Taggant inspection system

Abstract

A system is provided for checking a presence and integrity of taggant applied to components of aerosol-generating articles during manufacture of the aerosol-generating articles on a manufacturing line, the system including: a first sensor configured to detect a taggant applied to a surface of a material web and to determine that the taggant has been applied to meet a predetermined continuity of application quality condition; and a second sensor located downstream of the first sensor on the manufacturing line, the second sensor configured to inspect portions of the material web after the material web has been cut into portions and to confirm at least one of a predetermined profile of the taggant and a predetermined concentration of the taggant. A method of checking a presence and integrity of taggant applied to components of aerosol-generating articles during manufacture of the articles on a manufacturing line is also provided.

1 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A system for checking a presence and integrity of taggant applied to components of aerosol-generating articles during manufacture of the aerosol-generating articles on a manufacturing line, the system comprising:
 at least one first sensor configured to detect a taggant applied to a surface of a material web and to determine that the taggant has been applied to meet a predetermined continuity of application quality condition; and   at least one second sensor located downstream of the at least one first sensor on the manufacturing line, the at least one second sensor configured to inspect portions of the material web after the material web has been cut into portions and to confirm at least one of a predetermined profile of the taggant and a predetermined concentration of the taggant.   
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein the material web is tipping paper. 
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein the taggant is applied to the material web in a form of at least one substantially continuous band along a length of the material web. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 18 , wherein the at least one first sensor is configured to indicate a fault condition if the at least one first sensor detects an interruption in the at least one substantially continuous band. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 18 , wherein the at least one first sensor is configured to indicate a fault condition if the at least one first sensor detects a variation outside a predetermined range in an amount of taggant per unit length applied along the at least one substantially continuous band or in an amount of taggant per unit length applied along at least one of the at least two substantially continuous bands. 
     
     
         21 . The system according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein the cut portions of the material web are configured as circumferential wrappers in rod-shaped articles, and   wherein the taggant is present on exterior surfaces of the circumferential wrappers.   
     
     
         22 . The system according to  claim 21 , wherein the at least one second sensor is configured to inspect each circumferential wrapper at only one rotational orientation of a rod-shaped article with respect to a longitudinal axis of the rod-shaped article. 
     
     
         23 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein the at least one first sensor or the at least one second sensor or the at least one first sensor and the at least one second sensor are configured to operate using electromagnetic waves having a wavelength or having wavelengths in at least one of an ultraviolet spectrum, a visible light spectrum, and an infra-red spectrum. 
     
     
         24 . The system according to  claim 23 , wherein the at least one first sensor and the at least one second sensor are configured to operate using electromagnetic radiation of different wavelengths. 
     
     
         25 . The system according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein the taggant is a phosphorescent taggant having a predetermined emission half-life, and   wherein the at least one first sensor is configured to detect a phosphorescent response from the taggant but not to verify or determine the emission half-life of the phosphorescent taggant.   
     
     
         26 . The system according to  claim 25 , wherein the at least one second sensor is configured to verify or determine the emission half-life of the phosphorescent taggant. 
     
     
         27 . A method of checking a presence and integrity of taggant applied to components of aerosol-generating articles during manufacture of the aerosol-generating articles on a manufacturing line, the method comprising:
 providing at least one first sensor;   operating the at least one first sensor to detect a taggant applied to a surface of a material web and to determine that the taggant has been applied to meet a predetermined continuity of application quality condition;   providing at least one second sensor located downstream of the at least one first sensor on the manufacturing line; and   operating the at least one second sensor to inspect portions of the material web after the material web has been cut into portions and to confirm at least one of a predetermined profile of the taggant and a predetermined concentration of the taggant.   
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein the at least one first sensor indicates a fault condition if the at least one first sensor detects a variation outside a predetermined range in an amount of taggant per unit length applied along at least one substantially continuous band. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 27 ,
 wherein the taggant is a phosphorescent taggant having a predetermined emission half-life, and   wherein the at least one first sensor detects a phosphorescent response from the taggant but does not verify or determine the emission half-life of the phosphorescent taggant.   
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the at least one second sensor verifies or determines the emission half-life of the phosphorescent taggant.