AUTOMATIC CIGARETTE INJECTION MACHINE AND AN OPERATION METHOD OF THE SAME

Abstract

A cigarette injection machine may include: a cigarettes tubes chamber configured to store an empty cigarette tube; a tobacco chamber configured to store tobacco, wherein the cigarettes tubes chamber and the tobacco chamber are arranged in a horizontal direction; a tobacco feed nozzle disposed between the cigarettes tubes chamber and the tobacco chamber in the horizontal direction, to guide and feed the tobacco into the empty cigarette tube; a cigarette tube loader barrel configured to load the empty cigarette tube from the cigarettes tubes chamber, rotate to a position of the tobacco feed nozzle, and move in the horizontal direction to a requested cigarette size position; and a tobacco feeder spiral rod configured to push the tobacco into the tobacco feed nozzle until the empty cigarette tube is filled with the tobacco when the cigarette tube loader barrel is at the requested cigarette size position.

Description

FIELD

Methods and apparatuses consistent with embodiments relate to an automatic cigarette rolling or injection machine for consumers and an operating method of the same.

BACKGROUND

Most cigarette making machines in the market require the use of both hands to make a cigarette. Specifically, a consumer needs to fill up a tobacco filling container, tab and push the tobacco into the container, put an empty cigarette tube in the feeder nozzle, and then pull the injection handle to push the tobacco into the empty cigarette tube. Once that process is complete, the consumer needs to remove the freshly filled cigarette from the feeder nozzle.

Since the steps of making a cigarette described above is a very cumbersome process, there has been a demand for an automatic cigarette injecting machine which allows consumers to simply press a button to instruct the machine to make freshly filled cigarettes automatically.

SUMMARY

One or more example embodiments provide an automatic and fully hand-free cigarette rolling or injection machine, which automatically makes a cigarette when the consumer loads tobacco and empty cigarette tubes in designated containers of the machine, and pushes a start button.

According to an aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a cigarette injection machine including: a cigarettes tubes chamber configured to store an empty cigarette tube; a tobacco chamber configured to store tobacco, wherein the cigarettes tubes chamber and the tobacco chamber are arranged in a horizontal direction; a tobacco feed nozzle disposed between the cigarettes tubes chamber and the tobacco chamber in the horizontal direction, to guide and feed the tobacco into the empty cigarette tube; a cigarette tube loader barrel configured to load the empty cigarette tube from the cigarettes tubes chamber, rotate to a position of the tobacco feed nozzle, and move in the horizontal direction to a requested cigarette size position; and a tobacco feeder spiral rod configured to push the tobacco into the tobacco feed nozzle until the empty cigarette tube is filled with the tobacco when the cigarette tube loader barrel is at the requested cigarette size position, to provide a filled cigarette.

The cigarette injection machine may further include: a first electrical servo motor configure to rotate the cigarette tube loader barrel to load the empty cigarette tube into the cigarettes tubes chamber, and rotate the cigarette tube loader barrel to the position of the tobacco feed nozzle; and a second electronic servo motor configured to move the cigarette tube loader barrel to the position of the tobacco feed nozzle in the horizontal direction after the cigarette tube loader barrel is rotated to the position of the tobacco feed nozzle; wherein the first electrical servo motor may be further configured to rotate the cigarette tube loader barrel to unload the filled cigarette.

The cigarette injection machine may further include: a memory configured to store one or more computer readable instructions; and at least on processor configured to execute the one or more computer readable instructions to control the first electrical servo motor and the second electronic servo motor to provide the filled cigarette.

The cigarette injection machine may further include: a third electrical servo motor configured to drive the tobacco feeder spiral rod.

The cigarette injection machine may further include: a tobacco fluffing claws disposed at a bottom portion of the tobacco chamber and configured to break up the tobacco provided from the tobacco chamber; and fluffing claw driving gears configure to drive the tobacco fluffing claws.

The cigarette injection machine may further include: a first mechanical switching sensor configured to detect the empty cigarette tube in the cigarettes tubes chamber.

The cigarette injection machine may further include: a second mechanical switching sensor configured to detect a starting position of the cigarette tube loader barrel for loading the empty cigarette tube from the cigarettes tubes chamber.

The cigarette injection machine may further include: a position sensor configured to detect that the cigarette tube loader barrel reaches the requested cigarette size position.

The cigarette injection machine may further include: a cigarette size selector sensor configured to receive a user input indicating a user's requested tobacco size, wherein the requested cigarette size position may correspond to the user's requested tobacco size.

The cigarette injection machine may further include: a start button configured to receive a user input that requests a preset number count of cigarettes; and at least on processor configured to control the cigarette injection machine to provide the preset number count of cigarettes.

The start button may include a first push button for requesting a first number count of cigarettes as the preset number count of cigarettes, and a second push button for requesting a second number count of cigarettes as the preset number count of cigarettes, wherein the second number count is different from the first number count.

The cigarette injection machine may further include: a cigarette filled sensor configured to detect a fullness state of the tobacco in the empty cigarette tube while the tobacco feeder spiral rod rotates to fill the tobacco into the empty cigarette tube.

According to an aspect of another example embodiment, there is provided a method of operating a cigarette injection machine, including: rotating a cigarette tube loader barrel to load an empty cigarette tube from a cigarettes tubes chamber; rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel to a position of a tobacco feed nozzle to feed tobacco from a tobacco chamber into the empty cigarette tube; moving the cigarette tube loader barrel to a requested cigarette size position in a horizontal direction, wherein the cigarettes tubes chamber and the tobacco chamber are arranged in the horizontal direction; and rotating a tobacco feeder spiral rod to push the tobacco that is provided from the tobacco chamber into the tobacco feed nozzle when the cigarette tube loader barrel is at the requested cigarette size position, to fill the empty cigarette tube with the tobacco and thereby to provide a filled cigarette.

The rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel to a position of a tobacco feed nozzle may include: operating a first electrical servo motor to rotate the cigarette tube loader barrel to the position of the tobacco feed nozzle, and wherein the moving the cigarette tube loader barrel to the requested cigarette size position may include: after the cigarette tube loader barrel is at the position of the tobacco feed nozzle, operating a second electronic servo motor to move the cigarette tube loader barrel to the requested cigarette size position in the horizontal direction.

The method may further include: after the empty cigarette tube is filled with the tobacco, operating a first electrical servo motor to rotate the cigarette tube loader barrel to unload the filled cigarette rotating onto a dispenser tray.

The requested cigarette size position may include a first position corresponding to a first cigarette size, and a second position corresponding to a second cigarette size that is different from the first cigarette size. The method may further include: when a size of the empty cigarette tube corresponds to the first cigarette size, stopping the cigarette tube loader barrel when the cigarette tube loader barrel reaches the first position, and when the size of the empty cigarette tube corresponds to the second cigarette size, stopping the cigarette tube loader barrel when the cigarette tube loader barrel reaches the second position.

The method may further include: breaking up the tobacco provided from the tobacco chamber, by a tobacco fluffing claws disposed at a bottom portion of the tobacco chamber, and providing the broken up tobacco to the tobacco feed nozzle so that the empty cigarette tube is filled with the broken up tobacco.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features, and aspects of embodiments of the disclosure will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates exterior views of a cigarette injection machine in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates functional components of the cigarette injection machine in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a first mechanical view showing electro-mechanical components of the cigarette injection machine in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a second mechanical view showing additional electro-mechanical components of the cigarette injection machine in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a third mechanical view of the electro-mechanical components of the cigarette injection machine which are illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4;

FIG. 6 is a fourth mechanical view showing additional electro-mechanical components of the cigarette injection machine in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 illustrate a tobacco feeder spiral rod in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure

FIG. 8 is a fifth mechanical view showing additional electro-mechanical components of the cigarette injection machine in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 illustrates a block diagram of a micro-controller board mounted in the cigarette injection machine in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart for describing a method of operating the cigarette injection machine in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIGS. 11A-11L illustrate the operational process of the cigarette injection machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example embodiments are described in greater detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the following description, like drawing reference numerals are used for like elements, even in different drawings. The matters defined in the description, such as detailed construction and elements, are provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of the example embodiments. However, it is apparent that the example embodiments can be practiced without those specifically defined matters. Also, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the description with unnecessary detail.

In the description of the embodiments, detailed explanations of related art are omitted when it is deemed that they may unnecessarily obscure the essence of the disclosure. Also, numbers (for example, a first, a second, and the like) used in the description of the specification are identifier codes for distinguishing one element from another.

Also, in the present specification, it will be understood that when elements are “connected” or “coupled” to each other, the elements may be directly connected or coupled to each other, but may alternatively be connected or coupled to each other with an intervening element therebetween, unless specified otherwise.

In the present specification, regarding an element represented as a “unit” or a “module,” two or more elements may be combined into one element or one element may be divided into two or more elements according to subdivided functions. In addition, each element described hereinafter may additionally perform some or all of functions performed by another element, in addition to main functions of itself, and some of the main functions of each element may be performed entirely by another component.

Throughout the disclosure, the expression “at least one of a, b or c” indicates only a, only b, only c, both a and b, both a and c, both b and c, all of a, b, and c, or variations thereof.

FIG. 1 illustrates exterior views of a cigarette injection machine in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 illustrates functional components of the cigarette injection machine in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cigarette injection machine may include a top cover 100, a main body 200, and a bottom body 300.

With reference to FIG. 2, the top cover 100 is attached to the main body 200 of the cigarette injection machine through a hinge. The top cover 100 may be manually or automatically opened and closed by a user of the cigarette injection machine. The top cover 100 may be made of plastic and have a trapezoid shape.

The main body 200 may include a primary empty cigarette tubes container 210, a tobacco chamber lid 211, a tobacco container 212, a first push button 213, and a second push button 214.

The primary empty cigarette tubes container 210 may store empty cigarette tubes which are loaded therein by the user. The primary empty cigarette tubes container 210 may be made of plastic, and may be rectangular in shape.

The tobacco chamber lid 211 may cover the tobacco container 212 to keep the tobacco inside the tobacco container 212 fresh and moist, without being dried out. The tobacco chamber lid 211 may have a rectangular shape and may be made of plastic or rubber.

The tobacco container 212 may provide a space to store tobacco. The tobacco container 212 may be made of plastic and may be rectangular in shape.

The first push button 213 and the second push button 214 may be implemented as electro-mechanical push buttons, and may include a light-emitting diode (LED) (e.g., a first LED 213A and a second LED 213B in FIG. 9). When the user pushes the first push button 213, the cigarette injection machine may make a first number count of cigarettes (e.g., 5 cigarettes), and when the user pushes the second push button 214, the cigarette injection machine may make a second number count of cigarettes (e.g., 10 cigarettes), which is different from the first number count of cigarettes. The first push button 213 and the second push button 214 may be made of metal material and may be round in shape.

The bottom body 300 may include an additional empty cigarette tubes container 310, a cigarette holder (or a cigarette dispenser tray) 311, and a power connector 312.

The additional empty cigarette tubes container 310 is provided to store additional empty cigarette tubes, in addition to the primary empty cigarette tubes container 210. The additional empty cigarette tubes container 310 may be a pull-out tray that is attachable to and detachable from the bottom body 300 of the cigarette injection machine.

The cigarette holder 311 may be a pull-out tray dispenser that stores newly-filled cigarettes. The cigarette holder 311 may be attachable to and detachable from the bottom body 300 of the cigarette injection machine.

The power connector 312 may provide direct current (DC) power from a power source (e.g., a power source 262 in FIG. 9) to the cigarette injection machine. For example, the power connector 312 may be implemented as a micro-Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector.

FIG. 3 is a first mechanical view showing electro-mechanical components of the cigarette injection machine in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the cigarette injection machine may include an internal cigarettes tubes chamber 221, an internal tobacco chamber 222, tobacco fluffing claws 223, fluffing claw driving gears 224, and a cigarette tube loader barrel 225.

The internal cigarettes tubes chamber 221 may have a rectangular shape with a concave down chamber for temporarily storing the empty cigarette tubes. The internal cigarettes tubes chamber 221 may have an open slot on the bottom facing side of the internal cigarettes tubes chamber 221. The empty cigarette tubes slide down the open slot into the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 for filling with tobacco.

The internal tobacco chamber 222 may have a trapezoid shape. When the user fills the cigarette injection machine with new tobacco, the tobacco is temporarily stored in the internal tobacco chamber 222. When the cigarette injection machine starts, the tobacco gets fluffed out and broken apart in the internal tobacco chamber 222, and then is pushed down to the lower portion of the internal tobacco chamber 222 for a tobacco feeder spiral rod 242 (see FIG. 6) to fill into the empty cigarette tubes.

The tobacco fluffing claws 223 may be provided on the bottom of the internal tobacco chamber 222. The tobacco fluffing claws 223 may break up the tobaccos before the tobacco enters into the lower portion of the internal tobacco chamber 222 for stuffing the empty cigarette tubes. The tobacco fluffing claws 223 may be made of metal.

The fluffing claw driving gears 224 may drive the tobacco fluffing claws 223 from a high-torque 360 degrees servo motor 235 (see FIG. 4).

The cigarette tube loader barrel 225 may load an empty cigarette tube from the internal cigarettes tubes chamber 221, and may spin to the position of a tobacco feeder nozzle 241 (see FIG. 6) for the empty cigarette tube to be filled with tobacco. The cigarette tube loader barrel 225 may have a cylindrical shape.

FIG. 4 is a second mechanical view showing additional electro-mechanical components of the cigarette injection machine in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the cigarette injection machine may further include a first mechanical switching sensor 231, a 180 degrees servo motor 232, a second mechanical switching sensor 233, a 360 degrees servo motor 234, and a high-torque 360 degrees servo motor 235.

The first mechanical switching sensor 231 may sense the empty cigarette tube in the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 upon the completeness of filling the tobacco. The first mechanical switching sensor 231 may be located on the side of the cigarette tube loader barrel 225.

The 180 degrees servo motor 232 may be an electrical servo motor that rolls and spins the cigarette tube loader barrel 225, for loading empty cigarette tubes and unloading the filled cigarette tubes.

The second mechanical switching sensor 233 may detect the starting position for the cigarette tube loader barrel 225. The position of the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 may change in a horizontal movement by the 360 degrees servo motor 234.

The 360 degrees servo motor 234 may be an electrical servo motor which moves the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 horizontally. The initial starting position is for loading empty cigarette tubes. Once the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 is loaded with the empty cigarette tubes, the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 moves horizontally until it reaches a preset length (e.g., the length of a king size cigarette or the 100s cigarette). Whether the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 reaches the preset length may be detected by another set of mechanical sensors (e.g., a first position sensor 251, a second position sensor 252 in FIG. 8).

The high-torque 360 degrees servo motor 235 may be an electrical servo motor that drives the tobacco fluffing claws 223 (see FIG. 1) and a tobacco feeder spiral rod 242 (see FIG. 6).

FIG. 5 shows a top view of the internal cigarettes tubes chamber 221, the internal tobacco chamber 222, the tobacco fluffing claws 223, the first mechanical switching sensor 231, the 180 degrees servo motor 232, the second mechanical switching sensor 233, the 360 degrees servo motor 234, and the high-torque 360 degrees servo motor 235 which are described above with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 6 is a fourth mechanical view showing additional electro-mechanical components of the cigarette injection machine in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 6, the cigarette injection machine may further include a tobacco feeder nozzle 241 and a tobacco feeder spiral rod 242.

The cigarette tube loader barrel 225 may load an empty cigarette tube from the internal cigarettes tubes chamber 221, and may spin to the position of the tobacco feeder nozzle 241.

The tobacco feeder nozzle 241 may be implemented as a cylindrical shape tube that guides and feeds tobacco into the empty cigarette tube. The tobacco feeder nozzle 241 may be made of plastic, and may be mounted to the side wall of the internal tobacco chamber 222. The tobacco feeder nozzle 241 may be connected to or coupled to the tobacco chamber 222.

The tobacco feeder spiral rod 242 may grind, push, and guide the tobacco into the tobacco feeder nozzle 241 which feeds the tobacco into the empty tobacco tube. The tobacco feeder spiral rod 242 may be made of plastic in material.

FIG. 7 illustrates the structure of the tobacco feeder spiral rod 242. The tobacco feeder spiral rod 242 may have a helical or spiral shaft, and may rotate about a horizontal axis of the cigarette injection machine.

FIG. 8 is a fifth mechanical view showing additional electro-mechanical components of the cigarette injection machine in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, the cigarette injection machine may further include a first position sensor 251, a second position sensor 252, and a cigarette size selector sensor 253.

The first position sensor 251 may be a mechanical switching sensor that senses the position of the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 when the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 moves horizontally to a stop position to fill an empty tobacco tube of a first preset size (e.g., a king size which is 84 mm).

The second position sensor 252 may be a mechanical switching sensor that senses the position of the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 when the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 moves horizontally to a stop position to fill an empty tobacco tube of a second preset size (e.g., 100s size which is 100 mm).

The cigarette size selector sensor 253 may be a mechanical switching sensor that is mounted below the internal cigarettes tubes chamber 221. The cigarette size selector sensor 253 may allow the user to select the first preset size or the second preset size cigarettes (e.g., the King size or 100s size cigarettes).

FIG. 9 illustrates a block diagram of a micro-controller unit (MCU) board mounted in the cigarette injection machine in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The cigarette injection machine may further include an MCU 261 to control all the sensors, motors, and buttons, and LEDs mounted in the cigarette injection machine.

The MCU 261 is connected to a power source 262 to receive direct current power.

The MCU 261 may receive sensing data that indicates the real-time operating status of the cigarette injection machine, from the first mechanical switching sensor 231, the second mechanical switching sensor 233, the first position sensor 251, the second position sensor 252, and the cigarette size selector sensor 253.

The MCU 261 may receive a user input for selecting the number of cigarettes from the first push button 213 or the second push button 214. When the MCU 261 receives a signal from the first push button 213, the MCU 261 may generate an instruction for making a first number count of cigarettes (e.g., 5 cigarettes). On the other hand, when the MCU 261 receives a signal from the second push button 214, the MCU 261 may generate an instruction for making a second number count of cigarettes (e.g., 10 cigarettes). The first LED 213A and the second LED 214A are coupled to or disposed around the first push button 213 and the second push button 214, respectively, to indicate the real-time operational status of making the cigarettes. For example, when the first push button 213 is pressed, the first LED 213A flashes while the cigarette injection machine is making the first number count of cigarettes (e.g., 5 cigarettes). When the second push button is pressed, the second LED 213B flashes while the cigarette injection machine is making the second number count of cigarettes (e.g., 10 cigarettes). The first LED 213A and the second LED 213B are turned off upon the completion of making the cigarettes.

Based on the sensing data from the first mechanical switching sensor 231, the second mechanical switching sensor 233, the first position sensor 251, the second position sensor 252, and the cigarette size selector sensor 253, and also based on the signal from the first push button 213 or the second push button 214, the MCU 261 may control the 180 degrees servo motor 232, the 360 degrees servo motor 234, and the high-torque 360 degrees servo motor 235.

The MCU 261 is implemented in hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. The MCU 261 is a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an accelerated processing unit (APU), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or another type of processing component. In some implementations, the MCU 261 includes one or more processors capable of being programmed to perform a function.

The cigarette injection machine may further include a memory 263 that stores computer-readable instructions or software programs executable by the MCU 261 to control the sensors 231, 233, 251, 252, and 253 and the motors 232, 234, and 235 of the cigarette injection machine.

The memory 263 may include a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), and/or another type of dynamic or static storage device (e.g., a flash memory, a magnetic memory, and/or an optical memory). The memory 263 may also include a hard disk (e.g., a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optic disk, and/or a solid state disk), a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a floppy disk, a cartridge, a magnetic tape, and/or another type of non-transitory computer-readable medium, along with a corresponding drive.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart for describing a method of operating the cigarette injection machine in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. FIGS. 11A-11L illustrate the operational process of the cigarette injection machine.

With reference to FIG. 10, when the cigarette injection machine is powered on in operation S401, the cigarette injection machine may perform an initialization process in operation S402, including operation S403 of turning on the LEDs 213A and 2136 and operation S404 of testing the motors 232, 234, and 235.

Once the initialization process is completed, the cigarette injection machine enters into a standby mode and waits for a start button (e.g., the firs push button 213 or the second push button 214) to be pressed, in operation S405.

With reference to operation S406 of FIG. 10 and the start process of making cigarettes shown in FIG. 11A, when an empty cigarette tube is placed into the internal cigarettes tubes chamber 221 and fresh tobacco is filled into the internal tobacco chamber 222, the user may push the start button to start making the cigarettes.

With reference to operation S407 in FIG. 10 and the process of loading the empty cigarette tube shown in FIG. 11B, the MCU 261 controls the 180 degrees servo motor 232 to rotate the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 to load the empty cigarette tube.

With reference to operation S408 in FIG. 10 and the process of moving to the feeder nozzle position shown in FIG. 11C, once the empty tube is loaded, the MCU 261 controls the 180 degrees servo motor 232 to rotate the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 to the position of the tobacco feeder nozzle 241, so that the empty cigarette tube is ready to be filled with tobacco.

With reference to operation S409 in FIG. 10 and the process of sliding the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 shown in FIG. 11D, once the empty tube is at the position of the tobacco feeder nozzle 241, the MCU 261 controls the 360 degrees servo motor 234 to slide the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 to a requested size position (e.g., the King size or 100s size position) in the horizontal direction.

The opposite view of FIG. 11D is shown in FIG. 11E to illustrate the first position sensor (e.g., a King size position sensor) 251 and the second position sensor (e.g., 100s size position) 252.

With reference to operation S410 in FIG. 10 and the process of starting the high-torque 360 degrees servo motor 235 shown in FIG. 11F, once the first position sensor (e.g., a King size position sensor) 251 or the second position sensor (e.g., 100s size position) 252 is triggered by detecting the empty cigarette tube at the requested size position (the King size position or the 100s size position), the MCU 261 stops the sliding movement of the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 and starts the high-torque 360 degrees servo motor 235 to drive the tobacco fluffing claws 223 and the tobacco feeder spiral rod 242.

With reference to operation S411 in FIG. 10 and the process of feeding the tobacco through the tobacco feeder spiral rod 242 shown in FIG. 11G, the tobacco feeder spiral rod 242 continues to rotate until a cigarette filled sensor 271 is triggered. The cigarette continues to get filled until the cigarette filled sensor 271 detects the fullness of the tobacco in the cigarette tube.

With reference to operation S412 in FIG. 10, and the process of detecting the filled status shown in FIG. 11H, as the cigarette is being filled, the cigarette tube slides on the fullness of the tobacco. With reference to the process of stopping the high-torque 360 degrees servo motor 235 shown in FIG. 11I, and the process of moving the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 back to the starting position in FIG. 11J, when the cigarette filled sensor is triggered, the MCU 261 stops the high-torque 360 degrees servo motor 235, and controls the 360 degrees servo motor 234 to move the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 back to the starting position.

With reference to operation S413 in FIG. 10 and the process of unloading the filled cigarette in FIGS. 11K and 11L, when the empty cigarette tube is filled with tobacco, the MCU 261 controls the 180 degrees servo motor 232 to rotate the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 to the position of the cigarette holder (e.g., a dispenser tray) 311 and thereby to unload the freshly filled cigarette onto the cigarette holder 311.

In operation S414 of FIG. 10, when the MCU 216 determines that the requested counts of cigarettes are made, the MCU 261 finishes the process of making cigarettes, and otherwise, proceeds to operation S405 until the requested counts of cigarettes are made. For example, when the first push button 213 is pressed in operation S406, the MCU 216 checks whether a first number count of cigarettes (e.g., 5 cigarettes) are made. On the other hand, when the second push button 214 is pressed in operation S406, the MCU 216 checks whether a second number count of cigarettes (e.g., 10 cigarettes) are made.

In accordance with the embodiments of the present disclosure, the automatic cigarette injection machine offers a convenient way of making cigarettes by implementing the machine with a microprocessor running a software which manages and monitors the automation process using sensors, servo motors, and mechanical components.

While this disclosure has described several exemplary embodiments, there are alterations, permutations, and various substitute equivalents, which fall within the scope of the disclosure. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise numerous systems and methods which, although not explicitly shown or described herein, embody the principles of the disclosure and are thus within the spirit and scope thereof.

Claims

1. A cigarette injection machine comprising: a cigarettes tubes chamber configured to store an empty cigarette tube;a tobacco chamber configured to store tobacco, wherein the cigarettes tubes chamber and the tobacco chamber are arranged in a horizontal direction;a tobacco feed nozzle disposed between the cigarettes tubes chamber and the tobacco chamber in the horizontal direction, to guide and feed the tobacco into the empty cigarette tube;a cigarette tube loader barrel configured to load the empty cigarette tube from the cigarettes tubes chamber, rotate to a position of the tobacco feed nozzle, and move in the horizontal direction to a requested cigarette size position; anda tobacco feeder spiral rod configured to push the tobacco into the tobacco feed nozzle until the empty cigarette tube is filled with the tobacco when the cigarette tube loader barrel is at the requested cigarette size position, to provide a filled cigarette.

2. The cigarette injection machine of claim 1, further comprising: a first electrical servo motor configure to rotate the cigarette tube loader barrel to load the empty cigarette tube into the cigarettes tubes chamber, and rotate the cigarette tube loader barrel to the position of the tobacco feed nozzle; anda second electronic servo motor configured to move the cigarette tube loader barrel to the position of the tobacco feed nozzle in the horizontal direction after the cigarette tube loader barrel is rotated to the position of the tobacco feed nozzle;wherein the first electrical servo motor is further configured to rotate the cigarette tube loader barrel to unload the filled cigarette.

3. The cigarette injection machine of claim 2, further comprising: a memory configured to store one or more computer readable instructions; andat least on processor configured to execute the one or more computer readable instructions to control the first electrical servo motor and the second electronic servo motor to provide the filled cigarette.

4. The cigarette injection machine of claim 1, further comprising: a third electrical servo motor configured to drive the tobacco feeder spiral rod.

5. The cigarette injection machine of claim 1, further comprising: a tobacco fluffing claws disposed at a bottom portion of the tobacco chamber and configured to break up the tobacco provided from the tobacco chamber; andfluffing claw driving gears configure to drive the tobacco fluffing claws.

6. The cigarette injection machine of claim 1, further comprising: a first mechanical switching sensor configured to detect the empty cigarette tube in the cigarettes tubes chamber.

7. The cigarette injection machine of claim 1, further comprising: a second mechanical switching sensor configured to detect a starting position of the cigarette tube loader barrel for loading the empty cigarette tube from the cigarettes tubes chamber.

8. The cigarette injection machine of claim 1, further comprising: a position sensor configured to detect that the cigarette tube loader barrel reaches the requested cigarette size position.

9. The cigarette injection machine of claim 8, further comprising: a cigarette size selector sensor configured to receive a user input indicating a user's requested tobacco size,wherein the requested cigarette size position corresponds to the user's requested tobacco size.

10. The cigarette injection machine of claim 1, further comprising: a start button configured to receive a user input that requests a preset number count of cigarettes; andat least on processor configured to control the cigarette injection machine to provide the preset number count of cigarettes.

11. The cigarette injection machine of claim 10, wherein the start button comprises a first push button for requesting a first number count of cigarettes as the preset number count of cigarettes, and a second push button for requesting a second number count of cigarettes as the preset number count of cigarettes, wherein the second number count is different from the first number count.

12. The cigarette injection machine of claim 1, further comprising: a cigarette filled sensor configured to detect a fullness state of the tobacco in the empty cigarette tube while the tobacco feeder spiral rod rotates to fill the tobacco into the empty cigarette tube.

13. A method of operating a cigarette injection machine, the method comprising: rotating a cigarette tube loader barrel to load an empty cigarette tube from a cigarettes tubes chamber;rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel to a position of a tobacco feed nozzle to feed tobacco from a tobacco chamber into the empty cigarette tube;moving the cigarette tube loader barrel to a requested cigarette size position in a horizontal direction, wherein the cigarettes tubes chamber and the tobacco chamber are arranged in the horizontal direction; androtating a tobacco feeder spiral rod to push the tobacco that is provided from the tobacco chamber into the tobacco feed nozzle when the cigarette tube loader barrel is at the requested cigarette size position, to fill the empty cigarette tube with the tobacco and thereby to provide a filled cigarette.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel to a position of the tobacco feed nozzle comprises: operating a first electrical servo motor to rotate the cigarette tube loader barrel to the position of the tobacco feed nozzle, andwherein the moving the cigarette tube loader barrel to the requested cigarette size position comprises: after the cigarette tube loader barrel is at the position of the tobacco feed nozzle, operating a second electronic servo motor to move the cigarette tube loader barrel to the requested cigarette size position in the horizontal direction.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising: after the empty cigarette tube is filled with the tobacco, operating a first electrical servo motor to rotate the cigarette tube loader barrel to unload the filled cigarette rotating onto a dispenser tray.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the requested cigarette size position comprises a first position corresponding to a first cigarette size, and a second position corresponding to a second cigarette size that is different from the first cigarette size, and wherein the method further comprises: when a size of the empty cigarette tube corresponds to the first cigarette size, stopping the cigarette tube loader barrel when the cigarette tube loader barrel reaches the first position, andwhen the size of the empty cigarette tube corresponds to the second cigarette size, stopping the cigarette tube loader barrel when the cigarette tube loader barrel reaches the second position.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising: breaking up the tobacco provided from the tobacco chamber, by a tobacco fluffing claws disposed at a bottom portion of the tobacco chamber, andproviding the broken up tobacco to the tobacco feed nozzle so that the empty cigarette tube is filled with the broken up tobacco.