Occupying Plural, Separate, Distinct Zones Patents (Class 131/344)
  • Publication number: 20100122708
    Abstract: The invention provides a modified adsorbent material impregnated with a metal oxide, which can be used in a filter element adapted for use in a smoking article. The modified adsorbent material exhibits increased filtration efficiency with respect to certain gas phase species of mainstream cigarette smoke. Exemplary adsorbent materials that can be modified according to the invention include activated carbon, molecular sieves, clays, ion exchange resins, activated aluminas, silica gels, meerschaum, and mixtures thereof. One example of a metal oxide is cerium oxide. Impregnation with a metal oxide can be accomplished by directly treating the adsorbent with a metal oxide or impregnating the adsorbent with a metal oxide precursor, such as cerium nitrate, followed by calcining the impregnated material to convert the precursor to the desired metal oxide. Methods of forming the modified adsorbent material and smoking article filters incorporating the modified adsorbent material are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2008
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Inventors: Stephen Benson Sears, Chandra Kumar Banerjee
  • Patent number: 7699061
    Abstract: A multi-component filter for a smoking article comprises: a mouth end segment; a first flavour release segment comprising plant leaf upstream of the mouth end segment; and a second flavour release segment comprising filtration material and a flavourant upstream of the first flavour release segment. The resistance to draw of the second flavour release segment is greater than the resistance to draw of the first flavour release segment and the resistance to draw of the second flavour release segment is greater than the resistance to draw of the mouth end segment. The multi-component filter preferably further comprises a rod end segment comprising filtration material upstream of the second flavour release segment, which has a lower resistance to draw than the second flavour release segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: Hugues Seitert, Ahmed Gawad, Levent Lekili, Charles Kuersteiner
  • Patent number: 7669604
    Abstract: A filter element incorporating an adsorbent material is provided. The filter element may comprise a first section of filter material and a second section of filter material spaced apart to form a compartment therebetween. The compartment may be filled with one or more adsorbents or the compartment may be divided into two regions, wherein one compartment region is filled with an adsorbent and the other compartment region is either filled with an ion-exchange resin or remains empty. The section of filter material adjacent to the tobacco rod may include one or more channels therethrough for passaging smoke directly from the tobacco rod into the adsorbent-filled compartment. The mouth end section of filter material may contain a breakable capsule, wherein the breakable capsule is filled with a flavoring agent capable of altering the taste characteristics of mainstream smoke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Evon Llewellyn Crooks, Joanne Naomi Taylor, Paul Fischer Bernasek
  • Publication number: 20100037905
    Abstract: The invention relates to a filter or filter element with a substantially cylindrical filter body, which contains, in particular, at least two different additives, the additives being located in at least two zones which are arranged one after the other in the longitudinal-axial direction of the filter body and/or in at least two zones, more particularly layers, which at least in sections lie one above the other in the radial direction of the filter body. The invention also relates to a filter or filter element for tobacco smoke, comprising a substantially cylindrical filter body that can be made from a material which in its initial state is flat, more particularly endlessly curled filaments, paper, fibrous webbing, textile material, non-woven and the like, the filter body comprising at least two zones which are arranged one after the other in the longitudinal-axial direction of the filter body, a tobacco-end zone containing an additive and a mouth-end zone being free from additive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2006
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Inventors: Günter Maurer, Eberhard Teufel, Paul Rustemeyer, Eckart Schütz
  • Patent number: 7647932
    Abstract: A smoking article, such as a cigarette, includes a lighting end and a mouth end. The lighting end is a longitudinally extending segment comprising smokable material that is intended to be lit and burned, and the resulting smoke generated by the burning of that smokable material is intended to be drawn into the mouth of the smoker through the mouth end of smoking article. A mouth end piece is located at the mouth end of the smoking article, and the mouth end piece allows the smoking article to be placed in the mouth of the smoker to be drawn upon. The smoking article further incorporates an aerosol-generation system that is located between the lighting end segment and the mouth end piece. The aerosol-generation system includes (i) a heat generation segment located adjacent to the lighting end segment, and (ii) an aerosol-generation region located between the heat generation segment and the mouth end piece. The aerosol-generation region incorporates an aerosol-forming material (e.g., glycerin and flavors).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Daniel V. Cantrell, William J. Casey, III, Evon L. Crooks, Billy T. Conner, Joanne N. Taylor, Jeffrey A. Willis, Dempsey B. Brewer, Jr., Wayne E. Davis, Jr., James R. Stone
  • Publication number: 20090314303
    Abstract: A filter for smoking articles includes two sections, a first section (2) comprising a longitudinally extending opening (4) surrounded by smoke impervious material (6) and a second section (8) comprising a core (10) having a high-pressure drop material, a circumscribing annulus (12) having a lower pressure drop filter material than the core. The first section (2) is generally adjacent to the tobacco section (18) of a cigarette (3) at a first end and is spaced from the second section (8). Moreover, the invention comprises ventilation holes (20) circumscribing the space or gap (14) between the first and second section or circumscribes the second section (8).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Inventors: Edward Awty, Peter Rex White
  • Patent number: 7625328
    Abstract: A filter for a cigarette has an organic filtering portion defined by granules or fibres of active carbon and housed inside a cylindrical shell of plastic material; the shell is located between a portion of cellulose acetate, which is engaged orally by a user, and a cigarette portion, and has a bottom, contacting the portion of cellulose acetate and hermetically supporting a particulate trap for retaining fine particulate, and an end contacting the cigarette portion and closed by a plug of cellulose acetate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: G.D. Societa' per Azioni
    Inventors: Fiorenzo Draghetti, Ivan Eusepi, Armando Turrini, Vittorio Sgrignuoli, Leonardo Balletti
  • Patent number: 7243659
    Abstract: The invention relates to a recess filter with a cavity associated with the mouth and provided with a cavity wall, in addition to one or more filter elements associated with the tobacco. The cavity wall surrounds either the cavity or the cavity and, at the most, one part of the filter element(s), whereby ambient air can enter the filter element(s) from the side in order to provide sufficient ventilation. The invention also relates to a stack of several recess filters in addition to a smokeable article, especially a cigarette or cigarillo comprising one such recess filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: Etienne Lecoultre, Thomas Badertscher
  • Patent number: 7228861
    Abstract: A cigarette filter has filter sections including filter materials individually wrapped with plug wrap paper, forming paper for wrapping the filter sections integrally, and tipping paper covering the forming paper so as to connect the filter sections to a cigarette section to form a cigarette, wherein activated charcoal and an inorganic mineral-based porous material carrying ferrous sulfate/L-ascorbic acid are contained as adsorbents in at least one of the filter materials and a space between the filter materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Japan Tobacco, Inc.
    Inventors: Ichiro Atobe, Fumihiro Omori
  • Patent number: 7025067
    Abstract: A filter for tobacco smoke inhaling/generating/producing device, comprising stipulated amounts of specific grain sizes or combination of grain sizes of activated charcoal for effectively reducing from the mainstream smoke the level of p-benzosemiquinone (p-BSQ), a relatively stable highly reactive major harmful oxidant, without significantly affecting the flavor and taste of the smoke while providing comfortable mouthful of smoke and nicotine delivery, so that the charcoal filter cigarettes becomes potentially less hazardous safer cigarettes and may be acceptable to the smokers with marked reduction in health risk; the charcoal filters also effectively reduce the level of nitric oxide and tar from the mainstream smoke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
    Inventor: Indu Bhusan Chatterjee
  • Publication number: 20040237984
    Abstract: A cigarette filter that includes a multiple section filter which reduces the level of predetermined smoke constituents. The filter (130) consists of a fibrous filter plug (132) located at the mouth-end of the cigarette, a section (136) containing a selective adsorbent material, and a section (134) containing a general adsorbent material. The selective adsorbent material, such as a phenol-formaldchyde resin matrix surface-functionalized with mainly primary and secondary amine functional groups, removes specific smoke constituents from the tobacco smoke. The general adsorbent material, such as activated charcoal, is preferably capable of adsorbing a range of chemical compounds without a high degree of specificity. Structurally, the fibrous filter plug, the selective adsorbent section, and the general adsorbent section are co-axially aligned it tandem.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Publication date: December 2, 2004
    Inventors: James N Figlar, Brian E Tucker, F Kelley St Charles
  • Publication number: 20040200490
    Abstract: A cigarette filter includes two or more filter sections of the following filter sections a filter section added with a liquid fatty acid ester or a liquid fatty acid having a viscosity of 1 to 300 cP, a filter section added with a glycol having a viscosity of 1 to 300 cP, and a filter section added with a charcoal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2004
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Inventors: Michihiro Inagaki, Kazuhiko Katayama, Takako Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20040187881
    Abstract: A cigarette comprises a tobacco rod and a multi-component filter comprising a bed of adsorbent and a flavor-releasing filter segment located downstream of the bed of adsorbent. In the preferred embodiment, the adsorbent is also flavor-bearing and comprises high surface area, activated carbon. As mainstream smoke is drawn through the upstream portion of the filter, gas phase smoke constituents are removed and flavor is released from the adsorbent bed. Thereafter additional flavor is released into the mainstream smoke as it passes through the flavor-releasing filter segment. Ventilation is provided to limit the amount of tobacco being combusted during each puff and is arranged at a location spaced downstream from the adsorbent bed to lower mainstream smoke velocity through the adsorbent bed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Publication date: September 30, 2004
    Inventors: Richard Jupe, Ronald William Dwyer, Don Earl Laslie, Arlington L. Finley, Barbara G. Taylor, Cecil M. Smith, Vivian E. Willis
  • Publication number: 20040182400
    Abstract: A cigarette filter has filter sections including filter materials individually wrapped with plug wrap paper, forming paper for wrapping the filter sections integrally, and tipping paper covering the forming paper so as to connect the filter sections to a cigarette section to form a cigarette, wherein activated charcoal and an inorganic mineral-based porous material carrying ferrous sulfate/L-ascorbic acid are contained as adsorbents in at least one of the filter materials and a space between the filter materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Publication date: September 23, 2004
    Inventors: Ichiro Atobe, Fumihiro Omori
  • Publication number: 20040182401
    Abstract: A cigarette filter has filter sections including filter materials individually wrapped with plug wrap paper, forming paper for wrapping the filter sections integrally, and tipping paper covering the forming paper so as to connect the filter sections to a cigarette section to form a cigarette, wherein activated charcoal and silica/alumina are contained as adsorbents in at least one of the filter materials and a space between the filter materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Publication date: September 23, 2004
    Inventors: Ichiro Atobe, Fumihiro Omori
  • Patent number: 6779529
    Abstract: A cigarette filter includes a multiple section filter which reduces the level of predetermined smoke constituents. The filter includes a fibrous filter plug section, a selective adsorbent section, and a general adsorbent section co-axially aligned in tandem. The selective adsorbent section includes a selective absorbent material which is a phenol-formaldehyde resin matrix surface-functionalized with mainly primary and secondary amine functional groups which removes specific smoke constituents from the tobacco smoke. The general adsorbent section is a material capable of adsorbing a range of chemical compounds without a high degree of specificity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation
    Inventors: James N. Figlar, Brian E. Tucker, F. Kelley St. Charles
  • Patent number: 6761174
    Abstract: A cigarette comprises a tobacco rod and a multi-component filter comprising a bed of adsorbent and a flavor-releasing filter segment located downstream of the bed of adsorbent. In the preferred embodiment, the adsorbent is also flavor-bearing and comprises high surface area, activated carbon. As mainstream smoke is drawn through the upstream portion of the filter, gas phase smoke constituents are removed and flavor is released from the adsorbent bed. Thereafter additional flavor is released into the mainstream smoke as it passes through the flavor-releasing filter segment. Ventilation is provided to limit the amount of tobacco being combusted during each puff and is arranged at a location spaced downstream from the adsorbent bed to lower mainstream smoke velocity through the adsorbent bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: Richard Jupe, Ronald William Dwyer, Don Earl Laslie, Arlington L. Finley, Barbara G. Taylor, Cecil M. Smith, Vivian E. Willis
  • Patent number: 6745777
    Abstract: A tobacco filter device includes a plurality of filter units superimposedly rechargeably filled in a sleeve member, having a bowl member connected to an outer end (smoking end) of the sleeve member and a mouthpiece connected to an inner end (mouth end) of the sleeve member, whereby upon smoking of tobacco or a cigarette as loaded or inserted in the bowl portion, the filter unit or units positioned on an outer portion of the sleeve member adjacent to the smoking end, after being saturated with smoking waste including tar and nicotine, may be pushed outwardly and discarded from the outer end of the sleeve member as thrusted and urged by a fresh (new) filter unit (or units) as recharged into the inner (mouth) end of the sleeve member, thereby still keeping use of those filter units not yet saturated and loaded in the rear portion of the sleeve member, without wasting the useful filter units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Inventor: Te-San Liu
  • Patent number: 6718989
    Abstract: A filter for a cigarette and a filter-tipped cigarette having a high degree of freedom in control of filtering-efficiency of smoke are provided. The filter has a core 10 and a sheath 12 made preferably of tow of cellulose acetate fibers. A plurality of axial passages 16 is formed between the core and the sheath and extend continuously between both end faces of the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignees: Japan Tobacco Inc., Filtrona International Ltd.
    Inventors: Paul Clarke, John Charlton, Ichiro Atobe, Atsushi Tokida
  • Patent number: 6615843
    Abstract: A tobacco smoke filter synergist composition is provided comprised of antioxidants and minerals: the former are effective as free radical scavenger and the latter are capable of reducing the other harmful substances from tobacco smoke. In particular, minerals include the magnetized ferrite, which has great adsorbing capacity. The composition can be disposed within a one or more chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Inventor: Ivo E. Pera
  • Publication number: 20030154993
    Abstract: A smoking article such as a cigarette comprises a tobacco rod and a filter component having a cavity filled with spherical beaded carbon. As mainstream tobacco smoke is drawn through the filter component, targeted gas phase smoke constituents are removed as the smoke passes through the carbon. During the filter manufacturing process the spherical beaded carbon flows like a liquid and substantially completely fills the cavity. Point-to-point contact between the spherical beads together with substantially complete filling of the cavity produces minimal channeling of ambulatory gas phase as well as maximum contact between the gas phase and the carbon surface of the spherical beads during smoking.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2003
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Inventors: John B. Paine, Zuyin Yang, Kent B. Koller, Jay A. Fournier, Charles E. Thomas, Timothy S. Sherwood, Zhaohua Luan, Shuzhong Zhuang, Jose M. G. Nepomuceno, Diane L. Gee, Georgios D. Karles
  • Patent number: 6584979
    Abstract: This invention is a highly efficient filter containing fibers that contain small particle size adsorbents/absorbents such as carbon and/or silica to selectively reduce targeted components in mainstream cigarette smoke. The invention relates to a novel class of highly efficient cigarette smoke filters made from much smaller solid fine particles (preferably 1-50 micrometers in diameter) impregnated in shaped fibers that possess open or semi-opened micro-cavity. The invention further relates to a cigarette having a plug/space/plug or plug/space configuration and having the impregnated filters resided in the space in bonded non-woven or freely unbounded manner to allow controlled TPM delivery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: Lixin Luke Xue, Kent B. Koller, Qiong Gao
  • Publication number: 20030106562
    Abstract: This invention relates to a filter for tobacco smoke inhaling/generating/producing device, comprising stipulated amounts of specific grain sizes or combination of grain sizes of activated charcoal for effectively reducing from the mainstream smoke the level of p-benzosemiquinone (p-BSQ), a relatively stable highly reactive major harmful oxidant, without significantly affecting the flavor and taste of the smoke while providing comfortable mouthful of smoke and nicotine delivery, so that the said charcoal filter cigarettes becomes potentially less hazardous safer cigarettes and may be acceptable to the smokers with marked reduction in health risk; the said charcoal filters also effectively reduce the level of nitric oxide and tar from the mainstream smoke.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2002
    Publication date: June 12, 2003
    Applicant: Council of Science and Industrial Research
    Inventor: Indu Bhusan Chatterjee
  • Patent number: 6576034
    Abstract: A fiber spinning device and process for manufacturing a web of fibers including a homogeneous mixture of fibers of different characteristics. Monocomponent fibers of different polymers can be extruded side-by-side from the same die system. Sheath/core bicomponent fibers can be alternated with monocomponent fibers formed of the same core polymer as used in the bicomponent fibers. Bicomponent fibers having a common core polymer and different sheath polymers can be extruded from alternate spinneret orifices in the same die plate. Multiple distribution plates are provided with surface grooves or depressions to direct polymer materials from independent sources to only selected spinneret openings in an array of spinneret openings while maintaining the polymers segregated from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: Filtrona Richmond, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard M. Berger
  • Publication number: 20030098033
    Abstract: This invention relates to the provision in a cigarette filter element of a capsule containing a deodoriser. The capsule is resistant to the handling endured before and during smoking, yet ruptures to release or expose the deodoriser upon extinguishing of the smoked cigarette. The deodoriser may comprise neutralising or masking agents, or mixtures of both.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 1994
    Publication date: May 29, 2003
    Inventors: KEVIN G. MACADAM, ROSEMARY E. O'REILLY, NIGEL D. WARREN
  • Publication number: 20030066539
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a cigarette filter that includes a multiple section filter which reduces the level of predetermined smoke constituents. The filter consists of a fibrous filter plug located at the mouth-end of the cigarette, a section containing a selective adsorbent material, and a section containing a general adsorbent material. The selective adsorbent material, such as a phenol-formaldehyde resin matrix surface-functionalized with mainly primary and secondary amine functional groups, removes specific smoke constituents from the tobacco smoke. The general adsorbent material, such as activated charcoal, is preferably capable of adsorbing a range of chemical compounds without a high degree of specificity. Structurally, the fibrous filter plug, the selective adsorbent section, and the general adsorbent section are in tandem and are circumscribed with a plug wrap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2001
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Inventor: James N. Figlar
  • Patent number: 6502582
    Abstract: The invention relates to a filter cigarette with a tobacco strand enclosed by a cigarette paper, which has a diameter of 5-7 mm, with a smoke yield of at most 1 mg condensate, with a tobacco-side filter element having a relative retention of >90%, with a mouth-side filter element having a relative retention of <10% and with a ventilation zone running in circumferential direction in the encasing and covering paper, which is situated at a distance from the mouth-side filter end, the length of which is at least 1 mm less than that of the mouth-side cork. The nicotine/condensate ·10 strand depletion ratio is ≧1.0, the overall length of the filter lies between 25-30 mm, the diameter between 5-7 mm and the length of the mouth-side filter cork lies between 13-18 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Reemtsma Cigarettenfabriken GmbH
    Inventors: Gunther Peters, Sabine Schäfer, Solvey Knorr
  • Patent number: 6481442
    Abstract: A smoking article including a wrapper surrounding a tobacco column and a selective filter element is disclosed. The selective filter element includes at least one carrier having a developed structure and a plurality of moieties capable of the nucleophilic attack of carbonyl-containing combustion products of the smoking article supported by the at least one carrier. The selective filter element may include at least one additional filter element such as cellulose acetate. The developed structure of the at least one carrier encourages the interaction of the carbonyl-containing combustion products and the plurality of moieties capable of the nucleophilic attack. Carries include polymers, which may have branch, such as partially oxidized cellulose and polyaniline. Carries may also be a zeolite or an inorganic oxide such as aluminum, of silicon, of aluminum and silicon, and combinations thereof. In yet another carrier is an activated carbon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Lorillard Licensing Company, LLC
    Inventors: Alexander J. Dyakonov, David A. Grider, Tatyana A. Dyakonov
  • Patent number: 6273095
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a filter for use with tobacco products, such as cigarettes, cigars and pipes, which selectively absorbs toxic compounds and carcinogenic polynuclear aromatic compounds passing through it, but which permits most low molecular weight species, and in particular nicotine, to pass through. The filter is made from a middle-density polyurethane foam which is pre-treated to increase the number of binding sites for polynuclear aromatic compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Inventor: Jong-Pyng Hsu
  • Patent number: 6257242
    Abstract: A filter element for reducing or eliminating the harmful vapor phase components of air or smoke. The filter element includes a first section and a second section. The first section is positioned relative to and in fluid communication with the second section and contains an activated carbon fabric. The second section contains a mixture of catalytic activated carbon and coconut activated carbon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Inventor: Ioannis C. Stavridis
  • Patent number: 6257243
    Abstract: The invention relates to a coaxial smoking article, particularly a coaxial cigarette, comprising a coaxial rod of smokable material, which rod has an inner segment (1) of smokable material surrounded by a covering (2), around which covering is an outer segment (3) of combustible or thermally destructible/decomposable material, which outer segment is also surrounded by a covering (4). The combustible or thermally destructible/decomposable material of the outer segment contains no or only a very small proportion of spot-forming substances. Further, the coverings of the inner and outer segments are such that spot-forming substances in the inner segment are essentially unable to reach the outside of the covering. Hence, a cigarette having reduced potential for the production of spotting is so formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation
    Inventors: Bernd-Henrik Müller, Adolf Schlüter, Werner Schneider, Christopher John Cook, Joseph Wanna, Frank Kelley St. Charles
  • Patent number: 6206007
    Abstract: A cigarette with a dual-structure filter includes a dual-structure filter having a first filter element and a second filter element arranged downstream of the first filter element, a tobacco rod arranged upstream of the filter, and a tip paper covering a downstream end portion of the tobacco rod and a circumferential surface of the filter. At least one row of a plurality of holes are formed in the tip paper in a circumferential direction of the filter. An air-permeation resistance per unit length of the second filter element is at least twice that of the first filter element. An air inflow rate from the tip paper is at least 20%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: Japan Tobacco Inc.
    Inventors: Takaichi Yoshida, Hayato Hasebe, Kazuyo Kaneki, Shinichiro Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6202650
    Abstract: A filter-tipped cigarette includes a tobacco portion having a tobacco material wrapped by a cigarette paper, and a filter portion which is connected to the tobacco portion. The filter portion has a filter body composed of a plurality of individual filter plug sections, a plurality of individual filter plug wrappers individually wrapping the filter plug sections and an integral filter wrapper integrally wrapping the filter plug sections wrapped by the filter plug wrappers. The tobacco filter portions are integrally connected by a tip paper. The tip paper has a plurality of ventilation holes. The individual filter plug wrapper corresponding to the ventilation holes has an air permeability lower than the integral filter wrapper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Assignee: Japan Tobacco Inc.
    Inventors: Kazuyo Kaneki, Keigo Miura, Osamu Komatsubara
  • Patent number: 6067995
    Abstract: The invention relates to a coaxial cigarette including a rod comprising a rod core, a rod core wrapping, a rod jacket and a rod jacket wrapping; and a filter comprising a filter core, a filter core wrapping, a filter jacket and a filter jacket wrapping, a smoke flow stopper being provided between the rod core and the filter jacket and/or the rod jacket and the filter core in the zone joining the rod core wrapping and filter core wrapping, the invention also relating to a method of producing such a cigarette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Assignee: Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation
    Inventors: Werner Schneider, Thomas Jung, Erwin Kausch, Bernd Spallek, Gerald Schmekel
  • Patent number: 5913311
    Abstract: A filter material comprises a cellulose acetate fiber tow containing 5-50% by weight of a water soluble material and/or a water dispersible material which are soluble in a solvent which dissolves cellulose acetate and which are not compatible with cellulose acetate. Due to the inclusion of the above-mentioned water soluble material and/or water dispersible material in the cellulose acetate fiber, in the presence of moisture, the fiber surface becomes porous by the elution of this water soluble material and/or water dispersible material from the fiber, and the surface area of the fiber is increased. Consequently, the shape of the cellulose acetate fiber tow is easily broken down, and the decomposability of the fiber by microorganisms and the like is increased. When a cigarette filter is made using this type of filter material, a cigarette filter is obtained which has easy decomposability in the natural environment and particularly in water, in atmospheres which contain large amounts of moisture, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1999
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd., Japan Tobacco Inc.
    Inventors: Katsutaka Ito, Tsuruyoshi Matsumoto, Atsushi Tokida, Tetsuro Shibata, Yoichiro Yamashita
  • Patent number: 5826592
    Abstract: A cigarette smoke filter element is provided which permits a higher level of flavor to reach the smoker during initial smoking of the cigarette and consequently an enhanced flavor-to-tar ratio, by employing an elongate filter of microfine fibers which is provided with openings therethrough at the upstream end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1998
    Assignee: Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc. et al.
    Inventor: Warren A. Brackmann
  • Patent number: 5810020
    Abstract: There is disclosed a process for denitrifying tobacco materials and removing barium from tobacco materials, comprising mixing an aqueous-immiscible organic solvent containing a crown ether with an aqueous solution containing soluble components from tobacco materials, agitating this mixture, and separating the organic phase containing a crown ether-cation-nitrate (or nitrite) complex from the aqueous phase containing the denitrified tobacco materials, wherein the cation consists essentially of barium and potassium. There is further disclosed a process for eliminating tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) from cured, denitrified tobacco material, comprising contacting the denitrified tobacco material with a trapping sink, wherein the trapping sink comprises a select transition metal complex which is readily nitrosated to form a nitrosyl complex with little kinetic or thermodynamic hindrance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: Osmotek, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Northway, Robert Salter
  • Patent number: 5787902
    Abstract: A ventilated cigarette filter having a tobacco smoke filtering core, a tubular body of air-permeable material around the core, and an outer wrapper engaged around the tubular body and providing in use for the lateral ingress of external air therethrough into the tubular body, the core comprising a plurality of longitudinally aligned plugs of which one is an unwrapped buccal end plug of material which is the same as or similar to that of the surrounding tubular body so as to give a substantially uniform or integral buccal end appearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: Cigarette Components Limited
    Inventors: Richard Karl James Shepherd, John Charlton, Paul Francis Clarke
  • Patent number: 5718250
    Abstract: A cigarette having an improved carbon-bearing filter. A cigarette is provided with a smokable rod attached to a filter element having a region of carbon-bearing cellulose acetate tow surrounding a substantially impermeable member in the form of a hollow plastic tube crimped at the upstream end. As a result, the carbon-bearing region transitions from a circular cross-section to an annular cross-section. A plurality of circumferentially arranged holes are provided in the filter to permit dilution of the smoke passing through the filter. The resulting filter element provides reduction in gas phase components of smoke, dilution by ambient air and acceptable drawing characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1998
    Assignee: R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Chandra Kumar Banerjee, Karen Marie Womble, Joanne Naomi Taylor
  • Patent number: 5622190
    Abstract: A concentric smoking filter in which the peripheral filter medium is a fibrous tow, such as fibrous cellulose acetate tow, and the core filter medium is a web material, such as paper, loaded with carbon particles, is provided. The filter improves the taste, particularly, of "ultra-light" cigarettes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1997
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: Cynthia W. Arterbery, W. Timothy Callaham, Gus D. Keritsis, Donald E. Laslie, Kenneth A. Newman, Roger S. Slagle, Morris F. White, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5568819
    Abstract: A cigarette includes a filter element including a carbon-containing paper or a paper containing molecular sieves. The paper contacts the filter material, such as cellulose acetate tow, within the filter element, either by circumscribing the filter material or by being gathered with non-carbon-containing filter material. The paper is useful as a plug wrap for a filter element. In several embodiments, longitudinal grooves are provided on the periphery of the filter element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1996
    Assignee: R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Jeffery S. Gentry, Karen M. Womble, Chandra K. Banerjee, Richard L. Blakley, Russell D. Barnes, Donald A. Calleson, Henry T. Ridings
  • Patent number: 5549125
    Abstract: A cigarette having a region having means to reduce the vapour phase constituents of tobacco smoke, such as carbon, surrounding a tobacco smoke flow path is provided with ventilation means to channel the tobacco smoke away from the vapour phase constituent reducing region. The vapour phase constituent reductions achieved are greater than the reduction which would be expected in view of the degree of ventilation to which the cigarette is subjected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1996
    Assignee: British-American Tobacco Company Limited
    Inventor: Peter R. White
  • Patent number: 5524647
    Abstract: A high level of flavour can be provided in cigarette smoke at a low tar level while providing a more uniform delivery of flavour and tar as the cigarette is smoked, in comparison to a conventional cigarette. A tobacco blend is employed using higher-than-normal quantities of tobacco from the upper levels of a tobacco plant, to provide an initial high flavour-to-tar ratio. A flavour reset technique is employed to attenuate the flavour strength of the smoke to the smoker, so that such attenuated but acceptable flavour level is provided at a much lower tar level. In addition, latter puff manipulation of the tobacco smoke is effected to decrease the flavour level and tar produced in the latter puffs of smoking to provide a more uniform flavour delivery. Filter element structures and other specific elements to achieve these results are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1996
    Assignee: Rothmans, Benson & Hedges, Inc.
    Inventor: Warren A. Brackmann
  • Patent number: 5439011
    Abstract: The coaxial filter cigarette according to the invention contains of a coaxial rod portion and a coaxial filter element. The rod portion contains an inner core of a material glowing or smouldering substantially residue-free, in particular tobacco material, which is surrounded by a wrapper which in turn is surrounded by an outer jacket of a tobacco and/or non-tobacco material. A wrapper of an air-permeable material surrounds the outer jacket. The coaxial filter element has a filter core with an air-impermeable wrapper. A filter jacket having a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the outer jacket coaxially surrounds the filter core and its wrapper. An air-impermeable wrapper serving also to connect the rod portion and filter element surrounds the filter jacket. A ventilation zone is worked into the air-impermeable wrapper for the filter jacket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1995
    Assignee: B.A.T. Cigarettenfabriken GmbH
    Inventor: Werner Schneider
  • Patent number: 5435326
    Abstract: A smoking article having a controlled yield of wet particulate matter and a method of making a smoking article with predetermined total and per puff yields of wet particulate matter. The smoking article has a tobacco rod connected to an air ventilated compound filter having two abutted filter segments, a rod end segment with a passage therethrough and a mouth end segment. The pressure drop of the abutment interface between the segments is selected to be in a range of from about 10 mm to about 100 mm water gauge. The total pressure drop of the filter including the interface and the amount of air dilution can be selected to provide a smoking article with a level per puff yield or a decreasing per puff yield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1995
    Assignee: R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Thomas L. Gentry, Russell D. Barnes, Richard L. Blakley, Charles R. Ashcraft, Juanilla M. Gwyn, James W. Pryor, Henry T. Ridings, Milly M. L. Wong
  • Patent number: 5423336
    Abstract: The invention relates to a ventilated filter cigarette having a filter with three chambers, including a middle chamber containing an adsorbent. The strand-side chamber next to the middle chamber achieves a high pressure drop and a low tar retention by means of a smoke-permeable flow passage, such as a core made from smoke-permeable cellulose acetate fibers, that is enclosed by a casing made from virtually smoke-impermeable cellulose acetate fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1995
    Assignee: H.F. & Ph.F. Reemtsma GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Edgar Mentzel, Henning Seidel, Wolfgang Wildenau
  • Patent number: 5415189
    Abstract: A lightweight cigarette filter including a filter element containing filter material having a total Denier of less than 35,000 or a bulk density of less than 0.12 gcm.sup.-3 in which part of the volume of the filter is occupied by a space filler impervious to smoke flow therethrough and the bulk density of which is less than the bulk density of the equivalent amount of filter material which it replaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1995
    Assignee: Rothmans International Services Limited
    Inventors: John R. Sampson, Martin G. Duke, Michael P. Parker, Adrian R. Stewart-Cox
  • Patent number: 5409021
    Abstract: A cigarette filter, including at least two parts, sucessively located in the direction of tobacco smoke flow and joined by a wrapping means, one part of the filter, positioned at the side of the smoker, being made of acetate, cellulose, acetatecellulose fiber, while the other part, positioned at the side of the tobacco, is filled with an adsorbing substance, which substance is lignin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1995
    Inventors: Radzhab D. Safaev, David G. Zaridze, Leonid Y. Sinelnikov
  • Patent number: 5365951
    Abstract: A concentric smoking filter in which the peripheral filter medium is a fibrous tow, such as fibrous cellulose acetate tow, and the core filter medium is a web material, such as paper, loaded with carbon particles, is provided. The filter improves the taste, particularly, of "ultra-light" cigarettes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1994
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: Cynthia W. Arterbery, W. Timothy Callaham, Gus D. Keritsis, Donald E. Laslie, Kenneth A. Newman, Roger S. Slagle, Morris F. White, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5356704
    Abstract: Disclosed are articles, such as smoke filters, which contain fibers that have complex geometry in combination with tobacco smoke modifying agents such as flavorants. The fibers are preferably made of a polyester such as poly(ethylene terephthalate) and preferably are capable of spontaneously transporting water or n-decane on their surfaces. The articles of the invention result in improved delivery of the tobacco smoke modifying agent to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1994
    Assignee: Eastman Chemical Company
    Inventors: Bobby M. Phillips, Steven A. Wilson, Mark A. Pollock