Global Patent Index - EP 4374713 A1

EP 4374713 A1 20240529 - APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING MULTI-SEGMENT ARTICLES

Title (en)

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING MULTI-SEGMENT ARTICLES

Title (de)

VORRICHTUNG UND VERFAHREN ZUR HERSTELLUNG VON MEHRSEGMENTARTIKELN

Title (fr)

APPAREIL ET PROCÉDÉ DE FABRICATION D'ARTICLES À SEGMENTS MULTIPLES

Publication

EP 4374713 A1 20240529 (EN)

Application

EP 22209340 A 20221124

Priority

EP 22209340 A 20221124

Abstract (en)

An apparatus (1) for manufacturing multi-segment articles comprising feeding modules (20), the feeding modules (20) being adapted to cut rods (MA, MB, MC, MD) into segments (A, B, C, D) and to feed the segments (A, B, C, D) to an assembling unit (30). The feeding unit comprises a hopper (21) for storing the rods (MA, MB, MC, MD), a receiving drum (22) for receiving the rods (MA, MB, MC, MD) from the hopper (21), a cutting head (24), situated at the conveying drum (23), for cutting the rods (MA, MB, MC, MD) into individual segments (A, B, C, D), a shifting drum (25) for varying the mutual position of the segments (A, B, C, D), an aligning drum (26) for forming at least one stream of the segments (A, B, C, D). Furthermore, the apparatus comprises an assembling unit (30) provided with assembling drums (31) and conveying drums (32) for receiving the segments (A, B, C, D) from the feeding modules (20) and forming a group (G1) of the segments, and a first wrapping module (40) for feeding a section of a first wrapping material (W1) and wrapping a the segment group (G1) fed from the assembling unit (30) so as to form a multi-segment rod (R). The apparatus according to the invention is characterized in that the first wrapping module (40) comprises a conveying and pushing together drum (44) which is adapted to receive the group (G1) of the segments (A, B, C, D) with gaps, the first wrapping module (40) being provided with a pushing together mechanism (45, 46, 47, 48) for pushing the group (G1) of the segments (A, B, C, D) together so that the segments (A, B, C, D) in the segment group (G1) after pushing together are in contact with one another, furthermore, the conveying and pushing together drum (44) is adapted to convey the group (G2) of the segments (A, B, C, D) pushed together, along with a section of the first wrapping material (W1).

IPC 8 full level

A24C 5/32 (2006.01); A24C 5/47 (2006.01); A24D 3/02 (2006.01)

CPC (source: EP)

A24C 5/01 (2020.01); A24C 5/327 (2013.01); A24C 5/478 (2013.01); A24D 3/0287 (2013.01); A24C 5/475 (2013.01)

Citation (applicant)

GB 2267021 A 19931124 - MOLINS PLC [GB]

Citation (search report)

Designated contracting state (EPC)

AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC ME MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR

Designated extension state (EPC)

BA

Designated validation state (EPC)

KH MA MD TN

DOCDB simple family (publication)

EP 4374713 A1 20240529; WO 2024110886 A1 20240530

DOCDB simple family (application)

EP 22209340 A 20221124; IB 2023061777 W 20231122