POUCH MADE OF A NONWOVEN, CONTAINING A TOBACCO MATERIAL AND/OR A DIFFERENT NICOTINE-CONTAINING MATERIAL

Abstract

A pouch includes a nonwoven that comprises a nicotine-containing material and at least partially comprising fibers. The fibers are based on cellulose. The nonwoven further includes a binder partially on a surface of the fibers, a plurality of compacted zones in a compacted state, and a plurality of non-compacted zones. The non-compacted zones are less compacted or uncompacted relative to the plurality of compacted zones. The binder keeps the plurality of compacted zones in the compacted state.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A pouch comprising: a nonwoven comprising a nicotine-containing material and at least partially comprising fibers, wherein the fibers are based on cellulose, the nonwoven further comprising, a binder partially on a surface of the fibers, a plurality of compacted zones in a compacted state, and a plurality of non-compacted zones, wherein the non-compacted zones are less compacted or uncompacted relative to the plurality of compacted zones, wherein the binder keeps the plurality of compacted zones in the compacted state.

15. The pouch according to claim 14, wherein the nonwoven comprises one of chemically bonded or a mechanically bonded nonwoven.

16. The pouch according to claim 14, further comprising sealing seams, wherein mutually overlapping regions of the nonwoven are interconnected by a cross-linked binder.

17. The pouch according to claim 16, wherein the cross-linked binder is simultaneously a chemical binder that chemically bonds the nonwoven.

18. The pouch according to claim 14, wherein the nonwoven further comprises at least one of: (i) Cellulosic fibers; (ii) viscose fibers; (iii) cotton fibers; and (iv) polypropylene, polyethylenes, polyesters or other thermoplastic fibers.

19. The pouch according to claim 14, wherein the nonwoven further comprises at least one of: a plurality of mutually separated compacted zones within a contiguous non-compacted zone; a plurality of mutually separate non-compacted zones within a contiguous compacted zone; a plurality of compacted zones and a plurality of non-compacted zones between the compacted zones; and a single compacted zone and only a single non-compacted zone.

20. The pouch according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the plurality of compacted zones and the plurality of non-compacted zones comprise one or more of the following shapes: polygonal; circular; oval; cruciform; strip-shaped; and wavy.

21. The pouch according to claim 14, further comprising: a sealing seam running in a longitudinal direction on one large-area side in an overlap region of the nonwoven; and sealing seams running in a transverse direction on two transverse sides in the overlap regions of the nonwoven.

22. The pouch according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of compacted zones occupy 5% to 95% of a surface area of the nonwoven, and wherein the non-compacted zones occupy 95% to 5% of a surface area of the nonwoven.

23. The pouch according to claim 14, wherein the nonwoven comprises at least one of: (i) a strength, in a machine direction, of 10 to 100 N/50 mm; (ii) a strength, transverse to the machine direction, of 5 to 50 N/50 mm; (iii) an elongation, in the machine direction, of 5 to 50%; (iv) an elongation, transverse to the machine direction, of 10 to 100%; and (v) a permeability, measured as an air permeability of a test surface of 5 cm.sup.2, of 1,000 to 2,250 L/m.sup.2/s, to which normal pressure is applied on one side, and to which an overpressure of 125 Pa is applied on another side.

24. A method for producing a pouch comprising a nonwoven including a nicotine-containing material, comprising: moving a web material comprised of a nonwoven including fibers based on cellulose and a binder between an engraving roller having one or more projections on an outer periphery and a smooth roller; pressing the engraving roller and the smooth roller against the web material from different sides and running in a circumferential direction on the web material, compacting the web material in zones between the engraving roller and the smooth roller by one or more projections, wherein the web material located in zones between regions of the engraving roller that have no projections and the smooth roller is compacted to a lesser extent or not at all; interconnecting the fibers of the web material by the binder in compacted zones; and forming pouches from portions of the nicotine-containing material and severed sections of the web material.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the engraving roller comprises an exchangeable embossing sleeve including one or more projections on an outer periphery.

26. The method according claim 24, further comprising: feeding the nicotine-containing material onto the web material; folding the web material above the portions, wherein a sealing seam extends in a longitudinal direction and is made in overlapping edge regions of the web material; forming transversely directed sealing seams into mutually overlapping regions of the web material on both sides of each portion of the nicotine containing material; and cutting the web material into individual pouches within the transverse sealing seams.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] The invention will be further explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings of exemplary embodiments.

[0051] FIG. 1 schematically shows a front view of an embodiment of a snus pouch.

[0052] FIG. 2 schematically shows a rear view of the embodiment of the snus pouch.

[0053] FIG. 3 is a photograph of an embodiment of a nonwoven with compacted and non-compacted zones that is used for the production of the snus pouch.

[0054] FIG. 4 schematically shows an embodiment of an enlarged vertical section of a compacted zone within a non-compacted zone.

[0055] FIG. 5 schematically shows an embodiment of a plurality of mutually separated compacted zones within a contiguous non-compacted zone in a plan view.

[0056] FIG. 6 schematically shows an embodiment of a plurality of separate non-compacted zones within a continuous contiguous zone in a plan view.

[0057] FIGS. 7(a)-(f) schematically shows embodiments of different geometries of compacted or non-compacted zones in a plan view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0058] According to FIGS. 1 and 2, a snus pouch 1 comprises a pouch 2 including a nonwoven 3 in which a small amount of tobacco material 4 and/or another nicotine-containing material is arranged. The nonwoven 3 is produced from viscose fibers.

[0059] The pouch 2 is configured as a tubular pouch. A strip of the nonwoven 3 is folded onto itself at the longitudinal edges and bonded to itself by a longitudinal sealing seam 5. The tobacco material 4 is, for example, snus. Furthermore, the two transverse edges of the pouch 2 are interconnected by transversely oriented sealing seams 6, 7.

[0060] During use, the snus pouch 1 is placed behind the lower lip and the upper lip. Saliva from the oral cavity penetrates and releases nicotine and other flavorings from the tobacco material 4.

[0061] FIG. 3 shows a strongly enlarged photograph of a nonwoven 3 for producing the pouch 2 according to FIGS. 1 and 2. The nonwoven 3 has a plurality of mutually separated compacted zones 8 within a contiguous, non-compacted zone 9, which are embossed by means of a calender with an engraving roller and smooth roller. For this purpose, the engraving roller has projections with a hexagonal or honeycomb cross-section. The nonwoven 3 is a chemically bonded nonwoven in which the fibers of viscose are provided with a binder that is chemically crosslinked while drying to form a thermoset. When embossing the compacted zones 8, still uncrosslinked parts of the binder are crosslinked in the compacted zones 8 so that the crosslinked binder keeps the compacted zones 8 in the compacted state.

[0062] According to FIG. 4, in the compacted zones 9, the fibers 10 lie close together, and the regions between the fibers are at least partially closed by binder 11 so that the permeability of the nonwoven 3 to flavorings in the compacted zones 8 is much less or negligible. In the non-compacted zone 9, the nonwoven 3 has its original structure and permeability. The total permeability of the nonwoven 3 is therefore determined jointly by the compacted zones 8 and the non-compacted zone 9.

[0063] Accordingly, by means of the selected embossing structure, the permeability of the nonwoven 3 of the snus pouch 1 can be adjusted to the particular tobacco material 4. In the production of the snus pouches 1 with different tobacco materials 4, the same nonwoven 3 can always be started with which is provided with an individual emboss depending on the tobacco material 4. Different embossing cylinders with which the engraving cylinder of the calender is equipped can be used for this purpose.

[0064] According to FIG. 5, a nonwoven 3 can be provided with compacted and non-compacted zones such that it has a plurality of mutually separated compacted zones 8 and a contiguous non-compacted zone 9. This is also the case with the nonwoven 3 of FIG. 3.

[0065] According to FIG. 6, alternatively, a nonwoven can be provided with compacted and non-compacted zones such that it has a plurality of separate non-compacted zones 9 within a contiguous compacted zone 8.

[0066] According to FIGS. 7a-f, the compacted or non-compacted zones can have different geometries, in particular polygonal (FIG. 7a), circular (FIG. 7b), oval (FIG. 7c), cruciform (FIG. 7d), linear (FIG. 7e) or wavy (FIG. 7f) geometries.

[0067] In the following tables, measurements of the strength, the elongation and the stiffness are shown, in each case in the machine running direction and transversely thereto, as well as static friction forces, static friction coefficients, sealing strengths, sliding friction forces and sliding friction coefficients, as well as air permeabilities, in each case for a conventional nonwoven (standard) and a nonwoven according to the invention provided with compacted and non-compacted zones (embossed pattern), each weighing 29 gsm. The embossed pattern is the nonwoven depicted in FIG. 3. Each of the employed standard measuring methods are indicated in the tables.

[0068] According to the measurements, the embossed pattern has weaker MD and CD strengths than the standard. Furthermore, the embossed pattern has less MD and CD elongation than the standard. This is because when embossing of the embossed pattern, bonds of the chemically bonded nonwoven are destroyed, and this is only partially compensated for by the crosslinking of binder in the compressed zones.

[0069] Furthermore, according to the measurements, the embossed pattern manifests greater static friction and dynamic friction forces than the standard. This is based on the greater structuring of the surface from the embossings.

[0070] Finally, in the embossed pattern, the air permeability is reduced compared to the standard. This is due to the fact that the surface of the embossed pattern is closed in the region of the embossing, and this reduces the air permeability in comparison to the standard. Corresponding to the reduction of the air permeability, the flavoring permeability for flavorings in saliva is also reduced.

TABLE-US-00001 Nonwova CV 29/viv Strength MD Standard Embossed pattern EDANA WSP 110.4 [N/50 mm] 71 46 [N/50 mm] 68 35 [N/50 mm] 67 43 [N/50 mm] 70 44 [N/50 mm] 69 42 Average [N/50 mm] 69 42 Standard deviation [N/50 mm] 1.65 4.32 Variation coefficient [%] 2.39 10.31 min. [N/50 mm] 67 35 max. [N/50 mm] 71 46

TABLE-US-00002 Elongation MD Standard Embossed pattern EDANA WSP 110.4 [%/50 mm] 8 7 [%/50 mm] 8 8 [%/50 mm] 8 7 [%/50 mm] 8 7 [%/50 mm] 8 7 Average [%/50 mm] 8 7 Standard deviation [%/50 mm] 0.24 0.35 Variation coefficient [%] 2.98 4.98 min. [%/50 mm] 8 7 max. [%/50 mm] 8 8

TABLE-US-00003 Rigidity MD Standard Embossed pattern EDANA WSP 090.3 [g] 214 94 [g] 215 111 [g] 246 111 [g] 209 96 [g] 221 103 Average [g] 221 103 Standard deviation [g] 14.61 8.03 Variation coefficient [%] 6.61 7.80 min. [g] 209 94 max. [g] 246 111

TABLE-US-00004 Sealing strength Standard Embossed pattern DIN EN 29073-3 [N/50 mm] 7.00 10.70 [N/50 mm] 6.86 7.78 [N/50 mm] [N/50 mm] Average [N/50 mm] 6.78 7.93 Standard deviation [N/50 mm] 0.26 2.69 Variation coefficient [%] 3.88 33.95 min. [N/50 mm] 6.49 5.32 max. [N/50 mm] 7.00 10.70

TABLE-US-00005 Friction measurement Standard Embossed pattern Static friction force [N] 0.880 1.790 (Force static) Static friction 0.448 0.912 coefficient s

TABLE-US-00006 Sliding friction force [N] 0.580 1.030 (Force dynamic) Sliding friction 0.297 0.525 coefficient .sub.D

TABLE-US-00007 Nonwova CV 29/viv Strength CD Standard Embossed pattern EDANA WSP 110.4 [N/50 mm] 17 15 [N/50 mm] 17 12 [N/50 mm] 17 12 [N/50 mm] 18 16 [N/50 mm] 17 14 Average [N/50 mm] 17 14 Standard deviation [N/50 mm] 0.53 1.82 Variation coefficient [%] 3.07 13.29 min. [N/50 mm] 17 12 max. [N/50 mm] 18 16

TABLE-US-00008 Elongation CD Standard Embossed pattern EDANA WSP 110.4 [%/50 mm] 30 30 [%/50 mm] 37 28 [%/50 mm] 35 25 [%/50 mm] 38 32 [%/50 mm] 35 28 Average [%/50 mm] 35 28 Standard deviation [%/50 mm] 2.82 2.60 Variation coefficient [%] 8.09 9.17 min. [%/50 mm] 30 25 max. [%/50 mm] 38 32

TABLE-US-00009 Elongation MD Standard Embossed pattern EDANA WSP 090.3 [g] 57 48 [g] 63 41 [g] 53 43 [g] 57 41 [g] 58 43 Average [g] 58 43 Standard deviation [g] 3.57 2.86 Variation coefficient [%] 6.21 6.62 min. [g] 53 41

TABLE-US-00010 Air permeability Standard Embossed pattern EDANA WSP 070.1 [L/m.sup.2/s] 2,780 1,920 125 Pa/at 5 cm.sup.2 test [l/m.sup.2/s] 2,960 1,750 area [l/m.sup.2/s] 2,620 1,620 [L/m.sup.2/s] 2,860 1,610 [l/m.sup.2/s] 2.920 1,490 Average [L/m.sup.2/s] 2.828 1,678 Standard deviation [L/m.sup.2/s] 134.61 163.62 Variation coefficient [%] 4.76 9.75 min. [L/m.sup.2/s] 2,620 1,490 max. [L/m.sup.2/s] 2,960 1,920