Cigarette Assembly Machine Two-Stroke Shaft and Hopper Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current customer-operated cigarette machines are not user-friendly, require high maintenance, and experience frequent adjustments due to constant motion, leading to downtime and revenue loss for small shop owners with limited mechanical skills.
Innovation Solution
A cigarette assembly machine with a tobacco plug forming mechanism, a two-stroke shaft moving assembly, and a hopper system that simplifies the loading and alignment of cigarette blanks and loose tobacco, incorporating features like a sloping bottom wall, rotating hopper sidewalls, and optical sensors for precise alignment and quality control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If currently available customer operated cigarette machines are used, then cigarette production is possible, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The machine is divided into separate functional modules: a blanks hopper for cigarette blanks, a tobacco hopper for loose tobacco, a shaft assembly for filling, and a control system. Each module operates independently, simplifying the user interface while maintaining production capability. The segmentation allows customers to simply load blanks and tobacco without understanding internal mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The machine incorporates automatic blank feeding, tobacco filling, and cigarette ejection mechanisms that operate without customer intervention once loaded. The two-stroke shaft automatically performs filling and ejection cycles, and the hoppers are designed for simple top-loading by customers, eliminating the need for customers to perform complex operations.
2Reliability
If currently available cigarette machines are used, then cigarette production is possible, but reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The design extracts and eliminates complex adjustment mechanisms, delicate alignment systems, and fragile components from currently available machines. The patent uses robust mechanical components with fixed geometries that resist misalignment, and the two-stroke shaft design inherently maintains proper positioning throughout operation, reducing points of failure.
Solution Approach 2:
The machine incorporates tolerance-built designs where components are deliberately designed with clearance and flexibility to accommodate normal variations in operation. The hopper sidewalls and bottom wall configurations provide stable blank positioning without requiring precise adjustment, and the shaft assembly includes features that maintain proper alignment despite wear or thermal expansion.
3Ease of repair
If currently available cigarette machines are used, then cigarette production is possible, but maintenance requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The machine is designed with modular components that can be easily removed and replaced. The shaft assembly, hoppers, and control system are separate modules that can be serviced independently. This segmentation allows shop owners to perform basic maintenance without requiring disassembly of the entire machine or specialized mechanical skills.
Solution Approach 2:
The machine incorporates easy-access design features where maintenance tasks such as refilling tobacco, replacing blanks, and basic cleaning can be performed by the shop owner without technical expertise. The hopper lids open from the top, the shaft assembly is accessible from the front, and there are no hidden adjustment mechanisms requiring specialized knowledge.
4Ease of operation
If currently available cigarette machines are used, then cigarette production is possible, but adjustment difficulty worsens
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of designing machines that require frequent manual adjustments to maintain alignment, the patent inverts the approach by designing components that inherently maintain proper alignment throughout their operational life. The shaft assembly geometry and hopper configurations are designed to self-align, eliminating the need for adjustments that would otherwise be required in conventional machines.
Solution Approach 2:
The machine incorporates dynamic compensation features where components can move or flex to accommodate normal operational variations. The two-stroke shaft includes features that automatically compensate for wear or thermal expansion, and the hopper sidewalls are designed to maintain proper blank positioning even as the machine operates continuously, eliminating the need for frequent adjustments.
Data Source
AI summary
A cigarette assembly machine that accepts loose tobacco and cigarette blanks that include a filter and an empty tobacco holding portion and produces cigarettes. The machine includes a tobacco plug forming mechanism, adapted to accept loose tobacco and form it into a plug of tobacco in the shape of the tobacco holding portion; a cigarette blank accepting and holding mechanism, adapted to hold the cigarette blank, so that the empty tobacco holding portion is facing the tobacco plug forming mechanism; a shaft aligned to the accepting and holding mechanism; and a two-stroke shaft moving assembly, adapted to move the shaft through a first stroke, which pushes the tobacco plug into the tobacco holding portion to create a cigarette, and through a second stroke that moves the cigarette out of the cigarette blank accepting and holding mechanism.