Crimping Unit With Pneumatic Cooling For Tobacco Web Compaction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing crimping systems for tobacco industry products result in non-uniform and poor-quality articles due to inadequate compaction, which worsens when the web material is subjected to mechanical stresses and temperature increases, leading to structural damage.
Innovation Solution
A crimping unit with a crimping station featuring first and second crimping rollers creating longitudinal easy folding lines, a gathering station with a shaping duct to give a cylindrical shape, and pneumatic conveying and cooling means to maintain optimal temperature and prevent overheating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If the web of material is subjected to mechanical stresses during gathering and size reduction, then the web is compacted and given a cylindrical shape, but the temperature increases causing structural damage to the web
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces cooling air as an intermediary substance that flows through channels in the gathering mechanism. This cooling air acts as a mediator between the heated web material and the surrounding environment, absorbing excess heat and maintaining the web temperature within acceptable limits during the gathering and size reduction processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pneumatic cooling by circulating compressed air through internal channels of the gathering mechanism. This pneumatic system efficiently removes heat generated during mechanical processing without requiring direct contact cooling, thus preventing structural damage to the web while maintaining the desired cylindrical shape.
2Manufacturing precision
If the web of material is crimped and reduced in size, then the articles are compacted, but the compaction is non-uniform and articles become loose
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing cooling channels specifically in regions where heat generation is most intense during crimping and gathering. The cooling mechanism is not uniformly distributed but strategically placed to address local hot spots, ensuring uniform compaction while preventing localized overheating that would cause loosening.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic cooling action by pulsing cooling air through the channels during the gathering process. This periodic cooling synchronizes with the mechanical processing cycles, providing cooling precisely when and where heat is generated, thereby maintaining uniform compaction and preventing article loosening.
3Temperature
If cooling flows are introduced between the shaping duct and the web, then the temperature is maintained within acceptable limits, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cooling function with the existing gathering mechanism structure by integrating cooling channels directly into the shaping duct and gathering components. This combination eliminates the need for separate cooling devices and reduces overall system complexity while effectively maintaining temperature within acceptable limits.
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 crimping unit ensures uniform compaction and maintains the web material's temperature within acceptable limits, preventing structural damage and improving the quality of tobacco industry products.
Implementation Method 1
pneumatic, conveying and cooling means associated with the shaping duct to convey and cool the web of material as it traverses the shaping duct through flows of a pressurized fluid which act on the shaping duct in between its inside surface and the web
Implementation Method 2
pneumatic, conveying and cooling means associated with the shaping duct to convey and cool the web of material as it traverses the shaping duct through flows of a pressurized fluid
Data Source
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AI summary
This invention relates to a crimping unit (1) for crimping a web (100) of material used to make tobacco industry products, comprising: - a crimping station (20) having a first crimping roller (21) and a second crimping roller (22) operatively coupled to make a plurality of longitudinal easy folding lines on the web of material (100); - a gathering station (30) comprising a shaping duct (32a) configured to receive the web of material (100) and progressively gather it in order to give it a substantially cylindrical shape. The crimping unit (1) also comprises pneumatic, conveying and cooling means associated with the shaping duct (32a) to convey and cool the web of material (100) as it traverses the shaping duct (32a) through flows of a pressurized fluid which act on the shaping duct (32a) in between its inside surface and the web (100). [Figure 1]