Production method for sheet for flavor-generating article

Abstract

According to the present invention, a production method for a sheet includes a dough formation step (S10) for forming a dough that is an intermediate product for a sheet from a flavor-generating substance that is a material for the sheet, a drying step (S20) for drying the formed dough, and a cooling step (S30) for cooling the dried dough to form a sheet. The dough formation step (S10) includes a first moisture measurement process (P11) for measuring the moisture content of the flavor-generating substance, a first moisture adjustment process (P12) for adjusting the moisture content of the flavor-generating substance to a prescribed first moisture content on the basis of the moisture content measured at the first moisture measurement process (P11), a crushing process (P13) for crushing the flavor-generating substance that was adjusted to the first moisture content at the first moisture adjustment process (P12) into particles to form a crushed substance, a mixing process (P14) for forming a mixed substance by mixing and kneading a mixed material that includes the crushed substance, a binder, water, and an aerosol formation agent, and a rolling process (P15) for rolling the mixed substance to form the dough.

Description

Method for manufacturing a sheet for use in a flavor-generating product

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a sheet for use in a flavor-generating article.

[0002] Reconstituted tobacco is known that uses tobacco by-products and processing waste. The production of reconstituted tobacco requires a plant of considerable size to reconstitute the slurry mixture to the consistency of a tobacco sheet, and the production of reconstituted tobacco involves high energy consumption. Specifically, the drying ovens installed in the plant may reach a total length of 100 m. Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses a method and plant for producing reconstituted tobacco in order to solve these problems.

[0003] The method for producing reconstituted tobacco described in Patent Document 1 involves grinding tobacco solid components to a particle size within a predetermined range, mixing the resulting ground product with a predetermined material, including water, until a mixture with a liquid content within a predetermined range is obtained. The resulting mixture is then rolled into a long, continuous strip of a predetermined thickness, which is then further rolled into another strip of a predetermined thickness, and the resulting strip is dried to achieve a liquid content within a predetermined range. This allows reconstituted tobacco to be produced with limited energy usage.

[0004] Special Publication No. 2022-500043

[0005] In the above-described reconstituted tobacco manufacturing method, the strip is dried in a drying step so that the liquid content is within a predetermined range. However, no particular consideration is given to reducing the moisture content of the intermediate product generated during the sheet manufacturing process in steps other than the drying step. Therefore, there is a need to further reduce the amount of energy used to dry the sheet, and ultimately to further reduce the sheet manufacturing costs, by managing and reducing the moisture content of the intermediate product in steps other than the drying step.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and aims to provide a method for manufacturing sheets for use in flavor-generating products, which reduces the moisture content of the intermediate product, thereby reducing the amount of energy required to dry the sheets and ultimately reducing the manufacturing costs of the sheets.

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, one embodiment of a method for manufacturing a sheet to be used in a flavor-generating article is a method for manufacturing a sheet to be used in a flavor-generating article, and includes a dough-forming step of forming a dough, which is an intermediate product of the sheet, from a flavor-generating material, which is a material for the sheet, a drying step of drying the formed dough, and a cooling step of cooling the dried dough to form a sheet.The dough-forming step includes a first moisture measurement process of measuring the moisture content of the flavor-generating material, a first moisture adjustment process of adjusting the moisture content of the flavor-generating material to a predetermined first moisture content based on the moisture content measured in the first moisture measurement process, a grinding process of grinding the flavor-generating material adjusted to the first moisture content in the first moisture adjustment process into particles to form a ground material, a mixing process of mixing and kneading a mixed material including the ground material, a binder, water, and an aerosol-forming agent to form a mixture, and a rolling process of rolling the mixture to form a dough.

[0008] According to the above aspect, by reducing the moisture content of the intermediate product, the amount of energy required to dry the sheet can be reduced, and thus the manufacturing cost of the sheet can be reduced.

[0009] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of sheet manufacturing equipment. Fig. 2 is a flow chart of each process performed in a dough formation step. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a case where a plurality of flavor-generating substances are mixed in a grinding process. Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram of another embodiment of a case where a plurality of flavor-generating substances are mixed in a grinding process. Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a case where the moisture content of a plurality of materials in a mixed material is measured in a second moisture measuring process. Fig. 6 is a flow chart of each process performed in a drying step. Fig. 7 is a flow chart of each process performed in a cooling step.

[0010] A method for manufacturing a sheet used in a flavor-generating article according to an embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a sheet manufacturing facility. The sheet manufacturing facility is generally composed of a material processing section A, a sheet manufacturing section B, a sheet forming section C, and a sheet discharging section D. The sheet manufactured by the manufacturing method according to this embodiment is used in a flavor-generating article, which is, for example, a combustion-heating or non-combustion-heating flavor inhalation article that allows a user to ingest an aerosolized flavor.

[0011] In the material processing section A, one or more types of tobacco material, such as lamina, are prepared (material preparation step S1). These tobacco materials are then shredded to form tobacco as a flavor-producing material for the sheet (shredding step S2). Specifically, in the shredding step S2, multiple tobacco materials are blended and then shredded. "Shredding" refers to cutting the tobacco material to a size suitable for subsequent processing. Alternatively, multiple tobacco materials may simply be blended without shredding step S2. Plants other than tobacco, such as cloves, eucalyptus, star anise, dill, ginger, rosemary, chamomile, cumin, and oregano, may also be used as flavor-producing materials. Next, in the sheet production section B, a dough, an intermediate product for the sheet, is formed from the flavor-producing material, such as tobacco, in the dough formation step S10. The dough is then dried in the drying step S20, and the dried dough is cooled to form a sheet in the cooling step S30.

[0012] FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of each process performed in the dough formation step S10. The dough formation step S10 mainly includes a first moisture measurement process P11, a first moisture adjustment process P12, a grinding process P13, a mixing process P14, and a rolling process P15, which are performed in this order. The first moisture measurement process P11 measures the moisture content of the flavor-generating material (the ratio of the weight of moisture to the weight of the object containing moisture). The moisture content is measured using an online moisture meter, allowing for real-time measurement, and the same applies to the moisture content measurement described below. The first moisture adjustment process P12 adjusts the moisture content of the flavor-generating material to a predetermined first moisture content based on the moisture content measured in the first moisture measurement process P11. The first moisture content is 5% to 15%, and more preferably 8% to 13%.

[0013] The grinding process P13 grinds the flavor-generating material adjusted to the first moisture content in the first moisture adjustment process P12 into particles to form a ground product. When multiple flavor-generating materials are present, as shown in Figure 3, the grinding process P13 mixes multiple flavor-generating materials (e.g., A1, A2, A3) (mixing process P131) and then grinds them to a predetermined particle size (e.g., 300 μm) in the grinding process P13. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 4, the flavor-generating materials A1, A2, A3 may be individually ground in the grinding process P13 and then mixed in the mixing process P131. In either case, the grinding process P13 forms a ground product without adding water.

[0014] In the mixing process P14, a mixture is formed by mixing and kneading the pulverized material formed in the grinding process P13, a binder, water, and a mixed material containing an aerosol-forming agent. The kneaded and extruded mixture is in the form of a sheet with a thickness of approximately 2 mm. This mixed material may further contain at least one material selected from the group consisting of pulp, flavoring, and filler. In addition, the dough formation step S10 sequentially performs a second moisture measurement process P141 and a second moisture adjustment process P142 in association with the mixing process P14. The second moisture measurement process P141 measures the moisture content of at least one of the mixed materials other than water in the mixing process P14.

[0015] 5, in a second moisture measurement process P141, the moisture contents of multiple materials (e.g., B1: pulverized material, B2: aerosol-forming agent, B3: pulp) in the mixed material are measured. Then, in a second moisture adjustment process P142, the amount of water, one of the mixed materials, is adjusted based on the moisture contents of B1, B2, and B3 measured in the second moisture measurement process P141, thereby adjusting the overall moisture content of the mixed material in the mixing process P14 to a predetermined second moisture content. The second moisture content is 20% to 40%, and more preferably 25% to 35%.

[0016] The amount of water contained in the mixed material is adjusted to the minimum necessary to allow the materials to be mixed and kneaded and bound by the binder. Therefore, the moisture content of the mixed material can be significantly reduced compared to when producing a sheet using a papermaking method or a slurry casting method. If the moisture content of the mixed material is too high, the amount of energy used in the drying step S20 described below increases, which in turn increases the load on the drying step S20. Furthermore, excess moisture can make the surface of the dough sticky, which can lead to moisture adhering to the rollers used in the rolling process P15 described below and the conveyor used in the drying step S20 described below, potentially interfering with their operation. Furthermore, in order to suppress the volatilization of flavor components from the dough during drying, it is preferable to minimize the heating time and heating temperature in the drying step S20, which in turn reduces the amount of energy used in the drying step S20.

[0017] Furthermore, excess moisture reduces the binding strength of the binder, which in turn softens the dough and may cause it to separate on the rollers or conveyor. On the other hand, if the moisture content of the mixed material is too low, the load in the drying step S20 is reduced, but the dough becomes insufficiently flexible, making it difficult to shape, and increasing the load in the rolling process P15. Therefore, in this embodiment, by performing the second moisture measurement process P141 and the second moisture adjustment process P142 described above, the moisture content of the dough can be stably maintained within the second moisture content range, thereby solving the above problem.

[0018] In addition, in the mixing process P14, after mixing the solids of the mixed materials, a mixture of the liquids of the mixed materials and some of the solids of the mixed materials is added to the mixed solids, and the mixture is mixed and kneaded to form a mixture. Specifically, the "some of the solids" is a binder, and the mixing of the mixed materials in the mixing process P14 is preferably carried out in a state where the binder is swollen with water, which is one of the mixed materials, and all of the mixed materials are heated to substantially 40°C. This reduces the viscosity of the glycerin contained in the binder to about 1 / 10.

[0019] The formed mixture may also be inspected for the presence of foreign matter, if necessary (foreign matter inspection process P143). Removing any foreign matter found in the mixture during the foreign matter inspection process P143 prevents poor sheet quality due to foreign matter and also prevents damage to equipment in subsequent steps and sections. Furthermore, in the mixed material obtained during the mixing process P14, air gaps may form within the pulverized raw materials or binder, preventing the binder from adequately binding the materials. Even in this case, by not only mixing but also kneading the mixed materials during the mixing process P14, degassing is performed within each material, eliminating the air gaps. This allows water to penetrate the pulverized material and binder, causing the pulverized particles to adhere to each other and be better bonded by the binder, improving the strength of the dough and ultimately the sheet that is subsequently formed.

[0020] In the rolling process P15, the mixture formed in the mixing process P14 is rolled to form dough. Specifically, the mixture is sandwiched between a pair of rollers and rolled. This rolling may be performed multiple times using multiple roller sets. In this case, the gap between the rollers in each roller set may be gradually narrowed to form the dough to a desired thickness. In the dough formation step S10, a first thickness measurement process P151 and a first thickness adjustment process P152 are sequentially performed in association with the rolling process P15. The first thickness measurement process P151 measures the thickness of the dough formed in the rolling process P15, and the first thickness adjustment process P152 adjusts the gap between the pair of rollers based on the measured dough thickness to adjust the thickness of the dough to a predetermined first thickness. The first thickness is, for example, 250 μm.

[0021] 6 shows a flow diagram of each process performed in the drying step S20. The drying step S20 mainly includes a third moisture measurement process P21, a drying process P22, a fourth moisture measurement process P23, and a third moisture adjustment process P24, in that order. The third moisture measurement process P21 measures the moisture content of the dough before drying. The drying process P22 dries the dough. The fourth moisture measurement process P23 measures the moisture content of the dough after drying. The third moisture adjustment process P24 controls the drying mode of the dough in the drying process P22 based on the moisture content measured in the third moisture measurement process, thereby adjusting the moisture content of the dough measured in the fourth moisture measurement process P23 to a predetermined third moisture content.

[0022] The third moisture content is 5% to 25%, and more preferably 6% to 12%. The moisture content of the dough after drying significantly affects the quality of the subsequent dough and, ultimately, the sheet. For example, if the moisture content of the dough after drying is too high, mold may grow on the dough and, ultimately, the sheet during storage, resulting in a deterioration in quality and a shortened shelf life, making long-term storage impossible. On the other hand, if the moisture content of the dough after drying is too low, the flexibility of the sheet is impaired, and the sheet formed through the cooling step S30 described below may tear when wound onto a bobbin. Therefore, by performing the third moisture measurement process P21, the fourth moisture measurement process P23, and the third moisture adjustment process P24, the moisture content of the dough can be stably maintained within the third moisture content range, thereby reliably solving the above problem.

[0023] In the drying step S20, for example, a mesh conveyor carrying the dough is run through a drying oven, and hot air is blown onto the conveyor from above and below to dry the dough. Alternatively, a belt conveyor carrying the dough may be used. In this case, steam is blown onto the belt from below to heat it, while hot air is blown onto the belt from above to dry the dough. Multiple drying ovens may be installed. When performing this drying step S20, it is preferable to appropriately manage not only the oven temperature but also the exhaust air volume from the drying oven, since a high oven temperature alone makes it difficult to dry the dough. Therefore, the dough drying mode in the third moisture adjustment process P24 described above is controlled by adjusting the oven temperature and the exhaust air volume from the oven. This allows for efficient drying of the dough. Although not shown, the edge of the dough, and therefore the sheet, may be cut (edge ​​cutting process) before or after the drying process P22 (or before or after the cooling process P32 described below). This neatly arranges the edges of the sheet, making it easier to handle the sheet in each subsequent step and section.

[0024] 7 shows a flow diagram of each process performed in the cooling step S30. The cooling step S30 mainly includes a fifth moisture measurement process P31, a cooling process P32, a sixth moisture measurement process P33, a fourth moisture adjustment process P34, and a fifth moisture adjustment process P35, in that order. The fifth moisture measurement process P31 measures the moisture content of the dough before cooling. The cooling process P32 cools the dough. The sixth moisture measurement process P33 measures the moisture content of the cooled dough, i.e., the sheet finally formed by cooling the dough. The fourth moisture adjustment process P34 adjusts the moisture content of the dough measured in the sixth moisture measurement process P33 to a predetermined fourth moisture content by controlling the cooling mode of the dough in the cooling process P32 based on the moisture content measured in the fifth moisture measurement process P31.

[0025] The fourth moisture content is 5% to 20%, and more preferably 8% to 12%. This allows the dough to be cooled while adjusting its moisture content, so that the sheet structure can be crystallized by cooling with the minimum amount of moisture necessary to ensure the binding strength of the binder contained in the sheet. This prevents the sheet from absorbing moisture from the atmosphere during storage, which would otherwise increase its moisture content. Furthermore, the fifth moisture adjustment process P35 adjusts the moisture content of the dough measured in the sixth moisture measurement process P33 to the fourth moisture content by controlling the drying mode of the dough in the drying process P22 based on the moisture content measured in the sixth moisture measurement process P33.

[0026] It should be noted that if the moisture content of the dough has already been adjusted to the fourth moisture content in the fourth moisture adjustment process P34, there is no need to perform the fifth moisture adjustment process P35. In such a cooling step S30, for example, a belt-like or mesh-like conveyor carrying the dough is made to run inside a cooler, and cold air is blown from above and below the conveyor. As a result, if the surface temperature of the dough before cooling is 70°C, for example, the dough is cooled until the surface temperature of the dough reaches 26°C. Multiple coolers may be provided.

[0027] Furthermore, in the cooling step S30, a second thickness measurement process P36 and a second thickness adjustment process P37 are performed in sequence after the fifth moisture adjustment process P35. The second thickness measurement process P36 measures the thickness of the sheet formed after cooling, and the second thickness adjustment process P37 adjusts the gap between a pair of rollers used to roll the mixture in the rolling process P15 based on the measured sheet thickness. This adjusts the thickness of the sheet to a predetermined second thickness. The second thickness is 50 μm to 500 μm, and more preferably 150 μm to 350 μm.

[0028] Next, in the sheet forming section C, the sheet produced in the sheet production section B is wound up to form a bobbin of sheet (winding step S40), and the bobbin-wound sheet is transported and stored. Next, as needed, the sheet is unwound from the bobbin (unwound step S50), and the unwound sheet is cut into pieces of a predetermined size (cutting step S60). Next, in the sheet discharge section D, the cut pieces are placed in containers and packaged (packaging step S70) and discharged from the sheet production equipment. The cut pieces discharged from the equipment are transported to other equipment involved in the production of flavor-generating products and used as flavor segments for the flavor-generating products.

[0029] As described above, the sheet manufacturing method of this embodiment includes the dough-forming step S10, drying step S20, and cooling step S30. Furthermore, the dough-forming step S10 includes the first moisture measurement process P11, first moisture adjustment process P12, grinding process P13, mixing process P14, and rolling process P15. This allows the moisture content of the flavor-generating substance, which is an ingredient of the sheet, to be adjusted and reduced in advance. By reducing the moisture content of the dough, which is an intermediate product, in this way, the amount of energy required to dry the sheet can be reduced, thereby reducing the sheet manufacturing cost.

[0030] The dough formation step S10 further includes the second moisture measurement process P141 and the second moisture adjustment process P142. This allows the moisture content of the mixed material formed in the mixing process P14 to be kept to the minimum required. This reduces the load not only of the drying step S20 but also of the rolling process P15.

[0031] The drying step S20 includes the aforementioned third moisture measurement process P21, drying process P22, fourth moisture measurement process P23, and third moisture adjustment process P24. This makes it possible to optimize the moisture content of the dough after drying, thereby preventing deterioration in dough quality and shelf life when the moisture content of the dough is too high, and preventing deterioration in dough flexibility when the moisture content of the dough is too low.

[0032] The cooling step S30 includes the fifth moisture measurement process P31, the cooling process P32, the sixth moisture measurement process P33, the fourth moisture adjustment process P34, and the fifth moisture adjustment process P35. Since the dough can be cooled while adjusting its moisture content, the structure of the sheet can be crystallized by cooling with the minimum amount of moisture necessary to ensure the binding strength of the binder contained in the sheet. This prevents the sheet from absorbing moisture from the atmosphere during storage, which would otherwise increase its moisture content.

[0033] The cooling step S30 also includes the fifth moisture adjustment process P35. This allows the moisture content of the sheet to be adjusted not only by controlling the cooling mode but also by controlling the drying mode prior to the cooling mode, depending on the moisture content of the sheet after cooling. Therefore, even if the moisture content of the sheet cannot be fully adjusted by controlling the cooling mode, the moisture content of the sheet after cooling can be reliably optimized by controlling the drying mode.

[0034] In the grinding process P13, multiple flavor-generating materials are mixed and then ground, or multiple flavor-generating materials are ground and then mixed together to form a ground product without adding water. This further reduces the moisture content of the dough, which is an intermediate product. In the mixing process P14, solids from the mixed materials are mixed, and then a mixture of liquids from the mixed materials and some of the solids from the mixed materials is added to the solid mixture, followed by mixing and kneading to form a mixture.

[0035] More specifically, part of the solid is a binder, and the materials are mixed in the mixing process P14 with the binder swollen with water, one of the materials, and all of the materials heated to substantially 40°C. This reduces the viscosity of the glycerin contained in the binder to about 1 / 10, allowing the binder to disperse efficiently in the materials and effectively bind the various materials together. This allows the mixing process P14 to be carried out even more smoothly.

[0036] This concludes the description of the embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the sheet manufacturing equipment described using Figure 1 and the process flows described using Figures 2 to 7 can be modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Specifically, the mixing process P14 may separately mix the liquid of the mixed material and the solid (powder) of the mixed material, and then add the mixed liquid to the mixed solid, followed by mixing and kneading to form a mixture.

[0037] Alternatively, the mixture may be formed by first mixing the liquids of the mixed materials and then adding the solids of the mixed materials to the liquid mixture and mixing and kneading them. Alternatively, the mixture may be formed by adding all of the liquids and solids of the mixed materials at once and mixing and kneading them. Even in these cases, by mixing all of the mixed materials in a state where they are heated to substantially 40 degrees, the materials are suitably bound by the binder, allowing for smooth implementation of the mixing process P14.

[0038] Alternatively, the rolling process P15 may involve rolling the mixture using heated rollers. This allows the mixture, which is a temperature-dependent viscoelastic body, to be softened by heat transfer from the rollers, enabling smoother rolling. Furthermore, the moisture content of the formed dough decreases as the heat from the rollers evaporates, reducing the load of the drying step S20, which will be described later. Furthermore, in the sheet forming section C, the produced sheet may be directly cut in the cutting step S60 without going through the winding step S40 and the unwinding step S50.

[0039] Furthermore, some or all of the above embodiments can be expressed by describing the aspects shown below: (Aspect 1) A method for producing a sheet to be used in a flavor-generating article, comprising: a dough-forming step of forming a dough, which is an intermediate product of the sheet, from a flavor-generating material that is a material for the sheet, a drying step of drying the formed dough, and a cooling step of cooling the dried dough to form the sheet, wherein the dough-forming step comprises: a first moisture measurement process of measuring the moisture content of the flavor-generating material, a first moisture adjustment process of adjusting the moisture content of the flavor-generating material to a predetermined first moisture content based on the moisture content measured in the first moisture measurement process, a grinding process of grinding the flavor-generating material adjusted to the first moisture content in the first moisture adjustment process into particles to form a ground product, a mixing process of mixing and kneading a mixed material containing the ground product, a binder, water, and an aerosol-forming agent to form a mixture, and a rolling process of rolling the mixture to form the dough.

[0040] (Aspect 2) The method for manufacturing a sheet used in a flavor-generating article according to Aspect 1, wherein the dough formation step includes: a second moisture measurement process for measuring the moisture content of at least one of the mixed materials other than the water in the mixing process; and a second moisture adjustment process for adjusting the amount of water, one of the mixed materials, based on the moisture content measured in the second moisture measurement process, thereby adjusting the overall moisture content of the mixed materials in the mixing process to a predetermined second moisture content.

[0041] (Aspect 3) The method for manufacturing a sheet used in a flavor-generating article according to Aspect 2, wherein the drying step includes: a third moisture measurement process for measuring the moisture content of the dough before drying; a drying process for drying the dough; a fourth moisture measurement process for measuring the moisture content of the dough after drying; and a third moisture adjustment process for adjusting the moisture content of the dough measured in the fourth moisture measurement process to a predetermined third moisture content by controlling the drying state of the dough in the drying process based on the moisture content measured in the third moisture measurement process.

[0042] (Aspect 4) The method for manufacturing a sheet used in a flavor-generating article according to Aspect 3, wherein the cooling step includes: a fifth moisture measurement process for measuring the moisture content of the dough before cooling; a cooling process for cooling the dough; a sixth moisture measurement process for measuring the moisture content of the dough after cooling; and a fourth moisture adjustment process for adjusting the moisture content of the dough measured in the sixth moisture measurement process to a predetermined fourth moisture content by controlling the cooling mode of the dough in the cooling process based on the moisture content measured in the fifth moisture measurement process.

[0043] (Aspect 5) The method for manufacturing a sheet used in the flavor-generating article according to Aspect 4, wherein the cooling step includes a fifth moisture adjustment process for adjusting the moisture content of the dough measured in the sixth moisture measurement process to the fourth moisture content by controlling the drying state of the dough in the drying process based on the moisture content measured in the sixth moisture measurement process.

[0044] (Aspect 6) The method for manufacturing a sheet used in the flavor-generating article according to Aspect 1, wherein the grinding process comprises mixing a plurality of the flavor-generating substances and then grinding them, or grinding a plurality of the flavor-generating substances individually and then mixing them to form the ground product without adding water.

[0045] (Aspect 7) The method for manufacturing a sheet used in the flavor-generating article according to Aspect 1, wherein the mixing process comprises mixing the solids of the mixed material, then adding a mixture of the liquids of the mixed material and a portion of the solids of the mixed material to the mixed solids, and mixing and kneading the mixture to form the mixture.

[0046] (Aspect 8) A method for producing a sheet used in a flavor-generating article according to Aspect 7, wherein part of the solid is the binder, and the mixing of the mixed materials in the mixing process is carried out in a state where the binder is swollen with water, which is one of the mixed materials, and all of the mixed materials are heated to substantially 40°C.

[0047] S10 Dough formation step S20 Drying step S30 Cooling step P11 First moisture measurement process P12 First moisture adjustment process P13 Grinding process P14 Mixing process P141 Second moisture measurement process P142 Second moisture adjustment process P15 Rolling process P21 Third moisture measurement process P22 Drying process P23 Fourth moisture measurement process P24 Third moisture adjustment process P31 Fifth moisture measurement process P32 Cooling process P33 Sixth moisture measurement process P34 Fourth moisture adjustment process P35 Fifth moisture adjustment process

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a sheet to be used in a flavor-generating article, comprising: a dough-forming step of forming dough, which is an intermediate product of the sheet, from a flavor-generating material that is a material for the sheet; a drying step of drying the formed dough; and a cooling step of cooling the dried dough to form the sheet, wherein the dough-forming step comprises: a first moisture measurement process of measuring the moisture content of the flavor-generating material; a first moisture adjustment process of adjusting the moisture content of the flavor-generating material to a predetermined first moisture content based on the moisture content measured in the first moisture measurement process; a grinding process of grinding the flavor-generating material adjusted to the first moisture content in the first moisture adjustment process into particles to form a ground product; a mixing process of mixing and kneading a mixture containing the ground product, a binder, water, and an aerosol-forming agent to form a mixture; and a rolling process of rolling the mixture to form the dough.

2. A method for manufacturing a sheet used in a flavor-generating article as described in claim 1, wherein the dough formation step includes: a second moisture measurement process for measuring the moisture content of at least one of the mixed materials other than the water in the mixing process; and a second moisture adjustment process for adjusting the amount of water, one of the mixed materials, based on the moisture content measured in the second moisture measurement process, thereby adjusting the overall moisture content of the mixed materials in the mixing process to a predetermined second moisture content.

3. A method for manufacturing a sheet used in a flavor-generating article as described in claim 2, wherein the drying step includes: a third moisture measurement process for measuring the moisture content of the dough before drying; a drying process for drying the dough; a fourth moisture measurement process for measuring the moisture content of the dough after drying; and a third moisture adjustment process for adjusting the moisture content of the dough measured in the fourth moisture measurement process to a predetermined third moisture content by controlling the drying mode of the dough in the drying process based on the moisture content measured in the third moisture measurement process.

4. A method for manufacturing a sheet used in a flavor-generating product as described in claim 3, wherein the cooling step includes: a fifth moisture measurement process for measuring the moisture content of the dough before cooling; a cooling process for cooling the dough; a sixth moisture measurement process for measuring the moisture content of the dough after cooling; and a fourth moisture adjustment process for adjusting the moisture content of the dough measured in the sixth moisture measurement process to a predetermined fourth moisture content by controlling the cooling mode of the dough in the cooling process based on the moisture content measured in the fifth moisture measurement process.

5. A method for manufacturing a sheet used in a flavor-generating article as described in claim 4, wherein the cooling step includes a fifth moisture adjustment process for adjusting the moisture content of the dough measured in the sixth moisture measurement process to the fourth moisture content by controlling the drying state of the dough in the drying process based on the moisture content measured in the sixth moisture measurement process.

6. A method for manufacturing a sheet for use in a flavor-generating article as described in claim 1, wherein the grinding process involves mixing multiple flavor-generating substances and then grinding them, or grinding multiple flavor-generating substances individually and then mixing them to form the ground product without adding water.

7. A method for manufacturing a sheet used in a flavor-generating article as described in claim 1, wherein the mixing process involves mixing the solids of the mixed materials, then adding a mixture of the liquids of the mixed materials and some of the solids of the mixed materials to the mixed solids, and mixing and kneading to form the mixture.

8. A method for manufacturing a sheet for use in a flavor-generating article as described in claim 7, wherein part of the solid is the binder, and the mixing of the mixed materials in the mixing process is carried out in a state where the binder is swollen with water, which is one of the mixed materials, and all of the mixed materials are heated to substantially 40 degrees.

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