A washing and extraction treatment device for cut tobacco stems for cigarettes and its operation method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a washing and extraction treatment device for tobacco stem silk, comprising a washing and extraction assembly (1), an air flow drying assembly (2) and a decompression and balance assembly (3). The present invention also specifically discloses an operation method of the washing and extraction treatment device for tobacco stem silk. When cigarettes manufactured with the tobacco stem silk treated by the device of the present invention are detected according to the standard method, the whiteness of the ash can generally be increased by 15 - 30 units, the caking index can generally be reduced by 1 - 2 units, the working time is short, the effect is good, it is simple and easy to implement, and it has strong universality and is convenient for popularization.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of new tobacco smoking devices, and relates to a washing and extraction treatment device for tobacco cut stem and its operation method. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the improvement of consumers' pursuit of cigarette quality, designers have begun to optimize some cigarette details, and the whiteness of cigarette ash is one of them. Generally speaking of the whiteness of cigarette ash, it can be roughly divided into two types. One is the whiteness of the ash column, that is, the whiteness of the outer surface of the columnar ash presented after the cigarette burns; the other is the whiteness of the cut tobacco ash, that is, after the internal cut tobacco burns and the cigarette paper ash is peeled off, the whiteness of the cut tobacco ash presented. The whiteness of the cigarette ash column is mainly related to the combustion properties of the cigarette paper and its matching with the cut tobacco; while the whiteness of the cut tobacco ash mainly depends on the formulation structure and additives of the cut tobacco.

[0003] Although adding some functional additives to the cut tobacco can improve the whiteness of the cut tobacco ash, it often brings some unpredictable safety hazards, so it is rarely used.

[0004] In addition, due to the dense structure of the cut stem, it is easy to burst during combustion, affecting the ash holding property of the cigarette, and it is generally not directly used in the cut tobacco formulation. Although expanded cut stem can greatly reduce the bursting situation, due to the still high content of non-combustible components such as pectin in it, its combustion ash is generally black, resulting in the blackening of the cigarette ash and affecting the consumption experience of consumers.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention provides a washing and extraction treatment device for tobacco cut stem (i.e., expanded cut stem that has been cut and formed), which can perform operations such as washing, extraction and repair on the cut stem, and solve the problem of blackening of cigarette ash caused by the cut stem.

[0007] The ash condensation index in the present invention uniformly refers to the value obtained by multiplying the ratio of the area of the ash splitting mark part of the cigarette paper to the total area by 100. For example, if the area of the ash splitting mark part accounts for 5.0% of the total area, the ash condensation index is 5.0. That is to say, the higher the ash condensation index, the worse the ash holding performance of the cigarette paper.

[0008] The first aspect of the present invention provides a washing and extraction treatment device for tobacco cut stem, which includes a washing and extraction component 1, an air flow drying component 2 and a pressure reduction and balance component 3;

[0009] The elution component 1 includes a cut stem elution chamber 17, which is provided with a first feed port 13, a water outlet 14 and a first discharge port 18, and a perforated conveyor filter plate 11 that can slide up and down is arranged inside the cut stem elution chamber 17; a first heater 15 is arranged below the cut stem elution chamber 17;

[0010] The pneumatic drying component 2 includes a breathable pneumatic drying conveyor belt 24 and a second heater 21 located below it; a blower 22 is arranged below the second heater 21;

[0011] The pressure reduction and balance component 3 includes a pressure reduction and balance chamber 36, which is provided with a second feed port 32, a ventilation port 33 and a pressure reduction port 34 on the side wall, and a dashboard 35 for controlling pressure is connected to the pressure reduction port 34; a central rotating shaft 31 is arranged inside the pressure reduction and balance chamber 36, and the pressure reduction and balance chamber 36 rotates under the drive of the central rotating shaft 31.

[0012] Preferably, a fixed buckle 12 is further arranged inside the cut stem elution chamber 17, which is located above the perforated conveyor filter plate 11. When the perforated conveyor filter plate 11 slides upward to the position of the fixed buckle 12, it is fixed inside the cut stem elution chamber 17 through the fixed buckle 12.

[0013] Preferably, the relationship of the horizontal heights of the first discharge port 18, the pneumatic drying conveyor belt 24 and the second feed port 32 is that the first discharge port 18 ≥ the pneumatic drying conveyor belt 24 ≥ the second feed port 32, so that the cut stem can smoothly enter the next process after completing the above processes.

[0014] More preferably, the horizontal height of the first discharge port 18 is higher than the horizontal height of the pneumatic drying conveyor belt 24, and the cut stem output from the first discharge port 18 falls onto the pneumatic drying conveyor belt 24 by natural gravity; the horizontal height of the pneumatic drying conveyor belt 24 is higher than the horizontal height of the second feed port 32, and the cut stem on the pneumatic drying conveyor belt 24 falls into the pressure reduction and balance chamber 36 through the second feed port 32 by natural gravity;

[0015] Preferably, the material of the pneumatic drying conveyor belt 24 is a breathable metal conveyor belt.

[0016] The second aspect of the present invention provides an operation method of the elution treatment device for cut tobacco stems described in the first aspect of the present invention. The cut tobacco stems and the eluent are injected into the elution component 1, and after one or more elutions, they are pneumatically dried on the pneumatic drying conveyor belt 24 and then conveyed into the pressure reduction and balance component 3, and the required cut tobacco stem product is obtained after adding a repair agent for pressure reduction repair.

[0017] It specifically includes the following steps:

[0018] a. Close the water outlet 14. After putting cut tobacco into the perforated conveyor filter tray 11 in the cut tobacco washing and extraction chamber 17, add the washing and extraction liquid 16 through the first feed inlet 13 until the liquid level of the washing and extraction liquid 16 can completely submerge the cut tobacco. Then turn on the first heater 15 to heat the washing and extraction liquid 16 to wash and extract the cut tobacco. Lift the perforated conveyor filter tray 11 to make its height reach the horizontal height of the first discharge outlet 18, and keep it stable for 0.5 - 1 minute to make the washing and extraction liquid 16 in the cut tobacco fall back to the bottom of the cut tobacco washing and extraction chamber 17, and then open the water outlet 14 to discharge the washing and extraction liquid 16;

[0019] b. After the cut tobacco completes the washing and extraction process, start the conveying function of the perforated conveyor filter tray 11, and convey the washed cut tobacco to the pneumatic drying conveyor belt 24 through the first discharge outlet 18 for conveying. At the same time, turn on the second heater 21 and the blower 22 to perform pneumatic drying on the cut tobacco on the pneumatic drying conveyor belt 24;

[0020] c. After the cut tobacco is conveyed by the pneumatic drying conveyor belt 24 and falls into the pressure reduction and balance chamber 36 through the second feed inlet 32, add a certain amount of repair agent through the second feed inlet 32, close the second feed inlet 32 and the ventilation port 33, rotate the pressure reduction and balance chamber 36 along the central rotating shaft 31 for 10 - 30 s, and then start to perform pressure reduction through the pressure gauge 35 for controlling pressure, while continuing to rotate the entire pressure reduction and balance chamber 36 to perform the pressure reduction and diffusion process;

[0021] d. After the balance is completed, open the ventilation port 33 to allow external air to enter the pressure reduction and balance chamber 36. When the internal and external air pressures are equal, open the second feed inlet 32 to take out the processed cut tobacco for cigarettes.

[0022] Among them, step a can be repeated multiple times.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention, in step a, the washing and extraction liquid 16 is water or an organic solvent, and the organic solvent refers to the commonly used cleaning solvents in the prior art, such as ethanol; in step c, the repair agent is glycerol or propylene glycol repair agent.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention, in step a, the washing and extraction temperature is 40 - 60 °C; the washing and extraction time is 20 - 40 minutes. If the temperature of the washing and extraction liquid is too high or the impregnation time is too long, it will cause serious damage to the cut tobacco structure, and the breakage rate in the subsequent process will increase significantly; if the temperature of the washing and extraction liquid is too low or the impregnation time is too short, it will lead to insufficient washing and extraction, and the improvement of whiteness is limited.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention, in step b, the conveying speed of the air drying conveyor belt 24, the temperature of the second heater 21, and the blowing rate of the blower 22 are adjustable to ensure that when the cut stem falls into the decompression balance chamber 36, the moisture content of the cut stem is controlled within 20%. More preferably, the moisture content of the cut stem after air drying is controlled within the range of 8-10%. The commonly used drying air temperature is 100-120 °C.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention, in step c, generally the pressure is controlled between 400 mbar and 800 mbar, the balance time is between 20 and 40 min, and the addition amount of the repair agent is 5%-15% of the mass of the cut stem.

[0027] Among them, if the amount of the repair agent is too small, the effect of full repair cannot be achieved; if it is too large, the cut stem will be too wet, which is not conducive to subsequent production.

[0028] For the pressure of decompression balance diffusion, if the pressure is too high, the molecules of glycerol or propylene glycol are not easy to fully diffuse; if it is too low, atomization is likely to occur, which is not conducive to the penetration of the molecules of glycerol or propylene glycol into the cut stem.

[0029] For the decompression balance diffusion time, if the time is too short, the diffusion is not sufficient and cannot be fully balanced; if it is too long, the balance diffusion has been basically completed and the effect is not significant, resulting in waste of time and energy consumption.

[0030] Here, the decompression balance diffusion is selected in the repair process of the present invention. Compared with cut tobacco, the cut stem itself is harder and has a dense structure, which is not conducive to elution and repair. If the repair agent is only sprayed on the surface of the tobacco stem and then naturally diffused, the repair agent can only stay on the surface of the tobacco stem and cannot reach the inside of the tobacco stem, and the improvement of the flexibility of the cut stem is not obvious, resulting in ineffective reduction of breakage. Compared with natural diffusion, using decompression balance diffusion is more conducive to reducing the breakage rate and improving the whiteness of cigarette ash.

[0031] In summary, the present invention specifically designs a decompression balance component for the repair process and proposes the specific pressure of decompression balance diffusion and the decompression balance diffusion time.

[0032] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0033] 1. Compared with ordinary cut stem, for the cigarettes made of the cut stem processed by this device, when detected by the standard method, the whiteness of their ash can generally be increased by 15-30 units, and the cinder index can generally be reduced by 1-2 units.

[0034] 2. The present invention adopts a decompression balance component, which can make the repair agent quickly diffuse and penetrate on the surface of the cut stem in a short time, and the produced product is more uniform and has good stability.

[0035] 3. The present invention provides a washing and extraction treatment device for tobacco stem silk, which can perform operations such as washing, extraction, and repair on the stem silk, and solve the problem of blackened cigarette ash caused by the stem silk. Specifically, the present invention is a device integrating washing, extraction, drying, and repair, which is convenient for the operator to solve multiple steps in the treatment process of the stem silk at one time, is simple and easy to operate, has strong universality, and is convenient for popularization.

[0036] 4. After the stem silk is impregnated and washed in the present invention, it is repaired to repair its processing strength resistance and greatly reduce the breakage rate. The breakage rate of the process for improving the whiteness of cigarette ash by using the method of the present invention can be controlled within 10 - 20%, saving production costs. The present invention provides specific washing, extraction, and repair methods for the stem silk. Compared with tobacco leaf shreds, the stem silk itself is harder and has a dense structure, which is not conducive to washing and extraction, especially in the repair process. After spraying the repair agent on the stem silk in the present invention, a certain period of decompression equilibrium diffusion is carried out. Among them, the pressure of the decompression equilibrium diffusion is controlled at 400 mbar - 800 mbar. If the pressure is too high, the repair agent molecules are not easy to fully diffuse; if it is too small, atomization is likely to occur, which is not conducive to the infiltration of the repair agent molecules into the interior of the stem silk. The decompression equilibrium diffusion time is 20 - 40 min. If the time is too short, the diffusion is not sufficient and the repair agent cannot penetrate into the interior of the stem silk; if it is too long, the equilibrium diffusion has basically been completed, and the effect is not significant, resulting in waste of time and energy consumption. Under this condition, not only can the processing strength resistance of the stem silk be significantly improved, but also the influence on the chemical components inside the stem silk can be avoided, and it is not necessary to make fine adjustments to the chemical components after repairing the processing performance resistance of the stem silk. Compared with natural diffusion after single spraying, using the method of the present invention to repair the stem silk, the breakage rate of the process for improving the whiteness of cigarette ash is lower, and the whiteness of the cigarette ash is more significantly improved. The breakage rate of the process for improving the whiteness of cigarette ash by natural diffusion after single spraying is about 20 - 30%. If only the repair agent is sprayed on the surface of the stem silk and then naturally diffused, the repair agent can only stay on the surface of the stem silk and cannot reach the interior of the stem silk, and the improvement of the flexibility of the stem silk is not obvious, resulting in the inability to effectively reduce the breakage. Compared with natural diffusion, using decompression equilibrium diffusion is more conducive to reducing the breakage rate and improving the whiteness of cigarette ash.

[0037] 5. Before decompression diffusion, the moisture content of the stem silk is within 20%. Preferably, the moisture content of the stem silk after air drying is controlled within the range of 20 - 30%. The purpose is that too high moisture content will cause the stem silk after decompression diffusion to be too wet and further moisture removal is required before use, while too low moisture content will cause a large amount of breakage during the previous drying process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the washing and extraction treatment device for tobacco stem silk of the present invention;

[0039] The meanings of the reference numerals in the figure are as follows:

[0040] 1 - Elution component, 11 - Perforated conveyor filter plate, 12 - Fixed buckle, 13 - First feed inlet, 14 - Water outlet, 15 - First heater, 16 - Eluent, 17 - Elution chamber, 18 - First discharge outlet, 2 - Airflow drying component, 21 - Heating component, 22 - Blower component, 23 - Hot air flow, 24 - Airflow drying conveyor belt, 3 - Pressure reduction and balance component, 31 - Central rotating shaft, 32 - Second feed inlet, 33 - Ventilation opening, 34 - Pressure reduction opening, 35 - Instrument panel, 36 - Pressure reduction and balance chamber. Specific implementation mode

[0041] The present invention will be further described in detail below through specific implementation modes, but it should not be understood that the scope of the present invention is limited to the following examples. Without departing from the above method idea of the present invention, various substitutions and changes made according to common general technical knowledge and customary means in the art should be included in the scope of the present invention.

[0042] The entire preparation device for the cut tobacco is as shown in the appendix Figure 1 as shown.

[0043] In addition, in this embodiment, the whiteness of cigarette ash is detected by a conventional powder whiteness detection method, and the ash condensation index is calculated according to the aforementioned method. Example 1

[0044] As Figure 1 shown, the processing method of expanded cut tobacco specifically includes the following steps:

[0045] a. Close the water outlet 14. After putting the cut tobacco on the perforated conveyor filter plate 11 in the cut tobacco elution chamber 17, add water through the first feed inlet 13 until the liquid level of the eluent 16 can completely submerge the cut tobacco. Then turn on the first heater 15 to heat the eluent 16 to elute the cut tobacco. Lift the perforated conveyor filter plate 11 to make its height reach the fixed buckle 12 and stabilize for 0.5 - 1 minute to make the eluent 16 in the cut tobacco fall back to the bottom of the cut tobacco elution chamber 17, and open the water outlet 14 to discharge the eluent 16;

[0046] According to actual production needs, the water outlet 14 can be closed again, and after reducing the height of the perforated conveyor filter plate 11, the above elution process can be repeated.

[0047] The elution temperature is 40 °C; the elution time is 30 minutes.

[0048] b. After the cut tobacco strip completes the elution process, start the conveying function of the perforated conveying filter plate 11, and convey the eluted cut tobacco strip to the air drying conveyor belt 24 through the first discharge port 18 for conveying. At the same time, turn on the second heater 21 and the blower 22 to perform air drying on the cut tobacco strip on the air drying conveyor belt 24.

[0049] The conveying speed of the air drying conveyor belt 24, the temperature of the second heater 21, and the blowing rate of the blower 22 are adjustable to ensure that when the cut tobacco strip falls into the pressure reduction and balance chamber 36, the moisture content of the cut tobacco strip is controlled at about 8%.

[0050] c. After a sufficient amount of cut tobacco strip is conveyed by the air drying conveyor belt 24 and falls into the pressure reduction and balance chamber 36 through the second feed port 32, add a certain amount of glycerol repair agent through the second feed port 32, close the second feed port 32 and the ventilation port 33, rotate the pressure reduction and balance chamber 36 along the central rotating shaft 31 for 20 s, and then start to reduce the pressure through the dashboard 35 for controlling the pressure. At the same time, continue to rotate the entire pressure reduction and balance chamber 36 to perform the pressure reduction and diffusion process.

[0051] The pressure is controlled at 400 mbar, the balance time is 40 min, and the glycerol addition amount is 5% of the cut tobacco strip mass.

[0052] d. After the balance is completed, open the ventilation port 33 to allow external air to slowly enter the pressure reduction and balance chamber 36. When the internal and external air pressures are equal, open the feed port 32, and take out the processed cut tobacco strip, which is the cut tobacco strip product.

[0053] Among them, step a is repeated twice.

[0054] The cut tobacco strip breakage rate obtained by the above method is about 12.3%. The cut tobacco strip is made into cigarette 2# according to the proportion in the original formula with stemless tobacco shreds, and compared with the original cigarette 1#. The results are as follows:

[0055]

[0056] It can be seen from the above table that compared with the original cigarette sample, the ash whiteness and ash condensation index of the cigarette produced with the treated cut tobacco strip are significantly improved.

[0057] Comparative Example 1

[0058] The difference between the implementation process of the comparative example and that of Example 1 is only that the pressure reduction and balance diffusion in Example 1 for 60 min is replaced by natural diffusion for 60 min and then taken out.

[0059] The breakage rate of cut stem obtained by the above method is about 27.4%. The cut stem is made into cigarette No. 2 according to the proportion in the original formula and mixed with cut tobacco without stem, and compared with the original cigarette No. 1. The results are as follows:

[0060]

[0061] As can be seen from the above table, compared with the original cigarette sample, the whiteness and cinder index of the cigarette produced with the treated cut stem have been slightly improved.

[0062] Compared with the above Comparative Example 1, the influence of the cut stem treated by the method of the present invention on the whiteness and cinder index of cigarette ash is more significant. The reason may be that the vacuum diffusion process can make the penetration of glycerol into the interior more significant, so that the distribution of the same amount of glycerol in the cut stem is more uniform, thereby reducing the incomplete combustion caused by too high glycerol concentration in some positions, the blackening of the ash and the poor cinder index. In addition, compared with natural diffusion, vacuum equilibrium diffusion is more conducive to reducing the breakage rate.

Claims

1. A washing and extraction treatment device for cut tobacco stems for cigarettes, characterized in that, it includes, connected in sequence from upstream to downstream: a washing and extraction component (1), an air-flow drying component (2) and a pressure reduction and balance component (3); The washing and extraction component (1) includes a cut tobacco stem washing and extraction chamber (17), on which there are a first feed port (13), a water outlet (14) and a first discharge port (18), and inside the cut tobacco stem washing and extraction chamber (17) there is a perforated conveying and filtering disc (11) that can slide up and down; below the cut tobacco stem washing and extraction chamber (17) there is a first heater (15); The air-flow drying component (2) includes a breathable air-flow drying conveyor belt (24) and a second heater (21) located below it; below the second heater (21) there is a blower (22); The pressure reduction and balance component (3) includes a pressure reduction and balance chamber (36), on the side wall of the pressure reduction and balance chamber (36) there are a second feed port (32), a ventilation port (33) and a pressure reduction port (34), and at the pressure reduction port (34) there is a dashboard (35) for controlling the pressure connected; inside the pressure reduction and balance chamber (36) there is a central rotating shaft (31), and the pressure reduction and balance chamber (36) rotates under the drive of the central rotating shaft (31); Inside the cut tobacco stem washing and extraction chamber (17) there is also a fixed buckle (12), which is located above the perforated conveying and filtering disc (11). When the perforated conveying and filtering disc (11) slides up to the position of the fixed buckle (12), it is fixed to the inside of the cut tobacco stem washing and extraction chamber (17) through the fixed buckle (12); The relationship of the horizontal heights of the first discharge port (18), the air-flow drying conveyor belt (24), and the second feed port (32) is that the first discharge port (18) > the air-flow drying conveyor belt (24) > the second feed port (32); The pressure is controlled between 400 mbar and 800 mbar, and the balancing time is between 20 and 40 minutes.

2. The washing and extraction treatment device for cut tobacco stems for cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that, the material of the air-flow drying conveyor belt (24) is a breathable metal conveyor belt.

3. An operation method of the washing and extraction treatment device for cut tobacco stems for cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that, it includes the following steps: a. Close the water outlet (14). After putting the cut tobacco stems on the perforated conveying and filtering disc (11) in the cut tobacco stem washing and extraction chamber (17), add the washing liquid (16) through the first feed port (13) until the liquid level of the washing liquid (16) can completely submerge the cut tobacco stems. Then turn on the first heater (15) to heat the washing liquid (16) to wash and extract the cut tobacco stems. Lift the perforated conveying and filtering disc (11) to make its height reach the horizontal height of the first discharge port (18), and stabilize for 0.5 - 1 minute to make the washing liquid (16) in the cut tobacco stems fall back to the bottom of the cut tobacco stem washing and extraction chamber (17), and then open the water outlet (14) to discharge the washing liquid (16); b. After the cut tobacco strands complete the washing and extraction process, start the conveying function of the perforated conveying filter plate (11) to convey the washed and extracted cut tobacco strands through the first discharge port (18) onto the pneumatic drying conveyor belt (24) for conveyance. At the same time, turn on the second heater (21) and the blower (22) to conduct pneumatic drying on the cut tobacco strands on the pneumatic drying conveyor belt (24). c. After the cut tobacco strands are conveyed by the pneumatic drying conveyor belt (24) and fall into the pressure reduction and balance chamber (36) through the second feed port (32), add a certain amount of repair agent through the second feed port (32), close the second feed port (32) and the ventilation port (33), rotate the pressure reduction and balance chamber (36) along the central rotating shaft (31) for 10 - 30 s, and then start pressure reduction through the pressure gauge panel (35) for controlling pressure. At the same time, continue to rotate the entire pressure reduction and balance chamber (36) for the pressure reduction and diffusion process. d. After the balance is completed, open the ventilation port (33) to allow external air to enter the pressure reduction and balance chamber (36). When the internal and external air pressures are equal, open the second feed port (32) to take out the processed cut tobacco for cigarettes. Among them, step a can be repeated multiple times. In step a, the washing and extraction liquid (16) is water or an organic solvent; in step c, the repair agent is glycerol or propylene glycol repair agent. In step a, the washing and extraction temperature is 40 - 60 °C, and the washing and extraction time is 20 - 40 min. In step b, the conveying speed of the pneumatic drying conveyor belt (24), the temperature of the second heater (21), and the blowing rate of the blower (22) are adjustable to ensure that when the cut tobacco strands fall into the pressure reduction and balance chamber (36), the moisture content of the cut tobacco strands is controlled within 20%. In step c, the pressure is controlled between 400 mbar - 800 mbar, the balance time is between 20 - 40 min, and the addition amount of the repair agent is 5% - 15% of the mass of the cut tobacco strands.

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