Patent Abstract:
A process and an apparatus for detecting and eliminating, defective and/or incorrectly positioned, in particular transversely located, cigarettes in the cigarette magazine of a cigarette-production and/or a cigarette-packaging machine. Thus, the avoidance of disruptions in the cigarette magazine is improved. For detection using an optical checking element, an image of the cigarettes located in the cigarette magazine is scanned, the image is evaluated by an image-processing device and, if, during the evaluation, the scanned image is established as deviating from a reference image and/or reference value, an error signal is produced. For eliminating defective cigarettes, an ejecting unit arranged in the region of the magazine is actuated in order to eject a plurality of cigarettes.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a process and an apparatus for detecting, and to a process and an apparatus for eliminating, defective and/or incorrectly positioned, in particular transversely located, cigarettes in the cigarette magazine of a cigarette-production and/or cigarette-packaging machine. 
     Cigarette production and/or cigarette packaging machines usually have a cigarette store in which cigarettes, as they move downwards, end up being located transversely to the rest of the cigarettes and can block individual shafts or shaft groups located beneath the storage part. The following cigarettes can then no longer pass into the respective shafts or shaft groups. This results in the respective shafts or shaft groups being put out of action. The task of eliminating such disruptions is laborious and costly since it is usually necessary to switch off the machine. 
     In order to avoid costly steps involved in eliminating disruptions to a blocked shaft or shaft group, an operator usually watches the cigarette magazine and removes any transversely positioned cigarette with long pincers. Here there is a risk of human error since, on account of the monotony of the task, the operator&#39;s attention decreases over time. Furthermore, disruptions which remain undetected may take place when the operator is absent. 
     The problem on which the invention is based is thus to improve the avoidance of disruptions in the cigarette magazine. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to solve this problem, a detection process according to the invention is characterized in that, using at least one optical checking element, at least one image of a plurality of cigarettes located in the cigarette magazine is detected, the image is evaluated by an image-processing device and—if, during the evaluation, the scanned image is established as deviating from a reference image and/or from at least one reference value—an error signal is produced. 
     A detection apparatus according to the invention is characterized by an optical checking element, in particular a camera, which is arranged in the region of the cigarette magazine and is intended for scanning at least one image of a plurality of cigarettes located in the cigarette magazine, by an image-processing device for evaluating the image and by means by which an error signal can be produced if the scanned image is established as deviating from a reference image and/or from at least one reference value. 
     The advantage of this process and of this apparatus is the monitoring of a relatively large area of cigarettes rather than merely individual cigarette ends, since this provides an overview of the orientation of the cigarettes. Provision is thus made for detecting an image of a relatively large area of the cigarette magazine, namely a plurality of cigarettes, and for subjecting this to image processing. Finally, using image-processing methods, deviations from reference images and/or reference values can be established and, if necessary, a corresponding error signal can be produced. This makes it possible to detect transversely located cigarettes. 
     Furthermore, this process and this apparatus may also be used to register defective cigarettes in addition to incorrectly positioned cigarettes. For example, in the case where images of filter cigarettes are stored, a missing filter can be diagnosed by image processing. However, it is also possible to register bent or broken cigarettes, since these too constitute a deviation from a reference image. 
     A disruption detected in this way can be eliminated automatically or manually. With a manual elimination of disruption, the error signal is preferably emitted acoustically or optically, e.g. by a siren or horn or by a warning light. Such a signal then tells the operator to intervene. However, errors may also be eliminated automatically. 
     In order to solve the problem further, an elimination process according to the invention is characterized in that a defective and/or incorrectly positioned cigarette is detected, in particular in accordance with one of the processes described above, and, in reaction to such detection, an ejecting unit arranged in the region of the magazine is actuated in order to eject a plurality of cigarettes located in an ejecting zone assigned to the ejecting unit. 
     An elimination apparatus according to the invention is characterized by at least one, or in particular a plurality of, adjacent ejecting unit which are arranged in the region of the magazine and are intended for ejecting a plurality of cigarettes located in an ejecting zone assigned to an ejecting unit. The number of cigarettes ejected in this case is large enough for a transversely located cigarette to be ejected in full. 
     A plurality of adjacent ejecting zones with a corresponding number of ejecting units are preferably provided. This has the advantage that it is not necessary to eject the cigarettes over the entire width of the cigarette magazine. It may thus be the case that a transversely located cigarette extends over two ejecting zones. In this case, preferably two adjacent ejecting units are actuated and a correspondingly larger number of cigarettes is ejected. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     The front and rear walls of the ejecting unit are preferably of different sizes and contours such that the contour of the rear wall is greater than the contour of the front wall by at least the width of one cigarette. This avoids jamming of cigarettes only partially gripped by the front wall. 
     Further details of the invention can be gathered from the subclaims and with reference to an exemplary embodiment illustrated in the drawing, in which: 
     FIG. 1 shows a front view of a cigarette magazine with a camera and four ejecting units arranged in the storage part of the cigarette magazine; 
     FIG. 2 shows an enlarged detail of the storage part with a plurality of ejecting units and a plurality of schematically illustrated ejecting zones and evaluation zones; 
     FIG. 3 shows the cigarette magazine from FIG. 1 in a side view along section line III—III according to FIG. 1 with an ejecting unit in the through-passage position; and 
     FIG. 4 shows the cigarette magazine from FIG. 3 with an ejecting unit in the ejecting position. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 shows a cigarette magazine  10  which has a storage part and four shaft groups  12  arranged therebeneath. Each of these shaft groups has seven shafts of essentially the width of one cigarette. 
     The cigarette magazine  10  contains a plurality of cigarettes  13 , illustrated by circles. With the correct positioning of these cigarettes  13 , it is only the filter-side or opposite end of the cigarette  13  which can be seen in the front view illustrated in FIG.  1 . In other words, the plurality of cigarettes are located parallel to one another and are aligned horizontally, the ends of all the cigarettes  13  ideally being located essentially in a vertical plane. The depth of the cigarette magazine  10 , in particular the depth of the space of the cigarette magazine  10  which receives the cigarettes  13 , corresponds essentially to the length of one cigarette or is slightly larger than the length of one cigarette. 
     The cigarettes  13  pass through a top opening  14  into the cigarette magazine  10 . On account of the force of gravity, the cigarettes  13  move downwards into the. cigarette magazine  10 , where they pass to the shaft groups  12 . At the outlet of the shaft groups  12 , the cigarettes  13  are grouped in accordance with the formation which is to be received by a pack. Furthermore, the cigarette magazine  10  has four oscillating rods  15  which ensure that the cigarettes  13  are moved downwards uniformly into the shaft groups  12 . 
     It is occasionally possible for a cigarette  13  within the cigarette magazine  10  to end up being located in a position which differs from the ideal alignment. For example, a cigarette  13  can skew. A cigarette positioned incorrectly in this way is illustrated as a transversely located cigarette  16 . If a transversely located cigarette  16  moves downwards over time in the direction of the shaft groups  12 , a blockage of such shaft groups  12  may occur. This usually results in the initially mentioned disruption to the production sequence. In particular the elimination of such disruption involves high outlay. The cigarette magazine  10  is thus provided with an optical checking element, namely a camera  17 . The camera  17  monitors the cigarette ends through a window or a transparent wall of the cigarette magazine  10 . In particular, the camera  17  scans an image of the cigarette magazine  10  over essentially the entire width of the cigarette magazine  10 . 
     An image-processing device  18  evaluates the scanned image. In this case, the scanned image is compared with a reference image, for example. Alternatively, the scanned image is subjected to preprocessing, in which case characteristic values of the image are produced and/or calculated. By virtue of a comparison of these values with reference values, and/or of the scanned image with the reference image, errors can be detected, for example if there is a deviation or if a deviation exceeds a certain threshold value. Finally, a detected error results in the generation of an error signal, which results in at least one of four ejecting units  19  being actuated. This actuation causes the cigarettes  13  located in the region of the ejecting unit  19  to be pushed out to the rear side of the cigarette magazine  10  and thus ejected. The ejected cigarettes  13  drop into an inclined chute  20  along which the cigarettes  13  slide down and are finally fed to a tobacco-recycling circuit. 
     The tobacco recycling takes place by the cigarette being divide up into tobacco, cigarette paper and filter. The recovered tobacco is finally reused in cigarette production. This means that the tobacco waste which is produced when, as a transversely located cigarette is ejected, a plurality of other non-defective or correctly positioned cigarettes are likewise ejected can be kept low. 
     Each ejecting unit  19  has a housing  21  which is fixed relative to the cigarette magazine  10  or is connected thereto. The housing  21  has a linear cylinder which serves for guiding a linearly displaceable carriage  22 . Said carriage  22 , in turn, is connected to the actual ejector  23  of the ejecting unit  19 . The ejector  23  has a front wall  24  and a rear wall  25  (illustrated in FIG.  3 ). The front wall  24  and rear wall  25  are connected to one another by a connecting element, namely a connecting rod  26 . 
     If the ejecting unit  19  is located in a position referred to as a “through position”, the front wall  24  of the ejector  23  terminates essentially flush with the front inner side of the cigarette magazine  10  and the rear wall  25  of the ejector  23  terminates essentially flush with the rear inner side of the cigarette magazine  10 . In this through position, the cigarettes  13  can pass the storage part  11  of the cigarette magazine  10  in the region of the ejecting unit  19  without obstruction. It is only the connecting rod  26 , which is of thin configuration, which results in a slight narrowing of the width of the cigarette magazine  10  in this region, which, however, is of no importance for the downward movement of the cigarettes  13  and thus for the cigarette transportation through the cigarette magazine  10 . 
     If, however, the ejecting unit  19  is actuated, both the front wall  24  and rear wall  25  of the ejector  23  are displaced in the direction of the rear wall  25  of the ejector  23  and/or in the direction of the chute  20 . The front wall  24  of the ejector  23  is connected to a housing-like device  27 , of which the cross section corresponds to the contour of the front wall  24  of the ejector  23 . This housing-like device prevents cigarettes  13  from dropping into the region of the ejector  23  when the ejector  23  is located in the ejecting position. This makes it possible to avoid the situation where, when the ejector  23  is drawn back into its through position, cigarettes  13  which have dropped into this region block the ejector. 
     Furthermore, the four front walls  24  and/or housing-like devices  27  of the four ejectors  23  are spaced apart from one another. The distance  28  between the front walls  24  corresponds approximately to double the width of one cigarette, but it may also be selected to be larger. 
     FIG. 2 shows a detail of the storage part  11  of the cigarette magazine  10  in the region of the ejecting units  19  in an enlarged illustration. Four ejecting zones A to D are illustrated schematically above the ejecting units  19 . Each of these four ejecting zones A to D is assigned to an ejecting unit  19 . The cigarettes  13  located in an ejecting zone are ejected upon actuation of the corresponding ejecting unit  19 . Four evaluation zones I to IV are located above the ejecting zones A to D, with each ejecting zone A to D being assigned to the respective evaluation zone I to IV above it. The ejecting zones A to D are selected in terms of their dimensions such that the width and/or the length of each ejecting zone A to D corresponds at least to the length of one cigarette. In particular the width. of an ejecting zone is selected to be greater than the height of the corresponding ejecting zone. 
     The evaluation zones I to IV correspond to the region monitored by the camera  17 . The camera  17  picks up an image of all the evaluation zones I to IV. During image processing, the image is subdivided into said four evaluation zones I to IV. Each of these four evaluation zones I-V is evaluated separately. If, in the region of an evaluation zone, a transversely located, that is to say incorrectly positioned cigarette, or a cigarette which is formed incorrectly in some other way, is detected, the corresponding ejecting unit  19  located therebeneath is actuated with a time delay. Said ejecting unit ejects the cigarettes  13  located in the corresponding ejecting zone A-D. 
     The time delay between detection of a defective or incorrectly positioned cigarette  13  and actuation of the corresponding ejecting unit  19  is determined by the time required for such a cigarette to move downwards from an evaluation zone I-IV into an ejecting zone (approximately 10-20 seconds). As an alternative to a camera  17 , which records an image of all four evaluation zones I to IV, however, it is also possible to install a plurality of cameras  17  which each scan an image of an evaluation zone I-IV and then feed this to image processing. 
     In the region of the evaluation zones I to IV, the front wall of the cigarette magazine  10  is of transparent configuration, for example by virtue of a glass or plastic panel being introduced, with the result that the camera  17  has a free view of the cigarette ends. 
     FIG. 3 shows a section of a lateral view of the cigarette magazine  10  along line III—III from FIG.  1 . Two cameras  17  are provided, to be precise one on the front side, and one on the rear side, of the cigarette magazine  10 . The arrangement of two cameras  17  means that defective or incorrectly positioned cigarettes  16  can be detected more reliably. 
     In the example shown, a transversely located cigarette  16  is located within the evaluation zone II. This transversely located cigarette  16  is detected by the cameras  17 . The image-processing device  18  evaluates the detected image of the transversely located cigarette  16  and—once the defectively positioned cigarette  16  has been detected—produces an error signal. This error signal results in the ejecting unit  19  being actuated. The ejector  23  is thus displaced in the direction of the chute  20 . For this purpose, the linear cylinder of the ejecting unit  19  together with the carriage  22  and the ejector  23  fastened thereon, including the housing-like device  27 , are displaced in the direction of the chute  20 . 
     There is also a connecting element  29  located between the ejector  23  and carriage  22 . This connecting element  29  ensures the necessary distance between the carriage  22  and ejector  23 . This distance is such that the ejector  23  can be pushed into the cigarette magazine  10  to the extent where the front wall  24  of the ejector  23  reaches the rear wall  30  of the cigarette magazine  10 . 
     FIG. 4 shows the ejecting unit  19  in the ejecting position, i.e. the ejector  23  is located in its left-hand or chute-side end position. In the position illustrated, the front wall  24  of the ejector  23  terminates with the outer surface of the rear wall  30  of the cigarette magazine  10 , with the result that the ejected cigarettes  31 —including the transversely located cigarette  16 —can drop into the chute  20  without obstruction. The housing-like device  27 , which is connected to the front wall  24  of the ejector  23 , blocks the cigarette magazine  10  in the region of this ejecting unit  19 , with the result that initially no cigarettes  13  can follow on in this region. It is only when the ejecting unit  19  is located in its through position (according to FIG. 3) again that cigarettes drop into the previously formed cavity again and thus refill the region of the relevant ejecting zone B. 
     Although the ejecting unit  19  is generally only actuated when a defective or incorrectly positioned cigarette  16  has been detected, it may also be actuated for other reasons. In particular it is also possible for the ejecting unit  19  to be triggered manually. This is particularly expedient eliminating errors which are not detected automatically. Actuation of the ejecting unit  19  which is not manual or triggered by image processing is also employed to take samples (for example at regular time intervals). 
     However, the detection of a defective or incorrectly positioned cigarette using a camera and downstream image processing, and a possibly triggered optical and/or acoustic error signal, may also lead to an operator eliminating disruption manually, in particular if an operation for eliminating the disruption automatically—for example by actuating the ejecting unit  19 —has failed or would fail. 
     Overall, the greatest advantages can be achieved when the combination of the above-described automatic detection of a defective or incorrectly positioned cigarette is coupled to an ejecting unit. 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 List of designations 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 10 
                 Cigarette magazine 
               
               
                   
                 11 
                 Storage part 
               
               
                   
                 12 
                 Shaft group 
               
               
                   
                 13 
                 Cigarette 
               
               
                   
                 14 
                 Opening 
               
               
                   
                 15 
                 Oscillating rod 
               
               
                   
                 16 
                 Transversely located 
               
               
                   
                   
                 cigarette 
               
               
                   
                 17 
                 Camera 
               
               
                   
                 18 
                 Image-processing device 
               
               
                   
                 19 
                 Ejecting unit 
               
               
                   
                 20 
                 Chute 
               
               
                   
                 21 
                 Housing 
               
               
                   
                 22 
                 Carriage 
               
               
                   
                 23 
                 Ejector 
               
               
                   
                 24 
                 Front wall of the ejector 
               
               
                   
                 25 
                 Rear wall of the ejector 
               
               
                   
                 26 
                 Connecting rod 
               
               
                   
                 27 
                 Housing-like device 
               
               
                   
                 28 
                 Distance 
               
               
                   
                 29 
                 Connecting element 
               
               
                   
                 30 
                 Rear wall of the cigarette 
               
               
                   
                   
                 magazine 
               
               
                   
                 31 
                 Ejected cigarette 
               
               
                   
                 A 
                 Ejecting zone 
               
               
                   
                 B 
                 Ejecting zone 
               
               
                   
                 C 
                 Ejecting zone 
               
               
                   
                 D 
                 Ejecting zone 
               
               
                   
                 I 
                 Evaluation zone 
               
               
                   
                 II 
                 Evaluation zone 
               
               
                   
                 III 
                 Evaluation zone 
               
               
                   
                 IV 
                 Evaluation zone

Technology Classification (CPC): 8