Multifunctional hollow filter rod preparation equipment

Abstract

The present invention provides a multi-functional hollow filter rod preparation device in the technical field of hollow filter rod, which includes a molding cavity, a molding core at least a part of which is located in the molding cavity, and an air supply section for communicating with the molding cavity, the air supply section includes a heating chamber for communicating with the molding cavity, a filtering chamber for communicating with the heating chamber, and an air pump installed between the heating chamber and the filtering chamber, and under the operation of the air pump, the clean air filtered by the filtering chamber is heated in the heating chamber, and the heated air finally reaches the molding cavity and contacts with the polylactic acid fiber tow in the molding cavity, thereby achieving the effect of molding polylactic acid fiber hollow filter rod. The present invention has a simple structure and adopts a hot air heating method to mold the filter rod, so that it can not only prepare hollow filter rods made of polylactic acid material, but also prepare hollow filter rods with a multi-layer structure, and effectively avoids the problem of the filter rod hole walls becoming irregular when heated by steam, and has a high molding effect of hollow filter rods.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of hollow filter rods, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a multi-functional hollow filter rod preparation device. [Background technology]

[0002] As tobacco production technology develops day by day, the types and appearances of cigarettes become more and more diverse, and people increasingly prefer cigarettes with unique shapes, which gave rise to a new type of filter rod called a hollow filter rod.

[0003] The production of tubular (hollow) filter rods using acetate fiber tow has become a nearly complete process technology. For example, Chinese Patent CN113576024A discloses a hollow filter rod molding equipment including a fiber opening machine, a filter rod molding device, a drawing device, and a cutting device, in which the fiber opening machine, filter rod molding device, drawing device, and cutting device are connected in this order, and the fiber opening machine includes a first roller conveying assembly, a first glycerin adding assembly, a second roller conveying assembly, and a second glycerin adding assembly, the first roller conveying assembly and the first glycerin adding assembly are spaced apart, and the second roller conveying assembly and the second glycerin adding assembly are spaced apart, the filter rod molding device processes and molds the acetate fiber tow of the first glycerin adding assembly and the second glycerin adding assembly into a filter rod, the drawing device pulls the filter rod and moves it toward the cutting device, and the cutting device cuts the filter rod.

[0004] Compared with acetate fiber, polylactic acid has the advantages of low cost, easy decomposition, and non-polluting properties, so currently research into the preparation of polylactic acid filter rods has become very important. However, the use of polylactic acid tow tubular There is no doubt that the process technology for producing (hollow) filter rods is currently inadequate. When producing tubular (hollow) filter rods using acetate fiber tow, the filter rods are all made by rapidly hardening them using steam heating.Tubular (hollow) filter rods are usually circular, but by selecting core rods of various shapes during the molding process, it is possible to make tubular (hollow) filter rods of various special shapes.However, when molding using steam heating, steam condenses in the curved parts of the special shapes, which can easily cause the walls of the molded hollow holes to become uneven, resulting in more irregular shapes of the filter rod.

[0005] Furthermore, polylactic acid (PLA) is a thermoplastic aliphatic polyester with a relatively low glass transition temperature, which can lead to hardening and thermal degradation under high temperature conditions. In the early stages of producing tubular (hollow) filter rods using polylactic acid tow, trial production of filter rods using steam heating was attempted, but the steam temperature was too high, resulting in poor results and irregular shapes of the filter rods, preventing normal production. Therefore, it is necessary for us to design a reasonable, efficient and multi-functional hollow filter rod preparation apparatus to solve the above problems. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] China patent CN113576024A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a multifunctional hollow filter rod preparation device, which has a simple structure and uses a hot air heating method to form filter rods, so that not only can hollow filter rods made of polylactic acid material be prepared, but also hollow filter rods with a multi-layer structure can be prepared. Moreover, the problem of irregular filter rod hole walls caused by steam heating is effectively avoided, and the hollow filter rod formation efficiency is high. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following technical techniques. A multi-functional hollow filter rod preparation device including a molding cavity, a molding core at least partially located within said molding cavity, and an air supply unit for communicating with said molding cavity, said air supply unit including a heating chamber for communicating with said molding cavity, a filtering chamber for communicating with said heating chamber, and an air pump installed on a side of said filtering chamber closer to said molding cavity; Under the operation of the air pump, the clean air filtered in the filtering chamber is heated in the heating chamber, and the heated air finally reaches the molding cavity and contacts with the polylactic acid fiber tow in the molding cavity, thereby achieving the effect of molding a polylactic acid fiber hollow filter rod.

[0009] In the present invention, the temperature range of the air heated in the heating chamber is preferably 65°C to 85°C. In the present invention, the air pump is preferably a dry-type oil-less air pump. In the present invention, preferably, a coating cavity is provided outside the molding cavity, and a first through hole is provided between the coating cavity and the molding cavity.

[0010] In the present invention, preferably, the coating cavity is connected to a steam chamber, and the steam in the steam chamber enters the molding cavity and contacts with the acetate fiber tow in the molding cavity, thereby achieving the effect of molding an acetate fiber tow filter rod. In the present invention, preferably, the molding core includes a first core for extending into the molding cavity when the polylactic acid fiber tow is heated, and a second core for extending into the molding cavity when the acetate fiber tow is heated, and the outer diameter of the second core is equal to or larger than the first core. core is larger than the outer diameter of

[0011] In the present invention, preferably, the first core has a hollow cavity, a second through hole is provided on the outer wall of the first core, and the first core is installed in communication with the heating chamber. In the present invention, the second core is preferably a cylindrical member having a dense structure. In the present invention, preferably, an electric heating wire and a temperature sensor electrically connected to the electric heating wire are installed on the inner wall of the heating chamber. In the present invention, the inner wall of the molding cavity is preferably smooth. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The beneficial effects of the multifunctional hollow filter rod preparation device of the present invention are as follows: Its structure is simple, and it uses a hot air heating method to form filter rods, so it can not only prepare hollow filter rods made of polylactic acid material, but also hollow filter rods with a multi-layer structure, and it effectively avoids the problem of irregular filter rod hole walls during steam heating, resulting in a high hollow filter rod formation efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of one embodiment of the multi-functional hollow filter rod preparation device of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of another embodiment of the multi-functional hollow filter rod preparation device of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional schematic view of a (polylactic acid) hollow filter rod prepared by the multifunctional hollow filter rod preparation apparatus of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a structural schematic diagram of the multi-functional hollow filter rod preparation apparatus of the present invention when heating acetate fiber tows in preparing a multi-layer hollow filter rod. [Figure 5]FIG. 5 is a structural schematic diagram of the multi-functional hollow filter rod preparation apparatus of the present invention when heating polylactic acid fiber tows in producing a multi-layer hollow filter rod. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional schematic view of a multi-layer hollow filter rod prepared by the multi-functional hollow filter rod preparation apparatus of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The following are specific examples of the present invention, which further describe the technical methods of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement and steps of modules and steps described in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the processes in the drawings are not performed singly, but rather involve multiple steps intersecting with each other.

[0015] It should be explained that in describing the present invention, the orientations or positional relationships indicated by terms such as "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer" are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings or the orientations or positional relationships normally used when using the product of the present invention, and are merely intended to make the description easier and simpler. They do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements shown necessarily have a specific orientation or are constructed or operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limitations on the present invention. Furthermore, terms such as "first," "second," and the like are merely used to distinguish between descriptions and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. Techniques, methods and systems known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, the techniques, methods and systems shall be considered part of this specification.

[0016] Example 1: As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a multifunctional hollow filter rod preparation device includes a molding cavity 1, a molding core 2 at least a portion of which is located within the molding cavity 1, and an air supply unit 3 for communicating with the molding cavity 1, wherein the air supply unit 3 includes a heating chamber 31 for communicating with the molding cavity 1, a filtering chamber 32 for communicating with the heating chamber 31, and an air pump 33 installed on the side of the filtering chamber 32 closer to the molding cavity 1; Under the operation of the air pump 33, the clean air filtered in the filtering chamber 32 is heated in the heating chamber 31, and the heated air finally reaches the molding cavity 1 and contacts with the polylactic acid fiber tow in the molding cavity 1, thereby achieving the effect of molding a polylactic acid fiber hollow filter rod.

[0017] In the present invention, the thermoforming process of acetate fiber filter rods has already been largely perfected, but the polylactic acid Material The heat molding process of (1) has considerable drawbacks. Compared with acetate fiber, polylactic acid has the advantages of being cheaper, easier to decompose, and less polluting, so research into the preparation of polylactic acid filter rods has become very important at present. The key point of the present invention is to heat prepare hollow filter rods made of polylactic acid fiber. Furthermore, most acetate fiber hollow filter rods are heated using steam, which can reach a steam temperature of 170°C or higher. However, polylactic acid is a thermoplastic aliphatic polyester with a relatively low glass transition temperature, which can lead to hardening and thermal degradation under high temperature conditions. Therefore, the effectiveness of using high-temperature steam to heat and mold polylactic acid hollow filter rods is very low.

[0018] After repeated experiments and summaries, it was found that if the temperature required for heating and preparing polylactic acid hollow filter rods falls below 100°C, the steam will condense into water, and the steam heating method cannot be used. Therefore, we have proposed a new method for directly using the air heating method to prepare and mold polylactic acid hollow filter rods, and have also verified through experiments that this method is highly feasible.

[0019] Clean air is heated to a predetermined temperature and then brought into contact with the polylactic acid fiber tows that have been opened and sent to the molding unit, whereby the polylactic acid fiber tows are heat-set into polylactic acid filter rods. Specifically, the multifunctional hollow filter rod preparation device of the present invention includes a molding cavity 1, a molding core 2 at least a portion of which is located within the molding cavity 1, and an air supply unit 3 for communicating with the molding cavity 1, the air supply unit 3 including a heating chamber 31 for communicating with the molding cavity 1, a filtering chamber 32 for communicating with the heating chamber 31, and an air pump 33 installed on the side of the filtering chamber 32 closer to the molding cavity 1; When the molding core 2 is stretched into the molding cavity 1, the polylactic acid fiber tows reach the space between the outside of the molding core 2 and the inside of the inner wall of the molding cavity 1, and come into contact with heated air to form a polylactic acid hollow filter rod with hollow holes (the shape of which is determined by the structure of the molding core 2).

[0020] In addition, the air that reaches the molding cavity 1 must be clean and have a certain temperature, so the air must first be filtered using a filtration chamber 32 to ensure that it meets the clean air standard, and then the clean air is heated and sent into the molding cavity 1. In short, under the operation of the air pump 33, the clean air filtered in the filtering chamber 32 is heated in the heating chamber 31, and the heated air finally reaches the molding cavity 1 and comes into contact with the polylactic acid fiber tow in the molding cavity 1, thereby achieving the effect of molding a polylactic acid fiber hollow filter rod. Of course, the above-mentioned predetermined temperature, ie, the heating temperature for polylactic acid, ie, the temperature range of the air after heating by the heating chamber 31, is 65°C to 85°C.

[0021] In the experiment, the influence of different hot air temperatures on the molding production of filter rods, as well as the physical indexes and appearance of the filter rods, was examined, and the results are as follows:

[0022] [Table 1]

[0023] In other words, by using polylactic acid tow tubular When producing (hollow) filter rods, if the hot air temperature is below 60°C, the filter rod cannot be solidified quickly during the molding process, resulting in poor production conditions, and the filter rod will be deformed, have poor roundness, and low hardness. When the hot air temperature is between 65 and 85°C, the production conditions are normal, and the filter rod index and appearance both meet the requirements. When the hot air temperature exceeds 90°C, the production conditions will be poor, and the filter rod will have poor roundness and concentricity. Therefore, tubular A hot air temperature of 65-85°C is suitable for producing (hollow) filter rods, which is much lower than the temperature of the hot steam used in preparing acetate fiber filter rods. Of course, if a heating wire and a temperature sensor electrically connected to the heating wire are installed on the inner wall of the heating chamber 31, an alarm will be issued immediately when the temperature deviates from the range of 65 to 85°C.

[0024] In the present invention, there are two ways in which the heated air enters the mold cavity 1. One is an external entry type in which heated air flows into the molding cavity 1 from outside the molding cavity 1, and as shown in Figure 1, a through hole must be installed on the outer wall of the molding cavity 1 to communicate with the heating chamber 31. The other is a central entry type in which heated air flows into the molding cavity 1 through the molding core 2 at the center of the molding cavity 1. As shown in Figure 2, the molding core 2 must be installed in a hollow space to connect the molding core 2 to the heating chamber 31, and a through hole must be installed on the outside of the molding core 2 to connect it to the molding cavity 1.

[0025] The multi-functional hollow filter rod preparation device of the present invention has a simple structure and employs a hot air heating method to form the filter rods, so it is very suitable for preparing hollow filter rods made of polylactic acid material.

[0026] Example 2, also shown in Figures 1 to 3, is one of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on Example 1, the multifunctional hollow filter rod manufacturing apparatus of the present invention uses a dry-type oil-free air pump 33, which can prevent impurities and water vapor from being mixed into the unheated air. The air pump 33 is preferably installed between the filtering chamber 32 and the heating chamber 31. That is, the air first passes through the filtering chamber 32, then the air pump 33, and finally the heating chamber 31 before reaching the molding cavity 1. The air pump 33 is installed behind the filtering chamber 32 to prevent dust and impurities from entering the air pump 33. At the same time, the air pump 33 is installed ahead of the heating chamber 31 to prevent damage to the air pump 33 due to high temperatures. In addition, during the process of preparing the polylactic acid hollow filter rod, a camera and a sensor are installed in the molding cavity 1 to quickly check the supply status of the polylactic acid fiber tow and quickly sound an alarm in the event of an abnormality.

[0027] It should be noted that the supply specification of the polylactic acid fiber tow for the first molding cavity is preferably 30,000 d x 2 to 33,000 d x 2 (equivalent to 60,000 to 66,000 d). In the experiment, the influence of different hot air temperatures on the molding production of filter rods, as well as the physical indexes and appearance of the filter rods, was examined, and the results are as follows:

[0028] [Table 2]

[0029] That is, when using polylactic acid tow to produce standard tubular (hollow) filter rods, if the total denier of the tow is below 26,000 d x 2 (i.e., 52,000 denier), the production quality is poor, and the filter rods have poor roundness and low hardness. If the total denier of the tow is 30,000 d x 2 to 33,000 d x 2 (equivalent to 60,000 to 66,000 d), the production quality is normal, and the filter rod index and appearance both meet the requirements. If the total denier of the tow exceeds 35,000 d x 2 (i.e., 70,000 denier), the production quality deteriorates and the filter rod index fluctuates greatly. Therefore, when producing standard tubular (hollow) filter rods, a polylactic acid tow specification of 30,000 d x 2 to 33,000 d x 2 (equivalent to 60,000 to 66,000 d) is suitable.

[0030] In addition, in the process of preparing the polylactic acid hollow filter rod, it is necessary to install an addition port in the molding cavity 1 for adding triacetin, and add triacetin to the polylactic acid fiber tow to improve the molding effect. In the experiment, the influence of different amounts of triacetin added on the molding production of filter rods, and on the physical indexes and appearance of the filter rods was examined, and the results are as follows:

[0031] [Table 3]

[0032] In other words, when using polylactic acid tow to produce tubular (hollow) filter rods, if the triacetin content is 10% or less, the production quality is fair, but the filter rod will not form properly after molding and will have low hardness. When the triacetin content is 12% to 16%, the production quality is normal, and the filter rod index and appearance both meet the requirements. When the triacetin content exceeds 18%, the production quality deteriorates and the filter rod index fluctuates greatly. Therefore, when producing polylactic acid tubular (hollow) filter rods, the triacetin content should be 12% to 16%. Of course, the inner wall of the molding cavity 1 is set smooth.

[0033] Finally, a coating cavity 4 is provided outside the molding cavity 1, and a first through hole is provided between the coating cavity 4 and the molding cavity 1. When the heated air enters the molding cavity 1 in an external entry manner, the heated air first reaches the coating cavity 4 and then enters the molding cavity 1 through the first through-holes. Of course, the first through-holes are arranged in a plurality and uniformly, allowing the heated air to enter the molding cavity 1 from all around the outside.

[0034] Example 3, shown in Figures 1 to 6, is one of the examples of the present invention. The multifunctional hollow filter rod preparation device of the present invention based on any of the above examples uses an air heating method. However, due to the relatively small specific heat capacity of air, the heating efficiency for the filter rods is relatively low. Therefore, when preparing large filter rods (thicker filter rods with a relatively large diameter), the thickness of the heated polylactic acid filter rod (represented as the distance from the outer wall of the molding core 2 to the inner wall of the molding cavity 1) does not meet the requirements. Therefore, to facilitate the molding effect, the large hollow filter rod can be made with a multi-layer structure, i.e., a hollow filter rod with an outer layer made of acetate fiber and an inner layer made of polylactic acid fiber, as shown in Figure 6. This reduces the thickness of the polylactic acid fiber tow molded, thereby reducing the process demands. In the present invention, the above-mentioned two-layer hollow filter rod can be subsequently prepared. Because the acetate fiber portion requires a high heating temperature and the polylactic acid fiber portion requires a low heating temperature, the acetate fiber portion must be heat-molded first, and then the polylactic acid fiber portion must be heat-molded after the temperature has dropped, allowing the two-layer hollow filter rod to be prepared without affecting the acetate fiber portion that has already been molded.

[0035] Furthermore, the molding core 2 includes a first core 21 for extending into the molding cavity 1 when the polylactic acid fiber tow is heated, and a second core 22 for extending into the molding cavity 1 when the acetate fiber tow is heated, and the outer diameter of the second core 22 is equal to or larger than the first core 21. core Larger than the outer diameter of 21. In other words, first, the second core 22 is extended into the molding cavity 1 to heat-mold the acetate fiber portion, and after the temperature drops, the first core 21 is extended into the molding cavity 1 to heat-mold the polylactic acid fiber portion.

[0036] Furthermore, the molding core 2 includes a first core 21 for extending into the molding cavity 1 when heating polylactic acid fiber tow, and a second core 22 for extending into the molding cavity 1 when heating acetate fiber tow, and the outer diameter of the second core 22 is larger than the outer diameter of the first inner core 21. In other words, first, the second core 22 is extended into the molding cavity 1 to heat-mold the acetate fiber portion, and after the temperature drops, the first core 21 is extended into the molding cavity 1 to heat-mold the polylactic acid fiber portion.

[0037] Here, the first core 21 has a hollow cavity, and a second through hole is provided on the outer wall of the first core 21. The first core 21 is installed in communication with the heating chamber 31, so that the heated air in the heating chamber 31 can reach the molding cavity 1 through the hollow cavity in the first core 21 and the second through hole in the first core 21. The first core 21 may be heart-shaped, square-shaped, circular, plum-shaped or other various shapes, and the second core 22 is of course a cylindrical member with a dense structure.

[0038] In this way, when the second core 22 extends into the molding cavity 1 to heat-mold the acetate fiber portion, the acetate fiber portion can be considered to have a concentric ring structure, so steam does not accumulate in the curved portion and affect the molding effect. On the other hand, when the first core 21 extends into the molding cavity 1 to heat-mold the polylactic acid fiber portion, clean air enters, so there is no need to worry about air accumulating in the irregularly shaped first core 21 portion, and a high molding effect can be maintained. However, as the process develops, it is expected that the thickness of the heatable polylactic acid filter rod will become increasingly larger, and it will be possible to prepare large, even extra-large, hollow filter rods made of pure polylactic acid material. However, since the flow rate of the hot air entering the molding cavity 1 must be precisely controlled, a flow meter must be added between the heating chamber 31 and the filtering chamber 32 .

[0039] The multifunctional hollow filter rod preparation device of the present invention has a simple structure and uses a hot air heating method to mold filter rods, so it can not only prepare hollow filter rods made of polylactic acid material, but also hollow filter rods with a multi-layer structure. Moreover, it effectively avoids the problem of irregular filter rod hole walls during steam heating, and achieves a high hollow filter rod molding efficiency. The present invention is not limited to the above specific embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention are all included in the protection scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1. Molding cavity 2 Molding Core 21 First Core 22 Second Core 3 Air supply section 31 Heating chamber 32 Filtration chamber 33 Air Pump 4 Covered Cavity 41 Steam Chamber

Claims

1. The molded article comprises a molding cavity (1), a molding core (2) at least a portion of which is located within the molding cavity (1), and an air supply section (3) for communicating with the molding cavity (1), the air supply section (3) including a heating chamber (31) for communicating with the molding cavity (1), a filtering chamber (32) for communicating with the heating chamber (31), and an air pump (33) installed on the side of the filtering chamber (32) closer to the molding cavity (1), Under the operation of the air pump (33), the clean air filtered in the filtering chamber (32) is heated in the heating chamber (31), and the heated air finally reaches the molding cavity (1) and contacts with the polylactic acid fiber tow in the molding cavity (1), thereby achieving the effect of molding a polylactic acid fiber hollow filter rod, a multi-functional hollow filter rod preparation device, A multifunctional hollow filter rod preparation device, characterized in that a coating cavity (4) is provided outside the molding cavity (1), and a first through hole is provided between the outer coating cavity (4) and the molding cavity (1).

2. The multifunctional hollow filter rod preparation apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the temperature range of the air after heating in the heating chamber (31) is 65°C-85°C.

3. The multi-functional hollow filter rod preparation device according to claim 1, characterized in that the air pump (33) is a dry-type oil-less air pump.

4. The coating cavity (4) communicates with a steam chamber (41), The steam in the steam chamber (41) enters the molding cavity (1) to contact with the acetate fiber tow in the molding cavity (1), thereby achieving the effect of molding an acetate fiber tow filter rod.

10. The multi-functional hollow filter rod preparation device according to claim 1.

5. 5. The multifunctional hollow filter rod preparation device according to claim 4, wherein the molding core (2) comprises a first core (21) for extending into the molding cavity (1) when heating polylactic acid fiber tow, and a second core (22) for extending into the molding cavity (1) when heating acetate fiber tow, and the outer diameter of the second core (22) is larger than the outer diameter of the first core (21).

6. 6. The multifunctional hollow filter rod preparation device according to claim 5, characterized in that a hollow cavity is provided in the first core (21), a second through hole is provided on the outer wall of the first core (21), and the hollow cavity of the first core (21) is installed in communication with the heating chamber (31).

7. 6. The multifunctional hollow filter rod preparation device according to claim 5, wherein the second core (22) is a cylindrical member with a dense structure.

8. 2. The multifunctional hollow filter rod preparation device according to claim 1, characterized in that an electric heating wire and a temperature sensor electrically connected to the electric heating wire are installed on the inner wall of the heating chamber (31).

9. 2. A multifunctional hollow filter rod preparation device according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner wall of the molding cavity (1) is smoothly installed.

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