Method for manufacturing reconstituted tobacco sheet for reducing loose ends of cigarettes, and cigarette including reconstituted tobacco sheet manufactured thereby

Abstract

Provided are a method for manufacturing a reconstituted tobacco sheet, and a cigarette including the reconstituted tobacco sheet manufactured thereby, the method including a drying step of applying hot air of 80-150℃ to a slurry of reconstituted tobacco leaves. The reconstituted tobacco sheet manufactured by means of the manufacturing method, according to one specific embodiment of the present invention, has an increased ratio of thickness to basis weight. In the manufacturing method, adjusting the pressure that applies hot air or adjusting viscosity by changing the composition of the slurry of reconstituted tobacco leaves assists in improving the material properties of the manufactured reconstituted tobacco sheet.

Description

Method for manufacturing a flat leaf sheet for reducing tobacco end breakage and tobacco including a flat leaf sheet manufactured thereby

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a flat sheet of tobacco that reduces tobacco end stripping, and to tobacco comprising the flat sheet manufactured thereby. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a flat sheet of tobacco that reduces tobacco end stripping by increasing the ratio of thickness to basis weight, and to tobacco comprising the flat sheet manufactured thereby.

[0002] Today, in addition to tobacco leaves, various tobacco materials are added to the manufacturing of tobacco products. These materials are typically made from parts of the tobacco plant less suitable for cutting filler production, such as tobacco stems or tobacco dust. Furthermore, tobacco dust is produced as a byproduct during the handling of tobacco leaves during manufacturing.

[0003] The most commonly used form of tobacco material is the reconstituted tobacco leaf. Reconstituted tobacco leaves (RTLs) are tobacco raw materials that have been reprocessed into paper form (i.e., sheet form) through a specific process, using low-particle tobacco raw materials generated during leaf processing or tobacco manufacturing plants.

[0004] The manufacturing method of these flat leaf sheets can be largely divided into papermaking, rolling, and slurry methods. Among these, the slurry method may include a step of receiving and loading raw materials, a step of measuring and inputting raw materials according to the mixing ratio for each product, a step of crushing raw materials according to a certain size, a step of mixing raw materials and process water, a step of extracting and separating cellulose and extract, a step of mixing cellulose with dilution water, a step of mixing auxiliary raw materials suitable for the characteristics of the flat leaf, a step of mixing the mixture and raw materials to prepare a slurry, a step of converting the prepared slurry into a fine shape easy for injection, a step of injecting the slurry, a step of drying the slurry, a step of cutting into a certain size, and a step of packaging the cut flat leaf.

[0005] Specifically, the plate-shaped leaf sheet in the manufacturing step is described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 (a) shows the raw material of the plate-shaped leaf, Fig. 1 (b) shows the shape of the middle sheet of the plate-shaped leaf, and Fig. 1 (c) shows the plate-shaped leaf sheet as a final finished product. The raw material in Fig. 1 (a) may be main stems, leaf stalks, leaf buds, and cut buds produced during the tobacco manufacturing process, and the middle plate-shaped leaf sheet in Fig. 1 (b) is manufactured by drying a slurry prepared by mixing the raw material with a mixture, and the finished product in Fig. 1 (c) is manufactured by cutting the dried plate-shaped leaf sheet.

[0006] The bulky nature of the leaf blade contributes to cost reduction, reduces harmful substances such as tar, and enhances combustibility due to increased pores within the tissue structure. It also has the advantage of maintaining consistent product quality.

[0007] As previously discussed, slabs, along with leaf tobacco and flavorings, are a crucial raw material in the tobacco industry, determining the flavor and composition of tobacco. Accordingly, active research and development are underway to produce high-quality slabs. The inventors of the present invention have demonstrated that by controlling the slab sheet manufacturing process, slab sheets with diverse physical properties can be manufactured, and that the slab sheets thus manufactured can prevent tobacco from fraying when applied to tobacco, thereby completing the present invention.

[0008] [Prior Art Literature]

[0009] [Patent Document]

[0010] (Patent Document 1) Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2019-0011237

[0011] The present invention aims to provide a method for manufacturing a flat leaf sheet that reduces tobacco end breakage by increasing the ratio of thickness to basis weight, and a tobacco product comprising the flat leaf sheet manufactured thereby.

[0012] According to the first aspect of the present invention,

[0013] The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a sheet of planar leaves, which includes a drying step of applying hot air of 80°C to a planar leaf slurry.

[0014] In one specific example of the present invention, in the drying step, hot air is applied at a pressure of 1.5 bar to 3.0 bar.

[0015] In one specific example of the present invention, the plate-shaped leaf slurry includes tobacco raw material having a particle size of 20 μm to 150 μm.

[0016] In one specific example of the present invention, the proportion of particles having a particle size of 80 μm or less based on the total number of particles in the tobacco raw material is 70% to 95%.

[0017] In one specific example of the present invention, the sheet-shaped leaf slurry comprises 50 wt% to 70 wt% of tobacco raw material and 1 wt% to 20 wt% of a moisturizer based on the total weight of the sheet-shaped leaf slurry excluding the solvent.

[0018] In one specific example of the present invention, through the drying step, the flat leaf sheet has a basis weight of 140 g / m2 to 180 g / m2 and a thickness of 240 μm to 280 μm.

[0019] In one specific example of the present invention, the plate-shaped leaf slurry further includes 0.1 wt% to 10 wt% of a binder based on the total weight of the plate-shaped leaf slurry excluding the solvent.

[0020] In one specific example of the present invention, the plate-shaped leaf slurry contains a solid content of 15 wt% to 30 wt% based on the total weight of the plate-shaped leaf slurry.

[0021] In one specific example of the present invention, the plate-shaped leaf slurry has a viscosity of 32,000 cPs to 45,000 cPs at 25°C.

[0022] In one specific embodiment of the present invention, the sheet-shaped leaf slurry further comprises 0.1 wt% to 10 wt% of pulp and 0.1 wt% to 25 wt% of a flavoring agent based on the total weight of the sheet-shaped leaf slurry excluding the solvent.

[0023] In one specific example of the present invention, through the drying step, the plate-like leaf sheet has a thickness (㎛) / basis weight (g / ㎡) ratio of 1.35 to 1.75.

[0024] In one specific embodiment of the present invention, prior to the drying step, a pre-drying step is further included in which the sheet leaf slurry is exposed to an atmosphere having a temperature 20°C to 35°C lower than the hot air temperature of the drying step.

[0025] In one specific embodiment of the present invention, after the pre-drying step, the plate-shaped leaf slurry further includes a separation step of peeling it from the bottom surface supporting it.

[0026] According to the second aspect of the present invention,

[0027] The present invention provides a tobacco comprising a flat leaf sheet manufactured according to the above-described manufacturing method.

[0028] According to one specific example of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a sheet of sheet metal can increase the ratio of thickness to basis weight by drying the sheet metal slurry by applying hot air to the sheet metal slurry. At this time, adjusting the pressure at which the hot air is applied or changing the composition of the sheet metal slurry to control the viscosity can help improve the effect.

[0029] Fig. 1 (a) is a drawing showing the raw material of the plate-shaped leaf, Fig. 1 (b) is a drawing showing the middle shape of the plate-shaped leaf sheet, and Fig. 1 (C) is a drawing showing the plate-shaped leaf sheet as a final finished product.

[0030] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing a process of drying a sheet slurry through a drying step in a method for manufacturing a sheet according to one specific example of the present invention.

[0031] FIG. 3 is a drawing showing a process of drying a sheet-like leaf slurry through a pre-drying step, a separation step, and a drying step in a method for manufacturing a sheet-like leaf according to one specific example of the present invention.

[0032] Hereinafter, specific examples will be described in detail with illustrative drawings. When assigning reference numerals to components in each drawing, it should be noted that, where possible, identical components will be assigned the same reference numerals, even if they appear in different drawings. Furthermore, when describing specific examples, if a detailed description of a related known configuration or function is deemed to hinder understanding of the specific example, such detailed description will be omitted.

[0033] Additionally, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used to describe components of a specific example. These terms are only intended to distinguish the components from other components, and the nature, order, or sequence of the components are not limited by the terms. When a component is described as being "connected," "coupled," or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but another component may also be "connected," "coupled," or "connected" between each component.

[0034] The term "unit" or "module" as used herein refers to a software or hardware component such as an FPGA or ASIC, and the "unit" or "module" performs certain functions. However, the "unit" or "module" is not limited to software or hardware. A "unit" or "module" may be configured to reside on an addressable storage medium and may be configured to execute one or more processors. Thus, by way of example, a "unit" or "module" includes components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuitry, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functionality provided within the components and “units” or “modules” may be combined into a smaller number of components and “units” or “modules” or further separated into additional components and “units” or “modules”.

[0035] Spatially relative terms such as "below," "beneath," "lower," "above," and "upper" can be used to easily describe the relationship between one component and other components as depicted in the drawings. Spatially relative terms should be understood to include different orientations of the components during use or operation in addition to the orientations depicted in the drawings. For example, if a component depicted in the drawings were flipped over, a component described as "below" or "beneath" another component could end up "above" the other component. Thus, the exemplary term "below" can include both the above and below orientations. Components can also be oriented in other directions, and thus spatially relative terms can be interpreted accordingly.

[0036] Also, in this specification, the term “sheet” may mean a thin layer element having a width and length substantially greater than its thickness. In the relevant technical field, the term “sheet” may be used interchangeably with terms such as web, film, etc. Here, “adjacent” or “near” a certain point means not only a position that is in complete contact with a certain point, but also a position that does not particularly impair the functionality of a specific means even if separated by a certain distance.

[0037] Components included in one specific example and components with common functions will be described using the same names in other specific examples. Unless otherwise stated, the descriptions given in one specific example may also apply to other specific examples, and specific descriptions will be omitted to the extent of overlap.

[0038]

[0039] The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a sheet of flat tobacco that reduces trailing of tobacco, and a tobacco product comprising the sheet of flat tobacco produced thereby. According to a specific embodiment of the method for manufacturing a sheet of flat tobacco, the manufactured sheet of flat tobacco has an increased thickness or a decreased basis weight, thereby increasing the ratio of thickness to basis weight. When the ratio of thickness to basis weight increases, the distance between particles when filling the sheet of flat tobacco cut filler into a tobacco product can be reduced, thereby enabling a more dense filling. This can prevent the cut filler of the flat tobacco sheet located at the end of the tobacco product from falling off, thereby reducing trailing of the tobacco product. In addition, although an increase in the ratio of thickness to basis weight can narrow the distance between particles, it also means that the voids within the particles relatively increase, and therefore, there may not be a significant difference in the basic performance of the tobacco product, such as the weight of the smoking material portion, the resistance to inhalation, and the smoking components.

[0040] According to one specific example of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a sheet of sheet-like leaf includes a drying step of applying hot air of 80°C to a sheet-like leaf slurry. Basically, the hot air can be an effective drying means in that it can evaporate a solvent present in the sheet-like leaf slurry and effectively move the evaporated solvent. It is preferable that the temperature of the hot air be adjusted to a level that can increase the drying efficiency without damaging the sheet-like leaf. For example, the temperature of the hot air can be 80°C to 150°C, 85°C to 140°C, 90°C to 130°C, 95°C to 125°C, or 100°C to 120°C.

[0041] The hot air may have a function other than drying depending on the position to which it is applied. In one specific embodiment of the present invention, the hot air is applied to the upper or lower portion of the sheet-like slurry, specifically, to the upper portion. Applying the hot air to the upper portion of the sheet-like slurry means that the hot air is applied in the direction of gravity. Applying the hot air to the lower portion of the sheet-like slurry means that the hot air is applied in a direction opposite to the direction of gravity. To help understand the position to which the hot air is applied, FIG. 2 provides a drawing showing the process of drying the sheet-like slurry through the drying step in the method for manufacturing a sheet-like sheet according to one specific embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the sheet-like slurry (1) is positioned on a moving support (10) and passes through a drying device (30) by a roller (20). At this time, hot air is supplied from the upper drying device toward the sheet-like slurry (1). The plate-shaped leaf slurry (1) that has passed through the drying device (30) may be dried by evaporation of the solvent, but in this specification, the plate-shaped leaf positioned on the moving support (10) is referred to as plate-shaped leaf slurry (1) without distinction.

[0042] The hot air may be applied at a pressure higher than a certain level to dry and expand the plate-shaped slurry (1) at the same time. According to one specific example of the present invention, the hot air is applied at a pressure of 1.5 bar to 3.0 bar in the drying step. Specifically, the pressure of the hot air is 1.5 bar or more, 1.6 bar or more, 1.7 bar or more, 1.8 bar or more, 1.9 bar or more, 2.0 bar or more, 3.0 bar or less, 2.9 bar or less, 2.8 bar or less, 2.7 bar or less, 2.6 bar or less, 2.5 bar or less, and may be 1.5 to 3.0 bar, 1.7 to 2.8 bar, 2.0 to 2.5 bar. In the pressure range of the hot air, the plate-shaped slurry (1) can be appropriately expanded without damaging the plate-shaped slurry (1).

[0043] The movable support (10) at the location where the hot air is supplied may have a porous structure, such as a mesh shape, so that the hot air or steam can directly reach the lower part of the plate-shaped slurry (1). If the plate-shaped slurry (1) on the porous movable support (10) is too thin, the plate-shaped slurry (1) may flow down between the holes of the movable support (10), so it is preferable that the plate-shaped slurry (1) have an appropriate viscosity. In order to adjust the viscosity of the plate-shaped slurry (1) before passing through the section, a pre-drying step may be performed. The appropriate viscosity of the plate-shaped slurry (1) and the pre-drying step will be described in detail below.

[0044] As shown in Fig. 2, steam can be supplied from the upper drying device. Although the steam may have a certain degree of airflow, this is for maintaining the temperature around the drying device at a certain level or higher, and has little effect in pressurizing the plate-shaped slurry (1). In the drying device (30), steam can be supplied at the same temperature as hot air. Since the steam has little effect in pressurizing the plate-shaped slurry (1), in an environment where only steam is supplied without hot air, the temperature of the steam can be expressed as an atmosphere.

[0045] In the present invention, the sheet-shaped leaf slurry (1) to be dried is basically a tobacco raw material uniformly dispersed in a solvent. However, in order to provide additional functionality, the sheet-shaped leaf slurry (1) includes additional functional materials in addition to the tobacco raw material. The tobacco raw material may be a tobacco leaf fragment, a tobacco stem, or a major lateral strip of a tobacco leaf ground into fine particles. At this time, the type of tobacco is not particularly limited, and a single type or a mixture of two or more types may be used. For example, cigar leaf or Burley type tobacco raw material may be used. The tobacco raw material ground into fine particles may have a particle size of 20 μm to 150 μm. Specifically, the particle size may be 20 μm to 150 μm, 25 μm to 100 μm, or 30 μm to 50 μm. In the present specification, the particle size refers to the size of the fine particles that occupy most of the volume of the tobacco raw material, and means the volume moment mean.

[0046] According to one specific example of the present invention, the proportion of particles having a particle size of 80 μm or less based on the total number of particles in the tobacco raw material is 70% to 95%. Specifically, the proportion of the particles may be 70% to 95%, 75% to 94%, or 80% to 95%. As the proportion of the particles increases beyond 50%, the average value of the particle size may be formed at 80 μm or less. When the distribution of the particle size follows the above-described range, it may be advantageous to expand the sheet-shaped leaf slurry by hot air applied to the sheet-shaped leaf slurry.

[0047] The content of the components in the above-mentioned sheet leaf slurry (1) can be appropriately adjusted in consideration of functionality. According to one specific example of the present invention, the sheet leaf slurry contains 50 wt% to 70 wt% of tobacco raw material based on the total weight of the sheet leaf slurry excluding the solvent. Specifically, the content of the tobacco raw material may be 50 wt% to 70 wt%, 55 wt% to 70 wt%, or 55 wt% to 65 wt%. Since the tobacco raw material is the most important component in the sheet leaf slurry (1), it is contained in a larger amount than other components.

[0048] The above-mentioned sheet leaf slurry (1) may contain a moisturizer as an additional functional material in addition to the tobacco raw material. The moisturizer is a liquid component separate from the solvent and serves to make the tobacco raw material softer. Examples of the moisturizer that may be used include, but are not necessarily limited to, glycerin (GLY), propylene glycol (PG), ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. According to one specific example of the present invention, the sheet leaf slurry contains 1 wt% to 20 wt% of the moisturizer based on the total weight of the sheet leaf slurry excluding the solvent. Specifically, the content of the moisturizer may be 1 wt% to 20 wt%, 5 wt% to 20 wt%, or 5 wt% to 15 wt%. When applied in the above-mentioned range, functionality can be effectively imparted to the sheet leaf slurry.

[0049] The above-mentioned sheet leaf slurry (1) may contain a binder as an additional functional material in addition to the tobacco raw material. The binder serves to bind the tobacco raw material, and the addition of the binder can increase the viscosity of the sheet leaf slurry. The binder may be, for example, guar gum, gum arabic, etc., but is not necessarily limited thereto. According to one specific example of the present invention, the sheet leaf slurry further includes 0.1 wt% to 10 wt% of the binder based on the total weight of the sheet leaf slurry excluding the solvent. Specifically, the content of the binder may be 0.1 wt% to 10 wt%, 1 wt% to 9 wt%, or 2 wt% to 8 wt%. When applied within the above-mentioned range, functionality can be effectively imparted to the sheet leaf slurry.

[0050] The above-mentioned sheet leaf slurry (1) may further include pulp. The pulp serves to cross-link the tobacco raw material so that the sheet leaf can be manufactured in the form of a sheet. The pulp may be, for example, a cellulose pulp, but is not necessarily limited thereto. According to one specific example of the present invention, the sheet leaf slurry further includes 0.1 wt% to 10 wt% of pulp based on the total weight of the sheet leaf slurry excluding the solvent. Specifically, the content of the pulp may be 0.1 wt% to 10 wt%, 1 wt% to 9 wt%, or 2 wt% to 8 wt%. When applied within the above-mentioned range, functionality can be effectively imparted within the sheet leaf slurry.

[0051] The above-mentioned sheet-like slurry (1) may further include a flavoring agent. The flavoring agent serves to add various flavors or tastes to the sheet-like sheets according to the user's preference. The flavoring agent may include, but is not limited to, vanillin, ethyl vanillin, cream, tea, coffee, fruit (e.g., banana, berry, apple, cherry, strawberry, peach, and citrus flavoring agents including lime and lemon), maple, menthol, chocolate, mint, peppermint, spearmint, wintergreen, nutmeg, clove, lavender, cardamom, ginger, honey, anise, sage, cinnamon, sandalwood, jasmine, cascarilla, cocoa, licorice, and tobacco strand, and flavoring agents of various forms and properties may be included to provide a specific flavor to the user. According to one specific example of the present invention, the sheet-shaped leaf slurry further comprises 0.1 wt% to 25 wt% of a fragrance based on the total weight of the sheet-shaped leaf slurry excluding the solvent. Specifically, the content of the fragrance may be 0.1 wt% to 25 wt%, 1 wt% to 22 wt%, or 2 wt% to 20 wt%. When applied within the above-described range, functionality can be effectively imparted within the sheet-shaped leaf slurry.

[0052] In order to effectively expand the above-mentioned sheet slurry (1) by the manufacturing method according to one specific example of the present invention, the content of solids included in the sheet slurry can be controlled. According to one specific example of the present invention, the sheet slurry contains 15 wt% to 30 wt% of solids based on the total weight of the sheet slurry. Specifically, the content of solids may be 15 wt% to 30 wt%, 20 wt% to 30 wt%, or 20 wt% to 25 wt%. When applied in the above-mentioned range, the sheet slurry can be effectively expanded.

[0053] Controlling the viscosity of the above-described sheet slurry (1) can help to expand the sheet slurry. According to one specific example of the present invention, the sheet slurry has a viscosity of 32,000 cPs to 45,000 cPs at 25°C. Specifically, the viscosity of the sheet slurry may be 32,000 cPs to 45,000 cPs, 35,000 cPs to 44,000 cPs, or 38,000 cPs to 43,000 cPs. The viscosity can be measured using a viscosity measuring device commonly used in the art, for example, a digital rotational viscometer (DV2TLV), BROOKFIELD). When applied within the above-described range, the sheet slurry can be effectively expanded.

[0054] The plate-like sheet manufactured by the manufacturing method according to one specific example of the present invention may have a basis weight of, for example, 140 g / m2 to 180 g / m2. Specifically, the basis weight of the plate-like sheet may be 140 g / m2 to 180 g / m2, 145 g / m2 to 175 g / m2, or 150 g / m2 to 170 g / m2. In addition, the plate-like sheet may have a thickness of, for example, 240 μm to 280 μm. Specifically, the thickness of the plate-like sheet may be 240 μm to 280 μm, 245 μm to 275 μm, or 250 μm to 270 μm.

[0055] According to a manufacturing method according to one specific example of the present invention, the basis weight of the plate-like sheet is similar to that of the plate-like sheet manufactured by the existing manufacturing method, but the thickness of the plate-like sheet can be significantly increased. In order to confirm the degree of expansion of the plate-like sheet, a thickness / basis weight ratio is defined in this specification. At this time, the unit of thickness may be ㎛, and the unit of basis weight may be g / ㎡. Since the thickness / basis weight ratio is a value obtained by dividing the thickness by the basis weight, it may have a unit of ㎛·㎡ / g, but the unit is omitted and expressed in this specification. According to one specific example of the present invention, the plate-like sheet has a thickness (㎛) / basis weight (g / ㎡) ratio of 1.35 to 1.75. Specifically, the thickness / basis weight ratio of the plate-like sheet may be 1.35 to 1.75, 1.40 to 1.70, or 1.45 to 1.65. This is a significantly higher value compared to conventional sheet-like sheets, and sheet-like sheets having this thickness / weight ratio can significantly reduce cigarette end breakage when applied to cigarettes.

[0056] A method for manufacturing a sheet of planar leaves according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include a pre-drying step and a separation step prior to the drying step, in addition to the drying step. To aid in understanding the pre-drying step, the separation step, and the drying step, FIG. 3 provides a drawing showing a process in which a sheet of planar leaves slurry is dried through the pre-drying step, the separation step, and the drying step in a method for manufacturing a sheet of planar leaves according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the sheet of planar leaves slurry (1) is positioned on a moving support (10) and sequentially passes through a pre-drying device (40) and a drying device (30) by a roller (20). The sheet of planar leaves slurry (1) that has passed through the pre-drying device (40) is supplied to the drying device (30) after the sheet of planar leaves slurry (1) and the moving support (10) are separated by a peeling means (50).

[0057] The above-described pre-drying device (40) primarily dries the sheet-shaped slurry (1) to a state that is desirable for being supplied to the drying device (30) before the sheet-shaped slurry (1) is finally dried in the drying device (30). In the above-described pre-drying device (40), unlike the drying device (30), hot air is not applied to the sheet-shaped slurry (1), but the sheet-shaped slurry (1) is dried in a high-temperature atmosphere using steam. According to one specific example of the present invention, in the pre-drying step, before the drying step, the sheet-shaped slurry is exposed to an atmosphere having a temperature 20°C to 35°C lower than the hot air temperature of the drying step. Specifically, the temperature in the pre-drying step may be 20°C to 35°C, 20°C to 30°C, or 25°C to 30°C lower than that in the drying step. Since hot air is not applied in the above-described preliminary drying step, a moving support (10) having a porous structure such as a mesh shape is not required. The plate-shaped leaf slurry (1) supplied to the preliminary drying device (40) may be relatively thin and may not be suitable for the moving support (10) having a mesh structure, and the plate-shaped leaf slurry that is primarily dried in the preliminary drying step may have properties suitable for supply to the drying device (30).

[0058] The plate-shaped slurry (1) dried in the above-described pre-drying device (40) may be damaged when hot air is applied to the movable support (10) and the drying device (30). To prevent this, after the above-described pre-drying step, the plate-shaped slurry (1) may further include a separation step of peeling off the plate-shaped slurry (1) from the bottom surface that supports it, i.e., the movable support (10). The peeling off of the plate-shaped slurry (1) from the movable support (10) may be performed by a knife-shaped peeling means (50) as shown in FIG. 3. The peeling means (50) may be formed in a plate-like shape, and one side in the longitudinal direction of the plate-like shape may scrape the plate-shaped slurry (1) moving through the movable support (10). Accordingly, the plate-shaped slurry (1) coming over from the movable support (10) may be peeled off by the peeling means (50).

[0059] In addition, an edge-shaped edge can be formed by making the angle in the cross-section of one side of the peeling means (50) acute. That is, when the peeling means (50) is viewed from the side, it can have a trapezoidal shape. Since the edge-shaped edge can scratch the upper surface of the moving support body (10), the plate-shaped slurry (1) can be peeled off from the moving support body (11) more effectively.

[0060] A drying device for a sheet-like leaf slurry for implementing a manufacturing method according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include a first sensor module (61) for measuring the moisture content of the sheet-like leaf slurry. The first sensor module (61) may be positioned to measure the moisture content prior to the peeling means (50) in the drying device. The drying device may be controlled, such as by controlling the vibration of the peeling means (50), based on the measurement result of the first sensor module (61). In one embodiment, when the measured moisture content is equal to or greater than a preset threshold, the vibration intensity of the peeling means (50) may be increased or the frequency thereof may be increased to effectively peel the slurry. Conversely, when the measured moisture content is less than the preset threshold, the vibration intensity of the peeling means (50) may be lowered or the frequency thereof may be decreased so as not to excessively scrape or damage the slurry. Through this control mechanism, a uniform thickness and moisture content of the slurry may be maintained. In another embodiment, the angle of the peeling means (50) may be variably controlled according to the measured moisture content. For example, when the measured moisture content is equal to or greater than a preset threshold, the vertical angle of the peeling means (50) of the peeling means (50) may be increased to peel the slurry. Conversely, when the measured moisture content is less than a preset threshold, the vertical angle of the peeling means (50) may be decreased. It goes without saying that the vibration and angle control of the peeling means (50) are possible simultaneously. Meanwhile, the first sensor module (61) may be, for example, an infrared sensor module, and the infrared sensor module may measure the thickness of the plate-shaped slurry in addition to the moisture content of the plate-shaped slurry.

[0061] The drying device may further include a second sensor module (62) for detecting the presence or absence of the sheet-like slurry (1) between the pre-drying device (40) and the peeling means (50). The second sensor module (62) may be, for example, a laser sensor module, and may irradiate a laser to determine whether or not the sheet-like slurry is present. Depending on the result value of the second sensor module (62), the subsequent operation of the peeling means (50) and the drying device (30) may be controlled. For example, when the absence of the sheet-like slurry (1) is detected, the operation of the peeling means (50) may be stopped or switched to minimum vibration to reduce energy consumption and equipment wear, and the operation of the drying device (30) may be stopped to prevent energy consumption and equipment overheating. The sheet-like slurry sheet manufactured by the manufacturing method according to one embodiment of the present invention may be cut and applied to a cigarette. The cut sheet from which the sheet-like slurry is cut may be applied to the smoking material portion of the cigarette. Except for the fact that the above-mentioned plate-shaped sheet filler has a large thickness-to-basis weight ratio, there is no significant difference in the basic performance of the cigarette, such as the weight of the smoking material portion, the suction resistance, and the smoking components, when compared to the application of the existing plate-shaped sheet filler, and therefore, it can replace the existing plate-shaped sheet filler. When the plate-shaped sheet filler having a large thickness-to-basis weight ratio is applied, the distance between particles is reduced, so that the cigarette can be packed more densely, thereby reducing the end of the cigarette. Since the plate-shaped sheet filler according to one specific example of the present invention can directly replace the plate-shaped sheet filler used in the existing cigarette, the remaining composition of the cigarette can be applied in the same manner as that well known in the art.

[0062]

[0063] Hereinafter, the composition and resulting effects of the present invention will be described in more detail through examples and comparative examples. However, these examples are intended to more specifically illustrate the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0064]

[0065] Example

[0066]

[0067] Example 1

[0068] A composition for preparing a sheet leaf slurry was prepared by mixing 60 wt% of tobacco raw material, 10 wt% of glycerin, 5 wt% of guar gum, 5 wt% of LBKP pulp (broadleaf bleached pulp, moisture content 13% or less, tensile index 55 or more), and 20 wt% of invert sugar and ethyl maltol. The composition and water were mixed in a ratio of 1:2 to prepare a sheet leaf slurry having a solid to liquid ratio of 23:77. Here, the tobacco raw material was prepared by grinding a mixture of tobacco leaf pieces, tobacco stems, and major side strips of tobacco leaves to have a particle size of 20 μm to 150 μm. At this time, the average particle size of the pear raw material was 31 μm, and the proportion of particles having a particle size of 80 μm or less based on the total number of tobacco particles was 93%.

[0069] The manufactured sheet slurry was supplied onto a moving support, and the sheet slurry was dried using a pre-drying device and a drying device to manufacture sheet slurry. The pre-drying device primarily dried the sheet slurry in a high-temperature atmosphere using steam (upper and lower) at 85°C, and the drying device secondarily dried the sheet slurry in a high-temperature atmosphere using hot air (upper) and steam (lower) at 110°C. After the primary drying, the sheet slurry was peeled off with a knife to prevent it from sticking to the moving support, and then secondary drying was performed. In the secondary drying, the steam was allowed to directly contact the lower part of the sheet slurry through the mesh-structured moving support. In the drying device, hot air was applied to the sheet slurry at a pressure of 2.0 bar.

[0070]

[0071] Comparative Example 1

[0072] The average particle size of the tobacco raw material was 33 ㎛, and the proportion of particles having a particle size of 80 ㎛ or less based on the total number of tobacco particles was 97%, and a sheet of tobacco leaf was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1, except that hot air was applied to the sheet of tobacco leaf slurry at a pressure of 1.1 bar in a drying device.

[0073]

[0074] Example 2

[0075] In preparing the sheet slurry, the sheet slurry was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the solid to liquid ratio was adjusted to 22:78. The sheet slurry in Example 2 was measured to have a viscosity of 39,773 cPs at 25°C.

[0076]

[0077] Example 3

[0078] In preparing the sheet-like leaf slurry, a sheet-like leaf sheet was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that guar gum was not used and the solid-to-liquid ratio was adjusted to 21:79. The sheet-like leaf slurry in Example 2 was measured to have a viscosity of 33,237 cPs at 25°C.

[0079]

[0080] Experimental example

[0081]

[0082] Experimental Example 1: Comparison of physical properties of plate-shaped sheets according to Example 1 and Comparative Example 1

[0083] The thickness and basis weight of the plate-shaped sheets manufactured according to Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 were measured using a property measuring device (Manufacturer: FRANK-PTI, Product Name: Micrometer S16502), and the results are shown in Table 1 below.

[0084]

[0085] Plate-shaped sheet thickness (㎛) basis weight (g / ㎡) thickness (㎛) / basis weight (g / ㎡) Non-example 12601601.63 Comparative example 12001551.29

[0086] According to Table 1 above, Comparative Example 1 had a significantly lower thickness of the flat leaf sheet than Example 1, even though the tobacco raw material was similar to that of Example 1, or rather, the average particle size of the tobacco raw material was larger and the proportion of particles with a particle size of 80㎛ or less was higher compared to Example 1, which could result in a thicker sheet. This shows that the pressure of the hot air in the drying device significantly affects the thickness of the flat leaf sheet. In Example 1, the hot air was applied at a pressure of 2 bar, and a flat leaf sheet having a much thicker thickness and a larger thickness / basis weight ratio was obtained, compared to Comparative Example 1, which applied the hot air at a pressure of 1.1 bar.

[0087]

[0088] Experimental Example 2: Performance evaluation of tobacco using the flat leaf sheets according to Example 1 and Comparative Example 1.

[0089] Based on the sample tobacco products, cigarettes were manufactured by filling the flat leaf sheet fillers of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 under the same conditions so that the smoking material portion had a suction resistance of 110 mmH2O. For the cigarettes of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, the tip pull and smoking components were measured and shown in Table 2 below. The tip pull was measured using Korber's E44 equipment according to the KS H ISO 3550-2 method. In addition, the smoking components were measured using Korber's LX20 20-port smoking machine according to the Coresta recommended method 81 (CRM 81) method.

[0090]

[0091] Plate-shaped sheet application cigarettes cigarette load smoking ingredients weight (mg) tip removal (mg / ㎠) medium weight (mg) nicotine (mg / stick) glycerin (mg / stick) Example 11710 (△10%) 9.82700.588.50 Comparative example 1172043.62720.558.76

[0092] According to Table 2 above, the plate-shaped leaf sheet manufactured according to Example 1 did not have a significant difference in the content filled in a tobacco rod or smoking components when smoked compared to the plate-shaped leaf sheet manufactured according to Comparative Example 1. However, the plate-shaped leaf sheet manufactured according to Example 1 showed a significant improvement in the phenomenon of the end of the tobacco being pulled out when filled in a cigarette compared to the plate-shaped leaf sheet manufactured according to Comparative Example 1.

[0093]

[0094] Experimental Example 3: Comparison of physical properties of plate-shaped sheets according to Examples 2 and 3.

[0095] The thickness and basis weight of the plate-shaped sheets manufactured according to Examples 2 and 3 were measured using a physical property measuring device, and the results are shown in Table 3 below.

[0096]

[0097] Plate-shaped sheet thickness (㎛) basis weight (g / ㎡) thickness (㎛) / basis weight (g / ㎡) Non-example 22541631.56 Exemplary example 32441751.39

[0098] According to Table 3 above, it can be seen that the viscosity of the sheet slurry affects the thickness and basis weight of the sheet. Example 2, in which the sheet slurry has a relatively high viscosity, was thicker and had a smaller basis weight than Example 3, in which the sheet slurry has a relatively low viscosity, and thus a sheet with a large thickness / basis weight ratio was obtained.

[0099]

[0100] Although the specific examples described above have been limited to specific examples and drawings, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications and variations can be made based on the above teachings. For example, appropriate results can still be achieved even if the described techniques are performed in a different order than described, and / or components of the described systems, structures, devices, circuits, etc. are combined or combined in a different manner than described, or are replaced or substituted with other components or equivalents.

[0101] [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 1: Plate-shaped leaf slurry

[0103] 10: Moving support

[0104] 20: Roller

[0105] 30: Drying device

[0106] 40: Pre-drying device

[0107] 50: Peeling means

[0108] 61: First sensor module

[0109] 62: Second sensor module

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a sheet of flat leaf, comprising a drying step of applying hot air of 80°C to a slurry of flat leaf.

2. In claim 1, A method for manufacturing a plate-shaped leaf sheet, characterized in that in the above drying step, hot air is applied at a pressure of 1.5 bar to 3.0 bar.

3. In claim 1, The above-mentioned plate-shaped leaf slurry contains tobacco raw material having a particle size of 20 μm to 150 μm, A method for manufacturing a plate-shaped leaf sheet, characterized in that the proportion of particles having a particle size of 80㎛ or less based on the total number of particles in the above tobacco raw material is 70% to 95%.

4. In claim 1, A method for producing a sheet of flat leaf, characterized in that the flat leaf slurry contains 50 to 70 wt% of tobacco raw material and 1 to 20 wt% of moisturizing agent based on the total weight of the flat leaf slurry excluding the solvent.

5. In claim 1, A method for manufacturing a plate-shaped sheet, characterized in that through the above drying step, the plate-shaped sheet has a basis weight of 140 g / m2 to 180 g / m2 and a thickness of 240 ㎛ to 280 ㎛.

6. In claim 4, A method for manufacturing a plate-shaped sheet, characterized in that the plate-shaped sheet slurry further contains 0.1 wt% to 10 wt% of a binder based on the total weight of the plate-shaped sheet slurry excluding the solvent.

7. In claim 1, A method for producing a plate-shaped leaf sheet, characterized in that the plate-shaped leaf slurry contains a solid content of 15 wt% to 30 wt% based on the total weight of the plate-shaped leaf slurry.

8. In claim 1, A method for manufacturing a plate-shaped sheet, characterized in that the plate-shaped sheet slurry has a viscosity of 32,000 cPs to 45,000 cPs at 25°C.

9. In claim 6, A method for producing a sheet of planar leaf, characterized in that the planar leaf slurry further comprises 0.1 to 10 wt% of pulp and 0.1 to 25 wt% of a flavoring agent based on the total weight of the planar leaf slurry excluding the solvent.

10. In claim 1, A method for manufacturing a plate-shaped sheet, wherein through the above drying step, the plate-shaped sheet has a thickness (㎛) / basis weight (g / ㎡) ratio of 1.35 to 1.

75.

11. In claim 1, A method for producing a sheet of flat leaf, characterized in that it further comprises a pre-drying step of exposing the flat leaf slurry to an atmosphere having a temperature of 20°C to 35°C lower than the hot air temperature of the drying step before the drying step.

12. In claim 11, A method for producing a sheet of flat leaf, characterized in that after the above-mentioned preliminary drying step, the sheet of flat leaf slurry further comprises a separation step of peeling the sheet of flat leaf slurry from the bottom surface supporting it.

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

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