Apparatus and method for forming a variable size cannabis joint

Abstract

There is provided an apparatus for forming a cigarette, in particular, consumer, home appliance machinery to automate a manual, laboured production of cannabis rod, commonly referred to as joints. The apparatus as herein described may provide an all-in-one solution for cannabis or smokable herbs storage, crushing, packing and rolling of custom sized joints, on command while minimizing maintenance and refill of consumables. In addition, the apparatus has the versatility to use a refillable cartridge as well as a single-use, nitrogen flushed and/or vacuum sealed cartridge, which may extend both shelf-life and the freshness of cannabis flower.

1 - 76 . (canceled) 
     
     
         77 . An apparatus for forming a cigarette, the apparatus comprising:
 at least one blade to cut and shear a smokable substance comprising plant matter;   an extruder via which the smokable substance is selectively extruded;   an end member positioned to provide a space for the smokable substance so extruded; and   a sensor configured to provide a signal indicative of the extent to which the smokable substance is biased towards the end member to guide a rate at which paper is wound around the smokable substance so extruded.   
     
     
         78 . An apparatus according to  claim 77 , including a microprocessor in communication with the sensor and causing operation of the extruder and one or more other motors and actuators to be altered upon the microprocessor determining that the sensor has reached a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         79 . An apparatus according to  claim 77 , including a microprocessor to allow for a user interface which receives input regarding a desired degree of compactness of the cigarette. 
     
     
         80 . An apparatus according to  claim 79 , wherein the microprocessor is in communication with the user interface and determines or varies a predetermined threshold of the sensor in response thereto. 
     
     
         81 . An apparatus according to  claim 79 , wherein the microprocessor is in communication with the user interface, the extruder, one or more paper propelling said motors, a paper winding said motor, the actuator and the sensor, with the microprocessor correlating the desired compactness data with a predetermined pressure threshold of the sensor and adjusting paper wrapping speed upon determining that the sensor has at least reached the predetermined pressure threshold. 
     
     
         82 . An apparatus according to  claim 77 , including a microprocessor to allow for a user interface which receives desired length data for the cigarette, at least one actuator which selectively enables a distance of separation between the end member and the extruder to be adjusted, and a microprocessor in communication with the user interface and the sensor, the microprocessor determining when the sensor reaches or exceeds a predetermined threshold and in response thereto causing the at least one actuator to alter the distance of separation between the end member and the extruder proportionate to the volume of sheared extruded material and the desired length data. 
     
     
         83 . An apparatus according to  claim 77 , including a microprocessor which receives desired compactness and length of cigarette data and controls positioning of the end member, the extend to which paper is wrapped about the sheared smokable substance and operation of the extruder to adjust a compactness and length of the smokable substance so extruded in response to user input data correlated to the sensor. 
     
     
         84 . An apparatus according to  claim 77 , wherein the extruder includes a barrel which receives the uncut smokable substance to cut and shear, an elongate member disposed within and rotatable relative to the barrel, and a plurality of longitudinally and circumferentially spaced-apart protrusions coupled to and radially-extending outwards from a proximal portion of the elongate member, the extruder being configured to cut, shear and propel freshly cut said plant matter towards the extrusion nozzle. 
     
     
         85 . An apparatus according to  claim 84 , wherein the protrusions are arranged in one or more helical formations. 
     
     
         86 . An apparatus according to  claim 84 , wherein each said protrusion is outwardly concave at least in part in lateral cross-section. 
     
     
         87 . An apparatus according to  claim 84 , wherein distal ends of the protrusions are outwardly convex. 
     
     
         88 . An apparatus according to  claim 84 , wherein each said protrusion includes a biasing surface which faces towards a distal portion of the elongate member at least in part. 
     
     
         89 . An apparatus according to  claim 88 , wherein each said biasing surface is outwardly concave. 
     
     
         90 . An apparatus according to  claim 84 , wherein a longitudinally extending and helically arranged said blade couples to and extends radially outwards from a distal portion of the elongate member. 
     
     
         91 . An apparatus according to  claim 84 , wherein the barrel has an inlet in fluid communication with the protrusions and an outlet in fluid communication with the blade. 
     
     
         92 . An apparatus according to  claim 84 , wherein the blade tapers in a direction extending from the proximal portion of the elongate member towards a distal end of the barrel. 
     
     
         93 . An apparatus according to  claim 84 , wherein the proximal portion of the elongate member is tapered at least in part. 
     
     
         94 . An apparatus according to  claim 84 , wherein the protrusions are arranged in a helical arrangement having a helix angle that is equal to or greater than that of the blade. 
     
     
         95 . An apparatus according to  claim 84 , wherein the protrusions extend outwards from the elongate member at a greater pitch relative to the blade. 
     
     
         96 . An apparatus according to  claim 84 , wherein longitudinally spaced-apart adjacent portions of the blade are more spaced-apart from each other relative to longitudinally spaced-apart adjacent said protrusions. 
     
     
         97 . A method of forming a cigarette via the apparatus of  claim 77 , the method comprising:
 shearing and extruding the smokable substance via the extruder;   selectively positioning the end member so as to provide an adjustable space for the smokable substance so extruded; and   wrapping paper about the smokable substance so extruded, with the signal provided by a sensor determining flow of extruded material and used to guide the rate at which the paper is wound around the smokable substance so extruded.   
     
     
         98 . A method of forming a cigarette via the apparatus of  claim 77 , the method comprising:
 storing an uncut said smokable substance within the apparatus;   receiving a user command and in response thereto, automatically shearing and extruding said smokable substance so sheared out of a nozzle via the apparatus; and   automatically wrapping paper about the smokable substance so sheared.   
     
     
         99 . An apparatus for forming a cigarette, the apparatus comprising:
 an extruder via which a smokable substance is selectively extruded;   an end member positioned to provide a space for the smokable substance so extruded; and   at least one actuator which enables a distance between the extruder and the end member to be adjusted, with a length of the cigarette being selectively adjustable thereby.   
     
     
         100 . An apparatus according to  claim 99 , including a microprocessor in communication with the extruder and the at least one actuator, the microprocessor causing the extent to which the extruder extrudes the smokable substance and the extent to which the end member and the extruder are spaced-apart from each other to be selectively adjusted based on one or more of: end-user provided cigarette length data; and end-user provided cigarette compactness data. 
     
     
         101 . An apparatus according to  claim 99 , including a sensor coupled to the end member, wherein the sensor provides a signal indicative of the extent to which the smokable substance is biased towards the end member as paper is wound around the extruded material, and wherein the at least one actuator is actuated to increase the distance of separation between the end member and the extruder upon the sensor reaching a pre-determined threshold. 
     
     
         102 . An apparatus according to  claim 99 , including a microprocessor tracking the position of motors and a sensor which conveys a signal indicative of the extent to which the smokable substance biases against the end member, with operation of one or more of the actuator and the extruder being controlled in response thereto. 
     
     
         103 . An apparatus according to  claim 99 , including a microprocessor tracking the position of motors and a sensor which conveys a signal indicative of the extent to which the end member is spaced from the extruder, with operation of one or more of the actuator and the extruder being controlled in response thereto. 
     
     
         104 . An apparatus according to  claim 99 , including a microprocessor tracking the position of motors and a sensor which conveys a signal indicative of the length of an elongate portion of the smokable material, with operation of one or more of the actuator and the extruder being controlled in response thereto. 
     
     
         105 . An apparatus according to  claim 99 , wherein the apparatus includes one or more cutting members configured to promote shearing of portions of the smokable substance. 
     
     
         106 . An apparatus according to  claim 99 , wherein the extruder has a longitudinal axis, with the end member being longitudinally alignable with the longitudinal axis of the extruder. 
     
     
         107 . An apparatus according to  claim 99 , including paper automatically extendable about the smokable substance so extruded and including a paper wrapping assembly configured to wrap the paper about the smokable substance so extruded. 
     
     
         108 . An apparatus according to  claim 107 , including a gripping member shaped to selectively couple to an outer end of the paper in a paper-gripping position thereof. 
     
     
         109 . An apparatus according to  claim 108 , wherein the at least one actuator enables the gripping member to selectively move from the paper-gripping position to a rolling position in which the gripping member aligns with an elongate portion of the smokable substance. 
     
     
         110 . An apparatus according to  claim 108 , wherein the at least one actuator when actuated causes a first of the paper wrapping assembly and the gripping member to rotate relative to a second of the paper wrapping assembly and the gripping member. 
     
     
         111 . An apparatus according to  claim 108 , wherein the paper wrapping assembly is arranged to unroll said paper at an angle relative to the gripping member, with selective actuation of the at least one actuator causing the paper to rotate about the elongate portion of the smokable substance. 
     
     
         112 . An apparatus according to  claim 108 , wherein the gripping member is bifurcated. 
     
     
         113 . A method of forming a cigarette via the apparatus of  claim 99 , the method comprising:
 receiving one or more of end-user provided cigarette length data and the end-user provided cigarette compactness data;   shearing and extruding the smokable substance via the extruder towards the end member;   adjusting positioning of the end member via the at least one actuator based on one or more of the end-user provided cigarette length data and the end-user provided cigarette compactness data; and   wrapping paper about the smokable substance so extruded.   
     
     
         114 . An apparatus for forming a cigarette, the apparatus comprising:
 an extruder configured to extrude a smokable substance towards an end member;   at least one sensor configured to provide a signal indicative of the extent to which the smokable substance is biased towards the end member; and   a microprocessor which controls operation of the extruder and positioning of the end member relative to the extruder to adjust a compactness and length of the smokable substance so extruded in response to user input data correlated at least in part to the sensor.