GB2207593A

GB2207593A - Cigarette filter

Info

Publication number: GB2207593A
Application number: GB08811808A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jacob Sidi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-06-01
Filing date: 1988-05-19
Publication date: 1989-02-08
Also published as: IL82729A0; GB8811808D0; DE3817771A1

Description

1 t Cigarette Filter This Invention 'Is concerned with cigarette filters

and more particular with cigarette filters which physically remove Impurity such as tar and nicotine from the smoke due to variations In the characteristics of different filter elements.

There are many different types of cigarette filters In use. For example there are filters that function on a blotter principle The tars In the smoke are moist and accordingly are trapped by blotter type substances In the fitter. There are filters that work on an adsor ption principle, such as filters that contain charcoal. There are filters that operate to cause the gaseous Impurities to be trapped due to sublimation of the gases. There are filters that change the velocity of the smoke during Its trip through the filter In attempt to physically "beat" the Impurities from the smoke. See for example U.S. patents 4 016 887, 4 153 064, 4 219 033, and 3 335 729.

The Ideal fitter would filter out all of the carcinogeneous material and other harmful matter from the burning tobacco caused smoke. The ideal filter would not Increase the Inhaling force used by the smoker to draw the smoke from the cigarette. Also the Ideal filter would not change the taste of the smoke. Obviously an Ideal filter Is not possible. since among other things removing all of the harmful matter would change the taste of the cigarette smoke.

The major problem with the prior art filters Is that they only remove what amounts to Insignificant amounts of harmful matter from the cigarette smoke; even so, many of the prior art filter do appreciably Increase the Inhalant force necessary to draw the smoke from the cigarette Into the mouth of the smoker.

]L 9 1 Accordingly the tobacco Industry Is still searching for a cigarette fitter which will remove significant portions of harmful. material from the cigarette smoke without Increasing the Inhaling force.

In accordance with one aspect of the Invention a cigarette filter that dramatically Increases the tars and nicotine removal from the cigarette smoke from the cigarette without necessitating an Increase In the Inhalant forces Is provided, said cigarette filter comprising: a fitter portion having a smoke Inlet end and a smoke outlet end, said filter portion comprising a first perforated disk.coaxial with said cigarette, and a first sponge-like section juxtaposed to said perforated disk at the disk face thereof closest to said smoke outlet end of said filter to trap the tars and nicotine therein. Accord 1 ng to a f eature of -er preferred irrent - a second spongelike cylindrical section Is located between said cigarette and said first perforated disk. Accord] ng to yet another feature of a preferred t, a second perforated disk follows said firstsponge-like section In the direction of the smoke, a final sponge-like cylindrical section follaws the second perforated disk, and the final sponge-11ke cylindrical section Is followed by another non sponge like filter section.

1 1 4 jz- The above named and other features and objects of the present Invention will be best understood when considered In the light of the following description of a preferred embodiment of the present Invention made In conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wh'tch is.

an exploded pictorial view of a preferred embodiment of the Inventive filter shown Integral with a cigarette.

The filter arrangement 11 In the drawing Is shown as comprised of a first perforated disk 12 Illustrated as followed by a first spongelike cylindrical section 13. Means are provided for keeping tobacco from clogging the perforations of disk 12. More particularly a second sponge11ke cylindrical section 14 Is located between the cigarette 16 and the disk 12.

In the preferred embodiment a second perforated disk 17 follows the first sponge-like cylindrical section 13. The disk 17 again co-operates with yet another sponge like cylindrical section 18. The sponge-like cylindrical section 18 Is followed by a regular "blotting" type filter and mouthpiece section 19. Wh-fle the filter section 19 Is described herein as a blotter type fliterhaving axially directed plastic strands, other types of filters could be used In Its place within the scope of the Invention.

In a preferred embodiment the diametersof all of the sections.are equal to each other and are the same as the diameter of the cigarette. The lengthsof the perforated disks 12 and 17 are each 1 to 1-5 PR. Each disk has up to approximately 30 holes for perforations with 18 1 holes being optimum. The perforations are substantially 0.4 mm In diameter each. The disks are prefem ably of hard plastic material.

The sponge-like cylindrical sections 14 and 13 are each approximately 4 mm In length. The sponge-like cylindrical section 18 Is approximately 2 mm In length. The sponge like sections are prefer ably of polyethylene sponge material.

In operation the smoke goes from the tobacco to the sponge like section 14 which by "blotter" action removes some of the Impurities In the smoke. The smoke than passes through the perforations such as perforation 21 In the disk 12 to the sponge-like section 13, which removes great quantities of the Impurities. The smoke continues through perforations such as perforation 22 In disk 17 to the sponge-like section 18, which again removes a large amount of the remaining Impurities. Finally the smoke passes through filter section 19.which removes some of the remaining Impurities.

The relative amounts of Impurities are easily determined by dissecting the filter after the cigarette Is smoked. The amount of Impurities trapped In sections 13 and 18 Is star-fl;ngly greater then In other filters.

It Is theorized that the Improved flitqr action Is caused by a Ilventurl tube" effect. In greater detail the smoke goes through the tobacco of cigarette 16 and the sponge-like sections 14, 13 and 18 at approximately the same velocity. Howeverthe cr6ss-sectional area of the total passageway through each of the disks 12 and 17 Is much smaller than the cross-sectional area of the total passageway through the sponge-like sections. The result Is that the velocity of the smoke Increases dramatically as It passes through the disks and then decreases suddenly as It starts through the sponge-like sections. The lk.

1 It c 1 1 sudden Jeceleration "jolts" the Impurities from the smoke In an unprecedented fashion. The Impurities filtered out even Include carbon.

While the Invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment It should be understood that the description Is by way of example only and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the Invention.

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Claims

Claims:-

1. A cigarette filter comprising a perforated disk, and a sponge-like section juxtaposed to the downstream face of the perforated disk to trap impurities therein.

2. A cigarette filter as claimed in claim 1. in combination with a cigarette.

3. A cigarette filter as claimed in claim 2, wherein the disk has the same diameter as the cigarette.

4. A cigarette filter as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the disk has up to 30 perforations.

5. A cigarette filter as claimed in claim 4, wherein the disk has about 18 perforations.

6. A cigarette filter as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the perforations of the disk are each approximately 0.4 mm in diameter.

7. A cigarette filter as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the disk has a length of 1 to 1.5 mm.

8. A cigarette filter as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the length of the sponge-like section is approximately 4 mm.

9. A cigarette filter as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a second sponge-like section is located upstream of the perforated disk.

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10. A cigarette filter as claimed in claim 9, wherein a second perforated disk abuts the downstream end of the first-mentioned sponge-like section and a third sponge-like section abuts the downstrem face of the second perforated disk.

11. A cigarette filter as claimed in claim 10, wherein a blotter type filter and mouthpiece section abuts the downstream end of the third sponge-like section.

12. A cigarette filter as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein all the said sections have the same diameter.

13. A cigarette filter as claimed in any of claims 10 to 12, wherein the first and third sponge-like sections are of polyethelene sponge material, and wherein the first and second sponge-like sections are each approximately 4 mm in length and the third sponge-like section has approximately half that length.

14. A cigarette filter for removing tars and nicotine from the cigarette smoke reaching the smoker, comprising: perforated disk means in the path of the smoke coming from the cigarette tobacco on the way to the smoker, and sponge-means juxtaposed to the disk means on the side of the disk means away from the tobacco, whereby the area of flow increases at the sponge means to change the velocity of the smoke and physically force nicotine and tar from the smoke.

15. A cigarette filter substantially as described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drewingj Published 1988 at The Patent 0Mce, State House, 66171 High Holborn, London WC1R 4TP. Further copies may be obtained from The Patent 0Mce, hv viiltiniex techniaues ltd, St Mary Cray, Kent. Con. 1,87.

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