Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24D—CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES FOR CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES
  • A24D1/00—Cigars; Cigarettes
  • A24D1/02—Cigars; Cigarettes with special covers
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24D—CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES FOR CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES
  • A24D1/00—Cigars; Cigarettes
  • A24D1/04—Cigars; Cigarettes with mouthpieces or filter-tips
  • A24D1/045—Cigars; Cigarettes with mouthpieces or filter-tips with smoke filter means
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24D—CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES FOR CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES
  • A24D3/00—Tobacco smoke filters, e.g. filter-tips, filtering inserts; Filters specially adapted for simulated smoking devices; Mouthpieces for cigars or cigarettes
  • A24D3/04—Tobacco smoke filters characterised by their shape or structure
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24D—CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES FOR CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES
  • A24D3/00—Tobacco smoke filters, e.g. filter-tips, filtering inserts; Filters specially adapted for simulated smoking devices; Mouthpieces for cigars or cigarettes
  • A24D3/17—Filters specially adapted for simulated smoking devices

Definitions

• the invention relates to a smoking article, such as a filter cigarette.
• Filter cigarettes commonly consist of a rod of tobacco filler wrapped in a paper tube attached in an end-to-end fashion along a longitudinal axis to a filter component by means of a tipping wrapper.
• the filter component may comprise one of several plugs of filter material such as cellulose acetate, occasionally combined with additives such as adsorbent or flavourant materials embedded in the filter material matrix or inserted in a cavity delimited between plugs of filter material in a known plug-space-plug configuration for example.
• the issue to be solved is therefore how to provide a cigarette, or smoking article, which offers visibility of its interior on an on-demand basis while offering a simpler and/or least expensive manufacturing process.
• a smoking article comprising a rod of aerosol generating material and a filter element attached to an end of the rod of aerosol generating material by means of a wrapper such that the rod and filter element extend along the longitudinal axis, wherein the wrapper comprises an openable flap to form a window in the filter element, said openable flap being pre-cut in the wrapper such that it is openable and reclosable along the parallel direction to the longitudinal axis by a user.
• the smoking article which may typically be a filter cigarette, thus comprises a tipping paper or wrapper to cover the filter that has a pre-cut flap which can be lifted by a user to see through a window below the flap into the filter material and/or into a cavity in the filter.
• the see-through window which may be opened by a user lifting the flap will typically also comprise some optically transparent or translucent film or wrapper which may be arranged as being integral to or part of an inner wrapper layer, usually called plug wrap, situated between the tipping paper wrapper and the filter element and encircling all or part of the filter element constituents, i.e. the plug(s) of filter material and/or additives, or it may be arranged as a smaller piece of material which functions as a pane within the window.
• the pre-cut flap is openable in the longitudinal direction of the filter, which lessens the degree of interference with the mouth of a user while the cigarette is being smoked.
• the opening of the flap in the longitudinal direction may also allow the reclosing of the flap such that the window is closed without interfering with the mouth of a user.
• the opening and closing action of the flap is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the smoking article, that is, the arc traced out by the opening and closing motion lies within a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis.
• the invention provides the advantage that the door or flap may be closed after having been opened, and remain closed.
• the above described flap orientation necessarily results in the paper hinge that is formed by the paper via which the flap remains attached to the rest of the wrapper being aligned substantially within a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cigarette.
• the hinge follows the cylindrical curve of the filter wrapper, and it is this curve of the flap and hinge about the longitudinal axis which results in the flap and hinge possessing some physical resistance against being curved or bent about a second axis, that is, the axis of the hinge.
• the flap of the invention therefore has the advantageous property that when it is closed, that is, covering the window and in its original, default position, it remains closed unless any substantial force or torque is applied by a user in order to potentially open the flap.
• the invention therefore carries the advantages that the flap is not likely to fall open accidentally, and that once it is opened by a user it may be reclosed and remain in this position owing to its inherent flexural rigidity.
• a flap may be arranged such that the hinge line is curved when the wrapper material is unwrapped and in the form of a flat plane, or it is arranged within the smoking article such that a hinge axis is not perfectly perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, however it will be understood that a number of different arrangements in which the flap is openable and reclosable along a direction that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis will result in the same advantageous rigidity possessed by the invention.
• the invention thus offers a user the opportunity to visualise the interior of a filter of the smoking article on an on-demand basis.
• the openable flap comprises a hinge line located proximally to the rod of aerosol generating material.
• the flap may be cut into the tipping paper such that the hinge attaching the flap to the rest of the paper is arranged at the end of the flap that is closer to the rod or aerosol generating material than to the filter end of the cigarette, that is, the end from which, in use, a user inhales.
• the openable flap may comprise an opening aid cut in the wrapper, the opening aid being delimited by either a single extended perforation or multiple perforations contouring the opening aid and allowing a user to tear it open manually.
• the opening aid may typically take the form of a tab attached to the flap and formed by a pre-cut line defining the boundary of a region of paper extending from the tab.
• the opening aid has the function of increasing the degree of ease with which a user may grip the tab when it is closed, or before a perforated tab has been opened.
• Configuring the extended cut(s) that form the perimeter of the opening aid to be of the order of a few millimetres in length, and for example at least 3 millimetres in length, provides a tab of an optimal size for rendering the viewing door easy to open in a smoking article having typical dimensions and curvature.
• the opening aid is typically located opposite the hinge line, that is, the flap is cut such that a tab is formed at the end of the flap that is distal to the hinge.
• the length of the hinge line is between 20% and 100% of the longest dimension of the flap.
• the flap may take any of a number of different shapes, and may be substantially circular, elliptical, rectangular, trapezoid, or any other shape, however preferably the length of the hinge line is no shorter than one fifth of the longest dimension and is not greater than any other dimension of the flap. However, in some cases, a hinge line having a length outside of this range may be configured.
• the length of the hinge line is at most equal to one third of the filter element circumference.
• the hinge line does not extend around any further than one third of the circumference. It will be understood that this preferable limitation on hinge length also applies to arrangements wherein the hinge is not arranged as a geodesic line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the smoking article.
• the hinge should be configured to be shorter than the above limit.
• the openable flap is marked on an inside surface thereof facing the filter element, preferably printed and/or embossed on the inside surface. Such a marking on the underside of the flap will therefore be visible to a user when the flap is open, and in particular will be visible when the smoking article is in use if the hinge line is located proximally to the rod of aerosol generating material.
• the filter element comprises a cavity visible through the window when the flap is open. Arranging the filter cavity and wrapper window such that the cavity is visible in the see-through window when the flap is lifted allows a user to observe materials in the filter cavity through use of the smoking article.
• this cavity is defined between two plugs of filter material and below the openable flap, with the cavity and, at least partially, the plugs of filter material are wrapped with a translucent or transparent wrapper.
• the cavity may be formed by removing a portion of material from the filter so as to form a visible gap
• the preferable arrangement is to create a cavity occupying the entire circular cross section of the filter end of the smoking article by arranging two or more separate filter plugs along the length of the smoking article so that a gap exists between them.
• the translucent or transparent wrapper will typically be arranged to sit inside the tipping paper wrapper such that it is exposed when the flap in the outer wrapper is open.
• the cavity may be entirely covered by the translucent or transparent wrapper, while the see-through wrapper may also enclose part or all of the filter plug or plugs.
• the filter material and/or the cavity comprises an additive, preferably selected at least among a particular cellulosic material, activated charcoal, flavour beads, other material, or a liquid- or gel-containing capsule.
• an additive preferably selected at least among a particular cellulosic material, activated charcoal, flavour beads, other material, or a liquid- or gel-containing capsule.
• the opacity of the wrapper is higher than 80%. That is, the tipping paper typically obscures more than 80% of light from passing through it.
• a wrapper having a opacity of 80%, 90%, or 100% effectively prevents any printing on the inside of the wrapper, including any printed or embossed marks on the underside of the flap from being visible from the outside, or when the flap is closed.
• a wrapper for a smoking article filter comprising an openable flap being pre-cut in the wrapper such that it is openable and reclosable about a hinge line, the flap further comprising a flap opening aid fully cut in the wrapper material and located opposite a hinge line.
• a wrapper as described above, the method comprising the step of cutting along a chosen path from a starting point to an end point in a sheet of wrapping material to shape a pre-cut openable flap in the sheet of wrapping material, wherein the uncut material line joins the start point to the end point forms a hinge to the flap.
• the openable flap may typically comprise one or several extended perforations at a position opposite the hinge line to define an opening aid for the flap.
• the method of the invention thus provides a means of producing a smoking article permitting on-demand visibility of the interior of a filter end of a smoking article by way of an easy to open, reclosable flap.
• the cutting along the path comprises forming a line of perforations of determined dimensions at regular intervals along the path, the perforations in the line of perforations having a length of between about 0.1 millimetres and about 1 millimetre, the distance between two adjacent perforations being between about 0.1 millimetres to about 2 millimetres.
• the configuration of the cutting path, and the forming of the flap by way of creating a line of perforations, rather than a continuous, uninterrupted cut along the path, decreases the likelihood of the flap being opened accidentally during manufacture, transportation, or use of the smoking article.
• the extended perforation (s) are formed following a non-linear path to define a tab shaped opening aid.
• the chosen path in the sheet of wrapping material is configured such that the openable flap is oriented on the sheet such that, when the wrapper is in use in the smoking article, the flap is openable and reclosable along a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the smoking article.
• the method may further comprise forming a portion of the sheet of wrapping material into a shape configured to attach a filter element of a smoking article to a rod of aerosol generating material of the smoking article such that the rod and filter element extend along a longitudinal axis, such that the openable flap is openable and reclosable along a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis.
• the method of the invention may thus produce a smoking article in accordance with that described above and in possession of the same advantageous, on demand reclosable viewing flap.
• Figure 1 is a cutaway diagram showing an example smoking article according to the invention including internal detail of the filter element.
• Figure 2 illustrates the construction of part of an example smoking article according to the invention.
• Figure 3 shows a wrapper of an example smoking article according to the invention in two stages of use.
• Figure 4 shows four example smoking articles in accordance with the invention comprising various configurations of pre-cut openable flaps.
• Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example configuration of a pre-cut openable flap according to the invention.
• a smoking article 1 is illustrated by a cutaway diagram showing internal features of the filter end of the article.
• the article comprises a rod of aerosol generating material, for example containing natural and/or reconstituted tobacco, (not shown) surrounded by paper tube 3.
• this tube consists of a cigarette paper wrapped around the rod of aerosol generating material so as to contain the smokable filler material therein.
• the smoking article also comprises a filter element 5, which here consists of a cavity filter, i.e. a filter comprising a cavity filled with additive between two plugs of filter material such as cellulose acetate held together in a plug-space-plug configuration by means of a transparent plug wrap 15.
• the filter material plugs may equally comprise other suitable materials, such as papers, rayon and charcoal.
• the filter 5 is surrounded by tipping paper or wrapper 7, via which an end of the filter is attached to an end of the rod of aerosol generating material by adhering the tipping paper 7 over the paper tube 3 and the filter plug wrap 15.
• tipping paper or wrapper 7 via which an end of the filter is attached to an end of the rod of aerosol generating material by adhering the tipping paper 7 over the paper tube 3 and the filter plug wrap 15.
• smoking articles according to the invention may equally be arranged with cavities of various sizes, or with no cavity.
• the transparent plug wrap paper 15 may typically comprise a cellophane material, but may also comprise any transparent or translucent material selected to allow the interior of the smoking article, particularly the cavity 13, to be viewed by a user while containing additives within such as for example at least one of a particulate cellulosic material, activated charcoal, flavour beads, plant material, or a liquid- or gel-containing capsule.
• the present figure 1 does not show the openable flap within the tipping paper or wrapper 7 of the smoking article, however it will be understood that the formation of a hole or window within said tipping paper that surrounds the transparent plug wrap material 15 would result in a viewing window through which the cavity, and/or the material of the filter, is visible, as illustrated in the following figures.
• the filter end 2 of an example smoking article according to the invention is shown partially deconstructed, in that the tipping paper 7 is shown partially unwrapped and loosely surrounding the filter element 5 and cigarette paper 3 of the smoking article 1.
• the filter 5 contains a cavity filled with additive 27 and covered by a transparent plug wrap 15 surrounding both filter material plugs 5a, 5b, for example of cellulose acetate, and the cavity.
• the additive 27 may comprise at least one of a particulate cellulosic material, activated charcoal, flavour beds, plant material, or at least one liquid- or gel-containing capsule.
• the additive 27 comprises breakable micro-capsules.
• the plug wrapper 15 which may be transparent or translucent, wraps around the cavity and at least partially wraps around the filter plugs 5a, 5b.
• the cavity 13 is defined by the gap between the two filter plugs 5a and 5b of filter material, and the tipping paper 7 is positioned such that the cavity 13 is below the openable flap 6 so that the window provides a view into the cavity.
• the tipping paper 7 may comprise a strip of paper, as is shown in the present figure, that is wrapped around the filter 5 so as to enclose it while gripping or adhering to the cigarette paper 3 of the aerosol generating material rod therein.
• the tipping paper or wrapper 7 is shown as being entirely opaque, however wrapper materials of varying opacity may be selected, preferably such that the opacity of the wrapper is higher than 80%.
• the tipping paper 7 contains perforations 19 which are formed along a pre-cut line 12 beginning at start point 8, defining an openable flap 6, and terminating at end point 9.
• the regularly spaced perforations 19 along pre- cut line 12 enable a user to easily tear along the pre-cut line 12 so as to separate the flap 6 from the surrounding tipping paper material and open the flap 6, without inadvertently tearing the paper beyond the predefined flap boundary.
• the uncut paper area 25 extending directly between start point 8 and end point 9 serves as a hinge for the flap 6 when the flap is opened and reclosed.
• the pre-cut line 12 defining the shape of the flap 6 traces out a substantially rectangular perimeter, except for a smaller, protruding rectangle located at a corner of the flap distal to the hinge line 25.
• This protruding tab 20 is formed in the represented example of figures 2 by a single extended perforation 21 , that is, a single cut in wrapper 7 defining three sides of rectangular tab 20. In this way, the uncut spaces 18, along pre-cut line 12 and between perforations 19, hold flap 6 in its original, closed position during the manufacture and transport of the smoking article, until the flap is opened, typically by way of the opening aid 20, by a user.
• the protruding tab 20 affords a user sufficient purchase beneath the flap so as to be able to lift the flap and tear along pre-cut line 12.
• the protruding tab 20 defining the opening aid for the flap 6 may alternatively by delimited by several perforations, preferable longer than perforations 19 in the pre-cut line 12, instead of a continuous extended cut 21.
• a wrapper 7 in accordance with the invention is shown at two stages of use (A and B).
• the tipping paper or wrapper 7 is wrapped around the filter 5 of a smoking article.
• the pre-cut line 12 is illustrated unbroken as in Figure 2, i.e. before opening of the flap 6 by a user.
• the flap 6 formed by the pre-cut line 12 similarly comprises an opening tab 20, which is located at a slightly different, alternative position to that illustrated in the previous figure.
• the flap 6 is closed, and its perimeter is defined by pre-cut line 12 and uncut line 25 which is represented by a dotted line in the present figure for the purpose of clarity.
• the flap 6 is opened in the direction indicated by the arrow, which is within a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the smoking article, that is the axis defined by the longest dimension of the smoking article, between the aerosol generating material rod's end 4 and the filter or mouth end 2.
• the aperture in the tipping paper or wrapper 7 formed by lifting the flap results in a viewing window 14, through which the interior of the wrapper 7 and of the filter may be observed, typically through a transparent plug wrap as previously disclosed.
• the openable flap 6 may be marked on an inside surface 28 thereof facing the filter element, that is the surface on the inside of the wrapper tube 7 when the flap is in its closed state.
• This inside surface 28 may preferably be printed and/or embossed with markings 29, which may comprise for example indices, text and/or numbers, patterns or logos.
• the openable flap 6 opens and recloses along the longitudinal axis of the smoking article.
• the hinge by which the flap is attached to the wrapper 7 is oriented such that it is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. Since the wrapper, including the material forming the hinge 25 between points 8 and 9, is curved around the longitudinal axis, the inherent stiffness of the curved paper affords the hinge a degree of resistance against a force applied to the lift and open flap. Thus the flexural rigidity of the curved paper hinge allows the flap to be reclosed after opening in such a way that it naturally remains closed.
• This tension resulting from the curvature of the hinge in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the smoking article also results in a flap, as described below, having some inherent resistance to falling open accidentally.
• the hinge curvature that is achieved by orienting the flap to open and reclose along the longitudinal axis also has the consequence that a flap which is cut too wide, that is whose hinge is too long, will be curved around the circumference of the wrapper cylinder to such an extent that the flap is impossible to open without damaging or folding the paper.
• the optimal angular extent of the flap is configured such that the window delimited by the flap 6 in the tipping wrapper 7 extends around no more than one third of the circumference of the wrapper.
• the hinge line 25 is shown as extending around approximately one sixth of the circumference of the wrapper.
• the length of the hinge line is at most equal to one third of the circumference of the filter element.
• Figures 4A to 4D show schematic illustrations of four different example configurations of smoking articles in accordance with the present invention.
• Figures 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D all comprise the same features, and differ in terms of the configuration of the pre-cut line 12 defining the openable flap 6.
• Diagrams 4A and 4B illustrate a first type of openable flap, that is one in which the pre-cut line 12 consists of a continuous cut.
• the flap defined by this cut may take an elliptical or circular segment shape, as in 4A, or a rectangular shape as shown by 4B.
• Diagrams 4C and 4D show a second type of pre-cut flap 6, with the pre- cut line 12 of each defining the same shape as that defined in each of figures 4A and 4B respectively, with the difference being that the flaps of figures 4C and 4D are formed by perforated, rather than continuous pre-cut lines.
• the second type of flap, depicted at figures 4C and 4D may be more difficult for a user to open than the flaps in figures 4A and 4B, the perforated flaps, which are held closed by the uncut regions 18 between perforations 19 until manually opened, remain closed during manufacture of the smoking article. This is advantageous in high throughput manufacturing processes, wherein the speed with which the wrapper papers 7 are processed would result in a high probability of loose, freely opening flaps formed by continuous cut lines suffering damage.
• Figure 5A and 5B show two configurations of an example pre-cut line 12 following a path defining a flap 6 in a wrapper paper 7.
• the configured shape and size of the pre-cut line 12 and opening aid tab 20 affects the operation of the flap 6, as well as the configuration of the pre-cut line 12 where it is contouring the opening aid tab 20.
• the opening aid tab 20 is defined by a continuous extended perforation 21. Although this small area facilitates a low cost means by which the flap may be opened by a user with ease, cutting too large an extended perforation 21 may result in the tab 20 being damaged during the production process.
• An optimal length 23 for the tab 20 to protrude from the flap 6 may range between 0.5 and 1.5 millimetres, with a length of the extended cut 21 of about 3 mm.
• the tab 20 may not be delimited by a single extended cut 21 , as represented in Figure 5A, but by several extended perforations 21 ', for example 2 or 3 extended perforations 21 ' separated by uncut connection bridges 26.
• Such multiple extended perforations 21 ' about the opening aid tab 20 may be particularly preferred to provide increased resistance against the innate elasticity of the tipping wrapper 7 material, in particular when the basis weight of the latter is above 25 g/m 2 , by which the tab 20 has a tendency to project upwards from the surface of the filter element 5 due to the curvature of the filter element when a single extended perforation 21 is used.
• Multiple extended perforations 21 ' further provide increased resistance of the tipping wrapper 7 against tearing during manufacturing while still offering sufficient purchase for users to tear open the flap 6 during use of the smoking article.
• extended perforations 21 , 21 ' in Figures 5A and 5B means in the context of the present invention that said perforations are extended in comparison to the other perforations 19 in the pre- cut line 12 which delimit the sides of the flap 6, i.e. extended perforations are longer than perforations 19.
• pre-cut line 12 configurations represented in Figure 5A and 5B are both preferred examples of pre-cut lines 12 suitable for delimiting a flap 6 in the tipping wrapper 7 according to the present invention, which comprises an opening aid tab 20 opposite the hinge 25 of the flap.
• those examples are not limitative and other pre-cut line design could easily be foreseen by a man of ordinary skill in the art from, in particular through variation of the number and length of perforations 19 and uncut parts 18 in between, and/or the provision or not of extended perforations 21 , 21 '.
• the length of the uncut hinge line 25 is illustrated as being approximately equal to the width and length of the substantially square flap 6. In the previous figures, the length of the hinge line is depicted as being equal to the width and approximately half the length of the flaps. In addition to the approximately square and rectangular flaps illustrated hitherto, flaps having various shapes are also contemplated. In these variations, the length of the hinge line 25 is preferably between 20% and 100% of the longest dimension of the flap.

Landscapes

• Cigarettes, Filters, And Manufacturing Of Filters (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=53724035

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (1)

Citations (7)

• 2016
  • 2016-07-19 KR KR1020187005295A patent/KR20180031756A/ko active IP Right Grant
  • 2016-07-19 EP EP16741913.4A patent/EP3324762B1/en active Active
  • 2016-07-19 PL PL16741913T patent/PL3324762T3/pl unknown
  • 2016-07-19 CA CA2993121A patent/CA2993121A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2016-07-19 WO PCT/EP2016/067151 patent/WO2017013105A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (7)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events