JP2025038252A - Tobacco Materials - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a tobacco material that reduces undesirable off-flavors while utilizing the characteristic aroma and flavor of naturally dried leaves.SOLUTION: This tobacco material is obtained by storing a mixture including (A) natural dried leaves, (B) dried leaves other than the (A) component, and (C) an aqueous solvent.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

The present invention relates to a tobacco composition, and more specifically to a tobacco material obtained by storing a mixture containing (A) naturally dried leaves, (B) dried leaves other than (A), and (C) an aqueous solvent.

Naturally dried leaves have a unique flavor and aroma, and these characteristics are used in some flavor inhalation products. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses tobacco material made from Latakia, a type of naturally dried leaf.

JP 2017-153492 A

Naturally dried leaves, such as Perique leaves, have a unique acidic odor and unpleasant taste, which limits the brands and usage ratios that can be used. In light of this situation, the objective of the present invention is to provide a tobacco material that reduces unpleasant tastes while retaining the unique aroma and flavor of naturally dried leaves.

The above problems are solved by the present invention.
Aspect 1
(A) naturally dried leaves;
(B) dried leaves other than (A);
(C) an aqueous solvent;
A tobacco material obtained by storing a mixture containing the above.
Aspect 2
The tobacco material according to claim 1, wherein the mixture is stored at 10 to 40°C.
Aspect 3
A tobacco material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mixture is stored for 24 to 72 hours.
Aspect 4
Aspect 4. The tobacco material according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, wherein the naturally dried leaf is selected from the group consisting of peric leaf, orient leaf, native leaf, and combinations thereof.
Aspect 5
Aspects 5. The tobacco material according to any one of aspects 1 to 4, wherein the aqueous solvent is water.
Aspect 6
A tobacco composition comprising the tobacco material according to any one of aspects 1 to 5 and a tobacco raw material.
Aspect 7
A tobacco segment comprising the tobacco composition of embodiment 6.
Aspect 8
A flavor inhalation article comprising a tobacco segment according to aspect 7.
Aspect 9
(A) naturally dried leaves;
(B) dried leaves other than (A);
(C) an aqueous solvent;
storing a mixture comprising:
A method for producing the tobacco material according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

This invention makes it possible to provide tobacco materials that retain the unique aroma and flavor of naturally dried leaves while reducing unpleasant flavors.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a non-combustion heating type tobacco flavor inhalation article. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a non-combustion heating type tobacco flavor inhalation system.

The present invention will be described in detail below. In the present invention, "X to Y" includes the extreme values X and Y.

1. Tobacco material Tobacco material is a material used in a flavor inhalation article. The tobacco material can be used as a flavor source for a flavor inhalation article as it is, or can be mixed with other materials to be used as a tobacco composition. In the present invention, "tobacco leaf" is a general term for harvested tobacco leaves before aging. One form of aging includes curing. The tobacco leaf may be undeboned or may be deboned lamina. "Dried leaf" refers to dried tobacco leaf, and the form may be any form known in the art, such as leaves, shreds, granules, and powder.

(1) Component (A): Naturally dried leaves The tobacco material contains naturally dried leaves as component (A). Naturally dried leaves are obtained by drying tobacco leaves in a natural environment. Natural drying includes air drying and sun drying. Air drying refers to drying the raw tobacco leaves under aeration conditions at natural temperature and humidity, while sun drying refers to drying the tobacco leaves by directly exposing them to sunlight.

Component (A) includes native leaves and burley leaves obtained through air drying, native leaves that have been air dried and then stored for a certain period of time; light-colored sun-dried leaves, mainly oriental leaves obtained through sun drying, latakia, and makhorka; and perique leaves obtained through barrel fermentation during air drying.

The above-mentioned component (A) may be used alone or in combination. Among the above, peric, oriental leaf, burley leaf, or native leaf are preferred from the viewpoint of efficiently achieving the effects of the present invention.

The form of component (A) in the tobacco material is not limited, but is preferably in the form of tobacco shreds. Tobacco shreds are cut tobacco leaves. In one embodiment, the tobacco shreds have a width of 0.5 to 2.0 mm and a length of 3 to 10 mm. Alternatively, component (A) may be in the form of strand shreds that have been cut from a sheet.

(2) Component (B): Dried leaves other than the above-mentioned (A) The tobacco material contains, as component (B), dried leaves other than the above-mentioned (A). Component (B) is not limited, but heat-dried leaves are preferred. Examples of heat-dried leaves include yellow dried leaves and fire-dried leaves. Examples of heat-dried leaves include yellow leaves and dark fire-dried leaves. These can be used alone or in combination. The form of component (B) is not limited, and may be as described for component (A).

The weight ratio of components (A) and (B) is preferably 30-0.5:70-99.5, and more preferably 10-1:90-99.

(3) Component (C): Aqueous Solvent Aqueous solvent is a general term for water or an organic solvent that dissolves in water. Examples of the organic solvent include monoalcohols such as ethanol, and polyhydric alcohols such as propylene glycol or glycerin. Among these, water is preferred as the aqueous solvent from the viewpoint of ease of handling.

The tobacco material is produced by storing a mixture containing an aqueous solvent as the components (A), (B), and (C). After storage, the mixture may or may not be dried. Thus, the finished tobacco material may or may not contain an aqueous solvent as component (C), but in one embodiment, the finished tobacco material contains approximately 10 to 90% by weight of the aqueous solvent based on the total weight.

(4) Other Components The tobacco material may contain other components, such as known components such as flavorings.

(5) Characteristics When inhaled, the tobacco material of the present invention is capable of imparting only a characteristic fruity aroma, while eliminating the taste (such as sour odor) peculiar to naturally dried leaves. Furthermore, the texture and odor of tobacco is reduced, the smoke quality is softened, and a flavor and taste that emphasizes the inherent sweetness of tobacco can be imparted. The reason for such effects is not limited, but it is presumed that they are due to a specific substance in component (A) undergoing some kind of change during storage and bringing about some kind of change in a specific substance in component (B). In particular, since microorganisms are present in component (A), it is possible that the action of the microorganisms is occurring.

(6) Manufacturing Method The tobacco material is manufactured by preparing a mixture containing the above-mentioned components and storing the mixture.
1) Preparation of the mixture The mixture may be prepared by any method. For example, it is preferable to prepare tobacco shreds of components (A) and (B), add component (C) and other components as necessary, and stir and mix to produce the mixture. In this case, it is preferable to use 300 to 1000 parts by weight of component (C) per 100 parts by weight of the total of components (A) and (B). The temperature during mixing is not limited, but it is preferably room temperature (10 to 40° C.).

2) Storage The storage temperature is preferably 10 to 40°C, more preferably 20 to 30°C. The storage time is appropriately adjusted, but is preferably 24 to 72 hours, more preferably 40 to 50 hours. Storage is preferably carried out under atmospheric pressure. During the storage period, the mixture may be left to stand or may be stirred.

(7) Tobacco Composition Tobacco materials can be mixed with tobacco raw materials (component (D)) to form tobacco compositions. The tobacco raw materials (component (D)) referred to here are raw materials derived from tobacco plants, such as the yellow leaves described in component (B). Alternatively, tobacco sheets or tobacco granules derived from the dried leaves described in component (B) may be used as component (D). The tobacco composition reduces the raw odor, astringency, bitterness, or aroma/flavor inhibition (irritation, etc.) inherent to tobacco when inhaled, softens the smoke, and enriches the aroma.

The content of tobacco materials in the tobacco composition is adjusted appropriately depending on the desired flavor and taste, but the lower limit is preferably 1% by weight or more, more preferably 3% by weight or more, and particularly preferably 5% by weight or more. The upper limit is preferably 20% by weight or less, more preferably 10% by weight or less, even more preferably 5% by weight or less, and particularly preferably 1% by weight or less.

2. Flavor Inhalation Article In the present invention, the term "flavor inhalation article" refers to an article for a user to inhale a flavor. Flavor inhalation articles that contain tobacco or a component derived from tobacco are also referred to as "tobacco flavor inhalation articles". Tobacco flavor inhalation articles are broadly classified into "combustion type tobacco flavor inhalation articles" (also simply referred to as "smoking articles") that generate a flavor by combustion, and "non-combustion type tobacco flavor inhalation articles" that generate a flavor without combustion. Furthermore, non-combustion type tobacco flavor inhalation articles are broadly classified into "non-combustion heating type tobacco flavor inhalation articles" that generate a flavor by heating, and "non-combustion non-heating type tobacco flavor inhalation articles" that generate a flavor without heating. The tobacco segment containing the tobacco material of the present invention is suitable for combustion type tobacco flavor inhalation articles (smoking articles) and non-combustion heating type tobacco flavor inhalation articles. As the smoking article, a known article having a tobacco segment and a filter part can be used. Hereinafter, the combustion heating type tobacco flavor inhalation article will be described.

Figure 1 shows one embodiment of a non-combustion heating tobacco flavor inhalation article. As shown in the figure, the non-combustion heating tobacco flavor inhalation article 20 includes a tobacco segment 20A, a cylindrical cooling section 20B having perforations on the circumference, and a filter section 20C. The tobacco segment 20A is also called a tobacco rod and is a type of flavor inhalation rod. The non-combustion heating tobacco flavor inhalation article 20 may have other members. The axial length of the non-combustion heating tobacco flavor inhalation article 20 is not limited, but is preferably 40 to 90 mm, more preferably 50 to 75 mm, and even more preferably 50 to 60 mm or less. The circumferential length of the non-combustion heating tobacco flavor inhalation article 20 is preferably 16 to 25 mm, more preferably 20 to 24 mm, and even more preferably 21 to 23 mm. For example, an embodiment in which the tobacco segment 20A is 20 mm long, the cooling section 20B is 20 mm long, and the filter section 20C is 7 mm long can be mentioned. The length of each of these components can be changed as appropriate depending on manufacturing suitability, required quality, etc. Figure 1 shows an embodiment in which the first segment 25 is arranged, but it is also possible to arrange only the second segment 26 downstream of the cooling section 20B without the first segment 25 being arranged.

1) Tobacco segment 20A
The tobacco filler 21 in the tobacco segment 20A includes the tobacco material of the present invention or the tobacco composition of the present invention. The method of filling the tobacco filler 21 into the wrapper 22 is not particularly limited, but for example, the tobacco filler 21 may be wrapped in the wrapper 22, or the tobacco filler 21 may be filled into a cylindrical wrapper 22. When the tobacco and paper have a longitudinal direction such as a rectangular shape, they may be filled so that the longitudinal direction is in an unspecified direction in the wrapper 22, or may be filled so that they are aligned in the axial direction of the tobacco segment 20A or in a direction perpendicular thereto. The above-mentioned paper may also be used as the wrapper 22. When the tobacco segment 20A is heated, the tobacco components, aerosol-generating substrate, and water contained in the tobacco filler 21 are vaporized and are available for inhalation.

2) Cooling section 20B
The cooling section 20B is preferably constructed of a tubular member. The tubular member may be, for example, a cardboard tube 23 formed by processing cardboard into a cylindrical shape. The cooling section 20B may also be formed by a sheet of thin material that is wrinkled and then pleated, gathered, or folded to form a channel. For example, a sheet material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polylactic acid, cellulose acetate, and aluminum foil may be used as such a material. The total surface area of the cooling section 20B is appropriately adjusted in consideration of the cooling efficiency, and may be, for example, 300 to 1000 ^{mm 2} /mm 2 . The cooling section 20B is preferably provided with perforations 24. The presence of the perforations 24 allows outside air to be introduced into the cooling section 20B during inhalation. As a result, the aerosol vaporized components generated by heating the tobacco segment 21A come into contact with the outside air, and the temperature of the components is reduced, so that the components are liquefied, and an aerosol is formed. The diameter (distance across) of the perforations 24 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, 0.5 to 1.5 mm. The number of perforations 24 is not particularly limited, and may be one or two or more. For example, a plurality of perforations 24 may be provided on the circumference of the cooling portion 20B.

The cooling section 20B may be rod-shaped with an axial length of, for example, 7 to 28 mm. For example, the axial length of the cooling section 20B may be 18 mm. The cooling section 20B may have a substantially circular axial cross-sectional shape with a diameter of 5 to 10 mm. For example, the diameter of the cooling section may be approximately 7 mm.

3) Filter section 20C
The configuration of the filter part 20C is not particularly limited, and may be composed of one or more filling layers. The outside of the filling layer may be wrapped with one or more wrapping papers. The airflow resistance of the filter part 20C can be appropriately changed depending on the amount and material of the filter filling filled in the filter part 20C. For example, when the filter filling is cellulose acetate fiber, the airflow resistance can be increased by increasing the amount of cellulose acetate fiber filled in the filter part 20C. When the filter filling is cellulose acetate fiber, the packing density of the cellulose acetate fiber can be 0.13 to 0.18 g/cm ^3. The airflow resistance is a value measured by an airflow resistance measuring device (product name: SODIMAX, manufactured by SODIM).

The circumferential length of the filter portion 20C is not particularly limited, but is preferably 16 to 25 mm, more preferably 20 to 24 mm, and even more preferably 21 to 23 mm. The axial length (horizontal direction in FIG. 1) of the filter portion 20C can be selected from 4 to 10 mm, and is selected so that the airflow resistance is 15 to 60 mmH ₂ O/seg. The axial length of the filter portion 20C is preferably 5 to 9 mm, and more preferably 6 to 8 mm. The cross-sectional shape of the filter portion 20C is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, or the like. In addition, a destructible capsule containing a fragrance, fragrance beads, or a fragrance may be directly added to the filter portion 20C.

The filter section 20C may have a center hole section as the first segment 25. The center hole section is composed of a first filling layer 25a having one or more hollow sections and an inner plug wrapper (inner wrapping paper) 25b that covers the filling layer. The center hole section has the function of increasing the strength of the mouthpiece section. The center hole section may not have an inner plug wrapper 25b, and its shape may be maintained by thermoforming. The filter section 20C may have a second segment 26. The second segment 26 is composed of a second filling layer 26a and an inner plug wrapper (inner wrapping paper) 26b that covers the filling layer. The second filling layer 26a can be, for example, a rod with an inner diameter of φ5.0 to φ1.0 mm, which is densely packed with cellulose acetate fibers and hardened by adding 6 to 20% by weight of a plasticizer containing triacetin to the weight of the cellulose acetate. Since the second filling layer has a high fiber packing density, air and aerosol flow only through the hollow section during inhalation, and hardly flow through the second filling layer. Because the second filling layer inside the center hole is a fiber-filled layer, the feel from the outside when in use is less likely to cause discomfort to the user.

The first filling layer 25a and the second filling layer 26a are connected by an outer plug wrapper (outer wrapping paper) 27. The outer plug wrapper 27 can be, for example, a cylindrical paper. The tobacco segment 20A, the cooling section 20B, and the first filling layer 25a and the second filling layer 26a that have already been connected are connected by a mouthpiece lining paper 28. These connections can be made, for example, by applying a vinyl acetate glue or other adhesive to the inner surface of the mouthpiece lining paper 28 and wrapping the three components. These components may be connected in multiple separate instances with multiple lining papers.

The combination of a non-combustion heated tobacco flavor inhalation article and a heating device for generating an aerosol is also referred to as a non-combustion heated tobacco flavor inhalation system. An example of the system is shown in FIG. 2. In the figure, the non-combustion heated tobacco flavor inhalation system includes a non-combustion heated tobacco flavor inhalation article 20 and a heating device 10 that heats a tobacco segment 20A from the outside.

The heating device 10 includes a body 11, a heater 12, a metal tube 13, a battery unit 14, and a control unit 15. The body 11 has a cylindrical recess 16, and the heater 12 and the metal tube 13 are disposed at a position corresponding to the tobacco segment 20A to be inserted therein. The heater 13 can be a heater using electrical resistance, and is heated by being supplied with power from the battery unit 14 in response to an instruction from the control unit 15 that controls the temperature. The heat generated by the heater 12 is transferred to the tobacco segment 20A through the metal tube 13, which has high thermal conductivity. In the figure, the heating device 10 is shown as heating the tobacco segment 20A from the outside, but it may also be heating from the inside. The heating temperature by the heating device 10 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 400°C or less, more preferably 150 to 400°C, and even more preferably 200 to 350°C. The heating temperature refers to the temperature of the heater of the heating device 10.

[Example 1]
9.5 g of Brazilian yellow leaf shreds as component (B) and 0.5 g of peric leaf shreds as component (A) were dry blended, 60 g of water was added as component (C), and the mixture was stirred and mixed with a stirrer to obtain a mixture. The mixture was stored at 25° C. for 2 days while stirring. In this manner, a tobacco material was produced. Brazilian yellow leaf shreds were prepared as component (D), and 10% by weight of the tobacco material was mixed therewith to produce a tobacco composition. A combustible tobacco flavor inhalation article was produced using the tobacco composition according to a standard method. A smoking test was carried out on the article by 10 well-trained panelists.

[Comparative Example 1]
60 g of water was added to 10 g of the Brazilian yellow leaf shreds used in Example 1, and the mixture was stirred and mixed with a stirrer to obtain a mixture. The mixture was allowed to stand at 25° C. for 2 days while stirring. In this manner, a comparative tobacco material was produced. A combustion-type tobacco flavor inhalation article was produced and evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the comparative tobacco material was used.

[Comparative Example 2]
A comparative tobacco material and a combustion-type tobacco flavor inhalation article were produced and evaluated in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1, except that the peric leaf shreds used in Example 1 were used instead of the Brazilian yellow leaf shreds.

The evaluation results were as follows:
Example 1: The smell from the tobacco fabric was minimal and the aftertaste was short. The aroma was complex and the smoke was voluminous and full-bodied.
Comparative Example 1: The raw smell and astringency from the tobacco dough lingered in the aftertaste. There was a yellow-like sweetness, but the aroma was monotonous.
Comparative Example 2: The bitter, astringent, and sour tastes from the tobacco dough lingered in the aftertaste, inhibiting the smoking taste. The aroma was monotonous.

As shown in the above results, in Comparative Example 2, the sour taste and aroma/taste inhibition characteristic of naturally dried leaves were observed, but by storing the blended product (the tobacco material of the present invention), the negative aroma/taste was improved and a good smoking taste effect was obtained. This effect is also achieved in non-combustion heating smoking articles.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 heating device 11 body 12 heater 13 metal tube 14 battery unit 15 control unit 16 recess 17 ventilation hole

20 Non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article 20A Tobacco segment 20B Cooling section 20C Filter section

21 tobacco filler 22 cigarette paper 23 paper tube 24 perforation 25 first segment 25a first filling layer 25b inner plug wrapper 26 second segment 26a second filling layer 26b inner plug wrapper 27 outer plug wrapper 28 lining paper

Claims (9)

(A) naturally dried leaves;
(B) dried leaves other than (A);
(C) an aqueous solvent;
A tobacco material obtained by storing a mixture containing the above. The tobacco material according to claim 1, wherein the mixture is stored at 10 to 40°C. The tobacco material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the mixture is stored for 24 to 72 hours. The tobacco material according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the naturally dried leaves are selected from the group consisting of peric leaves, orient leaves, native leaves, and combinations thereof. The tobacco material according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the aqueous solvent is water. A tobacco composition comprising the tobacco material according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and a tobacco raw material. A tobacco segment comprising the tobacco composition of claim 6. A flavor inhalation article comprising the tobacco segment according to claim 7. (A) naturally dried leaves;
(B) dried leaves other than (A);
(C) an aqueous solvent;
storing a mixture comprising:
A method for producing the tobacco material according to any one of claims 1 to 5.