Filter inspection apparatus and inspection method

Abstract

An inspection device 50 for a filter 4 inspects the filter 4, which is provided to a flavor inhalation article 1. The filter 4 is provided with a mouthpiece end 16, a solid material 12, and a communication path 24 that communicates with the solid material 12 and opens to the mouthpiece end 16. The inspection device 50 is provided with: an illumination 52 for irradiating an inspection light onto the mouthpiece end 16 in an irradiation direction that extends along the axial direction X; a camera 54 for imaging the peripheral surface of the filter 4 in an imaging direction that extends along the radial direction Y of the filter 4; an image processing unit 62 for processing an image captured by the camera 54 and detecting a shadow 68 of the solid material 12; and, an assessment unit 64 for assessing the presence or absence and the quality of the solid material 12 on the basis of the shadow 68 detected by the image processing unit 62.

Description

Filter inspection device and inspection method

[0001] The present invention relates to an inspection device and an inspection method for a filter, and more particularly to an inspection device and an inspection method for inspecting a powder-containing substance disposed on a filter.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an inspection device for inspecting a continuous body, which is an intermediate filter product. The continuous body has capsules filled with a liquid content, such as a flavoring, placed in the spaces between the filter elements arranged in the axial direction, in other words, in the cavities. The inspection device is placed at an inspection position on the conveying line between the winding section and the cutter, and irradiates the continuous body with infrared light, including infrared rays, from an infrared light irradiator placed above the continuous body.

[0003] The infrared light passes through the forming paper, i.e., the outer plug wrapper, the capsule, and the outer plug wrapper, and is emitted downward from the continuum. The transmitted infrared light is detected by an infrared sensor or captured by an infrared camera, and a detection signal or captured image is sent to a determination unit. The determination unit determines whether the content liquid filled in the capsule is good or bad based on the detection signal or captured image.

[0004] Meanwhile, Patent Document 2 discloses a filter including an upstream filter section, a downstream filter section, and a powder-containing material. The upstream filter section is axially adjacent to a flavor element such as a tobacco rod. The downstream filter section has a mouth end of a flavor inhalation article such as a smoking article. The powder-containing material is formed by molding raw material powder containing at least one of a taste component and a flavor component into a mass, which is then turned into powder by applying an external force.

[0005] The filter also has a cavity formed therein. The cavity is formed by wrapping an upstream filter section and a downstream filter section, spaced apart in the axial direction, with an outer plug wrapper, and a powder-containing material is disposed therein. The downstream filter section has a powder supply passage formed therein. The powder supply passage communicates the cavity with the mouth end and allows powder to be supplied from the cavity to the mouth end.

[0006] When a user inhales the flavor inhalation article, the powder-containing material is crushed by applying external force, such as crushing it with their fingers. The user inhales the crushed powder through the powder supply passage and from the mouth end. The filter thus formed is connected by wrapping tipping paper around the periphery of the outer plug wrapper and the periphery of the end of the flavor element. This makes the filter a part of the flavor inhalation article.

[0007] International Publication No. WO 2013 / 005641 International Publication No. WO 2016 / 181843

[0008] The powder-containing material may be chipped, cracked, crushed, etc., when subjected to impact during the manufacturing and transportation of the filter and, in turn, the flavor inhalation article. Furthermore, during the manufacturing process of the filter, the powder-containing material may be placed in the cavity incorrectly. Since chipping, cracking, crushing, and absence of the powder-containing material degrade the quality of the filter and, in turn, the flavor inhalation article, it is necessary to reject such defective flavor inhalation articles before they are shipped as products.

[0009] Therefore, it is conceivable to use the inspection device described in Patent Document 1 to inspect the presence or absence of powder-containing material and whether it is good or bad. However, since the inspection object in Patent Document 1 is the internal liquid of the capsule, while the powder-containing material is a solid, inspection using transmitted infrared light is not practical. Furthermore, since the inspection device described in Patent Document 1 inspects a continuum that is an intermediate product of the filter, the infrared light serving as inspection light sequentially passes through the outer plug wrapper, capsule, and outer plug wrapper, and the transmitted infrared light that passes through two paper webs in addition to the capsule that is the inspection object is used for inspection.

[0010] On the other hand, assume that a powder-containing material is inspected using the inspection device of Patent Document 1 after other components are connected to the filter and a flavor inhalation article is formed. In this case, the infrared light, which is the inspection light, passes through the tipping paper and outer plug wrapper, and then sequentially passes through the outer plug wrapper and tipping paper on the opposite side of the powder-containing material. That is, transmitted infrared light that has passed through four paper webs in addition to the powder-containing material being inspected is used for inspection. Therefore, the transmitted infrared light that has passed through twice as many paper webs as in Patent Document 1 is used for inspection, resulting in a decrease in inspection accuracy.

[0011] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and aims to provide a filter inspection device and inspection method that can accurately and efficiently inspect the presence and quality of solid matter, such as powder-containing matter, placed in a filter in a flavor inhalation article, thereby improving the quality of the filter and ultimately the flavor inhalation article.

[0012] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, one embodiment of a filter inspection device is an inspection device that inspects a filter provided in a flavor inhalation article, wherein the filter has a mouth end, a solid object, and a connecting passage that communicates with the solid object and opens to the mouth end, and the inspection device is equipped with a light that irradiates inspection light onto the mouth end in an irradiation direction along the axial direction, a camera that images the peripheral surface of the filter in an imaging direction along the radial direction of the filter, an image processing unit that processes the image captured by the camera and detects the shadow of the solid object, and a judgment unit that judges the presence or absence of the solid object and whether it is good or bad based on the shadow detected by the image processing unit.

[0013] A filter inspection method according to one embodiment is an inspection method for inspecting a filter provided in a flavor inhalation article, wherein the filter has a mouth end, a solid object, and a communication passage that communicates with the solid object and opens to the mouth end, and the inspection method includes an irradiation step of irradiating the mouth end with inspection light in an irradiation direction along the axial direction, an imaging step of imaging the peripheral surface of the filter in an imaging direction along the radial direction of the filter, an image processing step of processing the image captured in the imaging step to detect the shadow of the solid object, and a judgment step of judging the presence or absence of the solid object and whether it is good or bad based on the shadow detected in the image processing step.

[0014] The presence or absence and quality of solid matter placed in the filter can be inspected with high precision and efficiency in the flavor inhalation article, thereby improving the quality of the filter and, in turn, the flavor inhalation article.

[0015] 13 is a perspective view of a flavor inhalation article; FIG. 14 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the axial direction of the main part of FIG. 1; FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of a conveying section of a flavor inhalation article and an inspection device for a filter; FIG. 3 is a view of the main part of FIG. 3 from the side of a conveying drum; FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of a longitudinal cross-section of a filter, showing the irradiation direction and irradiation area of ​​inspection light irradiated from a light source, and the imaging direction and imaging area of ​​a camera; FIG. 17 is an inspection flow by an inspection device; FIG. 18 is a captured image when S<T1 is not satisfied in judgment step S5; FIG. 19 is an example of a captured image when S<T1 is satisfied in judgment step S5; FIG. 19 is an example of a captured image when S≧T2 is satisfied in judgment step S6; FIG. 19 is a view when the shadows of the wrap portions of the outer plug wrapper and the tipping paper appear in the captured image; FIG. 20 is a view when the outline of the air vent of the filter appears in the captured image; FIG. 21 is a view when the shadow of a part of a logo mark of the filter appears in the captured image; FIG. 22 is a side view of an inspection device disposed in a conveyor device that conveys articles; FIG. 23 is a top view of the main part of FIG. 22;

[0016] Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a flavor inhalation article, and Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a main part of Fig. 1 taken along the axial direction X. The flavor inhalation article 1 (hereinafter also simply referred to as the article) includes, for example, a flavor element 2 and a filter 4. The flavor element 2 is filled with a flavor material 6 formed into a rod shape. The filter 4 includes an upstream filter section 8, a downstream filter section 10, and a powder-containing material (solid material) 12. The upstream filter section 8 and the outer periphery of the downstream filter section 10 are filled with a filter material 14.

[0017] The upstream filter section 8 is adjacent to the flavor element 2 in the axial direction X. The downstream filter section 10 has a mouthpiece end 16 of the article 1 at its outer end in the axial direction X. The powder-containing material 12 is formed by molding a raw material powder containing at least one of a taste component and a flavor component into a mass, which is turned into powder by applying an external force. A cavity 18 is formed in the filter 4. The cavity 18 is formed by arranging the upstream filter section 8 and the downstream filter section 10 apart in the axial direction X and wrapping them with an outer plug wrapper (wrapper) 20.

[0018] The powder-containing material 12 is placed in the cavity 18. The cavity 18 also has a plurality of air holes 22 formed therein for introducing air for ventilation into the filter 4. The downstream filter section 10 has a powder supply path (communicating passage) 24 formed therein. The powder supply path 24 connects the cavity 18 with the mouth end 16 and allows powder to be supplied from the cavity 18 to the mouth end 16.

[0019] The powder-containing material 12 is a spherical, so-called powder ball, which is crushed by applying external force, such as crushing it with a finger, when the user inhales from the product 1. The user inhales the crushed powder from the mouth end 16 via the powder supply path 24. The filter 4 thus formed is connected to the flavor element 2 by wrapping tipping paper (wrapper) 28 around the periphery of the outer plug wrapper 20 and the periphery of the outer plug wrapper 26 at the end of the flavor element 2.

[0020] As a result, the filter 4 constitutes a part of the article 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the filter 4 has wrap portions 30, 32 formed on the peripheral surfaces of the outer plug wrapper 20 and the tipping paper 28, respectively, along the axial direction X. A logo mark 34 representing the brand name of the article 1 may be printed on the peripheral surface of the tipping paper 28 of the filter 4 near the position of the cavity 18.

[0021] Fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the conveying section 40 for the articles 1 and the inspection device 50 for the filters 4. Fig. 4 shows a side view of the main parts of Fig. 3 from the conveying drum 42. The inspection device 50 is arranged in the conveying section 40 for the articles 1 and inspects the filters 4 on the articles 1. The conveying section 40 is made up of a row of drums in which the articles 1 are transferred between a plurality of conveying drums, and Figs. 3 and 4 show one of the conveying drums 42.

[0022] The articles 1 manufactured in the front section 80 of the conveying section 40 are conveyed along the circumferential direction Z of the conveying drum 42, and then supplied to the rear section 90, where they are shipped after undergoing processing such as boxing. The conveying drum 42 has a cylindrical core 46 with a suction source 44 disposed therein, and a drum shell 48 that covers the cylindrical core 46. The drum shell 48 is disposed rotatably about a rotation axis Ra relative to the cylindrical core 46.

[0023] A number of holding grooves 48b for holding the articles 1 are formed in the circumferential direction Z on the outer peripheral surface 48a of the drum shell 48. Suction pressure is applied to each holding groove 48b from the suction source 44. The drum shell 48 conveys the articles 1 in the circumferential direction Z while holding the articles 1 in the holding grooves 48b on the outer peripheral surface 48a of the drum shell 48 in an orientation in which the axial direction X of the articles 1 is parallel to the rotation axis Ra due to the suction pressure of the suction source 44.

[0024] The object 1 is held on the outer peripheral surface 48a of the drum shell 48 with the wrap portions 30, 32 of the object 1 facing the outer peripheral surface 48a of the drum shell 48. In other words, when the object 1 is held in the holding grooves 48b of the drum shell 48, the wrap portions 30, 32 are not visible from the outside of the filter 4. As shown in FIG. 3 , the inspection device 50 includes a light 52, a camera 54, a sensor 56, and a control unit 60.

[0025] The control unit 60 is provided with an image processing unit 62 and a determination unit 64. The camera 54 and the sensor 56 are electrically connected to the control unit 60. The lighting 52 is supplied with power from a power source 66. Note that the lighting 52 may also be supplied with power from the control unit 60. A display unit (not shown) may also be provided to display the image captured by the camera 54.

[0026] 5 shows an enlarged longitudinal cross section of the filter 4, illustrating the irradiation direction and irradiation area of ​​the inspection light emitted from the illuminator 52 and the imaging direction and imaging area of ​​the camera 54. The illuminator 52 irradiates the suction end 16 with the inspection light in an irradiation direction along the axial direction X. The inspection light is infrared light including near-infrared light in a predetermined wavelength range. The wavelength range of the inspection light is preferably set to a range in which the shadow of the powder inclusions 12 appears in the monochrome image obtained by imaging the filter 4 with the camera 54, but the outlines of the air holes 22 and the shadow of the logo mark 34 do not appear.

[0027] Specifically, the wavelength range of the inspection light is preferably in the range of 900 μm to 1700 μm, more preferably in the range of 1000 μm to 1600 μm, and even more preferably in the range of 1100 μm to 1500 μm. Furthermore, by adjusting the amount of inspection light according to the wavelength of the inspection light, it is possible to adjust the image captured by the camera 54. The camera 54 is an infrared camera capable of capturing infrared light, and captures an image of at least the region of the filter 4 where the powder inclusions 12 are present on the circumferential surface of the tipping paper 28 in an imaging direction along the radial direction Y of the filter 4.

[0028] The sensor 56 detects the introduction of the article 1 onto the conveying drum 42 and outputs an imaging start signal to the control unit 60. More specifically, the camera 54 is fixed to the outer side in the radial direction Y of the outer peripheral surface 48a of the drum shell 48 by a bracket (not shown). The camera 54 also images the circumferential surface of the filter 4 on the opposite side in the radial direction Y from the wrap portions 30, 32, i.e., the circumferential surface of the tipping paper 28. Meanwhile, the light 52 is fixed to the outer side in the axial direction X of the outer peripheral surface 48a of the drum shell 48 by a bracket (not shown), and irradiates the suction mouth end 16 with inspection light.

[0029] 6 shows the inspection flow by the inspection device 50. When the inspection of the filter 4 starts, the sensor 56 detects the introduction of the article 1 into the conveying section 40 and outputs an imaging start signal to the control unit 60 (article detection step S1). Next, the illuminator 52 irradiates the suction mouth end 16 with inspection light in an irradiation direction along the axial direction X (irradiation step S2).

[0030] Next, the camera 54 receives an imaging start signal from the sensor 56 via the control unit 60, and captures an image of the peripheral surface of the filter 4 in an imaging direction along the radial direction Y at the timing when the inspection target item 1 loaded onto the conveying drum 42 is conveyed to the imaging position P, and transmits the captured image data to the image processing unit 62 (imaging step S3). Next, the image processing unit 62 processes the captured image transmitted from the camera 54 and detects the shadow of the powder-inclusive substance 12 (image processing step S4).

[0031] Specifically, in image processing step S4, image processing unit 62 calculates area S of the shadow of powder-inclusion material 12. Next, determination unit 64 determines the presence or absence and quality of powder-inclusion material 12 based on the shadow detected by image processing unit 62 (determination steps S5 and S6). Specifically, in determination step S5, determination unit 64 determines whether area S of the shadow of powder-inclusion material 12 is less than a predetermined first threshold value T1, i.e., whether S<T1 is established.

[0032] 7 shows a captured image when S<T1 is not satisfied in the determination step S5. As shown in FIG. 7, the two-dimensional image of the shadow 68 of a normal powder inclusion 12 is filled in black or gray and has a circular outer edge. The first threshold T1 is set to a value corresponding to the projected area of ​​the powder inclusion 12. In the determination step S5, when the determination result is false (No) and S<T1 is not satisfied, it is determined that the powder inclusion 12 is present in the cavity 18 and that the powder inclusion 12 is not chipped, cracked, or crushed, and the process proceeds to the determination step S6.

[0033] Fig. 8 shows an example of a captured image when S<T1 is satisfied in the determination step S5. When the determination result in the determination step S5 is true (Yes), S<T1 is satisfied, and the area S of the shadow 68 is less than the first threshold value T1, a chip 70 or the like appears in the shadow 68 of the powder inclusion 12, and the projected area of ​​the powder inclusion 12 becomes small, as shown in Fig. 8. When no powder inclusion 12 is present in the cavity 18, the projected area of ​​the powder inclusion 12 becomes zero.

[0034] In these cases, it is determined that the powder inclusion 12 is absent or has a chip, crack, or crush, and the process proceeds to step S7. Meanwhile, in determination step S6, the determination unit 64 determines whether the area S of the shadow 68 of the powder inclusion 12 is equal to or greater than a predetermined second threshold value T2, i.e., whether S≧T2 is established. The second threshold value T2 is set to a value at least larger than the projected area of ​​a normal powder inclusion 12.

[0035] 9 shows an example of a captured image when S≧T2 is satisfied in the determination step S6. When the determination result of the determination step S6 is true (Yes), S≧T2 is satisfied, and the area S of the shadow 68 is equal to or larger than the second threshold value T2, the powder inclusion 12 is crushed into pieces, and the powder adheres to the inner wall of the cavity 18. As shown in FIG. 9, the area S of the shadow 68 becomes large enough to be comparable to the projected area of ​​the cavity 18.

[0036] In this case, it is determined that the powder-inclusion material 12 has been pulverized, and the process proceeds to step S7. In step S7, if the powder-inclusion material 12 is absent, chipped, cracked, crushed, or pulverized, an output is generated indicating that the powder-inclusion material 12 is abnormal, and the inspection ends. The product 1 for which the output indicates that the powder-inclusion material 12 is abnormal is rejected before being shipped as a product.

[0037] On the other hand, if the determination result in the determination step S6 is false (No) and S≧T2 is not established, it is determined that the powder-inclusive material 12 has not been pulverized, and the process proceeds to step S8. In step S8, an output is output indicating that the powder-inclusive material 12 is normal, and the inspection is terminated. In this way, every time the sensor 56 detects an article 1, the powder-inclusive material 12 placed in the filter 4 of the article 1 being transported is inspected sequentially according to the inspection flow.

[0038] As described above, in the inspection device 50 of this embodiment, the illuminator 52 irradiates the mouthpiece end 16 with inspection light in an irradiation direction along the axial direction X. As a result, the inspection light passes from the mouthpiece end 16 through the powder supply path 24 and is directly irradiated onto the powder-inclusive material 12 placed in the cavity 18. The inspection light irradiated onto the powder-inclusive material 12 forms a shadow 68 of the powder-inclusive material 12. In addition, the camera 54 captures an image of the peripheral surface of the cavity 18 of the filter 4, in which the powder-inclusive material 12 is mainly placed, in an imaging direction along the radial direction Y.

[0039] The camera 54 captures an image of the powder-containing material 12 through the two paper webs, the outer plug wrapper 20 and the tipping paper 28, and the image processor 62 processes the captured image sent from the camera 54 to detect a shadow 68 of the powder-containing material 12. In this manner, in this embodiment, the inspection light is directly irradiated onto the powder-containing material 12 through the powder supply path 24, and the obstacles for detecting the shadow 68 of the powder-containing material 12 are reduced to two paper webs. This makes it possible to obtain a clearer shadow 68 of the powder-containing material 12 than in conventional inspections using transmitted infrared light.

[0040] Furthermore, the powder-inclusive material 12 placed in the filter 4 of the article 1 is inspected while the article 1 is being transported in the transport section 40. Therefore, the presence and quality of the powder-inclusive material 12 placed in the filter 4 can be inspected with high precision and efficiency in the article 1, thereby improving the quality of the filter 4 and, ultimately, the article 1.

[0041] Specifically, in determination step S5, when the area S of the shadow 68 of the powder-inclusion material 12 is less than a first threshold value T1, the determination unit 64 determines that the powder-inclusion material 12 is absent, chipped, cracked, or crushed, and is therefore defective. Because the powder-inclusion material 12 is spherical, such a simple determination can efficiently inspect the presence and quality of the powder-inclusion material 12. Furthermore, in determination step S6, when the area S of the shadow 68 of the powder-inclusion material 12 is equal to or greater than a second threshold value T2, the determination unit 64 determines that the powder-inclusion material 12 has been crushed. This makes it possible to reliably reject defective filters 4 in which the powder-inclusion material 12 has already been crushed before shipping.

[0042] The light 52 is fixed to the outside of the outer peripheral surface 48a of the drum shell 48 in the axial direction X, and in this fixed state irradiates the suction end 16 with inspection light. The camera 54 is fixed to the outside of the outer peripheral surface 48a of the drum shell 48 in the radial direction Y, and in this fixed state images the circumferential surface of the filter 4 on the opposite side from the wrap portions 30, 32 in the radial direction Y. This makes it possible to install the inspection device 50 using an existing conveying drum 42 without modifying it.

[0043] 10 shows a case where shadows 72 of the wrap portions 30, 32 of the outer plug wrapper 20 and the tipping paper 28 appear in the captured image. The shadows 72 of the wrap portions 30, 32 appear in the captured image so as to overlap with the shadow 68 of the powder-inclusion material 12. Therefore, even if a chip 70 occurs in the shadow 68 of the powder-inclusion material 12 as shown in FIG. 10, the area of ​​the shadow 72 of each wrap portion 30, 32 is added to the area S of the shadow 68 of the powder-inclusion material 12, and S≧T1 may be satisfied in the determination step S5.

[0044] In this case, even though the powder-inclusion material 12 has a chip 70, the powder-inclusion material 12 is erroneously determined to be normal. However, in the present embodiment, the filter 4 is held on the outer peripheral surface 48a of the drum shell 48 with the wrap portions 30, 32 facing the outer peripheral surface 48a, and the camera 54 captures an image of the outer peripheral surface of the filter 4 on the side opposite the wrap portions 30, 32 in the radial direction Y. This prevents the shadows 72 of the wrap portions 30, 32 from appearing in the captured image, thereby preventing erroneous determination due to the shadows 72 of the wrap portions 30, 32. Therefore, the inspection accuracy of the powder-inclusion material 12 is further improved.

[0045] The inspection device 50 also includes a sensor 56 that detects the loading of the article 1 onto the transport drum 42 and outputs an imaging start signal. Upon receiving the imaging start signal from the sensor 56, the camera 54 images the peripheral surface of the filter 4 at the timing when the article 1 to be inspected that has been loaded onto the transport drum 42 is transported to the imaging position P. This makes it possible to reliably inspect the filters 4 of the articles 1 that are successively loaded onto the transport drum 42 without omission.

[0046] 11 shows a case where contours 74 of the air holes 22 of the filter 4 appear in the captured image. The contours 74 of each air hole 22 appear in the captured image so as to overlap with the shadows 68 of the powder inclusions 12. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11 , even if the shadows 68 of the powder inclusions 12 are normal, the area of ​​the white region inside the contours 74 is subtracted from the area S of the shadows 68 of the powder inclusions 12, and S≧T1 may not be satisfied in the determination step S5.

[0047] In this case, the powder-inclusion material 12 is erroneously determined to be abnormal even though it is normal. However, in the present embodiment, the illumination 52 irradiates infrared light including near-infrared light in a predetermined wavelength range as the inspection light. Specifically, the wavelength range of the inspection light is set to a range in which the shadow 68 of the powder-inclusion material 12 appears but the outlines 74 of each air hole 22 do not appear.

[0048] More specifically, the wavelength range of the inspection light is preferably set to a range of 900 μm to 1700 μm, more preferably a range of 1000 μm to 1600 μm, and even more preferably a range of 1100 μm to 1500 μm. The amount of inspection light is also adjusted to match the wavelength of the inspection light, and the captured image is adjusted accordingly. This prevents the outlines 74 of each vent hole 22 from appearing in the captured image, and also prevents erroneous determinations due to the outlines 74 of each vent hole 22. This further improves the inspection accuracy of the powder-containing object 12.

[0049] 12 shows a case where a partial shadow 76 of the logo mark 34 of the filter 4 appears in the captured image. The shadow 76 of the logo mark 34 appears adjacent to the shadow 68 of the powder inclusion 12. Therefore, even if a gap 70 occurs in the shadow 68 of the powder inclusion 12 as shown in FIG. 12, the area of ​​the shadow 76 of the logo mark 34 is added to the area S of the shadow 68 of the powder inclusion 12, and S≧T1 may be satisfied in the determination step S5.

[0050] In this case, even though the chip 70 is present in the powder-inclusion object 12, the powder-inclusion object 12 is erroneously determined to be normal. However, in this embodiment, the illumination 52 irradiates infrared light, including near-infrared light, in a predetermined wavelength range as the inspection light. Specifically, the wavelength range of the inspection light is set to the aforementioned range in which the shadow 68 of the powder-inclusion object 12 appears but the shadow 76 of the logo mark 34 does not appear. In addition, the amount of the inspection light is adjusted to match the wavelength of the inspection light, and the captured image is adjusted. This prevents the shadow 76 of the logo mark 34 from appearing in the captured image, and also prevents erroneous determination due to the shadow 76 of the logo mark 34. Therefore, the inspection accuracy of the powder-inclusion object 12 is further improved.

[0051] This concludes the description of the embodiment, but the above embodiment is not limiting and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the product 1 may be a combustion-heating type or a non-combustion-heating type. In particular, when the product 1 is a non-combustion-heating type, the component adjacent to the upstream filter section 8 in the axial direction X is not limited to the flavor element 2 and may be a tubular element.

[0052] The flavor material 6 includes at least a flavor ingredient, but may or may not include tobacco materials such as tobacco shreds. The filter material 14 may be, for example, a filter fiber bundle such as acetate tow, a filler made of folded nonwoven fabric sheets, or a filler made of gathered paper webs. Capsules may be embedded in the filter material 14, or activated carbon particles or particles of a hydrotalcite compound may be added to the filter material 14.

[0053] Furthermore, the inspection device 50 is not limited to inspecting the filter 4 of the completed article 1, but may also inspect the filter 4 of a rod-shaped article that has been formed in a state similar to the article 1. Specifically, the inspection device 50 may inspect the filter 4 before the air vents 22 are formed in the article 1. Furthermore, the air vents 22 may be formed in a location other than the cavity 18, for example, in the upstream filter section 8.

[0054] In these cases, when inspecting the filter 4, the outline 74 of the air hole 22 as shown in Fig. 11 does not appear in the captured image, thereby eliminating one cause of an erroneous determination of the powder-inclusion substance 12 in the determination step S5. Also, there may be cases where the logo mark 34 or the like is not printed near the position of the cavity 18. In this case, a partial shadow 76 of the logo mark 34 or the like as shown in Fig. 12 does not appear in the captured image, thereby eliminating one cause of an erroneous determination of the powder-inclusion substance 12 in the determination step S5.

[0055] Furthermore, the filter 4 is held on the outer peripheral surface 48a of the drum shell 48 with the wrap portions 30, 32 facing the outer peripheral surface 48a of the drum shell 48. However, this is not limiting, and the filter 4 may be held on the outer peripheral surface 48a with the wrap portions 30, 32 facing radially outward of the drum shell 48. In this case, the camera 54 is fixed to the cylindrical core 46 and images the circumferential surface of the filter 4 from inside the conveying drum 42. This allows the camera 54 to image the circumferential surface of the filter 4 on the side opposite the wrap portions 30, 32 in the radial direction Y.

[0056] Furthermore, the inspection device 50 is disposed in the conveying section 40 for the articles 1, and inspects the filters 4 in the articles 1 being conveyed to the conveying drum 42. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the inspection device 50 may inspect the filters 4 in other conveying devices as long as it inspects the filters 4 in the process of conveying the articles 1.

[0057] Fig. 13 shows a side view of the inspection device 50 disposed on a conveyor device 78 that conveys the article 1, and Fig. 14 shows a top view of the main part of Fig. 13. In the conveyor device 78, the article 1 is placed in a groove 82 extending in the width direction of a conveyor belt 80, and the article 1 is conveyed along the running direction indicated by the arrow of the conveyor belt 80. Even in this case, as shown in Figs. 13 and 14, the light 52 irradiates the suction mouth end 16 with inspection light in an irradiation direction along the axial direction X, and the camera 54 captures an image of the peripheral surface of the filter 4 in an imaging direction along the radial direction Y, thereby enabling inspection of the filter 4 in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. 3.

[0058] Furthermore, the inspection device 50 is not limited to inspecting the powder-containing object 12, but can also inspect the shapes of various solid objects placed in the filter 4, and can be applied to inspect, for example, flavor beads whose flavor volatilizes when the product 1 is inhaled. In this case, the powder supply path 24 is used as a communication path for inhaling the flavor of the flavor beads.

[0059] The inspection device 50 also includes a sensor 56 that detects the loading of the article 1 onto the transport drum 42 and outputs an imaging start signal. However, this is not limited to this, and in the process of transporting the article 1 by the transport drum 42 or the conveyor device 78, the encoder may detect the rotation of the transport drum 42 or the movement of the transport belt 80 instead of the loading of the article 1. In this case, the detection signal from the encoder is used as the imaging start signal.

[0060] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Flavor suction article 2 Flavor element 4 Filter 8 Upstream filter section 10 Downstream filter section 12 Powder-containing substance (solid substance) 16 Mouthpiece end 18 Cavity 20 Outer plug wrapper (wrapper) 24 Powder supply path (communicating path) 28 Tipping paper (wrapper) 30, 32 Wrap section 40 Conveying section 42 Conveying drum 44 Suction source 46 Cylindrical core 48 Drum shell 48a Outer peripheral surface 50 Inspection device 52 Lighting 54 Camera 56 Sensor 62 Image processing section 64 Determination section 68 Shadow of powder-containing substance S Area of ​​shadow of powder-containing substance P Imaging position Ra Rotation axis T1 First threshold X Axial direction Y Radial direction

Claims

1. An inspection device for inspecting a filter provided in a flavor inhalation article, wherein the filter has a mouth end, a solid object, and a communication passage that communicates with the solid object and opens to the mouth end, the inspection device comprising: an illuminator that irradiates the mouth end with inspection light in an irradiation direction along the axial direction of the filter; a camera that images the peripheral surface of the filter in an imaging direction along the radial direction of the filter; an image processing unit that processes the image taken by the camera and detects the shadow of the solid object; and a judgment unit that judges the presence or absence of the solid object and whether it is good or bad based on the shadow detected by the image processing unit.

2. The filter inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the image processing unit calculates the area of ​​the shadow, and the judgment unit judges that the solid matter is absent or defective when the area of ​​the shadow is less than a predetermined first threshold value.

3. The filter inspection device according to claim 2, wherein the determining unit determines that the solid matter is defective when the area of ​​the shadow is equal to or greater than a predetermined second threshold value.

4. A filter inspection device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the inspection device inspects the filter in a conveying section that conveys the flavor suction article, the conveying section comprising a conveying drum that conveys the flavor suction article, the conveying drum having: a cylindrical core having a suction source disposed therein; and a drum shell that covers the cylindrical core, is disposed rotatably about a rotation axis relative to the cylindrical core, and holds the flavor suction article on its outer surface in an orientation in which the axial direction is parallel to the rotation axis by the suction pressure of the suction source.

5. A filter inspection device as described in claim 4, wherein the filter has a wrapper that covers the periphery of the filter, the filter is held on the outer peripheral surface of the drum shell with the wrapper facing the outer peripheral surface of the drum shell, and the light is fixed to the outside of the outer peripheral surface of the drum shell in the axial direction and irradiates the inspection light onto the suction end.

6. A filter inspection device as described in claim 4 or 5, wherein the camera is fixed to the outside of the outer peripheral surface of the drum shell in the radial direction and captures images of the peripheral surface of the filter on the opposite side of the wrap portion in the radial direction.

7. A filter inspection device as described in any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the inspection device is equipped with a sensor that detects the introduction of the flavor suction article into the conveying drum and outputs an imaging start signal, and the camera receives the imaging start signal from the sensor and images the peripheral surface of the filter at the timing when the flavor suction article to be inspected that has been introduced into the conveying drum is transported to an imaging position.

8. A filter inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the illumination irradiates infrared light including near-infrared light in a predetermined wavelength range as the inspection light.

9. The filter comprises: an upstream filter section; a downstream filter section in which the mouth end is formed; a powder-containing material as a solid body formed by molding raw material powder containing at least one of taste components and flavor components into a single mass, which becomes powder when an external force is applied; a cavity between the upstream filter section and the downstream filter section in which the powder-containing material is disposed; and a powder supply path as a communicating path formed in the downstream filter section, which communicates the cavity with the mouth end and allows the powder to be supplied from the cavity to the mouth end; and the inspection device for a filter described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the inspection device uses the camera to image the circumferential surface of the cavity of the filter in an imaging direction along the radial direction of the filter.

10. An inspection method for inspecting a filter provided in a flavor inhalation article, wherein the filter has a mouth end, a solid object, and a communication passage that communicates with the solid object and opens to the mouth end, the inspection method including: an irradiation step of irradiating the mouth end with inspection light in an irradiation direction along the axial direction; an imaging step of imaging the peripheral surface of the filter in an imaging direction along the radial direction of the filter; an image processing step of processing the image captured in the imaging step and detecting a shadow of the solid object; and a determination step of determining the presence or absence of the solid object and whether it is good or bad based on the shadow detected in the image processing step.

11. A filter inspection method as described in claim 10, wherein the image processing step calculates the area of ​​the shadow, and the determination step determines that the solid matter is absent or defective when the area of ​​the shadow is less than a predetermined first threshold value.

12. The filter inspection device according to claim 11, wherein in the determining step, the solid matter is determined to be defective when the area of ​​the shadow is equal to or greater than a predetermined second threshold value.

13. A filter inspection method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the inspection method inspects the filter during the process of transporting the flavor inhalation article, the filter has a wrapper that covers the circumferential surface of the filter, and the imaging step images the circumferential surface of the filter that is opposite the wrapper in the radial direction.

14. A filter inspection method described in any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein in the imaging step, an imaging start signal is output based on the introduction of the flavor inhalation article, and the peripheral surface of the filter is imaged at the timing when the introduced flavor inhalation article to be inspected is transported to the imaging position.

15. A filter inspection method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein in the irradiation step, infrared light including near-infrared light in a predetermined wavelength range is irradiated as the inspection light.

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