Tobacco – Tobacco or tobacco substitute product or component part thereof – Compositions – e.g. – smoking or chewing mixture or medium
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-03
2002-06-04
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
06397852
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to smokable filler material for smoking articles, and in particular to filler material which may not necessarily comprise any tobacco filler material.
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.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
UK Patent Specification No. 1 412 878 describes a tobacco substitute material which comprises a large proportion of non-tobacco, organic filler material in conjunction with, amongst others, an inorganic filler, binder and plasticiser materials. The concept of using casing materials as a flavourful fuel component, rather than a top-flavouring, is not contemplated therein.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,197,861 and 3,931,824, 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 make them undesirable as the sole smokable filler material.
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 in all instances present as a plasticiser for the smoking composition. Where citric acid is present, probably as a combustion modifier, rather than as a casing material, the amount is always greater than 1%.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,894,543 describes a film tobacco substitute comprising inorganic filler, binder and plasticiser (glycerol). Again, as in all the previous art cited, the concept of using casing materials as the flavourful fuel component is not contemplated.
Commonly used in tobacco filler materials are casing materials applied as a casing sauce to the tobacco blend, usually before cutting of the blended material occurs. The casing sauce can include materials such as sugars, humectants and aromatic substances, such as flavours. Casing materials can also include less volatile flavour materials, such as the materials derived from cocoa beans, vanilla beans, tonka beans and deer tongue, for example. Casing materials are commonly added to tobacco at an application level of 3-10%.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention seeks to provide a tobacco substitute material which utilises one or more of the group known as casing materials as a fuel material in a smokable filler material.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
It is 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 tobacco, and preferably no 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.
The present invention provides a smoking article smokable filler material comprising a non-tobacco fuel material comprising one or more casing materials, a substantially non-combustible inorganic filler, an aerosol generating source, and a binder.
Preferably, where the casing material is caramel the caramel is used in combination with at least one other casing material.
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 would additionally comprise an expansion medium, such as starch, in an appropriate amount.
The carbon may be present in an amount up to about 20%, the expansion medium may be present in an amount up to 30%, all dry weight of the dry materials in the mixture.
The smoking article smokable filler material may preferably comprise about 10% to about 70% casing material, about 2% to about 30% aerosol generating source, about 5% to about 80% inorganic filler material, about 5% to about 25% binder, 0 to about 30% expansion medium and 0 to about 20% carbon.
Preferably the total casing material is less than 50%, more preferably less than 40% and even more preferably less than 30%, by weight of the smokable filler material.
Suitably when the casing material comprises more than one casing material and includes cocoa, the cocoa is the larger portion of the casing material.
Preferably the amount of aerosol generating material is about 15% or less, by weight of the smokable filler material.
Preferably the amount of inorganic filler material is more than about 30%, more preferably more than about 40%, and even more preferably more than about 50%, by weight of the smokable filler material.
Preferably the amount of binder is less than 15% by weight of the smokable filler material, if the binder is not pectin.
Preferably the amount of sugar, if present, is less than 15% by weight of the smokable filler material.
Advantageously the casing material comprises at least two or three individual casing materials and may comprise up to about seven or eight casing materials.
The smokable filler material may suitably comprise 10-68% total casing material, which may be comprised of 0-15% licorice, 0-50% cocoa, 0-13% propylene glycol, 0-26% sugar, 0-6% honey, 0-1% St. Johns Bread, 0-1% tartaric acid, 0-13% glycerol and 9-67% chalk.
The better known casing materials are sugars and related materials, such as cane sugar, invert sugar, fruit sugar from fruit juices, such as prune juice for example, demerara sugar, maple sugar, sucrose, honey, caramel and molasses; humectants such as propylene glycol, glycerol, diethylene glycol, butylene glycol and sorbitol; distilled water, licorice, coffee, vanillin, apple derivatives, clove, cocoa, St. John's Bread, and acids, such as citric and tartaric acids, for example. Other suitable casing materials will be known to the skilled man.
The proportion of casing material utilised will depend on the smoke taste and flavour produced, and by the requirement, if any, to produce a low sidestream smokable filler material. The nature of the smoking article wrapper utilised with the smokable filler material will also be a determinant of the composition of the filler material, as well as the permeability of the wrapper material.
Top flavour compositions are also used on smoking material. Advantageously the smokable filler material of the present invention also comprises one or more of a top flavour typical of those used on cigarette tobacco filler material in order to provide a taste and flavour similar to that of a conventional tobacco-containing cigarette.
Preferably the smokable filler material is a substantially non-tobacco material. As used herein, the term substantially non-tobacco material should be taken to mean containing about 5% or less tobacco material by weight of the filler, more preferably less than 3% by weight tobacco material, and even more preferably no tobacco material therein.
Advantageously the casing material mixture may be subjected to a pre-treatment step before sheet formation, which step may comprise heating to about 140° C. for about 6 minutes.
Advantageously tobacco extract material may be included in the casing material fuel. The tobacco extract material may suitably be in a purified form or a synthetic analogue of the tobacco extract in whole or in part.
Preferably, the non-combustible inorganic filler is selected from those materials described in
British-American Tobacco (Investments) Limited
Halpern M.
Pitney Hardin Kipp & Szuch LLP
Silverman Stanley S.
LandOfFree
Smokable filler material for smoking articles does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Smokable filler material for smoking articles, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Smokable filler material for smoking articles will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2958753