A method for measuring the degree of heating of cigarette sticks

Abstract

The application discloses a method for determining the degree of needle / adhesion of heated cigarettes, comprising the following steps: covering the tobacco end face of the to-be-tested cigarette with a first film, and the part of the first film beyond the tobacco end face adheres to the side face of the to-be-tested cigarette; inserting the to-be-tested cigarette covered with the first film into the heating cavity of an instrument; heating the to-be-tested cigarette; then separating the to-be-tested cigarette and the instrument at a constant speed and measuring the pulling force used in the separation process; if the to-be-tested cigarette is separated from the instrument and the first film covers the tobacco end face after the separation, then the degree of needle / adhesion of the to-be-tested cigarette is characterized according to the pulling force in the process. By covering the tobacco end face of the to-be-tested cigarette with a film, the application can prevent the tobacco of the to-be-tested cigarette from separating from the cigarette paper when the to-be-tested cigarette is separated from the heating instrument, and help the tobacco to be separated from the heating instrument together with the to-be-tested cigarette as a whole, so that the degree of needle / adhesion of the cigarette can be determined more accurately.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cigarettes, and in particular to a method for measuring the degree of stickiness of heated cigarettes to needles / sheets. Background Technology

[0002] When cigarettes are heated using a central heating device, after smoking, the tobacco near the inner core heat source carbonizes, chars, and shrinks, causing it to adhere tightly to the heating element. When the cigarette is pulled out of the heating device, the tobacco will detach from the cigarette paper and remain inside the heating chamber of the device, or a considerable amount of force is required to effectively pull out the cigarette. This phenomenon is called "sticky needle / sheet" and is a common problem in the heated cigarette industry.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to measure the degree of cigarette sticking / sheet adhesion to guide the optimization or improvement of cigarette production processes. The degree of cigarette sticking / sheet adhesion is evaluated by the pull-out force of the cigarette after heating. However, due to the existence of the problem of cigarette sticking / sheet adhesion, the measured pull-out force often fails to accurately reflect the actual degree of difficulty in pulling out the cigarette due to the loss of tobacco. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for measuring the degree of stickiness / sheet adhesion of heated cigarettes, so as to enable more accurate measurement of the degree of stickiness / sheet adhesion of cigarettes.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0006] A method for determining the degree of stickiness / stickiness of heated cigarettes, comprising:

[0007] The first film is used to cover the tobacco end face of the cigarette to be tested, and the portion of the first film extending beyond the tobacco end face is adhered to the side of the cigarette to be tested.

[0008] The cigarette to be tested, after being covered with the first film, is placed into the heating chamber of the device for heating treatment.

[0009] The test cigarette and the device are separated at a uniform speed, and the tension used during the separation process is measured. If the test cigarette is separated from the device and the first film covers the end face of the tobacco after separation, the degree of sticking needles / sheets of the test cigarette is characterized by the tension.

[0010] Optionally, the portion of the first film extending beyond the end face of the tobacco shreds adheres to the side of the cigarette to be tested without overlapping.

[0011] Optionally, the portion of the first film covering the end face of the tobacco shreds is provided with ventilation holes.

[0012] Optionally, before inserting the cigarette to be tested into the heating chamber of the device, the method further includes:

[0013] The side of the cigarette to be tested is covered with a second film.

[0014] Optionally, a single layer of the second film is coated on the side of the cigarette to be tested.

[0015] Optionally, the second film covers the filter rod segment, the junction of the tobacco shred segment and the filter rod segment of the cigarette to be tested, as well as at least a portion of the tobacco shred segment.

[0016] Optionally, the second film has a gap between the edge of the second film near the end face of the tobacco shred and the end face of the tobacco shred, such that the portion of the first film adhering to the side of the cigarette to be tested does not overlap with the second film.

[0017] Optionally, the heat treatment of the cigarette to be tested includes:

[0018] For the cigarette to be tested, the number of puffs is the integer part of a preset ratio plus one. The preset ratio is the ratio of the device's working cycle minus the preheating time to the standard puff interval.

[0019] Optionally, separating the cigarette to be tested and the device and measuring the pulling force used during the separation process includes:

[0020] The cigarette to be tested and the device are respectively fixed to the tensile testing device. With one of the cigarette to be tested and the device stationary, the other is moved along the axial direction of the cigarette to be tested to separate the cigarette to be tested and the device.

[0021] Optionally, characterizing the degree of sticking of the cigarette stick to the test based on the tensile force includes:

[0022] The maximum tensile force during the separation process is obtained, and the maximum tensile force is used to characterize the degree of sticking of the cigarette stick to the test.

[0023] As can be seen from the above technical solution, the method for determining the degree of sticking needles / sheets in heated cigarettes provided by the present invention includes: covering the tobacco end face of the cigarette to be tested with a first film, with the portion of the first film extending beyond the tobacco end face adhering to the side of the cigarette to be tested; placing the cigarette to be tested, covered with the first film, into the heating chamber of an apparatus; heating the cigarette to be tested; then uniformly separating the cigarette to be tested from the apparatus and measuring the tension used during the separation process; if the cigarette to be tested separates from the apparatus and the first film remains covering the tobacco end face after separation, the degree of sticking needles / sheets in the cigarette to be tested is characterized by the tension. The method for determining the degree of sticking needles / sheets in heated cigarettes of the present invention, by covering the tobacco end face of the cigarette to be tested with a film, can prevent the tobacco of the cigarette to be tested from separating from the cigarette paper when separating the cigarette to be tested from the apparatus, which helps the tobacco to separate from the heating apparatus along with the entire cigarette to be tested, thus enabling a more accurate determination of the degree of sticking needles / sheets in the cigarette. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 A flowchart of a method for determining the degree of stickiness / stickiness of heated cigarettes provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the first film used in a method for determining the adhesion of heated cigarette needles / sheets according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a method for determining the adhesion of a heated cigarette needle / sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention, with the cigarette to be tested covered by a first film and a second film;

[0028] Figure 4 This is an example of the change in tension during the separation process of a certain brand of heated cigarette after heating, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] The reference numerals in the accompanying drawings include:

[0030] 1-First membrane, 2-Ventilation hole, 3-Second membrane, 4-Cigarette to be tested, 5-Tobacco shreds, 6-Filter rod segment. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of this invention, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0032] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 A flowchart of a method for determining the degree of stickiness / stickiness of heated cigarettes provided in this embodiment is shown in the figure. This method for determining the degree of stickiness / stickiness of heated cigarettes includes the following steps:

[0033] S11: The tobacco end face of the cigarette to be tested is covered with a first film, and the portion of the first film extending beyond the tobacco end face is adhered to the side of the cigarette to be tested.

[0034] The first film is larger than the tobacco end face of the cigarette to be tested, so that the first film can cover the tobacco end face of the cigarette to be tested, and the part of the first film that extends beyond the tobacco end face can adhere to the side of the cigarette to be tested.

[0035] S12: The cigarette to be tested, after being covered with the first film, is placed into the heating chamber of the device, and the cigarette to be tested is heated.

[0036] When the cigarette to be tested, covered with the first film, is placed into the heating chamber of the device, the heating needle / plate of the device will pass through the first film and insert into the tobacco section of the cigarette to be tested.

[0037] S13: Separate the cigarette to be tested and the device at a uniform speed and measure the tension used during the separation process. If the cigarette to be tested is separated from the device and the first film covers the end face of the tobacco after separation, the tension is used to characterize the degree of sticking needles / sheets of the cigarette to be tested.

[0038] After the cigarette to be tested has undergone heat treatment, the cigarette and the heating device are separated, and the tensile force used during the separation process is measured. During separation, the cigarette and the device are separated at a uniform speed. The tensile force on the cigarette is balanced with the adhesive force between the cigarette and the heating chamber of the device. Therefore, the tensile force used for separation reflects the adhesive force between the cigarette and the heating chamber, and thus, the degree of sticking needles / pieces in the cigarette can be characterized by the tensile force. If the cigarette is completely separated from the device without any detachment of tobacco from the cigarette paper, and the first film covers the tobacco end face after separation, the test is considered valid, and the measured tensile force characterizes the degree of sticking needles / pieces in the cigarette.

[0039] The heating cigarette sticking needle / sheet degree determination method of this embodiment, by covering the tobacco end face of the cigarette to be tested with a thin film, can prevent the tobacco of the cigarette to be tested from separating from the cigarette paper when the cigarette to be tested is separated from the heating device, which helps the tobacco to be separated from the heating device along with the cigarette to be tested as a whole, so that the sticking needle / sheet degree of the cigarette can be measured more accurately.

[0040] The thickness of the first film should be within a suitable range to avoid the first film adhering to the side of the cigarette being tested being too thick, which would increase the friction between the cigarette being tested and the heating chamber of the device, so as to avoid affecting the pulling force used to separate the cigarette being tested from the heating device.

[0041] The length of the portion of the first film adhering to the side of the cigarette to be tested along the axial direction of the cigarette must be within a suitable range. It needs to ensure that the first film does not easily detach when the cigarette is removed from the device; if the first film easily detaches, it cannot effectively prevent the tobacco from separating from the cigarette paper due to the sticking needle. Preferably, the portion of the first film extending beyond the tobacco end face adheres to the side of the cigarette to be tested without overlapping. If the portion of the first film extending beyond the tobacco end face adheres to the side of the cigarette to be tested and overlaps, it increases the thickness and the friction between the cigarette to be tested and the heating chamber of the device. The first film can be a regular polygon or an irregular polygon; in this embodiment, its shape is not specifically limited, as long as the portion of the first film extending beyond the tobacco end face adheres to the side of the cigarette to be tested without overlapping.

[0042] Ventilation holes are provided in the portion of the first film covering the tobacco end face, preserving the airflow function within the cigarette to be tested. This ensures airflow within the tobacco of the cigarette to be tested during heating and smoking, more closely resembling the actual heating and smoking process, and helps improve the accuracy of determining the degree of needle / piece adhesion in the cigarette. An example can be referred to... Figure 2 and Figure 3 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the first film used in a method for measuring the adhesion of heated cigarette needles / sheets according to one embodiment. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a heated cigarette adhesion needle / sheet determination method provided in one embodiment, showing the cigarette to be tested covered with a first film and a second film. As shown in the figure, the area of ​​the first film 1 is larger than the tobacco end face area of ​​the cigarette to be tested 4. The edge of the first film 1 is irregularly shaped, so that after the first film 1 covers the tobacco end face, the excess part can be bent and adhered to the side of the cigarette to be tested 4 without overlapping. Furthermore, ventilation holes 2 are provided on the first film 1.

[0043] In some implementation methods, reference may be made to Figure 1 As shown, before the cigarette to be tested 4 is placed into the heating chamber of the device, step S10 is included: covering the side of the cigarette to be tested with a second film. The cigarette to be tested 4 includes tobacco segments 5 and filter rod segments 6. After the cigarette to be tested 4 is heated, the volatile and condensed moisture and other liquid components easily wet and soften the structure, forming paper and tipping paper inside the filter rod segment 6. The forming paper and tipping paper are used to wrap and connect the structure inside the filter rod segment 6 as a whole. Thus, when the cigarette to be tested 4 is pulled out, its forming paper and tipping paper may break or the cigarette to be tested 4 may break, resulting in test failure. For example, some cigarettes with strong needle adhesion are more likely to break. In this embodiment, the side of the cigarette to be tested 4 is covered with a second film 3. The second film 3 can play a stabilizing role for each functional segment of the cigarette to be tested 4, which can fix each functional segment of the cigarette to be tested 4 and prevent the cigarette to be tested 4 from breaking during the test.

[0044] Preferably, the second film 3 covers the filter rod segment 6, the junction of the tobacco segment 5 and the filter rod segment 6, and at least a portion of the tobacco segment 5 of the cigarette 4 to be tested. In this way, the second film 3 stabilizes the filter rod segment 6 and the junction of the tobacco segment 5 and the filter rod segment 6 of the cigarette 4 to be tested, preventing these parts from breaking. The edge of the second film 3 away from the tobacco end face, i.e., the edge near the end face of the filter rod segment 6, can be flush with or close to the end face of the filter rod segment 6. Figure 2 As shown, the end edge of the second membrane 3 near the end face of the filter rod segment 6 is flush with the end face of the filter rod segment 6.

[0045] The second film 3 has a gap between its edge near the tobacco end face and the tobacco end face, so that the portion of the first film 1 adhering to the side of the cigarette 4 to be tested does not overlap with the second film 3. This ensures that the portion of the first film 1 extending beyond the tobacco end face adheres to the gap left on the side of the cigarette 4 to be tested, preventing overlap with the second film 3, avoiding increased thickness, and minimizing friction between the cigarette 1 to be tested and the heating chamber of the device, thus reducing the impact on the measurement results. The gap between the edge of the second film 3 near the tobacco end face and the tobacco end face should not be too small or too large. If it is too small, the portion of the first film 1 adhering to the side of the cigarette 1 to be tested will be insufficient, making it easy for the first film 1 to detach when the cigarette 1 to be tested is removed from the heating device. If the first film 1 detaches easily, it will fail to prevent the tobacco from separating from the cigarette paper due to sticking to the needle.

[0046] The thickness of the second film 3 should be within a suitable range to avoid increasing the friction between the cigarette 1 under test and the heating chamber of the device due to excessive thickness, thus affecting the pulling force required to separate the cigarette 1 from the heating device. A single layer of the second film 3 can be wrapped around the side of the cigarette 4 under test. Avoid increasing the thickness and the outer diameter of the cigarette 1 under test, which would increase friction. The second film 3 can cover exactly one circumference of the cigarette 4 under test, without overlapping at the joints; or, the second film 3 can cover most of the circumference of the cigarette 4 under test, for example, covering more than 3 / 4 or 4 / 5 of its circumference.

[0047] The first film 1 should have good waterproof performance and tensile strength, and good temperature resistance. Optionally, the first film 1 should not undergo significant physical or chemical changes below 250℃. The second film 3 should have good waterproof performance and tensile strength, and certain temperature resistance. Optionally, the second film 3 should not undergo significant physical or chemical changes below 150℃. The second film 3 includes, but is not limited to, a polyimide film. In one specific example, the thickness of the second film 3 is less than or equal to 50μm, and the gap between the edge of the second film 3 near the tobacco end face and the tobacco end face is at least 2mm. The portion of the first film 1 adhered to the side of the cigarette 4 to be tested should have a length along the axial direction of the cigarette 4 to be tested not less than 1mm.

[0048] It should be noted that, in Figure 1 The example given is that step S10 is performed first and then step S11. In practical applications, step S10 can be performed first and then step S11, or step S11 can be performed first and then step S10, or steps S10 and S11 can be performed simultaneously.

[0049] The heating treatment of the cigarette to be tested 4 includes heating the cigarette to be tested 4 and inhaling the cigarette to be tested 4. The cigarette to be tested 4, sealed with a first film 1 and wrapped with a second film 3, is placed into the heating chamber of the device. Heating is started, and the filter rod segment 6 is inserted into the smoking machine for inhalation. In some embodiments, the heating treatment of the cigarette to be tested 4 includes: inhaling the cigarette to be tested 4, with the number of inhalations being a preset ratio rounded down and then increased by one. The preset ratio is the ratio of the device's working cycle minus the preheating time to the standard inhalation interval. This simulates the actual situation of cigarette needle sticking during heating. Inhalation can be performed using ISO standards or HCI depth inhalation parameters.

[0050] In some embodiments, separating the cigarette 4 to be tested and the appliance and measuring the tensile force used during the separation process includes: fixing the cigarette 4 to be tested and the appliance to a tensile testing device respectively, keeping one of the cigarette 4 to be tested and the appliance stationary, and moving the other along the axial direction of the cigarette 4 to be tested, thereby separating the cigarette 4 to be tested and the appliance. The tensile testing device can measure the magnitude of the tensile force used during the separation process and can obtain the change in tensile force during the separation of the cigarette 4 to be tested and the appliance. For example, the heating appliance can be fixed to the lower part of the tensile testing device, and the cigarette 4 to be tested can be fixed to the upper part of the tensile testing device by clamps. During separation, one clamp with the cigarette 4 to be tested or the appliance moves in the vertical direction, while the other clamp remains stationary, and neither of them moves in the horizontal direction or any other direction throughout the process.

[0051] Moving one of the cigarettes to be tested (4) and the apparatus along the axial direction of the cigarette 4 at a uniform speed ensures stable and accurate tension during the separation process, thus improving the accuracy of the cigarette sticking needle / sheet determination. The moving speed should be less than or equal to 200 mm / min, preferably less than or equal to 200 mm / min and greater than or equal to 80 mm / min.

[0052] Optionally, characterizing the degree of sticking of the cigarette 4 to be tested based on the tensile force includes: obtaining the maximum tensile force during the separation process, and characterizing the degree of sticking of the cigarette 4 to be tested based on the maximum tensile force. If a test is valid, the maximum tensile force is obtained based on the changes in tensile force during the separation process, and the maximum tensile force is used as a statistical index of the degree of sticking of the tobacco to be tested. If the first film 1 does not detach from the heater after separating the cigarette 4 to be tested and the heater, or if neither the first film 1 nor the tobacco shreds detach from the heater, or if the cigarette 4 to be tested breaks, then the test is considered invalid. A new cigarette can be selected and the test can be repeated.

[0053] For example, Figure 4 This document describes the change in pull force during the separation process of a heated cigarette of a certain brand in one embodiment. Specifically, it shows the curve of the pull-out force as a moving part changes with the displacement of the moving part during the process of removing the heated cigarette from the device. The displacement speed of the moving part is 100 mm / min. The maximum pull force is 0.480 kgf, corresponding to a displacement of 0.592 mm. The maximum pull force can be used to characterize the degree of cigarette sticking to needles / pieces. Table 1 below shows the statistical data of the maximum pull force during the separation process of 10 heated cigarettes of a certain brand in one embodiment, specifically the maximum pull force during the process of removing the heated cigarette from the device.

[0054] Table 1

[0055]

[0056]

[0057] Compared with existing technologies, this method for determining the degree of adhesion to needles / sheets in heated cigarettes solves the problem that excessive adhesion to needles / sheets after heating causes the tobacco to separate from the cigarette paper during pull-out force measurement, rather than from the heating needles / sheets, making it impossible to accurately measure the degree of adhesion. Simultaneously, it effectively solves the problem of cigarette breakage during pull-out due to softening and wetting after heating. This method can quantitatively and intuitively reflect the degree of adhesion to needles / sheets in tobacco, consistent with the human experience of pulling out a cigarette, and exhibits good stability and high accuracy. It provides an effective analytical tool for improving heated cigarette tobacco formulations and processes. This method can quantitatively analyze the degree of adhesion to needles / sheets in tobacco with different formulations and processes, guiding their optimization and improvement.

[0058] The above provides a detailed description of the method for determining the degree of stickiness (needle / sheet adhesion) of heated cigarettes provided by this invention. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are merely for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications to this invention without departing from its principles, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of this invention.

Claims

1. A method for determining the degree of stickiness / stickiness of heated cigarettes, characterized in that, include: A first film is used to cover the tobacco end face of the cigarette to be tested, and the portion of the first film extending beyond the tobacco end face is adhered to the side of the cigarette to be tested. A second film is used to cover the side of the cigarette to be tested. The cigarette to be tested, after being covered with the first film, is placed into the heating chamber of the device for heating treatment. The test cigarette and the device are separated at a uniform speed, and the tension used during the separation process is measured. If the test cigarette is separated from the device and the first film covers the end face of the tobacco after separation, the degree of sticking needles / sheets of the test cigarette is characterized by the tension.

2. The method for determining the degree of stickiness / stickiness of heated cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that, The portion of the first film extending beyond the end face of the tobacco shreds adheres to the side of the cigarette to be tested without overlapping.

3. The method for determining the degree of stickiness / stickiness of heated cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that, The portion of the first film covering the end face of the tobacco shreds is provided with ventilation holes.

4. The method for determining the degree of stickiness / stickiness of heated cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that, A single layer of the second film is wrapped around the side of the cigarette to be tested.

5. The method for determining the degree of stickiness / stickiness of heated cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second film covers the filter rod segment, the junction of the tobacco shred segment and the filter rod segment of the cigarette to be tested, as well as at least a portion of the tobacco shred segment.

6. The method for determining the degree of stickiness / stickiness of heated cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second film has a gap between the edge of the second film near the end face of the tobacco shred and the end face of the tobacco shred, such that the portion of the first film adhering to the side of the cigarette to be tested does not overlap with the second film.

7. The method for determining the degree of stickiness / stickiness of heated cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat treatment of the cigarette to be tested includes: For the cigarette to be tested, the number of puffs is the integer part of a preset ratio plus one. The preset ratio is the ratio of the device's working cycle minus the preheating time to the standard puff interval.

8. The method for determining the degree of stickiness / stickiness of heated cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process of uniformly separating the cigarette stick to be tested and the device, and measuring the pulling force used during the separation, includes: The cigarette to be tested and the device are respectively fixed to the tensile testing device. With one of the cigarette to be tested and the device stationary, the other is moved along the axial direction of the cigarette to be tested to separate the cigarette to be tested and the device.

9. The method for determining the degree of stickiness / stickiness of heated cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that, The degree of adhesion of the cigarette stick to the test cigarette, as characterized by the tensile force, includes: The maximum tensile force during the separation process is obtained, and the maximum tensile force is used to characterize the degree of sticking of the cigarette stick to the test.

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