Cigarette manufacture
US5186184A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 30, 1990 |
| Grant date | Feb 16, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 30, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B26/0816
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
Cigarette perforating apparatus comprises a rotary stepped reflector (5) for directing an incident laser beam (2) along a reflected path (2R) to produce axially spaced perforations on a cigarette. The size of the perforations is controlled by varying the duration of the reflected beam by means of a mask (8) which is rotatable with the reflector and effective to intercept the beam for varying periods dependent on the radial distance at which the beam is incident on the reflector. The reflected beam (2R) may be further divided to provide separate beam paths (e.g. leading to the separate cigarette tracks in a filter attachment machine) by means of a further reflective disk (12) synchronized with the stepped reflector.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.