Cigarette empty cylinder disorderly feeding device
By designing a disordered cigarette empty tube feeding device, the posture of the cigarette empty tube is automatically adjusted by gravity and sensors, which solves the problem of the filter end being directly opposite the cigarette blower in the existing technology, realizes a high degree of automation in cigarette empty tube feeding, and reduces manual operation.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ZHENGZHOU TOBACCO RES INST OF CNTC
- Filing Date
- 2025-05-23
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-05
AI Technical Summary
The existing cigarette empty tube feeding device cannot be adjusted in position, causing the filter tip to face the cigarette dispenser directly, which affects the filling effect. In addition, the empty cigarette tubes need to be manually arranged, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive.
A random feeding device for empty cigarette tubes was designed, including an empty tube hopper, a dropping hopper, a rotating disc, a push rod, and a control system. It automatically adjusts the posture of the empty cigarette tubes using gravity and sensors to ensure that the filter tip is aligned with the cigarette dispenser, thereby achieving automated feeding.
It enables automatic adjustment of the empty cigarette tube's posture, preventing the filter tip from being directly aligned with the cigarette dispenser, reducing manual operation, improving automation, and saving time and effort.
Smart Images
Figure CN224320223U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of cigarette testing equipment, specifically, to a random feeding device for empty cigarette tubes. Background Technology
[0002] In cigarette production, while ensuring the safety of tobacco products, the satisfaction and comfort of smokers must also be considered. Studies have shown that the intrinsic qualities of cigarettes, such as the ingredient ratios, tobacco filling density, and filling uniformity, all affect aroma quality and the release of harmful components in the smoke. Therefore, tobacco company laboratory personnel alter the ingredient ratios of tobacco products to improve the intrinsic quality of cigarettes, thereby developing new formulated tobacco products. When developing new formulated tobacco products, it is necessary to prepare cigarettes from the pre-mixed formulated tobacco for aroma testing. However, because these are experimental samples, the amount of formulated tobacco is small, making it impossible to prepare formulated cigarettes on a cigarette production line. Therefore, to more easily obtain formulated cigarettes, laboratory personnel use a cigarette-filling device to fill empty cigarette canisters with tobacco.
[0003] When filling cigarettes, empty cigarette tubes need to be fed into the cigarette dispenser, and the end of the empty cigarette tube should be directly aligned with the dispenser. Currently, there are few cigarette tube feeding devices that are compatible with cigarette dispensers. Laboratory personnel mostly manually hold the empty cigarette tubes directly and align them with the dispenser, which is time-consuming and laborious. Even if there are devices for feeding empty cigarette tubes, these devices are relatively simple and usually cannot adjust the orientation of the empty cigarette tubes. They are only suitable for feeding cigarette tubes arranged in an orderly manner. If the cigarette tubes are out of order, the filter end of the empty cigarette tube may be directly aligned with the dispenser, thus affecting the filling process. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings of existing technologies by providing a cigarette empty tube random feeding device that can adjust the posture of the empty cigarette tube, prevent the filter end of the empty cigarette tube from facing the cigarette dispenser, eliminate the need for deliberate arrangement of the empty cigarette tubes, achieve a high degree of automation, reduce manual operation, and save time and effort.
[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is: a disordered feeding device for empty cigarette tubes, including an empty tube hopper, a discharge hopper, an empty tube top plate, a rotating disk, a push rod, an empty tube guide groove, and a control system; the empty tube hopper is inclinedly arranged on one side of the discharge hopper, with its lower side open and facing the discharge hopper; the discharge hopper is vertically arranged, and the empty cigarette tubes can slide down the empty tube hopper under the action of gravity; the empty tube top plate moves up and down via a lifting mechanism. A rotating disk is positioned between the empty cigarette bin and the hopper to push the empty cigarette tubes in the empty cigarette bin one by one to the upper inlet of the hopper. The hopper has a rectangular cross-section and a tapered channel structure that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. A stop is located in the middle of the upper inlet of the hopper to flip the empty cigarette tubes from a horizontal position to a downward tilt. A color sensor is located on one side of the lower outlet of the hopper. The rotating disk is rotatably mounted below the hopper via a rotating mechanism. The rotating disk has a horizontally oriented central axis. A through-hole, corresponding to the lower outlet of the hopper, is radially formed on its outer circumference. An empty cigarette holder is located below the rotating disk, its upper surface being an arc-shaped concave surface that slides in contact with the lower outer circumference of the rotating disk. A push rod is horizontally positioned on one side of the rotating disk, and an empty cigarette guide groove is located on the other side, corresponding to the push rod. When the cigarette holder is rotated to a horizontal position, the push rod, the cigarette holder, and the empty cigarette guide groove are aligned. The push rod, through a linear module, reciprocates along its length to penetrate the horizontally positioned cigarette holder and push the empty cigarette into the empty cigarette guide groove. The control system is connected to the lifting mechanism, the color sensor, the rotating mechanism, and the linear module via signal control.
[0006] Based on the above, the top of the hollow cylinder top plate is an inverted V-shaped surface that is higher in the middle and lower on both sides.
[0007] Based on the above, the upper feed inlet of the hopper, near the empty cylinder hopper, has an inclined slope that is higher on the outside and lower on the inside.
[0008] Based on the above, the lifting mechanism includes a pneumatic slide table, which is located below the empty cylinder hopper. A connecting handle is provided at the lower part of the top plate of the empty cylinder, and the connecting handle is installed on the slide table of the pneumatic slide table. The slide table of the pneumatic slide table moves up and down, and the control system is connected to the pneumatic slide table via signal control.
[0009] Based on the above, the rotating mechanism includes a hollow rotating platform, which is disposed on one side below the hopper. The center line of the turntable of the hollow rotating platform is horizontally arranged, and the rotating disk is co-centered on the turntable of the hollow rotating platform. The control system is connected to the stepper motor of the hollow rotating platform via signal control.
[0010] Based on the above, the linear module is parallel to the push rod, and a hollow cylinder push rod seat is installed on the slider of the linear module. The end of the push rod away from the rotary disk is fixedly installed on the hollow cylinder push rod seat.
[0011] Based on the above, it also includes a push rod guide groove, which has the same structure as the empty cylinder guide groove and is symmetrically arranged about the rotating disk. The push rod is correspondingly slidably disposed in the push rod guide groove, and the length of the push rod is not less than the distance from the end of the push rod guide groove away from the rotating disk to the end of the empty cylinder guide groove near the rotating disk.
[0012] Based on the above, the hopper mainly consists of a hopper body and a cover plate. The front of the hopper body is provided with a discharge trough that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, forming a conical funnel shape. The stop block is located in the middle of the upper end of the discharge trough. The cover plate covers the discharge trough and is fixedly connected to the hopper body. The cavity enclosed by the cover plate and the hopper body constitutes the inner cavity of the hopper. The lower end of the hopper body is provided with a mounting hole that communicates with the lower end of the discharge trough. The color sensor is embedded in the mounting hole. The back of the hopper body is fixedly connected to the lower side of the empty cylinder hopper. The upper end of the hopper body is provided with an inclined groove that is higher at the back and lower at the front and connected to the upper end of the discharge trough. The surface of the inclined groove is the inclined slope.
[0013] This utility model has substantial features and advancements compared to existing technologies. Specifically, the empty cigarette cartridge hopper is inclined and positioned on one side of the hopper. Empty cigarette cartridges slide down into the hopper within the hopper. The top plate of the empty cartridge hopper moves up and down, pushing each empty cigarette cartridge in the hopper to the upper inlet of the hopper. After entering the upper inlet, the cartridges fall downwards and are blocked by the stop block, causing them to tilt downwards from a horizontal position. The empty cigarette cartridges then slide down the inner cavity of the hopper to the lower outlet, remaining vertical. The color sensor detects the color of the empty cigarette cartridges at the lower outlet and transmits the signal to the... The control system controls the rotating mechanism to rotate the rotating disk until the cigarette canister receiving hole aligns vertically with the lower discharge port of the hopper. After the empty cigarette canister enters the receiving hole, the control system determines the filter direction based on the color sensor's detection signal and controls the rotating mechanism to rotate the rotating disk 90° counterclockwise or clockwise, making the empty cigarette canister horizontal with its filter end facing the push rod. The control system then controls the linear module to move the push rod, causing it to pass through the horizontally positioned receiving hole and push the empty cigarette canister into the empty canister guide groove, aligning the canister end with the cigarette dispenser for filling. This completes the empty cigarette canister loading process. The above process allows for adjustment of the empty cigarette canister's posture, preventing the filter end from directly facing the cigarette dispenser. The empty cigarette canisters in the hopper do not need to be deliberately arranged, allowing for random loading, resulting in a high degree of automation, reduced manual operation, and saving time and labor.
[0014] The top of the empty cigarette canister is an inverted V-shaped surface, higher in the middle and lower on both sides. When an empty cigarette canister slides down the empty canister hopper towards the feed hopper, one canister slides to the upper part between the top of the empty canister top plate near the feed hopper and the feed hopper itself. The remaining empty cigarette canisters are blocked by the top of the empty canister top plate away from the feed hopper. This ensures that the empty canister top plate pushes one empty cigarette canister at a time, preventing multiple empty cigarette canisters from entering the feed hopper at once and causing blockage. Furthermore, the empty canister top plate... When the cigarette canister is pushed upwards to the upper feed inlet of the hopper, it will fall downwards along the sloping side of the top plate of the canister near the hopper into the hopper. At the same time, the upper feed inlet of the hopper has an inclined slope that is higher on the outside and lower on the inside. When the cigarette canister falls to the upper feed inlet of the hopper, it can slide down the inclined slope into the hopper. The structure is ingeniously designed and makes full use of the cigarette canister's own weight to achieve the automatic sliding action of the cigarette canister. Attached Figure Description
[0015] Figure 1 This is an axial view of the present invention.
[0016] Figure 2 This is a side view of the present invention.
[0017] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Sectional view along the BB direction.
[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the combination of the empty cylinder hopper, the empty cylinder top plate, and the pneumatic slide table of this utility model.
[0019] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 An explosion diagram.
[0020] Figure 6 An exploded view of the material discharge hopper of this utility model.
[0021] In the diagram: 1. Base plate; 2. Empty cylinder hopper; 3. Drop hopper; 4. Empty cylinder top plate; 5. Rotary disc; 6. Push rod; 7. Empty cylinder guide groove; 8. Support leg; 9. Stop block; 10. Color sensor; 11. Drum receiving hole; 12. Empty cylinder positioning seat; 13. Linear module; 14. Inverted V-shaped surface; 15. Inclined slope; 16. Pneumatic slide; 17. Connecting handle; 18. Hollow rotating platform; 19. Vertical plate; 20. Empty cylinder push rod seat; 21. Push rod guide groove; 22. Hopper body; 23. Cover plate; 24. Drop chute; 25. Mounting hole; 26. Inclined groove. Detailed Implementation
[0022] The technical solution of this utility model will be further described in detail below through specific embodiments.
[0023] like Figures 1-6As shown, the cigarette empty tube random feeding device includes a base plate 1, an empty tube hopper 2, a discharge hopper 3, an empty tube top plate 4, a rotating disk 5, a push rod 6, an empty tube guide groove 7, and a control system. The base plate 1 is equipped with support legs 8. The empty tube hopper 2 is inclinedly installed on top of the support legs 8. The discharge hopper 3 is vertically fixed to the lower side of the empty tube hopper 2. The lower side of the empty tube hopper 2 is open, allowing empty cigarette tubes to slide down the empty tube hopper 2 into the discharge hopper 3 under gravity. The empty tube top plate 4 is moved up and down via a lifting mechanism. A device is positioned between the empty cigarette bin 2 and the hopper 3 to push the empty cigarette tubes in the empty cigarette bin 2 one by one to the upper inlet of the hopper 3. The hopper 3 has a rectangular cross-section and a tapered channel structure that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. A stop 9 is provided in the middle of the upper inlet of the hopper 3 to flip the empty cigarette tubes from a horizontal position to an inclined downward position. A color sensor 10 is provided on one side of the lower outlet of the hopper 3. The rotating disk 5 is rotatably positioned below the hopper 3 via a rotating mechanism. The rotation center axis of the turntable 5 is horizontally set. A through-hole 11 is radially formed on the outer circumference of the turntable 5, corresponding vertically to the lower discharge port of the hopper 3. An empty cylinder positioning seat 12 is also provided below the turntable 5. The upper surface of the empty cylinder positioning seat 12 is an arc-shaped concave surface that slides in contact with the lower outer circumference of the turntable 5. The push rod 6 is horizontally arranged radially on one side of the turntable 5, and the empty cylinder guide groove 7 is located on the other side of the turntable 5 and is connected to the push rod 6. Corresponding to push rod 6, when the cylinder receiving hole 11 is rotated to the horizontal, the push rod 6, the cylinder receiving hole 11, and the empty cylinder guide groove 7 are on the same straight line. The push rod 6 can reciprocate along its length direction through the straight line module 13 and enter the horizontal cylinder receiving hole 11 to push out the empty cigarette tube in the cylinder receiving hole 11, so that the empty cigarette tube is pushed into the empty cylinder guide groove 7. The control system is connected to the lifting mechanism, the color sensor 10, the rotating mechanism, and the straight line module 13 for signal control.
[0024] The control system uses a PLC controller or a microcontroller, which is a standard setup. The specific structure and working principle will not be described in detail.
[0025] To ensure that the empty cigarette canister top plate 4 pushes one empty cigarette canister at a time, preventing multiple empty cigarette canisters from entering the hopper 3 at once and causing blockage, the preferred design is that the top of the empty cigarette canister top plate 4 is an inverted V-shaped surface 14, higher in the middle and lower on both sides. When the empty cigarette canisters slide down the empty cigarette canister 2 towards the hopper 3, one canister will slide to the upper part between the top of the empty cigarette canister top plate 4 and the hopper 3 on the side closest to the hopper 3, while the remaining empty cigarette canisters will be blocked by the top of the empty cigarette canister top plate 4 on the side furthest from the hopper 3. When the empty cigarette canister top plate 4 moves upward and pushes the empty cigarette canisters to the upper feed inlet of the hopper 3, the empty cigarette canisters will fall downwards along the top of the empty cigarette canister top plate 4 on the side closest to the hopper 3 into the hopper 3.
[0026] Furthermore, the upper feed inlet of the hopper 3, near the empty cigarette hopper 2, has an inclined slope 15 that is higher on the outside and lower on the inside. When an empty cigarette tube falls into the upper feed inlet of the hopper 3, it can slide down the inclined slope 15 into the hopper 3. This fully utilizes the weight of the empty cigarette tube to achieve the automatic sliding action of the empty cigarette tube.
[0027] In a preferred embodiment, the lifting mechanism includes a pneumatic slide 16 mounted on the support leg 8 and located below the empty cylinder hopper 2. A connecting handle 17 is provided at the lower part of the empty cylinder top plate 4, and the connecting handle 17 is mounted on the slide of the pneumatic slide 16. The pneumatic slide 16 moves up and down, and the control system is connected to the pneumatic slide 16 via signal control. In other embodiments, the lifting mechanism can also be an electric push rod, a linear motor, or other mechanisms capable of driving the empty cylinder top plate 4 to move up and down; these can all be achieved through reasonable design.
[0028] In a preferred embodiment, the rotating mechanism includes a hollow rotating platform 18, which is mounted on the base plate 1 via a vertical plate 19. The centerline of the turntable of the hollow rotating platform 18 is horizontally positioned, and the rotating disk 5 is concentrically mounted on the turntable of the hollow rotating platform 18. The control system is connected to the stepper motor of the hollow rotating platform 18 via signal control. In other embodiments, the rotating mechanism can also be a servo geared motor or a servo hydraulic motor, or other mechanism that can provide rotation.
[0029] The linear module 13 is parallel to the push rod 6. A hollow cylinder push rod seat 20 is mounted on the slider of the linear module 13, and the end of the push rod 6 away from the rotary disk 5 is fixedly mounted on the hollow cylinder push rod seat 20. The linear module 13 is preferably a ball screw type linear module, but other types of linear modules can also be used to achieve the same function.
[0030] To ensure that the push rod 6 does not vibrate during movement and can smoothly pass through the drum receiving hole 11, the base plate 1 is also provided with a push rod guide groove 21. The push rod guide groove 21 has the same structure as the empty drum guide groove 7 and is symmetrically arranged about the rotating disk 5. The push rod 6 is slidably disposed in the push rod guide groove 21. The length of the push rod 6 is not less than the distance from the end of the push rod guide groove 21 away from the rotating disk 5 to the end of the empty drum guide groove 7 near the rotating disk 5. The push rod guide groove 21 serves both to guide and support the push rod 6, preventing vibration and ensuring that the push rod 6 can smoothly pass through the drum receiving hole 11.
[0031] In this embodiment, the hopper 3 mainly consists of a hopper body 22 and a cover plate 23. The front of the hopper body 22 is provided with a discharge trough 24 that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom and is in the shape of a cone funnel. The stop block 9 is located in the middle of the upper end of the discharge trough 24. The cover plate 23 covers the discharge trough 24 and is fixedly connected to the hopper body 22. The cavity enclosed by the cover plate 23 and the hopper body 22 constitutes the inner cavity of the hopper 3. The lower end of the hopper body 22 is provided with a mounting hole 25 that communicates with the lower end of the discharge trough 24. The color sensor 10 is embedded in the mounting hole 25. The back of the hopper body 22 is fixedly connected to the lower side of the empty cylinder hopper 2. The upper end of the hopper body 22 is provided with an inclined groove 26 that is higher at the back and lower at the front and is connected to the upper end of the discharge trough 24. The surface of the inclined groove 26 is the inclined slope 15.
[0032] In operation, the control system controls the lifting mechanism to move the empty cigarette top plate 4 up and down. The empty cigarette top plate 4 then pushes the empty cigarette tubes in the empty cigarette bin 2 one by one to the upper feed inlet of the hopper 3. After entering the upper feed inlet of the hopper 3, the empty cigarette tubes fall downwards and are blocked by the stop block 9, causing them to flip from a horizontal state to an inclined downward position. The empty cigarette tubes can then slide down the inner cavity of the hopper 3 to the lower discharge outlet of the hopper 3 and remain vertical. The color sensor 10 detects the color of the empty cigarette tubes at the lower discharge outlet of the hopper 3 and transmits the signal to the control system. The control system then controls the rotating mechanism to rotate... When the disc 5 rotates until the tube receiving hole 11 aligns with the lower discharge port of the hopper 3, the empty cigarette tube enters the tube receiving hole 11. The control system determines the filter direction based on the detection signal from the color sensor 10 and controls the rotating mechanism to rotate the disc 5 90° counterclockwise or clockwise, so that the empty cigarette tube is rotated to a horizontal position with the filter end facing the push rod 6. The control system then controls the linear module 13 to move the push rod 6, so that the push rod 6 passes through the horizontal tube receiving hole 11 and pushes the empty cigarette tube into the empty tube guide groove 7, so that the tube end of the empty cigarette tube is aligned with the cigarette dispenser for filling with cigarettes. This completes the feeding of the empty cigarette tube. The above process allows for adjustment of the posture of empty cigarette tubes, preventing the filter tip of the empty cigarette tube from facing the cigarette dispenser directly. The empty cigarette tubes in the empty tube hopper 2 do not need to be deliberately arranged, and random feeding of empty cigarette tubes can be achieved. The process is highly automated, reduces manual operation, and saves time and effort.
[0033] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of this utility model and not to limit it; although the utility model has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the specific implementation of this utility model or equivalent substitutions can be made to some technical features without departing from the spirit of the technical solution of this utility model, and all such modifications and substitutions should be covered within the scope of the technical solution claimed by this utility model.
Claims
1. A random feeding device for empty cigarette tubes, characterized in that: The system includes an empty cigarette hopper, a discharge hopper, an empty cigarette top plate, a rotating disc, a push rod, an empty cigarette guide groove, and a control system. The empty cigarette hopper is inclined and positioned to one side of the discharge hopper, with its lower side open and facing the discharge hopper. The discharge hopper is vertically positioned, allowing empty cigarettes to slide down the empty cigarette hopper under gravity. The empty cigarette top plate is positioned between the empty cigarette hopper and the discharge hopper via a lifting mechanism to push the empty cigarettes in the empty cigarette hopper one by one to the upper inlet of the discharge hopper. The discharge hopper has a rectangular cross-section and a tapered channel structure, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. A stop is provided in the middle of the upper inlet of the discharge hopper to flip the empty cigarettes from a horizontal position to an inclined downward position. A color sensor is provided on one side of the lower outlet of the discharge hopper. The rotating disc is rotatably positioned below the discharge hopper via a rotating mechanism, with its rotation center axis horizontally positioned. The rotating disk has a through-hole on its outer circumference that corresponds vertically to the lower discharge port of the hopper. A cylinder positioning seat is located below the rotating disk, with its upper surface being an arc-shaped concave surface that slides in contact with the lower outer circumference of the rotating disk. A push rod is horizontally positioned on one side of the rotating disk along its radial direction, and a cylinder guide groove is located on the other side of the rotating disk, corresponding to the push rod. When the cylinder receiving hole is rotated to a horizontal position, the push rod, the cylinder receiving hole, and the cylinder guide groove are on the same straight line. The push rod, through a linear module, reciprocates along its length to penetrate the horizontally positioned cylinder receiving hole and push the empty cigarette cylinder out of the hole, into the cylinder guide groove. The control system is connected to the lifting mechanism, the color sensor, the rotating mechanism, and the linear module for signal control.
2. The disordered feeding device for empty cigarette tubes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top of the hollow cylinder top plate is an inverted V-shaped surface that is higher in the middle and lower on both sides.
3. The disordered feeding device for empty cigarette tubes according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The upper feed inlet of the hopper, near the empty hopper, has an sloping surface that is higher on the outside and lower on the inside.
4. The disordered feeding device for empty cigarette tubes according to claim 3, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism includes a pneumatic slide table, which is located below the empty cylinder hopper. A connecting handle is provided at the lower part of the top plate of the empty cylinder, and the connecting handle is installed on the slide table of the pneumatic slide table. The slide table of the pneumatic slide table moves up and down, and the control system is connected to the pneumatic slide table for signal control.
5. The disordered feeding device for empty cigarette tubes according to claim 3, characterized in that: The rotating mechanism includes a hollow rotating platform, which is located on one side below the hopper. The center line of the turntable of the hollow rotating platform is horizontally set, and the rotating disk is installed concentrically on the turntable of the hollow rotating platform. The control system is connected to the stepper motor of the hollow rotating platform for signal control.
6. The disordered feeding device for empty cigarette tubes according to claim 3, characterized in that: The linear module is parallel to the push rod, and a hollow cylinder push rod seat is installed on the slider of the linear module. The end of the push rod away from the rotary disk is fixedly installed on the hollow cylinder push rod seat.
7. The disordered feeding device for empty cigarette tubes according to claim 3, characterized in that: It also includes a push rod guide groove, which has the same structure as the empty cylinder guide groove and is symmetrically arranged about the rotating disk. The push rod is correspondingly slidably disposed in the push rod guide groove, and the length of the push rod is not less than the distance from the end of the push rod guide groove away from the rotating disk to the end of the empty cylinder guide groove near the rotating disk.
8. The disordered feeding device for empty cigarette tubes according to claim 3, characterized in that: The hopper mainly consists of a hopper body and a cover plate. The front of the hopper body is provided with a discharge trough that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, forming a conical funnel shape. The stop block is located in the middle of the upper end of the discharge trough. The cover plate covers the discharge trough and is fixedly connected to the hopper body. The cavity enclosed by the cover plate and the hopper body constitutes the inner cavity of the hopper. The lower end of the hopper body is provided with a mounting hole that communicates with the lower end of the discharge trough. The color sensor is embedded in the mounting hole. The back of the hopper body is fixedly connected to the lower side of the empty cylinder hopper. The upper end of the hopper body is provided with an inclined groove that is higher at the back and lower at the front and connected to the upper end of the discharge trough. The surface of the inclined groove is the inclined slope.