WO2024262907A1 - Tobacco ball, method for manufacturing tobacco ball, and smoking article comprising tobacco ball - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a method for manufacturing tobacco balls. The method for manufacturing a tobacco ball comprises the steps of: manufacturing a tobacco slurry by using a mixer tank; injecting a first tobacco powder into a raw material coating machine; fluidizing the first tobacco powder in the raw material coating machine; spraying the tobacco slurry on the first tobacco powder to prepare tobacco seeds; primarily drying the tobacco seeds under a first drying condition; spraying the tobacco slurry on the dried tobacco seeds to prepare tobacco seeds and tobacco balls; and secondarily drying the tobacco seeds and the tobacco balls under a second drying condition, wherein the step of manufacturing the tobacco slurry by using the mixer tank comprises the steps of: injecting second tobacco powder, water, and a spirit into the mixer tank; and stirring the second tobacco powder, the water, and the spirit.

Description

Tobacco balls and methods for producing tobacco balls, and smoking articles containing said tobacco balls

The present invention belongs to the field of tobacco products, and relates to a tobacco ball, a method for producing a tobacco ball, and a smoking article comprising the tobacco ball.

Non-combustion heated tobacco is a new tobacco product that has recently appeared, and its main feature is that it releases substances such as tobacco aroma and flavor components by heating the tobacco without burning it using an external heat source. Since the tobacco product does not burn, it can prevent the generation of a large amount of harmful components due to high-temperature decomposition. Accordingly, while consumers can obtain satisfaction, there is less harm to the human body and pollution to the environment is reduced.

Meanwhile, the tobacco material used in the non-combustion heating type aerosol generating device is generally manufactured by drying a mixture of tobacco raw materials, aerosol generating materials, water, etc. Meanwhile, the tobacco material can be provided in various forms, for example, can be provided in the form of balls. As the demand for tobacco balls, which are balls containing tobacco materials, increases, there is a growing need for a stable manufacturing method through standardization and homogenization of the operating method of the manufacturing equipment used in the tobacco ball manufacturing process and the quality measurement of the tobacco balls.

One embodiment of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing tobacco balls with improved quality and less quality deviation by standardizing and stabilizing a method for manufacturing tobacco balls.

In addition, it is intended to provide tobacco balls with improved quality and less deviation by manufacturing them through the above-mentioned standardized and stabilized tobacco ball manufacturing method.

In addition, it is intended to provide a smoking article including a smoking material portion including tobacco balls having improved quality and less deviation, manufactured through the above-mentioned standardized and stabilized tobacco ball manufacturing method.

The technical problems of the present invention are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs from the description below.

In order to achieve the above object, the method for manufacturing tobacco balls of the present invention comprises the steps of: manufacturing tobacco slurry using a mixer tank; introducing first tobacco powder into a raw material coating machine; fluidizing the first tobacco powder within the raw material coating machine; spraying the tobacco slurry onto the first tobacco powder to manufacture tobacco seeds; primarily drying the tobacco seeds under first drying conditions; spraying the tobacco slurry onto the dried tobacco seeds to manufacture tobacco seeds and tobacco balls; and secondarily drying the tobacco seeds and the tobacco balls under second drying conditions, wherein the step of manufacturing the tobacco slurry using the mixer tank includes the steps of introducing second tobacco powder, water, and ethanol into the mixer tank, and stirring the second tobacco powder, the water, and the ethanol.

In some embodiments, the weight ratio of the second tobacco powder, the water, and the alcohol introduced into the mixer tank may be 2 to 4:2 to 4:3 to 6.

In some embodiments, the step of fluidizing the first tobacco powder within the raw material coating machine may be performed under conditions of an inlet temperature of 70° C. to 100° C. and an internal temperature of 30° C. to 60° C.

In some embodiments, the step of spraying the tobacco slurry onto the first tobacco powder to produce tobacco seeds may include the step of spraying the tobacco slurry onto the first tobacco powder at a spraying rate of 1 kg/min to 5 kg/min.

In some embodiments, the spraying conditions for spraying the tobacco slurry onto the first tobacco powder may include a spraying pressure of 1 Bar to 3 Bar.

In some embodiments, the first drying conditions may include an inlet temperature of 70° C. to 100° C. and an internal temperature of 50° C. to 70° C., and the second drying conditions may include an inlet temperature of 70° C. to 100° C. and an internal temperature of 80° C. to 90° C.

In some embodiments, after the second drying step, a step of separating the tobacco seeds and the tobacco balls may be further included.

In some embodiments, the tobacco seeds include first tobacco seeds having a size of 30 Mesh to 40 Mesh and second tobacco seeds having a size of less than or equal to 40 Mesh, and the tobacco balls can have a size of 20 Mesh to 30 Mesh.

In some embodiments, the step of introducing the second tobacco powder, the water, and the ethanol into the mixer tank may include introducing the water, the ethanol, and the second tobacco powder in that order.

The method for manufacturing tobacco balls of the present invention can manufacture and provide tobacco balls with improved quality and less quality deviation through a standardized and stabilized manufacturing process.

In addition, a smoking article including a smoking material portion including tobacco balls with improved quality and less variation can be provided through the above-mentioned standardized and stabilized tobacco ball manufacturing method. Accordingly, the smoking article can improve the satisfaction of smoking by including tobacco balls with less variation in quality, thereby ensuring a uniform amount of nicotine transferred during smoking.

The effects according to the technical idea of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

Figure 1 is an exemplary diagram showing a device for manufacturing tobacco balls according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a flow chart exemplarily showing a method for manufacturing tobacco balls according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a photograph of a twist screen to illustrate the steps of separating tobacco seeds and tobacco balls.

FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating an exemplary configuration of a smoking article according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating an exemplary configuration of a smoking article according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating an exemplary configuration of a smoking article according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The advantages and features of the present invention and the methods for achieving them will become apparent with reference to the embodiments described in detail below together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be implemented in various different forms, and these embodiments are provided only to make the disclosure of the present invention complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this specification may be used with a meaning that can be commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. In addition, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries shall not be ideally or excessively interpreted unless explicitly specifically defined.

Also, in this specification, the singular may also include the plural unless specifically stated otherwise in the phrase. As used in the specification, the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising" do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components, steps, operations and/or elements.

Figure 1 is an exemplary diagram showing a device for manufacturing tobacco balls according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a tobacco ball manufacturing device (1) according to one embodiment may include a mixer tank (100), a raw material coater (200), a control module (300), a slurry nozzle (400), an air nozzle (500), and a twist screen (600). The tobacco ball manufacturing device (1) may further include a washing device.

In one embodiment, the mixer tank (100) may be a vessel in which a step of forming a tobacco slurry by stirring the first tobacco powder, water, and auxiliary materials, which are tobacco raw materials in a powder state, as described below, and slurrying the tobacco raw materials in a powder state is performed. The first tobacco powder, water, and auxiliary materials are each put into the mixer tank (100), and stirring is performed by the control module (300) to produce the tobacco slurry. The tobacco slurry produced in the mixer tank (100) may be flowed into the container of the raw material coating machine (200) by opening the lower valve (800).

In some embodiments, the mixer tank (100) may include a housing that provides a space in which tobacco slurry is formed, and a slurry filter that filters tobacco raw material introduced into the housing of the mixer tank (100) to prevent leakage to the outside. The slurry filter may be mounted within the housing by a slurry fixing frame.

The raw material coating machine (200) includes a container and a chamber connected to the upper part of the container and connected to the container, and may be a device that puts second tobacco powder, which is a tobacco raw material in a powder state, into the container of the raw material coating machine (200), and sprays tobacco slurry formed by a mixer tank (100) onto the second tobacco powder through the slurry nozzle (400) by controlling it using a slurry nozzle (400) and an air nozzle (500) to coat it, thereby forming tobacco seeds or tobacco balls.

The method of spraying the tobacco slurry onto the second tobacco powder fed into the raw material coating machine (200) may include a top spray method, a bottom spray method, and a tangential spray method depending on the position and method of the nozzle. In some embodiments, when the tobacco slurry is sprayed in a top spray method, the slurry nozzle (400) may be attached to a chamber, and the slurry nozzle (400) may be configured with one nozzle. In some other embodiments, when the tobacco slurry is sprayed in a bottom spray method, the slurry nozzle (400) may be attached to a container, and the slurry nozzle (400) may be configured with three nozzles.

As described below, according to the method for manufacturing tobacco balls according to the present invention, the slurry nozzle (400) is composed of three nozzles, is attached to a container, and can be sprayed in a bottom spray manner.

Although not limited thereto, the raw material coating machine (200) may also perform a drying process of tobacco seeds or tobacco balls formed within the container. The raw material coating machine (200) may also perform the drying process within the container.

In some embodiments, the raw material coater (200) may further include a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature inside the container.

The control module (300) is a module that controls the setting value or on/off mode of each piece of equipment of the tobacco ball manufacturing device (1), and may include each piece of equipment of the tobacco ball manufacturing device (1), a display device that displays the setting value or on/off mode of each piece of equipment, and software. The user can set the setting value or on/off mode of each piece of equipment of the tobacco ball manufacturing device (1) through a screen displayed on the display device, and monitor each process in real time.

The twist screen (600) may be a device for separating tobacco seeds or tobacco balls by size. In some embodiments, the tobacco seeds may include first tobacco seeds having a size of 30 Mesh to 40 Mesh and second tobacco seeds having a size of 40 Mesh or less, and the size of the tobacco balls may be 20 Mesh to 30 Mesh. By the twist screen (600), the raw material coater (200) may separate the tobacco seeds or tobacco balls manufactured in the container by size into first tobacco seeds, second tobacco seeds, and tobacco balls, and store them in a storage, respectively.

Meanwhile, unless otherwise specified herein, Mesh may mean the number of grids included in one side of a square with a side length of 1 inch (25.4 mm). For example, 2 Mesh may mean that there are 2 grids in one side of a square with a side length of 1 inch each.

For example, when the pore size is 20 Mesh or larger, the particle size may be 850 μm or larger, when the pore size is 20 to 30 Mesh, the particle size may be 600 to 850 μm, when the pore size is 30 to 40 Mesh, the particle size may be 425 to 600 μm, and when the pore size is 40 Mesh or smaller, the particle size may be 425 μm or smaller.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart exemplarily showing a method for manufacturing tobacco balls according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a photograph of a twist screen for explaining a step of separating tobacco seeds and tobacco balls.

Referring to FIG. 2, a method for manufacturing tobacco balls according to one embodiment may include a step of preparing a tobacco ball manufacturing device (S100), a step of manufacturing tobacco slurry using a mixer tank (S200), a step of introducing second tobacco powder into a raw material coating device and spraying the tobacco slurry through a nozzle to manufacture tobacco seeds or tobacco balls (S300), a step of drying the manufactured tobacco seeds or tobacco balls (S400), and a step of separating the tobacco seeds and tobacco balls (S500). The method for manufacturing tobacco balls according to one embodiment may further include a step of washing the raw material coating device and the mixer tank and measuring the yield of the tobacco seeds or tobacco balls (S600), after the step of separating the tobacco seeds and tobacco balls (S500).

First, prepare the tobacco ball manufacturing device. (S100)

Specifically, the step (S100) of preparing a tobacco ball manufacturing device may include a step (S110) of washing a housing of a mixer tank (100) and mounting a slurry filter of the mixer tank (100) on the housing of the mixer tank (100), a step (S120) of connecting a container and a chamber of a raw material coating machine (200), a step (S130) of connecting a slurry nozzle (400) to the raw material coating machine (200), and a step (S140) of preheating the raw material coating machine (200).

The step (S140) of preheating the above raw material coating machine (200) is not limited thereto, but may be performed using the display device of the control module (300). For example, it may be set using an icon that sets the initial values of each piece of equipment of the tobacco ball manufacturing device displayed on the display device of the control module (300).

In some embodiments, the step of preheating the raw material coating machine (200) may be performed by preheating the raw material coating machine (200) under preheating conditions of an inlet temperature of 30°C to 60°C, an air flap of 40% to 80%, and a blow of 30% to 60%, preferably under preheating conditions of an inlet temperature of 40°C to 50°C, an air flap of 50% to 70%, and a blow of 40% to 50%.

Although not limited thereto, the preheating time may be 10 to 30 minutes. The above air opening rate may mean injecting air into the inside of the raw material coating machine (200), and blowing may mean exhausting air from the inside of the raw material coating machine (200) to the outside.

Next, tobacco slurry is prepared using a mixer tank. (S200)

Specifically, first tobacco powder, water, and ethanol are added to the mixer tank (100), and stirring is performed within the mixer tank (100) to prepare a tobacco slurry. Although not limited thereto, it is possible to monitor whether stirring of the first tobacco powder, water, and ethanol is performed well within the mixer tank (100) while adding the first tobacco powder in small amounts within the mixer tank (100) through the display of the control module (300).

Meanwhile, the first tobacco powder may be a powdered leaf tobacco that has been ground into a fine particle size through a grinding process using tobacco raw materials. The tobacco raw material may include all forms of materials that include components derived from tobacco leaves, including tobacco materials. The tobacco raw material may be at least one selected from the group consisting of dried tobacco, dried tobacco, yellow tobacco, Burley tobacco, and oriental tobacco, but the variety of tobacco included in the tobacco raw material is not limited thereto. The tobacco raw material may include multiple varieties of tobacco or a single variety of tobacco.

In some embodiments, the first tobacco powder may be a powder having a size of 20 to 40 microns (μm).

In some embodiments, the alcohol may be a liquid substance having an ethanol content of 90% to 95%, which may be an auxiliary material that can shorten the manufacturing time of tobacco seeds or tobacco balls.

In some embodiments, the order of raw materials fed into the mixer tank (100) may be water, ethanol, and first tobacco powder. Although not limited thereto, water and ethanol may be fed into the mixer tank (100) by valve control using the display device of the control module (300), and the first tobacco powder may be directly fed into the mixer tank (100) by an operator. The current input amounts of raw materials fed into the mixer tank (100), i.e., water, ethanol, and first tobacco powder, may be checked through the upper load cell of the mixer tank (100).

In some embodiments, the weight ratio of the first tobacco powder, water, and alcohol introduced into the mixer tank (100) to prepare the tobacco slurry may be 2 to 4:2 to 4:3 to 6.

Next, second tobacco powder is fed into the raw material coating machine, and tobacco slurry is sprayed through a nozzle to manufacture tobacco seeds or tobacco balls. (S300)

Specifically, the step (S300) of introducing second tobacco powder into a raw material coating machine and spraying tobacco slurry through a nozzle to manufacture tobacco seeds or tobacco balls is

It may include a step (S310) of putting second tobacco powder, which is a tobacco raw material in a powder state, into a preheated raw material coating machine (200); and a step (S320) of spraying tobacco slurry onto the second tobacco powder put into the raw material coating machine (200).

In some embodiments, the second tobacco powder may include the exemplary material of the first tobacco powder. The first tobacco powder and the second tobacco powder may be from the same leaf tobacco or from different types of leaf tobacco. The second tobacco powder may be a powder having a size of 20 to 40 microns (μm).

First, the step (S310) of putting the second tobacco powder, which is a tobacco raw material in a powder state, into the preheated raw material coating machine (200) can be performed by putting the second tobacco powder into the container of the raw material coating machine (200) through a pneumatic conveying device (Denseveyor, or 'air conveying').

In some embodiments, the step of introducing the second tobacco powder into the container of the preheated raw material coating machine (200) may be performed by using a pneumatic conveying device and adjusting the air opening rate to 30% to 40% under the preheating conditions to maintain a vacuum state when introducing the second tobacco powder.

In some embodiments, the weight of the second tobacco powder introduced into the container of the raw material coater (200) may be 50 kg to 70 kg.

Next, the tobacco slurry is sprayed onto the second tobacco powder fed into the raw material coating machine (200). (S320)

Specifically, when the input of the second tobacco powder into the raw material coating machine (200) is completed, the air opening rate is adjusted upward to 40% to 80%, and when the temperature inside the raw material coating machine (200) reaches a preset temperature, the tobacco slurry can be sprayed onto the second tobacco powder. The preset temperature can be 30°C to 60°C.

In some embodiments, the step (S320) of spraying the tobacco slurry onto the second tobacco powder comprises:

a) A step of fluidizing the second tobacco powder within the raw material coating machine (200) under the conditions of an inlet temperature of 70°C to 100°C, an internal temperature (internal temperature of the raw material coating machine (200)) of 30°C to 60°C, an air opening rate of 40% to 80%, and a blow rate of 30% to 70%;

b) It may include a step of spraying tobacco slurry onto the second tobacco powder in the raw material coating machine (200) using a slurry nozzle (400) at a spraying speed of 1 kg/min to 5 kg/min and a spraying pressure of 1 Bar to 3 Bar.

In some embodiments, the initial injection rpm in step b) may be performed under conditions of 2 rpm to 8 rpm, and when stabilization of the internal temperature and degree of flow is confirmed through monitoring, the injection rpm may be adjusted upward to conditions of 5 rpm to 15 rpm.

In some embodiments, the conditions of the inlet temperature, internal temperature, air opening rate and blow in step b) may be performed under the same conditions as in step a).

Meanwhile, the method of nozzle-spraying tobacco slurry onto the second tobacco powder fed into the container of the raw material coating machine (200) may include a top spray method, a bottom spray method, or a tangential spray method depending on the position and method of the nozzle, and it may be preferable that the spraying step be performed using a bottom spray method.

The amount of tobacco slurry sprayed in the above spraying step is 200 kg to 400 kg, and the amount of the second tobacco powder and the sprayed tobacco slurry can be adjusted depending on the amount of tobacco balls produced. Although not limited thereto, the tobacco slurry in the above b) step can be sprayed for 2 to 4 hours based on the weight of the second tobacco powder and the tobacco slurry.

By nozzle-injecting tobacco slurry onto the second tobacco powder, the tobacco slurry is flowed together with the hot air, thereby coagulating on the second tobacco powder, rolling, and coating, thereby increasing the size, so that tobacco seeds can be manufactured.

Although not limited thereto, the step of nozzle-spraying the tobacco slurry onto the second tobacco powder may be performed repeatedly. Specifically, the step of nozzle-spraying the tobacco slurry onto the second tobacco powder may be performed by repeatedly spraying the tobacco slurry onto the second tobacco powder multiple times so that the tobacco slurry is layered on the second tobacco powder to form a shape of tobacco seeds or tobacco balls having a predetermined size or larger. In this way, by repeating the process of layering or coating the tobacco slurry onto the second tobacco powder, the tobacco balls according to one embodiment can be manufactured to have a predetermined size and hardness.

Next, the manufactured tobacco seeds or tobacco balls are dried. (S400)

The step of drying the tobacco seeds or tobacco balls can be performed to control the moisture content. The step (S500) of drying the manufactured tobacco seeds or tobacco balls can include a step of first drying under the first drying conditions of terminating the spray operation and having an inlet temperature of 70°C to 100°C and an internal temperature of 50°C to 70°C, and a step of second drying under the second drying conditions of having an inlet temperature of 70°C to 100°C and an internal temperature of 80°C to 90°C. That is, the step of drying the tobacco seeds or tobacco balls can be repeated twice to perform the drying process. The first drying step and the second drying step can be performed for 1 to 2 hours, respectively.

Specifically, after repeatedly performing the step of nozzle-spraying tobacco slurry onto second tobacco powder, a first drying process may be performed, and a step of nozzle-spraying tobacco slurry onto tobacco seeds on which the first drying process has been performed may be additionally performed, followed by a second drying process. By performing the drying process twice, the moisture content in the tobacco balls may have a range of 3.0% to 4.2%, 3.1% to 4.1%, 3.2% to 4.0%, 3.3% to 3.7%, 3.4% to 3.8%, and preferably 3.45% to 3.75%. The method for manufacturing tobacco balls according to the present invention can adjust the moisture content in the tobacco balls within the above range by performing the drying step twice.

Next, separate the tobacco seeds and tobacco balls. (S500)

Specifically, the tobacco seeds and tobacco balls manufactured in the container of the raw material coating machine (200) can be separated by size using the twist screen (600) of FIG. 3. As described above, in some embodiments, the tobacco seeds may include first tobacco seeds having a size of 30 Mesh to 40 Mesh and second tobacco seeds having a size of 40 Mesh or less, and the size of the tobacco balls may be 20 Mesh to 30 Mesh. Accordingly, the tobacco seeds and tobacco balls manufactured in the container of the raw material coating machine (200) are moved to the twist screen (600), separated by size into first tobacco seeds, second tobacco seeds, and tobacco balls using the twist screen (600), and then stored in a storage, respectively. Although not limited thereto, the separation step may be performed for 20 to 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, the method for manufacturing tobacco balls may further include a step (S600) of washing a raw material coating machine and a mixer tank and measuring the yield of tobacco seeds or tobacco balls.

Specifically, the step (S600) of washing the raw material coater and mixer tank and measuring the yield of tobacco seeds or tobacco balls may include the step (S610) of terminating software and the step (S620) of removing hardware.

In some embodiments, the step of terminating the software (S710) may include deactivating each piece of equipment of the tobacco ball manufacturing device, and the step of removing the hardware (S620) may include the steps of separating a temperature sensor inside a container of the raw material coater (200), separating a slurry nozzle and an air nozzle, washing the inside of the mixer tank (100) and the slurry nozzle, measuring a yield of tobacco seeds or tobacco balls located inside the container of the raw material coater (200), and measuring a fine particle amount remaining inside the container of the raw material coater (200) from which tobacco seeds or tobacco balls have been removed, and washing the inside of the container of the raw material coater (200).

In some embodiments, the step of measuring the yield of the tobacco seeds or tobacco balls positioned inside the container of the raw material coater (200) may include moving the tobacco seeds or tobacco balls positioned inside the container of the raw material coater (200) to a temporary storage, and measuring the weight of the tobacco seeds or tobacco balls inside the temporary storage to measure the yield. Meanwhile, after measuring the weight of the tobacco seeds or tobacco balls inside the temporary storage to measure the yield, the tobacco seeds and tobacco balls inside the temporary storage may be moved to the twist screen (600).

In some embodiments, the step of measuring the amount of fine particles remaining in the container of the raw material coating machine (200) from which the tobacco seeds or tobacco balls have been removed can be performed by mounting the container of the raw material coating machine (200) from which the tobacco seeds or tobacco balls have been removed on the manufacturing equipment, turning on the filter shaking after the system operation, the filter sealing operation, and the container sealing operation to shake off the fine particles remaining in the filter, and then measuring the amount of fine particles.

In one embodiment, the tobacco ball core may be formed of a second tobacco powder, and a tobacco slurry in the form of a slurry prepared by mixing the first tobacco powder, water, and ethanol may be sprayed onto the second tobacco powder to form a tobacco seed. The tobacco slurry may be sprayed onto the second tobacco powder to coat it, or the second tobacco powder and the tobacco slurry may be agglomerated to form a tobacco seed in the form of a formulated particle.

Meanwhile, the step of spraying the tobacco slurry onto the second tobacco powder may be repeated several times (multiple times). Accordingly, the tobacco slurry may be layered in multiple layers on the second tobacco powder, thereby producing a particle shape having a larger particle size than the second tobacco powder. Although not limited thereto, the step of spraying the tobacco slurry onto the second tobacco powder before the drying step is performed may be performed seven times.

In some embodiments, the weight ratio of the first tobacco powder, water, and ethanol in the tobacco slurry can be from 2 to 4:2 to 4:3 to 6. The tobacco slurry having the weight ratio of the first tobacco powder, water, and ethanol of from 2 to 4:2 to 4:3 to 6 can be sprayed onto the second tobacco powder multiple times.

Although not limited thereto, in the step of spraying the tobacco slurry onto the second tobacco powder multiple times, the total weight of the second tobacco powder may be 50 kg to 70 kg, and the total weight of the tobacco slurry sprayed at each spraying step may be 200 kg to 400 kg.

In some embodiments, the step of spraying the tobacco slurry onto the second tobacco powder may be performed according to at least one of a top spray method, a bottom spray method, or a tangential spray method, depending on the position and method of the nozzle, and may be preferably performed according to a bottom spray method.

Meanwhile, the size of the second tobacco powder injected in the injection step may be 20 to 40 microns (μm), and the size of the first tobacco powder included in the tobacco slurry may be 20 to 40 microns (μm).

Next, the manufactured tobacco seeds are first dried, and then second dried. The first drying step is performed for 1 to 2 hours by setting the inlet temperature to 70°C to 100°C and the internal temperature to 30°C to 60°C, and the second drying step is performed for 1 to 2 hours by setting the inlet temperature to 70°C to 100°C and the internal temperature to 50°C to 70°C.

In some embodiments, the moisture content in the tobacco balls manufactured according to the manufacturing method can be in the range of 3.0% to 4.2%, 3.1% to 4.1%, 3.2% to 4.0%, 3.3% to 3.7%, 3.4% to 3.8%, and preferably 3.45% to 3.75%.

In some embodiments, the hardness of the tobacco ball may be greater than 99%.

Hereinafter, the composition of the present invention and the effects thereof will be described in more detail through examples and comparative examples. However, these examples are intended to explain the present invention more specifically, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples.

Example 1

For the purpose of the examples, a plurality of tobacco balls were manufactured for testing. Specifically, the tobacco balls were manufactured by mixing 90 kg, 120 kg, and 90 kg of the first tobacco powder, ethanol, and water, respectively, into 60 kg of the second tobacco powder, spraying the tobacco slurry using a nozzle, repeating the step of seven times, setting the inlet temperature to 80°C and the internal temperature to 70°C, and performing the primary drying for 2 hours, then re-spraying the tobacco slurry manufactured by mixing 90 kg, 120 kg, and 90 kg of the first tobacco powder, ethanol, and water, respectively, using a nozzle, and then setting the inlet temperature to 90°C and the internal temperature to 80°C, and performing the secondary drying for 1 hour and 40 minutes. After that, tobacco balls having a size of 20 to 30 Mesh, i.e., a particle size of 600 μm to 850 μm, were selected.

Comparative Example 1

The same procedure as in Example 1 was followed, except that the step of re-spraying the tobacco slurry after the first drying and the step of drying the second were omitted, and tobacco balls having a size of 20 to 30 mesh, i.e., a particle size of 600 μm to 850 μm, were selected.

Experimental Example 1: Evaluation of hardness and moisture content of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1

The average particle size, hardness, moisture content, and yield of tobacco balls satisfying the size of Comparative Example 1 and Example 1, in which the tobacco slurry re-spraying and secondary drying steps were omitted, were measured and are shown in Table 1 below.

division Average particle size (μm) hardness(%) Moisture content (%) Charging density
(g/mL) transference number(%) Example 1 754 99.8 3.74 0.55 87 Comparative Example 1 710 98.6 4.3 0.54 77.2

Referring to Table 1, in Example 1 compared to Comparative Example 1, tobacco balls having a hardness of 99% or more and a moisture content of less than 4%, which have excellent moisture content and hardness satisfying the tobacco ball quality specifications, can be manufactured, and the yield of the tobacco balls manufactured by Example 1 can be higher than the yield of the tobacco balls manufactured by Comparative Example 1. Meanwhile, the yield of the tobacco balls in the present specification can be defined as the ratio of the distribution of the tobacco balls (size of 20 Mesh to 30 Mesh, i.e., particle size of 600 μm to 850 μm) to the total distribution of the tobacco balls and tobacco seeds manufactured by each manufacturing method. In addition, the “hardness of tobacco balls” in this specification may mean the degree of resistance to pressure applied in the vertical direction to the surface of the tobacco balls, which is a property related to elasticity and resilience, and the tobacco balls of Example 1 can secure a stable hardness at a level required for commercialization compared to the tobacco hardness of the tobacco balls of Comparative Example 1. That is, the manufacturing yield of tobacco balls satisfying the tobacco ball quality standard is improved compared to Comparative Example 1, and stable tobacco balls can be provided.

FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating an exemplary configuration of a smoking article according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the smoking article (100K) may include a smoking material portion (110K) in which a smoking material wrapper (110Ka) is wrapped, a filter portion (120K) in which a filter wrapper (120Ka) is wrapped, and a tip paper (130K) that joins the smoking material portion (110K) and the filter portion (120K). In some embodiments, the smoking article (100K) may be a combustible cigarette in which the smoking material portion (100K) is combusted to generate an aerosol and deliver it to a user.

The smoking material portion (110K) of the present invention may be filled with the tobacco balls described above in its entirety. Alternatively, the smoking material portion (110K) may be filled with a mixture of the tobacco balls described above and at least two of raw tobacco leaves and plate-shaped leaves in a sheet shape or a cut shape. The smoking material portion (110K) may have an elongated rod shape and its length, circumference, and diameter may vary.

In some embodiments, the tobacco balls filled in the smoking material portion (100K) may be tobacco balls manufactured by the method described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, respectively. That is, the tobacco balls may include a tobacco ball core and a tobacco ball coating layer formed by coating on the tobacco ball core.

In some embodiments, the tobacco ball core is a second tobacco powder, and the second tobacco powder is a powder-like leaf tobacco that has been ground into a fine particle size through a grinding process of tobacco raw materials, and is in the form of a powder having a size of 20 to 40 microns (μm), and the tobacco ball including the tobacco ball core may have a particle size of 20 Mesh to 30 Mesh, that is, a particle size of 600 μm to 850 μm.

In some embodiments, the tobacco ball coating layer coated on the tobacco ball core may be a coating layer formed by spraying and drying a tobacco slurry in the form of a slurry prepared by stirring first tobacco powder, water, and alcohol, onto the tobacco ball core, which is second tobacco powder.

In some embodiments, the tobacco ball coating layer may include a first tobacco powder, and the first tobacco powder may be a powdered leaf tobacco that has been ground into a fine particle size through a grinding process of tobacco raw materials. In some embodiments, the second tobacco powder constituting the tobacco ball core and the first tobacco powder constituting the tobacco ball coating layer may be the same leaf tobacco or may be different types of leaf tobacco.

In some embodiments, the weight ratio of the first tobacco powder, water, and alcohol included in the tobacco slurry can be from 2 to 4:2 to 4:3 to 6.

The above smoking material portion (110K) can be wrapped by a smoking material wrapper (110Ka). Meanwhile, the tobacco balls manufactured by the above-described embodiments of the present invention have an appropriate level of hardness and moisture content, and the deviation in the average particle size of each of the tobacco balls is low, so that filling is easy and damage to the tobacco balls filled in the smoking material portion (110K) can be minimized.

The filter section (120K) may be positioned downstream of the smoking material section (110K) and may be an area through which aerosol material generated from the smoking material section (110K) passes immediately before the user inhales it.

The filter part (120K) can be formed of various materials, for example, the filter part (120K) can be a cellulose acetate filter.

In some embodiments, the filter unit (120K) may be a cellulose acetate filter in which the fragrance material is not scented, but is not limited thereto, and the filter unit (120K) may be a transfer jet nozzle system (TJNS) filter in which the fragrance material is scented.

In some embodiments, the filter unit (120K) may be a tube-shaped structure including a hollow space inside. In addition, the filter unit (120K) may be manufactured by inserting a structure such as a film or tube of the same or different material into the inside (e.g., the hollow space).

Meanwhile, the hardness of the filter part (120K) can be adjusted by adjusting the content of the plasticizer during the manufacture of the filter part (120K). Triacetin can be used as the plasticizer, but the type and content of the plasticizer are not limited thereto and can be appropriately adjusted as needed.

The filter unit (120K) of this embodiment is illustrated as a mono filter consisting of a single filter, but is not limited thereto. For example, the filter unit (120K) may be provided as a dual filter or triple filter having two acetate filters to increase filter efficiency.

The above-described filter unit (120K) is placed downstream of the smoking material unit (110K) and functions as a filter through which aerosol substances generated from the smoking material unit (110K) pass immediately before the user inhales them.

The above filter part (120K) may be wrapped by a filter wrapper (120Ka). In some embodiments, the filter wrapper (120Ka) may be made of an oil-resistant paper. The filter wrapper (120Ka) may be made of an oil-resistant paper to prevent the contents of the capsule, which may be included in the filter part (120K) and is released outside the capsule when the capsule is crushed by a smoker, from passing through the filter wrapper (120Ka). In some embodiments, the inner surface of the filter wrapper (120Ka) may further include aluminum foil.

The filter portion (120K) wrapped by the filter wrapper (120Ka) and the smoking material portion (110K) wrapped by the smoking material wrapper (110Ka) can be combined and wrapped by the tip paper (130K). That is, the tip paper (130K) can be wrapped around at least a portion (for example, a downstream portion) of the smoking material wrapper (110Ka) and the periphery of the filter wrapper (120Ka). Meanwhile, the tip paper (130K) can include a non-combustible material to prevent the filter portion (120K) from being burned as the smoking material portion (110K) is burned.

FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating an exemplary configuration of a smoking article according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the smoking article (200K) may include a smoking material portion (210K), a support structure (220K), a cooling structure (230K), a mouthpiece portion (240K), and a wrapper (260K). In some embodiments, the smoking article (200K) may be a non-combustion (or heated) cigarette used with an aerosol generating device (not shown), such as an electronic cigarette device.

The smoking material portion (210K) of the present invention may be filled with tobacco balls described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 in part or in the entirety of the smoking material portion (210K). The smoking material portion (210K) may have a configuration substantially similar to the smoking material portion (210K) described with reference to FIG. 4, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The support structure (220K) may be a tube-shaped structure including a hollow space (220KH) therein. The support structure (220K) may be manufactured using cellulose acetate, and thus, when a heater (not shown) of an aerosol generating device is inserted, the internal material of the smoking material portion (210K) may be prevented from being pushed backwards (i.e., in a downstream direction), and a cooling effect of the aerosol may also be generated.

In some embodiments, the hardness of the support structure (220K) can be adjusted by controlling the content of the plasticizer during the manufacture of the support structure (220K). In addition, the support structure (220K) can also be manufactured by inserting a structure such as a film or tube of the same or different material into the interior (i.e., the hollow space (220KH)).

The cooling structure (230K) may be positioned in contact with the support structure (220K) and downstream of the support structure (220K). The cooling structure (230K) may serve as a cooling member that cools the aerosol generated by the heater (not shown) of the aerosol generating device heating the smoking material portion (210K). Accordingly, the user may inhale the aerosol cooled to an appropriate temperature.

The cooling structure (230K) can be produced by one or more processes, and a process of wrapping the outside of the cooling structure (230K) with a wrapper made of paper or a polymer material can be added. Here, the polymer material includes, but is not limited to, gelatin, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyurethane (PU), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), and combinations thereof.

Meanwhile, the cooling structure (230K) may be a tube-shaped structure including a hollow space (230KH) inside, as illustrated in FIG. 5. The cross-sectional shape of the hollow space may be a polygon or a circle, but in this case, the inner diameter of the cooling structure (230K) may be larger than the inner diameter of the support structure (220K). For example, the inner diameter of the support structure (220K) may be about 2.5 mm, and the inner diameter of the cooling structure (230K) may be about 4.2 mm, but the size and shape of the hollow space are not limited thereto.

The mouthpiece portion (240K) may be positioned at the downstream end of the smoking article (200K) and may serve as a mouthpiece that ultimately delivers the aerosol delivered from the upstream to the user. In some embodiments, the mouthpiece portion (240K) may be a cellulose acetate filter. Although not shown, the mouthpiece portion (240K) may also be manufactured as a recessed filter.

The wrapper (260K) may be a porous paper or a non-porous paper. Meanwhile, at least one of the smoking material portion (210K), the support structure (220K), the cooling structure (230K) and the mouthpiece portion (240K) may be individually wrapped with separate wrappers before being wrapped by the wrapper (260K). For example, the smoking material portion (210K) may be wrapped by a smoking material wrapper (not shown), and the support structure (220K), the cooling structure (230K) and the mouthpiece portion (240K) may be individually wrapped by a first filter wrapper (not shown), a second filter wrapper (not shown) and a third filter wrapper (not shown), but the manner in which the smoking article (200K) and its constituent parts are wrapped by the wrappers is not limited thereto.

The wrapper (260K) can prevent the smoking article (200K) from burning. For example, if the smoking material portion (210K) is heated by a heater (not shown) of an aerosol generating device, there is a possibility that the smoking article (200K) may burn. More specifically, if the temperature rises above the ignition point of any one of the materials included in the smoking material portion (210K), the smoking article (200K) may burn. Even in this case, since the wrapper (260K) includes a non-combustible material, the smoking article (200K) can be prevented from burning.

FIG. 8 is a drawing illustrating an exemplary configuration of a smoking article according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8, the smoking article (300K) may include a front filter segment (or, front plug; 350K), a smoking material portion (310K), a support structure (320K), a mouthpiece portion (340K), and a wrapper (360K). The smoking article (300K) may be a non-combustion (or heated) cigarette used with an aerosol generating device (not shown), such as an electronic cigarette device.

Each of the smoking material portion (310K), the support structure (320K), the mouthpiece portion (340K), and the wrapper (360K) may have a configuration substantially similar to that of the smoking material portion (210K), the support structure (220K), the mouthpiece portion (240K), and the wrapper (260K) described with reference to FIG. 5, and in the following, for the sake of simplicity, the differences from the smoking article (200K) described with reference to FIG. 5 will be mainly described.

Unlike the smoking articles (100K, 200K) described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the smoking article (300K) may further include a pre-filter segment (350K) that borders the smoking material portion (310K) upstream of the smoking material portion (310K).

The pre-filter segment (350K) can be made of cellulose acetate. The pre-filter segment (350K) can physically block the smoking material portion (310K) from escaping outside the smoking article (300K), and can also prevent the liquefied aerosol from the smoking material portion (310K) during smoking from flowing into the aerosol generating device (not shown).

Meanwhile, the pre-filter segment (350K) may include a hollow channel (350KH) extending from the upstream end to the downstream end as illustrated in FIG. 6. The channel (350KH) may be located at the center of the pre-filter segment (350K). For example, the center of the channel (350KH) may coincide with the center of the pre-filter segment (350K).

When a channel (350KH) is provided in the pre-filter segment (350K), aerosol flowing into the upstream end of the pre-filter segment (350K) can more easily escape to the downstream end of the pre-filter segment (350K), so that a user can easily inhale the aerosol.

Although the channel (350KH) in this embodiment is illustrated as having a circular cross-sectional shape, the cross-sectional shape of the channel (350KH) is not limited thereto. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the channel (350KH) may be a trilobal shape.

Above, although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but should be interpreted by the scope of the patent claims. At this time, those who have acquired common knowledge in this technical field should consider that many modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (9)

A step of preparing tobacco slurry using a mixer tank; Step of feeding the first tobacco powder into the raw material coating machine; A step of fluidizing the first tobacco powder within the raw material coating machine; A step of producing tobacco seeds by spraying the tobacco slurry onto the first tobacco powder; A step of first drying the above tobacco seeds under first drying conditions; A step of producing tobacco seeds and tobacco balls by spraying the tobacco slurry on the dried tobacco seeds; and Including a step of secondary drying of the above tobacco seeds and the above tobacco balls under second drying conditions, The step of manufacturing the tobacco slurry using the above mixer tank is: A step of introducing second tobacco powder, water, and ethanol into the mixer tank, and a step of stirring the second tobacco powder, the water, and the ethanol. Method for manufacturing tobacco balls. In the first paragraph, The weight ratio of the second tobacco powder, the water, and the alcohol injected into the mixer tank is 2 to 4:2 to 4:3 to 6. Method for manufacturing tobacco balls. In the first paragraph, The step of fluidizing the first tobacco powder within the raw material coating machine is performed under the conditions of an inlet temperature of 70°C to 100°C and an internal temperature of 30°C to 60°C. Method for manufacturing tobacco balls. In the first paragraph, The step of producing tobacco seeds by spraying the tobacco slurry on the first tobacco powder is as follows: Comprising a step of spraying the tobacco slurry on the first tobacco powder at a spraying speed of 1 kg/min to 5 kg/min. Method for manufacturing tobacco balls. In the fourth paragraph, The spraying conditions for spraying the tobacco slurry onto the first tobacco powder include a spraying pressure of 1 Bar to 3 Bar. Method for manufacturing tobacco balls. In the first paragraph, The above first drying conditions include an inlet temperature of 70°C to 100°C and an internal temperature of 50°C to 70°C, The above second drying conditions include an inlet temperature of 70°C to 100°C and an internal temperature of 80°C to 90°C. Method for manufacturing tobacco balls. In the first paragraph, After the second drying step, further comprising a step of separating the tobacco seeds and the tobacco balls. Method for manufacturing tobacco balls. In Article 7, The above tobacco seeds include first tobacco seeds having a size of 30 Mesh to 40 Mesh, and second tobacco seeds having a size of 40 Mesh or less, The above tobacco ball has a size of 20 Mesh to 30 Mesh. Method for manufacturing tobacco balls. In the first paragraph, The step of introducing the second tobacco powder, the water, and the ethanol into the mixer tank is to introduce the water, the ethanol, and the second tobacco powder in that order. Method for manufacturing tobacco balls.

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