Adjustable Cavity Handheld Cigarette-Making Machine

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing handheld cigarette-making machines are complex and expensive to manufacture and use, as they require adjustments in cavity length, tamper length, and throw distance to accommodate different tobacco-receiving portion lengths in cigarette tubes.

Innovation Solution

A handheld cigarette-making machine design that uses a single throw distance and tamper length, with an adjustable tobacco receiving cavity to accommodate two different tobacco-receiving portion lengths, featuring a sliding member with an adjustment mechanism and a pivoting top member for compressing tobacco, allowing for efficient filling of both shorter and longer cigarette tubes without altering the throw distance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the cavity length, tamper length, and throw distance are adjusted to accommodate different cigarette tube lengths, then the machine can fill both shorter and longer tubes, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveability to accommodate different cigarette tube lengthsVSAvoidcomplexity of adjusting cavity length, tamper length, and throw distance
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cavity length is made dynamically adjustable through a telescopic structure where the second cavity portion can move relative to the first cavity portion. This allows the effective cavity length to be changed to match different cigarette tube lengths without requiring changes to the tamper length or throw distance, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining adaptability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The single telescopic cavity structure serves multiple functions: it can accommodate both shorter and longer cigarette tubes by adjusting its effective length, and it works with a fixed tamper length and fixed throw distance. This universal design eliminates the need for multiple specialized components, reducing manufacturing cost and complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple adjustable components are added to accommodate different tube lengths, then versatility improves, but ease of operation deteriorates due to multiple adjustments required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveability to fill different tobacco-receiving portion lengthsVSAvoidease of making multiple adjustments to cavity, tamper, and throw distance
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The telescopic cavity provides a single dynamic adjustment mechanism (moving the second cavity portion) that replaces the need for multiple static adjustments. The user only needs to adjust the cavity length to match the cigarette tube length, while the tamper length and throw distance remain fixed, significantly improving ease of operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The cavity is segmented into a first fixed portion and a second movable portion. This segmentation allows the effective length to be adjusted by moving only the second portion, creating a simple single-step adjustment process rather than requiring multiple coordinated adjustments across different components

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3300615B1Hand-held cigarette-making machine
Publication Date: 2020.03.11 REPUBLIC TOBACCO LP
  • EP3300615B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3300615B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3300615B1 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

A handheld cigarette-making machine (100) with a longitudinally sliding member (104) that moves between a distal loading position for receiving loose tobacco and a proximal filling position, having an adjustment member (148) that enables the machine to fill cigarette tubes of two different tobacco-receiving portion lengths using a single length tobacco-receiving cavity (142) and tamping member (178).