One-time forming equipment and method for special-shaped gel core filter stick

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of cigarette filter stick manufacturing, and particularly relates to a one-time forming device and process for a special-shaped gel core filter stick, the device comprises a tow feeder unit, a first forming unit, a second forming unit, a third forming unit and a fourth forming unit, which are connected in sequence, and the tow feeder unit is used for conveying tow raw materials to subsequent procedures at a high speed; the tow softening unit is arranged at the downstream of the tow feeder unit and is used for heating and softening the tow raw material; the gel supply unit is configured to perform intermittent feeding, is arranged between the tow softening unit and the cooling forming unit, and is used for intermittently injecting a gel material into the softened tows to form a special-shaped embedding area; the cooling forming unit is used for cooling and forming the tows injected with the gel; and the slitting unit is arranged behind the cooling forming unit and is used for cutting the shaped filter stick into a specified length. According to the device, tows are driven to be continuously conveyed at a high speed through high-pressure airflow, efficient collaborative operation of softening, gel embedding, cooling shaping and slitting is achieved, and it is guaranteed that the shape of a filter stick is accurate, and the preparation process is continuous and stable.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of filter rod manufacturing for cigarettes, and particularly relates to a one-step forming device and method for a special-shaped gel core filter rod. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the increasing requirements of consumers on the filtration performance, personalized appearance and multi-functional experience of cigarette products, filter rods with new structures and additional functions have become a research and development hotspot. Among them, gel filter rods are considered as an important upgrade direction of traditional filter rods due to their potential functions of flavor modulation, adsorption, humidity control and slow release, and have shown broad application prospects in the tobacco industry.

[0003] At present, there are mainly two types of forming methods for gel filter rods: one type is to pre-form the gel material and then combine it with the filter rod tow structure by insertion, nesting or wrapping, which is complicated in process and has insufficient fusion between the gel core and the tow, which is prone to eccentricity, misplacement or uneven wrapping, seriously affecting the structural stability and smoking consistency of the finished product; the other type is to fill the gel material into the internal cavity after the filter rod is formed, which requires high precision of injection, sealing control and cooling solidification coordination, and is prone to problems such as gel leakage, bubble entrainment and end overflow, which makes it difficult to ensure the forming quality of the filter rod. The above methods still have a lot of room for improvement in process stability, structure control precision and automation level.

[0004] From the actual production point of view, the preparation process of the existing gel filter rod is relatively complex, with many links and the need for multiple equipment to work together, and the automation level is low, making it difficult to achieve continuous high-speed production. During the forming process, the gel core is prone to deviation, deformation or uneven wrapping, resulting in poor structural stability of the filter rod and affecting the smoking taste consistency, with a low yield of finished products. In addition, the key links of gel injection, forming and cooling lack effective coordination and control, and defects such as bubbles, overflow and deformation frequently occur, which seriously affects the appearance quality and use performance of the filter rod, restricting the large-scale production and market promotion of the gel filter rod.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present application is proposed. SUMMARY

[0006] In order to overcome the defects of the prior art, the present application provides a one-step forming device for a special-shaped gel core filter rod, which realizes efficient and coordinated operation of softening, gel embedding, cooling and shaping, and cutting by driving the tow to be continuously transported at high speed by high-pressure airflow, ensuring that the filter rod has accurate shape and continuous and stable preparation process.

[0007] The present application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0008] The first aspect of the present application provides a one-step forming device for a profiled gel core filter rod, which comprises the following units connected in sequence:

[0009] A topper unit 1 for feeding the tow material to the subsequent process at a high speed;

[0010] A tow softening unit 2 arranged downstream of the topper unit 1 for heating and softening the tow material;

[0011] A gel supply unit 3 arranged between the tow softening unit 2 and the topper unit 1 for intermittently injecting a gel material into the softened tow to form a profiled embedding area;

[0012] A cooling and forming unit 4 for cooling and shaping the tow after the gel injection;

[0013] A slitting unit 5 arranged after the cooling and forming unit 4 for cutting the shaped filter rod into a specified length.

[0014] Preferably, the topper unit 1 comprises a topper motor 11, a topper duct 12 and a high-pressure generating device 13;

[0015] The topper motor 11 is used to drive a transmission assembly connected to an external tow supply mechanism to adjust the feeding speed of the tow material;

[0016] The topper duct 12 is a closed conveying channel for the tow material, one end of which is in communication with the external tow supply mechanism, and the other end is in communication with the tow softening unit 2. The inner wall surface of the topper duct 12 is treated to have a low friction characteristic to ensure that the tow material can be smoothly and quickly conveyed under the push of high-pressure airflow, reducing the conveying resistance and damage to the tow;

[0017] The high-pressure generating device 13 is in communication with one side of the topper duct 12 near the topper end for injecting a stable high-pressure airflow into the duct to push the tow material along the topper duct 12 at a high speed to the tow softening unit 2.

[0018] Preferably, the tow softening unit 2 comprises a heating chamber 21, a heating element 22 and a temperature control system 23;

[0019] The heating chamber 21 is in communication with the output end of the topper unit 1 for accommodating and heating the conveyed tow material;

[0020] The heating element 22 is uniformly arranged on the inner wall around the heating chamber 21 for omnidirectional heating of the tow material;

[0021] The temperature control system 23 is electrically connected with the heating element 22, configured to monitor the temperature in the heating chamber in real time, and adjust the heating power according to the set parameters, so as to ensure the temperature stability and heating uniformity during the softening of the tow.

[0022] Preferably, the cooling forming unit 4 comprises a cooling chamber 41, a cooling pipe 42 and a cooling medium circulation system 43.

[0023] The cooling chamber 41 has an internal space matching the size of the filter rod, for accommodating the filter rod for cooling and shaping.

[0024] The cooling pipe 42 is arranged on the outer periphery of the cooling chamber 41, and a cooling medium circulates between the outer wall of the cooling pipe 42 and the inner wall of the cooling chamber 41, so as to form a heat transfer medium layer between the inner wall of the cooling chamber and the filter rod, achieving uniform cooling of the filter rod.

[0025] The cooling medium circulation system 43 is used to adjust the flow and temperature of the cooling medium, so as to ensure the uniformity and stability of the cooling process, thereby maintaining the shape and size accuracy of the filter rod.

[0026] Preferably, the tow softening unit 2 is arranged between the tow feeder unit 1 and the cooling forming unit 4.

[0027] The tow is continuously conveyed along the forming channel under the action of the high-pressure airflow generated by the tow feeder unit 1 to realize heating and softening in the tow softening unit 2, while maintaining the continuity of conveying.

[0028] The heated and softened tow continues to be pushed into the cooling forming unit 4 by the high-pressure airflow to complete the cooling and shaping process after gel embedding.

[0029] The cooled and shaped filter rod is still driven by the high-pressure airflow, and is stably conveyed forward to the cutting unit 5, ensuring the overall continuity and efficiency of the filter rod preparation process.

[0030] Preferably, the gel supply unit 3 comprises a relay 31, an intermittent discharge pump 32, a gel storage tank 33 and a feeding channel 34.

[0031] The intermittent discharge pump 32 comprises a control system, which starts and stops the intermittent discharge pump according to the preset time interval, realizing the intermittent and accurate conveying of the gel.

[0032] One end of the feeding channel 34 is in communication with the gel storage tank 33, and the other end extends through the heating chamber 21 of the tow softening unit 2 and is in communication with the inlet of the cooling forming unit 4, ensuring that the gel is stably and accurately injected into the softened tow.

[0033] Preferably, the slitting unit 5 comprises a high-hardness slitting cutter 51, a transmission device 52, a length detection device 53 and a clamping device;

[0034] The length detection device 53 is provided with a photoelectric sensor or a laser sensor in front of the cutting position of the filter rod conveying path, and is used to detect the movement length of the filter rod in real time;

[0035] The length detection device 53 feeds back the detected length signal to the control system, and the control system drives the transmission device 52 to control the high-hardness slitting cutter 51 to perform cutting operation at the predetermined position according to the feedback signal;

[0036] The high-hardness slitting cutter 51 is fixedly installed on the driving end of the transmission device 52, and realizes reciprocating or rotating movement through the transmission device 52 to complete cutting;

[0037] The clamping device is fixedly provided on the slitting unit rack and located at the cutting position, and is used to clamp the filter rod to prevent its axial and radial movement and ensure stable cutting;

[0038] The transmission device 52 and the clamping device work cooperatively, and the clamping and cutting actions are coordinated by the control system to realize accurate slitting and stable support of the filter rod.

[0039] Preferably, the special-shaped gel core filter rod one-time forming equipment according to claim 1, the discharge end of the tow softening unit 2 is provided with a tow storage structure 24 for buffering and guiding the softened tow;

[0040] The outlet end of the tow storage structure 24 is fixedly connected with an introduction disc, which is a ring structure and has a horn-shaped guiding channel in the center gradually shrinking towards the tow feeding direction;

[0041] The large end of the horn-shaped guiding channel is in communication with the outlet of the tow storage structure 24, and the small end is sealingly connected with the inlet of the cooling and forming unit 4, which is used to shape the buffered tow and stably guide it to the cooling and forming area.

[0042] Preferably, the feeding channel 34 of the gel supply unit 3 passes through the tow storage structure 24 and the introduction disc in sequence, and its outlet is accurately positioned at the end of the converging section of the horn-shaped guiding channel. At this position, the axis of the feeding channel 34 is aligned with the axis of the tow guiding channel, forming a coaxial injection structure, which ensures that the gel is directly injected into the central area of the softened tow.

[0043] The cross-sectional shape of the end of the feeding channel 34 can be configured according to the needs of the embedded structure in the final product, such as circular, star-shaped, rectangular, or hollow annular. During the stable injection of the gel, its initial fluid form is guided by the shape of the end cross-section. Subsequently, the filament bundle carrying the embedded gel enters the cooling molding unit 4, where the gel rapidly undergoes a phase change and solidifies under cooling, thereby forming a stable irregular embedded structure inside the filament bundle that corresponds to the shape of the end of the feeding channel.

[0044] This equipment employs a single continuous pipeline structure for material conveying and shaping. The material channel is physically traversed by a fiber feeding pipe 12, which sequentially passes through the heating chamber 21 of the fiber softening unit 2 and the cooling chamber 41 of the cooling and shaping unit 4, maintaining a sealed connection with each chamber. A fiber storage structure 24 is provided in the transition area between the heating chamber 21 and the cooling chamber 41. This structure has a moderately enlarged pipe diameter to form a buffer zone, and its outlet is machined into a funnel-shaped converging structure. The pipe section within the heating chamber 21 constitutes the heating and softening section, with heating elements 22 surrounding the inner wall of the heating chamber providing radiant heating. The pipe section within the cooling chamber 41 constitutes the cooling and shaping section, with its outer wall surrounded by cooling pipes 42 for rapid cooling. The funnel-shaped converging structure completes the radial compression and shaping of the fiber bundle, while also serving as a gel injection station. In this way, the fiber bundle continuously completes the entire process of conveying, heating, buffering, shaping, gel injection, and cooling within a single pipeline, ensuring production continuity and product consistency.

[0045] A second aspect of the present invention provides a method for preparing filter rods using the one-time molding equipment for irregularly shaped gel core filter rods described in the first aspect, characterized by comprising the following steps:

[0046] Step 1: Drive the external filament feeding mechanism through the filament feeding motor 11 to continuously feed the filament raw material into the filament feeding pipe 12; the filament feeding pipe 12 is a closed channel structure with one end for feeding and the other end for discharging. A stable high-pressure airflow is injected near the filament feeding end through the high-pressure generator 13. Under the action of the airflow, the filament raw material is transported at high speed along the pipe to the downstream filament softening unit 2.

[0047] Step (2): The heating chamber 21 in the fiber softening unit 2 heats and softens the passing fiber bundle. The heating element 22 is evenly arranged on the inner wall of the chamber. The temperature control system 23 adjusts the heating power in real time to ensure that the heating process is uniform and stable.

[0048] Step (3): The softened filament bundle is temporarily stored and buffered by the filament storage structure 14, and then shaped and guided by the funnel-shaped guide channel in the inlet tray to the inlet of the cooling and forming unit 4.

[0049] At the same time, the control system in the gel supply unit (3) controls the relay 31 to drive the intermittent discharge pump 32, which intermittently transports the gel in the gel storage tank 33 to the vicinity of the small opening of the guide channel through the feeding channel 34, so that the gel is accurately injected into the center of the softened filament bundle to form a gel embedding area.

[0050] Step (4): During gel injection, the morphology of the gel embedding area is controlled by adjusting the ratio of the filament delivery speed v1 to the gel pulse discharge speed v2, wherein:

[0051] When v1 > v2, the resulting embedded region is an irregular cylinder with ellipsoids at both ends;

[0052] When v1 = v2, the resulting embedded region is a regular cylinder;

[0053] When v1 < v2, the resulting embedded region is an irregular cylinder with one end concave and the other end convex.

[0054] Step (5): After the gel is injected, the filaments enter the cooling and molding unit 4. Natural cooling and shaping are first completed in the cooling chamber 41. The cooling pipes 42 are arranged around the outer periphery of the chamber. The cooling medium flows under the control of the cooling medium circulation system 43, which carries away the heat of the filaments and gel, so as to achieve rapid and uniform cooling and stable molding of the overall structure.

[0055] Step 6: After cooling and shaping, the filter rod enters the slitting unit 5. The length is monitored in real time by the photoelectric or laser length detection device 53 and fed back to the control system. The control transmission device 52 drives the high-hardness slitting blade 51 to perform precise cutting. The clamping device stably fixes the filter rod during the cutting process to ensure consistent slitting size and neat cut.

[0056] Furthermore, to achieve precise control of the molding process, this invention further includes a central control system, which comprises a programmable logic controller (PLC) and a human-machine interface (HMI) electrically connected to it. The control system is connected to the sensing devices and actuators in each key process unit to achieve real-time acquisition and dynamic adjustment of parameters.

[0057] Specifically, the filament feeder unit 1, filament softening unit 2, gel supply unit 3, cooling and shaping unit 4, and slitting unit 5 are all equipped with corresponding actuators and sensing devices, whose status and action information are fed back to the central control system in real time. The filament softening unit is equipped with a temperature sensor to detect real-time temperature changes in the heating chamber; the cooling and shaping unit is equipped with a flow sensor and a temperature sensor to monitor the flow rate and temperature of the cooling medium, respectively; the gel injection unit is equipped with a gel metering sensor to precisely control the amount and rhythm of gel injection; and the filament feeding pipe inlet is equipped with an infrared photoelectric sensor to monitor the presence and speed of the filaments.

[0058] Each unit controller uses actuators such as solenoid valves and stepper motors to adjust key process parameters in real time. The central control system dynamically adjusts key process parameters such as heating temperature, gel injection speed and timing, cooling water flow rate, filament feeding airflow intensity, and slitting timing based on preset process parameters and data collected by the aforementioned sensors. This ensures seamless connection and continuous stable operation of processes such as filament softening, gel injection, cooling and molding, and slitting.

[0059] The control system can be implemented using a PLC, industrial computer, or embedded control system. It enables the setting and real-time monitoring of process parameters through a human-machine interface, supports unified or distributed coordinated control, and improves the automation level and production efficiency of the equipment.

[0060] The advantages of this invention over the prior art

[0061] 1. This invention uses high-pressure airflow to drive the filament raw material to achieve high-speed continuous conveying in a closed filament feeding pipe, ensuring the close connection and synchronous operation of key processes such as filament feeding, softening, gel injection, cooling and molding and slitting, effectively improving the automation and continuous operation capability of the production line and greatly improving production efficiency.

[0062] 2. This invention utilizes high-pressure airflow to propel the filament raw material at high speed and continuously within a closed feeding pipe, achieving seamless integration of processes such as filament feeding, softening, gel injection, cooling and molding, and slitting. This significantly improves the continuity and automation level of the production line, ensuring the stability and efficiency of the filter rod preparation process. Although the embodiments of this invention do not specifically include an airflow regulating device, the filament feeding pipe and high-pressure airflow system described in this invention can be combined with existing airflow regulating structures or devices to dynamically adjust the pressure and flow rate of the airflow, thereby achieving precise control of the filament feeding speed. This effectively avoids problems such as filament accumulation, breakage, or loosening between processes, further improving the process stability and product quality of the production line. This technical solution provides a good application foundation for subsequent technology upgrades and optimizations, and has strong applicability and scalability.

[0063] 3. By precisely controlling the ratio between the fiber conveying speed and the gel pulse discharge speed, this invention not only achieves diversified customization of irregular filter rod structures, but also effectively solves problems such as gel leakage, air bubble entrainment and uneven coating that are prone to occur in traditional glue injection processes, significantly improving the structural stability and appearance quality of the filter rod.

[0064] 4. The annular funnel-shaped guide channel and fiber storage structure design adopted in this invention effectively buffers the softened fiber bundle and achieves stable shaping, ensuring the accuracy of gel injection and stable delivery of the fiber bundle in the cooling and molding area, thereby improving the consistency and dimensional accuracy of filter rod molding.

[0065] 5. The cooling and forming unit has a built-in cooling medium circulation system. Combined with the reasonable arrangement of the cooling chamber and cooling pipes, it can achieve rapid and uniform cooling and shaping of the filter rod, ensuring the stability of the shape and size of the filter rod and avoiding deformation or structural defects caused by uneven cooling. Attached Figure Description

[0066] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0067] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection of each structural unit of the one-time molding equipment for an irregularly shaped gel core filter rod according to the present invention;

[0068] Reference numerals: 1. Fiber feeder unit; 11. Fiber feed motor; 12. Fiber feed pipe; 13. High-pressure generator; 2. Fiber softening unit; 21. Heating chamber; 22. Heating element; 23. Temperature control system; 24. Fiber storage structure; 3. Gel supply unit; 31. Relay; 32. Intermittent discharge pump; 33. Gel storage tank; 34. Feeding channel; 4. Cooling and molding unit; 41. Cooling chamber; 42. Cooling pipe; 43. Cooling medium circulation system; 5. Slitting unit; 51. Slitting blade; 52. Transmission device; 53. Length detection device; 6. Mounting base; 61. Base; 62. Three-way adjustable moving module. Detailed Implementation

[0069] The present invention will be further described below through embodiments, but is not limited to these embodiments. Experimental methods not specifically described in the embodiments generally use conventional conditions and conditions described in manuals, or conditions recommended by the manufacturer. The general equipment, materials, reagents, etc., used are all commercially available unless otherwise specified.

[0070] Example 1

[0071] This embodiment specifically illustrates the structural composition and functional characteristics of each unit of the irregularly shaped gel core filter rod one-time molding equipment of the present invention.

[0072] In this embodiment, the one-time forming equipment for the irregularly shaped gel core filter rod includes a fiber feeder unit 1, a fiber softening unit 2, a gel supply unit 3, a cooling and forming unit 4, and a slitting unit 5 connected in sequence. Each unit is sequentially connected through a closed conveying channel to form a continuous forming production line. The specific structure of each component is as follows:

[0073] The wire feeder unit 1 includes:

[0074] The wire feeding motor 11 is used to drive the external wire feeding mechanism, which drives the wire bundle raw material to be fed through the transmission component. The motor adopts a speed regulation design to adapt to different production rhythms.

[0075] The wire feeding pipe 12 is a closed pipe structure. The pipe body is made of stainless steel and the inner wall is smoothed with low surface roughness to ensure that the wire bundle is smoothly transported without damage when it is pushed by airflow inside the pipe.

[0076] The high-pressure generator 13 is installed at the wire feeding end of the wire feeding pipe to inject a stable high-pressure airflow into the pipe. The airflow pressure and velocity are controlled by the regulating device to ensure that the wire bundle is subjected to uniform force and to drive its high-speed continuous conveying.

[0077] The wire storage structure 14 is located at the discharge end of the wire feeding pipe and is used to temporarily store the softened wire bundle. It is equipped with an elastic buffer to buffer and dampen the wire bundle and eliminate the impact caused by speed fluctuations.

[0078] The inlet disc adopts a ring structure with a funnel-shaped guide channel at the center. The channel gradually narrows to achieve radial shaping and stable guidance of the softened filament bundle, ensuring that the filament bundle smoothly enters the subsequent cooling and forming unit.

[0079] The filament softening unit 2 is provided with a heating chamber 21. The chamber structure is closed and made of high-temperature resistant metal material. The interior is equipped with uniformly distributed heating elements 22.

[0080] The further heating element 22 heats the inner wall of the cavity by electric heating, so as to achieve uniform heating of the filament bundle through convection, ensuring that the filament bundle is fully softened and there is no local overheating.

[0081] Furthermore, the filament softening unit 2 is equipped with a temperature control system 23, which includes multi-point temperature sensors to monitor the chamber temperature in real time and feed it back to the control unit. The heating power is adjusted according to the temperature feedback to achieve precise temperature control.

[0082] The gel supply unit 3 includes a gel storage tank 33, which is made of corrosion-resistant material and is equipped with an internal stirring device to keep the gel uniform and stable.

[0083] The intermittent discharge pump 32 is controlled by the relay 31 to start and stop at preset time intervals, thus completing the pulsed and precise injection of gel.

[0084] The feeding channel 34 passes through the fiber storage structure 14 and through the funnel-shaped guide channel of the inlet tray, ensuring that the gel injection point is accurately located at the center of the softened fiber bundle, forming a stable embedding structure.

[0085] The cooling and forming unit 4 includes:

[0086] The cooling chamber 41 has a closed structure, and its internal space dimensions match the specifications of the filter rod. The material is corrosion-resistant and has good thermal conductivity.

[0087] Cooling pipes 42 are arranged around the outer wall of the chamber. Circulating cooling medium flows through the cooling pipes, carrying away heat and achieving rapid and uniform cooling of the filter rod. As a preferred embodiment, the cooling pipes 42 are also arranged around the outer periphery of the molding channel and extend along its axial direction.

[0088] The cooling medium circulation system 43 is equipped with flow and temperature sensors to monitor the status of the cooling medium in real time, adjust the flow and temperature, and ensure stable and reliable cooling effect.

[0089] The slitting unit 5 includes:

[0090] A high-hardness cutting tool 51 is fixed to a transmission device 52, which supports reciprocating or rotary motion to achieve precise cutting of the filter rod.

[0091] The length detection device 53 uses photoelectric or laser sensors to detect the moving length of the filter rod in real time and feeds back to the cutting control system to achieve precise size control.

[0092] The clamping device is fixed at the cutting position to ensure the axial and radial stability of the filter rod during the cutting process, and to avoid dimensional errors or a decrease in cutting quality due to vibration or slippage.

[0093] As a preferred embodiment, this slitting process adopts a cyclical working mode of conveying one section, clamping one section, and cutting one section, which ensures the consistency of filter rod length and cutting quality, while improving production efficiency and automation level.

[0094] The clamping device is located at the outlet of the cooling and forming unit, allowing the filter rods to directly enter the slitting station after cooling and shaping, avoiding repeated conveying or secondary positioning in the middle, simplifying the process, saving equipment space, and facilitating the efficient and continuous operation of the entire production line.

[0095] The central control system includes a programmable logic controller (PLC) and a human-machine interface (HMI) to achieve coordinated control of each unit.

[0096] Each unit is equipped with sensors (temperature, flow, position, metering, etc.) and actuators (solenoid valves, stepper motors, etc.) to collect key process data and execute adjustment commands.

[0097] The control system collects data in real time and dynamically adjusts the fiber feeding speed, heating temperature, gel injection rhythm, cooling medium flow rate, and slitting timing to ensure a continuous, efficient, and stable production process.

[0098] In a preferred embodiment, the fiber feeding unit 1, gel supply unit 3, fiber softening unit 2, cooling and forming unit 4, and slitting unit 5 are all mounted on a unified mounting base 6. The mounting base 6 includes a base 61 and a three-way adjustable moving module 62 disposed thereon. This three-way adjustable moving module 62 enables relative movement and position adjustment of the mounting base and the heating unit, cooling and forming unit, and slitting unit it supports in three directions in space. This allows for flexible adjustment of the distance and relative proportion between the heating section, cooling section, and forming and shearing section to meet the production process requirements of filter rods of different specifications and ensure the flexibility of the production line layout.

[0099] To ensure that the feeding channel 34, glue injection channel and other key connecting structures that run through each unit are not affected during the adjustment process, the relevant channels and connecting components adopt appropriate structural designs to achieve continuity and integrity, and ensure that the feeding and material conveying process is stable and error-free.

[0100] The feeding channel 34 serves as the gel injection path, running continuously along the production line through multiple components such as the fiber feeding unit, fiber storage structure, and inlet tray. In addition, the equipment includes multiple continuous pipe or channel structures running through multiple units, such as the fiber tow conveying pipe 12, high-pressure airflow pipelines, and related sensor wiring. These structures are all designed to be continuous and possess a certain degree of flexibility or with reserved sliding fit space, ensuring that when the mounting base 6 adjusts the position of each unit via the three-way adjustable moving module 62, the relevant pipes, channels, and wiring remain intact, without breakage, blockage, or leakage.

[0101] Through the above design, the feeding channel 34 and other similar continuous structures that run through multiple units can adapt to the movement of the entire or partial equipment, ensuring accurate and stable injection of gel, smooth delivery of filaments and reliable acquisition of sensor data, thus ensuring the continuity of the production process and the stability of equipment operation.

[0102] Therefore, the mounting base 6 and its base 61 of the present invention, along with the three-way adjustable moving module 62, not only improve the modularity and adjustment flexibility of the equipment structure, but also take into account the integrity and functional stability of the key channels through multiple units, thus meeting the needs of efficient automated production.

[0103] Example 2

[0104] This embodiment discloses a method for preparing filter rods using the irregularly shaped gel core filter rod one-time molding equipment described in the embodiment. The specific process steps are as follows:

[0105] Step (1): Drive the external filament feeding mechanism through the filament feeding motor 11 to continuously feed the filament raw material into the filament feeding pipe 12. The filament feeding pipe 12 is a closed pipe structure with one end feeding and the other end discharging. A high pressure generating device 13 is set near the filament feeding end to inject a stable high pressure airflow into the pipe. The airflow pushes the filament raw material to be continuously transported along the pipe at high speed to the downstream filament softening unit 2.

[0106] Step (2): The softening unit 2 is equipped with a heating chamber 21, and heating elements 22 are evenly arranged on the inner wall of the chamber. The chamber is heated by electric heating to achieve uniform heating and softening of the passing filaments. The temperature control system 23 has built-in multi-point temperature sensors to monitor the temperature of the chamber in real time and adjust the heating power to ensure the stability and uniformity of the filament softening process.

[0107] Step (3): The softened filament bundle is temporarily stored and buffered by the filament storage structure 14. Then, the filament bundle is radially shaped and guided through the funnel-shaped guide channel in the inlet tray to ensure that the softened filament bundle enters the inlet of the cooling and forming unit 4 in an orderly manner.

[0108] Step (4): The gel supply unit 3 controls the intermittent discharge pump 32 through the control relay 31 to inject the gel in the gel storage tank 33 into the feeding channel 34 in a pulse manner. The gel is accurately injected into the vicinity of the small opening of the inlet plate through the feeding channel and precisely embedded in the center of the softened filament bundle to form a stable gel embedding structure.

[0109] Step (5): By adjusting the ratio of the filament transport speed v1 to the gel pulse discharge speed v2, the morphology of the gel embedding region can be controlled.

[0110] When v1 > v2, the embedded region presents as an irregular cylinder with ellipsoids at both ends;

[0111] When v1 = v2, the embedded region is a regular cylinder;

[0112] When v1 < v2, the embedded region appears as an irregular cylinder with one end concave and the other end convex.

[0113] Cooling and shaping;

[0114] After the glue is injected, the filaments enter the cooling and molding unit 4. Under the cooling medium in the cooling pipe 42, the heat is quickly carried away from the residual heat of the filaments and gel, ensuring that the filter rod is cooled and molded quickly and evenly. The cooling medium circulation system 43 is equipped with flow and temperature sensors to realize dynamic monitoring and adjustment of the cooling medium status.

[0115] Step (6): After cooling and shaping, the filter rod enters the slitting unit 5. The length detection device 53 (photoelectric or laser sensor) detects the conveying length of the filter rod in real time and feeds the data back to the control system. The control system instructs the transmission device 52 to drive the high-hardness slitting cutter 51 to cut the filter rod precisely. The clamping device clamps the filter rod firmly during the cutting process to prevent axial and radial movement and ensure consistent cutting size and neat cut.

[0116] To achieve automated and precise control of the aforementioned process flow, this embodiment is equipped with a central control system, including a programmable logic controller (PLC) and a human-machine interface (HMI). The central control system is connected to sensors (temperature, flow rate, length, dispensing metering, infrared photoelectric sensors, etc.) and actuators (solenoid valves, stepper motors, pneumatic clamping devices, etc.) within each process unit to achieve real-time acquisition and dynamic adjustment of key process parameters.

[0117] Based on preset process parameters and sensor feedback, the control system automatically adjusts the intensity of the fiber feeding airflow, heating temperature, glue injection rhythm and dosage, cooling water flow rate and temperature, filter rod conveying speed and slitting timing to ensure seamless connection of each process and guarantee the quality and production efficiency of the irregularly shaped gel core filter rod molding.

[0118] The method described in this embodiment achieves one-time molding and precise cutting of irregularly shaped gel core filter rods through an efficient and automated process, which is suitable for industrial continuous production and significantly improves the quality stability of filter rods and the automation level of the production line.

[0119] The present invention has been described above by way of example. It should be noted that any simple modifications, alterations or other equivalent substitutions that can be made by those skilled in the art without creative effort without departing from the core of the present invention fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A one-time molding device for irregularly shaped gel core filter rods, characterized in that, The device comprises the following connected in sequence: The wire feeder unit (1) is used to transport the wire bundle raw material to the subsequent process at high speed; A fiber tow softening unit (2) is located downstream of the fiber feeder unit (1) and is used to heat and soften the fiber tow raw material. The gel supply unit (3) is configured to feed intermittently and is located between the filament softening unit (2) and the filament feeder unit (1) for intermittently injecting gel material into the softened filament to form an irregularly shaped embedding area. Cooling and shaping unit (4) is used to cool and shape the filament bundle after gel injection; The slitting unit (5) is located after the cooling and forming unit (4) and is used to cut the shaped filter rods into specified lengths.

2. The one-time molding equipment for irregularly shaped gel core filter rods as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The wire feeder unit (1) includes a wire feed motor (11), a wire feed pipe (12), and a high-pressure generator (13). The wire feed motor (11) is used to drive the transmission component connected to the external wire feeding mechanism to adjust the feeding speed of the wire bundle raw material. The wire feed pipe (12) is a closed conveying channel for the wire bundle raw material. One end of the pipe is connected to the external wire feeding mechanism, and the other end is connected to the wire bundle softening unit (2). The high-pressure generator (13) is connected to the side of the wire feed pipe (12) near the wire feeding end and is used to inject a stable high-pressure airflow into the pipe. The airflow pushes the wire bundle raw material to be conveyed at high speed along the wire feed pipe (12) to the wire bundle softening unit (2).

3. The one-time molding equipment for irregularly shaped gel core filter rods as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The fiber softening unit (2) includes a heating chamber (21), a heating element (22), and a temperature control system (23). The heating chamber (21) is connected to the output end of the fiber feeder unit (1) and is used to contain and heat the conveyed fiber raw material. The heating element (22) is evenly arranged on the inner wall of the heating chamber (21) and is used to heat the fiber raw material in all directions. The temperature control system (23) is electrically connected to the heating element (22) and is configured to monitor the temperature in the heating chamber in real time and adjust the heating power according to the set parameters to ensure temperature stability and heating uniformity during the fiber softening process.

4. The one-time molding equipment for irregularly shaped gel core filter rods as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling forming unit (4) includes a cooling chamber (41), a cooling pipe (42), and a cooling medium circulation system (43). The cooling chamber (41) has an internal space that matches the size of the filter rod, for accommodating the filter rod for cooling and shaping; The cooling pipe (42) is arranged on the outer periphery of the cooling chamber (41). A cooling medium circulates between the outer wall of the cooling pipe (42) and the inner wall of the cooling chamber (41) so that a heat transfer medium layer is formed between the inner wall of the cooling chamber and the filter rod, thereby achieving uniform cooling of the filter rod. The cooling medium circulation system (43) is used to regulate the flow rate and temperature of the cooling medium, ensuring the uniformity and stability of the cooling process, thereby maintaining the shape and dimensional accuracy of the filter rod.

5. The one-time molding equipment for irregularly shaped gel core filter rods as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The fiber softening unit (2) is located between the fiber feeder unit (1) and the cooling and forming unit (4). The fiber bundle is continuously transported along the forming channel under the action of the high-pressure airflow generated by the fiber feeder unit (1). The fiber bundle is heated and softened by the fiber softening unit (2) while maintaining the continuity of the transport. The heated and softened fiber bundle continues to enter the cooling and forming unit (4) under the push of the high-pressure airflow to complete the cooling and shaping process after gel embedding. The filter rod after cooling and forming is still driven by the high-pressure airflow and is stably transported forward to the slitting unit (5), ensuring the overall continuity and efficiency of the filter rod preparation process.

6. The one-time molding equipment for irregularly shaped gel core filter rods as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The gel supply unit (3) includes a relay (31), an intermittent discharge pump (32), a gel storage tank (33), and a feeding channel (34). The intermittent discharge pump (32) includes a control system, which starts and stops the intermittent discharge pump according to a preset time interval to achieve intermittent and precise delivery of gel. One end of the feeding channel (34) is connected to the gel storage tank (33), and the other end extends through the heating chamber (21) of the fiber softening unit (2) and is connected to the inlet of the cooling molding unit (4) to ensure that the gel is stably and accurately injected into the softened fiber bundle.

7. The one-time molding equipment for irregularly shaped gel core filter rods as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The slitting unit (5) includes a high-hardness slitting cutter (51), a transmission device (52), a length detection device (53), and a clamping device (54). The length detection device (53) uses a photoelectric sensor or a laser sensor and is set in front of the cutting path of the filter rod to detect the movement length of the filter rod in real time. The length detection device (53) feeds back the detected length signal to the control system. The control system drives the transmission device (52) to control the high-hardness slitting cutter (51) to perform cutting operations at a predetermined position according to the feedback signal. The high-hardness slitting cutter (51) is fixedly installed on the drive end of the transmission device (52) and achieves reciprocating or rotating motion through the transmission device (52) to complete the cutting. The clamping device is fixedly set on the frame of the slitting unit and located at the cutting position. It is used to clamp the filter rod to prevent its axial and radial movement and ensure stable cutting. The transmission device (52) and the clamping device work together to coordinate the clamping and cutting actions through the control system to achieve accurate slitting and stable support of the filter rod.

8. The one-time molding equipment for irregularly shaped gel core filter rods as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The discharge end of the fiber softening unit (2) is provided with a fiber storage structure (24) for buffering and guiding the softened fiber bundle. The outlet end of the wire storage structure (24) is fixedly connected to an inlet disc, which is an annular structure with a funnel-shaped guide channel that gradually narrows toward the wire feeding direction at its center. The large end of the trumpet-shaped guide channel is connected to the outlet of the wire storage structure (24), and the small end is sealed to the inlet of the cooling and forming unit (4), which is used to shape the buffered wire bundle and stably guide it to the cooling and forming area.

9. The one-time molding equipment for irregularly shaped gel core filter rods as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The feeding channel (34) in the gel supply unit (3) passes through the fiber storage structure (24) and extends through the inlet disc, with its end located at the fiber guide path near the small end of the funnel-shaped guide channel; The feeding channel (34) and the filament guide channel converge at the guide section to form a synchronous injection structure of gel and softened filament, so as to ensure that the gel material is accurately injected into the middle of the filament before the filament enters the cooling molding unit (4), thereby forming a stable irregular embedded structure.

10. A method for preparing filter rods using the one-time molding equipment for irregularly shaped gel core filter rods according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step (1): Drive the external filament feeding mechanism through the filament feeding motor (11) to continuously feed the filament raw material into the filament feeding pipe (12); The filament feeding pipe (12) is a closed channel structure with one end for feeding and the other end for discharging. A stable high-pressure airflow is injected near the filament feeding end through the high-pressure generator (13). Under the driving action of the airflow, the filament raw material is transported at high speed along the pipe to the downstream filament softening unit (2). Step (2): The heating chamber (21) in the fiber softening unit (2) heats and softens the passing fiber bundle. The heating element (22) is evenly arranged on the inner wall of the chamber. The temperature control system (23) adjusts the heating power in real time to ensure that the heating process is uniform and stable. Step (3): The softened filament bundle is temporarily stored and buffered by the filament storage structure, and then shaped and guided by the funnel-shaped guide channel in the inlet tray to the entrance of the cooling and forming unit (4); Meanwhile, the control system in the gel supply unit (3) controls the relay (31) to drive the intermittent discharge pump (32), which intermittently transports the gel in the gel storage tank (33) through the feeding channel (34) to the vicinity of the small opening of the guide channel, so that the gel is precisely injected into the center of the softened filament bundle to form a gel embedding area. Step (4): During gel injection, the morphology of the gel embedding area is controlled by adjusting the ratio of the filament delivery speed v1 to the gel pulse discharge speed v2, wherein: When v1 > v2, the resulting embedded region is an irregular cylinder with ellipsoids at both ends; When v1 = v2, the resulting embedded region is a regular cylinder; When v1 < v2, the resulting embedded region is an irregular cylinder with one end concave and the other end convex. Step (5): After the gel is injected, the filaments enter the cooling and molding unit (4). Natural cooling and shaping are first completed in the cooling chamber (41). The cooling pipes (42) are arranged around the outer periphery of the chamber. The cooling medium flows under the control of the cooling medium circulation system (43), which takes away the heat of the filaments and gel, and realizes rapid and uniform cooling and stable molding of the overall structure. Step (6): After cooling and shaping, the filter rod enters the slitting unit (5). The length is monitored in real time by the photoelectric or laser length detection device (53) and fed back to the control system. The control transmission device (52) drives the high-hardness slitting cutter (51) to make precise cuts. The clamping device (54) stabilizes and fixes the filter rod during the cutting process to ensure that the slitting size is consistent and the cut is neat.

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