Tobacco Laminate with Rough Surface for Consistent Draw
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional roll-your-own tobacco products require separate handling of tobacco and paper, leading to inconsistent smoking experiences and risk of tobacco spillage, and pre-charged papers with adhered tobacco do not always provide consistent resistance to draw due to varying rolling techniques.
Innovation Solution
A laminate comprising a layer of tobacco material with a rough surface and a support sheet, where the tobacco material can include fibrous components and additives like glycerol and propylene glycol, and the support sheet can extend beyond the tobacco layer for easier rolling and adherence, ensuring consistent air flow and reduced draw resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If tobacco and paper are handled separately for roll-your-own products, then the product allows user customization, but the smoking experience becomes inconsistent and tobacco spillage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines tobacco material and support sheet into a single pre-charged laminate structure. The tobacco material is adhered to one side of the support sheet, creating an integrated unit that eliminates the need for separate handling of tobacco and paper, thereby ensuring consistent smoking experience while maintaining user customization capability
Solution Approach 2:
The tobacco material is pre-charged onto the support sheet during manufacturing, creating a pre-prepared laminate ready for use. This preliminary action ensures consistent tobacco distribution and adherence before the consumer receives the product, eliminating variability introduced by separate handling and preparation
2Loss of substance
If pre-charged papers with adhered tobacco are used, then tobacco spillage is reduced, but draw resistance becomes inconsistent due to varying rolling techniques
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a rough surface structure on the tobacco material layer with varying local properties. The rough surface creates channels and pathways for air flow, while the tobacco material's texture and adherence characteristics are optimized locally to ensure consistent draw resistance regardless of rolling technique variations
Solution Approach 2:
The laminate consists of a composite structure with tobacco material adhered to a support sheet. This composite construction provides both spillage prevention through secure adherence and consistent draw resistance through the structured rough surface that creates controlled air flow channels
3Device complexity
If the tobacco material has a smooth surface, then the structure is simple, but air flow channels are insufficient for consistent draw
Solution Approach 1:
The tobacco material is engineered with a rough surface structure that creates porous channels and pathways throughout the layer. This porous structure allows consistent air flow and draw resistance by providing multiple channels for air passage, while the roughness is created through the natural fibrous structure of the tobacco material rather than complex artificial structures
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The laminate provides a consistent smoking experience with reduced tobacco spillage and improved draw resistance, as the rough surface of the tobacco material creates channels for air flow, and the support sheet aids in maintaining structural integrity and moisture content, enhancing user preference and product freshness.
Implementation Method 1
the rough surface of the tobacco material creates channels for air flow
Implementation Method 2
the support sheet aids in maintaining structural integrity and moisture content
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a laminate (10) comprising a layer of tobacco material (14) and a support sheet (12), wherein the layer of tobacco material (14) has a rough surface so as to provide a permeable structure through which air may be drawn when the laminate (10) is rolled or folded. The present invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a laminate (10), a package comprising a laminate (10), use of a laminate (10) to prepare a smoking article (20), and a smokeable product comprising a laminate (10).