Crimping Unit With U-Shaped Pre-Shaping Member

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing crimping systems for tobacco industry products result in non-uniform and loose articles due to suboptimal compaction, leading to poor quality end products.

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 pre-shaping member having a U-shaped cross-section and protrusions/recesses to pre-fold the web, and a shaping device for optimal compaction and cylindrical shaping.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If conventional crimping systems are used to create corrugations on the web, then longitudinal easy folding lines are formed, but the articles become non-uniform and loose due to suboptimal compaction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuniformity of compactionVSAvoidstructural integrity of articles

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The pre-shaping member performs preliminary folding of the web along the easy folding lines before the web enters the gathering station. This preliminary action prepares the web for more effective compaction during gathering, ensuring uniform compression and preventing loose articles. The pre-shaping member creates initial folds that guide the subsequent compaction process, leading to consistent article structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The pre-shaping member introduces a new geometric parameter - a U-shaped cross-sectional profile with protrusions and recesses. This shape change transforms the flat web into a pre-folded configuration that optimizes how the web compresses during gathering. The specific U-shape with engagement features changes the physical state of the web from flat to pre-compressed, improving compaction uniformity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of manufacture

If the web is directly gathered without pre-shaping, then the gathering process is simpler, but the web does not compact uniformly and articles become loose

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of gathering processVSAvoiduniformity of web compaction

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The pre-shaping member performs preliminary folding of the web along the easy folding lines before the web enters the gathering station. This preliminary action prepares the web for more effective compaction during gathering, ensuring uniform compression and preventing loose articles. The pre-shaping member creates initial folds that guide the subsequent compaction process, leading to consistent article structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The pre-shaping member acts as an intermediary device between the crimping station and the gathering station. It receives the crimped web and performs intermediate processing by pre-folding along the easy folding lines, then transfers the pre-shaped web to the gathering station. This intermediary step bridges the gap between crimping and gathering, ensuring optimal conditions for uniform compaction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Device complexity

If the pre-shaping member has a simple shape, then the device complexity is reduced, but the web cannot be properly pre-folded along the easy folding lines

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomplexity of pre-shaping memberVSAvoidaccuracy of pre-folding along easy folding lines

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The pre-shaping member features localized geometric variations - protrusions and recesses at specific locations along its length. These local features correspond to the positions of the easy folding lines on the web. The U-shaped cross-section with engagement protrusions provides the necessary local geometry to fold the web accurately along each easy folding line, while the rest of the member maintains a simpler overall form.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The pre-shaping member introduces a new geometric parameter - a U-shaped cross-sectional profile with protrusions and recesses. This shape change transforms the flat web into a pre-folded configuration that optimizes how the web compresses during gathering. The specific U-shape with engagement features changes the physical state of the web from flat to pre-compressed, improving compaction uniformity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3473112B1Crimping unit

Publication Date: 2021.03.31 GD SPA

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AI summary

This invention relates to a crimping unit for crimping a web (100) of material used to make tobacco industry products, comprising: - a crimping station (20) which comprises 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 (100) in transit between the two crimping rollers (21, 22); - a gathering station (30), located downstream of the crimping station (20) and configured to receive the web (100) and progressively gather it in order to give it a substantially cylindrical shape; the gathering station also comprises: - a pre-shaping member (31) whose cross-sectional shape transverse to the feed direction of the web (100) is curved and shaped and configured to give the web (100) a shape substantially like that of a U; - a shaping device (32) provided with a shaping duct (32a).