Cigarette Group Forming Machine with Segmented Hopper Channels
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing machinery is inadequate for efficiently forming and boxing large groups of cigarettes, such as those found in a carton, as it struggles with arranging and compacting a high number of cigarettes correctly, leading to potential misalignment and handling issues.
Innovation Solution
A machine comprising an infeed unit with a hopper divided into channels to form ordered columns of cigarettes, pusher devices to transfer and compact them into sub-groups, and a packaging line to wrap the groups securely, ensuring precise arrangement and elimination of gaps between piles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If existing machinery is used to form large groups of cigarettes, then the packaging capacity is insufficient, but the machine complexity and handling difficulty increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The hopper is divided into multiple channels (e.g., 5 channels for 200 cigarettes arranged in 8 layers of 25 cigarettes each). Each channel independently forms a column of cigarettes that are then transferred to the packaging machine, breaking down the complex task of handling 200 cigarettes into manageable segments of 25 cigarettes per channel.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent arranges cigarettes in a three-dimensional configuration within the hopper channels, forming vertical columns that are then transferred horizontally to the packaging machine. This spatial arrangement in multiple dimensions allows efficient organization and transfer of large numbers of cigarettes without increasing machine complexity.
2Quantity of substance
If a large number of cigarettes are arranged in the hopper, then the packaging quantity increases, but the alignment precision and gap elimination become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the hopper into separate channels, each channel independently maintains precise alignment of its cigarette column. The channel walls and partition structures ensure that cigarettes remain properly aligned during the formation and transfer process, eliminating the need to manage alignment for all 200 cigarettes simultaneously as a single group.
Solution Approach 2:
The cigarettes are pre-arranged in ordered columns within the hopper channels before transfer to the packaging machine. This preliminary organization ensures that when the cigarettes are discharged and transferred, they maintain their alignment and proper spacing, eliminating gaps without requiring complex real-time adjustment mechanisms during packaging.
3Productivity
If cigarettes are transferred in large groups, then the packaging efficiency increases, but the handling and compacting difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer process handles cigarettes in segmented columns from individual channels rather than as one large group. Each channel's cigarette column is transferred separately and compacted independently, making the handling process manageable and efficient. The packaging machine receives organized columns that are easier to compact and package compared to a disorganized large group.
Solution Approach 2:
Cigarettes are pre-organized into columns within the hopper channels before transfer, so that when they are discharged to the packaging machine, they are already in an optimized configuration for compacting and packaging. This preliminary arrangement eliminates the need for complex handling and re-arrangement operations during the packaging process.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 2
Figure 4~6
AI summary
A machine for forming and boxing groups of cigarettes, where each group comprises a predetermined number of layers (4) and each layer is made up of a predetermined number of cigarettes (3), comprises a hopper (8) for forming, in respective channels (15b) of an outlet (9), a group of piles (18) of cigarettes equal in number to the number of cigarettes (3) in a layer (4), while each pile (18) is made up of a number of cigarettes (3) equal to the number of layers (4); the group of piles (18) divided into a plurality of sub-groups (34a, 34b, 34c) is transferred from the hopper (8) into respective pockets (29a, 29b, 29c) of a first container (27) which is movable between a first, transfer station (22) and a second, transfer station (30); the sub-groups (34a, 34b, 34c) of piles (18) are transferred from the first container (27) to a second container (41) for forming a group (2) of cigarettes (3); interposed between the outlet (9) of the hopper (8) and the pockets (29a, 29b, 29c) of the first container (27) there are first compacting means (31) for the individual sub-groups (34a, 34b, 34c) and interposed between the first container (27) and the second container (41) there are second compacting means (42) for the sub-groups (34a, 34b, 34c).