WO2022022866A1

WO2022022866A1 - Storage device and method for filling a storage device

Info

Publication number: WO2022022866A1
Application number: PCT/EP2021/059446
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jürgen Pehmöller; Felix OHLHOF
Original assignee: Hauni Maschinenbau Gmbh
Priority date: 2020-07-28
Filing date: 2021-04-12
Publication date: 2022-02-03
Also published as: CN115884689A; DE102020119923A1; EP4161299A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a storage device (10) for storing cross-axially, parallel oriented stick-shaped articles in the tobacco-processing industry, in particular filter sticks, comprising a magazine section (12) having a feed region (14) and a removal region (16), the feed region (14) being assigned at least one feed device (18.1 – 18.3), which is designed to feed the stick-shaped articles to the storage device (10) cross-axially. The invention also relates to a method for filling a corresponding storage device (10). According to the invention, a loosening unit (20) is arranged in the feed region (14) at the output of the at least one feed device (18.1 – 18.3) and has at least one rotary element (22.1 – 22.3), which has a rotary profile (24.1 – 24.3) with a cross-section deviating from a circular shape, wherein a rotational axis (26.1 – 26.3) of the at least one rotary element (22.1 – 22.3) is oriented parallel to the orientation of the stick-shaped articles in the storage device (10), wherein the loosening unit (20) comprises a drive (28), which transfers a rotary movement to the at least one rotary element (22.1 – 22.3).

Description

Storage device and method for filling a storage device

description

The invention relates to a storage device for storing rod-shaped articles of the tobacco-processing industry, in particular filter rods, aligned cross-axially and parallel, comprising a magazine section with a feed area and a removal area, with the feed area being assigned at least one feed device which is designed to supply the storage device with the rod-shaped articles Feed articles transversely. The invention further relates to a method for loading a corresponding memory device.

Such a storage device is known, for example, from EP 1 920 668 B1, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Such storage devices, also known as filter magazines, are used in cigarette manufacture as temporary storage for the multiple-length filter rods that are manufactured, for example, in a filter rod unit and are cut to length from the endless filter rod in multiple use lengths. The filter rods pass through one or several feeding devices in the filter magazine. In some cases, clocked-driven conveying drums with troughs are used for this purpose, into which the filter rods are initially injected longitudinally and parallel to the axis of rotation of the conveying drums, and then switched to cross-axial conveying by clocked rotation of the conveying drum. In an outlet area, the cross-axially conveyed filter rods then enter the magazine section of the storage device, where they are temporarily stored in a cross-axial parallel orientation. Corresponding feeding devices are known, for example, from EP 1 397 966 A1, the disclosure of which is also referred to here in its entirety.

In the type of storage device presented in EP 1 920 668 B1, the rod-shaped articles are temporarily stored as a mass in a large number of horizontal layers one above the other. The removal takes place from below, the supply from the side, into the mass of rod-shaped articles. When filling up the magazine section provided for storing the rod-shaped articles, the rod-shaped articles already present therein are partially displaced upwards, so that due to the dead weight of the stored rod-shaped articles, a pressure dependent on the filling level in the magazine section is exerted on the rod-shaped articles stored in the lower part of the magazine section article works. This pressure increases as more rod-shaped articles are fed into the magazine section, which can result in damage to the stored rod-shaped articles.

In addition to the local increase in pressure due to the dead weight of the rod-shaped articles, there is a further local increase in pressure if the rod-shaped articles are not fed in from above, but rather within the area of the magazine section that is filled with stored rod-shaped articles, i.e. in the filling area of the magazine section in the storage stack the rod-shaped article. In this case, the rod-shaped articles to be stored are fed in against their own weight and the resistance of the rod-shaped articles already stored, so that the rod- Shaped articles can only be fed to the magazine section with a high contact pressure. Since the pressure in the filling area does not completely dissipate, but rather remains local in the feed area, subsequent feeding of further items requires an even higher pressure, so that the local pressure increases particularly sharply in the feed area, which can damage the rod-shaped items stored there Article results.

According to EP 1 920668 B1, this problem is solved by introducing a relief unit for reducing a local pressure acting on the rod-shaped articles in the magazine section, which is designed as a transport element with an at least essentially vertically upward conveying path. Rod-shaped articles are removed from the filled lower part of the magazine section and transported to the overlying parts of the storage stack, regardless of whether rod-shaped articles are removed from the store or not. This efficiently relieves the lower section and counteracts the build-up of high local pressure. Since the rod-shaped articles conveyed in an upward direction are guided along and also touch a large number of other rod-shaped articles stored in the magazine section on the way up, the stored rod-shaped articles are shaken and moved in a shaking manner, so that local pressure differences within the entire filling area over the entire fill level can be effectively dissipated, regardless of where the feed section is located.

Proceeding from this state of the art, the object of the present inventions is to make the filling of a storage device with rod-shaped articles from the tobacco processing industry even safer than was previously possible.

This object is achieved by a storage device for storing transversely-axially-parallel aligned rod-shaped tobacco processing articles Industry, in particular of filter rods, comprising a magazine section with a feed area and a removal area, the feed area being assigned at least one feed device which is designed to feed the rod-shaped articles transversely axially to the storage device, which is further developed in that in the feed A loosening unit with at least one rotary element is arranged in the direction of the outlet of the at least one feed device, which has a rotary profile with a cross-section deviating from a circular shape, wherein an axis of rotation of the at least one rotary element is aligned parallel to the alignment of the rod-shaped articles in the storage device, wherein the loosening unit comprises a drive which transmits a rotary motion to the at least one rotary element. The invention is based on the finding that with the known storage device, despite the relief unit, high local pressures can still occur in the feed area from the feed device or feed devices, which can lead to damage to the rod-shaped articles. This is due to the fact that the relief unit is usually located on the opposite side of the

Magazine section is arranged and thus the relieving effect in the opposite area, in which rod-shaped articles are supplied, has already greatly or completely subsided. In order to relieve this particularly heavily loaded area of the magazine section, according to the invention, a rotary element with a rotary profile is arranged at the output of the at least one feed device, which is arranged with a rotation about an axis of rotation that is arranged parallel to the orientation of the temporarily stored rod-shaped articles. This reduces the local pressure in the feed area, so that the subsequent stick-shaped articles are fed into the magazine section with less pressure and thus less risk of being damaged. The speed of rotation of the rotary profile can be adapted to the conditions of the storage device and the filling by simple tests and should be a maximum Do not exceed speed that would damage the rod-shaped items.

In embodiments, the rotary profile has at least two wings in cross section. Viewed in cross-section, the wings are arranged in such a way that they are in two-, three-, or four-fold symmetry with one another. For example, the turning profile is approximately triangular in cross-section, with the tips of such a “triangle”, which form the wings, being rounded off to protect the material and the sides of the triangle being drawn in towards the center of the triangle. Likewise, four wings can be arranged approximately in the shape of a cross. Furthermore, it is provided that the cross-section of the turning profile has an essentially oval or rounded, double-wedge-like shape. The rotary profile is thus essentially convex in cross-section, so that the rotary profile only displaces the rod-shaped article, but does not take it with it or transport it. The

The loosening principle is based on the displacement of the rod-shaped articles.

During rotation, the outermost points of the rotation profile describe a maximum circumference circle within which the rotation profile is located. In embodiments, a circumferential circle around the turning profile is 3 to 15 times the diameter of the rod-shaped articles away from an outlet of the at least one feed device. This range of values ensures that the rotary profiles are not so far away from the at least one feed device that they no longer have a relieving effect, but are also not arranged so close to the outlet of the feed device that the newly fed rods in between are in the form of rods Articles are crushed by the rotating profiles. In embodiments, the rotary profile has a diameter of its circumferential circle which is 2 to 20 times the diameter of the rod-shaped article. In this range of values, there is a compromise that on the one hand loosening should only take place locally, but on the other hand not too few rod-shaped articles are displaced. It If there is a greater distance from the outlet of the feed device, a larger diameter of the rotary profile can also be selected. The turning speed is chosen to be inversely proportional to the diameter of the turning profile, so that the peripheral speed at the tips of the turning profile does not become too high.

Several feed devices are included in embodiments, with each feed device in particular being assigned a rotary element, in particular of the same type. In such a case, the rotating profiles of the several rotating elements are preferably rotated through 90° to one another. This prevents the gaps between the turning profiles from becoming dangerously narrow and thus protects the rod-shaped articles.

In one embodiment, the several rotary elements are connected to the drive via a chain, with the drive and/or the rotary elements being/are connected to the chain in particular via a slipping clutch or via slipping clutches or via one or more switchable clutches. Thus, a single drive is sufficient for the multiple rotary elements. The slipping clutch or slipping clutches stop the individual rotary elements in the event of a fault and ensure that they are not too high

Pressure is exerted on the rod-shaped article. The use of switchable clutches makes it possible to switch the rotation of the rotating element or, in the case of several rotating elements, the rotation of individual rotating elements, on and off very quickly, which allows a faster reaction than switching off the drive itself. In the case of several rotating elements, the rotating elements can also be switched individually , so that it is possible to react individually to faults in the area of the outlets of individual feed devices without interrupting the operation of the other feed devices and rotary elements.

In embodiments, the fluffing unit is fastened to a sheet metal that is a wall of the magazine section, with the drive on the back of the wall outside of the magazine section and the at least a turning profile are arranged on the front of the wall section within the magazine section. Such a loosening unit can also be retrofitted to existing storage devices. The object on which the invention is based is also achieved by a method for filling an above-described storage device according to the invention, with rod-shaped articles from the tobacco processing industry being conveyed transversely axially by means of at least one supply device transversely axially through a supply area into a magazine section of the storage device. in which they are stored in stick-shaped articles in a transverse-axial-parallel orientation, the mass of the fed-in stick-shaped articles being loosened by means of a rotary profile of at least one driven rotary element of the loosening unit of the storage device at the output of the at least one feeding device. The inventive method relates to the erfindungsge Permitted device and realizes its advantages, features and properties.

Further features of the invention will become apparent from the description of embodiments according to the invention together with the claims and the accompanying drawings. Embodiments according to the invention can meet individual features or a combination of several features. The invention is described below, without restricting the general inventive idea, by means of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings, with express reference being made to the drawings with regard to all details according to the invention that are not explained in more detail in the text. Show it:

1 shows a schematic representation of a memory device according to the invention, 2 shows a perspective view of a loosening unit according to the invention,

3 is a perspective view of the back of a memory device according to the Invention and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the rear of another

Embodiment of a storage device according to the invention.

Within the scope of the invention, features that are marked “particularly” or “preferably” are to be understood as optional features. In the drawings, elements and/or parts that are the same or of the same type are provided with the same reference numbers, so that they are not presented again in each case.

Fig. 1 shows schematically a storage device 10 according to the invention with a magazine section 12, which is provided for a mass of parallel aligned filter rods (not shown), whose axes are aligned perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. The magazine section 12 is bounded at the rear by a wall 13 in the form of a metal sheet, while the front wall is omitted in order to allow a view of the storage device 10 .

The rod-shaped articles are introduced into the magazine section 12 from the side. Three similar feeding devices 18.1-18.3 are used for this purpose, of which the uppermost feeding device 18.1 is shown without a cover plate. The feed devices 18.1 - 18.3 are conveyor drums that are moved in a clocked manner, as described in EP 1 397 966 A1, into the troughs of which the rod-shaped articles are shot one after the other lengthways and axially while the rotation of the conveyor drums causes a cross-axial promotion of the rod-shaped article. The conveying drums of the feeding devices 18.1-18.3 bring the rod-shaped articles conveyed transversely axially into the feeding area 14 of the magazine section 12, where they are added in the same orientation to the rod-shaped articles already stored there. The stored rod-shaped articles fill the magazine section 12 up to a flexible mass cover 40 so that the weight of the mass of the rod-shaped articles causes a pressure to build up between the articles in the storage device 10 . A corresponding mass cover is described, for example, in EP 1 920668 B1 in the form of a chain mail, which, as a parallel guide unit, ensures the transverse-axial parallel alignment of the rod-shaped articles. Against this pressure, the newly added rod-shaped articles in the magazine section 12 must be pressed.

On the right side, opposite the feed area 14, a loading delimitation plate 50 is arranged, which delimits the magazine section 12 to the side. In the lower area of the magazine section 12, the removal area 16 connects to a removal device, not shown. The temporarily stored rod-shaped articles are thus in the direction of the gravitational force, i. H. down, removed. In order to avoid congestion in the mass flow, rhombus-shaped stationary obstacle bodies 17 are arranged above the extraction area 16 or in the extraction area 16 . These direct the mass flow and prevent bridging in the mass flow of the rod-shaped articles.

In the feed area 14, three rotary elements 22.1-22.3 are arranged at the exits of the feed devices 18.1-18.3, the driven one

Rotating profiles 24.1 - 24.3 exhibit which loosen up the mass flow of the rod-shaped articles in the feed area 14 by a slow rotation in the mass flow and ensure that the devices 18.1 - 18.3 subsequently delivered rod-shaped articles into one Reach the area of the mass flow with reduced local pressure. In this way, the rod-shaped articles are brought into the magazine area 12 in a gentle manner. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, the rotary profiles 24.1-24.3 each have a rounded diamond-shaped cross-section, which represents two opposite wings, which are moved by the mass of the rod-shaped article and gently loosen this mass. The surrounding rod-shaped articles are displaced by the rotation, so that the surrounding rod-shaped articles can rearrange themselves and assume a less crowded arrangement. The rotating elements 22.1 - 22.3 are arranged close to the exits of the feeders 18.1 - 18.3, but with a spacing that ensures that the stick-shaped articles just fed in have room to escape. This can also be seen from the fact that guide plates 19.1 -

19.3, the output of the feed devices 18.1 - 18.3 define the space into which the fed rod-shaped articles come in, at the point of the rotary elements 22.1 - 22.3 the respective feed channels in between have sufficiently widened, so that the peripheral circles 25.1 - 25.3 do not come into contact with the guide plates 19.1 - 19.3 collide.

The peripheral circles 25.1-25.3 of the turning profiles 24.1-24.3 come very close to one another. For this reason, the turning profiles 24.1 - 24.3 are each arranged rotated by 90° to one another. This prevents the turning profiles 24.1 - 24.3 from coming so close to each other in the course of their revolutions that they could crush the rod-shaped articles.

FIG. 2 shows a loosening unit 20 according to the invention, as can be seen in FIG. 1 from the front. The loosening unit 20 is suspended from a holding plate 32 which is connected to the sheet metal of the rear wall

13 of the storage device can be connected, and comprises on the front side the three rotating elements 22.1-22.3, which have already been presented in FIG. It can be seen that the rotary profiles 24.1 - 24.3 are rotatably arranged on rotary axes 26.1 - 26.3, which are secured by the holding plate 32 through to gears 27.1 - 27.3 lead on the back of the holding plate 32, which engage in a chain 30, which is moved by a drive 28 BE. The rotating profiles 24.1-24.3 are driven via a slipping clutch on the side of the drive 28, which prevents the rotating profiles 24.1-24.3 from exerting too much pressure on the rod-shaped items. As an alternative or in addition to this, the axes of rotation 26.1-26.3 can be provided with slip clutches.

3 shows a perspective view of the back of the storage device 10 according to the invention with the back of the sheet metal of the rear wall 13 on which the loosening unit 20 is mounted. The loosening unit 20 is housed in a housing 21 so that the gears 27.1-27.3 shown in FIG. 2 and the chain 30 are covered. The drive 28 is arranged outside of the housing 21 . Also visible are the feed devices 18.1 - 18.3 with the clocked driven trough drums. The loosening unit 20 can easily be retrofitted to existing storage devices 10 .

A further exemplary embodiment of a memory device 10 according to the invention is shown in perspective in FIG. 4 . In the housing 21 of

Loosening unit 20 is the already known from Fig. 2 structure of gears 27.1 -. The rotation of the gears 27.1-27.3 is transmitted via the axes of rotation 26.1-26.3 to the rotary elements 22.1-22.3 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with the rotary profiles 24.1-24.3

Rotational movement according to erfindungsge loosens up the temporarily stored articles.

In contrast to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 shows that a clutch 29.1-29.3 is also assigned to the individual bushings, which is arranged between the gear wheel 27.1-27.3 and the axis of rotation 26.1-26.3. During operation of the device, the clutches 29.1-29.3 can be switched individually into an engaged and a disengaged state and on be controlled in this way in such a way that the rotation of the respective gear wheel 27.1-27.3 is or is not transmitted to the respectively associated axis of rotation 26.1-26.3. The drive 28 can continue to be operated ben. In this way it is possible, for example, to solve problems that arise in the area of the outlet of a single feeder

18.1 - 18.3 may occur. For example, pulsed operation via the clutch 29.1 - 29.3 can lead to additional loosening. The rotation of one of the rotating elements 22.1 - 22.3 can also be stopped completely if it is recognized that there is a complete blockage in the outlet of the associated feed device has arisen, which must be remedied by other means, for example manually.

All of the features mentioned, including those that can be taken from the drawings alone, as well as individual features that are disclosed in combination with other features, are considered to be essential to the invention, both alone and in combination. Embodiments according to the invention can be fulfilled by individual features or a combination of several features.

Reference List

10 storage device

12 magazine section

13 wall

14 supply area 16 removal area 17 stationary obstacle body

18.1 18.3 Feeder

19.1 19.3 Guide plates

20 fluffing unit

21 housing

22.1 22.3 rotating element

24.1 24.3 turning profile

25.1 25.3 Circumference

26.1 26.3 axis of rotation

27.1 27.3 gear

28 drive

29.1 29.3 clutch

30 chain

32 retaining plate

40 mass coverage

50 boundary plate

Claims

Storage device and method for filling a storage device

1. Storage device (10) for storing rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry aligned transversely axially parallel, in particular filter rods, comprising a magazine section (12) with a feed area (14) and a removal area (16), the feed area (14) having at least a feed device (18.1 - 18.3) is assigned, which is designed to feed the rod-shaped articles transversely to the storage device (10), characterized in that in the feed area (14) at the output of the at least one feed device (18.1 - 18.3) there is a loosening unit ( 20) is arranged with at least one rotary element (22.1 - 22.3) which has a rotary profile (24.1 - 24.3) with a cross-section deviating from a circular shape, with a rotary axis (26.1 - 26.3) of the at least one rotary element (22.1 - 22.3) being parallel for aligning the rod-shaped article in the memory device (10) is aligned, wherein the loosening unit (20) has a Drive (28) comprises, which or which transmits a Drehbe movement to the at least one rotating element (22.1 - 22.3).

2. Storage device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotary profile (24.1-24.3) has at least two wings in cross section, which are arranged in a two-, three-, or four-fold symmetry with respect to one another.

3. Storage device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the rotary profile (24.1 - 24.3) has a substantially oval or rounded double wedge-like shape in cross section.

4. Storage device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a circumferential circle (25.1 - 25.3) around the rotary profile (24.1 - 24.3) by 3 to 15 times the diameter of the rod-shaped articles from an outlet the at least one feeding device (18.1 - 18.3) is removed.

5. Storage device (10) according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the rotary profile (24.1 - 24.3) has a diameter of its peripheral circle (25.1 - 25.3) which is 2 to 20 times the diameter of the rod-shaped articles having.

6. Storage device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that several feed devices (18.1 - 18.3) are included, in particular each feed device

(18.1 - 18.3) is assigned a rotating element (22.1 - 22.3), in particular of the same type.

7. Storage device (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that the rotary profiles (24.1 - 24.3) of the plurality of rotary elements (22.1 - 22.3) are rotated by 90° to one another.

8. Storage device (10) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the plurality of rotary elements (22.1 - 22.3) via a Chain (30) are connected to the drive (28), the drive (28) and/or the rotary elements (22.1 - 22.3) being connected in particular via a slip clutch or via slip clutches or via one or more switchable clutches (29.1 - 29.3) is or are connected to the chain (30).

9. Storage device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the loosening unit (20) is attached to egg nem sheet metal, which is a wall (13) of the magazine section (12), the drive (28) on the back of the wall (13) au outside of the magazine section (12) and the at least one rotary profile (24.1 - 24.3) are arranged on the front side of the wall within the Ma gazinabschnitts (12).

10. Method for filling a storage device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry are fed transversely axially by means of at least one feed device (18.1 - 18.3) transversely axially through a feed area (14) into a magazine section (12). the storage device (10) by storing the rod-shaped articles in a transverse-axial-parallel orientation, the mass of the rod-shaped articles being fed being rotated by means of a rotary profile (24.1 - 24.3) of at least one driven rotary element (22.1 - 22.3) of the curler tion unit (20) of the storage device (10) at the output of the we least one feed device (18.1 - 18.3) is loosened.