Cigar Mouthpiece Attachment Unit With Parallel Belt Conveyors
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for attaching mouthpieces to cigars on automated manufacturing lines are complex, expensive, and result in reduced productivity and increased production costs due to manual operation and limited operational speed.
Innovation Solution
A unit comprising a belt conveyor with pockets for cigars and a parallel belt conveyor for mouthpieces, where a coupling device with pushing members aligns and attaches mouthpieces to cigars along a long attachment path, allowing for high-speed operation and simplified manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a horizontal attachment wheel with rotatably mounted retaining elements is used to chase cigars along a rectilinear path, then the mouthpiece attachment can be performed continuously, but the device becomes complex and expensive to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment wheel is divided into multiple independent retaining elements (16) that can be separately manufactured and assembled. Each retaining element is a simple U-shaped component that holds a mouthpiece, allowing the complex wheel structure to be built from simple, standardized parts that reduce overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining continuous operation capability
Solution Approach 2:
The retaining elements (16) are rotatably mounted on the attachment wheel (12) in a nested configuration, where simple U-shaped retainers are positioned within the larger rotating wheel structure. This nesting allows the complex attachment mechanism to be constructed from simpler components, reducing manufacturing difficulty while enabling continuous mouthpiece attachment along the rectilinear path
2Speed
If the retaining element remains coupled to the pocket conveyor for a very short segment of the attachment path, then the attachment speed can be increased, but the manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The retaining elements (16) are designed to be rotatably mounted on the attachment wheel (12) rather than rigidly fixed, creating a dynamic system where the retainers can independently rotate and adjust during the attachment process. This dynamic configuration allows the elements to quickly engage and disengage from cigars moving along the conveyor, enabling high operational speed while keeping each individual component simple and easy to manufacture
Solution Approach 2:
Mouthpieces (8) are pre-loaded into the retaining elements (16) before the attachment process begins. The retaining elements are prepared in advance with mouthpieces already positioned, so that during high-speed operation, the pre-prepared retainers can quickly transfer mouthpieces to cigars without requiring complex real-time positioning mechanisms, thus achieving high speed with simpler manufacturing
Data Source
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AI summary
Unit (5) for the attachment of mouthpieces (6) to cigars (2) having: a first belt conveyor (21) provided with first pockets (22), which are designed to contain respective cigars (2), so as to feed the cigars (2) along a straight attachment path (P2); a second belt conveyor (23) arranged parallel and next to the first belt conveyor (21) and provided with second pockets (24), which are designed to contain respective mouthpieces (6), so as to feed the mouthpieces (6) along the attachment path (P2); and a coupling device (25) provided with at least one pushing member (26), which is arranged along the attachment path (P2) in the area of an attachment station (S2) and is movable along an attachment direction (D1) that is perpendicular to the attachment path (P2), so as to push a mouthpiece (6) carried by a second pocket (24) towards a corresponding cigar (2) carried by a first pocket (22) and then attach the mouthpiece (6) to the cigar (2).