A cigarette appearance detection device
By employing synchronously rotating drums and multi-angle visual inspection modules in the cigarette appearance inspection equipment, the problem of detection lag in ultra-high-speed cigarette making and packaging equipment has been solved, achieving efficient and accurate cigarette appearance inspection, preventing the inflow of substandard cigarettes, and reducing resource waste and consumption of manpower and materials.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- CHENGDU CHUANGRUN MACHINERY CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-08-06
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-07
AI Technical Summary
Existing cigarette appearance inspection technology cannot adapt to the rapid operation of ultra-high-speed cigarette making and packaging equipment, resulting in problems such as incomplete inspection, misjudgment, and untimely inspection. This leads to unstable cigarette quality, waste of resources, high consumption of manpower and materials, and affects the cleanliness of the workshop. It may also cause substandard cigarettes to enter the market, damaging the consumer experience.
Design a cigarette appearance inspection device, which adopts a horizontally staggered parallel layout of the first and second drums, and a drive mechanism to achieve synchronous rotation. Combined with the first and second vision inspection modules, it performs multi-angle inspection, and integrates a rejection mechanism for the immediate rejection of unqualified cigarettes.
This technology enables real-time synchronization of cigarette appearance inspection with production speed, improving inspection accuracy, reducing missed detections and misjudgments, minimizing resource waste and human and material input, and ensuring the stability of cigarette quality and consumer experience.
Smart Images
Figure CN224463240U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of cigarette production automation and quality control technology, specifically a cigarette appearance inspection device. Background Technology
[0002] In modern cigarette production, production speeds are constantly increasing, and companies are placing increasingly stringent demands on product quality. As a crucial factor influencing consumer choice, the accuracy and efficiency of cigarette appearance inspection are paramount. However, current cigarette appearance inspection technologies have several shortcomings.
[0003] Traditional manual inspection methods are no longer adequate for the high-speed operation of cigarette production lines. Taking the widely used ultra-high-speed cigarette rolling and packaging equipment as an example, its operating speed is extremely fast. Manual inspection not only suffers from incomplete inspection, misjudgments, and untimely checks, but also easily creates potential quality issues in cigarette production. Once substandard cigarettes are found, it not only leads to the waste of resources such as cartons, individual boxes, inner lining paper, aluminum rods, tipping paper, and roll paper, but also requires significant rework in terms of manpower and resources, impacting the cleanliness of the workshop. More seriously, if substandard cigarettes with appearance defects enter the market, it will greatly damage the consumer experience and even lead to consumer complaints. Therefore, we have proposed a cigarette appearance inspection device to solve the aforementioned problems. Utility Model Content
[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this utility model provides a cigarette appearance inspection device that solves the problems of being unable to adapt to the rapid operation of ultra-high-speed cigarette rolling and packaging equipment, resulting in incomplete inspection, misjudgment, and untimely inspection. These problems lead to unstable cigarette quality, waste of resources, high consumption of manpower and materials, and negative impact on the cleanliness of the workshop. Furthermore, it may result in substandard cigarettes entering the market and damaging the consumer experience.
[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: a cigarette appearance inspection device, including a mounting base;
[0006] The mounting base is equipped with a first drum wheel and a second drum wheel that are horizontally offset and parallel to each other.
[0007] A drive mechanism, mounted on the mounting base, is used to drive the first drum and the second drum to rotate synchronously;
[0008] The first drum and the second drum are both provided with arc-shaped grooves that are adapted to the diameter of cigarettes. The opening of the arc-shaped groove of the second drum is deflected by 15°-30° relative to the opening of the arc-shaped groove of the first drum along the axis of the drum.
[0009] The mounting base is equipped with a first vision detection module and a second vision detection module.
[0010] Preferably, a first U-shaped frame is fixedly installed on the upper surface of the mounting base, the first visual inspection module is fixedly installed on the top of the first drum wheel corresponding to it, a second U-shaped frame is fixedly installed on the mounting base near the position of the second visual inspection module, the second visual inspection module is fixedly installed on the surface of the second U-shaped frame, and the second visual inspection module corresponds to the second drum wheel, and the two ends of the arc-shaped groove can be designed as sealed openings.
[0011] Preferably, the drive mechanism includes a U-shaped plate fixed to one side of the mounting base, a motor is fixedly mounted on one side of the U-shaped plate by bolts, a connecting shaft is mounted at the center of the first drum and the second drum, and the two ends of the connecting shaft are rotatably connected to the mounting base by bearings, a first gear and a second gear are fixedly mounted on the surfaces of the two sets of connecting shafts respectively, the first gear and the second gear are meshed, and the output end of the motor is connected to one of the sets of connecting shafts.
[0012] Preferably, transition guide plates are provided at the corner of the first drum and the lower part of the second drum, and the transition guide plates are fixedly connected by support rods and mounting bases.
[0013] Preferably, the mounting base is equipped with a device for removing substandard cigarettes from the second drum.
[0014] Preferably, an air pump is fixedly installed on one side of the mounting base, and an air pipe is fixedly installed at the output end of the air pump. One end of the air pipe extends into the mounting base and corresponds to the arc-shaped groove at the bottom of the second drum. A rejection port is provided on the other side of the mounting base, and the rejection port corresponds to the air pipe.
[0015] Beneficial effects
[0016] This utility model provides a cigarette appearance inspection device. Compared with the prior art, it has the following advantages:
[0017] This cigarette appearance inspection equipment uses a motor to drive the first and second drums to operate synchronously at high speed. This matches the operating speed of existing ultra-high-speed cigarette making and packaging equipment, solving the problem of manual inspection being unable to keep up with the pace of the production line due to limited reaction speed. It achieves real-time synchronization between cigarette appearance inspection and production speed, avoiding batch quality risks caused by inspection delays. The first and second vision inspection modules, arranged from multiple angles, can comprehensively capture various defects on the cigarette surface, such as stains, damage, protruding tobacco stems, and printing misalignment. It covers details easily missed by manual inspection, such as minor scratches and poor splicing of tipping paper. Compared to the incompleteness, inconsistent standards, and fatigue-related misjudgments of manual inspection, this equipment uses standardized image algorithms to achieve objective judgment, improving the accuracy of inspection and significantly reducing missed detections and misjudgments. The integrated rejection mechanism can immediately blow unqualified cigarettes away from the conveyor path after detection, preventing unqualified products from entering subsequent packaging stages. This reduces the ineffective consumption of materials such as cartons, individual boxes, inner lining paper, and aluminum foil, and reduces the manpower and material investment caused by rework. Attached Figure Description
[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model;
[0019] Figure 2 This is a top view of the overall structure of this utility model;
[0020] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the overall structure of this utility model.
[0021] In the diagram: 101, mounting base; 102, first drum; 103, second drum; 104, first U-shaped frame; 105, first vision inspection module; 106, second U-shaped frame; 107, second vision inspection module; 108, transition guide plate; 109, arc groove; 2, drive mechanism; 201, motor; 202, U-shaped plate; 203, first gear; 204, second gear; 3, rejection mechanism; 301, air pump; 302, air pipe; 303, rejection port. Detailed Implementation
[0022] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.
[0023] like Figure 1-3 As shown:
[0024] A cigarette appearance inspection device includes a mounting base 101;
[0025] A first drum 102 and a second drum 103 are mounted on the mounting base 101 in a horizontally staggered parallel arrangement.
[0026] The drive mechanism 2 is mounted on the mounting base 101 and is used to drive the first drum 102 and the second drum 103 to rotate synchronously. The drive mechanism 2 includes a U-shaped plate 202 fixed to one side of the mounting base 101. A motor 201 is fixedly mounted on one side of the U-shaped plate 202 by bolts. A connecting shaft is installed at the center of the first drum 102 and the second drum 103. The two ends of the connecting shaft are rotatably connected to the mounting base 101 through bearings. A first gear 203 and a second gear 204 are fixedly mounted on the surfaces of the two sets of connecting shafts respectively. The first gear 203 and the second gear 204 are meshed and connected. The output end of the motor 201 is connected to one of the sets of connecting shafts.
[0027] The first drum 102 and the second drum 103 are both provided with arc-shaped grooves 109 adapted to the diameter of cigarettes. The opening of the arc-shaped groove 109 of the second drum 103 is deflected by 15°-30° relative to the opening of the arc-shaped groove 109 of the first drum 102 along the axis of the drum.
[0028] The mounting base 101 is provided with a first vision detection module 105 and a second vision detection module 107 respectively. A first U-shaped frame 104 is fixedly installed on the upper surface of the mounting base 101. The first vision detection module 105 is fixedly installed on the top of the first drum 102 corresponding to it. A second U-shaped frame 106 is fixedly installed on the mounting base 101 near the second vision detection module 107. The second vision detection module 107 is fixedly installed on the surface of the second U-shaped frame 106 and corresponds to the second drum 103. The two ends of the arc groove 109 can be designed as sealed.
[0029] A transition guide plate 108 is provided at the upper corner of the first drum 102 and the lower part of the second drum 103. The transition guide plate 108 is fixedly connected to the support rod and the mounting base 101.
[0030] The mounting base 101 is equipped with a device for removing substandard cigarettes from the second drum 103. An air pump 301 is fixedly installed on one side of the mounting base 101, and an air pipe 302 is fixedly installed at the output end of the air pump 301. One end of the air pipe 302 extends into the mounting base 101 and corresponds to the arc-shaped groove 109 at the bottom of the second drum 103. A removal port 303 is provided on the other side of the mounting base 101, and the removal port 303 corresponds to the air pipe 302.
[0031] In this implementation plan: When the cigarette appearance inspection equipment is in use, the cigarettes conveyed by the upstream production equipment (not shown in the figure) first enter the first drum 102. The rim of the first drum 102 is designed with an arc-shaped groove 109 adapted to the diameter of the cigarette. The groove width is 0.2 to 0.5 mm larger than the diameter of the cigarette, so as to achieve the initial axial positioning of the cigarette through the limiting effect of the inner wall of the arc-shaped groove 109, and prevent the deviation from occurring during the conveying process.
[0032] The motor 201 in the drive mechanism 2 is fixed to the mounting base 101 by the U-shaped plate 202. The output end of the motor 201 is connected to the connecting shaft of the first drum 102. At the same time, the second drum 103 is driven to rotate synchronously through the meshing transmission of the first gear 203 and the second gear 204, ensuring that the speed error does not exceed 0.5%. The arc groove 109 of the second drum 103 is deflected by 15° to 30° relative to the first drum 102. In this way, when the cigarette is transferred from the first drum 102 to the second drum 103, it rotates by 30° to 60° under the guidance of the arc groove 109 wall, exposing the side that was originally covered by the first drum 102 for visual inspection.
[0033] The corner of the first drum 102 and the transition guide plate 108 at the bottom of the second drum 103 are fixed to the mounting base 101 by a support rod. The arc-shaped surface of the transition guide plate 108 fits against the outer circle of the cigarette, which can prevent the cigarette from falling out of the gap between the two drums due to gravity or centrifugal force, and ensure the continuity of cigarette delivery.
[0034] The first visual inspection module 105, fixed on the first U-shaped frame 104, is located on top of the first drum 102, facing the top surface of the cigarette before it is deflected and the side of the feeding end. It can detect defects such as stains, paper damage, and printing offset in this area. The second visual inspection module 107, fixed on the second U-shaped frame 106, corresponds to the second drum 103. Since the new side and the discharge end of the cigarette are exposed after deflection, the second visual inspection module 107 can detect the area not covered by the first visual inspection module 105. By using the angle difference of the arc groove 109 on the first drum 102 and the second drum 103, the cigarette's posture is rotated during the conveying process, so that the first visual inspection module 105 and the second visual inspection module 107 jointly cover the entire circumference of the cigarette, solving the problem of single detection angle and easy omission in traditional equipment.
[0035] The first visual inspection module 105 and the second visual inspection module 107 transmit the acquired images to the control system (not shown in the figure). The system uses image algorithms to identify unqualified cigarettes, such as those with excessive stain area or damaged length exceeding the threshold, and sends a trigger signal to the rejection mechanism 3. After receiving the signal, the air pump 301 installed on one side of the mounting base 101 sprays high-pressure gas through the air pipe 302 into the arc groove 109 at the bottom of the second drum 103, blowing the unqualified cigarettes away from the arc groove 109 and discharging them through the rejection port 303 on the other side of the mounting base 101. The whole process is completed within 0.1 seconds and will not affect the high-speed operation of the equipment. The rejection port 303 is designed with an arc structure and is concentric with the second drum 103 to ensure that the cigarettes can be discharged smoothly. The intact cigarettes can be transported to the downstream production equipment (not shown in the figure) through the second drum 103.
[0036] In this solution, the equipment drives the first drum 102 and the second drum 103 to operate synchronously at high speed via motor 201. This matches the operating speed of existing ultra-high-speed cigarette making and packaging equipment, solving the problem that manual inspection cannot keep up with the pace of the production line due to limited reaction speed. It achieves real-time synchronization between cigarette appearance inspection and production speed, avoiding batch quality risks caused by inspection lag. The first vision inspection module 105 and the second vision inspection module 107, through multi-angle layout, can comprehensively capture various defects on the cigarette surface, such as stains, damage, protruding tobacco stems, and printing misalignment. It covers details that are easily missed by manual inspection, such as minor scratches and poor splicing of tipping paper. Compared with the problems of incompleteness, inconsistent standards, and fatigue misjudgment in manual inspection, this equipment achieves objective judgment through standardized image algorithms, which improves the accuracy of inspection and greatly reduces the rate of missed detection and misjudgment. The integrated rejection mechanism 3 can immediately blow unqualified cigarettes away from the conveying path after detection, preventing unqualified products from entering the subsequent packaging stage, thereby reducing the ineffective consumption of materials such as carton, small box, inner lining paper, and aluminum foil, and reducing the investment of manpower and material resources caused by rework.
[0037] It should be noted that all electrical equipment involved in this product is powered by an external power source. The solution also includes an electrical control cabinet, which is installed on the mounting base 101. During use, each piece of electrical equipment can be started and operated separately through the electrical control cabinet. The power connection method of each piece of electrical equipment is a mature existing technology and is well known to those skilled in the art. It will not be described in detail here.
[0038] Upstream and downstream production equipment, first vision inspection module 105 and second vision inspection module 107. All contents not described in detail in this specification are existing technologies known to those skilled in the art.
[0039] The working principle and usage process of this utility model are as follows: In use, the cigarettes conveyed by the upstream production equipment (not shown in the figure) first enter the first drum 102. The cigarettes are initially axially positioned by the limiting effect of the arc-shaped groove 109. The motor 201 drives the first drum 102 and the second drum 103 to rotate synchronously at high speed, with a speed error not exceeding 0.5%. The cigarettes are transferred from the first drum 102 to the second drum 103, rotating 30° to 60° under the guidance of the arc-shaped groove 109 wall. The first visual inspection module 105 detects the top surface and the side surface of the cigarette before it deflects. The second visual inspection module 107 detects the newly exposed side and the discharge end. The first visual inspection module 105 and the second visual inspection module 107 together cover the entire circumference of the cigarette, solving the problem of single detection angle and easy omission in traditional equipment. The first visual inspection module 105 and the second visual inspection module 107 transmit the collected images to the control system. The system identifies unqualified cigarettes through image algorithms and sends a trigger signal to the rejection mechanism 3. After receiving the signal, the air pump 301 sprays high-pressure gas through the air pipe 302 into the arc groove 109 at the bottom of the second drum 103 to blow away the unqualified cigarettes. The unqualified cigarettes are discharged through the rejection port 303.
[0040] Finally, it should be noted that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this utility model and is not intended to limit the utility model. Although the utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.
Claims
1. A cigarette appearance inspection device, characterized in that: Includes mounting base (101); The mounting base (101) is equipped with a first drum wheel (102) and a second drum wheel (103) arranged in a horizontally offset parallel layout; A drive mechanism (2) is provided on the mounting base (101) for driving the first drum (102) and the second drum (103) to rotate synchronously; The first drum (102) and the second drum (103) are provided with arc-shaped grooves (109) adapted to the diameter of cigarettes. The opening of the arc-shaped groove (109) of the second drum (103) is deflected by 15°-30° relative to the opening of the arc-shaped groove (109) of the first drum (102) along the axis of the drum. The mounting base (101) is provided with a first visual detection module (105) and a second visual detection module (107).
2. The cigarette appearance inspection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first U-shaped frame (104) is fixedly installed on the upper surface of the mounting base (101). The first visual inspection module (105) is fixedly installed on the top of the first drum (102). A second U-shaped frame (106) is fixedly installed near the second visual inspection module (107) on the mounting base (101). The second visual inspection module (107) is fixedly installed on the surface of the second U-shaped frame (106) and corresponds to the second drum (103). The two ends of the arc groove (109) can be sealed.
3. The cigarette appearance inspection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drive mechanism (2) includes a U-shaped plate (202) fixed to one side of the mounting base (101). A motor (201) is fixedly mounted on one side of the U-shaped plate (202) by bolts. A connecting shaft is installed at the center of the first drum (102) and the second drum (103). The two ends of the connecting shaft are rotatably connected to the mounting base (101) by bearings. A first gear (203) and a second gear (204) are fixedly mounted on the surfaces of the two sets of connecting shafts respectively. The first gear (203) and the second gear (204) are meshed together. The output end of the motor (201) is connected to one of the sets of connecting shafts.
4. The cigarette appearance inspection device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first drum (102) has a transition guide plate (108) at the corner and the lower part of the second drum (103). The transition guide plate (108) is fixedly connected by a support rod and a mounting base (101).
5. The cigarette appearance inspection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting base (101) is equipped with a device for removing substandard cigarettes from the second drum (103).
6. The cigarette appearance inspection device according to claim 5, characterized in that: An air pump (301) is fixedly installed on one side of the mounting base (101). An air pipe (302) is fixedly installed at the output end of the air pump (301). One end of the air pipe (302) extends into the mounting base (101) and corresponds to the arc groove (109) at the bottom of the second drum (103). A rejection port (303) is provided on the other side of the mounting base (101), and the rejection port (303) corresponds to the air pipe (302).