Tobacco Articles and Methods

Abstract

Some embodiments of a tobacco article may include tobacco disposed in a porous matrix. The tobacco article may provide tobacco, tobacco constituents, or both tobacco and tobacco constituents to the consumer's mouth in the form of particles, liquid, or vapor so as to provide tobacco satisfaction to the consumer. In some circumstances, the tobacco may be integrally molded with a plastic material so that at least a portion of the tobacco is disposed in pores of the matrix.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a tobacco article in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the tobacco article of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a tobacco article in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 4A-B are cross-sectional views of a process for manufacturing a tobacco article in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 5A-B are side views of a process for preparing tobacco for use in a tobacco article.

FIG. 6 is a magnified view of polymer granules mixed with the tobacco of FIG. 5B.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a tobacco article in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a tobacco article in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a tobacco article in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the tobacco article of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the tobacco article of FIG. 10 in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a tobacco article in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the tobacco article of FIG. 12 received in a consumer's mouth.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the tobacco article of FIG. 13 in accordance with some embodiments.

Claims

1. A tobacco article, comprising: a conduit body including a porous matrix and an outer shell surface, the outer shell surface at least partially surrounding the porous matrix; andtobacco disposed in pores of the porous matrix so that, when at least a portion of the porous matrix is exposed to a liquid, at least one of tobacco or a tobacco constituent is introduced into the liquid.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein the outer shell surface is a generally continuous layer of material that is substantially impermeable to migration of tobacco constituents.

3. The article of claim 2, wherein the porous matrix is integrally formed with the outer shell surface.

4. The article of claim 3, the outer shell surface has a substantially cylindrical configuration.

5. The article of claim 1, wherein at least one of the porous matrix or the outer shell surface comprises a copolymer of acrylonitrile and methyl acrylate.

6. The article of claim 1, wherein the tobacco is integrally molded with the porous matrix.

7. The article of claim 6, wherein at least a portion of the porous matrix is wetted through capillary action of the liquid in the pores.

8. The article of claim 6, wherein the tobacco is integrally molded with the porous matrix during a plastic sintering process.

9. The article of claim 1, wherein the tobacco constituent comprises an alkaloid.

10. The article of claim 1, wherein the tobacco includes tobacco extract.

11. The article of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the tobacco extract is substantially disposed on an outer surface of the tobacco.

12. The article of claim 10, wherein the tobacco includes one or more flavor components.

13. The article of claim 1, wherein the tobacco include portions of at least one of leaves or stems of any member of the genus Nicotiana.

14. The article of claim 13, wherein the tobacco comprises at least one of shredded tobacco, cut tobacco, granulated tobacco, or powdered tobacco.

15. A tobacco article, comprising: a conduit means for receiving a liquid, the conduit means including a porous means for retaining tobacco in a network of pores and a shell means for guiding the liquid in the porous means, the shell means at least partially surrounding the porous means; andtobacco disposed in the pores of the porous means so that, when at least a portion of the porous means is exposed to a liquid, at least one of tobacco or a tobacco constituent is introduced into the liquid.

16. The article of claim 15, wherein the porous means is integrally formed with the shell means, and wherein the tobacco is integrally molded with the porous means so that at least a portion of the tobacco is disposed in the pores.

17. The tobacco article of claim 15, wherein: the porous means includes a porous matrix having the network of pores disposed therein,the shell means includes an outer shell surface that is a generally continuous layer of material that is substantially impermeable to migration of tobacco constituents, the outer shell surface surrounding an outer portion of the porous matrix, andthe tobacco includes tobacco extract and portions of at least one of leaves or stems of any member of the genus Nicotiana, the tobacco being in granulated or powdered form.

18. A method of introducing tobacco or tobacco constituents into liquid, comprising: exposing to liquid in a reservoir a first end portion or second end portion of a tobacco article, the tobacco article comprising a conduit body including a porous matrix and an outer shell surface, the outer shell surface at least partially surrounding the porous matrix, wherein tobacco is disposed in pores of the porous matrix; andintroducing at least one of tobacco or a tobacco constituent into the liquid by drawing the liquid through pores of the porous matrix and over the tobacco disposed in the pores.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the liquid passes through at least a portion of the pores of the porous matrix by capillary action.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the liquid is drawn through the pores by a consumer.