Adjustable Kicker Bar for Tobacco Product Rolling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tobacco industry product manufacturing apparatuses face challenges in reliably handling components of varying hardness, as the existing kicker and roll mechanisms can damage fragile components and fail to effectively wrap harder components due to rigid connections and fixed spacings, leading to inefficiencies and potential component damage.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus features a rotatable drum with recesses and a kicker bar system, where the kicker bar is adjustable and biased towards the drum, allowing for deflection to accommodate components of different hardness, ensuring proper compression and wrapping without damaging fragile parts, while maintaining sufficient force for harder components, and is adjustable for varying biasing force and position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid kicker mechanism is used to push components out of drum recesses, then harder components can be effectively wrapped, but fragile components may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The kicker bar is made movable relative to the roll hand, allowing it to deflect away from the drum when encountering fragile components. This dynamic adjustment enables the same mechanism to handle both hard and fragile components effectively, resolving the contradiction between wrapping effectiveness and component protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The position of the kicker bar relative to the roll hand is adjustable, allowing modification of the spacing parameter. This enables optimization of the kicking force applied to components based on their hardness, preventing damage to fragile components while maintaining effectiveness for harder ones.
2Device complexity
If fixed spacing between kicker and roll hand is used, then device structure is simple, but it cannot accommodate components of varying hardness
Solution Approach 1:
The kicker bar's movable mounting allows it to adjust its position dynamically during operation. This adds adaptability to handle components of varying hardness while maintaining relatively simple device structure, as the movement mechanism is integrated into the existing kicker design.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustable kicker mechanism serves multiple functions: it can handle both fragile and hard components, and its position can be optimized for different component types. This multi-functionality increases versatility without proportionally increasing device complexity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the kicker bar is positioned close to the drum, then fragile components are protected, but harder components may not be wrapped effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The kicker bar can deflect away from the drum when needed, allowing it to start in a protected position close to the drum for fragile components, then move outward to provide sufficient force for harder components. This dynamic positioning resolves the contradiction between protection and effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustable mounting allows the kicker bar position to be pre-set based on component hardness before operation begins. This preliminary positioning optimizes the kicking action for the specific component type being processed, preventing damage to fragile components while ensuring effective wrapping of harder ones.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables the reliable and efficient manufacturing of tobacco industry products by accommodating components of different hardness levels, preventing damage and ensuring effective wrapping, thereby improving the operational sensitivity and reliability of the apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
the kicker bar is biased towards the drum; wherein wherein the kicker bar is moveable between an extended position in which a contact edge of the kicker bar is spaced from the drum by a first distance, and a deflected position in which the kicker bar is spaced from the drum by a second distance greater than the first distance
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4
AI summary
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to an apparatus (1) for manufacture of tobacco industry products (21). The apparatus (1) comprising a rolling unit (9) comprising: • a rotatable drum (14) having a plurality of recesses formed in an outer surface of the drum (14) to receive tobacco industry product components (5/6); • a roll hand (15) spaced from the outer surface of the drum (14) to define a space between the outer surface of the drum (14) and the roll hand (15), within which space tobacco industry product components (5/6) are rollable upon rotation of the drum (14); and • a kicker bar (16) disposed adjacent to the roll hand (15). • The kicker bar (16) is moveable relative to the roll hand (15) and in a direction towards and away from the drum (14) during operation of the apparatus (1), and the kicker bar (16) is biased towards the drum (14).