Tobacco – Tobacco or tobacco substitute product or component part thereof – Compositions – e.g. – smoking or chewing mixture or medium
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-01
2002-06-25
Silverman, Stanley S. (Department: 1731)
Tobacco
Tobacco or tobacco substitute product or component part thereof
Compositions, e.g., smoking or chewing mixture or medium
C131S353000, C131S354000, C131S355000, C131S356000, C131S357000, C131S359000, C131S275000, C131S276000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06408856
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to smokable filler material for smoking articles, and in particular to filler material which may not necessarily comprise any tobacco leaf filler material.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the many efforts which have been made to provide alternative smokable filler materials very few, if any, materials have been found which produce a smoke taste and flavour which is acceptable to smokers of conventional tobacco containing products. Therefore, most alternative filler materials have been used in conjunction with cut tobacco leaf or tobacco-containing reconstituted products. However, even in this form the unacceptable taste of these filler materials is noticeable and detracts from smoking pleasure.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,931,824 and 3,894,543 and UK Patent Specification No. 1,170,858 disclose tobacco substitute materials comprising inorganic filler and a film forming ingredient, with an optional amount of plasticiser. The aerosol content of these materials makes them undesirable as the sole smokable filler material.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Some prior art documents are described below. U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,723 discloses a tobacco substitute material containing a minimum amount of organic combustible material and a maximum amount of inorganic filler, and sometimes a thermally degraded cellulose material which comprises substantially carbon after treatment. Glycerol is present as a plasticiser for the smoking composition.
European Patent Application, Publication No. 0 145 424 discloses a tobacco substitute material comprising a base web of cellulosic material and gum binder mixed with hardwood flour, inorganic filler and flavourings. The mixture is predominantly comprised of combustible smoke producing materials and has a low inorganic filler content.
LU 52 376 describes a tobacco substitute material containing free carbon and smoke producing ingredients, such as cellulosic materials, with inorganic materials. The amount of inorganic material is relatively low, whilst the carbon content is high.
Conventional tobacco filler material and reconstituted tobacco products produce complex smoke systems when burnt in smoking articles.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to mimic tobacco leaf in its simplest components in order to provide a simpler smoke to the smoker.
We have chosen to do this by excluding or significantly reducing some elements of the biological matrix that produces smoke when tobacco is burnt in a smoking article. The taste and flavour characteristics of the simpler smoke so produced, can be altered or improved by careful choice of the biopolymers and proportions thereof included in the filler material according to the taste and flavour requirements of the smokable filler material.
Other fuel materials, such as the cocoa-based fuel source of our co-pending UK Patent Application No. 9605116.4 filed March 7, 1996 entitled ‘Smokable Filler Materials for Smoking Articles’, can also be mimicked in the same fashion.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a smokable filler material with acceptable taste and flavour characteristics for the consumer, which smokable filler material contains little natural tobacco, and preferably no natural tobacco, therein.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a smokable filler material which has acceptable taste and flavour characteristics and is thus suitable for inclusion with tobacco material, if desired, without detracting from the taste and flavour of the natural tobacco products. Alternatively, the filler material may comprise 100% of the smoking article filler material. Ideally the smokable filler material will be of lower cost than tobacco leaf or natural tobacco-containing material.
The present invention provides a smoking article smokable filler material comprising aerosol generating means, a substantially non-combustible inorganic filler, a binder, and an extract of a fuel source material.
The extract from a fuel source material, i.e. parent material, may be derived from any flavourful fuel source material, such as tobacco, cocoa powder or licorice. Mixtures of the extracts may also be used. The extraction method may be an aqueous extraction using solely water or an aqueous extraction using other additives in the extraction process, for example, acids or bases. Organic extraction methods are also suitable, either alone, in combination with aqueous extraction methods as described above, or sequentially, as are supercritical extraction processes, using carbon dioxide (CO
2
), for example. Detail on all of these extraction processes are not given in detail herein, as these will be known to the skilled man. Some extraction methods are more suitable for removing the flavour components of the fuel source than others. For example, citric acid aqueous extraction is preferred for cocoa powder. The extract may be present as a liquid, or as a dried solid, dried through processes such as spray or freeze drying, for example.
The smoking article smokable filler material may preferably comprise about 2% to about 30% aerosol generating means, about 20% to about 80% inorganic filler material, about 5% to about 25% binder, all by weight of the dry starting materials of the smokable filler material, and about 0.1% to about 30% extract, by weight of the final smokable filler material.
Preferably the amount of aerosol generating means is less than about 15% by weight of the dry materials of the smokable filler.
Preferably the amount of inorganic materials is more than about 40% and more preferably more than about 50% by weight of the dry materials of the smokable filler.
Preferably the amount of binder is less than about 15%, when the binder is not a pectin.
Preferably the amount of extract is less than 30% and more preferably less than 25% by weight of the final sheet material.
Advantageously the smokable filler material further comprises one or more bioploymers commonly found in plant material, such as tobacco. Preferably the biopolymer is a polysaccharide selected from the group consisting of starches, celluloses, pectins, lignin or compounds related to these. The starch may be natural, such as maize, tapioca or potato starch, for example, or modified, dextrinised or pre-gelatinised starches. The cellulose may also be natural cellulose, such as paper fibre; modified celluloses, such as carboxymethyl cellulose and inorganic salts thereof, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose or methyl cellulose, for example; cellulose derivatives or associated species, such as lignocellulose, lignin or hemicellulose, for example. Preferably the cellulose is not pre-treated in any way, such as by oxidation, for example. The pectin may be derived from plant or fruit material, for example, citrus pectin, apple pectin, or other pectinaceous material. Preferably the bioploymers are utilised in powder or granular form.
Preferably the biopolymer is present in an amount from 0% to about 70%, and preferably in the range of about 10% to about 60%. Cellulose or starch may be present in an amount from 0% to 45%, preferably not more than 30% and more preferably not more than 20%, by weight of the dry materials of the smokable filler material. Pectin may be present in an amount from 0% to 45%, preferably not more than 40%, more preferably not more than 30% and more preferably about 25%, by weight of the dry materials of the smokable filler.
In addition to the one or more biopolymers listed above there may also be other biopolymers, such as, for example, polyphenolic material in minor amounts, in the smokable filler material. These additional materials may be useful for colouring or flavouring the filler material. Other known colourants may also be used, e.g. caramel.
Carbon, an expansion medium and an organic filler may all be optional additional materials suitable for use in the filler material, depending on the final product characteristics required. For example, a foamed or non-foamed, i.e. expanded, product may additionally, if necessary, comprise an expansio
British-American Tobacco (Investments) Limited
Halpern Mark
Pitney Hardin Kipp & Szuch LLP
Silverman Stanley S.
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