Wrapping materials for smoking articles

• US 20030131860A1
• Filed: 11/25/2002
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R J Reynolds Tobacco Company (R. J. Reynolds Tobacco)
• Original Assignee: R J Reynolds Tobacco Company (R. J. Reynolds Tobacco)
• Inventors: Chapman, Paul Stuart, Tomel, John Joseph Jr., Williard, Sara Sutton, Pierce, Gregory Scott, Ellis, James Herbert Jr., Ashcraft, Charles Ray, Hutchens, James Ray, Powell, Mark Stuart, White, Don Hayes
• Granted Patent: US 6,929,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 131/365
• CPC Class Codes: A24D 1/025 the covers having material applied to defined areas, e.g. bands for reducing the ignition propensity

Abstract

Smokable rods of cigarettes are manufactured using wrapping materials that incorporate at least one fibrous material (e.g., flax fibers, hardwood pulp fibers and/or softwood pulp fibers) at least one filler material (e.g., calcium carbonate in particulate form). The wrapping materials possess multi-layer coatings. The wrapping materials possess coatings in the form of series of spaced apart bands, each band possessing a series of layers. At least one of the coating layers can have a filler material dispersed or suspended within a film-forming material of that layer.

Claims

1. A wrapping material for a smoking article, the wrapping material adapted to be wound on a roll, the wrapping material comprising:

a smoking article wrapping material substrate; and

a plurality of coatings deposited in a pattern on the substrate;

the plurality of coatings comprising a first coating effective in reducing the inherent porosity of the substrate and a second coating effective in preventing blocking when the wrapping material is unwound from the roll, the second coating overlying the first coating.

2. The wrapping material of claim 1, wherein the plurality of coatings comprise four coatings applied to the wrapping material substrate in an overlying relationship, at least one of the coatings being discontinuous.

3. The wrapping material of claim 2 wherein the plurality of coatings comprise three coatings including ethylene vinylacetate, one of those coatings being discontinuous;

and one coating including ethylcellulose overlying the three ethylene vinylacetate coatings.

4. The wrapping material of claim 1 wherein the first coating includes ethylene vinylacetate and the second coating includes ethylcellulose.

5. The wrapping material of claim 1 wherein at least one of the coatings is a film-forming material that includes ethylcellulose, polyvinylacetate, nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate propionate or ethylene vinylacetate.

6. The wrapping material of claim 1 wherein the first coating is a film-forming material that includes ethylcellulose, polyvinylacetate, nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate propionate or ethylene vinylacetate.

7. The wrapping material of claim 1 wherein the second coating is a film-forming material that includes ethylcellulose, polyvinylacetate, nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate propionate or ethylene vinylacetate.

8. The wrapping material of claim 1 wherein the first coating is a film-forming material that includes ethylcellulose and calcium carbonate.

9. The wrapping material of claim 1 wherein at least one of the coatings includes calcium carbonate.

10. The wrapping material of claim 1 wherein at least one of the coatings includes an organic filler that includes rice flour or polyvinyl alcohol.

11. The wrapping material of claim 1 further comprising a hydrophobic coating applied to the wrapping material substrate prior to said first and second coatings, the first coating provided from a water-based emulsion, and the first coating overlying the hydrophobic coating.

19. A smoking article comprising a smokable material contained within the wrapping material of claim 1, 12 or 17.

20. The smoking article of claim 19 wherein at least one of the coatings is a film-forming material that includes ethylcellulose, polyvinylacetate, polyvinylalcohol, nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate propionate or ethylene vinylacetate.

21. The smoking article of claim 19 wherein the coating pattern has the form of spaced bands, each band having a width of about 6 mm.

12. A wrapping material for a smoking article, the wrapping material adapted to be wound on a roll, the wrapping material comprising:

a smoking article wrapping material substrate; and

at least two coatings deposited in a pattern on the substrate;

the at least two coatings comprising a first coating being deposited directly onto the wrapping material substrate and being effective to reduce the water absorption of the substrate; and

a water-based second coating deposited on the first coating, the second coating being effective to cause a reduction in inherent porosity of the substrate.

13. The wrapping material of claim 12 wherein the first coating is a film-forming material that includes ethylcellulose, polyvinylacetate, nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate propionate or ethylene vinylacetate.

14. The wrapping material of claim 12 wherein the second coating is a film-forming material that includes polyvinylalcohol, ethylene vinylacetate, or combinations thereof.

15. The wrapping material of claim 12 further comprising a third coating overlying the second coating, the third coating being effective in preventing blocking when the wrapping material is unwound from a roll.

16. The wrapping material of claim 15 wherein the first and third coatings include ethylcellulose and the second coating includes ethylene vinylacetate.

17. A wrapping material for a smoking article, the wrapping material adapted to be wound on a roll, the wrapping material comprising:

a smoking article wrapping material substrate; and

at least three coatings deposited in a pattern on the substrate, the at least three coatings comprising a first coating incorporating ethylcellulose and being modified to be hazy in appearance, a second coating overlying the first coating and being effective in causing reduction in inherent porosity of the substrate, and a third coating overlying the second coating and being effective in preventing blocking when the wrapping material is unwound from the roll.

18. The wrapping material of claim 17 wherein the first coating is a blend of ethylcellulose and ethylene vinylacetate.

22. A wrapping material for a smoking article, the wrapping material comprising:

a base sheet possessing a major surface; and

a plurality of bands applied to the major surface in the form of a pattern;

each band of the plurality of bands including a bottom layer applied over the major surface of the base sheet, and an upper layer applied over the bottom layer;

the bottom layer incorporating ethylcellulose and the upper layer incorporating polyvinylacetate.

23. The wrapping material of claim 22 wherein each band has a width of about 6 mm.

49. A smoking article comprising a smokable material contained within the wrapping material of claims 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44 or 46.

24. A wrapping material for a smoking article, the wrapping material comprising:

a base sheet possessing a major surface; and

a plurality of bands applied to the major surface in the form of a pattern;

each band of the plurality of bands including a bottom layer applied over the major surface of the base sheet, a middle layer applied over the bottom layer, and an upper layer applied over the middle layer;

the bottom and upper layers incorporating ethylcellulose, and the middle layer incorporating ethylene vinylacetate.

25. The wrapping material of claim 24 wherein each band has a width of about 6 mm.

26. A wrapping material for a smoking article, the wrapping material comprising:

a base sheet possessing a major surface; and

a plurality of bands applied to the major surface in the form of a pattern;

each band of the plurality of bands including a bottom layer applied over the major surface of the base sheet, a middle layer applied over the bottom layer, and an upper layer applied over the middle layer;

the upper layer incorporating ethylcellulose, and the bottom and middle layers incorporating ethylene vinylacetate.

27. The wrapping material of claim 26 wherein each band has a width of about 6 mm.

28. A wrapping material for a smoking article, the wrapping material comprising:

a base sheet possessing a major surface; and

a plurality of bands applied to that major surface in the form of a pattern;

each band of the plurality of bands including a bottom layer applied over the major surface of the base sheet, a bottom middle layer applied over the bottom layer, an upper middle layer applied over the bottom middle layer, and an upper layer applied over the upper middle layer;

the bottom middle and upper middle layers incorporating ethylene vinylacetate, and the bottom and upper layers incorporating ethylcellulose.

29. The wrapping material of claim 28 wherein each band has a width of about 6 mm.

30. A wrapping material for a smoking article, the wrapping material comprising:

a base sheet possessing a major surface; and

a plurality of bands applied to that major surface in the form of a pattern;

each band of the plurality of bands including a bottom layer applied over the major surface of the base sheet, a bottom middle layer applied over the bottom layer, an upper middle layer applied over the bottom middle layer, and an upper layer applied over the upper middle layer;

each bottom, bottom middle and upper middle layer incorporating ethylene vinylacetate, and the upper layer incorporating ethylcellulose.

31. The wrapping material of claim 30 wherein each band has a width of about 6 mm.

48. The wrapping material of claim 30 wherein the bottom and bottom middle layers both are continuous layers, and the upper middle layer is a discontinuous layer.

32. A wrapping material for a smoking article, the wrapping material comprising:

a base sheet possessing a major surface; and

a plurality of bands applied to the major surface in the form of a pattern;

each band of the plurality of bands including a bottom layer applied over the major surface of the base sheet, and an upper layer applied over the bottom layer;

each layer incorporating ethylcellulose and calcium carbonate.

33. The wrapping material of claim 32 wherein each band has a width of about 6 mm.

34. A wrapping material for a smoking article, the wrapping material comprising:

a base sheet possessing a major surface; and

a plurality of bands applied to the major surface in the form of a pattern;

each band of the plurality of bands including a bottom layer applied over the major surface of the base sheet, a middle layer applied over the bottom layer, and an upper layer applied over the middle layer;

each layer incorporating ethylcellulose and calcium carbonate.

35. The wrapping material of claim 34 wherein each band has a width of about 6 mm.

36. A wrapping material for a smoking article, the wrapping material comprising:

a base sheet possessing a major surface; and

a plurality of bands applied to that major surface in the form of a pattern;

each band of the plurality of bands including a bottom layer applied over the major surface of the base sheet, a bottom middle layer applied over the bottom layer, an upper middle layer applied over the bottom middle layer, and an upper layer applied over the upper middle layer;

each layer incorporating ethylcellulose and calcium carbonate.

37. The wrapping material of claim 36 wherein each band has a width of about 6 mm.

38. A wrapping material for a smoking article, the wrapping material comprising:

a base sheet possessing a major surface; and

a plurality of bands applied to the major surface in the form of a pattern;

each band of the plurality of bands including a bottom layer applied over the major surface of the base sheet, and an upper layer applied over the bottom layer;

each layer incorporating ethylene vinyl acetate and calcium carbonate.

39. The wrapping material of claim 38 wherein each band has a width of about 6 mm.

40. A wrapping material for a smoking article, the wrapping material comprising:

a base sheet possessing a major surface; and

a plurality of bands applied to the major surface in the form of a pattern;

each band of the plurality of bands including a bottom layer applied over the major surface of the base sheet, a middle layer applied over the bottom layer, and an upper layer applied over the middle layer;

each layer incorporating ethyl vinyl acetate and calcium carbonate.

41. The wrapping material of claim 40 wherein each band has a width of about 6 mm.

42. A wrapping material for a smoking article, the wrapping material comprising:

a base sheet possessing a major surface; and

a plurality of bands applied to the major surface in the form of a pattern;

each band of the plurality of bands including a bottom layer applied over the major surface of the base sheet, a bottom middle layer applied over the bottom layer, an upper middle layer applied over the bottom middle layer, and an upper layer applied over the upper middle layer;

each layer incorporating ethylene vinyl acetate and calcium carbonate.

43. The wrapping material of claim 42 wherein each band has a width of about 6 mm.

44. A wrapping material for a smoking article, the wrapping material comprising:

a base sheet possessing a major surface; and

a plurality of bands applied to the major surface in the form of a pattern;

each band of the plurality of bands including a bottom layer applied over the major surface of the base sheet, and an upper layer applied over the bottom layer;

each layer incorporating nitrocellulose and calcium carbonate.

45. The wrapping material of claim 44 wherein each band has a width of about 6 mm.

46. A wrapping material for a smoking article, the wrapping material comprising:

a base sheet possessing a major surface; and

a plurality of bands applied to that major surface in the form of a pattern;

each band of the plurality of bands including a bottom layer applied over the major surface of the base sheet, a middle layer applied over the bottom layer, and an upper layer applied over the middle layer;

each layer incorporating nitrocellulose and calcium carbonate.

47. The wrapping material of claim 46 wherein each band has a width of about 6 mm.