Patent ID: 12225929

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

With reference toFIG.1, a schematic perspective view of a smoking stick100as an example of an elongated smoking article100is shown and a schematic cross section of the smoking stick100is shown inFIG.2. The smoking stick100includes a cylindrical rod of heatable tobacco material11that is loaded with glycerin as an additionally aerosol-forming component. The cylindrical surface of the tobacco material11is surrounded by a heat reflective layer12, e.g., an aluminum layer for allowing a more uniformly heating thereof.

The tobacco material11within the heat reflective layer12is referred to as smoking body10and one base area of the smoking body10is open to expose the heatable material11. At this open base area of the smoking body10the tobacco material11can be heated by inserting a heating element through this open base area (inside-out-heating). Alternatively, the tobacco material11can be heated by inserting the smoking stick100into a heating element (outside-in-heating). At the opposite base area of the smoking body a filter element20is positioned. The filter element20comprises a mouthpiece portion35, a hollow section40and a filter portion30, wherein the hollow section40is disposed between the smoking body and the filter portion30. The mouthpiece portion35is arranged at a terminal end of the filter element20and forms an open base area of the elongated smoking article that allows a user to draw an aerosol from the heated tobacco material11for inhalation. The base areas of the filter element20and smoking body10permit the passage of an aerosol there through.

The filter element20and the smoking body10are axially aligned in an end-to-end relationship along a longitudinal relationship L of the smoking stick10. The filter element20has a generally cylindrical shape with a diameter that is essentially equal to the diameter of the smoking body10. The filter element20is fixed to the smoking body10via a tipping paper50that is circumscribing both, the filter element20and the smoking body10. The tipping paper50is wrapped over the whole length of the filter element20and whole length of the smoking body10along the longitudinal direction L and might be attached by an adhesive to external surfaces of the smoking body10and the filter element20or to itself. Thus, the tipping paper50provides a force closure between smoking body10and filter element20via an indirect adhesive bond using a suitable adhesive, such as e.g., a water-based adhesive of the type traditionally employed by cigarette manufacturers for application of tipping paper during filtered cigarette manufacture.

The filter portion30includes a filter material, such as e.g. plasticized cellulose acetate treated with triacetin, which is configured to reduce unwanted substances in an aerosol that is drawn by a smoker from the heated smoking body10through the filter element20. The filter portion30is provided as a donut filter having a hollow cylinder of aforementioned materials and a hollow bore for allowing a user to easy draw an aerosol through the hollow bore.

As shown in the cross section ofFIG.2, the mouthpiece portion35providing the open base area that serves as a mouthpiece for a consumer with an improved mouth feeling for the consumer. The hollow section40disposed between the smoking body10and the filter portion30is made of a spirally wound laminate of a cardboard sheet42, a barrier layer51and a carrier layer52.

The filter cigarette100as shown inFIG.3differs from that ofFIG.2in that a hollow section40is disposed between two filter portions30a,30b,wherein the filter portion30aprovides the mouthpiece portion for a consumer and might comprise more triacetin than filter portion30b.However, also the hollow section40inFIG.3is made of a spirally wound laminate of a cardboard sheet42, a barrier layer51and a carrier layer52.

The filter cigarette100as shown inFIG.4shows a further particularly preferred embodiment of the invention. Therein, the filter cigarette100has a diameter of 7.2 mm and an overall length of 48 mm. Further, the cylindrical smoking body10is again positioned at the tip of the cigarette100in longitudinal direction L and has a length of 12 mm and is formed of slit and gathered cast leaf tobacco. Adjacent to this tobacco portion10, a filter element30bis disposed that is formed as a hollow bore filter with a length of 10 mm and a central bore having a diameter of 3.5 mm. Adjacent to the filter element30b,the hollow cardboard tube40with an overall length of 14 mm and the properties as described above is disposed. Adjacent to the cardboard tube40, at the other terminal end of the filter cigarette100, another filter element30ais disposed, which is also formed as hollow bore filter with a total length of 12 mm and a central bore having a diameter of 2 mm. In a preferred embodiment, the hollow bore of filter element30ais faced with an inner paper liner impregnated with another flavoring and/or being colored for distinguishing a certain kind (e.g., flavor) of the filter cigarette100. Alternatively, this hollow bore is filled with a mono-acetate filter or the like. InFIG.4, further the inside (interior) of the hollow tube40is marked with I and the outside (exterior) of the hollow tube40is marked with O.

A cross section of a laminate that is used for the hollow sections40ofFIGS.2and3and that can be also used for the hollow section ofFIG.4is shown inFIG.5. As shown in the upper part ofFIG.5, a cardboard sheet42is provided with a shape that is suitable for forming a hollow cylinder by spirally winding the cardboard sheet42. A laminate of a barrier layer51and a carrier layer52is disposed on an inner surface41of the cardboard sheet42, e.g. via an adhesive layer (not shown). The laminate of the barrier layer51and the carrier layer52is an aluminum-paper-laminate, APL, and the barrier layer is thus an aluminum layer51and the carrier layer is thus a paper layer52. After adhering the APL to the inner surface41of the cardboard sheet42the resulting laminate is spirally wound such that it partially overlaps with itself and is adhered to itself in the overlapping parts. Also inFIG.5, the inside of the hollow tube40(to be formed) is marked with I and the outside is marked with an O.

Hence, the hollow section40is formed as a hollow cylinder from spirally wound cardboard sheet42with the APL51,52disposed on an inner surface thereof and the carrier layer52facing the bore of the hollow section40. Although in this example, the carrier layer52is paper it might also be at least partially formed of a weave, mesh, paper, and/or bibulous material. Preferably, the carrier layer52may also comprise a fibrous material, such as a cellulosic material, e.g. a lignocellulosic material. Exemplary cellulosic materials include flax fibers, hardwood pulp, softwood pulp, hemp fibers, esparto fibers, kenaf fibers, jute fibers and sisal fibers. Mixtures of two or more types of cellulosic materials can also be employed.

If the user thus draws an aerosol emitted by the heated smoking body10through the filter element20, the aerosol comes into contact with the carrier layer52and heats up a volatile additive80that is contained in the fibrous carrier layer52(see alsoFIG.5). Then, the volatile additive80evaporates and is added to the stream of drawn aerosol, where it may condense before it is inhaled by the consumer. The additive80can thus be used to provide a desired substance to a user, such as e.g. nicotine and/or a flavoring. At the same time, evaporation of the volatile additive80before usage of the elongated smoking article100by heating of the tobacco material11is advantageously prevented as a heat transfer from outside the elongated smoking article100is at least partially prevented by the cardboard sheet42, the barrier layer51and/or the carrier layer52. Further, the barrier layer51prevents the volatile additive80to diffuse through the cardboard sheet42and/or into wrapping paper50. Hence, an unpleasant appearance of the elongated smoking article100, e.g., with stained wrapping paper50can be advantageously prevented using the easy to manufacture filter element20comprising the hollow section40according to the invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS

10cylindrical smoking body11heatable tobacco material12heat reflecting layer20filter element30filter portion35mouthpiece portion40hollow section41inner surface42cardboard sheet material50tipping paper51barrier layer52carrier layer80volatile additive100elongated smoking articleI inside (interior) of hollow tubeO outside (exterior) of hollow tubeL longitudinal direction