EP2269475B1 - Filter for a smoke-free cigarette - Google Patents

Description

The following invention relates to a smoke-free cigarette with a filter.

Smoke-free cigarettes are known from the prior art in various embodiments.

From the DE 10 2005 034 169 A1 For example, a smoke-free cigarette is known that has a heat pipe that is heated by the flame of a lighter. Due to its high heat capacity, the heat pipe releases heat over a sufficiently long period of time so that the stimulant contained in a reservoir can evaporate.

From the WO 2007/090594 A1 is a smoke-free cigarette is known, which has a nicotine depot and which is characterized in that a heating of the guided through the nicotine depot airflow to release the nicotine is not required. The nicotine reservoir contains a carrier that is already in its gas phase at ambient temperature.

The WO 2007/054167 A1 relates to a smokeless cigarette having a heater running with a current-carrying heating wire for heating a reservoir from which nicotine is released.

The present invention has for its object to develop a smoke-free cigarette with a filter.

This object is achieved by a smoke-free cigarette with the features of claim 1.

Thereafter, it is provided that the filter is designed such that the filter has a retention with respect to nicotine and / or the nicotine-containing compound and / or one, more or all of the flavoring substances when the cigarette is used of less than 30% by weight. Preferably, such a filter has a retention of less than 20% by weight, preferably less than 15% by weight, and more preferably less than 10% by weight. In another preferred embodiment, a filter exhibits a retention of less than 5 wt%, preferably less than 2 wt%, more preferably less than 1 wt%, and most preferably less than 0.5 wt%.

Preferably, it is provided that nicotine and / or nicotine-containing compounds and / or flavoring substances, which according to the present invention include any flavorings, flavorings and the like, can pass through the filter largely or completely unhindered.

Such a filter is not known from the prior art.

Conventional filters of conventional cigarettes are designed to absorb as much as possible of all carcinogenic substances from the cigarette smoke. However, these filters also absorb significant amounts of flavor and nicotine.

Sometimes a conventional mouthpiece to enhance this effect also contains other adsorbing elements such as activated carbon or silica grains. However, this certainly leads to the fact that conventional cigarette filters also retain flavorings and nicotine constituents in the filter. Depending on the cigarette filter, the nicotine and condensate retention of known filters is about 50%. With modern filters but also higher retention can be achieved. EP 0 859 558 B1 for example, discloses filters whose nicotine retention is well above 50%.

Conventional filters of conventional cigarettes are typically made of cellulose, which is converted to cellulose acetate, which in turn is dissolved in acetone and then spun into filaments. Cellulosic filter cartridges, due to their chemical structure, significantly affect the gas flow, i. Nicotine and flavorings are significantly depleted in the filter.

WO 2008/113335 A2 discloses a smokeless cigarette. The smokeless cigarette has an inhaler sleeve, a nicotine containment depot, and a mouthpiece. In the nicotine receiving depot and the mouthpiece, a bore is provided through which the air can flow unfiltered. The mouthpiece is made of plastic, preferably acetate-cellulose fibers.

In the enriched air of a smoke-free cigarette hardly or no harmful substances such as condensate or carbon monoxide are present, but only nicotine and various flavorings or flavors. The filter according to the present invention does not influence the gas flow in a preferred embodiment of the invention or as little as possible. Thus, nicotine, flavoring or flavors during the active phase, i. During use of a smoke-free cigarette, the filter preferably pass largely unfiltered.

Preferably, the filter is designed to assure the storage stability of the contents of the cigarette by having an intrinsic resistance has and pass nicotine and / or flavorings or flavorings only or substantially only with active pulling on the cigarette during its active phase the filter. Filters according to the invention can therefore be designed in such a way that, when the cigarette is stored, ie when it is not used, it has a retention with respect to nicotine and / or the nicotine-containing compound and / or with respect to one, several or all of the flavorings, for example in the case of the 1-week period Storage of the cigarette z. B. at room temperature (25 ° C) and z. B. 30% humidity of more than 50 wt .-%, preferably of more than 75 wt .-%, preferably more than 90 wt .-% and particularly preferably more than 95 wt .-%.

In a preferred embodiment, the filter either additionally or exclusively a retention of one, several or all flavorings during storage, for. B. in the 1-week storage of the cigarette z. B. at room temperature (25 ° C) and at z. B. 30% humidity of more than 50 wt .-%, preferably of more than 75 wt .-%, preferably of more than 90 wt .-% and particularly preferably of more than 95 wt .-% to.

These values may also be extended to other storage times, such as refer to a multi-week or several months storage.

In a preferred embodiment, this filter can be modeled in its shape and its dimensions on a conventional cigarette filter. Thus, it may be a circular cylindrical filter having a length of between about 0.5 cm and about 2 cm, preferably between about 1 cm and about 1.5 cm and a diameter of about 0.3 cm to about 1 cm, preferably about 0.4 cm to about 0.9 cm, and more preferably about 0.5 cm to about 0.8 cm act.

But also embodiments with angular, ellipsoidal and other round cross-sections are included in the invention.

The filter does not necessarily have to be modeled on the shape of a conventional cigarette filter and, for example, can be much shorter or divided into several parts.

It may preferably be located in the mouthpiece of a cigarette, but also in any other part of the cigarette through which at least part of the air enriched with nicotine and / or flavorings flows when using the cigarette. Furthermore, a mouthpiece, consisting of a filter and a layer surrounding this filter for the consumer as possible to reproduce the haptic properties of a conventional cigarette.

A filter preferably consists essentially of materials which are completely or substantially inert to substances present in the enriched air of a smoke-free cigarette, in particular nicotine, but also other flavorings and flavorings. The tendency to adsorb nicotine, or alkaloids in general, and various flavors and fragrances and carriers of the materials used is low, or the materials adsorb the substances mentioned in the usual use of the cigarette.

As materials with a low tendency to adsorb, for example, come into consideration, compared to the cellulose fibers in conventional cigarette filters by at least 50% lower adsorption of nicotine and at least 30% lower adsorption of flavors and aromas, preferably on all organic flavor and Show flavors.

The present invention relates to a smoke-free cigarette with a filter, wherein the smoke-free cigarette contains nicotine and / or a nicotine-containing compound and / or one or more flavoring agents and wherein the filter is as stated in claim 1.

In one embodiment, the filter is made of open-cell polymer foams, or it contains open-cell polymer foams. Suitable polymeric foams include polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyphenylene sulfide; Polyolefins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, PTFE u. Ä., Or polyamides, such as nylon or Perlon. Also, combinations of the above groups and examples, as well as others, hardly for the adsorption of Alkaloids prone plastics are suitable for producing such an open-pore polymer foam.

In one embodiment, the filter is made wholly or partly of open-pore synthetic structures. Suitable synthetic structures are spunbonded nonwovens, felts and / or fabrics made of plastic fibers, preferably microfibers. In one embodiment, suitable microfibers have a yarn count of less than about 4 dtex, preferably less than about 2 dtex, more preferably less than 1 dtex. In another preferred embodiment, the yarn count is between about 0.5 dtex and 0.7 dtex. In another embodiment, microfibers having a fiber diameter of about 10 microns to about 50 microns are used, preferably with a fiber diameter of about 20 microns to about 40 microns, and more preferably with a fiber diameter of about 30 microns. Suitable materials for suitable plastic fibers in one embodiment also include polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyphenylene sulfide; Polyolefins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, PTFE u. Ä., Or polyamides, such as nylon or Perlon, and combinations thereof.

Open-pore synthetic structures are interwoven or glued together in one embodiment. A mixed construction of different polymer foams and / or open-pore synthetic structures is also possible. The pore size of such polymer foams or synthetic structures may be equal to or greater than the pore size of conventional cigarette filters. In a particular embodiment, the pore size of conventional cigarette filters of filters of the invention will exceed at least about 20%, about 50%, or about 100%. The average pore size may be, for example, about 10 microns to about 50 microns, or greater than about 30 microns.

The filter should in one embodiment, the gas flow in its composition and dosage as little as possible or only slightly influence. It should thus be done preferably in the flow through the filter no or only a slight change in the composition in any case with respect to nicotine and / or flavorings or flavors.

However, in a preferred embodiment, the pore structure is able to regulate the draw resistance of the smokeless cigarette and thus to conform to the draw resistance of a conventional cigarette. Thus, in one embodiment, the draft resistance of the smokeless cigarette through the filter is increased by at least about 10%, in a preferred embodiment by at least about 25%, and in a particular preferred embodiment by at least about 40%. The draw resistance of a filter according to the invention may for example be between about 2 kPa and about 6 kPa, preferably between about 3 kpA and about 5.5 kPa, more preferably between about 4 kPa and about 5 kPa.

The filter may also be inhomogeneous in one embodiment, for example differ in different cross-sectional sections in its properties and / or in its design. So it is conceivable, for example, that a circular cylindrical filter in its core consists of an open-cell polymer foam, which on its outer side of an open-pore Synthetic structure is surrounded. It follows that the draw resistance in the middle of the filter, for example, may be smaller than at the edge regions of the filter. Thus, in one embodiment, it may be midway between about 2 kPa and about 5 kPa, and about 3 kPa to about 6 kPa in the edge region. Filters according to the invention also include those with flowing transitions and three- or multi-layered designs.

The invention relates to a smoke-free cigarette which contains at least one filter as specified in claim 1. Such a cigarette can, in a preferred embodiment, visually and emotionally reproduce the properties of a conventional cigarette as well as possible.

The filter may therefore preferably be arranged in the mouthpiece of the smokeless cigarette or form the mouthpiece. The filter may be further covered on its surface with a cover layer, preferably on the surface normal to the pulling direction, or in the event that the filter has a circular cylindrical shape preferably over the entire cylinder shell or parts of the cylinder jacket. This cover layer can also be an extension of the cover layer for other cigarette parts, as is the case for example in a conventional cigarette.

The layer surrounding the filter should as far as possible not influence the gas flow, but essentially reproduce the haptic properties of a conventional cigarette mouthpiece in interaction with the filter. Preferably, paper is used as the material. Strength, hardness and additives of a preferred paper to be matched to the properties of the filter to adapt to the overall impression of the consumer to a conventional mouthpiece despite the other haptic properties of the filter over conventional filters. In order not to influence the gas flow, it is advantageous in a further embodiment that the cover layer, in particular paper layer has no or almost no pores, as may be the case in conventional light cigarettes.

In one embodiment, a smoke-free cigarette of the present invention is not intended to have absorbent subordinate materials that filter nicotine and / or flavorings from the nicotine-enriched air while pulling on the cigarette, such as activated charcoal and / or silica grains. These would also undesirably cause nicotine, flavor and flavors can not pass unattenuated.

In principle, the filter may comprise the mouthpiece, form the mouthpiece or be part of the mouthpiece.

Further details and advantages will be described with reference to an embodiment described in the drawing. The single figure shows a longitudinal sectional view through a mouthpiece and filter of a smoke-free cigarette according to the invention.

The present embodiment relates to a mouthpiece with filter for a smoke-free cigarette.

The filter or mouthpiece consists of an outer paper layer 1, which serves for the tactile stabilization of the filter construction and the configuration of haptic optical and tactile properties of a conventional cigarette. The paper layer 1 has the shape of a hollow cylinder. The cylindrical filter layer 2 located inside the cylinder-shaped mouthpiece also fulfills several functions outside the active phase of the cigarette. It forms on the one hand a desorption barrier for nicotine as well as for aromas or flavorings during storage, and also a mechanical barrier for the subsequent use of tobacco and for a self-sufficient heat unit, which are not shown in the figure. The filter continues to serve the train regulation during the Using the smoke-free cigarette and allows nicotine and flavoring or flavoring preferably unattenuated, ie without or without significant depletion can pass through the filter.

The pore structure of the smokeless cigarette regulates its draw resistance.

The tobacco insert may be formed by a substrate comprising nicotine and one or more flavoring agents. The heating unit may be arranged inside the cigarette and preferably comprise a medium which releases heat in a chemical reaction or in a physical transformation, in particular in a crystallization. As the crystallization medium, for example, a salt hydrate such as e.g. Sodium acetate trihydrate into consideration. The crystallization medium may be present as a supersaturated solution which crystallizes upon activation, thereby releasing heat.

This heat serves to promote or even initiate the desorption of nicotine and / or flavorings and / or flavors from a substrate.

The present embodiment thus relates to a smoke-free cigarette with an internal self-sufficient, i. no energy or heat input from the outside requiring heat unit and / or with a matrix containing nicotine and / or flavorings and / or flavorings. The tobacco or said matrix may partially or completely surround the heating unit. You can z. B. be designed as a hollow cylinder or are in a hollow cylindrical space surrounding the heat unit. A reverse arrangement (heat unit surrounding the tobacco or the matrix partially or completely) is conceivable.

Of course, other means of heat generation come into consideration.

The filter layer further serves to regulate tension during the active phase, ie during use of the smokeless cigarette.

The filter material itself consists for example of open-cell polymer foams or comprises these.

For example, organically structured foams are possible. Consider, for example, open-pore polymer and / or synthetic structures. The filter material may consist of one or more of these substances or comprise one or more of these substances.

In principle, the filter may comprise the mouthpiece, form the mouthpiece or be part of the mouthpiece.

The filter material preferably has neutral properties so that on the one hand nicotine, aroma and flavorings can pass completely or substantially unhindered or undamped, on the other hand preferably a reactionless or largely reactionless long-term stability with respect to nicotine and / or flavorings and / or flavors is ensured.

In contrast to the filters of conventional cigarettes, which also retain flavoring and nicotine constituents in the filter in addition to carcinogenic pollutants and thus substantially influence the composition of the gas stream passing through the filter, this does not apply to the filter according to the present embodiment. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is little or no change in the composition of the air drawn through the filter, that is, only a slight change in the composition of the air. the composition of the air before and after the filter, in any case with regard to nicotine and / or one or more flavorings and / or flavorings, remains wholly or largely unchanged.

Preferably, it is thus provided that the filter of the gas flow does not change or only to a small extent with regard to composition and dosage. The extent of the change is preferably less than 10% or less than 5%, and especially preferably less than 2% or 1%. Furthermore, the filter has the property that the shelf life of the cigarette is ensured over an extended period of time, for example, several weeks or months, since it constitutes a desorption barrier for all or at least some of the desorbable substances contained in the smokeless cigarette.

The present invention relates not only to cigarettes in the true sense, but also cigars, cigarillos, etc. The term "cigarette" thus stands for both cigarettes and cigars, cigarillos etc.

Claims (10)

1. A smoke-free cigarette having a filter,
   characterised in that
   the filter comprises an open-pore polymer foam and/or a spunbond, a felt and/or a woven fabric made from synthetic fibres, wherein the filter does not comprise any cellulose or any substance containing cellulose.
2. A smoke-free cigarette in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the open-pore polymer foam and/or the spunbond, felt and/or the woven fabric made from synthetic fibres is inert.
3. A smoke-free cigarette in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the open-pore polymer foam and/or the spunbond, felt and/or the woven fabric made from synthetic fibres is not adsorptive with respect to nicotine and/or compounds containing nicotine and/or flavourings.
4. A smoke-free cigarette in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the synthetic fibres of the spunbond, felt and/or woven fabric are microfibres.
5. A smoke-free cigarette in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the synthetic fibres of the spunbond, felt and/or woven fabric are polycaprolactam fibres.
6. A smoke-free cigarette in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the open-pore polymer foam and/or the synthetic fibres of the spunbond, felt and/or woven fabric comprise a polyester such as polyethylene terephthalate or polyphenylene sulphide; a polyolefin such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, or PTFE; a polyamide such as nylon or polycaprolactam or combinations thereof.
7. A smoke-free cigarette in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the tensile strength of the filter amounts to between 2 kPa and 6 kPa.
8. A smoke-free cigarette in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the filter is surrounded at its peripheral surface located normal to the tensile direction by a top layer, in particular a paper layer.
9. A smoke-free cigarette in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the smoke-free cigarette has a mouthpiece; and in that the filter is located in the mouthpiece; or in that the mouthpiece is formed by the filter.
10. A smoke-free cigarette in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the cigarette does not comprise any adsorbing material disposed beside the filter.

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