Dual Cigarette Filter Machine Adjustable Traction Rollers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Dual cigarette filter manufacturing machines produce filters of inferior quality compared to single machines, and existing machines are not cost-effective or easy to produce.

Innovation Solution

A dual cigarette filter manufacturing machine with adjustable traction roller units that independently control the distance between rollers to prevent jamming and optimize filtering material processing, ensuring consistent and high-quality filter production.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a dual cigarette filter manufacturing machine is used to increase productivity, then the output of filters is improved, but the quality of filters becomes inferior compared to single machines

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoutput of filtersVSAvoidquality of filters
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The dual manufacturing machine is divided into two independent production lines, each with its own forming beam and processing units. This segmentation allows each line to operate independently with dedicated traction roller units, ensuring that quality issues in one line do not affect the other, and enabling each line to maintain single-machine quality standards while achieving dual-line productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The traction roller units are made adjustable and dynamic, allowing the distance between rollers to be modified during operation. This enables the machine to adapt to variations in filtering material properties and maintain consistent compression and quality across both production lines, preventing the quality degradation that typically occurs in fixed dual-line systems

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Device complexity

If fixed distance rollers are used in the traction device, then the structure is simple, but jamming situations occur when filtering material twists about the rollers

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructure of traction deviceVSAvoidprevention of jamming situations
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The traction roller units incorporate adjustable mechanisms that allow the distance between rollers to be dynamically modified. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the system to accommodate variations in filtering material dimensions and prevent jamming situations, while adding only minimal structural complexity through straightforward adjustment mechanisms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The distance between traction rollers is changed as a controllable parameter that can be adjusted based on material characteristics. By modifying this geometric parameter, the system adapts to different filtering material conditions and prevents jamming without requiring complex structural changes to the overall device

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 machine produces filters of high quality comparable to those from single machines, while being cost-effective and easy to produce, with the adjustable traction roller units minimizing jamming and accommodating material irregularities.

Implementation Method 1

a suction device, which is located at the input station and widens the two wicks transversely into two flat-section strips

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSuction: Suction

Implementation Method 2

an inflation device which blows air into the strips to increase their volume

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAir pressure: Pressure Increase

Data Source

PatentEP1832183B1Cigarette filter manufacturing machine
Publication Date: 2010.12.22 GD SPA
  • EP1832183B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1832183B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1832183B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A machine (1) having at least two production lines for producing cigarette filters; at least one traction roller unit (10) is located along the two production lines, and, for each production line, has a traction device (23) having two parallel rollers (24, 26) cooperating with each other and located a given adjustable distance apart; each traction device (23) has an adjusting device (28) for adjusting the distance between the two rollers (24, 26) of the traction device (23) independently of the distance between the two rollers (24, 26) of the other traction device (23).