Product portion enrobing machines and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025098727-A1
Application number	US-202418975366-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 10, 2024
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Mar 27, 2025
Grant date	—

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

1 . (canceled)

2 . An oral product comprising:
a first portion including,
microcrystalline cellulose,
a sweetener, and
a flavorant; and
a second portion having a basis weight of less than or equal to 40 grams per square meter (gsm), the second portion including,
a plurality of fibers, each of the plurality of fibers including,
a polymer, and
a filler that increases a hydraulic permittivity of the second portion.

3 . The oral product of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of fibers is a plurality of nonwoven fibers.

4 . The oral product of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of fibers is a plurality of melt-blown fibers.

5 . The oral product of claim 2 , wherein the sweetener includes an artificial sweetener.

6 . The oral product of claim 2 , wherein the sweetener includes a sugar alcohol.

7 . The oral product of claim 2 , wherein the first portion further includes a plasticizer.

8 . The oral product of claim 7 , wherein the plasticizer includes a vegetable oil.

9 . The oral product of claim 2 , wherein the first portion further includes a pH adjusting agent.

10 . The oral product of claim 2 , wherein the first portion further includes a salt.

11 . The oral product of claim 2 , wherein the first portion further includes a binder.

12 . The oral product of claim 11 , wherein the binder includes guar gum, xanthan gum, cellulose gum, or any combination thereof.

13 . The oral product of claim 2 , wherein the polymer includes an elastomer.

14 . The oral product of claim 13 , wherein the elastomer includes polyurethane.

15 . The oral product of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of fibers have diameters of less than 100 micrometers.

16 . The oral product of claim 2 , wherein
the first portion is inside the second portion, and the second portion is free of seams.

17 . The oral product of claim 2 , wherein the filler is a colorant.

18 . The oral product of claim 2 , wherein the first portion is free of tobacco.

19 . The oral product of claim 2 , wherein the first portion further includes an additive.

20 . The oral product of claim 2 , wherein the second portion further includes a surfactant.

21 . The oral product of claim 2 , wherein the oral product has an oven volatiles content ranging from 4 weight percent to 61 weight percent.

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• 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

• A24F23/02

  Tobacco pouches · CPC title

• A24B15/403

  having only oxygen as hetero atoms · CPC title

• A24B15/14

  made of tobacco and a binding agent not derived from tobacco · CPC title

• A24B3/14

  Forming reconstituted tobacco products, e.g. wrapper materials, sheets, imitation leaves, rods, cakes; Forms of such products (delustering A24C1/40) · CPC title