UA102701C2 - Filter element and a method for making thereof, a filter for a smoking article and the smoking article - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a filter element for a smoking article. The filter element comprises a plug of filter material, and a tobacco thread, wherein the tobacco thread extends substantially longitudinally through the plug of filter material. The filter element can be used in a variety of smoking articles.

Description

This invention relates to filters for smoking products.

It is well known that smoke filtration in a smoking product such as a cigarette can adversely affect the taste and aroma characteristics of the product when smoked. Filters usually contain adsorbent materials, such as activated carbon, to reduce certain components of smoke during smoking. Unfortunately, the activated carbon in the filter can significantly affect the taste/aroma characteristics of the cigarette.

From the prior art, namely from document M/O 00/08958 A, a method of manufacturing a homogeneous fibrous element containing a smoke modifying agent is known. The method includes supplying a mixture consisting of a solution of polysaccharide (for example, alginate) and a smoke modifying agent (for example, menthol) with the help of a nozzle, and bringing into contact the jet of the specified mixture coming out of the nozzle with a solution that includes multivalent cations (such as calcium ions). Thus, the mixture solidifies. In the second aspect of the invention, the fibrous element is made by passing the thread through a mixture including a solution of polysaccharide and a smoke modifying agent, so that the thread is covered with the mixture. The thread covered with the mixture is brought into contact with the solution, which includes multivalent cations, and thus the mixture solidifies on the thread. A fibrous element produced by the method according to the invention and a smoking product containing such a fibrous element are also claimed.

From document 2B 2020158 A, a filter for tobacco smoke is known, which includes a rod of filter material for tobacco smoke, which contains a smoke modifying agent concentrated in or on at least one thread or tape included in the rod itself, which extends entirely longitudinally through it. The filter may be manufactured by continuously supplying the tobacco smoke filter material, continuously condensing the improved filter material into a rod form, continuously incorporating a solid filament or tape containing the agent into the filter material during or prior to the process of condensing the material into a rod form, and continuously separating the resulting as a result of the rod into separate segments, and the thread or tape is thus included in or on the rod itself so that it passes continuously longitudinally through it. It is the smoke modifying agent that usually affects the taste and/or aroma of tobacco smoke. This invention allows you to do without the use of a modifying agent, without very long and uneconomical procedures for stopping mechanisms or duplicating the equipment required for procedures known from the prior art, as well as equipment for applying the modifying agent.

Accordingly, the first aspect of the present invention provides a filter element for a smoking product containing a filter material pad and a tobacco thread, and the tobacco thread is stretched essentially longitudinally (passes in the longitudinal direction) through the filter material pad.

The authors of the invention found that, by providing essentially elongated tobacco thread, it is possible to improve the aroma of smoke (which contains gas and aerosols) inhaled by smokers.

Preferably, the tobacco thread is stretched essentially longitudinally between the mutually opposite end surfaces of the tampon of the filter material. Preferably, the tobacco thread is drawn in a direction substantially parallel to the side surface of the filter material pad, with the side surface preferably substantially perpendicular to one or both end surfaces. Preferably, the tobacco thread is stretched inside and surrounded by the inner portion of the filter material. Preferably, the tobacco thread is stretched essentially through the center of the filter material swab.

Preferably, the tobacco thread is located in close proximity to the path of the gaseous flow as it passes through the filter element and therefore can affect various characteristics of the gaseous flow before the flow reaches the smoker's mouth. In addition, since the tobacco thread is located essentially longitudinally within the filter material pad, it does not adversely affect the direction or velocity of the gaseous flow, and thus the smoker does not experience a significant difference in drag resistance through it.

Tobacco filament may contain cut tobacco, crushed tobacco, reconstituted tobacco and/or crushed tobacco. However, the tobacco thread mainly contains tobacco fiber and/or tobacco leaf. Tobacco thread can be produced by technology known in the art. By way of example only, a slurry containing tobacco particles (eg, tobacco dust and/or tobacco stalks) and preferably a suitable binder may be prepared. The pulp can be applied to a support surface, for example, a conveyor, to thereby form a moist tobacco sheet.

The wet leaf can then be heated, for example in an oven, to dry the pulp, forming a tobacco leaf. The tobacco leaf can then be cut to produce a thread of the appropriate size.

The tobacco thread can be from about 0.2 mm to 5 mm in diameter and preferably from about 0.4 mm to 3 mm in diameter.

After manufacture, the tobacco thread may be encased in a jacket of filter material to form the filter element of the first aspect. The pad of filter material may contain any suitable filter medium known to those skilled in the art. The best filter material contains cellulose acetate. The diameter of the plug of filter material can be from about 5 to 15 mm, preferably from 6 to 12 mm, more preferably from 7 to 11 mm, and most preferably from 8 to 10 mm. The diameter of the tampon can be from 5 to 10 mm.

A better ratio of the diameter of the tampon of the filter material to the diameter of the tobacco material is from 2:1 to 25:1 and more preferably from 4:1 to 10:1.

The filter element may contain flavoring. In embodiments using a flavoring agent, it may be incorporated into a swab of filter material. However, mostly the flavoring is introduced into the tobacco thread. When the tobacco thread is formed, it can be immersed in a container with flavoring. However, mostly the flavoring is introduced into the pulp from which the tobacco thread is prepared.

Obviously, the filter element of the first aspect can be used in the manufacture of a filter for use in a smoking product.

Accordingly, a second aspect of the present invention provides a filter for a smoking product comprising a filter element according to the first aspect.

The filter according to the second aspect may contain several filter elements according to the first aspect, in which the tobacco thread is pulled through a pad of filter material. For example, a filter may comprise 2, 3, 4, 5 or more filter elements according to the first aspect, wherein adjacent filter elements may either be attached to each other, or these elements may be separated from each other by other filter elements (which are not are elements according to the first aspect).

Therefore, the filter may contain a plurality of filter elements, at least one of which is a filter element according to the first aspect of the present invention. For example, it is understood that in one embodiment, in addition to having one or more filter elements according to the first aspect (ie, containing tobacco thread), the filter according to the second aspect may also contain an adsorbent filter element containing an adsorbent material. The adsorptive filter element is designed to absorb and therefore reduce some components of smoke during smoking.

The adsorbent filter element may contain a pad of filter material in which the adsorbent material is dispersed. The filter material can be cellulose acetate. The best adsorbent material is activated carbon. Activated carbon can be in the form of granular activated carbon, which is preferably distributed essentially over the entire volume of the filter material swab. Preferably, the adsorbing filter element does not contain tobacco thread.

In another embodiment, in addition to the presence of one or more filter elements according to the first or second aspect (ie, the presence of tobacco thread), the filter according to the second aspect may also include a filter element that contains a filter material (such as cellulose acetate) and does not contain tobacco thread or adsorbent material.

The filter may contain at least two and preferably at least three filter elements, provided that at least one filter element corresponds to the first aspect. Preferably, the filter comprises a filter element according to the first aspect, an adsorptive filter element containing an adsorbent, and a filter element that does not contain an adsorbent or tobacco thread. Preferably, several filter elements are located longitudinally relative to each other with the end surface of one filter element connected to the end surface of the adjacent filter element. It is preferable that the filter elements have essentially the same diameters. It should be understood that the various filter elements can be arranged in any order in the filter, as shown in FIG. Z4.

The filter element of the first aspect or the filter of the second aspect may be incorporated into a smoking product.

Accordingly, according to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a smoking product comprising a filter element according to the first aspect or a filter according to the second aspect.

The smoking product preferably contains a section of smoking material such as tobacco.

As used herein, the term "smoking product" includes smoking products such as cigarettes, cigars or cigarillos based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, puffed tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes, as well as products that do not burn when heated.

The section of smoking material and the filter can be connected with a rimmed paper.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a filter element for a smoking product is provided, which includes providing a tobacco thread that passes through a pad of filter material, and the tobacco thread is positioned so that it passes substantially longitudinally through a pad of filter material.

The method preferably includes the step of inserting a tobacco thread essentially into the center of the filter material. The method may include the use of a guiding means to guide the tobacco thread as the tow of filter material is formed around it. The guide means may include a guide tube through which the tobacco thread is loaded. As the tobacco thread emerges from the guide, it is preferably surrounded by filter material.

All features described herein (including any dependent claims, abstract and drawings), (or) all steps of any described method or process may be combined with any of the above-mentioned aspects in any combination, by with the exception of combinations in which at least some such features and (or) stages are mutually exclusive.

For a better understanding of this invention, and to show how the variants of implementation can be implemented, further in the description by way of example, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which: in fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a smoking product containing a rod of smoking material, a filter proposed in this invention and a rim paper connecting the rod and filter together; in fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional side view of the first embodiment of the filter proposed in this invention; in fig. Z shows a side view in the cross section of the second version of the filter; and in fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional side view of the third version of the filter.

As shown in fig. 1, the smoking article 2, in the form of a cigarette, contains the filter 4 proposed in the present invention. Although in the drawings the smoking article 2 is shown in the form of a cigarette, it should be understood that it may take another form, such as cigars or cigarillos, etc., which may also contain proposed in this invention filter 4. As shown in fig. 1, the smoking article 2 comprises a substantially cylindrical paper-wrapped rod 6 of smoking material, such as tobacco, coaxially attached to the filter 4 by a wrapper paper 8 glued around one end of the rod 6 and the filter 4.

As shown in fig. 2, in the first embodiment, the filter 4 is attached to the tobacco rod 6.

In this embodiment, the filter 4 is made of a single filter element 12 approximately 27 mm long, made from a continuous pad 20 of filter material (eg cellulose acetate) with a diameter of 9 mm. The filter element 12 has first and second substantially circular end surfaces 22, 24 and a peripheral or longitudinally elongated side surface 26 substantially perpendicular to the first and second end surfaces 22, 24. As shown in FIG. 2, a thin tobacco thread 10 with a diameter of 0.8 mm passes between the two end surfaces 22, 24 through the plug of filter material 20. The tobacco thread is substantially parallel to the longitudinally elongated surface 26 and passes substantially through the central part of the plug of filter material 20, thereby forming core

The tobacco thread 10 is made from either tobacco fiber and/or tobacco leaf using technology known to those skilled in the art and using materials that can be obtained from the company I TA ipdivileves, France, or Oyii-NTI, the Netherlands. For example, a wet slurry of tobacco dust, crushed tobacco stalks, and a binder may be first manufactured and then rolled on a stainless steel conveyor to form a wet tobacco sheet. The conveyor is fed into an oven where the slurry is heated until it dries, thereby forming a strip-cast sheet of reclaimed tobacco. For example, suitable heating can be carried out at a temperature of about 70-100 "C for about 6-8 minutes.

The tobacco leaf is then cut into appropriate lengths (0.8 mm in diameter) with cutters to create filament 10, which can be fed onto a roll ready for use. Flavoring may be added to the sheet before it is formed into thread 10. Another example of making tobacco thread 10 is the tight twisting of tobacco plant fibers similar to the method used to make cotton.

The resulting thread 10 with a diameter of approximately 0.8 mm is then inserted into the center of the filter material 20.

One of the methods of introducing the tobacco thread 10 into the tampon of the filter material 20 during the manufacture of the filter element 12 is as follows. The tobacco thread 10 is pulled through the lumen of the guide tube with a diameter of approximately 1.5 mm. At the same time, fibrous filter material 20 (for example, cellulose acetate) is fed through a series of crimping rolls so that this material is straightened. A bundle of straightened filter material 20 is then formed around the filament 10 as it exits the guide tube to thereby form a continuous rod of filter material 20 surrounding the filament 10. The rod can then be cut into sections of suitable length to obtain a finished filter material. element 12, as shown in fig. 2. The length of the filter element 12 depends on the desired type of filter 4. For example, the filter 4 for a standard cigarette is approximately 27 mm in length. In the embodiment shown in fig. 2, the entire length of 27 mm of the filter 4 consists of a filter element 12, so that the thread 10 continues along the entire length. However, in fig. C and 4 show other embodiments in which the filter 4 comprises a shorter section of the filter element 12 containing the thread 10 in combination with other sections as indicated below.

As shown in fig. 3, according to the second embodiment, the filter 4 is attached to the tobacco rod 6.

The filter 4 contains a number of different separate filter elements 12, 14, 16, each of which can have a different composition of materials. In this embodiment, the filter 4 comprises three different filter elements 12, 14, 16. Each filter element 12, 14, 16 is essentially cylindrical in shape with essentially equivalent diameters. Each filter element 12, 14, 16 is wrapped with a layer of thin sheet material in the form of a wrap, known as a filter pad wrap (not shown), which can be formed from conventional paper materials. The filter element 16, which is farthest from the tobacco rod b (and which will be closest to the smoker's mouth during use) contains a generally cylindrical bundle of filter material 20, such as cellulose acetate. The filter material 20 provides a filter through which smoke can pass as the smoker draws on the cigarette. The filter element 12, located adjacent to the element 16, contains a continuous pad of filter material 20 with a tobacco thread 10 passing essentially longitudinally through it. This filter element 12 is similar to that shown in fig. 1, except that it does not continue along the entire length of the filter 4.

The third filter element 14, which is located between the filter element 12 containing the tobacco thread 10 and the tobacco rod 6, contains a pad of filter material 20 in which an adsorbent such as activated carbon 18 is dispersed. The activated carbon 18 can be in the form of granular activated carbon 18, which is distributed evenly over the entire volume of tampon 20 from cellulose acetate of the "Dalmatian" type, as is known to specialists, and as shown in fig. 3. Alternatively, the activated carbon 18 may be sprinkled on the adhesive outer surface 26 of the cellulose acetate tampon 20 or adhered to the inner surface of the tampon wrapper surrounding the cellulose acetate, or may be adhered to a cotton thread surrounded by the cellulose acetate tampon 20 (not shown). Activated carbon 18 can also be contained in a cavity surrounded by a tampon 20 of cellulose acetate. Activated carbon 18 is designed to improve the characteristics of inhaled smoke by removing toxic chemicals.

As shown in fig. 4, in the third embodiment, the filter 4 is attached to the tobacco rod 6. In this embodiment, the filter 4 contains the same three filter elements 12, 14, 16 as in the second embodiment, as mentioned above, except that the order is changed elements. As shown in fig. 4, the filter element 16, which is farthest from the tobacco rod 6, contains a filter material 20, such as cellulose acetate, as in the second embodiment. However, in the third embodiment, the filter element 12, which is located adjacent to the element 16, contains a tampon 20 of filter material in which particles of activated carbon 18 are dispersed.

Finally, the third filter element 12, located between the element 14 and the rod 6 of tobacco, contains a continuous pad of filter material 20 through which the tobacco thread 10 passes.

Accordingly, the position of the filter elements 12, 14 can be changed in the second and third embodiments.

As shown in fig. With and 4, the filter elements 12, 14, 16 are located longitudinally relative to each other with the end surface 22, 24 of each filter element 12, 14, 16 adjacent to the next. Although the three filter elements 12, 14, 16 are shown in fig. Since C and 4 are essentially the same length, it seems that they can have different lengths. For example, in fig. With and 4, the filter element 12 containing the tobacco thread 10 can be 12 mm in length, and the other elements 14, 16 can be 7.5 mm in length each, so that the total length of the filter 4 is 27 mm. In addition, apparently, filter 4 can contain only two filter elements. For example, the filter 4 may contain a filter element 12 containing tobacco thread 10 (about 15 mm long) and a filter element 16 containing only filter material 20 (about 12 mm long), in any order. Alternatively, the filter 4 may contain a filter element 12 comprising tobacco thread 10 and a filter element 14 comprising activated carbon 18 in any order.

Also, the filter 4 may contain more than three filter elements 12, 14, 16. For example, the filter 4 may contain first and second filter elements 16 consisting of cellulose acetate, a third filter element 14 containing cellulose acetate and activated carbon 18, and a fourth filter element 12 containing a longitudinally elongated tobacco thread 10, as indicated above.

It is obvious that different filter elements 12, 14, 16 can be arranged in the filter 4 in different alternative order. However, in each embodiment, at least one filter element 12 containing the tobacco thread 10 is included in the filter 4.

As shown in fig. 1, the filter 4 is located at the mouthpiece end of the smoking product 2 so that the gaseous stream containing the smoke drawn from the rod 6 of the smoking material passes through the filter 4 before entering the smoker's mouth. The tobacco thread 10 is located in one or more filter elements 12 and passes in the longitudinal direction between the end surfaces 22, 24 of the tampon of the filter material 20, as indicated in relation to fig. 2. Thus, the tobacco thread 10 is located in close proximity to the path of the gaseous flow as it passes through the filter 4 and, therefore, can affect various characteristics of the gaseous flow before the flow reaches the smoker's mouth.

The tobacco thread 10 can, for example, affect the general properties of the gaseous stream to improve the taste and aroma of the gaseous stream. In one application, the tobacco filament 10 is intended to compensate for the degree of taste and aroma characteristics of the gaseous stream that may be lost as the gaseous stream passes through the filter material 20 or activated carbon 18, which is known to affect the taste and aroma of tobacco smoke. It has been unexpectedly discovered that the arrangement of a thin tobacco thread 10 stretched longitudinally through a pad of filter material 20 improves the flavor of the smoke without compromising the characteristics of the smoke flow.

The present invention also covers other modifications and options falling within the scope of the claims. ra

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Claims (21)

1. A filter element for a smoking product comprising a pad of filter material and a tobacco thread stretched substantially longitudinally through the pad of filter material. 2. The filtering element according to point I, in which the tobacco thread is stretched essentially longitudinally between the mutually opposite end surfaces of the tampon of the filtering material. 3. The filter element according to claim 2, in which the tobacco thread is stretched in a direction substantially parallel to the lateral surface of the filter material pad, substantially perpendicular to one or both end surfaces. 4. A filter element according to any of the preceding claims, in which the tobacco thread passes through the inner portion of the filter material and is surrounded by the filter material. 5. A filter element according to any of the preceding claims, in which the tobacco thread passes substantially through the center of the pad of filter material. b. The filter element according to any of the preceding claims, in which the tobacco thread contains cut tobacco, crushed tobacco, reconstituted tobacco (or) hidden tobacco. 7. The filter element according to any of the previous items, in which the tobacco thread contains tobacco fiber and/or tobacco leaf. 8. The filter element according to any of the previous items, in which the tobacco thread is from 0.2 to 5 mm in diameter and preferably from 0.4 to 3 mm in diameter. 9. A filter element according to any of the preceding claims, in which the pad of filter material comprises cellulose acetate. 10. The filter element according to any of the previous items, in which the diameter of the plug of filter material is from 5 to 15 mm and preferably from 8 to 10 mm. 11. A filter element according to any of the previous items, containing an aroma. 12. A filter for a smoking product containing a filter element according to any one of claims 1-11. 13. A filter according to claim 12, containing several filter elements, at least one of which is a filter element according to any of claims 1-11. 14. A filter according to claim 12 or 13, containing an adsorbing filter element that includes an adsorbing material. 15. The filter according to claim 14, in which the adsorbent material is activated carbon. 16. A filter according to any one of claims 13-15, in which one of the filter elements contains exclusively the filter material, namely cellulose acetate. 17. A smoking product containing a filter element according to any of claims 1-11 or a filter according to any of claims 12-16. 18. A method of manufacturing a filter element for a smoking product, which includes providing a tobacco thread that passes through a plug of filter material, and the tobacco thread is placed so that it passes essentially longitudinally through a plug of filter material. 19. The method according to claim 18, including the stage in which the tobacco thread is introduced essentially into the central part of the filter material. 20. The method according to claim 18 or 19, which includes the use of a guide means for the direction of the tobacco thread as a tow of filter material is formed around it. 21. The method according to claim 20, in which the guide means includes a guide tube through which the thread is loaded.