U.S. patent application number 13/939167 was filed with the patent office on 2013-11-07 for cigarette filling machine.
The applicant listed for this patent is Avi Dahan, Doron Heksher, Eran Inbar, Carlos A. Lopez. Invention is credited to Avi Dahan, Doron Heksher, Eran Inbar, Carlos A. Lopez.
Application Number | 20130291880 13/939167 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44645006 |
Filed Date | 2013-11-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130291880 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lopez; Carlos A. ; et
al. |
November 7, 2013 |
Cigarette Filling Machine
Abstract
An electrical cigarette filling machine includes an inlet
storage container and an internal device. The electrical cigarette
filling machine supports additional accessories. The inlet storage
container stores bulk tobacco and provides continual and smooth
feeding of tobacco to the electrical cigarette filling machine. The
internal device is located in the container. An example of an
internal device is a rotating mixer. The internal device prevents
tobacco from sticking inside the container and controls the fluent
continual supply of tobacco to the electrical cigarette filling
machine. The electrical cigarette filling machine may contain one
or more feeding systems for simultaneous filling of a plurality of
empty cigarettes tubes with tobacco. The machine can include a tip
cleaner system for removing excess tobacco from the cigarette
tip.
Inventors: |
Lopez; Carlos A.; (Miami,
FL) ; Dahan; Avi; (Rishon Lezion, IL) ; Inbar;
Eran; (D.N. Menashe, IL) ; Heksher; Doron;
(Shaare Tikva, IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Lopez; Carlos A.
Dahan; Avi
Inbar; Eran
Heksher; Doron |
Miami
Rishon Lezion
D.N. Menashe
Shaare Tikva |
FL |
US
IL
IL
IL |
|
|
Family ID: |
44645006 |
Appl. No.: |
13/939167 |
Filed: |
July 10, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13221173 |
Aug 30, 2011 |
|
|
|
13939167 |
|
|
|
|
61378399 |
Aug 31, 2010 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
131/96 ;
131/108 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A24C 5/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
131/96 ;
131/108 |
International
Class: |
A24C 5/02 20060101
A24C005/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 31, 2011 |
EP |
11179471.5 |
Claims
1. A portable cigarette filling machine comprising a housing having
an inlet sealed storage container wherein bulk tobacco is filled
into the container and kept ready for long and continual use, where
tobacco stored is isolated from surrounding humidity
conditions.
2. The portable cigarette filling machine according to claim 1,
comprising: an inlet storage container with a mixer element, said
mixer element including a spiral spring or rod located in the
storage container; said mixer element gently rotating the tobacco
stored to secure fluent and constant feeding of the tobacco from
the cigarette filling machine.
3. The portable cigarette filling machine of claim 2, further
comprising a control apparatus for controlling speed and direction
of rotation of the mixer element.
4. The portable cigarette filling machine according to claim 1,
comprising: a feeding motor; a hollow bar connecting said container
to a cigarette tube; a feeding spring rotated by said feeding
motor, the feeding spring moving the tobacco in to the cigarette
tube through said hollow bar.
5. The portable cigarette filling machine according to claim 1,
further comprising: a plurality of filling tubes for simultaneously
filling a plurality of cigarette tubes; and a rotatable eccentric
shaft being configured to control a density of tobacco being filled
via said plurality of filling tubes, said eccentric shaft pressing
each of the cigarette tubes and preventing the cigarette tubes from
sliding back.
6. The portable cigarette filling machine according to claim 1,
further comprising a supporting groove guide for easy and smooth
mounting of a cigarette tube, said supporting groove guide being
located before a hollow bar, said supporting groove guide being
configured to support the cigarette tube while the cigarette tube
is mounted over the hollow bar.
7. A tip cleaning system, comprising: a cleaning mechanism pulling
excess tobacco from a cigarette; a collecting drawer for receiving
the excess tobacco from said cleaning mechanism, said collecting
drawer being located below said cleaning mechanism, and at least
one of a means for vibrating the cigarette using a rotating motor
or a piezoelectric element, a means for brushing a tip of the
cigarette, and a means for pulling the excess tobacco from the
cigarette tip.
8. A portable cigarette filling machine, comprising a housing
having an inlet and a sealed storage container connected to said
inlet, said sealed storage container being configured to hold bulk
tobacco and to isolate the tobacco from surrounding humid
conditions.
9. The portable cigarette filling machine according to claim 8,
further comprising an internal tobacco feeder located in the
storage container, said internal tobacco feeder being configured to
rotate the tobacco stored in the container and to secure fluent and
constant feeding of the tobacco.
10. The cigarette filling machine according to claim 9, wherein
said internal tobacco feeder includes a spiral spring.
11. The cigarette filling machine according to claim 9, wherein
said internal tobacco feeder includes a spiral rod.
12. The portable cigarette filling machine of claim 9, further
comprising a control apparatus connected to said mixer element,
said control apparatus being configured to control at least one of
a speed and a direction of said rotation of the mixer element.
13. The portable cigarette filling machine according to claim 8,
further comprising: a hollow bar, said hollow bar being configured
to connect to a cigarette tube having an option for one or more
filling systems; a motor; and a feeding spring being rotated by
said motor, said feeding spring being configured to feed the
tobacco from said container into said hollow bar.
14. The portable cigarette filling machine according to claim 13,
further comprising an eccentric shaft being rotatable to control a
density of tobacco filled via said filling tube, said eccentric
shaft pressing the cigarette tube to said hollow bar for loading
and preventing the cigarette tube from sliding away from said
hollow bar and controlling the density of tobacco pushed to the
cigarette tube.
15. The cigarette filling machine according to claim 14, further
comprising a motor for rotating said eccentric shaft.
16. The cigarette filling machine according to claim 14, wherein
said eccentric shaft rotates manually.
17. The portable cigarette filling machine according to claim 8,
further comprising a supporting groove guide located in front of
said hollow bar to support the cigarette tube while mounted over
said hollow bar for easy and smooth mounting of empty cigarette
tubes.
18. A tip cleaning system, comprising a pulling mechanism and
collecting drawer for collecting excess tobacco cleaned from tip
cigarette, said pulling mechanism removing excess tobacco from over
filled cigarettes by pulling the excess tobacco from the cigarette
and dropping the excess tobacco into said drawer located below said
pulling mechanism.
19. The tip cleaning system according to claim 18, further
comprising a rotating motor connected to said pulling
mechanism.
20. The tip cleaning system according to claim 18, further
comprising a piezoelectric element connected to said pulling
mechanism.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of prior application Ser.
No. 13/221,173, filed Aug. 30, 2011, which claims the benefit of
U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/378,399, filed Aug. 31, 2010.
application Ser. Nos. 13/221,173 and 61/378,399 are hereby
incorporated by reference. This application claims the benefit of
European Patent Application No. 11179471.5, filed Aug. 31, 2011,
which is incorporated by reference.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not Applicable
THE NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT
[0003] Not Applicable
INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT
DISC
[0004] Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0005] 1. Field of the Invention
[0006] The field of the invention is devices for filling
cigarettes, and more particularly to electrically-powered, portable
cigarette filling machines used for filling empty cigarette
tubes.
[0007] The invention further relates to apparatuses for cleaning a
cigarette tip.
[0008] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0009] Cigarette tube filling machines have existed for many years.
Most existing machines require feeding the tobacco for each single
cigarette. The existing machines still have some major problems
such as accumulation of excessive tobacco at the cigarette tip that
extends beyond the cigarette tip. The excess tobacco is either
removed manually or falls from the cigarette while being used.
Another disadvantage of most existing machines is to fill cigarette
tubes continuously while preventing overfilling the cigarettes.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] An object of the invention is to provide a cigarette filling
machine that overcomes the disadvantages of the devices of this
general type and of the prior art.
[0011] These objects are accomplished by adding storage for bulk
tobacco equipped with an internal device that moves the tobacco
gently and continuously into the filling system, and by further
adding a cleaning tip system that removes excess tobacco extended
from the cigarette tip.
[0012] The filling machine has also an option for a multi filling
system that includes a plurality of (i.e. a few) filling channels
configured together in one housing that allow filling of one or
more cigarettes at the same time.
[0013] Although the invention is described in relationship to
specific embodiments, it is nevertheless not intended to limit to
the description shown. The storage device with the feeding system
inside and the cigarette tip cleaning system may support any
existing cigarette filling machine.
[0014] The object of the present invention is to provide a portable
filling cigarette machine system that includes a tobacco inlet
storage container, a feeding system, a density controller, a
cigarette tip cleaning system, a collecting drawer, and feeding
support grooves. The tobacco inlet storage container includes an
internal mixing system to provide a smooth and continual supply of
tobacco. The feeding system includes one or more filling systems
that operate to fill one or more cigarette tubes simultaneously.
The density controller unit controls tobacco density in one or more
feeding systems at the same time. The cigarette tip cleaning system
removes overfilled tobacco standing out of the cigarette tip from
one or more cigarettes in parallel. The collecting drawer collects
the removed excess tobacco for reuse. At least one feeding support
groove is included. When more than one feeding support groove is
included, the feeding support grooves can be aligned in parallel
with each other in order to provide easy and safe loading of the
cigarette tubes on the hollow bar unit.
[0015] The advantage of the present invention is to provide a
portable cigarette filling machine that keeps a uniform and
continuous flow of tobacco into the empty cigarette tubes. The
uniform and continuous flow allows the filling process to continue
without the need for filling tobacco as long as the inlet container
contains tobacco.
[0016] Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a
portable cigarette filling machine that automatically cleans the
cigarette tip from any excess (i.e. overfills) of tobacco.
[0017] A further advantage of the present invention is to provide a
portable cigarette filling machine in which the user can control
how tightly tobacco is packed into the cigarettes.
[0018] A still further advantage of the present invention is to
provide a portable cigarette filling machine that is compact and
can be easily transported by hand.
[0019] And yet another advantage of the present invention is to
provide a portable cigarette filling machine with the option of
filling a plurality of cigarette tubes in parallel.
[0020] And still another advantage of the present invention is to
provide a portable cigarette filling machine with a safety
mechanism that automatically stops operation of the machine when
the tobacco container cap is opened.
[0021] The present invention relates to an electrical portable
cigarette filling machine. Supporting additional accessories of the
machine follow. An inlet storage container stores bulk tobacco and
provides continual and smooth feeding of tobacco to the electrical
cigarette filling machine. An internal device, for example, a
rotating mixer, is located in the container to prevent the tobacco
from sticking inside the container and to control the continuous
supply of tobacco to the electrical cigarette filling machine. The
electrical cigarette filling machine may contain one or more
feeding systems for simultaneous, independent, easy, and quick
filling of a plurality of empty cigarette tubes with tobacco. The
plurality of empty cigarette tubes can be disposed parallel to each
other. In addition, the machine can have an optional tip cleaner
system for removing excess tobacco from the cigarette tip.
[0022] The tobacco is kept inside an inlet storage container
covered with a cap to isolate the tobacco from surrounding
humidity. The container is equipped with an internal mixing element
such as (but not limited to) a rotating spring or rod that ensures
a smooth and continuous feed of tobacco to the filling channels,
and, from there, to the empty cigarette tubes.
[0023] A designated operating control board and indicative LED
panel enables activating and deactivating the feeding spring motor.
When using the option for filling multiple channels, the designated
operating control board allows separate and independent activating
and deactivating of each of the filling channels.
[0024] A density control knob drives an eccentric shaft and enables
control over the tobacco density inside the filled cigarette
tubes.
[0025] The machine has an option for being equipped with a cleaning
tip system that cleans excess tobacco (extending beyond the filled
cigarette tube) when a cigarette is overfilled. The excess tobacco
is removed from the cigarette tip and collected in a collecting
drawer. The collected tobacco is then emptied into the inlet
storage container, which is emptied from time to time.
[0026] Empty cigarette tubes are placed over the filling channel or
channels. Pushing the suitable control button will activate the
filling motor. In turn, the motor rotates the feeding spring. The
tobacco then will be pushed through the hollow bar into the
cigarette tube. Once a cigarette is filled with tobacco, the
filling channel is automatically stopped. Then, the cigarette is
fed into the tip cleaner system and the overfilled tobacco is
removed from the cigarette tip. When removing the excess material,
the process is ended, and the cigarette is ready for use.
[0027] The excess tobacco removed from the cigarette tip is dropped
in to the collecting drawer. The collecting drawer is emptied from
time to time. The collected tobacco can be returned to the inlet
storage container and the accumulated tobacco can be reused.
[0028] A system including all of the above options is hereby
described. Nevertheless it should be clear that changes and
modifications to the embodiments described or excluding some of the
machine elements will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It
is, therefore, intended that such changes and modifications or
excluded elements be covered by the appended claims.
[0029] To complete the understanding of the above mentioned
features and advantages of the invention, a detailed description of
the machine and drawings is provided wherein additional features
and advantages are described below.
[0030] With the foregoing and other objects in view there is
provided, in accordance with the invention, a cigarette filling
machine.
[0031] These objects are accomplished by adding storage for bulk
tobacco equipped with an internal device that moves the tobacco
gently and continuously into the filling system, and by further
adding a cleaning tip system that removes excess tobacco extended
from the cigarette tip.
[0032] The filling machine has also an option for a multi filling
system that includes a few filling channels disposed together in
one housing allowing filling of one or more cigarettes at the same
time.
[0033] The object of the present invention is to provide a portable
cigarette filling machine that includes a tobacco inlet storage
container, a feeding system, a density controller unit, a cigarette
tip clearing system, a collecting drawer, and feeding support
grooves. The tobacco inlet storage container includes an internal
mixing system to provide smooth and continual supply of tobacco.
The feeding system includes one or more filling systems that
operate simultaneously to fill one or more cigarette tubes. The
density controller unit provides the control of tobacco density in
one or more feeding systems at the same time. The cigarette tip
cleaning system removes overfilled tobacco extending beyond the
cigarette tip from one or more cigarettes in the same time. The
collecting drawer collects the removed excess tobacco for reuse.
One or more feeding support grooves provide easy and safe loading
of the cigarette tubes onto the hollow bar unit. Multiple feeding
support grooves can be configured to run parallel to each
other.
[0034] The advantage of the present invention is to provide a
portable cigarette filling machine that keeps a uniformed and
continuing flow of tobacco into the empty cigarette tubes. The
uniformed and continuous flow allows the filling process to
continue without the need for filling tobacco as long as inlet
container contains tobacco.
[0035] Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a
portable cigarette filling machine that automatically cleans the
cigarette tip from any leftovers of tobacco.
[0036] A further advantage of the present invention is to provide a
portable cigarette filling machine in which the user can control
how tightly tobacco is packed into the cigarettes.
[0037] A still further advantage of the present invention is to
provide a portable cigarette filling machine that is compact and
can be easily transported by hand.
[0038] And yet another advantage of the present invention is to
provide a portable cigarette filling machine with the option of
filling few cigarette tubes simultaneously.
[0039] And still another advantage of the present invention is to
provide a portable cigarette filling machine with a safety
mechanism that automatically stops machine operation when a cap of
the tobacco container is opened.
[0040] The present invention relates to an electrical portable
cigarette filling machine with supporting additional accessories.
Examples of accessories follow. An inlet storage container stores
bulk tobacco and provides continual and smooth feeding of tobacco
to the electrical cigarette filling machine. An internal device
located in the container such as a rotating mixer avoid the
stacking of tobacco inside the container and controls the fluent
continual supply of tobacco to the electrical cigarette filling
machine.
[0041] Other features that are considered as characteristic for the
invention are set forth in the appended claims.
[0042] Although the invention is illustrated and described herein
as embodied in a cigarette filling machine, the invention should
not be limited to the details shown in those embodiments because
various modifications and structural changes may be made without
departing from the spirit of the invention while remaining within
the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
[0043] The construction and method of operation of the invention
and additional objects and advantages of the invention is best
understood from the following description of specific embodiments
when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
[0044] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a cigarette
filling machine according to the invention.
[0045] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the machine shown in FIG. 1
showing parts that can be disassembled by the user for
maintenance.
[0046] FIG. 2-1 is an enlarged, partial view of the machine shown
in FIG. 1 showing the filling channels and feeding springs.
[0047] FIG. 3-A is an enlarged, partial, sectional side view of the
machine shown in
[0048] FIG. 1 showing an empty cigarette tube.
[0049] FIG. 3-B is an enlarged, partial, sectional side view of the
machine shown in
[0050] FIG. 1 illustrating a loaded cigarette tube.
[0051] FIG. 3-C is an enlarged, partial, sectional side view of the
machine shown in FIG. 1 showing the cigarette tube after being
filled with tobacco and falling into the tip cleaning system
device.
[0052] FIG. 3-D is an enlarged, partial, sectional side view of the
machine shown in FIG. 1 showing the feeding motor connected to the
feeding spring and the mixer motor.
[0053] FIG. 3-E is an enlarged, partial, sectional side view of the
machine shown in FIG. 1 showing the density control unit.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0054] FIG. 1 shows the cigarette filling device. The machine
relates to a portable cigarette rolling machine equipped with
optional features to be easily operated and to have continual
operation without the need to stop the cigarette rolling process
for refilling tobacco to the machine, and to ensure a supply of
cigarettes that do not have excess tobacco extending from the
cigarette end.
[0055] The bulk tobacco is placed into the sealed inlet storage
container 15. The inlet sealed storage container 15 includes an
internal mixing element that allows continual, smooth, and steady
supply of tobacco to the filling channels 2. The tobacco in the
filling channel is moved by the feeding spring 11 into the
cigarette through the hollow bare tube 43 unit. An empty cigarette
tube 4 placed on the supporting groove 50 is pushed gently over the
hollow bar tube 43. The tobacco is continually fed by the feeding
spring 11 into the cigarette tube 4, pushing the filled part away
from the hollow bar 43. An eccentric shaft presses the cigarette
shell and prevents it from sliding back to control the density of
tobacco pushed into the cigarette shell.
[0056] The cigarette filling machine may have one or more filling
channels 2 operating in parallel individually.
[0057] An additional device that may be used is the tip cleaning
system 41. When a cigarette filling up process ends, the cigarette
is moved to the cleaning tip unit. The cleaning unit removes the
excess tobacco by one of the following methods: vibrating the
cigarette by element such as piezoelectric device 104 (see FIG.
3-C) or brushing the cigarette tip and removing the tobacco
extending from the cigarette end. The cigarette is now ready for
use.
[0058] The excess tobacco is collected in drawer 7 located below.
When the drawer 7 is filled, the tobacco accumulated is returned to
the inlet container, thereby keeping the machine clean and saving
tobacco material from waste.
[0059] To use the machine, a user should fill up the inlet storage
container 15 by opening the cap 29. Opening the cap, or
disassembling the inlet tobacco storage from the cigarette filling
machine disables the operation of the machine to avoid exposing an
operator to moving parts.
[0060] The user places the empty cigarette tube on the cigarette
supporting groove 50 and pushes it gently onto the hollow bar 43,
inserting the cigarette shell over the hollow bar 43.
[0061] The on/off knob 25 is pressed to operate the mixer device as
shown in FIG. 2.
[0062] Pushing buttons 241, 242, 243, 244 located on control panel
24 will start the feeding spring 11 to rotate. Tobacco is pushed
through the hollow bar 43 to the empty cigarette tube and fills the
cigarette tube. Acentric shaft knob 42 is adjusted to get a
required density of tobacco.
[0063] The filled cigarette tube 4 is pushed backward and fed into
the cleaning tip system 6. A sensor detects the cigarette and stops
the feeding spring 11 rotation.
[0064] The cleaning system vibrates the cigarette (or brushes the
cigarette tip) to remove the excess tobacco from the cigarette tip.
The vibration knob adjustment 10 controls the intensity of cleaning
device.
[0065] The excess tobacco removed from the cigarette tip is
collected in the drawer 7. From time to time, the drawer is pulled
out and the collected tobacco is returned to the inlet container
15.
* * * * *