Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Filter element for a smokina article
This invention relates to a filter element for a smoking article.
Smoking articles, such as cigarettes, are well known in the art. Conventional
cigarettes allow the user to inhale smoke from a rod of tobacco through a
filter.
This type of pre-made cigarette is still widely used. However, various
modified
cigarettes have been produced to alter the smoking experience with additives.
One type of modified cigarette known in the art provides a capsule in the
filter.
The user may crush the capsule before or during smoking to release an additive
into the smoke stream to modify the physical properties thereof. The capsules
may contain flavouring, such as menthol, or non-flavoured contents in a
liquid,
gel or pulverised form.
Capsule cigarettes have allowed users to modify the smoking experience.
Providing an additive in capsule form presents users with an alternative to
the
ordinary smoking experience with a conventional cigarette. With the capsule
cigarette, the user crushes the capsule to release the additive. Provision of
flavoured additives in capsules also prevents loss of volatile components such
as flavourings until capsules are crushed by users before or during smoking.
However, the user is currently limited in choice by these capsule cigarettes.
Both the type and quantity of additive are pre-determined and there is no
opportunity for users to select the additive(s) from one cigarette to another
or to
combine different additives or even to adjust quantities of additives they
want to
use during a specific smoking experience.
Therefore there exists a need to provide a smoking article where the user is
able
to select the type, quantity and combination of additives to enhance the
smoking
experience according to personal choice.
The invention provides a solution to that need by means of a filter element
for a
smoking article, the filter element comprising: at least one plug of filter
material;
and a wrapper at least partially surrounding the plug of filter material,
wherein
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the wrapper comprises an aperture with a covering which the user may open to
access the plug of filter material and that may be resealed over the plug of
filter
material.
The covering may comprise a tab capable of resealing the covering. The tab
may comprise re-sealable adhesive. Preferably, the tab and adhesive are
configured to provide an airtight closure of the covering over the aperture to
prevent unwanted ventilation of the filter element. The wrapper may comprise
an inner layer and an outer layer. The tab may be cut into the outer layer,
such
that when the covering is closed the tab secures the outer layer to the inner
layer. The aperture may be cut into the inner layer, and preferably be
slightly
smaller than the covering such that the tab can be resealed over parts of the
inner layer delimiting a frame or border to the aperture.
The filter element may comprise a cavity below the aperture. Said cavity may
be
shaped into the at least one plug of filter material. Alternatively, the
filter element
may comprise at least two plugs of filter material spaced from each other to
delimit a cavity between the plugs and below the aperture. An additive may be
manually inserted into the cavity defined in or within the plug or plugs of
filter
material. The additive may be a flavouring or any other smoke altering or
filtering substance. The additive may be provided in any form, such as solid,
liquid or pulverised form. The additive may preferably be embedded in a
capsule capable of rupture.
The invention also provides a smoking article comprising a filter element
according to the invention and a tobacco rod, wherein a wrapping material
connects one end of the tobacco rod to an end of the filter element. The
wrapping material may be the wrapper of the filter component or a different
wrapping material.
The filter element of the invention offers extended flexibility of use to
users
wishing to modify their smoking experiences according to personal choice and
uniquely for each smoking article used. Smoking articles well known in the art
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either provide no additives, or an additive of a pre-determined type and
quantity,
with no option to change it.
With the filter element of the present invention, the user can choose an
additive
type, choose the quantity he or she wishes to use for a particular smoking
article
and furthermore may choose a combination of additives to design the smoking
experience he wishes.
The aperture and covering setup of the filter element of the invention
provides
ease of use. All the user needs to do is to select at least one additive, to
open
the covering and to insert the selected additive before closing the covering
and
proceeding to smoking as usual.
An example of the present invention will now be described with reference to
the
accompanying drawings, in which:
- figure 1 shows a perspective view of a smoking article 1 comprising a filter
element 2 of the invention; and
- figures 2a-d show cross-sectional views of smoking articles 1 comprising
filter
elements 2 according to different embodiments of the invention.
In figure 1, a smoking article 1, in this case a cigarette, comprises a filter
element 2 and a tobacco rod 3. The filter element 2 comprises at least one
plug
of filter material 6 wrapped with at least one outer wrapper 13, commonly
known
in the art as a tipping of the smoking article 1. An end of the tobacco rod 3
is
connected to an end of the filter element 2 by an overlapping of the wrapper
13,
which forms a tight collar secured by adhesive around at least part of the
filter
element 2 and part of the tobacco rod 3 to secure the assembly. The plug of
filter material 6 is made of any known filter material used for smoking
articles
such as crimped cellulose acetate tow, paper, synthetic and/or natural fibres
or a
mixture thereof.
According to the invention, the filter element 2 comprises an aperture 4
formed
in the wrapper 13. Said aperture 4 is defined at least by a re-sealable
covering 5
that is cut into wrapper 13. Thereby, the aperture 4 is delimited by the
surface
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area of the covering 5 cut in the wrapper. The covering 5 is re-sealable over
the
aperture, for example by a re-sealable adhesive applied to the inner surface
of
the covering 5. The aperture 4 may take any shape, including rectangular,
circular and elliptical.
In a preferred embodiment as represented in figure 1, the wrapper 13 is a
laminate comprising at least an inner layer 8 and an outer layer 9. In such
embodiment the aperture 4 is cut into the inner layer 8 and is smaller than
the
covering 5. This enables the covering 5 to form a seal over the aperture 4.
The
covering 5 is cut into the outer layer 9 and comprises a tab 10 to ease
opening
and closing thereof. The covering 5 is, in this example, at least partially
coated
on its inner surface with a re-sealable adhesive, which sticks the outer layer
9 to
the inner layer 8 around the aperture 4.
Preferably, the inner layer 8 and outer layer 9 can have a different nature,
e.g. a
polymer based inner layer 8 and a paper based outer layer 9, Alternatively,
both
inner and outer layers 8, 9 may be paper based and the inner layer being
coated, for example with varnish, on its outermost surface at least to allow
for
easy resealing on the covering 5 onto the inner layer 8 about the aperture 4.
As represented in figures 2a-d in particular, the filter element 2 of the
invention
preferably comprises a cavity 7 formed below the aperture 4 in the at least
one
plug 6 of filter material or between two plugs 6 of filter material. Such
cavity 7
allows for insertion of an additive of choice into the filter element 2 by a
user
through the aperture 4. The additive may be of any kind and any form capable
of altering the smoke stream during smoking of the smoking article 1 by a
user,
as will be described hereinafter in relation to figures 2a to 2d. Preferably,
the
additive may be a breakable capsule 11 to be manually inserted into the cavity
7
as represented in figure 1, said capsule containing, for example, a flavoured
or
non-flavoured composition.
The aperture 4 may be provided to the user open or closed. Where the aperture
4 is provided closed, the user must first open the aperture 4.
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When open, the aperture 4 reveals the cavity 7 defined by the plug of filter
material 6. The user is then able to insert an additive, provided separately,
into
the cavity 7. In an alternative embodiment, a liquid additive may be inserted
into
a plug of filter material 6 that does not define a cavity. After inserting the
5 additive, the user may close the aperture 4. The user can secure the
closure by
means of the tab 10 and simply press close the covering 5, which sticks on to
the overlapping inner layer 8.
The user may then proceed to smoke the smoking article 1. Where the additive
is provided in the form of a capsule 11, the user may crush this capsule 11 at
any point before or during smoking to release its content and alter the smoke
stream.
Figures 2a-d show longitudinal cross-sectional views of a smoking article 1
according to the invention as represented in figure 1, where the aperture 4
over
the cavity 7 is closed by the covering 5 in wrapper 13.
In figure 2a, the filter element 2 comprises a single plug of filter material
6
wherein a cavity 7 is shaped within the plug underneath the aperture 4 in the
wrapper. The cavity 7 does not extend across the entire filter element 2
normal
to the longitudinal axis.
In figures 2b, 2c and 2d, a cavity 7 is defined by two plugs 61, 62 of filter
material. The plugs 61, 62 of filter material may be the same or different
sizes
and may be of the same or different composition. One plug 61 of filter
material
forms the mouth end of the filter element 2; the other plug 62 of filter
material
forms the tobacco end of the filter element 2. In a first embodiment, both
plugs
61, 62 may be formed of crimped cellulose acetate tow. In another embodiment,
the mouth end plug 61 may be of crimped cellulose acetate tow while the
tobacco end plug 62 may be formed of cellulose acetate tow, either crimped
with
plasticizer or in the form of randomly oriented fibres, admixed with an
adsorbent
material, for example activated charcoal. The cavity 7 extends across the
filter
element 2 normal to the longitudinal axis of the smoking article 1.
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In figures 2a-c, the cavity 7 is filled by one or several individual
capsule(s) 11.
The capsule(s) 11 may contain an additive such as flavouring, in a liquid or
gel
solution. Before or during smoking, the user may crush the capsule(s) 11 to
release the additive it contains and alter the smoke stream properties to
provide
a different smoking experience.
In figure 2c, the cavity 7 is filled by more than one capsule 11. A user is
thereby
given the freedom to choose the amount of additive he or she wishes to have in
each smoking article 1. Providing the additives separately to the filter
element 2
enables the user to choose one or more additives for each smoking article 1
smoked. It also enables the user to adjust the dose and/or nature of additive
as
desired for each smoking article 1.
In figure 2d, the cavity 7 is filled by additive in a pulverised or
microencapsulated
form 12. Some additives, such as natural fine cut leaf parts, adsorbent
powders,
granules or particles, do not need to be provided in capsule form. Since the
cavity 7 may be filled by items other than capsules, the invention allows the
user
to select and experiment with different additives to alter his smoking
experiences
according to his own choices.
The filter element 2 and smoking article 1 of the invention provide users with
the
freedom of choice to uniquely design and alter their smoking experience. The
filter element 2 of the invention is simple to manufacture and use and, when
joined to a tobacco rod 3, allows the user to adjust the smoking experience
with
additives of his choice in the context of a familiar smoking article 1.
