2264038 1 A commodity for smokers. in particular a cigarette The present
invention relates to a commodity for smokers, in particular a cigarette. It is widely known that manufacturers of smoking materials such as cigarettes seek continually to improve their products not only from the functional standpoint, but also from that of appearance. Needless to say, the cost of any such improvement must be contained as far as possible in order to ensure that the price of the end-product is not significantly affected. This premiss in mind, the object of the present invention is to provide a commodity for smokers, namely a cigarette with new visual features such as can be created in simple and economical fashion. The stated object is realized in a commodity for smokers according to the present invention, and in particular a cigarette with an external wrapper or paper embodied in one or more parts, characterized in that the wrapper exhibits at least one embossed area.
2 The invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which: -fig 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a commodity for smokers according to the present invention, viewed in perspective; -fig 2 shows one portion, not drawn to scale, of the section that might be exhibited by a pair of xembossing rollers used in fashioning the commodity of f ig 1; -fig 3 shows one portion, not drawn to scale, of an alternative section that might be exhibited by a pair of embossing rollers used in fashioning the commodity of fig 1; -fig 4 shows a different commodity for smokers embodied according to the invention, seen in plan. With reference to fig 1 and fig 4 of the drawings, 1 denotes a commodity for smokers according to the present invention, in its entirety, which is also referred to as a cigarette herein. The cigarette 1 shown in fig 1 consists essentially in a length of cigarette rod comprising a tobacco filler 2 enveloped in an external wrapper 3 that exhibits at least one embossed area 4, 'embossed' in this context signifying an imprint produced on 3 Y paper by means of special rolling dies, whether as an ornamentation or for functional purposes. More exactly, it will be observed that the wrapper 3 of the cigarette shown in fig 1 presents two distinct embossed areas 4 disposed circumferentially around the cigarette 1. The embossed circumferential area 4 is produced by passing the wrapper 3, still in strip format and before being rolled around the tobacco filler 2, between at least one pair of embossing rollers 5 and 6 respectively affording projections 16 and matching depressions 17 (see fig 2), by which a script or motif 18 is impressed in relief on the wrapper 3 (see fig 1). Alternatively, the embossed circumferential area 4 can be produced by passing the wrapper 3, likewise in strip format and before being rolled around the tobacco filler 2, between at least one pair of embossing rollers 5 and 6 affording projections 7 and matching depressions 8 (see fig 3) capable not only of impressing a script or motif 18, but also of producing a plurality of holes 9 that serve to ventilate the cigarette 1. To this end, fig 1 shows a cigarette of which the wrapper 3 exhibits both an embossed circumferential area 4 presenting a script 4 is or motif 18, and an embossed circumferential area 4 presenting a plurality of ventilation holes 9. Fig 3 shows one portion of the cross section that might be exhibited by the pair of rollers 5 and 6, illustrating both the embossing projections 13 and depressions 14, and in addition, projections 7 and matching depressions 8 of correspondingly greater height and depth by means of which to create the holes 9. Thus, the wrapper 3 undergoes a simple deformation between the embossing projections 13 and depressions 14, but is stressed to the point of breaking between the more pronounced projections 7 and the deeper depressions 8. The cigarette 1 shown in fig 1 is plain, i.e. not filter- tipped, and the external wrapper 3 consists entirely in the normal cigarette paper 15. By contrast, fig 4 shows a cigarette with a filter tip. 10 denotes the filter, which is enveloped in a separate paper 11 together with the adjoining end of the cigarette rod, consisting in the tobacco filler 2 and the relative paper 15. In this example the external wrapper 3 is composed of the cigarette paper 15 and the tip paper 11. Conventionally, and reflecting the current state of the art, ventilation holes 9 are pierced either by h is means of acuminate elements, such as needles, or utilizing a laser device. In the case of needles, any economies gained on the initial outlay are offset by the limited duration of the needles themselves, which becomes especially short in the event that the holes are pierced after the cigarette has been formed; in this instance, in fact, the needles are made not only to puncture the paper but also to penetrate the tobacco, with the result that the points become worn in a relatively short time. Laser devices are typified by high costs, on the other hand, and tend to scorch microscopic areas of the tobacco, the effect of which is to spoil the flavour of the cigarette. The advantages of the present invention are clear, inasmuch as the creation of a new visual feature requires no materials (inks, etc.) other than the embossing rollers 5 and 6 themselves; moreover, the duration of the rollers is substantially unlimited, not least when considering the typical commercial lifespan of a given brand of cigarette. Another advantage afforded by the invention is that cigarettes can be provided with ventilation holes and an embossed ornamentation in one and the same 6 operation, in this instance using rollers with a number of projections 7 and matching depressions 8 respectively more pronounced and deeper than those which produce the embossed script or motif. Since the more pronounced projections 7 and depressions 8 comprise no acuminate profile, but are proportioned in such a way that a material inserted between the rollers will simply deform to the point of rupture, the effect is comparable in practice to a set of punches and dies. The service life of the embossing rollers 5 and 6 is decidedly longer than that of a set of needles, indeed practically unlimited, and the cost far less than that of a laser device. It is of considerable importance that a ventilated cigarette 1 can be manufactured at reasonable cost: smoking a cigarette of this type, in fact, air is drawn both through the lighted end of the cigarette and through the ventilation holes; thus, the stream of hot air and smoke pulled through the cigarette from the lighted end is tempered by an additional intake of clean fresh air, i.e. devoid of fumes from the burning tobacco, the effect of which is to lower the temperature of the fumes and reduce the quantity of nicotine and tar reaching the end of the cigarette held between the smoker's lips.
z 7 claims A commodity for smokers, in particular a cigarette comprising an external wrapper embodied in one or more parts, characterized in that the wrapper exhibits at le ast one embossed area.
2) 3) 4) A commodity for smokers as in claim 1, wherein the embossed area is disposed circumferentially in relation to the commodity in its entirety.
A commodity for smokers as in claim 2, wherein the embossed circumferential area is produced by means of at least one pair of embossing rollers affording at least one projection and one relative matching depression designed to invest the external wrapper with a script or motif appearing in relief.
A commodity for smokers as in claim 2, wherein the embossed circumferential area is produced by means 8 of at least one pair of embossing rollers affording projections and relative matching depressions designed to produce a plurality of ventilation holes in the commodity, located substantially in the region of the embossed circumferential area.
A commodity for smokers as in claim 4, wherein the embossed circumferential area is produced by means of at least one pair of embossing rollers affording first projections and relative first matching depressions, also second projections and relative second matching depressions of height and depth respectively greater than the height and depth of the first projections and depressions.
6) A commodity for smokers as in claim 1 in particular a filter-tipped cigarette, of which the external wrapper is composed of a first paper containing a length of tobacco filler, and a second paper by which the filter and at least a portion of the first paper are enveloped and restrained, wherein the embossed area is located substantially in the region of the second paper.
9 7) A commodity for smokers, in particular a cigarette, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.