Patent ID: 7896010
Filing Date: 2011-03-01
Classification: A24C,Y10S

Abstract:
1. An inspection apparatus for a filter cigarette having a cigarette, a filter connected to the cigarette and having a mouthpiece end, and a ventilation area in an outer circumferential surface of the filter for introducing outside air, comprising: a transport path for transporting said filter cigarette in a direction orthogonal to an axial direction of said filter cigarette, said transport path having an inspection position defined therein; a filter socket assembly disposed on one side of said transport path and allowed to be connected to said filter cigarette when said filter cigarette passes through said inspection position, said filter socket assembly including: a socket capable of receiving said filter and defining in the inside thereof a first airtight chamber for enclosing the mouthpiece end of the filter and a second airtight chamber for enclosing the outer circumferential surface of the filter including the ventilation area, a pair of elastically deformable rubber rings disposed in said socket to be separated from each other in an axial direction thereof, inner diameters of said rubber rings being reduced when said rubber rings are compressed in the axial direction thereof so that said rubber rings come into contact with the filter and partition the first airtight chamber and the second airtight chamber, a lateral input path for supplying the second airtight chamber of said socket with a compressed fluid of a given pressure; an output path that outputs a pressure in the first airtight chamber; a pressure sensor for detecting the pressure outputted from said output path; and reciprocating means for reciprocating said filter socket assembly toward said filter cigarette in order to receive the filter in said socket removably, wherein the reciprocating means includes a movable member for moving, through the rubber rings, the socket from a rest position toward an actuated position, and the socket receives the filter therein when positioned at the actuated position, wherein said filter socket assembly further includes compression means for mechanically compressing the rubber rings, the compression means having a stopper arranged at the actuated position for preventing movement of the socket but permitting further movement of the movable member, and wherein, after the socket is stopped at the actuated position by the stopper, the rubber rings are mechanically compressed by the further movement of the movable member.