Method and an apparatus for manufacturing a filter for a smoking article

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for manufacturing a filter for a smoking article Embodiments of the invention relate to a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a filter for a smoking article, and a smoking article produced by the method. The method can include forming a filter section having a surface relief pattern with a filter forming device, transferring the filter section to a filter wrapping device with a filter transfer device and wrapping a sheet material around the filter section with the filter wrapping device.

1 . A method of manufacturing a filter for a smoking article, comprising:
 forming a filter section having a surface relief pattern with a filter forming device;   transferring the filter section having the surface relief pattern to a filter wrapping device, using a filter transfer device; and   wrapping a sheet material around the filter section having the surface relief pattern with the filter wrapping device.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the filter section is transferred automatically from the filter forming device to the filter wrapping device by the filter transfer device, in a continuous assembly process. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein wrapping the sheet material around the filter section having the surface relief pattern takes place before the surface relief pattern is substantially lost by elastic expansion of the filter section. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the time between forming the filter section having a surface relief pattern and wrapping the sheet material around the filter section is less than 2 minutes, less than 1 minute, less than 30 seconds, less than 20 seconds, less than 10 seconds, less than 2 seconds or less than 1 second. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein forming the filter section comprises:
 forming a cylinder of filtration material; and   shaping the cylinder of filtration material to have the surface relief pattern.   
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein shaping the cylinder of filtration material comprises passing the cylinder of filtration material through at least one shaping device. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein the cylinder of filtration material is shaped by wrapping with a plug wrap having one or more weakened sections. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the surface relief pattern comprises a plurality of grooves extending in a longitudinal direction along said filter section. 
     
     
         9 . A method according to any preceding claim, wherein transferring the filter section comprises translating linear movement of the filter section into rotational movement. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus for manufacturing a filter for a smoking article, comprising:
 a filter forming device for forming a filter section having a surface relief pattern;   a filter wrapping device for wrapping a sheet material around the filter section having the surface relief pattern; and   a filter transfer device arranged to transfer the filter section having the surface relief pattern from the filter forming device to the filter wrapping device.   
     
     
         11 . Apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the filter transfer device is arranged to transfer the filter section automatically from the filter forming device to the filter wrapping device in a continuous assembly process. 
     
     
         12 . Apparatus according to  claim 10  or  11 , wherein the apparatus is configured to operate such that wrapping the sheet material around the filter section having the surface relief pattern takes place before the surface relief pattern is substantially lost by elastic expansion of the filter section. 
     
     
         13 . Apparatus according to  claim 10 ,  11  or  12 , wherein the apparatus is configured to operate such that the time between forming the filter section having a surface relief pattern and wrapping the sheet material around the filter section is less than 2 minutes, less than 1 minute, less than 30 seconds, less than 20 seconds, less than 10 seconds, less than 2 seconds or less than 1 second. 
     
     
         14 . Apparatus according to any one of  claims 10  to  13 , further comprising a shaping device for shaping the cylinder of filtration material to have the surface relief pattern. 
     
     
         15 . Apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the filter forming device comprises a garniture for forming a cylinder of the filtration material and the garniture comprises a shaping garniture configured to impress the surface relief pattern onto a cylinder of filtration material passed through the garniture. 
     
     
         16 . Apparatus according to any one of  claims 10  to  13 , wherein the filter forming device is configured to wrap a plug wrap having one or more weakened areas around the filter section. 
     
     
         17 . Apparatus according to any one of  claims 10  to  16 , wherein the surface relief pattern comprises a plurality of grooves extending in a longitudinal direction along said filter section. 
     
     
         18 . Apparatus according to any one of  claims 10  to  17 , wherein the filter transfer device is arranged to translate linear movement of the filter section into rotational movement. 
     
     
         19 . A smoking article filter produced by the method of any one of  claims 1  to  9 . 
     
     
         20 . A smoking article including a smoking article filter according to  claim 19 .