Asymmetric Sliding Drum Aligning Filter Rods
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In the tobacco processing industry, existing conveyor drums face challenges in reliably conveying rod-shaped articles like filter rods and filter pieces across different diameters, leading to misalignment and inefficiencies during the assembly process, which increases design complexity and reduces process reliability.
Innovation Solution
A sliding drum with two rows of receiving troughs, where the radial distance of the trough base to the axis of rotation differs between rows, allowing for longitudinal and axial displacement of rod-shaped articles, enabling alignment of articles with different diameters on the same pitch circle and facilitating their assembly by adjusting the radial distance and providing movement elements and stops for precise positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional conveyor drums with uniform receiving troughs are used, then the structure is simple, but articles with different diameters cannot be aligned accurately on the same pitch circle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by configuring receiving troughs at different radial distances from the axis of rotation. Specifically, first receiving troughs are positioned at a first radial distance while second receiving troughs are positioned at a second radial distance, creating an asymmetric arrangement that enables articles of different diameters to be aligned on the same pitch circle during rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by giving different radial positions to different groups of receiving troughs. The first receiving troughs and second receiving troughs are locally differentiated in their radial distances from the axis of rotation, allowing each group to accommodate articles with specific diameter requirements while maintaining overall system functionality.
2Manufacturing precision
If articles are conveyed without longitudinal displacement capability, then the conveying process is simple, but accurate positioning and assembly of articles is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by enabling longitudinal displacement of rod-shaped articles within the receiving troughs during conveyance. The articles can move axially along the troughs, allowing dynamic adjustment of their positions to achieve precise alignment and assembly configurations, rather than being fixed in static positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements segmentation by dividing the conveying system into multiple independent receiving troughs arranged in different rows. Each trough can independently accommodate and displace articles, allowing segmented control and positioning of multiple articles simultaneously, which simplifies the overall positioning mechanism while maintaining high precision.
3Productivity
If multiple articles with different diameters are conveyed simultaneously, then productivity is improved, but alignment accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by using asymmetric radial positioning of receiving troughs. Articles of different diameters are placed in troughs at different radial distances from the axis of rotation, which compensates for their diameter differences and enables them to align on the same pitch circle, maintaining high alignment accuracy while conveying multiple articles simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements universality by designing the sliding drum to handle multiple types of rod-shaped articles with different diameters using the same rotating conveying mechanism. The asymmetric trough arrangement provides a universal solution that accommodates various article sizes without requiring separate conveying systems, thus maintaining both productivity and precision.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
The invention relates inter alia to a conveying drum (20, 120) of the tobacco processing industry, in particular a sliding drum (20), with receiving recesses (31, 32) for rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry, in particular filter rods and/or filter pieces and/or segmented products, wherein the conveying drum (20, 120) is rotatable about a rotational axis (A). The conveying drum (20, 120) has two adjacent rows (R1, R2) of receiving troughs (31, 32) arranged transversely one behind the other in the circumferential direction, wherein the conveying drum (20, 120) is configured such that during or when conveying the rod-shaped articles in a transverse axial direction, the rod-shaped articles are longitudinally displaceable or are displaced in the receiving troughs (31, 32) of one row (R1, R2) or in the receiving troughs (31, 32) of both rows (R1, R2), wherein the receiving troughs (31, 32) of both rows (R1, R2) each have a trough base (41, 51).wherein at least in the area of the ends of the receiving recesses (31) of the first row (R1) and the ends of the receiving recesses (32) of the second row (R2), which are arranged opposite each other, the radial distance of the recess base (41) of the receiving recesses (31) of the first row (R1) to the axis of rotation (A) and the radial distance of the recess base (51) of the receiving recesses (32) of the second row (R2) to the axis of rotation (A) are different.