Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24C—MACHINES FOR MAKING CIGARS OR CIGARETTES
  • A24C5/00—Making cigarettes; Making tipping materials for, or attaching filters or mouthpieces to, cigars or cigarettes
  • A24C5/02—Cigarette-filling machines
  • A24C5/06—Cigarette-filling machines with pressing-chamber

Definitions

• the invention relates to the field of personal use apparatus for the manufacture of cigarettes of the type using preformed paper tubes to fill tobacco.
• the present apparatus makes it possible to reproducibly and simply control the density of tobacco introduced into such a tube.
• US2004 / 0099277 discloses an apparatus comprising a funnel filled with tobacco and provided with a retractable rod adapted to supply tobacco with movements back and forth a hemicylindrical compression tank at the bottom of which is placed a rod in the form of an elongated shovel and in which the transferred tobacco rests.
• a hemi-cylindrical arch is closed over the compression reservoir to compact the tobacco on the transfer rod to form a cylindrical volume of diameter just below that of paper tubes ready to be filled with tobacco.
• the transfer rod is then moved with the tobacco cylinder that it supports and introduced into a paper tube.
• This device can be automated by the use of motors and a controller, which increases the price.
• a major defect of this apparatus is that the tobacco is not homogenized before being transferred to the compression tank and may include lumps which result in a cigarette having tobacco densities varying along the length of the tube.
• FR2716344 discloses another type of tobacco filling apparatus also comprising a funnel provided with a mixing cylinder comprising rods extending radially about an axis of rotation and allowing a certain homogenization of the tobacco before it does not reach a compression tank located in the bottom of the funnel.
• a metering device may be interposed between the mixing wheel and the compression chamber to control the amount of tobacco falling into the compaction chamber. Once compacted, the tobacco is transferred to a tube using a transfer rod as described above.
• US6739343 discloses an apparatus similar to the preceding comprising a passage defined between a cylindrical chamber and a mixing cylinder rotatably mounted in said cylindrical chamber and provided with short rods extending radially from the cylinder to the inner wall of the chamber cylindrical. At the bottom of the cylindrical chamber is a reservoir of compaction similar to those discussed above. The defect of the latter two devices is that the mixing cylinders do not allow sufficient homogenization of the tobacco before transfer into a compression chamber.
• WO2007 / 093417 discloses an apparatus comprising a rotor accommodated in a stator.
• the rotor is formed by a cylindrical rotary chamber whose wall is provided with openings and the stator is a static cylindrical chamber comprising a single opening in the bottom thereof, having the same geometry as the openings of the rotary chamber.
• the rotating chamber is filled with tobacco and turning a tobacco mixture is performed.
• tobacco can fall by gravity into a compression chamber as described above.
• US3892245 discloses an apparatus comprising a cylindrical chamber provided with a rotary mixer composed of thin rods extending radially from the axis of rotation of the mixer along a side wall of the cylindrical chamber and then once the wall device reached, forming a right angle and extending parallel to the peripheral wall.
• the bottom of the cylindrical chamber comprises an opening communicating with a metering chamber provided with a transfer rod.
• This apparatus does not include a compression chamber for compacting the tobacco accumulated on the transfer rod. Although the mixing of the tobacco is substantially better than in the previous apparatuses, it is not possible to reproducibly control the dosage of the paper tubes.
• the present invention relates to an apparatus comprising: (a) a mixing chamber adapted to receive tobacco, to break the agglomerates and thus homogenize the tobacco and to convey it in a metering unit, said mixing chamber being provided of a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall around an axis of revolution, X1, closed by two substantially circular side walls and parallel to each other and separated from each other by a distance, L, said mixing chamber comprising:
• a mixer comprising at least two blades rotatably mounted about the axis of revolution, X1, each blade having a width, Lb, substantially equal to the width, L, of the mixing chamber, and whose free end sweeps the peripheral wall, and comprising at least one window allowing the passage of tobacco therethrough,
• a first jaw forming a semi-cylindrical cradle defined by first and second cradle crests each extending parallel to the axis of revolution, X1, from one side wall to the other over a length substantially equal to L, wherein the first cradle stop defines the downstream lip of the discharge opening and the second cradle stop is outside the mixing chamber, and
• a second jaw forming a hemicylindrical vault defined by a first and a second arches extending each parallel to the axis of revolution, X1, from one side wall to the other over a length substantially equal to L, wherein the first vault defines the upstream lip of the discharge opening and the second vault extends to form a flat wall parallel to the axis of revolution, X1, and in contact with the second end cradle,
• a tobacco transfer unit in a cigarette tube comprising, (i) a cigarette tube holder adapted to hold in place a cigarette paper tube with its axis of revolution coaxial with the axis of revolution of the cylindrical compression chamber, and
• a transfer rod comprising a distal portion and a proximal portion, said transfer rod being able to slide into the cylindrical compression chamber to push the tobacco in the compression chamber into a cigarette paper tube placed on the support.
• the apparatus is provided with an elastically flexible blade comprising a first and a second end opposite to one another, and mounted cantilevered by its first end to the peripheral wall of the mixing chamber, so that:
• each blade of the mixer is substantially flexible reference. They may be made of an elastomeric material and / or having a thinner thickness than the rest of the blade.
• the height, d1 of the discharge opening is advantageously between 5 and 30 mm, preferably between 10 and 25 mm.
• the distal portion of the transfer rod is preferably cylindrical in diameter substantially equal to and less than DO and the proximal portion of the transfer rod has a shovel shape of length between 5 and 10 cm.
• the transfer rod is thus able to slide in the cylindrical compression chamber between a filling position to which the proximal portion is laid over substantially the entire length of the cradle of the first jaw and a transfer position to which the proximal portion is placed on the cigarette tube support and the distal portion is in the cylindrical compaction chamber.
• the shovel-shaped proximal portion preferably has a trunk section geometry of diameter equal to that of the cylindrical distal portion, having an opening angle of 170 to 210 ° at the level where the proximal portion contacts the distal portion and a diameter slightly smaller than the inside diameter of a cigarette paper tube and a smaller opening angle than the free end of the proximal portion, preferably between 60 and 120 °.
• the first cradle stop defining the downstream lip of the discharge opening is defined as the free end of a flat wall parallel to the axis of revolution, X1, extending the semi-cylindrical cradle. , preferably at a height of between 1 and 5 mm, in order to obtain a shearing effect with the first crown defining the upstream lip of the discharge opening, making it possible to cut off tobacco particles partially in the compression chamber and partially in the mixing chamber during the displacement of the jaws to their compression position.
• the present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a cigarette comprising the following steps:
• the rotational speed, VM, of the mixer is for example between 1000 and 1500 rpm and the mixing time, ÎM, can be between 0.5 and 5 s.
• Fig. 1 shows a general view in transparency of an apparatus according to the present invention.
• Fig. 2 shows views of mixers comprising windows of an apparatus according to the present invention (a) in perspective and comprising (b) two, (c) three and (d) four blades.
• Fig. 3 shows a view of the compression chamber (a) in the open position and (b) in the closed compression position.
• Fig. 4 shows a view of a compression chamber provided with a resilient metering blade (a) in the open position, (b) in the partial closed position and (c) in the closed position and compression of the jaws.
• Fig. 5 shows a transfer rod for an apparatus according to the present invention.
• Fig. 6 shows three steps of filling the tobacco dosing and compression unit with prior homogenisation of the tobacco by rotating the mixing blades with the compression unit (a) in the open position, (b) during closure and (c) in the closed position, ready to transfer the tobacco in a paper tube.
• Fig. 7 illustrates two preferred modes of alignment of a cigarette paper tube placed on its support co-axially to the compression chamber.
• a cigarette manufacturing apparatus comprises a tobacco mixing unit (1), a metering unit and compression (5) of said tobacco, and a transfer unit tobacco thus homogenized, dosed and compressed in paper cigarette tubes.
• the tobacco mixing unit is essential to the effectiveness of the present apparatus, because it allows to homogenize the tobacco before dosing and compress to introduce it into a cigarette paper tube. Indeed, a major defect of the apparatus of the prior art is that the homogenization of the tobacco is not sufficient and the filling of the cigarette paper tubes is not reproducible, because one can not avoid with such devices the formation of tobacco lumps or voids in the tube.
• the Mixing Chamber After many tests, the best homogenization of the tobacco was obtained by a mixer (12) comprising at least two blades, rotatably mounted in a substantially cylindrical mixing chamber (2) of the type described. in US3892245.
• the mixing chamber consists of a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall around an axis of revolution, X1, and two side walls closing the sides of the chamber.
• the mixing chamber comprises an inlet opening (not shown) for introducing tobacco into the chamber.
• the inlet opening may be in the peripheral wall or in one of the side walls. It is preferably provided with a closure valve for closing the inlet opening once the desired amount of tobacco has been introduced into the mixing chamber.
• the inlet opening may be equipped with an automatic or semi-automatic tobacco supply system.
• the mixing chamber (12) also comprises an exhaust opening (3) located on the peripheral wall and extending over substantially the entire width, L, of said wall.
• the discharge opening is in communication with the dosing and compression unit described below. Unlike prior art apparatuses described above, the discharge opening (3) is not at the lowest point of the metering / mixing chamber.
• This positioning of the discharge opening (3) is favorable for a transfer of the finest particles in the compression unit (5), made possible by the rotation and geometry of the mixer (12).
• the tobacco is not transferred to the compression chamber (5c) by gravity as is the case of the apparatuses of the prior art described above, but by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the mixer (12).
• the mixer (12) of an apparatus comprises at least two blades. It may include more, for example three or four blades as shown in Figure 2 (c) & (d).
• the mixer (12) is rotatably mounted about the axis, X1, of revolution of the peripheral wall of the mixing chamber (2). It has a span, Db, equal to or slightly greater than the diameter, D, of the cylindrical peripheral wall of the mixing chamber (2).
• the span, Db, of the mixer may be slightly greater than the diameter of the mixing chamber (2) in the case where at least a portion of the blades, in particular the free end of the blades, is flexible, for example made in one piece. elastomeric material and / or having a finer section.
• each blade comprises at least one window (12f) allowing the passage of tobacco therethrough.
• the total area covered by the window (s) on one side of a blade preferably represents between 15 and 85% of the area of said blade face, preferably between 20 and 80%, more preferably between 25 and 80%, % and 75% of the area of said blade face.
• each blade is preferably separated from the free end of said blade by a distance, Df, of at least 5 mm, preferably at least 10 mm. This allows the free end of each blade to push the tobacco particles along the peripheral wall of the mixing chamber (2).
• the mixer is coupled to a motor (not shown in the Figures) for rotating the mixer (12) about its axis of rotation, X1, at a speed of between 500 and 1000 rpm (revolutions per minute), preferably between 1000 and 1500 rpm.
• the mixer preferably rotates in the direction such that it first scans the upstream lip of the discharge opening defined by the second jaw (5b) before scanning the downstream lip defined by the first jaw (5a).
• the compression unit (5) is placed adjacent to the discharge opening (3) of the mixing chamber (2). It is the compression unit (5) which controls the extent (or height) of the discharge opening (3) in the circumferential direction of the peripheral wall.
• the compression unit (5) comprises a first jaw (5a) and a second jaw (5b) defining a volume between the two.
• the first jaw (5a) forms a hemicylindrical cradle and is defined by first and second cradle crests each extending parallel to the axis of revolution, X1, from one side wall to the other over a substantially lengthwise length. equal to the width, L, of the mixing chamber.
• a first stop cradle defines the downstream lip of the discharge opening (3).
• This first cradle stop is advantageously defined as the free end of a plane wall parallel to the axis of revolution, X1, extending the semi-cylindrical cradle, as shown in FIGS. 3 & 4.
• the height of said planar wall of extension can typically be between 1 and 5 mm.
• This configuration has two advantages. First, it allows to contain a larger amount of tobacco before compression than in the case where the lip down the discharge opening would correspond to the end of the semicylindrical part of the cradle. Secondly, it provides a shearing effect with the first crown defining the upstream lip of the discharge opening, to cut tobacco particles partially in the compression chamber (5c) and partially in the mixing chamber when moving the jaws to their compression position.
• the second jaw (5b) forms a hemicylindrical arch defined by a first and a second arches extending each parallel to the axis of revolution, X1, from one side wall to the other over a length substantially equal to L.
• a first crown defines the upstream lip of the discharge opening (3) of the mixing chamber.
• the second vault extends to form a plane wall parallel to the axis of revolution, X1, and in contact with the second cradle stop, the first and second jaws (5a, 5b) are movable relative to each other.
• the other in a direction normal to the axis of revolution, X1, between a filling position, to which the upstream and downstream lips of the discharge opening (3) are separated from each other; a distance, d1, forming a compression chamber (5c) of substantially oval section (see Figures 3 (a) and 4 (a) & (b)), and a compression position to which the lips upstream and downstream of the The discharge opening (3) is in contact with each other and the cradle and vault together form a cylindrical diameter compression chamber, DO (see Figures 3 (b) and 4 (c)).
• the height, d1, of the discharge opening may be between 5 and 30 mm, preferably between 10 and 25 mm.
• the height, d1 depends on the type of tobacco used, the density of tobacco in the desired cigarette, and the presence or absence of a blade (4) shown in Figure 4 and described below.
• the translation movement of the jaws (5a, 5b) thus makes it possible, on the one hand, to control the extent (or height) of the discharge opening (3) in the circumferential direction of the peripheral wall of the chamber of mixture (2) which makes it possible to control the quantity of tobacco transferred per unit of time in the compression unit (5) and, secondly, to compact the tobacco thus transferred in a cylinder which can be introduced into a tube (10) of cigarette paper.
• the diameter, OD, of the compression chamber (5c) formed by the two attached jaws is preferably of the order of 6 to 7 mm whereas the internal diameter of a tube in Cigarette paper is usually about 8 mm.
• the apparatus comprises an elastically flexible blade (4) comprising a first and a second (4c) ends opposite to each other.
• the blade has a width substantially equal to the width of the discharge opening (3) and may be of metal such as preferably stainless steel, or rigid polymer, preferably fiber reinforced.
• the blade is cantilevered at its first end to the peripheral wall of the mixing chamber. Its second end (4c) is free, and the blade is placed so that it rests on the upstream lip of the opening (3) formed by the first arch edge of the second jaw (5b).
• the free end (4c) of the blade (4) penetrates partially in the compression chamber (5c) relying on the upstream lip of the discharge opening (3).
• the blade (4) can guide the tobacco pushed in front of the discharge opening (3) by the mixer (12) in the compression chamber, even if the mixer rotates at high speed.
• the free ends of the blades of the mixers are advantageously flexible.
• the transfer unit is used to transfer the metered and compacted tobacco present in the compression chamber (5c) to the inside of a cigarette paper tube.
• the transfer unit comprises a cigarette tube support (9) adapted to hold in place a cigarette paper tube (10) with its axis of revolution coaxial with the axis of revolution of the cylindrical compression chamber.
• the support (9) is preferably of substantially semicylindrical shape with a diameter slightly greater than the diameter, DO, of the cradle of the first jaw (5a) and extending it coaxially towards the outside of the compression chamber of a length equivalent to the length of a cigarette, of the order of ten cm.
• the carrier (9) may include means for holding the tube (10) in position when transferring the tobacco from the compression chamber to the interior of the cigarette paper tube. It may be a ring or an elastic strap or not enveloping the tube and retaining it on the cradle forming the support (9). It may also be a cover as shown in Figure 1 or simply the support may comprise a stop wall at the end of the support remote from the chamber. compression, to prevent the tube from moving back during the transfer of tobacco (the position of such a barrier wall is preferably variable to accommodate tubes (10) of different lengths).
• the hemicylindrical (or prismatic) cradle of the support (9) may also include small holes and an air suction system holding the tube in position.
• a user can hold the cigarette paper tube in position on its support (9) with his finger during the tobacco transfer phase.
• the apparatus may be provided with a cigarette paper tube dispenser (10) that has a new tube as soon as a cigarette is removed from the holder.
• each tube can be arranged on the support (9) by hand.
• the outlet of the compression chamber (5c) is advantageously provided with an outgoing nose (9b), of beveled cylindrical shape or truncated conical shape of low height-of the order of 0.5-3 mm- and maximum diameter less than or equal to the inner diameter of the cigarette paper tubes, for centering the tubes co-axially to the compression chamber.
• the outlet may be provided with a truncated conical recess (9c) of greater diameter than the outer diameter of a cigarette paper tube, also for centering the co tubes. -axially to the compression chamber.
• a transfer rod (7) comprises a distal portion (7d) and a proximal portion (7p) and must be able to slide into the cylindrical compression chamber to push the tobacco in the compression chamber into a paper tube with cigarette placed on the support (9). At least a portion of the transfer rod (7) must have a section of maximum dimension smaller than the diameter, DO, of the compression chamber in the compression position.
• the transfer rod (7) is simply a cylindrical rod of diameter very slightly smaller than DO.
• such a transfer rod is, in its filling position, outside the compression chamber, coaxial with the hemicylindrical cradle of the first jaw (5a), and having its proximal end (7p) adjacent to the end of the compression chamber opposite the support (9).
• the transfer rod (7) is slid into the compression chamber such as a piston in a cylinder. This causes the thrust of the tobacco present in the compression chamber along the cradle formed by the first jaw and by the support (9) on which is a cigarette paper tube with an open end adjacent and coaxial with the compression chamber. .
• the tobacco is thus transferred from the compression chamber to the inside of the cigarette paper tube.
• the distal portion (7d) of the transfer rod (7) is cylindrical in diameter substantially equal to and less than DO.
• the proximal portion (7p) of the transfer rod (7) has a shovel shape of length between 5 and 10 cm.
• the transfer rod is translated along the axis of revolution of the cylindrical compression chamber towards the paper tube. cigarette.
• the proximal portion (7p) shaped shovel on which the tobacco is placed enters the tube (10) of cigarette paper. Once the bottom of the tube reached by the transfer rod, it is removed.
• This variant transfer rod (7) is advantageous because during its transfer the tobacco is not compressed in the axial direction of the tube (10) as it could happen with a rod acting as a piston described above, which could forming a void at the bottom of the paper tube and denser tobacco in the portion of the tube (10) closer to the compression chamber.
• the shovel-shaped proximal portion (7p) of the transfer rod (7) shown in Fig. 1a preferably has a cylinder trunk geometry equal in diameter to that of the cylindrical distal portion (7d) having an angle of opening 170 to 210 ° at the level where the proximal portion (7p) contacts the distal portion (7d), and a lower opening angle to the free end of the proximal portion (7p), preferably between 60 and 120 °.
• the proximal portion (7p) is preferably made of a material having a low coefficient of friction, such as a well polished metal or a polymer such as a polyolefin (for example polyethylene or polypropylene), POM or a fluorinated polymer such as PTFE .
• the thickness of the walls of the proximal part (7p) must of course be as thin as possible so that it can easily penetrate and come out of the cigarette paper tube, but at the same time it must be rigid enough not to bend during the transfer. tobacco in the cigarette paper tube.
• the rotational speed of the mixer (12) is preferably between 500 and 1 000 rpm, advantageously between 1000 and 1500 rpm and the mixing time is preferably between 0.5 and 0.5 rpm. and 5 s.
• the height, d1, of the discharge opening (3) is preferably between 5 and 30 mm, advantageously between 10 and 25 mm.
• the value of d1 corresponds to the distance separating the downstream and upstream lips of the first and second jaws (5a, 5b) (see FIG. 3).
• the value of d1 corresponds to the distance between the downstream lip of the first jaw and the blade measured parallel to the direction of relative displacement between the first and second jaws.
• the apparatus for the manufacture of cigarettes of the present invention combines a simplicity of concept, which favorably influences the price of production, ease of use, and especially a reproducibility of the density of tobacco introduced into the tubes.
• cigarette paper with a degree of homogenization unattainable by the apparatus of the prior art discussed above.
• the density of tobacco in the cigarette paper tubes according to the type of tobacco and the tastes of the user can easily be controlled by the time, tM, filling and the height, d1, of the discharge opening (3). ). Once these parameters are determined, cigarettes of very constant quality can be easily manufactured.

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• Manufacturing Of Cigar And Cigarette Tobacco (AREA)

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Family Applications (1)

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Citations (4)

• 2014
  • 2014-08-28 BE BE2014/0647A patent/BE1022188B1/fr not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2015
  • 2015-08-27 EP EP15759434.2A patent/EP3185704B1/de not_active Not-in-force
  • 2015-08-27 WO PCT/EP2015/069651 patent/WO2016030463A1/fr active Application Filing

Patent Citations (4)

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