| US 7,580,055 B2 | ||
| Device for inspecting apparatus of a rod-like article | ||
| Chihiro Hanaoka, Tokyo (Japan); Yasuhiro Otaka, Tokyo (Japan); and Shinzo Kida, Tokyo (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Japan Tobacco Inc., Tokyo (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Mar. 15, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/799,696. | ||
| Application 10/799696 is a continuation of application No. PCT/JP02/09817, filed on Sep. 25, 2002. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2001-291064 (JP), filed on Sep. 25, 2001. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2004/0173226 A1, Sep. 09, 2004 | ||
| Int. Cl. H04N 7/18 (2006.01); H04N 9/47 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 348—128 | 8 Claims |
| 1. An appearance inspection device for a rod-like article comprising:
a main feeding path for feeding a rod-like article with a first zone of an outer peripheral surface of the rod-like article
exposed, said main feeding path having a first and a second feeding phase that are different from each other with respect
to feeding of the rod-like article and being capable of receiving the rod-like article in said first feeding phase,
a bypass-feeding path for receiving the rod-like article in said first feeding phase from said main feeding path to convey
the rod-like article and then returning the rod-like article onto said main feeding path so that the rod-like article is fed
in said second feeding phase, said bypass-feeding path conveying the rod-like article with a second zone of the outer peripheral
surface of the rod-like article exposed, the second zone being different from the first zone, wherein the first and second
zones cover the entire outer peripheral surface of the rod-like article, and
imaging means for collect image data of the entire outer peripheral surface of each rod-like article in a process of feeding
the rod-like article on said main and bypass-feeding paths, said imaging means including a single inspection camera for directly
or indirectly imaging the first and second zones of the rod-like article.
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