Smoking articles

• US 5,105,835 A
• Filed: 01/18/1990
• Issued: 04/21/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Imperial Tobacco Limited (Imperial Tobacco Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Imperial Tobacco Limited (Imperial Tobacco Group PLC)
• Inventors: Hill, Colin A., Bassett, David W., Drewett, Christopher G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Doyle, J.
• Application Number:
  US07/466,997
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 131/364, 131/360, 131/365, 131/349
• US Class Current: 131/349
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/282 by indirect addition of the chemical substances, e.g. in the wrapper, in the case
• CPC Class Codes: A24D 1/00 Cigars; Cigarettes
• CPC Class Codes: A24D 1/02 with special covers

Abstract

There is provided a smoking article having a mouthpiece 9 and a rod of smoking material 12 wrapped in a wrapper 14. A rod 15 constructed of for example activated carbon is provided within the smoking material 12. Between puffs the smoking material extinguishes leaving the rod 15 smouldering. During each puff the smoking material is reignited by the rod 15.

Claims

1. A smoking article incorporating a rod of smoking material the combustion products of which are inhaled by the smoker by puffing, means extending substantially the length of the rod of smoking material for extinguishing the smoking material after each puff, and combustion source means which is distinct from and differs in composition from the smoking material, said combustion source being incorporated in the smoking article and extending substantially the length of the rod of smoking material to reignite the smoking material during each puff thereby causing the smoking material to combust.

2. An article as claimed in claim 1 further including a wrapper enclosing the rod of smoking material.

3. An article as claimed in claim 2 wherein the wrapper is of permeability and gas diffusion values below the values at which the wrapper would permit sufficient flow of oxygen to the smoking material to sustain static combustion in the absence of puffing.

4. A smoking article as claimed in claim 1 wherein the article is adapted to ignite by a rapid increase in temperature of the combustion source caused by the passage of air past the combustion source during puffing, combined with an increase in oxygen supply to the smoking material caused by puffing.

5. An article as claimed in claim 1 wherein more than about 50% by weight of the smoking material is consumed during puffs.

6. An article as claimed in claim 5 wherein substantially all the smoking material is consumed during puffs.

7. An article as claimed in claim 1 wherein if the smoking article is left unattended, the combustion source means will eventually extinguish before the whole article is consumed.

8. An article as claimed in claim 1 wherein the average sidestream Total Particulate Matter per minute is less than 1 milligram.

9. An article as claimed in claim 1 wherein the average sidestream Total Particulate Matter per minute is less than 0.6 milligram.

10. An article as claimed in claim 1 wherein the combustion source means is selected from the group consisting of activated carbon and partly carbonized cellulosic material.

11. An article as claimed in claim 1 wherein the combustion source means is disposed within the rod of smoking material.

12. An article as claimed in claim 1 wherein the combustion source means comprises at least one rod disposed within the smoking material.

13. An article as claimed in claim 2 wherein the wrapper is made of paper.

14. An article as claimed in claim 2 wherein the paper has a viscous flow air permeability of less than 5 Coresta units.

15. An article as claimed in claim 2 wherein the paper is treated with a burn modifier.

16. An article as claimed in claim 15 wherein the burn modifier is 6.3% by weight tri-potassium citrate, the fuel element has internal and external diameters of 0.8 and 1.8 mm respectively and weighs 11.4 g/cm, the smoking material is expanded tobacco having a density of 110 kg/m and a circumference of 24.8 mm.

17. An article as claimed in claim 1 wherein the combustion source means is spaced from the external circumferential surface of the article.

18. An article as claimed in claim 1 wherein the combustion source is a shell surrounding the smoking material which is in the form of a rod.

19. An article as claimed in claim 1 wherein the combustion source will reignite the smoking material after at least 60 seconds from the previous puff and preferably at least 120 seconds and more preferably at least 180 seconds.

20. An article as claimed in claim 1 including additive which reduces visible sidestream smoke emission.

21. An article as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means in said smoking article for extinguishing the smoking material after each puff comprises a wrapper.

22. An article as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means in said smoking article for extinguishing the smoking material after each puff comprises the smoking material.