Patent Application
20150251854
From about the first quarter of the 20th century, the cigarette-making industry provided cigarettes with a rod-shaped filter attached to a tobacco rod. First, manually attached and then, from the early 1950's, mechanically attached filters became a standard component of a cigarette. The cigarette industry experimented with multi-component cigarettes and filters starting from the early 1960's. Relevant means for manufacturing such products have been revealed, e.g. in Molins invention U.S. Pat. No. 3,080,871, followed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,131,612, U.S. Pat. No. 3,267,820, U.S. Pat. No. 3,267,821, etc.
This and other methods and devices are discussed e.g. in Philip Morris EP1763306, highlighting various imperfections and shortcomings. This document reveals an apparatus and a method of maintaining alignment of segments in the stream of aligned segments by means of suction, or has a plurality of spaced apart separators for maintaining the alignment of segments in the stream of aligned segments, or both. Suction preventing relative movement of the segments is applied through the holes in filter segment transporting wheels, holding the segments in position as they are transferred to a continuous paper web for downstream processing. However, this arrangement allows loose segments in transit between the preceding transporting wheel and the following transporting wheel of the apparatus to remain floating in the air, jostling adjacent segments and/or the transporting means, as they become released from the suction of the preceding wheel but are not yet in the suction range of the following transporting wheel. Further, for at least some of the segment arrangements, some or all of the segments are inconsistently mechanically supported by the spacers on the circumference of the transporting wheels. Since the aligned segments are of different length, density, structure, etc., and additionally, they are manufactured within upstream production tolerances, imposing random discrepancies between them, they behave differently when in the transfer zone between the transporting wheels. Consequently, twofold transition of the loose segments between the transporting wheels in the apparatus results in random, jerky relative longitudinal movement of the segments, and displacement against one another. This results in minute, yet highly undesirable imperfections in segment alignment when discharged at the exit from the apparatus onto the continuous paper web, for downstream processing. The effect is particularly pronounced at real production speeds, where a few thousand segments are handled a minute. As compared to previous methods, the imperfections in longitudinal segment alignments were reduced but still do not allow for meeting todays quality standards of rejecting off-specification products and maintaining waste production losses. Moreover, due to the use of suction for maintaining alignment of segments during transportation towards downstream processing, this arrangement does not allow for handling fragile, low density and/or highly porous segments made of e.g. non-wrapped low-density cellulose acetate. Further, this arrangement does not allow for buffering and/or further advantageous processing of the segments to be carried out at the latest stage, and just before forming and sealing a continuous, endless rod of multi-segment rod-like articles as well known in the industry and to personnel skilled in the art.
Still further, EP2210509(A1) discloses a method of compacting, wrapping and cutting components of a rod-like articles wherein at least one of the components is a non-cleanly-cuttable component like a combustible heat source or fuel element, for example a carbonaceous heat source that remains in direct contact with the component transporting means, e.g. drums or wheels. In the disclosed method and apparatus, suction is used to hold the components, and known vacuum transfer techniques are used to transfer the components between drums. Since the revealed method requires suction or vacuum for transporting components, it is risky when transporting active powder-containing segments, e.g. heat sources, and also not suitable for transporting fragile, easily deformable, brittle components of the rod-like articles. The revealed method of compacting combustible heat source components or other chemically active compounds of the rod-like articles boosts the risk of inter-product and intra-product contamination affecting product quality, percentage of waste and overall productivity.
Also, newer methods and apparatuses described in, e.g. EP2633769, U.S. Pat. No. 8,475,348 or EP2628399, EP2653044, EP2636322, etc., disclose principles and methods of manufacturing multi-component filter rods by means of various arrangements of filter segment transfer mechanisms. Moreover, numerous patent applications within the tobacco industry reveal mechanisms and methods of forming and transferring rod-like articles, specifically filter and/or cigarette rods using a variety of drum or wheel arrangements, e.g.: GB447779, GB477908, GB662309, GB709810, GB770173, GB915203, GB1351619, GB1476931, GB1438838, WO2013076750, etc.
Until the end of the 20th century, simple, single-segment filters constituted the majority of filters produced in the tobacco industry. Over the last two decades however, more and more complex filter specifications have been developed, including multi-component, multi-segment filters, consisting of segments precisely positioned relative to the adjacent segments, with such arrangements being fitted in the final filter attached to a cigarette or to another product meant for altering physical and organoleptic properties of smoke or, generally, air mixtures passing through such articles. Hence, there is a need for developing a means of reliably manufacturing increasingly advanced and demanding multi-component filters that are frequently referred to as composite or combined filter rods.
Currently, filter specifications use a range of filter segments that include, cellulose acetate of specific density and physical structure, with such rod material being wrapped in filter paper wrapper known as plug wrap, or formed as a rod-like article without wrapping in the plug wrap (so called non-wrapped acetate), non-cellulose acetate fibrous materials, particulate materials of specific absorption and filtration properties, heat energy sources, fragrance, taste and/or other sensory attributes-modifying articles, foreign articles, e.g. liquid-containing capsules and solid objects including shaped tubular objects, bio-decomposition catalytic substances, etc. Examples of such articles are disclosed in EP0880904, U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,082, U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,751, U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,551, U.S. Pat. No. 8,528,567, WO2011042175, WO2012000646, WO2013068081, EP1972213, EP2462822, etc.
Thus, in order to administer such substances in any required combination, and align them into a continuous rod-like article in a precisely pre-determined and recurrent manner, not affecting quality of any of the finished filter components, and with highly repeatable overall quality of the final filter product, an apparatus and method of achieving these goals is described in the disclosed invention.
In one exemplary embodiment, an apparatus and method for buffering and processing a plurality of rod-like articles used in the manufacture of cigarette filters and in the manufacture of multi-segment rod-like articles may be disclosed. For example, the apparatus and method may be used for treating and altering physical properties of multi-segment filters, and organoleptic properties of air mixtures passing through such articles. An example of such apparatus may be disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,475,348.
In another exemplary embodiment, an apparatus and method of manufacturing multi-component rod-like filtration articles and also, rod-like articles for adjusting the alignment of rod-like articles desired for downstream processing may be disclosed. The present invention may further allow for providing additional substances in a series of actions, as well as changes applied to all, or selected components of the multi-component or final product, between entering and leaving the apparatus towards downstream processing. In general, such final products may be manufactured for the purpose of treating and/or altering properties of air mixtures and therefore, they may be referred to as, for example, rod-like articles instead of simply filters.
Advantages of embodiments of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments. The following detailed description should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying figures in which:
a is an exemplary embodiment of an arrangement of rod-like articles in a continuous composite article.
b is an exemplary embodiment of an arrangement of rod-like articles in a recess composite article.
a is an exemplary embodiment of inlet rotary portion in vertical arrangement in relation to the belt feeding the rod-like articles.
b is an exemplary embodiment of inlet rotary portion in angular arrangement in relation to the belt feeding the rod-like articles.
c is an exemplary embodiment of inlet rotary portion in angular arrangement in relation to an alternative arrangement of the belt(s) feeding the rod-like articles.
a is a cross sectional view of an exemplary application of at least one process, e.g. suction, applied at a radius, through an opening in the vicinity of the rod-like article.
b is a front view of an exemplary application of at least one process, e.g. suction through an opening, in the vicinity of the rod-like article.
c is a cross sectional view of another exemplary application of at least one process, e.g. suction, applied at a radius, through an opening in the vicinity of the rod-like article.
d is a cross sectional view of an exemplary application of supplementary processing means.
a is an exemplary embodiment of rotary portions with side guards protecting selected rod segments against applied supplementary processing means.
b is another exemplary embodiment of rotary portions with adjustable side guards protecting selected rod segments against applied supplementary processing means.
c is another exemplary embodiment of an arrangement of side guards on rotary portion, protecting selected rod segments against applied supplementary processing means.
a is an exemplary side view of another exemplary embodiment of an apparatus showing rotary portions arranged for extended buffering, additional treatment and/or feeding supplementary articles into the stream of rod-like articles fed through the inlet rotary portion.
b is an exemplary top view of another exemplary embodiment of the apparatus showing rotary portions arranged for extended buffering, additional treatment and/or feeding supplementary articles into the stream of rod-like articles fed through the inlet rotary portion.
c is an exemplary side view of another exemplary arrangement of the apparatus showing rotary portions arranged at an angle facilitating extended buffering, additional treatment and/or feeding supplementary articles through a feeder into the stream of rod-like articles fed through the inlet rotary portion.
Aspects of the present invention are disclosed in the following description and related figures directed to specific embodiments of the invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit or the scope of the claims. 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.
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.
Throughout the current description of the invention, commonly accepted terms may be utilized. For example, “processing” may be understood as applying forces, media, substances or mixtures of thereof to rod-like articles during their transit through the apparatus to, for example, adjust their properties prior to forming a final rod-like product. Intensity of rod-like article interaction with the processing may be proportional to the time the rod-like articles are exposed to the processing. In addition, “buffering” may be used as separating two inlet and exit areas or otherwise adjusting filter rod transit time through the apparatus, providing adjustable time and space required for processing.
Referring generally to
Referring now to
According to the current invention, the apparatus in is part of the technology of making multi-component rod-like articles described in e.g. EP2633769, U.S. Pat. No. 8,475,348, etc. Once the rod-like articles are aligned in a required manner on the feeding belt (10), the alignment remains fixed until a final, multi-component rod is sealed and cut downstream the apparatus (A1).
a-c may show exemplary design varieties of the inlet rotary portion (W1).
Before rod-like articles (1, 2, 3) are transferred for further processing from the inlet rotary portion (W1) to the second rotary portion (W2), they may pass by the first processing zone (Z1).
An example of a practical application of the revealed arrangement of the opening or openings (12, 12′) and the rotary portions (W1, W2, W3) is application of controlled atmosphere through suction (11) being exerted through the opening (12), transversely to the transfer direction of the rod-like articles (1, 2, 3) and independently of the rotary portions (W1, W2, W3). As the suction force is adjusted for each rod-like article specification separately, it allows deceleration of the rod-like articles (1, 2, 3) in the processing compartment (23) of the rotary portions (W1, W2, W3). One advantageous result of such treatment is that all rod-like articles (1, 2, 3) in the processing compartment (23) may be pushed back to the most rear position available in the compartment (23), eliminating random spacing and ensuring direct contact (13) between the rod-like articles (1, 2, 3) and rear separator (16), and thus reliably and continually defining a relative position of the articles throughout subsequent processing. Since a relative position of the articles (1, 2, 3) may be adjusted against the rear, pushing separator (16), the separator may work as a mechanical timing element allowing to fix and control a position of the rod-like articles (1, 2, 3) in the processing compartment (23), throughout the apparatus (A1). Moreover, suction may be applied for other processing reasons, e.g. in order to remove residual dust and/or loose particles remaining adhered to the rod-like articles (1, 2, 3) after preceding processes, e.g. cutting base rods (not shown) into defined length of the rod-like articles (1, 2, 3) and/or mechanical interaction on the way to and inside the apparatus (1). Another reason for applying suction may be to apply controlled atmosphere to the rod-like articles (1, 2, 3) in the processing compartment (23), e.g. such atmosphere containing menthol vapors and/or other fragrant or sanitizing vapors, and to maintain and/or control vapors saturation in the compartment (23) through removal of excess vapors and/or through cooling articles in the compartment (23).
Another exemplary practical application of the disclosed arrangement is application of a process exerted through opening or openings (12, 12′) transversely to the transfer direction of the rod-like articles (1, 2, 3) and independently of the rotary portions (W1, W2, W3) to enforce controlled angular movement of the rod-like articles (1, 2, 3) when passing through at least one of the processing zones (e.g. Z1, Z2, Z2A, Z3). Such movement may allow, for example, a light beam to penetrate uniformly the rod material and induce required reactions, e.g. chemical reactions in the rod. Such laser beam may also make unique perforation patterns on each rod-like article independently so that unique perforation patterns can be applied to, and about, rod-like articles (1, 2, 3), a group of rod-like articles, or to a required batch of rod-like articles immediately before fixing their mutual position and sealing the final rod in downstream processing, for example in a garniture assembly. Such perforation patterns can be applied, for example, to modify a pressure drop of the air mixture passing through the filter and, such perforation patterns can further be used for authentication marking of rod-like articles (1, 2, 3), a group of rod-like articles, or to a required batch of rod-like articles.
In still another exemplary practical application of the disclosed arrangement is application of a process through opening or openings (12, 12′) transversely to the transfer direction of the rod-like articles (1, 2, 3) and independently of the rotary portions (W1, W2, W3) to apply, for example, a sanitizing or fragrance-rich atmosphere through the processing zones (Z1, Z2, Z2A, Z3). For example, flushing the rod-like articles (1, 2, 3) passing through at least one of the processing zones (Z1, Z2, Z2A, Z3) with such atmosphere, or a very accurate application of a required fluid to only selected rod-like articles (1, 2, 3) through a single or a system of, for example, pulse jet nozzles distributed along the processing zones (Z1, Z2, Z2A, Z3). Such a processing mode may further require applying energy, for example, in the form of electromagnetic radiation that may control reaction kinetics aimed at obtaining a desired end effect. Such application or removal of energy may be aimed at, for example, controlling evaporation (drying), liquid solidifying or polymerization processes of earlier applied substances such as, for example, fragrance or taste enhancing liquids.
Rod-like articles (1, 2, 3) may then be transferred to the subsequent rotary portions (W2, W3). In order to maintain an already fixed alignment of the articles (1, 2, 3) and the position of the articles (1, 2, 3), a continuous and consistent mechanical support may be ensured by direct contact of the rod-like articles (1, 2, 3) with the separators (20) throughout the complete transit towards downstream processing. Typical arrangements of the rotary portions (W1, W3) or typically, inner rotary portion (W2) only, is revealed for example in
Exit of the fully processed rod-like articles, in a prescribed alignment (1, 2, 3), to downstream processing (22) is shown in
The exit rotary portion (W3), rotates at angular speed (ω3) adjusted to maintain linear speed (VW3) at the pitch diameter of the exit rotary portion (W3), the linear speed (VW3), advantageously overlapping longitudinal axis of the rod-like articles (1, 2, 3) and being synchronized with the linear speed (VB2) of the paper web (19). Most typical adjustments of linear speeds in the discharge zone sets VW3=VB2 so that mutual alignment of the rod-like articles (1, 2, 3) pre-set at the exit from the apparatus (A1) remain preserved when put onto the continuous running paper web (19) and sealed in the garniture. In such case, when VW3=VB2 a length of the separator (20), at its pitch diameter, and at the peripheral of the exit rotary portion (W3) defines the air gap (7) between rod segment groups (21) in the adjacent processing compartments (23). Such filter, as shown in
The linear speed (VW3) and the pace of rotation (0) of the exit rotary portion (W3) may be precisely controlled through, for example, their servo motors (not shown) and synchronised with the linear speed (VB2) of the paper web (19). Since both number and angular distribution of the separators (20) on the circumference of the rotary portion (W3) may be defined and remain constant for every production specification of the rod-like articles, the exit rotary portion (W3) operates as a rotary encoder precisely converting angular position of the peripheral separators (20) into a reliable control signal to the continuous rod cutting mechanism (not shown) for cutting the continuous rod into a precisely determined discrete articles for treating and altering physical properties of air mixtures.
Further to the invention,
Thus, as shown below in Example 1, changing a diameter of, for example, intermediate rotary portion (W2) may therefore allow for adjusting a length of segments travel path to suit processing needs of filter specifications. Example 1 assumes a first diameter of the intermediate rotary portion (W2) as D1=250 mm, and then changed to D2=350 mm, with production speed altered at exit from the apparatus in the range V=100-500 m/min. The following data table shows that a change in the diameter of the intermediate rotary portion (W2) only by 40% (from 250 mm to 350 mm), results in the transit time, used for segments curing or processing purposes increase proportionally, by Δ=40%, over the whole production speed range.
Variable capacity buffer (30) may therefore allow for adjusting a length of the travel path to suit processing needs of filter specifications, as shown in the following Example 2. The data table shows transit time through the variable capacity buffer (30) moving from an initial “0 mm” position to 500 mm height (i.e. moving up along direction 29), for two linear transfer speeds, V1=250 m/min and V2=500 m/min, resulting in an increase in the transit time through the buffer. The example shows transit time increase by approximately 255%, irrespective of the actual production speed.
The apparatus (A1), according to the exemplary embodiments disclosed in
The apparatus (A2) may have inlet rotary portion (W1) and exit rotary portion (W3) arranged mostly vertically, as shown in
In one of the exemplary arrangements of the apparatus (A2), shown in
Subsequently, the apparatus (A2) may allow for rearrangement and realignment of the rod-like articles from their initial (1, 2, 3) first in-first out (FIFO) alignment to their final (3, 2, 1) first in-last out (FILO) alignment at exit from the apparatus (A2). One of the preferred methods used for accomplishing precisely repeatable results of rearranging initial alignment of the rod-like articles (1, 2, 3), from FIFO to FILO alignment, is by adjusting a shape of the rotary portions (W1, W2, W3) and the separators (15, 16, 20), described in the first embodiment of the apparatus (A1), towards straight teeth as in bevel gears (with conical pitch surface and teeth being straight and tapering towards apex), or spiral helical teeth (curved at an angle allowing tooth-segment contact to be gradual and smooth thus, minimizing interfacial rubbing and degradation). Such shaped separators, or teeth, can be meshed in parallel or crossed orientations allowing full flexibility in orientation of the rotary portions (W1, W2, W3) and respective rotating shafts.
The revealed third embodiment of the apparatus (A3) may have rotary portions (W1, W2, W3) used for buffering and processing multi-segment rod-like articles for treating air mixtures, which may have their axes of rotation perpendicular to each other, as revealed in
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.
