Elongated smoking article

Abstract

The present invention relates to an elongated smoking article (100) (100) that extends in a longitudinal direction (L) and comprises a cylindrical smoking body (10) with a combustible material (11) that is surrounded by a wrapping paper (12). The smoking article (100) further comprises a filter element (20) that is configured to reduce substances from combustion gases drawn through the filter element (20) from the burning smoking body (10). A tipping paper (30) is circumscribing the smoking body (10) and the filter element (20) and is attached to external surfaces (13, 21) of the smoking body (10) and the filter element (20). According to the invention, a flavoring (80) is disposed in or on the tipping paper (30) with a distribution that varies in a circumferential direction (C) of the tipping paper (30), such that the amount and/or type of flavoring (80) contacting a smoker's lips (90) depends on a rotational state of the elongated smoking article (100) with respect to the circumferential direction (C).

Claims

1. Elongated smoking article extending in a longitudinal direction, comprising: a cylindrical smoking body with a combustible material surrounded by a wrapping paper; a filter element configured to reduce substances from combustion gases drawn through the filter element from the burning smoking body; and a tipping paper circumscribing the smoking body and the filter element and being attached to external surfaces of the smoking body and the filter element, wherein a flavoring is disposed in or on the tipping paper with a distribution that varies in a circumferential direction of the tipping paper, wherein the amount and/or type of flavoring contacting a smoker's lips depends on a rotational state of the elongated smoking article with respect to the circumferential direction, wherein the filter element has a circular cross section and the tipping paper has a circular ring cross section, wherein the flavoring is disposed within a first section of the tipping paper, the first section of the tipping paper being disposed on a first circle sector of the filter element extending in the longitudinal direction of the elongated smoking article, and wherein, in a first circular ring cross section of the tipping paper, the flavoring within the first section of the tipping paper extends circumferentially between a first pair of opposite ends wherein, in a second circular ring cross section of the tipping paper, the flavoring within the first section of the tipping paper extends circumferentially between a second pair of opposite ends, the second pair of opposite ends each being aligned, along the longitudinal direction, with the flavoring within the first section in the first circular ring cross section.

2. Elongated smoking article according to claim 1, wherein the flavoring is further disposed within a second section of the tipping paper, the second section of the tipping paper being opposite to the first section.

3. Elongated smoking article according to claim 2, wherein the second section is a point reflection of the first section with respect to a rotational symmetry axis of the filter element.

4. Elongated smoking article extending in a longitudinal direction, comprising: a cylindrical smoking body with a combustible material surrounded by a wrapping paper; a filter element configured to reduce substances from combustion gases drawn through the filter element from the burning smoking body; and a tipping paper circumscribing the smoking body and the filter element and being attached to external surfaces of the smoking body and the filter element, wherein a flavoring is disposed in or on the tipping paper with a distribution that varies in a circumferential direction of the tipping paper, wherein the amount and/or type of flavoring contacting a smoker's lips depends on a rotational state of the elongated smoking article with respect to the circumferential direction, wherein the filter element has a circular cross section and the tipping paper has a circular ring cross section, wherein the flavoring is disposed within a first section of the tipping paper, the first section of the tipping paper being disposed on a first circle sector of the filter element extending in the longitudinal direction of the elongated smoking article, and wherein the first circle sector has a central angle of 90 degrees or less.

5. Elongated smoking article according to claim 2, wherein a first flavoring is disposed in the first section and the second section, and a second flavoring is disposed within a third section and a fourth section of the tipping paper, the third section being disposed between the first section and the second section and the fourth section being opposite the third section.

6. Elongated smoking article according to claim 1, wherein a first flavoring is disposed within the first section and a second flavoring is disposed within a second section of the tipping paper, the second section being rotated from the first section about an angle of less than 180 degrees.

7. Elongated smoking article according to claim 1, wherein the remaining tipping paper does not comprise any flavoring.

8. Elongated smoking article according to claim 7, wherein a concentration of flavoring changes continuously along the circumferential direction of the tipping paper.

9. Elongated smoking article according to claim 8, wherein the distribution of the flavoring further varies in a longitudinal direction of the tipping paper, and wherein the amount and/or type of flavoring contacting a smoker's lips further depends on translational state of the elongated smoking article with respect to the longitudinal direction.

10. Elongated smoking article according to claim 9, wherein the flavoring is disposed in and/or on the tipping paper by applying a solution of flavoring to the tipping paper.

11. Elongated smoking article according to claim 10, wherein the flavoring is disposed on the tipping paper by applying at least one layer of flavoring material on the tipping paper.

12. Tipping paper for an elongated smoking article according to claim 1.

13. Elongated smoking article according to claim 1, wherein a concentration of flavoring changes continuously along the circumferential direction of the tipping paper.

14. Elongated smoking article according to claim 1, wherein the distribution of the flavoring further varies in a longitudinal direction of the tipping paper, and wherein the amount and/or type of flavoring contacting a smoker's lips further depends on translational state of the elongated smoking article with respect to the longitudinal direction.

15. Elongated smoking article according to claim 1, wherein the flavoring is disposed in and/or on the tipping paper by applying a solution of flavoring to the tipping paper.

16. Elongated smoking article according to claim 1, wherein the flavoring is disposed on the tipping paper by applying at least one layer of flavoring material on the tipping paper.

17. Elongated smoking article according to claim 1, wherein, in a third circular ring cross section of the tipping paper, the flavoring within the first section of the tipping paper extends circumferentially between a third pair of opposite ends, the third pair of opposite ends each being aligned, along the longitudinal direction, with each of the flavoring within the first section in the first circular ring cross section and the flavoring within the first section in the second circular ring cross section.

18. Elongated smoking article according to claim 1, wherein the second pair of opposite ends are respectively aligned, along the longitudinal direction, with the first pair of opposite ends.

19. Elongated smoking article according to claim 1, wherein the first circle sector extends longitudinally between a first end proximal to a mouthpiece end of the filter and a second end distal to the mouthpiece end, the first circle sector having two sides that extend between the first and second ends of the first circle sector and that are parallel to the longitudinal direction.

20. Elongated smoking article according to claim 1, wherein the first circle sector extends longitudinally between a first end proximal to a mouthpiece end of the filter and a second end distal to the mouthpiece end, a longitudinal length of the first circle sector between the first and second ends being at least half of a longitudinal length of the filter element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) Further features of the invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by describing in detail exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 (A) illustrates a schematic perspective view of an elongated smoking article and (B) illustrates a schematic cross section side view of an elongated smoking article;

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates a filter element of an elongated smoking article according to a first embodiment;

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates the interaction of the filter element of the first embodiment with the lips of a smoker in (A) a first configuration and (B) a second configuration;

(5) FIG. 4 schematically illustrates the circumference of tipping papers of an elongated smoking articles according to (A) a second embodiment, (B) a third embodiment and (C) a fourth embodiment; and

(6) FIG. 5 illustrates filter elements of elongated smoking articles according to (A) a fifth embodiment, (B) a sixth embodiment, and (C) a seventh embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EXAMPLE EMBODIMENT

(7) With reference to FIG. 1, a filter cigarette is shown as an example of an elongated smoking article 100 in (A) a schematic perspective view of an elongated smoking article and (B) a schematic cross section side view. The filter cigarette 100 includes a cylindrical rod of combustible material 11 the cylindrical surface of which is surrounded by a wrapping paper 12. The wrapping paper 12 typically incorporates a fibrous material, such as a cellulosic material, e.g. a lignocellulosic material. Exemplary cellulosic materials include flax fibers, hardwood pulp, softwood pulp, hemp fibers, esparto fibers, kenaf fibers, jute fibers and sisal fibers. Mixtures of two or more types of cellulosic materials can be employed.

(8) The combustible material 11 within the wrapping paper 12 is referred to as smoking body 10 and one base area of the smoking body 10 is open to expose the combustible material 11. At one base area of the smoking body 10 the combustible material 11 can be lightened and at the other base area a filter element 20 is positioned. The filter element 20 may be at least partially formed of a weave, mesh, paper, membrane, and/or other appropriate structure providing the desired diffusivity. Its thickness and density may be determined during manufacture or altered thereafter to provide desired diffusivity.

(9) The filter element 20 and the smoking body 13 are axially aligned in an end-to-end relationship along a longitudinal relationship L of the filter cigarette. The filter element 20 has a generally cylindrical shape with a diameter that is essentially equal to the diameter of the smoking body 10. The base areas of the filter element 20 are open to permit the passage of air and smoke therethrough. One of these base areas contacts the smoking body 10 and the other base area forms a mouthpiece for a user. The filter element 20 includes a filter material, such as e.g. plasticized cellulose acetate or a biodegradable material, which is configured to reduce substances in combustion gases that are drawn by a smoker from the burning smoking body 10 through the mouthpiece base area of the filter element 20.

(10) The filter element 20 is fixed to the smoking body 10 via a tipping paper 30 that is circumscribing both, the filter element 20 and the smoking body 10. The tipping paper 30 is wrapped over the filter element 20 and the smoking body 10 along the longitudinal direction L and is attached by an adhesive to an external surface 13 of the smoking body 10 and to an external surface 21 of the filter element 20. Thus, the tipping paper 30 provides a force closure between smoking body 10 and filter element 20 via an indirect adhesive bond using a suitable adhesive, such as e.g., a water-based adhesive of the type traditionally employed by cigarette manufacturers for application of tipping paper during filtered cigarette manufacture. In other words, the tipping paper 30 extends around the longitudinally extending periphery of substantially the entire length of the filter element 20 and around a portion of the longitudinally extending periphery of the wrapping paper 12 of the combustible material 11 in a region of the smoking body 10 immediately adjacent to the filter element 20.

(11) FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic perspective view of a filter element 20 of an elongated smoking article 10 according to a first embodiment of the invention. Therein the filter element 20 has a circular cross section 23 and the tipping paper 30 has a circular ring cross section 33. A flavoring 80 is disposed in and/or on a first section 31 of the tipping paper 30 and the same flavoring 80 is disposed in and on a second section 32 of the tipping paper 30. Further, no flavoring 80 is disposed in or on the remaining tipping paper 30 outside these first and second sections 31, 32. The first section 31 is disposed on a first circle sector of the filter element 20 and the second section 32 is disposed on a second circle sector of the filter element 20, wherein the second circle sector and thus the second section 32 is opposite to the first section 31. In more detail, the second circle sector and the second section 32 are point reflections of the first circle sector and the first section 32, respectively, with respect to a rotational symmetry axis 22 of the filter element 20. Further, the first circle sector and the second circle sector have similar central angles of about 90 degrees.

(12) In FIG. 3 the interaction of the filter element 20 of the filter cigarette 100 according to the first embodiment as shown in FIG. 2 with the lips of a smoker 90 is shown in (A) a first configuration and (B) a second configuration. In the first configuration (A), the first section 31 and the opposite second section 32, both containing the flavoring 80, are aligned with the horizontal direction. As the contact between the lips 90 of a consumer and the filter element 20 occurs predominantly at an upper end of the filter element, i.e. with the upper lip 90, and a lower end of the filter element 20, i.e. with the lower lip 90, the first and second section 31, 32 does thus not contact the lips 90 of the consumer. Thus, the consumer experiences no gustatory or olfactory sensation based on the flavoring 80. However, by rotating the filter element 20 about 90 degrees, the first section 31 is brought in contact with the upper lip 90 and the second section 32 is brought in contact with the lower lip 90 as illustrated in the configuration of FIG. 3 (B). Hence, the flavoring 80 disposed in the first section 31 and the second section 32 is brought into contact with the lips 90 of the consumer and the consumer thus experiences a gustatory sensation based on the flavoring. By rotating the filter cigarette 100, the consumer can thus decide on whether or not he or she wants to experience the sensation of the flavoring 80.

(13) Further embodiments of the tipping papers 30 of elongated smoking articles 100 according to embodiments of the invention are illustrated in FIG. 4. Therein, a second embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 4 (A), which illustrates a front view of a cylindrical filter element 20. Therein, at both outer edges of the filter element 20 a first concentration of flavoring 80a is disposed on the tipping paper 30 circumscribing the filter element 20. Towards the front edge of the filter element 20, a second concentration of flavoring 80b is disposed adjacent to the first concentration 80a of flavoring and a third concentration of flavoring 80c is disposed adjacent to the second concentration of flavoring 80b. Therein, the first concentration 80a is higher than the second concentration 80b that is higher than the third concentration 80c. In other words, in the second embodiment of the tipping paper 30, a flavoring is provided in two sections comparable to those illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, wherein the concentration of the flavoring fades towards the outskirts of these sections. Hence, additionally to deciding whether or not the consumer wants to experience the flavoring 80 at all, the consumer can further set the strength of the flavoring that he or she experiences by rotating the filter 20.

(14) A third embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 4 (B), which again illustrates a front view of a cylindrical filter element 20. Therein, a flavoring 80 is disposed on the tipping paper 30 circumscribing the filter element 20 with a continuous concentration gradient. Therein, a concentration of the flavoring 80 is highest at the both outer edges of the filter element 20 and fades continuously towards the front edge of the filter element 20. Hence, FIG. 4 (B) provides the same effect as the embodiment of FIG. 4 (A) but with a continuous gradient of flavoring 80 instead of the three-fold discrete gradient of flavoring 80. Hence, a user can set even more freely the amount of experienced flavoring by rotating the filter element 20.

(15) A fourth embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 4 (C), which does not illustrate a front view of a cylindrical filter element 20 but instead illustrates a tipping paper 30 unwound from a filter element 20. Therein, a first flavoring 81 is disposed in a first section 31 and a second section 32 of the tipping paper 30 and a second flavoring 82 is disposed in a third section 33 and a fourth section 34 of the tipping paper 30. Further, a leftmost and void section of the tipping paper is configured to be adhesively attached to the backside of the fourth section 34 for circumscribing the tipping paper 30 around a cylindrical filter element 20. Then, if the tipping paper 30 is adhesively circumscribed around the filter element 20, the first section 31 is disposed on a first circle sector of the filter element 20 and the second section 32 is disposed on a second circle sector of the filter element 20 opposite the first circle sector. Further, the third section 33 is disposed on a third circle sector of the filter element 20 in between the first and second circle sector in the circumferential direction C of the filter element 20 and the fourth section 34 is disposed on a fourth circle sector of the filter element 20 opposite the third circle sector. Thus, in comparison to the configurations shown in FIG. 3, a consumer can align the first and second section 31, 32 with a vertical direction such that the first flavoring 81 is in contact with the consumer's lips 90. Alternatively, the consumer can align the third and fourth section 33, 34 with a vertical direction such that the second flavoring 82 is in contact with the consumer's lips 90. Thus, by rotating the filter cigarette 100 the user can switch between the sensation of first and second flavoring 81, 82.

(16) FIG. 5 illustrates filter elements 20 with a circumscribing tipping paper 30 of the invention according to a fifth embodiment (A), a sixth embodiment (B), and a seventh embodiment (C). These embodiments have in common that a distribution of a flavoring 80 further varies in a longitudinal direction L of the tipping paper 30. Therein the amount and/or the type of flavoring 80 that is contacting a smoker's lips 90 further depends on translational state of the elongated smoking article 100 with respect to the longitudinal direction L.

(17) In the filter element 20 of the fifth embodiment of FIG. 5 (A), the first and second sections 31, 32 do not extend across the whole length of the filter element 20 but extend from the mouthpiece end of the filter element 20 along half the length of the filter element 20. Thus, a user can decide whether or not he or she wants to experience the sensation of the flavoring 80 by rotating the filter element 20, if the half of the filter element 20 proximal to its mouthpiece end is in contact with the lips 90 of the user as described with respect to FIG. 3. However, by further inserting the filter element 20 into the mouth of the user, such that the half of the filter element 20 distal to its mouthpiece end is in contact with the lips 90 of the user, the user can decide to not experience the flavoring 80 irrespective of the rotational state of the filter element 20. Hence, the freedom of choice is further increased.

(18) In the filter element 20 of the sixth embodiment of FIG. 5 (B), a flavoring (crosshatching) is disposed in a first section 31 of the tipping paper 30, i.e. a first angular section 31, as described above and a second section 32 of the tipping paper 30, i.e. a second angular section 32, as described above. Further, the flavoring is disposed in four cylindrical sections 41, 42, 43, 44 of the tipping paper 30. By combining the circumferentially varying distribution of flavoring based on the first and second sections 31, 32 with the longitudinally varying distribution of flavoring based on the first to fourth cylindrical sections 41, 42, 43, 44 a total of eight sections is generated that provides a distribution of flavoring that varies in the longitudinal and the circumferential direction. Thus, a user can adjust whether or not he wants to experience the flavoring by rotating the filter element 20 around a rotational symmetry axis of the filter element 20 and can further adjust the intensity of the experienced flavoring by translating the filter element 20 along the longitudinal direction of the filter 20, wherein the intensity decreases with decreasing width of the cylindrical sections 41 to 44.

(19) In the filter element 20 of the seventh embodiment of FIG. 5 (C), a first flavoring 81 is disposed in a first section 31 of the tipping paper 30, i.e. a first angular section 31, as described above and a second section 32 of the tipping paper 30, i.e. a second angular section 32, as described above. Further, the first flavoring 81 is disposed in a third cylindrical section 43 of the tipping paper 30. A second flavoring 82 is disposed in the first angular section 31 and the second angular section 32 as well as in a second cylindrical section 42 of the tipping paper 30. Finally, a third flavoring 83 is disposed in the first angular section 31 and the second angular section 32 as well as in a third cylindrical section 43 of the tipping paper 30. By combining the circumferentially varying distribution of flavorings 81, 82, 83 based on the first and second sections 31, 32 with the longitudinally varying types of flavorings 81, 82, 83 based on the first to third cylindrical sections 41, 42, 43 a total of six sections is generated that provides a distribution of flavorings 81, 82, 83 that varies in the longitudinal and the circumferential direction. Thus, a user can adjust whether or not he wants to experience any flavoring 81, 82, 83 by rotating the filter element 20 around a rotational symmetry axis of the filter element 20 and can further adjust the type of the experienced flavoring 81, 82, 83 by translating the filter element 20 along the longitudinal direction of the filter element 20. Hence, the user's freedom of choice is further increased.

REFERENCE SIGNS

(20) 10 cylindrical smoking body

(21) 11 combustible material

(22) 12 wrapping paper

(23) 13 external surface of the smoking body

(24) 20 filter element

(25) 21 external surface of the filter element

(26) 22 rotational symmetry axis of the filter element

(27) 23 cross section of the filter element

(28) 30 tipping paper

(29) 31 first section of the tipping paper

(30) 32 second section of the tipping paper

(31) 33 third section of the tipping paper

(32) 35 fourth section of the tipping paper

(33) 35 cross section of the tipping paper

(34) 41-44 first to fourth cylindrical section

(35) 80 flavoring

(36) 80a first concentration of flavoring

(37) 80b second concentration of flavoring

(38) 80c third concentration of flavoring

(39) 81 first flavoring

(40) 82 second flavoring

(41) 83 third flavoring

(42) 90 smoker's lips

(43) 100 elongated smoking article

(44) L longitudinal direction

(45) C circumferential direction