SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CLOSING AND EXTRACTING PRE-ROLLED CONES

The invention describes a system and method for closing and extracting filled pre-rolled cones. The system comprises of a holding piece, a catch chamber, a closing piece, and an extracting piece. The holding piece comprises a plurality of openings to hold the filled pre-rolled cones and the openings have a wider diameter on the top that tapers towards the bottom. The closing piece comprises a plate, legs and a plurality of countersink holes. The countersink holes are configured to be placed and pressed over the top of each filled cone to funnel the excess paper of the cone. The extracting piece comprises a base and one or more pins. The countersink holes of the closing piece can accommodate one or more pins of the extracting piece. An application of force on the base and one or more pins of the extracting piece can fold the excess paper of the filled pre-rolled cones in the holding piece and release the pre-rolled cones through the openings of the holding piece into the catch chamber.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of Invention

The present invention relates generally to manufacturing of smoking articles, and more specifically, the present invention pertains to systems and methods for closing and extracting the pre-rolled cones.

Background

Generally, a pre-rolled cone is similar to a cigarette that has been formed into a conical shaped roll with an open end that can be filled with smoking mixture such as herbs, herbal blend, hemp, cannabis, tobacco etc. Once filled with smoking mixture, this open end of pre-rolled cone must be closed to form a smokable product.

The smoking mixture is traditionally filled in the pre-rolled cones using machines or apparatuses/methods conventionally known in the art. Once the mixture is filled uniformly in the pre-rolled cones, the tips of the cones can be closed by twisting or folding or otherwise closed to seal the smoking mixture within the cone. This process of closing the pre-rolled cones is performed either by closing the tip of each joint manually or by using systems or machines that can be operated manually or automatically to close batches of pre-rolled cones simultaneously. Further, the filled pre-rolled cones can be extracted from these systems or machines, manually or by an additional system that can be operated manually or automatically.

With the growing popularity of the pre-rolled cone smoking articles, there has been a need for easy and speedy methods for closing the tips of pre-rolled cones and extracting these filled and closed pre-rolled cones. However, closing the tip of each pre-rolled cone and extracting each filled and closed pre-rolled cone manually is quite labor intensive and time consuming while producing smoking articles at high volumes. Further, the automated machines require servicing and maintenance leading to additional production costs and can only be used in controlled environments, where electricity is readily available. The size, cost and complex operations of such automated machines do not allow for quick and easy use in all type of environments. Moreover, automated machines have more cumbersome methods of closing and extracting the pre-rolled cones.

The known systems and methods in the market for manually closing and extracting pre-rolled cones are slow and inconsistent. For example: US20220295869A1 discloses a smoking product making system including a closure device configured for closing the top end of the pre-rolled cones filled with smoking material and an ejector device configured to push each pre-rolled cone from the opposite side. The closure device assists in folding the tips of the cones manually, which leaves a very loose compression, and it does not compact the ends of the cone. It further breaks the integrity of the cones while ejecting the cones, because the closed cones are bent by the force exerted on the filter side of the closed cones resulting in improper closing of many pre-rolled cones.

Further, U.S. Pat. No. 11,766,069B2 discloses a pre-roll cone folder including a receptacle to receive the protruding top portions of the pre-roll cones and a slot. Afterwards, a plunger configured with a shaft for insertion through the slot of the pre-roll cone folder and with a shaper for shaping at least the top portions of the pre-roll cones is used. The pre-roll cones are then released by punching it back from the filter side with the aid of an ejector. When the cone finally comes out the other side i.e. through the same side that it entered, the pre-roll cones are either bent or sometimes ripped. Also, the plunger with a single shaft folds the tips of the cones individually which is a time-consuming process.

Thus, to overcome the drawbacks discussed in the above-mentioned background art, there is a need for a system and method for closing and extracting the pre-rolled cones consistency with time and cost-effective approach while producing smoking articles at high volumes.

SUMMARY

An apparatus and method for closing and extracting plurality of pre-rolled cones is provided, as illustrated in and/or described in conjunction with at least one of the figures.

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a cone closing and extracting system for closing and extracting plurality of pre-rolled cones, comprising: a holding piece comprising a plurality of openings featuring a wider diameter at the top that tapers towards the bottom, a closing piece comprising a plate, a plurality of legs extending from the plate, and a plurality of countersink holes, and an extracting piece comprising a base and one or more pins; wherein the countersink holes of the a closing piece are configured to be aligned with the plurality of openings of the holding piece and the one or more pins of the extracting piece are configured to pass through the countersink holes of the closing piece when a force is applied to the base of the extracting piece to fold and extract the filled pre-rolled cones through the openings of the holding piece.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a catch chamber is configured to receive the pre-rolled cones with folded tips released through the openings of the holding piece.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the holding piece, the closing piece and the extracting piece can be configured to accommodate various shapes and sizes of the pre-rolled cones.

In certain non-limiting, but preferred, embodiments, such as described and illustrated herein, the present invention provides an easy and quick method for efficiently closing and extracting plurality of pre-rolled cones, the method comprising: transferring filled pre-rolled cones into the plurality of openings of the holding piece featuring a wider diameter at the top that tapers towards the bottom, aligning the countersink holes of the closing piece with the plurality of openings of the holding piece to place the countersink holes on the top ends of the filled pre-rolled cones and funnel excess paper of the cone, inserting the one or more pins of the extracting piece in the countersink holes of the closing piece, and applying force to the base of the extracting piece to drive the one or more pins through the countersink holes of the closing piece, wherein the application of force to the base of the extracting piece compresses the excess paper of the filled pre-rolled cones and releases the pre-rolled cones with folded tips through the openings of the holding piece.

One advantage of the present invention is that the pre-rolled cone can be folded in the real time it takes to press down on it. This method is effective because pressing down on the end of the cone does not exert any force on the crutch, thereby preserving the integrity of the pre-rolled cone.

Other embodiments and advantages will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon viewing the drawings and reading the detailed description hereafter, all without departing from the spirit and the scope of the disclosure. The drawings and detailed descriptions presented are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not in any way as restrictive.

Other features of the example embodiments will be apparent from the drawings and from the detailed description that follows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following description of various illustrative and non-limiting embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numbers indicate like features.

The present description is best understood with reference to the detailed figures and description set forth herein. Various embodiments of the present system and method have been discussed with reference to the figures. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description provided herein with respect to the figures are merely for explanatory purposes, as the present system and method may extend beyond the described embodiments. For instance, the teachings presented, and the needs of a particular application may yield multiple alternative and suitable approaches to implement the functionality of any detail of the present systems and methods described herein. Therefore, any approach to implement the present system and method may extend beyond certain implementation choices in the following embodiments.

According to an embodiment herein, the system and method of the present invention may be implemented by performing or completing manually, automatically, and/or a combination thereof. The term “method” refers to manners, means, techniques, and procedures for accomplishing any task including, but not limited to, those manners, means, techniques, and procedures either known to the person skilled in the art or readily developed from existing manners, means, techniques and procedures by practitioners of the art to which the present invention belongs. The person skilled in the art will envision many other possible variations within the scope of the present system and method described herein.

Referring to accompanying figures, FIG. 1 is an exemplary embodiment of a cone closing and extracting system 100 capable of simultaneously producing a plurality of smoking products, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. The cone closing and exporting system 100 is provided with a holding piece 110, a catch chamber 120, a closing piece 130 and an extracting piece 140. In an embodiment, the holding piece 110, the catch chamber 120, the closing piece 130, and the extracting piece 140 can be removably attached to allow for easy cleaning and replacement.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate a holding piece 110 for holding a plurality of filled pre-rolled cones 150. The holding piece 110 comprises a plurality of openings 112 to hold the pre-rolled cones 150 filled with a smoking mixture. The filled pre-rolled cones 150 are transferred to the holding piece 110 once the mixture is filled uniformly in the pre-rolled cones 150.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the pre-rolled cones 150 can be filled with desired smoking mixture and transferred into the plurality of openings 112 of the holding piece 110 manually or automatically using a filling device with a cover plate (not shown in the figures). The empty pre-rolled cones are filled with the smoking mixture using a filling device and lined up with the plurality of openings 112 of the holding piece 110. The cover plate allows the transfer of the filled pre-rolled cones 150 from the filling device to the plurality of openings 112 of the holding piece 110, when the cover plate is removed from the bottom of the filling device. Here, the filling device and the cover plate can either be a separate unit or can be integrated with the holding piece 110 of the cone closing and extracting system 100. In an embodiment, the pre-rolled cones 150 can be filled with the smoking mixture and transferred into the plurality of openings 112 of the holding piece 110 manually by an operator.

In an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 illustrates a sectional view of the holding piece 110 of the cone closing and extracting system 100 and a filled pre-rolled cone 150 that can be inserted in one of the openings 112. In an embodiment, the holding piece 110 can be configured to accommodate various shapes and sizes of the filled pre-rolled cones 150. FIG. 3 illustrates a sectional view of the holding piece 110 of the cone closing and exporting system 100 with filled pre-rolled cones 150 inserted in the openings 112 of the holding piece 110, in accordance with at least one embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, each of pre-rolled cones 150 comprise a top end 152 and a bottom end 154. The top end 152 of each of the pre-rolled cones 150 is an open end that can be used to fill smoking mixture such as but not limited to herbs, hemp, herbal blend, cannabis, tobacco etc. Each of the pre-rolled cones 150 can also be provided with a fill line (not shown) indicating the limit or marking up to which the smoking mixture can be filled in the pre-rolled cones 150. The excess paper of the pre-rolled cones 150 above the fill lines is required to be folded to form a smokeable product. In an embodiment, the bottom ends 154 of the pre-rolled cones 150 can also include filter tips (not shown).

According to an embodiment of the present invention, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the openings 112 of the holding piece 110 have a wide diameter at the top tapering of the openings 112a that reduces towards the bottom of the openings 112c. In another embodiment of the present invention, the openings 112 of the holding piece 110 can have a wide diameter at the top tapering of the openings 112a that reduces towards the middle of the openings 112b, and have a steady diameter from around middle of the openings 112b to the bottom of the openings 112c.

In an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 illustrates a closing piece 130 used to funnel the excess paper of the filled pre-rolled cones 150. The closing piece 130 comprises a plate 132, legs 134 and a plurality of countersink holes 136.

FIG. 5 illustrates a sectional view of the holding piece 110 and the closing piece 130 of the cone closing and exporting system 100 with filled pre-rolled cones 150 inserted in the openings of the holding piece 110 and the closing piece 130 placed over the holding piece 110, in accordance with at least one embodiment. Once the filled pre-rolled cones 150 are transferred to the holding piece 110, a closing piece 130 can be contacted with the holding piece 110 as shown in FIG. 5. The holding piece 110 is provided with a plurality of openings 114 on the edges for accommodating the legs 134 of the closing piece 130 such that the countersink holes 136 and the plate 132 of the closing piece 130 can be aligned with the openings 112 of the holding piece 110. Therefore, legs 134 of the closing piece 130 assist in securing the closing piece 130 with the holding piece 110.

Further, alignment of countersink holes 136 of the closing piece 130 with the openings 112 of the holding piece 110 results in placement of each countersink hole 136 over the top end 152 of each pre-rolled cone 150 filled with smoking mixture and each countersink hole 136 funnel the excess paper of each pre-rolled cone 150 above the fill lines. The countersink holes 136 are generally shaped to funnel the excess paper in order to provide an even fold to the excess paper when the closing piece 130 is placed over the holding piece 110. Thus, the closing piece 130 facilitates in closing the excess paper of the pre-rolled cones 150. In an embodiment, the legs 134 and a plurality of countersink holes 136 of the closing piece 130 can be configured to close the filled pre-rolled cones 150 of various shapes and sizes.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the cone closing and exporting system 100 further comprises an extracting piece 140 to fold and extract the filled pre-rolled cones 150. FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of an extracting piece 140 of the cone closing and extracting system 100, in accordance with at least one embodiment. The extracting piece 140 comprises a base 142 and one or more pins 144.

FIG. 7 illustrates sectional view of placement of the extracting piece 140 over the closing piece 130 and placement of the closing piece 130 over the holding piece 110 with pre-rolled cones 150 inserted in the openings 112 of the holding piece 110, in accordance with at least one embodiment. The countersink holes of the closing piece 130 can accommodate one or more pins 144 of the extracting piece 140 when the extracting piece 140 is placed over the closing piece 130. The one or more pins 144 of the extracting piece 140 include washers or gaskets (not shown in the figures) at the ends to provide a little space between the extracting piece 140 and the holding piece 110. This prevents excess material from the pre-rolled cones 150 from being pinched or torn.

FIG. 8 illustrates folding and extraction of the filled pre-rolled cones 150 in the catch chamber 120 of the cone closing and extracting system 100, in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention. The base 142 and one or more pins 144 of the extracting piece 140 can be pushed against the closing piece 130 with an application of force to compress the excess paper of the pre-rolled cones 150 in the holding piece 110. This application of force can compress the excess paper of the pre-rolled cones 150 along with slightly compacting the filled material of such cones 150 and release the pre-rolled cones 150 with folded tips through the openings 112 of the holding piece 110. In an embodiment, the one or more pins 144 of the extracting piece 140 can be configured to extract the filled pre-rolled cones 150 of various shapes and sizes.

The holding piece 110 can be placed over the catch chamber 120, such that the holding piece 110 is not movable with respect to the catch chamber 120 when the closing piece 130 and extracting piece 140 exerts force on the holding piece 110. This arrangement is useful to extract all the pre-rolled cones 150 with folded tips within the vicinity of the catch chamber 120.

Referring to FIG. 9, a method 200 for closing and extracting the filled pre-rolled cones 150 using a cone closing and extracting system 100 is provided, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The first step 202 includes filling the pre-rolled cones 150 with smoking materials selected from a group of herbs, hemp, herbal blend, cannabis and tobacco. The next step 204 includes transferring the filled pre-rolled cones 150 into the plurality of openings 112 of the holding piece 110. In an embodiment, the steps of filling and transferring the filled pre-rolled cones 150 into the plurality of openings 112 of the holding piece 110 can be performed manually by an operator. In another embodiment of the present invention, the steps of filling and transferring can be performed using a filling device with a cover plate (not shown in the figures).

Further, the next step 206 includes placing the closing piece 130 over the holding piece 110 with the filled pre-rolled cones 150 inserted in the openings 112 of the holding piece 110. The closing piece 130 is placed over the holding piece 110 by aligning the countersink holes 136 of the closing piece 130 with the top ends of the filled pre-rolled cones 152 in order to funnel excess paper of the cones 150 above a fill line.

Further according to FIG. 9, the next step 208 includes placing the extracting piece 140 over the closing piece 130 and a step 210 includes applying force to the base 142 of the extracting piece 140 to drive one or more pins 144 through the countersink holes 136 of the closing piece 130. The application of force to the base 142 of the extracting piece 140 and driving one or more pins 144 through the countersink holes 136 will result in compression of the excess paper of the filled pre-rolled cones 150 and release of the pre-rolled cones 150 with folded tips through the openings 112 of the holding piece 110.

Lastly, the final step 212 includes collecting the released pre-rolled cones 150 with folded tips into a catch chamber 120 to prevent damage to the folded tips and carry out collection of the pre-rolled cones 150 with folded tips in an organized manner.

Various non-stick materials can be used for manufacturing the elements of the cone closing and extracting system 100 such as but not limited to: non-stick lubricious material like polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or similar synthetic fluoropolymers of tetrafluoroethylene in order to reduce friction and prevent damage during extraction, ensuring smooth operation.

The cone closing and extracting system 100, along with the methods described in the present disclosure, effectively address the limitations of prior art systems for closing and extracting filled pre-rolled cones 150. These systems and methods ensure accelerated closure of filled pre-rolled cones 150 with folded tips, achieved in the time required to simply press down on the cone ends. This process is carried out without exerting force on the crutch of the filled pre-rolled cones 150, thereby preserving their structural integrity.

In one embodiment of the invention, the apparatus for closing the tips of pre-rolled cones 150 can be operated manually, allowing for the efficient processing of batches of pre-rolled cones 150. Alternatively, the invention can be adapted for integration into automated machinery, enabling the seamless closing and exporting of a plurality of filled pre-rolled cones 150.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this disclosure have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It is to be understood that the phrases or terms employed of the present invention are for description and not of limitation. The present systems and methods have been described above with reference to specific examples. However, other embodiments and examples than the above description are equally possible within the scope of the present invention. The scope of the disclosure may only be limited by the appended patent claims. Even though modifications and changes may be suggested by the persons skilled in the art, it is the intention of the inventors and applicants to embody within the patent warranted heron all the changes and modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of the contribution the inventors and applicants to the art.