Apparatus for forming micro-holes in cigarettes.

摘要

In an apparatus for forming micro-haloes on a cigarette (c), a laser beam (L) is divided into first and second laser beams (La, Lb) by a two-dividing mirror (101). Parts of the laser beams (La, Lb) are detected by photo detectors (110, 111), respectively and the other parts of the laser beams (La, Lb) are guided to polyhedron mirrors (103, 107) through first and second optical paths and divided into segment beams by the mirrors (103, 107), respectively. The segment beams are focused on the corresponding cigarette (c) so that micro-hales are formed on the cigarette (c). The cigarette (c) is transferred to a dilution detection stage and the dilution is detected in the dilution detection stage. In an initial driving mode, detection signals from the photodetector (110, 111) are processed and a first driving signal is generated. Thus, the two-dividing mirror (101) is driver by a driving mechanism in accordance with the first driving signal so that the intensity of the laser beams (La, Lb) guided in the first and second optical paths are maintained in substantially equal level. In an stable driving mode, a second driving signal which is determined in accordance with the detected dilution is applied to the driving mechanism in stead of the first driving signal so that the two-dividing mirror (101) is driven in accordance with the second driving signal.