U.S. patent application number 12/071068 was filed with the patent office on 2008-08-28 for machine for manufacturing and/or packing tobacco products.
Invention is credited to Mario Spatafora.
Application Number | 20080202537 12/071068 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39431082 |
Filed Date | 2008-08-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080202537 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Spatafora; Mario |
August 28, 2008 |
Machine for manufacturing and/or packing tobacco products
Abstract
An automatic cigarette maker and/or packer incorporates a
welding or sealing head with an electrically conductive heating
foil mounted to an electrically insulating backing element; the
foil is retained on the backing element by an overlay of ceramic
material, which is covered in turn by a further overlay of smooth
silicone that can be offered in direct contact to a weldable or
sealable wrapping material.
Inventors: |
Spatafora; Mario; (Granarolo
Emilia (Bologna), IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Harbin King & Klima
500 Ninth Street SE
Washington
DC
20003
US
|
Family ID: |
39431082 |
Appl. No.: |
12/071068 |
Filed: |
February 15, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
131/281 ; 131/70;
131/77 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B29C 66/8122 20130101;
B29C 66/81241 20130101; B29K 2909/02 20130101; B29C 65/7882
20130101; B29C 66/81881 20130101; B29C 66/0042 20130101; B29L
2031/7162 20130101; B29C 66/43121 20130101; B29K 2995/0007
20130101; B29C 66/496 20130101; B29C 66/8322 20130101; B29C 66/851
20130101; B29C 66/1122 20130101; B29K 2995/0073 20130101; B29C
66/81871 20130101; A24C 5/24 20130101; B29C 66/8122 20130101; B29L
2031/7416 20130101; B29C 66/849 20130101; B65B 51/14 20130101; B29C
66/006 20130101; B29C 65/228 20130101; B29C 65/224 20130101; B29C
66/81261 20130101; B29C 66/8122 20130101; B29K 2909/02 20130101;
B29K 2883/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
131/281 ; 131/77;
131/70 |
International
Class: |
A24C 1/18 20060101
A24C001/18; A24C 1/38 20060101 A24C001/38; A24C 5/60 20060101
A24C005/60 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 27, 2007 |
IT |
BO2007A000126 |
Claims
1. A machine for manufacturing and/or packing tobacco products,
equipped with a welding/sealing head designed to secure a wrapping
material, presenting a backing element, an electrically conductive
heating foil covering the backing element, and a first electrically
insulating overlay covering the foil.
2. A machine as in claim 1, wherein the first overlay is a film of
ceramic material.
3. A machine as in claim 1, wherein the first overlay is less than
0.4 millimeters thick, and preferably in the order of 0.1
millimeter thick.
4. A machine as in claim 3, wherein the first overlay covers the
surface of the heating foil in its entirety.
5. A machine as in claim 1, wherein the heating foil presents a
pierced structure, at least in part.
6. A machine as in claim 1, wherein the heating foil presents a
mesh structure, at least in part.
7. A machine as in claim 5, wherein the heating foil is anchored to
the backing element by means of the first overlay.
8. A machine as in claim 7, wherein the first overlay is designed
to anchor the heating foil to the backing element, passing from one
face of the foil to the other by way of through holes establishing
the pierced structure.
9. A machine as in claim 1, comprising a second electrically
insulating overlay covering the first overlay.
10. A machine as in claim 9, wherein the second overlay presents a
smooth outer surface, designed to engage in contact with the
wrapping material welded/sealed by the head.
11. A machine as in claim 10, wherein the second overlay is a film
of silicone.
12. A machine as in claim 10, wherein the second overlay is of
thickness between 0.01 and 0.1 millimeters, and preferably between
0.02 and 0.07 millimeters.
13. A machine as in claim 1, wherein the gauge of the heating foil
is less than 0.4 millimeters and preferably in the order of 0.1
millimeter.
14. A machine as in claim 1, wherein the backing element is
fashioned from ceramic material or silicone, at least in part.
15. A cigarette maker, comprising at least one welding/sealing head
as in claim 1, by which two overlapping longitudinal edges of a
tubular wrap enveloping a stream of tobacco are secured one to
another.
16. A cigarette maker or packer, comprising at least one
welding/sealing head as in claim 1, by which a hot-melt glue
applied previously to the overlapping edges of a wrapper is
reactivated to secure the selfsame edges one to another.
17. An automatic cellophaner for overwrapping cigarette packets or
cartons of cigarette packets, comprising at least one
welding/sealing head as in claim 1, by which the overlapping edges
of a heat-sealable overwrap are secured one to another.
18. An automatic cellophaner for overwrapping cigarette packets or
cartons of cigarette packets, comprising at least one
welding/sealing head as in claim 1, by means of which to secure
and/or tighten a heat-shrinkable overwrap.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority to Italian Patent
Application No. BO2007A000126, filed Feb. 27, 2007, which
application is incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a machine for manufacturing
and/or packing tobacco products.
[0003] In particular, the invention finds application to advantage
in machines equipped with devices of which the function is to weld
or seal a wrapping material enveloping respective tobacco
products.
[0004] Conventionally, machines for manufacturing and/or packing
tobacco products incorporate feed means by which the selfsame
products are directed toward a welding/sealing station.
[0005] In the case of cigarette makers, for instance, the
aforementioned feed means advance a continuous cigarette rod toward
a sealing device that serves to join together the overlapping
longitudinal edges of a tubular wrap ensheathing a stream of
tobacco filler.
[0006] Thus, as the continuous cigarette rod advances, a heater
head of the sealing device warms and activates an adhesive applied
previously between the overlapping edges of the tubular wrap.
[0007] The art field in question also includes machines by which
packets of cigarettes enveloped initially in a heat-shrinkable
wrapping material are advanced through the sealing station by a
conveyor belt or a rotating drum.
[0008] The single packets are conveyed normally in an ordered
succession and stopped momentarily so that the heater head can
engage an end face of the packet for a length of time sufficient to
bond the free edges of the overwrap material.
[0009] In particular, the welding/sealing head consists in a metal
body furnished with a contact surface designed to engage a given
portion of the wrap that needs to be welded or sealed.
[0010] The welding/sealing head is activated by an electrical
circuit that induces a current in the metal body and thus causes it
to be heated by the Joule effect.
[0011] The electrical circuit is piloted preferably by an
electronic control system such as will regulate the current
according to the temperature value that should register in the
metal body.
[0012] The aforementioned temperature value is selected on the
basis of the type of material to be heated (packet overwrap, or
cigarette rod paper), and the length of time the tobacco product
remains in close proximity to the heated contact surface.
[0013] Thus, having selected the speed at which products are fed
through the welding or sealing station, the temperature at the
contact surface of the metal body is regulated accordingly.
[0014] Machines of the type in question are affected by an
important drawback, however, attributable to the high thermal
inertia of the heated metal body, that is to say the capacity of
the body to cool down and heat up within a given period of
time.
[0015] As a result, the times involved in regulating the
temperature of the metal body are somewhat lengthy.
[0016] Consequently, if the speed at which the products advance
should increase, the products will not be welded/sealed correctly
until the contact surface is brought up to the appropriate
temperature. Conversely, if the products begin to advance more
slowly, they will be heated to excess and damaged.
[0017] The object of the present invention is to provide a machine
for manufacturing and/or packing tobacco products, such as will be
unaffected by drawbacks of the type associated with prior art
machines.
[0018] In particular, the object of the invention is to provide a
machine for manufacturing and/or packing tobacco products, equipped
with welding or sealing heads in which thermal inertia is
minimized.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0019] The stated objects are realized in a machine for
manufacturing and/or packing tobacco products in accordance with
the present invention, typically a cigarette maker and/or packer,
equipped with a welding/sealing head that comprises an electrically
conductive heating foil mounted to an electrically insulating
backing element; the foil is retained on the backing element by an
overlay of ceramic material, this covered in turn by a further
overlay of smooth silicone such as can be offered in direct contact
to a wrapping material being welded or sealed, without causing
damage.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The invention will now be described in detail, by way of
example, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0021] FIG. 1 illustrates a machine for manufacturing and/or
packing tobacco products according to the present invention, viewed
schematically and in perspective;
[0022] FIG. 2 shows a constructional part of a machine for
manufacturing and/or packing tobacco products, viewed schematically
in a side elevation and illustrating an alternative
application;
[0023] FIG. 3 shows a portion of a welding/sealing head forming
part of the machine illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, viewed in
perspective;
[0024] FIG. 4 shows a welding/sealing head, viewed in a side
elevation and in section;
[0025] FIG. 5 is an exploded and perspective view of the
welding/sealing head as in FIG. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0026] With reference to the accompanying drawings, numeral 1
denotes a machine according to the invention, in its entirety, for
manufacturing tobacco products and/or packing such products in a
wrapping material.
[0027] In practice, the present invention is applicable
advantageously to tobacco products 2 of varying description,
enveloped in a respective wrapping material 2a that presents a
given portion 2b needing to be welded or sealed. By way of example,
the products 2 in question might be packets 3 of cigarettes, or
continuous cigarette rods 4.
[0028] To this end, FIG. 1 shows a cigarette maker, or rather a
machine 1 that manufactures cigarettes by forming a continuously
advancing cigarette rod 4. The rod 4 presents a tubular wrap 4a of
which respective longitudinal edges 4b are overlapped in readiness
to be sealed, as will be described in due course.
[0029] FIG. 2 illustrates a constructional part of another machine
1, namely a cigarette packer, in which the tobacco products 2 are
packets 3 of cigarettes enveloped in a heat-shrinkable overwrap
material 3a.
[0030] The overwrap material 3a presents free edges 3b positioned
at an end face of the packet 3, which must be sealed by the
application of heat.
[0031] With reference in particular to FIG. 1, the machine 1
presents an upstream end equipped with a tobacco feed and transport
unit 100, of which the function is to gather a mass of shredded
tobacco into a continuous flow of tobacco particles. The component
parts of the feed unit 100, not described here in detail, being of
conventional embodiment, are arranged in such a way as to direct
the tobacco along a predetermined feed path toward a unit 101 by
which it is formed into a continuous stream 102.
[0032] Two such streams 102 are illustrated, each caused to advance
together with a web 103 of paper drawn from a roll 104, following a
path that passes through a print device 105 and toward a garniture
tongue 106 on which the web 103 of paper is wrapped around the
stream 102 of tobacco. The web 103 functions as the aforementioned
tubular wrap 4a used to fashion the continuous cigarette rod 4.
Whilst the present invention is described and illustrated with
reference to a twin track type of cigarette-making line with two
garniture tongues, it is applicable likewise advantageously to
lines having a single garniture tongue.
[0033] The continuous rod 4 is advanced by feed means 5 along a
respective feed direction D and through a welding/sealing station
6, where the longitudinal edges 4b are joined permanently one to
another.
[0034] Located beyond the welding/sealing station 6 is a cutting
station 107 where the continuous rod 4 is divided up by a rotary
cutter device 108 into discrete cigarette sticks 109 of
predetermined and constant length, and more exactly, twice the
length of the stick that will ultimately form part of a single
cigarette 110.
[0035] The cigarette sticks 109 are transferred to a filter
attachment machine M of conventional type, not illustrated in
detail.
[0036] In the case of FIG. 2, the feed means 5 consist in a
rotating drum 5a furnished with pockets, each containing a
respective packet 3 of cigarettes. The packets 3 are advanced by
the drum 5a along the feed direction D and through the
welding/sealing station 6.
[0037] In both the solutions of FIGS. 1 and 2, the welding/sealing
station 6 is equipped with at least one welding/sealing head 7
serving to heat the predetermined portion 2a of the product 2
mentioned previously. Preferably, the head 7 is carried below a
respective holder element 8 not described in detail, being
conventional in embodiment.
[0038] To advantage, the holder element 8 can be coupled to
motion-inducing actuator means 16 (FIG. 2) of conventional
embodiment, likewise not described in detail, rendering the head 7
capable of movement in a direction A transverse to the
aforementioned feed direction D followed by the products 2.
[0039] Thus, as each packet 3 in turn is brought to a halt at the
welding/sealing station 6, the head 7 will move between an
operating position of close proximity to the packet 3, in which the
edges 3b of the overwrap material 3a are bonded, and an idle
position distanced from the packet 3.
[0040] As illustrated to advantage in FIG. 4, the welding/sealing
head 7 consists in a heating foil 9 associated with a respective
backing element 10.
[0041] More particularly, the foil 9 is electrically conductive and
appears substantially as a plate, presenting a first surface 9a
breasted with the backing element 10, and a second surface 9b
opposite to the first, directed toward the relative tobacco product
2.
[0042] Preferably, the foil 9 presents a substantially rectangular
peripheral outline (FIG. 3) and is furnished with connectors 11
extending from respective shorter sides 11a of the foil 9. To
advantage, the connectors 11 are associated with an electrical
circuit, not illustrated in the accompanying drawings, such as will
direct an electric current through the foil 9 and cause it to heat
by the Joule effect.
[0043] Moreover, the electrical circuit is coupled to an electronic
control system of conventional type governing the electric current,
likewise not illustrated in detail, such as will determine the
temperature value registering in the foil 9.
[0044] In this way, the temperature of the foil 9 can be regulated
on the basis of the rate at which the products 2 advance, hence the
time for which each product 2 remains exposed to the head 7.
[0045] The gauge of the foil 9, preferably a metal, will be less
than 0.4 millimeters, and ideally 0.1 mm.
[0046] As illustrated to best advantage in FIG. 3, the foil 9 is
pierced at least in part, and preferably of mesh type embodiment,
so as to minimize thermal inertia in the electrically conductive
material.
[0047] More precisely, the foil 9 presents a central portion 12
appearing as a grid, created by a plurality of through holes
12a.
[0048] To reiterate, the first surface 9a is offered to the backing
element 10, which appears substantially parallelepiped and
rectangular in section.
[0049] Advantageously, the backing element 10 is made of an
electrical and heat insulating material. In a preferred embodiment,
the backing element 10 will be ceramic or silicone, and of
thickness between 4 and 5 millimeters.
[0050] The backing element 10 is therefore appreciably thicker than
the foil 9 (FIG. 4), in order to guarantee the strength and
rigidity of the head 7 and ensure that the holder element 8 is
suitably heat-insulated, thereby preventing the transmission of
heat to other parts of the machine 1.
[0051] The foil 9 is anchored to the backing element 10 by means of
a first overlay 13 covering the entire second surface 9b presented
by the foil 9.
[0052] This first overlay 13 consists in a film of ceramic material
less than 0.4 millimeters thick, and ideally, 0.1 mm thick
[0053] To retain the foil 9 on the backing element 10, the material
of the first overlay 13 passes through the holes 12a presented by
the pierced structure of the central portion 12, from one face of
the foil to the other.
[0054] In this situation, the foil 9 effectively remains sandwiched
between the backing element 10 and the first overlay 13, both of
which are ceramic. As a result, the foil 9 remains electrically
insulated and thereby prevented from entering into contact with
certain electrically conductive components of the tobacco products
2, like the metal foil paper wrapping contained in cigarette
packets 3, which could provide a route for current leakages or
short circuits.
[0055] Also, the foil 9 is protected from any oxidation that could
be caused by the nature of the material from which it is made, and
the continual variation in temperature to which it is subject.
[0056] Observing FIG. 4, moreover, it will be seen that the first
overlay 13 is particularly thin, presenting a thickness identical,
or substantially identical, to that of the foil 9. Consequently,
even though the first overlay 13 may be made of a heat-insulating
material, it does not impede the transmission of heat toward a
product 2 positioned in close proximity. Finally, the
welding/sealing head 7 comprises a second overlay 14 covering the
entire first overlay 13.
[0057] The second overlay 14 consists preferably in a film of
silicone having a thickness nominally between 0.01 and 0.1
millimeters, preferably between 0.02 and 0.07 mm, and ideally 0.05
mm.
[0058] The second overlay 14 affords a smooth outer surface 15
offered in contact to the predetermined portion 2a of the tobacco
product 2.
[0059] Advantageously, the second overlay 14 will also be
particularly thin, and more precisely, thinner than the first
overlay 13. Accordingly, the second overlay 14, like the first,
will not impede the transmission of heat to a product 2 breasted
with the outer surface 15.
[0060] The silicone material utilized for the second overlay 14
affords a particularly smooth and non-abrasive contact surface 15,
unlike the ceramic material, which is notoriously porous.
[0061] To further advantage, considering the application
illustrated in FIG. 1, where the cigarette rod 4 is heated while in
motion, no damage is caused to the tubular wrap 4a as it slides
against the outer surface 15. In addition, the fact that the
contact surface 15 has a non-porous structure makes it easy to
clean.
[0062] Significantly, as mentioned above, the heating foil 9 has a
low thermal inertia, by virtue of its minimal thickness and its
pierced structure.
[0063] The temperature of the foil 9 can therefore be regulated
swiftly, depending on the speed at which the products 2 advance, so
as to ensure that the respective predetermined portions 2a of the
products 2 are heated to optimum effect.
[0064] In other words, the foil 9 can be brought swiftly to the
appropriate temperature for the particular welding or sealing
operation.
* * * * *