Flavor capsule for enhanced flavor delivery in cigarettes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10568356-B2
Application number	US-50667309-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2009
Priority date	Feb 4, 2005
Publication date	Feb 25, 2020
Grant date	Feb 25, 2020

Abstract

Improved delivery of additive materials to cigarettes is provided through the use of one or more capsules containing additive materials, such as flavor components, in the filter section of a cigarette. The sealed capsule or capsules are subjected to an external force, such as squeezing, by a smoker prior to or during smoking of the cigarette in order to release at least a portion of the additive material from the one or more capsules and expose the additive material to mainstream smoke passing through the filter. The sealed capsules provide a barrier between the additive materials and other cigarettes components, such as sorbents or filter materials, in order to reduce additive material migration into the other cigarette components prior to desired use.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A filter for a cigarette comprising filter material, sorbent material, a hollow tube and a two-part capsule containing an additive material for modifying characteristics of tobacco smoke during smoking of the cigarette, the capsule comprising:
a first part having an open end defining a first chamber containing the additive material; and
a second part having an open end defining a second chamber, wherein the second part fits around the first part and the open ends face each other in opposite directions,
wherein the hollow tube contains the two-part capsule via friction fit within a lumen of the hollow tube, the first part and the second part of the capsule each include a plurality of annular indentations operable to connect and seal the first part and the second part to form a sealed pump such that the capsule is operable to release the additive material when a user applies pressure to the filter so as to cause mechanical separation of the first part from the second part of the capsule, the additive material is a liquid flavorant and the capsule includes solids therein in an amount sufficient to decrease a space available for the liquid flavorant therein, the capsule includes a porous compressive material or molecular sieve material therein to absorb the liquid flavorant, and the porous compressive material is a sponge.

2. The filter according to claim 1 , wherein the two-part capsule further comprises a smaller capsule inside the first and second parts of the two-part capsule, wherein the smaller capsule includes a second additive material, wherein the additive material in the first part of the two-part capsule and the second additive material are different from one another.

3. The filter according to claim 1 , wherein the capsule is located downstream from the sorbent material.

4. The filter according to claim 1 , wherein the sorbent material comprises activated carbon.

5. The filter according to claim 1 , wherein the solids comprise solid flavor compound particles.

6. The filter according to claim 1 , further comprising a band seal at a junction of the first part and the second part of the two-part capsule.

7. The filter according to claim 1 , wherein the solids are loaded with menthol.

8. The filter according to claim 1 , wherein the solids comprise silica, alumina, flavor particles, and/or carbon.

9. The filter according to claim 1 , wherein the capsule further includes a combination of menthol flavored microcapsules and tobacco flavored microcapsules therein.

10. The filter according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid flavorant is adsorbed in pores of the solids.

11. The filter according to claim 1 , wherein the capsule is oriented in the hollow tube such that a direction of additive material release during use is toward a tobacco rod side of the filter.

12. The filter according to claim 1 , wherein the capsule includes a viscosity modifier to control a wicking rate of the liquid flavorant from the capsule.

13. The filter according to claim 12 , wherein the viscosity modifier is a wax.

Assignees

• Karles Georgios
• Garthaffner Martin
• Jupe Richard
• Kellogg Diane
• Skinner Ila
• Nepomuceno Jose
• Layman John
• Morgan Constance
• Fournier Jay A
• Philip Morris Usa Inc

Inventors

• Karles Georgios
• Garthaffner Martin
• Jupe Richard
• Kellogg Diane
• Skinner Ila
• Nepomuceno Jose
• Layman John
• Morgan Constance
• Fournier Jay A

Classifications

• A24D3/061

  containing additives entrapped within capsules, sponge-like material or the like, for further release upon smoking · CPC title

• A24D3/163 Primary

  Carbon · CPC title

• A24D3/06 Primary

  Use of materials for tobacco smoke filters · CPC title