Preformed smokeless tobacco product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10327467-B2
Application number	US-201113086082-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 13, 2011
Priority date	Apr 14, 2010
Publication date	Jun 25, 2019
Grant date	Jun 25, 2019

Abstract

Some embodiments of a smokeless tobacco system include one or more preformed smokeless tobacco products configured to generally retain their shape during processing, shipping, and consumer handling. In particular embodiments, each smokeless tobacco product can comprise a moist smokeless tobacco in combination with a selected binder such that the final product is configured to have material properties providing improved handling, an improved mouth feel, and a satisfying flavor profile.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a container including a lid and a base that defines an interior space; and
a plurality of preformed smokeless tobacco products having a substantially similar shape and being disposed in the interior space of the container, each of the preformed smokeless tobacco products comprising tobacco and a binder compressed into the substantially similar shape such that at least a portion of the tobacco is exposed along exterior surfaces of each of the preformed smokeless tobacco products, the preformed smokeless tobacco products having an average individual product friability of between 0.5 weight percent and 80 weight percent,
wherein each of the preformed smokeless tobacco products comprises between 50 and 61 weight percent oven volatiles,
wherein each of the preformed smokeless tobacco products has an average three point bend strength of at least 0.25 N,
wherein each of the preformed smokeless tobacco products has an average texture profile hardness of at least 2.0 N, and
wherein each of the preformed smokeless tobacco products comprises a flavorant including licorice, wintergreen, cherry and berry type flavorants, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, cinnamon, cardamon, apium graveolens , clove, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, Japanese mint, cassia , caraway, cognac, jasmin, chamomile, menthol, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, piment, ginger, anise, coriander, coffee, mint oils from a species of the genus Mentha , a sub-combination thereof, or a combination thereof.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the preformed smokeless tobacco products has an individual product friability of less than 40 weight percent.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the preformed smokeless tobacco products has an individual product friability of less than 10 weight percent.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the preformed smokeless tobacco products have an average individual product friability of between 1 and 4 weight percent.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system has a whole package friability of less than 20 weight percent.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the preformed smokeless tobacco products have an average three point bend strength of less than 4.0 N.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the preformed smokeless tobacco products have an average texture profile hardness of less than 12.0 N.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the preformed smokeless tobacco products has at least one pair of opposing, generally parallel exterior surfaces.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein each of the preformed smokeless tobacco products has three pairs of opposing, generally parallel exterior surfaces.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the binder includes a hydroxyl containing compound, a dextrin or dextrin derivative, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, konjac, collagen, inulin, soy protein, whey protein, casein, wheat gluten, carrageenan, alginates, propylene glycol alginate, xanthan, dextrin, pullulan, curdlan, gellan, locust bean gum, guar gum, tara gum, gum tragacanth, pectin, agar, zein, karaya, gelatin, psyllium seed, chitin, chitosan, gum acacia, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyethylene oxide, polyvinyl alcohol, a sub-combination thereof, or a combination thereof.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the binder comprises guar gum, xanthan, cellulose, a sub-combination thereof, or a combination thereof.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the binder comprises guar gum.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the binder comprises guar gum, cellulose, and xanthan.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the preformed smokeless tobacco products comprises between 0.5 weight percent binder and 5.0 weight percent binder.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tobacco is moist long-cut, cured, fermented tobacco.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tobacco comprises tobacco prepared from plants having less than 20 μg of DVT per cm 2 of green leaf tissue.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of preformed smokeless tobacco products each have a thickness that is at least 50% of an internal height of the container.

18. A system comprising:
a container including a lid and a base that defines an interior space; and
a plurality of preformed smokeless tobacco products having a substantially similar shape and being disposed in the interior space of the container, the preformed smokeless tobacco products comprising tobacco and a binder compressed into the substantially similar shape such that at least a portion of the tobacco is exposed along exterior surfaces of each of the preformed smokeless tobacco products, the preformed smokeless tobacco products having an average individual product friability of between 0.5 weight percent and 80 weight percent, wherein the preformed smokeless tobacco products comprise between 50 and 61 weight percent oven volatiles, and the preformed smokeless tobacco products have an average three point bend strength of at least 0.25 N,
wherein each of the preformed smokeless tobacco products comprises a flavorant including licorice, wintergreen, cherry and berry type flavorants, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, cinnamon, cardamon, apium graveolens , clove, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, Japanese mint, cassia , caraway, cognac, jasmin, chamomile, menthol, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, piment, ginger, anise, coriander, coffee, mint oils from a species of the genus Mentha , a sub-combination thereof, or a combination thereof.

19. A preformed smokeless tobacco product comprising a shaped smokeless tobacco body having a defined shape, the shaped smokeless tobacco body comprising tobacco and a binder, the shaped smokeless tobacco body having an individual product friability of between 0.5 weight percent and 80 weight percent, wherein the preformed smokeless tobacco product comprises between 50 and 61 weight percent oven volatiles, and wherein the preformed smokeless tobacco product has a three point bend strength of at least 0.25 N,
wherein the preformed smokeless tobacco product comprises a flavorant including licorice, wintergreen, cherry and berry type flavorants, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, cinnamon, cardamon, apium graveolens , clove, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, Japanese mint, cassia , caraway, cognac, jasmin, chamomile, menthol, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, piment, ginger, anise, coriander, coffee, mint oils from a species of the genus Mentha , a sub-combination thereof, or a combination thereof.

20. The product of claim 19 , wherein the defined shape is a substantially rectangular cuboidal shape.

21. The product of claim 19 , wherein the shaped smokeless tobacco body has an individual product friability of from 0.5 to than 40 weight percent.

22. The product of claim 19 , wherein the shaped smokeless tobacco body has an individual product friability of from 0.5 to than 10 weight percent.

23. The product of claim 19 , wherein the shaped smokeless tobacco body has an individual product friability of at least 1.0 weight percent.

24. The product of claim 1

Assignees

• Carroll Andrew Nathan
• Black Shannon Maxwell
• Holland Tommy C
• Macko Jason Andrew
• Dinovi Christopher Joseph
• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Carroll Andrew Nathan
• Black Shannon Maxwell
• Holland Tommy C
• Macko Jason Andrew
• Dinovi Christopher Joseph

Classifications

• A24B15/18

  Treatment of tobacco products or tobacco substitutes · CPC title

• A24B13/00 Primary

  Tobacco for pipes, for cigars, e.g. cigar inserts, or for cigarettes; Chewing tobacco; Snuff (reconstituted tobacco products A24B3/14) · CPC title