Production line and production method of aerosol-generating substrate segments

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a production line and a production method of an aerosol generating substrate section. The production line comprises a forming device, a conveying belt, a bundling mechanism and a packaging and cutting device. The forming equipment is used for continuously extruding the mixed material to form a plurality of parallel aerosol generating matrix strips, and the conveying belt is arranged at the downstream of the forming equipment and is used for conveying the plurality of aerosol generating matrix strips; the bundling mechanism is arranged on one side, far away from the forming equipment, of the conveying belt and is used for bundling the plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips into an aerosol generating substrate bundle; and the packaging and cutting equipment is arranged at the downstream of the bundling mechanism and is used for packaging and cutting the aerosol-generating substrate bundles into aerosol-generating substrate sections. According to the production line and the production method of the aerosol generating matrix strips, the packaging steps can be simplified, continuous production can be achieved, and the production efficiency is improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present application relate to the field of aerosol generating technology, and in particular to an aerosol generating substrate section production line and a production method. BACKGROUND

[0002] An aerosol generating substrate can form an aerosol by being ignited or by being heated without combustion. In an aerosol generating substrate that is heated without combustion, an external heat source is used to heat the aerosol generating substrate to a degree sufficient to emit an aerosol, and the aerosol generating substrate does not burn, and releases an aerosol by being heated with a load of a smoke generating agent.

[0003] The slurry method, the papermaking method, the granulation method, and the roll pressing method in the related art are difficult to produce an aerosol generating substrate section composed of a plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips in parallel. SUMMARY

[0004] In view of this, embodiments of the present application aim to provide an aerosol generating substrate section production line and a production method that can solve or at least partially solve the above problems.

[0005] A first aspect of embodiments of the present application provides an aerosol generating substrate section production line, comprising: a forming device configured to continuously extrude a mixture to form a plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips in parallel; a conveyor belt disposed downstream of the forming device and configured to convey the plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips; a bundling mechanism disposed on a side of the conveyor belt away from the forming device and configured to bundle the plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips into an aerosol generating substrate bundle; and a packaging and cutting device disposed downstream of the bundling mechanism and configured to package and cut the aerosol generating substrate bundle into aerosol generating substrate sections.

[0006] A second aspect of embodiments of the present application provides an aerosol generating substrate strip production method, comprising: an aerosol generating substrate strip extrusion step of continuously extruding a mixture onto a conveyor belt to form a plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips distributed side by side on the conveyor belt during conveying of the conveyor belt; an aerosol generating substrate strip bundling step of bundling the plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips on the conveyor belt into an aerosol generating substrate bundle; and a packaging and cutting step of packaging the aerosol generating substrate bundle and cutting the aerosol generating substrate bundle into aerosol generating substrate sections.

[0007] The production line and the production method of embodiments of the present application can form an aerosol generating substrate section composed of a plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips in parallel, and can continuously produce the aerosol generating substrate section to improve production efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a production line for the aerosol generating substrate segment of an embodiment of the present application;

[0009] Figure 2 A structural schematic diagram of a molding device of an embodiment of the present application;

[0010] Figure 3 A structural schematic diagram of a molding device of an embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 A structural schematic diagram of a molding device of an embodiment of the present application;

[0011] Figure 4 A structural schematic diagram of a molding device of an embodiment of the present application;

[0012] Figure 5 A structural schematic diagram of a molding device of an embodiment of the present application;

[0013] Figure 6 A structural schematic diagram of an extrusion device of an embodiment of the present application, wherein an assembly schematic of the extrusion device with a transition connector and a molding die is also shown;

[0014] Figure 7 A structural schematic diagram of an extrusion screw of an embodiment of the present application;

[0015] Figure 8 A structural schematic diagram of an extrusion screw of an embodiment of the present application;

[0016] Figure 9 A structural schematic diagram of an extrusion screw of an embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 10 An assembly structural schematic diagram of a transition connector and a molding die of an embodiment of the present application, wherein a transition connector of a first embodiment is shown;

[0018] Figure 11 An assembly structural schematic diagram of a transition connector and a molding die of an embodiment of the present application, wherein a transition connector of a second embodiment is shown;

[0019] Figure 12 An assembly structural schematic diagram of a transition connector and a molding die of an embodiment of the present application, wherein a transition connector of a third embodiment is shown;

[0020] Figure 13 A structural schematic diagram of a transition connector of an embodiment of the present application from one perspective;

[0021] Figure 14 A structural schematic diagram of a molding die of an embodiment of the present application from a first perspective;

[0022] Figure 15A structural schematic view of a second perspective of a molding die according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 16 A structural schematic view of an arrangement of a first embodiment of a molding die according to the present application;

[0024] Figure 17 A structural schematic view of an arrangement of a second embodiment of a molding die according to the present application;

[0025] Figure 18 A structural schematic view of an arrangement of a third embodiment of a molding die according to the present application;

[0026] Figure 19 A structural schematic view of an arrangement of a fourth embodiment of a molding die according to the present application;

[0027] Figure 20 A structural schematic view of an arrangement of an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 21 A structural schematic view of an arrangement of an aerosol-generating substrate strip after rearrangement according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 22 A structural schematic view of an arrangement of an aerosol-generating substrate strip on a conveyor belt according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In order to make the objects, technical solutions, and advantages of the present application clearer, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely intended to explain the present application and should not be used to limit the present application.

[0031] In the description of the present application, the "first direction", "second direction", "height direction" orientation or positional relationship is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, wherein the "first direction" is the direction indicated by arrow L1 in the drawings, the "second direction" is the direction indicated by arrow L2 in the drawings, and the "height direction" is the direction indicated by arrow L3 in the drawings. It should be understood that these orientation terms are only used to facilitate the description of the present application and simplify the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application.

[0032] In the present application, the aerosol-generating substrate segment is used to generate aerosol by heating. For example, the aerosol-generating substrate segment can be suitable for generating aerosol by heating combustion. The aerosol-generating substrate segment is specifically a segmental structure that can be packaged by a plurality of aerosol-generating substrate strips or aerosol-generating substrate pieces. The aerosol-generating substrate segment is used in an aerosol-generating article. The aerosol-generating article is used for a user to smoke the aerosol generated by the aerosol-generating substrate segment.

[0033] Embodiments of the present application provide a production line of aerosol generating substrate segments, referring to Figure 1 The production line comprises a forming device 100, a conveying belt 200, a bundling mechanism 400, and a packaging and cutting device 300.

[0034] The forming device 100 is used to continuously extrude the mixture to form multiple aerosol generating substrate strips in parallel. The conveying belt 200 is arranged downstream of the forming device 100 and is used to convey the aerosol generating substrate strips. The bundling mechanism 400 is arranged on the side of the conveying belt 200 away from the forming device 100 and is used to bundle the multiple substrate strips into an aerosol generating substrate bundle. The packaging and cutting device 300 is arranged downstream of the bundling mechanism 400 and is used to package and cut the aerosol generating substrate bundle into aerosol generating substrate segments.

[0035] Here, the "mixture" is the composition of the aerosol generating substrate, and the specific composition is not limited herein. For example, in some embodiments, the substrate strip can include plant components, auxiliary components, smoke generating components, adhesive components, etc.

[0036] It should be noted that "continuous extrusion" here means that the extrusion force is continuously applied to the mixture, so that each aerosol generating substrate strip formed after the mixture is extruded is in a substantially continuous strip structure in an ideal state. In other words, in an ideal state, the extruded aerosol generating substrate strip does not break along the extrusion direction during continuous extrusion. The specific structure of the forming device 100 is not limited, as long as it can continuously apply extrusion force to the mixture.

[0037] Further, in actual use, the extrusion of the forming device 100, the conveying of the conveying belt 200, the bundling of the bundling mechanism 400, and the packaging and cutting of the packaging and cutting device 300 are performed synchronously. In other words, during continuous extrusion, the conveying belt 200 is always in a conveying state, so that the continuously extruded aerosol generating substrate strips will be continuously conveyed to the bundling mechanism 400. After passing through the bundling mechanism 400, the aerosol generating substrate strips will be bundled into an aerosol generating substrate bundle, and then packaged and cut into aerosol generating substrate segments by the packaging and cutting device 300.

[0038] The production line of the embodiments of the present application forms continuous, parallel multiple aerosol generating substrate strips through the continuous extrusion of the forming device 100 and the conveying of the conveying belt 200, and then bundles the aerosol generating substrate strips into an aerosol generating substrate bundle and packages and cuts to form aerosol generating substrate segments, and can continuously produce, improving production efficiency.

[0039] The specific structure of the forming device 100 is not limited, and as an example, referring to Figures 2-4The forming device 100 can include an extrusion device 20 having a discharge port 22a and a molding die 40 in communication with the discharge port 22a of the extrusion device 20, and the molding die 40 has a plurality of molding channels 40a distributed along the width direction of the conveying belt 200. The extrusion device 20 can extrude the mixed material from the discharge port 22a to the molding die 40 and finally extrude from the molding channels 40a of the molding die 40 to form a plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips.

[0040] The specific structure of the bundling mechanism 400 is not limited, and as an example, the bundling mechanism 400 can be a cylindrical structure or a groove-shaped structure, which has an inlet on one side facing the conveying belt 200 and an outlet on the side away from the conveying belt 200, and the size of the outlet is smaller than that of the inlet, thereby playing a gathering effect, so that the plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips at the outlet are gathered into an aerosol generating substrate bundle.

[0041] The specific structure of the packaging cutting device 300 is not limited, and as an example, the packaging cutting device 300 can include a packaging mechanism, a gluing mechanism, and a cutting mechanism. The packaging mechanism is used to wrap the aerosol generating substrate bundle with an outer package, which can be a paper package, a plastic package, a metal film package, or other suitable packages, which are not limited. The gluing mechanism is used to edge seal the outer package. As an example, the gluing mechanism can include a gluing piece and a heating structure. After the gluing piece applies glue to the edge seal, the heating structure bakes the glue, thereby improving the working efficiency and the stability of the edge seal. The cutting mechanism is used to cut the packaged aerosol generating substrate bundle into small sections to form aerosol generating substrate sections. The specific length of the aerosol generating substrate sections is not limited, and in some embodiments, the cutting length of the cutting mechanism is adjustable to prepare aerosol generating substrate sections of different lengths.

[0042] The forming device 100 of an embodiment of the present application will be described in detail below.

[0043] Referring to Figures 2-4 The forming device 100 of the embodiment of the present application includes an extrusion device 20, a roller device 50, and a molding die 40.

[0044] The extrusion device 20 has a discharge port 22a, and the extrusion device 20 is used to extrude the mixed material from the discharge port 22a. As described above, in actual use, the extrusion device 20 can continuously extrude the mixed material from the discharge port 22a.

[0045] The specific structure of the extrusion device 20 is not limited, as an example, the extrusion device 20 can include an extrusion housing 22 and an extrusion mechanism, the extrusion housing 22 forms an extrusion channel 22b, a discharge port 22a is formed at one end of the extrusion channel 22b, and the extrusion mechanism is arranged in the extrusion channel 22b, and the extrusion mechanism can include an extrusion screw 21. The specific structure of the extrusion screw 21 can refer to the related description in the related embodiments below, which will not be repeated here.

[0046] It should be noted that the extrusion mechanism is not limited to the extrusion screw 21 or other spiral extrusion mechanisms, such as a push extrusion mechanism, etc., as long as it can realize the extrusion function.

[0047] The extrusion device 20 also has at least one feeding port 22c, through which the material can be put into the extrusion device 20, and the material put here can be pre-mixed material or un-mixed material, such as solid and liquid materials, which will be mixed into a mixture during the extrusion process of the extrusion mechanism.

[0048] Compared with the pre-mixed material, the un-mixed material is in a dispersed state, which can reduce the risk of clogging the feeding port 22c during the material feeding process, and facilitate precise control of the amount of material. In addition, the material used to prepare the aerosol generating substrate strip usually contains an adhesive, and the un-mixed material will be extruded in a relatively short time after being mixed in the extrusion device 20, thus reducing the risk of the mixed material becoming hard and thus unable to be extruded due to the volatilization of water in the adhesive.

[0049] Further, since the extrusion device 20 in the embodiment of the present application can continuously extrude the mixed material, the material can be continuously and quantitatively fed, and the "continuous and quantitative feeding" here refers to continuously feeding the material into the extrusion device 20 at a certain speed. The advantage of continuously and quantitatively feeding the material is that it can keep the extrusion device 20 in a relatively full state of mixed material at all times, thereby improving the extrusion effect and reducing the risk of insufficient material causing the extruded aerosol generating substrate strip to be broken or stopped for waiting.

[0050] In some other embodiments, the material can also be fed once every interval, or fed at one time.

[0051] In some embodiments, the forming equipment 100 includes a feeding device 10, which is in communication with the feeding port 22c and is used to feed the material into the extrusion device 20. The specific structure of the feeding device 10 can refer to the description in the related embodiments below, which will not be repeated here.

[0052] The roller pressing device 50 is arranged downstream of the extruding device 20 along the first direction and communicates with the discharge port 22a, and the extruded mixture material at the discharge port 22a will enter the roller pressing device 50 to be rolled into the aerosol generating substrate sheet. The shaping mold 40 is arranged downstream of the roller pressing device 50 and is used to shape the aerosol generating substrate sheet into a plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips.

[0053] Specifically, the roller pressing device 50 comprises at least one roller pressing group 51, each roller pressing group 51 comprising at least a first roller shaft 511 and a second roller shaft 512, the rotation axes of the first roller shaft 511 and the second roller shaft 512 are both parallel to the second direction, and the first roller shaft 511 and the second roller shaft 512 are arranged in a height direction. The first direction and the second direction intersect, and both the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to the height direction.

[0054] As an example, the first direction and the second direction can be perpendicular, or can be any other suitable angle. Further, in some embodiments, the first direction can be parallel to the extrusion direction of the extruding device 20 (such as parallel to the axial direction of the extrusion screw 21) and / or the conveying direction of the conveying belt 200, and the second direction can be parallel to the width direction of the conveying belt 200.

[0055] It should be noted that the first direction can also not be parallel to the extrusion direction of the extruding device 20 and the conveying direction of the conveying belt 200, for example, the extrusion direction and the conveying direction of the conveying belt 200 can be horizontal, and the first direction can be upwardly or downwardly inclined. Similarly, the second direction can also not be parallel to the width direction of the conveying belt 200. Those skilled in the art can reasonably set according to the actual production line space layout requirements, as long as it can ensure that the aerosol generating substrate strips continuously extruded by the forming equipment 100 can be continuously conveyed by the conveying belt 200 and can maintain the desired integrity and continuity.

[0056] The specific number of roller pressing groups 51 is not limited, such as one, two, three, four, etc. The roller pressing group 51 can also comprise other roller shafts arranged in the height direction with the first roller shaft 511 and the second roller shaft 512, so that the mixture material extruded from the discharge port 22a can be rolled into a plurality of aerosol generating substrate sheets. It should be noted that the number of roller shafts in each roller pressing group 51 should be the same, so that each aerosol generating substrate sheet can eventually reach the shaping mold 40. Those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the number of roller pressing groups 51 and the number of roller shafts in each roller pressing group 51 according to actual production requirements.

[0057] The specific structure of the first roller shaft 511 and the second roller shaft 512 is not limited, and it should be noted that the first roller shaft 511 and the second roller shaft 512 can be driven to rotate, specifically, the roller pressing device 50 can include a driving member (not shown in the figure), which is used to drive the first roller shaft 511 and the second roller shaft 512 of each roller pressing group 51 to rotate synchronously, so that the mixed material can pass through each extrusion group more smoothly and at a speed close to uniform. The synchronous rotation here specifically means that each first roller shaft 511 and second roller shaft 512 rotates at the same time and at the same speed. The speed here can refer to the rotational speed of each roller shaft, or the linear speed of a point on the outer surface of each roller shaft.

[0058] In some other embodiments, the first roller shaft 511 and the second roller shaft 512 can also be driven to rotate. It can be understood that since the extrusion device 20 can continuously extrude the mixed material, even if the mixed material has been extruded into the roller pressing device 50, the mixed material that is extruded first will still be pushed by the mixed material that is extruded later to move in the first direction in the roller pressing device 50, and the first roller shaft 511 and the second roller shaft 512 can be pushed to rotate during the movement of the mixed material, thereby extruding the mixed material.

[0059] The molding die 40 has a plurality of molding channels 40a distributed along the second direction, so as to be able to divide the aerosol generating substrate sheet along the second direction and mold it into a plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips. It should be noted that the molding die 40 can also have molding channels 40a distributed along other directions, for example, in embodiments in which more roller shafts are included in the roller pressing group 51, a plurality of aerosol generating substrate sheets distributed along the height direction can be formed by roller pressing, at this time, the molding die 40 can have molding channels 40a distributed along the height direction, for example, the molding die 40 can have a plurality of molding channel 40a groups distributed along the height direction, each molding channel 40a group including a plurality of molding channels 40a distributed along the second direction.

[0060] It can be understood that the aerosol generating substrate strip extruded from the molding die 40 will be subsequently conveyed by the conveying belt 200, and a reasonable difference between the extrusion speed of the aerosol generating substrate strip and the conveying speed of the conveying belt 200 needs to be maintained. If the conveying speed of the conveying belt 200 is greater than the extrusion speed and the difference is large, the aerosol generating substrate strip can be subjected to a tensile force in the axial direction, and the risk of breakage increases. If the conveying speed of the conveying belt 200 is less than the extrusion speed and the difference is large, the aerosol generating substrate strip can be stacked on the conveying belt 200, which is not conducive to subsequent processing.

[0061] However, the conveying speed on the conveying belt 200 is uniform per se, but the extrusion speed of each aerosol generating substrate strip can not be uniform. For example, the mixture material at the middle position of the forming device 100 along the second direction is subjected to relatively small friction from the structure of the forming device 100 itself, such as the friction of the extrusion shell 22, and is relatively close to the extrusion mechanism, such as the extrusion screw 21, so that the overall force in the extrusion direction is relatively large. The mixture material at the edge position of the extrusion shell 22 along the second direction is subjected to relatively large friction from the structure of the forming device 100 itself, and is relatively far away from the extrusion mechanism, such as the extrusion screw 21, so that the overall force in the extrusion direction is relatively small. This results in that the extrusion speed at the middle position of the forming device 100 can be higher than that of the mixture material at the edge position.

[0062] If the difference between the extrusion speeds of each aerosol generating substrate strip is large, it can not be possible to maintain the extrusion speed of each aerosol generating substrate strip and the conveying speed within a reasonable difference range, resulting in that part of the aerosol generating substrate strips can be broken or accumulated on the conveying belt 200.

[0063] In the embodiment, the roller pressing device 50 is additionally arranged in the forming device 100, and each roller pressing group 51 of the roller pressing device 50 can provide a certain shear force for the aerosol generating substrate sheet. Thus, when the mixture material passes through the roller pressing to form the aerosol generating substrate sheet and reaches the forming mold 40, the forces at different positions in the cross section (perpendicular to the extrusion direction) of the aerosol generating substrate sheet are more uniform, thereby reducing the difference between the extrusion speeds of the plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips, and further reducing the risk of breakage or accumulation of the aerosol generating substrate strips on the conveying belt 200.

[0064] In addition, part of the gas in the aerosol generating substrate sheet can be discharged during the roller pressing, thereby improving the toughness of the aerosol generating substrate strip and reducing the risk of breakage of the aerosol generating substrate strip from another perspective.

[0065] In some embodiments, the roller pressing device 50 includes a plurality of roller pressing groups 51 distributed along the first direction, and a roller pressing gap 51a is formed between the first roller shaft 511 and the second roller shaft 512 of each roller pressing group 51. In the direction away from the discharge port 22a, the roller pressing gap 51a of each roller pressing group 51 in the height direction decreases in sequence. The size of the roller pressing gap 51a in the height direction here refers to the minimum distance between the outer surfaces of the first roller shaft 511 and the second roller shaft 512.

[0066] As an example, referring to Figure 3 , in the direction away from the discharge port 22a, the size of the roller pressing gap 51a of each roller pressing group 51 in the height direction decreases in sequence as D4, D5, D6, D4>D5>D6.

[0067] In the embodiment, since the roll pressing intervals of the roll pressing groups 51 are sequentially reduced, the mixture is subjected to more sufficient extrusion when passing through each roll pressing group 51, and the shear force applied to the mixture during the extrusion is increased as a whole, so that the uniformity of the stress at each position on the cross section of the aerosol generating substrate sheet can be further improved, and the risk of breakage or accumulation of the aerosol generating substrate strip on the conveying belt 200 can be reduced. In addition, the sequential reduction of the roll pressing intervals can further improve the exhaust effect and improve the toughness of the aerosol generating substrate strip, thereby reducing the risk of breakage of the aerosol generating substrate strip.

[0068] In some embodiments, the center points of the roll pressing gaps 51a of the roll pressing groups 51 in the height direction are located at the same height. In this way, during the roll pressing process, the center points of the aerosol generating substrate sheet at each position in the first direction will be located at the same height, thereby further improving the uniformity of the stress and reducing the possibility of breakage of the aerosol generating substrate sheet due to torsion during the roll pressing process.

[0069] In some embodiments, the diameters of the first roller shaft 511 and the second roller shaft 512 in the same roll pressing group 51 are the same, and the diameters of the first roller shaft 511 and the second roller shaft 512 of each roll pressing group 51 increase sequentially in the direction away from the discharge port 22a. Thus, the roll pressing intervals of the roll pressing groups 51 are sequentially reduced.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the rotation axes of the first roller shafts 511 of the roll pressing groups 51 are located at the same height, and the rotation axes of the second roller shafts of the roll pressing groups 51 are located at the same height, so that the center points of the roll pressing gaps 51a of the roll pressing groups 51 in the height direction are located at the same height. In addition, in the embodiment in which the roll pressing device 50 includes a driving member, this layout also helps to simplify the transmission structure between the driving member and the roller shafts, thereby simplifying the structure of the roll pressing device 50.

[0071] It can be understood that in some other embodiments, the rotation axes of the first roller shafts of the roll pressing groups 51 can also not be located at the same height, but are sequentially lowered, and correspondingly, the heights of the rotation axes of the second roller shafts of the roll pressing groups 51 are sequentially increased, so that the center points of the roll pressing gaps 51a of the roll pressing groups 51 in the height direction can also be located at the same height.

[0072] In some other embodiments, the diameters of the first roller shaft 511 and the second roller shaft 512 of each roller pressing group 51 are the same, and the first roller shaft 511 is located on the top side of the second roller shaft 512. In the direction away from the discharge port 22a, the height of the rotation axis of the first roller shaft 511 of each roller pressing group 51 decreases in sequence, and the height of the rotation axis of the second roller shaft 512 of each roller pressing group 51 increases in sequence. In this way, the roller pressing spacing of each roller pressing group 51 decreases in sequence in the direction away from the discharge port 22a. At the same time, the center point of the roller pressing gap 51a of each roller pressing group 51 in the height direction is located at the same height.

[0073] In some embodiments, still referring to Figure 3 , the roller pressing device 50 includes two bases 52 arranged in the height direction, and a roller pressing channel 52a communicating with the discharge port 22a is defined between the two adjacent bases 52. The first roller shaft 511 and the second roller shaft 512 are arranged on the two bases 52 respectively, and a part of the first roller shaft 511 and the second roller shaft 512 extends into the roller pressing channel 52a.

[0074] In the present embodiment, the first roller shaft 511 and the second roller shaft 512 are arranged in the base 52, and only a part of them extends into the roller pressing channel 52a. In this way, the overall volume of the roller pressing channel 52a can be reduced, the distribution of the mixture in the roller pressing device 50 is more concentrated, the roller pressing efficiency and effect are improved, and the waste is reduced.

[0075] For example, the base 52 can be formed with a rotation cavity corresponding to each roller shaft, and the rotation cavity has an opening communicating with the roller pressing channel 52a. A part of the first roller shaft 511 and the second roller shaft 512 can extend into the roller pressing channel 52a through the opening.

[0076] Further, as described above, more roller shafts can be included in the roller pressing group 51, and accordingly, the roller pressing device 50 can also include more bases 52.

[0077] In some embodiments, the first roller shaft 511 and / or the second roller shaft 512 are in sliding connection with the base 52, so that the gap size between the first roller shaft 511 and the second roller shaft 512 of each roller pressing group 51 can be adjusted. In this way, the gap size between the first roller shaft 511 and the second roller shaft 512 can be adjusted to adapt to the preparation requirements. In the present embodiment, the specific way in which the first roller shaft 511 and / or the second roller shaft 512 are in sliding connection with the base 52 is not limited.

[0078] In some embodiments, the roller pressing channel 52a in the height direction decreases in the direction away from the discharge port 22a. In this way, on the one hand, the aerosol generating substrate sheet can be assisted in being pressed, and on the other hand, in the above-mentioned some embodiments, the roller pressing gap 51a of each roller pressing group 51 decreases in turn, that is, the aerosol generating substrate sheet becomes thinner and thinner during the roller pressing process, and the size of the roller pressing channel 52a in the height direction decreases in the first direction, which can adapt to the change in thickness of the aerosol generating substrate sheet, further improve the roller pressing efficiency and effect, and reduce waste.

[0079] In some embodiments, still referring to Figure 3 , the base 52 includes a guide section 521 and a roller pressing section 522, the guide section 521 connects the extrusion housing 22 and the roller pressing section 522, the first roller shaft 511 and the second roller shaft 512 are arranged in the roller pressing section 522, and the guide section 521 has a guide surface 523 on one side in the height direction. The guide surfaces 523 of the two bases 52 are arranged opposite to each other and extend towards each other in the direction away from the discharge port 22a.

[0080] In this way, before entering the roller pressing section 522, the extruded medium will be pre-pressed by the two guide surfaces 523, so that its thickness is reduced to a certain extent, facilitating subsequent roller pressing operation and helping to improve production efficiency. On the other hand, it can also assist in exhausting the mixed material and improve its toughness. On the other hand, the overall height of the extrusion device 20 is no longer limited by the roller pressing gap of the roller pressing group 51 close to the extrusion device 20, which helps to improve the processing capacity.

[0081] It should be noted that in some embodiments described above, the size of the roller pressing channel 52a in the height direction decreases in the direction away from the discharge port 22a, that is, the two surfaces of the roller pressing section 522 are arranged opposite to each other and extend towards each other in the direction away from the discharge port 22a. In this case, the guide surface 523 can have a larger slope than the above-mentioned two surfaces.

[0082] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 4 , the roller pressing die includes at least two molding roller shafts 41 arranged in the height direction, and the rotation axes of the two molding roller shafts 41 are parallel to the second direction. Each molding roller shaft 41 has an outer surface formed with a plurality of molding grooves 41a distributed in the second direction, and the molding grooves 41a of the two molding roller shafts 41 are in abutment in the height direction to form a plurality of molding channels 40a.

[0083] As an example, the molding groove 41a can extend along the circumference of the molding roller shaft 41 to form a ring-shaped closed structure, so that the molding grooves 41a of two adjacent molding roller shafts 41 can always be in a state of abutting in the height direction during the rotation of the molding roller shaft 41. The molding groove 41a can be, for example, a groove with a semicircular, semi-elliptical, rectangular, triangular or other shape in cross section, that is, the cross section of the molding channel 40a can be circular, elliptical, rectangular, rhombic, etc., and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the shape of the molding groove 41a according to the specific shape of the aerosol generating substrate strip actually required to be prepared.

[0084] In the embodiment, the molding die 40 also adopts the form of a roller shaft, so that the stress at each position on the cross section of the aerosol generating substrate sheet during the molding process is relatively uniform, which can further reduce the difference in the extrusion speed of the plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips. On the other hand, it can be understood that after being rolled by the plurality of roller pressing groups 51, the thickness of the aerosol generating substrate sheet is relatively thin, and the molding die 40 in the form of a roller shaft helps to realize the alignment of the aerosol generating substrate sheet and the molding channel 40a in the height direction, thereby improving the molding effect. On the other hand, during the molding process, the molding roller shaft 41 has a certain active cutting effect on the aerosol generating substrate sheet, and therefore the molding effect can be improved and the waste can be reduced.

[0085] In some embodiments, as described above, the roller pressing group 51 can include more roller shafts, and correspondingly, the molding die 40 can also include more molding roller shafts 41.

[0086] In some embodiments, the above two molding roller shafts 41 can also be respectively arranged in the above two bases 52 and at least partially extend into the roller pressing channel 52a. In this way, the structure of the forming equipment 100 is simplified.

[0087] In some embodiments, whether the roller shafts in the roller pressing group 51 are actively rotated or passively rotated, the molding roller shaft 41 can be passively rotated or actively rotated. In the embodiment in which the molding roller shaft 41 is actively rotated, the molding roller shaft 41 can be synchronously rotated under the driving of the same driving member as the roller shafts in the roller pressing group 51, or can be rotated under an independent driving member, and no limitation is made in this regard.

[0088] In some embodiments, the forming equipment 100 of the embodiments of the present application can form aerosol generating substrate strips of different specifications. The specific implementation manner of the forming equipment 100 to form aerosol generating substrate strips of different specifications can be referred to the description of the relevant part below, and will not be described here in detail.

[0089] In some embodiments, the forming device 100 further comprises a heating member for heating the mixture in the extruding device 20. The specific arrangement of the heating member can refer to the description of the relevant part below, which will not be repeated here.

[0090] The forming device 100 of another embodiment of the present application will be described below.

[0091] Please refer to Figure 5 , the forming device 100 comprises a feeding device 10, an extruding device 20 and a molding die 40.

[0092] The feeding device 10 is used to continuously supply solid material and liquid material to the extruding device 20. Both the solid material and the liquid material are constituent components of the aerosol generating substrate strip.

[0093] The extruding device 20 has a discharge port 22a. The extruding device 20 mixes the solid material and the liquid material to obtain a mixture, and can continuously extrude the mixture through the discharge port 22a to form an extruded substrate. That is, the extruding device 20 can uniformly mix the solid material and the liquid material to obtain the mixture, and can also provide a certain extrusion pressure to continuously extrude the mixture. Specifically, as described above, in actual use, the extruding device 20 can continuously extrude the mixture from the discharge port 22a, and the mixture extruded from the discharge port 22a is considered as the extruded substrate.

[0094] The feeding speed of the feeding device 10 can be synchronously controlled with the extruding speed of the extruding device 20, that is, the feeding speed is fast when the extruding speed is fast, and the feeding speed is slow when the extruding speed is slow.

[0095] The extruding device 20 also has at least one feeding port 22c, through which the solid material and the liquid material can be put into the extruding device 20. The un-mixed solid material and liquid material will be extruded in the extruding device 20 to form the mixture.

[0096] Since the extruding device 20 can continuously extrude the mixture, the solid material and the liquid material can be continuously and quantitatively put into the extruding device 20. The "continuous and quantitative feeding" here means continuously feeding the solid material and the liquid material into the extruding device 20 at a certain speed. The advantage of continuous and quantitative feeding is that it can keep the extruding device 20 in a state of being filled with mixture, thereby improving the extruding effect and reducing the risk of breakage of the extruded aerosol generating substrate strip due to insufficient mixture.

[0097] The molding die 40 has a molding channel 40a, one end of the molding channel 40a being in communication with the discharge port 22a, and the molding channel 40a being used for molding the extruded substrate to form the aerosol generating substrate strip. That is, the extruded substrate extruded from the discharge port 22a enters the molding channel 40a and can continuously extrude away from the one end of the discharge port 22a through the molding channel 40a to form a continuous long aerosol generating substrate strip.

[0098] The specific number of the molding channels 40a provided on one molding die 40 is not limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, one molding die 40 has a plurality of molding channels 40a, and one end of each of the molding channels 40a is in communication with the discharge port 22a. Figure 6 、 Figure 10 、 Figure 14 or Figure 15 The molding die 40 has a molding channel 40a, one end of the molding channel 40a being in communication with the discharge port 22a, and the molding channel 40a being used for molding the extruded substrate to form the aerosol generating substrate strip. That is, the extruded substrate extruded from the discharge port 22a enters the molding channel 40a and can continuously extrude away from the one end of the discharge port 22a through the molding channel 40a to form a continuous long aerosol generating substrate strip.

[0099] The molding channels 40a extend along a first direction, and each of the molding channels 40a is arranged along a second direction, the first direction, the second direction, and the height direction of the forming device 100 intersecting and not coplanar.

[0100] The aerosol generating substrate strips extruded synchronously by each of the molding channels 40a can be laid on the conveying belt 200 under the action of gravity, and the plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips are arranged along the second direction. The conveying belt 200 conveys the part of the aerosol generating substrate strips to the packaging and cutting device 300, and the packaging and cutting device 300 can package and cut the part of the aerosol generating substrate strips, thereby preparing the aerosol generating substrate segments with a suitable filling rate.

[0101] It should be noted that the filling rate of the aerosol generating substrate segment refers to the ratio of the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the aerosol generating substrate strips to the area of the cross section of the aerosol generating substrate segment.

[0102] The forming equipment of the embodiment of the present application, a plurality of plasticizing channels 40a are arranged on the plasticizing mold 40, one plasticizing mold 40 can synchronously extrude a plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips, and each plasticizing channel 40a is arranged along the second direction, so that the plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips can be orderly arranged on the subsequent production equipment (for example, the conveying belt 200) under the action of gravity, the plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips are arranged along the second direction on the conveying belt 200, by changing the number and / or shape, cross-sectional area and other parameters of the plasticizing channels 40a on the plasticizing mold 40, the plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips extruded by the forming equipment 100 can also be arranged on the conveying belt 200 according to the set requirements, and then the packaging and cutting equipment 300 can be used for packaging and cutting, that is, when the plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips are packaged, the plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips do not need to be arranged again, thereby facilitating to improve the production efficiency of the aerosol generating substrate segments.

[0103] Please refer to Figure 5 In an embodiment, the feeding device 10 includes a first feeding assembly 11 and a second feeding assembly 12, the first feeding assembly 11 is used for supplying solid material to the extruding device 20, and the second feeding assembly 12 is used for supplying liquid material to the extruding device 20.

[0104] That is, the feeding device supplies solid material and liquid material to the extruding device respectively, and the solid material and the liquid material can be quickly extruded from the discharge port after being mixed into mixed material in the extruding device.

[0105] In the related art, the solid material and the liquid material need to be mixed to obtain the mixed material, and then the mixed material is supplied to the extruding device by the feeding device to produce the aerosol generating substrate strip, the mixed material contains components such as adhesives, on the one hand, the viscosity of the mixed material is large, which is easy to adhere in the feeding device and block the feeding port of the extruding device; on the other hand, the mixed material is easy to become hard after a certain period of time, thereby being difficult to extrude. Therefore, the extrusion of the aerosol generating substrate strip is relatively difficult, and the production efficiency is low.

[0106] The forming device of the embodiment includes the first feeding assembly 11 and the second feeding assembly 12. The first feeding assembly 11 is used to supply the solid material to the extruding device 20, and the second feeding assembly 12 is used to supply the liquid material to the extruding device 20. The solid material and the liquid material are mixed in the extruding device 20 to form the mixed material, which can be extruded through the discharge port 22a and the molding channel 40a relatively fast to form the aerosol generating substrate strip. On the one hand, the mixed material obtained after the mixing of the solid material and the liquid material does not stay in the extruding device 20 for a long time, which is beneficial to extruding the mixed material before it hardens, thereby reducing the difficulty of extruding the aerosol generating substrate strip. On the other hand, since the solid material and the liquid material are mixed in the extruding device 20 to form the mixed material, the viscosity of the solid material and the liquid material is relatively low, and the first feeding assembly 11 and the second feeding assembly 12 do not have too much risk of sticking material, which is also beneficial to reduce the risk of blockage of the feeding port 22c of the extruding device 20. Therefore, it is beneficial to improve the production efficiency of the aerosol generating substrate strip.

[0107] In addition, the feeding speed of the first feeding assembly 11 and the feeding speed of the second feeding assembly 12 can be linked and synchronously controlled with the extruding speed of the extruding device 20, that is, the extruding speed is fast, and the feeding speed is also fast, the extruding speed is slow, and the feeding speed is also slow. Therefore, the operation of the forming device 100 is relatively simple. At the same time, the solid material and the liquid material are mixed by the extruding device 20, and a dedicated mixing device is not needed, thereby simplifying the production process of the aerosol generating substrate strip.

[0108] Please refer to Figure 5 In an embodiment, the first feeding assembly 11 includes a first feeding bin 111 having a first feeding port 111a and a first feeding assembly having a feeding channel 113a. The first feeding bin 111 is used to contain the solid material, the first feeding port 111a is in communication with the feeding channel 113a, and the first feeding assembly is used to quantitatively supply the solid material to the extruding device 20.

[0109] It should be noted that the solid material and the liquid material are supplied in a certain ratio. Here, “quantitative” means that the solid material is supplied in a set ratio, which can be set according to actual needs, that is, the specific amount of “quantitative” solid material can be adjusted.

[0110] The first feeding bin 111 can store a certain amount of solid material. That is, the mixed solid material can be stored in the first feeding bin 111, and the first feeding assembly can convey the solid material at a set ratio. The solid material can enter the feeding channel 113a through the first feeding opening 111a and be supplied to the extrusion device 20 through the feeding channel 113a. In this way, the aerosol generating substrate strip does not need to be continuously fed manually during production, and the feeding speed of the solid material can be relatively more accurately controlled through the first feeding assembly, thereby improving the yield of the aerosol generating substrate strip.

[0111] The specific structure of the first feeding assembly is not limited. For example, refer to Figure 5 In an embodiment, the first feeding assembly includes a feeding screw 112 and a feeding housing 113 having a feeding channel 113a. The feeding screw 112 is rotatably arranged in the feeding channel 113a. The feeding screw 112 can quantitatively convey the solid material to the extrusion device 20 by rotating.

[0112] The solid material in the first feeding bin 111 enters the feeding channel 113a through the first feeding opening 111a. The feeding screw 112 can provide an axial force along the feeding channel 113a by rotating. Under the action of the force, the solid material can be conveyed along the axial direction of the feeding channel 113a, and when the solid material reaches the feeding opening 22c of the extrusion device 20, the solid material can fall into the interior of the extrusion device 20 under the action of gravity.

[0113] The way of driving the feeding screw 112 to rotate is not limited. For example, the first feeding assembly further includes a first driving member. The first driving member is drivingly connected with the feeding screw 112, and the first driving member can facilitate driving the feeding screw 112 to rotate. The type of the first driving member is not limited, for example, it can be various types of driving motors.

[0114] It can be understood that by changing the rotation speed of the first driving member, the rotation speed of the feeding screw 112 can be adjusted, and thus the feeding speed of the solid material can be adjusted.

[0115] For example, refer to Figure 5 and Figure 7 In an embodiment, the feeding screw 112 is an equal-pitch screw.

[0116] During rotation of the conveying screw 112, the solid material slides relative to the side wall on one side of the screw thread of the conveying screw 112, thereby pushing the solid material to move along the axial direction of the conveying screw 112. Since the conveying screw 112 is an equal-pitch screw, the pitch between adjacent screw threads is constant, and the solid material will not be subjected to extrusion force in the axial direction of the conveying screw 112 during sliding between adjacent screw threads, which is beneficial to the solid material to maintain the original state and enter the extrusion device 20, i.e., reduces the probability of caking of the solid material under the action of the extrusion force, and is beneficial to the uniform mixing of the solid material and the liquid material in the extrusion device 20.

[0117] Please refer to Figure 5 In an embodiment, the second feeding assembly 12 includes a second conveying assembly and a second feeding bin 121, the second feeding bin 121 is used to store the liquid material, and the second conveying assembly is used to quantitatively supply the liquid material to the extrusion device 20.

[0118] It should be noted that the solid material and the liquid material are supplied in a certain ratio, and “quantitative” here refers to the supply of the liquid material according to a set ratio, which can be set according to actual needs, i.e., the specific amount of the “quantitative” liquid material can be adjusted.

[0119] The second feeding bin 121 can store a certain amount of liquid material. That is, the mixed liquid material can be stored in the second feeding bin 121, and the second conveying assembly can convey the liquid material according to a set ratio. Therefore, the aerosol generating substrate strip does not need to be manually continuously fed during production, and the feeding speed of the liquid material can be relatively more accurately controlled by the second conveying assembly, thereby improving the yield of the aerosol generating substrate strip.

[0120] The specific structure of the second conveying assembly is not limited. For example, please refer to Figure 5 In an embodiment, the second conveying assembly includes a conveying pipeline 122 and a metering pump 123 arranged on the conveying pipeline 122, the second feeding bin 121 has a second feeding port 121a, the extrusion device 20 has an extrusion channel 22b, and the two ends of the conveying pipeline 122 are respectively in communication with the second feeding port 121a and the extrusion channel 22b.

[0121] The metering pump 123 can control the flow of the liquid material in the conveying pipeline 122, thereby achieving quantitative supply of the liquid material.

[0122] The type of the conveying pipeline 122 is not limited. For example, it can be a steel pipe, a PVC pipe, or the like.

[0123] In some embodiments, the second conveying assembly can further include a spray head arranged at one end of the conveying pipeline 122 close to the extrusion device 20, i.e., the liquid material is supplied to the extrusion device 20 through the spray head, and the liquid material can be relatively more uniformly sprayed on the solid material, thereby facilitating the complete mixing of the solid material and the liquid material.

[0124] Referring to Figure 5 and Figure 6 In an embodiment, the extruding device 20 comprises an extruding screw 21 and an extruding housing 22, the extruding housing 22 has a discharge port 22a, the extruding screw 21 is rotatably arranged in the extruding housing 22, and the extruding screw 21 is rotatable to mix the solid material and the liquid material to obtain a mixture, and the mixture can be extruded through the discharge port 22a to form the extruded substrate.

[0125] Specifically, the extruding housing 22 further has an extruding channel 22b, the discharge port 22a is located at one end of the extruding channel 22b and communicates with the extruding channel 22b, and the extruding screw 21 is rotatably arranged in the extruding channel 22b.

[0126] The solid material and the liquid material enter the extruding channel 22b through a feeding port 22c and are contained in the space between two adjacent threads of the extruding screw 21. Through rotation of the extruding screw 21, on the one hand, the extruding screw 21 can provide an extruding force for pushing the solid material and the liquid material to move in the axial direction of the extruding screw 21, and on the other hand, the extruding screw 21 can provide an extruding pressure for extruding the solid material and the liquid material during the movement of the solid material and the liquid material in the axial direction of the extruding screw 21, and under the action of the extruding pressure, the solid material and the liquid material are rubbed and mixed to form a mixture, so that the density of the mixture reaching the discharge port 22a meets the requirements, and the mixture with the required density continues to move under the action of the extruding force, is shaped through the shaping channel 40a, and is extruded into a continuous long strip of the aerosol generating substrate.

[0127] The manner of driving the extruding screw 21 to rotate is not limited. As an example, the first feeding assembly extruding device 20 further comprises a second driving member, the second driving member is in driving connection with the extruding screw 21, and the second driving member can be used to drive the extruding screw 21 to rotate. The type of the second driving member is not limited, for example, it can be various types of driving motors.

[0128] It can be understood that by changing the rotation speed of the second driving member, that is, adjusting the rotation speed of the extruding screw 21, the extruding pressure provided by the extruding screw 21 and the extruding rate of the aerosol generating substrate strip can be adjusted.

[0129] In addition, in the related art, due to the existence of bubbles in the mixture, the extruded aerosol generating substrate strip is prone to breakage, or is also prone to breakage after drying, thereby affecting the production efficiency. In the embodiment, the extruding screw 21 can provide a certain extruding pressure to the mixture, which is beneficial to extruding the bubbles in the mixture under the action of the extruding pressure, that is, the extruding screw 21 can play a role of exhausting air, thereby being beneficial to improving the breakage phenomenon of the aerosol generating substrate strip in the related art, and thereby improving the production efficiency of the aerosol generating substrate strip.

[0130] The number of extrusion screws 21 arranged in the extrusion channel 22b is not limited. For example, there can be one, two, or three, etc. Exemplarily, as shown in Figure 6 two extrusion screws 21 are arranged in the extrusion channel 22b, the two extrusion screws 21 need to be staggered.

[0131] The specific structure of the extrusion screw 21 for providing the extrusion pressure to the mixture is not limited. Exemplarily, as shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6 the extrusion screw 21 includes a shaft 211 and a threaded blade 212 arranged on the shaft 211 and helically extending along the axial direction of the shaft 211, and the pitch of the threaded blade 212 gradually decreases in the direction close to the discharge port 22a.

[0132] Thus, in the process of the movement of the mixture along the axial direction of the extrusion screw 21 close to the discharge port 22a, the gap between the adjacent threads gradually decreases, thereby compressing the accommodation space of the mixture, and the mixture is at least subjected to the extrusion pressure in the axial direction of the extrusion screw 21, thereby achieving the degassing function, and also making the solid and liquid materials in the mixture more uniformly mixed, and the density of the mixture can also meet the requirements.

[0133] In some other embodiments, the extrusion screw 21 includes a shaft 211 and a threaded blade 212 arranged on the shaft 211 and helically extending along the axial direction of the shaft 211, and the radial dimension of the shaft 211 gradually increases in the direction close to the discharge port 22a.

[0134] In this embodiment, in the case that the diameter of the extrusion channel 22b is constant, in the process of the movement of the mixture along the axial direction of the extrusion screw 21 close to the discharge port 22a, the gap between the side wall of the shaft 211 and the side wall of the extrusion channel 22b gradually decreases, thereby also compressing the accommodation space of the mixture, and the mixture is at least subjected to the extrusion pressure in the radial direction of the extrusion screw 21, thereby achieving the degassing function, and also making the solid and liquid materials in the mixture more uniformly mixed, and the density of the mixture can also meet the requirements.

[0135] In some other embodiments, the pitch of the threaded blade 212 gradually decreases in the direction close to the discharge port 22a, and the radial dimension of the shaft 211 gradually increases.

[0136] In the related art, the aerosol generating substrate segment is usually in a homogenized form. The density of the aerosol generating substrate segment is single, and the loading is also single. The release of effective substances in the aerosol generating substrate segment during smoking is not ideal. For example, when a high-density aerosol generating substrate segment is heated and smoked, the release of effective substances and smoke in the front segment is limited, but the release in the middle and rear segments is sufficient and has good continuity. When a low-density aerosol generating substrate segment is heated and smoked, the release of effective substances and smoke in the front segment is sufficient, but obvious attenuation occurs in the middle and rear segments. The aerosol generating substrate segments with two different densities have their own advantages and disadvantages.

[0137] Based on the technical problems in the above, the molding equipment of the embodiments of the present application can also be used to prepare a non-homogenized aerosol generating substrate segment. The non-homogenized aerosol generating substrate segment is an aerosol generating substrate segment including aerosol generating substrate strips with multiple densities.

[0138] In an embodiment, the number of extrusion devices 20 and molding molds 40 is multiple. The molding molds 40 correspond to the extrusion devices 20 one by one.

[0139] The extrusion devices 20 can provide the same extrusion pressure. In this embodiment, the number of feeding devices 10 can also be multiple, that is, one extrusion device 20 corresponds to one feeding device 10. In other words, multiple molding equipment 100 that are independent of each other are used. The formula of the solid material and / or the formula of the liquid material of each molding equipment 100 are different, or the proportion of the solid material and the liquid material of each molding equipment 100 is different. Under the action of the same extrusion pressure, different density aerosol generating substrate strips can be obtained by each molding equipment 100. The different density aerosol generating substrate strips are extruded synchronously and are conveyed to the packaging and cutting equipment 300 through the conveying belt 200. After being packaged and cut, the non-homogenized aerosol generating medium segment is obtained.

[0140] In other embodiments, the number of extrusion devices 20 is multiple, and the number of molding molds 40 corresponds to the extrusion devices 20 one by one. The extrusion screws 21 corresponding to at least two extrusion devices 20 are different to provide different extrusion parameters. The "extrusion parameter" can be an extrusion pressure and the like.

[0141] It should be noted that the difference in the extrusion screws 21 can be the difference in the pitch of the threaded blades 212 and / or the difference in the change in the radial dimension of the rod body 211.

[0142] In this embodiment, the same formula of solid material and liquid material can be used. Since the extrusion devices 20 provide different extrusion pressures, the same formula of solid material and liquid material enters different extrusion devices 20 and is subjected to different extrusion pressures, so that aerosol generating substrate strips with different densities can be extruded.

[0143] It can be understood that in this embodiment, one set of feeding device 10 can be used to supply solid material and liquid material to multiple extrusion devices 20; or multiple sets of feeding device 10 can be used to supply solid material and liquid material to multiple extrusion devices 20 one by one.

[0144] Of course, in this embodiment, solid material and liquid material with different formulations can also be used.

[0145] Please refer to Figure 5 In an embodiment, the extrusion shell 22 has a feeding port 22c in communication with the extrusion channel 22b, and the feeding device 10 supplies solid material and liquid material into the extrusion channel 22b through the feeding port 22c. The feeding port 22c is located on the circumferential side of the extrusion screw 21, and the discharge port 22a is located on the axial side of the extrusion screw 21.

[0146] It can be understood that the space of the extrusion screw 21 for accommodating solid material and liquid material is the space between adjacent threads. By arranging the feeding port 22c on the circumferential side of the extrusion screw 21, the solid material and liquid material can more easily enter the space between adjacent threads of the extrusion screw 21 after entering the extrusion channel 22b, so as to move along the axial direction of the extrusion screw 21 under the action of the extrusion screw 21, thereby reducing the probability of solid material and liquid material being retained at the feeding port 22c and blocking the feeding port 22c.

[0147] In addition, the extrusion force provided by the extrusion screw 21 is also substantially parallel to the axial direction of the extrusion screw 21. By arranging the discharge port 22a on the axial side of the extrusion screw 21, the mixture can be more easily extruded through the discharge port 22a.

[0148] In an embodiment, the extrusion device 20 further comprises a heating member for heating the mixture.

[0149] In the related art, the aerosol generating substrate strip is usually dried after being formed. In this embodiment, however, the mixture is heated and dried in the extrusion device 20.

[0150] One advantage of heating the mixture in the extrusion device 20 is that the drying step and drying equipment of the extruded aerosol generating substrate strip can be simplified, and a relatively long space does not need to be reserved on the conveying belt 200 to perform these steps, thereby reducing the length of the conveying belt 200, and further reducing the cost of the production line and improving the production efficiency.

[0151] Another advantage is that since the aerosol generating substrate strip is in a relatively high temperature state during extrusion, the solvent in the extruded aerosol generating substrate strip can be quickly volatilized, the adhesive in the aerosol generating substrate strip can quickly take effect, the structural strength of the aerosol generating substrate strip is enhanced, and the risk of breakage of the aerosol generating substrate strip is further reduced.

[0152] Another advantage is that most of the solvent in the aerosol generating substrate strip has been volatilized within a short time after extrusion, so the amount of shrinkage of the aerosol generating substrate strip due to solvent volatilization during transportation is reduced, further reducing the risk of breakage.

[0153] The heating element is not limited in position. In some embodiments, the heating element is sleeved on the outer sidewall of the extrusion housing 22. For example, it can be an electric heating coil or an electric heating sheet arranged on the outer sidewall of the extrusion housing 22. The heating element is located outside the extrusion channel 22b, so it is not affected by the mixture, which is beneficial to improve the stability of the heating element.

[0154] In other embodiments, the heating element is arranged in the extrusion screw 21. For example, an electric heating wire can be arranged inside the extrusion screw 21. The advantage of arranging the heating element inside the extrusion screw 21 is that the heating of the mixture is more uniform, which improves the heating efficiency and effect, and facilitates precise control of the heating temperature. Specifically, in the embodiment of arranging the heating wire inside the extrusion screw 21, the heating efficiency can reach more than 85%, while in the related art embodiment of drying the aerosol generating substrate strip after extrusion, the drying efficiency is only 20%-35%.

[0155] Please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 In an embodiment, the molding device 100 further comprises a transition connector 30 having a flow channel 30a, both ends of the transition connector 30 are connected with the extrusion device 20 and the molding die 40 respectively, and one end of the flow channel 30a is in communication with the discharge port 22a, and the other end is in communication with one end of the molding channel 40a.

[0156] It should be noted that when the molding die 40 is provided with a plurality of molding channels 40a, one end of each molding channel 40a is in communication with the other end of the flow channel 30a.

[0157] It can be understood that since the plurality of molding channels 40a are respectively in communication with one flow channel 30a, the cross-sectional area of the flow channel 30a is larger than that of the molding channel 40a.

[0158] In the related art, the molding die is directly connected with the extrusion device, i.e., the molding channel is directly in communication with the discharge port. Since a plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips are extruded at the same time, but the discharge speed of the molding die is not the same, and the toughness of the aerosol generating substrate strip is not high, it will cause the strip to break, thereby affecting the production efficiency.

[0159] Exemplarily, as Figure 5As shown, the extrusion device 20 includes an extrusion screw 21 and an extrusion housing 22, the extrusion screw 21 is rotatably arranged in the extrusion housing 22, and the mixed material slides relative to the side wall of the thread gap of the extrusion screw 21, that is, in the process of rotation of the extrusion screw 21, the mixed material is sequentially extruded along the circumference of the discharge port 22a, and then sequentially discharged along the circumference of the discharge port 22a, that is, the discharge speed of each position of the circumference of the discharge port 22a is not the same, and if the plasticizing channel 40a is directly communicated with the discharge port 22a, the discharge speed of each plasticizing channel 40a away from the end of the discharge port 22a will be different.

[0160] In the embodiment, the transition connecting piece 30 is arranged to connect the plasticizing mold 40 and the extrusion device 20, and the plasticizing channel 40a and the discharge port 22a are indirectly communicated through the flow channel 30a, the mixed material is extruded through the discharge port 22a to form an extrusion matrix, the extrusion matrix gradually fills the space in the flow channel 30a, after the space in the flow channel 30a is filled, the extrusion matrix extruded through the discharge port 22a continues to enter the flow channel 30a, and the end of the flow channel 30a away from the discharge port 22a can move synchronously towards the plasticizing channel 40a and enter the plasticizing channel 40a, and the movement speed of the extrusion matrix on the cross section of the end of the flow channel 30a close to the plasticizing channel 40a is more balanced, that is, by arranging the flow channel 30a between the discharge port 22a and the plasticizing channel 40a, the flow channel 30a can balance the pressure of each point on the cross section of the aerosol generating substrate strip, which is conducive to improving the consistency of each point on the cross section, thereby balancing the discharge speed of the plasticizing channel 40a, the aerosol generating substrate strip can be continuously extruded through the plasticizing channel 40a, which is conducive to improving the toughness of the aerosol generating substrate strip and reducing the breakage rate, thereby improving the production efficiency of the aerosol generating substrate strip.

[0161] The connection mode of the transition connecting piece 30 and the extrusion device 20 is not limited. For example, as shown in Figure 5 , the extrusion device 20 and the transition connecting piece 30 are fastened and connected by fasteners such as bolts and screws, or are connected in a detachable manner such as clamping and plugging. In this way, the transition connecting piece 30 can be easily detached for replacement or cleaning.

[0162] In other embodiments, the transition connecting piece 30 and the extrusion device 20 can also be an integrally formed structure, or a non-detachable connection structure achieved by welding.

[0163] The connection mode of the transition connecting piece 30 and the extrusion device 20 is not limited. For example, as shown in Figure 6 , Figures 10 to 12 , the plasticizing mold 40 and the transition connecting piece 30 are detachably connected. For example, the connection can be achieved by fastening and connecting with fasteners, clamping, plugging, or other detachable connection modes.

[0164] Thus, the plastic molding die 40 is convenient to replace or clean. The molding device 100 can select a suitable plastic molding die 40 based on actual needs, thereby preparing aerosol generating substrate strips of different specifications.

[0165] Of course, the plastic molding die 40 and the transition connecting piece 30 can also be connected in an integral molding structure or a non-detachable connection structure.

[0166] Please refer to Figure 5 , Figure 11 and Figure 12 , in an embodiment, the flow channel 30a is a necked section 30aa at one end close to the discharge port 22a, and the cross-sectional area of the necked section 30aa gradually decreases in the direction away from the discharge port 22a.

[0167] In other words, the extension direction of the side wall of the necked section 30aa is obliquely arranged relative to the extrusion direction of the extruded substrate, and by arranging the necked section 30aa at one end of the flow channel 30a close to the discharge port 22a, it is convenient for the extruded substrate to enter the inside of the flow channel 30a.

[0168] Please refer to Figure 6 and Figure 10 , in other embodiments, the flow channel 30a can also not be provided with the necked section 30aa.

[0169] Please refer to Figure 10 and Figure 11 , in some embodiments, the flow channel 30a extends in a straight line.

[0170] Please refer to Figure 12 , in other embodiments, the flow channel 30a extends in a curve.

[0171] In still other embodiments, the flow channel 30a extends in a broken line.

[0172] That is to say, by changing the extension direction of the flow channel 30a, the extrusion direction of the aerosol generating substrate strip can be controlled, that is, the extrusion direction of the aerosol generating substrate strip can be controlled based on actual needs.

[0173] Please refer to Figure 12 , in an embodiment, the flow channel 30a includes a first communication section 30ab, a second communication section 30ac, and a circular arc transition section 30ad, the first communication section 30ab and the second communication section 30ac are communicated through the circular arc transition section 30ad, and the second communication section 30ac is arranged at an angle relative to the first communication section 30ab.

[0174] The first communication section 30ab may, for example, extend in a horizontal direction, whereby the second communication section 30ac is arranged at an angle relative to the height direction.

[0175] Specifically, when the flow channel 30a further comprises a necked section 30aa, the necked section 30aa is arranged at one end of the first communicating section 30ab away from the circular arc transition section 30ad.

[0176] The extruded substrate flows from the first communicating section 30ab to the second communicating section 30ac, and the circular arc transition section 30ad can reduce the resistance of the extruded substrate during the flow process.

[0177] In the embodiment, the problem that the aerosol generating substrate strip will sag under the action of gravity and touch the end wall of the molding die 40 after being extruded from the molding channel 40a in the related art is improved.

[0178] The specific angle between the first communicating section 30ab and the second communicating section 30ac is not limited. For example, referring to Figure 12 , the angle between the first communicating section 30ab and the second communicating section 30ac is not less than 80° and not more than 180°. For example, it can be 80°, 85°, 90°, 95°, 100°, 105°, 110°, 115°, 120°, 125°, 130°, 135°, 140°, 145°, 150°, 155°, 160°, 165°, 170°, 175°, 180°, and the like.

[0179] Referring to Figures 10 to 12 , Figure 14 , in an embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the molding channel 40a decreases in the direction away from the discharge port 22a.

[0180] It should be noted that the cross section of the molding channel 40a refers to the plane obtained by cutting the molding channel 40a with a plane perpendicular to the extension direction of the molding channel 40a.

[0181] In the related art, the molding die has a plurality of molding channels, and the cross-sectional area of each molding channel does not change substantially in the direction away from the discharge port. A plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips are extruded synchronously from each molding channel. After the aerosol generating substrate strip leaves the molding channel, it will swing a certain amount, resulting in adhesion between the plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips, which is not conducive to subsequent drying and other processes of the aerosol generating substrate strip, thereby affecting the production efficiency.

[0182] In the embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the plasticizing channel 40a decreases as it moves away from the discharge port 22a. During the movement of the extruded substrate through the plasticizing channel 40a from the end close to the discharge port 22a to the end away from the discharge port 22a, the extruded substrate will produce a displacement amount close to the axis of the plasticizing channel 40a, so that the aerosol generating substrate strip extruded through the plasticizing channel 40a can move in a straight line, reducing the probability of oscillation of the aerosol generating substrate strip, which is conducive to improving the bonding phenomenon between the plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips. In the subsequent production process, the aerosol generating substrate strip can be dried and other processes, thereby producing an aerosol generating substrate segment, thereby improving the production efficiency of the aerosol generating substrate segment.

[0183] In an embodiment, the ratio of the cross-sectional area of the end of the plasticizing channel 40a close to the discharge port 22a to the cross-sectional area of the end away from the discharge port 22a is not less than 2 and not greater than 3. For example, it can be 2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 3, and the like.

[0184] That is, the plasticizing channel 40a is generally designed as a horn, which is conducive to the straight-line movement of the extruded aerosol generating substrate strip.

[0185] In an embodiment, the extrusion pressure at the communication between the flow channel 30a and the plasticizing channel 40a is not less than 0.6 MPa and not greater than 3.0 MPa. For example, it can be 0.6 MPa, 0.8 MPa, 1.0 MPa, 1.2 MPa, 1.4 MPa, 1.6 MPa, 1.8 MPa, 2.0 MPa, 2.2 MPa, 2.4 MPa, 2.6 MPa, 2.8 MPa, 3.0 MPa, and the like.

[0186] It should be noted that 1 MPa is equivalent to 10 kilograms of pressure.

[0187] As an example, a pressure sensor can be provided at the communication between the flow channel 30a and the plasticizing channel 40a, so as to detect the extrusion pressure at the communication.

[0188] The extrusion pressure at the communication between the flow channel 30a and the plasticizing channel 40a is controlled within the range of 0.6 MPa to 3.0 MPa, so that the aerosol generating substrate strip can be continuously extruded from the plasticizing channel 40a, and the density of the aerosol generating substrate strip can be controlled within a reasonable range.

[0189] It is understandable that the extrusion device 20 can be controlled by detecting the extrusion pressure at the connection between the flow channel 30a and the molding channel 40a. It is convenient to set up a pressure sensor at the connection between the flow channel 30a and the molding channel 40a. If the extrusion device 20 is controlled by detecting the extrusion pressure at the discharge port 22a, then the pressure sensor needs to be set at the discharge port 22a. The pressure sensor set at the discharge port 22a is easily affected by the extrusion screw 21, and its reliability is relatively low.

[0190] The extension length of the flow channel 30a and the extension length of the molding channel 40a depend on the cumulative value of their frictional resistance. The cumulative frictional resistance of the extension length of the flow channel 30a and the extension length of the molding channel 40a cannot exceed 2 / 3 of the extrusion pressure at the outlet 22a.

[0191] For example, the extension length of the flow channel 30a is as follows: Figure 10 As shown in D1, the extension length of the molding channel 40a is as follows: Figure 10 As shown in D2.

[0192] Please see Figure 10 In one embodiment, the extension length of the flow channel 30a is not less than 50 mm and not more than 500 mm. For example, it is 50 mm, 80 mm, 110 mm, 140 mm, 170 mm, 200 mm, 230 mm, 260 mm, 290 mm, 320 mm, 350 mm, 380 mm, 410 mm, 440 mm, 470 mm, 500 mm, etc.

[0193] In this embodiment, on the one hand, the extension length of the flow channel 30a is not less than 50mm, which is beneficial for the flow channel 30a to have a balanced discharge speed on the cross-section away from the discharge port 22a. On the other hand, the extension length of the flow channel 30a is not greater than 500mm, that is, the frictional resistance of the entire flow channel 30a can be controlled within a relatively suitable range. Thus, with the extrusion pressure of the discharge port 22a remaining unchanged, it is beneficial to set a sufficient extension length for the molding channel 40a, which is beneficial to ensure the molding effect of the molding channel 40a. At the same time, it is also beneficial to ensure that the aerosol generating matrix strip can be extruded in a straight line, reducing the probability of the aerosol generating matrix strip wobbling. When the molding mold 40 has multiple molding channels 40a, it is beneficial to improve the adhesion phenomenon between multiple aerosol generating matrix strips extruded simultaneously; or, with the extension length of the molding channel 40a remaining unchanged, it is beneficial to control the extrusion pressure of the discharge port 22a to not be too high.

[0194] Please see Figure 10In an embodiment, the extension length of the plasticizing channel 40a is not less than 5 mm and not more than 50 mm. For example, 5 mm, 8 mm, 11 mm, 14 mm, 17 mm, 20 mm, 23 mm, 26 mm, 29 mm, 32 mm, 35 mm, 38 mm, 41 mm, 44 mm, 47 mm, 50 mm, and the like.

[0195] In this embodiment, the extension length of the plasticizing channel 40a is not less than 5 mm, which is beneficial to ensure the plasticizing effect of the plasticizing channel 40a, and also beneficial to the linear extrusion of the aerosol generating substrate strip, reducing the probability of oscillation of the aerosol generating substrate strip. In the case that the plasticizing mold 40 has a plurality of plasticizing channels 40a, it is beneficial to improve the bonding phenomenon between the plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips extruded synchronously. On the other hand, the extension length of the plasticizing channel 40a is also not more than 50 mm, that is, the frictional resistance of the entire plasticizing channel 40a can be controlled within a relatively appropriate range. Thus, in the case that the extrusion pressure of the discharge port 22a is unchanged, it is beneficial to provide the flow channel 30a with sufficient extension length, so as to have a balanced discharge speed on the cross section of the flow channel 30a away from the end of the discharge port 22a; or in the case that the extension length of the flow channel 30a is unchanged, it is beneficial to control the extrusion pressure of the discharge port 22a not to be too high.

[0196] In the related art, the filling rate of the aerosol generating substrate segment needs to be controlled within the range of 65%-90%. For example, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, and the like. The filling rate of the aerosol generating substrate segment refers to the ratio of the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the aerosol generating substrate strips to the area of the cross section of the aerosol generating substrate segment. The above-mentioned filling rate can be achieved by reasonably setting the specific specifications or shapes of the aerosol generating substrate strips.

[0197] In an embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the plasticizing channel 40a away from the end of the discharge port 22a is not less than 0.2 mm2and not more than 40 mm2. For example, 0.2 mm2, 0.4 mm2, 0.6 mm2, 1 mm2, 2 mm2, 3 mm2, 4 mm2, 5 mm2, 10 mm2, 15 mm2, 20 mm2, 25 mm2, 30 mm2, 35 mm2, 40 mm2, and the like. 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 and the like.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

[0198] That is, in this embodiment, a plurality of molding channels 40a can be provided on the molding die 40, and the specifications of the molding channels 40a are adjusted so that the cross-sectional area of the aerosol generating substrate strip extruded through the molding channels 40a is between 0.2 mm2and 40 mm2, thereby facilitating adjustment of the packing factor of the aerosol generating substrate segment.

[0199] Alternatively, a plurality of molding dies 40 can be used, and the cross-sectional area of the molding channel 40a on each molding die 40 away from the one end of the discharge port 22a is different, and aerosol generating substrate strips of different cross-sectional areas can also be obtained.

[0200] In an embodiment, the maximum distance between two points on the cross section of any molding channel 40a away from the one end of the discharge port 22a is not less than 0.5 mm and not more than 7 mm. For example, it can be 0.5 mm, 1 mm, 1.5 mm, 2 mm, 2.5 mm, 3 mm, 3.5 mm, 4 mm, 4.5 mm, 5 mm, 5.5 mm, 6 mm, 6.5 mm, 7 mm, etc.

[0201] Illustratively, when the cross section of the molding channel 40a away from the one end of the discharge port 22a is circular, the maximum distance between two points on the cross section is the diameter of the circle; when the cross section of the molding channel 40a away from the one end of the discharge port 22a is square, the maximum distance between two points on the cross section is the length of the diagonal of the square. That is, there are countless points on the cross section of the molding channel 40a away from the one end of the discharge port 22a, and the two points with the farthest straight-line distance are the "two points".

[0202] In this embodiment, a plurality of molding channels 40a can be provided on the molding die 40, and the specifications of the molding channels 40a are adjusted so that the maximum distance between two points on the cross section of the aerosol generating substrate strip extruded through the molding channels 40a is controlled to be between 0.2 mm2and 40 mm2, thereby facilitating adjustment of the packing factor of the aerosol generating substrate segment.

[0203] Alternatively, a plurality of molding dies 40 can be used, and the maximum distance between two points on the cross section of the molding channel 40a on each molding die 40 away from the one end of the discharge port 22a is different, and aerosol generating substrate strips of different specifications can also be obtained.

[0204] In an embodiment, the shape of the cross section of the molding channel 40a away from the one end of the discharge port 22a is circular, elliptical, polygonal, or racetrack-shaped.

[0205] In this embodiment, a plurality of molding channels 40a can be arranged on the molding die 40, and the shapes of the respective molding channels 40a can be arranged to be different, so that the shapes of the aerosol generating substrate strips extruded through the respective molding channels 40a are also different, thereby facilitating adjustment of the filling rate of the aerosol generating substrate segments.

[0206] Alternatively, a plurality of molding dies 40 are adopted, and the shapes of the cross sections of the molding channels 40a on the respective molding dies 40 away from the end of the discharge port 22a can be arranged to be different, and different-shaped aerosol generating substrate strips can also be obtained.

[0207] Exemplarily, when the cross section of the molding channel 40a is circular, the aerosol generating substrate strip is in a cylindrical shape.

[0208] Exemplarily, when the cross section of the molding channel 40a is elliptical, the aerosol generating substrate strip is in an elliptical cylindrical shape.

[0209] Exemplarily, when the cross section of the molding channel 40a is polygonal, the aerosol generating substrate strip is in a prismatic shape. It should be noted that the polygon can be a convex polygon or a concave polygon, and the polygon can be a regular polygon or an irregular polygon.

[0210] Exemplarily, the cross section of the molding channel 40a is in a racetrack shape. The aerosol generating substrate strip is in a flat shape.

[0211] Of course, the shape of the cross section of the molding channel 40a away from the end of the discharge port 22a is not limited to being circular, elliptical, polygonal or racetrack-shaped, and the shape can be selected according to actual needs.

[0212] Referring to Figure 19 In an embodiment, the molding die 40 has at least two molding channels 40a with different shapes and / or cross-sectional areas.

[0213] That is, the number of molding channels 40a with different shapes on one molding die 40 is not less than two, exemplarily referring to Figure 19 one of the two molding dies 40 includes a rhombic molding channel 40a and a hexagonal molding channel 40a; or the number of molding channels 40a with different cross-sectional areas on one molding die 40 is not less than two, exemplarily referring to Figure 19 one of the two molding dies 40 includes a molding channel 40a with a small cross-sectional area and a molding channel 40a with a large cross-sectional area; or the number of molding channels 40a with different shapes and cross-sectional areas on one molding die 40 is not less than two.

[0214] In this embodiment, different specifications of aerosol generating substrate strips can be extruded on one plastic molding die 40, so that the shape and / or cross-sectional area of the plastic molding channel 40a can be changed according to actual needs, thereby facilitating the control of the filling rate of the aerosol generating substrate segment within the desired range.

[0215] Referring to Figure 15 In one embodiment, the distance between the adjacent two plastic molding channels 40a in the second direction is not less than 2 mm and not more than 5 mm. For example, it can be 2 mm, 2.2 mm, 2.4 mm, 2.6 mm, 2.8 mm, 3 mm, 3.2 mm, 3.4 mm, 3.6 mm, 3.8 mm, 4 mm, 4.2 mm, 4.4 mm, 4.6 mm, 4.8 mm, 5 mm, etc.

[0216] The distance between the adjacent two plastic molding channels 40a is as shown in Figure 15 D3 in the figure.

[0217] In this embodiment, there is sufficient gap between the aerosol generating substrate strips extruded by the adjacent two plastic molding channels 40a of one plastic molding die 40, thereby reducing the probability of adhesion between the aerosol generating substrate strips. At the same time, the gap between the adjacent two plastic molding channels 40a is not too large, thereby effectively controlling the size of the plastic molding die 40, i.e., the size of the molding equipment 100 can be controlled within a relatively reasonable range.

[0218] In one embodiment, the number of plastic molding dies 40 is multiple.

[0219] It can be understood that the number of extrusion devices 20 can correspond to the number of plastic molding dies 40 one by one; of course, one extrusion device 20 can correspond to multiple plastic molding dies 40.

[0220] Exemplarily, when the multiple extrusion devices 20 correspond to the multiple plastic molding dies 40 one by one, different density aerosol generating substrate strips can be extruded on each plastic molding die 40, thereby producing inhomogeneous aerosol generating substrate segments. The specific operation of extruding different density aerosol generating substrate strips by each plastic molding die 40 is described above and will not be repeated here.

[0221] In one embodiment, at least two plastic molding dies 40 are arranged in the second direction. Since the second direction intersects the height direction, i.e., the plastic molding dies 40 are not arranged completely in the height direction, thereby facilitating the control of the overall height of the accumulated plastic molding dies 40, and facilitating the control of the height difference between the plastic molding die 40 at the top and the conveying belt 200, i.e., effectively improving the probability of the breakage of the extruded aerosol generating substrate strips.

[0222] Referring to Figures 16 to 19In some embodiments, the at least two molding dies 40 are arranged along the height direction. In this way, the space occupied by the molding device 100 in the horizontal direction can be saved.

[0223] The projections of all the molding channels 40a on a plane perpendicular to the height direction do not overlap.

[0224] It should be noted that when the number of molding dies 40 is multiple, all the molding channels 40a include the molding channels 40a on all the molding dies 40. That is, the molding channels 40a between rows along the height direction are staggered.

[0225] It can be understood that the aerosol generating substrate strips arranged along the height direction are finally laid flat on the conveying belt 200 in the second direction and conveyed by the conveying belt 200 to the packaging and cutting device 300. In the present embodiment, after the aerosol generating substrate strips extruded along the rows in the height direction are laid flat on the conveying belt 200, there is a gap between adjacent aerosol generating substrate strips, thereby facilitating the improvement of the probability of adhesion between the aerosol generating substrate strips.

[0226] Referring to Figures 16 to 19 In an embodiment, the shapes and / or areas of the molding channels 40a corresponding to the at least two molding dies 40 away from the one end of the discharge port 22a are different.

[0227] That is, the shapes of the molding channels 40a corresponding to the at least two molding dies 40 away from the one end of the discharge port 22a are different; or the cross-sectional areas of the molding channels 40a corresponding to the at least two molding dies 40 away from the one end of the discharge port 22a are different; or the shapes and cross-sectional areas of the molding channels 40a corresponding to the at least two molding dies 40 away from the one end of the discharge port 22a are different.

[0228] In the present embodiment, the aerosol generating substrate strips extruded synchronously by the multiple molding dies 40 have different specifications, thereby facilitating the control of the filling rate of the aerosol generating substrate segment within a reasonable range.

[0229] In addition, when the densities of the aerosol generating substrate strips extruded by the multiple molding dies 40 are different, a non-homogeneous aerosol generating substrate segment can be prepared while meeting the filling rate of the aerosol generating substrate segment.

[0230] Referring to Figure 16 In an embodiment, the number of molding dies 40 is two, and the shapes of the molding channels 40a corresponding to the two molding dies 40 away from the one end of the discharge port 22a are the same, and the areas are different.

[0231] Figure 16The shapes of the molding channels 40a of the two molding dies 40 shown in FIG. 1 are circular, but the cross-sectional area of the circular molding channel 40a of one of the molding dies 40 is larger than the cross-sectional area of the circular molding channel 40a of the other molding die 40.

[0232] Thus, the aerosol generating substrate strips extruded through the two molding dies 40 have the same shape but different cross-sectional areas.

[0233] Referring to FIG. 2, Figure 17 In one embodiment, the number of the molding dies 40 is two, and the shapes of the respective molding channels 40a of the two molding dies 40 far from the discharge port 22a are different.

[0234] Figure 17 The shape of the molding channel 40a of one of the molding dies 40 shown in FIG. 3 is a rhombus, and the shape of the molding channel 40a of the other molding die 40 is a circle.

[0235] Thus, the aerosol generating substrate strips extruded through the two molding dies 40 have different shapes, and the cross-sectional areas can be the same or different.

[0236] Referring to FIG. 4, Figure 18 In one embodiment, the number of the molding dies 40 is two, and the shapes of the respective molding channels 40a of the two molding dies 40 far from the discharge port 22a are different, and the areas of the respective molding channels 40a of any one of the molding dies 40 far from the discharge port 22a are the same.

[0237] Figure 18 The shape of the molding channel 40a of one of the molding dies 40 shown in FIG. 5 is a rhombus, and the shape of the molding channel 40a of the other molding die 40 is a hexagon.

[0238] Of course, the areas of the respective molding channels 40a of any one of the molding dies 40 far from the discharge port 22a can also be different.

[0239] Referring to FIG. 6, Figure 19 In one embodiment, the number of the molding dies 40 is two, and the shapes of the respective molding channels 40a of the two molding dies 40 far from the discharge port 22a are different, and the cross-sections of the respective molding channels 40a of any one of the molding dies 40 far from the discharge port 22a include at least two shapes or two areas.

[0240] Figure 19 The molding channels 40a of one of the molding dies 40 shown in FIG. 7 include a rhombus-shaped cross-section and a hexagon-shaped cross-section; and the cross-sections of the molding channels 40a of the other molding die 40 are all circular, but the areas of the respective circles can be different.

[0241] Other details of the production line of the embodiments of the present application will be introduced below.

[0242] In some embodiments, as described above, the forming device 100 can form aerosol-generating substrate strips of multiple different specifications simultaneously. In this way, the aerosol-generating substrate segments obtained after the final preparation include aerosol-generating substrate strips of multiple different specifications, the filling rate is improved, and the advantages of aerosol-generating substrate strips of different specifications can be integrated, thereby improving the smoking experience and the uniformity of each puff.

[0243] As an example, the aerosol-generating substrate strips of different specifications can be aerosol-generating substrate strips with different cross-sectional shapes. Here, the cross-sectional shape specifically refers to the shape of the cross section of the aerosol-generating substrate strip, and the cross-sectional shape can specifically be circular, elliptical, kidney-shaped, rectangular, diamond-shaped, polygonal, etc.

[0244] The aerosol-generating substrate strips of different specifications can also be aerosol-generating substrate strips with different cross-sectional dimensions, which include the cross-sectional area of the aerosol-generating substrate strip and / or the maximum distance between two points on the cross section, and either of the two can be understood as different cross-sectional dimensions.

[0245] The maximum distance between two points on the cross section of the aerosol-generating substrate strip can specifically be between 0.5-7mm, such as 0.5mm, 1mm, 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, 3.5mm, 4mm, 4.5mm, 5mm, 5.5mm, 6mm, 6.5mm, 7mm, etc. The cross-sectional area of the aerosol-generating substrate strip can specifically be between 0.2-40mm 2 , such as 0.2mm 2 , 0.4mm 2 , 0.6mm 2 , 1mm 2 , 2mm 2 , 3mm 2 , 4mm 2 , 5mm 2 , 10mm 2 , 15mm 2 , 20mm 2 , 25mm 2 , 30mm 2 , 35mm 2 , 40mm 2 , etc.

[0246] As mentioned above, the plastic mold 40 can have plastic molding channels 40a with multiple different cross-sectional shapes and / or cross-sectional dimensions, so that the forming device 100 can form aerosol-generating substrate strips with multiple different cross-sectional shapes and / or cross-sectional dimensions simultaneously.

[0247] Alternatively, the number of the molding die 40 is plural, each molding die 40 can be arranged in a stacking manner along the height direction, or arranged side by side along the width direction of the conveying belt 200. The cross-sectional shape and / or the cross-sectional size of each molding channel 40a of the same molding die 40 are the same, and the cross-sectional shape and / or the cross-sectional size of the molding channel 40a of different molding dies 40 are different, so that the molding device 100 can simultaneously form a plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips with different cross-sectional shapes and / or cross-sectional sizes.

[0248] In the case where the number of the molding die 40 is plural, the number of the extrusion device 20 is also plural, and each of the extrusion device 20 is arranged one-to-one corresponding to the molding die 40. In this way, the extrusion speed of the plurality of aerosol generating medium strips extruded in each molding die 40 has better uniformity.

[0249] In the case where the molding die 40 is arranged in a stacking manner along the height direction, the molding channels 40a of the plurality of molding dies 40 do not overlap in the projection plane perpendicular to the height direction. In this way, the probability of the aerosol generating substrate strips extruded in the plurality of molding dies 40 adhering to each other is reduced.

[0250] The aerosol generating substrate strips of different specifications can also be aerosol generating substrate strips with different densities. The density can be specifically 400-1500 mg / cm3, such as 400 mg / cm3, 450 mg / cm3, 500 mg / cm3, 550 mg / cm3, 600 mg / cm3, 650 mg / cm3, 700 mg / cm3, 750 mg / cm3, 800 mg / cm3, 850 mg / cm3, 900 mg / cm3, 950 mg / cm3, 1000 mg / cm3, 1100 mg / cm3, 1200 mg / cm3, 1300 mg / cm3, 1400 mg / cm3, 1500 mg / cm3, etc. 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

[0251] ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​As mentioned above, the number of the extrusion devices 20 can be multiple, and the extrusion devices 20 can respectively extrude the mixed material at different extrusion forces, so that the molding apparatus 100 can simultaneously produce multiple types of aerosol generating substrate rods with different densities. In this case, the molding die 40 can be one or multiple.

[0252] The aerosol generating substrate rods of different specifications can also be aerosol generating substrate rods with different components. As mentioned above, the number of the extrusion devices 20 can be multiple, and the multiple extrusion devices 20 can respectively extrude mixed materials with different components, so that the molding apparatus 100 can simultaneously produce multiple types of aerosol generating substrate rods with different components. In this case, the molding die 40 can be one or multiple.

[0253] In the aerosol generating substrate segments finally produced in the present embodiment, the fill rate of the aerosol generating substrate rods can be 65%-90%, such as 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, etc. The fill rate of the aerosol generating substrate rods can be adjusted to the desired fill rate by adjusting the proportion between the number of the molding channels 40a of the molding die 40, the cross-sectional area of the aerosol generating substrate rods of each specification, the size of the outlet of the bundling mechanism 400, etc., and no limitation is made thereto.

[0254] In the above embodiment, there are multiple types of aerosol generating substrate rods on the conveying belt 200, and after the aerosol generating substrate rods are bundled into an aerosol generating substrate bundle by the bundling mechanism 400, the multiple types of aerosol generating substrate rods in the aerosol generating substrate bundle can not be arranged in the desired manner.

[0255] To this end, in some embodiments, referring to Figure 1 , the production line further includes an arrangement mechanism 500. The arrangement mechanism 500 is arranged on the side of the conveying belt 200 away from the molding apparatus 100, and is used to change the arrangement manner of the multiple aerosol generating substrate rods, so that the multiple types of aerosol generating substrate rods in the aerosol generating substrate bundle, and in the aerosol generating substrate segments finally produced, can be arranged in the desired manner, further improving the smoking experience of the aerosol generating substrate segments.

[0256] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 20 , the arrangement mechanism 500 can specifically include a body 501 and multiple guide holes 502 arranged on the body 501. The multiple guide holes 502 penetrate through the body 501 along the conveying direction of the conveying belt 200, so that the multiple aerosol generating substrate rods can respectively pass through the multiple guide holes 502.

[0257] The specific structure of the body 501 is not limited, the body 501 can be connected with the conveying belt 200, or the body 501 can be connected with an external structure. Taking the body 501 as a plate-shaped structure as an example, the surface on which the body 501 is located can be perpendicular to the side surface of the conveying belt 200 for conveying the aerosol generating substrate strips.

[0258] The arrangement of the plurality of guide holes 502 on the body 501 is not limited, and those skilled in the art can correspondingly arrange the guide holes 502 on the body 501 according to the desired arrangement of the aerosol generating substrate strips. As an example, at least part of the plurality of guide holes 502 is arranged in a ring array, so that the aerosol generating substrate strips passing through the part of the guide holes 502 will form a ring array, and other aerosol generating substrate strips can be surrounded in the ring array to form aerosol generating substrate strips distributed like concentric circles.

[0259] It should be noted that the aerosol generating substrate strips can not pass through the plurality of guide holes 502 in a one-to-one correspondence, in other words, multiple aerosol generating substrate strips can pass through one guide hole 502 at the same time.

[0260] It should also be noted that in actual production, different arrangements can be achieved by changing the guide holes 502 through which each aerosol generating substrate strip passes. Further, in some embodiments, each guide hole 502 can be arranged to change the position on the body 501.

[0261] It can be understood that the specific structure of the arrangement mechanism 500 is not limited, for example, the arrangement mechanism 500 can include a plurality of guide rings, the guide rings are suspended above the conveying belt 200, and a plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips can pass through the plurality of guide rings, thereby changing the arrangement of the aerosol generating substrate strips.

[0262] In some embodiments, the arrangement mechanism 500 has guide holes 502 with different cross-sectional shapes and / or cross-sectional sizes.

[0263] One advantage of arranging guide holes 502 with different cross-sectional shapes and / or cross-sectional sizes is that it is convenient to adapt to aerosol generating substrate strips with different cross-sectional shapes and / or sizes. Another advantage is that it can further increase the arrangement that the arrangement mechanism 500 can achieve.

[0264] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 20The plurality of guide holes 502 at least include a first guide hole group 502a and a second guide hole group 502b, the first guide hole group 502a is used for the first specification of the aerosol generating substrate strip to pass through, and the second guide hole group 502b is used for the second specification of the aerosol generating substrate strip to pass through, wherein the guide holes 502 in the first guide hole group 502a are arranged around the second guide hole group 502b.

[0265] Thus, referring to Figure 21 , Figure 21 X is the first specification of the substrate strip, and Y is the second specification of the substrate strip. After passing through the arrangement mechanism 500, the first specification of the aerosol generating substrate strip will form a circular array, and the second specification of the aerosol generating substrate strip will be wrapped on the inside of the circular array. This is an arrangement effect that cannot be achieved by directly bundling the two specifications of the aerosol generating substrate strips.

[0266] Further, referring to Figure 20 In the embodiment, the second guide hole group 502b can only include one guide hole 502, and the cross-sectional area of the guide hole 502 is larger than that of the guide hole 502 in the first guide hole group 502a. In actual use, a plurality of second specification of the aerosol generating substrate strips can pass through the guide hole 502 at the same time. Thus, the preparation difficulty of the arrangement mechanism 500 can be reduced.

[0267] Further, in the above embodiment, referring to Figure 22 The conveying belt 200 can have at least two first regions and one second region, and the two first regions are respectively arranged on the opposite sides of the second region along the width direction of the conveying belt 200. The first region is used for conveying the first specification of the aerosol generating substrate strip, and the second region is used for conveying the second specification of the aerosol generating substrate strip.

[0268] In actual use, Figure 22 The aerosol generating substrate strips in the first region on the left side of Figure 20 The aerosol generating substrate strips in the first region on the left side of Figure 22 The aerosol generating substrate strips in the first region on the right side of Figure 20 The aerosol generating substrate strips in the first region on the right side of Thus, the probability of interference between the first specification of the aerosol generating substrate strip and the second specification of the aerosol generating substrate strip in the process of passing through the guide hole 502 can be reduced.

[0269] Further, Figure 20 The aerosol generating substrate strips passing through the guide holes 502 in the first guide hole group 502a are numbered (X11-X19, X21-X29) in , and the numbers are consistent withFigure 22 In actual use, the aerosol generating substrate strips of the first specification can pass through the guide holes 502 in the first guide hole group 502a in the following manner. Figure 20 and Figure 22 The aerosol generating substrate strips of the first specification that are relatively close to the second region can pass through the guide holes 502 in the first guide hole group 502a that are relatively far from the conveying belt 200 in the height direction, and the aerosol generating substrate strips of the first specification that are relatively far from the second region can pass through the guide holes 502 in the first guide hole group 502a that are relatively close to the conveying belt 200 in the height direction. In this way, the probability of interference is reduced, and the distance that the aerosol generating substrate strips travel when passing through the guide holes 502 is shortened as much as possible, thereby reducing the probability of accidental breakage of the aerosol generating substrate strips during the passing through the guide holes 502.

[0270] It should be noted that the aerosol generating substrate strips produced by the forming device 100 can have more than two specifications, and therefore, the arrangement mechanism 500 can include more guide hole groups, and is not limited to the first guide hole group 502a and the second guide hole group 502b.

[0271] In some embodiments, the production line further includes a pulling mechanism (not shown in the figure) for pulling the plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips on the conveying belt 200 into the guide holes 502. As an example, the pulling mechanism can include a mechanical arm or other structure having a pulling function. It can be understood that, in actual use, since the aerosol generating substrate strips are continuous, the pulling mechanism only needs to pass the head end (the end far from the forming device 100) of the aerosol generating substrate strips through the guide holes 502 at the beginning of production, and the subsequently formed aerosol generating substrate strips will automatically pass through the guide holes 502 under the pushing action of the conveying belt 200.

[0272] In some other embodiments, the body 501 can be formed with a plurality of guide slopes (not shown in the figure) corresponding to the plurality of guide holes 502 one by one, one end of each guide slope extending to the vicinity of a guide hole 502, and the other end extending to the conveying belt. In this way, the aerosol generating substrate strips can move along the guide slopes into the guide holes 502 under the pushing force of the conveying belt 200.

[0273] In some other embodiments, the head end of the aerosol generating substrate strips can be manually passed through the guide holes 502 by an operator at the beginning of production.

[0274] In the above embodiment with the arrangement mechanism 500, the bundling mechanism 400 can be a cylindrical structure, which has an inlet on the side facing the arrangement mechanism 500 and an outlet on the side facing the packaging and cutting device 300, the outlet has a size smaller than that of the inlet, and the inlet covers all the guide holes 502 in the projection plane perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveying belt 200. In this way, the risk of the arrangement of the plurality of aerosol generating substrate rods being disturbed during the bundling process of the bundling mechanism 400 can be reduced.

[0275] In some embodiments, as described above, the forming device 100 comprises a heating member for heating the mixed material.

[0276] In these embodiments, the conveying belt comprises a belt body, a driving mechanism and a cooling mechanism. The belt body is used to carry the substrate rods, the driving mechanism is used to drive the movement of the belt body, and the cooling mechanism is used to cool the aerosol generating substrate rods carried by the belt body. In this way, the aerosol generating substrate rods can be actively cooled and dried, and the cooling mechanism is integrated in the conveying belt, so that the length of the conveying belt can be further shortened, the production efficiency is improved, and the cost is reduced. On the other hand, compared with high-temperature drying, cooling and drying can reduce the volatilization of heat-sensitive aroma substances, and improve the smoking experience of the aerosol generating substrate rods.

[0277] The specific structure of the belt body and the driving mechanism and the connection mode thereof are not limited, and those skilled in the art can refer to the related technologies in the art.

[0278] The specific structure of the cooling mechanism is not limited, which can be a air cooling mechanism, a liquid cooling mechanism, a heat dissipation fin, etc.

[0279] In some other embodiments, the conveying belt can also not comprise a cooling mechanism, and the aerosol generating substrate rods can be naturally cooled and dried during the conveying process, or a heating mechanism can be provided on the conveying belt to dry the aerosol generating substrate at high temperature.

[0280] In some embodiments, the belt body can be a mesh structure, and the cooling mechanism comprises a base and an air extraction member. The base is arranged on the bottom side of the belt body, and the base has a cavity. The top side of the cavity has an opening, and the belt body covers the opening. The air extraction member is used to form a negative pressure in the cavity.

[0281] In this embodiment, the air extraction member forms a negative pressure in the cavity, so that the airflow flows from the top side of the belt body to the bottom side of the belt body through the mesh holes, thereby cooling the aerosol generating substrate rods carried by the belt body. This cooling method helps to quickly cool the aerosol generating substrate rods, and on the other hand, helps to quickly absorb the solvent emitted by the aerosol generating substrate rods, reduces the residual amount of the solvent, and improves the environmental friendliness of the production line. On the other hand, the structure of the cooling mechanism is relatively simple, the cost is relatively low, and the operation in actual use is relatively simple.

[0282] In some other embodiments, the heating member can not be provided in the forming device 100. Instead, a baking device can be provided downstream of the forming device 100, and the conveying belt 200 can pass through the baking device. The specific structure of the baking device can refer to the related art in the art, which will not be described here.

[0283] A production method of an aerosol generating substrate section applicable to the production line of the embodiments of the present application will be described below.

[0284] The production method of the aerosol generating substrate section of the embodiments of the present application includes the following steps.

[0285] The aerosol generating substrate strip extrusion step continuously extrudes the mixture to the conveying belt to form a plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips arranged side by side on the conveying belt during the conveying of the conveying belt.

[0286] The aerosol generating substrate strip bundling step bundles the plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips on the conveying belt into an aerosol generating substrate bundle.

[0287] The packaging and cutting step packages the aerosol generating substrate bundle and cuts it into aerosol generating medium sections.

[0288] The "continuous extrusion" here means that the extrusion force is continuously applied to the mixture, so that each aerosol generating substrate strip formed after the mixture is extruded is in a substantially continuous strip structure in an ideal state. In other words, in an ideal state, the extruded aerosol generating substrate strip does not substantially break in the extrusion direction during the continuous extrusion. The step of continuously extruding the mixture can be achieved by means of the forming device described in any of the embodiments above.

[0289] The continuous extrusion of the mixture is performed during the conveying of the conveying belt, and is also performed synchronously with the subsequent aerosol generating substrate strip bundling step and the packaging and cutting step. Therefore, the continuously extruded aerosol generating substrate strips will be continuously conveyed to the bundling station to be bundled into an aerosol generating substrate bundle, and then packaged and cut into aerosol generating substrate sections by the packaging and cutting device.

[0290] The aerosol generating substrate strip extrusion step can be achieved by means of the forming device 100 described in any of the embodiments above.

[0291] The aerosol generating substrate strip bundling step can be achieved by means of the bundling mechanism 400 described in any of the embodiments above.

[0292] The packaging and cutting step can be achieved by means of the packaging and cutting device 300 described in any of the embodiments above.

[0293] The specific structure of the above device will not be described here. It should be noted that in some other embodiments, the above steps can also be implemented by any device capable of achieving the relevant functions provided in the related art, and are not limited to the devices provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0294] The production method provided in the related art generally first prepares the mixture into an aerosol generating substrate fragment or small aerosol generating substrate strips, and then packages them into aerosol generating substrate segments. The production method of the embodiments of the present application can form a continuous aerosol generating substrate strip through the continuous extrusion of the molding device in cooperation with the conveying of the conveying belt, and then bundle the aerosol generating substrate strips into an aerosol generating substrate bundle and package and cut to form aerosol generating substrate segments, thereby simplifying the packaging step and enabling continuous production, improving production efficiency.

[0295] It can be understood that, in order to achieve continuous production, the conveying speed of the conveying belt should be adapted to the extrusion speed of the aerosol generating substrate strip. Specifically, in an ideal state, the aerosol generating substrate strip should extend in a straight line on the conveying belt without breaking, so that the subsequent aerosol generating substrate strip bundling step and packaging and cutting step can be smoothly and continuously carried out. If the conveying speed is greater than the extrusion speed of the aerosol generating substrate strip, and the difference is large, it will likely cause the aerosol generating substrate strip to break due to excessive axial tension. If the conveying speed is less than the extrusion speed of the aerosol generating substrate strip, and the difference is large, it will likely cause the aerosol generating substrate segments to accumulate on the conveying belt and not maintain a strip shape. Therefore, in the actual production process, the conveying speed of the conveying belt and the extrusion speed of the mixture should be interlocked controlled.

[0296] In some embodiments, the conveying speed of the conveying belt can be adjusted according to the extrusion speed of the aerosol generating substrate strip. It can be understood that, compared with the conveying speed of the conveying belt, the extrusion speed of the aerosol generating substrate strip is relatively difficult to adjust, and adjusting the extrusion speed of the aerosol generating substrate strip can affect the specifications of the aerosol generating substrate strip, such as possibly changing the density of the aerosol generating substrate strip. Therefore, in the embodiments, the conveying speed of the conveying belt is adjusted instead of adjusting the extrusion speed of the mixture.

[0297] As an example, in the actual production process, the extrusion speed of the aerosol generating substrate strip can be detected by means of a speed sensor, and then the conveying speed of the conveying belt is adjusted according to the extrusion speed to achieve that the aerosol generating substrate strip extends in a straight line on the conveying belt without breaking. It should be noted that adjusting the conveying speed of the conveying belt according to the extrusion speed of the aerosol generating substrate strip can be dynamically carried out in the actual production process, so as to as far as possible reduce the possibility of breaking of the aerosol generating substrate strip in the production process.

[0298] In some embodiments, in the step of adjusting the conveying speed of the conveying belt according to the extrusion speed of the aerosol generating substrate strip, the difference between the two can be determined according to the shrinkage of the aerosol generating substrate strip, and then the conveying speed of the conveying belt can be determined according to the detected extrusion speed of the aerosol generating substrate strip and the above-mentioned difference. Specifically, the shrinkage of the aerosol generating substrate strip here refers to the shrinkage of the axial length of the aerosol generating substrate strip after extrusion due to the volatilization of the solvent. The shrinkage of the aerosol generating substrate strip can be determined according to test data before formal production, or determined in other suitable manners, which are not limited.

[0299] In the embodiment, the shrinkage of the aerosol generating substrate strip is compensated in the step of determining the conveying speed of the conveying belt, so that the possibility of breakage of the aerosol generating substrate strip during conveying can be further reduced.

[0300] In some embodiments, the extrusion speed of the aerosol generating substrate strip at different positions can be different in the step of extruding the aerosol generating substrate strip. For example, in some embodiments below, aerosol generating substrate strips of different specifications can be formed, and the extrusion speeds of the aerosol generating substrate strips of different specifications can be different. In this case, the extrusion speeds of aerosol generating substrate strips of various specifications can be considered comprehensively to adjust the conveying speed of the conveying belt. Alternatively, the conveying belt can include a plurality of belt bodies arranged in the width direction, and aerosol generating substrate strips of different specifications can be extruded onto different belt bodies. The speed of each belt body can be adjusted according to the extrusion speed of each specification of the aerosol generating substrate strip, respectively. Of course, in this case, the synchronization between the aerosol generating substrate strips in the subsequent step of bundling the aerosol generating substrate strips should also be considered when adjusting. Those skilled in the art can determine the adjustment method according to actual use requirements, which will not be described here.

[0301] In some embodiments, aerosol generating substrate strips of different specifications can be formed in the step of extruding the aerosol generating substrate strip. In this way, the aerosol generating substrate segments finally prepared will include aerosol generating substrate strips of different specifications.

[0302] The specification here includes but is not limited to the composition, density, cross-sectional shape, cross-sectional size, etc. of the aerosol generating substrate strip.

[0303] The specifications of each of the aerosol generating substrate strips in the aerosol generating medium segment formed by the plurality of aerosol generating substrate strip packages provided in the related art are the same, and the problem that each of the aerosol generating substrate strips in the aerosol generating medium segment has the same specification can cause the release amount of the aerosol to remain consistent at the beginning, middle and end of the puffing, and the amount of smoke differs greatly between puffs, and the puffing experience is poor. In the embodiment, the aerosol generating substrate segment can include aerosol generating substrate strips of different specifications, which can on the one hand improve the filling rate of the aerosol generating substrate segment, and on the other hand integrate the advantages and smoking characteristics of aerosol generating substrate strips of different specifications, thereby improving the puffing experience and uniformity of each puff.

[0304] As an example, the aerosol generating substrate strips of different specifications can be aerosol generating substrate strips with different cross-sectional shapes, which can be circular, oval, waist-shaped, rectangular, rhombic, polygonal, etc.

[0305] The aerosol generating substrate strips of different specifications can also be aerosol generating substrate strips with different cross-sectional sizes, which can include cross-sectional area and the maximum distance between two points on the cross section, and any one of the two can be understood as different cross-sectional sizes. The maximum distance between two points on the cross section can be 0.5-7mm, such as 0.5mm, 1mm, 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, 3.5mm, 4mm, 4.5mm, 5mm, 5.5mm, 6mm, 6.5mm, 7mm, etc. The cross-sectional area can be 0.2-40mm 2 , such as 0.2mm 2 , 0.4mm 2 , 0.6mm 2 , 1mm 2 , 2mm 2 , 3mm 2 , 4mm 2 , 5mm 2 , 10mm 2 , 15mm 2 , 20mm 2 , 25mm 2 , 30mm 2 , 35mm 2 , 40mm 2 , etc.

[0306] The aerosol generating substrate strips of different specifications can also be aerosol generating substrate strips with different densities. The density of the aerosol generating substrate strip can be 400-1500mg / cm 3 , such as 400mg / cm 3 , 450mg / cm3 , 500 mg / cm 3 , 550 mg / cm 3 , 600 mg / cm 3 , 650 mg / cm 3 , 700 mg / cm 3 , 750 mg / cm 3 , 800 mg / cm 3 , 850 mg / cm 3 , 900 mg / cm 3 , 950 mg / cm 3 , 1000 mg / cm 3 , 1100 mg / cm 3 , 1200 mg / cm 3 , 1300 mg / cm 3 , 1400 mg / cm 3 , 1500 mg / cm 3 , and the like.

[0307] In the aerosol generating substrate segments prepared by using the aerosol generating substrate strips of the above various specifications, the filling rate of the aerosol generating substrate strips can be 65% to 90%, such as 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, and the like. The above filling rate can be achieved by reasonably setting the specific specifications of the aerosol generating substrate strips and the specific number of the aerosol generating substrate strips of each specification, and the like.

[0308] Several specific ways to achieve "forming aerosol generating substrate strips of various specifications in the aerosol generating substrate strip extrusion step" will be introduced below.

[0309] In some embodiments, the step of "continuously extruding the mixture to the conveying belt" can specifically include extruding the mixture from a plurality of molding dies by means of a plurality of extrusion devices respectively, each molding die having a plurality of molding channels, the cross-sectional shape and size of the molding channels of the same molding die being the same, and the cross-sectional shape and / or size of the molding channels of different molding dies being different, so as to form aerosol generating substrate strips of various cross-sectional shapes and / or sizes.

[0310] In the present embodiment, the cross-sectional shape and the cross-sectional size of each molding channel of each molding die are the same, and thus the difference between the extrusion speeds of the aerosol generating substrate strips at the respective molding channels of each molding die is small. Further, in the present embodiment, the mixture is extruded from the plurality of molding dies by means of the plurality of extrusion devices, respectively, and thus the difference between the extrusion speeds of the aerosol generating substrate strips at the respective molding channels can be easily reduced by separately controlling the extrusion forces of the plurality of extrusion devices. In summary, in the present embodiment, the difference between the extrusion speeds of the aerosol generating substrate strips can be reduced, and thus the possibility of the aerosol generating substrate strips being broken during the conveying process can be reduced.

[0311] In the present embodiment and other embodiments to be described below, when the mixture is extruded from the plurality of molding dies, the mixture should be extruded from the plurality of molding dies as synchronously as possible. Here, the "synchronous extrusion" means that the mixture is simultaneously extruded from the plurality of molding channels of the plurality of molding dies, respectively, and the difference between the extrusion speeds of the mixture from the plurality of molding dies and the difference between the extrusion speeds of the mixture from the plurality of molding channels of the same molding die are within an error allowable range, such as a difference of less than 5%, less than 3%, less than 1%, etc., which can be determined according to actual manufacturing requirements.

[0312] Here, the cross-sectional shape and the cross-sectional size of the molding channel refer to the shape and the size of the flow cross section (cross section perpendicular to the extrusion direction) of the molding channel. If the shape and the size of the flow cross sections of the molding channel along the extrusion direction are different, the shape and the size of the flow cross section closest to the conveying belt (end of the extrusion direction) should be understood. The cross-sectional size includes the area of the flow cross section and the maximum distance between two points on the flow cross section.

[0313] The specific structure of the molding die can be referred to the description in the relevant part above, which will not be described here again.

[0314] In some other embodiments, the mixture can also be extruded from one molding die, and the molding die has a plurality of molding channels with different cross-sectional shapes and / or cross-sectional sizes to form a plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips with different cross-sectional shapes and / or cross-sectional sizes.

[0315] In some other embodiments, the mixture can also be extruded from a plurality of molding dies, and each molding die has a plurality of molding channels with different cross-sectional shapes and / or cross-sectional sizes.

[0316] The person skilled in the art can select one or a combination of the above-mentioned ways to form a plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips with different cross-sectional shapes and / or cross-sectional sizes according to actual use requirements.

[0317] In some embodiments, the continuously extruding the mixture to the conveying belt can specifically include: extruding the mixture from the plurality of extrusion devices respectively using different extrusion forces to form the matrix strips of different densities.

[0318] As an example, the plurality of identical extrusion devices can be controlled to work using different powers to provide different extrusion forces to the mixture, and / or, a plurality of different extrusion devices can be used to provide different extrusion forces to the mixture, where the different extrusion devices can be extrusion devices with different sizes of extrusion mechanisms (such as different helical pitches of extrusion screws, etc.), which are not specifically limited as long as the different extrusion forces can be provided by the extrusion devices.

[0319] In some embodiments, the continuously extruding the mixture to the conveying belt can specifically include: extruding the mixture of different components from the plurality of extrusion devices respectively to form the aerosol generating matrix strips of different components.

[0320] In the above embodiments, the aerosol generating matrix strips of different specifications are formed in the aerosol generating matrix strip extruding step, and in these embodiments, before the aerosol generating matrix strip gathering step, the method can further include: an aerosol generating matrix strip rearranging step of adjusting the arrangement of the aerosol generating matrix strips of different specifications. In this way, the aerosol generating matrix bundle and the finally prepared aerosol generating matrix segment can have the aerosol generating matrix strips of different specifications arranged in a desired arrangement, so that the smoking experience and the uniformity of each puff of the aerosol generating matrix strips are improved.

[0321] The specific arrangement of the aerosol generating matrix strips can be determined by a person skilled in the art according to actual use requirements, which is not limited.

[0322] The aerosol generating matrix strip rearranging step can be achieved by means of the arrangement mechanism described in any of the above embodiments, or can be achieved by using other suitable structures provided in the related art, or even can be achieved in a fully manual or semi-manual form.

[0323] In some embodiments, the aerosol generating matrix strip rearranging step can specifically include: arranging the aerosol generating matrix strips of a first specification in a circular array, and arranging the aerosol generating matrix strips of a second specification on the inner side of the circular array. In this way, the matching of the aerosol generating matrix segment with different aerosol generating devices can be further improved, so that the smoking experience and the uniformity of each puff of the aerosol generating matrix segment are improved.

[0324] It should be noted that the arrangement manner in the rearranging step of the aerosol generating substrate strips is not limited to this. In addition, more specifications of the aerosol generating substrate strips can be formed, and each two of the aerosol generating substrate strips can be arranged in the above arrangement manner.

[0325] In some embodiments, in the step of continuously extruding the mixture to the conveying belt, the first specification of the aerosol generating substrate strips can be extruded to a first region of the conveying belt, and the second specification of the aerosol generating substrate strips can be extruded to a second region of the conveying belt. The number of the first regions is at least two, and the at least two first regions are arranged on opposite sides of the second region along the width direction. In this way, the interference between the first specification of the aerosol generating substrate strips and the second specification of the aerosol generating substrate strips in the rearranging step of the substrate strips can be reduced, and the possibility of the aerosol generating substrate strips being broken when rearranged can be reduced.

[0326] In some embodiments, in the step of extruding the aerosol generating substrate strips, the mixture can be heated.

[0327] In the related art, the aerosol generating substrate strips are usually dried after being extruded. In the present embodiment, however, the mixture is heated and dried during the extrusion process.

[0328] One advantage of heating the mixture in the extrusion device is that the drying step and the drying equipment after the extrusion can be simplified, and a relatively long space on the conveying belt for performing these steps is not required, so that the length of the conveying belt can be reduced, and the cost of the production line can be reduced and the production efficiency can be improved.

[0329] Another advantage is that, since the mixture is in a relatively high temperature state during the extrusion, the solvent in the extruded aerosol generating substrate strips can be quickly volatilized, the adhesive in the aerosol generating substrate strips can quickly take effect, the structural strength of the aerosol generating substrate strips can be enhanced, and the risk of the aerosol generating substrate strips being broken can be further reduced.

[0330] Still another advantage is that most of the solvent in the aerosol generating substrate strips has been volatilized in a short time after the extrusion, so that the shrinkage amount of the aerosol generating substrate strips due to the volatilization of the solvent during the conveying process can be reduced, and the risk of the aerosol generating substrate strips being broken can be further reduced. The mixture in the extrusion device can be heated by using the heating member mentioned in the related part above, or any other suitable method can be used to heat the mixture in the extrusion device, and the present disclosure is not limited in this regard.

[0331] In some embodiments, specifically in the aerosol generating substrate strip extrusion step, the moisture content of the mixture material is 6%-13%, such as 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12%, or 13%. The extrusion temperature of the aerosol generating substrate strip is 60-150℃. Such as 60℃, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 100%, 110%, 120%, 130%, 140%, or 150%.

[0332] It can be understood that, compared with drying after extrusion, the heating time is relatively short when heating and drying during extrusion. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the moisture content of the mixture material is adjusted to 6%-13%, and the extrusion temperature of the aerosol generating substrate strip is adjusted to 60-150℃, so that the physical parameters, smoking performance, aroma retention, etc. of the aerosol generating substrate strip can reach a similar or even better level than that after drying after extrusion. On the other hand, the shrinkage rate of the aerosol generating substrate strip during baking in the related art is usually 5%-15%, while in the case of using the moisture content and the extrusion temperature provided in the present embodiment, the shrinkage rate of the aerosol generating substrate strip after extrusion can be controlled to be less than 5%, or even substantially no shrinkage, so that the risk of breakage of the aerosol generating substrate strip can be further reduced.

[0333] Further, in some embodiments, before the aerosol generating substrate strip bundling step, the method further comprises an aerosol generating substrate strip cooling step, in which the plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips on the conveying belt are cooled during the conveying process of the conveying belt. In this way, the aerosol generating substrate strips are at a suitable temperature when bundled, improving the quality of the finished product of the aerosol generating segment. The temperature that the aerosol generating substrate strips should reach before being bundled can be determined by a person skilled in the art according to actual use requirements, which is not limited.

[0334] It should be noted that, in the case where the aerosol generating substrate strip rearrangement step is required, the aerosol generating substrate strip cooling step should be performed before the aerosol generating substrate strip rearrangement step, so as to further reduce the risk of breakage of the aerosol generating substrate strips in the aerosol generating substrate strip rearrangement step, and reduce the possibility of disorder after rearrangement of the aerosol generating substrate strips due to shrinkage of the aerosol generating substrate strips, etc.

[0335] In some embodiments, "cooling the plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips on the conveying belt" can specifically include:

[0336] A negative pressure is generated on one side of the conveying belt, so that the airflow passes through the conveying belt from one side of the conveying belt to the other side of the conveying belt, thereby cooling the aerosol generating substrate strips on the conveying belt.

[0337] In the embodiment, the aerosol generating substrate strip is actively cooled in the aerosol generating substrate strip cooling step, which helps to further reduce the length of the conveying belt, thereby saving costs and improving production efficiency. Specifically, the length of the conveying belt in the embodiment is only 1 / 3 of the length of the conveying belt used in the method of drying after extrusion in the related art, or even lower.

[0338] Further, in the embodiment, the cooling is performed in a negative pressure mode, which helps to rapidly cool the aerosol generating substrate strip, and helps to rapidly absorb the solvent emitted by the aerosol generating substrate strip, thereby reducing the residual amount of the solvent and improving environmental protection during production. In addition, the cost is low, and the operation in actual use is simple.

[0339] The structure of the conveying belt given in the relevant part above can be used to achieve the above cooling mode, or other suitable structures provided in the related art can also be used to achieve the above cooling mode, which is not limited.

[0340] It should be noted that the cooling mode is not limited to this, and other active cooling forms can also be used, or even no active cooling can be selected, and the aerosol generating substrate strip can be naturally cooled on the conveying belt. Those skilled in the art can choose according to actual use requirements.

[0341] In some other embodiments, the aerosol generating substrate strip baking step can also be selected to be performed before the aerosol generating substrate strip bundling, that is, the plurality of aerosol generating substrate strips on the conveying belt are baked during the conveying process of the conveying belt.

[0342] It should be noted that in this case, the mixture can be heated or not heated during the extrusion process, and those skilled in the art can choose according to actual use requirements.

[0343] It should be further noted that in the case where the aerosol generating substrate strip rearrangement step is required, the aerosol generating substrate strip baking step should be performed before the aerosol generating substrate strip rearrangement step, so as to further reduce the risk of breakage of the aerosol generating substrate strip in the aerosol generating substrate strip rearrangement step, and reduce the possibility of disorder of the aerosol generating substrate strip after rearrangement due to shrinkage of the aerosol generating substrate strip, etc.

[0344] In some embodiments, in the aerosol generating substrate strip extrusion step, the solid material and the liquid material can be respectively fed into the extrusion device, and the solid material and the liquid material are mixed into the mixture in the extrusion device.

[0345] It can be understood that, compared with pre-mixed material, the unmixed material is in a dispersed state, which can reduce the risk of clogging the feeding port during material feeding, and facilitate accurate control of the feeding amount of the material. In addition, the material used to prepare the aerosol generating substrate strip usually contains an adhesive, and the unmixed material will be extruded in a relatively short time after being mixed in the extrusion device, thus reducing the risk that the mixed material will harden and thus cannot be extruded due to the volatilization of moisture from the adhesive.

[0346] The specific way of mixing the solid material and the liquid material into the mixed material in the extrusion device can refer to the description of the relevant part in the foregoing, and will not be described here.

[0347] Further, in some embodiments, the solid material and the liquid material can be continuously fed in a certain amount. Here, "continuously fed in a certain amount" means that the material is continuously fed into the extrusion device at a certain speed. The advantage of continuously feeding the material in a certain amount is that the extrusion device can always be kept in a relatively full state of mixed material, thereby improving the extrusion effect and reducing the risk of breakage of the extruded aerosol generating substrate strip due to insufficient material.

[0348] Specifically, the solid material can be fed at a first speed, and the liquid material can be fed at a second speed. The first speed and the second speed can be determined according to the extrusion speed of the aerosol generating substrate strip. In this way, the material in the extrusion device can always be kept in a relatively full state during continuous extrusion.

[0349] In some other embodiments, the material can also be fed once every interval of time, or fed at one time.

[0350] The above only describes the preferred embodiments of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application can have various modifications and changes. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A production line for an aerosol generation matrix section, characterized in that, The production line includes: Molding equipment is used to continuously extrude mixtures into multiple parallel aerosol-generating matrix strips; A conveyor belt, located downstream of the molding equipment, is used to transport the multiple aerosol-generated matrix strips; A gathering mechanism, disposed on the side of the conveyor belt away from the forming equipment, is used to gather the multiple aerosol generating matrix strips into an aerosol generating matrix bundle; and A packaging and cutting device, located downstream of the bundled mechanism, is used to package and cut the aerosol generating matrix bundle into aerosol generating matrix segments.

2. The production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The molding equipment includes an extrusion device and a molding die. The extrusion device has a discharge port, the molding die is connected to the discharge port, and the molding die has a plurality of molding channels distributed along the width direction of the conveyor belt.

3. The production line according to claim 2, characterized in that, The molding equipment can simultaneously form aerosol matrix strips of various specifications.

4. The production line according to claim 3, characterized in that, The molding die has various molding channels with different cross-sectional shapes and / or sizes, enabling the molding equipment to simultaneously form aerosol generation matrix strips with various cross-sectional shapes and / or sizes.

5. The production line according to claim 3, characterized in that, The number of molding molds is multiple, and the molding molds are stacked along the height direction, or the molding molds are arranged side by side along the width direction of the conveyor belt. The molding channels of the same molding mold have the same cross-sectional shape and cross-sectional size, while the molding channels of different molding molds have different cross-sectional shapes and / or cross-sectional sizes, so that the molding equipment can simultaneously form aerosol generating matrix strips with different cross-sectional shapes and / or cross-sectional sizes.

6. The production line according to claim 5, characterized in that, The projections of the molding channels of each molding die onto the projection plane perpendicular to the height direction do not overlap.

7. The production line according to claim 5, characterized in that, The number of extrusion devices is multiple, and each device is configured to correspond one-to-one with one of the molding dies.

8. The production line according to claim 3, characterized in that, The number of extrusion devices is multiple, and each extrusion device can extrude the mixture with different extrusion forces, so that the molding equipment can simultaneously form aerosol matrix strips of multiple densities.

9. The production line according to claim 3, characterized in that, The number of extrusion devices is multiple, and each extrusion device can extrude mixtures of different components, so that the molding equipment can simultaneously form aerosol matrix strips of multiple components.

10. The production line according to any one of claims 3-9, characterized in that, The production line also includes: The arrangement mechanism is located on the side of the conveyor belt away from the forming equipment, and is used to change the arrangement of the multiple aerosol generating matrix strips.

11. The production line according to claim 10, characterized in that, The arrangement mechanism includes a body and a plurality of guide holes disposed on the body. The plurality of guide holes penetrate the body along the conveying direction of the conveyor belt, allowing the plurality of substrate strips to pass through the plurality of guide holes respectively. The plurality of guide holes include at least a first guide hole group and a second guide hole group. The first guide hole group is used for the aerosol generating matrix strip of a first specification to pass through, and the second guide hole group is used for the aerosol generating matrix strip of a second specification to pass through. The guide holes in the first guide hole group are arranged around the second guide hole group.

12. The production line according to claim 11, characterized in that, The conveyor belt has at least two first regions and one second region. The two first regions are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the second region along the width direction of the conveyor belt. The first region is used to convey the aerosol generating matrix strip of a first specification, and the second region is used to convey the aerosol generating matrix strip of a second specification.

13. The production line according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The molding equipment includes a heating element for heating the mixture.

14. The production line according to claim 13, characterized in that, The conveyor belt includes: The belt is used to support the substrate strip; A drive mechanism for driving the belt to move; and A cooling mechanism for cooling the aerosol-generating matrix strip carried by the belt.

15. The production line according to claim 14, characterized in that, The belt has a mesh structure, and the cooling mechanism includes a base and an air extraction component. The base is disposed on the bottom side of the belt and has a cavity. The top side of the cavity has an opening, and the belt covers the opening. The air extraction component is used to create a negative pressure in the cavity.

16. The production line according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The production line includes: A baking device for baking the aerosol-generating matrix strips on the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt being inserted into the baking device.

17. A method for producing an aerosol-generating matrix segment, characterized in that, The method includes: In the aerosol-generated matrix strip extrusion step, during the conveyor belt transport process, the mixture is continuously extruded onto the conveyor belt to form multiple matrix strips distributed side by side on the conveyor belt; The aerosol generation matrix strip bundling step involves aggregating the multiple aerosol generation matrix strips on the conveyor belt into an aerosol generation matrix bundle; and The packaging and cutting step involves packaging the aerosol generating matrix bundle and cutting it into aerosol generating matrix segments.

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