Tube filter production device and tube filter production method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11992040-B2
Application number	US-202017264398-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2020
Priority date	Dec 19, 2019
Publication date	May 28, 2024
Grant date	May 28, 2024

Abstract

According to embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a tube filter production device including a tube filter exterior forming case into which one or more filter tows are introduced and from which a tubular rod formed from the one or more filter tows is discharged, a tube filter forming bar extending in an inner region of the tube filter exterior forming case in order to form a hollow of the tubular rod, and a steam chamber having at least one steam nozzle in communication with the inner region of the tube filter exterior forming case and configured to supply steam to the one or more filter tows through the steam nozzle, wherein the tube filter forming bar has a duct extending in a longitudinal direction of the tube filter forming bar and a flavoring nozzle formed in a downstream end region of the tube filter forming bar to deliver a flavoring liquid or a moisturizing liquid supplied through the duct to the hollow of the tubular rod.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tube filter production device for producing a smoking article tube filter, the tube filter production device comprising:
a tube filter exterior forming case into which one or more filter tows are introduced and from which a tubular rod formed from the one or more filter tows is discharged;
a tube filter forming bar extending in an inner region of the tube filter exterior forming case and configured to form a hollow of the tubular rod;
a steam chamber having at least one steam nozzle in communication with the inner region of the tube filter exterior forming case and configured to supply steam to the one or more filter tows through the steam nozzle; and
a conveying member configured to convey the tubular rod discharged from the tube filter exterior forming case,
wherein the tube filter forming bar includes:
a forming bar body portion which has a first duct extending in a longitudinal direction of the tube filter forming bar;
a forming bar tip which is coupled to a downstream end of the forming bar body portion and has a second duct that is in fluid communication with the first duct; and
a flavoring nozzle formed in a downstream end of the forming bar tip and configured to deliver a flavoring liquid or a moisturizing liquid supplied through the first duct and the second duct to the hollow of the tubular rod,

wherein the flavoring nozzle ejects the flavoring liquid or the moisturizing liquid in a radial direction such that the flavoring liquid or moisturizing liquid is absorbed into an entire region of the inner side surface of the tubular rod,
wherein the tube filter forming bar extends downstream to protrude from a downstream end of the tube filter exterior forming case, and
wherein the flavoring nozzle is disposed in a region that overlaps with the conveying member in a travel path of the filter tows.

2. The tube filter production device of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the second duct is smaller than or equal to a diameter of the first duct.

3. The tube filter production device of claim 2 , wherein the diameter of the first duct is in a range of 1.5 mm to 4 mm, and the diameter of the second duct is in a range of 0.8 mm to 2.5 mm.

4. The tube filter production device of claim 3 , wherein the forming bar tip is screw-coupled to the forming bar body portion.

5. The tube filter production device of claim 1 , wherein the flavoring nozzle of the tube filter forming bar is spaced apart from the steam nozzle by a distance of 180 mm to 600 mm in a downstream direction.

6. The tube filter production device of claim 1 , wherein
the steam chamber has a plurality of steam nozzles, and
the flavoring nozzle of the tube filter forming bar is spaced apart from a first steam nozzle located most downstream among the plurality of steam nozzles by a distance of 180 mm to 600 mm in a downstream direction.

7. The tube filter production device of claim 1 , wherein an inner diameter of the tube filter exterior forming case is in a range of 3 mm to 10 mm, an outer diameter of the tube filter forming bar is in a range of 2 mm to 4.5 mm, and an inner diameter of the tube filter forming bar is in a range of 0.8 mm to 2 mm.

8. The tube filter production device of claim 1 , further comprising a cooling member configured to cool the tubular rod directly or indirectly,
wherein the cooling member is located between the steam nozzle and the flavoring nozzle.

9. The tube filter production device of claim 1 , wherein:
the conveying member is a suction rail having a suction unit configured to discharge air and moisture inside the tubular rod to the outside of the tubular rod; and
the flavoring nozzle is disposed to be closer to a downstream end of the suction rail than to an upstream end of the suction rail.

10. A tube filter production method for producing a smoking article tube filter, the tube filter production method comprising:
guiding at least one filter tow to be formed into a shape of a tubular rod by using a tube filter exterior forming case that defines an outer shape of the tubular rod and a tube filter forming bar that defines a hollow inside the tubular rod;
spraying steam onto the at least one filter tow through a steam nozzle in communication with an inner portion of the tube filter exterior forming case to harden the at least one filter tow in the shape of the tubular rod;
supplying a flavoring liquid or a moisturizing liquid supplied from a duct inside the tube filter forming bar to the hollow of the tubular rod through a flavoring nozzle formed at a downstream end of the tube filter forming bar; and
simultaneously conveying the tubular rod discharged from the tube filter exterior forming case by a conveying member and discharging air and moisture inside the tubular rod to the outside of the tubular rod,
wherein the tube filter forming bar includes:
a forming bar body portion which has a first duct extending in a longitudinal direction of the tube filter forming bar;
a forming bar tip which is coupled to a downstream end of the forming bar body portion and has a second duct that is in fluid communication with the first duct; and
the flavoring nozzle formed in a downstream end of the forming bar tip and configured to deliver a flavoring liquid or a moisturizing liquid supplied through the first duct and the second duct to the hollow of the tubular rod,

wherein the supplying comprises ejecting the flavoring liquid or the moisturizing liquid in a radial direction such that the flavoring liquid or moisturizing liquid is absorbed into an entire region of the inner side surface of the tubular rod,
wherein the tube filter forming bar extends downstream to protrude from a downstream end of the tube filter exterior forming case, and
wherein the flavoring nozzle is disposed in a region that overlaps with the conveying member in a travel path of the filter tows.

11. The tube filter production method of claim 10 , further comprising, between the spraying of the steam and the supplying of the flavoring liquid or the moisturizing liquid, bringing the tubular rod in contact with outside air to naturally cool the tubular rod or cooling the tubular rod by a cooling member separately provided between the steam nozzle and the flavoring nozzle.

12. The tube filter production method of claim 10 , wherein the step of simultaneously conveying the tubular rod discharged from the tube filter exterior forming case and discharging air and moisture inside the tubular rod to the outside of the tubular rod is a suction step, and
wherein the flavoring liquid or the moisturizing liquid is supplied to the tubular rod while the suction step is performed.

13. The tube filter production method of claim 10 , wherein the flavoring liquid or the moisturizing liquid is supplied in an amount of 0.3 mg to 1.0 mg per 1 mm to the hollow of the tubular rod.

Assignees

• Kt & G Corp

Inventors

• Yang Jin Chul
• Kim Jong Yeol
• Kim Soo Ho
• Cheong Bong Su
• Ahn Ki Jin

Classifications

• A24D3/025 Primary

  Final operations, i.e. after the filter rod forming process (A24D3/0275 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A24D3/0279 Primary

  with tubes · CPC title

• A24D3/048

  containing additives · CPC title

• A24D3/14

  of organic materials as additive (of ion exchange materials A24D3/12) · CPC title

• B31D5/0086

  Making hollow objects (B31D5/0082, B31D5/0095, B31D5/02, B31D5/04 take precedence) · CPC title