METHOD FOR PRODUCING A BOBBIN INCLUDING A MATERIAL CONTAINING ALKALOIDS

Abstract

The present invention is related to a method for producing a bobbin the method comprising the steps of: —providing a web (210) of a material containing alkaloids, wherein the web of a material containing alkaloids contains at least about 5 percent in dry weight basis of an aerosol-former; —feeding the web (210) of a material containing alkaloids to an embossing device in a transport direction; —embossing the web (210) of a material containing alkaloids to form an embossed web (220) of a material containing alkaloids; —winding the embossed web (220) of a material containing alkaloids in a bobbin (200).

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A method for producing a bobbin of a cast leaf, the method comprising the steps of: unwinding a mother bobbin comprising a wound web of a material containing alkaloids in such a way to provide a web of a material containing alkaloids, wherein the web of a material containing alkaloids contains between 10 percent and 25 percent in dry weight basis of an aerosol-former; feeding the web of a material containing alkaloids to an embossing device in a transport direction; embossing the web of a material containing alkaloids to form an embossed web of a material containing alkaloids; winding the embossed web of a material containing alkaloids in a bobbin.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of embossing comprises feeding the web of a material containing alkaloids between a first and a second embossing rollers so that the first and second embossing rollers apply an embossing pattern to at least a surface of the web.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the embossing pattern includes a plurality of protrusions applied on at least a surface of the web.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of protrusions includes ridges and/or troughs.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the ridges and/or troughs extend in a direction orthogonal or parallel to the transport direction.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein an amplitude of the plurality of protrusions is comprised between about 10 and about 150 percent of the thickness of the web.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of protrusions has a pitch comprised between about 100 and about 500 percent of the thickness of the web.

22. The method according to claim 15, wherein the web of a material containing alkaloids has a thickness of between about 100 micron and about 300 micron.

23. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of winding the embossed web comprises: feeding the embossed web to a rotatable center core; and rotating the rotatable center core so as to wind the embossed web around it to form the bobbin.

24. The method according to claim 15, wherein the web of a material containing alkaloids comprises: particles of the material containing alkaloids having a mean size comprised between about 0.03 millimetres and about 0.12 millimetres; a binder; and water.

25. The method according to claim 15, wherein said material containing alkaloids is a tobacco material.

26. A method for producing an aerosol generating article including the step of unwinding the bobbin realized according to claim 15.

27. A bobbin of an embossed web of a material containing alkaloids realized according to claim 15.

Description

[0113] Specific embodiments of the invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0114] FIG. 1 shows a flow diagram of the method of the invention to produce a bobbin;

[0115] FIG. 2 is a lateral schematic view of a bobbin produced according to the method of the invention;

[0116] FIG. 3 is a perspective schematic view of an embossed web of a material containing alkaloids obtained from the embossing step of the method of the invention;

[0117] FIG. 4 is a lateral schematic view of an apparatus for carrying out the method of the invention to produce a bobbin; and

[0118] FIG. 5 is a top view of an embossed web of a material containing alkaloids obtained from the embossing step of the method of the invention according to a second embodiment.

[0119] With initial reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, a method for producing a bobbin 200 (visible in FIG. 2) of the invention is represented.

[0120] The first step 100 of the method of the invention includes the provision of a web 210 of a material containing alkaloids (visible in FIG. 4). Material containing alkaloids to be used in the method of the invention preferably includes a homogenized tobacco material. Preferably, in step 100, the homogenized tobacco web 210 has a thickness of between about 100 micron and about 300 micron and a width from between about 0.1 meters to about 2 meters.

[0121] The method includes a further step 101 in which the web 210 is fed to an embossing device 310 (visible in FIG. 4) in a transport direction 320 (indicated by an arrow in FIGS. 3 and 4).

[0122] Further, the method of the invention includes a step 102 of embossing the web 210 of a material containing alkaloids to form an embossed web 220 of a material containing alkaloids.

[0123] Preferably, step 102 of embossing comprises feeding the web 210 between a first and a second embossing rollers (indicated by 350, 360 in FIG. 4) of the embossing device 310, that apply an embossing pattern (indicated by 230 in FIG. 3) to at least a surface of the web, as shown in more detail in FIG. 3.

[0124] Preferably, the embossing pattern includes a plurality of protrusions 240, 250 applied on at least a surface of the web. Preferably, an amplitude of the plurality of protrusions is comprised between about 10 and about 150 percent of the thickness 280 of the web.

[0125] Preferably, the plurality of protrusions 240, 250 has a pitch comprised between about 100 and about 500 percent of the thickness 280 of the web.

[0126] After step 102, the method of the invention includes a step 103 in which the embossed web 220 of a material containing alkaloids is wound up to form a bobbin 200.

[0127] In FIG. 2, a lateral schematic view of the bobbin 200 realized according to the method of the invention is shown.

[0128] In FIG. 3, a perspective schematic view of an embossed web 220 of a material containing alkaloids obtained from the embossing step of the method of the invention is shown.

[0129] The embossed web 220 has a thickness 280 and an embossing pattern 230 applied on it.

[0130] The embossing pattern 230 includes a ridge 240 and a trough 250 having an amplitude 270 comprised between about 10 and about 150 percent of the thickness 280 of the web and a pitch 260 comprised between about 100 and about 500 percent of the thickness 280 of the web.

[0131] In FIG. 5 an additional embossed web 222 is disclosed in a top view, where a “matrix” of ridges and troughs are formed. A first plurality of ridges 241 and troughs 251 extends along the transport direction 320, while a second plurality of ridges 242 and troughs 252 extends in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction, forming a grid pattern.

[0132] In FIG. 4 an apparatus 300 for carrying out the method of the invention to produce a bobbin 200 is shown.

[0133] The apparatus 300 includes an embossing device 310 and a rotatable center core 330.

[0134] The embossing device 310 includes a first and a second embossing rollers 350, 360.

[0135] The web 210 of a material containing alkaloids is fed between the first and a second embossing rollers 350, 360 of the embossing device 310 in a transport direction, indicated by arrow 320.

[0136] At the exit of the embossing device 310, an embossed web 220 of a material containing alkaloids is obtained.

[0137] The embossed web 220 is then fed to the rotatable center core 330.

[0138] Rotatable center core 330 rotates in the sense indicated by arrow 340, so embossed web 220 is wound around rotatable center core 330, forming the bobbin 200 comprising a plurality of windings of the embossed web 220 of a material containing alkaloids.