Multi-filter for a smoking product

Abstract

Filter for a smoking product, the filter including a first filter segment and a second filter segment, wherein the first filter segment includes a component that is given off into a smoke stream passing through a filter outlet opening, and the second filter segment includes a sorption means that absorbs a component from a smoke stream passing through the filter inlet opening.

Claims

1. A ventilated filter for a smoking product, filter comprising: a first filter segment including a filter base element, a base wrapping, and a component, the first filter segment configured to dispense said component to a smoke flow passing through a filter outlet opening; a second filter segment including a filter base element, a base wrapping, and a sorption agent configured to sorb a smoke flow component from a smoke flow passing through a filter inlet opening; and a filter wrapping which is circumferentially attached to the base wrappings and wherein the filter wrapping and the filter base wrappings form a dimensionally stable wrapping by being glued together over at least one substantial region, at least one of the first filter segment and the second filter segment further including at least one recess defined by an outer surface thereof, and wherein the dimensionally stable wrapping is situated between the at least one recess and a tipping paper connecting the filter to a tobacco rod.

2. The filter according to claim 1, wherein the first filter segment is arranged in a region of the filter that faces away from smokable material of a smoking product, and the second filter segment is arranged in a region of the filter that faces the smokable material of the smoking product.

3. The filter according to claim 1, wherein the first filter segment includes the at least one recess arranged substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the first filter segment.

4. The filter according to claim 3, wherein the at least one recess extends from the filter outlet opening to a region that is spaced away from a frontal area of the first filter segment opposite the filter outlet opening.

5. The filter according to claim 1, wherein the first filter segment further includes a region or element comprising the component.

6. The filter according to claim 5, wherein the region or element is elongate and is arranged on the longitudinal axis of the first filter segment.

7. The filter according to claim 1, wherein the sorption agent is an absorption agent or an adsorption agent.

8. The filter according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the base wrappings and is connected to the filter base element in at least one substantial region of a circumferential surface of that filter segment.

9. The filter according to claim 8, wherein a connection between the at least one of the base wrappings and/or the filter wrapping and the filter base element and/or the filter segment, is a glue connection comprising a glue, a mass of the glue being in the range of 5% to 15% of a mass of the filter.

10. The filter according to claim 1, wherein the sorption agent is activated carbon.

11. A method for manufacturing a filter for smoking products, the method comprising: providing a continuous rod of a first filter base element including a component configured to be dispensed to a smoke flow; attaching a base wrapping to an outer surface of the continuous rod of the first filter base element, thereby producing a first filter segment; providing a continuous rod of a second filter base element comprising a sorption agent configured to sorb a smoke flow component from a smoke flow; attaching a base wrapping to a circumferential area of the continuous rod of the second filter base element, thereby producing a second filter segment; combining elements of the first filter segment and the second filter segment, each having been correspondingly cut to length, to form a filter rod having a length which is a multiple of a length of a filter, by gluing the base wrappings of the filter segments to a filter wrapping over a large area so as to obtain a dimensionally stable wrapping; forming at least one recess on the outer circumference of at least one of the first filter segment and the second filter segment; and connecting the filter to a tobacco rod by means of a tipping paper, wherein the dimensionally stable wrapping is disposed between the at least one recess and a tipping paper connecting the filter to a tobacco rod.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the first filter base element and the second filter base element are glued to a base wrapping over a first area and glued to a filter wrapping over a second area.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the gluing includes applying a quantity of the glue having a mass in the range of 7% to 15% of a mass of the filter.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein forming the at least one recess on the outer circumference of at least one of the first filter segment and the second filter segment includes rolling the at least one of the first filter segment and the second filter segment over an element comprising protrusions, at a predetermined bearing pressure, thereby producing circumferential recesses in a region of the first filter segment.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the sorption agent is activated carbon.

Description

(1) A preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in the following, on the basis of the enclosed FIG. 1. The invention can comprise the features described therein, individually and in any expedient combination.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a filter in accordance with the invention for a smoking product which as a whole is provided with the reference sign 1. A filter 8 is arranged at the end of the smoking product 1 facing the smoker, and in turn comprises the filter segments 2 and 3. The filter segment 2 adjoins the filter outlet opening 4 from which the smoke flow dispensed to the smoker exits the smoking product 1. The filter segment 2 comprises a filter base segment 2a made of cellulose acetate tow and a base wrapping 2b which is arranged on the circumference of the filter segment 2 and gummed to the filter base element 2a over almost the entire cylindrical circumferential area of the first filter segment 2. Three recesses 9, which are distributed uniformly on the circumference of the filter segment 2 and extend parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the smoking product 1, serve to guide the ventilation air and to channel the smoke flow towards the central axis of the filter segment 2, wherein the ventilation air comes from the environment of the smoking product and can enter through ventilation openings which are schematically shown in FIG. 1. The ventilation openings are situated on the circumference of the first filter segment in this preferred embodiment, but can be arranged at any positions along the filter in a known way. The recesses 9 extend from the filter outlet opening 4 of the smoking product up to a central region of the filter segment 2, such that three openings are formed on the area of the filter outlet opening.

(3) On the central longitudinal axis of the smoking product 1, a flavour thread 10 made of cellulose acetate extends from the filter outlet opening 4 up to the boundary area between the first and second filter segments 2 and 3 and contains one or more substances and/or components to be dispensed to the smoke flow, and has in particular been treated with flavouring substances. The smoke flow is advantageously channelled to the centre of the first filter segment 2 and/or into the region of the flavour thread 10 by the recesses 9, such that the smoke flow is optimally impregnated with the component to be dispensed.

(4) The second filter segment 3 is situated adjacent to the first filter segment 2, i.e. between the first filter segment 2 and the smokable material and/or tobacco rod 7 andlike the first filter segment 2comprises a filter base element 3a and a base wrapping 3b which is glued over an area in the same way as the first filter segment.

(5) The filter wrapping 8b is situated in a circumferential arrangement around the first filter segment 2 and the second filter segment 3 and is glued to the base wrappings 2b and 3b over an area and combines the first filter segment 2 and the second filter segment 3 to form a filter 8. It can be seen from FIG. 1 that a smoke flow coming from the tobacco rod 7 necessarily has to flow through the filter inlet opening 5 at which the second filter segment 3 adjoins the tobacco rod 7, then passes the second filter segment 3 comprising the activated carbon particles 6 arranged in a distribution within it, and the first filter segment 2 comprising the flavour thread 10, in order to finally exit the smoking product 1 from the filter outlet opening 4.

(6) In order to manufacture the filter in accordance with the invention shown in FIG. 1, the filter base elements 2a and 3a are each provided with a base wrapping 2b and 3b by gluing each of the base wrappings 2b and 3b at the circumference of the corresponding filter base element 2a and 3a. Prior to this step, the filter base element 2a has been provided with a flavour thread 10 which runs on the central longitudinal axis of the filter base element 2a, and the filter base element 3a has been provided with activated carbon particles 6, which corresponds to known technologies in manufacturing filters.

(7) The filter segments 2 and 3 thus created are then placed axially against each other, wherein a number of the filter segments 2 and 3 can be placed in any order, i.e. in alternating axial succession in this case, in order to be combined to form a filter and/or filter rod by adhering the filter wrapping 8b. Following this, the individual filters and/or the filter rod are then rolled over an adjustably heated plate in order to form recesses 9 on the circumference of the first filter segment 2. In the case of a filter rod, this can then be divided into individual filters consisting of the filter segments 2 and 3, wherein the ultimate dimensional stability of the filter can be set by adjusting the application of glue and the triacetin content.

(8) The present invention is shown here on the basis of a filter cigarette, wherein both the filter segments 2 and 3 and the tobacco rod 7 exhibit an elongated cylindrical shape. It is, however, also conceivable for the filter in accordance with the invention to be able to be used in conjunction with other smoking products, for example pipes, and accordingly for it to be able to also exhibit shapes other than cylindrical shapes.

(9) The following table shows the lower limit (in the right-hand column) and the upper limit (in the left-hand column) for preferred parameter values of an embodiment of the present invention.

(10) TABLE-US-00001 Upper limit Lower limit Filter segments 4 2 Length of tobacco rod 85 mm 49 mm Length of filter 35 mm 21 mm Mouth-end segment 25 mm 12 mm Rod-end segment 23 mm 8 mm Number of grooves 8 2 Length of grooves =length of segment (2) 3 mm Depth of grooves 2 mm 0.4 mm Ventilation 95% 10% Charcoal loading 5.5 mg/mm 0.5 mg/mm Diameter of flavour thread 2 mm 0.5 mm Flavour loading 7 mg 0.1 mg