Patent Application
20240099357
Systems, methods, and computer programs consistent with example embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an automatic cigarette rolling or injection machine.
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 are a very cumbersome process, there has been a demand for a hand-free automatic cigarette injecting machine which allows consumers to simply press a button to instruct the machine to make freshly filled cigarettes automatically.
Example embodiments of the present disclosure provide an automatic and fully hand-free cigarette rolling or injection machine.
According to embodiments, a method is provided. The method may include: rotating a cigarette tube loader barrel to load an empty cigarette tube; moving the cigarette tube loader barrel from a start position to one of one or more fill positions, wherein the one of the one or more fill positions may be at a distance from a tobacco feeder nozzle corresponding to a size of the empty cigarette tube; filling the empty cigarette tube with tobacco via the tobacco feeder nozzle; moving the cigarette tube loader barrel from the one of the one or more fill positions to the start position; and rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel to unload a filled cigarette.
According to embodiments, the rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel to load the empty cigarette tube may include: rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel to a load position to receive the empty cigarette tube; and rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel to a nozzle position to align the empty cigarette tube with the tobacco feeder nozzle.
According to embodiments, the method may further include detecting the size of the empty cigarette tube.
According to embodiments, the filling the empty cigarette tube with tobacco via the tobacco feeder nozzle may include: pushing the tobacco from an internal tobacco chamber into the empty cigarette tube via the tobacco feeder nozzle, wherein the tobacco may be pushed using a tobacco push anchor and a tobacco feeder push-rod.
According to embodiments, the pushing the tobacco from the internal tobacco chamber into the empty cigarette tube via the tobacco feeder nozzle may include: pushing the tobacco from a top internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber into a bottom internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber using the tobacco push anchor; and pushing the tobacco from the bottom internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber into the empty cigarette tube via the tobacco feeder nozzle using the tobacco feeder push-rod.
According to embodiments: the top internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber and the bottom internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber may be aligned in a vertical direction, such that the tobacco push anchor may push the tobacco from the top internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber to the bottom internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber in the vertical direction; the cigarette tube loader barrel, the tobacco feeder nozzle, and the bottom internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber may be aligned in a horizontal direction, such that the tobacco feeder push-rod may push the tobacco from the bottom internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber into the empty cigarette tube via the tobacco feeder nozzle in the horizontal direction; and the cigarette tube loader barrel may have an axis of rotation that is in the horizontal direction.
According to embodiments, the pushing the tobacco from the internal tobacco chamber into the empty cigarette tube via the tobacco feeder nozzle may further include: detecting that the empty cigarette tube is completely filled; and in response to detecting that the empty cigarette tube is completely filled, stopping the tobacco push anchor and the tobacco feeder push-rod.
According to embodiments, the rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel to unload the filled cigarette may include rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel to an unload position to release the filled cigarette.
According to embodiments, the method may further include: receiving a user input, wherein the user input may indicate a number of cigarette to be filled; determining whether a number of the filled cigarette is lower than the number of cigarette to be filled; and in response to determining that the number of the filled cigarette is lower than the number of cigarette to be filled, repeating the rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel to load the empty cigarette tube, the moving the cigarette tube loader barrel from the start position to the one of the one or more fill positions, the filling the empty cigarette tube with tobacco, the moving the cigarette tube loader barrel from the one of the one or more fill positions to the start position, and the rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel to unload the filled cigarette.
According to embodiments, a system is provided. The system may include: a memory storage storing computer-executable instructions; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory storage, wherein the at least one processor may be configured to execute the instructions to: rotate a cigarette tube loader barrel to load an empty cigarette tube; move the cigarette tube loader barrel from a start position to one of one or more fill positions, wherein the one of the one or more fill positions may be at a distance from a tobacco feeder nozzle corresponding to a size of the empty cigarette tube; fill the empty cigarette tube with tobacco via the tobacco feeder nozzle; move the cigarette tube loader barrel from the one of the one or more fill positions to the start position; and rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel to unload a filled cigarette.
According to embodiments, the at least one processor may be configured to execute the instructions to rotate the cigarette tube loader barrel to load the empty cigarette tube by: rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel to a load position to receive the empty cigarette tube; and rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel to a nozzle position to align the empty cigarette tube with the tobacco feeder nozzle.
According to embodiments, the at least one processor may be further configured to execute the instructions to detect the size of the empty cigarette tube.
According to embodiments, the at least one processor may be configured to execute the instructions to fill the empty cigarette tube with tobacco via the tobacco feeder nozzle by: pushing the tobacco from an internal tobacco chamber into the empty cigarette tube via the tobacco feeder nozzle, wherein the tobacco may be pushed using a tobacco push anchor and a tobacco feeder push-rod.
According to embodiments, the at least one processor may be configured to execute the instructions to push the tobacco from the internal tobacco chamber into the empty cigarette tube via the tobacco feeder nozzle by: pushing the tobacco from a top internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber into a bottom internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber using the tobacco push anchor; and pushing the tobacco from the bottom internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber into the empty cigarette tube via the tobacco feeder nozzle using the tobacco feeder push-rod.
According to embodiments: the top internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber and the bottom internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber may be aligned in a vertical direction, such that the tobacco push anchor may push the tobacco from the top internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber to the bottom internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber in the vertical direction; the cigarette tube loader barrel, the tobacco feeder nozzle, and the bottom internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber may be aligned in a horizontal direction, such that the tobacco feeder push-rod may push the tobacco from the bottom internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber into the empty cigarette tube via the tobacco feeder nozzle in the horizontal direction; and the cigarette tube loader barrel may have an axis of rotation that is in the horizontal direction.
According to embodiments, the at least one processor may be further configured to execute the instructions to push the tobacco from the internal tobacco chamber into the empty cigarette tube via the tobacco feeder nozzle by: detecting that the empty cigarette tube is completely filled; and in response to detecting that the empty cigarette tube is completely filled, stopping the tobacco push anchor and the tobacco feeder push-rod.
According to embodiments, the at least one processor may be configured to execute the instructions to rotate the cigarette tube loader barrel to unload the filled cigarette by rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel to an unload position to release the filled cigarette.
According to embodiments, the at least one processor may be further configured to execute the instructions to: receive a user input, wherein the user input may indicate a number of cigarette to be filled; determine whether a number of the filled cigarette is lower than the number of cigarette to be filled; and in response to determining that the number of the filled cigarette is lower than the number of cigarette to be filled, repeat the rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel to load the empty cigarette tube, the moving the cigarette tube loader barrel from the start position to the one of the one or more fill positions, the filling the empty cigarette tube with tobacco, the moving the cigarette tube loader barrel from the one of the one or more fill positions to the start position, and the rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel to unload the filled cigarette.
According to embodiments, a system is provided. The system may include: a tobacco feeder nozzle configured to feed tobacco into an empty cigarette tube; a cigarette tube loader barrel configured to load the empty cigarette tube and to unload a filled cigarette; a barrel rotating motor configured to rotate the cigarette tube loader barrel to load the empty cigarette tube and to unload the filled cigarette; a barrel moving motor configured to move the cigarette tube loader barrel between a start position and one of one or more fill positions, wherein the one of the one or more fill positions may be at a distance from the tobacco feeder nozzle corresponding to a size of the empty cigarette tube; an internal tobacco chamber configured to store the tobacco, wherein the internal tobacco chamber may include a top internal chamber and a bottom internal chamber; a tobacco push anchor configured to push the tobacco from the top internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber into the bottom internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber; and a tobacco feeder push-rod configured to push the tobacco from the bottom internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber into the empty cigarette tube via the tobacco feeder nozzle.
According to embodiments: the top internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber and the bottom internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber may be aligned in a vertical direction, such that the tobacco push anchor may push the tobacco from the top internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber to the bottom internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber in the vertical direction; the cigarette tube loader barrel, the tobacco feeder nozzle, and the bottom internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber may be aligned in a horizontal direction, such that the tobacco feeder push-rod may push the tobacco from the bottom internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber into the empty cigarette tube via the tobacco feeder nozzle in the horizontal direction; and the cigarette tube loader barrel may have an axis of rotation that is in the horizontal direction.
Features, advantages, and significance of exemplary embodiments of the disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like signs denote like elements, and wherein:
The following detailed description of example embodiments refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements.
The foregoing disclosure provides illustration and description but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the implementations to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure or may be acquired from practice of the implementations. Further, one or more features or components of one embodiment may be incorporated into or combined with another embodiment (or one or more features of another embodiment). Additionally, in the descriptions of operations provided below, it is understood that one or more operations may be omitted, one or more operations may be added, one or more operations may be performed simultaneously (at least in part), and the order of one or more operations may be switched.
It will be apparent that systems and/or methods, described herein, may be implemented in different forms of hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. The actual specialized control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and/or methods is not limiting of the implementations. Thus, the operation and behavior of the systems and/or methods were described herein without reference to specific software code. It is understood that software and hardware may be designed to implement the systems and/or methods based on the description herein.
Even though particular combinations of features are disclosed in the specification, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of possible implementations. In fact, many of these features may be combined in ways not specifically disclosed in the specification.
No element, act, or instruction used herein should be construed as critical or essential unless explicitly described as such. Also, as used herein, the articles “a” and “an” are intended to include one or more items, and may be used interchangeably with “one or more.” Where only one item is intended, the term “one” or similar language is used. Also, as used herein, the terms “has,” “have,” “having,” “include,” “including,” or the like are intended to be open-ended terms. Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “based, at least in part, on” unless explicitly stated otherwise. Furthermore, expressions such as “at least one of [A] and [B]” or “at least one of [A] or [B]” are to be understood as including only A, only B, or both A and B.
Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail since they would obscure the description with unnecessary detail.
In the description of the embodiments, detailed explanations of related art may be omitted when it is deemed that they may unnecessarily obscure the essence of the disclosure. Further, numbers (for example, a first, a second, and the like) described in the present disclosure may be used for distinguishing one element from another.
In the present disclosure, it may 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 disclosure, 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.
The cigarette injection machine 1000 may include a system, a platform, a module, or the like, which may be configured to perform one or more operations or actions for making cigarettes. Example operations performable by the cigarette injection machine 1000 for making cigarettes are described below with reference to
As shown in
As shown in
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. According to embodiments, 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. According to embodiments, 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. According to embodiments, 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. According to embodiments, each of the first push button 213 and the second push button 214 may include a light-emitting diode (LED) (e.g., a first LED 213A and a second LED 213B in
According to embodiments, each of the first push button 213 and the second push button 214 may be associated with one or more processes for making cigarettes. For example, 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. According to embodiments, 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 may store additional empty cigarette tubes, in addition to the primary empty cigarette tubes container 210. According to embodiments, the additional empty cigarette tubes container 310 may be a pull-out tray that may be attachable to and detachable from the bottom body 300 of the cigarette injection machine 1000.
The cigarette holder 311 may store newly-filled cigarettes. According to embodiments, the cigarette holder 311 may be a pull-out tray dispenser that may be attachable to and detachable from the bottom body 300 of the cigarette injection machine 1000. According to embodiments, the cigarette holder 311 may include an open slot, where filled cigarettes may slide down the open slot into the cigarette holder 311.
The power connector 312 may provide power from a power source (e.g., a power source 262 in
As illustrated in
The internal cigarettes tubes chamber 221 may be configured to temporarily store and deliver empty cigarette tubes to the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 for filling with tobacco. According to embodiments, the internal cigarettes tubes chamber 221 may include a rectangular shape with a concave down chamber for temporarily storing the empty cigarette tubes. It may be understood that a user may provide empty cigarette tubes to the internal cigarettes tubes chamber. According to embodiments, the internal cigarettes tubes chamber 221 may further include an open slot on a bottom facing side of the internal cigarettes tubes chamber 221, where the empty cigarette tubes may slide down the open slot into the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 for filling with tobacco.
The internal tobacco chamber 222 may include a top internal chamber and a bottom internal chamber. According to embodiments, the top internal chamber may be configured to receive new tobacco from a user and to temporarily store the received new tobacco. It may be understood that a user may provide tobacco to the top internal chamber. For example, the user may fill the top internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber 222, where the new tobacco may be temporarily stored. According to embodiments, the top internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber 222 may have a trapezoid shape. According to embodiments, the bottom internal chamber may be configured to receive tobacco from the top internal chamber for filing the empty cigarette tubes.
The tobacco push anchor 223 may be configured to push the new tobacco temporarily stored in the top internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber 222 into the bottom internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber 222. According to embodiments, the push anchor 223 may be configured to move in a vertical motion to push the new tobacco temporarily stored in the top internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber 222 into the bottom internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber 222. According to embodiments, the top internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber 222 and the bottom internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber 222 may be aligned in a vertical direction, such that the tobacco push anchor 223 pushes the tobacco from the top internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber 222 to the bottom internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber 222 in the vertical direction. According to embodiments, the tobacco push anchor 223 may be driven by the tobacco push anchor servo motor 224.
The tobacco feeder push-rod 242 may be configured to push the tobacco pushed down by the tobacco push anchor 223 into the empty the empty cigarette tubes. According to embodiments, the tobacco feeder push-rod 242 may be configured to push the tobacco from the bottom internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber 222 into the empty cigarette tube (which is being held at the cigarette tube loader barrel 225) via a tobacco feeder nozzle 241 (see
According to embodiments, the tobacco push anchor 223, the tobacco push anchor servo motor 224, the tobacco feeder push-rod motor 235, and the tobacco feeder push-rod 242 may together form a tobacco filling mechanism.
The cigarette tube loader barrel 225 may be configured to receive the empty cigarette tube from the internal cigarettes tubes chamber 221 and position the received empty cigarette tube for filling with tobacco (load), and to release a filled cigarette (unload). According to embodiments, the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 may include a barrel chamber that is configured to hold the empty cigarette tube. According to embodiments, the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 may be rotatable, such that the barrel chamber may be rotated from/to a load position where the barrel chamber may receive the empty cigarette tube, a nozzle position where the empty cigarette tube held in the barrel chamber may be aligned with the tobacco feeder nozzle 241 for filling with tobacco, and an unload position where the filled cigarette tube held in the barrel chamber may be released.
For example, the load position may include a position where the barrel chamber of the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 is aligned with the open slot of the internal cigarettes tubes chamber 221, such that the empty cigarette tubes may slide down from the internal cigarettes tubes chamber 221 through the open slot into the barrel chamber of the cigarette tube loader barrel 225. Further, for example, the unload position may include a position where the barrel chamber of the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 is aligned with the open slot of the cigarette holder (cigarette dispenser tray) 311, such that the filled cigarette may slide down from the barrel chamber of the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 through the open slot into the cigarette holder (cigarette dispenser tray) 311.
According to embodiments, the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 may have an axis of rotation that is in the horizontal direction. According to embodiments, the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 may have a cylindrical shape.
According to embodiments, the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 may be movable from/to a start position (i.e., the position where the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 receives the empty cigarette tube and releases the filled cigarette tube), and one or more fill positions where the empty cigarette tube held in the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 may be filled with tobacco. According to embodiments, the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 may be moved horizontally from the start position towards the tobacco feeder nozzle 241 to the one or more fill positions for filling the empty cigarette tube with tobacco.
According to embodiments, the one or more fill positions may be at a distance from the tobacco feeder nozzle 241, and may be associated with a size of a type of cigarettes. For example, the one or more fill positions may include a king size cigarette position and a 100s size cigarette position; where the king size cigarette position is at a distance from the tobacco feeder nozzle 241 suitable for filling a king size cigarette (e.g., a king size cigarette is 84 mm), and where the 100s size cigarette position is at a distance from the tobacco feeder nozzle 241 suitable for filling a 100s size cigarette (e.g., a 100s size cigarette is 100 mm).
As such, for example, the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 may receive the empty cigarette tube at the start position, and then move horizontally towards the tobacco feeder nozzle 241 to the king size cigarette position (which is at a distance from the tobacco feeder nozzle 241 suitable for filling a king size cigarette) to fill a king size cigarette.
According to embodiments, the one or more fill positions may be preset. Accordingly, it may be understood that the above configuration allows for cigarettes with various sizes to be filled.
As illustrated in
The fill sensor 231 may be configured to detect that the empty cigarette tube in the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 is filled with the tobacco. According to embodiments, the fill sensor 231 may be located on the side of the cigarette tube loader barrel 225. According to embodiments, the fill sensor 231 may include a mechanical switching sensor.
The barrel rotating motor 232 may be configured to rotate the cigarette tube loader barrel 225. According to embodiments, the barrel rotating motor 232 may be configured to rotate the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 to load the empty cigarette tube and to unload the filled cigarette. According to embodiments, the barrel rotating motor 232 may be configured to rotate the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 from/to the load position where the barrel chamber may receive the empty cigarette tube, the nozzle position where the empty cigarette tube held in the barrel chamber may be aligned with the tobacco feeder nozzle 241 for filling with tobacco, and the unload position where the filled cigarette tube held in the barrel chamber may be released, as described above in relation to
The starting position sensor 233 may be configured to detect that the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 is at a start position. According to embodiments, the start position may refer to the position where the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 receives the empty cigarette tube and releases the filled cigarette tube. According to embodiments, the starting position sensor 233 may include a mechanical switching sensor.
The barrel moving motor 234 may be configured to move the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 from/to the start position (i.e., the position where the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 receives the empty cigarette tube and releases the filled cigarette tube), and one or more fill positions where the empty cigarette tube held in the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 may be filled with tobacco, as described above in relation to
As shown in
As shown in
As illustrated in
The first position sensor 251 and the second position sensor 252 may be configured to detect that the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 is at the one or more fill positions. According to one embodiments, the first position sensor 251 may be associated with one of the one or more fill positions and may detect that the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 is at the one of the one or more fill positions. Similarly, the second position sensor 252 may be associated with another of the one or more fill positions and may detect that the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 is at the another of the one or more fill positions.
For example, the first position sensor 251 may be configured to detect that the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 is at the king size cigarette position, and the second position sensor 252 may be configured to detect that the cigarette tube loader barrel 225 is at the 100s size cigarette position. According to embodiments, the first position sensor 251 and the second position sensor 252 may include a mechanical switching sensor.
The cigarette size selector sensor 253 may be configured to detect a size of the empty cigarette tube. For example, the cigarette size selector sensor 253 may be configured to detect that the empty cigarette tube is a king size cigarette. According to embodiments, the cigarette size selector sensor 253 may be mounted below the internal cigarettes tubes chamber 221.
As shown in
The MCU 261 may be connected to a power source 262 to receive direct current power.
The MCU 261 may be connected to the fill sensor 231, the starting position sensor 233, the first position sensor 251, the second position sensor 252, and the cigarette size selector sensor 253, and may receive sensing data that indicates the real-time operating status of the cigarette injection machine 1000 therefrom.
The MCU 261 may be connected to the first push button 213 or the second push button 214, and may receive a user input for selecting the number of cigarettes therefrom. According to embodiments, 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 may be coupled to and/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 may flash while the cigarette injection machine 1000 is making the first number count of cigarettes (e.g., 5 cigarettes). When the second push button is pressed, the second LED 213B may flash while the cigarette injection machine 1000 is making the second number count of cigarettes (e.g., 10 cigarettes). The first LED 213A and the second LED 213B may be turned off upon the completion of making the cigarettes.
Based on the sensing data from the fill sensor 231, the starting position sensor 233, the first position sensor 251, the second position sensor 252, and the cigarette size selector sensor 253, and further based on the signal from the first push button 213 or the second push button 214, the MCU 261 may control the barrel rotating motor 232, the barrel moving motor 234, the tobacco feeder push-rod motor 235, and the push anchor servo motor 224.
The MCU 261 may include at least one processor capable of being programmed or being configured to perform a function(s) or an operation(s) described herein. For instance, the MCU 261 may be configured to execute computer-executable instructions stored in at least one storage medium or a memory storage (e.g., memory 263, etc.) to thereby perform one or more actions or one or more operations described herein.
According to embodiments, the MCU 261 may be configured to receive (e.g., via communication interface, via the input/output component, etc.) one or more signals and/or one or more user inputs defining one or more instructions for performing one or more operations. Further, the MCU 261 may be implemented in hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. For instance, MCU 261 may include at least one of 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), and/or another type of processing or computing component.
According to embodiments, the MCU 261 may be configured to collect, to extract, and/or to receive one or more information (in the form of signal or data, etc.), and to process the received one or more information to thereby make cigarettes.
The cigarette injection machine 1000 may further include a memory 263. The memory 263 may include one or more storage mediums suitable for storing data, information, and/or computer-executable instructions therein. According to embodiments, the memory 263 may include at least one memory storage, such as 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) that stores information and/or instructions for use by the MCU 261. Additionally or alternatively, the memory 263 may 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.
According to embodiments, the memory 263 may be configured to store information, such as raw data, metadata, or the like. Additionally or alternatively, the memory 263 may be configured to store one or more information associated with one or more operations performed by the MCU 261. For instance, the memory 263 may store information defining the historical operation(s) performed by the MCU 261 to make cigarettes, one or more results of operations performed by the MCU 261, or the like. Further, the memory 263 may store data or information required in making cigarettes.
In some implementation, the memory 263 may include a plurality of storage mediums, and the memory 263 may be configured to store a duplicate or a copy of at least a portion of the information in the plurality of storage mediums, for providing redundancy and for backing-up the information or the associated data. Furthermore, the memory 263 may also store computer-readable or computer-executable instructions which, when being executed by one or more processors (e.g., MCU 261), causes the one or more processors to perform one or more actions/operations described herein.
Additionally, although not explicitly shown, it may be understood that the cigarette injection machine 1000 may further include at least one communication interface and at least one input/output component (in addition to the button 213, the button 214, the LED 213A, and the LED 213B).
The communication interface may include at least one transceiver-like component (e.g., a transceiver, a separate receiver and transmitter, a bus, etc.) that enables the components of the cigarette injection machine 1000 to communicate with each other and/or to communicate with one or more components external to the cigarette injection machine 1000, such as via a wired connection, a wireless connection, or a combination of wired and wireless connections. For instance, the communication interface may couple the MCU 261 to the memory 263 to thereby enable them to communicate and to interoperate with each other in performing one or more operations.
According to embodiments, the communication interface may include one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) which allow the cigarette injection machine 1000 (or one or more components included therein) to communicate with one or more software applications.
The input/output component may include at least one component that permits the cigarette injection machine 1000 to receive information and/or to provide output information. It can be understood that, in some embodiments, the input/output component may include at least one input component (e.g., a touch screen display, a button, a switch, a microphone, a sensor, etc.) and at least one output component (e.g., a display, a speaker, one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs), etc.), each of which may be separated from each other.
As illustrated in
At operation S420, the at least one processor may be configured to move the cigarette tube loader barrel from a start position to one of one or more fill positions. The start position may include a position where the cigarette tube loader barrel may receive the empty cigarette tube and release a filled cigarette tube. The one or more fill positions may include a position where the empty cigarette tube held in the cigarette tube loader barrel may be filled with tobacco. According to embodiments, the one of the one or more fill positions may be at a distance from a tobacco feeder nozzle corresponding to a size of the empty cigarette tube.
For example, the one or more fill positions may include a king size cigarette position (where the king size cigarette position may be at a distance from the tobacco feeder nozzle suitable for filling a king size cigarette) and a 100s size cigarette position (where the 100s size cigarette position may be at a distance from the tobacco feeder nozzle 241 suitable for filling a 100s size cigarette), and the cigarette tube loader barrel may be moved from the start position to the king size cigarette position if the empty cigarette tube is a king size cigarette. The method then proceeds to operation S430.
At operation S430, the at least one processor may be configured to fill the empty cigarette tube with tobacco. According to embodiments, the empty cigarette tube may be filled with tobacco via the tobacco feeder nozzle. The method then proceeds to operation S440.
At operation S440, the at least one processor may be configured to move the cigarette tube loader barrel from the one of the one or more fill positions to the start position. The method then proceeds to operation S450.
At operation S450, the at least one processor may be configured to rotate the cigarette tube loader barrel to unload a filled cigarette (i.e., the empty cigarette tube after being filled with tobacco). According to embodiments, the at least one processor may be configured to rotate the cigarette tube loader barrel to unload the filled cigarette by, rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel to an unload position to release the filled cigarette.
Upon performing operation S450, the method 400 may be ended or be terminated. Alternatively, method 400 may return to operation S410, such that the at least one processor may be configured to repeatedly perform, for at least a predetermined amount of time, the rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel (at operation S410), the moving the cigarette tube loader barrel (at operation S420), the filling the empty cigarette tube (at operation S430), the moving the cigarette tube loader barrel (at operation S440), and the rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel (at operation S450).
For instance, the at least one processor may receive a user input indicating a number of cigarettes that the user would like to make, and then restart the rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel (at operation S410), the moving the cigarette tube loader barrel (at operation S420), the filling the empty cigarette tube (at operation S430), the moving the cigarette tube loader barrel (at operation S440), and the rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel (at operation S450) until the number of cigarettes that the user would like to make is reached.
Further, for instance, the at least one processor may continuously (or periodically) receive more user inputs indicating a number of cigarettes that the user would like to make, and then restart the rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel (at operation S410), the moving the cigarette tube loader barrel (at operation S420), the filling the empty cigarette tube (at operation S430), the moving the cigarette tube loader barrel (at operation S440), and the rotating the cigarette tube loader barrel (at operation S450) until the number of cigarettes that the user would like to make is reached.
Accordingly, it may be understood that the above processes allow for cigarettes to be made automatically in a hand-free manner.
As illustrated in
At operation S515, the at least one processor may be configured to determine whether a user input is received. According to embodiments, the user input may indicate a number of cigarettes to be filled (i.e., a number of cigarettes that the user would like to be filled). According to embodiments, the user input may be received via the first push button or the second push button.
Accordingly, based on determining that the user input is not received, the at least one processor may determine that the cigarette injection machine should remain on standby, and continues to determine whether the user input is received. On the other hand, based on determining that the user input is received, the at least one processor may determine that the process for making cigarettes should begin, and proceeds to operation S520.
At operation S520, the at least one processor may be configured to rotate the cigarette tube loader barrel to a load position. According to embodiments, the load position may include a position where the barrel chamber of the cigarette tube loader barrel may receive the empty cigarette tube.
For example, the load position may include a position where the barrel chamber of the cigarette tube loader barrel is aligned with the open slot of the internal cigarettes tubes chamber, such that the empty cigarette tubes may slide down from the internal cigarettes tubes chamber through the open slot into the barrel chamber of the cigarette tube loader barrel.
According to embodiments, the cigarette tube loader barrel may be rotated using the barrel rotating motor.
At operation S530, the at least one processor may be configured to rotate the cigarette tube loader barrel to a nozzle position. According to embodiments, the nozzle position may include a position where the empty cigarette tube held in the barrel chamber may be aligned with the tobacco feeder nozzle. According to embodiments, the cigarette tube loader barrel may be rotated using the barrel rotating motor.
At operation S540, the at least one processor may be configured to detect a size of the empty cigarette tube. According to embodiments, the size of the empty cigarette tube may be detected using the cigarette size selector sensor. The method then proceeds to operation S550.
At operation S550, the at least one processor may be configured to move the cigarette tube loader barrel from a start position to one of one or more fill positions, in the similar manner as operation S420 in method 400.
In particular, for example, if the at least one processor detects that the size of the empty cigarette tube is a king size cigarette during operation S550, the cigarette tube loader barrel may be moved from the start position to the king size cigarette position.
According to embodiments, the cigarette tube loader barrel may be moved using the barrel moving motor.
According to embodiments, the cigarette tube loader barrel may be moved further using one of the first position sensor and the second position sensor. For example, if the cigarette size selector sensor detects that the size of the empty cigarette tube is a king size cigarette during operation S550, the at least one processor may utilize the first position sensor to determine when the cigarette tube loader barrel is moved to the king size cigarette position (e.g., the cigarette tube loader barrel may be moved towards the tobacco feeder nozzle until the first position sensor is triggered).
At operation S560, the at least one processor may be configured to push tobacco from the internal tobacco chamber into the empty cigarette tube via the tobacco feeder nozzle. According to embodiments, the tobacco may be pushed using the tobacco push anchor and the tobacco feeder push-rod.
For example, the tobacco may be pushed from the top internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber into the bottom internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber using the tobacco push anchor, where the tobacco may then be pushed from the bottom internal chamber of the internal tobacco chamber into the empty cigarette tube via the tobacco feeder nozzle using the tobacco feeder push-rod.
According to embodiments, the tobacco push anchor may be pushed using the push anchor servo motor. According to embodiments, the tobacco feeder push-rod may be pushed using the tobacco feeder push-rod motor.
It may be understood that, as the cigarette is being filled, the cigarette tube loader barrel may be moved away from the tobacco feeder nozzle based on the fullness of the cigarette. The method then proceeds to operation S565.
At operation S565, the at least one processor may be configured to determine (detect) whether the empty cigarette tube is completely filled. According to embodiments, whether the empty cigarette tube is completely filled may be detected using the fill sensor.
Accordingly, based on determining that the empty cigarette tube is not completely filled, the at least one processor may determine that more tobacco can be filled into the empty cigarette tube, and continues to determine whether the empty cigarette tube is completely filled. On the other hand, based on determining that the empty cigarette tube is completely filled, the at least one processor may determine that no more tobacco can be filled into the empty cigarette tube, and proceeds to operation S570.
At operation S570, the at least one processor may be configured to stop pushing the tobacco from the internal tobacco chamber into the empty cigarette tube. According to embodiments, the at least one processor may be configured to stop pushing the tobacco from the internal tobacco chamber into the empty cigarette tube by stopping the tobacco push anchor and the tobacco feeder push-rod.
At operation S580, the at least one processor may be configured to move the cigarette tube loader barrel from the one of the one or more fill positions to the start position, in the similar manner as operation S440 in method 400. According to embodiments, the cigarette tube loader barrel may be moved using the barrel moving motor. According to embodiments, the cigarette tube loader barrel may be moved further using the starting position sensor. For example, the cigarette tube loader barrel may be moved away from the tobacco feeder nozzle until the starting position sensor is triggered.
At operation S590, the at least one processor may be configured to rotate the cigarette tube loader barrel to an unload position. According to embodiments, the unload position may include a position where the barrel chamber of the cigarette tube loader barrel may release the filled cigarette.
For example, the unload position may include a position where the barrel chamber of the cigarette tube loader barrel is aligned with the open slot of the cigarette holder (cigarette dispenser tray), such that the filled cigarette may slide down from the barrel chamber of the cigarette tube loader barrel through the open slot into the cigarette holder (cigarette dispenser tray).
According to embodiments, the cigarette tube loader barrel may be rotated using the barrel rotating motor.
At operation S595, the at least one processor may be configured to determine whether a number of the filled cigarette is lower than the number of cigarette to be filled (i.e., based on the user input). Accordingly, based on determining that the number of the filled cigarette is not lower than the number of cigarette to be filled (i.e., number of the filled cigarette is equal to the number of cigarette to be filled), the at least one processor may determine that the users requested number of cigarettes has been made, and the method returns to operation S515 to wait for additional user input. On the other hand, based on determining that the number of the filled cigarette is lower than the number of cigarette to be filled, the at least one processor may determine that the users requested number of cigarettes has not been made, and returns to operation S520 to continue making more cigarettes.
The foregoing disclosure provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the implementations to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure or may be acquired from practice of the implementations.
Some embodiments may relate to a system, a method, and/or a computer readable medium at any possible technical detail level of integration. Further, one or more of the above components described above may be implemented as instructions stored on a computer readable medium and executable by at least one processor (and/or may include at least one processor). The computer readable medium may include a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium (or media) having computer readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out operations.
The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of the computer readable storage medium includes the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as punch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construed as being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmitted through a wire.
Computer readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or external storage device via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprise copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing/processing device receives computer readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium within the respective computing/processing device.
Computer readable program code/instructions for carrying out operations may be assembler instructions, instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, configuration data for integrated circuitry, or either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++, or the like, and procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. The computer readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example, programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry, in order to perform aspects or operations.
These computer readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the computer readable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an article of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects of the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computer implemented process, such that the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer readable media according to various embodiments. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a microservice(s) module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). The method, computer system, and computer readable medium may include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks than those depicted in the Figures. In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed concurrently or substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.
It will be apparent that systems and/or methods, described herein, may be implemented in different forms of hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. The actual specialized control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and/or methods is not limiting of the implementations. Thus, the operation and behavior of the systems and/or methods were described herein without reference to specific software code-it being understood that software and hardware may be designed to implement the systems and/or methods based on the description herein.
It can be understood that numerous modifications and variations of the present disclosure are possible in light of the above teachings. It will be apparent that within the scope of the appended clauses, the present disclosures may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.
This application is a Continuation-In-Part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/188,661, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/983,183 filed on Feb. 28, 2020 in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62983183 | Feb 2020 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17188661 | Mar 2021 | US |
| Child | 18534830 | US |
