TW202301999A - Smoking article with reduced tobacco odor and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided are a smoking article with a reduced smell of cigarettes and a manufacturing method therefor. Smoking articles according to some embodiments of the present disclosure comprise a smoking material part containing cigarette materials and a filter part, wherein the cigarette materials may include a material produced by processing leaf tobacco having a nicotine content of 0.5% or less. In such a case, a nicotine component and a nitrogen compound, which are main causes of the cigarette smell in cigarette smoke, are reduced, so that the cigarette smell of the smoke generated during smoking can be greatly reduced.

Description

Smoking article with reduced smoke taste and preparation method thereof

The present disclosure relates to reduced flavor smoking articles and methods of making the same. In more detail, it relates to a smoking article capable of reducing the taste of smoke generated during smoking by using low-nicotine tobacco leaves and a method for preparing the same.

The smoke generated during smoking not only contaminates the hand of the smoker holding the filter portion, but also makes people around feel uncomfortable due to the smell. Therefore, smokers usually wash their hands after smoking to remove the smell of smoke from their hands.

However, there is no such thing as always washing hands after smoking, and washing hands after each smoking may cause considerable inconvenience to the smoker.

Therefore, there is a need to develop a cigarette that minimizes the smell of smoke on hands even when smoked.

Problems to be solved by the invention:

The technical problem to be solved by some embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide a smoking article with reduced smoke taste and a preparation method thereof.

The technical problems of the present disclosure are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present disclosure belongs can clearly understand other technical problems not mentioned from the following description.

Technical means to solve the problem:

The smoking article of some embodiments of the present disclosure for solving the above-mentioned technical problems includes: a smoking material part including tobacco material; a material.

In some embodiments, the aforementioned tobacco material may include 10% to 40% by weight of the aforementioned first material.

In some embodiments, the nicotine content of the above-mentioned tobacco leaves may be less than 0.1 weight percent.

In some embodiments, the aforementioned tobacco material may further include a second material produced by processing another tobacco leaf having a nicotine content of 1.0 weight percent or more.

In some embodiments, the weight ratio of the first material to the second material may be 1:1 to 1:9.

In some embodiments, the nicotine content of the aforementioned tobacco leaf is less than 0.2 weight percent, and the nicotine content of the aforementioned another tobacco leaf may be more than 1.5 weight percent.

Compared with the effect of previous technology:

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure as described above, reduced nicotine tobacco leaves may be utilized to prepare tobacco material for incorporation into smoking articles. This tobacco material reduces the taste of smoke by reducing nicotine components and nitrogen compounds in smoke that are the main causes of smoke taste. In addition, the smoke smell on the body of the smoker can be greatly reduced, and the problem of discomfort caused by the smoke smell to the surrounding people can be greatly alleviated.

Moreover, the tobacco material can be prepared by blending tobacco leaves with low nicotine content and ordinary tobacco leaves in an appropriate ratio. For example, tobacco leaves with low nicotine content and regular tobacco leaves can be blended at a ratio of about 1:1.5 to 1:4. In this case, the decrease in the intensity of the inhalation sensed by the smoker can be minimized while reducing the taste of the smoke.

Effects according to the technical idea of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Advantages and features of the present disclosure, and methods for realizing the advantages and features will be clarified with reference to the embodiments described in detail later and the accompanying drawings. However, the technical idea of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, but can be realized in different implementation manners. The following embodiments only make the technical idea of the present disclosure more complete, in order to provide the technical field to which the present disclosure belongs. It is provided by a person in the know to more fully inform the scope of the present disclosure, and the technical idea of the present disclosure is defined by the scope of the claims for invention.

However, it should be noted that when assigning element numbers to structural elements in each drawing, even if they appear in different drawings, the same structural elements are assigned the same element numbers as much as possible. And, when explaining the present disclosure, when it is judged that the detailed description about the related known structure or function unnecessarily obscures the gist of the present disclosure, the detailed description will be omitted.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical terms and scientific terms) used in this specification can be used with the meaning commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure belongs. Also, terms defined by commonly used dictionaries should not be interpreted unusually or overly unless expressly defined otherwise. The terms used in this specification are for describing the embodiments, and do not limit the present disclosure. In this specification, singular expressions include plural expressions unless specifically mentioned in a sentence.

And, when describing the structural elements of the present disclosure, the terms of first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used. Such terms are used only to distinguish one structural element from another structural element, and the nature, order, sequence, etc. of the corresponding structural elements are not limited by the terms. It should be understood that when it is described that a structural element is "connected", "joined" or "linked" with another structural element, the structural element may be directly connected or coupled with another structural element, or may be connected between each structural element. There are other structural elements "connected", "joined" or "connected" between them.

As used in this disclosure, the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising" mean that the mentioned structural elements, steps, acts and/or devices do not exclude one or more other structural elements , the presence or addition of steps, actions and/or devices.

First, some terms used in various embodiments of the present disclosure are clarified.

In the following examples, "smoking article" refers to any product that can be smoked, regardless of whether it is based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes Or any product that provides a smoking experience. For example, smoking articles may include smokable products such as cigarettes, cigars, and cigarillos. As another example, smoking articles may include combustible smoking articles and heated smoking articles.

In the following embodiments, "smoking material" refers to materials that generate smoke and/or aerosol or are used for smoking. For example, smoking material may include tobacco material. Tobacco material may include, for example, tobacco leaves, tobacco stems, or materials processed therefrom. As more specific examples, the tobacco material may include shredded tobacco leaves, shredded reconstituted tobacco, expanded shredded tobacco, enlarged tobacco stems, tobacco flakes, and the like. But it is not limited to this.

In the following examples, "upstream" or "upstream direction" refers to the direction away from the smoker's mouth, and "downstream" or "downstream direction" refers to the direction closer to the smoker's mouth direction. The terms "upstream" and "downstream" are used to describe the relative positions of the elements that make up the smoking article. For example, in the smoking article 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 , the filter part 120 is located downstream or downstream of the smoking material part 110 , and the smoking material part 110 is located upstream or upstream of the filter part 120 .

In the following embodiments, "longitudinal direction" refers to the direction corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the smoking article.

In the following embodiments, "puff" refers to the inhalation of the smoker, and inhalation refers to the situation of inhaling into the smoker's mouth, nasal cavity or lungs through the smoker's mouth or nose.

In the following embodiments, "sheet" refers to a thin-layer element whose width and length are greater than its thickness. The term "sheet" may also be used interchangeably with the terms "web", "film" and the like in the art.

In the following examples, "flavor sheet or flavoring sheet" refers to a material containing fragrance prepared in the form of a sheet.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, tobacco leaves with a reduced nicotine content (hereinafter referred to as "low-nicotine tobacco leaves") may be utilized to prepare tobacco materials (e.g., shredded tobacco leaves, shredded tobacco sheets, tobacco sheets, expanded shredded, etc.). The nicotine component is the main component that induces the taste of the smoke (eg, sidestream smoke, mainstream smoke) emitted through the tip, perforation, etc. of the smoking article, so if the low-nicotine tobacco leaf is used, the smoke taste can be significantly reduced. Furthermore, when low-nicotine tobacco leaves are used, the content of nitrogen compounds (for example, pyridine, etc.) which are the main causes of smoke taste can also be reduced in the smoke (see Experimental Example 1).

Low-nicotine tobacco leaves refer to tobacco leaves that contain less nicotine (eg, the amount of nicotine in the tobacco leaves) than regular tobacco leaves (eg, tobacco leaves of common varieties). For example, low-nicotine tobacco leaves refer to tobacco leaves with a nicotine content of about 1.0 weight percent, 0.5 weight percent, 0.3 weight percent, 0.2 weight percent or 0.1 weight percent or less. Low-nicotine tobacco leaves can be obtained by various methods such as breeding and nicotine reduction treatment, and it does not matter if it is obtained by any method. Ordinary tobacco leaves refer to tobacco leaves with a nicotine content of about 1.0 weight percent, 1.5 weight percent, 2.0 weight percent, 3.0 weight percent or 4.0 weight percent or more.

In Table 1 below, the nicotine contents of low-nicotine tobacco leaves grown by breeding and regular tobacco leaves were compared. As exemplified in Table 1, it was confirmed that the nicotine content of the low-nicotine tobacco leaf was about 60% to more than 90% less than that of the normal tobacco leaf in the same narrow leaf position. [Table 1] Classification Narrow leaf position Nicotine content (dry standard) (weight percent) Low Nicotine Yellow Tobacco Thick leaves 0.04 thin leaves 0.05 common yellow tobacco Thick leaves 3.36 thin leaves 1.35 low nicotine burley Thick leaves 0.56 thin leaves 0.29 regular burley Thick leaves 5.48 thin leaves 1.60

Hereinafter, for the convenience of explanation, the term "tobacco leaf" shall include raw tobacco leaves and tobacco materials produced by processing (for example, processing, expansion, reconstitution, drying, etc.) tobacco leaves (for example, shredded tobacco leaves, tobacco sheets, expanded cut shreds, etc. ) concept is used. Therefore, "low-nicotine tobacco leaf" can be understood as including the concept of tobacco material produced by processing low-nicotine tobacco leaf, and "common tobacco leaf" can be understood as a concept including tobacco material produced by processing ordinary tobacco leaf.

In addition, if more low-nicotine tobacco leaves are added, the smoke taste reduction effect will increase, but the problem of weakening the intensity of inhalation may occur as the transfer amount of nicotine decreases. Therefore, preferably, the tobacco material (ie, tobacco mixture) is prepared by blending regular tobacco leaves and low-nicotine tobacco leaves in an appropriate ratio.

In some embodiments, the tobacco material may contain less than about 50% by weight of low-nicotine tobacco leaf, preferably, may contain about 10% by weight to 50% by weight, 10% by weight to 40% by weight, 20% by weight to 40% by weight Or 20% by weight to 30% by weight of low-nicotine tobacco leaves. Also, the remaining specific gravity of the tobacco material can be filled with ordinary tobacco leaves and auxiliary materials. Within this numerical range, it was confirmed that both the reduction effect of the smoke smell and the inhalation feeling of appropriate strength were secured. For the experimental results related to this, reference will be made to Experimental Example 2 below.

In some embodiments, the weight ratio (i.e., blending ratio) of low-nicotine tobacco leaves to ordinary tobacco leaves can be about 1:1 to 1:9, preferably about 1:1 to 1:8, 1:1 to 1:7, 1:1.5 to 1:6, 1:1.5 to 1:5, 1:1.5 to 1:4, 1:1.5 to 1:3 or 1:1.5 to 1:2. It was confirmed that within this numerical range, both the reduction effect of the smoke smell and the inhalation feeling of an appropriate intensity were ensured. For the experimental results related to this, reference will be made to Experimental Example 2 below.

Moreover, in some embodiments, the tobacco material can be prepared by blending low-nicotine tobacco leaves with a nicotine content of less than 0.2 weight percent and regular tobacco leaves with a nicotine content of more than 1.5 weight percent. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, smoking articles may be prepared using the aforementioned tobacco materials (ie, tobacco materials incorporating low nicotine tobacco leaves). The prepared smoking article can ensure an appropriate intensity of inhalation and reduced smoke taste, and the smoking article will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is an illustrative diagram schematically illustrating a reduced taste smoking article 100 of some embodiments of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the smoking article 100 may include a filter portion 120 , a smoking material portion 110 and a wrapper 130 . However, structural elements related to the embodiment of the present disclosure are shown in FIG. 1 . Therefore, those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present disclosure pertains will know that in addition to the structural elements shown in FIG. 1 , other general structural elements are also included. Moreover, Fig. 1 only shows a part of the smoking article of various embodiments of the present disclosure, so the detailed structure of the smoking article may be different from that shown in Fig. 1 . Hereinafter, each component of the smoking article 100 will be described.

The filter part 120 may perform a filtering function for smoke and/or aerosol generated in the smoking material part 110 . For this, the filter part 120 may include a filter material. Examples of the filter material include cellulose acetate fiber, paper, etc., but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and filter materials known in the art can be applied to the filter unit 120 without limitation. The filter part 120 may further include a wrapping paper 130 wrapping a filter material (plug).

The filter portion 120 may be located downstream of the smoking material portion 110 to be connected to the downstream end of the smoking material portion 110 . For example, the filter part 120 and the smoking material part 110 are cylindrical (rod) shaped, aligned along the longitudinal axis, and may be connected by a tipping wrapper. The tip wrap may connect the filter portion 120 to the smoking material portion 110 by wrapping together at least a portion of the filter portion 120 and at least a portion of the smoking material portion 110 . Where the filter portion 120 forms the downstream end of the smoking article 100, the filter portion 120 may also function as a mouthpiece in contact with the smoker's mouth.

The filter unit 120 is prepared in a rod form, so it may also be called a "filter rod 120" depending on the situation, and can be prepared in various forms such as a cylindrical shape, a tubular shape including a hollow inside, and an embedded type. Also, the filter part 120 can be prepared in a single filter segment structure or a plurality of filter segment structures, and can also include a cavity. Various modifications may be made to the detailed structure of the filter section 120 .

The smoking material portion 110 may then include smoking material that generates smoke and/or aerosols upon combustion or heating. The smoking material portion 110 may also include a wrapper 130 wrapping the smoking material.

The smoking material portion 110 may be located upstream of the filter portion 120 to be connected to an upstream end of the filter portion 120 . Smoke and/or aerosols generated in the smoking material portion 110 may be delivered to the smoker's mouth via the filter portion 120 by drawing.

The smoking material portion 110 is also prepared in the form of a rod, so it may also be called "smoking material rod 110" according to circumstances.

Smoking material may include tobacco material. Tobacco material may include, for example, tobacco leaves, tobacco stems, or materials processed therefrom. But it is not limited to this. Also, the tobacco material may be in the form of shredded tobacco (e.g., cut tobacco leaves, cut tobacco sheets, etc.), tobacco particles, tobacco sheets, beads, tobacco granules, or tobacco extracts. shape, but is not limited to this.

Also, the tobacco material can be prepared by adding low-nicotine tobacco leaves. As mentioned above, the tobacco material can be prepared by adding low nicotine tobacco leaf in appropriate proportion. In this case, nitrogen compounds such as nicotine components and pyridine (pyridine) and picoline (picoline), which are the main causes of smoke taste, can be reduced in smoke generated during smoking (for example, sidestream smoke, mainstream smoke) , As a result, the problem of the smoker's body (for example, hands, mouth, etc.) being contaminated by the smell of smoke can be greatly reduced. At the same time, it can also greatly reduce the problem of making people around feel uncomfortable due to the smell of smoke. Moreover, the tobacco material can be a tobacco blend (tobacco blend) prepared by blending low-nicotine tobacco leaves and ordinary tobacco leaves in an appropriate ratio. In this case, it is possible to secure an appropriate intensity of inhalation while reducing the smell of smoke generated during smoking.

In some embodiments, the smoking material may also contain added substances such as humectants (humectants), flavoring agents and/or organic acids. For example, the humectant may include at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. Humectants keep the moisture in the tobacco material at an appropriate level, softening its intrinsic flavor and enriching the atomization volume. Also, flavoring agents may include ingredients such as licorice, sucrose, fructose syrup, isosweet, cocoa, lavender, Ceylon cinnamon, cardamom, celery, fenugreek, cascaglia, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, Honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, peppermint oil, cinnamon, coriander, cognac, jasmine, chamomile, menthol, ylang ylang, salvia, spearmint, ginger, coriander, clove extract ( or clove substances) or coffee, etc.

After that, the wrapping paper 130 refers to wrapping at least a part of the smoking material part 110 and/or the filter part 120 . The wrapping paper 130 may refer to the individual wrapping paper of the smoking material part 110 or the filter part 120, may also refer to wrapping paper wrapping at least a part of the smoking material part 110 and the filter part 120 such as tipping wrapping paper, or refer to A collective term for all wrappers for smoking articles 100. The wrapping paper 130 may be made of porous or non-porous wrapping paper, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the wrapper 130 may also be made of foil or a laminated form of wrapper and foil.

Above, the smoking article 100 of some embodiments of the present disclosure has been described with reference to FIG. 1 . Hereinafter, smoking articles 200 according to other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 2 . However, for the sake of clarity of the present disclosure, descriptions of content overlapping with the above embodiments will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the present embodiment relates to a smoking article 200 that utilizes a flavoring sheet 240 to further prevent the smell of smoke from contaminating the smoker's hands.

As shown, the smoking article 200 may comprise a filter portion 220 , a smoking material portion 210 and a wrapper 230 . The filter part 220 and the smoking material part 210 may respectively correspond to the filter part 120 and the smoking material part 110 mentioned in the above description, and therefore, descriptions of these structural elements will be omitted.

The flavoring sheet 240 may be placed on the wrapping paper 230 including the filter part 220 . For example, the flavoring sheet 240 may be disposed on the outer surface of the wrapping paper 230 corresponding to the gripping portion. In this case, the scent emitted from the flavoring sheet 240 prevents the smell of smoke from sticking to the hands. However, the flavoring flakes 240 can have many specific configurations.

For example, a flavoring sheet 240 may be attached to the outer surface of the wrapping paper 230 . For example, the flavoring sheet 240 may be attached to the outer surface of the wrapper 230 through a lamination process. Alternatively, the flavoring flakes 240 may also be disposed on the outer surface of the wrapping paper 230 through a coating process of coating the composition of the flavoring flakes 240 on the wrapping paper 230 and drying. At this time, the coating thickness of the sheet composition may be about 100 μm or less, preferably about 90 μm, 80 μm, 70 μm, 60 μm or 50 μm or less. Within this numerical range, the wrapping paper 230 can be prevented from becoming too thick, and appropriate flexibility can be ensured.

As another example, the flavoring sheet 240 may also function as the wrapper 230 . That is, at least a portion of the wrapper 230 may be made of the flavored sheet 240 .

In some embodiments, an odor reducing material may also be applied to the outer surface of the wrapper 230 or the flavoring sheet 240 . In this case, the smell of smoke can be further prevented from contaminating the hands of the smoker. Examples of odor reducing materials include green tea extract with catechin as the main component, citric acid, glycerol, tannic acid, or B-cyclodextrin or a mixture thereof, but not limited thereto.

Hereinafter, the flavoring sheet 240 will be additionally described for easy understanding.

The perfuming flakes 240 of the embodiment can be manufactured through the following steps: preparing a flake composition in a liquid phase (for example, a slurry state); and forming the prepared flake composition into a flake form and drying. Wherein, the liquid phase includes not only a liquid state, but also a state in which liquid and solid phases are mixed (for example, a slurry state). For example, the flavoring sheet 240 can be produced by stretching (casting) a sheet composition on a prescribed substrate and drying it. However, it is not limited thereto, and the flavored flakes 240 can be prepared in various ways.

The detailed constituents of the chip composition can be designed in various ways.

In some embodiments, the flake composition may include solvents such as distilled water, ethanol, and hydrocolloid substances and fragrances. The flavored flakes 240 prepared using this flake composition can have excellent flavor retention. At the same time, due to the hydrocolloid substance, the fragranced sheet 240 can also be attached to the wrapping paper (for example, 230 ) without additional adhesive due to the hydrocolloid substance (that is, when liquid such as water, alcohol, etc. is sprayed to the fragranced sheet 240, stickiness will occur. Therefore, it can be attached to the wrapping paper 230 without an adhesive), therefore, the disposition process of the flavoring sheet 240 can be simplified, and safety problems caused by adhesives can be avoided.

A solvent such as distilled water, ethanol, or the like may be an element for adjusting the viscosity of the slurry-shaped sheet composition.

The hydrocolloid material may be a material that coats and immobilizes the fragrance as well as a flake forming agent that forms the flakes. Examples of hydrocolloid substances include gelatin, agar, gellan gum, pectin, guar gum, xanthan gum, glucomannan, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), methylcellulose (MC ), ethyl cellulose (EC), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), starch, etc., but are not limited thereto.

As examples of fragrances, menthol, natural plant fragrances (e.g., Ceylon cinnamon, sage, vanilla, chamomile, kudzu, chamomile, clove, lavender, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, bergamot, geranium , Honey Flavor, Rose Oil, Lemon, Orange, Chinese Cinnamon, Caraway, Jasmine, Ginger, Coriander, Vanilla Extract, Spearmint, Peppermint, Cassia, Coffee, Celery, Bitterwood, Sandalwood, Cocoa, Ylang-Ylang Ylang ylang, fennel, anise, licorice, St. John's bread, plum extract, peach extract, etc.), sugars (e.g., glucose, fructose, isomerized sugar, caramel, etc.), cocoa (powder, extract, etc.), Esters (e.g., isoamyl acetate, linalyl acetate, isoamyl propionate, linalyl n-butyrate, etc.), ketones (e.g., menthone, ionone, damascenone, ethyl mala budol, etc.), alcohols (eg, geraniol, linalool, anethole, eugenol, etc.), aldehydes (eg, vanillin, benzaldehyde, anisaldehyde, etc.), lactones (eg, γ- undecalactone, gamma-nonalactone, etc.), animal fragrances (eg, musk, ambergris, civet, castor, etc.), hydrocarbons (eg, limonene, pinene, etc.). Fragrances can be used as solids, or dissolved or dispersed in appropriate solvents such as propylene glycol, ethanol, benzyl alcohol, and triethyl citrate. Also, a fragrance that is easily dispersed in a solvent by adding an emulsifier, for example, a hydrophobic fragrance or an oil-soluble fragrance, etc. can be used. These spices can be used alone or in combination. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the aforementioned examples.

In some embodiments, the sheet composition may comprise cellulose modified in various hydrocolloid substances. Here, "modified cellulose" may mean cellulose in which specific functional groups in the molecular structure are substituted. Examples of modified cellulose include, but not limited to, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), methylcellulose (MC), carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), and ethylcellulose (EC). here. For example, HPMC may have a grade ranging from about 4 to 40,000 depending on the ratio of hydroxypropyl and methyl (or methoxy) substitutions and the molecular weight. The viscosity of the modified cellulose can be determined according to the grade. More specifically, the physical and chemical properties of HPMC are related to the ratio of methoxy, hydroxypropyl and molecular weight. According to the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP), the types of HPMC can be divided into HPMC1828, HPMC2208, HPMC2906 and HPMC2910 etc. Wherein, the first two digits refer to the ratio of methoxy groups, and the last two digits refer to the ratios of hydroxypropyl groups. The present inventors have confirmed through continuous experiments that the flavored sheet 240 prepared from the sheet composition containing modified cellulose has excellent sheet physical properties and fragrance retention.

Also, in some embodiments, the flake composition may further include low methoxyl pectin. Low-methoxyl pectin is low-ester pectin or low-methoxyl pectin with a low degree of esterification, and specifically refers to pectin with a carboxyl group content of less than about 50% in the molecular structure. Unlike carrageenan, low methoxyl pectin has the property of not gelling on cooling, and thus, can reduce the viscosity of the slurry-type flake composition (eg, from about 600 cp to about 800 cp). At the same time, the slurry-type sheet composition can be prepared without an emulsifier, so that safety problems caused by the emulsifier can be avoided.

Within the molecular structure of the low methoxyl pectin, less than about 50%, less than about 40%, less than about 30%, less than about 20%, or less than about 10% carboxyl groups may be included. As the carboxyl group content within the molecular structure of the low-methoxyl pectin becomes smaller, the viscosity of the slurry comprising the low-methoxyl pectin may decrease.

Also, in some embodiments, the sheet composition may further include a bulking agent. The filler can increase the volume of the prepared flavored flake 240 by increasing the total mass (ie, dry mass) of the constituents except distilled water, without affecting the original function of the flavored flake 240 . Specifically, the filler may have the following properties: increase the volume of the flavoring flakes 240 without significantly increasing the viscosity of the slurry, and at the same time, have no adverse effect on the fragrance retention function of the flavoring flakes 240 . Preferably, the filler may be starch, modified starch or starch hydrolyzate (eg, dextrin, cyclodextrin). But it is not limited to this.

Also, in some embodiments, the sheet composition may further include a plasticizer. The plasticizer can enhance the physical properties of the flavored flake 240 by imparting the proper flexibility to the flake. The plasticizer may include at least one of glycerin and propylene glycol, but is not limited thereto.

Also, in some embodiments, the sheet composition may further include an emulsifier. The emulsifier increases the flavor retention of the flavoring sheet 240 by fully mixing the fat-soluble flavor and the water-soluble hydrocolloid substance. As an example of an emulsifier, lecithin can be mentioned, but it is not limited to this.

In addition, the flavored flakes 240 prepared using the flake compositions described above may have various composition ratios.

In some embodiments, based on 100 parts by weight, the flavored sheet 240 may include about 2 parts by weight to about 15 parts by weight of moisture, about 25 parts by weight to about 90 parts by weight of modified cellulose, and about 0.1 parts by weight to about 60 parts by weight of spices.

And, in some embodiments, based on 100 parts by weight, the flavoring sheet 240 may include about 2 parts by weight to about 15 parts by weight of water, about 1 part by weight to about 60 parts by weight of hydrocolloid substances, about 1 part by weight of 0.1 to 60 parts by weight of low methoxyl pectin and 0.1 to 60 parts by weight of spices.

In some embodiments, based on 100 parts by weight of the flavored flakes 240 , the plasticizer may be included in an amount ranging from about 0.1 parts by weight to about 15 parts by weight. Within such a numerical range, a sheet having suitable flexibility can be formed. For example, in the case of adding too little plasticizer, the flexibility of the flakes is reduced, so that the flavored flakes are easily broken during the process, and in the case of adding too much plasticizer, the flakes are not formed well.

In the above, smoking articles 200 according to other embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to FIG. 2 . Hereinafter, smoking articles 300 of some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 3 .

As shown in FIG. 3 , this embodiment relates to a smoking article 300 in which finger care areas 341 , 342 , and 343 are formed on the outer surface of a wrapping paper 330 of a filter portion 320 .

As shown, the smoking article 300 may comprise a filter portion 320 , a smoking material portion 310 and a wrapper 330 . The filter part 320 and the smoking material part 310 may respectively correspond to the filter part 220 and the smoking material part 210 mentioned in the above description, and thus descriptions of these structural elements will be omitted.

Finger care areas 341 , 342 , 343 may be formed on the outer surface of the wrapping paper 330 of the filter unit 320 . For example, finger care areas 341 , 342 , 343 may be formed in the grip area 340 of the wrapper 330 . Hereinafter, for convenience of description, the finger care areas 341, 342, and 343 are simply referred to as "care areas 341, 342, and 343". In addition, reference numeral " 341 " is used as a sign representing a plurality of care areas 341 , 342 , 343 .

The treatment area 341 may be formed by applying, for example, ink and microcapsules containing functional materials. Among them, the ink can perform the function of visually conveying characteristic information such as the position of the care area 341 and the type of care function to the smoker, and the microcapsule can provide the smoker with finger care function. For example, when a smoker's finger rubs against the care area 341 , the microcapsules are broken, thereby discharging the functional material, and the discharged functional material is naturally in contact with the smoker's hand, thereby exerting a finger care effect. Therefore, the specific nursing function of the nursing area 341 can be determined according to the type of functional material.

Examples of functional materials include, but are not limited to, antibacterial materials, deodorizing (deodorizing) materials, fragrance materials, disinfection materials, and odor reduction materials.

Also, antimicrobial materials may include such as grapefruit extract, lime oil, eucalyptus oil, pine needle oil, eucalyptol, limonene, propolis etc., but not limited to this.

In some embodiments, treatment area 341 may be formed by applying a composition comprising ink and microcapsules by an offset printing method. The offset printing method is an indirect printing method that utilizes the repelling force of oil and ink, and can minimize microcapsule fragmentation (cracking) compared to other printing methods such as gravure printing. For example, the offset printing method may minimize microcapsule fragmentation caused by friction between smoking articles 300 within the smoking article shell.

Also, in some embodiments, in addition to functional materials, the microcapsules may contain materials that change the color or color density of the ink. For example, the microcapsules may also contain a diluting material that changes the color density by diluting the ink. In this case, as the microcapsules are broken, the color or color density of the ink gradually changes, so the remaining amount of the microcapsules in the care area 341 can be conveyed intuitively to the smoker through visual changes. That is, the effect of visually conveying the remaining use time of the care area 341 to the smoker can be achieved.

In addition, the position, shape, form, color, size, number, arrangement form, etc. of the care area 341 can be designed in various ways.

In some embodiments, as shown in the figure, a plurality of nursing areas 341 , 342 , 343 are spaced apart and arranged at predetermined intervals, and each nursing area 341 , 342 , 343 can be formed in a belt form. In this case, the microcapsules can be broken well by friction, and the aesthetics of the smoking article 300 can also be improved.

And, in some embodiments, the plurality of care areas 341, 342, 343 may be formed by coating microcapsules containing mutually different color inks and mutually different functional materials. For example, antibacterial microcapsules (ie, microcapsules containing antibacterial materials) are applied to the first care area 341 , deodorant microcapsules are applied to the second care area 342 , and fragrance microcapsules can be applied to the third care area 343 . In addition, inks of different colors can be applied to each of the treatment areas 341 , 342 , and 343 . In this case, the effect of informing the function of the care area 341 by color can be realized, and a comprehensive finger care effect can be provided by mutually different functional materials.

Moreover, in some embodiments, the intensity of care (or the discharge amount of functional materials) of the care area 341 can also be adjusted through the bursting intensity of the microcapsules. Specifically, microcapsules with low burst strength are applied to the first care area 341 , and microcapsules with high burst strength can be applied to the second care area 342 . In this case, in the first care area 341, a large amount of functional material is expelled by the rubbing action of the smoker, thereby providing a high-intensity (or highly stimulating) care function, and a small amount of function is discharged from the second care area 342 Sexual substances, thus providing a low-intensity (low-stimulation) nursing function. In this embodiment, inks of different colors or color concentrations can also be applied to the first care area 341 and the second care area 342 . Also, the color or color density of the ink can be determined according to the intensity of care.

As a reference, the burst strength of the microcapsules can be adjusted by the membrane material of the microcapsules. Membrane materials may include, for example, biodegradable polymer materials (eg, cellulose materials), melamine materials, but are not limited thereto. From the experimental results, it was confirmed that microcapsules using a cellulose material as a membrane material have low burst strength and excellent biodegradability compared to microcapsules using a melamine material as a membrane material.

Above, referring to FIG. 3 , the smoking article 300 of some other embodiments of the present disclosure has been described.

The technical ideas contained in the embodiments described above can be combined in various forms. For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the flavoring sheet 240 is applied to the wrapper (eg, 230 ) of the smoking article (eg, 200 ), and a care area 341 can also be formed on the outer surface of the flavoring sheet 240 .

Hereinafter, the composition and effect of the tobacco material or smoking article (for example, 100 ) added with low-nicotine tobacco leaves will be more clearly described through examples and comparative examples. However, the following examples are merely examples of a part of the present disclosure, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the following examples.

Example 1

Tobacco material was prepared by blending about 10 weight percent low nicotine tobacco leaves and about 90 weight percent regular tobacco leaves. And, a cigarette having the same structure as the smoking article 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 was prepared by adding the prepared tobacco material. A cellulose acetate filter is used as a filter for cigarettes. The varieties and contents of tobacco components of the low-nicotine tobacco leaves and regular tobacco leaves used to prepare the tobacco materials are described in Table 2 below. [Table 2] Classification Nicotine (weight percent) Total sugar (weight percent) Total nitrogen (weight percent) Low Nicotine Yellow Tobacco 0.05 18.0 2.0 common yellow tobacco 1.97 17.0 2.0

Example 2

Tobacco materials were prepared by blending about 20% by weight of low-nicotine tobacco leaves and about 80% by weight of regular tobacco leaves, except that the same cigarettes as in Example 1 were prepared.

Example 3

Tobacco materials were prepared by blending about 30% by weight of low-nicotine tobacco leaves and about 70% by weight of regular tobacco leaves, except that the same cigarettes as in Example 1 were prepared.

Example 4

Tobacco materials were prepared by blending about 40% by weight of low-nicotine tobacco leaves and about 60% by weight of regular tobacco leaves, except that the same cigarettes as in Example 1 were prepared.

Example 5

Tobacco materials were prepared by blending about 50% by weight of low-nicotine tobacco leaves and about 50% by weight of regular tobacco leaves, except that the same cigarettes as in Example 1 were prepared.

Comparative example 1

The same cigarettes as in Example 1 were prepared except that only ordinary tobacco leaves were used to prepare the tobacco material.

Table 3 below lists the blending ratios of tobacco leaves in the cigarettes of Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Example 1. [table 3] Classification Tobacco mix ratio (weight percent) low nicotine ordinary Example 1 10 90 Example 2 20 80 Example 3 30 70 Example 4 40 60 Example 5 50 50 Comparative example 1 0 100

Experimental Example 1: Analysis of Smoke Components

An experiment was conducted to analyze the smoke components of the cigarettes of Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Example 1. Specifically, the composition of the smoke (eg, mainstream smoke) generated during smoking of cigarettes prepared for 2 weeks was analyzed using an automatic smoking device in a smoking room with a temperature of about 20°C and a humidity of about 62.5% according to Health Canada Experiments were carried out under Ministry of Health (HC, Health Canada) smoking conditions. Smoke collection for component analysis was carried out repeatedly on the basis of 3 repetitions per sample and 8 puffs per puff, and the average values of the three collection results are described in Table 4 and Table 5 below. Table 4 shows the analysis results of tar and nicotine components, and Table 5 shows the analysis results of nitrogen compounds. In Table 5, "total" refers to the content of total nitrogen compounds in smoke. [Table 4] Classification Tar (mg/cig.) Nic. (mg/cig.) Tar/Nic. (mg/cig.) Example 1 19.0 1.20 16.4 Example 2 18.4 1.04 17.7 Example 3 18.7 0.90 20.7 Example 4 18.3 0.81 22.5 Example 5 18.7 0.70 26.9 Comparative example 1 19.2 1.23 15.7 [table 5] Classification total (mg/cig.) Pyridine (mg/cig.) 3-Methylpyridine (mg/cig.) 3-Vinylpyridine (mg/cig.) Example 1 29.2 11.5 5.0 2.2 Example 2 27.3 10.7 4.4 1.8 Example 3 26.5 10.1 4.2 1.7 Example 4 27.1 10.7 4.2 1.7 Example 5 27.0 10.2 3.7 1.4 Comparative example 1 29.3 11.6 5.1 2.2

Referring to Table 4 above, it can be confirmed that the nicotine content in the smoke of the cigarettes of Examples is generally lower than that of Comparative Example 1. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the nicotine content in the smoke significantly decreases as the compounding ratio of the low-nicotine tobacco leaf increases. The nicotine component is the main cause of the smoke taste, and it can be seen that the smoke taste induced by the cigarette of the example is less than that of the comparative example 1. Furthermore, it can be seen that the smoke taste can be further reduced by increasing the compounding ratio of the low-nicotine tobacco leaves.

Referring to Table 5 above, it can be confirmed that the content of nitrogen compounds in the smoke of the cigarettes of Examples is generally lower than that of Comparative Example 1. For example, it has been confirmed that the content of nitrogen compounds in smoke such as pyridine, 3-picoline, and 3-vinylpyridine is generally small. In addition, it was confirmed that the content of nitrogen compounds in the smoke generally decreased as the compounding ratio of the low-nicotine tobacco leaf increased. Nitrogen compounds such as pyridine are also components that cause the smell of smoke, and it can be seen from this that the cigarettes of Examples induce less smoke smell than Comparative Example 1. Furthermore, it can be seen that the smoke taste can be further reduced by increasing the compounding ratio of the low-nicotine tobacco leaves.

Experimental Example 2: Sensory Evaluation of Inhalation Strength

For the cigarettes of Example 1, Example 2, Example 4, and Comparative Example 1, a sensory evaluation experiment of the intensity of inhalation sensation was conducted. Specifically, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the strength of the inhalation sensation of cigarettes produced 2 weeks after the production of 24 panelists who had been trained.

Sensory evaluation was performed based on a comprehensive degree of difference test. Specifically, after evaluating the difference in inhalation intensity between the cigarettes of the comparative examples and the examples according to the following 7 grades, the evaluation results were interpreted by applying the 2/3 cut-off technique (that is, grades 1 to 2 are interpreted as no difference , 3 to 7 grades are interpreted as differences). 1: no difference 2: The difference is small 3: slightly different 4: Moderate difference 5: The difference is slightly larger 6: big difference 7: The difference is very large

In addition, when a cigarette with a small difference in nicotine content is evaluated as having a difference in the intensity of inhalation (large), and a cigarette with a large nicotine content is evaluated as having no difference in the intensity of inhalation (small), it may be considered that the sensory evaluation is wrong. Therefore, Invalidate the evaluation results (see Table 6, corrected to "1->0" part).

In addition, according to ASTM E679-79's Best Estimation Threshold ("BET") method, using the sensory evaluation results, the compounding amount of low-nicotine tobacco leaves for which the panelists recognized the difference in the intensity of the inhalation sensation was calculated (i.e., threshold).

The sensory evaluation results and threshold content values are described in Table 6 and Table 7 below, respectively. In Table 6 and Table 7 below, "1 vs. 1" means "Comparative Example 1 vs. Example 1". In addition, in the following BET-related mathematical formulas, "a" refers to the maximum compounding ratio of low-nicotine tobacco leaves that cannot recognize the difference in the intensity of inhalation (or is expected to be unrecognizable), and "b" refers to the maximum blending ratio of low-nicotine tobacco leaves that can recognize the difference in the intensity of inhalation (or is expected to be identifiable) the minimum blending ratio of low-nicotine tobacco leaves.

For example, in P1, no difference was recognized even when the compounding ratio of the low-nicotine tobacco leaf was about 40%, so the value of a was set to "0.4". Also, since the difference is expected to be recognized when the blending ratio of the low-nicotine tobacco leaf is about 60% or more, the value of b is set to "0.6".

Also, for P3, no difference was recognized when the blending ratio of low-nicotine tobacco leaves was about 20%, so the value of a was set to "0.2", and it was recognized when the blending ratio of low-nicotine tobacco leaves was about 40%. To the difference, so set the value of b to "0.4".

In addition, since a difference was recognized when the compounding ratio of the low-nicotine tobacco leaf was about 10% in P5, the value of b was set to "0.1". Also, when the blending ratio of low-nicotine tobacco leaves is about 5%, it is expected that no difference will be recognized, so the value of a is set to "0.05".

For reference, in the BET calculation process, the logarithm is taken to reduce the deviation of the calculation result value, and the expected threshold can be understood as the value calculated by restoring the value reduced by the logarithm again. Those who have ordinary knowledge in the technical field are fully familiar with BET, so the detailed description of the calculation process will be omitted, and the details of BET will be referred to ASTM E679-79. [Table 6] Classification of Evaluation Team Members Is there a difference in intensity BET 1 vs. 1 2 vs. 1 4 vs. 1 √(a*b) log(√(a*b)) P1 0 1->0 0 0.49 -0.31 P2 1->0 0 0 0.49 -0.31 P3 0 0 1 0.28 -0.55 P4 0 0 0 0.49 -0.31 P5 1 1 1 0.07 -1.15 P6 1->0 0 0 0.49 -0.31 P7 1->0 0 0 0.49 -0.31 P8 0 0 0 0.49 -0.31 P9 1->0 0 1 0.28 -0.55 P10 0 1 1 0.14 -0.85 P11 0 0 0 0.49 -0.31 P12 1->0 0 1 0.28 -0.55 [Table 7] Classification of Evaluation Team Members Is there a difference in intensity BET 1 vs. 1 2 vs. 1 4 vs. 1 √(a*b) log(√(a*b)) P13 0 0 1 0.28 -0.55 P14 0 1 1 0.14 -0.85 P15 1->0 0 1 0.28 -0.55 P16 1->0 0 1 0.28 -0.55 P17 1->0 1->0 0 0.49 -0.31 P18 0 1 1 0.14 -0.85 P19 1->0 0 0 0.49 -0.31 P20 0 0 1 0.28 -0.55 P21 1->0 0 0 0.49 -0.31 P22 1->0 0 1 0.28 -0.55 P23 0 1 1 0.14 -0.85 P24 1->0 0 0 0.49 -0.31 average (m) -0.52 Expected Threshold (10^-m)*10) 33.1%

Referring to the above Table 6 and Table 7, it can be seen that the cigarettes of Example 1 (or Example 2) and Comparative Example 1 have almost no difference in the intensity of inhalation sensation, and there is a certain degree of inhalation intensity between the cigarettes of Example 4 and Comparative Example 1 difference. This means that if the low-nicotine tobacco leaf is blended at about 40% by weight or more, the smoker will recognize a decrease in the intensity of the inhalation feeling. It can be seen that, in order to ensure proper inhalation intensity, preferably, low-nicotine tobacco leaves of less than about 40% by weight should be blended.

In addition, according to the optimal estimation threshold calculation method, the calculated threshold of the blending ratio of low-nicotine tobacco leaves is about 33.1% by weight. This means that most smokers cannot recognize the decrease in the intensity of the inhalation sensation when the low-nicotine tobacco leaf is mixed with about 33.1% by weight or less. It can be seen that, in order to maximize the reduction of smoke taste and minimize the reduction of inhalation intensity, preferably, about 30% by weight of low-nicotine tobacco leaves should be blended.

Above, the configuration and effect of the tobacco material or smoking article (for example, 100 ) incorporating low-nicotine tobacco leaves have been described through comparative examples and examples.

Above, the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs can understand that the present disclosure can be implemented in other specific embodiments without changing the technical ideas or essential features. public. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The protection scope of the present disclosure should be interpreted by the patent scope of the invention application, and all technical ideas within the equivalent scope should be interpreted as included in the patent application scope of the technical ideas defined by the present disclosure.

100: Smoking Products 110: Smoking material department 120: filter part 130: wrapping paper 200: Smoking articles 210: Smoking Materials Department 220: filter department 230: wrapping paper 240: Flavored flakes 300: smoking articles 310: Smoking Materials Department 320: filter part 330: wrapping paper 340: control area 341: First Nursing Area 342:Second Nursing Area 343: Third Nursing Area

Figure 1 is an illustrative diagram schematically illustrating a smoking article of some embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is an illustrative diagram illustrating smoking articles according to other embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3 is an illustrative view illustrating smoking articles of still other embodiments of the present disclosure.

100: Smoking Products

110: Smoking material department

120: filter part

130: wrapping paper

Claims (8)

A smoking article comprising: a smoking material segment, including a tobacco material; and a filter section, The tobacco material includes a first material produced by processing a tobacco leaf with a nicotine content of 0.5 weight percent or less. The smoking article as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tobacco material comprises 10% by weight to 40% by weight of the first material. The smoking article as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nicotine content of the tobacco leaf is less than 0.1 weight percent. The smoking article as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tobacco material further includes a second material produced by processing another tobacco leaf with a nicotine content of more than 1.0 weight percent. The smoking article as claimed in claim 4, wherein the weight ratio of the first material to the second material is 1:1 to 1:9. The smoking article as claimed in claim 5, wherein the weight ratio is 1:1.5 to 1:4. The smoking article as described in claim 4, wherein The nicotine content of the tobacco leaves is less than 0.2% by weight, The nicotine content of the another tobacco leaf is above 1.5 weight percent. The smoking article as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a filter wrapping paper wrapping the filter part, applying a perfuming flake comprising a flake former and a fragrance to at least a portion of the filter wrapper area, An odor reducing material is coated on an outer surface of the perfuming sheet.

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