A method for improving the quality stability of a cigar blank

Abstract

The application provides a method for improving the quality stability of a cigar blank, which is monitored through the following steps: a processor acquires the real-time flow of tobacco sheet raw materials and the dispersion degree of the tobacco sheet raw materials in a current material chute; feedback adjustment is performed through the following steps: the processor pre-adjusts the vibration parameters of the vibration mechanism by comparing whether there is a difference between the real-time flow and the set flow; the processor acquires the dispersion condition of the current tobacco sheet raw materials through a tobacco sheet raw material distribution identification module, if the dispersion condition is not up to standard, the vibration parameters of the vibration mechanism are fine-adjusted until the dispersion condition meets the set requirement, if the dispersion condition is up to standard, no adjustment is performed; meanwhile, the material chute pre-adjusts the compression frequency of a compression mold of a downstream forming groove according to the real-time flow of the tobacco sheet raw materials. The method has the advantages of being capable of realizing real-time monitoring and feedback adjustment, controlling the dispersion uniformity of the tobacco sheet raw materials and ensuring the quality stability of the cigar blank.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cigar roll processing technology, and more specifically, to a method for improving the quality stability of mechanical cigar rolls. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the raw material supply for domestic cigar rolling machines mainly uses a conveyor belt with climbing nails. The raw tobacco sheets in the equipment's hopper are lifted and transported to the top of the belt. At the top of the belt, the rotating feed roller peels off the raw tobacco sheets. Under the action of gravity, the raw tobacco sheets slide down through a smooth material chute, realizing a free-fall feeding system for the rolling machine. The material slides into the forming trough, where it is compressed and shaped by a compression mold, and then conveyed to the cigar gun to wrap the cigar sleeve. This process is closely related to the stability of the feeding flow rate and the uniformity of the feed roller.

[0003] Analysis of the current equipment operation process shows that the material feeding speed of the conveyor belt, the running speed of the feeding roller, and the material uniformity of the material chute all restrict the compression and shaping effect of the downstream forming trough.

[0004] From the perspective of material characteristics, the tobacco sheet raw material of cigars is significantly larger in volume than the tobacco shreds of traditional cigarettes, and there is also a certain degree of curling in some areas. In addition, different batches of materials will have certain differences in dryness, thickness and oiliness due to the differences in raw material characteristics. This makes it more difficult to control the uniformity of the material flow into the forming tank compared to traditional tobacco.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, people have been seeking an ideal technological solution. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings of existing technologies by providing a method for improving the quality stability of cigar rolls, which enables real-time monitoring and feedback adjustment, controls the uniformity of tobacco raw material dispersion, and ensures the stability of cigar roll quality.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a method for improving the quality stability of machine-made cigar roll blanks. Monitoring is performed using the following steps: The processor connects to the built-in belt scale in the belt conveyor to obtain the real-time flow rate of the tobacco sheet raw material; A tobacco raw material distribution identification module is set up based on the material chute to identify the degree of dispersion of tobacco raw materials in the current material chute; Feedback adjustment is performed through the following steps: The surface of the material chute is provided with several equalizing plates for diverting the passing tobacco raw materials. A vibration mechanism is installed on the back of the material chute to disperse the tobacco raw materials by vibration. The processor compares the real-time flow rate with the set flow rate. If there is a difference, it pre-adjusts the vibration parameters of the vibration mechanism based on the time it takes for the material at the belt scale to reach the material chute. If there is no difference, it does not adjust the parameters. When the raw tobacco leaves arrive at the material chute, the processor obtains the current dispersion status of the raw tobacco leaves through the raw tobacco leaf distribution identification module. If the dispersion status is not up to standard, the processor controls the vibration parameters of the vibration mechanism to make fine adjustments until the dispersion status meets the set requirements. If the dispersion status meets the standards, no adjustment is made. Meanwhile, the material chute pre-adjusts the compression frequency of the downstream forming tank compression mold based on the real-time flow rate of the tobacco sheet raw material.

[0008] This invention monitors the real-time flow rate and dispersion of tobacco raw materials in the material chute, then adjusts the vibration parameters of the material chute based on the monitoring results, and controls the compression frequency of the forming trough compression mold based on the flow rate data. Through systematic front-to-back adjustment and adaptation, real-time dispersion control of the raw materials is finally achieved, which can ensure the forming uniformity of the compression mold in the downstream cigar forming trough, thereby ensuring the quality stability of the cigar roll blank.

[0009] Based on the above, the tobacco raw material distribution identification module identifies the dispersion of tobacco raw materials using the following methods: A vision system and multi-point distributed laser displacement sensors are set up for the corresponding material chute to form the tobacco raw material identification module. The vision system is used to obtain the current distribution of tobacco raw materials in the material chute. The thickness of the material at different sampling points is detected by using laser displacement sensors distributed at multiple points. At the same time, the images of these points are analyzed by a vision system, and the results measured by the laser displacement sensors are cross-validated to determine the density information of these sampling points. Then, based on the distribution of the raw tobacco flakes and the density information at each sampling point, the dispersion of the raw tobacco flakes is calculated.

[0010] Based on the relatively large size and easily curled edges of the tobacco sheet raw materials, a dual-system composite identification method is adopted to identify their distribution. The vision system is responsible for identifying the distribution based on the material chute, which can be determined by the difference between the color of the tobacco sheet raw materials and the color of the material chute. Furthermore, by combining the vision system and the laser displacement sensor, the stacking condition (density) of the tobacco sheet raw materials at each sampling point is identified, thus completing the distribution of tobacco sheet raw materials based on density distribution, which can actually reflect the uniformity of distribution.

[0011] Based on the above, the process by which the vision system analyzes the image at each sampling point is as follows: Based on the sampling coordinates of the laser displacement sensor, the corresponding positions are marked in the acquired real-time images, and the sampling range is expanded to the set sampling range with the sampling point as the origin. Identify the number of material edges of the raw tobacco sheets within the sampling range to determine the stacking status of the raw tobacco sheets at the current location; Identify the edge curling parameters of the raw tobacco sheet within the sampling range to determine the fluffiness of the raw tobacco sheet at the current location; Based on the results of stacking and fluffiness, the material density at the current sampling point is determined by fitting the results measured by the laser displacement sensor.

[0012] This process utilizes the relatively large size, clear and continuous edges of the raw tobacco sheets, as well as the fact that the curled positions are usually at the corners, for identification. When there are many edge lines identified, it indicates that there are many stacked materials and the density is high. When there are many curled edges and a large curling diameter, it means that although the current stack height is high, it is due to the support of the curled material, which has a certain degree of looseness. This indicates that the density at the current position is low, and the data measured by the laser displacement sensor needs to be corrected to obtain a more accurate value.

[0013] Based on the above, the processor divides the current tobacco raw material into zones according to the distribution of sampling points, and the material density of the tobacco raw material in each zone is determined based on the material density at the sampling point.

[0014] This step is to simplify the processing. The principle is that the size of the tobacco sheet raw material is relatively large, and the situation of its sampling point can represent the distribution of a certain range around it. Moreover, the material is in a vibration mode at all times, so it is not easy for there to be huge differences between areas. Therefore, the sampling point to represent the current area mode is suitable for the detection needs of tobacco sheet raw material. On the contrary, it is obviously not suitable for the tobacco flow of traditional cigarettes.

[0015] Based on the above, when the difference in material density between two adjacent regions exceeds a set threshold, the two regions are merged and the average of their material densities is taken as the material density of the two regions.

[0016] When a situation occurs that exceeds the set range, the average value is used to eliminate the difference.

[0017] Based on the above, the vibration mechanism is a pneumatic vibration mechanism, which includes a first vibration component and a second vibration component installed at different heights on the back of the material chute. The air source unit is connected to the first vibration component and the second vibration component through a gas pipeline and a pneumatic control valve, respectively, to operate at different vibration frequencies, so as to drive the upper and lower parts of the material chute to vibrate and uniformly distribute the cigar tobacco raw materials.

[0018] Using pneumatic vibration is relatively simpler and easier to adjust, and the modification and control are relatively easier.

[0019] Based on the above, the processor controls the vibration frequency of the first vibration component to be higher than that of the second vibration component, and controls the vibration amplitude of the first vibration component to be less than that of the second vibration component. The first vibration component is set to be higher than that of the second vibration component.

[0020] Among them, the first vibration component of high-frequency micro-vibration is responsible for breaking up temporary bridging, blockage, and segregation in the tobacco sheet material flow, while the second vibration component of low-frequency strong vibration is responsible for promoting the overall slippage of the tobacco sheet raw material.

[0021] Based on the above, the front end of the uniform material plate is a triangle with rounded corners, the rear end is a rectangle, and the overall shape is similar to a boat. The front end of the uniform material plate faces the top inlet side of the material chute, and the axis of the uniform material plate is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the material chute.

[0022] Based on the above, the material leveling plate is arranged in multiple rows from the inlet side to the outlet side, with equal spacing between the material leveling plates in the same row, and adjacent rows of material leveling plates are staggered in the horizontal direction.

[0023] Based on the above, the uniform material plate has a thickness gradient structure with the front end thickness being less than the rear end thickness, and the front end thickness of the uniform material plate is ≤1mm.

[0024] The design of the equalizing plate makes it easier for the material to be diverted and split. The triangular structure at the front acts as a divider, while the rectangular structure at the rear initiates the flow guidance and isolation function. Through step-by-step diversion and splitting, the flow rates of the final output cigar tobacco raw materials are made to be close to each other. The front end of the equalizing plate is thinner and closer to the material chute, preventing the material from being blocked by the equalizing plate.

[0025] This invention has outstanding substantive features and significant progress compared to the prior art. Specifically, this invention utilizes a systematic control method of monitoring, feedback, and adjustment to adjust the real-time operation of the material chute. Specifically, this invention can monitor the flow rate and distribution of tobacco raw materials on the conveyor belt in real time, and adjust the vibration parameters of the vibration uniformization process in real time. This realizes online control of the uniformity of tobacco raw materials when they fall into the material chute, and can dynamically adjust the uniformity of tobacco raw material falling, thereby improving the uniformity of tobacco density distribution in the forming trough and further improving the quality stability of machine-made cigar roll blanks. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a control flowchart of the method for improving the quality stability of mechanical cigar roll blanks in this invention.

[0027] Figure 2This is a diagram showing the material handling and equipment distribution for improving the quality stability of cigar roll blanks in this invention.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the distribution of the material leveling plate on the surface of the material chute in this invention.

[0029] In the diagram: 1. Belt scale; 2. Belt conveyor; 3. Material roller; 4. Material chute; 5. Equalizing plate; 6. First vibration assembly; 7. Second vibration assembly; 8. Forming trough; 9. Pneumatic control valve; 10. Air source unit; 11. Gas pipeline; 12. Processor; 41. Vision system; 42. Laser displacement sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below through specific embodiments.

[0031] like Figures 1-3 As shown, a method for improving the quality stability of machine-made cigar roll blanks involves monitoring through the following steps: The processor is connected to the built-in belt scale 1 in the belt conveyor 2 to obtain the real-time flow rate of the tobacco sheet raw material. The belt scale 1 is an integral structure of the belt conveyor 2. It works by using several weighing rollers in conjunction with the belt scale to weigh the tobacco sheet raw material passing through in real time.

[0032] A tobacco raw material distribution identification module is set up based on the material chute 4 to identify the degree of dispersion of tobacco raw materials in the current material chute.

[0033] Specifically, in this embodiment, a vision system 41 and multi-point distributed laser displacement sensors 42 are set for the material chute to form the tobacco raw material identification module.

[0034] The visual system 41 acquires the current distribution of tobacco raw materials in the material chute. The technical principle is based on the distribution of the material chute. This recognition process can be determined by the difference between the color of the tobacco raw materials and the color of the material chute. This judgment system can be trained into a model in the system to improve its recognition efficiency and accuracy.

[0035] The thickness of the material at different sampling points is detected by using laser displacement sensors 42 distributed at multiple points. The principle is to determine the thickness of the tobacco raw material based on the distance from the surface of the material collected at the sampling point to the laser displacement sensor 42.

[0036] Because the raw tobacco sheets are relatively large and their edges are easily curled, when the raw tobacco sheets are stacked, some sheets may be densely stacked while others are relatively loose due to curling, resulting in a thicker sheet. This can cause errors in the recognition of thickness. Therefore, a vision system can be introduced to analyze the images of these points.

[0037] Specifically, the process by which the vision system analyzes the image at each sampling point is as follows: Based on the sampling coordinates of the laser displacement sensor 42, the corresponding positions are marked in the acquired real-time image, and the sampling range is expanded to the set sampling range with the sampling point as the origin. Ideally, each sampling range should be adjacent to each other.

[0038] The number of material edges of the raw tobacco sheets within the sampling range is identified to determine the stacking status of the raw tobacco sheets at the current location. Since most raw tobacco sheets are large in volume and surface area with clear edge structures, the approximate quantity of raw tobacco sheets can be determined by identifying the number of edge structures, thereby estimating the approximate quantity of raw tobacco sheets.

[0039] Furthermore, the material edge curling parameters of the raw tobacco sheet within the sampling range are identified to determine the fluffiness of the raw tobacco sheet at the current position. When the edge of the tobacco sheet pigment curls, a certain thickness is provided at the curling position after the tobacco sheets are stacked, which causes the thickness detection at these positions to have false readings, affecting the accuracy of the judgment.

[0040] Based on the results of stacking and fluffiness, the material density at the current sampling point is determined by fitting the results measured by the laser displacement sensor.

[0041] In other words, when the stacking is relatively dense, the thickness data measured by the laser displacement sensor is used as the standard, and the vision system assists in calibration; when there is a gap due to curling, it is necessary to estimate based on the parameter data of the edge curling detected by the vision system, and then subtract the error data caused by curling from the actual thickness data measured by the laser displacement sensor to obtain the actual density data (or the thickness data after compaction to eliminate curling).

[0042] In this way, under the action of the dual system, the vision system 41 cross-validates the results measured by the laser displacement sensor 42 to determine the density information of these sampling points. Then, based on the distribution of the raw tobacco flakes and the density information at each sampling point, the dispersion of the raw tobacco flakes is calculated.

[0043] In terms of overall setup, the processor divides the current tobacco raw material into zones based on the distribution of sampling points. The material density of the tobacco raw material in each zone is determined based on the material density at the sampling point. When the difference in material density between two adjacent zones exceeds a set threshold, the two zones are merged, and the average material density is taken as the material density of the two zones.

[0044] After the above testing process is completed, feedback adjustment is performed through the following steps: The surface of the material chute 4 is provided with several equalizing plates 5 for diverting the passing tobacco raw materials. The back of the material chute 4 is equipped with a vibration mechanism for dispersing the tobacco raw materials by vibration.

[0045] Specifically, the vibration mechanism is a pneumatic vibration mechanism, which includes a first vibration component 6 and a second vibration component 7 installed at different heights on the back of the material chute. The air source unit 10 is connected to the first vibration component 6 and the second vibration component 7 through the gas pipeline 11 and the pneumatic control valve 9, respectively, to operate at different vibration frequencies, so as to drive the upper and lower parts of the material chute 4 to vibrate and uniformly distribute the cigar tobacco raw materials by the first vibration component 6 and the second vibration component 7.

[0046] In the specific vibration frequency design, the processor controls the vibration frequency of the first vibration component 6 to be higher than that of the second vibration component 7, and controls the vibration amplitude of the first vibration component 6 to be less than that of the second vibration component 7. The first vibration component 6 is set higher than that of the second vibration component 7.

[0047] Among them, the first vibration component of high-frequency micro-vibration is responsible for breaking up temporary bridging, blockage, and segregation in the tobacco sheet material flow, while the second vibration component of low-frequency strong vibration is responsible for promoting the overall slippage of the tobacco sheet raw material.

[0048] The front end of the uniform material plate 5 is a triangle with rounded corners, and the rear end is a rectangle, with an overall shape similar to a boat. The front end of the uniform material plate faces the top inlet side of the material chute, and the axis of the uniform material plate is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the material chute.

[0049] In terms of distribution, the material leveling plate is arranged in multiple rows from the inlet side to the outlet side, with equal spacing between the material leveling plates in the same row, and adjacent rows of material leveling plates are staggered in the horizontal direction. The material leveling plate has a thickness gradient structure with the front end thickness being less than the rear end thickness, and the front end thickness of the material leveling plate is ≤1mm. The processor compares the real-time flow rate with the set flow rate. If there is a difference, it pre-adjusts the vibration parameters of the vibration mechanism based on the time it takes for the material at the belt scale to reach the material chute. If there is no difference, it does not adjust the parameters.

[0050] When the real-time material flow rate is low, the material's travel speed can be appropriately reduced by decreasing the frequency and amplitude of the second vibration component 7. When the real-time material flow rate is high, the material's travel speed can be increased by increasing the frequency and amplitude of the second vibration component 7. In this embodiment, the vibration frequency of the second vibration component 7 is adjustable within the range of 15-50 Hz.

[0051] When the material flow rate is small, the vibration frequency of the second vibration component 7 is 15Hz; when the material flow rate is large, the material flow rate is compared with the set standard flow rate range, and the vibration frequency of the second vibration component 7 is adjusted to 35Hz.

[0052] When the raw tobacco leaves arrive at the material chute, the processor obtains the current dispersion status of the raw tobacco leaves through the raw tobacco leaf distribution identification module. If the dispersion status is not up to standard, the processor controls the vibration parameters of the vibration mechanism to make fine adjustments until the dispersion status meets the set requirements. If the dispersion status meets the requirements, no adjustment is made. This adjustment mainly adjusts the parameters of the first vibration component 6. The first vibration component 6 is then adjusted according to the material's travel speed to meet the uniform material requirements at the current speed.

[0053] Meanwhile, the material chute pre-adjusts the compression frequency of the compression mold in the downstream forming trough 8 according to the real-time flow rate of the tobacco sheet raw material, so that the mass of the tobacco sheet raw material compressed in each forming action is approximately the same.

[0054] Using the method of this invention, the uniformity of the tobacco raw material in the material chute 4 is significantly improved. The quality of the rolled tobacco blanks before and after the adjustment of the vibration uniformizing device of the cigar roll machine is tested. After the uniformizing strength is adjusted, the average density of the rolled tobacco blanks decreases by 1.89%, the axial deviation of the density decreases by 5.14%, that is, the axial stability is improved by 5.14%, and the density consistency characteristic value η decreases by 3.41%, that is, the density consistency is improved by 3.41%. After the uniformizing strength is adjusted, the coefficient of variation of the suction resistance of the rolled tobacco blanks decreases by 9.01%, that is, the suction resistance stability is improved by 9.01%, and the pass rate is improved by 8.89%.

[0055] The method for improving the quality stability of machine-made cigar roll blanks described in this invention achieves online control of the uniformity of tobacco leaf raw material as it slides down the material chute, dynamically adjusts the uniformity of tobacco leaf raw material falling, makes the tobacco leaf raw material fall more evenly, improves the uniformity of tobacco leaf density distribution in the forming trough, and improves the uniformity of tobacco leaf density distribution, axial stability of tobacco density, stability of tobacco draw resistance, and pass rate in the rolled tobacco strip, thereby improving the quality stability of tobacco roll blanks from machine-made cigar roll blank machines.

[0056] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the specific implementation of the present invention or equivalent substitutions can be made to some technical features without departing from the spirit of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications and substitutions should be covered within the scope of the technical solutions claimed in the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for improving the quality stability of machine-made cigar roll blanks, characterized in that: Monitoring is performed using the following steps: The processor connects to the built-in belt scale in the belt conveyor to obtain the real-time flow rate of the tobacco sheet raw material; A tobacco raw material distribution identification module is set up based on the material chute to identify the degree of dispersion of tobacco raw materials in the current material chute; Feedback adjustment is performed through the following steps: The surface of the material chute is provided with several equalizing plates for diverting the passing tobacco raw materials. A vibration mechanism is installed on the back of the material chute to disperse the tobacco raw materials by vibration. The processor compares the real-time flow rate with the set flow rate. If there is a difference, it pre-adjusts the vibration parameters of the vibration mechanism based on the time it takes for the material at the belt scale to reach the material chute. If there is no difference, it does not adjust the parameters. When the raw tobacco leaves arrive at the material chute, the processor obtains the current dispersion status of the raw tobacco leaves through the raw tobacco leaf distribution identification module. If the dispersion status is not up to standard, the processor controls the vibration parameters of the vibration mechanism to make fine adjustments until the dispersion status meets the set requirements. If the dispersion status meets the standards, no adjustment is made. Meanwhile, the material chute pre-adjusts the compression frequency of the downstream forming tank compression mold based on the real-time flow rate of the tobacco sheet raw material.

2. The method for improving the quality stability of machine-made cigar roll blanks according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tobacco raw material distribution identification module identifies the dispersion of tobacco raw materials using the following methods: A vision system and multi-point distributed laser displacement sensors are set up for the corresponding material chute to form the tobacco raw material identification module. The vision system is used to obtain the current distribution of tobacco raw materials in the material chute. The thickness of the material at different sampling points is detected by using laser displacement sensors distributed at multiple points. At the same time, the images of these points are analyzed by a vision system, and the results measured by the laser displacement sensors are cross-validated to determine the density information of these sampling points. Then, based on the distribution of the raw tobacco flakes and the density information at each sampling point, the dispersion of the raw tobacco flakes is calculated.

3. The method for improving the quality stability of machine-made cigar roll blanks according to claim 2, characterized in that: The process by which the vision system analyzes the image at each sampling point is as follows: Based on the sampling coordinates of the laser displacement sensor, the corresponding positions are marked in the acquired real-time images, and the sampling range is expanded to the set range with the sampling point as the origin. Identify the number of material edges of the raw tobacco sheets within the sampling range to determine the stacking status of the raw tobacco sheets at the current location; Identify the edge curling parameters of the raw tobacco sheet within the sampling range to determine the fluffiness of the raw tobacco sheet at the current location; Based on the results of stacking and fluffiness, the material density at the current sampling point is determined by fitting the results measured by the laser displacement sensor.

4. The method for improving the quality stability of machine-made cigar roll blanks according to claim 2, characterized in that: The processor divides the current tobacco raw material into zones based on the distribution of sampling points, and the material density of the tobacco raw material in each zone is determined based on the material density at the sampling point.

5. The method for improving the quality stability of machine-made cigar roll blanks according to claim 4, characterized in that: When the difference in material density between two adjacent regions exceeds a set threshold, the two regions are merged and the average of their material densities is taken as the material density of the two regions.

6. The method for improving the quality stability of machine-made cigar roll blanks according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vibration mechanism is a pneumatic vibration mechanism, which includes a first vibration component and a second vibration component installed at different heights on the back of the material chute. The air source unit is connected to the first vibration component and the second vibration component through a gas pipeline and a pneumatic control valve, respectively, to operate at different vibration frequencies, so as to drive the upper and lower parts of the material chute to vibrate and evenly distribute the cigar tobacco raw materials.

7. The method for improving the quality stability of machine-made cigar roll blanks according to claim 6, characterized in that: The processor controls the vibration frequency of the first vibration component to be higher than that of the second vibration component, and controls the vibration amplitude of the first vibration component to be less than that of the second vibration component. The first vibration component is set to be higher than that of the second vibration component.

8. The method for improving the quality stability of machine-made cigar roll blanks according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front end of the material leveling plate is a triangle with rounded corners, and the rear end is a rectangle, with an overall shape similar to a boat. The front end of the material leveling plate faces the top inlet side of the material chute, and the axis of the material leveling plate is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the material chute.

9. The method for improving the quality stability of machine-made cigar roll blanks according to claim 8, characterized in that: The material leveling plate is arranged in multiple rows from the inlet side to the outlet side, with equal spacing between the material leveling plates in the same row, and adjacent rows of material leveling plates are staggered in the horizontal direction.

10. The method for improving the quality stability of mechanical cigar roll blanks according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that: The uniform material plate has a thickness gradient structure with a front end thickness smaller than the rear end thickness, and the front end thickness of the uniform material plate is ≤1mm.

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