NONWOVEN POUCH COMPRISING HEAT SEALABLE BINDER FIBER

• US 20160073689A1
• Filed: 09/12/2014
• Published: 03/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R J Reynolds Tobacco Company (R. J. Reynolds Tobacco)
• Original Assignee: R J Reynolds Tobacco Company (R. J. Reynolds Tobacco)
• Inventors: Bengtsson, Bruce Alan, Sebastian, Andries Don, Busbee, Alton, Mabe, Jeremy Barrett, Pu, Yan, Hunt, Eric Taylor
• Granted Patent: US 10,959,456 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: A24F 23/02 Tobacco pouches
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 29/02 Packaging of substances, e.g. tea, which are intended to be infused in the package
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 51/10 Applying or generating heat or pressure or combinations thereof welding of plastics per se B29C65/02; closing plastic tube ends in general B29C57/10
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/06 by cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 9/067 the web advancing continuously B65B9/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 65/46 Applications of disintegrable, dissolvable or edible materials
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/808 for immersion in the liquid to release part or all of their contents, e.g. tea bags
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/425 Cellulose series
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/435 Polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/49 entanglement by fluid jet in combination with another consolidation means
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/54 by welding together the fibres, e.g. by partially melting or dissolving in combination with needling D04H1/485
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/55 Polyesters

Abstract

A pouched product adapted for release of a water-soluble component therefrom is provided herein. The pouched product can include an outer water-permeable pouch defining a cavity containing a composition that includes a water-soluble component capable of being released through the water-permeable pouch and has a surface area, wherein the outer water-permeable pouch can include a nonwoven web including a plurality of heat sealable binder fibers blended with a second plurality of dissimilar fibers. The nonwoven web can be carded, hydroentangled and point bonded.

Claims

1. A pouched product adapted for release of a water-soluble component therefrom, comprising:

an outer water-permeable pouch defining a cavity containing a composition comprising a water-soluble component capable of being released through the water-permeable pouch and having a surface area, wherein the outer water-permeable pouch comprises a nonwoven web comprising a plurality of heat sealable binder fibers blended with a second plurality of dissimilar fibers, the nonwoven web being carded, hydroentangled, and point bonded.

2. The pouched product of claim 1, wherein less than about 60% of the surface area of the pouch is point bonded.

3. The pouched product of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of dissimilar fibers comprises cellulosic fibers.

4. The pouched product of claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of the heat sealable binder fibers to the second plurality of fibers is about 4:

1 to about 1;

4.

5. The pouched product of claim 1, wherein the heat sealable binder fibers have a melting point of less than about 230°

C.

6. The pouched product of claim 5, wherein the heat sealable binder fibers have a melting point of less than about 140°

C.

7. The pouched product of claim 1, wherein the heat sealable binder fibers comprise a biodegradable polymer.

8. The pouched product of claim 1, wherein the heat sealable binder fibers comprise an aliphatic polyester.

9. The pouched product of claim 1, wherein the heat sealable binder fibers comprise a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyglycolic acid, polylactic acid, polyhydroxyalkanoates, polycaprolactone, polybutylene succinate, polybutylene succinate adipate, and copolymers thereof.

10. The pouched product of claim 1, wherein the nonwoven web is substantially free of a binder coating.

11. The pouched product of claim 1, wherein the heat sealable binder fibers are in the form of multicomponent fibers comprising a heat sealable binder polymer exposed on at least a portion of each multicomponent fiber and a second polymer having a melting point at least about 10°

C. greater than the heat sealable binder polymer.

12. The pouched product of claim 11, wherein the multicomponent fibers comprise an outer sheath or matrix component and an inner island or core component such that the fibers are in a sheath/core or islands-in-the-sea arrangement, wherein the outer sheath or matrix component comprises the heat sealable binder polymer and the inner core or island component comprises the second polymer.

13. The pouched product of claim 1, wherein the water-permeable pouch comprises at least two nonwoven layers, each nonwoven layer comprising a plurality of heat sealable binder fibers, and wherein one of the at least two nonwoven layers is relatively hydrophilic and one of the at least two nonwoven layers is relatively hydrophobic.

14. The pouched product of claim 13, wherein the relatively hydrophobic layer is positioned between the composition within the cavity of the pouch and the relatively hydrophilic layer.

15. The pouched product of claim 14, wherein the relatively hydrophilic layer comprises a flavor component.

16. The pouched product of claim 1, wherein the composition within the cavity of the pouch comprises at least one of a particulate tobacco material, nicotine, particulate non-tobacco material treated to contain nicotine and/or flavoring agents, and fibrous plant material treated to contain a tobacco extract.

17. The pouched product of claim 1, wherein the composition within the cavity of the pouch comprises particulate tea or coffee.

18. The pouched product of claim 1, wherein the heat sealable binder fibers comprise an aliphatic polyester, the second plurality of dissimilar fibers comprise cellulosic fibers, and the composition within the cavity of the pouch is a smokeless tobacco product or nicotine replacement therapy product.

19. The pouched product of claim 18, wherein the heat sealable binder fibers and the second plurality of dissimilar fibers are in staple fiber form.

20. A method of making a nonwoven web adapted for use in making pouched products, comprising:

a) blending and entangling a plurality of heat sealable binder fibers with a second plurality of cellulosic fibers to form a nonwoven web, the blending and entangling including carding and hydroentangling the fibers to form the nonwoven web; and

b) point bonding the nonwoven web.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the point bonding occurs over no more than about 60% of the surface area of the nonwoven web.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the heat sealable binder fibers and the cellulosic fibers are in staple fiber form.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the weight ratio of the heat sealable binder fibers to the cellulosic fibers is about 4:

1 to about 1;

4.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the heat sealable binder fibers have a melting point of less than about 230°

C.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the heat sealable binder fibers have a melting point of less than about 140°

C.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the heat sealable binder fibers comprise an aliphatic polyester.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the heat sealable binder fibers comprise a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyglycolic acid, polylactic acid, polyhydroxyalkanoates, polycaprolactone, polybutylene succinate, polybutylene succinate adipate, and copolymers thereof.

28. The method of claim 20, further comprising forming a second nonwoven web, the forming step comprising blending and entangling a plurality of heat sealable binder fibers with a second plurality of cellulosic fibers to form the nonwoven web, the blending and entangling including carding and hydroentangling the fibers to form the second nonwoven web, and point bonding the second nonwoven web;

and wherein the second nonwoven web is treated such that one of the two nonwoven webs is relatively hydrophilic and one of the two nonwoven webs is relatively hydrophobic; and

further comprising combining the two nonwoven webs into a multi-layer composite structure.

29. A method for manufacturing a pouched product, the method comprising:

providing a continuous supply of a pouch material, wherein the pouch material comprises a nonwoven web comprising a plurality of heat sealable binder fibers blended with a second plurality of dissimilar fibers, the nonwoven web being carded, hydroentangled, and point bonded;

engaging lateral edges of the pouch material such that a longitudinally-extending seam is formed;

sealing the longitudinally-extending seam such that a continuous tubular member is formed from the continuous supply of pouch material;

inserting a composition adapted for oral use into the continuous tubular member;

subdividing the continuous tubular member into discrete pouch portions such that each pouch portion includes a composition charge; and

sealing a leading and an end edge of each discrete pouch portion such that an outer water-permeable pouch is formed that encloses the composition charge.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the point bonding occurs over less than about 60% of the surface area of the pouch.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein each sealing step comprises heating the pouch material to a melting temperature of the heat sealable binder fibers to form a seal.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the water-permeable pouch comprises at least two nonwoven layers, each nonwoven layer comprising a plurality of heat sealable binder fibers, and wherein one of the at least two nonwoven layers is relatively hydrophilic and one of the at least two nonwoven layers is relatively hydrophobic.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the heat sealable binder fibers and the second plurality of dissimilar fibers are in staple fiber form.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the weight ratio of the heat sealable binder fibers to the second plurality of dissimilar fibers is about 4:

1 to about 1;

4.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein the heat sealable binder fibers have a melting point of less than about 230°

C.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein the heat sealable binder fibers have a melting point of less than about 140°

C.

37. The method of claim 29, wherein the heat sealable binder fibers comprise an aliphatic polyester, the second plurality of dissimilar fibers comprise cellulosic fibers, and the composition adapted for oral use is a smokeless tobacco product or nicotine replacement therapy product.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the heat sealable binder fibers and the cellulosic fibers are in staple fiber form.