Machine to manufacture cartridges for electronic cigarettes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10946987-B2
Application number	US-201615759541-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2016
Priority date	Sep 22, 2015
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

A machine to manufacture cartridges for electronic cigarettes comprising a casing made of plastic material inside which a quantity of powdered tobacco is contained; the machine is provided with a drum which receives an orderly mass of empty casings, and feeds them to a filling station in which a quantity of powdered tobacco is inserted into each empty casing and a filling unit which is arranged in correspondence to the filling station for feeding a quantity of powdered tobacco inside each empty casing from above; the filling unit is provided with a first hopper for the collection of powdered tobacco and a plurality of discs among which a first disc defining a bottom wall of the first hopper; wherein, between the first disc and a second disc a plurality of compartments is defined, each designed to contain the quantity of powdered tobacco to be inserted into a respective casing from above; and wherein the first disc and the second disc are mobile relative to one another, so as to vary the volume of the compartments and the quantity of powdered tobacco contained inside them.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A manufacturing 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 drum ( 12 ) rotating at a pitch around its own vertical rotation axis, which receives an aligned mass of empty casings ( 5 ) from the feeding conveyor ( 13 ) in correspondence to the collecting station (PS) and feeds them to a filling station (FS), where a quantity of powdered tobacco is inserted into each empty casing ( 5 );
a filling unit ( 14 ) arranged above the filling station (FS) for feeding a quantity of powdered tobacco inside each empty casing ( 5 ) from above, the filling unit ( 14 ) comprising:
a first hopper ( 28 ) for collecting powdered tobacco, and
a plurality of discs ( 32 , 34 , 40 , 42 ) arranged under the first hopper ( 28 ),

wherein:
the plurality of discs are designed to fill the empty casings ( 5 ) with the powdered tobacco,
the plurality of discs are brought into rotation at a pitch about a common vertical rotation axis,
the plurality of discs comprises a first disc ( 32 ) defining a bottom wall for the first hopper ( 28 ) and a second disc ( 34 ),
between the first disc ( 32 ) and the second disc ( 34 ) a plurality of compartments (S) is defined,
each of the plurality of compartments is designed to contain a quantity of powdered tobacco to be inserted into a respective casing ( 5 ) from above,
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 the compartments (S),
the filling unit ( 14 ) comprises a third disc ( 40 ) which is arranged under the second disc ( 34 ) and is divided into a plurality of separate sectors ( 40 *), each of the plurality of sectors ( 40 *) is provided with a number of through openings ( 41 ), and
the first hopper ( 28 ) for collecting the powdered tobacco comprises a pair of scraper elements ( 30 , 31 ) which are arranged so as to perform in sequence scraping of the powdered tobacco contained inside first hopper ( 28 ).

2. The manufacturing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of discs ( 32 , 34 , 40 , 42 ) of the filling unit ( 14 ) are brought into rotation while the drum ( 12 ) transfers the casings ( 5 ) containing powdered tobacco to a weighing and discarding station (WDS) that comprises a weighing and discarding unit ( 15 ) for weighing the cartridges ( 3 ) containing powdered tobacco and for discarding the cartridges ( 3 ) which have an insufficient or excessive amount of powdered tobacco.

3. The manufacturing machine according to claim 1 , wherein a pair of telescopic guides comprising upper and lower guide elements ( 36 , 37 ) are provided, which are respectively associated with the first disc ( 32 ) and to the second disc ( 34 ) to define each compartment (S); wherein the volume of each compartment (S) is variable between a minimum volume, in which the upper guide element ( 36 ) strikes against an edge ( 39 ) of the lower guide element ( 37 ) and the first disc ( 32 ) and the second disc ( 34 ) are spaced a first distance from each other, and a maximum volume in which the first disc ( 32 ) and the second disc ( 34 ) are spaced a second distance from each other, wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance.

4. The manufacturing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first hopper ( 28 ) for collecting powdered tobacco comprises a cylindrical side wall ( 29 ); the first disc ( 32 ) is connected to the cylindrical side wall ( 29 ) and is mobile in a vertical direction between two end positions corresponding to a minimum volume and to a maximum volume of the compartments (S).

5. The manufacturing machine according to claim 1 , wherein each sector ( 40 *) is mobile between a first position in which it closes the bottom of a number of compartments (S) and a second position in which each through opening ( 41 ) is arranged to allow the quantity of powdered tobacco contained in each compartment (S) to go through the respective through opening ( 41 ).

6. The manufacturing machine according to claim 5 , wherein the filling unit ( 14 ) comprises a fourth disc ( 42 ) which is arranged under the third disc ( 40 ) and is provided with a number of through openings ( 43 ), each of which is arranged in correspondence to, and facing, a respective compartment (S) with interposition of a sector ( 40 *) of the plurality of sectors ( 40 *).

7. The manufacturing machine according to claim 6 , wherein the through openings ( 43 ) are delimited by a U-shaped annular edge with a cavity ( 44 ) facing downwards which acts as a guide for an upper edge of a respective casing ( 5 ).

8. The manufacturing machine according claim 1 , wherein the filling unit ( 14 ) comprises a first arm ( 45 ) arranged inside the first hopper ( 28 ) for collecting powdered tobacco and comprises a number of pusher elements ( 46 ); wherein the first arm ( 45 ) is mobile in a vertical direction between a lifted position and a forward operating position in which each pusher element ( 46 ) is inserted into a respective compartment (S) to accompany downward movement of the quantity of powdered tobacco contained in the compartment (S) into the respective casing ( 5 ).

9. The manufacturing machine according claim 1 , wherein the filling unit ( 14 ) comprises a second arm ( 47 ) which is arranged under the plurality of discs ( 32 , 34 , 40 , 42 ) and comprises a number of support elements ( 48 ) for the empty casings ( 5 ); wherein each support element ( 48 ) is arranged in correspondence to, and facing, a respective compartment (S) and is designed to lift a respective empty casing ( 5 ).

10. The manufacturing machine according to claim 9 , wherein the arm ( 47 ) is mobile in a vertical direction between a rear position and a lifted operating position in which the quantity of powdered tobacco contained in the compartments (S) is inserted into the empty casings ( 5 ) from above.

11. The manufacturing machine according claim 1 , wherein the filling unit ( 14 ) comprises a second hopper ( 26 ) for the collection of powdered tobacco designed as a screw conveyor ( 26 ) comprising a tubular outer liner ( 27 ) with a vertical axis, which is provided, in correspondence to an upper end, with a loading mouth to load the powdered tobacco, which is subsequently unloaded into the first hopper ( 28 ) for the collection of powdered tobacco.

12. The manufacturing machine according to claim 11 , wherein inside the first hopper ( 28 ) an annular collecting chamber (C) for collecting powdered tobacco is defined; the second hopper ( 26 ) is arranged in an area of the annular chamber (C) which is diametrically opposite to an area where the pair of scraper elements ( 30 , 31 ) is arranged.

Assignees

• Gd Spa

Inventors

• Ghiotti Roberto Claudio Franco
• Negrini Stefano

Classifications

• A24F40/20

  Devices using solid inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F40/42

  Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F40/70 Primary

  Manufacture · CPC title

• B65B1/06

  by gravity flow · CPC title

• B65B29/00

  Packaging of materials presenting special problems · CPC title