CN114745974B

CN114745974B - Orientation of rod-shaped articles

Info

Publication number: CN114745974B
Application number: CN202080082999.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: A·O·科尔; J·伊斯特; T·J·P·梅森
Original assignee: Mprd Co ltd
Current assignee: Mprd Co ltd
Priority date: 2019-11-29
Filing date: 2020-11-27
Publication date: 2023-10-31
Anticipated expiration: 2040-11-27
Also published as: EP4064878A1; US20230337746A1; WO2021105692A1; CN114745974A; GB201917430D0

Abstract

An apparatus for orienting a rod-shaped smoking article (2) containing a metal member (4) such as a susceptor is disclosed. The device comprises means (24) for generating a magnetic field and means (22) for presenting the rod-shaped smoking article (2) to the magnetic field in a manner allowing the rod-shaped smoking article to rotate. This may allow the article to be rotated to a known orientation for subsequent testing.

Description

Orientation of rod-shaped articles

Technical Field

The invention relates to a technology for orienting a rod-shaped smoking article, in particular to a rod-shaped smoking article containing an inner metal component. The invention is particularly, but not exclusively, applicable to tobacco heating products containing susceptor.

Background

Novel Tobacco Heating Products (THP) have begun to appear on the market. These products feature the ability to heat the tobacco column without burning or smoking to release an aerosol containing nicotine and flavor. Various types of controlled heat sources may be used to heat the tobacco column. Including electrically heated rods or leaves inserted into the tobacco, and an electrical heating system surrounding the tobacco column.

A disadvantage of inserting the lamina into the tobacco column is the tendency of the lamina to break. Another disadvantage is the accumulation of material from the heated tobacco on the lamina. On the other hand, electrical heating systems that surround a tobacco column may have lower heating efficiencies.

To avoid these problems, a new type of tobacco heating product has been developed that includes metal vanes or susceptors within the tobacco column that are inductively heated by surrounding electronics. For example, WO 2017/085242 (the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference) discloses an induction heating device for heating an aerosol-forming substrate comprising a susceptor. Because of the disposable nature, such products avoid the need for insertable blades that may be broken, and also avoid the need for cleaning heating elements.

During the production of smoking articles such as aerosol-formed articles of tobacco heating products, it is necessary to monitor the quality of the article. Thus, the measurements are made as part of the quality assurance and quality control process. In the case of articles with internal susceptors, the accuracy of the positioning and shaping of the susceptor is a key quality measure in the production process.

The challenge faced by quality assurance/control professionals is that the required measurements may be specifically oriented. For example, it may be desirable to make measurements with the inner susceptor at right angles to the sensor or in line with the sensor. An example of such a requirement is to image the product in transmission to measure the position of the susceptor relative to the circumferential wrapper and the rounded end of the tobacco segment. Measuring a large number of items in a precise orientation relative to the sensor can be a time consuming, labor intensive task, and prone to error.

It is therefore desirable to provide a technique for automatically orienting an article in a known orientation for subsequent testing.

Disclosure of Invention

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for orienting a rod-shaped smoking article comprising a metal component, the apparatus comprising:

means for generating a magnetic field; and

means for presenting the rod-shaped smoking article to a magnetic field in a manner that allows the rod-shaped smoking article to rotate.

The present invention provides the advantage that by presenting a rod-shaped smoking article to a magnetic field in a manner that allows the article to rotate, the article can be oriented such that the article is in a known orientation for subsequent testing.

The rod-shaped smoking article may be any type of smoking article, such as a conventional cigarette, an aerosol-forming article for use with a tobacco heating product, a heated non-combustible rod, or any similar product containing a material for combustion or heating. Preferably, the rod-shaped smoking article comprises a non-metallic material in which the metallic component is embedded.

The rod-shaped smoking article may be an aerosol-generating article in which the metal component is embedded in an aerosol-forming substrate. The aerosol-forming substrate may comprise tobacco and/or other organic materials, such as herbal materials and/or other compounds that heat to release aerosols.

The rod-shaped smoking article may be used with an induction heating device for inductively heating a metal component. Preferably, the metal component comprises a ferromagnetic material, preferably embedded in a non-ferromagnetic material, such as tobacco or other organic material. This may allow the component to be inductively heated and may facilitate rotation of the article under the influence of the magnetic field.

Preferably, the metal part is substantially flat and/or has a width greater than its depth. For example, the metal component may be in the form of a blade or a strip. Thus, the metal component may be substantially planar and/or may have no rotational symmetry. Thus, when a magnetic field is applied to a metal part, it may have a tendency to align with the applied magnetic field along its width. Preferably, the metal component is a susceptor for heating an aerosol-forming substrate, such as a tobacco column.

Preferably by rotating the rod-shaped smoking article under the influence of a magnetic field. Preferably, the rod-shaped smoking article has a longitudinal axis about which rotation of the rod-shaped smoking article is about. This may allow the article to attain a known rotational orientation for subsequent testing.

Preferably, the magnetic field imparts a predetermined orientation to the rod-shaped smoking article. For example, the magnetic field may rotate the article such that the metal component (e.g., susceptor) is aligned with the magnetic field. Thus, the article may obtain a known orientation, which may allow a measurement to be subsequently performed on the article according to the orientation.

The means for generating a magnetic field may comprise a magnet. For example, the magnet may be an electromagnet or a permanent magnet. Preferably, the means for generating a magnetic field is arranged to generate a substantially stationary magnetic field when the rod-shaped smoking article is presented to the magnetic field. This may facilitate rotation of the rod-shaped smoking article to a desired orientation.

The device may be arranged to pass the rod-shaped smoking article through the magnetic field, preferably in a direction parallel to its longitudinal axis. For example, the device may be arranged to drop a rod-shaped smoking article through the magnetic field. Thus, the article may fall through the magnetic field under the influence of gravity. This helps to ensure that the article is free to rotate when passing through the magnetic field. Furthermore, this may allow the item to pass from one part of the device to another without the need for an actuator. In addition, some other means of passing the article through a magnetic field, such as a pressure differential, may also be used or substituted. However, the magnetic field is preferably used to rotate the article rather than move the article along its longitudinal axis.

The means for presenting the rod-shaped smoking article to the magnetic field may comprise a guide. The guide means may be arranged such that the article may pass through the guide in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the article and/or the article may rotate about its longitudinal axis inside the guide. However, the guide may constrain the article to prevent any substantial rotation of the article other than about its longitudinal axis and/or any substantial displacement of the article in a direction perpendicular to its longitudinal axis. This helps to ensure the correct orientation of the rod-shaped smoking article.

The guide may be, for example, a guide tube. The guide tube may be a tube through which the article may pass and/or in which the article may rotate. The guide may be, for example, a hollow cylinder. The guide tube may have an inner diameter slightly greater than the outer diameter of the article and/or a length substantially the same as or greater than the length of the article. However, other guiding means are also contemplated, such as a plurality of longitudinally extending guide tracks spaced circumferentially around the article.

Preferably, the guiding means comprises a non-magnetic material so as to allow a magnetic field to enter the guiding portion. Alternatively or additionally, the guide may comprise one or more holes, for example to facilitate the entry of a magnetic field into the guide. Preferably, the means for generating a magnetic field is located adjacent to the guide. Thus, the device may be arranged to generate a magnetic field inside the guide. The guiding portion is preferably arranged to guide the rod-shaped smoking article as it passes through the magnetic field.

Preferably, the apparatus comprises means for passing the rod-shaped smoking article through the guide. For example, the device may be arranged to allow a rod-shaped smoking article to fall through the guide under the force of gravity. This helps to ensure that the article is free to rotate when passing through the magnetic field. Furthermore, such an arrangement may allow the article to pass through the magnetic field without requiring an actuator to move the article, which may reduce the number of parts required. Furthermore, such an arrangement may facilitate use of the apparatus in a test stack in which the item under test falls between measurement positions.

The apparatus may further comprise a retaining and releasing mechanism for retaining the rod-shaped smoking article and subsequently releasing it into the magnetic field. This may allow a series of items to be oriented at appropriate intervals. Preferably, the retaining and releasing mechanism is arranged to release the rod-shaped smoking article into the guide.

However, in alternative arrangements, the apparatus may be arranged to apply a magnetic field to the rod-shaped smoking article when the rod-shaped smoking article is stationary or when in motion other than under the influence of gravity (e.g. due to a pressure differential).

The device may further comprise a control unit for controlling the operation of the device. The control unit may be implemented, for example, as hardware or as a software program running on a processor with associated memory.

The control unit may be arranged to control the magnetic field presented to the rod-shaped smoking article. For example, the control unit may be arranged to apply the magnetic field when the smoking article is presented to the magnetic field. In this case, the control unit may be arranged to remove the magnetic field at (at least some of) the other times. This helps ensure that the magnetic field is applied only when needed.

The control unit may be arranged to control the magnetic field strength presented to the smoking article. This may allow the strength of the magnetic field to be adapted to the type of article being tested. For example, the strength of the magnetic field may be adjusted to match the magnetism of the susceptor in the smoking article and/or the moment of inertia of the smoking article. In general, the magnetic field strength may be adjusted to ensure rotation of the article while avoiding deformation of the article due to movement of metal parts in the article. However, when the magnetic field is presented to the smoking article, the strength of the magnetic field may be substantially constant.

The control unit may be arranged to control the direction of the magnetic field presented to the smoking article. This may allow the device to rotate the smoking article to a plurality of different orientations. For example, different tests may require that the smoking article be in different orientations. However, when the magnetic field is presented to the smoking article, the orientation of the magnetic field may be substantially constant.

If the means for generating a magnetic field comprises an electromagnet, the control means may be arranged to adjust the current through the electromagnet, thereby controlling the magnetic field. Alternatively, in case the means for generating a magnetic field comprises a permanent magnet, the device may further comprise an actuator for moving the permanent magnet. In this case, the control unit may control the actuator, and thus the magnetic field encountered by the smoking article. For example, the actuator may change the distance of the magnet from the article and/or the orientation of the magnet relative to the article. Such actuators may also be used to adjust the distance and/or direction of the electromagnet relative to the smoking article.

When the device comprises a holding and release mechanism, the control unit may be arranged to control the operation of the holding and release mechanism. For example, the control unit may cause a series of smoking articles to be held and then released at appropriate intervals. For example, this may allow for orientation and/or testing of a subsequent item prior to release of the item.

It is preferred that the control unit is arranged to synchronize the application of the magnetic field with the release of the rod-shaped smoking article by the retaining and release mechanism. For example, the control unit may be arranged to apply the magnetic field when the rod-shaped smoking article is released by the holding and release mechanism. This helps ensure that the magnetic field is applied when needed. For example, the magnetic field may be applied as the smoking article falls through the guide tube, but not at other times.

The apparatus may further comprise retaining means for retaining the rod-shaped smoking article after it has been oriented. Preferably, the retaining means is arranged to receive the rod-shaped smoking article after it has passed through the magnetic field and to retain the article in the orientation it attained when it passed through the magnetic field. This may allow the article to remain in a known orientation for subsequent testing.

The holding means may comprise, for example, means for applying a vacuum to the article in order to hold it in place. Alternatively or additionally, the holding means may comprise means such as a clamp to mechanically hold the article.

When the apparatus comprises a control unit, the control unit may be arranged to control the operation of the holding means. For example, the control means may be arranged to cause the retaining means to retain the smoking article. This may allow the article to remain in a known orientation during testing. The control means may be arranged to release the article, for example after testing.

In a preferred embodiment, the control unit is arranged to control the operation of the holding and release mechanism and to synchronize the operation of the holding means with the operation of the holding and release mechanism. For example, the control unit may be arranged to apply a signal to the holding and release mechanism such that it releases the smoking article into the magnetic field, and then to apply a signal to the holding means such that it holds the smoking article for a predetermined time after it has been released by the holding and release mechanism. The predetermined time may correspond to the time taken for the article to fall from the hold and release mechanism through the magnetic field to the holding device. This may cause the article to rotate as it passes through the magnetic field and then be held in the orientation it attained as it passes through the magnetic field.

The holding means may be arranged such that the rod-shaped smoking article is rotatable when held. For example, rotation may be about its longitudinal axis. For example, the holding means may comprise a chuck, such as a vacuum chuck for holding and rotating the article. In this case, the apparatus may further comprise drive means, such as a motor, for causing rotation of the holding means. This may allow different tests to be performed on the same smoking article in different, known orientations. The rotation of the holding means may be controlled by a control unit.

Additionally, the holding means may be arranged to be rotated manually, for example, between a number of indexed rotational positions.

The apparatus described above is preferably arranged to rotate the rod-shaped smoking article such that it obtains a known orientation for subsequent testing.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a test device comprising a device for orienting a rod-shaped smoking article of any of the forms described above and means for testing the rod-shaped smoking article. Preferably the means for testing the rod-shaped smoking article is separate from the means for generating the magnetic field and/or the means for presenting the rod-shaped smoking article to the magnetic field.

When the device comprises a holding means, the holding means may be arranged to hold the rod-shaped smoking article during testing of the article by the testing device. The holding means may hold the article in an orientation that it obtains when it passes through the magnetic field. This may allow the article to remain in a known orientation during testing.

Preferably, the test device is arranged to perform at least one test that is sensitive to the orientation of the rod-shaped smoking article. For example, the test apparatus may be arranged to measure the dimensions of one or more components (such as metal components) of the article in one or more directions (such as two orthogonal directions).

In one embodiment, the test device is arranged to transilluminate a rod-shaped smoking article. For example, the test apparatus may be substantially as described in co-pending international patent application number PCT/GB2019/051882, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The test device may be arranged to detect defects in the rod-shaped smoking article. For example, the test equipment may be arranged to detect defects in the metal component. When the metal component is a susceptor, the test apparatus may be arranged to detect defects in the susceptor. For example, the defect may be one or more of the following: receptors of wrong shape; receptors that are mispositioned; susceptors of wrong size; lost susceptors; a curved susceptor; a folded susceptor; off-center susceptors; and a distorted susceptor.

In a preferred embodiment, the test device is part of a test stack arranged to drop a rod-shaped smoking article between a plurality of test positions. Thus, the device for orienting rod-shaped smoking articles may for example incorporate a test stack between two test positions. This may allow the apparatus to be located in an area where the article may be dropped anyway between two locations, thereby providing a simple and convenient way of orienting the article for subsequent testing.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus arranged to orient a rod-shaped smoking article comprising a metal component, the apparatus comprising:

a magnet arranged to generate a magnetic field; and

is arranged to guide the rod-shaped smoking article through the guide portion of the magnetic field in a manner that allows the rod-shaped smoking article to rotate.

Corresponding methods may also be provided. Thus, according to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of orienting a rod-shaped smoking article comprising a metal component, the method comprising:

generating a magnetic field;

presenting the rod-shaped smoking article to a magnetic field; and

the rod-shaped article is rotated under the influence of the magnetic field.

Features of one aspect of the invention may be provided with any other aspect. Apparatus features may be provided with method aspects and vice versa.

Drawings

Preferred features of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a tobacco heating product with susceptor;

FIG. 2 illustrates a portion of a test stack;

figures 3 (a) and 3 (B) show side views of a smoking article;

figure 4 shows an end view of a smoking article with a metal susceptor;

figures 5 (a) to 5 (D) show some potentially erroneous morphologies of the susceptor;

fig. 6 shows a portion of an apparatus for orienting rod-shaped smoking articles in an embodiment of the invention;

fig. 7 shows the working principle of an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 shows a top view of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 shows an alternative embodiment with permanent magnets;

FIG. 10 illustrates the operation of the measuring instrument;

figures 11 (a) and 11 (B) show the measuring instrument and smoking article in two different orientations; and

fig. 12 shows the measuring instrument when the magnet has been energized.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 schematically illustrates the components of a tobacco heating product with susceptor. Referring to fig. 1, a tobacco heating product comprises an induction heating device 1, the induction heating device 1 receiving a smoking article (aerosol-forming article) 2. The tobacco heating product is designed to produce an aerosol that is inhaled by the user.

The smoking article 2 is wrapped in paper in a manner similar to a conventional cigarette to form a rod-shaped article. The smoking article 2 comprises a tobacco column 3 with metal susceptor vanes 4. The susceptor blades are made of a magnetically permeable and electrically conductive metallic material. The smoking article 2 may comprise a cooling/condensing element 5 and a particulate filter 6. The cooling/condensing element 5 may be in the form of a hollow cellulose acetate tube. Various other components may also be present in the smoking article, as well as or in place of those shown in the figures.

In fig. 1, the induction heating device 1 comprises a housing 7, a battery 8, control electronics 9 and an induction heating source 10. The induction heating source 10 may be, for example, a helically wound cylindrical induction coil. The heating device may further comprise a docking port 11 with a docking pin 12, which docking port 11 is used for charging the battery 8.

In use, the battery 8 supplies power to the control electronics 9. The control electronics 9 generate an alternating current and supply it to an induction heating source 10. The induction heating source 10 generates an alternating magnetic field which induces an alternating magnetic field in the susceptor 4. This induced alternating magnetic field generates heat in the susceptor. At least some of the heat generated in the susceptor 4 is transferred into the tobacco column 3 to release an aerosol containing nicotine and flavour. Such aerosols pass through the cooling element 5 and the filter 6 and are inhaled by the user.

The tobacco heating product may be, for example, as described in WO 2017/085242, the subject matter of WO 2017/085242 is incorporated herein by reference. However, it is understood that other types of tobacco heating products may be used instead.

In the smoking articles described above, the tobacco column is typically in the form of a gathered sheet of crimped reconstituted tobacco material. As part of the production process, the susceptor strip is inserted into the tobacco column. This process generally involves producing a long cylindrical tobacco column with the rod (which will form the susceptor) traveling through the center of the long cylindrical tobacco column. The long tobacco column is then cut into smaller pieces of the desired length for the smoking article. The various cylindrical components of the smoking article are then aligned and tightly wrapped in a wrapper, such as cigarette paper. The smoking article may be, for example, as described in WO 2015/085242, the subject matter of WO 2015/085242 being incorporated herein by reference. However, it will be appreciated that other types of smoking articles may be used instead.

It has been found that various defects may occur in the susceptor during manufacture. For example, the process of forming the tobacco column may interfere with the rod or the rod may be damaged during the cutting process. Thus, measurements may be made as part of the quality assurance and quality control process. The accuracy of susceptor positioning and shaping is a key quality measure in the production process, such as the physical properties of other features within the rod.

Fig. 2 illustrates a portion of a test stack that may be used to perform various measurements on a series of aerosol-forming articles. Referring to fig. 2, the test stack is in the form of a cabinet 14 with a plurality of shelves 15. A measuring instrument 16 is located on each rack. A hopper 17 is located at the top of the cabinet 14. The hopper 17 is connected to the top measuring instrument via a guide tube 18. A further guide tube 18 connects each measuring instrument to an instrument below. At the bottom of the cabinet a tub 19 is provided for collecting the tested items.

In operation, the top meter receives a series of items to be tested from the hopper 17. The measuring instrument performs various measurements for each article. Once the measurement of an item is completed, the item falls through the guide tube 18 to the measuring instrument immediately below. The measuring instrument then performs its own test on the article. As the items travel down through the test stack, this process may repeat until the items are dispensed into the bucket. Thus, the product under test falls under gravity from one rack to another, with different tests being performed at each stage.

One challenge that arises during quality assurance/control is that the apparent width of the susceptor may vary depending on the orientation of the article. Such variations may lead to inaccurate results if the orientation of the article is incorrect. For example, transmission imaging of the article to measure the position of the susceptor relative to the circumferential wrapping paper and the rounded end of the tobacco segment may rely on prior knowledge of the orientation of the article.

Figures 3 (a) and 3 (B) show side views of a smoking article in two different orientations. Referring to fig. 3 (a) and 3 (B), the smoking article 2 comprises a tobacco column 3, with a metal susceptor strip 4 present inside the tobacco column 3. The smoking article may further comprise a cooling/condensing element 5 and a particulate filter 6. The smoking article 2 is generally cylindrical with its longitudinal axis shown by the dashed lines in figures 3 (a) and 3 (B).

Fig. 3 (a) shows an orientation in which the susceptor strip lies in a plane perpendicular to the paper surface, and fig. 3 (B) shows an orientation in which the susceptor strip lies in a plane parallel to the paper surface. Thus, the article in the orientation of fig. 3 (B) is rotated 90 ° about its longitudinal axis relative to the orientation of fig. 3 (a). As can be seen from fig. 3 (a) and 3 (B), the susceptor strip is substantially flat and has a width greater than the depth. The different orientations in fig. 3 (a) and 3 (B) result in a difference in the apparent size of the susceptor.

Figure 4 shows an end view of a smoking article 2 with a metal susceptor. In the arrangement shown, the susceptor 4 is correctly located in the centre of the tobacco column 3.

Fig. 5 (a) through 5 (D) illustrate some of the potential error patterns that may be encountered for the subject matter of quality assurance/quality control concern. Fig. 5 (a) shows a curved susceptor; fig. 5 (B) shows a folded susceptor; fig. 5 (C) shows an off-center susceptor; fig. 5 (D) shows a distorted susceptor. Such defects in the susceptor can lead to defects in the heating process, such as uneven heating or lack of heating of the base of the tobacco rod.

Embodiments of the present invention are based on the recognition that: since the susceptor strip 4 is made of a magnetically permeable material, its magnetic properties can be used to orient the susceptor strip and thus the smoking article in an applied magnetic field.

Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for orienting smoking articles using a strong magnetic field that interacts with a susceptor strip. A magnetic gradient is induced across the two poles of the susceptor strip. When the article is free to rotate, such as when dropped between measurement positions in a stack of test equipment, this will cause a rotation large enough to overcome the inertia of the article. As a result of which the susceptor strips are aligned with the magnetic field. This alignment occurs fast enough to align the susceptor within the smoking article as it passes through the field.

A typical application is the measurement of rod properties in a physical test stack in which measurement instruments are placed one above the other. After measurement or loading from a hopper or automatic sampling from a manufacturing machine or combiner, the rod under test is dropped through a magnetic field to be oriented for a particular measurement, such as determining susceptor width using X-ray analysis. In practice, the rod door is incorporated into the system to stop in the magnetic field and then release the rod when in the magnetic field to ensure optimization of alignment. The guide tube can be used for guiding the magnetic rod to pass through the magnetic field.

Fig. 6 shows a portion of an apparatus for orienting rod-shaped smoking articles in an embodiment of the invention. For example, the arrangement of fig. 6 may be part of a measurement instrument, such as measurement instrument 16 in the test stack shown in fig. 2.

Referring to fig. 6, the apparatus includes a wand gate 20, a guide tube 22, an electromagnet 24, a vacuum chuck 26, a control unit 28, and a user interface 30.

The rod gate 20 in fig. 6 is designed to receive a continuous rod-shaped smoking article 2 and release it into the guide tube 22 in a controlled manner. For example, the articles may be received from a hopper, or from a measuring instrument located above a rod gate, or from a sampling device that samples the stream of articles. Rod gate 20 operates by applying a vacuum to the smoking article to hold it in place, and then removing the vacuum to release the article. Alternatively, mechanical retention means, such as grippers or closures, may also be used to retain and release the article. Rod gate 20 operates under the control of control unit 28.

The guide tube 22 is a hollow cylinder with an inner diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the article to be tested. The guide tube 22 allows the smoking article 2 to fall through under the influence of gravity in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the smoking article. The guide tube also allows the article to rotate about its longitudinal axis. However, the guide tube prevents displacement of the article in a direction perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, and also prevents other rotation of the article than about its longitudinal axis. The guide tube 22 is made of a non-magnetic material, such as plastic.

The electromagnet 24 is arranged to apply a controlled magnetic field to the guide tube 22. Since the guide tube is made of a non-magnetic material, the magnetic field will pass through the wall of the guide tube. The electromagnet 24 is activated by the control unit 28 such that a magnetic field is applied as the smoking article 2 falls through the guide tube 22. Thus, the smoking article encounters a magnetic field as it passes through the guide tube. The magnetic field acts on a metal susceptor 4 within the smoking article 2, causing the article to rotate about its longitudinal axis.

The vacuum chuck 26 is arranged to receive a smoking article 2 that has passed through the guide tube 22 and to hold the smoking article 2 in place using a vacuum. The vacuum chuck is located at the exit point of the guide tube 22 so that the orientation of the smoking article can be maintained. The vacuum chuck 26 comprises a foot 27 on which foot 27 the article 2 rests. A removable vacuum is applied to the smoking article through the foot 27 to hold the article 2 in place. As the smoking article 2 exits the guide tube 22 and enters the vacuum chuck 26, vacuum is applied. The operation of the vacuum is controlled by a control unit 28.

The control unit 28 is used to control the operation of the device. The control unit 28 may be implemented as a software program executing on a suitable processor such as a personal computer. The control unit 28 is connected to a user interface 30. The user interface includes an input device such as a keyboard and/or mouse, and an output device such as a display. The user interface allows the user to input test and control parameters. The user interface also allows test results and other data to be provided to the user.

In operation, the rod gate 20 receives a succession of smoking articles 2 and holds them at the top of the guide tube 22. At appropriate intervals, the rod gate releases the smoking article 2 into the guide tube 22. The released smoking article then falls through the guide tube 22. At the same time, the magnetic field generated by the electromagnet 24 is activated. The intensity of the magnetic field matches the moment of inertia of the article and the magnetic field interacts with the susceptor strip 4 within the smoking article 2, thereby aligning the susceptor strip with the magnetic field. Once the smoking article 2 has passed through the guide tube, the smoking article 2 is held in place by the vacuum chuck 26 in its orientation as it passes through the magnetic field.

The presence of an external magnetic field causes temporary alignment of magnetic domains within the tape material as long as the susceptor tape is made of ferromagnetic material. Thus, the susceptor becomes a temporary magnet that itself has north and south poles and then aligns with the magnetic field generated by the electromagnet. When the smoking article is in the guide tube, the smoking article is constrained in addition to rotational (and axial) movement. Ferromagnetic materials have a high magnetic permeability and therefore present a preferential path for the flux of an applied magnetic field. Thus, the smoking article will rotate until the flux lines of the magnetic field can take the shortest path through the susceptor strip. This principle is shown in fig. 7.

The distance and strength of the magnetic field play an important role in the success of the aligner. If the magnetic field is too strong, the tobacco in the rod may be compressed, biased to one side of the rod cross-section. On the other hand, if the magnetic field is too weak, the bars may not be aligned. Thus, the strength of the magnetic field is selected to be sufficient to rotate the article, but not so high as to cause any deformation of the tobacco. The strength of the magnetic field may be adjusted by the control unit 28 so that it is appropriate for the type of smoking article being tested. For example, the control unit may comprise a memory with a look-up table with different magnetic field strengths for different types of items. In this case, the user interface 30 may be used to select a particular item, and the control unit queries the magnetic field strength required for that item and adjusts the applied magnetic field strength accordingly. Alternatively, the user interface may also be used to directly control the magnetic field strength.

As the speed of the rod through the magnetic field increases (long drop), the accuracy of orientation decreases. Accordingly, the drop length through the guide tube 22 is selected to be sufficient to allow time for the article to rotate, but short enough to prevent the article from reaching a speed that would reduce positioning accuracy.

Figure 8 shows a top view of the electromagnet 24 and guide tube 22 as the smoking article 2 moves through the magnetic field. Referring to figure 8, it can be seen that when the electromagnet is energised, a magnetic field is generated which passes through the wall of the guide tube 22 and interacts with the susceptor strip 4 in the smoking article. This causes the smoking article to rotate such that the susceptor strips are aligned with the magnetic field.

Figure 9 shows an alternative embodiment which uses a permanent magnet 38 instead of an electromagnet to orient the smoking article 2. The permanent magnet 38 may be a neodymium magnet, or any other suitable type of magnet. In this embodiment, actuators such as air cylinders 40 and bars 42 are used to move the magnets 38 into position. When the article is to be oriented, the actuator moves the magnet from the rest position to a position adjacent to or in contact with the guide tube. At other times, the actuator moves the magnet away from the guide tube to the rest position. The actuator operates under the control of the control unit 28. Other parts of the device may be the same or similar to those shown in fig. 6 above.

If desired, a U-shaped electromagnet or permanent magnet may be used to present a north pole on one side of the guide tube and a south pole on the other side, or separate magnets on both sides of the guide tube. This may help to create the desired flux line through the guide tube.

The arrangement described above may be used to orient an item under test as it passes through a test stack as shown in fig. 2. In particular, the apparatus may be used to rotate an article into a desired orientation prior to making an orientation-dependent measurement. Such measurements may include, for example, transmission imaging, non-transmission imaging, compression testing (e.g., to measure stiffness), laser testing (e.g., to measure ovality), or any other type of testing to determine the physical characteristics of the smoking article.

Returning to fig. 6, the illustrated apparatus includes an emitter 32, a detector 34, and a drive unit 36, which form part of a measuring instrument. In this example, the measuring instrument is an imaging system arranged to produce an image of the smoking article 2. The emitter 32 is an emitter of electromagnetic radiation, such as infrared, visible, ultraviolet or X-rays. The detector 34 is arranged to detect electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter 32 after imaging of the smoking article 2. The vacuum chuck 26 holds the smoking article 2 on one side of the electromagnetic radiation to allow imaging of the article. The drive unit 36 is arranged to adjust the orientation of the smoking article 2 relative to the emitter 32 and the detector 34 to allow different images of the smoking article to be taken. This may be achieved by rotation of the article, longitudinal displacement of the smoking article, or both. The operation of the emitter 32, detector 34 and drive unit 36 is controlled by the control unit 28. Alternatively, a separate control unit may be used to control the measurements, if desired.

The imaging system shown in fig. 6 may be, for example, as described in international patent application number PCT/GB2019/051882, or international patent publication number WO 2004/083834, the subject matter of both of which are incorporated herein by reference. However, it will be appreciated that these types of imaging systems are given by way of example only, and that other types of measuring instruments may be used or substituted.

FIG. 10 illustrates the operation of the measuring instrument in one embodiment. Referring to fig. 10, the measuring instrument includes an emitter 32 and a detector 34, which may be of the form shown in fig. 6. In this example, the emitter 32 is an X-ray source and the detector 34 is a flat panel X-ray detector (area image sensor), both of which are known in the art. The smoking article 2 is located between the emitter 32 and the detector 34. The X-ray radiation 38 passes through the smoking article and is detected by the panel array. The susceptor forms an image of width W on the panel array. In the arrangement shown, the magnet 24 is not energized.

Fig. 11 (a) and 11 (B) show the measurement instrument in two different orientations with respect to the smoking article. It can be seen that the apparent width of the susceptor belt can vary between WB when the susceptor belt is parallel to the X-rays and WA when the susceptor belt is perpendicular to the X-rays. Thus, when the magnet is not energized, the apparent width of the susceptor will vary depending on the random orientation of the smoking article.

Fig. 12 shows the measuring instrument when the magnet has been energized. The energized magnet 24 orients the susceptor toward the magnetic field. This allows a true measurement of the width of the susceptor to be produced.

It will be appreciated that the above descriptions of embodiments of the present invention are provided by way of example only, and that variations in detail are possible. Although the invention has been described as being used with tobacco heating products with internal susceptor, other types of smoking articles may be used instead. For example, the smoking product may contain no tobacco, but other organic materials or herbs. Furthermore, the specific structure of the smoking article may vary, and the description above is for illustrative purposes only. Other types of smoking articles incorporating metal components may also be used with the present invention. Other variations in detail will be apparent to the skilled artisan.

Claims

1. Apparatus for orienting a rod-shaped smoking article comprising a metal member, the apparatus comprising:

means for generating a magnetic field; and

means for presenting the rod-shaped smoking article to the magnetic field in a manner that allows the rod-shaped smoking article to rotate,

wherein the means for presenting the rod-shaped smoking article to the magnetic field comprises a guide portion arranged such that the article can pass through the guide portion in a direction parallel to the article longitudinal axis and the article can rotate about its longitudinal axis inside the guide portion.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is arranged to drop the rod-shaped smoking article through the magnetic field.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the metal component is a susceptor for heating an aerosol-forming substrate.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotation of the rod-shaped smoking article is about a longitudinal axis of the rod-shaped smoking article.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the magnetic field imparts a predetermined orientation to the rod-shaped smoking article.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for generating a magnetic field is positioned adjacent to the guide.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for passing the rod-shaped smoking article through the guide.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a holding and release mechanism for holding the rod-shaped smoking article and subsequently releasing it into the magnetic field.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the means for presenting the rod-shaped smoking article to the magnetic field comprises a guide and the retaining and release mechanism is arranged to release the rod-shaped smoking article into the guide.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a control unit for controlling operation of the apparatus.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the control unit is arranged to apply the magnetic field when the smoking article is to be presented to the magnetic field.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the control unit is arranged to control the strength and/or direction of the magnetic field presented to the rod-shaped smoking article.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a holding and release mechanism for holding the rod-shaped smoking article and subsequently releasing it into the magnetic field, wherein the control unit is arranged to control the operation of the holding and release mechanism.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the control unit is arranged to synchronize the application of the magnetic field with the release of the rod-shaped smoking article by the retaining and release mechanism.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a retaining device arranged to receive the rod-shaped smoking article after it has passed through the magnetic field and to retain the rod-shaped smoking article in the orientation it obtained when it passed through the magnetic field.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a control unit, wherein the control unit is arranged to control the holding means.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a holding and release mechanism for holding the rod-shaped smoking article and subsequently releasing it into the magnetic field, wherein the control unit is arranged to synchronize operation of the holding means with operation of the holding and release mechanism.

18. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the retaining means is arranged to enable rotation of the rod-shaped smoking article.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a drive means for causing rotation of the holding means.

20. A test apparatus comprising an apparatus for orienting rod-shaped smoking articles according to any one of claims 1 to 19 and means for testing the rod-shaped smoking articles.

21. A testing apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising a retaining means arranged to receive the rod-shaped smoking article after it has passed through the magnetic field and to retain the rod-shaped smoking article in the orientation it obtained when it passed through the magnetic field, wherein the retaining means is arranged to retain the rod-shaped smoking article during testing of the article by the testing apparatus.

22. A testing device according to claim 20, wherein the testing device is arranged to transilluminate the rod-shaped smoking article.

23. The test apparatus of claim 20, wherein the test apparatus is part of a test stack arranged to drop the rod-shaped smoking article between a plurality of test positions.

24. A method for orienting a rod-shaped smoking article containing a metal component using the apparatus of claim 1, the method comprising:

generating a magnetic field;

presenting the rod-shaped smoking article to the magnetic field; and

rotating the rod-shaped smoking article under the influence of the magnetic field,

wherein the rod-shaped smoking article falls through the magnetic field.