Flavour stick

Abstract

An insert comprising a substrate and a flavoring agent, wherein the flavoring agent is present in an amount from 50 to 500 mg per cm.sup.3 volume of the substrate. The insert is used for introducing a flavor, or increasing the level of flavor applied, to one or more smoking articles in a package of smoking articles, by enclosing the insert within such a package.

Claims

1. A tobacco product package comprising: a lid hinged to a main body; and a flavouring insert comprising a substrate and a flavouring agent, wherein the substrate comprises a sheet of cellulose acetate material, wherein the flavouring agent comprises menthol or clove, and wherein the menthol or clove is present in an amount from 50 to 500 mg per cm.sup.3 volume of the substrate; wherein the flavouring insert is enclosed within the lid.

2. The tobacco product package according to claim 1 wherein the flavouring agent is present in an amount from 100 to 475 mg per cm.sup.3 volume of the substrate.

3. The tobacco product package according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is not a smoking article or a package liner.

4. The tobacco product package according to claim 1 wherein the flavouring agent is or comprises menthol and the menthol is present in an amount from 300 to 500 mg per cm.sup.3 volume of the substrate.

5. The tobacco product package according to claim 1 wherein the flavouring agent is or comprises clove and the clove is present in an amount from 100 to 400 mg per cm.sup.3 volume of the substrate.

6. The tobacco product package according to claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a fibrous material.

7. The tobacco product package according to claim 1 further comprising a wrapper or membrane for the substrate.

8. The tobacco product package according to claim 1 further comprising a barrier region.

9. The tobacco product package according to claim 1 further comprising an adhesive portion.

10. A method of introducing flavour, or increasing a level of flavour applied, to at least one smoking article, the method comprising: providing a package including a lid hinged to a main body; and enclosing within the lid a discrete insert comprising a substrate and a flavouring agent, wherein the substrate comprises a sheet of cellulose acetate material, wherein the flavouring agent comprises menthol or clove, and wherein the menthol or clove is present in an amount from 50 to 500 mg per cm.sup.3 volume of the substrate.

11. The method according to claim 10 comprising a further step of heating the package with the discrete insert and the at least one smoking article therein to a temperature above 25 degrees C.

12. The tobacco product package according to claim 2 wherein the flavouring agent is present in an amount from 250 to 450 mg per cm.sup.3 volume of the substrate.

13. The tobacco product package according to claim 2 wherein the flavouring agent is present in an amount from 380 to 420 mg per cm.sup.3 volume of the substrate.

14. A tobacco product flavouring insert comprising a substrate, a flavouring agent, and a barrier region; wherein the substrate comprises a cylindrical rod of cellulose acetate, wherein the barrier region comprises barrier material which is impermeable to the flavouring agent, wherein the flavouring agent comprises menthol or clove, and wherein the menthol or clove is present in an amount from 50 to 500 mg per cm.sup.3 volume of the substrate.

15. The tobacco product flavouring insert according to claim 14 wherein the cylindrical rod has a length of 84 mm and a circumference of 24.5 mm.

16. The tobacco product flavouring insert according to claim 14 wherein the cylindrical rod has a length of 70 to 120 mm and a circumference of about 14 to about 24.5 mm.

17. The tobacco product package according to claim 1, wherein the lid is smaller than the main body.

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein the lid is smaller than the main body.

Description

(1) The present invention is now illustrated with reference to the following examples and the attached drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a first example of an insert according to the invention; and

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates a further example of an insert according to the invention.

(4) FIG. 1 shows a first example of a flavouring insert (a discrete flavouring insert) according to the invention. The insert 1 comprises a substrate in the form of a cylinder 2 of cellulose acetate which has been gathered together and condensed into rod form by methods well known in the art. The cylinder 2 is of circumference approximately 24.5 mm and length approximately 84 mm (i.e. approximately the same dimensions of a normal sized filter cigarette). The cylinder 2 is surrounded by a wrapper 3 of porous plug wrap paper, which is applied around the cellulose acetate tow as, or shortly after, it is condensed into rod form, again by methods well known in the art. The cylinder 2 of cellulose acetate tow bears 405 mg of menthol flavouring agent per cm.sup.3 of volume of the cylinder. This flavouring agent is preferably applied to the cellulose acetate tow prior to wrapping by methods known in the art: for example, molten menthol may be applied to the cellulose acetate tow before being gathered together and condensed into rod form, or may be dipped in molten menthol while in rod form prior to being wrapped. Alternatively, the rod form may be dipped in molten menthol after the rod has been formed and wrapped.

(5) The insert 1 (comprising cylinder 2 including a flavouring agent on the cylinder 2) may be used to flavour cigarettes. Following production of the insert 1, the insert 1 is sealed (for example vacuum packed) in a substantially flavour-impermeable membrane (not shown), which minimise loss of menthol on storage prior to use. The user will remove the membrane and place the insert 1 into a packet of cigarettes (e.g. first removing one cigarette to provide a space). The insert of FIG. 1 includes sufficient menthol to mentholate (i.e. flavour with menthol) a single pack of twenty cigarettes following storage of the insert with the cigarettes for a period of approximately one to three days.

(6) It will be appreciated that the insert may be used with a package of already mentholated cigarettes (in which case the menthol flavour will be stronger) or an unmentholated packet of cigarettes to provide some menthol flavouring.

(7) It will also be appreciated that following introduction of the insert into the pack, the pack with insert may be heated (in an oven) for e.g. 5 minutes to accelerate the transfer of flavouring agent from the insert to the cigarettes.

(8) FIG. 2 shows a further example of a flavouring insert (discrete insert) according to the invention. The insert 21 comprises a substrate in the form of a sheet 22 formed of a non-woven material made by methods well known in the art. The sheet 22 is optionally laminated to a wrapper 23 of porous lightweight nonwoven material. Sheet 22 bears 405 mg of menthol flavouring agent per cm.sup.3 of volume of the sheet. This flavouring agent may be applied to the nonwoven sheet prior to laminating by methods known in the art, e.g. by applying molten menthol to the sheet. Flavouring insert 22 further comprises a barrier 25 of polyethylene at one end which provides some protection when handling to minimize potential contact between the smokers fingers and the flavouring agent bearing (mentholated) non-woven material.

(9) The insert of FIG. 2 may be of length 57 mm, width 19 mm, and depth 0.1 mm so that it may be placed within the lid of a conventional hard packet of cigarettes such that the lid may be closed (or substantially fully closed) on the cigarettes with the insert located therein. The positioning of the insert in the lid of the package means that the filter ends of the cigarettes are evenly exposed to menthol on the insert; this may provide a more even flavouring effect.

EXAMPLE 1

(10) Thin fibrous strips were loaded with menthol through dipping in molten menthol and inserted into freshly opened packs of a commercial non-menthol cigarette brand. Strips of two different sizes were useda larger strip of 84101 mm containing around 340 mg and a smaller strip of 42101 mm containing about 170 mg menthol per strip. A small tab of plastic sheet was adhered to each strip to facilitate handling and minimize direct contact with the mentholated strip. A strip of each size was added to each of 5 cigarette packs and every 24 hours a different pack was sampled and ten cigarettes removed at random for menthol loading testing under ISO smoking conditions. The results are given in the table below.

(11) TABLE-US-00001 Mean Menthol Cigarette Age Yield (mg/cig) (Days) Larger Strip Smaller Strip 1 1.80 0.79 2 2.27 1.04 3 2.81 1.65 4 4.26 2.29 7 4.78 3.00

(12) It can be seen that menthol does transfer readily and rapidly from the strips to the cigarettes.

EXAMPLE 2

Menthol Inserts

(13) Two insert types were tested. The rod insert included a cylindrical rod of plasticised cellulose acetate of 15.7 mm circumference and 84 mm length wrapped in a perforated film wrap (similar construction to the embodiment of FIG. 1, with perforated film rather than plugwrap). The flat pad insert included an unwrapped flat pad of plasticised cellulose acetate of 20 mm width, 3 mm thickness and 84 mm length. Inserts were pre loaded with 100 mg, 200 mg and 300 mg menthol and then inserted in cigarette packs which were resealed. After insertion of the inserts the cigarettes were sampled after 24 and 48 hours and the menthol yield measured for the cigarettes nearest to the insert. The results are given in the table below.

(14) TABLE-US-00002 Time Pack Menthol Sealed Hrs mg/Insert Menthol Yield mg/cig Rod Insert 24 100 0.19 200 0.29 300 0.99 48 100 0.31 200 0.42 300 1.15 Flat Pad Insert 24 100 0.25 200 0.37 300 0.46 48 100 0.25 200 0.54 300 0.62

(15) It can be seen that menthol does transfer readily and rapidly from the inserts to the cigarettes.