Patent Application
20060272659
The present invention relates to smoking of cigarettes and flavoring, filtering, and taste articles for use with cigarettes as well as to methods of testing new cigarettes and articles for facilitating the testing of new cigarettes
In the description that follows, reference is made to certain structures and methods. However, such references should not necessarily be construed as an admission that these structures and methods qualify as prior art under the applicable statutory provisions. Applicants reserve the right to demonstrate that any of the referenced subject matter does not constitute prior art.
Various smoking articles, cigarette holders and cigarette holders with filtering arrangements are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,250,901; 4,201,232; 4,171,000; 4,157,721; 4,071,036; and, 3,771,534. In addition, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2003/0154993 discloses a cigarette filter with beaded carbon. The beaded carbon may be combined with inactivated (or less activated) beaded material, or with beaded material flavor carriers, or with other suitable filler material such as glass beads.
In the preferred embodiments disclosed herein, a modular article for smoking a cigarette with a predetermined volume of a particular medium such as flavoring, filtering, or taste materials, comprises an outer sleeve member having a first end and a second end. The first end of the outer sleeve member is arranged to receive an end of a cigarette and the outer sleeve member defines a passageway through the outer sleeve member. A plurality of inner sleeve members are each receivable within the passageway of the outer sleeve. Each of the inner sleeve members defines a passageway through the inner sleeve member with a compartment provided within the passageway of the inner sleeve member having a predetermined volume. The predetermined volume of the compartment is different for different inner sleeve members of the plurality of inner sleeve members. In this way, a different volume of a particular medium may be used when smoking a different cigarette.
In other preferred embodiments, the modular article further comprises a mouthpiece with the second end of the outer sleeve being arranged to receive the mouthpiece. The second end of the outer sleeve may also provide the mouthpiece for the article. In another preferred embodiment, the modular article comprises an end member arranged to be received by the second end of the outer sleeve member with the end member being arranged to receive a cigarette filter.
In a preferred embodiment, each of the plurality of inner sleeve members defines a first end and a second end with the compartment provided between the first end and the second end of the inner sleeve member. The inner sleeve members each are snugly received within the passageway of the outer sleeve so that substantially all fluid passing from the first end of the outer sleeve to the second end of the outer sleeve passes through the compartment of the inner sleeve. The modular article further comprises a first sieve member arranged to be received adjacent the first end of the inner sleeve member with an arrangement for retaining the first sieve adjacent the first end of the inner sleeve member. A second sieve member is arranged to be received adjacent the second end of the inner sleeve member with an arrangement provided for retaining the second sieve member adjacent the second end of the inner sleeve member.
In a preferred embodiment, each of the plurality of inner sleeve members has a different predetermined length and a common predetermined inner diameter. Also, each of the plurality of inner sleeve members may provide a resistance to draw for a smoker which is generally imperceptible to the smoker when smoking a cigarette. Preferably, the volume of the compartments of the plurality of inner sleeve members ranges from about 0.025 cubic centimeters to about 0.3 cubic centimeters and the plurality of inner sleeve members are filled with a predetermined particular medium.
In another preferred embodiment, a modular article for smoking a cigarette with a predetermined volume of a particular medium such as flavoring, filtering, or taste materials, comprises an outer sleeve member having a first end and a second end. The first end of said outer sleeve member is arranged to receive an end of a cigarette and the outer sleeve member defines a passageway through the outer sleeve member. An inner sleeve member is receivable within the passageway of the outer sleeve. The inner sleeve member defines a passageway through the inner sleeve member with a compartment provided within the passageway of the inner sleeve member having a predetermined volume. The predetermined volume of the compartment is determined by the length of a portion of the inner sleeve member. In this way, a predetermined volume of a particular medium may be used when smoking a cigarette.
In other preferred embodiments, the modular article comprises a mouthpiece with the second end of the outer sleeve being arranged to receive the mouthpiece. The second end of the outer sleeve may also provide a mouthpiece for the article. The inner sleeve member defines a first end and a second end with the compartment provided between the first end and the second end of the inner sleeve member. The inner sleeve member is snugly received within the passageway of the outer sleeve so that substantially all fluid passing from the first end of the outer sleeve to the second end of the outer sleeve passes through the compartment of the inner sleeve. The modular article further comprises a first sieve member arranged to be received adjacent the first end of the inner sleeve member with an arrangement provided for retaining the first sieve adjacent the first end of the inner sleeve member. A second sieve member is arranged to be received adjacent the second end of the inner sleeve member and an arrangement is provided for retaining the second sieve member adjacent the second end of the inner sleeve member.
The modular article further comprises a mouthpiece with the second end of the outer sleeve being arranged to receive the mouthpiece. An end member may be arranged to be received by the second end of the outer sleeve member with the end member being arranged to receive a cigarette filter. The second end of the outer sleeve may provide a mouthpiece for the article and the second end of the outer sleeve may be arranged to receive a cigarette filter. The inner sleeve member provides a resistance to draw for a smoker which is generally imperceptible to the smoker when smoking a cigarette. The predetermined volume of the compartment of the inner sleeve member is preferably between about 0.025 cubic centimeters to about 0.3 cubic centimeters and filled with a predetermined particular medium.
In a preferred method disclosed herein, a cigarette may be tested with different predetermined volumes of a particular medium such as flavoring, filtering, or taste materials. In the preferred method, a first inner sleeve member is selected from a plurality of inner sleeve members and the selected inner sleeve member has a passageway with a compartment having a first predetermined volume. The compartment of the first inner sleeve member is filled with a predetermined medium and the compartment is closed with a sieve member to retain the medium within the compartment. The first inner sleeve member is inserted within an outer sleeve member and one end of a cigarette is inserted in a first end of the outer sleeve member. The cigarette is then smoked. The first inner sleeve member is then removed from the outer sleeve member and a second inner sleeve member is selected from the plurality of inner sleeve members. The second inner sleeve member has a passageway with a compartment having a second predetermined volume, different than the first predetermined volume. The compartment of the second inner sleeve member is filled with the predetermined medium and the compartment is closed with a sieve member to retain the medium within the compartment. The second inner sleeve member is inserted within the outer sleeve member and one end of a cigarette is inserted in a first end of the outer sleeve member. The cigarette is then smoked, whereby different volumes of a predetermined flavor, filter or taste material for cigarettes may be tested. The steps of smoking the cigarette may be performed by an individual or by a machine.
Another preferred method for smoking a cigarette with a predetermined volume of a particular medium such as flavoring, filtering, or taste materials, comprises the steps of selecting a first inner sleeve member from a plurality of inner sleeve members. The selected first inner sleeve member has a passageway with a compartment having a first predetermined volume. The compartments of the plurality of inner sleeve members provide a variety of predetermined volumes with the compartment of each of the plurality of inner sleeve members being filled with a predetermined medium. The first inner sleeve member is inserted within an outer sleeve member and one end of a cigarette is inserted in a first end of the outer sleeve member. The cigarette is then smoked and the first inner sleeve member is removed from the outer sleeve member. A second inner sleeve member is selected from the plurality of inner sleeve members with the selected second inner sleeve member having a passageway with a compartment having a second predetermined volume filled with a predetermined medium. The second inner sleeve member is inserted within the outer sleeve member and one end of a cigarette is inserted in the first end of the outer sleeve member and the cigarette is smoked.
The predetermined volume of the second selected inner sleeve member may be substantially the same as the predetermined volume of the first selected inner sleeve member and the medium provided in the compartment of the second selected inner sleeve member may be substantially the same as the medium provided in the compartment of the first selected inner sleeve member. The predetermined volume of the second selected inner sleeve member may be different than the predetermined volume of the first selected inner sleeve member and the medium provided in the compartment of the second selected inner sleeve member may be different than the medium provided in the compartment of the first selected inner sleeve member. The cigarette may be smoked by an individual.
a to 5e are cross-sectional side views of differently sized inner sleeve members of the modular smoking article.
With reference now to
With reference now to
A central portion 33 of the passageway 31 has a larger diameter than the first portion 35 with the diameter of the central portion 33 corresponding generally to the outside diameter of an assembly including an inner sleeve 40 and annular retainers 52, 62 for the inner sleeve. The inside end of the first portion 35 of the passageway 31 provides a shoulder 38 which prevents the assembly including the inner sleeve 40 from passing through the first end of the outer sleeve 22.
The central portion 33 of the passageway 31 has a length that is sufficient to receive a variety of inner sleeve assemblies having different lengths as will be explained below. The passageway 31 may be tapered at the second end 32 of the outer sleeve so as to snugly receive the end piece 26 and to facilitate insertion of the inner sleeve assembly into the passageway 31.
The inner sleeve member 40 is generally cylindrical in shape with a passageway extending axially through the inner sleeve member 40. Both ends of the inner sleeve member are generally identical and include a shoulder 46 provided a short distance inside the end of the inner sleeve member. The end of the inner sleeve member 40 is slightly tapered outwardly to snugly and releasably receive a corresponding portion of one of the retainers 52, 62.
A sieve member 50, 60 is provided adjacent the shoulder 46 at each end of the inner sleeve member 40. The sieve member 50, 60 is held by the associated retainer 52, 62 adjacent the shoulder 46 of the inner sleeve member with the sieve members 50, 60 defining a compartment within the inner sleeve member between the two sieve members 50, 60. A material such as a flavoring, filtering, or taste medium 58 may be provided inside the compartment of the inner sleeve as desired.
The retainers 52, 62 for the inner sleeve member 40 may have knurled ends 56 which facilitate insertion and removal of the retainers 52, 62 from the ends of the inner sleeve member 40. The retainers 52, 62 have a generally cylindrical surface which is received by a respective tapered end of the inner sleeve member 40. If desired, the retainers and the ends of the inner sleeve member may be threaded so that the retainers are screwed into the ends of the inner sleeve member or provided with another engagement arrangement as readily apparent to one skilled in the art. If desired, the ends of the retainers may be tapered and the taper omitted from the ends of the inner sleeve or neither the retainers nor the ends of the inner sleeve may be tapered.
The sieves 50, 60 are selected so as to have openings which are generally smaller than the minimum particle size of the medium 58 to retain the medium 58 between the sieves 50, 60 while permitting a fluid such as air or tobacco smoke to pass readily through the sieves and the medium 58.
The end piece 26 has a reduced diameter portion 70 which corresponds to the second end 32 of the outer sleeve 22 and which is arranged to be snugly and releasably received by the second end 32 of the outer sleeve. The end piece 26 has a conical portion which ends in a tubular portion 71 that forms the mouthpiece for the modular smoking article 20. The end piece has a passageway extending through the end piece with a diameter generally the same as the diameter of the passageway through the inner sleeve 40. The end piece 26 and the second end of the outer sleeve member may be threaded to facilitate assembly and disassembly of the article.
The various components of the modular smoking article 20 (other than the sieves 50, 60 and the medium 58) are all preferably formed of a plastic material which is suitable for use with smoking articles and which does not absorb flavoring and taste characteristics so that the plastic material remains substantially inert throughout use. One suitable material is a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) polymer. The sieves 50, 60 may also be formed of plastic although the sieves 50, 60 are generally comprised of metal such as stainless steel or may be formed of wire mesh. For example, a #250 sieve having openings of 0.00250 inch is appropriate for use with a 0.35 mm diameter beaded carbon medium (i.e., a typical bead diameter of about 0.014 inches). The various components of the modular smoking article 20 are arranged to be readily assembled and disassembled so that the various components (other than the medium 58) may be washed or otherwise cleaned between uses.
While beaded carbon is described above, other flavored or unflavored organic and inorganic materials can be used such as silica gel, molecular sieve materials, zeolites, resins, cellulosic materials, metal oxides such as alumina, titania, spinels, or the like may be used. Likewise, while beaded materials have been described, other forms of material such as fibrous material (e.g., filter tow), particle bearing fibrous material (e.g., carbon-on-tow) can be used. Depending upon the medium being used with the inner sleeve, it may be desirable to coat a substance, such as a flavoring material, onto the carbon beads. However, the beaded carbon may be used alone, i.e., unflavored beaded carbon. Generally, the flavoring, filtering, or taste materials will be granular, beaded, or particulate materials (collectively referred to as “granular materials”).
In use, typically one end of the inner sleeve 40 is provided with the first sieve 50 and the first retainer 52. The compartment of the inner sleeve member 40 is then provided with a predetermined medium 58. If desired, the amount of the predetermined medium 58 to be provided in the compartment may be determined by measuring the weight of the medium 58 or by measuring the volume of the medium 58. The desired amount of the medium 58 may also be determined by simply filling the compartment with the medium 58 until the level of the medium reaches the shoulder 46 for the second sieve 60. When the compartment has been provided with the appropriate amount of the medium 58, the second sieve 60 is inserted into the inner member and the second retainer is provided at the second end of the inner sleeve member 40. In this way, the inner sleeve member is prepared with the predetermined amount of the medium 58 and the inner sleeve member 40 is then inserted into the second end of the outer sleeve member 22.
After the inner sleeve member 40 has been positioned in the passageway of the outer sleeve member 22, the end piece 26 is provided at the second end of the outer sleeve 22 to retain the inner sleeve member in place and to provide a mouthpiece 28 for the article. If a cigarette has not been already provided for the article, one end of a cigarette 24 is inserted into the first end of the outer sleeve member 22 and the cigarette may then be smoked either by a person or by a machine. If desired, measurements or observations regarding the characteristics of tobacco smoke passing through the particular medium 58 may be recorded.
With reference to
Typically, the cigarette 24 used with the modular smoking article will not have a filter provided as part of the cigarette 24. However, if the cigarette 24 does have a filter (not shown) the end of the cigarette 24 with the filter would be inserted into the first end of the outer sleeve 22 and the other end of the cigarette would be lit to smoke the cigarette.
With reference now to
With reference to
With reference now to
For example, if the inside diameter of the compartment 88 of the inner sleeve 40 is 3 millimeters, the cross sectional area of the compartment is 0.07065 square centimeters. If the medium 58 to be used in the inner sleeve comprises carbon beads having a density of 0.6 grams per cubic centimeter, and, if it is desired to use 15 milligrams of the medium, then the volume of the medium would be 0.025 cubic centimeters which corresponds to a compartment having a length of 3.54 millimeters. Similarly, if it were desired to use 30 milligrams of the medium, the volume of the medium would be 0.05 cubic centimeters and the length of the compartment would be 7.08 millimeters.
Table 1 below provides the length in millimeters for the compartment for various amounts of carbon beads ranging from 15 milligrams to 180 milligrams when the inside diameter of the compartment is 3 millimeters.
If the inside diameter of the inner sleeve is 4 millimeters rather than 3 millimeters, the cross sectional area of the compartment changes and therefore the length of the compartment corresponding to various amounts of the medium changes as well. In Table 2, the length of the compartment corresponding to weights of the medium ranging from 15 milligrams to 180 milligrams with a compartment having an inside diameter of 4 millimeters is provided.
Similarly, in Table 3, the corresponding information for an inner sleeve having an inside diameter of 5 millimeters is provided.
Table 4 provides the corresponding information for an inner sleeve member having an inside diameter of 5.5 millimeters and Table 5 provides the corresponding information for an inner sleeve having an inside diameter of 6.5 millimeters.
Table 6 provides the corresponding information for an inner sleeve member having an inside diameter of 3.2 millimeters. Table 7 provides the corresponding information for an inner sleeve having an inside diameter of 3.8 millimeters, and Table 8 provides the corresponding information for an inner sleeve member having an inside diameter of 4.8 millimeters.
Table 9 provides the corresponding information for an inner sleeve member having an inside diameter of 6 millimeters and Table 10 provides the corresponding information for an inner sleeve member having an inside diameter of 5.8 millimeters.
When testing cigarettes with new or different flavoring, filtering or taste mediums, it is desirable to be able to easily change the amount or such medium without significantly changing the “resistance to draw” (i.e., “RTD”) for the cigarette. RTD can be measured analytically and is conventionally expressed in mm of water. RTD can also be observed or sensed by the smoker which is denoted as a “Sensory RTD” in which the smoker assigns a numerical value such as the numbers 1-5 to indicate whether the RTD is low (i.e., a value of 1), medium (i.e., a value of 3) or high (i.e., a value of 5). Experimental results with a modular smoking article have shown that an analytical difference of RTD of about 25 mm of water is generally not perceptible by a smoker when going from a compartment with at least about 15 grams of beaded carbon medium to about 180 grams of beaded carbon medium. However, a change in RTD of even about 25 mm of water is perceptible or decipherable by a smoker if the compartment goes from 0 grams of beaded carbon medium to about 180 grams of beaded carbon medium. Accordingly, the amount of medium used in a compartment of a modular smoking article may be varied from about 15 mg of medium to about 180 mg of medium while maintaining the RTD within a general range which is not generally apparent to the smoker.
In Table 11, the Total RTD Carbon Loadings for 10 tests using 30 mg, 60 mg, 75 mg, and an empty inner sleeve are provided along with the calculated average and standard deviation.
In Table 12, the Total RTD Carbon Loadings for 10 tests using 90 mg, 120 mg and 180 mg are provided along with the calculated average and standard deviation.
In Table 13, the Analytical RTD measured for various volumes of beaded carbon ranging from 0 mg to 180 mg is provided.
In Table 14, the Sensory RTD for various volumes of beaded carbon ranging from 0 mg to 180 mg is provided.
With reference to
With reference again to
Accordingly, if it were desired to test a particular flavoring medium 58, using different amounts of the medium varying from 15 mg to 180 mg, preferably a particular inside diameter for the inner sleeve would be determined, perhaps based upon the diameter of the cigarettes to be used with the flavoring medium. Assuming that an inside diameter of 6.5 mm were selected, then 10 different inner sleeves 40 having compartments with the lengths provided in Table 5 would be prepared by filling the compartments of each of the inner sleeves with the medium. Generally, the inner sleeves would be prepared by inserting an appropriate sieve in one end of each of the inner sleeves and then a retainer would be inserted into the end of the inner sleeve to maintain the sieve in place at one end of the respective compartment. The compartment of each inner sleeve could then be filled by hand or filled in a jig adapted to hold the inner sleeve vertically while the medium is inserted into the compartment. As discussed above, it may be preferable to either weigh or premeasure the volume of the medium to be inserted into a particular inner sleeve compartment. The medium could be tamped to compress the medium as desired or appropriate to correspond to any predetermined configuration or density. After filling, the other sieve is provided at the end of the compartment and the other retainer is inserted to keep the medium within the compartment. Each of the various inner sleeves would be prepared in this manner.
Subsequently, each of the inner sleeves would be inserted into the outer sleeve one at a time and then a cigarette would be smoked either by a person or by a machine and the pertinent measurements or observations would be recorded. When one cigarette had been smoked, the inner sleeve would be removed from the outer sleeve and another inner sleeve with the next volume of the medium inserted into the outer sleeve. If necessary, a rod could be inserted into the first end of the outer sleeve member to push the inner sleeve member through the second end of the outer sleeve member. After the second inner sleeve member had been inserted into the outer sleeve member and another cigarette inserted into the first end of the outer sleeve member, the cigarette would then be smoked and the appropriate measurements or observations would be recorded. This process would then be repeated until all of the various predetermined volumes of medium had been used in connection with a cigarette.
Of course, it may be preferable to provided multiple outer sleeves so that multiple cigarettes could be smoked either with the same volume of medium or with different volumes of the medium either simultaneously or relatively close in time to one another.
The modular smoking article has been described above primarily in connection with the testing of different volumes of flavoring, filtering or testing mediums. However, the modular smoking article is also expected to be useful by smokers generally (i.e., not in a laboratory setting or in a testing environment). For example, the modular smoking article could be sold to consumers who would be able to select from among an assortment of different filtering, flavoring and taste mediums provided in pre-filled inner sleeves with various volumes of the mediums. It is expected that the pre-filled inner sleeves would be disposable either after one or several cigarettes have been smoked but that the consumer would reuse the outer sleeve and mouthpiece. The inner sleeves could also be sold to the consumer either in a set with compartments of identical volumes or in a set with different predetermined volumes. In addition, the inner sleeves could be reused by the consumer by removing one or both retainers and sieves, cleaning the components as desired and then refilling the inner sleeve either with the same medium or with a medium selected by the consumer.
Thus, different mediums can be selected by the smoker prior to inserting a cigarette in the smoking article. Once assembled together, the smoking article and cigarette has dimensions and physical feel of a traditional lit-end cigarette. This allows the smoker to experience the same sort of handling mannerisms normally associated with smoking a traditional lit-end cigarette.
In this way, the modular smoking article facilitates the insertion of different amounts of flavors, tastes and filtering medium in the path of the cigarette smoke stream for delivery to a smoker or to a testing machine. The modular smoking article provides the ability to easily and rapidly change the quantities of the particular mediums being tested or used with the cigarettes without significantly changing the RTD (resistance to draw) of the cigarette. The modular smoking article can be used with both filtered or non-filtered cigarettes and various filters can be provided as the mouthpiece, as desired.
In this way, new cigarette designs can be easily tested by using standard cigarettes and then varying the filtering medium, the flavoring medium or the taste medium as well as the volume or amount of such mediums without actually manufacturing each new design of cigarette. As a consumer product, the modular smoking article facilitates the selection of different flavoring, filtering and taste mediums by the smoker as well as the selection of different amount of such mediums to be used when smoking.
While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, the modular smoking article according to the present invention may be varied by a person skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.
