ES2689905T3 - Device and method for filling a cigarette tube - Google Patents

Abstract

A device (20) for filling a previously formed cigarette tube (9) with a portion of smokable material (8), comprising: a fluid outlet (2) for releasing a pressurized fluid; means for receiving the cigarette tube to receive the cigarette tube during the filling process; portion receiving means, located between the reception means of the cigarette tube and the fluid outlet, to receive the portion of smokable material before filling the tube; the device being characterized in that the portion receiving means and the reception means of the cigarette tube are arranged such that, when the fluid is released by the outlet of the pressurized fluid, the smokable material is moved by the fluid released from the means of receiving portion inside the cigarette tube.

Description

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DESCRIPTION

Device and method for filling a cigarette tube

The present invention relates to a system and method for filling a cigarette tube with tobacco. In particular, the invention facilitates the use of a method for filling a cigarette tube with tobacco and improves the quality and consistency of a cigarette or manufactured cigarettes by filling a cigarette tube with a portion of tobacco.

As an alternative to buying previously manufactured cigarettes, it is available for a user to buy bulk or loose tobacco for hand rolling and cigarette papers in order to roll their own cigarettes by hand. As an alternative, it is possible to buy prepared cigarette tubes, which generally include a filter at a first end and a second open end, and bulk tobacco, and fill the cigarette tubes with tobacco. These are commonly known as "self-made" cigarettes (MYO: make-your-own).

Machines for filling empty tubes for cigarettes with bulk tobacco have been proposed in the past. Solutions have been proposed using an elongated thrust member, which is driven into the cigarette tube together with the half-tobacco bar that is inserted into the cigarette tube.

Documents DE 464347 and DE 39 14669 A1 each describe a device for filling a previously formed cigarette tube with a portion of smokable material, according to the preamble of claim 1.

Some drawbacks associated with known tobacco bar transfer devices are that the friction between the paper and the tobacco can be unevenly distributed around the circumference of the tobacco bar. This may result in one side of the tobacco bar being inserted more into the cigarette tube than the other side, since friction between the tobacco and the paper opposes the advance of the tobacco into the tube. In addition, frictional forces may mean that tobacco that is driven further into the cigarette tube, at a distal or filter end of the tobacco portion, is rarefied in some cases, and excessively compressed in other cases, in comparison with the tobacco that travels less distance inside the cigarette tube. This can lead to a non-uniform density of tobacco in the resulting manufactured cigarette, which can distort the user's experience, since the quality of the cigarette can vary within the length of the cigarette itself, and also between sequentially manufactured cigarettes.

By addressing the drawbacks of the prior art, the present invention provides a device for filling a previously formed cigarette tube with a portion of smokable material, comprising:

a fluid outlet to release a pressurized fluid;

means for receiving the cigarette tube, to receive the cigarette tube during the filling process;

portion receiving means, located between the reception means of the cigarette tube and the fluid outlet, to receive the portion of smokable material before filling the tube;

the portion receiving means and the cigarette tube receiving means being arranged such that, when the fluid is released by the outlet of the pressurized fluid, the smokable material is moved by the fluid released from the receiving means of Inward portion of the cigarette tube.

The device of the present invention allows a user to fill a previously formed cigarette tube with a portion of smokable material by using a pressurized fluid, thus avoiding the need for any means of mechanical insertion, which may, of otherwise, create non-uniform distributions of tobacco in the resulting tube, as described above. The present device is simple to manufacture, requires few moving parts and can be operated by a user without the need for any power input other than a spring of pressurized fluid.

The portion receiving means of the invention may comprise coupling or gripping means for picking up a portion of smokable material, or a wrapping of the portion. This feature may allow the machine to be used with wrapped portions of smokable material, which allows a user to avoid the need to handle bulk tobacco. The wrapper can thus be attached to the machine before the transfer of the smokable material into the tube, and the operation performed by the user can therefore be executed quickly and easily, with minimal risk of spillage or loss of tobacco to bulk.

The device of the present invention may further comprise fluid pressure means for pressurizing the fluid. Thanks to this feature, it is not necessary that the device be provided with sources of pressurized fluid, such as boats, or an external fluid source; on the contrary, the pressurized fluid can be pressurized by the device, on demand.

The device may further comprise valve means for controlling the flow of pressurized fluid from the outlet

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of the fluid. The use of valve means allows the pressurized fluid to be stored in the machine, either long term or short term, or instantaneously, before the portion of tobacco is transferred to the previously formed cigarette tube.

The device may further comprise means for retaining the cigarette tube, arranged to retain the cigarette tube when the portion is transferred. Such tube retaining means can prevent the cigarette tube from being inadvertently displaced by the pressurized fluid, which could result in an imperfectly terminated cigarette, because the movement of the cigarette tube may mean that the portion of the cigarette Tobacco is not sufficiently transferred into the previously formed cigarette tube.

The cigarette tube retaining means may be arranged to release the cigarette tube and the smokable material that has been transferred to the cigarette tube. This can be beneficial because, in a first stage, the tube is held in position at a reception location and resists any forces on it, created by the smokable material that enters the cigarette tube under the force of the pressurized fluid. In a second stage, once the portion is completely transferred into the cigarette tube, the tube can be released and optionally expelled from the tube retaining means, so that, in a simple operation, the portion is transferred to the tube and the tube is removed from the tube retention means. This can be achieved by configuring the tube retention means to resist a low extraction force of the tube, which is present when the portion is being supplied to the inside of the tube, but to release the cigarette tube when a greater extraction force is applied of the tube, which results from the incidence of the pressurized fluid on the portion of smokable material essentially after it has been supplied to the cigarette tube.

At least one of the retaining means of the cigarette tube and / or the pressure source may be configured so that the cigarette tube is removed from the retaining means of the cigarette tube by the fluid acting on at least one between the portion and / or the cigarette tube.

The device may further comprise braking means to stop a movement communicated to the cigarette tube filled by the pressurized fluid. Thus, if the cigarette tube is displaced or released from the tube retaining means by the pressurized fluid, the braking means can slow the movement of the full cigarette tube such that, when stopped, it can be taken by a user the completed cigarette.

The braking means may be configured to communicate an increasing braking force on the full cigarette tube as the full cigarette tube advances along an access of the braking means. This can be communicated, for example, by a compressible element, which communicates an elastic braking force or, alternatively, a frictional braking force can be applied to the cigarette tube. An increasing friction braking force can be applied by a member that extends obliquely to the path of the cigarette tube, which communicates an increasing lateral force on the cigarette tube as it moves along an axis.

The retaining means of the cigarette tube can be movable in the outlet direction of the fluid outlet. This may allow the cigarette tube, once located in the tube receiving means, to be advanced to or from the fluid outlet to properly configure the cigarette tube with respect to the fluid outlet before the transfer of the portion. Guide means may also be provided to guide the tobacco portion towards the open end of the cigarette tube. Such guiding means can help ensure that the portion does not miss or damage the open end of the cigarette tube after the release of the pressurized fluid. Said means may include a conical member, which may be hollow, cylindrical or tubular or in any suitable convergent manner to guide the portion into the tube.

The present invention further provides a method for filling a previously formed cigarette tube with smokable material, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a pressurized fluid to an outlet of a device for filling cigarette tubes, for example a device according to the present invention;

disposing a portion of smokable material between said outlet and the previously formed cigarette tube;

expel the pressurized fluid through said outlet to the portion of smokable material, to transfer the portion into the cigarette tube.

The method of the present invention allows a portion of smokable material to be transferred to a previously formed cigarette tube while avoiding the drawbacks of the previously known methods, which require mechanical transfer means or significant degrees of manual manipulation of tobacco and tube of cigarette The method may further comprise the step of pressureing a source of fluid to pressure the fluid.

The portion of smokable material may be disposed within a portion wrap, and the portion may be transferred by the fluid from the portion wrap into the cigarette tube.

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The method may further comprise breaking one or more breakable closures of the consumable portion, either during application of the consumable portion to the device or after the release of the pressurized fluid from the source of pressurized fluid.

The method may also include curbing the movement communicated to the cigarette tube filled by the pressurized fluid.

A concrete embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the following figures, in which:

Figure 1 schematically illustrates the movement applied in the method and device of the present invention;

Figure 2 illustrates a device of the present invention;

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate portions of smoking material suitable for use with the present invention;

Figure 5 illustrates a further example of a portion of smokable material suitable for use with the present invention;

Figure 6 illustrates a further detail of a device and a method for using the portion of Figure 5 with the device of the present invention.

Figure 1 shows a schematic illustration of a previously formed cigarette tube 9, to be filled with a portion of smokable material 8. In the method of the present invention, a pressurized fluid strikes the portion 8 in the direction of arrow A, thus creating a force of movement in the direction of arrow A, which acts to propel the portion 8 into the previously formed cigarette tube 9. The movement communicated by the fluid is thus transferred without the need for mechanical contact of any member or drive device with the portion 8 and no element other than the portion 8 needs to be inserted into the tube 9 to fill the tube 9.

Figure 2 illustrates a device 20 according to the invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the device 20 comprises a source 1 of pressurized fluid, for example in the form of a pneumatic plunger, which can be actuated in the direction of the arrow 11 to create a source of pressurized fluid, in this case in zone 12 of pressurized fluid. Release means are provided to release or contain the pressurized fluid, in the form of valve means 2, which can be operated by linear or rotational action. The actuation force of the valve can be communicated by a user or by other mechanical or electrical means, such as a solenoid, electric motor, servo motor or other suitable valve actuation means. Tube retaining means 3 are provided, which act to retain at least a portion of the portion of tobacco or other smokable material, before transferring the portion to the previously formed cigarette tube 9. In the example illustrated in Figure 2, the portion retention means 3 connect with one end of the tobacco portion proximal to the valve means

2. However, the retention means may be configured to support a greater amount, or all, of the tobacco portion, either along some or all of its length, before transferring the portion inside the tube 9.

Means 4 for guiding the portion may be included, for example in the form of a conical insert nozzle, which can help guiding the portion 8 into the previously formed cigarette tube 9, either before or during the transfer of the entire portion inside the tube with the pressurized fluid.

Tube retention means 5 may be included, which can embrace the previously formed tube to retain it before or during the transfer of the portion 8 into the tube. The retention means 5 may be configured to apply a sufficient retention force to retain the tube while the portion is being transferred to the tube, but small enough to be overcome once the portion 8 is completely transferred to the previously formed tube 9, of such that the tube is released from the retention force of the retention means 5 once the fluid strikes the portion 8 when it is fully inserted into the previously formed tube 9.

The device may include a base plate or frame 10, on which specular parts are mounted, and a second movable base plate 7 may be included, which can be moved to move any or all of the guide means 4 , the tube retaining means 5 and the braking means 6, with respect to the portion retaining means 3 and / or any of the valve 2 and source 1 means of pressurized fluid.

The device may include braking means 6, which are arranged to stop a movement of the filled cigarette tube 9 once the portion 8 of smokable material has been transferred to the previously formed tube 9. In the illustrated example, the braking means include a member 61, which is arranged obliquely with respect to an axis 62 parallel to the movement path of the full cigarette tube when it is ejected from the retaining means 5. As such, the further the full cigarette tube advances towards the means of braking, the greater the braking force applied to a full cigarette tube 9. The member 61 can be movable with respect to the axis 62, such that it can be completely removed from the path of the cigarette tube 9, while still maintaining a force of friction braking on one side of the cigarette tube 9. Such an arrangement can help

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provide a gentle braking force to the cigarette tube 9 to avoid causing damage to the tube during the braking process.

Figure 3 illustrates a packaged portion of smokable material that can be used as a consumable product with the device and the method of the present invention. A smokable material is intended to define the material as smokable by a user and includes tobacco products, such as roll-up tobacco by the user and tobacco for self-made cigarettes (MYO), or other smoking products suitable for Allow a user to make cigarettes. A portion may be pre-packaged in a sheet or other essentially air-tight material to maintain its freshness before use. A portion can be unwrapped and supplied to the device of Figure 2 for transfer to the cigarette tube 9.

Figure 4 illustrates an alternative consumable product, comprising a portion of smokable material that can also be used in conjunction with the device of Figure 2.

The consumable product 4 includes a wrap 41, which retains the portion of smokable material in the desired shape before use, during transit, and which can be sold as a consumable product for use with the device of Figure 2. The consumable product 4 includes joining means 42, which can be used to attach the portion, including the envelope 41, to retaining means 3 of the tube of the device of Figure 2. Thus, the portion of smokable material can be supplied to the device in a previously formed envelope. The portion of smokable material can then be transferred from the previously formed envelope 41 to the cigarette tube previously formed by the action of the pressurized fluid, when the fluid is released by the valve means 2. The joining means 42 may comprise an adjustment under pressure, a bayonet assembly or a threaded joint, or any other releasable means of attachment, the reasonable means of attachment being suitable for attaching the casing 41 to the portion retention means 3 of the device 20 of Figure 2, to avoid the axial movement of the envelope 41 relative to the device after the release of the pressurized fluid. A distal end 43, or either or both ends, in the embedded portion, may be provided with releasable sealing means, which, during transit, act to preserve the freshness of the tobacco within the envelope, while, after Release of the pressurized fluid, when the portion is attached to the device of Figure 2, the releasable sealing means 43 are opened to release the portion 8 inside the previously formed cigarette tube 9. Therefore, a portion of a smokable material may be provided for use with the device 20 of the present invention, the portion comprising a wrap 41 fixed with a smokable material, the wrapping comprising, at a first end, releasable joining means for joining the portion to the device 20 and, optionally, at a second end, releasable sealing means to seal or isolate the end of the distal portion with respect to the joining means. The releasable sealing means may also be arranged at the first end of the consumable product 4. The sealing means may be partial sealing means, such as simple folding of the flexible ends of the portion, to essentially prevent free flow of air enters, or exits, the envelope 41, or may alternatively comprise (or additionally) an essentially hermetic seal, which prevents virtually all air flow from entering, or exiting, the sealed end of the envelope 41. By means of the Using such features, the portion indication 41 may be kept completely isolated and, therefore, fresh before the joint is broken when used in the device 20 of the present invention.

Figure 5 shows a further embodiment of a consumable product for use with the device and the method of the present invention. In this embodiment, the consumable product 51 contains a portion of smokable material 52, such as tobacco. The portion 52 is wrapped in a wrapper 53, which can be made from a paper or sheet-like material, such as plain cigarette paper, as used in cigarette manufacturing. Alternatively, the envelope 53 may be made of aluminum foil or any other flexible sheet-shaped material and substantially air tight, in order to help preserve the freshness of the portion 52 of the interior's smokable material. The envelope 53 may comprise an overhang portion 54 that extends beyond the end of the portion 52 of smokable material. The end can then be sealed by simply folding the ends or applying a seal, a closure device or adhesive material, to the protruding part 54. The consumable product 51 may further comprise an essentially hollow, or tubular, member 55 that is essentially hollow and have a wall that essentially corresponds to at least a part of the outer circumference of the portion 52 of the smokable material. The hollow member comprises a wall section and an inner section through which the pressurized fluid can pass to expel the portion 52 of the interior of the envelope 53. The hollow member 55 may be attached to the consumable product 51, or to the sleeve 53 of the consumable product 51 through the use of a standard machine, or cigarette production unit, for manufacturing serially produced cigarettes. In the cigarette production unit, the tobacco portion 52 and the hollow member 55 may be combined and wrapped with a section of sheet material, such as a sheet of flexible material, any sheet or sheet of aluminum. The hollow member 55 may further comprise a closure member 56 to close the hollow member and essentially seal one end of the consumable product 51 to help preserve the freshness of the portion 52 within the envelope 53. The closure member may be a member breakable, or it may be attached to the inner walls or to one end of the walls of the hollow member 55 with a breakable connection. Thus, when pressurized air is applied to the consumable product 51 in the direction of the arrow 57, the breakable closure member 56, which can be breakably connected to the inner surface or to an end of the hollow member 55, breaks or It is released from the hollow member 55, and the pressure acting in the direction of the arrow 57, coming from a pressurized fluid, can drive the portion 52 of the smokable material out

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of the hollow sleeve 53, During the same operation, any joint located at a distal end 54 of the portion can also be broken by the pressure 57 applied to the hollow member 55.

Figure 6 illustrates how the consumable product 51 of Figure 5 can be used with the device 70 of the present invention, whose device is essentially equivalent, and functions in a similar manner, to the device shown in Figure 2. Therefore, The device includes a source 1 of pressure fluid, illustrated in the form of a cylinder containing a piston, and a valve 2 to selectively seal the pressure inside the cylinder or release the pressurized fluid from the cylinder in the direction of a nozzle 71 The nozzle 71 is arranged to introduce the hollow member 55 and may be arranged such that when the distal end of the hollow member 55 is applied to a coupling portion 72 of the hollow member of the device, the closing portion 56 is either perforated or partially or totally or detached from the hollow member 55, by the nozzle 71.

The coupling means 72 or application to the portion may be arranged as described with respect to FIG. 2. In addition, the coupling means 72 may comprise a friction coupling holder or means, to retain the hollow member with sufficient force to reacting the forces induced in the portion 51 by a pressurized fluid that impacts the portion 52 of smokable material within the shell 53 of the consumable portion 51.

Therefore, the present invention provides a consumable portion for use in a tube filling device, comprising a wrapper filled with smokable material, the wrapper comprising a hollow end member, optionally comprising a breakable closure portion and a portion of Optional extreme closure, distal of the breakable closure portion, and a portion of smokable material contained within the envelope. The envelope may be attached to, or formed integrally with, a hollow coupling member arranged to be applied to pressurized fluid supply means of the tube filling device.

The invention also provides a method of forming a consumable portion for use in a tube filling device, comprising the steps of: providing a portion of smokable material, applying a wrapper to the smokable material, applying a hollow member comprising a portion of breakable closure to the envelope, either integrally with, or by attachment to, the envelope, apply a closure to a distal end of the distal portion from the hollow member to essentially isolate the portion of smokable material within the envelope.

The method may further comprise breaking one or more breakable closures of the consumable portion, either during application of the consumable product to the pressure source or after the release of pressurized fluid from the source of pressurized fluid.

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1. A device (20) for filling a previously formed tube (9) for cigarettes with a portion of smokable material (8), comprising:

a fluid outlet (2) to release a pressurized fluid;

means for receiving the cigarette tube to receive the cigarette tube during the filling process;

portion receiving means, located between the reception means of the cigarette tube and the fluid outlet, to receive the portion of smokable material before filling the tube; the device being characterized because

the portion receiving means and the reception means of the cigarette tube are arranged such that, when the fluid is released by the outlet of the pressurized fluid, the smokable material is moved by the fluid released from the reception means of portion inside the cigarette tube.

2. A device (20) according to claim 1, wherein the portion receiving means comprises coupling means for engaging with a wrapper (41) of a portion of smokable material (8).

3. A device (20) according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising means for pressing a fluid, to pressurize the fluid, and further comprising, preferably, valve means for controlling the flow of a fluid under pressure from the fluid outlet.

4. A device (20) according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising means (5) for retaining the cigarette tube, arranged to retain the cigarette tube (9) when the portion is transferred.

5. A device (20) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the means (5) for retaining the cigarette tube are arranged to release the cigarette tube (9) when the smokable material (8) is transferred To the cigarette tube.

A device (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising braking means (6) for curbing the movement communicated to the full tube (9) of cigarette by the pressurized fluid.

A device (20) according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising guiding means (4) for guiding the tobacco portion towards the open end of the cigarette tube (9).

8. A method of filling a previously formed tube (9) for cigarettes with a smokable material (8), the method comprising the steps of:

providing a pressurized fluid at the outlet of a device (20) for filling cigarette tubes;

disposing a portion of smokable material between the outlet and the previously formed cigarette tube;

expel the pressurized fluid through said outlet to the portion of smokable material to transfer it into the cigarette tube.

9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of pressing a fluid source to press the fluid.

10. A method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the portion of smokable material (8) is provided in a portion envelope (41) and the portion is transferred by the fluid from the portion envelope into of the cigarette tube (9).

A method according to claim 10, further comprising breaking one or more breakable closures of the casing (41), either during the application of the consumable product to the device (20), or after the release of the pressurized fluid from the source of pressurized fluid.

12. A method according to any of claims 9 to 11, further comprising stopping the movement communicated to the filled tube (9) of cigarette by means of the pressurized fluid.