RU2805907C2 - Method and installation for producing multiple sheets from material containing alkaloids - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: alkaloid-containing materials.

SUBSTANCE: group of inventions is related to an installation for producing a plurality of sheets from a material containing alkaloids for use in an aerosol generating product, and a method for producing a plurality of sheets from a material containing an alkaloid. A method for producing a plurality of sheets of alkaloid-containing material for use in an aerosol-generating article includes providing a slurry containing the alkaloid-containing material and water in a reservoir; providing a plurality of outlets in said reservoir; supplying pulp from the outlets to the movable support to form a plurality of parallel sheets of material containing alkaloids; and maintaining parallel sheets of alkaloid-containing material separated on the movable support as the movable support moves.

EFFECT: minimization of damage to the sheet during production process.

15 cl, 6 dwg

Description

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing multiple sheets of alkaloid-containing material. In particular, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing a plurality of sheets of material for use in an aerosol generating product, such as, for example, a cigarette or a heat-not-burn alkaloid containing product.

Currently, in the production of tobacco products, in addition to tobacco leaves, homogenized tobacco material is also used. Such homogenized tobacco material is typically made from parts of the tobacco plant that are less suitable for the production of cut tobacco filler, such as tobacco stems or tobacco dust. Typically, tobacco dust is generated as a by-product during the processing of tobacco leaves during the manufacturing process.

The most widely used forms of homogenized tobacco material are reconstituted tobacco leaf and molded leaf. The process of making sheets of homogenized tobacco material typically involves mixing tobacco dust and a binder to form a pulp. The pulp is then used to create a tobacco web, for example by molding the viscous pulp on a moving metal belt to form what is known as a molded sheet. In an alternative embodiment, low viscosity, high water content pulp can be used to produce reconstituted tobacco in a process similar to papermaking. Once produced, homogenized tobacco webs can be cut in a manner similar to whole leaf tobacco to produce cut tobacco filler suitable for cigarettes and other smoking products. A method for producing such homogenized tobacco is disclosed, for example, in European patent EP 0565360.

In the above method, the pulp is formed onto a support such as a moving belt and then heated to form a sheet of material that can be further processed to produce components for an aerosol generating article. A moving belt with a molded sheet on it moves inside long “dryers” where the temperature is controlled to gradually heat and dry the sheet.

Once the sheet, which is relatively wide, has dried, it is divided into smaller sections, which are then wound into "small" bobbins. Alternatively, a large "master reel" is created by winding the entire sheet into a "large" reel and then stored. If further processing of the sheet is necessary, the main reel is cut into smaller reels that are easier to handle.

Whenever these process steps are performed, there is always a risk of damage to the sheet or smaller sections thereof due to the inherent fragility of the sheet and its "stickiness".

There is a need for a method and apparatus that facilitates the above-described process by taking into account the specific characteristics of a sheet of alkaloid-containing material to minimize damage thereto during the manufacturing process.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a plurality of sheets of an alkaloid-containing material, comprising the steps of: providing a pulp containing the alkaloid-containing material and water in a reservoir; providing said reservoir with a plurality of outlets; feeding pulp from said outlets onto a movable support to form a plurality of parallel sheets of material containing alkaloids; and maintaining parallel sheets of alkaloid-containing material separated on the movable support while allowing movement of the movable support.

According to the present invention, a plurality of sheets are simultaneously formed from the pulp. The sheets are located parallel to each other on one movable support. Thus, there is no need to split the sheet after production, since the sheets are already produced in “smaller” ones, and the production time is not increased since multiple sheets are produced in parallel. Additionally, smaller sheet sizes can also provide faster and more even drying.

As used herein, the term “sheet” refers to a flat member having a width and length significantly greater than its thickness. The overall width of the parallel sheets is preferably greater than about 10 millimeters, more preferably greater than about 20 millimeters or about 30 millimeters. Even more preferably, the width of the sheet of alkaloid containing material is from about 60 millimeters to about 2500 millimeters. The thickness of the sheet of alkaloid containing material is preferably from about 50 micrometers to about 300 micrometers, more preferably the thickness of the sheet is from about 100 micrometers to about 250 micrometers, even more preferably from about 130 micrometers to 220 micrometers.

The continuous "sheet" is referred to herein as a "web".

As used herein, the term "movable support" refers to any device comprising a surface that can move in at least one longitudinal direction. The movable support may form a closed loop to allow continuous transport in one direction. The movable support may include a conveyor belt. The movable support may be substantially flat and may have a structured or unstructured surface. The movable support may not contain openings on its surface or may contain openings, preferably of such a size that they are impermeable to the pulp located thereon. The movable support may contain a sheet movable and flexible tape. The tape may be made of metallic material, including, but not limited to, steel, copper, iron alloys, and copper alloys. The tape can be made of rubber. The belt may be made of a heat-resistant material so that it can be heated to speed up the pulp drying process.

As used herein, the term "pulp" means a liquid-like, viscous or paste-like material, which may contain an emulsion of another liquid-like, viscous or paste-like material, and which may contain some solid particles, provided that the state of the pulp remains liquid-like, viscous. or pasty.

"Alkaloid-containing material" is a material that contains one or more alkaloids. Alkaloids may include nicotine. Nicotine can be found, for example, in tobacco.

Alkaloids are a group of naturally occurring chemical compounds that primarily contain nitrogenous base atoms. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds with similar structures are also called alkaloids. In addition to carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen, alkaloids may also contain oxygen, sulfur and, less commonly, other elements such as chlorine, bromine and phosphorus.

Alkaloids are produced by many organisms, including bacteria, fungi, plants and animals. They can be isolated from crude extracts of these organisms by acid-base extraction. Examples of alkaloids are caffeine, nicotine, theobromine, atropine, tubocurarine.

Preferably, the alkaloid containing material comprises homogenized tobacco material. Accordingly, in this case the alkaloid is nicotine. As used herein, the term “homogenized tobacco material” means a material obtained by agglomeration of tobacco particles that contains the alkaloid nicotine.

The most widely used forms of homogenized tobacco material are reconstituted tobacco leaf and molded leaf. The process of making sheets of homogenized tobacco material typically involves mixing tobacco dust and a binder to form a pulp. This pulp is then used to produce tobacco web. For example, by casting a viscous pulp onto a moving metal belt, a so-called molded sheet is obtained. In an alternative embodiment, low viscosity, high water content pulp can be used to produce reconstituted tobacco in a process similar to papermaking.

Tobacco sheet material may be referred to as reconstituted sheet material and is prepared using particulate tobacco (eg, reconstituted tobacco) or a particulate tobacco mixture, a humectant and an aqueous solvent to form a tobacco composition. This tobacco composition may then be cast, extruded, rolled or compressed to form a sheet of tobacco composition. Tobacco sheet can be made using a wet process in which fine particles of tobacco are used to produce a paper-like material; or a sheet casting process in which fine tobacco particles are mixed with a binder material and cast onto a moving belt to form a sheet.

Homogenized tobacco leaf typically contains, in addition to tobacco, a binder. In addition, it may include an aerosol forming agent such as guar and glycerin.

The term "aerosol-forming substrate" means a substrate capable of releasing volatile compounds that can form an aerosol. Typically, aerosol-forming substrates release volatile compounds when heated. The aerosol-forming substrate may comprise an alkaloid-containing material containing volatile alkaloid aromatic compounds that are released from the aerosol-forming substrate when heated. The aerosol-forming substrate may comprise homogenized material.

To form a sheet, a pulp is obtained from the material containing alkaloids.

The pulp may contain several different components or ingredients. These components may affect the properties of the cast sheet made from material containing alkaloids. The first ingredient is a material containing alkaloids, for example in powder form. This material may be, for example, a tobacco powder mixture, which preferably contains the bulk of the tobacco present in the pulp. The tobacco powder mixture provides the bulk of the tobacco in the homogenized tobacco material and therefore contributes the flavor to the finished product, such as the aerosol produced by heating the homogenized tobacco material.

Preferably, the powder of the alkaloid-containing material has a size of from about 0.03 millimeters to about 0.12 millimeters. The particle or powder size of a material containing alkaloids is defined as Dv95 size. Each of the above values indicates the Dv95 particle size. The designation "v" in Dv95 means that volumetric distribution is being considered. The use of volumetric distributions introduces the concept of an equivalent sphere. An equivalent sphere is a sphere that is equivalent to the real particle in the property that we are measuring. Thus, in light scattering techniques, it is a sphere that will provide the same scattering intensities as the real particle. It is essentially a sphere that has the same volume as the particle. Further, the designation "95" in Dv95 means the diameter at which ninety-five percent of the distribution has a smaller particle size and five percent has a larger particle size. Thus, the particle size is that size according to the volume distribution such that 95 percent of the particles have a diameter (of the corresponding sphere having substantially the same volume as the particle) less than this value. A particle size of 60 microns means that 95 percent of the particles have a diameter of less than 60 microns, with the diameter being the diameter of a sphere having the corresponding volume as the particle.

Particle size Dv95 is measured using a Horiba LA-950 or LA-960 particle size distribution analyzer. The HORIBA LA-960 Particle Size Analyzer uses laser diffraction to measure size distribution. This technique first uses the principles of sizing using light scattered from the particle (edge diffraction) and through the particle (secondary scattering refraction). LA-960 analysis is based on Mie scattering theory.

A binder may be added to the pulp to improve the tensile properties of the homogenized sheet. An aerosolizing agent may be added to the pulp to promote aerosol formation. In addition, in order to achieve a certain viscosity and moisture content optimal for casting a web from a material containing alkaloids, water can be added to the pulp.

The amount of binder added to the pulp may range from about 1 percent to about 5 percent by dry weight of said pulp. More preferably, it is in the range of about 2 percent to about 4 percent. The binder used in the pulp may be any of the gums or pectins described herein. The binder may ensure that the powdered alkaloid-containing material, such as tobacco, remains substantially distributed throughout the homogenized tobacco web. Although any binder can be used, preferred binders are natural pectins such as fruit, citrus or tobacco pectins; guar gums such as hydroxyethylguar and hydroxypropylguar; locust bean gums such as hydroxyethyl and hydroxypropyl locust bean gums; alginate; starches such as modified or derivatized starches; celluloses such as methyl, ethyl, ethylhydroxymethyl and carboxymethylcellulose; tamarind gum; dextran; pullalon; konjac flour; xanthan gum, etc. A particularly preferred binder for use in the present invention is guar.

Suitable substances for forming an aerosol for inclusion in the pulp for alkaloid-containing material are known in the art and include, without limitation: monohydric alcohols such as menthol, polyhydric alcohols such as triethylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol and glycerin; polyhydric alcohol esters such as glycerol mono-, di- or triacetate; and aliphatic esters of mono-, di- or polycarboxylic acids, such as dimethyl dodecanedioate and dimethyl tetradecanedioate.

Examples of preferred aerosol forming agents are glycerin and propylene glycol.

The aerosol forming agent content of the pulp may be greater than about 5 percent on a dry weight basis. The aerosol forming agent content of the pulp may range from about 5 percent to about 30 percent on a dry weight basis. More preferably, the aerosol forming agent is present in an amount of from about 10 percent to about 25 percent based on the dry weight of the pulp. More preferably, the aerosol forming agent is present in an amount of from about 15 percent to about 25 percent based on the dry weight of the pulp.

Cellulose pulp containing cellulose fibers acting as a strengthening agent is preferably added to the pulp to increase the tensile strength of the alkaloid containing material web.

Cellulose fibers incorporated into the pulp generally increase the tensile strength of the alkaloid-containing sheet of material by acting as a strengthening agent. Therefore, the addition of cellulose fibers can increase the elasticity of the alkaloid-containing material sheet. Cellulosic fibers for inclusion in the pulp of a sheet of alkaloid-containing material are known in the art and include, but are not limited to, softwood fibers; hardwood fibers; jute fibers; flax fibers; tobacco fibers and their combinations. In addition to pulping, cellulosic fibers may be subjected to suitable treatment processes such as refining, mechanical pulping, chemical pulping, bleaching, kraft pulping and combinations of the above. The cellulosic fibers may contain materials from tobacco stems, veins, or other materials from the tobacco plant. Preferably, cellulosic fibers, such as wood fibers, have a low lignin content. In an alternative embodiment, plant fibers, including hemp and bamboo, can be used in conjunction with or as an alternative to these fibers. The length of the cellulose fibers is preferably from about 0.2 millimeters to about 4 millimeters. Preferably, the average length per unit weight of the cellulose fibers is from about 1 millimeter to about 3 millimeters. In addition, preferably the amount of cellulose fibers is from about 1 percent to about 7 percent on a dry weight basis based on the total weight of the pulp (or homogenized tobacco leaf).

The average length of the fibers refers to their actual length (whether they are twisted or kinked) measured using the MORFI COMPACT device sold by Techpap SAS. Average Length is the mathematical average of the length of fibers measured using MORFI COMPACT, based on the measurement of N fibers, where N > 5. MORFI COMPACT is a fiber analyzer that measures the length of fibers by following their backbone and thus identifying them actual length when unfolded. Measured objects are considered fibers if their length is between 200 and 10,000 microns and their width is between 5 and 75 microns. Fiber length is measured by adding deionized water to the fibers and using Morfi software.

The binder and cellulose fibers are preferably present in a weight ratio of from about 1:7 to about 5:1. More preferably, the binder and cellulose fibers are present in a weight ratio of from about 1:1 to about 3:1.

The binder and aerosol forming agent are preferably contained in a weight ratio of from about 1:30 to about 1:1. More preferably, the binder and aerosol forming agent are contained in a weight ratio of from about 1:20 to about 1:4.

Preferably, the alkaloid containing material is tobacco. The binder and tobacco particles are preferably contained in a weight ratio of from about 1:100 to about 1:10. More preferably, the binder and tobacco particles are contained in a weight ratio of from about 1:50 to about 1:15, even more preferably from about 1:30 to 1:20.

The aerosol forming agent and tobacco particles are preferably contained in a weight ratio of from about 1:20 to about 1:1. More preferably, the aerosol forming agent and tobacco particles are contained in a weight ratio of from about 1:6 to about 1:2.

The aerosol forming agent and cellulose fibers are preferably contained in a weight ratio of from about 1:1 to about 30:1. More preferably, the aerosol former and cellulose fibers are present in a weight ratio of from about 5:1 to about 15:1.

The cellulose fibers and tobacco particles are preferably present in a weight ratio of from about 1:100 to about 1:10. More preferably, cellulose fibers and tobacco particles are preferably contained in a weight ratio of from about 1:50 to about 1:20.

A pulp formed using a material containing alkaloids, water and preferably some or all of the ingredients described above may, for example, be contained in a reservoir. The pulp may enter the reservoir from another location. Therefore, the reservoir may not be the place where the pulp is formed. For example, the slurry may be formed in a hopper, from where it is transferred to a tank through a suitable pipe system.

The pulp inside the tank is preferably maintained at approximately ambient temperature, i.e. from approximately 15 degrees Celsius to approximately 30 degrees Celsius.

From the reservoir, the pulp is transferred to a movable support to form a plurality of sheets. Preferably the sheets are formed on the surface of a movable support, for example a conveyor belt. The direction along which the movable support moves determines the direction of transportation.

Preferably, the reservoir is located above the movable support, and the surface of the movable support on which the sheets are formed preferably forms a substantially horizontal surface.

Preferably, the pulp is continuously fed into the tank at the same time as the pulp is fed to the movable support to form a plurality of continuous sheets of alkaloid-containing material. Thus, the hopper and reservoir are preferably in fluid communication to allow slurry to flow from one to the other.

Preferably, the level of the pulp inside the tank is checked, for example using a suitable sensor. Preferably, the pulp is introduced into the reservoir using a pump. More preferably, there is a feedback control loop in which signals from the pulp level sensor can change the power output of the pump.

Thus, preferably, a predetermined amount of pulp is maintained in the tank.

The reservoir is preferably box-shaped. Preferably the container has walls. More preferably, the walls in turn include side walls. The side walls may include first and second pairs of opposing walls, referred to as first, second, third and fourth side walls. The side walls are advantageously substantially vertical or inclined relative to a vertical plane. The first and second side walls and the third and fourth side walls face each other. Preferably, the walls of the reservoir also comprise a bottom wall.

The reservoir contains many releases. The outlets are, for example, made on the wall of the tank, for example, in the bottom wall. The outlets made in the tank can be located in any configuration. Preferably they are distributed along the line. Outlets may be located at the end of pipes exiting the tank. In this case, the tank may have one hole, for example in the bottom wall, from which the main pipe emerges. The main pipe then branches into many pipes, each ending in an outlet. In an alternative embodiment, the reservoir is provided with a plurality of openings, for example in a bottom wall, from which extend a plurality of pipes, each of which extends from the opening and ends at an outlet. Thus, in this case, the outlets can be located at the end of the pipes that supply the pulp to the movable support.

The pulp is distributed from the outlets onto the movable support.

The pulp may be applied directly to the movable support, or one or more sheets of substrate may be positioned between the movable support and the reservoir such that the pulp is applied to the support sheet. The backing sheet may be located on a movable support.

Preferably, the distance between two adjacent outlets remains constant for all outlets.

If we assume that the bottom wall of the container defines a plane (X, Y), where X is parallel to the direction of transport, and the side walls extend at least some distance along the Z axis parallel to the plane (X, Y), preferably the outlets form a line parallel to the axis Y. However, releases can be located along multiple parallel lines.

The moving support preferably moves along the longitudinal direction - the direction of transport - to remove the pulp coming out of the outlets. The size of the movable support perpendicular to the direction of transportation is called the width of the movable support. The support may comprise, for example, a movable stainless steel belt. The support is preferably moved by means of a drum, which is configured to advance the movable support. The drum is additionally configured to be in thermal contact with a movable base for sheets of material containing alkaloids.

The plurality of outlets distributes the pulp on the movable support or on a backing sheet placed on the movable support at various locations. Due to the fact that the movable support moves along the conveying direction, the distributed pulp forms various slurry sheets, one for each individual outlet, extending along the conveying direction. The size of the sheets formed on the movable support in the direction perpendicular to the direction of transportation is called sheet width.

Preferably, the width of each sheet is from about 10 millimeters to about 300 millimeters. Preferably, all sheets that are simultaneously formed from the releases have substantially the same width.

Preferably, the sheets formed from the releases do not overlap, that is, each sheet has one surface in contact with the movable support or backing sheet. The sheet does not lie on top of another sheet. Preferably there is no contact between different sheets formed from different releases.

The sheets are kept separated from each other during the movement of the movable support. If the sheets are not kept separated, due to the essentially liquid or paste-like state of the pulp, there will be a tendency for the sheets to adhere to each other to form a single sheet. Thus, the parallel sheets formed by the outlets located in different positions are kept separated from each other during transportation by their movable base along the direction of transportation.

In this way, a plurality of sheets are formed simultaneously, with each sheet having a relatively “small” width, which is suitable for further processing steps, for example for the formation of an aerosol generating article. Steps such as dividing the sheet into many smaller sheets along the transport direction are eliminated.

Preferably, a backing sheet is provided on at least some portion of the movable support. Preferably, a number of backing sheets is provided equal to the number of outlets. The pulp is thus placed over the support sheets so that together they form a plurality of sheets of alkaloid-containing material.

The support sheet is preferably a fiber-containing support sheet. The support sheet can be used to form a sheet of an alkaloid-containing material having relatively high tensile strength. It can be used with low fiber pulp to strengthen the resulting sheets of alkaloid containing material.

The backing sheet containing the fibers is typically a relatively "tough" sheet whose tensile strength is such that it can be transported between rolls without the need for an additional backing sheet with which it must be in contact. The tensile strength of the backing sheet is preferably from about 0.1 newton/(millimetre) ² to about 1 newton/(millimetre) ² .

The backing sheet can be made from a variety of materials, natural or synthetic, including cellulose, hemp, kenaf, bamboo pulp, cotton, silk, wood, or a combination thereof. The choice of material is made in accordance with the expected mechanical properties of the final sheet containing the alkaloid containing material.

The fibers in the backing sheet may be woven or non-woven. In the case of nonwoven fibers, they may be oriented predominantly in one direction. In addition, the fibers can be, for example, randomly oriented. In the case of woven fibers, different weaving options can be used. The backing sheet may comprise a mat of fibers. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet, or woven into a fabric. The backing sheet may contain a binder to hold the fibers together. The binder may contain methylcellulose.

Preferably, the backing sheet is a woven sheet. A woven sheet is a sheet in which the fibers are interwoven. Not all fibers can be intertwined, but only part of them. The woven sheet allows for uniformity and relatively high mechanical strength.

The fiber content of the backing sheet is preferably less than 50 grams/(meter) ² .

The support sheet preferably contains cellulose fibers. Cellulosic fibers for forming the sheet are known in the art and include, but are not limited to: softwood fibers, hardwood fibers, jute fibers, flax fibers, tobacco fibers and combinations thereof. In addition to pulping, cellulosic fibers may be subjected to suitable treatment processes such as refining, mechanical pulping, chemical pulping, bleaching, kraft pulping and combinations of the above. The cellulosic fibers may contain materials from tobacco stems, veins, or other materials from the tobacco plant. Preferably, cellulosic fibers, such as wood fibers, have a low lignin content. In an alternative embodiment, fibers such as plant fibers, including hemp and bamboo, may be used in conjunction with or as an alternative to the fibers described above.

The fiber containing backing sheet contains fibers having an average fiber length of from about 0.7 millimeters to about 50 millimeters. More preferably, the fibers of the substrate sheet containing the fibers have an average fiber length of from about 1 millimeter to about 25 millimeters. More preferably, the fibers of the substrate sheet containing the fibers have an average fiber length of from about 1 millimeter to about 10 millimeters. More preferably, the fibers of the substrate sheet containing the fibers have an average fiber length of from about 1 millimeter to about 5 millimeters. Even more preferably, the fibers of the substrate sheet containing the fibers have an average fiber length of from about 1.2 millimeters to about 1.8 millimeters.

The average length of the fibers refers to their actual length (whether they are twisted or kinked) measured using the MORFI COMPACT device sold by Techpap SAS. Average Length is the mathematical average of the length of fibers measured using MORFI COMPACT, based on the measurement of N fibers, where N > 5. MORFI COMPACT is a fiber analyzer that measures the length of fibers by following their backbone and thus identifying them actual length when unfolded. Measured objects are considered fibers if their length is between 200 and 10,000 microns and their width is between 5 and 75 microns. Fiber length is measured by adding deionized water to the fibers and using Morfi software.

The backing sheet defines a first surface and a second surface opposite each other. The first surface or the second surface may be a substantially planar surface. The first surface or the second surface may be horizontal, that is, parallel to a horizontal plane, or inclined.

The second surface is preferably in contact with the movable support and the first surface is coated with pulp.

The pulp that comes into contact with the substrate sheet may be completely absorbed or adsorbed by the substrate sheet. The pulp may form a layer, called a second layer, on the first surface of the backing sheet. The pulp may be partially absorbed or adsorbed by the substrate sheet and partially cover the first surface of the support sheet.

Preferably, the pulp application may form a second layer on the backing sheet. Essentially, a layer of pulp coating is formed on the first surface of the backing sheet.

Pulp application may cause the substrate sheet to be impregnated with the pulp.

Depending on the composition of the support sheet or the pulp, or the compositions of both the support sheet and the pulp, for example, depending on the amount of water or binder contained in the pulp, the pulp may be absorbed or adsorbed by the support sheet minimally, partially, or substantially. If the pulp is only minimally or partially absorbed by the backing sheet, a second layer is formed on the surface of the backing sheet to which the pulp is applied, and a multilayer sheet is formed.

If there is a sorption process in which the pulp is absorbed or adsorbed by the substrate sheet, the substrate sheet is impregnated with the pulp. The pulp can be completely absorbed by the backing sheet. The pulp can also both form a coating layer and impregnate the substrate sheet.

Sorption is a physicochemical process in which one substance is attached to another. Specific cases of sorption are: absorption, in which there is an incorporation of a substance in one state into another substance in another state, in which case such liquid pulp is absorbed by a solid sheet of support; or adsorption, which involves the physical attachment or binding of ions and molecules to the surface of another phase.

The resulting sheet formed by the backing sheet and the pulp applied to the first surface may have a different composition in a cross section perpendicular to the first surface of the backing sheet. The second surface may have the lowest concentration of pulp. The highest concentration of pulp may be present on the first surface. A combination of support material and pulp may be present in varying concentrations between the first surface and the second surface.

Preferably, the method includes the step of simultaneously drying parallel sheets of alkaloid-containing material. After casting, the sheets are preferably dried to reduce their moisture content and subsequently "cure". To dry the sheets, you can use a drying unit, or “dryer” for short. All sheets are dried together, which speeds up the process. Additionally, drying "smaller" sheets versus a wider sheet can ensure that the sheets themselves dry more evenly, minimizing defects that occur.

In the drying station, the temperature of the sheets is preferably increased to allow the moisture content within the sheets to be reduced. Preferably, the moisture content of said sheets during casting, i.e. pulp moisture content ranges from about 60 percent to about 80 percent. Preferably, the moisture content of said sheets at the time of completion of drying is from about 7 percent to about 15 percent, based on the dry weight of the sheets of alkaloid-containing material. Preferably, the moisture content of said sheets of alkaloid-containing material at the time of completion of drying is from about 8 percent to about 12 percent, based on the dry weight of the sheets of alkaloid-containing material. The moisture content of the pulp during casting and at the end of drying is a parameter that is important to control, since it affects the uniformity of the sheets and the processability of sheets made from alkaloid-containing material in subsequent stages of production.

The ideal pulp moisture level has been found to be between approximately 60 percent and approximately 80 percent. Below this preferred range, the density of the pulp during casting will be such that it will often result in defects in the formed sheets. In addition, moisture levels outside the specified range may result in reduced tensile strength of the sheets, which may make it difficult to effectively handle sheets of alkaloid-containing material in subsequent processing steps. Accordingly, the excess moisture that needs to be removed from the sheets during the drying step is relatively large.

Removal of moisture is preferably accomplished by exposure to a stream of heated fluid. For example, the heated fluid may be drying air, wherein the drying air has a higher temperature than the temperature of the cast sheet. You can also use steam.

Preferably, the step of supplying pulp from the outlets to the movable support includes the step of spraying or pushing the pulp onto the movable support. To supply the slurry from the reservoir to the movable support, the pulp can be sprayed or pushed, for example using suitable nozzles or guns, onto the movable support. This enables simple and efficient sheet formation.

Preferably, the method includes the step of independently adjusting the pressure or flow rate of the slurry supplied from each of the plurality of outlets. Preferably, the flow rate of at least one outlet is controlled independently of the others. More preferably, the method includes the step of varying the pressure of the slurry supplied from each of the plurality of outlets based on the flow rate of the slurry supplied from the same outlet. Preferably, the amount and pressure of pulp exiting each outlet is monitored. This tracking may be part of a feedback loop so that the pressure at which the slurry is pushed or sprayed onto the movable support can be varied depending on the amount of pulp supplied per unit time to the movable support. In this way, optimal distribution of the pulp on the movable support is achieved. Moreover, the amount of pulp used to form each of the plurality of sheets is preferably the same.

Preferably the method includes the step of mixing the pulp in a tank. The pulp usually reaches the reservoir in a mixed state. To obtain a slurry having substantially the same characteristics at all outlets in the tank, which are located at different locations, it is also preferable to carry out mixing within the tank, for example, using a mixing device such as a screw conveyor. In addition, constant stirring or mixing avoids drying out of individual parts of the pulp.

Preferably, the method includes the step of heating the pulp at one or more of a plurality of outlets or within a vessel. "Hot" pulp is a less viscous pulp, so it is more easily distributed on the movable support, particularly by spraying or pushing. Preferably, the temperature of the pulp in the outlet region is from about 20 degrees Celsius to about 50 degrees Celsius.

Preferably, the method includes orienting the flow of slurry supplied from one or more of the plurality of outlets relative to the movable support. Preferably, the direction in which the slurry from the reservoir reaches the movable support can be adjusted. Preferably, it is also possible to change the shape of the pulp flow. This allows the pulp flow to be varied depending on which sheets are desired, achieving greater precision in sheet formation.

The present invention also relates to an apparatus for producing a plurality of sheets from a material containing alkaloids, comprising: a reservoir configured to contain pulp having a plurality of outlets; a movable support configured to move in the direction of transportation; a plurality of separators arranged parallel to the direction of transport and in contact with the surface of the movable support, the separators dividing the surface of the movable support into a plurality of sections; each of the plurality of outlets is located above one of the sections.

The advantages of such a setup have already been described in relation to the method and will not be repeated here. The pulp from the reservoir is transferred through outlets to a movable support. In order to keep the sheets of pulp separated from each other, the movable support on one of its surfaces, preferably on the surface facing the reservoir, contains a plurality of separators, such that the pulp forming the various sheets is "held" in its space, formed by separators, that is, it is held in a limited part of the surface of the movable support.

Each outlet provides supply to the movable support section formed by the dividers. Preferably, each of the plurality of outlets feeds a different section, but configurations in which more than one outlet feeds one section are also possible.

Preferably, the installation includes a spray or ejector gun at each of the plurality of outlets. A gun, for example, located at the end of the pipe emerging from each outlet, is used to spray or push the pulp onto its corresponding section of the moving belt.

Preferably, the device includes a pressure regulator at each of the plurality of outlets. Preferably, the installation includes a flow meter at each of the plurality of outlets. Preferably, control of the parameters of the pulp flow from the reservoir to the movable support is provided.

Preferably, the width of the sections in a direction perpendicular to the direction of transport is preferably from about 10 millimeters to about 300 millimeters. Preferably, the width of each of the plurality of sheets is such that it is equal to or close to the "standard" width of the smaller reels resulting from the division of the "main" sheet, such that the smaller sheets can immediately be subjected to additional processing steps to obtain, for example, a product , generating an aerosol.

Preferably, the height of the sections in a direction perpendicular to the direction of transport is preferably from about 10 millimeters to about 100 millimeters. Preferably, the thickness of each of the plurality of sheets is from about 5 millimeters to about 20 millimeters. Preferably, the thickness of all sheets of the plurality of sheets is substantially the same. The height of the sections, where by height is meant the dimension substantially perpendicular to the surface of the movable support on which the pulp is applied, is large enough so that the section contains the amount of pulp necessary to obtain the required sheet thickness.

Preferably, the size or shape of each of the plurality of releases is variable. The size and/or shape of the outlet can be varied to better control the flow of pulp.

The present invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a plant for producing a plurality of sheets of alkaloid containing material according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a more detailed front view of the installation shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a more detailed schematic side view of part of the installation shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a detail of the installation shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a front cross-sectional view of the part shown in FIG. 3; And

FIG. 6 is a diagram of a method for producing a plurality of sheets of an alkaloid containing material according to the present invention.

Consider first FIG. 1, which shows and is designated 1 by an apparatus according to the present invention for producing a plurality of sheets from an alkaloid-containing material, and all sheets are designated 10. In this embodiment, the plurality of sheets 10 are sheets of homogenized tobacco material.

An installation 1 for producing a plurality of sheets of homogenized tobacco material comprises a sheet forming device 2 and preferably a drying device 3 located downstream of the sheet forming device 2 in the direction of movement 11 (shown by an arrow in FIG. 1) of the plurality of sheets of material. 10, containing alkaloids.

As shown in FIG. 2, the device 2 for forming sheets contains a reservoir 4 into which pulp is introduced to form sheets of homogenized tobacco material, a pump 5 for introducing the pulp into the reservoir, a plurality of outlets, each of which is designated by the number 6, and a movable support 7 on which the pulp is supplied from Issue 6. The reservoir 4 can have any geometric shape, and in the illustrated embodiment it is essentially a prism. The pulp from buffer tanks or bunkers (not shown in the graphic materials) is moved through pump 5 into the tank. Preferably, pump 5 includes a flow regulator (not shown in the drawings) to control the amount of pulp introduced into reservoir 4. Pump 5 is advantageously configured to maintain a minimum required time for transporting the pulp. In addition, a sensor 40 is present in the tank 4 to measure the pulp level. Preferably, there is feedback between the sensor 40 and the pump 5 so that a substantially constant slurry level is maintained in the reservoir 4.

The tank 4 includes side walls 15 and also further includes a bottom wall 16. A stirrer 17 may be present inside the tank for stirring and/or mixing the pulp. The mixer can be, for example, a screw conveyor driven by a motor 18.

The device 2 for forming sheets also contains a movable base 7, onto which pulp is supplied to form webs of homogenized tobacco material 10. The movable base 7 contains, for example, a continuous stainless steel belt 7 containing a drum assembly. Said drum assembly includes a main drum 8 (shown in FIGS. 3-5), which moves a movable support 7 and is located below the reservoir 4. Preferably, the reservoir 4 is installed above the main drum 8. The direction of transport of the movable support 7 corresponds to the direction of movement 11.

Preferably, the width of the tank 4 (where the width corresponds to a direction perpendicular to the transport direction 11) is preferably substantially identical to the width of the movable support 7.

An opening 16a is provided in the bottom wall 16 of the tank and is connected to the main pipe 20. The main valve 21 controls the flow of slurry through the main pipe 20. After the main valve 21 in the direction of the slurry flow, the main pipe 20 branches into a plurality of branch pipes, all of which are designated by number 22. The number of branch pipes 22 is equal to the number of outlets 6, and in fact each branch pipe 22 at its free end ends with outlet 6.

In another embodiment not shown, a plurality of holes are provided directly in the bottom wall 16, and a plurality of pipes are connected, each pipe being connected to a separate opening.

Each branch pipe contains a valve 23, followed by a positive displacement pump 24, such as a lobe or gear pump, a pressure regulator 25, and a flow meter 26. Items 23-26 are listed in the direction of slurry flow from the highest upstream (valve 23, located downstream from the main valve 21) to the downstream one (flow meter 26). Preferably, flow meter 26 and volumetric pump 24 are part of a feedback system such that the value output by flow meter 26 is used in controlling the volume of slurry delivered by pump 24 through pipe 22.

The element sequences are shown in FIG. 3 is a side view of the sheet forming device 2.

Each branch pipe 22 terminates in a gun 27, where an outlet 6 is present. Each gun 27 includes a nozzle (not shown) representing the outlet, which nozzle may be a slot, for example, for an injected pulp, or a circle for an injected pulp.

The gun 27 may be a jet gun or a spray gun. In both systems, jet or spray gun, the position and/or tilt of the gun can be adjusted. Additionally, compressed air can be used to push out the pulp using an air pressure regulator. In the case of jet guns, the outlet preferably has an adjustable shape and size. In the case of jet guns, they preferably have an adjustable spray pattern (cone, spiral, etc.).

The guns 27 preferably form a line, that is, they are aligned along an axis, and this line is preferably perpendicular to the transport direction 11.

In addition, each branch pipe 22 may include an electrical heating element and a temperature sensor (not shown in the drawings). Heat is used to prevent the pulp from cooling during transfer.

As best seen in FIG. 4 and 5, the movable support 7 defines the surface 7a. The surface 7a is preferably flat. The movable support 7 includes a plurality of spacers 30 located on the surface 7a of the movable support 7 in contact with the pulp. The dividers 30 divide the movable support surface 7a into sections 31. The dividers 30 preferably include walls, such as vertical walls, that are parallel to each other. The walls are parallel to the transport direction 11 and are screwed to the belt so that they move/rotate with the belt. The width 32 of each section is preferably the width of standard "small reels" (eg, preferably from about 10 millimeters to about 300 millimeters) used for further processing of the sheet 10. The width 32 of all sections is preferably the same.

Preferably, a gun 27 is associated with each section 31. Each gun 27 has its own slurry coating section.

In addition, additional sensors (not shown) are preferably located above the movable base 7 to measure the weight per square centimeter and the thickness of the web of homogenized tobacco material on the movable base 7. The sensor may be, for example, a nucleon measuring head. Preferably, additional sensors are also provided, also not shown in the drawings, such as a sensor for detecting and locating defects in the cast homogenized tobacco web, a sensor for determining the moisture content of the pulp and parallel sheets 10, and a temperature sensor for determining the temperature of the pulp in the tank 4.

Preferably, all sensors transmit signals related to the respective parameters they measure (temperature, pulp moisture level, defects, etc.) to the central control unit 50 (see FIG. 1). Preferably, the central control unit 50 is electrically connected to one, some or all of the pumps 5, 24, drives, motors 18, sensors 40, guns 27, flow meters 26, or other circuits and drives in the device 2 or in the pulp preparation device (not shown). ). If defects or inhomogeneity are detected in/on the sheets 10, or if the characteristics of the sheets 10 are outside a predetermined range, the central control unit 50 can control changes in process parameters and thus influence the characteristics of the pulp or the molding parameters sheets. These process parameters may be, for example, any of the size of the nozzles in the guns 27, the slurry flow rate, the slurry temperature, the spray pattern, or the amount of slurry in the tank 4, or combinations thereof.

The drying device 3 contains a plurality of separate drying zones. Each drying zone preferably has steam heating on the underside of the support and heated air above the movable support 7, and preferably adjustable air release controls. Inside the drying device 3, the homogenized tobacco web is dried to the required final moisture content on the support 7.

As shown in FIG. 6, the installation 1 containing the sheet forming device 2 operates as follows. At step 100, the pulp, preferably formed by mixing and combining tobacco powder, water and other ingredients, is transferred from a storage tank (not shown) using, for example, built-in agitators of the production line (also not shown) to the device 2 for forming sheets inside the tank 4 At step 101, the main valve 21 is opened and the slurry reaches the branch pipes 22. Accordingly, the guns 27 are actuated at step 102 so that the slurry is supplied to a movable support 7, for example, a stainless steel belt 7. Each gun 27 applies slurry to a separate section 31 mounted on a movable support 7. In addition, any of the steps 100-102 preferably include monitoring the slurry level in the tank 4, the moisture content of the slurry within the tank 4, and the density of the slurry using appropriate sensors.

The thickness and grammage of the sheets 10, monitored by a nucleon sensor immediately after casting, are continuously monitored and feedback controlled by a pulp measuring device. The formation of the sheets is carried out using guns 27, which spray or inject the pulp into various sections 31, made on a movable support 7. Thanks to the walls 30, the sheets remain separated during transport.

The sheets 10 are then subjected to a drying step 103 by the drying apparatus 3. The sheets 10 continue to move on the movable support so that they enter the drying apparatus together, thus preferably drying them simultaneously. The drying step involves preferably drying the sheets uniformly and gently in a stainless steel endless belt dryer with separately controlled zones. During drying, there is preferably a step (not shown) of monitoring the temperature of the sheets in each drying zone to ensure a smooth drying profile in each drying zone. The canvases are dried to the required final moisture content on a steel belt 7 by air drying from below and from above with heating by means of a steam boiler. Each drying zone is equipped with steam flow and pressure controls, with air temperature and air flow fully adjustable to ensure the desired drying profile and product processing time.

Preferably, at the end of the drying step 103, the sheets of homogenized tobacco material are removed from the support 7, for example, using a scraper. The sheet removal step 104 after the drying station is preferably carried out at the desired moisture content.

After the drying step 103, the sheets 10 are preferably wound into a number of "small" bobbins in a winding step 105. The bobbins can then be used to produce an aerosol generating article (not shown).

Claims (30)

1. A method for producing a plurality of sheets of an alkaloid containing material for use in an aerosol generating product, comprising: providing a slurry containing alkaloid-containing material and water in a reservoir; providing multiple outlets in said reservoir; supplying pulp from the outlets to the movable support to form a plurality of parallel sheets of material containing alkaloids; And maintaining parallel sheets of alkaloid-containing material separated on a movable support as the movable support moves. 2. Method according to claim 1, including: simultaneous drying of parallel sheets of material containing alkaloids. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, in which when supplying pulp from the outlets to the movable support: spray or push the pulp onto a movable support. 4. The method according to any of the previous paragraphs, including: independent control of the pressure or flow rate of the pulp supplied from each of the plurality of outlets. 5. The method according to claim 4, including: changing the pressure of the slurry supplied from each of the plurality of outlets based on the flow rate of the slurry supplied from the same outlet. 6. The method according to any of the previous paragraphs, including: mixing the pulp in the tank. 7. The method according to any of the previous paragraphs, including: heating the pulp at one or more of a plurality of outlets or within a vessel. 8. A method according to one or more of the preceding paragraphs, including: orienting the flow of pulp supplied from one or more of the plurality of outlets relative to the movable support. 9. An apparatus for producing a plurality of sheets of a material containing alkaloids for use in an aerosol generating product, comprising: a reservoir configured to contain pulp containing a plurality of outlets; a movable support configured to move in the direction of transportation; a plurality of separators located parallel to the direction of transportation and in contact with the surface of the movable support, wherein the separators divide the surface of the movable support into a number of sections; each of the plurality of outlets being located above one of the sections. 10. The installation of claim 9, comprising a spray gun or jet gun at each of the plurality of outlets. 11. Installation according to claim 9 or 10, containing a pressure regulator at each of the plurality of outlets. 12. Installation according to any one of paragraphs. 9-11, containing a flow meter at each of the plurality of outlets. 13. Installation according to any one of paragraphs. 9-12, in which the width of the sections in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction is preferably from 10 to 300 millimeters. 14. Installation according to any one of paragraphs. 9 to 13, in which the height of the dividers in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction is preferably from 10 to 100 millimeters. 15. Installation according to any one of paragraphs. 9-14, wherein the size or shape of each of the plurality of releases is variable.

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