Philip Morris Products S.a.

Gianni Caprini

Stefano Zappoli

Michele Pagnoni

Pietro Davide La Porta

The invention relates to a filter manufacturing apparatus including a feed path adapted to continuously feed a filter material along a longitudinal transport direction, and a forming device connected to a terminating end of the feed path and adapted to form the filter material into a rod-shaped continuous filter body and deliver the formed continuous filter body. The forming device includes: a tubular element adapted to allow the filter material to pass therethrough to form the filter material into the continuous filter body; a heat source adapted to heat the filter material passing in the tubular element. A diameter measuring device is positioned at the outlet of the forming device and adapted to measure a diameter of the continuous filter body.

Filter manufacturing apparatus

The invention relates to a filter manufacturing apparatus including: &#x2014;a feed path adapted to continuously feed a filter material along a longitudinal transport direction; &#x2014;a forming device connected to a terminating end of the feed path and adapted to form the filter material into a rod-shaped continuous filter body and deliver the formed continuous filter body, the forming device including: a tubular element adapted to allow the filter material to pass therethrough to form the filter material into the continuous filter body; a heat source adapted to heat the filter material passing in the tubular element; &#x2014;a diameter measuring device positioned at the outlet of the forming device and adapted to measure a diameter of the continuous filter body.

The method for drying filter rods comprises the steps of providing a filter rod, providing a support surface for receiving the filter rod and guiding the filter rod on the support surface by a guide element arranged above the support surface. The method further comprises the step of supplying a gas stream of compressed gas having a pressure between 0 and 6 bar to the filter rod through the guide element when the filter rod is transported along the support surface, before wrapping the filter rod with a wrapping material.

Method for drying filter rods

The apparatus for shaping substantially flat continuous material comprises a shaping device for gathering substantially flat continuous material transverse to a longitudinal direction of the continuous material to form a gathered continuous material. The apparatus further comprises a cooling device for cooling the gathered continuous material. The shaping device and the cooling device are combined such as to immediately cool the gathered continuous material.

Method and apparatus for shaping substantially flat continuous material

An apparatus for forming filter rods for aerosol-generating articles is provided, including a first source and a second source, the first source being configured to supply filter material in a form of a first tow, and the second source being configured to supply filter material in a form of a second tow; a single driven delivery roller configured to advance the first tow and the second tow; and an extrusion tool configured to process the first tow and the second tow, the delivery roller being arranged such that the first and the second tows are advanced from the first and the second sources toward the extrusion tool only by the delivery roller, and the extrusion tool is further configured to process several sources of filter material simultaneously to create one filter rod. A method for forming filter rods for aerosol-generating articles is also provided.

Apparatus and method for forming filter rods

The method for drying filter rods comprises the steps of providing a filter rod, providing a support surface () for receiving the filter rod () and guiding the filter rod on the support surface by a guide element () arranged above the support surface. The method further comprises the step of supplying a gas stream of compressed gas having a pressure between 0 and 6 bar to the filter rod through the guide element when the filter rod is transported along the support surface, before wrapping the filter rod with a wrapping material ().

The present invention relates to a filter manufacturing apparatus comprising: &#x2022; a feed path adapted to continuously feed a filter material along a longitudinal transport direction; &#x2022; a forming device connected to a terminating end of the feed path and adapted to form the filter material into a continuous filter body and to deliver the formed continuous filter body, the forming device including: &#x2022; a tubular element () adapted to allow the filter material to pass therethrough to form the filter tow material into the continuous filter body; and &#x2022; a steam generator () adapted to produce steam, the steam generator being in fluid communication with the tubular element to supply steam to the filter material; &#x2022; a drain channel () in fluid communication with the tubular element adapted to drain fluid from the tubular element; &#x2022; a valve adapted to open and close the drain channel so as to allow or block discharge of fluid from the tubular element.

The invention relates to a filter manufacturing apparatus () to form a hollow filter body, the filter manufacturing apparatus comprising: &#x2014;a feed path adapted to continuously feed a filter material along a longitudinal transport direction (); &#x2014;a forming device () connected to a terminating end of the feed path and adapted to form the filter material into a hollow rod-shaped filter body and deliver the formed filter body, the forming device including: &#x25aa; a tubular forming element () adapted to allow the filter material to pass therethrough, &#x25aa; a pin () extending longitudinally within the tubular forming element, the pin having a pin diameter;&#x2014;a diameter changing device (), adapted to vary the pin diameter of the pin, so as to obtain a filter body having a through hole of variable diameter.

The apparatus for shaping substantially flat continuous material comprises a shaping device () for gathering substantially flat continuous material transverse to a longitudinal direction of the continuous material to form a gathered continuous material. The apparatus further comprises a cooling device () for cooling the gathered continuous material. The shaping device and the cooling device are combined such as to immediately cool the gathered continuous material.

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