EP1584248B1 - A method and a machine for manufacturing filters for tobacco products - Google Patents

A method and a machine for manufacturing filters for tobacco products Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1584248B1
EP1584248B1 EP05425201A EP05425201A EP1584248B1 EP 1584248 B1 EP1584248 B1 EP 1584248B1 EP 05425201 A EP05425201 A EP 05425201A EP 05425201 A EP05425201 A EP 05425201A EP 1584248 B1 EP1584248 B1 EP 1584248B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
filaments
activated carbon
particles
carbon fibres
continuous
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Not-in-force
Application number
EP05425201A
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German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1584248A1 (en
Inventor
Fiorenzo Draghetti
Ivan Eusepi
Armando Turrini
Vittorio Sgrignuoli
Leonardo Balletti
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GD SpA
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GD SpA
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Publication date
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Publication of EP1584248A1 publication Critical patent/EP1584248A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1584248B1 publication Critical patent/EP1584248B1/en
Not-in-force legal-status Critical Current
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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24D—CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES FOR CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES
    • A24D3/00—Tobacco smoke filters, e.g. filter-tips, filtering inserts; Filters specially adapted for simulated smoking devices; Mouthpieces for cigars or cigarettes
    • A24D3/02—Manufacture of tobacco smoke filters
    • A24D3/0229—Filter rod forming processes
    • A24D3/0233—Filter rod forming processes by means of a garniture

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method and to a machine for manufacturing filters applicable to tobacco products, in particular cigarettes.
  • filters are manufactured by a process in which a flow of filter material, usually cellulose acetate drawn from a supply such as a bale, is extended, stretched and treated with additives, in particular plasticizers.
  • the flow is processed in such a way as to obtain a continuous stream of filter material and the stream then enveloped in a paper plugwrap to fashion a continuous filter rod, which will be divided ultimately into single filter plugs.
  • activated carbon is an excellent filtration medium, that is to say with a high capacity for absorbing nicotine, tar and other harmful products contained in smoke.
  • filters of this type do not present a sufficiently compact structure.
  • the interstitial spaces between the granules offer a path of least resistance to the smoke, thus significantly reducing the capacity of such filters to trap impurities.
  • a further drawback consists in the fact that the equipment employed in manufacturing such filters is relatively complex, not least in view of the need to place the granular filters in question between two cellulose acetate filter plugs produced by the method outlined briefly above, which function not only as filters but also as a means of preventing the endmost granules of the activated carbon filter element from escaping during the various processing steps.
  • the raw tow is passed through banding devices, in which the tow is blown under air pressure for separating individual fibres of the tow, and then through a plasticizing device.
  • the tow is then passed through a forming station, in which the tow if formed into a continuous rod-shaped bar, and it is then severed intosegments by means of a cutting device.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide filters affording a high absorption capacity and guaranteed devoid of the drawbacks mentioned above.
  • a further object of the invention is to provide a method and a system for the manufacture of such filters that will be unaffected by the drawbacks of conventional equipment as mentioned above, while affording simplicity and ease of implementation.
  • a filter making machine in its entirety.
  • Such a machine 1 comprises a reservoir 2 containing a mass 3 of filaments or particles of activated carbon fibres, also a unit 4 by which the filaments or particles of the mass 3 are formed into a continuous flow 5, and a unit 6 by which the continuous flow 5 is formed into two continuous streams 7 of filaments or particles of activated carbon fibres.
  • the machine 1 comprises a forming unit 8 on which two continuous filter rods 9 are assembled by wrapping each of the aforementioned continuous streams 7 of fibres in a respective strip 10 of paper decoiled by a relative feed device 11 from a corresponding roll 12.
  • the continuous filter rods 9 advance along a path denoted P to the outfeed end of the forming unit 8, where they are divided into discrete sticks 13 by a cutter device 14.
  • the material in question is obtained by a process of calcination in the absence of air or oxygen, known as carbonization, followed by an activating step consisting in oxidation at high temperature.
  • the resulting fibres can be prepared for use, as in the case considered here, in the form of fabric.
  • decoil and guide means denoted 16 in their entirety, constituting means by which to feed the web 15 of fabric along a predetermined path denoted P1.
  • Such means comprise a device 17 serving to decoil a bulk roll 18 of the fabric 15 rotatable about a horizontal axis 18a, also a roller 19 by which the fabric 15 is diverted onto a substantially vertical leg of the path P1 toward a fragmentation device 20 positioned above the reservoir 2 and illustrated schematically as a pair of rollers 21 and 22 contrarotating about axes parallel to the aforementioned horizontal axis 18a.
  • the fragmentation device 20 serves to break up the fabric 15, for example utilizing teeth or tines presented by the rollers 21 and 22, and reduce it to filaments or particles having the consistency of fluff, accumulating to create the aforementioned mass 3 internally of the reservoir 2.
  • the unit 4 serving to form the continuous flow 5 of filaments or particles is housed in a vertically oriented enclosure denoted 23, delimited laterally by two vertical walls 24 and 25, and uppermost by a horizontal wall 26 presenting an opening 27 to the reservoir 2 through which the mass 3 of fluff can drop onto a power-driven toothed roller 28.
  • the mass 3 of fluff is directed by the roller 28 downwards and into a lower chamber 29 delimited at the bottom by a conveyor belt 30 which carries the fluff toward a carding device 31 equipped with a carding roller 32 rotatable about an axis 32a lying transversely to the vertical side walls 24 and 25 and operating in conjunction with a proportioning roller 33.
  • the mass 3 of fluff consisting in filaments or particles of activated carbon fibres is directed by the toothed roller 28 onto the belt 30, and by the belt toward the carding roller 32, from which a layer of fluff substantially equal in thickness to the radial dimension of the carding teeth is transferred away from the chamber 29 and beyond the position of the selfsame roller 32 tangential to the proportioning roller 33.
  • toothed roller 28 and the belt 30 constitute first conveyor means serving to supply the carding device 31 with fluff from the reservoir 2.
  • the layer of filaments or particles of activated carbon fibre is taken up by an impeller roller 34 rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis 32a of the carding roller, and projected into a descent channel 35.
  • the descent channel 35 extends in a substantially vertical direction and is disposed with the bottom end facing the periphery of a toothed take-up unit denoted 36, comprising a first and a second toothed roller combining one with another to transfer the layer of filaments or particles of activated carbon fibres onto a transfer belt 37.
  • the transfer belt 37 runs from right to left, as viewed in figure 1 , and is angled upward with the runout end located beneath the inlet of an ascent channel 38 internally of which a continuous flow 5 of the filaments or particles of activated carbon fibres is entrained in an ascending air current generated by pneumatic means of conventional type (not illustrated).
  • the descent channel 35, the toothed take-up unit 36 and the transfer belt 37 combine to establish second conveyor means interposed between the carding device 31 and the ascent channel 38.
  • the top outlet end 39 of the ascent channel is enclosed by a pair of aspirating belts 40 made of air-permeable material and constituting a part of the unit 6 by which the aforementioned continuous streams 7 are formed.
  • the two belts 40 are looped around two return pulleys 41 driven in rotation about respective horizontal axes.
  • a chamber 42 connected to a source of negative pressure (not illustrated) and delimited on the underside by a wall 43 pierced with suction holes 44.
  • filaments or particles of activated carbon fibres making up the continuous flow 5 are directed up through the ascent channel 38 and into contact with the bottom branches of the aspirating belts 40 as these slide against the aforementioned wall 43, whereupon the fibres cling to the belts and gather progressively to form the aforementioned continuous streams 7, which are conveyed to the infeed 45 of the unit 8 that will form them into continuous filter rods 9.
  • the continuous streams 7 of material are released onto respective strips 10 of paper supported by the top branches of respective looped conveyor belts 46, of which one only is visible in figure 2 , forming part of the aforementioned feed device 11 and fashioned from a textile material.
  • the forming unit 8 further comprises a beam 47, extending along the aforementioned path P, by which the paper strips 10 are constrained to wrap around the respective continuous streams 7 of filaments or particles of activated carbon fibres, thus bringing about the assembly of the two filter rods 9.
  • a beam 47 extending along the aforementioned path P, by which the paper strips 10 are constrained to wrap around the respective continuous streams 7 of filaments or particles of activated carbon fibres, thus bringing about the assembly of the two filter rods 9.
  • applicator means not illustrated
  • Figure 3 illustrates an embodiment of the machine differing from that of figure 1 inasmuch as the reservoir 2 is placed at the outlet of a duct 48 of which the inlet is connected to a fragmentation device shown schematically as a block denoted 20. Also, the unit 4 forming the continuous flow 5 of filaments or particles of activated carbon fibres is simplified in this embodiment, comprising only the toothed take-up unit 36, placed at the bottom outlet end of the reservoir 2 in this instance, the transfer belt 37, and the ascent channel 38.
  • decoiling and guiding means 16 serving to direct a web 15 of fabric along a predetermined path P1 in the example of figure 1 , and the duct 48 in figure 2 , are designed to act as feed means serving the reservoir 2.
  • Figure 4 illustrates an embodiment of the machine differing from that of figure 1 inasmuch as the reservoir 2 is fed by a conveyor belt 49 angled downward and toward the inlet of the reservoir 2, onto which the mass 3 of filaments or particles of activated carbon fibres is released from above. More exactly, the top infeed end of the belt 49 is positioned beneath the fragmentation device 20 by which the web 15 of activated carbon fibre fabric will be broken up.
  • the unit 4 serving to form the continuous flow 5 of filaments or particles of activated carbon fibres is simplified in this embodiment, consisting only in the toothed take-up unit 36, positioned at the bottom outlet end of the reservoir 2, the transfer belt 37 and the ascent channel 38.
  • the block denoted 50 represents a spinning unit such as will produce a plurality of strands 51 consisting in filaments or particles of activated carbon fibres, obtainable from the web 15 of fabric or from a mass 3 of fluff containing filaments or particles of activated carbon fibres, or unwound from respective reels.
  • the strands 51 emerging from the spinning unit 50 are fed into a forming unit shown as a block denoted 52, and gathered by this same unit into a continuous stream 7 of filaments or particles of activated carbon fibres.
  • the stream 7 could consist in a rope or braid of activated carbon filaments or particles unwound from a respective reel.
  • the stream 7 could be processed directly by the forming unit 52 from a layer of fluff.
  • the unit 8 by which the filter rods 9 are assembled is no different to that described with reference to the example of figure 2 .
  • figure 6 illustrates a cigarette 53 with a filter 54 obtained from a stick 13 manufactured on the machine 1 by the methods described above.
  • the filter 54 in question presents a much higher capacity for absorbing impurities than traditional filters made with cellulose acetate or activated carbon granules.
  • the microporosity of the filter in question is such as to make it especially suitable for trapping pollutants of low molecular weight.
  • the filter described and illustrated might also be utilized in conjunction with traditional cellulose filters to assemble composite filters.
  • a filter 54 obtained in this manner is considerably simpler to manufacture than a conventional filter.

Landscapes

  • Cigarettes, Filters, And Manufacturing Of Filters (AREA)
EP05425201A 2004-04-08 2005-04-07 A method and a machine for manufacturing filters for tobacco products Not-in-force EP1584248B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITBO20040202 2004-04-08
IT000202A ITBO20040202A1 (it) 2004-04-08 2004-04-08 Metodo e macchina per il confezionamento di filtri per articoli da fumo

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1584248A1 EP1584248A1 (en) 2005-10-12
EP1584248B1 true EP1584248B1 (en) 2008-06-11

Family

ID=34897764

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP05425201A Not-in-force EP1584248B1 (en) 2004-04-08 2005-04-07 A method and a machine for manufacturing filters for tobacco products

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (1) US20050224087A1 (zh)
EP (1) EP1584248B1 (zh)
JP (1) JP4708832B2 (zh)
CN (1) CN1679420B (zh)
DE (1) DE602005007410D1 (zh)
IT (1) ITBO20040202A1 (zh)
RU (1) RU2375935C2 (zh)

Families Citing this family (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102006018102A1 (de) * 2006-04-18 2007-10-25 Hauni Maschinenbau Ag Faserfilterherstellung
ITBO20060751A1 (it) * 2006-10-31 2007-01-30 Gd Spa Macchina confezionatrice di filtri per articoli da fumo
KR101552736B1 (ko) * 2006-11-29 2015-09-11 임페리얼 토바코 캐나다 리미티드 향미 입자를 보유한 궐련 필터
DE102010000680A1 (de) 2010-01-05 2011-07-07 Hauni Maschinenbau AG, 21033 Herstellung von Filtersträngen und Filterstrangmaschine
CN101933649B (zh) * 2010-09-20 2012-07-04 湖北中烟工业有限责任公司 提高辊压法薄片抗碎性的工艺方法
CN103841846B (zh) * 2011-06-20 2016-08-24 菲利普莫里斯生产公司 用于将物体引入到发烟制品中的设备和方法
KR102072382B1 (ko) * 2011-12-30 2020-03-02 필립모리스 프로덕츠 에스.에이. 권축 시트 재료의 연속 웨브를 공급하기 위한 장치 및 방법
ITBO20120106A1 (it) * 2012-03-05 2013-09-06 Montrade Srl Metodo e macchina per la produzione di filtri senza carta per articoli da fumo
ITUA20163825A1 (it) * 2016-05-26 2017-11-26 Gd Spa Dispositivo per la sostituzione di parti operative per macchine dell’industria del tabacco
EP3918929A1 (en) 2020-06-03 2021-12-08 International Tobacco Machinery Poland SP. Z O.O. Method and apparatus for manufacturing of rods
CN113229529B (zh) * 2021-04-16 2022-10-25 浙江泽田电气工程有限公司 一种缠绕聚拢式烟草薄片滤棒加工装置

Family Cites Families (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CH313367A (de) * 1951-09-12 1956-04-15 Hauni Werke Koerber & Co Kg Rauchfilterpfropfen von zylindrischer Form und Verfahren zu seiner Herstellung
CH308903A (de) * 1952-09-09 1955-08-15 Mueller Paul A Verfahren und Maschine zur Herstellung eines Filterstranges aus einem wässrigen Faserbrei.
US3377220A (en) * 1967-06-09 1968-04-09 American Filtrona Corp Process for making stable elongated elements
CH647935A5 (fr) * 1980-08-04 1985-02-28 Molins Ltd Procede pour la production d'un materiau de remplissage, machine pour sa mise en oeuvre, application du procede et installation pour la production d'un boudin de filtres de cigarettes.
JPS5758878A (en) * 1980-08-04 1982-04-08 Molins Ltd Filler material, especially, apparatus and method for producing tobacco filter
IT1189035B (it) * 1981-04-01 1988-01-28 Gd Spa Macchina confezionatrice di sigarette a doppio baco continuo
US4889143A (en) * 1986-05-14 1989-12-26 R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Cigarette rods and filters containing strands provided from sheet-like materials
IT1257630B (it) * 1992-01-15 1996-02-01 Gd Spa Macchina confezionatrice di sigarette
ITBO20030246A1 (it) * 2003-04-29 2004-10-30 Gd Spa Macchina confezionatrice di sigarette.

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
RU2375935C2 (ru) 2009-12-20
JP2005296015A (ja) 2005-10-27
CN1679420B (zh) 2011-12-21
EP1584248A1 (en) 2005-10-12
DE602005007410D1 (de) 2008-07-24
JP4708832B2 (ja) 2011-06-22
RU2005109972A (ru) 2006-10-20
ITBO20040202A1 (it) 2004-07-08
US20050224087A1 (en) 2005-10-13
CN1679420A (zh) 2005-10-12

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