JP3190703U - Smoking filter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a filter element capable of improving the taste and / or flavor characteristics of a cigarette. SOLUTION: A filter element 12 encloses a plug made of a filter material 20, a tobacco core portion 10 substantially extending in the longitudinal direction through the plug of the filter material, and at least a part of the surface of the tobacco core portion. The wrapping means 11 and the like are included. [Selection diagram] Fig. 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a filter for smoking articles.

  It is well known that smoke filtration in smoking articles such as cigarettes can affect the taste and flavor characteristics of the product during smoking. Generally, the filter includes an adsorbent such as activated carbon to reduce certain components of smoke during smoking. However, activated carbon in the filter can adversely affect the taste and / or flavor characteristics of the cigarette.

  Therefore, in a first aspect of the present invention, a filter element for smoking articles is provided, the filter element comprising a plug made of a filter material and a tobacco material extending substantially longitudinally through the filter material plug. And a wrapping means for wrapping at least a part of the surface of the tobacco core extending in the longitudinal direction.

  The inventors of the present invention have discovered that providing a tobacco core that extends substantially in the longitudinal direction improves the flavor of smoke (including gases and particulate matter) that is inhaled by the smoker. Further, by providing the wrapping means, the tobacco material can be surely kept in the center of the plug made of the filter material, and the smoke can be reliably guided along the tobacco core.

  The tobacco core preferably extends substantially in the longitudinal direction between the opposite end faces of the filter material plug. The tobacco core portion preferably extends in a direction substantially parallel to the side surface of the filter material plug, and the side surface is preferably substantially perpendicular to one end surface or both end surfaces. The tobacco core preferably extends through the interior of the filter material and is surrounded by the filter material. The tobacco core preferably extends substantially through the center of the filter material plug.

  The tobacco core is placed in close proximity to the flow path of the gas flow through the filter element and thus may affect various properties of the gas flow before it reaches the smoker's mouth. Is possible. Furthermore, the tobacco core is disposed substantially longitudinally within the filter material plug so that it does not adversely affect the direction or velocity of the gas flow, and thus the smoker has a significant difference in resistance through which smoke is drawn. I don't feel.

  The tobacco core may include shredded tobacco, powdered tobacco, regenerated tobacco, tobacco stalk, tobacco fiber, tobacco sheet and / or chopped tobacco. However, the tobacco core is preferably chopped tobacco leaf, chopped tobacco blend, and / or tobacco petiole.

  The tobacco core may form a tobacco rod of any cross section. For example, the tobacco core may form a tobacco rod with a triangular or square cross section. However, the tobacco core preferably forms a tobacco rod with a circular cross section. Accordingly, the tobacco core may be substantially cylindrical.

  The wrapping means may be substantially air permeable so that smoke can enter and pass through the tobacco core as the smoker inhales. The wrapping means may be formed from any conventional paper material. For example, the wrapping means may comprise a plug wrap or paper such as cigarette paper. The wrapping means may be perforated. The wrapping means may be a recycled wrapper or a tobacco sheet wrapper. The wrapping means may include tobacco leaves. The wrapping means may be impermeable.

  The wrapping means may be in contact with all side surfaces extending in the longitudinal direction of the tobacco core. The wrapping means preferably surrounds the cigarette. The wrapping means may not be provided around at least one end face of the tobacco core, but is preferably provided around both end faces of the tobacco core.

  The tobacco core may include or be derived from at least a longitudinal section of a tobacco rod of a smoking article, such as a cigarette, cigar, cigarillo, etc., i.e., a smokable section of the smoking article. Also good. Of course, the longitudinal section of the tobacco rod may also include a wrapper, such as cigarette paper or the like, which may also form the wrapping means for the filter element of the first aspect. is there.

  The diameter of the longitudinal section of the tobacco rod is preferably smaller than the diameter of the filter material plug, so that the filter element according to the first aspect is a filter element formed with a tobacco core extending therethrough. It is preferable that Standard size cigarettes often have a diameter of about 7.5 mm to about 9.5 mm (preferably 8-12 mm), while slim size cigarettes may have a diameter of about 2-6 mm. Many. Therefore, since the diameter of the tobacco rod of the slim size cigarette is smaller than the diameter of the tobacco rod of the standard size cigarette, the inventors of the present invention have developed a longitudinally extending cigarette made of slim size smoking articles. Assume that a rod section is used to form a wrapped tobacco core of filter elements for use with standard size smoking articles. The inventors of the present invention were the first to consider the use of a slim smoking article tobacco rod section to form a tobacco core in a standard size smoking article filter. I am sure that.

  Accordingly, in a second aspect of the present invention, a smoking article filter element is provided, the filter element extending substantially longitudinally through the filter material plug and the filter material plug. A core made of tobacco material, the tobacco core including or derived from a longitudinal section of a tobacco rod of a smoking article.

  The tobacco core may include or be derived from a longitudinal section of a tobacco rod of a slim size smoking article. The use of a longitudinal section of a tobacco rod wrapped with a slim size smoking article facilitates the manufacture of standard size filter elements. Furthermore, there is the advantage that it is easy to change the tobacco contained in the longitudinal tobacco core that extends through the filter material, and thus different types of tobacco and taste within a certain range of filter elements. provide.

  Of course, there are many different types of slim size smoking articles that can form a tobacco core, and the dimensions of such slim size smoking articles vary from brand to brand. However, the tobacco core in the filter element of the first or second aspect may have a diameter of 3 mm to 8 mm, preferably 3 mm to 7 mm, more preferably 3.5 mm to 6.5 mm. And most preferred is 4 mm to 6 mm.

  When manufactured, the tobacco core is completely encased by the filter material to form the filter element of the first or second aspect. The filter material plug may include any suitable filtration medium known to those skilled in the art. The filter material preferably contains cellulose acetate. The diameter of the filter material plug may be 5 mm to 15 mm, preferably 6 mm to 12 mm, more preferably 7 mm to 10 mm, and most preferably 7 mm to 9 mm.

  The ratio of the filter material plug diameter to the tobacco core diameter is preferably from 0.5: 1 to 10: 1, more preferably from 1: 1 to 5: 1, even more preferably. 1: 1 to 3: 1 and most preferred is 1.5: 1 to 2: 1.

  The filter element of the first or second aspect may contain a flavoring agent. In embodiments where a flavoring agent is included, the flavoring agent may be incorporated into the filter media plug. However, the flavoring agent is preferably incorporated into the tobacco core. For example, the flavoring agent may be sprayed onto the tobacco material before the tobacco material is formed into a rod shape.

  Of course, the filter element according to the first or second aspect can be used in the manufacture of filters used in smoking articles.

  Therefore, in the third aspect of the present invention, a smoking article filter is provided, and the smoking article filter includes the filter element of the first or second aspect of the present invention.

  The filter according to the third aspect may include a plurality of filter elements according to the first or second aspect in which the tobacco core portion is provided extending through the filter material plug. For example, the filter of the third aspect may include two, three, four, five or more filter elements according to the first or second aspect, in which adjacent filter elements are connected to each other. They may be arranged in series, or the elements may be arranged separated from each other by another filter element (which may not be according to the first or second embodiment).

  Therefore, the filter of the third aspect may include a plurality of filter elements, at least one of which is a filter element according to the first or second aspect of the present invention. For example, in one embodiment, the filter of the third aspect is adsorbed in addition to including one or more filter elements according to the first or second aspect (ie, including a tobacco core). A filter of the third aspect is also envisaged that also includes an adsorption filter element containing an agent. Adsorption filter elements are provided to adsorb or reduce certain components of smoke during smoking. The adsorption filter element may include a plug of filter material in which an adsorbent is dispersed. The filter material may be cellulose acetate. The adsorbent is preferably activated carbon. The activated carbon may be granular and is preferably dispersed throughout the plug of the filter material. The adsorption filter element preferably does not include a tobacco core.

  In another embodiment, the filter of the third aspect includes, in addition to including one or more filter elements according to the first or second aspect (ie, including a tobacco core) (eg, cellulose). It may include a filter element that contains a filter material (such as acetate) but no tobacco core or adsorbent.

  The filter may comprise at least two, preferably three filter elements, at least one of which is provided with the filter element of the first or second aspect. The filter preferably includes the filter element of the first or second aspect, an adsorption filter element containing an adsorbent, and a filter element not containing an adsorbent or a tobacco core. The plurality of filter elements are preferably arranged in the longitudinal direction such that the end face of each filter element and the end face of the adjacent filter element are adjacent to each other. The plurality of filter elements are preferably substantially similar in diameter. Of course, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the various filter elements may be arranged in any manner.

  The filter element of the first or second aspect or the filter of the third aspect can be incorporated into a smoking article.

  Accordingly, in a fourth aspect of the present invention, a smoking article is provided, the smoking article including the filter element of the first or second aspect, or the filter of the third aspect.

  The smoking article of the fourth aspect preferably includes a section or rod made of a smokable material such as tobacco. As used herein, the term “smoking article” refers to smokeables such as cigarettes, cigarettes, cigarettes derived from tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, recycled tobacco or tobacco substitutes and products that do not burn with heat. Includes products.

  The section of smokable material and the filter may be connected by tipping paper.

  In a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a filter element for a smoking article, the method comprising the step of providing a core made of tobacco material that passes through a filter material plug, wherein the step includes providing a tobacco core. Is provided to extend substantially longitudinally through the filter material plug, and is wrapped around at least a portion of the surface of the tobacco core extending longitudinally by the wrapping means.

  In a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a filter element for a smoking article, the method comprising the step of providing a tobacco core passing through a filter material plug, wherein the tobacco core is a filter material. It is provided extending substantially longitudinally through the plug, and its tobacco core comprises or is derived from a longitudinal section of the tobacco rod of the smoking article.

  The method of the sixth aspect of the present invention may comprise the step of arranging a longitudinal section of the tobacco rod of the slim smoking article so as to extend substantially longitudinally through the plug of filter material. . The method of the sixth aspect preferably includes the step of cutting the slim sized tobacco rod into sections of appropriate length prior to placement in the filter media plug.

  The method of the fifth or sixth aspect of the present invention preferably includes the step of incorporating the tobacco core substantially in the center of the filter material. The method may include the step of using guide means for guiding the tobacco core such that a tow of filter material is formed surrounding the tobacco core. The guide means may be a guide tube that accompanies the tobacco core. It is preferred that the tobacco core is surrounded by the filter material when the tobacco core exits the guide means.

  All features described herein (including the appended utility model registration claims, summaries and figures), and / or every step in the method or process disclosed herein, are such features. In addition, any of the above aspects may be combined in any manner except that at least a part of the steps is a combination that contradicts each other.

  In order that the present invention may be clearly understood and the aspects readily implemented, it will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings for illustrative purposes only.

1 is a perspective view of a smoking article including a smoking material rod, a filter according to the present invention, and chipping paper interconnecting the rod and filter. FIG. It is sectional drawing of the filter of the 1st aspect by this invention. It is sectional drawing of the filter of the 2nd aspect by this invention. It is sectional drawing of the filter of the 3rd aspect by this invention.

  FIG. 1 shows a smoking article 2 in the form of a cigarette including a filter 4 according to the invention. Although FIG. 1 shows the smoking article as a cigarette, it will be appreciated that the smoking article 2 can take another form, such as a cigar or cigarillo, including a filter 4 according to the present invention.

  A smoking article 2 shown in FIG. 1 includes a general cylindrical rod 6 in which a smokable material such as tobacco is wrapped with paper, and a tipping paper bonded to one end of the rod 6 and the periphery of the filter 4. The rod 6 and the filter 4 are coaxially attached by 8.

  FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment of the filter 4 attached to the tobacco rod 6. In this embodiment, the filter 4 is composed of a single filter element 12 having a length of about 27 mm, and the filter element 12 is composed of a plug made of a continuous filter material 20 (for example, cellulose acetate) having a diameter of 9 mm. . The filter element 12 has first and second end surfaces 22, 24 that are generally circular, and a side surface 26 that extends circumferentially or longitudinally, and the side surface 26 includes the first and second end surfaces 22, 24. It is substantially vertical.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a core portion 10 made of a cylindrical tobacco material having a diameter of 3 mm extends between two end surfaces 22 and 24 through a plug of the filter material 20. To maintain tobacco as the core 10, the core 10 is wrapped in plug wrap or cigarette paper 11. Cigarette paper 11 is substantially air permeable so that a smoker can inhale smoke therethrough. The tobacco core 10 is substantially parallel to the longitudinally extending side surface 26 of the filter element 12 and extends substantially through the center of the plug of the filter material 20.

  In one embodiment, the tobacco core 10 is derived from a tobacco rod that would otherwise be used in the manufacture of very thin cigarettes, examples of which are available from the British American Tobacco Company as Vogue (dimensions). : Cigarettes sold under the trade name Kent Nanotek (dimensions: 5 mm x 83 mm), etc., which are available in Europe and Russia. The tobacco core 10 is made of chopped tobacco leaves, chopped tobacco blends, or chopped tobacco petals, and is wrapped in plug wrap or cigarette paper 11. Accordingly, a section of a very thin cigarette tobacco rod suitably constructed from a tobacco core wrapped in cigarette paper forms a tobacco core 10 wrapped in the plug wrap 11 of the filter element 12 of the present invention. Used for.

  The tobacco core 10 wrapped in the plug wrap 11 has a diameter of about 3 mm and is then introduced into the center of the filter material 20. One method for introducing the tobacco core 10 into the filter material plug 20 when the filter element 12 is manufactured will be described below. The method includes capturing the tobacco core 10 through a lumen of a guide tube having a diameter of about 5 mm. At the same time, fibrous filter material 20 (eg, cellulose acetate) is fed through a series of blooming rollers to stretch the shrinkage. The tow of the stretched filter material 20 is formed around the cigarette core 10 when the core 10 exits the guide tube, and thereby the continuous filter material 20 surrounding the wrapped cigarette core 10. A rod is formed. The rod 20 is then cut into sections of appropriate length to produce a finished filter element 12 as shown in FIG. The length of the filter element 12 depends on the type of filter 4 required. For example, the length of a standard cigarette filter 4 is about 27 mm. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the overall length of the filter 4 composed of the filter element 12 is 27 mm, and the tobacco core 10 extends over the entire length of the filter element. However, FIGS. 3 and 4 show alternative embodiments in which the filter 4 is constructed by combining a shorter section filter element 12 including the tobacco core 10 with another section. The points will be described below.

  FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the filter 4 attached to the tobacco rod 6. The filter 4 includes a plurality of different separate filter elements 12, 14, 16, each filter element may have a different material composition. In this embodiment, the filter 4 includes three different filter elements 12, 14, 16. Each filter element 12, 14, 16 has a generally cylindrical shape with substantially equal diameters. Each filter element 12, 14, 16 is encased by a layer of a thin sheet of wrapping material known as a plug wrap (not shown), which may be formed by a conventional paper material. The filter element 16 located farthest from the tobacco rod 6 (and closest to the smoker's mouth when smoking) includes a generally cylindrical tow made of a filter material 20 such as cellulose acetate. The filter material 20 provides a filter that allows smoke to pass when a smoker inhales a cigarette. The filter element 12 disposed adjacent to the filter element 16 includes a plug comprising a continuous filter material 20 provided with a tobacco core 10 extending substantially longitudinally therethrough. The filter element 12 is similar to the filter element 12 shown in FIG. 2 except that it does not extend over the entire length of the filter 4.

  The third filter element 14 disposed between the filter element 12 provided with the tobacco core 10 and the tobacco rod 6 includes a plug made of a filter material 20, for example, an adsorbent such as activated carbon 18 is dispersed therein. Has been. The activated carbon 18 may be granular and is evenly distributed throughout the plug of cellulose acetate 20 in a “Dalmatian” manner as is known to those skilled in the art, as shown in FIG. Alternatively, the activated carbon 18 may be scattered over the sticky outer surface 26 of the plug of cellulose acetate 20 and may be attached to the inner surface of the plug wrap surrounding the cellulose acetate 20, or It may be attached to a cotton thread (not shown) surrounded by a plug of cellulose acetate 20. Activated carbon 18 can also be held in a cavity surrounded by a plug of cellulose acetate 20. Activated carbon 18 is provided to remove harmful chemicals and improve the properties of the smoke whose smoke is inhaled by the smoker.

  FIG. 4 shows a third embodiment of the filter 4 attached to the tobacco rod 6. In this embodiment, the filter 4 includes the same three filter elements 12, 14, and 16 as described in the second embodiment, except that the order of arrangement of the filter elements is changed. As shown in FIG. 4, the filter element 16 is located farthest from the tobacco rod 6 and includes a filter material 20 such as cellulose acetate, as described in the second embodiment. However, in the third embodiment, the filter element 14 disposed adjacent to the filter element 16 includes a plug of filter material 20 in which particles of activated carbon 18 are dispersed. Finally, the third filter element 12 is disposed between the filter element 14 and the tobacco rod 6 and includes a continuous plug of filter material 20 provided with a tobacco core 10 extending longitudinally therethrough. Yes. Accordingly, the positions of the filter elements 12, 14 are interchanged in the second and third embodiments.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the filter elements 12, 14, 16 are arranged longitudinally with respect to each other such that their end faces 22, 24 are adjacent to the end face of the adjacent filter element. Although the three filter elements 12, 14, 16 are shown with substantially equal lengths in FIGS. 3 and 4, it will be appreciated that they may be of different lengths. For example, in FIGS. 3 and 4, the filter element 12 including the tobacco core 10 has a length of 12 mm, the remaining filter elements 14 and 16 have a length of 7.5 mm, and the total length of the filter 4 is 27 mm. You may do it. Furthermore, the filter 4 may be composed of only two filter elements. For example, the filter 4 may be arranged in any order, but the filter element 12 including the tobacco core 10 (about 15 mm in length) and the filter element 16 including only the filter material 20 (about 12 mm in length) You may comprise. Apart from this, the order of the arrangement of the filter elements is not limited, but the filter 4 may be composed of the filter element 12 including the tobacco core 10 and the filter element 14 including the activated carbon 18.

  The filter 4 may also include more filter elements than the three filter elements 12, 14, 16. For example, as described above, the filter 4 includes the first and second filter elements 16 made of cellulose acetate, the third filter element 14 made of cellulose acetate and activated carbon 18, and the longitudinal direction. And a fourth filter element 12 configured to include a tobacco core portion 10 provided extending in the direction. Of course, the various filter elements 12, 14, 16 may be arranged in the filter 4 in various different orders. However, in each embodiment, the filter 4 includes at least one filter element 12 that includes the tobacco core 10.

  Referring again to FIG. 1, the filter 4 is located at the mouth end of the smoker 2 of the smoking article 2, and a gas stream containing smoke drawn from the tobacco rod 6 of smokable material enters the smoker's mouth. It is made to move through the filter 4 before doing. As described with reference to FIG. 2, the cigarette core 10 is located in one or more filter elements 12 and is provided extending in the longitudinal direction between both end faces 22 and 24 of the plug of the filter material 20. In this way, the tobacco core 10 is positioned so that it is in close proximity to the flow path of the gas stream as it moves through the filter 4, and therefore before the gas stream reaches the smoker's mouth, It is possible to influence various properties of the gas flow.

  For example, the tobacco core 10 can affect the overall characteristics of the gas flow so as to improve the taste and flavor of the gas flow. One application of tobacco core 10 is that certain gas flows may be lost when moving through filter material 20 or activated carbon 18 known to affect the taste and flavor of tobacco smoke. To restore the taste and flavor characteristics of the gas stream in proportion. The inventor surprisingly found that the arrangement of the tobacco core 10 extending longitudinally through the plug of the filter material 20 improves the flavor of the smoke without degrading the smoke flow characteristics. I found something to do. The present invention also encompasses further improvements and various modifications within the scope of the utility model registration claim.

Claims (19)

  A filter element for a smoking article, comprising a plug made of a filter material, a core portion made of tobacco material extending substantially longitudinally through the plug of the filter material, and substantially the tobacco core portion Wrapping means for wrapping all the side surfaces extending in the longitudinal direction and in contact with all the side surfaces.   The filter element according to claim 1, wherein the tobacco core portion extends substantially in a longitudinal direction between opposite end surfaces of the filter material plug.   3. The filter element according to claim 2, wherein the tobacco core extends substantially parallel to a side surface of the filter material plug, and the side surface is substantially perpendicular to one end surface or both end surfaces.   The filter element according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the tobacco core portion extends through the inside of the filter material and is surrounded by the filter material.   5. A filter element according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the tobacco core extends substantially through the center of the filter material plug.   6. A tobacco core comprising shredded tobacco, powdered tobacco, recycled tobacco, tobacco fiber, tobacco sheet, chopped tobacco leaf, chopped tobacco blend and / or tobacco stalk. The filter element as described.   The filter element according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the cigarette core is substantially cylindrical.   8. A filter element according to claim 1, wherein the wrapping means is substantially air permeable.   9. A filter element according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the wrapping means is formed from a paper material.   10. The wrapping means according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the tobacco core comprises tobacco material of at least a longitudinal section of a tobacco rod of a smoking article, and wherein the wrapper of the longitudinal section of the tobacco rod is The filter element according to claim 1, wherein   A filter element for a smoking article, comprising: a plug made of filter material; and a core portion made of tobacco material extending substantially longitudinally through the filter material plug, the tobacco core portion comprising: A filter element characterized in that it comprises a longitudinal section of a tobacco rod of a smoking article having a diameter of 2 to 6 mm.   The filter element according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein a diameter of a tobacco core portion provided in the filter element is 3 to 8 mm.   The filter element according to claim 1, wherein the filter material contains cellulose acetate.   14. The filter element according to claim 1, wherein the filter material plug has a diameter of 5 to 15 mm.   A filter for a smoking article, comprising the filter element according to any one of claims 1 to 14.   The filter according to claim 15, comprising a plurality of filter elements, at least one of which is the filter element according to claim 1.   17. A filter according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that the filter comprises an adsorption filter element comprising an adsorbent.   The filter according to claim 17, characterized in that the adsorbent is activated carbon. A smoking article comprising the filter element according to any one of claims 1 to 14 or the filter according to any one of claims 15 to 18.

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