Filter segment for a cigarette, apparatus for producing a filter segment for a cigarette, method and use

Abstract

The application provides a filter section for a cigarette, an apparatus for preparing the filter section for the cigarette, a method and an application, and relates to the technical field of cigarette preparation. The apparatus comprises a fixing seat, and an upper feeding system, a smoothing system and a slitting system are sequentially arranged on the same side of the fixing seat. The smoothing system is connected with the upper feeding system, a smoothing mold is arranged in the smoothing system, a through hole is arranged in the smoothing mold, and the through hole is used for processing a filter rod. A temperature controller is electrically connected with a heating piece, the heating piece is in contact with the smoothing mold, and the heating piece is used for heating the smoothing mold. A temperature sensor is further arranged on the smoothing mold, the temperature sensor is electrically connected with the temperature controller, and the end of the smoothing mold, which is away from the upper feeding system, is connected with the slitting system, and the slitting system is used for cutting the filter rod which passes through the smoothing mold. Through the arrangement of the smoothing system, the filter rod is heated, and the fiber in the filter rod is heated and melted. The hardness of the filter rod is improved, the assembly difficulty is reduced, and a heated non-combustible cigarette filter section with controllable circumference, roundness and suction resistance can be obtained.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cigarette manufacturing technology, and more specifically, to a filter section for cigarettes, equipment, methods, and applications for preparing the filter section for cigarettes. Background Technology

[0002] Heated tobacco products consist of a filter section, a cooling support section, a smoke-generating section, and a paper tube, with the paper tube serving as the enclosure. In industrial production, a canning process is generally used, where the smoke-generating section, cooling support section, and filter section are each canned into the paper tube to assemble the heated tobacco product. Because the fabric belt used in the production of cellulose acetate filter rods has an uneven texture, this texture transfers to the filter rod during production. Simultaneously, at the point where the fabric belt closes, a noticeable raised line appears longitudinally on the filter rod.

[0003] The canning process makes it difficult to use adhesives during filter assembly. To prevent the filter from detaching, the circumference of the filter needs to be larger than the paper tube, relying on the friction between the filter and the paper tube for bonding. The uneven surface of the acetate fiber filter further complicates the assembly of the heated tobacco stick, resulting in low production efficiency. Furthermore, when the acetate fiber filter rod is cut into filter sections, numerous burrs are generated on the outer diameter cut surface. Since the filter section is the suction end, this severely affects the appearance quality of the heated tobacco stick.

[0004] In view of this, the present invention is proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a filter section for cigarettes, an apparatus, a method, and an application for preparing the filter section for cigarettes, which can avoid burrs generated during the cutting of the filter rod and make it easy to control the circumference, roundness, and suction resistance of the filter section for heated non-combustible cigarettes.

[0006] The embodiments of the present invention are implemented as follows:

[0007] In a first aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus for preparing filter segments for cigarettes, comprising a fixed base, a feeding system, a smoothing system, and a slitting system, wherein the feeding system, the smoothing system, and the slitting system are sequentially installed on a plane on the same side of the fixed base.

[0008] The smoothing system includes a smoothing mold, a heating element, a temperature sensor, and a temperature controller. The smoothing mold is connected to the feeding system to transfer filter rods to the smoothing mold. The smoothing mold has through-holes inside for processing the filter rods. The temperature controller is electrically connected to the heating element to control the temperature of the heating element. The heating element contacts the smoothing mold to heat the smoothing mold. The smoothing mold is also equipped with a temperature sensor, which is electrically connected to the temperature controller to transmit the temperature of the smoothing mold. The end of the smoothing mold away from the feeding system is connected to the slitting system for cutting the filter rods that have passed through the smoothing mold.

[0009] The uneven texture of current filter rods significantly increases the difficulty of cigarette assembly. Furthermore, the cutting process easily generates numerous burrs, affecting the cigarette's appearance and smoking experience. Therefore, the inventors propose a device for preparing filter segments for cigarettes. This device utilizes a smoothing system where a heating element heats the filter rod, melting the fibers. This not only increases the filter rod's hardness, preventing deformation during the assembly of heat-not-burn cigarettes, but also makes the filter rod surface smoother, facilitating assembly and improving the efficiency of the bottling process. Because the melted fibers are tightly interconnected, no burrs are generated during cutting. Testing of heat-not-burn cigarette filter segments prepared using the device or method provided by this invention shows a significant reduction in the standard deviation of circumference, roundness, and draw resistance, making it easier to control the circumference, roundness, and draw resistance of the heat-not-burn cigarette filter segments.

[0010] In an optional embodiment, the heating element is in the shape of a strip or a cube. When the heating element is in the shape of a strip, its shape includes at least one of the following: cylindrical, cubic strip, semi-cylindrical, triangular prism, etc.

[0011] In an optional embodiment, the smooth mold also has mounting holes inside for accommodating the heating element and temperature sensor, and the heating element is in close contact with the inner wall of the mounting hole. It is understood that, in order to accommodate the heating element and simultaneously heat the smooth mold more effectively, the shape of the mounting hole should be the same as the shape of the heating element, and its size should be such that it can just accommodate the heating element.

[0012] Preferably, the diameter of the mounting hole for accommodating the heating element is 10-20 mm, and the diameter of the mounting hole for accommodating the temperature sensor is 3-5 mm.

[0013] In an optional implementation, when the heating element is in the shape of a cube, the heating element is mounted on the surface of the smoothing module to heat the smoothing module.

[0014] In an optional implementation, there may be one or more heating elements to meet the heating needs of smoothing modules of different sizes.

[0015] Preferably, the diameter of the pores used to process the filter rod is 5-15 mm and the length is 50-300 mm; more preferably, the diameter of the pores used to process the filter rod is 5-10 mm.

[0016] Preferably, the holes are cylindrical in shape and number 3 to 6.

[0017] Preferably, the smooth mold is any one of a cuboid, cube, or cylinder.

[0018] Preferably, the material of the smooth mold is metal, so as to facilitate temperature control.

[0019] Preferably, the metal includes any one of pure metals such as copper, silver, gold, platinum, iron, and aluminum, or alloys of copper, silver, gold, platinum, iron, and aluminum.

[0020] In an optional implementation, the feeding system includes a feeding base, a feeding component, a first smoke separator, a feeding motor, and a cylinder.

[0021] The feeding base includes a bottom surface for mounting on a fixed seat, and a first plane and a second plane perpendicular to each other, wherein the first plane and the second plane are parallel to each other, and the feeding component and the first smoke separator are mounted in the first plane.

[0022] In some embodiments, the feeding component has a funnel-shaped structure, including a first inlet and a first outlet, with the first outlet spaced apart from the first smoke separator.

[0023] The first smoke-distributing wheel has multiple grooves on its arc surface, which are evenly spaced to accommodate filter rods. The central shaft of the first smoke-distributing wheel extends through the feeding base to one end of the second plane. The feeding motor is mounted on the central shaft and located on one side of the second plane to drive the first smoke-distributing wheel to rotate and distribute smoke.

[0024] Preferably, a first protective plate is also installed on the first plane. The first protective plate is semi-circular and spaced apart from the arc surface of the first smoke separator to prevent the filter rod from becoming misaligned due to rotation. One end of the first protective plate is connected to the first outlet, and the other end forms a receiving groove to accommodate the filter rod contained in the groove of the first smoke separator.

[0025] More preferably, the distance between the first guard plate and the arc surface of the first smoke separator is 1 to 5 mm, and the height of the first guard plate is greater than the height of the arc surface of the first smoke separator, with a height difference of 1 to 5 mm, to prevent the filter rod from falling off or becoming misaligned from the first smoke separator.

[0026] The cylinder includes a cylinder body and a piston rod. The cylinder body is mounted in a second plane, and the piston rod is mounted inside the cylinder body. A through hole is provided on the second plane corresponding to the piston rod so that the piston rod can reciprocate inside the cylinder body and move through the second plane to the first plane.

[0027] The through hole and the receiving groove are arranged to allow the piston rod to pass through the through hole and enter the receiving groove to push the filter rod to the polishing system; more preferably, the diameter of the receiving groove is 5 to 15 mm.

[0028] Preferably, a first sensor is also provided near the storage tank on the first guard plate to sense the filter rod in the storage tank. When the first sensor detects that there is a filter rod in the storage tank, the piston rod reciprocates, pushing the filter rod in the storage tank to the polishing system.

[0029] In an optional embodiment, a transmission system is also provided between the feeding system and the polishing system. The transmission system includes a spur wheel drive device and a drive motor. The drive motor and the spur wheel drive device are connected to control the movement of the spur wheel drive device. One end of the spur wheel drive device contacts the bottom of the receiving tank, and the other end contacts the polishing mold. It is used to receive the filter rods in the receiving tank and transfer the filter rods to the polishing mold.

[0030] Preferably, the spur wheel drive device includes a bearing, a synchronous pulley, and a synchronous belt. The drive motor transmits power to the spur wheel drive device through the synchronous pulley and the synchronous belt, so that the spur wheel drive device can transfer the filter rod to the smooth mold.

[0031] In an optional embodiment, a conveying system is also provided between the smoothing system and the slitting system. The conveying system includes a first conveying track, a second conveying track, a second smoke separator, a second guard plate, a second sensor, a conveying motor, and a pressure plate.

[0032] One end of the first conveying track is connected to the smooth mold, and the other end is fixed to the second separating wheel. The second separating wheel has multiple grooves evenly spaced on its arc surface, used to convey the filter rods from the smooth mold to the second separating wheel for separation. The first conveying track is tangent to the second separating wheel to allow the filter rods to smoothly enter the grooves.

[0033] Preferably, the first conveying track is provided with a conveying groove along the extension direction from the smooth mold to the second smoke separator. The conveying groove is aligned with the hole in the smooth mold for accommodating the filter rod. The surface of the first conveying track with the conveying groove is tangent to the circumference of the second smoke separator. The lowest point of the conveying groove is higher than the lowest point of the groove corresponding to the tangent point of the second smoke separator, and the height difference is 0-5mm.

[0034] A second sensor is installed at one end of the second smoke separator near the first conveying track to detect whether a filter rod is contained in the groove of the second smoke separator.

[0035] The second guard plate is semi-circular and installed on the arc-shaped outer surface of the second tobacco separating wheel to prevent the filter rods from falling off. One end of the second guard plate is located on the outer side of the tobacco separating wheel near the first conveying track, and the opposite end is connected to the second conveying track, so that the tobacco separating wheel rotates to transfer the filter rods from the first conveying track to the second conveying track. A pressure plate is installed at the end of the second conveying track away from the second guard plate to allow the filter rods to enter the slitting system. The conveying motor is installed on the central shaft of the second tobacco separating wheel to control the rotational speed of the second tobacco separating wheel.

[0036] In an optional implementation, the slitting system includes a slitting base, a housing, a cutting device, a third smoke separator, a coupling, a slitting motor, and a collecting device.

[0037] The outer casing is mounted on the cutting base, with the cutting base corresponding to the opening on the outer casing. A collecting device is installed on the side of the opening away from the outer casing. The outer casing has four corresponding through holes. The central shaft of the cutting device passes through two of these through holes and installs the cutting components inside the outer casing. There are multiple cutting components, evenly spaced on the central shaft of the cutting device. The central shaft of the third dividing wheel passes through the other two through holes and installs the third dividing wheel inside the outer casing. The surface of the third dividing wheel has grooves to accommodate filter rods, and a third guard plate is installed at the end of the third dividing wheel away from the cutting device. The groove on the surface of the third dividing wheel without the third guard plate engages with the cutting components, allowing the third dividing wheel and the cutting components to rotate relative to each other and shear the filter rods. There are two couplings, respectively mounted on the central shafts of the cutting device and the third dividing wheel, and both connected to the cutting motor to control the rotation of the cutting device and the third dividing wheel to cut the filter rods.

[0038] In an optional embodiment, a control system is also included. The control system is mounted on a fixed base on the opposite side of the smoothing system and is communicatively connected to a temperature sensor, a first sensor, a second sensor, a temperature controller, a feeding motor, a drive motor, a conveying motor, and a slitting motor.

[0039] The present invention provides a device for preparing filter segments for cigarettes, the working principle of which is as follows:

[0040] The filter rods enter the feeding component through the first inlet, and after being neatly arranged, they enter the grooves on the arc surface of the smoke-distributing wheel through the first outlet. Each groove contains one filter rod. The feeding motor drives the smoke-distributing wheel to rotate towards the first guard plate to prevent the filter rods from being misaligned or falling off during rotation. The filter rods descend along the direction of the first guard plate and fall into the receiving groove due to gravity. The first sensor detects the filter rods in the receiving groove and causes the piston rod to reciprocate, pushing the filter rods in the receiving groove through the through hole to the horn wheel transmission device. The transmission motor works, driving the synchronous pulley and synchronous belt to move, and then pushing the filter rods along the horn wheel transmission device to the smooth mold.

[0041] The filter rod is heated in a smooth mold, which increases its hardness and makes its surface smooth and less prone to deformation. The processed filter rod is then fed into the first conveying track and transported to the groove of the second tobacco separating wheel. The second sensor detects the filter rod in the groove of the second tobacco separating wheel and transmits a signal to the control system. The control system starts the conveying motor to drive the second tobacco separating wheel to rotate towards the second guard plate, transferring the filter rod to the second conveying track. The filter rod travels along the second conveying track, passes through the pressure plate, and enters the cutting system. The filter rod is placed in the groove of the third tobacco separating wheel. The cutting device engages with the surface of the third tobacco separating wheel without the third guard plate, shearing the filter rod. As the third tobacco separating wheel rotates, the sheared filter rod falls to the collection device under the influence of gravity, completing the filter rod shearing process.

[0042] Secondly, the present invention provides a method for preparing filter segments for cigarettes, applicable to the equipment as described in any of the foregoing embodiments, comprising placing a filter rod in a smooth mold, heating and melting it, and then sending it into a slitting system for slitting.

[0043] In optional embodiments, to achieve better melting effects and obtain filter rods with good circumference, roundness, and suction resistance, the temperature of the smooth mold is 80–400°C, preferably 120–180°C. For example, the temperature can be 80°C, 100°C, 150°C, 200°C, 250°C, 300°C, 350°C, or 400°C.

[0044] Preferably, the filter rod is made of any one of cellulose acetate filter rod, polypropylene filter rod, polylactic acid filter rod, or a composite filter rod of polylactic acid and cellulose acetate.

[0045] Preferably, the filter rod includes a solid filter rod or a hollow filter rod.

[0046] Preferably, the cross-sectional shape of the hollow part of the hollow filter rod includes any one of the following: circular, triangular, quadrilateral, elliptical, pentagonal, heart-shaped, and gear-shaped.

[0047] Preferably, the hollow filter rod has 1 to 10 hollow holes, and the diameter of each hollow hole is 0.5 to 5 mm.

[0048] Thirdly, the present invention provides a filter section for cigarettes, comprising a filter rod prepared by the method described in the foregoing embodiments. The filter section for cigarettes is prepared by cutting a prepared filter rod to a suitable size before use.

[0049] Preferably, the surface roughness of the filter section for cigarettes is 30-40 μm, the resilience is 6-6.5%, the shear strength is 0.89-0.91 MPa, and the friction wear rate is ≤50%.

[0050] Fourthly, the present invention provides the application of an apparatus or method as described in any of the foregoing embodiments in tobacco products.

[0051] The beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present invention are:

[0052] This invention improves upon a filter segment for cigarettes, its preparation equipment, method, and application. By incorporating a smoothing system, the heating element heats the filter rod, melting the fibers within. This not only increases the filter rod's hardness, preventing deformation during the assembly of heat-not-burn cigarettes, but also makes the filter rod surface smoother, facilitating assembly and improving the production efficiency of the bottling process. Because the melted fibers are tightly interconnected, no burrs are generated during cutting. Testing of the heat-not-burn cigarette filter segment prepared using the equipment or method provided by this invention shows a significant reduction in the standard deviation of its circumference, roundness, and draw resistance, making it easier to control the circumference, roundness, and draw resistance of the heat-not-burn cigarette filter segment. Attached Figure Description

[0053] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0054] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the equipment for preparing filter sections for cigarettes provided in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0055] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding system provided in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0056] Figure 3 This is a front view of the feeding system provided in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0057] Figure 4 This is a side view of the feeding system provided in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0058] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Structural perspective view of structure A in the middle;

[0059] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the transmission system and the surface finishing system provided in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0060] Figure 7 This is a side view of the transmission system and the surface finishing system provided in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0061] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Structural perspective view of structure B in the middle;

[0062] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the conveying system provided in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0063] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the slitting system provided in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0064] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the control system provided in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] Icon: 100-Equipment for preparing filter sections for cigarettes; 110-Fixed base; 120-Feeding system; 121-Feeding base; 122-Feeding component; 123-First cigarette separating wheel; 124-Feeding motor; 125-Cylinder; 126-Collection slot; 127-First sensor; 128-First guard plate; 130-Transmission system; 131-Pulley transmission device; 132-Transmission motor; 133-Bearing; 134-Synchronous pulley; 135-Synchronous belt; 141-Smooth mold; 142-Channel; 150-Conveying system; 151-First... 152-Second conveyor track; 153-Second smoke separator wheel; 154-Second guard plate; 155-Second sensor; 156-Conveyor motor; 157-Pressure plate; 160-Slitting system; 161-Slitting base; 162-Outer casing; 163-Cutting device; 164-Third smoke separator wheel; 165-Coupling; 166-Slitting motor; 167-Collection device; 170-Control system; 171-Electrical control cabinet; 172-Touch screen; 173-Door handle; 174-Control button; 175-Emergency stop switch; 200-Filter rod. Detailed Implementation

[0066] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0067] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the invention.

[0068] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0069] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product of this invention is in use. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this invention. In addition, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are only used to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0070] Furthermore, terms such as "horizontal" and "vertical" do not imply that components must be absolutely horizontal or suspended, but rather that they can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" simply means that its direction is more horizontal than "vertical," and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly tilted.

[0071] In the description of this invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0072] First Embodiment

[0073] Please refer to Figure 1 This embodiment provides an apparatus 100 for preparing filter segments for cigarettes, which includes a fixed base 110, a feeding system 120, a transmission system 130, a smoothing system, a conveying system 150, a slitting system 160, and a control system 170. The feeding system 120, the transmission system 130, the smoothing system, the conveying system 150, and the slitting system 160 are sequentially installed on the same side of the fixed base 110, while the control system 170 is located on the opposite side of the fixed base 110.

[0074] like Figure 2 and 3 As shown, the feeding system 120 includes a feeding base 121, a feeding component 122, a first smoke separator 123, a feeding motor 124, and a cylinder 125.

[0075] The feeding base 121 includes a bottom surface for mounting on the fixed base 110, and a first plane and a second plane perpendicular to each other, wherein the first plane and the second plane are parallel to each other, and the feeding component 122 and the first smoke separator 123 are mounted in the first plane.

[0076] In this embodiment, the feeding component 122 has a funnel-shaped structure, including a first inlet and a first outlet, with the first outlet spaced apart from the first smoke separator 123.

[0077] The first smoke-distributing wheel 123 has multiple grooves on its arc surface, which are evenly spaced to accommodate the filter rod 200. The central shaft of the first smoke-distributing wheel 123 extends through the feeding base 121 to one end of the second plane. The feeding motor 124 is mounted on the central shaft and located on one side of the second plane to drive the first smoke-distributing wheel 123 to rotate and distribute smoke.

[0078] A first protective plate 128 is also installed on the first plane. The first protective plate 128 is semi-circular and is spaced apart from the arc surface of the first smoke separator 123 to prevent the filter rod 200 from being misaligned due to rotation. One end of the first protective plate 128 is connected to the first outlet, and the other end forms a receiving groove 126 to accommodate the filter rod 200 contained in the groove of the first smoke separator 123.

[0079] In this embodiment, the distance between the first guard plate 128 and the arc surface of the first smoke separator 123 is 1mm, and the height of the first guard plate 128 is greater than the height of the arc surface of the first smoke separator 123, with a height difference of 1mm, which is used to prevent the filter rod 200 from falling off or becoming misaligned from the first smoke separator 123.

[0080] like Figure 4 and 5 As shown, cylinder 125 includes a cylinder body and a piston rod. The cylinder body is installed in a second plane, and the piston rod is installed inside the cylinder body. A through hole is provided on the second plane corresponding to the piston rod so that the piston rod can reciprocate inside the cylinder body and move through the second plane to the first plane.

[0081] The through hole and the receiving groove 126 are correspondingly set so that the piston rod passes through the through hole and enters the receiving groove 126 to push the filter rod 200 to the polishing system. The diameter of the receiving groove 126 is 8mm.

[0082] A first sensor 127 is also provided near the storage groove 126 on the first guard plate 128 to sense the filter rod 200 in the storage groove 126. When the first sensor 127 senses that there is a filter rod 200 in the storage groove 126, the piston rod reciprocates and pushes the filter rod 200 in the storage groove 126 to the transmission system 130.

[0083] like Figure 6As shown, the transmission system 130 includes a spur wheel transmission device 131 and a transmission motor 132. The transmission motor 132 is connected to the spur wheel transmission device 131 and is used to control the movement of the spur wheel transmission device 131. One end of the spur wheel transmission device 131 contacts the bottom of the storage tank 126, and the other end contacts the polishing system. It is used to receive the filter rod 200 in the storage tank 126 and transfer the filter rod 200 to the polishing system.

[0084] like Figure 7 and 8 As shown, the spur gear drive device 131 includes a bearing 133, a synchronous pulley 134 and a synchronous belt 135. The drive motor 132 transmits power to the spur gear drive device 131 through the synchronous pulley 134 and the synchronous belt 135, so that the spur gear drive device 131 transmits the filter rod 200 to the polishing system.

[0085] like Figure 6 As shown, the smoothing system includes a smoothing mold 141, a heating element, a temperature sensor, and a temperature controller.

[0086] One end of the smooth mold 141 is connected to the spur wheel transmission device 131 so that the filter rod 200 is transmitted to the smooth mold 141. In this embodiment, the smooth mold 141 is a cuboid made of copper and has through-holes 142 inside. The through-holes 142 are cylindrical in shape, and there are four of them. Each through-hole 142 has a diameter of 8 mm and a length of 130 mm and is used to process the filter rod 200.

[0087] The temperature controller is electrically connected to the heating element and is used to control the temperature of the heating element. The heating element is in contact with the smooth mold 141 and is used to heat the smooth mold 141. A temperature sensor is also installed on the smooth mold 141. The temperature sensor is electrically connected to the temperature controller and is used to transmit the temperature of the smooth mold 141. The end of the smooth mold 141 away from the spur wheel drive device 131 is connected to the conveying system 150 and is used to cut the filter rod 200 that has passed through the smooth mold 141.

[0088] In this embodiment, there is one heating element, which is a cylindrical strip structure. The smooth mold 141 also has a mounting hole inside for accommodating the heating element and the temperature sensor, and the heating element is in close contact with the inner wall of the mounting hole. It can be understood that in order to accommodate the heating element and to better heat the smooth mold 141, the shape of the mounting hole should be the same as the shape of the heating element, and the size should be just enough to accommodate the heating element.

[0089] In this embodiment, the diameter of the mounting hole for accommodating the heating element is 10 mm, and the diameter of the mounting hole for accommodating the temperature sensor is 4 mm.

[0090] like Figure 9As shown, the conveying system 150 includes a first conveying track 151, a second conveying track 152, a second smoke separator 153, a second guard plate 154, a second sensor 155, a conveying motor 156, and a pressure plate 157.

[0091] One end of the first conveying track 151 is connected to the smooth mold 141, and the other end is fixed to the second smoke separating wheel 153. The second smoke separating wheel 153 has multiple grooves evenly spaced on its arc surface, used to convey the filter rods 200 from the smooth mold 141 to the second smoke separating wheel 153 for separation. The first conveying track 151 is tangent to the second smoke separating wheel 153 so that the filter rods 200 can smoothly enter the grooves.

[0092] The first conveying track 151 is provided with a conveying groove along the extension direction from the smooth mold 141 to the second smoke separator 153. The conveying groove is aligned with the hole in the smooth mold 141 for accommodating the filter rod 200. The surface of the first conveying track 151 with the conveying groove is tangent to the circumference of the second smoke separator 153. The lowest point of the conveying groove is higher than the lowest point of the groove corresponding to the tangent point of the second smoke separator 153, with a height difference of 1mm.

[0093] A second sensor 155 is installed at one end of the second smoke separator 153 near the first conveying track 151 to sense whether a filter rod 200 is contained in the groove of the second smoke separator 153.

[0094] The second guard plate 154 is semi-circular and is installed on the arc-shaped outer surface of the second smoke separator 153 to prevent the filter rod 200 from falling off. One end of the second guard plate 154 is located on the outer side of the smoke separator near the first conveying track 151, and the other end is connected to the second conveying track 152 so that the smoke separator rotates to transfer the filter rod 200 from the first conveying track 151 to the second conveying track 152. A pressure plate 157 is installed at the end of the second conveying track 152 away from the second guard plate 154 to allow the filter rod 200 to enter the slitting system 160. The conveying motor 156 is installed on the central shaft of the second smoke separator 153 to control the rotation speed of the second smoke separator 153.

[0095] like Figure 10 As shown, the slitting system 160 includes a slitting base 161, a housing 162, a cutting device 163, a third smoke separator 164, a coupling 165, a slitting motor 166, and a collecting device 167.

[0096] The outer casing 162 is mounted on the cutting base 161, and the cutting base 161 corresponds to the opening of the outer casing 162. The collecting device 167 is installed on the side of the opening away from the outer casing 162. The outer casing 162 has four corresponding through holes. The central shaft of the cutting device 163 passes through two of the through holes and installs the cutting parts inside the outer casing 162. There are multiple cutting parts, which are evenly spaced on the central shaft of the cutting device 163. The central shaft of the third smoke-distributing wheel 164 passes through the other two through holes and installs the third smoke-distributing wheel 164 inside the outer casing 162. The surface of the third smoke-distributing wheel 164 has a groove for accommodating the filter rod 200, and a third guard plate is installed at the end of the third smoke-distributing wheel 164 away from the cutting device 163. The groove on the surface of the third smoke-distributing wheel 164 without the third guard plate engages with the cutting parts, so that the third smoke-distributing wheel 164 and the cutting parts rotate relative to each other to shear the filter rod 200. There are two couplings 165, which are respectively installed on the central shafts of the cutting device 163 and the third smoke dividing wheel 164, and are both connected to the cutting motor 166 to control the rotation of the cutting device 163 and the third smoke dividing wheel 164 to cut the filter rod 200.

[0097] like Figure 11 As shown, the control system 170 includes an electrical control cabinet 171, a touch screen 172, a door handle 173, a control button 174, and an emergency stop switch 175. The control system 170 is communicatively connected to a first sensor 127, a second sensor 155, a temperature controller, a feeding motor 124, a drive motor 132, a conveying motor 156, and a cutting motor 166, so as to control the cutting of the filter rod 200 through the control button 174.

[0098] This embodiment provides a device 100 for preparing filter segments for cigarettes, the working principle of which is as follows:

[0099] Filter rods 200 with textured surfaces enter the feeding component 122 through the first inlet. After being neatly arranged, they enter the grooves on the arc surface of the smoke separator wheel through the first outlet. Each groove contains one filter rod 200. The feeding motor 124 drives the smoke separator wheel to rotate towards the first guard plate 128 to prevent the filter rods 200 from being misaligned or falling off during rotation. The filter rods 200 descend along the direction of the first guard plate 128 and fall off at the receiving groove 126 due to gravity. The first sensor 127 senses the filter rods 200 in the receiving groove 126 and causes the piston rod to reciprocate, pushing the filter rods 200 in the receiving groove 126 through the through hole to the horn wheel transmission device 131. The transmission motor 132 works, driving the synchronous pulley 134 and the synchronous belt 135 to move, thereby pushing the filter rods 200 along the horn wheel transmission device 131 to the smooth mold 141.

[0100] The filter rod 200 is heated in the smooth mold 141. After heating, the filter rod 200 becomes harder and its surface becomes smoother and less prone to deformation. The processed filter rod 200 is then fed into the first conveying track 151 and conveyed into the groove of the second smoke distributor 153. The second sensor 155 detects the filter rod 200 in the groove of the second smoke distributor 153 and transmits a signal to the control system 170. The control system 170 starts the conveying motor 156 to drive the second smoke distributor 153 towards the second guard plate 154. The filter rod 200 is transferred to the second conveying track 152 by rotating in the direction of rotation. The filter rod 200 passes through the pressure plate 157 along the second conveying track 152 and enters the cutting system 160. The filter rod 200 is placed in the groove of the third smoke dividing wheel 164. The cutting device 163 engages with the surface of the third smoke dividing wheel 164 without the third guard plate to cut the filter rod 200. After cutting, the filter rod 200 falls to the collection device 167 under the action of gravity as the third smoke dividing wheel 164 rotates, thus completing the cutting of the filter rod 200.

[0101] Second Embodiment

[0102] This embodiment provides a method for preparing filter segments for cigarettes, which includes manufacturing the filter segments using the equipment 100 for preparing filter segments for cigarettes as described in the first embodiment, placing the filter rod 200 in a smooth mold, heating and melting it, and then sending it into a slitting system to slit it to obtain the filter segments.

[0103] The temperature of the smooth mold is 135℃. The filter rod is a solid cellulose acetate filter rod. The circumference × length of the filter rod is 23.9mm × 108mm.

[0104] First comparison

[0105] This comparative example provides a filter section that is directly packaged from molded paper into a filter section with an uneven textured surface. This filter section is made from a solid cellulose acetate filter rod with a circumference × length of 23.9 mm × 108 mm, and is not processed through a finishing system.

[0106] Second pair of proportions

[0107] This comparative example provides a filter section that does not use molded paper, but is directly packaged into a filter section with an uneven textured surface. This filter section is made of solid cellulose acetate filter rods with a circumference × length of 23.9 mm × 108 mm, and does not undergo a polishing system.

[0108] First Experimental Case

[0109] This experimental example compares the filter segment prepared in the second embodiment with two filter segments prepared by conventional methods. The differences and comparison results of the three filter segments are shown in Table 1.

[0110] Table 1. Differences and performance of filter sections

[0111]

[0112]

[0113] As can be seen from the table above, the equipment provided by the present invention, through the processing of the smoothing system, produces a smooth surface for the filter section, which can achieve the same effect as the coating of the forming paper. However, the filter section produced by the second embodiment of the present invention will not separate from the forming paper, has higher hardness, lower assembly difficulty, and lower circumference, roundness and suction resistance than the first and second comparative examples. Moreover, there are no burrs at the cut, and the quality is better.

[0114] Furthermore, the filter sections prepared in the first embodiment and the second comparative embodiment were tested. The surface roughness Ra, resilience, shear strength and friction properties of the filter sections were tested according to the SJ-210 surface roughness tester, HG / T4993-2013, GB / T10007-2008 and ISO4649:2017 respectively, and the results are shown in Table 2.

[0115] Table 2 Performance of the Filter Section

[0116] Surface roughness Ra / μm 37.509 56.598 Resilience / % 6.1 5.8 Shear strength (MPa) 0.902 0.934 Pre-grind mass / g 0.4061 0.4137 Post-grinding mass / g 0.2134 0.2018 Wear amount / g 0.1927 0.2119

[0117] As shown in Table 2, the filter section for cigarettes prepared in the embodiments of the present invention has lower surface roughness, better resilience, lower shear strength, and less wear. When used as a filter section to assemble into a cigarette, its assembly performance is better and it is not easily worn.

[0118] The present invention provides a filter segment for cigarettes, an apparatus and method for preparing the filter segment for cigarettes, and its application, which have at least the following advantages:

[0119] By setting up a smoothing system, the heating element in the system heats the filter rod 200, melting the fibers within it. This not only increases the hardness of the filter rod 200, preventing deformation of the filter section during the assembly of heat-not-burn cigarettes, but also makes the surface of the filter rod 200 smooth, facilitating assembly and improving the production efficiency of the bottling process. Because the melted fibers are tightly connected, no burrs are generated during cutting. Testing the heat-not-burn cigarette filter section produced using the equipment or method provided by this invention shows a significant reduction in the standard deviation of its circumference, roundness, and draw resistance, making it easier to control the circumference, roundness, and draw resistance of the heat-not-burn cigarette filter section.

[0120] By controlling the temperature of the smooth mold 141, the fibers of the filter rod 200 are slightly melted together after passing through the smooth mold 141, resulting in a filter section with high hardness and controllable circumference, roundness and suction resistance.

[0121] The filter section for cigarettes prepared by the above-mentioned equipment or method has the characteristics of low surface roughness, good resilience, low shear strength and low wear. When it is used as a filter section to be assembled into a cigarette, its assembly performance is better and it is not easy to wear.

[0122] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus for preparing a filter section for a heated non-combustible cigarette, characterized in that, It includes a fixed base, a feeding system, a smoothing system, and a slitting system, with the feeding system, smoothing system, and slitting system sequentially installed on the same side plane of the fixed base; The smoothing system includes a smoothing mold, a heating element, a temperature sensor, and a temperature controller. The smoothing mold is connected to a feeding system to transfer filter rods to the smoothing mold. The smoothing mold has through-holes inside for processing the filter rods. The temperature controller is electrically connected to the heating element to control its temperature. The heating element contacts the smoothing mold to heat it. The temperature sensor is also installed on the smoothing mold and is electrically connected to the temperature controller to transmit the temperature of the smoothing mold. The end of the smoothing mold away from the feeding system is connected to the cutting system for cutting the filter rods that have passed through the smoothing mold.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The smooth mold also has mounting holes inside for accommodating the heating element and the temperature sensor, and the heating element is in close contact with the inner wall of the mounting hole.

3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The mounting hole for accommodating the heating element has a diameter of 10-20 mm, the mounting hole for accommodating the temperature sensor has a diameter of 3-5 mm, and the channel for processing the filter rod has a diameter of 5-15 mm and a length of 50-300 mm.

4. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The pore diameter used to process the filter rod is 5~10mm.

5. The device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The channels are cylindrical in shape and number 3 to 6.

6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The smooth mold can be any of a cuboid, cube, or cylinder.

7. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material of the smooth mold is metal; The metal includes any one of the pure metals or alloys of copper, silver, gold, platinum, iron, and aluminum.

8. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding system includes a feeding base, a feeding component, a first smoke separator, a feeding motor, and a cylinder. The feeding base has a first plane and a second plane that are parallel to each other. The feeding component includes a first inlet and a first outlet. The first outlet is spaced apart from the first smoke separator and is installed in the first plane. The first smoke-distributing wheel has multiple grooves on its arc surface, which are evenly spaced to accommodate filter rods. The central shaft of the first smoke-distributing wheel extends through the feeding base to one end of the second plane. The feeding motor is mounted on the central shaft to drive the first smoke-distributing wheel to rotate and distribute smoke. The cylinder includes a cylinder body and a piston rod. The cylinder body is installed in a second plane. The feeding base has a through hole at a position corresponding to the piston rod, which is used to move the piston rod into a first plane. The through hole is located at the end of the first smoke separator wheel away from the first outlet.

9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that, A first protective plate is also installed on the first plane. The first protective plate is semi-circular and is spaced apart from the arc surface of the first smoke separator. One end of the first protective plate is connected to the first outlet to prevent the filter rod from being misaligned due to rotation. The distance between the first protective plate and the arc surface of the first smoke separator is 1~5mm. The height of the first protective plate is greater than the height of the arc surface of the first smoke separator, and the height difference is 1~5mm.

10. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The end of the first protective plate away from the first outlet forms a receiving groove for accommodating the filter rod. The receiving groove is correspondingly arranged with the through hole so that the piston rod enters the receiving groove and pushes the filter rod to the polishing system.

11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that, The diameter of the storage slot is 5-15mm.

12. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first protective plate is also equipped with a first sensor near the storage slot, which is used to sense the filter rod in the storage slot.

13. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that, A transmission system is also provided between the feeding system and the polishing system. The transmission system includes a spur wheel drive device and a drive motor. The drive motor and the spur wheel drive device are connected to control the movement of the spur wheel drive device. One end of the spur wheel drive device contacts the end of the receiving trough away from the smoke separating wheel, and the other end contacts the polishing mold. It is used to receive the filter rods in the receiving trough and transfer the filter rods to the polishing mold.

14. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that, A conveying system is also provided between the smoothing system and the slitting system. The conveying system includes a first conveying track, a second conveying track, a second smoke separator, a second guard plate, a conveying motor, and a pressure plate. One end of the first conveying track is connected to the smooth mold, and the other end is fixed to the second smoke separating wheel. The second smoke separating wheel has multiple grooves on its arc surface, which are evenly spaced to convey the filter rods in the smooth mold to the second smoke separating wheel for separation. The second guard plate is installed on the arc-shaped outer surface of the second smoke separating wheel to prevent the filter rods from falling off. The end of the second guard plate away from the first conveying track is connected to the second conveying track, and the end of the second conveying track away from the second guard plate is equipped with the pressure plate to allow the filter rods to enter the slitting system. The conveying motor is installed on the central shaft of the second smoke separating wheel to control the rotation speed of the second smoke separating wheel.

15. The device according to claim 14, characterized in that, The first conveying track is provided with a conveying groove along the extension direction from the smooth mold to the second smoke separator. The conveying groove is aligned with the hole in the smooth mold for accommodating the filter rod. The surface of the first conveying track with the conveying groove is tangent to the circumference of the second smoke separator. The lowest point of the conveying groove is higher than the lowest point of the groove corresponding to the tangent point of the second smoke separator, with a height difference of 0~5mm.

16. The device according to claim 14, characterized in that, The conveying system also includes a second sensor, which is installed at one end of the second smoke-distributing wheel near the first conveying track, for sensing whether a filter rod is contained in the groove of the second smoke-distributing wheel.

17. The device according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that, The slitting system includes a base, a housing, a cutting device, a third smoke separator, a coupling, a slitting motor, and a collecting device; The outer casing is mounted on the base, and the base has an opening corresponding to the outer casing. The collecting device is mounted on the end of the opening away from the outer casing. The outer casing has four corresponding through holes. The central shaft of the cutting device passes through two through holes and installs the cutting element inside the outer casing. The central shaft of the third smoke-distributing wheel passes through the other two through holes and installs the third smoke-distributing wheel inside the outer casing. There are two couplings, which are respectively mounted on the central shafts of the cutting device and the third smoke-distributing wheel, and are both connected to the cutting motor to control the rotation of the cutting device and the third smoke-distributing wheel to cut the filter rod.

18. The device according to claim 17, characterized in that, It also includes a control system, which is installed on the side of the fixed base opposite to the smoothing system, and is communicatively connected to the temperature sensor, the first sensor, the second sensor, the temperature controller, the feeding motor, the drive motor, the conveying motor and the cutting motor.

19. A method for preparing a filter section for a heated non-combustible cigarette, characterized in that, Applicable to the equipment as described in any one of claims 1 to 18, comprising placing the filter rod in the smooth mold, heating and melting it, and then sending it into the slitting system for slitting.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that, The temperature of the smooth mold is 80–400℃.

21. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that, The temperature of the smooth mold is 120~180℃.

22. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that, The filter rod is made of any one of the following materials: cellulose acetate filter rod, polypropylene filter rod, polylactic acid filter rod, or a composite filter rod of polylactic acid and cellulose acetate.

23. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that, The filter rod may be a solid filter rod or a hollow filter rod.

24. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that, The hollow section of the filter rod has a cross-sectional shape that includes any one of the following: circular, triangular, quadrilateral, elliptical, pentagonal, heart-shaped, and gear-shaped.

25. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that, The hollow filter rod has 1 to 10 hollow holes, and the diameter of each hollow hole is 0.5 to 5 mm.

26. A filter section for a heated non-combustible cigarette, characterized in that, It includes the preparation by the method described in any one of claims 19 to 25.

27. The filter section according to claim 26, characterized in that, The surface roughness of the filter section for the cigarette is 30~40μm, the resilience is 6~6.5%, the shear strength is 0.89~0.91MPa, and the friction wear rate is ≤50%.

28. The use of the device as described in any one of claims 1 to 18 or the method as described in any one of claims 19 to 25 in a tobacco product.

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