ORAL TOBACCO PRODUCT

• US 20130186419A1
• Filed: 01/18/2013
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Altria Client Services, Inc. (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Atchley, Frank Scott, Griscik, Gregory, DiNovi, Christopher Joseph, Gao, Feng, Hulan, Phillip M., Gee, Diane
• Granted Patent: US 9,854,830 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 131/275
• 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

Abstract

An oral tobacco product includes a body that is wholly receivable in an oral cavity. The body includes a mouth-stable polymer matrix and tobacco fibers embedded in the mouth-stable polymer matrix. The oral tobacco product can be formed by extruding a mixture of mouth-stable polymer and tobacco fibers.

Claims

1. An oral tobacco product, comprising a body that is wholly receivable in an oral cavity, the body comprising:

a mouth-stable polymer matrix; and

tobacco fibers embedded in the mouth-stable polymer matrix,

wherein the body has a compressibility @250 N of between 45% and 95%.

4. The oral tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the mouth-stable polymer matrix comprises polyurethane.

5. The oral tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the mouth-stable polymer matrix comprises a polyester.

7. The oral tobacco product claim 1, wherein the mouth-stable polymer matrix comprises a polyethylene, SEBS, SBS, or a combination thereof.

8. The oral tobacco product of claim 1, further comprising a plasticizer dispersed in the mouth-stable polymer matrix.

9. The oral tobacco product of claim 8, wherein the plasticizer is selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol, glycerin, vegetable oil, triglycerides, and combinations thereof.

10. The oral tobacco product of claim 1, further comprising a sweetener dispersed in the body.

11. The oral tobacco product of claim 10, wherein the sweetener is selected from the group consisting of saccharine, sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, and combinations thereof.

12. The oral tobacco product of claim 1, further comprising an additive selected from the group consisting of minerals, vitamins, dietary supplements, nutraceuticals, energizing agents, soothing agents, amino acids, chemsthetic agents, antioxidants, botanicals, teeth whitening agents, therapeutic agents, and combinations thereof, wherein the additive is dispersed in the body or tobacco fibers such that the additive is released when the body is held within a mouth of an adult tobacco consumer.

13. The oral tobacco product of claim 1, further comprising a flavorant dispersed in the body or tobacco fibers such that the flavorant is released when the body is held within a mouth of an adult tobacco consumer.

14. The oral tobacco product of claim 13, wherein the flavorant is selected from the group consisting of licorice, wintergreen, cherry and berry type flavorants, Dramboui, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, cinnamon, cardamon, apium graveolents, 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, pimenta, ginger, anise, coriander, coffee, mint oils from a species of the genus Mentha, and combinations thereof.

15. The oral tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the body is shield shaped.

16. The oral tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the body has a diameter of between 5 mm and 25 mm and a thickness of between 1 mm and 10 mm.

17. The oral tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the body comprises at least 10 weight percent tobacco fibers.

18. The oral tobacco product of claim 1, further comprising non-tobacco cellulosic fibers.

19. The oral tobacco product of claim 18, wherein the non-tobacco cellulosic fibers are sugar beet fibers, wood pulp fiber, cotton fiber, bran fiber, citrus pulp fiber, grass fiber, willow fiber, and poplar fiber.

20. The oral tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the body comprises at least 10 weight percent of the mouth-stable polymer.

21. The oral tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the body has a compressibility @250 N of less than 95%.

22. The oral tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the body has a compressibility @250 N of less than 80%.

23. The oral tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the body has a compressibility @250 N of between 45% and 90%.

24. The oral tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the body has a compressibility @425 N of less than 99%.

25. The oral tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the body has a compressibility @425 N of between 60% and 98%.

26. The oral tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the body has a percentage of springiness of at least 20%.

27. The oral tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the body has a percentage of springiness of at least 70%.

28. The oral tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the body has a percentage of springiness of between 75% and 90%.

29. The oral tobacco product of claim 1, further comprising an antioxidant.

30. The oral tobacco product of claim 29, wherein the oral product comprises between 0.01 weight percent and 5.0 weight percent antioxidant.

31. The oral tobacco product of claim 29, wherein the antioxidant is selected from ascorbyl palmitate, BHT, ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, monosterol citrate, tocopherols, propyl gallate, tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), Vitamin E, and combination thereof.

32. The oral tobacco product of claim 29, wherein the antioxidant is a derivative of Vitamin C.

33. The oral tobacco product of claim 29, wherein the antioxidant is ascorbyl palmitate.

34. The oral tobacco product of claim 29, further comprising a soluble fiber.

35. The oral tobacco product of claim 34, wherein the ratio of soluble fiber to cellulosic fibers is between 1:

60 and 60;

1.

36. The oral tobacco product of claim 34, wherein the soluble fibers comprise maltodextrin.

37. The oral tobacco product of claim 34, wherein the soluble fibers are derived from corn.

2. An oral tobacco product, comprising a body that is wholly receivable in an oral cavity, the body comprising:

a mouth-stable polymer matrix; and

tobacco fibers embedded in the mouth-stable polymer matrix,

wherein the body has a compressibility @425 N of between 60% and 99%.

3. An oral tobacco product, comprising a body that is wholly receivable in an oral cavity, the body comprising:

a mouth-stable polymer matrix; and

tobacco fibers embedded in the mouth-stable polymer matrix,

wherein the body has a percentage of springiness of at least 20%.

6. The oral tobacco product of 1, wherein the mouth-stable polymer matrix comprises a polyacrylate.

38. A method of forming an oral tobacco product comprising:

extruding a mouth-stable polymer having tobacco fibers dispersed therein; and

cutting the extruded mixture of mouth-stable polymer and tobacco fibers into individual oral tobacco products sized to be at least partially received in an oral cavity of an adult tobacco consumer.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the mouth-stable polymer comprises a plasticizer mixed therein during the extruding step.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the method further comprises adding a flavorant during or after the extruding step.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein the method further comprises adding an antioxidant during the extruding step.

42. The method of claim 38, wherein the method further comprises adding an antioxidant during a post-extrusion flavoring process.

43. The method of claim 38, wherein the method further comprises adding soluble fibers during the extruding step.