Feed unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10071866-B2
Application number	US-201515128643-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2015
Priority date	Mar 25, 2014
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

A feed unit, for example for feeding components to smoking article assembly apparatus. The feed unit has a rotary device having a supply region ( 4 ) and one or more channels ( 7 ) adapted to receive components from the supply region ( 4 ) such that the components are stacked one on top of another within each channel ( 7 ). Each channel ( 7 ) has an inlet ( 5 ) and an outlet through which components pass for output from the feed unit. One of the inlet ( 5 ) and the supply region ( 4 ) is configured to reciprocate relative to the other to agitate the components in the supply region ( 4 ) so that components pass into the channel ( 7 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A feed unit comprising:
a rotary device, adapted to rotate, the rotary device having a hopper that defines a supply region, and one or more channels adapted to receive components from the supply region such that the components are stacked one on top of another within each channel;
wherein each channel has an inlet and an outlet through which components pass for output from the feed unit; and,
wherein one of the inlet and the hopper is configured to reciprocate relative to the other to agitate the components in the supply region so that components pass into the channel.

2. The feed unit of claim 1 , wherein each inlet is configured to reciprocate relative to the hopper.

3. The feed unit of claim 2 , wherein each inlet is configured to reciprocate relative to the hopper and the corresponding outlet.

4. The feed unit of claim 3 , comprising protrusions arranged to slide relative to each other to permit each inlet to reciprocate relative to each outlet.

5. The feed unit of claim 4 , wherein the protrusions overlap and are arranged to maintain the cross-sectional shape of each channel during reciprocation of the inlet relative to the outlet.

6. The feed unit of claim 1 , further comprising a cam track to cause reciprocation of each inlet as the rotary device rotates.

7. The feed unit of claim 6 , wherein the cam track is configured to cause each inlet to move towards the hopper at a lower speed than each inlet moves away from the hopper.

8. The feed unit of claim 1 , wherein each inlet comprises a funnel-shaped opening.

9. The feed unit of claim 8 , wherein the distance between opposing sides of each opening is less than a length of said component.

10. The feed unit of claim 1 , wherein each inlet comprises a wall that divides that inlet from an adjacent inlet, and wherein the wall extends into the hopper.

11. The feed unit of claim 1 , wherein the hopper comprises walls inclined towards each inlet.

12. The feed unit of claim 1 , wherein the feed unit further comprises a guide member that defines a path along which components are pushed for output from the feed unit after passing through a channel.

13. The feed unit of claim 1 , wherein the hopper comprises inclined sides.

14. The feed unit of claim 13 , wherein the hopper comprises an inner side wall and an outer side wall, the inner side wall and the outer side wall being inclined towards an annular space in which the inlets of the channels are disposed.

15. The feed unit of claim 1 , wherein the one or more channels extend from the bottom of the hopper.

16. The feed unit of claim 1 , wherein the inlet moves into the supply region as one of the inlet and the hopper reciprocates relative to the other.

17. The feed unit of claim 1 , wherein the rotary device, including the hopper and the one or more channels, rotates about a single axis.

18. A method of feeding components to assembly apparatus, comprising supplying components to a supply region of a hopper of a rotary device having one or more channels with an inlet, rotating the rotary device, and reciprocating one of the inlet or the hopper relative to the other to agitate components in the supply region such that components pass into channels and are stacked one on top of another within each channel before passing through outlets for output to said assembly apparatus.

19. A method of assembling an article, comprising the method of claim 18 and further comprising combining each of said components with one or more further components to form an article.

20. An article assembled using the method of claim 19 .

Assignees

• British American Tobacco Investments Ltd

Inventors

• Fallon Gary
• Park Kie Seon
• Fuller Martin
• Vernon Geoffrey
• Cleall Andrew
• Stembridge James
• Grunfeld Thomas

Classifications

• B65G2201/02

  Articles · CPC title

• B65G47/1457

  Rotating movement in the plane of the rotating part · CPC title

• B65G47/145 Primary

  Jigging or reciprocating movement · CPC title

• B65G47/1428 Primary

  rotating movement · CPC title

• B65G47/8876

  with at least two stops acting as gates · CPC title