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BR-112020026721-B1 - A molding device for shaping a sheet of a material containing alkaloids.

BR112020026721B1BR 112020026721 B1BR112020026721 B1BR 112020026721B1BR-112020026721-B1

Abstract

MOLDING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A MOLDED SHEET OF AN ALKALOID-CONTAINING MATERIAL. The present invention relates to a molding apparatus (100) for casting a sheet of an alkaloid-containing material, the molding apparatus including: - a molding box (10) suitable for containing a slurry (18) to be cast in order to form the sheet; - a slurry supply element (5) defining a feed channel (15) suitable for introducing the slurry into the molding box in a supply direction; - path diversion (19, 20) fins positioned within the feed channel, the path diversion fins being suitable for contacting the slurry within the feed channel; - a movable support (2); and - a molding blade (1) suitable for casting the slurry contained in the molding box onto the movable support so as to form the gypsum sheet. The invention also relates to a method for shaping a sheet of a material containing alkaloids.

Inventors

  • SILVIA CAPO
  • Chiara FASCIANI
  • RUI NUNO BATISTA

Assignees

  • PHILIP MORRIS PRODUCTS S.A

Dates

Publication Date
20260317
Application Date
20190628
Priority Date
20180629

Claims (6)

  1. 1. Molding apparatus (100, 101) for molding a sheet (11) of an alkali-containing material, comprising: a molding box (10) capable of containing a paste (18) to be molded to form the sheet; a paste supply element (5, 50) defining a feed channel (15) suitable for introducing the paste (18) into the molding box (10) in a supply direction; a movable support (2); a molding blade (1) suitable for molding the paste contained in the molding box (10) onto the movable support (2) so as to form the molded sheet (11); characterized in that it further comprises: path diversion fins (19, 20) positioned within the feed channel (15), the path diversion fins being suitable for contacting the paste (18) within the feed channel (15), wherein the path diversion fins (19, 20) comprise a plurality of curved fins arranged in at least one row, wherein the curved fins of the same row have the same oriented concavity.
  2. 2. Molding apparatus (100, 101), according to claim 1, characterized in that the paste supply element (5, 50) includes a conical portion (6).
  3. 3. Molding apparatus (100, 101), according to claim 2, characterized in that the path diversion fins (19, 20) are positioned downstream of the conical portion (6) in the supply direction.
  4. 4. Molding apparatus (100, 101), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the feed channel (15) defines a channel width and the path diversion fins (19, 20) are distributed along the channel width.
  5. 5. Molding apparatus (100), according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the molding box (10) includes side walls (3, 4) and the paste supply element (5) defines an entrance (90) for the paste (18), the entrance (90) for the paste being formed in one of the side walls.
  6. 6. Molding apparatus (101), according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the paste supply element (50) defines an inlet (90) for the paste (18), the inlet (90) for the paste being positioned above or on an upper part of the molding box (10).

Description

[001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and demolding method for producing a molded sheet of a material containing alkaloids. [002] In particular, the material containing alkaloids is homogenized tobacco material, preferably used in an aerosol-generating article, such as, for example, a cigarette or a tobacco-containing product of the "heat without burning" type. [003] Currently, in the manufacture of tobacco products, in addition to tobacco leaves, homogenized tobacco material is also used. This homogenized tobacco material is normally manufactured from parts of the tobacco plant that are less suitable for the production of fine filler, such as tobacco stems or tobacco dust. Typically, tobacco dust is created as a byproduct during the handling of tobacco leaves during manufacturing. [004] The most commonly used forms of homogenized tobacco material are reconstituted tobacco leaf and molded sheet (TCL stands for molded tobacco leaf). The process for forming homogenized sheets of tobacco material commonly comprises a step in which tobacco powder and a binder are mixed to form a tobacco paste. The fluid paste is then used to create a tobacco web, for example, by coating a viscous fluid paste onto a moving metal belt to produce the so-called coated sheet. Alternatively, a fluid paste with low viscosity and high water content can be used to create reconstituted tobacco in a process that resembles papermaking. Once prepared, the homogenized tobacco webs can be cut similarly to whole leaf tobacco to produce cut tobacco filler material suitable for cigarettes and other smoking articles. A process for manufacturing such homogenized tobacco is described, for example, in European Patent EP 0565360. [005] In a "heat-without-burn" aerosol generating article, an aerosol-forming substrate is heated to a relatively low temperature in order to form an aerosol, but preventing the combustion of the tobacco material. Furthermore, the tobacco present in the homogenized tobacco material is normally the only tobacco, or includes the majority of the tobacco present in the homogenized tobacco material of such a "heat-without-burn" aerosol generating article. This means that the aerosol composition generated by such a "heat-without-burn" aerosol generating article is substantially based solely on the homogenized tobacco material. Therefore, it is important to have good control over the composition of the homogenized tobacco material to control, for example, the aerosol flavor. [006] Due to variations in the physical properties of the fluid paste, for example, consistency, viscosity, fiber size, particle size, moisture, or the age of the fluid paste, standard coating methods and apparatus may result in undesirable variations in the application of the fluid paste to a support during the coating of homogenized tobacco netting. A non-ideal coating method and apparatus may result in lack of homogeneity and defects in the coated homogenized tobacco netting. [007] Heterogeneity in the homogenized tobacco web can lead to difficulties in the subsequent handling of the homogenized tobacco web in the production of the aerosol-generating article. For example, lack of homogeneity can lead to tearing or even rupture of the web during manufacturing or subsequent processing of the web. This, in turn, can result, for example, in machine downtime. Furthermore, a non-homogeneous tobacco web can create unintended differences in aerosol distribution between aerosol-generating articles that are produced from the same homogenized tobacco web. [008] There is a need for a molding apparatus and method for producing a molded sheet of an alkaloid-containing material that is adapted to overcome, or at least mitigate, the aforementioned problem. [009] The invention relates to a molding apparatus for casting a sheet of an alkali-containing material, the molding apparatus including: a molding box suitable for containing a paste to be molded to form the sheet; a paste supply element defining a feed channel suitable for introducing the paste into the molding box in a supply direction; path diversion fins positioned within the feed channel, the path diversion fins being suitable for contacting the paste within the feed channel; a movable support; and a molding element suitable for molding the paste contained in the molding box onto the movable support so as to form the molded sheet. [0010] The proposed molding apparatus aims to obtain a uniform deposition of the paste on the moving support. The presence of fins in the pulp flow path increases the mixing of the pulp as it enters the molding box. The paste flow can be directed to the molding box through different tubes or distributors, and the fins can transform the different flows, one per tube or distributor, into a single homogenized flow that enters the molding box. [0011] Preferably, the molding element is a molding blade. The homogeneity of the paste is of particular importance when the paste, in ord