EP1699305A2

EP1699305A2 - Container for the tobacco processing industry

Info

Publication number: EP1699305A2
Application number: EP04765783A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hans Dierken; Wolfgang Denker; Rolf Höfig; Wolfgang Benz; Harald Gosebruch
Original assignee: Hauni Primary GmbH
Current assignee: Hauni Primary GmbH
Priority date: 2003-12-04
Filing date: 2004-10-02
Publication date: 2006-09-13
Also published as: CN1889860A; DE102004012636B4; DE10357034A1; WO2005053441A3; CN101406316A; WO2005053441A2; DE10357034B4; EP1721535A1; DE102004012636A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a container (10), for the tobacco processing industry, comprising outer walls (11, 12, 13, 14). Furthermore, the container (10) comprises an inner cladding (20, 21, 22, 23, 24), for containing material from the tobacco-processing industry (30) and the interior of the inner cladding (20, 21, 22, 23, 24) may be, or is evacuated.

Description

Container of the tobacco processing industry

description

The invention relates to a container of the tobacco processing industry with outer walls. Furthermore, the invention relates to the use of a receptacle for receiving material from the tobacco processing industry.

In the tobacco processing industry, tobacco material, e.g. Cut tobacco, tobacco foil, raw tobacco, tobacco ribs, expanded tobacco, collected in containers and transported and / or stored to machines for further processing or tobacco preparation. For further processing, the containers with the tobacco material are tipped over, tipped over or generally emptied.

Generally, the tobacco processing industry containers consist of a rigid lid surface, a rigid bottom surface and a plurality of rigid side surfaces. In addition, in State of the art according to US-3,935,959 a cuboid container for tobacco is known.

Furthermore, it is generally known to line tobacco cartons with foil or foil packs so as to avoid influencing the carton wall on the tobacco product or vice versa.

Starting from this prior art, it is the object of the present invention to provide a container for the tobacco processing industry in which tobacco material can be stored over a longer period of time and largely without loss of its properties.

This object is achieved by a container of the tobacco processing industry with outer walls, which is further developed in that the container has an inner lining for receiving material from the tobacco processing industry and the interior of the inner lining can be acted upon or subjected to negative pressure.

The invention is based on the idea that a container of the tobacco processing industry has an inner lining that can be subjected to negative pressure. After filling the container with tobacco material or the like, the inner lining is sealed airtight and pressurized or its interior evacuated, so that tobacco material can be stored for a long time without the stored tobacco material losing its properties in taste, processability, etc. As a result, the container is particularly suitable for transporting the tobacco material over long distances. Due to the inner lining covered with negative pressure, it is still possible to satisfy the general strength requirements perform. Special, costly reinforcements of conventional vacuum containers are not required.

Due to the vacuum-proof inner lining, it is not necessary to seal or evacuate the entire container. In addition, the container can also be realized in a simple manner if an inner lining is arranged in the container. Furthermore, the inner lining according to the invention has the advantage that the volume of the inner lining can be adjusted in accordance with the amount of tobacco material to be kept.

Furthermore, it is provided in a preferred embodiment that the inner lining can be closed airtight, in particular by means of a cover.

For this purpose, it is advantageous if the inner lining is bag-shaped or a bag.

In an alternative embodiment of the container, the inner lining is designed as a hose.

In order to achieve a pressure equalization between the atmosphere inside the container and outside the container, the outer walls are provided with at least one air passage opening.

In particular, at least one valve is provided for the inner liner, so that the inner liner can be closed airtight to maintain the negative pressure generated inside the liner after tobacco material has been filled into the inner liner. It is also advantageous if the inner lining consists of a flexible material.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, it is proposed that the inner lining is designed as a membrane and the membrane is arranged on the inner sides of the outer walls. In particular, the inner lining consists of several membranes, which enclose a volume for the tobacco material in the interior of the container, which is subjected to negative pressure.

The inner lining is preferably fastened to at least one inner side of the outer walls.

A further solution to the problem consists in the use of a receptacle for holding material from the tobacco processing industry, the receptacle being sealed airtight, subjected to negative pressure and placed in a container of the tobacco processing industry after the material has been taken up. The topping bag filled with tobacco material is introduced into the container of the tobacco processing industry before or after the creation of a vacuum in the bag. For easy handling of the storage bag, the tobacco or the like is stored and transported in the container. The receptacle can be, for example, a receptacle pocket or a sack that is stable under negative pressure. Further configurations for a receptacle can be a foldable membrane, extendable and bellows-shaped sacks or bags. The object is further achieved in a container of the tobacco processing industry in that the container has at least one outer wall and one inner wall and that the inner wall is designed to be permeable to at least one, in particular liquid or gaseous, medium. The further developed container for the tobacco processing industry for receiving tobacco material thus enables treatment of the tobacco material contained in it.

The invention is based on the idea that the container is formed with at least one double or multi-walled side, so that a treatment medium for the tobacco material surrounded by the inner wall can be introduced into the space between the outer wall and the permeable inner wall. Due to the permeable properties of the inner wall, the treatment medium gets into the tobacco material.

The treatment material is understood in particular to be a medium by means of which the tobacco material is conditioned, dried, toasted, roasted, expanded and / or with a smell, aroma and

Flavoring is provided. In addition, within the scope of the invention, treatment of the tobacco material with pest control agents and storage of the tobacco under a protective gas are conceivable.

Conditioning means the introduction of steam or conditioned air, so that the treated tobacco product is heated and moistened. Tobacco is moistened before and during processing to give it the smoothness necessary for processing and to prevent breakage and dust loss. In order to process cut tobacco on high-performance strand machines, for example, it is desirable to have the final moisture of the cut tobacco as precisely as possible. For the drying process, dry air is introduced into the container, so that a targeted drying of the tobacco product is achieved even during transportation or storage of the tobacco product. This can also shorten processing times for the tobacco goods. Hot air or steam is introduced into the container to roast, toast or expand the tobacco product. The tobacco in the container can also be expanded using the so-called Impex method.

If the tobacco goods in the container from all sides, e.g. in the case of a cuboid-shaped container from all six sides, which is surrounded by inner walls, it is possible to apply the inner wall surfaces evenly and to treat the entire contents of the container evenly.

It is further provided that the outer wall of the container is made impermeable to the at least one medium. This creates a self-contained container. In addition, this enables a treatment atmosphere inside the container of the tobacco material received.

The container is expediently easy to transport if the outer wall is rigid.

For example, in order to condition or dry the tobacco, the inner wall has openings. The size of the openings or recesses of the inner walls is sufficiently small that a tobacco passage through the inner wall is excluded. The recesses or openings preferably have a diameter of less than one millimeter. It is also favorable if the inner wall is at least partially rigid and / or at least partially flexible.

In a development of the invention, the inner wall is at least partially semipermeable. By choosing an appropriate semipermeable material, the degree of permeability and thus the speed of treatment of the tobacco material inside the container can be determined.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if at least one inlet for at least one medium and / or one outlet for at least one medium, preferably on the outer wall, are provided. As a result, the treatment medium is reliably introduced into the container or removed from the container after the tobacco material has been treated.

For this purpose, the inlet and / or the outlet expediently have at least one valve. These valves can be integrated into the shape of the container in a particularly simple form if they are designed as diaphragm valves which are self-sealing due to internal pressure, gravity or spring action.

Furthermore, the container according to the invention is with pressure or with

Negative pressure can be applied, so that a favorable atmosphere for the treatment of the tobacco material is created in the container.

In addition, it is advantageous if a medium for the treatment of tobacco material or alternatively a medium for the

Cleaning of the container can be introduced. For example, the

Inner walls of sticky, especially strongly sauced, To clean tobacco residues, water, for example, is fed into the container as a cleaning agent. In addition, the cleaning water can be mixed with cleaning agents.

In addition, it can be provided in a preferred embodiment that the container is designed in the manner of a transport container. This provides a container that can hold a large amount of tobacco material as a kind of large container. The tobacco bulk container is in at least one dimension of the usual container size and

Truck body size adjusted to make optimal use of the transport space. It is advantageous to use double the length or triple the width of a so-called Euro pallet. The large tobacco container advantageously has dimensions of a container. By equipping the large tobacco container with the stop elements known for containers, the handling of the large tobacco containers can be carried out with the usual means for containers.

In addition, it is advantageous if the size of the container

Size of a container corresponds or if the handling means of the container correspond to the handling means of a container.

Such a large container can also be equipped with discharge aids, such as a conveyor belt attached to the floor, a pendulum floor or another suitable conveyor, in order to enable the tobacco material to be discharged to the side. Alternatively, it is possible to open the large container on the floor. A system for maintaining or deliberately changing the state of the tobacco or for treating the tobacco in the container is preferably provided. such, preferably standardized, large containers are also easy to transport by truck.

The invention is described below by way of example without limitation of the general inventive concept with reference to the drawings, to which reference is expressly made with regard to the disclosure of all details according to the invention not explained in detail in the text. Show it:

1 a, 1 b a container according to the invention in a cross-sectional view in the open and closed state;

Fig. 2 shows another container according to the invention in a cross-sectional view in the open state and

Fig. 3 shows another container according to the invention in a cross-sectional view in the closed state.

Fig. 4 in cross section a container according to the invention and

5a, 5b show detailed views of the locations of the container marked in FIG. 4.

In the following figures are the same or similar

Identified elements or corresponding parts with the same reference numerals, so that a corresponding re-introduction is refrained from.

1 a shows a cross section through an open container 10 and FIG. 1 b shows a cross section through a closed container 10. The container 10 is box-shaped and has outer walls 12, 13, 14. The outer walls 12, 14 form the side walls of the container, while the outer wall 13 represents the bottom part of the container 10. To close the container 10, a lid 11 is provided which is removable. In an embodiment not shown here, the cover 11 is arranged on one side of a side wall as a flap. Furthermore, it is conceivable within the scope of the invention that the container 10 has a multi-part cover or has a fixed cover, so that the container 10 is to be filled from a lateral filling opening.

Inside the container 10, a bag 20 made of an airtight material is arranged, which without the inside of the container 10

Cover area largely completely lined inside. The lateral edge of the sack 20 extends beyond the upper edge of the side walls 12, 14, so that the sack 20 is sealed airtight when the cover 11 is placed on it. For this purpose, the cover 11 has seals in the region of the edges of the side walls 12, 14.

Tobacco material 30, e.g. Tobacco leaves, which can be stored for a longer period of time and without changing the properties of the tobacco material.

In addition, the lid 1 1 has an elastic membrane 21 which is attached with its edge area to the underside of the lid 1 1. Furthermore, a valve 25 is arranged on the upper side of the lid 11, which, via an evacuation opening 26, has the volume enclosed by the bag 20 after the

Closing the container 10 is connected. After placing the cover 11 (FIG. 1 b), the bag 20 is sealed airtight in the upper region of the bag 20, so that the valve 25 is brought into the open position. Subsequently, vacuum is generated inside the bag 20 by means of a line (not shown here) and a vacuum pump, so that the bag 20 contracts due to the generation of the vacuum. By removing the air in the bag 20, the volume of the bag 20 is also reduced. Characterized in that the membrane 21 of the lid 11 is movably arranged on the lid 11, the membrane 21 is stretched as a result of the negative pressure applied.

After reaching a predetermined negative pressure, the valve 25 is switched to the blocking position. In order to achieve pressure equalization between the ambient atmosphere or the ambient pressure and the pressure inside the container 10, the outer walls 12, 13, 14 and the cover 11 are provided with air passage openings 16.

In FIG. 2, the container 10 is lined with a hose 22 which extends over all vertical walls or

Side walls 12, 14 extends. The hose 22 overlaps the edges in the upper and lower regions of the side walls 12, 14. In order to seal the container 10 airtight in the base region, the base part 13 is equipped with a membrane 21 in a manner corresponding to the cover 11. The membrane 21 of the bottom part is attached to the edge with the bottom part 13. The bottom part 13 of this container 10 is detachably connected to the side walls 12, 14. For an airtight seal between the side walls 12, 14 and the bottom part 13, the bottom part 13 has a seal. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the inner lining of the container 10 is formed by means of several membranes 23, 24 on the side walls 12, 14 and the membranes 21 of the cover 11 and the bottom part 13. The membranes 23, 24 are also each movably attached to the side walls 12, 14 at the edge.

The base part 13 is designed in accordance with the cover 11 and is therefore detachably connected to the side parts 12, 14, the base part 13 having no valve. To the through the membranes

21, 23, 24 enclosed or limited space inside the container 10 to be airtight, the lid 11 and the bottom part 13 in the edge region of the side parts 12, 14 have appropriate seals.

After the container 10 has been closed and the interior enclosed by the membranes 21, 23 and 24, in which the tobacco material 30 has been introduced, the elastic membranes 21, 23 and 24 are stretched, so that the membranes 21, 23 and 24 limited volume becomes smaller.

4 shows a cross section through a container 10. The container 10 has a rigid and sealed outer wall 32 and a rigid or flexible inner wall 34, so that in the exemplary embodiment shown all sides of the container 10 are double-walled. The container 10 is filled with tobacco material 30 on the inside.

As shown in an enlarged detail in FIG. 5 b, the inner wall 34 has small bores 35, so that a medium introduced between the outer wall 32 and the inner wall 34 for treating the tobacco material 30 by the Holes 35 passes through. For this purpose, the outer wall 32 is closed.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown here), the inner wall 34 is made with partially permeable elements, e.g. semipermeable membranes.

In order, for example, to introduce a conditioning medium between the outer wall 32 that is impermeable to the medium and the permeable inner wall 34, an inlet 25 is provided on the outside of the outer wall 32. In addition, a drain 36 for the conditioning medium is provided on the outer wall 32. Here, a valve function is carried out via the inlet 33 and the outlet 36, so that a medium for treating the tobacco material 30 is introduced via the inlet 33 and through the

Bores 35 of the inner walls 34 flows through, and the tobacco product is conditioned accordingly. An excess of the conditioning agent can then emerge through the bores 35 of the inner wall 34 into the intermediate space between the inner wall 34 and the outer wall 32 and be removed by the drain 36. In addition, it is possible to introduce different treatment media for the tobacco material 30 into the container 10 in a certain order and, after the tobacco material 30 has been treated, by an introduced displacement medium, e.g. Air to remove via the drain 36.

The inlet 33 is shown in FIG. 5a in a detailed view. The

Inlet 33 has a collar-shaped flange 41 which is provided with a seal 42 on the outside. On the inside of the outer wall 32 is also attached to a spring 43 Valve 45 arranged. 5a, the valve 45 is shown in the open state.

The container 10 is preferably made of plastic. Within the scope of the invention, it is possible that other materials are also used to manufacture the container 10.

In addition, it is preferred if the connections for the treatment media or cleaning media to be introduced and the sealing surfaces of the connections in the shape of the

Container 10 are integrated.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10 container 1 1 lid 12 side wall 13 bottom part 14 side wall 16 air passage opening 20 sack 21 membrane 22 hose 23 membrane 24 membrane 25 valve 26 evacuation opening 30 tobacco material 32 outer wall 34 inner wall 33 inlet 35 bore 36 outlet 41 flange 42 seal 43 spring 45 valve

Claims

claims

1 . Container (10) of the tobacco processing industry with outer walls (1 1, 12, 13, 14), characterized in that the container (10) has an inner lining (20, 21, 22, 23, 24) for receiving material of the tobacco processing Industry (30) and the interior of the inner lining (20, 21, 22, 23, 24) can be acted upon or acted upon with negative pressure.

2. Container (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner lining (20, 21, 22, 23, 24), in particular by means of a lid (1 1), can be closed airtight.

3. Container (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the inner lining (20, 21, 22, 23, 24) is bag-shaped or as a bag (20).

4. Container (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the inner lining (20, 21, 22, 23, 24) is designed as a hose (22).

5. Container (10) according to one or more of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the outer walls (1 1, 12, 13, 14) are provided with at least one air passage opening (16).

6. Container (10) according to one or more of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that at least one valve (25) for the inner lining (20, 21, 22, 23, 24) is provided.

7. Container (10) according to one or more of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the inner lining (20, 21, 22, 23, 24) consists of a flexible material.

8. Container (10) according to one or more of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the inner lining (20, 21, 22, 23, 24) is designed as a membrane (21, 23, 24) and the membrane (21, 23, 24) on the inside of the outer walls (1 1, 12, 13, 14) is arranged.

9. Container (10) according to one or more of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the inner lining (20, 21, 22, 23, 24) attached to at least one inside of the outer walls (1 1, 12, 13, 14) is.

10. Use of a receptacle to hold material from the tobacco processing industry, characterized in that after the material has been taken up, the receptacle is sealed airtight, with a vacuum opens and is placed in a container of the tobacco processing industry.

1 1. container (10) of the tobacco processing industry or according to one or more of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the container (10) has at least one outer wall (32) and an inner wall (34) and that the inner wall (34 ) is designed to be permeable to at least one, in particular liquid or gaseous, medium.

12. Container (10) according to claim 1 1, characterized in that the outer wall (32) is impervious to the at least one medium.

13. Container (10) according to claim 1 1 or 12, characterized in that the outer wall (32) is rigid.

14. Container according to one of claims 1 1 to 13, characterized in that the inner wall (34) has openings (35).

15. Container (10) according to one or more of claims 1 1 to 14, characterized in that the inner wall (34) is at least partially rigid and / or at least partially flexible.

16. Container (10) according to one or more of claims 1 1 to 15, characterized in that the inner wall (34) is at least partially semipermeable.

17. Container (10) according to one or more of claims 1 1 to 16, characterized in that at least one inlet (33) for at least one medium and / or at least one outlet (36) for at least one medium, preferably on the outer wall (32).

18. Container (10) according to claim 17, characterized in that the inlet (33) and / or the outlet (36) have at least one valve.

19. Container (10) according to one or more of claims 1 1 - to 18, characterized in that the container (10) can be acted upon with pressure or with negative pressure.

20. Container (10) according to one or more of claims 1 1 to 19, characterized in that in the container (10) a medium for the treatment of tobacco material (30) or a medium for cleaning the container (10) can be introduced.

21st Container (10) according to one or more of claims 1 1 to 20, characterized in that the container (10) is designed in the manner of a transport container.

22. Container (10) according to one or more of claims 1 1 to 21, characterized in that the size of the container (10) corresponds to the size of a container.

23. Container (10) according to one or more of claims 1 1 to 22, characterized in that the handling means of the container (10) correspond to the handling center in a container.