Patent Publication Number: US-2021169134-A1

Title: Flavouring component, and apparatus and method for manufacturing a flavouring component

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/570,459 filed on Oct. 30, 2017, which was filed under 35 U.S.C. § 371 as the national stage of International Patent Application No. PCT/GB2016/051176 filed on Apr. 26, 2016, which claims priority to British Patent Application No. 1507269.7 filed on Apr. 29, 2015, all of which said applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for manufacture of flavouring components and, in particular, an apparatus and method for manufacture of flavouring components for use in smoking articles. 
     BACKGROUND 
     It is known to incorporate smoke-modifying agents in the body of smoking articles to provide flavouring or other smoke or aerosol modification to smoking articles. Flavourant granules may be incorporated into the filter rod or the wrapping paper of a cigarette or other type of smoking article in order to enhance the flavour of the inhaled smoke or other aerosol. 
     It is desirable to provide an alternative flavouring component, and apparatus and process for manufacturing a flavouring component for use in a smoking article. 
     SUMMARY 
     In this specification there are described embodiments of a flavouring component for a smoking article, the flavouring component comprising a rod of flavouring material, the flavouring material comprising a carrier material and flavouring particles adhered to the carrier material by means of a binder, wherein the flavouring material is formed by passing the carrier material through a mixture comprising the binder and the flavouring particles. 
     The carrier material may be a fibrous web and the flavouring particles may adhere to the fibres of the web. The carrier material may be made from one of the following materials: aluminium, tobacco, ceramic, cotton. 
     The mixture through which the carrier material is passed to form the flavouring material may have a doughy consistency. 
     The flavouring component may comprise a discrete rod of flavouring material cut from a continuous rod of flavouring material. 
     The flavouring component may comprise an outer wrap around the rod of flavouring material. 
     In the present specification there are also described embodiments of a smoking article comprising a rod of smokeable material, a filter rod, and a flavouring component as described above. 
     The flavouring component may be disposed between the filter rod and the rod of smokeable material. 
     In the present specification there are also described embodiments of an apparatus for manufacturing a flavouring component for a smoking article, the flavouring component comprising a rod of flavouring material, the flavouring material comprising a carrier material and flavouring particles adhered to the carrier material by means of a binder, the apparatus comprising a container containing a mixture of the binder and the flavouring particles, the container comprising an outlet, and a supply of carrier material, wherein the apparatus is configured to convey a length of carrier material through the mixture within the container so that the flavouring particles adhere to the length of carrier material by means of the binder to form a length of flavouring material, and is configured to convey the length of carrier material out of the outlet extrude the length of flavouring material to form the rod of flavouring material. 
     The length of carrier material may be a continuous length of carrier material, and the apparatus may be configured to convey the continuous length of carrier material through the mixture so that the flavouring particles adhere to the continuous length of carrier material by means of the binder to form a continuous length of flavouring material, and may be configured to extrude the continuous length of flavouring material to form a continuous rod of flavouring material. 
     The mixture may have a doughy consistency. 
     The apparatus may comprise means for conveying the mixture towards the outlet of the container. The conveying means may comprise a screw conveyor located in the container and facing the outlet of the container. Alternatively, or in addition, the conveying means may comprise means for pressurising the mixture in the container. 
     The apparatus may comprise means for pulling the length of flavouring material out of the container through the outlet. 
     The outlet may comprise a die and the die may be configured to shape the extruded length of flavouring material as the length of flavouring material is expelled through the outlet to form the rod of flavouring material. 
     The die may be configured to provide a helical profile to the rod of flavouring material. 
     The apparatus may comprise means for twisting the length of carrier material as it is conveyed through the mixture. 
     The apparatus may comprise an injection nozzle configured to inject an amount of binder in the container. 
     The apparatus may comprise a wrapping station configured to provide an outer wrap around the rod of flavouring material. 
     The wrapping station may be configured to pull the length of flavouring material out of the container through the outlet. 
     The apparatus may comprise a cutting station configured to cut the rod of flavouring material into discrete rods of flavouring material. 
     In the present specification there are also described embodiments of a method of manufacturing a flavouring component for a smoking article, the flavouring component comprising a rod of flavouring material, the flavouring material comprising a carrier material and flavouring particles adhered to the carrier material by means of a binder, the method comprising filling a container with a mixture comprising the binder and the flavouring particles, the container having an outlet, supplying a length of carrier material, conveying the length of carrier material through the mixture within the container towards the outlet so that the flavouring particles adhere to the length of carrier material by means of the binder to form a length of flavouring material, and conveying the length of the carrier material out of the outlet to extrude the length of flavouring material to form the rod of flavouring material. 
     The length of carrier material may be a continuous length of carrier material, and the method may comprise conveying the continuous length of carrier material through the mixture so that the flavouring particles adhere to the continuous length of carrier material by means of the binder to form a continuous length of flavouring material, and extruding the continuous length of flavouring material to form a continuous rod of flavouring material. 
     The method may comprise conveying the mixture towards the outlet of the container. 
     The method may comprise using a screw conveyor to convey the mixture towards the outlet of the container. 
     The method may comprise pulling the length of flavouring material out of the container through the outlet. 
     The method may comprise using a die to shape the extruded length of flavouring material as the length of flavouring material is expelled through the outlet. 
     The method may comprise using the die to provide a helical profile to the length of flavouring material as the length of flavouring material passes through the die. 
     The method may comprise twisting the length of carrier material as it is conveyed through the mixture. 
     The method may comprise using an injection nozzle to inject an amount of binder in the container. 
     The method may comprise using a wrapping station to provide an outer wrap around the rod of flavouring material. 
     The method may comprise using the wrapping station to pull the length of flavouring material out of the container through the outlet. 
     The method may comprise cutting the rod of flavouring material into discrete rods of flavouring material. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments of the disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of an apparatus of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  shows a flavouring component manufactured using the apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a smoking article including a flavouring component of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of an apparatus of the disclosure; and 
         FIG. 5  shows a flavouring component manufactured using a variant of the apparatus of  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows an apparatus to of a first embodiment of the disclosure for the manufacture of flavouring components for smoking articles. 
     The apparatus to comprises a container or bath  11  filled with a mixture  12  comprising a binder  13  and flavouring particles  14 . The apparatus to also comprises a supply of carrier material  15  in the form of a carrier material spool  16 . The apparatus to is configured to convey a continuous length of carrier material  15  from the carrier material spool  16  through the mixture  12  so that the flavouring particles  14  adhere to the carrier material  15  by means of the binder  13 , to form a continuous length of flavouring material  17 . 
     The carrier material  15  is the form of a continuous fibrous web so that the flavouring particles  14  adhere to the fibres of the web and/or get embedded between the fibres of the web by means of the binder  13 . In a variant (not shown), the carrier material  15  is in the form of a continuous strand having an external surface to which the flavouring particles  14  may adhere by means of the binder  13 . The carrier material  15  is made from a heat conductive material such as aluminium. Alternatively, the carrier material  15  may be made from another material such as tobacco, ceramic or cotton. 
     The binder  13  is configured to provide adhesive properties to the mixture  12  so that the mixture  12  can adhere to the carrier material  15 . The binder  13  provides a doughy consistency to the mixture  12 . The doughy consistency of the mixture prevents the mixture  12  from flowing out of the container by itself. In the present embodiment, the binder  13  is made with glue diluted in water. However, it will be noted that any other kind of binder suitable for providing sticky properties to the mixture  12  can be used. For example, the binder may be made with flour diluted in water. 
     The flavouring particles  14  are in the form of beads coated with one or more flavouring ingredients, such as menthol, vanillin, benzaldehyde, cinamaldehyde, furaneol, herb oils, spice oils or citrus oils. The flavouring particles  14  also include a binder which is, for example, similar to the binder  13  of the mixture  12 . In the present embodiment, the flavouring particles  14  have a substantially spherical shape and have a diameter comprised between 0.2 mm and 3 mm. 
     The container  11  comprises a base portion  18 , a sidewall  19  extending from the base portion  18 , an upper aperture  20  located opposed to the base portion  18 , and an outlet  21 . The outlet  21  is formed in the sidewall  19  and is located proximate to the base portion  18 . The outlet  21  is in the form of duct  22  extending outwardly from the sidewall  19  of the container  11 . 
     A screw conveyor  23  is provided in the container  11 . The screw conveyor  23  is disposed along the base portion  18 . The screw conveyor  23  comprises a conveying chamber  24  and a conveying screw  25  extending in the conveying chamber  24 . The conveying chamber  24  comprises an entrance opening  26  and an exit opening  27 . The exit opening  27  faces the outlet  21  of the container  11 . The conveying screw  25  has a longitudinal axis A-A′ extending substantially parallel to the base portion  18 . The conveying screw  25  is configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis A-A′ in the conveying chamber  24  to convey the mixture  12  from the entrance opening  26  towards the exit opening  27  and towards the outlet  21 . A passageway  28  is provided between the outlet end of the conveying chamber  24  and the adjacent sidewall  19  of the container  11  through which the length of carrier material  15  may be conveyed towards the outlet  21 , along with the entrained mixture  12  fed from the conveying chamber  24  via the exit opening  27 . 
     A spray nozzle  29  is provided at the upper aperture  20  of the container  11 . The spray to nozzle  29  is in fluid communication with a reservoir  30  where the binder  13  is stored. The spray nozzle  29  is configured to inject an amount of binder  13  in the container  11 . For example, the spray nozzle  29  is configured to fill the container  11  with additional binder  13  when the quantity of mixture  12  in the container  11  is getting low. Alternatively, the reservoir  3 o stores the mixture  12  comprising the binder  13  and the flavouring particles  14 , and the spray nozzle  29  is configured to inject an amount of the mixture  12  in the container  11 . 
     The apparatus  10  may be configured to twist the length of carrier material  15  as it is conveyed through the container  11 . For example, the outlet duct  22  may have projections helically formed on the inside surface of the duct  22 . Twisting the carrier material  15  as it is conveyed through the mixture  12  allows a significant quantity of flavouring particles  14  to adhere to the carrier material  15 . 
     A wrapping station  32  is provided downstream of the container outlet  21 . The wrapping station  32  is configured to wrap the extruded length of flavouring material  17  formed in the container  11  to form a wrapped extruded rod  33  of flavouring material  17 . The wrapping station  32  comprises a ‘garniture’  34  in the form of a tube, having a wide entrance aperture  35  and a narrow exit aperture  36 , as substantially known in the art. The garniture  34  narrows between the wide entrance aperture  25  and the narrow exit aperture  36  at a tapered guide portion  37 . The garniture  34  is generally circular in cross-section. A continuous ‘garniture belt’  38  extends through the garniture  34  and over a plurality of guide rollers  39 . The garniture belt  38  is driven to be conveyed around the rollers  39  in the direction shown by arrows ‘G’. The garniture belt  38  is configured to pull the length of flavouring material  17  out of the container outlet  21 , and to convey the length of flavouring material  17  through the garniture  34 . As the length of flavouring material  17  is conveyed through the garniture  34 , the length of flavouring material  17  goes from being loose when it enters the wide entrance aperture  35  to a more compressed rod  33  of flavouring material  17  as it leaves the narrow exit aperture  36 . A wrapping paper ‘P’, also known as outer wrap or plug wrap, may be fed from a wrapping paper spool  40  onto the upper surface of the garniture belt  38  and is conveyed through the garniture  34  by the moving garniture belt  38 . As the wrapping paper P travels though the garniture  34 , the shape of the tapered guide portion  37  deforms the garniture belt  38  and the wrapping paper P thereon such that, in cross-section, the wrapping paper P goes from being flat (as it is on the spool) when it enters the wide entrance aperture  35  of the garniture  34 , to a closed circle as it leaves the to narrow exit aperture  36  of the garniture  34 , completely surrounding the rod  33  of flavouring material. As the wrapping paper P is wrapped around the flavouring material  17 , the edges meet to form a seam at an upper portion of the garniture  34 . This seam may then be glued (or the wrapping paper may be pre-glued where the seam is to be formed). A section of the upper portion of the garniture  34  may comprise a heating bar (not shown) to heat and activate the glue at the seam of the wrapping to adhere the wrapping in place around the rod of flavouring material. 
     A cutting station  41  is provided downstream of the wrapping station  32 . The cutting station  41  includes a cutting blade  42 . The cutting station  41  is configured to cut the wrapped rod  33  of flavouring material  17  into individual lengths of discrete rods of flavouring material  17  or flavouring components  43 . 
     In use, the container  11  is filled with the mixture  12  containing the binder  13  and the flavouring particles  14 . The garniture belt  38  is driven over the rollers  29  in the direction shown by the arrows ‘G’. A length of carrier material  15  is conveyed from the carrier material spool  16 , into the container  11  through the upper aperture  20 , out of the container  11  through the outlet  21  and into the garniture  34 , by means of the garniture belt  38 . The screw conveyor  23  rotates about the axis A-A′ and conveys the mixture  12  towards the outlet  21  of the container  11 . 
     As the carrier material  15  is conveyed in the container  11 , the carrier material  15  passes through the mixture  12  and the binder  13  along with the flavouring particles  14  adhere to the carrier material  15  and thereby form a length of flavouring material  17 . 
     The carrier material  15  is twisted by the twisting means as it passes through the mixture  12  in the container  11  thereby promoting an increased quantity of flavouring particles  14  to adhere to the carrier material  15 . 
     After passing through the outlet  21  of the container ii, the length of flavouring material  17  is conveyed in the wrapping station  32 . The length of flavouring material  17  passes through the wide entrance aperture  35  of the garniture  34 , as shown by arrow ‘F’, and is guided into the tapered guide portion  37  of the garniture  34  by the garniture belt  38 . The garniture belt  38  serves to guide the length of flavouring material  17  into the wide entrance aperture  35 . The flavouring material  17  is conveyed through the tapered guide portion  37  so that the flavouring material  17  is extruded and formed into a compacted rod as it emerges from the narrow exit aperture  36 . As the length of flavouring material  17  travels through the garniture  34  and is compressed, the wrapping paper P is folded around the outside of the compressed rod and glue is applied to the seam and heated to activate the glue, such that when the flavouring material  17  exits though the narrow exit aperture  36  of the garniture  34 , the flavouring material  17  is formed into a compressed cylindrical rod  33  of flavouring material  17  enveloped by the wrapping paper P. 
     After the wrapped rod  33  of flavouring material  17  exits the wrapping station  32 , it passes to the cutting station  41  where the cutting blade  42  cuts the wrapped rod  33  of flavouring material  17  into individual lengths of discrete rods of flavouring material  17  or flavouring components  43 . 
     After the flavouring component  43  exits the cutting station  41 , the flavouring component  43  is combined with a tobacco rod and a filter rod to form a smoking article. 
     A flavouring component  43  of the disclosure manufactured using the above-described apparatus and method is shown in  FIG. 2 . The flavouring component  43  is shown in  FIG. 2  without the wrapping paper P. The flavouring component  43  is substantially cylindrical and is continuous in cross-section along its length. It comprises a rod of flavouring material  17  comprising the fibrous web of carrier material  15  and the mixture  12  of binder  13  and flavouring particles  14  adhered to the fibres of the web. The fibrous web of flavouring material  17 , although extruded, comprises spaces between the fibres so that air can flow through the fibres. In an alternative arrangement (not shown), the flavouring component  43  could be disposed within a tube. 
       FIG. 3  shows an exemplary configuration of a smoking article  5 o incorporating a flavouring component  43  of the disclosure. The smoking article  5 o comprises a tobacco rod  51 , a filter rod  52 , and the flavouring component  43  formed by a discrete wrapped rod  33  of flavouring material  17 . The flavouring component  43  is located between the tobacco rod  51  and the filter rod  52 . A tobacco rod wrap  53  is disposed about the tobacco rod  51 . Likewise, a filter plug wrap  54  is disposed about the filter rod  52 . The filter rod  52  and the flavouring component  43  are held together by means of an outer plug wrap  55 . A tipping wrap  56  is disposed about the outer plug wrap  55  and the tobacco rod wrap  53  to hold the tobacco rod  51  along with the flavouring component  43  io and the filter rod  52  together. 
     An apparatus  70  of a second embodiment for the manufacture of flavouring components of the disclosure is shown in  FIG. 4  and is similar to the apparatus  10  of the first embodiment. Like features retain the same reference numerals and a detailed description of such like features will not be repeated. 
     A difference with the apparatus  70  of the second embodiment over the apparatus  10  of the first embodiment is that, in the apparatus  70  of the second embodiment, the screw conveyor is omitted. Rather, a piston is provided at the upper aperture  20  of the container. The piston is in the form of a plate  71  substantially parallel to the base portion  18  of the container  11 . The plate  71  substantially closes the upper aperture  20  of the container  11 . The plate  71  comprises an orifice  72  for allowing the carrier material  15  to be introduced within the container  11 . The plate  71  is configured to pressurise the mixture  12  and to consequently urge the mixture  12  towards the outlet  21 . As the mixture  12  has a doughy consistency, the mixture  12  does not overflow through the orifice  72  of the plate when the plate pressurises the mixture  12 . 
     An additional difference with the apparatus  70  of the second embodiment over the apparatus  10  of the first embodiment is that, in the apparatus of the second embodiment, the outlet  21  of the container  11  comprises a die  73 . The die  73  is configured to shape the flavouring material  17  as it is expelled through the outlet  21 , to form the rod  33  of flavouring material  17 . The die  73  is configured to form a cylindrical rod  33  of flavouring material  17 . However, various different configurations of due are intended to fall within the scope of this disclosure. 
     After passing through the die  73 , the length of flavouring material  17  is wrapped at a wrapping station  32  as per the first embodiment of the apparatus  10  of the disclosure described previously. 
     Following the wrapping station  32 , the rod  33  of flavouring material  17  is cut into discrete rods of flavouring material  17  at a cutting station  41  as per the first embodiment of the apparatus  10  of the disclosure described previously. 
     In a variant, the die could have an internal profile configured to provide a helical profile to the rod  33  of flavouring material  17 . A helical rod  75  of flavouring material  17  formed using such a die is represented in  FIG. 5 . Providing a helical rod  75  of flavouring material  17  may allow the flavouring particles  14  to adhere more efficiently to the carrier material  15 . 
     The apparatuses and the methods of the disclosure provide an alternative and efficient way of manufacturing flavouring components for smoking articles. In particular, the apparatuses and the methods of the disclosure allow manufacturing flavouring component in which the flavourant particles are embedded in a fibrous carrier material. Therefore, the apparatuses and the methods of the disclosure avoid having to implement a step of filling the flavourant particles in tubes, which can be relatively costly, time consuming and difficult to implement in a continuous horizontal process. 
     As used herein, the term “smoking article” includes smokeable products such as cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes and also heat-not-burn products and other nicotine delivery product such as aerosol generation devices including e-cigarettes. The smoking article may be provided with a filter for the gaseous flow drawn by the smoker. 
     In order to address various issues and advance the art, the entirety of this disclosure shows by way of illustration various embodiments in which the claimed disclosure(s) may be practiced and provide for superior flavouring component and apparatus and method of manufacture a flavouring component for a smoking article. The advantages and features of the disclosure are of a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. They are presented only to assist in understanding and teach the claimed features. It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects of the disclosure are not to be considered limitations on the disclosure as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilised and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and/or spirit of the disclosure. Various embodiments may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc. In addition, the disclosure includes other disclosures not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future.