FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a tobacco product in the form of a filter cigarette with fluorescent or phosphorescent substances.
A tobacco product with fluorescent or phosphorescent substances in the sense of the present specification is a tobacco product which exhibits at least one externally visible or detectable feature upon excitation of the fluorescent or phosphorescent substance. The printing described herein is also applicable to packaging material of tobacco products, wherein this application is disclosed but not claimed within this application.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
US2921587A shows a filter cigarette with a luminescent or phosphorescent material which is applied on the outside of the wrapper material of the filter cigarette. Which phosphorescent material is applied is not disclosed, and it is not disclosed whether or whereby a safe use of the filter cigarette is ensured.
For the safe use of a fluorescent printing in connection with a filter cigarette, it is proposed in US 2015/0090274 A1 to provide the fluorescent printing on an additional wrapper or end cap which must be removed before smoking the filter cigarette. The disadvantage is that the ready-to-use cigarette has no luminescent properties, or that additional packaging material is required on each individual filter cigarette.
For the safe use of a filter cigarette with luminescent coating, it is proposed in CN203058273U to cover the luminescent coating with a protective layer of water-based lacquer. The disadvantage is that compared to the substances of the luminescent coating, a coating with lacquer can only be produced in a dense layer in a very elaborate manner which requires a time-consuming coating with a relatively thick lacquer layer. In addition, this coating with lacquer can interact with the luminescent substances through the solvent of the protective lacquer, which can result in the attenuation of the luminous effect, or causes the luminescent substances to migrate with the solvent of the protective lacquer into deeper layers of the filter cigarette, or fine structures of the fluorescent coating become “washed out” and thus blurred. Assuming that the luminescent coating would be done with nitrocellulose lacquer, then applying the water-based protective lacquer might move the luminescent substance into the base paper or into the protective lacquer layer.
It is proposed in US 2016108293 A1 to apply a fluorescent substance with the glue or adhesive with which the individual components of the filter cigarette are glued together. In a second embodiment, it is envisioned to provide components of smoking articles with a printing which contains a fluorescent substance.
It is proposed in US 2015041345 A1 to provide the cigarette packaging with fluorescent markings. It is envisioned in one embodiment that the fluorescent substance is contained in a paper of the cigarette for labelling the cigarette box, or is applied thereto, so that the cigarette box is identifiable due to the contained cigarettes.
It is proposed in CN 105013719 A to provide products with codes to be able to identify and sort them, wherein the codes can be applied with fluorescent substances.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The first underlying object of the invention is to make the use of fluorescent or phosphorescent substances safer on the ready-to-use tobacco product, wherein even fine structures should be easy to represent.
To achieve this object, it is proposed to transfer such fluorescent or phosphorescent substances, the use of which is recognized as safe in the food sector, into this different technical field and/or to integrate the fluorescent or phosphorescent substances into the layer structure of the tobacco product in such a way that said substances are protected against contact and other external influences.
Another underlying object of the invention is to provide the tobacco product with features that are not visible in daylight and only become visible in the dark, or can only be made visible through excitation by light of a particular wavelength.
To achieve this object, it is proposed to apply fluorescent or phosphorescent substances which are colourless, or for which the colour thereof corresponds to the substrate on which they are applied. Preferably, such substances are applied which will emit light after stimulation over a longer period of time, and which will glow in the dark after removal of the illumination and thus are visible and easier to find, wherein this effect of prolonged afterglow is generally achievable through phosphorescence. The luminous intensity is preferably selected such that the printing with the phosphorescent substances is not visible in daylight and becomes visible only in the dark or in muted light. Likewise, preferably those substances are applied which radiate only briefly or only immediately after excitation by light so that they can be made visible through illumination with UV light (black light) in the dark and after removal of the illumination with black light have no or only insignificant afterglow and thus are not visible in the dark, this effect of short-term afterglow generally being achievable through fluorescence. The luminous intensity is preferably selected such that the printing with the fluorescent substances is not visible in daylight and can be made visible with black light only in the dark or in muted light.
Both of the objects according to the invention are achieved through the use of riboflavin which is applied as, on, in, or under the yellow imitation cork (yellow base paper or printed) of the mouthpiece of filter cigarettes. Riboflavin is a yellowish substance that is used in food technology as a yellow food colourant (E101). Preferably, a riboflavin-containing lacquer is applied to a finished filter cigarette or a finished mouthpiece wrapper material as the outermost or final layer, with the advantage that no further layer is applied over the riboflavin printing which could affect it or wash it out.
Both objects according to the invention are also achieved through the use of quinine. Quinine is a colourless substance which is used in food technology as a bitter substance. Preferably, a lacquer containing quinine or a quinine derivative is applied to a finished filter cigarette or a finished mouthpiece wrapper material as the outermost or final layer, with the advantage that no further layer is applied over the quinine printing which could affect it or wash it out.
Both of the objects according to the invention can also be achieved by the use of other fluorescent or phosphorescent substances which are colourless or for which the colour in normal ambient light corresponds to the background thereof if said substances are integrated into the layer structure of the tobacco product, so that the tobacco product is reliably protected against contact with the substances. Preferably, strontium aluminate (also aluminium strontium oxide), particularly preferably strontium aluminate doped with europium, is used. Depending on the structure thereof, strontium aluminates, or strontium aluminates doped with europium, comprise colourless substances with particularly bright or particularly long-lasting luminous intensity.
An advantage over the prior art is the fact that the tobacco products in question are absolutely safe in use or consumption, and that the appearance of the tobacco product in daylight is unchanged compared to the conventional tobacco product.
Use according to the invention comprises the application of the fluorescent or phosphorescent substances to enable rapid detection of the tobacco product in the dark or for the application of the fluorescent or phosphorescent to increase the protection against counterfeiting, identifiability, or information content of the tobacco product.
In a preferred embodiment according to the invention, the fluorescent or phosphorescent substances are dissolved in a suitable solvent and then mixed with lacquer or dispersed in lacquer and subsequently applied to or printed onto the tobacco product or onto one of the layers thereof. The solvent and the lacquer are preferably colourless and preferably transparent. The lacquer could also be coloured with pigments or printing inks, whereby, however, the effect or luminous intensity of the fluorescent or phosphorescent substances will be attenuated. The application or the printing of the lacquer provided with fluorescent or phosphorescent substances takes place, for example, in the gravure printing process or another known printing method. The lacquer is preferably nitrocellulose lacquer which has been proven for use on mouthpiece wrapper materials.
In a further preferred embodiment according to the invention, a film having the fluorescent or phosphorescent substances, in particular a film doped with fluorescent or phosphorescent substances, is provided on or in the tobacco product. The fluorescent or phosphorescent substances are preferably enclosed in or integrated into the polymer framework of a plastic film.
In a further preferred embodiment according to the invention, a three-dimensional object comprising the fluorescent or phosphorescent substances is placed inside the tobacco product.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Exemplary embodiments according to the invention of the claimed filter cigarette are illustrated below with reference to drawings:
FIG. 1: shows a first embodiment according to the invention of a smoking article with full-surface luminous printing.
FIG. 2: shows a second embodiment according to the invention of a smoking article with zonal luminous printing.
FIG. 3: shows a third embodiment according to the invention of a smoking article with luminous printing as a pattern on the rear side of a translucent mouthpiece wrapper material.
FIG. 4: shows a fourth embodiment according to the invention of a smoking article with luminous printing on a transparent layer below the mouthpiece wrapper material.
FIG. 5: shows a fifth embodiment according to the invention of a smoking article with luminous printing on a transparent section of the mouthpiece wrapper material.
FIG. 6: shows a sixth embodiment according to the invention of a smoking article with luminous printing on a perforated mouthpiece wrapper material.
FIG. 7: shows a seventh embodiment according to the invention of a smoking article with luminous printing under a perforated mouthpiece wrapper material.
FIG. 8: shows an eighth embodiment according to the invention of a smoking article with a QR code printed with luminous printing.
FIG. 9: shows a ninth embodiment according to the invention of a smoking article with a luminous object in the filter.
FIG. 10: shows a tenth embodiment according to the invention of a smoking article with a luminous object in the filter.
FIG. 11: shows an eleventh embodiment according to the invention of a smoking article with luminous printing on an opening of the mouthpiece wrapper material.
FIG. 12: shows a cigarette pack and inner liner with luminous printing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The drawings of the figures are not to scale, in particular the layer thicknesses in the sectional images to illustrate the layer structure. In particular, the layer thickness of the luminous printing 2 is shown disproportionately thick to make it recognisable. Since the printing is usually available with a layer thickness in the μm range, this would not be visible in the layer structure true to scale. The term luminescence is used in the sense of photoluminescence as a collective term for phosphorescence and fluorescence. The “luminous” in the terms luminous printing, luminescent film, and luminous object refers to illumination in the form of luminescent light which is exposed through excitation with light of a suitable wavelength by the effect of phosphorescence and/or fluorescence.
FIGS. 1-7 each comprise a perspective view of the mouthpiece of a smoking article according to the invention with UV illumination, a reduced-scale perspective view of the mouthpiece of a smoking article according to the invention without UV illumination, and a sectional view of the layer structure.
FIG. 8 comprises a perspective view of the mouthpiece of a smoking article according to the invention with UV illumination, a perspective view of the mouthpiece of a smoking article according to the invention without UV illumination.
FIGS. 9-11 each comprise a perspective view of the mouthpiece of a smoking article according to the invention with UV illumination and a sectional view of the layer structure.
FIG. 12 comprises a perspective view of a cigarette pack with an inner liner with UV illumination and without UV illumination.
FIGS. 1 through 8 and 12 show embodiments according to the invention of filter cigarettes 1 with luminous printing 2. The filter cigarette 1 has, as is known from the prior art, a filter 3, a filter wrapper material 4 enwrapping the latter, and a mouthpiece wrapper material 5 enwrapping the filter wrapper material 4, and a tobacco rod wrapper material 6 enwrapping the tobacco rod. The wrapper materials are often also referred to as paper, for example, filter wrapper paper (or filter paper) and mouthpiece covering paper (or tipping paper), even if these are not always made of paper, but can also be present as film, e.g., plastic or cellulose film.
FIG. 1 shows the first embodiment according to the invention, in which the mouthpiece wrapper material 5 is present as paper or cellulose film or tear-off strip with full-surface luminous printing 2, wherein the luminous printing 2 is present on the outside of the filter cigarette 1, so that it can be contacted by the lips and/or the fingers of a person. By “tear-off strip” is meant a peelable region of a single-ply mouthpiece wrapper material 5, or a peelable ply of a multi-layer mouthpiece wrapper material 5, or a fully peelable mouthpiece wrapper material 5. In contrast to the known packaging material in the form of an additional wrapper or end cap, the tear-off strip can also remain on the filter cigarette 1 during the smoking thereof, so that the user can optionally decide whether or not to remove the tear-off strip. In this first embodiment, substances are applied which are benign when in contact with and/or absorbed by the saliva, such as quinine, or riboflavin, or a combination thereof. Alternatively, the mouthpiece wrapping material 5 can be present as a luminescent-substance-doped film, or can have a tear-strip present as a luminescent-substance-doped film.
FIG. 2 shows the second embodiment according to the invention, in which the luminous printing 2 is limited to one or more subregions of the mouthpiece wrapper material 5 which are located in the front region of the mouthpiece wrapper material 5 so as not to come into contact with the lips of a person during the intended use of the filter cigarette 1. The luminous printing 2 can be applied in particular in the form of one or more bands extending over the circumference of the filter cigarette 1, or as a pattern which is composed of printed subregions that are distributed throughout, contiguous with, or separated from one another.
FIG. 3 shows the third embodiment according to the invention in which the luminous printing 2 is on the bottom, so as to be applied to the side of the mouthpiece wrapper material 5 facing the filter wrapper material 4, wherein the mouthpiece wrapper material 5 is at least as so light-transmissive or translucent that luminescent light exposed from the printing is visible or detectable from the outside. In this variant, the mouthpiece wrapper material 5 is preferably in the form of a transparent film made of plastic or particularly preferably of cellulose hydrate. The luminescent printing 2 can be present over the entire area on the underside of the mouthpiece wrapper material 5, or applied to at least one subregion, for example, in the form of one or more bands extending over the circumference of the filter cigarette 1, or as a pattern which is composed of printed subregions that are distributed throughout, contiguous with, or separated from one another. Less preferably, the luminous printing 2 can also be applied to the outside of the filter wrapper material 4. Instead of the luminous printing 2, a luminescent intermediate layer in the form of a luminescent dye-doped film can be used. An advantage of this embodiment is that the luminous printing or luminous film is present under the translucent to transparent mouthpiece wrapper material 5, and is thus protected against contact from the outside by fingers or lips.
FIG. 4 shows the fourth embodiment according to the invention, in which the mouthpiece wrapper material 5 has at least one opening 8 which is preferably made by laser cutting (laser die cut) and exposing the underlying layer of the layer structure. Below the opening 8 is mounted an intermediate layer 7 of translucent material which can cover only the opening 8, or an annular region of the mouthpiece wrapper material 5 which encloses the opening 8, or the entire surface of the mouthpiece wrapper material 5. The printing 4 is preferably applied to the underside of the intermediate layer 7, wherein this can be limited to a subregion of the surface of the opening 8. The intermediate layer 7 is preferably a transparent film of plastic or particularly cellulose hydrate.
FIG. 5 shows the fifth embodiment according to the invention, in which the mouthpiece wrapper material 5 has a plurality of sections, wherein at least one translucent intermediate section 9 is present which can preferably consist of transparent film of plastic or particularly cellulose hydrate. The remaining sections of the mouthpiece wrapper material 5 can be made of paper. The intermediate section 9 is preferably present in the form of an annular section, thus it extends over the entire circumference of the filter cigarette 1. The intermediate portion 9 preferably has on the underside thereof a luminous printing 2 and/or consists of film doped with luminescent substance.
FIG. 6 shows the sixth embodiment according to the invention, in which the mouthpiece wrapper material 5 of the first embodiment also has perforations 10. Small perforations 10 passing through the tipping paper 4 are well known in the art, serving to improve air permeability, and are present as one or more bands of small holes extending about the circumference of the filter cigarette 1. Perforations 10 provided according to the invention are larger than the usual perforations, so that they are clearly visible to the naked eye. The perforations 10 have a size of at least 0.3 mm in diameter. Upon excitation of the luminescent dye, the perforations 10 become clearly visible. FIG. 6 also shows ablations 18 which are produced according to the invention by ablating at least the material of the luminous printing 2 from a full-surface luminous printing 2 with a laser, wherein the mouthpiece wrapper material 5 can also be at least partially removed. A light-dark design that is not visible in daylight can be created through laser ablation. Conversely, it is also possible to have a mouthpiece wrapper material 5 which has luminescent surfaces, or that exposes the view of a luminescent surface through transparency, to provide an opaque printing, and to provide the printing with ablations 18 which again expose the view of the luminescent surface.
FIG. 7 shows the seventh embodiment according to the invention, in which the mouthpiece wrapper material 5 has perforations 10, wherein the luminous printing 2 or a luminescent layer (provided with luminescent particles or doped film) is mounted below the mouthpiece wrapper material 5 in the layer structure of the filter cigarette 1. Upon excitation of the luminescent material by irradiation with light of the appropriate wavelength, luminescent light is exposed through the small openings of the perforation 10 to the outside. If the perforation holes 10 are so small that they are not or are only barely perceptible to the naked eye, they can be made clearly visible through stimulation.
FIG. 8 shows the eighth embodiment according to the invention, in which the luminous printing 2 is applied as a QR code 11 or as part of a QR code 11. If the luminous printing 2 forms the QR code 11 itself, while not visible to the observer, it can be read in by or visible to suitable cameras or only after excitation. The luminous printing 2 can also, when excited, serve to emphasise only the contours of the QR code 11. Preferably, additional information can be added to a visible QR code 11 through the luminous printing 2, for example, in that the visible QR code 11 is overprinted with a luminous QR code 11, each of which contain different information. This embodiment preferably employs quinine because quinine has a small particle size, and thus a good printing resolution can be achieved. With quinine, the high edge sharpness required for reading a QR code can be achieved.
FIG. 9 shows the ninth embodiment according to the invention, in which a three-dimensional luminous object 12 is provided in the filter 3 of the filter cigarette 1, preferably in the form of a luminescent sphere. The three-dimensional luminous object 12 can consist entirely of luminescent material, or its surface can be sprayed or impregnated with a fluorescent substance. The three-dimensional luminous object 12 can consist of a wrapper and a filler medium, wherein either the wrapper or the filler medium contains luminescent substances. The filler medium can also contain other substances, such as liquid aromatic or flavouring substances, which are released when the wrapper disintegrates. Such capsules with flavouring in the filter are known according to the prior art, so such capsules can be provided according to the invention with luminescent substances. Preferably, however, the three-dimensional luminous object 12 is not crushable, and so is not present as an aroma capsule but rather as a dimensionally stable element which serves as a design or security feature.
The layer structure of FIG. 9 shows a transparent or at least translucent filter section 13 which contains the luminous object 12. The filter wrapper material 4 has a transparent or at least translucent intermediate section 9 which allows luminescent light to escape to the outside. The mouthpiece wrapper material 4 likewise has a transparent or at least translucent intermediate section 9 which allows luminescent light to escape to the outside.
FIG. 10 shows the tenth embodiment according to the invention, in which a three-dimensional luminous object 12 is likewise provided in the filter 3 of the filter cigarette 1. The layer structure of the filter cigarette comprises a transparent or at least translucent filter section 13, which contains the luminous object 12, the filter wrapper material 4 which itself is transparent or at least translucent, and the mouthpiece wrapper material 5 which has an opening 8, so that luminescent light can escape from the luminous object 12 to the outside.
FIG. 11 shows the eleventh embodiment according to the invention, in which the mouthpiece wrapper material 4 has an opening 8, and the luminous coating 2 or a luminous object 12 is mounted on the filter wrapper material 4, or the filter wrapper material 4 itself contains luminescent substances. The luminous coating 2 can be printed as a two-dimensional image of a three-dimensional object, for example a sphere, so that it only appears that an object is present in the filter cigarette 1.
The technical features illustrated in embodiments one through eleven according to the invention can be differently combined within the scope of expert practice, for example a filter cigarette 1 according to the invention can have both at least one luminous object 12 and at least one luminous printing 2. In addition, the layer structure can have at least one or more intermediate layers 8, and the individual wrapper materials and intermediate layers of the layer structure can each have openings 10 and/or intermediate sections 9. At least one wrapper material, one intermediate layer 8 and/or one intermediate section 9 can have a luminous printing 2 on one or both sides. A further embodiment according to the invention can provide two dense layers, i.e., layers of materials through which the luminescent substances cannot pass, for example, a mouthpiece wrapper material 5 and an intermediate layer 8 can be provided, each formed of plastic film or cellophane, wherein the luminous printing 2 or a luminous film is arranged between the two dense layers. This layer construction prevents a transport or movement of the luminescent or fluorescent or phosphorescent substances both in the direction of the cigarette interior as well as outward in the direction of the cigarette surface.
FIG. 12 shows a cigarette pack 14 which has a luminous printing 15, and an inner liner 16 which contains a luminous printing 17. The luminous printing 15, 17 can be applied as a symbol, code, shape, pattern, image, area, or to highlight the contour of the cigarette box, or other printing, and can serve as a security feature to increase the protection against counterfeiting of the cigarette packaging.
The luminescent or fluorescent or phosphorescent substances or printings mentioned herein can be applied to mouthpiece wrapper material (tipping paper, mouthpiece covering paper), tear-off strips, cigarette paper, filter wrapper material (plug wrap/filter wrapper paper), an inner liner, feeders & inlays in cigarette packs or shoulder boxes, on or on e-cigarettes, and on packaging for the products or cigarette components mentioned.
The printed luminescent or fluorescent substances can be present either as security features or design elements, wherein each design element made of fluorescent materials is to be regarded as a technical security feature, since this is difficult to recognise and imitate in contrast to conventional printing. Security features can also be used for sweepstakes by printing numbers, symbols, or codes on cigarettes, or on the packaging material thereof, that can be made visible in the dark and the consumer can verify having won. QR codes can also be used so that the consumer can be forwarded to a specific homepage after reading in the code.
Patent Application
20190223494
