EP4687511A1

EP4687511A1 - Processing rod-shaped consumable aerosol-generating articles to separate metal components from non-metallic components

Info

Publication number: EP4687511A1
Application number: EP24758782.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ivan Prestia; Elena MALAFRONTE; Gianluca CAPODIMONTE
Original assignee: Philip Morris Products SA
Current assignee: Philip Morris Products SA
Priority date: 2023-08-22
Filing date: 2024-08-20
Publication date: 2026-02-11
Also published as: CN121548359A; WO2025040670A1

Abstract

There is disclosed a method of processing rod-shaped consumable aerosol-generating articles (1) comprising metal (142) and non-metallic components in a circumferential wrapper (153), the method comprising the steps of: i) aligning the articles (1) in a feed hopper (110) such that the articles (1) are arranged with their longitudinal axes substantially parallel and coextensive with each other; ii) feeding the articles from the feed hopper (110) to an outer circumference of a rotating drum (100) having an axis of rotation, wherein the outer circumference comprises a plurality of longitudinal grooves (114) disposed substantially parallel to the axis of rotation and each longitudinal groove (114) configured releasably to receive at least one article (1) with the longitudinal axis of each article being substantially parallel to the axis of rotation; iii) cutting at least the circumferential wrappers (153) of the articles (1) open along the longitudinal axis of each article (1) while the articles (1) are in the longitudinal grooves (114) on the outer circumference of the rotating drum (100); and iv) releasing the articles (1) from the outer circumference of the rotating drum (100) after cutting the circumferential wrappers (153).

Description

PROCESSING ROD-SHAPED CONSUMABLE AEROSOL-GENERATING ARTICLES TO SEPARATE METAL COMPONENTS FROM NON-METALLIC COMPONENTS

The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for processing rod-shaped consumable aerosol-generating articles to separate metal components from non-metallic components.

In the manufacture of aerosol-generating articles, for example heat-not-burn heated tobacco products, heat-not-burn nicotine-containing products, and hybrids thereof, various elements are combined to make the aerosol-generating articles. Typically, these articles comprise an aerosol-generating substrate, for example one or more of tobacco cast leaf, other products such as clove, menthol or guar gum, glycerine, one or more filter elements, for example comprising a cellulosic material, an aerosol-cooling element, for example comprising a polylactic acid material or an acetate material, and a metallic susceptor element that, when heated, causes the aerosol-generating substrate to heat up and release an aerosol. The various elements are arranged in a desired configuration and assembled as rod-shaped articles wrapped in an outer wrapper, which may be made of paper or other material.

There are many different designs of aerosol-generating article, and the present disclosure is directed specifically at waste streams generated during the manufacture of aerosol-generating articles comprising both metal and non-metallic materials, or to waste streams comprising used aerosol-generating articles comprising both metal and non-metallic materials.

With particular reference to the manufacture of aerosol-generating articles, a production line may be set up to manufacture thousands or tens of thousands or even more aerosolgenerating articles per hour. The aerosol-generating articles are subject to quality checks, and those that do not meet quality standards will be rejected and sent to a waste stream. The waste stream may comprise complete aerosol-generating articles that do not meet quality standards and partially complete aerosol-generating articles that have been rejected before completion. It would be desirable to separate metal materials from non-metallic materials in the waste stream so that at least the metal materials can be recycled.

It would also be desirable to separate metal materials from non-metallic materials when processing used aerosol-generating articles, which may have been collected from end users or testing machines. It would also be desirable to separate different non-metallic materials from each other.

Some currently available separation methods and apparatuses are focused on the recycling of conventional cigarettes, for example to separate cellulosic materials from paper or tobacco. These known separation methods and apparatuses are not designed to separate metal materials from non-metallic materials.

Other currently available separation methods and apparatuses attempt to separate metal materials by shredding the aerosol-generating articles and separating metal materials from non- metallic materials by using a magnetic force. However, such methods and apparatuses are only effective for metal materials that are ferromagnetic, and the shredding process gives rise to small metal particles that can be difficult to separate from other components and may contaminate the non-metallic component waste stream.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of processing rod-shaped consumable aerosol-generating articles comprising metal and non- metallic components in a circumferential wrapper, the method comprising the steps of: i) aligning the articles in a feed hopper such that the articles are arranged with their longitudinal axes substantially parallel and coextensive with each other; ii) feeding the articles from the feed hopper to an outer circumference of a rotating drum having an axis of rotation, wherein the outer circumference comprises a plurality of longitudinal grooves disposed substantially parallel to the axis of rotation and each longitudinal groove configured releasably to receive at least one article with the longitudinal axis of each article being substantially parallel to the axis of rotation, and wherein the articles are releasably held in the longitudinal grooves by a magnetic field; iii) cutting at least the circumferential wrappers of the articles open along the longitudinal axis of each article while the articles are in the longitudinal grooves on the outer circumference of the rotating drum; and iv) releasing the articles from the outer circumference of the rotating drum after cutting the circumferential wrappers.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for processing rod-shaped consumable aerosol-generating articles comprising metal and non- metallic components in a circumferential wrapper, the apparatus comprising: i) a feed hopper in which the articles are arranged with their longitudinal axes substantially parallel and coextensive with each other; ii) a rotatable drum having an axis of rotation and an outer circumference configured to receive articles from the feed hopper, wherein the outer circumference comprises a plurality of longitudinal grooves disposed substantially parallel to the axis of rotation, wherein each longitudinal groove is configured releasably to receive at least one article with the longitudinal axis of each article being substantially parallel to the axis of rotation, and wherein the rotatable drum comprises at least one magnet to exert a magnetic field releasable to hold the articles in the longitudinal grooves; iii) a cutting device configured to cut at least the circumferential wrappers of the articles open along the longitudinal axis of each article while the articles are on the outer circumference of the rotatable drum; and iv) the rotatable drum being configured to release the articles from the outer circumference of the rotatable drum after the circumferential wrappers have been cut. By aligning the rod-shaped consumable aerosol-generating articles and disposing the articles in a predetermined orientation in the longitudinal grooves on the outer circumference of the rotating drum, it becomes possible to cut at least the circumferential wrappers of the articles open along the longitudinal axis of each article in a controlled manner, thus exposing internal components of the articles and facilitating their separation from each other. The controlled cutting step, in contrast to known shredding processes, substantially reduces the risk of damaging metal components in the articles, such as metal susceptor strips. Accordingly, there is a reduced risk of generating small shredded metal pieces that could be more difficult to separate from other components.

The metal components, after separation from non-metallic components, can usefully be recycled.

The non-metallic components, which may comprise valuable aerosol-generating substrate materials such as tobacco cast leaf, as well as filter materials, paper and aerosol-cooling members, can be further separated into different fractions, some of which may be recycled, and some of which may be composted or otherwise disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner.

The articles are releasably held in the longitudinal grooves by a magnetic field.

The metal component may comprise a substantially laminar metal element having a plane disposed substantially centrally along the longitudinal axis of each article. This is a form factor that is often used for metal susceptor elements in aerosol-generating devices. Metal susceptor elements are used to impart heat to an aerosol-generating substrate. Metal susceptor elements may operate by resistive or ohmic heating, in which case an electrical current is passed through the metal susceptor elements when the aerosol-generating article is consumed using an aerosolgenerating device, or by inductive heating, in which case eddy currents are induced in the metal susceptor elements by an alternative electromagnetic field when the aerosol-generating article is consumed using an aerosol-generating device.

The longitudinal grooves may be provided with magnets to exert the magnetic field releasably to hold the articles in the longitudinal grooves. The magnets may comprise at least one permanent magnet. The magnets may comprise at least one electromagnet. Each of the longitudinal grooves may be provided with at least one magnet.

The magnets may comprise elongate magnet members disposed along opposite edges of the longitudinal grooves. The elongate magnet members may be configured to have opposing magnetic polarities across each of the longitudinal grooves. This may allow a stronger magnetic field to be exerted in the longitudinal grooves.

The magnets may cause the articles to rotate relative to the outer circumference of the rotating drum such that the planes of the substantially laminar metal elements are aligned substantially parallel to the outer circumference of the rotating drum. This is particularly advantageous where the metal components comprise substantially laminar metal elements each having a plane disposed substantially centrally along the longitudinal axis of each article. The magnets may be configured to rotate the articles within the longitudinal grooves so that the planes of the substantially laminar metal elements are aligned substantially parallel to the outer circumference of the rotating drum. The magnets may help to retain the articles in the longitudinal grooves while the rotating drum rotates, at least until the articles are released or until the articles ejected from the longitudinal grooves by air from the longitudinal positive pressure air channel.

By aligning the planes of the substantially laminar metal elements substantially parallel to the outer circumference of the rotating drum, it is possible to reduce the likelihood of the metal components being cut in the cutting of step iii). This in turn reduces the risk of small metal particles being generated in the cutting step, which might be more difficult than the larger substantially laminar metal elements to separate from the non-metallic components.

The longitudinal grooves on the outer surface of the rotating drum may be provided with air holes.

The articles may be releasably held in the longitudinal grooves by a controllable negative air pressure applied to the air holes. The negative air pressure may act through the air holes to suck the articles into the longitudinal grooves and keep the articles correctly aligned.

The articles may be ejected from the longitudinal grooves by a controllable positive air pressure applied to the air holes. The positive air pressure may act through the air holes to blow the articles out of the longitudinal grooves when desired.

The rotating drum may comprise a fixed inner portion and a rotating outer circumferential portion defining the outer circumference.

The fixed inner portion may comprise a longitudinal negative pressure air channel. The fixed inner portion may comprise a first at least one axial channel that extends from the longitudinal negative pressure air channel towards the rotating outer circumferential portion and the first at least one axial channel may communicate with the air holes of at least one of the longitudinal grooves when the at least one longitudinal groove is at a first predetermined rotational position. The first predetermined rotational position may be a position adjacent to an output from the feed hopper. More generally, the first predetermined rotational position may be any position within a predetermined range of rotational positions in an upper half of the rotating drum.

The fixed inner portion may comprise a longitudinal positive pressure air channel. The fixed inner portion may comprise a second at least one axial channel that extends from the longitudinal positive pressure air channel towards the rotating outer circumferential portion and the second at least one axial channel may communicate with the air holes of at least one of the longitudinal grooves when the at least one longitudinal groove is at a second predetermined rotational position. The second predetermined rotational position may be a lowermost longitudinal groove in the rotating outer portion as the rotating outer portion rotates about the fixed inner portion. More generally, the second predetermined rotational position may be any position within a predetermined range of rotational positions in a lower half of the rotating drum. In embodiments that use electromagnets as the magnets, it may be possible to omit the longitudinal positive pressure air channel and second at least one axial channel, since selected electromagnets may be switched off in order to release the cut articles from a lower half of the rotating outer portion or at least from a lowermost longitudinal groove as the rotating outer portion rotates around the fixed inner portion. The articles may then fall from the longitudinal grooves under gravity.

Preferably, in step iii), the articles are cut open without cutting the metal components.

In step iii), the articles may be cut open using a laser. The laser may have a power selected to cut open only the circumferential wrapper without cutting the metal components.

In step iii), the articles may be cut open using a blade cutting device. The blade cutting device may comprise a rotating blade. The blade cutting device may comprise a plurality of blades mounted on a driven belt. The driven belt may be configured such that the plurality of blades cut in a longitudinal direction along the longitudinal axis of an article on the outer circumference of the rotating drum.

The rotating drum may rotate in a step-wise manner, with the rotating drum being stationary during the cutting of step iii). This simplifies the cutting step, since it is not necessary for the cutting device to rotate with the rotating drum.

In step iii), the articles may be cut to a depth of up to 3 millimetres, optionally up to 2 millimetres. This depth may be sufficient to open up the articles, allowing metal and non-metallic components to be separated, with little risk of cutting the metal components.

The articles may be released or ejected onto a conveyor after step iv). The conveyor may be disposed underneath the rotating drum. The articles may be conveyed on the conveyor to a surface of a vibration table.

Alternatively, the articles may be released directly onto a surface of a vibration table after step iv). The vibration table may be disposed underneath the rotating drum. The vibration table may be disposed directly underneath the rotating drum.

The vibration table may be configured to vibrate at a frequency between 5Hz and 100Hz, optionally at a frequency between 30Hz and 60Hz. The vibration table may be configured to vibrate at a vibration amplitude between 1 millimetre and 6 millimetres. The vibration table may be configured to vibrate in a direction substantially perpendicular to a plane of a surface of the vibration table. Vibrating the cut articles on the vibration table may help to separate the metal and non-metallic components from each other.

The vibration table, or at least a surface of the vibration table to which cut articles are supplied by the rotating drum, may be angled to the horizontal at an angle between 10 degrees and 35 degrees, for example around 15 degrees. The vibration table or surface of the vibration table may be angled so that an end of the vibration table or surface of the vibration table closest to the underside of the rotating drum is higher than an end of the vibration table or surface of the vibration table furthest from the underside of the rotating drum. This may help to cause cut articles released or ejected from the longitudinal grooves of the rotating drum to move away from the underside of the rotating drum down a slope of the vibration table or surface of the vibration table. This can reduce the risk of blockages and accumulation of metal and non-metallic components underneath the rotating drum.

It will be understood that the vibration table may be omitted where the cutting of step iii) is sufficient to expose the metal and non-metallic components such that they can be separated from each other in a vortex separation unit as described hereinbelow.

The cut articles with the metal and non-metallic components may be conveyed to an upper inlet of a vortex separation unit. The metal and non-metallic components may be conveyed from the vibration table to an upper inlet of a vortex separation unit.

The metal and non-metallic components may be entrained in an air stream at the upper inlet of the vortex separation unit.

The air stream may enter the vortex separation unit tangentially at an upper part of the vortex separation unit and may follow a downwardly descending vortex path around an inner surface of the vortex separation unit before upwardly ascending through a centre of the descending vortex path to an upper outlet of the vortex separation unit. The metal components may collect and remain at a lower part of the vortex separation unit, and the non-metallic components may be carried by the air stream through the upper outlet of the vortex separation unit. Vortex separation units are useful for separating mixtures of materials having different weights or different resistances to air streams. Metal components of aerosol-generating articles are heavier than non-metallic components of aerosol-generating articles, and hence will tend to collect and remain at the lower part of the vortex separation unit. The separated metal components can be removed, batch-wise or continuously, from the lower part of the vortex separation unit for recycling.

The air stream with entrained non-metallic components may be passed from the upper outlet of the vortex separation unit to an upper inlet of a further vortex separation unit. The air stream may enter the further vortex separation unit tangentially at an upper part of the further vortex separation unit and may follow a downwardly descending vortex path around an inner surface of the further vortex separation unit towards a lower part of the vortex separation unit before upwardly ascending through a centre of the descending vortex path to an upper outlet of the further vortex separation unit. Heavier non-metallic components may collect and remain at the lower part of the further vortex separation unit, and lighter non-metallic components may be carried by the air stream through the upper outlet of the further vortex separation unit. In this way, it is possible to separate heavier and lighter non-metallic components output from the first vortex separation unit from each other. The non-metallic components may also be recycled, or may be sent for composting or other environmentally-responsible disposal. The further vortex separation unit may be useful to separate non-metallic cellulose components from non-metallic paper components in order to facilitate selective recycling and environmentally-responsible disposal.

The further vortex separation unit may be useful to separate non-metallic aerosolgenerating substrate components, for example including higher-value (and, in some jurisdictions, taxable) nicotine-containing components from other non-metallic components of lesser value. The non-metallic aerosol-generating substrate components may be recycled or processed to extract relevant active ingredients (such as nicotine-containing components) for recycling.

Aerosol-generating articles that can usefully be processed by the method and apparatus of the present disclosure may comprise articles from a production line that have been determined not to meet predetermined quality standards, or have been determined to be defective in some way. The articles may also comprise partially manufactured articles that have been discarded before finishing. The articles may comprise used aerosol-generating articles collected from enduser consumers. The articles may comprise used aerosol-generating articles that have been subjected to quality control and other processes in testing machines.

In the context of the present disclosure, the term “aerosol-generating article” is intended to mean an article comprising an aerosol-generating substrate that is configured to be used with an aerosol-generating device. The aerosol-generating substrate may comprise a nicotine- containing substance, e.g. tobacco. The article may comprise additional components such as a mouthpiece, an aerosol mixing portion, a filter portion, a flavour portion and so forth. An aerosolgenerating article preferably has a rod-like or cylindrical form factor. An aerosol-generating article preferably has a constant cross-section along its length, which may be circular, elliptical or oval, but could also have other shapes, including polygonal.

In the context of the present disclosure, the term “aerosol-generating substrate” is intended to mean a substrate that is capable of generating an aerosol when heated. Examples of aerosol-generating substrates include tobacco cast leaf formed from a slurry of ground tobacco leaves and suitable binders, and also mixtures of nicotine with one or more of glycerine, guar gum, menthol, cloves and other agricultural products, or high retention material with nicotine content.

In the context of the present disclosure, the term “fixed inner portion” is intended to mean a substantially cylindrical inner portion of the rotating drum that remains substantially stationary while an outer cylindrical and coaxial portion of the rotating drum rotates around the inner portion.

In the context of the present disclosure, the term “laminar” is intended to mean an item having a thin, plate-like configuration, or a foil-like configuration.

In the context of the present disclosure, the term “longitudinal groove” is intended to mean a groove that extends longitudinally along an outer circumference of a rotating drum. A longitudinal groove may be substantially semi-cylindrical. A longitudinal groove may be configured to receive a rod-shaped aerosol-generating article aligned longitudinally with the longitudinal groove, with an outer longitudinal curved surface of the aerosol-generating article facing outwardly from the outer circumference of the rotating drum.

In the context of the present disclosure, the term “metal components” is intended to mean pieces of metal, for example metal susceptor elements in aerosol-generating articles that are configured to heat an aerosol-generating substrate in the articles when the articles are being consumed using an aerosol-generating device.

In the context of the present disclosure, the term “metal susceptor element” is intended to mean a substantially laminar metal element, for example in the form of a metal foil, that is disposed in or adjacent to an aerosol-generating substrate, and which can be heated by resistive or inductive heating so as to cause the aerosol-generating substrate to generate an aerosol.

In the context of the present disclosure, the term “non-metallic components” is intended to mean components of aerosol-generating articles that are not made of metal. These may include paper, such as wrapping paper, tipping paper and tubular cardboard elements; aerosolgenerating substrates such as tobacco cast leaf, glycerine, guar gum, clove, menthol, high retention material with nicotine content; and filter materials, such as acetate tow or cellulose- based elements.

The invention is defined in the claims. However, below there is provided a non-exhaustive list of non-limiting examples. Any one or more of the features of these examples may be combined with any one or more features of another example, embodiment, or aspect described herein.

Example Ex1 : A method of processing rod-shaped consumable aerosol-generating articles comprising metal and non-metallic components in a circumferential wrapper, the method comprising the steps of: i) aligning the articles in a feed hopper such that the articles are arranged with their longitudinal axes substantially parallel and coextensive with each other; ii) feeding the articles from the feed hopper to an outer circumference of a rotating drum having an axis of rotation, wherein the outer circumference comprises a plurality of longitudinal grooves disposed substantially parallel to the axis of rotation and each longitudinal groove configured releasably to receive at least one article with the longitudinal axis of each article being substantially parallel to the axis of rotation; iii) cutting at least the circumferential wrappers of the articles open along the longitudinal axis of each article while the articles are in the longitudinal grooves on the outer circumference of the rotating drum; and iv) releasing the articles from the outer circumference of the rotating drum after cutting the circumferential wrappers.

Example Ex2: The method according to Example Ex1 , wherein the articles are releasably held in the longitudinal grooves by a magnetic field.

Example Ex3: The method according to Example Ex1 or Ex2, wherein the longitudinal grooves are provided with air holes. Example Ex4: The method according to Example Ex3, wherein the articles are releasably held in the longitudinal grooves by a controllable negative air pressure applied to the air holes.

Example Ex5: The method according to Example Ex3 or Ex4, wherein the articles are ejected from the longitudinal grooves by a controllable positive air pressure applied to the air holes.

Example Ex6: The method according to Example Ex4 or Ex5, wherein the rotating drum comprises a fixed inner portion and a rotating outer circumferential portion defining the outer circumference.

Example Ex7: The method according to any one of Examples Ex4 to Ex6, wherein the fixed inner portion comprises a longitudinal negative pressure air channel.

Example Ex8: The method according to claim 7, wherein the fixed inner portion comprises a first at least one axial channel that extends from the longitudinal negative pressure air channel towards the rotating outer circumferential portion and wherein the first at least one axial channel communicates with the air holes of at least one of the longitudinal grooves when the at least one longitudinal groove is at a first predetermined rotational position.

Example Ex9: The method according to any one of Examples Ex4 to Ex7, wherein the fixed inner portion comprises a longitudinal positive pressure air channel.

Example Ex10: The method according to Example Ex9, wherein the fixed inner portion comprises a second at least one axial channel that extends from the longitudinal positive pressure air channel towards the rotating outer circumferential portion and wherein the second at least one axial channel communicates with the air holes of at least one of the longitudinal grooves when the at least one longitudinal groove is at a second predetermined rotational position.

Example Ex11 : The method according to any one of Examples Ex1 to Ex10, wherein the metal component comprises a substantially laminar metal element having a plane disposed substantially centrally along the longitudinal axis of each article.

Example Ex12: The method according to Example Ex11 depending through Example Ex2, wherein the rotating drum comprises at least one magnet exerting the magnetic field and wherein the magnetic field causes the articles to rotate relative to the outer circumference of the rotating drum such that the planes of the substantially laminar metal elements are aligned substantially parallel to the outer circumference of the rotating drum.

Example Ex13: The method according to any one of Examples Ex1 to Ex12, wherein in step iii), the articles are cut open without cutting the metal components.

Example Ex14: The method according to any one of Examples Ex1 to Ex13, wherein in step iii), the articles are cut open using a laser.

Example Ex15: The method according to any one of Examples Ex1 to Ex14 wherein in step iii), the articles are cut open using a blade cutting device.

Example Ex16: The method according to Example Ex15, wherein the blade cutting device comprises a rotating blade. Example Ex17: The method according to Example Ex15, wherein the blade cutting device comprises a plurality of blades mounted on a driven belt.

Example Ex18: The method according to Example Ex17, wherein the driven belt is configured such that the plurality of blades cut in a longitudinal direction along the longitudinal axis of an article on the outer circumference of the rotating drum.

Example Ex19: The method according to any one of Examples Ex1 to Ex18, wherein the rotating drum rotates in a step-wise manner, with the rotating drum being stationary during the cutting of step iii).

Example Ex20: The method according to any one of Examples Ex1 to Ex19, wherein in step iii), the articles are cut to a depth of up to 3 millimetres, optionally up to 2 millimetres.

Example Ex21 : The method according to any one of Examples Ex1 to Ex20, wherein the articles are released or ejected onto a conveyor after step iv).

Example Ex22: The method according to Example Ex21 , wherein the articles are conveyed on the conveyor to a surface of a vibration table.

Example Ex23: The method according to any one of Examples Ex1 to Ex22, wherein the articles are released onto a surface of a vibration table after step iv).

Example Ex24: The method according to Example Ex22 or Ex23, wherein the surface of the vibration table is vibrated to separate the metal and non-metallic components from each other.

Example Ex25: The method according to any one of Examples Ex1 to Ex24, wherein the cut articles with the metal and non-metallic components are conveyed to an upper inlet of a vortex separation unit.

Example Ex26: The method according to any one of Examples Ex22 to Ex24, wherein the metal and non-metallic components are conveyed from the vibration table to an upper inlet of a vortex separation unit.

Example Ex27: The method according to Example Ex25 or Ex26, wherein the metal and non-metallic components are entrained in an air stream at the upper inlet of the vortex separation unit.

Example Ex28: The method according to Example Ex27, wherein the air stream enters the vortex separation unit tangentially at an upper part of the vortex separation unit and follows a downwardly descending vortex path around an inner surface of the vortex separation unit before upwardly ascending through a centre of the descending vortex path to an upper outlet of the vortex separation unit.

Example Ex29: The method according to Example Ex28, wherein the metal components collect and remain at a lower part of the vortex separation unit, and wherein the non-metallic components are carried by the air stream through the upper outlet of the vortex separation unit.

Example Ex30: The method according to Example Ex29, wherein the air stream with entrained non-metallic components is passed from the upper outlet of the vortex separation unit to an upper inlet of a further vortex separation unit. Example Ex31 : The method according to Example Ex30, wherein the air stream enters the further vortex separation unit tangentially at an upper part of the further vortex separation unit and follows a downwardly descending vortex path around an inner surface of the further vortex separation unit towards a lower part of the vortex separation unit before upwardly ascending through a centre of the descending vortex path to an upper outlet of the further vortex separation unit.

Example Ex32: The method according to Example Ex31 , wherein heavier non-metallic components collect and remain at the lower part of the further vortex separation unit, and wherein lighter non-metallic components are carried by the air stream through the upper outlet of the further vortex separation unit.

Example Ex33: An apparatus for processing rod-shaped consumable aerosol-generating articles comprising metal and non-metallic components in a circumferential wrapper, the apparatus comprising: i) a feed hopper in which the articles are arranged with their longitudinal axes substantially parallel and coextensive with each other; ii) a rotatable drum having an axis of rotation and an outer circumference configured to receive articles from the feed hopper, the outer circumference comprises a plurality of longitudinal grooves disposed substantially parallel to the axis of rotation and wherein each longitudinal groove is configured releasably to receive at least one article with the longitudinal axis of each article being substantially parallel to the axis of rotation; iii) a cutting device configured to cut at least the circumferential wrappers of the articles open along the longitudinal axis of each article while the articles are on the outer circumference of the rotatable drum; and iv) the rotatable drum being configured to release the articles from the outer circumference of the rotatable drum after the circumferential wrappers have been cut.

Example Ex34: The apparatus according to Example Ex33, wherein the longitudinal grooves are provided with magnets to exert a magnetic field releasably to hold the articles in the longitudinal grooves.

Example Ex35: The apparatus according to Example Ex34, wherein the magnets comprise at least one permanent magnet.

Example Ex36: The apparatus according to Example Ex34 or Ex35, wherein the magnets comprise at least one electromagnet.

Example Ex37: The apparatus according to any one of Examples Ex34 to Ex36, wherein each of the longitudinal grooves is provided with at least one magnet.

Example Ex38: The apparatus according to any one of Examples Ex34 to Ex37, wherein the magnets comprise elongate magnet members disposed along opposite edges of the longitudinal grooves. Example Ex39: The apparatus according to Example Ex38, wherein the elongate magnet members are configured to have opposing magnetic polarities across each of the longitudinal grooves.

Example Ex40: The apparatus according to any one of Examples Ex33 to Ex38, wherein the longitudinal grooves are provided with air holes.

Example Ex41 : The apparatus according to Example Ex40, configured releasably to hold the articles in the longitudinal grooves by a controllable negative air pressure applied to the air holes.

Example Ex42: The apparatus according to Example Ex40 or Ex41 , configured to eject the articles from the longitudinal grooves by a controllable positive air pressure applied to the air holes.

Example Ex43: The apparatus according to Example Ex41 or Ex42, wherein the rotatable drum comprises a fixed inner portion and a rotatable outer circumferential portion defining the outer circumference.

Example Ex44: The apparatus according to Example Ex43, wherein the fixed inner portion comprises a longitudinal negative pressure air channel.

Example Ex45: The apparatus according to Example Ex44, wherein the fixed inner portion comprises a first at least one axial channel that extends from the longitudinal negative pressure air channel towards the rotatable outer circumferential portion and wherein the first at least one axial channel is configured to communicate with the air holes of at least one of the longitudinal grooves when the at least one longitudinal groove is at a first predetermined rotational position.

Example Ex46: The apparatus according to any one of Example Ex43 to Ex45, wherein the fixed inner portion comprises a longitudinal positive air pressure longitudinal positive pressure air channel.

Example Ex47: The apparatus according to Example Ex46, wherein the fixed inner portion comprises a second at least one axial channel that extends from the longitudinal positive pressure air channel towards the rotatable outer circumferential portion and wherein the second at least one axial channel is configured to communicate with the air holes of at least one of the longitudinal grooves when the at least one longitudinal groove is at a second predetermined rotational position.

Example Ex48: The apparatus according to Example Ex34 or any one of Examples Ex35 to Ex47 depending through Example Ex34, wherein the metal component comprises a substantially laminar metal element having a plane disposed substantially centrally along the longitudinal axis of each article, and wherein the magnets are configured to exert a magnetic field to cause the articles to rotate relative to the outer circumference of the rotatable drum such that the planes of the substantially laminar metal elements are aligned substantially parallel to the outer circumference of the rotatable drum. Example Ex49: The apparatus according to any one of Examples Ex34 to Ex48, wherein the cutting device is configured to cut open the articles without cutting the metal components.

Example Ex50: The apparatus according to any one of Examples Ex34 to Ex49, wherein the cutting device is a laser cutting device.

Example Ex51 : The apparatus according to any one of Examples Ex34 to Ex49, wherein the cutting device is a blade cutting device.

Example Ex52: The apparatus according to Example Ex51 , wherein the blade cutting device comprises a rotating blade.

Example Ex53: The apparatus according to Example Ex51 , wherein the blade cutting device comprises a plurality of blades mounted on a driven belt.

Example Ex54: The apparatus according to Example Ex53, wherein the driven belt is configured such that the plurality of blades cut in a longitudinal direction along the longitudinal axis of an article on the outer circumference of the rotatable drum.

Example Ex55: The apparatus according to any one of Examples Ex33 to Ex54, wherein the rotatable drum is configured to rotate in a step-wise manner, with the rotatable drum being stationary while the cutting device cuts the circumferential wrappers of the articles.

Example Ex56: The apparatus according to any one of Examples Ex33 to Ex55, wherein the cutting device is configured to cut the articles to a depth of up to 3 millimetres, optionally up to 2 millimetres.

Example Ex57: The apparatus according to any one of Examples Ex33 to Ex56, further comprising a conveyor onto which the articles are released.

Example Ex58: The apparatus according to Example Ex57, further comprising a vibration table wherein the conveyor is configured to convey the articles to a surface of the vibration table.

Example Ex59: The apparatus according to any one of Examples Ex33 to Ex56, further comprising a vibration table having a surface onto which the articles are released.

Example Ex60: The apparatus according to any one of Examples Ex33 to Ex59, further comprising a vortex separation unit having an upper inlet, and wherein the cut articles with the metal and non-metallic components are conveyed to the upper inlet of the vortex separation unit.

Example Ex61 : The apparatus according to Example Ex58 or Ex59 further comprising a vortex separation unit having an upper inlet, and wherein the metal and non-metallic components are conveyed from the surface of the vibration table to the upper inlet of the vortex separation unit.

Example Ex62: The apparatus according to Example Ex60 or Ex61 , wherein the vortex separation unit is configured to entrain the metal and non-metallic components in an air stream at the upper inlet of the vortex separation unit.

Example Ex63: The apparatus according to Example Ex62, wherein the upper inlet is configured to direct the air stream into the vortex separation unit tangentially at an upper part of the vortex separation unit, and wherein the vortex separation unit is configured to direct the air stream along a downwardly descending vortex path around an inner surface of the vortex separation unit towards a lower part of the vortex separation unit before upwardly ascending through a centre of the descending vortex path to an upper outlet of the vortex separation unit.

Example Ex64: The apparatus according to Example Ex63, wherein the lower part of the vortex separation unit is configured to collect and retain metal components from the air stream while the non-metallic components are carried by the air stream through the upper outlet of the vortex separation unit.

Example Ex65: The apparatus according to Example Ex64, wherein the lower part of the vortex separation unit is provided with an internal skirt portion to help collect and retain the metal components from the air stream.

Example Ex66: The apparatus according to any one of Examples Ex63 to Ex65, comprising a further vortex separation unit, wherein the air stream with entrained non-metallic components is passed from the upper outlet of the vortex separation unit to an upper inlet of the further vortex separation unit.

Example Ex67: The apparatus according to Example Ex66, wherein the upper inlet of the further vortex separation unit is configured to direct the air stream into the further vortex separation unit tangentially at an upper part of the further vortex separation unit, and wherein the further vortex separation unit is configured to direct the air stream along a downwardly descending vortex path around an inner surface of the further vortex separation unit towards a lower part of the further vortex separation unit before upwardly ascending through a centre of the descending vortex path to an upper outlet of the further vortex separation unit.

Example Ex68: The apparatus according to Example Ex67, wherein the lower part of the further vortex separation unit is configured to collect and retain heavier non-metallic components from the air stream while lighter non-metallic components are carried by the air stream through the upper outlet of the further vortex separation unit.

Example Ex69: The apparatus according to Example Ex68, wherein the lower part of the further vortex separation unit is provided with an internal skirt portion to help collect and retain the heavier non-metallic components from the air stream.

Examples will now be further described with reference to the figures in which:

FIG. 1 shows, in schematic form, an exemplary rod-shaped aerosol-generating article suitable for processing by the method and apparatus of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 shows, in schematic form, an apparatus comprising a feed hopper and a rotating drum.

FIG. 3 shows, in schematic form, the rotating drum of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows, in schematic form, a cross-section of an aerosol-generating article and a magnet.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of a side view of a cutting device having a rotating blade. FIG. 6 shows a schematic representation of an alternative cutting device comprising a laser cutting unit.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic representation of the dimensional arrangement of an article, metal susceptor element and cutting device.

FIG. 8 shows, in schematic form, a vortex separation unit.

FIG. 9 shows, in schematic form, the vortex separation unit of FIG. 8 in operation.

FIG. 10 shows, in schematic form, a top view of the vortex separation unit of FIG. 8 and FIG. 9.

FIG. 1 shows, in schematic form, an exemplary rod-shaped aerosol-generating article 1 comprising a variety of different components arranged end-to-end. The article 1 shown in FIG. 1 , for instance, comprises a porous filter element 11 made of acetate tow and provided with a filter plug wrap paper 111 , a rear hollow acetate tow tube element 12, a front hollow acetate tow tube element 13 provided with a plug wrap paper 131 , an aerosol-generating substrate 14 provided with a plug wrap paper 141 and incorporating a metal susceptor element 142, and a front plug acetate tow element 15 provided with a plug wrap paper 151. The rear hollow acetate tow tube element 12, the front hollow acetate tow tube element 13, the aerosol-generating substrate 14 and the front plug acetate tow element 15 are all wrapped together in a wrapping paper 161 , and are then joined to the porous filter element 11 by way of a tipping paper 121.

In FIG. 1 , the filter plug wrap paper 111 , plug wrap papers 131 , 141 , 151 , the wrapping paper 161 and the tipping paper 121 may all be considered to be circumferential wrappers and non-metallic components.

In FIG. 1 , the porous filter element 11 , rear hollow acetate tow tube element 12, front hollow acetate tow tube element 13, aerosol-generating substrate 14 and front plug acetate tow element 15 may all be considered to be non-metallic components.

In FIG. 1 , the metal susceptor element 142 may be considered to be a metal component.

The precise structural details of the article 1 are not of particular concern, other than to note that the article 1 has a complex structure, which can make it difficult to separate its components from each other for recycling and environmentally-responsible disposal.

The article 1 may have a length L of 42 to 105 millimetres, preferably 55 to 95 millimetres, most preferably 60 to 80 millimetres. The article 1 may have a diameter D of 4.1 to 9.0 millimetres, preferably 6.1 to 8.2 millimetres, most preferably 6.5 to 7.5 millimetres.

The metal susceptor element 142, shown in more detail to the right of the article 1 , may have a generally laminar form factor, with a length I of 5.0 to 20.0 millimetres, preferably 7.0 to 17.0 millimetres, most preferably 10.0 to 14.0 millimetres, a width J of 3.1 to 8.0 millimetres, preferably 3.5 to 7.0 millimetres, most preferably 4.0 to 5.0 millimetres, and a thickness K of 0.01 to 0.2 millimetres, preferably 0.05 to 0.15 millimetres, most preferably 0.075 to 0.1 millimetres. The metal susceptor element 142 may take the form of a metal foil. The metal susceptor element 142 may be made, for example, of 304 stainless steel alloy with a nickel coating of thickness between 10 and 30 micrometres, although other metal materials may be used.

FIG. 2 shows, in schematic form, an apparatus 10 comprising a feed hopper 110 and a rotating drum 100. FIG. 3 shows, in schematic form, the rotating drum 100 of FIG. 2 in isolation. A plurality of aerosol-generating articles 1 with embedded metal susceptor elements 142 are aligned in the feed hopper such that the articles 1 are arranged with their longitudinal axes substantially parallel and coextensive with each other. The metal susceptor elements 142 are embedded in an aerosol-generating substrate 14, and the articles 1 each comprise at least one circumferential wrapper 153 (for example one or more of the wrappers 111 , 121 , 131 , 141 , 151 , 161 of FIG. 1). The rotating drum 100 is disposed adjacent to the feed hopper 110 so that the feed hopper 110 can feed articles 1 to an outer circumference of the rotating drum 100. The rotating drum 100 has a longitudinal central axis of rotation, and in FIG. 2 is configured to rotate clockwise. The outer circumference of the rotating drum 100 comprises a plurality of longitudinal grooves 114 disposed substantially parallel to the axis of rotation. Each longitudinal groove 114 is configured releasably to receive at least one article 1 with a longitudinal axis of each article 1 being substantially parallel to the axis of rotation. Each longitudinal groove 114 may have a length sufficient to receive two or more articles 1 in an end-to-end arrangement, although in some embodiments, the longitudinal grooves 114 may be configured to receive only one article 1 at a time.

The rotating drum 100 of the embodiment of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 comprises a fixed inner portion 102 and a rotating outer circumferential portion 101 defining the outer circumference of the rotating drum 100.

The fixed inner portion 102 comprises a longitudinal negative pressure air channel 160 and a longitudinal positive pressure air channel 112. Negative air pressure and positive air pressure is respectively provided to the air channels 160, 112 at one or both ends of the fixed inner portion 102.

A first axial channel 180 extends from the longitudinal negative pressure air channel 160 towards the rotating outer circumferential portion 101 in a direction towards an output of the feed hopper 110. The first axial channel 180 is located in an upper half of the rotating drum 100.

The longitudinal grooves 114 in the rotating outer circumferential portion 101 are provided with air holes 181. The air holes 181 may be distributed longitudinally along bases of the longitudinal grooves 114.

When the rotating outer circumferential portion 101 is aligned relative to the fixed inner portion 102 such that one of the longitudinal grooves 114 is aligned with the output of the feed hopper 110, the air holes 181 in the base of the longitudinal groove 114 are aligned with the first axial channel 180 and air will be sucked through the air holes 181 and the first axial channel 180 into the longitudinal negative pressure air channel 160. This will help to transfer an article 1 from the output of the feed hopper 110 to the longitudinal groove 114 and facilitate correct placement of the article 1 in the longitudinal groove 114.

Edges of the longitudinal grooves 114 are also provided with magnets 120. The magnets 120 may be permanent magnets or electromagnets. In the embodiment of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the magnets 120 comprise elongate magnet members disposed along opposite edges of the longitudinal grooves 114. The magnets 120 are configured to exert a magnetic field in the longitudinal grooves 114 that interacts with the metal susceptor elements 142 of the articles 1 on the rotatable outer circumferential portion 101 of the rotating drum 100. The magnetic field can help to retain the articles 1 in the longitudinal grooves 114 as the rotating outer circumferential portion 101 rotates about the fixed inner portion 102, even when the longitudinal groove 114 has rotated away from the first axial channel 180 and negative air pressure is not being supplied to the air holes 181 of the longitudinal grooves 114.

The apparatus 10 further comprises a cutting device 200 shown schematically in FIG. 2. The cutting device 200 is disposed further around the rotating drum 100 relative to the feed hopper 110 in a direction of rotation of the rotating drum 100. The cutting device 200, which may comprise a laser or a blade cutting device, is configured to cut at least the circumferential wrappers 153 of the articles 1 open along the longitudinal axis of each article 1 while the articles are in the longitudinal grooves 114 on the outer circumference of the rotating drum 100. The cutting device 200 is described in further detail hereinbelow. FIG. 2 shows articles 1 in the longitudinal grooves 114 including longitudinal cuts 250. The longitudinal cuts 250, which extend at least through the circumferential wrappers 153, help to expose the inner components of the articles 1 and to facilitate the separation of metal and non-metallic components from each other.

A second axial channel 182 extends from the longitudinal positive pressure air channel 112 towards the rotating outer circumferential portion 101 in a direction towards an underside of the rotating drum 100. The second axial channel 182 is located in a lower half of the rotating drum 100.

When the rotating outer circumferential portion 101 is aligned relative to the fixed inner portion 102 such that one of the longitudinal grooves 114 is at a predetermined position on an underside of the rotating drum 100, the air holes 181 in the base of the longitudinal groove 114 are aligned with the second axial channel 182 and air will be blown through the air holes 181 and the second axial channel 182 from the longitudinal positive pressure air channel 112. This will help to eject an article 1 from the longitudinal groove 114 by providing sufficient force to overcome the magnetic field exerted by the magnets 120.

In embodiments where the magnets 120 are electromagnets, it may not be necessary to provide the longitudinal positive pressure air channel 112 and second axial channel 182. Instead, the electromagnet magnets 120 in the relevant longitudinal groove 114 may be switched off temporarily and the article 1 may be released and fall from the longitudinal groove 114 under gravity. The apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 2 further comprises a surface 130 disposed under the rotating drum 100. The cut articles 1 are released from the longitudinal grooves 114 of the rotating drum 100 onto the surface 130. In some embodiments, the surface 130 may be a surface of a vibration table. In other embodiments, the surface 130 may be a surface of a conveyor, and the conveyor may convey the articles 1 to the surface of a vibration table. In yet further embodiments, it may not be necessary to provide a vibration table.

Where provided, the vibration table is configured to vibrate, for example at a frequency between 5Hz and 100Hz, preferably at a frequency between 30Hz and 60Hz. The vibration table may be configured to vibrate at a vibration amplitude between 1 millimetre and 6 millimetres. The vibration table may be configured to vibrate in a direction substantially perpendicular to a plane of a surface of the vibration table. Vibrating the cut articles 1 on the vibration table may help to separate the metal and non-metallic components of the cut articles 1 from each other.

The vibration table, or at least the surface 130 of the vibration table to which cut articles 1 are supplied by the rotating drum 100, may be angled to the horizontal at an angle between 10 degrees and 35 degrees, for example around 15 degrees. The vibration table or surface 130 of the vibration table may be angled so that an end of the vibration table or surface 130 of the vibration table closest to the underside of the rotating drum 100 is higher than an end of the vibration table or surface 130 of the vibration table furthest from the underside of the rotating drum 100. This may help to cause cut articles 1 released or ejected from the longitudinal grooves 114 of the rotating drum 100 to move away from the underside of the rotating drum 100 down a slope of the vibration table or surface 130 of the vibration table. This can reduce the risk of blockages and accumulation of metal and non-metallic components underneath the rotating drum 100.

The cut articles 1 are conveyed from or by the surface 130, optionally after a vibration step, to an inlet of a vortex separation unit 500 as will be further described hereinbelow.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a cross-section through an article 1 located next to a magnet 120, also shown in FIG. 2. The article 1 includes an internal metal susceptor element 142 in the form of a laminar metal element having a plane disposed substantially centrally along a longitudinal axis of the article 1. The magnets 120 at the edges of the longitudinal grooves 114 are configured to exert a magnetic field that interacts with the metal susceptor elements 142 so as to cause the planes of the magnetic susceptor elements 142 to become aligned substantially parallel to the outer circumference of the rotating drum 100.

Accordingly, the magnets 120 may perform two different functions. Firstly, the magnets 120 can help to retain the articles 1 in the longitudinal grooves 114 by magnetically interacting with the metal susceptor elements 142. Secondly, the magnets 120 can help to orientate the articles 1 rotationally in the longitudinal grooves 114 so that the planes of the metal susceptor elements 142 are generally parallel or tangential to the outer circumference of the rotating drum 100. This second function may be advantageous since it allows the articles 1 to be rotationally oriented in the longitudinal grooves 114 in such a way as to reduce the risk of the metal susceptor elements 142 being cut by the cutting device 200. The desired rotational orientation of the articles 1 is achieved by way of the side edges of the metal susceptor element 142 being closest to the magnets 120 when the article 1 is in the correct rotational orientation. The cutting device 200 may cut to a depth almost through to the longitudinal axis of each article 1 without cutting the metal susceptor element 142. This is advantageous, since it is desirable not to generate small cut pieces of metal that might be more difficult to separate from the non-metallic components in subsequent steps. It is also desirable to cut through the circumferential wrappers 153 to a sufficient depth so as to facilitate subsequent opening up of the cut articles 1 and to facilitate separation of metal from non-metallic components, and optionally different non-metallic components from each other.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of a side view of a cutting device 200 having a rotating blade 201. In one embodiment, the rotating blade 201 comprises a driven belt 204 provided with a plurality of blades 202 on an outer surface of the driven belt 204, the blades 202 separated by gaps 203. The driven belt 204 passes over a drive wheel 210 and around a tail wheel 211 , thus forming a continuously rotating arrangement. The alternating series of blades 202 and gaps 203 may be configured to index the rotation of the rotating drum 100 with the rotation of the driven belt 204 and the blades 202 so as to ensure that the blades 202 do not clash with non-recessed surface portions of the rotating drum 100, or dislodge the articles 1 from the longitudinal grooves while only cutting along the longitudinal axis of the article 1 through the circumferential wrapper and a optionally a portion of the non-metallic internal components. This arrangement is advantageous, as it negates the need to have any vertical movement of the rotating blade 201 assembly. In use, the cutting device 200 is positioned above the rotating drum 100 and is designed to cut the circumferential wrapper of one or more articles 1 held within the longitudinal grooves 114 positioned on the outer circumference of the rotating drum 100.

FIG. 6 shows a schematic representation of an alternative cutting device comprising a laser cutting unit 225. The laser cutting unit 225 comprises one or more laser sources 226 generating one or more laser beams 227. The laser source 226 may be, for example, a 60 watt, carbon dioxide laser with a wavelength of 10.64 micrometres. Other laser sources 226 suitable for cutting at least the circumferential wrappers of the articles 1 may be employed. In use, the laser cutting unit 225 is positioned above the rotating drum 100 and the one or more laser sources 226 are electronically controlled to generate one or more laser beams 227 to make a longitudinal cut along the length of one or more articles 1 held within the longitudinal grooves 114. The electronic control of the laser cutting unit 225 may ensure that the laser source 226 is activated only at the appropriate time when the articles 1 are in the correct position for cutting. Additionally, and not shown, there may be an article 1 detection sensor to ensure that the laser cutting unit 225 does not activate should there be no article 1 positioned within the longitudinal groove 114. In this way, damage to the outer circumference of the rotating drum 100 by the laser cutting unit 225 may be avoided. FIG. 7 shows a schematic representation of the dimensional arrangement of an article 1 , metal susceptor element 142 and cutting device 200. In embodiments configured for processing articles 1 having a diameter of approximately 7 millimetres, the cutting device 200 may be configured not to cut beyond a depth of approximately 2 millimetres from an uppermost circumferential surface of the article 1 so as to reduce the risk of accidentally cutting the metal susceptor element 142 which might generate small metal particles. It will be appreciated that different cutting depths will be appropriate for differently-dimensioned articles 1.

After the articles 1 have been cut open on the rotating drum 100, and optionally subjected to vibration on a vibration table to help separate the components of the cut articles 1 , the cut articles 1 or components of the cut articles 1 (hereinafter referred to as waste stream 515, as shown in FIG. 9) are conveyed to an upper inlet 511 of a vortex separation unit 500 as shown in schematic form in FIG. 8. The vortex separation unit 500 comprises the upper inlet 511 , a main body 510 defining an inner circumferential surface of the vortex separation unit 500, an upper outlet 512, a lower outlet 513 and a collection bin 520. The lower outlet 513 may define a skirt portion within the waste collection bin 520 at a lower part of the vortex separation unit 500. The main body 510 of the vortex separation unit 500 is generally conical, with a decreasing crosssection from top to bottom.

FIG. 9 shows a schematic representation of the vortex separation unit 500 of FIG. 8 in operation. The waste stream 515, optionally following vibration on a vibration table, is conveyed to the upper inlet 511 and entrained in an air stream 530 that enters the vortex separation unit 500 through the upper inlet 511. The upper inlet 511 may disposed so that the air stream 530 and entrained waste stream 515 enter the main body 510 of the vortex separation unit 500 in a generally tangential direction. The air stream 530 and entrained waste stream 515 form a descending vortex path 531 that swirls around the inner circumferential surface of the vortex separation unit 500 towards the lower outlet 513. At or near the lower outlet 513, an ascending air column 532 is introduced by way of an air stream introduced through a lower inlet 514. The ascending air column 532 rises through the centre of the descending vortex path 531 towards and through the upper outlet 512.

The vortex separation unit 500 utilizes the centrifugal forces applied to the waste stream 515 by the descending vortex path 531. Heavier components, namely the metal susceptor elements 142, will be forced to the outer edges of the descending vortex path 531 , while lighter components, namely the non-metallic components, will tend to concentrate towards the centre of the descending vortex path 531. The form factor of the metal susceptor elements 142 may also plays a part in their separation from the non-metallic components, since the laminar metal susceptor elements 142 may tend to experience relatively less aerodynamic drag than, for example, a non-metallic filter component, and can thus travel further outwards from the centre of the descending vortex path 531 . The ascending air column 532 introduced via the lower air inlet 514 entrains the lighter non-metallic components towards the upper outlet 512 positioned at the top of the vortex separation unit 500. The heavier components, namely the metal susceptor elements 142, are collected from the lower outlet 513 in the waste collection bin 520 at the bottom of the vortex separation unit 500.

The upper inlet 511 is designed so as to bring the air stream 530 and waste stream 515 into the main body 510 of the vortex separation unit 500 at a tangential angle, so as to induce and maintain a descending vortex airflow within the main body 510 of the vortex separation unit 500. The descending vortex path 531 moves in a descending circumferential manner around the inner walls of the vortex separation unit 500. The direction of the descending vortex path can be either clockwise or anti-clockwise and is dependent on the direction of the incoming air stream 530. Towards the bottom of the vortex separation unit 500, the air begins to rise, and the ascending air column 532 is positioned at the centre of the descending vortex path 531 . Lighter components 516 of the waste stream 515 that concentrate towards the centre of the descending vortex path 531 become entrained in the ascending air column 532, and are removed via upper outlet 512 positioned at the top of the main body 510 of the vortex separation unit 500. The lighter components 516 of the waste stream 515 may include paper, filter components, acetate components and aerosol-generating substrate components. Heavier waste components 517, such as metal susceptor elements 142 concentrated towards an outside of the descending vortex path 531 , pass through the lower outlet 513 out of the bottom of the main body 510 of the vortex separation unit 500 and may be collected in the waste collection bin 520.

FIG. 10 shows a schematic plan view of the vortex separation unit 500 of FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, showing the tangential angle of the upper inlet 511 in relation to the main body 510. Also shown in the upper outlet 512 and the lower air inlet 514.

In some embodiments, the lighter components 516 of the waste stream 515 that become entrained in the ascending air column 532 and are removed via upper outlet 512 positioned at the top of the main body 510 of the vortex separation unit 500 are passed to an upper inlet of a further vortex separation unit. The lighter components 516 of the waste stream 515 may include paper, filter components, acetate components and aerosol-generating substrate components, among other non-metallic components. The further vortex separation unit is similar to the vortex separation unit 500 shown in FIG.8 to FIG. 10, and a detailed description will be omitted. The further vortex separation unit may be used to separate different weight fractions of the lighter components 516. For example, aerosol-generating substrate components may be separated from paper, or may be separated from filter components, or may be separated from acetate components.

For the purpose of the present description and of the appended claims, except where otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing amounts, quantities, percentages, and so forth, are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term "about". Also, all ranges include the maximum and minimum points disclosed and include any intermediate ranges therein, which may or may not be specifically enumerated herein. In this context, therefore, a number A is understood as A ± 5% of A. Within this context, a number A may be considered to include numerical values that are within general standard error for the measurement of the property that the number A modifies. The number A, in some instances as used in the appended claims, may deviate by the percentages enumerated above provided that the amount by which A deviates does not materially affect the basic and novel characteristic(s) of the claimed invention. Also, all ranges include the maximum and minimum points disclosed and include any intermediate ranges therein, which may or may not be specifically enumerated herein.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1 . A method of processing rod-shaped consumable aerosol-generating articles comprising metal and non-metallic components in a circumferential wrapper, the method comprising the steps of: i) aligning the articles in a feed hopper such that the articles are arranged with their longitudinal axes substantially parallel and coextensive with each other; ii) feeding the articles from the feed hopper to an outer circumference of a rotating drum having an axis of rotation, wherein the outer circumference comprises a plurality of longitudinal grooves disposed substantially parallel to the axis of rotation and each longitudinal groove configured releasably to receive at least one article with the longitudinal axis of each article being substantially parallel to the axis of rotation, and wherein the articles are releasably held in the longitudinal grooves by a magnetic field; iii) cutting at least the circumferential wrappers of the articles open along the longitudinal axis of each article while the articles are in the longitudinal grooves on the outer circumference of the rotating drum; and iv) releasing the articles from the outer circumference of the rotating drum after cutting the circumferential wrappers.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field is exerted by at least one electromagnet.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the metal component comprises a substantially laminar metal element having a plane disposed substantially centrally along the longitudinal axis of each article; wherein the rotating drum comprises at least one magnet exerting the magnetic field; and wherein the magnetic field causes the articles to rotate relative to the outer circumference of the rotating drum such that the planes of the substantially laminar metal elements are aligned substantially parallel to the outer circumference of the rotating drum.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein in step iii), the articles are cut open without cutting the metal components.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the articles are released or ejected onto a conveyor after step iv) and conveyed on the conveyor to a surface of a vibration table, or wherein the articles are released onto a surface of a vibration table after step iv).

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cut articles with the metal and non-metallic components are conveyed to an upper inlet of a vortex separation unit.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the metal and non-metallic components are entrained in an air stream at the upper inlet of the vortex separation unit, and wherein the air stream enters the vortex separation unit tangentially at an upper part of the vortex separation unit and follows a downwardly descending vortex path around an inner surface of the vortex separation unit before upwardly ascending through a centre of the descending vortex path to an upper outlet of the vortex separation unit.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the metal components collect and remain at a lower part of the vortex separation unit, and wherein the non-metallic components are carried by the air stream through the upper outlet of the vortex separation unit, and wherein the air stream with entrained non-metallic components is passed from the upper outlet of the vortex separation unit to an upper inlet of a further vortex separation unit.

9. An apparatus for processing rod-shaped consumable aerosol-generating articles comprising metal and non-metallic components in a circumferential wrapper, the apparatus comprising: i) a feed hopper in which the articles are arranged with their longitudinal axes substantially parallel and coextensive with each other; ii) a rotatable drum having an axis of rotation and an outer circumference configured to receive articles from the feed hopper, wherein the outer circumference comprises a plurality of longitudinal grooves disposed substantially parallel to the axis of rotation, wherein each longitudinal groove is configured releasably to receive at least one article with the longitudinal axis of each article being substantially parallel to the axis of rotation, and wherein the rotatable drum comprises at least one magnet to exert a magnetic field releasably to hold the articles in the longitudinal grooves; iii) a cutting device configured to cut at least the circumferential wrappers of the articles open along the longitudinal axis of each article while the articles are on the outer circumference of the rotatable drum; and iv) the rotatable drum being configured to release the articles from the outer circumference of the rotatable drum after the circumferential wrappers have been cut.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the at least one magnet is an electromagnet.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the metal component comprises a substantially laminar metal element having a plane disposed substantially centrally along the longitudinal axis of each article, and wherein the magnets are configured to exert a magnetic field to cause the articles to rotate relative to the outer circumference of the rotatable drum such that the planes of the substantially laminar metal elements are aligned substantially parallel to the outer circumference of the rotatable drum.

12. The apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 11 , wherein the cutting device is configured to cut open the articles without cutting the metal components.

13. The apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 12, further comprising a vortex separation unit having an upper inlet, and wherein the cut articles with the metal and non-metallic components are conveyed to the upper inlet of the vortex separation unit.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the vortex separation unit is configured to entrain the metal and non-metallic components in an air stream at the upper inlet of the vortex separation unit, wherein the upper inlet is configured to direct the air stream into the vortex separation unit tangentially at an upper part of the vortex separation unit, and wherein the vortex separation unit is configured to direct the air stream along a downwardly descending vortex path around an inner surface of the vortex separation unit towards a lower part of the vortex separation unit before upwardly ascending through a centre of the descending vortex path to an upper outlet of the vortex separation unit.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, comprising a further vortex separation unit, wherein the air stream with entrained non-metallic components is passed from the upper outlet of the vortex separation unit to an upper inlet of the further vortex separation unit.