Apparatus and method for filling rods with beaded substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12178239-B2
Application number	US-202217749715-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2022
Priority date	Feb 4, 2020
Publication date	Dec 31, 2024
Grant date	Dec 31, 2024

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 system for portioning a beaded substrate in a rod, the system comprising:
a suction conveyor belt comprising 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; and
a metering device configured to provide the beaded substrate to the first belt end, the metering device comprising a reach and a hopper,
wherein the reach of the metering device extends vertically from the metering device to a rod wrapping machine.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the metering device provides the beaded substrate to the first belt end prior to the suction conveyor belt biasing a filler material on the first belt end.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a garniture portion, the garniture portion configured to wrap a filler material and the beaded substrate in a paper web to form a continuous rod, and
a cutting mechanism configured to cut the continuous rod at cut points spaced at constant intervals;
wherein the metering device cooperates with the cutting mechanism to position the beaded substrate a first distance from a first cut end.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the reach is a feed screw.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the metering device is coupled to a surface outside of the rod wrapping machine and the reach configured to extend into the rod wrapping machine.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a scrape structured to physically remove the beaded substrate from the second belt end.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the beaded substrate comprises a coating structured to anchor the beaded substrate within a stream of filler material.

8. A system for filling a rod with filler material and a beaded substrate, the system comprising:
a filler conduit arranged to receive the filler material;
a metering device arranged to deposit the beaded substrate into the filler conduit, the beaded substrate mixing with the filler material in the filler conduit to form aerosol generating product components;
a spreader belt arranged to receive the aerosol generating product components; and
a chimney portion arranged to receive the aerosol generating product components from the spreader belt.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a suction conveyor system comprising a belt, the belt being arranged to form a stream of aerosol generating product components suctioned from the chimney portion.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a trimming assembly arranged to receive the stream of aerosol generating product components, wherein the stream of aerosol generating product components is advanced longitudinally toward the trimming assembly, wherein the trimming assembly is configured to trim a portion of the stream of aerosol generating product components to a uniform thickness; and
a paper web arranged to wrap the portion of the stream of aerosol generating product components so as to form a continuous rod.

11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a cutting mechanism arranged to sever 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,
wherein the metering device and the cutting mechanism cooperate to position the beaded substrate a first distance from the first cut end.

12. The system of claim 11 , 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.

13. The system of claim 9 , 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.

14. The system of claim 8 , 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.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the feed screw is structured to extend into the filler conduit.

16. A system for filling a rod, the system comprising:
a suction belt assembly comprising a belt;
a metering device arranged to present a beaded substrate proximate the suction belt assembly at predetermined time intervals, the beaded substrate being released from the metering device and biased away from the metering device by the suction belt assembly and onto the belt;
a chimney portion comprising filler material, the beaded substrate and the belt being advanced downstream through the chimney portion, wherein a stream of aerosol generating product components is formed by suctioning the filler material from the chimney portion onto the belt and among the beaded substrate;
a trimming assembly arranged to receive the stream of aerosol generating product components, wherein the stream of aerosol generating product components is advanced longitudinally toward the trimming assembly, wherein the trimming assembly is configured to trim a portion of the stream of aerosol generating product components to a uniform thickness; and
a paper web arranged to receive the portion of the stream of aerosol generating product components.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the paper web is arranged to wrap the portion of the stream of aerosol generating product components in the paper web so as to form a continuous rod.

18. The system of claim 17 , further comprising a cutting mechanism arranged to sever 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,
wherein the metering device and the cutting mechanism cooperate to position the beaded substrate a first distance from the first cut end and a second distance from the second cut end.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the first distance is different from the second distance.

20. The system of claim 18 , 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.

21. The system of claim 16 , 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

• A24C5/28

  Cutting-off the tobacco rod · CPC title

• A24C5/356

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

• A24C5/1892

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

• A24D3/0216 Primary

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