Filling unit for a manufacturing machine for the production of disposable cartridges for electronic cigarettes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11208220-B2
Application number	US-201816636051-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2018
Priority date	Aug 8, 2017
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

Filling unit for a manufacturing machine for the production of disposable cartridges for electronic cigarettes; the filling unit has: a cylindrical tank which is arranged horizontally, is mounted so as to rotate in a stepwise manner around a vertical rotation axis, is delimited, at the bottom, by a base disc having a circular shape, and is delimited, on the sides, by a cylindrical side wall; a feeding duct that feeds a flow of tobacco inside the tank; a plurality of groups of seats, each of which is obtained in the base disc and is adapted to receive and contain a corresponding dose of tobacco; and a transfer device which is arranged in a fixed position and cyclically transfers the doses of tobacco contained inside the seats of a group standing still.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A filling unit ( 18 ) for a manufacturing machine ( 8 ) for the production of disposable cartridges ( 1 ) for electronic cigarettes; the filling unit ( 18 ) comprises:
a cylindrical-shaped tank ( 24 ), which is arranged horizontally, is mounted so as to rotate in a stepwise manner around a vertical rotation axis ( 25 ), is delimited, at the bottom, by a base disc ( 28 ) having a circular shape, and is delimited, on the sides, by a cylindrical side wall ( 29 ), which projects from the base disc ( 28 ) in a perpendicular manner;
a feeding duct ( 31 ) which has an outlet opening arranged inside the tank ( 24 ) so as to feed a flow of tobacco ( 32 ) into the tank ( 24 ), which forms a bed resting on the base disc ( 28 ) of the tank ( 24 );
a plurality of groups ( 26 ) of seats ( 27 ), each of which is obtained in the base disc ( 28 ) and is adapted to receive and contain a corresponding dose ( 5 ) of tobacco;
a transfer device ( 33 ) which is arranged in a fixed position at a filling station (S 2 ) and cyclically transfers the doses ( 5 ) of tobacco contained inside the seats ( 27 ) of a group ( 26 ) standing still in the filling station (S 2 );
a scraper element ( 40 ), which is arranged inside the tank ( 24 ) in a fixed position immediately upstream of the transfer device ( 33 ) relative to the rotation direction of the tank ( 24 ), is in contact with the base disc ( 28 ) so that the tobacco ( 32 ) cannot pass under the scraper element ( 40 ), and fulfils the function of pushing away the tobacco ( 32 ) that rests on the base disc ( 28 ) on the outside of the seats ( 27 ); and
a series of deviating walls ( 38 , 39 ) which are arranged inside the tank ( 24 ) in a fixed position upstream of the scraper element ( 40 ) relative to the rotation direction of the tank ( 24 ), are independent and separate from the scraper element ( 40 ), and are adapted to interfere with the tobacco ( 32 ) present inside the tank ( 24 ) so as to define preferential and/or forced passage paths for the tobacco ( 32 ).

2. The filling unit ( 18 ) according to claim 1 and comprising flat deviating walls ( 38 ), which are arranged transversely relative to the rotation of the tank ( 24 ) around the rotation axis ( 25 ).

3. The filling unit ( 18 ) according to claim 1 and comprising cylindrical deviating walls ( 39 ) which are formed by a segment of a cylinder with a limited angular width, are arranged coaxial to the rotation axis ( 25 ) of the tank ( 24 ), and are parallel relative to the rotation of the tank ( 24 ) around the rotation axis ( 25 ).

4. The filling unit ( 18 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the deviating walls ( 38 , 39 ) are spaced apart from the base disc ( 28 ) of the tank ( 24 ), so that the tobacco ( 32 ) can also pass under the deviating walls ( 38 , 39 ).

5. The filling unit ( 18 ) according to claim 4 , wherein the distance of the deviating walls ( 38 , 39 ) from the base disc ( 28 ) of the tank ( 24 ) is variable from deviating wall ( 38 , 39 ) to deviating wall ( 38 , 39 ).

6. The filling unit ( 18 ) according to claim 4 , wherein all the deviating walls ( 38 , 39 ) are spaced apart from the base disc ( 28 ) of the tank ( 24 ), so that the tobacco ( 32 ) can also pass under all the deviating walls ( 38 , 39 ).

7. The filling unit ( 18 ) according to claim 1 , and comprising:
flat deviating walls ( 38 ), which are arranged transversely relative to the rotation of the tank ( 24 ) around the rotation axis ( 25 ); and
cylindrical deviating walls ( 39 ) which are formed by a segment of a cylinder with a limited angular width, are arranged coaxial to the rotation axis ( 25 ) of the tank ( 24 ), and are parallel relative to the rotation of the tank ( 24 ) around the rotation axis ( 25 ).

8. The filling unit ( 18 ) according to claim 7 , wherein all the flat deviating walls ( 38 ) are connected to corresponding cylindrical deviating walls ( 39 ).

9. The filling unit ( 18 ) according to claim 7 , wherein:
at least one flat deviating walls ( 38 ) is connected to a corresponding cylindrical deviating wall ( 39 ); and
at least one flat deviating walls ( 38 ) is not connected to a corresponding cylindrical deviating wall ( 39 ).

10. A filling unit ( 18 ) for a manufacturing machine ( 8 ) for the production of disposable cartridges ( 1 ) for electronic cigarettes; the filling unit ( 18 ) comprises:
a cylindrical-shaped tank ( 24 ), which is arranged horizontally, is mounted so as to rotate in a stepwise manner around a vertical rotation axis ( 25 ), is delimited, at the bottom, by a base disc ( 28 ) having a circular shape, and is delimited, on the sides, by a cylindrical side wall ( 29 ), which projects from the base disc ( 28 ) in a perpendicular manner;
a feeding duct ( 31 ) which has an outlet opening arranged inside the tank ( 24 ) so as to feed a flow of tobacco ( 32 ) into the tank ( 24 ), which forms a bed resting on the base disc ( 28 ) of the tank ( 24 );
a plurality of groups ( 26 ) of seats ( 27 ), each of which is obtained in the base disc ( 28 ) and is adapted to receive and contain a corresponding dose ( 5 ) of tobacco;
a transfer device ( 33 ) which is arranged in a fixed position at a filling station (S 2 ) and cyclically transfers the doses ( 5 ) of tobacco contained inside the seats ( 27 ) of a group ( 26 ) standing still in the filling station (S 2 );
a scraper element ( 40 ), which is arranged inside the tank ( 24 ) in a fixed position immediately upstream of the transfer device ( 33 ) relative to the rotation direction of the tank ( 24 ), is in contact with the base disc ( 28 ) so that the tobacco ( 32 ) cannot pass under the scraper element ( 40 ), and fulfils the function of pushing away the tobacco ( 32 ) that rests on the base disc ( 28 ) on the outside of the seats ( 27 );
a compression device arranged inside the tank in a fixed position upstream of the scraper element relative to the rotation direction of the tank, and adapted to compress the tobacco into the seats; and
a series of deviating walls ( 38 , 39 ) which are arranged inside the tank ( 24 ) in a fixed position upstream of the scraper element ( 40 ) relative to the rotation direction of the tank ( 24 ), are independent and separate from the scraper element ( 40 ), and are adapted to interfere with the tobacco ( 32 ) present inside the tank ( 24 ) so as to define preferential and/or forced passage paths for the tobacco ( 32 ), wherein the series of deviating walls comprises one or more deviating walls arranged to direct the tobacco away from the seats arranged at the compression device.

11. The filling unit of claim 10 , wherein the one or more deviating walls arranged to direct the tobacco away from the seats arranged at the compression device comprises a flat deviating wall arranged transversely relative to the rotation of the tank around the rotation axis and extending from the cylindrical side wall, and a cylindrical deviating wall connected to the flat deviating wall and arranged coaxial to the rotation axis of the tank and inwardly disposed of the cylindrical side wall.

Assignees

• Gd Spa

Inventors

• Milandri Francesco
• Ronzani Fabrizio
• Scagliarini Simone
• Squarzoni Michele

Classifications

• A24F40/42

  Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors · CPC title

• B65B1/24

  by mechanical compression · CPC title

• B65B1/363 Primary

  with measuring pockets moving in an endless path · CPC title

• B65B1/10

  by rotary feeders · CPC title

• A24F40/70

  Manufacture · CPC title