APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR INSERTION OF CAPSULES INTO FILTER TOWS
An apparatus for insertion of capsules into cigarette filter tows is disclosed. The apparatus may include a tow processing unit, a capsule insertion unit and a filter rod making unit. The capsule insertion unit may include a hopper, a capsule presorter, a belt, an inlet pipe, a capsule insertion wheel, and a tow gathering funnel.
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Cigarettes and other smoking articles commonly include filter portions (universally known as filter segments) intended to remove some impurities and toxins from the cigarette smoke as it is inhaled. In certain cases, cigarette manufacturers may wish to impart flavor to the cigarette smoke as it is inhaled by the smoker.
One method of imparting flavor to a cigarette may be to include a flavor capsule within the filter portion of a cigarette. When the capsule is ruptured, it releases flavorings or aromatic material into the air stream passing through the filter. These capsules may also alter other chemical or physical characteristics of the inhaled smoke, such as, for example, cooling or moistening the smoke such that the smoker is provided with an enhanced smoking experience.
SUMMARYAn apparatus for insertion of capsules into cigarette filter tows, including a tow processing unit coupled to a capsule insertion unit and a filter rod making unit coupled to the capsule insertion unit, the tow processing unit including a tow bale, a plurality of rollers, a plurality of banding jets and a plasticizer chamber, and the rod making unit including a garniture bed, a sensor and a knife carrier. The capsule insertion unit including a hopper, an in-line presorting device, an endless belt disposed between the hopper and an inlet pipe, an insertion wheel rotating about an axis of rotation, the insertion wheel including a circular cavity in communication with said inlet pipe, an in-line sensor continuously controlling the quality of the capsules and a tow gathering funnel configured to receive an edge of the insertion wheel.
The insertion wheel includes a plurality of radial channels in communication with the circular cavity of the wheel, each radial channel configured to receive a plurality of capsules; a plurality of insertion channels, each insertion channel in communication with a corresponding radial channel and terminating at the outer edge of the insertion wheel; and a plurality of separation mechanisms, each separation mechanism disposed between a corresponding radial channel and a corresponding insertion channel.
Aspects of the invention are disclosed in the following description and related drawings directed to specific embodiments of the invention. Alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention. Further, to facilitate an understanding of the description discussion of several terms used herein follows.
As used herein, the word “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance or illustration.” The embodiments described herein are not limiting, but rather are exemplary only. It should be understood that the described embodiment are not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Moreover, the terms “embodiments of the invention”, “embodiments” or “invention” do not require that all embodiments of the invention include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation.
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Disposed substantially horizontally within circular cavity 214 of, and concentric to insertion wheel 220 may be distribution disk 310. Distribution disk 310 may include an axle 216. Axle 216 may be positioned substantially coaxial to axis of rotation 212 and may include a spring 218 disposed therein. Capsules 150 exiting from inlet pipe 210 may collect within circular cavity 214 and on the top surface of distribution disk 310. The elevation of distribution disk 310 within circular cavity 214 may be automatically adjusted depending on the quantity of capsules 150 present on the top surface of distribution disk 310 to facilitate smooth transfer of capsules from distribution disk 310 to insertion wheel 220. Distribution disk 310 may oscillate around axis of rotation 212, and may have an oscillation range of approximately ±180°. The top surface of distribution disk 310 may be flat or may have grooves 312 defined therein. The oscillating action and grooves 312 of distribution disk 310 may likewise facilitate supplying capsules 150 to insertion wheel 220.
The oscillation of distribution disk 310 may be facilitated by spring 218. The rotation of insertion wheel 220 around axis of rotation 212 may impart rotational motion to distribution disk 310 via frictional contact between insertion wheel 220 and distribution disk 310. As distribution disk 310 begins to rotate with insertion wheel 220, spring 218 may be imparted with increasing tension. As spring 218 reaches its limit of tension, it may decompress, thereby returning distribution disk 310 to its original position. The repetition of this motion may thus cause distribution disk to oscillate, thereby facilitating the movement of capsules 150 towards the edges of distribution disk 310 and into insertion wheel 220.
Insertion wheel 220 may include radial channels 314 defined in the interior thereof. Radial channels 314 may extend from circular cavity 214 towards the periphery of insertion wheel 220. Radial channels 314 may have a linear or arcuate profile; the particular profile may be chosen depending on the shape of capsules 150 used in a particular application and the speed with which capsules 150 pass through radial channels 314. Capsules 150 may pass from distribution disk 310 into radial channels 314 of insertion wheel 220. The rotation of insertion wheel 220 around axis of rotation 212 provides centrifugal force to facilitate maintenance of capsules 150 within radial channels 314 as well as the movement of capsules 150 from circular cavity 214 to the outer edge of insertion wheel 220 via radial channels 314.
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The motion of tow 120 and the rotation of insertion wheel 220 may be synchronized such that the linear speed of tow 120 may be substantially equal to the tangential speed of insertion wheel 220. Such synchronization facilitates the insertion of capsules 150 into tow 120 at equal intervals, thereby allowing capsules 150 to be equally spaced relative to each other. The tow may be simultaneously shaped into a substantially rod-like configuration by tongues 214. Consequently, when tow 120 exits through tow outlet aperture 508, capsules 150 are embedded at the desired regular intervals within tow 120.
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In operation, capsules 150 may be stored in hopper 202 and be withdrawn there from by presorting device 230, as shown in
A capsule 150 may then be carried by insertion wheel 220 towards tow gathering funnel 216. As a particular insertion channel 408 approaches slit 218 of tow gathering funnel 216, a capsule 150 may pass from insertion channel 408 into tow 120, as shown in
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The foregoing description and accompanying figures illustrate the principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above. Additional variations of the embodiments discussed above will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.
Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that variations to those embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
Claims
1. An apparatus for insertion of capsules into cigarette filter tows, comprising:
- a tow processing unit coupled to a capsule insertion unit and a filter rod making unit coupled to the capsule insertion unit,
- the tow processing unit further comprising a tow bale, a plurality of rollers, a plurality of banding jets and a plasticizer chamber;
- the capsule insertion unit further comprising a hopper, a presorting unit, an endless belt disposed between said presorting unit and an inlet pipe, an insertion wheel rotating about an axis of rotation, said insertion wheel further comprising a circular cavity in communication with said inlet pipe and a distribution disk disposed within said cavity, and a tow gathering funnel configured to receive an edge of said insertion wheel; and
- the rod making unit further comprising a garniture bed, a sensor, a knife carrier and an ejector.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the insertion wheel further comprises:
- at least one capsule quality sensor;
- a plurality of radial channels in communication with said circular cavity, each of said radial grooves configured to receive a plurality of capsules;
- a plurality of insertion channels, each of said insertion channels being in communication with a corresponding radial channel and terminating at the outer edge of the insertion wheel; and
- a plurality of separation mechanisms, each of said plurality of separation mechanisms disposed between a corresponding radial channel and a corresponding insertion channel.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of separation mechanisms further comprises:
- a vertical channel in communication with a corresponding radial channel and a corresponding insertion channel;
- a sliding member slidably disposed within said vertical channel, the sliding member comprising a cavity configured to receive a single capsule; and
- a bearing assembly coupled to said sliding member and received within a groove of a cam.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said presorting unit further comprises:
- a vibrating mechanism;
- a plurality of transport threads;
- a rotating brush having an axis of rotation perpendicular to the direction of said transport threads;
- at least two aspiration devices configured to provide negative air pressure and coupled to extraction pipes; and
- a control unit for varying the amount of negative air pressure supplied to at least one of said at least two aspiration devices.
5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said radial channels have a linear shape.
6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said radial channels have an arcuate shape.
7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one capsule quality sensor further comprises a microwave sensor.
8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one capsule quality sensor further comprises an optical sensor.
9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one capsule quality sensor further comprises a laser sensor.
10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one capsule quality sensor further comprises an inductive sensor.
11. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one capsule quality sensor further comprises a capacitive sensor.
12. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one capsule quality sensor further comprises a video camera.
13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said tow gathering funnel further comprises:
- at least one guide member; and
- at least one tongue member.
14. An apparatus for inserting capsules into filter tows, comprising:
- a hopper;
- a presorting unit, said presorting unit further comprising a vibrating mechanism, a plurality of transport threads, a rotating brush having an axis of rotation perpendicular to the direction of said transport threads, at least two aspiration devices configured to provide negative air pressure and coupled to extraction pipes and a control unit for varying the amount of negative air pressure supplied to at least one of said at least two aspiration devices;
- an endless belt disposed between said presorting unit and an inlet pipe;
- a insertion wheel rotating about an axis of rotation, said insertion wheel further comprising a circular cavity in communication with said inlet pipe, a distribution disk disposed within said circular cavity, a plurality of radial channels in communication with said circular cavity, each of said radial channels configured to receive a plurality of capsules, and a plurality of insertion channels, each of said insertion channels being in communication with a corresponding radial channel and terminating at the outer edge of the insertion wheel;
- a plurality of separation mechanisms, each of said plurality of separation mechanisms disposed between a corresponding radial channel and a corresponding insertion channel;
- and a tow gathering funnel, said tow gathering funnel comprising at least one guide member and at least one tongue member, and configured to receive an edge of said insertion wheel.
15. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein each of said plurality of separation mechanisms further comprises:
- a vertical channel in communication with a corresponding radial channel and a corresponding insertion channel;
- a sliding member slidably disposed within said vertical channel, the sliding member comprising a cavity configured to receive a single capsule; and
- a bearing assembly coupled to said sliding member and received within a groove of a cam.
16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said capsules have a diameter between approximately 0.5 mm and approximately 8 mm.
17. A method for insertion of capsules into filter tows, comprising:
- placing a plurality of capsules in a hopper of a capsule insertion unit;
- withdrawing said capsules from said hopper;
- determining the quality of said capsules;
- discarding capsules that do not meet desired quality standards;
- distributing said capsules into a plurality of radial channels of an insertion wheel;
- individually separating said capsules; and
- positioning said capsules at a desired position within a filter tow.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 5, 2010
Publication Date: Jul 7, 2011
Applicant: AIGER GROUP AG (Zug)
Inventors: Bogdan Nikolov (Plovdiv), Dimitar Yanchev (Plovdiv)
Application Number: 12/652,522
International Classification: A24C 5/47 (20060101);