Claims
- 1. A method of fabricating an all-tobacco cigarette having a tobacco lighted-end column and a tobacco tip-end column, each tandemly-arranged, comprising the steps of:
- (a) selecting the length of the tip-end column for a cigarette of particular length and controlling the type and compaction of tobacco in such column;
- (b) fabricating the lighted-end tobacco column;
- (c) fabricating the tip-end tobacco column to consist of at least about 20% expanded tobacco with the remainder unexpanded tobacco
- (d) placing a paper wrapper having ventilation holes of predetermined size and number formed therein over said tip-end column, and
- (e) assembling the tip-end and lighted-end tobacco columns into a cigarette,
- whereby a cigarette of acceptable overall resistance to draw and desired "tar" delivery can be attained.
- 2. The method of claim 1 in which steps (a), (b), (c) and (d) are practiced to obtain a resistance to draw substantially equal to the resistance of a single-column tobacco cigarette of comparable length.
- 3. The method of claim 1 in which tobacco in the tip-end is composed of 40% or more expanded tobacco.
- 4. The method of claim 1 in which the length of the tip-end is about 16% to about 50% of the length of the cigarette.
- 5. The method of claim 1 in which the percentage of ventilation varies between about 10% and about 90%.
- 6. The method of claim 1 in which the overall cigarettes pressure drop varies between about 5.0 cm and about 12.0 cm.
- 7. The method of claim 1 in which the "tar" delivery of the cigarette is between 1 mg and 20 mg "tar".
- 8. The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of placing a porous paper wrapper over the tip-end tobacco column, prior to placement of said paper wrapper having ventilation holes formed therein over the tip-end tobacco column.
- 9. The method of claim 3 wherein the tip-end tobacco column consists of substantially 100% expanded tobacco.
- 10. The method of claim 1 wherein the expanded tobacco is compacted during fabrication of the tip-end tobacco column to a density of between about 0.122-0.300 gm/cc.
- 11. The method of claim 1 wherein the expanded tobacco is compacted during fabrication of the tip-end tobacco column to a density of between about 0.181-0.280 gm/cc.
- 12. A method of fabricating an all-tobacco cigarette having a tobacco lighted-end column and a tobacco tip-end column, each tandemly-arranged, comprising the steps of:
- (a) selecting the length of the tip-end column for a cigarette of particular length and controlling the type and compaction of tobacco in such column;
- (b) fabricating the lighted-end tobacco column;
- (c) fabricating the tip-end tobacco column to consist of at least about 20% expanded tobacco with the remainder unexpanded tobacco compacted during fabrication to a density of between about 0.122-0.300 gm/cc;
- (d) placing a paper wrapper having ventilation holes of predetermined size and number formed therein over said tip-end column, and
- (e) assembling the tip-end and lighted-end tobacco columns into a cigarette,
- whereby a cigarette of acceptable overall resistance to draw and desired "tar" delivery can be attained.
- 13. A method of fabricating on all-tobacco cigarette having a tobacco lighted-end column and a tobacco tip-end column, each tandemly-arranged, comprising the steps of:
- (a) selecting the length of the tip-end column for a cigarette of particular length and controlling the type and compaction of tobacco in such column;
- (b) fabricating the lighted-end tobacco column;
- (c) fabricating the tip-end tobacco column to consist of at least about 20% expanded tobacco with the remainder unexpanded tobacco compacted during fabrication to a density of between about 0.181-0.280 gm/cc;
- (d) placing a paper wrapper having ventilation holes of predetermined size and number formed therein over said tip-end column, and
- (e) assembly the tip-end and lighted-end tobacco columns into a cigarette,
- whereby a cigarette of acceptable overall resistance to draw and desired "tar" delivery can be attained.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This is a division of application Ser. No. 06/861,169 filed May 9, 1986, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,385.
Cigarettes having tobacco throughout their lengths (called "all-tobacco" cigarettes) have included cigarettes with tip ends containing processed tobacco. Such tip ends have had pressure drops greater per mm of length than other portions of the cigarette tobacco column.
Other cigarettes have been suggested with all-tobacco filters or mouthpieces U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,152,416, 2,934,073, 3,219,041, and 3,361,139). It has also been proposed to provide a mouthpiece for a cigarette having a flattened mouth end U.S. Pat. No. 1,865,679).
Ventilation of tip ends is also well-known including use of tip paper ventilation holes and ventilation passages U.S. Pat. No. 3,490,461).
Broadly, the present invention is a cigarette fabrication method which comprises the design and construction of an all-tobacco cigarette for delivery of selected quantities (per cigarette) of "tar" to the smoker, which cigarette is formed of two (2) tandemly aligned and connected tobacco columns. The first column is the lighted-end column normally including tobacco blends typically used in present day cigarettes. The second column is the tip end (or mouth end) column which is filled with compacted tobacco, preferably expanded tobacco to control draw resistance (pressure drop) of the cigarette. The tip-end column is overwrapped with a non-porous tipping paper which paper includes a ring of ventilation holes (or other appropriate ventilation passages, holes or other arrangement) located just beyond the normal mouth position of the smoker to contribute to ventilation of the cigarette.
Delivery of "tar" from the cigarette is controlled by varying the lengths of the two (2) columns, the pressure drops of the columns and the ventilation of the cigarette. In particular, delivery of "tar" at acceptable pressure drops is accomplished by varying the tip-end column pressure drop through selection, treatment and compaction of the expanded tobacco in the tip-end column and by varying ventilation by selection of size, location and position of the ventilation holes and the permeability of the tip end column wrap.
With other parameters held constant, delivery of "tar" can be varied by the predetermination of the size, number and position of ventilation holes. The more ventilation introduced into the cigarette, the less "tar" is delivered to the smoker.
It is a feature of the invention that an all-tobacco cigarette capable of low "tar" and ultra-low "tar" delivery is readily attainable while maintaining the resistance to draw (pressure drop) of the cigarette at an acceptable level to the smoker.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
| Number |
Date |
Country |
| 0232166 |
Mar 1987 |
EPX |
| 3228950 |
Aug 1981 |
DEX |
| 0781960 |
Aug 1957 |
GBX |
| 0871102 |
Jun 1961 |
GBX |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
| Parent |
861169 |
May 1986 |
|
Patent Grant
5007439
