Patent Application
20240196960
The present disclosure pertains to the field of devices for heating tobacco without burning it and has as its subject a pouch-shaped consumable for a vaping device.
A large number of devices for heating tobacco without burning it have been developed in order to avoid the formation of the harmful constituents during tobacco combustion. By way of example, mention may be made of the applications published under numbers WO 2016/026810 and WO 2016/207407 which describe such devices. Tobacco-filled sticks are placed into these devices, the tobacco is then heated by the device at a temperature below the combustion temperature without being burnt, which leads to the formation of an aerosol when the user sucks in air through the device. The aerosol generated during the heating of the tobacco replaces the cigarette smoke and has advantageous organoleptic properties when it is inhaled by the user. This allows the user to inhale nicotine and the tobacco aromas while at the same time very significantly reducing said user's exposure to the harmful constituents.
In order for the user to adopt these heating devices, it is important for the experience obtained with said devices to be as close as possible to the experience obtained with a conventional cigarette, that is to say organoleptic properties of the aerosol generated for each puff, draw resistance for each puff and a number of puffs should be equivalent to the ones of conventional cigarette.
Classically, heating devices are charged with a rod-shaped consumable similar in appearance to a traditional cigarette. Such rod-shaped consumable comprises several segments such as a segment including reconstituted tobacco to generate the aerosol, a cooling segment to cool the aerosol and prevent the burn of the mouth of the user and a filter segment comprising a cellulose acetate substrate to mainly prevent the introduction of dust of reconstituted tobacco in the mouth of the user. The rod-shaped consumable is also made of several layers of different papers and of aluminum. Therefore, the production of these rod-shaped consumables can be lengthy and restricted since it requires numerous steps. Moreover, the rod-shaped consumables are not biodegradable due to the use of cellulose acetate and aluminum.
Furthermore, there exist heating devices that are charged by the user directly with shredded reconstituted tobacco, like a pipe. The introduction of shredded tobacco in such devices has the disadvantage that the shredded tobacco not only ends up in the dedicated lodging of these devices, but shreds can stick to the user's hand or fall next to the device, making the charging inconvenient and complicated. This difficult use can provoke a certain amount of frustration in the user of the device. In addition, it is difficult to introduce a constant dose of reconstituted tobacco in these devices, leading to variations in the organoleptic properties and thus to vaping unsatisfaction.
Therefore, there is a need for consumables that are biodegradable, simple to produce, simple to use in a device for heating tobacco without burning it and that generates an aerosol having satisfactory and constant organoleptic properties, satisfactory draw resistance for each puff and a satisfactory number of puffs.
It is thus to the credit of the inventors to have found that it was possible to meet this need by means of a pouch-shaped heat-not-burn consumable.
It is proposed a heat-not-burn consumable comprising:
The experiences provided by the heat-not-burn consumable according to the invention and by a commercialized rod-shaped consumable are comparable in terms of organoleptic properties of the aerosol generated, duration of the experience and comfort of the experience due to comparable draw resistance. The consumable exhibits constant and high taste intensity as well as constant and high volume.
Moreover, the heat-not-burn consumable is advantageously simple to use since it can be easily inserted in and extracted from a dedicated lodging of a device for heating tobacco without burning it and it provides no dusting.
In addition, in contrast to a classical rod-shaped consumable, the heat-not-burn consumable of the invention may, by virtue of its composition, degrades very rapidly in the environment. This is particularly advantageous, since the environmental impact of the heat-not-burn consumable of the invention is smaller than the environmental impact of a classical rod-shaped consumable.
In another aspect, it is proposed a method for manufacturing a consumable as defined above comprising the following steps:
Advantageously, this method is easy to implement since it only requires simple production tools which are also well-known by the skilled person.
This method has also the advantage that it allows for high-speed mass production of consumables on an industrial scale. For instance, an output of more than 10 000 consumables per minute can be achieved.
Other features, details and advantages will be shown in the following detailed description and on the figures, on which:
It is now referred to [
It is proposed a heat-not-burn consumable 1 comprising:
For the purposes of the present application, the term “heat-not-burn consumable” denotes a feature adapted to produce an aerosol when heated and having a shape and dimensions adapted to be introduced into a dedicated lodging of a device for heating tobacco without burning it.
The ratio of the mass of the reconstituted plant sheet to the inner volume of the pouch 11 of the consumable 1 of the present invention may be comprised of from 0.30 g·cm−3 to 1.5 g·cm−3, in particular of from 0.35 g·cm−3 to 1.25 g·cm−3, more particularly of from 0.39 g·cm−3 to 1 g·cm−3, even more particularly of from 0.42 g·cm−3 to 1 g·cm−3.
Advantageously, a ratio within these ranges of values makes it possible to generate, at a comfortable draw resistance, an aerosol having satisfactory organoleptic properties, i.e. having constant and high taste intensity as well as constant and high volume.
Moreover, this ratio can be easily adjusted to the shape and volume of the dedicated lodging of any kind of device for heating tobacco without burning it so that the consumable 1 can be easily inserted in and extracted from said dedicated lodging and generates an aerosol with satisfactory organoleptic properties, while maintaining the overall draw resistance at required level. For instance, for small dedicated lodging, the ratio may be reduced by decreasing the inner volume of the pouch 11 and reducing, in some extent, the mass of reconstituted plant sheet to generate an aerosol with satisfactory organoleptic properties. For big dedicated lodging, the ratio may be increased by increasing the inner volume of the pouch 11 and increasing, in some extent, the mass of reconstituted plant sheet to generate an aerosol with satisfactory organoleptic properties.
The inner volume of the pouch 11 may be determined by determining the volume of the pouch 11 then subtracting the volume of the paper.
The pouch 11 may have two sealed ends 111, 112. The pouch 11 may also have a third seal 113 connecting the two sealed ends 111, 112.
At least one of the two sealed ends 111, 112 may be a glued seal, a knurled seal or combinations thereof, in particular a knurled seal. The third seal 113 may preferably be a glued seal.
The two sealed ends 111, 112 may be a knurled seal and the third seal 113 is a glued seal.
Alternatively, the two sealed ends 111, 112 and the third seal 113 may be a glued seal.
Advantageously, the organoleptic properties of the aerosol generated by the consumable 1 of the present invention are not affected by the use of a glue. Moreover, the resistance of the glued seal is higher than the resistance of the knurled seal, therefore, the physical integrity of the consumable 1 of the present invention is advantageously higher when the two sealed ends 111, 112 and the third seal 113 are a glued seal.
The glue of the glued seal may be any kind of glue commonly used in the technical field of cigarette paper. The glue may typically be in the form of an aqueous solution or dispersion.
For example, the glue can be a natural glue, a synthetic glue or mixtures thereof.
The natural glue may be a starch-based glue, a dextrin-based glue, a casein-based glue, a cellulose-based glue, an animal glue, a latex glue or mixtures thereof, in particular a starch-based glue, more particularly an aqueous starch-based glue.
The synthetic glue may be acrylics, a dispersion of polyurethane, an ethylene vinyl acetate-based glue, a polyvinyl acetate-based glue, a polyvinyl alcohol-based glue or mixtures thereof, in particular an ethylene vinyl acetate-based glue, a polyvinyl acetate-based glue, a polyvinyl alcohol-based glue or mixtures thereof, more particularly a polyvinyl acetate-based glue, a polyvinyl alcohol-based glue or mixtures thereof.
Swift® Tak 1138 of H. B. Fuller is an example of a polyvinyl acetate-based glue that can be used in the consumable 1 of the present invention. Lesso 5294 of Laesser Klebstoffe is an example of a polyvinyl alcohol-based glue that can be used in the consumable 1 of the present invention.
The glue of the two sealed ends is in particular a synthetic glue.
The knurled seal may be a toothed wheel seal.
The pouch 11 may comprise, between the two sealed ends 111, 112, two opposite concave faces 114, 115 and two opposite convex faces 116, 117.
Advantageously, such pouch 11 is easy to handle and can be easily inserted in and extracted from the dedicated lodging of a device for heating tobacco without burning it.
The paper of the pouch 11 can be any paper suitable for the manufacture of a smoking or vaping article, such as a cigarette paper, a tobacco wrapper, a porous plug wrapper or combinations thereof, in particular cigarette paper, tobacco wrapper or combinations thereof, more particularly tobacco wrapper.
The cigarette paper may be made from wood pulp, tobacco fibers, hemp fibers, flax fibers, sisal fibers, cocoa bean shell fibers, cannabis fibers, rice straw, sparta fibers and mixtures thereof, in particular from wood pulp, hemp fibers, especially from wood pulp. It may have at least one among a basis weight of from 12 g/m2 to 50 g/m2, in particular of from 22 g/m2 to 35 g/m2, an air permeability of from 5 CORESTA units to 500 CORESTA units, in particular of from 15 CORESTA units to 80 CORESTA units, and a thickness of from 20 μm to 80 μm, in particular of from 25 μm to 50 μm. It may also include a filler such as calcium carbonate (CaCO3), magnesium oxide (MgO) and mixtures thereof.
The tobacco wrapper may be made from wood pulp, tobacco fibers, hemp fibers, flax fibers, sisal fibers, cocoa bean shell fibers, cannabis fibers, rice straw, sparta fibers and mixtures thereof, in particular from tobacco fibers, wood pulp and mixtures thereof, especially from a mixture of tobacco fibers and wood pulp. It may have at least one among a basis weight of from 24 g/m2 to 100 g/m2, in particular of from 32 g/m2 to 51 g/m2, an air permeability of from 0 CORESTA units to 150 CORESTA units, in particular of from 10 CORESTA units to 80 CORESTA units, and a thickness of from 20 μm to 200 μm, in particular of from 75 μm to 150 μm.
Porous plug wrapper may be made from wood pulp, hemp fibers, flax fibers, sisal fibers, lyocell fibers, viscose fibers and mixtures thereof, especially from wood pulp. It may have at least one among a basis weight of from 15 g/m2 to 140 g/m2, in particular of from 20 g/m2 to 80 g/m2, more particularly of from 20 g/m2 to 25 g/m2, an air permeability of from 200 CORESTA units to 45000 CORESTA units, in particular of from 5000 CORESTA units to 32000 CORESTA units, more particularly of from 26 000 CORESTA units to 28 000 CORESTA units, and a thickness of from 30 μm to 300 μm, in particular of from 45 μm to 215 μm.
The air permeability of the paper can be determined by the standard NF ISO 2965:2019 by determining the flow of air passing through sheet of paper of 1 cm2 at a measuring pressure of 1.00 kPa.
The standard NF EN ISO 536:2019 can be used to determine the basis weight of the paper. A sheet of 1 m2 of paper is conditioned for at least 10 minutes at 23° C. and 50% humidity before the measurement. The weight of the sheet is measured on a balance, giving the basis weight.
To measure the thickness of the paper of the pouch 11, the method described in standard NF EN ISO 534 (December 2011) may be used. it is possible to use a dead-weight micrometer comprising a 25 cm2 measuring head with two planar, parallel and circular pressure faces. During the measurement, the paper of the pouch 11 is placed between the two pressure faces for 10 seconds. The pressure exerted between the pressure faces during the measurement of the thickness is 20 kPa. The paper of the pouch 11 is conditioned for at least 10 minutes at 23° C. and 50% humidity before the measurement.
According to a specific embodiment, the cigarette paper may have a basis weight of from 20 g/m2 to 25 g/m2, a porosity of from 20 CORESTA units to 30 CORESTA units and a thickness of from 35 μm to 45 μm.
According to a specific embodiment, the tobacco wrapper may have a basis weight of from 40 g/m2 to 50 g/m2, a porosity of from 45 to 55 CORESTA units and a thickness of from 95 μm to 105 μm.
According to a specific embodiment, the porous plug wrapper may have a basis weight of from 20 g/m2 to 25 g/m2, a porosity of from 26 000 to 28 000 CORESTA units and a thickness of from 89 μm to 90 μm.
Advantageously, the aerosol generated by the consumable 1 comprising a pouch 11 made of the cigarette paper of this specific embodiment, the tobacco wrapper of this specific embodiment, or the porous plug wrapper of this specific embodiment has satisfactory organoleptic properties.
According to the present invention, the reconstituted plant sheet comprises:
For the purposes of the present application, “fibrous support” denotes a base web made of fibers of a plant, in particular refined fibers of a plant. The base web is typically obtained by a papermaking process.
For the purposes of the present application, the term “plant extract” denotes all of the water-soluble products of the plant. Advantageously, the plant extract comprises nicotine, and the compounds conferring organoleptic properties and/or therapeutic properties on the aerosol.
For the purposes of the present application, the term “aerosol-generating agent” denotes a compound which allows the formation of an aerosol when it is heated, for example in contact with hot air.
For the purposes of the present application, the term “refined fibers of the plant” denotes fibers of the plant which have undergone a refining step enabling fibrillation and/or cutting of the fibers of the plant. The refining step is conventionally carried out in a papermaking process, such as the papermaking process producing reconstituted papermaking tobacco. On the other hand, the refining step is not carried out in a process producing cast leaf reconstituted tobacco such as the one disclosed in EP 0 565 360 and WO 2012/164009.
For example, the refined fibers of the plant may have a degree Schopper-Riegler (° SR) of from 15° SR to 75° SR, in particular of from 20° SR to 65° SR, more particularly of from 25° SR to 55° SR.
Typically, the fibrous support may comprise fibers of one same plant or of several plants.
Typically, the content by weight of solids of the plant fibers included in the reconstituted plant sheet may be of from 15% to 70%, in particular of from 20% to 61%, more particularly of from 30% to 57%.
Typically, the fibrous support of the reconstituted plant sheet may also comprise cellulose-based plant fibers.
Cellulose-based plant fibers are fibers obtained by means of a chemical or mechanical or thermomechanical cooking process, such as wood pulp, hemp, or annual plants such as flax for example. A mixture of these cellulose-based plant fibers may also be used.
Advantageously, these cellulose-based plant fibers can improve the mechanical strength properties of the reconstituted plant sheet.
Typically, the cellulose-based plant fibers can represent of from 0.5% to 20%, in particular of from 3% to 17.5%, more particularly of from 5% to 15% by weight of solids of the reconstituted plant sheet.
Let SAG be the total content by weight of solids of the aerosol-generating agent included in the reconstituted plant sheet of the consumable 1 of the present invention. SAG may be of from 10% to 30%, in particular of from 12% to 25%, more particularly of from 15% to 24%.
The aerosol generated by a reconstituted plant sheet having an SAG greater than the ranges mentioned above causes unwanted burning of the mouth and/or the throat (phenomenon known as “hot puff”).
The volume of the aerosol generated by a reconstituted plant sheet having an SAG lower than the ranges mentioned above is too low to be pleasant. This aerosol is also not tasteful.
The aerosol-generating agent may be a polyol, a non-polyol or a mixture thereof. Typically, an aerosol generating agent that is a polyol may be sorbitol, glycerol, propylene glycol, triethylene glycol or a mixture thereof. An aerosol generating agent that is a non-polyol may be lactic acid, glyceryl diacetate, glyceryl triacetate, triethyl citrate, isopropyl myristate or a mixture thereof.
The aerosol-generating agent may preferably be glycerol, propylene glycol, or a mixture of glycerol and propylene glycol, glycerol being preferred.
An aerosol is generated during heating of the reconstituted plant sheet of the invention. Advantageously, the plant extract which comprises aromatic compounds confers aromas from the plant on this aerosol. By simply changing reconstituted plant sheet, the user can easily vary the aromas of the aerosol generated by heating said reconstituted plant sheet.
The organoleptic properties and the therapeutic properties of the aerosol formed by heating said reconstituted plant sheet may depend on the content by weight of solids of the plant extract included in the reconstituted plant sheet of the consumable 1 of the present invention.
The total content by weight of solids of the plant extract depends on the plant used and, more particularly, on the content of aromatic compounds or of compounds having therapeutic properties of the plant used.
Let Sp be the total content by weight of solids of the plant extract included in the reconstituted plant sheet of the consumable 1 of the present invention. Sp may be of from 30% to 70%, in particular of from 35% to 69%, more particularly of from 40% to 68%.
Advantageously, an Sp within these ranges of values makes it possible to generate, at a comfortable draw resistance, an aerosol having satisfactory organoleptic properties, i.e. having constant and high taste intensity and constant and higher volume.
To determine SP, use may be made of the following method:
The sum of the total content by weight of the solids of plant extract and of the total content by weight of solids of aerosol-generating agent, SP+SAG, may be of from 40% to 80%, in particular of from 45% to 78%, more particularly of from 50% to 76%.
The ratio between the total content by weight of solids of plant extract and the total content by weight of solids of aerosol-generating agent, SP/SAG, may be of from 1.0 to 4, in particular of from 1.5 to 3.6, more particularly of from 2 to 3.4.
Advantageously, the organoleptic properties of the aerosols formed are even more satisfactory when the reconstituted plant sheet comprised in the consumable according to the invention has an SP/SAG ratio in the ranges mentioned above.
The plant fibers and the plant extract can be independently obtained from a plant chosen from spore-producing plants, seed-producing plants or a mixture thereof. In particular, the plant may be a plant chosen from the tobacco plant, food plants, aromatic plants, fragrant plants, medicinal plants, plants of the family Cannabaceae, or a mixture thereof.
The plant may preferably be the tobacco plant.
If the plant is a medicinal plant, the aerosol generated by heating the reconstituted plant sheet may also have therapeutic properties so that the reconstituted plant sheet can be used for a therapeutic treatment.
Advantageously, a plant extract obtained from a plant mixture makes it possible to offer a broad panel of organoleptic properties and/or therapeutic properties. A plant mixture also makes it possible to counteract the unpleasant organoleptic properties of a plant of the mixture, for example a medicinal plant, with the pleasant organoleptic properties of another plant of the mixture, for example the tobacco plant, an aromatic plant or a fragrant plant.
The plant fibers can be obtained from a first plant and the plant extract can be obtained from a second plant. Indeed, this is because the fibers of a plant may not have mechanical properties which allow the formation of a fibrous support, but the extract of this plant may confer desired organoleptic properties and/or therapeutic properties on the aerosol. Conversely, the fibers of a plant may have mechanical properties which allow the formation of a fibrous support, but the extract of this plant may not confer desired organoleptic properties and/or therapeutic properties on the aerosol.
Advantageously, mixing plants to obtain the plant fibers makes it possible to adjust the mechanical properties of the reconstituted plant sheet and/or the organoleptic or chemical properties of the aerosol.
When the plant is the tobacco plant, then the tobacco fibers and the tobacco extract can be obtained from any tobacco plant or tobacco type plant, for example Virginia tobacco, Burley tobacco, air-cured tobacco, dark air-cured tobacco, Orient tobacco, sun-cured tobacco, fire-cured tobacco, or a mixture thereof.
Typically, the food plants are garlic, coffee, ginger, licorice, rooibos, Stevia rebaudiana, tea, cacao tree, chamomile, mate, star anise, fennel, citronella.
Typically, the aromatic plants are basil, turmeric, clove, laurel, oregano, mint, rosemary, sage, thyme.
Typically, the fragrant plants are lavender, rose, eucalyptus.
Typically, the medicinal plants are those indicated in the document, list A of traditionally used medicinal plants (French pharmacopeia January 2016, published by the Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament (ANSM) [French National Agency for Drug and Health Product Safety] or plants known to comprise compounds which have therapeutic properties. Typically, the medicinal plants listed are ginkgo, ginseng, sour cherry, peppermint, willow and red vine.
Typically, eucalyptus is among the medicinal plants known to comprise compounds which have therapeutic properties.
Typically, the plant fibers and the plant extract of the reconstituted plant sheet of the present invention may be derived from various plant parts, the plant parts being parts of the plant itself or the result of the processing of various plant parts. Typically, the plant parts may be whole parts of the plant or debris originating from threshing or mixing and shredding the plant parts.
Typically, the plant parts may be selected from the plant parts richest in aromatic compounds conferring on the aerosol its organoleptic properties. Typically, these parts may be the whole plant, the aerial plant parts, such as the flower bud, the branch bark, the stem bark, the leaves, the flower, the fruit and its peduncle, the seed, the petal, the flower head, or the underground parts, for example the bulb, the roots, the root bark, the rhizome, or a mixture thereof. The plant part may also be the result of the mechanical, chemical or mechanical-chemical processing of one or more plant parts, such as for example the shell protecting the cacao bean resulting from the bean dehulling process.
Typically, the tobacco plant parts may be the parts richest in aromatic compounds conferring on the aerosol its organoleptic properties. Typically, the tobacco plant parts may be the parenchyma (lamina) optionally with added stems of the tobacco plant. Typically, the tobacco plant parts may be the leaves of the tobacco plant or the debris originating from threshing or mixing and shredding the leaves and veins of the tobacco plant into cut rag tobacco.
Among the food plants, the garlic bulb, the coffee cherry, the star anise fruit, the rhizome of ginger, the licorice root and the leaves of rooibos, Stevia rebaudiana or tea may for example be selected as parts.
Among the aromatic plants, clove flower buds (the cloves), basil, laurel and sage leaves, mint, oregano, rosemary and thyme leaves and flower head, or the turmeric rhizome may for example be selected as parts.
Typically, among the fragrant plants, the lavender flower and flower head, or the rose flower bud and petals may be selected.
Among the medicinal plants listed in the French pharmacopeia, gingko leaf, the underground part of ginseng, the peduncle of the sour cherry fruit (cherry stalk), the leaves and flower head of peppermint, the stem bark and the leaves of willow, or the leaves of red vine may for example be selected.
The density of the reconstituted plant sheet of the consumable 1 of the present invention may be of from 1.5 g/cm3 to 0.60 g/cm3, in particular of from 1 g/cm3 to 0.65 g/cm3.
Alternatively, the density of the reconstituted plant sheet of the consumable 1 of the present invention may be lower than 0.60 g/cm3, in particular of from 0.40 g/cm3 to 0.59 g/m3, more particularly of from 0.45 g/cm3 to 0.58 g/cm3.
Advantageously, a density within these ranges of values makes it possible to generate, at a comfortable draw resistance, an aerosol having satisfactory organoleptic properties, i.e. having constant high taste intensity and constant high volume.
The density of the reconstituted plant sheet is calculated by dividing its basis weight by its thickness.
To determine the basis weight of the reconstituted plant sheet, the following method may be used:
To determine the thickness of the reconstituted plant sheet, the method described in standard NF EN ISO 534 (December 2011) suitable for the reconstituted plant sheets may be used:
Typically, the reconstituted plant sheet may have a basis weight of lower than 300 g/m2, in particular of from 60 g/m2 to 250 g/m2, very particularly of from 80 g/m2 to 200 g/m2, even more particularly of from 105 g/m2 to 130 g/m2.
Typically, the thickness of the fibrous support of the reconstituted plant sheet may be of from 100 μm to 450 μm, in particular of from 120 μm to 375 μm, very particularly of from 140 μm to 325 μm, even more particularly of from 180 μm to 250 μm.
The skilled person will know how to adapt the basis weight and the thickness of the reconstituted plant sheet in order to achieve the desired density. For example, to obtain these thickness and/or density values, the reconstituted plant sheet of the consumable 1 of the invention may undergo a calendaring step. Thus, the reconstituted plant sheet of the invention may be calendared.
The reconstituted plant sheet may be in particulate form, in the form of crimped sheet, in shredded form, or combinations thereof, in particular in shredded form.
Strand is an example of shredded form.
Beads, scraps and granules are an example of particulate form.
The strands, beads, scraps, granules or combinations thereof may come from the same or different reconstituted plant sheets.
According to one specific embodiment:
Advantageously, the aerosol generated by the consumable 1 of this specific embodiment has high taste intensity and high volume.
The consumable 1 may further comprises part(s) of natural plant leaf, in particular part(s) of natural tobacco leaf in the inner volume of the pouch 11.
It is also proposed a method for manufacturing a consumable 1 as defined above comprising the following steps:
The tube involved in step a) has a cylindrical shape, in particular having a circular base, and, in particular, a length of from 10 mm to 30 mm, in particular of from 15 mm to 25 mm.
The tube may be obtained by any method known by the skilled person.
The paper of the tube is the paper of the pouch 11 as defined above in relation with the consumable 1 of the present invention.
The reconstituted plant sheet is as defined above in relation with the consumable 1 of the present invention.
The paper of the tube provided in step a) may wrap the reconstituted plant sheet from one open end to the other open end. This tube is referred by the skilled person as a reconstituted plant rod. Before step b), this tube may be involved in a compacting step to obtain a tube wherein the reconstituted plant sheet is compacted between two open ends thereof. This tube is then involved in step b).
Step b) of sealing may be performed by gluing the two open ends of the tube, knurling the two open ends of the tube, or combinations thereof, in particular knurling the two open ends of the tube.
The glue involved in step b) of sealing by gluing is as defined above in relation with the consumable 1 of the present invention.
During step b), knurling the two open end of the tube may be performed thanks to toothed wheel seal.
The reconstituted plant sheet 4 may be manufactured according to the following steps:
The fibrous support may be produced using a papermaking machine. According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the reconstituted plant sheet of the consumable 1 according to the invention may be a reconstituted plant sheet obtainable by a papermaking process.
The plant fibers and the plant extract may be obtained in accordance with the following steps:
The plant extract and the plant fibers are therefore typically obtained by means of a dissociation process. During step d), one or more plant parts are mixed with a solvent, for example in a digester, in order to extract the plant extract from the plant fibers. During step e), the plant extract is separated from the plant fibers, for example by passing through a screw press, in order to isolate and obtain, on the one hand, the plant fibers and, on the other hand, the plant extract.
Typically, the solvent may be an apolar solvent, an aprotic polar solvent, a protic polar solvent, or a mixture thereof, in particular the solvent may be methanol, dichloromethane, ethanol, acetone, butanol, water or a mixture thereof, more particularly the solvent is ethanol, acetone, water or a mixture thereof.
The solvent may be an aqueous solvent, most particularly the solvent is water.
The skilled person will know how to adapt the temperature of the solvent during step d) to the plant, to the plant part and to the plant parts to be treated. Typically, the temperature of the solvent during the treatment of a root or of a bark will be higher than the temperature of the solvent during the treatment of a leaf or a petal.
Typically, the temperature of the solvent during step d) may be of from 10° C. to 100° C., in particular of from 30° C. to 90° C., more particularly of from 50° C. to 80° C.
The temperature of the solvent may typically be of from 30° C. to 80° C. This range is adapted to the solvent being water and the plant being tobacco. Typically, for the treatment of the stems of a tobacco plant, the temperature of the water may be of from 50° C. to 80° C. Typically, for the treatment of the parenchyma of a tobacco plant, the temperature of the water may be of from 30° C. to 70° C.
Typically, the plant fibers may be refined in a refiner and then are involved in step c1).
Typically, the plant fibers may originate from various plants.
The fibers of each plant can be obtained separately according to the dissociation process described above. They can subsequently be mixed such that this mixture of fibers from various plants passes through the papermaking machine so as to constitute the fibrous support. It is also possible to obtain fibers from various plants together by bringing together one or more parts of the various plants and then subjecting them to the dissociation process described above. The temperature of the water will then be adapted to the plants to be treated and, in particular, to the plant requiring the highest temperature of the water for extracting the extract of this plant. This alternative embodiment is very advantageous since it makes it possible to obtain the fibers of the various plants without carrying out several dissociation processes in parallel.
Typically, the plant extract may be an extract of various plants.
The extract of various plants can be obtained by mixing various plant extracts obtained separately according to the dissociation process described above. It is also possible to obtain the extract of various plants by bringing together one or more parts of the various plants and then subjecting them to the dissociation process described above. The temperature of the water will then be adapted to the plants to be treated and, in particular, to the plant requiring the highest temperature of the water for extracting the extract of this water-soluble plant. This alternative embodiment is very advantageous since it makes it possible to obtain the extract of various plants without carrying out several processes in parallel. In these two situations, the extract of various plants is brought into contact with the fibrous support during step c2).
Typically, various plant extracts, obtained according to the dissociation process described above, can also be brought into contact with the fibrous support separately during step c2).
Typically, the plant extract can be concentrated before being brought into contact with the fibrous support during step c2). A device such as a vacuum evaporation device can be used to concentrate the plant extract.
Typically, during step c2), the plant extract and the aerosol-generating agent can be brought into contact with the fibrous support one after the other, or can be mixed so as to be brought into contact with the fibrous support together.
Typically, step c2) can be carried out by impregnation or by spraying, in particular by impregnation. Typically, the impregnation can be carried out by means of a size press.
Typically, the drying step c3) can be carried out by infrared ramp, American battery drying drums, hot-air drying in a tunnel drier, a vertical drier, a fluidized-bed drier, a pneumatic drier, in particular in a tunnel drier.
The reconstituted plant sheet produced at step c3) may be shaped in particulate form, in the form of crimped sheet, in shredded form during an optional step c4). This shaped reconstituted plant sheet is then involved in step a).
It is also proposed a non-therapeutic use of a consumable 1 as defined above in a device for heating tobacco without burning it.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “device for heating tobacco without burning it” denotes any device which allows the formation of an aerosol intended to be inhaled by a consumer. The aerosol replaces the smoke, thus allowing the user to inhale the plant aromas while at the same time very significantly reducing his or her exposure to the harmful constituents.
Typically, a heating device comprises, in the direction of the air flow, an air inlet, a heating body, a dedicated lodging intended to put in place and hold the consumable 1 of the invention, and an air outlet intended to be introduced into the mouth of the user. The air inlet, the heating body, the dedicated lodging and the air outlet are typically connected at least fluidically to one another.
Typically, when the heating device is used, air is sucked into the heating device via the air inlet by the user the air sucked in then contacts the consumable 1 of the invention, held in the dedicated lodging and heated by the heating body, an aerosol is formed and is then inhaled by the user. If the plant is a medicinal plant, then the aerosol formed has therapeutic properties.
Furthermore, by virtue of the heating device, there is no combustion of the consumable 1. The user can therefore take advantage of the organoleptic properties of the plant, and optionally of the tobacco, while at the same time very significantly reducing their exposure to the harmful constituents.
It is also proposed a consumable 1 as defined above for use thereof in a heating device for therapeutic purposes, the plant being chosen from medicinal plants.
In this example, consumables of Samples 1 to 14 were manufactured as follows:
All examples are made with this protocol except samples 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, which were made with:
The size and shape of each of these Samples 1 to 14 is adapted to be incorporated into the dedicated lodging of an Arkx® heating device.
In addition to the differences mentioned above, the other differences between the several consumables are the paper (See properties of the different papers are presented in [Table 1] below), the glue and the reconstituted tobacco.
These differences are presented in [Table 2] below.
The organoleptic properties of the aerosols generated by the samples 1 to 11 of Example 1 are evaluated by an independent expert according to the following protocol.
These samples are evaluated in succession by an independent expert in the Arkx® heating device. The reconstituted tobacco sheet of the commercialized consumable Heets™ stick is also evaluated in the same heating system, but this reconstituted tobacco sheet is not wrapped.
The experiences provided by the consumables according to the invention are comparable to the experience provided by the commercialized consumable.
Nevertheless, the experiences provided by some consumables according to the invention are slightly better than the experiences provided by the other consumables according to the invention.
In details:
Without wishing to be bound to any theory, the inventors are of the opinion that this difference in term of experience may result from:
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2213396 | Dec 2022 | FR | national |
