US3390684A - Cigarette with controllable mildness - Google Patents

Description

July 2, 1968 A. B HUDNELL CIGARETTE WITH CONTROLLABLE MILDNESS 2 Sheet Filed Aug. 9, 1965 INVENTOR ARMSTEAD B. HUDNELL ATTORNEY y 1968 A. B. HUDNELL 3,390,684

CIGARETTE WITH CONTROLLABLE MILDNESS Filed Aug. 9, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ARMSTEAD B. HUDNELL ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,390,684 CIGARETTE WITH CONTROLLABLE MILDNESS Armstead B. Hudnell, 1800 S. Hawthorne Road, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27103 Filed Aug. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 478,035 4 Claims. (Cl. 131-9) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cigarette has a controllable aperture permitting a regulated amount of air to be mixed with the smoke drawn into the smokers mouth.

This invention relates to cigarettes and more particularly to cigarettes wherein means are provided for enabling the smoker to selectively control the strength or mildness of the cigarette.

It has long been known that the strength and temperature of cigarette smoke entering the smokers mouth can be controlled by providing apertures or vents in the wrapper of the cigarette. See, for example, United States patents, No. 2,314,147 to Langdon, No. 3,043,314 to Bartolomeo and No. 2,936,763 to Safiir.

As is the case in most of the patented art in this general field, the first two patents teach the use of permanent openings in the wrapper of the cigarette by means of which communication is established between the atmosphere and the interior of the cigarette so that atmospheric air is drawn into the smokers mouth with each puff of the cigarette. In the last mentioned patent, removable tabs or covers are provided for openings made in the cigarette wrapper whereby the smoker may selectively remove the tabs or covers to admit air into the smoke-stream of the cigarette at any desired point during smoking. As explained in the patent the intake of air directly from the atmosphere may not be desirable when the cigarette is first lighted because the tobacco in the cigarette acts as a filter for the first few puffs. The amount of tobacco remaining for filtration during continued smoking constantly diminishes and with each continued puif the smoke becomes stronger and more concentrated. At any desired point, the smoker may remove Safiirs tab or covering to admit fresh atmospheric air into the smoke-stream and dilute the smoke accordingly. According to one embodiment of Safiir, a permanent opening is thereby created and the smoker is without any means to later close the opening, if desired. In a modified form, Saffir discloses in broad terms a valve arrangement whereby the smoker may manipulate a paper band to adjust the size of the air intake opening as desired during smoking.

The concept of enabling the smoker to control the amount of air drawn into the smoke-stream during smoking is desirable in that it increases the enjoyment of smoking by permitting the smoker to control the strength of the tobacco and the temperature of the smoke. The benefits of air intake during smoking have long been known but it has not been previously known to provide a simple and efiicient means of enabling the smoker to control the air intake at any desired point during smoking.

This invention also includes means for increasing the efliciency of filters on cigarettes provided with vents establishing communication between the interior of the smokers mouth and the atmosphere.

Some of the objects of the invention having been 3,390,684 Patented July 2, 1968 "ice stated, other objects will appear when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an enlarged plan view of one embodiment of the invention in association with a non-filter cigarette;

FIGURE 1A is an enlarged perspective view of a slightly modified form of the invention in association with a filter cigarette;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 in FIGURE 1A with parts broken away;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged end elevation looking at the left-hand end of the cigarette in FIGURE 1A and showing the condition of the filter after smoking;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view showing how the vent or aperture may be selectively closed by the smokers finger during smoking;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged perspective view similar to FIGURE 1A but showing a third embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged side elevation of an alternate construction of the embodiment shown in FIG- URE 5;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged end view looking at the lefthand end of the cigarette in FIGURE 5 and showing the condition of the filter after smoking;

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 but showing a fifth embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along the line 9-9 in FIGURE 8 with parts broken away.

Referring more specificaly to the drawings, the numeral 10 broadly indicates a cigarette comprising a core of compressed tobacco shown at 11 and a first relatively thin paper wrapper 12 extending from the end 15 of the cigarette intended to be lighted in snug encircling relation to the core of tobacco 11. A second wrapper 13 of relatively rigid material such as cork, simulated cork, or paper also snugly encircles the tobacco core 11 and, in the embodiment shown in FIGURES 1A through 7 the wrapper 13 extends about a filter element 14 and partially overlaps the relatively thin wrapper 12 which extends the length of the tobacco Core 11. The relatively rigid wrapper 13 in FIGURES 1A through 7 terminates slightly past the juncture of the filter element 14 with the tobacco core 11 as is conventional practice in making filter cigarettes.

The thickness of the wrappers is exaggerated throughout the drawings for purposes of illustration, and in actual practice the wrapper 13, although much stiffer than the wrapper 12, does not protrude objectionably beyond the plane of the wrapper 12.

In FIGURE 1, the relatively rigid or stiif wrapper 13 comprises a band about the width of a persons finger which snugly encircles the wrapper 12 and the tobacco core 11 in spaced relation to the ends 15 and 16 of the cigarette 12, the end 16 being adapted to be placed in the smokers mouth. The wrapper 13 when in the form of a band as shown in FIGURE 1 is particularly adapted for use with a non-filter cigarette as illustrated in FIG- URE 1.

In the embodiments shown in FIGURES 1 through 4, an air channel or vent 20 extends radially through the overlapped wrappers 12 and 13 at a point spaced a sufficient distance from the end 16 to permit the smoker to selectively close the aperture 20 during smoking of the cigarette and while the end 16 is in the smokers mouth. As an example, the air channel or vent 20 may be in the form of an aperture located one-third of the distance from the end 16 to the end 15 of the cigarette which is to be lighted. This spacing will vary, of course, depending upon the overall length of the cigarette and/ or cigarette and filter with which the invention is associated. The important element of the invention, however, is to locate the aperture 20 in the relatively nonfrangible wrapper 13 and at a suificient distance from the end 16 of the cigarette to permit the aperture to be selectively closed by the smokers finger while the end 16 is in the smokers mouth during smoking of the cigarette.

The relatively rigid and non-frangible Wrapper 13 enables its vent or aperture 20 to retain its integrity despite repeated contacts with the smokers finger during smoking of the cigarette. By putting the vent in the stronger wrapper 13, the danger of rupturing the paper and undesirably increasing the size of the vent to a point where it cant be conveniently covered by a finger is minimized.

When used with a filter cigarette the vent or aperture 20 is located closely adjacent the inner edge of the wrapper 13 so that it provides communication between the atmosphere and the tobacco 11 (FIGURE 2). In FIGURE 1, the tobacco 11 extends the entire length of the cigarette so that aperture 20 in the band 13 necessarily provides communication between the atmosphere and the tobacco.

The vent 20 is adapted to be closed by the smokers finger in the manner shown in FIGURE 4 to close the interior of the cigarette from communication with the atmosphere and permit the end 16 to be placed in the smokers mouth during smoking of the cigarette.

Referring to FIGURES 5 and 7, a modified form of the invention is shown wherein communication is established between the atmosphere and the interior of the smokers mouth by an air tube 30 having an opening 31 at the end 16 of the cigarette and a second opening 32 at the inner edge of the relatively rigid or stronger wrapper 13.

In all illustrated embodiments of the invention like parts bear like reference characters and a further description is deemed unnecessary in view of the simplicity of the subject matter.

The air tube 30 is preferably sandwiched between the relatively strong wrapper 13 and the more frangible wrapper 12 as most clearly seen in FIGURE 7. In crosssection the air tube 30 is preferably flattened so that it is of greater dimension transversely than vertically in order to minimize the protuberance of the air tube beyond the periphery of the end 16 of cigarette 10.

In order to further minimize the protuberance of the air tube 30 beyond the periphery of the cigarette at the end 16, the longitudinal axis of air tube 30 may be inclined relative to the axis of the cigarette to locate the opening 32 outwardly beyond the periphery of the wrapper 12 with the end portion of the air tube 30 adjacent its opening 31 recessed Within the filter element 14 and within the periphery of the cigarette (FIGURE 6). The air tube 30 is referably made of compressible material so that communication between the smokers mouth and the atmosphere may be closed under pressure of the smokers finger against the tube 30. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 7 the smoker may alternatively close the collapsible tube 30 under pressure of his lips or teeth, if desired.

A further embodiment is illustrated in FIGURES 8 and 9 which includes an air tube 40 having an opening 41 at the end 16 of the cigarette 10. The air tube 40 extends from its opening 41 axially of the cigarette and beneath the periphery of the cigarette to a point adjacent the inner end of the wrapper 13 where the tube 40 is bent at right angles and extends radially through the wrapper 13 to define a radially opening vent 43.

In this latter form of the invention, the air tube is preferably not readily compressible and communication between the smokers mouth and the atmosphere is intended to be closed by the smoker placing his finger over the opening 43. As in the other forms of the invention the opening 43 is located a sufficient distance from the end 16 to permit the smoker selectively closing the opening 43 while smoking the cigarette with the end 16 in his mouth.

Referring to FIGURE 3, it will be observed that the lower portion of the filter element 14 has been indicated by black dots while the upper portion of the filter element 14 has been indicated by white dots 51. The black dots 50 represent stains caused by nicotine, tars and other agents carried by the tobacco smoke which are conventionally deposited in the filters of cigarettes. The white dots 51 represent the por.ion of the filter which is not stained by tars and other agents in tobacco smoke, this unstained portion being adjacent vent 20 and through which atmospheric air is drawn. One effect of drawing atmospheric air through the vent 20 is to force the tars, nicotine and other agents in the tobacco smoke into only a restricted portion of the filter element 14 as represented by the black dots 50. Increased filtration is possible through the use of air tubes communicating directly with the smokers mouth instead of with the tobacco core such as shown in the embodiments illustrated in FIGURES 5 through 9. For example, as shown in FIGURE 7 the entire filter area is stained as represented by the black dots 50 whereas only a portion of the filter element 14 is so stained in the embodiment of FIGURES 1 through 4 as indicated at 50 in FIGURE 3.

While the form of invention illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 4 diminishes the area of the filter available for filtration of the smoke, it has been demonstrated that the benefits of admitting atmospheric air into the smokestream overcome any diminished filtration which might result from this practice.

There is thus provided an improved control means for admitting atmospheric air in the smokers mouth during smoking of a cigarette and for selectively controlling the admission of atmospheric air during smoking.

In the drawings and specification there have been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a cigarette having a first end to be lighted and a second end to be put in the smokers mouth, a first relatively thin wrapper extending axially along the cigarette from its first end toward the second end and a second relatively heavy wrapper extending axially along the cigarette from its second end toward the first end and at least partially overlying the first wrapper at a point between the ends of the cigarette, the combination of an air channel extending axially of the cigarette beneath the second wrapper, the axis of said channel being inclined with respect to the axis of the cigarette, said air channel having a first end opening toward the first end of the cigarette and communicating with the atmosphere, said air channel having a second end recessed beneath the normal periphery of the cigarette and adjacent the second end of the cigarette and positioned to provide communication between the interior of the smokers mouth and the atmosphere when the second end of the cigarette is placed in the smokers mouth.

2. A structure according to claim 1 wherein said air channel is compressible under pressure of the smokers finger and is suificient-ly elastic to return to its normal open position in the absence of pressure during smoking.

3. A structure according to claim 1 wherein the open- 5 6 ing in the first end of the air channel is in axial align- 2,936,763 5/ 1960 Saffir 1319 X ment with the air channel. 3,240,213 3/ 1966 Miller 1319 4. A structure according to claim 1 wherein the trans- 3,279,475 10/ 1966 Brenner et a1 131--10.3 verse dimension of the air channel is greaier than its 3,283,762 11/1966 Kissel 13110.3 vertical dimension. 5 3,324,862 6/ 1967 De Simone 131-9 X FOREIGN PATENTS References Cited 16 695 1912 G t B L rea ruam. UNITED STATES PATENTS 917,211 1/1963 Great Britain.

1,718,122 6/1929 De Shon 131-9 10 2,269,995 1/ 1942 Trane 131-9 LUCIE H, LAUDENSLAGER, Primary Examiner.

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