Fibrous composite tobacco-containing materials

• US 9,591,875 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2015
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2012
• 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: Sebastian, Andries D., Bengtsson, Bruce, Mabe, Jeremy Barrett, Kobisky, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): CORDRAY, DENNIS R
• Application Number:
  US14/662,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20150189910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 131/111, 131/112, 131/2, 131/90, 131/347, 131/35, 131/353, 131/366
• 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: A24B 13/02 Flakes or shreds of tobacco
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/12 of reconstituted tobacco
• 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: B65B 29/02 Packaging of substances, e.g. tea, which are intended to be infused in the package
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 47/04 by application of mechanical pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 51/07 Sewing or stitching

Abstract

Smokeless tobacco products suitable for oral consumption are provided. The smokeless tobacco products include a tobacco composition and at least one fibrous structure enclosing at least a portion of the outer surface of the tobacco composition such that the fibrous structure and the tobacco composition form a cohesive structure capable of maintaining cohesion when placed in an oral cavity, wherein the fibrous structure includes one or more of (i) a warp knitted structure; (ii) a plurality of reinforcing fibers attached to the tobacco composition; (iii) a braided sleeve; and (iv) a spacer fabric. A process for preparing a smokeless tobacco product adapted for oral consumption is also provided, the process including the step of enclosing at least a portion of the outer surface of a tobacco composition with a fibrous structure to form a composite structure.

Claims

1. A smokeless tobacco product adapted for oral consumption, comprising:

a tobacco composition; and

at least one fibrous structure enclosing at least a portion of the outer surface of the tobacco composition such that the fibrous structure and the tobacco composition form a cohesive structure capable of maintaining cohesion when placed in an oral cavity, wherein the fibrous structure comprises a spacer fabric, the spacer fabric comprising a first fabric layer comprising a plurality of openings and a second fabric layer comprising a plurality of openings, the two fabric layers joined together by a plurality of intermediate fibers and defining voids therebetween, wherein the tobacco composition is positioned within the voids of the spacer fabric, and wherein the first and second fabric layers have openings of a different average size.

2. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the plurality of openings of the first fabric layer have a larger average size than the plurality of openings of the second fabric layer to facilitate penetration of the tobacco composition through the first layer during production of the smokeless tobacco product.

3. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the first fabric layer has an average opening size of greater than about 4 mm and the second fabric layer has an average opening size of less than about 3.5 mm.

4. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the first fabric layer has an average opening size of greater than about 6 mm and the second fabric layer has an average opening size of less than about 2.5 mm.

5. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the first fabric layer has an average opening size of about 4 mm to about 10 mm and the second fabric layer has an average opening size of about 0.5 mm to about 3.5 mm.

6. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the spacer fabric comprises a multicomponent yarn or a plurality of multicomponent fibers, wherein the multicomponent yarn or multicomponent fibers include at least two different polymers having different melting points, the difference in melting point being at least about 30°

C.

7. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the spacer fabric comprises a multicomponent yarn comprising two different grades of polylactic acid or a plurality of multicomponent fibers in the form of sheath-core fibers comprising a core of a polyester and a sheath of polylactic acid.

8. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the spacer fabric comprises a multicomponent yarn or a plurality of multicomponent fibers, wherein a portion of the multicomponent yarn or a portion of each multicomponent fiber is melted.

9. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, further comprising an edible film, wherein the edible film at least partially encapsulates the tobacco composition.

10. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the tobacco composition comprises at least one of a cut, ground, pelletized, particulate, granular, shredded, reconstituted, extruded, cast, or compressed tobacco sheet material.

11. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the tobacco composition is in the form of a compressed tobacco sheet.

12. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the fibrous structure comprises fibers made from a material selected from the group consisting of alginate, protein, cotton, nylon, viscose, polyester, acrylics, flax, jute, bamboo, rayon, polyvinyl alcohol, starch, polyurethane, cis-polyisoprene, polyanhydride, polybutylene succinate, hybrid yarns containing glass fiber, and copolymers and blends thereof.

13. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the fibrous structure comprises fibers made from a cellulosic material or an aliphatic polyester selected from polylactic acid and polyhydroxyalkanoates.

14. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the fibrous structure encloses at least about 50% of the outer surface area of the tobacco composition.

15. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the fibrous structure encloses at least about 90% of the outer surface area of the tobacco composition.

16. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the spacer fabric is a warp knitted structure.

17. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the fibers of the spacer fabric have a size in the range of about 5 to about 50 dpf.

18. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the spacer fabric has a thickness of about 3 to about 30 mm.

19. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, further comprising at least one edible film or fabric sheet positioned adjacent to the tobacco composition to form a multi-layer structure, and wherein a plurality of reinforcing fibers are positioned on the surface of the multi-layer structure and attached thereto.

20. A process for preparing a smokeless tobacco product adapted for oral consumption, comprising the step of enclosing at least a portion of the outer surface of a tobacco composition with a fibrous structure to form a composite structure capable of maintaining cohesion when placed in an oral cavity, wherein the fibrous structure comprises a spacer fabric, the spacer fabric comprising a first fabric layer comprising a plurality of openings and a second fabric layer comprising a plurality of openings, the plurality of openings of the first fabric layer having a larger average size than the plurality of openings of the second fabric layer, the two fabric layers joined together by a plurality of intermediate fibers and defining voids therebetween, the enclosing step comprising applying the tobacco composition to the first layer such that the tobacco composition enters the openings therein and reaches the voids defined by the spacer fabric such that the tobacco composition is positioned within the voids of the spacer fabric.

21. The process of claim 20, further comprising the step of collapsing the spacer fabric around the tobacco composition.

22. The process of claim 20, wherein the first layer has an average opening size of greater than about 4 mm and the second layer has an average opening size of less than about 3.5 mm.

23. The process of claim 20, wherein the spacer fabric comprises a multicomponent yarn or a plurality of multicomponent fibers, wherein the multicomponent yarn or multicomponent fibers include at least two different polymers having different melting points, the difference in melting point being at least about 30°

C., and wherein the process further comprises melting at least a portion of the multicomponent yarn or a portion of each multicomponent fiber.

24. The process of claim 20, wherein the spacer fabric is a warp knitted fabric.

25. The process of claim 20, wherein the process further comprises applying at least one of heat and pressure to the spacer fabric after applying the tobacco composition.

26. The process of claim 20, further comprising introducing energy into the fibrous structure to facilitate penetration and dispersal of the tobacco composition within the fibrous structure.

27. The process of claim 26, wherein the energy in introduced in the form of one or more of heat, pressure, vibration, ultrasonic energy, and alternating electric fields.

28. The process of claim 20, wherein the tobacco composition comprises at least one of a cut, ground, pelletized, particulate, granular, shredded, reconstituted, extruded, cast, or compressed tobacco sheet material.

29. The process of claim 20, wherein the tobacco composition is in the form of a compressed tobacco sheet.

30. The process of claim 20, wherein the fibrous structure comprises fibers made from a material selected from the group consisting of alginate, protein, cotton, nylon, viscose, polyester, acrylics, flax, jute, bamboo, rayon, polyvinyl alcohol, starch, polyurethane, cis-polyisoprene, polyanhydride, polybutylene succinate, hybrid yarns formed containing glass fiber, and copolymers and blends thereof.

31. The process of claim 20, wherein the fibrous structure comprises fibers made from a cellulosic material or an aliphatic polyester selected from polylactic acid and polyhydroxyalkanoates.