Smoking machine and method for smoking tobacco products

Abstract

In order to reliably ensure the association of smoking products and the results of analysis with the tobacco products and guard against mistakes or data losses, there is provided a smoking machine whose structural components such as the smoke trap, a smoke trap component and/or a tobacco product magazine that is being used are provided with respective identity elements in which items of information specific to the structural component are contained and from which items of information are readable and/or into which items of information are insertible. A method of smoking tobacco products in a smoking machine comprises the storage of information about the respective structural components of the smoking machine and/or the processes of writing-into and reading-out the results of measurements and/or analysis into these identity elements as well as the process of linking to a database.

Claims

1. A smoking machine (8) incorporating a smoke trap (5) wherein the smoking machine (8), the smoke trap (5) and/or a component of the smoke trap (5) comprises at least one identity element (4, 6) which contains information specific to the smoke trap (5) and/or the smoke trap component and from which or into which items of information are readable and/or are insertible which are the results of measurements from laboratory instruments comprising at least one of balances, humidity measuring instruments, and length and diameter measuring instruments.

2. A smoking machine (8) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the information is insertible into a database (2) or is readable from it.

3. A smoking machine (8) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the database (2) is a constituent of the smoke machine.

4. A smoking machine (8) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the smoking machine (8) is connected to an external database (2) and communicates therewith.

5. A smoking machine (8) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the identity element (4, 5) is programmable.

6. A smoking machine (8) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the identity element (4, 5) is part of an RFID system.

7. A smoking machine (8) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the smoking machine (8) comprises a tobacco product magazine (3) which is provided with an identity element (4).

8. A method comprising smoking tobacco products in the smoking machine of claim 1.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the items of information are used for control, monitoring and/or adjustment of process steps of the method.

10. A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the laboratory instruments comprise at least one of barometers, hygrometers, extraction devices, sample preparation devices, and gas chromatographs.

11. A smoking machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the laboratory instruments comprise at least one of barometers, hygrometers, extraction devices, sample preparation devices, and gas chromatographs.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) The invention is described hereinafter with the aid of a preferred exemplary embodiment taken in conjunction with the flow chart in accordance with the attached FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION

(2) Before the actual smoking process, the values of parameters specific to the tobacco product such as the sample weight, the sample dimensions, the humidity content, the smoking parameters etc. are determined in a first process step 1 and entered into a database 2.

(3) The tobacco products that are to be smoked are arranged in a tobacco product magazine 3 which is provided with an identity element 4, abbreviated to IE hereinafter. The information specific to the tobacco product magazine 3 which is stored in the cigarette magazine IE 4 is likewise entered into the database 2 and linked with the set of parameters that was determined in the first process step. Alternatively, it is also possible for the set of parameters of the tobacco products that was determined in the first process step to be written into the tobacco product magazine IE 4.

(4) A filter holder 5 serving as a component of the smoke trap which is likewise equipped with an identity element, the filter holder IE 6, is weighed in a weighing process 7 and the weight as well as further filter holder parameters if necessary are transferred to the database 2. It is also possible to transfer the weighing result into the filter holder IE 6 and/or into the tobacco product magazine IE 4 and vice versa via the database 2. The linking of the information that is linked to the tobacco product magazine IE 4 and the filter holder IE 6 can be effected in automated manner by a smoking machine 8. The database may be a constituent of the smoking machine 8 or it may be constructed separately and connected to the smoking machine 8 when necessary.

(5) The preparatory work I for the smoking process is finished after running through the previously specified operational sequence and the actual smoking process II begins.

(6) The tobacco products supplied thereto by the tobacco product magazine 3 are smoked in the smoking machine 8, whereby smoking products are deposited in the filter holder 5 and a filter element contained therein. The parameters of the smoking process, such as the number of puffs, the operator, the machine identification number, the day, the time, the environmental conditions etc. are transmitted to the database 2 and linked or associated with the set of parameters of the tobacco product, the items of information of the tobacco product magazine IE 4, of the filter holder IE 6 and/or the result of the weighing process 7.

(7) In a further weighing process 9 after the smoking process, the weight of the filter holder 5 and/or the filter element are weighed and the weighing result supplied to the database 2 in which association thereof with the information of the filter holder IEs 6 of the database 2 takes place in order to determine the difference between the weighing results of the balance 7 and the weighing process 9 for example.

(8) With the weighing of the filter holder 5 after the smoking process, the smoking process II is terminated and the chemical analysis III begins.

(9) The filter holder 5 with the filter element, or only the filter element and a wash-out or wipe-out product of the filter holder 5, the smoking product of the smoking process is extracted in an extraction step 10 and supplied to a sample preparation process 11 in order for it to be chemically analyzed thereafter in a gas chromatograph analysis process 12 for example.

(10) The result of the analysis is likewise supplied to the database 2 and, inter alia, associated with the filter holder IE 6, the tobacco product and the parameters of the smoking process.

(11) Due to the use of identity elements for the individual structural components of the smoking machine and the smoking processes, it is possible to enter all the information about these structural components and the data obtained from the individual method processes into a database in order to control and adapt the smoking process in accord with this information. However, it is also particularly advantageous to store the respectively received results of the process steps in the individual identity elements of the respective structural components.

(12) The invention was described above on the basis of a preferred exemplary embodiment in connection with a sample tracking system. However, the smoking machine or the method of smoking is also modifiable in individual cases in accord with the circumstances without thereby departing from the scope of the invention.

(13) For example, the smoking machine 8 according to the invention could also be one such without a filter holder and/or without a filter element for the smoke trap 5.