Tobacco – Tobacco users' appliance – Device used for smoking
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-18
2002-02-12
Derrington, James (Department: 1731)
Tobacco
Tobacco users' appliance
Device used for smoking
C131S205000, C131S206000, C131S201000, C131S200000, C131S212100, C131S213000, C131S215100, C131S215200, C131S216000, C131S331000, C131S187000, C131S330000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06345625
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a filter for use with a smoking article for the filtration of secondary smoke. Also contemplated are smoking articles incorporating such filter.
BACKGROUND ART
The term “smoke” herein used may encompass visible smoke, particulate matter in smoke, noxious gases, vapours, aerosols, or the like, produced by a smoking article. “Smoking article” may encompass a cigarette (including less smoke cigarettes, coaxial cigarettes and the like), cigar, simulated smoking article, pipe, or the like. “Rod of smokable material” may encompass a cigarette, cigar or the like. “Combustion” may encompass smouldering.
Secondary smoke comprises of smoke that is exhaled by a smoker and/or sidestream smoke which is emitted into the ambient environment from the burning portion of a smoking article. Secondary smoke cause considerable discomfort and harm to passive smokers. Past efforts to solve this problem have not been very successful. The prior art includes cigarette filter tips, tubular cigarette holders with filter elements for filtering mainstream smoke, sheaths formed from cigarette wrapping materials, coaxial filter cigarettes, and various hand held smoke filtration devices.
Cigarette filter tips have been used with a tobacco column for filtering inhale smoke. Examples of cigarette filter tips include those known in AU-B-19,180/76; AU-B-56,588/80; AU-B-69,467/81; AU-B-79,237/82; AU-B-19,658/83; AU-B-57,776/90; AU-A-62,067/96; EP 0,059,042 A1; EP 0,255,114 A1; US Pat. Nos. 3,533,414; 3,830,244; 4,119,105; 4,254,782; 4,273,141; 4,273,142; 4,532,943; 4,582,073; 4,616,664; 5,058,608; and 5,360,023.
Cigarette filter tips are not intended for filtering exhale smoke. With respect to the filtration of exhale smoke, cigarette filter tips may have one or more of the following drawbacks:
a) the filter materials used in filter tips allow a considerable amount of smoke to pass therethrough so that a smoker may fulfill his desire for smoke. Said filter materials may not filter exhale smoke to be substantially smoke-free.
b) valves provided in some filter tips may open for the drawing of inhale smoke and/or ambient air. However said valves may not substantially check the inflow of said ambient air through said filter tips upon inhalation and allow a considerably high rate of exhale flow therethrough that may be expected if said filter tips are to be used to filter exhale smoke.
In addition, the filter materials used in filter tips may have a high resistance to exhale flow, thereby making exhalation into such materials almost impossible. Further, ventilation holes or vents provided in some filter tips for the dilution of inhale smoke may be too minute in size for allowing a high rate of exhale flow therethrough that may be expected if said filter tips are to be used for filtering exhale smoke. In some cases, filter materials may not be provided along the ventilation vents for filtering smoke.
AU-B-84618/82, in particular, disclosed a chambered filter for a cigarette comprising a first longitudinally extending cylindrical chamber and a second longitudinally extending cylindrical chamber disposed within the first chamber. A porous filter rod may be provided in the space between the walls of the first and second chambers, said porous filter rod allows ambient air to be drawn for the dilution of inhale smoke. An air pervious tipping paper may be used to circumscribe said porous filter rod. In this article, it may be noted that (a) the second chamber has an air impervious wall whereby smoke exhaled into said second chamber may not access the filter rod, and (b) the article does not provide any means for substantially checking the flow of ambient air through the filter rod during inhalation. Also, the filter rod may not allow a considerably high rate of exhale flow therethrough.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,397 disclosed a cigarette having a filter plug located at one end of said cigarette. Said filter plug has a cylindrical passageway coaxial therethrough, said passageway communicates only with the tobacco rod, whereas said filter plug communicates with a cylinder of carbon fuel surrounding the tobacco rod and filters flows from said carbon fuel. However, it may be noted that this article does not provide any means for substantially checking the flow of ambient air through the filter plug during inhalation, and it may not allow a high rate of exhale flow therethrough during exhalation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,553 disclosed a filter for a smoking article employing a valve assembly resiliently biased towards a first open position for allowing the inflow of ambient air, said valve assembly being displaceable towards a second closed position to cut off ambient air when a particular suction pressure is exceeded. AU-B-57657/86 disclosed an insert interposed between a tobacco column and a filter tip. Said insert has a valve member for admitting ambient air into the inhale flow upon a weak suction, whereas ambient air is cut off upon a strong suction. In both articles it may be noted that (a) the filter materials are intended to allow a substantial amount of smoke to pass through for the purpose of smoking. Such filter materials may not filter exhale smoke to be substantially smoke-free, and (b) the valve members may not substantially check the reverse flow of ambient air through the articles and they may not allow a high rate of exhale flow therethrough.
Furthermore, the insert of AU-B-57657/86 does not contain any filter materials for filtering exhale smoke. Also, it is not stated the valve member may allow passage of exhale smoke through said insert.
Tubular cigarette holders with filter elements have been used with filter and non filter cigarettes for filtering mainstream inhale smoke. In use, the mouth end of a cigarette is attached to one open end of a tubular cigarette holder wherein filter elements provided in the cigarette holder may filter any smoke drawn through said holder. With respect to the filtration of exhale smoke, however, such cigarette holders may have one or more of the following drawbacks:
a) the filter materials used in cigarette holders allow a substantial amount of smoke to pass through such as is intended to satisfy a smoker's desire for smoking. Such filter materials may not filter exhale smoke to be substantially smoke-free.
b) the filter materials used in cigarette holders may allow for easy inhalation, but such materials are resistant to the passage of exhale smoke.
c) no provision may be made for the discharge of exhale flow from a cigarette holder. Once a cigarette is attached to an open end of a holder, said end would be blocked by said cigarette. When the opposite end of said holder is inserted into the mouth, it may be impossible to exhale into said holder and for any smoke trapped inside said holder to be discharged into the ambient environment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,798, in particular, disclosed a combination cigarette holder and cigarette smoke catcher comprising a cigarette holder body terminating at one end in a hollow mouthpiece, said mouthpiece communicates to a pair of parallel cylindrical passages provided within the holder body. One passage holds the unlit end of a cigarette while the other passage holds a smoke catcher cartridge for filtering exhale smoke blown into said mouthpiece. Said cigarette holder, nevertheless, suffers from the following drawbacks, (a) the holder body employs a valve means in the passage for holding a cigarette, said valve means is provided for allowing the flow of inhale smoke. In use however, the action of the valve means actually impedes the inhale flow and causes an undesireable increase in resistance to inhalation, (b) the flow of exhale smoke through the passage holding the cigarette may be substantially blocked by said cigarette in communication. Said valve means is therefore not essential for the performance of the holder body, (c) said valve means adds to the weight, size, cost and manufacturing complexity of the cigarette holder, (d) the passage for holding the smoke catcher filter opens at the other end
Derrington James
Walls Dionne A.
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