Inspection device and inspection method for filter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024302288-A1
Application number	US-202418666862-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 17, 2024
Priority date	Nov 25, 2021
Publication date	Sep 12, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

An inspection device 50 for a filter inspects the filter, which is provided to a flavor inhalation article. The filter is provided with a mouthpiece end, a solid material, and a communication path that communicates with the solid material and opens to the mouthpiece end. The inspection device is provided with: an illumination for irradiating an inspection light onto the mouthpiece end in an irradiation direction that extends along the axial direction X; a camera for photographing the peripheral surface of the filter in a photographing direction that extends along the radial direction Y of the filter; an image processing unit for processing an image photographed by the camera and detecting a shadow of the solid material; and, an assessment unit for assessing the presence or absence and the quality of the solid material 12 on the basis of the shadow detected by the image processing unit.

First claim

1 . An inspection device for a filter, which is an inspection device that inspects the filter that is provided at a flavor inhalation article,
wherein the filter includes a mouthpiece end, a solid material, and a communication path that communicates with the solid material and opens to the mouthpiece end, and wherein the inspection device comprises: an illumination that irradiates the mouthpiece end with inspection light in an irradiation direction along an axial direction of the filter; a camera that photographs a peripheral surface of the filter in a photographing direction along a radial direction of the filter; an image processing unit that processes an image photographed by the camera and detects a shadow of the solid material; and an assessment unit that assesses presence or absence and a quality of the solid material based on the shadow detected by the image processing unit.

2 . The inspection device for the filter according to claim 1 ,
wherein the image processing unit calculates an area of the shadow, and wherein the assessment unit assesses that the solid material is absent or defective when the area of the shadow is less than a predetermined first threshold value.

3 . The inspection device for the filter according to claim 2 ,
wherein the assessment unit assesses that the solid material is defective when the area of the shadow is greater than or equal to a predetermined second threshold value.

4 . The inspection device for the filter according to claim 1 ,
wherein the inspection device inspects the filter at a transport section that transports the flavor inhalation article, wherein the transport section includes a transport drum that transports the flavor inhalation article, and wherein the transport drum includes
a cylindrical core in whose interior a suction source is disposed, and
a drum shell that covers the cylindrical core, is disposed so as to be rotatable around a rotational axis as a center with respect to the cylindrical core, and holds by suction pressure of the suction source the flavor inhalation article at an outer peripheral surface of the drum shell in an orientation in which the axial direction is parallel to the rotational axis.

5 . The inspection device for the filter according to claim 4 ,
wherein the filter includes a wrap portion where a wrapper covers a peripheral surface of the filter, wherein the filter is held by the outer peripheral surface in an orientation in which the wrap portion is on a side of the outer peripheral surface of the drum shell, and wherein the illumination is fixed to an outer side of the outer peripheral surface of the drum shell in the axial direction and irradiates the mouthpiece end with the inspection light.

6 . The inspection device for the filter according to claim 4 ,
wherein the camera is fixed to an outer side of the outer peripheral surface of the drum shell in the radial direction and photographs a peripheral surface of the filter that is on a side opposite to the wrap portion from the radial direction.

7 . The inspection device for the filter according to claim 4 ,
wherein the inspection device includes a sensor that detects a sending of the flavor inhalation article into the transport drum, and outputs a photographing start signal, and wherein the camera receives the photographing start signal from the sensor and photographs the peripheral surface of the filter at a timing in which the flavor inhalation article that is an inspection object sent into the transport drum is transported to a photographing position.

8 . The inspection device for the filter according to claim 1 ,
wherein the illumination applies, as the inspection light, infrared light including a near infrared ray, which is a predetermined wavelength range.

9 . The inspection device for the filter according to claim 1 ,
wherein the filter includes
an upstream filter portion,
a downstream filter portion in which the mouthpiece end is formed,
a powder containing material in which raw material powder containing at least one of a taste component and a flavor component is molded into one lump, that becomes powder when an external force is applied, and that serves as the solid material,
a cavity in which the powder containing material is disposed between the upstream filter portion and the downstream filter portion, and
a powder supply path that is formed in the downstream filter portion, causes the cavity and the mouthpiece end to communicate with each other, allows the powder to be supplied from the cavity to the mouthpiece end, and serves as the communication path,
wherein the inspection device photographs, by using the camera, a peripheral surface of the filter at the cavity in the photographing direction along the radial direction of the filter.

10 . An inspection method for a filter, which is an inspection method of inspecting the filter that is provided at a flavor inhalation article,
wherein the filter includes a mouthpiece end, a solid material, and a communication path that communicates with the solid material and opens to the mouthpiece end, and wherein the inspection method comprises: an irradiation step of irradiating the mouthpiece end with inspection light in an irradiation direction along an axial direction of the filter; a photographing step of photographing a peripheral surface of the filter in a photographing direction along a radial direction of the filter; an image processing step of processing an image photographed in the photographing step and detecting a shadow of the solid material; and an assessment step of assessing presence or absence and a quality of the solid material based on the shadow detected in the image processing step.

11 . The inspection method for the filter according to claim 10 ,
wherein, in the image processing step, an area of the shadow is calculated, and wherein, in the assessment step, the solid material is assessed as being absent or defective when the area of the shadow is less than a predetermined first threshold value.

12 . The inspection method for the filter according to claim 11 ,
wherein, in the assessment step, the solid material is assessed as being defective when the area of the shadow is greater than or equal to a predetermined second threshold value.

13 . The inspection method for the filter according to claim 10 ,
wherein, in the inspection method, the filter is inspected when the flavor inhalation article is in a process of being transported, wherein the filter includes a wrap portion where a wrapper covers a peripheral surface of the filter, and wherein, in the photographing step, a peripheral surface of the filter that is on a side opposite to the wrap portion in the radial direction is photographed.

14 . The inspection method for the filter according to claim 10 ,
wherein, in the photographing step, a photographing start signal that is output based on a sending-in of the flavor inhalation article is received, and a peripheral surface of the filter is photographed at a timing in which the flavor inhalation article that is an inspection object that has been sent in is transported to a photographing position.

15 . The inspection method for the filter according to claim 10 ,
wherein, in the irradiation step, as the inspection light, infrared light including a near infrared ray, which is a predetermined wavelength range, is applied.

Assignees

• Japan Tobacco Inc

Inventors

• Kobayashi Shota
• Nakamura Satoshi
• Imuta Masahiro
• Matsumoto Yoshitaka
• Odahara Akari

Classifications

• G01N2021/8887

  based on image processing techniques · CPC title

• G01N21/952

  Inspecting the exterior surface of cylindrical bodies or wires (G01N21/956 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A24D3/0295

  Process control means · CPC title

• A24D3/0291

  for hollow tipped filters, e.g. recess filters · CPC title

• A24C5/3412 Primary

  by means of light, radiation or electrostatic fields (A24C5/3406 takes precedence) · CPC title