Ergonomic Handgrip and Adjustable Compacting Chamber for Cigarette-Making Machines
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Injector-type cigarette-making machines lack improved safety and ergonomics for users, leading to potential injuries and improper operation, and they are not adjustable for filling cigarettes of various sizes, resulting in unsuitable tobacco amounts.
Innovation Solution
The machine features a handgrip that allows users to apply downward force without damaging components and an adjustable compacting chamber with a volume-adjusting member to accommodate different paper tube sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users place their hand on the machine to exert downward force during operation, then the machine is prevented from sliding on the surface, but the user is subject to pinching injury from the compacting member and/or laceration-type injury from the injector spoon
Solution Approach 1:
A handgrip member is introduced as an intermediary element between the user's hand and the machine. The handgrip projects upward from the housing and provides a safe location for users to apply downward force, positioning the hand distal from the compacting chamber and hollow nipple, thereby eliminating direct exposure to dangerous moving parts while still allowing the user to stabilize the machine during operation.
2Ease of operation
If users apply downward force on the ejector handle to prevent the machine from sliding, then the machine remains stable during operation, but additional wear and tear occurs on the machine components that couple the handle with the compacting member
Solution Approach 1:
The handgrip member serves as a mediator that transfers the user's downward force directly to the machine housing, bypassing the ejector handle and its associated coupling components. This separation of functions allows the handle to rotate freely for its intended purpose while the handgrip independently provides stabilization, eliminating the transmission of wear-inducing forces to the rotating shaft, shaft bushing, and linkage assembly.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the compacting chamber volume is fixed, then the machine structure is simple, but the machine cannot adapt to filling paper tubes of various sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The compacting chamber is designed with adjustable volume capability through a volume-adjusting member that can be positioned in different locations along the chamber. This dynamic adjustment allows the chamber volume to be changed to match different paper tube sizes, transforming a static structure into an adaptable one. The compacting member includes slots that accommodate the volume-adjusting member at different positions, enabling the same machine to efficiently fill various sized tubes without requiring multiple dedicated chambers.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
In one embodiment, a cigarette-making machine (100) of the tobacco-injecting type includes an improvement being a handgrip (160) that provides improved ergonomics to a user of the machine. The handgrip (160) is configured to project upward from a top surface (112) of the housing of the machine to position the user's hand distal from the compacting chamber and the hollow nipple, thereby preventing potential user injuries. Furthermore, the handgrip (160) is configured on the top surface (112) to provide the user with a convenient location to apply a downward force to the machine to prevent the machine from sliding on a surface without damaging components of the machine. In another embodiment, a cigarette-making machine (100) of the tobacco-injecting type includes an improvement being an adjustable volume compacting chamber. The cigarette-making machine may include a volume-adjusting member (170) that is configured to axially partition the compacting chamber into a tobacco-receiving portion and a vacant portion.