Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02639884 2008-07-22
Applicant: British American Tobacco (Germany) GmbH
Device for portioning free-flowing food or consumable substances
The invention relates to a device for portioning free-flowing food or
consumable
substances, for example cut tobacco, coffee powder or tea, with a supply
chamber
for the food or consumable substance and a portioning device.
A device of this type is known from patent specification DE 32 47 370 Al.
The invention relates primarily to the subject of cigarettes rolled from cut
tobacco,
especially fine cut tobacco, by the final consumer. The background to this is
that
industrially produced cigarettes are subject to higher taxation than cut
tobacco and
are therefore very much more expensive. Consumers who are cost-conscious
smokers therefore take the trouble to roll their own cigarettes from cut
tobacco.
A device enabling loose cut tobacco to be placed in a tube is known from
patent
specification DE 32 47 370 Al, for example. The device has a funnel-shaped
supply
container. Provided underneath the supply container is a portioning chamber
for the
cut tobacco. The cut tobacco is combed from the supply container into the
portioning
chamber by means of a pinion shaft which has four teeth directed radially
outwards
distributed at a distance from one another on the circumference. A helical
spring is
disposed in the portioning chamber so that it can rotate about its
longitudinal axis.
When the helical spring is rotated about its longitudinal axis, the cut
tobacco is
pressed in the axial direction of the helical spring out of the portioning
chamber,
initially into a funnel-shaped tube portion tapering in the direction away
from the
portioning chamber and from there into a cylindrical tube portion. As a
result, the cut
tobacco is shaped into a tobacco strand. The tube is attached to an outlet end
of the
cylindrical tube portion and when the helical spring is turned farther, the
front end of
the tobacco strand is pushed into the tube. As soon as the tube is completely
full of
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cut tobacco, it is pushed down from the outlet end by continuing to turn the
helical
spring, due to the conveying movement of the tobacco strand induced as a
result, and
drops off once it has been completely filled. The next tube can now be
attached and
filled.
Manipulating the above-mentioned device is tiresome, especially
because the tobacco firstly has to be dispensed from a storage container into
the
funnel-shaped supply container. The supply container of the device is open and
the
tobacco stored in it can dry out. Due to the fact that the portioning chamber
and the
actual tobacco shaping system comprising the funnel-shaped and cylindrical
tube
portions are dispensed in an axial arrangement one after the other, the device
is very
long. The device is therefore only suitable for rolling cigarettes by the end
consumer
at home, who must then prepare his daily requirement beforehand and store them
separately, for example.
Against this background, the objective of this invention is to propose a
device for portioning free-flowing and consumable substances that is compact
and
easy to operate, and which can also be easily used "away from home".
In accordance with this invention there is provided device for portioning
free-flowing food or consumable substances, such as cut tobacco, coffee powder
or
tea for example, with a container for the food or consumable substance and a
portioning device, characterized in that the container comprises at least two
co-
operating container parts displaceable relative to one another, which together
constitute the portioning device, and the food or consumable substance is
accommodated in one container part; and one of the container parts or both or
several container parts are provided with a means for operating the portioning
device.
The numerous advantages of the invention will become apparent from
the following description of different embodiments. Several such embodiments
will
also be explained in more detail with reference to the appended drawings. The
invention may incorporate all of the described features, either alone or in
any
expedient combination. Of the drawings:
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Fig. 1 illustrates an example of an embodiment of a device proposed by the
invention with a rotating drum and a housing for the rotating drum;
Figs. 2 to 4 illustrate possible embodiments of portion containers;
Fig. 5 illustrates how portions can be prepared with the aid of the device
proposed by the invention;
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Fig. 6 illustrates how portions can be prepared with a slightly
modified device proposed by the invention;
Fig. 7 shows a view of a rotating drum and a housing;
Figs. 8 to 10 illustrate another embodiment of device proposed by the
invention;
Fig. 11 illustrates a food or consumable substance packaging for an
embodiment of the type illustrated in Figures 8 to 10;
Figs. 12 and 13 illustrate other embodiments of a device proposed by the
invention;
Figs. 14 to 16 illustrate a device proposed by the invention with a pressing
head lock (lock mechanism);
Figs. 17 to 19 illustrate another embodiment of a device proposed by the
invention;
Figs. 20 to 22 illustrate embodiments of the device proposed by the invention
with an alternative lock mechanism;
Fig. 23 is a side view illustrating an example of another embodiment
for a device incorporating the features proposed by the
invention;
Fig. 24 is a cross-section through the device illustrated in Fig. 23 in
the plane indicated by II - II;
Fig. 25 shows a detail of the device shown in Figs. 23 and 24 from the
cross-section illustrated in Fig. 24;
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Fig. 26 is a side view illustrating an example of another embodiment
of a device incorporating the features proposed by the
invention;
Fig. 27 is a cross-section in the plane V - V showing the device
illustrated in Fig. 26 in a first operating position;
Fig. 28 is a cross-section in the plane V - V showing the device
illustrated in Fig. 26 in a second operating position;
Fig. 29 is a cross-section in the plane V - V showing the device
illustrated in Fig. 26 in a third operating position;
Fig. 30 is a cross-section in the plane V - V showing the device
illustrated in Fig. 26 in a fourth operating position;
Fig. 31 is a cross-section in the plane V - V showing the device
illustrated in Fig. 26 in a fifth operating position;
Fig. 32 is a side view of the device illustrated in Fig. 26 whilst it is
being operated;
Fig. 33 is a plan view of the device illustrated in Fig. 26 whilst it is
being operated;
Figs. 34 and 35 illustrate an embodiment of the device proposed by the
invention with a bag-type container part for the food or
consumable substance;
Fig. 36 illustrates an alternative drum design;
Figs. 37 to 39 illustrate an embodiment of a device proposed by the
invention in which a rotating drum essentially constitutes the
portion packaging itself;
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Figs. 40 and 41 illustrate two embodiments proposed as variants of the
devices illustrated in Figures 8 to 13;
Figs. 42 to 46 illustrate another embodiment of the device proposed by the
invention, whereby the food or consumable substance is
combed into a pressing head co-operating piece;
Figures 47 and 48 illustrate another embodiment of the invention for a portion
packaging attachment outside the housing or device;
Figures 49 to 51 illustrate an embodiment of the device proposed by the
invention with a portion packaging attached to the top;
Figure 52 illustrates another embodiment of a device proposed by the
invention;
Figure 53 illustrates a different embodiment of the portion packaging for
a device proposed by the invention;
Figure 54 illustrates an embodiment of the device proposed by the
invention with a tubular portion packaging; and
Figures 55 and 56 illustrate two embodiments of the invention at different
stages
of production.
A first embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figure 1 and denoted by
reference number 100. It comprises a housing 114, a rotating drum 102 and a
container 108. The embodiments described now and below are devices for
portioning cut tobacco for roll-your-own cigarettes. This should be construed
as
nothing more than an example and it would naturally be possible to make
modifications to enable other free-flowing food and consumable substances to
be
prepared or portioned.
As above, the container 108 illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 will also continue
to be
referred to as a tobacco portion or a tobacco portion packaging. It comprises
two
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lids 110, 112 and a wall 118 and is of an essentially cylindrical shape. The
lids 110,
112 may be made from a more solid material, preferably plastic or stiff
cardboard,
optionally with a coating (to protect against moisture from outside and to
prevent the
tobacco from losing moisture). The cylindrical wall 118 is made from a
flexible foil
material, paper material or plastic skin, which is preferably sufficiently
stiff for the
shape of the packaging to be preserved due solely to its stability, and to be
so even
if several containers 108 are stacked one on top of the other. The sealing
foil 124,
on the other hand, should be deformable so that it is pulled off together with
the
cylindrical wall 118 and can be removed from the housing. It may also be
provided
in the form of an appropriate paper/foil or a cardboard material (coating).
Also illustrated in Figure 1 is a rotating drum, which in this instance is
designed so
that it can be flipped open. The rotating drum is denoted by reference number
102
and is designed to accommodate the container 108 so that it can then be
introduced
into the housing 114 together with the container. It has elongate cut-outs or
orifices
132 disposed on its circumference 104, in this instance extending at an angle.
It can
be rotated in the housing 114 by means of a handle 116, 118 - comprising two
parts
in this instance. The bottom part of the drum 102 is denoted by reference
number
106.
Figure 1 also illustrates the portioning means of the device proposed by the
invention. It comprises the orifices 132 on the one hand and a portioning
chamber
134 on the other hand; a more detailed description of how the portioning means
operates will be given later.
In order to be able to prepare portions of tobacco from the container 108, the
cylindrical wall 118 must be removed, i.e. pulled out of the device to the
outside. To
this end, it has perforations in the region of its end faces, i.e. at the edge
120, the
top perforations being indicated by reference number 121 in Figure 2 and
Figure 3.
These may also simply be weakened areas of the material or breaking points.
These
perforations or breaking points 121 break open when a tab of the cylindrical
wall is
pulled, which is denoted by reference number 125 in Figures 2 and 3 and may
protrude out from the housing 114 (slot 127 in Figure 1) when the container
108 is
inserted in the housing 114 together with the drum 102.
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In principle, it is also possible for the material of the cylindrical wall 118
and the lids
110, 112 to be joined by adhesive, welding or such like and to be designed so
that
this join is severed when subjected to a specifically directed stress, in
particular a
tensile stress. Once the tab has been pulled off, the tobacco is freely
exposed in the
rotating drum 102 in the housing 114 and can be portioned.
As may also be seen from Figure 4, the lids 110, 112 have special contours so
that
they can be correctly inserted in the rotating drum 102 or housing 114. These
contours 128 may also fulfil locking functions, which will be explained in
more detail
later.
Figure 5 illustrates in three steps A, B and C and with details on an enlarged
scale
how a quantity of tobacco is portioned by means of a device proposed by the
invention.
The quantity of tobacco 136 lying free in the rotating drum 102, once the foil
118 or
an additional foil 124 (Figure 3) has been pulled off, is mixed by rotating
the drum
102 in the housing 114 and some of it may drop through the orifices 132 down
into
the portioning chamber 134. The orifices 132 are preferably of an elongate or
helical
shape and are disposed across the entire circumference or a part of it. This
results
in longer tobacco fibres being cut. The details shown on a larger scale in
diagrams A
and B illustrate how the portioning chamber 134 is filled with tobacco and the
detail
shown on a larger scale in part B more specifically illustrates how cutting
occurs.
The severed part of the tobacco portion is denoted by reference number 140.
The
part of the tobacco portion 140 in the portioning chamber 134 can be
compressed
by means of a pressing head 130 until it assumes the form of a tobacco strand
in
the circular strand-forming chamber 138 when the pressing head 130 has moved
fully to the right-hand side in the direction indicated by arrow 142 (Figure
5C). The
portioning and compressing operations therefore take place in the base of the
housing and end when a tobacco strand has been formed from the severed part of
the tobacco portion 140.
An alternative embodiment is illustrated in Figure 6. The illustrated device
also
comprises the housing 114 and the rotating drum 102 but an additions'
preliminary
portioning chamber denoted by reference number 144 is provided between the
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portioning chamber in which the severed part of the tobacco portion is
compressed
into a strand by the pressing head 130. As may be seen from the next series of
diagrams shown in Figure 6, the drum 102 is firstly rotated, with the pressing
head
130 closed, until a part of the tobacco portion is disposed in the preliminary
portioning chamber 144 and lies on top of the front end of the pressing head
130.
Once the preliminary portioning chamber 144 has been well filled, the pressing
head
130 can be pulled back as indicated by arrow 146 and the part drops into the
actual
main portioning and compressing chamber (compression shaft). If the pressing
head
130 is then moved back to the right in the direction of the strand-forming
chamber as
indicated by arrow 142, the strand is formed as described above.
Figure 7 provides a view of the rotating drum from an angle and cut open so
that the
individual parts of the housing 114 are also visible, namely the portioning
chamber
134 and the pressing head 130. The drum 102 with the end face 117 and handle
119 is used to convey the tobacco to the portioning chamber 134. The handle
119 is
therefore provided as a means of rotating the drum and, depending on the
tobacco
used, it would be conceivable to have a system whereby several rotations, one
rotation or only partial rotations are needed in order to fill the portioning
chamber
134 with tobacco for a cigarette as the tobacco passes through the orifices
132.
As mentioned above, however, the drum is also used to sever tobacco fibres
that
are too long and, to this end, the slots through which the tobacco passes are
of a
cutter-shaped design, especially at the outer edges where they are directed
towards
the portioning chamber 134. Depending on the material used for the drum, it
may be
expedient to provide additional struts 115 on the drum in order to increase
mechanical strength and better control the distribution of the tobacco. These
are
disposed across the diameter or preferably in a spiral shape, which means that
the
same position of the portioning chamber does not always remain covered.
Another
option would be to provide means to facilitate the conveying movement of the
transport, in other words means acting as a driver, for example inwardly
projecting
ribs or struts.
Another design of the device proposed by the invention will now be explained
with
reference to Figures 8 to 11. With this design, portioning and compression of
the
food or consumable substance takes place in the drum.
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Figure 8 also illustrates different stages of the portioning operation, namely
in steps
A to E. The device itself is denoted by reference number 150 and it has the
housing
152 and the rotatable drum 154 disposed in it. On its internal circumference,
the
drum has inwardly projecting struts 156.
A tobacco portion, which is illustrated in Figure 11 for example, is
introduced into the
drum 154. It also has lids, one of which is denoted by reference number 182,
and at
the centre of the lid 182 a centring projection 184 for centring the tobacco
portion in
the housing 152. Again disposed on the external wall 180 is a tab 160, which
can be
torn off at the top through a slot in the housing 152 - see Figure 8A. When
the
external wall 180 is pulled off, the tobacco portion 158 in the interior of
the rotating
drum 154 settles and already drops slightly down, as may be seen from the part
162.
Once the external wall 180 has been pulled off, the portioning operation can
be
performed by rotating the drum 154 and the tobacco moves underneath the
shaping
piece 168. The resultant effect may be seen from Figures 8B to 8E and from
Figures
9 and 10, whilst Figure 10 more specifically illustrates a portion of the drum
interior,
denoted by reference number 178, which serves as the portioning chamber in
this
instance. When the housing 152 is now pressed downwards in its bottom guide
(not
shown by reference number), a pressing head 164, 166 can be pushed up through
the opening 170 relative to it and it thus presses a quantity of tobacco into
the
shaping piece 168, and does so by means of its concave front face 172 (Figure
8D).
By the time the drum reaches the bottom, the strand 174 has been formed
between
the shaping piece 168 and the concave front face 172 of the pressing head 166
and
can be pushed out, for example into a cigarette tube. Naturally, it would also
be
possible to generate the relative movement between the housing and the
pressing
head in some other way, for example by means of a stationary housing and a
moving pressing head. Embodiments of this type are illustrated in Figures 12
and
13. Figure 12 illustrates a pressing head 199 mounted so as to be displaceable
in
the housing 192 in which the drum 194 with the inner struts 196 is disposed.
The
head 199 may be pushed laterally onto the shaping piece 198 in order to form
the
strand in the device 190. The device 200 illustrated in Figure 13 comprising
the
drum 204, struts 206, housing 202, stand base 203, co-operating piece 208 and
CA 02639884 2008-07-22
pressing head 209 operates in a similar way. In this instance, the pressing
head 209
is pushed onto the co-operating piece 208 from underneath, at an angle, in
order to
form the strand.
The orifices for the pressing head are disposed in the housings and also in
the
drums, and are distributed around the circumference of the latter. In the
embodiment
illustrated in Figure 8, the pressing head is able to pass through two
oppositely lying,
defined positions, and in Figure 13, four positions are possible. By way of
example,
reference number 205 indicates an orifice in the drum. The tobacco portion
packaging (Figure 11) has a cut-out 186 so that it can be inserted in the drum
and in
the housing around the shaping piece.
Figures 17 to 19 illustrate an embodiment of the invention with a different
packaging
for the food or consumable substance, in particular the cut tobacco.
The purpose of the lock mechanism illustrated in Figures 14 to 16 is to ensure
that
the device can not be operated unless the correct packaging of food or
consumable
substance is inserted, thereby preventing the device from being damaged and
reducing the risk of injury to the end user when the device is open. As may be
seen
from Figure 14, a lock 214 is disposed in the housing, which is pushed towards
the
right of the drawing by means of a spring 216 - see also the diagram on a
larger
scale shown in Figure 15. In this state, the arm 218 is also pushed to the
right
through the cut-out 224 of the lock 214 and the same also applies to the
vertically
extending arm provided on the end of the lock body 220, which prevents the
pressing head 219 from being operated. As illustrated in Figure 16. when the
associated drum with the co-operating container is inserted in the device or
housing,
contoured projections 222 (conforming to the contours 128 illustrated in
Figure 4, for
example) press the lock at the cut-out 224 to the left against the spring
pressure and
the pressing head 219 is released so that it can move. Fitted with the
associated
container 226, the device can then be operated correctly.
In the case of the devices described so far, the drum and the housing, and in
particular also the tobacco container or tobacco portion, constitute the parts
accommodating the device or container. In the case of the embodiment
illustrated in
Figures 17 to 19, only a part of the tobacco portion packaging is used for
this
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purpose when the device is placed in the operation-ready state. These parts of
the
device are illustrated in Figure 17 and represent an example of how the
portion
packaging can be attached to the outside of the device. The portion packaging
comprises a container 234 (supply container) and a lid 232. The lid 232 is
provided
with projections 252 and 253. The co-operating housing is denoted by reference
number 240 and accommodates a drum 248, but has two cut-outs 236 and 238 in
its
end face. The lid 232 can be pushed into these cut-outs by means of its
projections
252, 253. Once pushed in, it can be rotated so that the projections 252, 253
are
moved behind the front screen 242 of the drum 248 in the housing (in the
manner of
a rotary seating).
The way this device is used is as follows. The container 234 is separated from
the
lid 232 and the drum 242 is filled with tobacco. The lid 232 is then inserted
from the
front by fitting the projections 252, 253 in the cut-outs 236, 238 and locked
by
turning it. The interior of the drum 248 is now closed and the device can be
used. To
provide a safety feature and prevent the device from being operated with lids
from
other tobacco portions which could cause damage, a locking lug 244 is provided
behind the front screen of the drum 248, as may be seen from Figure 19. When
the
lid is inserted and turned, the projection 252 is able to release the locking
pin 244,
which locks the drum due to the spring biasing action so that the device is
ready for
use. This locking mechanism based on the design of the locking pin 244 and a
co-
operating design of the projection 252 is such that the pin 244 is not
released
unless the lid has been fitted correctly. When all the tobacco in the interior
of the
drum has been used, the lid is removed again and breaks the projection 252.
The
contour of the lid is therefore designed so that the user can only remove the
lid from
the original position (the position illustrated in Figure 19A), and in this
original
position the locking element 244 locks the drum and the device housing to one
another again. It is important to return to the original position because the
preliminary portioning chamber 256 is closed here so that no tobacco is able
to get
into it during the filling operation.
Figures 20 to 22 illustrate how a packaging (container) for the food or
consumable
portion (tobacco portion) can be fitted inside the device as well as a
different locking
option. The left-hand part of Figure 20 illustrates a container 260 with a lid
262 and
the oppositely lying lid 264, as well as the removable wall 266. Attached to
the lid
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262 is a catch lug 268 and, as may be seen on the right-hand side of the
drawing,
this catch lug is disposed so that it sits centrally in the housing 270 when
the
container 260 is disposed in the drum 272. This may also be seen in the two
diagrams of Figure 21, where a cut-out 274 in the housing 270 may also be seen
on
the right-hand side, in which the catch lug 268 is able to latch.
As may best be seen from Figure 22, the cut-out 274 has a shoulder, behind
which it
becomes larger, and the front catch-part of the centring projection 268 is
able to
locate behind this shoulder. At the front, the projection 268 has a slightly
bigger
truncated cone, so that it can latch behind the shoulder in the cut-out 274.
The
latched state is illustrated in the right-hand diagram of Figure 22 and
ensures that
the device can be operated without friction and no other packaging containers
which
might damage the device can be used with it. Once the drum is empty, it is
removed
and as it is removed, the projection tears off at its front portion and can be
removed
through the cut-out 274.
The container of a different embodiment proposed by the invention illustrated
in
Figs. 23 to 33 comprises a container 20 and a releasable lid 21 which can
fitted on
the container 20, and this embodiment is based on two container parts of the
container of the device. The container 20 is filled with tobacco 22, more
specifically
fine cut tobacco 22. The tobacco 22 is indicated by a honeycomb pattern in
Figs. 24,
25 and 27.
Disposed inside the container 20 is a device for shaping a tobacco strand from
the
cut tobacco 22, which is operated by means of a mechanism in the lid 21. It
differs in
the embodiments illustrated as examples.
In the case of the embodiment illustrated as an example in Figs. 23 to 25, a
portion
23 of the actual supply chamber 24 for the tobacco 22 is partitioned off by a
wall 25.
In its middle region, the wall 25 forms a hopper 26 and a portioning chamber
27 at
the side underneath the hopper 26. Disposed in the region where the hopper 26
merges with the portioning chamber 27 is a comb roller 28 with four combs 29
distributed equidistantly on the circumference. By turning the comb roller 28
about
its longitudinal axis, the tobacco 22 is combed out of the hopper 26 into the
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portioning chamber 27, thereby filling the portioning chamber 27. As this
takes
place, the tobacco 22 is also lightly compressed inside the portioning chamber
27.
In order to operate the comb roller 28, it has a pinion 30 on its lid-side end
face. The
pinion 30 meshes with an idler gear 31, which in turn meshes with a gear 32.
Disposed on the internal face of the lid 21 is a circular arc-shaped toothed
rack 33,
which in turn meshes with the gear 32. When the lid 21 is turned relative to
the
container 20, the toothed rack 33 rotates the gear 32, which transmits this
rotating
movement via the idler gear 31 to the pinion 30. Also disposed underneath the
gear
32 is a roller 34 with nubs, part of which extends through the hopper 26. In
the
diagram illustrated in Figs. 24 and 25, the roller with nubs 34 rotates in the
anti-
clockwise direction and hence opposite the tobacco 22 as it drops through. Due
to
the nubs distributed on the circumference of the roller with nubs 34, the cut
tobacco
22 is loosened inside the hopper 26 and hence ultimately also inside the
supply
chamber 24 and is able to flow efficiently through the hopper 26 .
Once the portioning chamber 27 has been completely filled with cut tobacco 22
combed in by the comb roller 28, which is guaranteed by an appropriate
translation
ratio between the pinion 30, idler gear 31 and gear 32, the foremost tooth 35
of the
toothed rack 33 moves into engagement with a pinion segment 36. On the bottom
face of the pinion segment 36 is a wall portion 37 integrally formed on the
pinion
segment 36. The wall portion 37 extends across the entire height of the
portioning
chamber 27 and lies with its external face against the portion of the wall 25
associated with the portioning chamber 27. As soon as the toothed rack 24
engages
with the pinion segment 26, the pinion segment 36 and with it the wall portion
37
rotates in the clockwise direction in the diagrams shown in Figs. 24 and 25,
causing
an opening 38 of the portioning chamber 27 facing the hopper 26 to be closed.
The
front edge of the wall portion 37, as viewed in the closing direction, is
provided with
a cutter, which cuts off any protruding tobacco 22 as the opening 38 is
closed.
The cigarettes strand is now fully formed inside the portioning chamber 27. In
this
position, an opening in the lid 21 moves so that it sits congruently with the
portioning
chamber 27. Another opening is provided in the base 40 of the container
aligned
with the portioning chamber 27. The tobacco strand can now be pushed into a
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cigarette tube, as will be explained in more detail below with reference to an
embodiment illustrated as an example in Figs. 26 to 33.
In the embodiment illustrated as an example in Figs. 26 to 33, a first wedge-
shaped
portion 41 is disposed on the wall of the container 20 and joined to the
container 20.
A second wedge-shaped portion 42 is joined to the lid 21 but also extends
across
the entire length into the container 20. The walls 25 of the wedge-shaped
portions
41 and 42 pointing towards the supply chamber 24 together form a filling
hopper for
the cut tobacco 22. The wedge-shaped portions 41, 42 are designed so that they
taper away from one another so that the walls 25 directed towards the supply
chamber 24 run towards the wall of the container 20.
A portioning chamber 43 is formed between the wedge-shaped portions 41, 42.
The
mutually facing terminal ends of the wedge-shaped portions 41, 42 respectively
form
a half-shell 44, 45, the diameter of which corresponds to the diameter of the
tobacco
strand to be formed. Provided on the side of the wedge-shaped portion 42 co-
operating with the lid and pointing towards the supply chamber 24 is a spring
element 46. It in turn extends across the entire length of the container 20.
With its
rear end 47, it butts against the wall of the container 20 and is bent
outwards at the
oppositely lying end as viewed in the radial direction of the container,
thereby
forming a slide 48 extending into the portioning chamber 43. As may be seen
from
Fig. 27, the spring element 46 has an operating lug 49 on its side facing away
from
the end 47, which co-operates with a ramp 50 (see also Fig. 33). The operating
lug
49 and the ramp 50 are therefore disposed in the region of the lid 21 only,
and the
ramp 50 is connected to the container 20 so that it can not rotate.
The distance between the half-shell 44 and the slide 48, and hence between the
two
half-shells 44 and 45, can be set by the user by pushing one of the two wedge-
shaped portions 41 or 42, in this particular instance the wedge-shaped portion
41
co-operating with the container 20. With a shorter distance, a smaller
quantity of
tobacco will drop into the portioning chamber 43, in which case the tobacco 20
will
also be less firmly pressed when forming the tobacco strand. This feature
therefore
allows the user to adjust the pressing of the tobacco to suit his wishes.
Catch
markings 57 on the wedge-shaped portion 41 co-operating with the container 20
are
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used to set the distance between the half-shells 44, 45, which co-operate with
a
catch lug 58 assigned to the wedge-shaped portion 42 associated with the lid
21.
Fig. 27 illustrates the initial position for shaping a cigarette strand. As
may be seen
from Figs. 22 and 33, the container 20 lies with its wall surface on a table
51 or
similar. The portioning chamber 43 is therefore disposed at the lowest
possible
position on the table 51 so that the cut tobacco 24 drops into the portioning
chamber
43 between the half-shell 44 and the slide 48 (Fig. 27). The lid is now turned
relative
to the container 20 in the clockwise direction in the diagram illustrated in
Figs. 27 to
31 and 33. The wedge-shaped portion 42 co-operating with the lid 21 therefore
moves towards the other wedge-shaped portion 41. As soon as the operating lug
49
engages with the ramp 50, the spring element 46 is pushed upwards away from
the
wedge-shaped portion 42, as illustrated in Fig. 29. As a result, the slide 48
slides out
of the portioning chamber 43 and the tobacco 22 is able to move into the space
between the slide 48 and half-shell 45. The lid 21 is turned further, which
causes a
web 52 of the wedge-shaped portion 42 co-operating with the lid 21 to move
into
abutment with the wall 25 of the other wedge-shaped portion 41 facing the
supply
chamber 24. The front end of the web 52 is again designed as a cutter 53 and
cuts
off any protruding cut tobacco. The portioning chamber 43 is now closed off
from the
supply chamber 24. The lid 21 is turned farther as far as a stop until only a
circular
cylindrical space is left free, as may be seen from Fig. 9, and the tobacco
strand is
fully formed. Now or at a later point in time, a tobacco tube 54 is fitted on
an
appropriate holder and the tobacco strand is pushed into the tube 54 by means
of a
pin 55.
The tube 45 in this instance is disposed in the base 40 of the container 21
and the
slide 55 is disposed in the lid 21. A reverse arrangement would naturally also
be
possible. The advantage of the latter is that the opening in the lid 21 with
the holder
for the tube 54 can be simultaneously closed by a flag or similar on the top
edge
region of the container 20 when the lid is fully turned back (Fig. 27),
whereas the
base-end opening is closed by the pin 55. At the same time, this prevents air
from
getting into the container 20 when the device is not being used. This keeps
the
tobacco 22 stored in the container 20 fresh 22. The slide 48 may also
advantageously be used as a closure element because if designed accordingly,
it
may prevent air from being exchanged between the space between the slide 48
and
CA 02639884 2008-07-22
16
the half-shell 45 on the one hand and between the half-shell 44 and the slide
48 and
hence supply chamber 24 on the other hand.
The tobacco strand is pushed into the tube 54 in the same manner as described
above in connection with the embodiment illustrated as an example in Figs. 23
to
26. Whilst the device is not in use, the pin 55 can be pushed in and stored
inside
the portioning chamber 27 respectively 43. However, a separate chamber 56 may
be provided, as illustrated in Figs. 24 and 26. In addition or as an
alternative, tubes
54 may also be stored in the area not being used. Another option is to reserve
a part
of the supply chamber 24 to store tubes 54.
It goes without saying that the invention is not restricted to filling
cigarette tubes 54
with tobacco 22. On the contrary, any free-flowing food and consumable
substances
can be portioned and formed into any shape required and optionally even
pressed if
necessary. The shape of the formed or pressed products is not restricted to a
circular cylindrical cross-section. Instead, shapes of any type are possible.
Examples of applications for the invention outside the cigarette industry are
portioning coffee or tea, for example. For example, coffee pads or similar may
be
filled with ground coffee. Especially in the case of coffee or tea, it is of
particular
advantage if there is only an extremely small exchange of air between the
ambient
environment and the supply chamber 24 during handling because coffee or tea
are
known to deteriorate on exposure to oxygen and lose flavour.
Figures 34 and 35 illustrate a variant of the embodiments illustrated in
Figures 17 to
19. In this instance, the tobacco portion packaging 281 does not comprise a
lid and
a container but a lid 282 and a bag 280 with a converging bag end 284. In the
right-
hand drawing of Figure 34, the tobacco portion packaging 281 is illustrated in
two
parts and is designed to be accommodated in a device of the type illustrated
in
Figure 35. In Figure 35, the housing is denoted by reference number 286 and
has a
cut-out 288 in the rear housing wall. In this embodiment, the tobacco portion
packaging is inserted in the housing 286 with the drum 287 lying in it, and
the
converging bag end 284 is guided through the cut-out 288 of the rear housing
wall.
The lid 282 is locked in the drum 287 by turning it and again, a lock element
is
released (see Figure 19). The bag as a whole can be removed from the housing
through the cut-out 288. By pulling on the bag end 284, the connection between
the
CA 02639884 2008-07-22
17
bag 280 and the lid 282 is released so that the tobacco lying in the interior
of the
drum 287 is released into the drum. During this operation, the device is
advantageously positioned vertically in order to make better use of the force
of
gravity when getting the tobacco out. The resultant hole in the device can be
closed
with a lid.
When the tobacco in the interior has been used, the lid can be removed again
and
as it is so, the locking lug breaks again, whilst the lock mechanism operates
as
described in connection with Figure 19.
Figure 36 illustrates an alternative design of a drum 290 with a differently
shaped
opening 292 for the food or consumable substance lying inside. In this
instance, the
drum 290, which can be rotated by means of the handle 294, preferably has
prism-
shaped cut-outs 292 and this design results in an even more oblique
disposition of
the obliquely extending edge pieces, which is of advantage in cutting off long
tobacco fibres.
Figures 37 to 39 illustrate an embodiment of the device proposed by the
invention in
which the tobacco portion packaging is essentially formed by the drum. The
tobacco
portion packaging 300 has a drum part 302, a lid 306 and a foil 304 with a tab
318
and is designed to be introduced into the housing 314, which again has a lock
308
of the type described above in connection with Figures 14 to 16, namely a lock
for
the pressing head 310. The drum packaging therefore comprises at least three
parts
and, as illustrated in the two left-hand diagrams of Figure 38, is inserted in
the
housing 314. As this happens, the lock element 308 is released as described
above.
When the packaging 300 is inserted in the housing 314, a catch pin 316 locks
in the
contoured projection 312 in a cut-out 320. The packaging 300 is therefore
centred in
the device and can be turned. The foil 304 can then be torn off by the tab 318
through an opening in the housing. In this embodiment, a part of the packaging
300,
namely the portion 322 (Figure 37), protrudes out of the housing 314 so that
this
part can be used as a grip for turning the drum 302.
The contour of the housing denoted by reference number 312 is designed so that
the user can not insert a packaging type that is not intended for use with the
CA 02639884 2008-07-22
18
system, thereby preventing damage (due to the wrong fittings) and poor results
when portioning the tobacco.
Once the tobacco has been used, the packaging 300 is removed again and the
locking pin 316 is torn off.
Figures 40 and 41 illustrate two variants of the devices illustrated in
Figures 8 to 13.
Here too, the tobacco is pressed into a shaping piece by a pressing head in
order to
shape the strand. Illustrated in the devices 330 and 340 respectively are the
housing
332, 342, the drum 334, 344, mixing struts 338, 348, a transfer strut 346 as
well as
the tobacco portion 336. Each of these embodiments has attachments 339, 349 on
the shaping pieces 335, 345, which improve the flow of tobacco as the drum is
being
rotated. In the case of the embodiment illustrated in Figure 40, the
attachment 339 is
of a symmetrical design so that the drum rotates in both directions and can
effectively push the tobacco underneath the co-operating piece 335. The
embodiment illustrated in Figure 41 is "one-sided"; when the drum is rotated
in the
direction indicated by the arrow, the tobacco can effectively be moved from
the
bottom face in front of the co-operating piece 345. Both embodiments have
cutting
edges on the attachments in front of the region of the co-operating piece,
denoted
respectively by reference numbers 337 and 347. The purpose of these cutting
edges
is to sever long tobacco fibres so that the tobacco can be transferred by the
respective pressing head 333, 343 without friction.
Another device proposed by the invention is illustrated in Figures 42 to 46
and the
drawings in this instance show the sequence of the operating procedure. The
device
350 again comprises a housing 352 with drum 354 and inner conveying struts 356
which move and mix the tobacco in the compressing zone 357. The tobacco is
denoted by reference number 360 and the drum rotates in the manner described
in
the first instance in connection with Figure 43. Accordingly, the tobacco is
fed from
underneath, across a plate 362, in order to enter the compressing zone 357,
where
it runs against the stop 359 of the compressing piece 358. As may be seen from
Figures 44 to 46, when the drum is rotated farther in the direction indicated
by the
arrow, more and more tobacco is then moved into the compressing zone 357 until
enough tobacco has accumulated there and the housing 352 can be moved down
onto the pressing head 364 in order to form the strand 366. The strand can
then be
CA 02639884 2008-07-22
19
transferred by means of a slide into a tube, which sits on a grommet, for
example. In
the case of this embodiment, it is naturally also possible to opt for a system
whereby, instead of the housing sliding, the pressing head 364 slides as well
or
alternatively is the only sliding part.
Figure 47 illustrates two variants 370, 380 of another portion packaging for
another
embodiment proposed by the invention. In the case o the two-part variant, the
packaging comprises a container 374, on the top edge of which projections 376
are
provided, as well as a seal 372 terminating at the top. The container may be
made
from a cardboard packaging material which seals in the flavour, which may be
wound in particular, or alternatively may be an injection moulded or deep-
drawn
carton. The seal 372 is a punched aluminium, plastic or paper foil, for
example.
The three-part variant 380 of this embodiment has a container 384, a flange
386 on
which projections are provided and also a seal 382. The same materials as
those
mentioned above may be used for the container 384 and seal 382; the flange is
an
injection moulded element or a punched cardboard element, for example.
The right-hand diagram of Figure 47 illustrates how the portion packaging 370
is
mounted on the housing 400 of the device and details of this may be seen in a
state
just before fitting in Figure 48. The orifices 402 and 404 in the drum front
screen
may also be seen here, in which the projections 376 and 374 can be inserted
when
the portion packaging 370 is fitted on the device.
The operating sequence in this instance is as follows. The seal 372
respectively 382
is detached from the container 374, 384 and the container is inserted by
introducing
the projections 376 and 374 through the orifice 402, 404. The container 370 is
then
locked by turning it and a locking element which has secured the housing and
drum
to one another until this point in time is in turn released. This enables the
drum to be
rotated. The lock element and its orifice in the projection 376 operate in the
same
way as described above in connection with Figure 19 and reference may
therefore
be made to this part of the description. The portion is transferred from the
container
to the drum by tilting the device or positioning it at an angle. Once the
portion in the
interior has been used, the container is removed again, causing a locking lug
on the
projection 376 to break off, thereby ensuring that the device can not be
filled or
CA 02639884 2008-07-22
operated other than in the intended manner. The explanations given with
respect to
Figure 19 apply accordingly.
Figures 49 to 51 illustrate an embodiment of the device proposed by the
invention
with a portion packaging fitted on the top. The portion packaging again
comprises a
container 412, which has a curved guide flange 416 on its bottom region and
which
can be closed from the bottom by means of a seal 418. The container may be a
cardboard packaging which seals in the flavour, and may be folded and/or
bonded in
particular, or may be an injection moulded or deep drawn carton. The seal may
be a
punched aluminium, plastic or paper foil. A three-part portion packaging of
the
design illustrated in Figure 47 would also be conceivable. Another option
would be
to provide a portion packaging whereby the lid or another element is used as a
"key". All systems designed for fitting the packaging from the side could also
be
used in a system with a connection from the top, for example.
On the right-hand side of Figure 49, the device proposed by the invention is
illustrated in the assembled state in which the container 412 is mounted on
the top
of the housing 410, which is closed off by the wall 414 at its end face.
Figure 50 illustrates details of how the housing 410 is connected, based on a
top
opening 424 through which the drum 422 can be seen. The top opening 424 has a
guide seat 420 into which the guide flange 416 can be pushed. When pushed in,
the
container 412 therefore sits on the housing 410 and the front portion of the
seal 418
projects outwards and can be pulled off from the front so that the contents of
the
portion packaging are able to drop down into the housing 410 or drum 422.
Again with this embodiment, a latch or lock may be provided, which protects
against
incorrect use. Details of this may be seen in Figure 51, where diagrams A, B,
C and
D illustrate the sequence. Diagrams A and B illustrate the container 412
before it is
pushed onto the housing 410 and the detail illustrated on a larger scale in
diagram B
shows how a spring 428 is provided in a top grip 426, and the spring 428
pushes a
lock 430 down, which locates in a cut-out of the drum 422 and itself has an
orifice
429.
CA 02639884 2008-07-22
21
As may be seen from diagrams B, C and D, a releasing lug 432 is provided on
the
rear face of the container 412, which moves into the gap underneath the top
grip
426, thereby pushing the lock element 430 upwards against the tensioning force
of
the spring so that the drum is released and can rotate. The lock element 430
then
moves into the top cut-out 433 of the releasing lug 432.
Once the seal 418 has been removed, the contents of the portion packaging
(container 412) drop through the cut-outs into the drum 422. It would also be
conceivable for the drum 422 to be of the type whereby a type of lid has to be
opened for this operation, in which case it may be of a two-part design, for
example.
During the entire portioning process, the container 412 remains on the housing
410
and once the tobacco in the drum has been used up, the container is removed
again. As this happens, the releasing lug 432 breaks off. This prevents the
container
412 from being used again in a manner for which it was not designed.
Figure 52 illustrates the device 440, which is a variant of the device 340
illustrated in
Figure 41. A ram 443 moves in the housing 442 in order to transfer tobacco
from the
portioning region 446 into the shaping piece 447. To this end, the drum 445 is
rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow and conveys the tobacco into
the
region 446 due to its inner struts. An attachment 448 is mounted on the
shaping
piece 447, which in this instance is of a design incorporating lobes, and its
bottom
tip assumes the role of portioning the tobacco which is conveyed onwards by
means
of the struts. In its top region, the lobe 448 with a concave shape facing the
drum
internal wall forms a region 444 denoted by broken lines, which acts as a sort
of
supply chamber. Tobacco that has already been moved forwards and pushed
beyond the region 446 is disposed in this supply chamber and some of the
tobacco
is able to fall back out of the supply chamber 444 into the region 446, from
where it
can be used by the pressing head 443 to form the strand. This arrangement
results
in more uniform portioning.
Figure 53 illustrates a different embodiment for the portion packaging in a
device
proposed by the invention with a housing 460 and a drum 459. The inserted
packaging may be seen on the left-hand side and an exploded view is shown on
the
right. The device 450 has the top lid 452 incorporating a cut-out, indicated
by arrow
453. The portion of food or consumable substance or cut tobacco is packed in a
CA 02639884 2008-07-22
22
container 457, the bottom end 458 of which is able to fit through a slot 451
at the
bottom in the housing base. A key element 456 is moved so that it lies in the
region
of the cut-out and is attached by two breaking points, a top breaking point
454 and a
bottom breaking point 455. The container is what is known as a "flow pack" and
the
key element may be an injection moulded or cardboard element.
During use, the top portion of the container 457 is firstly inserted in the
lid 452. Once
the lid and the container 457 are mutually affixed to one another, they are
inserted
together in the drum 459 in the housing 460, as a result of which the bottom
packaging end 458 projects out of the housing through the slot 451. The key
element 456 engages with the drum 459, where it releases a lock element of the
same design as that described in more detail in connection with Figure 19. The
drum 459 can now be rotated. By pulling off the bottom packaging end 458, the
contents are free to drop into the drum 459, causing the top breaking point
455 to
tear off. The entire flow pack container 457 can now be removed from the
device
(pulled out from underneath).
The key element 456 remains between the drum/housing and the lid and connects
them to one another. Once the portion in the interior has been used up, the
lid 452 is
removed from the device. The key element 456 therefore tears off the bottom
breaking point 455. The lock element is able to latch again and the device can
be
used again, but only as intended, with another portion packaging of the same
design.
Figure 54 illustrates a different embodiment of the device proposed by the
invention
with a tubular portion packaging 470, which has certain similarities to the
variants
illustrated in Figures 17 to 19 and may also incorporate the same features.
The
sequence is illustrated by diagrams A, B and C takes place in this order.
The portion, in particular the tobacco portion, 471 is accommodated in the
tubular
container 470, which is closed by the seal 474 as illustrated on the right-
hand side in
diagram A and on the left hand-side by the lid 472. This tube may be fitted on
the
drum 478 in the housing 476 as illustrated in diagram B, and the diameter of
the
drum 476 corresponds to the diameter of the tube 470. Once the seal 474 has
been
CA 02639884 2008-07-22
23
removed, the tobacco 471 can be pushed into the interior of the drum 478 by
moving the lid 472 forward in the tube, to the right-hand side in the diagram,
pushing
it through the tube 470. When the tobacco 471 has been moved into the drum
interior as illustrated in diagram C, the lid 472 may be used to close the
device and
again acts as a key element (see the lock of Figure 19).
Figures 55 and 56 illustrate two different embodiments of the device proposed
by
the invention, diagrams A to D showing the sequence of production steps
involved.
The embodiments are similar in principle, except that the tobacco is moved in
different ways. Each of the devices comprises the housing 481, 491 with a
rotating
outer drum 482, 492 and a stationary inner drum 483, 493. A cross-section 480,
490
is used in each case to transfer the tobacco 487, 497 as the strand is being
formed.
In the case of the embodiment illustrated in Figure 55, radially projecting
cutting
heads 486 are provided internally on the outer drum 482 and are disposed
between
cutting orifices 484, and portioning chambers 488 are formed between these
cutting
heads.
As may also be seen from diagrams B, C and D of Figure 55, the tobacco drops
through the cutting orifices 484 and is conveyed onwards by the cutting heads
486
when rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow. Individual portions are
created
and when a portion has been moved to the region 485 on the transfer cross-
section
480, it can be transferred to the strand-forming operation (for example by a
pressing
ram, although this is not illustrated here).
The sequence is similar in the case of the device illustrated in Figure 56
except that
in this instance, as may be seen in diagrams B and C, only a single concave
cutting
projection 496 extends round the stationary inner drum 493 and "gathers in"
the
tobacco, which is pressed through or drops through the orifices 494. When the
cutting projection 496 arrives underneath the region 495 in front of the
transfer
cross-section 490, it has gathered in enough tobacco and this tobacco can be
transferred for forming the strand.
