ES2818188T3 - Humidifier device - Google Patents

Abstract

A humidifying device for increasing the moisture content of the tobacco, the device comprising a porous envelope arranged to form a pocket, multiple water evaporating pieces being located within said pocket, and the porous envelope allowing water retention within the pocket and fluid communication between the inside and outside of the pocket, characterized in that the porous envelope is arranged so that water can be applied directly to the water evaporating pieces or indirectly through the porous envelope, said porous envelope having a capacity to water of at least 0.10 g / m2 so that the porous shell adsorbs and evaporates water and can be filled with water, and water or water vapor can be transmitted to the environment outside the pocket, whereby the water capacity refers to the amount of water that can be stored in the porous envelope and can be released through the evaporation process.

Description

DESCRIPTION

Humidifier device

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a humidifier device for increasing the moisture content of tobacco. Background of the invention

Moisture content is an important parameter of the chemical composition of tobacco. The moisture content of tobacco can affect various properties of the material, including:

• the ease of particle size reduction, the drier materials being easier to grind into fine powders;

• texture and density, the wetter materials being higher density and more sticky; Y

• the efficiency of steam production after heating, since the moisture content affects the time and energy required for the vaporizable material and / or its components to reach the desired vaporization temperature.

The moisture content of the tobacco can be controlled and optimized using a humidifier device, which transfers water vapor to the tobacco material. Such humidifying devices are known in the art and are commercially available in the form of pads, for example from Essentra ™.

However, tobacco humidifying devices known in the art do not achieve optimal increases / control of tobacco moisture content, particularly in low and medium moisture tobacco blends. WO2008 / 148699 describes a heated humidifier device for use with tobacco products.

Summary of the invention

A first aspect of the invention provides a humidifying device for increasing the moisture content of tobacco, the device comprising a porous wrap arranged to form a pocket, multiple water evaporating pieces being located within said pocket, and allowing the porous wrap water retention within the pocket and fluid communication between the inside and outside of the pocket.

A second aspect of the invention provides a bag comprising tobacco and a humidifying device according to the first aspect of the invention, the humidifying device increasing, in use, the moisture content of the tobacco.

Description of the drawings

Figure 1a is a graph showing changes in the moisture content (%) of the tobacco resulting from the daily application of water to the three test devices over a period of four days. Each device was tested in triplicate (bags P1-P3). The reference is a tobacco bag without an inserted humidifying device. Figures 1b, 1c and 1d present these results for each of the three test devices, individually.

Figure 2 is a graph showing the daily tobacco moisture increases after the addition of water on days 2, 3 and 4 of the test period. Each of the three devices was tested in triplicate (bags P1-P3). Figure 3 is a graph showing the changes in the weight of each of the three humidifying devices before and after the addition of water on each of the four days of the test period. Each of the three devices was tested in triplicate (bags P1-P3).

Figure 4 is a graph showing the moisture loss from each of the three humidifier devices over a 7 hour period from the point where water is added to each device. Each of the three devices was tested in triplicate (bags P1-P3).

Detailed description of the invention

The first aspect of the present invention provides a humidifying device for increasing the moisture content of tobacco. In particular, the device is suitable for increasing the moisture content of mixtures low and medium moisture tobacco, such as the blends used in tobacco products for rolling (RYO, RoII Your Own) and for tubing (MYO, Make Your Own). The purpose of the device of the present invention is to achieve increases in tobacco moisture of 2-3% by weight.

Additive-free tobacco blends are produced at low humidity levels because producing these blends at normal RYO humidity (~ 18%) increases the propensity for mold. Allowing the customer to increase the humidity after purchase reduces the potential for mold growth and provides a smoother smoke flavor.

The humidifying device comprises a porous shell arranged to form a pocket and multiple water evaporating pieces are located within the pocket. The porous envelope allows water to be retained within the pocket and also allows fluid communication between the inside and outside of the pocket, so that water, or water vapor, can be transmitted to the environment outside the pocket which, when the device is in use, is where the tobacco is located.

Water can be applied directly to the water evaporating pieces or water can be applied to the water evaporating pieces indirectly, through the porous envelope. Both the water evaporating pieces and the porous shell can be filled with water (ie the device can be "recharged" with water as often as required).

As used herein, the term "porous wrap" refers to a porous material that forms a pocket that surrounds the water evaporating pieces. The wrapper can be sealable or resealable. The porous envelope adsorbs and evaporates water.

Preferably, the porous shell has a water capacity of at least 0.10 gsm, preferably at least 0.16 gsm.

The term "water capacity" refers to the range or amount of water that can be stored in the porous envelope and can be released through the evaporation process.

The porous wrap can be made of any suitable material, including, but not limited to, viscose, cellulosic fibers, polylactic acid fibers, and / or thermoplastic fibers. In a preferred embodiment, the porous shell can be made of viscose.

Preferably, the pocket has dimensions of approximately 40mm x 20mm.

As used herein, the term "water evaporating piece" refers to a material that is capable of absorbing water and from which water can be emitted by evaporation. The terms "piece" and "granule" are used interchangeably herein.

The water evaporating piece preferably has a water capacity of at least 0.25 gsm, and more preferably at least 0.32 gsm. The term "water capacity" refers to the range or amount of water that can be stored in the water evaporation piece and can be released through the evaporation process.

The rate of water release from the device changes over time. Preferably, the device of the invention has a water release rate of about 0.2 g over a 4 hour period. Preferably around 40-45% of the moisture is released from the device during the first hour. The rate of water release from the device can be determined by weighing the device at time intervals.

The water evaporation piece can be made of any suitable material that meets the above-mentioned requirements, such as natural and / or synthetic materials, comprising (but not exclusively) a polymer, in particular polyolefin, preferably polyethylene or polypropylene, a material cellulosic or a combination thereof. The water evaporating piece may comprise, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and / or polylactic acid (PLA). The water evaporating piece can comprise cellulose and / or paper and / or cotton. The water evaporation piece can be porous. The water evaporating piece can be sponge material. The water evaporation piece can be continuous.

Preferably, the pocket contains at least 10 water evaporation pieces and preferably at least 20 water evaporating pieces.

The water evaporation piece can be of any suitable shape or size. In a preferred embodiment, the water evaporating piece has a uniform shape. Preferably, the water evaporation piece has dimensions of about 2mm x 5mm, more preferably the water evaporation piece has dimensions of 2.01mm diameter x 5.17mm length.

The second aspect of the invention provides a bag comprising tobacco and a humidifying device according to the first aspect, as defined above. When in use, the humidifier device increases the moisture content of the tobacco.

The bag can be a paper insert bag or any form of laminated bag. Examples of materials used to produce laminated tobacco bags include oriented polypropylene / polyethylene (OPP / PE) laminated plastic, nylon 11, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET). One of ordinary skill in the art will be aware that such bags are routinely used in the packaging of tobacco products for rolling (RYO) and for tubing (MYO).

As used herein, the term "moisture content" refers to the amount of moisture (ie water) present in a given material. In the context of the present invention, references to moisture content may refer to tobacco material or water evaporation pieces. Values for moisture content are% by weight values. For the avoidance of any doubt, these weight% values are based only on the total weight of the relevant component. For example, if tobacco is stated to have a moisture content of 19.6% by weight, this is based only on the total weight of the tobacco component.

In a preferred embodiment, when the bag of the invention is in use, at least 55% of the water content of the humidifier device is transferred to the tobacco over a period of one hour. Preferably, the moisture content of the tobacco is increased by 1.2% by weight to 1.4% by weight over a 24 hour period.

As used herein, the term "tobacco" includes all forms of tobacco, including leaf, stem, expanded tobacco blend, and reconstituted tobacco blend. In a preferred embodiment, the tobacco is suitable for use in rolling (RYO) and tubing (MYO) tobacco products. The device of the present invention is particularly suitable for increasing the moisture content of low moisture or medium moisture tobacco blends.

The invention will now be exemplified by the following non-limiting example.

EXAMPLE

Test method - Granulated pad in bag variants

The water evaporation pieces used in this experiment are granules prepared by crushing Essentra ™ pads. Essentra ™ pads are commercially available from http://www.essentra.com.

The aim of the experiment was to determine the increase in moisture of tobacco when water is applied to devices containing (i) 20 Essentra granules and (ii) 10 Essentra granules, compared to (iii) an equivalent weight of uncrushed pad.

The three test devices are summarized in Table 1.

Table 1

The amount of material in (i) and (ii) is based on the 25% and 12.5% weight of the crushed Essentra ™ moisture pad, respectively.

On a daily basis, water was applied to each of the devices (i), (ii) and (iii) and the devices were then placed in foil laminated bags containing 25 g of low moisture blended tobacco.

On a daily basis (at the same time each day), 5 g samples of the tobacco were taken from each bag and sent for moisture testing using the Hearson oven method (available from Astell ™ -http: // www. astell.com/tobaccooven).

Results

The tobacco used for this experimental work was a low moisture additive free mixture with an average starting moisture of 15.7% by weight.

On average, during these tests 2 drops of water in each device = 0.21 g (0.21 ml of water)

The trial period was four days and the results are shown in Figures 1-4.

Device 1 (20 Essentra ™ granules)

The addition of 2 drops of water to the 20 granule pad provided daily increases in the moisture content of the tobacco of between 0.5% and 1.8%. The average daily tobacco moisture increase was 1.2%. This is shown in Figure 2.

24 hours after an application of water to the 20 granule pad, the tobacco moisture increased to 17.6%. After 3 daily applications, the cumulative tobacco moisture increased to 19.5%. This is shown in Figure 1.

Device 2 (10 Essentra ™ granules)

The addition of 2 drops of water to the 10-granule pad provided daily increases in tobacco moisture content of between 0.3% and 2%. The average daily humidity increase was 1.3%. This is shown in Figure 2.

24 hours after an application of water to the pad of 10 granules, the moisture of the tobacco increased to 17.7%. After 3 daily applications, the cumulative tobacco moisture increased to 19.6%. This is shown in Figure 1.

Device 3 (25% Essentra ™ pad in bag)

The addition of 2 drops of water to a 25% pad provided daily moisture increases of 0.6 to 3.4%. The average daily humidity increase was 1.4%. This is shown in Figure 2.

24 hours after an application of water to a 25% pad, the tobacco moisture increased to 17.5% After 3 daily applications, the cumulative tobacco moisture increased to 19.4%. This is shown in Figure 1. The increased humidity as a result of the granular devices (devices 1 and 2) resulted in a softer smoke from this additive-free mixture.

In an independent test, 2 drops of water were added to each of the three devices described above. The devices were put into bags containing tobacco. The devices were removed and weighed every hour to determine the rate of moisture loss from the device. The test results are shown in Figure 4.

Device 1 (20 Essentra ™ granules)

After 1 hour, the 20 granule pads lost an average of 41% moisture to the tobacco.

After 2 hours, the 20 granule pads lost an average of 60% moisture to the tobacco.

Device 2 (10 Essentra ™ granules)

After 1 hour, the 10 granule pads lost an average of 53% moisture to the tobacco.

After 2 hours, the 10 granule pads lost an average of 70% moisture to the tobacco.

Device 3 (25% Essentra ™ pad in bag)

After 1 hour, 25% of the pads lost an average of 25% moisture to the tobacco.

After 2 hours, 25% of the pads lost an average of 55% moisture to the tobacco.

Based on the initial tobacco moisture of the batch used in this test (15.7% ± 1%), daily use of humidifying devices according to the invention increased the moisture content of the tobacco.

On average, a daily humidity increase of 1.2% to 1.4% was recorded for all devices.

Daily application of water at this rate (0.21 ml) provided good wetting of the tobacco (2-3%).

Results confirm consistent moisture transfer from granular devices to bags. This is shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4. Daily and total moisture transfer was more variable from 25% pad devices.

The water transfer rate from the granular devices according to the invention to bagged tobacco was faster than from a 25% pad device (device 3).

Claims (14)

1. - A humidifying device to increase the moisture content of the tobacco, the device comprising a porous envelope arranged to form a pocket, multiple pieces of water evaporation being located within said pocket, and allowing the porous envelope to retain water within of the pocket and the fluid communication between the inside and the outside of the pocket, characterized in that the porous envelope is arranged so that water can be applied directly to the water evaporating pieces or indirectly through the porous envelope, said porous envelope having a water capacity of at least 0.10 g / m2 so that the porous shell adsorbs and evaporates water and can be filled with water, and water or water vapor can be transmitted to the environment outside the pocket, according to which the water capacity refers to the amount of water that can be stored in the porous envelope and can be released through the evaporation process. 2. - A device according to claim 1, in which the water evaporation pieces can be filled with water. 3. - A device according to claim 2, in which the water evaporation pieces can be filled through the porous envelope. 4. - A device according to any preceding claim, in which the porous shell has a water capacity of at least 0.16 g / m2. 5. - A device according to any preceding claim, in which the porous shell is made of any of the following materials: viscose, cellulosic fibers, polylactic acid fibers and / or thermoplastic fibers. 6. - A device according to any preceding claim, in which the water evaporation piece has a water capacity of at least 0.25 g / m2, preferably at least 0.32 g / m2. 7. - A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the device has a water release rate of about 0.2 g / m2 over a period of 4 hours. 8. - A device according to any preceding claim, in which the water evaporation piece is a granule. 9. - A device according to any preceding claim, in which the water evaporation piece is made of a natural and / or synthetic polymer, a natural and / or synthetic cellulosic material, or a combination thereof. 10. - A device according to any preceding claim, in which the pocket contains at least 10 pieces of water evaporation and preferably at least 20 pieces of water evaporation. 11. - A bag comprising tobacco and a humidifier device according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein, in use, the humidifier device increases the moisture content of the tobacco. 12. - A bag according to claim 11, in which at least 55% of the water content of the device is transferred to the tobacco over a period of one hour. 13. - A bag according to claims 11 or 12, in which the moisture content of the tobacco is increased by 1.2% to 1.4% over a period of 24 hours. 14. - A bag according to any of claims 11 to 13, in which the tobacco is a mixture of low or medium humidity.