Smokeless tobacco packaging system and method
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
A24F-023/00
A24B-013/00
B65B-007/28
B65B-029/00
B65B-063/02
출원번호
US-0315561
(2011-12-09)
등록번호
US-9468233
(2016-10-18)
발명자
/ 주소
Macko, Jason Andrew
Clark, James Lindsay
Black, Shannon Maxwell
Carroll, Andrew Nathan
Janardhan, Srinivasan
출원인 / 주소
ALTRIA CLIENT SERVICES LLC
대리인 / 주소
Fish & Richardson P.C.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
51
초록▼
A smokeless tobacco system includes a container including a plurality of preformed smokeless tobacco products configured to generally retain their shape and integrity. One or more of the preformed smokeless tobacco products are compressed between a lid and a base of the container to hinder movement
A smokeless tobacco system includes a container including a plurality of preformed smokeless tobacco products configured to generally retain their shape and integrity. One or more of the preformed smokeless tobacco products are compressed between a lid and a base of the container to hinder movement of the one or more preformed smokeless tobacco products within the container. Each preformed smokeless tobacco product can include a moist smokeless tobacco in combination with a selected binder such that the final product is configured to have material properties providing improved handling, an improved mouth feel, and a satisfying flavor profile. A method of forming and packaging the preformed smokeless tobacco products includes depositing shaped smokeless tobacco bodies into the container and closing the container prior to a relaxation of the shaped smokeless tobacco bodies into preformed smokeless tobacco products.
대표청구항▼
1. A system comprising: a container including a lid and a base that defines an interior space; anda plurality of preformed smokeless tobacco products having a substantially similar shape and being disposed in the interior space of the container, each of the preformed smokeless tobacco products compr
1. A system comprising: a container including a lid and a base that defines an interior space; anda plurality of preformed smokeless tobacco products having a substantially similar shape and being disposed in the interior space of the container, each of the preformed smokeless tobacco products comprising moist smokeless tobacco and a binder, one or more of the preformed smokeless tobacco products being compressed between the lid and the base in response to engagement of the lid and the base and relaxation of said one or more of the preformed smokeless tobacco products from a compressed state so as to secure said one or more preformed smokeless tobacco products in a substantially stationary position within the interior space. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the base includes a raised central portion and the one or more preformed smokeless tobacco products are compressed between the lid and the raised central portion. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of preformed smokeless tobacco products are disposed within the container in a single layer and at least one of the preformed smokeless tobacco products is compressed between the lid and the base to hinder movement of said one or more preformed smokeless tobacco products. 4. The system of claim 3, wherein at least 6 preformed smokeless tobacco products are disposed within the interior space of the container. 5. The system of claim 4, wherein two preformed smokeless tobacco products are centrally disposed in the interior space, wherein said two preformed smokeless tobacco products are compressed between the lid and the base in response to engagement of the lid and the base so as to hinder movement of said two preformed smokeless tobacco products, and relative to the lid and the base, and the remainder of preformed smokeless tobacco products are disposed along a periphery of the interior space. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein 8 preformed smokeless tobacco products are disposed within the interior space of the container. 7. The system of claim 5, wherein the base includes a raised central portion and said two preformed smokeless tobacco products are compressed between the lid and the raised central portion of the base, and wherein the remainder of preformed smokeless tobacco products movable within the interior space relative to the lid and the base around the periphery of the interior space. 8. The system of claim 5, wherein the base includes a raised central portion and said two preformed smokeless tobacco products are compressed between the lid and the raised central portion, and wherein the remainder of preformed smokeless tobacco products are compressed between the lid, at least a peripheral portion of the raised central portion, and a side wall of the base to hinder movement of said remainder of preformed smokeless tobacco products. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of preformed smokeless tobacco products are disposed within the container in two stacked layers and at least one pair of stacked preformed smokeless tobacco products is compressed between the lid and the base in response to engagement of the lid and the base so as to hinder movement of said pair of stacked preformed smokeless tobacco products relative to the lid and the base. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the pair of stacked preformed smokeless tobacco products is centrally located in the interior space, wherein said pair of stacked preformed smokeless tobacco products is compressed between the lid and the base in response to engagement of the lid and the base so as to hinder movement of said pair of stacked preformed smokeless tobacco products relative to the lid and the base. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the interior space of the container retains at least two pairs of stacked smokeless tobacco products centrally located in the interior space, each of said pairs being compressed between the lid and the base to hinder movement of said two pairs of stacked preformed smokeless tobacco products. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the base includes a raised central portion and said two pairs of stacked preformed smokeless tobacco products are compressed between the lid and the raised central portion, wherein a remainder of preformed smokeless tobacco products are disposed about a periphery of the interior space. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein said remainder of preformed smokeless tobacco products are stacked about the periphery of the interior space, the preformed smokeless tobacco products of a bottom layer that are disposed about the periphery of the interior space are offset from the preformed smokeless tobacco products of a top layer that are disposed about the periphery of the interior space. 14. The system of claim 13, wherein said remainder of preformed smokeless tobacco products are movable within interior space relative to the lid and the base around the periphery of the interior space. 15. The system of claim 13, wherein said remainder of preformed smokeless tobacco products are compressed between the lid, at least a peripheral portion of the raised central portion, and a side wall of the base to hinder movement of said remainder of preformed smokeless tobacco products. 16. The system of claim 9, wherein at least 16 preformed smokeless tobacco products are disposed within the interior space of the container. 17. The system of claim 9, wherein the container is generally cylindrical and has an internal diameter of between 50 mm and 80 mm, and plurality of preformed smokeless tobacco products each have a thickness of between 5 and 15 mm, a width of between 8 and 20 mm, and a length of between 20 and 40 mm. 18. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of preformed smokeless tobacco products are arranged such that there is at least 5 mm of clearance on two opposite sides of at least one preformed smokeless tobacco product, said clearance being so dimensioned that a consumer's fingers can grasp and remove said at least one preformed smokeless tobacco product without damaging adjacent preformed smokeless tobacco products. 19. The system of claim 1, wherein the lid comprises a non-stick inner surface that faces toward the base when the lid engages the base. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein lid comprises metal having said non-stick inner coating secured thereto. 21. The system of claim 20, wherein the coating comprises PTFE. 22. The system of claim 1, wherein the system has a whole-package friability of less than 40 weight percent. 23. The system of claim 22, wherein the system has a whole-can friability of less than 10 weight percent. 24. The system of claim 23, wherein the system has a whole-can friability of less than 1 weight percent. 25. The system of claim 24, wherein each preformed smokeless tobacco product has an individual product friability of between 1 weight percent and 80 weight percent. 26. The system of claim 1, wherein the average individual product friability of the plurality of preformed smokeless tobacco products is greater than the whole-package friability of the system. 27. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of preformed smokeless tobacco products have tobacco exposed along one or more exterior surfaces of the preformed smokeless tobacco products. 28. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the preformed smokeless tobacco products has a substantially similar shape, having at least one pair of opposing, generally parallel exterior surfaces. 29. The system of claim 28, wherein each of the preformed smokeless tobacco products has a substantially similar predetermined shape at least partially defined by three pairs of opposing, generally parallel exterior surfaces. 30. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the preformed smokeless tobacco products comprises a flavorant. 31. The system of claim 1, wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of a hydroxyl containing compound, a dextrin or dextrin derivative, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, konjac, collagen, inulin, soy protein, whey protein, casein, wheat gluten, carrageenan, alginates, propylene glycol alginate, xanthan, dextrin, pullulan, curdlan, gellan, locust bean gum, guar gum, tara gum, gum tragacanth, pectin, agar, zein, karaya, gelatin, psyllium seed, chitin, chitosan, gum acacia, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyethylene oxide, polyvinyl alcohol, and combinations thereof. 32. The system of claim 1, wherein the binder comprises guar gum, cellulose, and xanthan. 33. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the preformed smokeless tobacco products comprises between 0.5 weight percent binder and 5.0 weight percent binder. 34. The system of claim 1, wherein the tobacco is moist long-cut, cured, fermented tobacco. 35. The system of claim 1, wherein the tobacco comprises tobacco prepared from plants having less than 20 μg of DVT per cm2 of green leaf tissue. 36. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the preformed smokeless tobacco products comprises between 50 and 61 weight percent oven volatiles.
Kelley ; Jr. Michael L. (3120 Freeman Rd. E. Puyallup WA 98371) Kelley ; Sr. Michael L. (3120 Freeman Rd. E. Puyallup WA 98371), Concrete building blocks.
Beauman Emory (3501 Redwood Ct. Quinton VA 23141) Cowling Patrick (4607 Black Oak Rd. Richmond VA 23237) Leister Diane L. (4200 Carafe Dr. Richmond VA 23234) Roope Roy H. (6339 Elkhardt La. Richmond , Reconstituted tobacco material and method of its production.
Kehoe Gary (Greenwich CT) Puglia Wayne J. (Bellerose Village NY) Witzel Frank (Saratoga Springs NY) Friello Dominick R. (Danbury CT) Mackay Donald A. M. (Pleasantville NY), Tobacco-flavored chewing gum.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.