Systems and apparatus for reducing tobacco-specific nitrosamines in dark-fire cured tobacco through electronic control of curing conditions

A central control system for use with dark-fire curing of tobacco comprising:

• a plurality of sensors distributed throughout a dark-fire curing structure,
• wherein the dark-firing curing structure is connected to an external smoking structure by a hollow structure, wherein the external smoking structure has an outlet into the hollow structure and the hollow structure has an inlet into the dark fire-curing structure,
• wherein an actuatable and openable barrier is positioned between the dark-fire curing structure and the external smoking structure and is configured to control an amount of smoke entering the dark-fire curing structure;
• and
• wherein a filter is positioned between the dark-fire curing structure and the external smoking structure and is configured to filter the smoke entering the dark-fire curing structure;
• wherein the plurality of sensors are in communication with the central control system;
• a user operated external device in communication with the central control system and operable to transmit a user-initiated command to the central control system;
• an apparatus of the dark-fire curing structure in communication with the central control system;
• the apparatus of the dark-fire curing structure being an air intake vent and a ventilation fan;
• wherein the central control system is operable, based upon the plurality of sensor data, to control the ventilation fan, the air intake vent and the actuatable and openable barrier between the dark-fire curing structure and an external smoking structure, and
• wherein the central control system is further operable to adjust an angle of the outlet from the external smoking structure into the hollow structure and/or an angle of the inlet from the hollow structure into the dark-fire curing structure.

A central control system for use with dark-fire curing of tobacco comprising:

• a plurality of sensors distributed in a dark-fire curing structure;
• a plurality of sensors distributed in an external smoking structure;
• a central control system;
• wherein the plurality of sensors of the dark-fire curing structure are in communication with the central control system;
• wherein the plurality of sensors of the external smoking structure are in communication with the central control system;
• wherein the central control system is in communication with a ventilation fan, an air intake vent, and a heat/smoke source of the dark-fire curing structure,
• wherein the communication is based on the plurality of sensors distributed in a dark-fire curing structure and the plurality of sensors distributed in an external smoking structure,
• wherein the external smoking structure further comprises an outlet into a first open end of a hollow structure, the hollow structure further including a second open end connected to an inlet of a dark-fire curing structure, wherein a filter is positioned between the dark-fire curing structure and the external smoking structure and is configured to filter the smoke entering the dark-fire curing structure, and
• wherein the central control system is operable to adjust an angle of the outlet from the external smoking structure into the first open end of the hollow structure and/or an angle of the inlet from the hollow structure into the inlet of the dark-fire curing structure.

An external smoking structure for use with dark-fire curing of tobacco comprising:

• an external structure for smoking;
• a smoke generator;
• a plurality of sensors distributed throughout the external structure;
• a hollow enclosure further including a first open end and a second open end;
• wherein the first open end connects to the external structure for smoking and the second open end connects to a structure for dark-fire curing of tobacco;
• an actuatable and openable barrier such that smoke generated by the external structure for smoking is imported from the external structure for smoking to the structure for dark-fire curing;
• a filter disposed in the external structure or the hollow enclosure, wherein the filter results in a reduction of nitrous oxide in the smoke generated by the external structure imported to the structure for dark-fire curing;
• wherein the structure for dark-fire curing includes an air intake vent and a ventilation fan;
• and
• a remote device in communication with the plurality of sensors and in controlling communication with at least one of the smoke generator, the air intake vent, the ventilation fan and the barrier in the hollow enclosure, and
• controlling communication to allow for adjusting the angle from the external structure to the first open end of the hollow enclosure and/or adjusting the angle from the second open end of the hollow enclosure to the structure for dark-fire curing;
• wherein the smoke generator and actuable and openable barrier are controlled by the remote device based on a measurement from at least one of the plurality of sensors.