Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Tobacco packet with moving guide adapter and system comprising tobacco
packet and filling machine
The invention relates to a tobacco packet as well as a system comprising a
tobacco
packet and a filling machine. The technical field to which this invention
relates is the
field of Make-Your-Own (MYO) smoking articles, in other words smoking articles
for
making cigarettes or filter cigarettes in particular. Such MYO smoking
articles are
made by the consumer himself, who takes a portion of what is usually loose
tobacco
by hand, distributes it as homogeneously as possible in the housing
compartment of
a filling device (filling machine) and converts it into a pre-prepared filter
cigarette. The
cigarettes produced as a result necessarily vary considerably from the quality
of a
factory cigarette; packing densities fluctuate and the quantities of tobacco
within the
cigarette vary with each cigarette. In view of the fact that the tobacco has
to be
manually handled, it is also not made with the same level of hygiene and there
is no
avoiding the loss of tobacco crumbs.
Patent specification WO 02/056714 Al discloses a device by means of which one
or
a plurality of cigarette sleeves can be filled with loose tobacco
simultaneously. To this
end, a support for the cigarette sleeves is provided in the device with the
open end at
the top on a shaking machine. Disposed above the support with the cigarette
sleeves
is a container for accommodating the tobacco. The entire device is shaken so
that
the tobacco drops into the open cigarette sleeves, where it is compacted due
to the
acceleration of the shaking machine. The main disadvantage of this system is
that
the natural weight of the tobacco is so low that it is barely possible to
achieve a
correct packing density; furthermore, the device is of a very complicated
construction.
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The objective of some embodiments of this
invention is to propose a tobacco packet as well as a system
comprising a tobacco packet and filling machine, which at
least partially overcome the disadvantages of the prior art
and optimise the process of self-producing cigarettes. In
particular, the intention is to enable cigarettes of a high
quality to be produced hygienically.
In accordance with a broad aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a tobacco packet for
accommodating tobacco for the self-production of cigarettes,
which packet has a tobacco dispensing opening, the tobacco
packet comprising: a guide adapter in the region of the
tobacco dispensing opening for guiding a movement of the
tobacco packet on a complementary guide of a filling
machine; wherein the guide adapter is a sliding guide
adapter that is a track guide adapter with any one of web
portions, web profiled portions, or track portions, and
track profiled portions.
In accordance with another broad aspect of the
present invention, there is provided a tobacco packet-filling
machine system with the tobacco packet described herein.
With the tobacco device proposed by some
embodiments of the invention, a guide adapter is disposed
in the region of the tobacco dispensing opening for guiding
a movement of the tobacco packet on a complementary guide
of a filling machine. In other words, the tobacco
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packet is already designed so that a controlled and predefined movement can be
made by means of it as the tobacco is being placed on the filling machine. By
permitting such a controlled and guided movement, the tobacco is also moved
out of
the tobacco packet in a regular and controllable manner and this helps to
produce
reproducible cigarettes of a good quality. Since the movement of the guide
adapter of
the tobacco packet may be of various different designs and can also be adapted
to
the requirements of transferring the tobacco out of the packet, there is no
need to
touch the tobacco with the hand when removing it from the packet or not too
much
tobacco is lost as a result of the invention.
The guide adapter advantageously has at least one guide element, which is
oriented
in the direction in which the packet is moved relative to the filling machine.
It may be
a sliding guide adapter, in which case it may be designed as a track guide
adapter,
which has web portions respectively web profiled portions or track portions
respectively track profiled portions. It may naturally also extend across the
entire
length of the packet in the direction of movement, or it may likewise suffice
if it is
provided at only certain points, which also applies to the guide adapter as a
whole.
In one embodiment of the invention, the guide adapter has- laterally disposed,
in
particular laterally projecting, guide elements on two sides; however, it may
have only
a single guide element, in particular disposed at the side or in the region of
the
tobacco dispensing opening. In the latter case, where the guide adapter is
disposed
in the region of the tobacco dispensing opening, for example underneath this
opening, it may be designed so that it is slim enough to avoid obstructing
emptying of
the tobacco. In the region of the tobacco dispensing opening, it is possible
to provide
a rim, in particular of a plate-shaped design, which incorporates the guide
element or
elements. Such a rim, which may also continue along the sides of the edges
which lie
transversely to the direction of movement or guide direction, increases the
strength of
the tobacco packet as a whole. In one design variant, the guide adapter has a
shaker
element. Such a shaker element may superimpose a shaking effect on the smooth
or
uniform movement of the guide, which simplifies the process of emptying and in
particular completely emptying the tobacco.
In one advantageous embodiment, the tobacco packet has what is in particular a
carton-shaped tobacco housing body, in which two peripheral walls, in
particular
extending parallel and lying in the direction opposite the movement bend out
in an
arcuate shape towards their middle portion or converge to a point. During the
emptying process, this design will push the tobacco to the side edges during
the
movement, thereby ensuring that the ends of the cigarette to be produced are
also
sufficiently filled with tobacco. Furthermore, the forces needed to move the
tobacco
packet in such a guide will be lower as a result.
The latter also applies to another design, in which a tobacco packet has an
edge on
the tobacco dispensing opening, which, together with the guide adapter, curves
outwards towards its middle portion in particular and bends outwards in the
tobacco
emptying direction. Here too, the sliding surface is improved, which in turn
reduces
the forces which need to be applied, and the shaft depth of the shaft
receiving he
tobacco is also varied across the length so that a relatively large amount of
tobacco
can be placed at the ends. The packing density is increased there, which
reduces
any falling out at the ends.
The edge of the tobacco dispensing opening of a tobacco packet proposed by the
invention may have shearing edges, which may specifically comprise inwardly
projecting pointed edges. Such effective shearing elements specifically help
to
reduce the loss of crumbs.
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It is also possible to provide the tobacco dispensing opening of a tobacco
packet
proposed by some embodiments of the invention with a removable closure, in
particular a closure
which provides an air-tight seal for the packet. This wiil preserve the
quality of the tobacco
in the packet. If the closure is also provided with a gripping tab and is
designed so
that it can be pulled off essentially parallel with the surface of the tobacco
dispensing
opening, it can be removed with the guide fitted. As a result, it will be
severed or torn
open at its peripheral regions.
A tobacco packet-filling machine system proposed by an embodiment of the
invention comprises a
tobacco packet based on one of the designs described above, as well as a
cigarette
filling machine, which has a complementary counter-guide for the guide adapter
of
the tobacco packet on the filling machine tobacco filling portion. In other
words, in the
region where it receives the tobacco as it is transferred from the tobacco
packet, the
filling machine is of a design whicp complements that of the tobacco packet,
and the
system proposed by some embodiments of the invention therefore also offers all
the advantages
described above in respect of the packet.
A system proposed by some embodiments of the invention has at least one, in
particular
several tobacco shafts disposed one after the other, for example the counter-
guide extends
acros-s the shafts. Specifically in the case of the latter option, the system
proposed
by some embodiments of the invention enables several high quality tobacco
products to be
produced and does so simultaneously whilst involving few manipulations and
without having to
touch the tobacco or resulting in unacceptable losses of tobacco.
In one design variant, the counter-guide engages the guide adapter so that an
essentially closed moving or sliding connection is obtained between the
tobacco
packet and the tobacco filling portion, which prevents tobacco from failing
out.
It should be pointed out that, in the context of an embodiment of the
invention, any packet element of
the type mentioned above may naturally be of a design which complements a
design
of the filling machine, in other words incorporates a complementary counter-
element.
For example, the counter-guide may have a shaker contour, in particular a
shaker
contour co-operating with the. shaker element described above, and the tobacco
portion of the filling machine may bend inwards complementing the outward bend
of
~
the edge of the tobacco dispensing opening in the emptying direction. Any
appropriate complementary designs between filling machine and tobacco packet
described above will simplify use, improve hygiene and reduce tobacco losses.
The invention will now be described in more detail on the basis of embodiments
and
with reference to the appended drawings. It may incorporate all the features
described here, both individually and in any practical combination, and may
also be
defined as a method and as a use. Of the drawings:
Figure 1 shows several views of a tobacco packet proposed by the invention;
Figure 2 shows a tobacco packet proposed by the invention in conjunction
with a filling machine proposed by the invention as a system;
Figure 3 illustrates a tobacco packet proposed by the invention being opened
on the filling machine with an appropriate closure;
Figure 4 illustrates the shafts of the filling machine being filled as well as
a
shaker mechanism;
Figure 5 shows the design of the tobacco dispensing opening of the packet
with shearing edges;
Figure 6 illustrates the system proposed by the invention from the point of
introducing the tobacco to the point of transferring into a cigarette;
and
Figure 7 illustrates an advantageous design of the guide and the contact
surface between the packet edge and the top tobacco shaft plane of
the filling machine.
A first embodiment of a packet proposed by the invention is illustrated in
Figure 1. It
shows several views of a tobacco packet 1. The tobacco packet 1 essentially
comprises a carton-shaped body 3 which is closed off by a removable closure 5
which is preferably air-tight. Disposed in the region of the removable closure
5 are
web-type elements on the carton rim, which form a guide adapter of the packet
and
may thus serve as guide webs 7 when they are introduced into the guide system
of a
filling machine.
As clearly illustrated, the tobacco packet 3 is designed with a special shape.
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Figure 2 illustrates the tobacco packet 1 together with a filling machine 9
proposed by
the invention, which is designed to produce several cigarettes simultaneously.
By
means of the guide webs 7, the tobacco packet 1 may be introduced into the
complementary counter-guide 11 of the filling machine 9 (diagrams a and b),
where it
can be moved backwards and forwards in a linear movement. This being the case,
the open tobacco packet can be guided several times above open shafts 13 in
the
filling machine, as illustrated in Figures 2 c and d. In this case, 6 open
shafts are
illustrated, thereby enabling 6 cigarettes to be produced simultaneously. The
counter-
guide 11 and the guide adapter may be of different designs. They may be simple
webs or tracks, or alternatively dovetail guides or more complex profiled
shapes
would also be conceivable.
Figure 3 illustrates how a tobacco packet 1 is opened. To this end, the
tobacco
packet 1 is introduced with the removable closure 5 so far into the guide 11
of the
filling machine 9 that a gripping tab 15 can still be taken hold of in order
to open the
tobacco packet 1, but far enough so that the loose tobacco 17 which falls out
drops
only onto the housing of the filling machine and remains "trapped" underneath
the
tobacco packet (diagram b).
If the opened tobacco packet 1 is now pushed over the shafts 13 of the filling
machine 9, the shafts 9 are filled with loose tobacco 17, as may be seen from
Figure
4a, for example. It is possible that this operation will not be finished with
the first
movement of the tobacco packet, in other words, the shafts will not be
completely
filled until after several forward and backward movements. In order to assist
this
process, it would be conceivable to provide structures such as ridges, nubs,
webs,
etc., in the region of the guide 11 on the filling machine and/or the guide
webs 7 on
the tobacco packet, which shake both the tobacco packet and the loose tobacco
contained in it, thereby making it easier to fill the shafts (see Figure 4b).
As the tobacco packet 1 is being moved forward and backward, the edges of the
tobacco packet 1 together with the top edges of the shafts 13 serve as
shearing
edges 16, as illustrated in Figure 5a, in order to shear off protruding
tobacco fibres
and thus completely fill the shafts 13 but without any protrusions. Since high
forces
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would be necessary in the case of a design of tobacco packet 1 with edges
parallel
with the shaft edges, it is of advantage in mechanical terms to provide the
tobacco
packet with oblique edges. These may have the wedge shape illustrated in
Figure 1
and Figure 5b, for example, although it would also be conceivable to opt for
arcuate
shapes or rhombus shapes.
Figures 6 a-e illustrate the transfer operation. Accordingly, the drawings
show
sections through the filling machine exactly in the region of a tobacco shaft.
Due to
the forward and backward movement of the tobacco packet, the shafts of the
filling
machine have been filled as homogeneously as possible. In this respect, one
embodiment is such that the exact contents of the tobacco packet 1 are
emptied, as
illustrated in Figure 6b. However, it would also be conceivable for the
tobacco packet
to contain enough for more cigarettes than can be produced with one use of the
filling
machine (in this instance 6 cigarettes). The tobacco packet is then pushed
back into
the position illustrated in Figure 2d and used again for producing the next
batch of
cigarettes. However, the quantity of loose tobacco in the tobacco packet is
preferably
exactly enough to produce a whole-number multiple of a production process,
i.e. in
this instance for 6, 12, 18 cigarettes or more. The filling machine lid 19 is
then closed
and the pressing webs 21 penetrate the shafts 13 of the filling machine 9 and
thus
compact the loose tobacco 17 to tobacco sticks 23 (Figure 6c). As this
happens, all
the tobacco sticks are formed simultaneously. Once cigarette sleeves 25 have
been
placed on the device in a manner known per se, the tobacco sticks can then be
transferred into the cigarette sleeves with known means, e.g. spoons, either
individually or together, in a manner known per se (Figures 6d and 6e).
At this point, it is clear that the depth of the shafts 13 is of major
importance. Loose
tobacco accumulates in these shafts with a certain packing density, which will
also
essentially depend on the type of tobacco used. In order to transfer the
volume of the
loose tobacco quantity with its filling density into a tobacco stick with the
compacted
density of a conventional cigarette and transfer it to the associated pulling
mechanism, the tobacco and filling machine geometry must be adapted to one
another. Otherwise, a tobacco product of lower quality will be produced.
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Figure 7 shows three diagrams a-c illustrating yet another embodiment which
increases the quality of the tobacco product. Both the bottom edge 19 of the
tobacco
packet 1 and the edges of the shafts, and hence also the sliding surface 20 of
the
packing device across which the tobacco packet is moved, are shaped for this
purpose. In particular, it is of practical advantage to use a complementary
arcuate
shape. In this manner, the shaft depth is varied across its length and hence
more
tobacco is packed in at the ends, i.e. at the points 18, thereby creating a
high packing
density at the ends of the finished cigarettes. This minimises any falling out
from the
ends of the finished cigarette. However, it would also be conceivable for an
end
packing density to be made higher at one end only, e.g. at the right-hand end.
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List of reference numbers
1: Tobacco packet
3: Beaker-shaped body
5: Removable closure
7: Guide complementary elements
9: Filling machine
11: Guide
13: Shafts
15: Gripping tab
17: Loose tobacco
18: Ends with more tobacco
19: Filling machine lid
20: Filling machine sliding surface
21: Pressing webs
23: Tobacco sticks
25: Cigarette sleeves
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