Homogenized tobacco material production line and method for inline production of homogenized tobacco material

Abstract

The invention relates to a homogenized tobacco sheet production line comprising: A tank adapted to contain a slurry formed by a tobacco powder blend, a binder and an aerosol former in an aqueous medium; A cast apparatus adapted to receive slurry from the tank and to cast the slurry so as to form a homogenized tobacco material; A movable transporting support on which said slurry is casted and adapted to transport the homogenized tobacco material along a transport direction; A slitter located downstream the cast apparatus adapted to slit the homogenized tobacco material along the transport direction so as to form portioned homogenized tobacco sheets; and A crimper located downstream the slitter adapted to receive at least one of the partial homogenized tobacco sheets from the slitter and to crimp the at least one of the portioned homogenized tobacco sheets. It also relates to a method for inline production of a homogenized tobacco sheet.

1 . A homogenized tobacco sheet inline production line comprising:
 a tank adapted to contain a slurry formed by a tobacco powder blend, a binder and an aerosol former in an aqueous medium;   a cast apparatus adapted to receive slurry from the tank and to cast the slurry so as to form a homogenized tobacco sheet;   a movable transporting support on which said slurry is casted and adapted to transport the homogenized tobacco sheet along a transport direction;   a slitter located downstream the cast apparatus adapted to slit the homogenized tobacco material along the transport direction so as to form at least two portioned homogenized tobacco sheets; and   at least two crimpers located downstream the slitter, each crimper being adapted to receive one of the at least two portioned homogenized tobacco sheets from the slitter and to crimp one of the at least two portioned homogenized tobacco sheets.   
     
     
         2 . The homogenized tobacco sheet production line according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a drying station located downstream the cast apparatus and upstream the slitter adapted to dry the homogenized tobacco sheet.   
     
     
         3 . The homogenized tobacco sheet production line according to  claim 2 , wherein the slitter is located directly downstream the drying station. 
     
     
         4 . The homogenized tobacco sheet production line according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least two crimpers are located directly downstream the slitter. 
     
     
         5 . The homogenized tobacco sheet production line according to  claim 1 , wherein the movable transporting support includes a single continuous support transporting the homogenized tobacco sheet from the cast apparatus to the slitter. 
     
     
         6 . The homogenized tobacco sheet production line according to  claim 1 , comprising at least two rod forming units, each rod forming unit being located downstream one of the at least two crimpers. 
     
     
         7 . The homogenized tobacco sheet production line according to  claim 1 , wherein the slitter includes at least two blades, so as to form at least three portioned homogenized tobacco sheets. 
     
     
         8 . The homogenized tobacco sheet production line according to  claim 1 , including a number of crimpers equal to the number of portioned homogenized tobacco sheets slit by the slitter. 
     
     
         9 . The homogenized tobacco sheet production line according to  claim 6 , including a number of rod forming units equal to the number of portioned homogenized tobacco sheets slit by the slitter. 
     
     
         10 . The homogenized tobacco sheet production line according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least two crimpers are arranged such that they are distanced from each other vertically. 
     
     
         11 . A method for inline production of homogenized tobacco material, said method comprising:
 preparing a slurry comprising tobacco powder blend, a binder and an aerosol former in an aqueous medium;   casting the slurry in a support movable along a transport direction;   drying the cast slurry to form a homogenized tobacco sheet;   slitting the homogenized tobacco sheet along said transport direction while the homogenized tobacco sheet is moved along the transport direction so as to form at least two portioned homogenized tobacco sheets; and   crimping the at least two portioned homogenized tobacco sheets in parallel.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , including:
 forming a rod from each crimped portioned homogenized tobacco sheet.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the step of slitting the homogenized tobacco sheet includes the step of slitting the homogenized tobacco sheet in at least three portioned homogenized tobacco sheets. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the step of preparing a slurry comprises:
 suspending a binder in an aerosol-former to form a suspension;   creating a cellulose pulp from cellulose fibers and water;   providing a tobacco powder blend; and   combining the suspension of binder in aerosol-former, said cellulose pulp and said tobacco powder blend to form the slurry.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the step of preparing a slurry comprises:
 pulping and refining cellulose fibres to obtain fibres having a mean size comprised between about 0.2 millimetres and about 4 millimetres;   grinding a blend of tobacco of one or more tobacco types to a tobacco powder having a mean size comprised between about 0.03 millimetres and about 0.12 millimetres;   combining the pulp with the tobacco powder blend of different tobacco types and with a binder in an amount comprised between about 1 percent and about 5 percent in dry weight basis of the total weight of the homogenized tobacco material, so as to form a slurry; and   homogenizing the slurry.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the step of crimping the at least two portioned homogenized tobacco sheets in parallel is carried out by at least two crimpers that are distanced from each other vertically.