CN106132218B - Mouthpiece for smoking articles - Google Patents

Abstract

A rigid tubular mouthpiece for a smoking article may include a cushioning wrapper around it and/or a tipping cover that may be configured as an overmold, shrink sleeve, or other cover. If present, the packaging material may be configured to form one or several layers surrounded by a polymeric shrink label, which may comprise visual indicia. If applied, the tipping cover and/or wrapper will provide a lower durometer and more resilient contact mouthpiece surface than is present in the uncovered mouthpiece, which may be incorporated as part of the smoking article.

Description

Mouthpiece for smoking articles

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices, such as smoking articles, and more particularly to covered mouthpiece constructions useful in such devices. The electrically powered resistance heater may be configured to heat a material made from or obtained from or otherwise combined with tobacco to form an inhalable substance for human consumption.

Background

Many smoking devices have been proposed over the years as an improvement or replacement for smoking products that require the combustion of tobacco for use. It is stated that many of these devices have been designed to provide the sensations associated with smoking a cigarette, cigar or pipe, but do not deliver significant amounts of incomplete combustion and pyrolysis products resulting from the combustion of tobacco. To this end, a number of smoking products, flavor generators, and medical inhalers have been proposed that utilize electrical energy to vaporize or heat volatile materials, or attempt to provide the sensation of smoking a cigarette, cigar, or pipe without burning the tobacco to a large extent. See, for example, the various smoking substitute articles, aerosol delivery devices, and heat generating sources described in the background of Robinson et al, U.S. patent application publication No.7,726,320, us patent application publication No. 2013-0255702, us patent application serial No. 13/536,438 filed 2012, 6-28, Sebastian et al, us patent application serial No. 13/602,871 filed 2012, 9-4, Collett et al, and us patent application serial No. 13/647,000 filed 2012, 10-8, Sears et al, which are incorporated herein by reference.

Certain tobacco products, particularly certain products that have been referred to as electronic cigarette products, have been marketed around the world using electrical energy to generate heat for smoke or aerosol formation. Representative products of attributes similar to many traditional types of cigarettes, cigars or pipes are already marketed under the following brands: philip Morris Incorporated

ALPHA of Innovapor LLC^TM、JOYE 510^TMAnd M4^TM(ii) a CIRRUS from White Cloud Cigarettes^TMAnd FLING^TM；

COHITA of International Inc^TM、COLIBRI^TM、ELITE CLASSIC^TM、MAGNUM^TM、PHANTOM^TMAnd SENSE^TM(ii) a DUOPRO from Electronic Cigarettes, Inc^TM、STORM^TMAnd

EGAR of Egar Australia^TM(ii) a eGo-C of Joyetech^TMAnd eGo-T^TM(ii) a Elusion UK Ltd's ELUSION^TM(ii) a Of Eonsmoke LLC

Green cook in Green cook inc

GREENARETTE by Greenarette LLC^TM；Smoke

HALIGAN of^TM、HENDU^TM、JET^TM、MAXXQ^TM、PINK^TMAnd PITBULL^TM(ii) a HEATBAR from Philip Morris International, inc^TM(ii) a Dro imparial of Crown7^TMAnd LXE^TM(ii) a LOGIC of LOGIC Technology^TMAnd THE THE CUBAN^TM(ii) a Of Luciano Smokes Inc

Of Nicotek, LLC

Of Sottera, Inc

And ONEJOY^TM(ii) a NO.7 of SS Choice LLC^TM(ii) a PREMIUM ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE OF PREMIUM ESTore LLC^TM(ii) a RAPP E-MYSTICK from Ruyan America, Inc^TM(ii) a R of Red Dragon Products, LLCED DRAGON^TM(ii) a Ruyan Group (Holdings) Ltd

SMART from The Smart painting Electronic Cigarette Company Ltd

SMOKE from Coastline Products LLC

SMOKING by Smoking Everywhere, Inc

V2CIGS for VMR Products LLC^TM(ii) a Vapor NINE from VaporNine LLC^TM(ii) a Of Vapor 4Life, Inc

VEPPO from E-CigaretteDirect, LLC^TMAnd R.J.Reynolds Vapor Company

However, other electrically driven aerosol delivery devices, and more particularly those featuring so-called electronic cigarettes, are sold under the following trademarks BLU^TM、COOLER VISIONS^TM、DIRECT E-CIG^TM、DRAGONFLY^TM、EMIST^TM、EVERSMOKE^TM、

HYBRID FLAME^TM、KNIGHT STICKS^TM、ROYAL BLUES^TM、

And SOUTH BEACH SMOKE^TM。

It would be desirable to provide a smoking article that utilizes the heat generated by electrical energy to provide the sensation of smoking a cigar, cigarette, or pipe, but does not burn tobacco to a large extent, does not require a source of combustion heat, and does not have to deliver large amounts of incompletely combusted and/or pyrolyzed products. Furthermore, it may be desirable for such smoking articles to incorporate a comfortable mouthpiece that is similar in terms of mouthpiece and/or sensory profile to that associated with existing smoking articles such as, for example, cigars, cigarettes or pipes. In other aspects, it may be desirable to provide a smoking article with a mouthpiece that provides a solid rigid body surrounded by a wrapper, provides a sensory experience that is comfortable to the user during contact with the user's mouth (e.g., lips, teeth, and/or tongue), and also provides a visual display of indicia such as product identification, advertising, labeling, or other visual indicia. It may further be desirable to provide a rigid body smoking article comprising a mouthpiece that provides a comfortable mouth feel that is characteristic of smokers as "bite" or "bite feel", wherein the mouthpiece is effective to present information about the smoking article.

Disclosure of Invention

The present disclosure relates to packaging materials and other constructions for a mouthpiece component or a partial smoking article or other aerosol delivery device configured to generate an aerosol. In certain embodiments, the rigid tube body may form part of a mouthpiece for a smoking article, with a tipping cover around the outer circumference along the length of the mouthpiece, wherein the tipping cover comprises a polymeric label selected from the group consisting of a seamless tube, a seamed tube, an overmould (overmould), or any combination thereof, which may overlap a tipping wrapper. In certain embodiments, the rigid tube body may form part of a mouthpiece for a smoking article, with said tipping wrapper surrounding the outer circumference along the length of the mouthpiece, to form at least one bilayer comprising more flexibility and/or less resistance to permanent indentation than said rigid tube.

Drawings

Fig. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an aerosol delivery device comprising a control body and a cartomizer-containing cartridge according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

2A-2C show side and perspective views, respectively, of a smoking article and a side view of a mouthpiece of the smoking article;

figures 3A and 3B show perspective and cross-sectional views, respectively, of a mouthpiece portion;

FIG. 4A shows a tubular body shell;

figure 4B shows a spirally wound/angled tipping wrap wrapping the tubular body shell of figure 4A;

figure 4C shows a tipping cover embodied as a label wrapped around the tubular body shell and angled tipping wrapper of figures 4A-4B;

FIGS. 5A-5E illustrate steps of assembling labeled mouth end tipping material on a smoking article tube;

fig. 6-9 show diagrammatic views of a tipping cover that may have one or more layers.

Detailed Description

Embodiments are described below with reference to the drawings. The relationship and functioning of the various elements of the embodiments are better understood with reference to the detailed description that follows. However, the embodiments are not limited by those illustrated in the drawings. It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale and that, in some instances, details that are not necessary for an understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein may be omitted, such as, for example, conventional fabrication and assembly. The term "smoking article" is used herein as a convention, although many embodiments may not actually burn tobacco or produce any combustion-based aerosol (in smoke or other form); rather, the terms "smoking" and/or "vaporizing" are used to refer to drawing an aerosol into a user's mouth for the purpose of experiencing flavor and other sensations associated with the aerosol components.

The present invention is defined by the claims, may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the disclosure to those skilled in the art. As used in this specification and the claims, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. By "dry weight percent" or "dry weight" is meant based on the weight of the dry ingredients (i.e., all ingredients except water).

The present disclosure provides descriptions of mechanisms, components, features, and methods configured to dynamically change visual feature response feedback. While the mechanisms are generally described herein in terms of aerosol delivery device-related embodiments, such as so-called "electronic cigarettes," it should be understood that the mechanisms, components, features, and methods may be embodied in many different forms and associated with various articles of manufacture. For example, the description provided herein may be used in conjunction with embodiments of conventional smoking articles, non-burn-hot (heat-not-burn) cigarettes, and related packaging of any of the articles disclosed herein. Thus, it should be understood that descriptions of mechanisms, components, features, and methods configured to provide the illustrations disclosed herein are discussed by way of example only in terms of embodiments relating to aerosol delivery mechanisms, and may be embodied and used in various other products and methods.

In this regard, the present disclosure provides a description of an aerosol delivery device that uses electrical energy to heat a material (preferably without burning the material to any significant extent) to form an inhalable substance; the article is most preferably sufficiently compact to be considered a "hand-held" device. The aerosol delivery device may provide some or all of the sensations of smoking a cigarette, cigar, or pipe (e.g., inhalation and exhalation practices, types of flavors or flavors, sensory effects, physical sensations, use practices, visual cues such as those provided by a visible aerosol, etc.) without any significant degree of combustion of any of the components of the article or device. The aerosol delivery device may not produce smoke in the sense of an aerosol generated from byproducts of combustion or thermal decomposition of tobacco, but rather, the article or device may produce vapor (including vapors within an aerosol that may be considered a visible aerosol, which may be considered as a smoke) resulting from volatilization or evaporation of certain components of the article or device. In highly preferred embodiments, the aerosol delivery device can incorporate tobacco and/or components derived from tobacco.

The aerosol delivery devices of the present disclosure may also be characterized as producing a vapor article or a drug delivery article. Thus, the article or device may be adapted to provide one or more substances (e.g. flavouring and/or pharmaceutically active ingredients) in an inhalable form or state. For example, the inhalable substance may be substantially in vapor form (i.e., a substance in a gaseous state at a temperature below its critical point). Alternatively, the inhalable substance may be in the form of an aerosol (i.e. fine solid particles or liquid droplets suspended in a gas). For simplicity, the term "aerosol" as used herein is intended to encompass vapors, gases, and aerosols in a form or type suitable for human inhalation, whether visible or not, and whether in a form that can be considered smoke-like or not.

In use, the aerosol delivery devices of the present disclosure can undergo many physical actions that an individual employs when using traditional smoking articles (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, or pipes used by lighting and inhaling tobacco). For example, a user of the aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure may grip the article like a conventional smoking article, draw on one end of the article to inhale an aerosol generated by the article, spit out at selected time intervals, and the like.

The aerosol delivery devices of the present disclosure generally include several components provided within an outer body or shell. The overall design of the outer body or shell may vary, and the format or configuration of the outer body, which may define the overall size and shape of the aerosol delivery device, may vary. Typically, an elongated body resembling the shape of a cigarette or cigar may be formed from a single unitary shell; or the elongate body may be formed from two or more separable pieces. For example, the aerosol delivery device may comprise an elongate shell or body which may be substantially tubular in shape and as such resembles the shape of a conventional cigarette or cigar. In one embodiment, all components of the aerosol delivery device are contained within one outer body or shell. Alternatively, the aerosol delivery device may comprise two or more shells that are connected and separable. For example, the aerosol delivery device may have a control body at one end that includes an outer body or shell containing one or more reusable components (e.g., a rechargeable battery and various electronics for controlling the operation of the article); and at the other end has an outer body or shell containing a disposable component (e.g., a disposable flavor-containing cartridge) removably attached thereto. More specific formats, configurations and arrangements of components within a single shell unit or within a multi-piece separable shell unit will be apparent from the further disclosure provided herein. Furthermore, the various aerosol delivery device designs and component arrangements can be understood in view of commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices such as those representative products listed in the background of the present disclosure.

The aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure most preferably comprises a combination of: a power source (i.e., a source of electrical power), at least one control component (e.g., a device for actuating, controlling, regulating, and terminating electrical power for generating heat, such as by controlling the flow of electrical current from the power source to other components of the article), a heater or heat generating component (e.g., a resistive heating element or component commonly called a "nebulizer"), and an aerosol precursor composition (e.g., typically a liquid capable of generating an aerosol upon application of sufficient heat, such as components commonly referred to as "smoke juice," "e-liquid," and "e-juice"), and a mouth end region or tip (e.g., a defined airflow path through the article that allows the aerosol delivery device to be drawn therethrough for aerosol inhalation). Exemplary formulations of aerosol precursor materials that can be used in accordance with the present disclosure are described in U.S. patent publication No. 2013/0008457 to Zheng et al, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The alignment of components within the aerosol delivery device can vary. In particular embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may be located near an end of the device (e.g., within a cartridge, which may be replaceable or disposable in some cases) that may be adjacent to the user's mouth in order to maximize aerosol delivery to the user. However, other configurations are not excluded. Typically, the heating element can be located sufficiently close to the aerosol precursor composition such that heat from the heating element can volatilize the aerosol precursor (and can similarly be provided to the user to deliver one or more flavors, medicaments, etc.) and form an aerosol that is delivered to the user. When the heating element heats the aerosol precursor composition, an aerosol is formed, released, or generated in a physical form suitable for inhalation by a consumer. It should be noted that the above terms are intended to be interchangeable, such that references to release (release, releases, released) include form (form, forms, formed) or produce (generate ). In particular, the inhalable substance is released in the form of a vapour or aerosol or a mixture thereof. Further, the selection of various aerosol delivery device components can be based on knowledge in view of commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices, such as those representative products listed in the background section of the present disclosure.

The aerosol delivery device incorporates a battery or other source of electrical power to provide a current sufficient to provide various functions to the article, such as resistive heating, control system power, indicator power, and the like. The power supply may implement various embodiments. Preferably, the power source is capable of delivering sufficient power to rapidly heat the heating unit to provide aerosol formation and, in use, to power the article for a desired duration. The power source is preferably sized to conveniently fit within the aerosol delivery device so that the aerosol delivery device can be easily handled; and, in addition, the preferred power source is of sufficiently light weight that it does not detract from the desired smoking experience.

One example implementation of an aerosol delivery device 100 is provided in fig. 1. As can be seen in the cross-sections illustrated herein, the aerosol delivery device 100 may include a control body 102 and a cartridge 104, which may be permanently or removably aligned in a functional relationship. Although a threaded engagement is illustrated in fig. 1, it should be understood that additional engagement means may be employed, such as a press-fit engagement, an interference engagement, a magnetic engagement, and the like.

In particular embodiments, one or both of the control body 102 and cartridge 104 may be considered disposable or reusable. For example, the control body may have a replaceable or rechargeable battery, and thus may be combined with any type of recharging technique, including connecting a typical electrical outlet, connecting an on-board charger (i.e., a cigarette lighter socket), and connecting a computer, such as through a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable. For example, an adapter containing a USB connector at one end and a control body connector at the opposite end is disclosed in U.S. patent application serial No. 13/840,264 filed on 3, 15, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Further, in some embodiments, the cartridges may comprise single use cartridges as disclosed in U.S. patent application serial No. 13/603,612, filed 9,5, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In an example embodiment, the control body 102 contains a control assembly 106, a flow sensor 108, and a battery 110, which may be variably aligned, and may contain a plurality of indicators 112 at a distal end 114 of an outer body 116. The indicators 112 may be provided in different numbers and may take on different shapes and may even be openings in the body (such as for releasing a sound when such an indicator is present).

The air inlet 118 may be located in the outer body 116 of the control body 102. A coupler 120 is also included at the proximal attachment end 122 of the control body 102 and may extend into the control body projection 124 to allow for easy electrical connection with an atomizer, such as a resistive heating element (described below), or a component thereof, when the cartridge 104 is attached to the control body. Although the air inlet 118 is illustrated as being provided in the outer body 116, in another embodiment, the air inlet may be provided in a coupler as described, for example, in U.S. patent application serial No. 13/841,233 filed on 3, 15, 2013.

The cartridge 104 includes an outer body 126 having a mouth opening 128 at a mouth end 130 thereof to allow air and entrained vapor (i.e., components of the aerosol precursor composition in inhalable form) from the cartridge to be delivered to a consumer during smoking of the aerosol delivery device 100. The aerosol delivery device 100 may in some embodiments be substantially rod-shaped or substantially tube-shaped or substantially cylindrical.

The cartridge 104 further includes a nebulizer 132, the nebulizer 132 including: a resistive heating element 134 (e.g., a coil) configured to generate heat and a liquid transport element 136 (e.g., a wick) configured to transport liquid. Various embodiments of materials configured to generate heat when an electrical current is applied therethrough may be employed to form the resistive heating element 134. Example materials from which the coil may be formed include chrome aluminum cobalt heat resistant steel (FeCrAl), nickel chromium heat resistant alloy (Nichrome), molybdenum disilicide (MoSi)₂) Molybdenum silicide (MoSi), molybdenum disilicide doped with aluminum (Mo (Si, Al)₂) And ceramics (e.g., positive temperature coefficient ceramics). In the continuation of the above,representative heating elements and materials for use therein are described in the following patents: U.S. patent No. 5,060,671 to Counts et al; U.S. patent No. 5,093,894 to Deevi et al; U.S. patent No. 5,224,498 to Deevi et al; U.S. patent No. 5,228,460 to springel jr, et al; U.S. patent No. 5,322,075 to Deevi et al; U.S. patent No. 5,353,813 to Deevi et al; U.S. patent No. 5,468,936 to Deevi et al; us patent No. 5,498,850 to Das; us patent No. 5,659,656 to Das; U.S. patent No. 5,498,855 to Deevi et al; U.S. patent No. 5,530,225 to Hajaligol; U.S. patent No. 5,665,262 to Hajaligol; das et al, U.S. patent No. 5,573,692; U.S. patent No. 5,591,368 to fleischeuer et al, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Electrically conductive heater terminals 138 (e.g., positive and negative terminals) at opposite ends of the heating element 134 are configured to direct electrical current through the heating element and are configured to attach to appropriate wiring or circuitry (not shown) to form an electrical connection of the heating element with the battery 110 when the cartridge 104 is connected to the control body 102. Specifically, the plug 140 may be located at a distal attachment end 142 of the cartridge 104. When the cartridge 104 is connected to the control body 102, the plug 140 engages the coupler 120 to form an electrical connection such that current is controllably passed from the battery 110, through the coupler and plug, and to the heating element 134. The outer body 126 of the cartridge 104 may continue across the distal attachment end 142 with this end of the cartridge substantially closed by the plug 140 protruding therefrom.

The reservoir can utilize a liquid transport element to transport the aerosol precursor composition to the atomization zone. One such example is shown in fig. 1. As seen therein, in this embodiment, the cartridge 104 contains a reservoir layer 144, the reservoir layer 144 comprising a layer of nonwoven fibers forming a tube shaped to surround the interior of the outer body 126 of the cartridge. The aerosol precursor composition is retained in the reservoir layer 144. For example, the liquid component may be sorptively retained by the reservoir layer 144. The reservoir layer 144 is in fluid connection with the liquid transport element 136. The liquid transport element 136 transports the aerosol precursor composition stored in the reservoir layer 144 to the aerosolization zone 146 of the cartridge 104 via capillary action. As illustrated, in this embodiment, the liquid transport element 136 is in direct contact with the heating element 134 in the form of a metal coil.

It is to be understood that aerosol delivery devices that can be manufactured according to the present disclosure can encompass various combinations of components for forming an electronic aerosol delivery device. For example, reference is made to a reservoir and heater system for controlled delivery of multiple aerosolizable materials in an electronic smoking article disclosed in U.S. patent application serial No. 13/536,438, filed 6/28/2012, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Further, U.S. patent application serial No. 13/602,871, filed 9, 4, 2012, discloses an electronic smoking article including a microheater and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In another embodiment, substantially the entire cartridge may be formed from one or more carbon materials, which may provide advantages with respect to biodegradability and wirelessness. In this regard, the heating element may comprise carbon foam, the reservoir may comprise carbon fiber, and graphite may be employed to form an electrical connection for the battery and controller. In some embodiments, such a carbon cartridge may provide an illustration of the cartridge in combination with one or more elements described herein. Example embodiments of carbon-based cartridges are provided in U.S. patent application serial No. 13/432,406, filed 3/28/2012, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In use, when the article 100 is smoked by a user, the heating element 134 is activated (e.g., such as via a puff sensor), and components of the aerosol precursor composition are vaporized in the aerosolization zone 146. The mouth end 130 of the smoking article 100 causes ambient air to enter the air inlet 118 and pass through the central opening in the coupler 120 and the central opening in the plug 140. In the cartridge 104, the drawn air passes through the air passage 148 in the air passage tube 150 and combines with the vapor formed in the aerosolization zone 146 to form an aerosol. The aerosol is swept from the aerosolization zone 146, through the air passage 152 in the air passage tube 154, and out the mouth opening 128 in the mouth end 130 of the article 100.

Various components of aerosol delivery devices according to the present disclosure may be selected from components described and commercially available in this art. Examples of batteries that can be used in accordance with the present disclosure are described in U.S. patent application publication No. 2010/0028766, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

An exemplary mechanism that can provide suction actuation capability includes a model 163PC01D36 silicon sensor manufactured by MicroSwitch division of Honeywell, inc. Further examples of demand operated electrical switches that may be employed in a heating circuit according to the present disclosure are described in U.S. patent No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Further description of current regulation circuitry and other control components including microcontrollers that may be used in the present aerosol delivery device is provided in the following patents: U.S. patent nos. 4,922,901, 4,947,874 and 4,947,875 to Brooks et al; McCafferty et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,148; U.S. patent No. 6,040,560 to fleischeuer et al; and Nguyen et al, U.S. Pat. No.7,040,314, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

The aerosol precursor, which may also be referred to as an aerosol precursor composition or a vapor precursor composition, may include one or more different components. For example, the aerosol precursor can comprise a polyol (e.g., glycerol, propylene glycol, or mixtures thereof). Representative types of further aerosol precursor compositions are set out in the following documents: U.S. patent No. 4,793,365 to Sensabaugh, Jr et al; U.S. patent No. 5,101,839 to Jakob et al; PCT WO 98/57556 to Biggs et al; and Chemical and Biological studios on New Cigarette protocols that at Heat institute of Burn Tobacco, R.J.Reynolds Tobacco Company Monograph (1988); the disclosure of said document is incorporated herein by reference.

Further components may be utilized in the aerosol delivery devices of the present disclosure. For example, U.S. patent No. 5,261,424 to Sprinkel, jr discloses a piezoelectric sensor that can be associated with the mouth end of the device to detect the user's lip activity associated with the application of suction and then trigger heating; U.S. patent No. 5,372,148 to McCafferty et al discloses a puff sensor for controlling the flow of energy into a heating load array in response to a pressure drop across a mouthpiece; U.S. patent No. 5,967,148 to Harris et al discloses a socket in a smoking article, the socket comprising: an identifier that detects non-uniformity of infrared transmittance of the inserted component, and a controller that executes a detection program when the component is inserted into the socket; U.S. patent No. 6,040,560 to fleischeuer et al describes a defined executable power cycle having multiple differential phases; U.S. patent No. 5,934,289 to Watkins et al discloses photonic optoelectronic components; U.S. patent No. 5,954,979 to Counts et al discloses an apparatus for varying the resistance to draw through a smoking device; U.S. patent No. 6,803,545 to Blake et al discloses a particular battery configuration for use in a smoking article; U.S. patent No.7,293,565 to Griffen et al discloses various charging systems for use with smoking devices; U.S. patent No. 8,402,976 to Fernando et al discloses a computer interface device for a smoking device to facilitate charging and to allow computer control of the device; U.S. patent application publication No. 2010/0163063 to Fernando et al discloses an identification system for a smoking device; and WO2010/003480 to Flick discloses a fluid flow sensing system indicating puff in an aerosol-generating system; all of the above disclosures are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Further examples of components related to the electronic aerosol delivery article and disclosed materials or components that may be used in the present article include the following: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al; morgan et al, U.S. patent No. 5,249,586; U.S. patent No. 5,666,977 to Higgins et al; adams et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,176; white, U.S. patent No. 6,164,287; voges, U.S. patent No. 6,196,218; U.S. patent No. 6,810,883 to Felter et al; nichols, U.S. patent No. 6,854,461; U.S. patent No.7,832,410 to Hon; kobayashi U.S. patent No.7,513,253; U.S. patent No.7,896,006 to Hamano; U.S. patent No. 6,772,756 to Shayan; U.S. patent nos. 8,156,944 and 8,375,957 to Hon; U.S. patent application publication nos. 2006/0196518 and 2009/0188490 to Hon; U.S. patent application publication No. 2009,0272379 to Thorens et al; U.S. patent application publication Nos. 2009/0260641 and 2009/0260642 to Monses et al; oglesby et al, U.S. patent application publication Nos. 2008/0149118 and 2010/0024834; wang, U.S. patent application publication No. 2010/0307518; WO 2010/091593 to Hon; and us patent application serial No. 13/841,233 filed on 2013, 3, 15, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Various materials disclosed by the above documents may be incorporated into the present device in various embodiments, and all of the above disclosures are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

In rigid body smoking articles, and more particularly in electronic cigarettes, it is desirable to provide a "mouth feel" or "bite feel" that the user will feel comfortable. This may, of course, vary on a user basis, but it will be appreciated that many users prefer to allow the smoking article to be held between their lips and/or between their teeth, but do not include a configuration in which the teeth are in direct contact with a rigid metal or ceramic surface. Certain plastics or other polymers are used to construct the mouthpiece in some smoking articles. Preferred embodiments described herein may include metal and/or ceramic constructions of a rigid tubular body housing components for delivering an aerosol, where the components may include electronic circuitry, heating elements, feedback devices, and other components. In particular, embodiments described herein may include Vuse^TMEmbodiments of a smoking article and/or components of a smoking article described in digital electronic cigarettes (r.j. reynolds Vapor Company) and/or one or more of the following documents: U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,901 to Brooks et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,586 to Morgan et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,594 to Counts et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,977 to Higgins et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,196,218 to Voges, U.S. Pat. No. 6,810,883 to Felter et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,854,461 to Nichols, U.S. Pat. No.7,832,410 to Hon, U.S. Pat. No.7,513,253 to Kobayashi, U.S. Pat. No.7,726,320 to Robinson et al, U.S. Pat. No.7,896,006 to Hamano, U.S. Pat. No. 6,772,756 to Shayan, U.S. Pat. No. 8,079,371 to Robinson et al, U.S. patent application publication No. 2009/0095311 to Hon, U.S. patent application publication Nos. 2006/0196518, 2009/0126745 and 2009/0188490 to Honn, U.S. patent applicationPlease disclose 2009/0272379, U.S. patent application publication nos. 2009/0260641 and 2009/0260642 to monses et al, 2008/0149118 and 2010/0024834 to Oglesby et al, U.S. patent application publication No. 2010/0307518 to Wang, and WO 2010/091593 to Hon; U.S. patent application serial No. 13/432,406 filed on day 3 and 28 of 2012, U.S. patent application serial No. 13/536,438 filed on day 6 and 28 of 2012, U.S. patent application serial No. 13/602,871 filed on day 4 of 9 and 4 of 2012, U.S. patent application serial No. 13/647,000 filed on day 8 of 10 and 8 of 2012, and U.S. patent application serial No. 13/827,994 filed on day 14 of 3 and 2013, each of which is incorporated herein by reference, including all features, embodiments, and embodiments thereof that may be combined with each other and with aspects of the present disclosure in a manner that would be understood by those skilled in the art having reference to the present disclosure.

Tipping materials in typical cigarettes, and in segmented smoking articles that use a combustible fuel element to heat, rather than burn, a smokable material such as tobacco, typically comprise a paper material that covers a filter material (which may be surrounded by a plug wrap material) to form the mouth end of the subject smoking article. Examples of tipping materials are described in the following documents: U.S. patent No.7,789,089 to Dube et al, and U.S. patent application publication nos. 2007/0215167 to Crooks et al, 2010/0108081 to Joyce et al, 2010/0108084 to Norman et al, and 2013/0167849 to Ademe et al, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. Representative techniques for making smoking articles incorporating or having a packaging material applied thereto are set forth in U.S. patent No. 5,469,871 to Barnes et al, U.S. patent publication No. 2010/0186757 to Crooks et al, and U.S. patent publication No. 2012/0067360 to Conner et al.

One embodiment of the smoking article 500 may include a tipping covered mouthpiece 502 (e.g., may be presented as a cartridge or control body as described above with respect to fig. 1). The smoking article is described with reference to figures 2A-2C, which show side and perspective views, respectively, of a smoking article 500 and a side view of a mouthpiece 502. The smoking article 500 comprises a shell 513, the shell 513 being illustrated as a rigid tubular body made of stainless steel. The shell 513 may have a non-circular/cylindrical profile and/or may contain another metal, ceramic, or other rigid material. The distal indicator 512 may provide a visual indication (e.g., via a brightness, color change, or other indication) of device activity and/or status (e.g., battery life, puff activity, or other). The internal components and functions thereof may include those of aerosol generating smoking devices known in the art and/or may specifically include the components and/or functions disclosed in the embodiment of fig. 1 above, or in other devices referenced herein, which include all of the features, examples, and embodiments thereof, which may be combined with each other and with aspects of the present disclosure in a manner that will be understood by those skilled in the art in light of the present disclosure.

The smoking article may incorporate tobacco within an electrical, aerosol-generating device. At least one form of tobacco may be placed at one or more specific locations within the smoking article. In addition to tobacco, aerosol-forming materials may be used. The smoker can use the mouthpiece 502 to inhale the components of tobacco resulting from the heating action of the components of the smoking article. A representative smoking article includes a source of electrical power (e.g., a battery), a control mechanism including sensors that can selectively activate certain components of the device (e.g., a resistive heating element) at least during smoking, and at least one heating device (e.g., a resistive heating element) for forming a heat-generated aerosol that binds tobacco components. During use, cartridges containing some form of tobacco are placed within or attached to the smoking article, and after use, the spent cartridges may be removed from the device. If desired, another cartridge may be in place for further use.

As shown in figures 2A-2C (although not clearly visible in all views), the mouthpiece 502 also includes a shell 503, the shell 503 being illustrated as a rigid tubular body made of stainless steel. The mouthpiece shell 503 is shown as a rigid tube, may have a non-circular/cylindrical profile and/or may comprise another metal, ceramic or other rigid material. The larger peripheral long mouth end region of the tubular shell 503 contains a tipping cap 504, arranged transversely to its circumference to form at least one double layer. A smaller perimeter region 508 of the tubular shell 503 is configured to engage a distal end 510 of a smoking article (e.g., the distal portion may be configured as a cartridge or control body). In the illustrated embodiment, the mouthpiece 502 is configured to be disposed of (or recycled), while the distal end portion 510 is configured for sustained/multiple use with a range of multiple mouthpieces 502, wherein each mouthpiece may have the same, similar, or different flavors and/or other sensory regimen related to use. Each of the embodiments described below with respect to fig. 3A-5E may have an appearance similar or identical to that shown in fig. 2A-2C.

Figures 3A-3B illustrate one embodiment of a dual wrap mouthpiece 202 for a smoking article. The mouthpiece 202 may be incorporated as part of any smoking article described herein (including those items incorporated by reference via its technical considerations).

Figure 3A shows a diagrammatic/simplified perspective view of the mouth end of the mouthpiece 202, and figure 3B shows a cross-sectional view along line 3B-3B of figure 3A. The innermost component shown is a metal tubular body shell 203. The shell 203 is surrounded by a double tipping wrapper 220. The inner/lower layer 222 is a cushioning layer that will provide a comfortable bite/mouth feel to many users by providing an elastomeric layer between the user's tongue and/or teeth and the rigid shell 203. The inner/lower layer may comprise foam tape (e.g., 3M Scotch)^TMOne or more of Permanent Mounting foam tape (Cat #110)), rayon mesh fleece, cigarette filter tow, cigarette plug wrap, and/or cellulose acetate nonwoven web, which is adhered or secured around the outer circumference of the shell and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shell in a manner that forms a band therearound. For example, the longitudinal joint/edge may be formed as a butt joint (preferably slightly mitered to account for curvature of the underlying pipe, some overlap may be provided), or in another joint configuration. Generally, the inner layer of this and other embodiments may comprise a fleece, filter paper, plug wrap, non-woven web of acetate fibers, a polymer film, a polymer foam, or any combination thereof.

The upper/outer layer 224 of the double tipping wrapper 220 is provided in the form of an adhesive label or sleeve 224. In many embodiments, the inner/lower layer 222 has a first thickness that is greater than a second thickness of the upper/outer layer 224. In the illustrated and other embodiments, the upper/outer layer 224 may include indicia (letters/text, images, colors, textures, or other indicia) that identify the nature of the mouthpiece 202 and/or the smoking article incorporating the mouthpiece. The exemplary indicia may convey flavor, product source identification (e.g., brand, trademark, etc.), and/or other information, and/or it may provide aesthetic appeal. Label 224 may be an adhesive label with a paper and/or polymer construction. For example, the construction may be the same as or similar to filter or plug wrap used with conventional cigarettes. In general, the outer layer of this and other embodiments may comprise a fleece, filter paper, plug wrap, non-woven web of acetate fibers, a polymer film, a polymer foam, or any combination thereof.

Softness, "mouth feel," or other characteristics of how a user will experience and interact with the mouth end and/or mouthpiece of a smoking article may be described in different ways. In particular, it may be useful to consider interpreting or describing this quantitative aspect, with an emphasis according to the present disclosure on providing the desired sensory interaction when the body of the smoking article is generally rigid. In some embodiments, including the following practical and constructed test examples, the properties are described with reference to a durometer, which is a known means for measuring the hardness of a material or structure on the "shore M" hardness scale against permanent indentation resistance. In each embodiment, the mouth end portion, whether single wrapped, double wrapped, and/or multi-layer wrapped, wrapped with or without an outer wrapping material (e.g., printable or pre-printed polymers), comprises greater flexibility and/or less resistance to permanent indentation.

Another means of describing characteristics with respect to one or more polymeric labels, wraparound coatings, or any combination thereof, applied to a smoking article is Young's Modulus, which is a common means of describing the Modulus of elasticity, sometimes referred to as elasticity. It is a measure of the stiffness of an elastic material and provides a quantitative means of characterizing the material. Defined as the ratio of stress along an axis to strain along that axis in a stress range in which hooke's law holds. The SI unit is pascal (Pa or N/m)²Or m^-1·kg·s^-2). The practical unit used is megapascal (MPa or N/mm)²) Or gigapascals (GPa or kN/mm)²). In anisotropic materials, the direction of the force is dependent on the structure of the materialThe young's modulus may have different values. The young's modulus E can be calculated by dividing the tensile stress in the elastic (initial, linear) part of the stress-strain curve by the tensile strain, applying a standard formula.

Different polymeric materials containing a range of "softness" feature choices may be used for the mouthpiece cushioning rigid body. At least three types of polymers may be used alone, in mixed formulations, and/or as a multilayer composite structure. The "softness" of the composite label may vary depending on the choice of material, the choice of film processing conditions (i.e., orientation treatment and layer structure). The range of moduli will fall into these three general categories:

in one working example, 3M Scotch^TMA Permanent Mounting foam tape (Cat #110, available from 3M co., st. paul, minn. 2013, 9) forms an inner/lower layer and is wound/adhered transversely to a stainless steel tube constituting a mouthpiece for a smoking article, and a pre-printed polymeric packaging label is adhered around its outer surface to form an upper/outer layer. This example of a foam tape is about 1.5mm thick by 13mm wide and comprises foam layers with adhesive on both sides separated by release liners. When wrapped around a 9.2mm diameter stainless steel tube at the mouth end of an electronic cigarette, the cigarette holder produced when including the peel-off printed polymer wrap label contained an outer diameter of about 12.7mm and had a hardness reading of about 90 hardness, and had a hardness of about 47 when the label was removed. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in other embodiments, these dimensions will vary in order to maintain the gauge of the underlying tubular body with an uncovered stiffness of about 100 (e.g., the tube is a thin wall sufficient to bend, which can read from about 98 to about 100).

In another working example, a Southease Non-Woven HNB3 substrate (nonwoven acetate web about 1.7mm thick by about 25mm wide) was hand cut to 29mm length. This forms an inner/lower layer and is wound/adhered transversely to the stainless steel tube constituting the mouthpiece for the smoking article, with a wrapper forming a butt joint at its ends, and onto which an outermost pre-printed polymeric wrapper layer is placed to form the final mouthpiece configuration. When a 9.2mm diameter stainless steel tube was wrapped with a printed polymer wrap label applied to the web, the resulting cigarette mouthpiece exhibited a diameter of 11.2mm and had a hardness reading of about 90 shore M hardness. In another embodiment, Schweitzer-Mauduit 240M9S plug wrap (commercially available in 2013 on month 9) is adhered around its outer surface to form an upper/outer layer, rather than a polymeric wrap.

In another working embodiment, a synthetic wire mesh fleece (e.g., SDH27 from BFF Technical Fabrics in Bridgewater, Somerset, GB, Z8713 from Hoftex Group AG in Hof, Germany) is cut to a length substantially equal to the outer circumference of a stainless steel mouthpiece tubular shell. The fleece forms an inner/lower layer and is wound/adhered transversely to a stainless steel tube constituting a mouthpiece for a smoking article and is adhered around a pre-printed polymeric wrapping label on its outer surface to form an upper/outer layer. When a 9.2mm diameter stainless steel tube was wrapped two times with the applied printed polymer wrap label, the resulting mouthpiece exhibited a diameter of 10.0mm and had a hardness reading of about 91 shore M hardness. When three fleece wraps were used, the outer diameter was about 11.1mm and the stiffness remained constant at 92. The fleece layer alone exhibits a stiffness value of 83 for three layers, 87 for two layers and 92 for a single layer.

The term "substantially" as used above in relation to the length of the rectangular piece of fleece related to the outer circumference of the stainless steel mouthpiece tubular shell will be understood by the person skilled in the art. In particular, it should be appreciated that the length and circumference need not be exactly the same, but will be about the same within reasonable tolerances (e.g., +/-about 1% to about 10% of a given value), and in view of the possibility of slightly beveled or tapered ends that may be used to provide smooth end-to-end abutment/fit of rectangular three-dimensional material around a cylinder. This same correlation space consideration applies throughout this disclosure, including lengths described with respect to at least some multiples of the outer perimeter (e.g., 1x, 2x, 3 x). For a "length of at least about twice the outer perimeter," the length need not be exactly twice the perimeter, but preferably will be within reasonable tolerances and may include slightly beveled or tapered ends or slight overlap to provide a generally smooth fit of the rectangular three-dimensional material around the cylinder. As such, the length may be slightly less than or slightly greater than a multiple of the described circumference, but will be understood by those skilled in the art to be generally circumferential about that circumference.

Figures 4A-4C illustrate another embodiment of a dual wrap mouthpiece 302 for a smoking article. The innermost component shown is a metal tubular body shell 303, the uncovered shown in figure 4A may be incorporated as part of any smoking article described herein (including those items incorporated by reference based on technical considerations thereof).

Figure 4B shows an intermediate step assembly diagram of a dual wrap mouthpiece 302 for a smoking article. In this embodiment, the shell 303 is surrounded with a double tipping wrapper 320, with its inner/lower layer 322 (shown in fig. 4B) being wound transversely, rather than perpendicularly, with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rigid tube, and trimmed to form a cylindrical wrapper 322, which is substantially coaxial as a cylinder with respect to the longitudinal axis. The spiral wound or angled inner/lower layer 322 is preferably a cushioning layer that will provide a comfortable bite/mouth feel to many users by providing a resilient layer between the user's tongue and/or teeth and the rigid shell 313. The inner/lower layer may comprise one or more foam tapes (e.g., 3M Scotch)^TMA Permanent Mounting foam tape (Cat #110)), a rayon mesh fleece, cigarette filter tow, cigarette plug wrap, and/or a cellulose acetate nonwoven web adhered or secured around the outer perimeter of the shell and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shell in a manner that forms a band at its circumference.

Figure 4C shows the trimmed inner/lower layers to form a cylinder as described and the upper/outer layer 324 of the double tipping wrapper 320 provided in the form of an adhesive label or sleeve 324 (which may comprise a pressure sensitive or pressure activated adhesive). In many embodiments, the inner/lower layer 322 will have a first thickness that is greater than the second thickness of the upper/outer layer 324. In the illustrated and other embodiments, the upper/outer layer 324 may include indicia (letters/text, images, colors, textures, or other indicia) that identify the nature of the mouthpiece 302 and/or the smoking article containing the mouthpiece. The exemplary indicia may convey flavor, product source identification (e.g., brand, trademark, etc.), and/or other information, and/or it may provide aesthetic appeal. Label 324 may be an adhesive label with paper and/or polymer construction. For example, the construction may be the same as or similar to filter or plug wrap used with conventional cigarettes. The materials and methods described herein with reference to fig. 4A-4C may be used with the working embodiments described above in connection with fig. 3A-3B.

Figures 5A-5D illustrate a method of assembling a dual wrap mouthpiece 402 for a smoking article, and figure 5E illustrates a cross-sectional view of the assembled mouthpiece. As shown in fig. 4A, the inner layer portion 422 of the elongate dual tipping wrapper 420 is attached to the mouthpiece tube 403 (e.g., by a pressure sensitive adhesive or other adhesive or attachment means). The double tipping wrapper 420 preferably comprises at least about twice the total length of the outer circumference of the tube 403, and may comprise an overlap portion to form a length beyond the outer circumference (e.g. beyond about 3mm to about 6mm or more), such that the outermost end of the elongate tipping wrapper overlaps its innermost end when wrapped around the mouthpiece. In other embodiments, the length may be three or more times the outer perimeter, but is preferably about an integer multiple of the outer perimeter.

As shown in fig. 5B-5C, the first portion of the length is sufficient to encompass the outer perimeter of the mouthpiece tube 403 as the tube is wrapped into the wrapper 420. The first lengthwise portion preferably comprises a cushioning material, such as, for example, one of the cushioning materials described above with respect to fig. 3A-4C. The second longitudinal portion of the dual tipping wrapper 420 comprises a substance that will form an outwardly facing surface configured as an upper/outer layer 424, which may comprise indicia (letters/text, images, colors, textures, or other indicia, such as, for example, the indicia identified by reference numeral 427) that identifies the nature, source of manufacture, or other information of the mouthpiece 402 and/or the smoking article containing the mouthpiece.

Figure 5D shows the mouthpiece 402 wrapped almost two full turns of the tube body 403 with the tipping wrapper 420, the body 403 having been rolled/rotated almost 720 ° to engage the tipping wrapper 420. As shown in the cross-sectional view of figure 5E, which shows the mouthpiece 402 fully assembled, the upper/outer layer surrounds the inner/lower layer. As shown therein, the contours of the layers and the assembly process may be configured to provide a generally circular outer contour without a distinct tactilely perceptible seam at the outermost end of the upper/outer layer 424.

In addition to, or as an alternative to, the wound assembly described, certain embodiments may include a tipping cover, which may be configured, for example, as a polymeric label and may be configured to receive and/or display visual indicia (e.g., to provide information about the smoking article or smoking article component, such as, for example, a brand name, flavor, or other characteristic). The tipping cover may be configured as a wrappable band, tube, or other structure. An example of a tipping cover comprising a polymeric label, which may be configured as a heat shrink tube or other structure, is described below, including with reference to fig. 6-9, each of which diagrammatically shows a structural layer of the tubular or tape-like configuration of the tipping cover. Such tubular tipping cover configurations may be slid, rotated, and/or otherwise adjusted in orientation on the mouthpiece, and based on size and composition, may be heat shrunk to accommodate, may apply adhesive, or be secured to the mouthpiece using appropriate means to the tipping cover, as will be understood by those skilled in the art based on the particular composition of the tipping cover.

Figure 6 diagrammatically shows an exploded partial view of a tipping cover 604 (which may be configured as a tubular sleeve, wrap, or other configuration, e.g., including heat-shrinkable, tight-fitting, or other dimensional configurations). The multilayer construction can include printing/graphics 604b applied outwardly/inwardly to the inner surface of the outer layer 604a, or the outer surface of the inner layer 604 g. It should be understood that in this and other embodiments, the "print/graphic/color layer" will not have a substantial structural thickness, and as with the other figures, fig. 6-9 are not to scale. An adhesive layer 604h (e.g., a pressure sensitive or other adhesive) may be provided to secure to the mouthpiece body 603 and/or to a cushioning material (not shown) surrounding the body, such as described with respect to figures 3A-5E. When the tipping cover 604 is applied to a mouthpiece, smoking article, etc., the final appearance may be substantially similar to that shown in fig. 2A-2C.

In some embodiments, a large format (i.e., about 100 μm to about 150 μm thick) reverse printed PVC or PETG sleeve may be used to cover and/or decorate the buffer surface of an unwound, single wound, or multi-wound mouth end piece. The printing material (e.g., graphic images, text) may use water or solvent based inks. One such embodiment is shown in fig. 7, which diagrammatically depicts an exploded partial view of a tipping cover 704 (which may be configured as a sleeve, wrap, or other configuration). The single layer 704a may comprise printing/graphics 704b applied outwardly/inwardly to the inner surface of the layer 704a, wherein the inner surface is to be applied/secured to the mouthpiece body and/or the cushioning material surrounding the body. As described elsewhere, this fixation, as well as other embodiments of fixation or combinations thereof, may be accomplished using heat shrinking, adhesives, and/or other fixation means potentially including friction fitting. When the tipping cover 704 is applied to a mouthpiece, smoking article, etc., the final appearance may be substantially similar to that shown in figures 2A-2C.

In some embodiments, standard-sized (i.e., about 50 μm to about 70 μm thick) PETG, PS, and/or PVC shrink wrap materials may be adhesively laminated together to form a two-layer shrink wrap (about 125 μm to about 170 μm thick). The interior side of the outer, outwardly facing layer may be reverse side printed with indicia and adhered (e.g., by an emulsion laminating adhesive) to the inwardly facing solvent-stitched layer of PETG, PS, and/or PVC. This may be applied in the form of a tape or as a heat-shrinkable cylinder for covering and/or decorating the unwound, single-wound, or multi-wound buffer surface of the mouth end piece. One such embodiment is shown in fig. 8, which diagrammatically depicts an exploded partial view of a composite tipping cover 804 (which may be configured as a sleeve, wrap, or other configuration). The outer layer 804a may include printing/graphics 804b applied outwardly/inwardly to the inner surface of the outer layer 804a, which will be adhered to the inner layer 804g by the adhesive 804 c. The inwardly/downwardly facing surface of the inner layer 804g will be applied to/secured to the mouthpiece body and/or a cushioning material (not shown) surrounding the body. As described elsewhere, this fixation, as well as other embodiments of fixation or combinations thereof, may be accomplished using heat shrinking, adhesives, and/or other fixation means including friction fitting. When the tipping cover 804 is applied to a mouthpiece, smoking article, etc., the final appearance may be substantially similar to that shown in figures 2A-2C.

Suitable adhesives for forming the multilayer film tipping cover, whether in the form of polymeric labels or otherwise, may include, for example, dry or wet strength adhesives. Illustrative (but not limiting) examples of dry strength adhesives are generally applied as follows: liquid form adhesives (e.g., polyurethane dispersions, acrylic emulsions, water-based EVA and PVOH, high solids silicone solvents) can be coated on a substrate (one layer of the multilayer composite), dried and then laminated to a second, third, etc. substrate using a hot roll. The illustrated (but not limited to) embodiment of the wet-durometer adhesive is typically applied as follows: liquid form adhesives (e.g., polyurethane dispersions, acrylic emulsions, water-based EVA and PVOH, latexes) can be coated on a substrate (one layer of the multi-layer composite), laminated to a second, third, etc., substrate, and then dried using heat such as a heated air stream. The ink may be a water-based or solvent-based ink, preferably approved for use with food, tobacco, and similar products (e.g., containing the ink available from Sun Chemical of Richmond, Va.).

In still other embodiments, a three-layer polymeric label may be provided comprising an outward facing outer layer of shrink sleeve material of PETG, PS, and/or PVC (reverse printable indicia). The outer layer may be adhesively laminated to an intermediate core layer (e.g., a lofty softening material of PE, EVA, and/or CoPP). The intermediate core layer may be adhesively laminated to the inner layers of PETG, PS, and/or PVC of the solvent seam. The inner surface of the intermediate layer and/or the outwardly facing surface of the inner layer may be printed in a single color with the same or a different graphic than the outer surface. This may help provide a "3D optical effect" in which the outer layer footprint appears to float to the inner layer or have a depth difference relative to the inner layer. Thus, in a three layer embodiment, a standard (about 50 μm thick) PETG shrink sleeve material can be adhesively laminated on either side of a low melting point, polyolefin core layer (about 50 μm to about 75 μm thick) to form a composite structure about 150 μm to about 175 μm thick. The core layer may be transparent and its thickness and/or greater resiliency/lower stiffness will preferably provide a mouth feel that may be more comfortable/desirable to the user than the uncoated metal tube body of the smoking article.

One such three-layer embodiment is shown in fig. 9, graphically depicting an exploded partial view of a composite tipping cover 904 (which may be configured as a sleeve, wrap, or other configuration). Outer layer 904a may include print/graphic 904b applied outwardly/inwardly to the inner surface of outer layer 904a, wherein the inner surface may be adhered to intermediate/core layer 904d with adhesive 904 c. A second layer of adhesive 904e may secure the middle layer 904d to the inner layer 904g of the three-layer construction, and the outward facing surface of the inner layer 904g may comprise a printed layer (e.g., graphic, solid color) 904 f. The inward/downward facing surface of the inner layer 904g may be applied/secured to the mouthpiece body and/or a cushioning material (not shown) surrounding the body. When the tipping cover 904 is applied to a mouthpiece, smoking article, etc., the final appearance may be substantially similar to that shown in figures 2A-2C.

In each of the preferred shrink sleeve embodiments, the shrink sleeve material may be heated or activated to shrink fit the single or multiple layers surrounding the wrapper material, thus providing a lower durometer/greater flexibility (corresponding to a more satisfactory mouth/bite for many users) than the rigid body of the tubular mouthpiece with application. In some embodiments, they may be applied directly to the rigid tube body. In these embodiments, the application may be fixed by using heat shrink activation in a manner known in the art and specific heat shrink properties known for the given material in place. In some embodiments, the material may be applied as an overmold. In a suitable overmolding technique, a steel tube, with or without a sleeve or wrapped label or cushioning material applied thereto, may be inserted into a slightly larger diameter injection mold cavity whereupon molten thermoplastic is injected into the gap between the tube and the cavity wall to form an outer cylindrical sleeve that adheres tightly around the tube. In some embodiments, the tipping cover may be secured to the underlying material using an adhesive. In various embodiments, any combination of heat shrinking, adhering, and overmolding may be used to secure the tipping cover to the mouthpiece and/or to a larger portion of the smoking article, whether directly to the rigid tube body and/or to an underlying material such as the cushioning material discussed herein.

Different embodiments of the tipping cover may be comprised within a single layer, or within each of a plurality of layers of the composition, and/or within each of separate layers (e.g., one or more materials within each layer, alone or in combination with other materials, wherein each layer of the multi-layer tipping cover may comprise the same or different compositions, as will be determined by the nature of each component), silicone, latex, PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PETG (polyethylene terephthalate copolymer), PS (polystyrene), OPP (oriented polypropylene), BOPP (biaxially oriented polypropylene), OPS (oriented polystyrene), PE (polyethylene), EPS (expanded polystyrene), PEF (polyethylene high foam), PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride), PEX (cross-linked polyethylene), PEBAX (polyether amide; comprising heat-shrunk PEBAX), PE (polyethylene), EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) CoPP (polypropylene copolymer), FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene), PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), and PVC (polyvinyl chloride), or any combination thereof.

Each of these materials is readily available from various suppliers. Tipping covers using these materials can be configured as a seamed or seamless shrink tube, shrink sleeve, flexible sleeve (e.g., silicone tube/sleeve; a sleeve that can be stretched, slipped over a tube, and then released to conform around it, as opposed to a tube or sleeve that can be slid and shrunk by heat, UV, or other means), adhesive label, stretch tube, or a composite/hybrid of one or more of these structures.

Shrink sleeves (or tubes) are distinguished from other soft sleeve embodiments that are elastic, crimpable, or otherwise described, which do not use heat or other methods of treating the shrink material to accommodate and in many embodiments adhere to the underlying tube which may contain the cushioning wrap material. It should also be noted that the wrapping material may be applied in some mode other than a wrapping/winding action. Likewise, the shrink sleeves and/or shrink tubes described herein have properties well known in the material science such that those having skill in the art and informed of the present disclosure will be able to construct such tubes and/or sleeves and apply curing of the material in an appropriate manner or other treatment (e.g., UV or other EMF irradiation, heat, chemical treatment, or other means) to conform the shrink tubes and/or sleeves to the underlying substantially rigid tube body, which may further comprise one or more buffer wraps. In other words, a tipping cover embodiment may comprise or essentially comprise a contracting material (e.g., in the form of a tube and/or sleeve) configured to accommodate any material between the tube body and the tipping cover when securely wrapped around the mouthpiece tube body and/or handled in a material-appropriate manner.

Table 1 below shows different combinations of one and two layers for embodiments of a mouthpiece comprising a tipping cover with printable visual indicia identification. The inner layer may be a single wrap of cushioning or other material comprising a polymer label type material, or a multi wrap of cushioning or other material. A "patch" label or layer refers to a layer that encompasses less than the entire perimeter of the underlying tubular body.

Table 1 tipping cover embodiment with printed surface

Table 2 below shows different combinations of one and two tipping cover constructions for embodiments of the mouthpiece.

TABLE 2 tipping cover embodiments

Examples

Certain aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure can be understood with reference to the following examples. These examples are illustrative and not intended to be limiting.

Example 1: use a 9.2mm diameter stainless steel tube, 3M Scotch, approximately 50mm long^TMStrips of Permanent foaming tape (Cat #110) were adhered to one edge of the tube at an angle of about 25 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the tube, and the edges of the tape were spirally wound in close proximity together to form a continuous layer of foam about 1.5mm thick. The edges are trimmed to provide a buffer surface of about 35mm length after application of the pre-printed polymeric packaging label (multi-layer laminate comprising PE and OPP films). The diameter of the resulting mouth end piece was 12.7 mm. A desirable range of foam thickness may comprise from about 0.1mm to about 1.0mm, or, in certain embodiments, when embodiments desire a smaller diameter mouthpiece than the about 1.5mm to about 2mm thick foam tape provided in this example,including from about 0.30mm to about 0.70 mm. Another iteration of this concept would have a pre-applied foam layer as part of the construction of the pre-printed label (e.g., Labec of Commore Solutions of Bloomfield, NY)^TM). (this embodiment is similar to the embodiment described above with respect to FIGS. 4A-C).

Example 2: another embodiment of the multi-wrap mouthpiece is constructed using a strip of non-woven acetate web that is about 1.7mm thick by about 25mm wide, cut to a length of about 29 mm. After anchoring it to a stainless steel tube of about 9.2mm outer diameter using scotch tape, a non-woven acetate piece was wrapped around the tube, encircling the tube with a length of about 29mm to form a "butt joint". Immediately thereafter, another strip of about the same gauge was attached in the same manner along the longitudinal end of each immediately adjacent the first strip and then cut circumferentially to form about 36mm of the longitudinal length of the filled tube mouthpiece along the tube. Subsequently, a pre-printed polymeric packaging label is applied. In this example, the outer diameter of the resulting mouth end piece is about 11.2 mm. A desirable range of web thicknesses may include from about 0.1mm to about 1.0mm, or, in certain embodiments, from about 0.30mm to about 0.70mm thick, which may be about 0.5 mm. (this embodiment is similar to that shown in FIG. 4B, except that the adjoining seam between the mesh portions is wrapped transversely circumferentially around the tube body, rather than helically.)

Example 3: another embodiment of the multi-wrap mouthpiece is constructed using a non-woven synthetic velour fabric mesh that is about 0.15mm thick by about 36mm wide, cut to a length of about 29 mm. After anchoring the tape to a stainless steel tube of about 9.2mm outside diameter using scotch tape, a piece of non-woven velour fabric was wrapped around the tube, surrounding the tube with a length of about 29 mm. A pre-printed polymer packaging label is applied to the piece of fleece to form a cushion-mouth-end fitment. The resulting mouthpiece diameter was about 9.6 mm. In certain embodiments where a smaller diameter is desired, the desired fleece thickness may range from about 0.1mm to about 1.0mm, preferably about 0.30mm to 0.70mm in certain embodiments, which may be about 0.5 mm.

Example 4: in addition, another similar (similar to example 2) mouthpiece was constructed by anchoring a non-woven velour fabric strip of about 58mm length to an about 9.2mm outer diameter stainless steel tube using a transparent adhesive tape and winding the tube, wrapping the tube twice with a length of about 52mm to form an overlap joint. A pre-printed polymer packaging label is applied to the fleece strip to form the mouth end tipping. The resulting mouth end piece diameter was about 10 mm.

Example 5: another cigarette mouthpiece (similar to examples 2 and 3) was constructed by anchoring an approximately 88mm long strip of non-woven velour fabric to an approximately 9.2mm outer diameter stainless steel tube using a clear adhesive tape and winding the tube, encircling the tube three times with a length of approximately 88mm to form an overlap joint. A pre-printed polymeric packaging label is applied to the fleece article to form a mouth end tipping paper. The resulting mouth end piece diameter was about 11.1 mm. The desired fleece thickness in some other embodiments may range from about 0.1mm to about 1.0mm, or, in some embodiments, about 0.30mm to 0.70mm, which may be about 0.5 mm. (the construction of this embodiment can be understood from FIGS. 5A-C, although these figures do not show the multi-layer winding aspect of the pile fabric strip).

Example 6: another embodiment configuration of a multi-wrap mouthpiece uses 50 grams/m about 0.077mm thick and about 36mm wide²A strip of tipping paper web, the strip being cut to a length of about 29 mm. After anchoring the strip of paper mesh to an approximately 9.2mm outer diameter stainless steel tube using scotch tape, a 50 gram tipping paper was wrapped around the tube, encircling the tube with a length of approximately 29 mm. A pre-printed polymer packaging label is applied to a sheet of paper to form a mouth-end package. The outer diameter of the mouth end piece thus formed was about 10.0 mm. A desirable range for web thickness in certain other embodiments may be from about 0.1mm to about 1.0mm, or, in some embodiments, about 0.30mm to about 0.70mm, which may be 0.4mm or about 0.5 mm.

Example 7: another cigarette mouthpiece was anchored by using scotch tape to 50 grams/m of 58mm length²Tipping paper to a 9.2mm outer diameter stainless steel tube. Thereafter, the tipping paper was wrapped around the tube, wrapping around the tube twice with a length of about 58mm and forming an overlap joint. A pre-printed polymer packaging label is applied to the paper to complete the mouth end attachment structure. The final outer diameter of the mouth end piece is about 10.4 mm.

Example 8: another cigarette mouthpiece (similar to examples 5 and 6) configuration used a transparent adhesive tape to anchor a 50 gram strip of tipping paper about 88mm long to a stainless steel tube of about 9.2 mm. The tipping paper tape is wrapped around the tube three times to form a cushioned mouth end. A pre-printed polymer packaging label is applied to a sheet of paper to form a mouth-end package. The resulting mouth end piece diameter was about 11.5 mm. A desirable range for web thickness in certain other embodiments may be from about 0.1mm to about 1.0mm, or, in some embodiments, about 0.30mm to about 0.70mm, which may be about 0.4mm or about 0.5 mm.

Example 9: another smoking article holder is constructed as follows: a strip of self-adhesive labels about 33mm wide by about 36mm long with printed indicia is applied to a stainless steel tube of about 9.2mm in outside diameter and about 37mm high. The label is manually wound around the steel tube in its width direction so that the label overlaps itself by about 4 mm. A length of Raychem RNF-100-1/2-CL-FSP clear cross-linked polyethylene shrink tubing from Tyco Electronics (Menlo Park, Calif.) was received in flat form. Pieces of about 37mm length were cut and slipped over stainless steel tubing prepared beforehand as described. The shrink tube has an original lay flat width of 22mm and a corresponding outer diameter of 14mm when formed into a circular shape so that it can easily slide over the steel tube. The tube was shrunk in a natural convection box preheated to 235 ° F for 5 minutes, then removed from the box and allowed to cool back to room temperature. In the final product, the tube is shrunk tightly around the steel tube and the self-adhesive label. The lengths of the shrink tube and the steel tube are closely matched to each other. Due to the flat arrangement of its manufacturer, the two original axial fold lines on the shrink tube have disappeared. The indicia on the self-adhesive label is clearly and vividly visible through the shrink tube. The shrink tube has a final thickness of about 0.45 mm. The self-adhesive label overlap is not felt by touching the shrink tube and thus there is no appreciable stitching. It will be appreciated that the tipping cover presented herein as a heat shrinkable sleeve may cover the entire smoking article length, or any portion thereof (e.g., limited to the mouthpiece length, or other length as desired).

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that embodiments not explicitly illustrated herein may be practiced within the scope of the claims, including that features described herein for different embodiments may be combined with each other and/or kept within the claims in combination with presently known or future developed techniques. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, unless specifically indicated by the context, usage, or otherwise. It is therefore intended that the foregoing detailed description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting. It should also be understood that the following claims, including all equivalents, are intended to define the spirit and scope of this invention. Also, the advantages described above are not necessarily only advantages of the invention, and it is not necessarily expected that all of the described advantages will be achieved by each embodiment. In the event of any inconsistent disclosure or definition of the present application that conflicts with any document incorporated by reference, the disclosure or definition herein should be considered to be priority.

Claims (16)

1. A holder for a smoking article, the holder comprising:

a rigid tube having an outer perimeter, the rigid tube being made of a metallic or ceramic material;

a tipping cover comprising a longitudinal length covering a portion of the mouthpiece surrounding the rigid tube, wherein another portion is uncovered, wherein the tipping cover surrounds the outer perimeter of the portion of the mouthpiece to form at least one single layer comprising more flexibility and/or lower indentation resistance than the rigid tube;

a tipping wrapper disposed between the tipping cover and the rigid tube, the tipping wrapper comprising a plurality of layers transversely wrapped around the outer circumference of the portion of the mouthpiece and comprising a cushioned lower/inner layer having a first thickness and a first length, and an upper/outer layer having a second thickness less than the first thickness and a second length greater than the first length, wherein the lower/inner and upper/outer layers comprise more flexibility than the rigid tube; and

a pressure sensitive adhesive for adhering the buffer lower/inner layer to the rigid tube;

wherein the tipping cover comprises a polymeric label forming a seamless tube having a reduced hardness compared to the metallic or ceramic material of the rigid tube.

2. A holder according to claim 1, wherein said rigid tube is constructed of a combination of a metallic material and a ceramic material.

3. A holder according to claim 1, wherein said tipping cover is configured to receive and/or display visual indicia.

4. The mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein the tipping wrapper is configured as an elongate tipping wrapper comprising a length of at least twice the outer circumference;

wherein the elongate tipping wrapper is double wrapped laterally around the outer perimeter of the mouthpiece portion to form at least one double layer.

5. A holder according to claim 4, wherein said elongate tipping wrapper comprises a fleece, filter paper, plug wrap, a non-woven web of cellulose acetate, a polymeric film, a polymeric foam, or any combination thereof.

6. A holder according to claim 1, wherein said tipping cover comprises a polymeric label carrying visual indicia containing information about the smoking article.

7. The mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein each of the inner and/or outer layers of one or both of the lower/inner and upper/outer layers comprises silica gel, latex, PETG, PS, PET, OPP, BOPP, OPS, PE, EPS, PEF, PVDF, PEX, PEBAX, PE, EVA, CoPP, FEP, PTFE, and PVC, or any combination thereof.

8. A holder according to claim 1, wherein the inner surface of said upper/outer layer, the outer surface of said lower/inner layer, or both are printed with one or more colors, graphics, and other indicia.

9. A holder according to claim 1, further comprising at least one intermediate layer adhered between said upper/outer layer and said lower/inner layer.

10. A holder according to claim 9, wherein said at least one intermediate layer is clear/transparent, and wherein the inner surface of said upper/outer layer, the outer surface of said lower/inner layer, or both are printed with one or more colors, graphics, and other indicia.

11. A holder according to claim 9, wherein said at least one intermediate layer comprises PE, EVA, and CoPP, or any combination thereof.

12. A holder according to claim 1, wherein said tipping cover comprises a heat shrink material configured to securely fit around said rigid tube and/or any material in between said rigid tube and said tipping cover.

13. A holder according to claim 1, wherein said tipping wrapper comprises a tube and/or sleeve of shrink material configured to securely fit around said rigid tube and/or any material in between said rigid tube and said tipping wrapper when handled in a material appropriate manner.

14. A smoking article comprising the mouthpiece of claim 1.

15. The smoking article of claim 14, wherein the tipping cover extends beyond the mouthpiece and covers at least a further portion of the smoking article.

16. The smoking article of claim 14, wherein the reduced hardness compared to the rigid tube comprises a lower hardness for the mouthpiece compared to the rigid tube.

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