WO2020026309A1 - Device for manufacturing flavoring-containing sheet and method for manufacturing flavoring-containing sheet - Google Patents

Abstract

A device (11) for manufacturing a flavoring-containing sheet is provided with: a feed mechanism for feeding a flavoring-containing sheet (12) that is formed as a gel; a slit-forming part (23) for forming, along the feeding direction of the flavoring-containing sheet (12), one or more slits having a depth that corresponds to the entirety or a part of the thickness of the flavoring-containing sheet (12); and a drying mechanism (24) for drying the flavoring-containing sheet (12) in which the slits have been formed.

Description

Perfume-containing sheet production apparatus and perfume-containing sheet production method

The present invention relates to a perfume-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus and a perfume-containing sheet manufacturing method capable of manufacturing a perfume-containing sheet.

方法 A method for producing a fragrance-containing sheet for smoking articles is disclosed (Patent Documents 1 to 3). This production method comprises: (1) a step of extending a raw slurry at 60 to 90 ° C. containing a polysaccharide and a fragrance, having a water content of 70 to 95% by weight, and being in a sol state, into a base material; A) a step of cooling the stretched raw material slurry to a sample temperature of 0 to 40 ° C. to form a gel, and (3) a heating and drying step of heating the gelled raw material and drying it at a sample temperature of 70 to 100 ° C. And

International Patent Publication No. WO 2012/118032 International Patent Publication No. WO 2012/118033 International Publication No. 2012/118034

Due to the fact that the gelling substance contains moisture and fragrance during the gel cross-linking process, the gelling substance has an external environment such as temperature and humidity, and the internal composition such as the composition of the gelling substance and the amount of water inside the gelling substance. Since the characteristics (viscosity and residual amount of fragrance) change depending on the environment, it is difficult to control the quality of the sheet formed of the gelling substance to a constant level.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus and a fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing method capable of keeping the quality of a fragrance-containing sheet constant.

An apparatus for manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet according to one aspect of the present invention includes a feed mechanism for feeding a gelled fragrance-containing sheet, and all or a part of the thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet along a feed direction of the fragrance-containing sheet. And a drying mechanism for drying the fragrance-containing sheet on which the slits are formed.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a flavor-containing sheet, wherein a slurry containing a flavor is formed into a sheet by a forming mechanism, and the sheet-like slurry fed in a feed direction is cooled by a gelling mechanism to gel. The gelled sheet, forming at least one slit having a depth corresponding to all or a part of the thickness of the gelled sheet by a slit forming portion, and including the one or more slits. Is dried by a drying mechanism.

According to the fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus and the fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing method of the present invention, it is possible to provide a fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus and a fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing method capable of keeping the quality of the fragrance-containing sheet constant.

It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the fragrance | flavor containing sheet manufacturing apparatus of embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing, in an enlarged manner, a part of a forming mechanism, a gelling mechanism, a slit forming part, and a drying mechanism of the apparatus for manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating one of one or more slit forming parts provided in the slit forming unit illustrated in FIG. 2. It is the flowchart which showed the fragrance | flavor containing sheet manufacturing method using the fragrance | flavor containing sheet manufacturing apparatus of embodiment. FIG. 3 is a front view showing a molding mechanism, a base material, and a fragrance-containing sheet shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a step (gelling step) of cooling the fragrance-containing sheet by the gelling mechanism shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a step of forming a slit using a pair of slit forming parts, which is a slit forming unit illustrated in FIG. 2 (slit forming step). FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a process in which the fragrance-containing sheet shrinks by the drying mechanism illustrated in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a state after the fragrance-containing sheet is dried by the drying mechanism illustrated in FIG. 2. It is a front view which shows the shaping | molding mechanism of the fragrance | flavor containing sheet manufacturing apparatus of a reference form. It is sectional drawing which showed typically the process which the fragrance | flavor containing sheet | seat formed by the shaping | molding mechanism of the reference embodiment shown in FIG. 10 shrinks in a drying process. It is sectional drawing which showed typically the state after the fragrance | flavor containing sheet | seat formed by the shaping | molding mechanism of the reference embodiment shown in FIG. 10 was dried in the drying process. It is a front view which shows the shaping | molding mechanism and slit formation part of the fragrance | flavor containing sheet manufacturing apparatus of a 1st modification. It is a front view which shows the shaping | molding mechanism and slit formation part of the fragrance | flavor containing sheet manufacturing apparatus of a 2nd modification.

[Embodiment]
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus 11 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. The fragrance-containing sheet 12 produced by the fragrance-containing sheet production apparatus 11 is formed in a sheet shape by, for example, a thickening polysaccharide, and contains a fragrance therein in a dispersed state. In the fragrance-containing sheet 12, the fragrance is held inside the sheet while being covered with the thickening polysaccharide. For this reason, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 has high storage stability. The fragrance-containing sheet 12 is finely cut, and is used, for example, by mixing it with a cigarette notch of a smoking article, and is used for enhancing flavor.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus 11 includes a supply path 13 (supply line) connected to an upstream slurry adjusting unit, and a dam for storing the fragrance-containing slurry 14 supplied from the supply path 13. Part 15, a sheet-like base material 16 (base film) provided over the entire length of the production line of the fragrance-containing sheet 12, and the slurry 14 stored in the dam part 15 are formed into a sheet form on the base material 16. A shaping mechanism 17 for shaping, a sheet-like perfume-containing sheet 12 (slurry 14) placed on the base material 16 and sent in the feed direction A, and a perfume-containing sheet 12 (slurry) formed into a sheet shape with the base material 16 14) in the feed direction, a gelling mechanism 21 for cooling the sheet-like slurry 14 to a gelled perfume-containing sheet 12, and a gelled perfume-containing sheet 1 It includes a slit forming section 23 to form one or more slits 22, a drying mechanism 24 for drying the perfume-containing sheet 12 slits 22 are formed, to.

The dam portion 15 is formed in a box shape, and can store the flavor-containing slurry 14 therein. The base material 16 is formed in a sheet-like shape, for example, a synthetic resin material such as plastic, and is formed in a slender film shape, that is, a slender film shape. The base material 16 is made of, for example, PET (Polyethyleneterephthalate) resin, but may be made of other relatively rigid and flexible plastic materials, paper materials, metal materials, and other materials. .

The gelling mechanism 21 is configured by a general blower such as a fan and a blower, and can send cooling air (air) to the fragrance-containing sheet 12. The gelling mechanism 21 can lower the temperature of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 before gelation by cooling air, and can promote gelation of the fragrance-containing sheet 12. The gelling mechanism 21 is not limited to a blower, but may be any other one that causes the fragrance-containing sheet 12 to gel, for example, various kinds of alcohol or cation (divalent cation) aqueous solution on the fragrance-containing sheet 12. It may be a device for applying a liquid of a molecular crosslinking agent, a device for irradiating the perfume-containing sheet 12 with ultraviolet rays or the like to promote gelation, or a water-cooled cooling device or the like. Of course it is good.

The feed mechanism 18 is provided along the longitudinal direction of the base material 16. The feeding mechanism 18 includes, for example, a feeding unit 25 (feeding roll) from which the base material is fed, a winding unit 26 (winding roll) where the base material 16 is wound together with the fragrance-containing sheet 12, and a vicinity of the gelling mechanism 21. A first driven roller 27 provided below the base 16, a second driven roller 28 provided in the vicinity of the winding unit 26, and a plurality of rollers (not shown) supporting the base 16. And In the present embodiment, the winding unit 26 is driven to rotate by a motor or the like, and all other rollers are driven rollers. However, the feed method is not limited to this, and for example, some of the driven rollers in the middle may be used as drive rollers, and the drive roller may be used to positively feed the base material 16 in the feed direction.

基材 The base material 16 is wound around the core of the feeding portion 25, and the base material 16 can be fed from this. In the winding section 26, the base material 16 is wound around a core portion. By rotating the base material 16, the base material 16 can be wound together with the fragrance-containing sheet 12 and collected.

The drying mechanism 24 has, for example, four drying chambers 24A to 24D. The base material 16 is passed through the four drying chambers 24A to 24D. A plurality of blowing nozzles 31 are provided in each drying chamber 24A. In the drying chamber 24A, the hot air having a temperature of 70 to 100 ° C. is sent from the blowing nozzle 31 to dry the fragrance-containing sheet 12 provided on the base material 16 and having the slits 22 formed therein. The temperature conditions of the four drying chambers 24A may be common to each other, or the temperature conditions may be different for each drying chamber 24A.

The forming mechanism 17 is configured to be able to form the fragrance-containing sheet 12 before gelation. The forming mechanism 17 includes a comma roll 32 (comma roller, fixed roller) and a coating roll 33 (coating roller, rotating roller) facing the comma roll 32. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the coating roll 33 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The coating roll 33 has an outer peripheral surface 34 and a concave portion 35 provided at a substantially intermediate portion in the axial direction and depressed from the outer peripheral surface. The recess 35 has a pair of tapered portions 36 and a small diameter portion 37 located between the pair of tapered portions 36. The small diameter portion 37 is formed, for example, at a depth of 10 to 100 μm from the outer peripheral surface 34, preferably at a depth of 20 to 80 μm from the outer peripheral surface 34, and more preferably at a depth of 40 to 60 μm from the outer peripheral surface 34. Formed by The coating roll 33 is a so-called driven roller, and is rotated together with the substrate 16 along the feeding direction A. The coating roll 33 is formed by, for example, machining (cutting, lathing) or the like.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the comma roll 32 has a cross-sectional shape of a so-called “comma” which is a so-called English punctuation mark, and has a cut-out cylindrical shape formed by cutting out a part of a cylindrical shape. Has made. The comma roll 32 is fixedly provided and cannot rotate around its central axis.

成形 As shown in FIG. 5, the forming mechanism 17 further has a first gap 17A and a second gap 17B between the comma roll 32 and the coating roll 33. The first gap portion 17A is provided at a substantially central portion in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12. The second gap 17B is provided at one end in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 before gelation. In the present embodiment, the second gap 17B is provided as a pair on both sides of the first gap 17A, but may be provided only on one side adjacent to the first gap 17A.

The first gap 17A corresponds to the small diameter portion 37 and the pair of tapered portions 36. The second gap 17B corresponds to the outer peripheral surface 34. Therefore, the gap dimension (height dimension) H2 of the second gap section 17B is smaller than the gap dimension (height dimension) H1 of the first gap section 17A.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, the slit forming section 23 has one or more slit forming parts 38 and one or more holding parts 41 for holding the one or more slit forming parts 38. One slit forming component 38 can form one slit 22. Each of the slit forming parts 38 can form the slit 22 having a depth corresponding to all or a part of the thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 along the feeding direction A of the fragrance-containing sheet 12. Therefore, each of the slits 22 continuously extends along the feed direction A of the fragrance-containing sheet 12.

で は In the present embodiment, it is preferable that the one or more slit forming parts 38 are provided in two pieces, that is, in a pair. One of the pair of slit forming parts 38 is preferably provided so as to be located near one end in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12, and the other of the pair of slit forming parts 38 is Is preferably provided near the other end in the width direction W. As shown in FIG. 3, the slit forming component 38 has a rounded tip and a shape that does not damage the base material 16. From the viewpoint of reusing the base material 16, it is preferable to use the slit forming component 38 having such a round shape. As the slit forming component 38, for example, a cutting tool such as a pallet knife formed of a stainless material or the like can be suitably used. The slit forming component 38 may be any as long as it forms a slit in the flavor-containing sheet 12 (polysaccharide sheet) and does not damage the base material 16 (base sheet). The slit forming component 38 is not limited to a pallet knife, but may be, for example, a spatula, a plate, or the like. Alternatively, the slit forming component 38 is a disk-shaped rotary cutter or the like, whose tip is rounded so as not to damage the substrate 16, and in which the weight of the cutter can be applied to the perfume-containing sheet 12. Of course, it is good.

に In order to maintain a predetermined strength, the thickness of the slit forming component 38 is preferably, for example, 0.1 to 2 mm, and more preferably 0.3 to 1 mm. The slit forming component 38 does not constitute a cutting edge perpendicular to the feed direction at a position where the slit-forming component 38 contacts the fragrance-containing sheet 12 on the upstream side in the feed direction, but is inclined with respect to the feed direction (slit). It is preferable to provide a cutting edge which is slanted so that the slit forming part 38 becomes tapered toward the tip end side of the forming part 38. When the slit forming component 38 has a particularly large thickness, it is particularly preferable to have the above configuration. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the chips of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 from collecting on the cutting edge.

In addition, it is preferable that the slit forming component 38 has a shape that is not sharp on the base material 16 (base sheet) side, from the viewpoint of not damaging the base material 16. On the other hand, the slit forming component 38 preferably has a pointed shape on the fragrance-containing sheet 12 side. This is because the chips of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 can be prevented from accumulating on the cutting edge of the slit forming component 38, or the slit forming component 38 can be prevented from being broken due to the chips or the like.

As shown in FIG. 7, the one or more slit forming parts 38 are located at positions separating the fragrance-containing sheet 12 formed by the second gap 17B and the fragrance-containing sheet 12 formed by the first gap 17A. Provided. The number of slit forming parts 38 provided in the slit forming part 23 is not limited to two, but may be three or more, or may be one. The number of the holding parts 41 is, for example, the same as the number of the slit forming parts 38. The holding unit 41 may be configured by one unit, and the single holding unit 41 may hold a plurality of slit forming components 38.

Each of the holding portions 41 has, for example, a cylindrical or U-shaped holder, and the handle portion of the slit forming component 38 is fitted into the holder with play. For this reason, the holder surrounds the pattern portion of the slit forming component 38 so that the slit forming component 38 does not fall, but the holder has the slit forming component 38 with respect to the base material 16 and the fragrance-containing sheet 12 from above. The slit forming part 38 is held so as to exert its own weight. The method of holding the slit forming part 38 is arbitrary, and any holding method may be used as long as the weight of the slit forming part 38 is applied to the fragrance-containing sheet 12. For example, in a state where the slit forming component 38 is hung from above by a string, the content sheet 12 is contacted with the perfume-containing sheet 12 abutting on the tip of the slit forming component 38 by the perfume slit forming component 38 which is under its own weight. Of course, a configuration of pushing off may be used.

自 The weight of the slit forming part 38 is, for example, 10 to 400 g, preferably 20 to 200 g. Therefore, the gelled perfume-containing sheet 12 passing under the slit forming part 38 can be cut off by pressing from above. It is preferable that the slit forming component 38 has such a weight that the base material 16 is not largely dented or the base material 16 is not cut when the self-weight is applied. Naturally, the depth of the slit 22 can be changed by using a slit forming part 38 having a different weight from the stainless steel slit forming part or by changing the slit forming part 38 to a resin-made one. . In the present embodiment, the slits 22 having a depth corresponding to the entire thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 are formed. However, by changing the type of the slit forming component 38, one of the thicknesses of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is reduced. The slit 22 having a depth corresponding to the portion can be formed.

In this case, although the slits 22 are formed in the fragrance-containing sheet 12, they are not completely separated at the slits 22. The depth of the slit 22 is preferably, for example, a length corresponding to 60% or more, more preferably 75% or more, with respect to the thickness dimension of the fragrance-containing sheet 12, and more preferably 90%. % Is most preferable.

As shown in FIG. 7, the slit forming part 23 is formed by the slit forming part 38 at a position 1 to 10 mm, preferably 2 to 8 mm, more preferably 3 to 10 mm from the end in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12. A pair of slits 22 are formed at a position of 6 mm.

The perfume-containing sheet 12 has a width (length) of 500 mm in the width direction W and a thickness of 350 to 1300 μm before drying, for example. The perfume-containing sheet 12 has a width (length) of 480 mm in the width direction W and a thickness of 50 to 200 μm in a dried state, for example. The fragrance-containing sheet 12 contains a polysaccharide polymer having a temperature-reversible gelling ability.

(4) The thickening polysaccharide contained in the flavor-containing sheet 12 has a property of fixing and covering the flavor dispersed in the sheet. Thickening polysaccharides include, for example, a single component system of carrageenan, agar, xanthan gum, gellan gum, psyllium seed gum, or konjac glucomannan; or carrageenan, locust bean gum, guar gum, agar, gellan gum, tamarind gum, xanthan gum, tara gum, konjac It is a complex system combining two or more components selected from the group consisting of glucomannan, starch, cassia gum, and psyllium seed gum.

Preferably, the thickening polysaccharide is a single component system of carrageenan, agar, xanthan gum, or gellan gum; or carrageenan, agar, xanthan gum, or gellan gum, locust bean gum, guar gum, tamarind gum, tarara gum, konjac glucomannan, cassia gum, And a composite system combining one or more components selected from the group consisting of: and psyllium seed gum.

More preferably, the thickening polysaccharide is selected from the group consisting of carrageenan, agar, xanthan gum, gellan gum, and a mixture of gellan gum and tamarind gum.

An aqueous solution of carrageenan, agar, xanthan gum or gellan gum gels (ie, loses fluidity and solidifies) when cooled below a certain temperature, and once gelled, the temperature is then raised to a temperature at which the gel transitions to gel. It does not easily form a sol even when it reaches, and has a property of being able to maintain a gelled state (hereinafter, referred to as “temperature-responsive sol-gel transition characteristic”). For this reason, when the raw material slurry contains any of carrageenan, agar, xanthan gum, and gellan gum as the thickening polysaccharide, the raw material slurry is once cooled and gelled, and the gelled raw material is dried at a high temperature. This has the advantage that sheets can be manufactured in a short time.

More preferably, the thickening polysaccharide is selected from the group consisting of agar, gellan gum, and a mixture of gellan gum and tamarind gum.

場合 When a mixture of gellan gum and tamarind gum is used as the thickening polysaccharide, the mass ratio of gellan gum to tamarind gum is preferably in the range of 1: 1 to 3: 1.

The amount of the thickening polysaccharide in the raw material slurry is preferably 10 to 35% by mass, more preferably 12 to 25% by mass, based on the total mass of the components other than water (that is, the amount of dry substance) in the raw material slurry. %. The amount (% by mass) of the thickening polysaccharide can be calculated using the value of the amount of each component other than water in the raw slurry.

As the fragrance contained in the fragrance-containing sheet 12, any fragrance can be used without limitation as long as it is a fragrance used for smoking articles. The main flavors include menthol, leaf tobacco extract, natural vegetable flavors (for example, cinnamon, sage, herbs, chamomile, mulberry, sweet tea, clove, lavender, cardamom, clove, nutmeg, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose Oil, lemon, orange, cinnamon, caraway, jasmine, ginger, coriander, vanilla extract, spearmint, peppermint, cassia, coffee, celery, cascarilla, sandalwood, cocoa, ylang-ylang, fennel, anise, licorice, St. John's bread , Plum extract, peach extract, etc.), sugars (eg, glucose, fructose, isomerized sugar, caramel, etc.), cocoa (powder, extract, etc.), esters (eg, isoamyl acetate, linalyl acetate, propyl Isoamyl phosphate, linalyl butyrate, etc.), ketones (eg, menthone, ionone, damacenone, ethyl maltol, etc.), alcohols (eg, geraniol, linalool, anethole, eugenol, etc.), aldehydes (eg, vanillin, benzaldehyde, anise) Aldehydes), lactones (eg, γ-undecalactone, γ-nonalactone, etc.), animal flavors (eg, musk, ambergris, civet, castorium, etc.), and hydrocarbons (eg, limonene, pinene, etc.). No. These flavors may be used as a solid or dissolved or dispersed in a suitable solvent such as propylene glycol, ethyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, or triethyl citrate. Preferably, a fragrance that easily forms a dispersed state in a solvent by adding an emulsifier, for example, a hydrophobic fragrance or an oil-soluble fragrance can be used. These flavors may be used alone or as a mixture.

含有 The content of the fragrance in the sheet is preferably less than 18% by mass based on the total mass of the fragrance-containing sheet 12. The content of the fragrance in the sheet is more preferably from 2.5% by mass to less than 18% by mass, more preferably from 2.5 to 12% by mass, and most preferably from 3 to 6% by mass, based on the total mass of the fragrance-containing sheet. % By mass.

As the emulsifier contained in the fragrance-containing sheet 12, any emulsifier can be used. As the emulsifier, for example, lecithin, specifically, sun lecithin A-1 (Taiyo Chemical Co., Ltd.) can be used.

含有 The content of the emulsifier in the sheet is preferably 0.5 to 5% by mass, more preferably 1.0 to 4.5% by mass, based on the mass of the thickening polysaccharide in the sheet. The content of the emulsifier in the sheet can be calculated using the value of the amount of the emulsifier and the thickening polysaccharide in the raw material slurry.

(4) The bulk increasing material contained in the fragrance-containing sheet 12 plays a role of increasing the total mass of the constituent components other than water (that is, the amount of dry substance) in the raw slurry and finally increasing the bulk of the fragrance-containing sheet. That is, the bulking material is a substance that only plays a role of increasing the bulk of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 and does not affect the original function of the fragrance-containing sheet 12. Bulk enhancers are art-accepted materials that can be added to smoking articles as additives.

The bulking agent is preferably a starch hydrolyzate. Starch hydrolyzate refers to a substance obtained by a process that includes a step of hydrolyzing starch. The starch hydrolyzate is, for example, a substance obtained by directly hydrolyzing starch (ie, dextrin) or a substance obtained by subjecting starch to heat treatment and then hydrolyzing (ie, indigestible dextrin).

The bulking agent can exhibit the function of the bulking agent to increase the bulk of the sheet, and can be added in an amount that does not affect the taste of the smoking article. The content of the bulking agent in the sheet is preferably from 100 to 500% by mass, more preferably from 200 to 500% by mass, based on the mass of the thickening polysaccharide. The content of the bulking agent in the sheet can be calculated using the value of the blending amount of the bulking agent and the thickening polysaccharide in the raw material slurry.

By adding the bulking material to the raw material of the fragrance-containing sheet 12, even if the fragrance-containing sheet 12 has a composition with a low concentration of fragrance, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 can be used under practical production conditions. And can be manufactured stably. Specifically, since the bulk-increasing material serves to increase the dry substance amount of the raw material slurry and increase the bulk of the sheet, it is possible to reduce the drying time required to produce a sheet having a desired thickness. it can. Further, since the bulk increasing material does not substantially increase the viscosity of the raw material slurry, it does not hinder the kneading operation and the extending operation of the raw material slurry.

香 Fragrance-containing sheet 12 may also contain water. That is, the water contained in the raw material slurry may remain on the flavor-containing sheet 12 after drying. The water content when water remains in the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is preferably less than 10% by mass, more preferably 3 to 9% by mass, and still more preferably 3 to 6% by mass based on the total mass of the sheet. .

Next, a method of manufacturing the fragrance-containing sheet 12 using the fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus 11 of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In the method for manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, there are four steps: a molding step, a gelling step, a slit forming step, and a drying step.

(4) In the dam portion 15, the flavor-containing slurry 14 as a raw material is held at 60 to 100 ° C. In the forming step, as shown in FIG. 5, the sol slurry 14 stored in the dam portion 15 is extruded together with the base material 16 in the feed direction A from the first gap 17A and the second gap 17B of the forming mechanism 17. Thus, the slurry 14 is formed into a sheet. At this time, the base material 16 is sent between the comma roll 32 and the coating roll 33, and the slurry 14 is extruded together with the base material 16 by the rotation of the coating roll 33. At this time, the formed fragrance-containing sheet 12 in the form of a sheet is in a sol state and has not yet been gelled. The fragrance-containing sheet 12 is placed on the base material 16.

In the gelling step, as shown in FIG. 6, a cooling air (air) is blown from above by the nozzle of the gelling mechanism 21 onto the fragrance-containing sheet 12 sent in the feed direction A, so that the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is reduced to zero. Cool to a temperature of ４０40 ° C. to gel the fragrance-containing sheet 12.

In the slit forming step, as shown in FIG. 7, the perfume-containing sheet 12 fed in the feed direction A and gelled by the gelling mechanism 21 is entirely or partially reduced in thickness by the slit forming section 23. A slit 22 having a corresponding depth is formed. The number of slits 22 to be formed is the same as the number of slit forming parts 38 provided in the slit forming part 23. Therefore, when the number of the slit forming parts 38 is two, two slits 22 are also formed. When the number of the slit forming parts 38 is three or more, three or more slits 22 are formed. When the number of the slit forming parts 38 is one, one slit is also formed.

ス リ ッ ト Slits 22 are formed such that the perfume-containing sheet 12 is cut by the slit forming component 38 when passing through the slit forming component 38 of the slit forming section 23. The depth of the slit 22 formed at this time is a depth corresponding to the entire thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12, and may be a depth at which the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is completely cut. Alternatively, the depth of the slit 22 is a depth corresponding to a part of the thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12, the depth of which is such that a cut is made on the fragrance-containing sheet 12, and the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is completely cut. The depth may not be sufficient. In this case, it is preferable that the slit forming component 38 is fixedly provided to the holding portion 41. It is preferable that the cut depth of the slit 22 can be adjusted by adjusting the fixing position of the slit forming component 38 and manipulating the distance (gap) from the tip of the slit forming component 38 to the base material 16.

先 Before this slit forming step, since the fragrance-containing sheet 12 has already been gelled, the slit shape is stored in the fragrance-containing sheet 12 as shown in FIG. Therefore, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 once formed with the slits 22 does not rejoin and return to one fragrance-containing sheet 12.

When the number of the slit forming parts 38 is two, the slits 22 are provided as a pair near both ends in the width direction W of the flavor-containing sheet 12. More specifically, the slit 22 is provided at a position separating the fragrance-containing sheet 12 formed by the second gap 17B and the fragrance-containing sheet 12 formed by the first gap 17A. When the number of the slit forming parts 38 is one, the slit forming parts 38 are provided in the vicinity of one end in the width direction W of the flavor-containing sheet 12. Similarly, in this case, the slit 22 is provided at a position separating the fragrance-containing sheet 12 formed by the second gap 17B and the fragrance-containing sheet 12 formed by the first gap 17A.

When the number of the slit forming parts 38 is three or more, two slits 22 are formed at both ends in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 in the same manner as in the case where the above-described two slit forming parts 38 are formed. Are provided in a pair in the vicinity of. Further, another slit 22 is provided at an arbitrary position in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 (for example, at the center).

In the drying step, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 9, in the process in which the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is sent from the first drying chamber 24A to the fourth chamber 24D, warm air at 70 to 100 ° C. is blown from above and below to form the fragrance-containing sheet. The sheet 12 is dried. Thereby, the moisture in the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is evaporated, and the moisture content of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is adjusted to an appropriate amount. Further, the perfume-containing sheet 12 slightly shrinks with drying, but the upper surface of the shrinked perfume-containing sheet 12 is formed flat. As a result, the fragrance-containing sheet 12, which had a shape as shown in FIG. 8 before drying, shrinks in the direction of the arrow to have the shape shown in FIG. As a result, the end portions having a large amount of water formed at both ends are cut off from the main body of the flavor-containing sheet 12. In addition, even when the slit 22 is formed at a depth corresponding to a part of the thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12, stress concentration occurs around the slit 22 in the process of shrinking the fragrance-containing sheet 12 in the drying step, and the slit 22 is formed. As a result, the terminal portion is cut off from the main body of the fragrance-containing sheet 12.

According to the first embodiment, the following can be said. The fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus 11 includes a feed mechanism 18 for feeding the gelled fragrance-containing sheet 12, and a depth corresponding to all or a part of the thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 along the feed direction A of the fragrance-containing sheet 12. A slit forming part 23 that forms one or more slits 22 is provided, and a drying mechanism 24 that dries the fragrance-containing sheet 12 in which the slits 22 are formed.

In the method for manufacturing a flavor-containing sheet, the slurry 14 containing a flavor is formed into a sheet by a forming mechanism 17, and the sheet-like slurry 14 sent in the feed direction A is cooled by a gelling mechanism 21 to form a gelled sheet. And forming one or more slits 22 having a depth corresponding to all or a part of the thickness of the gelled sheet by a slit forming part 23, and forming the gelled sheet including the one or more slits 22. Is dried by the drying mechanism 24.

The inventors of the present invention have conducted intensive studies on a method of manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet, and as a result, when the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is dried by the drying mechanism 24, a portion where the thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is thin at the initial stage of drying supports the same. It has been found that it is fixed to a base portion (for example, the base material 16) to form a fixing point. Furthermore, when the sheet surface is turned into a film and starts to shrink with the progress of drying thereafter, a strong tension is applied to the fixing point toward the center of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 in the width direction W. I also found out. In addition, the present inventors have found that when strongly fixed or adhered at the fixing point, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is deformed due to shrinkage, the fixing point or its periphery is peeled or broken, and the fragrance-containing sheet is damaged. 12 itself has been found to cause cracks, breaks and the like. Then, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 which has been deformed, broken or cracked in this way is naturally a defective product and cannot be used as a product.

According to the above configuration, the slit 22 is formed in the gelled perfume-containing sheet 12, so that the perfume-containing sheet 12 can memorize the slit shape. Then, by passing through the drying mechanism 24, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 having a portion cut by the slit 22 can be manufactured. As a result, the flavor-containing sheet 12 can be processed into a desired shape, and the tension (stress) generated in the flavor-containing sheet 12 by the slit 22 can be released. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the fragrance-containing sheet 12 from being cracked or broken, and to manufacture the fragrance-containing sheet 12 having a constant quality. In addition, even if the depth of the slit 22 is a depth corresponding to a part of the thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12, the slit 22 grows in the subsequent drying step (drying by the drying mechanism) and the fragrance-containing This is not a problem because the sheet 12 is reliably cut.

In the fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus 11, the one or more slits 22 are one, and the slit forming part 23 has one slit forming part 38, and the one slit forming part 38 has one slit 22. It is provided at a position formed near one end of the perfume-containing sheet 12 in the width direction W.

に お い て In the method for manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet, the number of one or more slits 22 is one, and the one slit 22 is formed near one end of the gel sheet in the width direction W by the slit forming part 23.

Under certain conditions, in the gelled fragrance-containing sheet 12, in the finished product after drying, the end may be thickened due to shrinkage, and a portion with a large amount of moisture may be formed at the end. In such a place where the amount of water is large, the gap between the gel cross-links is large, and the fragrance contained in the sheet together with the water is easily volatilized. Further, under certain conditions, shrinkage during drying by the drying mechanism 24 may cause overdrying at the end of the fragrance-containing sheet 12, whereby the end of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 curls and rises from the substrate 16. There is a possibility that the fragrance-containing sheet 12 may be peeled off from the base material 16 from the portion where the floating occurs, or an event that the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is cracked or broken may occur.

Therefore, in the fragrance-containing sheet 12, it is necessary to remove an end portion (one end portion) where the amount of water is increased, or conversely, the end portion (one end portion) which is likely to be lifted, peeled or cracked due to overdrying is unnecessary. According to the above two configurations, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 can be divided into two by a simple configuration. Thereby, the perfume-containing sheet 12 can be processed into a desired state such as removal of an unnecessary portion provided at an end of the perfume-containing sheet 12.

In the fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus 11, the number of the one or more slits 22 is two, and the slit forming part 23 has two slit forming parts 38, and one of the two slit forming parts 38 has two slits. 22 is provided at a position where one of the two slit forming parts 38 is formed near one end of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12. It is provided at a position formed near the other end in the width direction W. In the method for manufacturing a flavor-containing sheet, the number of the one or more slits 22 is two, and one of the two slits 22 is positioned near one end of the flavor-containing sheet 12 in the width direction W by the slit forming part 23. The other of the two slits 22 is formed near the other end of the flavor-containing sheet 12 in the width direction W.

According to these configurations, by forming the slits 22 at both ends of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 where the amount of water increases or overdrying occurs, these can be cut off. Thus, unnecessary portions in the fragrance-containing sheet 12 can be removed, and the fragrance-containing sheet 12 can be easily processed into a desired state.

The perfume-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus 11 includes a forming mechanism 17 for forming the perfume-containing slurry 12 into a sheet by forming the perfume-containing slurry 14 into a sheet. According to this configuration, the perfume-containing sheet 12 before gelation can be preliminarily formed into a predetermined shape by the forming mechanism 17.

In the perfume-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus 11, the forming mechanism 17 is a first gap 17A that defines the thickness of the perfume-containing sheet 12 before gelation, the first gap 17A passing through the first gap 17A; Of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 before gelation, which is provided at one end of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 in the width direction W and has a smaller size than the first gap 17A. And a second gap portion 17B defining the thickness. According to this configuration, by reducing the thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 passing through the second gap 17B in advance, during drying performed by the drying mechanism 24, the thickness of the portion formed by the second gap 17B due to shrinkage is reduced. The formation of a large thickened portion can be prevented. As a result, the area provided at the end does not have too much water content, and the area that can be used as a product can be increased. Alternatively, depending on the condition setting, the step of removing this part as a defective part itself can be omitted.

The perfume-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus 11 includes a gelling mechanism 21 that is provided between the forming mechanism 17 and the slit forming part 23 and that gels the perfume-containing sheet 12 before the gelation. According to this configuration, the time required for gelation can be reduced and the production line for the fragrance-containing sheet 12 can be shortened as compared with the case where gelation due to natural heat radiation is used.

The slit forming part 23 has one or more slit forming parts 38 that form the one or more slits 22, and one of the one or more slit forming parts 38 includes the fragrance-containing part formed in the second gap 17B. It is provided at a position separated from the fragrance-containing sheet 12 formed by the sheet 12 and the first gap portion 17A by one slit 22. According to this configuration, if the slit 22 is formed at a position separating the fragrance-containing sheet 12 formed by the second gap portion 17B and the fragrance-containing sheet 12 formed by the first gap portion 17A, the thickness of the second thin portion is reduced. The portion formed by the two gaps 17B can be separated from the portion formed by the first gap 17A. Thereby, the thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 can be made substantially uniform, and the fragrance-containing sheet 12 having a constant thickness, the amount of the fragrance remaining in the inside, the amount of moisture, and the like, that is, the quality can be obtained. As a result, it is possible to remove an end portion (one end portion) which is likely to be lifted, peeled or cracked due to overdrying as an unnecessary portion.

The perfume-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus 11 has a sheet-like base material 16 on which the perfume-containing sheet 12 is placed. According to this configuration, the perfume-containing sheet 12 before gelling and the gelled perfume-containing sheet 12 can be stably sent in the feed direction A.

The slit forming part 23 holds one slit forming part 38 that forms one slit 22 and one or more slit forming parts 38 such that the weight of the slit forming part 38 acts on the fragrance-containing sheet 12. The above-described holding section 41 is provided. According to this configuration, the perfume-containing sheet 12 can be cut off by one or more slit forming parts 38 by the weight of the slit forming parts 38. Thereby, the configuration of the slit forming part 23 that forms one or more slits 22 can be realized with a simple structure.

(Reference form)
Subsequently, a fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus 11 ′ according to the reference embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12. As shown in FIG. 10, when the slurry 14 is formed in the forming mechanism 17 to form the fragrance-containing sheet 12 having a uniform thickness in the width direction W, the gelling step by the gelling mechanism 21 and the drying by the drying mechanism 24 are performed. Through the steps, the dried fragrance-containing sheet 12 is manufactured. However, in the drying step, shrinkage occurs at both ends in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 as shown by arrows in FIG. 11, and under certain conditions, a portion where the film thickness is thickened at both ends as shown in FIG. 12A may be formed. In the thickened portion 12A, the gap between the gel bridges is large because the amount of water is larger than the other portions, and the fragrance contained in the sheet is easily volatilized together with the water. ing. The present inventors have conducted intensive studies on the method for producing the fragrance-containing sheet 12 described in the above embodiment. As a result, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 having the thickened portion 12A may be defective. It has been found that it is necessary to remove the thickened portion 12A in the process.

変 形 In the following modified examples, parts that are different from the above embodiment will be mainly described, and illustration and description of parts common to those will be omitted.

(First Modification)
With reference to FIG. 13, a fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus 11 according to a first modification will be described. In the first modification, the configuration of the forming mechanism 17 and the configuration of the slit forming section 23 are different from those of the above-described embodiment.

The forming mechanism 17 includes a comma roll 32 and a coating roll 33 facing the comma roll 32. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 13, the coating roll 33 is formed in a cylindrical shape. In the outer peripheral portion of the coating roll 33, a concave portion 35 depressed from the periphery is provided at a substantially intermediate portion in the axial direction.

In the present modification, the coating roll 33 is formed of a stepped member (stepped roller) in order to partially reduce the coating thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12, as in the above embodiment. The stepped member has a concave portion 35 and a pair of large diameter portions 42 provided outside the concave portion 35. The concave portion 35 is not provided with a pair of tapered portions 36. A small diameter portion 37 is provided in the concave portion 35. Outside the recess 35, a pair of large diameter portions 42 are provided. The method for forming the large diameter portion 42 and the like is arbitrary. For example, the small-diameter portion 37 and the large-diameter portion 42 of the stepped member may be formed by machining (cutting, lathing) or the like as in the above-described embodiment. In the present modified example, as an example of a forming method, each of the large diameter portions 42 is formed of, for example, a tape wound around the main body 33A (shaft portion) of the coating roll 33. The tape is adhered to the outer peripheral surface 34 of the main body 33A (shaft) of the coating roll 33.

The large diameter portion 42 is formed, for example, at a height of 10 to 100 μm from the outer peripheral surface 34, preferably at a height of 20 to 80 μm from the outer peripheral surface 34, and more preferably at a height of 40 to 60 μm from the outer peripheral surface 34. Formed by Therefore, in the present embodiment, the tape having such a thickness is wound around and adhered to the main body 33A of the coating roll 33, so that the large-diameter portion 42 is formed.

The molding mechanism 17 further includes a first gap 17A and a second gap 17B between the comma roll 32 and the coating roll 33. The first gap portion 17A corresponds to the small diameter portion 37. The second gap portion 17B corresponds to the large diameter portion 42. Therefore, the dimension H2 (height dimension) of the second gap 17B is smaller than the dimension H1 (height dimension) of the first gap 17A. The second gap 17B is provided as a pair on both sides of the first gap 17A, but may be provided only on one side adjacent to the first gap 17A.

The slit forming section 23 includes one or more slit forming parts 38 and a holding part 41 that holds the slit forming parts 38. In the present embodiment, the slit forming parts 38 are preferably provided in a pair so as to be located near both ends of the fragrance-containing sheet 12. The number of slit forming parts 38 provided in the slit forming part 23 is not limited to two, but may be three or more, or may be one.

In the present embodiment, the slits 22 having a depth corresponding to the entire thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 are formed. However, by changing the type of the slit forming component 38, one of the thicknesses of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is reduced. The slit 22 having a depth corresponding to the portion can be formed.

The slit forming part 23 is formed by the slit forming part 38 at a position of 1 to 10 mm, preferably 2 to 8 mm, more preferably 3 to 6 mm from the end in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12. Are formed as a pair. The pair of slit forming parts 38 are provided at positions where the slits 22 are formed in the fragrance-containing sheet 12 formed by the second gap 17B.

Next, a method for manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet using the fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus 11 of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the method of manufacturing the fragrance-containing sheet 12 of this modification, only the slit forming step is different from that of the above embodiment, and this will be described below.

In the slit forming step, the perfume-containing sheet 12 fed in the feed direction A and gelled by the gelling mechanism 21 is slit by the slit forming part 23 to have a slit 22 having a depth corresponding to all or a part of its thickness. To form The number of slits 22 to be formed is the same as the number of slit forming parts 38 provided in the slit forming part 23.

ス リ ッ ト Slits 22 are formed such that the perfume-containing sheet 12 is pushed off from above by the slit forming component 38 when passing through the slit forming component 38 of the slit forming portion 23. Prior to the slit forming step, the shape of the slit 22 is stored in the fragrance-containing sheet 12 because the fragrance-containing sheet 12 has already been gelled.

When the number of the slit forming parts 38 is two, the slits 22 are provided as a pair near both ends in the width direction W of the flavor-containing sheet 12. More specifically, the slit 22 is provided at a position corresponding to the fragrance-containing sheet 12 formed by the second gap 17B. When the number of the slit forming parts 38 is one, the slit forming parts 38 are provided in the vicinity of one end in the width direction W of the flavor-containing sheet 12. Also in this case, similarly, the slit 22 is provided at a position corresponding to the fragrance-containing sheet 12 formed by the second gap portion 17B.

When the number of the slit forming parts 38 is three or more, two slits 22 are formed at both ends in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 in the same manner as in the case where the above-described two slit forming parts 38 are formed. Are provided in a pair in the vicinity of. Further, another slit 22 is provided at an arbitrary position (for example, a central portion) in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12.

According to this modification, the slit forming part 23 has one or more slit forming parts 38, and one of the one or more slit forming parts 38 is the fragrance-containing sheet 12 formed by the second gap 17B. At a position where the slit 22 is formed. As described above, if the slits 22 are formed in the fragrance-containing sheet 12 formed by the second gap portions 17B, even if the position where the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is sent is slightly shifted in the width direction W in the manufacturing process, The slit 22 can be reliably formed at a predetermined position. Thus, the occurrence rate of defective products can be reduced in consideration of the variation in the passing position of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 in the manufacturing process, and the yield of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 can be improved.

(Second Modification)
With reference to FIG. 14, the fragrance | flavor containing sheet manufacturing apparatus 11 of a 2nd modification is demonstrated. In the second modified example, the width of the fragrance-containing sheet 12, the configuration of the forming mechanism 17, and the configuration of the slit forming section 23 are different from those of the above-described embodiment. In this modification, a method for simultaneously producing a plurality of the fragrance-containing sheets 12 having substantially the same width and the same composition will be described.

The forming mechanism 17 includes a comma roll 32 and a coating roll 33 facing the comma roll 32. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 14, the coating roll 33 is formed in a cylindrical shape. In the present embodiment, the concave portion 35 is not provided on the outer peripheral portion of the coating roll 33.

The perfume-containing sheet 12 has a width (length) of 1000 mm in the width direction W and a thickness of 350 to 1300 μm before drying, for example. The perfume-containing sheet 12 has a width (length) of 960 mm with respect to the sheet width direction W and a thickness of 50 to 200 μm in a dried state, for example. Therefore, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 of the second modified example has the same thickness as the fragrance-containing sheet 12 of the above embodiment, and is formed longer in the width direction W, that is, wider than the above embodiment. The fragrance-containing sheet 12 may be formed in a state before drying, for example, with a width (length) of 1000 mm or more in the width direction W.

The slit forming part 23 has a plurality of (for example, two) slit forming parts 38 that form the plurality of slits 22 and a plurality of holding parts 41 that hold the plurality of slit forming parts 38. The plurality of slit forming parts 38 are provided apart from each other in the width direction W of the flavor-containing sheet 12. In the present modification, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 includes a plurality of strips 12B separated by a plurality of slits 22. The plurality of slit forming parts 38 of the slit forming part 23 form the plurality of slits 22 so that the respective lengths of the plurality of strips 12B are substantially the same in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12. Preferably, it is provided at a position. In the present modification, the slit forming section 23 divides the perfume-containing sheet 12 at substantially equal intervals (three divisions) by the plurality of slits 22. At this time, the plurality of holding parts 41 (holding tools) of the slit forming part 23 apply a plurality of slit forming parts 38 so that the weight of the slit forming part 38 acts on the base material 16 and the fragrance-containing sheet 12 from above. Holding.

When the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is 1000 mm or more in the width direction W, the number of the slit forming parts 38 provided in the slit forming part 23 may be three or more. Even when the number of the slit forming parts 38 is three, the three slit forming parts 38 are provided at positions where the respective lengths of the plurality of strips 12B are substantially the same. At this time, the slit forming section 23 divides the fragrance-containing sheet 12 at substantially equal intervals (divided into four) by the plurality of slits 22. When the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is further widened in the width direction W, the number of the slit forming parts 38 and the slits 22 may be further increased, and the number of the slit forming parts 38 and the slits 22 may be four or more. That is, in the present modification, the numbers of the slit forming parts 38 and the slits 22 are arbitrary, and can be appropriately increased or decreased according to the length of the flavor-containing sheet 12 in the width direction W.

作用 The operation of this modification will be described. In this modification, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is formed wider than in the above embodiment. Therefore, in the drying step by the drying mechanism 24, the amount of shrinkage due to drying is larger than in the above embodiment. For this reason, when the slit 22 is not provided as in the present modification, for example, in the drying step, a fixing point is formed between the thin portion of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 and the base portion supporting the thin portion. You. Then, stress (tension) is generated between the fixing points due to shrinkage due to drying, and there is a possibility that cracks, breaks, and the like may occur at arbitrary locations where such stress is concentrated. In this modification, unlike the above-described embodiment, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is divided by the slits 22 at substantially equal intervals. For this reason, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 can be slid with respect to the base material 16 at the location where the slit 22 is provided. Therefore, in this modification, the tension (stress) generated in the drying step is released at the position of each slit 22.

According to this modification, the following can be said. In the fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus 11, the one or more slits 22 are plural, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 includes a plurality of strips 12B separated by the plurality of slits 22, and the slit forming part 23 includes a plurality of slits. The plurality of slit forming parts 38 that form the second 22 have the same length in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12. Is provided at a position where a plurality of slits 22 are formed.

Further, in the method for manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet, the one or more slits 22 are plural, and the fragrance-containing sheet 12 includes a plurality of belt-shaped portions 12B separated by the plurality of slits 22. The plurality of slits 22 are formed such that the lengths of the plurality of strips 12B in the width direction W of the sheet 12 are substantially the same.

According to these configurations, for example, in the case where the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is formed wide and the tension (stress) generated due to shrinkage in the drying step becomes excessive, the tension is applied to the slit 22. Can be released in position. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of stress concentration at an unexpected location and the occurrence of cracking or breaking of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 near the stress concentration point. Thereby, the yield of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 can be improved.

The fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus 11 is not limited to those described in the above embodiment and each modified example, and may be embodied by modifying its constituent elements in an implementation stage without departing from the gist thereof. In addition, some constituent elements may be deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiment and each modified example, or the fragrance-containing sheet production shown in any of the embodiment, the first modified example, and the second modified example Naturally, it is also possible to configure one invention by appropriately combining the apparatuses 11 or the method for producing a fragrance-containing sheet.

11: Perfume-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus, 12: Perfume-containing sheet, 12B: Belt, 14: Slurry, 16: Base material, 17: Forming mechanism, 17A: First gap, 17B: Second gap, 18: Feed Mechanism: 21: gelling mechanism, 22: slit, 23: slit forming part, 24: drying mechanism, 38: slit forming part, 41: holding part.

Claims (16)

1. A feed mechanism for feeding the gelled perfume-containing sheet,
   Along the feed direction of the fragrance-containing sheet, a slit forming portion that forms one or more slits having a depth corresponding to all or a part of the thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet,
   A drying mechanism for drying the flavor-containing sheet on which the slit is formed,
   A fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus comprising:
2. The one or more slits are one,
   The slit forming part has one slit forming part that forms the one slit, and the one slit forming part places the one slit near one end in the width direction of the fragrance-containing sheet. The fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, which is provided at a position where the fragrance is formed.
3. The one or more slits are two,
   The slit forming part has two slit forming parts that form the two slits, and one of the two slit forming parts connects one of the two slits to one end in the width direction of the fragrance-containing sheet. The other of the two slit forming parts is provided at a position where the other of the two slits is formed near the other end in the width direction of the fragrance-containing sheet. The fragrance-containing sheet producing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.
4. The one or more slits are plural,
   4. The slit according to claim 1, wherein the slit forming part has a plurality of slit forming parts forming the plurality of slits, and the plurality of slit forming parts are provided apart from each other in a width direction of the fragrance-containing sheet. The fragrance-containing sheet production apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
5. The fragrance-containing sheet includes a plurality of strips separated by the plurality of slits,
   The plurality of slit forming parts are provided at positions where the plurality of slits are formed such that respective lengths of the plurality of band-shaped portions are substantially the same in the width direction of the flavor-containing sheet. An apparatus for producing a perfume-containing sheet according to the above.
6. The perfume-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a forming mechanism for forming a perfume-containing slurry into a sheet to form a perfume-containing sheet before gelation.
7. The molding mechanism includes:
   A first gap, which defines the thickness of the perfume-containing sheet before gelation passing therethrough,
   A second gap portion provided at one end in the width direction of the perfume-containing sheet before gelling and having a smaller gap size than the first gap portion, and passing through the second perfume-containing sheet before gelation. A second gap defining the thickness of
   The fragrance-containing sheet production apparatus according to claim 6, comprising:
8. The perfume-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, further comprising: a gelling mechanism provided at a position between the molding mechanism and the slit forming portion to gel the perfume-containing sheet before the gelation.
9. The slit forming unit has one or more slit forming parts that form the one or more slits,
   One of the one or more slit forming parts is a position separating the fragrance-containing sheet formed in the second gap and the fragrance-containing sheet formed in the first gap by one slit, or The fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the fragrance-containing sheet is provided at a position where one slit is formed in the fragrance-containing sheet formed by the second gap.
10. The apparatus for producing a fragrance-containing sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a sheet-like substrate on which the fragrance-containing sheet is placed.
11. The slit forming unit includes one slit forming part that forms the one slit and one or more slit forming parts that hold the one or more slit forming parts such that the weight of the slit forming part acts on the fragrance-containing sheet. The fragrance-containing sheet producing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a holding section.
12. The slurry containing the fragrance is formed into a sheet by a forming mechanism,
    The sheet-like slurry solution sent in the feed direction is formed into a gelled sheet by a gelling mechanism,
    One or more slits having a depth corresponding to all or a part of the thickness of the gelled sheet are formed by a slit forming portion,
    A method for producing a flavor-containing sheet, wherein the gelled sheet including the one or more slits is dried by a drying mechanism.
13. The one or more slits are one,
    The method for producing a fragrance-containing sheet according to claim 12, wherein the one slit is formed in the vicinity of one end in the width direction of the gel-like sheet by the slit forming part.
14. The one or more slits are two,
    The slit forming portion forms one of the two slits near one end of the sheet in the width direction and the other of the two slits near the other end of the sheet in the width direction. The method for producing a fragrance-containing sheet according to claim 12.
15. The one or more slits are plural,
    The sheet includes a plurality of strips separated by the plurality of slits,
    The method for producing a fragrance-containing sheet according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of slits are formed by the slit forming portion such that the lengths of the plurality of band-shaped portions in the width direction of the sheet are substantially equal to each other.
16. The slit forming part includes one slit forming part that forms the one slit and one or more holding parts that hold the one or more slit forming parts so that the weight of the slit forming part acts on the sheet. The method for producing a fragrance-containing sheet according to claim 12, comprising:

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