Patent Application
20220304372
This disclosure relates to a preformed smokeless tobacco product packaging system that allows for improved product stability during packaging, shipping, and handling.
Smokeless tobacco is tobacco that is placed the mouth and not combusted. There generally are considered to be three types of smokeless tobacco: chewing tobacco, moist smokeless tobacco, and dry snuff. Chewing tobacco is coarsely divided tobacco leaf that is typically packaged in a large pouch and used in a plug or twist. Moist smokeless tobacco is a moist, more finely divided tobacco that is provided in loose form or in a pouch form and is typically packaged in round cans and used as a pinch or in a pouch placed between the cheek and gum. Dry snuff is finely ground tobacco that is placed in the mouth or used nasally.
Some embodiments of a smokeless tobacco packaging system include a plurality of preformed smokeless tobacco products configured within a container to generally retain their shapes during packaging, shipping, and adult tobacco consumer handling. The container includes a lid and a base that defines an interior space. One or more of the preformed smokeless tobacco products are compressed between the container's lid and the container's base to hinder movement of the one or more preformed smokeless tobacco products within the container. The products can become compressed between the lid and the base due to the expansion of shaped bodies into the products after the container is closed. In such circumstances, the packaging system can reduce the likelihood of deformation or damage to the preformed smokeless tobacco products that might otherwise result the products shifting in the container in response to a jarring movement.
In particular embodiments, each preformed smokeless tobacco product can include moist smokeless tobacco in combination with a selected binder such that the preformed tobacco portion can be handled by a consumer but can also provide an improved mouth feel and a satisfying flavor profile. Each of the smokeless tobacco products can have a substantially similar shape and can provide a substantially similar, predetermined portion of tobacco to an adult tobacco consumer's mouth. Such a system can permit an adult tobacco consumer to receive consistent portions of tobacco (e.g., with each deposit of a product portion in the mouth) while also experiencing the tactile and flavor benefits of having the smokeless tobacco externally exposed on the article (e.g., not impeded by a paper or paper-like pouch). Accordingly, some embodiments of the preformed smokeless tobacco product enable an adult tobacco consumer to handle each individual preformed piece from the container without the tobacco portion falling apart prior to placement in the adult tobacco consumer's mouth.
In some embodiments, a method of packaging a smokeless tobacco product includes compressing a mixture of tobacco and a binder into a plurality of shaped smokeless tobacco bodies and depositing the plurality of shaped smokeless tobacco bodies into a base of a container while the bodies are in a compressed state. Each shaped smokeless tobacco body has a substantially similar predetermined shape and is adapted to expand to an expanded size after being compressed. The lid is applied to the base before each shaped smokeless tobacco body expands to the expanded size. The shaped smokeless tobacco bodies subsequently expand such that one or more of the preformed smokeless tobacco products are compressed between the base and the lid to secure said one or more of the bodies in a substantially stationary position relative to the base and the lid. This method can further include a step of sealing the lid to the base.
The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.
Referring to
The preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 described herein may have a beneficial combination of material properties that enhances tobacco satisfaction and allows for improved tactile and flavor benefits. For example, the preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 retains its shape during processing, shipping, and adult tobacco consumer handling, thus permitting an adult tobacco consumer to handle an individual preformed smokeless tobacco product without any loss of integrity of the product prior to use. In addition, each of the smokeless tobacco products 110 in the container 102 of the system 100 (
Smokeless tobacco products can become subjected to various jarring forces between the time in which the smokeless tobacco product is packaged and the time in which the adult tobacco consumer opens the container to use the smokeless tobacco product. These jarring forces, if strong enough, can disrupt preformed smokeless tobacco products, causing the preformed smokeless tobacco products 110 to fracture or crumble. These forces can be compounded if the preformed smokeless tobacco products move freely within a container. On the other hand, packing of preformed smokeless tobacco products that is too tight can impede access to each preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 by an adult tobacco consumer.
Accordingly, the preformed smokeless tobacco product packaging system 100 can include one or more preformed smokeless tobacco products 110 placed between a base 103 and a lid 104 of the container 102 and upon relaxation (expansion) of the preformed smokeless tobacco products 110, results in a sufficient but not excessive amount of compression on the products 110. Examples of such packaging systems are describe in more detail below, for example, in connection with
Each of the preformed smokeless tobacco products 110 can be molded into a selected shape. After being released from the mold, the shaped smokeless tobacco bodies 110′ can relax and thus expand in size. The amount of expansion can depend on the particular tobacco material, the particular binder, other additives, the amount of each ingredient, and the amount of pressure used during the molding operation. In some embodiments, the molded smokeless tobacco product can expand by about 0.04 inches (i.e., about 1 mm) in each dimension. This expansion can be used to generate the compression of the one or more preformed smokeless tobacco products between the lid 104 and the base 103. As discussed below, the container's lid 104 can be applied to the container's base 103 prior to the full relaxation and expansion of the shaped smokeless tobacco bodies 110′. The container 102 can be dimensioned such that it can provide a compressive force once the one or more preformed smokeless tobacco products 110 relax to an expanded size, but the lid 104 can be applied prior to the relaxation to avoid any initial pressure against the shaped smokeless tobacco bodies 110′. The preformed smokeless tobacco products 110 can thus be packaged in a manner that results in compression of one or more of the products 110 between the lid 104 and the base 103 without plastically deforming or fracturing the preformed smokeless tobacco products 110 during the initially attachment of the lid 104 and the base 103. However, subsequently thereto, the engagement of the lid 104 and the base 103 causes the compression of the one or more of the preformed smokeless tobacco products 110 within the container 102 (because the preformed smokeless tobacco products 110 expand after the initial packaging and urge against opposite walls of the container 102).
Different embodiments of the preformed smokeless tobacco products 110 can have a variety of different specific combinations of ingredients. The ingredients determine, at least in part, the material properties of the preformed smokeless tobacco products 110. The preformed smokeless tobacco product can also have a variety of predetermined shapes and dimensions. For example,
Briefly, in use, an adult tobacco consumer can remove one of the preformed smokeless tobacco products 110 from the interior space 101 of the container 102 and can place the selected product 110 in the adult tobacco consumer's mouth while the preformed smokeless tobacco product generally retains its preformed shape. In some embodiments, the arrangement of preformed smokeless tobacco products 110 can provide a clearance space along side walls of at least one preformed smokeless tobacco product to permit an adult tobacco consumer to readily grasp the preformed smokeless tobacco product 110. For example, as shown in
An adult tobacco consumer can then place the removed preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 within the adult tobacco consumer's mouth. A portion of the tobacco 115 (e.g., at least the tobacco material exposed along outer surfaces of the product 110) is thereby placed in contact with an inside surface the adult tobacco consumer's oral cavity. In some embodiments, the smokeless tobacco product 110 can maintain its cohesiveness within the adult tobacco consumer's mouth, thus reducing the likelihood of substantial portions of the tobacco 115 breaking away for the remainder of the product 110 and thus “floating” around the mouth, yet providing the adult tobacco consumer with the mouth feel and taste similar to loose smokeless tobacco.
The preformed smokeless tobacco products can be arranged within a variety of different containers, in a variety of different arrangements. As discussed above, one or more preformed smokeless tobacco products 110 are compressed between a container's lid 104 and a container's base 103 to hinder the movement of the one or more preformed smokeless tobacco products 110 within the container's interior space 101. Accordingly, the container is dimensioned so that it permits one or more preformed smokeless tobacco products 110 to be compressed between the container's lid 104 and the container's base 103 once the container is closed and the newly placed shaped smokeless tobacco products 110′ are allowed to expand into the preformed smokeless tobacco products 110. Likewise, products 110 are arranged within the container 102 such that one or more products 110 are compressed between the lid 104 and the base 104 once the shaped smokeless tobacco products 110′ expand.
Referring to
The lid 104 and the base 103 or 203 can include non-stick inner surfaces. A non-stick inner surface can prevent the compressed preformed smokeless tobacco product(s), or a portion thereof, from sticking to the container when an adult tobacco consumer opens the container to retrieve a preformed smokeless tobacco product. Referring to
The packaging systems 100, 200, and 300 described herein can include one or more layers of the preformed smokeless tobacco products 110. Referring to
In the embodiment depicted in
In the embodiments depicted in
In other embodiments, the lid 104 or the base 103 (or 203) can include raised and/or recessed portions that provide a varying interior space height. Referring to
Referring to
Still referring to
Referring to
In the embodiment of the packaging system 200 shown in
In certain embodiments, the packaging system 100, 200, or 300 can have a void space within the container 102 or 202 of at least 30 percent by volume. In some embodiments, the void space within the container 102 or 202 is at least 40 percent. In still other embodiments, the void space within the container 102 or 202 is at least 50 percent. For example, the packaging system 100 of
Referring now to
The mold process 510 can include mixing the tobacco 115, the binder, and any flavorants or other additives together and shaping the mixture into the predetermined shape. As shown in
In some embodiments, the mold cavities have a volume sized to create formed shaped smokeless tobacco bodies 110′ having a mass of about 2.35 grams. The edges and corners of the mold cavities can be rounded to permit the formed body to be easily released from the mold. Although the arrangements shown in
Prior to molding, tobacco can be cured and added to a mixer. For example, tobacco can be long cut fire-cured tobacco having an oven volatiles content of 48-50 weight percent. A binder can be mixed with the tobacco. The binder can be TICALOID LITE Powder. One or more flavorants and/or other additives can also be mixed with the binder and tobacco. For example, the flavorants and other additives can include, for example, a mint flavoring, a sweetener, and a pH modifier. The mixing can occur in any commercially available countertop mixer or industrial mixer, for example a HOBART 40 lbs mixer or a FORBERG 250 lbs Paddle Mixer. Water can be added to the tobacco prior to or during the mixing process to alter the total oven volatiles content of the final smokeless tobacco product. The oven volatiles content can also be modified by heating the mixture. In other embodiments, a commercially available smokeless tobacco product (e.g., Copenhagen® Long Cut) can be mixed with a binder (e.g., TICALOID LITE Powder) to form the mixture.
The molding process can also be used to emboss the shaped smokeless tobacco bodies 110′. For example, the preformed smokeless tobacco product 110N can be embossed or stamped with any type of design including, but not limited to, a trademark, a product name, or any type of image. Additionally, the mold cavities 516 can be used to apply flavor strips or other preformed structures to one or more surfaces of the shaped smokeless tobacco bodies. Externally located flavor strips can provide an adult tobacco consumer with an initial burst of flavor. For example, a flavor strip can be an edible or dissolvable film, which may be substantially transparent or translucent. The dissolvable film can readily dissipate when the smokeless tobacco product 110 is placed in an adult tobacco consumer's mouth thereby providing the adult tobacco consumer with the tactile feel of the tobacco 115 along the exterior of the product 110.
Once molded, the shaped smokeless tobacco bodies are ejected from the molding plates 512 or 514 and deposited in the container 102. In certain embodiments, the shaped smokeless tobacco bodies 110′ are separated from the mold using a knockout in step 520. In some embodiments, the shaped bodies are knocked out and deposited directly into the container 102 in a depositing process 530. As shown in
After the shaped smokeless tobacco bodies 110′ are deposited within the interior space 101 of container 102, a lid 104 is mated with the connection rim 105 of the container 102 in a closing process 540. The container 102 is closed before the shaped smokeless tobacco bodies 110 fully relax. Accordingly, once the container is closed, the shaped smokeless tobacco bodies 110 can expand to become compressed between the lid 104 and the base 103 during a relaxation period 550. The relaxation can occur before, after, or concurrently with a sealing process 560. In some embodiments, full expansion occurs within about 24 hours. A label can be applied to the closed container system 100 (e.g., applied to the outer cylindrical sidewalls of the container 102 and the lid 104) during the sealing process 560. Shrink wrap 562 can also be applied to the closed container system 100 to seal the container. A plurality of filled, labeled, and shrink wrapped packaging systems 100 can then be placed in a box and shipped to a retail location.
Each preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 can experience significant jarring movements during the shipping of the containers 102 to retail locations, stocking the containers 102 at a retail location, and having an adult tobacco consumer purchase and carry around the container 102. Accordingly, the packaging techniques described herein, along with the relaxation and expansion features of the preformed smokeless tobacco products, are selected such that preformed smokeless tobacco products 110 maintain integrity until an adult tobacco consumer uses the products.
Referring back to
The adult tobacco consumer can insert one or more of the preformed smokeless tobacco products 110 into the adult tobacco consumer's mouth. For example, the adult tobacco consumer can place the preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 between the adult tobacco consumer's lip and gingiva (the gums). Because of the material properties described herein, the products 110 retain their integrity during the gripping and placing processes. After the product 110 is inserted in the mouth, the products 110 can directly contact the inside of the adult tobacco consumer's oral cavity. The adult tobacco consumer can also apply pressure to the preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 to conform the smokeless tobacco product to the contours of the oral cavity. For example, the adult tobacco consumer can compress the preformed smokeless tobacco product between the lip and the gingiva. Pressing the smokeless tobacco product can also loosen the tobacco, thus retaining the flavor and mouth feel experience of loose smokeless tobacco. Even as the smokeless tobacco product loosens, the smokeless tobacco product can retain some cohesion and thus reduce the instances of substantial pieces of tobacco and binder separating from the remainder of the preformed smokeless tobacco product and “floating” within adult tobacco consumer's mouth. Moreover, the presence of the binder in the preformed smokeless tobacco product, however, can also enhance the flavor experience by increasing the duration of the flavor release as compared to loose smokeless tobacco.
In some embodiments, the material properties of the preformed smokeless tobacco products 110 described herein provide enhanced tobacco satisfaction. In particular, the material properties can improve handling, mouth feel, and flavor release. In certain embodiments, the material properties of one or more of the preformed smokeless tobacco products 110 can be defined in terms of individual product friability. In addition, the packaging can protect the preformed smokeless tobacco products 110 from being damaged prior to being used by an adult tobacco consumer. The properties of the packaging, therefore, can be defined in terms of whole-package friability.
Friability is a measurement of the ability of an object to be reduced to smaller pieces when subjected to pressure or friction. A numerical value for friability is dependent on the specific test used. The friability of a product can be tested both alone and in combination with its package. As used herein, “individual product friability” is the weight percent of material lost due to the placement of an individual preformed smokeless tobacco product within a friability drum and rotated at 25 rpm for 100 revolutions, which is equal to four (4) minutes of rotation. As used herein, “whole-package friability” is the average weight percent of material lost from the preformed smokeless tobacco products 110 within a package (e.g., container 102) due to the placement of the package containing the plurality of preformed smokeless tobacco products within a friability drum and rotated at 25 rpm for 100 revolutions. A friability drum is a standard friability drum with a diameter of 152 mm. For example, a standard friability drum meeting USP, EUR, and DAB pharmacopoeia standards, such as the Erweka GmbH D63159 friability tester having a standard USP 100 Method friability drum, can be used to test the preformed smokeless tobacco product 110.
The preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 may have an individual product friability of at least 0.5 weight percent to increase the likelihood of a good mouth feel and flavor release. Although a non-friable product (e.g., a product having an individual product friability of approximately zero) has good product integrity, a non-friable product does not provide a mouth feel or flavor release that is similar to loose smokeless tobacco. Accordingly, in particular embodiments, an individual product friability of at least 0.5 weight percent can allow the product to partially conform to the contours of an adult tobacco consumer's mouth (e.g., to the contours between a lip and a gingiva). An individual product friability of at least 0.5 weight percent can also permit different portions of the tobacco within the product to make contact with the adult tobacco consumer's mouth tissue. In some embodiments, the preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 has an individual product friability of at least 1.0 weight percent. In still other embodiments, the preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 has an individual product friability of at least 1.5 weight percent. In certain embodiments, the individual product friability of each preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 can be greater than 1.7 weight percent.
In particular embodiments, the preformed smokeless tobacco products 110 can each have an individual product friability of less than 80 weight percent to increase the likelihood that each of the products 110 can be packaged, shipped, stocked, purchased, carried, and handled prior to use without significantly falling apart or otherwise significantly deteriorating from their original shapes and tobacco content. In some embodiments, the preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 has an individual product friability of less than 60 weight percent. In some embodiments, the preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 has an individual product friability of less than 40 weight percent. In still other embodiments, the preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 has an individual product friability of less than 20 weight percent. The preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 can also have an individual product friability of less than 10 weight percent. In some embodiments, the individual product friability of each preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 is less than 4 weight percent. For example, the individual product friability of each preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 can be less than 2.1 weight percent.
A friable preformed smokeless tobacco product can result in material loss within the package prior to use by an adult tobacco consumer. The arrangement of the preformed smokeless tobacco products 110 within a container 102 as described herein, however, can reduce the amount of material loss. In some embodiments, the system 100 has a whole-package friability of less than 10 weight percent. In some embodiments, the system's whole-package friability is less than 5 weight percent. In some embodiments, the system's whole-package friability is less than 1 weight percent. In some embodiments, the system's whole-package friability is less than 0.5 weight percent. The arrangement of the preformed smokeless tobacco products within the container 102 as described herein can result in a whole-package friability of less than the individual product friability of the preformed smokeless tobacco products within the container. Although the container 102 protects preformed smokeless tobacco products from the surface of the friability drum, a loose interaction between the preformed smokeless tobacco products within the container during the tumbling of the container can result in material loss for the preformed smokeless tobacco products as they bump against each other and/or the container walls. By having one or more preformed smokeless tobacco products compressed between the lid and the base and thus hindering or restricting the movement of the one or more preformed smokeless tobacco products, the system's whole-package friability can be reduced.
Some embodiments of the preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 include tobacco and a binder. The product 110 can optionally include one or more flavorants and other additives. The particular composition, in large part, determines the material properties of the preformed smokeless tobacco product 110.
Any tobacco suitable for use in a smokeless tobacco product can be used. By “tobacco” it is meant a part, e.g., leaves, flowers, and stems, of a member of the genus Nicotiana. Exemplary species of tobacco include N. rustica, N. tabacum, N. tomentosiformis, and N. sylvestris. Suitable tobaccos include fermented and unfermented tobaccos, dark air-cured, dark fire cured, burley, flue cured, and cigar filler or wrapper, as well as the products from the whole leaf stemming operation. For example, tobacco can be conditioned by heating, sweating and/or pasteurizing steps as described in U.S. Publication Nos. 2004/0118422 or 2005/0178398. Fermenting typically is characterized by high initial moisture content, heat generation, and a 10 to 20% loss of dry weight. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,528,993; 4,660,577; 4,848,373; and 5,372,149. In addition to modifying the aroma of the leaf, fermentation can change either or both the color and texture of a leaf. Also during the fermentation process, evolution gases can be produced, oxygen can be taken up, the pH can change, and the amount of water retained can change. See, for example, U.S. Publication No. 2005/0178398 and Tso (1999, Chapter 1 in Tobacco: Production, Chemistry and Technology, Davis & Nielsen, eds., Blackwell Publishing, Oxford). Cured, or cured and fermented tobacco can be further processed (e.g., cut, expanded, blended, milled or comminuted) prior to incorporation into a preformed smokeless tobacco product. The tobacco, in some embodiments, is long cut moist tobacco having an oven volatiles content of between 48 and 50 weight percent prior to mixing with the binder and optionally flavorants and other additives.
The tobacco can, in some embodiments, be prepared from tobacco leafs from a tobacco plants having less than 20 μg of DVT per cm2 of green leaf tissue. For example, the tobacco can be selected from the tobaccos described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0209586, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Tobacco compositions containing tobacco from such low-DVT varieties exhibits improved flavor characteristics in sensory panel evaluations when compared to tobacco or tobacco compositions that do not have reduced levels of DVTs.
Binders suitable for use in the preformed smokeless tobacco product described herein include orally compatible polymers, such as cellulosics (e.g., carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), and methyl cellulose (MC)); natural polymers (e.g., starches and modified starches, konjac, collagen, inulin, soy protein, whey protein, casein, and wheat gluten); seaweed-derived polymers (e.g., carrageenan (kappa, iota, and lambda); alginates, (and propylene glycol alginate), microbial-derived polymers (e.g., xanthan, dextrin, pullulan, curdlan, and gellan); extracts (e.g., locust bean gum, guar gum, tara gum, gum tragacanth, pectin (lo methoxy and amidated), agar, zein, karaya, gelatin, psyllium seed, chitin, and chitosan), exudates (e.g., gum acacia (arabic) and shellac), synthetic polymers (e.g., polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyethylene oxide, and polyvinyl alcohol)).
The binder, in some embodiments, is guar gum, xanthan, cellulose, or a combination thereof. The cellulose can be carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). Guar gum, xanthan, CMC, and some combinations thereof can be obtained from, for example, TIC Gums Inc., located in White Marsh, Md. and at ticgums.com on the World Wide Web. Guar gum is sold by TIC Gums Inc. under the trade name GUARNT. Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is sold by TIC Gums Inc. under the trade name TICALOSE. Xanthan is sold by TIC Gums Inc. under the trade name TICAXAN. TIC Gums Inc. also sells some mixed binders, such as the mixed binder systems sold under the trade names TICALOID and TICAFILM. In some embodiments, TICALOID LITE Powder is used as the binder in the preformed smokeless tobacco products.
The binder can be present in amounts that allow the preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 to have the material properties described herein. The specific amount of binder used to achieve the particular material properties can depend, in part, on the type of binder used. In some embodiments, the preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 includes at least 0.5 weight percent binder, which can increase the likelihood that the preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 maintains its integrity during packaging and transport. The preformed smokeless tobacco products 110 have, in some embodiments, less than 5.0 weight percent binder. In some embodiments, the binder of each preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 is between 0.5 and 2.0 weight percent of the preformed smokeless tobacco product. The binder of each preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 can also be in an amount of between 0.5 and 1.5 weight percent.
In some embodiments, the preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 can optionally include one or more flavorants. For example, suitable flavorants include wintergreen, cherry and berry type flavorants, various liqueurs and liquors such as Dramboui, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, cinnamon, cardamon, apium graveolents, clove, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, Japanese mint, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmin, chamomile, menthol, ilangilang, sage, fennel, piment, ginger, anise, coriander, coffee, liquorish, and mint oils from a species of the genus Mentha. Mint oils useful in particular embodiments of the preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 include spearmint and peppermint.
The preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 may optionally include other additives. Other additives include fillers (e.g., starch, di-calcium phosphate, lactose, sorbitol, mannitol, and microcrystalline cellulose), soluble fiber (e.g., Fibersol from Matsushita), calcium carbonate, dicalcium phosphate, calcium sulfate, and clays), lubricants (e.g., lecithin, stearic acid, hydrogenated vegetable oil, mineral oil, polyethylene glycol 4000-6000 (PEG), sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), glyceryl palmitostearate, sodium benzoate, sodium stearyl fumarate, talc, and stearates (e.g., Mg or K), and waxes (e.g., glycerol monostearate, propylene glycol monostearate, and acetylated monoglycerides)), plasticizers (e.g., glycerine, propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, sorbitol, mannitol, triacetin, and 1,3 butane diol), stabilizers (e.g., ascorbic acid and monosterol citrate, BHT, or BHA), artificial sweeteners (e.g., sucralose, saccharin, and aspartame), disintegrating agents (e.g., starch, sodium starch glycolate, cross caramellose, cross linked PVP), pH stabilizers, or other compounds (e.g., vegetable oils, surfactants, and preservatives). Some compounds display functional attributes that fall into more than one of these categories. For example, propylene glycol can act as both a plasticizer and a lubricant and sorbitol can act as both a filler and a plasticizer. Water and other oven volatiles can also be added during a mixing process (discussed below) to alter the total oven volatiles content of the formed smokeless tobacco product 110. Various salts can also be added.
The type and amount of flavorants and other additives can also impact the material properties of the preformed smokeless tobacco product. In some embodiments, the amount of flavorants and other additives in the preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 are limited to less than 10 weight percent in sum. In some embodiments, the amount of flavorants in the preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 are limited to be less than 5 weight percent in sum. For example, certain flavorants can be included in the preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 in amounts of about 3 weight percent or less.
In some embodiments, the combination of tobacco, flavorants, and other additives used in the preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 can be the mixture of tobacco, flavorants, and other additives commercially sold as smokeless tobacco. For example, the tobacco can be the smokeless tobacco sold under the trade name SKOAL (e.g., SKOAL Long Cut), which includes flavorants and other additives.
Some embodiments of the preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 can have a total oven volatiles content of between 10 and 61 weight percent. The oven volatiles include water and other volatile compounds, which can be a part of the tobacco, the binder, the flavorants, and/or other additives. As used herein, the “oven volatiles” are determined by calculating the percentage of weight loss for a sample after drying the sample in a pre-warmed forced draft oven at 110° C. for 3.25 hours. The binder may absorb some of the oven volatiles during the mixing process and forming process. In some embodiments, the oven volatiles content of the preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 is between 50 and 61 weight percent. For example, the oven volatiles content of each preformed smokeless tobacco product 110 can be about 57 weight percent. In other embodiments, the oven volatiles content can be between 10 and 30 weight percent to provide a snus-like preformed smokeless tobacco product.
It is to be understood that, while the systems, products, compositions of matter, and methods have been described herein in conjunction with a number of different embodiments, the foregoing description of the various embodiments is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the systems, products, compositions of matter, and methods. Other embodiments, advantages, and modifications are within the scope of the following claims.
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/398,857, filed on Apr. 30, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/266,502, filed on Sep. 15, 2016, which is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/315,561, filed on Dec. 9, 2011, which claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Application No. 61/421,950 filed Dec. 10, 2010, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61421950 | Dec 2010 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13315561 | Dec 2011 | US |
| Child | 15266502 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16398857 | Apr 2019 | US |
| Child | 17838682 | US | |
| Parent | 15266502 | Sep 2016 | US |
| Child | 16398857 | US |
