JPS60200127A - Method and device for measuring liquid level - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To discriminate a liquid level efficiently even when the outer periphery of a bottle is covered with an exterior film or the like, by applying rays of light from a position on one side of the bottle and above it to the portion of the liquid level of the side of a light-receiving camera disposed on the other side of the bottle. CONSTITUTION:A light source assembly 11, which comprises a light surce 15 and a diffusion plate 16, is set so that rays 17 of light emitted therefrom are applied from a position above the level 18 of a liquid 13 in a bottle 10 to the portion 20 of the liquid level on the side of a light-receiving camera 12. The rays of light applied to the portion 20 of the liquid level are transmitted, as first transmitted rays 21, through the wall of a bottle just above the portion 20 of the liquid level and an exterior film 14, on one hand, and as second transmitted rays 22, through the liquid 13 below said portion 20, the wall of the bottle 10 and the exterior film 14, on the other. These rays 21 and 22 are received by the light- receiving camera 12 and thereby converted into voltages. Then, the position of the liquid level is displayed as a horizontal line 30 connecting a vertical line 40 in a bright region with a vertical line 50 in a dark region by a display means.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for measuring the liquid level in a translucent container, and particularly to a method and apparatus that can effectively measure the liquid level in a translucent container whose outer periphery is coated with a film. It is related to.

Generally, when filling alcoholic beverages, beverages, seasonings, etc. into specified glass bottles, it is required that the filling voltage be within a standard width.
This is usually controlled by the liquid level. For this reason, it is necessary to check whether each bottle is filled to at least the reference level with alcohol, etc. when filling the bottle.

Conventionally, as an example of such a measurement method, a light source is placed on one side of the container so that a beam of light is emitted horizontally to the liquid surface, and a light receiving camera is placed opposite the light source on the other side of the container.
Light from a light source passes through the container and liquid and is received by a light receiving camera, and a photoelectric converter connected to this light receiving camera converts the light received by the light receiving camera into voltage etc. to measure the liquid level position. Ta. However, such conventional measuring methods have the disadvantage that when the outer periphery of the container is covered with an exterior film or the like, the liquid level position cannot be clearly determined. .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid level measuring method and apparatus that eliminate the drawbacks of the prior art as described above.

In order to achieve this object, the present invention irradiates a light beam from a position above the liquid surface on one side of the container to a part of the liquid surface on the side of the light-receiving camera placed on the other side of the container, and detects the light transmitted through the container and the liquid. and the light transmitted through the container are received by a light-receiving camera, and the liquid level position is displayed from the difference in the intensity of these lights.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail based on illustrated embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown schematically an apparatus for carrying out the present invention, which comprises a light source assembly 11 located on one side of a container 10 and a light receiving camera 1 located on the other side of the container 10.
2. Container 10 is made of a translucent material, and in the illustrated embodiment comprises a glass bottle.

This container is filled with an arbitrary liquid 16, such as alcohol.

This container is provided with a translucent exterior film 14. This exterior film generally has letters indicating the type of liquid, an arbitrary trademark, etc. printed on it. Usually, a large number of containers are arranged at regular intervals on a belt conveyor (not shown), and each container is filled with a certain amount of alcohol or the like while being transported by the belt conveyor.

The light source assembly 11 includes a light source 15 and a diffuser plate 16 that diffuses the light emitted from the light source.

The light source consists of, for example, a halogen lamp 1 that emits high-output white light, and the light source assembly is configured such that the light beam 17 emitted from the light source is directed from a position above the liquid level 18 of the liquid in the container to a liquid level portion 20 (on the receiving camera 12 side). (See Figure 2) K irradiation is performed.

It should be noted that the structure of the light source assembly is not limited to the above, as long as it is possible to irradiate the liquid surface portion with a light beam of 20 VC from above the liquid surface. For example, such a beam can be formed by a light source and a reflective mirror (not shown).

The light beam irradiated onto the liquid surface portion 20 becomes a first transmitted light 21 and a second transmitted light 22, as shown in FIG. 2, and is received by the light receiving camera 12. The first transmitted light 21 is the liquid surface portion 2
This is the light that has passed through the wall of the container and the exterior film 14 just above the point 0. The second transmitted light 22 is light that passes through the liquid below the liquid level portion 20 and is transmitted through the container wall and exterior film.

A photoelectric converter 25 is connected to the light receiving camera 12, and this photoelectric converter converts the first transmitted light 21 and the second transmitted light 22 received by the light receiving camera into, for example, a voltage. . When this converted voltage is displayed on any display means (not shown), the horizontal line 30 corresponding to the liquid level 18 and the first
The perpendicular line 40 of the bright area due to the transparent first local light 21 and the second
The vertical lines 50 in the dark areas due to the transmitted light 22 are clearly displayed. Since the horizontal line 0 indicates the liquid level position, the amount of liquid filled can be determined by looking at it, and it can therefore be determined whether this amount of filling is within the standard width.

According to the present invention, a light beam is irradiated from a position above the liquid level on one side of the container to the liquid surface part on the side of the light-receiving camera placed on the other side of the container, and the light transmitted through the container and the liquid and the container are separated. Since the liquid level position is measured based on the difference in intensity with light, there is the practical benefit of being able to efficiently determine the liquid level in a container whose outer periphery is provided with a film or the like.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus implementing the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the measurement principle of the present invention.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A light source assembly is arranged on one side of a translucent container so as to emit a light beam from a position above the liquid level in the container toward the liquid surface, and a light-receiving camera is arranged on the other side of the container. A photoelectric converter is connected to the camera, the light beam from the light source assembly is irradiated onto the liquid surface on the light-receiving camera side, and the light that has passed through the container and the light that has passed through the liquid and the container are received by the light-receiving camera and converted into photoelectric converters. A liquid level measurement method characterized by measuring with a device. (2) a light source assembly disposed on one side of a translucent container; and a light-receiving camera receiving light from the light source assembly disposed on the other side of the container and transmitted through the container and the liquid;
and a photoelectric converter connected to the light receiving camera,
A liquid level measuring device characterized in that the light source assembly is arranged so as to irradiate a light beam from a position below the liquid level in the container to a part of the liquid level on the side of the light-receiving camera.