KR20140130149A - Smoking article filter - Google Patents

Abstract

And a filter for a smoking article. The filter consists of a filter material and a user activating component for changing the smoke passing through the filter. The filter further comprises a display component that interacts with the user activation component to indicate that the user has activated the user activation component.

Description

Filter for smoking article {SMOKING ARTICLE FILTER}

The present invention relates to a filter for a smoking article. And more particularly to a filter for smoking articles through which smoke is passed before user inhalation. Of course, filters for smoking articles are well known.

It is also well known to provide a smoking article with a filter that includes one or more user-activated components.

The user activation component can be activated when the user tries to change smoke during smoking. Taking this component as an example, there is a capsule that can be broken down to add flavor to the smoke while the user is using the smoking article.

There may be a problem that such smoking articles are gaining popularity among users but it is difficult to know if the components are activated enough to provide the desired effect to the user.

The present invention provides a filter for a smoking article, wherein the filter is comprised of a filter material and a user activating component for varying the smoke passing through the filter, the filter interacting with the user activating component, And a display component that makes it possible to indicate whether or not it is activated.

"Cooperating " in the present invention means a physical and / or chemical interaction between the display component of the tipping element and the user-activated component and / or its contents. Preferably, the interaction of the display component of the tipping element with the user-activating component and / or its contents includes fluid flow between at least two items. In another example, the interaction of the display component of the tipping element with the user-activating component and / or its contents may include interaction of the liquid flow, particles and / or compounds between two features to change the properties of one or more articles, It can consist of all chemical contacts or all physical contacts.

The user-activating component can be a means of emitting flavor and can be in the form of a capsule or thread.

The display component may be real. Moreover, the indicator component may be capable of moving the liquid emitted from the user activating material faster or further in at least one direction than the rest of the filter material. Furthermore, the display component can be pre-impregnated as a display material that is activated when the user activates the user-activated component. Activation of the indicator component may occur through a process of wetting the yarn with liquid that is emitted from the user-activated component.

The filter can be arranged such that the user applies pressure on both sides of the filter or acts on the filter by applying a radial torsional force.

The display component may be provided around at least a portion of the outer edge of the filter. Moreover, the display component may be provided at the proximal end of the filter adjacent to the mouth of the user during use.

In some instances, the filter may consist of liquid retaining means that prevents liquid from moving through the seal or display component from escaping out of the filter.

In some instances, the user activating component may be surrounded by a substance before it is inserted into the filter component, which forms part of the display component.

The display component can be arranged to indicate the degree of user activation component activation.

In some examples, the filter is further configured with a plug wrap surrounding the filter material, and the display component is formed on or in the plug wrap material.

The use of the filter of the present invention can reliably indicate whether or not a user activating component that changes smoke is activated. This avoids the user attempting to reactivate because the user can know when the activation was made and can indicate whether the user activation component that changed the smoke was used.

The present invention also provides a display component for use in a filter according to the above-described invention, and is arranged to inform the user whether the relevant user activation component is activated during use.

In the present invention, there is also a smoking article composed of a filter or a display component as described above.

An example of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1A and 1B are side cross-sectional views of a smoking article using a filter according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a series of end views for the smoking article of Figure 1 and shows the location of the display components.

Figures 3, 4a and 4b show further examples of display configurations according to the invention.

Figures 5a and 5b show examples of the invention in which the indications are prevented from extending completely to the distal end.

Figure 6 shows an example of a filter according to the invention provided with components for guiding the liquid direction.

Figure 7 shows an example of a capsule arranged in a filter according to the invention.

Figures 8a and 8b show a pair of filter configurations implemented in different ways in accordance with the invention.

1, the smoking article 1 comprises a tobacco rod 2 and a filter 3. The smoking article 1 is fired at the free distal end 2a of the tobacco rod 2 and the smoke is drawn in from the glass distal end 2a of the tobacco rod 2 and passes through the filter 3, Enters the proximal end 3b of the body 3 and is inhaled by the user here.

Generally wrapping the tobacco rod 2 with a wrap 6 which is usually made of paper and serves to maintain the shape of the tobacco rod 2 and to direct the smoke to the filter 3. [

There is also generally a tipping material 4 which surrounds the filter 3 and extends above the wrap 6 of the tobacco rod 2 and connects to each other. The tipping material 4 maintains the structural connection of the smoking article 1 by keeping the distal connecting end 3a of the filter 3 connected with the proximal connecting end 2b of the tobacco rod 2 in place, To be guided from the distal end 2a of the article 1 to the proximal end 3b.

In this example, the filter 3 consists of a user activating component, in this example the user activating component 5 being in the form of a capsule 5 of the type disclosed in EP-A-1906775. In another example, the user-activating component 5 may be in the form of a plurality of capsules, or may be in the form of one or more chambers or extruded components embedded in the filter material of the type described, for example, in WO-A-2001/058319 As shown in FIG.

The user activating component 5 may for example consist of a component or material which changes the smoke, such as a flavor changing liquid, which changes the flavor of the smoke when activated. If one or more chambers are used as the user activation component 5, liquid or other substance that changes the smoke may be injected therein. What is common in all possible forms, however, is that the user presses the capsule to break or releases the smoke-altering substance, or the user is twisted to achieve a similar effect so that the activation of the user-activating component (5) to be. Two components which can be twisted together when the twist is activated can be provided to the filter 3, in which a torsional force is applied to the user-activating component 5 for activation.

As shown in Figs. 1A and 1B, the present invention also provides the user with a display component 7 that indicates when the user activation component 5 is activated. For example, the display component 7 can be one room (FIG. 1A) or a plurality of rooms (FIG. 1B).

In the example of Fig. 1a, the display element 7, by virtue of its presence, is preferably a color or contrast-changing substance which is activated by contact of a component which changes the smoke emitted by activation of the user- Or a single yarn impregnated with a dye. Or may be activated by the same acting force as activating the user activation component 5 in an alternative manner. In this case, the yarn is arranged so as to extend to the proximal end portion 3b of the filter 3 which can be easily seen by the user, so that the yarn can be seen by the user. A marking 8 can be placed outside the filter 3 to indicate the exact position of the user-activating component 5 and / or the display component 7 for easy viewing by the user.

In the example of Fig. 1b there are several seals as the display element 7, in which case the material is extruded from the inside of the filter and exposed only at the proximal end 3b of the filter 3 where the user usually wears. There is a symmetrical form, which may be better for manufacturing convenience but is not required. Of course, for example, the extruded material may be replaced by several single yarns as shown in Figure 1A to create the pattern formed at the spots.

In both of these examples, the yarn is used as the display component 7, but these yarns may be replaced by components made of paper, nonwoven, hollow fibers or hollow tubes. In this case, in particular if the process of wetting the display component 7 is used, the display component 7 can be activated quickly and the user can be provided with a clear visual indication as quickly as possible, It may be desirable to change the shape to have a fast capillary response.

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the proximal end of the filter 3 according to the present invention, and illustrates a display arrangement state that can be used instead. Fig. 2a shows four examples of display elements 7, each using separate chambers extending to the proximal end 3b of the filter 3. Fig. It ranges from one hollow chamber to several hollow chambers.

Figure 2b shows various examples of the shape of the display element 7. Generally these examples are all symmetrical for ease of manufacture and extend completely to the proximal end 3b of the filter 3 as shown in the figure below It may or may not be.

Fig. 2c shows three examples of the display element 7 in which the display material plane is formed inside the filter 3. Fig. Again, this plane may or may not have a concave shape.

Finally, Figure 2d shows a variety of prong structures for the display components 7 of various shapes, in which the charging material surrounds the outside of the generally symmetrical display component, but may be simple circular or oval, Structure.

3 to 5b show an example of a filter 3 according to the invention in which a liquid retaining means is provided in the filter 3 so that the liquid which is released from the user- It can not pass through and can not escape out of the filter (3).

3 shows that the barrier layer 10 extends over the central display component 7 in order to make the smoke varying material emitted from the user activating component 5 move as fast as possible to the proximal end 3b of the filter 3. [ Another example of the present invention is shown. The barrier layer 10 may be a wax coating over the display component 7, or may be a plastic sheath or other sealed component.

Figure 4a shows a tread structure in a similar configuration wherein an outer barrier layer 10 of material is provided below the tipping paper 4 to prevent liquid from penetrating and damaging the tipping paper 4 . Alternatively, the tipping paper 4 itself may serve as an outer barrier layer to prevent the liquid from leaking onto the outer surface of the tipping paper and wetting the user's fingers. It is also possible to make the tipping paper 4 at least partly translucent so as to contribute to the visual effect of the display component 7 on the side as well as the proximal end 3b of the filter 3. [

Figure 4b shows a side cross-sectional view of a further arrangement in which the filter 3 is composed of a plug wrap 11 and the display component 7 is arranged inside a plug wrap 11. [ Although the display component 7 is shown in Fig. 4b as a plurality of threads inside the plug lap 11, the plug lap 11 may be constructed of a material capable of performing the necessary display function on its own, An outer or inner surface formed from the material may be provided. This enables the user to confirm the display as in the other example after the user activation component 5 is activated. In this example, too, the tipping paper 4 can contribute to the visualization of the display component 7 on the side of the plug wrap 11.

Figures 5a and 5b show a configuration in which the display element 7 is recessed at the proximal end 3b of the filter 3 so that it does not reach the proximal end 3b but is still visible to the user, Thereby preventing the liquid passing through the filter 3 from coming out of the filter 3. In Fig. 5A, the display element 7 is concave at the proximal end 3b and in Fig. 5b the end seal 12 is provided with a material that does not attract liquid. This material can be, for example, a wax or a molten seal and seals the end, but still allows the user to observe contrast or color change in the chamber of the display component 7. [

Figure 6 shows another configuration of the filter 3 according to the invention in which the user activating component 5 is a capsule 4 surrounded by the seals 13 in a "sock" . When activated in this way, the liquid is easily drawn into the thread to provide an indication. Figure 7 shows an arrangement of the capsules 14 which are provided in a continuous filter material and which can later be cut into individual filters according to the invention. The "sock" configuration can also help to avoid unintentional capsule 14 breakage during insertion into the filter when manufactured.

Figures 8a and 8b show another configuration in which the smoke varying material is held in a user activated component 5 in the form of a compressible envelope 15 and one or more plugs or valves 16 are attached. Here, when pressure is applied to the compression bag 15, a substance which is activated and changes the smoke is moved from the plug or valve 16 to the display element 7, for example, made of one or several threads. It is also possible to place a filter element 3, which is commonly used and well known in assembling the smoking article 1, with an optional filter element adjacent to the cigarette.

In some cases it may be desirable to provide a display component 7 indicative of the degree of activation of the user activation component 5. For example, a user-activating component 5 is known in which the pressure is continuously applied not only in activation but also in subsequent periods, releasing a substance that changes the smoke contained therein. For example, a user may pressurize for a longer period of time to release a substance from the user-activating component 5 that changes the smoke, for example a liquid. In this case, the display component 7 can be configured such that the contrast or hue varies depending on the amount of liquid delivered by the user activation component 5 to indicate the degree of activation. Alternatively, if multiple display components 7 are used, the number that is affected by the activation of the user activation component 5 may be configured to be determined according to the information on which the user activation component 5 is activated .

In all these examples, the yarn serving as the display component 7 can be configured to attract smoke-altering substances that quickly activate to the user-visible surface. This ensures a fast display of activation.

A filter (not shown) having a user-activated component 5 that informs the user whether or not to activate in a simple and effective way, without relying on the components or materials used to change the smoke characteristics while changing the smoke characteristics in the filter arrangement of the present invention 3).

Claims (15)

A user activation component for changing the filter material and the smoke passing through the filter, and furthermore a display component for interacting with the user activation component to indicate when the user has activated the user activation component, . The method according to claim 1,
A filter in which a user-activated component is a means of flavoring. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
A user-activated filter in which the component is in the form of a capsule or a seal. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A filter whose display component is true. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the indicator component can move the liquid released from the user activating material faster or further in at least one direction than the rest of the filter material. The method according to claim 4 or 5,
A filter in which a display component is pre-impregnated as a marking material activated when a user activates a user-activated component. 7. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 6,
Wherein activation of the display component occurs through a process in which the seal is wetted with liquid from the user-activating component. 8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
Wherein the filter is arranged such that the user applies pressure to the side of the filter or applies a radial torsional force to the filter such that activation of the user-activated component occurs. 9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
A filter whose display component is provided at least around one part of the outer edge of the filter. 9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
A filter provided with a display component at the proximal end of the filter adjacent to the user's mouth. 10. A method according to any one of the preceding claims,
A filter in which liquid holding means is provided to prevent liquid from coming out of the filter through the display component. 10. A method according to any one of the preceding claims,
Wherein the user activating component is surrounded by a material before it is inserted into the filter component and the material constitutes part of the display component. 10. A method according to any one of the preceding claims,
Filter A filter that is further arranged to display the degree of activation of the user-activated component. 10. A method according to any one of the preceding claims,
Further comprising a plug wrap surrounding the filter material, wherein the display component is formed on or in the plug wrap material. A smoking article comprising a filter according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

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