Japan Tobacco Inc.

Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Kazuo Yoshimoto

Takashi Ogawa

Kensuke Uchiyama

Manabu Takeuchi

Hiromi Uematsu

Koji Sakamoto

Susumu Uchida

Katsuhide Yokota

Yoshiharu Arai

Taketoshi Shiraishi

Yoshinori Gotoh

Harushige Ibe

An apparatus for carrying out a method of controlling the moisture of tobacco material comprises a hollow rotating cylinder () having an inlet () and an outlet () for tobacco material, and a feeding device for supplying a moist air flow into the rotating cylinder () such that the moist air flow runs out from the inlet () toward the outlet () within the rotating cylinder (). Temperature and relative humidity of the moist air flow supplied into the rotating cylinder () are within the range of 40-80&#xb0; C. and 80-95%, respectively.

Method of controlling moisture of material and apparatus therefore

A rotary valve apparatus comprises a rotor housing having an inlet and an outlet, a rotor rotatably fitted in the rotor housing, a plurality of pockets arranged at regular intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the rotor and adapted to be connected successively to the inlet and the outlet of the rotor housing as the rotor rotates, two communication ports arranged in separate regions extending from the inlet to the outlet of the rotor housing and from the outlet to the inlet, respectively, with respect to the rotating direction of the rotor, and pressure equalizing pipes for connecting one communication port in one region with the corresponding communication port in the other region. As the rotor rotates, the pockets moving from the inlet toward the outlet and the pockets moving from the outlet toward the inlet are subjected to two cycles of pressure equalization by means of one and the same equalizing pipe.

Rotary valve apparatus

An expanding apparatus supplies an expanding agent to an impregnating vessel, and continuously supplies and discharges a material, e.g., a tobacco material to and from the impregnating vessel through a valve while pressure-increasing or pressure-decreasing the material, thereby continuously expanding the material. The expanding agent supplied to the impregnating vessel, the valve, and the like is recovered and, air, an impurity gas, or the like mixed in it is removed. Thereafter the expanding agent is pressure-increased to a high pressure and supplied to the impregnating vessel and the valve again.

Expanding apparatus for agricultural product or the like

An expanding apparatus continuously expands a material, e.g., a tobacco material and supplies gaseous carbon dioxide as an expanding agent to an impregnating vessel by an expanding agent supply to maintain a predetermined impregnating pressure. The material is continuously supplied to the impregnating vessel by a material supply while increasing the pressure of the material. The material is continuously discharged from the impregnating vessel by a material discharge while decreasing the pressure of the material. The expanding agent supply has a heat exchanger to perform heat exchange between carbon dioxide to be supplied to the impregnating vessel and a coolant, thereby cooling carbon dioxide. The state of carbon dioxide to be supplied to the impregnating vessel is controlled in accordance with the temperature or the like of the tobacco material discharged from the impregnating vessel, so that carbon dioxide is effectively impregnated and no dry ice is formed in the material discharge or the like.

Expanding apparatus for agricultural product such as tobacco material

Growing community of inventors

Hiratsuka, Japan

Kazuo Yoshimoto