Apparatus and method for rejection of defective rod-like articles from a mass flow of rod-like articles of the tobacco industry

Abstract

An apparatus of the tobacco industry for the rejection of defective rod-like articles from a mass flow of rod-like articles, comprising a monitoring unit ( 100 ) adapted to optically determine geometrical parameters of rod-like articles (R), and at least one rejecting unit ( 200 ) adapted to remove a rod-like article from the mass flow (M) of rod-like articles (R), wherein the mass flow (M) being transported on the conveyor ( 10 ), such unit ( 200 ) being situated behind the monitoring unit ( 100 ) with reference to the direction (T) of the mass flow (M) of rod-like articles (R). The apparatus is characterised in that the monitoring unit ( 100 ) has optical recorders ( 101 ) recording images of opposite side surfaces of the mass flow (M) of rod-like articles (R) on a conveyor ( 10 ) wherein said side surfaces are formed by front surfaces or rod-like articles (R). The apparatus comprises the controller ( 300 ) which basing on the recorded images, using the criteria concerning geometrical parameters of the opposite front surfaces of rod-like articles (R), identifies defective rod-like articles (Rd) in the mass flow (M), and determines the position of the defective rod-like articles (Rd) in the mass flow (M), and the rejecting unit ( 200 ) comprises at least one rejecting element ( 201, 203, 204, 205, 205′ ) adapted to reject the defective rod-like article (Rd), the rejection unit ( 200 ) being mounted in such a way that it moves along together with the mass flow (M) in a position enabling it to reject the defective rod-like article (Rd).

1 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . An apparatus of the tobacco industry for rejection of defective rod-like articles from a mass flow of rod-like articles, comprising
 a monitoring unit ( 100 ) adapted to optically determine geometrical parameters of rod-like articles (R), and   at least one rejecting unit ( 200 ) adapted to remove a rod-like article from the mass flow (M) of rod-like articles (R), wherein the mass flow (M) being transported on the conveyor ( 10 ), moreover the rejecting unit ( 200 ) being placed behind the monitoring unit ( 100 ) with reference to the direction (T) of the mass flow of rod-like articles (R)   characterized in that   the monitoring unit ( 100 ) has optical recorders ( 101 ) adapted to recording images of opposite side surfaces of the mass flow (M) of rod-like articles (R) on a conveyor ( 10 ), wherein said side surfaces are formed by front surfaces or rod-like articles (R) moreover   the apparatus comprises a controller ( 300 ) adapted to identify defective rod-like articles (Rd) in the mass flow, and determine the position of the defective rod-like articles (Rd) in the mass flow, basing on the recorded images, using criteria concerning the geometrical parameters of the opposite front surfaces of rod-like articles (R), and determine the speed of the mass flow (M), moreover the controller ( 300 ) adapted to generate the rejecting unit ( 200 ) control signals based on a position of the defective rod-like articles (Rd) in the mass flow and the speed of the mass flow (M), and   the rejecting unit ( 200 ) comprises at least one rejecting element ( 201 ,  203 ,  204 ,  205 ,  205 ′) adapted to reject the defective rod-like article (Rd), the rejection unit being adopted to move downstream of the mass flow (M) in relation to the monitoring unit ( 100 ) into a position enabling it to reject the defective rod-like article (Rd) and reject the defective rod-like article (Rd) as a response for control signals from the controller ( 300 ).   
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 24  characterized in that the rejecting element ( 201 ,  203 ,  204 ,  205 ,  205 ′) is adapted that during the course of rejection it moves along together with the mass flow (M) with the same speed as the defective rod-like articles (Rd) in the mass flow (M) as a response for control signal from the controller ( 300 ). 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 24  characterized in that the rejecting element ( 201 ,  203 ,  204 ,  205 ,  205 ′) is adapted that during the course of rejection it moves whereas mass flow (M) of rod-like articles (R) on a conveyor ( 10 ) stops, as a response for control signal from the controller ( 300 ). 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 24  characterized in that the rejecting element ( 201 ,  203 ,  204 ,  205 ,  205 ′) is mounted adopted that during the course of rejection it stops whereas mass flow (M) of rod-like articles (R) on a conveyor ( 10 ) moves with defective rod-like articles (Rd), as a response for control signal from the controller ( 300 ). 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 24  characterized in that the rejecting element ( 201 ,  203 ,  204 ,  205 ,  205 ′) is adopted that during the course of rejection it stops together with mass flow (M) of rod-like articles (R) on a conveyor ( 10 ), as a response for control signal from the controller ( 300 ). 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 24  characterized in that the rejecting unit ( 200 ) further comprises at least one restraining element ( 202 ,  202 ′), disposed on the opposite side of the mass flow (M) relative to the rejecting element ( 201 ,  203 ,  204 ,  205 ,  205 ′), the restraining element ( 202 ,  202 ′), being adapted to reject the defective rod-like article (Rd) and to restrain the rod-like articles (R) situated around the defective rod-like article (Rd) to be rejected. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 24  characterized in that the monitoring unit ( 100 ) is adapted to optically determine the geometrical parameters of the front surfaces of the rod-like articles (R), in particular symmetricity, regularity of shape of the front surface of a rod-like article, continuity of the wrapper, wrappings of the wrapper, and symmetricity of insert elements visible from the front side of the rod-like article (R). 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 24  characterized in that the rejecting element ( 201 ,  203 ,  204 ,  205 ,  205 ′) can be a pusher, a compressed air, a gauge pressure, a pulling element such as a pliers or extraction needle with hooked end. 
     
     
         32 . A method of rejection of defective rod-like articles from a mass flow of rod-like articles on a conveyor, comprising the steps of:
 recording images of opposite front surfaces of the mass flow (M) of rod-like articles (R) by means of optical recorders ( 101 );   identifying defective rod-like articles (Rd) in the mass flow (M) based on images of the side surfaces of the mass flow (M) using the criteria relating to geometrical parameters of the opposite front surfaces of rod-like articles (R), and   determining a position of defective rod-like articles (Rd) in the mass flow (M) on the conveyor ( 10 ); and   determining a speed of the mass flow (M), and further   generating control signals for rejecting unit ( 200 ) to move the rejecting element to rejecting position determined based on the position of the defective rod-like articles (Rd) identified in the mass flow (M) on the conveyor ( 10 ) and the speed of the mass flow (M),   moving the rejecting element of the rejecting unit ( 200 ) to the rejecting position and rejected identified defective rod-like article (Rd) from the mass flow (M) of rod-like articles (R) in a response to control signals from the controller ( 300 ).   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32  characterized in that by means of the controller ( 300 ), basing on the relative position of the selected defective rod-like articles (Rd) in the mass flow (M) of rod-like articles (R), the sequence of rejection of the defective rod-like articles (Rd) from the mass flow (M) is determined. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  characterized in that the sequence of rejection of the defective rod-like articles (Rd) from the mass flow (M) is such that the defective rod-like articles (Rd) are rejected beginning from the uppermost layer of the mass flow. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32  characterized in that at the time of rejection of the defective rod-like articles (Rd), the speed of the rod-like articles (R) in the mass flow (M) is reduced. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 32  characterized in that at the time of rejection of the defective rod-like article (Rd) the conveying of the rod-like articles (R) in the mass flow (M) is halted. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 32  characterized in that at the time of rejection of the defective rod-like article (Rd) the speed of the rejecting unit ( 200 ) is reduced. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 32  characterized in that at the time of rejection of the defective rod-like article (Rd) the rejecting unit ( 200 ) is halted. 
     
     
         39 . A system for determining quality of rod-like articles in the tobacco industry comprising
 a first apparatus ( 1 ) for the rejection of defective rod-like articles (Rd) from mass flow (M) of rod-like articles (R) on a conveyor ( 10 ), as in  claim 24 ,   at least one intermediate rod-like article apparatus ( 3 ), and/or a rod-article handling apparatus placed downstream of the first apparatus for rejection of defective rod-like articles,   at least one monitoring apparatus placed downstream of the intermediate rod-like articles handling apparatus and/or a rod-handling transport apparatus, while monitoring apparatus comprising a monitoring unit ( 100 ) having optical recorders ( 101 ′) recording images of the opposite side surfaces of the mass flow (M) of rod-like articles (R) on the conveyor ( 10 ), and a controller ( 300 ) adopted to identify defective rod-like articles (Rd) in the mass flow based on the recorded images, using a criteria concerning the geometrical parameters of the opposite front surfaces of rod-like articles (R), which basing on the recorded images, using criteria concerning geometrical parameters of the opposite front surfaces of rod-like articles (R), identifies defective rod-like articles (Rd) in the mass flow (M), to establish the change in the quality of the rod-like articles in the mass flow after passing the intermediate rod-like articles handling apparatus and/or a rod-handling transport apparatus.   
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39  characterized in that
 the controller of the monitoring apparatus ( 300 ′) further determines the position of the defective rod-like articles (Rd) in the mass flow (M) on the conveyor ( 10 ), and determines the speed of the mass flow (M), then generates rejecting unit ( 200 ) control signals, and the system is further provided with 
 a rejecting unit ( 200 ′) comprising a rejecting element and a restraining element adapted to reject the defective rod-like article (Rd), adopted to move downstream of the mass flow (M) to a position enabling it to reject the defective rod-like article (Rd) in a response to control signals from the controller ( 300 ′). 
 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 39  characterized in that the system comprises a second apparatus for the rejection of the defective rod-like articles (Rd) from the mass flow of rod-like articles (R) on the conveyor ( 10 ), as in  claim 24 . 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 39  characterized in that the intermediate apparatus ( 3 ) is an apparatus selected from a group comprising in particular a loader, a tray, an unloader, a band conveyor, and a buffer store.