WO2017025891A1

WO2017025891A1 - Variable load smoking product

Info

Publication number: WO2017025891A1
Application number: PCT/IB2016/054772
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yaron GORDON
Original assignee: Gordon Yaron
Priority date: 2015-08-12
Filing date: 2016-08-08
Publication date: 2017-02-16

Abstract

An article includes a container (e.g., a pack or carton of cigarettes) for holding smoking products, multiple smoking products (e.g., cigars or cigarettes) held within the container, each smoking product having a substantially constant length and width, and having a combustible wrapper that envelopes a load of substantially constant size, each load comprising (i) a combustible tobacco load, (ii) a non-combustible material load, and (iii) a filter. A first smoking product has a first combustible tobacco load that is at least 10% smaller than a second combustible tobacco load of a second smoking product. The first smoking product has a first non-combustible material load that is at least 10% greater than a second non-combustible material load of the second smoking product.

Description

VARIABLE LOAD SMOKING PRODUCT

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This disclosure relates to combustible smoking products such as cigarettes or cigars,

BACKGROUND

[0002] A cigarette, or cigar, is a cylinder of finely cut tobacco leaves rolled in thin paper or tobacco leaf for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smolder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end into the smoker's mouth and, optionally, lungs. Smoking cigarettes, and arguably to a lesser extent cigars, has been shown to be hazardous to the smoker's health, potentially causing diseases such as Sung cancer or emphysema. Consequently, many smokers desire and attempt to quit smoking but find it difficult to do so because they have become addicted to smoking, that is, either physiologically addicted to the highly addictive nicotine present in the tobacco, or psychologically addicted to the physical act of smoking, or both.

SUMMARY

[0003] This disclosure relates to combustible smoking products such as cigarettes or cigars, and techniques to assist in breaking the habit of smoking such products.

[0004] In an exemplary implementation, an article includes a container (e.g., a pack or a carton) for holding smoking products, a plurality of smoking products held within the container, each smoking product having a substantially constant length and width, and having a combustible wrapper (e.g., paper or a tobacco leaf) that envelopes a load of substantially constant size, each load comprising (i) a combustible tobacco load, (ii) a non-combustible material load, and (iii) a filter, wherein a first smoking product has a first combustible tobacco load that is at least 10% smaller than a second combustible tobacco load of a second smoking product; and wherein the first smoking product has a first non -combustible material load that is at least 10% greater than a second non- combustible material load of the second smoking product.

[0005] The smoking products may be cigarettes or cigars. Each smoking product may have a proximal end and a distal end, and wherein the combustible tobacco load is disposed at the distal end, the filter is disposed at the proximal end, and the non- combustible material load is disposed between the combustible tobacco load and the filter.

[0006] Each smoking product may be substantially cylindrical in shape,

[0007] The plurality of smoking products within the container may var - in load ratio from 10% tobacco load-90% non-combustible material load to 90% tobacco load- 10% non-combustible material load. The load ratio variance of the plurality of smoking products may be in increments of 1%, 5%, 10% or any other suitable percentage.

[0008] In another implementation, a method of quitting or reducing smoking may include smoking a plurality of smoking products, including a first smoking product followed by a second smoking product, each smoking product having a substantially constant length and width, and having a combustible wrapper that envelopes a load of substantially constant size, each load comprising (i) a combustible tobacco load, (ii) a non-combustible material load, and (iii) a filter; wherein the first smoking product has a first combustible tobacco load that is at least 10% greater than a second combustible tobacco load of a second smoking product; and wherein the first smoking product has a first non-combustible material load that is at least 10% smaller than a second non-combustible material load of the second smoking product,

[0009] The method may further include continuing to smoke additional smoking products, each additional smoking product having a combustible tobacco load that is at least 10% smaller than that of a previously smoked smoking product.

[0010] The method may further include ceasing smoking after a smoking product has been smoked having a combustible tobacco load of 10% or smaller. For example, cessation may occur after smoking the smoking products (which will have increasingly smaller combustible tobacco loads) for a certain length of time, e.g., a week, a month, etc.

[001 1] Two or more smoking products having the same combustible tobacco load may be smoked before smoking a smoking a smoking product having a smaller combustible tobacco load.

[0012] In another implementation, an article includes a container for holding smoking products; a plurality of smoking products held within the container, each smoking product having a substantially constant length and width, and having a combustible wrapper that envelopes a load of substantially constant size, each load comprising (i) a combustible tobacco load, and (ii) a filter; wherein a first smoking product has a first combustible tobacco load that is smaller than a second combustible tobacco load of a second smoking product; and wherein the first smoking product has a first filter that is longer than a second filter of the second smoking product.

[0013] In another implementation, an article includes a container for holding smoking products; a plurality of smoking products held within the container, each smoking product having a substantially constant length and width, and having a combustible wrapper that envelopes a load of substantially constant size, each load comprising (i) a combustible tobacco load, (ii) an extinguishing ring configured to extinguish combustion, and (iii) a filter; wherein a first distance between a first extinguishing ring in a first smoking product and a first filter of the first smoking product is shorter than a second distance between a second extingui shing ring in a second smoking product and a second filter of the second smoking product.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TOE DRAWINGS

[0014] FIG. I illustrates a conventional cigarette.

[0015] FIG. 2 illustrates a non-flammable filler embodiment of a smoking product.

[0016] FTGs. 3 and 4A-4B illustrate aspects of the non-flammable filler embodiment.

[0017] FIG. 5 illustrates a "Challenge" embodiment of a smoking product.

[0018] FIG. 6 illustrates an extended filter embodiment of a smoking product.

[0019] FIG. 7 illustrates an extinguishing ring embodiment of a smoking product.

[0020] Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] This disclosure relates to combustible smoking products such as cigarettes or cigars, and techniques to assist in breaking the habit of smoking. Smokers who are faying to quit altogether, or simply smoke less, doom themselves to so-called "laws" they are trying to apply to themselves. For example:

[0022] "Instead of 20 cigarettes a day I will smoke only 15,"

[0023] "Instead of 20 cigarettes a day, tomorrow I will smoke only 19 and 18 the next day, etc."

[0024] "Starting tomorrow, I will smoke only half a pack of cigarettes."

[0025] '"Starting tomorrow, I quit.^"

[0026] Some of these smokers, unable to meet the personal laws they decree for them selves becau se of the unpleasant influence on the smoker, and becau se the smoker is not always ready to take responsibility for his decisions, may either die or become ill after some period of time.

[002.7] Moreover, sometimes when a smoker craves a cigarette and it is not within his reach, he may feel unpleasant side effects due to withdrawal or the like. Therefore it is quite conceivable that a smoker will look for a way to regain the same pleasant feeling he enjoys after smoking a cigarette.

[0028] The nicotine found in tobacco cigarettes is absorbed in the bloodstream and enters the brain, causing among other things, the release of dopamine. Dopamine causes the smoker to have a sense of satisfaction and pleasure in the short term.

[0029] However, nicotine may, according to studies, cause addiction. The American health organization (the U.S. Surgeon General) declared in 1988 that nicotine is an addictive substance similar in addictiveness to heroin and cocaine. Following this declaration, many studies arose that tried to refute the claim, and have shown that smokers may even prefer cigarettes without nicotine to cigarettes with nicotine, although nicotine provides cigarettes with more '"flavor."

[0030] One way or another, nicotine is just one of many chemicals produced when smoking a cigarette, and without regard to the fact that some smokers realize the damage that may arise as a result of smoking, it is an addictive habit that comes from the complex behavior and the interplay of desire, satisfaction and regret.

[0031 ] Potential solutions and options to reduce smoking or quit smoking include the following: injections, acupuncture, nicotine patches, electronic cigarettes, yoga and meditation, magnetic stimulation, nicotine gurn / lozenges, cigarette weaning, reduced- tobacco nicotine, methods of restraint and reassurance, antidepressants, tips and ideas that appear on Web sites, classes and snioking-cessation programs.

[0032] The methods listed above tend to offer the user a substitute for the product the smoker chose to consume in the first place - the cigarette. Although there are smokers who are interested in these alternatives, the variable load cigarette described here, and its methods of use, tend to keep the smoker in his comfort zone, rather than challenging him to look for a substitute, such as those listed above.

[0033] If we agree that smoking may be addictive and is a learned behavior, it is clearly difficult to control smokers' desire to smoke a cigarette, despite their desire to smoke less. Given that, we're talking about a person's own struggle against himself, a confrontation between desire and willpower. The desire for an addictive product or an addictive habit on the one hand, and the will power to consume less of the addictive product or to moderate the addictive habit on the other hand. This conflict must be mediated by a person who himself is addicted to product physiologically or to the habit psychologically, or both.

[0034] If so, how can we help the smokers who are trying to quit smoking or smoke less overcome the daily personal struggle and the desire to light a cigarette? The smoking product described here seeks to solve at least two problems simultaneously.

[0035] The first goal - the smoking product helps the smoker to fulfill his desire when it's at its strongest.

[0036] The second goal - the smoking product helps the smoker smoke less, without causing a conflict between his willpower and his desire.

[0037] In general, the smoking product provides a solution for smokers who want to achieve a result without having to pay a heavy price, and it takes seriously the desire and the force of habit that exists among smokers. On the other hand, it helps the smoker by partially removing the need to decide in order to mitigate the natural resistance to changing his habits.

[0038] The smoking product described here is designed for smokers who want to smoke less or quit smoking.

[0039] The components of a typical cigarette are a filter, tobacco (or other combustible load suitable for smoking), and a combustible wrapper (e.g., paper) covering the filter and tobacco. Some cigarettes dispense with the filter and consist only of a combustible load and covering paper.

[0040] The smoking product described is a cigarette or similar smoking product such as a cigar, seemingly like any ordinary cigarette 100 (shown in FIG. 1, composed of a tobacco load 102 and a filter 104), but which seeks to address one or more of the previously described goals.

[0041 ] The use of the smoking product described here at the start of a smoking session is essentially identical to the use of a regular cigarette. The flavor, feel, and appearance will be identical apart from the marking of the extinguishing zone and its accompanying number. Hie smoking experience will be identical, at least initially, to conventional cigarettes. [0042] The inventive smoking product thus meets the first goal - it enables the smoker to fulfill his desire when it's at its strongest.

[0043] Non-flammable filler embodiment

[0044 ] According to one aspect, the load of the inventive smoking product 200 (shown in FIG. 2, enveloped by the combustible paper wrapper) will be composed of the filter 206, 90% tobacco 202 and 10% non-flammable (equivalent!)-, non-combustible) filler material 204 potentially similar to tobacco (in terms of texture, but not combustibility) so that the user will not sense the difference between a normal cigarette and the inventive cigarette 200 when holding it.

[0045] Non-flammable material allows the movement of smoke and/or air throughout the length of the inventive cigarette, just like tobacco would.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 3, the tobacco wrapping paper can be marked with the extinguishing zone (such as, for example, an "extinguishing band" 304 or a peripheral thin strip drawn around a roll of cigarette paper), for example, at the boundary- between the tobacco load and the non-flammable material filler load, and a number signifying the percentage of tobacco in the inventive cigarette when compared with a normal cigarette (in the example of FIG.2, 90%). FIG. 3 shows a set 300 of cigarettes each having a variable load indicated by extinguishing bands 304 (or the lack thereof), including a conventional cigarette 100, the 90% load cigarette 200 shown in FIG. 2, an 80% load cigarette 302, and a 70% load cigarette 306. As discussed below, such a set 300, or variations thereof, can be grouped together and sold in a pack or carton of cigarettes so that the smoker can increasingly reduce his smoking load with each cigarette or pack smoked.

[0047] The smoker will understand that when the flame reaches the extinguishing band, the inventive cigarette will be extinguished, leaving 10% of the inventive cigarette unconsumed. Thus, the inventive cigarette will have "chosen," on behalf of the smoker, to require him to smoke 10% less. In this way, the inventive cigarette satisfies the second goal, i.e. it helped the smoker smoke less, without having to mediate between his willpower and his desire.

[0048] A smoker generally buys a pack of cigarettes when he wants to increase the stock of cigarettes in his possession, or when his supply runs out. It is reasonable to say that this is a conscious act and ordinary consumer behavior: the consumer needs a product, so the consumer buys the product.

[0049] The smoker who buys the inventive cigarette with, for example, 90% usable tobacco knows that he's buying the same cigarette pack he loves, and the number of cigarettes is the same as the number of cigarettes in the ordinary pack that is used to purchase.

[0050] He also knows that the inventive cigarette stops the flame after 90% of the length of tobacco of a conventional cigarette, and so he makes a conscious that will help him. smoke less (10% less in this example). The moment he acquires the pack of cigarettes does not constitute a moment of challenge and confront the consumer with conflict between his desire to smoke and his willpower to quit smoking or smoke less.

[005 ] A gradual reduction in smoking

[0052] The inventive cigarette can be supplied in various degrees of extinguishing, anywhere from 1 percent to 1 0 percent, or for example, in increments of 10%.

[0053] If the market allows fabrication of the inventive cigarette at levels of 90%, 80% and 70%>, etc., all the way down to 10%, for instance, the smoker could at first smoke at the 90% level and then challenge himself to smoke at an 80% level, etc.

[0054] Multiple cigarettes of different combustible tobacco load percentages could be sold in a single pack (i.e., a type of container) so that a smoker could use a single pack to gradually reducing his smoke intake. For example, as shown in FIGs. 4A and 4B, assuming 20 cigarettes in a standard pack, a pack of the inventive cigarettes could include five conventional cigarettes 100 having 100% tobacco load, five cigarettes 200 having a 90% tobacco load, five cigarettes 302 having an 80% tobacco load, and five cigarettes 306 having a 70% tobacco. Any other quantities of load percentages and/or quantities of cigarettes having a particular load could be used as desired. FIG. 4B shows a container 400 (e.g., a pack) of cigarettes that contains cigarettes of different tobaccos load percentages.

[0055] In addition, a carton of cigarettes (also a type of container that holds multiple packs of cigarettes), could contain one or more packs of regular 100% tobacco load cigarettes, one or more packs of 90% tobacco load cigarettes, one or more packs of 80% tobacco load cigarettes, and so on. As noted above the quantities can vary as desired, and the percentage increments need not be 10% but rattier can be 1%, 5%, or any other appropriate percentage .

[0056] The smoker can build a simple detox program, based on reasonable, self-imposed steps, and not have to meet challenges at the moment of most intense desire for the product, precisely where it is likely to erode his resistance and cause him to act against his health interests.

[0057] The various levels of the percentage of non-flammable filler material in the inventive cigarette will allow the smoker to gradually reduce the amount he smokes, and there is good reason to assume that doing so will give him positive reinforcement because of his success to persevere and to smoke cigarettes with tobacco content of different, decreasing percentages.

[0058] The transition from smoking a regular cigarette to smoking the inventive cigarette can give satisfaction to a smoker looking and finding a way to prove to himself and others that he can smoke less, challenging him to switch to the inventive cigarette with a smaller percentage, and compare his cessation efforts with those of oilier friends.

[0059] "Challenge" inventive cigarette embodiment [0060] According to another aspect of the invention, the inventive cigarette is a normal cigarette in essentially every way, except it includes stripes and numbers indicating the percentage of the length of the cigarette.

Some smokers impose limits on themselves but find it difficult to enforce them. According to tins aspect, the stripes and numbers 504 of the inventi ve cigarette signal the smoker to extinguish the cigarette when the flame reaches the appropriate stripe. This is the "challenge" inventive cigarette, as shown in FIG. 5. In other words, just like a conventional cigarette, this implementation does not include any non-combustible material other than a conventional filter 502. The remainder 500 of each cigarette is a combustible load, such as tobacco.

[0061 ] This aspect of the inventive cigarette meets the first goal - it enables the smoker to fulfill his desire when it's at its strongest.

[0062] And according to the second goal, this aspect of the inventive cigarette does not on its own "decide" when to extinguish itself for the smoker, but it gives the smoker a "signal" and recommends when to turn it off. For some smokers, such signals are sufficient to motivate them to take action and extinguish the cigarette. The signals leave the decision in the smokers' hands and give them the feeling that someone trusts their judgment.

[0063] Extended-filter embodiment

[0064] According to yet another aspect, like the other exemplary embodiments, it is possible to achieve similar results of reducing smoking through an extended cigarette filter length (shown in FIG. 6)

[0065] The extended-filter inventive cigarette consists of the same elements of a regular cigarette, but in different length proportions. It also can indicate the extinguishing zone with markings and associated numeric figures. As shown in FIG. 6, a conventional cigarette 100 has a combustible load 620 and a filter 618 of conventional lengths. But inventive cigarettes 600, 602, and 604, each has a successively increasing length of its filter (606, 608, 610) thereby resulting in a successively decreasing length of its combustible load (612, 614, 616), thereby effectively reducing the amount of tobacco that the smoker will smoke and inhale.

[0066] The extended-filter inventive cigarette smoker consumes the cigarette (600, 602, 604), the same way he would a normal one. Therefore, this embodiment of the smoking product fulfills the first goal - it enables the smoker to fulfill his desire when it's at its strongest.

[0067] For example, an extended-filter inventive cigarette at 90% percent tobacco content would extend past the length of a regular filter up to 10% of the length of the tobacco of a regular cigarette. The extended-filter inventive cigarette would indicate through markings where a traditional filter would end, as well as the 90% mark, which is actually where the filter begins, i.e. the extinguishing zone.

[0068] The goal is to indicate the new extinguishing zone and allow the smoker to reduce his smoking, as well as to visually highlight to him the fact that smoking the inventive cigarette will lead him to smoke, e.g., 10% less than a normal cigarette.

[0069] In this manner, the extended-filter inventive cigarette will "decide" on behalf of the smoker that he should stop smoking at the 90% mark, or 10% less. It therefore satisfies the second goal - it helps the smoker smoke less, without having to mediate between his w ill pow er and his desire.

[0070] Extinguishing ring embodiment

[0071] According to yet another aspect shown in FIG. 7, the inventive cigarette 700 is extinguished by an extinguishing ring 702 before the smoker consumes all of the tobacco. In this embodiment, the extinguishing ring 702 comprises a non-flammable material that will prevent the tobacco from igniting further.

[0072] This embodiment of the inventive cigarette 700 is functionally similar to the nonflammable filler embodiment. It allows the smoker to light a cigarette from his own pack when his desire is at its strongest, and it will extinguish itself, without the smoker's intervention, in the marked region on the cigarette paper, for example, after 80% of the length of the cigarette has been consumed.

[0073] A difference is that instead of filling the cigarette with non-flammable material along the length of the 20% of the cigarette that is not consumed, an extinguishing ring 702 will be placed in the marked area, the extinguishing ring 702 having one or more holes 704 to allow smoke to pass through. When the flame reaches the extinguishing ring 702, the inventive cigarette 700 will extinguish itself.

[0074] The extinguishing ring 702 can be made from any non-flammable, non-toxic material that prevents consumption of the remainder of the cigarette. This non-flammable, non-toxic material can include mineral wool, dense wood, plastic, clay, silicone resin, crushed glass, or any other suitable non-combustible material.

[0075] This embodiment also satisfies the two goals of the inventive cigarette, as it enables the smoker to fulfill his desire when it's at its strongest, and it helps the smoker smoke less, without having to mediate between his willpower and his desire.

[0076] The inventive cigarettes described here may be packaged and sold in a variety of different manners. For example, each cigarette in a single pack (i.e., 20 count) may have the same tobacco load (e.g., 90%) as all of the other cigarettes in the pack. In this case, a smoker may reduce or quit smoking, for example, by smoking a pack of 90% cigarettes, then smoking a pack of 80% cigarettes, then smoking a pack of 70% cigarettes, and so on. A carton of cigarettes could include packs of different tobacco load percentages.

[0077] Alternatively, a single pack of cigarettes may include cigarettes having different tobacco load percentages. For example, a single cigarette pack may include five cigarettes having a 90% load, five cigarettes having an 80% load, five cigarettes having a 70%> load, and five cigarettes having a 60% load. In this case, the smoker could gradually reduce smoke intake simply by smoking the cigarettes within that single pack.

[0078] A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0079] What is claimed is:

Claims

1. An article comprising:

a container for holding smoking products;

a plurality of smoking products held within the container, each smoking product having a substantially constant length and width, and having a combustible wrapper that envelopes a load of substantially constant size, each load comprising (i) a combustible tobacco load, (ii) a non-combustible materia] load, and (iii) a filter;

wherein a first smoking product has a first combustible tobacco load that is at least 10% smaller than a second combustible tobacco load of a second smoking product; and wherein the first smoking product has a first non-combustible material load that is at least 10% greater than a second non-combustible material load of the second smoking product.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein each of the smoking products comprises a cigarette.

3. The article of claim 1, wherein each of the smoking products comprises a cigar.

4. The article of claim 1, wherein each smoking product has a proximal end and a distal end, and wherein the combustible tobacco load is disposed at the distal end, the filter is disposed at the proximal end, and the non-combustible material load is disposed between the combustible tobacco load and the filter.

5. The article of claim 1, wherein each smoking product is substantially cylindrical in shape.

6. The article of claim 1, wherein the plurality of smoking products within the container vary in load ratio from 10% tobacco load-90% non-combustible material load to 90% tobacco load- 10% non-combustible material load.

7. The article of claim 6 wherein the load ratio variance of the plurality of smoking products is in increments of 10%.

8. A method of quitting smoking comprising:

smokmg a plurality of smoking products, including a first smoking product followed by a second smoking product, each smoking product having a substantially constant length and width, and having a combustible wrapper that envelopes a load of subsianiially constant size, each load comprising (i) a combustible tobacco load, (ii) a non-combustible material load, and (iii) a filter:

wherein the first smoking product has a first combustible tobacco load that is at least 10% greater than a second combustible tobacco load of a second smoking product; and

wherein the first smoking product has a first non-combustible material load that is at least 10% smaller than a second non-combustible material load of the second smoking product.

9. The method of claim. 8, further comprising continuing to smoke additional smoking products, each additional smoking product having a combustible tobacco load that is at least 10% smaller than that of a previously smoked smoking product.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising ceasing smoking after a smoking product has been smoked having a combustible tobacco load of 10% or smaller.

11. The method of claim. 10, wherein said ceasing occurs after smoking the smoking products having increasingly smaller combustible tobacco loads.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein two or more smoking products having the same combustible tobacco load are smoked before smoking a smoking a smoking product having a smaller combustible tobacco load.

.

13. The method of claim. 8, wherein each of the smoking products comprises a cigarette.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the smoking products comprises a cigar.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein each smoking product has a proximal end and a distal end, and wherein the combustible tobacco load is disposed at the distal end, the filter is disposed at the proximal end, and the non-combustible material load is disposed between the combustible tobacco load and the filter.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein each smoking product is substantially cylindrical in shape.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of smoking products within the container vary in load ratio from. 10% tobacco load-90% non-combustible material load to 90% tobacco load- 10% non-combustible material load.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the load ratio variance of the plurality of smoking products is in increments of 10%.

19. An article comprising:

a container for holding smoking products;

a plurality of smoking products held within the container, each smoking product having a substantially constant length and width, and having a combustible wrapper thai envelopes a load of substantially constant size, each load comprising (i) a combustible tobacco load, and (ii) a filter;

wherein a first smoking product has a first combustible tobacco load that is smaller than a second combustible tobacco load of a second smoking product; and

wherein the first smoking product has a first filter that is longer than a second filter of the second smoking product.

20. An article comprising:

a container for holding smoking products;

a plurality⁷ of smoking products held within the container, each smoking product having a substantially constant length and width, and having a combustible wrapper that envelopes a load of substantially constant size, each load comprising (i) a combustible tobacco load, (ii) an extinguishing ring configured to extinguish combustion, and (iii) a filter; wherein a first distance between a first extinguishing ring in a first smoking product and a first filter of the first smoking product is shorter than a second distance between a second extinguishing ring in a second smoking product and a second filter of the second smoking product.