Machine to manufacture cartridges for electronic cigarettes and plant for the production of packages containing said cartridges for electronic cigarettes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10889394-B2
Application number	US-201615759259-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2016
Priority date	Sep 22, 2015
Publication date	Jan 12, 2021
Grant date	Jan 12, 2021

Abstract

A machine to manufacture cartridges for electronic cigarettes comprising a casing made of plastic material; the manufacturing machine comprises a drum rotating at a predetermined pitch around its own vertical rotation axis, which receives an orderly mass of empty casings from a feeding conveyor, in correspondence to a collecting station, and feeds them through a succession of processing stations; in which, the first drum is provided with a plurality of peripheral seats, each designed to receive a respective casing and which are divided into groups comprising the same number of seats arranged substantially in line so as to form, in plan view, a polygon on the surface of the first drum; in which the casings of the seats of a same group are simultaneously subjected to the processes in correspondence to the succession of processing stations.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A machine ( 11 ) to manufacture cartridges ( 3 ) for electronic cigarettes ( 2 ) comprising a casing ( 5 ) made of plastic material having a microperforated bottom wall ( 6 ) and a side wall ( 7 ) and containing a quantity of powdered tobacco on top of which a portion ( 8 ) of filtering material is arranged; the manufacturing machine ( 11 ) comprises:
a feeding conveyor ( 13 ) which feeds a plurality of empty casings ( 5 ) in correspondence to a collecting station (PS);
a first drum ( 12 ) rotating at a predetermined pitch around its own vertical rotation axis, which receives an orderly mass of empty casings ( 5 ) from the feeding conveyor ( 13 ), in correspondence to the collecting station (PS), and feeds them through a succession of processing stations (FS, WRS, FRS, CDS, CS); wherein the first drum ( 12 ) is provided with a plurality of peripheral first seats ( 23 ), each designed to receive a respective casing ( 5 ), and which are divided into groups comprising the same number of first seats ( 23 ); in which the casings ( 5 ) of the first seats ( 23 ) of a same group are simultaneously subjected to the processes in correspondence to the succession of the processing stations (FS, WRS, FRS, CDS, CS); and
a second drum configured to receive semi-finished cartridges ( 3 ) transferred from the first drum ( 12 ) to the second drum ( 17 ) in correspondence to a loading/unloading station (CDS) in which the first drum ( 12 ) partially overlaps the second drum ( 17 ), wherein the second drum ( 17 ) is provided with a number of second seats ( 70 ) obtained on the periphery of the second drum ( 17 ) and which are divided into groups.

2. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first seats ( 23 ) of the same group are arranged in line so as to form, in plan view, a polygon on the surface of the first drum ( 12 ).

3. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the manufacturing machine ( 11 ) comprises a first filling unit ( 14 ) arranged in correspondence to a first filling station (FS) downstream of the collecting station (PS), so as to feed a quantity of powdered tobacco inside each empty casing ( 5 ) from above.

4. The machine according to claim 3 , wherein the first filling unit ( 14 ) comprises a hopper ( 28 ) for the collection of powdered tobacco and a plurality of discs ( 32 , 34 , 40 , 42 ) among which a first disc ( 32 ) defining a bottom wall of the first hopper ( 28 ); wherein between the first disc ( 32 ) and a second disc ( 34 ) a plurality of compartments (S) is defined, each designed to contain the quantity of powdered tobacco to be inserted into a respective casing ( 5 ) from above; and wherein the first disc ( 32 ) and the second disc ( 34 ) are mobile relative to one another, so as to vary the volume of the compartments (S) and the quantity of powdered tobacco contained inside them.

5. The machine according to claim 3 , wherein the manufacturing machine ( 11 ) comprises a weighing unit ( 15 ) for weighing each casing ( 5 ) and discarding the single casings ( 5 ) which do not conform and is arranged in correspondence to a weighing and discarding station (WRS) downstream of the first filling station (FS).

6. The machine according to claim 5 , wherein the manufacturing machine ( 11 ) comprises a second feeding unit ( 16 ) which is arranged in correspondence to a second feeding station (FRS) downstream of the weighing and discarding station (WRS), so as to feed a portion ( 8 ) of filtering material inside each casing ( 5 ) from above.

7. The machine according to claim 6 , wherein the second feeding unit ( 16 ) comprises a bent panel ( 57 ) which receives rods of filtering material divided into portions ( 8 ) of desired length with a horizontal axis and releases them to a store ( 58 ) which is divided into a number of channels ( 59 ); wherein each of said channels ( 59 ) comprises a stack of portions ( 8 ) of filtering material arranged one on top of the other with a vertical axis; and wherein the second feeding unit ( 16 ) comprises a lower guide ( 64 ) associated with the store ( 58 ) and cooperating with a first arm ( 66 ), which is mobile in a horizontal direction for inserting a portion ( 8 ) of filtering material inside each casing ( 5 ) from above.

8. The machine according to claim 1 wherein the second drum ( 17 ) rotates at a predetermined pitch around its own vertical rotation axis, and receives the casings ( 5 ) from the first drum ( 12 ), containing a quantity of powdered tobacco on top of which a portion ( 8 ) of filtering material is arranged, in correspondence to the loading/unloading station (CDS) and feeds an orderly mass of cartridges ( 3 ) to a second transfer conveyor ( 21 ).

9. The machine according to claim 8 , wherein each second seat ( 70 ) is designed to receive a respective casing ( 5 ) from the first drum ( 12 ) in correspondence to the loading/unloading station (CDS), and the second seats ( 70 ) are divided into groups comprising the same number of second seats ( 70 ) arranged essentially in line so as to form, in plain view, a polygon on the surface of the second drum ( 17 ).

10. The machine according to claim 8 , wherein the cartridges ( 3 ) comprise a closing ring nut ( 9 ); and the manufacturing machine ( 11 ) comprises a third feeding unit ( 18 ) arranged in correspondence to a third filling station (CS) downstream of the loading/unloading station (CDS) along the periphery of the second drum ( 17 ) so as to feed a closing ring nut ( 9 ) to each cartridge ( 3 ) from above.

11. The machine according to claim 10 and comprising a plurality of sonotrodes ( 76 ) arranged downstream of the third filling station (CS) along the periphery of the second drum ( 17 ) so as to weld the closing ring nuts ( 9 ) on the cartridges ( 3 ) by means of ultrasonic welding.

Assignees

• Gd Spa

Inventors

• Ghiotti Roberto Claudio Franco
• Negrini Stefano

Classifications

• B65B1/36

  by volumetric devices or methods (checking volume of filled material B65B1/48) · CPC title

• B65B1/06

  by gravity flow · CPC title

• A24F40/70 Primary

  Manufacture · CPC title

• A24F40/42

  Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F40/20

  Devices using solid inhalable precursors · CPC title