Gas-based material compression and portioning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11753190-B2
Application number	US-202117533735-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 23, 2021
Priority date	May 9, 2018
Publication date	Sep 12, 2023
Grant date	Sep 12, 2023

Abstract

An apparatus configured to provide portioned instances of a compressible material includes a channel assembly, a gas source, a cutting assembly, and a discharge assembly. The channel assembly holds a bulk instance of the material extending through upper and lower channels of a continuous channel. The gas source supplies gas to compress the bulk instance. The cutting assembly moves in relation to the channel assembly to isolate the upper and lower channels, severing upper and lower material portions of the bulk instance. The discharge assembly directs gas to impinge on a lower face of the cutting assembly to discharge the lower material portion as a portioned instance. The channel assembly may be moveable, where operation of the gas source, cutting assembly, and/or discharge assembly are based on moving the channel assembly between various positions. The gas supply may be controlled based on a determined property of the portioned instance.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a channel assembly, the channel assembly including
an inner surface defining a channel configured to receive a portioned instance of a compressible material, the channel including a top opening and a bottom opening, and
a conduit assembly extending from an inlet in an outer surface of the channel assembly and at least partially through an interior of the channel assembly to an outlet opening into the channel at a location that is proximate to the top opening of the channel, such that the outlet opening is in fluid communication with a top portion of the channel that is proximate to the top opening of the channel,

wherein the channel assembly is configured to hold the portioned instance of the compressible material within the channel based on
an instance of the compressible material being received into the channel through the top opening of the channel from a separate channel assembly, and
the instance of the compressible material being portioned based on relative movement between the channel assembly and a cutting assembly such that the top opening is covered by the cutting assembly to isolate the channel from the separate channel assembly; and

wherein the conduit assembly is configured to direct a gas through the interior of the channel assembly and through the outlet opening into the top portion of the channel that is proximate to the top opening of the channel, such that the gas impinges on a lower surface of the cutting assembly covering the top opening of the channel to cause the portioned instance of the compressible material to be discharged from the channel through the bottom opening of the channel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a disc assembly that comprises a plurality of channel assemblies, the plurality of channel assemblies spaced apart in at least one ring pattern around a circumference of the disc assembly, the plurality of channel assemblies including the channel assembly.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of channel assemblies includes a plurality of concentric ring patterns of channel assemblies.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a discharge assembly configured to direct the gas into the conduit assembly via the inlet in the outer surface of the channel assembly.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the conduit assembly comprises:
an annular conduit assembly defining an annular conduit surrounding the channel, the annular conduit assembly configured to direct the gas into the annular conduit, and
one or more bridging conduit assemblies defining one or more bridging conduits extending between the annular conduit assembly and the top opening of the channel, the one or more bridging conduit assemblies configured to direct the gas from the annular conduit to the top portion of the channel.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein:
the conduit assembly includes a plurality of bridging conduit assemblies between the annular conduit assembly and the top opening of the channel, the plurality of bridging conduit assemblies including the one or more bridging conduit assemblies, and
the plurality of bridging conduit assemblies are spaced apart equidistantly around a circumference of the channel.

7. A system, comprising:
an upper assembly including an upper surface defining an upper channel;
a device that includes a lower assembly, the lower assembly including an inner surface defining a lower channel, the upper channel and the lower channel collectively at least partially defining a single channel that is configured to hold an instance of a compressible material extending continuously through the upper channel and the lower channel, the lower channel including a top opening and a bottom opening; and
a conduit assembly extending from an inlet in an outer surface of the lower assembly and at least partially through an interior of the lower assembly to an outlet opening into the lower channel at a location that is proximate to the top opening of the lower channel, such that the outlet opening is in fluid communication with a top portion of the lower channel that is proximate to the top opening of the lower channel,

wherein the lower assembly is configured to hold a portioned instance of the compressible material within the lower channel based on the instance of the compressible material being portioned based on relative movement between the upper and lower assemblies and a cutting assembly such that the cutting assembly moves between the upper and lower assemblies to isolate the lower channel from the upper channel such that the top opening of the lower channel is covered by a lower surface of the cutting assembly, and
wherein the conduit assembly is configured to direct a gas through the interior of the lower assembly and through the outlet opening into the top portion of the lower channel that is proximate to the top opening of the lower channel, such that the gas impinges on the lower surface of the cutting assembly that is covering the top opening of the lower channel to cause the portioned instance of the compressible material to be discharged from the lower channel through the bottom opening of the lower channel.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the device is a disc assembly that comprises a plurality of lower assemblies, the plurality of lower assemblies spaced apart in an at least one ring pattern around a circumference of the disc assembly, the plurality of lower assemblies including the lower assembly.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of lower assemblies includes a plurality of concentric ring patterns of lower assemblies.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the conduit assembly comprises:
an annular conduit assembly defining an annular conduit surrounding the lower channel, the annular conduit assembly configured to direct the gas into the annular conduit, and
one or more bridging conduit assemblies defining one or more bridging conduits extending between the annular conduit assembly and the top opening of the lower channel, the one or more bridging conduit assemblies configured to direct the gas from the annular conduit to the top portion of the lower channel.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein:
the lower assembly includes a plurality of bridging conduit assemblies between the annular conduit assembly and the top opening of the lower channel, the plurality of bridging conduit assemblies including the one or more bridging conduit assemblies, and
the plurality of bridging conduit assemblies are spaced apart equidistantly around a circumference of the lower channel.

12. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a gas source configured to supply a second gas through a top opening of the upper assembly to compress the instance of the compressible material held within the upper and lower assemblies.

13. A method, comprising:
inserting a compressible material into a top opening of a channel of a channel assembly via a separate channel assembly, the channel including a top opening and a bottom opening, the channel assembly further including a conduit assembly that extends from an inlet in an outer surface of the channel assembly and at least partially through an interior of the channel assembly to an outlet opening into the channel at a location that is proximate to the top opening of the channel, such that the outlet opening is in fluid communication with a top portion of the channel that is proximate to the top opening of the channel;
controlling a cutting assembly to cover the top opening of the channel such that the top opening is covered by the cutting assembly to isolate the channel from the separate channel as

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Williams Dwight David
• Evans James David
• Mcelhinney Patrick Sean
• Chalkley Jarrod Wayne

Classifications

• B65B1/26 Primary

  by pneumatic means, e.g. suction · CPC title

• B65B1/24 Primary

  by mechanical compression · CPC title

• B65B1/46

  Check-weighing of filled containers or receptacles · CPC title

• B65B1/363

  with measuring pockets moving in an endless path · CPC title

• B65B29/00

  Packaging of materials presenting special problems · CPC title