Cigarette filter test apparatus and associated method for measuring filter hot collapse and tobacco consumption.

摘要

A test apparatus includes an optical displacement transducer (40) for sensing deformation of the cigarette filter (13) responsive to a predetermined load applied transverse to the filter during simulated smoking of the cigarette, and a barcode laser scanner (50) for sensing relative movement of a charline (54) along a tobacco rod (14) of the burning cigarette during simulated smoking. The optical displacement transducer thus produces a filter hot collapse signal, while the barcode laser scanner produces a tobacco consumption signal. A processor (20), such as a microprocessor operating under stored program control, samples the hot collapse signal and the tobacco consumption signal to generate a series of respective data points. A display (45) is operatively connected to the processor for generating a graphical representation of at least one of the hot collapse signal and the tobacco consumption signal as a function of time, based upon the respective sampled data points.