A method of processing imported tobacco leaves and a production system

Abstract

The patent discloses a processing method and production system for imported tobacco leaves, comprising: applying atomized water to the imported tobacco leaves in a low-intensity loose rehydration process, with the discharge moisture control of the low-intensity loose rehydration being 13.5-14.5%; performing multi-stage impurity removal treatment on the tobacco leaves after the low-intensity loose rehydration; feeding the tobacco leaves after the multi-stage impurity removal treatment into a threshing production line; not using a threshing frame fence for the first and second threshing; using a rhombic hole frame fence for the third threshing; and using a circular hole frame fence for the fourth threshing; collecting the leaves obtained from the threshing production line and performing low-temperature slow drying for 15-30 minutes under the condition that the temperature is not higher than 50 DEG C, to obtain finished tobacco leaves, with the moisture of the finished tobacco leaves being 11.0-12.5% and the crushing rate of the finished tobacco leaves being lower than 1.5%. The patent realizes efficient, low-damage and safe storage of tobacco leaves with moisture, and significantly improves the purity of imported tobacco leaves.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This patent belongs to the field of tobacco processing technology, specifically relating to a processing method and production system for imported tobacco leaves. Background Technology

[0002] In cigarette product design, tobacco leaves are the core determinant of a cigarette's sensory quality and style. Imported tobacco leaves, especially high-quality flue-cured tobacco from Zimbabwe in Africa, possess a unique aroma and smoking quality that is difficult to replicate due to its advantageous ecological conditions and distinctive varieties, cultivation, and processing techniques. However, compared to domestically produced re-dried tobacco leaves, imported tobacco leaves typically exhibit the following prominent issues: High stem content in leaves: Imported tobacco leaves have a stem content of about 3.5%, while domestic flue-cured tobacco leaves have only about 1.5%. The higher stem content can lead to quality problems in cigarette production, such as cigarette punctures, burning and popping, and uneven weight distribution of cigarettes. High impurity content: Due to the inconsistent quality control levels of tobacco leaf re-drying and processing abroad, the content of Class I and II impurities (such as hemp rope, hemp fibers, metal, plastic, rubber, etc.) in imported tobacco leaves is significantly higher. If these impurities are not removed cleanly and enter cigarettes, they will seriously damage the sensory evaluation quality and harm the consumer experience.

[0003] Traditional methods for improving the purity of imported tobacco leaves mainly rely on manual leaf selection. After unpacking 200kg / boxes of cardboard-packaged tobacco leaves, they are stored in a high-temperature, high-humidity environment (around 35℃ and 75% humidity) for 48 hours to naturally rehydrate, increasing the moisture content from approximately 12% to 14% to enhance flexibility. Then, manual leaf selection (10kg / hour per person) removes stems and impurities. Finally, the loose leaves are manually packed into boxes (80kg / box) for later use. This traditional method has several drawbacks: 1. Uneven moisture regain: The surface moisture of the tobacco leaves rises quickly, but the internal moisture regain is not thorough, resulting in uneven moisture distribution. This leads to larger breakage during subsequent manual sorting and increased tobacco leaf loss. 2. Low efficiency and high cost: Manual sorting is extremely inefficient (10kg / h per person), the daily output is limited, a large number of workers need to be hired, and labor costs are high; 3. High storage risk: The moisture content of the selected tobacco leaves is relatively high (13%-14%), which is not conducive to long-term storage. They generally need to be used within 21 days, otherwise they are prone to mold growth, resulting in insufficient flexibility in production organization.

[0004] Therefore, developing a processing method that is efficient, low-consumption, low-damage, and can significantly improve the purity of imported tobacco leaves is of great practical significance. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this patent is to provide a processing method and production system for imported tobacco leaves, which achieves efficient, low-damage, and safe storage of tobacco leaf moisture, and significantly improves the purity of imported tobacco leaves.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this patent adopts the following technical solution: A method for processing imported tobacco leaves includes the following steps: Step A: After the imported tobacco leaves are separated into pieces, they undergo low-intensity loosening and rehydration. During the low-intensity loosening and rehydration process, atomized water is applied to the imported tobacco leaves. The output moisture content of the low-intensity loosening and rehydration is controlled at 13.5-14.5%. Step B: After the tobacco leaves have undergone low-intensity loosening and rehydration, they are subjected to multi-stage impurity removal treatment. The tobacco leaves after multi-stage impurity removal treatment are sent to the threshing production line and undergo the first threshing, first air separation, second threshing, second air separation, third threshing, third air separation, fourth threshing and fourth air separation in sequence. The first and second leaf removals do not use leaf removal frames, the third leaf removal uses diamond-shaped hole frames, and the fourth leaf removal uses round hole frames. Step C: Collect the leaves obtained from the threshing production line and dry them at a low temperature of no more than 50°C for 15-30 minutes to obtain finished tobacco leaves. The moisture content of the finished tobacco leaves is 11.0-12.5%, and the breakage rate of the finished tobacco leaves is less than 1.5%.

[0007] Furthermore, in step B, the rotation speed of the first blade is 570-575 r / min, 575-580 r / min, 580-585 r / min or 585-590 r / min; The rotation speed for the second blade beating is 600 r-610 / min, 610 r-620 / min, 620 r-630 / min, 630 r-640 / min or 640 r-650 / min; The rotation speed for the third leaf ablation is 750-770 r / min, 770-790 r / min, 790-810 r / min or 810-820 r / min; The rotation speed for the fourth leaf ablation is 900-1000 r / min, 1000-1100 r / min, or 1100-1200 r / min.

[0008] Furthermore, in step A, the atomized water flow rate for applying low-intensity loose rehydration is 80-120 L / h, 120-160 L / h, 160-210 L / h, or 210-290 L / h.

[0009] Furthermore, the temperature of the hot air for low-intensity loose rehydration is controlled at 60-80℃; The discharge temperature of loose, rehydrated tobacco leaves with low strength should be controlled at 35-40℃.

[0010] Furthermore, in step B, the multi-stage impurity removal process includes the following steps: After being loosened and rehydrated at low intensity, the tobacco leaves undergo a series of impurity removal processes, including the first, second, third, and fourth stages.

[0011] Furthermore, the first stage of impurity removal requires passing the low-strength, loose, and rehydrated tobacco leaves through a felt roller hemp removal device to remove hemp ropes, hemp fibers, and other impurities. The second stage of impurity removal requires the use of a star roller de-caking device to remove the small amount of unloosened clumps of tobacco leaves. The third stage of impurity removal requires the use of a metal detector to detect and remove metallic impurities; The fourth stage of impurity removal requires the use of machine vision impurity removal devices to identify and remove non-smoke impurities.

[0012] This patent further provides a production system for the above-mentioned processing method of imported tobacco leaves, including a loosening and rehumidifying device, a cleaning unit, a leaf-beating and air-splitting unit, and a drying device; Loosening and rehydration equipment is used for low-intensity loosening and rehydration; The impurity removal unit is used for multi-stage impurity removal processing; The leaf-trimming air separator is used to form a leaf-trimming production line with tobacco leaves that have undergone multi-stage impurity removal treatment; The leaf-cutting and air-distribution unit comprises, in sequence, a first leaf-cutting machine, a first air distributor, a second leaf-cutting machine, a second air distributor, a third leaf-cutting machine, a third air distributor, a fourth leaf-cutting machine, and a fourth air distributor. The first and second leaf-cutting machines do not have leaf-cutting frames installed, the third leaf-cutting machine has diamond-shaped hole frames installed, and the fourth leaf-cutting machine has round hole frames installed. Drying equipment is used to dry the leaves obtained from the leaf-cutting production line at low temperature and at a slow speed.

[0013] Furthermore, the third leaf trimmer is equipped with a 2.0-inch diamond-shaped perforated frame. The fourth leaf trimmer is equipped with a 2.35-inch circular hole frame.

[0014] Furthermore, the multi-stage impurity removal process includes a felt roller de-hemp removal device, a star roller de-caking device, a metal detector, and a machine vision impurity removal device. The felt roller hemp removal device is equipped with multiple sets of felt rollers; A star roller assembly with a set gap is used in the star roller de-caking device; The machine vision cleaning device is equipped with visible light and near-infrared hyperspectral cameras.

[0015] Furthermore, the loosening and rehumidifying equipment is a loosening and rehumidifying drum with a drum speed of 6-10 r / min.

[0016] This patent provides a processing method and production system for imported tobacco leaves. It adopts a mechanized online continuous processing method with a processing capacity of up to 7000 kg / h. It effectively removes tobacco stems, hemp fibers, metals and non-tobacco impurities from imported tobacco leaves, significantly improving purity. At the same time, it maximizes the preservation of the natural aroma of tobacco leaves, reduces the breakage rate, and precisely controls the moisture content of the finished product within a safe range of 12.0±0.5%, which is conducive to long-term aging and storage. This greatly improves production efficiency and the quality stability of high-end cigarette products. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The above content of this patent and the following detailed embodiments will be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the drawings are merely examples of the claimed technical solution.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing method for imported tobacco leaves in this patent. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the flow direction of tobacco raw materials in the production system of this patent. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The detailed features and advantages of this patent are described below in the specific embodiments. The content is sufficient to enable any person skilled in the art to understand the technical content of this patent and implement it accordingly. Based on the specification, claims and drawings disclosed in this specification, a person skilled in the art can easily understand the related objectives and advantages of this patent.

[0020] This specification also uses several compound terms to describe devices, components, equipment, etc. that include more than one function, or to assign additional functions to a corresponding device, component, equipment, etc. Those skilled in the art will understand that such compound terms can be implemented by a single or multiple devices, components, equipment, etc., as long as they are reasonable under the interpretation rules of this patent terminology.

[0021] It should be noted that in this specification, similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and interpreted in subsequent figures. In this specification and claims, several terms will be used, and unless otherwise indicated, these terms will be defined as having the following meanings: The terms “comprising” or “having” have the same meaning as “containing”, and also include other forms of the term, such as the gerund and singular forms in English, meaning including but not limited to, and not intended to exclude, for example, other elements, components, integers or steps. All other terms used herein for special definition are intended to have the general meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, in particular meaning that one of ordinary skill in the art, upon reading the claims, specification and drawings of this patent, can directly and without doubt determine how the technical solution of this patent can be implemented.

[0022] Even if there are incomplete descriptions, omissions, or ambiguities in the grammar, words, punctuation, graphics, symbols, etc. of the claims, specification, and drawings of this patent, a person skilled in the art can still arrive at the only correct understanding by reading the claims, specification, and drawings as a whole without extensive reasoning or experimentation, and effectively exclude various incorrect interpretations that are not aimed at achieving the purpose of this patent.

[0023] Those skilled in the art would first choose to read the claims, specification, and drawings of this patent to reasonably interpret the terms; secondly, they would choose to refer to the relevant definitions in other documents published by the applicant before the filing date to reasonably interpret the terms; thirdly, they would choose the references cited in this patent to reasonably interpret the terms; and finally, they would choose to combine the technical dictionaries, technical manuals, reference books, textbooks, national or industry technical standards, etc., commonly used by those skilled in the art to reasonably interpret the terms.

[0024] All references cited in this application are incorporated herein by way of quotation, to the extent that they do not contradict the disclosure herein. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that products (apparatus, components, devices, compounds, compositions, materials, etc.) and methods (processes, steps, conditions, parameters, equipment, and test methods, equipment, etc.) not specifically described herein can be applied to the implementation of the inventions fully disclosed herein without the need for excessive experimentation. This patent is intended to cover all functional equivalents known in the art of the methods, apparatus, apparatus components, materials, processes, and techniques specifically described herein. All cited references include: The following publications are included: Marks' Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers (11th edition and other editions prior to this patent application date), published by McGraw-Hill, Inc.; DeGarmo's Materials and Processes in Manufacturing (13th edition and other editions prior to this patent application date), published by Wiley; Machinery's Handbook (32nd edition and other editions prior to this patent application date), published by IndustrialPress Inc.; Mechanical Design Handbook (6th edition and other editions prior to this patent application date), edited by Cheng Daxian, published by Chemical Industry Press; and Modern Mechanical Design Handbook (6th edition and other editions prior to this patent application date), edited by Wen Bangchun, published by Machinery Industry Press.

[0025] This patent will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference numerals denote similar elements. While specific structures and arrangements are discussed, it should be understood that this is done merely for illustrative purposes. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other structures and arrangements can be used without departing from the spirit and scope of this patent. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that this patent can also be used in a variety of other applications.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, this patent provides a processing method for imported tobacco leaves, including the following steps: S1. Segmented feeding: The imported tobacco leaf bales (cardboard packaging, 200kg / box) are unpacked, the cardboard packaging skin is removed, and the segments are then evenly fed into the loosening and rehumidification equipment through a conveying device for loosening.

[0027] S2. Low-Intensity Loosening and Rehydration: Inside the loosening and rehydration equipment, atomized room-temperature water, hot air at a temperature not exceeding 80℃, and an appropriate amount of steam are applied to the tobacco leaves. The leaves are loosened during tumbling, and the temperature is raised to no more than 40℃ and maintained for 5-7 minutes, increasing the moisture content to approximately 14%. A low-intensity mode is used (e.g., reducing drum speed and steam pressure) to minimize aroma loss from imported tobacco leaves and reduce breakage during subsequent processing.

[0028] The loosening and rehumidifying equipment can be a loosening and rehumidifying cylinder, with an atomized water flow rate of 2500-3000 L / h, a hot air temperature of 60-80℃, a tobacco leaf discharge temperature of 35-40℃, and a discharge moisture content of 13.5%-14.5%. The drum speed in low-intensity mode is 6-10 r / min.

[0029] S3, Multi-stage impurity removal process: After rehydration, the tobacco leaves undergo a series of impurity removal processes, including the first, second, third, and fourth stages.

[0030] The first stage of impurity removal requires passing the rehydrated tobacco leaves through a felt roller de-fiber device, which uses its adhesive properties to remove hemp ropes, hemp fibers and other impurities. The second stage of impurity removal requires the use of a star roller de-caking device to remove the small amount of unloosened clumps of tobacco leaves, which are then manually loosened separately. The third stage of impurity removal requires the use of a metal detector to detect and remove metallic impurities contained in the tobacco leaves; The fourth stage of impurity removal requires a machine vision impurity removal device, which uses machine vision imaging technology (such as hyperspectral imaging) to identify and automatically remove non-tobacco impurities (such as plastic, rubber, feathers, paper, etc.) from the tobacco leaves.

[0031] S4, Improved Leaf-Striking Wind Filter: After undergoing multiple impurity removal processes, the tobacco leaves are sent to the threshing production line and subjected to a threshing and air separation machine that performs four threshing and eleven separations in sequence, including the first threshing, the first air separation, the second threshing, the second air separation, the third threshing, the third air separation, the fourth threshing, and the fourth air separation.

[0032] The air volume of the first air separation is 35,000-45,000 m³. 3 / h.

[0033] The air volume of the second air separation is 48,000-55,000 m³. 3 / h.

[0034] The air volume of the third wind separation is 58,000-65,000 m³. 3 / h.

[0035] The air volume of the fourth wind division is 58,000-65,000 m³. 3 / h.

[0036] During the first and second threshing, no threshing frames are used; the tobacco leaves are subjected to only gentle mechanical action to avoid prematurely breaking the stems. The first and second air separation processes preferentially separate large leaves containing free stems and veins.

[0037] The rotation speed for the first blade actuation is 570-590 r / min.

[0038] The rotation speed for the second blade beating is 600-650 r / min.

[0039] The separated large leaves enter the third leaf removal process, which uses a 2.0-inch diamond-shaped frame (the short diagonal distance of the diamond-shaped holes is 2.0 inches). The rotation speed of the third leaf removal is controlled at 750-820 r / min to remove the leaf veins.

[0040] The fourth threshing then begins, using a 2.35-inch circular hole frame (the diameter of the circular hole is 2.35 inches). The rotation speed for the fourth threshing is controlled at 900-1200 r / min to further separate the remaining tobacco stems.

[0041] After the third and fourth leaf threshing, a high-efficiency air separator is installed to completely separate the leaves and stems, and collect the free tobacco stems separately.

[0042] S5. Low-temperature slow drying: The cleaned tobacco leaves obtained after threshing and air separation are collected and evenly fed into a leaf drying machine. Low-temperature, slow-speed drying (low-intensity processing) is carried out in the drying zone under strictly controlled temperature conditions not exceeding 50℃ for 15-30 minutes, precisely controlling the moisture content of the tobacco leaves to within the range of 12.0±0.5%. This moisture content is safe for long-term aging and storage without mold growth.

[0043] S6. Precise Packaging: The dried tobacco leaves are fed into a boxing machine and packaged in boxes of 200 kg each to form single-grade tobacco leaves for storage and use in production formulas.

[0044] refer to Figure 2 This patent also provides a production system for processing imported tobacco leaves, including: Segmented feeding device; Loosening and rehumidifying equipment, which is connected to an atomizing water application device, a hot air supply device and a steam supply device; The online impurity removal unit, in order of material flow, includes: a felt roller de-hemp device, a star roller de-caking device, a metal detector, and a machine vision impurity removal device. The felt roller hemp removal device is equipped with multiple sets of felt rollers; A star roller assembly with a set gap is used in the star roller de-caking device; The machine vision-based noise removal device is equipped with a visible light + near-infrared hyperspectral camera; The leaf-cutting and air-distribution unit includes, in sequence, a first leaf-cutting machine, a first air distributor, a second leaf-cutting machine, a second air distributor, a third leaf-cutting machine, a third air distributor, a fourth leaf-cutting machine, and a fourth air distributor. Neither the first nor the second leaf-beating machine has matching leaf-beating frames inside the leaf-beating rollers; The leaf-beating roller inside the third leaf-beating machine is equipped with a 2.0-inch diamond-shaped perforated frame. The leaf-beating roller inside the fourth leaf-beating machine is equipped with a 2.35-inch circular perforated frame. The blade drying machine has a temperature control module in its drying zone, with a maximum temperature not exceeding 50℃. Packing machine.

[0045] The production system of this patent has been selectively optimized in terms of process path flow based on the process requirements of "preserving aroma, removing impurities, and controlling breakage" for imported tobacco leaves.

[0046] In addition, the first leaf threshing machine, the first air separator, the second leaf threshing machine, the second air separator, the third leaf threshing machine, the third air separator, the fourth leaf threshing machine, and the fourth air separator in this patent can all adopt the leaf threshing and air separator equipment of the existing conventional leaf threshing and re-drying production line. According to the needs of the imported tobacco leaf processing task, the installation of leaf threshing frames and the type of openings of the leaf threshing frames have been adjusted.

[0047] To further demonstrate the advantages of this patent, Example 1 is provided below for detailed explanation.

[0048] Example 1

[0049] A batch of imported Zimbabwean tobacco (200kg / box, 350 boxes total, 70 tons, initial moisture content 11.8%, leaf stem content 3.6%, containing a small amount of hemp fibers and metal particles) was used as raw material and processed using the method and production line of this patent. In this embodiment, the production line is designed to have a processing capacity of 7000kg / h.

[0050] The processing method for imported tobacco leaves includes the following steps: S1. Segmented feeding: An automated unpacking machine is used to assist manual unpacking. The tobacco leaves are segmented and evenly spread on a 1.2-meter-wide conveyor belt. The conveying speed is controlled to match the processing capacity of 7000kg / h, which is approximately 1.94kg of tobacco leaves per second.

[0051] S2, Low-Intensity Rehydration: A large Φ3.0m×8m drum-type rehydration machine was used, with a drum speed of 8 r / min (low-intensity mode). Atomized water flow rate of 2800 L / h, hot air temperature of 75℃, and steam pressure of 0.12 MPa were applied. The measured temperature of the discharged tobacco leaves was 37-39℃, and the moisture content increased to 14.1%-14.3%. Sensory evaluation showed no significant loss of aroma.

[0052] S3, Online Multi-stage Impurity Removal: After rehydration, the tobacco leaves undergo a series of impurity removal processes, including the first, second, third, and fourth stages.

[0053] The first stage of impurity removal involves passing the rehydrated tobacco leaves through two sets of felt rollers, where the hemp fibers are effectively wrapped and removed, visible to the naked eye.

[0054] The second stage of impurity removal requires passing through a star roller assembly with a gap of 30mm to remove approximately 35kg of loose clumps (approximately 0.05%).

[0055] The third stage of impurity removal uses a metal detector (sensitivity Fe≥0.8mm, SUS≥1.5mm) to detect 8 metal signals, and then uses magnetic force to adsorb and remove the metal impurities.

[0056] The fourth stage of impurity removal uses a machine vision impurity removal device (equipped with a visible light + near-infrared hyperspectral camera, with a recognition accuracy of ≥2mm) to identify and remove approximately 7kg of non-smoke impurities such as plastic sheets, rubber blocks, paper pieces, and feathers by compressed air blowing.

[0057] S4, Improved Leaf-Striking Wind Filter: The cleaned tobacco leaves are sent to the threshing production line, which uses a four-threshing, eleven-splitting threshing air separation unit with a single line processing capacity of 7000 kg / h.

[0058] The first blade rotation speed is 580 r / min.

[0059] The air volume of the first air separation is approximately 40,000 m³. 3 / h, the amount of free blades separated accounts for about 60-70% of the feed.

[0060] The rotation speed for the second blade beating was 620 r / min.

[0061] The airflow of the second air distributor is adjusted to a larger value, with a second airflow of approximately 50,000 m³ / h. 3 / h, large blades are preferentially separated (accounting for 53% of the feed).

[0062] The third leaf removal uses a 2.0-inch diamond-shaped perforated frame and a rotation speed of 800 r / min.

[0063] The fourth leaf removal uses a 2.35-inch circular hole frame and a rotation speed of 1050 r / min.

[0064] The airflow of the third and fourth air distributors is moderate, both approximately 60,000 m³ / h. 3 / h, effectively separating free tobacco stems, a total of about 175kg of free tobacco stems were separated (accounting for 2.5%).

[0065] S5. Low-temperature slow drying: A four-stage low-temperature leaf roaster was used, with the temperatures of each stage set at 48℃, 50℃, 49℃, and 47℃ respectively. The tobacco leaves moved forward at a constant speed, with each stage lasting approximately 5 minutes, for a total residence time of 20 minutes. The online moisture analyzer at the outlet showed a moisture content of 12.0%-12.2%, with an average of 12.1%.

[0066] S6. Precise Packaging: The automatic boxing machine (dual station) weighs and packs the tobacco leaves, with each box weighing 200 kg net, yielding approximately 342 boxes of finished tobacco leaves (considering a small amount of loss).

[0067] The following tests were conducted to assess the performance of the finished product: Stem content of finished leaves: tested according to the method of GB / T 21136-2007; Impurities residue: Randomly sample and test the finished product for Class I and II impurities residue (detection limit: visual inspection + sieve filtration); Breakage rate: The proportion of finished tobacco leaves that are smaller than 6.35mm under a sieve; The results showed that the stem content of the finished tobacco leaves produced by this patent was 1.2%-1.4%, with an average of 1.3%. Sampling tests revealed no Class I or II impurities such as hemp fibers, metal, or plastic. The breakage rate was 2.9%, lower than the 4.5%-5.0% of traditional manual selection. Furthermore, each stage of this patent's process can be automated, reducing labor costs by 80-100 times compared to traditional manual leaf selection methods. The entire production line can operate stably at 7000 kg / h, processing 70 tons of raw material continuously in just 10 hours. Traditional manual leaf selection methods require large spaces for air conditioning, humidification, and steam supply for natural rehumidification, resulting in significant energy consumption. In contrast, the low-intensity, loose rehumidification method of this patent consumes approximately 18% of the energy of traditional natural rehumidification methods, achieving low energy consumption. The finished tobacco leaves had a moisture content of 12.1%, and showed no signs of mold after being stored at 23℃ and 60%RH for 6 months.

[0068] The method and production line of this patent successfully realize large-scale (7000kg / h), high-efficiency, low-damage, and high-purity online selection and processing of imported tobacco leaves. The quality indicators of the finished product are comprehensively superior to those of traditional manual selection methods, fully meeting the quality requirements of high-end cigarette formula raw materials. It also significantly improves production efficiency and storage flexibility, and has significant economic benefits and application and promotion value.

[0069] Compared with existing technologies, this patent has the following significant advantages: 1. Significantly improved purity: Through the combination of "online multi-stage impurity removal + improved leaf threshing and air separation" process, hemp fibers, metals, clumps and non-tobacco impurities can be effectively removed, and the stem content of leaves can be reduced from about 3.5% to below 1.5%, reaching or even exceeding the level of domestic tobacco leaves.

[0070] 2. Minimal aroma loss and low breakage: The low-intensity loose rehydration (≤40℃), low-temperature slow drying (≤50℃), and frameless design for the first and second leaf threshing processes minimize mechanical stress and heat damage, preserve the unique aroma of imported tobacco leaves, and significantly reduce breakage rate, thus reducing raw material waste.

[0071] 3. Uniform moisture content and safe storage: The mechanized rehumidification and drying process is precisely controlled, overcoming the drawbacks of uneven moisture content in traditional natural rehumidification. The finished product moisture content is precisely controlled at 12.0±0.5%, allowing for direct long-term aging and storage without being limited by the 21-day shelf life, greatly enhancing the flexibility of production organization.

[0072] 4. Ultra-high efficiency and significantly reduced costs: This patented technology adopts an online mechanized processing process with a single-line processing capacity of up to 7000 kg / h, equivalent to the efficiency of 700 skilled workers simultaneously performing manual sorting (based on an average of 10 kg / h per person). This significantly reduces the number of workers required, completely solves the capacity bottleneck problem of the traditional manual sorting model, and significantly reduces labor and management costs.

[0073] 5. Energy saving and environmental protection: There is no need to build a large-space high-temperature and high-humidity rehumidification warehouse, avoiding long-term and high-power air conditioning and steam consumption, and the energy consumption per unit product is reduced by more than 80% compared with the traditional method.

[0074] 6. High product consistency: Full-process automated control eliminates subjective differences caused by manual operation, ensuring a high degree of consistency in the quality of tobacco leaves after each batch is processed, and providing a reliable guarantee for the stability of high-end cigarette formulas.

[0075] The terms and expressions used in this specification are for illustrative purposes and not for limitation. Their use is not intended to exclude any equivalents of the features or portions thereof shown, but rather to facilitate the understanding that various modifications may be possible within the scope of this patent claim. Therefore, it should be understood that while this patent has been specifically disclosed through preferred embodiments, exemplary embodiments, and optional features, variations or modifications of the concepts disclosed herein may be adopted by those skilled in the art, and such variations and modifications are therefore considered to be within the scope of this patent as defined by the appended claims. The specific embodiments given in this specification are examples of useful embodiments of this patent, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this patent can be implemented using many variations of the devices, device components, and method steps disclosed herein.

[0076] The foregoing description of specific embodiments fully discloses the general features of this patent, enabling others to easily modify and / or adapt such embodiments for various applications by applying knowledge within the scope of the art, without excessive experimentation or deviation from the general concept of this patent. Therefore, based on the teachings and guidance provided herein, it is intended that such modifications and alterations be included within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It should be understood that the wording or terminology used herein is for descriptive purposes and not intended to be limiting; thus, the wording or terminology in this specification will be interpreted by those skilled in the art based on the foregoing teachings and guidance.

[0077] Furthermore, the scope of this patent should not be limited to any of the exemplary embodiments described above, but only to the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for processing imported tobacco leaves, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step A: After the imported tobacco leaves are shredded, they undergo low-intensity loosening and rehydration. During the low-intensity loosening and rehydration process, atomized water is applied to the imported tobacco leaves. The output moisture content of the low-intensity loosening and rehydration is controlled at 13.5-14.5%. Step B: The tobacco leaves that have undergone the low-intensity loosening and rehydration process are subjected to multi-stage impurity removal treatment. The tobacco leaves after the multi-stage impurity removal treatment are sent to the threshing production line and undergo the first threshing, first air separation, second threshing, second air separation, third threshing, third air separation, fourth threshing and fourth air separation in sequence. The first and second leaf removals do not use leaf removal frames, the third leaf removal uses diamond-shaped hole frames, and the fourth leaf removal uses round hole frames. Step C: Collect the leaves obtained from the leaf threshing production line and dry them at a low temperature of no more than 50°C for 15-30 minutes to obtain finished tobacco leaves. The moisture content of the finished tobacco leaves is 11.0-12.5%, and the breakage rate of the finished tobacco leaves is less than 1.5%.

2. The processing method for imported tobacco leaves according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step B, the rotation speed of the first blade actuation is 570-575 r / min, 575-580 r / min, 580-585 r / min or 585-590 r / min; The rotational speed of the second blade beating is 600 r-610 / min, 610 r-620 / min, 620 r-630 / min, 630 r-640 / min or 640 r-650 / min; The rotation speed of the third leaf beating is 750-770 r / min, 770-790 r / min, 790-810 r / min or 810-820 r / min; The rotation speed for the fourth leaf beating is 900-1000 r / min, 1000-1100 r / min, or 1100-1200 r / min.

3. The processing method for imported tobacco leaves according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step A, the atomized water flow rate for the low-intensity loose rehydration is 80-120 L / h, 120-160 L / h, 160-210 L / h, or 210-290 L / h.

4. The processing method for imported tobacco leaves according to claim 3, characterized in that, The temperature of the low-intensity loose and rehydrated hot air is controlled at 60-80℃; The discharge temperature of the low-strength, loose, and rehydrated tobacco leaves is controlled at 35-40℃.

5. The processing method for imported tobacco leaves according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step B, the multi-stage impurity removal process includes the following steps: The loose, rehydrated tobacco leaves undergo a series of impurity removal processes, including a first-stage impurity removal process, a second-stage impurity removal process, a third-stage impurity removal process, and a fourth-stage impurity removal process.

6. The processing method for imported tobacco leaves according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first stage of impurity removal requires passing the low-strength, loose, and rehydrated tobacco leaves through a felt roller hemp removal device to remove hemp ropes, hemp fibers, and other impurities. The second stage of impurity removal requires the removal of a small amount of unloosened clumps of tobacco leaves using a star roller de-caking device. The third stage of impurity removal requires the use of a metal detector to detect and remove metal impurities; The fourth level of impurity removal requires the use of a machine vision impurity removal device to identify and remove non-smoke impurities.

7. A production system for processing imported tobacco leaves using the method described in any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, This includes loosening and rehumidification equipment, impurity removal units, leaf-beating air separators, and drying equipment; The loosening and rehydration equipment is used for low-intensity loosening and rehydration; The impurity removal unit is used to perform multi-stage impurity removal processing; The leaf-beating air separator unit is used to form a leaf-beating production line with the tobacco leaves after the multi-stage impurity removal treatment; The leaf-cutting air distribution unit includes a first leaf cutter, a first air distributor, a second leaf cutter, a second air distributor, a third leaf cutter, a third air distributor, a fourth leaf cutter, and a fourth air distributor connected in sequence. The first leaf-removing machine and the second leaf-removing machine are not equipped with leaf-removing frames, the third leaf-removing machine is equipped with diamond-shaped hole frames, and the fourth leaf-removing machine is equipped with round hole frames. The drying equipment is used to perform low-temperature slow drying on the leaves obtained from the leaf-cutting production line.

8. The production system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The third leaf-cutting machine is equipped with a 2.0-inch diamond-shaped perforated frame. The fourth leaf-beating machine is equipped with a 2.35-inch circular perforated frame.

9. The production system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The multi-stage impurity removal process includes a felt roller de-hemp removal device, a star roller de-caking device, a metal detector, and a machine vision impurity removal device; The felt roller de-hemp removal device is equipped with multiple sets of felt rollers; The star roller de-caking device has a star roller group with a set gap; The machine vision cleaning device is equipped with visible light and near-infrared hyperspectral cameras.

10. The production system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The loosening and rehumidifying equipment is a loosening and rehumidifying drum with a drum speed of 6-10 r / min.

Images