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 body that is wholly receivable in a mouth of a consumer, the body including a porous polymer matrix;tobacco disposed in pores of the porous polymer matrix so that, when the body is exposed to saliva, at least one of tobacco or a tobacco constituent are introduced into the saliva.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein the body has a generally elliptical shape, a pillow shape, a circular shape, or a flat rectangular shape and is receivable between a lip and gums of the consumer.

3. The article of claim 1, wherein the body further includes a saliva reservoir proximate to the porous matrix.

4. The article of claim 3, wherein the saliva reservoir comprises a second porous matrix having a substantially greater pore volume than the first porous matrix.

5. The article of claim 4, wherein the second porous matrix is integrally formed with the first porous matrix.

6. The article of claim 1, wherein the porous matrix is integrally formed with the body, and the body and the porous matrix include a polymer material.

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

8. The article of claim 7, 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 1, wherein the tobacco includes one or more flavor components.

12. 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.

13. The article of claim 12, wherein the tobacco comprises at least one of shredded tobacco, cut tobacco, granulated tobacco, or powdered tobacco.

14. A tobacco article, comprising: body means for being wholly received in a mouth of a consumer, the body means including a porous polymer means for retaining tobacco in a network of pores; andtobacco disposed in pores of the porous polymer means so that, when the body means is exposed to saliva, at least one of tobacco or a tobacco constituent are introduced into the saliva.

15. The article of claim 14, wherein the porous polymer means is in integrally formed with the body means, and wherein the tobacco is integrally molded with the porous polymer means so that at least a portion of the tobacco is disposed in the pores.

16. The tobacco article of claim 14, wherein: the porous polymer means includes a porous matrix of polymer material having the network of pores disposed therein,the body means has at least one of a generally elliptical shape, a pillow shape, a circular shape, or a flat rectangular shape and is receivable between a lip and gums of the consumer, 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.

17. The article of claim 14, wherein the body means further includes a reservoir means for storing saliva, the saliva reservoir means comprising a second porous means having a substantially greater pore volume than the first porous matrix.

18. A method of introducing tobacco or a tobacco constituent into saliva, comprising: receiving a body of a tobacco article in a mouth to expose the tobacco article to saliva, the body being wholly receivable in the mouth and including a porous polymer matrix having tobacco disposed in pores of the porous polymer matrix,wherein at least one of the tobacco or a tobacco constituent is introduced into the saliva.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the tobacco article further comprises a saliva reservoir proximate to the porous matrix in the body of the tobacco article, the saliva reservoir including a second porous polymer matrix.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the saliva reservoir is configured to absorb saliva in the mouth to at least partially alleviate a need for expectoration.