Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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A Smoking Article and Attachable Unit therefor
Technical Field
The invention relates to a smoking article and an attachable unit therefor.
Background
Cigarettes and other smoking articles produce an aerosol, smoke in the case of
cigarettes, which is inhaled by a user. Separate filter units may be attached
to smoking
articles to modify the aerosol before it reaches the user's mouth.
Summary
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an attachable
unit to be
attached to a smoking article rod by a user to modify an aerosol generated by
the
smoking article rod, the attachable unit comprising a recess to receive at
least a portion
is of the smoking article rod when the attachable unit is attached to the
smoking article
rod, and a raised area extending from an inner surface of the recess for
contacting an
outer surface of the smoking article rod when the at least a portion of the
smoking
article rod is received in the recess.
The attachable unit can further comprise a sleeve, wherein at least a portion
of the
sleeve defines the recess. The attachable unit can further comprise a
cylindrical
element and a sheet material at least partially surrounding the cylindrical
element and
forming the sleeve.
The attachable unit can be arranged such that the smoking article rod and
attachable
unit are aligned on a longitudinal axis when the attachable unit is attached
to the
smoking article rod and wherein the recess of the attachable unit is formed by
the sheet
material extending longitudinally beyond a longitudinal end of the cylindrical
element,
and wherein the raised area extends around an inner surface of the sheet
material.
The attachable unit can be arranged such that the smoking article rod and
attachable
unit are aligned on a longitudinal axis when the attachable unit is attached
to the
smoking article rod and wherein the recess of the attachable unit is formed by
a tubular
element held within a portion of the sheet material extending longitudinally
beyond a
longitudinal end of the cylindrical element, and wherein the raised area
extends around
an inner surface of the tubular element.
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The raised area can be annular and/or can extend circumferentially around the
inner
circumferential surface of the recess.
The raised area can be for contacting an outer circumferential surface of the
smoking
article rod when the at least a portion of the smoking article rod is received
in the
recess.
The raised area can comprise a seal which is configured to restrict the
ingress of air into
/o the smoking article between the inner surface of the recess of the
attachable unit and
the outer surface of the smoking article rod.
The raised area can comprise a deformable material such as a resiliently
deformable
material.
The raised area can comprise an adhesive. The element can comprise filtration
material such as fibrous filtration material.
The element can comprise a flavour modifying agent.
According to the first aspect of the invention, there is further provided a
kit comprising
an attachable unit according to the first aspect of the invention and a
smoking article
rod, the attachable unit to be attached to the smoking article rod by a user.
According to the first aspect of the invention, there is further provided a
smoking
article comprising a smoking article rod and an attachable unit according to
the first
aspect of the invention attached to the smoking article rod, wherein at least
a portion of
the smoking article rod is received in the recess and the raised area is in
contact with
the outer surface of the smoking article rod.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an attachable
unit to be
attached to a smoking article rod by a user to modify an aerosol generated by
the
smoking article rod, the attachable unit comprising a cylindrical element and
a tubular
element, wherein the cylindrical element and tubular element are aligned on a
longitudinal axis and connected together by a sheet material wrapping at least
a portion
of the cylindrical element and tubular element and wherein the tubular element
defines
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a recess to receive at least a portion of the smoking article rod when the
attachable unit
is attached to the smoking article rod.
The tubular element can comprise a resiliently deformable material. The
tubular
element can have a wall thickness of between 0.2MM and 5mm, between 0.2MM and
2MM, between 0.2MM and imm or between 0.2MM and o.4mm. The tubular element
can have an internal diameter of between 4mm and lomm and a manufacturing
tolerance for said internal diameter of less than +/- o.imm, +/- 0.05mm, +/-
0.04mm,
+/- 0.03mm or +/- 0.02MM.
The attachable unit can be arranged such that the smoking article rod and
attachable
unit are aligned on a longitudinal axis when the attachable unit is attached
to the
smoking article rod and wherein a longitudinal end surface of the cylindrical
element is
arranged to abut a longitudinal end surface of the smoking article rod when
the
attachable unit is attached to the smoking article rod.
The element can comprise filtration material, such as fibrous filtration
material.
The element can comprise a flavour modifying agent.
The attachable unit can further comprise a raised area extending from an inner
surface
of the recess for contacting an outer surface of the smoking article rod when
the at least
a portion of the smoking article rod is received in the recess.
The raised area can be annular and can extends circumferentially around the
inner
circumferential surface of the recess.
According to the second aspect of the invention, there is further provided a
kit
comprising an attachable unit according to the second aspect of the invention
and a
smoking article rod, the attachable unit to be attached to the smoking article
rod by a
user.
According to the second aspect of the invention, there is further provided a
smoking
article comprising a smoking article rod and an attachable unit according to
the second
aspect of the invention attached to the smoking article rod, wherein at least
a portion of
the smoking article rod is received in the recess defined by the tubular
element.
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According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided an attachable
unit to be
attached to a smoking article rod by a user to modify an aerosol generated by
the
smoking article rod, the smoking article rod comprising a first recess, the
attachable
unit comprising an element arranged to be inserted at least partially into the
first recess
of the smoking article rod and a second recess arranged to receive at least a
portion of
the smoking article rod.
The second recess can surround the element.
The attachable unit can further comprise an outer sleeve surrounding the
element,
wherein the element comprises a cylindrical element and the second recess is
formed
is between the cylindrical element and the outer sleeve.
The attachable unit can further comprise a cylindrical body of material
surrounded by
the sleeve, the cylindrical body of material having a diameter greater than
the
cylindrical element and the cylindrical element arranged coaxially with the
cylindrical
body of material and extending from an end thereof.
The attachable unit can be arranged such that the smoking article rod and
attachable
unit are aligned on a longitudinal axis when the attachable unit is attached
to the
smoking article rod and wherein the cylindrical body of material has a
longitudinal end
surface which is arranged to abut a longitudinal end surface of the smoking
article rod
when the attachable unit is attached to the smoking article rod.
The element can comprise filtration material such as fibrous filtration
material.
The element can comprise a flavour modifying agent.
The attachable unit can further comprise a raised area extending from an inner
surface
of the second recess for contacting an outer surface of the smoking article
rod when the
at least a portion of the smoking article rod is received in the second
recess.
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According to the third aspect of the invention, there is further provided a
kit
comprising an attachable unit according to the third aspect of the invention
and a
smoking article rod, the attachable unit to be attached to the smoking article
rod by a
user.
According to the third aspect of the invention, there is further provided a
smoking
article comprising a smoking article rod comprising a first recess and an
attachable unit
according to the third aspect of the invention attached to the smoking article
rod,
wherein the element of the attachable unit is inserted at least partially into
the first
/o recess of the smoking article rod and at least a portion of the smoking
article rod is
received in the second recess of the attachable unit.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only,
with
/5 reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a side-on cross sectional view of an example of an attachable unit
and a
smoking article rod which can be attached to form a smoking article;
Figure 2 is a side-on cross sectional view of another example of an attachable
unit and a
smoking article rod which can be attached to form a smoking article;
20 Figure 3 is a side-on cross sectional view of a further example of an
attachable unit and
a smoking article rod which can be attached to form a smoking article; and
Figure 4 is a side-on cross sectional view of another example of an attachable
unit and a
smoking article rod which can be attached to form a smoking article.
25 Detailed Description
As used herein, the term "smoking article" includes combustible smoking
articles such
as cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos whether based on tobacco, tobacco
derivatives,
expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes and also
heating
devices such as heat-not-burn (HnB) devices, which release compounds from
substrate
30 materials, such as tobacco, without burning the substrate material, and
other nicotine
delivery products such as aerosol generation devices including e-cigarettes.
The
smoking article may be provided with a filter for the gaseous flow drawn by
the smoker.
Smoking articles such as cigarettes and their formats are often named
according to the
35 cigarette length: "regular" (typically in the range 68 ¨ 75 mm, e.g.
from about 68 mm to
about 72 mm), "short" or "mini" (68 mm or less), "king-size" (typically in the
range 75 ¨
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91 mm, e.g. from about 79 mm to about 88 mm), "long" or "super-king"
(typically in the
range 91 ¨ 105 mm, e.g. from about 94 mm to about 101 mm) and "ultra-long"
(typically in the range from about no mm to about 121 Mal).
They are also named according to the cigarette circumference: "regular" (about
23 ¨ 25
mm), "wide" (greater than 25 mm), "slim" (about 22 - 23 mm), "demi-slim"
(about 19
- 22 mm), "super-slim" (about 16 ¨ 19 mm), and "micro-slim" (less than about
16 mm).
Accordingly, a cigarette in a king-size, super-slim format will, for example,
have a
length of about 83 mm and a circumference of about 17 mm. Cigarettes in the
regular,
w king-size format are preferred by many customers, namely with a
circumference of
from 23 to 25 mm and an overall length of from 75 to 91 mm.
Each format may be produced with filters of different lengths, smaller filters
being
generally used in formats of smaller lengths and circumferences. Typically the
filter
/5 length will be from about 15 mm, associated with short, regular formats,
to 30 mm,
associated with ultra-long super-slim formats. The tipping paper will have a
greater
length than the filter, for example from 3 to 10 mm longer, such that the
tipping paper
covers the filter and overlaps the tobacco rod to connect the filter to the
tobacco rod.
20 Smoking articles described herein can be made in, but are not limited
to, any of the
above formats.
In the figures described herein, like reference numerals are used to
illustrate equivalent
features, articles or components.
Figure 1 is a side-on cross sectional view of an example of an attachable unit
3 and a
smoking article rod 2 which can be attached or coupled together by a user to
form a
smoking article loft The attachable unit 3 is configured to modify one or more
properties of an aerosol generated by the smoking article rod 2.
The attachable unit 3 comprises a recess 30 into which at least a portion of
the smoking
article rod 2 can be received when the attachable unit 3 is attached to the
smoking
article rod 2. In the present example, the attachable unit 3 comprises a
cylindrical
element 21 which is surrounded by a sheet material 22 forming a sleeve around
the
cylindrical element 21. In alternative examples, the sleeve can be formed in
other ways,
for instance from plastic or other materials. In the present example, the
cylindrical
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element 21 comprises filter material, in the present case cellulose acetate
tow,
circumferentially wrapped in the sheet material 22, although the attachable
unit 3 can
be formed in other ways. In the present case, the sheet material 22 comprises
stiff
paper.
The attachable unit is arranged such that the smoking article rod 2 and
attachable unit
3 are aligned on a longitudinal axis when the attachable unit 3 is attached to
the
smoking article rod 2.
/0 The cylindrical element 21 comprises first and second longitudinal ends
23, 24, which,
in the present example are exposed, allowing smoke or other aerosols to pass
longitudinally through the cylindrical element 21. As illustrated, to form the
recess 30,
the sheet material 22 extends longitudinally beyond the first longitudinal end
surface
23 of the cylindrical element 21. The recess 30 is formed by the first
longitudinal end
is surface 23 of the cylindrical element 21 together with the inner surface
of the portion of
the sheet material 22 which extends longitudinally beyond the first
longitudinal end
surface 23 of the cylindrical element 21. The sheet material 22 extends up to
the second
longitudinal end surface 24 of the cylindrical element 21, although can
alternatively
extend beyond the second longitudinal end surface 24, forming a further recess
(not
20 shown), or can be arranged to stop short of the longitudinal end surface
24, such that
the sheet material 22 does not surround the full length of the cylindrical
element 21.
A raised area 50 extends at least substantially around an inner surface of the
recess 30,
in the present example around the inner surface of the sheet material 22. The
raised
25 area 50 in the present example is annular, i.e. it forms a ring
extending
circumferentially around the inner surface of the sheet material 22. The
raised area 50
may comprise, but is not limited to, one or more layers of material such as
one or more
adhesive layers or one or more layers of paper, moulded pulp material, card,
rubber or
plastic material. The raised area 50 may be made out of a deformable material
such as
30 a resiliently deformable material and/or a material which is impermeable
to air,
restricts or substantially restricts the passage of air through the material.
The raised
area 50 can be formed by embossing the sheet material 22 such that a region of
the
material 22 protrudes into the recess 30.
35 The smoking article rod 2 shown in Figure 1 has a tobacco rod 4
longitudinally
connected, end-on, to a filter 6. An external end surface 16 of the filter 6
at the end
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opposite to the end of the filter 6 facing the tobacco rod 4 defines a mouth
end surface
16 of the smoking article rod 2. The smoking article rod 4 can be a
conventional
smoking article, such as a cigarette, including any of the smoking articles
and smoking
article formats described herein. In the present example, the tobacco rod 4 is
wrapped
in a wrapping material 5, in this case cigarette paper. The filter 6 is, in
the present
example, formed from cellulose acetate tow wrapped in a plug wrap 9. The
tobacco rod
4 and filter 6 are connected by a tipping material 14 overlaying the filter 6
and partially
overlaying the wrapping material 5. The filter 6 may comprise two or more
filter
sections forming the filter 6, which can be connected together using a further
plug wrap
io (not shown), prior to connection of the filter 6 to the tobacco rod 4
using the tipping
material 14.
In use, the smoking article loo can be provided to users with the attachable
unit 3 and
smoking article rod 2 as separate components, for instance packaged separately
or
/5 packaged together as a kit of parts for producing a smoking article loft
Prior to a user
first using the smoking article rod 2, the attachable unit 3 can be attached
to the
smoking article rod 2 by inserting the mouth-end of the smoking article rod 2
into the
recess 30 of the attachable unit 3. When the attachable unit 3 is attached to
the
smoking article rod 2, the first longitudinal end surface 23 of the
cylindrical element 21
20 abuts the mouth end surface 16 of the filter 6 of the smoking article
rod 2. Alternatively,
the attachable member 3 may be attached to the smoking article rod 2 so that
there is a
gap between the longitudinal end surface 23 and the mouth end surface 16. The
raised
area 50 contacts an outer surface of the smoking article rod 2, in particular
a
circumferential outer surface, when the smoking article rod 2 is received in
the recess
25 30.
The user can select whether or not to attach the attachable unit 3 to the
smoking article
rod 2 prior to smoking the smoking article loo, and can in this way control
the length
of filter of the smoking article loo and therefore the level of filtration of
the aerosol
30 generated by the smoking article rod 2. The attachable unit 3 can also
include additives
or agents for modifying the aerosol, in the present case smoke, generated by
the
smoking article rod 2. For instance, in the present example, a capsule
containing a
flavour additive (not shown) is located within the cylindrical element 21. The
capsule
has a liquid centre and a frangible outer shell which can be broken by a user
by
35 squeezing the attachable unit 3, to thereby release the flavour
additive. The flavour
additive is transferred to the aerosol generated by the smoking article rod 2
as the
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smoking article loo is smoked. In alternative examples, the attachable unit 3
may
include alternative additives or agents for modifying the aerosol generated by
the
smoking article rod 2, such as granules of activated carbon or other
adsorbents,
humectants, diluents and suchlike.
In the present example, the raised area 50 comprises an adhesive to attach the
attachable unit 3 to the smoking article rod 2. Suitable adhesive materials
for the
raised area 50 include a natural adhesive (bio-adhesive) and/or a synthetic
adhesive.
The synthetic adhesive may be based on any of: an elastomer material; a
thermoplastic
io material; an emulsion and a thermosetting material such as epoxy,
polyurethane,
cyanoacrylate or acrylic. The adhesive may be any non-reactive adhesive such
as: a
drying adhesive, a pressure sensitive adhesive, a contact adhesive, a hot
adhesive. The
adhesive may be a reactive adhesive. The adhesive may be a permanently tacky
adhesive, for instance allowing the attachable unit 3 and smoking article rod
2 to be
is separated and repositioned. The parts of the sheet material 22 on which
the raised area
50 is disposed may be pressed against the outer surface of the smoking article
rod 2 by
the user, in order to adhere the attachable unit 3 to the smoking article rod
2.
The raised area 50 can alternatively or additionally form a seal or sealing
element used
20 to seal at least a part of the interface between the sheet material 22
and the smoking
article rod 2 and inhibit the ingress of gases (such as air) that would
normally enter into
the smoking article loo via a gap between the outer surface of the smoking
article rod 2
and the inner surface of the sheet material 22. In this case, the raised area
50 may
comprise a body which is air impermeable in at least one direction and/or
resiliently
25 deformable. Due to limitations in the manufacturing tolerance of the
components of a
smoking article, the distance between surfaces such as the outer surface of
the portion
of the smoking article rod 2 inserted into the recess 30 and the inner surface
of the
recess 30 can vary. If external air is allowed to enter the smoking article
loo between
the attachable unit 3 and the smoking article rod 2, this can result in a
level of
30 ventilation exhibited by the smoking article loo which cannot be
accurately controlled
from one article to another. Restricting the ingress of air therefore provides
a greater
degree of control of the airflow into and through the smoking article loft For
instance,
ventilation can be provided into the filter 6 using perforations through the
plug wrap 9
and tipping 14 in the conventional manner.
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The raised area 50 may comprise any suitable thickness (i.e. the distance
between the
inner surface of the sheet material 22 and the innermost surface 5oa of the
raised area
50), for example between o.imm and 2 mm, or between o.imm and imm. The raised
area can, for instance, have a thickness of o.5mm.
In practice, the correspondence between the dimensions of the recess 30 and
those of
the smoking article rod 2 will depend on the materials used to form these
components
and the desired closeness of the fit between them. It is likely to be
preferable that the
dimensions of the recess 30 are slightly larger than the dimensions of the
smoking
article rod 2, to facilitate insertion of the smoking article rod 2 into the
recess 30.
In the example of Figure 1, the recess 30 has an internal diameter of 8.2mm
and the
smoking article rod 2 has an external diameter of 7.8 mm. In alternative
examples, the
internal diameter of the recess 30 can have other values, for instance
diameters in the
/5 range from 4mm to lomm. In the example of Figure 1, the recess 30 has an
internal
length of 12MM. In alternative examples, the internal length of the recess 30
can have
other values, for instance values in the range from 5mm to 3omm.
The longitudinal end surface 23 is configured to at least partially face the
mouth end
surface 16 of the smoking article rod 2 when the attachable unit 3 is attached
to the
smoking article rod 2.
The raised area 50 can be formed by a resiliently deformable material, so that
it can
deform to receive the smoking article rod 2 when the smoking article rod 2 is
inserted
into the recess 30.
Figure 2 is a side-on cross sectional view of another example of an attachable
unit 203
and a smoking article rod 2 which can be attached to form a smoking article
200.
As with the previous example, the attachable unit 203 is arranged to be
attached to the
smoking article rod 2 by a user to modify one or more properties of aerosol
generated
by the smoking article rod 2. The attachable unit 203 comprises a cylindrical
element
21 and a tubular element 31. The cylindrical element 21 and tubular element 31
are
aligned on a common longitudinal axis (not shown) and connected together by a
sheet
material 22, in the present case wrapping at least a portion of the
cylindrical element 21
and tubular element 31. The tubular element 31 defines a recess 30 which is
arranged
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to receive at least a portion of the smoking article rod 2 when the attachable
unit 203 is
attached to the smoking article rod 2.
The smoking article rod 2 shown in Figure 2 is substantially the same as the
smoking
article rod 2 described in relation to Figure 1, and so detailed description
of its structure
is omitted. Furthermore, the dimensions of the recess 30 described with
reference to
Figure 1 also apply to the recess 30 illustrated in Figure 2. However, in the
present
example, the recess 30 is formed by the inner surface of the tubular element
31 together
with the end surface 23 of the cylindrical element 21. The tubular element 31
is selected
/o to have a manufacturing tolerance with regards to its internal diameter
which is smaller
than that achievable by the sheet material 22 of the example of Figure 1. For
instance,
the tubular element 31 can have an internal diameter of between 4mm and lomm
and a
manufacturing tolerance for said internal diameter of +/- o.imm or less, +/-
0.05mm
or less, +/- 0.04mm or less, +/- 0.03mm or less or +/- 0.02MM or less.
Accordingly,
/5 the use of a tubular element 31 enables deviations in the diameter of
the recess 30 to be
reduced, facilitating insertion of the smoking article rod 2 into the recess
30 and
minimising the variation in the distance between the outer surface of the
portion of the
smoking article rod 2 inserted into the recess 30 and the inner surface of the
recess 30.
20 The tubular element 31 may be made of a deformable material, such as a
foamed
material, rubber or a plastic material. This allows the tubular element 31 to
deform
when receiving the smoking article rod 2.
The attachable unit 3 may be attached to the smoking article rod 2 in any
suitable way.
25 This may include forming an interference fit between the inner surface
of the tubular
element 31 and the outer surface of the smoking article rod 2. In this case,
the
interference fit is such that a seal is formed at the interface between the
inner surface of
the tubular member 31 and the outer surface of the smoking article rod 2,
which
inhibits the ingress of gases (such as air) that would normally enter into the
smoking
30 article 200 via a gap between the outer surface of the smoking article
rod 2 and the
inner surface of the tubular member 31. The amount of air entering into a
smoking
article between two neighbouring surfaces may be variable and/or unwanted.
Restricting the ingress of air therefore provides a degree of control of the
airflow into
and/or through the smoking article 200.
The attachable unit 203 can include additives or agents for modifying the
aerosol, in
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the present case smoke, generated by the smoking article rod 2, in the same
way as the
attachable unit 3 described with reference to Figure 1 above.
In use, the smoking article 200 can be provided to users with the attachable
unit 203
and smoking article rod 2 as separate components, for instance as a kit of
parts. Prior
to a user first using the smoking article 200, the attachable unit 203 can be
attached to
the smoking article rod 2 by inserting the smoking article rod 2 into the
recess 30 of the
attachable unit 203.
/0 When the attachable unit 203 is attached to the smoking article rod 2,
the longitudinal
end surface 23 of the cylindrical element 21 may abut the mouth end surface 16
of the
filter 6. Alternatively, the attachable unit 203 may be attached to the
smoking article
rod 2 so that there is a gap between the longitudinal end surface 23 and the
mouth end
surface 16.
The user can select whether or not to attach the attachable unit 203 to the
smoking
article rod 2 prior to smoking the smoking article 200, and can in this way
control the
length of filter of the smoking article 200 and therefore the level of
filtration of the
aerosol generated by the smoking article 200, as well as other properties of
the aerosol
in the case that the attachable unit 203 includes one or more additives or
agents for
modifying the aerosol.
Figure 3 is a side-on cross sectional view of another example of an attachable
unit 303
and a smoking article rod 302 which can be attached to form a smoking article
300.
Referring to Figure 3, the attachable unit 303 is arranged to be attached to a
smoking
article rod 302 by a user. The smoking article rod 302 in the present example
comprises a first recess 13. As with the attachable units 3, 203 of Figures 1
and 2, the
attachable unit 303 is configured to modify one or more properties of an
aerosol
generated by the smoking article rod 302. The attachable unit 303 includes an
element
20 arranged to be inserted at least partially into the first recess 13 of the
smoking article
rod 302 and a second recess 330 to receive at least a portion of the smoking
article rod
302.
In the present example, the smoking article 300 is a cigarette and the smoking
article
rod 302 includes a tobacco rod 4 wrapped in a wrapping material 5, in this
case
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cigarette paper. The smoking article rod 2 includes a filter 306 at its mouth
end
comprising a first section 7 located at the tobacco rod end of the filter 306.
The first
filter section 7 is, in the present example, formed from cellulose acetate tow
wrapped in
a first plug wrap 9. The filter 306 also includes a second section 10 located
downstream
of the first section 7 and comprising a tubular element ii wrapped in a second
plug
wrap 12.
The tubular element 11 is, in the present example, open at the mouth end of
the
smoking article rod 302 and defines the first recess, or cavity, 13 at that
end. A mouth
/o end surface 316 of the tubular element 11 is exposed at the mouth end of
the smoking
article rod 302. The tubular element 11 can be formed from fibrous filtration
material
such as cellulose acetate having a relatively high plasticiser level, for
instance between
and 21% by weight of the cellulose acetate. The tobacco rod 4 and first and
second
filter sections 7, io are connected by a tipping material 14 overlaying the
first and
/5 second filter sections 7, io and partially overlaying the wrapping
material 5. The first
and second filter sections 7, io, and any other sections forming the filter
306, can be
connected together using a further plug wrap (not shown), prior to connection
of the
filter 306 to the tobacco rod 4 using the tipping material 14.
The cylindrical element 20 of the attachable unit 303 is wrapped in a plug
wrap 26
which is substantially impermeable to air, for instance having a permeability
of greater
than 50 Coresta Units or greater than loo Coresta Units. However, the
cylindrical
element 20 may alternatively be unwrapped.
The cylindrical element 20 of the attachable unit 303 has adjacent first and
second
portions 2oa, 20b, each extending partially along the length of the
cylindrical element
20. In the present example, the first portion 2oa of the cylindrical element
20 extends
from an insertion end of the cylindrical element 20 to an intermediate
position 25 along
the length of the cylindrical element 20. In the present example, the second
portion
20b of the cylindrical element 20 extends from a mouth end of the cylindrical
element
20 and ends at the intermediate position 25 along the length of the
cylindrical element
20.
In the present example, the cylindrical element 20 is 25mm in length and the
intermediate position 25 is 12.5mm along the length of the cylindrical element
20 from
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the insertion end. The first portion 2oa of the cylindrical element 20 is
arranged to be
inserted, by a user, into the recess 13 at the mouth end of the smoking
article rod 302.
The attachable unit 303 further comprises an annular element 27 which is
arranged
around the periphery of the second portion 20b of the cylindrical element 20.
The
annular element 27 has a larger external diameter than the internal diameter
of the
recess 13. The annular element 27 has a longitudinal end surface 29 which,
together
with the inner surface of the sheet material 22 and the outer surface of the
cylindrical
element 20, defines the second recess 303.
The longitudinal end surface 29 of the annular element 27 is arranged to face
the
smoking article rod 302 when the attachable unit 303 is attached to the
smoking article
rod 302. The longitudinal end surface 29 may abut the mouth end surface 316 of
the
tubular element ii when the attachable unit 303 is attached to the smoking
article rod
/5 302, as described below. Additionally or alternatively, a longitudinal
end surface 29' of
the cylindrical element 20 may abut a mouth end surface 17 of the first filter
section 7
when the attachable unit 303 is attached to the smoking article rod 302.
The first portion 2oa of the cylindrical element 20 is arranged to be inserted
into the
first recess 13 in the smoking article rod 302, in the present case into the
recess 13
formed by the tube section ii. The internal diameter and/or length of the
recess 13 and
the external diameter and/or length of the first portion 2oa of the
cylindrical element
20 are arranged to substantially correspond such that the first portion 2oa of
the
cylindrical element 20 can be received within and substantially fill the
recess 13. For
instance, the internal diameter of the recess 13 can be substantially the same
as the
external diameter of the first portion 2oa of the cylindrical element 20.
Furthermore,
the length of the recess 13 can be substantially the same as the length of the
first
portion 2oa of the cylindrical element 20 protruding proud of the annular
element 27.
In practice, the correspondence between the dimensions of the recess 13 and
those of
the first portion 2oa of the cylindrical element 20 will depend on the
materials used to
form these components and the desired closeness of the fit between them. It is
likely to
be preferable that the recess dimensions are slightly larger than the
dimensions of the
first portion 2oa, to facilitate insertion of the cylindrical element 20 into
the recess 13.
In the example of Figure 3, the recess 13 has an internal diameter of 4mm and
the
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cylindrical element 20 has an external diameter of 3.8mm. In alternative
examples, the
internal diameter of the recess 13 and external diameter of the cylindrical
element 20
can have other values, for instance diameters in the range from 2MM to 6mm. In
the
example of Figure 3, the recess 13 has an internal length of 12MM and the
first portion
20a of the cylindrical element 20 has a length of 12MM. In alternative
examples, the
internal length of the recess 13 and the length of the first portion 2oa of
the cylindrical
element 20 can have other values, for instance values in the range from 5mm to
20MM.
In the present example, the annular element 27 is attached to the cylindrical
element
20 using an adhesive (not shown). The annular element 27 may be attached to
the
cylindrical element 20 by means other than an adhesive, for example by
mechanical
means such as a friction fit or other locking arrangement.
The attachable unit 303 can include additives or agents for modifying the
aerosol, in
/5 the present case smoke, generated by the smoking article rod 302, in the
same way as
the attachable unit 3 described with reference to Figure 1 above.
In use, the smoking article 300 can be provided to users with the attachable
unit 303
and smoking article rod 302 as separate components. Prior to a user first
using the
smoking article rod 302, the attachable unit 303 can be attached to the
smoking article
rod 302 by inserting the first portion 20a of the cylindrical element 20 into
the recess
13, so that the end portion of the smoking article rod 302 is received by the
recess 330.
When the attachable member 303 is attached to the smoking article rod 302, the
longitudinal end surface 29 of the annular element 27 may abut the end surface
316 of
the tubular element ii.
The user can select whether or not to attach the attachable unit 303 to the
smoking
article rod 302 prior to smoking the smoking article 300, and can in this way
control
the length of filter of the smoking article 300 and therefore the level of
filtration of the
aerosol generated by the smoking article 300, as well as other properties of
the aerosol
in the case that the attachable unit 303 includes one or more additives for
modifying
the aerosol.
In the present example, the annular element 27 and tubular element ii comprise
fibrous filtration material, formed into a tube and circumferentially wrapped
in a
wrapper 12 (not shown for annular element 27), in the present case plug wrap
material,
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leaving the longitudinal ends unwrapped. In alternative embodiments the
annular
element 27 and/or tubular element may be formed in other ways. For instance,
the
annular element 27 and/or tubular element may alternatively be formed from
other
fibrous materials. The annular element 27 and/or tubular element also need not
be
wrapped in a wrapper, but could, for instance, be formed without a wrapper
such as a
non-wrapped acetate (NWA) tube formed from cellulose acetate fibres.
Figure 4 is a side-on cross sectional view of another example of an attachable
unit 403
and a smoking article rod 302 which can be attached to form a smoking article
400.
/o The smoking article rod 302 is the same as the smoking article rod
described with
reference to Figure 3 above. The attachable unit 403 is the same as the
attachable unit
303 described above with reference to Figure 3 herein except that it also
includes the
tubular element 31 as described with reference to Figure 2 herein, arranged
between
the sheet material 22 and the first portion 20a of the cylindrical element 20,
and
attached to the sheet material 22. In addition, the tubular element 31
includes a raised
area 50 on an inner surface thereof which defines the second recess 330, the
raised area
50 being the same as that described with reference to Figure 1 herein.
The fibrous filtration material forming the tubes, and that forming other
components of
the attachable units 3, 203, 303, 403 and filter 6, 306 described herein may
comprise
cellulose acetate fibres and/or other materials used to form fibres, such as
polyvinyl
alcohol (PVOH), polylactic acid (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), poly(1-4
butanediol
succinate) (PBS), poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)(PBAT), starch based
materials, paper, cotton, aliphatic polyester materials and polysaccharide
polymers or a
combination thereof. The annular element 27 may alternatively be formed from a
sheet
material, such as tipping paper, wrapped around the cylindrical element 20 to
form a
single or multiple layers of the sheet material around the cylindrical element
20. The
annular element 27 and/or tubular element 11 may alternatively be formed from
plastic
or another moulded material.
The cylindrical element of any of the above examples may comprise fibrous
filtration
material. In alternative examples, the cylindrical element may be formed in
other ways.
The cylindrical element may alternatively be formed from other fibrous
materials and
can be arranged to have a different construction. The cylindrical element may,
for
instance, be formed from stiff paper, plastic, card or other materials as an
open or
closed ended hollow tube. The cylindrical element also need not be wrapped in
a
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wrapper, but could, for instance, be formed without a wrapper such as a non-
wrapped
acetate (NWA) plug formed from cellulose acetate fibres. The fibrous
filtration material
may comprise cellulose acetate fibres and/or other materials used to form
fibres, such
as polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), polylactic acid (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL),
poly(1-4
butanediol succinate) (PBS), poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)(PBAT),
starch
based materials, paper, cotton, aliphatic polyester materials and
polysaccharide
polymers.
Filter plasticisers operate by softening the fibrous filter material from
which a filter
io element is constructed such that the individual fibres can bond to each
other to form a
more rigid structure. A filter plasticiser such as glycerin triacetate, also
referred to as
triacetin, can, for instance, be used in the cylindrical element and/or
annular element
of any of the above examples when these elements are formed from a fibrous
filtration
material such as cellulose acetate. A higher level of plasticiser than is
usually used in a
/5 filter element can be used to provide additional firmness to either
component. For
instance, greater than 7%, greater than 10%, greater than 12% or greater than
15%
plasticiser can be used in any of the components described herein, by weight
of the
fibrous filtration material used.
20 Any of the attachable units described above may include a flavour
modifying agent or
additive or flavour source. The flavour modifying agent may, for instance, be
disposed
in a cylindrical element of the attachable unit. For example, an attachable
unit may be
provided in which the cylindrical element comprises a frangible capsule
containing a
liquid payload comprising a flavourant, such as menthol. The user can squeeze
the
25 attachable unit to cause a pressure to be exerted on the capsule such
that it breaks to
release the flavourant contained therein, to thus modify aerosol drawn through
the
attachable unit. In other examples the attachable unit may comprise other
flavour
releasing components or flavour modifying agents.
30 The features of the examples described herein can be combined. For
instance, the
raised area 50 of the example of Figure 1 can be applied to the inner surface
of the
tubular element 31 of the example of Figure 2, or to the inner surface of the
sheet
material 22 of the example of Figure 3, to perform an equivalent function as
that
described with reference to Figure 1. Also, the tubular element 31 of Figure 2
can be
35 applied to the attachment unit 303 of Figure 3.
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In use, the smoking articles described herein can be provided to users with
the
attachable units described herein and smoking article rods described herein as
separate
components, for instance packaged separately or packaged together as a kit of
parts for
producing a smoking article.
A tubular filter component, such as the tubular element ii described with
reference to
Figure 3, can be provided as an additional component at the mouth-end of any
of the
attachable units 3, 203, 303, 403 described herein.
In order to address various issues and advance the art, the entirety of this
disclosure
shows by way of illustration various embodiments in which the claimed
invention(s)
may be practiced and provide for superior smoking articles and attachable
units
therefor. The advantages and features of the disclosure are of a
representative sample
of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. They are
presented
is only to assist in understanding and teach the claimed features. It is to
be understood
that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures,
and/or other
aspects of the disclosure are not to be considered limitations on the
disclosure as
defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that
other
embodiments may be utilised and modifications may be made without departing
from
the scope and/or spirit of the disclosure. Various embodiments may suitably
comprise,
consist of, or consist essentially of, various combinations of the disclosed
elements,
components, features, parts, steps, means, etc. In addition, the disclosure
includes
other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future.
