Machine and method for the production of a cartridge for an electronic cigarette

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12201161-B2
Application number	US-202017424704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2020
Priority date	Jan 21, 2019
Publication date	Jan 21, 2025
Grant date	Jan 21, 2025

Abstract

A manufacturing machine and method for the production of a cartridge for an electronic cigarette can include a first assembling drum which is mounted rotatable around a first rotation axis and has at least one first seat which is designed to house a tube and a second seat which is axially aligned with the first seat and is designed to house a support of a heating device; a first feeding station in which a tube is fed into the first seat; a second feeding station in which a support of a heating device is fed into the second seat; and a first welding station which is arranged downstream of the first feeding station and of the second feeding station and is provided with a first welding device, which, through a welded joint, connects a tube carried by the first seat to a support carried by the second seat.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A manufacturing machine ( 15 ) for the production of a cartridge ( 1 ) for an electronic cigarette;
the cartridge ( 1 ) comprises: a heating device ( 6 ) provided with a wick ( 7 ), with an electrical coil ( 8 ) wound in a spiral around the wick ( 7 ), and with a support ( 9 ), which has two “U”-shaped cavities housing, on the inside, the wick ( 7 ); two conductor elements ( 10 ), each having an inner end, which is connected to a corresponding end of the electrical coil ( 8 ); and a tube ( 12 ), which is connected to the support ( 9 ) of the heating device ( 6 );
the manufacturing machine ( 15 ) comprising:
a first assembling drum ( 21 ), which rotates around a first rotation axis ( 22 ) and has at least one first seat ( 23 ), which is designed to house the tube ( 12 ), and a second seat ( 24 ), which is axially aligned with the first seat ( 23 ) and is designed to house the support ( 9 ) of the heating device ( 6 );
a first feeding station (S 1 ), in which the tube ( 12 ) is fed into the first seat ( 23 );
a second feeding station (S 2 ), in which the support ( 9 ) of the heating device ( 6 ) is fed into the second seat ( 24 );
a first welding station (S 3 ), which is arranged downstream of the first feeding station (S 1 ) and of the second feeding station (S 2 ) and is provided with a first welding device ( 25 ), which, through a welded joint, connects the tube ( 12 ) carried by the first seat ( 23 ) to the support ( 9 ) carried by the second seat ( 24 );
a second assembling drum ( 32 ), which rotates around a third rotation axis ( 33 ) parallel to the first rotation axis ( 22 ) and has at least one fourth seat ( 34 ), which is designed to house the support ( 9 ) of the heating device ( 6 );
a first transfer station (S 6 ), in which the support ( 9 ) is transferred from the first seat ( 23 ) of the first assembling drum ( 21 ) to the fourth seat ( 34 ) of the second assembling drum ( 32 ); and
a first coupling station (S 7 ), which is arranged downstream of the first transfer station (S 6 ) relative to the rotation direction of the second assembling drum ( 32 ) and in which a first conductor element ( 10 ) is coupled to the support ( 9 ) carried by the fourth seat ( 34 ) of the second assembling drum ( 32 ).

2. The manufacturing machine ( 15 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the first feeding station (S 1 ) is arranged upstream of the second feeding station (S 2 ) relative to the rotation direction of the first assembling drum ( 21 ).

3. The manufacturing machine ( 15 ) according to claim 1 and comprising:
a feeding drum ( 29 ), which rotates around a second rotation axis ( 30 ) parallel to the first rotation axis ( 22 ), has at least one third seat ( 31 ), which is designed to house the tube ( 12 ), and is tangent to the first assembling drum ( 21 ) in the area of the first feeding station (S 1 ); and
an input station (S 5 ), which is arranged along the feeding drum ( 29 ) upstream of the first feeding station (S 1 ) relative to the rotation direction of the feeding drum ( 29 ) and in which the tube ( 12 ) can be inserted into the third seat ( 31 ).

4. The manufacturing machine ( 15 ) according to claim 1 , wherein:
in the second feeding station (S 2 ), the support ( 9 ) is arranged at a given distance from the tube ( 12 ); and
there is a pushing device ( 28 ), which, inside the first seat ( 23 ), axially moves the tube ( 12 ) so as to cause the tube ( 12 ) to rest against the support ( 9 ).

5. The manufacturing machine ( 15 ) according to claim 4 , wherein the pushing device ( 28 ) is arranged upstream of the first welding station (S 3 ) relative to the rotation direction of the first assembling drum ( 21 ).

6. The manufacturing machine ( 15 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the first welding device ( 25 ) comprises:
a welding body ( 26 ), which is “U”-shaped so as to partially embrace the tube ( 12 ) carried by the first seat ( 23 ) and a corresponding support ( 9 ) carried by the second seat ( 24 ); and
an actuator ( 27 ), which moves the welding body ( 26 ) radially to the first rotation axis ( 22 ) between a rest position, in which the welding body ( 26 ) is far from the first assembling drum ( 21 ), and a work position, in which the welding body ( 26 ) is close to the first assembling drum ( 21 ).

7. The manufacturing machine ( 15 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the first seat ( 23 ) and the second seat ( 24 ) are sucking seats.

8. The manufacturing machine ( 15 ) according to claim 1 and comprising:
a third assembling drum ( 38 ), which rotates around a fourth rotation axis ( 39 ) parallel to the third rotation axis ( 33 ) and has at least one fifth seat ( 37 ), which is designed to house the support ( 9 ) of the heating device ( 6 ); and
a second coupling station (S 10 ), in which a second conductor element ( 10 ) is coupled to the support ( 9 ) carried by the fifth seat ( 37 ) of the third assembling drum ( 38 ).

9. The manufacturing machine ( 15 ) according to claim 8 and comprising:
a transfer drum ( 35 ), which rotates around a fifth rotation axis ( 36 ) parallel to the third rotation axis ( 33 ) and has at least one fifth seat ( 37 ), which is designed to house the support ( 9 ) of the heating device ( 6 );
a second transfer station (S 8 ), in which the support ( 9 ) is transferred from the fourth seat ( 34 ) of the second assembling drum ( 32 ) to the fifth seat ( 37 ) of the transfer drum ( 35 ); and
a third transfer station (S 9 ), in which the support ( 9 ) is transferred from the fifth seat ( 37 ) of the transfer drum ( 35 ) to the fourth seat ( 34 ) of the third assembling drum ( 38 ).

10. The manufacturing machine ( 15 ) according to claim 9 and comprising:
a moving device ( 41 ), which moves, through the first coupling station (S 7 ) and through the second coupling station (S 10 ), a sheet metal band ( 42 ) supporting a plurality of conductor elements ( 10 );
a first coupling device ( 43 ), which is arranged in the first coupling station (S 7 ), picks up a first conductor element ( 10 ) from the sheet metal band ( 42 ) and inserts the first conductor element ( 10 ) into the support ( 9 ) carried by the fourth seat ( 34 ) of the second assembling drum ( 32 ); and
a second coupling device ( 44 ), which is arranged in the second coupling station (S 10 ), picks up a second conductor element ( 10 ) from the sheet metal band ( 42 ) and inserts the second conductor element ( 10 ) into the support ( 9 ) carried by the fourth seat ( 34 ) of the third assembling drum ( 38 ).

11. The manufacturing machine ( 15 ) according to claim 1 , and comprising:
a moving device ( 41 ), which moves, through the first coupling station (S 7 ), a sheet metal band ( 42 ) supporting a plurality of conductor elements ( 10 ); and
a first coupling device ( 43 ), which is arranged in the first coupling station (S 7 ), picks up a first conductor element ( 10 ) from the sheet metal band ( 42 ) and inserts the first conductor element ( 10 ) into the support ( 9 ) carried by the fourth seat ( 34 ) of the second assembling drum ( 32 ).

12. The manufacturing machine ( 15 ) according to claim 11 , wherein:
the sheet metal band ( 42 ) has a succession of through guide holes ( 45 ); and
the moving device ( 41 ) has at least one toothed guide drum ( 46 ) having a plurality of teeth ( 47 ), each designed to engage a corresponding guide hole ( 45 ) of the sheet metal band ( 42 ).

13. The manufacturing machine ( 15 ) according to claim 12 , wherein the guide drum ( 46 ) is coaxial to the second assembling drum ( 32 ), is arranged beside the second assembling drum ( 32 ), and rotates in a synchronous manner together

Assignees

• G D Societa′ Per Azioni
• Gd Spa

Inventors

• Boldrini Fulvio

Classifications

• A24C5/327

  Construction details of the cigarette transport drum · CPC title

• A24F40/42

  Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F40/70 Primary

  Manufacture · CPC title