EP2428450B1 - Metering method and device - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a metering method and a metering device, in particular for dosing snus or the like, wherein a portion of tobacco is filled into a metering chamber of a metering device and wherein the portion of tobacco is blown out by means of blown air from the metering chamber. Such methods and devices are, for example WO 2010/051826 A1 known.

Moreover, such metering methods or metering devices are sufficiently well known for their implementation from the prior art and are regularly used for metering or portioning tobacco. So volumetric dosages with fixed or adjustable volumes for dosing or portioning of smaller amounts of tobacco for oral tobacco such as snus are common. In the known methods, metering chambers are formed in a rotatable metering plate, in each of which a quantity of tobacco for portioning thereof is filled. The rotatable metering plate can be moved via a sanding plate closing the metering chambers so that when a metering chamber overlaps with an opening in the sanding pad, a portion of tobacco falls out of the metering chamber downwards. Alternatively, it is also possible to close the dosing chambers by means of flaps or slides. It is also known to blow the portion of tobacco out of the metering chamber by means of an air blast or to accelerate it. In addition to the above-described variant, the metering chamber to empty down, the metering chamber can also be emptied by means of a puff of air upwards. This method is used when a volume of the metering chamber is to be adjustable. For this purpose, a plunger or piston is moved into the metering chamber from an underside of the metering plate in order to set the desired volume of the metering chamber. A blowing out of the relevant portion of tobacco can then take place via a pressure line opening into the metering chamber.

In both types of dosing problems occur due to the relatively small dosing during the dosing. As a result, there is an adhesion of tobacco in the dosing chamber and in lines, whereby the desired portion size is too small or inaccurate portioned or blockages occur.

The present invention is therefore based on the object to propose a metering method and a metering device for metering oral tobacco, with the or a precise metering of a portion of tobacco without permanent buildup or blockage is made possible.

This object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 1 and an apparatus having the features of claim 7.

In the metering method according to the invention, in particular for metering snus or the like, a portion of tobacco is filled into a metering chamber of a metering device, wherein the portion of tobacco is blown out by means of exhaust air from the metering chamber, and the exhaust air is added steam.

The exhaust air is directed as an air blast from an upper side or lower side of the metering chamber to the tobacco portion located in the metering chamber, so that the portion of tobacco is blown out of the metering chamber and conveyed into a conveying channel for further transport of the portion of tobacco. The blown air is discharged by means of a valve connected to a compressed air source as a puff of air, which is subsequently added to the valve of the blow-out air, the water vapor. The steam provided with blow-out air allows a substantially complete blowing out of the portion located in the dosing chamber tobacco or cleaning the dosing without tobacco residues adhere to an inner wall of the dosing or remain. The method according to the invention thus ensures a complete discharge of the portion of tobacco from the dosing chamber and thus a precise dosing or dispensing of a desired portion size.

In an advantageous embodiment of the method can be used as steam superheated steam. Superheated steam can have a temperature of over 300 ° C and is thus suitable among other things for killing germs. A use of superheated steam can therefore serve to degerminate the corresponding metering device or the tobacco processed therewith during operation. Also, by means of the superheated steam, a complete discharge of the tobacco from the metering chamber can be further promoted.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the method, the metering chamber can be subjected to a vacuum during filling. Thus, it can be ensured that the dosing chamber is completely filled with tobacco without, for example, forming undesirable large air gaps in the tobacco located in the dosing chamber during filling. This may be the case, for example, when the tobacco is introduced into the metering chamber by means of a so-called inlet box and compressed due to the dead weight of the tobacco of the metering chamber located in the inlet box. In comparison to it For example, compaction of the tobacco by means of a vacuum can always ensure even compaction of the tobacco, regardless of the quantity of tobacco present in the inlet box.

To clean the dosing chamber, the blow-out air and / or the steam can be blown into the empty dosing chamber. In particular, it is advantageous if superheated steam is used for cleaning. Thus, all metering chambers, supply lines and laxative delivery channels can be sterilized and cleaned by an "idle" of the metering device without tobacco.

Further, after blowing out the portion of tobacco from the dosing chamber, steam may be added to the portion of tobacco. For example, after the portion of tobacco has left the metering chamber, the steam can be introduced into a conveying channel provided for the portion of tobacco. The steam promotes a further transport of the tobacco without unwanted adhesion of tobacco occur in the delivery channel. If superheated steam is used as steam, it is also possible to degerminate the feed channel during operation.

In order to ensure a substantially germ-free operation of the metering device, the discharge air can be filtered germ-free. Thus, one or more filters for germ-free or low-germ filtration of the blow-out air can be provided between the compressed air source and the valve provided for delivering the blow-out air. Thus, it can be ensured that no unwanted germs can enter the dosing device or the tobacco to be processed via the blow-out air.

The dosing device according to the invention, in particular for dosing snus or the like, is formed from a dosing plate, in which at least one passage opening is arranged, which forms a dosing chamber, a closure device which serves for closing an opening side of the passage opening, and a filling device, which serves for filling the metering chamber with a portion of tobacco, and a blow-out device which serves for blowing out the portion of tobacco from the metering chamber by means of blow-out air, wherein by means of the blow-out device of the blow-out air steam is added. By adding or mixing the exhaust air with water vapor, the above-mentioned advantages resulting from the process according to the invention can be achieved.

In order to apply a vacuum to the dosing chamber for improved dosing, the dosing plate can have an air-permeable wall. The wall may consist of a porous material or have a plurality of small holes through which air can escape from the metering chamber. For example, the porous material may be a sintered material. Thus, an annular channel can also be provided in the metering plate in the region of the metering chamber, which serves to discharge the air extracted by the relevant wall.

The closure device can also have an air-permeable wall. The closure device can be designed, for example, as a plate or a sanding pad, a stamp, a flap or a slider in the region of an underside of the metering plate. About the air-permeable wall, which may also be formed again from a porous material or as a wall with small holes, air can be sucked to form a vacuum in the metering chamber. If a blow-out of the portion of tobacco on the closure device, so an emptying of the metering chamber should be done upwards, blow-out air can be blown into the metering chamber also on the air-permeable wall of the closure device.

This type of blow-out is particularly advantageous when a size of the metering chamber is designed to be adjustable. Thus, regardless of a set volume of the dosing always blow out done without a costly conversion of the metering would have to be done.

The size of the metering chamber can be adjusted particularly easily if the closure device has a punch which is arranged movably within the passage opening relative thereto. The punch or piston can be adapted to a diameter of the passage opening so that it closes it completely and an up or down movement of the punch relative to the metering plate causes a change in volume of the metering chamber. Thus, even during operation of the dosing device, a simple correction or change of a portion size can be carried out.

One of the exhaust air adding water vapor, in particular superheated steam, can inevitably lead to an increase in temperature of the components of the metering device which come into contact with the exhaust air. In order to avoid any undesirable temperature increase in these areas, the blow-out device can have a temperature-insulated blow-out air feed. Such a temperature insulation may be useful, inter alia, if the blow-off air reaches the metering chamber via a plunger of the closure device. Thus it can be avoided that the stamp or the entire closure device heats up unhindered. The purge air supply can be embodied, for example, as a temperature-insulated pipeline which leads into a region of an air-permeable inner wall of the closure device.

In order to further promote a complete discharge of tobacco from the metering chamber, the metering chamber may at least partially have a conical inner wall. A cone widening in the conveying direction of the portion of tobacco can ensure that the portion of tobacco from the dosing chamber easily dissolves and is not jammed between opposite wall regions of the dosing chamber. A conical shape of the inner wall can be formed along an entire length of the metering chamber or only in sections. Further, it is advantageous if at least one inner wall or all the inner walls of the metering chambers is or are made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The PTFE can be applied in the manner of a non-stick coating on the inner wall. The material PTFE or a material mixture based on PTFE can effectively prevent tobacco from sticking in the metering chamber.

The inner wall may be formed from a bush, which consists for example of a plastic material. As a result, the inner wall can be easily manufactured and replaced. Thus, the PTFE may be formed in the form of an annular, sintered bush, which is inserted into the metering chamber forming through hole. Then, the annular bush can also form an air-permeable wall. Further, the socket may have a collar which projects beyond the metering plate and forms a contact surface for resting on the turntable. As a result, a friction between the metering plate and the turntable can be reduced. If the collar worn, the socket can be easily replaced.

In the conveying direction of the metering chamber can be arranged downstream of a conveying channel, whose inner wall is formed of polytetrafluoroethylene. Consequently, the inner wall of the conveying channel may consist of a non-stick coating formed of PTFE. Thus it can be avoided that the tobacco blown out of the metering chamber adheres to the inner wall of the conveyor channel.

The metering chamber can also be formed by a plurality of through holes. Ie. the metering chamber then consists of several through holes, which together form the metering chamber. A complete blowout of tobacco can thereby be further promoted. This results in particular by a more favorable distribution of air pressure over such a trained cross-section of the metering chamber.

In order to accelerate a metering or portioning by means of the metering device or portioning by means of the metering device or to be able to process large quantities of tobacco at the same time, a series of passage openings can be formed in the metering plate, which each form a metering chamber. The passage openings may be arranged in a row for the simultaneous execution of a working step and / or in a row for carrying out a sequence of work steps. For example, the metering plate may be formed as a so-called turntable with a plurality of located on different diameters through holes.

Further advantageous embodiments of the device will become apparent from the feature descriptions, the dependent claims back to the method claim 1.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1:

eine schematische Schnittansicht einer ersten Ausführungsform einer Dosiervorrichtung;

Fig. 2:

eine schematische Schnittansicht einer zweiten Ausführungsform einer Dosiervorrichtung;

Fig. 3:

eine Teilansicht einer Dosierplatte in einer Draufsicht.

Show it:

Fig. 1:

a schematic sectional view of a first embodiment of a metering device;

Fig. 2:

a schematic sectional view of a second embodiment of a metering device;

3:

a partial view of a metering plate in a plan view.

Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of a metering device 10, wherein the metering device 10 from a movable in the direction of an arrow 11 metering plate 12, a, forming a closure device, fixedly mounted sanding pad 13, a filling device 14 and an exhaust device 15 is formed. In the metering a plurality of through holes 16 is formed, each of which form metering chambers 17, 18 and 19. The metering chamber 17 shown here by way of example has an inner wall 20 which is formed by the material of the metering plate 12. In the dosing chamber 18 shown as an alternative, a straight bushing 21 made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is inserted into the through-bore 16 and forms an inner wall 22 of the dosing chamber 18. Another embodiment shown here with the dosing chamber 19 comprises a bushing 23 made of PTFE, the inner wall 24 of which is designed in the form of a downwardly opening cone 25. In particular, the use of PTFE to form the inner wall 22 and 24, as well as the cone shape of the inner wall 24 favors a complete emptying of the metering chamber 18 and 19 respectively.

The metering chambers 17, 18 and 19 are each covered on an underside 26 of the metering plate 12 by means of the grinding plate 13 and so closed. In the sanding pad 13, an outlet opening 27 is formed, which, as shown here by way of example, allows an output of tobacco 28 from the metering chamber 17 in a conveying direction indicated by an arrow 29. The respective metering chambers 17, 18 and 19 are positioned by the relative movement of the metering plate 12 in the direction of the arrow 11 via the outlet opening 27.

The filling device 14 comprises a so-called inlet box 30 which is partially filled with loose tobacco 28 and arranged above the metering plate 12. Further, a height-adjustable sensor 31 is provided, which monitors a filling level of the inlet box 30 and thus allows adjustment of a compression of the tobacco 28 in the metering chambers 17, 18 and 19 by a net weight of the tobacco 28. Since the inlet box 30 is arranged rigidly relative to the sanding pad 13 and covers an upper side 32 of the metering plate 12, the metering chambers 17, 18 and 19 are filled, as here with the example of the metering chamber 19, by a movement thereof below the inlet box 30 such that the tobacco 28 can flow into the metering chamber 19 by its own weight. A complete and compact filling is further supported by the fact that a porous wall 33 is formed on the sanding pad 13 below the inlet box 30 and the metering chamber 19 shown here in this area, which can be subjected to a defined vacuum. For this purpose, a porous wall 33 covering the channel 34 and a channel 34 connected to the vacuum line 35 are further provided.

After the metering chamber 19 shown here is filled with tobacco 28 and thus contains a portion 36, the metering chamber 19 is moved in the direction of the arrow by means of a movement of the metering plate 12 to the position of the metering chamber 17 shown above the outlet opening 27. Below the outlet opening 27, a funnel-shaped conveying channel 37 is arranged on the sanding pad 13 for the forwarding of the tobacco 28. Above the outlet opening 27, a funnel-shaped blow-out channel 38 is arranged rigidly relative to the outlet opening 27 on the upper side 32 of the metering plate 12. At a end 40 of the blow-off duct 38 facing away from a funnel end 39, a valve 41 with a compressed air line 42 connected to it and a compressed air source 43 is arranged. In the compressed air line 42 filters 44 are coupled for sterilizing the exhaust air. By a brief opening of the valve 41, an air blast in the direction of the arrow 45 is effected on the top 32 of the metering plate 12, which has an ejection of the tobacco 28 from the filled metering chamber 17 result. In addition to this, the blow-out device 15 comprises a water vapor source 46, introduced from the water vapor, not shown here, via a steam channel 47 into the blow-out channel 38 and mixed with the blow-out air, which is likewise not visible here. Optionally, another valve 48 can be provided at the funnel end 39, by means of which the blow-out channel 38 can be closed.

Fig. 2 shows a second embodiment of a metering device 49, in which a portion 50, formed of tobacco 28 in the direction of arrow 51 is ejected upwards or out of a metering plate 52. In the metering plate 52, a through hole 53 is formed in the one sleeve 54 is inserted from PTFE, wherein the sleeve 54 is formed permeable to air. Further, in the through hole 53, an annular groove 55 is formed, which is connected via a vacuum channel 56 and a coupling element 57 to a vacuum line 58. A thus formed metering chamber 59 may therefore for filling with tobacco 28 with an inlet box, such as Fig. 1 described, be subjected to a vacuum. Below the metering plate 52 is a relative to the metering plate 52 adjustable metering plate 60 with a punch 61 which is longitudinally movably arranged in the metering chamber 59 is formed. The metering plate 52 and the metering plate 60 are rotatable together about an axis 62. Within the punch 61 and the metering plate 60, a blow-out channel 63 is arranged, which is temperature-insulated from the material of the punch 61 and the metering plate 60. The exhaust passage 63 is connected to a compressed air line 64 with filters 65 and a compressed air source 66. Furthermore, a superheated steam source 67 is provided which feeds superheated steam into the compressed air line 64 via a superheated steam line 68. The vacuum line 58 and the compressed air line 64 are respectively connected via the coupling elements 70 and 71 to the vacuum channel 56 in the metering plate 52 and a discharge channel 63 in the metering plate 60 so that rotation of the metering plate 52 and the metering plate 60 relative to the vacuum line 58 and ., Compressed air line 64 is possible. An end face 72 of the punch 61 has a porous wall 73, can be blown through the exhaust air from the exhaust passage 63 into the metering chamber 59. Accordingly, the portion 50 located in the dosing chamber 59 can be completely ejected from the dosing chamber 59 and reaches a funnel end 74 of a delivery channel 75. An additional hot vapor source can optionally be connected to a delivery line 76 of the delivery channel 75 adjoining the funnel end 74 77 be coupled with a valve 78, so that also in the delivery line 76 hot steam can be introduced.

Fig. 3 shows a metering plate 79 in a plan view and in a partial section, which is arranged rotatably about an axis 80. In the metering plate 79, a plurality of through holes 81 is arranged, each of the metering chambers 82 in a row arrangement mehrreihig and metering chambers 83 in a row arrangement einreihig.

Claims (18)

1. A dosing method, in particular for dosing snus or the like, wherein a portion of tobacco (28, 36, 50) is filled into a dosing chamber (17, 18, 19, 59, 82, 83) of a dosing device (10, 49), wherein the portion of tobacco is blown out of the dosing chamber by means of blow-out air,
   characterized in that
   water vapor is added to the blow-out air before tobacco is blown out of the dosing chamber.
2. The dosing method according to claim 1,
   characterized in that
   hot steam is used as water vapor.
3. The dosing method according to claim 1 or 2,
   characterized in that
   a vacuum is applied to the dosing chamber (17, 18, 19, 59, 82, 83) during the filling.
4. The dosing method according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the blow-out air and/or the water vapor are blown into an empty dosing chamber (17, 18, 19, 59, 82, 83).
5. The dosing method according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   water vapor is added to the portion of tobacco after the portion of tobacco (28, 36, 50) has been blown out of the dosing chamber (17, 18, 19, 59).
6. The dosing method according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the blow-out air is filtered to be sterile.
7. A dosing device (10, 49), in particular for dosing snus or the like, comprising a dosing plate (12, 52, 79), in which at least one passage hole (16, 53, 81) is arranged, which forms a dosing chamber (17, 18, 19, 59, 82, 83), a closing device, which serves to close an opening side of the passage hole, a filling device (14), which serves to fill the dosing chamber with a portion of tobacco (28, 36, 50), and a blow-out device (15), which serves to blow the portion of tobacco out of the dosing chamber by means of blow-out air,
   characterized in that
   water vapor is added to the blow-out air by means of the blow-out device before tobacco is blown out of the dosing chamber.
8. The dosing device according to claim 7,
   characterized in that
   the dosing plate (52, 79) encompasses an air-permeable wall (54).
9. The dosing device according to claim 7 or 8,
   characterized in that
   the closing device (13) encompasses an air-permeable wall (33).
10. The dosing device according to one of claims 7 to 9,
    characterized in that
    a size of the dosing chamber (59, 82, 83) is designed to be adjustable.
11. The dosing device according to claim 10,
    characterized in that
    the closing device encompasses a die (61), which is arranged within the passsage hole (53, 81), so as to be capable of being moved relative thereto.
12. The dosing device according to one of claims 7 to 11,
    characterized in that
    the blow-out device (15) encompasses a thermally insulated blow-out air supply (38, 63).
13. The dosing device according to one of claims 7 to 12,
    characterized in that
    the dosing chamber (19) encompasses a conical inner wall (24) at least in sections.
14. The dosing device according to one of claims 7 to 13,
    characterized in that
    at least one inner wall (22, 24) of the dosing chamber (18, 19, 59) is formed from polytetrafluorethylene.
15. The dosing device according to one of claims 13 to 14,
    characterized in that
    the inner wall (22, 24) is formed from a bushing (21, 23).
16. The dosing device according to one of claims 7 to 15,
    characterized in that
    a conveying channel (37, 75) is arranged downstream of the dosing chamber (17, 18, 19, 59, 82, 83) in the conveying direction (29, 59) and that an inner wall of the conveying channel is formed from polytetrafluorethylene.
17. The dosing device according to one of claims 7 to 16,
    characterized in that
    the dosing chamber is formed by a plurality of passage bores.
18. The dosing device according to one of claims 7 to 17,
    characterized in that
    a row of passage holes (16, 53, 81) is formed in the dosing plate (12, 52, 79).

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