Machine for manufacturing and/or packing tobacco products

Abstract

An automatic cigarette maker and/or packer incorporates a welding or sealing head with an electrically conductive heating foil mounted to an electrically insulating backing element; the foil is retained on the backing element by an overlay of ceramic material, which is covered in turn by a further overlay of smooth silicone that can be offered in direct contact to a weldable or sealable wrapping material.

1 . A machine for manufacturing and/or packing tobacco products, equipped with a welding/sealing head designed to secure a wrapping material, presenting a backing element, an electrically conductive heating foil covering the backing element, and a first electrically insulating overlay covering the foil. 
     
     
         2 . A machine as in  claim 1 , wherein the first overlay is a film of ceramic material. 
     
     
         3 . A machine as in  claim 1 , wherein the first overlay is less than 0.4 millimeters thick, and preferably in the order of 0.1 millimeter thick. 
     
     
         4 . A machine as in  claim 3 , wherein the first overlay covers the surface of the heating foil in its entirety. 
     
     
         5 . A machine as in  claim 1 , wherein the heating foil presents a pierced structure, at least in part. 
     
     
         6 . A machine as in  claim 1 , wherein the heating foil presents a mesh structure, at least in part. 
     
     
         7 . A machine as in  claim 5 , wherein the heating foil is anchored to the backing element by means of the first overlay. 
     
     
         8 . A machine as in  claim 7 , wherein the first overlay is designed to anchor the heating foil to the backing element, passing from one face of the foil to the other by way of through holes establishing the pierced structure. 
     
     
         9 . A machine as in  claim 1 , comprising a second electrically insulating overlay covering the first overlay. 
     
     
         10 . A machine as in  claim 9 , wherein the second overlay presents a smooth outer surface, designed to engage in contact with the wrapping material welded/sealed by the head. 
     
     
         11 . A machine as in  claim 10 , wherein the second overlay is a film of silicone. 
     
     
         12 . A machine as in  claim 10 , wherein the second overlay is of thickness between 0.01 and 0.1 millimeters, and preferably between 0.02 and 0.07 millimeters. 
     
     
         13 . A machine as in  claim 1 , wherein the gauge of the heating foil is less than 0.4 millimeters and preferably in the order of 0.1 millimeter. 
     
     
         14 . A machine as in  claim 1 , wherein the backing element is fashioned from ceramic material or silicone, at least in part. 
     
     
         15 . A cigarette maker, comprising at least one welding/sealing head as in  claim 1 , by which two overlapping longitudinal edges of a tubular wrap enveloping a stream of tobacco are secured one to another. 
     
     
         16 . A cigarette maker or packer, comprising at least one welding/sealing head as in  claim 1 , by which a hot-melt glue applied previously to the overlapping edges of a wrapper is reactivated to secure the selfsame edges one to another. 
     
     
         17 . An automatic cellophaner for overwrapping cigarette packets or cartons of cigarette packets, comprising at least one welding/sealing head as in  claim 1 , by which the overlapping edges of a heat-sealable overwrap are secured one to another. 
     
     
         18 . An automatic cellophaner for overwrapping cigarette packets or cartons of cigarette packets, comprising at least one welding/sealing head as in  claim 1 , by means of which to secure and/or tighten a heat-shrinkable overwrap.