Product portion enrobing machines and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10588339-B2
Application number	US-201916426476-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2019
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

An apparatus for enrobing a product portion can include at least one polymer spray head adapted to create at least one flow of polymeric fibers to produce at least one polymer enrobing zone and a conveyor system adapted to move at least one product portion from at least one position below at least one polymer enrobing zone and to at least one position above at least one polymer enrobing zone to drop each product portion through one or more polymer enrobing zones a plurality times at different orientations to enrobe each product portion with polymeric fibers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An oral product comprising:
a body including tobacco fibers; and
a porous wrap surrounding the body and having a basis weight of less than or equal to 40 grams per square meter, the porous wrap including,
a plurality of fibers including,
a polymer, and
a filler configured to increase a hydraulic permittivity of the porous wrap.

2. The oral product of claim 1 , wherein the tobacco fibers have an average particle aspect ratio of greater than 3.

3. The oral product of claim 1 , wherein the tobacco fibers have a total oven volatiles content ranging from 45% by weight to 65% by weight.

4. The oral product of claim 1 , wherein the polymer includes an elastomer.

5. The oral product of claim 4 , wherein the elastomer includes polyurethane.

6. The oral product of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the fibers of the plurality of fibers have a diameter of less than 100 microns.

7. The oral product of claim 6 , wherein the diameter ranges from 0.5 microns to 5 microns.

8. The oral product of claim 6 , wherein the diameter ranges from 10 nanometer to 1 micron.

9. The oral product of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fibers are non-woven.

10. The oral product of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is hydrophilic.

11. The oral product of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is mouth-stable.

12. The oral product of claim 1 , wherein the filler includes a colorant.

13. The oral product of claim 12 , wherein the colorant includes a brown colorant.

14. The oral product of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is present in an amount less than or equal to 200 mg.

15. An oral product comprising:
a body including,
non-tobacco cellulosic fibers, and
nicotine; and

a porous wrap surrounding the body and having a basis weight of less than or equal to 40 grams per square meter, the porous wrap including,
a plurality of fibers including,
a polymer, and
a filler configured to increase a hydraulic permittivity of the porous wrap.

16. The oral product of claim 15 , wherein the non-tobacco cellulosic fibers have an average particle aspect ratio of greater than 3.

17. The oral product of claim 15 , wherein the non-tobacco cellulosic fibers have a total oven volatiles content ranging from 45% by weight to 65% by weight.

18. The oral product of claim 15 , wherein the polymer includes an elastomer.

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Carroll Andrew Nathan
• Black Shannon Maxwell
• Sun Yan Helen
• Burke William J
• Smith Robert

Classifications

• A24F23/02

  Tobacco pouches · CPC title

• B05B13/0221

  characterised by the means for moving or conveying the objects or other work, e.g. conveyor belts (B05B13/0207 takes precedence; conveyors in general B65G) · CPC title

• A24B15/28

  by chemical substances · CPC title

• A24B15/186 Primary

  by coating with a coating composition, encapsulation of tobacco particles (encapsulation of additives other than tobacco : A24B15/283) · CPC title

• D04H13/001

  Making non-woven fabrics from staple fibres, filaments or yarns, bonded to at least one web-like material, e.g. woven, knitted non-woven fabric, paper, leather, during consolidation · CPC title