# US 9,516,894 B2 · Moist botanical pouch processing and moist oral botanical pouch products

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- Number: US 9,516,894 B2
- Document ID: US9516894B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/768,054
- Filed: 2013-02-15
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2008-12-18
- Assignees: Philip Morris USA Inc.
- Applicants: Philip Morris USA Inc.
- Inventors: Diane L. Gee; David Golob; Stephen G. Zimmermann
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9516894B2

## CPC

- A24B 15/308: {vitamins}
- A24B 13/00: Tobacco for pipes, for cigars, e.g. cigar inserts, or for cigarettes; Chewing tobacco; Snuff (reconstituted tobacco products A24B3/14)
- A24B 15/16: of tobacco substitutes
- A24B 15/30: by organic substances {(A24B15/281 takes precedence)}
- A24F 23/00: Cases for tobacco, snuff, or chewing tobacco
- B65D 65/46: Applications of disintegrable, dissolvable or edible materials
- A24B: MANUFACTURE OR PREPARATION OF TOBACCO FOR SMOKING OR CHEWING; TOBACCO; SNUFF
- A24F: SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES (inhaling appliances for medical purposes, shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes A61M15/06)
- B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES

## Abstract

An oral pouched product comprising a pouch containing moist botanical beads comprising compacted loose, fibrous moist botanical material and method of manufacture thereof. The loose, fibrous moist botanical material can comprise moist smokeless tobacco. The pouch comprises a porous outer web, and the beads comprise a majority amount of loose, fibrous moist botanical material having a moisture content of at least about 50% OV.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of making an oral pouched product comprising:
forming beads comprising compacted loose, flavored, moist botanical fibers having a moisture content of about 50% OV to about 60% OV;
feeding a porous outer web along a feed path;
folding the porous outer web into a tubular formation;
forming a longitudinal seam along overlapping edges of the porous outer web and a lower transverse seam across the tubular formation;
feeding a quantity of an inner filling material comprising the beads through a nozzle and into the tubular formation above the transverse seam; and
forming an upper transverse seam across the tubular formation to enclose the filling and form an oral pouched product,
wherein the beads are adapted to at least partially unravel after said forming the upper transverse seam; and
wherein the loose, flavored, moist botanical fibers are not dried and/or heated to reduce moisture after forming the beads.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the oral pouched product is packaged in a container without adding moisture to the pouched product.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the beads include strands of the loose, flavored, moist botanical fibers, the strands having a length greater than a maximum dimension of the beads.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further including spraying the oral pouched product with a liquid to increase a total moisture content of the oral pouched product by about 0.5% OV to about 5% OV.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the beads have a maximum dimension of about 1 mm to about 5 mm.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the loose, flavored, moist botanical fibers consist essentially of moist smokeless tobacco.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the loose, flavored, moist botanical fibers consist essentially of short strands ranging in length from about 0.2 mm to about 15 mm and ranging in width from about 0.2 mm to about 2.5 mm.