CN106163303A - Cigarette holder for smoking product - Google Patents

Abstract

Rigid tubular cigarette holder (402) for smoking product can comprise the amortizing packaging material around it.These packaging material (420) can be configured to be formed with can contain the polymeric labels of labelling around several layers.Along with applying, these packaging material (420) will provide the hardness that the cigarette holder not wrapped up is lower, and it can be combined as the part of smoking product.

Description

Mouthpieces for smoking articles

technical field

The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices, such as smoking articles, and more particularly to wrapped mouthpiece configurations useful in such devices. The electrokinetic resistive heater can be configured to heat material made from or obtained from or otherwise incorporating tobacco to form an inhalable substance for human consumption.

Background technique

A number of smoking devices have been proposed over the years as improvements or alternatives to smoking products that require burning tobacco for use. It is claimed that many of these devices have been designed to provide the sensations associated with smoking a cigarette, cigar or pipe without delivering the appreciable amounts of incomplete combustion and pyrolysis products caused by the combustion of tobacco. To this end, a number of smoking products, flavor generators, and medical inhalers have been proposed that utilize electrical energy to vaporize or heat volatile materials, or attempt to provide the sensation of smoking a cigarette, cigar, or pipe without largely burning the tobacco. See, eg, U.S. Patent No. 7,726,320 to Robinson et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013-0255702, U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/536,438, filed June 28, 2012 by Sebastian et al., Collett Various smoking cigarettes described in the background of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/602,871 filed September 4, 2012 and Sears et al. Alternative articles, aerosol delivery devices and heat generating sources.

Certain tobacco products that use electrical energy to generate heat for smoke or aerosol formation are commercially available around the world, in particular certain products that have become known as e-cigarette products. Products representative of properties similar to many traditional types of cigarettes, cigars or pipes have been marketed under the following brands: Philip Morris Incorporated's ALPHA ^™ , JOYE 510 ^™ and M4 ^™ from InnoVapor LLC; CIRRUS ^™ and FLING ^™ from White Cloud Cigarettes; COHITA ^TM , COLIBRI ^TM , ELITE CLASSIC ^TM , MAGNUM ^TM , PHANTOM ^TM and SENSE ^TM of International Inc.; DUOPRO ^TM , STORM ^TM and STORM TM of Electronic Cigarettes, Inc. EGAR ^™ from Egar Australia; eGo-C ^™ and eGo-T ^™ from Joyetech; ELUSION ^™ from Elusion UK Ltd; GREEN by Green Smoke Inc. USA GREENARETTE ^™ by Greenarette LLC; Smoke HALLIGAN ^TM , HENDU ^TM , JET ^TM , MAXXQ ^TM , PINK ^TM and PITBULL ^TM ; HEATBAR ^TM of Philip Morris International, Inc.; HYDRO IMPERIAL ^TM and LXE ^TM of Crown7; LOGIC ^TM and THE CUBAN ^TM of LOGIC Technology; Luciano Smokes Inc. .of Nicotek, LLC Sottera, Inc. and ONEJOY ^TM ; NO.7 ^TM of SSChoice LLC; PREMIUM ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE ^TM of PremiumEstore LLC; RAPP E-MYSTICK ^TM of RuyanAmerica, Inc.; RED DRAGON ^TM of Red Dragon Products, LLC; SMART by The Smart Smoking Electronic Cigarette Company Ltd. SMOKE by Coastline Products LLC SMOKING by Smoking Everywhere, Inc. V2CIGS ^™ from VMR Products LLC; VAPOR NINE ^™ from VaporNine LLC; VEPPO ^TM of E-CigaretteDirect, LLC and RJ Reynolds Vapor Company However, other electrically driven aerosol delivery devices, and more specifically those characterized by so-called electronic cigarettes, are sold under the trademarks BLU ^™ , COOLER VISIONS ^™ , DIRECT E-CIG ^™ , DRAGONFLY ^™ , EMIST ^™ , EVERSMOKE ^™ , HYBRID FLAME ^TM , KNIGHT STICKS ^TM , ROYAL BLUES ^TM , and SOUTH BEACH ^SMOKETM .

It would be desirable to provide a smoking article that utilizes the heat generated by electrical energy to provide the sensation of smoking a cigar, cigarette or pipe, but without burning the tobacco to a significant extent, without the need for a combustion heat source, and without necessarily delivering a large amount of incomplete combustion and/or Pyrolysis products. Furthermore, it may be desirable for such smoking articles to include a comfortable mouthpiece that is similar in mouthpiece and/or sensory profile to existing smoking articles such as, for example, cigars, cigarettes or pipes. In other aspects, it may be desirable to provide a smoking article with a mouthpiece that provides a solid rigid body surrounded by a wrapping material that provides a comfortable sensory experience for the user during contact with the user's mouth (e.g., lips, teeth and/or tongue). Experience and also provide a visible display of indicia such as product identification, advertising, labels, or other visual indicia. It may further be desirable to provide a rigid smoking article comprising a mouthpiece that provides a comfortable mouth feel to the smoker characterized by a "bite" or "bite feel", wherein the mouthpiece can effectively present information about the smoking article.

Contents of the invention

The present disclosure relates to wrappers and other configurations for mouthpiece assemblies or portions of smoking articles or other aerosol delivery devices configured to generate an aerosol. In certain embodiments, the rigid tube body may form part of a mouthpiece for a smoking article, with a tipping cap around the outer perimeter along the length of the mouthpiece, wherein the tipping cap comprises a tube selected from a seamless tube , a polymer label in the form of a slotted tube, an overmold, or any combination thereof, which overlaps the tipping wrap. In certain embodiments, the rigid tube body may form part of a mouthpiece for a smoking article, with said tipping wrap around the outer perimeter along the length of the mouthpiece, to form a more flexible tube body than said rigid tube. and/or less resistant to permanent indentation of at least one double layer.

Description of drawings

Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an aerosol delivery device including a control body and a cartridge containing an atomizer, according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figures 2A-2C show a side view and a perspective view, respectively, of a smoking article, and a side view of a mouthpiece of said smoking article;

Figures 3A and 3B show a perspective view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of a mouthpiece portion;

Figure 4A shows a tubular body shell;

Figure 4B shows a helically wound/angled tipping wrap wrapped around the tubular body shell of Figure 4A;

Figure 4C shows the tipping cap embodied as a label wrapped around the tubular body shell and angled tipping wrap of Figures 4A-4B;

Figures 5A-5E illustrate the steps of assembling a labeled mouth-end tipping material on a smoking article tube;

6-9 show diagrammatic views of tipping caps which may have one or more layers.

detailed description

Embodiments are described below with reference to the drawings. The relationship and function of the various elements of the embodiments may be better understood with reference to the following detailed description. However, the embodiments are not limited by those illustrated in the drawings. It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale and that in some instances details not necessary for an understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein may be omitted, such as - for example - conventional manufacturing and assembly. The term "smoking article" is used herein by convention, although many embodiments may not actually burn tobacco or generate any combustion-based aerosols (in smoke or otherwise); instead, the terms "smoking" and/or "vaporization ( "vaping)" is used to refer to the inhalation of an aerosol into the user's mouth in order to experience the flavor and other sensations associated with the components of the aerosol.

The present invention is defined by the claims, may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will enable the practice of the present invention. The disclosure fully conveys to those skilled in the art. As used in this specification and the claims, the singular forms "a, an, a (a/an)," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. References to "percentage by dry weight" or "dry weight basis" refer to weight based on dry ingredients (ie, all ingredients except water).

The present disclosure provides descriptions of mechanisms, components, features, and methods configured to dynamically change visual features in response to feedback. While the mechanisms are generally described herein in terms of embodiments related to aerosol delivery devices, such as so-called "electronic cigarettes," it is to be understood that the mechanisms, components, features and methods can be embodied in many different forms and associated with various articles of manufacture . For example, the description provided herein may be used in conjunction with embodiments of conventional smoking articles, heat-not-burn cigarettes, and associated packaging of any of the articles disclosed herein. Accordingly, it should be understood that descriptions of mechanisms, assemblies, features, and methods configured to provide illustrations disclosed herein are by way of example only, discussed in terms of implementations involving aerosol delivery mechanisms, and may be used in various other product Embodied and used in methods.

In this regard, this disclosure provides a description of an aerosol delivery device that uses electrical energy to heat a material (preferably without combusting the material to any significant extent) to form an inhalable substance; the article is most preferably sufficiently compact to be considered a " Handheld" device. The aerosol delivery device can provide some or all of the sensations of smoking a cigarette, cigar, or pipe (e.g., inhalation and exhalation routines, type of taste or flavor, sensory effects, bodily sensations, usage routines, such as those provided by visible aerosols) visual cues, etc.) without any significant degree of combustion of any component of the article or device. The aerosol delivery device may not produce smoke in the sense of an aerosol from the by-products of combustion or thermal decomposition of tobacco, but instead the article or device may produce smoke from the volatilization or vaporization of certain components of the article or device The resulting vapor (comprising intra-aerosol vapor that may be considered a visible aerosol that may be described as smoke-like). In highly preferred embodiments, the aerosol delivery device may incorporate tobacco and/or components derived from tobacco.

The aerosol delivery devices of the present disclosure may also be characterized as generating vapor or drug delivery articles. Accordingly, the article or device may be adapted to provide one or more substances (eg, flavors and/or pharmaceutically active ingredients) in an inhalable form or state. For example, an inhalable substance may be substantially in vapor form (ie, a substance that is in a gaseous state at a temperature below its critical point). Alternatively, the inhalable substance may be in aerosol form (ie, fine solid particles or liquid droplets suspended in a gas). For simplicity, the term "aerosol" as used herein is intended to include vapors, gases and aerosols, whether visible or not, and whether in a form that can be considered smoke-like, in a form or type suitable for human inhalation.

In use, the aerosol delivery devices of the present disclosure can undergo many of the body movements that an individual employs while using a traditional type smoking article such as a cigarette, cigar or pipe that is used by lighting and inhaling tobacco. For example, a user of an aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure may grip the article like a conventional smoking article, draw on an end of the article to inhale an aerosol generated by the article, exhale at selected time intervals, and the like.

The aerosol delivery devices of the present disclosure generally include several components provided within an outer body or shell. The overall design of the outer body or shell can vary, and the layout or configuration of the outer body, which can define the overall size and shape of the aerosol delivery device, can vary. Typically, the elongated body, shaped like a cigarette or cigar, can be formed from a single unitary shell; alternatively, the elongated body can be formed from two or more separable pieces. For example, an aerosol delivery device may comprise an elongated shell or body, which may be substantially tubular in shape and as such resembles the shape of a traditional cigarette or cigar. In one embodiment, all components of the aerosol delivery device are contained within one outer body or housing. Alternatively, the aerosol delivery device may comprise two or more shells that are connected and detachable. For example, an aerosol delivery device may have a control body at one end comprising an outer body or and having at the other end an outer body or shell removably attached thereto containing a disposable component (eg, a disposable flavored cartridge). More specific arrangements, configurations and arrangements of components within a single shell unit or within multiple separable shell units will be apparent from the further disclosure provided herein. Additionally, various aerosol delivery device designs and component arrangements can be understood in consideration of representative products of commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices such as those listed in the Background of the Disclosure.

The aerosol delivery device of the present disclosure most preferably comprises a combination of: a power source (i.e., a source of electrical power), at least one control component (e.g., for actuating, controlling, devices for regulating and terminating electrical power for heat generation,), heaters or heat generating components (e.g., resistive heating elements or components commonly called "atomizers"), and aerosol precursor compositions (e.g., typically Liquids that generate aerosols upon application of sufficient heat, such as ingredients commonly referred to as "smoke juice," "e-liquid," and "e-juice"), and a mouth-end that permits suction of the aerosol delivery device for aerosol inhalation A region or end (eg, a defined airflow path through an article such that generated aerosols can be drawn therefrom upon suction). Exemplary formulations of aerosol precursor materials that may be used in accordance with the present disclosure are described in Zheng et al., US Patent Publication No. 2013/0008457, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The alignment of components within the aerosol delivery device may vary. In particular embodiments, the aerosol precursor composition may be located near one end of the device (e.g., within a cartridge, which in some cases may be replaceable or disposable), which end may be adjacent to the user mouth to maximize aerosol delivery to the user. However, other configurations are not excluded. Typically, the heating element can be located in sufficient proximity to the aerosol precursor composition such that heat from the heating element can volatilize the aerosol precursor (and can similarly be provided to the user to deliver one or more flavorants, medicaments, etc.) And form an aerosol that is delivered to the user. When the heating element heats the aerosol precursor composition, an aerosol is formed, released, or produced in a physical form suitable for inhalation by a consumer. It should be noted that the above terms are intended to be interchangeable such that reference to release, releasing, releases, released includes form, forming, forms, formed or generate, generating, generates, generated. Specifically, the inhalable substance is delivered in the form of a vapor or an aerosol or a mixture thereof. Additionally, selection of various aerosol delivery device components can be based upon consideration of commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices, such as those representative products listed in the Background section of this disclosure.

The aerosol delivery device incorporates a battery or other power source to provide sufficient electrical current to provide various functions to the article, such as resistive heating, power to a control system, power to an indicator, and the like. The power supply can implement various implementations. Preferably, the power source is capable of delivering sufficient power to rapidly heat the heating unit to provide aerosol formation and, in use, to power the article for the desired duration. The power supply is preferably sized to fit conveniently within the aerosol delivery device so that the aerosol delivery device can be easily handled; and furthermore, the preferred power supply is sufficiently light in weight without detracting from the desired smoking experience.

An example embodiment of an aerosol delivery device 100 is provided in FIG. 1 . As seen in the cross-section illustrated herein, the aerosol delivery device 100 may include a control body 102 and a cartridge 104, which may be permanently or removably aligned in a functional relationship. Although a threaded engagement is illustrated in FIG. 1 , it should be understood that alternative engagement means may be employed, such as press-fit engagement, interference engagement, magnetic engagement, and the like.

In particular embodiments, one or both of the control body 102 and the cartridge 104 may be considered disposable or reusable. For example, the control body may have a replaceable battery or a rechargeable battery, and thus may be integrated with any type of recharging technique, including connection to a typical electrical outlet, connection to an on-board charger (i.e., a cigarette lighter socket), and such as through a universal A serial bus (USB) cable connects to the computer. For example, an adapter including a USB connector at one end and a control body connector at the opposite end is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/840,264, filed March 15, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety middle. Further, in some embodiments, the cartridge may comprise a single-use cartridge as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/603,612, filed September 5, 2012, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety In this article.

In an example embodiment, the control body 102 includes a control assembly 106 , a flow sensor 108 , and a battery 110 , which are variably alignable, and can include a plurality of indicators 112 at a distal end 114 of an outer body 116 . Indicators 112 may be provided in different numbers and may take on different shapes, and may even be openings in the body (such as for releasing a sound when such indicators are present).

An air inlet 118 may be located in the outer body 116 of the control body 102 . A coupler 120 is also included at the proximal attachment end 122 of the control body 102 and can extend into the control body protrusion 124 to allow easy integration with, for example, a resistive heating element (described below) when the cartridge 104 is attached to the control body. ) of the atomizer or its components are electrically connected. Although the air inlet 118 is shown as being provided in the outer body 116, in another embodiment, the air inlet may be provided in the coupler, as in, for example, U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/841,233 filed March 15, 2013 described in.

The cartridge 104 includes an outer body 126 having a mouth opening 128 at its mouth end 130 to allow air and entrained vapor (i.e., vapor in inhalable form) to be drawn from the cartridge during inhalation of the aerosol delivery device 100. components of the sol precursor composition) to the consumer. The aerosol delivery device 100 may, in some embodiments, be substantially rod-shaped or substantially tubular or substantially cylindrical.

The cartridge 104 further includes an atomizer 132 comprising a resistive heating element 134 (eg, a coil) configured to generate heat and a liquid delivery element 136 (eg, a wick) configured to deliver liquid. Various embodiments of materials configured to generate heat when an electric current is applied therethrough may be employed to form resistive heating element 134 . Example materials from which coils can be formed include chromium aluminum cobalt steel (FeCrAl), nickel chromium alloy (Nichrome), molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2), molybdenum silicide (MoSi), molybdenum disilicide _doped with aluminum (Mo( Si,Al) ₂ ) and ceramics (eg positive temperature coefficient ceramics). Following the above, representative heating elements and materials for use therein are described in the following patents: U.S. Patent No. 5,060,671 to Counts et al; U.S. Patent No. 5,093,894 to Deevi et al; U.S. Patent No. 5,224,498 to Deevi et al; Sprinkel Jr. , U.S. Patent No. 5,228,460 to Deevi et al.; U.S. Patent No. 5,322,075 to Deevi et al.; U.S. Patent No. 5,353,813 to Deevi et al.; U.S. Patent No. 5,468,936 to Deevi et al.; U.S. Patent No. 5,498,855 to Deevi et al.; U.S. Patent No. 5,530,225 to Hajaligol; U.S. Patent No. 5,665,262 to Hajaligol; U.S. Patent No. 5,573,692 to Das et al; The contents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Conductive heater terminals 138 (e.g., positive and negative terminals) at opposite ends of the heating element 134 are configured to conduct electrical current through the heating element and are configured to attach to appropriate wires or circuits (not shown) for connection to the cartridge 104. Controlling the main body 102 forms the electrical connection of the heating element to the battery 110 . Specifically, the plug 140 may be located at the distal attachment end 142 of the cartridge 104 . When the cartridge 104 is connected to the control body 102 , the plug 140 engages the coupler 120 to form an electrical connection such that electrical current controllably flows from the battery 110 , through the coupler and plug, and to the heating element 134 . The outer body 126 of the cartridge 104 may continue across the distal attachment end 142 such that the end of the cartridge is substantially closed by a plug 140 protruding therefrom.

The reservoir can utilize a liquid delivery element to deliver the aerosol precursor composition to the nebulization zone. One such example is shown in FIG. 1 . As seen therein, in this embodiment, the cartridge 104 includes a reservoir layer 144 comprising a layer of non-woven fibers formed in the shape of a tube surrounding the interior of the outer body 126 of the cartridge. The aerosol precursor composition is retained in reservoir layer 144 . For example, liquid components may be adsorptively held by reservoir layer 144 . The reservoir layer 144 is in fluid communication with the fluid transport element 136 . The liquid delivery element 136 delivers the aerosol precursor composition stored in the reservoir layer 144 to the atomization zone 146 of the cartridge 104 via capillary action. As illustrated, in this embodiment the liquid delivery element 136 is in direct contact with the heating element 134 in the form of a metal coil.

It should be understood that aerosol delivery devices that may be manufactured in accordance with the present disclosure may encompass various combinations of components used to form an electronic aerosol delivery device. See, for example, the reservoir and heater system for the controlled delivery of multiple aerosolizable materials in electronic smoking articles disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/536,438, filed June 28, 2012, by This reference is incorporated herein in its entirety. Additionally, US Patent Application Serial No. 13/602,871, filed September 4, 2012, discloses an electronic smoking article that includes a micro heater and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In another embodiment, substantially the entire cartridge may be formed from one or more carbon materials, which may provide advantages with respect to biodegradability and absence of wires. In this regard, the heating element may comprise carbon foam, the reservoir may comprise carbonized fibers, and graphite may be employed to form electrical connections to the battery and controller. In some embodiments, such a soot cartridge may be combined with one or more of the elements described herein to provide an illustration of a cartridge. Example implementations of carbon-based cartridges are provided in US Patent Application Serial No. 13/432,406, filed March 28, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In use, when the article 100 is inhaled by a user, the heating element 134 is activated (eg, such as via a puff sensor), and components of the aerosol precursor composition are vaporized in the nebulization zone 146 . Smoking the mouth end 130 of the article 100 causes ambient air to enter the air inlet 118 and pass through the central opening in the coupler 120 and the central opening in the plug 140 . In the cartridge 104, the drawn air passes through the air channel 148 in the air channel tube 150 and combines with the vapor formed in the atomization zone 146 to form an aerosol. The aerosol is whisked from the nebulization zone 146 , passes through the air channel 152 in the air channel tube 154 , and exits the mouth opening 128 in the mouth end 130 of the article 100 .

Various components of an aerosol delivery device according to the present disclosure may be selected from those described in the art and commercially available. Examples of batteries that may be used in accordance with the present disclosure are described in US Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0028766, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

An exemplary mechanism that may provide suction actuation capability includes a silicon sensor manufactured by Honeywell, Inc., MicroSwitch Division of Freeport, Ill, Model No. 163PC01D36. A further example of a demand-operated electrical switch that may be employed in a heating circuit according to the present disclosure is described in US Patent No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Further descriptions of current regulating circuits and other control components including microcontrollers useful in the present aerosol delivery device are provided in: Brooks et al., U.S. Patent Nos. 4,922,901, 4,947,874, and 4,947,875; US Patent No. 5,372,148 to Fleischhauer et al; US Patent No. 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al; and US Patent No. 7,040,314 to Nguyen et al, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Aerosol precursors, which may also be referred to as aerosol precursor compositions or vapor precursor compositions, may include one or more different components. For example, an aerosol precursor may comprise a polyol (eg, glycerin, propylene glycol, or mixtures thereof). Further representative types of aerosol precursor compositions are set forth in U.S. Patent No. 4,793,365 to Sensabaugh, Jr et al; U.S. Patent No. 5,101,839 to Jakob et al; PCT WO 98/57556 to Biggs et al; and Chemical and Biological Studies on New Cigarette Prototypes that Heat Instead of Burn Tobacco, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Monograph (1988); the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Further components may be utilized in the aerosol delivery devices of the present disclosure. For example, U.S. Patent No. 5,261,424 to Sprinkel, Jr. discloses a piezoelectric sensor that can be associated with the mouth end of the device to detect movement of the user's lips associated with taking a puff and then trigger heating; McCafferty U.S. Patent No. 5,372,148 to Harris et al. discloses a puff sensor for controlling the flow of energy into an array of heating loads in response to a pressure drop across a mouthpiece; U.S. Patent No. 5,967,148 to Harris et al. discloses smoking article A receptacle in a receptacle comprising: an identifier for detecting non-uniformity in the infrared transmittance of an inserted component, and a controller for performing a detection procedure when the component is inserted into the receptacle; US Patent No. 6,040,560 to Fleischhauer et al. describes A defined executable power cycle with multiple differential phases; U.S. Patent No. 5,934,289 to Watkins et al. discloses photonic optoelectronic components; U.S. Patent No. 5,954,979 to Counts et al. U.S. Patent No. 6,803,545 to Blake et al. discloses specific battery configurations for use in smoking articles; U.S. Patent No. 7,293,565 to Griffen et al. discloses various charging systems for use with smoking devices; U.S. Patent No. to Fernando et al. No. 8,402,976 discloses a computer interface device for smoking devices to facilitate charging and allow computer control of the device; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0163063 by Fernando et al. discloses an identification system for smoking devices; and WO2010 by Flick /003480 discloses a fluid flow sensing system indicating aspiration in an aerosol generating system; all of the above disclosures are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Further examples of components related to electronic aerosol delivery articles and disclosed materials or components that may be used in the present articles include the following documents: U.S. Patent No. 4,735,217 to Gerth et al; U.S. Patent No. 5,249,586 to Morgan et al; U.S. Patent No. Patent No. 5,666,977; U.S. Patent No. 6,053,176 to Adams et al; U.S. Patent No. 6,164,287 to White; U.S. Patent No. 6,196,218 to Voges; U.S. Patent No. 6,810,883 to Felter et al; Patent No. 7,832,410; U.S. Patent No. 7,513,253 to Kobayashi; U.S. Patent No. 7,896,006 to Hamano; U.S. Patent No. 6,772,756 to Shayan; U.S. Patent Nos. 8,156,944 and 8,375,957 to Hon; /0196518 and 2009/0188490; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009,0272379 to Thorens et al; U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2009/0260641 and 2009/0260642 to Monsees et al; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008 to Oglesby et al /0149118 and 2010/0024834; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0307518 to Wang; WO 2010/091593 to Hon; and U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/841,233 filed March 15, 2013, above Each of the documents is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The various materials disclosed by the above documents can be incorporated into the present device in various embodiments, and all of the above disclosures are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

In rigid body smoking articles, and more particularly in electronic cigarettes, it is desirable to provide a "mouth feel" or "bite feel" that the user will find comfortable. Of course, this can vary based on the user, but while it is understood that many users prefer to allow the smoking article to be held between their lips and/or between their teeth, but do not include a configuration in which the teeth are in direct contact with a rigid metal or ceramic surface . Certain plastics or other polymers are used to construct mouthpieces in some smoking articles. Preferred embodiments described herein may comprise a metal and/or ceramic construction of a rigid tubular body that houses components for aerosol delivery (where components may include electronic circuitry, heating elements, feedback devices, and other components). Specifically, embodiments described herein may include embodiments of the Vuse ^™ digital electronic cigarette (RJ Reynolds Vapor Company) and/or smoking articles and/or components of smoking articles described in one or more of the following documents: Brooks et al. US Patent No. 4,922,901, Morgan et al. US Patent No. 5,249,586, Counts et al. US Patent No. 5,388,594, Higgins et al. US Patent No. 5,666,977, Voges US Patent No. 6,196,218, Felter et al. US Patent No. 6,854,461 by Hon, US Patent No. 7,832,410 by Hon, US Patent No. 7,513,253 by Kobayashi, US Patent No. 7,726,320 by Robinson et al., US Patent No. 7,896,006 by Hamano, US Patent No. 6,772,756 by Shayan, Robinson et al. U.S. Patent No. 8,079,371 by Hon, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0095311 by Hon, U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2006/0196518, 2009/0126745, and 2009/0188490 by Hon, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. by Thorens et al. U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2009/0272379, Monsees et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2009/0260642, Oglesby et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2008/0149118 and 2010/0024834, U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. Wang 2010/0307518, and WO 2010/091593 by Hon; U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/432,406 filed March 28, 2012, U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/536,438 filed June 28, 2012, U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/602,871, filed September 4, 2012, U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/647,000, filed October 8, 2012, and U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/827,994, each of which is incorporated herein by reference, including all features, embodiments, and implementations therein that can be combined with each other and with aspects of the disclosure in a manner that those skilled in the art will understand with reference to the disclosure Way.

The tipping material in a typical cigarette, and in segmented smoking articles that use a combustible fuel element to heat rather than burn a smokable material such as tobacco, usually comprises a paper material that covers a filter material (which may be surrounded by a wrapping paper material) to form a theme The mouth end of a smoking article. Examples of tipping materials are described in U.S. Patent No. 7,789,089 to Dube et al., and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0215167 to Crooks et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0108081 to Joyce et al., to Norman et al. US Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0108084, and US Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0167849 to Ademe et al., each of which is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Patent No. 5,469,871 to Barnes et al., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010/0186757 to Crooks et al., and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2012/0067360 to Conner et al. Representative technologies for smoking articles.

One embodiment of a smoking article 500 may comprise a tipping covered mouthpiece 502 (eg, may appear as a cartridge or control body as described above with respect to Figure 1 ). The smoking article is described with reference to Figures 2A-2C, showing side and perspective views of a smoking article 500, and a side view of a mouthpiece 502, respectively. The smoking article 500 comprises a shell 513, shown as a rigid tubular body made of stainless steel. Shell 513 may have a non-circular/cylindrical profile and/or may contain another metal, ceramic or other rigid material. The remote indicator 512 may provide a visual indication (eg, via a brightness, color change, or other indication) of device activity and/or status (eg, battery life, inhalation activity, or otherwise). Its internal components and functions may comprise those of aerosol generating smoking devices known in the art and/or may specifically comprise the components and/or functions disclosed in the embodiment of Figure 1 above, or other devices referenced herein, which All features, examples and implementations thereof are contemplated to be combinable with each other and with aspects of the disclosure in a manner that those skilled in the art will understand from the disclosure.

Smoking articles may incorporate tobacco within an electrically powered, aerosol generating device. At least one form of tobacco may be placed at one or more specific locations within the smoking article. In addition to tobacco, aerosol-forming materials may be employed. The smoker may use mouthpiece 502 to inhale components of tobacco produced by the heating action of components of the smoking article. A representative smoking article comprises a power source (e.g., a battery), a control mechanism containing sensors that selectively activate certain components of the device (e.g., a resistive heating element) at least during puffing, and at least one heating device (e.g., a resistive heating element). element) for forming a thermogenerated aerosol that binds tobacco components. During use, a cartridge containing some form of tobacco is placed within or attached to a smoking article, and after use, the spent cartridge dissolvable device is removed. Another pod can be in place for further use if desired.

As shown in Figures 2A-2C (although not clearly visible in all views), the mouthpiece 502 also includes a shell 503, shown as a rigid tubular body made of stainless steel. Mouthpiece shell 503 is shown as a rigid tube that may have a non-circular/cylindrical profile and/or may comprise another metal, ceramic or other rigid material. The larger peripheral mouth end region of the tubular shell 503 contains tipping caps 504 arranged transversely around its circumference to form at least one double layer. The smaller perimeter region 508 of the tubular shell 503 is configured to engage a distal end 510 of the smoking article (eg, the distal portion may be configured as a cartridge or control body). In the illustrated embodiment, the mouthpiece 502 is configured for disposal (or recycling), while the distal portion 510 is configured for continuous/multiple use with a series of mouthpieces 502, where each mouthpiece may have the same, similar, or different flavor and/or other sensory schemes associated with use. Each of the embodiments described below with respect to Figures 3A-5E may have a similar or identical appearance to that shown in Figures 2A-2C.

Figures 3A-3B illustrate one embodiment of a dual wrap mouthpiece 202 for a smoking article. The mouthpiece 202 may be incorporated as part of any smoking article described herein (including those items incorporated by reference for their technical considerations).

Figure 3A shows a diagrammatic/simplified perspective view of the mouth end of the mouthpiece 202, and Figure 3B shows a cross-sectional view along line 3B-3B of Figure 3A. The innermost component shown is the metal tubular body shell 203 . The shell 203 is surrounded by a double layer tip wrap 220 . The inner/lower layer 222 is a cushioning layer that will provide many users with a comfortable bite/mouth feel by providing a resilient layer between the user's tongue and/or teeth and the rigid shell 203 . The inner/lower layer may comprise one of foam tape (e.g., 3M Scotch ^™ Permanent Mounting Foam Tape (Cat #110)), rayon mesh fleece, cigarette filter tow, cigarette wrap, and/or acetate nonwoven web or more, which are adhered or fixed around the outer circumference of the shell and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shell in a manner to form a band therearound. For example, the longitudinal joints/edges may be formed as butt joints (preferably slightly mitered to account for the curvature of the underlying tube, some overlap may be provided), or in another joint configuration. In general, the inner layer of this and other embodiments may comprise fleece, filter paper, plug paper, acetate nonwoven web, polymer film, polymer foam, or any combination thereof.

The upper/outer layer 224 of the dual layer tip wrap 220 is provided in the form of an adhesive label or sleeve 224 . In many embodiments, the inner/lower layer 222 has a first thickness that is greater than a second thickness of the upper/outer layer 224 . In the illustrated and other embodiments, the upper/outer layer 224 may contain indicia (letters/text, images, colors, textures, or other indicia) identifying properties of the mouthpiece 202 and/or the smoking article incorporating the mouthpiece. Exemplary indicia can convey flavor, product source identification (eg, brand, trademark, etc.), and/or other information, and/or it can provide aesthetic appeal. Label 224 may be an adhesive label with paper and/or polymer construction. For example, its construction may be the same or similar to filter paper or wrapping paper used in conventional cigarettes. In general, the outer layer of this and other embodiments may comprise fleece, filter paper, plugged paper, acetate nonwoven web, polymer film, polymer foam, or any combination thereof.

Softness, "mouthfeel", or other characteristics of how a user will experience and interact with the mouth end and/or mouthpiece of the smoking article can be described in different ways. In particular, it may be useful to consider explaining or describing this quantitative aspect in light of the present disclosure's focus on providing the desired sensory interaction when the body of the smoking article is generally rigid. In some embodiments, the following actual and constructed test examples are included, and the characteristics are described with reference to a durometer, a hardness known to measure the resistance of a material or structure to permanent indentation on the "Shore M" hardness scale s method. In each embodiment, whether single-wrapped, double-wrapped, and/or multi-layered, with or without outer wrapping material (e.g., printable or pre-printed polymers), the mouth end portion wraps around a larger Flexibility and/or less resistance to permanent indentation.

Another means of characterizing one or more polymeric labels, wrap-around coatings, or any combination thereof applied to a smoking article is Young's Modulus, which describes the modulus of elasticity, sometimes A common measure known as the modulus of elasticity. It is a measure of the stiffness of an elastic material and provides a quantitative means of characterizing the material. Defined as the ratio of the stress along an axis to the strain along that axis in the stress range where Hooke's law holds. Its SI unit is Pascal (Pa or N/m ² or m ^-1 ·kg·s ^-2 ). Practical units used are megapascal (MPa or N/mm ² ) or gigapascal (GPa or kN/mm ² ). In anisotropic materials, the Young's modulus can have different values depending on the direction of the force acting on the structure of the material. Young's modulus E can be calculated by dividing the tensile stress by the tensile strain in the elastic (initial, linear) part of the stress-strain curve, applying the standard formula.

A selection of different polymeric materials with a range of "softness" characteristics can be used for the mouthpiece cushioning rigid body. At least three types of polymers can be used alone, in mixed formulations, and/or as multilayer composite structures. The "softness" of a composite label can vary depending on the choice of material, choice of film processing conditions (ie, orientation treatment and layer structure). The range of moduli will fall into these three general categories:

In one working example, 3M Scotch ^™ Permanent Mounting Foam Tape (Cat # 110, obtained from 3M Co., St. Paul, Minn., September 2013) forms the inner/lower layer and is wound/adhered laterally to the A stainless steel tube for a mouthpiece of a smoking article, and a pre-printed polymer wrap label adhered around its outer surface to form an upper/outer layer. This example of a foam tape is about 1.5 mm thick by 13 mm wide, comprising a foam layer with adhesive on both sides separated by a release liner. When winding a 9.2 mm diameter stainless steel tube at the mouth end of an electronic cigarette, the cigarette mouthpiece produced when including a peel-printed polymer wrap label comprises an outer diameter of about 12.7 mm and has a durometer reading of about 90 durometer, and when the label is removed has About 47 hardness. Those skilled in the art will understand that in other embodiments, these dimensions will be in order to maintain an underlying tube body having an uncovered hardness of about 100 (if the tube is sufficiently thin walled to bend, it can read from about 98 to about 100) specifications vary.

In another working example, a Southeast Non-Woven HNB3 substrate (nonwoven acetate web approximately 1.7 mm thick by approximately 25 mm wide) was hand cut to 29 mm in length. This forms the inner/lower layer and is wound/adhered transversely to the stainless steel tube making up the mouthpiece for the smoking article, with wraps forming butt joints at its ends, and on which is placed the outermost pre-printed polymer wrapper layer To form the final mouthpiece structure. When a 9.2 mm diameter stainless steel tube was wound with the printed polymer wrap label applied to the web, the resulting cigarette mouthpiece exhibited a diameter of 11.2 mm and had a hardness reading of approximately 90 Shore M. In another embodiment, Schweitzer-Mauduit 240M9S wrapping paper (commercially available September 2013) is adhered around its outer surface to form the upper/outer layer instead of the polymer wrap.

In another working example, a rayon mesh fleece fabric (e.g. SDH27 from BFF Technical Fabrics in Bridgewater, Somerset, GB, Z8713 from Hoftex Group AG in Hof, Germany) is cut substantially equal to a stainless steel cigarette holder tubular shell The length of the outer perimeter. The fleece forms the inner/lower layer and is wrapped/adhered transversely to the stainless steel tube constituting the mouthpiece for the smoking article and is adhered around its outer surface to form the upper/outer layer with a pre-printed polymer wrap label. When a 9.2 mm diameter stainless steel tube was wound twice with the printed polymer wrap label applied, the resulting cigarette mouthpiece exhibited a diameter of 10.0 mm and had a hardness reading of approximately 91 Shore M. When using three fleece wraps, the outer diameter was about 11.1 mm and the durometer remained constant at 92. The fleece alone exhibited a durometer value of 83 for three layers, 87 for two layers, and 92 for a single layer.

The term "substantially" used above with respect to the length of the rectangular piece of fleece in relation to the outer perimeter of the stainless steel mouthpiece tubular shell will be understood by those skilled in the art. In particular, it should be appreciated that the length and girth need not be exactly the same, but will be about the same within a reasonable tolerance (eg, +/- about 1% to about 10% of a given value), and considering the Provides the possibility of smooth end-to-end abutment/fitting of slightly mitered or tapered ends of rectangular 3D materials around cylinders. This same relative spatial consideration applies throughout this disclosure, including lengths described with respect to at least about some multiples (eg, 1x, 2x, 3x) of the outer perimeter. For "a length of at least about twice the outer perimeter", the length need not be exactly twice the perimeter, but will preferably be within reasonable tolerances, and may include slightly beveled or tapered ends or slight overlap, to Provides a generally smooth fit of a rectangular 3D material around a cylinder. As such, the length may be slightly less than or slightly greater than a multiple of the described circumference, but will be understood by those skilled in the art to be generally circumferential about that circumference.

Figures 4A-4C illustrate another embodiment of a dual wrap mouthpiece 302 for a smoking article. The innermost component shown is the metal tubular body shell 303, shown uncovered in Figure 4A, which may be incorporated as part of any smoking article described herein (including those items incorporated by reference based on their technical considerations).

Figure 4B shows an intermediate step assembly view of a double wrap mouthpiece 302 for a smoking article. In this embodiment, the shell 303 is surrounded by a double layer tip wrap 320 whose inner/lower layer 322 (shown in FIG. The cylindrical wrap 322, being a cylinder, is substantially coaxial with respect to said longitudinal axis. The helically wound or angled inner/lower layer 322 is preferably a cushioning layer that will provide a comfortable bite/mouth feel to many users by providing a resilient layer between the user's tongue and/or teeth and the rigid shell 313 . The inner/lower layer may comprise one or more foam tapes (e.g., 3M Scotch ^™ Permanent Mounting Foam Tape (Cat #110)), rayon fleece, cigarette filter tow, cigarette wrap, and/or acetate non- A fabric mesh adhered or fixed around the outer perimeter of the shell and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shell in such a manner as to form a band at its circumference.

4C shows the inner/lower layers trimmed to form a cylinder as described and the upper/outer layers 324 of the double-layer tipwrap 320 provided in the form of an adhesive label or sleeve 324 (which may contain pressure-sensitive or pressure-activated adhesives). mixture). In many embodiments, the inner/lower layer 322 will have a first thickness that is greater than a second thickness of the upper/outer layer 324 . In the illustrated and other embodiments, the upper/outer layer 324 may contain indicia (letters/text, images, colors, textures, or other indicia) identifying properties of the mouthpiece 302 and/or the smoking article containing the mouthpiece. Exemplary indicia can convey flavor, product source identification (eg, brand, trademark, etc.), and/or other information, and/or it can provide aesthetic appeal. Label 324 may be an adhesive label with paper and/or polymer construction. For example, its construction may be the same or similar to filter paper or wrapping paper used in conventional cigarettes. The materials and methods described herein with reference to Figures 4A-4C can be used with the working examples described above in relation to Figures 3A-3B.

Figures 5A-5D show a method of assembling a double wrap mouthpiece 402 for a smoking article, and Figure 5E shows a cross-sectional view of the assembled mouthpiece. As shown in Figure 4A, the inner layer portion 422 of the elongated double tip wrap 420 is attached to the mouthpiece tube 403 (eg, by pressure sensitive adhesive or other adhesive or attachment means). The double tip wrap 420 preferably comprises an overall length of at least about twice the outer perimeter of the tube 403, and may include overlapping portions to form a length beyond that outer perimeter (e.g., from about 3 mm to about 6 mm or more), such that at The outermost end of the elongated tipping wrap overlaps its innermost end when the mouthpiece is wound. In other embodiments, the length may be three or more times the outer perimeter, but is preferably about an integer multiple of the outer perimeter.

As shown in FIGS. 5B-5C , the first portion of the length is sufficient to surround the outer perimeter of the mouthpiece tube 403 as the tube is rolled into the wrap 420 . The first elongated portion preferably comprises a cushioning type material, such as, for example, one of the cushioning materials described above with respect to Figures 3A-4C. The second lengthwise portion of the double tipping wrap 420 comprises a substance that will form the outwardly facing surface configured as an upper/outer layer 424, which may comprise an identification of the nature, origin of manufacture of the mouthpiece 402 and/or the smoking article containing the mouthpiece , or other information indicia (letters/text, images, colors, textures, or other indicia, such as, for example, the indicia identified by reference numeral 427).

FIG. 5D shows the mouthpiece 402 with the double tipping wrap 420 wrapped almost two full turns around the tube body 403 , the body 403 having been rolled/rotated almost 720° to engage the double tipping wrap 420 . As shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 5E showing the mouthpiece 402 fully assembled, the upper/outer layer surrounds the inner/lower layer. As shown therein, the contours of the layers and assembly process may be configured to provide a generally circular outer contour without a distinct tactilely perceivable seam at the outermost end of the upper/outer layer 424 .

In addition to, or in lieu of, the described wrap-around assemblies, certain embodiments may include tipping covers that may be configured, for example, as polymeric labels and may be configured to receive and/or display visual indicia (e.g., to provide information about Information about smoking articles or smoking article components, such as, for example, brand names, flavors, or other characteristics). The tipping cap may be configured as a wrappable strap, tube, or other structure. Examples of tipping caps containing polymeric labels that may be configured as heat shrink tubing or other structures are described below, including reference to FIGS. structural layer. Such tubular tipping caps are constructed to slide, rotate, and/or otherwise adjust over the mouthpiece, and, based on size and composition, may be heat-shrunk to fit, adhesive applied, or secured to the tipping cap using suitable means. The mouthpiece, those skilled in the art will understand according to the specific composition of the tipping cap.

FIG. 6 diagrammatically shows an exploded partial view of a tipping cover 604 (which may be configured as a tubular sleeve, wrap, or other configuration, eg, including heat shrinkable, fastening fit, or other dimensional configurations). The multilayer construction may include printing/graphics 604b applied outwardly/inwardly to the inner surface of the outer layer 604a, or the outer surface of the inner layer 604g. It should be understood that in this and other embodiments the "print/graphic/color layer" will have no substantial structural thickness and that, like the other figures, the illustrations Figures 6-9 are not to scale. An adhesive layer 604h (eg, pressure sensitive or other adhesive) may be provided to secure to the mouthpiece body 603 and/or cushioning material (not shown) surrounding the body, such as described with respect to FIGS. 3A-5E . When the tipping cover 604 is applied to a mouthpiece, smoking article or the like, the final appearance may be substantially similar to that shown in Figures 2A-2C.

In some embodiments, a large format (i.e., about 100 μm to about 150 μm thick) reverse-printed PVC or PETG sleeve can be used to cover and/or decorate an unwrapped, single-wrapped, or multi-wrapped mouth-end piece. Cushioned surface. Printed materials (eg, graphic images, text) can use water or solvent based inks. One such embodiment is shown in FIG. 7, which diagrammatically depicts an exploded partial view of a tipping cover 704 (which may be configured as a sleeve, wrap, or other configuration). The single layer 704a may comprise printing/graphics 704b applied outwardly/inwardly to the inner surface of the layer 704a which will be applied/secured to the mouthpiece body and/or cushioning material surrounding the body. As described elsewhere, this fixation, as well as other embodiments or combinations thereof, may be accomplished using heat shrink, adhesives, and/or other fixation means potentially including friction fit. When the tipping cover 704 is applied to a mouthpiece, smoking article or the like, the final appearance may be substantially similar to that shown in Figures 2A-2C.

In some embodiments, standard gauge (i.e., about 50 μm to about 70 μm thick) PETG, PS, and/or PVC shrink sleeve materials can be adhesively laminated together to form a two-layer shrink sleeve (about 125 μm to about 170 μm thick). thick). The inside of the outward facing outer layer can be reverse printed and adhered (eg, by emulsion lamination adhesive) to the inward facing solvent seamed layer of PETG, PS, and/or PVC. This can be applied in the form of a tape or as a heat-shrinkable cylinder for covering and/or decorating an unwrapped, single-wrapped, or multi-wrapped cushioning surface of a mouth-end piece. One such embodiment is shown in FIG. 8, which diagrammatically depicts an exploded partial view of a composite tipping cover 804 (which may be configured as a sleeve, wrap, or other configuration). The outer layer 804a may include printing/graphics 804b applied outward/inward to the inner surface of the outer layer 804a, where the inner surface will be adhered to the inner layer 804g by an adhesive 804c. The inwardly/downwardly facing surface of the inner layer 804g will be applied/secured to the mouthpiece body and/or cushioning material (not shown) surrounding the body. As described elsewhere, this securing, as well as securing of other embodiments or combinations thereof, may be accomplished using heat shrink, adhesives, and/or other securing means including friction fit. When the tipping cover 804 is applied to a mouthpiece, smoking article or the like, the final appearance may be substantially similar to that shown in Figures 2A-2C.

Suitable adhesives for forming a multilayer film tipping cover, whether in the form of a polymer label or otherwise, may comprise, for example, dry strength or wet strength adhesives. Illustrative (but not limiting) examples of dry strength adhesives are typically applied as follows: Liquid form adhesives (e.g., polyurethane dispersions, acrylic emulsions, water-based EVA and PVOH, high solids silicone solvents) can be applied on the substrate (one layer of a multi-layer composite), dried and then laminated to a second, third, etc. substrate using hot rollers. Illustrative (but not limiting) examples of wet hardness adhesives are typically applied as follows: Liquid form adhesives (e.g., polyurethane dispersions, acrylic emulsions, water-based EVA and PVOH, latex) can be applied on a substrate (multilayer composite layer), laminated to a second, third, etc. substrate, and subsequently dried using heat such as a stream of heated air. The inks may be water-based or solvent-based, preferably approved for use with food, tobacco, and similar products (eg, including the well-known inks available from Sun Chemical of Richmond, Va.).

In yet other embodiments, a three-layer polymer label may be provided, comprising an outer facing outward layer of shrink sleeve material of PETG, PS, and/or PVC (indicia can be printed on the reverse side). This outer layer may be adhesive laminated to an intermediate core layer (eg, bulk softening material of PE, EVA and/or CoPP). The intermediate core layer may be adhesive laminated to an inner layer of solvent seamed PETG, PS, and/or PVC. The inner surface of the intermediate layer and/or the outer facing surface of the inner layer may be printed in one color with the same or different graphics as the outer surface. This can help provide a "3D optical effect" where the outer layer imprints appear to float or have a depth difference relative to the inner layer. Thus, in a three-layer embodiment, standard (about 50 μm thick) PETG shrink sleeve material can be adhesively laminated on either side of a low-melting, polyolefin core layer (about 50 μm to about 75 μm thick) to form a 150 μm to about 175 μm thick composite structure. The core layer may be transparent and its thickness and/or greater elasticity/less stiffness will preferably provide a more comfortable/desirable mouthfeel to the user than the uncladded metal tube body of the smoking article.

One such three-layer embodiment is shown in Figure 9, which diagrammatically depicts an exploded partial view of a composite tipping cover 904 (which may be configured as a sleeve, wrap, or other configuration). The outer layer 904a may include printing/graphics 904b applied outward/inward to the inner surface of the outer layer 904a, where the inner surface may be adhered to the middle/core layer 904d with an adhesive 904c. A second layer of adhesive 904e can secure the middle layer 904d of the three-layer construction to the inner layer 904g, the outwardly facing surface of the inner layer 904g can include a printed layer (eg, graphic, solid color) 904f. The inwardly/downwardly facing surface of the inner layer 904g may be applied/secured to the mouthpiece body and/or cushioning material (not shown) surrounding the body. When the tipping cover 904 is applied to a mouthpiece, smoking article or the like, the final appearance may be substantially similar to that shown in Figures 2A-2C.

In each preferred shrink-sleeve embodiment, the shrink-sleeve material can be heated or activated to shrink-conform a single or multiple layers of wrapping material around it, thus providing less stiffness/more flexibility upon application than the rigid body of a tubular mouthpiece Sex (corresponding to mouth/bite feel which is more satisfactory for many users). In some embodiments, they may be applied directly to the rigid pipe body. In these embodiments, the application may be secured by using heat shrink activation in a manner known in the art and the specific heat shrink properties known for a given material as appropriate. In some embodiments, the material can be applied as an overmold. In proper overmolding techniques, a steel tube, with or without a sleeve or wrap applied to it, a label or cushioning material, can be inserted into a slightly larger diameter injection mold cavity, whereupon molten thermoplastic is injected into the tube and the cavity wall to form an outer cylindrical sleeve that adheres tightly around the tube. In some embodiments, an adhesive may be used to secure the tipping cover to the underlying material. In various embodiments, any combination of heat shrinking, adhesion and overmolding may be used to secure the tipping cap to the mouthpiece and/or a larger portion of the smoking article, whether directly to the rigid tube body and/or to underlying materials such as the cushioning materials discussed herein.

Different embodiments of tipping caps may be contained within a single layer, or within each layer of a multi-layer composition, and/or in each of separate layers (e.g., one or more materials in each layer, alone or In combination with other materials, where each layer of a multilayer tipping cap may comprise the same or a different composition, as will be determined by the skilled artisan based on the nature of each component), silicone, latex, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) ester), PETG (polyethylene terephthalate copolymer), PS (polystyrene), OPP (oriented polypropylene), BOPP (biaxially oriented polypropylene), OPS (oriented polystyrene), PE (polyethylene), EPS (expanded polystyrene), PEF (polyethylene high foaming material), PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride), PEX (cross-linked polyethylene), PEBAX (polyetheramide; contains heat-shrinkable PEBAX ), PE (polyethylene), EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate), CoPP (polypropylene copolymer), FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene), PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), and PVC (polyvinyl chloride), or random combination.

Each of these materials is readily available from various suppliers. Tip covers using these materials can be configured as seamed or seamless shrink tubes, shrink sleeves, soft covers (eg, silicone tubes/sleeves; one that can be stretched, put over the tube, and then released to fit around it sleeves, as opposed to tubes or sleeves that can be slid and shrunk by heat, UV, or other means), adhesive labels, stretch labels, stretch tubes, or a composite/hybrid of one or more such structures.

The shrink sleeve (or tube) differs significantly from the elastic, rollable, or other soft sleeve embodiments described in that it does not use heat or other methods of treating the shrink material to conform and, in many embodiments, adhere to the flexible sleeve. Contains lower tube of cushioning wrap material. It should also be noted that the wrapping material may be applied in some mode other than a wrapping/wrapping action. Likewise, the shrink sleeves and/or shrink tubes described herein have properties well known in materials science such that a person having skill in the art and knowledge of the present disclosure will be able to construct such tubes and/or sleeves and apply curing of the materials in an appropriate manner. , or other treatment (e.g., UV or other EMF exposure, heat, chemical treatment, or other means) that shrinks the tubing and/or sleeve to conform to the underlying substantially rigid tubing body (which may further comprise one or more cushioning wraps) . In other words, tipping cap embodiments may comprise or consist essentially of shrinkage material configured to fit securely around the mouthpiece tube body and/or any material between the tube body and tipping cap when the material is handled in an appropriate manner (e.g., in tube and/or sleeve form).

Table 1 below shows different combinations of one and two layers for an embodiment of a mouthpiece with a tipping cap identified by printable visual indicia. The inner layer may be a single wrap cushioning or other material comprising a polymeric label type material, or a multi wrap cushioning or other material. A "patch" label or layer refers to a layer that encompasses less than the entire perimeter of the underlying tube body.

Table 1 - Tip Cap Embodiments with Printed Surfaces

Table 2 below shows different combinations of one-layer and two-layer tipping cap structures for embodiments of the mouthpiece.

Table 2 - Adapter cover implementation

Example

Certain aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure can be understood with reference to the following examples. These examples are set forth by way of illustration and not limitation.

Example 1: Using a 9.2 mm diameter stainless steel pipe approximately 50 mm long, a strip of 3M Scotch ^™ Permanent Mounting Foam Tape (Cat# 110) was adhered to one edge of the pipe at an angle of approximately 25 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the pipe, and The edges of the tape were helically wound close together to form a continuous layer of foam approximately 1.5 mm thick. The edges were trimmed to provide a cushioned surface approximately 35 mm long after application of the pre-printed polymer packaging label (multilayer laminate comprising PE and OPP film). The diameter of the resulting mouth end piece was 12.7mm. Desirable ranges for foam thickness may comprise from about 0.1 mm to about 1.0 mm, or, in certain embodiments, when an embodiment desires a smaller diameter mouthpiece than the about 1.5 mm to about 2 mm thick foam tape provided in this example , comprising about 0.30 mm to about 0.70 mm. Another iteration of this concept would have a pre-applied foam layer as part of the construction of the pre-printed label (eg, Labec ^™ from Commodore Solutions of Bloomfield, NY). (This embodiment is similar to the embodiment described above with reference to Figures 4A-C).

Example 2: Another example of a multi-wrap mouthpiece was constructed using a strip of non-woven acetate mesh approximately 1.7 mm thick by approximately 25 mm wide cut to a length of approximately 29 mm. After anchoring it to an approximately 9.2mm outer diameter stainless steel tube using scotch tape, a non-woven acetate piece was wrapped around the tube, wrapping around the tube with a length of approximately 29 mm to form a "butt joint". Immediately thereafter, another strip of about the same gauge was attached in the same manner next to the first strip along each longitudinal end and then cut circumferentially to form the longitudinal length of the fill tube mouthpiece along the tube of approximately 36mm. Subsequently, a pre-printed polymer packaging label is applied. In this example, the outer diameter of the resulting mouth end piece was about 11.2 mm. Desirable ranges for web thickness may include about 0.1 mm to about 1.0 mm, or, in certain embodiments, about 0.30 mm to about 0.70 mm thick, which may be about 0.5 mm. (This embodiment is similar to that shown in Figure 4B, except that the adjoining seams between mesh sections surround the tube body transversely circumferentially, rather than being helically wound.)

Example 3: Another example of a multi-wrap mouthpiece was constructed using a non-woven rayon fabric web approximately 0.15 mm thick by approximately 36 mm wide cut to a length of approximately 29 mm. After anchoring the tape to an approximately 9.2 mm outer diameter stainless steel tube using scotch tape, a non-woven rayon fabric piece was wrapped around the tube, surrounding the tube with a length of approximately 29 mm. A pre-printed polymer packaging label is applied to the fleece piece to form a cushioned spout end-fill. The resulting mouth end piece diameter was about 9.6mm. In certain embodiments where smaller diameters are desired, the desired fleece thickness may range from about 0.1 mm to about 1.0 mm, preferably about 0.30 mm to 0.70 mm in certain embodiments, which may be about 0.5 mm.

Example 4: In addition, another similar (similar to Example 2) cigarette mouthpiece was obtained by using scotch tape to anchor an approximately 58 mm long non-woven rayon fabric strip to an approximately 9.2 mm outer diameter stainless steel tube and wrapping the tube, A length of about 52mm was constructed wrapping the tube twice to form an overlapping joint. A pre-printed polymer packaging label is applied to the fleece strip to form the mouth-end filling. The resulting mouth end piece diameter is about 10mm.

Example 5: Another cigarette mouthpiece (similar to Examples 2 and 3) was obtained by anchoring an approximately 88 mm long non-woven rayon fabric strip to an approximately 9.2 mm outer diameter stainless steel tube using scotch tape and wrapping the tube with approximately 88 mm The length of the tube is looped three times to form overlapping joints. A pre-printed polymer packaging label is applied to a fleece piece to form a tipping wrap. The resulting end piece diameter was about 11.1 mm. The desired fleece thickness in some other embodiments may range from about 0.1 mm to about 1.0 mm, or, in certain embodiments, from about 0.30 mm to 0.70 mm, which may be about 0.5 mm. (The construction of this embodiment can be understood from Figures 5A-C, although these figures do not show the multilayer winding aspect of the fleece tape).

Example 6: Another example construction of a multi-wrap mouthpiece uses a strip of 50 g/ ^m2 tipping paper web approximately 0.077mm thick and approximately 36mm wide, cut to a length of approximately 29mm. After using scotch tape to anchor the strip of paper mesh to an approximately 9.2 mm outer diameter stainless steel tube, a 50 gram piece of tipping paper was wrapped around the tube with a length of approximately 29 mm around the tube. A pre-printed polymer packaging label is applied to paper to form a mouth-end tip. The outer diameter of the mouth end piece thus formed was about 10.0 mm. Desirable ranges for web thickness in certain other embodiments may range from about 0.1 mm to about 1.0 mm, or, in some embodiments, from about 0.30 mm to about 0.70 mm, which may be 0.4 mm or about 0.5 mm .

Example 7: Another cigarette mouthpiece was constructed by anchoring a 58mm long piece of 50 g/ ^m2 tipping paper to a 9.2mm outer diameter stainless steel tube using scotch tape. Thereafter, tipping paper was wrapped around the tube, wrapping the tube twice with a length of about 58 mm and forming an overlapping joint. A pre-printed polymer packaging label is applied to the paper to complete the tip-end construction. The final outer diameter of the mouth end piece is about 10.4mm.

Example 8: Another cigarette mouthpiece (similar to Examples 5 and 6) construction using scotch tape to anchor a 50 gram tipping paper strip approximately 88mm long to approximately 9.2mm stainless steel tube. Wrap tipping paper three times around tube to create snubber tip. A pre-printed polymer packaging label is applied to paper to form a mouth-end tip. The resulting mouth end piece diameter was about 11.5 mm. Desirable ranges for web thickness in certain other embodiments may range from about 0.1 mm to about 1.0 mm, or, in some embodiments, from about 0.30 mm to about 0.70 mm, which may be about 0.4 mm or about 0.5 mm. mm.

Example 9: Another smoking article mouthpiece was constructed as follows: A self-adhesive label strip about 33mm wide by about 36mm long with a printed logo was applied to a stainless steel tube with an outer diameter of about 9.2mm and a height of about 37mm. The label is manually wound around the steel pipe across its width so that the label overlaps itself by approximately 4mm. A piece of Raychem RNF-100-1/2-CL-FSP clear cross-linked polyethylene shrink tubing from Tyco Electronics (Menlo Park, Calif.) was received in flat form. Pieces approximately 37mm long were cut and slid over pre-prepared stainless steel tubing as described. The shrink tubing has an original flattened width of 22 mm, which corresponds to an outer diameter of 14 mm when formed into a circle so that it slides easily over the steel pipe. The tubes were shrunk for 5 minutes in a natural convection oven preheated to 235°F, then removed from the oven and allowed to cool back to room temperature. In the final product, the tube is shrunk tightly around the steel tube and the self-adhesive label. The lengths of shrink tubing and steel pipe are closely matched to each other. Due to its maker's flat setup, the two original axis fold lines on the shrink tube are gone. The logo on the self-adhesive label is clearly visible through the shrink tube. The shrink tube has a final thickness of about 0.45 mm. The self-adhesive label overlap cannot be felt by touching the shrink tube, so there is no perceptible seam. It should be appreciated that the tipping hood presented here as a heat shrink sleeve may cover the entire length of the smoking article, or any portion thereof (eg limited to the length of the mouthpiece, or as desired).

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that embodiments not explicitly explained herein may be practiced within the scope of the claims, including that features described herein for different embodiments may be combined with each other and/or remain within the scope of the claims with prior known Or a combination of technologies developed in the future. Although specific terms are used herein, they are used for a general and descriptive understanding only and not for purposes of limitation, unless specifically indicated by context, usage, or otherwise. Accordingly, it is intended that the foregoing detailed description be considered as illustrative and not restrictive. And, it is to be understood that the following claims, including all equivalents, are intended to define the spirit and scope of this invention. Also, the advantages described above are not necessarily only advantages of the present invention, and it is not necessarily expected that all described advantages will be achieved by every embodiment. In the event of any inconsistent disclosure or limitation of this application that conflicts with any document incorporated by reference, the disclosure or limitation herein shall take precedence.

Claims (22)

1. Mouthpiece for smoking articles, said mouthpiece comprising: a section comprising a rigid tube having an outer perimeter; and tipping wrap containing length; wherein said tipping wrap is wrapped transversely around said outer perimeter of said mouthpiece portion to form at least one double layer comprising more flexibility and/or less resistance to permanent Indentation resistance. 2. The mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein the rigid tube is constructed of a metallic material, a ceramic material, or a combination thereof. 3. The mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein the rigid tube is constructed of a metallic material including stainless steel. 4. The cigarette holder according to claim 1, wherein said tipwrap is configured as an elongate tipwrap comprising a length of at least about twice said outer perimeter; wherein said elongate tipwrap is double wrapped transversely around said outer perimeter of said mouthpiece portion to form said at least one double layer. 5. The mouthpiece of claim 4, wherein the elongated tipping wrap comprises a length of at least three times the outer perimeter, and wherein the elongated tipping wrap further wraps around the outer perimeter of the mouthpiece portion long so as to form three windings. 6. The mouthpiece of claim 4, wherein the elongate tipping wrap comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive adhering the wrap to itself, to the rigid tube, or both. 7. The mouthpiece of claim 4, wherein the length of the elongated tipping wrap is an integer multiple of the outer perimeter of the mouthpiece portion. 8. The mouthpiece of claim 4, wherein said elongated tipping wrap has a length that is an integer multiple of said outer perimeter of said mouthpiece portion, and further comprises an additional length of from about 3 mm to about 6 mm, such that when rolled The outermost end of the elongated tipping wrap overlaps its innermost end when wrapped around the mouthpiece. 9. The mouthpiece of claim 4, wherein the elongate tipwrap comprises rayon fleece, cigarette filter paper, cigarette wrap, acetate nonwoven web, or any combination thereof. 10. The mouthpiece of claim 4, wherein a portion of the elongated tipping wrap is externally visible when the mouthpiece portion comprising visible indicia containing information about the smoking article is wrapped. 11. The mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein said at least one bilayer is formed by a two-layer tipwrap comprising a cushioning lower/inner layer having a first thickness and an upper/outer layer having a second thickness less than said first thickness ;as well as Wherein said upper/outer layer includes visible indicia containing information about the smoking article. 12. The mouthpiece of claim 11, wherein the tipwrap length comprises a first length of the lower/inner layer and a second length of the upper/outer layer. 13. The mouthpiece of claim 12, wherein the first and second lengths are substantially the same as each other and are substantially the same as the mouthpiece outer perimeter, whereby the tipping wrap when wrapped around the mouthpiece outer perimeter The ends are abutted to form a smooth joint. 14. The mouthpiece of claim 12, wherein said first length is substantially the same as said mouthpiece outer perimeter and said second length is longer at one end, whereby a tipping wrap is received when wrapped around said mouthpiece outer perimeter The ends of the first length abut to form a smooth joint, and the longer end of the second length overlaps the smooth joint. 15. The mouthpiece of claim 11, wherein the lower cushioning/inner layer comprises fleece, filter paper, plugged paper, cellulose acetate nonwoven web, polymer film, polymer foam, or any combination thereof. 16. The mouthpiece of claim 11, wherein the upper/outer layer comprises fleece, filter paper, plug paper, cellulose acetate nonwoven web, polymer film, polymer foam, or any combination thereof. 17. The mouthpiece of claim 11, wherein the upper/outer layer comprises a polymeric label material. 18. The mouthpiece of claim 11, wherein part of the upper/outer layer is externally visible when the mouthpiece portion comprising visible indicia containing information about the smoking article is wrapped. 19. The mouthpiece of claim 11, wherein the lower cushioning/inner layer is wound transversely, rather than perpendicularly, to the longitudinal axis of the rigid tube, and is trimmed to form a cylinder substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis shape wrapping. 20. The mouthpiece of claim 19, wherein the upper/outer layer wraps substantially perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal axis. 21. A smoking article comprising the mouthpiece of claim 11. 22. A smoking article comprising the mouthpiece of claim 1.