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EP-4544923-B1 - A MANUFACTURING MACHINE FOR PRODUCING A STRAND OF MATERIAL FOR A SMOKING ARTICLE

EP4544923B1EP 4544923 B1EP4544923 B1EP 4544923B1EP-4544923-B1

Inventors

  • RIGHI, MAURIZIO
  • KOTYSKA, Tomas

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20231024

Claims (12)

  1. A manufacturing machine (100) for producing a strand of material (M) for a smoking article, wherein the manufacturing machine (100) comprises: two feeding units (101, 102) each of which is configured to feed a respective web material (M); a processing unit (103) configured to receive the web material (M) from a first feeding unit (101) or a second feeding unit (102) and to process the web material (M); and a forming unit (104) configured to receive the web material (M) from the processing unit (103) and to form a continuous material strand by gathering the web material (M); the web material (M) is moved longitudinally along an advancing path (AP) defined between an inlet station (SI) arranged downstream of each feeding units (101, 102) and upstream of the processing unit (103), and an outlet station (SO) in correspondence of which the continuous material strand exits from the manufacturing machine (100); wherein the advancing path (AP) defines an advancing direction (AD) of the web material (M); wherein the first feeding unit (101) is configured to feed the web material (M) along a first feeding direction (FD1) drawn it from at least one stack (1) and the second feeding unit (102) is configured to feed the web material (M) along a second feeding direction (FD2) drawn it from a bobbin; and a switching unit (110) configured to switch selectively from the first feeding unit (101) to the second feeding unit (101); and vice versa.
  2. The manufacturing machine (100) according to claim 1, wherein the first feeding unit (101) comprises a first transporting support (105) on which the web material (M) is stacked on the at least one stack (1); the web material (M) comprises a plurality of folds defined by folding lines (3) which extends transversally, in particular orthogonally, to the longitudinal extension of the web material (M); the longitudinal extension of the web material is parallel to the first feeding direction (FD1).
  3. The manufacturing machine (100) according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein: the second feeding unit (102) comprises a second transporting support (106) on which is arranged the bobbin of the web material (M); the second transporting support (106) is rotatable around a rotation axis transversal, in particular orthogonal, to the second feeding direction (FD2).
  4. The manufacturing machine (100) according to any previous claim, wherein the second feeding unit (102) is arranged so that the second feeding direction (FD2) is transversal, in particular orthogonal, to the advancing direction (AD).
  5. The manufacturing machine (100) according to any previous claim, wherein the first feeding unit (101) is arranged so that the first feeding direction (FD1) is parallel to the advancing direction (AD).
  6. The manufacturing machine (100) according to any previous claim from 1 to 4, wherein the first feeding unit (101) is arranged so that the first feeding direction (FD1) is transversal, in particular orthogonal, to the advancing direction (AD).
  7. The manufacturing machine (100) according to any previous claim, wherein the first feeding unit (101) is arranged upstream to the second feeding unit (102), so that the first feeding unit (101) is closer to the processing unit (103) than the second feeding unit (102).
  8. The manufacturing machine (100) according to any previous claim from 1 to 6, wherein the first feeding unit (101) is arranged downstream to the second feeding unit (102), so that the second feeding unit (102) is closer to the processing unit (103) than the first feeding unit (101).
  9. The manufacturing machine (100) according to any previous claim, comprising a buffer (108) arranged between the processing unit (103) and the feeding units (101, 102).
  10. The manufacturing machine (100) according to any previous claim, wherein the web material (M) comprises at least one material chosen between: paper, cellulose, non-woven material, tobacco, a substrate for the aerosol formation or a combination of them.
  11. The manufacturing machine (100) according to any previous claim, wherein the processing unit (103) comprises a crimping device configured to provide the web material (M) with material weakenings, which are configured to promote the subsequent gathering of the material (M) in the forming unit (104); wherein the material weakenings comprise: a plurality of folds; and/or a plurality of cuts and/or incisions; wherein the cuts and/or incisions extend continuously or intermittently along the longitudinal or transversal extension of the material (M).
  12. The manufacturing machine (100) according to any previous claim, comprising a guiding member (109) arranged between the processing unit (103) and both feeding units (101, 102); the guiding member (109) is configured to guide the web material (M) during the direction change from an orthogonal orientation to the advancing direction (AD) to a parallel orientation to the advancing direction (AD).

Description

PRIOR ART In the tobacco industry, in particular in the field of filter making machines, typically a web material is fed by unwinding the web material itself from a bobbin. Bobbins are elements, wherein the web material is wound neatly on a core (generally made up of a tube) in shapes that vary, depending on the purpose, from cylindrical to truncated cone shape. However, bobbins have the disadvantage that only a limited quantity (ion particular length) of web material can be wound on it. Therefore, many machine stops are requested for splicing the web material. During the splice of the material an end of the currently used bobbin is spliced with an end of a new bobbin which replace the bobbin that is about to end. The splicing of the web material requires, however, unwanted machine downtimes, with a consequent drop in the productivity of the machine itself. In addition, the products produced with the web material comprising the spliced portions of the two webs, are typically discarded. Document GB 793114 A discloses a manufacturing machine for producing a strand of material for a smoking article, wherein the manufacturing machine comprises: two feeding units each of which is configured to feed a respective web material along an advancing path direction; a processing unit configured to receive the web material from a first feeding reel unit and a second stack feeding unit and to process the web material; and a forming unit configured to receive the web material from the processing unit and to form a continuous material strand by gathering the web material. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The aim of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing machine for producing a strand of material for a smoking article, without the drawbacks described above and which is easy and economical to implement. According to the present invention, a manufacturing machine for producing a strand of material for a smoking article, according to claim 1 is furnished. The dependent claims describe preferred embodiments of the present invention forming an integral part of the present description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, which illustrate some non-limiting embodiments thereof, wherein: Figures 1 to 3 are schematic plan views of different embodiments of a manufacturing machine according to the present invention; andFigures 4 to 6 are perspective views of transport supports configured for being fed to the manufacturing machine of figures 1-3. PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION In Figure 1, number 100 denotes, as a whole, a manufacturing machine for producing a strand of material M for a smoking article, in particular for producing a subunit of the smoking article. Preferably, the manufacturing machine 100 is a filter making machine configured to produce at least a segment of a filter (subunit) of the smoking article. According to a possible alternative embodiment, the manufacturing machine is a maker machine configured to produce at least a segment (subunit) comprising tobacco or a substrate forming aerosol. Preferably the subunit is achieved by cutting, in particular transversally (more in particular orthogonally to its longitudinal extension) a continuous material strand produced by the manufacturing machine 100. The manufacturing machine 100 comprises two feeding units 101 and 102, a processing unit 103, a forming unit 104 and a switching unit 110. The two feeding units 101 and 102 are each configured to feed a respective web material M, which is the same. The feeding units 101 and/or 102 can also act as a storage unit of the material M. In other words, the web material M is the same but a transporting support 105 or 106, on which the web material M is arranged, is different as disclosed in detail below. In the attached figures, which are schematically, the fed web material M is illustrated as a line. It is understood that the fed web material M has dimensions (in particular thickness and depth; both measured orthogonal to its longitudinal extension L) which, on the contrary as illustrated, are not null. The processing unit 103 is configured to receive the web material M from the feeding unit 101 or 102 and to process the web material M. In particular, the processing unit 103 is configured to subject the material M to treatments in preparation of its gathering for forming the continuous material strand (as disclosed in detail below). In particular, the processing unit 103 comprises a crimping device (of known type and not further described or illustrated). The crimping device is configured to provide the web material M with material weakenings, which are configured to promote the subsequent gathering of the material M in the forming unit 104. The material weakenings comprise: a plurality of folds and/or a plurality of cuts and/or incisions. In particular, the plurality of fold and/or the plurality of cuts and/or incisions extend paralle