Reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing device and manufacturing method

Abstract

This manufacturing device for reconstituted tobacco raw material has a die for discharging the reconstituted tobacco raw material as a sheet, and a temperature adjustment device for adjusting the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco raw material that passes through the die.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for producing a reconstituted tobacco sheet. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, known methods for manufacturing reconstituted tobacco sheets include the rolling method, the casting (slurry) method, and the paper-making method. These manufacturing methods are selected depending on the moisture content of the reconstituted tobacco raw material. Furthermore, each of these manufacturing methods is realized using a different reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus.

[0003] The rolling method is known to be particularly suitable for reconstituted tobacco raw materials containing 50% or less moisture by volume. In the rolling method, the kneaded product of the reconstituted tobacco raw materials is rolled and molded with rotating rollers to adjust the thickness, and then dried in a separately provided dryer.

[0004] The cast (slurry) method is known to be particularly suitable for reconstituted tobacco materials containing 50% or more by volume of moisture. In the cast (slurry) method, a fluid of reconstituted tobacco material is continuously spread on a rotating drum or belt conveyor, smoothed to the desired thickness with a component called a blade, and then peeled off from the rotating drum or belt conveyor and dried in a separately provided dryer.

[0005] The papermaking method is known to be particularly suitable for reconstituted tobacco raw materials containing 80% or more by volume of moisture. In the papermaking method, a fluid of the reconstituted tobacco raw material is continuously spread on a liquid-permeable belt conveyor, and after the moisture is removed and the reconstituted tobacco raw material is made to a desired thickness by a compression roller, it is dried in a separately provided dryer.

[0006] In contrast to these manufacturing methods, which are selected depending on the moisture content, a manufacturing device and method for reconstituted tobacco sheets are known that can obtain reconstituted tobacco sheets of uniform thickness through a simple manufacturing process, regardless of the moisture content contained in the reconstituted tobacco raw material (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2022 / 019027 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] When reconstituted tobacco raw material is discharged from the die, if flow rate unevenness occurs in the discharge direction or in the width direction perpendicular to the discharge direction, wrinkles may occur in the discharged reconstituted tobacco sheet.

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus and a manufacturing method thereof for manufacturing a reconstituted tobacco sheet with fewer wrinkles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] According to a first aspect, there is provided a reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus, which includes a die that extrudes reconstituted tobacco material into a sheet shape, and a temperature adjustment device that adjusts the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die.

[0011] It has been found that one of the causes of wrinkles in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material discharged from the die is the fluidity of the raw material. Specifically, when the fluidity of the raw material is low, uneven flow rates can occur in the discharge direction or width direction. Therefore, according to the first aspect, by using a temperature adjustment device to heat the reconstituted tobacco raw material passing through the die, the viscosity of the reconstituted tobacco raw material can be reduced, i.e., the fluidity of the reconstituted tobacco raw material can be increased. Alternatively, by using a temperature adjustment device to partially heat areas with low discharge rates and partially increase the discharge flow rate, the discharge flow rate in the width direction can be made uniform. As a result, the occurrence of wrinkles in the reconstituted tobacco sheet can be suppressed. Furthermore, wrinkles can occur when areas with high discharge flow rates occur in the width direction of the reconstituted tobacco sheet. Therefore, according to the first aspect, by partially cooling areas with high discharge flow rates using a temperature adjustment device, the discharge flow rate can be partially suppressed and the discharge flow rate in the width direction can be made uniform. As a result, the occurrence of wrinkles in the reconstituted tobacco sheet can be suppressed. Note that, in this specification, "wrinkles" in a reconstituted tobacco sheet are not limited to streaks formed in the sheet, but also include uneven areas of sheet thickness, sagging, and a wavy or ripple-like appearance.

[0012] A second aspect is the first aspect, wherein the temperature adjustment device is attached to the die.

[0013] According to the second aspect, the temperature adjustment device can adjust the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die directly via the die, thereby more efficiently adjusting the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material.

[0014] A third aspect is summarized as the first or second aspect, wherein the temperature adjustment device includes a heating device that heats the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die.

[0015] According to the third aspect, by using a heating device to heat the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die, the viscosity of the reconstituted tobacco material can be reduced, i.e., the fluidity of the reconstituted tobacco material can be increased. Alternatively, by using a temperature adjustment device to partially heat areas with low discharge rates and partially increase the discharge flow rate, the discharge flow rate can be made uniform across the width. As a result, the occurrence of wrinkles in the reconstituted tobacco sheet can be suppressed.

[0016] A fourth aspect is summarized as the third aspect, wherein the heating device is configured to heat the reconstituted tobacco material so that the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die is less than 100°C.

[0017] According to the fourth aspect, the fluidity of the reconstituted tobacco raw material can be increased, while preventing the moisture contained in the reconstituted tobacco raw material from evaporating and condensing at the discharge outlet of the die, thereby suppressing the occurrence of wrinkles in the reconstituted tobacco sheet.

[0018] A fifth aspect is summarized as the first or second aspect, wherein the temperature adjustment device includes a cooling device that cools the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die.

[0019] According to the fifth aspect, by partially cooling the portion with a high discharge flow rate using a cooling device, the discharge flow rate can be made uniform in the width direction, thereby suppressing the occurrence of wrinkles in the reconstituted tobacco sheet.

[0020] A sixth aspect is summarized as follows: in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the die has a long-hole-shaped outlet for ejecting the reconstituted tobacco raw material in the form of a sheet, and the reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus has a plurality of the temperature adjustment devices attached to the die along the longitudinal direction of the outlet and controllable independently of each other.

[0021] According to the sixth aspect, the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die can be partially adjusted in the longitudinal direction of the die outlet, i.e., in the width direction perpendicular to the discharge direction. Therefore, when flow rate unevenness occurs in the width direction, by partially adjusting the temperature (i.e., viscosity) of the reconstituted tobacco, it is possible to prevent wrinkles from forming in the discharged sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material.

[0022] A seventh aspect is summarized as any one of the first to sixth aspects, further comprising a control device configured to control the operation of the temperature adjustment device.

[0023] According to the seventh aspect, the operation of the temperature adjustment device can be controlled by the control device, and therefore, the operation of the temperature adjustment device can be controlled in accordance with the occurrence of wrinkles so as to suppress the occurrence of wrinkles.

[0024] An eighth aspect is summarized as follows: in the seventh aspect, a first sensor is communicatively connected to the control device and measures the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die, and the control device is configured to control the operation of the temperature adjustment device based on the measurement data of the first sensor.

[0025] According to the eighth aspect, for example, if the temperature measured by the first sensor is lower than a predetermined value, it is assumed that the viscosity of the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die is high, and the control device can control the temperature adjustment device to increase the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material, thereby suppressing the occurrence of wrinkles. Also, for example, if the temperature measured by the first sensor is higher than a predetermined value, for example, 100°C or higher, the control device can control the temperature adjustment device to decrease the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material, thereby suppressing state changes such as evaporation or chemical changes in the reconstituted tobacco material.

[0026] A ninth aspect is summarized as the seventh or eighth aspect, further comprising an extruder that extrudes the reconstituted tobacco material into the die, the extruder having an extrusion screw, a chamber through which the reconstituted tobacco material extruded by the extrusion screw passes, and a second sensor that is communicatively connected to the control device and measures the temperature or pressure within the chamber, and the control device controls the operation of the temperature adjustment device based on the measurement data of the second sensor.

[0027] According to the ninth aspect, the temperature or pressure inside the chamber of the extruder can be measured by a second sensor. If the temperature inside the chamber is lower than a predetermined value or the pressure inside the chamber is higher than a predetermined value, it is expected that the viscosity of the reconstituted tobacco material will be high. In this case, backflow of the reconstituted tobacco material from the die to the extruder may occur. Furthermore, in this case, diffusion of the material inside the die may not be promoted, making it difficult to uniformly discharge the reconstituted tobacco material from the die. Therefore, according to the ninth aspect, for example, if the temperature inside the chamber is lower than a predetermined value or the pressure inside the chamber is higher than a predetermined value, the control device can control the operation of the temperature adjustment device to heat the reconstituted tobacco material to reduce its viscosity. Furthermore, if the temperature inside the chamber is higher than a predetermined value, for example, 100°C or higher, the control device can control the temperature adjustment device to reduce the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material, thereby suppressing state changes such as evaporation or chemical changes in the reconstituted tobacco material.

[0028] A tenth aspect is summarized as follows: in any of the seventh to ninth aspects which refer to the sixth aspect, the apparatus further includes a third sensor communicatively connected to the control device and configured to measure the appearance, flow rate, or sheet thickness of the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material extruded from the die, and the control device controls the operation of at least one of the plurality of temperature adjustment devices based on the measurement data of the third sensor.

[0029] According to the tenth aspect, the third sensor measures the appearance, flow rate, or sheet thickness, thereby detecting whether or not wrinkles have occurred in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material. Specifically, the control device can detect the occurrence of wrinkles based on the appearance measurement data of the third sensor. Furthermore, the control device can receive the flow rate or sheet thickness measurement data of the third sensor and determine that wrinkles have occurred when the fluctuation range of the sheet thickness or flow rate over a predetermined time period is not within a predetermined range. In this way, when the control device detects the occurrence of wrinkles, it can suppress the occurrence of wrinkles by, for example, heating or cooling the reconstituted tobacco raw material passing through the die. The reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing device preferably includes the same number of third sensors as the multiple temperature adjustment devices. In this case, by arranging multiple third sensors along the width direction to measure the thickness or flow rate of the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material at multiple locations in the width direction, the control device can detect thick portions (portions with high flow rates) or thin portions (portions with low flow rates) of the sheet in the width direction. Based on the detection results, the control device can suppress the occurrence of wrinkles by controlling the temperature adjustment device corresponding to the third sensor that measured the thick or thin portion of the sheet in the width direction.

[0030] An eleventh aspect is summarized as the seventh aspect, further comprising an extruder that extrudes the reconstituted tobacco material into the die, and a third sensor that is communicatively connected to the control device and that measures the appearance, flow rate, or thickness of the sheet of the reconstituted tobacco material extruded from the die, wherein the control device is configured to control the operation of the extruder, and the control device controls the extrusion speed of the extruder based on the measurement data of the third sensor.

[0031] It has been found that wrinkles occur in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material when the raw material is not uniformly dispersed inside the die, resulting in uneven flow rates in the discharge direction or width direction. Therefore, if wrinkles occur in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material, increasing the extrusion speed of the extruder increases the pressure inside the die and uniformly diffuses the raw material. As a result, wrinkles are suppressed in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material. According to the eleventh aspect, the third sensor measures the appearance, flow rate, or sheet thickness to detect whether wrinkles have occurred in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material. Specifically, the control device can detect the occurrence of wrinkles based on the measurement data of the appearance of the third sensor. Furthermore, the control device can receive the measurement data of the flow rate or sheet thickness from the third sensor and determine that wrinkles have occurred, for example, when the fluctuation range of the sheet thickness or flow rate over a predetermined time period is not within a predetermined range. In this way, when the control device detects the occurrence of wrinkles, the occurrence of wrinkles can be suppressed by increasing the extrusion speed of the extruder.

[0032] A twelfth aspect is summarized as any one of the first to eleventh aspects, further comprising a take-up device that takes up the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material extruded from the die while applying tension thereto.

[0033] According to the twelfth aspect, tension can be applied to the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material discharged from the die by the take-up device, so that if wrinkles occur in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material, the wrinkles can be smoothed out to reduce the extent of the wrinkles.

[0034] According to a thirteenth aspect, there is provided a method for producing a reconstituted tobacco sheet, the method comprising adjusting the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material passing through a die, and discharging the reconstituted tobacco material from the die in the form of a sheet.

[0035] It has been found that one of the causes of wrinkles in the reconstituted tobacco sheet extruded from the die is the fluidity of the raw material. Specifically, when the fluidity of the raw material is low, uneven flow rates can occur in the extrusion direction or width direction. Therefore, according to the thirteenth aspect, by heating the reconstituted tobacco raw material passing through the die using a temperature control device, the viscosity of the reconstituted tobacco raw material can be reduced, i.e., the fluidity of the reconstituted tobacco raw material can be increased. Alternatively, by using a temperature control device to partially heat areas with low extrusion rates and partially increase the extrusion flow rate, the extrusion flow rate in the width direction can be made uniform. As a result, the occurrence of wrinkles in the reconstituted tobacco sheet can be suppressed. Furthermore, wrinkles can occur when areas of the reconstituted tobacco sheet with high extrusion flow rates occur in the width direction. Therefore, according to the thirteenth aspect, by partially cooling areas with high extrusion flow rates, the extrusion flow rate in the width direction can be made uniform. As a result, the occurrence of wrinkles in the reconstituted tobacco sheet can be suppressed.

[0036] According to a fourteenth aspect, there is provided a reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus, comprising: a die that discharges reconstituted tobacco material into a sheet shape; an extruder that extrudes the reconstituted tobacco material into the die; a control device configured to control the operation of the extruder; and a first sensor communicatively connected to the control device that measures the appearance, flow rate, or thickness of the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material discharged from the die, and the control device controls the extrusion speed of the extruder based on the measurement data of the first sensor.

[0037] It has been found that wrinkles occur in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material when the raw material is not uniformly dispersed inside the die, resulting in uneven flow rates in the discharge direction or width direction. Therefore, if wrinkles occur in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material, increasing the extrusion speed of the extruder increases the pressure inside the die and uniformly diffuses the raw material. As a result, wrinkles are suppressed in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material. According to the fourteenth aspect, the first sensor measures the appearance, flow rate, or sheet thickness to detect whether wrinkles have occurred in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material. Specifically, the control device can detect the occurrence of wrinkles based on the measurement data of the appearance of the first sensor. Furthermore, the control device can receive the measurement data of the flow rate or sheet thickness from the first sensor and determine that wrinkles have occurred, for example, when the fluctuation range of the sheet thickness or flow rate over a predetermined time period is not within a predetermined range. In this way, when the control device detects the occurrence of wrinkles, the occurrence of wrinkles can be suppressed by increasing the extrusion speed of the extruder.

[0038] A fifteenth aspect is summarized as being in the fourteenth aspect, wherein the control device increases the extrusion speed of the extruder when it determines that the fluctuation range of the sheet thickness or flow rate measured by the first sensor at a predetermined time is not within a predetermined range.

[0039] According to the fifteenth aspect, when the fluctuation range of the thickness or flow rate measured by the first sensor is not within a predetermined range, the control device assumes that flow rate unevenness has occurred in the discharge direction of the sheet, and determines that wrinkles have occurred. In this way, the control device can suppress the occurrence of wrinkles by increasing the extrusion speed of the extruder when the fluctuation range of the thickness or flow rate measured by the first sensor is not within the predetermined range.

[0040] A sixteenth aspect is summarized as follows: in the fourteenth aspect, the first sensor is configured to measure the thickness or flow rate of the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material extruded from the die at multiple locations in the width direction, and the control device increases the extrusion speed of the extruder based on the thickness or flow rate measured by the first sensor at the multiple locations.

[0041] According to the sixteenth aspect, the first sensor measures the thickness or flow rate of the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco raw material at multiple locations in the width direction, allowing the control device to detect thicker portions (portions with higher flow rates) or thinner portions (portions with lower flow rates) of the sheet in the width direction. The control device can determine that wrinkles have occurred and increase the extrusion speed of the extruder to suppress the occurrence of wrinkles, for example, when "when a portion thicker or thinner than a predetermined thickness is detected," "when the difference in thickness at any two of the multiple locations is not within a predetermined numerical range," "when the difference between the average thickness and the maximum or minimum thickness at the multiple locations is not within a predetermined numerical range," or "when the distribution of thicknesses at the multiple locations is not within a predetermined numerical range."

[0042] A seventeenth aspect is summarized as follows: in the fourteenth aspect, the control device determines whether or not wrinkles have occurred in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material based on the appearance measured by the first sensor, and when it determines that wrinkles have occurred, increases the extrusion speed of the extruder.

[0043] According to the seventeenth aspect, the control device determines whether wrinkles have occurred in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material by, for example, performing known image analysis on the appearance measured by the first sensor, and thereby can increase the extrusion speed of the extruder to suppress the occurrence of wrinkles.

[0044] An 18th aspect is summarized as any of the 14th to 17th aspects, further comprising a second sensor communicatively connected to the control device and configured to measure a pressure inside the die or the extruder, and the control device reduces the extrusion speed of the extruder when it determines that the pressure measured by the second sensor is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0045] When the pressure inside the die or the extruder is too high, backflow from the die to the extruder may occur. According to the eighteenth aspect, when the control device increases the extrusion speed of the extruder to suppress the occurrence of wrinkles, and the control device determines that the pressure measured by the second sensor is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the control device reduces the extrusion speed of the extruder, thereby stabilizing the discharge state.

[0046] A 19th aspect is summarized as any of the 14th to 18th aspects, further comprising a third sensor communicatively connected to the control device and configured to measure the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die or the extruder, and the control device increases the extrusion speed of the extruder when it determines that the temperature measured by the third sensor is equal to or lower than a predetermined value.

[0047] Generally, increasing the extrusion speed of the extruder increases the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material. If the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die or extruder is below a predetermined value, the viscosity of the reconstituted tobacco material inside the die or extruder may be high or the extrusion speed may be slow, which may result in wrinkles in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material extruded from the die. According to the 19th aspect, when the control device determines that the temperature measured by the third sensor is below a predetermined value, the occurrence of wrinkles can be suppressed by increasing the extrusion speed of the extruder.

[0048] According to a twentieth aspect, there is provided a method for producing a reconstituted tobacco sheet, comprising: supplying reconstituted tobacco material to an extruder; extruding the reconstituted tobacco material into a die using the extruder; discharging the reconstituted tobacco material from the die in the form of a sheet; measuring the appearance, flow rate, or sheet thickness of the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material discharged from the die; and controlling the extrusion speed of the extruder based on the measurement results of the appearance, flow rate, or sheet thickness of the reconstituted tobacco material.

[0049] It has been found that wrinkles occur in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material when the raw material is not uniformly dispersed inside the die, resulting in uneven flow rates in the discharge direction or width direction. Therefore, if wrinkles occur in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material, increasing the extrusion speed of the extruder increases the pressure inside the die and uniformly diffuses the raw material. As a result, wrinkles are suppressed in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material. According to the twentieth aspect, whether wrinkles occur in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material can be detected by measuring the appearance, flow rate, or sheet thickness of the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material discharged from the die. Specifically, the occurrence of wrinkles can be detected based on the appearance measurement results. Furthermore, based on the measurement results of the flow rate or sheet thickness, it can be determined that wrinkles have occurred, for example, when the fluctuation range of the sheet thickness or flow rate over a predetermined time is not within a predetermined range. Thus, when wrinkles are detected, the occurrence of wrinkles can be suppressed by increasing the extrusion speed of the extruder.

[0050] A 21st aspect is summarized as the 20th aspect, further including increasing the extrusion speed of the extruder when the fluctuation range of the thickness or flow rate of the sheet in a predetermined time is not within a predetermined range.

[0051] According to the 21st aspect, when the fluctuation range of the measured thickness or flow rate is not within a predetermined range, it is assumed that flow rate unevenness has occurred in the sheet discharge direction, and it is determined that wrinkles have occurred. In this way, by increasing the extrusion speed of the extruder when the fluctuation range of the measured thickness or flow rate is not within the predetermined range, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of wrinkles.

[0052] A 22nd aspect is summarized as comprising, in the 20th aspect, measuring the thickness or flow rate of the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco raw material extruded from the die at multiple locations in the width direction, and increasing the extrusion speed of the extruder based on the measured thickness or flow rate at the multiple locations.

[0053] According to the 22nd aspect, by measuring the thickness or flow rate of the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco raw material at multiple locations in the width direction, it is possible to detect thicker (higher flow rate) or thinner (lower flow rate) portions of the sheet in the width direction. As a result, it is possible to determine that wrinkles have occurred and increase the extrusion speed of the extruder to suppress wrinkles, for example, when "a portion thicker or thinner than a predetermined thickness is detected," "when the difference in thickness at any two of the multiple locations is not within a predetermined numerical range," "when the difference between the average thickness and the maximum or minimum thickness at the multiple locations is not within a predetermined numerical range," or "when the thickness distribution at the multiple locations is not within a predetermined numerical range."

[0054] A 23rd aspect is summarized as the 20th aspect, including determining whether or not wrinkles have occurred in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material based on the appearance, and increasing the extrusion speed of the extruder when wrinkles have occurred.

[0055] According to the twenty-third aspect, it is possible to determine whether or not wrinkles have occurred in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material based on its appearance, and to prevent wrinkles from occurring by increasing the extrusion speed of the extruder.

[0056] A 24th aspect is summarized as comprising, in any one of the 20th to 23rd aspects, measuring a pressure inside the die or the extruder, and reducing an extrusion rate of the extruder when the measured pressure is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0057] When the pressure inside the die or the extruder is too high, backflow from the die to the extruder may occur. According to the 24th aspect, when the extrusion speed of the extruder is increased to suppress the occurrence of wrinkles, if the measured pressure is determined to be equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the extrusion speed of the extruder can be reduced to stabilize the discharge state.

[0058] A 25th aspect is summarized as any of the 20th to 24th aspects, including measuring the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die or the extruder, and increasing the extrusion speed of the extruder when the measured temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined value.

[0059] Generally, increasing the extrusion speed of the extruder also increases the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material. If the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die or extruder is below a predetermined value, the viscosity of the reconstituted tobacco material inside the die or extruder may be high or the extrusion speed may be slow, which may result in wrinkles in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material extruded from the die. According to the 25th aspect, when it is determined that the measured temperature is below a predetermined value, the occurrence of wrinkles can be suppressed by increasing the extrusion speed of the extruder.

[0060] According to a 26th aspect, there is provided a reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus, which includes a die that extrudes reconstituted tobacco material into a sheet shape, and a take-up device that takes up the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material extruded from the die, the take-up device having a pair of first drive rollers that sandwich the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material, and is configured to take up the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material under tension.

[0061] The extruded sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material is heated and dried in a subsequent process to solidify, so the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material extruded from the die is prone to tearing. According to the 26th aspect, the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material extruded from the die is clamped by the first drive roller of the take-up device, thereby applying stable tension. As a result, even if wrinkles occur in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material extruded from the die, the wrinkles can be smoothed out by the take-up device.

[0062] A 27th aspect is characterized in that, in the 26th aspect, the take-up device has a pair of second drive rollers that sandwich and take up the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material from the pair of first drive rollers, and the rotation speed of the second drive rollers is higher than the rotation speed of the first drive rollers.

[0063] According to the 27th aspect, the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material is pulled up while being sandwiched between the first drive roller and the second drive roller, which has a higher rotation speed, and the difference in rotation speed between these drive rollers allows a desired tension to be applied to the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material. Therefore, by adjusting the rotation speeds of the first drive roller and the second drive roller according to the degree of wrinkles in the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material, wrinkles can be appropriately smoothed out.

[0064] A 28th aspect is characterized in that, in the 26th or 27th aspect, the take-up device has a tension roller movable in a predetermined direction and configured to apply tension to the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material taken up by the pair of first drive rollers, and a biasing member that presses the tension roller against the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material.

[0065] According to the twenty-eighth aspect, a predetermined tension can be applied to the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material by the tension roller and the biasing member.

[0066] A 29th aspect is summarized as any of the 26th to 28th aspects, wherein the take-up device has a direction-changing roller located upstream of the first drive roller, which changes the conveying direction of the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material discharged from the die.

[0067] Typically, the die outlet is directed vertically downward, and the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material is discharged vertically downward. According to the 29th aspect, the direction-changing roller can change the conveying direction of the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material, for example, to a horizontal direction, so that the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material can be appropriately conveyed to a downstream take-up mechanism such as a first drive roller.

[0068] A 30th aspect is summarized as any of the 26th to 29th aspects, wherein the take-up device has a processing roller located downstream of the first drive roller that applies surface processing to the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material transported from the first drive roller.

[0069] According to the 30th aspect, the processing roller applies surface treatment, such as perforation, textured processing, embossing, or debossing, to the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material, thereby increasing the surface area of ​​the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material. This increases the flavor or aerosol generated when the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material is heated. Furthermore, surface treatment by the processing roller may make the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material more prone to tearing. According to the 30th aspect, the processing roller is located downstream of the first drive roller, which prevents the first drive roller from applying tension to the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material after surface treatment, thereby preventing tearing of the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material.

[0070] A thirty-first aspect is summarized as any one of the twenty-sixth to thirtieth aspects, in that the take-up device is configured to take up the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material at room temperature.

[0071] If the take-up device includes, for example, a heating or drying roller, the moisture content of the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material being taken up may change, resulting in changes in its physical properties. In this case, the tensile strength changes over time, which may result in areas of stress concentration in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material, making it more susceptible to tearing. According to the 31st aspect, since heating or drying is not actively performed in the take-up device, the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material can be taken up while applying tension, in a state in which its physical properties are less likely to change. Therefore, wrinkles in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material can be smoothed out while preventing tearing.

[0072] A 32nd aspect is summarized as any of the 26th to 31st aspects, further comprising a control device that controls the drive of the pair of first drive rollers, and a sheet sensor that is communicatively connected to the control device and measures the flow rate of the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material extruded from the die, and the control device is configured to control the rotational speed of the pair of first drive rollers based on the flow rate data measured by the sheet sensor.

[0073] According to the thirty-second aspect, the rotation speed of the first drive roller can be controlled in accordance with the flow rate, thereby applying a desired tension to the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material.

[0074] A 33rd aspect is summarized as any of the 26th to 32nd aspects, further comprising a control device that controls the driving of the pair of first drive rollers, and a tension sensor that is communicatively connected to the control device and that measures the tension applied to the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material extruded from the die, and the control device is configured to control the rotational speed of the pair of first drive rollers based on tension data measured by the tension sensor.

[0075] According to the thirty-third aspect, the rotation speed of the first drive roller can be controlled in accordance with the tension actually applied to the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material, thereby applying a desired tension to the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material.

[0076] According to a 34th aspect, there is provided a method for producing a reconstituted tobacco sheet, which includes discharging the reconstituted tobacco material in a sheet form from a die, nipping and drawing the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material between a pair of first drive rollers, and applying tension to the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material.

[0077] The extruded tobacco sheet is heated and dried in a subsequent process to solidify, so the tobacco sheet extruded from the die is prone to tearing. According to the 34th aspect, the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material extruded from the die is sandwiched between the first drive rollers, thereby applying stable tension. This allows wrinkles to be smoothed out even if wrinkles occur in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material extruded from the die.

[0078] A 35th aspect is summarized as comprising, in the 34th aspect, pulling up the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material from a pair of the first drive rollers while sandwiching it between a pair of second drive rollers, and setting the rotation speed of the second drive rollers to be higher than the rotation speed of the first drive rollers.

[0079] According to the 35th aspect, the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material is pulled up while being sandwiched between the first drive roller and the second drive roller, which has a higher rotation speed, and the desired tension can be applied to the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material by adjusting the rotation speed difference between these drive rollers. Therefore, by adjusting the rotation speeds of the first drive roller and the second drive roller according to the degree of wrinkles in the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material, wrinkles can be appropriately smoothed out.

[0080] A 36th aspect is characterized in that, in the 34th or 35th aspect, a tension roller is pressed against the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material, and tension is applied by the tension roller to the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material that is taken up by the pair of first drive rollers.

[0081] According to the thirty-sixth aspect, a predetermined tension can be applied to the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material by the tension roller.

[0082] A 37th aspect is summarized as comprising, in any one of the 34th to 36th aspects, changing the conveying direction of the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material discharged from the die upstream of the first drive roller.

[0083] Typically, the die outlet is directed vertically downward, and the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material is discharged vertically downward. According to the 37th aspect, the conveying direction of the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material can be changed, for example, to a horizontal direction, and the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material can be appropriately conveyed to a downstream take-up mechanism such as a first drive roller.

[0084] A 38th aspect is summarized as comprising, in any one of the 34th to 37th aspects, applying a surface treatment to the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material transported from the first drive roller downstream of the first drive roller.

[0085] According to the 38th aspect, the surface area of ​​the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material can be increased by subjecting the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material to surface processing such as perforation, texture processing, embossing, or debossing, thereby increasing the flavor or aerosol generated when the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material is heated.

[0086] A 39th aspect is summarized as any one of the 34th to 38th aspects, including taking up the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material at room temperature by the first drive roller.

[0087] If the hauling process includes, for example, a heating or drying process, the moisture content of the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material being hauled may change, resulting in changes in its physical properties. In this case, the tensile strength changes over time, resulting in areas where stress concentrates in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material, potentially making it more susceptible to tearing. According to the 39th aspect, since heating or drying is not actively performed in the hauling process, the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material can be hauled while applying tension, in a state where its physical properties are less likely to change. Therefore, wrinkles in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material can be smoothed out while preventing tearing.

[0088] A 40th aspect is summarized as any of the 34th to 39th aspects, in that the flow rate of the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material extruded from the die is measured, and the rotation speed of the first drive roller is controlled based on the measured flow rate data.

[0089] According to the fortieth aspect, the rotation speed of the first drive roller can be controlled in accordance with the flow rate, thereby applying a desired tension to the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material.

[0090] A 41st aspect is summarized as being any of the 34th to 40th aspects, in that the tension applied to the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material extruded from the die is measured, and the rotation speed of the first drive roller is controlled based on the measured tension data.

[0091] According to the forty-first aspect, the rotation speed of the first drive roller can be controlled in accordance with the tension actually applied to the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material, thereby applying a desired tension to the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0092] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the die shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the discharge port side. [Figure 3] 3 is a side view of the die and sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material as seen from the arrow 3-3 shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 3 is a side view of the die and sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material as seen from the arrow 3-3 shown in FIG. 1 according to another embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart showing a method for producing a reconstituted tobacco sheet. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the take-up device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0093] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings described below, identical or corresponding components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. In this specification, the term "discharge direction" refers to the direction in which a sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material is discharged from a die, or the direction in which the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material is transported. In addition, in this specification, the term "width direction" refers to the direction perpendicular to the discharge direction.

[0094] Fig. 1 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a side view of the die shown in Fig. 1, viewed from the discharge port side. As shown in Fig. 1, the reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment has a die 40 that discharges reconstituted tobacco material in the form of a sheet. The reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 may further have an extruder 10 configured to extrude the reconstituted tobacco material into the die 40.

[0095] The extruder 10 may have a housing 12, an intake screw 14, and an extrusion screw 16. The intake screw 14 is configured to rotate to extrude the reconstituted tobacco material in a direction perpendicular to its rotation axis. The extrusion screw 16 is configured to rotate to extrude the reconstituted tobacco material in a direction parallel to its rotation axis. The housing 12 may be formed of a sturdy material, such as a metal such as SUS, and has an input port 12a, a conveying space 12b, and a chamber 12c therein. The input port 12a opens upward and houses the intake screw 14 therein. The conveying space 12b houses the extrusion screw 16. When the reconstituted tobacco material is input into the input port 12a, the intake screw 14 rotates, and the input reconstituted tobacco material is taken into the conveying space 12b. In the conveying space 12b, the reconstituted tobacco material is extruded into the chamber 12c while being kneaded by the extrusion screw 16. The reconstituted tobacco material extruded by the extrusion screw 16 passes through the chamber 12c and is extruded into the die 40. The discharge speed of the reconstituted tobacco material extruded from the die 40 can be determined by the rotation speed of the extrusion screw 16.

[0096] Here, the reconstituted tobacco raw material is a kneaded product containing at least one substance selected from polysaccharides (starch, dextrin, etc.), an arbitrary liquid medium such as water or alcohol (ethanol, propylene glycol, etc.), or at least one substance selected by the user, and tobacco plant fragments or granules. Note that the reconstituted tobacco raw material is not limited to the above and may contain other substances.

[0097] The die 40 has a housing 42 and an outlet 44 through which the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco raw material S1 is discharged. The housing 42 may be formed of a sturdy material such as a metal, such as stainless steel, and has a chamber 42a therein that communicates with the outlet 44. The die 40 may further have an adjustment device 46 for adjusting the thickness of the outlet 44. The adjustment device 46 may be a device, such as a bolt, that adjusts the shape of the nozzle portion of the housing 42 that defines the outlet 44. A plurality of adjustment devices 46 may be provided in the width direction of the die 40 (the depth direction of the paper in FIG. 1) (see FIGS. 3 and 4, described below). As shown in FIG. 2, the outlet 44 may be an elongated hole. Here, the term "elongated hole" does not particularly limit the shape of the hole, and may be any shape with a predetermined longitudinal direction. The outlet 44 is arranged so that its longitudinal direction faces the width direction of the die 40 (the depth direction of the paper in FIG. 1).

[0098] As described above, when the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material S1 is discharged from the die 40, if flow rate unevenness occurs in the discharge direction or the width direction perpendicular to the discharge direction, wrinkles may occur in the discharged sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material S1. Therefore, in this embodiment, the reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 preferably includes a temperature adjustment device 70 that adjusts the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco raw material passing through the die 40. It has been found that one of the causes of wrinkles in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material S1 discharged from the die 40 is the fluidity of the raw material. Specifically, if the fluidity of the raw material is low, flow rate unevenness may occur in the discharge direction or the width direction. For this reason, the temperature adjustment device 70 may include, as an example, a heating device that heats the reconstituted tobacco raw material passing through the die 40. In this case, heating the reconstituted tobacco raw material passing through the die 40 with the temperature adjustment device 70 can reduce the viscosity of the reconstituted tobacco raw material, i.e., increase the fluidity of the reconstituted tobacco raw material. Alternatively, the temperature adjustment device 70 can partially heat areas with low discharge rates to locally increase the discharge flow rate, thereby making the discharge flow rate uniform in the width direction. As a result, the occurrence of wrinkles in the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 can be suppressed. Furthermore, wrinkles may occur when there are portions in the width direction of the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 where the discharge flow rate is high. Therefore, as an example, the temperature adjustment device 70 may include a cooling device that cools the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die 40. In this case, by partially cooling the portions where the discharge flow rate is high using the temperature adjustment device 70, the discharge flow rate in the width direction can be made uniform. As a result, the occurrence of wrinkles in the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 can be suppressed.

[0099] When the temperature adjustment device 70 includes a heating device, the heating device is preferably configured to heat the reconstituted tobacco material so that the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die 40 is less than 100°C. In this case, the fluidity of the reconstituted tobacco material can be increased, while preventing the moisture contained in the reconstituted tobacco material from evaporating and condensing at the discharge opening 44 of the die 40, thereby suppressing the occurrence of wrinkles in the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1.

[0100] As shown in FIG. 1 , the temperature adjustment device 70 is preferably attached to the die 40. In this case, the temperature adjustment device 70 can adjust the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die 40 directly via the die 40, thereby more efficiently adjusting the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material. In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the temperature adjustment device 70 can be attached so as to contact the surface of the housing 42 of the die 40. More specifically, the temperature adjustment device 70 is preferably attached so as to contact the surface of the housing 42 so as to sandwich the chamber 42a of the die 40. The temperature adjustment device 70 may also be attached to the extruder 10. For example, if the reconstituted tobacco material is not sufficiently heated during passage through the die 40, the temperature adjustment device 70 attached to the extruder 10 may heat the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the extruder 10.

[0101] 1, the reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 preferably further includes a control device 60 configured to control the operation of the temperature adjustment device 70. In this case, the operation of the temperature adjustment device 70 can be controlled by the control device 60, and therefore the operation of the temperature adjustment device 70 can be controlled in accordance with the occurrence of wrinkles so as to suppress the occurrence of wrinkles. The control device 60 can be configured to be able to communicate with the temperature adjustment device 70.

[0102] The reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 preferably includes a temperature sensor 24 (corresponding to an example of a first sensor) that is communicatively connected to the control device 60 and measures the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die 40. In this case, the control device 60 controls the operation of the temperature adjustment device 70 based on the measurement data of the temperature sensor 24. For example, if the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 24 is lower than a predetermined value, it is assumed that the viscosity of the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die 40 is high. Therefore, the control device 60 can control the temperature adjustment device 70 to increase the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material, thereby suppressing the occurrence of wrinkles. Furthermore, for example, if the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 24 is higher than a predetermined value, such as 100°C or higher, the control device 60 can control the temperature adjustment device 70 to decrease the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material, thereby suppressing state changes such as evaporation or chemical changes in the reconstituted tobacco material. As shown in FIG. 1 , in this embodiment, at least a portion of the temperature sensor 24 can be embedded inside the housing 42 or exposed to the chamber 42a to more accurately measure the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material in the chamber 42a of the die 40.

[0103] The control device 60 may also control the operation of the temperature adjustment device 70 based on temperature data received from a temperature or pressure sensor 22, described below, that measures the temperature or pressure of the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the chamber 12c.

[0104] Furthermore, the reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 preferably includes a temperature or pressure sensor 22 (corresponding to an example of a second sensor) that is communicatively connected to the control device 60 and measures the temperature or pressure within the chamber 12c of the extruder 10. In this case, the control device 60 controls the operation of the temperature adjustment device 70 based on the measurement data of the temperature or pressure sensor 22. Specifically, if the temperature within the chamber 12c is lower than a predetermined value or if the pressure within the chamber 12c is higher than a predetermined value, it is expected that the viscosity of the reconstituted tobacco material will be high. In this case, backflow of the reconstituted tobacco material from the die 40 to the extruder 10 may occur. Furthermore, in this case, diffusion of the material within the die 40 (i.e., chamber 42a) may not be promoted, making it difficult to uniformly discharge the reconstituted tobacco material from the die 40. For this reason, for example, if the temperature within the chamber 12c is lower than a predetermined value or the pressure within the chamber 12c is higher than a predetermined value, the control device 60 can control the operation of the temperature adjustment device 70 to heat the reconstituted tobacco material to reduce its viscosity. Furthermore, for example, if the temperature inside chamber 12c is higher than a predetermined value, such as 100°C or higher, control device 60 can control temperature adjustment device 70 to lower the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco raw material, thereby suppressing state changes such as evaporation of the reconstituted tobacco raw material, or chemical changes.

[0105] Furthermore, the reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 preferably has a sheet sensor 26 (corresponding to an example of a third sensor) that is communicatively connected to the control device 60 and that measures the appearance, flow rate, or sheet thickness of the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material discharged from the die 40. In this case, the control device 60 controls the operation of the temperature adjustment device 70 based on the measurement data of the sheet sensor 26.

[0106] FIG. 3 is a side view of the die 40 and the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material S1 as viewed from the arrow 3-3 in FIG. 1. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a temperature adjustment device 70 and a sheet sensor 26 provided on one surface of the housing 42 of the die 40. In this case, the sheet sensor 26 can detect whether wrinkles have occurred in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material S1 by measuring the appearance, flow rate, or sheet thickness. Specifically, the control device 60 can detect the occurrence of wrinkles based on the measurement data of the appearance of the sheet sensor 26. Furthermore, the control device 60 can receive measurement data of the flow rate or sheet thickness within a predetermined range measured by the sheet sensor 26 and determine that wrinkles have occurred when the fluctuation range of the sheet thickness or flow rate over a predetermined time period is not within the predetermined range. In this way, when the control device 60 detects the occurrence of wrinkles, the control device 60 controls the temperature adjustment device 70 to heat or cool the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die 40, thereby suppressing the occurrence of wrinkles.

[0107] 4 is a side view of a die 40 and a sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1, as seen from the arrow 3-3 shown in FIG. 1 , according to another embodiment. As in the example shown in FIG. 4 , the reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 preferably has a plurality of (five in the figure) temperature adjustment devices 70 attached to the die 40 along the longitudinal direction of the discharge opening 44 (the width direction of the die 40) and that can be controlled independently of one another. In this case, the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die 40 can be partially adjusted in the longitudinal direction of the discharge opening 44 of the die 40, i.e., in the width direction perpendicular to the discharge direction. Therefore, when flow rate unevenness occurs in the width direction, partially adjusting the temperature (i.e., viscosity) of the reconstituted tobacco can prevent wrinkles from forming in the discharged sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1.

[0108] In this case, the control device 60 preferably controls the operation of at least one of the multiple temperature adjustment devices 70 based on measurement data from the sheet sensor 26. The sheet sensor 26 can detect whether wrinkles have occurred in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material S1 by measuring its appearance, flow rate, or sheet thickness. Specifically, the control device 60 can detect the occurrence of wrinkles based on the measurement data of the appearance of the sheet sensor 26. Furthermore, the control device 60 can receive measurement data of the flow rate or sheet thickness from the sheet sensor 26 and determine that wrinkles have occurred when the fluctuation range of the sheet thickness or flow rate over a predetermined time period is not within a predetermined range. In this way, when the control device 60 detects the occurrence of wrinkles, it can suppress the occurrence of wrinkles by, for example, heating or cooling the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die 40.

[0109] As shown in FIG. 4, when the reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 is equipped with multiple temperature adjustment devices 70, it may have a single sheet sensor 26, but it is preferable to have multiple sheet sensors 26. Specifically, the reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 may have multiple sheet sensors 26 arranged along the width direction of the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material S1. In this case, the control device 60 controls the operation of at least one of the multiple temperature adjustment devices 70 based on the measurement data of the multiple sheet sensors 26. As shown in the figure, when the reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 has multiple temperature adjustment devices 70, it is preferable to have the same number of sheet sensors 26. In this case, by arranging multiple sheet sensors 26 along the width direction as shown in FIG. 4 and measuring the thickness or flow rate of the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material S1 at multiple locations in the width direction, the control device 60 can detect thick portions (portions with high flow rate) or thin portions (portions with low flow rate) of the sheet in the width direction. Depending on the detection result, the control device 60 controls at least one temperature adjustment device 70 corresponding to one of the multiple sheet sensors 26 that measured the thick or thin portion of the sheet in the width direction, thereby suppressing the occurrence of wrinkles.

[0110] As described above, the control device 60 controls the operation of the temperature adjustment device 70 in order to reduce wrinkles in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material S1 discharged from the die 40. However, the control device 60 can also reduce wrinkles in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material S1 discharged from the die 40 by controlling the operation of the extruder 10.

[0111] As shown in FIG. 1 , the control device 60 can be communicatively connected to the extruder 10. The control device 60 preferably controls the operation of the extruder 10. In this case, the control device 60 can control the extrusion speed of the extruder 10 based on the measurement data of the sheet sensor 26. As described above, it has been found that wrinkles occur in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material S1 when the raw material is not uniformly dispersed inside the die 40 and flow rate variations occur in the discharge direction or width direction. Therefore, if wrinkles occur in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material S1, increasing the extrusion speed of the extruder 10 increases the pressure inside the die 40 (i.e., chamber 42a) and uniformly diffuses the raw material. As a result, the formation of wrinkles in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material S1 is suppressed.

[0112] The sheet sensor 26 measures the appearance, flow rate, or sheet thickness, thereby detecting whether wrinkles have occurred in the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco raw material S1. Specifically, the control device 60 determines whether wrinkles have occurred in the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco raw material S1 based on the appearance measured by the sheet sensor 26, and can increase the extrusion speed of the extruder 10 when it determines that wrinkles have occurred. The control device 60 determines whether wrinkles have occurred in the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco raw material S1 by performing, for example, known image analysis on the appearance measured by the sheet sensor 26. This allows the control device 60 to increase the extrusion speed of the extruder 10 to suppress the occurrence of wrinkles.

[0113] Furthermore, the control device 60 can increase the extrusion speed of the extruder 10 when it determines that the fluctuation range of the sheet thickness or flow rate measured by the sheet sensor 26 over a predetermined time period is not within a predetermined range. When the fluctuation range of the thickness or flow rate measured by the sheet sensor 26 is not within a predetermined range, the control device 60 assumes that flow rate unevenness has occurred in the discharge direction of the sheet, and determines that wrinkles have occurred. In this way, the control device 60 can suppress the occurrence of wrinkles by increasing the extrusion speed of the extruder 10 when the fluctuation range of the thickness or flow rate measured by the sheet sensor 26 is not within a predetermined range.

[0114] Furthermore, the sheet sensor 26 is preferably configured to measure the thickness or flow rate at multiple locations in the width direction of the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco raw material S1 discharged from the die 40. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the sheet sensor 26 may include multiple sheet sensors 26, or a single sheet sensor 26 may measure the thickness or flow rate at multiple locations in the width direction. In this case, the control device 60 increases the extrusion speed of the extruder 10 based on the thickness or flow rate at multiple locations measured by the sheet sensor 26. By having the sheet sensor 26 measure the thickness or flow rate at multiple locations in the width direction of the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco raw material S1, the control device 60 can detect thick portions (portions with high flow rate) or thin portions (portions with low flow rate) of the sheet in the width direction. The control device 60 can determine that wrinkles have occurred when, for example, "when it detects a portion that is thicker or thinner than a predetermined thickness," "when the difference in thickness at any two of multiple locations is not within a predetermined numerical range," "when the difference between the average thickness at multiple locations and the maximum or minimum thickness is not within a predetermined numerical range," or "when the distribution of thickness at multiple locations is not within a predetermined numerical range," and increase the extrusion speed of the extruder 10 to suppress the occurrence of wrinkles.

[0115] As shown in FIG. 1 , the reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 preferably includes a pressure sensor 28 communicatively connected to the control device 60 and configured to measure the pressure inside the die 40. The temperature or pressure sensor 22 and the pressure sensor 28 function as sensors configured to measure the pressure inside the die 40 or the extruder 10. In this case, the control device 60 preferably reduces the extrusion speed of the extruder 10 when it determines that the pressure measured by the temperature or pressure sensor 22 or the pressure sensor 28 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. If the pressure inside the die 40 or the extruder 10 is too high, backflow from the die 40 to the extruder 10 may occur. As described above, when the control device 60 increases the extrusion speed of the extruder 10 based on the measurement data of the sheet sensor 26 to suppress the occurrence of wrinkles, the pressure inside the die 40 or the extruder 10 may increase too much. Therefore, when the control device 60 determines that the pressure measured by the temperature or pressure sensor 22 or the pressure sensor 28 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it reduces the extrusion speed of the extruder 10, thereby stabilizing the discharge state. If the pressure measured by the temperature or pressure sensor 22 or the pressure sensor 28 is high, it is possible to reduce the viscosity and pressure by heating the reconstituted tobacco material inside the die 40 in the temperature adjustment device 70. However, in cases where the reconstituted tobacco material has already been sufficiently heated by the temperature adjustment device 70, it is particularly effective to reduce the extrusion speed of the extruder 10.

[0116] As shown in FIG. 1 , the reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a temperature or pressure sensor 22 and a temperature sensor 24. The temperature or pressure sensor 22 and the temperature sensor 24 function as sensors configured to measure the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die 40 or the extruder 10. In this case, the control device 60 preferably increases the extrusion speed of the extruder 10 when it determines that the temperature measured by the temperature or pressure sensor 22 or the temperature sensor 24 is below a predetermined value. Generally, increasing the extrusion speed of the extruder 10 also increases the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material. If the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die 40 or the extruder 10 is below a predetermined value, it is possible that the viscosity of the reconstituted tobacco material inside the die 40 or the extruder 10 is high or the extrusion speed is slow, which could result in wrinkles occurring in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material S1 extruded from the die 40. For this reason, when the control device 60 determines that the temperature measured by the temperature or pressure sensor 22 or the temperature sensor 24 is below a predetermined value, it is possible to prevent wrinkles from occurring by increasing the extrusion speed of the extruder 10.

[0117] Next, a method for manufacturing a reconstituted tobacco sheet using the reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 described above will be described. The method for manufacturing a reconstituted tobacco sheet of this embodiment includes adjusting the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die 40 and discharging the reconstituted tobacco material in a sheet form from the die 40. Alternatively, the method for manufacturing a reconstituted tobacco sheet includes supplying the reconstituted tobacco material to an extruder 10, extruding the reconstituted tobacco material into the die 40 using the extruder 10, discharging the reconstituted tobacco material in a sheet form from the die 40, measuring the appearance, flow rate, or sheet thickness of the sheet-form reconstituted tobacco material S1 discharged from the die 40, and controlling the extrusion speed of the extruder 10 based on the measurement results of the appearance, flow rate, or sheet thickness of the reconstituted tobacco material. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing a reconstituted tobacco sheet.

[0118] As shown in FIG. 5, first, reconstituted tobacco raw material is supplied to the extruder 10. Specifically, the reconstituted tobacco raw material is fed into the inlet 12a of the extruder 10 (step S501). Next, the reconstituted tobacco raw material is extruded into the die 40 by the extruder 10. Specifically, the reconstituted tobacco raw material is extruded into the die 40 by the intake screw 14 and extrusion screw 16 of the extruder 10, and discharged from the die 40 in the form of a sheet (step S502). Here, the control device 60 of the reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 measures the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco raw material passing through the die 40 or the extruder 10 using the temperature or pressure sensor 22 or the temperature sensor 24, receives temperature data from the temperature or pressure sensor 22 or the temperature sensor 24, and can determine whether the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco raw material in the chamber 12c or the chamber 42a is below a predetermined value (step S503). Alternatively, the control device 60 may measure the pressure inside the die 40 or extruder 10 using the temperature or pressure sensor 22 or the temperature sensor 24, receive pressure data from the temperature or pressure sensor 22 or the pressure sensor 28, and determine whether the pressure in the chamber 12c or the chamber 42a is greater than or equal to a predetermined value (step S503).

[0119] If the control device 60 determines that the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material in chamber 12c or chamber 42a is below a predetermined value, or if the control device 60 determines that the pressure in chamber 12c or chamber 42a is above a predetermined value (step S503, Yes), the control device 60 may control the temperature adjustment device 70 to increase the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material (step S506). Alternatively, in this case, the control device 60 may increase the extrusion speed of the extruder 10 (step S506). Note that the control device 60 may perform both heating of the reconstituted tobacco material by the temperature adjustment device 70 and increasing the extrusion speed of the extruder 10, or may perform only one of these.

[0120] If the control device 60 determines that the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material in chamber 12c or chamber 42a is not below a predetermined value, or that the pressure in chamber 12c or chamber 42a is not above a predetermined value (No in step S503), the control device 60 executes step S504. That is, the control device 60 receives data on the appearance, flow rate, or sheet thickness from the sheet sensor 26 and determines whether wrinkles have occurred (step S504).

[0121] Specifically, when a single sheet sensor 26 is provided as shown in Figure 3, the control device 60 determines that wrinkles have occurred when the fluctuation range of the sheet thickness or flow rate over a predetermined time period is not within a predetermined range, as described above. Furthermore, when multiple sheet sensors 26 are provided as shown in Figure 4, the control device 60 measures the thickness or flow rate at multiple locations in the width direction of the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco raw material S1 discharged from the die 40, as described above, and determines whether wrinkles have occurred based on the measurement results. Furthermore, the control device 60 can determine whether wrinkles have occurred based on appearance data received from the sheet sensor 26.

[0122] If the control device 60 determines that wrinkles have occurred (step S504, Yes), the control device 60 may control the temperature adjustment device 70 to increase the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material (step S506). Alternatively, in this case, the control device 60 may increase the extrusion speed of the extruder 10 (step S506). Note that the control device 60 may both heat the reconstituted tobacco material with the temperature adjustment device 70 and increase the extrusion speed of the extruder 10, or may perform only one of these actions.

[0123] If the extrusion speed of the extruder 10 is increased in step S506, the control device 60 receives pressure data from the temperature or pressure sensor 22 or the pressure sensor 28 and determines whether the pressure in chamber 12c or chamber 42a is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (step S507). If the extrusion speed of the extruder 10 is increased to suppress the occurrence of wrinkles in step S506, the pressure inside the die 40 or extruder 10 may increase too much. Therefore, if the control device 60 determines that the pressure in chamber 12c or chamber 42a is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (step S507, Yes), the extrusion speed is reduced in step S508. Note that this predetermined value is higher than the predetermined value in step S503.

[0124] If the control device 60 determines in step S504 that no wrinkles have occurred (step S504, No), the control device 60 may receive temperature data from the temperature or pressure sensor 22 or the temperature sensor 24 and determine whether the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material in chamber 12c or chamber 42a is higher than a predetermined value (step S505). Note that this predetermined value is different from the predetermined value in step S503, and is, for example, 100°C.

[0125] If the control device 60 determines that the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material in chamber 12c or chamber 42a is equal to or higher than a predetermined value (step S506, Yes), the control device 60 may control the temperature adjustment device 70 to decrease the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material (step S508). Alternatively, in this case, the control device 60 may decrease the extrusion speed of the extruder 10 (step S508). Note that the control device 60 may perform both cooling of the reconstituted tobacco material by the temperature adjustment device 70 and decreasing the extrusion speed of the extruder 10, or may perform only one of these.

[0126] In the reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus 100, the above-described steps S501 to S508 are repeated to manufacture a reconstituted tobacco sheet with fewer wrinkles. Note that only one of steps S503 and S504 may be performed. Also, steps S505, S507, and S508 are optional and may be omitted as appropriate. When two or more of steps S503, S504, and S505 are performed, the order in which they are performed may be arbitrary.

[0127] Next, a take-up device that can be provided in the reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 will be described. FIG. 6 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the take-up device. As shown in FIG. 6, the take-up device 80 is configured to take up the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material S1 discharged from the die 40 shown in FIG. 1 and other figures. The take-up device 80 has a pair of first drive rollers 82 that sandwich the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material S1, and is configured to take up the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material S1 under tension. The discharged sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material S1 is solidified by being heated and dried in a subsequent process, so the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material S1 discharged from the die 40 is prone to tearing. According to the reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 of this embodiment, stable tension can be applied to the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material S1 discharged from the die 40 by sandwiching it between the first drive rollers 82 of the take-up device 80. As a result, even if wrinkles occur in the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material S1 discharged from the die 40, the wrinkles can be smoothed out by the take-up device 80. From the viewpoint of transportation, it is preferable that the take-up device 80 take up the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 in a horizontal direction, and therefore it is preferable that the first drive roller 82 pinch the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 from a vertical direction.

[0128] As shown in the figure, the take-up device 80 preferably includes a pair of second drive rollers 84 that sandwich and take-up the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 from the pair of first drive rollers 82. The rotation speed of the second drive rollers 84 is set to be higher than the rotation speed of the first drive roller 82. In this case, the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 is sandwiched and taken up between the first drive roller 82 and the second drive roller 84, which has a higher rotation speed, so that the desired tension can be applied to the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 by adjusting the rotation speed of these drive rollers. Therefore, by adjusting the rotation speed of the first drive roller 82 and the second drive roller 84 depending on the degree of wrinkles in the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1, wrinkles can be appropriately smoothed out. The second drive roller 84 has a rotation axis parallel to that of the first drive roller 82. As a result, the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 is taken up horizontally by the first drive roller 82 and the second drive roller 84 while applying tension. The operation of the first drive roller 82 and the second drive roller 84 of the take-up device 80 may be controlled by the above-mentioned control device 60, or a control device separate from the control device 60 may be provided to control the take-up device 80.

[0129] The take-up device 80 preferably has a processing roller located downstream of the first drive roller 82, which performs a surface treatment on the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 conveyed from the first drive roller 82. In this case, the processing roller performs surface treatments on the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1, such as perforation, textured processing, embossing, or debossing, thereby increasing the surface area of ​​the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1. This increases the flavor or aerosol generated when the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 is heated. Furthermore, surface treatment by the processing roller may make the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 more prone to tearing. In this embodiment, the processing roller is located downstream of the first drive roller 82, which prevents the first drive roller 82 from applying tension to the surface-treated sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1, thereby preventing tearing of the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the second drive roller 84 functions as a processing roller. However, this is not limited to this, and a processing roller may be provided separately from the second drive roller 84.

[0130] As shown in the figure, the take-up device 80 preferably includes a tension roller 86 that is movable in a predetermined direction and a biasing member 87 that presses the tension roller 86 against the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1. The tension roller 86 is configured to apply tension to the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 being taken up by the pair of first drive rollers 82. The tension roller 86 and the biasing member 87 can apply a predetermined tension to the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1. In this embodiment, the biasing member 87 biases the tension roller 86 from vertically downward to vertically upward relative to the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 being taken up horizontally, thereby applying tension to the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1. The tension applied to the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 can be easily adjusted by adjusting the spring constant of the biasing member 87. The tension roller 86 is configured to rotate along a rotation axis parallel to the first drive roller 82.

[0131] The take-up device 80 is preferably located upstream of the first drive roller 82 and includes a first direction-changing roller 88a that changes the conveying direction of the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 discharged from the die 40. Typically, as shown in Figure 6, the discharge port 44 of the die 40 faces vertically downward, so the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 is discharged vertically downward. According to this embodiment, the first direction-changing roller 88a can change the conveying direction of the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1, for example, to a horizontal direction, so that the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 can be appropriately conveyed to a downstream take-up mechanism such as the first drive roller 82.

[0132] In this embodiment, the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco raw material S1 is partially pulled vertically by the tension roller 86, and therefore the pulling device 80 has a second direction-changing roller 88b that changes the conveying direction of the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco raw material S1 tensioned by the tension roller 86 back to a horizontal direction.

[0133] Furthermore, the take-up device 80 is preferably configured to take up the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 at room temperature. If the take-up device 80 includes, for example, a heating or drying roller, the moisture content of the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 being taken up may change, resulting in changes in its physical properties. In this case, the tensile strength changes over time, which may result in areas of stress concentration in the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1, making it more susceptible to tearing. In this embodiment, since heating or drying is not actively performed in the take-up device 80, the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 can be taken up while applying tension, in a state in which its physical properties are less likely to change. Therefore, wrinkles in the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 can be smoothed out while preventing tearing.

[0134] 1 may control the rotation speed of the first drive roller 82 based on the flow rate data measured by the sheet sensor 26. If the take-up device 80 includes a second drive roller 84, the control device 60 may control the rotation speed of at least one of the first drive roller 82 and the second drive roller 84 based on the flow rate data measured by the sheet sensor 26. Specifically, the control device 60 may increase the rotation speed of at least one of the first drive roller 82 and the second drive roller 84 when the flow rate of the sheet-form reconstituted tobacco material S1 increases, and may decrease the rotation speed of at least one of the first drive roller 82 and the second drive roller 84 when the flow rate of the sheet-form reconstituted tobacco material S1 decreases.

[0135] As shown in FIG. 6 , the take-up device 80 may further include a tension sensor 89 that is communicatively connected to the control device 60 and that measures the tension applied to the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 discharged from the die 40. The control device 60 may control the first drive roller 82 based on the tension data measured by the tension sensor 89 so that a desired tension is applied to the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1. If the take-up device 80 includes a second drive roller 84, the control device 60 may control at least one of the first drive roller 82 and the second drive roller 84 based on the measurement data received from the tension sensor 89 so that a desired tension is applied to the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1. Specifically, the control device 60 may change the relative speed between the first drive roller 82 and the second drive roller 84. 6 can measure the tension applied to the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 based on the load applied to the tension roller 86, but the tension sensor 89 may also be provided on the first direction changing roller 88a, the second direction changing roller 88b, the first drive roller 82, or the second drive roller 84. Furthermore, a known tension sensor such as a non-contact optical sensor may also be used as the tension sensor 89.

[0136] As described above, the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 discharged from the die 40 is prone to tearing. Therefore, in the take-up device 80 shown in FIG. 6, the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 passes through multiple freely rotating rollers: a first direction-changing roller 88a, a tension roller 86, a second direction-changing roller 88b, a first drive roller 82, and a second drive roller 84. This shortens the distance over which the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 is pulled, making it less likely to tear. The arrangement of the first direction-changing roller 88a, the tension roller 86, the second direction-changing roller 88b, the first drive roller 82, and the second drive roller 84 may be changed as appropriate depending on the strength of the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1. Furthermore, at least one of the first direction-changing roller 88a, the second direction-changing roller 88b, the first drive roller 82, and the second drive roller 84 may be biased vertically or horizontally by a movable spring, allowing the tension applied to the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 by the rollers to be adjusted without changing the speed of each roller. In this embodiment, the first direction-changing roller 88a and the second direction-changing roller 88b are used to change the conveying direction of the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco raw material S1, but this is not limiting. For example, the number of direction-changing rollers can be increased or decreased depending on the strength of the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco raw material S1, the conveying distance, the layout of the components of the take-up device 80, etc.

[0137] Next, a method for manufacturing a reconstituted tobacco sheet in a reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 equipped with a take-up device 80 will be described. First, reconstituted tobacco material is supplied to the extruder 10, and the reconstituted tobacco material is extruded in sheet form from the die 40. At this time, the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 is nipped between a pair of first drive rollers 82 and taken up, and tension is applied to the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1. Furthermore, it is preferable that the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 from the pair of first drive rollers 82 is nipped between a pair of second drive rollers 84 and taken up. Here, as described above, the rotation speed of the second drive rollers 84 is set higher than the rotation speed of the first drive rollers 82. Furthermore, as described above, it is preferable that the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 conveyed from the first drive rollers 82 be surface-treated downstream of the first drive rollers 82.

[0138] 6, it is preferable to change the conveying direction of the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 discharged from the die 40 upstream of the first drive rollers 82. It is preferable to press a tension roller 86 against the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1, so that the tension roller 86 applies tension to the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 being taken up by the pair of first drive rollers 82.

[0139] 6, the take-up device 80 of this embodiment preferably does not have a heating roller or a drying roller. That is, it is preferable that the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco material S1 is taken up by the first drive roller 82 at room temperature.

[0140] If the reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 is equipped with a sheet sensor 26, the flow rate of the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material S1 discharged from the die 40 may be measured, and the rotation speed of the first drive roller 82 may be controlled based on the measured flow rate data. Furthermore, if the take-up device 80 is equipped with a second drive roller 84, at least one of the first drive roller 82 and the second drive roller 84 may be controlled based on the measured flow rate data.

[0141] If the reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 is equipped with a tension sensor 89, it may measure the tension applied to the sheet-like reconstituted tobacco raw material S1 discharged from the die 40, and control the rotation speed of the first drive roller 82 based on the measured tension data. Furthermore, if the take-up device 80 is equipped with a second drive roller 84, it may control at least one of the first drive roller 82 and the second drive roller 84 based on the measured tension data. Specifically, the relative speed between the first drive roller 82 and the second drive roller 84 may be changed.

[0142] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims and the technical idea described in the specification and drawings. Note that any shape or material not directly described in the specification or drawings is within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention as long as it achieves the functions and effects of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0143] 10: Extruder 12c: Chamber 16: Extrusion screw 22: Temperature or pressure sensor 24: Temperature sensor 26: Sheet sensor 28: Pressure sensor 40: Die 42a: Chamber 44:Discharge port 60: Control device 70: Temperature control device 80: Removal device 100: Reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing equipment S1: Sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco material

Claims

1. A reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus, comprising: a die that extrudes the reconstituted tobacco material into a sheet; a temperature adjustment device that adjusts the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die, the die has a slot-shaped discharge opening through which the reconstituted tobacco material is discharged in the form of a sheet; The reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus has a plurality of the temperature adjustment devices attached to the die along the longitudinal direction of the discharge port, and which are independently controllable from each other.

2. The reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, The temperature adjustment device includes a heating device that heats the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die.

3. The reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, The reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus, wherein the heating device is configured to heat the reconstituted tobacco material so that the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die is less than 100°C.

4. The reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, The temperature adjustment device includes a cooling device that cools the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die.

5. The reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, An apparatus for producing a reconstituted tobacco sheet, comprising a control device configured to control the operation of the temperature adjustment device.

6. The reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5, a first sensor communicatively connected to the control device for measuring the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die; The apparatus for producing a reconstituted tobacco sheet, wherein the control device is configured to control the operation of the temperature adjustment device based on measurement data from the first sensor.

7. The reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, an extruder for extruding the reconstituted tobacco material into the die; The extruder an extrusion screw; a chamber through which the reconstituted tobacco material extruded by the extrusion screw passes; a second sensor communicatively connected to the control device for measuring a temperature or a pressure within the chamber; The control device controls the operation of the temperature adjustment device based on the measurement data of the second sensor.

8. The reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5, a third sensor communicatively connected to the control device, for measuring the appearance, flow rate, or thickness of the sheet of the reconstituted tobacco material discharged from the die; The control device controls the operation of at least one of the plurality of temperature adjustment devices based on the measurement data of the third sensor.

9. The reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5, an extruder that extrudes the reconstituted tobacco material through the die; a third sensor communicatively connected to the control device and configured to measure the appearance, flow rate, or thickness of the sheet of the reconstituted tobacco material discharged from the die; the controller is configured to control operation of the extruder; The control device controls the extrusion speed of the extruder based on the measurement data of the third sensor.

10. The reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, The reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing apparatus has a take-up device that takes up the sheet-shaped reconstituted tobacco raw material discharged from the die while applying tension thereto.

11. adjusting the temperature of the reconstituted tobacco material passing through the die; and extruding the reconstituted tobacco material from the die in the form of a sheet, the die has a slot-shaped discharge opening through which the reconstituted tobacco material is discharged in the form of a sheet; The adjusting step includes adjusting the temperature using a plurality of temperature adjusting devices attached to the die along the longitudinal direction of the discharge port and independently controllable from each other.

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