SMOKING ARTICLE WITH MANUALLY RELEASABLE ODORANT

Abstract

A smoking article has an outer surface and a plurality of frangible microcapsules provided on the outer surface, wherein the microcapsules are capable of being manually ruptured by a consumer to release an odorant encapsulated therein. The smoking article preferably comprises a wrapped tobacco rod; and a filter attached to the wrapped tobacco rod by tipping paper, a mouth end portion of which is “over tipped” with a band or strip of “Peel and Sniff” microcapsules and/or a band or strip of “Scratch and Sniff” microcapsules.

Claims

1.-20. (canceled)

21. An article comprising: a tobacco rod; a filter including, a first end adjacent the tobacco rod, and a second end; a tipping paper circumscribing at least a portion of the filter; and a laminated band including, a removable upper layer, and a lower paper layer, and a plurality of microcapsules between the removable upper layer and the lower paper layer, the removable upper layer covering at least a portion of the tipping paper and the second end of the filter.

22. The article of claim 21, wherein the plurality of microcapsules includes an odorant.

23. The article of claim 21, wherein the plurality of microcapsules are frangible.

24. The article of claim 21, wherein the tipping paper defines a plurality of perforations therein.

25. The article of claim 24, wherein the laminated band covers the plurality of perforations.

26. The article of claim 24, wherein the plurality of perforations extend about the filter.

27. The article of claim 21, wherein the plurality of microcapsules has a diameter of 5 microns to 30 microns.

28. The article of claim 21, wherein the plurality of microcapsules includes tobacco, menthol, or both tobacco and menthol.

29. The article of claim 21, wherein the removable upper layer includes a tab configured to assist in removal of the removable upper layer from the lower paper layer.

Description

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a filter cigarette according to a first embodiment of the invention;

[0028] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a filter cigarette according to a second embodiment of the invention;

[0029] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a filter cigarette according to a third embodiment of the invention; and

[0030] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a filter cigarette according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.

[0031] The filter cigarettes according to the first, second, third and fourth embodiments of the invention shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively, have several components in common; these components have been given the same reference numerals throughout.

[0032] Each filter cigarette generally comprises an elongate, cylindrical, wrapped, tobacco rod 2 attached at one end to an axially aligned cylindrical filter 4. The wrapped tobacco rod 2 and the filter 4 are joined in a conventional manner to form the filter cigarette by tipping paper 6, which circumscribes the entire length of the filter 4 and an adjacent, mouth-end portion of the wrapped tobacco rod 2. To ventilate the mainstream smoke produced during combustion of the smoking article, a ring of perforations 8 is provided through the tipping paper 6 at a location along the filter 4.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1, the filter cigarette 10 according to the first embodiment of the invention further comprises a laminated strip or band 12, which circumscribes the end of the tipping paper 6 proximate the tobacco rod 2 and the end of the wrapped tobacco rod 2 proximate the tipping paper 6. The laminated band 12 includes a lower paper layer, the underside of which is adhered to the tipping paper 6 and wrapped tobacco rod 2, and a removable upper paper layer 14, the underside of which is releasably adhered to the lower paper layer; to show the position of the band 12 with respect to the wrapped tobacco rod 2, filter 4 and tipping paper 6 of the filter cigarette 10, the lower paper layer has been omitted from FIG. 1. A micro-encapsulated odorant is deposited on the lower paper layer, between the outer surface of the lower paper layer and the inner surface of the removable upper paper layer 14.

[0034] In use, in order to release the encapsulated odorant, the consumer may separate the removable upper paper layer 14 from the lower paper layer of the laminated band 12 either before, during or after smoking. The relative strength of adhesion between the various components of the laminated band 12 is such that removal of the upper paper layer 14 ruptures the walls of the microcapsules deposited between the inner surface of the removable upper paper layer 14 and the outer surface of the lower paper thereby releasing the odorant encapsulated therein.

[0035] The filter cigarette 16 according to the second embodiment of the invention is of largely similar construction to the filter cigarette 10 shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the laminated band 12 in this embodiment, however, circumscribes the entire length of the tipping paper 6 and the end of the wrapped tobacco rod 2 proximate the tipping paper 6. In use, to release the encapsulated odorant the consumer separates the removable upper paper layer 14 of the laminated band 12 from the remainder thereof as previously described. By increasing the proportion of the tipping paper 6 and hence surface of the filter cigarette that is circumscribed by the laminated band 12 in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the number of microcapsules provided on the outer surface of the filter cigarette 16 may be increased. In use, when the upper layer 14 of the laminated band 12 is removed, a greater quantity of encapsulated odorant may thereby be released from the microcapsules and hence a more intense olfactory sensation potentially provided to the consumer than in the first embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1.

[0036] In addition to the tipping paper 6 and the end of the wrapped tobacco rod 2 proximate thereto, in the filter cigarette 16 according to the second embodiment of the invention the removable upper layer 14 of the laminated band 12 also covers the mouth-end 18 of the filter 4. The laminated band 12 thereby advantageously provides a removable “seal”, which overlies the mouth-end 18 of the filter cigarette 16 prior to smoking. Furthermore, as in order to smoke the filter cigarette 16 the consumer must break the “seal” by removing the upper layer 14 of the laminated band 12, the second embodiment of the invention ensures that the encapsulated odorant is released by the consumer prior to smoking.

[0037] The filter cigarette 20 according to the third embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3 comprises a band 22, which circumscribes the end of the tipping paper 6 proximate the tobacco rod 2 and the end of the wrapped tobacco rod 2 proximate the tipping paper 6. The band 22 includes a paper layer 24 having a micro-encapsulated odorant deposited thereon, the underside of which is adhered to the tipping paper 6 and wrapped tobacco rod 2.

[0038] In use, either before, during or after smoking the consumer may rub or scratch the outer surface of the paper layer 24 of the band 22 directly using their fingers or indirectly using, for example, part of the packaging for the cigarette to release the encapsulated odorant from the band 22. The rubbing or scratching generates a frictional force that breaks the microcapsules deposited on the outer surface of the paper layer 24 thereby releasing the odorant encapsulated therein. Positioning of the band 22 at the end of the tipping paper 6 proximate the wrapped tobacco rod 2, where the consumer will typically hold the filter cigarette 20 during smoking, advantageously allows at least some of the microcapsules deposited on the outer surface of the paper layer 24 to be broken through normal handling of the filter cigarette 20 by the consumer. Furthermore, the encapsulated odorant deposited on the outer surface of the paper layer 24 of the second band 22 may be advantageously transferred to the consumer's fingers during smoking of the filter cigarette 20.

[0039] It will be appreciated that, if desired, the band 22 of the filter cigarette 20 according to the third embodiment of the invention could be extended to circumscribe the entire length of the tipping paper 6 and the end of the wrapped tobacco rod 2 proximate the tipping paper 6, like the laminated band 12 of the filter cigarette 16 according to the second embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2.

[0040] The filter cigarette 26 according to the fourth embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 4 comprises a laminated first band 12, which circumscribes the end of the tipping paper 6 proximate the mouth-end of the filter cigarette 30. The laminated first band 12 has the same construction and function as the laminated bands 12 of the filter cigarettes 10, 16 according to the first and second embodiments of the invention respectively, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and previously described above. As shown in FIG. 4, the filter cigarette 26 further comprises a second band 22, which circumscribes the end of the tipping paper 6 proximate the wrapped tobacco rod 2 and the end of the wrapped tobacco rod 2 proximate the tipping paper 6, adjacent to the laminated first band 12. The second band 22 has the same construction and function as the band 22 of the filter cigarette 20 according to the third embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3. The encapsulated odorant deposited on the outer surface of the paper layer 24 of the second band 22 of the filter cigarette 26 may be the same or different to the encapsulated odorant deposited between the lower paper layer and the removable upper paper layer 14 of the laminated first band 12 thereof.

[0041] In use, to release the encapsulated odorant from the laminated first band 12, the consumer separates the removable upper paper layer 14 from the remainder of the laminated first band 12 as previously described. In addition, to release the encapsulated odorant from the second band 22, the consumer rubs or scratches the outer surface of the paper layer 24 of the second band 22 as previously described. Once again, positioning of the band 22 at the end of the tipping paper 6 proximate the wrapped tobacco rod 2 advantageously allows at least some of the microcapsules deposited on the surface of the paper layer 24 to be broken through normal handling of the filter cigarette 26 by the consumer and may result in the encapsulated odorant deposited on the outer surface of the paper layer 24 of the second band 22 being advantageously transferred to the consumer's fingers during smoking of the filter cigarette 26.

[0042] The provision of a combination of both “Peel and Sniff” (laminated first band 12) and “Scratch and Sniff” (second band 22) encapsulated odorants in the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 4 advantageously enables the consumer to release the encapsulated odorants at different stages during smoking of the filter cigarette 26. For example, the consumer may experience a first olfactory sensation prior to smoking the filter cigarette 26 by removing the upper paper layer 14 from the remainder of the laminated first band 12 to release the “Peel and Sniff” encapsulated odorant and then experience a second olfactory sensation during or after smoking by rubbing the outer surface of the paper layer 24 of the second band 22 to release the “Scratch and Sniff” encapsulated odorant.

[0043] If desired, in addition to the tipping paper 6 and the end of the wrapped tobacco rod 2 proximate thereto, the removable upper paper layer 14 of the laminated first band 12 of the filter cigarette 26 may also cover the mouth-end face of the filter 4 as in the filter cigarette 16 according to the second embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2.

[0044] Suitable “Peel and Sniff” laminated paper strips for use as laminated bands 12 in the filter cigarettes 10, 16 and 26 according to the first, second and fourth embodiments of the invention shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, respectively, are manufactured and sold commercially, for example under the brand ScentStrip® by Arcade Marketing, Inc.

[0045] Suitable “Scratch and Sniff” paper strips for use as bands 22 in the filter cigarettes 20 and 26 according to the third and fourth embodiments of the invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively, are manufactured and sold commercially, for example under the brand MicroFragrance® Scratch ‘n’ Sniff by Arcade Marketing, Inc.

[0046] The “Scratch and Sniff” bands 22 in the third and fourth embodiments of the invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively, may alternatively be formed by applying a suspension of microcapsules directly to the outer surface of the tipping paper 6 of the filter cigarettes 20, 26 by, for example, gravure or offset printing. Suitable microcapsule suspensions are manufactured and sold commercially, for example under the brand AromaLacquer™ by Arcade Marketing, Inc.

[0047] In the filter cigarettes 16, 26 according to the second and third embodiments of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 respectively, the “Peel and Sniff” laminated bands 12 extend over the ring of perforations 18 provided in the tipping paper 6. To ensure adequate ventilation of the mainstream smoke produced during combustion of such filter cigarettes 16, 26, macro perforations may, for example, be provided in the laminated bands 12. It will be appreciated that, if necessary, perforations may also be similarly provided in bands of “Scratch and Sniff” microcapsules to ensure adequate ventilation of the mainstream smoke of smoking articles according to the invention.

[0048] While the invention has been exemplified with reference to filter cigarettes, it will be appreciated that other types of smoking article according to the invention may also be produced such as, for example, cigars, cigarillos and non-filter cigarettes.

[0049] Furthermore, while in the embodiments described above, “Scratch and Sniff” and/or “Peel and Sniff” micro-encapsulated odorants are provided on the outer surface of an “over tipping”, it will be appreciated that smoking articles according to the invention may be provided with frangible microcapsules on other parts of their outer surface.