A method for adjusting a cigarette filling nozzle based on visual feedback

Abstract

The application provides a cigarette material adding nozzle adjusting method based on visual feedback, which comprises the following steps: setting a first camera to take a long-exposure photograph of a spraying fan of material liquid mist sprayed by a material adding nozzle, so as to obtain a long-exposure picture of a boundary path of the spraying fan; setting a high-speed camera to take a picture of the material liquid mist in a spraying range of the material adding nozzle, so as to obtain a material liquid particle size picture in a high-speed state; judging whether the material liquid mist sprayed by the material adding nozzle meets a set requirement according to the long-exposure picture and the material liquid particle size picture; if not, adjusting the material adding nozzle through an adjusting mechanism, so that the boundary path and the material liquid particle size of the material liquid mist sprayed by the material adding nozzle meet preset requirements. The application can improve the uniformity of the cigarette material adding liquid and the convenience of the nozzle adjustment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of cigarette flavoring, and in particular to a method for adjusting cigarette flavoring nozzles based on visual feedback. Background Technology

[0002] The atomization effect, stability, and consistency of the feeding nozzle are key factors affecting the uniformity of sugar syrup application. In routine nozzle calibration, operators primarily rely on their sensory judgment of the size of the liquid mist cross-section, the size and uniformity of the sugar atomized particles, etc., to adjust the nozzle. If the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid mist reaching the smoke screen is too large, the liquid will bypass the smoke screen and spray into ineffective areas; if it is too small, only a small portion of the smoke screen will contact the liquid. If the sugar atomized particle size is too large, localized sugar accumulation and gaps will appear on the smoke screen; if it is too small, it will be easily drawn away by the dehumidification system. Different operators will have different sensory judgments, resulting in variations in nozzle calibration results. Furthermore, the currently used feeding nozzles are dual-media nozzles, with adjustable parts including a valve core and a sleeve. Adjusting the valve core mainly controls the liquid spray state, while adjusting the sleeve mainly controls the spray state of the ejector medium (steam). Adjusting each separately will affect the working state of the other, making their adjustment process extremely complex and reliant solely on manual experience. More importantly, current dual-media nozzles are cleaned and adjusted before use, but are not adjusted again until the end of each work cycle. However, work cycles are often long, and the steam and feed liquid pressures fluctuate due to various factors. The nozzles cannot adapt well to these fluctuations, resulting in inconsistent spray quality. As manufacturing standards become increasingly stringent, consistent spray quality is becoming more and more crucial. Therefore, real-time adjustment of the feeding nozzles to maintain stable spray conditions is of great significance. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides a method for adjusting cigarette additive nozzles based on visual feedback, which solves the problems of inconvenience and untimely adjustment of nozzle spray during existing cigarette additive spraying, and can improve the uniformity of cigarette additive spray and the convenience of nozzle adjustment.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0005] A method for adjusting a cigarette feed nozzle based on visual feedback, comprising:

[0006] The first camera is set to take a long exposure photograph of the spray fan of liquid mist ejected from the feeding nozzle, so as to obtain a long exposure image of the boundary path of the spray fan.

[0007] A high-speed camera is set up to capture images of the liquid mist within the spray range of the feeding nozzle, in order to obtain images of the liquid particle size at high speed.

[0008] Based on the long exposure image and the liquid particle size image, determine whether the liquid mist sprayed from the feeding nozzle meets the set requirements;

[0009] If not, the feeding nozzle is adjusted by the adjustment mechanism so that the boundary path and particle size of the liquid mist sprayed by the feeding nozzle meet the preset requirements.

[0010] Preferably, the step of setting the first camera to perform long-exposure photography on the spray fan of the liquid mist ejected from the feeding nozzle includes:

[0011] Using the vertical plane containing the axis of the feeding nozzle as a reference plane, the optimal spray pattern of the liquid mist sprayed by the feeding nozzle is obtained;

[0012] A rectangular frame is defined above the optimal jet fan as the viewfinder of the first camera, so that the upper boundary of the optimal jet fan forms a diagonal path from bottom to top within the rectangular frame.

[0013] The upper part of the rectangle is empty, and a background board is set at a distance behind the rectangle. The first camera is set on the front side of the rectangle relative to the background board, and is used to acquire long exposure images within the rectangle.

[0014] Preferred options also include:

[0015] A controller is provided, which is signal-connected to the first camera, the high-speed camera, and the adjustment mechanism, respectively.

[0016] The first camera and the high-speed camera take pictures of their respective viewfinders at a set frequency, and send the long exposure images and liquid particle size images to the controller.

[0017] The controller controls the adjustment mechanism to adjust the spraying of the feeding nozzle based on the long exposure image and the particle size image of the liquid material.

[0018] Preferably, the step of determining whether the liquid mist sprayed by the feeding nozzle meets the set requirements based on the long exposure image and the liquid particle size image includes:

[0019] The controller stores a preset long exposure image and a preset liquid particle size image in the optimal state as reference images. After receiving the real-time long exposure image and the liquid particle size image, it compares them with the corresponding reference images to determine whether the boundary path of the feeding nozzle and the liquid particle size meet the set requirements.

[0020] Preferably, comparing the long-exposure image with the corresponding reference image includes:

[0021] The upper boundary path of the jet fan in the real-time long exposure image is parsed and compared with the upper boundary path in the corresponding reference image.

[0022] Preferably, comparing the long-exposure image with the corresponding reference image further includes:

[0023] A coordinate system based on the viewfinder is established, the coordinates of each point on the upper boundary path are analyzed, and then the coordinates of each point on the upper boundary in the real-time long exposure image and the corresponding reference image are compared.

[0024] Preferably, comparing the particle size image of the liquid feed with the corresponding reference image includes:

[0025] The particle size of the liquid material in the real-time particle size image is analyzed and compared with the particle size of the liquid material in the corresponding reference image.

[0026] Preferably, comparing the particle size image of the liquid feed with the corresponding reference image further includes:

[0027] Multiple consecutive images of the material liquid particle size are captured, and the particle size of the material liquid in each image is identified. The average value is then obtained and compared with the particle size of the material liquid in the corresponding reference image.

[0028] Preferably, the controller controls the adjustment mechanism to adjust the spraying of the feeding nozzle based on the long exposure image and the material particle size image, including:

[0029] When comparing the long exposure image with the corresponding reference image, if more than two-thirds of the area is lower than the upper boundary path in the reference image, it is determined that the pressure of the feeding nozzle is insufficient, and the controller controls the adjustment mechanism to increase the pressure of the feeding nozzle.

[0030] If more than two-thirds of the area is above the upper boundary path in the reference image, it is determined that the pressure of the feeding nozzle is too high, and the controller controls the adjustment mechanism to reduce the pressure of the feeding nozzle.

[0031] Preferably, the controller controls the adjustment mechanism to adjust the spraying of the feeding nozzle based on the long exposure image and the material particle size image, including:

[0032] When comparing the liquid particle size display with the corresponding reference display, if the average value of the liquid particle size in the liquid particle size display is greater than the preset liquid particle size value in the reference display, it is determined that the pressure of the feeding nozzle is insufficient, and the controller controls the adjustment mechanism to increase the pressure of the feeding nozzle.

[0033] If the average value is less than the preset material diameter value, it is determined that the pressure of the feeding nozzle is too high, and the controller controls the adjustment mechanism to reduce the pressure of the feeding nozzle.

[0034] This invention provides a visual feedback-based method for adjusting cigarette additive nozzles. A first camera with long-exposure capability captures a localized long-exposure image of the upper boundary of the nozzle's spray range. A high-speed camera captures images of the liquid particles within the spray range. The long-exposure image and the particle size images are then used to determine whether the liquid mist meets set requirements. An adjustment mechanism then adjusts the nozzle. This method solves the problems of inconvenience and untimely nozzle adjustment in existing cigarette additive spraying systems, improving the uniformity of the spray and the ease of nozzle adjustment. Attached Figure Description

[0035] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly described below.

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a cigarette feeding nozzle adjustment method based on visual feedback provided by the present invention.

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a real-time adjustment system for cigarette feeding nozzles with visual feedback, provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a real-time adjustment device for a cigarette feeding nozzle with visual feedback, provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0039] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the embodiments of the present invention, the embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and implementation methods.

[0040] To address the problems existing in current cigarette additive spray nozzle adjustment methods, this invention provides a visual feedback-based cigarette additive nozzle adjustment method. This method solves the inconvenience and untimely nature of current cigarette additive spray nozzle adjustment methods, improves the uniformity of cigarette additive spray, and enhances the convenience of nozzle adjustment.

[0041] like Figure 1As shown, a method for adjusting a cigarette feed nozzle based on visual feedback includes:

[0042] S1: Set the first camera to perform long exposure photography on the spray fan of the liquid mist sprayed by the feeding nozzle, so as to obtain a long exposure image of the boundary path of the spray fan.

[0043] S2: Set a high-speed camera to capture images of the liquid mist within the spray range of the feeding nozzle to obtain images of the liquid particle size at high speed.

[0044] S3: Determine whether the liquid mist sprayed by the feeding nozzle meets the set requirements based on the long exposure image and the liquid particle size image.

[0045] S4: If not, adjust the feeding nozzle through the adjustment mechanism so that the boundary path and particle size of the liquid mist sprayed by the feeding nozzle meet the preset requirements.

[0046] Specifically, such as Figure 2 As shown, a first camera 3 with long exposure photography capability, a high-speed camera 4, and an adjustment mechanism 5 for adjusting the nozzle valve core and sleeve are employed. Using the vertical plane containing the axis of nozzle 1 as a reference plane, a rectangular frame 6 is defined above the optimal spray pattern of the liquid mist ejected by the nozzle, serving as the viewfinder 6 of the first camera. The upper boundary 7 of the optimal spray pattern passes through a path approximately diagonally from bottom to top within the rectangular frame. The upper part of the rectangular frame is left unused, and a background plate is positioned far behind the rectangular frame. The first camera 3 is positioned in front of the rectangular frame relative to the background plate to capture long exposure images within the rectangular frame. The viewfinder 8 of the high-speed camera is positioned within the spray range of the liquid mist near the smoke screen, and the high-speed camera is used to capture images of the liquid particle size at high speed.

[0047] like Figure 3 As shown, the adjustment mechanism 5 has two sets of drive mechanisms for the valve core adjusting nut and the interlocking adjusting nut, which are respectively linked to the nozzle. The adjustment mechanism includes a valve core adjusting motor 51, an interlocking adjusting motor 52, a first angular displacement sensor 53, a second angular displacement sensor 54, and a high-precision transmission belt 55. Both the valve core adjusting motor 51 and the interlocking adjusting motor 52 are high-precision stepper motors. The valve core adjusting motor 51 is connected to the valve core adjusting nut 56 via the high-precision transmission belt 55. The first angular displacement sensor 53 is installed at the end of the valve core adjusting nut 56. The interlocking adjusting motor 52 is connected to the interlocking adjusting nut 57 via the high-precision transmission belt 55. The second angular displacement sensor 54 is installed at the end of the interlocking adjusting nut 57.

[0048] Furthermore, a controller is provided, which is signal-connected to the first camera, the high-speed camera, and the adjustment mechanism, respectively;

[0049] The first camera and the high-speed camera take pictures of their respective viewfinders at a set frequency, and send the long exposure images and liquid particle size images to the controller.

[0050] The controller controls the adjustment mechanism to adjust the spraying of the feeding nozzle based on the long exposure image and the particle size image of the liquid material.

[0051] This method leverages the natural law that the upper boundary of the liquid mist sprayed from the nozzle changes with pressure. Using a first camera with long-exposure capability, long-exposure images are captured of the upper boundary. These images capture the trajectory of rapidly moving points, accurately depicting the upper boundary's outline. This avoids the complex algorithm required by the controller to simulate the boundary by capturing liquid particles, reducing the computational burden on the controller and providing sufficient data for boundary identification. By comparing the outline with a reference image, the nozzle is adaptively adjusted to address changes in spray state caused by variations in liquid or steam pressure within a cycle. This also reduces the workload of precise nozzle adjustments before installation, allowing the nozzle to be adjusted to a uniform state, such as zero mark. After installation, the system automatically completes the adjustment.

[0052] Furthermore, feedback adjustment is carried out through the following steps:

[0053] The first camera and the high-speed camera take pictures of their respective viewfinders at a set frequency, and send the long exposure images and liquid particle size images to the controller.

[0054] In one embodiment, the long exposure time can be set to about 0.5-1 second. The purpose is to allow the high-speed ejected liquid particles to appear as a streamline shape in the image under the effect of long exposure, forming a relatively obvious outline at the upper boundary 7 of the spray fan. Since the pressure at this point is still relatively high, the liquid will not be disturbed by the environment and will not spread out. Therefore, the outline will not appear to be swollen and irregular. If the selected viewfinder position is affected by the diffusion of the liquid and the appearance of the boundary line under ideal conditions, the viewfinder can be moved closer to the nozzle 1 until the boundary outline is relatively clear.

[0055] Furthermore, the controller stores the long exposure image and the liquid particle size image under the optimal state as reference images. After receiving the real-time long exposure image and the liquid particle size image, it compares them with the reference images. The reference images are the images when they are manually adjusted to the optimal state, and they are recorded and used as standard images for comparison.

[0056] Furthermore, the long-exposure footage is compared: the upper boundary path of the jet fan in the real-time long-exposure footage is analyzed and compared with the upper boundary path in the reference image. If more than two-thirds of the area is lower than the upper boundary path in the reference image, it indicates that the pressure is too weak. The controller controls the adjustment mechanism to increase the pressure of the nozzle valve core and sleeve respectively. At the same time, the shooting frequency of the first camera is increased until more than two-thirds of the area is near the upper boundary path in the reference image, and then the adjustment stops. If more than two-thirds of the area is higher than the upper boundary path in the reference image, it indicates that the pressure is too strong. Conversely, the pressure is reduced until more than two-thirds of the area is near the upper boundary path in the reference image, and then the adjustment stops.

[0057] Specifically, for the comparison of the upper boundary, firstly, a coordinate system based on the viewfinder is established, and the coordinates of each point on the upper boundary are analyzed. Then, the coordinates of each point on the upper boundary in the real-time image and the reference image are compared. In other words, the viewfinder is a rectangle, which makes it relatively easy to form a coordinate system. Under pressure, the outline is actually a relatively smooth curve, and the coordinates of each point on the curve can be clearly obtained, and even the function of the curve can be obtained.

[0058] In addition, for the comparison of the upper boundary, a certain deviation threshold needs to be set. For example, if the fluctuation range is set to 5% above and below, no adjustment is required. This is because in daily life, there are many factors that interfere with the reproduction of an identical upper boundary contour, which is difficult. With a 5% tolerance margin, the control precision can be reduced, the control frequency can be decreased, and the stability of the spraying can be guaranteed.

[0059] For particle size, a high-speed camera is used to capture the size of water mist particles near the smoke screen. By comparing the particle size with that in the reference image, the particle size of the liquid can be obtained, which reflects the change between the liquid particles and the pressure. This information is then fed back to the controller to make corresponding adjustments to the nozzles.

[0060] Furthermore, the particle size of the liquid is compared: the real-time particle size of the liquid is analyzed and compared with the particle size of the reference image. If the average particle size is too large, it indicates that the pressure is too weak. The controller controls the adjustment mechanism to increase the pressure of the nozzle valve core and sleeve respectively. At the same time, the shooting frequency of the high-speed camera is increased until the liquid particle size in the real-time image decreases to close to that in the reference image, and then the adjustment stops. If the average particle size is too small, it indicates that the pressure is too strong. Conversely, the pressure is reduced until the liquid particle size in the real-time image increases to close to that in the reference image, and then the adjustment stops.

[0061] Specifically, the viewfinder of the high-speed camera is set at the edge of the liquid mist near the smoke screen. The liquid mist is sparsely distributed. The high-speed camera captures 3-5 consecutive images, identifies the liquid particle size in each image, and takes the average value.

[0062] At the smoke screen, since the liquid material has reached the required attachment point, the liquid particles here reflect the actual required liquid particles. Due to the sufficient pressure release here, many liquid particles are suspended in the air, making it easy for a high-speed camera to capture a large number of slow-moving liquid particles. Furthermore, because the liquid material diffuses to its maximum extent here, its distribution is sparse, and the overlapping part is reduced, making it easy to identify the liquid particles from the image and calculate their volume.

[0063] After adjustment, the controller controls the high-speed camera and the first camera to reduce the shooting frequency and enter monitoring mode.

[0064] Furthermore, to improve the system's energy efficiency, a database is also provided. The controller summarizes the particle size data, coordinate data of each point on the upper boundary, adjustment data of the regulating mechanism, and pressure data of the liquid feed pipeline and steam pipeline obtained from the real-time images. This data is then fitted with a curve over time, creating a change curve for each cycle and storing it in the database to construct a time-dependent periodic adjustment model. When the high-speed camera and the first camera malfunction or stop working, the parameters of the regulating mechanism are adjusted based on the change curve of the periodic adjustment model, using time as the basis. In other words, the system adjusts the nozzle in real-time based on a model generated from historically recorded data. Its advantage lies in the continuous updating of system data, which can solve the problem of inaccurate reference images caused by hardware deformation or wear, thus automating the system's adjustment function.

[0065] As can be seen, this invention provides a method for adjusting cigarette additive nozzles based on visual feedback. A first camera with long-exposure capability captures a localized long-exposure image of the upper boundary of the nozzle's spray range. A high-speed camera captures images of the liquid particles within the spray range. The long-exposure image and the liquid particle size image are then used to determine whether the liquid mist meets the set requirements. An adjustment mechanism then adjusts the additive nozzle. This solves the problems of inconvenience and untimely nozzle adjustment in existing cigarette additive spraying methods, improving the uniformity of the cigarette additive spray and enhancing the convenience of nozzle adjustment.

[0066] The structure, features, and effects of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the embodiments shown in the figures. The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the scope of implementation shown in the figures. Any changes made in accordance with the concept of the present invention, or equivalent embodiments modified to have equivalent changes, shall be within the protection scope of the present invention as long as they do not exceed the spirit covered by the specification and figures.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting a cigarette feed nozzle based on visual feedback, characterized in that, include: The first camera is set to take a long exposure photograph of the spray fan of liquid mist ejected from the feeding nozzle, so as to obtain a long exposure image of the boundary path of the spray fan. A high-speed camera is set up to capture images of the liquid mist within the spray range of the feeding nozzle, in order to obtain images of the liquid particle size at high speed. Based on the long exposure image and the liquid particle size image, determine whether the liquid mist sprayed from the feeding nozzle meets the set requirements; If not, the feeding nozzle is adjusted by the adjustment mechanism so that the boundary path and particle size of the liquid mist sprayed by the feeding nozzle meet the preset requirements; The setting of the first camera to perform long-exposure photography on the spray fan of the liquid mist ejected from the feeding nozzle includes: Using the vertical plane containing the axis of the feeding nozzle as a reference plane, the optimal spray pattern of the liquid mist sprayed by the feeding nozzle is obtained; A rectangular frame is defined above the optimal jet fan as the viewfinder of the first camera, so that the upper boundary of the optimal jet fan forms a diagonal path from bottom to top within the rectangular frame. The upper part of the rectangle is empty, and a background board is set at a distance behind the rectangle. The first camera is set on the front side of the rectangle relative to the background board, and is used to acquire long exposure images within the rectangle. The step of determining whether the liquid mist sprayed by the feeding nozzle meets the set requirements based on the long exposure image and the liquid particle size image includes: Using the preset long exposure image and preset liquid particle size image stored in the optimal state as reference images, after receiving the real-time long exposure image and liquid particle size image, they are compared with the corresponding reference images to determine whether the boundary path of the feeding nozzle body and the liquid particle size meet the set requirements. The comparison between the long exposure image and the corresponding reference image includes: The upper boundary path of the jet fan in the real-time long exposure image is parsed and compared with the upper boundary path in the corresponding reference image.

2. The method for adjusting a cigarette feed nozzle based on visual feedback according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A controller is provided, which is signal-connected to the first camera, the high-speed camera, and the adjustment mechanism, respectively. The first camera and the high-speed camera take pictures of their respective viewfinders at a set frequency, and send the long exposure images and liquid particle size images to the controller. The controller controls the adjustment mechanism to adjust the spraying of the feeding nozzle based on the long exposure image and the particle size image of the liquid material.

3. The method for adjusting cigarette feed nozzles based on visual feedback according to claim 2, characterized in that, The comparison of the long exposure image with the corresponding reference image also includes: A coordinate system based on the viewfinder is established, the coordinates of each point on the upper boundary path are analyzed, and then the coordinates of each point on the upper boundary in the real-time long exposure image and the corresponding reference image are compared.

4. The method for adjusting a cigarette feed nozzle based on visual feedback according to claim 3, characterized in that, The particle size distribution of the liquid material is compared with the corresponding reference distribution, including: The particle size of the liquid material in the real-time particle size image is analyzed and compared with the particle size of the liquid material in the corresponding reference image.

5. The method for adjusting a cigarette feed nozzle based on visual feedback according to claim 4, characterized in that, The comparison of the particle size image of the liquid material with the corresponding reference image also includes: Multiple consecutive images of the material liquid particle size are captured, and the particle size of the material liquid in each image is identified. The average value is then obtained and compared with the particle size of the material liquid in the corresponding reference image.

6. The method for adjusting a cigarette feed nozzle based on visual feedback according to claim 5, characterized in that, The controller controls the adjustment mechanism to adjust the spraying of the feeding nozzle based on the long exposure image and the material particle size image, including: When comparing the long exposure image with the corresponding reference image, if more than two-thirds of the area is lower than the upper boundary path in the reference image, it is determined that the pressure of the feeding nozzle is insufficient, and the controller controls the adjustment mechanism to increase the pressure of the feeding nozzle. If more than two-thirds of the area is above the upper boundary path in the reference image, it is determined that the pressure of the feeding nozzle is too high, and the controller controls the adjustment mechanism to reduce the pressure of the feeding nozzle.

7. The method for adjusting a cigarette feed nozzle based on visual feedback according to claim 6, characterized in that, The controller controls the adjustment mechanism to adjust the spraying of the feeding nozzle based on the long exposure image and the material particle size image, including: When comparing the liquid particle size display with the corresponding reference display, if the average value of the liquid particle size in the liquid particle size display is greater than the preset liquid particle size value in the reference display, it is determined that the pressure of the feeding nozzle is insufficient, and the controller controls the adjustment mechanism to increase the pressure of the feeding nozzle. If the average value is less than the preset material diameter value, it is determined that the pressure of the feeding nozzle is too high, and the controller controls the adjustment mechanism to reduce the pressure of the feeding nozzle.

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