EP2995208B2 - Attachment machine and 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 for the tobacco processing industry.

A proven filter attachment machine of the applicant is, for example, from the DE 40 08 475 A1 and is sold under the name "MAX." Conventional filter-fitting machines are designed for processing double-length tobacco products. In a wrapping area, a double-length filter rod is positioned symmetrically in the center of the machine. A tobacco rod is positioned on each side outside of the double-length filter rod. The tipping paper is fed centrally into the wrapping area and wrapped around the filter rod and tobacco rods by a roller, bonding them to the filter rod. The resulting double cigarette is cut in half to produce two individual filter cigarettes.

Consumers are increasingly demanding rod-shaped tobacco products with dimensions and internal structures that differ significantly from conventional cigarettes. For example, so-called heat-not-burn products are known, in which a tobacco deposit, 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 configuration of current cigarette manufacturing machines, such products cannot be manufactured on standard machines. In particular, the filter length and tipping paper width are significantly larger than the maximum processable dimensions, and the tobacco rod length is correspondingly significantly smaller than the minimum processable rod size. 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 reveals another filter attachment machine.

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

The invention solves this problem with the features of the independent claims. 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 invention as a single-width wrapping strip for producing a single-length tobacco article with a relatively long filter rod. The machine centerline 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 centerline of the product flow through the attaching machine if the attaching machine were loaded across the entire roller width.

The first and second rod-shaped parts are, in particular, filter rods and tobacco rods. Advantageously, the offset Δx between the wrapping strip centerline and the machine centerline is 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 centerline or machine center there is a production lane, referred to as a lane for short. In contrast to the prior art, the attaching machine according to the invention is only loaded with rod-shaped articles or article components on one lane starting from the machine center during operation, while the other lane remains unloaded. The articles are therefore processed in a single lane in the process space or in the process plane, while the second lane on the other side of the machine center remains free of articles. The wrapping strip centerline is preferably offset from the machine centerline towards one operating side of the attaching machine. The processing in the attaching machine is then better visible to the operator, which facilitates operation.

According to the invention, the free end of one of the rod-shaped parts is arranged in the wrapping area in the machine centerline. In the wrapping area, starting from the machine centerline, one of the rod-shaped parts is preferably arranged inside and one of the other rod-shaped parts is attached to the outside. Advantageously, the tobacco rods are arranged inside and the filter rods outside, relative to the machine centerline. In an alternative embodiment, the filter rods can be arranged inside and the tobacco rods outside.

According to the invention, the transfer of rod-shaped articles from an upstream machine to the attachment machine takes place entirely transversely. This type of transfer is also referred to as a "direct link." In an advantageous embodiment, this is achieved by arranging an adapter module that conveys rod-shaped articles transversely between the attachment 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 comprise a group-forming device for assembling groups of filter segments to produce multi-segment filter rods. These upstream modules or group-forming 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 using preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures.

Fig. 1

a schematic representation of a rod-shaped tobacco article;

Fig. 2a

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

Fig. 2b

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

Fig. 3

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

Fig. 4a

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

Fig. 4b

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

Fig. 1 shows a schematic of a rod-shaped tobacco article 10 with a structure that differs significantly from 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 can also consist of more than two segments, in particular, for example, of three segments (see below). 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 of width BU > LT. The total 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 a centrally arranged, double-width tipping paper 15 in a conventional filter fitting machine.

The Fig. 2a and Fig. 2b show a machine arrangement 20 according to the invention for producing rod-shaped tobacco articles 10 with a predominantly conventional filter attachment machine 21, ie advantageously without the need for a completely new development of a filter attachment machine. In the embodiment according to the Fig. 2a and Fig. 2b For example, the tobacco sticks 11 are Fig. 2a only indicated magazine 22, which is designed to store a large quantity of tobacco sticks 11, for example in multiple, here triple, usable lengths 11a, fed transversely from above into the filter attachment machine 21, and cut into single-length tobacco sticks 11 by means of driven drums 23 (see Fig. 2b ) and conveyed transversely into a wrapping area 24. The predominantly vertical drum run 23 corresponds to the usual filter run in the case of conventionally produced filter cigarettes, but in this embodiment of the invention is used in reverse to feed the tobacco rods 11. The magazine 22 can be dispensed with if the tobacco rods 11 are fed directly and in an orderly or synchronized manner into the drum run 23.

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

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

The finished rod-shaped articles 10 are dispensed 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 producing the rod-shaped articles 10. The drum run 49 from the wrapping area 24 to the output device 39 can advantageously be conventional and therefore does not need to be redesigned.

The upstream machine 26, in this embodiment, for example, a filter manufacturing machine, is advantageously connected to the attachment machine 21 via a direct link, 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 synchronized manner and/or exclusively transversely axially without longitudinally axial conveying, wherein each filter rod 12 is advantageously transferred individually.

Fig. 2b shows a schematic plan view of the course of the tobacco rods 11 and filter rods 12 in the machine arrangement 20 according to Fig. 2a from above. The axial positions correspond to the Fig. 2a and Fig. 2b (compare Fig. 4a, Fig. 4b ). As can be seen from Fig. 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 off-center into the wrapping area 24 and attached to the tobacco rods 11 on the side facing away from the machine center MM.

According to the invention, the tipping paper 29, 15 is arranged in the wrapping area 24 such that the center MU of the tipping paper path 29, 15 is offset from the machine center MM by a positive amount Δx. This achieves the invention that with a conventional tipping paper 29, the width of which is designed for conventional double-length filter cigarettes is (covering a conventional double filter), single-length article 10 for example according to Fig. 1 can be wrapped with a much wider tipping paper than is possible with a conventional filter attachment machine without the invention. The functions of the attachment 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 leaflet 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 directed forwards relative to the machine center line MM, ie towards the operating side of the piecing machine 21 (downwards in Fig. 2b ) are arranged offset so that the processing in the attachment machine 21 is better visible to the operator. Fig. 2b It is also evident that in the piecing machine 21 processing is only possible on one path (starting from the machine center on the lower side in Fig. 2b ), i.e., the attaching machine 21 is only loaded on one lane and thus operates in a single lane, while the attaching machine 21 on the other lane is unloaded and thus no processing takes place there. Accordingly, only single-length rod-shaped articles 10, and in particular no double-length rod-shaped articles, are processed in the attaching machine 21.

Fig. 3 shows an example of a production plant 40 with predominantly existing machines, into which a machine arrangement 20 according to the invention is incorporated in accordance with Fig. 2a is integrated. The attachment machine 21 here is, in particular, a MAX M series from the applicant, for example a MAX M5, with comprehensive testing capabilities and great structural flexibility. The production system 40 comprises a machine 41, for example an AF-KDF from the applicant, for producing multi-length rods 14a for segments 14 of the filter rods 12. The multi-length rods 14a are transferred to a feed module 43a, for example a MERLIN soft module from the applicant, and from there to the filter manufacturing machine 26, for example a KDF from the applicant, for producing the filter rods 12. The production plant 40 optionally comprises a machine 42, for example a KDF with a tube forming unit of the applicant for producing a multi-length rod 13a for segments 13 of the filter rods 12. The multi-length rods 14a are transferred to an optional feed module 43b, for example a MERLIN soft module of the applicant, and from there to the filter manufacturing machine 26. The feed modules 43a, 43b each comprise a storage container (see Fig. 3 ) for the rods 13a and 14a, respectively. The feed modules 43a, 43b thus form a group forming device 43 for assembling groups of filter segments 13, 14 for producing multi-segment filter rods 12 in the filter rod manufacturing machine 26.

The production plant 40 further comprises 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 piecing machine 21.

Advantage of a production plant 40 as in Fig. 3 It has been shown that, with manageable development effort and risk, novel tobacco products can be manufactured that lie outside conventional geometric specifications without having to forego the functions and quality standards of conventional cigarette production plants.

A preferred embodiment of an attachment machine 21 and production plant 40 according to the invention is shown in the Fig. 4a, Fig. 4b The attachment machine 21 differs from the embodiment according to Fig. 2a in that here the tobacco rods 11, together with filter rods 12, are fed via the same drum run 25 from the same upstream machine 26 into the wrapping area 24. 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 configured to produce a rod-shaped article 10, the filter rod 12 of which is constructed from three filter segments 50, 51, 52. The middle filter segments 50 are conveyed, for example, in rows of three by a conveyor device 53 and are conveyed individually in a separating device 54 with a positive offset Δx2 relative to the machine center MM into the machine 26 and from there into the wrapping area 24 of the piecing machine 21. The filter segments 51 remote from the tobacco rod are fed from a storage container 56 as multiple-length, for example triple-length, rods 51a 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 piecing machine 21. The filter segments 52 near the tobacco rod are fed as multiple-length, for example, quadruple-length rods 52a by a feed device 57 from a storage container 58, 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 piecing machine 21. The tobacco rods 11 are fed as multiple-length, for example, quadruple-length rods 11a by a feed device 59 from a storage container 60, 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 piecing 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 from the machine center MM to the same side or web as the offset Δx of the tipping paper 15, 29. The offset ΔxT is dimensioned such that that the free end of the tobacco rod 11 lies in the machine center MM. The offsets Δx1, Δx2, Δx3, and Δx are each greater 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 attaching machine 21 is advantageously arranged in an adapter module 61, in which an exclusively transverse axial conveyance of the tobacco rods 11 and the filter rods 12 advantageously takes place.

Claims (11)

1. Method for manufacturing a rod-shaped item (10) of the tobacco processing industry, comprising conveying first rod-shaped parts (12) and second rod-shaped parts (11) transversely axially through a wrapping region (24) in an attachment machine (21), wherein

   - the attachment machine (21) comprises rotating drums for conveying the first rod-shaped parts (12) and the second rod-shaped parts (11) transversely axially through the wrapping region (24),

   - and wherein the method further comprises: feeding a wrapping strip (29) into the wrapping region (24) along a wrapping strip center line MU for wrapping the first and second rod-shaped parts in order to connect them to one another, wherein the wrapping strip (29) is fed into the wrapping region (24) with a positive offset Dx of the wrapping strip center line MU relative to a machine center line MM, characterized in that the free end of one of the rod-shaped parts (11) is located in the wrapping region (24) in the machine center line MM, wherein the machine center line MM is located in a center plane or plane of symmetry of the rotating drums, more precisely at an outer circumference of the drums provided with recesses for conveying the rod-shaped items, wherein there is a lane on both sides of the machine center line MM, wherein

   - during operation, the attachment machine (21) is loaded with article components on only one of the lanes, while the other lane is unloaded.
2. Method for manufacturing a rod-shaped item (10) of the tobacco processing industry, comprising transversely axially conveying of first rod-shaped parts (12) and second rod-shaped parts (11) through a wrapping region (24) in an attachment machine (21), wherein

   - the attachment machine (21) comprises rotating drums for transversely axially conveying the first rod-shaped parts (12) and the second rod-shaped parts (11) through the wrapping region (24),

   - and wherein the method further comprises: feeding a wrapping strip (29) into the wrapping region (24) along a wrapping strip center line MU for wrapping the first and second rod-shaped parts in order to connect them to one another, wherein the wrapping strip (29) is fed into the wrapping region (24) with a positive offset Dx of the wrapping strip center line MU relative to a machine center line MM, characterized in that the free end of one of the rod-shaped parts (11) is located in the wrapping region (24) in the machine center line MM, wherein

   - the transfer of rod-shaped parts (11, 12) from a preceding machine (26) to the attachment machine (21) takes place completely transversely axial.
3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the offset Dx between the center line MU of the wrapping strip and the machine center line MM is greater than half the width BU of the wrapping strip (29).
4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the offset Dx between the center line MU of the wrapping strip and the center line MM of the machine is greater than half the length LF of a filter rod.
5. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the offset Dx between the center line MU of the wrapping strip and the center line MM of the machine is greater than the length LT of a tobacco stick.
6. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the center line MU of the wrapping strip is offset relative to the machine center line MM toward an operating side of the attachment machine (21).
7. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized 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.
8. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the transfer of rod-shaped parts (11, 12) from an upstream machine (26) to the attachment machine (21) takes place entirely transversely axial.
9. Method according to claim 2 or 8, characterized in that an adapter module (61) conveying rod-shaped parts (11, 12) transversely axially is arranged between the attachment machine (21) and the upstream machine (26).
10. Method according to any one of claims 2, 8 or 9, characterized in that the upstream machine (26) comprises at least one feed module (55, 57, 59) with a storage container (56, 58, 60) for feeding a rod-shaped component (11a, 51a, 52a).
11. Method according to any one of claims 2 or 8 to 10, characterized in that the upstream machine (26) comprises a grouping device (43) for assembling groups of filter segments (13, 14; 50, 51, 52) for manufacturing multi-segment filter rods (12).