SMOKING ARTICLE AND METHOD FOR COOLING A HEATED PARTICLE-LOADED GAS

Abstract

A smoking article (1) having a mouthpiece (2) for drawing in a particle-loaded gas (3), the particle-loaded gas (3) being heated. To provide a smoking article in which the temperature of the gas, aerosol or humidity absorbed by the user of the smoking article is reduced, the smoking article has at least one cooling element (4) for cooling the particle-loaded gas (3), the particle-loaded gas (3) flowing through the cooling element (4) during the drawing-in action. The cooling element (4) has a cooling material (5), and the cooling element (4) carries out the cooling by an endothermic process of the cooling material (5), the endothermic process being activated by the heated particle-loaded gas.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. Smoking article, comprising: a mouthpiece for drawing in a heated particle-loaded gas, at least one cooling element for cooling the particle-loaded gas, the at least one cooling element being arranged at a location such that the particle-loaded gas will flow through the cooling element during a drawing-in action, wherein the at least one cooling element has a cooling material that is able to produce said cooling by the cooling element by an endothermic process of the cooling material activated by the heated particle-loaded gas.

17. Smoking article according to claim 16, wherein the cooling material produces the endothermic process by desorption.

18. Smoking article according to claim 16, wherein the cooling material produces the endothermic process by melting and/or vaporizing of the cooling material.

19. Smoking article according to claim 16, wherein the cooling material produces the endothermic process by releasing water of crystallization of an inorganic salt.

20. Smoking article according to claim 16, further comprising a filter element arranged in front of the mouthpiece in a flow direction of the particle-loaded gas and wherein the cooling element is part of the filter element.

21. Smoking article according to claim 16, wherein the cooling element comprises an elongate carrier material with the cooling material.

22. Smoking article according to claim 21, wherein the carrier material is folded several times.

23. Smoking article according to claim 21, wherein the cooling material is applied on a surface of the carrier material.

24. Smoking article according to claim 21, wherein the cooling material is incorporated in the carrier material.

25. Smoking article according to claim 16, wherein the cooling material is incorporated into the cooling element in small particles.

26. Smoking article according to claim 16, wherein the cooling element is arranged in a separate segment in front of the mouthpiece in a direction of flow of the particle-loaded gas.

27. Method for cooling a heated particle-loaded gas in a smoking article having a mouthpiece comprising: during drawing-in of the heated particle-loaded gas, guiding the particle-loaded gas through a cooling element having a cooling material, performing cooling by the cooling element by an endothermic process of the cooling material, the endothermic process being activated by the heated particle-loaded gas.

28. Method according to claim 16, wherein the endothermic process is implemented by means of desorption.

29. Method according to claim 27, wherein the endothermic process is implemented by melting the cooling material.

30. Method according to claim 27, wherein the endothermic process is implemented by releasing water of crystallization of an inorganic salt of which the cooling material is comprised.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of a smoking article with a cooling element,

[0031] FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional representation of a smoking article with a cooling element,

[0032] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a cooling element for a smoking article and

[0033] FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional representation of an encapsulated cooling element in a smoking article.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a smoking article 1 with a mouthpiece 2, through with a particle-loaded gas 3 can flow during the drawing-in action on the mouthpiece 2. The smoking article 1, in the form of a cigarette has a cooling element 4, wherein the cooling element 4 contains a cooling material 5. The cooling element 4 is arranged in front of a filter element 6 in the flow direction of the particle-loaded gas (shown by an arrow). A carrier material 7 is arranged in the cooling element 4 (see FIG. 3), onto which particles 8 of the cooling material 5 are interspersed in the empty spaces between the folded carrier material 7. The cooling element 4 is designed as a separate segment 9 in the cylindrical arrangement of the cigarette. At one end of the cooling element 4, the filter element 6 borders the mouthpiece 2. A covering material 10 borders at the other end, which encases the tobacco section 11.

[0035] If the smoking article 1 is lit on the end of the tobacco section 11, the tobacco burns with the covering material 10 at about 800 C. and produces tobacco smoke that can be drawn in via the mouthpiece 2 through the smoking article 1. The smoke is no longer so hot when it reaches the user, but still has a high temperature that can be perceived as unpleasant for the user. The tobacco smoke or, in general, the particle-loaded gas 3 flows through the smoking article 1 and correspondingly through the cooling element 4 in which the cooling material 5 is arranged. The high temperature of the particle-loaded gas 3 is sufficient to activate an endothermic process of the cooling material 5. Energy is required in this endothermic process, which is taken from the particle-loaded gas 3. The extracted energy results in a temperature reduction of the particle-loaded gas 3, which then further flows into the filter element 6 and exits the mouthpiece 2 with a temperature that is perceived as pleasant for the user.

[0036] FIG. 2 shows a section of a sectional representation of a smoking article 1 with a cooling element 5. The cooling element 5 is formed from a multiply-folded carrier material 7. The folds 12 are thereby aligned transverse to the flow direction of the particle-loaded gas 3. The carrier material 7 is accordingly designed to be permeable to air, so that the drawing-in by the user can be easily carried out. The carrier material 7 is coated with the cooling material 5. The cooling material 5 was previously pressed onto the carrier material 7 during production. In this embodiment, the cooling element 4 simultaneously represents the filter element 6, wherein filter material is dispersed between the folds 12 of the carrier material 7 in order to filter out toxins of the particle-loaded gas 3 that are formed by the burning tobacco section 11.

[0037] FIG. 3 shows a cooling element 4 for a smoking article 1 in a sectional representation. A carrier material 7 that is folded multiple times is shown. The carrier material 7 is coated with the cooling material 5 by previous pressing of the carrier material 7 with the cooling material 5. Additionally, small particles 8 of the cooling material 5 are arranged between the folds 12 of the carrier material 7 in order to maximize the cooling effect of the cooling element 4. The carrier material 7 of the cooling element 4 is not produced of a material that is permeable to air. The folds 12 of the carrier material 7 thus have to be aligned in the flow direction of the particle-loaded gas 3 in a smoking article 1, so that the particle-loaded gas 3 can flow easily through the cooling element 4 when the user inhales. The surface of the carrier material 7 is thereby only passed by, but not through.

[0038] FIG. 4 shows a section of a smoking article 1 in a sectional representation with a separate cooling element 4. The cooling element 4 has a housing 13 on which the cooling material 5 in small porous particles 8 is arranged. The housing 13 is used for enclosing the cooling material 5 so that is it does not scatter into the smoking article 1. The housing 13 of the cooling element 4 has a perforated inlet opening 14 for incoming particle-loaded gas 3 and a perforated outlet opening 15. The particle-loaded gas 3 can flow through the inlet opening 14 and through the outlet opening 15 and thereby comes into contact with the cooling material 5, whereby the cooling of the particle-loaded gas 3 is activated due to the high temperature of the particle-loaded gas 3. The cooling element 4 as separate segment 9 can be removed from the smoking article 1 and can be used when needed. In this manner, a user can decide for himself if he finds it necessary to cool the particle-loaded gas 3 exiting the mouthpiece 2.