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CN-122003185-A - Web transport guide

CN122003185ACN 122003185 ACN122003185 ACN 122003185ACN-122003185-A

Abstract

A method of applying an additive to a web of crimped material for use in an aerosol-generating article is disclosed, wherein the web of crimped material has a width and a length, the web of crimped material travels along a path that is substantially parallel to the length of the web of crimped material at any given point along the path, the web of crimped material is deformed across the width of the web of crimped material over at least a portion of the path from a substantially flat configuration to a curved configuration, and the additive is applied to a concave surface of the web of crimped material in the curved configuration.

Inventors

  • BERTOLDO MASSIMILIANO
  • M. Barboni
  • D. Sashi
  • A. Magnini

Assignees

  • 菲利普莫里斯生产公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260508
Application Date
20241113
Priority Date
20231117

Claims (15)

  1. 1. A method of applying an additive to a web of crimped material for use in an aerosol-generating article, wherein: the web of crimped material having a width and a length; The web of crimped material travels along a path that is substantially parallel to the length of the web of crimped material at any given point along the path; The web of crimped material being deformed across the width of the web of crimped material over at least a portion of the path from a substantially flat configuration to a curved configuration, and An additive is applied to the concave surface of the web of curled material in the curved configuration.
  2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the concave surface of the web of crimped material faces upward, and wherein the additive is applied from above.
  3. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein after applying the additive, the web of crimped material is further deformed into a strip or cylinder with the concave surface facing inwardly.
  4. 4. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the web of crimped material is fed through a guide device comprising a body portion having a front end, a rear end, a solid bottom surface, a first solid side surface and a second solid side surface, and a partially open top surface, wherein the body portion comprises a partially cylindrical aperture having a longitudinal axis extending from the rear end to the front end, the partially cylindrical aperture having a curved longitudinal wall, and the body portion comprises a front surface sloping downwardly from the top surface to the bottom surface in a direction toward the front end, the front surface and the side surfaces flaring outwardly from the top surface toward the bottom surface so as to define a guide surface, and wherein the web of crimped material conforms from the substantially flat configuration at a bottom edge of the guide surface to the longitudinal configuration of the curved portion as the web of crimped material passes through the guide device from the front end and through the partially cylindrical aperture to the rear end.
  5. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the partially open top surface slopes downwardly from the rear end toward the front end at an angle less than an angle at which the front surface slopes downwardly from the top surface to the bottom surface.
  6. 6. The method of claim 4 or 5, wherein the partially open top surface has an elongated open slot extending from the rear end to the front end.
  7. 7. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the additive is applied to the web of crimped material with an applicator, and wherein the applicator comprises at least one spray nozzle provided at a front end of the guide means at which the guide surface transitions into the part-cylindrical aperture.
  8. 8. An apparatus for applying an additive to a web of crimped material for use in an aerosol-generating article, the apparatus comprising: A plurality of guides for guiding the web of curled material along a path, the web of material having a width and a length, and the path being substantially parallel to the length of the web of curled material at any given point along the path; at least one deforming member configured to deform the web of curled material across a width of the web of curled material over at least a portion of the path from a substantially flat configuration to a curved configuration, and An applicator configured to apply an additive to a concave surface of the web of curled material in the curved configuration.
  9. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one deforming element is configured to deform the web of curled material such that a concave surface of the web of curled material faces upward, and wherein the applicator is configured to apply the additive from above.
  10. 10. A guiding device for shaping a web of crimped material, the guiding device comprising a body portion having a front end, a rear end, a solid bottom surface, a first solid side surface and a second solid side surface, and a partially open top surface, wherein the body portion comprises a partially cylindrical aperture having a longitudinal axis extending from the rear end to the front end, the partially cylindrical aperture having a curved longitudinal wall, and the body portion comprises a front surface sloping downwardly from the partially open top surface to the bottom surface in a direction towards the front end, the front surface and the side surfaces flaring outwardly from the partially open top surface towards the bottom surface so as to define a guiding surface configured to smoothly feed the web of crimped material into the partially cylindrical aperture such that the web of crimped material transitions from a substantially flat configuration to a curved longitudinal wall configuration of the partially cylindrical aperture as it passes through the guiding device from the front end to the rear end.
  11. 11. The guide device of claim 10, wherein the partially open top surface slopes downwardly along the longitudinal axis from the rear end toward the front end at an angle less than an angle at which the front surface slopes downwardly from the top surface to the bottom surface.
  12. 12. The guiding device of claim 10 or 11, in combination with an applicator configured to apply an additive onto the web of curled material.
  13. 13. The guide device of claim 12, wherein the applicator comprises at least one spray nozzle disposed at a front end of the guide device where the guide surface transitions into the partially cylindrical bore.
  14. 14. The guiding device of claim 12 or 13, wherein the applicator is configured to spray the additive onto the web of curled material when the web of curled material is in the curved configuration.
  15. 15. The apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the at least one deforming element comprises a guiding device according to any one of claims 10 to 14.

Description

Web transport guide Technical Field The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and a method for shaping a web of material, such as a web of curled material unwound from a reel. The shaped web of material may then be gathered into a strip form for inclusion in an aerosol-generating article. Background It is known to provide aerosol-generating articles in the form of a strip-shaped consumable comprising a plurality of parts and components. The primary components are typically tobacco rods or aerosol-generating substrates wrapped in a multi-ply paper to provide a rod-shaped consumable aerosol-generating article, one or more filter segments, and optionally one or more cooling elements. Such aerosol-generating articles are typically used in combination with an aerosol-generating device into which the aerosol-generating article is at least partially inserted. The aerosol-generating device is controllably configured to heat an aerosol-generating substrate of the aerosol-generating article to generate an aerosol for inhalation by a consumer. Heretofore, the filter elements in such products have been formed from cellulose acetate tow in combination with a glyceryl triacetate plasticizer into a continuous filter rod under heat and pressure. Cellulose acetate filters are plastic and not readily biodegradable, thus constituting challenges for sustainable development goals, especially for implementation of the ban on disposable plastics. The production process of cellulose acetate tow involves a series of four key steps: Step 1, spinning solution preparation To begin the process, cellulose acetate flakes were carefully mixed with acetone. The precise amount of titanium dioxide is introduced as a matting agent for the final product. The mixture is thoroughly blended and then subjected to a step of intensive filtration to eliminate any particulates that may clog the spinneret. Step 2 spinning The spinning stage begins when the spinning solution passes through the spinneret of the spinning unit. As the spinning solution is sprayed, the acetone begins to gradually evaporate. As a result, the monofilaments solidify and interweave while most of the acetone is removed and recovered. Step 3, curling The solidified filaments from the multiple spinnerets are combined to form a wire comprising tens of thousands of filaments. This thread undergoes crimping in the stuffer box to impart unique structural properties to the cigarette filter tow. Step 4, drying and processing After crimping, the newly formed structure is dried to stabilize its shape and properties. The cigarette filter tow is then compressed using a bag press so that a filter tow bag is formed ready for further processing and utilization. Fig. 1 shows a schematic overview of the production of a cellulose acetate cigarette filter. The cellulose acetate filter forming apparatus 400 produces a continuous filter rod 401 which is then cut to length and combined with other components of the rod-shaped consumable. Cellulose acetate tow 409 is drawn from tow package 412 and fed via belt injector 410 toward first spreader roll 407. The first expanding roller 407 and the second expanding roller 408 operate to widen the tow 409 into a flat sheet. The widened flat sheet of tows 409 then travels through the plasticizer chamber 405 and plasticizer is applied to the tows 409 via the plasticizer applicator 406. A cross-sectional view 'b' of the tow 409 is shown in fig. 4. The tow 409 then proceeds through the forming hopper 404 shown in fig. 2, after which the formed tow 411 is transferred to a forming (garniture) zone for subsequent wrapping in a paper wrapping zone 403 by a wrapping material 414 such as a rod wrap. In the forming zone, an endless forming belt 416 passes over a drive forming roller 415. The shaping ribbon 416 passes along a progressively deeper groove in the shaping bed 417 at the top of the shaping zone. Wrapping material 414 in the form of a tape is unwound from reel 413 and travels along forming bed 417 on top of forming tape 416 with tow 411 formed on top of wrapping material tape 414. The forming belt 416 and the wrapping material 414 are wrapped longitudinally around the formed tow 411 as the forming belt 416 travels along the progressively deeper grooves. A cross-sectional view "a" is shown in fig. 3. The adhesive used to join each end of the rod pack is cured in a heating block 402 to provide a continuous filter rod 401. It is also known to form cooling elements found in strip-shaped consumables from plastic materials, such as crimped polylactic acid (PLA) films. Cooling elements comprising such materials are not readily biodegradable and thus also present challenges for sustainable development goals. Fig. 5 shows a schematic view of an apparatus and a method of manufacturing a continuous strip 200 for crimping a web of material. Apparatus and methods for forming a continuous strip 200 of a web of crimped material may be used to form a strip from a web mat