Patent Application
20190045836
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing different types of smoking article using a smoking article manufacturing machine. In particular, the method relates to the concurrent manufacture of two different types of smoking article. The tobacco industry products are smoking articles or more specifically, filter cigarettes, in which the filter rod of each cigarette may contain an object, such as a capsule, which has been inserted into the filter rod using a filter rod manufacturing machine, although the invention is also applicable to filter rods that do not contain an object. The invention also relates to a smoking article obtainable by the method of the invention, to an intermediate product made whilst carrying out the method and, to a pack of tobacco industry products.
Filter rods for use in the manufacture of filter cigarettes are manufactured by filter rod making machinery such as the KDF-2 filter maker from Hauni Maschinenbau AG. In a filter rod making machine, cellulose acetate filter plug material, referred to as to tow, is drawn along a path from a source and subsequently compressed and paper wrapped, with ‘plug wrap’, in a garniture to form an elongate wrapped rod. The wrapped rod is subsequently cut to form individual rods made up of a number of filter rod segments each of which will eventually form the filter of an individual cigarette. A filter rod making machine that also combines the cellulose acetate filter plug material with a filter tube, so that both the filter plug material and the tube are paper wrapped with plug wrap to form an elongate wrapped rod of filter plug material incorporating a tube is also known. For example, the KDF-5 made by Hauni Maschinenbau AG is capable of combining filter rods and tubes. A machine, such as the KDF-5, may be configured to position the tube in any location along the length of the wrapped rod. For example, the tube may be located at the mouth end of the filter plug material adjacent to the filter plug material or, it can be sandwiched between two sections of filter plug material to form a three segment filter. The tube may remain hollow to provide a cavity between filter plug sections or, a space at the mouth end of the smoking article.
A filter cigarette can have an object within the filter, such as a breakable flavourant-containing capsule. Smoke from the cigarette may be selectively flavoured by squeezing the filter, thereby breaking the capsule and releasing the flavourant. The breakable capsules are conventionally incorporated into smoking article filter rods by dispensing individual capsules one by one from a delivery wheel into a flow of tow as it passes through a filter rod making machine. Typical feed mechanisms for feeding objects, such as capsules, and for inserting them into filter rods are known from, for example, WO 2012/072676 A1 and WO2011/024105 A1.
Once the capsule containing filter rods have been manufactured, they are supplied to a cigarette manufacturing machine, which also receives tobacco rods from a conventional tobacco rod maker. As described above, the cigarette manufacturing machine may be supplied with filter rods that include hollow tubes, in addition to the filter tow containing capsules. A typical cigarette manufacturing machine includes a rod attachment unit for attaching a filter rod and a tobacco rod together to form a filter cigarette. In a known filter attachment unit, a “dual length” filter rod (also called a “2-up” rod), which refers to a filter rod formed from two filter rod segments, is aligned with a tobacco rod at either end, and the three rods are wrapped with a wrapper known as “tipping paper” to join them together. The centrally positioned 2-up filter rod is then cut in half to form two filter cigarettes. The filter rods which are initially supplied to the cigarette manufacturing machine may also be a “4-up” filter rod, which refers to a filter rod that is formed from four filter rod segments. In this case, the 4-up filter rod is cut into a pair of dual length filter rods prior to attachment of a tobacco rod to both ends of each dual length filter rod. Suitable filter rod attachment units are machines such as the “Max S” unit from Hauni Maschinenbau, a “Max 90” unit, also from Hauni Maschinenbau, or a GD AF12 unit. Other suitable rod attachment units include the M5 or M8 filter tip attachment units from Hauni Maschinenbau or the GD121 filter attachment unit.
In accordance with some embodiments described herein, there is provided a method for concurrently manufacturing two different types of smoking article using a smoking article manufacturing machine that comprises a filter rod feeder, a rod attachment unit for attaching rods of smokable material to each longitudinal end of a dual length filter rod received from the filter rod feeder, and a cutter to cut the dual length filter rod into two filter rod segments so that each segment, together with the rod of smokable material attached to each segment, forms a smoking article, the method comprising supplying the filter rod feeder with filter rods that comprise filter tow and which are configured so that the two filter rod segments cut from a dual length filter rod by the cutter will each have a different characteristic. In some embodiments, the method comprises supplying filter rods in which the tow of one filter rod segment of a dual length filter rod has a different characteristic to the tow of the other filter rod segment of the same dual length filter rod. Preferably, the method comprises supplying filter rods in which the different characteristics of the filter rod segments of a dual length filter rod are visually discernible.
Alternatively, or in addition, the method may comprise supplying filter rods in which the tow contains longitudinally spaced objects of different respective types so that when a dual length filter rod is cut by the cutter into two filter rod segments, each segment contains a different object type or different combination of object types.
The filter rod feeder can comprise an initial cutter for cutting filter rods into dual length filter rods prior to attachment of rods of smokable material to each longitudinal end of each dual length filter rod. The method may then comprise the step of supplying the filter rod feeder with filter rods each of which contain four longitudinally spaced objects of alternating type so that, when cut by the initial cutter into two dual length filter rods, each dual length filter rod contains an object of each type.
The filter rod feeder can comprise an initial cutter for cutting filter rods into dual length filter rods prior to attachment of rods of smokable material to each longitudinal end of each dual length filter rod. The method may then comprise the step of supplying the filter rod feeder with filter rods each of which contain six longitudinally spaced objects of alternating type so that, when the filter rods are cut by the initial cutter into three dual length filter rods, each dual length filter rod contains an object of each type.
The step of supplying the filter rod feeder with filter rods may comprise supplying filter rods with capsules inserted therein, wherein some of the capsules contain a flavourant of a first type and some of the capsules contain a flavourant of a second type which is different to the first type. If the filter segments also have tow with different characteristics, then the tow characteristic may be related to the flavourant contained in the capsule inserted into the tow having that characteristic.
The filter rods can comprise plug wrap having an indicator to denote a predetermined rod orientation based on object type. The method may then include placing the filter rods in the filter rod feeder so that all the filter rods are in a predetermined orientation relative to the filter rod feeder.
The smoking article manufacturing machine may comprise a tipping unit to receive a web of tipping paper so that the smoking article manufacturing machine cuts the web into individual patches and wraps each patch about a respective dual length filter rod to attach rods of smokable material to the ends of each dual length filter rod. A first lateral portion of the tipping paper web may comprise a first longitudinal series of first indicators, and a second lateral portion of the tipping paper web may comprise a second longitudinal series of second indicators, the first and second indicators may be different to each other so that a first indicator is indicative of a first type of smoking article and a second indicator is indicative of a second type of smoking article which is different to the first type of smoking article. The method may include loading the tipping paper web onto a smoking article manufacturing machine in a predetermined orientation, and placing filter rods in the filter rod feeder in an orientation corresponding to the orientation of the supply of tipping paper, so that the machine wraps a first part of a patch of tipping paper which is formed from the first lateral portion of the tipping paper web around a first portion of the dual length filter rod in the formation of a smoking article of the first type and so that a first indicator on the first part of the patch denotes that said first portion of the dual length filter rod is part of a smoking article of the first type and, so that the machine wraps a second part of the patch which is formed from the second lateral portion of the tipping paper web around a second portion of the dual length filter rod in the formation of a smoking article of the second type and so that a second indicator on the second part of the patch denotes that said second portion of the dual length filter rod is part of a smoking article of the second type, prior to cutting the dual length filter rod and the patch into a first filter rod segment that is wrapped in said first part of the patch and which forms, together with the rod of smokable material attached thereto, a smoking article of the first type, and into a second filter rod segment that is wrapped in said second part of the patch and which forms, together with the rod of smokable material attached thereto, a smoking article of the second type.
The filter rods may include tube filters and so the method of the invention may comprise supplying the filter rod feeder with filter rods that include tube filters so that when a dual length filter rod is cut into two filter rod segments, each segment contains a tube filter portion in addition to a filter tow section, each of the filter tow sections of a dual length filter rod having a different characteristic.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a pack of smoking article industry products, each smoking article industry product comprising a filter rod formed from filter tow that contains a capsule, the capsule contained in the tow of a filter rod of at least one of the smoking article industry products in the pack being of a different type to the type of capsule contained in the tow of a filter rod of at least one other smoking article industry product in the pack, wherein the tow of filter rods containing capsules of one type has a different characteristic to the tow of filter rods containing capsules of another type.
The tow of filter rods containing capsules of one type may be of a different colour to the tow of filter rods containing capsules of a different type.
Each filter rod may comprise a tube filter, and the differently coloured tow may be visible through the tube filter when the pack is opened.
According to the invention, there is also provided a smoking article obtainable by the method according to the invention.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an intermediate product made during the concurrent manufacture two different types of smoking article according to the method of the invention, comprising a dual length filter rod having rods of smokable material attached to each longitudinal end prior to the dual length filter rod being cut into two filter rod segments, the dual length filter rod comprising filter tow and being configured so that when the dual length filter rod is cut to form two filter rod segments, each filter rod segment will have a different characteristic.
The tow that forms one filter rod segment of a dual length filter rod may have a different characteristic to the tow that forms the other filter rod segment of the same dual length filter rod.
The tow that forms one filter rod segment of a dual length filter rod may contain an object of a first type and the tow that forms the other filter rod segment of the same dual length filter rod may contain an object of a second type, the first and second object types being different.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a pack of smoking article industry products, each smoking article industry product comprising a filter rod formed from filter tow, the tow of a filter rod of at least one of the smoking article industry products in the pack having a different characteristic to the tow of a filter rod of at least one other smoking article industry product in the pack.
The tow of at least one smoking article industry product may be of a different colour to the tow of a filter rod of at least one other smoking article industry product in the pack.
Some or all of the filter rods may include an object, such as a capsule, in the tow. All the filter rods having the same tow characteristic may contain the same type of capsule. The type of capsule that is contained in tow having a particular characteristic may correspond or relate to the tow having that characteristic.
In order that the invention may be more fully understood, embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
In a method of simultaneously manufacturing two different types of smoking article in a filter attachment cigarette manufacturing machine 17 (see
The capsules 2 are provided along the length of the filter rod 1 in an alternating manner so that capsules 2 of identical type are not adjacent to each other, i.e. they may be in the order A-B-A-B. A cutting drum 23a and knife drum 29a of the filter attachment cigarette manufacturing machine 17 cooperate with each other to initially cut the 4-up filter rod in half to form an identical pair of 2-up or dual length filter rods 1′, as shown in
As the initial 4-up filter rod 1 contains capsules 2 in an alternating configuration, each dual length filter rod 1′ will contain one capsule 2 of type A and one of type B in the sequence A-B as shown in
Finally, as shown in
The four filter cigarettes produced from the original 4-up filter rod 1 will include two cigarettes of one type, as their filter segments 1″ contain capsules of type A, and two cigarettes of another type, as their filter segments 1″ contain capsules of type B. In the embodiment of
Although the rod article supplied to the filter attachment cigarette manufacturing machine 17 is preferably a 4-up filter rod 1 as shown in
The technology for manufacturing filter rods 1 containing capsules 2 is known in the art and reference is made to WO2012/072676 and WO2011/024105, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
WO2011/024105 does not describe an arrangement in which different types of capsules 2 are inserted into the same elongate filter rod 1. Whilst it is possible to place capsules 2 of different types together in the capsule hopper 11 of the apparatus known from WO2011/024105, this would result in capsules 2 being delivered into the tow in an entirely random sequence.
In the device known from WO2012/072676, an embodiment is described in which the eventual filter rod 15 contains four capsules 16 of one type (type ‘A’) and four capsules 16 of another type (type ‘B’), arranged in the sequence ‘A’-‘B’-‘B’-‘A’-‘A’-‘B’-‘B’-‘A’ along the length of the filter rod 15. The eight capsules 16 may be arranged in four pairs, the separation between capsules 16 in neighbouring pairs being greater than the separation between neighbouring capsules 16 in a pair as, for example, shown in the exemplary filter rod 15 of
Whilst WO2011/024105 and WO2012/072676 both disclose technology for inserting objects into filter rods, and WO2012/072676 further discloses embodiments in which a sequence of two different types ‘A’ and ‘B’ of capsules 16 can be inserted into the same filter rod 15, it will be appreciated that the filter rods 1 produced by this machine 5 are cut by a filter attachment cigarette manufacturing machine 17 to form identical filter rod segments 1″, each containing the same capsule 2 or same pair of capsules 16. If the capsules 16 are in pairs, the sequence of capsule types ‘A’ and ‘B’ within each pair is also the same. Therefore, all the cigarettes manufactured using the filter rod segments 1″ are identical.
Instead of supplying the rotatable disk assembly of WO2012/072676 with different capsule types to deliver capsules of alternating type to the same tow, each filter containing a different type of capsule can be manufactured separately, i.e. on a different capsule inserter filter rod making machine, so that each machine only needs to insert one type of capsule into the tow. Individual filter rod segments from different machines are subsequently positioned end-to-end and wrapped in plug wrap in a filter rod combiner to form 2-up, 4-up or 6-up filter rods which can then be fed into the filter rod feeder of the filter attachment smoking article manufacturing machine.
It will be appreciated that if each filter rod segment is manufactured on a different capsule inserter filter rod manufacturing machine, different tows can be supplied to each capsule inserter filter rod making machine. For example, the tow may have characteristics that complement the type of capsule that is being inserted into it. Those characteristics may be visually discernable or different types of tow may have different tactile properties. In particular, the tow supplied to each capsule inserter filter rod manufacturing machine may be of different colours. The colour of the tow supplied to each capsule inserter filter rod manufacturing machine may be one that a consumer would associate with the particular type of capsule that is being inserted by that machine. Although the tow is wrapped in plug wrap, and subsequently tipping paper, the mouth end of the tow will remain visible and so the different tow characteristics can be identified by a consumer. This can act as a visual indicator as to the type of capsule contained by that filter instead of, or in addition to, any markings or indicia on the tipping paper.
It is also envisaged that a tube filter may be located in the filter rods by the capsule inserter filter rod making machine within the plug wrap. Each tube filter may be dual length and positioned between filter rod segments by the filter rod combiner so that when the 2-up, 4-up or 6-up filter rods are cut to form individual filter rod segments, they each have a tow section and a tube filter section, with the tube filter section at the mouth end of each filter rod segment.
Whilst a tube filter may be combined with filter rods having different tow characteristics, so that the tow is visible through the tube filter at the mouth end of a smoking article, a tube filter can also be used with conventional tow.
Although reference is made to an embodiment in which the two filter rod segments of a dual length filter rod have different objects in them or have different tow characteristics in addition to different objects, it should also be noted that, in another embodiment, there are no objects and the filter rod segments differ only in their tow characteristics.
As previously described, an embodiment of the invention comprises a method of simultaneously producing two different types of cigarettes in a cigarette manufacturing machine 17. This is achieved by supplying the machine 17 with filter rods 1 containing capsules 2 of different types in which the capsules 2 are longitudinally separated from each other by a distance ‘S’ (see
The plug wrap 18 which is wrapped around each filter rod 1 by the filter rod making machine 5 may be provided with markings or other visual or tactile indicia 19 to provide an indication as to the orientation of the filter rods 1, i.e. at which end of the filter rod 1 has a capsule 2 of type ‘A’, as opposed to a type ‘B’ capsule 2, situated at the other end of the filter rod 1. A visual representation of how a section of plug wrap 18 may look is shown in
An operator loads a bobbin, on which a supply of plug wrap 18 is wound, onto the filter rod making machine 5, in such a way that the markings 19 on it correctly denote, when cut into filter rods 1, which end of the filter rod 1 is which, i.e. which end of the filter rod 1 has a capsule 2 of type ‘A’ in it as opposed to a capsule of type ‘B’. This indication will then ensure that the operator manually places the filter rods 1 in the filter rod feeder 22 of the cigarette manufacturing machine 17 in the correct orientation in a subsequent manufacturing step.
By placing the filter rods 1 in the filter rod feeder 22 of a cigarette manufacturing machine 17 in the correct orientation as a result of knowing which end of the filter rod 1 contains a capsule of type ‘A’, and which end contains a capsule 2 of type ‘B’, and by providing tipping paper with indicators to denote to consumers the type of capsule 2 contained within a particular filter, it is possible to ensure that the end of a dual length filter rod 1′ containing a capsule 2 of type ‘A’ is wrapped with that part of the tipping paper which carries an indicator corresponding to capsule type ‘A’ and, that the other end of the dual length filter rod 1′ containing a capsule 2 of type ‘B’ is wrapped with the remaining part of the tipping paper which carries an indicator corresponding to capsule type ‘B’. A respective capsule type-denoting indicator on the tipping paper will then be in register or correspond with the type of capsule 2 contained within that part of the dual length filter rod 1′ about which it is wrapped, so a consumer will be able to correctly identify a cigarette as being of a particular type, i.e. whether it is a smoking article having a filter containing a capsule of type ‘A’ or type ‘B’.
As described in more detail below, the indicator on the tipping paper may be a mark, printed indicia or any other visual type of indicator. It will also be appreciated that the marking could be non-visual, for example, they could be tactile in nature.
A cigarette manufacturing machine 17, as shown in general in
The tipping paper 20 comprises a first series of longitudinally extending markings 26 on a first lateral portion 25a, and a second series of longitudinally extending markings 27 on a second lateral portion 25b. The markings 26, 27 are longitudinally spaced so that one marking appears on each section 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d. First and second markings 26, 27 correspond to or denote first and second capsule types A and B, respectively, of the capsules 2 received in the filter rod segments 1″. The first and second lateral portions 25a, 25b are divided by an imaginary centre line X-X extending the length of the tipping paper 20.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the method comprises placing filter rods 1 in the filter rod feeder 22 in an orientation that corresponds to an orientation of the tipping paper supply so that the first lateral portion 25a of the tipping paper, which carries a marking 26 corresponding to capsule type ‘A’, will be wrapped around a portion of the dual length filter rod 1′ containing a capsule 2 of the first type ‘A’ and, the second lateral portion 25b, which carries a marking 27 corresponding to capsule type ‘B’, will become wrapped around a portion of the filter rod 1′ containing a capsule 2 of the second type B, when the dual length filter rods 1′ and tobacco rods 4 are attached to each other. The markings on the tipping paper will be recognisable to a consumer as representing a particular capsule type ‘A’ or ‘B’ and any combination of, for example, colours, words, symbols, ridges, indents or embossing may be used for this purpose. For ease of illustration and description only, the markings in
The width of the tipping paper 20 is greater than the length of each dual length filter rod 1′ so that an edge region of each lateral portion of the tipping paper 20 extends beyond corresponding ends of the dual length filter rod 1′ and over a part of the tobacco rod 4 in order to attach the tobacco rod 4 to the dual length filter rod 1′. A dotted line Z-Z represents the extent of the tipping paper 20 that extends over the dual length filter rod 1′ so that the part beyond each dotted line Z-Z is an edge region extending over a corresponding tobacco rod 4.
As the filter attachment cigarette manufacturing machine 17 which is supplied with elongate filter rods 1 is of a known type to those skilled in the art, it will not be described herein in detail. However, it will be appreciated that a filter attachment cigarette manufacturing machine 17 receives the filter rods 1 from the filter rod feeder 22, in which they have been placed by an automated pneumatic transport from the filter rod production department, and also receives tobacco rods 4 from a tobacco rod maker (not shown), and conveys them through a filter attachment unit by a plurality of cylindrical drums 27. Rod articles are passed from drum to drum as they are conveyed through the unit. The drums have a plurality of grooves for holding rod articles during transport, the grooves being spaced around the curved periphery of a drum, with each groove extending in the direction of the drum axis.
Certain drums are configured so that particular operations are carried out as the rod articles are conveyed by the drums 27. For example known filter attachment machines include a swash plate drum for longitudinally compressing two tobacco rods and a 2-up filter rod before tipping paper is applied, and a rolling drum which co-operates with a roll hand to wrap a tipping paper segment around the three rods. Other known drums include cutting drums, such as cutting drum 23a and knife drum 29a, to cut rod articles, separating drums for separating rod articles, inspection drums to inspect for the presence of filters or to carry out a leakage test, laser drums to burn small perforations in filter rods, and turning drums to change the orientation of cigarettes. Other known drums include transfer drums (also referred to as “intermediate drums”), takeover drums and feed drums. As mentioned above, a known filter attachment unit also includes a tipping unit for supplying tipping paper and a glue unit for applying glue to the tipping paper.
Suitable filter rod feeders 22 for feeding filter rods 1 into the cigarette manufacturing machine 17 are “Max S”, “Max 90” or GD121 machines. As shown in
The objects which are inserted into the filter rods 1 by the filter rod manufacturing machine 3 are preferably capsules 2. Each capsule 2 is preferably spherical, formed from gelatin and has an interior volume filled with flavourant. As used herein, the term “flavourant” refers to materials which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste or aroma in a product for adult consumers. They may include extracts (e.g., licorice, hydrangea,Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed, cinnamon, herb, wintergreen, cherry, berry, peach, apple, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, piment, ginger, anise, coriander, coffee, or a mint oil from any species of the genus Mentha), flavour enhancers, bitterness receptor site blockers, sensorial receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and/or sugar substitutes (e.g.,sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath freshening agents. They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example, oil, liquid, or powder. Capsule types ‘A’ and ‘B’ are differentiated from each other by their content. In particular, capsule type ‘A’ will contain one of the flavourants listed above, whereas capsule type ‘B’ will contain a different one of the flavourants listed above.
The capsules may have a diameter of 3.5 mm. It will be appreciated that other objects suitable for insertion into filter rods 1 could alternatively or additionally be fed by the capsule insertion filter rod manufacturing machine 5, such as pellets or pieces of charcoal. In particular, one of the capsule types ‘A’ or ‘B’ could be replaced by a pellet or piece of charcoal, so that one of the filter rod segments 1″ formed from a dual length filter rod 1′ contains a capsule 2 and the other contains a pellet or piece of charcoal.
Although reference is made to one of the segments cut from a dual length filter rod as containing a capsule of type ‘A’ and the other segment containing a capsule of type ‘B’, it will be appreciated that there may be more than one capsule or object in one segment or in each of the segments, each capsule or object in one segment can be of the same or of a different type. It is is the fact that the segments formed from the same dual length filter rod are different to each other, in terms of the object type or quantity of objects received within each them, which is of importance.
The various embodiments described herein are presented only to assist in understanding and teaching the claimed features. These embodiments are provided as a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects described herein are not to be considered limitations on the scope of the invention as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilised and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. Various embodiments of the invention may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, appropriate combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc, other than those specifically described herein. In addition, this disclosure may include other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/GB2015/052825 | 9/29/2015 | WO | 00 |
