FILTERED SMOKING ARTICLE INSPECTION SYSTEM, AND ASSOCIATED METHOD
First Claim
1. A filtered smoking article inspection system for a smoking article comprising a filter element having a mouth end terminus and a smokable rod having a lighting end terminus opposite from the filter element, the smokable rod including a smokable material having a circumscribing outer layer of a wrapping material, the smokable rod and filter element being serially secured to each other by a tipping material circumscribing the filter element along a longitudinal periphery thereof and the smokable rod along a portion of a longitudinal periphery thereof adjacent to the filter element, said inspection system comprising:
- a transport device configured to transport individual as-formed smoking articles from a first position to a second position such that the tipping material associated with each smoking article is accessible at least about the portion of the longitudinal periphery of the smoking article; and
an inspection device operably engaged with the transport device and configured to optically inspect each smoking article at least about the portion of the longitudinal periphery of the smoking article having the tipping material as the smoking article is transported between the first and second positions, the inspection device being configured to automatically determine from the optical inspection whether the inspected smoking article is defective.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An inspection system and associated method are provided for inspecting a smoking article having a smokable rod and a filter element serially secured together by a tipping material circumscribing a longitudinal periphery of the filter element and a portion of a longitudinal periphery of the smokable rod adjacent to the filter element. A transport device is configured to transport individual as-formed smoking articles from a first to a second position such that the tipping material associated with each smoking article is accessible at least about the portion of the longitudinal periphery of the smoking article. An inspection device is configured to optically inspect each smoking article, at least about the portion of the longitudinal periphery of the smoking article having the tipping material, as the smoking article is transported between the first and second positions, and to automatically determine from the optical inspection whether the inspected smoking article is defective.
-
Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A filtered smoking article inspection system for a smoking article comprising a filter element having a mouth end terminus and a smokable rod having a lighting end terminus opposite from the filter element, the smokable rod including a smokable material having a circumscribing outer layer of a wrapping material, the smokable rod and filter element being serially secured to each other by a tipping material circumscribing the filter element along a longitudinal periphery thereof and the smokable rod along a portion of a longitudinal periphery thereof adjacent to the filter element, said inspection system comprising:
-
a transport device configured to transport individual as-formed smoking articles from a first position to a second position such that the tipping material associated with each smoking article is accessible at least about the portion of the longitudinal periphery of the smoking article; and an inspection device operably engaged with the transport device and configured to optically inspect each smoking article at least about the portion of the longitudinal periphery of the smoking article having the tipping material as the smoking article is transported between the first and second positions, the inspection device being configured to automatically determine from the optical inspection whether the inspected smoking article is defective. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A method of inspecting a smoking article comprising a filter element having a mouth end terminus and a smokable rod having a lighting end terminus opposite from the filter element, the smokable rod including a smokable material having a circumscribing outer layer of a wrapping material, the smokable rod and filter element being serially secured to each other by a tipping material circumscribing the filter element along a longitudinal periphery thereof and the smokable rod along a portion of a longitudinal periphery thereof adjacent to the filter element, said method comprising:
-
transporting individual as-formed smoking articles from a first position to a second position with a transport device such that the tipping material associated with each smoking article is accessible at least about the portion of the longitudinal periphery of the smoking article; and optically inspecting each smoking article with an inspection device, at least about the portion of the longitudinal periphery of the smoking article having the tipping material, as the smoking article is transported between the first and second positions, and automatically determining whether the inspected smoking article is defective, with the inspection device, from the optical inspection thereof. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
Specification