Patent Application
20110053745
Cigarettes and other smoking articles commonly include filter portions (universally known as filter segments) intended to remove some impurities and toxins from the cigarette smoke as it is inhaled. In certain cases, cigarette manufacturers may wish to impart flavor to the cigarette smoke as it is inhaled by the smoker.
One method of imparting flavor to a cigarette may be to include a flavor capsule within the filter portion of a cigarette. When the capsule is ruptured, it releases flavorings or aromatic material into the air stream passing through the filter. These capsules may also alter other characteristics of the inhaled smoke, such as, for example, cooling or moistening the smoke such that the smoker is provided with an enhanced smoking experience.
An apparatus for insertion of capsules into cigarette filter tows, including a tow processing unit coupled to a capsule insertion unit and a filter rod making unit coupled to the capsule insertion unit, the tow processing unit including a tow bale, a plurality of rollers, a plurality of banding jets and a plasticizer chamber, and the rod making unit including a garniture bed, a sensor and a knife carrier. The capsule insertion unit including a hopper, an endless belt disposed between the hopper and an inlet pipe, a capsule feeder wheel rotating about a first axis of rotation, the feeder wheel including inner cavity in communication with said inlet pipe, a capsule insertion wheel in operative communication with the feeder wheel and rotating about a second axis of rotation, and a tow gathering funnel configured to receive an edge of the insertion wheel.
The capsule feeder wheel includes a plurality of radial grooves in communication with the inner cavity of the wheel, each groove configured to receive a plurality of capsules and terminating at an aperture at a circumferential edge of the feeder wheel; a plurality of pins, each pin corresponding to a radial groove, and disposed such that a tip of each pin may be received within a corresponding radial groove; and a stationary cam wheel configured to actuate the pins at desired points along the circumference of the cam wheel.
The capsule insertion wheel includes a plurality of recesses defined along a circumferential edge of the insertion wheel, each recess configured to receive a capsule; a plurality of pins, each pin corresponding to a recess, and disposed such that a tip of each pin may be received within a corresponding recess; and a stationary cam wheel configured to actuate the pins at desired points along the circumference of the cam wheel.
a is a diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a feeder wheel of a capsule insertion unit operatively coupled to an exemplary embodiment of an insertion wheel of a capsule insertion unit.
b is a detail of the interface locus between an exemplary embodiment of a feeder wheel and an exemplary embodiment of an insertion wheel.
c is a detail of the insertion locus of an exemplary embodiment of an insertion wheel.
Aspects of the invention are disclosed in the following description and related drawings directed to specific embodiments of the invention. Alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention. Further, to facilitate an understanding of the description discussion of several terms used herein follows.
As used herein, the word “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance or illustration.” The embodiments described herein are not limiting, but rather are exemplary only. It should be understood that the described embodiment are not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Moreover, the terms “embodiments of the invention”, “embodiments” or “invention” do not require that all embodiments of the invention include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation.
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Feeder wheel 210 may be in operative communication with insertion wheel 220 at an interface locus 221. Insertion wheel 220 may rotate around a second axis of rotation 222 and may be disposed such that second axis of rotation 222 is substantially horizontal and substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the filter tow 120. Feeder wheel 210 and insertion wheel 220 may be synchronized such that the tangential speed of the circumferential edge of feeder wheel 210 may be substantially equal to the tangential speed of the circumferential edge of insertion wheel 220. In one embodiment, feeder wheel 210 and insertion wheel 220 may be synchronously driven by motor 208 via a gearbox 209. Motor 208 may be a servomotor or any other motive device known to one having ordinary skill in the art. Disposed below insertion wheel 220 may be a tow gathering funnel 216. Tow gathering funnel 216 may include a tow inlet aperture 217 and a tow outlet aperture 219. Tow gathering funnel 216 may also include a slit 218 defined in the upper surface of thereof, slit 218 being configured to receive the circumferential edge of insertion wheel 220.
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The surface of annular groove 231 may undulate such that actuator 240 of a pin 236 may be engaged and depressed by the surface of annular groove 231 between certain points along annular groove 231. For example, the surface of annular groove 231 may be defined such that it does not engage actuators 240 of pins 236 when pins 236 are located above interface locus 221 between feeder wheel 210 and insertion wheel 220. The surface of annular groove 231 may further be defined such that it engages and depresses actuators 240 of pins 236 when pins 236 may not be in proximity to interface locus 221 between feeder wheel 210 and insertion wheel 220. When engaged and depressed by the surface of annular groove 231, actuator 240 may depress pin body 246 against the force of spring 244, causing tip 248 to penetrate downwards through and extend past first aperture 235 of a corresponding depression 233. Conversely, when actuator 240 is not depressed by the surface of annular groove 231, spring 244 may force pin body 246 upwards, thereby causing tip 248 to withdraw from first aperture 235.
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Insertion wheel 220 may include a plurality of recesses 224, each recess 224 configured to receive a capsule 150. Each recess 224 may have a third aperture 226 defined therein and a corresponding pin 266 disposed interior to and adjacent to each third aperture 226. Insertion wheel 220 may also include a stationary cam wheel 260, cam wheel 260 disposed within and being substantially coaxial to insertion wheel 220, and having a groove 261 defined therein.
Each of pins 266 may include actuator 270, sleeve 272, spring 274, body 276, and tip 278. Spring 274 may be disposed between and engaged with body 276 and sleeve 272 such that tip 278 is withdrawn into sleeve 272 when pin 266 is not actuated. The actuator 270 of each pin 266 may be received in groove 261 of cam wheel 260 while tip 278 of each pin 266 may be received within a corresponding third aperture 226. The surface of groove 261 may undulate such that actuator 270 of a pin 266 may be engaged and depressed by the surface of groove 261 between certain points along groove 261. For example, the surface of groove 261 may be defined such that it engages and depresses actuators 270 of pins 266 when pins 266 are located within slit 218 of tow not engage actuators 270 of pins 266 when pins 266 are not in proximity to slit 218 of tow gathering funnel 216. When engaged and depressed by the surface of groove 261, actuator 270 may depress pin body 276 against the force of spring 274, causing tip 278 to penetrate outward through and extend past third aperture 226 of a corresponding recess 224. Conversely, when actuator 270 is not depressed by the surface of groove 261, spring 274 may force pin body 276 inwards, thereby causing tip 278 to withdraw from third aperture 226.
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Insertion wheel 120 may also have vacuum supplied to recesses 224 to facilitate maintaining capsules 150 within recesses 224. Vacuum may be applied when recesses 224 are located at certain positions relative to interface locus 221 and insertion locus 255. For example, insertion wheel 220 may include a suction zone 254, wherein vacuum is supplied to recesses traveling through suction zone 254. In one embodiment, suction zone 254 may begin prior to interface locus 221 and may end after or substantially near insertion locus 255, as shown in
In operation, capsules 150 may be stored in hopper 202 and be withdrawn therefrom by belt 204, as shown in
As a capsule 150 passes from radial groove 239 of feeder wheel 210 to a recess 224 of insertion wheel 220, it should be noted that the velocity vector of capsule 150 may remain constant. Maintaining the velocity vector constant at interface locus 221 may facilitate high-speed transfer of capsules 150 from feeder wheel 210 to insertion wheel 220. Capsule 150 may also be drawn into and maintained within recess 224 by vacuum supplied to recess 224 while recess 224 is located within suction zone 254. Capsule 150 may then carried by insertion wheel 220 towards insertion locus 255. As a particular recess 224 approaches insertion locus 255, tip 278 of a corresponding pin 266 may enter recess 224 via third aperture 226, as shown in
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The foregoing description and accompanying figures illustrate the principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above. Additional variations of the embodiments discussed above will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.
Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that variations to those embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
