Patent Application
20220346433
The present invention relates to a method for producing a tobacco paste and reconstituted tobacco, to a tobacco-containing film, film sections and films scraps, and to a system for producing reconstituted tobacco.
In many alternative smoking products, in particular in so-called heat-not-burn products, the aerosol-forming substrate comprises reconstituted tobacco film. A particularly smooth and homogeneous tobacco film must be produced for use in the alternative smoking products. A known production method is disclosed, for example, in WO19086417. In a first production step, a sludgy mass of tobacco powder, binder, glycerin, and water is produced, and is then smoothed and subsequently dried in another method step. This mass has a high moisture content on account of the production of a sludgy mass. This high moisture content results in high drying effort in downstream drying devices. A disadvantage of this production method is the processing of a sludgy mass, which requires a large amount of energy in order to be dried.
Embodiments of the present invention specify a method for producing a tobacco paste and reconstituted tobacco, a tobacco-containing film, film sections, and film scraps, and a system for producing reconstituted tobacco. The production of the reconstituted tobacco film, tobacco paste, tobacco-containing film, film sections, and film scraps is intended to take place using a small amount of energy and with advantageous material properties, in particular in an advantageous ratio of production costs and material properties.
According to embodiments, a method for producing a tobacco paste that can be used, in particular, to produce reconstituted tobacco, wherein the method comprises the following steps: supplying a powdered material having a predefined particle size, preferably a particle size of less than 350 μm, particularly preferably between 5 μm and 250 μm or between 120 μm and 300 μm, wherein the material preferably comprises tobacco powder, supplying a highly viscous, water-based binder gel that has a viscosity of, in particular, at least 1000 cP, preferably between 10000 cP and 50000 cP, a water content of at least 50%, preferably between 60% and 80%, and at least one binder, for example guar meal and/or carboxymethylcellulose (CMC); mixing the powdered material with the binder gel to form a tobacco paste that is, in particular, substantially solid, wherein the tobacco paste has a water content or moisture content of preferably at most 50%.
Based on the combination of producing a highly viscous binder gel and supplying the powdered material in the predefined particle size, adequate binding and strength properties are produced for the tobacco paste, which is advantageously suitable for further processing into a tobacco film, when the binder gel and the powdered material are mixed at a low moisture content of less than 50%. Since the binder is combined with a liquid, in particular water, in a separate method step, optimum binding properties can be produced before the binder is combined with the tobacco powder. Preferably, the binder gel comprises no additional powdered or fibrous materials in addition to the binders. The highly viscous, water-based binder gel, which preferably comprises at least water, a binder, and glycerin or propylene glycol, may be supplied in such a way that, in a first step, the glycerin or propylene glycol is mixed with the binder and, in a subsequent second step, the mixture of binder and glycerin or propylene glycol is mixed with water. On account of a two-stage mixing process, the binder can be combined with glycerin or propylene glycol and dissolve in the liquid without the binder reacting with water and without potentially clumping during the mixing process. By virtue of a method of this kind, a continuous as well as batch-wise production method can be implemented.
According to a preferred embodiment of the method for producing a tobacco paste, the powdered material comprises tobacco powder and plant powder and/or preferably powdered additives, wherein, in particular, the plant powder comprises cellulose, preferably in powder or fiber form, and wherein the ratio of cellulose of the plant powder and tobacco powder is at most 20%, preferably at most 12% or at most 8%, and in particular at least 2%, preferably 4%. Preferably, the plant powder comprises no tobacco powder.
Unless explicitly stated in the present description, percentages always represent percentages by weight. The use of additional powdered additives improves the material properties of the tobacco paste and, in particular, the material properties of the tobacco film.
According to another preferred embodiment of the method for producing a tobacco paste, the powdered material, in particular the tobacco powder and/or the plant powder, has a particle size of less than 350 μm, preferably between 5 μm and 250 μm. A homogeneous tobacco paste and thus homogeneous tobacco film can be produced with appropriate particle sizes.
According to a preferred embodiment of the method for producing a tobacco paste, the powdered material, in particular the tobacco powder and/or plant powder, has a moisture content or water content per unit of weight of less than 18%, preferably between 7% and 12%. In particular, it is provided that, during supply of the powdered material, pieces, preferably with an average mass of more than 1 g per piece, are comminuted to a particle size of less than 350 μm, preferably less than 250 μm, in exactly one comminution method step, in particular using exactly one comminution device, and in particular no staged comminution takes place.
A cost-efficient single-stage process is to be preferred for producing the powdered material in a predefined particle size. In this connection, the moisture content during comminution has an influence on the end product.
According to a preferred embodiment of the method for producing a tobacco paste, the binder gel comprises binder in a wt. % proportion of between 2% and 25%, preferably in powder or fiber form with a particle size of less than 150 μm, particularly preferably between 20 μm and 100 μm. A homogeneous binder gel can be produced using binders with such a particle size and a corresponding ratio to liquid.
According to a preferred embodiment of the method for producing a tobacco paste, it is provided that the tobacco paste has a moisture content or water content of between 10% and 40%, optionally between 20% and 30%.
The embodiments include a method for producing reconstituted tobacco, wherein the method comprises a method for producing a tobacco paste, and wherein the method for producing reconstituted tobacco comprises the following additional method step: extruding the tobacco paste to form an extruded profile that is, in particular, substantially solid and/or has a low water content or moisture content of preferably at most 50%, preferably between 10% and 40%, and more preferably between 20% and 30%. On account of such a water or moisture content, the tobacco paste can advantageously be extruded and, particularly advantageously, can be processed further in a subsequent method step, in particular a smoothing process.
The same or similar advantages as those already mentioned previously with regard to the method for producing the tobacco paste also apply to the method for producing reconstituted tobacco.
According to a preferred embodiment of the method for producing reconstituted tobacco, it is provided that, during extrusion, the tobacco paste is brought to a temperature of between 20° C. and 60° C., preferably between 30° C. and 40° C., and/or the tobacco paste has a pressure of between 10 bar and 40 bar, preferably between 20 bar and 30 bar during extrusion. If the tobacco paste is exposed to elevated pressures and/or elevated temperatures, the flavor and consistency of the tobacco paste are compromised.
According to a preferred embodiment of the method for producing reconstituted tobacco, it is provided that the method comprises the following additional step: severing portions of the extruded profile, wherein a series of portions of tobacco paste is produced, wherein, in particular, each portion has at most 200 g, preferably at most 100 g and/or at most a volume of 10 cm3, preferably 8 cm3 and particularly preferably 5 cm3.
According to another preferred embodiment of the method for producing reconstituted tobacco, it is provided that the method for producing a tobacco paste or the method for producing reconstituted tobacco comprises the following additional method step: smoothing the portions or the tobacco paste to form a flat web of material with a thickness of preferably at most 2 mm, particularly preferably at most 1.2 mm, or a thickness of between 30 μm and 500 μm, and/or a width of preferably between 30 cm and 3 m, particularly preferably between 30 cm and 2 m.
According to a preferred embodiment of the method for producing reconstituted tobacco, it is provided that the portions or the tobacco paste is or are smoothed by means of a rolling or smoothing process and/or the portions or the tobacco paste has or have a moisture content of at most 30% or 35%, particularly preferably a moisture content of between 25% and 30%, and wherein, in particular, the smoothing takes place by means of a multi-stage rolling process, preferably arranged one immediately after the other.
According to a preferred embodiment of the method for producing reconstituted tobacco, it is provided that the method comprises the following additional method step: drying the flat web of material to form a dried web of material, preferably to a moisture content of less than 20%, particularly preferably to a moisture content of between 4% and 16%.
According to a preferred embodiment of the method for producing reconstituted tobacco, it is provided that the method comprises the following additional method step: winding up the flat web of material, in particular a web of film, onto a bobbin.
According to a preferred embodiment of the method for producing reconstituted tobacco, it is provided that, before being wound up, both sides of the flat web of material or of the dried web of material are cut, such that a reconstituted tobacco film having a predefined, in particular substantially constant, width is produced.
According to a preferred embodiment of the method for producing reconstituted tobacco, it is provided that, before being wound up, the flat web of material or the dried web of material is cut into two or more webs of material consisting of reconstituted tobacco film, in particular with a width of between 100 mm and 300 mm, preferably between 120 mm and 250 mm, which are then wound up into bobbins separately from one another.
According to another preferred embodiment of the method for producing reconstituted tobacco, it is provided that the winding is implemented by a winding device comprising at least one winding hub and two or more webs of material consisting of reconstituted tobacco film are arranged one next to the other on the same winding hub and each wound up into bobbins.
Embodiments also include a tobacco-containing film, film sections, or film scraps, which comprise the following: tobacco powder with a particle size of less than 350 μm, preferably less than 250 μm, and in particular with a weight percentage of the dry mass of the tobacco-containing film, film sections, or film scraps of between 65% and 90%, preferably between 70% and 85%, cellulose in particle or fiber form with an average particle size of less than 350 μm, preferably less than 250 μm, in particular with a weight percentage of the dry mass of the tobacco-containing film, film sections, or film scraps of between 3% and 10%, a binder, preferably carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and/or guar meal, in particular with a weight percentage of the dry mass of the tobacco-containing film, film sections, or film scraps of between 2% and 10%, particularly preferably between 4% and 8%, wherein the proportion of cellulose is less than the proportion of binder, and/or the ratio of cellulose to tobacco powder is less than 1/14, preferably less than 1/16, particularly preferably less than 1/20. Preferably, the cellulose, in particular in particle or fiber form, has no constituents of a tobacco plant.
The same or similar advantages as those already mentioned previously with regard to the method for producing the tobacco paste and the method for producing reconstituted tobacco also apply in the same or a similar manner to the tobacco-containing film, the film sections, or film scraps.
According to a preferred embodiment of the tobacco-containing film, film sections, or film scraps, it is provided that the film, film section, or film scrap has or have a density of between 500 mg/cm3 and 1000 mg/cm3, preferably between 700 mg/cm3 and 950 mg/cm3. By virtue of a formulation of this kind, tobacco-containing films can be produced that have a low density and that meet the standards for processing in production machines in the tobacco-processing industry.
According to another preferred embodiment, it is provided that the tobacco-containing film, film sections, or film scraps, in particular film strips, have a width of between 0.5 mm and 4 mm, wherein the mass to surface area ratio is greater than 0.08 mg/mm2, greater than 0.07 mg/mm, greater than 0.06 mg/mm2, greater than 0.05 mg/mm2, or greater than 0.04 mg/mm2, preferably less than 0.089 mg/mm2, less than 0.088 mg/mm2, or less than 0.08 mg/mm2. For a film strip with, for example, a width of 1 mm, a length of 15 mm, and a thickness of 150 μm, the surface area Ω=2*(1 mm*15 mm)+2*(1 mm+15 mm)*150 μm=35.4 mm2. The volume V is given by V=1 mm*15 mm*0.15 mm=2.25 mm3=0.00225 cm3. The mass M is calculated from the density p, for example ρ=850 mg/cm3, and the volume V with M=V*ρ=1.9125 mg, and the mass to surface area ratio MOV is the mass M divided by the surface area Ω with MOV=M/Ω=0.054 mg/mm2. Film strips of this kind have a homogeneous structure, adequate material properties for processing in machines in the tobacco-processing industry, and a low density.
According to another preferred embodiment of the tobacco-containing film sections or film scraps, it is provided that they have a width of at most 2 mm and a length of at most 25 mm and/or a thickness of between 180 μm and 300 μm.
The embodiments also include a system for producing reconstituted tobacco that comprises the following: a material pulverization system, which is designed to generate a powdered material with a predefined particle size, wherein the powdered material preferably comprises tobacco powder and/or plant powder, preferably in particle or fiber form; a gelling machine, which is designed to generate a highly viscous binder gel based on water, preferably with a viscosity of at least 1000 cP, preferably between 10000 cP and 50000 cP; a mixing unit, which is designed and configured to mix the powdered material from the material pulverization system with the binder gel from the gelling machine to form a tobacco paste that is, in particular, substantially solid and that, in particular, also has a water or moisture content of at most 50%. Preferably, the system for producing reconstituted tobacco comprises a control unit.
The same or similar advantages as those already mentioned previously with regard to the method for producing the tobacco paste, the method for producing reconstituted tobacco, and the tobacco-containing film, film sections, or film scraps, also apply in the same or a similar manner to the system for producing reconstituted tobacco.
According to a preferred embodiment, the system for producing reconstituted tobacco additionally comprises the following: an extrusion unit, which is designed to extrude the tobacco paste from the mixing unit and to press said paste out of an outlet, preferably an extrusion die, that an extruded profile is produced from tobacco paste, wherein, in particular, the extrusion unit comprises a pressure sensor, preferably arranged adjacently to the outlet of the extrusion unit, and/or a temperature-control unit, which is designed to bring the tobacco paste in the extrusion unit to a temperature of between 20° C. and 60° C., preferably between 30° C. and 40° C., in at least one section or subregion of the extrusion unit.
According to a preferred embodiment, the system for producing reconstituted tobacco is further developed in that it comprises the following: a fractioning unit, which is designed to divide up the profile extruded from the extrusion unit in order to generate a series of portions of tobacco paste, and preferably comprises a rotating severing element, preferably a rotating blade.
According to another preferred embodiment, the system for producing reconstituted tobacco comprises the following: a rolling or smoothing unit, which is designed to smooth or roll the portions of tobacco paste in order to generate a flat web of material; and, in particular, comprises a moisture sensor, which is connected, in particular, to a central control unit in order to detect the moisture of the portions, tobacco paste, or flat web of material and, in particular, to generate a signal to the gelling machine.
According to a preferred embodiment of the system for producing reconstituted tobacco, it is provided that it comprises the following: a drying unit, which is suitable for drying the web of material generated by the rolling or smoothing unit such that, in particular, the dried web of material has a moisture content of less than 20%, preferably between 4% and 16%, particularly preferably between 6% and 10%, wherein the drying unit comprises, in particular, at least one sensor which detects the moisture content of the dried web of material and/or the flat web of material, and is preferably connected to a central control unit and is preferably arranged at the entrance and/or at the exit of the drying unit. Particularly preferably, the sensor generates a signal to the drying unit. Preferably, the drying unit comprises an entrance for the flat web of material and an exit for the dried web of material.
The embodiments include a system for producing reconstituted tobacco 1 that comprises the following: a supply device for tobacco paste 10 or for portions 100 of tobacco paste 10, wherein the supply device, in particular, a material pulverization system 2, which is designed to generate a powdered material 11 with a predefined particle size, wherein the powdered material 11 preferably comprises tobacco powder 12 and/or plant powder 14, preferably in particle or fiber form, and in particular a gelling machine 3, which is designed to generate a highly viscous binder gel 13 based on water, preferably with a viscosity of at least 1000 cP, preferably between 10000 cP and 50000 cP, and in particular a mixing unit 4, which is designed and configured to mix the powdered material 11 from the material pulverization system 2 with the binder gel 13 from the gelling machine 3 to form a tobacco paste 10 that is substantially solid and has a low water or moisture content of preferably at most 50%; and a rolling unit 7, which is designed to smooth and/or roll the portions 100 of tobacco paste 10 or a tobacco paste 10 in order to generate a flat web of material 101, wherein the rolling unit 7 comprises at least two rollers 71, 72, preferably at least two pairs of rollers 71, 71 and 71, 72, wherein the at least two rollers 71, 72, preferably the at least two pairs of rollers 71, 71 and 71, 72, in each case form a clearance S1, S2 through which, in particular, the tobacco paste 10 or the portions 100 of tobacco paste 10 can be conveyed and formed into a flat web of material 101, wherein the at least two rollers 71, 72, preferably the at least two pairs of rollers 71, 71 and 71, 72, are arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction, wherein the clearance S2 is downstream of the clearance S1 in the conveying direction, and the following applies for the clearance S1 and S2: S2≥S1*⅓, preferably S2≥S1*½, particularly preferably S2≥S1*⅔. On account of such an arrangement of a rolling unit, during a rolling process that is into two successive rolling steps, the thickness of the flat web of material is prevented from being reduced too much and thus a non-homogeneous flat web of material is prevented from being produced.
In particular, the gelling machine 3 is designed and configured to generate a binder gel 13 that comprises water, binder, and glycerin or propylene glycol. The gelling machine 3 comprises a mixing device, which mixes the glycerin or propylene glycol with the binder, wherein the mixing device is arranged upstream of a water supply. On account of such an arrangement, the binder can be mixed with glycerin or propylene glycol without water in order to prevent premature clumping or a reaction of the binder with the water.
Preferably, a sensor device SE is arranged downstream of the pair of rollers 71, 71 or the pair of rollers 71, 72, which sensor device is designed and configured to determine the thickness of the web of material. Preferably, the sensor device SE is arranged in the angle unit. The sensor device SE is preferably connected to an adjustment unit, which can alter and/or adapt at least one clearance S1, S2 of the pairs of rollers 71, 71, 71, 72. The system 1 is preferably designed to control the at least one clearance S1. S2 in an open-loop and/or closed-loop manner based on the measurement data of the sensor device SE. The sensor device detects the thickness of the web of material, for example using a transmitted light measuring method, wherein the thickness is inferred by detecting the levels of gray of particular sections of the web of material.
The system 1 described immediately above may advantageously be further developed according to the preferred embodiments and variations mentioned previously with regard to the system I for producing reconstituted tobacco. These advantageous embodiments can be transposed/applied to the system 1 described immediately above.
Other embodiments produce a flat web of material from reconstituted tobacco material, in particular a reconstituted tobacco film, with a small amount of energy and advantageous material properties, in particular an advantageous ratio of production costs and material properties of the web of material, using a separating device for releasing the flat web of material from a drum body.
The embodiments include a separating device for separating a flat web of material from a drum body, in particular by means of a scraper that is preferably arranged at the delivery point of the drum body, wherein an angle alpha is formed by the radius of the drum body at the delivery point and by the separating device, in particular the scraper, wherein the angle alpha is between 50° and 80°, preferably between 62° and 73°.
The delivery point of the drum body is the point at which the flat web of material becomes released from the drum body. Preferably, the separating device, in particular the scraper, is designed to be heatable, preferably to a temperature of between 40° C. and 90° C., particularly preferably to a temperature of between 50° C. and 70° C. Preferably, the separating device is provided at least in sections with a coating that preferably comprises PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), ceramic, or tungsten carbide. Optionally, the separating device is provided at least in sections with a nanocoating. Preferably, the separating device is designed as a bi-metal scraper.
Embodiments are directed to a method for producing a tobacco paste that includes supplying a powdered material having a predefined particle size of less than 350 μm, wherein the powdered material comprises tobacco powder, supplying a highly viscous, water-based binder gel having a viscosity of at least 1000 cP, a water content of at least 50%, and at least one binder; and mixing the powdered material with the binder gel to form the tobacco paste that is substantially solid, wherein the tobacco paste has a water content or moisture content of at most 50%.
In embodiments, the tobacco paste can be used to produce reconstituted tobacco.
According to embodiments, at least one of: the predefined particle size is one of between 5 μm and 250 μm, or between 120 μm and 300 μm, the powdered material comprises tobacco powder, the highly viscous, water-based binder gel has a viscosity of between 10000 cP and 50000 cP, the water content is between 60% and 80%, and the at least one binder comprises at least one of guar meal or carboxymethylcellulose (CMC).
In accordance with other embodiments, the powdered material can include tobacco powder and plant powder. The plant powder may include cellulose, and a ratio of cellulose of the plant powder and tobacco powder can be at most 20% and at least 2%. Moreover, at least one of: the powdered material can further include powdered additives; the plant powder may include cellulose, in at least one of powder or fiber form; or the ratio of cellulose of the plant powder and tobacco powder can be at most one of 12% or 8%, and at least 4%.
In accordance with embodiments, the powdered material can have a particle size of one of less than 350 μm, or between 5 μm and 250 μm.
According to other embodiments, the powdered material may have a moisture content or water content per unit of weight of one of less than 18%, or between 7% and 12%.
In still other embodiments, the binder gel may include a binder in a (wt. %) proportion of between 2% and 25%.
In accordance with embodiments, the tobacco paste can have a moisture content or water content of one of between 10% and 40%, or between 20% and 30%.
Embodiments are directed to a method for producing reconstituted tobacco that includes producing the tobacco paste according to method described above, and extruding the tobacco paste to form an extruded profile that at least one of can be substantially solid or may have a low water content of one of: at most 50%; between 10% and 40%; or between 20% and 30%. During the extrusion, the tobacco paste at least one of: may be brought to a temperature of one of between 20° C. and 60° C.; or between 30° C. and 40° C., or can have a pressure during extrusion of one of between 10 bar and 40 bar; or between 20 bar and 30 bar. The method may further include severing portions of the extruded profile to produce a series of portions of the tobacco paste, where each portion has at least one of: one of at most 200 g; or at most 100 g; or one of at most a volume of 10 cm3; 8 cm3; or 5 cm3. The method can further include smoothing at least one of the portions or the tobacco paste to form a flat web of material with at least one of: a thickness of one of at most 2 mm; at most 1.2 mm, or between 30 μm and 500 μm, or a width of one of between 30 cm and 3 m, or between 30 cm and 2 m. Further, at least one of: the at least one of the portions or the tobacco paste can be smoothed by a rolling or smoothing process, or the at least one of the portions or the tobacco paste may have a moisture content of one of at most 30%, 35%, or between 25% and 30%.
In still other embodiments, the method can also include drying the flat web of material to form a dried web of material to at least one of a moisture content of less than 20% or between 4% and 16%.
In embodiments, the method may also include winding up the flat web of material onto a bobbin. Moreover, before being wound up, both sides of the flat web of material or of a dried flat web of material can be cut, such that a reconstituted tobacco film having a predefined and substantially constant width is produced. Further, before being wound up, the flat web of material or the dried flat web of material may be cut into two or more webs of material of reconstituted tobacco film, and the webs of material can have a width that is at least one of between 100 mm and 300 mm, or between 120 mm and 250 mm and can be wound up into bobbins separately from one another. The winding can be implemented by a winding device including at least one winding hub and two or more webs of material of reconstituted tobacco film are arranged one next to the other on the same winding hub and each are wound up into bobbins.
Embodiments are directed to a tobacco-containing film, film sections, or film scraps that include tobacco powder with a particle size of at least one of less than 350 μm or less than 250 μm, and with a weight percentage of a dry mass of the tobacco-containing film, film sections, or film scraps of at least one of between 65% and 90% or between 70% and 85%, cellulose in particle or fiber form with an average particle size of at least one of less than 350 μm or less than 250 μm, with a weight percentage of the dry mass of the tobacco-containing film, film sections, or film scraps of between 3% and 10%, and a binder comprising at least one of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) or guar meal, the binder having a weight percentage of the dry mass of the tobacco-containing film, film sections, or film scraps of at least one of between 2% and 10% or between 4% and 8%. At least one of a proportion of cellulose is less than a proportion of binder, or a ratio of cellulose to tobacco powder is less than at least one of less than 1/14, less than 1/16, or less than 1/20.
According to embodiments, the film, film sections, or film scraps can have a density of at least one of between 500 mg/cm3 and 1000 mg/cm3 or between 700 mg/cm3 and 950 mg/cm3. Further, a mass to surface area ratio may be greater than 0.05 mg/mm2 and less than 0.088 mg/mm2. Moreover, the film, film section or film scraps can have at least one of: a width of at most 2 mm and a length of at most 25 mm, or a thickness of between 180 μm and 300 μm.
Embodiments are directed to a system for producing reconstituted tobacco that includes a material pulverization system, which is designed to generate a powdered material with a predefined particle size; a gelling machine, which is designed to generate a highly viscous binder gel based on water, and a mixing unit, which is designed and configured to mix the powdered material from the material pulverization system with the binder gel from the gelling machine to form a tobacco paste.
In accordance with embodiments, at least one of: the powdered material can include at least one of tobacco powder or plant powder; the highly viscous binder gel can have a viscosity of at least one of at least 1000 cP, or between 10000 cP and 50000 cP; or the tobacco paste may be substantially solid and may have a water or moisture content of at most 50%.
According to other embodiments, the system can further include an extrusion unit, which is designed to extrude the tobacco paste from the mixing unit and to press the paste out of an outlet, preferably an extrusion die, such that an extruded profile is produced from the tobacco paste, wherein the extrusion unit comprises at least one of a pressure sensor, arranged adjacently to the outlet of the extrusion unit, or a temperature-control unit, which is designed to bring the tobacco paste in the extrusion unit to a temperature of at least one of between 20° C. and 60° C. or between 30° C. and 40° C. in at least one section or subregion of the extrusion unit.
In embodiments, the system may further include a fractioning unit, which is designed to divide up the profile extruded from the extrusion unit in order to generate a series of portions of tobacco paste, and can include a rotating severing element with a rotating blade.
According to other embodiments, the system may include a rolling or smoothing unit, which can be designed to smooth or roll the portions of tobacco paste in order to generate a flat web of material, may include a moisture sensor, which is connected to a central control unit in order to detect the moisture of the portions, tobacco paste, or flat web of material and to generate a signal to the gelling machine.
In accordance with still yet other embodiments, the system can include a drying unit, which may be suitable for drying the web of material generated by the rolling or smoothing unit such that the dried web of material has a moisture content of at least one of less than 20%, between 4% and 16%, or between 6% and 10%. The drying unit can include at least one sensor which detects a moisture content of at least one of the dried web of material or a flat web of material, and which is connected to a central control unit and arranged at at least one of an entrance or at an exit of the drying unit.
Other exemplary embodiments and advantages of the present invention may be ascertained by reviewing the present disclosure and the accompanying drawing.
The present invention is further described in the detailed description which follows, in reference to the noted plurality of drawings by way of non-limiting examples of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, in which like reference numerals represent similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings, and wherein:
The particulars shown herein are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the embodiments of the present invention only and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the present invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the present invention in more detail than is necessary for the fundamental understanding of the present invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the present invention may be embodied in practice.
Unless another definition is explicitly given in the present description, percentages are weight percentages.
For an advantageous production process, the powdered material 11 comprises tobacco powder 12 and, in particular, plant powder 14, wherein the proportion of plant powder is less than 30%, preferably between 2% and 10%. In particular, the term “plant powder” 14 does not denote the plant-based constituents contained in the tobacco powder, in particular the plant powder 14 contained in the tobacco powder 12. An advantageous particle size of the powdered material 11 or of the plant powder 14 is between 40 μm and 150 μm or between 20 μm and 140 μm. Advantageously, the particle size of the powdered material 11 or of the plant powder 14 is less than 300 μm.
The gelling machine 3 for producing a binder gel 13 comprises a supply device for liquid, in particular water, and a binder 15, which preferably comprises guar meal or carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). The moisture or water and the binder 15 are mixed in a method step such that a binder gel 13 having a viscosity of greater than 1000 cP, preferably a viscosity of between 10,000 cP and 50,000 cP, is produced. The unit cP is a unit for the dynamic viscosity and stands for centipoise. The binder gel 13 advantageously has a proportion of moisture of greater than 50%, preferably a proportion of moisture of between 60% and 80%. Preferably, the binder gel 13 is a water-based binder gel 13. The binder gel 13 advantageously has a binder 15 that is preferably powdered and has a particle size of less than 150 μm, preferably a particle size of between 20 μm and 100 μm.
Preferably, the binder 15 has a smaller particle size than the powdered material. The binder gel 13 preferably has a proportion of binder 15 of between 2% and 25%.
The powdered material 11 produced in the material pulverization system 2 and the binder gel 13 produced in the gelling machine 3 is mixed in a mixing unit 4 and extruded in an extrusion unit 5 to form an extruded profile 16. The extrusion unit 5 is arranged upstream of a fractioning unit 6, which divides the extruded profile 16 into portions 100 of tobacco paste 10 (cf.
In another preferred embodiment, a pressure sensor is arranged adjacently to the extrusion die 64, which pressure sensor is preferably connected to a control unit in order to control the pressure in the extrusion channel 63 in an open-loop and/or closed-loop manner. The extrusion die 64 is arranged upstream of a fractioning unit 6, which is preferably surrounded by a protective housing 68. The fractioning unit 6 preferably comprises a rotating severing element 66 having a reference axis C, in particular a rotating knife 66, which is connected to the electric motor 67 via the support shaft 69. The extruded profile 16 exits the extrusion die 64 and is divided into portions 100 of tobacco paste 10 by the severing element 66, for example the rotating knife 66. The portions 100 of tobacco paste 10 fall, in particular vertically, into the smoothing unit 7 arranged downstream. The extrusion unit 5 may preferably be designed as a multi-screw extrusion unit, wherein multiple extrusion screws are arranged adjacently, preferably in parallel one next to the other.
In a preferred embodiment, segmentation rollers 73 are provided, which are arranged adjacently to the secondary roller 72, for example in a single copy or in double or multiple copies. The flat web of material 101 is released from the secondary roller 72, remnants are removed from the roller 72 preferably by a scraping device, and fed to the drying unit 8.
Preferably, a separating device is provided on the secondary roller 72 for separating a flat web of material 101 from a drum body of the secondary roller 72, in particular a scraper that is preferably arranged at the delivery point of the drum body of the secondary roller 72, wherein an angle alpha is formed by the radius of the drum body at the delivery point and by the separating device, in particular the scraper, wherein the angle alpha is between 50° and 80°, preferably between 62° and 73°. The delivery point of the drum body of the secondary roller 72 is the point at which the flat web of material 101 becomes released from the drum body of the secondary roller 72.
Preferably, the separating device, in particular the scraper, is designed to be heatable, preferably to a temperature of between 40° C. and 90° C., particularly preferably to a temperature of between 50° C. and 70° C. Preferably, the separating device is provided at least in sections with a coating that preferably comprises PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), ceramic, or tungsten carbide. Optionally, the separating device is provided at least in sections with a nanocoating. Preferably, the separating device is designed as a bi-metal scraper.
The drying unit 8 comprises a drying tunnel 80, through which a belt conveyor 81 is guided. The flat web of material 101 is set down on the belt conveyor 81, which comprises a circulating conveyor belt, and is guided through the drying tunnel 80. The drying tunnel 80 may be segmented, wherein each segment 80a, 80b, and 80c is designed, for example, as a hot air oven, as an infrared oven, or as a microwave oven (cf.
The winding unit 9 comprises multiple deflection rollers 93, which are arranged on a rigid support structure 94, and is shown in
In another preferred embodiment, a winding unit 90 may be designed with a broad winding hub in order to wind up multiple webs of film 104 consisting of reconstituted tobacco film together on a winding hub 91. Therefore, multiple ready-to-use bobbins can be rolled up on a winding hub 91.
The production process for the tobacco paste 10, shown schematically in
In the aqueous phase, the binder gel 13 is to be produced and advantageously comprises water, glycerin, flavorings, CMC, and/or guar meal. Advantageously, the binder gel 13 comprises more than 50% and preferably less than 80% water. Advantageously, the binder gel 13 comprises 73% water, 20% glycerin, and 7% binder 15. The figures may vary by up to 3% in each case for this special formulation. Preferably, the weight ratio of binder 15 and moisture, in particular water, is less than 20%.
The binder gel 13 and the powdered material 11 are processed into a tobacco paste 10. Advantageously, the ratio of powdered material 11 and water is greater than or equal to 1. Preferably, the weight percentage of cellulose, preferably cellulose powder, in said tobacco paste is greater than the weight percentage of binder 15. Preferably, the ratio of cellulose, preferably cellulose powder, and tobacco powder is less than or equal to 1/20, 1/16, or 1/14.
It is noted that the foregoing examples have been provided merely for the purpose of explanation and are in no way to be construed as limiting of the present invention. While the present invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it is understood that the words which have been used herein are words of description and illustration, rather than words of limitation. Changes may be made, within the purview of the appended claims, as presently stated and as amended, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention in its aspects. Although the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular, materials and embodiments, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed herein: rather, the present invention extends to all functionally equivalent structures, methods and uses, such as are within the scope of the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102020000000727 | Jan 2020 | IT | national |
This application is a Continuation of International Application No. PCT/EP2020/073702 filed Aug. 25, 2020, which claims priority to Italian Patent Application No. 10 2020 000000727 filed Jan. 16, 2020, the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/EP2020/073702 | Aug 2020 | US |
| Child | 17864862 | US |
