JP5815855B2 - Capsule containing liquid and smoking article provided with the capsule - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a capsule containing a liquid to be incorporated into a smoking article such as a filter cigarette and a smoking article incorporating the capsule.

  When smoking, if the filter of a smoking article such as a filter cigarette is soaked with a liquid such as water or an aqueous solution, not only the flavor and taste characteristics of the mainstream smoke generated from the cigarette will be improved, but the mainstream smoke A flavor or taste different from the original flavor or taste can be added. In this case, the capsule is incorporated in the filter with the liquid contained therein, and the user breaks the capsule prior to smoking the filter cigarette. Therefore, liquid is ejected from the broken capsule, and the ejected liquid soaks into the filter. For example, when the user sandwiches the filter between fingers, an external force is applied to the capsule through the filter to destroy the capsule.

For example, when the capsule has a cylindrical shape, the capsule can include a plurality of grooves on one end wall thereof, and these grooves extend radially from the axis of the capsule (see FIG. 2 of Patent Document 1). When the capsule is crushed, the groove breaks and the liquid in the capsule is ejected through the broken groove.
Further, the capsule can include two capsule halves, and these capsule halves are fitted to each other via an annular seal (see FIG. 4C of Patent Document 2). According to such a capsule, when the capsule is crushed, the annular seal is broken, and the liquid in the capsule is ejected through the broken seal.
Furthermore, a cooling unit for cigarettes is known, and this cooling unit includes a capsule containing a cooling liquid and a hollow brittle protrusion provided in the capsule (see FIG. 3 of Patent Document 3). . According to such a cooling unit, when the capsule is crushed, the fragile protrusion is ruptured, and the cooling liquid in the capsule is ejected into the cigarette through the ruptured fragile protrusion, and the ejected cooling liquid is in the cigarette. Extinguish the embers.

Patent No. 2515794 specification Special table 2008-528053 JP 2005-318806 A

The grooves of Patent Document 1, the annular seal of Patent Document 2, and the fragile protrusion of Patent Document 3 all facilitate the destruction of the capsule to some extent. However, a considerable force is still required for the breakage of the groove and the annular seal and the breakage of the fragile protrusion, and further easy breakability of the capsule is required.
Further, even if the groove, the seal, or the fragile protrusion is broken or ruptured, the location of the break or rupture is not uniquely determined in the groove, the seal, or the fragile protrusion. For this reason, even if the liquid or the cooling liquid is ejected from the capsule, the ejected liquid or the cooling liquid may not effectively penetrate into the filter or the cigarette.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a capsule containing a liquid capable of increasing breakability and specifying a break position and a smoking article incorporating the capsule.

  The above-described object is achieved by a capsule containing the liquid of the present invention. The capsule has a substantially cylindrical shape that can be elastically deformed, and has an end wall that closes the distal end and an open end that opens the proximal end. A capsule body capable of receiving liquid, and a thin wall region formed on the end wall of the capsule body, which is thinner than the thickness of the end wall and the peripheral wall of the capsule body, and protrudes integrally from the thin wall region toward the outside of the capsule body. A protrusion and a closed wall provided at the open end of the capsule body and closing the open end.

  According to the above-described capsule, when the peripheral wall of the capsule body is crushed by receiving an external force, the internal pressure of the capsule increases, so that the end wall swells outward. Such bulging of the end wall pulls the thin wall area outward of the capsule body in the radial direction with respect to the protrusion. Therefore, in the thin wall region of the end wall, the specific part adjacent to the base of the protrusion is particularly elongated, so that the thickness of the specific part is further reduced, and breaks first at the specific part. Thus, once a thin area breaks, the liquid in a capsule spouts from the fracture | rupture location of a thin area.

The capsule has a size that can be incorporated into a smoking article such as a filter cigarette, in particular a filter of the smoking article.
The end wall of the capsule body may have a truncated cone shape or a bowl shape. In this case, the end wall can include a central portion that surrounds the projection and has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the end wall, and an annular portion that connects the central portion and the peripheral wall of the capsule body, and the thin-walled region is in the central portion. Is formed. For example, the central portion may be a spherical concave wall.

Furthermore, the thin region may be provided partially in the central portion, and in this case, the thin region may include a plurality of V-shaped grooves extending radially from the protrusion to the outer periphery of the central portion.
On the other hand, the end wall may be flat. In this case, the thin region may include a plurality of V-shaped grooves extending radially from the protrusion to the outer periphery of the end wall.
Regardless of the form of the thin-walled area, when an external force is applied to the capsule, the bulge of the end wall particularly extends the specific part of the thin-walled area adjacent to the root of the protrusion, and as a result, the thin-walled area is identified. First break at the site.

  On the other hand, the capsule body can have an annular extension integrally extending from the outer peripheral edge of the end wall, and the extension and the end wall cooperate to form a concave end of the capsule. In this case, for example, the thin area may include a plurality of V-shaped grooves extending radially from the protrusion to the extension.

  Furthermore, the end wall may be a spherical concave wall, and in this case, the thin wall region may form an annular shape adjacent to and surrounding the protrusion. Furthermore, the capsule body can further have a plurality of ribs on the peripheral wall, and these ribs are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the capsule body.

Furthermore, the capsule body has a flange formed on the outer periphery of the open end. In this case, the closing wall is a sheet-like sealing member that is connected to the flange and liquid-tightly closes the open end.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a smoking article comprising one of the capsules described above.

According to the above-described smoking article, when a user applies an external force from the outside of the smoking article to crush the capsule body of the capsule, the specific portion adjacent to the base of the protrusion is first broken in the thin wall region of the end wall of the capsule body. The liquid in the capsule is ejected into the smoking article from the broken portion.
Moreover, the above-mentioned extension part and rib increase the rigidity of the surrounding wall in the capsule body. Therefore, when an external force is applied to the peripheral wall of the capsule body, the end wall is deformed into an ellipse, and the deformation of the end wall greatly extends a specific part of the thin-walled region located at the base of the protrusion, and this specific part. Is first broken.

  Since the capsule of the present invention includes a combination of a thin region and a protrusion, these combinations increase the breakage of the thin region, that is, the breakability of the capsule, while determining the break position in the thin region. Moreover, the smoking article of this invention can eject the liquid in a capsule into a smoking article easily and correctly.

It is sectional drawing which shows the filter cigarette in which the capsule was integrated as a smoking article. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a capsule of Example E1. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the capsule of FIG. It is the end elevation which looked at the capsule of FIG. 2 from the end wall side. It is a side view of the capsule which is one of the modifications of Example E1. It is a side view of the capsule which is one of the modifications of Example E1. It is a side view of the capsule which is one of the modifications of Example E1. It is a side view of the capsule which is one of the modifications of Example E1. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a capsule of Example E2. FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of the capsule of FIG. 9. It is sectional drawing which follows the XI-XI line in FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a capsule of Example E3. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the capsule of FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a capsule of Example E4. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the capsule of FIG. It is a perspective view of the capsule body of FIG. In FIG. 15, it is sectional drawing which follows the XVII-XVII line. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a capsule of Example E5. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the capsule of FIG. It is the end elevation which looked at the capsule of FIG. 18 from the front end side. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a capsule of Example E6. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the capsule of FIG. It is the end view which looked at the capsule of FIG. 21 from the front end side. It is the graph which showed the breaking load of the capsule of Examples E1-E6 and Comparative Examples C1-C4. 6 is a perspective view of a capsule of Comparative Example C1. FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the capsule of FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a capsule of Comparative Example C2. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the capsule of FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a capsule of Comparative Example C3. FIG. 30 is a longitudinal sectional view of the capsule of FIG. 29. It is the graph which showed the relationship between a load and distortion regarding the capsule of FIG. It is the graph which showed the relationship between a load and distortion regarding the capsule of FIG. It is the graph which showed the relationship between a load and distortion regarding the capsule of FIG.

  Referring to FIG. 1, a filter cigarette 10 as a smoking article is shown, and the capsule of the present invention is incorporated in the filter cigarette 10. In this case, the filter cigarette 10 includes a cigarette 12 and a composite filter 16 connected to one end of the cigarette 12 via the winding of the chip paper 14.

For example, the composite filter 16 includes cylindrical filter elements 18, 20 that are separated from each other in the axial direction of the cigarette 12. The filter elements 18 and 20 include a filter material such as acetate fiber or paper and a wrapping material that wraps the filter material. Further, the filter element 18 positioned on the cigarette 12 side can have particles such as activated carbon and fragrance inside thereof.
The capsule 22 containing the liquid of the present invention is disposed between the filter elements 18 and 20, and the capsule 22 and the filter elements 18 and 20 are disposed in a tube-shaped paper (not shown), and the composite filter 16. Is forming.

According to the filter cigarette 10 described above, the user applies an external force F to the capsule 22 from the outside of the composite filter 16 before smoking the filter cigarette 10 or between puffs. As will be apparent from the following description, the external force easily breaks the capsule 22 at a specific breaking position. Therefore, the liquid in the capsule 22 is ejected from the breaking position toward the filter element 18 and penetrates into the filter element 18.
The water-soluble component contained in the mainstream smoke of the cigarette 12 dissolves in the liquid soaked in the filter element 18, and thereby the water-soluble component in the mainstream smoke that has passed through the filter element 18 is reduced. As a result, the flavor and taste of the cigarette 12 change. If the liquid contains a fragrance, the flavor of the fragrance is added to the mainstream smoke.

Various forms can be considered for the capsule 22 of the present invention described above, and specific examples of the capsule 22 will be described below.
2 to 4 show the capsule 22a of Example E1.
The capsule 22a includes a substantially cylindrical capsule body 24, and the capsule body 24 is elastically deformable. The capsule body 24 has an end wall 26 and an open end 28, and the end wall 26 closes the tip of the capsule body 24. Such a capsule body 24 is obtained by injection molding a synthetic resin. For example, low-density polyethylene (Novatec LD manufactured by Nippon Polyethylene Co., Ltd.) can be used for the synthetic resin forming the capsule body 24.

As is apparent from FIG. 1, the capsule 22 a has a size that can be placed in a cylindrical cavity secured between the filter elements 18 and 20 of the composite filter 16. For example, the length along the longitudinal direction of the capsule 22a is about 1 to 3 mm shorter than the length along the longitudinal direction of the cavity, and the maximum outer diameter of the capsule 22a is less than the inner diameter of the cavity (the diameter of the filter elements 18 and 20). The smaller one is preferably about 5 to 2 mm. Specifically, the maximum outer diameter of the capsule 22a is about 6 mm.
If the capsule 22a has the above-described size with respect to the cavity, not only the composite filter 16 in which the capsule 22a is accommodated in the cavity is easily manufactured, but also the user can easily remove the capsule 22a in the composite filter 16. Further, the position and orientation of the capsule 22a in the cavity can be stabilized.

  In the case of Example E1, as is apparent from FIGS. 2 and 3, the end wall 26 has a truncated cone shape and has a central portion 30 and a tapered portion 34. The central portion 30 has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the end wall 26, while the tapered portion 34 forms an annular portion that connects the central portion 30 and the peripheral wall 32 of the capsule body 24. The central portion 30 has a diameter Dc (see FIG. 4) of 2 mm, for example, and the taper angle α of the taper portion 34 is 45 °, for example. In addition, the outer diameter, inner diameter, and wall thickness of the peripheral wall 32 are slightly reduced from the opening end 28 toward the tapered portion 34, but gradually decreased. Therefore, strictly speaking, the peripheral wall 32 also has a tapered shape, the diameter of the end wall 26 is smaller than the diameter of the open end 28, and the thickness of the end of the peripheral wall 32 adjacent to the end wall 26 is equal to that of the tapered portion 34. It corresponds to the thickness Tt. For example, the thickness Tt is 0.3 mm.

  The thickness Tc of the central portion 30 is thinner than the thickness Tt of the tapered portion 34. For example, the thickness Tc is preferably 0.1 mm or more and less than 0.2 mm. In the case of Example E1, the entire central portion 30 forms a thin region. Further, a rod-shaped protrusion 36 is formed at the center of the central portion 30, and this protrusion 36 protrudes toward the outside of the capsule body 24. The diameter Dp and the protrusion length L of the protrusion 36 are, for example, 0.4 to 0.5 mm and 0.4 mm, respectively.

  The open end 28 of the capsule body 24 has a flange 38 on its outer periphery, and the thickness and outer diameter of the flange 38 are, for example, 0.5 mm and 6.6 mm, respectively. The open end 28 is liquid-tightly closed by a sealing member 40 as a closing wall. The seal member 40 is a flexible sheet and is bonded to the flange 38 without hindering the elastic deformation of the capsule body 24.

  For example, the sealing member 40 is formed of a polyamide / low density polyethylene laminate sheet (manufactured by Tamapoly Co., Ltd., NY # 15 / DL / LC-21, 50 μm), and is bonded to the flange 38 by heat sealing. Compared to the case where the seal member 40 is directly bonded to the open end 28, if the seal member 40 is bonded to the flange 38, the contact area (heat seal area) between the seal member 40 and the flange 38 increases. Therefore, the seal strength of the seal member 40 increases.

The capsule body 24 and the sealing member 40 described above form a capsule 22a, and such a capsule 22a contains a liquid therein. For example, as the liquid stored in the capsule 22a, in addition to distilled water, an aqueous solution in which an additive such as a fragrance is dissolved in the distilled water can be considered.
The capsule 22a of Example E1 described above contains, for example, 130 mg of liquid. When the capsule 22a is disposed in the composite filter 16, the capsule 22a has a posture in which the end wall 26 faces the filter element 18 on the cigarette 12 side, as is apparent from FIG.

According to the filter cigarette 10 in which the capsule 22a is incorporated, before the smoking of the filter cigarette 10 or between puffs, the user sandwiches the composite filter 16 with the finger through the chip paper 14, and the capsule 22a in the composite filter 16 An external force F (see FIG. 1) can be applied to both sides of the capsule 22a in the diametrical direction. Such an external force F accompanies elastic deformation of the capsule body 24 and crushes the capsule 22a. As a result, the internal pressure of the capsule 22a is increased.
As described above, the peripheral wall 32 of the capsule body 24 has the flange 38 at the opening end 28 and is slightly tapered, so that the peripheral wall 32 is located on the flange 38 side. Compared to crushed.

  Therefore, the increase in the internal pressure of the capsule 22a causes the end wall 26 to bulge outward while elastically deforming so that the portion of the tapered portion 34 on the end wall 26 side is expanded outward. Such elastic deformation of the tapered portion 34 pulls the central portion 30 toward the radially outer side with respect to the protrusion 36. Therefore, the specific part adjacent to the root of the projection 36 in the central portion 30 is particularly extended, and the thickness of the specific part is greatly reduced. As a result, the central portion 30 is first broken at the specific portion. In this case, the protrusion 36 serves as a trigger when the specific portion of the central portion 30 is broken, and facilitates the breakage of the central portion 30 as a thin area, while determining the break position at the central portion 30.

Once the central portion 30 is broken, the internal pressure of the capsule 22a is abruptly lowered, so that the breaking of the central portion 30 is not further expanded. Therefore, the broken portion is limited to a specific portion adjacent to the protrusion 36. In addition, a sudden drop in internal pressure is detected by the user through the user's finger, and the user can confirm the destruction of the capsule 22a.
If the user continues to maintain the crushing of the capsule 22 a after the central portion 30 is broken, the liquid in the capsule 22 a is ejected from the broken portion of the central portion 30 toward the filter element 18 and permeates the filter element 18.

  As described above, the break position of the central portion 30 is limited to a specific position adjacent to the base of the protrusion 36, that is, the center of the end wall 26, so that the liquid ejected from the capsule 22a is from the center of the end face of the filter element 18. Infiltration, a liquid infiltration area LA (FIG. 1) is formed in the central area within the filter element 18. Therefore, the liquid ejected from the capsule 22a does not wet the molding paper or chip paper of the composite filter 16.

  If the filter cigarette 10 is smoked in a state where the liquid is infiltrated into the filter element 18, water-soluble components contained in the mainstream smoke are dissolved in the liquid in the filter element 18, and thus in the mainstream smoke that has passed through the filter element 18. The water-soluble component of the water is reduced, which changes the flavor and taste of mainstream smoke. On the other hand, if the fragrance is contained in the liquid, the flavor of this fragrance is added to the mainstream smoke, and the user can taste the flavor at the same time.

The present invention is not limited to the capsule 22a of the embodiment E1 described above.
A modification of the capsule 22 and other embodiments will be described below. In the description of the modified example and other examples, the same reference numerals are given to members and parts that exhibit the same functions as those of the previously described examples and modified examples, and the description thereof is omitted.

FIGS. 5-8 shows the modification of the capsule 22a of Example E1, respectively. These modified capsules 22a _{1 to} 22a ₄ differ in the following points when compared with the capsule 22a of the embodiment E1 or the capsule of the modified example already described.

Specifically, the capsule 22a ₁ in FIG. 5, in that the protruding length L1 of the protrusions 36 is increased to 1.0 mm, different from the capsule 22a.
The capsule 22a _{2 in} FIG. 6 is different from the capsule 22a _{1 in} that the end wall 26 has a bowl shape.
The capsule 22a _{3 in} FIG. 7 is different from the capsule 22a in that the diameter Dc1 of the central portion 30 is increased to 3 mm.
Capsules 22a ₄ in FIG. 8, in that the protruding length L1 of the protrusions 36 is increased to 1.0 mm, different from the capsule 22a _3.
It goes without saying that the capsules 22a _{1 to} 22a ₄ have the same advantages as the capsule 22a of the embodiment E1.

9 to 11 show a capsule 22b and a part of the capsule 22b of Example E2, respectively.
Capsule 22b differs from the group of capsules 22a of Example E1 only in the form of central portion 30.
In the case of the capsule 22b, the central portion 42 has a thickness Tc1 that is substantially the same as the thickness of the other part of the capsule body 24, and has a plurality of V-shaped grooves 44 as thin regions. These V-shaped grooves 44 are arranged radially on the outer surface of the central portion 42 with the protrusion 36 as the center, and extend from the root of the protrusion 36 to the outer periphery of the central portion 42. As shown in FIG. 11, the V-shaped angle β of each V-shaped groove 44 is 90 °, for example, and the thickness Tc2 of the bottom of the V-shaped groove 44 is 0.17 mm, for example.

When the external force F is applied to the capsule 22b, the tapered portion 34 of the end wall 26 is expanded by elastic deformation as described above. Therefore, the bottom of each V-shaped groove 44 is pulled radially outward of the end wall 26 with respect to the protrusion 36, and the bottom particularly extends at a specific portion adjacent to the root of the protrusion 36, thereby reducing the thickness of the bottom. . As a result, the bottom of any V-shaped groove 44 is first broken at a specific portion, and the liquid in the capsule 22b is ejected from the broken portion.
Note that once one of the V-shaped grooves breaks, the internal pressure of the capsule 22b rapidly decreases, and thereafter, the broken portion does not further expand at the bottom of the broken V-shaped groove. The bottom of the V-shaped groove is not broken.

12 and 13 show the capsule 22c of Example E3.
The capsule 22 c is different from the capsule 22 a only in the form of the central portion 30 of the end wall 26. Specifically, the central portion 46 of the capsule 22c is not flat, but is formed as a spherical concave wall that is recessed into the capsule body 24, and has a diameter Dc and a wall thickness Tc.
Even in such a capsule 22 c, when an external force F is applied to the capsule 22 c, the central portion 46 is pulled radially outward from the protrusion 36, and first breaks at a specific portion adjacent to the protrusion 36.

14 to 17 show a capsule 22d and a part thereof according to Example E4.
When the capsule 22b and the capsule 22d are compared, the capsule 22d is different in the following points.
The end wall 26 of the capsule 22d does not have the tapered portion 34, and the entire end wall 26 is formed as a flat wall. In the case of the capsule 22d, the V-shaped groove 44 extends from the protrusion 36 to the outer periphery of the end wall 26 and has a bottom having a thickness Tc3. The thickness Tc3 is a value between Tc (0.12 mm) and Tc2 (0.17 mm), for example, 0.13 mm.

Further, in the case of the capsule 22d, the diameter Dp1 of the protrusion 36 is increased to 0.8 mm, while a plurality of thin ribs 48 are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the capsule body 24 as apparent from FIG. These ribs 48 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the capsule body 24, and extend from the end wall 26 to the opening end 28 in the axial direction of the capsule body 24. For example, the thickness of the rib 48 is 0.2 mm.
Even in such a capsule 22d, when an external force F is applied to the capsule 22d, the bottom of any V-shaped groove 44 is first broken at a specific portion adjacent to the root of the protrusion 36.

18-20 show a capsule 22e of Example E5.
In the case of the capsule 22e, the end wall 26 of the capsule body 24 is also formed as a concave wall, and has an annular flat outer peripheral portion 70 and a central portion 72 that is recessed from the outer peripheral portion 70. Similar to the central portion 46 of the capsule 22c described above, it is formed as a spherical wall.

  The central portion 72 includes a projection 36 and an annular region 74 as a thin region at the center. The annular region 74 is adjacent to and surrounds the root of the protrusion 36 and has the above-described thickness Tc. The thickness of the central portion 72 gradually increases from the annular region 74 toward the outer peripheral portion 70, and the outer periphery of the central portion 72 continues to the inner corner of the inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral portion 70 as shown in FIG. ing. Further, the tip surface of the protrusion 36 and the outer end surface of the outer peripheral portion 70 are positioned on the same virtual surface.

21 to 23 show a capsule 22f of Example E6.
In the case of the capsule 22f, the end wall 26 of the capsule body 24 is formed as a concave wall, and the outer peripheral portion 70 of the end wall 26 forms an extension of the peripheral wall 32.
As is clear from FIG. 22, the central portion 74 of the end wall 26 has a female conical shape and is slightly recessed toward the capsule body 24. A plurality of V-shaped grooves 44 are formed on the inner surface of the central portion 74 as thin-walled areas as in the capsule 22b of FIG. These V-shaped grooves 44 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the capsule body 24 and extend radially from the protrusion 36 to the outer peripheral portion 70. In FIG. 22, only one V-shaped groove 44 is shown.

Further, a plurality of ribs 76 are integrally formed on the peripheral wall 32 of the capsule body 24. These ribs 76 extend from the tip of the outer peripheral portion 70 to the flange 38 in the axial direction of the capsule body 24 and are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the capsule body 24.
The width of the rib 76 described above is not constant along the axial direction of the capsule body 24, and gradually decreases from the flange 38 toward the tip of the outer peripheral portion 70, as is apparent from FIG.

  FIG. 24 shows the breaking loads (average value and standard deviation (S.D.)) of the capsules 22a to 22f of Examples E1 to E6. The results of FIG. 24 are obtained by measuring the breaking load at the time when the external force F is applied to the capsules 22a to 22f and the central portions 30, 46 or the V-shaped grooves 44 of these capsules break at the above-mentioned specific sites. It was. FIG. 24 also shows the measurement results of the capsule breaking load in Comparative Examples C1 to C4.

Each capsule was filled with a liquid (distilled water) occupying 94% of its volume, and a creep meter (manufactured by Yamaden Co., Ltd., RHEOMETER II) was used to measure the breaking load.
Before referring to the measurement results of FIG. 24, the capsules of Comparative Examples C1 to C4 will be briefly described. The capsules of Comparative Examples C1 to C4 have basically the same structure as the capsules 22a to 22d of Examples E1 to E4, but differ in the following points.

25 and 26 show a capsule of Comparative Example C1.
The capsule of Comparative Example C1 has a substantially hexagonal and slightly tapered capsule body, and a flat hexagonal pyramid-shaped end wall 50. As is apparent from FIG. 26, each ridgeline of the end wall 50 has V-shaped grooves 52a and 52b on the front and back of the ridgeline, respectively, and these V-shaped grooves 52a and 52b form a thin region extending along the ridgeline. To do. Therefore, the thickness of the bottom of the V-shaped grooves 52a and 52b is thinner than the thickness of the ridgeline (for example, 0.45 mm), for example, 0.12 mm. According to the capsule of Comparative Example C1, when the aforementioned external force F is applied to the capsule, any V-shaped groove 52 of the end wall 50 is first broken at the bottom thereof.

27 and 28 show the capsule of Comparative Example C2.
When comparing Comparative Examples C1 and C2, the capsule of Comparative Example C2 has an end wall 54 in the shape of a flat hexagonal frustum, and each edge line of the end wall 54 is V-shaped only on the back of the edge line. It differs from the capsule of Comparative Example C1 in that it has a V-shaped groove 56 similar to the grooves 52a and 52b. In the case of the capsule of Comparative Example C2, when the aforementioned external force F is applied to the capsule, any V-shaped groove 56 of the end wall 54 is first broken at its bottom.

29 and 30 show the capsule of Comparative Example C3.
The capsule of Comparative Example C3 is the same type as the capsule of Patent Document 1 described above, and is formed only on the cylindrical capsule body, the flat end wall 58, and the inner surface of the end wall 58, and as a thin region. A plurality of V-shaped grooves 60. These V-shaped grooves 60 are distributed radially, leaving the central portion of the end wall 58. The bottom thickness of the V-shaped groove 60 is 0.13 mm.
Although the capsule of Comparative Example C4 is not shown, it differs from Capsule 22a only in that it does not have protrusion 36 when compared with Capsule 22a of Example E1.

  As is clear from FIG. 24, the capsules of Examples E1 to E6 and Comparative Examples C1, C2, and C4 all have a breaking load of 20 to 80 N, except for the capsule of Comparative Example C3. If the breaking load is stored in such a range, the user can easily break the capsule. In this respect, the breaking load of the capsule of Comparative Example C3 corresponding to the capsule of Patent Document 1 exceeds 80 N, and the capsule is not easily broken.

  On the other hand, the capsules of Comparative Examples C1 to C4 do not have the protrusions 36 included in the capsules 22a to 22d of Examples E1 to E4. Therefore, in the case of the capsules of Comparative Examples C1 to C4, the breaking position at the end wall cannot be determined. Further, the breaking load of the capsules of Examples E1 to E6 is smaller than the breaking load of the capsules of Comparative Examples C2, C3, and C4. This indicates that the protrusion 36 not only determines the breaking position at the end wall, but also contributes to the reduction of the breaking load.

  Further, in the case of the capsules 22e and 22f of the embodiments E5 and E6, the end wall 26 has an annular outer peripheral portion 70 that protrudes outward from the central portion 72 in addition to the protrusion 36. Such an outer peripheral portion 70 increases the rigidity of the end wall 26. Therefore, in the case of the capsules 22e and 22f, when the external force F applied to the capsule body 24 is transmitted to the end wall 26, the end wall 26 is deformed into an ellipse, and the central portion 72 of the end wall 26 has an elliptical length. It will be pulled especially along the axis.

  In this case, the thin wall region (annular region 74, V-shaped groove 44) of the end wall 26 is easily broken at the base of the protrusion 36. Therefore, as is clear from FIG. 24, the capsules 22e and 22f of Examples E5 and E6 have a breaking load smaller than the breaking loads of the capsules 22a to 22d of Examples E1 to E4. The breaking load of the capsules 22e and 22f is approximately the same as the breaking load of a seamless capsule incorporated in a commercially available filter cigarette.

  On the other hand, in the case of the capsule 22c of Example E3, the filling rate of the liquid (distilled water) is changed to 71% (v / v), 46% (v / v), and 21% (v / v) of the volume of the capsule 22c. In this case, the breaking loads of the capsule 22c were 64.4N, 70.1N, and 95.0N, respectively. This means that the breaking load of the capsule varies depending on the filling rate of the liquid contained in the capsule, and the higher the filling rate of the liquid, the smaller the breaking load of the capsule. Therefore, it is desirable that the filling rate of the liquid in the capsule is high as long as the capsule production is not hindered.

  31 to 32 show the relationship between the load repeatedly applied to the capsule body of the capsule and the distortion of the end wall in the capsule body for each of the capsule 22a, capsule 22e, and capsule 22f. As is clear from comparison of FIGS. 31 to 33, it can be seen that the capsules 22e and 22f are greatly distorted with a small load compared to the capsule 22a.

Further, the rib 76 of the capsule 22f increases the rigidity of the peripheral wall 32 more than the rigidity of the peripheral wall 32 of the capsule 22e. In the case of the capsule 22f, since the central portion 72 has a female conical shape, the external force F transmitted to the end wall 26 is effectively concentrated on the root of the protrusion 36. As a result, the breaking load of the capsule 22f is further smaller than the breaking load of the capsule 22e. Therefore, the capsule 22e may also have ribs 76.
On the other hand, the outer peripheral portion 70 effectively works to prevent an undesired external force from being directly applied to the protrusion 36. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the capsules 22e and 22f are undesirably broken when the filter cigarette is manufactured.

Finally, the present invention is not restricted by the above-described embodiment E1, its modifications, and embodiments E2 to E6.
For example, the capsule body 24 and the sealing member 40 as a closing wall are both formed of low density polyethylene, but the capsule body and the closing wall of the present invention can be formed of a synthetic resin other than low density polyethylene, and further, synthetic It can be formed by other materials other than resin.
For example, the capsule body 24 of the capsule 22a has a tapered shape with a small diameter on the end wall 26 side, but the capsule body of the present invention may have a straight cylindrical shape or a tapered shape with a small diameter on the open end side. Good.
Further, the end wall of the capsule body of the present invention is not limited to the truncated cone shape, the bowl shape or the flat shape, the concave shape, etc. exemplified in the above-described embodiments, and the center portion of the end wall is also Moreover, it is not restricted to the flat wall or spherical wall which was illustrated.
Furthermore, the entire region of the end wall of the capsule body may form a thin region, and the groove as the thin region may have a shape other than the V-shape. Furthermore, the arrangement of the grooves is not limited to a radial shape.
On the premise that the thickness of the thin region is thinner than the thickness of the end wall and the peripheral wall of the capsule body, it is preferable that the thickness is 0.12 mm or more and less than 0.17 mm in the range exemplified for the capsule 22a.
The capsule body 24 of the capsule 22d has a plurality of ribs 48 on its inner peripheral surface, while the capsule body 24 of the capsule 22f has a plurality of ribs 76 on its outer peripheral surface. These ribs 48 and 76 can be similarly applied to the capsules of the other embodiments and modifications described above.
In the case of the capsule body 24 of the capsule 22f, the central portion 72 of the end wall 26 may be a flat wall, and the annular outer peripheral portion 70 (extension portion of the peripheral wall 32) is also a capsule of other embodiments and modifications. Applicable.
In short, as long as the capsule of the present invention has a basic structure consisting of a capsule body, a thin wall region, a protrusion, and a closed wall, other components (shape, arrangement, etc.) of the capsule of each embodiment are other implementations. It can be applied in any combination to the capsule of the example.
Furthermore, it goes without saying that the capsule of the present invention can be incorporated not only into a filter cigarette within a filter but also into various smoking articles equipped with a filter.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Filter cigarette 14 Chip paper 16 Composite filter 18, 20 Filter element 22 (22a-22f) Capsule 26 End wall 28 Open end 30, 46 Center part (thin area)
32 peripheral wall 34 taper part (annular part)
36 Protrusion 40 Seal member 42, 72 Center part 44 V-shaped groove (thin area)
70 outer peripheral part 48,76 rib

Claims (13)

A capsule body having a substantially cylindrical shape that can be elastically deformed, having an end wall that closes the distal end and an open end that opens the proximal end;
A thin-walled area formed on the end wall of the capsule body and thinner than the thickness of the end wall and the peripheral wall of the capsule body;
A protrusion that projects integrally from the thin-walled area toward the outside of the capsule body;
A capsule containing a liquid, comprising a closing wall provided at the opening end of the capsule body and closing the opening end.   2. Capsule according to claim 1, having a size that can be incorporated into a smoking article.   The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the end wall has a truncated cone shape or a bowl shape. The end wall has a truncated cone shape or a bowl shape, includes a central portion that surrounds the protrusion and has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the end wall, and an annular portion that connects the central portion and the peripheral wall of the capsule body,
The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the thin region is formed in the central portion.   The capsule according to claim 4, wherein the central portion is a spherical concave wall.   The capsule according to claim 4, wherein the thin region includes a plurality of V-shaped grooves extending radially from the protrusion to the outer periphery of the central portion. The end wall is flat;
The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the thin region includes a plurality of V-shaped grooves extending radially from the protrusion to the outer periphery of the end wall. The capsule body has an annular extension extending integrally from the outer peripheral edge of the end wall,
The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the extension portion and the end wall cooperate to form a concave end portion of the capsule.   The capsule according to claim 8, wherein the thin region includes a plurality of V-shaped grooves extending radially from the protrusion to the extension. The end wall is a spherical concave wall;
The capsule according to claim 8, wherein the thin region has an annular shape adjacent to the protrusion and surrounding the protrusion.   The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the capsule body has a plurality of ribs on the peripheral wall, and the ribs are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the capsule body. The capsule body has a flange formed on an outer periphery of the open end;
The capsule according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the closing wall is a sheet-like sealing member that is connected to the flange and liquid-tightly closes the opening end. A smoking article comprising the capsule according to claim 1.

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