TWI489950B - Liquid-containing capsule and smoking article having the capsule - Google Patents

Description

Capsule containing liquid and smoking article having the same

The present invention relates to a capsule containing a liquid for a smoking article contained in a filter cigarette or the like, and a smoking article in which the capsule is loaded.

When smoking, if a liquid such as water or an aqueous solution is infiltrated into the filter of a smoking article such as a filter cigarette, the flavor and taste characteristics of the mainstream smoke generated by the cigarette can be improved, and mainstream smoke can be added to the mainstream smoke. The original flavor and taste are different flavors and tastes. At this time, the capsule is placed in the filter while the liquid is contained, and the user can destroy the capsule before smoking of the filter cigarette. The liquid is thus ejected from the damaged capsule, and the ejected liquid is allowed to permeate into the filter. For example, the user can clamp the filter between the fingers and apply an external force to the capsule via the filter to break the capsule.

For example, when the capsule has a cylindrical shape, the capsule may include a plurality of grooves on the one end wall, and the grooves extend radially from the axis of the capsule (refer to 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 may contain two capsule hemispheres which are fitted to each other via an annular sealing material (refer to FIG. 4C of Patent Document 2). According to the capsule, when the capsule is crushed, the annular seal member is broken, and the liquid in the capsule is ejected through the broken seal member.

Further, a cooling unit for a cigarette is known, and the cooling unit includes a capsule containing a cooling liquid and a hollow fragile protrusion provided in the capsule (refer to FIG. 3 of Patent Document 3). According to the cooling unit, when the capsule is crushed, the fragile protrusion is broken, and the coolant in the capsule is ejected into the cigarette through the broken fragile protrusion, and the ejected coolant can extinguish the remaining fire of the cigarette.

[Previous Technical Literature]

[Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 2515794

[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-528053

[Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-318806

The groove of Patent Document 1, the annular seal member of Patent Document 2, and the fragile protrusion of Patent Document 3 all cause the capsule to be easily broken to some extent. However, the breakage of the groove or the annular sealing material and the rupture of the fragile protrusion still require considerable force, and thus there is a need for susceptibility, which makes the capsule more susceptible to damage.

In addition, even if the groove or the sealing material or the fragile protrusion is broken or broken, the fracture or crack is not necessarily in the groove or the sealing material or the weak protrusion. Therefore, even if liquid or coolant is ejected from the capsule, there is a liquid or coolant that is ejected. Do not effectively infiltrate the filter or cigarette.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a capsule containing a liquid which can improve the destructibility while specifying a breaking position, and a smoking article in which the capsule is loaded.

The above object can be attained by the capsule containing the liquid of the present invention, the capsule comprising: a capsule body having an elastically deformable shape of a substantially cylindrical shape, and having an end wall for closing the front end and an open end of the open base end And a liquid is filled inside; the thin-walled area is formed on the end wall of the capsule body, and is thinner than the end wall and the peripheral wall of the capsule body; the protrusion is oriented from the thin-walled area The capsule body integrally protrudes outside the body; and the closing wall is disposed at the open end of the capsule body and closes the closed wall of the open end.

According to the capsule described above, when the peripheral wall of the capsule body is crushed by an external force, the internal pressure of the capsule rises, so that the end wall expands toward the outside. The expansion of the end wall thus pulls the thin-walled region toward the radially outer side of the capsule body with respect to the projection. Therefore, in the thin-walled region of the end wall, the specific portion adjacent to the bottom of the projection is further stretched to further reduce the thickness of the specific portion and to break at a specific portion. Thus, when the thin-walled region is broken, the liquid in the capsule is ejected from the fracture of the thin-walled region.

The capsule has a size that can be incorporated into a cigarette or the like of a filter cigarette, particularly in a filter of a smoking article.

The end wall of the capsule body may be in the shape of a truncated cone or a bowl. At this time, the end wall may include: a central portion that surrounds the protrusion and has a smaller diameter than the end wall, and An annular portion connecting the central portion and the peripheral wall of the capsule body; the thin-walled portion may be formed at the central portion. For example, the central portion may be a spherical concave wall.

Further, the thin-walled region may be partially disposed at the central portion, and in this case, the thin-walled region may include a plurality of V-shaped grooves extending radially from the protrusion to the outer periphery of the central portion.

Alternatively, the end wall may be flat, in which case the thin walled region may comprise a plurality of V-shaped grooves extending radially from the projection to the outer periphery of the end wall.

The thin-walled region may be in any of the above forms, and when an external force is applied to the capsule, the expansion of the end wall further stretches a specific portion of the thin-walled region adjacent to the bottom of the projection, with the result that the thin-walled region is first broken at a specific portion.

On the other hand, the capsule body may have an annular extending portion integrally extending from the outer peripheral edge of the end wall, and thus the extension portion and the end wall cooperate to form the front end portion of the capsule into a concave shape. At this time, for example, the thin-walled region may include a plurality of V-shaped grooves that extend radially from the protrusion to the extension.

Further, the end wall may be a spherical concave wall, in which case the thin-walled region abuts the protrusion and is annular around the protrusion. Further, the capsule body may have a plurality of ribs on the peripheral wall, and the ribs are disposed at intervals in the circumferential direction of the capsule body.

Further, the capsule body may have a flange formed on the outer circumference of the open end, and in this case, the closing wall may be a sheet-like sealing member that is connected to the flange and closes the open end in a liquid-tight manner.

Furthermore, the present invention provides a smoking article provided with one of the above capsules.

According to the above smoking article, if the user smokes from the article The external force exerts an external force to crush the capsule body of the capsule, and in a thin-walled region of the end wall of the capsule body, a specific portion adjacent to the bottom of the protrusion is broken first, so that the liquid in the capsule is ejected from the break into the smoking article. .

Furthermore, the extensions and ribs described above increase the rigidity of the peripheral wall of 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 elliptical shape, and thus the deformation of the end wall greatly stretches a specific portion of the thin-walled portion located at the bottom of the projection, causing the specific portion to be broken first.

The capsule of the present invention is provided with a combination of a thin-walled region and a protrusion, so that the combination can improve the fracture property of the thin-walled region, that is, improve the breakability of the capsule, and at the same time determine the fracture position in the thin-walled region. Further, in the smoking article of the present invention, the liquid in the capsule can be easily and correctly ejected into the smoking article.

10‧‧‧ Filter cigarette

12‧‧ ‧ Cigarettes

14‧‧‧ outer paper

16‧‧‧Composite filter

18, 20‧‧‧ filter elements

22 (22a to 22f) ‧ ‧ capsules

22a ₁ to 22a ₄ ‧ ‧ capsules of variants

24‧‧‧Capsule body

26‧‧‧End wall

28‧‧‧Open end

30, 46‧‧‧ Central Department (thin wall area)

32‧‧‧Weibi

34‧‧‧Cone (annular)

36‧‧‧ Protrusion

38‧‧‧Flange

40‧‧‧ Sealing material components

42. 72‧‧‧ Central Department

44, 52, 52a, 52b, 56, 60‧ ‧ V-groove (thin wall area)

48, 76‧‧ ‧ ribs

50, 54, 58‧‧‧ end wall

70‧‧‧The outer part

74‧‧‧Circle zone

The taper angle of the α‧‧‧ cone

V-shaped corner of β‧‧‧V groove

Diameter of the central part of Dc, Dc1‧‧

Dp‧‧‧protrusion diameter

F‧‧‧External force

L‧‧‧ protruding length

L1‧‧‧ protruding length

LA‧‧‧Infiltration zone

Wall thickness of the central part of Tc, Tc1‧‧

Thickness of the bottom of Tc2, Tc3‧‧‧V groove

Tt‧‧‧ Thickness of the taper

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a filter cigarette filled with a capsule of a smoking article.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the capsule of Example E1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the capsule of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the capsule of Fig. 2 as seen from the end wall side.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the capsule of one of the modifications of the embodiment E1.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the capsule of one of the modifications of the embodiment E1.

Fig. 7 is a side view of the capsule of one of the modifications of the embodiment E1.

Fig. 8 is a side view of the capsule of one of the modifications of the embodiment E1.

Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the capsule of Example E2.

Figure 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of the capsule of Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI in Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a perspective view showing the capsule of Example E3.

Figure 13 is a longitudinal sectional view of the capsule of Figure 12.

Figure 14 is a perspective view showing the capsule of Example E4.

Figure 15 is a longitudinal sectional view of the capsule of Figure 14.

Figure 16 is a perspective view of the capsule body of Figure 14.

Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XVII-XVII in Figure 15.

Figure 18 is a perspective view showing the capsule of Example E5.

Figure 19 is a longitudinal sectional view of the capsule of Figure 18.

Fig. 20 is an end view of the capsule of Fig. 18 as seen from the front end side.

Figure 21 is a perspective view showing the capsule of Example E6.

Figure 22 is a longitudinal sectional view of the capsule of Figure 21.

Fig. 23 is an end view of the capsule of Fig. 21 as seen from the front end side.

Fig. 24 is a graph showing the breaking load of the capsules of Examples E1 to E6 and Comparative Examples C1 to C4.

Figure 25 is a perspective view of the capsule of Comparative Example C1.

Figure 26 is a longitudinal sectional view of the capsule of Figure 25.

Figure 27 is a perspective view of the capsule of Comparative Example C2.

Figure 28 is a longitudinal sectional view of the capsule of Figure 27.

Figure 29 is a perspective view of the capsule of Comparative Example C3.

Figure 30 is a longitudinal sectional view of the capsule of Figure 29.

Figure 31 is a diagram showing the relationship between the display load and the strain of the capsule of Figure 2. table.

Figure 32 is a graph showing the relationship between the display load and the strain of the capsule of Figure 18.

Figure 33 is a graph showing the relationship between the display load and the strain of the capsule of Figure 21.

Referring to Fig. 1, a filter cigarette 10 as a smoking article is shown, and the filter cigarette 10 is loaded with the capsule of the present invention. At this time, the filter cigarette 10 includes a cigarette 12 and a composite filter 16 that is wound via the outer layer paper 14 and connected to one end of the cigarette 12.

For example, the composite filter 16 includes cylindrical filter elements 18, 20 which are separated from each other in the axial direction of the cigarette 12. The filter element 18, 20 is, for example, a filter material having acetate fibers or paper, and a packaging material covering the filter material. Further, the filter element 18 located on the side of the cigarette 12 may have particles such as activated carbon or perfume inside.

The liquid containing capsule 22 of the present invention is disposed between the filter elements 18 and 20, and the capsules 22 and the filter elements 18 and 20 are disposed in a tubular forming paper (not shown) to form a composite. Filter 16.

According to the filter cigarette 10 described above, the user can apply an external force F to the capsule 22 from the outside of the composite filter 16 before or during smoking of the filter cigarette 10. As will be understood from the description below, the external force can easily break the capsule 22 at a specific destruction position. Therefore, the liquid in the capsule 22 is ejected from the destruction position toward the filter element 18 to penetrate into the filter element 18.

The water-soluble component contained in the mainstream smoke of the cigarette 12 is dissolved in the liquid infiltrated in the filter element 18, thereby reducing the water-soluble component in the mainstream smoke passing through the filter element 18. As a result, the flavor and taste of the cigarette 12 can be changed. When the liquid contains a fragrance, the fragrance of the fragrance is added to the mainstream smoke.

The above-described capsule 22 of the present invention can be considered in various forms, and a specific embodiment of the capsule 22 will be described below.

Figures 2 through 4 show the capsule 22a of Example E1.

The capsule 22a comprises a substantially cylindrical capsule body 24 which is elastically deformable. The capsule body 24 has an end wall 26 and an open end 28 that closes the front end of the capsule body 24. Thus, the capsule body 24 can be obtained by injection molding synthetic resin. As the synthetic resin forming the capsule body 24, for example, low density polyethylene (Novatec LD, manufactured by Japan Polyethylene Co., Ltd.) can be used.

From Fig. 1, it can be seen that the capsule 22a has a size that can be disposed in a cylindrical cavity secured between the filter elements 18, 20 of the composite filter 16. For example, the length along the longitudinal direction of the capsule 22a is shorter than the length along the longitudinal direction of the aperture by 1 to 3 mm, preferably the maximum outer diameter of the capsule 22a is smaller than the inner diameter of the aperture (the diameter of the filter element 18, 20). Short 0.5 to 2mm. 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 pores, it is not only easy to manufacture the composite filter 16 in which the capsule 22a is accommodated in the pores, and the user can more easily recognize the capsule 22a in the composite filter 16, and in addition, in the pores The position or orientation of the capsule 22a is also stable.

In the embodiment E1, it can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3 that 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, and the tapered portion 34 forms an annular portion that connects the central portion 30 with the peripheral wall 32 of the capsule body 24. The central portion 30 has, for example, a diameter Dc of 2 mm (refer to Fig. 4), and the taper angle α of the tapered portion 34 is, for example, 45°. Still further, the outer diameter, inner diameter, and wall thickness of the peripheral wall 32 gradually decrease from the open end 28 toward the tapered portion 34. Therefore, strictly speaking, the peripheral wall 32 is also tapered, the diameter of the end wall 26 is smaller than the diameter of the open end 28, and the thickness of the end portion of the peripheral wall 32 adjacent to the end wall 26 coincides with the thickness Tt of the tapered portion 34. 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 embodiment E1, the entire central portion 30 forms a thin-walled region. Further, a rod-shaped projection 36 is formed at the center of the center portion 30, and the projection 36 protrudes toward the outside of the capsule body 24. The diameter Dp and the protruding length L of the projection 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 the outer circumference, 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 closed in a liquid-tight manner by the sealing member 40 as a closed wall. The sealing member 40 is a flexible sheet which is attached 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 then heat-sealed to be convex. Edge 38. If the sealing member 40 is attached to the flange 38, the contact area (heat sealing area) between the sealing member 40 and the flange 38 can be increased as compared with the case where the sealing member 40 directly follows the open end 28. The sealing strength of the sealing member 40 can be increased.

The capsule body 24 and the sealing member 40 form a capsule 22a in which a liquid is accommodated. For example, in addition to distilled water, the liquid contained in the capsule 22a may be dissolved in an aqueous solution of the distilled water in consideration of an additive such as a fragrance.

The capsule 22a according to the above embodiment E1 contains, for example, 130 mg of liquid. When the capsule 22a is disposed in the composite filter 16, it can be seen from Fig. 1 that the capsule 22a has a posture in which the end wall 26 faces the filter element 18 on the side of the cigarette 12.

According to the filter cigarette 10 in which the capsule 22a is loaded, the user can grip the composite filter 16 with the finger via the outer layer 14 before or during smoking of the filter cigarette 10, and from the diameter direction of the capsule 22a. An external force F (refer to Fig. 1) is applied to the capsule 22a in the composite filter 16 on both sides. This external force F crushes the capsule 22a as the capsule body 24 is elastically deformed. As a result, the internal pressure of the capsule 22a is raised.

As described above, the peripheral wall 32 of the capsule body 24 has the flange 38 at the open end 28 and has a slight taper shape, so that the portion of the peripheral wall 32 on the end wall 26 side is more likely to be crushed than the portion on the flange 38 side.

Therefore, the internal pressure of the capsule 22a rises, and the end wall 26 expands toward the outside, and is elastically deformed so that the portion of the tapered portion 34 on the end wall 26 side is expanded outward. The elastic deformation of the tapered portion 34 is relatively The central portion 30 is stretched outward in the radial direction on the projection 36. Therefore, the specific portion of the center portion 30 adjacent to the bottom of the projection 36 is further stretched, and the thickness of the specific portion is greatly reduced. As a result, the central portion 30 is first broken at a specific portion. At this time, the projection 36 serves as a trigger portion for breaking a specific portion of the center portion 30, and the center portion 30 as the thin portion is easily broken, and the function of determining the fracture position of the center portion 30 is taken.

When the central portion 30 is broken, the internal pressure of the capsule 22a is rapidly lowered, so that the central portion 30 is not broken further. Therefore, the break is limited to a specific portion adjacent to the protrusion 36. Further, the sudden decrease in the internal pressure can be felt by the user's finger, so that the user can confirm the destruction of the capsule 22a.

After the break of the central portion 30, if the user continues to maintain the crushing of the capsule 22a, the liquid in the capsule 22a is ejected from the break of the central portion 30 toward the filter element 18, and penetrates into the filter element 18.

As described above, the breaking position of the central portion 30 is limited to a specific position adjacent to the bottom of the projection 36, that is, restricted to 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 zone LA is formed in the central portion of the filter element 18 (Fig. 1). Therefore, the liquid ejected from the capsule 22a does not wet the forming paper or the outer layer paper of the composite filter 16.

When the filter cigarette 10 is smoked while the liquid penetrates into the filter element 18, the water-soluble component contained in the mainstream smoke dissolves into the liquid of the filter element 18, so that the main passage of the filter element 18 is made. The water-soluble ingredients in the smoke are reduced, thereby changing the flavor and taste of mainstream smoke feel. On the other hand, when the liquid contains a fragrance, the fragrance of the fragrance is added to the mainstream smoke, allowing the user to taste the fragrance at the same time.

The present invention is not limited to the capsule 22a of the above embodiment E1.

Modifications or other embodiments of the capsule 22 will be described below. In the description of the modifications and the embodiments, the same reference numerals will be given to the components and the parts that have the same functions as those of the embodiment and the comparative example described above, and the description thereof will be omitted.

Fig. 5 to Fig. 8 show a modification of the capsule 22a of the embodiment E1, respectively. The capsules 22a ₁ to 22a _{4 of} these modifications differ from the capsule 22a of the embodiment E1 or the capsule of the modified example described above in the following points.

In detail, the capsule 22a ₁ of Fig. 5 increases the protruding length L1 of the projection 36 to 1.0 mm, which is different from the capsule 22a.

FIG 6 is a capsule which the end wall 22a ₂ 26 bowl shape, the point system and the different capsule 22a _1.

The capsule 22a ₃ of Fig. 7 increases the diameter Dc1 of the central portion 30 to 3 mm, which is different from the capsule 22a.

The capsule 22a ₄ of Fig. 8 increases the projection length L1 of the projection 36 to 1.0 mm, which is different from the capsule 22a ₃ .

The capsules 22a ₁ to 22a _{4 of} course have the same advantages as the capsule 22a of the embodiment E1.

Figures 9 through 11 show a portion of capsule 22b and capsule 22b of Example E2, respectively.

The capsule 22b is only in the form of the central portion 30 and the capsule of the embodiment E1 The group of 22a is different.

In the capsule 22b, the central portion 42 has a thickness Tc1 which is almost the same as the thickness of the other portions of the capsule body 24, and has a plurality of V-shaped grooves 44 as thin-walled regions. These V-shaped grooves 44 are radially disposed around the protrusion 36 on the outer circumference of the center portion 42 and extend from the bottom of the protrusion 36 to the outer circumference of the center portion 42. As shown in Fig. 11, the V-shaped angle β of each of the V-shaped grooves 44 is, for example, 90°, and the thickness Tc2 at the bottom of the V-shaped groove 44 is, for example, 0.17 mm.

When the external force F is applied to the capsule 22b, the tapered portion 34 of the end wall 26 expands due to elastic deformation as described above. Therefore, the bottom of each V-shaped groove 44 is stretched outward in the radial direction of the end wall 26 with respect to the projection 36, so that the bottom portion is further stretched at a specific portion adjacent to the bottom of the projection 36, and the thickness of the bottom portion is reduced. . As a result, the bottom of any of the V-shaped grooves 44 is first broken at a specific portion, and the liquid in the capsule 22b is ejected from the break.

When any V-shaped groove is broken, since the internal pressure of the capsule 22b is rapidly lowered, the bottom portion of the V-shaped groove which is broken at the fracture portion is not further enlarged, and the bottom of the other V-shaped groove is not broken.

Figures 12 and 13 show the capsule 22c of Example E3.

The capsule 22c differs from the capsule 22a 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 toward the inside of the capsule body 24, and has a diameter Dc and a wall thickness Tc.

In the capsule 22c, when the external force F is applied to the capsule 22c, the center The portion 46 is stretched outward from the projection 36 in the radial direction, and is broken at a specific portion adjacent to the bottom of the projection 36.

Figures 14 through 17 show the capsule 22d of Example E4 and a portion thereof, respectively.

When the capsule 22b is compared with the capsule 22d, the capsule 22d has the following differences.

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. Further, in the capsule 22d, the V-shaped groove 44 extends from the projection 36 to the outer periphery of the end wall 26 and has a bottom portion 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 capsule 22d, the diameter Dp1 of the projection 36 is increased to 0.8 mm, and it is understood from Fig. 16 that a plurality of thin ribs 48 are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the capsule body 24. These ribs 48 are disposed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the capsule body 24, and extend from the end wall 26 to the open end 28 in the axial direction of the capsule body 24. For example, the rib 48 has a thickness of 0.2 mm.

In the capsule 22d, when the external force F is applied to the capsule 22d, the bottom of any of the V-shaped grooves 44 is broken at a specific portion adjacent to the bottom of the projection 36.

Figures 18 to 20 show the capsule 22e of Example E5.

In 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 more concave than the outer peripheral portion 70. The central portion 72 and the aforementioned capsule 22c Central part 46 with The topography becomes a spherical wall.

The central portion 72 is provided at the center with a projection 36 and an annular region 74 as a thin-walled region. The annular region 74 abuts the bottom of the projection 36 and surrounds the projection 36 and has the aforementioned thickness Tc. The thickness of the central portion 72 gradually increases as it approaches the outer peripheral portion 70 from the annular portion 74. As shown in Fig. 19, the outer periphery of the central portion 72 is connected to a corner portion on the inner side of the inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral portion 70. Further, the front end surface of the projection 36 and the outer end surface of the outer peripheral portion 70 are located on the same virtual surface.

21 to 23 show the capsule 22f of Example E6.

In 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.

It can be seen from Fig. 22 that the central portion 74 of the end wall 26 has a female conical shape and is somewhat concave toward the capsule body 24. A plurality of V-shaped grooves 44 similar to the capsule 22b of Fig. 9 are formed on the inner surface of the central portion 74 as thin-walled regions. These V-shaped grooves 44 are disposed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the capsule body 24, and extend radially from the projections 36 to the outer peripheral portion 70. In addition, only one V-shaped groove 44 is shown in Fig. 22.

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 front end of the outer peripheral portion 70 to the flange 38 in the axial direction of the capsule body 24, and are disposed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the capsule body 24.

The width of the rib 76 is not constant along the axial direction of the capsule body 24. As seen from Fig. 23, the flange 38 faces the outer peripheral portion 70. The front end is gradually reduced.

Fig. 24 shows the breaking load (average value and standard deviation (S.D.)) of the capsules 22a to 22f of Examples E1 to E6, respectively. As a result of Fig. 24, the external force F can be applied to the capsules 22a to 22f, and the breaking load at the time when the central portion 30, 46 or the V-shaped groove 44 of the capsules is broken at the specific portion can be measured. Further, the measurement results of the breaking load of the capsules of Comparative Examples C1 to C4 are also shown together in Fig. 24.

A liquid (distilled water) containing 94% of the volume was filled in each capsule, and a latent instrument (RHEOMETER II, manufactured by Yamato Electric Co., Ltd.) was used for the measurement of the breaking load.

The capsules of Comparative Examples C1 to C4 are briefly explained before the measurement results of Fig. 24 are explained. The capsules of Comparative Examples C1 to C4 basically had the same configuration as the capsules 22a to 22d of Examples E1 to E4, with the following differences.

Fig. 25 and Fig. 26 show the capsule of Comparative Example C1.

The capsule of Comparative Example C1 has a capsule body which is slightly hexagonal and has a slight tip end, and a flat hexagonal tapered end wall 50. As can be seen from Fig. 26, the ridgelines of the end wall 50 are thinner than the V-grooves 52a, 52b on the front and back sides of the ridgeline, and the V-shaped grooves 52a, 52b form thin-walled regions extending along the ridgeline. Therefore, the thickness of the bottom of the V-shaped grooves 52a, 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.

Figures 27 and 28 show the capsule of Comparative Example C2.

Comparing Comparative Examples C1 and C2, the capsule of Comparative Example C2 has an end wall 54 having a flat hexagonal frustum shape, and has a V-groove 52a on the inner side of the ridgeline only in the ridgeline of the end wall 54. The same V-shaped groove 56 as 52b is different from the capsule of Comparative Example C1. In the capsule of Comparative Example C2, when the external force F was applied to the capsule, any V-shaped groove 56 of the end wall 54 would be broken at the bottom.

Figures 29 and 30 show the capsule of Comparative Example C3.

The capsule of Comparative Example C3 is the same as the capsule of the aforementioned Patent Document 1, and has a cylindrical capsule body, a flat end wall 58, and a plurality of thin-walled regions formed only on the inner surface of the end wall 58. V-shaped groove 60. These V-shaped grooves 60 are left with the central portion of the end wall 58 and are radiated. Further, the thickness of the bottom of the V-shaped groove 60 is 0.13 mm.

Although not shown in the drawing, when the capsule of Comparative Example C4 was compared with the capsule 22a of Example E1, the point of not having the projection 36 was different from that of the capsule 22a.

As can be seen from Fig. 24, in addition to the capsule of Comparative Example C3, the capsules of Examples E1 to E6 and Comparative Examples C1, C2, and C4 each had a breaking load of 20 to 80 N. If the breaking load is within this range, the user easily breaks the capsule. On the other hand, the capsule of Comparative Example C3 corresponding to the capsule of Patent Document 1 has a breaking load of more than 80 N, and it is not easy to damage the capsule.

On the other hand, the capsules of Comparative Examples C1 to C4 did not have the projections 36 of the capsules 22a to 22d of Examples E1 to E4. Therefore, in the capsules of Comparative Examples C1 to C4, the fracture on the end wall could not be determined. position. Further, the breaking load of the capsules of Examples E1 to E6 was smaller than the breaking load of the capsules of Comparative Examples C2, C3, and C4. This shows that the protrusion 36 not only determines the location of the fracture on the end wall, but is also beneficial for the reduction of the breaking load.

Further, in the capsules 22e and 22f of the embodiments E5 and E6, the end wall 26 has an annular outer peripheral portion 70 which protrudes outward from the central portion 72 in addition to the projection 36. The outer peripheral portion 70 can increase the rigidity of the end wall 26. Therefore, in the capsules 22e, 22f, when the force F is transmitted to the end wall 26 outside the capsule body 24, the end wall 26 is deformed into an elliptical shape, and the central portion 72 of the end wall 26 is particularly along the long axis of the ellipse. The ground is stretched sharply.

At this time, the thin-walled region (annular region 74, V-groove 44) of the end wall 26 is easily broken at the bottom of the projection 36. Therefore, it can be seen from Fig. 24 that the capsules 22e, 22f of the examples E5, E6 have a breaking load which is smaller than the breaking load of the capsules 22a to 22d of the examples E1 to E4. The breaking load of the capsules 22e and 22f is equivalent to the breaking load of the seamless capsule incorporated in a commercially available filter cigarette.

On the other hand, in the capsule 22c of Example E3, the filling rate of the liquid (distilled water) was changed to 71% (v/v), 46% (v/v), and 21% (v/v) of the volume of the capsule 22c. When the capsule 22c has a breaking load of 64.4 N, 70.1 N, and 95.0 N, 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 more the breaking load of the capsule is reduced. Therefore, the higher the filling rate of the liquid in the capsule, the better the barrier to the manufacture of the capsule.

Figures 31 to 32 relate to the capsule 22a, the capsule 22e and the capsule 22f, showing the load applied to the capsule body repeatedly applied to the capsule, Relationship between strain with the end wall of the capsule body. Comparing these 31st to 33rd drawings, it can be seen that the capsules 22e, 22f generate a large strain under a small load as compared with the capsule 22a.

Furthermore, the ribs 76 of the capsule 22f can further increase the rigidity of the peripheral wall 32 as compared to the rigidity of the peripheral wall 32 of the capsule 22e. Further, in the capsule 22f, since the central portion 72 has a female conical shape, the force F transmitted to the end wall 26 can be effectively concentrated on the bottom of the projection 36. As a result, the breaking load of the capsule 22f can be made smaller than the breaking load of the capsule 22e. Therefore, the capsule 22e can also have ribs 76.

On the other hand, the outer peripheral portion 70 can also effectively function to prevent an unexpected external force from being directly applied to the projections 36. Therefore, at the time of manufacture of the filter cigarette, the possibility that the capsules 22e, 22f are unexpectedly broken can be reduced.

Finally, the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiment E1 or the modification, and the embodiments E2 to E6.

For example, the capsule body 24 and the sealing member 40 as a closed wall are each formed of low-density polyethylene, but the capsule body and the closed wall of the present invention may also be formed by a synthetic resin other than low-density polyethylene, and more preferably It is formed by other materials than synthetic resin.

For example, the capsule body 24 of the capsule 22a has a tapered shape with a short diameter on the side of the end wall 26, but the capsule body of the present invention may have a pure cylindrical shape or a tapered shape having a short diameter on the open end side.

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, and the like exemplified in the foregoing embodiments, and the central portion of the end wall is not limited to the illustrated flat wall or the ball. Shaped wall.

Further, the entire area of the end wall of the capsule body may be formed as a thin-walled area, and the groove as the thin-walled area may have a shape other than a V-shape. Further, the arrangement of the grooves is not limited to the radial shape.

The thickness of the thin-walled region is premised on the thickness of the end wall or the peripheral wall of the capsule body, and in the range exemplified by the capsule 22a, it is preferably 0.12 mm or more and less than 0.17 mm.

The capsule body 24 of the capsule 22d has a plurality of ribs 48 on the inner peripheral surface, and the capsule body 24 of the capsule 22f has a plurality of ribs 76 on the outer peripheral surface. These ribs 48, 76 are equally applicable to the capsules of the other embodiments or modifications described above.

In 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 applicable to the capsule of the other embodiment or modification described above.

In general, the capsule of the present invention may have any other constituent elements (shape, arrangement, etc.) of the capsule of each embodiment as long as it has a basic structure composed of a capsule body, a thin-walled region, a projection, and a closed wall. The capsules of the other embodiments are applicable in combination.

Further, the capsule of the present invention can be incorporated not only in the filter of the filter cigarette but also in various smoking articles provided with the filter.

22a‧‧‧ capsules

24‧‧‧Capsule body

26‧‧‧End wall

28‧‧‧Open end

30‧‧‧Central Department (thin wall area)

32‧‧‧Weibi

34‧‧‧Cone (annular)

36‧‧‧ Protrusion

38‧‧‧Flange

40‧‧‧ Sealing material components

The taper angle of the α‧‧‧ cone

Dp‧‧‧protrusion diameter

L‧‧‧ protruding length

Tc‧‧‧ wall thickness in the central part

Tt‧‧‧ Thickness of the taper

Claims (13)

A capsule comprising: a capsule body having a slightly cylindrical shape that is elastically deformable, and having an end wall that can close the front end and an open end of the open base end, and is filled with a liquid inside; a thin-walled area Forming on the end wall of the capsule body, and being thinner than the thickness of the end wall and the peripheral wall of the capsule body; the protrusion is integrally protruded from the thin wall area toward the outside of the capsule body; and the closing wall is disposed at The aforementioned open end of the capsule body and closing the open end. The capsule of claim 1, wherein the capsule has 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 capsule according to claim 1, wherein the end wall has a truncated cone shape or a bowl shape, and includes a central portion that surrounds the protrusion and has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the end wall, and connects the central portion And an annular portion of the peripheral wall of the capsule body; the thin wall portion is formed at 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-walled region includes a peripheral portion extending radially from the protrusion to the central portion A plurality of V-shaped grooves. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the end wall is flat, and the thin-walled region includes a plurality of V-shaped grooves extending radially from the protrusion to an outer circumference of the end wall. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the capsule body includes an annular extension extending integrally from an outer peripheral edge of the end wall; and the extension portion and the end wall cooperate to form a front end of the capsule The portion is formed in a concave shape. The capsule of claim 8, wherein the thin-walled region comprises a plurality of V-shaped grooves extending radially from the protrusion to the extension. The capsule according to claim 8, wherein the end wall is a spherical concave wall, and the thin wall portion is adjacent to the protrusion and has an annular shape 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 a circumferential direction of the capsule body. The capsule according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the capsule body has a flange formed on an outer circumference of the open end; the closed wall is coupled to the flange and closed in a liquid-tight manner a sheet-like sealing member at the open end. A smoking article is provided with a capsule according to any one of claims 1 to 12.