METHOD OF FEEDING ROD-SHAPED CONSUMER GOODS TO A PACKING APPARATUS

Abstract

A method of feeding rod-shaped consumer goods to a packing apparatus is provided, including providing a plurality of rod-shaped consumer goods to an upstream end of a stacking channel, and feeding the plurality of rod-shaped consumer goods along the stacking channel to a downstream end of the stacking channel. The upstream end of the stacking channel is higher than the downstream end in the vertical direction, and at least a portion of the stacking channel extends at an angle of between about 25 degrees and about 75 degrees with respect to the vertical direction. The method further includes receiving the plurality of rod-shaped consumer goods into a hopper from the downstream end of the stacking channel, and distributing the plurality of rod-shaped consumer goods from the hopper into a packing apparatus.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A method of feeding rod-shaped consumer goods to a packing apparatus, the method comprising: providing a plurality of rod-shaped consumer goods to an upstream end of a stacking channel; feeding the plurality of rod-shaped consumer goods along the stacking channel to a downstream end of the stacking channel, wherein the upstream end is higher than the downstream end in a vertical direction, and wherein at least a portion of the stacking channel extends at an angle of between about 25 degrees and about 75 degrees with respect to the vertical direction; receiving the plurality of rod-shaped consumer goods into a hopper from the downstream end of the stacking channel; and distributing the plurality of rod-shaped consumer goods from the hopper into a packing apparatus.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said at least a portion of the stacking channel extends at an angle of between about 35 degrees and about 55 degrees with respect to the vertical direction.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the stacking channel is substantially linear.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the stacking channel is curved so that the angle of the stacking channel with respect to the vertical direction increases in the downstream direction.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the upstream end of the stacking channel extends substantially in the vertical direction.

21. The method according to claim 16, wherein the feeding the plurality of rod-shaped consumer goods along the stacking channel comprises moving the plurality of rod-shaped consumer goods on at least one conveyor along at least a portion of the stacking channel in the downstream direction.

22. The method according to claim 16, wherein the providing the plurality of rod-shaped consumer goods comprises providing a plurality of aerosol-generating articles.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein each aerosol-generating article of the plurality of aerosol-generating articles comprises: an aerosol-generating substrate; a mouthpiece; and a tipping wrapper securing the mouthpiece to a downstream end of the aerosol-generating substrate, the tipping wrapper having an upstream edge extending around the aerosol-generating substrate and a downstream edge extending around a downstream end of the mouthpiece, wherein a distance between an upstream end of the aerosol-generating substrate and the upstream edge of the tipping wrapper is less than about 40 mm.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the tipping wrapper has a thickness of between about 0.04 mm and about 0.06 mm.

25. A feeding apparatus for feeding rod-shaped consumer goods to a packing apparatus, the feeding apparatus comprising: a stacking channel comprising an upstream end and a downstream end, the stacking channel being configured to receive a plurality of rod-shaped consumer goods at the upstream end, wherein the upstream end is higher than the downstream end in a vertical direction, and wherein at least a portion of the stacking channel extends at an angle of between about 25 degrees and about 75 degrees with respect to the vertical direction; and a hopper disposed at the downstream end of the stacking channel and being configured to receive the plurality of rod-shaped consumer goods from the stacking channel, and to distribute the plurality of rod-shaped consumer goods into a packing apparatus.

26. The feeding apparatus according to claim 25, wherein at least a portion of the stacking channel extends at an angle of between about 35 degrees and about 55 degrees with respect to the vertical direction.

27. The feeding apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the stacking channel is substantially linear.

28. The feeding apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the stacking channel is curved so that the angle of the stacking channel with respect to the vertical direction increases in the downstream direction.

29. The feeding apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the upstream end of the stacking channel extends substantially in the vertical direction.

30. The feeding apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising at least one conveyor extending along at least a part of the stacking channel between the upstream and downstream ends, wherein the at least one conveyor is configured to facilitate movement of the plurality of rod-shaped consumer goods along at least a portion of the stacking channel in the downstream direction.

Description

[0088] The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0089] FIG. 1 shows a prior art feeding apparatus for feeding aerosol-generating articles to a packing apparatus;

[0090] FIG. 2 shows a side view of several aerosol-generating articles in the stacking channel of the feeding apparatus of FIG. 1;

[0091] FIG. 3 shows a feeding apparatus for feeding aerosol-generating articles to a packing apparatus, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0092] FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view of a portion of the stacking channel of the feeding apparatus of FIG. 3.

[0093] FIG. 1 shows a prior art feeding apparatus 10 for feeding a plurality of aerosol-generating articles, such as smoking articles, from an upstream manufacturing process to a downstream packing apparatus. The feeding apparatus 10 comprises a stacking channel 12 comprising an upstream end 14 into which a continuous supply of aerosol-generating articles 16 is received from an upstream manufacturing process. The aerosol-generating articles 16 fall downward through the stacking channel 12 under gravity and exit a downstream end 18 of the stacking channel 12 into a hopper 20. At the base of the hopper 20 the aerosol-generating articles 16 fall through individual feeding channels 22 from which they are fed into a downstream packing apparatus (not shown).

[0094] As shown in FIG. 1, the maximum height of the stack of aerosol-generating articles 16 in the stacking channel 12 is the same as the length 24 of the vertical stacking channel 12 between its upstream and downstream ends 14, 18. Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 1, the maximum height of the stack of aerosol-generating articles 16 in the stacking channel 12 is approximately twenty-two aerosol-generating articles. However, due to the step-change in the outer diameter of each aerosol-generating article 16 as a result of the thickness of the tipping wrapper, a stack of this height can result in a significant ‘stacking angle’ at the top of the stack, which can cause jams in the stacking channel 12.

[0095] FIG. 2 shows a side view of part of the stack of aerosol-generating articles 16 within the stacking channel 12 of the feeding apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1. Each aerosol-generating article 16 comprises an aerosol-generating substrate 30 secured to a mouthpiece 32 by a tipping wrapper 34. The thickness of the tipping wrapper 34 has been exaggerated to more clearly illustrate the step change in the outer diameter of each aerosol-generating article 16 at the upstream edge 36 of the tipping wrapper 34. As a result of the centre of mass 38 of each aerosol-generating article 16 being positioned upstream of the tipping wrapper 34, each aerosol-generating article 16 lies at an angle with respect to the underlying aerosol-generating article 16 on which it sits. Although each individual angle is relatively small, as shown in FIG. 2 the angles between consecutive pairs of aerosol-generating articles 16 provide a cumulative effect such that a significant stacking angle 40 with respect to the horizontal direction 42 is formed at the top of the stack. Over the total height of the entire stack in a vertical stacking channel the stacking angle 40 can be large enough to cause the aerosol-generating articles 16 at the top of the stack to tip into a vertical orientation, which can cause jams in the feeding apparatus 10, particularly at the bottom of the hopper 20 where the aerosol-generating articles 16 reach the individual feeding channels 22.

[0096] FIG. 3 shows a feeding apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Some of the components of the feeding apparatus 100 are substantially the same as the respective components of the feeding apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1, and like reference numerals are used to denote like parts.

[0097] The feeding apparatus 100 comprises a stacking channel 112 comprising an upstream end 14 into which a continuous supply of aerosol-generating articles 16 is received from an upstream manufacturing process. The aerosol-generating articles 16 fall along the stacking channel 112 under gravity and exit a downstream end 18 of the stacking channel 112 into a hopper 20. At the base of the hopper 20 the aerosol-generating articles 16 fall through individual feeding channels 22 from which they are fed into a downstream packing apparatus (not shown).

[0098] As shown in FIG. 3, the stacking channel 112 extends at an angle 113 of approximately forty-five degrees with respect to the vertical direction 115. By using an angled stacking channel 112, the feeding apparatus 100 according to the present invention reduces the compressive gravitational forces acting along the stack of aerosol-generating articles 16 in the downstream direction of the stacking channel 112.

[0099] Furthermore, as shown more clearly in FIG. 4, which shows an enlarged view of a portion of the stacking channel 112, using an angled stacking channel 112 also reduces the effective vertical height 117 of the stack of aerosol-generating articles 16. In particular, although the length and width of the stacking channel 112 are substantially the same as the length and width of the vertical stacking channel 12 shown in FIG. 1, the maximum effective vertical height 117 of the stack of aerosol-generating articles 16 in the stacking channel 112 is only about three to four aerosol-generating articles. Therefore, since the ‘stacking angle’ effect occurs in stacks of aerosol-generating articles 16 in the vertical direction, the maximum stacking angle in the stacking channel 112 is significantly lower than the maximum stacking angle in the vertical stacking channel 12 shown in FIG. 1. Therefore, by using an angled stacking channel 112, the feeding apparatus 100 according to the present invention provides a significant reduction in the maximum stacking angle and can therefore significantly reduce the risk of jams caused by incorrectly oriented aerosol-generating articles.