EP0584805A1 - Tobacco product for producing a home-made cigarette and apparatus for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A tobacco product for producing a home-made cigarette, consisting of one or more tobacco portion(s) (47) comprising in each case at least two partial quantities (48 or 50) and being held together by inner and/or outer fixing means (49), each partial quantity (48 or 50) containing approximately the quantity of tobacco required for one cigarette, and the outer surface of the tobacco portion (47) and/or partial quantities (50) being permeable to air in such a way that it is impossible as such to draw through it and it is thus unsmokable. The tobacco portion (47) is formed either by two or more partial quantities (50) of rod-like shape in each case and connected, in particular bonded, to one another to form a rod belt (51), or by a flat oval tobacco unit comprising two or more partial quantities (48). The tobacco portion (47) is held together in each case in such a way that, when one partial quantity (48 or 50) is separated, this and the partial quantity immediately adjoining it are inevitably destroyed or broken up whilst removing the inner holding-together thereof. A stuffing apparatus is provided, in adaptation to the abovementioned tobacco, with a magazine (52) and a separating knife (1) for separating the individual partial quantities (48 or 50). <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a smoking tobacco for the self-manufacture of a cigarette using a prefabricated cigarette paper tube according to the preamble of claim 1, and a device for producing cigarettes using the aforementioned smoking tobacco according to the preamble of claim 7.

From DE-C-32 44 906 a smoking tobacco is known, consisting of a quantity of smoking tobacco which forms a sales unit in the form of approximately equal portions, the smoking tobacco being held together in whole or at least in part by a covering made of completely smokable material. For the self-manufacture of a self-rolling cigarette, each subset is approximately rod-shaped. Each subset corresponds approximately to the amount of tobacco required for a cigarette. The casing of the known smoking tobacco consists of non-tensile, perforated or mesh-like material. The known smoking tobacco is divided into rod-like subsets by pressing, creasing, punching, perforating, cutting, inserted threads or the like. According to a preferred embodiment, the subsets are strung together in such a way that they can be easily separated from one another without, however, the individual subsets being destroyed or without the internal cohesion of the individual subsets being lost as a result. The known smoking tobacco can at least in places also contain a fixative for increasing the internal cohesion of each subset.

The known smoking tobacco is said to be able to manufacture a cigarette itself without special aids, such as auxiliary packaging, from non-smokable material and transfer device. In many countries there is now the problem that a smoking tobacco of the known type, in which rod-like portions can be separated without destroying them for self-production of cigarettes by wrapping them with cigarette paper, is taxed in the same way as cigarettes. The same applies to the tobacco portions according to DE-C-34 07 461 or EP-B-155 514.

The present invention is based on the object of creating a smoking tobacco which has all the advantages of pre-portioned tobacco subsets for the self-manufacture of cigarettes and the advantage of the tax privilege even in the countries in which rod-shaped tobacco portions which are not actually smokable, however, after being wrapped with cigarette paper, become smokable like cigarettes are taxed.

Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for processing the smoking tobacco designed according to the invention, preferably with maximum use of known mechanisms for cigarette tamping devices.

The aforementioned object is achieved with regard to smoking tobacco by the characterizing features of claim 1 and with regard to the adapted device by the characterizing features of claim 7.

The essence of the smoking tobacco designed in accordance with the invention lies in the formation of the tobacco portion comprising two or more subsets in such a way that when a subsection is separated off, this and the subsection immediately adjacent to it are inevitably destroyed or broken up, with the internal cohesion being removed. This means that when a subset is removed, neither this nor the immediately adjacent subset can be transferred to a prefabricated cigarette paper tube without special precautions. When a subset is separated, its cohesion is destroyed in such a way that it literally disintegrates "under the hand". The same applies to the subset immediately adjacent to the separated subset. Accordingly, when a subset is removed, there is nothing left but a portion of tobacco pre-portioned over the length of the tobacco receiving space of a cigarette paper tube.

The embodiment in which the tobacco portion is formed by a flat oval tobacco unit comprising two or more subsets, and in which the cohesion is ensured by a highly porous casing made of smokable material, has the additional advantage that compared to the prior art considerably less "paper", namely wrapping material must be smoked per tobacco portion. This considerably increases the acceptance of this embodiment by the consumer.

The first alternative, in which the tobacco portion is formed by two or more rod-shaped portions, which are connected to one another to form a rod belt, in particular glued, has the advantage that the tobacco rods are on one modified cigarette rod machine can be produced, in the manner of a cigarette. Similar to cigarettes, the tobacco rods are separated from a continuously produced tobacco rod. Then they are glued to one another to form a bar belt, the gluing preferably being carried out in such a way that when a partial quantity is separated from the rod belt, both this partial quantity and the immediately adjacent partial quantity break open. For this purpose, the adhesive penetrates along the adhesive seam into the outer covering of the individual tobacco rods. If the tobacco rods are held together by internal binders, the adhesive literally penetrates each tobacco rod in order to ensure the aforementioned destruction of the tobacco rods when they are separated from one another.

In order to ensure that the separate subsets cannot be controlled manually, the tobacco is preferably compressed within the tobacco portion or within each subset. This means that after the internal cohesion of each subset expands radially and loses its dimensional stability.

The device adapted according to the invention for stuffing prefabricated cigarette paper tubes using the aforementioned smoking tobacco is characterized on the one hand by extensive adoption of conventional stuffing devices and on the other hand by an additional measure according to which the tobacco filling opening is assigned a magazine for receiving and partially introducing the above-described tobacco portion into the pressing chamber of the stuffing device is. The aforementioned magazine is preferably formed by a receiving shaft arranged above the tobacco filling opening, the free cross section of which corresponds to the cross section of the tobacco filling opening. A stamp for feeding tobacco subsets into the open bale chamber can be assigned to the receiving shaft. Alternatively, the receiving shaft has at least one, preferably on both long sides, one up to almost above the tobacco filling opening extending recess for pressing or pushing the tobacco portion - z. B. by means of a finger of the user - on.

Furthermore, the device according to the invention is preferably equipped with a cutting knife or the like. B. pinch bars or the like. Provided. The aforementioned separating element is assigned to the tobacco filling opening of the tamping device and is located above the press beam, the separating movement preferably leading the movement of the press beam in the pressing direction.

With regard to further constructive details, reference is made to claims 12 ff.

Two embodiments of a smoking tobacco designed according to the invention and a device for self-manufacturing of cigarettes adapted for processing this smoking tobacco are explained in more detail below with reference to the attached drawing.

Fig. 1

eine erste Ausführungsform eines erfindungsgemäß ausgebildeten Rauchtabaks in perspektivischer Ansicht;

Fig. 2

eine zweite Ausführungsform eines erfindungsgemäß ausgebildeten Rauchtabaks in perspektivischer Ansicht;

Fig. 3 bis 5

die Trennschnittbewegung eines erfindungsgemäß vorgesehenen Trennmessers in Zuordnung zur Füllöffnung der Tabakpreßkammer eines Stopfgerätes in Relation zur Bewegung des zugeordneten Preßbalkens, jeweils im schematischen Teil-Querschnitt;

Fig. 6

eine Ausführungsform eines mit einem erfindungsgemäß ausgebildeten Trennmesser und erfindungsgemäßen Magazin versehenen Stopfgerätes im Querschnitt;

Fig. 7

eine erste Ausführungsform eines in einem Stopfgerät erfindungsgemäß vorgesehenen Tabak-Trennmessers in schematischer Draufsicht;

Fig. 8

eine zweite Ausführungsform eines in einem Stopfgerät erfindungsgemäß vorgesehenen Tabak-Trennmessers in schematischer Draufsicht; und

Fig. 9

eine Ausführungsform eines der Füllöffnung der Tabakpreßkammer eines Stopfgerätes zugeordneten Tabak-Magazins in schematischer Ansicht.

Show it:

Fig. 1

a first embodiment of a smoking tobacco designed according to the invention in a perspective view;

Fig. 2

a second embodiment of a smoking tobacco designed according to the invention in a perspective view;

3 to 5

the separating cut movement of a separating knife provided according to the invention in association with the filling opening of the tobacco press chamber of a tamping device in relation to the movement of the associated press beam, each in a schematic partial cross section;

Fig. 6

an embodiment of a tamping device provided with a cutting knife designed according to the invention and magazine according to the invention in cross section;

Fig. 7

a first embodiment of a tobacco cutting knife provided according to the invention in a tamping device in a schematic plan view;

Fig. 8

a second embodiment of a tobacco cutting knife provided according to the invention in a tamping device in a schematic plan view; and

Fig. 9

an embodiment of a tobacco magazine associated with the filling opening of the tobacco pressing chamber of a tamping device in a schematic view.

1 for the self-manufacture of cigarettes using prefabricated cigarette paper tubes, in particular filter-cigarette paper tubes, consists of a tobacco portion 47 held together by an outer covering of highly porous and smokable material, comprising at least two, here six subsets, each subset about the for a cigarette contains the required amount of tobacco. The six subsets of the tobacco portion 47 according to FIG. 1 are indicated with the reference number 48. The aforementioned wrapping, which holds the six subsets 48 together, is identified by the reference number 49. It consists of highly porous cigarette paper or paper fleece, which consists of smokable material and is so porous or air-permeable that the tobacco portion 47 as such is not tractionable and therefore not smokable. For this purpose, the tobacco portion 47 must be divided into the individual subsets 48 and the individual subsets each wrapped in cigarette paper, in particular introduced into a prefabricated cigarette paper tube.

The tobacco portion 47 according to FIG. 1 is designed as a flat oval or flat-profile-like tobacco unit; d. H. the individual subsets 48 are integrally connected to one another within this unit or the outer casing 49, i. H. not separated from each other.

It is somewhat different in the embodiment according to FIG. 2. There the tobacco portion 47 is divided into individual, namely eight rod-like subsets 50. These subsets 50 are connected to one another to form a rod belt 51, in particular glued to one another (longitudinal adhesive seams 52). The individual tobacco rods 50 can be produced on a modified cigarette rod machine similar to the tobacco portions according to EP-B-155 514 this and the part immediately adjacent to it are inevitably destroyed or broken up, with the internal cohesion being removed, with the result that, after separation, they cannot readily be introduced into a prefabricated cigarette paper tube. A device, in particular a tamping device, is required for this purpose. It is also conceivable to wrap a portion broken open in this way with cigarette paper, either manually or by means of a known winding device. This kind of self-production of a cigarette requires a not inconsiderable skill. However, the advantage of the described tobacco portion in connection with the conventional self-rolling of cigarettes is that the tobacco is pre-portioned and is approximately evenly distributed over the length of the cigarette. In this respect, the described tobacco portion with the partial quantities 50 also offers considerable advantages when rolling cigarettes in comparison to the prior art. Above all, it should be borne in mind that the individual subsets are relatively loose after the internal cohesion has been removed, so that the cigarette paper in the conventional manner radial pressure of the tobacco can be wrapped around it, so that a perfectly pullable cigarette is formed.

To additionally support the aforementioned effect, the tobacco is preferably radially compressed within the tobacco portion 47 or within the subsets 50. In order to ensure that the subsets 50 are broken off in the manner described, an adhesive is used to connect the individual subsets 50, which glue penetrates the wrapping material, so that when a subsection is broken off, both the wrapping of this subset and the wrapping of the adjacent subset inevitably break open. If the individual subsets 50 are held together by an inner fixative or binding agent, the adhesive preferably penetrates into the tobacco filling in order to remove the internal cohesion after a subsection has been broken off.

The length of the tobacco portion 47 generally corresponds approximately to the length of the tobacco receiving space of the cigarette paper wrapper, within which a subset is to be placed.

The above-described tobacco portions result in a correspondingly adapted device for cigarette smoking using prefabricated cigarette paper tubes. 3 to 6, an embodiment of an appropriately adapted cigarette tamping device is described in more detail. This comprises a housing which consists of a lower housing part 11 and an upper housing part 12. In the upper part of the housing there is an elongated opening, namely tobacco filling opening 13, which opens into a tobacco pressing chamber 14. The press chamber 14 is delimited on the one hand by a semicircular wall part 40 and on the other hand by an oppositely semicircular surface 16 of a horizontally displaceable press beam 17. The inner wall part 40 belongs to an outer side wall 41 assigned to the press chamber 14, which is designed as a double wall and whose outer wall part 42 is displaceable in relation to the inner wall part 40 in the tobacco ejection direction is trained. For this purpose, the outer wall part 42 has a shoulder 43 which extends through a longitudinal slot 44 in the inner wall part 40 and is slidably mounted therein. The extension 43 carries a plunger-like ejection slide 25. The wall part 42 and the ejection slide 25 form an integral component, that is to say that can be pushed back and forth together in the longitudinal direction of the tobacco compression chamber 14. Furthermore, the outer wall part 42 is connected to the lower housing part 11 by means of an undercut guide 46 to form a straight guide. A handle 29 is arranged on the upper side of the outer wall part 42. The end 20 of the press beam 17 which is diametrical to the wall part 16 is coupled to a lever 21 which is at the same time designed as a handle 32. This can e.g. B. as a molded part made of plastic. The handle 23 is mounted so as to be pivotable about a horizontal axis, which is defined by bearing pins 22 formed laterally on the handle 23. These journals 22 are rotatably supported in half-shell-shaped bearing shells 45, wherein they are held in the bearing shells 45 by a projection 39 on the inside of the upper housing part 12.

At the diametrical end 20 of the press beam 17, two L-shaped cheeks 24 are formed at an axial distance from one another, on the mutually facing inner sides of which L-shaped control grooves 2 are formed, into which guide pins 6 formed on the side of the handle 23 protrude, the two guide pins 6 are each formed on the two outer sides of the lateral boundary walls of the handle 23. On the inner sides of the lateral boundary walls of the handle 23, guide pins are also formed in alignment with the guide pins 6. These correspond to a respective arcuate control groove 3, each of which is formed on the outside of two cheeks 18 which are also arranged at an axial distance from one another, but between the two aforementioned L-shaped cheeks 24 and which form part of a between the upper housing part 12 and the press beam 17. and slidable separating knife 1. Tax slots 2 and 3 are designed and arranged relative to one another such that when the handle 23 is actuated in the pressing direction (arrow 19), the separating knife 1 leads the press beam 17. Preferably, the coupling of the separating knife 1 which can be moved back and forth parallel to the pressing bar 17 to the handle 23 is such that the movement of the pressing bar 17 in the pressing direction only begins when the separating knife 1 has moved over the tobacco filling opening 13, ie in its separation -End position. To achieve this, the L-shaped control groove 2 is provided in the embodiment according to FIG. 6, the shorter leg extending at a distance from the press beam 17 approximately parallel to its direction of movement, namely directed away from the press chamber 14. Furthermore, the clear width of the upper horizontal leg of the control groove 2 is larger than the outer diameter of the associated pin 6, so that when the handle 23 is pivoted in the pressing direction 19, starting from the filling position of the guide pin 6 in the upper horizontal leg, the control groove 2 initially remains ineffective, with the result that the press beam 17 remains in its retracted position according to FIG. 6. The molded on the inside of the handle 23, each aligned with the pin 6 but correspond from the start with the control grooves 3 assigned to the cutting knife 1, so that the cutting knife 1 is moved without delay in the tobacco separation direction, with the result that Cutting knife 1 is fully effective before the press beam 17 comes into action. The movement sequence described can be understood with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. When the tobacco press chamber is opened, the sequence of movements takes place in exactly the opposite way, ie the separating knife 1 lags the press beam 17.

So that the press beam 17 remains in the press position, an extension 15 is provided at the lower end of each control groove 2, into which the guide pins 16 snap. The extension 15 and thus the mentioned locking connection, as can be seen in FIG. 6, lie below the imaginary connecting line between the tobacco pressing chamber 14 and the pivot bearing of the handle 23. The latching position of the handle 23 is therefore an "over-dead center position".

The tobacco filling opening 13 is assigned a magazine 52 for handling the tobacco portions 47 according to FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 for receiving and introducing the aforementioned tobacco portion 47 in partial quantities. In the embodiment shown, the magazine is formed by a receiving shaft 53 arranged above the tobacco filling opening 13, the free cross section of which corresponds to the cross section of the tobacco filling opening 13. The receiving shaft 53 can be assigned a stamp for feeding tobacco subsets into the opened press chamber 14 of the tamping device. Such a stamp is not shown in FIGS. 3 to 6. It is only indicated by the arrow 54 in FIGS. 3 and 6.

In order to avoid the use of a stamp 54 for feeding the tobacco portion 47, the receiving shaft 53 according to FIG. 9 is provided with a recess 55 on both longitudinal sides. The recess 55 extends from the upper edge of the receiving shaft 53 to just above the tobacco filling opening 13. The recess 55 is used for pressing or pushing in the tobacco portion 47 z. B. by means of the user's index finger. In this way, the above-mentioned stamp 54 is unnecessary for re-pressing the tobacco portion 47 in accordance with FIGS. 1 or 2.

According to FIGS. 3 to 5, tobacco, z. 1, introduced into the tobacco pressing chamber 14, the tobacco portion 47 being pushed into the receiving shaft 43 as far as FIG. 3 until it abuts the bottom of the tobacco pressing chamber 14 with its lower edge. Subsequently, a portion 48 is separated from the tobacco portion 47 by the leading separating knife 1, with the filling opening 13 being closed at the same time. For this purpose, the pressure chamber 14 faces Front edge 4 of the cutting knife 1 has a knife-like cutting edge 5. According to FIG. 7, this can be designed to run obliquely in the manner of a guillotine over the length of the press chamber 14. Alternatively, the cutting edge 5 can also be designed with a pointed roof in accordance with FIG. 8. Finally, a sawtooth-like design of the cutting edge 5 is also conceivable.

Instead of the separating knife 1, a correspondingly effective squeeze bar or similar separating element can also be provided.

Through the separating knife 1, the portion 48 separated from the tobacco portion 47 is literally rolled into the tobacco pressing chamber 14, dissolving the internal cohesion thereof. Possibly. protruding tobacco residues and residues of the porous casing 49 are separated between the cutting edge 5 and the boundary edge 7 of the filling opening 13 opposite the press beam 17, so that the separated partial quantity 48 together with the separated casing 49 is located completely within the tobacco pressing chamber 14. The tobacco rod 10 ultimately produced in accordance with FIG. 5 can then be easily ejected from the tobacco pressing chamber 14. As can also be seen in FIG. 5, in the tobacco press position, the press bar 17 and the front edge 4 or cutting edge 5 of the separating knife 1 are approximately flush with the curved press surface 16 of the press bar 17 with a corresponding continuation of the press surface 16 of the press bar 17.

In the same way as the tobacco portion 47 according to FIG. 1, that according to FIG. 2 can be processed with the described tamping device.

In a comfort device, instead of the cutting knife 1 described, an electric motor-driven saw can be provided, in particular also a circular saw blade which can be moved into the tobacco filling opening in accordance with the cutting knife 1 according to FIGS. 3 to 6.

In the case of a less comfortable tamping device, it is also conceivable for the separating knife 1 to be moved into the tobacco separating position by means of a separate handle. In this case, the separating knife can also be designed in the manner of a kitchen knife, which can be moved through a bottom slot in the lower region of the receiving shaft 53 in the longitudinal direction of the tobacco press chamber, with separation of the desired partial quantity 48 or 50.

In order to facilitate the separation of subsets 48 in the embodiment of a tobacco portion according to FIG. 1, the covering 49 can have perforations 56 which extend in the longitudinal direction and which define the longitudinal dividing lines between adjacent subsets 48. Instead of the perforation lines 56, different types of predetermined breaking lines can also be formed in the casing 49. However, the predetermined breaking lines must be dimensioned so strongly that they ensure the cohesion of the tobacco portion 47 outside the magazine 52 of the tamping device described.

All features disclosed in the application documents are claimed as essential to the invention, insofar as they are new compared to the prior art, individually or in combination.

Claims (16)

Smoking tobacco for the in-house production of a cigarette, in particular using a prefabricated cigarette paper tube, consisting of one or more tobacco portions (47) comprising at least two subsets (48 or 50), held together by internal and / or external fixing means (49) , wherein each partial amount (48 or 50) contains approximately the amount of tobacco required for a cigarette, and wherein the outer surface of the tobacco portion (47) and / or partial amounts (50) is so permeable to air that it as such is not tractive and therefore non-smoking or are,
characterized in that the tobacco portion (47) either by two or more rod-shaped portions (50), in particular glued together, which are connected to form a rod strap (51), or by two or more portions (48) Comprehensive, flat-oval tobacco unit is formed, the cohesion of the tobacco portion (47) being such that when a subset (48 or 50) is separated off, this and the subset immediately adjacent to it are inevitably destroyed or broken up, with the internal cohesion being removed . Smoking tobacco according to claim 1,
characterized in that the tobacco portion (47) and / or partial quantities (48 or 50) have a length corresponding to the length of the tobacco receiving space of the associated cigarette paper wrapper, in particular prefabricated cigarette paper wrapper. Smoking tobacco according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized in that when the subsets (50) are designed as tobacco rods, they are separated from a tobacco rod continuously produced on a type of cigarette rod machine before they are connected to one another, in particular glued, to form a rod belt (41). Smoking tobacco according to one of claims 1 to 3,
characterized in that a casing (49) made of smokable material serves as the external fixative for the tobacco portion (47) and / or partial quantities (50), while smokable tobacco binders are used as the internal fixative. Smoking tobacco according to one of claims 1 to 4,
characterized in that the tobacco is compressed within the tobacco portion (47) or within the subsets (50). Device for plugging prefabricated cigarette paper tubes, in particular filter cigarette paper tubes, with a tobacco press chamber (14) having a filling opening (13), in which tobacco filled through the filling opening (13) can be pressed into a tobacco rod (10) by means of a pressing bar (17) movable transversely to the longitudinal direction of the tobacco pressing chamber (14), a grommet for Slip on the cigarette paper tube, a clamping device for holding the cigarette paper tube on the spout, and with an ejection slide (25) for ejecting the tobacco rod (10) from the press chamber (14) into the cigarette paper tube,
characterized in that the tobacco filling opening (13) is assigned a magazine (42) for receiving and partially introducing the tobacco portion (47) according to one of claims 1 to 6 into the press chamber (14). Apparatus according to claim 6,
characterized in that the magazine (52) is formed by a receiving shaft (53) arranged above the tobacco filling opening (13), the free cross section of which corresponds to the cross section of the tobacco filling opening (13). Device according to claim 7,
characterized in that the receiving shaft (53) is assigned a stamp (54) for feeding tobacco subsets (48 or 50) into the opened press chamber (14). Device according to claim 7,
characterized in that the receiving shaft (53) on at least one long side has a recess (55) extending to almost above the tobacco filling opening (13) for partial pressing or pushing in of the tobacco portion (47) - e.g. B. is formed by a finger of the user. Device according to one of claims 6 to 9,
characterized in that the tobacco filling opening (13) above the press bar (17) is assigned a knife (1) or the like which is effective at least over part of the press chamber length, the separating movement of which preferably leads the movement of the press bar (17). Apparatus according to claim 10,
characterized in that the knife (1) is mounted such that it can be moved back and forth parallel to the press beam (17) and is coupled to the actuating handle (23) connected to the press beam (17) in such a way that the movement of the press beam (17) in the press direction only then begins when the knife (1) is in the disconnected end position (Fig. 4). Device according to claim 10 or 11,
characterized in that the press beam (17) and the knife (1) each have a control cam, in particular control groove (2 or 3), which correspond to the actuating handle (23), in particular pins (6) molded thereon, in such a way that at Movement of the handle (23) in the tobacco press direction (arrow 19) leads the separating knife (1) of the press beam movement in the direction of the press end position. Device according to claim 10 or 11,
characterized in that the actuating handle (23) has two different control cams, in particular control grooves, which correspond to the press bar (17) on the one hand and the separating knife (1) on the other hand, in particular by means of pins integrally formed on the press bar and separating knife, such that when the handle moves (23) in the tobacco pressing direction (arrow 19) the separating knife (1) is in the separating end position before the press bar (17) is moved in the pressing direction. Device according to one of claims 10 to 13,
characterized in that the separating knife (1) has a guillotine-like cutting edge (5) extending over the length of the pressing chamber (14) (Fig. 7). Device according to one of claims 10 to 13,
characterized in that the separating knife (1) has a pointed roof-like cutting edge (5) (Fig. 8). Device according to one of claims 10 to 13,
characterized in that the cutting knife (1) has a sawtooth-like cutting edge (5).

Images