Patent Description:
In recent years, the sales volume of new heat-not-burn tobacco products on the market represented by IQOS continues to rise, and the recognition and acceptance by consumers are greatly improved. The shape of a heat-not-burn tobacco rod (cigarette) is similar with that of traditional cigarettes. The tobacco filler in the tobacco rod is a filamentous filler, which is arranged along the axial direction of the tobacco rod. The tobacco rod (cigarette) is heated by the central heating piece inserted into the tobacco rod along the axial direction of the tobacco rod to generate inhalable smoke. Another new type of heat-not-burn tobacco products represented by ploom tech adopts the form of cartridge (capsule) between traditional cigarette shape and liquid smoke oil, which contains granular tobacco and generates inhalable smoke by circumferential heating.

Irrespective of the form of filamentous tobacco filler or granular tobacco filler, the above two representative products are much less harmful than traditional cigarettes because there is no combustion, which significantly reduces the release of tar and other harmful substances. Since there is no second-hand smoke, they also improve the impact on the environment and reduce the harm to the health of others. Additionally, because these products contain tobacco, they can meet the physiological needs of consumers for nicotine.

However, there are still shortcomings in terms of product performance and consumer experience as follows.

Other cigarettes are known from <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT>.

Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention is provided.

The first aspect of the present invention provides a non-combustible cigarette based on flocking technology. The cigarette includes a cigarette paper layer <NUM>, and the cigarette paper layer <NUM> is a hollow cylindrical structure. The inner wall of the cigarette paper layer <NUM> is provided with an adhesive layer <NUM>, and tobacco filler granules <NUM>, tobacco filler filaments or tobacco filler fibers are fixedly bonded on the adhesive layer <NUM>.

Here, the fibers are a substance consisting of continuous or discontinuous filaments.

The cigarette includes a tobacco section, and the tobacco section includes the cigarette paper layer <NUM> wrapped on the outermost periphery.

Preferably, the tobacco filler granules <NUM> are arranged circumferentially along the inner wall of the cigarette paper layer <NUM> to form a tobacco filler granule layer. The number of the tobacco filler granule layer is at least one, and the number of the adhesive layer <NUM> is at least one.

According to the invention, the tobacco filler filaments or the tobacco filler fibers are arranged radially along the circumference of the inner wall of the cigarette paper layer <NUM>, and numerous radial channels are formed in the interior of the cigarette paper layer <NUM>.

Alternatively, according to the invention, the interior of the cigarette paper layer <NUM> is filled with the tobacco filler granules <NUM> to form a hollow or solid structure.

Preferably, when the number of the tobacco filler granule layer is greater than one, the tobacco filler granule layer and the adhesive layer <NUM> are alternately arranged in the radial direction of the cigarette.

Preferably, the interior of the cigarette paper layer <NUM> is filled with the tobacco filler filaments or the tobacco filler fibers to form a hollow or solid structure.

Preferably, one end of the tobacco filler filaments or the tobacco filler fibers is fixedly bonded with the adhesive layer <NUM>, and the other end of the tobacco filler filaments or the tobacco filler fibers extends out of the adhesive layer <NUM>.

Preferably, the adhesive layer <NUM> is formed by coating an adhesive.

The second aspect of the present invention provides a manufacturing method of the non-combustible cigarette described in the first aspect. The manufacturing method includes a flocking process and a cigarette-rolling process. The flocking process includes a flocking step, and the flocking step is performed by flocking a tobacco filler <NUM> on a surface of a cigarette paper <NUM>.

Preferably, the flocking process includes a cloth-rolling step, an adhesive-coating step <NUM>, the flocking step, a drying step <NUM> and a washing step <NUM> in sequence.

Preferably, the flocking step adopts electrostatic flocking, mechanical flocking, or a combination of the electrostatic flocking and the mechanical flocking.

Preferably, the specific operation of each step of the flocking process is as follows:.

Preferably, a method of the electrostatic flocking includes: enabling the charged tobacco filler <NUM> to move orderly and directionally towards the surface of the cigarette paper <NUM> coated with the adhesive <NUM> under an action of an electrostatic field and to be embedded in the adhesive <NUM> to form a flocking layer <NUM> on the surface of the cigarette paper <NUM>.

Preferably, the electrostatic field is a direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC) high-voltage electrostatic field. A depth of the tobacco filler <NUM> embedded in the adhesive <NUM>, a flocking density, and an orientation of the tobacco filler <NUM> on the adhesive <NUM> are regulated by regulating an electric field strength of the electrostatic field, a distance between electrodes, a flocking time, or a water content of the tobacco filler <NUM>.

Preferably, a method of the mechanical flocking includes: enabling the cigarette paper <NUM> coated with the adhesive <NUM> to pass through a group of polygonal rollers <NUM>, and enabling the rollers <NUM> to rotate to vibrate the cigarette paper <NUM> and drive the tobacco filler <NUM> dropped from a hopper <NUM> into the adhesive <NUM>, and bonding the tobacco filler <NUM> on the surface of the cigarette paper <NUM> to form a flocking layer <NUM>.

Preferably, the tobacco filler <NUM> is the tobacco filler granules <NUM>, the tobacco filler filaments, or the tobacco filler fibers.

Preferably, the adhesive <NUM> is selected from an emulsion-based pressure-sensitive adhesive including acrylates, natural and synthetic rubbers, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA).

Preferably, total dissolved solids (TDS) of the adhesive <NUM> is <NUM> wt%-<NUM> wt%.

The adhesive has the advantages of low toxicity, no organic solvent, no peculiar smell, no heterochromaticity, fast bonding, solidification and firm bonding at an appropriate temperature, good wetting and penetration for porous cigarette paper, good air permeability, moisture resistance, high-temperature resistance and pollution resistance.

Preferably, the tobacco filler filaments include reconstituted tobacco leaf filaments, tobacco leaf filaments, tobacco stalk filaments, or non-tobacco plant filaments. The tobacco filler fibers include tobacco plant fibers or non-tobacco plant fibers. The tobacco filler granules <NUM> include tobacco granules or non-tobacco plant granules.

The tobacco filler filaments, the tobacco filler fibers or the tobacco filler granules <NUM> may be filamentous, fibrous or granular materials made from any existing cigarette filler. The cigarette filler may employ a tobacco or non-tobacco raw material.

When the cigarette is filled with the tobacco filler granules <NUM>, the number of flocking layers and the granule layout of the tobacco filler granules <NUM> in the cigarette are adjusted randomly according to the requirements of a cigarette design size, a granule filling rate, a heating mode and smoking sense. The granules may be arranged in a single-layer hollow arrangement, a multi-layer hollow arrangement or a multi-layer solid arrangement along the circumference of the inner wall of the cigarette. In order to form a multi-layer arrangement of granules, the adhesive-coating step <NUM> and the flocking step may be repeatedly performed on a single layer of granules. Here, the number of flocking layers is the number of tobacco filler granule layers.

For the granule layout of the single-layer or multi-layer hollow arrangement, the size of a central cavity of the cigarette may be adjusted according to the width or diameter of the central heating piece or heating needle, so that the heating piece or heating needle is easily inserted into the central cavity of the cigarette without causing travel resistance or knocking off granules.

For the granule layout of the multi-layer solid arrangement, a peripheral heating method may be employed.

Flocking is a method for fixing a flocking material made into fibers, filaments and granules, such as cotton, artificial fiber, acrylic fiber, nylon or polyester, on a substrate coated with an adhesive. Flocking may be performed on the surface of various substrates such as cloth, leather, paper, plastic, glass, metal, rubber, sponge, ceramic, and resin. Mechanical flocking, electrostatic flocking or a combination of the mechanical flocking and the electrostatic flocking may be performed on the surface of various substrates. The flocking material moves towards and is embedded in the substrate coated with the adhesive under the action of static electricity or gravity. Flocking is widely used in textile industry, handicraft industry, packaging industry, automobile industry and other fields.

The present invention has the following advantages.

The present invention proposes a non-combustible cigarette based on flocking technology and a manufacturing method of the non-combustible cigarette based on flocking technology for the first time. The present invention adopts the flocking process to automatically flock the filamentous, fibrous or granular tobacco to the surface of the cigarette paper, and then connects to the cigarette-rolling process to obtain the non-combustible cigarette.

When the flocking material, i.e., the tobacco filler <NUM>, is the tobacco filler granules <NUM>:.

When the flocking material, i.e., the tobacco filler <NUM>, is the tobacco filler filaments or tobacco filler fibers:.

In the figures:
<NUM>. tobacco filler; <NUM>. tobacco filler granule; <NUM>. tobacco filler short fiber; <NUM>. tobacco filler long fiber; <NUM>. adhesive; <NUM>. cigarette paper; <NUM>. hopper; <NUM>. electrode; <NUM>. grounding electrode; <NUM>. roller; <NUM>. adhesive-coating step; <NUM>. drying step; <NUM>. washing step; <NUM>. flocking layer; <NUM>. adhesive layer; <NUM>. cigarette paper layer.

The content of the present invention is further described by specific embodiments.

A manufacturing method of a non-combustible cigarette based on flocking technology includes a flocking process and a cigarette-rolling process. Specifically, the flocking process includes a cloth-rolling step, the adhesive-coating step <NUM>, a flocking step, the drying step <NUM> and the washing step <NUM> in sequence. The flocking step adopts the electrostatic flocking method.

As shown in <FIG>, the specific operation of each step of the flocking process is as follows.

Cloth-rolling step: a reel of the cigarette paper <NUM> is placed in a paper feeding system.

Adhesive-coating step <NUM>: the adhesive <NUM> is sprayed and coated on the inner surface of the cigarette paper <NUM>.

Flocking step: the tobacco filler <NUM> is embedded and fixed in the adhesive <NUM> coated on the inner wall of the cigarette paper <NUM> of the cigarette.

Drying step <NUM>: the adhesive <NUM> on the surface of the cigarette paper <NUM> flocked with the tobacco filler <NUM> is dried and solidified at a predetermined temperature, so that the adhesive <NUM> is fixedly bonded on the inner surface of the cigarette paper <NUM>, and the tobacco filler <NUM> is fixedly bonded on the adhesive <NUM> at the same time.

Washing step <NUM>: the excess tobacco filler <NUM> on the surface of the cigarette paper <NUM> is removed by suction, brushing, beating, etc..

The equipment used in the electrostatic flocking step may be current electrostatic flocking equipment, and the mechanical and electrical parameters of the equipment are adjusted only according to the characteristics of the cigarette paper and the tobacco filler.

The electrostatic flocking is that the charged tobacco filler <NUM> moves orderly and directionally towards the surface of the cigarette paper <NUM> coated with the adhesive <NUM> under an action of an electrostatic field and is embedded in the adhesive <NUM>.

The specific operation of the electrostatic flocking method is as follows.

The tobacco filler <NUM> is placed in the hopper <NUM>. The tobacco filler <NUM> is charged by the electrode <NUM> placed at the lower part of the hopper <NUM>. The grounding electrode <NUM> is arranged under the cigarette paper <NUM>, and is configured to attract the tobacco filler <NUM> to the cigarette paper <NUM>. The electric property of the electric charge carried on the grounding electrode <NUM> is opposite to that of the electrode <NUM>, so that the tobacco filler <NUM> with the same electric property as that of the electrode <NUM> is attracted to move towards the grounding electrode <NUM>. The tobacco filler <NUM> is vertically bonded on the surface of the cigarette paper <NUM> under the action of the electric field to form the dense piled flocking layer <NUM>.

The electrostatic field is a DC or AC high-voltage electrostatic field. The depth of the tobacco filler <NUM> embedded in the adhesive, the flocking density, and the orientation of the tobacco filler <NUM> on the adhesive are related to the electric field strength of the electrostatic field, the distance between electrodes, and the flocking time.

The tobacco filler <NUM> belongs to hydrophilic fibers, and is capable of carrying and maintaining the charges. The tobacco filler <NUM> has one end carrying positive charges and the other end carrying negative charges, and thus moves in the direction of potential gradient. By controlling or regulating the water content or humidity of the tobacco filler <NUM>, the tobacco filler <NUM> can be ensured to move freely in the electrostatic field and keep the electrostatic activity without bunching or bonding together, so as to be evenly flocked in the adhesive <NUM> on the surface of the cigarette paper <NUM>.

The subsequent cigarette-rolling processes may employ the conventional cigarette-rolling processes.

<FIG> is a process flow chart showing the flocking process in the manufacturing method of the non-combustible cigarette based on flocking technology according to Embodiment <NUM>, in which the flocking method is electrostatic flocking.

A manufacturing method of a non-combustible cigarette based on flocking technology, which is only different from Embodiment <NUM> in that the flocking step adopts the mechanical flocking method.

The equipment used in the mechanical flocking step may be currently available standard mechanical flocking equipment, and the mechanical and electrical parameters of the equipment are adjusted only according to the characteristics of the cigarette paper and the tobacco filler.

The cigarette paper <NUM> coated with the adhesive <NUM> passes through a group of the polygonal rollers <NUM>, and the rollers <NUM> rotate rapidly to vibrate the cigarette paper <NUM> and drive the tobacco filler <NUM> into the adhesive <NUM>. The tobacco filler <NUM> is applied to the cigarette paper <NUM> from the hopper <NUM> by gravity. The tobacco filler <NUM> is bonded on the surface of the cigarette paper <NUM> to form the dense piled flocking layer <NUM>.

<FIG> is a process flow chart showing the flocking process in the manufacturing method of the non-combustible cigarette based on flocking technology according to Embodiment <NUM>, in which the flocking method is mechanical flocking.

<FIG> in <FIG> is a radial cross-sectional view showing the tobacco section of the non-combustible cigarette manufactured by the manufacturing method of Embodiment <NUM> of the present invention. The cigarette includes a tobacco section, and the tobacco section includes the cigarette paper layer <NUM> wrapped on the outermost periphery. The cigarette paper layer <NUM> is a hollow cylindrical structure. The inner wall of the cigarette paper layer <NUM> is provided with the adhesive layer <NUM>, and the tobacco filler granules <NUM> are fixedly bonded on the adhesive layer <NUM>. The tobacco filler granules <NUM> are arranged circumferentially along the inner wall of the cigarette paper layer <NUM> to form a tobacco filler granule layer. The number of the tobacco filler granule layer is one, and the number of the adhesive layer is one. The interior of the cigarette paper layer <NUM> is filled with the tobacco filler granules <NUM> to form a hollow structure. The adhesive layer <NUM> is formed by coating the adhesive <NUM>. The adhesive <NUM> is selected from an acrylate emulsion-based (water-based) pressure-sensitive adhesive. The TDS of the adhesive <NUM> is <NUM> wt%-<NUM> wt%.

As shown in <FIG>, the present embodiment further provides a second arrangement mode of the tobacco filler granule layer in the cigarette.

The number of the tobacco filler granule layers is three. The tobacco filler granule layers and the adhesive layers <NUM> are alternately arranged in the radial direction of the cigarette. The interior of the cigarette paper layer <NUM> is filled with the tobacco filler granules <NUM> to form a hollow structure.

As shown in <FIG>, the present embodiment further provides a third arrangement mode of the tobacco filler granule layer in the cigarette.

The tobacco filler granule layers and the adhesive layers <NUM> are alternately arranged in the radial direction of the cigarette. The interior of the cigarette paper layer <NUM> is filled with the tobacco filler granules <NUM> to form a solid structure. The adhesive layers <NUM> coated on the tobacco filler granule layers are not shown.

As shown in <FIG>, in order to form a multi-layer arrangement of granules, the adhesive-coating step <NUM> and the flocking step may be repeatedly performed on a single granule layer. The adhesive layer <NUM> coated on the tobacco filler granule layer is not shown.

<FIG> is a radial cross-sectional view showing the tobacco section of the non-combustible cigarette manufactured by the manufacturing method of Embodiment <NUM> of the present invention. The cigarette includes a tobacco section, and the tobacco section includes the cigarette paper layer <NUM> wrapped on the outermost periphery. The cigarette paper layer <NUM> is a hollow cylindrical structure. The inner wall of the cigarette paper layer <NUM> is provided with the adhesive layer <NUM>, and tobacco filler fibers are fixedly bonded on the adhesive layer <NUM>. The tobacco filler fibers are the tobacco filler short fibers <NUM>. In this application, the length of the short fibers <NUM> is <NUM>-<NUM>. The tobacco filler fibers are arranged radially along the circumference of the inner wall of the cigarette paper layer, and numerous radial channels are formed in the interior of the cigarette paper layer. The interior of the cigarette paper layer is filled with the tobacco filler fibers to form a hollow structure. One end of the tobacco filler fibers is fixedly bonded with the adhesive layer, and the other end of the tobacco filler fibers extends out of the adhesive layer. The adhesive layer <NUM> is formed by coating the adhesive <NUM>, and the adhesive <NUM> is selected from a natural rubber emulsion-based (water-based) pressure-sensitive adhesive. The TDS of the adhesive is <NUM> wt%-<NUM> wt%.

As shown in <FIG>, the present embodiment further provides a second arrangement mode of the tobacco filler fibers in the cigarette as follows: compared with <FIG>, the difference is that the tobacco filler fibers are the tobacco filler long fibers <NUM>. In this application, the length of the long fibers <NUM> is greater than <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A non-combustible cigarette based on a flocking technology, comprising a cigarette paper layer (<NUM>), wherein the cigarette paper layer (<NUM>) is a hollow cylindrical structure; an inner wall of the cigarette paper layer (<NUM>) is provided with an adhesive layer (<NUM>), and tobacco filler granules (<NUM>), tobacco filler filaments or tobacco filler fibers are fixedly bonded on the adhesive layer (<NUM>);
wherein when the tobacco filler granules (<NUM>) are fixedly bonded on the adhesive layer (<NUM>), the tobacco filler granules (<NUM>) are arranged circumferentially along the inner wall of the cigarette paper layer (<NUM>) to form a tobacco filler granule layer; a number of the tobacco filler granule layer is at least one, and a number of the adhesive layer (<NUM>) is at least one; wherein the interior of the cigarette paper layer (<NUM>) is filled with the tobacco filler granules (<NUM>) to form a hollow or solid structure; when the number of the tobacco filler granule layer is greater than one, the tobacco filler granule layer and the adhesive layer (<NUM>) are alternately arranged in a radial direction of the cigarette,
or
when the tobacco filler filaments or tobacco filler fibers are fixedly bonded on the adhesive layer (<NUM>), the tobacco filler filaments or the tobacco filler fibers are arranged radially along a circumference of the inner wall of the cigarette paper layer (<NUM>), and numerous radial channels are formed in an interior of the cigarette paper layer (<NUM>); wherein the interior of the cigarette paper layer (<NUM>) is filled with the tobacco filler filaments or the tobacco filler fibers to form a hollow or solid structure; one end of the tobacco filler filaments or the tobacco filler fibers is fixedly bonded with the adhesive layer (<NUM>), and the other end of the tobacco filler filaments or the tobacco filler fibers extends out of the adhesive layer (<NUM>).