Closed loop system and method for controlling a position of a susceptor in an aerosol-generating article

Abstract

A closed-loop system for controlling a position of a susceptor in an aerosol-generating article, the system comprising: a supply for continuous sheet material, a supply for a continuous susceptor, a crimping device for crimping the continuous sheet material, a shaping device for gathering the continuous sheet material and for forming the continuous sheet material with inserted continuous susceptor into a continuous rod. The system also comprises a cutting device for cutting the continuous rod into aerosol-generating articles and a control unit comprising an output control for detecting a condition of the susceptor in an aerosol-generating article, and for comparing a detected condition with quality specifications. The system further comprises a positioning device for manipulating the position of the continuous susceptor or a crimping depth adjuster, wherein the control unit is adapted for triggering the positioning device to adjust the position of the continuous susceptor or for triggering the crimping depth adjuster to adjust a crimping depth of the sheet material in the crimping device, when the detected condition do not meet quality specifications

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A closed-loop system for controlling a position of a susceptor in an aerosol-generating article, the system comprising:
 a supply for continuous sheet material;   a supply for a continuous susceptor;   a crimping device for crimping the continuous sheet material;   a shaping device for gathering the continuous sheet material and for forming the continuous sheet material with inserted continuous susceptor into a continuous rod;   a cutting device for cutting the continuous rod into aerosol-generating articles;   a control unit comprising an output control for detecting a condition of the susceptor in an aerosol-generating article, and for comparing a detected condition with quality specifications; wherein the system further comprises   a positioning device for manipulating the position of the continuous susceptor or a crimping depth adjuster,   wherein the positioning device is movable relative to a supply direction of the continuous susceptor,   wherein the positioning device is movably arranged to be movable in three directions perpendicular to each other,   wherein the positioning device includes rotation means for rotating the continuous susceptor along a longitudinal direction of the continuous susceptor, and wherein the control unit is adapted for triggering the positioning device to adjust the position of the continuous susceptor or for triggering the crimping depth adjuster to adjust a crimping depth of the sheet material in the crimping device, when the detected condition do not meet quality specifications.   
     
     
         17 . The closed-loop system according to  claim 16 , wherein the detected condition of the aerosol-generating article comprise any one or several of:
 a position of the susceptor in the aerosol-generating article, a form of the susceptor in the aerosol-generating article, an eccentricity of the susceptor in the aerosol-generating article or a shape of gathering of sheet material surrounding the susceptor.   
     
     
         18 . The closed-loop system according to  claim 16 , wherein the output control is adapted to capture information of a cross-section of at least one end of the aerosol-generating article. 
     
     
         19 . The closed-loop system according to  claim 16 , wherein the positioning device is moveably arranged in the shaping device. 
     
     
         20 . The closed-loop system according to  claim 16 , wherein the positioning device has the shape of a cone. 
     
     
         21 . The closed-loop system according to  claim 16 , wherein the crimping depth adjuster is adapted to vary a distance between two interacting crimping elements of the crimping device. 
     
     
         22 . The closed-loop system according to  claim 16 , wherein the control unit further comprises a moisture sensor for measuring a moisture of the continuous sheet material, and wherein the control unit is adapted for triggering the crimping depth adjuster to adjust a crimping depth of the sheet material in the crimping device, depending on a measured moisture content of the continuous sheet material. 
     
     
         23 . A method for controlling a position of a susceptor in an aerosol-generating article, the method comprising:
 providing a continuous sheet material;   crimping the continuous sheet material;   providing a continuous susceptor;   gathering the continuous sheet material and inserting the continuous susceptor into the continuous sheet material thereby forming a continuous rod;   cutting the continuous rod into aerosol-generating articles;   performing an output control, thereby detecting a condition of the susceptor in an aerosol-generating article and comparing a detected condition with quality specifications; thereby, when the detected condition do not meet quality specifications for an aerosol-generating article: adjusting a position of the continuous susceptor by moving the continuous susceptor along three directions perpendicular to each other and/or by rotating the continuous susceptor along a longitudinal direction of the continuous susceptor or adjusting a crimping depth of the continuous sheet material.   
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 23 , therein capturing information of a cross-section of the aerosol-generating article. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 23 , comprising adjusting the position of the continuous susceptor, while gathering the continuous sheet material. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 23 , comprising adjusting the position of the continuous susceptor by guiding the continuous susceptor in and along a movable positioning device. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 23 , therein measuring a moisture content of the continuous sheet material and adjusting the crimping depth depending on the moisture content of the continuous sheet material. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 23 , therein providing a continuous sheet material in the form of a non-aerosol forming sheet material and changing the non-aerosol-forming sheet material into an aerosol-forming sheet material by adding an aerosol-forming substance to the non-aerosol-forming sheet material before forming the continuous rod.