RU2421110C2 - Improved smoking product filter (versions) - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: tobacco industry.

SUBSTANCE: invention is related to an improved smoking product filter, in particular, to a cigarette filter. The filter includes the first section containing a smoke-impermeable material with a smoke flow duct longitudinally arranged therethrough, the second section positioned at an interval relative to the first section, the gap providing for smoke passage from the first section to the second one without dispersion of a greater part of its particles prior to reaching second section material. The second section is axially aligned with the first one. The second section contains a core segment enclosed by the circumferential space segment and ventilation holes arranged in the second section or in the interval. One of the sections of the core and the circumferential space contains a filtering material with a high differential pressure. The other of the above sections contains a material with a lower differential pressure. The smoke flow duct is longitudinally aligned with the circumferential space segment or the core segment containing the material with a high differential pressure. In accordance with another version the filter includes the first section containing a smoke-impermeable material with a smoke flow duct longitudinally arranged therethrough, the second section positioned at an interval relative to the first section, the gap providing for smoke passage from the first section to the second one without dispersion of a greater part of its particles prior to reaching second section material. The second section is axially aligned with the first one. The second section has a mouthpiece end on the interval side. The filter has ventilation holes arranged in the second section or in the interval and a smoke-impermeable closure insert connected to the second section end on the interval side. The smoke flow duct is matched to the closure insert.

EFFECT: filter efficiently reduces the output of smoke components delivered to the consumer during usage and enables reduction of the width of the smoking product conducting band and/or decrease of smoke components delivery fluctuation between inhalations.

29 cl, 7 dwg, 2 tbl

Description

The present invention relates to an improved filter for smoking articles and to smoking articles containing such a filter. More specifically, it relates to a cigarette filter.

For many years, cigarette manufacturers have tried to reduce by filtering the amount of smoke components that are given to smokers. Significant efforts have been made to provide a smoking article which, when smoked, has a reduced bandwidth and a puff profile with a reduced spread between puffs. The bandwidth of a smoking article is the measured ratio between the yield of tar of cigarettes smoked under testing conditions according to the International Organization of Standards (ISO) relative to the yield of tar of the same cigarette smoked under other, usually more intense conditions.

In particular, ISO testing conditions include cigarette smoking, in which the puff volume is 35 ml, the puff duration is two seconds, and the interval between puffs is 60 seconds. More intense smoking conditions may include an increase in puff volume, an increase in puff duration, a reduction in time between puffs, or some combination of these changes. A narrower bandwidth corresponds to a reduced variation in the amount of smoke components supplied by a cigarette when smoking under ISO conditions and by fixing the same cigarette smoked under more intense smoking conditions.

A cigarette puff profile is the output of smoke components per puff recorded relative to the puff number. Tightening profile with reduced variation between puffs, i.e. a relatively shallow puff profile is a profile in which the output of smoke components is more constant with each puff during smoking.

Unfortunately, a gentle puff profile is usually not achieved with regular cigarettes. It has been known for some time in the tobacco industry that the yield of smoke constituents of the particulate phase, or “total particulate matter” (TPM, from the English “total particulate matter”), is uneven during smoking. When smoking a cigarette smoking machine (smoking machine) under ISO conditions, the “strength” of one puff, measured by the amount of smoke components of the solid phase in each puff, increases significantly from the first puff to the last. This increase in particulate mass at later puffs is caused by a large number of factors, including a reduction in tobacco rod filtration efficiency, reduced tobacco rod ventilation through tissue paper (both factors are the result of the tobacco rod length being reduced during smoking) and the increased potential of smoke components in phase solid particles of the tobacco rod, which is caused by the deposition of smoke components on the rod in the solid phase from earlier puffs.

The ratio of smoke components between the first and last puffs in a cigarette is different depending on a large number of product design characteristics, including the total smoke component yield for that product. Typically, a ratio between 2 and 4 for full-flavor products (more than 10 mg TPM) is between 3 and 5 for “light” (5-10 mg TPM), and between 4 and 6 for “ultra light” (less than 5 mg TPM) ) is achieved when smoking a smoking machine in an ISO environment. Higher ventilation levels of “light” and “ultra-light” products lead to an increase in this ratio even as the yield of smoke components of the product decreases. This imbalance in the exit of smoke components between the first and last puffs of a cigarette may result in the consumer refusing the product due to the sensation that the cigarette is too "weak" for the first few puffs or too "strong" for several final puffs. This problem is exacerbated for products that give a lower level of smoke components due to the greater difference between the number of smoke components at the first and last puffs. Accordingly, there is a need to provide a cigarette with a gentler puff profile that allows a similar level of smoke components to be supplied at the first, and at the last puff.

In addition, it is known that the elevated level of smoke components given during several final puffs represents a significant fraction of the total amount of smoke components generated in all cigarette products. Therefore, by reducing the supply of smoke components with a few final puffs, the total amount of smoke components supplied also decreases.

Various solutions are known in the art that increase efficiency in terms of total removal of smoke components, but also do not provide a gentle puff profile when smoking cigarettes. In particular, EP 0558166 discloses a filter having two filter swabs separated by a central chamber, which is simply filled with absorption material, such as activated carbon, and is simply an additional section of the filter material.

Accordingly, the present invention is based on the task of providing a filter for a smoking article, which effectively and significantly reduces the output of smoke components supplied to the consumer during use, and at the same time reduces the bandwidth of the smoking article and / or reduces the spread of the supply of smoke components between puffs.

The present invention provides a filter for smoking articles comprising at least two different sections. The first section contains the inner region and the surrounding region, the inner region and the surrounding region comprise a channel for smoke flow and a region of relatively smoke-tight material. Relatively impervious to smoke, the material has an increased resistance to flow compared to resistance to smoke flow of the channel for smoke flow. In one embodiment, the smoke flow passage and relatively smoke-tight material are arranged in the core in an annular configuration, with the smoke flow passage forming the core. In an alternative embodiment, the smoke flow passage forms an annular space, and the relatively smoke-tight material forms the core of the first section.

The second section contains a smoke deposition zone axially aligned with the smoke flow passage of the first section. The second section of the filter may contain a core containing filter material with a high pressure drop, and an annular space containing a filter material with a lower pressure drop than the core, or vice versa.

According to the present invention, the first and second sections are spaced from each other with the formation of a gap (empty gap), allowing the passage of smoke from the first to the second section without dispersing most of its particles to reach the material of the second section.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the filter is configured such that the channel for the smoke flow of the first section is axially aligned with the core of the second section. In this embodiment, the core of the second section is made of a filter material with a high differential pressure compared to the filter material of the annular space of the second section. In use, smoke exits the channel for the smoke flow of the first section, so that most of the smoke, especially the heavier smoke components, are deposited on the core with a high pressure drop of the second section. In an alternative embodiment, the insert of relatively smoke-tight material may be axially aligned with the outlet of the smoke flow passage of the first section, so that most of the smoke, especially the heavier smoke components, are deposited on the insert of relatively smoke-tight material on the second sections. Precipitation filtering occurs when smoke particles hit and are held back by the material, so in the embodiments described above, smoke components deposited on the smoke deposition zone of the second section will be delayed.

In another embodiment of the present invention, there are further ventilation openings surrounding the second section or surrounding the space or gap between the first and second sections. When smoking a cigarette, the channel for the smoke stream of the first section begins to fill with smoke components in the form of solid particles, which condense and precipitate in the channel for the smoke stream, and the smoke stream through it becomes limited. This limitation leads to an increase in pressure drop in the first section. As the pressure drop increases, more air is drawn into the filter through the ventilation openings, thereby, as smoking passes to subsequent puffs, resulting in a reduction in the spread of smoke components in subsequent puffs, which otherwise would occur during smoking due to the known phenomena of increasing the supply of smoke components in later puffs of a smoking article.

Ventilation may be provided by means known to those skilled in the art, such as laser or mechanical perforation.

The filter may further comprise additional sections. Additional sections of the filter may contain conventional filtration material, such as, for example, cellulose acetate, polypropylene or paper. The additional filter sections may alternatively or additionally contain carbon-containing material, for example, activated carbon, rubber, for example, amberlite, duolite or the like and / or catalytic material.

The present invention further provides a smoking article comprising a rod of smoking material, a wrapper surrounding the rod of smoking material, and a filter of the present invention attached to the rod of smoking material.

The first filter section of the present invention is preferably adjacent to the rod of smoking material at the first end and is spaced apart from the second filter section at the opposite end.

The filter of the present invention and the rod of smoking material can be interconnected by any means known to specialists in this field, such as, for example, an adhesive wrapper (rim paper). As is well known, an adhesive wrapper allows you to surround the filter along its entire length and combine with the rod of smoking material. The adhesive wrapper may be attached to the wrapper of the rod of smoking material by conventional means, for example, adhesive.

In the smoking article of the present invention, the filter and the rod of smoking material are preferably axially aligned with each other.

In one embodiment of the smoking article of the present invention, the filter may comprise one or more additional filter segments. Additional filter segment (s) may be located between the smoking material rod and the first filter section and / or may be located on the mouthpiece (outlet side) of the second filter section.

Features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention in combination with the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 shows a perspective view of a cigarette with selected areas shown with a cut,

figure 2 shows in cross section an embodiment of the cigarette shown in figure 1;

figure 3 shows in cross section another embodiment of the cigarette shown in figure 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the cigarette shown in FIG. 1;

figure 5 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the cigarette shown in figure 1;

6 is a graphical representation of the effectiveness of several embodiments of the present invention in reducing the total mass of solid particles and

Fig. 7 is a graphical representation of the effectiveness of one embodiment of the present invention in reducing bandwidth.

Although this invention is possible in embodiments in many different forms, several specific embodiments are shown in the figures and are described in detail below. The present description is intended to be illustrative by the example of the principles of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention to the shown embodiments.

1 shows a cigarette filter 1 for a cigarette 3 according to the present invention, designed to reduce the output transmission width of a cigarette in use. The cigarette 3 comprises a tobacco section 18 and a filter 1. The filter 1 has a first section 2 containing an inner region 4 and a first surrounding region 6. In one embodiment, the first section 2 is at one end of the cigarette 3 close to the tobacco section 18. The inner region 4 has a diameter preferably between 0.5 and 3.0 mm and a length between 5 and 10 mm. It is clear that the length of the channel for the smoke stream is determined by the length of the filter; the length of the channel for the smoke flow of the first section, however, is equal to the length of the first section.

For a properly functioning filter, the inner region 4 and the surrounding region 6 should contain a channel for smoke flow and a region that is relatively impervious to smoke. In a preferred embodiment, the inner region 4 is a channel for the flow of smoke and the surrounding region 6 is impervious to smoke. In this embodiment, smoke passes through the smoke stream passage 4 and exits the cigarette at high speed. In another embodiment, however, the channel for the flow of smoke can be formed by the surrounding region 6 with the inner region 4 formed from a smoke-tight material.

The smoke stream channel 4 can be implemented by a large number of different embodiments. For example, the smoke stream passage 4 may comprise a pipe 30, as shown in FIG. 2, or a filter material 40 with a lower pressure drop (such as cellulose acetate) than the pressure drop of the surrounding area 6, as shown in FIG. 3.

Again, with reference to FIG. 1, the filter 1 has an axially aligned second section 8 containing a core 10 surrounded by an annular space 12. The inner core 10 of the second section 8 is axially aligned with the inner region 4 of the first section 2. As is more clearly seen in FIG. 2 , filter 1 further comprises a space (an empty gap) or a gap 14 located between the first section 2 and the second section 8. The gap 14 may be in the range from 0.0001 mm to 4 mm in length, but in various embodiments of the present invention, it can be in the range of 0.1-3.8 mm, or in the range of 0.5-3.5 mm, or in the range of 1-3 mm, or in the range of 1.5-2.5 mm, and in one particular embodiment The implementation of the present image is approximately 2 mm. If the gap is too wide, the heavier smoke components diffuse within the gap 14 between the first and second sections of the filter before impacting the second section 8, which negatively affects the characteristics of the filter 1. Together with the rest of the filter 1, the gap 1.4 is wrapped in an insert wrapper and attached to the rest of the cigarette with plain sticky paper.

Either the core 10 or the annular space 12 of the second section 8 should form a deposition zone of a relatively smoke-tight material. If the smoke flow passage in the first section is an inner region 4, then the deposition zone of the second section 8 will be in the core region 10. The smoke deposition section can extend along the entire length of the second section 8, as shown in FIGS. 1-3 or as shown 4, it may be in the form of a small disk 32 of a smoke-tight material attached to the end of a conventional filter section 34. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the smoke must diffuse behind the smoke-tight material, but the heavier smoke components must first be removed by depositing them on the small disk 32.

If the channel for the smoke flow in the first section 2 is the surrounding region 6, then the deposition zone of the second section 8 will be in the region of the annular space 12. As shown in figures 1-3, this may be an annular space 12 of relatively impermeable material along the entire the length of the second section 8, or it may be an annular disk 36 of the same material attached to the end of a conventional filter section 34, as shown in FIG.

When the core 10 acts as a deposition zone, the diameter of the outer annular space 12 is preferably 40% of the total diameter of the filter 1, but the filter will function properly, however, when the core 10 is wider than the outlet diameter of the smoke stream of the first section 2. Similarly, when the annular space 12 acts as a deposition zone, its width should be greater than the width of the channel for the smoke stream formed by the surrounding region 6.

The length of the second section 8 can be of any size to obtain the desired total length of the filter 1, and usually it is from about 5 to 50 mm. The second section 8 is basically the mouthpiece (outlet) end of the cigarette filter.

In one embodiment, the filter 1 further comprises ventilation openings 20, which may be located either in the second section 8 or in the gap 14.

Filter 1 reduces the output bandwidth in two different ways. First, when smoking a cigarette, smoke passes through the channel for the smoke stream of the first section 2 and enters the gap 14 at high speed. Due to the short distance between the filter sections 2, 8 and the high speed at which the smoke passes, most of the smoke particles do not disperse before being deposited and held on the material with a high pressure drop of the second section 8 opposite the channel for the smoke flow of the first section 2. Heavier smoke particles less dispersed than lighter particles, resulting in a lower total mass of solid particles leaving the cigarette. The more intense the puff on the cigarette, the less smoke will be scattered, and more filtering will be done.

The second way to reduce bandwidth is to use air vents. As the cigarette smokes, the tube 4 in the first section 2 is gradually filled with smoke components containing solid particles, which increases the resistance to smoke flow through the tube 4. This increases the pressure drop through the first section 2, which leads to more diluted air pushed through the ventilation holes 20, when the smoker inhales. The diluted air enters the gap 14 or the second section 8 through the ventilation holes 20 surrounding the second section 8 or the gap 14. In this case, the smoke is further concentrated in the middle of the gap 14, thereby causing the collision of the smoke with the core 10, which in a preferred embodiment contains deposition area of the second section 8.

Although options that are considered preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, those skilled in the art will understand that other and further changes and modifications may be made without departing from the essence of the present invention, and it is intended that all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present claims. inventions.

Examples

Four different embodiments of the present invention have been tested to determine the total mass of nicotine-free solid particles in each puff and to determine if the supply has changed with increasing number of puffs. In examples A and B, the first and second sections were 11 and 14 mm in length, respectively, and the gap between these sections was 2 mm, in examples C and D, the first section was 11 mm in length and the second section was 16 mm in length, and the gap between the two sections was 0.001 mm. In all examples A, B, C, and D, the first section contained a tube with an inner diameter of 2 mm. In Examples A and C, the annular space of the second section was made of high differential pressure material, while in Examples B and D, the annular space of the second section was made of low differential pressure material.

Table 1 below and FIG. 6 shows the beneficial effect of the present invention on smoothing the puff profile compared to the “control” cigarette:

Table 1. Feed from puff to puff wet mass of particulate matter without nicotine (in mg) Puff number The control BUT AT FROM D one 1,068 0.463067 0.443533 0.481333 0.129867 2 1.29256 0.652667 0.454827 0.519467 0.200733 3 1,530667 0.726933 0.625867 0.6452 0.250267 four 1.742667 0.86 0.7856 0.6844 0.216267 5 2,012133 0.904933 0.922667 0.737867 0.4012 6 2,320267 1,098267 1,076907 0.767333 0,340933 7 4,366667 1,272 1,1432 0.9592 0.543333 8 1,402667 1.462667 1,117333 0.737467

Additionally, Table 2 and Figure 7 show the reduction in bandwidth that occurs when, in one embodiment of the present invention (Example D), smoking is carried out under various conditions. The more extreme these conditions are, the better Example D functions compared to a control cigarette. Under ISO conditions (puff volume 35 ml, puff duration 2 seconds, puff interval 60 seconds), the difference between the masses of the solid particles is relatively small. But as the overall puff intensity increases, the filter efficiency of the present invention increases, as indicated by the greater difference in TPM between the control and Example D.

Table 2. TPM yield (mg) under ISO and other conditions Smoking conditions The control D ISO 4.95 4.43 60/2/60 9.16 7.57 45/2/30 11.5 9.93 60/2/30 15,54 11.11

Various embodiments of the present invention have a measurable beneficial effect on reducing the bandwidth, reducing TPM, and smoothing the puff profile of a cigarette as it is smoked. Obviously, the location of the material with a high pressure drop and the gap width will change the corresponding characteristics and it is assumed that such changes fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (29)

1. Filter for smoking products, including
a first section containing smoke-tight material with a longitudinally flowing channel for smoke flow through it,
the second section, located relative to the first section with a gap that allows the passage of smoke from the first to the second section without dispersing most of its particles to reach the material of the second section, and axially aligned with the first section, and this second section contains a portion of the core surrounded by a portion of the annular space, and
ventilation holes located in the second section or in the specified interval,
while one of these sections of the core and the annular space contains a filter material with a high pressure drop, and the other of these sections contains a material with a lower pressure drop, and
the channel for the flow of smoke is longitudinally aligned with a portion of the annular space or core containing material with a high differential pressure. 2. The filter according to claim 1, in which the channel for the flow of smoke is a hole, centrally located in the first section. 3. The filter according to claim 2, in which the channel for the flow of smoke includes a tube. 4. The filter according to claim 1, in which the channel for the flow of smoke contains a material with a lower pressure drop than a smoke-tight material. 5. The filter according to claim 4, in which the material with a lower differential pressure is located centrally in the first section. 6. The filter according to claim 4, in which a material with a lower pressure drop surrounds a smoke-tight material in the annular space / core relationship. 7. The filter according to claim 1, in which ventilation holes surround the second section. 8. The filter according to claim 1, in which the ventilation holes are located between the first section and the second section. 9. The filter according to claim 1, in which the ventilation holes allow air to enter from the outside into the filter. 10. The filter according to claim 9, in which an increase in the amount of air pushed through the ventilation holes is provided as the tube is filled with resins. 11. The filter according to claim 1, in which the channel for the flow of smoke has a length between 5 and 10 mm 12. The filter according to claim 1, in which the channel for the flow of smoke has a diameter between 0.5 and 3 mm 13. The filter according to claim 1, in which the diameter of the core of the second section is approximately 60% relative to the diameter of the filter. 14. The filter according to claim 1, in which the gap between the first section and the second section is less than 4 mm 15. The filter according to claim 1, in which the first section of the filter has a first end and an opposite second end, the first end being for attaching to the rod of smoking material surrounded by a wrapper, and the second filter section is located at a specified interval relative to the first section and is axially aligned with opposite end of the first section. 16. A filter for smoking products, including
a first section containing smoke impervious material with a longitudinal passage for smoke flow through it,
the second section, located relative to the first section with a gap that allows smoke to pass from the first to the second section without dispersing most of its particles to reach the material of the second section, and axially aligned with the first section, this second section having a mouthpiece end and an end from the gap side,
ventilation holes located in the second section or in the gap, and
smoke impervious plug insert attached to the end of the second section from the gap side,
moreover, the channel for the flow of smoke is longitudinally aligned with the plugging insert. 17. The filter according to clause 16, in which the channel for the flow of smoke is a hole, centrally located in the first section. 18. The filter according to 17, in which the channel for the flow of smoke includes a tube in it. 19. The filter according to clause 16, in which the channel for the flow of smoke contains a material with a lower pressure drop than a smoke-tight material. 20. The filter according to claim 19, in which the material with a lower pressure drop is located centrally in the first section. 21. The filter according to claim 19, in which a material with a lower differential pressure surrounds a smoke-tight material in the annular space / core relationship. 22. The filter according to clause 16, in which ventilation holes surround the second section. 23. The filter according to clause 16, in which the ventilation holes are located between the first section and the second section. 24. The filter according to clause 16, in which the ventilation holes allow air to enter from the outside into the filter. 25. The filter according to paragraph 24, which provides an increase in the amount of air pushed through the ventilation holes, as the tube is filled with resins. 26. The filter according to clause 16, in which the channel for the flow of smoke has a length between 5 and 10 mm 27. The filter according to clause 16, in which the channel for the flow of smoke has a diameter between 0.5 and 3 mm 28. The filter according to clause 16, in which the gap between the first section and the second section is less than 4 mm 29. The filter according to clause 16, in which the first section of the filter has a first end and an opposite second end, and the first end is designed to connect to the rod of smoking material surrounded by a wrapper, and the second section of the filter is located with the specified gap relative to the first section and axially aligned with opposite end of the first section.

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