Patent Grant
11700876
The said invention group is related to production equipment and a method for producing paper tubular elements of cigarettes, both of cylindrical and cone shape, in particular, is advantageously applicable in producing tubular truncated-cone elements consequently used for producing corresponding cigarettes.
A lot of devices and methods are known from the prior art, which allow to make paper tubular elements for smoking products.
One of the first solutions is described in the U.S. patent, containing a stem and a horizontal cone rotating mandrel installed with cinematic connection to a rotatable driver [“Paper tube winding apparatus”, inventor RAYMOND JOSEPH H, publication date Jul. 7, 1953] [1].
Analogously, the U.S. Pat. No. 3,402,646A discloses a device for paper cones production, containing a stem and a cone-shaped section connected with the drive means for continuously rotating. [“PAPER CONE ROILING APPARATUS”, inventor HALL LESTER F, publication date Sep. 24, 1968] [2].
The disadvantage of known technical solutions [1; 2] is manual fixation of a paper workpiece on the cone mandrel which increases the labor intensity of obtaining the paper cone and winding the paper workpiece on the conical mandrel.
The further improvement of the machines and apparatuses for producing paper cones is directed towards mechanization of the operations held for fixing a paper workpiece on a cone mandrel.
The US patent «CONICAL PAPER FABRICATOR», U.S. Ser. No. 10/709,169A1 (BANANA BROS LLC [U.S.]), A24C5/44; A24C5/46; A24D1/02; Jul. 14, 2020 [3] describes an apparatus for producing tubular elements, which includes a mandrel having a plurality of openings provided therein, a surface comprising a receiving indentation configured to receive and fit on the rotatable mandrel, suction device. The suction producing arrangement draws air through the plurality of openings while the mandrel rotates so that the drawn air draws the rolling paper toward and around the rotatable mandrel forming a tubular element.
The disadvantage of the described technical solution [3] is winding the paper workpiece around a rotating mandrel, which requires the use of controlled drive mechanisms containing many elements that are worn in the process.
In addition, the known device does not provide the tubular element with a sufficient strength for the smoking product, because of the process of bonding the ends of the paper workpiece with glue on the mandrel surface.
These disadvantages significantly complicate the design and technology of manufacturing cylindrical paper products and reduce their quality.
The most relevant to the present technical solution is a fully automated machine and a method for producing tubular paper elements, and smoking products [«MANUFACTURING MACHINE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A TUBULAR ELEMENT, IN PARTICULAR FOR A SMOKING ARTICLE)» WO2021156816 (SASIB SPA [IT]) A24C5/46; B31C7/02; Dec. 8, 2021] [4].
According to the invention, the machine comprising the mandrel and the master form. The master form comprises a working surface which forms a pocket for the paper workpiece positioning.
The mandrel is shaped like an inner cavity of the paper tubular element, and the paper tubular element manufacturing process involves bending a U-shaped paper workpiece and winding it around the rotating mandrel, and gluing the ends of the paper workpiece.
The disadvantage of the described invention is forming a paper tubular element by winding a paper workpiece on a rotating mandrel, and binding the paper workpiece ends along the spiral line, and if the glue goes beyond the ends of the paper blank and gets on the mandrel surface, the workpiece sticks to the mandrel, which requires constant regulation of an air flow for the paper tubular element extraction, or stopping the machine and removing paper workpiece by hand.
In addition, the described method leads to defects in the finished products.
The disadvantage of the described invention is the technology and method complexity of the smoking product tubular element production. It significantly complicates the components design, the kinematic scheme of the described machine, as well as the technology of manufacturing smoking products tubular elements, especially in terms of gluing the tubular elements.
The technical problem, the solution of which is the aim of the present invention, is to simplify the design of the device and method of manufacturing the smoking product tubular element, as well as improving the reliability.
In order to achieve the technical result, the device for production of a smoking product tubular element according to the first variant consists of a set of components for a paper workpiece processing. Wherein, the set of components comprising at least:
a working table,
a moving platform installed on the working table,
a master form fixed on the working table surface.
The working surface of the master form is formed by a first side wall surface, a second side wall surface and a bottom surface.
The device also comprising a first moving forming unit and a second moving forming unit which are placed on the working table on both sides of the master form.
According to the first variant, the device comprising at least one moving mandrel, wherein the moving mandrel is designed with a flat working surface and hinged to the moving platform. The moving mandrel is equipped with a non-flat shape tip.
Wherein, the moving mandrel is designed for pressing the paper workpiece to the working surface of the master form. Also, the moving mandrel is designed to be folded by the paper workpiece around the flat working surface by an influence of the first and second moving forming units. According to the present invention the smoking product tubular element is formed around the moving mandrel in a shape of the flat working surface.
The device for production of a smoking product tubular element, according to the second variant, consists of a set of components for a paper workpiece processing.
Wherein, the set of components comprising at least:
the working table,
the moving platform installed on the working table,
the master form fixed on the working table surface and positioned radially to the moving platform with the working surface for the paper workpiece positioning.
Wherein, the working surface is formed by the first side wall surface, the second side wall surface and the bottom surface.
The device, according to the second variant of the present invention, comprising the first moving forming unit and the second moving forming unit that are placed on the working table radially to the moving platform. The first moving forming unit and the second moving forming unit are formed to cover the master form on two opposite sides. Wherein, the second moving forming unit is equipped with an adhesive composition application unit. At least four moving mandrels hinged to the moving platform by a shaft.
The moving mandrel is designed for rotation in a plane perpendicular to the working table surface. The moving mandrel is designed with the flat working surface for pressing the paper workpiece to the working surface of the master form. At least one moving mandrel is equipped with a non-flat shape tip.
According to the present invention the smoking product tubular element is formed around the moving mandrel in a shape of the flat working surface. The set of components comprising a first extractor and a second extractor installed on the working table. The first extractor is designed for the tubular element longitudinal displacement out of the mandrel. The second extractor is designed in contact with the non-flat shape tip of each of the moving mandrel.
The device according to both possible variants may be equipped by a storage device and an additional cleaning unit of the moving mandrel.
The moving mandrel is installed for rotating around the moving mandrel rotation axis within a range of up to 270 angular degrees. The moving mandrel comprising a spring mechanism mounted on the shaft.
The second extractor consists of two eccentric and spring-loaded friction rollers, wherein the said friction rollers contact with the tubular element around the non-flat shape tip of the moving mandrel.
According to the present invention the moving mandrel's flat working surface is made with a thickness of at least 0.5 mm. Also, the moving mandrel rotation axis is perpendicular to the positioning axis of the paper workpiece within the master form.
The moving mandrel is installed with a possibility of plane-parallel or rotationally reciprocating motion relative to the moving mandrel rotation axis in the plane perpendicular to the working table surface.
According to at least one of possible variants of the invention, the adhesive composition application unit comprising a carriage mechanism, at least one guide rod, a drive mechanism with a drive rail, a nozzle, wherein the nozzle is installed on the carriage mechanism and connected to an adhesive capacity through a pump with a pipeline.
At least one moving forming unit is designed to rotate in a parallel plate relative to the working table surface.
The moving mandrel can be positioned on the moving platform or on the working table surface.
In order to achieve the technical result providing a method of smoking product tubular element production by using a set of components, according to the possible design variants of the device for the paper workpiece processing, comprising steps:
a) placing a paper workpiece above a master form,
wherein the paper workpiece first side sections and the second side section are spaced out of the working surface of the master form;
b) pressing the paper workpiece to the working surface of the master form by using the moving mandrel,
wherein the working surface is formed by a first side wall surface, a second side wall surface and a bottom surface;
c) moving the first moving forming unit until contact the first side section of the paper workpiece;
d) folding the second side section of the paper workpiece around the moving mandrel's flat working surface by moving the second moving forming unit toward the first moving forming unit,
wherein fixing the first side section between the first and the second moving forming units;
e) applying an adhesive to the first side section surface of the paper workpiece;
f) pressing the first side section to the second side section of the paper workpiece by synchronous movement of the first and second moving forming units toward a direction of an initial position of the second moving forming unit;
g) moving back the first and the second moving forming units;
h) extracting the moving mandrel out of the master form both with a formed smoking product tubular element;
i) extracting the formed smoking product tubular element by using at least one extractor.
The method according to the present invention, wherein moving the second moving forming unit toward the first moving forming unit till the moment of fixing the first side section of the paper workpiece between the first and the second moving forming units.
Also, according to the described method, forming a tubular shape of the smoking product tubular element by using at least non-flat shape tip of the moving mandrel.
The claimed invention allows to simplify the construction of the device and manufacturing method of the smoking product tubular element, due to the fact of providing the tubular elements manufacturing without winding the paper workpiece on the moving mandrel.
The described method of folding the paper workpieces makes it possible to form a direct seam connection of the tubular element.
Forming the direct seam connection of the paper workpiece, allows to:
reduce the amount of glue required to gluing the ends of the paper workpiece,
reduces the likelihood of glue getting on the surface of the tubular element, which in future use in the smoking products allows to improve the taste of a cigarette,
reduces the likelihood of the glue getting on the moving mandrel surface and the working surfaces of other parts of the device, thus avoiding sticking of tubular elements, which allows to simplify extraction of finished tubular elements. The described invention allows to reduce the requirement of a constant air flow adjustment to extraction of the tubular elements, and eliminates the need for manual work.
reduces the number of defective products and production costs.
Thus, the claimed invention allows to simplify the construction of the device and the method of tubular elements manufacturing with increasing the device reliability.
The said invention is explained by the drawings, wherein:
The variant of the invention (
The device comprising at least one moving mandrel 10 (
According to the possible embodiments of the invention (
Wherein, at least one moving mandrel 10 is equipped with a non-flat shape tip 14 (
The second extractor 16 (
Depending on aspects of a technological process, the device may comprise a storage device 17 for finished tubular elements and an additional cleaning unit 18 of the moving mandrel 10.
A storage device 17 for finished tubular elements and the additional cleaning unit 18 for the moving mandrel 10 cleaning, can be integrated into the set of components, for example installed on the working table 1. Also, the said components 17; 18 can be positioned separately.
According to one of possible embodiments described by the invention, the moving mandrel 10 fixing mechanism provides rotation around the moving mandrel rotation axis 19 within a range of up to 270 angular degrees relative to the working table 1 surface.
The said moving mandrel 10 fixing mechanism comprising a spring mechanism 20 (
Some embodiments of the invention comprise the moving mandrel 10 installed with a possibility of plane-parallel or rotationally reciprocating motion relative to the moving mandrel rotation axis 19 in the plane perpendicular to the working table's 1 surface.
The trajectories of the moving mandrel movement are directly based on the variant of the moving mandrel 10 fixing mechanism and variant of the moving platform, in particular, variants of the hinged mechanism consist of a set of hinges and kinematic links providing a needed movement trajectory (not shown in the images).
The nozzle 26 provides application of a specified amount of adhesive composition on the surface of the paper workpiece. Application of the adhesive composition can also be implemented by another similar mechanism known from the prior art, which provides a similar result. The adhesive composition application unit 12 is preferably installed on the surface of one of the moving forming elements 8 or 9 (
At least one of the possible embodiments of the invention provides a possibility of rotation of the said forming elements 8 and/or 9 in a parallel plane relative to the work table's 1 surface.
The described embodiments of the invention are characterized by the set of components for the paper workpiece 30 processing, some variants of which will be discussed in more detailed examples.
According to the possible embodiments of the invention, the device is formed for placing the paper workpiece 30 above the master form 3, wherein a first and a second side sections 31, 32 of the paper workpiece 30 are extended out of the working surface 4 of the master form 3 (see
The first and the second moving forming units 8 and 9 are mounted to fold the said side sections 31, 32 of the paper workpiece 30 around the moving mandrel 10 working section 11 in the shape of a tubular element 33 (
According to the present embodiment of the invention, the first and the second moving forming units are designed for synchronous moving relative to an arrow B as is disclosed in
Moreover, the first moving forming unit 8 and the second moving forming unit 9 are equipped with flat working surfaces 34, 35, 36, 37 as it is shown in
The paper workpiece's 30 side sections 31, 32 are perpendicularly folded relative to the bottom surface 7 of the master form 3, wherein the paper workpiece 30 is pressed and folded by the moving mandrel's 10 flat working section 11.
According to one of the possible embodiments of the invention, the moving mandrel 10 can be equipped with a non-flat shaped tip 14 as it is shown in
One of the possible embodiments of the invention (shown in
Moreover, the moving mandrel 10 is installed to move the mandrel 10 around the moving platform 2 axes 40 to catch or cover the tubular element 30 surface by the second extractor 16.
The described variants of the invention show the moving mandrel 10 divided into sections, comprising the flat working section 11, the moving mandrel 10 fixing mechanism and the non-flat shape tip 14 installation sections.
The moving mandrel's 10 fixing mechanism section is designed for accepting forces from the corresponding elements, rotary spring 20, or additional pusher (not shown) for ensuring leaning or rotating of the moving mandrel 10 around the axis 19 or relative to the moving platform.
Moreover, the flat working section 11 of the moving mandrel 10 is made with a trapezoid shape elongated along the positioning axes 21 of the paper workpiece within the master form 3 as shown in
According to one of possible embodiments of the invention shown in
The first moving forming unit 8 is equipped with the top working surface 34 (see
The second moving forming unit 9 (see
The master form 3 in (
A method of a smoking product tubular part 33 production by using the claimed set of components for processing the paper workpiece 30 with the help of the master form 3 and the flat moving mandrel 10.
Wherein, placing the paper workpiece 30 above the master form 3, and the paper workpiece first side section 31 and a second side section 32 are spaced out of the master form's 3 working surface 4.
Pressing the paper workpiece 30 to the working surface 4 of the master form 3 by using the moving mandrel 10 flat working section 11, wherein the working surface 4 is formed by a first side wall surface 5, a second side wall surface 6 and a bottom surface 7. After pressing the paper workpiece, moving the first moving forming unit 8 until contacting the first side section 31 of the paper workpiece 30.
Folding the second side section 32 of the paper workpiece 30 around the moving mandrel 10 flat working section 11 by moving the second moving forming unit 9 toward the first moving forming unit 8.
According to one of possible embodiments of the invention, moving the second moving forming unit 9 toward the first moving forming unit 8 till the moment of fixing the first side section 31 between the first and the second moving forming units (8; 9).
Applying an adhesive to the first side section 31 surface of the paper workpiece 30 by using the nozzle 26 or another relevant method. Pressing the first side section 31 to the second side section 32 of the paper workpiece 30 by synchronous movement of the first and second moving forming units (8; 9) toward the direction of an initial position of the second moving forming unit 9. Moving back the first and the second moving forming units (8; 9) after the tubular element 33 has been formed.
Extracting both of the moving mandrel 10 and the formed smoking product tubular element out of the master form 3. Extracting the formed smoking product tubular element by using at least one extractor (15) or (16). During the tubular element extraction, forming a tubular shape of the smoking product tubular element by using the non-flat shape tip 14 of the moving mandrel 10 in combination with the second extractor components.
Moreover, the smoking product tubular element 33 is extracted out of the moving mandrel 10 by using a first extractor 15, wherein the smoking product flat tubular part is formed around the moving mandrel 10.
Moreover, expanding and directing the tubular shaped element (finished tubular element of smoking product) into the storage device 17 by using the second extractor 16.
The present method may provide steps of cleaning the moving mandrel 10 flat working section 11 after each smoking product flat tubular element 33 extraction by using the additional cleaning unit 18.
Thus, the claimed devices and method of manufacturing tubular elements of smoking products allow to simplify the device's design and manufacturing method of tubular elements and increase their reliability.
In addition, in comparison with the prior art, the formation of a direct seam connection of the paper workpiece side sections, allows:
The claimed device variants and method of manufacturing a tubular element of a smoking product are simple and reliable in use, allowing reducing costs of manufacturing while the quality significantly increases.
The claimed device (variants 1 and 2) and method of manufacturing a tubular element of a smoking product may be widely used due to the fact that the manufacturing of tubular elements is performed without winding them on the moving mandrel, which greatly simplifies the device and the technology of manufacturing, accelerates the technological process and reduces costs of manufacturing a tubular element.
The use of the invention can be carried out at any specialized enterprise, since the device has a simple manufacturing design, because of simplified technological operations of processing the paper workpiece.
The claimed device or its individual elements can be integrated into existing technological lines.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2644376 | Raymond | Jul 1953 | A |
| 3402646 | Hall | Sep 1968 | A |
| 10709169 | Richmond | Jul 2020 | B1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| WO-2021156816 | Aug 2021 | WO |
| WO-2021156817 | Aug 2021 | WO |
| WO-2021156818 | Aug 2021 | WO |
