Molded Tobacco Ejection and Orientation Apparatus
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for molding and packaging tobacco products are inefficient in producing uniformly sized, oriented tobacco pieces that can be simultaneously ejected into a container without additional manipulation, especially for moist smokeless tobacco products which can be sticky and difficult to handle.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus using a mold with strategically oriented cavities to eject molded tobacco pieces directly into a container, where the mold is formed of stainless steel or other materials, and includes a knockout mechanism to facilitate ejection, allowing for simultaneous ejection of multiple pieces in a specific orientation, and optionally includes a cutter for slicing the pieces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If tobacco material is molded using conventional methods, then tobacco pieces can be produced, but additional handling and manipulation are required to achieve uniform orientation and placement in containers
Solution Approach 1:
The mold cavities are pre-configured with specific orientations and spacing to ensure that when tobacco pieces are ejected, they are automatically positioned in the desired orientation and arrangement within the container, eliminating the need for subsequent handling and manipulation operations
Solution Approach 2:
The molding and orientation functions are merged into a single mold cavity design, where the cavity geometry and arrangement simultaneously form the tobacco pieces and pre-orient them for direct container placement, combining multiple operations into one step
2Productivity
If multiple tobacco pieces are molded simultaneously, then productivity increases, but the pieces may contact each other during ejection causing orientation issues
Solution Approach 1:
Each mold cavity is designed with specific local characteristics including individual orientation angles and spacing from adjacent cavities, creating locally optimized ejection paths that prevent contact between pieces while maintaining uniform orientation across all simultaneously produced tobacco pieces
Solution Approach 2:
The mold is segmented into multiple independently oriented cavities, each capable of forming and ejecting tobacco pieces in specific directions, allowing simultaneous production of multiple pieces without interference while maintaining precise orientation control for each piece
3Productivity
If the mold cavities are spaced closely to increase output, then productivity improves, but the tobacco pieces contact during ejection reducing quality
Solution Approach 1:
The solution moves from considering only horizontal cavity spacing to utilizing three-dimensional spacing including vertical separation and angular orientation differences, allowing cavities to be positioned closer in plan view while maintaining sufficient separation through different elevation levels and ejection angles to prevent piece contact
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for molding and packaging molded tobacco pieces includes a mold having cavities oriented to allow ejection of molded tobacco pieces into a container. The apparatus also includes a knockout for ejecting the molded tobacco pieces, and a cutter having at least two blades for cutting the molded tobacco pieces into vertically aligned slices by passing one or more blades horizontally through the cavities.