Method of detecting the particles of a tobacco particle stream
AssigneeBritish American Tobacco (Germany) GmbH
InventorsReinhard Ulrich, Arno Weiss, Gerald Schmekel, Heinz-Werner Masurat, Uwe Werner Ehling
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method of detecting the particles of a tobacco particle stream in the production of smokable articles by scanning by means of a fine-beam light barrier, the diameter of which is smaller than the dimensions of the tobacco particles, and from the distribution of the dimensions of the tobacco particles determined by darkening of the fine-beam light barrier.
Claims22
A method of detecting the particles of a tobacco particle stream in the production of smokable articles comprising the following features:
- a) scanning the tobacco particle stream by means of a first fine-beam light barrier having a beam diameter (Ds),
- b) which is smaller than the dimensions of the tobacco particles;
- c) evaluating an average dimension (a) and an average volume (V) of the tobacco particles from the distribution of the dimensions (ai) of the tobacco particles determined by darkening of the fine-beam light barrier;
- d) determining the velocity (v) of the tobacco particles by using a second fine-beam light barrier arranged at a defined spacing (b12) away from said first fine-beam light barrier, said velocity computed from the flight time (t12) between said two fine-beam light barriers and their known spacing (b12);
- e) wherein a particle time window is defined for each detected particle in which no further particles are registered.
A device for detecting the particles of a tobacco particle stream in the production of smokable articles comprising the following features:
- a) a sensor, through which the tobacco particle stream is pneumatically transported;
- b) a first and a second fine-beam light barrier, provided in the sensor, the diameter of said fine-beam light barriers being smaller than the dimensions of the tobacco particles;
- and
- c) an evaluating device for determining an average dimension and an average volume of the tobacco particles from the dimensions (ai) thereof determined by darkening of said fine-beam light barriers;
- wherein, at a defined spacing (b12) from the first fine-beam light barrier, said second fine beam light barrier is arranged for determining the velocity (v) of the tobacco particles;
- wherein an arrangement for determining the velocity of the transport medium for the tobacco particle stream is provided.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.