TOBACCO INDUSTRY PRODUCT

Abstract

A tobacco industry product (1) comprising a mouthpiece (3) having a mouth end (4) positionable between the lips of a user is disclosed. The mouth end comprises an organoleptic substance (5), so that the organoleptic substance comes into contact with the user's lips during use. A transverse cross sectional profile of the mouth end comprises major (A1) and minor (A2) axes that are perpendicular to each other. The profile being longer in a direction extending along the major axis than in a direction extending along the minor axis.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a tobacco industry product and a method of manufacturing a tobacco industry product.

BACKGROUND

The application of organoleptic substances to tobacco industry products can enhance a user's experience by providing new sensations and/or flavours to be enjoyed.

SUMMARY

According to embodiments of the invention, there is provided a tobacco industry product comprising a mouthpiece having a mouth end positionable between the lips of a user, the mouth end comprising an organoleptic substance, so that the organoleptic substance comes into contact with the user's lips during use, wherein a transverse cross sectional profile of the mouth end comprises major and minor axes that are perpendicular to each other, said profile being longer in a direction extending along the major axis than in a direction extending along the minor axis.

The mouthpiece may taper from a circular end of the mouthpiece to the mouth end.

The transverse cross sectional profile of the mouthpiece may describe an oval.

The organoleptic substance may be applied or incorporated into tipping paper.

The tobacco industry product may further comprise a rod shaped portion, wherein the mouthpiece comprises the tipping paper to attach the mouthpiece to the rod shaped portion.

The mouthpiece may comprise a passage extending therethrough and a filter disposed within the passage.

The filter may comprise a cellulose acetate plug.

The mouthpiece may be formed of cellulose acetate.

The organoleptic substance may be selected from a list of organoleptic compounds comprising: WS-3, WS-23, Physcool, saccharine, thaumatin, citric acid and nonivamide.

The tobacco industry product may be a combustible smoking article.

Also according to the invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a tobacco industry product comprising a mouthpiece having a mouth end positionable between the lips of a user, the mouth end having a transverse cross sectional profile with perpendicular major and minor axes, said profile being longer in a direction extending along the major axis than in a direction extending along the minor axis, the method comprising providing an organoleptic substance in or on the mouth end.

The mouthpiece may comprise tipping paper and applying the organoleptic substance in or on the mouth end may comprise applying or incorporating the organoleptic substance into the tipping paper.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a tobacco industry product according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a section view of a tobacco industry product according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a section view of a tobacco industry product according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a section view of a tobacco industry product according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a section view of a tobacco industry product according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a section view of a tobacco industry product according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a section view of a tobacco industry product according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a projected view of a tobacco industry product according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a projected view of a tobacco industry product according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the invention provide a tobacco industry product 1 comprising a mouthpiece 3 having a mouth end 4 positionable between the lips of a user. The mouth end 4 comprises an organoleptic substance 5 so that the organoleptic substance 5 icy comes into contact with the lips of a user during use.

As used herein, the term “tobacco industry product” is to be understood as including smoking articles comprising combustible smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, tobacco for pipes or for roll-your-own cigarettes, (whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, tobacco substitutes or other smokable material), electronic smoking articles such as e-cigarettes, heating devices that release compounds from substrate materials without burning such as tobacco heating products; and hybrid systems to generate aerosol from a combination of substrate materials, for example hybrid systems containing a liquid or gel or solid substrate.

In one embodiment, the tobacco industry product is a smoking article for combustion selected from the group consisting of a cigarette, a cigarillo and a cigar.

In one embodiment, the tobacco industry product is a non-combustible smoking article.

In one embodiment the tobacco industry product is a heating device which releases compounds by heating, but not burning, a substrate material. The material may be for example tobacco or other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine. In one embodiment the heating device is a tobacco heating device.

In another embodiment the tobacco industry product is a hybrid system to generate aerosol by heating, but not burning, a combination of substrate materials. The substrate materials may comprise for example solid, liquid or gel which may or may not contain nicotine. In one embodiment, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel substrate and a solid substrate. The solid substrate may be for example tobacco or other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine. In one embodiment the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel substrate and tobacco.

As used herein, the term “organoleptic substance” refers to a material which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired sensation in a product for adult consumers. The substance may include extracts (e.g., licorice, hydrangea, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed, cinnamon, herb, wintergreen, cherry, berry, peach, apple, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, cardamon, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, piment, ginger, anise, coriander, coffee, or a mint oil from any species of the genus Mentha), flavour enhancers, bitterness receptor site blockers, sensorial receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and/or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine, sodium saccharine, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, thaumatin or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, breath freshening agents, or sensate substances (e.g. WS-3, physcool, citric acid or nonivamide). They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example, oil, liquid, or powder.

In one embodiment of the invention, shown in FIG. 1, a tobacco industry product is provided comprising a rod shaped portion 2 for producing an inhalable aerosol and a mouthpiece 3 that tapers from the rod shaped portion 2 to a mouth end 4 for insertion in a user's mouth, wherein the mouth end 4 comprises an organoleptic substance 5 disposed on an external surface for contact with a user's lips.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown schematically in FIG. 2, wherein like features retain the same reference numbers. In this embodiment, the mouthpiece 3 is a separate part to the rod shaped portion 2 and comprises an overlapping band of tipping paper 7 to it attach it to the rod shaped portion 2. The tipping paper extends along the full length of the mouthpiece 3, from overlapping relation with the rod shaped portion 2 to terminate at the mouth end 4 of the mouthpiece 3. The tipping paper 7 may be attached to the rod shaped portion 2 by any suitable adhesive.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in section in FIG. 3; again like features retain the same reference numbers. In this embodiment, the mouthpiece 3 may be made of a plastics material and comprise a passage 8 that extends internally through the mouthpiece 3 in a direction along the length of its axis. The passage extends from an open annular end 9 to an opening 10 formed in the mouth end 4. The passage 8 may accommodate a filter element 11 which may be a filter plug of cellulose acetate or paper. The mouthpiece 3 may comprise internal ribs (not shown) which extend radially into the passage 8 to assist in gripping the filter element 11. The passage 8 follows the external profile of the mouthpiece 3 so that it narrows toward the opening 10 in the mouth end 4.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in section in FIG. 4; again like features retain the same reference numbers. In this embodiment, the mouthpiece 3 is solid; that is, it does not comprise a passage as per the embodiment of FIG. 3. Instead it is homogenously formed from a suitable filter material such as cellulose acetate.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in section in FIG. 5; again like features retain the same reference numbers. In this embodiment, the rod shaped portion 2 is a conventional cigarette 12 comprising a filter portion 13 at a filter end 14 and a cigarette body 15 that contains the tobacco. In this embodiment, the mouthpiece 3 is substantially as described with reference to FIG. 3; however, the acetate filter 11 is omitted from the mouthpiece and instead the annular end 9 of the mouthpiece 3 abuts the filter end 14 of the cigarette 12 and the tipping paper 7 extends into overlapping relation about the filter portion 13 and the cigarette body 15.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in section in FIG. 6; again like features retain the same reference numbers. In this embodiment, the mouthpiece 3 is substantially as described with reference to FIG. 4; that is, the mouthpiece 3 is solid and preferably made from filter material such as cellulose acetate. In this embodiment, the rod shaped portion 2 is a paper rod 16 containing tobacco. Therefore the mouthpiece 3 also serves as a filter for the rod shaped portion 2.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 7; again like features retain the same reference numbers. In this embodiment, the mouthpiece 3 comprises two separately formed cellulose acetate filter elements: a first rod shaped element 17 which is solid, that is to say not hollow; and a second tubular element 18. The first and second elements 17, 18 are axially aligned to the rod shaped part 2 and attached thereto by an overlapping band of tipping paper 7, with the first filter element 17 disposed between the rod shaped part 2 and the tubular filter element 18. Optionally, a band of plug wrap 19 may be provided around the filter elements 17, 18 to further support the assembly.

During manufacture of a tobacco industry product as shown in FIG. 7, the tubular filter element 18 is clamped and subjected to heat and pressure so that the mouthpiece 3 tapers from the rod shaped portion 2. In such embodiments the rod shaped portion 2 is a paper rod 16 containing tobacco.

With reference to any of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 7, the mouthpiece 3 is placed in the mouth of an adult user during use, their lips forming a seal around the mouth end 4 so that they may draw air through the tobacco industry product 1 to entrain an aerosol produced by the rod shaped portion 2 of the tobacco industry product 1.

Again, with reference to any of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 7, the mouthpiece 3 tapers so that the transverse cross sectional profile of the mouthpiece 3, that is to say the mouthpiece 3 when viewed end on to its longitudinal axis, changes from being circular where it extends from the rod shaped portion 2 to having a flattened profile at the mouth end 4, preferably an oval profile. This is more clearly seen in FIG. 8, which represents an embodiment generic to the embodiments described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

In another embodiment shown in FIG. 9, a tobacco industry product is provided comprising a stepped mouthpiece 20 in place of the tapered mouthpiece 3 of embodiments illustrated by FIGS. 1 to 8. The step represents a step change in the transverse cross sectional profile from being substantially circular to being flattened. A mouth end 21 of the mouthpiece 20 comprises the organoleptic substance 5.

A key characteristic of the flattened profile of the mouth end 4 of the mouthpiece 3, 20 is that the transverse cross sectional profile of the mouth end 4 is defined relative to perpendicular major and minor axes A₁, A₂ (shown in FIGS. 8 and 9) such that the profile is longer in a direction extending along the major axis A₁ relative to a direction extending along the minor axis A₂.

Compared to a non-flattened profiled, an advantage of providing a mouth end 4 with a flattened profile is increased contact area with the user's lips when the mouth end 4 is placed in the user's mouth resulting in an increased effect of the organoleptic 5 and allowing less organoleptic substance 5 to be used, or to provide an increased user sensation or taste.

According to the invention the organoleptic substance 5 is arranged so as to contact the user's lips during use. With reference to the embodiments of FIGS. 2 to 7, the organoleptic substance 5 is preferably applied to the tipping paper 7 used to attach the icy mouthpiece 3 to the rod shaped part 2, the organoleptic substance 5 being applied to all, or a portion of, the tipping paper 7 corresponding to the mouth end 4 of the mouthpiece 3. The organoleptic substance 5 provides the user with a sensation or taste on their lips associated with the particular organoleptic used. In other embodiments, where tipping paper is omitted, the organoleptic substance 5 may be applied directly to an outer surface of the mouthpiece 3. Alternatively, the organoleptic substance 5 may be incorporated or otherwise impregnated into the mouthpiece 3 either during manufacture or subsequently thereto.

Also, by providing a mouth end 4 that is flattened in section, the tobacco industry product 1 is easier for a user to remove from a tobacco industry product pack. Specifically, tobacco industry products are commonly arranged close-packed, with their longitudinal axes parallel, so that an array of ends of tobacco industry products is presented to a user from an open end of the pack. Arranging the mouthpieces 3 of the above described embodiments so as to be accessible from the open end of the pack allows the user to more easily grasp the flattened end of the mouthpiece 3 and remove the tobacco industry product.

According to the invention, the organoleptic substance 5 is preferably selected to provide a sensation from the list of sensations: cool, sweet, sour or hot.

In one embodiment of the invention the organoleptic substance 5 is selected to provide a cool sensation provided by an artificial compound such as WS-3, WS-23 or Physcool.

In one embodiment of the invention the organoleptic substance 5 is selected to provide a sweet sensation provided an artificial compound such a sodium salt of saccharine or thaumatin.

In one embodiment of the invention the organoleptic substance 5 is selected to provide a sour sensation provided by, for example, citric acid. The citric acid may be naturally occurring or it may be synthesised.

In one embodiment of the invention the organoleptic substance 5 is selected to provide a hot sensation provided by, for example, nonivamide. The nonivamide may be naturally occurring or it may be synthesised.

With reference to the embodiments of FIGS. 2 to 7, the organoleptic substance 5 may be applied to the tipping paper 7 prior to attaching the rod shape portion 2 to the mouthpiece 3.

Also according to the invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a tobacco industry product 1 comprising the mouthpiece 3 of any of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 7; the method comprising providing an organoleptic substance 5 on or in the mouth end 4, 21 for contact with a user's lips.

In another embodiment, providing an organoleptic substance 5 on or in the mouth end 4, 21 comprises applying or incorporating the organoleptic substance 5 into the tipping paper 7.

In order to address various issues and advance the art, the entirety of this disclosure shows by way of illustration various embodiments in which the claimed invention(s) may be practiced and provide for a superior tobacco industry product and method of manufacturing a tobacco industry product. The advantages and features of the disclosure are of a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. They are presented only to assist in understanding and teach the claimed features. It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects of the disclosure are not to be considered limitations on the disclosure as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilised and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and/or spirit of the disclosure. Various embodiments may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc. In addition, the disclosure includes other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future.

Claims

1. A tobacco industry product comprising a mouthpiece having a mouth end positionable between the lips of a user, the mouth end comprising an organoleptic substance, so that the organoleptic substance comes into contact with the user's lips during use, wherein a transverse cross sectional profile of the mouth end comprises major and minor axes that are perpendicular to each other, said profile being longer in a direction extending along the major axis than in a direction extending along the minor axis.

2. A tobacco industry product according to claim 1 wherein the mouthpiece tapers from a circular end of the mouthpiece to the mouth end.

3. A tobacco industry product according to claim 1, wherein said transverse cross sectional profile of the mouthpiece describes an oval.

4. A tobacco industry product according to claim 1 wherein the organoleptic substance is applied or incorporated into tipping paper.

5. A tobacco industry product according to claim 4, further comprising a rod shaped portion, wherein the mouthpiece comprises the tipping paper to attach the mouthpiece to the rod shaped portion.

6. A tobacco industry product according to claim 1 wherein the mouthpiece comprises a passage extending therethrough and a filter disposed within the passage.

7. A tobacco industry product according to claim 6, wherein the filter comprises a cellulose acetate plug.

8. A tobacco industry product according to claim 1 wherein the mouthpiece is formed of cellulose acetate.

9. A tobacco industry product according to claim 1, wherein the organoleptic substance is selected from a list of organoleptic compounds comprising: WS-3, WS-23, Physcool, saccharine, thaumatin, citric acid and nonivamide.

10. A tobacco industry product according to claim 1, wherein the tobacco industry product is a combustible smoking article.

11. A method of manufacturing a tobacco industry product comprising a mouthpiece having a mouth end positionable between the lips of a user, the mouth end having a transverse cross sectional profile with perpendicular major and minor axes, said profile being longer in a direction extending along the major axis than in a direction extending along the minor axis, the method comprising providing an organoleptic substance in or on the mouth end.

12. A method of manufacturing a tobacco industry product according to claim 11, wherein the mouthpiece comprises tipping paper and wherein applying the organoleptic substance in or on the mouth end comprises applying or incorporating the organoleptic substance into the tipping paper.