EP2816910B1

EP2816910B1 - Tipping element for a smoking article

Info

Publication number: EP2816910B1
Application number: EP13707327.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: David Mclaughlin
Original assignee: JT International SA
Current assignee: JT International SA
Priority date: 2012-02-21
Filing date: 2013-02-21
Publication date: 2019-04-03
Anticipated expiration: 2033-02-21
Also published as: JP6349422B2; JP2017093458A; KR101901088B1; EP2816910A1; JP2015507936A; WO2013124378A1; KR102037549B1; EA201491395A1; KR20140130186A; JP6081496B2; UA109858C2; EA026803B1; KR20170127063A

Description

The present invention relates to smoking articles. More specifically, the present invention relates to a tipping element for a smoking article comprising a tobacco rod and a filter element joined at an end of the latter and through which smoke is drawn by the user of the smoking element once the free end of the tobacco rod has been lightened.
Tipping elements for smoking articles of the kind described above are well-known in the art. They generally consist of a piece of material forming a tight sleeve or collar securely adjoining the filter element of the smoking article and the tobacco rod once respective ends of each have been placed in abutment against each other during the manufacturing process of the smoking article.
Tipping elements are generally adhered around the joint of the tobacco rod and the filter element of the smoking article to ensure integrity of the smoking article during conditioning and use. They can for instance be of cellulosic material, synthetic material or a combination thereof and can further be colored, printed or even be totally or partially transparent.
It has now become relatively popular to provide smoking articles embedding one or more user-activated components, most often placed within the filter and/or proximate to the joint between the tobacco rod and the filter where the user usually holds the smoking article with his fingers.
The purpose of the user-activated component(s) is to allow the user to activate said components when desired to alter the smoke that passes through the filter, usually during the smoking process. For example, the component may be a capsule which is crushed by the user to add flavour to the smoke during use of the smoking article.
Whilst such smoking articles are becoming popular amongst users, there can be a problem in that it is difficult for the user to know whether or not they have activated the component(s) sufficiently to provide the desired effect on the smoke.
WO 2011/038430 discloses a smoking article according to the preamble of claim 1.
According to the present invention, there is provided a smoking article, the smoking article comprising a tobacco rod and a filter secured to the tobacco rod by a tipping element, said smoking article further comprising a user-activated component for altering smoke passing through the filter, said tipping element comprising an indicator component for cooperating with the user-activated component in use to indicate when the user has activated the user-activated component, said user-activated component being a fluid releasing means and said indicator component being pre-impregnated with an indicator material that is activated when the user activates the user-activated component within the filter, characterized in that said indicator component (8) is activated when contacting said fluid.
In the present invention, the term "cooperating" should be understood to imply a physical and/or chemical interaction between the indicator component of the tipping element with the user-activated component and/or its contents. Preferably, the cooperation between the indicator component of the tipping element with the user-activated component and/or its contents at least comprises fluid communication between the two features. In other examples, the cooperation between the indicator component of the tipping element with the user-activated component and/or its contents could comprise liquid communication between the two features, interaction of particles and/or compounds, any chemical interaction, or any physical contact between items to induce a change in properties of one or the other of the items.
According to the invention, the indicator component may comprise means for at least locally modifying optical contrast within the tipping element when the user has activated the user-activated component. Preferably, the indicator component comprises means for at least locally enhancing optical contrast within the tipping elemetn when the user has activated the user-activated component to provide a visual indication to the user within the tipping element.
The provision of a visual indicator within the tipping element of the smoking article is particularly useful and convenient for the user to determine if he has correctly activated the component(s) within the filter of the smoking article. The indicator component within the tipping provides a localized optical contrast amendment within the tipping element material that helps the user visually assess the correct activation of the component(s) in the filter, even while drawing a puff from the smoking article.
In the present invention, the term "optical contrast" should be understood in its more common definition as differences in colour or tone of juxtaposed regions of the tipping element of the invention that contribute to a visual effect in said tipping element.
In some embodiments of the invention, the indicator component of the tipping element comprises at least one layer, preferably of a porous and/or fluid conducting material, contacting the filter and the tipping element. Advantageously, this intermediate layer allows for easier cooperation between the indicator component of the tipping element with the user-activated component and/or its contents.
According to the invention, the indicator component preferably comprises at least one thread. Preferably, the at least one thread contacts both the filter and the tipping element, thus allowing for easier cooperation between the indicator component of the tipping element with the user-activated component and/or its contents.
More preferably, the at least one thread comprises material capable of driving liquid released by the user-activated component faster or further than the rest of the tipping element material in at least one direction.
In one embodiment of the invention, the indicator component is configured such that it provides visual indication to the user at least partially on the outer edge of the tipping element.
In some examples of the invention, the indicator component comprises means for at least locally modifying the surface texture of the tipping element and providing a tactile or touch sensitive indication to the user on the outer edge of the tipping element. Means for providing a tactile or touch sensitive indication may, for example, include liquid expandable components provided in the tipping element or adhered on the inner surface thereof in contact of the filter material and/or plug wrap (if the plug wrap is available) to provide localized bulging on the external surface of the tipping element.
The indicator component of the tipping element of the invention may also be arranged to provide an indication of the extent of activation of the user-activated component.
According to the invention, the user-activated component may be a flavour releasing means. Additionally, it can also be in the form of a capsule or thread.
With the tipping element of the present invention it is possible to provide to a user a clear indication that activation of the smoke altering component in the filter of the smoking article has occurred. This assists the user in identifying when activation has occurred, and also indicates to the user when the smoke altering component has been used so that the user does not try to activate it for a second time.
An example of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1A and 1B show cross-sectional views of two examples of standard smoking article configurations;
Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a smoking article comprising a tipping element according to the present invention;
Figures 3a and 3b show alternative example smoking articles comprising the tipping element of the present invention; and
Figure 4 shows an expanded cross-sectional view of a portion of a tipping element according to the present invention.

Referring to Figures 1A and 1B, a known smoking article 1 generally comprises a tobacco rod 2 and a filter 3. In use a smoking article is lit at a free distal end 2a of the tobacco rod 2 and smoke drawn from this distal free end 2a of the tobacco rod 2 through the filter 3 and onto a proximal end 3b of said filter 3 where it is inhaled by a user.
Usually the tobacco rod 2 will be surrounded by a wrapping 6, usually made of paper, which acts to retain the tobacco rod 2 in place and to direct the smoke towards the filter 3. The tipping element 4 retains a proximal connecting end 2b of the tobacco rod 2 and a distal connecting end 3a of the filter 3 in abutment against each other to provide structural integrity to the smoking article 1. In some cases the wrapping 6 is continuous along the entire length of the smoking article 1 (see Figure 1A) and in others it continues only to the position where the tobacco rod 2 meets the filter 3 (see Figure 1B). In the latter case often a plug wrap 7 is provided around the filter 3 to direct smoke and protect the filter component. In both the configurations of Figures 1A and 1B there is provided a user-activated component 5 in the filter 3. Said user-activated component 5 can preferably be in the form of a capsule. It is also usual to provide tipping paper 4 which surrounds the filter 3 and extends over the joint between the tobacco rod 2 and filter 3 to provide structural integrity to the smoking article 1 and to retain the filter 3 on the tobacco rod 2.
The user-activated component 5 may be a breakable capsule of the type disclosed in EP-A-1906775 , for example. In alternative examples, the user-activated component 5 may be in the form of multiple capsules, or alternatively, in the form of one or more threads or extruded components embedded within the filter material and of the type described in WO-A-2001/058319 , for example.
In such devices the user-activated component 5 comprises a smoke altering component or substance, for example, a flavour altering fluid or liquid which alters the flavour of the smoke when the user-activated component 5 is activated. If one or more threads are provided as the user-activated component 5, then these may be impregnated with a smoke altering liquid or other material(s). What all the possibilities have in common is, however, that the activation of the user-activated component 5 by a user either by compression, in which case the capsule is broken or the threads releases smoke altering material, or by twisting to provide a similar effect. If activation is achieved via twisting then the filter 3 may is provided by two components that can be twisted with respect to one another, the twisting applying a force to the user-activated component 5 in order to activate it.
The smoking article 1 comprises a tipping element 4, said tipping element 4 comprising an indicator component for indicating when the user of such a smoking article 1 has activated the user-activated component 5 contained therein.
The indicator component preferably comprises means for causing an optical, visible or contrast change within the tipping element 4 at least in some regions of said tipping element, by modifying, and preferably enhancing, optical contrast when the user-activated component 5 is activated to provide a visual indication to the user. More preferably, the indicator component may comprise at least one sheet or thread placed between the filter 3 and the tipping element 4 to place the filter 3 in fluid communication with the tipping element 4 in order to provide a visual indication to the user that the user-activated component 5 has been activated.
Figure 2 represents a cross-sectional view of smoking article 1 comprising a first configuration of a tipping element 4 according to the present invention. In this example all the components of the prior art smoking article of Figure 1B are shown and numbered identically. In addition, according to the invention, the tipping element 4 comprises an indicator component 8 around the plug wrap 7 of the filter 3. In the example shown in Figure 2 the indicator component 8 is made of an intermediate layer 9 between said plug wrap 7 and the inner surface of the tipping element 4. Said intermediate layer 9 can preferably be coated, printed or adhered to the inner surface of the tipping element 4, which is preferably made of paper,
The intermediate layer 9 forming the indicator component 8 is configured such that, when the user-activated component 5 is activated by a user and smoke altering material contained therein, for instance liquid, is dispersed into the filter 3, said liquid is drawn through the filter 3 and the plug wrap 7 to the indicator component 8. When the liquid has reached the indicator component 8 it passes along it to the proximal end 3b of the filter 3 where a user usually places their mouth and where it causes a visible optical contrast change between the filter 3 and the tipping element 4. The indicator component 8 is configured such that interaction with liquid from the user-activated component 5 alters either its contrast or colour with respect to other components, particularly the filter 3 and the tipping element 4, and as such provides a visual indication to a user that the user-activated component 5 has been activated. The contrast or colour change that occurs when the liquid of the user-activated component 5 reaches the intermediate layer 9 forming part of the indicator component 8 can be seen at least partially on the outer edge of the tipping element 4.
Figure 3A shows an alternative configuration of a tipping element 4 comprising an indicator component 8 according to the invention. In this second configuration the indicator component 8 comprises threads 10 which pass through the filter material 3 and plug wrap 7 and are in fluid communication with tipping element 4. The threads 10 are provided to provide a preferential path for liquid from the user-activated component 5 to be drawn to the tipping element 4. As shown in Figure 3B, when the user-activated component 5 has been activated the threads 10 draw liquid released by the user-activated component 5 to the tipping element 4 which alters the contrast or colour of at least some regions of the tipping element 4 to provide a visual indication to a user that the user-activated component 5 has been activated. Alternatively, the threads 10 can be replaced by protrusions, needles or nanotubes, i.e. more rigid guiding elements, extending in the filter 3 and plug wrap 7 to form preferred paths for the liquid in the user-activated component 5 to travel towards the tipping element 4.
The threads 10 may be pre-attached to the tipping element 4 before formation into the filter 3 and smoking article 1. It may be that they simply cover the filter 3 rather than penetrate it, but even in this case they provide a preferential path for liquid from the user-activated component 5. They may be anchored to the tipping element 4 to control the highlighted pattern that becomes visible on activation of the user-activated component 5.
As mentioned above, the tipping element 4 could act to both provide structural integrity to the smoking article 1 and also to be configured to provide the indicator component 8 as a single component. This can be seen from Figure 4, which shows a cross-section of a complex tipping element 4 providing built-in indicator component 8. Such tipping element 4 first comprises a translucent outer layer 11 which may provide protection. An opaque layer 12 with openings 13 is adhered or coated onto an inner face of the translucent layer 11 further followed by an indicator layer 14 and a base layer 15 to provide structure to the tipping element 4 hereby constituted. In such a configuration the tipping element 4 is wrapped with the base layer 15 in contact with the filter 3 of a smoking article 1 as represented in any of Figures 1 to 3. When a user-activated component 5 such as a liquid containing capsule is activated, liquid coming into contact through the filter 3 with the base layer 15 of the tipping element 4 passes through it and activates the indicator layer 14, which is then selectively visible through the openings 13 in the opaque layer 12.
This particular configuration has advantages in that the indicator element 8 can be protected from external moisture, preventing false activation. It also isolates the user from chemicals that may be contained in the indicator layer 14 forming the indicator element 8 whilst allowing a visually contrasted, possibly coloured, pattern to develop on the outside of the tipping element 4. The pattern can comprise words, a logo, dots, or other patterns, or a combination thereof. Base layer 15 could be formed from standard tipping paper for ease of manufacture. The indicator layer 14 can be provided from material of the type disclosed in, for example, US-B-6416853 . It is envisaged that the base layer 15 may not be necessary in some circumstances, but does have advantages in terms of providing structural support and has the potential to improve fluid transfer to the indicator layer 14.
In certain instances it may be desirable to provide an indicator element 8 in the tipping element 4 of a smoking article 1 which provides an indication of the degree of activation of the user-activated component 5 once the latter have been activated by a user. For example, user-activated components 5 are known which require not only activation but continued pressure application to dispense the smoke altering substance from the user-activated component 5. For example, the user may have to apply pressure over an extended period of time to dispense liquid from the user-activated component 5. In such a case the indicator component 8 may be configured to change contrast or colour dependent upon the amount of liquid that it receives from the user-activated component 5 to indicate the extent of activation. Alternatively, if multiple indicator components 8 or a series of openings 13 of the type shown in Figure 4 are used, these may be structured so that the number of indicator components 8 or series of openings 13 that are affected by activation of the user-activated component 5 is dependent upon the extent to which said user-activated component 5 is activated.
In all of these examples the indicator component 8 may be configured so that it is able to draw any liquid that activates it rapidly to an indicating surface of the tipping element 4 of a smoking article 1 of the kind previously described where it can be viewed by a user. This ensures rapid indication of activation.
In another alternative embodiment, the indicator component 8 may also comprise means for at least locally modifying the surface texture of the tipping element 4 in order to provide a tactile or touch sensitive indication that the user-activated component 5 has been broken to the user on the outer edge of the tipping element 4.
With the configuration of tipping element 4 comprising indicator component(s) 8 as proposed by the present invention it is possible to provide a smoking article 1 with a user-activated component 5 which alters a smoking experience yet still provides certainty to the user that activation of the user-activated component 5 has occurred in a simple and effective manner that is not dependent upon the user-activated component 5 or material being used for altering that smoking experience.

Claims

A smoking article (1), the smoking article comprising a tobacco rod (2) and a filter secured to the tobacco rod by a tipping element, said smoking article further comprising a user-activated component (5) for altering smoke passing through the filter, said tipping element comprising an indicator component (8) for cooperating with the user-activated component in use to indicate when the user has activated the user-activated component, said user-activated component (5) being a fluid releasing means, and the indicator component (8) being pre-impregnated with an indicator material that is activated when the user activates the user-activated component within the filter, characterized in that said indicator component (8) is activated when contacting said fluid.
A smoking article (1) according to claim 1, wherein the indicator component (8) comprises means for at least locally modifying optical contrast within the tipping element (4) when the user has activated the user-activated component (5).
A smoking article (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the indicator component (8) comprises means for at least locally enhancing optical contrast within the tipping element when the user has activated the user-activated component (5) to provide a visual indication to the user within the tipping element.
A smoking article (1) according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the user-activated component (5) is a liquid releasing means.
A smoking article (1) according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the indicator component (8) comprises at least one layer contacting the filter (3) and the tipping element.
A smoking article (1) according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the indicator component (8) comprises at least one thread (10) contacting the filter (3) and the tipping element.
A smoking article (1) according to claim 4 and 6, wherein the at least one thread (10) comprises material capable of driving liquid released by the user-activated component (5) faster or further than the rest of the tipping element material in at least one direction.
A smoking article (1) according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the indicator component (8) is configured such that it provides visual indication to the user at least partially on the outer edge of the tipping element.
A smoking article (1) according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the indicator component (8) comprises means for at least locally modifying the surface texture of the tipping element and providing a tactile indication to the user on the outer edge of the tipping element.
A smoking article (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the indicator component (8) is further arranged to provide an indication of the extent of activation of the user-activated component.
A smoking article (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the user-activated component (5) is a flavour releasing means.