The time period “minimize specification” is used throughout the specification to refer to the varied geometric parameters characterising the strips obtained by subjecting a tobacco material to a slicing operation. Thus, in accordance to a given “minimize specification”, a tobacco material shall be cut or shredded into strips having a predetermined minimize width, cut size, minimize shape and so forth. Further, it would be desirable to supply one such improved process that allows for a greater management of the form, size and properties of the reconstituted tobacco matter forming part of the minimize filler. At the same time, it will be fascinating to offer one such process that doesn’t require any main modification of the traditional apparatus and facilities used in the primary therapy of tobacco.
The expressions “ultimate cut width” and “ultimate reduce length” are used herein to explain the minimize width and reduce size of a tobacco material as present in a tobacco cut filler utilized in a tobacco product. The methodology may additional comprise a step of conditioning the primary tobacco materials prior to cutting the first tobacco material. Further, the strategy could comprise a step of controlling the moisture content material of the reduce filler by adjusting the moisture content of the first tobacco material.
Experiments had been carried out so as to assess the impression of various shapes and cut specifications to key parameters of tobacco cut filler particles, such as the filling energy. In extra detail, Figure 1 shows a zigzag-shaped strip and Figure 2 exhibits a wave-shaped strip. Where the reduce strip is zigzag-shaped or wave- shaped, it’s possible to measure a wave size of the cut strip, which substantially corresponds to the strip minimize length divided by the number of repetitions of the zigzag or wave. For occasion, in the cut strip of Figure 1 the zigzag is repeated 10 times. Preferably, a wave length of the sinusoidal form is from about 1 mm to about 15 mm, extra ideally from about 2 mm to about 12 mm, much more preferably from 4 mm to 10 mm. Preferably, the tobacco reduce filler further contains a second tobacco material minimize in accordance with a second cut specification differing from the first minimize specification for no much less than considered one of cut length and minimize width.
Sensors 40 and mass move controllers 42, 44, if current, are operatively related with a management unit forty six configured to regulate the operation of the equipment. In particular, the management unit 46 adjusts the velocity to the conveyor belt 38 in view of variations within the pace at which the web of reconstituted tobacco is fed to the shredding device 36, in order to forestall any undesirable accumulation of minimize strips on the conveyor belt. By finely controlling the size and shape of the strips into which the primary tobacco material is cut or shredded, the options of the first tobacco materials can advantageously be higher preserved each time the first tobacco materials is blended, in the shredded state, with another tobacco material. This is especially advantageous when the primary tobacco material is a pre-processed tobacco materials, such as a reconstituted tobacco sheet materials. The “thickness” of a reduce strip of tobacco material for incorporation in reduce fillers based on the present invention refers back to the distance between an upper surface and a lower surface of the portion of material forming the reduce strip.
In explicit, one such strip may comprise at least a first strip structure comprising a branching node from which a further strip construction branches off, forming an angle with the primary strip structure. The moisture content of the tobacco cut filler is expressed herein as “% oven volatiles”, which is determined by measuring the share weight tobacco pipe loss from the minimize filler upon drying the fabric in an oven at 103 levels Centigrade (°C) for 100 minutes. It is assumed that a major majority of the load loss from the reduce filler results from the evaporation of moisture. A method according to any certainly one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the second tobacco materials is a reconstituted tobacco sheet.
These irregular items are meant to be similar in measurement to tobacco lamina, such that they are often blended with the tobacco lamina and reduce. In specific, the mix is usually cut into particles having a predetermined cut width. However, as a end result of the reconstituted tobacco sheet is somewhat randomly ripped into items, the tobacco fibres are typically not aligned in a uniform course. Tobacco rods had been ready from a tobacco cut filler utilizing tobacco particles reduce in accordance with the specs of Figures 1 1 and 12. In particular, a primary couple of blends were used, that contained eighty five percent by weight of natural tobacco particles and 15 percent by weight of reconstituted tobacco particles cut in accordance with specs of Figures 1 1 and 12, respectively.
Without wishing to be bound to theory, it will be appreciated that during any slicing, rolling or extruding operation, the tobacco fibres generally align in a given direction, which may thus be recognized as the longitudinal course of the tobacco materials. The “reduce size” of a cut strip of tobacco material for incorporation in cut fillers based on the current invention may therefore be measured along the principle course of fibre alignment, which generally corresponds to the longitudinal direction. Thus, the reduce length of an individual reduce strip could be precisely measured utilizing a conventional measuring system under a microscope. In a standard process, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco stem material or both are usually blended with threshed tobacco lamina to bear a series of therapies, similar to conditioning and drying. To this function, a reconstituted tobacco sheet is often ripped into randomly formed sheet-like items having a non-uniform measurement, typically of several sq. centimetres.
The values of filling energy are expressed by method of corrected cylinder quantity which is the cylinder quantity of the tobacco materials at a reference moisture level of 12.5 % oven volatiles. The cylinder quantity could also be decided utilizing a Borgwaldt densimeter DD60 or DD60A type fitted with a measuring head for minimize tobacco and a tobacco cylinder container. The time period “sinusoidal” is used to explain a cut strip of tobacco materials formed considerably like a portion of a sine wave.
In addition, a second couple of blends was used, that contained 70 % by weight of pure tobacco particles and 30 percent by weight of reconstituted tobacco particles reduce in accordance with the specs of Figures 1 1 and 12, respectively. Thus, the cut width of a person reduce strip is taken at the level alongside the length of the strip that yields the largest cross-sectional area. Further, the filling power Filling cut tobacco of the shredded first tobacco material could be maximised by choosing an appropriate first cut specification. This results in an improved filling power of the reduce filler as a whole, notably when the first tobacco materials is blended with no less than another tobacco materials.
In some embodiments, tobacco cut filler according to the invention could also be used within the tobacco rod of a flamable smoking article, such as a filter cigarette, cigarillo or cigar. Alternatively, the reduce filler may be used to provide the tobacco aerosol generating substrate in a distillation primarily based smoking article, or an electrically heated smoking system. Alternatively, the cut filler may be used as a roll-your-own or make-your-own product, or loose tobacco product for use in a pipe.