SMOKE FILTER FOR CIGARETTES AND OTHER SMOKING IMPLEMENTS

Abstract

A smoke filtering apparatus for filtering toxicants from cigarette smoke includes a tube sized and configured to insert into a smoking implement. The tube has a pair of ends, each of which is air permeable such that the tube is configured to permit air through the tube via the pair of ends. A filter is mounted within the tube. The filter comprises a plurality of panels which are coupled to each other at a central axis of the filter. The panels extend radially away from the central axis. Each panel comprises a filtering material configured to attract toxicants from smoke.

Claims

1. A smoke filtering apparatus for a smoking implement, the apparatus comprising: a tube sized and configured to insert into the smoking implement, the tube having a pair of ends, each end of the pair of ends being air permeable such that the tube is configured to permit air through the tube via the pair of ends; and a filter mounted within the tube, the filter comprising a plurality of panels, the panels being coupled to each other at a central axis of the filter, the panels extending radially away from the central axis, each panel comprising a filtering material configured to attract toxicants from smoke.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the panels are equally angularly spaced from each other around the central axis.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each panel of the plurality of panels comprises a substrate, the filtering material being mounted to the substrate.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the substrate comprises paper.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the filtering material comprises activated carbon.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the filter extends along its central axis from one end of the pair of ends of the tube to another end of the pair of ends of the tube.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each end of the pair of ends defines a plurality of openings which extend to an interior space of the tube, the openings of each end being radially arranged with respect to each other, each opening of each end of the tube is positioned proximate to an associated panel of the plurality of panels of the filter.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tube has a cylindrical shape.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pair of screens mounted in the tube, each screen being positioned between an associated end of the pair of ends of the tube and the filter, each screen being air permeable.

10. A smoke filtering apparatus for a smoking implement, the apparatus comprising: a tube sized and configured to insert into the smoking implement, the tube having a pair of ends, each end of the pair of ends defining a plurality of openings which extend to an interior space of the tube, the openings of each end being radially arranged with respect to each other, the tube having a cylindrical shape; a filter mounted within the tube, the filter comprising a plurality of panels, the panels being coupled to each other at a central axis of the filter, the panels extending radially away from the central axis, the panels being equally angularly spaced from each other around the central axis, each panel of the plurality of panels comprising a substrate and a filtering material mounted to the substrate, the substrate comprising paper, the filtering material comprising activated carbon, the filter extending along its central axis from one end of the pair of ends of the tube to another end of the pair of ends of the tube, each opening of each end of the tube being positioned proximate to an associated panel of the plurality of panels of the filter; and a pair of screens mounted in the tube, each screen being positioned between an associated end of the pair of ends of the tube and the filter, each screen being air permeable.

11. A smoking implement comprising: a casing having an inhalation end; a tube mounted in the casing at the inhalation end, the tube being positioned and configured to permit smoke through the inhalation end only through the tube, the tube having a pair of ends, each end being air permeable such that the tube is configured to permit air through the tube via the pair of ends; and a filter mounted within the tube, the filter comprising a plurality of panels, the panels being coupled to each other at a central axis of the filter, the panels extending radially away from the central axis.

12. The implement of claim 11, wherein the casing comprises a combustible material.

13. The implement of claim 12, wherein the combustible material comprises paper.

14. The implement of claim 11, wherein each end of the pair of ends of the tube defines a plurality of openings which extend to an interior space of the tube, the openings of each end being radially arranged with respect to each other, the tube having a cylindrical shape, each opening of each end of the tube being positioned proximate to an associated panel of the plurality of panels of the filter.

15. The implement of claim 11, wherein the panels are equally angularly spaced from each other around the central axis.

16. The implement of claim 11, wherein each panel of the plurality of panels comprises a substrate and a filtering material mounted to the substrate.

17. The implement of claim 16, wherein the substrate comprises paper.

18. The implement of claim 16, wherein the filtering material comprises activated carbon.

19. The implement of claim 11, wherein the filter extends along its central axis from one end of the pair of ends of the tube to another end of the pair of ends of the tube.

20. The implement of claim 11, further comprising a pair of screens mounted in the tube, each screen being positioned between an associated end of the pair of ends of the tube and the filter, each screen being air permeable.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

[0011] The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

[0012] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a smoke filtering apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 4 is an exploded in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 5 is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 6 is a cross-section view of an embodiment of the disclosure taken from Line 6-6 in FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 6 thereof, a new smoke filter embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

[0019] As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6, the smoke filtering apparatus 10 generally comprises a tube 12 which sized and configured to insert into a smoking implement 28 such as a cigarette, cigar, smoking pipe, or the like. The tube 12 has a pair of ends 14, each of which defines a plurality of openings 16 that extend to an interior space of the tube 12. The openings 16 of each end 14 are radially arranged with respect to each other. The tube 12 has a cylindrical shape which conforms to a shape of a casing 30 of the smoking implement 28. However, the tube 12 may have other shapes in other embodiments which may conform to various shapes of various other smoking implements.

[0020] A filter 18 is mounted within the tube 12. The filter 18 comprises a plurality of panels 20 which are coupled to each other at a central axis of the filter 18 and extend radially away from the central axis. The panels 20 are equally angularly spaced from each other around the central axis. Each panel 20 of the plurality of panels 20 comprises a substrate and a filtering material 24 mounted to the substrate. The substrate comprises paper but may comprise any suitable material for containing the filtering material 24. The filtering material 24 comprises activated carbon but may comprise any suitable material for filtering toxicants from smoke. The filtering material 24 may be embedded in the substrate, adhered to the substrate, or otherwise suitably mounted to the substrate. The filtering material 24 may be formed in a powder, granules, shavings, or the like. The filtering material 24 is configured to attract toxicants so that they are removed from the smoke during inhalation of the smoke through the tube 12. For example, in the case of the filtering material 24 comprising activated carbon, it is known to the art that activated carbon reduces various toxicants from smoke through adsorption. Other filtering material 24 may be used which remove toxicants from smoke through adsorption, retention of solid particles, or other suitable means.

[0021] The filter 18 extends along its central axis from one end 14 of the pair of ends 14 of the tube 12 to another end 14 of the pair of ends 14 of the tube 12. Each opening 16 of each end 14 of the tube 12 is positioned proximate to an associated panel 20 of the plurality of panels 20 of the filter 18. A pair of screens 26 is mounted in the tube 12. Each screen 26 is positioned between an associated end 14 of the pair of ends 14 of the tube 12 and the filter 18 and is air permeable. The screen 26 may comprise a wire mesh, for example, but other suitable compositions may be used. The smoke filtering apparatus 10 may be insertable into the smoking implement 28 through an inhalation end 32 of the smoking implement 28 or may be attached to the smoking implement 28 during manufacture. FIGS. 4 through 6 depict the smoking implement 28 as being a cigarette. The casing 30 of the cigarette comprises paper which combusts along with a combusting smoking material 34 contained in the casing 30.

[0022] When smoke is drawn through the inhalation end 32 of the smoking implement 28 during use, the smoke enters through the openings 16 of one end 14 of the pair of ends 14 of the tube 12. Each opening 16 permits smoke to move therethrough by both of a pair of opposing surfaces of the associated panel 20. The screen 26 adjacent to the one end 14 also allows the smoke to be distributed adjacent to other panels 20 of the filter 18 which are not adjacent to one of the openings 16. Smoke then flows generally parallel to the central axis of the filter 18 to the other end 14 of the tube 12, through the screen 26 adjacent to the other end 14 and through the openings 16 of the other end.

[0023] With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0024] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word comprising is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article a does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.