JP2001204454A - Method for producing cigarette and cigarette production unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for producing a cigarette, capable of easily improving the winding hardness of the cigarette without requiring specific process and facilities, and a cigarette production unit. SOLUTION: This method for producing the cigarette is provided by forming a chopped tobacco layer TL by sucking the chopped tobacco T with a tobacco band 2, conveying the chopped tobacco layer TL accompanying with its traveling, on the one hand, traveling a winding paper P through a compression forming passage 10 and loading the chopped tobacco layer TL sent out from the tobacco band 2 on the winding paper P for compression forming as a prescribed form. Since the traveling speed of the tobacco band 2 is increased relatively based on the traveling speed of the winding paper P, the arrangement of the chopped tobacco layer TL is changed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cigarette manufacturing method and a cigarette manufacturing apparatus for improving winding hardness.

[0002]

[Related Background Art] In the winding process in a cigarette manufacturing apparatus, usually, a tobacco cut by using a suction belt is conveyed while being suctioned and held in a layer form, while a long wrapping paper is run in synchronization with the conveying speed, and the cigarette is moved from the suction belt. The cut tobacco layer is peeled off and placed on a wrapping paper for compression molding, and thereafter, the cut tobacco layer is wrapped in a round bar shape by the wrapping paper.

[0003] The cigarette rod obtained through such a winding process has a structure in which the cut tobacco in the inside is arranged in layers along the longitudinal axis. Therefore, the roll hardness of a cigarette is usually determined depending on the filling amount of the shredded tobacco and its physical properties (eg, water content, particle size, bulkiness, etc.). On the other hand, a technique for improving the winding hardness by focusing on the structure of the cut tobacco layer inside the cigarette rod is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent No.
No. 824204 and JP-A-10-113160. Each of these known techniques relates to the supply of cut tobacco to the winding tube section in a cigarette maker, without directly supplying the cut tobacco layer formed by the tobacco band onto the wrapping paper, but in a predetermined forming guide passage. After the arrangement is changed, it is supplied on the wrapping paper. In this case, compared with the cigarette obtained by directly supplying the cut tobacco layer onto the wrapping paper and wrapping the cigarette as it is, a structurally hardened cigarette can be obtained by changing the arrangement of the cut tobacco layer.

[0004]

All of the above-mentioned known techniques are excellent in that the cigarette can be hardened without increasing the filling amount of minced tobacco and without changing its physical properties. However, these techniques require a prior step of changing the arrangement of the cut tobacco on the wrapper to form the desired structure, and
As equipment for performing this pre-process, it is necessary to install a predetermined forming and conveying unit between the suction belt and the winding tube section. Therefore, the known technique still has a problem regarding simplification of a cigarette manufacturing process and a manufacturing apparatus.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cigarette manufacturing method which is more simplified with respect to a technique for structurally improving the winding hardness of a cigarette. It is to provide a manufacturing apparatus.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A cigarette manufacturing method and a cigarette manufacturing apparatus of the present invention (Claims 1 and 2) run on the suction / transport surface while the tobacco cut on the suction / convey surface is adsorbed in layers. While the wrapping paper is running through the compression molding passage connected to the end of the suction conveyance surface, the cut tobacco layer sent out from the suction conveyance surface is mounted on the wrapping paper and transferred in the compression molding passage, and in this transfer process, the cut tobacco layer is removed. After compression-molding into a predetermined shape, the compression-molded chopped tobacco layer is wrapped with wrapping paper to form a continuous tobacco rod. Here, in the present invention, in particular, the traveling speed of the suction conveyance surface is relatively increased with respect to the traveling speed of the wrapping paper, and a speed difference is set therebetween.

According to the cigarette manufacturing method and the manufacturing apparatus described above, when the cut tobacco layer is placed on the wrapping paper from the suction conveyance surface, the arrangement of the cut tobacco is changed due to the difference in the traveling speed. Specifically, the chopped tobacco layer formed along the traveling direction of the suction conveyance surface transfers onto the wrapping paper at the lower surface of the layer by sending out from the end thereof, while its upper surface is separated from the suction conveyance surface. At this time, since the cut tobacco layer is being conveyed at a high speed with respect to the wrapping paper, the lower layer portion is decelerated by receiving a braking force due to contact with the wrapping paper.
On the other hand, the upper layer portion of the cut tobacco layer protrudes into the compression molding passage due to its inertia force, and pushes the cut tobacco layer against the pressing force against the braking force acting on the lower layer portion. For this reason, in the start end region of the compression molding passage, the flow velocity of the cut tobacco layer shows a velocity distribution in which the upper layer portion is higher than the lower layer portion, and at this time, the posture of each cut tobacco is displaced according to the velocity distribution. . Such displacement alters the arrangement of the minced tobacco layers within the compression molding passage, forming individual minced tobacco arrays that are inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis.

In the present invention, the speed of the suction conveyance surface can be increased by changing the traveling speed. In this case, the degree of change of the step arrangement is also changed according to the degree of speed increase of the suction conveyance surface.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The outline of a cigarette manufacturing apparatus used for carrying out the present invention will be described below as an example. Referring to FIG. 1, the cigarette manufacturing apparatus includes a suction belt, that is, a tobacco band 2. The tobacco band 2 adsorbs the cut tobacco T in a layered manner on the lower surface to form a cut tobacco layer TL, and transports the cut tobacco layer TL as it travels (suction transport means). Note that the cut tobacco T is stored in the chimney 4 and rises in the chimney 4 together with the airflow toward the suction and conveyance surface of the tobacco band 2.

On the downstream side of the tobacco band 2, a molding base 6 is provided.
Are arranged, and the molding base 6 is provided with the tobacco band 2.
At the end of the tobacco band 2 extends horizontally in the axial direction. Garniture tape 8 on the molding base 6
And the wrapping paper P are guided, and the wrapping paper P is a garniture tape 8
Along with the garniture tape 8.

A compression molding passage 10 is formed on the molding base 6 so as to be continuous with the end of the tobacco band 2. More specifically, the compression molding passage 10 is formed by the molding base 6, the shoe 12 and the tongue 14. It extends like a tunnel. The leading edge of the shoe 12 is disposed close to the tobacco band 2 and functions as a scraper for the tobacco band 2. That is, the cut tobacco layer TL is usually released from the suction force at the end of the tobacco band 2 and peels off from the suction conveyance surface. At this time, the cut tobacco T still attached to the tobacco band 2 is attached to the leading edge of the shoe 12. Stripped off.

The tongue 14 is attached to a bracket (not shown), and is fixed at a predetermined position of the cigarette manufacturing apparatus via the bracket. Note that the shoe 12 is a tong 1
4 or fixed at a predetermined position, and the shoe 12 and the tongue 14 are integrally connected. The lower surface of the shoe 12 has a rectangular cross-section, and the ceiling portion is formed so as to gradually become arc-shaped in cross section from the leading edge to the rear end of the shoe 12. The lower surface of the tongue 14 is also formed in an arc-shaped cross section continuing from the rear end of the shoe 12, and the radius of curvature is gradually reduced toward the rear end of the tongue 14, and at the rear end of the tongue 14, the lower surface is It has a semicircular cross section. Further, the shoe 12 and the tongue 14 are inclined downward in the transport direction of the cut tobacco layer TL, and the shoe 12 and the tongue 14 gradually narrow the passage cross-sectional area of the compression molding passage 10 in the transport direction. .

In the compression molding passage 10, the cut tobacco layer TL is mounted on the wrapping paper P from the tobacco band 2, and when the cut tobacco layer TL passes through the compression molding passage 10 together with the wrapping paper P, the upper half of the cut tobacco layer TL is The lower half thereof is formed into a substantially half-cylinder shape together with the garniture tape 8 in a known manner. Therefore, after the cut tobacco layer TL passes through the compression molding passage 10, the cut tobacco layer TL is formed into a substantially cylindrical cut rod, and the wrapping paper P is bent into a U shape so as to wrap the cut rod from below. In state.

Connected to the compression molding passage 10 is a rod forming section 16, which is equipped with a glue applicator 18. When the above-mentioned cutting rod enters the rod forming section 16 together with the wrapping paper P,
First, one side edge of the wrapping paper P is bent so as to cover the chopping rod from above, and the other side edge is applied to the edge of the other side edge of the wrapping paper P by the glue applicator 18. Is bent in the same manner as one side edge so as to cover the notching rod from above, and is superposed on the one side edge. Therefore, at this point,
By bonding both side edges of the wrapping paper P to each other, the cutting rod is completely covered by the wrapping paper P, whereby the cigarette rod R is formed.

The cigarette rod R thus formed is continuously sent out from the rod forming section 16 and, after passing through the heater 20, is supplied to a cutting section (not shown). The heater 20 dries the glued portion of the wrapping paper P, and the cutting section cuts the cigarette rod R into double length cigarettes of a predetermined length. In addition,
The double-length cigarette has a length of two cigarettes and is formed into a filter cigarette by a filter attachment (not shown).

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The method and apparatus for producing cigarettes of the present invention will be described below with reference to specific examples. FIG. 2 shows how the tobacco layer TL is transferred from the tobacco band 2 to the wrapping paper P. Shredded tobacco layer TL is in the state of being sucked and held on the tobacco band 2 has a structure in which individual shredded tobacco T is layered along the suction surface, with the travel of the tobacco band 2, at its velocity v ₁ Conveyed. On the other hand, the wrapping paper P is guided to the upper surface of the garniture tape 8, with the travel of the garniture tape 8, travels compression molding passage 12 at that velocity v _0.

In this embodiment, the running speed v of the wrapping paper P is
₀ to, the conveying speed v ₁ of the shredded tobacco layer TL 1.1 times (v ₁ = 1.1V ₀₎ and accelerated by operating the cigarette manufacturing apparatus, for measuring various physical properties of the resulting cigarette. To increase the speed of the tobacco band 2 in the manufacturing apparatus, a speed change pulley may be used, or a dedicated motor and inverter may be used.

The measured value is compared with a conventional manufacturing method, that is, a cigarette obtained by synchronizing the transport speed of the tobacco band 2 and the running speed of the wrapping paper P with each other. In each of the methods, the filling amount is set to be the same. FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the filling weight and the winding hardness of cigarettes obtained by the manufacturing methods of the embodiment and the conventional example. In addition, the winding hardness indicates a distortion rate when the cigarette is compressed in the radial direction.

In the figure, the characteristics of the embodiment (v ₁ : 1.1 times speed) are shown by solid lines, while the characteristics of the conventional example (constant speed) are shown by broken lines. From the comparison between these examples and the conventional example,
It is clear that according to the cigarette manufacturing method of the example, the winding hardness of the cigarette can be improved as compared with the related art.
In this case, the standard filling amount S per cigarette product
In Example 1, the winding hardness is improved by about 1.4%.

The improvement in winding hardness according to the above-described embodiment is explained as follows. That is, if the traveling speed of the tobacco band 2 is relatively increased with respect to the traveling speed of the wrapping paper P, the cut tobacco layer T from the tobacco band 2 onto the wrapping paper P is obtained.
When the L is replaced, the arrangement of the cut tobacco is changed due to the difference in traveling speed, so that the cigarette can be structurally hardened.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the cut tobacco layer TL formed along the running direction of the tobacco band 2 is mounted on the wrapping paper P from the lower surface side, and The upper surface is peeled off from the tobacco band 2. A predetermined level difference H is secured between the leading edge of the shoe 12 and the lower surface of the tobacco band 2, that is, the suction conveyance surface.

When the cut tobacco layer TL is replaced on the wrapper P, the lower portion of the cut tobacco layer TL receives a braking force due to a relative speed difference from the wrapper P. on the other hand,
The upper layer portion of the chopped tobacco layer TL rushes into the compression molding passage 10 due to the inertial force generated by the tobacco band 2,
The tobacco layer TL which has been cut against the above-mentioned braking force is pushed and pushed to advance. At this time, the wrapping paper P and the cut tobacco layer TL
Shoe 12 and tongs 1
4 has a small coefficient of friction between the cut tobacco layer TL and the frictional force due to contact with the shoe 12 and the tongue 14 does not become a flow resistance of the cut tobacco layer TL.

Therefore, the flow speed of the cut tobacco layer TL is:
The upper layer side shows a speed distribution in which the speed is higher than that of the lower layer side. At this time, each cut tobacco T in the cut tobacco layer TL sinks the front end side as viewed in the transport direction as shown in the drawing, while the rear end side Is displaced in order to raise the. Such a displacement of the position of the cut tobacco T changes the arrangement of the cut tobacco layers TL in the start end region of the compression molding passage 10 so that the individual cut tobacco T forms an array inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis.

Thereafter, the cut tobacco layer TL is decelerated until the speed is equal to that of the wrapping paper P, and is transferred in the compression molding passage 12 while maintaining the above-described arrangement. Furthermore, the inside of the cigarette obtained by each of the above-described methods was read by a CT scanner, and the image was analyzed. On average, it was found to have increased by 3-4%.

Changing the arrangement of the cut tobacco layers TL inside the cigarette according to this embodiment increases the elastic modulus in the radial direction (winding direction) of the cigarette as compared with the conventional example. Hardness can be improved. The cigarette manufacturing method of the present invention is shown in FIG.
It goes without saying that the present invention can be carried out not only in the manufacturing apparatus described above, but also in another type of manufacturing apparatus suitable for higher speed operation.

[0026]

As described above, according to the cigarette manufacturing method and the manufacturing apparatus of the present invention (claims 1 and 2), the winding hardness of the cigarette can be easily reduced without complicating the manufacturing process and equipment. Can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a cigarette manufacturing apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a state in which a cut tobacco layer is placed on a wrapping paper from a tobacco band.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the relationship between the corrected weight of the cut and the cigarette winding hardness in a comparison between the embodiment and the conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Tobacco band (suction transport means) 10 Compression molding passage 12 Shoe 14 Tong 16 Rod molding section P Wrapping paper R Cigarette rod T Chopped tobacco TL Chopped tobacco layer

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Takashi Sato 1-17-7 Yokokawa, Sumida-ku, Tokyo Inside Japan Tobacco Inc. (72) Inventor Toru Kano 1-17-17 Yokokawa, Sumida-ku, Tokyo No. Japan Tobacco Inc. F-term (reference) 4B044 CB25X CB33Y CL03

Claims (2)

[Claims] A suction transporting step of running the suction transporting surface in a state in which the cut tobacco is adsorbed in a layered manner on the suction transporting surface; and causing the wrapping paper to travel through a compression molding passage connected to an end of the suction transporting surface. A compression molding step in which the cut tobacco layer delivered from the transport surface is mounted on the wrapping paper and transferred in the compression molding path, and in this transfer process, the cut tobacco layer is compression-molded into a predetermined shape; And a rod forming step of wrapping the cut chopped tobacco layer with the wrapping paper and forming a continuous tobacco rod, wherein the traveling speed of the suction conveyance surface is relatively increased with respect to the traveling speed of the wrapping paper. A method for producing cigarettes, wherein the method is speeding up. 2. A method in which the tobacco cut on the suction / conveying surface is adsorbed in a layered manner, and the suction / conveying means travels on the suction / conveying surface; and the wrapping paper runs through a compression molding passage connected to the end of the suction / conveying surface. Compression molding means for receiving the cut tobacco layer delivered from the transport surface onto the wrapping paper and transferring the cut tobacco layer into a predetermined shape during the transfer process; and A cigarette manufacturing apparatus comprising: a wrapping of the cut tobacco layer by the wrapping paper; and rod forming means for forming a continuous tobacco rod.
A cigarette manufacturing apparatus, wherein a traveling speed of the suction conveyance surface is relatively increased.