Nonwoven composite smokeless tobacco product
AssigneeR.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
InventorsErcilia Hernandez Garcia, Andries Sebastian, Randolph Taylor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A smokeless tobacco product for insertion into the mouth of a user is provided herein. The smokeless tobacco product can be prepared by impregnating a tobacco-containing nonwoven fabric with a second tobacco material, e.g., using at least one alternating electric field. The obtained impregnated tobacco-containing fabric is subsequently bonded to form a composite, which can be further modified in order to obtain desired properties such as moisture content and flavor profile.
Claims21
A method for making a smokeless tobacco composite comprising:
- depositing a tobacco-containing fabric onto a conveyer, wherein the tobacco-containing fabric comprises a network of tobacco fibers entangled with non-tobacco fibers;
- impregnating a second tobacco material in comminuted form into the tobacco-containing fabric such that the second tobacco material is present in an amount of about 5% to about 90% of the total weight of the tobacco-containing fabric to form an impregnated tobacco-containing fabric;
- and
- heating the impregnated tobacco-containing fabric to bind the impregnated tobacco-containing fabric and form a smokeless tobacco composite,
- wherein the tobacco fibers, the second tobacco material in comminuted form, or both, comprise bleached tobacco.
A smokeless tobacco composite comprising a tobacco-containing fabric, wherein:
- the tobacco-containing fabric comprises a network of tobacco fibers entangled with non-tobacco fibers;
- the tobacco-containing fabric is impregnated with a second tobacco material in comminuted form;
- the second tobacco material has a particle size with an average diameter smaller than the average diameter of pores present in the tobacco-containing fabric;
- and
- the tobacco fibers, the second tobacco material in comminuted form, or both, comprise bleached tobacco.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.