Restrictor attachment for unfiltered smoking article
A smoking article having an unfiltered tobacco rod, a connector attach to the tobacco rod and a mouthpiece. The connector includes a cavity, a transverse partition within the cavity, the transverse partition having at least one orifice, and a plurality of ventilation passages positioned around an outer periphery of the connector. Each of the plurality of ventilation passages includes an inlet and an outlet to provide ventilation to the cavity. The mouthpiece is adapted to attach to a downstream end of the connector.
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This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Provisional Application No. 60/906,116, filed Mar. 9, 2007, which is incorporated herein by this reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUNDHeretofore, cigarettes with high levels of ventilation usually have usually had unacceptably low levels of resistance to draw (RTD) unless some counter measure was in place to make-up the shortfall in RTD.
Resistance to draw is the pressure drop of a smoking article at FTC conditions.
In the past, high-density cellulose acetate filter segments were used to address the short fall. However such filtered segments tended to remove tar, with little or no effect upon gas phase components of mainstream tobacco smoke, such as carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxide (NO). This solution tended to worsen the CO to tar (FTC) ratios in lower delivery (FTC tar) cigarettes.
Ventilation has a desirable attribute that it, when operating alone, will reduce both the particulate phase and the gas phase of mainstream smoke. Highly ventilated cigarettes, however, have drawbacks in RTD as previously discussed.
In addition, most filter cigarettes are typically designed to have the tobacco rod attached to a cellulose acetate filter. While filter ventilation affects the particulate phase (PP) and the gas-vapor phase proportionally, cellulose acetate only removes the particulate phase. Such a conventional filter cigarettes with ventilation holes have a ratio of carbon monoxide to tar (FTC) that is between 0.8 and 2.5, depending on the overall cigarette design. The ratio of carbon monoxide to tar (“CO to tar ratio”) for unfiltered cigarettes is typically between 0.45 and 0.65.
SUMMARYAccordingly, it is desirable to have smoking articles with a high ventilation level, acceptable resistance to draw (RTD) and favorable CO to tar ratio.
In accordance with one embodiment, a smoking article comprises a tobacco rod; and a connector adapted to attach to the tobacco rod at an upstream end portion of the connector, the connector comprising: a cavity; a transverse partition within the cavity, the transverse partition having at least one orifice; and a plurality of ventilation passages disposed along an outer periphery of the connector, the plurality of ventilation passages having an inlet at the upstream end portion of the connector and an outlet in communication with the cavity.
In accordance with a further embodiment, a kit comprises a connector adapted to receive a tobacco rod at an upstream end portion, the connector comprising: a cavity; a transverse partition within the cavity, the transverse partition having at least one orifice; and a plurality of ventilation passages positioned around an outer periphery of the connector, the plurality of ventilation passages having an inlet and an outlet to provide ventilation to the cavity; a mouthpiece insertable into a downstream end portion of said connector; and a tobacco rod insertable into said upstream end portion of said connector.
In accordance with another embodiment, a kit comprises a plurality of connectors adapted to receive a tobacco rod at an upstream end portion and wherein the plurality of connectors have different ventilation levels, the plurality of connectors comprising: a cavity; a transverse partition within the cavity, the transverse partition having at least one orifice; and a plurality of ventilation passages positioned around an outer periphery of the connector, the plurality of ventilation passages having an inlet and an outlet to provide ventilation to the cavity.
The connector 30 extends over the mouth end 14 of the tobacco rod 22 such that the connector 30 and tobacco rod 22 overlap one another. The connector 30 has a generally cylindrical bore forming a cavity 32 therein. The inner diameter of the cavity 32 is essentially equal to the outer diameter of the tobacco rod 22, preferably so as to establish a sliding fit therebetween. The connector 30 includes an upstream end 16 and a downstream end 18, which are open to permit the passage of air and mainstream smoke therethrough.
Ventilation to the cavity 32 can be established with a plurality of longitudinal ventilation passages 60, which are preferably disposed along an outer periphery 39 of the connector 30. The plurality of ventilation passages 60 can be formed within a wall 37 of the connector 30 or extend into the outer periphery 39 of the connector 30. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the plurality of ventilation passages 60 have an inlet 62 at an upstream end portion 11 of the connector 30 and an outlet 64 in communication with the cavity 32. The plurality of ventilation passages 60 are preferably circumferentially spaced about the outer periphery 39 of the connector 30. During smoking, the plurality of ventilation passages 60 admits ventilation air to the cavity 32 within the connector 30, wherein the air is allowed to mix with the mainstream smoke before arriving at the mouthpiece 40. Preferably, the ventilation passages 60 in the connector 30, achieves a ventilation level of at least 10%, and more preferably at least 50% to 90%.
In accordance with one embodiment, the connector 30 can include a transverse partition 50 that defines at least one orifice (or flow restrictor) 52 (
The at least one orifice 52 on the transverse partition 50 provides a desirable resistance to draw (RTD) for the smoking article 10, which is comparable to a conventional filtered cigarette. It can be appreciated that different ventilation levels (e.g., 10%-90%) can be incorporated into the connector 30 through a plurality of ventilation passages 60, which provides desired delivery (FTC tar) from the same cigarette 20 or tobacco rod 22. The geometry of the connector 30 can also be adapted so that the chance of fingers blocking or obstructing some or all of the plurality of ventilation passages 60 during a puff is reduced.
As shown in
It can be appreciated that since the transverse partition 50 preferably provides the desirable resistance to draw to the smoking article 10, the mouthpiece 40 does not need to counter the low resistance-to-draw normally associated with smoking articles 10 having high levels of ventilation. Instead, the mouthpiece 40 is preferably constructed to be of low particulate efficiency.
In accordance with an embodiment, the connector 30 is preferably made of a paper product or a biodegradable plastic or other suitable material have degradability properties. For example, the mouthpiece 40 is preferably formed of a suitable, self-supporting material, which can be easily molded, such as a synthetic plastic, paper, or other biodegradable material. The connector 30 and mouthpiece 40 can also be constructed with or without flavor or any special application materials (such as catalysts, smoke diluents, carbon, etc.), and with or without porous paper plug on the mouth or downstream end 19 for appearance.
The connector 30 has a generally cylindrical shaped body, and an inner diameter 31 thereof that is essentially equal to the outer diameter of the tobacco rod 22. The connector 30 includes an outer surface 33 and an inner surface 35. The inner surface 35 is preferably smooth to receive the mouth end or downstream end 14 of the tobacco rod 22 or the upstream end 17 of the mouthpiece 40. In accordance with an embodiment, the mouthpiece 40 is insertable into a downstream end portion 13 of the connector 30 and a tobacco rod 22 is insertable into the upstream end portion 11 of the connector 30.
As shown in
The plurality of ventilation passages 60 are located inside the restriction connector 30 and extend longitudinally along a portion of the length of the connector 30. As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
It can be appreciated that the connector 30 in accordance with one embodiment is preferably dimensioned such that the tobacco rod 20 and the mouthpiece 40 fit snugly within the connector 30 and that a desired spaced-apart relation is maintained between the transverse partition 50 and the tobacco rod 20 and/or mouthpiece 40. Alternatively, a detent, an annular stop, a circular ring or portion thereof, or other suitable stopping element can be used to maintain the tobacco rod 20 and/or mouthpiece 40 in a desired spaced-apart relation with the transverse partition 50.
In another embodiment, the transverse partition 50 can be coated with microencapsulated flavorants 58. As shown in
The flavorants 58 can be a single component or a multi-flavored component that is suitable for use in cigarette manufacturing such as menthol and vanillin. Alternatively, the flavorants 58 can be an aroma of choice, such as peppermint, coconut, roasted, and/or toasted aromas. However, almost any flavor oil or composition can be used. In addition, the concentration of flavorants 58, on the transverse partition 50 can be adjusted or modified to provide the desired amount of flavorants 58. Thus, the concentration of the flavorants 58, on the transverse partition 50 can vary depending on the desired aroma and/or organoleptic qualities of the smoke.
In another embodiment as shown in
It can be appreciated that since the mouthpiece 40 is not directly attached to the cigarette 20 or tobacco rod 22, the mouthpiece 40 can be stored separately. Thus, the mouthpiece 40 can include different flavorants 72 as shown in
It can be appreciated that the restriction connector 30 can eliminate or minimize the usage of cellulose acetate filter components. In addition, the tobacco rod 20, the connector 30 and the mouthpiece 40 can be made of biodegradable materials. The smoking article 10 can also achieve different tar deliveries from the same pack of cigarettes 20 (or tobacco rods 22) using different ventilation connectors 30 having various ventilation capabilities. The smoking article 10 as shown also results in cost savings from an easier cigarette making process.
It will be understood that the foregoing description is of the preferred embodiments, and is, therefore, merely representative of the article and methods of manufacturing the same. It can be appreciated that variations and modifications of the different embodiments in light of the above teachings will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the articles and methods as set forth in the attached claims.
Claims
1. A smoking article comprising:
- a tobacco rod; and
- a connector adapted to attach to the tobacco rod at an upstream end portion of the connector, the connector comprising: a cavity; a transverse partition within the cavity, the transverse partition having at least one orifice; and a plurality of ventilation passages disposed along an outer periphery of the connector, the plurality of ventilation passages having an inlet at the upstream end portion of the connector and an outlet in communication with the cavity.
2. The smoking article of claim 1, further comprising a mouthpiece insertable into a downstream end portion of the connector.
3. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the plurality of ventilation passages are longitudinal and formed within a wall of the connector.
4. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the plurality of ventilation passages have an elliptical cross-section.
5. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the inlets are located on an upstream end of the connector.
6. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the transverse partition separates the cavity into an upstream cavity and a downstream cavity, and the outlets of the plurality of ventilation passages extend into the upstream cavity.
7. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the transverse partition separates the cavity into an upstream cavity and a downstream cavity, and the outlets of the plurality of ventilation passages extend into the downstream cavity.
8. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the at least one orifice comprises a plurality of orifices, the plurality of orifices being equally spaced around a center portion of the transverse partition.
9. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the connector further includes a screening material on an upstream side of the transverse partition.
10. The smoking article of claim 2, wherein the mouthpiece further comprises a plug of filtering material.
11. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the transverse partition is coated with microencapsulated flavorants.
12. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the transverse partition has a frustoconical shape.
13. The smoking article of claim 1, further comprising at least two transverse partitions.
14. A kit comprising:
- a connector adapted to receive a tobacco rod at an upstream end portion, the connector comprising: a cavity; a transverse partition within the cavity, the transverse partition having at least one orifice; and a plurality of ventilation passages positioned around an outer periphery of the connector, the plurality of ventilation passages having an inlet and an outlet to provide ventilation to the cavity;
- a mouthpiece insertable into a downstream end portion of said connector; and
- a tobacco rod insertable into said upstream end portion of said connector.
15. The kit of claim 14, wherein the plurality of ventilation passages are longitudinal and formed within a wall of the connector.
16. The kit of claim 14, wherein the inlets are located on a downstream end portion of the connector.
17. The kit of claim 14, wherein the at least one orifice comprises a plurality of orifices, the plurality of orifices being equally spaced around a center portion of the transverse partition.
18. The kit of claim 14, wherein the connector further includes a screening material on an upstream side of the transverse partition.
19. The kit of claim 14, wherein the transverse partition is coated with microencapsulated flavorants.
20. The kit of claim 14, wherein the transverse partition has a frustoconical shape.
21. The kit of claim 14, wherein the connector further includes at least two transverse partitions.
22. A kit comprising:
- a plurality of connectors adapted to receive a tobacco rod at an upstream end portion and wherein the plurality of connectors have different ventilation levels, the plurality of connectors comprising: a cavity; a transverse partition within the cavity, the transverse partition having at least one orifice; and a plurality of ventilation passages positioned around an outer periphery of the connector, the plurality of ventilation passages having an inlet and an outlet to provide ventilation to the cavity.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 5, 2008
Publication Date: Sep 11, 2008
Applicant: Philip Morris USA Inc. (Richmond, VA)
Inventors: San Li (Midlothian, VA), Michael S. Braunshteyn (Richmond, VA), Raquel M. Olegario (Richmond, VA), Rowland W. Dwyer (Richmond, VA), Richard Jupe (Richmond, VA), Charles L. Gawaroski (Midlothian, VA)
Application Number: 12/073,449
International Classification: A24F 13/02 (20060101);