EP1602290B1 - Process for the preparation of cut tobacco with lignous elements - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a scaferlati comprising woody elements for the industrial or manual manufacture of cigarettes or doses for pipes.

The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a scaferlati comprising ligneous elements.

A smoking mixture, or scaferlati, generally contains tobacco leaves, or more precisely pieces of parenchyma of tobacco leaves derived from the threshing or discarding of tobacco leaves or whole leaves, and which are also referred to as stale tobacco leaves. .

It is known to add to the tobacco leaves woody elements such as, for example, pieces of tobacco ribs, that is to say pieces of ribs of tobacco leaves, since such an addition makes it possible in particular to reduce the tar and nicotine levels of cigarette smoke or pipes.

However, the processes for preparing such mixtures are unsatisfactory mainly because of the inhomogeneity of the mixture obtained.

Among the current methods, it is known to treat the ribs in pieces, on a specific preparation line of ribs, in parallel with a line of preparation of tobacco leaves ecotées, then proceed to the mixing of these two components.

During the preparation of the ribs, they are rolled until their thickness is close to 0.5 mm so that after decompression, the ribs are of the cutting width of the scaferlati of tobacco leaves ecotées , ie between 0.9 and 1.1 mm.

The ribs are then chopped to about 0.16 mm and then dried before being mixed with the scaferlati of stale tobacco leaves.

The mixture obtained is optionally homogenized and / or flavored before being stored for later use in the industrial manufacture of the cigarettes on machines or to be packaged in jokes or in bundles for pipe stuffing or for making cigarettes manually.

By introducing, by this method, 10% of ribs to a mixture of scaferlati of stale tobacco leaves, the mixture obtained is inhomogeneous and the ribs are clearly visible in the packaging by the consumer especially in the case of pipe tobacco or intended in the manual manufacture of cigarettes.

The patent EP 774,212 and the patent application EP 845 218 also disclose methods for manufacturing cigarette or pipe scaferlati in which the final mixture contains between 5 and 25% ribs and wherein the chopped ribs and tobacco leaves are chopped simultaneously.

In the patent process EP 774,212 , the ribs are pre-cut to a width of between 0.1 and 0.3 mm and optionally expanded before being mixed and then minced simultaneously with the stale tobacco leaves.

In the process described in the patent application EP 845 218 , the ribs are subjected to successive operations of skipping, drying and moistening before being rolled or pre-cut and treated according to the process described in the patent 774,212 .

However, none of these methods makes it possible to prepare a homogeneous mixture in which the ribs are indistinguishable from the ecotéed leaves.

In this context, the invention aims to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks.

For this purpose, the scaferlati of the invention is essentially characterized in that the laminated wood elements have a thickness close to the thickness of the tobacco leaves.

Advantageously, the scaferlati of the invention comprises between 5 and 50% by weight of ligneous elements and more advantageously between 5 and 20% of ligneous elements.

• les éléments ligneux subissent une opération de chauffage 10,
• les éléments ligneux réchauffés sont soumis à une étape de laminage 11, et en ce que
• les éléments ligneux laminés sont mélangés aux feuilles de tabac.

The invention also relates to a method for producing such a scaferlati which is essentially characterized in that:

• the ligneous elements undergo a heating operation 10,
• the heated woody elements are subjected to a rolling step 11, and in that
• the laminated woody elements are mixed with the tobacco leaves.

Preferably, the heating of the woody elements is carried out at a temperature above 60 ° C.

More preferably, the heating of the woody elements is carried out at a temperature of between 65 ° C. and 80 ° C.

Advantageously, the rolling is carried out on the ribs at a humidity of between 25 and 45%.

In the process of the invention, the laminated wood elements can undergo a cooling operation.

Also, the laminated wood elements may undergo a sieving operation to remove woody elements of small particle size.

Advantageously, the ligneous elements and the tobacco leaves are simultaneously subjected to a skimming operation 16 after having been mixed.

Alternatively, the laminated woody elements are mixed with the tobacco leaves after the tobacco leaves have undergone the skimming operation 16.

Advantageously, it is possible for the laminated woody elements to undergo a skimming operation 17 before they are mixed with the tobacco leaves.

According to the invention, the mixture of laminated wood elements and tobacco leaves undergoes a hashing operation 19.

Preferably, the woody elements used in the process of the invention are tobacco ribs.

Also the tobacco leaves can be cut.

The invention will be better understood and other objects, advantages and characteristics thereof will appear more clearly on reading the description which follows and which is made with regard to the single appended figure which represents a non-limiting embodiment of the invention. scaferlati and the method of the invention and on which is represented a flowchart illustrating the steps of the method of the invention.

With reference to this single figure, the method of the invention comprises a line for preparing woody elements 1 and a line for preparing and mixing non-ligneous elements with ligneous elements 2.

Non-ligneous elements, constituted in particular by tobacco leaves, whether or not stolen, and other components, for example reconstituted tobacco and hereinafter referred to as primary flux, are generally derived from packages of tobacco of origin and / or of different varieties. in a manner analogous to the ligneous elements, a first step of composition 3 of the mixture from these packages is followed, followed by an introduction step 4 consisting of undressing, weighing and fractionation of the packages.

The mixture thus prepared then undergoes a humidification step during which the components of the primary stream are softened and moistened at a humidity of between 15 and 30%.

Optionally, this moistening step 5 also comprises a skimming step in which modifying elements for example smoke in terms of aroma, color, or irritation or combustion are added primary flow.

With reference to the ligneous preparation line 1, these ligneous elements consist of pieces of ribs generally originating from tobacco packages of origins and / or of different varieties and are the subject, as for the elements of the primary flow, a first step 6 composition of the mixture followed by an introduction step 7 consisting of undressing, weighing and fractionation of the packaging.

The mixture obtained is also subjected to a moistening step 8 in which the mixture is moistened to a level of 25 to 45%.

During this moistening step 8, the rib mixture can be sauteed by adding one or more sauces and / or preservatives.

The rib mixture is then subjected to a mixing and storage step 9, this step may also include an impregnation operation of the sauces optionally added during the humidification step 8.

The rib mixture is then subjected to a reheating operation at a temperature above 60 ° C, preferably between 65 and 80 ° C.

This reheating operation allows the absorption of any added sauces but also the softening of the ribs for the next rolling operation 11 which consists in greatly reducing the thickness of the ribs by techniques known to those skilled in the art.

At the inlet of the mill, the humidity is of the order of 30 to 35% humidity and the temperature is preferably maintained at the temperature of the reheating step 10.

In this way, the ribs obtained at the output of the rolling operation 11 have a thickness close to that of the tobacco leaves.

The rolled sides can then undergo a cooling operation 12 to improve the preservation of the product, especially if it must be stored and thus prevent their degradation.

This cooling operation is optionally followed by a sieving operation 13 aiming to remove woody elements of small particle size such as dust to form a mixture suitable for use.

A storage operation 14 may also follow the sieving operation.

The mixing between the ribs and the primary flow takes place either after the ribs have undergone the rolling operation 11, or after the cooling operation 12, or after the sieving step 13, or after the storage of the ribs. .

With reference to the preparation line of the primary flow 2, the mixture of ribs and the primary flow can be carried out either after the humidification operation 5 of the primary flow or after reheating operations 15 and skimming 16 of the flow in which the components of the primary stream are respectively placed at a temperature between 40 and 60 ° C and smoke and / or combustion modifying elements are added to these heated components.

If the rolled ribs are added after the wetting operation 5, the mixture comprising the ribs and the primary flow then undergoes the reheating and skimming steps 16 as previously described and applied to the mixture.

It can also be expected that before being mixed with the primary stream, the ribs undergo a skip operation 17 in accordance with the skimming operation 16 described above.

The mixture of primary flow and ribs is subjected to a first mixing step 18 of homogenizing the various components according to methods known to those skilled in the art and then to a chopping operation 19 during which the mixture is formed into form. of a scaferlati.

The scaferlati of ribs and primary flow is then subjected to a second mixing step 20 serving to homogenize the various chopped components and then to a drying-roasting step 21 consisting in putting the scaferlati moisture package, namely at a humidity between 15 and 22%.

The scaferlati optionally undergoes an aromatization step 22, a third mixing step 23 and then a storage step 24 before it is used.

The manufacturing method described above makes it possible to introduce ligneous elements into a smoking mixture by making sure that this addition is not or hardly perceptible visually by the user when it is in the packaging intended for sale. in a box, a pack or a tobacco pouch or when it is in the finished product in the case of industrially manufactured cigarettes.

Thus, the process of the invention results in the manufacture of a homogeneous mixture of scaferlati comprising ligneous elements allowing the consumer to make cigarettes or doses for pipes having identical physical and chemical characteristics from one dose to another .

Claims (10)

1. A process for preparing fine-cut tobacco at least comprising rolled ligneous elements as well as non-ligneous elements, wherein in particular:

   - the ligneous elements undergo a heating operation (10) at a temperature higher than 60°C;

   - the heated ligneous elements are subjected to a rolling step (11), the temperature being held at the temperature of the heating operation (10) so that the ligneous elements have a thickness close to the thickness of the tobacco leaves; and

   - the rolled ligneous elements are mixed with the non-ligneous elements.
2. The process according to claim 1 wherein the heating of the ligneous elements is conducted at a temperature of between 65°C and 80°C.
3. The process according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the rolling of the ligneous elements is performed under humidity of between 25 and 45 %.
4. The process according to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the rolled ligneous elements undergo a cooling operation.
5. The process according to any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the rolled ligneous elements undergo a screening operation allowing the removal of ligneous elements of small particle size.
6. The process according to any of claims 1 to 5 wherein the ligneous elements and the non-ligneous elements are simultaneously the subject of a liquoring operation (16) after the mixing thereof.
7. The process according to any of claims 1 to 5 wherein the rolled ligneous elements are mixed with the non-ligneous elements after the non-ligneous elements have undergone a liquoring operation (16).
8. The process according to any of claims 1 to 7 wherein the rolled ligneous elements undergo a liquoring operation (17) prior to the mixing thereof with the non-ligneous elements.
9. The process according to any of claims 1 to 8 wherein the mixture of rolled ligneous elements and of non-ligneous elements undergoes a chopping operation (19).
10. The process according to any of claims 1 to 9 wherein the ligneous elements are tobacco stems.

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