The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 04, 2003
Filed:
Feb. 19, 1999
Applicant:
Inventors:
Assignee:
G. D S.p.A., Bologna, IT;
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G06K 9/00 ; A24C 5/34 ; H01J 4/014 ; G01N 2/100 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G06K 9/00 ; A24C 5/34 ; H01J 4/014 ; G01N 2/100 ;
Abstract
A continuous cigarette rod advancing along a set path is directed through an electro-optical scanning station where its entire cylindrical surface is inspected by a unit comprising an illumination device of which the function is to shed light in substantially uniform manner on a given annular area of the surface, a line scan television camera positioned relative to the path in such a way as to enable acquisition of a direct image from a first portion of the annular area, and a reflecting element located on the side of the path opposite to the camera, embodied and oriented in such a way as to reflect two images back toward the camera which combine with the direct image to make up the entire annular area.