CN112512344B

CN112512344B - Apparatus for manufacturing fragrance-containing sheet and method for manufacturing fragrance-containing sheet

Info

Publication number: CN112512344B
Application number: CN201880096095.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 坂大武志; 山崎亮辅
Original assignee: Japan Tobacco Inc
Current assignee: Japan Tobacco Inc
Priority date: 2018-07-30
Filing date: 2018-07-30
Publication date: 2023-01-13
Anticipated expiration: 2038-07-30
Also published as: CN112512344A; WO2020026309A1; US20210145042A1; EP3831218A1; KR102591929B1; EP3831218A4; RU2765360C1; KR20210016031A; JP7000577B2; JPWO2020026309A1

Abstract

The fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing device (11) is provided with: a conveying mechanism for conveying the gelatinized fragrance-containing sheet (12); a slit forming section (23) that forms one or more slits along the direction of conveyance of the fragrance-containing sheet (12), the slits having a depth corresponding to the entire thickness or a part of the thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet (12); a drying mechanism (24) that dries the fragrance-containing sheet (12) in which the slit is formed.

Description

Apparatus for manufacturing fragrance-containing sheet and method for manufacturing fragrance-containing sheet

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet, which can manufacture a fragrance-containing sheet.

Background

A method for producing a tablet containing perfume for smoking articles is disclosed (patent documents 1 to 3). The manufacturing method comprises: (1) Stretching a raw material slurry containing a polysaccharide and a perfume, having a water content of 70 to 95 wt%, and being in a sol state at 60 to 90 ℃ into a base material form; (2) A step of cooling the stretched raw material slurry to a sample temperature of 0 to 40 ℃ to cause gelation; (3) A heat drying step of drying the gelled raw material at a sample temperature of 70 to 100 ℃.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: international publication No. 2012/118032

Patent document 2: international publication No. 2012/118033

Patent document 3: international publication No. 2012/118034

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

The gelling substance contains moisture and perfume between constituent gel crosslinks, and in such properties, its characteristics (viscosity and residual perfume amount) vary depending on external environments such as temperature and humidity, internal environments such as the composition of the gelling substance and the amount of moisture inside the gelling substance, and therefore it is difficult to constantly control the quality of a sheet made of the gelling substance.

The present invention aims to provide a device and a method for manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet, which can make the quality of the fragrance-containing sheet constant.

Means for solving the problems

An apparatus for manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a conveying mechanism that conveys the gelled fragrance-containing sheet; a slit forming section for forming one or more slits having a depth corresponding to all or a part of the thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet along the direction of conveyance of the fragrance-containing sheet; a drying mechanism that dries the fragrance-containing sheet formed with the slit.

In a method for producing a fragrance-containing sheet according to one aspect of the present invention, a slurry containing a fragrance is formed into a sheet shape by a forming mechanism, the sheet-shaped slurry conveyed in a conveying direction is cooled by a gelling mechanism to form a gelled sheet, one or more slits having a depth corresponding to all or part of the thickness of the gelled sheet are formed by a slit forming portion, and the gelled sheet including the one or more slits is dried by a drying mechanism.

Effects of the invention

According to the apparatus and method for manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet of the present invention, it is possible to provide an apparatus and method for manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet that can maintain the quality of a fragrance-containing sheet constant.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an apparatus for manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged schematic view showing a part of the forming mechanism, the gelling mechanism, the slit forming section, and the drying mechanism of the apparatus for producing a fragrance-containing sheet shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing one of the one or more slit forming members provided in the slit forming section shown in fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet using the apparatus for manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet according to the embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a front view showing the forming mechanism, base material, and fragrance-containing sheet shown in fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing no step of cooling the fragrance-containing sheet by the gelling mechanism (gelling step) shown in fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing no step (slit forming step) of forming slits by the pair of slit forming members as the slit forming section shown in fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view schematically showing a process of shrinking the fragrance-containing sheet by the drying mechanism shown in fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view schematically showing a state after the fragrance-containing sheet is dried by the drying mechanism shown in fig. 2.

Fig. 10 is a front view showing a forming mechanism of the reference-mode fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view schematically showing a process in which the fragrance-containing sheet formed by the forming mechanism of the reference type shown in fig. 10 shrinks in the drying process.

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a state after the fragrance-containing sheet formed by the forming mechanism of the reference system shown in fig. 10 is dried in the drying process.

Fig. 13 is a front view showing a forming mechanism and a slit forming portion of the fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the first modification.

Fig. 14 is a front view showing a forming mechanism and a slit forming portion of a fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus according to a second modification.

Detailed Description

[ embodiment ]

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus 11 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 9. The fragrance-containing sheet 12 produced by the fragrance-containing sheet producing apparatus 11 is formed into a sheet shape from, for example, a thickening polysaccharide, and contains a fragrance in a dispersed state inside. In the fragrance-containing sheet 12, the fragrance is held in a state of being covered with the thickening polysaccharide inside the sheet. Thus, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 has high storage stability. The flavor-containing sheet 12 is finely cut, and is used in combination with, for example, tobacco shreds of smoking articles for enhancing flavor or the like.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the apparatus 11 for manufacturing an aroma-containing sheet includes: a supply path 13 (supply line) connected to the upstream slurry adjusting unit; a dam portion 15 for storing the fragrance-containing material 14 supplied from the supply path 13; a sheet-like base material 16 provided over the entire length of the manufacturing line of the fragrance-containing sheet 12; a forming mechanism 17 for forming the slurry 14 stored in the dam 15 into a sheet on the base material 16; a conveying mechanism 18 that conveys the sheet-like fragrance-containing sheet 12 placed on the base material 16 and conveyed in the conveying direction a, the base material 16, and the fragrance-containing sheet 12 (slurry 14) formed into a sheet shape in the conveying direction; a gelling mechanism 21 for cooling the sheet-like slurry 14 to prepare a gelled fragrance-containing sheet 12; a slit forming section 23 for forming one or more slits 22 in the gelled fragrance-containing sheet 12; and a drying mechanism 24 for drying the fragrance-containing sheet 12 having the slit 22 formed therein.

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

The gelling mechanism 21 is constituted by a general air blower such as a fan or a blower, and can feed cooling air (air) to the fragrance-containing sheet 12. The gelling mechanism 21 can promote gelling of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 by reducing the temperature of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 before gelling with cooling air. The gelling mechanism 21 is not limited to the air blower, and may be a mechanism for gelling the fragrance-containing sheet 12, and may be, for example, a device for applying a liquid of various molecular crosslinking agents such as an alcohol or a cation (2-valent cation) aqueous solution to the fragrance-containing sheet 12, a device for accelerating gelling by irradiating the fragrance-containing sheet 12 with ultraviolet rays or the like, or a water-cooled cooling device, or the like.

The transport mechanism 18 is disposed along the length of the substrate 16. The conveyance mechanism 18 includes, for example: a draw-out section 25 (draw-out roller) that draws out the substrate; a winding section 26 (winding roller) that winds the base material 16 together with the fragrance-containing sheet 12; a first driven roller 27 provided below the base 16 in the vicinity of the gelling mechanism 21; a second driven roller 28 provided in the vicinity of the winding portion 26; and a plurality of rollers, not shown, for supporting the base material 16. In the present embodiment, the winding unit 26 is driven to rotate by driving of a motor or the like, and all of the other rollers are driven rollers. However, the conveyance method is not limited to this, and for example, some of the driven rollers may be used as drive rollers, and the substrate 16 may be positively conveyed in the conveyance direction by the drive rollers.

The base material 16 is wound around the core in the extraction portion 25, and thereby the base material 16 can be extracted. The base material 16 is wound around the core portion in the winding portion 26, and the base material 16 is wound together with the fragrance-containing sheet 12 by rotationally driving the base material.

The drying mechanism 24 includes, for example, four drying chambers 24A to 24D. The substrate 16 is passed through the 4 drying chambers 24A to 24D. Each drying chamber 24A is provided with a plurality of blast nozzles 31. In the drying chamber 24A, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 provided on the base 16 and having the slit 22 formed therein can be dried by blowing warm air of 70 to 100 ℃. The temperature conditions of the four drying chambers 24A may be common to each other, or the temperature conditions of the drying chambers 24A may be different from each other.

The molding mechanism 17 is configured to be able to mold the fragrance-containing sheet 12 before gelation. The forming mechanism 17 includes a comma roller 32 (comma roller, fixed roller) and an application roller 33 (application roller, rotary roller) opposed to the comma roller 32. As shown in fig. 2 and 5, the application roller 33 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The application roller 33 has an outer peripheral surface 34 and a recessed portion 35, and the recessed portion 35 is provided at a substantially middle portion in the axial direction and recessed 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 to have a depth of, for example, 10 to 100 μm from the outer peripheral surface 34, preferably 20 to 80 μm from the outer peripheral surface 34, and more preferably 40 to 60 μm from the outer peripheral surface 34. The application roller 33 is a so-called driven roller, and rotates together with the substrate 16 in the transport direction a. The application roller 33 is formed by, for example, machining (cutting, turning).

As shown in fig. 2 and 5, the comma roll 32 has a cross-sectional shape of a so-called "comma" which is a mark of english, and has a notched cylindrical shape formed by cutting out a part of a cylindrical shape. The comma roller 32 is fixedly provided so as not to rotate on its center axis.

As shown in fig. 5, the forming mechanism 17 further includes a first gap portion 17A and a second gap portion 17B between the comma roller 32 and the application roller 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 portion 17B is provided at one end portion in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 before gelation. In the present embodiment, the second gap portions 17B are provided as a pair on both sides sandwiching the first gap portion 17A, but may be provided only on one side adjacent to the first gap portion 17A.

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

As shown in fig. 2 and 7, the slit forming section 23 includes one or more slit forming members 38 and one or more holding sections 41 for holding the one or more slit forming members 38. One slit forming member 38 may form one slit 22. Each slit forming member 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 conveying direction a of the fragrance-containing sheet 12. Thus, each slit 22 extends continuously along the conveying direction a of the fragrance-containing sheet 12.

In the present embodiment, two, i.e., a pair of, the one or more slit forming members 38 are preferably provided. One of the pair of slit-forming members 38 is preferably provided so as to be located in the vicinity of one end portion in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12, and the other of the pair of slit-forming members 38 is preferably provided so as to be located in the vicinity of the other end portion in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12. As shown in fig. 3, the slit forming member 38 is formed in a shape having a rounded tip and not damaging the base material 16. Such a slit forming member 38 with rounded corners is preferably used from the viewpoint of recycling of the base material 16. As the slit forming member 38, for example, a cutter such as a blade knife formed of a stainless material or the like can be preferably used. The slit forming member 38 may be any member that forms slits in the fragrance-containing sheet 12 (polysaccharide sheet) without damaging the base material 16 (base sheet). The slit forming member 38 is not limited to a blade, and may be a blade, a plate, or the like. Alternatively, the slit forming member 38 may be a rotary cutter or the like having a disk shape, and the weight of the cutter may be applied to the tablet 12 without damaging the base material 16 by rounding the tip.

The thickness of the slit forming member 38 is preferably 0.1 to 2mm, and more preferably 0.3 to 1mm, for example, in order to maintain a predetermined strength. Preferably, the slit forming member 38 is provided with a cutting edge inclined with respect to the transport direction (inclined so that the slit forming member 38 becomes tapered toward the front end side of the slit forming member 38) at a position where the slit forming member 38 contacts the fragrance-containing sheet 12 on the upstream side in the transport direction, without forming a cutting edge perpendicular to the transport direction. In the case where the slit forming member 38 has a thickness, the above-described structure is particularly preferable. This prevents the chips containing the fragrance sheet 12 from accumulating on the cutting edge.

In addition, from the viewpoint of not damaging the base material 16, the slit forming member 38 is preferably not sharp on the base material 16 (base sheet) side. On the other hand, the slit forming member 38 is preferably pointed at the fragrance-containing sheet 12 side. This is because chips containing the fragrance sheet 12 can be prevented from accumulating on the cutting edge of the slit forming member 38, or from being broken in the slit forming member 38 by the chips and the like.

As shown in fig. 7, one or more slit forming members 38 are provided at positions that separate the fragrance-containing sheet 12 formed by the second gap portion 17B from the fragrance-containing sheet 12 formed by the first gap portion 17A. The number of the slit forming members 38 provided in the slit forming portion 23 is not limited to two, and may be three or more, or may be one. The number of the holding portions 41 is set to, for example, the same number as the number of the slit forming members 38. The holding portion 41 may be formed of one piece, or a plurality of slit forming members 38 may be held by one holding portion 41.

Each holding portion 41 has a cylindrical or U-shaped holder, for example, and the shank portion of the slit forming member 38 is fitted with play. Therefore, the holder surrounds the stem portion of the slit-forming member 38 so that the slit-forming member 38 does not fall down, but holds the slit-forming member 38 so that the weight of the slit-forming member 38 acts on the base material 16 and the fragrance-containing sheet 12 from above. The holding manner of the slit forming member 38 is arbitrary, and any holding method may be used as long as the slit forming member 38 is configured to apply the own weight of the fragrance-containing sheet 12. For example, the following structure is of course possible: the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is cut under pressure by the fragrance slit-forming member 38 with its own weight applied to the fragrance-containing sheet 12 which is in contact with the tip of the slit-forming member 38 in a state where the slit-forming member 38 is suspended from above by a string.

The weight of the slit-forming member 38 is, for example, 10 to 400g, preferably 20 to 200g. Therefore, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 gelled by passing through the lower side of the slit-forming member 38 can be pressed and separated from the upper side. The slit forming member 38 preferably has a self-weight to such an extent that the base material 16 is not largely dented or cut when the self-weight is applied. It is needless to say that the depth of the slit 22 can be changed by using the slit-forming member 38 having a different weight from that of the slit-forming member made of stainless steel, or by changing the slit-forming member 38 to a resin member. In the present embodiment, the slit 22 having a depth corresponding to the entire thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is formed, but the slit 22 having a depth corresponding to a part of the thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 may be formed by changing the type of the slit forming member 38.

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

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

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

The thickening polysaccharide contained in the fragrance-containing sheet 12 has a property of fixing and coating the fragrance dispersed in the sheet. The thickening polysaccharide is a single component selected from carrageenan, agar, xanthan gum, gellan gum, silica gel, or konjac glucomannan; or a composite system comprising 2 or more components selected from the group consisting of carrageenan, locust bean gum, guar gum, agar, gellan gum, tamarind gum, xanthan gum, tara gum, konjac glucomannan, starch, cocoa bean gum, and silicon gum.

Preferably, the viscosifying polysaccharide is a one-component system of carrageenan, agar, xanthan or gellan; or a composite system comprising carrageenan, agar, xanthan gum or gellan gum, and one or more components selected from the group consisting of locust bean gum, guar gum, tamarind gum, tara gum, konjac glucomannan, gellan gum and silicon gel.

More preferably, the mucopolysaccharides are selected from the group consisting of carrageenan, agar, xanthan, gellan and mixtures of gellan and tamarind gums.

Aqueous solutions of carrageenan, agar, xanthan or gellan gum have the following properties (hereinafter referred to as "temperature responsive sol gel transfer characteristics"): when cooled to a temperature equal to or lower than a specific temperature, the gel is gelled (i.e., loses fluidity and solidifies), and once gelled, even if the temperature rises thereafter and reaches a temperature at which the gel is transferred, the gel is not easily dissolved, and the gelled state can be maintained. Therefore, when the raw material slurry contains any one of carrageenan, agar, xanthan gum and gellan gum as a thickening polysaccharide, the following advantages are obtained: the raw material slurry is once cooled to be gelled, and the gelled raw material is dried at a high temperature, whereby a sheet can be produced in a short time.

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

In the case of using a mixture of gellan gum and tamarind gum as a thickening polysaccharide, the mass ratio of gellan gum to tamarind gum is preferably 1:1 to 3:1, in the above range.

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 (i.e., dry matter) of the components other than water in the raw material slurry. The amount (mass%) of the thickening polysaccharide can be calculated using the amount of each component in the raw material slurry other than water.

The flavoring agent contained in the flavor-containing sheet 12 is not limited as long as it is a flavoring agent used in a smoking article, and any flavoring agent may be used. Examples of the main perfume include menthol, a leaf smoke extract, natural plant perfumes (for example, cinnamon, sage, vanilla, chamomile, kudzu, sweet tea, clove, lavender, karida, bowknot, nutmeg, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, lemon, orange, cinnamon, caramel, jasmine, turmeric, caraway, a vanilla extract, spearmint, peppermint, cassia, coffee, cellophane, cassela, sandalwood, cacao, ylang, fennel, lycopene, st john's red, plum essence, honey peach essence, etc.), saccharides (for example, glucose, fructose, isomerized sugar, caramel, etc.), cacao (powder, extract, etc.), esters (for example, isoamyl acetate, aralkyl acetate, isoamyl propionate, aralkyl butyrate, etc.), ketones (for example, menthone, irisone, daminone, damascenone, ethyl maltitol, linalool, cumin, geraniol, etc.), cumyl alcohol, musk, vanillin, undecylenic alcohol, etc.), ketones (for example, nonaphthalides, nonene, gamma-benzaldehyde, etc.), and nonene, e. These flavors may be used as solids or dissolved or dispersed in a suitable solvent, such as propylene glycol, ethanol, benzyl alcohol, triethyl citrate. It is preferable to use a perfume which is easily dispersed in a solvent by adding an emulsifier, for example, a hydrophobic perfume, an oil-soluble perfume, or the like. These perfumes may be used alone or in combination.

The amount of perfume in the sheet is preferably less than 18 mass% relative to the total mass of the perfume-containing sheet 12. The content of the flavor in the tablet is more preferably 2.5% by mass or more and less than 18% by mass, still more preferably 2.5 to 12% by mass, and most preferably 3 to 6% by mass, based on the total mass of the flavor-containing tablet.

As the emulsifier contained in the fragrance-containing sheet 12, any emulsifier can be used. . As the emulsifier, for example, lecithin, specifically, trislecithin A-1 (Sun chemical Co., ltd.) can be used.

The content of the emulsifier in the sheet is preferably 0.5 to 5% by mass, and 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 values of the blending amounts of the emulsifier and the thickening polysaccharide in the raw material slurry.

The volume-increasing material contained in the fragrance-containing sheet 12 serves to increase the total mass (i.e., the dry mass) of the components other than water in the raw material slurry, and ultimately, the volume of the fragrance-containing sheet. That is, the volume increasing material merely increases the volume of the fragrance-containing sheet 12, and does not affect the original function of the fragrance-containing sheet 12. Volume increasing materials are substances that are acceptable in the art as additives to smoking articles.

The volume increasing material is preferably a starch hydrolysate. Starch hydrolysate refers to a substance obtained by a process comprising the step of hydrolyzing starch. The starch hydrolysate is, for example, a substance obtained by directly hydrolyzing starch (i.e., dextrin) or a substance obtained by heat-treating starch and then hydrolyzing the starch (i.e., indigestible dextrin).

The volume-increasing material can function as a volume-increasing material for increasing the volume of the sheet material, and can be added in an amount that does not affect the flavor of the smoking article. The content of the volume-increasing material in the sheet is preferably 100 to 500% by mass, and more preferably 200 to 500% by mass, based on the mass of the thickening polysaccharide. The content of the volume-increasing material in the sheet can be calculated using the values of the amounts of the volume-increasing material and the thickening polysaccharide to be mixed in the raw material slurry.

By adding the volume-increasing material to the raw material of the fragrance-containing sheet 12, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 can be stably produced under practical production conditions even when the fragrance-containing sheet 12 has a composition in which the amount of fragrance incorporated is low. Specifically, the volume-increasing material serves to increase the dry matter amount of the raw material slurry and increase the volume of the sheet, and therefore, the drying time required until a sheet having a desired thickness is produced can be shortened. Further, since the volume-increasing material does not substantially increase the viscosity of the raw material slurry, the kneading work and the stretching work of the raw material slurry are not hindered.

In addition, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 may contain water. That is, water contained in the raw material slurry may remain in the fragrance-containing sheet 12 after drying. The moisture content when water remains in the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is preferably less than 10 mass%, more preferably 3 to 9 mass%, and still more preferably 3 to 6 mass% with respect to 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 fig. 4 to 9. The method for producing a fragrance-containing sheet according to the present embodiment includes 4 steps, i.e., a molding step, a gelling step, a slit forming step, and a drying step, as shown in fig. 4.

In the dam 15, the flavor-containing slurry 14 as a raw material is maintained at 60 to 100 ℃. In the forming step, as shown in fig. 5, the slurry 14 in the sol state stored in the dam 15 is extruded from the first gap 17A and the second gap 17B of the forming mechanism 17 in the conveying direction a together with the base material 16, and the slurry 14 is formed into a sheet shape. At this time, the base material 16 is conveyed between the comma roller 32 and the application roller 33, and the slurry 14 is extruded together with the base material 16 by the rotation of the application roller 33. At this time, the sheet-shaped fragrance-containing sheet 12 is in a sol state and is not yet 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 to the fragrance-containing sheet 12 conveyed in the conveying direction a by the nozzle of the gelling mechanism 21, thereby cooling the fragrance-containing sheet 12 to a temperature of 0 to 40 ℃.

In the slit forming step, as shown in fig. 7, the slit forming section 23 forms the slit 22 having a depth corresponding to the entire or part of the thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 which is conveyed in the conveyance direction a and gelled by the gelling mechanism 21. The number of slits 22 formed is the same as the number of slit forming members 38 provided to the slit forming portion 23. Therefore, two slits 22 are also formed when the number of the slit forming members 38 is two, three or more slits 22 are also formed when the number of the slit forming members 38 is three or more, and one slit is also formed when the number of the slit forming members 38 is one.

The fragrance-containing sheet 12 forms the slit 22 in such a manner as to be cut by the slit-forming member 38 when passing through the slit-forming member 38 of the slit-forming portion 23. The depth of the slit 22 formed at this time may be a depth corresponding to the entire thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12, or may be a depth at which the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is completely cut. Alternatively, the depth of the slit 22 may be a depth corresponding to a part of the thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12, a depth to the extent of forming a notch in the fragrance-containing sheet 12, or a depth to the extent of not completely cutting the fragrance-containing sheet 12. In this case, the slit forming member 38 is preferably fixedly provided with respect to the holding portion 41. Preferably, the cutting depth of the slit 22 can be adjusted by adjusting the fixing position of the slit forming member 38 and manipulating the distance (gap) from the tip of the slit forming member 38 to the base material 16.

Prior to this slit forming process, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 has gelled, and therefore, as shown in fig. 8, the slit shape is memorized in the fragrance-containing sheet 12. Thus, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 in which the slits 22 have been formed does not rejoin and returns to one fragrance-containing sheet 12.

When the number of the slit forming members 38 is two, a pair of slits 22 is provided near both ends in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12. More specifically, the slit 22 is provided at a position that separates the fragrance-containing sheet 12 formed by the second gap portion 17B from the fragrance-containing sheet 12 formed by the first gap portion 17A. In the case where the number of the slit forming members 38 is one, the slit forming members are provided in the vicinity of any one end portion in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12. In this case as well, the slit 22 is provided at a position separating the fragrance-containing sheet 12 formed by the second gap portion 17B from the fragrance-containing sheet 12 formed by the first gap portion 17A.

When the number of the slit forming members 38 is three or more, a pair of two slits 22 are provided near both ends in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12, as in the case where the slit forming members 38 are two. 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.

In the drying step, as shown in fig. 1 and 9, while the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is being conveyed from the first drying chamber 24A to the fourth chamber 24D, warm air at 70 to 100 ℃ is blown from above and below to dry the fragrance-containing sheet 12. Thereby, the moisture in the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is evaporated, and the moisture amount of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is adjusted to an appropriate amount. In addition, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 shrinks a little with drying, but the top surface of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 after shrinking is formed flat. As a result, the fragrance-containing sheet material 12 having the shape shown in fig. 8 before drying shrinks in the direction of the arrow to have the shape shown in fig. 9. Thereby, the end portions having a large moisture content formed at both end portions are cut away from the main body including the fragrance sheet 12. Even when the slits 22 are formed at a depth corresponding to a part of the thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12, stress concentration occurs around the slits 22 in the process of shrinking the fragrance-containing sheet 12 in the drying step, and the slits 22 grow, so that the end portions are 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 conveying mechanism 18 that conveys the gelled fragrance-containing sheet 12; a slit forming section 23 for forming one or more slits 22 having a depth corresponding to the entire or part of the thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 along the transport direction a of the fragrance-containing sheet 12; and a drying mechanism 24 for drying the fragrance-containing sheet 12 having the slit 22 formed therein.

In the method for producing a fragrance-containing sheet, a forming means 17 forms a fragrance-containing slurry 14 into a sheet form, a gelling means 21 cools the sheet-form slurry 14 conveyed in a conveying direction A to form a gelled sheet, a slit forming section 23 forms one or more slits 22 having a depth corresponding to the whole or part of the thickness of the gelled sheet, and a drying means 24 dries the gelled sheet including the one or more slits 22.

The present inventors have made extensive studies on a method for producing a fragrance-containing sheet, and as a result, have found that, if the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is dried by the drying means 24, a thin portion of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is fixed to a portion of a base (for example, the base material 16) supporting the fragrance sheet at the initial stage of drying, thereby forming a fixed point. Further, the inventors have found that, when the sheet surface becomes thinner and shrinkage starts with the progress of drying, a strong tension is applied to the fixing points toward the center portion in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12. Further, the inventors found that when the fastening points are firmly fastened or bonded, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is deformed by shrinkage, the fastening points or the periphery thereof are peeled off and broken, and the fragrance-containing sheet 12 itself is cracked and broken. The fragrance-containing sheet 12 thus deformed, broken, and cracked is not a product because it is a defective product.

According to the above configuration, since the slit 22 is formed in the gelled fragrance-containing sheet 12, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 can be made to have a slit shape. Further, by passing through the drying mechanism 24, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 having the portion cut by the slit 22 can be manufactured. Thereby, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 can be processed into a desired shape, and the tension (stress) generated in the fragrance-containing sheet 12 can be released through the slit 22. This can prevent the fragrance-containing sheet 12 from cracking or breaking, and can produce a fragrance-containing sheet 12 of constant quality. Note that, 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 means) and the fragrance-containing sheet 12 in the slit 22 is reliably cut, which does not cause a problem.

In the fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus 11, there is one or more slits 22, and the slit forming section 23 has one slit forming member 38, and the one slit forming member 38 is provided at a position where the one slit 22 is formed in the vicinity of one end portion in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12.

In the method for manufacturing the fragrance-containing sheet, one or more slits 22 are provided, and the slit-forming portion 23 forms the one slit 22 in the vicinity of one end in the width direction W of the gel-like sheet.

Under certain conditions, in the gelled fragrance-containing sheet 12, the end portions of the dried product may become thick due to shrinkage, and a portion having a large amount of moisture may be formed at the end portions. In this way, in a region where the moisture content is large, the gap between gel crosslinks becomes large, and the perfume contained in the sheet is likely to volatilize together with the moisture. Under certain conditions, the end of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 may be excessively dried due to shrinkage during drying by the drying mechanism 24, and thus, the end of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 may curl and float from the base material 16, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 may peel off from the base material 16 from the portion where the floating occurs, or the fragrance-containing sheet 12 may crack or break.

Therefore, in the fragrance-containing sheet 12, it is necessary to remove a terminal portion (one end portion) where the moisture content is increased or, conversely, floating, peeling, and cracking are likely to occur due to overdrying, as an unnecessary portion. According to the above two structures, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 can be divided into two by a simple structure. This enables the fragrance-containing sheet 12 to be processed into a desired state by removing unnecessary portions and the like provided at the end portions of the fragrance-containing sheet 12.

In the fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus 11, the one or more slits 22 are provided, and the slit forming portion 23 includes two slit forming members 38, one of the two slit forming members 38 is provided at a position where one of the two slits 22 is formed in the vicinity of one end portion in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12, and the other of the two slit forming members 38 is provided at a position where the other of the two slits 22 is formed in the vicinity of the other end portion in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12. In the method of manufacturing the fragrance-containing sheet, the number of one or more slits 22 is two, and one of the two slits 22 is formed in the vicinity of one end in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 by the slit forming portion 23, and the other of the two slits 22 is formed in the vicinity of the other end in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12.

According to these configurations, the slits 22 are formed at both ends of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 where the moisture content is increased or overdrying occurs, and these can be separated. This allows the fragrance-containing sheet 12 to be easily processed into a desired state by removing unnecessary portions from the fragrance-containing sheet 12.

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

In the fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus 11, the forming mechanism 17 has: a first gap 17A defining a thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 before gelation passing through the first gap 17A; and a second gap portion 17B provided at one end portion in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 before gelation, having a smaller size than the first gap portion 17A, and defining a thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 before gelation passing through the second gap portion 17B. According to this structure, by reducing the thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 passing through the second gap portion 17B in advance, it is possible to prevent a thickened portion having a large thickness from being formed at the portion formed by the second gap portion 17B due to shrinkage at the time of drying by the drying mechanism 24. This prevents the water content from becoming excessive in the portion provided at the end, and the area available as a product can be increased. Alternatively, depending on the condition setting, the step itself of removing the portion as a defective portion may be omitted.

The fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus 11 includes a gelling mechanism 21, and the gelling mechanism 21 is provided between the forming mechanism 17 and the slit forming section 23 to gel the fragrance-containing sheet 12 before gelling. According to this configuration, the time taken for gelation can be shortened as compared with the case of using gelation by natural heat dissipation, and the production line including the fragrance sheet 12 can be shortened.

The slit forming portion 23 has one or more slit forming members 38 forming the one or more slits 22, and one of the one or more slit forming members 38 is provided at a position where 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 are separated by one slit 22. According to this structure, 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 portion formed by the thinned second gap portion 17B can be cut off from the portion formed by the first gap portion 17A. This makes it possible to make the thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 substantially uniform, and to obtain a fragrance-containing sheet 12 having a constant quality, such as thickness, amount of fragrance remaining in the sheet, and amount of moisture. This makes it possible to remove a tip portion (one end portion) which is likely to cause lifting, peeling, and cracking due to overdrying, as an unnecessary portion.

The fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus 11 includes a sheet-like base material 16 on which the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is placed. With this configuration, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 before gelation and the gelled fragrance-containing sheet 12 can be stably conveyed in the conveying direction a.

The slit forming section 23 includes one slit forming member 38 forming one slit 22, and one or more holding sections 41 holding the one or more slit forming members 38 so that the weight of the slit forming member 38 acts on the fragrance-containing sheet 12. According to this structure, the fragrance sheet 12 can be press-cut by the weight of the slit forming member 38 by the slit forming member 38. This enables the slit forming section 23 forming one or more slits 22 to be configured with a simple configuration.

(reference mode)

Next, a fragrance-containing sheet material manufacturing apparatus 11' of the reference embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 10 to 12. As shown in fig. 10, when the forming mechanism 17 forms the fragrance-containing sheet 12 having a uniform thickness in the width direction W by forming the slurry 14, the dried fragrance-containing sheet 12 is produced through the gelling step by the gelling mechanism 21 and the drying step by the drying mechanism 24. However, in the drying step, as shown by arrows in fig. 11, shrinkage occurs at both ends in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12, and under certain conditions, portions 12A with increased film thickness may be formed at both ends as shown in fig. 12. In this way, in the thickened portion 12A, the moisture content is increased compared with other portions, so that the gap between gel crosslinks becomes large, and the perfume contained in the sheet is likely to volatilize together with the moisture. The present inventors have made an intensive study on the method for producing the fragrance-containing sheet 12 described in the above embodiment, and as a result, have found that there is a possibility that the fragrance-containing sheet 12 having such a thickened portion 12A will become a defective product, and it is necessary to remove the thickened portion 12A in the production process.

In the following modifications, portions different from the above-described embodiment will be mainly described, and portions common to them will not be illustrated or described.

(first modification)

A fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus 11 according to a first modification will be described with reference to fig. 13. In the first modification, the structure of the forming mechanism 17 and the structure of the slit forming portion 23 are different from those of the above-described embodiment.

The forming mechanism 17 includes a comma roller 32 and an application roller 33 opposed to the comma roller 32. As shown in fig. 2 and 13, the application roller 33 is formed in a cylindrical shape. A recess 35 recessed from the periphery is provided in the outer periphery of the application roller 33 at a substantially middle portion in the axial direction.

In the present modification, the application roller 33 is configured by a step member (step roller) for locally reducing the application thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12, as in the above-described embodiment. The step member has a recess 35 and a pair of large diameter portions 42 provided outside the recess 35. In the recess 35, the pair of tapered portions 36 is not provided. In the recess 35, a small diameter portion 37 is provided. A pair of large diameter portions 42 are provided outside the recess 35. The method of 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 step member may be formed by machining (cutting, turning) or the like as in the above-described embodiment. In the present modification, as an example of a forming method, the large diameter portions 42 are each formed of, for example, a tape wound around the main body 33A (shaft portion) of the application roller 33. The tape is adhered to the outer peripheral surface 34 of the body 33A (shaft portion) of the application roller 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. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the large diameter portion 42 is formed by winding and adhering a tape having such a thickness around the main body 33A of the application roller 33.

The forming mechanism 17 further includes a first gap portion 17A and a second gap portion 17B between the comma roller 32 and the application roller 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 portion 17B is smaller than the dimension H1 (height dimension) of the first gap portion 17A. The second gap portions 17B are provided as a pair on both sides sandwiching the first gap portion 17A, but may be provided only on one side adjacent to the first gap portion 17A.

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

In the present embodiment, the slits 22 are formed to a depth corresponding to the entire thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12, but the slits 22 may be formed to a depth corresponding to a part of the thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 by changing the type of the slit forming member 38.

The slit forming section 23 forms a pair of slits 22 at positions 1 to 10mm, preferably 2 to 8mm, and more preferably 3 to 6mm from the end in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 by the slit forming member 38. The pair of slit forming members 38 are provided at positions where the slits 22 are formed in the fragrance-containing sheet 12 formed by the second gap portion 17B.

Next, a method of manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet using the fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus 11 of the embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 13. In the method of manufacturing the fragrance-containing sheet 12 of the present modification, only the slit forming step is different from the above-described embodiment, and therefore, this will be described below.

In the slit forming step, the slit forming section 23 forms the slit 22 having a depth corresponding to the entire or part of the thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 which is conveyed in the conveyance direction a and gelled by the gelling mechanism 21. The number of slits 22 formed is the same as the number of slit forming members 38 provided in the slit forming portion 23.

The fragrance-containing sheet 12 is formed into the slit 22 by being press-cut from above by the slit-forming member 38 when passing through the slit-forming member 38 of the slit-forming portion 23. Prior to this slit forming process, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 has gelled, and therefore the shape of the slits 22 is memorized in the fragrance-containing sheet 12.

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

According to the present modification, the slit forming portion 23 has one or more slit forming members 38, and one of the one or more slit forming members 38 is provided at a position where the slit 22 is formed in the fragrance-containing sheet 12 formed by the second gap portion 17B. In this way, if the slit 22 is formed in the fragrance-containing sheet 12 formed by the second gap portion 17B, the slit 22 can be reliably formed at a predetermined position even when the position at which the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is conveyed in the manufacturing process is slightly shifted in the width direction W. This can reduce the rate of defective products in consideration of variations in the passing position of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 in the manufacturing process, and can improve the yield of the fragrance-containing sheet 12.

(second modification)

A fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatus 11 according to a second modification will be described with reference to fig. 14. In the second modification, the width of the fragrance-containing sheet 12, the structure of the forming mechanism 17, and the structure of the slit-forming portion 23 are different from those of the above-described embodiment. In this modification, a method of simultaneously producing a plurality of fragrance-containing sheets 12 having substantially the same width and the same composition will be described.

The forming mechanism 17 has a comma roller 32 and an application roller 33 opposed to the comma roller 32. As shown in fig. 2 and 14, the application roller 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 application roller 33.

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

The slit forming portion 23 includes a plurality of (for example, two) slit forming members 38 forming the plurality of slits 22, and a plurality of holding portions 41 holding the plurality of slit forming members 38. The plurality of slit-forming members 38 are provided apart from each other in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12. In the present modification, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 includes a plurality of belt-shaped portions 12B separated by a plurality of slits 22. Further, it is preferable that the plurality of slit forming members 38 of the slit forming section 23 are provided at positions where the plurality of slits 22 are formed so that the respective lengths of the plurality of belt-like sections 12B are substantially equal to each other in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12. In the present modification, the slit forming section 23 divides (divides into three) the fragrance-containing sheet 12 at substantially equal intervals by the plurality of slits 22. At this time, the plurality of holding portions 41 (holders) of the slit forming portion 23 hold the plurality of slit forming members 38 so that the weight of the slit forming members 38 acts on the base material 16 and the fragrance-containing sheet 12 from above.

When the fragrance sheet 12 is contained by 1000mm or more in the width direction W, the number of the slit forming members 38 provided in the slit forming portion 23 may be three or more. Even when the number of the slit forming members 38 is three, the three slit forming members 38 are provided at positions where the respective lengths of the plurality of belt-shaped portions 12B are substantially equal to each other. At this time, the slit forming section 23 divides the fragrance-containing sheet 12 into four parts at substantially equal intervals 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 members 38 and the slits 22 may be further increased so that the number of the slit-forming members 38 and the slits 22 is 4 or more. That is, in the present modification, the number of the slit forming members 38 and the slits 22 is arbitrary, and can be appropriately increased or decreased according to the length of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 in the width direction W.

The operation of this modification will be described. In this modification, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is formed wider than that of the above embodiment. Therefore, in the drying step by the drying mechanism 24, the amount of shrinkage due to drying becomes larger than that in the above embodiment. Therefore, when the slit 22 is not provided as in the present modification, for example, in the drying step, a fixed point is formed between the thin portion of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 and the base portion supporting the fragrance-containing sheet 12. Further, stress (tension) is generated between the fastening points due to shrinkage caused by drying, and there is a possibility that cracks, fractures, or the like are generated in an arbitrary portion where such stress is concentrated. In the present modification, unlike the above-described embodiment, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is divided by the slits 22 at substantially even intervals. Therefore, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 can be slid with respect to the base material 16 at the portion where the slit 22 is provided. Therefore, in the present modification, the tension (stress) generated in the drying process 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 provided in plurality, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 includes the plurality of belt-shaped portions 12B partitioned by the plurality of slits 22, the slit-forming portion 23 includes the plurality of slit-forming members 38 forming the plurality of slits 22, and the plurality of slit-forming members 38 are provided at positions where the plurality of slits 22 are formed so that the lengths of the plurality of belt-shaped portions 12B are substantially the same in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12.

In the method of manufacturing the fragrance-containing sheet, the one or more slits 22 are plural, the fragrance-containing sheet 12 includes the plurality of belt-shaped portions 12B partitioned by the plurality of slits 22, and the plurality of slits 22 are formed by the slit forming portion 23 so that the respective lengths of the plurality of belt-shaped portions 12B in the width direction W of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 are substantially equal to each other.

According to these configurations, for example, in the case where the fragrance-containing sheet 12 is formed in a wide width, even when the tension (stress) generated by the shrinkage in the drying step is excessively large, the tension can be released at the position of the slit 22. Therefore, stress concentration at unintended portions can be prevented, and cracks or fractures of the fragrance-containing sheet 12 can be prevented from occurring in the vicinity of 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 the apparatuses described in the above embodiments and modifications, and the components may be modified and embodied in the implementation stage without departing from the scope of the invention. Note that several constituent elements may be deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiment and the respective modifications, and it is needless to say that one invention may be configured by appropriately combining the fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing apparatuses 11 shown in any one of the embodiment, the first modification, and the second modification, or the fragrance-containing sheet manufacturing methods

Description of the reference numerals

11. Device for manufacturing fragrance-containing sheet

12. Tablet containing perfume

12B band-shaped part

14. Slurry material

16. Base material

17. Forming mechanism

17A first gap part

17B second gap portion

18. Conveying mechanism

21. Gelation mechanism

22. Slit

23. Slit forming part

24. Drying mechanism

38. Slit forming member

41. Holding part

Claims

1. An apparatus for manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet, comprising: a conveying mechanism that conveys the gelled fragrance-containing sheet;

a slit forming section that forms a slit extending continuously along a conveying direction of the fragrance-containing sheet, the slit having a depth corresponding to a part of a thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet;

a drying mechanism that dries the fragrance-containing sheet having the slit formed therein, and that cuts the fragrance-containing sheet by growing the slit;

the slit forming part has a slit forming member for forming the slit from one side of the front surface or the back surface of the fragrance-containing sheet.

2. The apparatus for manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet according to claim 1,

the slit and the slit forming member are one each,

one of the slit-forming members is provided at a position where the one slit is formed in the vicinity of one of both end portions in the width direction of the fragrance-containing sheet.

3. The apparatus for manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet according to claim 1,

the number of the slits and the slit forming members is two,

one of the two slit forming members is provided at a position where one of the two slits is formed in the vicinity of one of the two ends of the fragrance-containing sheet in the width direction, and the other of the two slit forming members is provided at a position where the other of the two slits is formed in the vicinity of the other of the two ends of the fragrance-containing sheet in the width direction.

4. The apparatus for manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet according to claim 1,

a plurality of slits and a plurality of slit forming members,

the plurality of slit forming members are provided so as to be separated from each other in the width direction of the fragrance-containing sheet.

5. The apparatus for manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet according to claim 4,

the scent-containing sheet comprises a plurality of bands separated by the plurality of slits,

the plurality of slit forming members are provided at positions where the plurality of slits are formed in the width direction of the fragrance-containing sheet so that the respective lengths of the plurality of belt-like portions are substantially equal to each other.

6. The apparatus for manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet according to claim 1,

the apparatus is provided with a molding mechanism for molding the perfume-containing slurry into a sheet form to form a perfume-containing sheet before gelation.

7. The apparatus for manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet according to claim 6,

the forming mechanism comprises:

a first gap portion defining a thickness of the fragrance-containing sheet before gelation passing through the first gap portion;

and a second gap portion provided at one end portion in the width direction of the non-gelled fragrance-containing sheet, having a smaller gap size than the first gap portion, and defining a thickness of the non-gelled fragrance-containing sheet passing through the second gap portion.

8. The apparatus for manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet according to claim 6,

the device is provided with a gelling mechanism which is provided between the forming mechanism and the slit forming part and gels the fragrance-containing sheet before gelation.

9. The apparatus for manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet according to claim 7,

the slit forming part has one or more slit forming members forming the one or more slits,

one of the one or more slit forming members is provided at a position where the fragrance-containing sheet formed by the second gap portion and the fragrance-containing sheet formed by the first gap portion are separated by one slit, or at a position where one slit is formed in the fragrance-containing sheet formed by the second gap portion.

10. The apparatus for manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 9,

a sheet-like base material on which the fragrance-containing sheet is placed.

11. The apparatus for manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 9,

the slit forming part has a holding part for holding the slit forming member so that the weight of the slit forming member is applied to the fragrance-containing sheet.

12. A method for manufacturing a spice-containing sheet is characterized in that,

shaping the slurry containing the perfume into a sheet shape by a shaping mechanism,

forming the sheet-like slurry solution conveyed in the conveying direction into a gelled sheet by a gelling mechanism,

forming a slit continuously extending from one side of the front or back surface of the sheet by a slit forming member, the slit having a depth corresponding to a part of the thickness of the gelled sheet,

drying the gelled sheet containing the slits by a drying mechanism,

the sheet is dried by the drying mechanism, and the slit is grown to cut the sheet.

13. The method of manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet according to claim 12,

the slit and the slit forming member are one each,

forming the one slit near one of both end portions in a width direction of the gelled sheet by the slit-forming member.

14. The method of manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet according to claim 12,

the number of the slits and the slit forming members is two,

with the two slit forming members, one of the two slits is formed in the vicinity of one of the two ends in the width direction of the sheet, and the other of the two slits is formed in the vicinity of the other of the two ends in the width direction of the sheet.

15. The method of manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet according to claim 12,

a plurality of slits and slit forming members are provided,

the sheet material comprises a plurality of strips separated by the plurality of slits,

the plurality of slits are formed by the plurality of slit forming members so that the respective lengths of the plurality of belt-shaped portions in the width direction of the sheet are substantially equal to each other.

16. The method of manufacturing a fragrance-containing sheet according to claim 12 or 13,

the slit forming member causes the weight of the slit forming member to act on the sheet while the slit forming member is held by a holding portion.