Smoking path simulation system based on robotic arm

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11412776-B2
Application number	US-202117428991-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2021
Priority date	Apr 22, 2020
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

A smoking path simulation system includes a case, the robotic arm fixedly provided in the case and a cigarette holder mounted at a working end of the robotic arm, and further includes a feeding device, a cigarette tapping device and a cigarette lighting device provided in the case and located at a periphery of the robotic arm, as well as an image acquisition device mounted at the working end of the robotic arm. With the smoking path simulation system, an action path of smoking a cigarette by a consumer may be simulated, and consistency of the simulated action paths may be guaranteed, thus effectively improving precision of test of indexes of a cigarette-combustion performance, such as cigarette-combustion ash integration characteristics, or the like.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A smoking path simulation system based on a robotic arm, comprising
a case,
the robotic arm fixedly provided in the case,
a cigarette holder mounted at a working end of the robotic arm,
a feeding device, a cigarette tapping device, a cigarette lighting device that are provided in the case and located at a periphery of the robotic arm, and
an image acquisition device mounted at the working end of the robotic arm;
wherein the cigarette tapping device comprises
a cigarette tapping bracket located at the periphery of the robotic arm,
a driving motor mounted at the cigarette tapping bracket,
a pull rod provided at an output end of the driving motor, and
a supporting plate mounted at the cigarette tapping bracket, configured to right a cigarette and provided with a groove;

the cigarette lighting device comprises
a cigarette lighting bracket located at the periphery of the robotic arm and
a cigarette lighter mounted at the cigarette lighting bracket;

the image acquisition device comprises
a frame fixedly connected to the working end of the robotic arm and provided with N supporting rods,
N cameras fixedly connected to different supporting rods respectively and having lenses facing the working end of the robotic arm, and
N filling lights fixedly connected to the different supporting rods respectively and having light source surfaces facing the working end of the robotic arm, wherein N≥2;

the feeding device comprises
a complete machine frame located at the periphery of the robotic arm,
a hopper,
a hopper driving motor,
a cigarette steering mechanism and
a guide tube, and the hopper, wherein
the hopper driving motor and the cigarette steering mechanism are mounted at the complete machine frame;
a through groove for a single cigarette in a horizontal state to pass through is provided at an upper portion of the hopper, and a mounting panel is mounted on a front side of the hopper;
the hopper driving motor is connected to the hopper and configured to drive the hopper to rotate, and under gravity, the single cigarette is obtained from untested cigarettes in the hopper through the through groove and falls into the cigarette steering mechanism;
the cigarette steering mechanism is provided under the hopper, has an open upper end, and is provided therein with a slope configured to convert an axis of the single cigarette from a horizontal direction to a vertical direction;
the slope in the cigarette steering mechanism has a lower end communicated with an inlet at a top end of the guide tube; and
the guide tube is provided vertically.

2. The smoking path simulation system of claim 1 , wherein the robotic arm carries the cigarette holder fixedly connected thereto to move from an initial position to a position under an outlet of the guide tube, an axis of the cigarette holder is superposed with an axis of the guide tube, the cigarette enters the cigarette holder through the guide tube, and after the cigarette holder clamps the cigarette, the robotic arm simulates spatial smoking actions of a consumer; and
the axis of the cigarette holder and an axis of the working end of the robotic arm are kept consistent.

Assignees

• China Tobacco Yunnan Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zheng Han
• Zhan Jianbo
• Wang Hao
• Yu Zhenhua
• Zhang Ying
• Li Geng
• Yu Tingting
• Cheng Liang
• Li Liwei
• Wang Tao
• Wang Xu
• Ding Haiyan
• Xie jiao
• Yue Baoshan
• Yu Jiang

Classifications

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/555

  for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes · CPC title

• H04N23/90

  Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums · CPC title

• H04N7/185

  from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control · CPC title

• G01N21/84

  Systems specially adapted for particular applications · CPC title