METHOD FOR PROVIDING A PARTICULATE TOBACCO PRODUCT AND DEVICE FOR THE TOBACCO-PROCESSING INDUSTRY

Abstract

Method for providing a particulate tobacco product and a device of the tobacco processing industry for performing the method. After harvesting tobacco plant, the method includes shredding the harvested tobacco plant and processing the shreds of the tobacco plant to form flat reconstituted tobacco material. The method also includes conveying the flat reconstituted tobacco material in a processing plane to a punching station. Further, the method includes punching tobacco particles out of the tobacco material in the punching station with a punching tool and providing the punched-out tobacco particles as particulate tobacco product.

Claims

1. A method for providing a particulate tobacco product from a harvested tobacco plant, the method comprising: a) shredding the harvested tobacco plant; b) processing the shreds of the tobacco plant to form flat reconstituted tobacco material; c) conveying the flat reconstituted tobacco material in a processing plane to a punching station; d) punching tobacco particles out of the tobacco material in the punching station with a punching tool; and e) providing the punched-out tobacco particles as particulate tobacco product.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising mixing the punched out tobacco particles with other tobacco particles in a predetermined ratio and providing the mixture as the particulate tobacco product.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the punched out tobacco particles are mixed with the other tobacco particles in a pouring process.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising conveying the particulate tobacco product in a continuous conveying process in a non-pneumatic tobacco conveying apparatus to a rod-forming section.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the non-pneumatic tobacco conveying apparatus comprises a tube chain conveyor.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising curing the shreds of the tobacco plant before the shreds are processed into the flat reconstituted tobacco material.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, before tobacco particles are punched out of the tobacco material in the punching station, the method further comprises: winding the flat, reconstituted tobacco material on bobbins; transporting the wound flat, reconstituted tobacco material to the punching station; and unwinding the wound flat, reconstituted tobacco material from the bobbins.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the harvested tobacco plant is severed above the root.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein at least one of: the tobacco plants are severed above the sand lugs so that only the upper middle leaves, lower middle leaves and top leaves are harvested; the tobacco plants are severed so that only the top leaves and upper middle leaves are be harvested; and the tobacco plants are completely harvested in a single harvest pass.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shredding of the harvested tobacco plant comprises shredding the entire harvested tobacco plant.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shredding of the harvested tobacco plant comprise shredding the tobacco leaves and stem of a severed tobacco plant.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising forwarding the particulate tobacco product to a rod-forming machine, whereby rods are formed from the particulate tobacco product without separating an individual fraction of cut leaf tobacco in a distributor.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising forwarding the particulate tobacco product to a rod-forming machine, whereby rods are formed from the particulate tobacco product without sifting of rib components.

14. A device of the tobacco-processing industry for performing the method according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] The invention is described below, without restricting the general idea of the invention, based on exemplary embodiments in reference to the drawing, whereby reference is expressly made to the drawing with regard to the disclosure of all details according to the invention that are not explained in greater detail in the text. The following is shown:

[0050] The FIGURE is a simplified, schematic flowchart of a method for providing a particulate tobacco product as can be carried out by a device of the tobacco-processing industry.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0051] The particulars shown herein are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the embodiments of the present invention only and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the present invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the present invention in more detail than is necessary for the fundamental understanding of the present invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the present invention may be embodied in practice.

[0052] The FIGURE schematically illustrates a simplified method 100 that starts with the harvesting of the tobacco plant 101. Preferably, a whole-plant harvesting is carried out in which the tobacco plant is severed above the root. Then the harvested tobacco plant is shredded 102. The shreds of the tobacco plants obtained in this manner are supplied to a curing process 103. During the curing, a fermentation of the contents of the shreds of the harvested tobacco plant occurs. The curing process occurs, e.g., in a silo.

[0053] The aging of the tobacco plant, also termed curing, is known per se in the art and is described, e.g., in the book, Tobacco Encyclopedia, pub. Ernst Voges, 1984, in the section Curing, starting on page 398. The statements made with regard to the curing of tobacco leaves apply equally or similarly to the curing of the shreds of the harvested tobacco plant.

[0054] The cured shreds of the tobacco plant are then processed into flat, reconstituted tobacco material 104.

[0055] Before being processed into reconstituted tobacco material, the cured shreds of harvested tobacco plant can be transported for processing. For this purpose, the shreds are in particular compacted in order to minimize the volume of material to be transported. However, it is also to be understood that the production of the flat reconstituted tobacco material occurs in proximity to the production facility for the tobacco shreds. In this way, the produced flat, reconstituted tobacco material can be subsequently transportated from a processing site in feature 104 to a location at which production of the tobacco products ultimately produced from the tobacco material occurs, e.g., in another country. For example, as part of feature 104 of the method, a tobacco sheet is produced as the flat, reconstituted tobacco material and is in particular wound on bobbins for transportation. Of course, transportation is optional and may not be needed when the subsequent processing occurs in proximity to the production site of the reconstituted tobacco material.

[0056] The processing of tobacco into reconstituted tobacco material is also a process that is known per se in tobacco processing. It is described, e.g., in the book Tobacco Encyclopedia, pub. Ernst Voges, 1984, in the section Sheet Tobacco in the article with the heading Major Processes in the Manufacture of Sheet Tobacco, page 389 et seq. The flat, reconstituted tobacco material processed in feature 104 is provided, for example, as a rolled product or sheet product at the end of the process.

[0057] When the reconstituted tobacco material is to be further processed, i.e., into ultimate tobacco products, at a location not proximate the site in which the reconstituted tobacco material was processed, e.g., in another country, method 100 can further include transporting the reconstituted tobacco material 105. Transporting 105 of the reconstituted tobacco material is particularly advantageous since the tobacco material is in compact form, which is in contrast to the harvested tobacco plant, and therefore a substantially smaller transport volume has to be dealt with.

[0058] The flat, reconstituted tobacco material, in particular, a tobacco sheet, is then supplied to a punching station 106. For example, the tobacco sheet is wound off a bobbin and supplied in a plane to the punch. An punching apparatus described, e.g., in the non-prepublished German application with the official application number 10 2015 107 971.2 by Hauni Maschinenbau AG, Hamburg can serve in particular as the punching station in 106. The disclosure of German Application No. 10 2015 107 971.2 is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. In the noted application, a punching station is described in detail as a device of the tobacco-processing industry for producing the particulate tobacco product.

[0059] It is understood in particular that tobacco particles of different shape and/or size are punched out in the punching process 106. This is accomplished by selecting a corresponding punching tool. The size and/or shape of the tobacco particles are selected in light of the properties of the tobacco product to be produced therefrom for subsequent rod formation. It is moreover provided in particular that the punched-out reconstituted tobacco material is mixed with additional particulate tobacco product. The latter is in particular also produced in the punching process 106. However, it is also be understood that cut tobacco product can be added to the reconstituted punched-out tobacco product. The added tobacco material is, for example, leaf tobacco or reconstituted tobacco material.

[0060] Subsequently, mixing or blending 107 is carried out in which a tobacco mixture provided for rod formation is produced. For example, tobacco particles of different types of tobacco or reconstituted tobacco material of different types and/or flavors are mixed with each other. Given the homogeneous properties of the punched-out tobacco particles, the mixing can advantageously occur in a single pouring process.

[0061] Moreover, it is provided in particular that the produced tobacco mixture is provided with taste additives, for example to provide a brand-specific tobacco mixture.

[0062] After the blending 106 of the tobacco particles, they are provided to a rod-forming section 108. The rod-forming section is for example a cigarette machine as is known, e.g., under the name of PROTOS by Hauni Maschinenbau AG, Hamburg.

[0063] Traditionally, the rod-forming section is located upstream from a distributor unit. A distributor unit is described, for example, in the German patent application with the official application number 10 2012 109 903 by Hauni Maschinenbau AG, Hamburg, or the European application with the official application number 2 721 936 by Hauni Maschinenbau AG, Hamburg. The distributor apparatus disclosed therein comprises a separator, such as a zig-zag separator, in which for example components of tobacco leaves stalks are sorted out. However, as these components are not contained in a tobacco product provided according to the embodiments of the invention, such a separator can be advantageously discarded. In addition, as the particulate tobacco product is in a very homogeneous fraction, the traditional post-distribution unit provided in a distributor apparatus can therefore also be discarded. This simplifies the construction of the rod-forming unit, or respectively distributor apparatus.

[0064] The particulate tobacco product is transported to the rod-forming unit, preferably using a non-pneumatic conveyor such as a tube chain conveyor. This is described in the non-prepublished German application with the official application number 10 2014 210 719 by the applicant, formerly known as Hauni Maschinenbau AG, Hamburg.

[0065] The method described in the FIGURE for providing a particulate tobacco product advantageously can be carried out using a high degree of automation. For this reason, it is highly efficient, in particular compared with traditional methods.

[0066] All named features, including those taken from the drawing alone, and individual features, which are disclosed in combination with other features, are considered alone and in combination as essential for the invention. Embodiments according to the invention can be fulfilled through individual features or a combination of several features. In the context of the invention, features which are designated with in particular or preferably are to be understood as optional features.

[0067] It is noted that the foregoing examples have been provided merely for the purpose of explanation and are in no way to be construed as limiting of the present invention. While the present invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it is understood that the words which have been used herein are words of description and illustration, rather than words of limitation. Changes may be made, within the purview of the appended claims, as presently stated and as amended, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention in its aspects. Although the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular means, materials and embodiments, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed herein; rather, the present invention extends to all functionally equivalent structures, methods and uses, such as are within the scope of the appended claims.