Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24D—CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES FOR CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES
  • A24D1/00—Cigars; Cigarettes
  • A24D1/04—Cigars; Cigarettes with mouthpieces or filter-tips
  • A24D1/042—Cigars; Cigarettes with mouthpieces or filter-tips with mouthpieces
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24D—CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES FOR CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES
  • A24D3/00—Tobacco smoke filters, e.g. filter-tips, filtering inserts; Filters specially adapted for simulated smoking devices; Mouthpieces for cigars or cigarettes
  • A24D3/04—Tobacco smoke filters characterised by their shape or structure
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24D—CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES FOR CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES
  • A24D3/00—Tobacco smoke filters, e.g. filter-tips, filtering inserts; Filters specially adapted for simulated smoking devices; Mouthpieces for cigars or cigarettes
  • A24D3/17—Filters specially adapted for simulated smoking devices
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24D—CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES FOR CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES
  • A24D3/00—Tobacco smoke filters, e.g. filter-tips, filtering inserts; Filters specially adapted for simulated smoking devices; Mouthpieces for cigars or cigarettes
  • A24D3/18—Mouthpieces for cigars or cigarettes; Manufacture thereof

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a smoking article having a mouth end providing a nonuniform shape.
• the present invention also relates to a container housing a plurality of such smoking articles and a method of forming smoking articles having a mouth end providing a nonuniform shape.
• Filter cigarettes typically comprise a cylindrical rod of tobacco cut filler surrounded by a paper wrapper and a cylindrical filter axially aligned in an abutting end-to-end relationship with the wrapped tobacco rod.
• the cylindrical filter typically comprises a filtration material circumscribed by a paper plug wrap.
• the wrapped tobacco rod and the filter are joined by a band of tipping wrapper, normally formed of an opaque paper material that circumscribes the entire length of the filter and an adjacent portion of the wrapped tobacco rod.
• a number of smoking articles in which an aerosol generating substrate, such as tobacco, is heated rather than combusted have also been proposed in the art.
• the aerosol is generated by heating the aerosol generating substrate.
• Known heated smoking articles include, for example, smoking articles in which an aerosol is generated by electrical heating or by the transfer of heat from a combustible fuel element or heat source to an aerosol generating substrate.
• volatile compounds are released from the aerosol generating substrate by heat transfer from the heat source and entrained in air drawn through the smoking article. As the released compounds cool they condense to form an aerosol that is inhaled by the consumer.
• smoking articles in which a nicotine-containing aerosol is generated from a tobacco material, tobacco extract, or other nicotine source, without combustion, and in some cases without heating, for example through a chemical reaction.
• the present invention provides a smoking article comprising a tobacco rod, a mouthpiece comprising a filter, and a tipping wrapper securing the filter in axial alignment with the tobacco rod.
• the mouthpiece defines a mouth end edge of the smoking article, the mouth end edge defining a non-linear contour extending around the circumference of the mouthpiece.
• the non-linear contour defines at least two peaks and at least two troughs.
• the length of the mouthpiece in a longitudinal direction varies about the circumference of the smoking article.
• the variation in the length of the mouthpiece defines the non-linear contour.
• the term "longitudinal" is used to refer to the direction in which the longest dimension of the smoking article extends.
• the length of the tobacco rod extends in the longitudinal direction.
• a “peak” is a location on the mouth end edge at which the length of the mouthpiece reaches a maximum, that is the mouthpiece has a shorter length either side of the peak.
• a peak may be a local maximum, that is there may be other peaks at which the length of the mouthpiece is greater.
• a peak may be an absolute maximum, that is the peak may define the longest portion of the mouthpiece.
• a "trough” is a location on the mouth end edge at which the length of the mouthpiece reaches a minimum, that is the mouthpiece has a greater length either side of the trough.
• a trough may be a local minimum, that is there may be other troughs at which the length of the mouthpiece is shorter.
• a trough may comprise an absolute minimum, that is the trough may define the shortest portion of the mouthpiece.
• the non-linear contour of the mouth end edge of smoking articles according to the present invention makes it easier to grasp and remove the smoking articles when housed in a packet or other container.
• the consumer can more easily grasp a smoking article by one or more peaks at the mouth end edge.
• This is in contrast to conventional smoking articles which have a uniform mouth end edge.
• the mouth end edges form a uniform, flat surface which makes it difficult for the consumer to grasp a single smoking article.
• the non-linear contour at the mouth end edge defines an even number of peaks.
• utilising an even number of peaks can simplify the manufacture of the smoking articles by allowing the use of a symmetrical cutting process.
• the non-linear contour consists of two peaks and two troughs, which permits the mouth end edge to be formed using a single cutting step, as will be described in more detail below.
• the mouthpiece has a circular or oval cross-sectional shape at the mouth end edge. That is, when the smoking article is viewed end-on in the longitudinal direction at the mouth end edge, the cross section is substantially circular or oval in shape.
• the non-linear contour can be any shape which defines at least two peaks and at least two troughs.
• the nonlinear contour defines a wave shape.
• the wave shape defines one of a sinusoidal wave, a square wave, a triangle wave or a sawtooth wave.
• Other suitable wave shapes will be apparent to the skilled person and fall within the scope of the present invention.
• the wave shape can be symmetric or asymmetric. In embodiments in which the wave shape is asymmetric, at least one of the amplitude or the wavelength of the wave shape can vary. The concepts of amplitude and wavelength are discussed in more detail below.
• the length of the smoking article can be defined as the distance in the longitudinal direction between the mouth end edge and a distal edge of the smoking article.
• the distal edge is located at the opposite end of the smoking article from the mouth end edge.
• the length of the smoking article is measured parallel to the longitudinal axis of the smoking article. Due to the non-linear contour of the mouth end edge, the length of the smoking article will vary around its circumference.
• the difference between the longest and shortest lengths of the smoking article is between about 2 mm and about 10 mm, more preferably between about 4 mm and about 8 mm.
• the difference between the longest and shortest lengths of the smoking article is less than or equal to the diameter (or the largest outer dimension, if not round) of the mouth end of the smoking article. This advantageously provides a variation in length which is sufficient to facilitate grasping of the smoking article by a consumer for removal from a packet.
• the difference between the length of the mouthpiece at a peak and the length of the mouthpiece at an adjacent trough can represent an amplitude of the wave shape.
• the wave shape may have a constant amplitude, that is the amplitude between all adjacent peaks and troughs may be the same over the entire mouth end edge.
• the wave shape may have a varying amplitude, that is the amplitude between adjacent peaks and troughs may vary around the circumference of the smoking article.
• the mean amplitude of the wave shape is between about 2 mm and about
• the mean amplitude of the wave shape is less than or equal to the diameter (or the largest outer dimension, if not round) of the mouth end of the smoking article. This advantageously provides peaks which are long enough to facilitate grasping of the smoking article by a consumer. Amplitudes within this range also provide peaks which are not too long so as to become distorted or damaged during handling of the smoking article during manufacture and by the consumer during use.
• the circumferential length between consecutive peaks can be the same as the circumferential length between consecutive troughs.
• equal distances between consecutive peaks and troughs can be defined as a constant wavelength of the wave shape in the circumferential direction.
• Smoking articles in accordance with the present invention may further include a filtration material in the mouthpiece, the filtration material extending upstream from the mouth end edge.
• a filtration material in the mouthpiece, the filtration material extending upstream from the mouth end edge.
• upstream and downstream are used to describe the relative positions of elements, or portions of elements, of the smoking article in relation to the direction in which a user draws on the smoking article during use thereof.
• Smoking articles as described herein comprise a downstream end (that is, the mouth end) and an opposed upstream end. In use, a user draws on the downstream end of the smoking article. The downstream end is downstream of the upstream end, which may also be described as the distal end.
• the downstream end of the filtration material preferably defines a non-linear contour which is continuous with the non-linear contour of the mouth end edge. This advantageously simplifies the manufacture of the smoking articles by permitting the use of a single cut to form the non-linear contour at the mouth end of the article.
• smoking articles in accordance with the present invention may comprise a mouth end cavity located within the mouthpiece and extending upstream from the mouth end edge.
• the mouthpiece preferably comprises at least one filter segment positioned upstream of the mouth end cavity.
• the mouthpiece may comprise a hollow tube segment defining the mouth end cavity.
• the mouthpiece may further comprise a plug wrap circumscribing at least a portion of the hollow tube segment and the at least one filter segment.
• Forming the mouth end cavity with a hollow tube segment advantageously provides a smoking article having a mouth end cavity with improved resistance to collapse or deformation during manufacture of the smoking article and during subsequent handling by the consumer.
• Such resistance to collapse or deformation can also advantageously eliminate the need to use stiff, high basis weight plug wraps and tipping wrappers which might otherwise be required to prevent collapse of the mouth end cavity.
• Such high basis weight plug wraps and tipping wrappers are undesirable since they can become creased or folded during manufacture of the smoking article, and they can also add other costly steps to the manufacturing process such as the need for online laser perforation ventilation.
• the hollow tube segment preferably defines the mouth end edge of the smoking article, that is the downstream edge of the hollow tube segment preferably defines the non-linear contour of the mouth end edge.
• utilising the hollow tube segment to form the mouth end edge can advantageously prevent deformation of the mouth end cavity during formation of the nonlinear contour at the mouth end edge during manufacture. Preventing such deformation ensures that the formed mouth end edge defines the correct non-linear contour.
• the hollow tube segment can also provide a stiffer mouth end edge about the mouth end cavity, thus making it easier for the consumer to grasp the smoking articles during removal from a packet.
• smoking articles in accordance with the present invention can include a mouth end cavity defined by a high basis weight plug wrap.
• the downstream edge of the high basis weight plug wrap defines the nonlinear contour of the mouth end edge of the smoking article.
• the mouthpiece may be a filter comprising one or more segments of filtration material.
• the filter is a multi-segment filter comprising two or more segments of filtration material.
• the filtration material within each filter segment is preferably a plug of fibrous filtration material, such as cellulose acetate tow or paper.
• a filter plasticiser may be applied to the fibrous filtration material in a conventional manner, by spraying it onto the separated fibres, preferably before applying any additional material to the filtration material.
• the segment of filtration material closest to the mouth end of the smoking article can have more than about 5% by weight, and in some cases more than about 7% by weight, of plasticiser in order to provide more support to the mouth end of the smoking article.
• Smoking articles according to the present invention may also include a variety of different types of filter segments or combinations of filter segments that would be known to the skilled person, including restrictors and segments that are used for adjusting the resistance to draw (RTD).
• smoking articles in accordance with the present invention may include one or more segments containing carbon, preferably a rod end segment containing carbon.
• Smoking articles in accordance with the present invention may also comprise one or more segments comprising a flavourant.
• the mouthpiece may abut the tobacco rod, or the mouthpiece may not abut the tobacco rod.
• the mouthpiece may be spaced apart from the tobacco rod so as to define a gap or a cavity therebetween.
• an intervening material may be positioned between the mouthpiece and the tobacco rod.
• the present invention also provides a container housing a number of smoking articles in accordance with any of the embodiments described above.
• the container may be a hinged lid container as is known, although other suitable containers will be apparent to the skilled person.
• the smoking articles Preferably, a majority or all of the smoking articles have the same orientation with respect to the container.
• the smoking articles may be arranged in rows such that the peaks and troughs of each smoking article are aligned respectively with the peaks and troughs of the adjacent smoking articles. Such alignment of the smoking articles provides a uniform arrangement which can facilitate removal of the smoking articles by the consumer.
• the present invention also provides a method of forming smoking articles having a mouth end edge that defines a non-linear contour, such as smoking articles in accordance with the first aspect of the invention.
• the method comprises a first step of providing double length mouthpieces.
• double length is used to describe an element which has twice the length of the corresponding element in the finished smoking article. That is, a double length mouthpiece is essentially two mouthpieces connected, usually by a continuous sheet of plug wrap.
• the next step in the method is to secure an aerosol-generating substrate in axial alignment with each end of the double length mouthpieces.
• the aerosol-generating substrates and the double length mouthpiece are aligned in a longitudinal direction.
• Each double length mouthpiece is then severed along a line of separation to form two smoking articles each comprising a mouthpiece, the line of separation defining a mouth end edge of each smoking article.
• Each mouth end edge defines a non-linear contour extending around the circumference of the mouthpiece, the non-linear contour defining at least two peaks and at least two troughs as described above.
• the second aspect of the present invention advantageously provides a method of forming smoking articles having a non-linear contour defined by the mouth end edge, wherein a single severing step can be used to form two smoking articles.
• the severing step can utilise a single cut which will form the non-linear mouth end edges of two smoking articles.
• the non-linear contours of the smoking articles will therefore be complimentary to each other.
• the cut-outs which form the troughs of one mouth end edge will form the peaks of the mouth end edge on the other smoking article.
• the method according to the second aspect of the present invention therefore provides an efficient process for forming smoking articles having a non-linear contour at the mouth end edge.
• the severing step may comprise a punching, machine cutting or laser cutting process to sever each double length mouthpiece along the line of separation.
• smoking articles formed in accordance with the second aspect of the present invention may be filter cigarettes or other smoking articles in which tobacco material is combusted to form smoke.
• the aerosol-generating substrate may comprise a tobacco rod and the mouthpiece may comprise a filter, as described above.
• the smoking article may include a tipping wrapper securing the filter in axial alignment with the tobacco rod.
• smoking articles formed in accordance with the second aspect of the present invention may be articles in which an aerosol-generating substance, such as tobacco, is heated to form an aerosol rather than combusted.
• an aerosol generating substance is heated by one or more electrical heating elements to produce an aerosol.
• an aerosol is produced by the transfer of heat from a combustible or chemical heat source to a physically separate aerosol generating substrate, which may be located within, around or downstream of the heat source.
• the present invention further encompasses smoking articles in which a nicotine-containing aerosol is generated from a tobacco material, tobacco extract, or other nicotine source, without combustion, and in some cases without heating, for example through a chemical reaction.
• Figure 1 shows a smoking article in accordance with the present invention
• Figure 2 shows an unwrapped tipping wrapper from the smoking article of Figure 1 ;
• Figure 3 shows a container housing a bundle of smoking articles in accordance with the present invention.
• Figure 4 shows a method of forming a plurality of smoking articles in accordance with the present invention.
• FIG. 1 shows a filter cigarette 10 in accordance with the present invention.
• the cigarette 10 comprises a wrapped rod 12 of tobacco cut filler which is attached at one end to an axially aligned filter 14.
• a tipping wrapper 16 circumscribes the filter 14 and a portion of the wrapped rod 12 of tobacco to join together the two portions of the cigarette 10.
• the wrapped rod 12 of tobacco and the filter 14 are aligned in a longitudinal direction 18.
• the mouth end of the filter 14 is cut so as to form a mouth end edge 20 defining a nonlinear contour.
• the non-linear contour is formed by variations in the length of the filter 14, the variations extending about the entire mouth end edge 20 in the circumferential direction 19.
• the mouth end edge 20 of the cigarette 10 shown in Figure 1 defines a substantially sinusoidal wave shape in the circumferential direction 19, although the skilled person will appreciate that other non-linear shapes fall within the scope of the present invention.
• the mouth end edge 20 could define a square wave shape, a triangle wave shape or a sawtooth wave shape.
• Figure 2 shows the mouth end of the tipping wrapper 16 when unwrapped from the cigarette 10 and laid flat.
• the mouth end edge 20 defines a wave shape consisting of two peaks 22 and two troughs 24.
• the distance in the longitudinal direction 18 between a peak 22 and an adjacent trough 24 defines an amplitude 26 of the wave shape.
• the amplitude can be constant for the entire wave shape, or the amplitude can vary across the width of the tipping paper 16, that is the amplitude can vary in the circumferential direction 19 when the tipping paper 16 is wrapped about the filter 14.
• the skilled person will be able to select the appropriate non-linear contour, the number of peaks and troughs and the amplitudes for a given application of the invention.
• smoking articles according to the present invention can be provided in a container.
• Figure 3 shows a bundle of cigarettes 10 as shown in Figure 1 housed in a hinged lid container 30.
• Other suitable types of container are known to the skilled person.
• the cigarettes 10 each have the same orientation with respect to the container 30, such that the peaks and troughs of each cigarette 10 are aligned respectively with the peaks and troughs of adjacent cigarettes 10. This provides a uniform appearance to the bundle and facilitates removal of the cigarettes 10 from the container 30 by ensuring that the peaks are conveniently positioned for a consumer to grasp.
• the skilled person will appreciate that other arrangements of the cigarettes 10 within the container 30 will fall within the scope of the invention.
• Figure 4 illustrates an exemplary method of forming a plurality of cigarettes 10 as shown in Figure 1.
• a double length mouthpiece is provided, the double length mouthpiece comprising a hollow tube member 40, two intermediate filter segments 42 and two rod end filter segments 44.
• the hollow tube member 40 and the filter segments 42, 44 are joined together by a combining plug wrap 46 to form the double length mouthpiece.
• a wrapped rod 12 of tobacco is provided at each end of the double length mouthpiece in axial alignment with the double length mouthpiece and adjacent the rod end filter segments 44.
• the double length mouthpiece and the wrapped rods 12 of tobacco are joined by a tipping wrapper 48.
• the hollow tube member 40, the combining plug wrap 46 and the tipping wrapper 48 are cut along a continuous cut line 50 to form two cigarettes.
• Each cigarette comprises a mouth end cavity defined by a portion of the hollow tube member 40.
• the cut line 50 is shaped such that the mouth end edge 20 of each cigarette defines the required non-linear contour.
• the single cut line 50 provides two cigarettes 10 having complimentary non-linear contours.
• the shape of the peaks of one cigarette 10 correspond to the shape of the troughs of the other cigarette 10.
• By selecting an appropriate cut line 50 it is possible to form peaks and troughs having identical lengths and widths such that both cigarettes 10 are identical.

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• Cigarettes, Filters, And Manufacturing Of Filters (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=46980819

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (1)

Cited By (3)

Citations (4)

• 2013
  • 2013-09-27 WO PCT/EP2013/070185 patent/WO2014049118A1/fr not_active Ceased

Patent Citations (4)

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