US 12,495,841 B2Granted

Method and apparatus for manufacturing a consumable unit for an inhalation device

AssigneeBritish American Tobacco (Investments) Limited

InventorsSam Whiffen, Andrew Bray

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Apparatus for positioning a sub component on a consumable unit for use with an inhalation device including a machine tray support for locating a machine tray of consumable units arranged in an array; a clamp holding a support web including an array of sub components in a position above the machine tray support; and a punch having protrusions configured to engage the array of sub components by displacement of the punch toward the machine tray support to separate the sub components from the support web and locate the sub components on the consumable units, wherein the protrusions include a first protrusion having a first height and a second protrusion having a second height, the second height being greater than the first height, so that the second protrusion engages a sub component before the first protrusion engages a sub component when the punch moves toward the machine tray support.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A punch having an array of protrusions configured to engage an array of sub components in a support web by displacement of the punch toward the support web to separate the sub components from the support web,

wherein the protrusions comprise a first protrusion having a first height and a second protrusion having a second height, the second height being greater than the first height, so that the second protrusion engages a sub component before the first protrusion engages a sub component when the punch moves toward the support web,
wherein the protrusions comprise a first group of protrusions having a first height and a second group of protrusions having a second height, the second height being greater than the first height, and
wherein the distribution of the first group of protrusions at least partially encloses at least one protrusion of the second group of protrusions, or alternatively wherein the distribution of the second group of protrusions at least partially encloses at least one of the protrusions of the first group of protrusions.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/006,882Filed 29 Jul 2021
Priority: GB 201188730 Jul 2020
Published: US 2023/0276861 A17 Sep 2023
Granted: 16 Dec 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification19 codes

A24F 40/70
Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially…:…
B26D 7/015
Means for holding or positioning work: for sheet material or piles of sheets
B26F 1/3846
Cutting-out; Stamping-out: cutting out discs or the like
B26F 1/40
Cutting-out; Stamping-out: using a press, e.g. of the ram type