Apparatus and method for filling rods with beaded substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11369136-B2
Application number	US-202016781810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2020
Priority date	Feb 4, 2020
Publication date	Jun 28, 2022
Grant date	Jun 28, 2022

Abstract

A system for portioning a beaded substrate in a rod. The system includes a suction conveyor belt. The suction conveyor belt includes a belt suction chamber, a first belt end, and a second belt end, the second belt end opposite and downstream of the first belt end. The system also includes a metering device configured to provide the beaded substrate to the suction conveyor belt, and more specifically to the first belt end. The metering device includes a reach and a hopper. The metering device may provide the beaded substrate to the first belt end prior to the suction conveyor belt biasing a filler material onto the first belt end. The system may further includes a cutting mechanism that cooperates with the metering device to position the beaded substrate a first distance away from a first cut end.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for filling a rod with filler material and a beaded substrate, the method comprising:
depositing filler material into a filler conduit;
depositing the beaded substrate into the filler conduit using a metering device, the beaded substrate mixing with the filler material to form aerosol generating product components;
depositing the aerosol generating product components on a spreader belt;
transferring the aerosol generating product components from the spreader belt to a chimney portion; and
forming a stream of aerosol generating product components by suctioning the aerosol generating product components from the chimney portion onto a belt of a suction conveyor system.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
advancing the stream of aerosol generating product components longitudinally toward a trimming assembly;
trimming a portion of the stream of aerosol generating product components to a uniform thickness;
disposing the portion of the stream of aerosol generating product components onto a paper web; and
wrapping the portion of the stream of aerosol generating product components in the paper web so as to form a continuous rod.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising severing, by a cutting mechanism, the continuous rod at predetermined intervals to form the rod, the rod comprising the filler material, a first cut end, a second cut end, and the beaded substrate separated from the first cut end; the metering device and the cutting mechanism cooperating to position the beaded substrate a first distance from the first cut end.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the metering device is further configured to position a second beaded substrate a second distance from the second cut end, the second distance different from the first distance.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the suction conveyor system comprises:
a first belt end;
a second belt end opposite and downstream of the first belt end; and
a low-pressure suction chamber configured to bias the aerosol generating product components from the chimney portion and toward the first belt end.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metering device comprises a hopper and a feed screw, the feed screw configured to meter the beaded substrate into the filler conduit intermittently.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the feed screw is structured to extend into the filler conduit.

8. A method for filling a rod, the method comprising:
presenting, by a metering device at predetermined time intervals, a beaded substrate proximate a suction belt assembly;
releasing the beaded substrate from the metering device, the beaded substrate biased away from the metering device by the suction belt assembly and onto a belt of the suction belt assembly;
advancing the beaded substrate and the belt downstream through a chimney portion comprising filler material;
forming a stream of aerosol generating product components by suctioning the filler material from the chimney portion onto the belt and among the beaded substrate;
advancing the stream of aerosol generating product components longitudinally toward a trimming assembly;
trimming a portion of the stream of aerosol generating product components to a uniform thickness; and
disposing the portion of the stream of aerosol generating product components onto a paper web.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising wrapping the portion of the stream of aerosol generating product components in the paper web so as to form a continuous rod.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising severing, by a cutting mechanism, the continuous rod at predetermined intervals to form the rod, the rod comprising the filler material, a first cut end, a second cut end, and the beaded substrate separated from the first cut end and the second cut end; the metering device and the cutting mechanism cooperating to position the beaded substrate a first distance from the first cut end and a second distance from the second cut end.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first distance is different from the second distance.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the metering device is configured to send a signal to the cutting mechanism when the metering device releases the beaded substrate proximate the suction belt assembly.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein a scrape is used to facilitate disposing the portion of the stream of aerosol generating product components onto the paper web.

Assignees

• Reynolds Tobacco Co R

Inventors

• Ademe Balager

Classifications

• A24C5/1842

  Trimming devices · CPC title

• A24C5/356

  Emptying the boats into the hopper of the packaging machine (hopper construction B65B19/04) · CPC title

• A24C5/28

  Cutting-off the tobacco rod · CPC title

• A24D3/0216 Primary

  the additive being in the form of capsules, beads or the like · CPC title

• A24C5/1892

  with additives, e.g. binding agent, flavorants · CPC title