The present invention comprises a multi component cigarette filter assembly comprising a hollow filter tube with spaced apart solid fiber plugs inside the tube and granular filter material between the plugs, and more particularly to such an assembly where the solid fiber plugs are secured to interior portions of the tube by energy activated adhesive selectively applied only between the plugs and the tube.
U.S. application Ser. No. 11/268,291, filed Nov. 4, 2005, claiming the benefit of earlier filed provisional application Ser. No. 60/625,747, filed Nov. 5, 2004, describes and illustrates a vertical filter filling machine and process. The disclosure of each of these applications is incorporated herein by reference, and each application describes and illustrates a preferred filter tube of paper with hollow ends and a solid center of cellulose acetate or similar material for producing two multi cavity cigarette filters. The filter tube is vertically oriented and moves along a generally circular path where metered amounts of granular filter material are initially deposited in the tube against the solid center. Thereafter, a plug of cellulose acetate or similar material is placed in the tube to thereby seal the granular material in place. A second deposit of a different granular material is then placed in the tube and a second plug seals that material in place. Subsequently, the tube is inverted and the remaining half is filled with granular material and sealed in the same manner. Cutting the tube midway through the solid center thereof produces two individual multiple cavity cigarette filters. The assembled filter tube forms a two-up dual filter which when combined with wrapped tobacco rods at each end thereof ultimately produces two complete cigarettes when cut midway through the solid center. Each individual cigarette filter may have a length of 30 mm, but can be shorter or longer, if desired.
Fundamentally, the solid fiber plugs are retained within the hollow filter tube by frictional engagement between the exterior surface of the plugs and the interior surface of the hollow filter tube.
The primary object of the present invention is a multi component cigarette filter assembly where solid filter plugs are positively secured to selected and predetermined locations within the hollow filter tube of the assembly by energy activated adhesive, the adhesive only being located between the solid plugs and interior surface portions of the tube.
In accordance with the present invention, a cigarette filter assembly comprises a hollow tube with spaced apart solid plugs inside the tube and energy activated adhesive only between the solid plugs and interior surface portions of the tube. After the spaced apart solid plugs are within the tube the adhesive is activated to thereby positively secure the plugs to the tube.
In one embodiment of the present invention the energy activated adhesive is only on selected interior portions of the tube where the solid plugs are located, and the adhesive may comprise one or more bands at each location of the solid plugs. Alternatively, the energy activated adhesive may be on exterior portions of the solid plugs, and the adhesive may comprise one or more bands on each solid plug.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention a cigarette filter assembly comprises a hollow tube with a solid plug centrally located within the tube. First granular material is located within the tube at opposite ends of the centrally located solid plug. First solid plugs are positioned adjacent the first granular material, and second granular material is adjacent the first solid plugs. Second solid fiber plugs are positioned adjacent the second granular material. Energy activated adhesive is only between first and second plugs and interior surface portions of the hollow tube whereby after the first and second solid plugs are within the tube the adhesive is activated to secure the plugs to the tube.
The energy activated adhesive is only on selected interior portions of the hollow tube where the first and second solid plugs are located. The adhesive may comprise one or more bands at each solid plug location. Alternatively, the energy activated adhesive may be on the exterior surface portions of the first and second solid plugs, and the adhesive may comprise one or more bands on each plug.
Preferably the centrally located solid plug and the first and second solid plugs each comprise cellulose acetate fibers. Moreover, the first and second granular material may be selected from the group consisting of carbon beads, carbon granules and any other known particulate material useful in cigarette filters.
Novel features and advantages of the present invention in addition to those mentioned above will be readily apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art from a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts and in which:
Referring in more particularity to the drawings,
Fundamentally the cigarette filter assembly 10 comprises a paper tube 12 with a solid fiber plug 14 centrally located within the tube. Particulate filter material 16 such as granulated carbon or carbon beads, for example, is located adjacent the centrally located fiber plug 14 at the opposite ends thereof. An inside solid plug 18 is positioned against each deposit of the particulate material to thereby seal the material in place. Another charge of particulate material 20 is deposited against each inside solid plug 18 and such material may be the same or different from the particulate material 16. Ultimately the particulate material 20 is sealed in place within paper tube 12 by end solid plugs 22.
As explained above, the upper half of the paper tube 12 is often filled with particulate material 16, 20 and solid plugs 18, 22, and the tube may then be inverted to fill the opposite end in a similar manner. Each assembly 10 produces an a pair of individual cigarette filters each having an approximate length of 30 mm, but the length can be shorter or longer, if desired.
As explained more fully below, the end plugs 22 are positively secured to the inner surface of the paper tube 12 by energy activated adhesive. Alternatively, both the end plugs 22 and the inside solid plugs 18 may be secured to the paper tube 12 by energy activated adhesive. The adhesive is such that upon activation it melts or otherwise becomes tacky to secure the plugs to the paper tube. Prior to activation the adhesive remains dry and does not interfere with overall production of the filter assembly 10. Heat 24 may be applied thereafter to melt the adhesive and secure the plugs to the interior surface of the paper tube 12 where the plugs are located.
In
The plugs 14, 18 and 22 are preferable made from cellulose acetate fibers. However, other plug configurations may also be used such as solid plugs with one or more passageways therethrough that allow smoke flow through the plugs of the filter.
The present application claims the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 60/847,826, filed Sep. 28, 2006, for all useful purposes, and the specification and drawings thereof are included herein by reference.
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