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
• • 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

Definitions

• This disclosure relates generally to a smoking article and, more particularly, a banded wrapper paper for use in cigarette manufacturing.
• a smoking article includes a tobacco rod with a wrapper paper formed from a base web having a nominal permeability. Zones of add-on material are preferably applied to the base web such that the zones extend transversely of the base web and are spaced from one another in the longitudinal direction of the base web. Preferably, each zone is applied to the base web in two layers, one layer preferably comprising starch and another layer preferably comprising a mixture of starch and calcium carbonate.
• reflectance of the zones of add-on material will vary from reflectance of the base web to a degree that facilitates machine vision inspection predicated on such variance, yet the enhanced reflectance of the calcium carbonate content, which can overwhelm machine vision detection operations, is shielded by the superposed layer of starch which lacks a calcium carbonate content. Accordingly, optical inspection of the zones of add-on material is enhanced. Moreover, reflectance on the obverse side of the base web is substantially uniform so that existence of the zones of add-on material is not visually apparent when viewed by the consumer from the opposite side of the base web.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a smoking article according to this disclosure
• FIG. 2 is a schematic view of wrapping paper according to this disclosure
• FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;
• FIG. 4 is a schematic view of wrapper printing and inspection.
• a smoking article 20 may include a tobacco rod 22 formed from a wrapper paper 23.
• the wrapper paper 23 surrounds a quantity of tobacco 24 so as to make a generally circularly cylindrical tobacco rod 22, although the tobacco rod • 22 may be oval or other cross-sectional shape.
• One end 28 of the tobacco rod 22 is lightable and sometimes called the "lit end” for reference purposes.
• a second end 30 of the tobacco rod 22 is sometimes called the "tipped end” or “mouth end” for reference purposes.
• a filter 32 may be provided at the mouth end 30 of the tobacco rod 22 to remove certain constituents from tobacco smoke during use of the smoking article 20. Typically, the filter 32 is attached to the tobacco rod 22 by the tipping paper 32.
• the wrapper paper 23 has a zone or region 26 of add-on material.
• the zone 26 of add-on material preferably extends in the circumferential direction at spaced locations around the tobacco rod 22 of the smoking article 20. While the zone 26 of add-on material is depicted in this disclosure as being substantially continuous in its circumferential direction, other configurations for the add-on material are within the spirit and scope of this disclosure.
• the zone 26 of add-on material may be substantially continuous, as shown, or may have one or more longitudinally extending separations so as to define a C-shaped zone or several arcuately-shaped portions generally symmetrically positioned when viewed in cross section transverse to the longitudinal axis 34 of the tobacco rod 22.
• the zone 26 of add-on material may be divided into two or more substantially ring-shaped portions that are spaced from one another along the axis 34 by a distance that typically does not exceed the width of the rings measured in a direction generally parallel to the axis 34 of the tobacco rod 22.
• the spacing feature provides a "slit" in the band structure.
• the zone 26 may comprise a plurality of patches disposed circumferentially around the tobacco rod 22, with patches of adjacent zones 26 being circumferentially displaced from patches of adjacent zones according to a predetermined pattern such as taught in commonly assigned U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 60/924,666, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by this reference thereto.
• zone 26 of add-on material is applied to the wrapper paper 23 to obtain improved ignition propensity characteristics and also to obtain improved self- extinguishment characteristics.
• Ignition propensity is a standard test conducted as set forth in ASTM E 2187-04, "Standard Test Method for Measuring the Ignition Strength of Smoking articles", which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference thereto. Ignition propensity measures the probability that a smoking article, when smoldering and placed on a substrate, will generate sufficient heat to maintain smoldering of the tobacco rod. Low values for ignition propensity are desirable as such values correlate with a reduced likelihood that a smoldering smoking article, when inadvertently left unattended, will cause combustion in an underlying substrate. Self extinguishment herein is a reference to smoldering characteristics of a smoking article under free burn conditions.
• SE testing takes place within an enclosure or test box.
• a single port smoking machine or an electric lighter is used to ignite the smoking articles for the test.
• an apparatus or "angle holder” holds the smoking articles to be tested by holding an end at angles of 0° (horizontal), 45°, and/or 90° (vertical).
• 0° horizontal
• 45° 45°
• 90° 90°
• twenty (20) smoking articles are tested at each of the 0°, 45°, and 90° positions.
• the apparatuses are preferably positioned such that the smoking articles face away from each other to avoid cross interference.
• a smoking article goes out before the front line of the smoldering coal reaches the tipping paper, the outcome is scored as "self-extinguishment”; on the other hand, if the smoking article continues smoldering until the front line of the smoldering coal reaches the tipping paper, then the outcome is scored as "non-extinguishment".
• a self extinguishment value of 95% indicates that 95% of the smoking articles tested exhibited self- extinguishment under free burn conditions; while a self extinguishment value of 20% indicates that only 20% of the smoking articles tested exhibited self-extinguishment under such free burn conditions.
• the self extinguishment value may be referred to in terms of "self extinguishment at 0° value”, “self extinguishment at 45° value”, or “self extinguishment at 90° value”, each of which refers to the value of self extinguishment at the specified tested angle.
• the self extinguishment value may be referred to in terms of “Self extinguishment Average value”, which refers to an average of the three angular positions: namely, an average of (i) the “Self- Extinguishment at 0° value", (ii) the “Self-Extinguishment at 45° value", and (iii) the "self- Extinguishment at 90° value”.
• Self-Extinguishment value does not distinguish between self extinguishment at 0°, self extinguishment at 45°, self extinguishment at 90°, or self extinguishment average values and may refer to any one of them.
• the zones 26 of add-on material determine and regulate the ignition propensity and self extinguishment characteristics of the smoking article 20. Those zones 26 of add-on material are applied to a base web 40 (see FIG. 2) of the wrapper paper 23. Permeability of the base web 40 may be in the range of about 25 to about 100 Coresta. Currently, the preferred permeability of the base web lies in the range of about 33 to about 65 Coresta, with the most preferred permeabilities being about 33 and about 60.
• the base web 40 has a longitudinal direction 42 extending along the length of the wrapper paper 23 and a transverse direction 44 extending transversely across the width of the wrapper paper 23 so as to be generally perpendicular or transverse to the longitudinal direction 42.
• Those zones 26 of add-on material may be applied to the base web 40 preferably by a printing technique. While one or more printing technique selected from the group consisting of direct printing, offset printing, inkjet printing, gravure printing, and the like, may be used to apply the zone 26, preferably a gravure printing process will be used. Gravure printing provides ample control over deposition rates, deposition patterns, and the like, and is suitable for highspeed printing on the base web 40. For purposes of this disclosure, "high-speed" printing refers to printing processes where the base web 40 advances through the printing process at a linear speed greater than about 300 feet/min. For cigarette manufacturing purposes, base web printing speeds greater than 450 feet/min. are preferred, and speeds greater than 500 feet/minute or more are even more preferred.
• One object of this description is to provide wrapper papers 23 (see FIG. 2) produced at commercial-scale high-speed which, when formed into a tobacco rod 22, exhibit ignition propensity values no greater than 25 and self extinguishment values no greater than 50. Accordingly, deposit rates and characteristics of the resulting printed regions are important features of high-speed printing here. While those ignition propensity and self extinguishment values are considered to be adequate at this time, even more preferred is an ignition propensity value for the resulting smoking article no greater than about 15; and the most preferred ignition propensity value for the resulting smoking article is no greater than about 10. Lower self extinguishment values are also desired. In this connection, a more preferred self extinguishment value is less than about 25; while the most preferred self extinguishment value is less than about 10.
• the zones of add-on material 26 are preferably prepared in two layers 50, 52 (see FIG. 3).
• one surface of the base web 40 is provided with a first layer 50 of add-on material at a first gravure printing station.
• a second layer 52 of add-on material is applied to the wrapper paper.
• the second layer 52 is arranged to be superposed on and substantially co-extensive with the first layer 50.
• one of the layers 50, 52 is preferably printed with a starch solution. While an aqueous starch solution is presently preferred as the aqueous component is readily dried, use of a non-aqueous starch solution is also within the spirit and scope of this disclosure.
• the other of the layers 50, 52 is preferably printed with a solution comprising a mixture of calcium carbonate (or chalk) particles and starch.
• the second layer preferably is applied as an aqueous solution, but a non-aqueous solution also falls within the spirit and scope of this disclosure.
• the layer containing starch and calcium carbonate may be at least about 1.5 times the thickness of the starch layer. More preferably, the layer containing starch and calcium carbonate may be at least about 2 times the thickness of the starch layer. Even more preferably, the layer containing starch and calcium carbonate may be at least about 2.5 times the thickness of the starch layer. And most preferably, the layer containing starch and calcium carbonate may be at least about 3 times the thickness of the starch layer. While many types of starch are contemplated, tapioca starch is presently preferred for the starch component of the layers 50, 52. A suitable commercially available starch is FLO MAX8 available from National Starch & Chemical Co.
• SOCAL 31 calcium carbonate available from Solvay Chemicals, Inc., as SOCAL 31 is a suitable commercially available calcium carbonate.
• SOCAL 31 is an ultrafine, precipitated form of calcium carbonate having an average particle size of about 70 nm (nanometers). Larger particles of calcium carbonate have been observed to not function as well in this application when compared to the ultrafine, precipitated form of calcium carbonate, due at least in part to the tendency of larger particles to precipitate from solution more quickly and due at least in part to the need for greater quantities to attain the beneficial characteristics discussed herein.
• the CaCO 3 /starch ratio is a significant factor in determining ignition propensity and self extinguishment performance of a smoking article fashioned from the wrapper paper of this disclosure prepared by high-speed printing.
• the CaCO 3 /starch ratio is determined as the ratio, by weight, of calcium carbonate to starch for the zone 26 of add-on material, i.e., for both layers. More specifically, a CaCO 3 /starch ratio of at least about 35% is preferred to obtain ignition propensity and self extinguishment (0) performance less than about 25%. Even more preferred is a CaCO 3 /starch ratio of at least about 45% to obtain ignition propensity and self extinguishment (0) performance less than about 20%.
• the layer 50 printed on the base web 40 may be the starch layer
• the layer 52 may be the layer comprising a mixture of starch and calcium carbonate.
• a presently preferred arrangement places the mixture of starch and calcium carbonate in the first layer 50 and applies only starch in the other layer 52.
• the optical reflectance of the base web 40 and (ii) the optical reflectance of the mixture of starch and calcium carbonate are quite similar. In fact, those two reflectances are sufficiently similar that optical inspection equipment can have operational difficulty.
• the optical reflectance of the base web 40 and (ii) the optical reflectance of a layer comprising starch have been observed to be substantially different.
• the different reflectance characteristics of the layers 50, 52 are advantageously used to enhance the optical inspection characteristics of the wrapper paper of this disclosure. With the starch layer deposited on top of the starch-calcium-carbonate layer, optical inspection of the wrapper paper is materially enhanced. More particularly (see FIG.
• the web 40 may also pass through an inspection station 64.
• a light source 66 is focused on the moving web 40.
• a light beam 70 emanating from the light source 66 reflects from the surface of the moving base web 40 such that the reflected light is collected by a sensor 68.
• the zone 26 interrupts the light beam 70 and modulates the quantity of light reflected to the sensor 68.
• the sensor 68 can be constructed to sense the presence or absence of a zone 26.
• That reflectance parity problem can be alleviated by establishing an structure for the banded zones 26 in which the surface region has a reflectance which is sufficiently different from the reflectance of the base web that the inspection systems consistently identify the reflectance variation to identify parameters related to the banded regions 26, including by way of example presence of the reflectance variation (beginning or end of banded region 26), absence of the reflectance variation (a missing banded region 26, or a misplaced banded region 26), and longitudinal extent of a banded region 26 or spacing between banded regions 26 (e.g., how long a particular reflectance continues for a sensed velocity or speed of the base web through the inspection station).
• One way of establishing a desired structure for the banded zones 26 is to provide the increased calcium carbonate layer in a position more remote from the inspection system than the layer having essentially starch. Stated differently, by superposing the starch layer on the calcium-carbonate-containing layer, efficacy of optical inspection systems will not be impeded, but will continue to be effective.
• Such an arrangement of layers in the banded region 26 provides another surprising and beneficial attribute for the wrapper paper.
• the first layer of the banded region 26 applied to the base web contains both calcium carbonate and starch
• the presence of the banded region 26 is less evident when observed or examined from the side of the base web opposite to the side on which the banded region 26 is applied — i.e., the side opposite from the side where machine vision operates.
• the calcium carbonate levels approach high levels which are the subject of this disclosure, presence or existence of the banded region 26 becomes less visible to a consumer, and may actually become substantially invisible to an ordinary consumer.
• Such visual masking is important because consumers of smoking articles are accustomed to products in which the wrapper paper exhibits a uniform, homogeneous appearance.
• banded regions 26 (see FIG. 2) of layered add-on material are established as spaced locations on one side of the base web 23. Spacing of those banded regions 26 may be selected so as to be substantially greater than the width of those banded regions 26 in the longitudinal direction 42 of the base web 40.
• the width of the banded regions 26 may be selected to lie in the range of about 5mm to about 10mm (millimeters); and the spacing between those banded regions 26 may be in the range of about 12mm to about 40mm.
• a first layer 50 (see FIG. 3) of add-on material may be applied to one side of the base web 40, where the add-on material includes a reflective agent. That reflective agent may be selected to calcium carbonate, or chalk, and may be an ultrafine precipitated form of calcium carbonate.
• the banded regions 26 are further formed by adding or applying a second layer essentially free of the reflecting agent in superposing position relative to the first layer.
• That step of superposing the second layer 52 on the first layer 50 may be accomplished such that the second layer 52 is substantially coextensive with the first layer 50.
• Both the first layer 50 and the second layer 52 preferably include starch, such as tapioca starch, in aqueous solution, where the starch has reflectance properties substantially different from the reflectance properties of the calcium carbonate.
• the composition of the starch and calcium carbonate layer may be formed by mixing the starch and the calcium carbonate in substantially equal proportions.
• That reflectance-based inspection 64 uses the different reflectance properties of the base web 40 and the second layer 52 to provide information about the banded regions 26 including, for example and without limitation, the presence of the banded region 26, the beginning of the banded region 26, the end of the banded region 26, and the width of the banded region 26 in the longitudinal direction of the web 40. That inspection is conducted while the base web 40 moves through the inspection station 64 at commercial production speeds.
• the base web 40 with the banded regions 26 is used to form a tobacco rod 22 (see FIG. 1)
• the base web 40 may be slit longitudinally into portions having a transverse width corresponding to the circumference of a tobacco rod plus the width of a glue seam.
• the base web 40 is fed into the machine where cut tobacco filler is deposited on the side of the paper web 40 (see FIG. 3) to which the banded regions 26 have been applied so that the banded regions 26 are on the inside of the resulting tobacco rod 22.
• the wrapper paper is wrapped around the cut tobacco filler and sealed with a longitudinal seam.
• any visual inspection of the tobacco rod is directed toward a side of the paper web 40 that is free of the add-on material.
• presence of the banded regions 26 of add-on material is visually obscured from detection by the consumer and the appearance of the wrapper paper is more uniform.
• the portion of calcium carbonate in the mixture approaches the portion of starch in the mixture, the presence of the banded regions 26 becomes less and less visible from the consumer side of the tobacco rod, and when those two components are substantially equal, presence of the banded regions 26 upon visual inspection is difficult, if not impossible, to detect.
• the preferred arrangement of the layers of add-on material thus makes use of a optical characteristic of the banded material to facilitate or effectuate machine inspection of the wrapper paper having banded regions 26 on its base web 40.
• a optical characteristic of the banded material may be reflectance, brightness, or other specular characteristic of the paper.

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

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

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• 2008
  • 2008-06-25 TW TW097123630A patent/TWI441601B/zh not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2008-06-27 EP EP08825986A patent/EP2160106A2/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2008-06-27 MY MYPI20094523 patent/MY151930A/en unknown
  • 2008-06-27 AU AU2008269445A patent/AU2008269445B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2008-06-27 MX MX2009013444A patent/MX2009013444A/es active IP Right Grant
  • 2008-06-27 KR KR1020097024580A patent/KR101502186B1/ko not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2008-06-27 CA CA002692304A patent/CA2692304A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2008-06-27 JP JP2010514186A patent/JP5464601B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2008-06-27 WO PCT/IB2008/002635 patent/WO2009001223A2/en active Application Filing
  • 2008-06-27 BR BRPI0812922-3A2A patent/BRPI0812922A2/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2008-06-27 NZ NZ580630A patent/NZ580630A/xx not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2008-06-27 CN CN200880017665A patent/CN101677631A/zh active Pending
  • 2008-06-27 RU RU2010102739/12A patent/RU2477064C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2008-06-27 UA UAA201000670A patent/UA96815C2/ru unknown
• 2009
  • 2009-10-15 ZA ZA200907205A patent/ZA200907205B/xx unknown
  • 2009-10-19 IL IL201634A patent/IL201634A/en not_active IP Right Cessation

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