detection signal of the beverage-containing bottle 3, and the timing control 21 (see FIG. 5) calculates the time for passing between the floodlight 13 and the light receiver 15.
The light projected from the floodlight 13 is infrared rays, and the peak wavelength is 870 nm. An LED (Light Emitting Device) is used as the light source.
The receiver 15 is an infrared sensor that detects the intensity of infrared rays.
As shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of sets of the floodlight 13 and the receiver 15 are provided, and three sets are provided in the present embodiment, and the height of the infrared rays transmitted through the beverage bottle 3 is changed for each set. The reason why a plurality of sets of the floodlight 13 and the receiver 15 having different heights are provided is that the height and the position of the label are different depending on the type of the beverage-containing bottle 3 to be transported, so that it corresponds to various beverage-containing bottles 3. And it is one set that is used.
That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the height of the infrared rays transmitted through the beverage-containing bottle 3 is between the liquid level G of the beverage 4 filled in the bottle 2 and the printing portion H of the pattern or the like.

As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 17 includes a comparison unit 23 and a determination unit 25 in addition to the timing control unit 21 described above, and is connected to a display unit 27 and an alarm device 29.
In the comparison unit 23, the threshold value F obtained based on the experiment performed on the sample of the normal bottle 3a and the cracked bottle 3b for the beverage-containing bottle 3 is stored. This threshold value F is a value determined based on an experiment conducted in advance according to the type of bottle 2 and the type of beverage to be filled.
The determination unit 25 determines whether or not the intensity value of the light received from the receiver 15 is attenuated (smaller than the threshold value) beyond the threshold value stored in the comparison unit 23. In the determination unit 25, in the determination of the light intensity, the number of times the threshold value F is exceeded and attenuated within the time when the beverage bottle 3 detected by the detector 19 passes between the floodlight 13 and the receiver 15 calculated by the timing control unit 21. Determine if you did.
The control unit 17 displays on the display unit 27 the number of times that one beverage-containing bottle 3 has been attenuated beyond the threshold value F within the time it has passed between the floodlight 13 and the receiver 15, and at the same time, the beverage-containing bottle 3 is displayed. If the transmitted infrared light has never exceeded the threshold value F and has not been attenuated, an alarm generation signal is sent to the alarm device 29 and a drive stop signal is sent to the filler 7 and the conveyor 9.

Here, the relationship between the infrared ray transmitting position and the light receiving intensity received by the light receiver 15 will be described for the normal beverage bottle 3a and the broken beverage bottle 3b as shown in FIG.
The case of the cracked bottle 3b (see FIG. 4B) will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in (a), at the start of measurement, infrared rays S are transmitted through the thick portion of the bottle 2, and the transmitted light is received by the receiver 15. The light receiving intensity at that time becomes the attenuated intensity due to the thick portion of the bottle 2, but since there is no beverage (liquid) in the bottle 2, the attenuated intensity is small because it is not affected by the beverage, and the threshold value. It is not attenuated enough to exceed F.
In (a), the infrared ray S passes through the wall thickness of the bottle 2 and the inside of the bottle 2, but the intensity of attenuation is small because there is no beverage inside the bottle 2, and therefore the light receiving intensity is larger than the threshold value F. ..
In (c), since the infrared ray S is transmitted through the cracked portion of the bottle 2, the light receiving intensity is further increased and is larger than the threshold value F.
As described above, in the cracked bottle 3b shown in FIG. 4, the threshold value F is never exceeded while the infrared rays S are transmitted.

A case of a normal bottle 3a (see FIG. 4A) will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in (a), at the start of measurement, infrared rays S are transmitted through the thick portion of the bottle 2, and the transmitted light is received by the receiver 15. The light receiving intensity at that time is attenuated due to the thick portion of the bottle 2 and is also attenuated due to the influence of the beverage 4, which is larger than that of the cracked bottle 3b shown in FIG. It is attenuated and the attenuation exceeds the threshold value F.
In (a), the infrared ray S transmits the wall thickness of the bottle 2 and the beverage 4, but the wall thickness portion through which the infrared ray transmits is smaller than that of the case of (a), and the influence of attenuation by the beverage is small. Therefore, the attenuated intensity is smaller than that in the case of (a), and the light receiving intensity is larger than the threshold value F.
In (c), infrared rays are transmitted as in (a), and the attenuation exceeds the threshold value F as in (a).
As described above, in the normal bottle 3a shown in FIG. 4, the attenuation exceeding the threshold value F occurs twice while the infrared rays are transmitted.

A case of another normal bottle 3a (see FIG. 4A) will be described with reference to FIG. In this example, despite the normal bottle 3a, there is no attenuation exceeding the threshold value twice as shown in FIG. 2 due to a measurement error and the condition of the bottle (shaking, etc.).
As shown in (a), at the start of measurement, infrared rays S are transmitted through the thick portion of the bottle 2, and the transmitted light is received by the receiver 15. The light-receiving intensity at that time is attenuated due to the wall thickness of the bottle 2, but is also attenuated by the beverage, and is greatly attenuated as compared with the cracked bottle 3b shown in FIG. Similarly, the attenuation exceeds the threshold value F.
In (a), infrared rays pass through the wall thickness of the bottle 2 and the beverage, but the attenuation due to the beverage is small, and the attenuation intensity is smaller than in the case of (a). Therefore, the light receiving intensity is larger than the threshold value F. ..
In (c), for some reason such as the above-mentioned measurement error and the moving condition of the bottle, the light receiving intensity does not attenuate beyond the threshold value F even though infrared rays are transmitted as in (a). , The value was higher than the threshold value F.

As is clear from the experimental results shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, even in the normal bottle 3a, there are cases where the threshold value F is attenuated only once and cases where it is attenuated more than twice.
Therefore, if there is no attenuation exceeding the threshold value F even once, it can be reliably determined that the bottle is a cracked bottle by determining the bottle as a cracked bottle 3b. Further, when the attenuation exceeds the threshold value F twice, it is determined that the bottle is a normal bottle 3a, so that the bottle can be reliably determined to be a normal bottle.

Next, the control flow in the control unit 17 will be described.
Upon receiving the measurement start signal from the timing control unit 21 in step S1, the comparison unit 23 compares the infrared intensity received by the receiver 15 with the stored threshold value F, and the infrared intensity is attenuated beyond the threshold value F. Compare whether or not.
In step S2, the determination unit 25 counts the number of times the infrared intensity is attenuated beyond the threshold value F in the comparison unit, and if there is any attenuation exceeding the threshold value F even once, it is determined that the bottle is OK (normal bottle). ..
In step S3, it is determined whether or not the measurement time has ended, and if there is no attenuation of the light receiving intensity exceeding the threshold value F at the end of the measurement time, it is determined to be NG (cracked bottle).

When the control unit 17 determines that the bottle is a cracked bottle 3b, the control unit 17 issues an alarm signal to the alarm device 29 and a stop signal to the filler 7 and the conveyor 9 as shown in FIG.
As a result, the worker of the beverage manufacturing apparatus searches for the cracked bottle 3b from the conveyor 9 that has stopped immediately, and removes the cracked debris remaining on the conveyor 9 and the filler 7. In addition, maintenance of the conveyor 9 and the filler 7 is performed as necessary.

According to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained in addition to the above-mentioned effects.
When the control unit 17 receives the light transmitted through the beverage-containing bottle 3, if the intensity of the received light does not exceed the threshold value F even once and is not attenuated, the control unit 17 determines that the bottle is a cracked bottle 3b. With respect to the beverage-containing bottle 3 passing between the floodlight 13 and the receiver 15, the crack of the beverage-containing bottle 3 can be determined only by measuring the intensity of the transmitted light, so that the cracked bottle 3b can be found at an early stage. At the same time, it is simple and inexpensive because it only detects the intensity of light.

Since the measurement is performed by transmitting infrared light through the beverage bottle 3 between the printing unit H printed on the body of the beverage bottle 3 and the liquid level G, the detection accuracy can be improved.

Infrared S has a longer wavelength and is less likely to scatter light than light of other colors such as red, so it has excellent transparency to bottle 2 and liquid 4, and it is easy to change the intensity and amount of transmitted light. Can be sideways. Further, since the infrared projector 13 and the receiver 15 are highly versatile, general-purpose products can be used.
Since the cracking of the carbonated beverage-containing bottle 3 which is easily cracked by the internal pressure is detected, it is effective for detecting the cracked bottle 3b.
When the control unit 17 detects the cracked bottle 3b, the transfer conveyor 9 and the filler 7 are immediately stopped, so that the cracked bottle 3b can be specified and the debris scattered by the cracked bottle 3b can be smoothly removed. ..
Since a plurality of sets of floodlights 13 and receivers 15 having different heights are arranged on the conveyor 9, even if the type and size of the beverage-containing bottle 3 are changed, the production line can be handled as it is. Highly convenient.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be variously modified without departing from the gist thereof.
For example, the receiver 15 is not limited to detecting the intensity of infrared rays, and may be one that detects the amount of infrared rays.
The printing unit H may be a label.
The control unit 17 may determine that the bottle is not the cracked bottle 3b only when the transmitted light is attenuated when the threshold value is exceeded twice. As is clear from the results of FIGS. 2 and 3 described above, even in the normal bottle 3a, there is an error or variation in the detection accuracy of the light transmitted through the liquid-containing bottle 3 depending on the type of the beverage-containing bottle 3 and the state of the bottle. Therefore, it is possible to prevent erroneous detection due to such an error or variation by determining that the bottle is not the cracked bottle 3b (normal bottle 3a) only when the transmitted light is attenuated twice exceeding the threshold value.
The liquid 4 filled in the liquid-containing bottle 3 is not limited to colorless and transparent, and may be a colored transparent beverage, a juice, a milk beverage, or the like.
The bottle 2 is not limited to being colorless and transparent, and may be colored transparent such as blue transparent.
The light transmitted through the beverage bottle 3 between the floodlight 13 and the light receiver 15 is not limited to infrared rays, but may be light of other wavelengths such as red.
Only one set of the floodlight 13 and the receiver 15 may be provided.

1 Beverage production equipment 2 Bottles 3 Beverage bottles 3a Normal beverage bottles 3b Broken beverage bottles 7 Fillers 9 Conveyor 11 Cracked bottle detector 13 Floodlight 15 Receiver 17 Control unit F Threshold G Liquid level H Printing unit

Claims (10)

Control to determine whether or not the intensity or amount of light received by a conveyor for transporting a bottle containing liquid, a floodlight and a receiver arranged across the conveyor, and the receiver have been attenuated beyond a predetermined threshold value. With a department
The light that the floodlight projects and the receiver receives is infrared light.
The threshold value is a value obtained based on an experiment conducted on a sample of a normal bottle and a cracked bottle. In the case of a normal bottle, the intensity or amount of transmitted light is attenuated beyond this value, but the cracked bottle In some cases, the intensity or amount of transmitted light is a value that does not attenuate beyond this value.
The control unit determines that the bottle is a cracked bottle if the bottle containing the liquid has not been attenuated beyond a predetermined threshold value even once while passing between the floodlight and the receiver. Bottle detector. Control to determine whether or not the intensity or amount of light received by a conveyor for transporting a bottle containing liquid, a floodlight and a receiver arranged across the conveyor, and the receiver have been attenuated beyond a predetermined threshold value. With a department
The light that the floodlight projects and the receiver receives is infrared light.
The threshold value is a value obtained based on an experiment conducted on a sample of a normal bottle and a cracked bottle. In the case of a normal bottle, the intensity or amount of transmitted light is attenuated beyond this value, but the cracked bottle In some cases, the intensity or amount of transmitted light is a value that does not attenuate beyond this value.
The control unit detects a broken bottle when the bottle containing the liquid is attenuated once or twice beyond a predetermined threshold while passing between the floodlight and the receiver, and is determined not to be a broken bottle. Equipment . The cracked bottle detection device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the light projected from the floodlight to the receiver is between the liquid level in the bottle and the printed portion or label of the body portion. The cracked bottle detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit determines that the bottle is not a cracked bottle when the light intensity is attenuated by exceeding the threshold value twice. The cracked bottle detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the liquid in the liquid-containing bottle is a carbonated beverage. The device for detecting a cracked bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , and a filler for filling the bottle with a beverage and covering the filled bottle with a crown.
The transport conveyor of the cracked bottle detection device transports the bottle containing the beverage after the crown is put on, and the control unit stops the transport conveyor and the filler when the damaged bottle is detected. .. The beverage manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the conveyor includes a plurality of sets including a floodlight and a light receiver, and the height of the light projected by the floodlight and received by the light receiver is different for each set. A transport process for transporting a beverage-containing bottle, a light-receiving step for receiving infrared rays projected from a floodlight toward the beverage-containing bottle to be transported by a receiver, and a measurement for measuring the intensity or amount of infrared rays received in the light-receiving process. It comprises a step and a determination step of determining whether or not the measured intensity or amount of light has been attenuated beyond a predetermined threshold.
The threshold value is a value obtained based on an experiment conducted on a sample of a normal bottle and a cracked bottle. In the case of a normal bottle, the intensity or amount of transmitted light is attenuated beyond this value, but the cracked bottle In some cases, the intensity or amount of transmitted light is a value that does not attenuate beyond this value.
The determination step is characterized in that a bottle containing a beverage is determined to be a cracked bottle if it has not been attenuated beyond the threshold value even once while passing between the floodlight and the receiver. Method. A transport process for transporting a beverage-containing bottle, a light-receiving step for receiving infrared rays projected from a floodlight toward the beverage-containing bottle to be transported by a receiver, and a measurement for measuring the intensity or amount of infrared rays received in the light-receiving process. It comprises a step and a determination step of determining whether or not the measured intensity or amount of light has been attenuated beyond a predetermined threshold.
The threshold value is a value obtained based on an experiment conducted on a sample of a normal bottle and a cracked bottle. In the case of a normal bottle, the intensity or amount of transmitted light is attenuated beyond this value, but the cracked bottle In some cases, the intensity or amount of transmitted light is a value that does not attenuate beyond this value.
The determination step is characterized in that if the bottle containing the beverage is attenuated once or twice beyond a predetermined threshold value while passing between the floodlight and the receiver, it is determined that the bottle is not a cracked bottle. Method . The cracked bottle detection method according to claim 8 or 9 , wherein the infrared rays projected from the floodlight and received by the receiver are between the liquid level in the bottle and the printed portion or label of the body portion.

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