Compact cigarette manufacturing machine

Abstract

A compact cigarette manufacturing machine comprises a housing, a filling pipe, a loading element, a presser, and a push spoon. The housing encloses a material chamber having a bottom surface and an open end for receiving cut tobacco or other materials. The filling pipe is disposed on the housing to define a filling tip, and extends into a filling cavity in communication with the material chamber through an opening of the bottom surface of the material chamber. The loading element is assembled with the housing and is operable to load the materials into the filling cavity through the opening of the bottom surface of the material chamber. The presser is assembled with the housing and is operable to press the materials loaded in the filling cavity. A push spoon slidably disposed inside the filling cavity is operable to deliver the materials in the filling cavity into a cigarette tube loaded on the filling tip.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for filling a cigarette tube, comprising:
 receiving materials in a housing enclosing a material chamber, the material chamber having a bottom surface and an open end;   loading, by a loading element, the materials through an opening of the bottom surface into a filling cavity beneath the housing;   pressing the materials loaded in the filling cavity by a presser assembled with the housing; and   delivering the materials into the cigarette tube by a push spoon;   wherein the filling cavity is in communication with the material chamber through the opening of the bottom surface of the material chamber; and   wherein the loading element is assembled with the housing and slidable along the bottom surface of the material chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The method for filling a cigarette tube according to  claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface of the material chamber is a curved surface. 
     
     
         3 . The method for filling a cigarette tube according to  claim 1 , further comprising compressing the materials in the filling cavity with a pusher facing the push spoon, wherein the push spoon has a horizontal opening facing the pusher, and wherein the pusher is operable to move horizontally toward or away from the push spoon. 
     
     
         4 . The method for filling a cigarette tube according to  claim 3 , wherein the pusher has a concave tip facing the push spoon. 
     
     
         5 . The method for filling a cigarette tube according to  claim 3 , wherein the pusher is driven by a power source. 
     
     
         6 . The method for filling a cigarette tube according to  claim 1 , wherein the operation of at least one of the push spoon, the presser, and the loading element are driven by a power source. 
     
     
         7 . The method for filling a cigarette tube according to  claim 1 , wherein the presser and the loading element operate cooperatively by connection through a connection arm. 
     
     
         8 . The method for filling a cigarette tube according to  claim 3 , wherein the pusher is accommodated in a bracket defining a cavity, wherein the bracket defines at least a portion of the filling cavity, and wherein the bracket comprises a slot for communicating the material chamber and the filling cavity. 
     
     
         9 . The method for filling a cigarette tube according to  claim 1 , wherein the presser is operable to swing about a shaft between a withdrawn position and a pressing position, and wherein a press surface of the presser moves squarely toward the filling cavity for firmly packing the materials into the filling cavity when the presser moves from the withdrawn position toward the pressing position. 
     
     
         10 . The method for filling a cigarette tube according to  claim 3 , wherein a blade is formed on an edge of the push spoon facing the filling cavity. 
     
     
         11 . The method for filling a cigarette tube according to  claim 8 , wherein a blade is disposed on a top edge of the pusher and/or an edge of the slot of the bracket, and wherein the blade is oriented horizontally and facing the filling cavity. 
     
     
         12 . The method for filling a cigarette tube according to  claim 1 , wherein the loading element is driven by a power source through a swing arm. 
     
     
         13 . The method for filling a cigarette tube according to  claim 1 , wherein the presser is disposed substantially outside the material chamber. 
     
     
         14 . The method for filling a cigarette tube according to  claim 1 , wherein the presser is driven by a power source through a swing arm eccentrically connected to the power source, and wherein the swing arm is connected to the presser through a shaft. 
     
     
         15 . The method for filling a cigarette tube according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one stir bar is assembled within the housing, wherein the at least one stir bar is operable to swing or rotate in order to agitate the materials in the material chamber, and wherein the at least one stir bar is driven by a power source through an eccentric disk. 
     
     
         16 . The method for filling a cigarette tube according to  claim 1 , wherein a front edge of the loading element comprises a tapered surface. 
     
     
         17 . The method for filling a cigarette tube according to  claim 1 , further comprising determining the displacement of at least one of the presser, the loading element, and the push spoon by one or more sensors. 
     
     
         18 . The method for filling a cigarette tube according to  claim 17 , wherein each of the one or more sensors coordinates with a torsion spring to determine the displacement of the presser. 
     
     
         19 . The method for filling a cigarette tube according to  claim 1 , wherein the presser comprises two or more presser units, and wherein each of the two or more presser units comprises a sensor and a torsion spring configured to determine the displacement of each of the two or more presser units.