Manufacturing method and manufacturing machine for the production of heat-not-burn smoking articles

Abstract

Manufacturing method and manufacturing machine (9) for the production of heat-not-burn smoking articles (1). The method comprises: moving a tobacco-based web (14) along a first path (P1); processing the tobacco-based web (14) by means of a pair of rollers (17) cooperating with one another; forming the tobacco-based web (14) into a rod (19) with a cylindrical shape, which longitudinally moves along the first path (P1); wrapping a wrapping web (21) around the rod (19); cutting the rod (19) wrapped with the wrapping web (21) crosswise so as to obtain tobacco-based pieces (2), which longitudinally move along the first path (P1); picking up the tobacco-based pieces (2) longitudinally moving along the first path (P1) and transferring the tobacco-based pieces (2) to a second path (P2), which is transverse relative to the first path (P1), by means of a transfer drum (26), which is mounted so as to rotate around a rotation axis (27); moving the tobacco-based pieces (2) crosswise along the second path (P2); coupling each tobacco-based piece (2), during its transverse movement along the second path (P2), to an assembly (5) consisting of at least two different components (6); and wrapping around each tobacco-based piece (2) and the corresponding assembly (5), during their transverse movement along the second path (P2), a connection band (7), which establishes a stable connection in order to complete the formation of at least one heat-not-burn smoking article (1).

Description

Technical Field of the Invention

[0001] The invention relates to a manufacturing method and to a manufacturing machine for the production of heat-not-burn smoking articles (cigarettes), namely for a smoking article (cigarette) sold under the name of HNB.State of the Art

[0002] Recently, the market has started offering heat-not-burn articles (cigarettes), in which a tobacco-based piece, instead of being burnt (namely, subjected to direct combustion), is heated at temperatures ranging from 300°C to 400°C in order to generated an aerosol, which contains nicotine and is inhaled by smokers after having flown through at least one filter coupled to the tobacco-based piece.

[0003] Heat-not-burn smoking articles (cigarettes) are currently produced by means of combining machines of the type disclosed in patent application WO2014064655A1. A combining machine comprises: a plurality of feeding stations to feed a relative component of the smoking article, a sequence of combining drums, in which each seat receives the components, next to one another, from each feeding station, and a rolling unit, in which the components, next to one another, are wrapped in a connection band. Taking into account that a heat-not-burn smoking article usually comprises at least four different components, the combining machine has to include at least four different feeding stations and, as a consequence, the combining machine generally is complex and large-sized.

[0004] Patent application EP3075266A1 describes a method to produce an article generating aerosol containing reconstituted tobacco.

[0005] Patent application US2020205465A1 discloses a modular machine for assembling cigarettes.

[0006] Patent application US2018199616A1 describes a cylindrical piece used for manufacturing a smoking article and comprising a gathered sheet of homogenised tobacco material circumscribed by a wrapper.

[0007] Patent application IT201800004018A1 discloses a method for the production of a smoking article.Subject and Summary of the Invention

[0008] The object of the invention is to provide a manufacturing method and a manufacturing machine for the production of heat-not-burn smoking articles, which are easy and economic to be implemented and, at the same time, are capable of reaching proper production rates, ensuring high quality standards.

[0009] According to the invention, there are provided a manufacturing method and a manufacturing machine for the production of heat-not-burn smoking articles according to the appended claims.

[0010] The appended claims describe preferred embodiments of the invention and form an integral part of the description.Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011] The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings showing a non-limiting embodiment thereof, wherein: figure 1 is a schematic longitudinal section view of a heat-not-burn smoking article; figures 2, 3 and 4 are respective schematic longitudinal section views of corresponding variants of the heat-not-burn smoking article of figure 1; figure 5 is a schematic plan view of a manufacturing machine producing the heat-not-burn smoking article of figure 1; figure 6 is a schematic front view of a first manufacturing unit of the manufacturing machine of figure 5; figure 7 is a schematic front view of a second manufacturing unit of the manufacturing machine of figure 5; figure 8 is a schematic front view of a transfer unit of the manufacturing machine of figure 5; figure 9 is a schematic view of part of the transfer unit of figure 8 and of part of the second manufacturing unit of figure 8; and figures 10 schematically show the steps for the production of the heat-not-burn smoking article of figure 1 in the manufacturing machine of figure 5. Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments of the Invention

[0012] In figure 1, reference number 1 indicates, as a whole, a heat-not-burn smoking article.

[0013] The smoking article 1 comprises a tobacco-based piece 2 with a cylindrical shape, which is designed to be heated (without combustion of the tobacco) in order to generate an aerosol containing nicotine. In particular, the tobacco-based piece 2 consists of a tobacco-based core 3 with a cylindrical shape wrapped in a wrapping band 4, which can be made of paper (or another similar material) or can be tobacco-based, as well. The tobacco-based piece 2 normally has a length ranging from 8 to 16 mm.

[0014] The smoking article 1 further comprises an assembly 5 of components 6, which has, as a whole, a cylindrical shape and is firmly connected, at its head, to the tobacco-based piece 2 by means of a connection band 7 (made of paper or of another similar material), which is partially wrapped on the wrapping bad 4 of the tobacco-based piece 2. In the embodiment shown in figure 1, the assembly 5 consists of two components 6 coupled head to head and held together by a connection band 8 (made of paper or another similar material), around which the connection band 6 is wrapped; obviously, the assembly 5 could also consist of a different number of components 6: from a minimum of one single component 6 to a maximum of six-eight components 6 (figure 2 shows an embodiment in which the assembly 5 consists of four components 6). According to a variant which is not shown herein, the assembly 5 of components 6 could also be firmly connected to the tobacco-based piece 2 by providing an empty space between the relative head ends.

[0015] The components 6 of an assembly 5 can comprise, for example, filtering components 6, aromatic components 6, cooling components 6 or other components. Generally (though not necessarily), an assembly 5 comprises at least one filtering component 6, since the article typically requires the aerosol generated by the heating of the tobacco-based piece 2 to be filtered (even to a very small extent); obviously, an assembly 5 could also comprise two or more filtering components 6 (adjacent to one another or separate from one another), which carry out different filtering actions in series.

[0016] It should be pointed out that the bands 4, 7 and 8 always have respective glue strips (widely known and not shown in the accompanying figures), which are axially arranged so as to glue the bands 4, 7 and 8 onto themselves in order to firmly hold the bands 4, 7 and 8 in their wrapped configuration.

[0017] The connection band 7 preferably has an axial length that is smaller than an axial length of the smoking article 1 and, hence, leaves part of the smoking article 1 uncovered, in particular leaves a (main) part of the tobacco-based piece 2 uncovered.

[0018] In the two embodiments shown in figures 1 and 2, the assembly 5 is formed (assembled) independently of the corresponding tobacco-based piece 2 and, then, is provided with the connection band 8 needed to hold the different components 6 of the assembly 5 together. In the two alternative embodiments shown in figures 3 and 4, the assembly 5 is formed (assembled) together with the corresponding tobacco-based piece 2 and, therefore, lacks the connection band 8, for it only needs the connection band 6 (which also serves as connection between the assembly 5 and the tobacco-based piece 2) in order to hold the different components 6 of the assembly 5 together.

[0019] In figure 5, reference number 9 indicates, as a whole, a manufacturing machine, which produces the heat-not-burn smoking articles 1 shown in figures 1 and 2 and, with some adjustments, could also produce the heat-not-burn smoking articles 1 shown in figures 3 and 4.

[0020] The manufacturing machine 9 comprises a manufacturing unit 10, which produces the tobacco-based pieces 2, and a manufacturing unit 11, which assembles (combines) the tobacco-based pieces 2 and the assemblies 5, so as to complete the production of the smoking articles 1. The manufacturing unit 10 is adjacent to the manufacturing unit 11 and is oriented perpendicularly to the manufacturing unit 11; the manufacturing machine 9 also comprises a transfer unit 12, which is interposed between the manufacturing units 10 and 11 and directly transfers the tobacco-based pieces 2 from an output station S1 of the manufacturing unit 10 to an input station S2 of the manufacturing unit 11.

[0021] By way of non-limiting example, the manufacturing unit 10 is of the type described in patent applications EP3469922A1 and EP3469923A1.

[0022] According to figure 6, the manufacturing unit 10 comprises a conveyor system 13, which moves, along a path P1, a tobacco-based web 14, which is progressively unwound from a reel 15.

[0023] The manufacturing unit 10 comprises a processing device 16, which processes the tobacco-based web 14 moving along the path P1. According to a preferred embodiment, the processing device 16 comprises a pair of rollers 17 cooperating with one another in order to process the tobacco-based web 14, which is caused to go through the two rollers 17; by way of example, the two rollers 17 fold and / or cut the tobacco-based web 14 along longitudinal folding and / or cutting lines (namely, parallel to the moving direction along the path P1). The ways in which the pair of rollers 17 folds and cuts the tobacco-based web 14 are described in detail, for example, in patent applications EP3469922A1 and EP3469923A1; obviously, the pair of rollers 17 could also carry out other types of processing operations on the tobacco-based web 14.

[0024] The manufacturing unit 10 comprises a forming device 18, which is arranged downstream of the pair of rollers 17 and receives the tobacco-based web 14 processed by the pair of rollers 17; the forming device 18 gathers the tobacco-based web 14 processed by the pair of rollers 17 so as to form a rod 19 with a cylindrical shape, which longitudinally moves along the path P1.

[0025] The manufacturing unit 10 comprises a wrapping device 20 to wrap a wrapping web 21 (which will build the wrapping band 4 of a single tobacco-based piece 2) unwound from a reel 22 around the rod 19 (coming out of the forming device 18). Namely, the wrapping web 21 is bent so as to form a tube, which surrounds the rod 19 without clearance. The wrapping device 20 comprises a forming beam, which is configured to receive the rod 19 from the forming device 18 and to receive a previously glued wrapping web 21 (namely, provided with glue) from the bottom.

[0026] The manufacturing unit 10 comprises a cutting device 23, which is arranged downstream of the wrapping device 20 and cuts the rod 19 crosswise so as to obtain tobacco-based pieces 2, which longitudinally move along the path P1.

[0027] Downstream of the cutting device 23 there is the output station S1, where the tobacco-based pieces 2 singularly leave the manufacturing unit 10.

[0028] The manufacturing unit 10 could also comprise an additive application device, not shown, to apply an additive onto the tobacco-based web 14 upstream or downstream of the processing device 16.

[0029] According to figure 7, the manufacturing unit 11 comprises a drum conveyor system 24 to move the tobacco-based pieces 2 crosswise along a path P2, which is transverse to the path P1. In particular, the conveyor system 24 comprises a plurality of drums, which are provided with sucking peripheral seats and are mounted so as to rotate around respective horizontal rotation axes, which are perpendicular to the plane of figure 1. The conveyor system 24, namely the path P2, starts with an input drum 25, which receives the tobacco-based pieces 2 in the area of the input station S2.

[0030] According to figure 8, the transfer unit 12 comprises a transfer drum 26, which is mounted so as to rotate around a rotation axis 27 (which is horizontal and perpendicular to the path P1) and supports a plurality of sucking holding heads 28, which move from the output station S1, where they retrieve the tobacco-based pieces 2 with a longitudinal movement (as shown in figure 8), to the input station S2, where they release the tobacco-based pieces 2 with a transverse movement onto the sucking seats of the input drum 25 (as shown in figure 9). Due to the small axial dimension (length) of the tobacco-based pieces 2, the transfer drum 26 preferably supports at least eight sucking holding heads 28 (as shown in figure 8); in particular, there should be at least ten (or eleven or twelve) sucking holding heads 28.

[0031] According to figure 7, the manufacturing unit 11 comprises a cutting drum 29, which receives the tobacco-based pieces 2 from the input drum 25 (as shown in figure 10a) and cooperates with a cutting device 30 in order to cut each tobacco-based piece 2 in half (as shown in figure 10b). To this regard, it should be pointed out that the tobacco-based pieces 2 coming from the manufacturing unit 10 have a double length (i.e. have a length that is twice the length of a tobacco-based piece 2 of a finished smoking article 2) and, therefore, are cut in half (i.e. into two identical pieces) so as to create two distinct tobacco-based pieces 2 with a single length, which are going to build two distinct smoking articles 1.

[0032] The manufacturing unit 11 comprises a spacing drum 31, which receives the pairs of tobacco-based pieces 2 with a single length (still adjacent to one another) from the cutting drum 29 and axially separates them, namely axially moves them apart from one another (as shown in figure 10c).

[0033] The manufacturing unit 11 comprises a combining drum 32, which receives, at first, assemblies 5 with a double length (i.e. having a length that is twice the length of an assembly 5 of a finished smoking article 2) and subsequently receives, from the spacing drum 31, the pairs of tobacco-based pieces 2 with a single length, which are placed at the opposite ends of the assemblies 5 with a double length (as shown in figure 10d).

[0034] The manufacturing unit 11 comprises a hopper 33, which contains a mass of assemblies 5 with a double length and a series of feeding drums 34-37, which retrieve the assemblies 5 with a double length from the bottom of the hopper 33 and insert the assemblies 5 with a double length into the sucking seats of the combining drum 32.

[0035] The manufacturing unit 11 comprises a coupling drum 38, which receives, from the combining drum 35, the pairs of tobacco-based pieces 2 with a single length with the assemblies 5 with a double length interposed between them and applies respective connection bands 7 with a double length (as shown in figure 10e) obtained from the transverse cut of a previously glued connection web 39 (namely, provided with glue) unwound from a reel.

[0036] The manufacturing unit 11 comprises a rolling drum 40, where the wrapping of the connection bands 7 with a double length around the pairs of tobacco-based pieces 2 with a single length with the assemblies 5 with a double length interposed between them is completed; in the rolling drum 40, the formation of pairs of smoking articles 1 joined to one another at the centre (as shown in figure 10e) is completed.

[0037] The manufacturing unit 11 comprises a passage drum 41, which receives the pairs of smoking articles 1 joined to one another at the centre from the rolling drum 40.

[0038] The manufacturing unit 11 comprises a cutting drum 42, which receives the pairs of smoking articles 1 joined to one another at the centre from the passage drum 41 and cooperates with a cutting device 43 in order to cut each pair of smoking articles 1 joined to one another at the centre in half, thus separating the two smoking articles 1 (as shown in figure 10f).

[0039] The final part of the manufacturing unit 11 comprises a passage drum 44 and a tip-turning drum 45, where each smoking article 1 of a same row is subjected to a so-called tip-turning in order to shift from an orientation that is discordant from the other adjacent smoking article 1 to an orientation that is concordant with the other smoking article 1 and, simultaneously, in order to shift from two rows of smoking articles 1 next to one another to one single row of smoking articles 1 (obviously, having a distribution distance that is halved relative to the two rows of smoking articles 1 next to one another).

[0040] In the embodiment shown in figures 1 and 10, each assembly 5 comprises only two components 6; according to other embodiments, each assembly 5 comprises a different number of components 6: from a minimum of one single component 6 to a maximum of six-eight components 6.

[0041] In the embodiment shown in figures 7 and 10, the manufacturing unit 11 is supplied with the complete (namely, finished) assemblies 5 with a double length, each of them comprising all components 6 and the connection band 8, which determines a firm connection of all components 6; namely, each assembly 5 is formed on the outside of the manufacturing unit 11, which receives the assemblies 5 already formed. This embodiment also includes the connection band 8, which is necessary to hold the assembly 5 together upstream of the manufacturing unit 11. According to a different embodiment which is not shown herein, the manufacturing unit 11 is supplied with the loose components 6 (namely, separate from one another) of a same assembly 5 and, therefore, each assembly 5 is formed in the manufacturing unit 11 in known ways. This embodiment does not include the connection band 8, whose function is no longer necessary as, once an assembly 5 is formed beside a tobacco-based piece 2, the assembly 5 is held together by the connection band 6, which is applied immediately after the completion of the assembly 5.

[0042] In the embodiment shown in figures 7 and 10, the manufacturing unit 11 is supplied with the tobacco-based pieces 2 with a double length and with the assemblies 5 with a double length so as to operate on a double line (namely, so as to simultaneously form two smoking articles 1 axially side by side). According to a different embodiment, the manufacturing unit 11 is supplied with the tobacco-based pieces 2 with a double length and with the assemblies 5 with a single length so as to operate on a single line (namely, so as to form one smoking article 1 at a time). In other words, in the production sequence shown in figures 7 and 10, two smoking articles 1 at a time are processed in parallel; alternatively, one single smoking article 1 at a time could be processed.

[0043] The embodiments described herein can be combined with one another, without for this reason going beyond the scope of protection of the invention.

[0044] The manufacturing machine 9 described above has numerous advantages.

[0045] First of all, the manufacturing machine 9 described above is particularly compact and relatively simple and economic to be created.

[0046] Furthermore, the manufacturing machine 9 described above reaches relatively high hourly production rates, though ensuring a high quality standard (namely, ensuring the formation of tubular elements 1 with a perfect shape and without more or less evident compressions or deformations).LIST OF THE REFERENCE NUMBERS OF THE FIGURES

[0047] 1smoking article 2tobacco-based piece 3tobacco core 4wrapping band 5assembly 6components 7connection band 8connection band 9manufacturing machine 10manufacturing unit 11manufacturing unit 12transfer unit 13conveyor system 14tobacco-based web 15reel 16processing device 17rollers 18forming device 19rod 20wrapping device 21wrapping web 22reel 23cutting device 24conveyor system 25input drum 26transfer drum 27rotation axis 28holding heads 29cutting drum 30cutting device 31spacing drum 32combining drum 33hopper 34feeding drum 35feeding drum 36feeding drum 37feeding drum 38coupling drum 39connection web 40rolling drum 41passage drum 42cutting drum 43cutting device 44passage drum 45tip-turning drum S1output station S2input station

Claims

1. A manufacturing method for the production of heat-not-burn smoking articles (1) comprising the steps of: moving a tobacco-based web (14) along a first path (P1); processing the tobacco-based web (14) by means of a pair of rollers (17) cooperating with one another, between which the tobacco-based web (14) passes; forming the tobacco-based web (14) processed by the pair of rollers (17) into a rod (19) with a cylindrical shape, which longitudinally moves along the first path (P1); wrapping a wrapping web (21) around the rod (19); cutting the rod (19) wrapped with the wrapping web (21) crosswise so as to obtain tobacco-based pieces (2), which longitudinally move along the first path (P1); picking up the tobacco-based pieces (2) longitudinally moving along the first path (P1) and transferring the tobacco-based pieces (2) to a second path (P2), which is transverse relative to the first path (P1), by means of a transfer drum (26), which is mounted so as to rotate around a rotation axis (27); moving the tobacco-based pieces (2) crosswise along the second path (P2); coupling each tobacco-based piece (2), during its transverse movement along the second path (P2), to an assembly (5) consisting of at least two different components (6); and wrapping around each tobacco-based piece (2) and the corresponding assembly (5), during their transverse movement along the second path (P2), a first connection band (7), which establishes a stable connection in order to complete the formation of at least one heat-not-burn smoking article (1); the manufacturing method is characterized in that the step of processing the tobacco-based web (14) entails folding and / or cutting the tobacco-based web (14) along longitudinal lines.

2. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein each smoking article (1) has a tobacco-based piece (2) having a length ranging from 8 to 16 mm.

3. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: the step of cutting the rod (19) wrapped with the wrapping web (21) crosswise entails cutting tobacco-based pieces (2) with a double length that is twice a final length of a tobacco-based piece (2) of a smoking article (1); after the transverse movement of the tobacco-based pieces (2) along the second path (P2), each tobacco-based piece (2) with a double length is cut into two halves, which are then axially spread apart from one another in order to insert, between the two halves, an assembly (5) with a double length; and the assembly (5) with a double length is cut into two halves so as to separate two distinct smoking articles (1) formed together.

4. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the step of cutting the rod (19) wrapped with the wrapping web (21) crosswise entails cutting tobacco-based pieces (2) with a length that is the same as a final length of a tobacco-based piece (2) of a smoking article (1).

5. The manufacturing method according to one of the claims from 1 to 4 and comprising the further step of wrapping around each assembly (5) a second connection band (8), which creates a stable connection between said at least two components (6) of the assembly (5), before coupling the assembly (5) to the corresponding tobacco-based piece (2).

6. The manufacturing method according to one of the claims from 1 to 4, wherein the step of coupling each tobacco-based piece (2) to a corresponding assembly (5) comprises the further steps of: coupling the tobacco-based piece (2) to a first component (6) of the assembly (5); and subsequently coupling the tobacco-based piece (2), which is already coupled t the first component (6), to a second component (6) of the assembly (5).

7. The manufacturing method according to one of the claims from 1 to 6, wherein each first connection band (6) has a smaller axial length than an axial length of a smoking article (1) and, hence, it leaves a part of the corresponding smoking article (1) uncovered, in particular it leaves a part of the tobacco-based piece (2) uncovered.

8. The manufacturing method according to one of the claims from 1 to 7, wherein: the steps of moving the tobacco-based web (14) along the first path (P1), processing the tobacco-based web (14), forming the tobacco-based web (14) into a rod, wrapping the wrapping web (21) and cutting the rod (19) crosswise are carried out in a first manufacturing unit (10); and the steps of moving tobacco-based pieces (2) crosswise along the second path (P2), coupling each tobacco-based piece (2) to an assembly (5) and wrapping the first connection band (7) around each tobacco-based piece (2) and the corresponding assembly (5) are carried out in a second manufacturing unit (10), which is adjacent and orthogonal to the first manufacturing unit (10).

9. The manufacturing method according to one of the claims from 1 to 8, wherein the transfer drum (26), by rotating around the rotation axis (27), moves a plurality of sucking holding heads (28), which move from an output station (S1), where they pick up the tobacco-based pieces (2) with a longitudinal movement, to an input station (S2), where they release the tobacco-shaped pieces (2) with a transverse movement.

10. The manufacturing method according to one of the claims from 1 to 9, wherein the transfer drum (26), by rotating around the rotation axis (27), moves at least eight and, preferably, at least ten sucking operating heads (28).

11. A manufacturing machine (8) for the production of heat-not-burn smoking articles (1), comprising: a first conveyor system (13) to move a tobacco-based web (14) along a first path (P1); a pair of rollers (17) cooperating with one another to process the tobacco-based web (14), which passes through the two rollers (17); a forming device (18) to form the tobacco-based web (14) processed by the pair of rollers (17) into a rod (19) with a cylindrical shape, which longitudinally moves along the first path (P1); a first wrapping device (20) to wrap a wrapping web (21) around the rod (19); a cutting device (23) to cut the rod (19) wrapped with the wrapping web (21) crosswise so as to obtain tobacco-based pieces (2), which longitudinally move along the first path (P1); a transfer drum (26), which is mounted so as to rotate around a rotation axis (27) in order to pick up the tobacco-based pieces (2), which longitudinally move along the first path (P1), and transfer the tobacco-based pieces (2) to a second path (P2), which is transverse relative to the first path (P1); a second conveyor system (24) to move a tobacco-based pieces (2) crosswise along a second path (P2); a coupling system to couple each tobacco-based piece (2), during its transverse movement along the second path (P2), to an assembly (5) consisting of at least two different components (6); and a second wrapping device to wrap around each tobacco-based piece (2) and the corresponding assembly (5), during their transverse movement along the second path (P2), a connection band (7), which establishes a stable connection in order to complete the formation of at least one heat-not-burn smoking article (1); the manufacturing machine (8) is characterized in that the pair of rollers (17) are configured for folding and / or cutting the tobacco-based web (14) along longitudinal lines.

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