Manufacturing machine for rod used in flavour inhalor and manufacturing method for rod

Abstract

A manufacturing machine (2) for a rod (1) used in a flavour inhalor (80) comprises: a sheet supply section (10); a sheet processing section (20); a gathering section (30); a wrapping section (40); and a cutting section (50). The sheet processing section (10) includes: a diameter detection unit (60) that detects the diameter (D) of a roll (6) while a sheet (4) is being unwound therefrom; and a control unit (62) that, on the basis of the diameter (D) detected by the diameter detection unit (60), controls a parameter related to crimping of the sheet (4).

Description

Machine for manufacturing rods used in flavor inhalation articles and method for manufacturing said rods

[0001] The present invention relates to a manufacturing machine for a rod used in a flavor inhalation article and a manufacturing method for the rod.

[0002] U.S. Patent No. 5,949,999 discloses a method for crimping a sheet-like web of tobacco industry material, which method includes measuring the thickness of the web prior to crimping the web, and adjusting the crimping of the web as a function of the measured thickness of the web.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a method for crimping a sheet, in which sheet properties such as thickness, moisture, composition, and width are measured before and after crimping, and the nip size (crimp depth) of the sheet by a crimping roller is adjusted based on the sheet properties before and after crimping.

[0004] International Publication No. 2019 / 123210 International Publication No. 2021 / 136612

[0005] The sheet in Patent Documents 1 and 2 is continuously unwound from a wound roll and supplied to a conveyance path, and the aforementioned sheet properties are measured while the sheet is being conveyed. Therefore, the sheet is prone to wrinkles during conveyance, and the sheet moves slightly during conveyance, making it difficult to accurately measure the sheet properties. In particular, after crimping, the fibers of the sheet are easily defibrated, torn, or softened by crimping, making the sheet even more prone to wrinkles, which can easily lead to errors in the measurement of the sheet properties.

[0006] In Patent Document 2, the crimp depth of the sheet is adjusted based on the sheet properties before and after crimping, but measuring the sheet properties at two locations, before and after crimping, makes the measurement error of the sheet properties even more significant. Furthermore, the sheet that has been subjected to such a crimping treatment is gathered in the width direction intersecting with the longitudinal direction, wrapped in wrapping paper, and then cut to produce a rod to be used in a flavor inhalation article.

[0007] However, when controlling the parameters related to the crimping treatment of the sheet based on the measured sheet properties, if there is a large measurement error in the sheet properties as described above, it is not possible to control the parameters related to the crimping treatment of the sheet to the desired values, and it is difficult to control the air resistance of the rod, which depends on the degree of crimping treatment of the sheet, to the optimum value.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and aims to provide a rod manufacturing machine for use in flavor inhalation articles and a method for manufacturing such rods, which are capable of controlling parameters related to the crimping process of the sheet to desired values.

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, one embodiment of a rod manufacturing machine for use in a flavor inhalation article includes a sheet supply section that continuously unwinds a sheet from a roll on which the sheet is wound and supplies it to a conveying path; a sheet processing section that crimps the sheet conveyed to the conveying path; a gathering section that gathers the sheet that has been crimped in the sheet processing section in a width direction that intersects with its longitudinal direction to form a convergent rod; a wrapping section that reduces the diameter of the convergent rod formed in the gathering section and wraps it with a supplied wrapping paper to form a continuous rod; and a cutting section that cuts the continuous rod formed in the wrapping section into rods, and the sheet processing section has a diameter detection unit that detects the diameter of the roll while unwinding the sheet, and a control unit that controls parameters related to the crimping process of the sheet based on the diameter detected by the diameter detection unit.

[0010] A method for manufacturing a rod used in a flavor inhalation article according to one embodiment includes a sheet supplying step in which a sheet is continuously unwound from a roll on which the sheet is wound and supplied to a conveying path; a sheet processing step in which a crimping process is performed on the sheet conveyed to the conveying path; a gathering step in which the sheet that has been crimped in the sheet processing step is gathered in a width direction intersecting with its longitudinal direction to form a convergent rod; a wrapping step in which the convergent rod formed in the gathering step is wrapped with a supplied wrapper paper while reducing its diameter to form a continuous rod; and a cutting step in which the continuous rod formed in the wrapping step is cut into rods, and the sheet processing step includes a diameter detection process in which the diameter of the roll from which the sheet is being unwound is detected, and a control process in which parameters related to the crimping process are controlled based on the diameter detected in the diameter detection process.

[0011] According to the above aspect, in the rod used in the flavor inhalation article, the parameters relating to the crimping treatment of the sheet can be controlled to desired values.

[0012] 1 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing machine for rods used in flavor inhalation articles; FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a manufacturing method for rods used in flavor inhalation articles; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a roller set and a configuration diagram of a sheet processing section; FIG. 4 is a table listing the numerical values ​​of the roll diameter, sheet thickness, meshing depth, and air resistance of the rod according to the region where the sheet is positioned in each case; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a sheet in the outer region of a roll when it is crimped at the meshing portion; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a sheet in the middle region of a roll when it is crimped at the meshing portion; FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a sheet in the inner region of a roll when it is crimped at the meshing portion; FIG. 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a rod; FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a flavor inhalation article; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a flavor inhalation article of another form;

[0013] Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a manufacturing machine 2 for manufacturing rods 1 used in flavor inhalation articles, and Fig. 2 shows a flowchart illustrating a manufacturing method for the rods 1. The manufacturing machine 2 includes, in order from the upstream side in the conveying direction of the sheet 4, a sheet supply section 10, a sheet processing section 20, a gathering section 30, a wrapping section 40, and a cutting section 50. The sheet supply section 10 includes a roll 6, a plurality of guide rollers 8, and a feed roller 12.

[0014] The roll 6 is formed by winding a sheet 4 such as a paper web. One of the guide rollers 8 is a dancing roller that is allowed to move up and down, and applies tension to the sheet 4 during transport. The feed roller 12 includes a pair of rollers, at least one of which is a motor-driven drive roller that pulls and unwinds the sheet 4.

[0015] When the production of the rod 1 starts, the sheet supply section 10 configured as described above continuously pays out the sheet 4 from the roll 6 via the guide rollers 8 and the feed rollers 12 and supplies it to the conveyance path 14 of the sheet 4 in the manufacturing machine 2 (S1: sheet supply step). Next, the sheet processing section 20 performs a crimping process on the sheet 4 conveyed to the conveyance path 14 (S2: sheet processing step).

[0016] The sheet processing section 20 includes a roller set 22, and in the sheet processing step S2, the roller set 22 performs a crimping process on the sheet 4 by sandwiching the sheet 4 between a first roller 22A and a second roller 22B and transporting the sheet 4 along the transport path 14 (P4: crimping process). At least one of the first and second rollers 22A and 22B is a drive roller driven by a motor, and pulls and pays out the sheet 4.

[0017] 3 shows a perspective view of the roller set 22 and a configuration diagram of the sheet processing section 20. The first roller 22A has a ridge 24a that protrudes circumferentially from its outer periphery. The second roller 22B has a groove 24b that meshes with the ridge 24a from its outer periphery. When the roller set 22 conveys the sheet 4 by sandwiching it between them, the first and second rollers 22A and 22B rotate in the directions of the arrows shown in FIG. 3, causing the ridge 24a and the groove 24b to mesh with each other via the sheet 4, forming multiple meshing portions 26 in the roller set 22.

[0018] By forming each interlocking portion 26, a plurality of crimped portions 4a corresponding to the number of interlocking portions 26 are formed side by side in the width direction Y of the sheet 4. The crimping process is a creping process that creates uneven patterns at intervals on the sheet 4. The crimped portions 4a are uneven wrinkles formed on the sheet 4, and are defined as recesses of various shapes that are recessed from the flat surface of the sheet 4, or protrusions of various shapes that protrude from the flat surface of the sheet 4.

[0019] The sheet processing section 20 further includes a diameter detection unit 60, a control unit 62, and an axis distance adjustment unit 64. In the sheet processing step S2, the diameter detection unit 60 detects the diameter D of the roll 6 while the sheet 4 is being unwound (P1: diameter detection process). The diameter detection unit 60 is, for example, a laser displacement meter, and measures the distance from the diameter detection unit 60 to the outer peripheral surface 6a of the roll 6 without contacting the roll 6 by receiving reflected light when a laser beam is irradiated onto the outer peripheral surface 6a of the roll 6, and calculates and detects the diameter D of the roll 6 based on this distance.

[0020] In the sheet processing step S2, the control unit 62 controls parameters related to the crimping process of the sheet 4 based on the diameter D detected by the diameter detection unit 60 (P2: control process). Specifically, the control unit 62 has a memory unit 66, which stores in advance data on the thickness t of the sheet 4 to be wound at a position on the roll 6 corresponding to the diameter D. In the sheet processing step S2, the data on the thickness t of the sheet 4 is acquired from the memory unit 66 as data corresponding to the diameter D of the roll 6 detected by the diameter detection unit 60 (P3: data acquisition process).

[0021] The control process P2 controls parameters related to the crimping process P4 based on the thickness t corresponding to the diameter D acquired in the data acquisition process P3 and detected in the diameter detection process P1. In this embodiment, the roll 6 is divided into an outer region A1, a middle region A2, and an inner region A3 when viewed in the radial direction, and data on the thickness t of the sheet 4 in a wound state in each of the regions A1, A2, and A3 (data corresponding to the outer region A1 is t1, data corresponding to the middle region A1 is t2, and data corresponding to the inner region A3 is t3) is stored in advance in the storage unit 66.

[0022] In this embodiment, the parameter to be controlled in control process P2 is the crimp depth dc of the crimped portion 4a formed in the sheet 4. The control unit 62 adjusts the crimp depth dc of the crimped portion 4a by controlling the shaft distance adjustment unit 64. Specifically, the shaft distance adjustment unit 64 adjusts the shaft distance L between the rotation shaft 28a of the first roller 22A and the rotation shaft 28b of the second roller 22B. By controlling the shaft distance adjustment unit 64 to adjust the shaft distance L, the control unit 62 controls the meshing depth de of the meshing portion 26 and, ultimately, the crimp depth dc of the sheet 4.

[0023] Fig. 4 shows a table listing the diameter D of the roll 6, the thickness t of the sheet 4, the meshing depth de, and the airflow resistance R of the rod 1 corresponding to the regions A1, A2, and A3 in which the sheet 4 is positioned in each case. Fig. 5 also shows a cross-sectional view of the sheet 4 in the outer region A1 of the roll 6 as it is crimped at the meshing portion 26. The sheet 4 positioned in the outer region A1 is subjected to a relatively small load because the number of turns of the sheet 4 located above it on the roll 6 is relatively small.

[0024] Therefore, the pressing force applied to the sheet 4 in the outer region A1 of the roll 6 is relatively small, and the sheet 4 has a large thickness t1 close to the state it had immediately after production. In other words, when the sheet 4 to be crimped is in the outer region A1 of the roll 6, the sheet 4 to be crimped will have a relatively large thickness t1. Therefore, by adjusting the center distance L with the center distance adjustment unit 64, the meshing depth de of the meshing portion 26 is controlled to a relatively small de1, and therefore the crimp depth dc of the sheet 4 is controlled to a relatively small dc1.

[0025] In this way, when the thickness t of the sheet 4 is large, by reducing the meshing depth de and thus the crimp depth dc, the airflow resistance R of the rod 1 approaches the target value without becoming excessive. Specifically, in the example of Case No. 1 shown in Figure 4, the detected diameter D of the roll 6 is in the range of 501 mm to 1000 mm (outer area A1), so the control unit 62 obtains data of 1.09 mm (t1) as the thickness t of the sheet 4 from the memory unit 66.

[0026] Next, the center distance adjustment unit 64 adjusts the center distance L based on the command from the control unit 62, and sets the meshing depth de of the meshing portion 26 to 0.4 mm (de1), which is a preset value corresponding to t1. As a result, the crimp depth dc of the sheet 4 becomes dc1, and the airflow resistance R of the manufactured rod 1 reaches the target value of 210 mmH. ２ 212mmH close to O ２ It becomes O.

[0027] 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the sheet 4 in the middle region A2 of the roll 6 as it is crimped at the meshing portion 26. The sheet 4 positioned in the middle region A2 has a greater number of turns than the sheet 4 positioned above it in the outer region A1 of the roll 6, so the load applied to the sheet 4 is greater than that in the outer region A1. Therefore, the pressing force applied to the sheet 4 in the middle region A2 of the roll 6 is greater than that in the outer region A1, and the sheet 4 is slightly pressed and has a thickness t2 that is smaller than that in the outer region A1.

[0028] That is, when the sheet 4 to be crimped is in the middle region A2 of the roll 6, the sheet 4 will be crimped to a thickness t2 that is smaller than t1. Therefore, by adjusting the inter-axis distance L with the inter-axis adjustment unit 64, the meshing depth de of the meshing portion 26 is controlled to de2, which is larger than de1, and thus the crimp depth dc of the sheet 4 is controlled to dc2, which is larger than dc1.

[0029] In this way, when the thickness t of the sheet 4 is small, increasing the meshing depth de and, in turn, increasing the crimp depth dc allows the airflow resistance R of the rod 1 to approach the target value without becoming too small. Specifically, in the case of the embodiment of Case No. 2 shown in Figure 4, the detected diameter D of the roll 6 is in the range of 151 mm to 500 mm (intermediate region A2), so the control unit 62 obtains data of 0.85 mm (t2) as the thickness t of the sheet 4 from the memory unit 66.

[0030] Next, the center distance adjustment unit 64 adjusts the center distance L based on the command from the control unit 62, and sets the meshing depth de of the meshing portion 26 to 0.5 mm (de2), which is a preset value corresponding to t2. As a result, the crimp depth dc of the sheet 4 becomes dc2, which is larger than dc1, and the airflow resistance R of the manufactured rod 1 reaches the target value of 210 mmH. ２ 211mmH close to O ２ It becomes O.

[0031] 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the sheet 4 in the inner region A3 of the roll 6 as it is crimped at the meshing portion 26. The sheet 4 positioned in the inner region A3 has a greater number of turns than the sheet 4 positioned above it in the intermediate region A2 on the roll 6, so the load applied to the sheet 4 is greater than that in the intermediate region A2. Therefore, the pressing force applied to the sheet 4 in the inner region A3 of the roll 6 is greater than that in the intermediate region A2, and the sheet 4 is further pressed to have a thickness t3 that is smaller than that in the intermediate region A2.

[0032] That is, when the sheet 4 to be crimped is in the inner region A3 of the roll 6, the sheet 4 will be crimped to a thickness t3 that is smaller than t2. Therefore, by adjusting the inter-axis distance L with the inter-axis adjustment unit 64, the meshing depth de of the meshing portion 26 is controlled to de3, which is larger than de2, and therefore the crimp depth dc of the sheet 4 is controlled to dc3, which is larger than dc2.

[0033] In this way, when the thickness t of the sheet 4 is smaller, by further increasing the meshing depth de and thus the crimp depth dc, the airflow resistance R of the rod 1 approaches the target value without becoming too small. Specifically, in the case of the example of Case No. 3 shown in Figure 4, the detected diameter D of the roll 6 is in the range of 0 mm to 150 mm (inner area A3), so the control unit 62 obtains data of 0.69 mm (t3) as the thickness t of the sheet 4 from the memory unit 66.

[0034] Next, the center distance adjustment unit 64 adjusts the center distance L based on the command from the control unit 62, and sets the meshing depth de of the meshing portion 26 to 0.6 mm (de3), which is a preset value corresponding to t3. As a result, the crimp depth dc of the sheet 4 becomes dc3, which is larger than dc2, and the airflow resistance R of the manufactured rod 1 reaches the target value of 210 mmH. ２ 208mmH close to O ２ It becomes O.

[0035] On the other hand, in the comparative example of Case No. 4 shown in Figure 4, as in Case No. 1, the diameter D of the roll 6 is positioned in the outer region A1, and data of 1.09 mm (t1) is acquired from the memory unit 66 as the thickness t of the sheet 4. However, the inter-axis adjustment unit 64 adjusts the meshing depth de of the meshing portion 26 to a slightly larger value of 0.5 mm rather than 0.4 mm corresponding to t1. As a result, the airflow resistance R of the rod 1 is set to the target value of 210 mmH. ２ 229mmH, which is larger than O ２ It became O.

[0036] In the comparative example of Case No. 5 shown in Figure 4, as in Case No. 3, the diameter D of the roll 6 is positioned in the inner region A3, and data of 0.69 mm (t3) is acquired from the memory unit 66 as the thickness t of the sheet 4. However, the center distance adjustment unit 64 adjusts the meshing depth de of the meshing portion 26 to a slightly smaller 0.5 mm rather than 0.69 mm corresponding to t3. As a result, the airflow resistance R of the rod 1 is set to the target value of 210 mmH. ２ 185mmH, smaller than O ２ It became O.

[0037] As is clear from these comparative examples, not only is data on the thickness t of the sheet 4 corresponding to the diameter D of the roll 6 important, but also data on the meshing depth de corresponding to the thickness t of the sheet 4. Therefore, it is preferable that the memory unit 66 pre-store not only data on the thickness t of the sheet 4 corresponding to the diameter D of the roll 6, but also data on the meshing depth de linked to the thickness t of the sheet 4 and thus the center distance L. In this way, when control process P2 is performed, the data on the meshing depth de based on the diameter D of the roll 6 and thus the center distance L can be obtained from the memory unit 66, and the center distance adjustment unit 64 can easily adjust the center distance L to an optimal value.

[0038] Next, the sheet 4 passes through the sheet processing section 20 configured as described above and reaches the gathering section 30. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the gathering section 30 gathers the sheet 4 that has been crimped in the sheet processing section 20 in a width direction Y (see Figure 3) that intersects with the longitudinal direction X of the sheet 4. In other words, the sheet 4 is gathered together, bundled, and reduced in diameter to form a converging rod 70 (S3: gathering step).

[0039] Specifically, the gathering section 30 includes, in order from the upstream side in the conveying direction of the conveying path 14, a liquid addition booth 32, a granule addition unit 34, a trumpet guide 36, and tongs 38. The liquid addition booth 32 sprays a liquid additive onto the sheet 4 before gathering (P5: liquid addition process). The additive is a liquid containing, for example, a plasticizer or a fragrance.

[0040] The granule adding unit 34 includes a hopper 34a and a spreading roller 34b. Granules are stored in the hopper 34a, and the spreading roller 34b spreads the granules supplied from the hopper 34a onto the sheet 4 before gathering (P6: granule adding process). The granules are granular additives, and include, for example, particles of activated carbon or fragrance.

[0041] The trumpet guide 36 is cylindrical, and the diameter of its inner circumferential surface gradually decreases from the upstream side of the conveying path 14, randomly gathering the sheet 4 conveyed along the conveying path 14 while reducing the diameter into a rod-like shape, and discharging the gathered rod-shaped sheet 4 toward the cylindrical tongues 38. As the gathered rod-shaped sheet 4 passes through the tongues 38, the diameter of the rod-shaped sheet 4 is further reduced and formed into a converging rod 70.

[0042] Next, the wrapping section 40 wraps the convergent rod 70 formed in the gathering section 30 with a supplied wrapping paper 72 while reducing the diameter thereof to form a continuous rod 74 (S4: wrapping step). Next, the cutting section 50 cuts the continuous rod 74 formed in the wrapping section 40 into individual rods 1 (S5: cutting step). The rods 1 thus produced are used as various filling elements that constitute flavor inhalation articles.

[0043] 8 shows a longitudinal cross section of the rod 1. The rod 1 is formed by gathering and reducing the diameter of a sheet 4 having a large number of crimped portions 4a formed thereon, and wrapping the sheet 4 with a wrapping paper 72. In this embodiment, as described above, the void ratio in the rod 1 can be controlled by controlling the crimp depth dc of the crimped portions 4a in accordance with the thickness t of the sheet 4 constituting the roll 6, thereby making it possible to control the airflow resistance R of the rod 1 and thereby bring it closer to a target value.

[0044] 9 shows a cross-sectional view of a flavor inhalation article 80 equipped with a rod 1. The flavor inhalation article 80 (hereinafter also simply referred to as the article 80) is a non-combustion heating type, and is composed of a flavor element 82, a cooling element 84, and a filter element 86. The elements 82, 84, and 86 are arranged side by side in the axial direction and butted against each other, and the article 80 is formed by wrapping them with tipping paper 88.

[0045] The flavor element 82 is heated by a heater in a device (flavor inhaler) (not shown), which causes the flavor components of the flavor raw material 82a to volatilize. The flavor raw material 82a may be, for example, shredded tobacco, shredded tobacco sheet, or a gathered tobacco sheet. The flavor raw material 82a may also be a sheet made from tobacco-free pulp to which a flavoring agent has been added, a shredded sheet made from a non-tobacco plant, or any of these sheets folded into a corrugated shape.

[0046] The cooling element 84 is, for example, a cylindrical paper tube made of a single or double paper web, and forms an airflow path in the article 80. A plurality of air vents 84a are formed on the circumferential surface of the cooling element 84 for taking air into the article 80 when the article 80 is inhaled. The flavor components volatilized from the flavor elements 82 are cooled by the air taken in through the air vents 84a in the cooling element 84 and become an aerosol, and the user inhales the aerosol that has passed through the filter element 86.

[0047] In the example shown in Figure 9, the rod 1 is used as a filter element 86 with an optimal airflow resistance as a filter body. By selecting the material of the sheet 4, the rod 1 can also be used as a flavor element 82 or a cooling element 84. The sheet 4 can be formed from various materials, such as paper, nonwoven fabric, tobacco sheet, or film, depending on the application of the rod 1. The sheet 4 can have a thickness t of 100 µm, 200 µm, or 500 µm. However, when controlling the crimp depth dc as a parameter related to the crimping process P4, it is preferable that the sheet 4 have a thickness t of at least 100 µm or more in order to favorably reflect the effect of this control on rod characteristics such as the airflow resistance R.

[0048] 10 shows a cross-sectional view of another flavor inhalation article 80 including a rod 1. In this article 80, the rod 1 is used as a plug element 90 located at the tip adjacent to a flavor element 82. In this case, the sheet 4 may be a paper web or a nonwoven fabric. When the sheet 4 is a nonwoven fabric, it is preferable to use a dry nonwoven fabric in which plant pulp is bonded together with a water-soluble binder. Wood pulp from a non-tobacco plant may also be used as the plant pulp.

[0049] It is also preferable to add a liquid additive to the sheet 4. The additive is heated together with the flavor element 82 by the heater of the device, causing the additive components to volatilize. The additive is, for example, a flavor liquid, which may contain tobacco extract. Furthermore, since the plug element 90 is positioned at the tip of the article 80, it also functions as a support element, so to speak, that prevents the flavor raw material 82a from spilling out of the flavor element 82. Although not shown, the rod 1 can also be used as a filter element or cooling element in a combustion-heating flavor inhalation article.

[0050] As described above, the rod 1 manufacturing machine 2 of this embodiment includes the sheet supply section 10, the sheet processing section 20, the gathering section 30, the wrapping section 40, and the cutting section 50, and the sheet processing section 20 has a diameter detection unit 60 and a control unit 62. In a diameter detection process P1, the diameter detection unit 60 detects the diameter of the roll 6 that is unwinding the sheet 4. In a control process P2, the control unit 62 controls parameters related to the crimping process P4 based on the diameter D detected by the diameter detection unit 60.

[0051] That is, the manufacturing machine 2 indirectly detects the sheet characteristics of the sheet 4 being conveyed from the diameter D of the roll 6, and controls the parameters related to the crimping treatment of the sheet 4 based on the indirectly detected sheet characteristics. This makes it possible to control the parameters related to the crimping treatment of the sheet 4 to desired values ​​without being affected by measurement errors that may occur when measuring the sheet 4 being conveyed. Therefore, it is possible to control the rod characteristics, such as the airflow resistance R of the rod 1, which depends on the degree of crimping treatment of the sheet 4, to optimal values.

[0052] The control unit 62 also has a memory section 66 that stores data on the thickness t of the sheet 4 to be wound at a position corresponding to the diameter D of the roll 6. In a data acquisition process P3, the control unit 62 acquires the thickness t of the sheet 4 corresponding to the diameter D detected by the diameter detection unit 60 from the memory section 66, and controls parameters related to the crimping process P4 based on the acquired thickness t.

[0053] Here, if the rolls 6 are of the same type, the thickness t of the sheet 4 corresponding to the winding position of the sheet 4 on the roll 6 will not change significantly even if a new roll 6 is set or if the lot of the set roll 6 is changed. Therefore, by measuring data on the thickness t of the sheet 4 corresponding to the diameter D offline and storing it in advance in the memory unit 66, and then retrieving it from the memory unit 66 and using it whenever necessary, the parameters related to the crimping treatment of the sheet 4 can be easily and reliably controlled without being affected by the measurement errors described above.

[0054] The parameter controlled in control process P2 is the crimp depth dc of the crimped portions 4a formed in the sheet 4. In this way, by controlling the parameter dc, which directly affects the degree of crimping of the sheet 4, it is possible to more reliably control the rod properties such as the airflow resistance R, which are easily affected by the degree of crimping of the sheet 4.

[0055] The sheet processing section 20 also includes a roller set 22 and an axis distance adjustment unit 64. The control unit 62 controls the axis distance adjustment unit 64 to adjust the axis distance L, thereby controlling the meshing depth de of the meshing portion 26 and ultimately the crimp depth dc. This makes it possible to easily control the crimp depth dc of the sheet 4 over the entire area of ​​the sheet 4.

[0056] The diameter detection unit 60 is, for example, a laser displacement meter, and detects the diameter D without contacting the roll 6 in the diameter detection process P1. This prevents wrinkles and tears from occurring in the sheet 4 due to the diameter detection unit 60 coming into contact with the roll 6. This allows for more reliable measurement of the diameter D and, ultimately, control of parameters related to the crimping process of the sheet 4.

[0057] Furthermore, in the sheet supply step S1, the sheet supply section 10 continuously unwinds the sheet 4 from the roll 6 on which the sheet 4 having a thickness t of 100 μm or more is wound, and supplies the sheet 4 to the conveying path 14. This allows the crimp depth dc, which is a parameter related to the crimping process P4, to be controlled effectively, thereby enabling more reliable control of the parameters related to the crimping treatment of the sheet 4.

[0058] This concludes the description of the embodiment, but the above embodiment is not limiting and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the roll 6 is divided into an outer region A1, a middle region A2, and an inner region A3 when viewed in the radial direction, and data on the thicknesses t1, t2, and t3 of the sheet 4 corresponding to each region A1, A2, and A3 are stored in advance in the storage unit 66. However, this is not limiting, and the roll 6 may be divided into four or more smaller regions in the radial direction, and even more data on the thickness t of the sheet 4 corresponding to each region may be stored. This allows for more accurate control of parameters related to the crimping treatment of the sheet 4.

[0059] Furthermore, the diameter detection unit 60 may be a contact-type detection unit that contacts the roll 6 to detect the diameter D, provided that the sheet 4 does not wrinkle or tear. Furthermore, the diameter D is not limited to being calculated using a displacement meter (range finder), and may be calculated from the rotation speed of the roll 6, the conveying speed of the sheet 4 in the conveying path 14, the manufacturing speed of the rod 1, or the elapsed time since the start of manufacturing the rod 1.

[0060] Furthermore, there is a time lag between the sheet 4 detected in the diameter detection process P1 and the actual crimping in the crimping process P4. Therefore, it is preferable to perform delay control in the control process P2 taking this time lag into consideration. In addition, in the above embodiment, the parameters controlled based on the diameter D of the roll 6 are not limited to the crimp depth dc. Other parameters that may be controlled based on the diameter D of the roll 6 include the width of the crimped portions 4a in the width direction Y of the sheet 4, the number of crimped portions 4a in the width direction Y of the sheet 4, and the positions of the crimped portions 4a in the longitudinal direction X and the width direction Y of the sheet 4.

[0061] Furthermore, the memory unit 66 may store not only data on the thickness t of the sheet 4 corresponding to the diameter D of the roll 6, but also data on the meshing depth de, crimp depth dc, center distance L, and airflow resistance R, which are linked to the diameter D and thickness t. This makes it possible to acquire various useful data from the memory unit 66 in the data acquisition process P3, thereby enabling even more accurate control of parameters related to the crimping process of the sheet 4.

[0062] Instead of storing data on the thickness t of the sheet 4 corresponding to the diameter D of the roll 6, the memory unit 66 may store parameters related to the crimping process of the sheet corresponding to the diameter D of the roll 6. That is, the memory unit 66 may store data on the diameter D of the roll 6 and at least one of the meshing depth de, crimp depth dc, and center distance L that are controlled when that diameter is detected. This allows the capacity of the memory unit 66 to be saved.

[0063] Furthermore, the rod characteristic to be controlled as the final objective is not limited to the airflow resistance R of the rod 1, but other rod characteristics, such as flavor generation characteristics, cooling characteristics, and support strength characteristics, may be selected depending on the function that the rod 1 performs in the product 80. Also, sheet characteristics such as thickness t may be measured as appropriate on the conveying path 14. In this case, in the control process P2, feedback control using the measured sheet characteristics may be performed in combination with the indirect control of the above embodiment.

[0064] Furthermore, some or all of the above embodiments can be expressed by describing the aspects shown below: (Aspect 1) A machine for manufacturing rods for use in flavor inhalation articles, comprising: a sheet supply section that continuously pays out a sheet from a roll on which the sheet is wound and supplies the sheet to a conveying path, a sheet processing section that applies a crimping treatment to the sheet conveyed to the conveying path, a gathering section that gathers the sheet that has been crimped in the sheet processing section in a width direction intersecting with the longitudinal direction of the sheet to form a convergent rod, a wrapping section that wraps the convergent rod formed in the gathering section with a supplied wrapper paper while reducing the diameter of the convergent rod to form a continuous rod, and a cutting section that cuts the continuous rod formed in the wrapping section into rods, wherein the sheet processing section has: a diameter detection unit that detects the diameter of the roll while paying out the sheet; and a control unit that controls parameters related to the crimping treatment of the sheet based on the diameter detected by the diameter detection unit.

[0065] (Aspect 2) The rod manufacturing machine for use in a flavor inhalation article according to Aspect 1, wherein the parameter is a crimp depth of the crimped portion formed in the sheet.

[0066] (Aspect 3) The sheet processing section includes a roller set that crimps the sheet by sandwiching the sheet between a first roller and a second roller and transporting the sheet along the transport path, and an axis distance adjustment unit that adjusts the axis distance between the rotation axis of the first roller and the rotation axis of the second roller, wherein the first roller has a protruding ridge formed around the circumferential direction of its outer circumferential surface, and the second roller has a recessed ridge formed around the circumferential direction of its outer circumferential surface that engages with the protruding ridge, and the roller set forms an intermeshing portion where the protruding ridge and the recessed ridge engage with each other via the sheet when sandwiching and transporting the sheet, and the control unit controls the axis distance adjustment unit to adjust the axis distance, thereby controlling the intermeshing depth of the intermeshing portion and ultimately the crimp depth. This is a manufacturing machine for a rod used in a flavor inhalation article according to Aspect 2.

[0067] (Aspect 4) The diameter detection unit detects the diameter without contacting the roll, in the rod manufacturing machine for use in flavor inhalation articles according to Aspect 1. (Aspect 5) The control unit has a memory unit that stores data on the thickness of the sheet to be wound at a position corresponding to the diameter, acquires the thickness corresponding to the diameter detected by the diameter detection unit from the memory unit, and controls the parameters related to the crimping treatment of the sheet based on the acquired thickness.

[0068] (Aspect 6) The machine for manufacturing a rod used in a flavor inhalation article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 5, wherein the sheet supply section continuously unwinds the sheet having a thickness of 100 μm or more from the roll on which the sheet is wound and supplies the sheet to the conveying path.

[0069] (Aspect 7) A method for manufacturing a rod for use in a flavor inhalation article, comprising: a sheet supplying step of continuously unwinding a sheet from a roll on which the sheet is wound and supplying the sheet to a conveying path; a sheet processing step of performing a crimping process to crimp the sheet conveyed to the conveying path; a gathering step of gathering the sheet crimped in the sheet processing step in a width direction intersecting with the longitudinal direction of the sheet to form a convergent rod; a wrapping step of wrapping the convergent rod formed in the gathering step with a supplied wrapper paper while reducing the diameter thereof to form a continuous rod; and a cutting step of cutting the continuous rod formed in the wrapping step into rods, wherein the sheet processing step comprises: a diameter detection process of detecting the diameter of the roll while unwinding the sheet; and a control process of controlling parameters related to the crimping process based on the diameter detected in the diameter detection process.

[0070] (Aspect 8) The method for manufacturing a rod used in a flavor inhalation article according to Aspect 7, wherein the control process controls the crimp depth of the sheet as the parameter. (Aspect 9) The method for manufacturing a rod used in a flavor inhalation article according to Aspect 8, wherein the diameter detection process detects the diameter without contacting the roll.

[0071] (Aspect 10) The method for manufacturing a rod used in a flavor inhalation article according to Aspect 7, wherein the sheet processing step further includes a data acquisition process for acquiring data on a thickness of the sheet corresponding to the diameter, and the control process controls the parameters related to the crimping process based on the thickness acquired by the data acquisition process and corresponding to the diameter detected by the diameter detection process.

[0072] (Aspect 11) In the method for manufacturing a rod used in a flavor inhalation article according to any one of Aspects 7 to 10, in the sheet supplying step, the sheet having a thickness of 100 μm or more is continuously unwound from the roll on which the sheet is wound and supplied to the conveying path.

[0073] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Rod 2 Manufacturing machine 4 Sheet 4a Crimping section 6 Roll 10 Sheet supply section 14 Conveying path 20 Sheet processing section 22 Roller set 22A First roller 22B Second roller 24a Convex rib 24b Concave rib 26 Intermeshing section 28a Rotation shaft of first roller 28b Rotation shaft of second roller 30 Gathering section 40 Wrapping section 50 Cutting section 60 Diameter detection unit 62 Control unit 64 Center distance adjustment unit 66 Memory unit 70 Converging rod 72 Wrapping paper 74 Continuous rod 80 Flavor suction article D Diameter t Thickness dc Parameter (crimp depth) de Intermeshing depth L Center distance X Longitudinal direction Y Width direction S1 Sheet supply step S2 Sheet processing step S3 Gathering step S4 Wrapping step S5 Cutting step P1 Diameter detection process P2 Control process P3 Data acquisition process P4 Crimping process

Claims

1. A machine for manufacturing rods for use in flavor inhalation articles, comprising: a sheet supply section which continuously pays out a sheet from a roll on which the sheet is wound and supplies the sheet to a conveying path; a sheet processing section which applies a crimping treatment to the sheet conveyed to the conveying path; a gathering section which gathers the sheet which has been crimped in the sheet processing section in a width direction intersecting with the longitudinal direction of the sheet to form a convergent rod; a wrapping section which wraps the convergent rod formed in the gathering section with a supplied wrapping paper while reducing the diameter of the convergent rod to form a continuous rod; and a cutting section which cuts the continuous rod formed in the wrapping section into rods, wherein the sheet processing section has a diameter detection unit which detects the diameter of the roll while the sheet is being paid out, and a control unit which controls parameters related to the crimping treatment of the sheet based on the diameter detected by the diameter detection unit.

2. A rod manufacturing machine for use in a flavor inhalation article according to claim 1, wherein the parameter is a crimp depth of the crimped portion formed in the sheet.

3. A machine for manufacturing rods for use in flavor inhalation articles as described in claim 2, wherein the sheet processing section comprises: a roller set for subjecting the sheet to a crimping treatment by sandwiching the sheet between a first roller and a second roller and transporting the sheet along the transport path; and an axis adjustment unit for adjusting the axis distance between the rotation axis of the first roller and the rotation axis of the second roller, wherein the first roller is formed with a protruding convex ridge along the circumferential direction of its outer circumferential surface, and the second roller is formed with a concave ridge that engages with the protruding ridge along the circumferential direction of its outer circumferential surface, and when the sheet is sandwiched and transported, the roller set forms an interlocking portion where the protruding ridge and the concave ridge interlock via the sheet, and the control unit controls the axis adjustment unit to adjust the axis distance, thereby controlling the interlocking depth of the interlocking portion and thereby the crimping depth.

4. The machine for manufacturing rods for use in a flavor inhalation article according to claim 1, wherein the diameter detection unit detects the diameter of the roll without contacting the roll.

5. A rod manufacturing machine for use in a flavor inhalation article as described in claim 1, wherein the control unit has a memory section that stores data on the thickness of the sheet to be wound at a position corresponding to the diameter, acquires the thickness corresponding to the diameter detected by the diameter detection unit from the memory section, and controls the parameters related to the crimping process of the sheet based on the acquired thickness.

6. A rod manufacturing machine for use in a flavor inhalation article as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the sheet supply section continuously unwinds the sheet from the roll on which the sheet having a thickness of 100 μm or more is wound and supplies the sheet to the conveying path.

7. A method for manufacturing a rod for use in a flavor inhalation article, comprising: a sheet supplying step of continuously unwinding a sheet from a roll on which the sheet is wound and supplying the sheet to a conveying path; a sheet processing step of performing a crimping process to crimp the sheet conveyed to the conveying path; a gathering step of gathering the sheet crimped in the sheet processing step in a width direction intersecting with its longitudinal direction to form a convergent rod; a wrapping step of wrapping the convergent rod formed in the gathering step with a supplied wrapper paper while reducing its diameter to form a continuous rod; and a cutting step of cutting the continuous rod formed in the wrapping step into rods, wherein the sheet processing step comprises: a diameter detection process of detecting the diameter of the roll while unwinding the sheet; and a control process of controlling parameters related to the crimping process based on the diameter detected in the diameter detection process.

8. A method for manufacturing a rod for use in a flavor inhalation article as described in claim 7, wherein the control process controls the crimp depth of the sheet as the parameter.

9. The method for manufacturing a rod for use in a flavor inhalation article according to claim 8, wherein the diameter detection process detects the diameter without contacting the roll.

10. A method for manufacturing a rod for use in a flavor inhalation article as described in claim 7, wherein the sheet processing step further includes a data acquisition process for acquiring data on a thickness of the sheet corresponding to the diameter, and the control process controls the parameters related to the crimping process based on the thickness acquired by the data acquisition process and corresponding to the diameter detected by the diameter detection process.

11. A method for manufacturing a rod for use in a flavor inhalation article described in any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein in the sheet supplying step, the sheet having a thickness of 100 μm or more is continuously unwound from the roll on which the sheet is wound and supplied to the conveying path.

Images