The present invention relates to an oral snuff product and a method of producing an oral snuff product.

Today, oral snuff products are commonly available in powder form, where the user picks a snuff dose by his/her fingers from an open package.

In order to provide oral snuff in a more hygienic and clean manner, it is also known to package oral snuff in separate small bags, each having a predetermined portion of snuff stored therein.

From SE-A-388585 there is known a portion package for snuff, wherein the individual portions having the quantity corresponding to the amount to be used at each instance are enclosed by two layers of a thin material. A plurality of snuff portions are connected to each other so that the individual portions are manually separated before use.

These snuff bags of the prior art, irrelevant whether they come in separate bags or are connected to each other before use, suffer from the disadvantage that they are provided in predetermined portions adapted for an expected average user. The predetermined portions may not suit all users or an individual user all the time, as they can be experienced too large or even too small for a single portion to be put in the user's mouth. Though the portions may be available in different sizes, there is always only one portion size in a given package of bags. In case a portion size is experienced too large, the user feels discomfort in her/his mouth. In case a portion size is experienced too small, then two portions will usually be experienced too large and also cause discomfort.

An object of the present invention is to provide a solution to the disadvantage mentioned above related to snuff bags according to the prior art and to further improve the packaging of oral snuff doses so that the tobacco product at each single instance is more easily accessible to the user in a wider range of desired amounts.

Another object is to present the user with an oral snuff having a more appealing visual appearance.

According to one aspect the invention provides an oral snuff product comprising unit doses of the snuff product being sealed in a pocketed manner, arranged in a spaced relation one after another, between layers of flexible sheet permeable to tobacco ingredients, said layers of sheet being bonded together face to face outside said unit doses, said layers of sheet forming a band joining the unit doses together; and said band being separable between adjacent unit doses selectable by the user.

The oral snuff product is characterized by said unit doses being in the shape of compacted pellets, and said unit doses having a weight and size allowing the user at each instance to optionally select one unit dose or two or more connected unit doses to be put into the mouth of the user.

As the snuff product is compacted into pellets, the unit doses can be given such a small dimension that a user at each instance according to preference can choose to take a portion comprising optionally one, two or even more connected unit doses without feeling discomfort in his/her mouth. As the compacted unit doses are so small, they can also more discreetly be put under the lip into and kept in the mouth. As a selected portion including two or more unit doses always come in a single piece, i.e. the unit doses are interconnected, the handling and disposal of the unit doses will also be facilitated.

Each of the product unit doses has a weight of approximately 0,03 to 0,3 g, and preferably about 0,08 g.

The surface of each unit dose preferably has a coating of a powder material having a white or other light color. Thereby the product is rendered a more appealing and hygienic tablet-like appearance. The coating also prevents the unit doses from drying prematurely.

In a method according to the invention of producing an oral snuff product a particulate tobacco product having water content is provided. The method is characterized by forming unit doses of the tobacco product pellets, and sealing the pellets are sealed in a pocketed manner between layers of flexible sheet permeable to tobacco ingredients.

Other objects and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description and the claims.

• FIG. 1 is a lateral view of a smokeless tobacco product for use in the invention;
• FIG. 2 is a lateral view of the smokeless tobacco product shown in FIG. 1 and being sprayed with starch to fix a whitening agent;
• FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a smokeless tobacco product package according to the invention;
• FIG. 4 is a lateral view of the smokeless tobacco product package shown in FIG. 3;
• FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a tobacco product package having perforations between adjacent tobacco unit doses;
• FIG. 6 is a lateral view of a modified tobacco product package according to the invention;
• FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view of an exemplary box for containing a snuff product package according to the invention;
• FIGS. 8A to 8D are different views of an another box for containing a snuff product package according to the invention; and
• FIGS. 9A to 9C show different sized connected and unconnected snuff bags according to the prior art compared to three connected unit doses according to the invention.

In a preferred embodiment, the smokeless tobacco product according to the invention typically comprises a so called oral snuff product comprising a divided tobacco product, for example a particulate or powdery tobacco product that is provided in pelletized unit doses 18 (FIG. 1). The unit doses are either in a compacted powder state or a tobacco dough shape, where in the latter case a thickening agent could be added to the tobacco product powder. Instead of a thickening agent, a binder could alternatively be added to the tobacco product powder.

According to the invention, the unit doses 18 are packaged in pockets 20 one after another in a spaced relation between layers 14, 16 of flexible sheet bonded together face to face. The flexible sheet is preferably a paper permeable to tobacco ingredients and well-known in the art for oral snuff portion bags. The layers 14, 16 of flexible sheet may be composed optionally of two separate sheets or a single sheet (not shown) that is folded once over itself. Further, the unit doses 18 need not be situated at one side only of the band but can be arranged in the center line of the band to be exposed symmetrically at both sides of the band as is indicated in FIG. 6.

According to the invention, the smokeless tobacco product package is shaped as a band 12. The band 12 can advantageously have an outline corresponding to the unit doses or pellets 18 so that the amount of paper is minimized and is not felt uncomfortable under the lip of the user. Accordingly, If the pellets are circular in shape the band may preferably have a somewhat wavy outline as illustrated in FIG. 9A.

The band 12 having a large number of pocketed unit doses 18 may advantageously be contained in a small snuff box 28 (FIG. 7), where the band 12 is compacted into a roll shape or a compressed meander or zigzag shape (not shown). Preferably, a free end of the band 12 is exposed from an opening 34 in the box 28 so that the user can pull a desired number of unit dose pockets 18 from the box 28 and tear the band 12 apart in the space between the desired number of pockets 20 and the following pocket 20. To facilitate the tearing apart of the band 12, the band 12 can be provided with perforations 22 (FIG. 5) between each pocket 20. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 7, the box may be provided with a cutting means in the shape of a knife 32 or the like in the vicinity of the opening 34 exposing the free end of the band 12 for cutting the band apart. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the knife 32 is mounted on a hinged lid 30 for penetrating a slit 36 when cutting the band 12 and closing the lid 30. However, many modifications of the box and cutting means may be imagined by the skilled person.

In a preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 8A to 8D the box 28 is made in one piece in the shape of a thin-walled shell of a plastics material. A large cover 26 and a small lid 30 are integrally and pivotally connected to the box 28. When the large cover 26 is closed as shown in FIG. 8D, an opening 34 for the band 12 with the pockets 20 is exposed in the vicinity of the pivotal hinge connection between the box 28 and the opened small lid 30. When the user has teared off the desired amount of unit doses, the remaining end portion of the band 12 can be firmly held in place in a groove 24 on the outside of the large cover 26 when the small lid 30 is reclosed into the groove 24. Both the large cover 26 and the small lid 30 have retaining means (not shown) such as integral snap lock means for locking them in their closed positions.

By the provision of a continuous band 12 of pocketed smokeless tobacco unit doses 18, the user has the option of easily choosing a desired amount of unit doses 18. More precisely, at each instance the user has the choice of selecting one or more, for example one, two or three unit dose pockets 20. In order to present the user to a more variable choice of portion, each unit dose 12 may contain a smaller amount of smokeless tobacco product than a single product bag according to the prior art. To this end, each unit dose 18 contains between about 0,03 to 0,3 g, and preferably about 0,08 g, of smokeless tobacco product. FIGS. 9A to C. from top to bottom show an approximate comparison in relative size between A) three connected unit doses according to the present invention, B) three connected snuff portion bags of prior art, and C) four different snuff portion bags of prior art weighing respectively 2, 1, 0,5 and 0,3 g.

In order to give the unit doses 18 a more light colored or whitish appearance visible through the layers 14, 16 that usually are at least partially transparent, as indicated in FIG. 2, each unit dose is covered by a light color or whitening agent 24, for example a powder material such s a white flour, for example potato flour, maize or rice starch.

Oral snuff having a dough consistency and a water content of approximately 50 % by weight was kneaded into a thin dough having a thickness of about 2 to 3 mm. Oral snuff unit doses of cylindrical shape, approximately 7 mm in diameter, were punched out from the dough and subsequently allowed to dry to a water content of about 30 % by weight. Starch glue comprising about 5 % by weight maize starch boiled in water was sprayed to a thin coating onto the oral snuff unit doses. The snuff unit doses were mildly shaken in a container filled with powdered maize starch and were allowed to dry for 15 minutes. The unit doses thereby obtained a whitish appearance. Finally, the oral snuff unit doses were placed between strips of heat sealable now-woven paper and were heat sealed between the strips to form a band of pocketed oral snuff unit doses.

A fine grinded oral snuff product having a water content of approximately 20 % by weight was pressed to pellets in a tablets press prototype. Oral snuff units of a cylindrical shape, approx. 7 mm in diameter and having a thickness of about 2 to 3 mm were produced. The units were coated with a coating composition, consisting of 300 ml boiled starch glue, 5 % by weight and 140 g powdered maize starch. The composition was well mixed before the units were coated using the same technique as for sugar coating of candy. By the coating the units obtained a whitish appearance. Finally, the oral snuff units were loaded in a automated machine specially designed for the purpose. It places the units between strips of heat sealable non-woven paper and heat seals the strips to form a band of pocketed snuff units. The machine also cuts the band in a wave-like shape (FIG. 8A) and makes perforations between adjacent snuff units.