Method for the qualitative improvement of the products of the tobacco plant

Abstract

A method is disclosed for treating tobacco products to remove toxins emitted during smoking of tobacco which comprises the steps of:

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application is a continuation of copending application 10/070,020 filed 26 Feb. 2002 which is the U.S. National Phase of PCT/GR00/00012 filed 7 Mar. 2000 and based upon European Patent Application 99600015.4 itself filed 12 Oct. 1999 under the International Convention.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The invention relates to a process for manufacturing products derived from the tobacco plant, such as cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco and tobacco in general. More specifically, the invention can be applied during the processing of the tobacco and/or during the production of its products. The invention further relates to the improved tobacco products obtained by the process.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] With the mass production of cigarettes following World War II, there was a large increase in the cases of lung cancer, mouth and pharyngeal cancer, cardiovascular diseases and, generally, serious and fatal diseases for the human organism. Soon, this fact was linked to the consumption of tobacco products and especially of cigarettes, which contain a large number of toxic chemical substances, both in the solid phase of tobacco and in its gaseous phase. In the former, solid phase, before its burning (use), tobacco contains substances which are directly toxic, for example, tar and nicotine. In the latter, gaseous phase, during its burning (use) more toxic substances are produced which are harmful to the human organism.

[0004] To counter this problem of the toxic substances which are contained in and produced during the use of these products, there have been used in the last years various industrial products, such as the tar and nicotine-collecting filters of one or multiple uses, the common conventional cigarette filters, as well as, recently, the biological cigarette filters, which, to date, provide the maximum possible protection from the toxic substances of the solid and gaseous phases of tobacco. This is the state of the art of today's technology. However, all these products attempt to limit the toxic action of the tobacco substances, by inhibiting toxicity during the smoking stage. To date there exists no method or product to act on the toxic substances themselves of solid tobacco, limiting their toxic action, before the use of the product, that is, before the product reaches the consumer.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0005] It is the object of the invention to provide a solution to the above mentioned problem by reducing the harmful effects of smoking, by qualitatively upgrading the tobacco products.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The present invention constitutes a method which acts on solid tobacco before its use by the consumer and can be applied either during the industrial processing of tobacco and the production of its final products, or to the final products themselves (cigarette packs, cigars and tobacco pouches). The present invention acts on the existing toxic substances, improving the quality of tobacco, so that the final product used by the consumer has fewer harmful effects on his health. The invention constitutes a new original method for the qualitative improvement of the industrial products of the tobacco plant. The qualitative improvement is achieved by subjecting the industrial products of the tobacco plant to electromagnetic waves covering wide wavelengths, which are produced by electromechanical or electronic devices, the emission of which is preprogrammed, has controlled power, controlled application time and a controlled quality result.

[0007] The advantages of the present method is that it acts on the toxic substances themselves in solid tobacco and limits their toxic action, thus achieving a significant qualitative improvement in the industrial products of tobacco. Moreover, an extremely significant advantage of this method is that the improvement starts at the beginning of the application of the method, which its required application time for the achievement of substantial improvement is short, not more than a few hours. Another advantage of this method is that is has wide industrial application and, moreover, it does not require changes in the working specifications of the existing industrial or manufacturing facilities, either during the stage of the processing of the tobacco or during the stage of the production of the final product (cigarette packs, cigars and tobacco pouches). Another advantage of this method is that it is not only applied during the processing stage of the tobacco and the industrial manufacture of its final products, but it is also applied directly to the final product even after its packaging or while it is in storage areas, and it can also be put to household use. Another advantage of the method is that for its application it is not necessary for the tobacco products or the electromechanical or electronic devices to be stationary. Thus, the method can be applied on ships or transportation containers, so that a qualitative improvement in the treated tobacco products will have been achieved by the time they reach their destination. Another advantage of this method is that its application is financially expedient, as it requires very low operational costs.

[0008] The invention is described below, with the aid of non-restrictive examples and with reference to the attached drawing, which illustrates one application form of the method which constitutes the object of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0009] The drawing is a diagram which illustrates one application way of the invention, on final industrial tobacco products and final packaged ones.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION

[0010] The invention is described with reference to the drawing. The final industrial tobacco products are placed packaged in the storage areas or packaged in boxes, at the customary storage temperature. An electromechanical or electronic device of programmed operation is placed near to the tobacco products, which emits electromagnetic waves and from which extends a tube which ends in their emitting antenna. The emitted electromagnetic waves are directed towards the final industrial tobacco products or towards the packaged tobacco products in the boxes. The emitting antenna may constitute an integral part of the emitting device or be connected to it with a tube.

[0011] The electromechanical or electronic device produces electromagnetic waves which cover wide wavelength ranges, from 1 mm to 11,000 km, together with their harmonic frequencies, which are produced by the device and which are emitted either in all the wavelengths from 1 mm to 11,000 km or in one or more parts of particular areas, so as to achieve a resonance of all the elements of tobacco. The ranges of the frequencies to which these electromagnetic waves belong are characterized by the international names EHL (extremely high frequencies), SHF (super high frequencies). UHF (ultra high frequencies), VHF (very high frequencies), HF (high frequencies), MF (medium frequencies), LF (low frequencies), VLF (very low frequencies). The emission of the electromagnetic waves is programmed by the electromechanical or electronic circuit of the device so as not to be continuous but pulsatory. The length between the emitted pulses may be of constant or variable time. The length between the pauses of the emitted pulses may be of constant or variable time.

[0012] The emission of the electromagnetic waves may be modulated in any way, or it may not be modulated at all.

[0013] The emission intensity of the electromagnetic waves increases with each increase in the distance between the source of the emission of the electromagnetic waves and the industrial tobacco products, or even with each increase of the volume of the industrial tobacco products, to which the method is applied, in order to achieve the same qualitative improvement at the same time, as well as the reverse. Also, with each increase in the distance between the source of the emission of the electromagnetic waves and the industrial tobacco products, or even with each increase of the volume of the industrial tobacco products to which the method is applied, the application duration time of the method must be increased in order to achieve the same qualitative improvement with the same intensity as well as the reverse.

[0014] Furthermore, there exists the possibility of electromagnetic waves being emitted from more than one device, simultaneously, in the same place. The total simultaneous emission intensity provided must always be low, in order to achieve the desired result, but without causing any substantial increase in the temperature of the industrial tobacco products to which the present method is applied, without the intensity descending below 0.0001 mWatt, whether one device is used or more than one device.

[0015] The user of the method is able to decrease the time required for the achievement of the selected level of qualitative improvement by increasing the total simultaneous emission intensity provided by the electromagnetic waves which must be maintained in low levels, so as not to cause a substantial increase in the temperature of the industrial tobacco products, as well as the reverse, but without the emission intensity descending below 0.0001 mWatt.

[0016] The initiation of the qualitative improvement of the industrial tobacco products occurs with the initiation of the application of the method, while the required application time for the occurrence of a substantial improvement is short, not more than a few hours.

[0017] The duration period of the application of the method is dependent on the type of the industrial tobacco products to which the method is applied and is proportional to the desired qualitative result. Thus, the longer the duration period of the application of the method the greater the qualitative improvement of the industrial tobacco products to which the method is applied.

[0018] Also, the method may be applied even if between the source of the pulsatory emission of electromagnetic waves and the industrial tobacco products there exist materials such as cardboard, wooden boxes, concrete and metals, with the exception of conductible materials which are grounded.

[0019] The present method can be widely used by industries, manufacturing and commercial enterprises of tobacco products, and applied either during the processing of the tobacco, or during the manufacture of the products, or even to the final tobacco products after their packaging in the storage areas or they are packaged in boxes.

[0020] The method results in a substantial qualitative improvement in the industrial tobacco products by countering the toxic effects of the toxic substances in solid tobacco, thus achieving a significant qualitative improvement of the industrial tobacco products, so that the final product used by the consumer has fewer harmful effects on his health.

Claims

1. A method of treating tobacco products to remove toxins emitted during smoking of tobacco which comprises the steps of:

(a) fabricating at least one tobacco product selected from the group which consists of cigarettes, cigars and pouch tobacco;

(b) packaging tobacco products as prepared in step (a) as commercial packages with the cigarettes being packaged as cigarette packs, the cigars being packaged in cigar packings and the pouch tobacco being packaged in pouches;

(c) placing a multiplicity of the packages formed in step (b) in a storage chamber at a tobacco storage temperature;

(d) while said packages are in said storage chamber, subjecting said packages and the tobacco therein to electromagnetic waves having a multiplicity of frequencies and having harmonics emitted from an antenna in said chamber at a power not less than 0.0001 mWatt, but without causing any substantial increase in the temperature of said tobacco products and for a period not exceeding a few hours but sufficient to reduce toxic emissions upon smoking of said tobacco products, said electromagnetic waves having a wavelength of 1 mm to 11,000 km; and

(e) pulsing the electromagnetic waves to which said tobacco products are subjected in step (d).

2. The method of treating tobacco defined in claim 1 wherein the packaged tobacco product is cigarettes.

3. The method of treating tobacco defined in claim 1 wherein the packaged tobacco product is cigars.

4. The method of treating tobacco defined in claim 1 wherein the packaged tobacco product is pipe tobacco in a pouch.

5. The packaged tobacco product from which toxins have been removed prepared according to the process defined in claim 1.