| 摘要 |
<p>ONE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION PROVIDES A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING A SMOKING ARTICLE. THE APPARATUS COMPRISES A CONVEYOR (60) FOR A TOBACCO ROD (65). THE DIRECTION OF CONVEYANCE IS PARALLEL TO A CENTRAL LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE TOBACCO ROD (65). THE APPARATUS FURTHER COMPRISES AN APPLICATOR (72) FOR APPLYING A LIQUID ADDITIVE TO THE TOBACCO ROD (65) ON THE CONVEYOR (60). THE APPLICATOR (72) IS CONFIGURED SUCH THAT LIQUID ADDITIVE RECEIVED INTO THE TOBACCO ROD (65) HAS A DISTRIBUTION IN A CROSS-SECTIONAL PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO THE CENTRAL LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE TOBACCO ROD (65) THAT IS SUBSTANTIALLY SYMMETRICAL ABOUT THE CENTRAL AXIS. IN ONE EMBODIMENT, THE APPLICATOR (72) COMPRISES A PLURALITY OF DISPENSING HEADS (75A, 75B) DISPOSED AROUND THE TOBACCO ROD (65). IN ANOTHER EMBODIMENT, THE APPLICATOR (72) INCLUDES A PLOUGH (91) FOR CREATING A FURROW (210) WITHIN THE TOBACCO ROD (65) AND A DISPENSING HEAD FOR DISPENSING ADDITIVE INTO THE FURROW. [FIGURE 1]</p> |
