EP2730183B1 - Device and method for reclaiming tobacco from smoking articles - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device and a method for recovering tobacco from smoking articles.

Smoking articles are understood in particular to be cigarettes, cigarillos with or without filters and filter rods alone. The filters may be designed as special filters. For example, a filter may be formed as a multi-segment filter and contain adsorbent materials such as activated carbon.

In addition, it has been known for some time that additives and in particular flavorings or flavorings are introduced into a filter. These are especially in liquid or gel form. The additives can be injected directly into the filter or even be inserted into the filter with the aid of a filled with the additive body. If desired, these bodies can be destroyed by pressure applied to the filter by the user to release the additives therein and thus affect the taste of the smoking article. These bodies are in particular in the form of capsules or balls, but will be referred to simply as bodies in the following.

Menthol, mint, eucalyptus, fruit flavors or other suitable flavors, as well as mixtures thereof, are known as additives and, in particular, flavorings for such bodies. In addition, modifiers can be used in bodies which neutralize, ameliorate, humidify or cool the smoke. In addition, these substances are generally referred to as additives.

When producing cigarettes, it is the rule that functionally unusable products or products that do not satisfy the required high quality requirements are sorted out as rejects. For example, cigarettes containing non-prescribed amounts of tobacco are rejects. The more valuable compared to paper wrapping tobacco such rejects cigarettes should be recovered as possible. For this purpose, recovery devices are already known as so-called "reclaimers", which crush the cigarette tubes, for example, and then seven in order to recover the tobacco.

There is the disadvantage that particles of the cigarette paper or optionally parts of the filter can be mixed into the tobacco. Especially with multi-segment filters, there is the problem that when disassembling the filter cigarettes, the tobacco can be contaminated with components such as activated carbon particles or menthol. Therefore, there is a need to improve Tobacco recovery device to provide the tobacco as completely and clean as possible.

For filter cigarettes with pressure-sensitive bodies, there is also the problem that in the recovery of tobacco no destruction of the body should take place.

From the CN 101317694 B a device for the recovery of tobacco from smoking articles is known in which the smoking articles are fixed and the tobacco is blown out via two separating agents.

Against this background, it is an object of the invention to provide a device and a method for recovering tobacco from smoking articles, wherein an impairment of the quality and purity of the recovered tobacco can be almost excluded and a more reliable, improved and easier to monitor separation of tobacco and paper optionally can be done including the filter.

This object is achieved by a device for the recovery of smoking article parts according to claim 1 and a method for recovering tobacco according to claim 11. Advantageous developments of the device and the method according to the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims.

According to the invention, the device for recovering tobacco from smoking articles has at least one conveying device for moving a plurality of smoking articles along a linear process path, wherein the conveying device is designed as a conveyor belt with a plurality of receptacles for smoking articles. According to the invention, the device has at least one first separating means for blowing tobacco out of smoking articles and at least one holding means for fixing the smoking article in the receptacles during separation. In this case, downstream of the first separating means in the conveying direction, the device has on the opposite side of the conveyor belt a second separating means for blowing out tobacco. The second separating means is associated with a further holding means for fixing the smoking article during the separation. The longitudinal extent of the recording of the conveyor belt is designed to be longer than the longitudinal extent of the smoking article. Furthermore, the device has at least one compressed-air nozzle, wherein the smoking article can be positioned after the task on the conveyor belt to an edge of the receptacles by the at least one compressed-air nozzle.

In this way filter cigarettes can be placed unsorted and non-directional on the conveyor belt, wherein the holding means and the separating agent can optimally attack the smoking article.

By means of a conveyor belt, the smoking articles can be easily transported to the separating means for blowing out and the holding means. In this case, the holding means with respect to the process line is preferably arranged at the level of the separating means in order to allow a simultaneous holding and separating. Before the separating means, the conveyor belt can pass through a plurality of positions at which the smoking articles can be detected, possibly positioned or removed.

The conveying device has a plurality of receptacles for receiving the rod-shaped smoking article. The receptacles are preferably formed trough-shaped or groove-shaped. The recordings are preferably arranged transversely to the conveying direction of the conveyor belt. The transport of the smoking article is linear in preferably horizontal orientation. By the selected conveyor device, a transport of the smoking article along the linearly aligned process path is made possible. At the same time, the process can be easily monitored and maintained, since all process-relevant elements are clearly visible and easily accessible. The smoking articles can also be easily moved in the recordings in their longitudinal direction.

During transport along the linear process route, the smoking articles can be reliably fixed during separation by means of at least one holding means associated with the at least one separating means. The at least one holding means is preferably arranged above the conveyor belt and preferably at the edge of the receptacle. The holding means is preferably designed so that it attacks the smoking article only at their respective ends, preferably over the length of a filter. In this case, preferably a height adjustment of the holding means, but also an adjustability in or transverse to the conveying direction may be provided so that the arrangement of the holding means to ensure sufficient fixation of the smoking article to be adjusted depending on smoking article or filter type and / or training or size of the shots can.

The separation is carried out according to the invention by the separating agent by blowing the tobacco from the paper envelope. This allows a gentle and initially largely non-destructive handling of the smoking article and in particular of this to be removed and recovered tobacco. The blowing out takes place by using a suitably suitable gas mixture.

In an advantageous development of the device according to the invention, the separating means comprises a compressed air device. That is, as a gas mixture is compressed air application, which is usually available in industrial plants. By using a compressed air device as Separating agent can be completely separated in filter cigarettes, the tobacco from the paper tube including filter easily and effectively without damaging or destroying the sleeve or the filter. In this case, the air pressure is preferably chosen so high that the tobacco is blown out of residue and separated from the paper tube with filter. In this case, the compressed air device is arranged so close to the edge of the conveyor belt or the linear conveying path that, as soon as a smoking article located in a receptacle is transported to the separating means and fixed by means of the holding means in the receptacle, compressed air can be applied to the smoking article end to the tobacco to blow out the smoking article. The compressed air device preferably has a nozzle, which is aligned with its outlet end to the smoking article. The position and orientation of the nozzle may be adjustable by suitable means.

Alternatively, the compressed air device can also be designed as a rotating blow-out unit. The compressed air is then centrally applied to the rotary blow-out unit and directed through radially outwardly directed channels for blowing out the tobacco.

Appropriately, the conveyor belt is guided as an endless belt around pulleys.

In this way, the smoking articles can be transported along a linear conveyor line. In parallel recordings, a plurality of smoking articles can be conveyed simultaneously. Preferably, the conveyor belt is tensioned about a drive roller and a tensioning roller to move the smoking articles at a predetermined speed transversely to its longitudinal axis.

As mentioned, the device has at least one compressed air nozzle. With the help of the at least one compressed air nozzle the smoking articles are positioned after the task on the conveyor belt to an edge of the recordings out.

The provision of at least one compressed air nozzle ensures that after the task of the individual smoking article on the conveyor belt this is moved or forced by applying compressed air to the edge or on one side of the conveyor belt. Both the holding means and the separating agent can thus optimally attack the smoking article. If filter cigarettes are dispensed, it is necessary that the filter cigarettes are aligned so that the filter ends are on the conveyor belt side where the separating means is located. If only one separating agent is provided, on the one hand filterless smoking articles or filter cigarettes whose filters are already aligned in the task for the conveyor belt side of the separating means can be separated. It is also conceivable that baffles are used to align the smoking article.

Advantageously, the device has at least one first sensor device. With the help of the at least one first sensor device, which is preferably arranged on the edge of the conveyor belt, the presence of a smoking article part can be detected in a recording. The sensor device may be an optical sensor, in particular a photocell. A preferred embodiment of a sensor device is a light-dark sensor that detects the light filter as opposed to the darker tobacco. In this case, light sources can be used in combination with a radiation receiver in order to detect the radiation reflected at a cigarette end with the aid of the emitted light. This advantageously allows not only the detection of a smoking article in the receptacle, but also the detection of its orientation in the receptacle. It can thus be determined whether the sensor faces the filter end or the open tobacco end of the article.

Due to the provision of at least one sensor device can be dispensed with an expensive pre-sorting of filter cigarettes before the task on the conveyor belt. In this case, the separation of the smoking article can be controlled by blowing out in dependence on the detection result via a suitable control device, so that the compressed air from the separating means can only be created when a filter end is at the edge of the receptacle and thus close to the separating means.

As mentioned, the device has downstream of the first separating means on the opposite side of the conveyor belt a second separating means for blowing out tobacco in the conveying direction. The second separating means is associated with a further holding means for fixing the smoking article during the separation.

In this way, the tobacco of the filter cigarettes, which are placed unsorted and undirected on the conveyor belt, depending on the detection result of at least one first sensor device, the first and second separating means for blowing tobacco are blown out. In one embodiment of the conveyor belt, whose recordings correspond to the length of filter cigarettes, depending on the measurement result of the sensor device optionally the first or second separating means can be controlled to blow each tobacco by means of compressed air applied to the tobacco from the paper bag.

As mentioned, the longitudinal extent of the individual receptacle of the conveyor belt is designed to be longer than the longitudinal extent of the smoking article. In addition, in a further embodiment, the device has at least one positioning means, wherein the individual smoking article with the aid of the positioning means as a function of a detection result of the first Sensor device moves in the receptacle to the opposite edge of the recording and / or moves out of the recording, so it can be removed.

The provision of receptacles whose longitudinal extent is greater than that of the individual conveyed smoking article and the use of the at least one positioning means ensure that the smoking articles only partially overlap after being displaced along the receptacles to the other edge. In addition, the individual smoking article can be removed from the conveyor belt with the aid of the at least one positioning means as a function of a detection result of the sensor.

Upon detection of an open end of the smoking article, the filter end may be positioned to the edge of the other side. After positioning the smoking articles with the filter ends to the respective edges, the ends or filter parts of the smoking articles no longer overlap with the remaining smoking articles in the receptacles. This orientation has the advantage that the holding means and separating agents only attack the correctly positioned smoking articles. If the holding means engage in separating only at the level of the filter position, it is effectively avoided that tobacco sticks are exposed from filter cigarettes unnecessary holding pressure.

Preferred positioning means are compressed air devices or mechanical pushers such as levers or ejection fingers, which can move or remove the smoking articles in the longitudinal direction of the recordings pneumatically or mechanically before they are conveyed to a separating agent. Mechanical pushers are movable substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveyor belt and can move the smoking article depending on the setting targeted to the edge or beyond.

If smoking articles are removed from the individual receptacle from the conveyor belt, these smoking articles can be collected in a suitable container or transferred to a further conveying device whose receptacle is positioned in the extension of the receptacle of the conveyor belt and can transport the smoking article away from the conveyor belt in its longitudinal direction. Such a further conveying device may be designed as a clamping conveyor. If filterless smoking articles are conveyed by means of the clamping conveyor device, horizontal cutting devices can be provided for separating paper wrapper and tobacco.

If the smoking article not leave the conveyor belt and the filter end are positioned only to the edge of the other side, when using compressed air devices for easier moving a combination with a locking means, for example in the form of bands, to the The edges of the conveyor belt mounts can be used to position the filter ends exactly at the edge.

In an advantageous development of the device according to the invention, a second sensor device is provided downstream of the positioning means in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt in order to remove or separate smoking articles as a function of a detection result of the second sensor device.

Upon detection of a filter from the second sensor device, the second separating means for blowing out the tobacco from the smoking article can be controlled. If no filters have been detected on both sides of the conveyor belt, the smoking articles may pass the second separating means without activation and be collected after leaving the conveyor belt. Alternatively, as smokeless detected smoking article between the second sensor device and the second separating means by means of a second positioning means pneumatically or mechanically removed from the conveyor belt. The removal of the detected filterless smoking article can also be done with the addition of a Saugeinreichtung or a clamping conveyor, which is arranged in each case at the edge of the conveyor belt in the conveying direction in front of the separating means.

According to one embodiment of the device, the holding means is designed as a pressure roller.

Pressure rollers can fix the smoking articles against movement in the direction of their longitudinal axis. To additionally avoid rotational movements of the smoking article about its longitudinal axis in the recordings, it is expedient to store the holding means rotatable and to rotate at the same speed as the conveyor. In addition, the width of the pressure roller preferably corresponds to the longitudinal extent of a filter of a smoking article. In this way, the smoking article can be kept targeted to the filter and mechanical damage to the rest of the smoking article can be avoided. The pressure roller acts like a pinch roller. The distance of the pressure roller to the conveyor belt edge can be reduced or increased as needed to increase or decrease the clamping pressure. Thus, too high a contact pressure on the filter and thus possibly located in the filter body can be avoided to prevent damage to the same.

According to a preferred embodiment of the device, the holding means is designed as a needle roller.

This embodiment can be designed like a pressure roller. However, the holding means additionally has needles on its circumference. Using the needles can fix the smoking article be significantly improved, so that even at higher pressures and process speeds resulting turbulence can be compensated. In addition, the role with needles can be made narrower than a pressure or pinch roller without needles.

With the help of the needle roller both a filter and the cigarette stick can be fixed for the blow-out process. In other words, the use of needles also allows a fixation of filterless cigarettes, so that can be dispensed with a possible removal of filterless cigarettes before blowing and thus on a second sensor device and a second positioning means.

As a further alternative embodiment of a holding means, a pressure block can also be provided.

The pressure block is preferably formed from a material with a low coefficient of friction. The pressure block essentially has the width of a filter length, so that the pressure pad can reliably fix the individual smoking article at its end or the filter. The pressure pad is preferably designed such that it extends over a plurality of receptacles and thus can fix a plurality of smoking articles in the recordings. The opposite of the conveying direction to the task side of the conveyor belt facing bottom of the pressure pad may have a chamfer, so that the subsidized smoking article are more easily performed under the pressure block and leveraging the smoking article is prevented from their recordings. The chamfer can increase the pressure on the smokers along the process line continuously up to the maximum pressure.

If pressure blocks are arranged on both sides of the conveyor belt, they can be positioned at the same height in relation to the process line. For this purpose, it is necessary to provide at least one of the two pressure blocks with a passage or a recess. Conveniently, this recess is funnel-shaped to completely catch the ejected by means of the separating agent for blowing tobacco and remove from the belt can. In the opposite pressure block is preferably also provided a recess for Tabakausschleusung.

Furthermore, the holding means may also be designed as a suction nozzle. In this case, at least one suction nozzle is arranged below the conveyor belt, wherein the receptacles of the conveyor belt have corresponding openings to the suction nozzle. Here, the suction nozzle is designed such that the smoking articles are fixed by applying negative pressure at the openings in the receptacles.

Such suction nozzles may be arranged on both sides of the conveyor belt, or only on one side. The suction nozzles have the advantage that there are no rotating parts, so that the maintenance costs can be reduced. Furthermore, it also requires no lubricant that could lead to contamination of the tobacco products.

• Aufgeben wenigstens eines Rauchartikels auf eine als Förderband ausgebildete Fördervorrichtung;
• Fördern des wenigstens einen Rauchartikels in wenigstens einer Aufnahme des Förderbandes entlang einer linearen Prozessstrecke, wobei die Längserstreckung der Aufnahme des Förderbandes länger ausgestaltet ist als die Längserstreckung des Rauchartikels;
• Detektieren der Position eines Teils des wenigstens einen Rauchartikels, vorzugsweise des Filters, mittels einer ersten Sensorvorrichtung;
• In Abhängigkeit vom Detektionsergebnis der ersten Sensorvorrichtung Ausrichten des wenigstens einen Rauchartikels an einer Seite des Förderbands durch Verschieben des wenigstens einen Rauchartikels mittels eines Positioniermittels in der wenigstens einen Aufnahme an die Seite des Förderbands oder
• In Abhängigkeit vom Detektionsergebnis der ersten Sensorvorrichtung Entfernen des wenigstens einen Rauchartikels aus der wenigstens einen Aufnahme des Förderbands;
• Fixieren des wenigstens einen Rauchartikels mittels wenigstens eines Haltemittels in der wenigstens einen Aufnahme; und
• Separieren des Tabaks von dem wenigstens einen Rauchartikel durch Ausblasen des Tabaks aus dem Rauchartikel mittels Druckluft.

Furthermore, a method for recovering tobacco from a smoking article is proposed according to the invention with the following method steps:

• Applying at least one smoking article to a conveying device designed as a conveyor belt;
• Conveying the at least one smoking article in at least one receptacle of the conveyor belt along a linear process path, wherein the longitudinal extent of the receptacle of the conveyor belt is designed to be longer than the longitudinal extension of the smoking article;
• Detecting the position of a part of the at least one smoking article, preferably the filter, by means of a first sensor device;
• Depending on the detection result of the first sensor device, aligning the at least one smoking article on one side of the conveyor belt by displacing the at least one smoking article by means of a positioning means in the at least one receptacle on the side of the conveyor belt or
• Depending on the detection result of the first sensor device, removing the at least one smoking article from the at least one receptacle of the conveyor belt;
• Fixing the at least one smoking article by means of at least one holding means in the at least one receptacle; and
• Separating the tobacco from the at least one smoking article by blowing the tobacco from the smoking article by means of compressed air.

The smoking articles can be applied to the conveyor belt in a simple manner, for example with the aid of guide plates, transversely to the conveying direction and subsequently transported along a linear process path. At a predetermined position of the process section of the smoking article can be fixed by means of holding means preferably on the edge of a recording. The tobacco is then blown out of the paper envelope, preferably using compressed air. The tobacco removed from the smoking article is collected, optionally purified, and may be sent for further use. The empty shell of the smoking article, for example made of cigarette paper, is continued with or without filter on the conveyor belt and in discharged from a downstream process step. Reuse does not usually take place.

With the help of the positioning means located in recordings of the conveyor belt smoking article can be aligned in an advantageous manner to one of the two sides of the conveyor belt out or removed from the exceptions. For filter cigarettes so the filters can be positioned on one side of the conveyor belt or recording. This is expediently carried out as a function of the sensor results, which can detect the presence of a filter or the open end of a smoking article. After making the positioning to the respective side of the tape, the tape on each side of the smoking article ends or filter in the immediate vicinity of the conveyor belt edge. The subsequent fixing and separating can be carried out in this way targeted to the smoking article ends, without the smoking articles that have been positioned to the opposite side, are touched.

• Nach dem Ausrichten Detektieren der Position eines Teils des wenigstens eines weiteren Rauchartikels auf der gegenüberliegenden Förderbandseite mittels einer zweiten Sensorvorrichtung und
• Entfernen von filterlosen Rauchartikeln vom Förderband in Abhängigkeit vom Detektionsergebnis.

According to a development of the invention, the method according to the invention may additionally comprise the following method steps:

• After aligning, detecting the position of a part of the at least one further smoking article on the opposite conveyor belt side by means of a second sensor device and
• Removal of filterless articles of smoking from the conveyor belt as a function of the detection result.

With the help of these further process steps not only filter cigarettes can be aligned, but also filterless smoking articles are sorted out. If the filterless smoking articles are removed from the conveyor belt before a further separating agent by means of a positioning means, for example in the form of a suction device, each smoking article which reaches the following separating means can be blown out without further testing.

• Fixieren eines ausgerichteten wenigstens einen Rauchartikels mittels eines Haltemittels in der wenigstens einen Aufnahme;
• Separieren des Tabaks aus dem wenigstens einen Rauchartikel mittels eines zweiten Separiermittels zum Ausblasen von Tabak aus dem Rauchartikel; und
• Auffangen des separierten Tabaks.

According to a further development of the invention, the method according to the invention may additionally comprise the following method steps:

• Fixing an aligned at least one smoking article by means of a holding means in the at least one receptacle;
• Separating the tobacco from the at least one smoking article by means of a second separating agent for blowing tobacco from the smoking article; and
• Collecting the separated tobacco.

After the smoking articles have been aligned with the filter ends at the edges of the conveyor belt and, if appropriate, filterless smoking articles have been sorted out, the tobacco can be blown out of the smoking article on each side. The blown-out tobacco is then collected in at least one receptacle for downstream reuse.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Darstellung eines Rauchartikels mit seinen Bestandteilen;

Fig. 2

eine perspektivische Ansicht der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung nach einer ersten Ausführungsform (Nadelrollen als Haltemittel);

Fig.3

eine perspektivische Ansicht der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung nach einer weiteren Ausführungsform (Druckrollen als Haltemittel);

Fig.4

eine Draufsicht einer weiteren Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung mit einer quer zu einem Förderband angeordneten Klemmfördervorrichtung;

Fig. 5

das schematische dargestellte Separieren des Rauchartikels in seine Bestandteile;

Fig. 6

eine perspektivische Ansicht der in Fig. 4 dargestellten Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung;

Fig. 7a-7b

perspektivische Ansichten der Klemmfördervorrichtung der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung;

Fig.8

eine perspektivische Ansicht einer Variante der Klemmfördervorrichtung mit horizontalen Schneidevorrichtungen;

Fig. 9a-9b

eine schematisch dargestellte Variante des Separierens des Rauchartikels in seine Bestandteile; und

Fig. 10

eine perspektivische Ansicht der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung nach einer weiteren Ausführungsform (Druckklotz als Haltemittel)

Fig. 11

eine perspektivische Ansicht einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung mit einer rotierenden Ausblaseinheit;

Fig. 12

eine Draufsicht auf die in Fig. 11 gezeigte Ausführungsform;

Fig. 13a-13b

Detailansichten des in Fig. 11 gezeigten Förderbands und der rotierenden Ausblaseinheit;

Fig. 14

eine perspektivische Ansicht der in Fig. 11 gezeigten Ausführungsform mit zusätzlichen Schneidevorrichtungen; und

Fig. 15

eine Draufsicht auf die in Fig. 14 gezeigte Ausführungsform.

In the following the invention will be described by means of exemplary embodiments. Show it:

Fig. 1

a schematic representation of a smoking article with its components;

Fig. 2

a perspective view of the device according to the invention according to a first embodiment (needle rollers as holding means);

Figure 3

a perspective view of the device according to the invention according to a further embodiment (pressure rollers as holding means);

Figure 4

a top view of another embodiment of the device according to the invention with a transverse to a conveyor belt arranged Klemmfördervorrichtung;

Fig. 5

the schematically illustrated separating the smoking article into its components;

Fig. 6

a perspective view of in Fig. 4 illustrated embodiment of the device according to the invention;

Fig. 7a-7b

perspective views of the clamping conveyor of the device according to the invention;

Figure 8

a perspective view of a variant of the Klemmfördervorrichtung with horizontal cutting devices;

Fig. 9a-9b

a schematically illustrated variant of the separation of the smoking article into its components; and

Fig. 10

a perspective view of the device according to the invention according to another embodiment (pressure block as a holding means)

Fig. 11

a perspective view of a device according to the invention with a rotating Ausblaseinheit;

Fig. 12

a top view of the in Fig. 11 embodiment shown;

Fig. 13a-13b

Detailed views of the in Fig. 11 shown conveyor belt and the rotary blow-out unit;

Fig. 14

a perspective view of in Fig. 11 shown embodiment with additional cutting devices; and

Fig. 15

a top view of the in Fig. 14 shown embodiment.

A commercial smoking article 10, as in Fig. 1 has a tobacco rod 12 which is surrounded by a paper wrapper 11. At one end of the wrapped tobacco rod 12 of the smoking article 10, a mouthpiece 13 is arranged with a filter 14, while the other end of the tobacco rod 12 is formed open.

The in Fig. 1 shown special filter 15 of a smoking article 10 is cut in half. In its interior, the filter 15 has a spherical body 16. The interface 17 delimits the filter 15 relative to the tobacco rod 12 and, in the illustrated example, simultaneously represents the cutting edge at which the filter 15 has been separated from the remainder of the smoking article 10, ie the paper wrapper 11 and the tobacco rod 12. The body 16 is filled with additive. The body 16 has an outer shell, which can be destroyed by external force or contact pressure on the upper edge 18. If necessary, thus the taste of the smoking article 10 can be influenced.

In the Fig. 2 to 10 Inventive embodiments of the device for recovering tobacco and the associated method steps are shown.

In the Fig. 2 shown conveying device 20 is designed as a conveyor belt 25 with a plurality of trough-shaped receptacles 52. The conveyor 20 has a drive roller 23 which is moved about the axis 22 in a clockwise direction in the direction of arrow A. Alternatively, the Drive roller 23 also serve as a tensioning roller and the drive of the endless conveyor belt 25 via the second deflection roller, not shown, take place.

The smoking articles 10 are placed in the receptacles 52 so that one end of the filter 14 of the smoking article 10 or an open end of the smoking article 10 is positioned at the edge 33 of the conveyor belt 25. The longitudinal extent of the receptacles 52 is greater than the longitudinal extent of the smoking article 10. The conveyor 20 promotes the smoking article 10 transverse to its longitudinal direction in the conveying direction X. After the task, the smoking article 10 are conveyed to the sensor device 58. If tobacco is detected instead of a filter 14 by the sensor device 58, the smoking article 10 is moved via the positioning means 59 to the edge 34 of the opposite side of the conveyor belt 25. The movement is forced by compressed air. Thus, the single smoking article 10 is positioned in the respective receptacle 52 so that the filter 14 is located at one of the edges 33 and 34 of the conveyor belt 25 respectively. Filterless smoking articles 45 are also moved to the opposite edge 34 after the sensor device 58 has detected a tobacco rod 12 here as well.

The respectively positioned at the edge 33 and 34 smoking article 10 are further promoted to the separating means for blowing 95, 95 'and the associated holding means 37, 37'. For holding during blow-out, the holding means 37, 37 'are designed as needle rollers 37, 37' and are arranged above the respective edges 33, 34 of the conveyor belt 25. The needles 36 are arranged along the circumference of the needle roller 37, 37 '. The needle rollers 37, 37 'are rotatably mounted in the direction B about their axes 35 counterclockwise. By means of a displacement of the axes 35 in the Y direction (indicated by the vertical double arrow), a specifiable contact pressure can be set. During the rotational movement, the needles 36 for fixing the smoking article 10 or the filterless smoking article 45 can engage both in the filter 14 and in the paper envelope 11 of filterless smoking articles 45.

Each holding means 37, 37 'is associated with a corresponding separating means 95, 95'. Once the smoking article 10, 45 is fixed by means of the holding means 37, 37 'in its receptacle 52, the blowing out of the tobacco rod 12 by compressed air by the associated separating means 95, 95'. The separating means 95, 95 'with the associated holding means 37, 37' are arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction X, so that the blown-out tobacco sticks 12 can leave the respective receptacle 52 unhindered towards the opposite side and can be led away towards the outside.

After separating the tobacco rod 12 paper hulls 11 are further promoted on the conveyor belt 25 with or without filter 14 in the conveying direction X and after reaching the not shown second deflection roller collected in a collecting container, not shown. The separated tobacco sticks 12 are also collected in a collecting device, not shown, and recycled.

In the Fig. 3 shown further embodiment of the device according to the invention Fig. 2 shows a device for blowing tobacco, but with respect to the in Fig. 2 1, a variant of the holding means as well as a further sensor device 58 'with positioning means 59' are used.

The second sensor device 58 'on the opposite side 34 of the conveyor belt 25 detects whether or not the smoking articles 12, 45 resting there on the edge 34 have a filter 14. If it is determined that there is no filter 14 on the other side of the smoking article 10, the compressed air device 59 'is activated by means of a control unit in order to remove the filterless cigarette from the conveyor belt. For this purpose, the compressed air device 59 'is adjusted so that the unfiltered smoking article 45 consisting of paper 11 and tobacco rod 12 is moved over the edge of the receptacle.

Thereafter, the remaining a filter 14 having smoking article 10 to the separating agent for blowing 95, 95 'promoted. As holding means in each case pressure rollers 90, 90 'are arranged above the filter 14. The pressure rollers 90, 90 'are arranged at the level of the separating means 95, 95' in the conveying direction one behind the other and rotatably mounted about the axes 91 in the counterclockwise direction B. By means of the displacement of the axes in the Y direction, the contact pressure 92 can be adjusted. If smoking articles with special filters 15 are processed in the device according to the invention, the contact pressure 92 is set correspondingly lower. This is done fully automatically with a corresponding control (not shown).

While a pressure roller 90 holds the filter 14 in the receptacle 52, the tobacco rod 12 is blown out of the paper wrapper 11 by means of a separating means 95 designed as a compressed air device. The tobacco rod 12 is collected after blowing in a suitable receptacle (not shown). The fixed by the holding means filter 14 with paper envelope 11 are further promoted on the conveyor belt 25 to be discharged or made available for further separation of the filter 14 of the paper wrapper 11.

In the in Fig. 4 shown further embodiment of the device according to the invention Fig. 3 In addition, a clamping conveyor is provided. In area 50, the Process step of aligning and sorting out shown. While smoking articles 10 or filterless smoking articles 45 are conveyed transversely to their longitudinal direction on the conveyor belt 25, the smoking articles 10 are aligned or sorted out by means of pneumatic positioning means 59 and 59 'along the receptacles. Thereafter, in the conveying direction subsequently in a further region 51 of the tobacco from the smoking article 10, as shown schematically in FIG Fig. 5 shown, blown out.

In the Fig. 4 and 6 shown clamping conveyor 31 is disposed in a housing 43. The clamping conveyor 31 is arranged on the opposite side of the conveyor belt 25 at the level of the positioning means 59 ', which is used for sorting or discharging filterless smoking article 45, respectively. The clamping conveyor 31 receives discharged filterless smoking articles 45 by means of a funnel 44. Thereupon, the pinch conveyor 31 conveys the filterless smoking article 45 in the extension of the receptacle 52 in the direction Z away from the conveyor belt 25 to horizontal cutting devices 40. The horizontal cutting devices 40 are formed as rotating cutter disks which rotate about the axis 41 and from the housing 42 are surrounded.

The horizontal cutting device 40 is as in Fig. 8 shown arranged so that it laterally separates the paper wrapper 11 of the filterless smoking article 45 when passing through the clamping conveyor 31 along its longitudinal extent. The paper wrapper 11 is opened without damaging the tobacco rod 12 located there. By the simultaneous fixing by means of the clamping conveyor 31 is a straight running in the horizontal direction section. Since cutting devices 40 are provided on both sides of the clamping conveyor 31, as in FIG Fig. 9a and 9b shown a division of the paper sleeve 11 in two halves instead. This facilitates the further separation of the tobacco rod 12 from the halves of the paper wrapper 11, which can be done with the aid of a grid or sieve. The screen (not shown) may be connected to a shaker, with the tobacco of the tobacco stick 12 dropping through openings in the screen into a collection device located thereunder.

Further details of the clamping conveyor 31 are in the Fig. 7a, 7b and Fig. 8 shown. The belt conveyors 21, 21 'together form the clamping conveyor device 31. The smoking articles are respectively conveyed in a clamping manner between the upper run 30 of the belt conveyor 21 serving as a receptacle and the lower run 29 of the belt conveyor 21' serving as holding means 21 '. The belt conveyors 21, 21 'comprise a drive roller 23 and a tension roller 24 around which a belt is tensioned. The drive roller 23 and the tension roller 24 have circumferentially grooves 26. Between the drive roller 23 and the tension roller 24, each conveyor belt 25 is supported by a support member 27. On the support elements 27 cube-shaped supporting blocks 28 are attached laterally. Of the Belt conveyor 21 'is displaceable in the Y direction to the conveying path. In this way, as needed, the contact pressure against the top of a smoking article can be adjusted for fixation.

In order not to damage and at the same time fix the paper wrapper 11 of the conveyed smoking article 10 during the separation, the two opposite belt conveyors 21, 21 'are rotated at the same speed. The directions of rotation a or b of the belt conveyors 21, 21 'are selected so that the lower run 29 of the belt conveyor 21' and the upper run 30 of the belt conveyor 21 both move in the conveying direction Z. In this way, the smoking articles 10 can be conveyed along their longitudinal axis in the Z direction.

Fig. 8 shows the clamping conveyor 31 according to Fig. 7a and 7b , wherein additionally the lateral cutting devices 40 are arranged laterally. The horizontal cutting devices 40 guide the in Fig. 9a and 9b schematically illustrated method for separating, wherein a filterless smoking article 45 is separated by lateral separation into two halves of the paper wrapper 11 and the tobacco rod 12.

In the Fig. 10 shown further embodiment of the device according to the invention comprises a conveyor belt 25 with a plurality of receptacles 25 in combination with the above-described clamping conveyor 31. The alignment and sorting out or forwarding to the clamping conveyor 31 takes place as in the Fig. 4 and 6 described by means of the corresponding sensor devices 58, 58 'and positioning means 59, 59'. Instead of pressure rollers 90, 90 'is in the embodiment according to Fig. 10 as a holding means each provided a pressure pad 38 with low coefficient of friction.

The pressure pads 38, 38 'are formed such that their running in the direction of the receptacles 52 edge length 54 corresponds approximately to the length of a filter 14 and mouthpiece 13. The transversely to the receptacles 52 extending edges 53 of the pressure pad 38, 38 'are arranged on the side facing away from the conveyor belt substantially parallel to the linear process path and extend over a plurality of receptacles 52. On the drive roller 23 facing side of the pressure pad 38 is a chamfer 55 is provided to allow the transported smoked article 10 better under the pressure block 38 to slide. In this way, the contact pressure along the process line is continuously increased until the maximum pressure block height 56 is reached.

The separating means for blowing 95 or 95 'are arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction X. So that the pressure pad 38 'is not the blowing out of the tobacco rod 12 by the separating agent 95th obstructed, is provided at the level of the separating agent 95 on the side facing the center of the conveyor belt 25 side 32 of the pressure pad 38 'has a recess 39 in the form of a half funnel through the passage 57 of the tobacco rod 12 can be passed away from the conveyor belt 25. Accordingly, a corresponding recess 39 with passage 57 is provided in the pressure block 38 with respect to the second separating means for blowing out 95 '.

In the Fig. 11 The embodiment shown has a rotating blow-out unit 98 as a separating means for blowing out the tobacco rod 12. In this embodiment, two rotating Ausblaseinheiten 98 are arranged on each side of the conveyor belt 25 in the conveying direction X. Opposite to the respective rotating blow-out unit 98 is a shot channel 101 through which the blown tobacco rod 12 is collected and can be supplied, for example, to a collection container, not shown. In order to achieve an optimal Ausblasergebnis, the smoking article 10 is aligned with a slight projection relative to the conveyor belt 25. This can be done for example via the illustrated compressed air nozzles with stop 102. The rotation of the rotary blower unit 98 is represented by the corresponding arrows.

Furthermore, the in Fig. 11 shown embodiment, a holding means in the form of a suction nozzle 96. The suction nozzle 96 is arranged below the conveyor belt 25 in the edge region and fixes the smoking article 10 in the receptacle 52 during the blowing out of the tobacco rod 10. For this purpose, the conveyor belt, as in Figure 12 and in Fig. 13a shown, openings 97 in the receptacles 52 on. During the blow-out process, the suction nozzle 96 is activated, so that a negative pressure is exerted on the smoking article 10 via the openings 97, so that it is fixed in the corresponding receptacle 52.

Subsequently, the paper wrapper 11 with the filter 14 located thereon can be removed from the conveyor belt 25.

The rotating blow-out unit 96 is in perspective - and partially cutaway view - in Fig. 13b shown. The rotary blow-out unit 96 has a central air supply 99 and a plurality of blow-out channels 100. The outlets exhaust channels 100 are arranged so that they correspond to the distances between the receptacles 52 of the conveyor belt 25. The rotation of the rotary blow-out unit 96 can also be done by applying compressed air. Alternatively, the rotary blow-out unit 96 can also have its own drive, for example an electric motor.

In Fig. 14 and in Fig. 15 a further embodiment of the device according to the invention is shown. This embodiment essentially corresponds to that in FIG Fig. 11 illustrated embodiment, however, the filter 14 is removed by the rotating Ausblaseinheit 98 before blowing out of the tobacco rod 12. After the filters 14 of the filter cigarettes 10 have been respectively positioned or aligned at the edge of the receptacles 52, the filter cigarettes are conveyed in the conveying direction X cutting devices 103. The cutting devices 103 are designed as revolving and thus rotating cutting blades or as cutting wheels. The separated by means of the cutting device 103 on each side of the conveyor belt filter 14 include, for example, special filters such as activated carbon filter. The filters 14 are removed after separation via the suction 105.

So that the filters 14 can be completely separated from the smoking article 10 by the cutting device 103, the conveyor belt 25 has a recess 104 into which the cutting device 103 protrudes. In this embodiment, cutting devices 103 are arranged on both sides of the conveyor belt 25.

After separating the filter 14, the now filterless smoking articles 10 are aligned with a slight projection to the conveyor belt 25. Subsequently, the tobacco rod 12 is blown out by the rotary blower unit 98 as described above.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

A smoking article

11

paper wrapper

12

tobacco rod

13

mouthpiece

14

filter

15

special filters

16

body

17

Interface filter-tobacco rod

18

Top edge of the body

20

conveyor

21

Belt conveyor with a recording

22

Axle drive roller

23

capstan

24

idler

25

Conveyor belt with a plurality of shots

26

groove

27

support element

28

support block

29

strand

30

Upper strand as a receptacle for smoking articles

31

Clamping conveyor

32

Side of the pressure block

33

Edge of a shot

34

opposite edge of a recording

35

Axle needle roller

36

needles

37

needle roller

38

thrust block

39

recess

40

horizontal cutting device

41

Rotary axis horizontal cutting device

42

Housing horizontal cutting device

43

Housing Klemmftirdereinrichtung

44

hopper

45

Filterless smoking article

50

Method for aligning and sorting

51

Method for fixing and blowing out

52

Plural of parallel shots

53

Long edge pressure block

54

Short edge pressure block

55

bevel

56

Height of the pressure block

57

passage

58

sensor device

59

positioning

90

pressure roller

91

Rotary axis Pressure roller

92

contact pressure

95

Separating agent for blowing out tobacco

96

suction nozzle

97

opening

98

rotating blow-out unit

99

central air supply

100

blow-out

101

firing channel

102

Compressed air nozzle with stop

103

cutter

104

recess

105

Absauggung

A

Direction of rotation in clockwise direction

B

Counterclockwise rotation

X

Conveying direction along the linear process path

Y

vertical direction for height adjustment of the holding means

Z

Conveying direction of the clamping conveyor

Claims (13)

1. An apparatus for recovering tobacco from smoking articles (10) comprising
   at least one conveyor (20) to move a number of smoking articles (10) along a linear process line,
   wherein the conveyor (20) is formed with a plurality of receptacles (52) for smoking articles (10); at least one first separating means for blowing out (95, 98) tobacco from the smoking articles (10); and
   at least one holding means (37, 38, 90) for fixing the smoking article (10) in the receptacles during separation,
   wherein
   the conveyor (20) is configured as a conveyor belt (25) and a second separating means for blowing out (95') tobacco is arranged in the conveying direction (X) of the conveyor belt (25) downstream of the first separating means for blowing out (95) on the opposite side of the conveyor belt (25), and wherein a further holding means (37', 38', 90') for fixing the smoking article during separation is assigned to the second separating means (95'), wherein the longitudinal extension of the receptacle (52) of the conveyor belt is configured to be longer than the longitudinal extension of the smoking article (10), and wherein the apparatus has at least one compressed-air nozzle and the smoking article (10) can be positioned toward the edge of the receptacles (52) by the at least one compressed-air nozzle after it was fed onto the conveyor belt (25).
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first separating means for blowing out (95, 98) comprises a compressed-air apparatus (95, 98).
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
   wherein the conveyor belt (25) is guided as an endless belt around return pulleys.
4. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one first sensor apparatus (58) to detect the presence of a smoking article part (14, 12) in a receptacle (52).
5. The apparatus according to claim 4
   wherein the apparatus has at least one positioning means (59), wherein the smoking article (10) can be moved toward the opposite edge (34) of the receptacle (52) and/or removed from the receptacle (52) by means of the positioning means (59) depending on a detection result of the first sensor apparatus (58) in the receptacle (52).
6. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a second sensor apparatus (58') in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt (25) following the first positioning means (59) to remove or separate smoking articles depending on a detection result of the second sensor apparatus (58').
7. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims,
   wherein the holding means is configured as a pressure roller (90).
8. The apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 6,
   wherein the holding means is configured as a needle roller (37).
9. The apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 6,
   wherein the holding means is configured as a pressure block (38).
10. The apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 6,
    characterized in that the holding means is configured as a suction nozzle (96) below the conveyor belt (25), and the receptacles (52) have openings (97) corresponding to the suction nozzle (96), wherein the suction nozzle (96) is configured to fix the smoking articles (10) in the receptacles (52) by applying underpressure to the openings (97).
11. A method for recovering tobacco from a smoking article (10) having the following process steps:

    - feeding at least one smoking article (10) onto a conveyor (20) configured as a conveyor belt (25);

    - conveying the at least one smoking article (10) in at least one receptacle (52) of the conveyor belt (25) along a linear process line, wherein the longitudinal extension of the receptacle (52) of the conveyor belt is configured to be longer than the longitudinal extension of the smoking article (10);

    - detecting the position of a part of the at least one smoking article (10), preferably the filter, by means of a first sensor apparatus (58);

    - depending on the detection result of the first sensor apparatus (58), aligning the at least one smoking article (10) on one side of the conveyor belt (25) by displacing the at least one smoking article (10) by means of as positioning means in the at least one receptacle (52) to the side of the conveyor belt or

    - depending on the detection result of the first sensor apparatus, removing the at least one smoking article (10) from the at least one receptacle (52) of the conveyor belt;

    - fixing the at least one smoking article (10) by means of at least one holding means (37, 38, 90) in the at least one receptacle (52); and

    - separating (51) the tobacco from the at least one smoking article (10) by blowing out the to bacco from the smoking article (10) by means of compressed air.
12. The method for recovering according to claim 11, further comprising the following process steps:

    - following aligning, detecting the position of a smoking article part, preferably a filter on the op posite side of the conveyor belt (34) by means of a second sensor apparatus (58') and

    - removing filter-less smoking articles (45) from the conveyor belt depending on the detection result.
13. The method according to any of claims 11 or 12, further comprising the following process steps:

    - fixing an aligned at least one smoking article (10) by means of a holding means in the at least one receptacle (52);

    - separating the tobacco from the at least one smoking article (10) by means of a second separating means for blowing out tobacco from the smoking article (10); and

    - collecting the separated tobacco.

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