Brand control method for an automatic tobacco article processing machine

• US 8,118,034 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2009
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: G.D. Societa per Azioni.
• Original Assignee: G. D. Societa Per Azioni
• Inventors: Moretti, Carlo, De Pietra, Gaetano, Faraci, Giuseppe
• Primary Examiner(s): Crispino, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mayes, Dionne Walls
• Application Number:
  US12/401,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20090293890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 131/280, 700/97, 700/117
• US Class Current: 131/280
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 19/28 Control devices for cigarette or cigar packaging machines
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/00 Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices registering wrapping or container-forming material fed from rolls B65B41/18
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 59/001 Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the product to be packaged
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 59/003 Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the packaging material

Abstract

A brand control method for an automatic tobacco article processing machine, the method including the steps of: defining a number of end product brands that can be produced on the automatic machine; creating a number of configurations, each associated with a respective brand and having a set of values of control parameters controlling electrically controlled operating parts to produce the brand; selecting a desired end product brand; loading the configuration corresponding to the desired end product brand onto a control unit to commence production of the desired brand; defining a number of sections, each having a set of control parameters and independent of the other sections; defining a number of recipes by assigning each section at least one respective set of values of the corresponding control parameters, so each recipe corresponds to a respective section and contains the values of the control parameters in that particular section; and defining each configuration by combining a number of compatible recipes, so that each recipe may potentially form part of a number of different configurations.

Claims

1. A brand control method for an automatic tobacco article processing machine (1);

the automatic machine (1) producing an end product from materials supplied to the automatic machine (1), and comprising a number of electrically controlled operating parts (14) controlled by a control unit (9) using control parameters (15);

the brand control method comprising the steps of;

defining a number of end product brands that can be produced on the automatic machine (1);

creating a number of configurations (17), each associated with a respective brand and comprising a set of values (16) of the control parameters (15) controlling the electrically controlled operating parts (14) to produce the brand;

selecting a desired end product brand; and

loading the configuration (17) corresponding to the desired end product brand onto the control unit (9) to commence production of the desired brand;

the method being characterized by comprising the further steps of;

defining a number of sections (18), each comprising a set of control parameters (15) and independent of the other sections (18);

defining a number of recipes (19) by assigning each section (18) at least one respective set of values (16) of the corresponding control parameters (15), so each recipe (19) corresponds to a respective section (18) and contains the values (16) of the control parameters (15) in that particular section (18); and

defining each configuration (17) by combining a number of compatible recipes (19), so that each recipe (19) may potentially form part of a number of different configurations (17).

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control parameters (15) in the same section (18) are related to one another.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the control parameters (15) in the same section (18) relate to operating parts (14) in the same section (18) of the automatic machine (1), or to operating parts (14) performing the same function.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, and comprising the further steps of:

identifying each recipe (19) with a respective identification tag; and

defining each configuration (17) by a list of identification tags of the corresponding recipes (19).

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, and comprising the further steps of:

assigning each configuration (17) a control object (20) containing a list of the sections (18) in the configuration (17); and

making it compulsory, to complete each configuration (17), to assign each section (18) in the configuration (17) a corresponding recipe (19).

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein a configuration (17) may comprise only some of the sections (18).

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, and comprising the further step of:

assigning each section (18) a congruence object (21), which indicates the other sections (18) that must form part of a configuration (17) comprising that particular section (18), and/or indicates the sections (18) that cannot form part of a configuration (17) comprising that particular section (18).

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the automatic machine (1) folds at least one sheet (3) of packing material about a group of tobacco articles.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the automatic machine (1) is a packing machine for producing packets of cigarettes.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the automatic machine (1) is a cellophaning machine for forming respective plastic wrappings about packets of cigarettes.

11. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the automatic machine (1) is a cartoning machine for producing cartons of packets of cigarettes.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the automatic machine (1) is a cigarette maker.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the automatic machine (1) is a filter assembly machine for applying filters to cigarettes.