US 6,310,643 B1Granted

Method of detecting adhesive material on a blank from which to form a container for tobacco articles

AssigneeG.D Societa'per Azioni

InventorsArmando Neri, Stefano Chini

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Abstract

A method of detecting adhesive material applied to a blank from which to form a container for tobacco articles, wherein the adhesive material forms at least one continuous mass of adhesive material on one face of the blank; the method providing for reproducing an image of at least one part of the face including a first portion corresponding to the face portion covered by the mass, and a second portion corresponding to the face portion free of the mass; electronically defining an application region in the image; and emitting a cover signal depending on the portion of the application region occupied by the first image portion.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A method of detecting adhesive material (2) applied to a blank (3) from which to form a container for tobacco articles, said blank (3) having prescored lines along which the blank may be folded, the adhesive material (2) forming a number of distinct masses (18) of adhesive material (2) on one face (27) of the blank (3);

the method comprising the steps of:
reproducing an image (IMD) of at least one part of said face (27) comprising a number of first image portions (IMD1) corresponding to a face (27) portion covered by said masses (18), and a second image portion (IMD2) corresponding to a face (27) portion free of said masses (18);
said image (IMD) is generated by a video camera (35) and is defined by a number of pixels (36), each of which is assigned a digital value (VD) and two coordinates (X, Y) depending on the location of the pixels (36) with respect to the image (IMD);
the image (IMD) is a digital image obtained from an analog image (IMA) defined by a number of analog values (VA) assigned to the pixels (36);
said analog values (VA) being emitted by said video camera (35) as a function of a characteristic brightness of each point on the face (27) of the blank (3);
electronically defining a number of given application regions (28) equal to the number of said given masses (18) in said image (IMD);
said given application regions (28) corresponding to regions (28) of said blank (3) and each of said application regions (28) being determined according to a respective acceptability criteria, according to which the location of each of said masses (18) is acceptable when inside a respective region (28) and unacceptable when outside said respective region (28) and said acceptability criteria for given masses (18) within the region (28) being defined by a given acceptable range of coverage values (I) extending from a minimum quantity of masses (18) in said region (28) sufficient to join parts of the blank to one another to a maximum quantity of masses (18) to prevent said masses (18) from oozing out of the blank when the parts are joined;
converting each analog value (VA) assigned to each pixel (36) in a given application region (28) into a digital value (VD) of 1 or 0, depending on whether said analog value (VA) is respectively above or below a given threshold value (VS);
determining within each of said application regions (28) the sum of the number of pixels (36) assigned a digital value (VD) of 1;
said sum representing the value of a cover signal (SR) for said given application region (28);
emitting said cover signal (SR) for each region 28, the cover signal (SR) corresponding to the portion of said application region (28) occupied by a respective first image portion (IMD1) and thereby defining the quantity of each of said masses (18) inside the respective region (28);
comparing the cover signal (SR) of each respective region (28) with the given acceptable range of coverage values (I) for the respective regions (28);
and
emitting an error signal (SE) when at least one cover signal (SR) associated with a respective region (28 is outside said maximum quantity of said given acceptable range of coverage values (I).

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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

the method comprising the steps of:
reproducing an image (IMD) of at least one part of said face (27) comprising a number of first image portions (IMD1) corresponding to a face (27) portion covered by said masses (18), and a second image portion (IMD2) corresponding to a face (27) portion free of said masses (18);
said image (IMD) is generated by a video camera (35) and is defined by a number of pixels (36), each of which is assigned a digital value (VD) and two coordinates (X, Y) depending on the location of the pixels (36) with respect to the image (IMD);
the image (IMD) is a digital image obtained from an analog image (IMA) defined by a number of analog values (VA) assigned to the pixels (36);
said analog values (VA) being emitted by said video camera (35) as a function of a characteristic brightness of each point on the face (27) of the blank (3);
electronically defining a number of given application regions (28) equal to the number of said given masses (18) in said image (IMD);
said given application regions (28) corresponding to regions (28) of said blank (3) and each of said application regions (28) being determined according to a respective acceptability criteria, according to which the location of each of said masses (18) is acceptable when inside a respective region (28) and unacceptable when outside said respective region (28) and said acceptability criteria for given masses (18) within the region (28) being defined by a given acceptable range of coverage values (I) extending from a minimum quantity of masses (18) in said region (28) sufficient to join parts of the blank to one another to a maximum quantity of masses (18) to prevent said masses (18) from oozing out of the blank when the parts are joined;
converting each analog value (VA) assigned to each pixel (36) in a given application region (28) into a digital value (VD) of 1 or 0, depending on whether said analog value (VA) is respectively above or below a given threshold value (VS);
determining within each of said application regions (28) the sum of the number of pixels (36) assigned a digital value (VD) of 1;
said sum representing the value of a cover signal (SR) for said given application region (28);
emitting said cover signal (SR) for each region 28, the cover signal (SR) corresponding to the portion of said application region (28) occupied by a respective first image portion (IMD1) and thereby defining the quantity of each of said masses (18) inside the respective region (28);
comparing the cover signal (SR) of each respective region (28) with the given acceptable range of coverage values (I) for the respective regions (28);
and
emitting an error signal (SE) when at least one cover signal (SR) associated with a respective region (28 is outside said maximum quantity of said given acceptable range of coverage values (I).

11 more elements