JP2019536477A - Filter element for smoking articles - Google Patents

Abstract

A filter element (1) for a smoking article (10) is provided. The filter element (1) is elongated and has one end (2) connecting to a rod element (11) of smokable material and an opposite end (3) for insertion into the mouth of a user. The filter element (1) comprises filter segments (4, 5, 6) arranged along a longitudinal axis (X) of the filter element, at least one of the filter segments (4, 5, 6). A wrapper (8) surrounding the filter material, the filter segments (4, 5, 6), and a liquid-filled frangible capsule (1) disposed within one of the filter segments (4, 5, 6). 7), wherein the capsule (7) has a break point (P) designed to be broken by application of an external force (F) to release the liquid (L) contained therein. The capsule (7) is located in the filter segment (5), the break point (P) being located at a first distance (D1) along the longitudinal axis (X) from one end (2) of the filter element. . The wrapper (8) includes a plurality of perforations (9) from one end (2) of the filter element along a longitudinal axis (X) at a second distance (D2), the second distance (D2). ) Is smaller than the first distance (D1). [Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

  The present invention relates to filter elements for smoking articles, such as cigarettes, cigarillos, and smoking articles comprising such filter elements.

  Smoking articles, such as cigarettes, cigarillos, are popular consumer products, typically having a generally cylindrical rod-shaped configuration, and a filling of a smokable material, such as shredded tobacco (eg, in the form of cut filler). , Rolls, or columns, which are surrounded by wrapping paper to form a so-called "tobacco rod". Cigarettes or cigarillos also typically have cylindrical filter elements that are in end-to-end alignment with the tobacco rod. The filter element may comprise, for example, a plug of cellulose acetate tow, the tow being circumscribed by a wrapping material known as "plug wrap". Typically, the filter element is attached to one end of the tobacco rod using a circumscribing wrapper known as a "tipping wrapper". The filter element wound by the chipping wrapper is known as the "mouthpiece element".

  In recent years, there has been a growing consumer demand for smoking articles that provide improved organoleptic properties, particularly for cigarettes that incorporate filter elements that can function as a medium to add flavor to the mainstream cigarette smoke. Specifically, these smoking articles included flavor modifying substances in fragile pellets or capsules. During cigarette manufacture, the filter material is formed in a continuous filter rod and such pellets or capsules are positioned within the rod, for example, along its longitudinal axis. The continuous filter rod is then split or cut at predetermined intervals to form a plurality of filter elements such that each filter element includes at least one of the capsules. The capsule is then manually broken down by the consumer and a substance that functions to alter one or more properties such as flavor, taste, or TNCO levels (tar, nicotine, CO) of the mainstream smoke during smoking is filtered. Released into the material.

  Easy-to-break capsules having a shell containing the substance to be released have been used for this purpose. More recently, such breakable capsules have begun to focus on liquid release, especially water release. However, the released liquid tends to wet the filter element, including the filter wrapper and the chipping wrapper joining the filter element to the tobacco rod, which can affect the luxury of the smoking article. There is the problem of leading to some liquid leakage.

  The type of capsule used to release the liquid substance also affects the extent of the problem. Typically, capsules that are easy to break have isotropic breakage resistance, so it is not possible to determine the specific break location of the capsule, and therefore the area of the filter element from which the contained material is released. Results in As a result, smoking articles must be designed with liquid discharge in all possible directions, and mitigating leakage is a cumbersome problem.

  To cope with this problem, a water-absorbing layer combining a water-impermeable filter wrapper and a chipping wrapper has been proposed. However, they are expensive and complicate the manufacturing process. Another problem with this solution is that the smoking article can be entirely passed through the mouthpiece element to ensure water impermeability, for example by providing perforations that extend through the tipping wrapper and into the filter wrapper. It cannot be ventilated. This is because doing so destroys the impermeable barrier formed by the wrapper. As a result, flavor, taste, and TNCO levels must be adjusted with the tobacco rod through mixing of the smokable material and ventilation of the wrapper, which is more difficult as the tobacco rod is consumed gradually during smoking. It is.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a smoking article having a liquid-filled capsule with reduced liquid leakage through a vented mouthpiece element, and a filter element for use in such a smoking article.

  According to the invention, a smoking article having the features of claim 1 and a filter element having the features of claim 11 are provided. Advantageous or preferred features of the invention are set out in the dependent claims.

  Thus, according to one aspect, the present invention provides a smoking article having a rod element of a smokable material connected to a filter element by a tipping wrapper. The filter element has a first end for connecting to a rod element of a smokable material and an opposite second end for insertion into a user's mouth. The filter element comprises a liquid-filled directional capsule disposed between a first end and a second end of the filter element, wherein the directional capsule is broken by application of external pressure and contained therein. A rupture area designed to release the liquid to be applied. Providing a smoking zone with a ventilation zone located between the first end of the filter element and the rupture area of the directional capsule allows air to flow into the mainstream smoke stream through the filter element and provide flavor, taste, And TNCO levels can be adjusted with the mouthpiece element, and liquid leakage through the filter element can be reduced.

  In this regard, the inventors have surprisingly found that the directional capsule, and in particular the break area of the directional capsule, is spaced from the second end of the filter element at a distance greater than the distance from the ventilation zone. Have been found to provide a configuration with minimal or no leakage of liquid released from the directional capsule through the ventilation zone. Without wishing to be bound by theory, with this configuration of the filter element, the pressure acting on the liquid released from the directional capsule by the mainstream smoke and air flow is such that the liquid from the outlet is trapped and retained. It is thought to work.

  As used in the present invention, the term "liquid-filled directional capsule" contains a quantity of liquid adapted to direct liquid release in a particular desired direction or toward a particular desired area. Note that it refers to the capsule that is used. In particular, the fracture area of the capsule allows the liquid to be released axially, for example into the longitudinal axis of the filter element, into the adjacent area of the filter material, in particular a fibrous filter material such as cellulose acetate tow. It may be constituted so that it may be performed.

  The directional capsule may be positioned within the filter element such that the break area is located closer to the first end of the filter element than to the second end of the filter element. Alternatively, the directional capsule may be positioned within the filter element such that the break area is located closer to the second end of the filter element than to the first end of the filter element.

  The filter element may comprise more than one capsule, for example one or more directional capsules, and one or more omni-directional capsules. If one or more directional capsules are provided, all directional capsules may be oriented in the same direction, or one or more directional capsules may be oriented in a first direction and the respective The break point may point in the direction of the end connecting the rod element of the smokable material, i.e. the first end of the filter element, wherein one or more capsules are oriented in a second direction and each May point in the direction of the end for insertion into the mouth of the user, ie the second end of the filter element.

  The ventilation zone may be embodied as a plurality of perforations through the chipping wrapper. These perforations may extend into a part of the filter element, such as a filter wrapper or plug of a filter tow. Alternatively, the filter element may be air permeable at least in a region below the perforations passing through the chipping wrapper.

  The ventilation zone may also be embodied as a plurality of perforations extending into a part of the filter element, such as a filter wrapper or a plug of a filter tow. The tipping wrapper may be air permeable at least in an area overlying the perforations extending into a portion of the filter element.

  Also, the ventilation zone may be embodied at least as an air permeable region in the chipping wrapper.

  The distance between the break area of the directional capsule and the ventilation zone may be at least 1 mm, for example at least 2 mm. Such a distance may be at least 3 mm, or even at least 4 mm. By providing this separation between the rupture area of the directional capsule and the ventilation zone, it is possible to penetrate the tipping wrapper and possibly remove one of the filter elements without damaging the directional capsule during the manufacture of the smoking article. It is possible to embody the ventilation zone as a plurality of perforations, which also extend into the part.

  The distance between the ventilation zone and the first end of the filter element may be at least 1 mm, for example at least 2 mm. Such a distance may be at least 3 mm, or even at least 4 mm. By providing such a separation between the ventilation zone and the first end of the filter element, the amount of liquid that travels into the filter end of the smokable material can be adjusted. The closer the ventilation zone is to the first filter end, the greater the amount of liquid that travels into the filter end of the rod element of the smokable material. This is indeed advantageous, especially in a hot and dry climate where moisture from the smokable material escapes into the ambient air, after first opening the package, as it can help extend the shelf life of the smoking article. is there.

  The directional capsule may include a shell that defines or surrounds an amount of liquid. The shell may include a weakened region configured to preferentially break when an external force, such as a compressive force, is applied. The weakened area may comprise one or more weakened lines. Alternatively, the weakened area may include one or more stress concentration elements. The combination of a line of weakness and a stress concentration element could also form a weakened area.

  The directional capsule may be elongated. Alternatively, the directional capsule may be substantially spherical or oval. The directional capsule may be a seamless shell. Alternatively, the directional capsule may be an open shell, which may be closed and sealed with a cap. The shell may have side or outer walls, which extend from the end wall to the open end and may surround or define a cavity in the shell. The outer wall may terminate at the edge of the open end to facilitate cap installation. The outer wall may be substantially cylindrical or have facets. The side wall or outer wall may taper from the open end to the end wall, or may narrow.

  The shell may be made from an elastically deformable material such as a polymeric material. The cap is typically formed and cut from part or all of a sheet material, such as a laminated plastic sheet material. The liquid in the capsule may include purified water, or an aqueous liquid containing dissolved or suspended substances, such as flavoring substances.

  The directional capsule may contain a volume of at least 0.05 mL, such as at least 0.07 mL, or at least 0.08 mL. By providing such a volume of liquid, the amount of liquid released in a single compression is sufficient to produce a significant effect on the characteristics of mainstream smoke.

  The volume of the liquid in the directional capsule may be 0.15 mL or less, for example 0.12 mL or less, or 0.10 mL or less. By providing such a volume of liquid, liquid leakage is further reduced.

  The filter element itself typically has a length in the range of about 5mm to 40mm, preferably in the range of about 15mm to about 30mm. The distance between the ventilation zone and the first end of the filter element may be at least 7 mm, for example at least 9 mm. This distance may be 17 mm or less, for example, 15 mm or less.

  A filter element according to the invention may comprise a single filter segment. Alternatively, the filter element may include a plurality of filter segments arranged in series along a longitudinal axis of the filter element. That is, it may be a multi-component filter element comprising two or more filter segments. The one or more filter segments may include any suitable known filter material, including, but not limited to, cellulose acetate, paper, and combinations thereof. Accordingly, the filter element may have at least one segment composed of a fibrous filtration material, optionally from a fibrous filtration material, typically a cellulosic filtration material, such as a cellulose acetate tow. It may have a plurality of segments configured.

  At least one filter segment may contain a particulate material such as an adsorbent or a flavoring agent. The particulate material may be embedded in the fibrous filtration material or contained within a cavity. The particulate material may be disposed between a rupture area of the directional capsule and a first end of the filter element, or between a second end of the filter element and the directional capsule. The choice will depend on the desired effect on the characteristics of the mainstream smoke passing through the filter element.

  In one embodiment, the filter element may include a fibrous filter material disposed between the first end of the filter element and the rupture area of the directional capsule. The fibrous filtration material may extend at least 7 mm, for example 9 mm, between the rupture area of the directional capsule and the first end of the filter element. By providing this amount of fibrous filtration material immediately upstream of the directional capsule, liquid leakage is reduced and the effect of the released liquid on the properties of mainstream smoke is extended over time.

  The filter element may comprise a filter wrapper extending at least partially between the first filter end and the second filter end. The filter wrapper may, for example, surround the directional capsule and / or any filtering material in the filter element. In one configuration, the filter wrapper extends at least between the break area of the directional capsule and the first end of the filter element.

The present inventors have found that extending between the first end portion of the fracture area and the filter element of the directional capsule, providing a filter wrapper having at least 40 g / m ^2, such as at least a basis weight of 45 g / m ² Liquid leakage was further reduced. For ease of manufacture, the basis weight may be 125 g / m ² or less.

The present inventors also extends between the first end portion of the fracture area and the filter element of the directional capsules, 35 g / m ² or less, for example (in 60 seconds) 31 g / m ² or less Cobb water absorption It has been found that the provision of a filter wrapper having a (ISO 535: 1991) value further reduces liquid leakage.

In a multi-component filter element, the filter segment upstream of the rupture region of the directional capsule may be wound by a filter wrapper, called a filter segment wrapper, where two or more filter segments or components are It may be combined together by another filter wrapper, called a combiner filter wrapper. In this case, the basis weight of the filter segment wrapper may be 50 g / m ² or less, for example, 40 g / m ² or less, about 27 g / m ^2, etc., while the basis weight of the combiner filter wrapper is at least It may be 40 g / m ² , preferably, but not necessarily, 125 g / m ² or less. In such cases, binding basis weight of the filter wrapper ^may be between ^{65g / m 2 ~175g / m 2} . In this embodiment, both filter wrappers may have Cobb water absorption values as defined above. The Cobb water absorption value of the combiner filter wrapper may be lower than the water absorption value of the filter segment wrapper.

The filter wrapper (s) may have a low porosity. In particular, the filter wrapper may have a porosity of 6 CU or less, for example, 5 CU or less. The symbol "CU" herein refers to CORESTA air permeability units commonly used in paper specifications by cigarette designers. The CORESTA permeability unit is defined as “volume flow rate of cubic centimeters per minute (cm ³ min ⁻¹ ) of air passing through a substrate sample of 1 square centimeter (cm ² ) at an applied pressure difference of 1 kilopascal (kPa)”. Is done. The filter wrapper (s) may be non-porous.

  Typically, the tipping wrapper is generally rectangular and is wound cylindrically around at least a portion of the rod element of the smokable material and at least a portion of the filter element. The tipping wrapper wraps around or surrounds at least a portion of the filter element by being wrapped around at least a portion of the filter element, such that the tipping wrapper physically attaches the filter element to the rod element of the smokable material. And mechanically attached or connected. In this way, the tipping wrapper typically surrounds or circumscribes the adjacent ends of the filter element and the rod element of the smokable material. Thus, the portion of the rod element of the smokable material surrounded or circumscribed by the chipping wrapper is typically in the range of 1 mm to 16 mm in length, for example in the range of 2 mm to 12 mm in length. . As used herein, the term "length" refers to the axial or longitudinal dimension of a smoking article.

  In a preferred embodiment, the chipping wrapper includes a bonding area where the adhesive is applied. That is, the tipping wrapper is typically joined to an area where the tipping wrapper overlaps itself when the tipping wrapper is wrapped around at least a portion of the filter element and the rod element of the smokable material. You. The joining area is preferably elongate and extends in the longitudinal direction of the smoking article, for example along the edge of the tipping wrapper.

  In one embodiment, the bonding area to which the adhesive is applied extends over the entire surface of the tipping wrapper in contact with the filter element and the rod element. In other words, there is no adhesive free zone inside the chipping wrapper. Surprisingly, it has been found that the adhesive acts as a barrier to the fluid. In particular, the adhesive film can function as a barrier to water.

The chipping wrapper may have a Cobb water absorption (at ISO 535: 1991) value of less than 25 g / m ² , for example less than 21 g / m ² . By providing such values, thick chipping wrappers, which are difficult to manufacture, and lyophobic coatings can be avoided.

  The rod element of the smokable material in the smoking article of the present invention may comprise any suitable tobacco cut filler. Preferably, the smoking article comprises a cigarette tobacco cut filler including tobacco types such as Virginia, Burleigh, Oriental and Semi-Oriental. The tobacco cut filler may comprise a blend of two or more different types of tobacco, for example, a blend of the types described above. Alternatively, the tobacco cut filler may include a single one of the types described above. The tobacco cut filler may include, for example, air-dried, sun-dried, or iron-tube dried tobacco. Alternatively or additionally, the tobacco cut filler may have been treated, for example, to reduce tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA). In addition to tobacco leaves, tobacco cut fillers are other components typically found in tobacco cut fillers, such as expanded tobacco, homogenized tobacco (eg, regenerated tobacco, cast tobacco, or extruded tobacco), tobacco stems (Eg, puffed or modified stems), tobacco fines, and any combination thereof. Flavors and casings containing one or more humectants, flavors, sugars or combinations thereof may also be added to the tobacco cut filler in a known manner.

  Another aspect of the invention is a filter element having a first end for connecting to a rod element of a smokable material and an opposite second end for insertion into a user's mouth. To mention. A liquid-filled directional capsule is disposed between the first end and the second end of the filter element, and the directional capsule breaks upon application of external pressure to release the liquid contained therein. With a rupture area designed to By providing the filter element with a ventilation zone located between the first end of the filter element and the rupture area of the directional capsule, by allowing air to flow through the filter element into the mainstream smoke stream, the flavor, Taste and TNCO levels can be adjusted with the mouthpiece element, and liquid leakage through the filter element can be reduced.

  BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a more complete understanding of the present invention and its advantages, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail in the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like parts, and in which: FIG. Is shown.

1 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a filter element for a smoking article, according to a preferred embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic side sectional view of a smoking article according to a preferred embodiment including the filter element of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating steps in a method of manufacturing a filter element according to a preferred embodiment.

  The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate particular embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. Other embodiments of the invention and many of the attendant advantages of the invention will be more readily understood as they become better understood with reference to the following detailed description.

  It is understood that generally understood elements that are useful or necessary in commercially feasible embodiments are not necessarily shown to facilitate a more abstract rendering of the embodiments. Like. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale with respect to one another. Although particular operations and / or steps in method embodiments are described or depicted in a particular order of appearance, those skilled in the art will appreciate that such specificity with respect to sequences is not actually necessary. As will be further appreciated. The terms and expressions used herein are intended to refer to such terms and expressions with respect to their respective areas of research and study, unless the meaning is otherwise stated herein. It will also be understood that it has the usual meaning as described.

  Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is schematically illustrated a filter element 1 for a smoking article 10, such as a cigarette, according to a preferred embodiment. The filter element 1 has a generally elongate cylindrical shape and is inserted into a mouth of a user, with a first end 2 for connection to a rod element 11 of a smokable material (ie a tobacco rod). And a second end 3 opposite the end. The filter element 1 of this embodiment comprises three filter segments 4, 5, 6 arranged in series along the longitudinal axis X of the filter element. Two of these three filter segments 4,5,6, the first and third filter segments 4,6, are substantially exclusively composed of a fibrous filtration material such as cellulose acetate tow. ing. The second or central filter segment 5 is hollow and has a liquid-filled directional capsule 7 disposed therein. Alternatively, the liquid-filled directional capsule 7 may be surrounded by a filtering material such as cellulose acetate tow. The liquid-filled directional capsule 7 is configured to have a fragile region forming a breaking point P, and when a lateral external force F is applied, the directional capsule is broken or broken at the breaking point P and contains therein. It is designed to discharge the liquid L to be discharged. The directional capsule 7 is arranged with a break point P located approximately on the longitudinal axis X of the filter element 1, so that when the directional capsule 7 breaks or breaks, the liquid L is displaced in the axial direction X. And into the adjacent area of the cellulose acetate tow filtration material in the filter segment 6. Thus, when a user smoking the smoking article 10 of FIG. 2 inhales the mouth end 3 of the filter element 1, the released liquid L gives the mainstream smoke passing through the filter element 1 a desired flavor. Acts to give.

  The filter element 1 further comprises a wrapper or "plug wrap" 8 of a sheet material such as paper or synthetic film, which surrounds and surrounds or surrounds the filter segments 4, 5, 6, thereby within the filter element. Merge or coalesce filter segments. The first and third filter segments 4, 6 may comprise a filter wrapper (not shown), so that when combined by the combiner filter wrapper 8 to form the filter element 1, And the fibrous filtration material in the third filter segment 4, 6 is surrounded by two filter wrappers, a filter segment wrapper and a combiner filter wrapper 8.

  With this multi-segment or multi-component filter arrangement, the liquid L emitted from the directional capsule 7 is directed in the direction of the adjacent filter segment, ie the interface of the third filter segment 6, in particular the directional capsule 7. Is located in the hollow filter segment 5, some liquid may bounce off the interface of the adjacent filter segment 6 and enter the space between the filter wrapper 8 and the directional capsule 7. Therefore, the possibility of liquid leakage increases. By providing a ventilation zone between the break point P of the directional capsule 7 and the first end 2 of the filter element 1, it is possible to vent through the filter element 1 while reducing liquid leakage.

  The filter wrapper or “plug wrap” 8 includes a series of holes or perforations 9 that allow air to flow laterally into the filter element 1 during use and to be drawn through the filter element 1 from the tobacco rod element 11. Reduce or dilute mainstream smoke. In other words, a series of holes or perforations 9 provide ventilation. The directional capsule 7 is arranged in the central filter segment 5, the break point P of which is located at a first distance D1 along the longitudinal axis X from the tobacco rod end 2 of the filter element 1. A hole or perforation 9 in the wrapper 8 is provided at a second distance D2 along the longitudinal axis X from the tobacco rod end 2 of the filter element 1. The first distance D1 for the break point P is selected to be greater than the second distance D2 for the hole or perforation 9 in the wrapper 8, preferably by an amount in the range of about 3 mm to about 5 mm, for example 4 mm. The filter element 1 itself typically has a length in the range of about 15 mm to about 30 mm. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the holes or perforations 9 may extend partially into the fibrous filtration material of the third filter segment 6, at which time the holes or perforations 9 will be in the third filter segment. It may extend through the filter segment wrapper of segment 6.

  As can be seen in FIG. 2, a smoking article 10 (eg, a cigarette) comprises a filter element 1 having an end aligned with a tobacco rod 11. The tobacco rod end 2 of the filter element 1 is known as a chipping sheet or “chipping wrapper” 12 and includes a circumscribing wrapper wrapped around the filter element 1 and a portion of the rod element of smokable material. In use, it is attached or joined to the adjacent end of the tobacco rod 11. The portion of the tobacco rod 11 that is surrounded or circumscribed by the strips or bands of the tipping sheet 12 typically has a length (i.e., in the longitudinal or axial direction) in the range of about 5 mm to about 10 mm. The chipping sheet 12 comprises a plurality of perforations 13 located at a second distance D2 from the first end 2 of the filter element 1. These holes or perforations 13 also act to allow air to flow laterally into the filter element 1 and mix with and dilute the mainstream smoke. In this way, the holes or perforations 13 in the chipping sheet 12 are substantially aligned with the holes or perforations 9 in the filter wrapper 8.

  Referring now to FIG. 3 of the drawings, a method of manufacturing a filter element 1 for use in a smoking article 10, such as a cigarette, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention as described above with reference to FIGS. , A flow diagram schematically illustrating the various steps is shown. In this context, the first box i of FIG. 3 represents the step of providing or arranging one or more filter segments 4, 5, 6 on or along the longitudinal axis X of the filter element, as described above. At least one of the one or more filter segments 4, 5, 6 includes filter material. The second box ii represents the step of placing a liquid-filled frangible capsule 7 in one of the one or more filter segments 4, 5, 6, wherein the capsule 7 has a break point P When the external force F is applied, the capsule 7 is designed to be broken or broken at the breaking point P, and to discharge the liquid L contained therein. In this connection, the break point P is positioned adjacent the tobacco rod 11 at a distance D1 along the longitudinal axis X from the end 2 of the filter element 1.

  Next, the third box iii represents the step of enclosing or enclosing the one or more filter segments 4, 5, 6 described above with a wrapper 8 of sheet material known as "plug wrap". The last box iv in FIG. 3 represents the step of constructing or arranging the wrapper 8 so that the holes or perforations 9 provided in the wrapper 8 are at a second distance along the axis X from the end 2 of the filter element 1. Located at D2 and adjacent to the tobacco rod 11, the second distance D2 is less than the first distance D1.

  While specific embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, those skilled in the art will recognize that there are various alternative and / or equivalent implementations. It is to be understood that one or more exemplary embodiments are examples only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration in any way. Rather, the foregoing summary and detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing the at least one exemplary embodiment, and include the scope of the following claims, and It is understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in the example embodiments without departing from their legal equivalents. In general, this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein.

  As used herein, the terms “comprise”, “comprising”, “include”, “include”, “contain”, “contain” "Containing", "have", "having", and any variations thereof, are intended to be understood in an inclusive (ie, non-exclusive) sense. And the processes, methods, devices, apparatus or systems described herein are not limited to the listed features or parts or elements or steps, and are not explicitly listed or such processes, It may include other elements, features, parts or steps that are unique to the method, article, or device. Furthermore, the terms "a" and "an" as used herein are understood to mean one or more, unless expressly stated otherwise. Intended. Further, terms such as "first," "second," "third," etc. are used merely as symbols to impose numerical requirements on those objects or to provide some sort of ranking to their importance. It is not intended to establish

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 filter element 2 tobacco rod end 3 mouth end 4 filter segment 5 filter segment 6 filter segment 7 capsule 8 wrapper or plug wrap 9 hole or perforation 10 smoking article 11 rod element of smokeable material or tobacco rod 12 chipping Paper 13 Hole or perforation P Break point F Lateral external force L Liquid D1 First distance D2 Second distance X Longitudinal axis

Claims (15)

A smoking article (10) comprising a rod element (11) of a smokable material connected to a filter element (1) by a chipping wrapper (12),
The filter element (1) has a first end (2) for connection to the rod element (11) and an opposite second end (3) for insertion into a user's mouth. ) And
The filter element (1)
A liquid-filled directional capsule (7) disposed between said first end (2) and said second end (3) of said filter element (1);
The directional capsule (7) has a rupture area (P) designed to be broken by application of an external force (F) to release the liquid (L) contained therein,
The smoking article (10) comprises a ventilation zone located between the first end (2) of the filter element (1) and the break area (P) of the directional capsule (7). , Smoking articles (10).   The venting zone comprises a plurality of perforations (9) provided through the chipping wrapper (12) and / or extending into a part of the filter element (1). A smoking article (10) as described in (1).   A smoking article (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the distance between the break area (P) of the directional capsule (7) and the ventilation zone is at least 1 mm.   A smoking article (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the distance between the first end (2) of the filter element (1) and the ventilation zone is at least 1 mm.   The smoking article (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the directional capsule (7) contains a liquid volume of at least 0.05 mL.   The filter element (1) includes a filter wrapper (8) that extends at least partially between the first end (2) and the second end (3) of the filter element (1). A smoking article (10) according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising: The basis weight of the filter wrapper (8) is at least 40 g / ^{m 2,} smoking article according to claim 6 (10). The Cobb water absorption of the filter wrapper (8) is 35 g / ^{m 2} or less, smoking article according to claim 6 or 7 (10). The Cobb water absorption of the tipping wrapper (12) is not more than 25 g / ^{m 2,} smoking articles according to any one of claims 1 8 (10). A filter element (1) for a smoking article (10),
The filter element (1) has a first end (2) for connecting to a rod element (11) of a smokable material and an opposite second end for insertion into a user's mouth. And a filter element (1),
A liquid-filled directional capsule (7) disposed between said first end (2) and said second end (3);
The directional capsule (7) has a rupture area (P) designed to be broken by application of an external force (F) to release a liquid (L) contained therein,
The filter element (1), wherein the filter element (1) comprises a ventilation zone located between the first end (2) and the break area (P) of the directional capsule (7).   The filter element (1) according to claim 10, wherein the distance between the break area (P) of the directional capsule (7) and the ventilation zone is at least 1 mm.   Filter element (1) according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the distance between the first end (2) of the filter element (1) and the ventilation zone is at least 1 mm.   Filter element (1) according to any of claims 10 to 12, wherein the directional capsule (7) contains a liquid volume of at least 0.05 mL.   The filter element (1) includes a filter wrapper (8) that extends at least partially between the first end (2) and the second end (3) of the filter element (1). 14. The filter element (1) according to any one of claims 10 to 13, further comprising: The Cobb water absorption of the filter wrapper (8) is less than about 30 g / ^{m 2,} the filter element of claim 14 (1).

Images