GB2340375A

GB2340375A - Assemblage of spacers for a cigarette.

Info

Publication number: GB2340375A
Application number: GB9817753A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Martin; Barry Crawley; Matthew Quinlan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-08-15
Filing date: 1998-08-15
Publication date: 2000-02-23
Anticipated expiration: 2018-08-15
Also published as: GB9817753D0; GB2340375B

Abstract

An assemblage of releasably retained cigarette spacer cards for use in "roll your own" cigarettes to provide a mouthpiece. The cards are mutually attached or are attached to a retained portion of card, in a sheet or booklet of cards, by lines of weakness in the card which may, for example, be a line of perforations in the card. The spacers, in use, are coiled and inserted into one end of the cigarette to provide rigidity. They also prevent tobacco escaping into the mouth of the smoker and act as crude filters.

Description

2340375 ASSEMBLAGE OF SPACERS FOR A CIGARETTE It is known in the art that

small pieces of cardboard and the like can be torn off larger pieces, rolled out into small coils and used as a spacer/mouthpiece (hereinafter referred to as "spacer") in roll your own cigarettes.

The cigarette is made by hand and the coiled piece of cardboard is inserted into one (5) end of the cigarette whereupon it is allowed to expand as it is now not constrained by fingertip pressure. On expansion, it impinges against the inner walls of the cigarette paper, so holding the spacer secure. The coiled piece of cardboard can act as a crude filter, can provide some rigidity to the cigarette, thus preventing the end of the cigarette collapsing under the pressure exerted by the lips of the smoker or, as a result (10) of the absorption of moisture from the smoker's mouth. The spacer can also prevent the tobacco escaping from the cigarette into the smoker's mouth.

Until now, typically, smokers have had to prepare spacers by tearing and trimming rough pieces of cardboard from all types of articles. The cardboard may vary widely in its quality, often resulting in difficulties in preparing spacers, indeed, the cardboard (15) may contain certain chemical additives to improve physical qualities which were beneficial in its previous ftiriction (e.g. printing chemicals, water-proofing agents) but these may not be suitable for being put near or in the mouth of the smoker, or if the spacer is accidentally lit in use, the products of combustion of the cardboard may be hazardous if inhaled.

(20) The present invention provides an assemblage comprising a releasably retained I plurality of cigarette spacer cards. The word "card" is used to denote a single spacer in flat form and to include both cardboard and alternative sheet materials.

An example of a spacer is a strip of pre-cut cardboard, which is preferably of hygienic quality, the thickness of the cardboard being suitable for hand-rolling, being not too (5) thick to bend easily, but having sufficient thickness to have some rigidity and an ability to form a coil with sufficient resilience to fit firmly into a cigarette end. The strips of the cardboard are preferably approximately 6 cm x 1 cm. each in size. Said spacers do not have to be limited to be made from cardboard; any other suitable material may be used which is resilient and flexible and of desired thickness. Certain (10) plastics, fibrous sheet material or other natural materials may be used for example.

An example of a means of assemblage is a booklet. A booklet could typically contain 60 spacers, the booklet being approximately 8 cm x 2.5 cm. x 0.5 cm. in size, holding spacers in pairs, separated by perforations in the cardboard. The spacers can be attached to the stub of, preferably, the cardboard booklet by, preferably, a (15) conventional binding glue. Perforations towards the end of the spacers allow them to be conveniently detached for use through tearing off by hand, the paired spacers being similarly detached from one another.

The means of assemblage of spacers need not necessarily be limited to a booklet, it may comprise sheets or strips of mutually releasably attached spacers or attached (20) spacers in a concertina arrangement or indeed a container with loose unattached spacers within or loose spacers held together with a purpose- made spring clip. Spacers, when attached, need not necessarily be attached via perforated borders, but by other means such as by lines of weakness in the spacer material, caused by 2 pressure, pinching, folding or by localised chemical treatments.

Specific embodiments according to the present invention are further explained by reference to the attached drawings.

Figure I shows plan and side views of a single cigarette spacer which has the (5) dimensions shown.

Figure 2 shows end and perspective views of a spacer as in Fig. 1, but rolled into a coil by hand.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a hand-rolled cigarette (1) with a pre-coiled spacer (2) inserted into one end.

(10) Figure 4 shows side and plan views of a booklet of spacers (3) separated by perforated borders (4) and attached to the booklet by perforated borders (5) via stubs (6) attached to the booklet spine (7) by spine glue.

Figure 5 shows a plan view of another example of an assemblage of single spacers attached via stubs (6) secured together via staple (8) and lines of weakness (9) (15) facilitating easy detachment of spacers.

Figure 6 shows a plan view of a sheet of spacers, with lines of weakness between them.

Figure 7 shows a side view of an assemblage of spacers in concertina arrangement, 3 said spacers being attached side-on via folded lines of weakness (10).

Figure 8 shows a side view of an assemblage of spacers in concertina arrangement, the spacers being attached end-on via lines of weakness (10).

Figure 9 shows a plan view of a strip of spacers being attached by lines of weakness (5) (9).

Figure 10 shows a perspective view of a booklet of spacers, whereby the booklet opens side-on.

SJICW5000(14.08.98) 4

Claims

I An assemblage comprising a releasably retained plurality of cigarette spacer cards.
2. An assemblage as claimed in Claim I wherein the cigarette spacer cards are mutually attached or are attached to a retained portion of card by a portion of card comprising a line of weakness adapted to allow release of the cards from one another and/or from a retained portion of the card by parting them along the said line.
3. An assemblage as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the line of weakness is provided by a line of perforations, a line of relatively thin card or a line weakened by pre-folding,
4. An assemblage as claimed in any preceding claim in the form of a booklet having a It) retained stub portion or a sheet.
S. An assemblage as claimed in Claim 4 in the form of a booklet of which each page comprises two or more cigarette spacer cards.
6. An assemblage as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the stub portions of the sheets are held together by gluing or stapling.
7. An assemblage as claimed in Claim 4 in a form of a sheet comprising a plurality of C mutually releasably attached cigarette spacer cards.
8. An assemblage as claimed in Claim 7 wherein the sheet is folded in concertina fashion of which each leaf comprises one or two cigarette spacer cards.
9. An assemblage as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the ci C, I igarette spacer cards are made of fibrous sheet material.
10. An assemblage as claimed in Claim 9 wherein the fibrous sheet material is a hygienically acceptable, bendable card having sufficient resilience to expand in use to fit with a rolled cigarette paper.
11. A cigarette spacer card suitable for an assemblage as claimed in Claim 10.
12. The use of a cigarette spacer card as claimed in Claim I I in coiled form in a cigarette.
13. An assemblage of cigarette spacer cards as claimed in any preceding claim and substantially as described herein.
14. An assemblage as claimed in Claim I and substantially as described herein with reference to any one of the figures I to 9 herein.

1 SJICW5000 (05.08.98) 0 I-