A vacuum low-temperature flavoring system for heating tobacco raw materials

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of heating tobacco raw material vacuum low-temperature flavoring system, comprising: material tank, the top of material tank is equipped with stirring motor, to sufficiently stir the spice in material tank;Vacuum chamber, vacuum chamber is connected with material tank by feeding pipeline, vacuum chamber is connected with sealing door by hinge, by opening sealing door, put in to be flavored heating tobacco raw material;Vacuum generator, vacuum generator is connected with vacuum chamber by air extraction pipeline;Liquid gas storage tank, liquid gas storage tank is filled with liquid gas, and is equipped with gas outlet pipeline, gas outlet pipeline is connected with feeding pipeline by mixing valve, to mix liquid gas and spice and input into vacuum chamber;Electric control cabinet, electric control cabinet is electrically connected with stirring motor, vacuum generator and liquid gas storage tank, and control system runs.The application is introduced into working box by controlled spice being wrapped by low-temperature gas in negative pressure environment, and the heating tobacco raw material flavoring is evenly and deeply completed, while ensuring low temperature and low humidity in the process of flavoring.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of tobacco equipment technology, and more specifically, to a vacuum low-temperature flavoring system for heating tobacco raw materials. Background Technology

[0002] In addition to improving the quality and naturally occurring aroma and flavor of tobacco leaves through special fermentation and aging processes, flavorings are added to modify and enhance the characteristic aroma and flavor of high-quality tobacco. In recent years, with the increasing global efforts to control tobacco use and the growing health awareness of the public, new tobacco products have quietly emerged and developed rapidly. These new tobacco products mainly include three types: heated tobacco products (eHTP), electronic cigarettes (NCS), and smokeless tobacco products. Heated tobacco products, also known as heated non-combustible tobacco, heat tobacco without burning it at temperatures below 500℃ (generally between 250℃ and 350℃), but still deliver satisfaction and some of the tobacco aroma to the consumer, with virtually no sideflow smoke.

[0003] Because heated tobacco raw materials generally have strong hygroscopic properties, when using traditional flavoring methods, flavoring can mostly only be achieved by controlling the overall temperature and humidity of the flavoring area, which is quite difficult to achieve.

[0004] Therefore, how to provide a system that can effectively perform vacuum low-temperature flavoring of heated flue gas raw materials has become a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a vacuum low-temperature flavoring system for heated tobacco raw materials to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a vacuum low-temperature flavoring system for heating tobacco raw materials is provided, comprising:

[0007] The spice container is equipped with a stirring motor on top to fully stir the spices inside the container;

[0008] A vacuum chamber is connected to the material tank via a feeding pipe, and the vacuum chamber is connected to a sealed door via a hinge. By opening the sealed door, the raw material for flavoring and heating the smoke is placed in.

[0009] A vacuum generator, wherein the vacuum generator is connected to the vacuum chamber via an air extraction pipe;

[0010] A liquid gas storage tank, filled with liquid gas and equipped with an outlet pipe, the outlet pipe being connected to the feeding pipe via a mixing valve to mix the liquid gas and fragrance before introducing it into the vacuum chamber; and

[0011] An electrical control cabinet is electrically connected to the stirring motor, vacuum generator, and liquid gas storage tank to control the operation of the system.

[0012] Optionally, the vacuum low-temperature flavoring system for heated tobacco raw materials according to the present invention further includes a cabinet, wherein the gas outlet pipe and the feeding pipe are both connected to the cabinet, and the cabinet is equipped with a liquid temperature gauge, a liquid gas temperature gauge, a liquid weight gauge, a liquid gas weight gauge, a liquid flow meter, and a gas flow meter to display the data of the flavoring in the material tank and the data of the liquid gas in the liquid gas storage tank in real time.

[0013] Optionally, in the vacuum low-temperature flavoring system for heated flue gas raw materials according to the present invention, a solenoid valve, a filter, and a feeding pump are sequentially provided between the feeding pipeline and the mixing valve. The solenoid valve and the feeding pump are electrically connected to the electrical control cabinet so as to control the connection and disconnection of the feeding pipeline through the electrical control cabinet. The liquid flow meter is arranged between the mixing valve and the feeding pump.

[0014] Optionally, in the vacuum low-temperature flavoring system for heated tobacco raw materials according to the present invention, a first one-way valve is further provided between the liquid flow meter and the mixing valve to prevent the flavoring from flowing back.

[0015] Optionally, in the vacuum low-temperature flavoring system for heated flue gas raw materials according to the present invention, an outlet shut-off valve is sequentially provided on the outlet pipe between the liquid gas storage tank and the mixing valve. The outlet shut-off valve is connected to the electrical control cabinet so as to control the connection and disconnection of the outlet pipe through the electrical control cabinet. The gas flow meter is connected between the outlet shut-off valve and the mixing valve.

[0016] Optionally, in the vacuum low-temperature flavoring system for heated flue gas raw materials according to the present invention, a gas pressure fine-tuning valve is further provided on the gas outlet pipe. The gas pressure fine-tuning valve is located between the gas outlet shut-off valve and the gas flow meter, and a second check valve is further provided between the gas outlet shut-off valve and the gas pressure fine-tuning valve to prevent gas backflow when adjusting the gas outlet pressure; a third check valve is further provided between the gas flow meter and the mixing valve to prevent overall gas backflow.

[0017] Optionally, in the vacuum low-temperature flavoring system for heated flue gas raw materials according to the present invention, the vacuum chamber is provided with a plurality of nozzles, the mixing valve is connected to the nozzles through a mixing pipe, and a main shut-off valve is provided on the mixing pipe, the main shut-off valve being electrically connected to the electrical control cabinet.

[0018] Optionally, in the vacuum low-temperature flavoring system for heated tobacco raw materials according to the present invention, a return pipe is further provided between the mixing valve and the main shut-off valve. The return pipe is connected to the material tank. When the main shut-off valve is closed, the flavoring in the feeding pipe returns to the material tank through the return pipe to pre-fill the feeding pipe.

[0019] Optionally, in the vacuum low-temperature flavoring system for heated flue gas raw materials according to the present invention, a locking mechanism is provided on the side of the sealing door away from the hinge, and a sealing gasket is provided between the periphery of the sealing door and the vacuum chamber.

[0020] Optionally, in the vacuum low-temperature flavoring system for heated flue gas raw materials according to the present invention, the sealed door is further provided with an observation window.

[0021] The vacuum low-temperature flavoring system for heated tobacco raw materials disclosed in this invention achieves flavoring of heated tobacco raw materials in a vacuum environment. During the flavoring process, by adjusting the working frequency of the pump and the gas pressure of the liquid gas storage tank, the flavoring, gas flow rate and mixing ratio are adjusted. With the help of the negative pressure environment, the flavoring carried by the low-temperature gas is introduced into the working chamber in a controlled manner, so as to complete the flavoring of heated tobacco raw materials evenly and deeply, while ensuring low temperature and low humidity during the flavoring process.

[0022] Other features and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with their description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the vacuum low-temperature flavoring system for heated flue gas raw materials disclosed in this invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the pipeline of the vacuum low-temperature flavoring system for heated flue gas raw materials disclosed in this invention.

[0026] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0027] 100-Vacuum chamber, 101-Sealed door, 102-Observation window, 103-Hinge, 104-Locking mechanism, 105-Vacuum gauge, 106-Thermometer, 107-Vacuum safety valve;

[0028] 200-Material tank, 201-Agitator motor, 202-Feeding pipe, 203-Material pipe pressure sensor, 211-Solenoid valve, 212-Filter, 213-Feeding pump, 214-First check valve, 215-Return pipe, 216-Return shut-off valve;

[0029] 300-Pipe cabinet, 301-Liquid temperature gauge, 302-Liquid gas temperature gauge, 303-Liquid weight gauge, 304-Liquid gas weight gauge, 305-Liquid flow meter, 306-Gas flow meter;

[0030] 400-Liquid gas storage tank, 401-Drain / filling valve, 402-Gas outlet shut-off valve, 403-Gas outlet pipeline, 404-Gas safety valve, 411-Second check valve, 412-Gas pressure fine-tuning valve, 413-Third check valve;

[0031] 500 - Vacuum generator; 501 - Evacuation pipe;

[0032] 600 - Mixing valve, 700 - Main shut-off valve, 800 - Nozzle, 900 - Electrical control cabinet. Detailed Implementation

[0033] Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention.

[0034] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the invention or its application or use.

[0035] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0036] In all the examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0037] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be discussed further in subsequent figures.

[0038] according to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the present invention provides a vacuum low-temperature flavoring system for heated tobacco raw materials, comprising:

[0039] The material tank 200 is equipped with a stirring motor 201 on its top to fully stir the spices inside the material tank 200.

[0040] A vacuum chamber 100 is connected to the material tank 200 via a feeding pipe 202. The vacuum chamber 100 is connected to a sealing door 101 via a hinge 103. The raw material for flavoring and heating is placed in by opening the sealing door 101. A vacuum safety valve 107 is installed on the top of the vacuum chamber 100 to ensure the safety of the system during operation. A vacuum gauge 105 and a thermometer 106 are installed on the front of the vacuum chamber 100 to display the air pressure and temperature in real time. A material pipe pressure sensor 203 is also installed on the feeding pipe 202 to determine whether the flavoring is blocked in the feeding pipe 202.

[0041] A vacuum generator 500 is connected to the vacuum chamber 100 via an air extraction pipe 501.

[0042] A liquid gas storage tank 400 is filled with liquid gas and has an outlet pipe 403. The outlet pipe 403 is connected to the feeding pipe 202 via a mixing valve 600 to mix the liquid gas and fragrance and introduce them into the vacuum chamber 100. A drain / filling valve 401 is also provided at the bottom of the liquid gas storage tank 400 to replenish or discharge liquid gas in a timely manner.

[0043] Vacuum safety valve 107 and gas safety valve 404 are respectively installed on the top of vacuum chamber 100 and liquid gas storage tank 400 to ensure the safety of system operation.

[0044] The system also includes an electrical control cabinet 900, which is electrically connected to the stirring motor 201, the vacuum generator 500, and the liquid gas storage tank 400 to control system operation. The electrical control cabinet 900 contains the necessary high-voltage electronic systems for system operation, such as a Siemens S400 PLC, frequency converter, and terminal blocks.

[0045] The vacuum low-temperature flavoring system for heated tobacco raw materials disclosed in this invention achieves flavoring of heated tobacco raw materials in a vacuum environment. During the flavoring process, by adjusting the working frequency of the feed pump 213 and the gas pressure of the liquid gas storage tank 400, the flavoring, gas flow rate and mixing ratio are adjusted. With the help of the negative pressure environment, the flavoring carried by the low-temperature gas is introduced into the working chamber in a controlled manner, so as to complete the flavoring of heated tobacco raw materials evenly and deeply, while ensuring low temperature and low humidity during the flavoring process.

[0046] Furthermore, it also includes a cabinet 300, to which both the gas outlet pipe 403 and the feeding pipe 202 are connected. The cabinet 300 is equipped with a liquid temperature gauge 301, a liquid gas temperature gauge 302, a liquid weight gauge 303, a liquid gas weight gauge 304, a liquid flow meter 305, and a gas flow meter 306 to display the data of the spices in the material tank 200 and the data of the liquid gas in the liquid gas storage tank 400 in real time. Based on the real-time data provided by the cabinet 300, the data is fed back to the electrical control cabinet 900 to facilitate the control of the delivery of spices and liquid gas.

[0047] Furthermore, a solenoid valve 211, a filter 212, and a feed pump 213 are sequentially provided between the feeding pipe 202 and the mixing valve 600. The solenoid valve 211 and the feed pump 213 are electrically connected to the electrical control cabinet 900 so as to control the connection and disconnection of the feeding pipe 202 through the electrical control cabinet 900. The liquid flow meter 305 is located between the mixing valve 600 and the feed pump 213.

[0048] Furthermore, a first check valve 214 is provided between the liquid flow meter 305 and the mixing valve 600 to prevent the fragrance from flowing back.

[0049] Furthermore, an outlet valve 402 is sequentially installed on the outlet pipe 403 between the liquid gas storage tank 400 and the mixing valve 600. The outlet valve 402 is connected to the electrical control cabinet 900 so that the connection and disconnection of the outlet pipe 403 can be controlled by the electrical control cabinet 900. The gas flow meter 306 is connected between the outlet valve 402 and the mixing valve 600.

[0050] Furthermore, the gas outlet pipe 403 is also equipped with a gas pressure fine-tuning valve 412, which is located between the gas outlet shut-off valve 402 and the gas flow meter 306. A second check valve 411 is also provided between the gas outlet shut-off valve 402 and the gas pressure fine-tuning valve 412 to prevent gas backflow when adjusting the gas outlet pressure. A third check valve 413 is also provided between the gas flow meter 306 and the mixing valve 600 to prevent overall gas backflow.

[0051] Furthermore, the vacuum chamber 100 is equipped with multiple nozzles 800. The mixing valve 600 is connected to the nozzles 800 via a mixing pipe, and a main shut-off valve 700 is installed on the mixing pipe. The main shut-off valve 700 is electrically connected to the electrical control cabinet 900. In practice, the fragrance encased in low-temperature gas is controlled and introduced into the vacuum chamber 100 through the multiple nozzles 800, uniformly and thoroughly adding fragrance to the heated tobacco raw materials.

[0052] Furthermore, a return pipe 215 is provided between the mixing valve 600 and the main shut-off valve 700. The return pipe 215 is connected to the material tank 200. When the main shut-off valve 700 is closed, the spices located in the feeding pipe 202 return to the material tank 200 through the return pipe 215 to pre-fill the feeding pipe 202. In addition, a return shut-off valve 216 is provided on the return pipe 215, which opens only when the main shut-off valve 700 is closed.

[0053] Furthermore, a locking mechanism 104 is provided on the side of the sealing door 101 away from the hinge 103, and a sealing gasket is provided between the periphery of the sealing door 101 and the vacuum chamber 100. Air tightness is ensured by the locking mechanism 104 and the sealing gasket (ring) (not shown in the figure).

[0054] Furthermore, the sealed door 101 is also provided with an observation window 102, so that the operator can observe the specific flavoring situation of the heated flue gas raw material in the vacuum chamber 100 through the observation window 102.

[0055] When the system is working:

[0056] S1. The fragrance to be applied is injected (pumped) into the material tank 200 in sequence.

[0057] S2. Fill the liquid gas storage tank 400 with liquid nitrogen, liquid carbon dioxide and other gases as required by the process.

[0058] S3. Place the raw material to be heated and flavored into the vacuum chamber 100, and manually operate the locking mechanism 104 to completely seal the vacuum chamber 100.

[0059] S4. Vacuum generator 500 starts under the instruction of the built-in PLC in electrical control cabinet 900 and continuously removes air from vacuum chamber 100. When the pressure inside vacuum chamber 100 drops below 1000Pa, vacuum generator 500 is stopped in a controlled manner.

[0060] S5. Feed pump 213 starts, and simultaneously, outlet shut-off valve 402 and main shut-off valve 700 open. Low-temperature gas is delivered through outlet pipe 403, and after being mixed with fragrance in mixing valve 600, it is injected into vacuum chamber 100 through nozzle 800 under pressure differential to perform the fragrance addition operation. During the process, the fragrance, gas, flow rate, and mixing ratio can be adjusted by adjusting the operating frequency of the feed pump and the gas pressure fine-tuning valve 412.

[0061] S6. When the internal pressure of the vacuum chamber 100 reaches 1 / 2 atmosphere, the aforementioned fragrance pipeline system stops working, and the gas supply system continues to inject low-temperature gas into the vacuum chamber 100 through the nozzle 800 until the internal pressure of the vacuum chamber 100 reaches the standard atmosphere.

[0062] S7. Release the locking mechanism 104, open the sealing door 101, and take out the flavored heated tobacco raw material.

[0063] Furthermore, before conveying the fragrance into the vacuum chamber 100, the feeding pipe 202 should be pre-filled. The specific operating steps are as follows:

[0064] S8. The main shut-off solenoid valve 211 is closed, solenoid valve 211 and return shut-off valve 216 are opened, and the feed pump 213 is started. The fragrance to be applied inside the material tank 200 passes through the feed pipe 202 in sequence through the solenoid valve 211, filter 212, feed pump 213, liquid flow meter 305, first check valve 214, mixing valve 600, and return shut-off valve 216, and returns to the material tank 200. After the pre-filling preset time is reached, the feed pump 213 stops and the return shut-off valve 216 is closed. The fragrance pre-filling process is completed, which ensures that the gas inside the feed pipe 202 is discharged when it delivers fragrance to the vacuum chamber 100, so as to avoid affecting the real-time atmospheric pressure in the vacuum chamber 100.

[0065] While specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail by way of examples, those skilled in the art should understand that the examples are for illustrative purposes only and not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A vacuum low-temperature flavoring system for heated flue gas raw materials, characterized in that, include: The spice container is equipped with a stirring motor on top to fully stir the spices inside the container; A vacuum chamber is connected to the material tank via a feeding pipe, and the vacuum chamber is connected to a sealed door via a hinge. By opening the sealed door, the raw material for adding fragrance and heating the smoke is placed in. A vacuum generator, wherein the vacuum generator is connected to the vacuum chamber via an air extraction pipe; A liquid gas storage tank, filled with liquid gas and equipped with an outlet pipe, the outlet pipe being connected to the feeding pipe via a mixing valve to mix the liquid gas and fragrance before introducing it into the vacuum chamber; and An electrical control cabinet is electrically connected to the stirring motor, vacuum generator, and liquid gas storage tank to control the operation of the system. It also includes a cabinet, and the gas outlet pipe and the feeding pipe are both connected to the cabinet. The cabinet is equipped with a liquid temperature gauge, a liquid gas temperature gauge, a liquid weight gauge, a liquid gas weight gauge, a liquid flow meter and a gas flow meter to display the data of the spices in the material tank and the data of the liquid gas in the liquid gas storage tank in real time. A solenoid valve, a filter, and a feed pump are sequentially arranged between the feeding pipeline and the mixing valve. The solenoid valve and the feed pump are electrically connected to the electrical control cabinet so as to control the connection and disconnection of the feeding pipeline through the electrical control cabinet. The liquid flow meter is arranged between the mixing valve and the feed pump. A first check valve is also provided between the liquid flow meter and the mixing valve to prevent the fragrance from flowing back. The gas outlet pipe is equipped with a gas outlet shut-off valve, which is connected to the electrical control cabinet so as to control the connection and disconnection of the gas outlet pipe through the electrical control cabinet. The gas flow meter is connected between the gas outlet shut-off valve and the mixing valve. The gas outlet pipe is also equipped with a gas pressure fine-tuning valve, which is located between the gas outlet shut-off valve and the gas flow meter. A second check valve is also provided between the gas outlet shut-off valve and the gas pressure fine-tuning valve to prevent gas backflow when adjusting the gas outlet pressure. A third check valve is also provided between the gas flow meter and the mixing valve to prevent overall gas backflow. The vacuum chamber is equipped with multiple nozzles, and the mixing valve is connected to the nozzles through a mixing pipe. The mixing pipe is equipped with a main shut-off valve, which is electrically connected to the electrical control cabinet. A return pipe is also provided between the mixing valve and the main shut-off valve. The return pipe is connected to the material tank. When the main shut-off valve is closed, the spices in the feeding pipe return to the material tank through the return pipe to prefill the feeding pipe. The sealing door is provided with a locking mechanism on the side away from the hinge, and a sealing gasket is provided between the periphery of the sealing door and the vacuum chamber; The sealed door is also equipped with an observation window.

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