The object of the invention is a measuring apparatus and a measuring method for multi-segment rod-like articles tobacco industry.
In this document, the term of a multi-segment rod-like article of tobacco industry will be used. This term is meant to include any rod-like products and semi-finished products of the tobacco industry including multi-segment filter rods comprising filter segments, multi-segment filter rods comprising filter segments and additional components changing the article's aroma or giving such aroma, multi-segment filter rods comprising filter segments and additional objects changing the filter properties of filter materials used, multi-segment rods comprising both filter and non-filter segments, multi-segment articles with a reduced tobacco content as well as cigarettes with a single-segment or a multi-segment filter tip attached.
During the manufacturing process, the tobacco industry's multi-segment articles are subject to quality checks as semi-finished and finished products. The parameters checked include geometrical parameters comprising the length of individual segments, the length of entire article or semi-finished product, the diameter of article or semi-finished product, the dimensions of additional objects, the position of additional objects etc.
The US Patent Application Publication 200510054501A1 disclosed a measuring device designed to measure the properties of tobacco industry's articles, in particular finished cigarettes, based on the measurement of intensity of light reflected from an article or passing through an article, whereas the articles move crosswise relative to the axis of the articles on drum conveyors. The WO2012/130402A1 document presents a similar solution for articles moving in the axial direction. Both these solutions, however, do not ensure sufficient measurement accuracy due to possible interferences in the reception of reflected radiation.
The objective of this invention is to develop an improved measuring apparatus and measuring method.
The substance of the invention is a method for measuring geometrical parameters of a tobacco industry's multi-segment rod-like article, by means of a beam of electromagnetic radiation directed at the article. The method according to the invention is characterised in that the radiation emitted by a tobacco industry's multi-segment article under the influence of excitation induced by the radiation directed at the tobacco industry's multi-segment article is received by means of a radiation receiving device, and a signal corresponding to the received radiation is generated. Furthermore, in the radiation receiving device or using the processing means in the control system of such apparatus the signal corresponding to the radiation received by the radiation receiving device is converted, and on this basis an image corresponding to the view of the multi-segment article is created. Then, by means of the processing means the geometrical elements of the article are determined on the basis of the difference in the intensity of radiation emitted by a tobacco industry's multi-segment article visible in the created image. Furthermore, by means of the processing means the geometrical parameters of the multi-segment article are measured on the basis of the position of the article's geometric elements in the image.
Furthermore, the method according to the invention is characterised in that by means of the processing means the length and/or the diameter of a segment and/or a multi-segment article is measured on the basis of the position of the article's geometric elements in the image.
Furthermore, the method according to the invention is characterised in that the electromagnetic radiation directed at the article's surface is a radiation in the wavelength range between 100 nm and 1500 nm.
Furthermore, the method according to the invention is characterised in that the electromagnetic radiation directed at the article's surface is a radiation in the wavelength range between 300 and 400 nm.
Furthermore, the method according to the invention is characterised in that the electromagnetic radiation directed at the article's surface is a radiation in the wavelength range between 630 and 650 nm.
Furthermore, the method according to the invention is characterised in that the electromagnetic radiation is received in the wavelength range between 100 nm and 1500 nm.
Furthermore, the method according to the invention is characterised in that before the reception the radiation emitted by a multi-segment article is filtered by means of a filter transmitting a radiation band of the width corresponding to the wavelength band of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the multi-segment article.
Furthermore, the method according to the invention is characterised in that the electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range between 440 nm and 450 nm is received.
Furthermore, the method according to the invention is characterised in that the electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range between 680 nm and 690 nm is received.
Furthermore, the method according to the invention is characterised in that the electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range between 730 nm and 740 nm is received.
Furthermore, the method according to the invention is characterised in that the electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range between 720 nm and 1500 nm is received.
Furthermore, the method according to the invention is characterised in that the tobacco industry's multi-segment article comprises a segment containing a bead, and the geometrical parameter measured is the bead's position.
Furthermore, the method according to the invention is characterised in that the created image is a digital image, and the processing means are the means using a microprocessor and a digital image processing.
The solution according to the invention makes it possible to flexibly adjust the measuring apparatus to any geometrical parameters of products or semi-finished products. The manufacturer does not have to bear the costs of device replacement in case of a variation in manufactured products.
The object of the invention has been shown in embodiments in a drawing in which:
The tobacco industry's multi-segment rod-like articles are usually conveyed crosswise to their axes, less frequently along their axes, whereas the article's quality check may take place in both cases. The articles may be conveyed crosswise to their axes on drum conveyors as well as on linear conveyors, such as belt or chain conveyors.
Both the radiation source 6 and the radiation receiving device 7 are connected with the control system 30 controlling their operation by sending and receiving signals 31 and 32, respectively.
The radiation 6A may be in the wavelength range between 100 nm and 1500 nm. In case of segments containing tobacco or processed tobacco it is advantageous to use the radiation with the wavelength range between 300 and 400 nm. It is also advantageous to use the radiation with the wavelength range between 630 nm and 650 nm. The emitted radiation 7A may be in the wavelength range between 100 nm and 1500 nm. The radiation 7A may consist of both the radiation emitted by the segments 1A, 1B, 10, 1D under the influence of the radiation 6A and of the radiation being the reflected radiation 6A. To avoid the interferences to the measurement, a filter with a pass band width corresponding to the band of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the article 1 may be used. Preferably, the radiation is received in the wavelength range between 440 nm and 450 nm, between 680 nm and 690 nm, between 730 nm and 740 nm and between 720 nm and 1500 nm.
It is also possible to use the description of the measuring method to measure geometrical parameters of the wrapping material, for example the length of the paper wrapper of the filter or tobacco portion of the article may be measured.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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P.409473 | Sep 2014 | PL | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/IB2015/056966 | 9/11/2015 | WO | 00 |