ES2201071T3 - IMPROVEMENTS INTRODUCED IN SMOKING ITEMS. - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a solution to reduce the lingering smell in confined spaces associated with smoked filter tipped cigarette butts. Unlike other methods the invention does not require any active step by the smoker to activate any deodorising material. The present invention provides a smoking article incorporating a tobacco smoke filter element which exhibits in a passive manner a deodorising property even after smoking has occurred. The filter element incorporates a vapour phase absorbing material which is maintained substantially free from contact by the particulate phase of tobacco smoke, yet which is open to diffusion contact with the vapour phase of tobacco smoke both during and after smoking of the smoking article. <IMAGE>

Description

Improvements introduced in smoking articles.

The present invention deals with articles for smoking that comprise filter elements that have means for reduce the constituents of the vapor phase of tobacco smoke content there.

After an article has been smoked for smoking, such as a filter cigarette, the remaining cigarette butt or the non-smoked remnants of the smoking article often present a strong smell that becomes a smell of stale smoke, especially for long periods of time. Currently is desirable to provide some means to eliminate or reduce significantly the smell of stale smoke emanating from matter in particles deposited on the butt of an article for smoke.

Our application No EP649607 in process with this, filed on September 26, 1994 describes various methods to deodorize an element to filter smoke of tobacco All these methods require the smoker to break a capsule containing deodorizing material, the capsule being contained within the element to filter tobacco smoke, when the smoker turns off his cigarette butt or non-smoked remnant of the smoking article A disadvantage of these methods is that our research has now shown that a minority of smokers do not actively turn off your butts in a way that takes result of the breakage of the deodorizing capsule and the release of the deodorizing material.

The present invention seeks to overcome the need that the smoker should play an active part once he has Finished smoking the article for smoking. It is an object of the present invention provide a smoking article incorporating a element to filter tobacco smoke that, even after to have smoked, still passively display a property deodorizer.

As used herein, the term "passive" or "passive mode" means that it is not requires an effective participation of the smoker so that the remnant of the smoking article or the cigarette butt exhibits a property deodorizer.

The present invention provides an article for smoking comprising an element to filter tobacco smoke and a tobacco league column fixed by a nozzle paper, comprising the element for filtering absorption material for absorb the constituents of the vapor phase of smoke, a step to the flow of tobacco smoke, with tobacco smoke confined substantially in step for the flow of tobacco smoke, eliminating the absorption material the constituents of the vapor phase of the tobacco smoke by diffusion from the constituents of the phase vapor from tobacco smoke into the material of absorption, and exhibiting the absorption material the technical effect additional to being able, even after having finished smoking, of absorbing the vapor phases that emanate from the odorous compounds that are inside the element to filter smoked.

The use of carbon or activated carbon in the elements to filter the smoke from the tobacco to reduce the constituents of the vapor phase of smoke. Our European Patent Application No. 93305082.5 in process hereby teaches an element to filter tobacco smoke that has a coal section, coal section that is not in contact with the phase in smoke particles. Means of ventilation at a specific location to channel smoke from tobacco outside the filter so that the carbon section is not contaminate with tobacco smoke.

Now we have discovered that the distribution described in the European application in process mentioned previously also exhibits an excellent deodorizing property and It is an embodiment of the present invention.

European patent applications, Nos. De publication 0 608 047 and 0 628 260 describe (i) a filter called "dalmation" in which the carbon particles are distributed within the filtration material and (ii) an element to filter that it has carbon contained in the paper wrapper of the filter, respectively. FR 2 669 240 (equivalent to GB 2 249 936) describes the use of particulate carbon adhered on the surface of a wrapping material of the filter. U.S. Pat. No. 3,297,038 describes a capsule that It contains activated material, such as charcoal, which is broken by the smoker before lighting the cigarette. All these documents they use coal to reduce the vapor phase of the smoke while smoke Smoke from the ignited article can also enter contact with coal to a large extent, in this way the coal is contaminates by compounds other than the components of the vapor phase of smoke.

Advantageously the absorption material of the vapor phase is placed annularly around the passage for the tobacco smoke flow. Preferably the absorption material It is placed over the material, such as the filter wrap, which involves the passage for the flow of tobacco smoke. Even more preferably, the absorption material is placed in a longitudinally spaced distribution along the envelope of the filter. This arrangement allows to cut the element to filter unit to provide a complete member with a provision of Double or triple filter type without the need to cut through material loaded with abrasive granules of absorption material, for example, carbon, activated carbon or other absorption materials from the well known vapor phase.

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The vapor phase absorption material for use in the present invention can be advantageously carbon or activated carbon, conveniently in granular form. Others suitable absorption materials, such as silica, zeolites, attapulgite clay, high surface chalk specific, magnesium hydroxide, for example, or materials synthetic absorption of high specific surface, will be known and obvious to the qualified reader.

Preferably the passage for smoke flow of tobacco comprises fibrous filtration material, such as cellulose acetate. Preferably, tobacco smoke is confined to the passage for the flow of tobacco smoke by channeling the smoke out of the vapor phase absorption material. More preferably, the channeling occurs by ventilation at the end of the flow ascending element to filter. Preferably, the end upstream of the element to filter comprises material not  coated with absorption material. The ventilation in that section of the material causes that tobacco smoke does not enter at all in contact with the absorption material. The material, at least in this area may be conveniently permeable, although when the ventilation in the filter element is achieved by perforation of the filter envelope and material, this is not essential.

In another embodiment, the absorption material of the vapor phase is located in a hole or gaps in the material of filtration that provides a step for the flow of tobacco smoke. The hollow or hollow can advantageously be a groove or grooves that are  extend longitudinally on the surface of the element to filter. The vapor phase absorption material may be fixed to the filter wrap material at spaced sites that correspond to the hole or holes in the surface of the filtration material that provides a passage for smoke flow of tobacco

Alternatively, the hole or gaps may be located axially distributed inside the element for filter as a core, core that can be modeled on the surface of it. The filtration material conveniently surround the core. In both previous embodiments, the gap or gaps may conveniently be physically separated from the filtration material by means of a wrap, which can be permeable to the vapor phase.

In a related but alternative embodiment the element for filtering tobacco smoke comprises a core central vapor absorption material, around the which a ring of smoke filtration material is distributed from tobacco, such as cellulose acetate. Other materials of Convenient filtration include bast of polypropylene fibers or polyethylene.

The core of absorption material is advantageously wrapped with a vapor phase permeable envelope to allow the diffusion of the constituents of the vapor phase into the core but to protect the material from absorption of contact with the particulate phase of the smoke of the tobacco. A disk can be coaxially placed as a barrier in the end of the core tobacco to ensure that the core does not smoke

The inverse of this provision is also a convenient embodiment of the present invention, i.e. place a sheath of absorbing material surrounding a core Central filtration material. The core of the material of filtration may be advantageously wrapped with a wrap permeable to the vapor phase.

In a similar embodiment but again alternatively, the vapor phase absorption material may be contained within an encapsulated material forming a capsule which contains the vapor phase absorption material. The capsule It is conveniently elongated and extends coaxially along Inside element to filter. The capsule ends are impervious to the flow of tobacco smoke, particularly the particulate matter of tobacco smoke but not necessarily to the constituents of the vapor phase of tobacco smoke. The walls of the capsule are advantageously perforated along its longitudinal extension to allow the constituents of the vapor phase of the smoke diffuse inside the capsule and enter contact with the core of absorption material.

Preferably the pressure drop of the material filtration step for the flow of tobacco smoke is lower that the pressure drop of the capsule of the absorption material. To promote this objective, ventilation can be used.

Still in another alternative, the absorption material of the vapor phase may be present in the envelope of the element to filter The absorption material is therefore incorporated into the components of the filter casing during filter wrap manufacturing. Preferably the material of absorption, if it absorbs water during the manufacturing stage of the paper, releases water when the paper dries.

In all embodiments of the invention, produces the diffusion of the constituents of the vapor phase of the smoke of tobacco into the absorption material.

In order to easily understand the invention and to be able to carry it out easily, reference will now be made, by an example, to the diagrammatic drawings attached, in the what;

Figure 1 shows part of an article for smoking in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 shows a cross section of a filter element incorporated into a smoking article of according to another embodiment of the present invention,

Figure 3 shows part of an article for smoking in accordance with another aspect of the present invention,

Figure 4 shows part of an article for smoking in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention; Y

Figure 5 shows part of an article for smoking which is still another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 1 shows part of a cigarette 1 comprising a column 2 of tobacco league, such as cut tobacco leaf and a proportion of chopsticks. The league Tobacco may comprise a proportion of expanded tobacco. The filter element 3 comprises a body 4 of material of filtration of cellulose acetate fibers. The material of filtration could also be polypropylene material or fibrous polyethylene, paper or polyethylene sheet material, That can be a separate unit. The body 4 of material Fibrous filtration is wrapped by a filter wrapper 5. The body 4 of the filtration material provides a step for the flow of the smoke of the tabacco. A central portion 6 of the filter envelope 5 It is coated on the inside with a layer of adhesive and a vapor phase absorption material, in this instance material of granular coal. At the end of the material upstream of absorption, the material of the nozzle paper 7 is provided with perforations 8 that are either located in the nozzle or are extend through the nozzle and filter wrap towards inside the body 4 of the filtration material. Perforations 8 they serve to channel tobacco smoke into the center of the body 4 of the filtration material. In this way the smoke of tobacco is all substantially confined to the flow path of tobacco smoke inside the body 4 of the filtration material and does not come into contact with the phase absorption material steam.

During use, the filter element 3 serves to filter particulate matter from tobacco smoke from a column 2 on, while the phase constituents steam diffuse on the outside while smoking cigarette 1 and are absorbed by the absorption material 6. Because the smoke from the tobacco is forced towards the center of the body 4 of the material of filtration, the absorption material is not contaminated with all components of tobacco smoke and therefore it is very effective in the reduction of the constituents of the vapor phase of smoke.

In addition, due to the lack of contamination and, by Therefore, greater effectiveness of the absorption material, the material Absorption is also able to absorb phase compounds steam emanating from the odorous material that is in matter in particles of the smoked remnant, or cigarette butt, of the cigarette 1. This reduces the undesirable smell of stale smoke present in the butts of cigarettes after finishing smoking. In this way the filter element serves a dual absorption objective, absorbing the compounds both during and after smoking.

Subjective testing of cigarettes according to this invention with coal loading levels of approximately 25 mg per cigarette that had been smoked and whose butts were left in a sealed container show that, compared to control cigarettes with conventional filter elements of cellulose acetate, cigarettes in accordance with this invention show a significant reduction in smoke smell stale.

The level of decrease in compounds with Smoke smell can be measured by comparison with a cigarette butt smoked control cigarette using, for example, an Analyzer Photo Ionization DL-101 manufactured by HNU Systems Inc. The results of smoked cigarettes according to the invention by comparison with control cigarettes are given to continued in Table 1. In the experiment, the control cigarette  comprised an element for conventional filtering of fibers of cellulose acetate, 37 mm long, and a column of tobacco comprising Virginia tobacco cut from 58 mm of Length wrapped with a paper wrap with permeability of 50 UC and treated with 1% potassium citrate. The cigarette Control is what can be called a conventional cigarette.

Smoked cigarettes compared to the control cigarette had the same format as the cigarette control. It was smoked to a cigarette butt length of 36 mm in standard conditions in smoking machines according to those performs a 35 cm3 aspiration of two seconds duration each minute. Two comparative cigarettes containing Coal. The first cigarette comprised a double element conventional to filter with coal that had two sections adjacent a 17 mm section, comprising fibers of cellulose acetate and another 9 mm section, which comprised granules of carbon distributed in the cellulose acetate fiber. The second cigarette was a cigarette according to the present invention and comprised an element for complete filtration of acetate 26mm cellulose wrapped in a filter wrap that it comprised a central portion with carbon granules adhered to the inner face thereof according to Figure 1. This type of item to filter is known as Active Patch Filter (RTM).

Two cigarettes of each type were smoked and the butts of each pair of smoked cigarettes were placed in sealed plastic containers. The lid of the container was removed and the Ionization Photo Analyzer probe was quickly inserted in an amount set within each container for a while set for 5-10 seconds. The maximum reading Snapshot of the detector is recorded in Table 1.

TABLE 1

Reading maximum instantaneous detector Photo ionization (equivalent ppm of benzene) Shows one hour after smoking 20 hours after smoke Classification subjective after 20 hours* Control (acetate filter from 36.3 31.4 one cellulose ) Double filter coal / AC 43.5 36.7 two Filter of patch active 43.1 29.7 3 Patch active Ventilation 18% 31.1 17.1 4- Double coal / AC Ventilation of 40% 33.9 31.3 4- Patch active Ventilation 40% 27.2 14.6 6 * Subjective classification is such that the lower classification indicates the smell more intense.

In Table 1 it can be seen that the double filter of coal and the active carbon patch filter without ventilation they exhibit a better reduction of smoke smell after an hour. In contrast, active patch filter ventilation exhibits a marked reduction in smoke odor with 18% ventilation and an even more pronounced reduction with 40% ventilation. It can also be seen that the odorous compounds of the vapor phase They remain absorbed for 20 hours after smoking.

The double acetate filter ventilation seems provide some reduction in the smell of smoke 1 hour later but not a continuous absorption for 20 hours. In all samples there is some dissipation of the smell of smoke during the  20 hours.

Table 1 also includes the classification subjective assigned to the cigarette after 20 hours. The filter of active patch with 40% ventilation subjectively provides The best smoke odor reduction.

Conveniently the level of coal loading without ventilation in the absorption material is within the range of 15-100 mg per element to filter the cigarette. Other absorbent materials may deviate from this range but can easily be determined by experimentation and will depend, by of course, of the absorption capacity and / or specific surface of the selected absorption material.

Figure 2 shows a cross section of the filter element of a second embodiment of the concept inventive. The filter element 10 comprises a step for tobacco smoke flow 11 of fiber filtration material cellulose acetate. Unwrapped acetate can also be used. The filtration material has been, for example, molded thermally to provide grooves 12 on the surface of the filter element 10. The filtration material may be provided with a wrapper 13 permeable to the vapor phase that separates physically the filtration material of the absorption material of the vapor phase 14, located inside the grooves 12. The envelope does not It is an essential feature. The phase absorption material Steam 14 is activated carbon in the form of granules. The coal is adhered to the envelope of the filter 15 that surrounds the element for filter along its longitudinal extension. Alternatively, the carbon may be adhered to the surface of the filtration material

Tobacco smoke is forced to flow substantially only through the filtration material. The constituents of the vapor phase of smoke can diffuse externally inside the carbon granules. This distribution allows the vapor phase absorption material 14 to better absorb the vapor phases of the odorous material than found in the filter elements of the smoked cigarette.

The inverse distribution of the absorption material and the filtration material is another embodiment of the concept inventive.

Figure 3 illustrates a cigarette 31 according with the present invention comprising a league column 32 of tobacco fixed by means of a nozzle paper 37 to an element for filter 33 comprising a body 34 of a filtration material fibrous, such as cellulose acetate, and an elongated capsule 35 which contains vapor phase absorption material such as coal granular. The capsule 35 is contained in a material of encapsulated that prevents there the flow of tobacco smoke towards the inside at both ends. Along the capsule walls 35 there are perforations 36 that allow the constituents of the vapor phase diffuse to come into contact with the material of absorption. The filter element is arranged so that the tobacco smoke is forced to flow into the body 34 of the material of filtration and the particulate matter of the smoke does not contaminate the absorption material

In this embodiment, the pressure drop of the capsule and the surrounding filtration material is disposed of so that tobacco smoke is forced to flow through the passage for the tobacco smoke flow, separated from the absorption material of the steam phase

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in the Figure 4 shows a cigarette 101 that has a column 20 league of tobacco and a filter element 30 fixed by means of a paper nozzle 70. The filter element 30 comprises an annular body 40 of filtration material, such as acetate fibers of Cellulose, wrapped with a filter wrap. As a core 19 inside the body 40 there is carbon as absorption material. I know provides core 19 in a wrapper 100 that is permeable to vapor phases of tobacco smoke and therefore prevents contamination of particulate matter in tobacco smoke.

The filter element 30 is ideally distributed so that the core pressure drop 19 is greater than the fall in the pressure of the annular body 40, whereby tobacco smoke is forced to flow along the passage for the flow of tobacco smoke from the body 40. Where the falls of pressure of the various materials do not allow this to happen a barrier 21 can easily be used, possibly in addition to envelope 100, to prevent smoke from flowing along the core 19.

The embodiments of Figures 3 and 4 cannot rely solely on the distribution of the pressure drop of the core of absorption material and the body of the material of filtration in order to force tobacco smoke substantially to the passage for the flow of tobacco smoke provided by the material of filtration Tobacco smoke may be confined to the passage for the flow of tobacco smoke because matter is avoided in smoke particles physically coming into contact with the material of vapor phase absorption.

Figure 5 illustrates an element to filter 300 Conventional acetate fiber filtration material cellulose fixed to a column 200 of tobacco league fixed by a 700 nozzle paper. A 500 filter wrap incorporated there inside the vapor phase absorption material. If so desired ventilation perforations can be provided. Snuff smoke is confined to the passage for the flow provided by the material of filtration, while the constituents of vapor phase smoke they can diffuse outside the filter envelope.

In all previous embodiments, after the absorption of the constituents of the vapor phase of the smoke, the absorption material is able to absorb the vapor phases that emanate from the odorous compounds found within a butt of a smoked cigarette, thus decreasing the smell of stale smoke

In the subjective trials of smoking cigarettes from according to the described embodiments with respect to the Figures 3, 4 and 5 of the present invention with carbon charge levels of approximately 25 mg smoked compared to control cigarettes that did not contain coal, the cigarettes of the invention exhibited a notable reduction in the smell of stale tobacco smoke when opened and compared sealed containers containing cigarette butts of the control cigarette and the invention. The level of decrease in odorous smoke compounds can be measured comparing it with a butt of a smoked control cigarette using a DL-101 Ionization Photo Analyzer manufactured by HNU Systems Inc.

Conveniently the level of coal charge as absorption material is within the range of 15-100 mg per element to filter the cigarette. Other absorbent materials may deviate from this range. but it can be easily determined by experimentation and will depend, of course, the absorption capacity and / or surface specific absorption material selected.

Claims (14)

1. An article for smoking comprising a element to filter tobacco smoke and a wrapped column of tobacco league interconnected by a nozzle paper, comprising the element for filtering absorption material for absorb the constituents of the vapor phase of smoke, a step to the flow of tobacco smoke, with tobacco smoke confined substantially at said step for the flow of tobacco smoke separated from said absorption material either by providing means of ventilation to channel the smoke out of said material of absorption of the vapor phase located in grooves in the material of filtration, grooves that extend longitudinally along the surface of said element to filter, or in one or more holes arranged within said element to filter as a core, around which filtration material, material of filtration that provides a step for the flow of tobacco smoke, or providing a physical barrier to tobacco smoke in particles between said tobacco smoke and said absorption material of the vapor phase, said physical barrier being a wrapper permeable to the vapor phase, a disk as a barrier arranged coaxially at the tobacco end of a core of material vapor phase absorption, an encapsulated material that has a vapor permeable region, or a combination of a wrap permeable to the vapor phase and a disk as a distributed barrier coaxially at the tobacco end of a core of material absorption of the vapor phase, eliminating said absorption material constituents of the vapor phase of said tobacco smoke by diffusion of the constituents of the vapor phase of said tobacco smoke within said absorption material, and exhibiting said material of absorption the additional technical effect of being able to even after having finished smoking, absorbing the vapor phases that emanate from the odorous compounds found within the smoked filter element, thereby deodorizing the cigarette butt smoked from said smoking article. 2. An article for smoking in accordance with the claim 1, wherein said step for the flow of smoke from the Tobacco comprises fibrous filtration material. 3. An article for smoking in accordance with the claim 1, wherein said core of absorption material of the vapor phase is wrapped with a phase permeable envelope steam. 4. An article for smoking in accordance with the claim 1, wherein said phase absorption material steam is physically separated from said filtration material from smoke of the tabacco. 5. An article for smoking in accordance with the claim 1, wherein said phase absorption material steam is contained in an encapsulated material that is impervious to the particulate phase of tobacco smoke to form One capsule 6. An article for smoking in accordance with the claim 5, wherein said capsule coaxially extends along the length of said element to filter, being the capsule ends impervious to the particulate phase of the smoke of the tabacco. 7. An article for smoking according to a any of the preceding claims, wherein the fall pressure flow for tobacco smoke flow of material filtration is less than the pressure drop of the grooves, hole (s) or capsule containing the absorption material of the vapor phase. 8. An article for smoking according to a any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the material of Absorption is one or more among activated carbon, carbon, silica, zeolites, attapulgite clay, high surface chalk specific, magnesium hydroxide, or a synthetic material of absorption of high specific surface. 9. An article for smoking in accordance with the claim 1, wherein the smoke channeling occurs introducing air to ventilate at the end of the upward flow of said element to filter. 10. A method to deodorize cigarette butts with smoked filters, comprising the method provided in an article for smoking, an element to filter tobacco smoke and a column tobacco league wrap interconnected by a paper nozzle, said element comprising for filtering material of absorption to absorb the constituents of the vapor phase of the smoke, a step for the flow of tobacco smoke, the smoke being from tobacco confined substantially to said step for smoke flow of tobacco separated from said absorption material either supplying ventilation means to channel smoke out of said vapor phase absorption material when the material of absorption of the vapor phase is located on or in the material of filter wrap that wraps the filtration material, or providing a physical barrier for particulate smoke from tobacco between said tobacco smoke and said absorption material of the vapor phase, said physical barrier being well a wrapper permeable to the vapor phase, a disk as a distributed barrier coaxially at the tobacco end of a core of material vapor phase absorption, an encapsulation material that has a vapor permeable region, or a combination of a wrap permeable to the vapor phase and a disk as a distributed barrier coaxially at the tobacco end of a core of material absorption of the vapor phase, eliminating said absorption material constituents of the vapor phase of said tobacco smoke by diffusion of the constituents of the vapor phase of said tobacco smoke towards the interior of said absorption material.

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11. The use of a smoking article that It comprises an element to filter tobacco smoke and a column tobacco league wrap interconnected by a paper nozzle, to deodorize the smoked butt of said article for smoking, comprising the element for filtering absorption material to absorb constituents of the vapor phase of smoke, a step to tobacco smoke flow comprising filtration material fibrous, tobacco smoke being confined substantially to said step for the flow of tobacco smoke separated from said absorption material providing ventilation means for channel the smoke out of said phase absorption material steam being located said vapor phase absorption material on or in a filter wrapping material that envelops said filtration material, removing said absorption material the constituents of the vapor phase of said tobacco smoke by diffusion of the constituents of the vapor phase of said tobacco smoke towards the interior of said absorption material, and exhibiting said absorption material the additional technical effect of being able, even after having finished smoking, absorbing the phases steam emanating from the odorous compounds found inside of the element to filter smoked, thereby deodorizing the smoked cigarette butt of said article for smoking. 12. The use of an article for smoking according with claim 11, wherein the absorption material is one or more among activated carbon, carbon, silica, zeolites, clay attapulgite, high specific surface chalk, hydroxide magnesium, or a high surface synthetic absorption material specific. 13. The use of an article for smoking according with claims 10 or 11, wherein said material of absorption of the vapor phase is adhered on annular form on or in said filter wrapping material around said step to snuff smoke. 14. The use of an article for smoking according with claim 13, wherein said absorption material is adhered to filter wrap material at locations longitudinally spaced.