Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
  • A24F13/00—Appliances for smoking cigars or cigarettes
  • A24F13/16—Safety sleeves for cigars or cigarettes preventing damage by glowing ash
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
  • A24F13/00—Appliances for smoking cigars or cigarettes

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an article or device for smokers making it possible to filter the entirety of the fumes caused by the combustion of a cigarette or a cigar, in particular the fumes escaping from the lit end of the cigarette or cigar .
• Patent 4,637,407 relates to a cigarette holder comprising a lateral current smoke filter and, at its end, a suction propeller actuated by an electric motor or a spring. This device is nevertheless complicated to operate, impractical, costly and liable to clog very easily.
• US Patent 4,685,477 discloses a device consisting of a cylindrical enclosure coaxial with the cigarette, the said cylinder comprising a filter cartridge of annular section also extending coaxially with the cigarette over its entire smokable part. The air enters through the end of the cylinder opposite to that where the cigarette is introduced. This ineffective device cannot prevent cigarette smoke from coming out largely through the air intake holes. On the other hand, the cigarette has a tendency to quench quickly as it burns. To the knowledge of the applicant, none of the above-mentioned devices have been commercially exploited.
• the invention aims to provide, inter alia, a side current smoke filtration device which overcomes the drawbacks of the above-mentioned devices.
• the invention makes it possible to have an article eliminating side current smoke, making it possible to avoid the dispersion of the ashes, reducing the risk of burns or fire as well as the odors and yellowing of the fingers of a smoker.
• an article for smokers in the form of an enclosure capable of being held in one hand and capable of containing the smokable part of a lit cigarette, said enclosure comprising
• one or more openings for discharging the smoke emanating from the cigarette said opening or openings being provided with means for filtering the smoke, characterized in that at least one of said air inlet or smoke outlet openings puts the combustion chamber in communication with the outside via an intermediate chamber or duct, thus located downstream and / or upstream with respect to the direction of the passage of the air supplying the combustion of the cigarette.
• said openings constitute passive air circulation means which, according to a preferred variant, are capable of keeping the smokable part of said lit cigarette until to its essentially complete combustion, even in the absence of aspiration of the smoker.
• the air intake opening is generally located at a lower level than the smoke exhaust opening.
• the filtration means are chosen so that essentially no visible smoke escapes out of the enclosure.
• the aperture (s), airways or air ducts have a configuration causing a venturi effect when the air arrives in the enclosure.
• the outlet opening (s), channels or conduits have a configuration causing a chimney effect when the smoke comes out of the enclosure.
• the air is brought longitudinally under the location of the cigarette.
• a condensing element is provided longitudinally above the location of the cigarette.
• aluminum in the form of a sheet is used as a protective element for one or more walls of the combustion chamber and as a condensing element for cigarette smoke.
• cigarette refers to any elongated smokable element and in particular incorporates cigars and cigarillos.
• a substantially hollow body unibody or modular, capable of at least partially receiving a cigarette, said body being of varied shape, comprising at its base or laterally ventilation openings.
• Said body defines a confinement volume, essentially closed, constituting a combustion chamber.
• the or one of the walls is provided with an orifice allowing the introduction of the smokable part of a cigarette.
• Another wall preferably the upper wall, constitutes a filtration means, or comprises an opening towards a filtration means.
• the article according to the invention can therefore take various general forms, e.g. cubic, parallelipiped, cylindroid with axis parallel, perpendicular or arbitrary with respect to the position of the cigarette, or even spheroid.
• the article may also have the form of a pipe, the head then comprising the filtration means and possibly a chimney.
• the cylinder can be a cylinder of revolution or of oval section.
• the article can be, during its use, in the form of a vertically elongated body, recalling the shape of a drink can, said elongated body, approximately of axial symmetry and preferably cylindrical, constituting an element forming a combustion chamber and a chimney located essentially at its upper part, above the burning end of the cigarette. This is introduced laterally to the vertical elongated body of the article.
• the article is in the form of a rectangular box of which one of the small side faces is provided with an orifice for the introduction of the cigarette.
• the body of the article can be made of various materials compatible with its use, that is to say any non-flammable material, hardly flammable, or simply resistant to the heat given off by the burning end of the cigarette, and which can be easily worked.
• the material is preferably not very conductive of heat, or protected by a layer not very conductive or reflecting heat.
• the article can thus be made of glass, ceramic or metal, preferably partially insulated, but more advantageously of plastic or cardboard, including corrugated heat-resistant cardboard, more particularly fireproof or metallized cardboard.
• a metal sheet advantageously an aluminum sheet for domestic use (eg 15 ⁇ thick).
• aluminum sheet for domestic use eg 15 ⁇ thick.
• Other thicker aluminum sheets (for the top wall) or thinner aluminum sheets (for the side walls) can be used. It has in fact been found that the aluminum foil, in addition to its resistance to heat, its insulating effect with respect to the main wall, and the protective effect which derives therefrom for the underlying material, constitutes a surface of very effective smoke condensation and thus contributes to filtration.
• This wall covering can be integrated into the body of the base material which would then be for example a cardboard or a metallized plastic or an equivalent laminated compound.
• the wall covering may not be necessary at the base of the article, or even at the side walls, this part can simply be advantageously fireproofed.
• a cardboard article is particularly preferred for reasons of manufacturing cost.
• the article can be mounted, in the form of a box, from a sheet of cardboard forming a suitable flat blank on which the lines of weakness and the various constituent elements of the invention (wall lined with aluminum foil, ventilation and outlet openings, etc.).
• the blank may contain side tabs or flaps pre-coated with an adhesive.
• a box can therefore be mounted with or without a filter, eg a pleated paper filter in advance. Otherwise, the filter can be separately attached to the article once mounted.
• This embodiment is also advantageous from the point of view of space and storage costs.
• the cardboard article can also be discarded after a limited number of uses, which is advantageous from an ecological and hygienic point of view.
• the upper wall of the article will always be particularly resistant to heat, and a covering in the form of an aluminum sheet possibly folded or crumpled, may, as already mentioned, be advantageously provided.
• One of the dimensions of the combustion chamber will preferably be of a length at least equal to the length of the smokable part of a cigarette, eg of length which may vary from 5 to 20 cm, preferably from 10 to 15 cm. in length, and 1 to 4 cm in width.
• the article can be presented as a table model, still easy to handle but relatively bulky, up to 15 cm wide and / or high. These dimensions are more suitable for use associated with a place eg in a public place such as a restaurant table or in a means of transport.
• the item is then used by the smoker intermittently to extract the smoke, while mostly resting on a support, eg a table or, in a car, a can support.
• the dimensions will however be of the same order or less than that of a pack of cigarettes.
• the article can thus be easily put in a pocket and used in conjunction with a pack of cigarettes.
• the insertion opening of the cigarette is preferably a circular opening whose diameter is approximately equal to that of the cigarette, so that the latter can be inserted lit, held by friction, and the butt removed.
• additional means for holding the cigarette eg in the form of a thickening of the wall at the position of the orifice, or a short sleeve of adequate diameter extending towards the interior of the chamber. (eg up to 0.5 to 1 cm). The direction of the cigarette is thus better controlled.
• the outer edge of the orifice can be advantageously bevelled, so as to facilitate the introduction of the cigarette.
• the edge can also be bevelled on both sides or be rounded.
• a sleeve can be integrated into the article from the outset, or constitute a removable element to be introduced into the orifice originally provided.
• the sleeve can also advantageously serve as a damper when the combustion of the cigarette has progressed to its level, the cigarette then automatically extinguishing.
• the article includes an adaptable or integrated cigarette holder. It may be a removable cigarette holder comprising a filter or not, which can adapt to the article by friction or which can be screwed into a complementary thread. -
• the filter element is located at the top of the article. It is essentially associated with a smoke outlet opening provided in the upper part of the combustion chamber, preferably in the upper wall.
• the opening leads either directly or indirectly via a chimney, to a filtration element or preferably to a space delimited by a filtration element.
• a filter of filamentous materials eg cellulosic, impregnated or not with odorous substances or capable of retaining or reacting with one or more components of the smoke has proven to be effective.
• paper of the “paper towel” type or of the “Kleenex” or “Scottex” (registered trademarks) type is well suited as a filtration element.
• the filter element thus has a large surface area of contact with smoke.
• the element is placed above the outlet opening or around the chimney so that an empty space is maintained to allow smoke to penetrate the filter element over a large area compared to the dimensions of the article.
• the filter element can be incorporated into a cartridge then comprising a support for supporting the filter element allowing substantial contact with the outside air (split or cellular or lattice support, with a metallic, cardboard or plastic structure).
• the filter element will be present in the form of a sheet conforming to the elongated shape of the support, itself present in the form of a cylinder comprising large longitudinal openings.
• the filter element will advantageously have a large surface area and will cover one end of said cylinder as well as the side openings.
• filter cartridges it is also possible to provide filter cartridges to be fixed, for example by screwing or friction, on the upper part of the article.
• filtration means comprising components such as glass wool, synthetic foams, filter membranes, granules with or without activated carbon, etc.
• the air intake openings supply fresh air to the combustion of the lit end of the cigarette. They are located either laterally or at the bottom of the combustion chamber.
• these openings will be in the form of thin slots or small holes drilled in the wall and giving access, directly or indirectly, to the outside of the article.
• the diameter of the circular openings will advantageously be of the order of 0.5 mm to 3 mm.
• secondary air intake orifices which may be manually adjustable, eg by rotation of a cylindrical element at the base of the article and comprising openings which can be superimposed on fixed air intake openings direct or indirect, to the combustion chamber.
• the openings can also adopt a funnel shape or correspond to frustoconical conduits whose walls form protrusions inside the enclosure or inside the combustion chamber proper.
• These embodiments can have a favorable influence on the efficiency of the air intake.
• the holes will preferably be drilled from the outside inwards, the material then being rejected annularly inwards and the width of the hole going decreasing from outside to inside.
• a main feature of the invention is to provide filtering articles for lateral current fumes which include, inter alia, ventilation openings such that sufficient draft is obtained to maintain a cigarette lit in the article while maintaining a normal smoke suction frequency for the user.
• the article has a combustion chamber having a parailélipitigdique form of which one or more side walls have air inlet holes. These holes are located at the top of said side walls, that is to say above the level of the cigarette. At a wall, these holes communicate with the outside via a chamber and one or more conduits formed by said wall of the combustion chamber and an additional wall parallel to the latter, thus defining an air inlet slot. along the wall, the slit being open at the base of The article and supplying air to said air inlet holes.
• the conduit has a variable width and a thickness preferably of the order of 0.7 to 2 mm.
• this duct has a narrowing profile before forming the chamber.
• the openings are advantageously situated around the tubular orifice for introducing the cigarette and may be present in the form of slots, or circular, ellipsoidal, rectangular, trapezoidal shape, etc. With respect to the thickness of the wall of the combustion chamber, these air inlet holes can also be advantageously bevelled.
• only the side wall or walls of the combustion chamber are rigid.
• the lower and or upper wall consists of an aluminum sheet whose periphery is folded down respectively on the lower or upper part of the rigid side wall (s).
• These sheets can be held by a fixing means such as one or more elastic bands and are each provided with one or more openings for air inlet or smoke outlet respectively.
• These openings if they are numerous enough (eg more than 15) can be of dimension less than 1 mm.
• the rigid part of the article may have a hollow cylindrical shape (possibly in transparent plastic) comprising an opening for introducing the lateral cigarette and provided at its two ends with a circumferential groove parallel to the edge allowing easy fixing of the aluminum sheets.
• the support means allowing the air to access under the pierced aluminum sheet when the article rests on a flat surface, in the form of feet.
• the upper aluminum foil is itself covered at least partially with a filter element, for example in the form of layers of pleated tissue paper and fixed by a fixing means which can also be an elastic band. adapting around the edge of the rigid wall, or an equivalent means.
• the article may have a double drilled bottom, the lower bottom being provided with larger openings than the upper bottom forming the lower wall of the combustion chamber, the two bottoms thus forming an intermediate chamber.
• this article is suitable for use in a car or in a similar means of transport. It actually incorporates an ashtray and the hot end is insulated and could easily be left in a passenger seat. In general, the lips of the user do not touch the article according to the invention. As mentioned, one can however provide an adaptable cigarette holder or more rigid tips.
• the cigarette butt is generally removed from the article after use. In some cases, this butt can be manually pushed further and therefore falls by gravity to the bottom of the article, the orifice being free for the possible insertion of a new cigarette.
• the bottom or bottom of the article acts as an ashtray. After use, the ashes which have accumulated there by gravity can be removed by the opening of introduction of the cigarette. For more sophisticated embodiments, one can provide access openings to clean the combustion chamber and empty the accumulated ash.
• the article according to the invention can be produced in large quantities at a cost compatible with a so-called "disposable" article. It can also be made only from cardboard, paper and aluminum foil.
• a parallelepipedal or cylindrical article which can be manufactured from a flat cardboard blank.
• the blank comprises fold lines (creasing), which will for example form the edges of the parallelepiped, in a geometrical arrangement suitable for obtaining, after folding and mounting, a box forming part or the whole of the article according to the invention.
• the various walls are provided with the elements, in particular the openings, necessary for the air supply, for the introduction of the cigarette and for the outlet of the fumes.
• At least the part to form the upper wall will be covered with aluminum foil, possibly fixed by gluing, stapling or any other equivalent means.
• a parallelepiped, for example a cube, made of cardboard can thus be obtained by mounting in a known manner, that is to say similar to the mounting of cardboard boxes. Smoke is very well retained in such a box if certain well-known types of folding are applied.
• edges can be glued, self-adhesive or pre-glued in order to simplify assembly and promote airtightness. It is however advantageous to be able to provide an independent part which will serve as an element for introducing and holding the cigarette.
• This part can be fixed on the appropriate wall of the parallelepiped, for example by means of a perpendicular self-adhesive annular surface and surrounding said part on a short cylindrical sleeve.
• the article can be transported and / or sold in a folded and extremely space-saving state. It will be for example in a flat form, the walls being folded and superimposed. It can thus be associated, during the sale, with a packet of cigarettes while not significantly increasing the size.
• the folded article can be mounted and deployed by the user by blowing into the opening for introducing the cigarette.
• the article according to the invention can be designed in such a way that the combustion chamber is made in one piece with or without the elements acting as a chimney and / or a cigarette holding element.
• the article can be modular, the combustion chamber being able to open and / or each element being removable. otherwise removable
• the smoking article according to the invention can be combined with elements known from the prior art, eg as described in the already mentioned United States patents No. 4,200,114, 4,899,766 and 4,993,435. The necessary adaptation will appear obvious to those skilled in the art. In particular, it is therefore possible to provide a system intended to collect the smoke exhaled by the smoker, system providing a common or separate nozzle and / or filter for this second function.
• Fig. 1 shows an article according to the invention in the form of an essentially cylindrical object comprising different removable parts.
• the object measures approximately 10 cm in height and 7 cm in width.
• the upper part comprises a filter, not shown, consisting of 4 layers of tissue paper, of the household paper towel type, superimposed, pleated and crumpled, arranged in a bell-shaped mushroom or in a cylinder closed at one end to form a cartridge l which can to be approximately cylindrical.
• the Kleenex or Scottex (registered brands) paper towel types have been shown to be effective for this purpose.
• the filter cartridge is partially hollowed out in its center to form a volume for receiving the smoke from a chimney 2 formed from one or more pleated and / or crumpled aluminum sheets and emanating from a combustion chamber located under the filter.
• the chimney is approximately 3 cm high and 0.8 cm in diameter.
• the filter cartridge 1 is held by friction or bonding around a ring 3 coaxial with the cartridge and internally therewith.
• the ring 3 is external to and integral with the upper wall of the combustion chamber 4.
• the paper filter cartridge can be covered by a largely perforated rigid cover (not shown).
• the openings on the lateral and upper faces of this cover can be closed by rotation of a second cover adapting thereto by friction, at least partially, and covering it.
• the second cover is provided with openings which may or may not coincide with those of the first cover depending on the degree of rotation applied.
• the body of the article is formed mainly by the combustion chamber 4 of cylindrical shape, with a height of 7 cm, and made of a sufficiently rigid material, such as a plastic, aluminum or cardboard. A thermally insulating substance is preferred.
• the internal wall of the combustion chamber 4 is lined with aluminum foil for domestic use.
• the combustion chamber and the chimney can be obtained in one piece by forming.
• metallic cardboard on one side or any other paper-metal or plastic-metal complex equivalent can be used.
• a lateral circular orifice 5 is provided in the wall of the cylindrical combustion chamber to receive a holding element for a cigarette.
• This element has the shape of a washer 6 adapting in known manner by friction to the circular opening 5 and projecting substantially outside the cylindrical body (about 0.8 cm).
• the washer 6 is pe plastic or cardboard and is pierced in its center and thus has a circular orifice 7 with a beveled edge of a diameter capable of frictionally receiving a cigarette, ie a diameter of about 0.8 cm.
• the thickness of the washer is sufficient to frictionally keep the cigarette passing through it, the smokable part thus being cantilevered in the combustion chamber.
• the washer is associated with an element 8 which is radially elongated and parallel to the position of a cigarette inserted into the article, an element extending beyond the vertical axis of the combustion chamber and whose function is to promote combustion and a first condensation of the resulting smoke.
• the surface of this element preferably made of plastic or cardboard, is lined with one or more sheets of aluminum.
• This condensing element 8 (fig. 2), in the illustrated example, has a tubular shape, with a diameter of about 3 cm, sectioned obliquely over most of its length, the thinnest part being located at the free end in the combustion chamber, so that the open part faces downwards (arrow in fig. 2).
• this element 8 is such that it covers almost the entire length of a cigarette introduced through the orifice of the combustion chamber.
• the part of the element 8 close to the retaining washer can be of complete tubular shape and thus forms a segment surrounding the cigarette and serving as a smother when combustion takes place at the end of the smokable part.
• a number of air intake openings are provided around the base 13 of the cylindrical combustion chamber.
• the base 10 of the article is constituted by the lower part of the cylindrical wall 13 of the combustion chamber which is housed in a circular groove 17 provided at the periphery of a removable circular element, in the form of an inverted cover.
• the groove 17 is formed by the double circular lateral wall of the cover, which is pierced right through by air inlet openings 11. These openings can coincide, by rotation, with the circular inlet openings of air 18 from the base of the combustion chamber.
• These circular openings are of variable diameter, preferably from 0.1 to 1.0 cm.
• This arrangement allows the closing and adjustment of the lateral air inlet by simple relative rotation of the body of the article and of the overturned cover.
• this arrangement enables the article to be hermetically sealed and prevents the emission of unpleasant odors when it is not in use.
• the base includes a bottom piece 12 which fits above the inverted cover, and therefore above the air inlets, and forms the bottom wall of the combustion chamber.
• the bottom part 12 has a shape centrally hollowed out towards the inside of the combustion chamber so that it has a surface comprising an elongated edge or apex (crest line) 14 extending parallel under the element of condensation 8 described above, it is at also say parallel to a cigarette possibly inserted in the article.
• the rounded edge 14 is provided over its entire length with air inlet holes 15 capable of thus directly supplying the combustion.
• the edge 14 is located approximately 0.4 cm from the cigarette which will be placed between it and the condensing element 8.
• the air intake holes 15 are of a size such that almost all of the ash falls on either side of said crest line.
• the holes will typically be elongated holes 2 to 5 mm in length and about 1 mm or less in width.
• the bottom part 12 can also be covered, on its internal wall, with aluminum foil, although it is much less in contact with heat.
• the base of the bottom part 12 is circular and fits by friction on the cylindrical periphery of the combustion chamber or in a second circular groove (not shown) provided for fixing the upper part of the inner periphery of the inverted lid .
• An approximately annular space 19, but open upwards, is formed around and above the base of the recess and is large enough to receive the ashes, and possibly the butts pushed into the combustion chamber by the user.
• This space, acting as an ashtray, can be obtained by folding the base of the bottom part, folded up along the inner cylindrical surface of the combustion chamber.
• the bottom part also comprises secondary air inlet holes 16 on either side of the rounded edge. These air intakes can be essential to obtain good combustion. Their number depends on the multiple factors affecting the draw. They will be of small diameter (of the order of a millimeter or less) and can be obtained by drilling needle holes in a cardboard surface or aluminum foil, preferably from the outside to the inside.
• the user can thus fine-tune the air intake if necessary.
• the air passes from the outside, through the inlet passages 11 and 20 to a volume delimited by the inverted cover and the bottom part which therefore form an intermediate chamber, then will supply the combustion cigarette passing through the air intake openings 15 and 16.
• the inverted cover will advantageously have a flat receiving surface for the ash which may have passed through the air intake openings 15 and / or 16.
• the upturned cover and the bottom part form an intermediate air inlet chamber.
• the inverted cover can be replaced by a ring with a similar function for adapting the combustion chamber and the bottom part, but the abovementioned central receiving surface of which is then absent.
• Fig. 4 illustrates diagrammatically another embodiment of the invention in which the combustion chamber 34 is provided parallelepiped.
• the combustion chamber 34 is approximately 6.5 cm long, 4 cm wide and 4.5 cm high.
• the chimney 32 in aluminum foil is 3 cm high and has a diameter of 0.8 cm.
• the main air inlets 45, 1 to 2 mm in diameter, are distributed longitudinally and parallel to the smokable part of the cigarette, at the top 44 of a recess on the underside of the combustion chamber. This recess is provided so that the top approaches up to 1 mm or less from the cigarette that would be introduced into the article.
• Smaller secondary holes 46 are provided on either side of the row of main air intake openings. To allow air access from the underside of the article, it is mounted on four feet 49 approximately 3 mm high provided at the four ends of the base.
• the article after consumption of a certain number of cigarettes is preferably discarded.
• the ashes can however be easily removed in another ashtray by shaking The article and allowing the ashes to pass through the opening of introduction of the cigarette.
• a bottom plate (not shown) can also be provided and thus delimit an intermediate chamber.
• a perfectly functioning prototype could have been obtained from a packaging box for liquid liquids of the Tetra-Brik type (registered trademark) from Tetra Pak with the approximate dimensions 8 cm x 6 cm x 4 cm.
• the height of this box has been reduced by half by removing the top wall and folding up the top of the side walls to form a new top wall halfway up the original box.
• the upper wall was previously drilled with a hole about 3/4 of the length, a hole into which an aluminum element forming a chimney 32 is introduced by the internal face and covering the upper part of the box, that is to say of the combustion chamber.
• the side wall 30 furthest from the chimney 32 is provided with an opening 37 for introducing the cigarette.
• This opening 37 receives a thick ring 36, also made of fireproof cardboard, held by friction in said wall and capable of holding by friction overhang a cigarette which is introduced in such a way that the smokable part thereof is entirely contained in the box.
• the indentation of the lower wall can be easily obtained by peeling off the folds from the bottom of the box while pushing the lower wall inward and thereby manually forming said indentation which will be pierced with main holes 45 at its top 44, and, using a needle, auxiliary holes 46 on either side of the ridge top 44.
• a retaining ring 33 to which are fixed two layers of crumpled and pleated tissue paper, which are glued at their ends to the ring to form a sort of filtering fungus encompassing the chimney and therefore at least part of the upper wall of the box.
• a free space 35 is maintained and forms an intermediate chamber.
• liquid food packaging material is only offered as material for building an easily accessible prototype.
• the internal polyethylene plastic film covering the aluminum film in this type of packaging is indeed superfluous or disadvantageous.
• the cigarette retaining ring can be designed to incorporate on the side of the combustion chamber, a quencher so that the cigarette extinguishes with certainty when the burning end approaches the wall.
• This extinguisher can be in the form of a fireproof sleeve or in metallic foil surrounding the cigarette and projecting inward. The combustion stops there by suffocation.
• Fig. 5 illustrates the general appearance of an article according to yet another embodiment of the invention.
• the general shape is closer to that of a pipe.
• a chimney (not shown) surrounded by a filtering material 51 contained in a cartridge 52.
• a combustion chamber 54, main air inlet holes 55 and auxiliary air inlet holes 56 are illustrated, and a ring 58 pierced with an opening 57 for the introduction of the cigarette.
• the bottom part comprises at its periphery a raised wall 59 adapting by friction to the outside of the periphery of the base of the body of the article.
• Figs. 6 to 8 are views illustrating another variant of the article according to the invention.
• the article has the general shape of a cylinder of oval section, the upper part being for the rest similar to that of the article of FIG. 1. It illustrates schematically a combined system for closing all the openings of the combustion chamber by simple telescopic depression of the base part which then constitutes a sleeve-forming element.
• Fig. 6 generally illustrates the bottom piece or base piece 70 comprising a horizontal bottom plate 79 which is surrounded at its periphery by a vertical wall 71 comprising circular openings 72 for the entry of air under the combustion, ie under the recessed part 73 provided with primary and secondary air intake openings (78 resp. 76).
• the vertical wall 71 supports said recess piece which can be integral or fixed for example by gluing, friction or snap-fastening.
• the dimensions of the base part 70 are such that it can slide inside the main body formed by the combustion chamber and be held there by friction.
• an anti-reflux element in this example, removable, funnel-shaped, or inverted cup with a hole in its center, of a size such that it can be fixed, by friction or gluing, to the periphery. bottom of the recessed part 73, the smallest opening 75 directed upwards, that is to say towards the crest line of the recess 73.
• Figs. 7 and 8 which are side views, on scales different from that of FIG. 6, illustrate respectively the open and closed position of the base part 70 in the body of the article 76.
• the lower end of the side wall of the combustion chamber is located above the air passage openings, thus allowing good ventilation by the below the hole in the base part. Furthermore, the upper end of the wall 71 of the base part 70 does not cover the inlet orifice 77 of the cigarette.
• Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the elements of an article according to the invention in a very space-saving embodiment and comprising lateral air inlets in the combustion chamber.
• the item measures 4 cm high (without filter), 7 cm long and 3 cm wide.
• the height of the filter is 3 to 4 cm and its diameter 3 cm.
• the combustion chamber has a shape having an oval section in a horizontal plane, and rectangular transverse and longitudinal sections in the other two perpendicular planes.
• the article comprises a top wall in the form of a cover 80 covered on its inner face with an aluminum sheet 83 in which is also formed the chimney 82 extending upwards through a circular opening 84, to end in a filter cartridge 81 centrally hollowed out.
• Another opening 85 is provided to form a cavity serving as a perfume diffuser, in contact with the aluminum.
• the perfume will be diffused in a similar manner to what is known with certain devices intended to be applied to incandescent bulbs.
• the cover 80 is fixed for example by gluing or friction above the volume delimited by the cylindrical combustion chamber.
• the inner wall part 87 is pierced, at its upper part, with holes 86 for air intake in the combustion chamber. These holes communicate with the interstitial space 89 comprised between the internal wall part 87 and the external wall element 90.
• the latter element follows the shape of the main wall.
• the space 89 is connected via conduits 91, at the base of the article, e.g. to a portion 98 of its periphery, having one or more slots in communication with the outside air.
• the spacing between the two walls can vary widely but will most often be between 0.5 and 2 mm.
• the two wall elements are preferably separated by one or more thin pieces 88 forming, on the one hand, a spacer and, on the other hand, lateral channels for the admission of outside air coming from the lower periphery 98 of the article towards the interstitial space 89.
• the wall elements 87, 88 and 90 can be glued together to form said double wall parts.
• the basic part 102 forming an ashtray capable of adapting by friction inside the volume determined by the main wall, is also illustrated with the side wall 105, the row of air intakes. main 105 and the secondary air intake openings 106 on the lateral faces of the recess 102.
• a peripheral rim 108 is also provided which serves as a stop with respect to the sliding wall of the combustion chamber on the one hand and taken to remove the base piece on the other hand.
• Legs 109 are also provided along the rim 108 in order to allow the passage of air from below the indentation piece.
• Fig. 10 illustrates yet another particularly simple, advantageous and effective embodiment of the invention.
• the filter 111 there is no chimney but only a circular opening of about 8 mm (not shown) in the upper wall and giving directly onto the filtration means which is here made of two layers of tissue paper of the type Scottex, superimposed then pleated forward in the direction of the length and the width.
• the opening for introducing the cigarette 117 and one of the two side plates 114 equivalent to the plates 90 in FIG.
• Fig. 11 schematically represents yet another alternative embodiment of an article for a smoker according to the invention, represented generally by the reference number 120.
• the general shape of the article is tubular and coaxial with cigarettes.
• the combustion chamber 122 of the article comprises a smoke outlet 123, generally at the opposite end from the inlet orifice 124 of the cigarette, as well as one or more air inlet orifices 125.
• the air intake ports 125 allow the combustion of the lit end of the cigarette to be supplied with fresh air. They are advantageously situated around the tubular orifice - of introduction of the cigarette and can be present in the form of slots, or holes of circular, ellipsoidal, rectangular, trapezoidal shape, etc. With respect to the thickness of the wall from the combustion chamber, these air inlet holes can also be advantageously bevelled.
• the openings 125 can also adopt a funnel shape or correspond to frustoconical conduits whose walls protrude inside the combustion chamber.
• the smoke outlet orifice 123 leads to a chimney 126 in the form of a cylindrical element extending the tubular combustion chamber 122 and coaxial with it.
• the chimney duct can also be formed from aluminum foil, possibly superimposed, and possibly be made in one piece with the combustion chamber and the orifice 124 for introducing the cigarette.
• the smoke outlet duct (chimney) 126 leads to a space 129 delimited by the outer wall of said duct and a filter material 131 illustrated only in FIG. 12. This will be in the form of a sheet of porous cellulosic fibers which has been longitudinally pleated and which follows the elongated shape of a support forming with said filtering material a filtering element 130.
• This element is in the form in the form of a removable cartridge, one end of which is open to receive the body of the chimney and the other end of which is closed.
• FIG. 12 illustrates the support 130 and the removable filter element 131 in the combined A and separate position B.
• the support is provided with longitudinal slots 133, (but alternatively it may have cells or a lattice structure), and is more rigid that the filter material 131 illustrated in its withdrawn position relative to its housing constituted by the support 130.
• the element 131 is hollowed out longitudinally and centrally so that it can be inserted around the chimney 126.
• the support 130 has a metallic, cardboard or plastic structure.
• This support 130 in which or on which is placed or fixed the filtering material, for example pleated sheets of the “Kleenex” type, adapts to the outer end of the combustion chamber and is fixed thereto by friction or screwing at the complementary rings 132 and 132 'present at the corresponding tubular ends.
• the support is significantly longer than the chimney so that the outlet thereof is not blocked by the closed end or by the filter material.
• the cigarette is kept cantilevered in the combustion chamber, at the level of the inlet orifice 124. There is provided a short internal sleeve 137 promoting the holding of the cigarette parallel to the body of the article.
• the ventilation openings are located around the inlet orifice and connect the combustion chamber 122 to a space or intermediate chamber 134, of annular shape, itself provided with a wider opening 135 , provided in its lower part, and giving directly to the outside.
• the lit end of the cigarette causes a sharp rise in the temperature of the combustion chamber and this results in the chimney effect of the outlet orifice, a call for air.
• Fresh air enters through the opening 135 and then supplies the combustion by entering the combustion chamber through the triangular orifices 125 whose width does not exceed 1 mm.
• Smoke, via port 123 in funnel and the chimney 126 enters the space 129 and escapes through the filter material 131 defining it.
• Legs 128, possibly unfoldable and / or removable, can be provided at the level of the cartridge or at the end of the enclosure containing the combustion chamber. These feet allow the article to be placed on a flat surface while keeping it inclined so that a certain temperature gradient is maintained, and therefore a minimum draft is kept.
• Tests have demonstrated the effectiveness of filtering cigarette smoke by the article according to the invention.
• Fig. 13 schematically illustrates in perspective a first embodiment of a table article according to the invention by including the hidden elements.
• the enclosure 200 containing the combustion chamber 204 is also essentially cylindrical therein and is separable into two half-enclosures which interlock at 213.
• the enclosure comprises a lateral air inlet 206 and an opening 202 for the cigarette, also lateral.
• the opening 202 is in the form of a cylindrical spout 214 with a short internal and oblique sleeve 208 acting as a holding element for the cigarette.
• the air inlet 206 located in the lower part of the article is advantageously in the form of a deformed funnel and terminates in the combustion chamber.
• the chimney 209 surmounts the combustion chamber 204.
• the article is also provided with a support 220 secured to a receptacle serving as an ashtray 221, the body of which can slide in friction inside the cylindrical envelope of the 'article.
• Figs. 14 and 15 show two other embodiments in which the combustion chambers are not cylindrical.
• Fig. 14 shows an embodiment in which the chimney is inclined and is provided with a filtering support 230 with openings in the form of lateral slots 231.
• the air inlet opening 233 is present above the opening 232 passage for the cigarette and leads to the combustion chamber via a throttle 239.
• this air inlet provides the possibility for the smoker to breathe there and thus force the circulation of air or create turbulence in the article if necessary.
• An access door 235 to the pseudo-spherical combustion chamber 234 is provided for lighting the cigarette and / or cleaning the combustion chamber.
• the circular base 237 is removable and can support an ashtray 236 intended to receive the ashes and the cigarette butt possibly manually inserted by the smoker.
• Fig. 15 illustrates another embodiment in which the chimney 249 is also inclined and the arrival of air takes place through openings 246 provided at the periphery of the base of the article. These openings can be adjusted or closed by rotation of a ring 247 forming a support for the article and comprising openings which can correspond by rotation with the openings 246.
• the element 247 with the base 248 also constitute an ashtray and is therefore preferably removable.
• the combustion chamber 244 comprises a narrower part with at its end the tubular and bevelled opening 242 for introducing the cigarette.
• the combustion chamber 244 also comprises at its base, above the air inlets 246, a wall pierced with ventilation holes 249 or a grid thus defining an intermediate and lower ventilation chamber 250.
• the part upper part of the article is not provided with a filter or a filter support and the chimney 249, for example formed from aluminum sheets, as well as the ring for receiving the filter support 251 are directly visible.
• an article is proposed which can be produced from a flat cardboard blank.
• Fig. 16 shows an example of a flat blank made of fireproof cardboard generally represented by the reference numeral 260.
• the blank has grooves 261 allowing the mounting of a cubic box which will form an example of an article according to the invention similar to that presented in fig. 10. Such a cubic box mounted is illustrated in fig. 17.
• the blank 260 is seen in plan, the external faces of the cubic box to be mounted being visible.
• the central part 269 constitutes the rear face of the article which is flanked by two lateral faces, a lower face and an upper face 263. Preglued edges 262 are provided on the planar blank.
• the surface 263 of the sheet which will therefore become the upper wall after mounting, is covered on the back with an aluminum sheet.
• a circular hole 264 is provided on this surface, a hole which will bring the combustion chamber into contact with the filter element fixed on the upper face (see eg fig. 10).
• the article comprises fold lines (creasing) according to a geometrical arrangement suitable for obtaining after folding a box forming the entire article according to the invention with the exception of the filter element which is fixed separately . A parallelepiped can thus be obtained in a known manner.
• the outer wall of the combustion chamber, the part 266 and the plate 267 thus form a conduit 268 opening onto an intermediate chamber 272, one wall of which is provided with air inlet holes in the combustion chamber.
• the opening for inserting the cigarette will be formed at 270.
• a piece 273 for inserting and holding the cigarette, sufficiently rigid, will be provided so that it can be inserted at the center of the front face at 270.
• notches 279 may be provided at this location. Ideally, this part is fixed at the level of a self-adhesive annular edge 275 surrounding an end of a short tubular element 274.
• edges 262 have a flap and are advantageously pre-glued so as to simplify assembly.
• the article obtained is similar to that of FIG. 10.
• the folded article can be mounted and deployed by the user for example by blowing into the opening for introducing the cigarette (at 270) of the article in flattened form.
• the fold line 271 allows the two opposite side walls to be brought into contact.
• the cube is then presented in its flattened and folded form as shown in fig. 18.

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• Cigarettes, Filters, And Manufacturing Of Filters (AREA)

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• 1994
  • 1994-10-14 DE DE69420857T patent/DE69420857T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1994-10-14 AU AU77355/94A patent/AU7735594A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1994-10-14 WO PCT/BE1994/000069 patent/WO1995010200A2/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 1994-10-14 EP EP94928218A patent/EP0723405B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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