SMOKING ARTICLE INCLUDING A FLAVOUR DELIVERY MEMBER

Abstract

There is provided a filter for a smoking article. The filter comprises a filter segment comprising filter material, and the filter segment has a cross sectional area measured perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the filter. The filter further comprises a flavour delivery member embedded in the filter segment and surrounded on all sides by the filter material. The flavour delivery member comprises structural material enclosing liquid flavourant for flavouring smoke during smoking of a smoking article provided with the filter, and the flavour delivery member releases at least a portion of the liquid flavourant when the filter is subjected to external force. The cross sectional area of the flavour delivery member measured perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the filter is about 30% of the cross sectional area of the filter segment or greater.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A filter for a smoking article, the filter comprising: a filter segment comprising filter material, the filter segment having a cross sectional area measured perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the filter; and a flavour delivery member embedded in the filter segment and surrounded on all sides by the filter material, the flavour delivery member comprising structural material enclosing liquid flavourant for flavouring smoke during smoking, wherein the flavour delivery member releases at least a portion of the liquid flavourant when the filter is subjected to external force; wherein the filter material of the filter segment comprises fibres of between about 5.0 and about 12.0 denier per filament and between about 10000 and about 30000 total denier.

17. A filter according to claim 16, wherein the filter is a recessed filter including an open cavity at the mouth end, and further comprises a cavity upstream of the filter segment.

18. A filter according to claim 16, wherein the filter further comprises a hollow tube upstream of the filter segment.

19. A filter according to claim 16, wherein the proportion of the cross sectional area of the filter segment which remains permeable to air and smoke once the flavour delivery member is embedded in the filter material is preferably greater than about 20%.

20. A filter according to claim 16, wherein the flavour delivery member is located in the downstream third of the filter.

21. A filter according to claim 16, wherein the flavour delivery member embedded in the filter segment and surrounded on all sides by the filter material, such that the flavour delivery member is directly adjacent filter material of the filter segment in the upstream and downstream (longitudinal) directions and also in the transverse direction.

22. A filter according to claim 16, wherein the flavour delivery member is equidistant between the upstream and downstream ends of the filter segment.

23. A filter according to claim 16, wherein the flavour delivery member comprises a capsule.

24. A filter according to claim 23, wherein the capsule has a burst strength of between about 5 N and about 24 N.

25. A filter according to claim 16, wherein the filter material comprises fibres of between about 5.0 and about 12.0 denier per filament and between about 12000 and about 30000 total denier.

26. A filter according to claim 16, wherein the filter segment and the flavour delivery member are circular in cross section, the diameter of the flavour delivery member is between about 2.5 mm and about 4.5 mm.

27. A smoking article comprising: a tobacco substrate; and the filter according to claim 16.

28. A smoking article according to claim 27, wherein the tobacco substrate is a tobacco rod.

29. A smoking article according to claim 27, further comprising tipping material attaching the tobacco substrate and the filter, the tipping material including a ventilation zone comprising perforations through the tipping material, the perforations being located upstream of the flavour delivery member.

30. A smoking article according to claim 29, wherein the degree of ventilation provided by the ventilation zone is above about 60%.

31. A smoking article according to claim 29, wherein the tipping material is substantially impermeable to the liquid flavourant of the flavour delivery member.

32. A smoking article according to claim 27, wherein the RTD of the smoking article, before the liquid flavourant is released, is greater than about 130 mm H.sub.2O.

33. A filter for a smoking article, wherein the filter is made by: preparing a continuous rod of filter material having flavor delivery members embedded in the filter material and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the rod, and cutting the continuous rod of filter material at longitudinally spaced cut lines to produce the filter, wherein the filter includes a flavor delivery member embedded in the filter and surrounded on all sides by the filter material.

34. A filter for a smoking article according to claim 33, wherein preparing the continuous rod of filter material comprises incorporating flavor delivery members with fibers of filter material as the fibers are bundled to form filter material tow.

35. A filter for a smoking article, wherein the filter is made by: incorporating flavor delivery members with fibers of filter material; bundling the fibers to form filter material tow; preparing a continuous rod of filter material having the flavor delivery members embedded in the filter material and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the rod, and cutting the continuous rod of filter material at longitudinally spaced cut lines to produce the filter.

Description

[0061] The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0062] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a smoking article according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0063] FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a filter according to an embodiment of the invention; and

[0064] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view along line III-III of FIG. 2.

[0065] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a smoking article 100 according to one embodiment of the invention. The smoking article 100 includes a generally cylindrical tobacco rod 101 and a generally cylindrical filter 103. The tobacco rod 101 and filter 103 are axially aligned in an end-to-end relationship, preferably abutting one another. The tobacco rod includes an outer wrapper 105 circumscribing the smoking material. The outer wrapper 105 may be a porous wrapping material or paper wrapper. The tobacco is preferably a shredded tobacco or tobacco cut filler. The tobacco rod 101 has an upstream, lit end 107 and a downstream end 109. The filter 103 has an upstream end 111 and a downstream, mouth end 113. The upstream end 111 of the filter 103 is adjacent the downstream end 109 of the tobacco rod 101. The filter material of the filter 103 is wrapped in a filter wrapper (not shown). Although not visible in FIG. 1, a flavour delivery member in the form of a capsule is embedded in the filter 103.

[0066] The filter 103 is attached to the tobacco rod 101 by tipping material 115 which circumscribes the entire length of the filter 103 and an adjacent region of the tobacco rod 101. The tipping material 115 is shown partially removed from the smoking article in FIG. 1, for clarity. The tipping material 115 is typically a paper like product. However, any suitable material can be used. Preferably, the tipping material comprises a material which is substantially impermeable to the liquid flavourant in the capsule. In this embodiment, the tipping material 115 includes a circumferential row of perforations 117 aligned with the filter 103. The perforations are provided for ventilation of the mainstream smoke, and are located upstream of the capsule (not shown) embedded in the filter 103.

[0067] In this specification, the “upstream” and “downstream” relative positions between smoking article components are described in relation to the direction of mainstream smoke as it is drawn from the tobacco rod 101 and through the filter 103.

[0068] FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of filter 103 of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view along line III-III of FIG. 2. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the filter 103 comprises a filter segment 201 of filter material 203. The filter 103 further comprises a flavour delivery member in the form of spherical capsule 205.

[0069] In the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3, the capsule 205 is embedded in the filter segment 201 and is surrounded on all sides by the filter material 203. In this embodiment, the capsule comprises an outer shell and an inner core, and the inner core contains a liquid flavourant. The liquid flavourant is for flavouring smoke during smoking of a smoking article provided with the filter. The capsule 205 releases at least a portion of the liquid flavourant when the filter is subjected to external force, for example by squeezing by a consumer. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the capsule is generally spherical, with a substantially continuous outer shell containing the liquid flavourant.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 3, capsule 205 has a diameter 301, and filter segment 201 has a diameter 303 (inside the filter wrapper). The cross sectional area of capsule 205 measured in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the filter is therefore circular area π(301).sup.2. Similarly, the cross sectional area of filter segment 201 measured in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the filter is circular area π(303).sup.2. Therefore, the cross sectional area of the capsule 205 as a percentage of the cross sectional area of the filter segment 201 is

[00001]$\frac{{\pi \left(301\right)}^2}{{\pi \left(303\right)}^3}={\left(\frac{301}{303}\right)}^2.$

Example 1

[0071] According to a first example of the invention, the diameter 301 of the capsule 205 is about 3.5 mm, the diameter 303 of the filter segment 201 inside the filter wrapper is about 6.41 mm and the diameter of the filter segment 201 outside the filter wrapper is about 7.21 mm. The diameter of the cigarette (which may be referred to as a slim cigarette) containing the filter is about 7.35 mm. In this embodiment, the cross sectional area of the capsule is about 30% of the cross sectional area of the filter segment. In this embodiment, the cigarette may have a length of about 97 mm or about 83 mm. In this embodiment, the filter may have a length of about 27 mm or about 32 mm, and the tipping paper may have a length of about 32 mm or about 36 mm. A circumferential row of perforations may be provided at least about 11 mm, preferably about 18 mm, from the mouth end, and the centre of the capsule may be about 13.5 mm from the mouth end.

Example 2

[0072] According to a second example of the invention, the diameter 301 of the capsule 205 is about 3.5 mm, the diameter 303 of the filter segment 201 inside the filter wrapper is about 6.19 mm and the diameter of the filter segment 201 outside the filter wrapper is about 6.99 mm. The diameter of the cigarette (which may be referred to as a slim cigarette) containing the filter is about 7.10 mm. In this embodiment, the cross sectional area of the capsule is about 32% of the cross sectional area of the filter segment. In this embodiment, the cigarette may have a length of about 97 mm or about 83 mm. In this embodiment, the filter may have a length of about 27 mm or about 32 mm, and the tipping paper may have a length of about 32 mm or about 36 mm. A circumferential row of perforations may be provided at least about 11 mm, preferably about 18 mm, from the mouth end, and the centre of the capsule may be about 13.5 mm from the mouth end.

Example 3

[0073] According to a third example of the invention, the diameter 301 of the capsule 205 is about 3.5 mm, the diameter 303 of the filter segment 201 inside the filter wrapper is about 6.09 mm and the diameter of the filter segment 201 outside the filter wrapper is about 6.89 mm. The diameter of the cigarette (which may be referred to as a slim cigarette) containing the filter is about 7.00 mm. In this embodiment, the cross sectional area of the capsule is about 33% of the cross sectional area of the filter segment. In this embodiment, the cigarette may have a length of about 97 mm or about 83 mm. In this embodiment, the filter may have a length of about 27 mm or about 32 mm, and the tipping paper may have a length of about 32 mm or about 36 mm. A circumferential row of perforations may be provided at least about 11 mm, preferably about 18 mm, from the mouth end, and the centre of the capsule may be about 13.5 mm from the mouth end.

Example 4

[0074] According to a fourth example of the invention, the diameter 301 of the capsule 205 is about 3.2 mm, the diameter 303 of the filter segment 201 inside the filter wrapper is about 4.55 mm and the diameter of the filter segment 201 outside the filter wrapper is about 5.35 mm. The diameter of the cigarette (which may be referred to as a super slim cigarette) containing the filter is about 5.41 mm. In this embodiment, the cross sectional area of the capsule is about 49% of the cross sectional area of the filter segment. In this embodiment, the cigarette may have a length of about 97 mm or about 83 mm. In this embodiment, the filter may have a length of about 27 mm or about 32 mm, and the tipping paper may have a length of about 32 mm or about 36 mm. A circumferential row of perforations may be provided at least about 11 mm, preferably about 18 mm, from the mouth end, and the centre of the capsule may be about 13.5 mm from the mouth end.

Example 5

[0075] According to a fifth example of the invention, the diameter 301 of the capsule 205 is about 3.0 mm, the diameter 303 of the filter segment 201 inside the filter wrapper is about 3.84 mm and the diameter of the filter segment 201 outside the filter wrapper is about 4.64 mm. The diameter of the cigarette (which may be referred to as a micro slim cigarette) containing the filter is about 4.70 mm. In this embodiment, the cross sectional area of the capsule is about 61% of the cross sectional area of the filter segment. In this embodiment, the cigarette may have a length of about 97 mm or about 83 mm. In this embodiment, the filter may have a length of about 27 mm or about 32 mm, and the tipping paper may have a length of about 32 mm or about 36 mm. A circumferential row of perforations may be provided at least about 11 mm, preferably about 18 mm, from the mouth end, and the centre of the capsule may be about 13.5 mm from the mouth end.

Example 6

[0076] According to a sixth example of the invention, the diameter 301 of the capsule 205 is about 3.2 mm, the diameter 303 of the filter segment 201 inside the filter wrapper is about 3.84 mm and the diameter of the filter segment 201 outside the filter wrapper is about 4.64 mm. The diameter of the cigarette (which may be referred to as a micro slim cigarette) containing the filter is about 4.70 mm. In this embodiment, the cross sectional area of the capsule is about 69% of the cross sectional area of the filter segment. In this embodiment, the cigarette may have a length of about 97 mm or about 83 mm. In this embodiment, the filter may have a length of about 27 mm or about 32 mm, and the tipping paper may have a length of about 32 mm or about 36 mm. A circumferential row of perforations may be provided at least about 11 mm, preferably about 18 mm, from the mouth end, and the centre of the capsule may be about 13.5 mm from the mouth end.