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AssigneePhilip Morris Incorporated
InventorsKwang H. Cho, Thomas J. Clarke, Joseph M. Dobbs, Eugene B. Fischer, Diane L. Leister, Jose M. G. Nepomuceno, Walter A. Nichols, Ravi Prasad
Estimating the term…
A process for expanding tobacco is provided which employs carbon dioxide gas. Tobacco temperature and OV content are adjusted prior to contacting the tobacco with carbon dioxide gas. The disclosed process is suitable for impregnating and expanding tobacco having a high bulk density. In order to achieve a high bulk density, the tobacco may be compacted or compressed to achieve an increased and more uniform bulk density prior to its impregnation with carbon dioxide. The process may be carried out with a short cycle impregnation in an apparatus according to the invention. A thermodynamic path is followed during impregnation which allows a controlled amount of the carbon dioxide gas to condense on the tobacco. This liquid carbon dioxide evaporates during depressurization helping to cool the tobacco bed uniformly. After impregnation, the tobacco may be expanded immediately or kept at or below its post-vent temperature in a dry atmosphere for subsequent expansion.
A process for expanding tobacco comprising the steps of:
A process for expanding tobacco having an initial OV content of from about 13% to about 16% and a bulk density of from about 11 to about 15 lbs./cu.ft. comprising the steps of:
A process for expanding tobacco having an initial OV content of from about 13% to about 16% and a bulk density of from about 11 to about 16 lbs./cu.ft. comprising the steps of:
A process for expanding tobacco having an initial OV content of from about 15% to about 19% and a bulk density of from about 11 to about 14 lbs./cu.ft. comprising the steps of:
A process for expanding tobacco comprising the steps of:
A process for expanding tobacco having an initial OV content of from about 13% to about 16% comprising the steps of:
A process for expanding tobacco having an initial OV content of from about 13% to about 16% comprising the steps of:
A process for expanding tobacco having an initial OV content of from about 15% to about 19% comprising the steps of:
An apparatus for impregnating tobacco with carbon dioxide comprising a compactor an impregnation vessel, a plurality of containers, means for discharging tobacco from said apparatus, a feeder adapted to feed a predetermined amount of loose tobacco into said containers and means for cyclically moving containers into operative positions with said feeder, said compactor, said impregnation vessel and said discharging means, said apparatus arranged so that loose tobacco is fed into each container by said feeder, is subsequently compacted at said compactor, then subsequently impregnated with an expansion agent at said impregnation vessel and then discharged by said discharging means from said apparatus, whereupon said container is returned to said feeder by said container moving means.
An apparatus for impregnating tobacco with carbon dioxide comprising a tobacco compactor and a tobacco impregnation vessel, said apparatus further comprising a tobacco carrier arranged to transport tobacco from the compactor to the impregnation vessel, wherein the tobacco carrier comprises a plurality of cylindrical tobacco containers and a continuous conveyor arranged to carry the containers, wherein the container-carrying conveyor is a rotatable turntable on which the containers are mounted with the longitudinal axis of each container substantially parallel to and substantially equidistant from a rotation axis of the turntable.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.