CIGARETTE FILTER AND CIGARETTE

Abstract

A cigarette filter includes filter plugs separated from each other and arranged through a cavity, a flavor capsule encapsulating a content liquid including a flavor in a shell and provided in the cavity between the filter plugs, and a liquid-impermeable tipping paper and/or filter wrapper wrapped around the filter plugs and the flavor capsule, wherein the content liquid comprises the flavor and a thickener and has a viscosity of 30 mPa·s or more.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation Application of PCT Application No. PCT/JP2011/062251, filed May 27, 2011 and based upon and claiming the benefit of priority from prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-125222, filed May 31, 2010, the entire contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cigarette filter including a flavor capsule, and a cigarette.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventionally, a flavor capsule is incorporated in a cigarette filter and the flavor capsule is crushed in order to enjoy the flavor of the content liquid in smoking or in order to mask odor of a cigarette butt after the cigarette is extinguished (Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 7-250665; Jpn. Pat. Appin. KOKAI Publication No. 2003-304856; Jpn. PCT National Publication No. 2007-520204; Jpn. PCT National Publication No. 2008-528053; and Jpn. PCT National Publication No. 2008-539717). The details of the flavor capsule are described in, for example, Jpn. PCT National Publication No. 2008-546400. Such cigarette filters including the flavor capsule have various problems.

FIG. 1(a) shows a cigarette in which a tobacco rod 10 is connected to a filter 20 with a tipping paper 30, wherein the tobacco rod 10 is prepared by wrapping a tobacco filler 11 with a cigarette paper 12 and the filter 20 is prepared by wrapping a filter plug 22 having a flavor capsule 21 embedded therein with a plug wrapping paper 23. The flavor capsule 21 has a structure in which content liquid 21b is encapsulated with a shell 21a. When the shell 21a of the flavor capsule 21 is crushed in smoking of such a cigarette, the content liquid 21b flowed out of the capsule is absorbed by the filter plug 22, and thus the fluid is not soaked through the tipping paper 30 to the surface thereof, as shown in FIG. 1(b). Good usability, however, is not obtained because the flavor capsule 21 embedded in the filter plug 22 does not give a sense that the capsule is crushed.

A filter having a structure in which filter plugs are separated from each other and arranged through a cavity, with a flavor capsule provided in the cavity, can give the sense that the flavor capsule is crushed, and thus has a good usability.

FIG. 2(a) shows a cigarette in which a tobacco rod 10 is connected to a filter 20 with a tipping paper 30, wherein the tobacco rod 10 is prepared by wrapping a tobacco filler 11 with a cigarette paper 12 and the filter 20 has a structure that a flavor capsule 21 is provided in a cavity between two filter plugs 25. A material paper 26 is wrapped around each of the two filter plugs 25, and a shaping paper 27 is wrapped around the periphery where both plugs are separated from each other and arranged through the cavity. There is also a filter plug having either the material paper or the shaping paper, or having no material paper or shaping paper (in the case of FIG. 1, the plug has only the plug wrapping paper which serves as the material paper and the shaping paper). When a shell 21a of the flavor capsule 21 is crushed in smoking of such a cigarette, the content liquid 21b flowed out of the capsule is soaked through the tipping paper 30 to the surface thereof, as shown in FIG. 2B, because the shaping paper is generally made of a high-permeable material.

In order to suppress the soakage of the content liquid through the tipping paper to the surface thereof, it may be considered to use a liquid-impermeable tipping paper and/or filter wrapper (a material paper, a shaping paper or a plug wrapping paper). These materials are not limited to paper, and may be a wrapping material made of cellophane or plastic, or a composite material. When the shaping paper 27 is liquid-impermeable, the content liquid 21b flowed out of the capsule moves toward the tobacco rod 10 or the mouthpiece end along the gap between the inside of the liquid-impermeable shaping paper 27 and the filter plugs 25, as shown in FIG. 2(c). The liquid is finally passed through the tobacco filler 11 in the tobacco rod 10, and is soaked through the tipping paper 30 to the cigarette paper 12 of the tobacco rod 10. The liquid which moves toward the mouthpiece end along the gap between the inside of the shaping paper 27 and the filter plug 25 is soaked to the end face of the filter plug 25.

This disadvantage can be solved by coating the inside of the liquid-impermeable shaping paper 27 with wax or paste to fill the gap between the inside of the shaping paper 27 and the filter plug 25, thereby preventing the migration of the content liquid 21b. However, the residue of wax or paste adheres to a filter making machine, and thus it is difficult to perform mass production.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a cigarette filter including a flavor capsule, capable of preventing soakage of the content liquid to the surface of the tipping paper, the cigarette paper of the tobacco rod and the filter mouthpiece end face when it is used, without causing trouble in the filter production; and a cigarette including this cigarette filter.

According to the present invention, there is provided a cigarette filter comprising: filter plugs separated from each other and arranged through a cavity; a flavor capsule encapsulating a content liquid including a flavor in a shell and provided in the cavity between the filter plugs; and a liquid-impermeable tipping paper and/or filter wrapper (a material paper, a shaping paper or a plug wrapping paper) wrapped around the filter plugs and the flavor capsule, wherein the content liquid comprises the flavor and a thickener and has a viscosity of 30 mPa·s or more.

According to the present invention, there is also provided a cigarette comprising: a tobacco rod; and the above cigarette.

The cigarette filter and the cigarette of the present invention can prevent the soakage of the content liquid to the surface of the tipping paper, the cigarette paper of the tobacco rod and the filter mouthpiece end face when it is used, by adding a thickener to the content liquid in the flavor capsule to adjust a viscosity of the content liquid to 30 mPa·s or more.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing absorption of the content liquid in a flavor capsule embedded in a conventional cigarette filter to a filter plug.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing soakage of the content liquid in a flavor capsule to the surface of a tipping paper, a cigarette paper of a tobacco rod and a filter mouthpiece end face in another conventional cigarette filter.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a cigarette filter of Example of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a state in which soakage of the content liquid in a flavor capsule to the surface of a tipping paper, a cigarette paper of a tobacco rod and a filter mouthpiece end face can be suppressed in a cigarette filter of Example of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing a relationship between a viscosity of the content liquid in a flavor capsule and a length of the content liquid soaked to a cigarette paper after one week from breakage of the shell of the flavor capsule in a cigarette filter of Example of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the cigarette filter of the present invention, a flavor capsule provided in a cavity between filter plugs contains a content liquid including a flavor and a thickener and having a viscosity of 30 mPa·s (25° C.) or more.

In the present invention, if the viscosity of the content liquid is less than 30 mPa·s (25° C.), particularly less than 18 mPa·s (25° C.), the content liquid is soaked to a surface of a tipping paper, a cigarette paper of a tobacco rod and a filter mouthpiece end face when the flavor capsule is crushed. The viscosity of the content liquid is preferably 30 mPa·s (25° C.) or more, more preferably 80 mPa·s (25° C.) or more.

In the present invention, as the flavor, for example, menthol and refined vegetable oil can be used.

In the present invention, liquid thickeners and solid thickeners can be used as the thickener which is added to the content liquid in the flavor capsule. Fat and oil such as tocopherol, rapeseed oil, olive oil, cottonseed oil and sucrose diacetate hexaisobutyrate (SAIB) can be used as the liquid thickener. Of these, rapeseed oil and SAIB are more preferable.

When the fat and oil is used as the thickener, it is preferably used in an amount within a range of 19.1 to 57.4% by weight of the content liquid. When SAIB is used as the thickener, it is preferably used in an amount within a range of 40% by weight or more of the content liquid, preferably 60% by weight or more.

In the present invention, as a solvent for the flavor and the thickener contained in the content liquid, for example, medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides (MCTs) can be used.

In the present invention, the content liquid may further contain other additives such as a solvent, a dye and an emulsifier.

In the present invention, the shell of the flavor capsule may be formed using, for example, starch, dextrin, polysaccharides, agar, gellan gum, gelatin, various natural gelling agents, glycerol, sorbitol, calcium chloride, or the like, and the shell may further contain a flavor and a coloring agent.

In the present invention, the tipping paper and/or filter wrapper (a material paper, a shaping paper or a plug wrapping paper) is liquid-impermeable, which means that they are oil-resistant. It is preferable to use an oilproof paper for the shaping paper 27, for example, of at least the tipping paper and/or the filter wrapper, which is directly brought into contact with the flavor capsule 21. Of the oilproof papers, for example, a oilproof paper manufactured by Nippon Paper Papylia Co., Ltd. is preferable, because it does not use a film or a fluorine-containing resin. Properties of the oilproof paper manufactured by Nippon Paper Papylia Co., Ltd. are shown in Table 1.

	TABLE 1
	Basis weight	Thickness	Tensile Strength
	(g/m2)	(μm)	(kN/m)
Oilproof paper 1	35	40	3.0
Oilproof paper 2	50	52	5.0

In the present invention, the flavor capsule may be provided in a cavity between filter plugs, or it may be embedded in the filter plug as in FIG. 1.

The flavor capsule of the present invention can be applied to chewing tobacco, SNUS, and a non-combustible flavor inhalation pipe described in International Application PCT/JP2010/052835.

EXAMPLES

Examples of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing sizes of a cigarette filter produced in this Example. A material paper (not shown) is wrapped around the two filter rods 25 made of acetate at a side of a tobacco rod and a side of a mouthpiece. The two filter rods 25 are separated from each other and arranged through a cavity, and a liquid-impermeable (oil-resistant) shaping paper 27 is wrapped around the rods. A flavor capsule 21 is put in a cavity between the two filter rods 25. The flavor capsule 21 has a structure that a content liquid 21b is encapsulated with a shell 21a. Length L1 of the filter rod 25 at the tobacco rod side is 11.0 mm; length L2 of the filter rod 25 at the mouthpiece side is 10.0 mm; length S of the cavity is 6.0 mm; total length TL is 27.0 mm; and diameter D of the flavor capsule 21 is 4.5 mm. In the present invention, the content liquid 21b in the flavor capsule 21 has a viscosity of 30 mPa·s or more.

The production method of the flavor capsule is not particularly limited, and it is preferable to use, for example, a dropping method, because a flavor capsule having a seamless shell can be produced by this method. According to this method, the content liquid and a liquid shell material are discharged at the same time from an inside nozzle and an outside nozzle respectively, using a double nozzle, whereby the content liquid can be encapsulated seamlessly with the shell liquid.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cigarette filter of this Example can suppress soakage of the content liquid 21b, which is flowed out by crushing the shell 21a of the flavor capsule 21, to the surface of the tipping paper, the cigarette paper of the tobacco rod, and the filter mouthpiece end face, because the content liquid 21b in the flavor capsule 21 has a viscosity of 30 mPa·s (25° C.) or more. In addition, a filter making machine is not adversely affected.

Example 1

Menthol and refined vegetable oil as a flavor, and medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride (MCT) as a solvent were provided (no thickener), and they were mixed in a ratio of each sample A to C in Table 2 to prepared a content liquid of a flavor capsule. The viscosity of the content liquid was measured by using a rotary viscometer (TVB-10M manufactured by Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd.).

Eight percent by weight or 20% by weight of a mixture of starch, dextrin and polysaccharides as a shell material was mixed with 92% by weight or 80% by weight of the content liquid described above, and a flavor capsule having a diameter of 4.5 mm was produced by a dropping method. A cigarette filter shown in FIG. 3 was produced using the flavor capsule, and further a cigarette similar to that shown in FIG. 2(a) was produced.

Example 2

Menthol and refined vegetable oil as a flavor, medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride (MCT) as a solvent, and rapeseed oil as a thickener were provided, and they were mixed in a ratio of each sample D to H in Table 2 to prepare a content liquid of a flavor capsule. The viscosity of the content liquid was measured by using a rotary viscometer (TVB-10M manufactured by Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd.).

Eight percent by weight or 20% by weight of a mixture of starch, dextrin and polysaccharides as a shell material was mixed with 92% by weight or 80% by weight of the content liquid described above to produce a flavor capsule having a diameter of 4.5 mm by a dropping method. A cigarette filter shown in FIG. 3 was produced using the flavor capsule, and further a cigarette similar to that shown in FIG. 2(a) was produced.

Example 3

Menthol and refined vegetable oil as a flavor, medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride (MCT) as a solvent, and sucrose diacetate hexaisobutyrate (SAIB) as a thickener were provided, and they were mixed in a ratio of each sample I to K in Table 2 to produce a content liquid of a flavor capsule. The viscosity of the content liquid was measured by using a rotary viscometer (TVB-10M manufactured by Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd.).

Twenty percent by weight of a mixture of starch, dextrin and polysaccharides as a shell material was mixed with 80% by weight of the content liquid described above to produce a flavor capsule having a diameter of 4.5 mm by a dropping method. A cigarette filter shown in FIG. 3 was produced using the flavor capsule, and further a cigarette similar to that shown in FIG. 2(a) was produced.

The shell of the flavor capsule of each cigarette of samples A to K was broken, and after 10 minutes, soakage of the content liquid to the surface of the tipping paper, the cigarette paper of the tobacco rod and the filter mouthpiece end face were checked. The results are also shown in Table 2.

It can be found from the results of Table 2 that when the content liquid in the flavor capsule had a viscosity of 30 mPa·s (25° C.) or more, the soakage of the content liquid to the surface of the tipping paper, the cigarette paper of the tobacco rod and the filter mouthpiece end face can be suppressed. In addition, it is found that when the content liquid in the flavor capsule has a viscosity of 80 mPa·s (25° C.) or more, the soakage of the content liquid to the surface of the tipping paper, the cigarette paper of the tobacco rod and the filter mouthpiece end face can be more certainly suppressed.

	TABLE 2
	Test results
	Capsule formulation		Number of	Number of
	Content liquid		cigarettes	cigarettes	Note
		Diameter	Shell	Flavor	Solvent	Thickner	Viscosity	tested	soaked	Type of
	Sample	(mm)	(wt %)	(wt %)	(wt %)	(wt %)	(mPa · s)	(cigarettes)	(cigarettes)	thickner
Example 1	A	4.5	8.0	15.4	76.6	0.0	16.9	10	8	None
	B	4.5	20.0	13.7	66.3	0.0	17.7	10	4
	C	4.5	20.0	13.7	66.3	0.0	17.7	10	7
Example 2	D	4.5	8.0	15.4	57.4	19.1	36.2	10	0	Rapeseed oil
	E	4.5	8.0	15.4	38.3	38.3	88.1	10	0
	F	4.5	8.0	15.4	19.1	57.4	352.8	10	0
	G	4.5	8.0	22.1	17.5	52.4	124.1	10	0
	H	4.5	20.0	19.2	15.2	45.6	124.1	10	0
Example 3	I	4.5	20.0	17.6	14.4	48.0	58.7	10	0	SAIB
	J	4.5	20.0	17.6	9.6	52.8	90.0	10	0
	K	4.5	20.0	17.6	4.8	57.6	137.1	10	0

Example 4

According to the tests of Examples 1 to 3, the soakage of the content liquid to the surface of the tipping paper, the cigarette paper of the tobacco rod and the filter mouthpiece end face was checked within 10 minutes from the breakage of the shell of the flavor capsule, which was a usual smoking time. It is preferable, however, that only a small amount of the content liquid soaks to the cigarette paper of the tobacco rod, even if a longer time elapses from the breakage of the shell of the flavor capsule. The soakage of the content liquid after a long time was checked as described below. In the following tests, the content liquid in the capsule did not contain any flavor.

Sample L

Only medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride (MCT) as a solvent was used for a content liquid in a capsule.

Sample M

A content liquid in a capsule was prepared by mixing 43% by weight of medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride (MCT) as a solvent with 57% by weight of rapeseed oil as a thickener.

Samples N, O and P

A content liquid in a capsule was produced by mixing 60% by weight, 50% by weight or 40% by weight of medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride (MCT) as a solvent with 40% by weight, 50% by weight or 60% by weight of SAIB as a thickener.

The viscosity of the content liquid was measured by using a rotary viscometer (TVB-10M manufactured by Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd.). The composition and the viscosity of the content liquid in the capsule are shown in Table 3.

Twenty percent by weight of a mixture of starch, dextrin and polysaccharides as a shell material was mixed with 80% by weight of the content liquid described above to produce a capsule having a diameter of 4.5 mm by a dropping method. A cigarette filter shown in FIG. 3 was produced using the capsule, and further a cigarette similar to that shown in FIG. 2(a) was produced.

The shell of the flavor capsule of each cigarette of samples L to P was broken, and after one week, soakage of the content liquid to the cigarette paper of the tobacco rod was checked. In this case, the length of the content liquid soaked refers to a distance measured from the end of the tobacco rod 10 in contact with one filter plug 25, to a position in the cigarette paper to which the soaked content liquid reached. The results are also shown in Table 3.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing a relationship between the viscosity of the content liquid and the length of the content liquid soaked in samples M to P.

As shown in Table 3, in the case of sample L containing no thickener, the length of the content liquid soaked was 57 mm after one week, and the content liquid reached the cigarette paper at the tip end of the tobacco rod in all of the 10 cigarettes checked. On the other hand, in the case where the rapeseed oil or SAIB was used as the thickener, the content liquid did not reach the cigarette paper at the tip end of the tobacco rod even after one week. In addition, it can be seen from Table 3 and FIG. 5 that the length of the content liquid soaked in the case where the rapeseed oil is used is shorter than that in the case where SAIB is used, even if the content liquid has the same viscosity.

When the soakage length of the content liquid is large, a problem that components of the content liquid penetrating into the cigarette paper are separated by a paper chromatograph phenomenon may sometimes occur. The content liquid containing SAIB as the thickener, however, can suppress the separation of the components of the content liquid, which is caused by the paper chromatograph phenomenon, even after one week, because the soakage length is small.

	TABLE 3
	Length of soakage
	Content liquid	Viscosity (25° C.)	Number of
		Rapeseed		Number of		cigarettes
	MCT	oil	SAIB	samples	Average	tested	Average
Sample	(wt %)	(wt %)	(wt %)	tested	(mPa · s)	(cigarettes)	(mm/week)	SD
L	100.0	—	—	3	17.7	10	57.0	—
M	43.0	57.0	—	3	88.1	10	40.0	5.5
N	60.0	—	40.0	3	58.7	10	31.9	2.8
O	50.0	—	50.0	3	90.0	10	16.8	6.3
P	40.0	—	60.0	3	137.1	10	8.6	2.5

Claims

1. A cigarette filter comprising: filter plugs separated from each other and arranged through a cavity; a flavor capsule encapsulating a content liquid including a flavor in a shell and provided in the cavity between the filter plugs; and a liquid-impermeable tipping paper and/or filter wrapper wrapped around the filter plugs and the flavor capsule, wherein the content liquid comprises the flavor and a thickener and has a viscosity of 30 mPa·s or more.

2. The cigarette filter according to claim 1, wherein the content liquid has a viscosity of 80 mPa·s or more.

3. The cigarette filter according to claim 1, wherein the thickener is selected from the group consisting of liquid thickeners and solid thickeners.

4. The cigarette filter according to claim 3, wherein the liquid thickener is fat and oil or sucrose diacetate hexaisobutyrate (SAIB).

5. The cigarette filter according to claim 1, wherein the content liquid further comprises a solvent and/or a dye and/or an emulsifier.

6. The cigarette filter according to claim 1, wherein the shell of the flavor capsule further comprises a dye.

7. The cigarette filter according to claim 1, wherein the liquid-impermeable tipping paper and/or filter wrapper is a oilproof paper.

8. A cigarette comprising: a tobacco rod; and the cigarette filter according to claim 1.