Alternating patterns in cigarette wrapper, smoking article and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12453367-B2
Application number	US-202017137962-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2020
Priority date	May 16, 2011
Publication date	Oct 28, 2025
Grant date	Oct 28, 2025

Abstract

A cigarette wrapper includes transversely extending banded regions applied by a printing technique, such as gravure printing. The banded regions may be applied in a one or more application of a printing composition that may be an aqueous starch solution also containing an anti-wrinkling agent such as propylene glycol, and calcium carbonate. The pattern of banded regions may be bands or stripes and the like along and/or around the tobacco rod. The banded regions may be solid or contain any number of cross-web and/or longitudinal discontinuities. The pattern may be configured so that when a smoking article is placed on a substrate, at least two longitudinal locations along the length of the tobacco rod have film-forming compound located only on sides of the smoking article not in contact with the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for making wrapper paper for a smoking article, the method comprising:
supplying a base web;
preparing a printing composition;
applying the printing composition to the base web with alternating first and second pattern elements, the first pattern element including a first geometrical pattern, the second pattern element including a second geometrical pattern, the second geometrical pattern being different from the first geometrical pattern;
forming the first pattern element with a first desired application of the printing composition; and
forming the second pattern element with a second desired application of the printing composition, the second desired application of the printing composition being different from the first desired application of the printing composition.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the printing composition includes a cellulosic composition.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the printing composition includes a solvent-based composition.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the printing composition includes a starch solution.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the starch solution includes an aqueous starch solution, the aqueous starch solution including
about 18% to about 28% of starch by weight of the aqueous starch solution;
about 7% to about 10% of an anti-wrinkling agent by weight of the aqueous starch solution; and
about 9% to about 13% of chalk by weight of the aqueous starch solution.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the anti-wrinkling agent includes propylene glycol.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the method includes heating the aqueous starch solution to a temperature in a range of about 38° C. to about 60° C.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the applying of the printing composition includes gravure printing.

9. The method of claim 8 including repeating the first pattern elements and repeating the second pattern elements such that self-extinguishment and ignition propensity performance values are blended amongst a test population for statistically improved smoking articles.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying of the printing composition includes changing one or more components of the printing composition and thereby determining the first and second application rates for the first and second pattern elements.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying of the printing composition is effected in a single printing station.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
applying the printing composition at a rate of about 33 billion cubic microns per square inch to 41 billion cubic microns per square inch.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying of the printing composition is effected in two printing stations, a first printing station of the two printing stations forming the first pattern element, and a second printing station of the two printing stations forming the second pattern element.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein a first concentration of printing composition at the first printing station is different from a second concentration of the printing composition at the second printing station.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the printing composition at the first printing station includes a different chalk concentration than the printing composition at the second printing station.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the printing composition at the first printing station includes a different water content than the printing composition at the second printing station.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the first pattern element and the second pattern element includes a cross-web discontinuity measuring about 1 millimeter to about 2 millimeters.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first pattern element and the second pattern element includes at least two discontinuities in a cross-web direction measuring about 1 millimeter to about 2 millimeters.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the at least two discontinuities are spaced less than about 27 millimeters apart.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
(a) the wrapper paper is capable of providing a self-extinguishment average value of less than 50%;
(b) the wrapper paper is capable of providing a self-extinguishment average value of less than 25%; or
(c) the wrapper paper is capable of providing a self-extinguishment average value of less than 10%.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first pattern element and the second pattern element are each formed from a single layer of the printing composition.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first pattern element is axially spaced from the second pattern element by about 12 millimeters to about 42 millimeters.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the printing composition is a starch solution including about 31% bound water.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying includes using a moving orifice device, the moving orifice device including
a first orifice that forms the first pattern element, and
a second orifice that forms the second pattern element,
the first orifice having a nominal diameter different than the second orifice.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the printing composition includes using a gravure roller, the gravure roller including circumferentially spaced first and second alternating regions of hexagonal cells formed in an outer surface of the gravure roller, the first regions of hexagonal cells forming the first pattern elements, the second regions of hexagonal cells forming the second pattern elements, the first and second alternating regions of hexagonal cells having at least one of different depths, widths, and spacing between the hexagonal cells.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein each hexagonal cell of the respective alternating first and second regions of hexagonal cells includes:
(a) a depth of about 48 micrometers to 52 micrometers;
(b) a depth of about 60 micrometers;
(c) a spacing from an adjacent hexagonal cell of about 10 micrometers to 14 micrometers;
(d) inclined sidewalls at an angle of about 60° relative to the outer surface of the gravure roller; or
(e) an opening of about 285 micrometers to 295 micrometers.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the respective alternating first and second regions of hexagonal cells apply the printing composition such that discrete portions of at least one of the first pattern element and the second pattern element includes differing depths.

28. The method of claim 1 , wherein discrete portions of at least one of the first pattern element and the second pattern element includes differing thicknesses.

29. The method of claim 1 , wherein the preparing of the printing composition includes
forming an aqueous solution including about 25% to 35% starch by weight,
adding a quantity of chalk to the aqueous starch solution in an amount of about 60% to 80% by weight of the starch in the aqueous starch solution, and
adding a quantity of anti-wrinkling agent to the aqueous starch solution in an amount of about 10% to 30% by weight of the starch in the aqueous starch solution.

30. A smoking article including a wrapper paper according to the method of claim 5 .

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Sherwood Timothy S
• Smith Robert N
• Rose Marc W
• Murray Tyrone W

Classifications

• A24D1/025

  the covers having material applied to defined areas, e.g. bands for reducing the ignition propensity · CPC title

• A24C5/005 Primary

  Treatment of cigarette paper · CPC title