Rotational Drum Cigarette Opener for Filter Preservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for reclaiming tobacco from cigarette waste, such as cylindrical and prism-shaped rotational drum sieves, often damage multi-segment filters due to random impacts and structural weaknesses, leading to inefficient tobacco extraction and quality issues.
Innovation Solution
A rotational drum device with scraping away elements and a rotational beater, where cigarettes are lifted and struck perpendicular to their axis, minimizing filter damage and optimizing tobacco extraction efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If cigarettes are repeatedly struck against by numerous striking elements in a rotating drum, then tobacco extraction efficiency is improved, but multi-segment filters are damaged causing extraction of filter segments
Solution Approach 1:
The device segments the striking action into two distinct phases: first, scraping away elements lift and position cigarettes; second, a single rotational beater strikes them. This segmentation replaces random multiple impacts with a controlled, single-direction strike, extracting tobacco efficiently while preserving filter integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The scraping away elements act as intermediaries between the drum rotation and the cigarettes. They lift and position the cigarettes in a controlled manner before the beater strikes, preventing direct random impacts that would damage the filters while still enabling effective tobacco extraction.
2Productivity
If cigarettes are lifted and dropped from substantial height in a rotating drum, then tobacco is extracted effectively, but filters break or deform due to impact forces
Solution Approach 1:
The device changes the parameters of the striking action: instead of high-impact drops from substantial height, it uses controlled lifting by scraping elements followed by moderate strikes from a rotational beater. This parameter change maintains tobacco extraction effectiveness while reducing impact forces that would damage filters.
3Productivity
If the drum axis is inclined to enable cigarettes to fall and be struck repeatedly, then tobacco extraction is enhanced, but filter damage increases due to repeated impacts
Solution Approach 1:
The device uses periodic action through the rotation of the drum and beater, but controls the timing and nature of strikes. Cigarettes are periodically lifted by scraping elements and then struck by the beater at controlled intervals, providing sufficient action for tobacco extraction while preventing excessive impacts that would damage filters.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device effectively opens cigarettes without breaking multi-segment filters, ensuring high efficiency in tobacco recovery while maintaining a compact design, capable of handling both perforated and unperforated cigarettes.
Implementation Method 1
cigarettes fed into the rotating drum and being lifted by means of at the least one scraping away element and falling by gravity
Implementation Method 2
struck against by means of the at the least one rotational beater in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axes of the cigarettes with a force enabling their opening
Data Source
AI summary
A method for opening cigarettes constituting cigarette waste in a device comprising a rotational drum (1) the inner wall of which is provided with at least one scraping away element (2, 2′, 2″) extending generally along the drum, and at least one rotational beater (4, 4′, 4″) located inside the drum (1) striking against the cigarettes, wherein the cigarettes fed into the rotating drum (1) and being lifted by means of at the least one scraping away element (2, 2′, 2″) and falling by gravity, are struck against by means of the at least one rotational beater (4, 4′, 4″) in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axes of the cigarettes with a force enabling their opening. A device for realization of the method of the invention.