JP7252349B2 - Device and method for filling tubular sleeves with cut plant material - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to consumer filling of smoking articles. For example, the devices and methods disclosed herein can be used by smokers to fill cigarette tubes with tobacco.

More specifically, certain aspects relate to devices for filling tubular sleeves with cut plant material. A further aspect relates to a method of filling a tubular sleeve with cut plant material.

Some smokers choose to make their own smoking articles in the form of tobacco-filled and rolled paper, or tobacco-filled tubes. These smokers may also incorporate other factors such as filters and flavors. Various devices are known to assist in such creation, including mains powered devices for domestic use that use a feeding member to feed tobacco into a tubular sleeve. However, such home feeding member type fillers are generally too large to be easily transported, require access to a mains outlet for power, and a flat surface for operation. What is needed is a device that provides filling assistance to the user in a wider range of situations.

According to a first aspect, a device for filling a tubular sleeve with cut plant material, comprising a hopper, a nozzle, a feeding member arranged between the hopper and the nozzle, the feeding member a feeding member whose rotation causes transfer of the contents of the hopper to the nozzle; and a drive means coupling configured.

The device may further comprise the detachable drive means described above. The detachable drive means may for example be manual drive means comprising or operated by a handle.

The handle may comprise a hinge configured so that it can be folded when not in use.

The device may further comprise detachable driving means. The removable drive means may comprise one or both of a battery powered motor and a mains powered motor. The detachable drive means may comprise a motor configured to be powered by a mains connection if available, or by a battery otherwise.

The drive means coupling may comprise a driven shaft operably coupled to the feed member and configured to engage the drive shaft of the drive means in use, the drive shaft being connected to the driven shaft and the feed member rotates together with the driven shaft.

The driven shaft may be keyed to the drive shaft.

The drive means coupling may comprise an outer surface which in use engages a corresponding shape on the drive means to hold the drive means and the drive means coupling together in an interference fit. may have one or more concave portions and/or one or more convex portions configured to

The drive means coupling may comprise magnets configured to attract, in use, corresponding magnets of the drive means to hold the drive means and the drive means coupling together. The magnets provided in the drive means coupling may be recesses configured to receive corresponding magnets of the drive means in an interference fit during use.

The drive means coupling may comprise a planetary gear mechanism comprising a ring gear and a sun gear connected by a plurality of planet gears. A device may have three planet gears. The device may have a sun gear:planet gear:ring gear ratio of 7:29:65.

The feed member may be a counterclockwise feed member. The feed member may be a hollow feed member. The feed member may have a circular cross-section.

The hopper may comprise a lid configured to reversibly close the hopper.

The hopper may comprise a ceiling that is arranged to be vertically above the feed member in use. The ceiling may be vaulted.

At least a portion of the hopper may be transparent or translucent to allow the contents of the hopper to be viewed from the outside.

The device may further comprise a sliding agitator configured to agitate the contents of the hopper. The sliding stirrer may comprise a track and a girder extending downwardly from the track, the girder having flanges configured to slide along the track. The girder may comprise a distal bulb portion configured to extend into the hopper. The girder may include a grip portion extending upwardly from the flange, the grip portion configured to be manually slid along the track.

The device may further comprise a spring-loaded hammer configured to grip the tubular sleeve over the nozzle. The spring hammer may be a wishbone spring hammer. The wishbone spring hammer may be made of plastic that is configured to bend within the elastic range of material deformation. The plastic may be acetyl or nylon. The wishbone spring hammer may have a spring arm with a thickness of 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm. The spring arms may be 0.7 mm thick.

The device may further comprise clamping means configured to grip the tubular sleeve over the nozzle, the clamping means being configured to adjust the grip to provide different fill weights.

The clamping means may comprise a spring-loaded hammer and a manually rotatable collar having an inner cam profile configured to be traced by the spring-loaded hammer to adjust the grip provided by the spring-loaded hammer in use. good. The cam profile may be a spline that contacts the spring hammer at at least three points, one of these points being the neutral point of the spring hammer.

The device may further comprise a nozzle housing positioned in spaced relation around the nozzle such that the tubular sleeve is attachable to the nozzle between the nozzle and the nozzle housing.

The feed member may be operatively coupled to the drive means coupling via a trunk configured to rotate with the feed member, the trunk extending into the hopper and passing cut plant material without catching it. presents a substantially smooth exterior surface configured to slide into the interior of the hopper.

The device may further comprise a guard configured to prevent exit of tobacco from the hopper through the drive means coupling.

The feed member may be operably coupled to the drive means coupling through an axial aperture in the rear wall of the hopper, and the guard may comprise a detent, the detent extending from the side of the drive means coupling. It has a rim configured to be inserted into the aperture and extending radially outward beyond the edge of the aperture.

The feed member may be operatively coupled to the driven shaft through an axial aperture in the rear wall of the hopper, the guard may comprise a baffle, the baffle configured to rotate with the driven shaft, the baffle extends radially outward beyond the edge of the aperture.

The detent may be located between the hopper and the baffle, and the baffle may extend radially outward beyond the rim of the detent.

The nozzle may have a length of 20-40 mm, preferably 30 mm. The nozzle may have a diameter of 5-10 mm, preferably 7 mm.

According to a second aspect, a method of filling a tubular sleeve with cut plant material using the device of the first aspect, comprising:
1. a) charging a hopper with cut plant material;
1. b) fitting an empty tubular sleeve over the nozzle;
1. c) attaching the drive means to the drive means coupling;
2. Step 1. and c. following completion of all of a)-c), causing the drive means to rotate the feed member.

Aspects of the disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures.

Fig. 3 shows an exemplary device without driving means; 1B is a detail of the coupler end of the device of FIG. 1A; Fig. 3 shows an exemplary manual drive means; Fig. 3 shows an exemplary battery-powered driving means; Fig. 3 shows an exemplary mains-powered driving means; 4 shows components of an exemplary device; 1 illustrates an exemplary manual feed member type filler with a folded handle; 6B shows the exemplary manual feed member type filler of FIG. 6A with the handle extended. 6B illustrates the components of the manual drive means of the exemplary manual feed member type filler of FIGS. 6A and 6B; 6B is an axial cross-sectional view of the exemplary manual feed member-type filler of FIGS. 6A and 6B; FIG. 6B illustrates an exemplary planetary gear mechanism that may be used in the exemplary manual feed member type filler of FIGS. 6A and 6B; 6E illustrates components of the exemplary planetary gear mechanism of FIG. 6E; 1 illustrates an exemplary battery-powered feeding member type filler; 7B is a detail of the charging port of the exemplary battery-powered feed member filler of FIG. 7A. 1 illustrates an exemplary power driven feed member type filler. 4 illustrates an exemplary nozzle end component; 1 illustrates an exemplary wishbone-type spring hammer; 4 shows cam profiles inside an exemplary adjustable collar. 1 illustrates an exemplary hopper and corresponding housing; 4 shows an exemplary lid profile. 1 shows an exemplary sliding agitator. 4 shows an exemplary nozzle; 4 shows an exemplary feed member; 13B is an axial cross-sectional view of the exemplary feed member of FIG. 13A; FIG. Fig. 4 shows components of an exemplary guard; 14B is an axial cross-sectional view of the exemplary guard of FIG. 14A; FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method;

The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the system, and is provided in the context of a particular application. Various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

The terms "top", "bottom", "side", "front", "back", "front", "back", and other terms describing feature orientation are intended to be limiting. are included merely to facilitate the description of the relative positions of these features in relation to the accompanying drawings, if used. During use or storage, the features may be arranged in other orientations.

The feeding member type filler of smoking articles is provided in modular form suitable for connection to a plurality of different types of drive means. A manual drive means, for example in the form of a rotatable handle, can be attached to create a portable filler. A battery-powered electric motor can be attached to create another portable filling device. The filler device may also be connected to a mains powered electric motor for use at the user's home or other location.

FIG. 1A shows an example of such a modular feeding member filler device 1100 in the absence of drive means. FIG. 1A shows device 1100 in a perspective view from its nozzle end with nozzle 1120 visible. A cigarette tube or the like can be mounted over the nozzle 1120 for filling. Tobacco and/or filler material can be loaded by opening lid 1111 . Alternatively, a hopper closed by lid 1111 may remain open in the absence of the lid. However, the provision of the lid reduces the possibility of losing the filling material during use and makes the device cleaner to use. Also, the device can function as a tobacco reservoir that can hold, for example, enough fill material to make a smoking article worth a day's worth of one user. As such, the user only needs to carry the device, portable driving means and sufficient tubes each day to create the smoking article when desired.

FIG. 1B shows the end of the device 1100 opposite the nozzle end with the drive means coupling 1140 . Drive means coupling 1140 is configured to operably connect a feed member (not shown) in device 1100 to a drive means. In the example shown in FIG. 1B, drive means coupling 1140 comprises two recessed magnets 1141 and driven shaft 1142 . Driven shaft 1142 rotates freely with the feed member relative to the body of device 1100 .

FIGS. 2-4 each show an exemplary manual drive means 2200, a battery-powered drive means 3200, and a mains-powered drive means 4200, which are the exemplary drive means of FIGS. 1A and 1B, respectively. It is configured to drive the feed member type filler device 1100 .

The drive means 2200 , 3200 , 4200 shown in FIGS. 2-4 each comprise a projecting magnet 2241 , 3241 , 4241 corresponding to the recessed magnet 1141 of the device 1100 . In this way, the protruding magnets 2241, 3241, 4241 of the driving means 2200, 3200, 4200 fit into the recesses of the recessed magnets 1141 so that the driving means 2200, 3200, 4200 are held on the device 1100 with an interference fit. can be combined. The poles of the magnets 1141, 2241, 3241, 4241 are arranged to attract the driving means 2200, 3200, 4200 to the device 1100, increasing the strength of the connection between them. The strength of the magnets 1141, 2241, 3241, 4241 is such that the connection can be separated manually, but the connection resists the weight of the device 1100 or the driving means 2200, 3200, 4200 when only the other is supported. can be configured to be strong enough to be maintained at The strength of this connection is particularly advantageous in manual drive means 2200 and battery powered drive means 3200, since they are portable and may be used without a supporting surface. be. In another example, the connection may be formed using only an interference fit, using only magnets, and/or otherwise, such as using a clamping mechanism.

Each of the drive means 2200, 3200, 4200 shown in FIGS. 2-4 further comprises a drive shaft 2242, 3242, 4242 configured to engage the driven shaft 1142 of the device 1100, the driven shaft 1142 and the drive shaft 2242, 3242, 4242 rotate together. Drive shafts 2242 , 3242 , 4242 may be keyed to driven shaft 1142 as shown, splined to driven shaft 1142 , or otherwise engaged with driven shaft 1142 . Configured.

The drive shaft 2242 of the manual drive means 2200 of FIG. 2 is rotated by the handle 2210 . The handle 2210 in this example is a collapsible handle, which allows the drive means 2200 to be kept compact for easy portability when not in use, as shown in FIG.

The drive shaft 3242 of the battery powered drive means 3200 of FIG. 3 is rotated by a battery powered electric motor (not shown) that is switched on and off using the button 3210 .

The drive shaft 4242 of the mains powered drive means 4200 of FIG. 4 is rotated by a mains powered electric motor (not shown) that is switched on and off using buttons 4210 and 4211 . One of button 4210 and button 4211 may be an on button and the other may be an off button. Alternatively, each of button 4210 and button 4211 may be an on/off button like button 3210 of battery powered drive means 3200 of FIG. may work. For example, the high speed button 4210 can be operated first to fill most of the tube, and then the low speed button 4211 can be operated to more precisely complete the filling to the desired level. As another alternative, one button 4210 may be the small tube button that causes a short burst of power to fill the small tube, while the other button 4211 may be the small tube button that causes a short burst of power to fill the large tube. It may be a button for large tubes that cause long bursts.

The mains-powered drive means 4200 of FIG. 4 further comprises a rest 4260 configured to support the device 1100 in use. The mains powered drive means 4200 can be easily stored at a site and has a flat bottom surface for use on a support surface such as a table, for example when the user wishes to fill many tubes in one session. have. In contrast, the manual drive 2200 of FIG. 2 and the battery-powered drive 3200 of FIG. 3 are substantially barrel-shaped for portability and can be comfortably carried in a user's pocket. Or it can be easily put in and taken out of a handbag.

FIG. 5 shows components of an exemplary device 5100, such as device 1100 of FIG. Nozzle 5120, lid 5111 and driven shaft 5142 are all shown and are similar to the corresponding components shown in FIG. 1 above. Lid 5111 functions to provide and prevent access to hopper 5110, which may be loaded with tobacco or other cut plant material. Feed member 5130 extends through hopper 5110 to nozzle 5120 to feed the contents of the hopper into and through nozzle 5120 . The feed member 5130 has a trunk portion 5131 . This functionality is described below in connection with FIG. 6D.

A nozzle housing 5180 is also provided substantially coaxially around the nozzle 5120 such that a cigarette tube or the like can be axially guided over the nozzle and held there for filling. The nozzle housing 5180 functions to prevent the tube from tilting with respect to the central axis of the nozzle 5120 and resulting uneven filling.

A rotatable collar 5170 is mounted substantially coaxially around nozzle housing 5180 . Collar 5170 cooperates with wishbone spring hammer 5160 to allow the user to apply the fill weight that device 5100 provides to the user's smoking article in a manner described in more detail below in connection with FIGS. 9A-9C. allow you to adjust.

Referring to the drive means coupling end of the device 5100, a detent 5191 and baffle bushing 5192 are provided for separating the driven shaft 5142 from the hopper 5110 and are described in more detail below in connection with FIGS. 14A and 14B. measures to prevent backflow of the hopper contents into the drive mechanism.

Finally, a body housing part 5112 is assembled around the other components such as a collar 5170, a feed member 5130, a detent 5191, a Baffle bushing 5192 and driven shaft 5142 rotate freely with respect to body housing 5112 . Lid 5111 is positioned to provide and prevent access to an opening in body housing 5112 that, in use, covers the open top of hopper 5110 .

6A and 6B illustrate an exemplary manual feed comprising a device 6100 similar to device 1100 of FIGS. 1A and 1B coupled to a manual drive means 6200 similar to manual drive means 2200 of FIG. Figure 3 shows a part-type filler; FIG. 6A is a perspective view from the nozzle end showing nozzle 6120, collar 6170, lid 6111, and handle 6210 folded for storage. FIG. 6B is a perspective view from the handle end showing the handle 6210 extended for use. Manipulation of the filler is performed by mounting the tube to be filled onto the nozzle 6120 and turning the handle 6210 .

FIG. 6C shows the components of the manual drive means 6200 of FIGS. 6A and 6B. A gear system is used to increase rotational input through the handle 6210 and reduce user effort. Handle 6210 is operably connected to ring gear 6251 of the planetary gearing system such that ring gear 6251 is rotated by handle 6210 . The ring gear 6251 meshes with a plurality of planet gears 6253 (three planet gears 6253 in this example) supported by a carrier 6254 , and the plurality of planet gears 6253 further meshes with a sun gear 3252 . Sun gear 6252 is operably connected to drive shaft 6242 such that drive shaft 6242 rotates by sun gear 6252 , for example sun gear 6252 may be keyed to drive shaft 6242 . Also seen in FIG. 6C are two protruding magnets 6241 similar to the protruding magnets 2241 described above in connection with FIG.

Figure 6D is a vertical axial cross-sectional view of the feed member-type filler shown in Figures 6A and 6B with the handle folded as in Figure 6A. In addition to nozzle 6120, collar 6170, lid 6111, handle 6210, ring gear 6251, planet gear 6253, sun gear 3252, and drive shaft 6242, FIG. Detent 6191 and baffle bushing 6192 are shown. In this example the gearing is all provided within the driving means 6200, but in other examples some or all of it may be provided within the device 6100.

Also shown in FIG. 6D is a helical feed member 6130 extending from a substantially smooth trunk portion 6131 rotated by driven shaft 6142 . The trunk portion 6131 partially enters the hopper 6110 from the driven shaft 6142 through a hole in the rear wall of the hopper 6110 . This means that feed member 6130 does not extend to the rear of hopper 6110 . Therefore, it is less likely that fill material caught in the coils of the feed member 6130 will be carried back and out of the hopper 6110 and into the gearing system if the handle is rotated in the wrong direction, causing the fill material to escape from the gearing. Reduced risk of clogging the system.

FIG. 6E shows the meshing of ring gear 6251 , planet gears 6253 and sun gear 6252 to form planetary gearing system 6250 . In this example, the sun gear:planet gear:ring gear ratio is 7:29:65, providing an advantage of 9.3:1. Therefore, one 360° rotation of the handle 6210 and the ring gear 6251 connected to the handle 6210 rotates the sun gear 6252 and the feed member connected to the sun gear 6252 nine full revolutions, giving the filling device 1100 of the present invention a very Provides high filling efficiency.

FIG. 6F shows the components of planet gear system 6250 : ring gear 6251 , planet gear 6253 , sun gear 6252 and planet carrier 6254 .

FIG. 7A shows an exemplary battery-powered device comprising a device 7100 similar to device 1100 of FIGS. 1A and 1B coupled to a battery-powered drive means 7200 similar to battery-powered drive means 3200 of FIG. 1 shows a feed member type filler of . The battery may be, for example, of lithium ion. A battery may, for example, drive a brush motor. FIG. 7B is a detail of the rear portion of battery-powered driving means 7200 showing charging port 7270 that can be coupled to charging cable 7300 . For example, a micro USB cable can be used. Alternatively, the battery powered driving means 7200 may be configured with access to the battery for removal and replacement when the battery dies.

FIG. 8 shows an exemplary commercial power supply 8100 comprising a device 8100 similar to device 1100 of FIGS. Fig. 3 shows a power driven feeding member type filler.

FIG. 9A shows the components seen toward the nozzle end of a device such as device 1100 of FIGS. 1A and 1B. Nozzle 9120 is shown with nozzle housing 9180 , wishbone spring hammer 9160 and collar 9170 . A wishbone spring hammer 9160 and a nozzle housing 9180 are provided with hinge holes 9162, 9182, respectively, so that they can be connected together by a spring hinge, and a helical coil spring (not shown) is attached to the wishbone spring hammer 9160. and the nozzle housing 9180 , and one end face of the helical coil spring is located in the recess 9163 of the wishbone spring hammer 9160 .

FIG. 9B is a vertical cross-sectional view of a cantilevered wishbone spring hammer 9160 showing the thickness t of its spring arm 9161 (eg, which can be between 0.5 mm and 1.0 mm, eg, 0.7 mm). The spring arm 9161 is adapted to flex within its elastic range of material deformation as the collar 9170 rotates to avoid permanent deformation and the consequent need for tightening adjustments, as described below in connection with FIG. 9C. made of plastic, such as acetyl or nylon.

Returning to FIG. 9A, the wishbone spring hammer 9160 is pivoted about a pivot 9162 to exert a holding pressure force on the nozzle 9120 and the tobacco filler paper tube inserted therearound during the filling operation. It is pivotally arranged on collar 9170 . The holding pressure of this wishbone spring hammer 9160, and more specifically its spherical pressing head 9164 at the free end of the spring arm 9161, causes such a paper tube to slide away from the nozzle 9120 during the filling operation. movement and frees the user from constantly gripping the paper tube during the filling operation. Further, the pressure of the wishbone spring hammer 9160 is such that the distal portion 9165 of the wishbone spring hammer 9160 opposite the pivot axis 9162 of the wishbone spring hammer 9160, as will now be described in connection with FIG. A cam profile inside the collar 9170 that can ride and slide as the collar rotates allows for manual adjustment by the user.

FIG. 9C shows a cam profile inside collar 9170 that is configured to be followed by wishbone spring hammer 9160 to adjust the grip provided by wishbone spring hammer 9160 . Rotating the collar 9170 180° causes the wishbone spring hammer 9160 to increase the grip level of the spherical head 9164 by increasing the grip level to the maximum grip level at which the hammer's spherical head 9164 presses to hold the tube firmly against the nozzle 9120. does not touch the nozzle 9120 and the fill tube is free to slide around the nozzle. The feed member is then turned by the drive means to initiate the introduction of tobacco into the tube. When the tobacco fills flush with the end of the nozzle, the tube begins to move axially away from the nozzle and continues to move away from the nozzle until the tube is completely filled, at which point it falls off the end and is released by the user. will be accepted. The stronger the grip of the wishbone spring hammer 9160 on the tube, the slower it releases, resulting in a denser fill and a higher total fill weight obtained in the smoking article. Rotation of the collar 9170 thus changes the fill weight setting of the device 9100 .

Device 9100 may include markers to indicate predetermined fill weights to the user, although fill weights intermediate the marked points may be selected if desired. Such markers may be visual, such as painted graduations, and/or provide tactile feedback to the user, for example when provided as balls or other raised or recessed shapes. be able to. Alternatively or additionally, the device may be configured to emit a clicking sound to provide audible and/or tactile feedback to the user when the collar is rotated past each marker.

A first fixation marker can be provided, for example, in the center of the top of the body housing of the device 9100 toward the edge that abuts the collar 9170, and second and third fixation markers are provided around that edge. can be provided, for example, 90° from the first fixation marker and just opposite the first fixation marker. A pointer 9171 may be provided on the collar 9170 as shown in FIG. 9A. When the pointer 9171 is aligned with the first fixed marker, the point P ₀ of the cam profile is the highest point and the wishbone spring hammer 9160 is in its neutral position, thus connecting the tube to the nozzle 9120 and nozzle housing 9180 . can be easily inserted between When the collar 9170 is rotated so that the pointer 9171 aligns with the second fixed marker, point _P1 becomes the highest point and the wishbone spring hammer 9160 applies a first predetermined fill weight, e.g., about 0.4 g. maintained in a predetermined intermediate position. When the collar 9170 is turned so that the pointer 9171 aligns with the third marker, point _P2 is the highest point and the wishbone spring hammer 9160 is in the maximum tension position resulting in the maximum fill weight, e.g., about 0.6 g. maintained.

The cam profile inside the collar 9170 is a spline tangent to the wishbone spring hammer at points P ₀ , P ₁ and P ₂ , passing from the outer diameter D ₀ at point P ₀ through the intermediate diameter D ₁ at point P ₁ . , to the inner diameter _D2 at the point _P2 . The difference between the median diameter and the inner diameter, D ₁ -D ₂ can be, for example, 0.5 mm.

Spring hammer designs other than wishbone spring hammers with internal cam profiles that provide fill weight adjustment in a similar manner in other exemplary devices can be used with manual rotatable collars. Instead of wishbone spring arms 9161, for example, foam, plastic, or rubber blocks may be provided. However, compared to the friction between the tube and such a block, the friction between the tube and the wishbone spring arm 9161 is low if a wishbone spring arm 9161 is used, reducing the risk of tube rupture. Lower risk. The tendency of the block to tear the tube can be reduced by giving the block a convex profile. If blocks are used, rubber and plastic provide a more durable solution than foam, increasing the life of the device.

FIG. 10 shows how the hopper of a device such as device 1100 of FIGS. 1A and 1B can be accommodated.

The hopper 10110 has a substantially v-shaped internal profile for feeding the filler material towards the feeding members located towards the bottom of the hopper 10110 .

A hopper 10110 is provided between a first body housing component 10112a and a second body housing component 10112b. Body housing parts 10112a, 10112b include channels arranged to receive various other components such that they are properly positioned relative to each other.

Each body housing part 10112a, 10112b has a top cutout such that an opening is provided above the hopper 10110 when they are closed together around the hopper 10110. As shown in FIG. This opening may be covered by a lid 10111 attached via a hinge 10113 to the first housing part 10112a.

The lid 10111 has a grip portion 10114, and the grip portion 10114 has a space between the grip portion 10114 and the recessed portion 10115 so that the user can put his/her finger to open the lid 10111 when the lid 10111 is closed. over the recess 10115 of the second housing part 10115 so as to be provided between the .

The lid 10111 arches into a tunnel-like cavity, providing space for the filling material to circulate, self-agitate, and provide uniform filling. Alternatively, instead of the concave lid 10111, a flat lid or a lid with an angled profile to direct the filler material toward the feeding member can be provided. An angled lid profile initially increases flow consistency, but tends to result in compaction of the fill material which can lead to clogging, requiring manual agitation to unclog. Test results demonstrating this are shown in Table 1, using a manually driven device such as that shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B to fill the hopper height with tobacco, attach the lid to be tested, It was then obtained by turning the handle 100 times.

Lid 10111 and/or one or both of body housing components 10112a, 10112b may be at least partially transparent or translucent to allow a user to view the contents of hopper 10110. This allows monitoring if the hopper 10110 needs to be refilled and to see if the feed member mechanism is jammed.

Jamming of the feed member mechanism can occur when the fill material contains excessively large particles, such as excessively long tobacco strands. FIG. 11F illustrates the body housing of the exemplary device described above to allow the user to agitate and/or cut the contents of the hopper to unclog the mechanism without having to open the lid. An exemplary sliding agitator 11150 that can be added is shown. Such a slider may be used, for example, about every 50-60 rotations of the handle when using a manually driven device such as that of FIGS. 6A and 6B. The sliding stirrer 11150 comprises a vertical flanged girder 11151 and a horizontal track 11152 provided substantially parallel to the feed member but offset horizontally and vertically upwardly therefrom. The flanges 11153 of the flanged girder 11151 are adapted to agitate the contents of the hopper by sliding the flanged ends of the flanged girder 11151 along the track 11152 substantially parallel to the feed member. , with the girder suspended below and extending into the hopper, and configured to rest on the track 11152 . The flanged end of the flanged girder 11151 may include an upwardly projecting portion 11154 that functions as a handle for grasping or pushing by a user. The distal end of the flanged girder 11151 may include a valve portion 11155 that is wider than the girder body to hook the hopper contents to the girder 11151 as it slides along the track 11152 and agitate. The action of the receptacle 11150 increases the likelihood that the contents of the hopper will disperse.

FIG. 12 shows an exemplary nozzle 12120 having a length l, a diameter d, and a leading edge at an angle θ with respect to the axis of the nozzle. θ can be, for example, 55°.

The longer the nozzle, the higher the packing density and the more uniform the distribution of packing material within the filled tube. The test results shown in Table 2 demonstrate this.

A nozzle length of 30-40 mm was found to result in the tube being filled along its entire length. However, shorter nozzles are more compact, making the device more easily portable. To obtain a good balance between these matters, l may be 30 mm, for example.

The narrower the nozzle, the easier it is to fit the tube into the nozzle. However, the wider the nozzle, the higher the achievable fill weight. The test results shown in Table 3 demonstrate this for filling an 8 mm diameter tube.

To achieve a good balance between ease of fitting common tube sizes into nozzles and fill weight, d may be 7 mm, for example.

Figures 13A and 13B show an exemplary feed member 13130 that can be used in any of the exemplary devices described above. Feed member 13130 may be a hollow feed member as shown in side view in FIG. 13A having a circular cross-section as shown in axial cross-section in FIG. 13B. The feed member 13130 may be made of metal, for example. The feed member may be of counterclockwise design. This, when coupled to the exemplary manual drive means described above in connection with FIGS. 6A-6F, is right-handed because the tube can subsequently be filled by rotating the handle in a clockwise direction. It is advantageous for users of

Instead of a hollow feed member, a feed member with a central bar may be used. While this reduces the risk of clogging, it has been found to require more revolutions for the same weight of fill material delivery, reducing efficiency.

Instead of a feed member with a circular cross section, a feed member with a square cross section may be used. A square cross-section feeding member empties the hopper more effectively by cutting through filler material caught in the hopper, but tends to clog the nozzle more easily. Small chips of filling material can also very easily fall out of the open end of a filled tube.

Still other feed member designs include drill bit type feed members and cup-shaped Archimedian screw type feed members. However, the circular cross-section hollow feed member 13130 of FIGS. 13A and 13B has been found to be more efficient than either of these.

Figures 14A and 14B illustrate an exemplary guard 14190 for preventing filler material, such as tobacco, from being fed back out of the hopper of the device described above, for example, if the feeding member is turned in the wrong direction. indicates FIG. 14A shows the components of guard 14190, detent 14191 and baffle 14192. FIG. In this example, baffle 14192 is formed as part of driven shaft 14142, but they may be provided separately.

FIG. 14B is an enlarged view of these components shown in a vertical axial cross-section through a device such as device 6100 of FIG. 6D. A detent 14191 is inserted into an aperture in the rear wall of the hopper 14110 thereby coupling the feed member 14130 to the driven shaft 14142 . Detent 14191 has a rim. The rim protrudes beyond the edge of the aperture to prevent hopper contents from exiting the aperture through the interface between hopper 14110 and detent 14191 . Baffle 14192 is located behind detent 14191 . Baffle 14192 extends radially outward further than detent 14191 . Thus, the baffle 14192 prevents the backward passage of the hopper contents exiting through the interface between the hopper 14110 and the detent 14191 or through the interface between the feed member 14130 and the detent 14191. prevent. The only possible path for the fill material to move from the hopper 14110 and exit the rear end of the device is shown by the dashed lines, with a first line of defense by detents 14191 and a second line of defense by baffles 14192. provided, making such feeding of fill material very unlikely. Alternative guards may use detents only or baffles only.

FIG. 15 is a flow diagram illustrating a method 15000 of filling a tubular sleeve with cut plant material, such as tobacco, using a device such as any of the exemplary devices described above. At step 15010, a hopper is loaded with cut plant material. At step 15020, an empty tubular sleeve is installed over the nozzle. At step 15030, a drive means is operably coupled to the drive means coupling. After steps 15010, 15020 and 15030 (which may be performed in any order) are all completed, step 15040 activates the drive means to rotate the feed member.

Other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the embodiments disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only.

Additionally, where this application lists the steps of a method or procedure in a particular order, it may be possible, or even convenient in some circumstances, to change the order in which some steps are performed; It is also not intended that specific steps of methods or procedures described herein be construed as order-specific unless such order-specificity is expressly recited in the claims. That is, the acts/steps may be performed in any order, unless specified otherwise, and embodiments may include additional or fewer acts/steps than those disclosed herein. It's okay. It is further contemplated that performing or performing a particular act/step before, contemporaneously with, or after another act is done in accordance with the described embodiments.

Claims (21)

A device (1100, 5100, 6100, 7100, 8100) for filling a tubular sleeve with cut plant material, comprising:
hoppers (5110, 10110, 14110);
nozzles (1120, 5120, 6120, 9120, 12120);
A feeding member (5130, 6130, 13130, 14130) disposed between the hopper (5110, 10110, 14110) and the nozzle (1120, 5120, 6120, 9120, 12120), wherein the feeding member (5130 , 6130, 6130, 14130) causing the conveying of the contents of said hoppers (5110, 10110, 14110) to said nozzles (1120, 5120, 6120, 9120, 12120). , 13130, 14130) and
said feeding member (5130, 6130, 13130, 14130) such that said feeding member (5130, 6130, 13130, 14130) is rotated by detachable driving means (2200, 3200, 4200, 6200, 7200, 8200) to said detachable drive means (2200, 3200, 4200, 6200, 7200, 8200); and
A device (1100, 5100, 6100, 7100, 8100) comprising: The claim further comprising said detachable drive means (2200, 6200), said detachable drive means (2200, 6200) being a manual drive means (2200, 6200) comprising a handle (2210, 6210). 1. (1100, 5100, 6100). 3. The device (1100, 5100, 6100) of claim 2, wherein the handle (2210, 6210) comprises a hinge configured to allow the handle to collapse when not in use. 2. The device (1100, 5100 ; 7100, 8100). Said drive means coupling (1140) comprises a driven shaft (1142, 5142, 6142, 14142), said driven shaft (1142, 5142, 6142, 14142) is connected to said feed member (5130, 6130, 13130, 14130). and configured, in use, to engage a drive shaft (2242, 3242, 4242, 6242) of a drive means (2200, 3200, 4200), whereby said drive shaft (2242, 3242 , 4242, 6242) rotate the driven shafts (1142, 5142, 6142, 14142), and the feed members (5130, 6130, 13130, 14130) rotate together with the driven shafts (1142, 5142, 6142, 14142). A device (1100, 5100, 6100, 7100, 8100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4. 6. The device (1100, 5100, 6100) of claim 5, wherein said driven shaft (1142, 5142, 6142, 14142) is keyed for connection to said drive shaft (2242, 3242, 4242, 6242). , 7100, 8100). Said drive means coupling (1140) comprises an outer surface having one or more recesses (1141) and/or one or more protrusions (1142), said one or more recesses (1141) and /or said one or more protrusions (1142) may, in use, engage corresponding shapes of drive means (2200, 3200, 4200, 6200, 7200, 8200) such that said drive means (2200, 3200, 4200, 6200, 7200, 8200) and said drive means coupling (1140) are held together with an interference fit ( 1100, 5100, 6100, 7100, 8100). Said drive means coupler (1140) comprises a magnet (1141) which in use corresponds to a magnet (2241, 2241, 4200, 4200, 6200, 7200, 8200) of a drive means (2200, 3200, 4200, 6200, 7200, 8200). 3241, 4241, 6241) to hold said drive means (2200, 3200, 4200, 6200, 7200, 8200) and said drive means coupling (1140) together. 8. The device (1100, 5100, 6100, 7100, 8100) according to any one of claims 1-7. The drive means coupling comprises a planetary gear mechanism (6250), the planetary gear mechanism (6250) comprising a ring gear (6251) and a sun gear (6252) connected by a plurality of planet gears (6253). 9. The device (1100, 5100, 6100, 7100, 8100) according to any one of clauses 1-8. 10. The device (1100, 5100, 6100, 7100, 8100) of claim 9, wherein the sun gear:planet gear:ring gear ratio is 7:29:65. 11. Any of claims 1-10, wherein the hopper (5110, 10110, 14110) comprises a lid (1111, 5111, 6111, 10111) configured to reversibly close the hopper (5110, 10110, 14110 ). A device (1100, 5100, 6100, 7100, 8100) according to claim 1. The device (1100) of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a sliding agitator (11150) configured to agitate the contents of the hopper (5110, 10110, 14110 ). 5100, 6100, 7100, 8100). Said sliding stirrer (11150) comprises a track (11152) and a girder (11151) extending downward from said track (11152), said girder (11151) extending along said track (11152). having a flange (11153) configured to slide;
said girder (11151) comprises a distal valve portion (11155) configured to extend into said hopper (5110, 10110, 14110);
13. The device (1100, 5100, 6100, 7100, 8100) of claim 12 . Said girder comprises a grip portion (11154) extending upwardly from said flange (11153), said grip portion (11154) configured to be slid along said track (11152) by hand. 14. The device of clause 13 (1100, 5100, 6100, 7100, 8100). further comprising a spring hammer (5160, 9160) configured to grip a tubular sleeve over said nozzle (1120, 5120, 6120, 9120, 12120) , said spring hammer being a wishbone spring hammer (5160 , 9160) . clamping means configured to grip a tubular sleeve over said nozzle (1120, 5120, 6120, 9120, 12120), wherein said clamping means adjusts said grip to provide different fill weights; 16. The device (1100, 5100, 6100, 7100, 8100) of any one of claims 1 to 15 , adapted to enable. said tubular sleeve is attachable to said nozzle (1120, 5120, 6120, 9120, 12120) between said nozzle (1120, 5120, 6120, 9120, 12120) and a nozzle housing (5180, 9180); 17. The device ( 1100 ) of any preceding claim, further comprising the nozzle housing (5180, 9180) positioned in spaced apart relationship around the nozzle (1120, 5120, 6120, 9120, 12120). , 5100, 6100, 7100, 8100). Said feed members (5130, 6130, 13130, 14130) are coupled to said drive means coupler ( 1140), said trunk portion (5131, 6131) extends into said hopper (5110, 10110, 14110) and presents a substantially smooth exterior surface to allow said trunk portion (5131, 6131) to extend without trapping cut plant material . 18. The device (1100, 5100, 6100, 7100) of any one of the preceding claims , adapted to slide past cut plant material into said hopper (5110, 10110, 14110), 8100). a guard (14190) configured to prevent exit of tobacco from said hopper (5110, 10110, 14110) through said drive coupling (1140) ;
said feed member (5130, 6130, 13130, 14130) is operably coupled to said drive means coupling (1140) through an axial aperture in the rear wall of said hopper (5110, 10110, 14110);
Said guard (14190) comprises a detent (5191, 6191, 14191), said detent (5191, 6191, 14191) configured to be inserted into said aperture from said drive means coupling side, said having a rim extending radially outward beyond the edge of the aperture;
Device (1100, 5100, 6100, 7100, 8100) according to any one of the preceding claims. The drive means coupling comprises a driven shaft operably coupled to the feed member and configured to engage a drive shaft of the drive means in use, whereby the drive shaft rotates the driven shaft, the feed member rotates with the driven shaft,
Said feed member (5130, 6130, 13130, 14130) is operably coupled to said driven shaft (1142, 5142, 6142, 14142) through an axial aperture in the rear wall of said hopper (5110, 10110, 14110). is,
Said guard (14190) comprises a baffle (5192, 6192, 14192) configured to rotate with said driven shaft (1142, 5142, 6142, 14142), said baffle (5192, 6192, 14192) said 20. The device (1100, 5100, 6100, 7100, 8100) of claim 19 , extending radially outward beyond said edge of the aperture. said detent (5191, 6191, 14191) is located between said hopper (5110, 10110, 14110) and said baffle (5192, 6192, 14192);
said baffle (5192, 6192, 14192) extends radially outward beyond said rim of said detent (5191, 6191, 14191);
21. The device (1100, 5100, 6100, 7100, 8100) of claim 20 .

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