GB2337586A

GB2337586A - Device for quality controlling packets of cigarettes

Info

Publication number: GB2337586A
Application number: GB9911715A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Armando Neri
Original assignee: GD SpA
Current assignee: GD SpA
Priority date: 1998-05-21
Filing date: 1999-05-21
Publication date: 1999-11-24
Anticipated expiration: 2019-05-21
Also published as: ITBO980332A0; IT1303979B1; ITBO980332A1; GB9911715D0; DE19923028A1; GB2337586B

Abstract

Cigarette packets are transported along a conveyer 9 and two cameras 20, 22 each monitor three faces of each packet through openings 16, 18 in the supporting and guiding elements 11. The images can then be compared with reference values to determine acceptance or rejection. The conveyer may be a pneumatic conveyer, or may be a set of conveyer belts (figure 4), in which the openings (figure 4, 52) are gaps between adjacent pairs of belts.

Description

2337586 DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING PACKETS OF CIGARETTES The present invention

relates to a device for controlling packets of cigarettes.

Generally speaking, packets of cigarettes are substantially parallelepiped with three pairs of parallel faces, and are formed on conditioning machines for packing groups of cigarettes in packing material. As the packets coming off the conditioning machines may present stains, creased packing material or other manufacturing defects, the quality, and in particular the surface characteristics, of the finished packets must be controlled constantly and immediately to reject and so prevent the marketing of any faulty packets.

In us Patent 140. 4,972,494, the surface characteristics of packets of cigarettes are controlled by a control device comprising a conveyor with means for supporting, guiding and feeding the packets along a given path and in a given direction; and television cameras for monitoring the packets along the path and determining, by comparing various factors with given - 2 1 1 acceptability ranges, whether the packets are to be accepted or rejected.

The above device, however, fails to provide for complete control of the packet, and hence f or safely ensuring against the marketing of faulty packets, by being unable to control the face of the packet resting on the supporting and guide means of the conveyor.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for controlling packets of cigarettes, designed to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks, and which provides for also controlling the face or faces of the packet contacting the supporting and guide means.

According to the present invention, there is provided a control device for controlling substantially parallelepiped packets of cigarettes comprising six faces, the control device comprising a conveyor having supporting and guide means for supporting and guiding said packets and feeding the packets along a given path and in a given direction; and at least one television camera having a respective given plane monitoring sector; said control device being characterized in that said conveyor has at least one opening formed between said supporting and guide means; said television camera being so oriented as to position the respective plane monitoring sector through said opening.

The present invention will be described by way of a non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying 1-, drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a schematic side view, with parts removed for clarity, of a first embodiment of the control device according to the present invention; 5 Figure 2 shows a schematic plan view, with parts removed for clarity, of the Figure 1 device; Figure 3 shows a schematic section along line IIIIII of a detail in Figure 2; Figure 4 shows a schematic side view, with parts removed for clarity, of a second embodiment of the control device according to the present invention.

Number 1 in Figures 1, 2, 3 indicates a control device for controlling substantially parallelepiped packets 2 of cigarettes having two parallel main faces 3 and 4, two parallel lateral faces 5 and 6, and two parallel end faces 7 and 8.

Device 1 comprises a conveyor 9 for conveying packets 2; and a monitoring unit 10 located along conveyor 9. Conveyor 9 is pneumatic, and comprises a rectangular-section tube 11 into and along which packets 2 of cigarettes are fed one by one by the difference in pressure upstream and downstream of each packet 2; which difference in pressure upstream and downstream of each packet 2 inside tube 11 is formed by known pneumatic devices not shown. Tube 11 comprises a lateral wall 12 facing and parallel to a lateral wall 13, and a top wall 14 facing and parallel to a bottom wall 15, and defines 1 a path P and a traveling direction D of packets 2 of cigarettes. Packets 2 inside tube 11 are positioned with main faces 3 and 4 respectively facing and parallel to lateral walls 12 and 13, and with lateral faces 5 and 6 5 respectively facing top wall 14 and bottom wall 15.

Tube 11 comprises an opening 16 extending through walls 12 and 14 to permit communication between the inside and outside of tube 11; which opening 16 is formed in a portion defined by the intersection of lateral wall 12 and top wall 14 with a plane 17 substantially perpendicular to top wall 14 and forming a 60 angle with lateral wall 12.

Tube 11 also comprises an opening 18 extending through walls 13 and 15 to permit communication between the inside and outside of tube 11; which opening 18 is formed in a portion defined by the intersection 0 lateral wall 13 and bottom wall 15 with a plane 19 parallel to plane 17.

The width S, measured parallel to traveling direction D, of openings 16 and 18 is constant along the whole length of openings 16 and 18 along respective walls 12, 14 and 13, 15. In particular, width S ranges between 2 and 10 millimeters.

Monitoring unit 10 comprises a television camera 20 fitted to tube 11 by an articulated arm 21; and a television camera 22 fitted to tube 11 by an articulated arm 23.

- As shown in Figure 3, cameras 20 and 22 each comprise a known linear CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor defined by a straight row 24 of elements (pixels) 25 sensitive to the light intensity incident on them. Cameras 20 and 22 also comprise an optical focusing assembly 26 located a given distance dl from row 24, which is of a given length Ll, and operate along respective plane monitoring sectors 27 and 28, each having an angle A defined by distance dl and by length Ll. - Arm 21 is connected at one end to lateral wall 12 of tube 11, and at the other end to respective camera 20, which is located over top wall 14 on the lateral wall 12 side. Similarly, arm 23 is connected at one end to lateral wall 13 of the tube, and at the other end to camera 22, which is located beneath wall 15 on the lateral wall 13 side. Arms 21 and 23 have respective articulated elements and respective fastening elements for fastening the articulated elements once the positions of respective cameras 20 and 22 are determined.

Respective articulated arms 21 and 23 enable cameras 20 and 22 to be so oriented that respective plane monitoring sectors 27 and 28 lie in respective planes 17 and 19 and so penetrate tube 11 through respective openings 16 and 18. In addition to orienting respective cameras 20 and 22 as described above, - 6 articulated arms 21 and 23 also provide for adjusting the distance between cameras 20, 22 and respective openings 16, 18 so as to cover the whole length of respective openings 16 and 18.

Unit 10 also comprises a lamp 29, which is fitted to arm 21 and located to the side of camera 20 to light the inside of tube 11 through opening 16; and a lamp 30, which is fitted to arm 23 and located to the side of camera 22 to light the inside of tube 11 through opening is.

- The device also comprises a known processing and control unit 31, which is connected to cameras 20 and 22, processes the signals acquired by cameras 20 and 22, and is also connected to a known expulsion device (not shown) for expelling any packets 2 not conforming to the required parameters.

Processing unit 31 is connected to known sensors (not shown) by which unit 31 determines the traveling speed of packets 2 inside tube 11, and so determines a scanning frequency of cameras 20 and 22, which is directly proportional to the traveling speed of packets 2.

In actual use, packets 2 of cigarettes are fed one by one along path P in direction D inside tube 11 by said known pneumatic devices (not shown), are arranged with a given spacing, travel successively along the portion of path P at openings 16 and 18, and are 7 - oriented inside tube 11 so that main face 3 is adjacent to wall 12 of tube 11, lateral face 5 is adjacent to top wall 14 of tube 11, and end face 7 faces forwards with reference to the traveling direction D of packets 2.

As each packet 2 travels past openings 16 and 18, faces 3, 41 5, 6, 7f 8 are illuminated through openings 16 and 18, and cameras 20 and 22 monitor substantially straight portions of faces 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 of each packet 2. More specifically. faces 3, 5, 7 of packet 2 are illuminated by lamp 29 and intersect plane monitoring sector 27 of camera 20. while faces 4, 6, 8 of packet 2 are illuminated by lamp 30 and intersect plane monitoring sector 28 of camera 22.

Camera 20 scans and acquires data relative to main face 3, lateral face 5 and end face 7, which are adjacent to one another and have a common corner; camera 22 scans and acquires data relative to main face 4, lateral face 6 and end face 8. which are adjacent to one another and have a common corner; and cameras 20 and 22 transmit the acquired data to control unit 31. which compares the acquired data with reference data and, if necessary, generates a reject signal to activate said known expulsion device (not shown).

In a variation not shown, tube 11 has a single opening extending through all of walls 12, 13, 14, 15 of tube 11, and plane monitoring sectors 27 and 28 are separated by a relatively small distance to cover said 8 opening on opposite sides without intersecting each other.

In a further variation not shown, tube 11 of pneumatic conveyor 9 is replaced by a channel inside which packets 2 are fed forward by the thrust generated 1 by a fluid bed; and the channel comprises an opening through which the plane monitoring sector of a television camera is directed.

Number 32 in Figure 4 indicates a further variation of the controldevice, which comprises a conveyor 33 connected to a monitoring unit 10 identical to the one described above.

Conveyor 33 is a belt conveyor comprising a frame T; and two successive conveyors 34 and 35 fitted to frame T and defining path P in substantially straight direction D.

Conveyor 34 comprises a belt 36 looped about two pulleys 37 (only one shown in Figure 4) rotating about respective horizontal axes 38; and a belt 39 looped about two pulleys 40 (only one shown in Figure 4) rotating about respective axes 41 parallel to axes 38. Belt 36 defines a working conveying branch 42 extending between pulleys 37; and belt 39 defines a working conveying branch 43 extending between pulleys 40, and which is parallel to branch 42 and separated from branch 42 by a distance substantially equal to the distance between main faces 3 and 4 of packets 2.

9 - In substantially the same way as conveyor 34, conveyor 35 comprises a belt 44 looped about two pulleys (only one shown in Figure 4) rotating about respective horizontal axes 46; and a belt 47 looped about two pulleys 48 (only one shown in Figure 4) rotating about respective axes 49 parallel to axes 46. Belt 44 defines a working conveying branch 50 extending between pulleys 45 and lying in the same plane B as branch 42; and belt 47 defines a working conveying branch 51 extending between pulleys 48, and which faces and is parallel to branch 50 and lies in the same plane C as branch 43.

Adjacent pulleys 37 and 45 are separated by a minimum distance S1 measured in traveling direction D; and, similarly, adjacent pulleys 40 and 48 are separated by the'same minimum distance Slmeasured in traveling direction D.

Pulley 40 is located downstream from pulley 37 in traveling direction D, so that working branches 42 and 43 are offset; and, in substantially the same way, pulley 48 is located downstream from pulley 45, so that working branches 50 and 51 are offset. That is, working branch 43 comprises a portion 43a facing working branch 42, and a portion 43b offset with respect to branch 42; working branch 50 comprises a portion 50a facing working branch 51, and a portion 50b offset with respect to branch 51; and belt conveyor 33 therefore comprises an - 10 opening 52 def ined by the gap between conveyor 34 and conveyor 35.

Monitoring unit 10 comprises camera 20, which is located beneath conveyor 33 and fitted to frame T by articulated arm 21; and camera 22, which is located over conveyor 33 and fitted to frame T by respective articulated arm 23. Camera 20 is so oriented that respective plane monitoring sector 27 lies in a plane 17 through opening 52 and intercepts faces 3, 5 and 7 of the packet; and, in substantially the same way, camera 22 is so oriented that respective plane monitoring sector 28 lies in a plane 19 through opening 52 and parallel to plane 17, and intercepts faces 4,- 6 and 8 of packet 2.

is Processing unit 31 is connected to known sensors (not shown) by which unit 31 determines the traveling speed of packets 2 along conveyor 33, and so determines a scanning frequency of cameras 20 and 22, which is directly proportional to the traveling speed of packets 2.

In actual use, packets 2 are oriented with main faces 3 and 4 in respective planes C and B; and conveyors 34 and 35 feed packets 2 along path P in direction D, and retain packets 2 in a given position by means of respective pairs of belts 36, 39 and 44, 47.

As packets 2 travel past opening 52, camera 20 acquires data relative to faces 3, 5 and 7, while camera 11 - 22 acquires data relative to faces 4, 6 and 8; and the data is transmitted to processing and control unit 31, which compares the acquired data with reference data and, if necessary, generates a reject signal to activate 5 said known expulsion device (not shown).

Besides effectively controlling all of faces 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 of packets 2, control devices 1 and 32 described above also have the further advantage of providing, in a straightforward, low-cost manner, for supporting and guiding packets 2 along a number of faces of each packet 2.

Moreover, they provide for correctly reconstructing the image of each face 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 of packets 2 by correlating the traveling speed of packets 2 and the scanning frequency of cameras 20 and 22.

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Claims

CLAIMS -10 1) A control device for controlling substantially

parallelepiped packets of cigarettes comprising six faces (3-8), the control device (1; 32) comprising a conveyor (9; 33) having supporting and guide means (11; 34, 35) for supporting and guiding said packets (2) and feeding the packets (2) along a given path (P) in a given direction (D); and at least one television camera (20, 22) having a respective given plane monitoring sector (27, 28); said control device (1; 32) being characterized in that said conveyor (9; 33) has at least one opening (16, 18; 52) formed between said supporting and guide means (11; 34, 35); said television camera is (20, 22) being so oriented as to position the respective plane monitoring sector (27', '28) through said opening (16, 18; 52).
2) A device as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that said opening (16, 18; 52) extends about the intersection of at least one given plane (17, 19) and said conveyor (9; 33); said plane monitoring sector (27, 28) coinciding with said given plane (17, 19).
3) A device as claim ed in Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said television camera (20) is so oriented with respect to said supporting and guide means (11; 34, 35) as to control three adjacent faces (3, 5, 7) of said six faces (3-8) of each packet (2).
13 4) A device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized by comprising a further television camera (22); said further television camera (22) operating along a respective further plane monitoring sector (28), and being so oriented as to position the respective further plane monitoring sector (28) through said opening (16, 18; 52).
5) A device as claimed in Claim 3 or 4, characterized in that said further television camera (22) is so oriented with respect to said supporting and guide means (11; 34, 35) as to control a further three adjacent faces (4, 6, 8) of said six faces (3-8) of each packet (2).
6) A device as claimed in Claim 4, characterized in that said supporting and guide means (11) comprise a further opening (18) said further television camera (22) being so oriented as to position the respective further plane monitoring sector (28) through said further opening (18).
7) A device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said conveyor (9; 33) is defined by a pneumatic conveyor (9); said supporting and guide means (11; 34, 35) being defined by a rectangular section tube (11); and said opening (16, 18) being an opening in said tube (11).
8) A device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said conveyor (9; 33) is defined 1 1 14 by a pneumatic conveyor; said supporting and guide means being defined by a rectangular-section channel; and said opening being an opening in said channel.
9) A device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said conveyor (9; 33) is defined by a belt conveyor (33) comprising a first belt conveyor (34) and a second belt conveyor (35); said opening (52) being defined by a gap between two adjacent belt conveyors (34, 35).
10) A device as claimed in Claim 9, characterized in that said first belt conveyor (34) comprises a first and a second working branch (42, 43) parallel to each other, and said second- belt conveyor (35) comprises a third and a fourth working branch (50, 51) parallel to each other; the first and third working branches (42, 50) being coplanar with each other, and the second and fourth working branches (43, -51) being coplanar with each other.
11) A device as claimed in Claim 10, characterized in that the second working branch (43) comprises a respective first portion (43a) facing the first working branch (42), and a respective second portion (43b) offset, in said given direction (D), with respect to the first working branch (42); the third working branch (50) comprising a respective first portion (50a) facing said fourth working branch (51), and a respective second portion (50b) offset, in said given direction (D), with respect to said fourth working branch.

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