WO2020200887A1

WO2020200887A1 - Hygiene sleeve

Info

Publication number: WO2020200887A1
Application number: PCT/EP2020/058006
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christopher Forecast; Thomas FRITH; Oliver Taylor; Luke WADSWORTH
Original assignee: Jt International Sa
Priority date: 2019-04-04
Filing date: 2020-03-23
Publication date: 2020-10-08

Abstract

A hygiene sleeve (8) for a mouthpiece (6) of an aerosol generating device (2), wherein said sleeve (8) extends along a longitudinal direction and is foldable between a collapsed configuration and an extended configuration in a direction transverse to said longitudinal direction, the sleeve (8) comprising: a first sleeve end (12) for receiving the mouthpiece (6); a second sleeve end (10), which is a mouth end; a single projection (22) that extends, in both collapsed and extended configuration from an internal surface of the sleeve (8) to an opposite surface thereof and wherein the projection comprises a first projection end (24) which is spaced away from the sleeve end (12) by a predetermined distance to allow insertion of said mouthpiece (6) into the sleeve (8) at the first end (12) by the predetermined distance whereupon it abuts the projection (22), and wherein the projection (22) extends from the first projection end (24) to a second projection end (26) along a length of the sleeve (8), the distance between said first and second projection ends (24, 26) being at least 20mm.

Description

HYGIENE SLEEVE

The present invention relates to a sleeve for an aerosol generating device.

Personal hygiene and freshness is an important consideration for users of aerosol generating devices, such as cigarettes or cigars. Side stream smoke is generated at the lit end of a conventional cigarette and this can flow towards a user’s fingers causing potential discolouration and a lingering smell. Cigarette holders are well known for positioning the fingers further away from the lit end and therefore reducing the interaction between fingers and side stream smoke. However, these cigarette holders are often bulky items that are purchased separately from a packet of cigarettes. For these reasons it is not always convenient or possible to use a cigarette holder, and an object of the present invention is to address this issue.

According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a hygiene sleeve for a mouthpiece of an aerosol generating device, wherein said sleeve extends along a longitudinal direction and is foldable between a collapsed configuration and an extended configuration in a direction transverse to said longitudinal direction, characterized in that the sleeve comprises: a first sleeve end for receiving the mouthpiece; a second sleeve end, which is a mouth end; a single projection that extends, in both collapsed and extended configuration from an internal surface of the sleeve to an opposite surface thereof and in that the projection comprises a first projection end which is spaced away from the sleeve end by a predetermined distance to allow insertion of said mouthpiece into the sleeve at the first end by the predetermined distance whereupon it abuts the projection, and in that the projection extends from the first projection end to a second projection end along a length of the sleeve, the distance between said first and second projection ends being at least 20mm.

In this way, the sleeve can provide a reliable and repeatable user experience because the smoking article can always be inserted into the sleeve to a predictable depth. This ensures that the smoking article is held securely and that it is separated by a repeatable distance from the user’s mouth in order to controllably mitigate the effects of smoke on a user’s fingers. In addition the sleeve can be easily collapsed or opened as required, where the collapsed configuration substantially reduces the amount of volume occupied by the holder in a packet of cigarettes or like smoking articles, for example, and allows the sleeve to be easily and conveniently accommodated within and accessed from the packet without making the overall packet undesirably bulky. The distance from the mouthpiece-receiving end to the mouth end may be at least 20mm, preferably at least 25mm, up to around 42mm. It has been found that this is a sufficient additional separation from the user’s fingers to the lit end to noticeably decrease the undesirable effects of side stream smoke.

Preferably the sleeve comprises two longitudinal fold lines which are diametrically opposed to one another to allow the sleeve to be folded from the collapsed configuration to the extended configuration. In this way, the sleeve can be opened and collapsed in a reliable and repeatable way.

Preferably the projection extends substantially from one fold line towards the other in the extended configuration. In this way, the projection can provide a rigid support and an opening limit for the sleeve in the fully-opened configuration. The projection may be attached to the inner surface substantially at the location of one of the fold lines.

Preferably the second projection end is arranged substantially in the same plane as the mouthpiece end of the sleeve. In this way, the projection can provide effective support to the sleeve and improve user comfort.

Preferably the projection has a width of at least half a width of the sleeve between the longitudinal fold lines. In this way, the sleeve will less easily fall or slip off the mouthpiece of an aerosol generating device, or similarly the aerosol generating device will not easily fall out of a closely-attached sleeve. The height of the projection relative to the width of the sleeve between the fold lines determines the shape of the opening of the sleeve in its open configuration. For example, if the height of the projection is half the width of the sleeve, the sleeve will form a substantially circular opening in its open configuration. Alternatively if the height of the projection is greater than the width of the sleeve, the opening of the sleeve in its open configuration will be oval or convex-lens in shape. The sleeve may comprise card, moulded paper foam or a combination thereof. Preferably the projection comprises a rigid paper or card material. In this way, the sleeve can be easily constructed at low cost. The materials may be suitable for single use which improves hygiene. The sleeve may be provided with a scented and/or flavoured coating to improve user experience.

Preferably the sleeve is made from a single blank. The projection may comprise a first projection panel and a second projection panel which are glued together. In this way the hygiene sleeve can be made simply using a single blank construction, where the blank may be cut, folded and glued together to construct the sleeve.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a pair of hygiene sleeves, as previously defined here, wherein the pair of sleeves are joined by a line of weakening and can be separated from one another along that line of weakening. The pair of hygiene sleeves may be connected together by a breakable connection along one of the ends of the sleeve, or along one of the longitudinal fold lines. In this way, two hygiene sleeves can be connected together end-to-end or side- by-side so that they can be accommodated easily within a packet. Further pairs of hygiene sleeves can then be stacked alongside, above or below so that the plurality of hygiene sleeves occupy a reduced volume within an aerosol generating device container. According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a blank for making a hygiene sleeve, the blank comprising a plurality of panels, the plurality of panels comprising: a first side panel having a first edge along a first fold line and a second edge along a second fold line; a second side panel having a first edge along the second fold line and a second edge along a third fold line; a first projection panel arranged along a first portion of the first edge of the first side panel on the other side of the first fold line from the first side panel; and a second projection panel arranged along a first portion of the second edge of the second side panel on the other side of the third fold line from the second side panel, wherein the first projection panel and the second projection panel are configured to be joined together in order to form an internal projection in the hygiene sleeve, where the internal projection is spaced away from an end of the hygiene sleeve by a predetermined distance to allow insertion of a mouthpiece of an aerosol generating device into the hygiene sleeve at the end by the predetermined distance whereupon it abuts the internal projection. In this way a hygiene sleeve can be constructed using a single blank, where the blank may be folded and glued together to construct the hygiene sleeve with an internal double-thickness projection.

Preferably the blank further comprises an additional panel axially displaced from the first projection panel, the additional panel providing a means for joining a second portion of the first edge of the first side panel and a second portion of the second edge of the second side panel. In this way the additional panel the first fold line and the third fold line can be brought together when the blank is folded over the second fold line such that the first fold line and the third fold line form a single fold line in a constructed hygiene sleeve.

Embodiments of the invention are now described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of a standard smoking article;

Figure 2A is a front view of an arrangement including a standard smoking article with a hygiene sleeve in an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2B is a perspective view of a standard smoking article with a hygiene sleeve attached in an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a hygiene sleeve in a collapsed configuration in an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a hygiene sleeve in an extended configuration separated from a smoking article in an embodiment of the invention; Figure 5 is top view of a blank of a hygiene sleeve in a flat-open configuration in an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 6 is a front view of a pair of hygiene sleeves in an embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of a smoking article container including standard smoking articles and hygiene sleeves in an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a standard smoking article 2 which may be a cigarette having a tobacco rod 4 and a filter 6. Figures 2A and 2B show a hygiene sleeve 8 which can be connected at the filter end 6 of the smoking article 2.

The hygiene sleeve 8 is made of paper and comprises a mouthpiece end 10 and a smoking article end 12. The sleeve 8 has an outer body with an inner volume within which an airflow channel extends from the smoking article end 12 to the mouthpiece end 10. The hygiene sleeve 8 in an open configuration has a substantially circular, or more generally ovoidal, cross-sectional shape across its length, and in particular at the smoking article end 12 so that it can accommodate and neatly, tightly, adjust the filter end 6 of the smoking article 2.

The hygiene sleeve 8 comprises a first fold line 14 and a second fold line 16, extending along its full length. The first and second fold lines 14, 16 are diametrically opposite one another in the mouthpiece end 10 and the smoking end 12 and allow the sleeve 8 to be moved between a collapsed configuration and an open or extended configuration. The sleeve 8 is shown in its extended configuration in Figures 2A, 2B and 4, and in its collapsed configuration in Figure 3.

As can be seen in a collapsed configuration of the sleeve in Figure 3, the sleeve 8 has a first half 18 and a second half 20 which are substantially rectangular in shape in the collapsed configuration. The two halves 18, 20 are joined to each other along the two fold lines 14, 16 and a projection 22 is provided in between the two halves 18, 20. The projection 22 provides a limit to the depth of insertion of a smoking article 2 and acts as an internal spine to limit to the extent of opening of the sleeve 8, as shall be explained below. In the collapsed configuration the two halves 18, 20 are substantially straight, but may have a small degree of flexure. In this way, in the collapsed configuration the outer body of the sleeve provides a small inner volume because there is a minimal gap between the first and second halves 18, 20, which means a sleeve 8 can be more easily by accommodated within a smoking article container.

To move the sleeve 8 from its collapsed configuration to its open configuration the first fold line 14 and the second fold line 16 are pushed toward each other until the second fold line 16 meets the projection 22 so that the first half 18 and second half 20 each flex outwardly and the projection 22 extends substantially from the first fold line 14 to the second fold line 16. In the open configuration the sleeve 8 forms a substantially circular shape across its cross-section such that the smoking article end 12 is configured to receive a smoking article 2 within the inner volume of the sleeve 8. The sleeve 8 can be collapsed from its open configuration in a similar way, where the two halves 18, 20 are pushed toward each other until they meet and are up against the projection 22.

The projection 22 comprises a first end 24 which is spaced away from the smoking article end 12 to allow a filter end 6 of a smoking article 2 to be inserted. The distance of the first end 24 from the smoking article end 12 determines the depth of insertion of the smoking article 2, where full insertion of the smoking article 2 causes the filter end 6 of the smoking article 2 to abut the first end 24. The projection 22 further comprises a second end 26 which is substantially in the same plane as the mouthpiece end of the sleeve 10. The second end 26 may also be a bow-shaped edge 40 spaced away from the mouthpiece end, as shown in Figure 5.

As shown in Figure 2A, the smoking article 2 is inserted into the smoking article end 12 of the sleeve 8, in use. This means that the smoking article 2, when fully inserted in the sleeve 8, is separated from the mouth end 10 of the holder by approximately 20 to 42 mm. It has been found that this provides enough separation to significantly reduce the interaction between a user’s fingers and the side stream smoke that is generated during use. In other embodiments the distance from the smoking article 2, when fully inserted, and the mouthpiece end 10 may be at least 20mm, and preferably at least 25mm. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the sleeve 8 in an extended configuration that is separated from a smoking article 2. The first half 18 and the second half 20 toward the smoking article end 12 of the sleeve 8 is pushed over the filter end 6 of the smoking article 2, where the smoking article 2 would be continually pushed into the sleeve 8 until the filter end 6 abuts the first end 24 of the projection 22.

Figure 5 is a schematic view of an unconstructed paper blank of a rectangular shape used to make the hygiene sleeve 8. In its constructed form, the top and bottom edges of the blank become the mouthpiece end 10 and smoking article end 12 respectively. The second fold line 16 is provided in the middle of the blank and extends from the top edge of the blank to the bottom edge of the blank. The length of the second fold line 16 defines first lengths of each of the first half 18 and second half 20, which are arranged at either side of the second fold line 16. The widths of the first and second halves 18, 20 are substantially equal and are defined by the top and bottom edges of the blank. First fold lines 14 (which on construction become a single first fold line 14) define the other, or second, lengths of the first and second halves 18, 20, and are provided at a predetermined distance away from the side edges of the blank. The blank is inwardly cut from its side edges up to the first fold lines 14 in order to create a first cut line 28 and a second cut line 30. The first cut line 28 and the second cut line 30 define the first projection panel 32 and the second projection panel 34 respectively, where the first and second projection panels 32, 34 are folded over the respective first fold lines 14 such that the projection panels 32, 34 each present an outwardly facing side. The two cut lines 28, 30 are provided at a predetermined distance away from the top edge of the blank, which determines the length of the projection 22 (and depth of insertion of a smoking article). The lengths of the cut lines 28, 30 may be substantially equal and define the height of the projection 22. The outwardly facing sides of the projection panels 32, 34 are glued together and the blank is folded over the second fold line 16 to form the projection 22. A first remaining panel 36 and a second remaining panel 38 are provided below the respective cut lines 28, 30 between the side edges of the blank and the first fold lines 14. To join the first half 18 and the second half 20 along the sleeve 8 where a smoking article 2 is to be inserted (and thus create the first fold line 14 in a constructed sleeve), the interfacing sides of the remaining panels 36, 38 are glued together to form a combined remaining panel after the blank has been folded over the second fold line 16, and the combined remaining panel may be further glued down to the outer surface of the first half 18 or the second half 20 in an overlapping manner. Alternatively one of the first remaining panel 36 or the second remaining panel 38 may be removed from the blank before construction, where the remaining panel which is part of the blank is glued down to the outer surface of the first or second half in the same overlapping manner as described above.

It should be understood that the height of the projection 22 relative to the width of the first or second half 18, 20 (the widths being substantially equal) determine the shape of the opening of the hygiene sleeve 8 in its open configuration. For example, if the height of the projection 22 is half the width of a first half 14 the hygiene sleeve will form a substantially circular opening in its open configuration. Alternatively if the height of the projection 22 is smaller or greater than the width of the first half 14, the opening of the sleeve in its opening configuration will be oval or convex-lens in shape respectively.

Alternative shapes and materials of a hygiene sleeve will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art. Importantly it should be understood that the projection must be sufficiently robust and rigid so as to provide structural support of the sleeve in its opening into the open configuration and provide haptic feedback to a user inserting a smoking article into the sleeve.

Figure 6 shows a pair of hygiene sleeves 8. The pair of sleeves are shown in a collapsed configuration where the two sleeves 8 are connected end-to-end (which can be any configuration of the smoking article end 12 and the mouthpiece end 10) by a line of weakening 42, such as a perforated paper connection. This provides a compact arrangement of sleeves 8, which for example can be accommodated in the front of a smoking article container. When a user requires a single sleeve it can be easily separated from the container assembly for use, while the remaining sleeves can be kept in their collapsed configurations occupying as small a volume as possible. An additional perforated connection may be provided between adjacent pairs of hygiene sleeves (not shown) along their respective fold lines 14, 16. This keeps the sleeves in a side-by-side arrangement, but also allows them to be separated easily from one another when required. It should be understood that a pair of hygiene sleeves can be made using the same construction described above, and shown in Figure 5, and where the line of weakening 42 is positioned along the top or bottom edge of a blank. As an illustrative example Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view of a smoking article container 44 including twenty smoking articles 2 provided in a standard 7-6-7 configuration and twenty hygiene sleeves 8 provided in front of the smoking articles in the container as ten card tube pairs. This allows production of a smoking article container that can contain twenty smoking articles and twenty hygiene sleeves. The hygiene sleeves 8 can therefore be packaged with the smoking articles 2 and designed for a single use.

Claims

1. A hygiene sleeve (8) for a mouthpiece (6) of an aerosol generating device (2), wherein said sleeve (8) extends along a longitudinal direction and is foldable between a collapsed configuration and an extended configuration in a direction transverse to said longitudinal direction,

characterized in that the sleeve (8) comprises :

a first sleeve end (12) for receiving the mouthpiece (6);

a second sleeve end (10), which is a mouth end;

a single projection (22) that extends, in both collapsed and extended configuration from an internal surface of the sleeve (8) to an opposite surface thereof and

in that the projection comprises a first projection end (24) which is spaced away from the sleeve end (12) by a predetermined distance to allow insertion of said mouthpiece (6) into the sleeve (8) at the first end (12) by the predetermined distance whereupon it abuts the projection (22), and in that the projection (22) extends from the first projection end (24) to a second projection end (26) along a length of the sleeve (8), the distance between said first and second projection ends (24, 26) being at least 20mm.

2. The sleeve of claim 1 , comprising two longitudinal fold lines (14, 16) which are diametrically opposed to one another to allow the sleeve (8) to be folded from the collapsed configuration to the extended configuration.

3. The sleeve of claim 2, wherein the projection (22) extends substantially from one fold line towards the other in the extended configuration.

4. The sleeve of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the projection (22) is attached to the inner surface substantially at the location of one of the fold lines.

5. The sleeve of any of the preceding claims, wherein the second projection end (26) is arranged substantially in the same plane as the mouthpiece end of the sleeve (12).

6. The sleeve of any of claims 2 to 5, wherein the projection (22) has a width of at least half a width of the sleeve (8) between the longitudinal fold lines (14, 16).

7. The sleeve of any of the preceding claims, comprising card, moulded paper foam or a combination thereof.

8. The sleeve of any of the preceding claims, wherein the projection (22) comprises a rigid paper or card material.

9. The sleeve of any of the preceding claims, wherein the sleeve (8) is made from a single blank.

10. The sleeve of any of the preceding claims, wherein the projection (22) comprises a first projection panel (32) and a second projection panel (34) glued together.

1 1. The sleeve of any of the preceding claims, wherein the sleeve (8) is provided with a scented and/or flavoured coating.

12. A pair of hygiene sleeves, as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the pair of sleeves are joined by a line of weakening (42) and can be separated from one another along that line of weakening.

13. A blank for making a hygiene sleeve, the blank comprising a plurality of panels, the plurality of panels comprising:

a first side panel (18) having a first edge along a first fold line (14) and a second edge along a second fold line (16);

a second side panel (20) having a first edge along the second fold line (16) and a second edge along a third fold line (14);

a first projection panel (32) arranged along a first portion of the first edge of the first side panel (18) on the other side of the first fold line (14) from the first side panel (18); and

a second projection panel (34) arranged along a first portion of the second edge of the second side panel (20) on the other side of the third fold line (14) from the second side panel (20), wherein the first projection panel (32) and the second projection panel (34) are configured to be joined together in order to form an internal projection (22) in the hygiene sleeve (8), where the internal projection (22) is spaced away from an end (12) of the hygiene sleeve (8) by a predetermined distance to allow insertion of a mouthpiece (6) of an aerosol generating device (2) into the hygiene sleeve (8) at the end by the predetermined distance whereupon it abuts the internal projection (22).

14. The blank of claim 13 further comprising an additional panel (36) axially displaced from the first projection panel (32), the additional panel (36) providing a means for joining a second portion of the first edge of the first side panel (18) and a second portion of the second edge of the second side panel (20).