Plugged Cigarette, Cigarette Shell and Method of Producing a Plugged Cigarette

Abstract

A cigarette including a first rolling material defining a body with an inner volume. The body includes a support tip arranged inside of a proximal end of the body. A smokeable material is disposed within the body. A second rolling material is plugged at a distal end of the body, the second rolling paper forming a sleeve of which a first portion extends within the body and of which a second portion projects from the body out from the distal end in a longitudinal direction of the body. The second portion includes a physical deformation such that the sleeve is closed thereby. Various other embodiments and methods of manufacturing the same are disclosed.

Claims

1. A cigarette comprising: a first rolling material defining a body with an inner volume, wherein the body comprises a support tip arranged inside of a proximal end of the body; a smokeable material disposed within the body; a second rolling material plugged at a distal end of the body, the second rolling paper forming a sleeve of which a first portion extends within the body and of which a second portion projects from the body out from the distal end in a longitudinal direction of the body, and wherein the second portion comprises a physical deformation such that the sleeve is closed thereby.

2. The cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the second rolling material is more flexible than the first rolling material.

3. The cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the smokeable material extends from the tip to the physical deformation, beyond the distal end of the body formed by the first rolling material.

4. The cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the physical deformation comprises a closed twist in the paper.

5. The cigarette according to claim 2, wherein the second rolling material comprises an area density of about 8 to about 40 g/m.sup.2, wherein the second rolling material is attached to the inner surface of the first rolling material such that the outer circumference of the sleeve and inner circumference of the body are the same.

6. The cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the second rolling material only extends between about 2 and about 0.5 cm into the body.

7. The cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the second rolling material only projects between about 2.5 and about 1.0 cm from the body.

8. The cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the first rolling material, in its unrolled form, is shaped as an isosceles trapezoid or rectangle, and wherein the body is frustoconical.

9. The cigarette according to claim 8, wherein the second rolling material, in its unrolled form, is shaped as an isosceles trapezoid or rectangle, and wherein preferably the shape of the second rolling material is an extension of the shape of the first rolling material.

10. The cigarette according to claim 1 further comprising: a third rolling material, wherein the second rolling material is layered between the third and first rolling material, and wherein the first and second rolling material are within about 0 to about 0.5 cm of each other's length and wherein the length of the second rolling material preferably exceeds that of the first rolling material by about 0.5 to about 2.5 cm.

11. A cigarette shell comprising: a first rolling material a body; a filter tip arranged inside of a proximal end of the body; a second rolling material forming a sleeve of which a first portion extends within the body and of which a second portion projects from the body out from a distal end thereof in a longitudinal direction of the body, wherein the second rolling material forms a sleeve of which a first portion extends within the body and of which a second portion projects from the body out from the distal end in a longitudinal direction of the body, and wherein the second portion projects about 1 to about 2.5 cm, from the body such that a physical deformation can be applied to the sleeve for closing it, wherein preferably the second rolling material is more flexible than the first rolling material.

12. A method of making a cigarette comprising the steps of: providing a shell according to claim 11; loading the shell with a smokeable material; and applying a physical deformation to the second portion where it projects from the body, such that the smokeable material is prevented from falling out of the shell at the distal end.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of applying a physical deformation comprises pinching the second portion and rotating the pinched portion with respect to the body around the longitudinal axis of the cigarette such that a closed twist is formed in the second portion.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of applying a physical deformation to the second portion comprises crimping or folding the second portion.

15. A machine for creating cigarettes could comprise: a base comprising an oscillator for shaking the machine; a holder, designed for being assembled with the base, comprising a plurality of channels for holding a cigarette shell in each of channel of the plurality of channels; a tray, with a plurality of dosing channels, designed for being assembled with the holder, and for holding a predefined amount of smokeable material in each dosing channel, wherein each dosing channel comprises a through hole for dispensing the smokeable material into a mutually different cigarette shell for forming the cigarettes, wherein: i) the tray is provided with a crimp tool for engaging the cigarettes in each of the channels simultaneously for providing a closing deformation thereto; or ii) a crimp tool is designed for being assembled with the holder, so as to be assembled with the holder after filling, for engaging the cigarettes in each of the channels simultaneously for providing a closing deformation thereto.

16. The cigarette of claim 1 wherein the first rolling paper comprises a paper, dried leaves or flower petals.

17. The cigarette of claim 4, where the physical deformation is formed by pinching the second portion between two fingers and rotating the body with respect to the pinched portion or vice versa around the longitudinal axis of the cigarette.

18. The cigarette of claim 5, wherein the second rolling material comprises an area density of about 9 to about 25 g/m.sup.2.

19. The cigarette of claim 6, wherein the second rolling material only extends between about 0.9 and about 1.1 cm into the body.

20. The cigarette of claim 7, wherein the second rolling material only projects between about 1.2 and about 1.6 cm from the body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form a part of the specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. The drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating one or more embodiments of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. In the drawings:

[0044] FIG. 1 is a series of schematic illustrations showing certain steps of a method of creating a cigarette according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] FIG. 2 is a series of schematic illustrations showing a second method of creating a cigarette according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] FIG. 3 is a series of schematic illustrations showing a third method of creating a cigarette according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0047] FIG. 4 is a series of schematic illustrations showing a fourth method of creating a cigarette.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a method for creating a cigarette 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The progress of creation is shown from left to right.

[0049] On the left it can be seen that the cigarette 1 starts out having second rolling paper 3.1 connected to first rolling material 2, here a dried leaf. The second rolling paper is glued to the first rolling paper along its width and has an area density of 18 g/m.sup.2. The glue is a food grade glue G. Supporting tip 2.2 also is part of the cigarette and is here merely exemplary folded, see arrow R1, from a piece of paper to be a cylinder or frustoconical curled supporting tip. Tip 2.2 is provided at proximal end 2.3 of what will be body 2.1, defining an inner volume, formed by the first paper after jointly rolling components 2, 2.2 and 3.1 into a cone. The distal end here is the end that is intended for being held to the lips of a user. The second paper being attached near the distal end 2.5 by glue G.

[0050] The rolling of components 2, 2.2 and 3.1 into a cone, more specifically into a frustoconical shape, creates a shell; see arrow R2. This is an example of the shell according to an embodiment of the present invention. The act of rolling also turns the second rolling paper into a sleeve. First portion 4.1 extends 1 cm into body 2.1, and second portion 4.2 projects 1.5 cm from the body.

[0051] The body can be loaded, arrow F, with smokeable material A through said sleeve into body 2.1. Filling can occur by machine.

[0052] The smokeable material is filled up to the edge of distal end 2.5 of body 2.1. In this example body 2.1 is filled until 0.1-2 mm above the edge of distal end 2.5.

[0053] Second portion 4.2 is pinched by a worker with a first hand, and the body is cigarette is held by the worked with a second hand, whereafter the worker rotates the pinched part or the body around the longitudinal axis of the cigarette, such that helical twist closes the cigarette.

[0054] FIG. 2 shows an alternative method for forming cigarette 1 to the method of FIG. 1 for forming cigarette 1. While differences are discussed, same reference numbers refer to same features.

[0055] In the example of FIG. 2 it is shown that first rolling material 2 can also be provided as a rectangular sheet prior to rolling, as can second rolling material 3.1. These particularities do not disqualify the first rolling material and second rolling material for use according to the method of FIG. 1.

[0056] It is also possible to just crimp second portion 4.2 that projects from body 2.1. One could even heat seal the second portion. It's also possible to create one or more folds CF by crimping the second portion. This is optional, the dotted line indicated by CF in FIG. 2 represents this option.

[0057] FIG. 3 shows an alternative method for forming cigarette 1 to the method of FIG. 2 for forming cigarette 1. Same reference numbers refer to same features.

[0058] In FIG. 3 it is shown that the second material can be provided as a liner for first material 2. That is to say, the first material is supported on the second material, possibly also by glue.

[0059] Second material 3.1 extends beyond distal end 2.5 of body 2.1 as defined by the first material. It is more pronounced in the example of FIG. 3 that the body is filled to at least 0.5 mm above the distal edge of body so that applying a deformation does not affect the integrity of the first material. This distance is represented by reference number 100. While this feature is also present in FIGS. 1 and 2, these aren't provided with reference numeral 100 as this feature is optional for those particular examples.

[0060] FIG. 4 shows yet another method for forming a cigarette 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Same reference numbers refer to same features. In this example second material 3.1 is provided as an isosceles trapezoidal sheet glued G to third material 88 provided as smaller isosceles trapezoidal sheet which is roughly the same size and shape as first material 2 also provided as a sheet. The second material is layered between the first and second material so that the second material projects from the first and second material at distal end 2.5 of the body as formed by the first material.

[0061] By having the second material layer sandwiched between these first and second material layers an additional sturdiness is obtained while also ensuring a stable burn when the cigarette is used. The manner of closing shown in FIG. 4 can easily be replaced by any other method of closing.

[0062] While not shown herein, it is emphasized that the first material is also glued onto the second material along its length.

[0063] Embodiments of the present invention can include every combination of features that are disclosed herein independently from each other. Although the invention has been discussed in the foregoing with reference to an exemplary embodiment of the apparatus of the invention, the invention is not restricted to this particular embodiment which can be varied in many ways without departing from the invention. The discussed exemplary embodiment shall therefore not be used to construe the appended claims strictly in accordance therewith. On the contrary the embodiment is merely intended to explain the wording of the appended claims without intent to limit the claims to this exemplary embodiment. The scope of protection of the invention shall therefore be construed in accordance with the appended claims only, wherein a possible ambiguity in the wording of the claims shall be resolved using this exemplary embodiment. Variations and modifications of the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications and equivalents. The entire disclosures of all references, applications, patents, and publications cited above are hereby incorporated by reference, including the priority document. Unless specifically stated as being essential above, none of the various components or the interrelationship thereof are essential to the operation of the invention. Rather, desirable results can be achieved by substituting various components and/or reconfiguration of their relationships with one another. The terms, a, an, the, and said mean one or more unless context explicitly dictates otherwise. Note that in the specification and claims, about or approximately means within twenty percent (20%) of the numerical amount cited.