CN111629609B

CN111629609B - Rolling bed for smoking articles

Info

Publication number: CN111629609B
Application number: CN201980008349.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: G·伯蒂奈利; S·巴洛塔; M·萨托尼; L·费迪里克
Original assignee: GD SpA
Current assignee: GD SpA
Priority date: 2018-01-19
Filing date: 2019-01-18
Publication date: 2022-11-08
Anticipated expiration: 2039-01-18
Also published as: PL3740088T3; EP3740088B1; CN111629609A; EP3740088A1; IT201800001368A1; WO2019142139A1

Abstract

A rolling bed (1) for substantially cylindrical smoking articles (A), each smoking article (A) comprising at least two coaxial substantially cylindrical sections (B, C) and a connecting strip (D) positioned on the sections (B, C) and having one end preferably glued to the sections (B, C); the rolling bed (1) comprises a transport surface (2) adapted to face a rolling section (4) of a transport drum (3) for said smoking articles (a), and defines, with said transport drum (3), a rolling channel (5), the rolling channel (5) being adapted to carry the smoking articles (a) transversely in a rolling direction between a feeding station (I) corresponding to a feeding portion (2 a) of the transport surface (2) and an outfeed station (U) corresponding to an outfeed portion (2 b) of the transport surface (2); the rolling bed (1) comprises at least two independent rolling sector portions (7) positioned side by side in a direction transverse to the rolling direction.

Description

Rolling bed for smoking articles

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a rolling bed for smoking articles which are substantially cylindrical (i.e. rod-shaped); the invention also relates to a corresponding rolling kit for smoking articles.

Background

The invention is particularly suitable for machines known as "filter end attachment" machines used in the tobacco industry for manufacturing smoking articles, such as conventional filter cigarettes (which can be smoked by burning the end of the cigarette opposite the filter) or other types of cigarettes, such as electronic cigarettes (which can be smoked by electronically heating the end of the cigarette opposite the filter).

Thus, the term "smoking article" is used to denote a variety of products, such as cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos and the like, with filters, or even electronic cigarettes.

In filter end attachment machines, the term "rolling" refers to the operating step in which each non-filtered smoking article (hereinafter referred to as "cigarette section") is joined to the respective filter section by means of a paper strip on which glue has been previously applied by a gluing unit. More specifically, rolling in a filter end attachment machine is performed in a tunnel in which two filtered smoking articles (cigarettes) are manufactured at a time. More specifically, the method first involves interposing a double filter segment, i.e. a filter segment twice the length of the filter of the final product, between two cigarette segments. A double strip, i.e. a strip twice as long as the strip on the final product, is then rolled and wrapped around the double filter section and the ends of the adjacent cigarette sections to obtain a semi-finished product comprising double cigarettes. After rolling, the double cigarette is cut into two halves at the double filter to obtain two single cigarettes of equal length.

As is known, the rolling channel is defined by two facing walls. The height of the rolling channel is slightly less than the diameter of the filtered cigarette to be manufactured, so that a light pressure is applied to the filter section and the cigarette sections adjacent thereto as required to ensure correct rolling and gluing of the connecting strips.

Typically, one wall of the rolling channel is defined by the surface of the transport drum, on which the smoking articles constituted by the "cigarette section-double filter section-cigarette section" configuration are retained by suction in the respective grooves. The other wall of the rollup channel may be defined by the surface of the rollup bed facing the surface of the conveyor drum. More specifically, at the feed end of the rolling channel, the rolling bed is provided with trigger teeth adapted to impact respective sections of smoking articles to initiate rotation of the smoking articles about their longitudinal axes and thus to remove the smoking articles from the respective flutes of the delivery drum.

Different roll-up beds for smoking articles are known in the art.

A rolling bed for smoking articles is described in document IT 102017000020421. The trigger tooth may be located in a particular housing, the trigger tooth having a first impact portion for the first section and a second impact portion for the second section; in more detail, the first and second impact portions differ in height, thereby exerting different compressive forces on the connecting strips and the respective smoking article sections.

Document BO2011a000419 describes a rolling bed for smoking articles, wherein the surface of the rolling bed (and/or the surface of the delivery drum) has a first region and a second region at different heights according to a glue application mode (or glue mode); in this way, the first zone and the second zone define different portions of the rolling channel, at which the connecting strips press to different extents on the respective segments. Furthermore, the first and second regions may be provided with different surface features (knurling) to establish different gripping surfaces for the connecting strips and respective smoking article sections (to optimise rotation of the different sections making up the smoking article).

Such rolling beds have inherent disadvantages.

In particular, these rolling beds have a substantially monolithic structure, each adapted to produce a specific smoking article. In other words, each rolling bed is configured to make a corresponding smoking article. This means that each smoking article to be manufactured (that is to say, in the case of conversion to a different size or product) requires a corresponding different rolling bed, which in turn means disadvantages in terms of cost and production.

Furthermore, in some cases, with the prior art rolling bed, the glue applied on the connecting strips during gluing may not be properly dried during rolling; this can adversely affect not only the aesthetic appearance of the rolled product, but also the process to be performed after rolling.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a rolling bed for smoking articles that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art described above.

These objects are fully achieved by the rolling bed for smoking articles according to the present invention. The rolling bed is for substantially cylindrical smoking articles, each smoking article comprising at least two coaxial substantially cylindrical sections and a connecting strip extending tangentially from the section, the connecting strip being positioned on the section. The rolling bed comprises a transport surface adapted to face a rolling section of the transport drum for the smoking articles and defines, with the transport drum, a rolling channel adapted to carry the smoking articles transversely in a rolling direction between a feeding station corresponding to a feeding section of the transport surface and an outfeed station corresponding to an outfeed section of the transport surface. The rolling machine comprises at least two independent sectors positioned side by side along a direction transverse to the rolling direction, each sector being made and defined as a separate element, and wherein the rolling machine is made by assembling the sectors, which are interchangeable and configured to receive at least one corresponding rod-shaped section.

Drawings

The invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show non-limiting embodiments of the invention and in which:

figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a rolling bed of substantially cylindrical smoking articles for use in a filter end attachment machine according to the present invention;

figure 2 is a schematic view of a possible embodiment of a substantially cylindrical smoking article;

figure 3 is a section of a rolling bed according to the invention;

figure 4 is a plan view of a rolling bed according to the invention.

Detailed Description

With reference to the accompanying drawings, numeral 11 indicates as a whole a rolling unit for substantially cylindrical (i.e. rod-shaped) smoking articles according to the invention, hereinafter simply referred to as "unit 11".

The unit 11 is configured to roll the rod-shaped smoking articles a, that is to say wrap the connecting strip D around at least two sections B, C, so as to join the two sections B, C together after rolling. In practice, the smoking article a according to the invention comprises at least two coaxial rod-shaped sections B, C and a connecting strip D.

In the remainder of the present description, reference is made to a smoking article a of the type shown in figure 2, that is to say comprising: interposed between the two coaxial cigarette sections C, a double filter B and a connecting strip D arranged tangentially to the smoking article a starting from one end of the strip itself. In other words, the two cigarette sections C are aligned with each other in the length direction and are abutted end-to-end with the dual filter B interposed therebetween.

However, the invention is also applicable to smoking articles a comprising different numbers of various sections. For example, the invention may be applied in the production of a new generation of smoking articles comprising two or more sections, at least one of which is intended to be heated to generate an aerosol.

Preferably, each connecting strip D is applied to only a small portion of the sections B, C, preferably at one of its edges; the remaining portion of the connecting strip D remains raised to prevent the connecting strip D from adhering.

The unit 11 comprises a transport cylinder 3 provided with circumferential suction grooves 12, these suction grooves 12 being equally spaced on the circumferential surface of the transport cylinder 3 itself. The smoking grooves 12 are capable of receiving and retaining the smoking articles a by smoking. The delivery drum 3 is adapted to rotate about its axis of rotation 3a in the direction indicated by arrow F to deliver smoking articles a into the rolling channel 5 at the rolling section 4 of the delivery drum 3.

The unit 11 further comprises a rolling bed 1 for smoking articles a, the rolling bed 1 comprising a transport surface 2, the transport surface 2 being adapted to receive the smoking articles a and facing the rolling section 4 of the delivery drum 3 to define a rolling channel 5. The smoking article a passes through the rolling channel 5 transversely to the rolling direction. More specifically, the rolling path preferably has a curved shape between a feeding station I corresponding to the feeding portion 2a of the transport surface 2 and a discharge station U corresponding to the discharge portion 2b of the transport surface 2.

The term "rolling direction" is used to denote the direction in which the smoking article a is moved in the rolling step such that the longitudinal axis of the smoking article a is perpendicular to the rolling direction.

The rolling channel 5 is delimited at one end by the rolling section 4 of the delivery drum 3 and at the other end by the rolling bed 1 positioned at a distance or height from the rolling section 4 to define a width of the rolling channel 5 that is approximately equal to or slightly less than the diameter of the smoking article a. The width of the rolling channel 5 allows each smoking article a to be received along its length.

As each smoking article a advances in the direction of travel between the infeed station I and the outfeed station U, the smoking article a rotates about its longitudinal axis, rolling on the rolling section 4 and the transport surface 2.

Preferably, after rolling and at the output end of the rolling channel 5, the connecting strip D is completely wrapped around the sections B, C and the smoking articles a are picked up at the feeding station U, for example by means of conveyor rollers (not shown in the figures), and delivered for further processing.

In a preferred embodiment, the infeed portion 2a of the transport surface 2 may have a trigger tooth 6, which trigger tooth 6 is configured to initiate rotation of the smoking article a in order to wrap the connecting strip D around the sections B, C. The trigger tooth 6 (which may be positioned in a specific housing 6 a) extends at least partially in a direction transverse to the rolling direction. In other words, the trigger tooth 6 moves the smoking articles a out of the respective suction flute 12 (the flute 12 receives the smoking articles a at the infeed station I of the transport drum 3), thus defining the area of the rolling bed 1 that is first in contact with the smoking articles a.

In the preferred embodiment shown in fig. 4, the transport surface 2 of the rolling bed 1 consists of at least two separate rolling sector sections 7, which rolling sector sections 7 are positioned side by side in a direction transverse to the rolling direction. By "independent" it is meant that each sector 7 is manufactured and defined as a separate element. In other words, the rolling bed 1 of the invention is not constructed as a single part or unitary structure (as described in the prior art), but is made up of a plurality (at least two) of replaceable sectors 7, these sectors 7 being configured to receive at least one corresponding rod-shaped section for rolling a particular type of smoking article a. The rolling bed 1 is thus obtained by assembling together the sector portions 7 of the smoking articles a adapted to roll the desired type of smoking article, instead of making them as integral parts.

In the preferred embodiment as shown in fig. 3, the height of each sector 7 of the rolling bed 1 is adjustable independently of the height of the other sectors 7. Each sector 7 thus defines several portions of the rolling channel 5 which press the connecting strip D to different degrees against the respective rod-shaped section B, C. For this purpose, each sector 7 of the rolling bed 1 preferably comprises a system of lead nuts and bolts 15 to adjust the height of each sector 7 independently of the other sectors 7. Looking in more detail, the guide nut and bolt system 15 allows the height of the sectors 7 to be adjusted by turning the respective bolts in the corresponding guide nuts. In the exemplary embodiment, the height variation of the sector 7 corresponding to one full turn of the bolt is between one and sixty percent of one millimeter, in particular five percent of one millimeter. Preferably, the guide nut and bolt system 15 comprises a coil spring (not shown in the figures) which ensures a more precise match between the rotation of the bolt and the variation in height of the respective sector 7. This is because the coil spring positions the bolt tightly along one side of the guide nut, avoiding slack between the threads of the bolt and the guide nut that would otherwise reduce the accuracy of the fit between the rotation and the change in height of the bolt.

In other words, the bolt and lead nut system 15 allows the height of each sector 7 to be adjusted independently of the other sectors 7, so that each sector 7 exerts a certain pressure on the corresponding section(s) B, C, and this pressure may be different from the pressure exerted by the other sectors 7. The modularity of the pressure exerted on the rod-shaped sections B, C allows the sections B, C to remain coaxial to each other. In fact, since the rod-shaped sections B, C may be of different stiffness (since they may be made of different materials), the pressure applied in a modular manner takes into account the different stiffness, ensuring that the sections B, C are still coaxial after being rolled.

In another preferred embodiment, as shown in fig. 3, each sector 7 of the rolling bed 1 comprises, at the transport surface 2, a heating system 8, this heating system 8 being adapted to heat the respective sector 7 independently of the other sectors 7 and to regulate the temperature of the respective sector 7. In this way, the glue applied to the connecting strip D in the gluing process is sufficiently dried when rolling the connecting strip D around the rod-shaped sections B, C.

The heating system 8 comprises a heating element 13 associated with each sector 7 and a control unit 14 connected to each heating element 13. The control unit 14 is configured to control the operation of the heating element 13. Preferably, each sector 7 internally comprises, along the rolling direction, a respective different heating element 13. Thus, each heating element 13 is connected to a single control unit 14, which single control unit 14 controls the operation of all heating elements 13 based on preset temperatures and drive signals.

More specifically, the heating element 13 may comprise a container body made of ceramic material and housing a coil made of electrically conductive material. The current heating the body of the container traverses the coil.

The control unit 14 may be a thermocouple connected to the heating element 13 and configured to control the temperature of each sector 7. In this way, the control unit 14 ensures that each sector 7 has a preset temperature. A heating system 8 constructed in this way can ensure a temperature in sector 7 of between 100 ℃ and 800 ℃. Preferably, the temperature is between 180 ℃ and 200 ℃.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each sector 7 of the rolling bed 1 is spaced from the other sectors 7 along a direction perpendicular to the rolling direction; in this way the temperature of each sector 7 does not affect the temperature of the adjacent sector 7. In more detail, the gap between two adjacent sectors 7 is between 0.01mm and 10 mm. Advantageously, the gap between adjacent sector portions is 5mm.

In another preferred embodiment, as shown in fig. 4, each sector 7 has a gripping surface 9, the coefficient of friction of this gripping surface 9 may be equal to or different from the coefficient of friction of the gripping surfaces 9 of the other sectors 7. For example, if the coefficient of friction is higher, the associated gripping surface 9 increases the friction with the rod-shaped sections B, C and improves the rolling.

Each gripping surface 9 has a plurality of knurls 10, which knurls 10 are parallel to each other and transverse to the rolling direction in the preferred embodiment.

In another preferred embodiment, each sector 7 or the transport surface 2 of each sector 7 is made of an elastic material. Preferably, the elastomeric material is selected from the group comprising natural and/or synthetic rubbers.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 4, the rolling bed 1 may have a "comb" structure, wherein the length of the sector portion 7 in the rolling direction is variable. In this way, the rolling bed 1 can be engaged with a delivery roller (not shown in the figures) shaped to match the structure of the rolling bed 1, wherein the delivery roller is adapted to deliver the smoking articles a (already rolled) for further processing (in particular, as described above, to cut double filters to obtain two separate cigarettes).

According to another aspect of the invention, the invention provides a rolling kit comprising a rolling bed 1, wherein the sectors 7 are exchangeable, and wherein the number and/or height and/or temperature and/or friction coefficient of the sectors depends on the type, size and number of rod segments B, C.

Thus, thanks to the invention, it is possible to assemble and replace the sectors 7 of the rolling bed 1, the sectors 7 differing according to the production requirements in terms of number, height and friction coefficient, according to the characteristics of the segments they are intended to receive and roll.

In this way, smoking articles a comprising any kind of sections B, C can be rolled efficiently without changing the entire rolling bed 1, but only the sector portions 7 of the sections B, C that are required for rolling the kind of smoking article a to be made are selected and assembled.

The above-described features of the rolling bed 1 of the invention may be used to describe a method of manufacturing a smoking article a, the method comprising the steps of:

axially juxtaposing at least two rod-shaped sections B, C,

-applying a connecting strip D starting from one end thereof tangentially to at least two juxtaposed sections B, C along the transport surface 2 to make a rod-shaped smoking article A,

wrapping a connecting strip D around the at least two sections B, C by feeding the smoking articles a along the rolling channel 5;

-selecting and assembling a plurality of independent rolling sectors 7 according to the type, size and number of sections B, C of smoking article a, these sectors 7 being positioned side by side in a direction transverse to the rolling direction to constitute the rolling bed 1, each sector 7 being adapted to receive at least one respective rod-shaped section B, C.

The present invention achieves the proposed objects by providing the user with a smoking article rolling bed and a rolling kit that are able to ensure excellent rolling quality thanks to the independent sectors that apply a pressure suitable for the type of sections B, C to be rolled (more specifically, based on the material from which each section B, C to be rolled is made). Therefore, the roll unit 11 allows the efficiency of the production process to be improved.

The invention is easy for industrial application; it can also be modified and adapted in several ways without thereby departing from the scope of the inventive concept. Moreover, all the details of the invention may be substituted by other, technically equivalent elements.

Claims

1. A rolling bed (1) for substantially cylindrical smoking articles (A), each of said smoking articles (A) comprising at least two coaxial substantially cylindrical sections (B, C) and a connecting strip (D) extending tangentially from said sections (B, C), said connecting strip (D) being positioned on said sections (B, C) and;

said rolling bed (1) comprising a transport surface (2) and defining, with a transport drum (3), a rolling channel (5), said transport surface (2) being adapted to face a rolling section (4) of the transport drum (3) for the smoking articles (a), said rolling channel (5) being adapted to carry the smoking articles (a) transversely in a rolling direction between a feeding station (I) corresponding to a feeding section (2 a) of said transport surface (2) and an outfeed station (U) corresponding to an outfeed section (2 b) of said transport surface (2);

wherein the rolling bed (1) comprises at least two independent sectors (7) positioned side by side along a direction transverse to the rolling direction, each sector (7) being made and defined as a separate element, and wherein the rolling bed (1) is made by assembling the sectors (7), the sectors (7) being replaceable and configured to receive at least one corresponding rod-shaped section (B, C).

2. Rolling bed (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that each sector (7) is adapted to receive at least one respective substantially cylindrical section (B, C).

3. Rolling bed (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the infeed portion (2 a) of the transport surface (2) has a trigger tooth (6), the trigger tooth (6) being configured to start the rotation of the smoking articles (a) so as to wrap the connecting strip (D) around the sections (B, C), the trigger tooth (6) extending at least partially in a direction transverse to the rolling direction.

4. Rolling bed (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the height of each sector (7) is adjustable independently of the height of the other sectors (7); each sector (7) defines portions of the rolling channel (5) which press the connecting strip (D) to a different extent against the respective substantially cylindrical section (B, C).

5. Rolling bed (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each sector (7) is spaced from each other along a direction perpendicular to the rolling direction.

6. Rolling bed (1) according to claim 5, characterised in that the gap between two adjacent sectors (7) is between 0.01mm and 10 mm.

7. Rolling bed (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each sector (7) comprises, at the transport surface (2), a heating system (8) adapted to regulate the temperature of the respective sector (7) independently of the other sectors (7); the heating system (8) comprises heating elements (13) connected to the respective sectors (7) and a control unit (14) connected to the heating elements (13), the control unit (14) being configured to control the operation of the heating elements (13).

8. Rolling bed (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that each sector (7) has a gripping surface (9), the gripping surface (9) having a friction coefficient equal to or different from the friction coefficient of the other sectors (7).

9. The rolling bed (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that each gripping surface (9) has a plurality of knurls (10).

10. Rolling bed (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each sector (7) is made of elastomeric material.

11. Rolling bed (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that one end of said connecting strip (D) is glued to said sections (B, C).

12. A rolling kit comprising a rolling bed (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sectors (7) are replaceable and wherein the number and/or height and/or temperature and/or friction coefficient of the sectors (7) depend on the type, size and number of the substantially cylindrical sections (B, C).

13. A scrolling unit (11) comprising:

the rolling bed (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11;

a delivery drum (3), said delivery drum (3) comprising a plurality of circumferential suction grooves (12), said delivery drum (3) being adapted to receive said substantially cylindrical smoking articles (A) and having a rolling portion (4), said rolling portion (4) defining a rolling channel (5) adapted to laterally carry said smoking articles (A).