A method for manufacturing a plate-shaped leaf sheet that reduces tip drop in cigarettes, and a cigarette containing the plate-shaped leaf sheet manufactured thereby.

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a plate-shaped leaf sheet, which includes a drying step of applying hot air at 80°C to 150°C to a plate-shaped leaf slurry, and tobacco containing the plate-shaped leaf sheet manufactured by this method are provided. The plate-shaped leaf sheet manufactured by the manufacturing method according to one specific example of the present invention has an increased ratio of thickness to basis weight. In the above manufacturing method, adjusting the pressure of the hot air applied or changing the composition of the plate-shaped leaf slurry to adjust the viscosity is useful for improving the physical properties of the manufactured plate-shaped leaf sheet.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a plate-shaped leaf sheet that reduces tip drop of tobacco, and to tobacco containing the plate-shaped leaf sheet manufactured thereby. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a plate-shaped leaf sheet that reduces tip drop of tobacco by increasing the ratio of thickness to basis weight, and to tobacco containing the plate-shaped leaf sheet manufactured thereby. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, various tobacco substances other than tobacco leaves are being added to the manufacture of tobacco products. These tobacco substances are usually produced from parts of the tobacco plant that are not well-suited for the production of cut fillers, such as tobacco stems or tobacco powder. Tobacco powder is also produced as a by-product during the handling of tobacco leaves in the manufacturing process.

[0003] The most commonly used form of tobacco material is the sheet form. Reconstituted Tobacco Leaves refers to a type of tobacco material that has been reprocessed into a paper form (i.e., a sheet form) through a prescribed method, based on low-particle tobacco raw materials generated during tobacco processing or tobacco manufacturing.

[0004] Methods for manufacturing such plate-like leaf sheets can be broadly classified into papermaking, rolling, and slurry methods. Of these, the slurry method may include stages such as receiving and loading raw materials, weighing and adding raw materials according to product-specific mixing ratios, crushing raw materials to a certain size, mixing raw materials with process water, separating cellulose from extracts, stirring cellulose with dilution water, adding auxiliary materials suitable for the characteristics of the plate-like leaves, mixing the mixture with raw materials to produce a slurry, converting the produced slurry into a high-temperature form that is easy to inject, injecting the slurry, drying the slurry, cutting to a certain size, and packaging the cut plate-like leaves.

[0005] Specifically, the plate-shaped leaf sheet in the manufacturing stage will be explained with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1(a) shows the raw materials for the plate-shaped leaf, Figure 1(b) shows the intermediate sheet shape of the plate-shaped leaf, and Figure 1(c) shows the plate-shaped leaf sheet as the final finished product. The raw materials in Figure 1(a) can be the main veins, leaf stems, leaf ligules, and shredded tobacco scraps produced during the tobacco manufacturing process. The intermediate plate-shaped leaf sheet in Figure 1(b) is produced by drying a slurry made by mixing the raw materials with a liquid mixture, and the finished product in Figure 1(c) is produced by cutting the dried plate-shaped leaf sheet.

[0006] Plate-like leaves have several advantages: they contribute to cost reduction due to their bulk tissue characteristics, they reduce harmful components such as tar, and their combustibility is improved due to increased voids within the tissue structure. They also have the advantage of maintaining consistent product quality.

[0007] As previously discussed, plate-shaped leaves are an important raw material in the tobacco industry, along with tobacco leaves and flavorings, that determines the taste and composition of tobacco. Therefore, research and development to produce plate-shaped leaves of superior quality are actively underway. The inventors of this invention have completed the present invention by confirming that it is possible to produce plate-shaped leaf sheets with diverse physical properties by adjusting the manufacturing process of plate-shaped leaf sheets, and that when these sheet-shaped leaf sheets are applied to tobacco, it is possible to prevent the tobacco tips from falling off. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2019-0011237 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] The present invention aims to provide a method for manufacturing a plate-shaped leaf sheet that reduces tobacco tip shedding by increasing the ratio of thickness to basis weight, and tobacco containing the plate-shaped leaf sheet manufactured by this method. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] According to the first aspect of the present invention, The present invention provides a method for producing a plate-shaped leaf sheet, which includes a drying step of applying hot air at 80°C to 150°C to a plate-shaped leaf slurry.

[0011] In one specific example of the present invention, hot air is applied at a pressure of 1.5 bar to 3.0 bar during the drying stage. In one specific example of the present invention, the plate-shaped leaf slurry contains tobacco raw material with particle size from 20 μm to 150 μm.

[0012] In one specific example of the present invention, in the tobacco raw material, the proportion of particles with a particle size of 80 μm or less is 70% to 95% based on the total number of particles. In one specific example of the present invention, the plate-shaped leaf slurry contains 50% to 70% by weight of tobacco raw material and 1% to 20% by weight of a humectant, based on the total weight of the plate-shaped leaf slurry excluding the solvent.

[0013] In one specific example of the present invention, the plate-shaped leaf sheet is 140 g / m² after the drying step. 2 ~180g / m 2 It has a basis weight and a thickness of 240 μm to 280 μm. In one specific example of the present invention, the plate-like leaf slurry further comprises 0.1% to 10% by weight of a binder based on the total weight of the plate-like leaf slurry excluding the solvent.

[0014] In one specific example of the present invention, the plate-like leaf slurry contains 15% to 30% by weight of solids based on the total weight of the plate-like leaf slurry. In one specific example of the present invention, the plate-shaped leaf slurry has a viscosity of 32,000 cPs to 45,000 cPs at 25°C.

[0015] In a specific example of the present invention, the plate-shaped leaf slurry further contains 0.1% to 10% by weight of pulp and 0.1% to 25% by weight of fragrance based on the total weight of the plate-shaped leaf slurry excluding the solvent.

[0016] In a specific example of the present invention, through the drying stage, the plate-shaped leaf sheet has a ratio of thickness (μm) to basis weight (g / m 2 ) of 1.35 to 1.75. In a specific example of the present invention, before the drying stage, it further includes a preliminary drying stage in which the plate-shaped leaf slurry is exposed to an atmosphere at a temperature 20°C to 35°C lower than the hot air temperature in the drying stage.

[0017] In a specific example of the present invention, after the preliminary drying stage, the plate-shaped leaf slurry further includes a separation stage in which it peels off from the bottom surface supporting it. According to the second aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a tobacco product including a plate-shaped leaf sheet manufactured by the above-described manufacturing method.

Advantages of the Invention

[0018] In the method for manufacturing a plate-shaped leaf sheet according to a specific example of the present invention, when drying the plate-shaped leaf slurry, by applying hot air to the plate-shaped leaf slurry for drying, the ratio of thickness to basis weight can be increased. At this time, adjusting the pressure of the hot air or changing the composition of the plate-shaped leaf slurry to adjust the viscosity is helpful for improving the effect.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] (a) is a diagram showing the raw material of the plate-shaped leaf, (b) is a diagram showing the intermediate shape of the plate-shaped leaf sheet, and (c) is a diagram showing the plate-shaped leaf sheet as the final finished product. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing the process of drying the plate-shaped leaf slurry through the drying stage in the method for manufacturing a plate-shaped leaf sheet according to a specific example of the present invention. [Figure 3]This figure shows the process of drying a plate-shaped leaf slurry through a pre-drying stage, a separation stage, and a drying stage in a method for producing a plate-shaped leaf sheet according to one specific example of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0020] The following will provide a detailed explanation of specific examples using illustrative drawings. When assigning reference numerals to the components in each drawing, it should be noted that, whenever possible, identical components will share the same reference numeral, even if they appear in other drawings. Furthermore, in explaining specific examples, if a detailed explanation of a related known configuration or function is deemed to hinder understanding of the specific example, such explanation will be omitted.

[0021] Furthermore, when describing the components of a specific example, terms such as 1st, 2nd, A, B, (a), (b), etc., may be used. Such terms are solely for the purpose of distinguishing a component from other components, and do not limit the nature, order, or sequence of the component in question. When it is stated that a component is "linked," "combined," or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that while that component can be directly linked or connected to the other components, other components can also be "linked," "combined," or "connected" between each component.

[0022] As used in this specification, the terms “unit” or “module” refer to software, hardware components such as FPGAs or ASICs, where the “unit” or “module” performs some function. However, the meaning of “unit” or “module” is not limited to software or hardware. A “unit” or “module” may be configured to reside on an addressable storage medium, or to regenerate one or more processors. Thus, as an example, a “unit” or “module” may include components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, as well as processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The components and the functions provided within a “unit” or “module” may be combined with a smaller number of components and “units” or “modules,” or further separated into additional components and “units” or “modules.”

[0023] Spatially relative terms such as "below," "beneath," "lower," "above," and "upper" can be used to easily describe the correlation between one component and another, as shown in the drawing. Spatially relative terms should be understood to include not only the directions shown in the drawing, but also the different directions of components in use or operation. For example, if a component shown in the drawing is flipped over, a component described as "below" or "beneath" of another component may become "above" of that other component. Therefore, the exemplary term "below" can include both the downward and upward directions. Components can also be oriented in other directions, and for this reason, spatially relative terms can be interpreted by orientation.

[0024] Furthermore, in this specification, the term "sheet" may mean a foil layer element having a width and length substantially greater than its thickness. In the relevant art, the term "sheet" may also be used interchangeably with terms such as "web" and "film." Here, "adjacent" and "nearby" to a certain point mean not only a location that is in direct contact with a certain point, but also a location that, even if separated by a predetermined distance, does not particularly impair the functionality of the particular means.

[0025] Components included in one specific example and components that share a common function will be described using the same name in other specific examples. Unless otherwise stated, the explanation given in one specific example can be applied to other specific examples, and the specific explanation to the extent of duplication will be omitted.

[0026] This invention provides a method for manufacturing a plate-shaped leaf sheet that reduces tip drop in cigarettes, and cigarettes containing the plate-shaped leaf sheet manufactured thereby. According to one specific example of the method for manufacturing a plate-shaped leaf sheet of this invention, the manufactured plate-shaped leaf sheet has increased thickness or decreased basis weight, and the ratio of thickness to basis weight increases. When the ratio of thickness to basis weight increases, the distance between particles can be reduced when the shredded leaves of the plate-shaped leaf sheet are packed into the cigarette, allowing for denser packing. This prevents the shredded leaves of the plate-shaped leaf sheet located at the tip of the cigarette from detaching, thereby reducing tip drop. Furthermore, while an increase in the ratio of thickness to basis weight can reduce the distance between particles, it also means that the voids within the particles become relatively larger, so there is no significant difference in the basic performance of the cigarette, such as the weight of the smoking substance, inhalation resistance, or smoking components.

[0027] According to one specific example of the present invention, a method for producing a plate-shaped leaf sheet includes a drying step of applying hot air at 80°C to 150°C to a plate-shaped leaf slurry. Basically, hot air can be an effective drying means in that it can evaporate the solvent present in the plate-shaped leaf slurry and effectively move the evaporated solvent. Preferably, the temperature of the hot air is adjusted to an extent that can increase drying efficiency without damaging the plate-shaped leaves. For example, the temperature of the hot air may be 80°C to 150°C, 85°C to 140°C, 90°C to 130°C, 95°C to 125°C, or 100°C to 120°C.

[0028] The hot air can have functions other than drying depending on where it is applied. In one specific example of the present invention, hot air is applied to the top or bottom of the plate-like leaf slurry, specifically to the top. Applying hot air to the top of the plate-like leaf slurry means that the hot air is applied in the direction of gravity. Applying hot air to the bottom of the plate-like leaf slurry means that the hot air is applied in the direction opposite to gravity. To help understand the location where the hot air is applied, Figure 2 provides a diagram showing the process of drying the plate-like leaf slurry via a drying step in a method for manufacturing a plate-like leaf sheet according to one specific example of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2, the plate-like leaf slurry 1 is located on a moving support 10 and passes through the drying device 30 by rollers 20. At this time, hot air is supplied from the upper drying device toward the plate-like leaf slurry 1. The plate-like leaf slurry 1 that has passed through the drying device 30 can become dry as the solvent evaporates, but in this specification, plate-like leaves located on the moving support 10 are unspecified and named plate-like leaf slurry 1.

[0029] The hot air can be applied at a pressure above a specific level in order to dry and expand the plate-like leaf slurry 1 at the same time. According to one specific example of the present invention, the hot air is applied at a pressure of 1.5 bar to 3.0 bar during the drying stage. Specifically, the pressure of the hot air may be 1.5 bar or more, 1.6 bar or more, 1.7 bar or more, 1.8 bar or more, 1.9 bar or more, 2.0 bar or more, 3.0 bar or less, 2.9 bar or less, 2.8 bar or less, 2.7 bar or less, 2.6 bar or less, 2.5 bar or less, and may be between 1.5 bar and 3.0 bar, 1.7 bar and 2.8 bar, or 2.0 bar and 2.5 bar. Within the pressure range of the hot air, the plate-like leaf slurry 1 can be appropriately expanded without damaging it.

[0030] The movable support 10 at the location where the hot air is supplied may have a porous structure, such as a mesh shape, so that the hot air or steam can directly hit the lower end of the plate-like leaf slurry 1. If the plate-like leaf slurry 1 on the porous movable support 10 is too loose, it may flow down through the holes in the movable support 10, so it is preferable that the plate-like leaf slurry 1 has an appropriate viscosity. A pre-drying step can be performed to adjust the viscosity of the plate-like leaf slurry 1 before it passes through the relevant section. The appropriate viscosity of the plate-like leaf slurry 1 and the pre-drying step will be described in detail below.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2, steam can be supplied to the upper drying apparatus. Although the steam can have some airflow, this is mainly to maintain the temperature around the drying apparatus above a certain level, and has almost no effect on pressurizing the plate-shaped leaf slurry 1. In the drying apparatus 30, the steam can be supplied at the same temperature as the hot air. Since the steam has almost no effect on pressurizing the plate-shaped leaf slurry 1, in an environment where only steam is supplied without hot air, the temperature can be described as the atmosphere of the steam.

[0032] The plate-shaped leaf slurry 1 to be dried in this invention is basically a mixture of tobacco raw materials uniformly dispersed in a solvent. However, in order to impart additional functionality, the plate-shaped leaf slurry 1 contains not only tobacco raw materials but also additional functional substances. The tobacco raw materials may be tobacco leaf pieces, tobacco stems, or main leaf strips of tobacco leaves that have been ground into fine particles. In this case, the tobacco species is not particularly limited, and not only a single species but also a mixture of two or more species can be used. For example, cigar leaves or Burley tobacco raw materials can be used. The finely ground tobacco raw materials may have particle sizes ranging from 20 μm to 150 μm. Specifically, the particle sizes may be 20 μm to 150 μm, 25 μm to 100 μm, or 30 μm to 50 μm. In this specification, particle size refers to the size of the fine particles that occupy the majority of the volume of the tobacco raw materials and means the volume moment mean.

[0033] According to one specific example of the present invention, in the tobacco raw material, the proportion of particles with a size of 80 μm or less is 70% to 95% of the total number of particles. Specifically, the proportion of such particles may be 70% to 95%, 75% to 94%, or 80% to 95%. As the proportion of such particles exceeds 50% and increases further, the average size of the particles can be formed to be 80 μm or less. When the distribution of particle sizes falls within the above range, it can be advantageous for expanding the plate-like leaf slurry by applying hot air to it.

[0034] The content of the constituent components in the plate-like leaf slurry 1 can be appropriately adjusted considering functionality. According to one specific example of the present invention, the plate-like leaf slurry contains 50% to 70% by weight of tobacco raw material based on the total weight of the plate-like leaf slurry excluding the solvent. Specifically, the content of the tobacco raw material may be 50% to 70% by weight, 55% to 70% by weight, or 55% to 65% by weight. Since the tobacco raw material is the most core component of the plate-like leaf slurry 1, it is contained in a larger amount than other components.

[0035] The plate-like leaf slurry 1 may contain a humectant as an additional functional substance in addition to the tobacco raw material. The humectant is a liquid component separate from the solvent and plays a role in softening the tobacco raw material. The humectant can be, but is not limited to, glycerin (GLY), propylene glycol (PG), ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. According to one specific example of the present invention, the plate-like leaf slurry contains 1% to 20% by weight of the humectant based on the total weight of the plate-like leaf slurry excluding the solvent. Specifically, the content of the humectant may be 1% to 20% by weight, 5% to 20% by weight, or 5% to 15% by weight. When applied within the above range, functionality can be effectively imparted to the plate-like leaf slurry.

[0036] The plate-like leaf slurry 1 may contain a binder as an additional functional substance in addition to the tobacco raw material. The binder plays a role in binding the tobacco raw material, and the addition of the binder can increase the viscosity of the plate-like leaf slurry. The binder can be, for example, guar gum, gum arabic, etc., but is not necessarily limited to these. According to one specific example of the present invention, the plate-like leaf slurry further contains 0.1% to 10% by weight of binder based on the total weight of the plate-like leaf slurry excluding the solvent. Specifically, the content of the binder may be 0.1% to 10% by weight, 1% to 9% by weight, or 2% to 8% by weight. When applied within the above range, functionality can be effectively imparted to the plate-like leaf slurry.

[0037] The plate-like leaf slurry 1 may further contain pulp. The pulp serves to crosslink the tobacco raw material so that plate-like leaves can be produced in sheet form. The pulp may be, for example, cellulosic pulp, but is not necessarily limited to this. According to one specific example of the present invention, the plate-like leaf slurry further contains 0.1% to 10% by weight of pulp based on the total weight of the plate-like leaf slurry excluding the solvent. Specifically, the pulp content may be 0.1% to 10% by weight, 1% to 9% by weight, or 2% to 8% by weight. When applied within the above range, functionality can be effectively imparted to the plate-like leaf slurry.

[0038] The plate-shaped leaf slurry 1 may further contain a flavoring. The flavoring serves to add a variety of flavors or aromas to the plate-shaped leaf sheet according to the user's preference. The flavoring may include, but is not limited to, vanillin, ethyl vanillin, cream, tea, coffee, fruit (e.g., banana, berry, apple, cherry, strawberry, peach, and citrus flavorings including lime and lemon), maple, menthol, chocolate, mint, peppermint, spearmint, wintergreen, nutmeg, clove, lavender, cardamom, ginger, honey, anise, salvia, cinnamon, sandalwood, jasmine, cascarilla, cocoa, licorice, and tobacco strand, and may include flavorings of various forms and characteristics to provide the user with a specific flavor. According to one specific example of the present invention, the plate-shaped leaf slurry further contains 0.1% to 25% by weight of flavoring based on the total weight of the plate-shaped leaf slurry excluding the solvent. Specifically, the content of the fragrance may be 0.1% to 25% by weight, 1% to 22% by weight, or 2% to 20% by weight. When applied within the above range, functionality can be effectively imparted to the plate-like leaf slurry.

[0039] The plate-shaped leaf slurry 1 can adjust the content of the solid matter contained in the plate-shaped leaf slurry in order to effectively expand the plate-shaped leaf slurry by the manufacturing method according to a specific example of the present invention. According to a specific example of the present invention, the plate-shaped leaf slurry contains 15% to 30% by weight of solid matter based on the total weight of the plate-shaped leaf slurry. Specifically, the content of the solid matter may be 15% to 30% by weight, 20% to 30% by weight, or 20% to 25% by weight. When applied within the above-mentioned range, the plate-shaped leaf slurry can be effectively expanded.

[0040] Adjusting the viscosity of the plate-shaped leaf slurry 1 can help expand the plate-shaped leaf slurry. According to a specific example of the present invention, the plate-shaped leaf slurry has a viscosity of 32,000 cPs to 45,000 cPs at 25°C. Specifically, the viscosity of the plate-shaped leaf slurry may be 32,000 cPs to 45,000 cPs, 35,000 cPs to 44,000 cPs, or 38,000 cPs to 43,000 cPs. The viscosity can be measured using a viscosity measuring instrument commonly used in the relevant technical field. For example, it can be measured through a digital rotational viscometer (DV2TLV), BROOKFIELD). When applied within the above-mentioned range, the plate-shaped leaf slurry can be effectively expanded.

[0041] The plate-shaped leaf sheet manufactured by the manufacturing method according to a specific example of the present invention can have, for example, a basis weight of 140 g / m 2 ~180 g / m 2 Specifically, the basis weight of the plate-shaped leaf sheet may be 140 g / m 2 ~180 g / m 2 145 g / m 2 ~175 g / m 2 150 g / m 2 ~170 g / m 2 Also, the plate-shaped leaf sheet can have, for example, a thickness of 240 μm to 280 μm. Specifically, the thickness of the plate-shaped leaf sheet may be 240 μm to 280 μm, 245 μm to 275 μm, or 250 μm to 270 μm.

[0042] According to a manufacturing method based on one specific example of the present invention, the basis weight of the plate-like leaf sheet is at a similar level to that of plate-like leaf sheets manufactured by existing manufacturing methods, but the thickness of the plate-like leaf sheet can be significantly increased. To confirm the degree of expansion of the plate-like leaf sheet, the thickness / basis weight ratio is defined herein. In this case, the unit of thickness may be μm, and the unit of basis weight is g / m². 2 This may be the case. The aforementioned thickness / basis weight ratio is the value obtained by dividing the thickness by the basis weight, so μm·m 2 The unit can be / g, but in this specification, the unit is omitted. According to one specific example of the present invention, the plate-like leaf sheet has a thickness (μm) of 1.35 to 1.75 / basis weight (g / m²). 2 The thickness / basis weight ratio of the plate-shaped leaf sheet may be 1.35-1.75, 1.40-1.70, or 1.45-1.65. This is a significantly higher value compared to existing plate-shaped leaf sheets, and when a plate-shaped leaf sheet with such a thickness / basis weight ratio is applied to tobacco, it can significantly reduce tip drop of the tobacco.

[0043] A method for manufacturing a plate-shaped leaf sheet according to one specific example of the present invention may further include a pre-drying stage and a separation stage prior to the drying stage, in addition to the drying stage. To aid in understanding the pre-drying stage, separation stage and drying stage, Figure 3 provides a diagram showing the process of drying the plate-shaped leaf slurry through the pre-drying stage, separation stage and drying stage in a method for manufacturing a plate-shaped leaf sheet according to one specific example of the present invention. As shown in Figure 3, the plate-shaped leaf slurry 1 is located on a movable support 10 and passes sequentially through a pre-drying device 40 and a drying device 30 by rollers 20. After passing through the pre-drying device 40, the plate-shaped leaf slurry 1 is separated from the movable support 10 by a peeling means 50 and then supplied to the drying device 30.

[0044] The pre-drying device 40 first dries the plate-shaped leaf slurry 1 to a state suitable for supplying it to the drying device 30, before the plate-shaped leaf slurry 1 is finally dried in the drying device 30. In the pre-drying device 40, hot air is not applied to the plate-shaped leaf slurry 1 as in the drying device 30, but the plate-shaped leaf slurry 1 is dried in a high-temperature atmosphere via steam. According to one specific example of the present invention, in the pre-drying stage, the plate-shaped leaf slurry is exposed to an atmosphere at a temperature 20°C to 35°C lower than the hot air temperature in the drying stage before the drying stage. Specifically, the temperature in the pre-drying stage may be 20°C to 35°C, 20°C to 30°C, or 25°C to 30°C lower than that in the drying stage. Since hot air is not applied in the pre-drying stage, a movable support 10 having a porous structure such as a mesh shape is not required. The plate-like leaf slurry 1 supplied to the pre-drying device 40 may be relatively loose and unsuitable for the mesh-structured moving support 10, while the plate-like leaf slurry that has been primarily dried in the pre-drying stage may have suitable physical properties for supply to the drying device 30.

[0045] When hot air is applied to the plate-shaped leaf slurry 1 dried in the pre-drying device 40 with the moving support 10 in the drying device 30, the plate-shaped leaf slurry 1 may be damaged. To prevent this, the pre-drying step may further include a separation step in which the plate-shaped leaf slurry 1 is separated from its supporting bottom surface, i.e., the moving support 10. Separating the plate-shaped leaf slurry 1 from the moving support 10 can be done by a knife-shaped peeling means 50, as shown in Figure 3. The peeling means 50 can be formed in a plate shape, and one side in the longitudinal direction of the plate shape can scrape the plate-shaped leaf slurry 1 as it moves through the moving support 10. This allows the peeling means 50 to separate the plate-shaped leaf slurry 1 as it moves on the moving support 10.

[0046] Furthermore, the angle of the cross-section of one side of the peeling means 50 can be made acute to form an edge-like side. That is, when viewed from the side, the peeling means 50 can have a trapezoidal shape. Since the edge-like side can scrape the upper surface of the movable support 10, the plate-like leaf slurry 1 can be peeled off from the movable support 10 more effectively.

[0047] A drying apparatus for plate-shaped leaf slurry to embody a manufacturing method according to one specific example of the present invention may further include a first sensor module 61 for measuring the moisture content of the plate-shaped leaf slurry. The first sensor module 61 can be positioned in the drying apparatus to measure the moisture content prior to the peeling means 50. The drying apparatus can be controlled, such as by controlling the vibration of the peeling means 50, according to the measurement result of the first sensor module 61. In one embodiment, if the measured moisture content is above a preset critical value, the vibration intensity or frequency of the peeling means 50 can be increased to effectively peel off the slurry. Conversely, if the measured moisture content is below a preset critical value, the vibration intensity or frequency of the peeling means 50 can be reduced to prevent excessive scraping or damage to the slurry. Through such adjustment mechanisms, a uniform thickness and moisture content of the slurry can be maintained. In another embodiment, the angle of the peeling means 50 can also be variably controlled according to the measured moisture content. For example, if the measured moisture content is above a preset critical value, the vertical angle of the peeling means 50 can be increased to peel off the slurry. Conversely, if the measured moisture content is below a preset critical value, the vertical angle of the peeling means 50 can be decreased. Of course, the vibration and angle of the peeling means 50 can be controlled simultaneously. On the other hand, the first sensor module 61 may be, for example, an infrared sensor module, which can measure the thickness of the plate-shaped leaf slurry in addition to the moisture content of the plate-shaped leaf slurry.

[0048] The drying apparatus may further include a second sensor module 62 that senses the presence or absence of plate-shaped leaf slurry 1 between the pre-drying apparatus 40 and the peeling means 50. The second sensor module 62 may be, for example, a laser sensor module that can determine whether or not plate-shaped leaf slurry is present by irradiating it with a laser. The subsequent driving of the peeling means 50 and the drying apparatus 30 can be controlled according to the result value of the second sensor module 62. For example, when it is detected that there is no plate-shaped leaf slurry 1, the operation of the peeling means 50 can be stopped or switched to minimum vibration to reduce energy consumption and equipment wear, and the operation of the drying apparatus 30 can be stopped to prevent energy consumption and overheating of the apparatus. Plate-shaped leaf sheets manufactured by the manufacturing method according to one specific example of the present invention can be cut and applied to cigarettes. The cut leaf sheets can be applied to the smoking material portion of cigarettes. Except for the large ratio of thickness to basis weight, the shredded leaf of the plate-shaped leaf sheet does not produce any significant difference in basic performance of tobacco, such as the weight of the smoking substance, inhalation resistance, and smoking components, compared to when shredded leaf of an existing plate-shaped leaf sheet is used, and therefore can be used as a substitute for shredded leaf of an existing plate-shaped leaf sheet. When shredded leaf of a plate-shaped leaf sheet with a large ratio of thickness to basis weight is used, the distance per particle is reduced, allowing for denser packing, which reduces tip drop of the tobacco. Since the shredded leaf of a plate-shaped leaf sheet according to one specific example of the present invention can directly replace shredded leaf of a plate-shaped leaf sheet used in existing tobacco, the remaining components of the tobacco can be applied in the same way as those well known in the relevant art.

[0049] The configuration of the present invention and its effects will be described in more detail below through examples and comparative examples. However, these examples are provided to illustrate the present invention more specifically, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0050] Examples Example 1 A composition for producing plate-shaped leaf slurry was prepared by mixing 60% by weight of tobacco raw material, 10% by weight of glycerin, 5% by weight of guar gum, 5% by weight of LBKP pulp (bleached hardwood pulp, moisture content 13% or less, tensile index 55 or higher), and 20% by weight of invert sugar and ethyl maltol. A plate-shaped leaf slurry with a solid-to-liquid ratio of 23:77 was prepared by mixing the above composition with water in a 1:2 ratio. Here, the tobacco raw material was prepared by grinding a mixture of tobacco leaf pieces, tobacco stems, and main leaf strips of tobacco leaves to produce particles with a size between 20 μm and 150 μm. At this time, the average particle size of the tobacco raw material was 31 μm, and the proportion of particles with a size of 80 μm or less was 93% based on the total number of tobacco particles.

[0051] The manufactured plate-like leaf slurry was supplied onto a moving support, and the plate-like leaf slurry was dried in a pre-drying device and a drying device to produce plate-like leaf sheets. The pre-drying device first dried the plate-like leaf slurry in a high-temperature atmosphere via 85°C steam (upper and lower), and the drying device secondarily dried the plate-like leaf slurry in a high-temperature atmosphere via 110°C hot air (upper) and steam (lower). After primary drying, the plate-like leaf slurry was peeled off with a knife to prevent it from sticking to the moving support, and then secondary drying was performed. In secondary drying, steam could directly hit the lower part of the plate-like leaf slurry through the mesh structure of the moving support. In the drying device, the hot air was applied to the plate-like leaf slurry at a pressure of 2.0 bar.

[0052] Comparative Example 1 The average particle size of the tobacco raw material was 33 μm, and based on the total number of tobacco particles, 97% of the particles were 80 μm or smaller. The plate-shaped leaf sheets were manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1, except that hot air was added to the plate-shaped leaf slurry at a pressure of 1.1 bar in a drying apparatus.

[0053] Example 2 In producing the plate-like leaf slurry, plate-like leaf sheets were manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the ratio of solids to liquids was adjusted to 22:78. The plate-like leaf slurry in Example 2 was measured to have a viscosity of 39,773 cPs at 25°C.

[0054] Example 3 In preparing the plate-like leaf slurry, the plate-like leaf sheets were manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1, except that guar gum was not used and the ratio of solids to liquids was adjusted to 21:79. The plate-like leaf slurry in Example 3 was measured to have a viscosity of 33,237 cPs at 25°C.

[0055] Experimental example Experimental Example 1: Comparison of physical properties of plate-like leaf sheets using Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 The thickness and basis weight of the plate-shaped leaf sheets produced in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 were measured using a physical property measuring device (manufacturer: FRANK-PTI, product name: Micrometer S16502), and the results are shown in Table 1 below.

[0056] [Table 1]

[0057] According to Table 1, Comparative Example 1 used tobacco raw materials similar to those in Example 1, or rather, the average particle size of the tobacco raw materials was even larger than in Example 1, and the proportion of particles with a size of 80 μm or less was even higher, creating conditions that could result in a thicker sheet. However, the thickness of the plate-like leaf sheet measured was significantly lower than that of Example 1. This indicates that the pressure of the hot air in the drying apparatus greatly affects the thickness of the plate-like leaf sheet. Example 1, by applying hot air at a pressure of 2 bar, was able to obtain a plate-like leaf sheet that was much thicker and had a larger thickness / basis weight ratio than Comparative Example 1, which was applied with hot air at a pressure of 1.1 bar.

[0058] Experimental Example 2: Performance evaluation of tobacco treated with plate-shaped leaf sheets using Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 Using a sample tobacco product as a reference, tobacco was manufactured by filling the plate-shaped leaf sheets of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 with shredded leaves under the same conditions so that the smoking material portion had an suction resistance of 110 mmH2O. The tip-dropping and smoking components of the tobacco from Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 were measured and are shown in Table 2 below. The tip-dropping was measured using a Korber E44 machine by the KS H ISO 3550-2 method. The smoking components were measured using a Korber LX20 20-port smoking machine by the Coresta recommended method 81 (CRM 81) method.

[0059] [Table 2]

[0060] According to Table 2 above, the plate-shaped leaf sheet produced by Example 1 did not differ significantly from the plate-shaped leaf sheet produced by Comparative Example 1 in terms of the content filled into the tobacco road and the smoking components during smoking. However, the plate-shaped leaf sheet produced by Example 1 showed a significant improvement in the tobacco tip drop phenomenon when filled into tobacco compared to the plate-shaped leaf sheet produced by Comparative Example 1.

[0061] Experimental Example 3: Comparison of physical properties of plate-like leaf sheets using Example 2 and Example 3 The thickness and basis weight of the plate-shaped leaf sheets produced in Example 2 and Example 3 were measured using a physical property measuring device and are shown in Table 3 below.

[0062] [Table 3]

[0063] As shown in Table 3 above, it can be seen that the viscosity of the plate-like leaf slurry affects the thickness and basis weight of the plate-like leaf sheet. In Example 2, where the plate-like leaf slurry had a relatively high viscosity, a plate-like leaf sheet was obtained that was thicker, had a smaller basis weight, and a larger thickness / basis weight ratio compared to Example 3, where the plate-like leaf slurry had a relatively low viscosity.

[0064] As described above, even if the specific examples are explained with limited examples and drawings, a person with ordinary skill in the relevant art can make various modifications and variations from the above description. For example, the described technique may be performed in a different order than described, and / or the components of the described system, structure, apparatus, circuit, etc. may be combined or assembled in a different manner than described, or substituted or replaced by other components or equivalents, and the appropriate results may still be achieved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1: Plate-like leaf slurry 10: Moving support 20: Laura 30:Drying equipment 40: Pre-drying equipment 50: Peeling method 61: First sensor module 62: Second sensor module

Claims

1. A method for producing a plate-shaped leaf sheet, comprising a drying step of applying hot air at 80°C to 150°C to a plate-shaped leaf slurry.

2. The method for manufacturing a plate-shaped leaf sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that hot air is applied at a pressure of 1.5 bar to 3.0 bar during the drying stage.

3. The plate-shaped leaf slurry contains tobacco raw material with particle size ranging from 20 μm to 150 μm. The method for producing a plate-shaped leaf sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the tobacco raw material, the proportion of particles with a particle size of 80 μm or less is 70% to 95% based on the total number of particles.

4. The method for producing a plate-like leaf sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that the plate-like leaf slurry contains 50% to 70% by weight of tobacco raw material and 1% to 20% by weight of a humectant, based on the total weight of the plate-like leaf slurry excluding the solvent.

5. After the drying step, the plate-like leaf sheet weighs 140 g / m². ２ ~180g / m ２ A method for producing a plate-like leaf sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a basis weight and a thickness of 240 μm to 280 μm.

6. The method for producing a plate-like leaf sheet according to claim 4, characterized in that the plate-like leaf slurry further contains 0.1% to 10% by weight of a binder based on the total weight of the plate-like leaf slurry excluding the solvent.

7. The method for producing a plate-shaped leaf sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that the plate-shaped leaf slurry contains 15% to 30% by weight of solids based on the total weight of the plate-shaped leaf slurry.

8. The method for producing a plate-like leaf sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that the plate-like leaf slurry has a viscosity of 32,000 cPs to 45,000 cPs at 25°C.

9. The method for producing a plate-like leaf sheet according to claim 6, characterized in that the plate-like leaf slurry further contains 0.1% to 10% by weight of pulp and 0.1% to 25% by weight of fragrance, based on the total weight of the plate-like leaf slurry excluding the solvent.

10. Through the aforementioned drying step, the plate-like leaf sheet has a thickness (μm) of 1.35 to 1.75 / basis weight (g / m²). ２ A method for manufacturing a plate-like leaf sheet according to claim 1, characterized by having a ratio of )

11. The method for producing a plate-shaped leaf sheet according to claim 1, further comprising a pre-drying step in which the plate-shaped leaf slurry is exposed to an atmosphere at a temperature 20°C to 35°C lower than the hot air temperature of the drying step, prior to the drying step.

12. The method for manufacturing a plate-shaped leaf sheet according to claim 11, further comprising a separation step in which the plate-shaped leaf slurry is peeled off from the bottom surface supporting it, after the pre-drying step.

13. Tobacco comprising a plate-shaped leaf sheet manufactured by the manufacturing method of claim 1.

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