Product portion enrobing process and apparatus

• US 10,239,089 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2015
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Evans, James David, Carroll, Andrew Nathan, Black, Shannon Maxwell
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Michael P.
• Application Number:
  US14/657,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20150258563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 13/00 Tobacco for pipes, for cigars, e.g. cigar inserts, or for cigarettes; Chewing tobacco; Snuff reconstituted tobacco products A24B3/14
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/186 by coating with a coating composition, encapsulation of tobacco particles encapsulation of additives other than tobacco : A24B15/283
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 23/02 Tobacco pouches
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/36 Side shields, i.e. shields extending in a direction substantially parallel to the spray jet
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/144 the means for supplying particulate material comprising moving mechanical means B05B7/1422, B05B7/1459 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/06 Applying particulate materials
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/12 Applying particulate materials B05D1/06, B05D1/10 take precedence

Abstract

An apparatus for enrobing a product portion can include a polymer spray head arranged to direct a plurality of polymeric fibers in an upward direction and levitate product portions in a polymer enrobing zone above the polymer spray head. Polymeric fibers produced by the polymer spray head can wrap around the product portions levitated in the polymer enrobing zone to create an enrobed product. Side guide structure(s) and/or air knife(s) can be provided adjacent to the polymer enrobing zone to inhibit levitated product portions from falling out of the polymer enrobing zone and/or to guide levitated product portions along a desired path. Exemplary enrobed products include smokeless tobacco products.

Claims

1. A method of enrobing a product portion in polymer strands comprising:

directing a plurality of polymeric fibers from a polymer spray head in an upward direction to create a polymer enrobing zone above said polymer spray head; and

levitating at least one product portion in said polymer enrobing zone such that a plurality of polymeric fibers wrap around said at least one product portion,

wherein said polymer spray head is inclined such that said at least one product portion introduced to said polymer enrobing zone at a side of said polymer spray head having higher elevation will preferentially exit said polymer enrobing zone at a side of said polymer spray head having lower elevation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting at least some of said plurality of polymeric fibers on a polymer collection roller positioned above said polymer enrobing zone.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising directing at least one flow of air adjacent to said polymer enrobing zone.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said at least one flow of air provides an air wall along at least one side of said polymer enrobing zone that can redirect a product portion falling out of said polymer enrobing zone back into said polymer enrobing zone.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising directing at least a second flow of air adjacent to said polymer enrobing zone to provide a second air wall on an opposite side of said polymer enrobing zone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer enrobing zone is between at least two side guide structures positioned to inhibit a product portion from falling out of said polymer enrobing zone.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said side guide structures are side guide conveyors.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said polymer spray head is inclined at an angle of between 5 degrees and 50 degrees.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of product portions are introduced at one side of said polymer enrobing zone, levitated and enrobed while in said polymer enrobing zone, and collected at an opposite side of said polymer enrobing zone.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one product portion comprises a consumable product.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said at least one product portion comprises tobacco.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one product portion comprises smokeless tobacco.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said at least one product portion has an overall oven volatiles content of about 4% by weight to about 61% by weight.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said at least one product portion comprises a binder.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said at least one product portion comprises between 0.1 and 0.5 weight percent of a binder.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the binder comprises guar gum, xanthan gum, cellulose gum, or a combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein a surfactant is applied to the plurality of polymeric fibers as the plurality of polymeric fibers exits the polymer spray head.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one product portion is enrobed in a covering of polymeric fibers while in said polymer enrobing zone having a basis weight of less than 30 gsm.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymeric fibers enrobing said at least one product portion have a diameter of less than 100 microns.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the polymeric fibers enrobing said at least one product portion have a diameter of less than 30 microns.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one product portion spins while levitated in said polymer enrobing zone.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying an electrostatic charge to said plurality of polymeric fibers, said at least one product portion, or a combination thereof.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymeric fibers are above a melt temperature for the polymer when impacting the at least one product portion such that they conform to structures on an exterior of said at least one product portion.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer spray head is a melt-blowing apparatus that melt-blows the polymeric fibers in said upward direction.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymeric fibers are melt-blown fibers having a diameter of between 0.5 and 10.0 microns.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymeric fibers are centrifugal force spun fibers having a diameter of between 0.01 microns and 1.0 micron.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymeric fibers are melt-blown fibers and are quenched below a melt temperature of the polymer upon impacting the at least one product portion.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymeric fibers comprise polypropylene.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymeric fibers comprise polyurethane.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymeric fibers comprise at least two different materials.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the at least two different polymeric materials are coextruded to form composite polymeric fibers of the two polymeric materials.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein at least one of the polymeric materials is mouth-stable and at least one of the polymeric materials is mouth-dissolvable.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymeric fibers comprise a colorant.