EP0573851B1 - Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur Strukturierung von Tabakmaterialien - Google Patents

Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur Strukturierung von Tabakmaterialien Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0573851B1
EP0573851B1 EP93108563A EP93108563A EP0573851B1 EP 0573851 B1 EP0573851 B1 EP 0573851B1 EP 93108563 A EP93108563 A EP 93108563A EP 93108563 A EP93108563 A EP 93108563A EP 0573851 B1 EP0573851 B1 EP 0573851B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
structuring
tobacco
bodies
tobacco material
set forth
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP93108563A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0573851A1 (de
Inventor
Uwe Dipl.-Ing. Ehling
Jürgen Nüsslein
Wilfried Dr. Stiller
Klaus-Dieter Schaulies
Arno Weiss
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
British American Tobacco Germany GmbH
Original Assignee
British American Tobacco Germany GmbH
BAT Cigarettenfabriken GmbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by British American Tobacco Germany GmbH, BAT Cigarettenfabriken GmbH filed Critical British American Tobacco Germany GmbH
Publication of EP0573851A1 publication Critical patent/EP0573851A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0573851B1 publication Critical patent/EP0573851B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24B—MANUFACTURE OR PREPARATION OF TOBACCO FOR SMOKING OR CHEWING; TOBACCO; SNUFF
    • A24B3/00—Preparing tobacco in the factory
    • A24B3/18—Other treatment of leaves, e.g. puffing, crimpling, cleaning
    • A24B3/182—Puffing
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24B—MANUFACTURE OR PREPARATION OF TOBACCO FOR SMOKING OR CHEWING; TOBACCO; SNUFF
    • A24B13/00—Tobacco for pipes, for cigars, e.g. cigar inserts, or for cigarettes; Chewing tobacco; Snuff

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method for structuring tobacco materials, in particular small tobacco materials, according to the preamble of patent claim 1 and a device for structuring tobacco materials, in particular small tobacco materials, according to the preamble of patent claim 7.
  • the term "structuring" is used in the sense of forming, i.e. . H. Transfer of a flat into a spatial structure, used.
  • Small tobacco materials of this type such as, for example, scraps, kirintis, birdeyes or tobacco foil, but also whole tobacco leaves or parts thereof, are treated to increase their filling capacity in order to be able to produce a larger number of cigarettes with a low tobacco weight.
  • a method for increasing the filling capacity of tobacco is known, for example, from Austrian Patent No. 142 938. Tobacco materials are passed through two rollers that are corrugated along their length and heated at the same time, which gives the tobacco materials a meandering profile, which leads to the desired increase in filling capacity.
  • DE-PS 11 46 420 it is proposed to provide tobacco fibers with an irregular, angled shape with branches and shoulders lying in one plane in order to increase the filling capacity.
  • a method known from DE 25 14 829 A1 and the associated device work in a comparable manner.
  • a device for treating withered tea leaves in which tea leaves are pushed against a conical attachment via a funnel and by the rotation of the shaft of a transport screw. Strips provided on the surface of the cone, together with a sleeve surrounding the cone, cause friction, as a result of which the leaves are pressed off and twisted.
  • the sheet material is stressed in such a way that tobacco materials would not be structured but would only be crushed or ground.
  • a method for deforming artificial tobacco foils in which a tobacco foil is compressed in a structuring area at regular intervals. The compression occurs in the tobacco foil Tensions which cause the tobacco foil to curl after a cutting process, which increases the fillability of the tobacco foil.
  • the advantages to be achieved with the method according to the invention are based on the fact that the tobacco materials to be processed run between structuring bodies which run at different speeds and / or directions of movement to one another.
  • the speed of a structuring body can be zero, while the speed of the other structuring body has a predetermined value. It is only important that the structuring bodies have a speed difference relative to one another.
  • the tobacco material passing between the structuring parts is acted upon by the relative speed between the structuring bodies from above and from below with different speeds and thus forces, whereby the tobacco material or small tobacco material is spatially deformed, in particular rolled up and / or twisted in a spiral.
  • the tobacco material parts can be rolled up or / or twisted in a spiral in a group of several parts.
  • a necessary condition for the correct functioning of the method is the presence of static friction between the tobacco particles and the two structuring surfaces, since this is the only way to deform the initially flat tobacco particles into rollable structures.
  • a spatial deformation of the tobacco particles into approximately spherical structures can be achieved if at least one of the two structuring surfaces executes a circular movement.
  • the increase in filling capacity that can be achieved by this method is about 10 to 30%.
  • the tobacco material to be structured is hardly used. This usually avoids loss of quality.
  • the tobacco particles should be structured as individually as possible. This can prevent the tobacco particles from being rolled into one another, which could impair the fillability.
  • the tobacco particles can be separated, for example, by the action of vibrations. Under the effect of the vibrations, the individual tobacco particles separate from one another and can, for example, be distributed over a larger area on a conveyor belt in order to be individually structured.
  • the tobacco particles to be structured are continuously conveyed through the structuring area between the structuring bodies and thus batch-wise filling and emptying of the system is eliminated.
  • a uniform, predeterminable contact pressure acts on each tobacco particle if the mass flow is kept constant. If at times fewer tobacco particles were introduced between the structuring bodies, the surface pressure per tobacco particle would increase, as a result of which the desired structure, namely a tobacco particle rolled up in a spiral, could be impaired.
  • the structured tobacco material parts must be cut before they get into the tobacco mixture. This cutting should be done perpendicular to the central axis of the structured particles. As a rule, only tobacco material particles that have a sieve fraction larger than approx. 6 mm are subjected to a cutting process after structuring. All smaller tobacco material particles can be added directly after structuring the tobacco mixture.
  • the method according to the invention can also be designed such that the contact pressure between the structuring bodies, for example endless belt straps, is adapted in accordance with the properties of the tobacco material to be processed, whereby in addition, the coefficients of friction of the surfaces of the structuring bodies are designed such that the desired effect, namely rolling, twisting or at least crimping of the tobacco particles, is achieved.
  • the desired effect namely rolling, twisting or at least crimping of the tobacco particles
  • the lower structuring body By providing the lower structuring body with a surface profile, a forced conveyance of the tobacco particles can be predefined and the risk of constipation avoided.
  • At least one structuring body should be able to dodge perpendicularly to the conveying direction, at least in some areas.
  • the tobacco material to be processed should have at least a moisture content of about 12% by weight before it is conveyed into the structuring area. If the moisture content of the tobacco material to be processed is lower, the tobacco material is too brittle to be rolled in the desired manner in a spiral. Accordingly, the tobacco material particles break or disintegrate if their material moisture is too low.
  • lower moisture content may also be sufficient.
  • the tobacco material After structuring, the tobacco material can be dried. The structure can be fixed better by drying. Moist tobacco material could still give way and its filling capacity could be impaired.
  • the structuring body should not be rigidly aligned with one another, but rather should be flexible, which can be achieved, for example, by the use of elastic materials, but also by the possibility of evasive movements under loads, i.e. H. is made possible by a movable bearing in conjunction with a restoring force.
  • tobacco materials of all sizes can be processed using the method according to the invention.
  • the device according to the invention for structuring tobacco material in particular small tobacco material, which is preferably suitable for carrying out the method according to the invention in all of its variants, has at least two structuring bodies which are adjacent to one another and can be driven at a differential speed, a structuring body preferably also being able to stand still.
  • One of the structuring bodies can also serve as a conveying device for the tobacco material to be structured.
  • it can be an endless belt conveyor belt.
  • a configuration as a rotating cylinder, disks or the like can also be implemented.
  • the conveying device or the lower structuring body can have a surface profile. Both structuring bodies should be provided on the surface with a material with a sufficient coefficient of friction so that the tobacco particles to be structured can be rolled up and / or twisted spirally in the desired manner. Various synthetic and natural types of rubber or mixtures of these materials come into question as materials. Structuring through a selection of different fabrics is also possible for setting different friction properties of the structuring bodies.
  • the upper structuring body can consist, for example, of a part which lies loosely on the conveying device or the lower structuring body and is held at at least one point and has no drive of its own.
  • the relative speed is predetermined by the speed of the conveyor, which also forms the lower structuring body.
  • This loosely lying part can consist, for example, of a belt or the like.
  • the lower structuring body or the conveying device preferably has an endlessly circulating belt which is guided around at least two deflecting devices.
  • Each of the structuring bodies in detail and both structuring bodies together can be designed as rotating cylinders, disks or the like. It is important only that the interacting structuring bodies have a relative speed to one another. It is also conceivable not to move the structuring bodies parallel to one another, but rather at an angle to one another, for example a right angle, so that a relative movement is generated in the form of a movement component.
  • the force with which the structuring bodies can be brought into contact with one another is adjustable.
  • the transport device assigned to the device according to the invention has a vibrating area, in particular a vibrating conveyor trough, which, due to its vibrations, detaches tobacco particles one above the other and distributes them via the transport device. In this way, the tobacco particles can be introduced individually into the structuring area of the device according to the invention.
  • Both a cutting device and a drying device can be arranged in the discharge area of the device according to the invention if this is expedient for further processing of the structured tobacco particles.
  • the embodiment 10 of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 has a transport device 12 in order to deliver the tobacco material.
  • the device 10 contains a structuring area 14 with two structuring bodies 18, 20 and a discharge area 16.
  • the transport device 12 is formed by a vibrating conveyor trough 28, which separates the tobacco material particles that can arrive in batches on the vibrating conveyor trough.
  • a vibrating conveyor drive 26 connected to the vibrating conveyor trough 28 ensures the required oscillations of the vibrating conveyor trough 28.
  • the vibrating conveyor trough 28 drops tobacco material particles 50 in largely isolated form onto an endlessly rotating belt conveyor belt 20.
  • the belt conveyor belt 20, which forms the lower structuring body of the device according to the invention, runs around two deflection rollers 31 mounted on a frame 30 and has a profile 21, which ensures that the finished structured tobacco particles can be carried more easily.
  • the upper structuring part 18 located above the conveyor belt 20, that is to say the lower structuring body 20, has a belt 18 which is held on the frame 30 of the device 10 by means of a holder 34 so as not to be carried along during the conveying movement of the lower structuring body, that is to say of the belt conveyor belt 20 to become.
  • Weights 24 can rest on the upper structuring body 18 in order to increase the contact pressure of the upper structuring body 18.
  • a gap 19 is defined by the weight of the belt 18 and the tobacco particles 50 passing between the endless belt conveyor belt 20 and the belt 18, the width of which is determined on the one hand by the contact pressure of the belt 18 and on the other hand by the flow of tobacco material through the gap 19.
  • This gap 19 between the structuring surfaces of the structuring bodies 18, 20 should not be rigid but rather flexible. This can be achieved, for example, in that the straps of the structuring bodies 18, 20 consist of elastic material and / or at least one of the structuring bodies 18, 20 can perform an evasive movement under loads. Since the belt 18 is not rigidly fixed, it can easily perform the desired evasive movements, as a result of which the gap 19 becomes variable depending on the process parameters.
  • the tobacco particles 52 rolled and / or twisted in the gap 19 leave the structuring belt conveyor belt 20 at its end and reach the discharge area 16 in order to be cut and / or dried there if necessary in further facilities.
  • the tobacco particles 50 delivered via the vibrating conveyor trough 28 have a material moisture content of approximately 12% by weight or more.
  • the desired structuring of the tobacco material particles 50 can be carried out, in particular, at material moisture levels between approximately 12 and 40% by weight, preferably approximately 20 to 30% by weight, without the tobacco material being subjected to excessive stresses or even the risk of destruction.
  • the increase in filling capacity experienced by the tobacco particles 52 is between approximately 10 and 30%.
  • Any size of tobacco material can be processed with the device.
  • the structured tobacco material particles should then be cut before they are added to the tobacco mixture.
  • the cut should be made approximately perpendicular to the central axis of the spirally rolled particles.
  • FIG. 2 shows a further embodiment 100 of the present invention.
  • the parts which essentially correspond to the parts of the embodiment according to FIG. 1 are identified by identical reference numerals.
  • the tobacco particles 50 to be structured are passed between two structuring bodies 18, 20.
  • the structuring bodies consist of belt conveyor belts 18, 20 which are moved at a relative speed to one another.
  • the relative speeds can be achieved, for example, by different speeds in the same direction (V1, V2), but also by different speeds in opposite or angled directions.
  • the superficial profiling 21 of the conveying device 20, which at the same time forms the lower structuring body 20, ensures that the structured tobacco particles 52 are positively guided so that they are transported in the direction of the removal region 16.
  • the upper belt conveyor belt 18 is also guided over two deflection cylinders 31, these being guided over respective axes in respective elongated hole fastenings 35 for adjusting the structuring gap.
  • the structuring gap 19 can be via springs or other Adjust pressing devices, the contact force between the endless belt conveyor belts 18, 20 being able to be varied simultaneously or separately.
  • the structuring gap 19 is a function of the continuity and the quantity of the tobacco material 50 supplied and the surface covered by it.
  • the structuring gap is determined by the contact force and the properties of the tobacco material.
  • the optimal setting can be achieved in that for a given tobacco material, for example small tobacco material, the shape of the finished tobacco particles 52 is checked visually and a corresponding setting is carried out so that the predominant number of tobacco particles or all tobacco particles, the desired spiral rolled and / or have a curled shape.
  • the elongated holes 35 are arranged in a holding frame 32 for the deflecting rollers 31 of the upper structuring body or webbing 18.
  • 3a shows the characteristic and particularly desirable shape of a spiral rolled tobacco material particle 52. This can consist of tobacco leaf parts, whole tobacco leaves, tobacco foil parts or small tobacco material.
  • Fig. 3b the orientation of the section through the spiral-shaped rolled tobacco material particles 52 can be seen.
  • the cutting edge 60 possibly a plurality of cutting edges 60, provides for the division of the spiral-shaped tobacco material particle roll 52 into a larger number of spiral-shaped tobacco material threads.
  • 3c shows a crimped tobacco material fiber 54, as can be produced by cutting the roll 52.

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  • Manufacture Of Tobacco Products (AREA)
  • Manufacturing Of Cigar And Cigarette Tobacco (AREA)
EP93108563A 1992-06-05 1993-05-27 Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur Strukturierung von Tabakmaterialien Expired - Lifetime EP0573851B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE4218666A DE4218666C1 (de) 1992-06-05 1992-06-05 Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur Strukturierung von Tabakmaterialien
DE4218666 1992-06-05

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0573851A1 EP0573851A1 (de) 1993-12-15
EP0573851B1 true EP0573851B1 (de) 1996-03-06

Family

ID=6460514

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP93108563A Expired - Lifetime EP0573851B1 (de) 1992-06-05 1993-05-27 Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur Strukturierung von Tabakmaterialien

Country Status (7)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0573851B1 (es)
AT (1) ATE134836T1 (es)
AU (1) AU666939B2 (es)
DE (2) DE4218666C1 (es)
DK (1) DK0573851T3 (es)
ES (1) ES2086823T3 (es)
GR (1) GR3019247T3 (es)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE10004906A1 (de) 2000-02-04 2001-08-09 Hauni Maschinenbau Ag Verfahren zum Herstellen von stabförmigen Artikeln
PT2062484E (pt) * 2007-11-23 2011-07-11 Reemtsma H F & Ph Processo de fabrico de artigos de tabaco que não produzem fumo, e artigo de tabaco que não produz fumo e que é próprio para consumo oral
DE102015113289A1 (de) * 2015-08-12 2017-02-16 Hauni Maschinenbau Gmbh Verfahren zum Bereitstellen zumindest eines Tabakstrangs einer Tabakmischung und Einrichtung der Tabak verarbeitenden Industrie

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
AT142938B (de) * 1934-06-26 1935-10-10 Arnold Gumprecht Verfahren zur Erhöhung von Sperrigkeit von Tabakwickeln.
DE2003518B1 (de) * 1970-01-27 1971-07-15 Tea Res Ass Of Royal Exchange Vorrichtung zur Behandlung von welken Teeblaettern
US4000748A (en) * 1974-04-10 1977-01-04 Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation Apparatus and process for shredding and crimping smoking materials
DE3339247C1 (de) * 1983-10-28 1985-05-09 B.A.T. Cigaretten-Fabriken Gmbh, 2000 Hamburg Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur Herstellung von gekraeuselten Faserstuecken aus wiederaufbereitetem Tabak
DE4024009A1 (de) * 1990-07-28 1992-01-30 Hauni Werke Koerber & Co Kg Verfahren und anordnung zum loesen von in ballen verpresstem relativ trockenem tabak

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE4218666C1 (de) 1993-12-16
AU666939B2 (en) 1996-02-29
ATE134836T1 (de) 1996-03-15
GR3019247T3 (en) 1996-06-30
AU4003193A (en) 1993-12-09
ES2086823T3 (es) 1996-07-01
DE59301764D1 (de) 1996-04-11
EP0573851A1 (de) 1993-12-15
DK0573851T3 (da) 1996-04-01

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