EP0268919B1 - Cigarette packaging machine - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a packaging machine for cigarettes with a device for checking the cigarettes with regard to correct tobacco filling, the presence of a filter, etc., the testing device having protrusions for engaging the ends of the cigarettes to be tested, and with test organs arranged in the region of the protrusions within the testing device.

Cigarettes are checked for any errors before packaging. Defects lie primarily in an inadequate tobacco filling, which may have defects or voids, especially at the ends, that is to say in the area of the end faces of the cigarettes. In addition, it must be checked whether a filter is present on filter cigarettes and is correctly applied is.

From EP-A-0 110 125 a packaging machine for cigarettes with a test device according to the preamble of claim 1 is known. The cigarette ends to be tested are there on step-like projections with individual test organs within the test device. Due to the structure described, the cigarette ends can only be checked from one side. In unfavorable cases, a test device that is inherently defective can remain undetected with this test device. Furthermore, US-A-4 496 055 shows the testing of cigarette ends from two opposite sides. Test organs intended for this purpose are permanently installed in the shaft walls of a cigarette magazine. Service, maintenance and inspection can only be carried out after the cigarette magazines have been dismantled. An exchange or a new adjustment of the test organs requires a longer standstill of the assigned packaging machine. A similar packaging machine with similar disadvantages is shown in US-A-174 780.

Proceeding from this, the object of the invention is to be able to carry out the required cigarette check as quickly and correctly as possible and to make any necessary maintenance work as simple as possible.

• die Prüfvorrichtung ist als eine im Prüfbereich eines Magazins angeordnete Prüfleiste ausgebildet, wobei das Magazin durch Schachtwände getrennte Magazinschächte zur Bevorratung der Zigaretten aufweist und jeweils ein Vorsprung in der Prüfleiste einer Schachtwand zugeordnet ist,
• die Prüfleiste ist durch die Vorsprünge kammartig ausgebildet, wobei jeweils eine Zigarettenreihe zwischen benachbarten Vorsprüngen liegt,
• die Vorsprünge nehmen als Prüforgane Empfänger zur Prüfung der Zigaretten von zwei einander diametral gegenüberliegenden Seiten auf.

To achieve this object, the packaging machine according to the invention is characterized by the following features:

• the test device is designed as a test bar arranged in the test area of a magazine, the magazine having magazine wells separated by shaft walls for storing the cigarettes and a projection in the test bar being assigned to a shaft wall,
• the test strip is comb-shaped due to the projections, a row of cigarettes lying between adjacent projections,
• the projections, as test organs, receive receivers for testing the cigarettes from two diametrically opposite sides.

The inventive design of the test device as a test bar enables quick and easy maintenance and a simple exchange of the individual test organs. Any downtimes of the packaging machine can be kept short. The design of the test bar with the protrusions and the arrangement of the test organs in the protrusions enables a quick and correct test.

Further features of the invention can be found in the subclaims.

The invention can be used particularly advantageously in a device according to DE-A-36 30 735.

Fig. 1

ein Ausführungsbeispiel eines Magazins im Vertikalschnitt in Längsrichtung der Zigaretten,

Fig. 2

eine Ansicht zu dem Ausführungsbeispiel der Fig. 1,

Fig. 3

einen Horizontalschnitt durch das Magazin in der Ausführungsform gemäß Fig. 1 und 2,

Fig. 4

eine Einzelheit, nämlich einen Horizontalschnitt für ein weiteres Ausführungsbeispiel des Magazins.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. It shows:

Fig. 1

an embodiment of a magazine in vertical section in the longitudinal direction of the cigarettes,

Fig. 2

2 shows a view of the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1,

Fig. 3

2 shows a horizontal section through the magazine in the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and 2,

Fig. 4

a detail, namely a horizontal section for another embodiment of the magazine.

The details shown in the drawings are part of a packaging machine for cigarettes 10. It is specifically about the formation of a magazine 11. Packaging machines for cigarettes 10 are usually equipped with a magazine 11, a container in which a stock of aligned cigarettes 10 is accommodated. Magazines of this type are generally known and have the same basic structure.

The lower area of the magazine 11 consists of a plurality of magazine chutes 12, the width of which corresponds approximately to the diameter of a cigarette 10. The magazine shafts 12 are separated from one another by upright shaft walls 13. In each magazine shaft 12 there is an upright row of cigarettes 14 made of cigarettes 10 arranged one above the other in a sealing position. These are conveyed downward in the magazine shafts 12 under their own weight and finally pushed out in groups of two cigarettes 10 in the longitudinal direction thereof from the magazine shafts 12. The number of cigarettes 10 ejected from the magazine chutes 12 at the same time corresponds to the content of a cigarette packet.

The cigarettes 10 are checked within the magazine chutes 12 with regard to their correct formation. In particular, it should be checked whether the tobacco filling 15 is complete in the area of the free ends or end faces of the cigarettes 10. 3 and 4 show examples of incorrect cigarettes 10a, 10b, 10c. In each of these there is a tobacco gap 16 at the ends, in different configurations.

In order to identify these faulty cigarettes 10a..10c and to reject them on the basis of an error signal, 13 test devices, namely optoelectric sensors, are arranged in the shaft walls. For this purpose, the shaft walls 13 are formed with a greater thickness than those of conventional magazines.

The cigarette test is carried out optoelectrically. For this purpose, 13 sensors, namely receivers 17 and 18, are arranged in the shaft walls adjacent to the cigarette ends and thus on the upright edges of the shaft walls. These are phototransistors which react to light differences.

1, 2 and 3, a new design of the magazine 11 is provided in a partial area. For A sensor strip 26 and 27 is arranged in the area of the front wall and / or in the area of the rear wall 22 to accommodate the sensors and other electrotechnical or electronic devices for testing the cigarettes 10. This is part of the front wall 21 or rear wall 22 and detachably connected as a unit to the remaining part of the front wall 21 or rear wall 22 and accordingly inserted into a recess thereof. The test strip 26, 27 is designed overall as a hollow body.

As shown, at least in the area of the test strip 26, 27, the shaft walls 13 are formed with a smaller width than the length of the cigarettes. In the depressions formed in this way between adjacent rows of cigarettes 14, in the area of the test strips 26, 27, a rib-like projection 28 of the same fits, positively. Together with the rest of the test bar 26, 27, this forms a common workpiece and a coherent hollow body. This is formed like a comb by the projections 28. The ends of the cigarettes 10 lie between adjacent projections 28.

The sensors are arranged partly inside the hollow projection 28, partly in the area of an inner wall 29 of the test strip 26, 27. In the sense of the test method described, there are two receivers 30 and 31 on each side of the projection 28. Furthermore, the principle of checking the ends of the cigarettes from two opposite sides is also implemented here, due to the dimensions of the projections on the one hand and the small size of the Sensors, on the other hand, each have two sensors for testing adjacent cigarettes opposite one another in the same transverse plane. By the two receivers 30 and 31, each assigned to a cigarette 10 on the same side, the sensitivity of the test and thus its sensitivity Accuracy increased.

In this exemplary embodiment, the transmitters 32 (light-emitting diodes) are arranged in front of the ends of the cigarettes 10 within the test strip 26, 27, namely on the inner walls 29. The test strip 26, 27 is for carrying out the test as a whole or at least in the region of the projections 28 and the inner wall 29 made of translucent material. Here too, in any case, all sensitive optical or electrotechnical organs are accommodated in a closed, encapsulated cavity.

While the test bar 26 checks the cigarettes 10 for any tobacco gaps 16 in the manner already described, the test bar 27 is used to check the cigarettes 10 with regard to the presence of a filter 33. Deviating from the drawing, it is for testing the filter 33 sufficient if only one receiver 30 or 31 is provided per cigarette.

As can be seen from FIG. 2, the test bar 26, 27 is arranged in such a way that two cigarettes one on top of the other in a magazine shaft 12 are tested at the same time, two receivers 30, 31 being assigned to each cigarette end one above the other, as shown. This means that four receivers 30, 31 are provided on each side of a cigarette (end of the same), in pairs one above the other and side by side.

6 shows a small section of a magazine 11 with a test bar 26, 27. The arrangement of the receivers 30, 31 in the region of the projections 28 corresponds to the exemplary embodiment described above. 4, no transmitters (light emitting diodes) are used. The light here is about the total translucent test bar 26, 27 fed to the ends of the cigarettes 10 and thus the receivers 30, 31.

The test organs (sensors) can be used in the manner described for conventional, generally known cigarette magazines, but with a correspondingly greater thickness of the shaft walls. However, this solution can be used particularly advantageously in a magazine according to DE-A-36 20 735, published on December 23, 1987. In the exemplary embodiments shown, the magazine 11 corresponds to the magazine according to the aforementioned older patent application with regard to the removal of any faulty cigarettes. The details shown in the drawings are part of the test unit of the earlier patent application, that is, a unit with magazine shafts and shaft walls, which is built into the magazine. To separate out faulty cigarettes 10a, 10b ..., guide and support members are therefore also provided in the region of the ejection plane 23 in the exemplary embodiments shown, as well as comb webs 34 and support webs 35 which can be moved in the transverse direction relative to one another, specifically in the one in the older patent application described way. The further details of the magazine, which is not fully shown in the drawings, can correspond to that of DE-A-36 20 735.

Claims (3)

1. Packaging machine for cigarettes,

   a) with a device for checking the cigarettes (10) for a correct tobacco filling (15), the presence of a filter (33), etc.,

   b) the testing device having projections (28) for bearing contact with ends, to be tested, of the cigarettes (10),

   c) and with test members arranged in the region of the projections (28) within the testing device,
   characterised by the following features:

   d) the testing device is designed as a test strip (26, 27) arranged in the testing region of a magazine (11), the magazine (11) having magazine shafts (12), separated by shaft walls (13), for the storage of the cigarettes (10), and a respective projection (28) in the test strip (26, 27) being assigned to a shaft wall (13),

   e) the test strip (26, 27) is made comb-like by the projections (28), a respective cigarette row (14) being located between mutually adjacent projections (28),

   f) the projections (28) accommodate as test members receivers (17, 18, 30, 31) for testing the cigarettes (10) of two sides located diametrically opposite one another.
2. Packaging machine according to Claim 1, characterised in that the projections (28) have dimensions corresponding to the shaft walls (13), project into the region of the shaft walls (13) to complete the latter and accommodate the sensors, especially receivers (30, 31).
3. Packaging machine according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that a test strip (26, 27) is arranged in the region of a front wall (21) and/or a rear wall (22) of the magazine (11), for testing the cigarettes from one or from both cigarette ends.

Images