A Filter for a Smoking Article or an Aerosol Generating Product

Abstract

A filter for a smoking article or an aerosol generating product comprising filter material and three capsules comprising additive, the capsules being disposed in sequence in a direction along a longitudinal axis of the filter.

Claims

1. A filter for a smoking article or an aerosol generating product comprising filter material and three capsules comprising additive, the capsules being disposed in sequence in a direction along a longitudinal axis of the filter.

2. The filter according to claim 1, wherein the capsules contain flavourants.

3. The filter according to claim 2, wherein the flavourant is liquid.

4. The filter according to claim 2, wherein the flavourant in one of said capsules differs from the flavourant in another of said capsules or wherein the flavourant in each of said capsules is different to the flavourant in each the other said capsules.

5. (canceled)

6. The filter according to claim 1, wherein the filter material has-fibers having about 3 denier per filament (dpf) to about 10 dpf, and/or has a total denier of from about 12,000 to about 40,000.

7. (canceled)

8. The filter according to claim 1, wherein the pressure drop of the filter, before the capsule is burst, is from about 85 mm/Wg to about 100 mm/Wg.

9. The filter according to any preceding claim, wherein the circumference of the filter material is from about 14 mm to about 28 mm, from about 16 mm to about 18 mm, from about 19 mm to about 22 mm, or from about 23 mm to about 25 mm.

10. The filter according to any preceding claim, wherein the capsules have a burst strength of from about 14 N to about 18 N; and/or have a diameter of less than about 3.5 mm, or from about 2.7 mm to about 3.1 mm, or about 3 mm.

11. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

13. The filter according to claim 1, wherein the capsules are spherical and have a diameter of from about 2.7 mm to about 3.1 mm; or are spherical and have a diameter from about 2.8 mm to about 3.0 mm.

14. (canceled)

15. The filter according to claim 1, wherein the filter further comprises a first filter section and a second filter section, the first filter section being disposed further from a mouth end of the filter than the second filter section, wherein the first capsule of the three capsules is disposed in the first filter section and the second and third capsules of the three capsules are disposed in the second filter section.

16. The filter according to claim 15, wherein the first filter section is about 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm, 10 mm or 11 mm in length, and/or the second filter section is about 16 mm, 17 mm, 18 mm, 19 mm, 20 mm, 21 mm or 22 mm in length.

17. The filter according to claim 1, the filter further comprising a first filter section and a second filter section, the first filter section being disposed further from a mouth end of the filter than the second filter section, wherein the first and second capsules of the three capsules are disposed in the first filter section and the third capsule is disposed in the second filter section.

18. The filter according to claim 17, wherein the first filter section is about 16 mm, 17 mm, 18 mm, 19 mm, 20 mm, 21 mm or 22 mm in length, and/or the second filter section is about 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm, 10 mm or 11 mm in length.

19. The filter according to claim 15 or claim 17, wherein the first filter section comprises perforations disposed in a line along the circumference of the first filter section, the line being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the first filter section.

20. The filter according to claim 19, wherein the perforations are disposed between a first end of the first filter section and the first capsule, the first end of the first filter section being disposed closer to the mouth end of the filter than the first capsule, or wherein the perforations are disposed in a region of the first filter section in which the first capsule is disposed in.

21. (canceled)

22. The filter according to claims 19, wherein the perforations are formed using a laser, the laser configured to form 24 individual perforations.

23. The filter according to claim, wherein the filter is wrapped by high wet strength plug wrap.

24. A filter according to claim 15 or claim 17, wherein the first capsule is disposed closer to a first end of the first filter section than a second end of the first filter section, the first end of the first filter section being disposed closer to the mouth end of the filter than the second end of the first filter section.

25. A filter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the filter material: (a) has a circumference of from about 16 mm to about 19 mm, has fibers having about 4.5 dpf to about 8 dpf, and has a total denier of from about 15,000 to about 25,000; and the capsules are spherical, have a diameter of from about 2.7 mm to about 3.1 mm, and have a burst strength of from about 14 N to about 18 N; or (b).

26-27. (canceled)

28. The filter as claimed in claims 1 wherein the filter has a resistance to draw (RTD), before the capsules are crushed, of from about 80 mm/Wg to about 95 mm/Wg and a resistance to draw (RTD), after the capsules are crushed, of from about 90 mm/Wg to about 100 mm/Wg.

29. (canceled)

30. The filter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the capsules are embedded in the filter material in predetermined locations and in a predetermined sequence; the capsules are spherical and have a diameter from about 2.8 mm to about 3.0 mm; and each capsule comprises a different flavourant.

31. (canceled)

32. the smoking article or an aerosol generating product comprising a filter according to any one of the preceding claims 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0087] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0088] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a smoking article having a filter with a tubular downstream filter section and an upstream filter section including an encapsulated additive in the form of a frangible capsule;

[0089] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a smoking article having a filter comprising two filter sections.

[0090] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a smoking article according to FIG. 2, further comprising perforations.

[0091] FIGS. 4a is a schematic illustration of a filter comprising two filter sections further comprising perforations, and showing the location of the capsules.

[0092] FIG. 4b shows the results of capsule detection in a filter comprising multiple sections.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0093] As used herein, the term smoking article includes smokeable products such as cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes and also heat-not-burn/tobacco heating products and aerosol generating products such as c-cigarettes. For convenience, these will be referred to as smoking articles in this specification. The term aerosol covers smoke, e.g. tobacco smoke. Such smoking articles may be provided with a filter for the gaseous flow drawn by the smoker.

[0094] The term smoking article includes cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos as well as roll-your- own-products and make-your-own products.

[0095] Smoking articles such as cigarettes and their formats are often named according to the 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 75-91 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 110 mm to about 121 mm).

[0096] 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, 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.

[0097] 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 length will be from 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.

[0098] Smoking articles and filters described hereinafter can be manufactured in any of the above formats. The smoking article can, for instance, be from 70 to 100 mm in length and from 14 to 25 mm in circumference.

[0099] The terms upstream and downstream used herein are relative terms defined in relation to the direction of mainstream smoke (or other aerosol) drawn though a smoking article in use.

[0100] Herein, distances measured from one capsule to another are measured from the centre a first capsule to the centre of second capsule.

[0101] Herein, the units mm/Wg refer to millimetres/water gauge (also known as mm H.sub.2O). Herein, these measurements were carried out on individual filter sections.

[0102] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a smoking article 1 which is generally cylindrical in shape and is in the regular, king size format, namely having a length in the range 75-91 mm and a circumference in the range 23 to 25 mm. The smoking article 1 includes a tobacco rod 2 wrapped in a wrapping material 3, in this example cigarette paper, connected longitudinally to a filter 4 by tipping material 5 overlaying the filter 4 and partially overlaying the wrapping material 3 so as to connect the filter 4 to the tobacco rod 2. The filter 4 comprises absorbent material 7 having capsules 8a, 8b, 8c disposed therein in an axial region proximal a longitudinal axis of the filter 4. The axial region is a region, in the present example, centred on the axis a of the smoking article 1, having a radius of about 3 mm. In alternative embodiments, the radius of the axial region can be anywhere from 1 mm to 4 mm, or from 1 mm to 3 mm, or about 1 mm, 1.5 mm, 2 mm, 2.5 mm, 3 mm or 3.5 mm. Capsules 8a, 8b, 8c are spaced in sequence in a direction along the axis a. The capsules 8a, 8b, 8c can be disposed only in the axial region of the filter 4, or can be disposed in greater concentration in the axial region than in non-axial regions of the filter material of the filter 4. The filter is wrapped in plug wrap 9.

[0103] The filter 4 is a cellulose acetate segment formed using continuous cellulose acetate fibres and a plasticizer. The capsules 8a, 8b, 8c are spherical and have a diameter of 2.8 mm, although other shapes and sizes of capsule can be used, and contains a fluid additive which modifies properties of mainstream smoke passing through the smoking article 1. The capsules 8a-8c can be manufactured and inserted into the filter 4 using existing processes and machinery. In the present example, the capsules 8a-8c contain menthol flavourant, although other fluids or granular additives could be contained within the capsules 8a-8c. The capsules can be ruptured by a consumer to release the fluid additive into the absorbent filter material 11.

[0104] The axis of the smoking article 1, about which the tobacco rod 2 and the filter 4 are aligned, is indicated as a in FIG. 1.

[0105] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a smoking article 1 according to FIG. 1, further comprising a filter 4 having two filter sections 4a and 4b, the first filter section 4a is disposed further from the mouth end of the filter than the second filter section 4b, wherein a first capsule 8c and second capsule 8b are disposed in the first filter section and a third capsule 8a is disposed in the second filter section.

[0106] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a smoking article according to FIG. 2, further comprising perforations 10 to provide a ventilation effect, wherein the perforations 10 are disposed in a region of the first filter section 4a.

[0107] In use, the tobacco rod 2 of the smoking article 1 is lit by a consumer in the conventional manner and tobacco smoke is drawn from burning coal of the tobacco rod 2 through the filter 4. When the consumer breaks the capsules one, two or three of 8a-8c either prior to or in the course of smoking the smoking article 1, the additive contained therein, in the present case menthol, is released in into the filter 4 and affects the characteristics of the smoke drawn through the filter.

[0108] Specific embodiments of the invention have been described, although the invention is not limited to such embodiments.

EXAMPLE 1

Multi-Section Filter with Ventilation

1A: Perforations Formed at the Boundary Between Filter Sections

[0109] Filters comprising two filter sections were manufactured, wherein a first filter section having a length of 9 mm was disposed further from the mouth end (ME) of the filter than the second filter section, which had a length of 18 mm. The boundary between the first and second filter sections was therefore 18 mm from the mouth end of the filter, as shown in FIG. 4a.

[0110] Three capsules were inserted, with the first capsule disposed in the first filter section and the second and third capsule disposed in the second filter section. The first capsule was disposed around 22 mm from the mouth end of the second filter section. The distance between the first capsule and the second capsule was around 8 mm, so that the second capsule was disposed around 14 mm from the mouth end of the second filter section. The distance between the second capsule and the third capsule was around 8 mm, so that the third capsule was disposed around 6 mm from the mouth end of the second filter section. As set out above, distances measured from one capsule to another are measured from the centre of a first capsule to the centre of a second capsule. This arrangement is shown in FIG. 4a. Perforations were formed at the boundary of the first and second filter sections at a location 18 mm from the mouth end of the filter (not shown in Figures) using various pulse widths.

[0111] Perforations were formed using a Burghart Messtechnik CVB-1700 off-line laser:

[0112] Laser power: 120 W

[0113] Wave length: 10.6 m

[0114] Spot size: 0.18 mm

[0115] Vent trials were undertaken using sample numbers shown in Table 1, below.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Sample numbers Number of Perforations 8 16 24 28 Pulse 5 18-5-8 18-5-16 18-5-24 18-5-28 Width 25 18-25-8 18-25-16 18-25-24 18-25-28 (ms) 50 18-50-8 18-50-16 18-50-24 18-50-28 100 18-100-8 18-100-16 18-100-24 18-100-28 200 18-200-8 18-200-16 18-200-24 18-200-28 400 18-400-8 18-400-16 18-400-24 18-400-28

[0116] Ventilation was measured using a Cerulean QTM5. Data obtained from vent trials is shown in Table 2, below.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Vent percentage for specified pulse widths and number of perforations. Number of perforations 8 16 24 28 Pulse 5 0.13 0.18 0.16 0.12 Width 25 5.2 10.09 14.44 14.55 (s) 50 9.16 16.78 24.39 27.40 100 12.7 24.87 34.82 38.10 200 17.97 31.81 43.98 48.60 400 24.52 41.42 56.61 57.50

[0117] Samples of 40 filters were then tested using tensile strength test equipment and standard protocols to establish failure (number of snap offs). Results are shown in Table 3, below.

TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 number of filter failures (snap offs), out of a sample size of 40 in each case, for filters with perforations formed between the boundary of the first filter section and the second filter section (18 mm from the mouth end of the filter). Number of perforations 8 16 24 28 Pulse 5 8 3 3 13 Width 25 7 6 13 15 (s) 50 7 13 14 14 100 7 4 22 20 200 10 12 21 23 400 19 24 27 30

[0118] As shown by the results in Table 3, perforations formed at the boundary of the first and second filter sections led to unacceptable levels of filter breakage during filter stress testing.

1B: Perforations Formed in the Region of the First Filter Section

[0119] Filters were manufactured and capsules inserted in accordance with 1A, above.

[0120] Perforations were formed using a Burghart Messtechnik CVB-1700 off-line laser as detailed in 1A, above.

[0121] Perforations were formed in the first filter section, in which the first capsule was disposed, at a location 22 mm from the mouth end of the filter using various pulse widths. The perforations were therefore located between the boundary of the first and second filter sections and the tobacco end of the first filter section; and over the centre of the first capsule (not shown in figures).

[0122] Samples of 40 filters were then tested: ventilation was measured using a Cerulean QTM5; tensile strength test equipment and standard protocols were used to establish failure (number of snap offs); and the filters were inspected for capsule damage. The results are provided in Table 4, below.

TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Pulse Width Number of Ventilation Vent Suitable Capsule Snapoff (s) perforations % for Design Damage (out of 40) Acceptable 5 24 0.02 No None 13 N 25 24 11.40 No None 7 N 50 24 20.37 No None 6 N 100 24 30.98 Yes None 4 Y 200 24 38.88 No All Samples 5 N 400 24 51.79 No All Samples 1 N

[0123] As shown in Table 4, filters with perforations formed between the boundary of the first and second filter sections and the tobacco end of the first filter section showed significantly decreased levels of filter breakage during stress testing compared to filters with perforations at the boundary between filter sections (as shown in Table 3).

[0124] As further shown in Table 4, a laser configured to create 24 perforations using a 100 s pulse width was capable of achieving the required ventilation effect (between 25 and 35% ventilation) in addition to ensuring the structural integrity of the filter (low filter snapoff) and without damaging the first capsule.

EXAMPLE 2

Capsule Detection & Testing

2A: Multi Section Filter Capsule Detection

[0125] Filters comprising multiple sections were manufactured and capsules inserted as shown in FIG. 4b.

[0126] The location of the capsules was detected using a detection system either from Essentra (on-line detection system); or TEWS Elektronic (an off-line detection system).

[0127] The upper part of FIG. 4b shows capsule deviation from the target and Cpk (a measure of process capability). These results demonstrate the accurate detection of capsules located within a filter.

2B: Capsule Tolerance and Filter Staining

[0128] Filters comprising a single filter section were manufactured and capsules inserted. Details are provided in Table 5, below.

[0129] As can be seen from Table 5, in Examples 1-3, a capsule was disposed 4 mm from the first end of the filter section. In Examples 4-6, a capsule was disposed 5 mm from the first end of the filter section. Example 7 was the same as example 3, except the filter used 27 GSM plug wrap instead of high wet strength plug wrap (HWS).

[0130] The location of the capsules was detected using a detection system either from Essentra (on-line detection system); or TEWS Elektronic (an off-line detection system).

[0131] The capsules within the filters were then crushed and the filters were visually inspected and visual measurements taken every five minutes for five minutes to detect presence of the capsule contents at the tobacco end of the filter. Results are set out in Table 5.

TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 5 Capsule Change in filter Capsule position Visible colour after Tolerance from first mouth end breakage of Example M/C Setting end Plugwrap capsule (%) capsules (%) 1 1.5 mm 4 HWS 0.9 1.8 2 1.75 mm 4 HWS 2.1 10.9 3 2.0 mm 4 HWS 3.9 7.3 4 2.0 mm 5 HWS 2.4 8.2 5 1.5 mm 5 HWS 7.0 24.5 6 1.75 mm 5 HWS 1.3 31.8 7 2.0 mm 4 27 GSM 3.7 35.5

[0132] The capsule tolerance manufacturing machine (M/C) setting is the reject limit for the detection system used.

[0133] As shown in Table 5, examples 1-3 show a significantly lower occurrence rate of filter colour change than examples 4-6. Furthermore, HWS plug wrap is shown to exhibit a lower occurrence rate of filter colour change than 27 GSM plug wrap.

[0134] 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 delivery of a smoke modifying additives. 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 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.