A cigarette storage container suitable for different cigarette lengths

Abstract

This invention discloses a cigarette storage chamber suitable for different cigarette lengths, belonging to the technical field of cigarette packaging equipment. The cigarette storage chamber includes a frame, and a storage and guiding unit and a lower storage and guiding unit mounted on the frame. The storage and guiding unit has at least two parallel storage chambers, each with a cigarette channel formed by a front baffle, a movable back plate, and left and right side plates. The core feature is that the movable back plate is driven by a back plate adjustment mechanism, which drives the movable back plate to move along the depth direction of the cigarette channel, thereby continuously adjusting the distance between the front baffle and the movable back plate to accommodate cigarettes of different lengths. This invention, through its adjustable-depth channel design, solves the problem that traditional fixed cigarette storage chambers cannot accommodate multiple cigarette specifications, enabling rapid changeover, improving production flexibility, and reducing equipment investment and maintenance costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of cigarette packaging equipment, specifically relating to a cigarette storage warehouse suitable for different cigarette lengths. Background Technology

[0002] The cigarette storage warehouse (often simply referred to as the "cigarette warehouse") is a key buffer and feeding device before the cigarette packaging machine. Its basic function is to receive the cigarette stream from the upstream cigarette making machine, temporarily store and organize it in multiple parallel cigarette storage channels, and finally transport the cigarettes to the downstream packaging machine mold in sequence, time, and direction to ensure the continuous, stable, and efficient operation of the packaging process.

[0003] In existing technologies, to achieve the above functions, a typical traditional tobacco storage facility is mainly composed of two functional units: upper and lower.

[0004] The upper cigarette storage chamber is the core buffer and conveying area, typically composed of several (e.g., two) parallel vertical conveying channels. Each channel is structurally a fixed receiving cavity. Specifically, each channel is usually enclosed by fixed baffles on both sides, a fixed, immovable rear end plate (back plate), and a fixed front baffle, forming a vertical closed slide. The cigarette is placed horizontally within this slide and moves vertically downwards under its own weight. The final positioning surfaces at both ends (the filter end and the tobacco end) are defined by the back plate and the front baffle, respectively. The horizontal distance between the back plate and the front baffle constitutes the fixed receiving depth of the channel. This depth is fixed during design and manufacturing and precisely matches the length of a specific standard cigarette (e.g., a standard 84mm cigarette). This one-piece or rigidly connected integral structure ensures good mechanical stability and reliability during long-term production of a single specification product. After reaching the bottom of the slide, the cigarette is discharged through the outlet and enters the lower combing unit.

[0005] The lower cigarette sorting unit is located below the storage chamber outlet and is responsible for receiving and sorting the cigarettes falling from the storage chamber. This unit contains a diversion structure and a sorting structure. The diversion structure evenly distributes the incoming cigarette stream into multiple channels; the sorting structure typically consists of a series of guide plates with a specific layout and angle, which redirect the cigarettes from a single row and arrange them into a specific array required for downstream packaging (such as a 20-cigarette hard pack).

[0006] However, with the rapid growth in market demand for cigarettes of various sizes, such as short, medium, and long, frequent switching of cigarette specifications on production lines has become the norm. At this point, the fundamental flaws of the traditional structure become apparent: its physical storage space is a fixed and non-adjustable rigid unit. When switching to producing shorter cigarettes, the excessively deep channels cause the cigarettes to wobble and become disoriented, leading to conveyor blockages. When switching to producing longer cigarettes, the cigarettes cannot be fully inserted, interfering with the fixed backplate and causing equipment blockages or cigarette damage. Therefore, each product change necessitates a shutdown and the complete replacement or significant modification of the cigarette storage module to strictly correspond to the new cigarette length. This process not only causes numerous production interruptions and severely restricts production flexibility but also forces companies to stock multiple sets of specialized cigarette storage components of different specifications, significantly increasing equipment investment and maintenance costs.

[0007] This application is submitted to address the above issues. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of this invention is to provide a cigarette storage warehouse suitable for different cigarette lengths, so as to solve the problem that traditional cigarette warehouses cannot accommodate a variety of cigarette specifications due to their fixed storage space, thereby improving production flexibility, reducing downtime for changeovers and reducing equipment investment and maintenance costs.

[0009] The technical solution adopted in this invention is:

[0010] A cigarette storage chamber suitable for different cigarette lengths includes a frame 100, and a storage guide unit 200 and a lower storage guide and sorting unit disposed on the frame 100. The storage guide unit 200 includes two storage chambers arranged side by side, and each storage chamber has a cigarette channel formed by a front baffle, a movable back plate 202, a left side plate and a right side plate.

[0011] The movable back plate 202 is driven to be connected to the back plate adjustment mechanism 400. The back plate adjustment mechanism 400 is used to drive the movable back plate 202 to move along the depth direction of the cigarette channel to adjust the distance between the front baffle and the movable back plate 202.

[0012] Preferably, the cigarette channel is in the shape of a continuous S-shape, consisting of a first vertical segment 210, a horizontal segment 220 and a second vertical segment 230 connected sequentially from top to bottom;

[0013] The front baffle is a continuous plate, which simultaneously forms the front sidewall of the cigarette channel for at least two of the storage cavities.

[0014] The movable back panel 202 is a composite structure, including a pair of L-shaped side back panels 202b respectively disposed on the left and right sides and a lower side back panel 202c connected to the bottom of the pair of side back panels.

[0015] The first vertical section 210 is formed by the upper part of the front baffle, the upper vertical parts of the pair of L-shaped side back plates 202b, the first left side plate a and the first right side plate a together;

[0016] The cigarette channel of the horizontal section 220 is defined by the middle horizontal portion of the front baffle, the lower horizontal portions of the pair of L-shaped side back plates 202b, and the belt conveyor assembly disposed between the two; the belt conveyor assembly includes an upper conveyor belt 504a and a lower conveyor belt 504b disposed opposite to each other;

[0017] The second vertical section 230 is formed by the lower part of the front baffle, the lower back plate 202c, the second left side plate b, and the second right side plate b together.

[0018] Preferably, the movable back plate 202 is provided with a clearance structure for avoiding movement when it moves along the length of the cigarette;

[0019] The clearance structure includes a side plate clearance groove and a belt assembly clearance groove formed thereon; the side plate clearance groove is used to avoid the fixed first left side plate 203a, first right side plate 204a, second left side plate 203b and second right side plate 204b.

[0020] The belt assembly clearance groove is used to avoid the fixed installation structure of the belt conveyor assembly.

[0021] Preferably, the fixed installation structure of the belt conveyor assembly includes an upper belt roller 507a, a lower belt roller 507b, and an upper conveyor belt 504a and a lower conveyor belt 504b respectively surrounding thereon;

[0022] One end of the rotating shaft of the upper and lower belt rollers 507a and 507b is rotatably connected to the frame 100, and the other end extends out of the movable back plate 202;

[0023] The belt assembly clearance groove on the movable back plate 202 cooperates with the extended rotating shaft and the tensioning surface of the conveyor belt to form a clearance channel that allows the movable back plate 202 to move along the length of the cigarette.

[0024] Preferably, the widths of the upper conveyor belt 504a and the lower conveyor belt 504b are greater than the length of the longest cigarette required to fit the cigarette storage bin.

[0025] Preferably, the back panel adjustment mechanism 400 includes a plurality of linear drive units, which are respectively driven to the pair of L-shaped side back panels 202b and the lower side back panel 202c of the movable back panel 202, for driving the movable back panel 202 as a whole to move along the length of the cigarette.

[0026] Preferably, the lower storage flow guiding and combing unit 300 includes at least a vertical flow guiding cavity 301 corresponding to the number of storage cavities. Each vertical flow guiding cavity 301 has a diversion structure at its bottom for diverting the tobacco branch streams from the corresponding storage cavity and guiding them to at least two combing mechanisms 302 arranged side by side.

[0027] Preferably, the flow diversion structure is an inverted V-shaped flow guide block 303 fixed to the bottom of the vertical flow guide cavity 301.

[0028] Preferably, each of the sorting mechanisms 302 includes a set of guide plates 302a arranged in a converging manner for guiding and arranging the cigarettes into an array that matches the downstream hard pack packaging.

[0029] Preferably, it also includes a push-out mechanism disposed on the frame 100, wherein the push-out end of the push-out mechanism corresponds to the gap position between the adjacent guide plates 302a, and is used to push the arranged cigarette array from the combing mechanism 302 to the downstream packaging station;

[0030] The front baffle of the lower warehouse flow guiding and sorting unit 300 is composed of the lower part of the front baffle, and its back plate is composed of the lower back plate 202c.

[0031] The lower part of the front baffle is provided with a cigarette holder opening corresponding to the ejection path of the ejection mechanism;

[0032] The lower back plate 202c also has clearance structures corresponding to the inverted V-shaped guide block 303, the guide plate 302a and the ejection end of the ejection mechanism.

[0033] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0034] 1. This invention achieves continuous and controllable adjustment of the distance between the front baffle and the movable backplate by setting a movable backplate driven by a backplate adjustment mechanism. This makes the depth of the cigarette channel no longer fixed, thus allowing for corresponding adjustments based on the length of the cigarettes currently being produced. This enables the same set of equipment to cover multiple cigarette specifications within a certain length range, overcoming the fundamental limitation of traditional fixed-depth cigarette storage requiring dedicated machines.

[0035] 2. The dual-channel storage chamber is primarily based on the common production layout of multiple cigarette rolling machines corresponding to one packaging machine. Its core function is to receive, aggregate, and buffer the cigarette streams from multiple parallel rolling machines producing the same specifications within this storage chamber. This design effectively coordinates potential differences in production rhythm between the upstream rolling machines and the downstream packaging machines. By temporarily storing and orderly managing two independent cigarette streams, it avoids waiting times caused by instantaneous flow limitations in upstream equipment and provides a stable and balanced source of cigarettes for the downstream packaging machine's multi-channel synchronous supply (after subsequent sorting and diversion), thereby optimizing the process compatibility and operational continuity of the entire packaging unit.

[0036] 3. A continuous S-shaped channel consisting of a first vertical section, a horizontal section, and a second vertical section is adopted, changing the mode of cigarettes relying solely on gravity to accelerate their descent. Cigarettes are initially buffered and fall in an orderly manner in the first vertical section, and are actively clamped and horizontally transported by upper and lower conveyor belts in the horizontal section. This eliminates potential impacts and loss of control that could occur due to gravity acceleration, and also allows for controlled temporary storage of cigarettes in the middle of the channel, enabling a smoother flow of cigarettes into the second vertical section, resulting in a more orderly and gentle overall transport.

[0037] 4. The movable back panel adopts a composite structure consisting of an L-shaped side back panel and a lower side back panel, which allows it to fit completely with the three-section structure of the S-shaped channel, providing complete back constraint for the cigarette during adjustment.

[0038] The composite structure and clearance groove design on the movable backplate effectively resolves the inherent contradiction between adjustment function and structural rigidity in the adjustable mechanism. Its composite shape ensures continuous and stable back constraint for the cigarette throughout the adjustment process; while the precisely designed clearance groove allows the adjustment movement of the backplate to pass through the fixed side plates and transmission components without interference, achieving spatial decoupling between the moving and supporting components. This design reliably achieves flexible adjustment of the channel depth without weakening or compromising any key load-bearing structures such as the frame and side plates, thus ensuring the overall rigidity and operational stability of the equipment under long-term, repeated adjustment conditions.

[0039] 5. The width of the upper and lower conveyor belts is designed to be greater than the length of the longest cigarette required to be accommodated. This redundant design ensures that when the movable backplate moves back to accommodate a longer cigarette, the belt still has a sufficient width area to reliably clamp the entire circumference of the cigarette, avoiding slippage or conveying failure due to insufficient clamping area, and ensuring that the horizontal section conveying function is effective in all adjustment positions.

[0040] 6. The cavity of the lower storage flow guiding and sorting unit 300 is not independently constructed. Its front and rear boundaries are actually a direct continuation and shared structure of the upper storage flow guiding unit 200: its front baffle is formed by the lower part of the front baffle in the storage flow guiding unit 200, and its rear back plate is formed by the lower back plate 202c part of the movable back plate 202 in this unit. This integrated structural design means that when the lower back plate adjustment mechanism 400 drives the movable back plate 202 to move as a whole to adjust the channel depth of the storage flow guiding unit 200, the corresponding depth of the cavity of the lower storage flow guiding and sorting unit 300 also changes synchronously and equally.

[0041] This linkage mechanism fundamentally ensures that, after adjusting the backplate position to accommodate cigarettes of different lengths, the geometric space through which the cigarette passes from the outlet of the storage and guiding unit 200 to the inlet of the lower storage and guiding unit 300 remains matched and smooth, without requiring any additional independent adjustments to the interface between the two units. Based on this matched space, the inverted V-shaped guiding block 303 and the guide plate assembly 302a fixed within the guiding unit can continuously and stably perform the functions of diversion and array forming. Simultaneously, the clearance structures corresponding to the lower backplate 202c and the lower part of the front baffle reserve space for the movement of the cigarette passage and ejection mechanism. Therefore, the entire workflow from cigarette receiving, buffering and conveying, guiding and arranging to final ejection can automatically maintain coordination and reliable operation after switching cigarette specifications. Attached Figure Description

[0042] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0043] Figure 1 This is a first-orientation axonometric view of the present invention, in which the L-shaped side back plate on the right side is not shown;

[0044] Figure 2 This is a second-orientation isometric view of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 3 This is the front view of the present invention;

[0046] Reference numerals: 100, frame; 200, storage and guiding unit; 202, movable back plate; 202b, L-shaped side back plate; 202c, lower side back plate; 203a, first left side plate; 203b, second left side plate; 204a, first right side plate; 204b, second right side plate; 210, first vertical section; 220, horizontal section; 230, second vertical section; 300, lower storage guiding and combing unit; 301, vertical guiding cavity; 302, combing mechanism; 302a, guide plate; 303, inverted V-shaped guiding block; 400, back plate adjustment mechanism; 500, belt conveyor assembly; 504a, upper conveyor belt; 504b, lower conveyor belt; 507a, upper belt roller; 507b, lower belt roller. Detailed Implementation

[0047] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to embodiments, but this is not intended to limit the invention. Any modifications or improvements made based on the teachings of the present invention fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Where specific techniques or conditions are not specified in the embodiments, they shall be performed in accordance with the techniques or conditions described in the literature in the art or in accordance with the product manual.

[0048] Example 1

[0049] Please see Figures 1 to 3 This invention provides a cigarette storage chamber suitable for different cigarette lengths. The cigarette storage chamber mainly includes a frame 100, a storage and guiding unit 200 and a lower chamber guiding and sorting unit 300 mounted on the frame 100, and a backplate adjustment mechanism 400 for adjusting the channel depth. The lower chamber guiding and sorting unit 300 is located directly below the storage and guiding unit 200, and the two are spatially connected, forming a complete path for cigarettes from buffering, conveying, sorting, to output.

[0050] The material storage and guiding unit 200 is the core area for buffering and primary conveying of cigarettes. It includes at least two side-by-side storage chambers (two shown in the figure) for simultaneously receiving and processing cigarette streams from multiple (e.g., two) upstream cigarette making machines.

[0051] Each storage chamber forms an independent cigarette channel. This cigarette channel is not a traditional simple vertical slide, but rather a continuous S-shape, consisting of a first vertical section 210, a horizontal section 220, and a second vertical section 230 that are smoothly connected from top to bottom. This layout extends the buffer path and makes the conveying process more controllable.

[0052] The boundary components that constitute this S-shaped channel are as follows:

[0053] The front baffle 201 is a single continuous plate that is vertically installed on the front side of the frame 100. It also forms the common front sidewall of the tobacco channel of two (or more) side-by-side storage chambers, meaning that the tobacco ends of all cigarettes abut against the inner side of this plate.

[0054] The movable back plate 202 is a key movable component that realizes the core function of this invention. It is a composite structure mainly composed of three rigidly connected parts: a pair of L-shaped side back plates 202b respectively located on the left and right sides, and a lower side back plate 202c connected to the bottom end of the pair of L-shaped side back plates. The movable back plate 202 forms the rear sidewall of the cigarette channel, and the filter end of the cigarette rests against it.

[0055] The side panel assembly includes a first left side panel 203a and a first right side panel 204a fixed to the frame 100, as well as a second left side panel 203b and a second right side panel 204b. These side panels cooperate with the front and rear baffles to enclose the left and right boundaries of the passage.

[0056] The first vertical section 210 is formed by the upper part of the front baffle 201, the upper vertical parts of a pair of L-shaped side back panels 202b, the first left side panel 203a, and the first right side panel 204a. The cigarette stick falls mainly by gravity in this section.

[0057] The horizontal section 220 is defined by the middle horizontal portion of the front baffle 201, the lower horizontal portions of a pair of L-shaped side back panels 202b, and the belt conveyor assembly 500 disposed between them. The belt conveyor assembly 500 includes an upper conveyor belt 504a and a lower conveyor belt 504b arranged parallel to each other, forming a horizontal clamping and conveying space between them. The lower ends of the first left side panel 203a and the first right side panel 204a are provided with bent portions that bend inward toward the channel. These bent portions are precisely connected to the end faces of the upper and lower conveyor belts 504a and 504b, ensuring a smooth transition when the cigarette falls from the first vertical section 210 to the horizontal section 220, avoiding jamming or posture deviation at corners.

[0058] The second vertical section 230 is formed by the lower part of the front baffle 201, the lower back plate 202c, the second left side plate 203b, and the second right side plate 204b. After being conveyed in the horizontal section, the cigarette sticks fall again in this section by gravity, preparing to enter the lower storage.

[0059] To achieve channel depth adjustment, the movable backplate 202 is connected to the frame 100 via a backplate adjustment mechanism 400. The backplate adjustment mechanism 400 may include multiple (e.g., three) linear drive units (such as servo motor-driven lead screw and nut pairs, electric push rods, etc.), which are respectively connected to the upper and lower side backplates 202c of the two L-shaped side backplates 202b, thereby driving the entire movable backplate 202 as a whole to move smoothly and strictly along the length direction of the cigarette (i.e., the front-to-back direction), and thus precisely adjusting the distance between it and the front baffle 201.

[0060] To ensure that the movable back panel 202 does not interfere with the fixed structure during movement, and without compromising the integrity of the supporting components, a precise clearance design was implemented on the movable back panel 202:

[0061] The side panel clearance grooves are longitudinally grooved on the L-shaped side back panel 202b and the lower side back panel 202c, corresponding to the positions of the fixed first left side panel 203a, first right side panel 204a, second left side panel 203b, and second right side panel 204b. When the movable back panel 202 moves back and forth, these fixed side panels always remain within the corresponding clearance grooves, achieving "static-in-motion" clearance.

[0062] The belt assembly has a clearance groove. The upper belt roller 507a and lower belt roller 507b of the belt conveyor assembly 500 are mounted on the frame 100 via a rotating shaft. One end of the rotating shaft extends towards the movable back plate 202 and passes through a pre-set clearance groove on it. At the same time, the tensioning working surfaces of the upper and lower conveyor belts 504a and 504b are also located within the space of this clearance groove. This allows the movable back plate 202 to pass freely "behind" the rotating rollers and belt working surfaces without contacting them, achieving spatial decoupling between the moving back plate and the fixed transmission components.

[0063] Furthermore, the widths of the upper conveyor belt 504a and the lower conveyor belt 504b are designed to be greater than the length of the longest cigarette required to be accommodated in this cigarette storage bin. This width redundancy ensures that even if the movable backplate 202 is moved to its final position to accommodate the longest cigarette, the belt still has a sufficiently wide area to completely clamp the circumference of the cigarette, ensuring reliable conveying force and preventing slippage.

[0064] The lower storage flow guiding and sorting unit 300 is installed below the outlet of the second vertical section 230 of the storage flow guiding unit 200. Its structure is closely related to the upper unit, forming a structural linkage.

[0065] The unit includes two vertical guide chambers 301 (shown in the figure) equal in number to the upper storage chamber, each chamber directly receiving the smoke branch falling from the corresponding storage chamber.

[0066] The front baffle of each vertical flow guide cavity 301 is directly formed by the lower extension of the upper front baffle 201, while the rear backplate is formed by the extension of the lower backplate 202c of the movable backplate 202. This means that when the lower backplate adjustment mechanism 400 drives the movable backplate 202 to move as a whole, the cavity depth of the lower flow guide unit 300 also changes synchronously and equally, ensuring that the geometric space of the upper and lower interfaces is always automatically matched.

[0067] At the bottom of each vertical guide cavity 301, an inverted V-shaped guide block 303 is fixedly installed as a diversion structure to evenly divide the single stream of smoke into two streams.

[0068] Below the inverted V-shaped guide block 303, there are two sets of combing mechanisms 302. Each combing mechanism 302 consists of a set of guide plates 302a arranged in a converging manner according to a specific pattern, which are used to guide and arrange the diverted cigarettes into a specific array (such as a 7-6-7 array) required for downstream hard-pack packaging.

[0069] On the lower back plate 202c, clearance grooves are provided corresponding to the installation positions of the inverted V-shaped guide block 303 and each guide plate 302a. At the same time, a cigarette clearance opening is provided at the lower part of the front baffle 201, corresponding to the final ejection position of the cigarette array.

[0070] An ejection mechanism (not shown separately in the figure, usually a pneumatic or electric push rod assembly) is also provided on the frame 100. The arrangement of its ejection end (push plate) precisely corresponds to the gap position between adjacent guide plates 302a in the combing mechanism 302. On the lower back plate 202c, a clearance opening is also provided corresponding to the end point of the ejection end stroke of the ejection mechanism. The ejection mechanism is used to push the cigarette array already arranged in the combing mechanism 302 forward as a whole, through the cigarette clearance opening at the bottom of the front baffle 201, and into the mold box of the downstream packaging machine.

[0071] The working process of the cigarette storage chamber of this invention and the principle of adapting to cigarettes of different lengths are as follows:

[0072] 1. The cigarette streams of the same specification generated by the two upstream cigarette making machines enter the two parallel storage chambers of the storage and guiding unit 200. The cigarettes first enter the first vertical section 210, where they fall under gravity and form an initial buffer queue. Subsequently, the cigarettes reach the horizontal section 220, where they are gently held by the continuously moving upper conveyor belt 504a and lower conveyor belt 504b, changing from gravity-falling to active horizontal conveying. This process eliminates the impact caused by simple gravity acceleration and makes the cigarette stream speed controllable, forming a stable "live buffer" in the horizontal section. Afterward, the cigarettes enter the second vertical section 230, again falling under gravity, and enter the corresponding vertical guiding chamber 301 of the lower storage guiding and combing unit 300 through the outlet. After being diverted by the inverted V-shaped guiding block 303, the cigarettes enter the two sets of combing mechanisms 302, where they are automatically arranged into a prescribed array under the guidance of the converging guide plate 302a. Finally, the ejection mechanism pushes the arranged cigarette array as a whole to the downstream packaging station.

[0073] 2. When the production line needs to switch to producing cigarettes of a different length, it is not necessary to replace the entire cigarette storage unit. The operator (or through the automatic control system) activates the backplate adjustment mechanism 400. The adjustment mechanism 400 drives the movable backplate 202 to move forward or backward as a whole.

[0074] 3. Then drive the movable back plate 202 forward to reduce the distance between it and the front baffle 201, making the channel depth shallower to accommodate short cigarettes and prevent them from shaking in the channel.

[0075] 4. The drive back plate 202 moves backward, increasing the distance between it and the front baffle 201, making the channel deeper and providing sufficient space for long cigarettes.

[0076] During this adjustment process, thanks to the clearance groove design on the movable back plate 202, its movement can smoothly and unimpededly pass through the pivots of all fixed side plates and belt assemblies without interference. Simultaneously, because the front and rear walls of the lower chamber guide and combing unit 300 are shared with the upper unit, its depth is also automatically adjusted synchronously, ensuring a smooth path for the cigarette as it falls from the second vertical section 230 into the combing unit. Due to the redundant belt width, the belt can still effectively hold long cigarettes even after the movable back plate moves backward.

[0077] Once the adjustment is complete, the new cigarette specifications can be put into production. The entire changeover process is quick and simple, achieving the goal of adapting one set of equipment to multiple specifications, greatly improving production flexibility, and reducing downtime and spare parts costs.

[0078] Finally, it should be noted that the above preferred embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail through the above preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that various changes can be made to it in form and detail without departing from the scope defined by the claims of this application; the dimensions described in the drawings and embodiments are not related to the specific physical object and are not used to limit the protection scope of this application. The physical dimensions can be selected and changed according to actual needs.

Claims

1. A cigarette storage bin suitable for different cigarette lengths, comprising a frame (100), and a storage guide unit (200) and a lower storage guide and sorting unit (300) disposed on the frame (100), wherein the lower storage guide and sorting unit (300) is located below and communicates with the storage guide unit (200), characterized in that, The material storage and guiding unit (200) includes two material storage chambers arranged side by side, each of which has a cigarette channel formed by a front baffle, a movable back plate (202), a left side plate and a right side plate; The movable back plate (202) is driven to be connected to the back plate adjustment mechanism (400). The back plate adjustment mechanism (400) is used to drive the movable back plate (202) to move along the depth direction of the cigarette channel to adjust the distance between the front baffle and the movable back plate (202).

2. The cigarette storage warehouse according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cigarette channel is in a continuous S-shape, consisting of a first vertical segment (210), a horizontal segment (220), and a second vertical segment (230) connected sequentially from top to bottom; The front baffle is a continuous plate, which simultaneously forms the front sidewall of the cigarette channel for at least two of the storage cavities. The movable back panel (202) is a composite structure, including a pair of L-shaped side back panels (202b) respectively located on the left and right sides, and a lower side back panel (202c) connected to the bottom of the pair of side back panels. The first vertical section (210) is formed by the upper part of the front baffle, the upper vertical parts of the pair of L-shaped side back plates (202b), the first left side plate (203a) and the first right side plate (204a). The cigarette channel of the horizontal section (220) is defined by the middle horizontal portion of the front baffle, the lower horizontal portions of the pair of L-shaped side back plates (202b), and the belt conveyor assembly disposed between the two; the belt conveyor assembly includes an upper conveyor belt (504a) and a lower conveyor belt (504b) disposed opposite to each other. The second vertical section (230) is formed by the lower part of the front baffle, the lower back plate (202c), the second left side plate (203b) and the second right side plate (204b).

3. The cigarette storage warehouse according to claim 2, characterized in that, The movable back plate (202) is provided with a clearance structure for avoiding movement when it moves along the length of the cigarette; The clearance structure includes a side plate clearance groove and a belt assembly clearance groove formed thereon; The side plate clearance groove is used to avoid the fixed first left side plate (203a), first right side plate (204a), second left side plate (203b) and second right side plate (204b); The belt assembly clearance groove is used to avoid the fixed installation structure of the belt conveyor assembly.

4. The cigarette storage warehouse according to claim 3, characterized in that, The fixed installation structure of the belt conveyor assembly includes an upper belt roller (507a), a lower belt roller (507b), and an upper conveyor belt (504a) and a lower conveyor belt (504b) respectively surrounding thereon. One end of the rotating shaft of the upper and lower belt rollers (507a, 507b) is rotatably connected to the frame (100), and the other end extends out of the movable back plate (202). The belt assembly clearance groove on the movable back plate (202) cooperates with the extended rotating shaft and the tensioning surface of the conveyor belt to form a clearance channel that allows the movable back plate (202) to move along the length of the cigarette.

5. The cigarette storage warehouse according to claim 4, characterized in that, The widths of the upper conveyor belt (504a) and the lower conveyor belt (504b) are greater than the length of the longest cigarette required to fit the cigarette storage bin.

6. The cigarette storage facility according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The back panel adjustment mechanism (400) includes multiple linear drive units, which are respectively connected to the pair of L-shaped side back panels (202b) and the lower side back panel (202c) of the movable back panel (202) to drive the movable back panel (202) to move as a whole along the length of the cigarette.

7. The cigarette storage warehouse according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The lower storage flow guiding and sorting unit (300) includes at least vertical flow guiding cavities (301) corresponding to the number of storage cavities. Each vertical flow guiding cavity (301) has a diversion structure at its bottom for diverting the tobacco branch streams from the corresponding storage cavity and guiding them to at least two sorting mechanisms (302) arranged side by side.

8. The cigarette storage warehouse according to claim 7, characterized in that, The diversion structure is an inverted V-shaped diversion block (303) fixed to the bottom of the vertical diversion cavity (301).

9. The cigarette storage warehouse according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, Each of the sorting mechanisms (302) includes a set of guide plates (302a) arranged in a converging manner for guiding and arranging the cigarettes into an array that matches the downstream hard pack packaging.

10. The cigarette storage facility according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, It also includes a push-out mechanism disposed on the frame (100), the push-out end of the push-out mechanism corresponding to the gap position between the adjacent guide plate (302a), for pushing the arranged cigarette array from the combing mechanism (302) to the downstream packaging station; the front baffle of the lower warehouse guide combing unit (300) is formed by the lower part of the front baffle, and its back plate is formed by the lower back plate (202c); the lower part of the front baffle is provided with a cigarette clearance opening corresponding to the push-out path of the push-out mechanism; the lower back plate (202c) is also provided with clearance structures corresponding to the inverted V-shaped guide block (303), the guide plate (302a) and the push-out end of the push-out mechanism.

Images