JP2013514802A - Improved disintegration and / or degradation of smoking products - Google Patents

Abstract

  The present invention provides a filter (2) for a smoking article (1) comprising a vehicle containing a liquid that improves the disintegration and / or degradability of the smoking article. Also provided are methods for improving the disintegration and / or degradability of a smoking article, the smoking article comprising a vehicle containing a liquid that improves the disintegration and / or degradability of the smoking article.

Description

  The present invention relates to increasing the disintegration and / or degradability of used smoking articles, and in particular to increasing the disintegration and / or degradability of filters of such smoking articles.

  Currently available cigarette smoke filters have a problem that they are difficult to dispose of after use.

  During smoking, most tobacco and paper wrappers that wrap it are converted to gas and ash during incineration. The remaining used smoking article is a filter consisting of a little residual ash, part of the original cigarette and wrapper, filter plug, plug wrapper and cigarette rod and tipping paper wrapper wrapped around the filter . There is also an adhesive for fixing these members. Spent smoking articles are usually completely separated into individual components in a relatively short time when exposed to moisture and / or mechanical wear. The individual parts of the used smoking article can thus be substantially dispersed and disintegrated.

  However, plugs made of filter material usually do not disperse or disassemble easily. With few exceptions, the filter is currently formed from highly crimped cellulose acetate fibers that are bonded using a plasticizer at the point of contact and provide a very large volume of interstitial space for the smoke path. The combined contact points of such filter elements decompose very slowly under normal environmental conditions. In general, the cellulose acetate fiber itself is inferior in biodegradability.

  Developments have been made to date to improve the biodegradability of filter plugs, but attention has been focused on improving the technology for producing filters with improved biodegradation rates. At the same time, there is also a need to maintain the filtration performance, smoke characteristics and consumer satisfaction provided by currently available smoking article filters.

  To make smoking articles such as filter cigarettes that break down or decompose more easily and are highly biodegradable, the individual parts of the smoking article after use separate relatively quickly and then the individual parts quickly It would be desirable to provide a smoking article that disperses and biodegrades. In other words, early separation of smoking articles after use increases the rate of degradation by increasing the exposure of individual components to natural factors such as moisture, sunlight, mechanical wear and aerobic biodegradation.

  One method previously used to improve separation of smoking article filters after use includes incorporating a water-swollen gel in the filter material so that the filter swells when in contact with moisture, This breaks the chipping paper of the filter and exposes the filter material to the natural factors.

  It has also been proposed to produce water-decomposable paper for smoking article filter members such as filter materials, filter plug wrappers and chipping paper. It is also known to use a water-soluble adhesive to secure the filter plug and chipping paper wrapper.

  All these methods for improving the degradation of smoking article filters require the presence of water, such as residual moisture from them, such as rain, snow or moist soil. However, in countries with low rainfall and low humidity, these methods are not effective.

  Another problem is that cellulose acetate tow, which is commonly used as a filter material, does not easily decompose or biodegrade. Thus, despite the efforts to promote separation of smoking articles after use, the filter itself does not subsequently decompose. Therefore, much of the effort expended to reduce the environmental impact of used smoking articles or to make the used smoking articles more environmentally friendly is aimed at improving the biodegradability of cellulose acetate fibers. ing. Water-soluble polymers are used in place of triacetin, a solvent that binds the cellulose acetate fibers normally used to make filters. In addition, soluble polymer materials such as polyvinyl alcohol and ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer may be used instead of cellulose acetate. Also known are tobacco smoke filters made of creep paper made from wood pulp sheets and tobacco filters made of regenerated cellulose acetate fiber bundles. Compared to filters made of cellulose acetate fiber bundles, these filters tend to disintegrate, albeit slightly, when exposed to moisture.

  Although there are clearly environmentally favorable alternatives to cellulose acetate, the degradation performance depends on the presence of water, which may be insufficient in some areas as described above.

  In view of the above, at least one aspect of the present invention provides a smoking article having improved disintegration, dispersibility and / or degradability. In particular, at least one aspect of the present invention provides a smoking article filter that is degradable without environmental water.

  In a first aspect of the invention, a filter for a smoking article is provided, which includes a vehicle containing a liquid that can enhance disintegration and / or degradation of the smoking article.

  The vehicle may be a capsule and may be destroyed or activated to release liquid immediately prior to disposal of the smoking article, or may be destroyed or activated after some time after disposal. Generally, the vehicle is arranged to operate to release liquid after the smoking article has been smoked.

  The vehicle can be arranged to act by a longitudinal force or bending force acting on the smoking article, whereby the liquid is released, for example, by a “smearing” action of the smoking article. During the action of the vehicle that releases the liquid, the filter is substantially deformed.

  The liquid improves the degradability of the smoking article by one or more of the following methods. First, the separation of the various components of the smoking article is triggered by the liquid, exposing these components more to the environment and promoting dispersal and biodegradation. Second, the degradation of one or more of the components of the smoking article may be enhanced directly by the liquid. For example, the filter may include a filter material that is decomposed by a liquid held in the vehicle. Therefore, for example, when a capsule containing a liquid is broken, the liquid is released and the decomposability of the filter material is improved.

  In a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a smoking article comprising a filter as described herein.

  In a third aspect of the present invention there is provided the use of a capsule comprising a liquid to enhance the disintegration and / or degradability of a smoking article.

  In a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for enhancing the disintegration and / or degradability of a smoking article, wherein the smoking article contains a liquid that can enhance the disintegration and / or degradability of the smoking article. Including capsules.

  For a full understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying schematics (not to scale) each showing a longitudinal section of an individual filtered cigarette including a filter according to some embodiments of the present invention.

2 shows a filter according to one embodiment of the present invention. 3 shows a filter according to another embodiment of the invention.

  The present invention provides a filter for use in a smoking article, the filter comprising a vehicle containing a liquid that can enhance the disintegration, dispersibility and / or degradability of the smoking article. This vehicle is durable for handling when using smoking goods and is preferably intended to act upon disposal of the smoking goods to release the liquid contents in the filter. . The filter may be directly disintegrated and decomposed by dissolving or dispersing one or more filter members, such as a filter material, in the liquid. Alternatively, degradation may be indirectly improved as a result of increasing exposure to the environment, for example by promoting the separation of the filter with a liquid.

  FIG. 1 shows a smoking article 1 including a filter 2. The filter 2 includes two sections consisting of a substantially cylindrical filter plug 3 separated by a cavity 6. The filter plug and the cavity are wrapped in a plug wrapper 4. A capsule 5 containing a liquid is arranged in the cavity 6 of the filter 2. The smoking article further includes a cylindrical smoking material rod 7 aligned with the filter 2 so that one end abuts the end of the filter 2. This rod is wrapped in a paper wrapper 8 and joined to the filter 2 by chipping paper 9 in a conventional manner.

  FIG. 2 shows another embodiment in which the same features are labeled with the same reference numerals. This embodiment differs from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in that the capsule 15 has an elongated shape. Rather than being located in a cavity in the filter 2, the capsule 15 is embedded in the material of the filter plug 13.

  The liquid held in the capsule can improve the degradability of the smoking article. The liquid is therefore selected according to the composition of the material containing the rest of the smoking article or vice versa. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the liquid is water and the various components of the smoking article are water dispersible or water degradable to the extent outlined below. In this way, this smoking article has improved degradability compared to the same smoking article without a water-containing capsule.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the capsule 15 is surrounded by the filter material 13. In some embodiments, the filter may be a composite filter consisting of multiple filter segments. For example, the filter shown in FIG. 1 includes two sections of filter material 3 separated by a cavity 8 containing a capsule. In another embodiment, the capsule may be located in a cavity formed between the filter material and the smoking material rod, or the filter may comprise more than two filter sections and a plurality of cavities May be included.

  In the illustrated embodiment, the smoking article comprises one capsule. However, in other embodiments, more than one capsule may be used, and in such embodiments, the capsule is held in a cavity section formed in a multi-section filter.

  The capsule may be inserted into the filter using any suitable method, and various methods of inserting the capsule are known to those skilled in the art. Suitable devices include, for example, means for supplying filter material that flows continuously from a source of filter material (eg, bale, bobbin, etc.). The apparatus may further include a capsule insertion unit for inserting or depositing individual capsules at predetermined intervals within the filter material. The filter material on which the capsules are deposited is housed in a rod manufacturing means for providing a continuous rod and then divided into desired lengths at predetermined intervals to form the individual filters of the present invention.

  The prior disclosure of capsules generally used in smoking article filters relates to providing an encapsulation method that is intended to release the encapsulated material prior to smoking. The capsule is designed to resist breakage only during transport and storage where the filter is not exposed to high external pressure. The capsule is then to be destroyed immediately before use of the smoking article, and since this is the first time the smoking article is exposed to the forces and external pressures of large manipulations, the capsule must necessarily have a certain strength There is no.

  In contrast, the capsules used in the present invention are designed to be destroyed after the smoking article has been smoked, and therefore can withstand a significant degree of manipulation when the smoking article is smoked. preferable. Accordingly, the capsules of the present invention must be more robust than those previously described. It is important that the capsule is not accidentally destroyed until just before the smoking article is discarded. Such early destruction changes the filtration performance of the smoking article, and there is a high possibility that something different from the predicted one will be obtained.

  On the other hand, it is important that the capsules are not overly rugged since they must be easily broken after smoking is finished by hand or “smear”. The capsule used in the present invention has a crushing strength of, for example, 1.5 to 2.5 kp, preferably 1.7 to 2 kp.

  The capsule may be designed such that the breaking force depends on the nature of the applied pressure and may be inserted into the filter. The pressure applied by the user during smoking is applied to the circumferential surface of the smoking article, mainly by the fingers and mouth (“lateral” pressure). In some embodiments of the invention, the capsule is relatively resistant to laterally applied pressure to prevent premature unintentional breakage. On the other hand, the act of smearing a smoking article is subject to pressure in the “longitudinal direction” along the length of the smoking article, and therefore the capsule must exhibit a relatively low resistance to breakage against the longitudinal pressure.

  This directional elastic force of the capsule can be obtained in many ways. For example, the capsule may be oval or oval, so that the capsule exhibits a greater resistance to the breakdown of pressure applied in one direction to pressure applied in one direction. Apart from this, directional elastic forces can be obtained using capsules reinforced in specific areas. Such capsules are obtained, for example, by increasing the shell thickness in selected areas. Of course, a similar effect may weaken the capsule wall in certain areas to make it easier to break or rupture in response to forces applied in a particular way or direction.

  The act of smearing the smoking article also includes bending the filter. Thus, in some embodiments, the capsule is designed to be more ruptured when the filter is bent or bent. For example, a long cylindrical capsule that can be broken and broken may be used. Such long capsules may be positioned longitudinally within the filter and easily bend and break when the smoking article filter is smeared or bent.

  Various means for encapsulating substances such as liquids for release into smoking article filters are known and are generally suitable for use in the present invention. One of the first considerations is, of course, that the capsule must be resistant to the degradation action of the encapsulated contents. The capsule must also be composed of a material having a melting point higher than the temperature of the smoke passing through the filter.

  The capsule may be stressed to show brittleness and / or include weakened lines, weak points or weakened sections, such as split lines. Alternatively, the insertion means may be incorporated in the filter.

  In a preferred embodiment, the capsule is constructed from a fragile material. In one embodiment, the capsule is composed of a polymeric polyvinyl alcohol with low solubility. Many other suitable materials are also known, and capsules commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry may be used as an example. Such capsules may be gelatin based or may be formed from a polymeric material such as modified cellulose. One modified cellulose that can be used is hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. Many biodegradable materials suitable for use in the manufacture of capsules are known, such as polymeric polyethylene glycol, polylactic acid, polystarch material, polycaprolactone, polyglycolide, poly-3-hydroxybutyrate. There are polyhydroxyalkanoates such as rate and bioplastics derived from zein.

  Apart from this, the capsule consists of a thin glass tube with a length of wall that can be endured by heating or hand handling before and during smoking and sealed with a material that can be crushed after smoking. May be included. Other suitable materials include aluminum tubes with thin walls or extruded hollow tubes made of hollow food material such as pasta or recycled tobacco material. The inner wall of the encapsulant is advantageously coated with a waterproof material such as varnish or silicone to preserve the stiffness of the encapsulant by preventing absorption or degradation by the liquid inclusion over time.

  Apart from this, the capsule maintains its shape and strength at room temperature, but wax, resin, natural or synthetic rubber, latex or crushing to release the liquid contents by the pressure applied to extinguish the smoking article You may comprise a plastic material. Examples of suitable waxes include beeswax, candelilla, carnauba, shellac wax, caranday, sugar cane wax, myrtle wax and petroleum wax.

  Suitable resins include epoxy resins, terpene resins, petroleum resins, ester rubbers, phenolic resins and rosin resins. Preferred gums are gum arabic, locust bean, guar, alginate, carrageenan and pectin.

  It is preferable that the substance constituting the capsule does not affect the taste of mainstream smoke during smoking.

  Capsules may be formed in various physical forms such as a single capsule or multiple capsules, large capsules, small capsules, microcapsules and the like. Many different capsule forms are suitable for use in the present invention, for example, the capsule may be spherical (as shown in FIG. 1), oval, elliptical (as shown in FIG. 2), cylindrical. It may be close to a polygonal prism.

  The capsule may be colored. For example, the capsule may contain a colorant. Colorants may be used to facilitate placement of the capsule within the filter during manufacture. Alternatively or in addition, the colorant may be of interest to smoking articles, especially when only a part of one or more capsules is enclosed within the filter or when the chipping paper has a transparent window. And an appearance that draws attention.

  Alternatively or additionally, the liquid retained in the capsule may be colored. This can further visually indicate to the user that the liquid is successfully released and that the degradability of the used smoking article is enhanced. Colored liquids also have the additional advantage that they can act as landmarks when the liquid is unintentionally destroyed before smoking. The color is a warning to the smoker that the smoking article is damaged and should not be smoked.

  The size of the capsule will naturally depend on the amount of liquid required, but must be considered so that the presence of the capsule in the filter does not adversely affect the filtration or suction characteristics of the filter.

  In one embodiment, the capsule diameter is 5 mm. Generally, the capsule diameter accounts for up to 80% of the diameter of the smoking article. Preferably the capsule diameter accounts for up to 70%, 60% or 50% of the smoking article. For example, the diameter of the capsule may be 2 to 7 mm, preferably 4 to 6 mm.

  The capsule must be large enough to contain sufficient contents to enhance the degradability of the smoking article. The volume required will depend on the nature of the liquid retained in the capsule, the composition of the non-capsule component of the smoking article and the ability of the liquid to enhance the degradability of the smoking article. Capsule volume accounts for up to 60%, 50%, 40% or 30% of the total volume of the filter. However, if a large amount of liquid is required, it must be balanced with the need to keep enough filter material in the filter to provide the required degree of filtration.

  The capsule capacity is preferably as large as possible, but the risk of premature breakage of the capsule increases as the capsule grows. Further, the larger the capsule, the more obstructed the smoke flow path. Therefore, the filter preferably contains two, three, four or more capsules in order to accommodate the required amount of liquid. The plurality of capsules may be arranged at regular intervals along the length of the filter, for example. Alternatively, a plurality of capsules may be arranged as clusters in the filter, for example, in a cavity formed between two sections of the filter material.

  Alternatively, long cylindrical or elliptical capsules (or tubes) having the same length as a significant percentage of the filter length or having the same length as the total length of the filter may be used. The diameter of such capsules is at most 5 mm.

  Multiple capsules containing different liquids may be used.

  In some embodiments, one or more capsules may be further encapsulated, such as in a second capsule or sheath. This prevents unintended or premature destruction or accidental leakage. In this way, a capsule having a single wall or a plurality of walls can be used depending on the stability, strength, resistance to breakage of the capsule, simplification of processing in filter production, and the like.

  Capsules may be manufactured using any suitable method, and the method of manufacturing the capsule will, of course, depend on the exact composition and configuration required. Various capsule manufacturing methods are known to those skilled in the art, and techniques such as coextrusion, spin coating, coacervation, interfacial polymerization, solvent evaporation and annular jet formation are known.

  In some embodiments where the capsule is a seamless capsule, the capsule may be manufactured using a coextrusion method. The co-extrusion method is the simultaneous extrusion of two liquids that later form the shell and capsule contents (or “core”). The first (simultaneous extrusion) step involves forming drops having a liquid core material inside a liquid shell. After the coextrusion step, the capsules are solidified by cooling or dipping, for example, in a curing agent. The capsule may then be subjected to various treatments such as washing, removal of excess liquid, coloring, additional coatings and the like.

  Alternatively, an annular jet forming method may be used. This method utilizes two concentric jets that eject an inner jet made of a liquid core material and an outer jet made of a liquid shell material. The fluid flow breaks into droplets and the liquid shell material solidifies due to phase transitions induced by the presence of cross-linking ions, pH differences, temperature changes, and the like.

  In some embodiments where the capsule is a wax capsule, for example, the capsule may be formed by a method that includes freezing a solution of a liquid core material until small crystals are formed. In this method, the crystals are dropped into molten wax, and the wax is coated around the cold crystals and then removed with a spatula. The frozen core material gradually becomes liquid when the coated capsules reach room temperature.

  In another embodiment, the capsule is manufactured in-situ. For example, in an embodiment where the capsule is a long cylindrical capsule extending the entire length of the filter, the capsule may be constructed by crimping a continuous length of tubing as part of the filter manufacturing process. .

  The liquid retained in the capsule may be any liquid that can enhance the degradability of one or more materials, including the rest of the smoking article other than the capsule. Of course, the nature of the liquid depends on the composition of the smoking article material, or the composition of the smoking article material depends on the nature of the liquid.

  The disintegration and / or degradability of the smoking article may be improved by one or more of the following methods. First, the separability of the smoking article is increased, so that more individual components are exposed to the environment and therefore the degradation is likely to accelerate. The degradability of one or more individual members may then be increased directly, for example, one or more members may be soluble or reactive in the liquid held in the capsule.

  In general, smoking articles include many different papers (chipping paper, plug wrappers and paper wrapping tobacco) that secure and bundle together the various components of the smoking article. In some embodiments, the adhesive that bonds these papers and / or the dispersibility of the paper itself is enhanced by the action of the liquid in the capsule. In one preferred embodiment, the liquid is water, the adhesive is a water soluble or water dispersible adhesive, and the plug wrapper and chipping paper are water degradable paper. Thus, when the capsule ruptures, water acts on the adhesive, the plug wrapper and the tipping paper, promoting separation of the smoking article and promoting environmental degradation of the various components of the smoking article.

  There are many ways in which liquids improve the degradability of smoking articles. When the capsule ruptures, the liquid is released and can move through the smoking article. In some embodiments, the liquid retained in the capsule is an aqueous solution, and one or more of the remaining members of the smoking article are water-degradable, eg, comprised of a water soluble or water dispersible material. In one embodiment, the liquid in the capsule is water and the filter material is a water-soluble or water-dispersible material such as polyvinyl alcohol.

  In other embodiments, other liquids may be used in the capsule, and it is understood that the liquid used is selected depending on the composition of the other components of the smoking article.

  In general, the preferred liquid for use in capsules is an aqueous solution, and the most preferred liquid is water. Weakly acidic or basic solutions may be used. In general, any liquid may be used that is not potentially toxic or harmless to the user. If the capsule is destroyed unintentionally and early, it is important that the other parts of the smoking article are not decomposed to generate potentially toxic or harmful substances for the user.

  The liquid may be colored. This serves to provide a visual indication that the capsule has ruptured, which is important for two reasons. First, it informs the user that the capsule has been destroyed early and warns not to smoke the smoking article. Secondly, when the user tries to break the capsule, the user can confirm that the capsule has been successfully broken. An interesting possibility of observing colored capsules is to serve as a motivation to prompt the user to break the capsules when discarding smoking articles.

  In some embodiments, the degradability of the smoking article is improved by means of a chemical reaction between the liquid and one or more of the remaining components of the smoking article, such as a filter material. The chemical contained within the capsule is selected to react specifically with a particular component of the smoking article. Alternatively, the chemical substance may be one that has a low selective ability to chemically react with or decompose the smoking article, for example, the chemical substance may be a weak acidic solution.

  The filter may comprise two or more capsules containing different liquids. These different liquids may react or combine with each other to form a liquid that can enhance the degradability of the smoking article. Separately, different members of the smoking article may be decomposed by different liquids.

  In some embodiments, the capsule comprises a solution that acts as an attractant for microorganisms, insects or other organisms. Therefore, the degradation rate of the smoking article can be effectively improved by the action of the living body.

  In these embodiments, the capsule may comprise an aqueous solution of, for example, environmentally acceptable glucose (or other sugar solution), salt (saline) or starch (such as a thin corn starch syrup). Those skilled in the art will recognize that in all of these embodiments, the choice of material comprising the remainder of the smoking article is important in promoting the action of microorganisms.

  Capsules are designed to rupture when the smoking article is discarded, and in many cases the used smoking article may have an undesirable odor. Therefore, in addition to the decomposition action, the liquid may further have a deodorizing performance. Separately, a separate decomposition liquid or deodorant liquid may be incorporated into the filter in separate capsules and burst at the same time.

  The deodorant may be a neutral agent or a masking agent, or a combination thereof.

  Preferred deodorants include 2-trans-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadien-8-ol (also known as geraniol), 1-carvone, 1-carbeveol, terpinyl acetate, geranyl propionate , Citronellyl butyrate, citral, cis-3-hexanol, triacetin, benzyl benzoate, acetone, safrole, terpinylpropionate, methyl salicylate, hexylcinnamic aldehyde, isopropyl alcohol, triethyl glycol diacetate (TEGDA), odol Gone (OdorGone (trade name)), methylcinnamaldehyde, linalyl propionate, acetic acid, citronellal, citronellyl formate, geranyl formate and linalool. Mixtures of these compounds are also suitable. Many other masking agents such as perfumes such as essential oils used in potpourri are also suitable compounds for use in the present invention.

  The filter material used in most filters of smoking articles currently on the market is composed of cellulose acetate fibers and does not disintegrate or decompose easily.

  The filter material of one embodiment of the present invention is composed of polyvinyl alcohol. Polyvinyl alcohol is commercially available as a plastic water-soluble polymer that is relatively inexpensive and non-toxic. Polyvinyl alcohol is an unusual material in that it is the only biodegradable carbon-carbon backbone polymer that can be fully biodegraded in the environment. Thus, in this embodiment, when discarding the used smoking article, the user, for example, squeezes the filter or steps on the used smoking article to rupture the capsule. As a result, water in the capsule is released, and the water moves through the filter to accelerate the decomposition of the polyvinyl alcohol filter material.

  In other embodiments, other water-degradable materials such as starch, ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer, polylactic acid, creep paper made from wood pulp sheets or regenerated cellulose fiber bundles may be used.

  As described above, the liquid may not act to dissolve the filter material, but some other embodiments may be utilized to increase the degradability of the smoking article. For example, in some embodiments, the filter material may be cellulose acetate made using a water soluble plasticizer to bind cellulose acetate fibers. In these embodiments, the liquid may be water, and other members such as plug wrappers, tipping paper and / or adhesives may also preferably be water soluble or water dispersible. Thereby, the capsule breakage causes separation of the filter member including dispersion or separation of the plasticizer. As a result, the cellulose acetate fibers are disconnected from each other, the filter material is disintegrated, and the individual cellulose acetate fibers can be dispersed. As an alternative to using water-soluble plasticizers, non-woven or loosened cellulose acetate fibers may be used.

  In embodiments where the liquid facilitates separation of the smoking article member, the filter may further comprise a material or powder that can expand as the liquid acts. This rupture of the capsule in this way causes the material to expand and then ruptures the filter. Suitable materials that can be inflated are known to those skilled in the art. For example, materials that swell in contact with water include carboxymethylcellulose, water-dispersible starch, chemically modified starch, and a cross-linked copolymer of acrylic acid and sodium acrylate or a cross-linked copolymer of acrylamide and potassium acrylate. There are super-adsorption polymers such as polymers. These materials may be powdered and incorporated into a filter and swell when exposed to water from the capsules of the present invention, for example. The expansion action physically separates the members of the filter, improving the collapse of the member structure and the dispersion of the members.

  In other embodiments, the liquid may be an aqueous solution containing a biological agent capable of degrading cellulose, such as a cellulase enzyme.

  In some embodiments, the filter material may include paper. The liquid may be water, which does not dissolve the paper but still improves paper disintegration and degradation.

  Filter materials that are not themselves biodegradable, but are converted to disintegrate or biodegradable by the action of specific chemicals that are desired to be retained in the capsule, may be used.

  Many smoking articles are configured to accompany a flavor within the smoke that is smoked by the user along the smoking article. This is sometimes done by incorporating flavorant-containing capsules within the smoking article filter. In such a smoking article, encapsulation prevents the volatile flavor from evaporating prematurely by rupturing the capsule prior to use of the smoking article and releasing the flavor. However, this method of flavoring smoking articles is clearly incompatible with the disintegrating smoking articles described herein. This is because more capsules are needed for the filter, and the flavor capsules must be ruptured before smoking, but the liquid capsules must be broken when the used smoking article is discarded. Because it must be.

  Thus, in some embodiments of the present invention, the filter may include a thread that extends from the tobacco rod end to the mouth end along the longitudinal axis of the filter. In these embodiments, the filamentous material is filled with a fragrance or flavor. Therefore, when smoke is inhaled along the smoking article, the flavoring agent held on the filament is accompanied by the smoke. By using a thread soaked with the flavoring agent, a simple means of incorporating the flavoring agent into the smoking article is provided, thus minimizing manufacturing process changes.

  As used herein, the terms “flavor”, “flavor”, “flavoring agent” and “flavoring agent” as used herein are materials used to generate a desired taste or aroma. Means. Flavoring agents include extracts (e.g., licorice, hydrangea, oakashiwa (Japanese white bark Magnolia leaf), camomil, fenugreek, clove, menthol, mint, anise fruit, cinnamon, herbs, wintergreen, cherry, berry, peach, apple, Drambuy, Bourbon, Scotch, Whiskey, Spearmint, Peppermint, Lavender, Cardamom, Celery, Cascarilla, Nutmeg, Sandalwood, Bergamot, Geranium, Honey Extract, Rose Oil, Vanilla, Lemon Oil, Orange Oil, Cassia, Caraway, Cognac, Jasmine , Ylang ylang, sage, fennel, pimento, ginger, anise, coriander, mint oil from any species of coffee and mint group), flavored mackerel Sking agents, bitterness receptor site blockers, receptor site enhancers, sweeteners (eg sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine, cyclamate, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol or mannitol) and chlorophylls, minerals , Other additives such as plants or breath deodorants. These may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients and may be blends thereof. These materials may be in any suitable form, such as oil, liquid or powder.

  The preferred material for making the filaments is cotton, but other materials such as cellulose acetate and rayon or natural materials such as plant fibers can be used. In these embodiments, the liquid contained in the capsule may be capable of decomposing the filaments soaked with the flavoring agent.

  In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, moisture disintegrating paper is used as plug wrapper, tobacco wrapper paper and chipping paper. Thus, when the capsule ruptures, water is released, which enhances the decomposition of the paper wrapper and promotes the separation of smoking articles.

  In another embodiment, one or more of the papers used in the smoking article may not be disintegrated with water, in which case it is biodegradable. In other embodiments, one or more of the papers are not biodegradable per se, but may collapse due to the action of certain chemicals held within the capsule, such as a weak acidic liquid.

  In some embodiments, to provide a visually unusual effect, the filter may include a transparent window through which the filter material and / or capsules therein are visible. In some such embodiments, the capsule is held in a cavity formed between two pieces of filter material, and the transparent window is aligned with the cavity section of the filter material. In this way, the user has the unusual effect of seeing the capsule in the filter, which serves to remind the user of breaking the capsule after the smoking article has been smoked. To obtain a transparent window effect, the chipping paper may contain a single transparent material, which is polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), cellulose acetate film, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene oxide (PEOX), polyethylene , Cellophane, nature flex (trade name), polylactic acid, plaster material, polycaprolactone, polyglycolide, poly-3-hydroxybutyrate and other polyhydroxyalkanoates and one of zein-derived bioplastics However, it is not limited to these. The chipping paper may be provided with an opaque coating at certain sites, leaving a transparent uncoated section to form a window. Since this transparent material comes into contact with moisture from the user's mouth and fingers, the material used is insoluble or has a waterproof outer coating treatment. In those embodiments that include a transparent material, the liquid in the capsule may be capable of degrading the transparent material.

  Adhesives are generally used to bond seams of smoking article plug wrappers, tipping paper and cigarette paper. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a water-soluble or water-dispersible adhesive is used. The water released from the capsule when the capsule ruptures loses the adhesion between the various components of the smoking article, resulting in individual components, more exposed to the environment, and facilitating disintegration and biodegradation. Become.

  A preferred water soluble adhesive for bonding seams is a liquid starch adhesive. Hot melt adhesives or EVA and PVA adhesives can also be used.

  In some embodiments, one or more of the adhesives are not water soluble. In this case, the solvent is retained in the capsule, which acts to soften or dissolve the adhesive and promote the collapse of the smoking article.

  While a vehicle containing a liquid capable of improving the disintegration and / or dispersion of a smoking article has been described as a capsule, other fluid-containing vehicles can also be used. For example, pockets or pouches formed directly in the filter material or from another material such as polyethylene can be used to cause the smoking article to rupture when smoked. Sponge-like porous materials such as foamed plastic polymers can also be used to contain fluids, which can be released by squeezing or twisting the smoking article after it has been smoked. It is. Other suitable fluid containing structures will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

  The above is a description of what appears to be the preferred embodiments of the invention. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Claims (18)

  A filter for a smoking article comprising a vehicle containing a liquid capable of improving the disintegration and / or degradability of the smoking article.   The filter according to claim 1, wherein the liquid improves dispersibility of the smoking article.   The filter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vehicle is a capsule.   4. A filter according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the vehicle is arranged to operate to release liquid after smoking a smoking article.   5. The filter according to claim 4, wherein the vehicle is arranged to be operated by a force acting in a longitudinal direction of the filter or a force acting when the filter is bent.   6. A filter according to claim 4, wherein the filter is substantially deformed when the vehicle is actuated to release the liquid.   The filter according to claim 1, wherein the liquid improves separation of members constituting the filter.   The filter according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the liquid is water.   The filter according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the filter contains a water-soluble, swellable or dispersible filter material.   The filter according to claim 9, wherein the filter material is polyvinyl alcohol.   11. A filter according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a plug wrapper, chipping paper and an adhesive, one or more of which are soluble, swellable or dispersible in water.   The filter according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a biodegradable material.   The filter according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the vehicle is a capsule having a crushing strength of more than 1.7 kP.   14. A filter according to any preceding claim, wherein the vehicle is a capsule having a volume not exceeding about 50% of the total volume of the filter.   The smoking article filter described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.   A smoking article comprising the filter according to any one of claims 1 to 15.   Use of a vehicle containing a liquid to improve the disintegration and / or dispersibility of a smoking article.   A method for improving the disintegration and / or degradability of a smoking article, wherein the smoking article comprises a vehicle containing a liquid that improves the disintegration and / or degradability of the smoking article.

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