Patent Application
20140123985
Embodiments pertain generally to injector-type cigarette-making machines, and, more particularly, to safety systems for compact tabletop automatic injector-type cigarette-making machines and methods of using such cigarette-making machine safety systems.
Manual injector-type cigarette-making machines are well known. Such cigarette-making machines are typically operated by rotating a crank to first compress a selected portion of loose tobacco equivalent to one cigarette within a compaction chamber and then to inject the compressed tobacco into a pre-formed cigarette tube by means of a plunger that carries the tobacco into the tube. The pre-formed empty cigarette tube is held at one end of a hollow nipple of the cigarette-making machine during the injection of the compressed tobacco. Once the compressed tobacco is in place in the pre-formed cigarette tube, the tube is released from the cigarette-making machine to be smoked or stored for later use.
Automatic injector-type cigarette making machines are also known. In these machines, tobacco is introduced into a compacting chamber through a compacting chamber access opening, following which the machine is activated to automatically operate a compacting member that compacts the tobacco in the chamber. Since the compacting chamber is generally accessible through the access opening, there is at least a limited danger that a user could accidentally insert his or her finger in the chamber while the compacting member moves within the chamber. If this happens, a finger injury could occur.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a compact automatic cigarette-making machine in which the danger of injury by inserting one or more fingers through the access opening and into the compacting chamber is substantially reduced or eliminated.
Embodiments include a cigarette-making machine safety system comprising a housing including a surface having an access opening and a compacting chamber in communication with the access opening for receiving loose tobacco. A compacting member is mounted for reciprocal up and down motion from an initial position adjacent the top of the compacting chamber toward the bottom of the compacting chamber to compact loose tobacco in the compacting chamber into a rod-like shape.
An electrically powered motor for moving the compacting member up and down within the compacting chamber is also included. Embodiments also include a switch for powering the motor to initiate the operation of the cigarette-making machine.
Finally, embodiments include a protective door for blocking access to the compacting chamber upon initiation of the operation of the motor. The door may be pivotally attached to the housing so that it can be rotated toward and away from the access opening.
The switch for powering the motor to initiate operation of the cigarette-making machine may be a pushbutton switch preferably generally adjacent to the access opening. In embodiments the door will include a bottom surface for pressing down upon the pushbutton switch to initiate the operation of the cigarette-making machine when the door is rotated into position to block access to the access opening.
In other embodiments, the pushbutton of the pushbutton switch may be recessed and the door may include a downwardly directed pin to engage the pushbutton to initiate the operation of the cigarette-making machine after the door is rotated into position to block access to the access opening.
In embodiments the door may be curved. Also, it may extend across the compacting chamber access opening to rest upon the surface above the compacting chamber access opening when the door is in a fully closed position. In embodiments, the door may include an upstanding handle to be grasped for rotating the door into and out of position across the access opening.
Finally, the door may include downwardly directed pins or another downwardly directed barrier adjacent its top edge to block access to the compacting chamber opening when the door is rotated into position to prevent inadvertent access to the compacting chamber.
While a particular automatic cigarette-making machine design is referenced herein, the safety system of embodiments is applicable to any automatic cigarette-making machine that includes open access to a compacting chamber for receiving loose tobacco in which a compacting member is arranged to be automatically motor driven across the chamber to compact the tobacco.
The embodiments of the invention described in detail below are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the structure and operation disclosed. Rather, these embodiments have been chosen and described to explain principles of the invention and their application, operation and use in order to best enable others skilled in the art to follow its teachings.
Referring now to the Figures, tabletop automatic cigarette-making machine embodiments are provided. In
Top surface 14 has a funnel portion 20 for receiving loose tobacco. The funnel portion has an inclined surface 22 which is pitched downwardly from its top edge 24 to its bottom edge 26. This inclined surface is spaced from top surface 14 and encircled on three sides by top wall 30 and side walls 32 and 34 to provide a pitched generally flat depression for directing loose tobacco toward bottom edge 26 of the funnel portion. In the illustrated embodiment, side wall 34 is angled inwardly to also move the tobacco inwardly as it is advanced toward bottom edge 26.
At the bottom edge 26 of inclined surface 22, the surface leads into a compacting chamber access opening 40, with side walls 32 and 34 abutting the opposite ends 42 and 44 of the access opening. A tobacco compacting chamber 41 (
Turning now to
Base platform 50 includes an encircling outer edge 54 dimensioned to abut the bottom edge 36 of cover 12 when the cover is assembled to the base platform. The base platform also includes inwardly spaced stub walls 56 (
Drive mechanism 60 of the cigarette-making machine is shown in
Drive mechanism 60 thus includes, in addition to injection spoon 62, a reciprocating compacting member 68 which is designed to move up and down from an initial position adjacent the top of the compacting chamber toward the bottom of the compacting chamber in direction “A”. Reciprocating compacting member 68 includes a top surface 70, a bottom surface 72 and a leading compacting edge 74. Compacting edge 74 is concave (
A circular pin 84 is provided having a top smaller diameter portion 86 which is press-fit to bore 82 and a bottom larger diameter portion 88, with a ledge encircling the pin at the transition between the top and bottom portions to help position the pin. Pin 84 engages a dual purpose control gear 92 at its larger diameter portion during the operation of the machine as explained below. Control gear 92 may be a disk without outer gear teeth, driven by conventional friction means and so may be referred to broadly as a dual purpose control “disk”.
Dual purpose control gear 92 thus includes a fixed central axle 94 which is perpendicular to and protrudes upwardly from the outer first face 96 of the control gear. The opposed outer second face of the control gear is designated 95. Outer gear teeth 97 encircle the control gear. A heart-shaped drive slot 98 is formed in the face of the gear.
Control gear 92 is mounted on a support plate 118 having a top surface 120, a bottom surface 122, and a bore 124 extending between the two surfaces. Control gear 92 has a downwardly directed keyed shaft 114 having a flat 116 to provide the keying function. Control gear 92 is mounted to the support plate with the keyed axle extending through bore 124 and beyond bottom surface 122 of the support plate. A washer 126 is interposed between the gear and the top surface of the support plate to minimize friction between the gear and the support plate. Support plate 118 also includes a series of holes designed for receiving conventional attachment means for attaching the support plate to top support platform 66.
A drive gear 130 is also mounted to support plate 118. Drive gear 130 includes gear teeth 132 along its outer circular edge. These teeth are designed and positioned to engage outer gear teeth 97 of control gear 92. Drive gear 130 includes a central keyed bore 134 and a downwardly directed central circular collar 136 which rests in a slot 138 in support plate 118.
An electric motor 140 is affixed to bottom surface 122 of the support plate. It is wired to an externally accessible pushbutton (or other type) on/off switch 15 associated with the electronic circuitry on PCB board 52 (
Drive mechanism 60 further includes an injection spoon drive arm 144 driven by dual purpose control gear 92 as explained below. The injection spoon drive arm has a foot section 146 and a head section 148. Head section includes a further first bore 150 and a lip 152. The foot section includes a longitudinal slot 154 and a second bore 156.
A first link arm 158 is provided to link the injection spoon drive arm to the control gear. Link arm 158 has a keyed bore 160 which receives keyed downwardly directed axle 114. A drive pin 162 is located at the opposite end of link arm 158 and dimensioned as well as positioned to engage longitudinal slot 154 in the injection spoon drive arm. Pin 162 thus moves back and forth along the slot as drive arm 158 rotates causing the arm to swing about a pivot point where it is rotatably fixed at bore 156. In a preferred embodiment, pin 162 will be a bearing-mounted rotatable pin to minimize friction as the pin moves in the slot.
Finally, an injection spoon assembly 168 is provided. The assembly includes a carriage portion 170 to which a spoon base 172 is attached. The spoon base is tubular in shape and plugged at its top 174. An approximately half round open tubular spoon 62 projects from the spoon base. The radius of curvature of this open tubular spoon is approximately the same as that of the front compacting edge 74 of reciprocating compacting member 68.
Carriage portion 170 of the injection spoon assembly includes tracking means 171 projecting from the bottom of the carriage portion to engage a tracking support 173 (
The operation of reciprocating compacting member 68 may be best understood by examining how heart-shaped drive slot 98 of dual purpose control gear 92 causes pin 84 to move away and toward the center of rotation 93 of control gear 92. This may be done by turning to the diagrammatic representation of the control gear and its heart-shaped slot 98 in
As the gear continues to rotate, pin 84 will ride along a maintenance segment of the slot 193 running between a first transition point 194 and a second transition point 198. Since the pin is maintained at a generally uniform distance from center of rotation 93 of control gear 92, there is no significant movement in the reciprocating compacting member as the gear rotates. When, however, the pin passes second transition point 198, the slot curves inwardly toward center of rotation 93 of the gear to form a reopening portion of the slot 200. As the pin follows this reopening portion of the slot, it is moved toward center of rotation 93 which causes the reciprocating compacting member to move out of the tobacco compacting chamber.
Thus, turning to
Dual control gear 92 not only governs the motion of the reciprocating compacting member, it also simultaneously governs the motion of injection spoon 62 and achieves a unique serial coordination between the closure of the reciprocating compacting member and the movement of the injection spoon into and out of the tobacco-receiving hollow tubes mounted on nipple 64.
Turning now to
As control gear 92 begins to rotate in a counterclockwise direction in this view, drive pin 162 of link arm 153 moves upwardly along slot 154 of the drive arm. This movement of the drive pin causes injection spoon drive arm 144 to move upwardly toward the position depicted in
The continued counterclockwise movement of gear 92 causes drive pin 62 to reach a topmost position in longitudinal slot 154 whereupon the drive pin begins moving downwardly in the slot while continuing to drive the injection spoon assembly in the same direction, to transport the compacted tobacco from the compaction chamber to the hollow cigarette tube (not shown) at the end of nipple 64. (It should be noted that the entire device including drive mechanism 60 and support platform 66 have been rotated to a generally vertical position for illustration purposes but that in operation the device and of course these components would typically be in a generally horizontal position.)
Next, as shown in
The compaction and injection cycle of the cigarette making machine is initiated by a 15 which causes motor 140 to rotate, driving gears 130 and 92. Switch 15 may be a push button switch that is depressed to initiate the motor operation by way of a protective door, as explained below. A sensor 202 is positioned as shown, for example, in
Turning now to
In the embodiment of
Dual control gear wheel 230 includes “D” shaped slot 234 which is offset from the center of rotation 242 of the gear. In this slot, point 236 which is the closest location along the slot to the center of rotation serves as the slot rest point. When pin 238 of the reciprocating member is at this location, before operation of the machine, the injection spoon assembly is in its fully retracted or rest position and the reciprocating compacting member sits adjacent the top of the compacting chamber and away from the injection spoon. As the motor is operated, control gear 230 rotates in a counter-clockwise direction moving first leg 240 of the slot along the pin causing the pin to move away from the center of rotation 242 of the gear, thereby causing the reciprocating compacting member to move toward the bottom of the compacting chamber.
When the slot is rotated to the position where pin 238 is at transition point 244, the reciprocating compacting member is maintained in its fully engaged compacting position within the compacting chamber. As the control gear continues to rotate pin 238 is maintained within a straight segment 246 of the slot extending between transition point 244 and rest point 236. As the gear rotates and hence the slot continues to move along the pin, the injection spoon assembly will be advanced under the operation of the injection spoon drive arm which is attached to the bottom surface of the gear control with a structure that operates as injection spoon drive arm 144 above. Once the injection spoon is in the fully advanced position (so that the tobacco) has been injected into the external preformed tube) pin 238 will be at rest point 236. Further rotation of the gear beyond this point will simultaneously retract the injection spoon assembly and withdraw the reciprocating compacting member from the compacting chamber to complete a cycle of operation of the machine.
Reciprocating compacting members 68 and 212 include a tube holding mechanism which may be used in the embodiment of
Machine 300 further includes a protective system door 306 which is illustrated in
Thus, when it is desired to use the machine, protective door 306 is pivoted in direction “A” away from compacting chamber access opening 302 so that the compacting chamber can be filled with tobacco. Then door 306 is then pivoted toward the compacting chamber access opening in direction “B” by grasping the door as is shown, with the user's thumb opposite the top surface 320 of the door and the user's forefinger opposite the bottom surface 318 of the door. As the door reaches its rest position blocking entry from above to the access opening (and therefore preventing the user's fingers from reaching into the compacting chamber), pin 316 on the bottom surface of the door presses down upon push button 312 to begin the operation of the cigarette-making machine. In alternative embodiments, push button 312 may protrude above surface 314 so that a bottom surface portion 317 of the door will press down upon and operate the protruding push button.
The protective door 340 of
Next,
Finally,
In another aspect, a method of using the improved injector-type cigarette-making machine is provided. In this method, loose tobacco is placed in the compacting chamber and a paper cigarette tube is disposed on the nipple of the machine. Once the tube and tobacco are in place, the user rotates the protective door to block access to the access opening and compacting chamber as described above while simultaneously depressing the electrical switch that initiates operation of the electrical motor of the device once the door is in place. The reciprocating compacting member then compacts the tobacco between its front compacting edge and the half round surface of the injection spoon.
The injection spoon transports the compacted tobacco into the cigarette tube whereupon the injection spoon is withdrawn from the tube. The system then returns to its start position and a limit switch cuts power to the motor so that the cigarette-making machine is at rest and ready to prepare another filled cigarette tube. When the user wishes to do so, the protective door is rotated away from the access opening so that another load of loose tobacco may be placed in the compacting chamber so that the door may be rotated into place to block access to the (now filled) chamber and the cigarette-making process repeated.
All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing embodiments (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illustrate embodiments of the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.
