MACHINE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A COMPONENT FOR AN AEROSOL GENERATING ARTICLE

Abstract

The present invention relates to a machine for the production of a component for an aerosol generating article, the machine including: a buffer station, the buffer station including: # fixed sheet guides; # movable sheet guides which are movable in a reciprocating manner in a direction towards the fixed sheet guides and in a direction away from the sheet fixed guides; # an actuator for moving the movable sheet guides, wherein the fixed and movable sheet guides together define a zig-zag trajectory for the sheet having a variable length for varying the total length of the sheet of material in the buffer station; # supports for the sheet, the supports being arranged so that, when the movable sheet guides are moved towards the fixed sheet guides, at least one of the movable sheets guides is interposed between two different supports of the plurality; # an air system; # wherein the each of the supports defines an outer surface, at least one of the outer surfaces having a first portion in which a sucking action is exerted by the air system to attract the sheet towards the outer surface and a second portion in which a blowing action is exerted by the air system to push the sheet away from the outer surface.

Claims

1. A machine for the production of a component for an aerosol generating article, the machine including: a buffer station for a sheet of material, the buffer station including: fixed sheet guides; movable sheet guides which are movable in a reciprocating manner in a direction towards the fixed sheet guides and in a direction away from the sheet fixed guides; an actuator for moving the movable sheet guides, wherein the fixed and movable sheet guides together define a zig-zag trajectory for the sheet having a variable length for varying the total length of the sheet of material in the buffer station; supports for the sheet, the supports being arranged so that, when the movable sheet guides are moved towards the fixed sheet guides, at least one of the movable sheets guides is interposed between two different supports; an air system connected to the supports; wherein each of the supports defines an outer surface, at least one of the outer surfaces having a first portion in which a sucking action is exerted by the air system to attract the sheet towards the outer surface and a second portion in which a blowing action is exerted by the air system to push the sheet away from the outer surface.

2. The machine according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface is a movable surface.

3. The machine according to claim 2, wherein a speed of the outer surface is selected depending on a rotational speed of the fixed or of the movable sheet guides.

4. The machine according to claim 1, including a hub for holding a bobbin of the sheet of material.

5. The machine according to claim 1, wherein the supports include moving belts, each moving belt including the outer surface.

6. The machine according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface includes an upper surface towards which the sheet of material is laid by gravity and a lower surface from which the sheet is detached by gravity, and wherein the first portion belongs to the lower surface and the second portion belongs to the upper surface.

7. The machine according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the supports includes a temperature regulating device adapted to heat or cool the outer surface or the sheet of material.

8. The machine according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface is realized in a low friction material.

9. The machine according to claim 6, wherein the upper and lower surfaces define parallel planes.

10. The machine according to claim 9, wherein the upper and lower surfaces define horizontal planes.

11. The machine according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface includes a plurality of holes, from which air can be blown or sucked.

12. The machine according to claim 1, wherein the fixed sheet guides or the movable sheet guides include rollers.

13. The machine according to claim 1, wherein the fixed sheet guides are positioned one above the other in a vertical arrangement.

14. The machine according to claim 1, including one or more temperature sensors adapted to measure a temperature of the sheet of material.

15. The machine according to claim 1, wherein the air system includes a temperature controlled air generator adapted to blow air at a selected given temperature.

Description

[0078] With reference to the FIGS. 4-16, a machine for the production of a component for an aerosol generating article, according to the present invention is represented and indicated with reference number 10.

[0079] FIGS. 1-3 show vertical and horizontal buffers according to the comparative examples, and have been already described above. As visualized in FIG. 4, the machine 10 (or manufacturing machine) includes a hub 12 for holding a bobbin 14 of a sheet 6 of material and a buffer station 16.

[0080] The bobbin 14 shown in the figures has a round, for example cylindrical, shape. However, the invention works fine with bobbins even when the bobbins do not have round shape. Sheet 6 is a sheet of a homogenized tobacco material (sheet 6 is better visible in FIGS. 8, 9).

[0081] The buffer station 16 includes a plurality of fixed sheet guides 4, a plurality of movable sheet guides 5 and a plurality of supports 1 for the sheet 6. The supports 1 are substantially horizontal, so that the buffer station 16 is a horizontal rollers buffer with supports, that is, the supports are horizontal and the sheet in the buffers form substantially horizontal layers, one above the other. Substantially horizontal supports 1 provide the advantage of supplying a weight of the layers.

[0082] The movable sheet guides 5 are movable in a reciprocating manner in a direction towards the fixed sheet guides 4 and in a direction away from the sheet fixed guides 4.

[0083] An actuator 18 (visible in FIG. 10) for moving the movable sheet guides 5 is provided, wherein the fixed and movable sheet guides 4, 5 together define a zig-zag trajectory for the sheet 6 having a variable length for varying the total length of the sheet 6 of material in the buffer station 16 (see FIGS. 8 and 9).

[0084] The supports 1 are arranged so that, when the movable sheet guides 5 are moved towards the fixed sheet guides 4, the movable sheets guides 5 are interposed between two different supports 1, in particular between two consecutive supports 1 (see FIG. 9).

[0085] In the preferred embodiment shown in the figures (see in particular FIGS. 8 and 9), the fixed sheet guides 4 and the movable sheet guides 5 are guide rollers. The fixed sheet guides 4 are positioned one above the other in a substantially vertical arrangement.

[0086] In the preferred embodiment shown in the figures (see in particular FIGS. 5 and 6), each support 1 includes a moving belt 2, which is also indicated as conveyor belt. The moving belt 2 defines an outer surface 20, which is a movable surface. The outer surface 20 is realized in a low friction material. Each horizontal support 1 has a single moving belt 2 running around it, and further includes a first roller 28 and a second roller 30 connected to the moving belt 2 and being located at each end portion of the horizontal support 1 in order to move the belt.

[0087] The sheet 6 is carried or dragged by the moving belt 2, which reduces the possible friction between the sheet 6 and the horizontal support 1.

[0088] The outer surface 20 includes an upper surface 22 towards which the sheet 6 is laid by gravity and a lower surface 24 from which the sheet 6 is detached by gravity (see in particular FIG. 13).

[0089] The upper and lower surfaces 22, 24 define parallel planes. Furthermore, the upper and lower surfaces 22, 24 define substantially horizontal planes.

[0090] The outer surface 20 has a first portion in which a sucking action is exerted to attract the sheet 6 towards the outer surface 20 and a second portion in which a blowing action is exerted to push the sheet 6 away from the outer surface 20. The first portion belongs to the lower surface 24 and the second portion belongs to the upper surface 22.

[0091] The outer surface 20 includes a plurality of holes 26 (visible in FIGS. 14-16), from which air can be blown or sucked. Air system, such as blowing/air drawing mechanism (not depicted in the figures), allows limiting frictions between the sheet 6 and the supports 1, as well as sustaining the sheet 6 while not limiting the movement of the movable sheet guides 5. The blown air allows pushing the sheet 6 away from the outer surface 20 by few millimeters or tenths of millimeter, so as to create air support between the moving belt 2 and the sheet 6 to reduce friction.

[0092] The horizontal supports 1 also defines surfaces 33 (FIGS. 14-16) around which the belt 2 is positioned, those surfaces have tiny holes 34, acting as air outlet/inlet, allowing the air blown by the air mechanism to go out, or, depending of the case, the air drawn by the air mechanism to be taken from the outside, creating suction effect (see FIG. 14). Therefore the air blown or sucked by the air system or air generator passes through holes 34 and 26 in order to enter or to get out from the supports. The air generator preferably is fluidly connected with the interior of all supports. Preferably surfaces 33 surrounds substantially an hollow space where the air can be conveyed.

[0093] According to preferred embodiments, only the bottom surface or both top and bottom surfaces of the horizontal supports 1 have such holes 34. According to preferred embodiments, the air mechanism, for each horizontal support 1, can independently blow or draw air through the top surface of the horizontal support 1 while it can independently blow or draw air through the bottom surface.

[0094] In a preferred embodiment, the air mechanism draws air through the bottom surface.

[0095] The air drawn through the bottom surface of the horizontal support 1 and the holes 26 of the moving belt 2, creates a suction effect on the sheet 6 and makes it stuck to the moving belt 2, helping the sheet 6 to carry its own weight without possible damage.

[0096] Furthermore, an additional benefit of the invention is that the air mechanism can also act as a temperature control system for the system as well as for the material being processed, helping preparing the sheet 6 for the treatment applied to it by the manufacturing machine 10, as detailed below.

[0097] Preferably, at least one of the supports 1 includes a temperature regulating device (not visible in the appended drawings) adapted to heat or cool the outer surface 20 or the sheet 6 of material. In particular, the machine 10 can include a temperature controlled air generator adapted to blow air at a selected given temperature.

[0098] Such temperature controlled air generator could for instance uses resistors to heat the air and thermoelectric elements to cool the air.

[0099] Further, the temperature controlled air generator included in the air mechanism gives the possibility to adjust the temperature of the air blown into the horizontal supports 1, so as to cool or heat the horizontal supports 1 (for instance to cool down the supports 1 in case there are frictions with the moving belt 2) as well as to cool or heat the sheet 6.

[0100] This is another benefit of the invention as such temperature control allows to influence or control the temperature of the sheet 6 which can be used to prepare the sheet 6 material for the upcoming treatment part of the machine 10.

[0101] The machine 10 includes one or more temperature sensors (not visible in the drawings) adapted to measure a temperature of the sheet 6. Preferably, the air system and the temperature regulating device are connected to the temperature sensors for a feedback mechanism.

[0102] The temperature sensors could sense the temperature of the sheet 6 and so to automatically adjust the temperature of the blown air so that the temperature of the sheet 6 stay in a predetermined range.

[0103] In alternative, the horizontal supports 1 can be compartmented so as to present two horizontal containers, upper and lower, to independently push/suck the upper surface 22 of the belt 2 and the lower surface 24 of the belt 2.

[0104] In FIGS. 5 and 6 a horizontal support 1 is shown, with its moving belt 2 going all around, and the first roller 28 and the second roller 30 of the moving belt 2.

[0105] According to a preferred embodiment, one or both of the rollers 28, 30 of the moving belt 2 are motorized to make the belt 2 move.

[0106] The machine 10 includes a specific architecture of the horizontal supports 1 and of the guide rollers 4, 5.

[0107] The machine 10 includes several horizontal supports 1, in a vertical stacking set-up, one above the other, as well as respective rollers 28 and 30, along which the sheet 6 runs.

[0108] According to preferred embodiments, the sheet 6 can move from the lowermost portion to the upmost portion (i.e. from the lowest horizontal support 1 to the highest) or from the upmost to the lowermost.

[0109] A specific horizontal support 1 can be slightly longer than the other so as to catch the incoming sheet 6. In FIGS. 8 and 9, the sheet 6 moves from the lowermost to the upmost position, and so the slightly longer horizontal support 1 is the lowest one.

[0110] Aligned with each horizontal support 1, there is a fixed guide roller 4 (fixed sheet guide), that is, a guide roller which does not move horizontally or vertically and only rotates on its axis.

[0111] The rotation of the fixed guide roller 4 can be a free rotation generated by the sheet 6 passing or an active motorized rotation dragging the sheet 6.

[0112] These fixed guide rollers 4 are aligned in a vertical column. Horizontally between each couple of horizontal supports 1, there is a movable guide roller 5 (movable sheet guide).

[0113] These movable guide rollers 5 can move horizontally along rails 32 and are motorized rollers 5, meaning that their rotation is motorized and drags the sheet 6.

[0114] The movement of the movable guide rollers 5 away from the fixed rollers 4 creates the buffering of the sheet 6 as illustrated in FIGS. 8-12.

[0115] These movable guide rollers 5 are aligned in a vertical column.

[0116] The distance between two consecutive horizontal supports 1 is roughly a bit superior to the diameter of the movable guide rollers 5.

[0117] The number of horizontal supports 1 as well as the distance which the movable rollers 5 can travel determine the size of the buffer of sheet 6.

[0118] FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate the horizontal supports 1, their moving belts 2, the rollers 28 and 30 of the moving belts 2, the fixed rollers 4, the movable rollers 5, the sheet 6, and an input unit of sheet 6 which in this embodiment is bobbin 14.

[0119] In FIG. 8 the machine 10 is not yet working, and the sheet 6 is just put in its correct path in between the two columns of the fixed and movable guides.

[0120] In FIG. 9 the machine 10 is working and the movable guide rollers 5 have been moved away from the fixed guide rollers 4, pulling the sheet in their movement. The sheet 6 thus forms a plurality of layers travelling from one guide to the next one. Between the layers, the supports 1 are positioned.

[0121] The arrows in the figures indicate the direction of motion of the sheet 6 (arrow 100), of the horizontal translation of the movable guide rollers 5 (same arrow 100, the movement being in the same direction, rotation of the roller 5 is arrow 200) as well as the rotations of the fixed guide rollers 4 (arrow 400), of the input unit 7 (arrow 500) and the rollers 28, 30 (arrow 200) of the moving belts 2 of the horizontal supports 1.

[0122] In FIGS. 10 and 11 the machine 10 has not started production yet.

[0123] In FIG. 12 the machine 10 has started production, with the movable guide rollers 5 which have been moved away from the fixed guide rollers 4.

[0124] In FIGS. 7 and 10-12, there are seven horizontal supports 1 one above the other, with the slightly longer one at the bottom.

[0125] The dotted line 9 in FIG. 13 shows what could be the path of the sheet 6 without the sucking air action or the blowing air action of the air mechanism. With the drawing air of the air mechanism, the sheet 6 is stuck to the moving belt 2 and to the bottom surface of the horizontal support 1.

[0126] It is important to note that the direction of the moving belt 2 goes away from the fixed guide roller 4 when the belt 2 runs on the top surface and toward the fixed guide roller 4 when the belt 2 runs on the bottom surface, and that this direction is the same than the direction of the sheet 6.

[0127] So when the sheet 6 is stuck to the moving belt 2 running under the bottom surface of the horizontal support 1, as well as when the sheet 6 is on the top surface of the horizontal support 1, the sheet 6 is dragged in the correct direction by the moving belt 2. The air drawn by the air mechanism through the bottom surface of the horizontal support 1 acts as an active support for the sheet 6. This active support takes place when the sheet 6 moves from the movable roller 5 to the fixed roller 4, that is when the sheet 6 goes under and next to the bottom surface of the horizontal support 1.

[0128] This active support has no materiality and thus it cannot block the movable rollers 5 in their movements, allowing them to create the buffer of the sheet 6. The air blown by the air mechanism through the top surface of the horizontal support 1 can be used to decrease the friction of the moving belt 2 running on the top surface of the horizontal support 1, and so it can be used to reduce the generated friction, which increases the temperature in the moving belt 2 area that can be transmitted to the sheet 6 and could alter its properties.

[0129] FIG. 14 shows details of the air inlet/outlet of the horizontal support 1, as well as the moving belt 2 and the holes 26 of the moving belt 2. FIG. 14 shows the bottom surface of a horizontal support 1 and the top surface of another horizontal support 1.

[0130] FIG. 15 shows details of the holes 26 of the moving belt 2.

[0131] According to a preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 15, the machine 10 comprises a group 36 of rotating brushes which are at the end of the horizontal supports 1 to continuously clean the moving belts 2 and holes 26 of the moving belts 2 to assure they are working properly, as well as removing potential fragment of material coming from the sheet 6 so as to avoid contamination of the sheet 6.

[0132] FIG. 16 shows details of the holes 26 of the moving belt 2 and surface 33 of the horizontal support 1.

[0133] According to a preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 16, the top and bottom surfaces 33 of the horizontal support 1 are textured so as to have an anti-adhesion property and to minimize the frictions with the moving belt 2 to prevent wearing of the moving belt 2 as well as frictions which increase the generated temperature. The material used for the top and bottom surfaces of the horizontal support 1 is also very smooth to prevent friction. Preferably, this material is stainless steel.