EP2995208B1 - Method for producing a rod-shaped article in the tobacco industry - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for producing a rod-shaped article in the tobacco processing industry.

A proven filter tipping machine of the applicant is, for example, from DE 40 08 475 A1 known and sold under the name "MAX". Conventional filter attachment machines are designed to process double-length tobacco articles. In an enclosure area, a double-length filter rod is placed symmetrically in the center of the machine. A tobacco rod is arranged on the outside of each of the double-length filter rods. The tipping paper is fed centrally into the wrapping area and wrapped around the filter rod and the tobacco rods by means of a rolling roller in order to connect them to the filter rod. The double cigarette thus produced is cut in half to produce two single filter cigarettes.

Consumers are increasingly asking for rod-shaped tobacco articles with dimensions and internal structure that differ significantly from conventional cigarettes. For example, so-called heat-not-burn articles are known in which a tobacco depot that is relatively short compared to the filter is heated instead of burned, and the aerosol formed by the heating then flows through a relatively long and/or complex filter. Due to the machine configuration of current cigarette manufacturing machines, such products cannot be opened Manufacture standard machines. In particular, the filter length and the width of the tipping paper are significantly above the maximum dimensions that can be processed, and the tobacco rod length is accordingly significantly below the minimum rod size that can be processed. EP 1 493 340 A1 , WO 2005/077211 A and DE 20 2012 012927 U1 disclose filter attachment machines according to the preamble of claim 1. EP 1 374 706 A2 discloses another tipping machine.

The object of the invention is to provide a method that enables the production of rod-shaped tobacco articles with a geometry that differs significantly from the conventional geometry.

The invention solves this problem with the features of the independent claim. By offsetting the wrapping strip centerline relative to a machine centerline by a positive amount Δx, a wrapping strip that is double wide by conventional standards can be used according to the present invention as a single width wrapping strip to manufacture a single length tobacco article having a relatively long filter rod. The machine center line lies in the center plane or plane of symmetry of the rotating rollers, more precisely the troughs provided on the outer circumference of the rollers for conveying rod-shaped articles or article components, and therefore designates the center line of the product run through the attaching machine when the attaching machine loads over the entire roller width would.

The first and second rod-shaped parts are in particular filter rods and tobacco rods. The offset Δx is advantageous between the wrapping strip centerline and the machine centerline greater than half the width of the wrapping strip and/or greater than half the length of a filter rod and/or greater than the length of a tobacco rod.

On both sides of the machine center line or machine center there is a production line, referred to as a line for short. In contrast to the prior art, the piecing machine according to the invention is advantageously only equipped with rod-shaped articles or article components on one track, starting from the center of the machine, while the other track remains unequipped. The articles are processed in the process area or in the process level on a single lane, while the second lane on the other side of the center of the machine remains article-free. Preferably, the wrapping strip center line is offset from the machine center line toward an operator side of the attaching machine. The processing in the attaching machine is then easier for the operator to see, which makes operation easier.

According to the invention, the free end of one of the rod-shaped parts is arranged in the casing area in the center line of the machine. In the enveloping area, one of the rod-shaped parts is preferably arranged on the inside, starting from the center line of the machine, and one of the other rod-shaped parts is attached on the outside. In relation to the center line of the machine, the tobacco rods are advantageously arranged on the inside and the filter rods on the outside. In an alternative embodiment, the filter rods can be arranged on the inside and the tobacco rods on the outside.

Advantageously, the transfer of rod-shaped articles from an upstream machine to the attaching machine takes place completely cross-axially. Such a preferred handover is also referred to as a "direct link". In an advantageous embodiment, this is realized by arranging a rod-shaped article cross-axially conveying adapter module between the attaching machine and the upstream machine. The upstream Machine can advantageously comprise at least one feed module with a storage container for feeding a rod-shaped component. Furthermore, the upstream machine can include a group forming device for assembling groups of filter segments to produce multi-segment filter rods. These upstream modules or grouping devices are marketed by the applicant under the name "MERLIN".

Fig. 1

eine schematische Darstellung eines stabförmigen Tabakartikels;

Fig. 2a

eine schematische Seitenansicht einer erfindungsgemäßen Maschinenanordnung in einer ersten Ausführungsform;

Fig. 2b

eine schematische Draufsicht auf den Produktionslauf in der Maschinenanordnung gemäß Fig. 2a von oben;

Fig. 3

ein erstes Ausführungsbeispiel einer erfindungsgemäßen Produktionsanlage;

Fig. 4a

eine schematische Seitenansicht eines zweiten Ausführungsbeispiels einer erfindungsgemäße Produktionsanlage; und

Fig. 4b

eine schematische Draufsicht auf den Produktionslauf in der Produktionsanlage gemäß Fig. 4a von oben.

The invention is explained below on the basis of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. It shows:

1

a schematic representation of a rod-shaped tobacco article;

Figure 2a

a schematic side view of a machine arrangement according to the invention in a first embodiment;

Figure 2b

a schematic plan view of the production run in the machine arrangement according to FIG Figure 2a from above;

3

a first embodiment of a production system according to the invention;

Figure 4a

a schematic side view of a second embodiment of a production plant according to the invention; and

Figure 4b

a schematic plan view of the production run in the production plant according to FIG Figure 4a from above.

1 FIG. 1 shows schematically a rod-shaped tobacco article 10 with a structure that differs significantly from that of a conventional filter cigarette. The tobacco article 10 has a relatively short tobacco rod 11 of length LT and a relatively long filter rod 12 of length LF, which here consists of two segments 13, 14, but also of more than two segments, in particular, for example, of three segments (see below). , can exist. The length LF of the filter rod 12 is in particular greater than the length LT of the tobacco rod 11. The filter rod 12 is attached to the tobacco rod 11 by means of a relatively wide tipping paper sheet 15 with a width BU>LT. The overall length L=LT+LF can correspond to the length of a conventional filter cigarette. The width of the tipping paper strip 29 does not permit the conventional processing of a double-length rod-shaped article with centrally arranged, double-width tipping paper 15 in a conventional tipping machine.

the Figure 2a and Figure 2b show a machine arrangement 20 according to the invention for the production of rod-shaped tobacco articles 10 with a predominantly conventional filter tipping machine 21, ie advantageously without the need for a completely new development of a filter tipping machine. In the embodiment according to FIG Figure 2a and Figure 2b the tobacco rods 11 are, for example, via an in Figure 2a magazine 22, only indicated, which is set up to store a large quantity of tobacco rods 11, for example in multiple, here three times the usable length 11a, is fed transversely axially from above into the filter tipping machine 21, and is cut into single-length tobacco rods 11 by means of driven drums 23 (see Fig Figure 2b ) and conveyed transversely axially into an enveloping area 24 . The predominantly vertical drum run 23 corresponds to the usual filter run in the case of conventionally produced filter cigarettes, but is reversed in this embodiment of the invention for feeding the tobacco rods 11 used. The magazine 22 can be dispensed with if the tobacco rods 11 are entered directly and in an ordered or clocked manner into the barrel 23 of the drum.

The filter rods 12 are conveyed transversely axially by an upstream machine 26 into the wrapping area 24 via driven drums 25, which form a predominantly horizontal drum run, and processed. The drum run 25 corresponds to the usual drum run for the tobacco rod supply in the case of conventionally produced filter cigarettes, but in this embodiment of the invention it is used in reverse for supplying the filter rods 12 .

A tipping paper strip 29 is drawn off a bobbin 30, glued, cut into successive tipping sheets 15 by a knife drum 32 on a topping roller 31, attached one after the other to successive filter rod/tobacco stick units on a transfer drum 34 and wrapped around the roller drum 35 by means of a rolling hand 36 Filter rod-tobacco rod units rolled around, whereby the filter rod 12 is connected to the tobacco rod 11.

The finished rod-shaped articles 10 are output from the attaching machine 21 by means of an output device 39 . The attaching machine 21 is therefore, as usual, the last machine in the production line for the manufacture of the rod-shaped articles 10. The drum run 49 from the wrapping area 24 to the dispenser 39 can advantageously be conventional and therefore does not have to be redesigned.

The upstream machine 26, in this embodiment a filter manufacturing machine, for example, is advantageously via a direct connection (direct link) to the attachment machine 21 connected, i.e. the push-in drum 27 transfers the filter rods 12 directly to a transfer drum 28 of the attachment machine 21. Direct connection or direct link can mean that the transfer takes place in an orderly or clocked manner and/or exclusively cross-axially without longitudinal axial conveyance, with each filter rod 12 advantageously being transferred individually becomes.

Figure 2b shows a schematic plan view of the path of the tobacco rods 11 and filter rods 12 in the machine arrangement 20 according to FIG Figure 2a from above. The axial positions in the correspond Figure 2a and Figure 2b (compare Figures 4a, 4b ). How out Figure 2b As can be seen, the tobacco rods 11 in the wrapping area 24 are not arranged symmetrically to the machine center MM, but are advantageously offset from the machine center MM in such a way that the free end of the tobacco rods 11 touches the machine center MM on one side. Likewise, the filter rods 12 are fed eccentrically into the wrapping area 24 and attached to the tobacco rods 11 on their side facing away from the center MM of the machine.

According to the invention, the tipping paper 29, 15 is arranged in the wrapping area 24 in such a way that the center MU of the tipping paper run 29, 15 is offset by a positive amount Δx relative to the machine center MM. In this way, according to the invention, it is achieved that with a conventional tipping paper 29, the width of which is designed for conventional double-length filter cigarettes (envelope of a conventional double filter), single-length articles 10, for example according to FIG 1 can be wrapped with a much wider tipping paper than is possible with a conventional filter tipping machine without the invention. The functions of the attaching machine 21 following the wrapping are essentially identical to the functions of a conventional filter attachment machine.

The amount Δx is advantageously greater than the length LT of the tobacco rods 11, greater than half the width (0.5 BU) of the tipping paper strip 29 or the tipping paper sheet 15 and/or greater than half the length (0.5 LF) of the filter rod 12 Furthermore, the wrapping strip center line MU is advantageously forward relative to the machine center line MM, ie towards the operating side of the attaching machine 21 (downward in Figure 2b ) offset, so that the processing in the attachment machine 21 is better visible to the operator. Out of Figure 2b It can also be seen that in the piecing machine 21 processing is only possible on one web (starting from the middle of the machine on the lower side in Figure 2b ) takes place, ie that the piecing machine 21 is only equipped on one lane and is therefore operated in one lane, while the piecing machine 21 on the other lane is unequipped and therefore no processing takes place here. Accordingly, only single-length rod-shaped articles 10 and in particular no double-length rod-shaped articles are processed in the attaching machine 21 .

3 shows an example of a production plant 40 with predominantly existing machines, in which a machine arrangement 20 according to the invention Figure 2a is integrated. The attaching machine 21 is here in particular a MAX M series from the applicant, for example a MAX M5, with extensive testing options and great structural flexibility. The production plant 40 includes a machine 41, for example an AF-KDF from the applicant, for producing rods 14a of multiple lengths for segments 14 of the filter rods 12. The rods 14a of multiple lengths are fed to a feed module 43a, for example a MERLIN soft module from the applicant, and from there onwards the filter making machine 26, for example a KDF of the applicant, handed over to produce the filter rods 12. The production system 40 optionally includes a machine 42, for example a KDF with a tube forming unit from the applicant for producing a multi-length rod 13a for segments 13 of the filter rods 12. The multi-length rods 14a are connected to an optional feed module 43b, for example a MERLIN soft module from the applicant, and by also handed over to the filter manufacturing machine 26 there. The feed modules 43a, 43b each include a storage container (see 3 ) for the bars 13a and 14a. The feed modules 43a, 43b thus form a group forming device 43 for assembling groups of filter segments 13, 14 for the production of multi-segment filter rods 12 in the filter rod production machine 26.

The production system 40 also includes a machine 44 for producing multi-length tobacco rods 11a with a distributor 45, a rod unit 46 and a transfer unit 47 for transferring the multi-length tobacco rods 11a to the attachment machine 21.

Advantage of a production plant 40 as in 3 it has been shown that new types of tobacco products that are outside of conventional geometry specifications can be manufactured with manageable development effort and risk, without having to forego the functions and quality standards of conventional cigarette production systems.

A preferred embodiment of a piecing machine 21 and production system 40 according to the invention is shown in FIGS Figures 4a, 4b shown. The attaching machine 21 differs from the embodiment according to FIG Figure 2a to the effect that here the tobacco rods 11 together with filter rods 12 on the same Drum run 25 are fed into the wrapping area 24 by the same upstream machine 26 . The storage container 22 and the drum run 23 leading from the storage container 22 into the wrapping area can be dispensed with in this preferred embodiment.

In the present case, the production plant 40 is set up to produce a rod-shaped article 10 whose filter rod 12 is made up of three filter segments 50 , 51 , 52 . The middle filter segments 50 are conveyed, for example in rows of three, by a conveying device 53 and conveyed in a separating device 54 individually and with a positive offset Δx2 relative to the machine center MM into the machine 26 and from there into the enveloping area 24 of the attachment machine 21. The filter segments 51 that are farther away from the tobacco rod are fed as multiple-length, for example triple-length rods 51a from a storage container 56 by a feed device 55, cut into individual filter segments 51 and conveyed with a positive offset Δx3 relative to the machine center MM into the wrapping area 24 of the attachment machine 21. The filter segments 52 close to the tobacco rod are fed as rods 52a of multiple lengths, for example four times as long, from a storage container 58 by a feed device 57, cut into individual filter segments 52 and conveyed with a positive offset Δx1 relative to the machine center MM into the wrapping area 24 of the attachment machine 21. The tobacco rods 11 are fed as multiple-length, for example quadruple-length rods 11a from a storage container 60 by a feed device 59, cut into single-length tobacco rods 11 and conveyed with a positive offset ΔxT relative to the machine center MM into the wrapping area 24 of the attachment machine 21. The feed devices 55, 57, 59 are, for example, MERLIN soft modules from the applicant. All offsets Δx1, Δx2, Δx3, ΔxT are aligned starting from the machine center MM to the same side or path as the offset Δx of the tipping paper 15, 29. The offset ΔxT is dimensioned such that the free end of the tobacco rod 11 is in the machine center MM. The offsets Δx1, Δx2, Δx3 and Δx are each larger than ΔxT. The feed modules 55, 57, 59 form a group forming device 43 for assembling groups of filter segments 50, 51, 52 and for producing multi-segment filter rods 12.

The drum run 25 from the upstream machine 26 (here group forming device 43) to the tipping machine 21 is advantageously arranged in an adapter module 61, in which advantageously only cross-axial conveyance of the tobacco rods 11 and the filter rods 12 takes place.

Claims (11)

1. Method for producing a rod-shaped item (10) of the tobacco-processing industry, comprising transversely conveying first rod-shaped parts (12) and second rod-shaped parts (11) through a wrapping region (24) in an attachment machine (21), and feeding a wrapping strip (29) into the wrapping region (24) along a wrapping strip centre line MU in order to wrap the first and second rod-shaped parts so as to interconnect said parts, the wrapping strip (29) being fed into the wrapping region (24) with a positive offset Δx of the wrapping strip centre line MU relative to a machine centre line MM, characterised in that the free end of one of the rod-shaped parts (11) is arranged in the wrapping region (24) in the machine centre line MM.
2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the offset Δx between the wrapping strip centre line MU and the machine centre line MM is greater than half the width BU of the wrapping strip (29).
3. Method according to either claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the offset Δx between the wrapping strip centre line MU and the machine centre line MM is greater than half the length LF of a filter rod.
4. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the offset Δx between the wrapping strip centre line MU and the machine centre line MM is greater than the length LT of a tobacco baton.
5. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the wrapping strip centre line MU is offset relative to the machine centre line MM towards an operating side of the attachment machine (21).
6. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that, in the wrapping region (24), starting from the machine centre line MM and to one side of said line, one of the rod-shaped parts (11) is arranged on the inside and one of the other rod-shaped parts (12) is arranged on the outside.
7. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the transfer of rod-shaped parts (11, 12) from an upstream machine (26) to the attachment machine (21) takes place entirely transversely.
8. Method according to claim 7, characterised in that an adapter module (61) which transversely conveys rod-shaped parts (11, 12) is arranged between the attachment machine (21) and the upstream machine (26).
9. Method according to either claim 7 or claim 8, characterised in that the upstream machine (26) comprises at least one feed module (55, 57, 59) having a storage container (56, 58, 60) for feeding in a rod-shaped component (11a, 51a, 52a).
10. Method according to any of claims 7 to 9, characterised in that the upstream machine (26) comprises a group-forming device (43) for assembling groups of filter segments (13, 14; 50, 51, 52) in order to produce multi-segment filter rods (12).
11. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that only one lane of the attachment machine (21) is loaded with article components during operation, while the other lane is unloaded.

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