Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for measuring wall thickness of plastic container

US6985221B2 · kind B2 · utility

10Cited by
22References
38Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 23, 2001
Grant dateJan 10, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 21, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB29L2031/7158
  • WIPO fieldOther special machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A method for measuring the wall thickness of plastic containers (16) during a container manufacturing process includes providing a plastic container (16), the plastic container (16) having a longitudinal axis and at least two side walls spaced radially from the longitudinal axis. The side walls are formed of a material that absorbs light energy in a predetermined molecular absorption band. Light energy is then directed from a source unit (32) through the at least two side walls of the plastic container (16) in a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the plastic container (16). A portion of the light energy that passes through the sidewalls of the container (16) is sensed by a sensor (34), and a signal representing a thickness of the sidewalls of the plastic container is generated from the sensed portion of the energy by a computer (56).

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.