KR20230019434A - Oral Packaging and Pouches - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a packaging material for an oral pouch-type product for encapsulating a filler. The packaging material is a saliva-permeable non-woven fabric material containing fibers. The wrapping material is a wet-laid nonwoven material, or alternatively the fibers are carded and the nonwoven material is hydroentangled, or alternatively the fibers are carded and the basis weight of the wrapping material is ≤ 30 g/m ² . 50% to 100% of the fibers are cellulosic staple fibers, 0% to 50% of the fibers are thermoplastic fibers, and the percentage numbers are based on the total weight of the fibers at 21° C. and 50% RH. The packaging material further comprises at least 10% binder, taken as a weight percent of the total weight of the packaging material.
The present invention also relates to a pouch-type product for oral use comprising such a packaging material. The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a packaging material for a pouch-type product for oral use.

Description

Oral Packaging and Pouches

The present invention relates to a packaging material for an oral pouch-type product for encapsulating a filler. The present invention also relates to a pouch-type product for oral use comprising such a packaging material. The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a packaging material for an oral pouch-type product.

Oral smokeless tobacco products are made from tobacco leaves, such as leaflets and stems. Root and stem materials are generally not used in the production of smokeless tobacco compositions for oral use. Oral smokeless tobacco includes chewing tobacco, dry snoops and moist (wet) snoops.

There are two types of moist snoop, the American type and the Scandinavian type. Moist snoops of the Scandinavian type are also called snus. American-type moist snoops are generally produced through the fermentation process of moistened ground or cut tobacco. Scandinavian wet snoops (snus) are generally produced through a heat treatment (pasteurization) process instead of fermentation. Both processes reduce the bitterness of raw tobacco and also soften the texture of the tobacco, which is the main reason why raw tobacco is not used in moist snoop production. Heat treatment is also performed to degrade, destroy or denature at least some of the microorganisms in the tobacco formulation.

American and Scandinavian wet oral snoops are supplied in loose or partially wrapped form in a saliva-permeable, porous wrapper material forming a pouch. Pouch-type wet snoops, including snus, are generally used by consumers placing the pouch between the upper or lower gums and the lips and holding it for a limited time. The pouch material holds the cigarette in place while allowing saliva to enter the cigarette and allowing flavor and nicotine to diffuse from the tobacco material into the consumer's mouth.

Pouch materials used in oral pouch-type products, also called packaging materials, are saliva-permeable non-woven fabrics. Nonwovens are fabrics that are neither woven nor knitted.

According to the known art, several different methods can be used to bond the fibers together in a web, also referred to as web integration. The various types of bonding methods include mechanical bonding, such as needle punching, stitch bonding, hydroentanglement, chemical bonding, such as saturation bonding, spray bonding, foam bonding, powder bonding, printing bonding, and thermal bonding, For example, it can be classified as point bonding in a hot calendar. One or more bonding methods may be used to incorporate the nonwoven fabric. In chemical bonding, a binder, also called a bonding agent or adhesive, is bonded to the fibers. Nonwovens of this type are generally referred to as chemically bonded or adhesively bonded nonwovens.

A pouch type product for oral use may be moisturized after the pouch is formed, or may not be moisturized after the pouch is formed. Pouched products for oral use that are not post-moisturized are referred to herein as non-moisturized products. A post-moisturized pouch-type product can be prepared by spraying water on the pouch-type product prior to packaging the pouch-type product in a can. The moisture content of the final pouched product, including wet or semi-dry snoop, is generally in the range of 25 to 55% w/w based on the weight of the pouched product (i.e. total weight of filler and pouch material).

There are also pouch-type products for oral use that do not contain any tobacco substances. Instead, the pouched product may include non-tobacco plant materials and/or fillers.

By adding a small amount of tobacco to the pouch-type product, a pouch-type product with a small tobacco content can be provided. Thus, in addition to small amounts of tobacco, pouched products include non-tobacco plant materials and/or fillers.

Examples of nicotine-free oral pouch-type products and their preparation are provided in WO 2007/126361 and WO 2008/133563. Oral non-tobacco pouch-type products of this type may be provided in loose form or in partial packaging of a saliva-permeable, porous wrapper material forming a pouch.

For pouch products with no or low nicotine added tobacco content, the nicotine in the filler may be synthetic nicotine and/or a nicotine extract of the tobacco plant. Nicotine may also be present in the form of a nicotine base and/or a nicotine salt. Nicotine salts may be absent. That is, it is mixed with the other ingredients of the product without chemically bonding with the above ingredients. Additionally or alternatively, the nicotine salt may be chemically bonded to one or more components of the filler. For example, the nicotine salt may bind with alginate particles or cellulose.

The term pouch type product for oral use as used herein relates to the use of the product. The pouch-type product sits between the upper and lower gums and lips, comfortably in the user's mouth and discreetly configured. Thus, as the term is used herein, an oral pouch-type product may be a product with or without tobacco.

Oral pouch-type products as described herein may be dry, semi-dry or wet. In general, a dry pouch-type product for oral use has a water content of less than 10% by weight, and a wet pouch-type product for oral use has a water content of 40% by weight or more. The semi-dry pouch type product for oral use has a moisture content of 10% to 40% by weight.

Pouch-type products for oral use may be flavored by mixing flavors with fillers during the manufacturing process. Additionally or alternatively, the flavor may be added to the pouched product after it has been prepared.

Pouch-type products can be produced by measuring out a portion of the filler and inserting that portion into a non-woven tube.

US 4,703,765 discloses a device for packaging precise amounts of finely divided tobacco products, such as snoop cigarettes, in tubular wrappers in which the snoop portion is injected through a filling tube. Downstream of the tube, welding means are positioned for transverse sealing of the packaging material and also cutting means for cutting the packaging material in the transverse sealing area to form individual or individual partial packages.

Pouched products may alternatively be produced by placing a portion of the filler material onto a nonwoven web using a pouch wrapper according to the apparatus disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,135,120.

The individual portions are sealed and cut to form a rectangular “pillow” (or other desired shape) pouch-like product. Generally, each finished pouch-like product includes transverse seals parallel to opposite ends and longitudinal seals orthogonal to the transverse seals. The seal must have sufficient strength to preserve the integrity of the pouched product during use without interfering with the consumer experience. Pouch-type products are generally sized to be comfortable and discreet in the user's mouth between the upper and lower gums and lips.

In the case of packaging materials for pouch-type products, there is generally a balance between strength and comfort when placed in the user's buccal cavity. Since the packaging material forms the exterior of the pouch-type product, it generally contacts the buccal cavity between the teeth and gums. The strength of the packaging material should preferably be high enough to handle the packaging material during manufacture of the packaging material itself, during manufacture of the pouched product and for pouched products used in the buccal cavity. Therefore, it is important that the seal of the pouch type product is sufficiently strong. However, the packaging material preferably should be flexible enough to be comfortable when the pouched product is placed in the user's buccal cavity. Commonly used packaging materials suffer from the problem of undesirably low seal strength of pouch-type products, especially when exposed to aggressive flavors contained in a smokeless tobacco composition or non-tobacco composition surrounded by a filler, eg, a pouch-type product's packaging material. can often be encountered

In the case of manufacturing a pouch-type product in which a saliva-permeable pouch encloses a filler comprising a particulate non-tobacco substance and a nicotine source, the requirements for the packaging material are higher to avoid leakage than for pouch-type products, which means that the individual components of the filler This is because the elements, eg, particulates, are smaller and can more easily pass through the packaging, i.e., leak.

If there is a leak, it can cause problems in a number of ways. Leakage during product manufacturing can cause filler particles to enter the seal, which can degrade the quality of the seal and reduce seal strength. Also, residues can accumulate on the production machine. They may fall back down the manufacturing line. For example, on the outside of the product or on the seal. In addition, the residue is negative for the working environment because it can become airborne.

Also, when the packaged product is placed in a container, also called a can, leakage may occur later during handling of the pouched product. For example, the container may shake during transport and when carried by a user. Then there is a risk that the filling will leak from the pouch into the can.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or at least alleviate some of the problems associated with the prior art.

Justice

"Tobacco" means all parts, eg leaves, stems and stems of all members of the genus Nicotiana. Tobacco may be whole, shredded, threshed, cut, ground, cured, aged, fermented or chemically treated, or otherwise eg in granular or capsule form.

The term "tobacco snoop composition" is used herein for finely divided tobacco material, such as ground tobacco material or cut tobacco. In addition to the tobacco material, the tobacco snoop composition may contain water, salt (e.g., sodium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, and any combination thereof), pH adjusting agent, flavoring agent, cooling agent, heating agent, sweetening agent, colorant, wetting agent ( For example, at least one of propylene glycol or glycerol), an antioxidant, a preservative (eg, potassium sorbate), a binder, and a disintegration aid may be further included. In an example, the smokeless snoop composition comprises or consists of finely ground tobacco material, a salt such as sodium chloride, and a pH adjusting agent. Tobacco snoop compositions may be dry or wet. Tobacco snoop compositions can be used between teeth and gums.

A “non-tobacco composition” is a composition that does not contain any tobacco substances and can be used in a similar manner or in the same manner as a tobacco snoop composition. Instead of tobacco, the non-tobacco composition may contain non-tobacco plant fibers and/or fillers. Engineered fibers such as microcrystalline cellulose fibers may also be used. Fillers may be present in particulate form. For example, the filler may be a particulate filler such as microcrystalline cellulose particles. Non-tobacco compositions may contain nicotine. That is, it may be a nicotine-containing non-tobacco composition. Alternatively, the non-tobacco composition may be free or substantially free of nicotine. That is, it may be a non-tobacco composition without nicotine. As used herein, the expression “substantially free of nicotine” refers to an amount of nicotine of 1% or less by weight based on the total dry weight of the composition.

"Oral" and "oral use" are used in all contexts used herein as a description of use in the oral cavity, such as for buccal placement. The product is then placed in the oral cavity, such as between the gum and the upper or lower lip, so that the entire product is intended to be contained within the oral cavity. This product is not intended to be swallowed.

As used herein, "pouch-type product", "oral pouch-type product" or "oral pouch-type product" refers to a part of a filling material, for example, a saliva-permeable pouch material for oral use, such as buccal placement in the oral cavity. A packaged smokeless tobacco composition or non-tobacco composition. As an alternative to a pouch-type product, it can be referred to as a partially packaged (pouch-type) product for oral use. The term "portion" refers to an amount of filler suitable for a portion packaged product.

As used herein, the term "moisture content" refers to the total amount of oven volatile components such as water and other oven volatiles (eg, propylene glycol) in a referenced formulation, composition or product. Moisture content may be given as a total weight percent (wt %) of the formulation, composition or product referred to herein. Some fibrous materials may exhibit hygroscopic properties. Hygroscopic materials maintain an equilibrium moisture content depending on ambient moisture and temperature. The moisture content referred to herein is based on the reference Federal Register/vol.74, no. 4/712-719/Wednesday, January 7, 2009/Notices "Total moisture determination" and AOAC (Association of Official Analytical Chemics), Official Methods of Analysis 966.02: "Moisture in Tobacco" (1990), Fifth Edition, K. Helrich It can be determined using a method based on (ed). In this method, the water content was measured by taking a 2.5±0.25 g sample and weighing the sample before water evaporation and after completion of dehydration under ambient conditions defined as being at a temperature of 22° C. and a relative humidity (RH) of 60%. is determined by Mettler Toledo's Moisture Analyzer HB43 balance with halogen heating technology is used with the values described here (instead of oven and balance as in the cited literature reference). The sample is heated to 105°C (instead of 99.5±0.5°C as in the cited reference). Measurements are stopped if the weight change is less than 1 mg during the 90 second time frame. The moisture content as a percent by weight of the sample is automatically calculated by the moisture analyzer HB43.

“Flavor” or “flavoring agent” is used herein for substances used to affect the flavor and/or taste of pouched products, including but not limited to essential oils, single flavor compounds, complex flavors and extracts. do.

As used herein, “% w/w”, “w/w%”, “wt%”, “weight %” or “wt%” means the weight of a stated ingredient relative to the total weight of the stated agent, composition or product. say %.

As used herein, “dry weight percent”, “weight percent on a dry weight basis” and the like refer to the total weight of all ingredients of a stated formulation, composition or product excluding dry ingredients, i.e., moisture content. Refers to the weight percent of the components mentioned on a basis.

As used herein, "wet weight percent", "weight percent on a wet weight basis" and the like are based on the total weight of all ingredients of a stated formulation, composition or product excluding the ingredients, i.e., moisture content. refers to the percentage by weight of the components referred to. Thus, as used herein, “wt% based on total weight” is the same as “wt% based on wet weight”.

As used herein, the term "oral pouch nicotine product" or "oral pouch nicotine product" refers to a portion of a nicotine-containing fill packaged in a saliva-permeable pouch material intended for oral use. Two examples of oral pouch nicotine products are oral pouch nicotine non-tobacco products and oral pouch tobacco nicotine low content products.

As used herein, the terms "oral pouch nicotine non-tobacco product", "oral pouch non-tobacco nicotine product" or "tobacco-free oral pouch nicotine product" refer to products for oral use in which tobacco is not contained in the product. It refers to a portion of a nicotine-containing filler packaged in a saliva-permeable container.

As used herein, the term "oral pouch type low tobacco nicotine product" refers to an amount of tobacco material within the range of about 0.1% to about 10% or about 0.1% to about 5% by weight based on the total weight of the filler. Part of a nicotine-containing filler packaged in a saliva-permeable pouch material for oral use contained in a product.

As used herein, the term "non-particulate" refers to a component that is not in particulate form. For example, flavorants described herein may be non-particulate flavorants such as liquids, oils or mixtures thereof.

As used herein, the term "particulate non-tobacco material" refers to non-tobacco material comprising particles. The particles may have an average particle size within the range of 50 to 500 μm.

Exemplary microcrystalline cellulose is described in EP1803443A2 as being a highly crystalline particulate cellulose containing crystalline aggregates obtained by removing amorphous (fibrous cellulose) regions of the purified cellulose source material, generally by hydrolysis using strong mineral acids such as hydrogen chloride. are listed. The acid hydrolysis process generally produces microcrystalline cellulose of predominantly coarse grain agglomerates with an average size range of about 15 to 250 μm. Such microcrystalline cellulose is suitable for use as a filler in the products described herein.

measurement method

Seal Strength - Normal

Seal strength can be tested in dry or wet conditions of the sample. Samples may be taken from production machines that make pouched products. These products usually have one longitudinal seal forming a tubular structure and transverse seals at either end of the product. Alternatively, seals can be manufactured on a laboratory scale. In that case, the strip of material is folded and welded to itself in the manner described in EP 3 192 380 A1, paragraph [0136].

The seal strength is then measured by the method described in EP 3 192 380 A1, paragraph [0137] or the CORESTA method for seal strength described herein. In both methods, the first transverse seal made to the pouch-type product, i.e. the seal initially applied to the filler material, is measured.

Seal strength - CORESTA method

CORESTA stands for Cooperation Center for Scientific Research Relative to Tobacco. The CORESTA method for seal strength includes:

1. Remove all material from the pouch and cut the sample to 10 mm ± 1 mm for longitudinal seal samples and as close to the edge as possible for transverse seal samples. Record the width of each transverse seal sample prepared on the form as pouch formats may vary. The width of the prepared sample should be constant. The first transverse seal made for the pouch, i.e. the first seal with the filler applied, is being measured.

2. Condition the sample for 24 hours at 22°C ± 1°C and 60% ± 3%RH before testing (not required for wet measurements).

3. Jaw spacing is set to 15mm ± 0.1mm. Record the gap on the form.

4. Set the speed to 20 mm/min and record the speed on the form.

5. If possible, use the recommended preload of 0.1N.

6. (If maximum load is not recorded) Measure average load, if possible, for transverse seal values and maximum load for longitudinal seals. Record the value on the form.

7. For wet measurements: Soak the sample in deionized water for 60 minutes before testing transverse or longitudinal seals. Record the value on the form.

breathability

Air permeability is measured according to the test method WSP070.1.R3 (12) specified by EDANA, that is, the European Disposables and Nonwovens Association.

pore area

The pore area of the packaging, also expressed as pore size, is measured using a Microscope Zeiss Stemi 2000-C, AxioCam ERc5s with associated software Zen Core. A normal black and white image is taken on a non-woven fabric (3cmx3cm) using x1.6. In Zen Core software, image analysis is performed using automated measurements and in-house pore area methods. In the pore area method, color segmentation is performed on the RGB histogram (0-255) to detect the voids in the fiber. Set the red threshold to 0-99, green to 0-107, and blue to 0-136 to prevent oversaturation. The area of the voids and the radius of each void are calculated. The pore area can then be calculated using standard formulas.

Powder leakage through packaging

Powder leakage through packaging is evaluated by sieving. The packaging material is cut into 346 cm ² sheets and clamped between two sieve screens. The openings of the screen are large enough to allow the powder to pass through the screen (2 mm and 1.5 mm, respectively). The sieve screen is connected to the bottom plate. 40 g of powder is added to the top screen. Connect the sieve stack to the lid and sieve using a Retch horizontal sieve shaker AS 400 control for 5 minutes and 238 rpm. The bottom plate is then weighed to determine the amount of ZYN powder that has been sieved through the packaging. The powder is a filler used in the commercial product 'ZYN Citrus Mini dry' sold by Swedish Match. The ingredients are fillers (E965, E460, E414), acidity regulators (E 500), stabilizers (E 463), nicotine tartrate, flavors, and sweeteners (E 950). Therefore, the powder is the filler used in the "ZYN Citrus Mini dry" product. Thus, the powder includes, inter alia, particulate non-tobacco material and a nicotine source.

Powder leakage from product

Powder leakage from the product is measured for a partially packaged pouched product comprising a portion of the fill and a saliva-permeable pouch made from the packaging material described herein. The weight of the product is approximately 400 mg. Leakage is evaluated by tumbling. The filling material of the test product is the same as the aforementioned product 'ZYN Citrus Mini dry' sold by Swedish Match. A can of 17 products is placed on a sieve screen. The sieve screen is connected to the lid and bottom plate. The can is then tumbled at 300 rpm for 2 minutes using a Retch horizontal sieve shaker AS 400 control. After tumbling, the product is carefully removed from the can with tweezers and the can with powder is weighed. Subtract the empty can weight to give the powder weight. Three iterative candles are run for each material evaluated.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art or to provide a useful alternative.

The above object may be achieved by the subject part of any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 17, 20, 21 and/or 22. Embodiments are set forth in the appended dependent claims and description.

included in the context of the present invention.

The present invention relates to a packaging material for an oral pouch-type product for encapsulating a filler.

The packaging material is a saliva-permeable wet-laid non-woven material comprising fibers. Alternatively, the wrapping material is a saliva-permeable non-woven material comprising carded fibers, which non-woven material is hydroentangled. Alternatively, the packaging material is a saliva-permeable non-woven material comprising carded fibers, and the packaging material has a basis weight ≤ 30 g/m ² .

In another alternative as well, for the packaging materials described herein, as noted above, 50% to 100% of the fibers are cellulosic staple fibers, 0% to 50% of the fibers are thermoplastic fibers, and the % number at 21° C. and 50% RH Based on the total weight of the fibers. The packaging material further comprises at least 10% of a binder taken as a weight percent of the total weight of the packaging material.

By using the packaging material as described herein, it is possible to manufacture an oral pouch-type product that is flexible enough to feel comfortable when the pouch is placed in the user's buccal cavity while having adequate strength for both the packaging material and the sealing material.

The pouch-type product may be an oral pouch-type nicotine-containing product, an oral pouch-type tobacco product, and/or an oral pouch-type nicotine-free product.

Pouch-like products can be randomly positioned in a container or pattern, as described for example in WO 2012/069505. The container may be a user container for oral pouch-type products, which generally contain a range of 10-30 products, for example a range of 20-25 products. A user container as disclosed herein is a consumer package having a shape and size suitable for conveniently carrying the consumer package in a pocket or handbag, and may be used to package any known type of pouch-like product for oral use. there is.

By using the packaging material according to the invention, it is possible to make seals that are sufficiently strong against seals made by ultrasonic sealing, which are generally much narrower than seals made by heat sealing. The seal strength is great enough to be strong enough if the product contains one or more aggressive flavors.

Commonly used packaging materials often suffer from the problem of undesirably low seal strength of pouch-type products. Some flavors included in the filling material, for example smokeless tobacco composition or non-tobacco composition materials enclosed in the packaging of a pouched product, have a potentially negative impact on the seal strength of a pouched product made by known techniques, especially over time. It is known that seals can burst during storage of the product. In particular, in the case of a wet pouch type product, there is a problem in that the seal strength is lowered. The strength of the packaging materials and the strength of the seals as described herein may be adapted to withstand these flavors better than packaging materials commonly used for pouch-type products.

In addition, leakage of the filler through the packaging material is maintained at an acceptable level for the packaging material and oral pouch type product according to the present invention. Additionally, properties of the packaging material, such as air permeability and/or mesopore size, may be selected to be within desired levels.

The binder may be of a type generally used as a packaging material for pouch-type products. The binder is one or more formed by polymerization of any of the following monomers, for example, vinyl acetate, ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer, acrylic acid, methyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer, ethyl acrylate. It can be classified as an emulsion of several vinyl polymers/copolymers. Such binders are known to the person skilled in the art, for example from “Introduction to Nonwovens Tech-nology”, Subhash K. Batra, Behnam Pourdeyhimi, 2012, ISBN No 978-1-60595-037-2, textbook chapter 10.

If the packaging material according to the present invention is a saliva-permeable wet-laid non-woven material, as described in the first alternative, the non-woven material may further be hydroentangled. It may then be desirable to perform a hydroentanglement step prior to application of the binder.

When the packaging material according to the present invention is a saliva-permeable nonwoven material comprising carded fibers, it may be desirable to perform a hydroentanglement step prior to application of the binder, as described in the second alternative in which the nonwoven material initiates hydroentanglement. there is.

Of all the fibers of the packaging material according to the present invention, the cellulosic fibers are preferably 55% to 99%, preferably 58% to 95%, more preferably 65% to 85%, and most preferably 70% of the fiber weight % to 80% and the percentage numbers are based on the total weight of the fiber at 21° C. and 50% RH. It is also possible to use only cellulosic fibers, that is, not to use thermoplastic fibers completely.

Among all fibers of the packaging material according to the present invention, thermoplastic fibers account for 1% to 45%, preferably 5% to 42%, more preferably 15% to 35%, most preferably 20% to 30% of the fiber weight. , and % numbers are based on the total weight of the fibers at 21° C. and 50% RH. It is also possible to completely exclude thermoplastic fibers.

Fibers of the packaging material according to the present invention may be composed of cellulosic staple fibers and thermoplastic fibers. It is also possible to add more fibers.

The packaging material may be composed of cellulosic staple fibers, thermoplastic fibers, and binders.

The basis weight of the packaging, also referred to as basis weight, may be ≥ 25 g/m ² , more preferably ≥ 27 g/m ² , and most preferably ≥ 29 g/m ² . The upper limit for the basis weight of the packaging material may be 45 g/m ² , 42 g/m ² or 40 g/m ² . In the case of a wrapping material according to the present invention comprising a non-woven material comprising carded fibers but not hydroentangled, the wrapping material has a basis weight ≤ 30 g/m ² , as described in the third alternative above.

The cellulosic fibers may be natural cellulosic fibers or artificial cellulosic fibers, for example regenerated cellulosic fibers such as rayon, lyocell or viscose. Tencel is the brand name for Lyocell.

Cellulosic fibers are known to be soft and relatively inelastic and/or moisture absorbent. Thereby, desired mechanical properties can be imparted to the packaging material so as to be easy to handle during manufacture of the packaging material itself and/or during manufacture of the pouch-type product and to be comfortable when the pouch-type product is placed in the user's oral cavity. In addition, these fibers are hydrophilic, which is advantageous when used in pouch-type products.

Man-made fibers are fibers whose chemical composition, structure and properties are significantly modified during the manufacturing process. They are made of polymers. Man-made fibers must be distinguished from natural fibers. Natural fibers are also composed of polymers, but emerge from the manufacturing process relatively unaltered.

Some man-made fibers are derived from naturally occurring polymers, such as rayon, lyocell or viscose derived from cellulosic fibers. However, cellulose is obtained in a radically altered state compared to raw material sources, such as wood, and further modified for recycling into man-made cellulosic fibers. These fibers, for example. Rayon, lyocell or viscose are known as regenerated cellulose fibers.

Another group of man-made fibers to a much greater extent are synthetic fibers. Synthetic fibers are made from polymers that do not occur naturally, but instead are produced entirely in chemical plants or laboratories, for example.

The cellulosic staple fibers may have a linear density of < 3.3 dtex, preferably < 1.7 dtex, more preferably < 1.3 dtex, and most preferably < 0.9 dtex.

When the packaging material according to the present invention is a saliva-permeable wet-laid nonwoven material, as described in the first alternative, the cellulosic staple fibers have a length in the range of 2 to 15 mm, preferably in the range of 3 to 12 mm, more preferably It can be in the range of 5 to 8 mm.

When the packaging material according to the present invention comprises carded fibers, as described in the second and third alternatives, the cellulosic staple fibers may have a length in the range of 30 to 80 mm, preferably in the range of 38 to 60 mm. . Commonly used lengths are 38, 40, 60 and 80 mm.

The thermoplastic fiber may be one or more of PP, PLA, PET, PP/PE, and PLA/co-PLA, where PP is polypropylene, PLA is polylactic acid, PET is polyethylene terephthalate, and PE is polyethylene. PP/PE is a bicomponent fiber, such as a sheath/core bicomponent fiber with PP in the core and PE in the sheath. PLA/co-PLA is a bicomponent fiber, such as a sheath/core bicomponent fiber with PLA in the core and coPLA in the sheath.

Thermoplastic fibers may have the same or different lengths as cellulosic fibers. If two or more thermoplastic fibers are used, they may be of equal or different lengths.

When the packaging material according to the present invention is a saliva-permeable wet-laid nonwoven material, as described in the first alternative, the thermoplastic fibers have a length in the range of 2 to 15 mm, preferably in the range of 3 to 12 mm, more preferably in the range of 5 to 15 mm. It can be in the range of 8 mm.

When the packaging material according to the present invention comprises carded fibers, as described in the second and third alternatives, the thermoplastic fibers may have a length in the range of 30 to 80 mm, preferably in the range of 38 to 60 mm. Commonly used lengths are 38, 40, 60 and 80 mm.

The thermoplastic fibers may have a linear density of < 4.4 dtex, preferably < 2.2 dtex, more preferably < 1.7 dtex, and most preferably < 1.3 dtex.

The thermoplastic fiber may have a melting point within the range of 110 to 260°C, preferably within the range of 130 to 170°C, preferably within the range of 140 to 165°C. Thus, these fibers are at least partially melted, preferably substantially melted, in the seal to contribute sufficient seal strength.

The binder is 20% to 60% of the total weight of the packaging material, preferably 25% to 55% of the total weight of the packaging material, more preferably 30% to 50% of the total weight of the packaging material, most preferably 25% to 50% of the total weight of the packaging material. It may constitute 35% to 45% of.

The packaging material has a dry seal strength of at least 0.2 N/mm, preferably at least 0.25 N/mm, more preferably at least 0.3 N/mm, most preferably at least 0.35 N, assuming the seal is made by ultrasonic welding. It can be /mm. These levels have been found to provide sufficient seal strength for the product. Dry seal strength values may be determined with the CORESTA method for seal strength as described in more detail elsewhere herein.

The air permeability of the packaging is ≤ 4000 l/m ² /s, preferably ≤ 3500 l/m ² /s when measured according to EDANA, the test method WSP070.1.R3 (12) specified by the European Disposables and Nonwovens Association , more preferably ≤ 3000 l/m ² /s. The air permeability is related to the porosity of the packaging and thus the tendency of the filler to leak.

The average pore size of the packaging material may be ≤ 300 μm ² , preferably ≤ 250 μm ² , more preferably ≤ 200 μm ² , and most preferably ≤ 150 μm ² . The average pore size of the packaging material is related to the tendency of the filler to leak out.

The packaging material can contain < 400 mg, preferably < 200 mg, more preferably < 100 mg, most preferably < 50 mg or even < 20 mg as measured by the powder leakage through packaging method as described herein. May have powder leakage.

The present invention also relates to a pouched product for oral use. The pouch type product includes a filler and a saliva-permeable pouch. The pouch encloses a portion of the filling material intended to make up a portion of a size suitable for the user. A pouch comprises or consists of a packaging material as described herein, wherein the packaging material is sealed with at least one seal to surround its portion.

This confirms that the seal has adequate seal strength for the product used in the buccal cavity. The advantages described above for packaging also apply to pouch-type products.

There are two main methods for sealing packaging. Heat sealing and ultrasonic welding, but the packaging material described herein is advantageous for both. However, other methods may also be used. A suitable method and apparatus for ultrasonic welding is disclosed in WO 2017/093486 A1 relating to a sealing device for sealing a packaging material surrounding a portion of a filler material to provide a partially packaged pouch-like product. This reference also relates to a device for the manufacture of partially wrapped pouch-like products comprising such a sealing device. The reference also relates to a method for portion packaging of a pouch-shaped product.

The thermoplastic fibers can be at least partially melted in the seal, and preferably substantially melted.

The pouch-type product may be an oral pouch-type nicotine-containing product, an oral pouch-type tobacco product, and/or an oral pouch-type nicotine-free product.

When tested as a product using the measurement method as described herein, the pouched product has a powder leakage from the product as described herein < 100 mg, preferably < 50 mg when measured by the method. , more preferably ≤ 25 mg, most preferably ≤ 10 mg or ≤ 2 mg of powder leakage.

Examples of oral pouch-type products, also referred to as oral pouch-type products, include a saliva-permeable pouch of a filler and a packaging material surrounding the filler, wherein the filler includes:

- particulate non-tobacco substances;

- nicotine source;

- water in the range of 1 to 45% by weight, based on the total weight of the filler; and

- pH adjusting agents comprising, for example, Na ₂ CO ₃ , K ₂ CO ₃ , NaHCO ₃ and/or KHCO ₃ .

The pouched product may be tobacco free. That is, it may be an oral pouch type nicotine non-tobacco product.

Alternatively, the oral pouched product may contain a small amount of tobacco material to provide an oral pouched low nicotine product. The amount of tobacco material in the oral pouch type low tobacco nicotine product is from about 0.1% to about 10%, for example from about 0.1% to about 5%, such as from about 0.1% to about 10%, based on the total weight of the filler. It may be within the range of 1% by weight. The presence of such small amounts of tobacco will not affect the pH of the product substantially differently than that exhibited by the oral pouch tobacco products described herein.

Tobacco material may be provided in a form as described herein.

Additionally, the tobacco material may be refined tobacco material such as bleached tobacco material or tobacco extract.

Tobacco materials described herein may include one, two or more particulate non-tobacco materials.

The amount of moisture in the filler of the pouch-type product described herein is present in an amount within the range of about 0.5% by weight to about 12% by weight, such as about 0.5% by weight to about 5% by weight, such as about 3% by weight, based on the total weight of the filler. can If the amount of moisture is within the range of about 0.5% to about 12% or about 0.5% to about 3% by weight, as described herein, the pouched product may be considered a dry, i.e. dry pouched product.

Alternatively, the amount of moisture in the filler of the pouch-type product described herein may be in the range of about 20% to about 50%, such as 20% to 45%, by weight based on the total weight of the filler. If the amount of moisture is in the range of about 20% to about 45% by weight, as described herein, the pouched product may be considered a wet, i.e. wet pouched product.

The filler of the pouch-type product described herein is about 30wt% to about 90wt%, such as about 30wt% to about 85wt%, such as about 30wt% to about 80wt%, such as about 60wt% to about 90wt%, based on the total weight of the filler. % of particulate non-tobacco material.

The particulate non-tobacco material may be water insoluble, water soluble or a combination thereof.

The particulate non-tobacco material may comprise or consist of a sugar alcohol such as maltitol, and/or a cellulose such as microcrystalline cellulose and/or powdered cellulose. For example, the particulate non-tobacco material may include maltitol and/or microcrystalline cellulose.

Additionally or alternatively, the filling material of the pouched products described herein may be corn fiber, oat fiber, tomato fiber, barley fiber, rye fiber, sugar beet fiber, mail fiber, wheat fiber, pea fiber, potato fiber, apple fiber, cocoa fiber. It may include one or more water-insoluble fibers selected from the group consisting of fibers, bamboo fibers, citrus fibers, and any combination thereof. In an example, the water insoluble fibers may form part of the non-tobacco particulate matter.

The filler may contain one, two or more nicotine sources.

Fillers of pouch-type products as described herein may include within the range of about 1.0% to about 10% by weight of the nicotine source based on the total weight of the filler.

The nicotine source can be a nicotine salt and/or a nicotine base. A source of nicotine, such as nicotine base, can be coupled to an ion exchange resin such as polacrylex via a salt bridge, for example. Alternatively or additionally, the ion exchange resin can serve as a solid support for a nicotine source such as nicotine base.

Nicotine base, such as in oily liquid form, can be produced synthetically or extracted from tobacco.

The nicotine source may be nicotine hydrochloride, nicotine dihydrochloride, nicotine monotartrate, nicotine bitartrate, nicotine bitartrate dihydrate, nicotine sulfate, nicotine zinc chloride monohydrate and nicotine salicylate, and any combination thereof. It may be a nicotine salt such as nicotine selected from the group consisting of.

In particular, the filler may include nicotine bitartrate and/or nicotine bitartrate dihydrate.

The amount of nicotine source, such as a nicotine salt and/or nicotine base, per pouch product is about 0.1 mg to about 20 mg, for example about 0.5 mg, about 1.0 mg, about 1.5 mg, about 2.0 mg of nicotine calculated as nicotine base. , about 2.5 mg, about 3.0 mg, about 3.5 mg, about 4.0 mg, about 4.5 mg, about 5.0 mg, about 6.0 mg, about 7.0 mg, about 8.0 mg, about 9.0 mg, about 10 mg, about 12 mg, about 14 mg, about 16 mg, about 18 mg, or about 20 mg nicotine.

The nicotine salt of the fill in a pouched product as disclosed herein may be a nicotine salt present in solid form and/or dissolved form.

A nicotine source disclosed herein may be adsorbed or non-adsorbed onto a particulate non-tobacco material as disclosed herein. It will be understood that the expression "adsorbed on" means that the nicotine source is attached to the outer surface of the non-tobacco particulate material. When the nicotine source is adsorbed onto the non-tobacco particulate matter, it adheres to the outer surface of the non-tobacco particulate matter without substantially penetrating any pore(s) of the non-tobacco particulate matter.

Alternatively or additionally, a nicotine source disclosed herein may be absorbed and/or adsorbed to a tobacco material described herein.

The filling of the pouch-type product described herein may further include a flavoring agent. A filler may contain one, two or more flavoring agents. For example, a flavoring agent may be a non-encapsulating agent. Additionally or alternatively, flavoring agents may be encapsulated. Unencapsulated flavor and encapsulated flavor may be the same or different. As used herein, an encapsulated flavor is a flavor contained within a capsule. Thus, non-encapsulated flavoring agents are not included within the capsule.

The flavoring agent of the filler of the pouched product as disclosed herein may be a hydrophobic flavoring agent.

The flavoring agent of the filler of the pouch-type product described herein may be an oil, liquid, lyophilisate, spray-dried product, or a mixture thereof. In examples, the flavor(s) are oils and/or liquids.

The filling of the pouch-shaped product described herein may include a flavoring agent within the range of about 0.5% by weight to about 3% by weight based on the total weight of the filler.

Fillers of the described pouch-type products may include a humectant such as polypropylene glycol.

In a pouched product as described herein, the particulate non-tobacco material, nicotine source, water, pH adjusting agent, optionally tobacco material, optionally flavoring agent and optionally humectant may be mixed homogeneously.

WO 2012/134380 discloses a pouch containing nicotine in free salt form, i.e. a pouch-type non-tobacco product containing nicotine for oral use. The product comprises a powder of at least one free nicotine salt, at least one pH adjusting agent and at least one filler, and a water insoluble pouch, the pouch being permeable to saliva and to a portion of the powder dissolved therein. Such powders are suitable for use as fillers in the products described herein.

A pouched product as disclosed herein is intended for intraoral use, for example by buccal placement (eg, placing the pouched product between the upper gum or lower gum and the lip or cheek), and thus an oral portion It is called a packaged (pouch-type) product. Pouch-type products are of a size and configuration that are discreet and comfortable for the user's mouth between the upper or lower gums and the lips or cheeks.

A pouch-shaped product as disclosed herein may have a rectangular shape, such as a substantially rectangular shape (when viewed from above when the product is placed on a flat surface). In this case, the longitudinal direction of the product corresponds approximately to the length of the rectangular product, and the transverse direction of the product approximately corresponds to the width of the rectangular product.

The total weight of the pouch-shaped product (including filler and packaging) may range from about 0.3 to about 1.5 grams.

Fillers for the pouch-type products described herein may be provided as powders or granules. Accordingly, the filler sealed by the saliva-permeable pouch of the packaging material may be provided in an uncompressed form.

Pouched (ie partially packaged) products may be randomly positioned in a container or pattern as described for example in WO 2012/069505. Alternatively or additionally, each pouched product may be placed in a sachet.

The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a pouch-type product packaging material for oral use, wherein the packaging material is a saliva-permeable nonwoven fabric material containing fibers, 50% to 100% of the fibers are cellulosic staple fibers, and 0% to 50% of the fibers is a thermoplastic fiber, and the % numbers are based on the total weight of the fiber at 21° C. and 50% RH. The packaging material further comprises at least 10% of a binder taken as a weight percentage of the total weight of the packaging material.

The method includes providing the fibers, wet laminating the fibers, and providing a binder to bond the fibers. The method further includes an optional step of hydroentangling the fiber, preferably the hydroentangling is performed prior to providing the binder.

An alternative method includes providing the fiber, carding the fiber, hydroentangling the fiber, and bonding the fiber by providing a binder, preferably wherein the hydroentangling It is performed before providing the binder.

Another alternative method includes providing the fibers in an amount such that the packaging material has a basis weight ≤ 30 g/m ² , carding the fibers and providing a binder to bind the fibers. The method further includes an optional step of hydroentangling the fiber, preferably the hydroentangling is performed prior to providing the binder.

The methods described herein are useful for making packaging materials as described herein. The wrapping material is generally made of a web of wrapping material.

Further modifications of the invention are possible within the scope of the appended claims. As such, the present invention should not be considered limited by the examples and drawings described herein. Rather, the full scope of the invention is to be determined by the claims with reference to the specification and drawings.

Claims (22)

As a packaging material for use in an oral pouch-type product to enclose a filler,
The packaging material is a saliva-permeable wet-laid nonwoven material containing fibers,
50% to 100% of the fibers are cellulosic staple fibers,
0% to 50% of the fibers are thermoplastic fibers,
% numbers are based on total weight of fibers at 21° C. and 50% RH,
wherein the packaging material further comprises at least 10% of a binder taken as a weight percent of the total weight of the packaging material. As a packaging material for use in an oral pouch-type product to enclose a filler,
the wrapping material is a saliva-permeable nonwoven material comprising carded fibers and hydroentangled;
50% to 100% of the fibers are cellulosic staple fibers,
0% to 50% of the fibers are thermoplastic fibers,
% numbers are based on total weight of fibers at 21° C. and 50% RH,
wherein the packaging material further comprises at least 10% of a binder taken as a weight percent of the total weight of the packaging material. A packaging material for use in an oral pouch-type product for encapsulating a filler, wherein the packaging material is a saliva-permeable nonwoven fabric material containing carded fibers,
50% to 100% of the fibers are cellulosic staple fibers,
0% to 50% of the fibers are thermoplastic fibers,
% numbers are based on total weight of fibers at 21° C. and 50% RH,
the packaging material further comprises at least 10% of a binder taken as a weight percent of the total weight of the packaging material;
Packaging materials with a basis weight of ≤ 30 g/m ² . According to any one of claims 1 to 3,
55% to 99%, preferably 58% to 95%, more preferably 65% to 85%, most preferably 70% to 80% of the fibers are cellulosic staple fibers, the % number is 21 ° C and Packaging based on total weight of fibers at 50% RH. According to any one of claims 1 to 4,
1% to 45%, preferably 5% to 42%, more preferably 15% to 35%, most preferably 20% to 30% of the fibers are thermoplastic fibers, the % number being 21°C and 50% Packaging based on the total weight of fibers at RH. According to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The fiber is a packaging material composed of the cellulose-based staple fiber and the thermoplastic fiber. According to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The packaging material is composed of the cellulose-based staple fiber, the thermoplastic fiber, and the binder. According to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The packaging material has a basis weight of ≥ 25 g/m ² , preferably ≥ 27 g/m ² , more preferably ≥ 29 g/m ² . According to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The cellulosic staple fiber is a natural cellulosic fiber or an artificial cellulosic fiber, for example, a regenerated cellulosic fiber such as rayon, lyocell or viscose. According to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The cellulosic staple fibers have a linear density of ≤ 3.3 decitex, preferably ≤ 1.7 decitex, more preferably ≤ 1.3 decitex, and most preferably ≤ 1.1 decitex. According to claim 1 or any one of claims 4 to 10 according to claim 1,
The cellulosic staple fibers have a length within the range of 2 to 15 mm, preferably within the range of 3 to 12 mm, more preferably within the range of 5 to 8 mm. According to any one of claims 1 to 11,
Wherein the thermoplastic fiber is at least one of PP, PLA, PET, PP/PE, and PLA/co-PLA. According to claim 1 or any one of claims 4 to 12 according to claim 1,
The thermoplastic fiber has a length within the range of 2 to 15 mm, preferably within the range of 3 to 12 mm, more preferably within the range of 5 to 8 mm. According to any one of claims 1 to 13,
The thermoplastic fiber has a linear density of ≤ 4.4 dtex, preferably ≤ 2.2 dtex, more preferably ≤ 1.7 dtex, and most preferably ≤ 1.3 dtex. According to any one of claims 1 to 14,
The thermoplastic fiber has a melting point within the range of 110 to 260 ° C, preferably within the range of 130 to 170 ° C, preferably within the range of 140 to 165 ° C. According to any one of claims 1 to 15,
The binder is 20% to 60% of the total weight of the packaging material, preferably 25% to 55% of the total weight of the packaging material, more preferably 30% to 50% of the total weight of the packaging material, most preferably 35% to 45% of the total weight of the packaging material. A pouch-type product for oral cavity comprising a filler and a saliva-permeable pouch, wherein the pouch surrounds a portion of the filler, and the pouch includes or consists of the packaging material according to any one of claims 1 to 16,
Oral pouch-type product, wherein the packaging material is sealed with at least one seal to surround a portion of the filling material. According to claim 17,
wherein the thermoplastic fibers are at least partially melted, preferably substantially melted, in the seal. The method of claim 17 or 18,
The pouch-type product is a pouch-type product that is an oral nicotine-containing pouch-type product, an oral pouch-type tobacco product, and / or an oral nicotine-free pouch-type product. A method of manufacturing a packaging material for use in an oral pouch-type product to enclose a filler,
The packaging material is a saliva-permeable nonwoven fabric material containing fibers, 50% to 100% of the fibers are cellulosic staple fibers, 0% to 50% of the fibers are thermoplastic fibers, and the % number is 21 ° C. and 50% RH based on the total weight of fibers in
The method comprises providing the fibers, wet laminating the fibers, and providing a binder to bond the fibers, wherein the wrapping material comprises at least one of the binders, taken as a weight percent of the total weight of the wrapping material. will include 10%
The method further comprises the optional step of hydroentangling the fiber, preferably the hydroentangling is performed prior to providing the binder. A method of manufacturing a packaging material for use in an oral pouch-type product to enclose a filler,
The packaging material is a saliva-permeable nonwoven fabric material containing fibers, 50% to 100% of the fibers are cellulosic staple fibers, 0% to 50% of the fibers are thermoplastic fibers, and the % number is 21 ° C. and 50% RH based on the total weight of fibers in
The method includes the steps of providing the fibers, carding the fibers, hydroentangling the fibers, and bonding the fibers by providing a binder, so that the packaging material has a total weight of the packaging material. at least 10% of the binder, taken as a weight percent, preferably wherein the hydroentanglement is performed prior to providing the binder. A method of manufacturing a packaging material for use in an oral pouch-type product to enclose a filler,
The packaging material is a saliva-permeable nonwoven fabric material containing fibers, 50% to 100% of the fibers are cellulosic staple fibers, 0% to 50% of the fibers are thermoplastic fibers, and the % number is 21 ° C. and 50% RH based on the total weight of fibers in
The method includes providing the fibers in an amount such that the basis weight of the packaging material is ≤ 30 g/m ² , carding the fibers, and providing a binder to bind the fibers, comprises at least 10% of the binder, taken as a weight percent of the total weight of the packaging,
The method further comprises the optional step of hydroentangling the fiber, preferably the hydroentangling is performed prior to providing the binder.