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Many cigar smokers prefer to use their own tobacco product as opposed to purchasing cigars that are already constructed and filled with tobacco. These users of fine, custom tobacco prefer to start with an empty shell which they prefer to purchase and then fill with their own custom tobacco filler material or other smokable material after the shell has been removed from its package.
Patents have issued for cigar products or smokable products that begin with an empty shell that is packaged in an empty or less than filled condition, thus enabling a smoker to later add his or her custom tobacco filler. For example, the Sinclair U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,321,755; 6,357,448; 6,526,986; and 7,717,119, each hereby incorporated herein by reference disclose tobacco shells that are packaged empty of contents so that a user can add his or her custom tobacco or other fill material to the shell after opening the package.
In various embodiments the present invention relates to kits for preparing smoking articles such as cigars, cigarillos, and other smokable products.
More particularly, in various embodiments the present invention relates to an improved kit including at least one smokable sheet and at least one form mandrel detachably connected to said smokable sheet, the kit being used for rolling a custom made cigar, cigarillo, and/or rolled smoking article.
In various embodiments the kit can be packaged for sale wherein the kit includes;
(a) at least one form mandrel;
(b) at least one smokable sheet, the at least one smokable sheet being in a pre-rolled state, with a longitudinal containment volume and edges that can be moved apart to provide access to the containment volume for adding a smokable filler to the containment volume;
(c) the at least one form mandrel being connected to and supporting the at least one smokable sheet in the pre-rolled state; and
(d) the at least one form mandrel and at least one smokable sheet being packaged for sale in packaging, such as in a pouch (e.g., a foil).
In various embodiments the connected at least one form mandrel can also be used during one or more steps of preparing a custom rolled smokable article such as:
(a) moving the edges apart to provide access to the containment volume;
(b) after step “a”, adding a smokable filler to the containment volume while the edges are moved apart, and
(c) after step “b”, rolling the at least one pre-rolled sheet into a custom made cigar, cigarillo, and/or rolled smoking article, including maintaining a tensile force in the at least one pre-rolled sheet during this step.
After the filling and rolling process the connected form mandrel can be disconnected from the sheet and/or rolled smoking article.
In various embodiments is provided a product including a rolled smokable tube for holding an end user's smokable fill material, comprising:
(a) a form mandrel;
(b) a smokable tube comprising a sheet of material, the sheet of material being rolled into a shaped tube that has a longitudinal bore;
(c) a longitudinal opening in the sheet of material for adding smokable fill material to the bore, and edges that can be moved apart providing access to the bore so that the smokable fill material can be added to the bore;
(d) wherein the smokable tube is packaged for sale in a wrapper with a form mandrel being connected to and supporting smokable tube in the rolled state, and the smokable tube remains rolled in a tube shape inside the wrapper after packaging, and is not filled with smokable filler to form a complete rolled smokable article.
In various embodiments is provided a rolled smokable product, comprising:
(a) a first pre-rolled smokable sheet of material, the pre-rolled sheet having a longitudinal bore;
(b) a longitudinal opening in the first pre-rolled sheet for adding smokable fill material to the longitudinal bore, and edges that can be moved apart to enlarge the longitudinal opening so that the smokable fill material can be added to the bore via the enlarged longitudinal opening;
(c) wherein the pre-rolled smokable sheet is packaged in the wrapper with a form mandrel being connected to and supporting the pre-rolled sheet in the rolled state, and the pre-rolled sheet remaining pre-rolled inside the wrapper after packaging, and is not filled with smokable filler to form a complete rolled smokable article.
In various embodiments is provided a method of constructing a rolled smokable product comprising the steps of:
(a) obtaining a sheet of smokable material wherein the sheet is connected to a form mandrel, and the sheet is rolled into a shaped tube that has an interior bore and at least two edges that can be moved apart providing access to the interior bore so that smokable fill material can be added to the interior bore;
(b) wherein, without filling the interior bore with smokable fill material, the shaped tube and connected form mandrel is packaged inside a wrapper for sale to a consumer, with the form mandrel supporting the pre-rolled sheet in the rolled state inside the wrapper;
(c) constructing a rolled smokable product from the shaped tube of step “b” by removing the shaped tube and connected form mandrel from the wrapper, moving apart the two edges, and filling the interior bore with smokable fill material, and using the connected form mandrel to roll to the sheet and smokable fill material into a rolled smokable product.
In various embodiments is provided a method of constructing a rolled smokable product comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a sheet of material that is comprised of smokable material, and connecting the sheet of material to a form mandrel;
(b) rolling the sheet of material around the form mandrel into a shaped tube that has a longitudinal bore and two edges that can be moved apart providing access to the interior bore so that smokable fill material can be added to the interior bore;
(c) packaging the shaped tube and connected form mandrel in a wrapper for sale to a consumer, and without filling the interior bore with smokable fill material; and
(d) enabling a consumer to fabricate a rolled smokable product by removal of the shaped tube and connected form mandrel from the wrapper, moving apart the two edges, filling of the interior bore with smokable fill material, and using the connected form mandrel to roll the sheet of material and added smokable fill material into a rolled smokable product, and subsequently disconnecting the form mandrel from the sheet of material and completing the process of forming the finished rolled smokable product.
In various embodiments is provided a method of constructing a rolled smokable tube product comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a sheet of material that includes smokable material and connected form mandrel;
(b) rolling the sheet of material around the connected form mandrel into a shaped tube that has a longitudinal bore and two edges that can be moved apart so that smokable fill material can be added to the longitudinal bore;
(c) packaging the shaped tube and connected form mandrel in a wrapper for sale to a consumer and without filling the longitudinal bore with smokable fill material; and
(d) wherein the connected shaped tube is to be used, after removal of the sheet of material from the wrapper and filling the longitudinal bore with smokable fill material, in rolling the sheet of material and smokable fill material into a rolled smokable tube product, with the form mandrel to be disconnected from the sheet of material only after this rolling process.
In various embodiments is provided a method of constructing a rolled smokable tube product filled with smokable filler comprising the steps of:
(a) obtaining a sheet comprised of smokable material, wherein the sheet is connected to a form mandrel and rolled into a shaped tube about the connected form mandrel, with the rolled sheet having an interior bore and two edges that can be moved apart to provide access to the interior bore and allow smokable fill material to be added to the interior bore, wherein the sheet and connected form mandrel are packaged in a wrapper for sale to a consumer, and without filling the interior bore with smokable fill material;
(b) removing the packaged rolled sheet and connected form mandrel from the wrapper, moving apart the two edges and filling the interior bore with smokable fill material, and using the connected form mandrel to construct a rolled smokable tube product by rolling the sheet with smokable filler into a rolled smokable tube whose interior bore is filled with smokable filler; and
(c) after step “b” disconnecting the form mandrel from the sheet.
For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and wherein:
Smokable article kit can include pre-rolled smokable sheet 300 having an interior bore 380, said sheet 300 being rolled around and connected to form mandrel or straw 100, with pre-rolled sheet 300 and connected form mandrel 100 being together packaged for sale in a flexible packaging 800 (such as a foil pouch) when pre-rolled smokable sheet 300 is not filled with smokable filler material 1100.
Form mandrel/straw 100 can include first end 110, second end 120 and have a longitudinal bore 130. About straw 100 can be an adhesive 190 which in a preferred embodiment can be a line of adhesive and is used to connect straw 100 to smokable sheet 300. Form mandrel can be constructed from any type of materials (preferably non-smokable materials) having the requisite properties including resistance to collapsing and supporting the pre-rolled state for pre-rolled sheet 300 including plastic, metal, wood, etc.
Smokable sheet 300 can include first face 310, second face 320, and have first 360, second 362, third 364, and fourth 366 sides. First 360, second 362, third 364, and fourth 366 sides can respectively have dimension 361, dimension 363, dimension 365, and dimension 367. Smokable sheet 300 can be constructed from any type of smokable materials including homogenized tobacco or HTM, natural leaves, cellulose, wood pulp, paper, rice paper, cigar paper, cigarette paper, vegetable, fruit, herb, etc.
Separating sheet 400 can include first face 410, second face 420, and have first 460, second 462, third 464, and fourth 466 sides. First 460, second 462, third 464, and fourth 466 sides can respectively have dimension 461, dimension 463, dimension 465, and dimension 467. Separating sheet 400 can be constructed from any type of materials (preferably non-smokable materials) having the requisite properties including cellophane, plastic, foil, etc.
Package or flexible wrapper 800 can be flexible and any shape such as rectangular. The package 800 has interior 830 that can be closed. The interior 830 can be sized and shaped to contain the combination of pre-rolled sheet 300 and connected form mandrel 100. The package or wrapper 830 has closed end 810 and open end 820 that would enable insertion of the combination of pre-rolled sheet 300, connected form mandrel 100 into the interior 830. A seal 840 could be formed at in order to encapsulate the combination pre-rolled sheet 300/connected form mandrel 100 into the interior 830.
Connected form mandrel/straw 100 can be used to prevent compression the pre-rolled smokable sheet 300 when packaged, and can further be used to assist in the rolling process as will be described below.
In various embodiments a non-smokable separating sheet 400 can be used to resist/prevent smokable sheet 300 from sticking to itself while in the interior 830 of packaging 800, along with retaining moisture in smokable sheet 300.
As will be described below, in various embodiments the apparatus 10 of the present invention enables a user or smoker to support his or her custom smokable filler into hollow interior 380 of pre-rolled smokable sheet 300 after it has been removed from package or wrapper 800.
Dimension 304 indicates the amount of sheet 300 and smokable filler 1100 that has been rolled. Dimension 305 indicates the amount of sheet 300 to be rolled. During the rolling process the user can place a tensile force in sheet 300 by pushing on connected form mandrel/straw 100 (schematically indicated by arrow 80) and pulling on the amount 304 of sheet 300 and smokable filler 1100 that has already been rolled.
In an alternative embodiment sheet 300 can include a perforated line/area 351 immediately below glue line 350 so that sheet 300 can be torn at this perforation line losing only a small portion of sheet 300 to form mandrel 100. In this embodiments a double glue line 350 and 352 with perforated line 351 in between double line 350 and 352 can be used so that glue line 352 can be used to seal new edge 366 to the outer wall of sheet 300 in making the finished rolled smokable product.
To facilitate a tight finished rolled smokable product, form mandrel/straw 100 preferably will have a diameter 150 which, as will be described below, is small compared to the diameter 550 of finished rolled smokable product 500. In various embodiments diameter 150 is less than 50 percent of diameter 550. In various embodiments diameter 150 is less than 50, 45, 40, 35, 33, 30, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 percent of diameter 550. In various embodiments diameter 150 can be with a range of any two of the above referenced percentages of diameter 550.
In various embodiments diameter 150 is less than 20 percent of the length of edge 360 before rolling starts. In various embodiments diameter 150 is less than 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 percent of the length of edge 360 before rolling. In various embodiments diameter 150 can be with a range of any two of the above referenced percentages of the length of edge 360 before rolling.
In various embodiments the length 170 of slit 160 is at least 50 percent of the length of length 140 of form mandrel/straw 100. In various embodiments length 170 is at least 50, 60, 70, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, and 99 percent of the length 140 of form mandrel/straw 100. In various embodiments length 170 can be within a range of any two of the above referenced percentages of the length 140 of form mandrel/straw 100.
In this second embodiment glue line 350 for smokable sheet is preferably placed on edge 362 of smokable sheet 300, spaced away from form mandrel 100.
The following is a Table of Reference Numerals used in this patent application:
All measurements disclosed herein are at standard temperature and pressure, at sea level on Earth, unless indicated otherwise. All materials used or intended to be used in a human being are biocompatible, unless indicated otherwise.
The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.
This is a non-provisional of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/181,876, filed on Jun. 19, 2015, which application is incorporated herein by reference and priority to/of which application is hereby claimed.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
4832057 | Bale | May 1989 | A |
6321755 | Sinclair | Nov 2001 | B1 |
6357448 | Sinclair | Mar 2002 | B1 |
6526986 | Sinclair | Mar 2003 | B1 |
7717119 | Sinclair | May 2010 | B1 |
20020166561 | Sinclair, Jr. | Nov 2002 | A1 |
20050188997 | Sinclair | Sep 2005 | A1 |
20060000481 | Sinclair | Jan 2006 | A1 |
20080271745 | Sinclair | Nov 2008 | A1 |
20120167907 | Sinclair | Jul 2012 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20160366930 A1 | Dec 2016 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62181876 | Jun 2015 | US |