Method and apparatus for imparting an organoleptic quality to a recipient product

An apparatus for imparting an organoleptic quality to a recipient tobacco industry product using a sensate substance obtained from a donor product, the apparatus comprising:

• a donor product storage chamber configured to receive a batch of donor product;
• a recipient tobacco industry product storage chamber configured to receive a batch of recipient tobacco industry product comprising at least one of tobacco, chewing tobacco, snus, pouched snus, filter paper, tipping paper, filtration material, smoking articles, smoking article containers and blanks for forming smoking article containers, wherein the smoking article containers are configured to contain smoking articles comprising tobacco rods;
• a heater configured to heat the donor product storage chamber;
• and
• a controller configured to control the heater such that, in use, the heater heats the donor product storage chamber to a first temperature for a first time period to release a first sensate substance from the batch of donor product, and then heats the donor product storage chamber to a second temperature, greater than the first temperature, for a second time period to release a second sensate substance from the batch of donor product,
• the controller comprising a processor and a memory to store instructions so that heating the batch of donor product in the donor product storage chamber to the first temperature for the first time period and then to the second temperature for the second time period can be automated,
• the apparatus configured to circulate a fluid repeatedly in a closed loop through the donor product storage chamber and the recipient tobacco industry product storage chamber so that the first sensate substance obtained from the batch of donor product is conveyed from the donor product storage chamber into the recipient tobacco industry product storage chamber and into contact with the batch of recipient tobacco industry product such that the first sensate substance condenses and is infused into or impregnates the recipient tobacco industry product, and then the second sensate substance obtained from the batch of donor product is conveyed from the donor product storage chamber into the recipient tobacco industry product storage chamber and into contact with the batch of recipient tobacco industry product such that the second sensate substance condenses and is infused into or impregnates the recipient tobacco industry product, and wherein the donor product storage chamber includes a vibrating agitator configured to agitate the batch of donor product received therein to facilitate the conveyance of the first sensate substance and the second sensate substance from the batch of donor product to the circulating fluid.

An apparatus for imparting an organoleptic quality to a recipient tobacco industry product using a sensate substance obtained from a donor product, the apparatus comprising:

• a donor product storage chamber configured to receive a batch of donor product, and
• a recipient tobacco industry product storage chamber comprising an agitator and configured to receive a batch of recipient tobacco industry product comprising at least one of tobacco, chewing tobacco, snus, pouched snus, filter paper, tipping paper, filtration material, smoking articles, smoking article containers and blanks for forming smoking article containers, wherein the smoking article containers are configured to contain smoking articles comprising tobacco rods, the agitator configured to agitate the batch of recipient product;
• and
• a controller configured such that, in use, the batch of donor product in the donor product storage chamber is heated to a first temperature for a first time period and is then heated to a second temperature, greater than the first temperature, for a second time period, the controller comprising a processor and a memory to store instructions so that heating the batch of donor product in the donor product storage chamber to the first temperature for the first time period and then to the second temperature for the second time period can be automated,
• the apparatus configured to circulate a fluid repeatedly in a closed loop through the donor product storage chamber and the recipient tobacco industry product storage chamber so that at least one sensate substance from the batch of donor product is conveyed from the donor product storage chamber into the recipient tobacco industry product storage chamber and into contact with the batch of recipient tobacco industry product such that the at least one sensate substance condenses and is infused into or impregnates the recipient tobacco industry product, the agitator configured to facilitate even distribution of the at least one sensate substance across the batch of recipient tobacco industry product.