Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24D—CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES FOR CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES
  • A24D1/00—Cigars; Cigarettes
  • A24D1/02—Cigars; Cigarettes with special covers
  • A24D1/025—Cigars; Cigarettes with special covers the covers having material applied to defined areas, e.g. bands for reducing the ignition propensity

Definitions

• the binder present in the inner wrapping materials may vary in concentration, but is typically present in an amount of about 2 to about 40 weight percent, based on the total weight of the inner wrapping strips. In certain preferred embodiments, the alkali metal salt binder is present in the amount of about 30 to about 40 weight percent.
• the smoking articles of the invention preferably exhibit a minimum ignition temperature, such as an ignition temperature of at least about 625°C.
• the ignition temperature of the inner wrapping strips is at least about 650°C or at least about 675°C. It is believed that higher ignition temperatures correlate to improved ability to meet certain cigarette extinction criteria.
• FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a smoking article having the form of a cigarette, showing the smokable material, the outer wrapping material components, and the filter element of the cigarette;
• Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cigarette of Fig. 2 taken along line A-A, the cross-section illustrating the presence of two inner wrapping strips according to the invention
• Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an outer wrapping material adapted for circumscribing a tobacco rod and a plurality of inner wrapping strips placed thereon prior to application of the wrapping material to a tobacco rod.
• a smoking article 10 in the form of a cigarette and possessing certain representative components of a smoking article of the present invention.
• the cigarette 10 includes a generally cylindrical rod 12 of a charge or roll of smokable filler material contained in a circumscribing wrapping material 16.
• the rod 12 is conventionally referred to as a "tobacco rod.”
• the ends of the tobacco rod 12 are open to expose the smokable filler material.
• the cigarette 10 is shown as having one optional band 22 (e.g., a printed coating including a film-forming agent, such as starch, ethylcellulose, or sodium alginate) applied to the wrapping material 16, and that band circumscribes the cigarette rod in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the cigarette. That is, the band 22 provides a cross-directional region relative to the longitudinal axis of the cigarette.
• the band 22 can be printed on the inner surface of the wrapping material (i.e., facing the smokable filler material), or less preferably, on the outer surface of the wrapping material.
• the cigarette can possess a wrapping material having one optional band, the cigarette also can possess wrapping material having further optional spaced bands numbering two, three, or more.
• the filter element 20 comprises a filter material 26 circumscribed along its outer circumference or longitudinal periphery by a layer of outer plug wrap 28.
• the filter element 20 may comprise one or more filter segments and may comprise adsorbent materials therein.
• the production of filter rods, filter segments and filter elements, and the manufacture of cigarettes from those filter rods, filter segments and filter elements can be carried out using the types of rod-forming units that have been employed to provide cigarette filters, multi-segment cigarette filters and filtered cigarettes.
• Multi-segment cigarette filter rods can be manufactured using a cigarette filter rod making device available under the brand name Mulfi from Hauni-Werke
• a ventilated or air diluted smoking article can be provided with an optional air dilution means, such as a series of perforations 30, each of which extend through the plug wrap 28.
• the optional perforations 30 can be made by various techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art, such as laser perforation techniques.
• so-called off-line air dilution techniques can be used (e.g., through the use of porous paper plug wrap and pre-perforated tipping paper).
• a representative cigarette 10 can vary.
• Preferred cigarettes are rod shaped, and can have diameters of about 7.5 mm (e.g., circumferences of about 20 mm to about 27 mm, often about 22.5 mm to about 25 mm); and can have total lengths of about 70 mm to about 120 mm, often about 80 mm to about 100 mm.
• the length of the filter element 20 can vary. Typical filter elements can have lengths of about 15 mm to about 40 mm, often about 20 mm to about 35 mm.
• the cigarette 10 further includes one or more inner wrapping strips 34 between the tobacco rod and the outer wrapping paper 16, as shown in Fig. 2.
• the inner wrapping strips 34 preferably extend along the entire length of the tobacco rod.
• the inner wrapping strip or strips 34 in the cigarette 10 of the invention can extend continuously around the entire circumference of the tobacco rod. However, it is preferable for the inner wrapping strips 34 to be discontinuous. In one embodiment, the inner wrapping strips 34 comprise 1 to about 8 strips spaced along the periphery of the tobacco rod. The exact location of the individual wrapping strips 34 may vary, but is preferable to space one or more of the inner wrapping strips away from the seam 38 of the cigarette, as shown in Fig. 2.
• FIG. 3 A cross-sectional view of Fig. 2 is shown in Fig. 3, where two inner wrapping strips 34 are visible between the tobacco rod 12 and the outer wrapping 16.
• Fig.4 illustrates one embodiment of the invention wherein four inner wrapping strips (designated 34a, 34b, 34c, and 34d) arc utilized. As shown in Fig. 4, prior to placing the outer wrapper 16 around the tobacco rod 12, the inner wrapping strips can be placed at spaced intervals on a surface of the outer wrapper.
• the use of inner wrapping strips 34 can be incorporated into the cigarette manufacturing process using equipment and methods described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,705,325 to Hicks et al.
• the binder content will typically be about 10 to about 40 weight percent, more preferably about 30 to about 40 weight percent. If a paper-making process is utilized, the binder content could be as low as about 2 to about 5 weight percent.
• the reconstituted sheet material used as the inner wrapping material is constructed using a cast sheet process, such as the process described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0177856 Monsalud, Jr. et al
• the process generally involves forming a mixture having the composition described above and optionally subjecting the mixture to a heat treatment process, such as by heating the mixture to a temperature of about 14O 0 F (60 0 C) to about 200 0 F (93°C) for a period of time of about 30 min. to about 60 min.
• the heating step may further include an addition of about 1.5 to about 3.5 weight percent potassium hydroxide, based on the weight of the tobacco material, which can facilitate the release of pectin from the tobacco material.
• the width of the inner wrapping strips 34 used in the invention can vary. Typically, the width of each strip will be between about 2 and about 10 mm, more preferably between about 2 and about 6 mm.
• the overall thickness of the inner wrapping materials may vary, but the inner wrapping strips are typically thicker than the outer wrapper 16. Exemplary thicknesses range from about 80 to about 120 ⁇ m.
• the inner wrapping strips 34 of the invention are characterized by the use of a binder in the form of an alkali metal salt, such as an alkali metal salt of alginate or a cellulose derivative (e.g., carboxymethyl cellulose).
• alkali metal salt binder materials include sodium alginate, potassium alginate, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and mixtures thereof.
• alkali metal is used herein to refer to metallic elements of Group IA of the Periodic Table of the Elements, including lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, and francium.
• the use of the alkali metal salt binder contributes to a desired total level of alkali metal in the inner wrapping strips 34.
• Embodiments of the inner wrapping strips 34 of the present invention exhibit a total alkali metal content of at least about 30,000 ⁇ g/g, more preferably at least about 32,000, most preferably at least about 34,000 or at least about 36,000 ⁇ g/g, based on the total weight of the inner wrapping strips.
• the desired total alkali metal content of the inner wrapping strips 34 can be reached using the alkali metal salt binder alone, but in certain embodiments, the alkali metal salt binder is supplemented with one or more alkali metal additives that also contribute alkali metal content to the inner wrapping strips.
• alkali metal additives include sodium phosphate, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, sodium acetate, sodium oxalate, sodium malatc, sodium chloride, and sodium levinulate.
• the exact amount of secondary alkali metal additives added to the inner wrapping strips will vary depending on the amount of alkali metal salt binder that is present and the desired total alkali metal content. In one embodiment, the secondary alkali metal additive is present at a concentration of about 1 to about 20 weight percent, more preferably about 1 to about 10 weight percent, based on the total weight of the strips 34.
• the inner wrapping strips 34 of the invention preferably exhibit a high ignition temperature, which is believed to correlate favorably to high self-extinction rates as measured using certain test criteria described below.
• the inner wrapping strips 34 of the invention exhibit an ignition temperature of at least about 625°C, more preferably at least about 650 0 C, and most preferably at least about 675°C.
• the examples appended to this application show that inner wrapping materials 34 having higher ignition temperatures also exhibit higher self-extinction rates according to certain test criteria.
• Inner wrapping materials, smoking articles made therewith, and methods of their manufacture described generally in the following references may find use in certain embodiments of the present invention: U.S. Patent Nos. 6,705,325 to Hicks et al; 6,827,087 to Wanna et al; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0056294 to Wanna et al.
• Certain preferred inner wrapping strips 34 used in carrying out the present invention are useful for the manufacture of cigarettes designed to exhibit reduced ignition propensity. That is, cigarettes incorporating certain inner wrapping materials, when placed on a flammable substrate, tend to self extinguish before burning that substrate. Of particular interest are those cigarettes possessing tobacco rods manufactured using an appropriate number and configuration of inner wrapping strips 34, having sufficient sodium or other alkali metal content, so as to have the ability to meet certain cigarette extinction criteria. Certain cigarettes of the present invention possessing tobacco rods manufactured using inner wrapping strips 34 of the present invention, when tested using the methodology set forth in ASTM E 2187-02b,
• Smokable materials and other associated materials useful for carrying out certain aspects of the present invention can vary.
• Smokable materials are materials that can be incorporated into the smokable segment or rod, and provide mass and bulk to some region within that smokable segment.
• Smokable materials undergo some type of destruction during conditions of normal use of the smoking article into which they are incorporated.
• Destruction of the smokable material due at least in part to thermal decomposition of at least some component of that smokable material, results in the formation of an aerosol having the form normally characterized as "smoke.”
• smokable materials incorporating tobacco materials are intended to burn, or otherwise undergo thermal decomposition, to yield tobacco smoke.
• the selection of tobacco types and tobacco blends can determine the chemical composition of, and the sensory and organoleptic characteristics of, that aerosol produced when that tobacco material or blend of tobacco materials is burned.
• the tobacco materials described below can be used in the tobacco rod 12 portion of the smoking articles of the invention, or as the tobacco portion of the reconstituted sheet materials used to form the inner wrapping strips 34. It is most highly preferred that smokable materials of the smokable segment incorporate tobacco of some form. Preferred smokable materials are composed predominantly of tobacco of some form, based on the dry weights of those materials.
• those materials can be processed tobaccos that incorporate minor amounts non-tobacco filler materials (e.g., calcium carbonate particles, carbonaceous materials, grains or wood pulp) and/or binding agents (e.g., guar gum, sodium alginate or ammonium alginate); and/or a blend of those materials can incorporate tobacco substitutes or extenders.
• non-tobacco filler materials e.g., calcium carbonate particles, carbonaceous materials, grains or wood pulp
• binding agents e.g., guar gum, sodium alginate or ammonium alginate
• a blend of those materials can incorporate tobacco substitutes or extenders.
• Those materials, and blends incorporating those materials frequently are composed of greater than about 70 percent tobacco, often are greater than about 80 percent tobacco, and generally are greater than about 90 percent tobacco, on a dry weight basis, based on the combined weights of the tobacco, non-tobacco filler material, and non-tobacco substitute or extender. Those materials also can be composed of virtually all tobacco material, and not incorporate any non-tobacco fillers, substitutes or extenders.
• glycerin or propylene glycol e.g., glycerin or propylene glycol
• flavoring agents e.g., cocoa and licorice
• Those added components also include top dressing materials (e.g., flavoring materials, such as menthol). See, for example, U.S. Patent No. 4,449,541 to Mays et al. Additives also can be added to the smokable materials using the types of equipment described in U.S. Patent No. 4,995,405 to Lettau, or that are available as Menthol Application System MAS from Kohl Maschinenbau GmbH. The selection of particular casing and top dressing components is dependent upon factors such as the sensory characteristics that are desired, and the selection and use of those components will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art of cigarette design and manufacture.
• Smokable materials typically are used in forms, and in manners, that are traditional for the manufacture of smoking articles, such as cigarettes. Those materials can incorporate shredded or particulate pieces of tobacco (e.g., as lamina and/or stem), and/or those materials can be tobacco materials that are in processed forms.
• those materials normally are used in cut filler form (e.g., shreds or strands of tobacco filler cut into widths of about 1/10 inch to about 1/60 inch, preferably about 1/20 inch to about 1/35 inch, and in lengths of about 1/8 inch to about 3 inches, usually about 1/4 inch to about 1 inch).
• those materials such as processed tobacco materials, can be employed as longitudinally extending strands or as sheets formed into the desired configuration, or as compressed or extruded pieces formed into a desired shape.
• Tobacco materials can include, or can be derived from, various types of tobaccos, such as flue-cured tobacco, burley tobacco, Oriental tobacco or Maryland tobacco, dark tobacco, dark-fired tobacco and Rustica tobaccos, as well as other rare or specialty tobaccos, or blends thereof. Descriptions of various types of tobaccos, growing practices, harvesting practices and curing practices are set for in Tobacco
• the tobacco materials are those that have been appropriately cured and aged.
• tobacco materials are used in a so-called “blended” form.
• certain popular tobacco blends commonly referred to as “American blends,” comprise mixtures of flue-cured tobacco, burley tobacco and Oriental tobacco.
• Such blends in many cases, contain tobacco materials that have processed forms, such as processed tobacco stems (e.g., cut-rolled stems, cut-rolled-expanded stems or cut-puffed stems), volume expanded tobacco (e.g., puffed tobacco, such as dry ice expanded tobacco (DIET), preferably in cut filler form).
• processed tobacco stems e.g., cut-rolled stems, cut-rolled-expanded stems or cut-puffed stems
• volume expanded tobacco e.g., puffed tobacco, such as dry ice expanded tobacco (DIET), preferably in cut filler form
• Tobacco materials also can have the form of reconstituted tobaccos (e.g., reconstituted tobaccos manufactured using paper-making type or cast sheet type processes).
• Tobacco reconstitution processes traditionally convert portions of tobacco that normally might be wasted into commercially useful forms.
• tobacco stems, recyclable pieces of tobacco and tobacco dust can be used to manufacture processed reconstituted tobaccos of fairly uniform consistency.
• each type of tobacco within a tobacco blend used for the manufacture of a particular cigarette brand can vary, is a manner of design choice, depending upon factors such as the sensory characteristics desired. See, for example, Tobacco Encyclopedia, Voges (Ed.) p. 44-45 (1984), Browne, The Design of Cigarettes, 3 rd Ed., p.43 (1990) and Tobacco Production, Chemistry and Technology, Davis et al. (Eds.) p. 346 (1999).
• Various representative tobacco types, processed types of tobaccos, types of tobacco blends, cigarette components and ingredients, and tobacco rod configurations also are set forth in U.S. Patent Nos.
• the outer wrapping material 16 of the tobacco rod 12 can have a wide range of compositions and properties. The selection of a particular wrapping material will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art of cigarette design and manufacture.
• the outer wrapping material is a paper material, such as the type of paper material typically used in cigarette manufacture.
• the outer wrapping material can be composed of materials, or be suitably treated, in order that the wrapping material does not experience a visible staining as a result of contact with components of the smokable material (e.g., aerosol forming material).
• the porosity of the wrapping material can vary, and frequently is between about 5 CORESTA units and about 100 CORESTA units, often is between about 10 CORESTA units and about 90 CORESTA units, and frequently is between about 20 CORESTA units and about 80
• CORESTA units Exemplary types of wrapping materials, wrapping material components and treated wrapping materials are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,105,838 to White et al.; 5,271,419 to Arzonico et al.; 5,220,930 to Gentry; 6,874,508 to Shafer et al.; and 6,908,874 to Woodhead et al.; U.S. Pat. Application Publication Nos. 2004/0134631 to Crooks et al.; 2005/0005947 to Hampl, Jr. et al.;
• Colored wrapping materials e.g., brown colored papers
• Both the outer wrapping material and the inner wrapping strips may comprise additives or fillers imbedded or dispersed therein.
• Exemplary fillers or additives are in the form of essentially water insoluble particles.
• the filler or additive materials may incorporate inorganic components.
• the fillers or additives may comprise catalysts or adsorbent materials capable of adsorbing or reacting with vapor phase components of mainstream smoke. Calcium salts are particularly preferred.
• One exemplary filler material has the form of calcium carbonate, and the calcium carbonate most preferably is used in particulate form. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,644 to Hampl; U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,551 to Sanders; and U.S. Pat. No.
• filler or additive materials include agglomerated calcium carbonate particles, calcium tartrate particles, magnesium oxide particles, iron oxide particles, magnesium hydroxide gels; magnesium carbonate-type materials, clays, diatomaceous earth materials, titanium dioxide particles, gamma alumina materials and calcium sulfate particles.
• the filler can be selected so as to impart certain beneficial characteristics to the wrapping material, such as modification of combustion properties or the ability to adjust the character and content of mainstream smoke (e.g., by adsorption of certain compounds).
• the configuration and content of the filter element 20 can vary.
• Representative filter elements can incorporate the types of filter element components, designs and formats set forth in Browne, The Design of Cigarettes, 3 rd Ed. (1990);
• Representative filter materials can be manufactured from tow materials (e.g., cellulose acetate or polypropylene tow) or gathered web materials (e.g., gathered webs of paper, reconstituted tobacco, cellulose acetate, polypropylene or polyester).
• the plug wrap 28 can vary. See, for example, U.S. Patent No. 4,174,719 to
• the plug wrap is a porous or non-porous paper material.
• Plug wrap materials arc commercially available.
• Exemplary porous plug wrap papers arc available from Schweitzer-Maudit International as Porowrap Plug Wrap 17-Ml, 33- Ml, 45-Ml, 65-M9, 95-M9, 150-M4, 260-M4 and 260-M4T.
• Non-porous plug wraps exhibit porosities of less than about 10 CORESTA units, and preferably less than about 5 CORESTA units.
• Exemplary non-porous plug wrap papers are available as Ref. No. 646 Grade from Olsany Facility (OP Paprina) of the Czech Republic (Trierenberg Holding).
• Plug wrap paper can be coated, particularly on the surface that faces the filter material, with a layer of a film-forming material.
• a coating can be provided using a suitable polymeric film-forming agent (e.g., ethylcellulose, ethylcellulose mixed with calcium carbonate, or a so-called lip release coating composition of the type commonly employed for cigarette manufacture).
• a plastic film e.g., a polypropylene film
• non-porous polypropylene materials that are available as ZNA-20 and ZNA-25 from Treofan Germany GmbH & Co. KG can be employed as plug wrap materials.
• the amount or degree of air dilution or ventilation can vary. Frequently, the amount of air dilution for an air diluted cigarette is greater than about 10 percent, generally is greater than about 20 percent, often is greater than about 30 percent, and sometimes is greater than about 40 percent. Typically, the upper level for air dilution for an air diluted cigarette is less than about 80 percent, and often is less than about 70 percent.
• air dilution is the ratio (expressed as a percentage) of the volume of air drawn through the air dilution means to the total volume and air and aerosol drawn through the cigarette and exiting the extreme mouth end portion of the cigarette. Higher air dilution levels can act to reduce the transfer efficiency of aerosol forming material into mainstream aerosol.
• Preferred cigarettes of the present invention exhibit desirable resistance to draw.
• an exemplary cigarette exhibits a pressure drop of between about
• Preferred cigarettes exhibit pressure drop values of between about 60 mm and about 180, more preferably between about 70 mm to about 150 mm, water pressure drop at 17.5 cc/sec. air flow.
• pressure drop values of cigarettes are measured using a Filtrona Cigarette Test Station (CTS Series) available from Filtrona Instruments and
• QTM Quality Test Module
• Cigarettes of the present invention when smoked, yield an acceptable number of puffs. Such cigarettes normally provide more than about 6 puffs, and generally more than about 8 puffs, per cigarette, when machine smoked under FTC smoking conditions. Such cigarettes normally provide less than about 15 puffs, and generally less than about 12 puffs, per cigarette, when smoked under FTC smoking conditions. FTC smoking conditions consist of 35 ml puffs of 2 second duration separated by 58 seconds of smolder. Cigarettes of the present invention, when smoked, yield mainstream aerosol.
• the amount of mainstream aerosol that is yielded per cigarette can vary.
• an exemplary cigarette When smoked under FTC smoking conditions, an exemplary cigarette yields an amount of FTC "tar" that normally is at least about 1 mg, often is at least about 3 mg, and frequently is at least about 5 mg.
• an exemplary cigarette When smoked under FTC smoking conditions, an exemplary cigarette yields an amount of FTC "tar” that normally does not exceed about 20 mg, often does not exceed about 15 mg, and frequently does not exceed about 12 mg.
• Example 3 coal temperatures of various cigarettes are measured. Coal temperature of smoking articles are discussed in the art, such as in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0066986 to Nestor et al; The Chemistry of Tobacco and Tobacco Smoke, Schmeltz (ed.) (1972); Baker, Prog. Ener. Combust. ScL, 7: 135-153 (1981); Proceedings of the International Conference on the Physical and Chemical Processes Occurring in a Burning Cigarette (Apr. 26-29, 1987); Tobacco Production, Chemistry and Technology, Davis et al. (Eds.) p. 398-439 (1999); and Lyman et al., Beitr. Tabakforsch. Int., 20: 381-388
• Cigarettes are made with each sheet material with two split inner wrap strips of 4 mm width. The strips are located longitudinally along the tobacco rod opposite one another and oriented 90 degrees from the side scam. All other cigarette construction details arc held constant.
• the sheet materials are tested for sodium content and for ignition temperature (as measured by differential scanning calorimetry).
• Self-extinction (SE) rates are measured for finished cigarettes by the ASTM E 2187-02b test procedure (20 cigarettes per test). The results from these tests are set forth in Table 1 below, and show a fairly strong correlation between the split inner wrap sodium content and the cigarette self-extinction rate. That is, as the sodium content increases, self-extinction rates increase. The results in Table 1 also show a strong correlation between the sodium content and the ignition temperature of the sheet materials. This suggests that sheets with high ignition temperatures yield high cigarette self-extinction rates. Table 1
• coal temperatures of the cigarettes with low self- extinction rates are 98 0 C - 134°C below the ignition temperatures of the sheet materials.
• Coal temperatures of the cigarettes with high self-extinction rates are 234°C - 338°C below the sheet material ignition temperatures.

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• Cigarettes, Filters, And Manufacturing Of Filters (AREA)
• Manufacture Of Tobacco Products (AREA)
• Wrappers (AREA)

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• 2006
  • 2006-01-06 US US11/327,837 patent/US20070157940A1/en not_active Abandoned
• 2007
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  • 2007-01-05 DE DE602007006414T patent/DE602007006414D1/de active Active
  • 2007-01-05 JP JP2008549652A patent/JP5097125B2/ja active Active
  • 2007-01-05 AT AT07717251T patent/ATE467360T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2007-01-05 WO PCT/US2007/060135 patent/WO2007082145A1/en active Application Filing

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