Segmented smoking article with shaped insulator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9301546-B2
Application number	US-201414153524-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2014
Priority date	Aug 19, 2010
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

A cigarette includes lighting and mouth ends. It also includes a mouth-end segment; an aerosol-generation system disposed between the lighting and mouth ends, which includes (i) a heat-generation segment adjacent the smokable segment, including a heat source configured to be activated by combustion of a smokable material and an insulation layer of a non-glass material that is woven, knit, or both, shaped to retain (e.g., by interlocking engagement with) the heat source, and (ii) an aerosol-generating segment with aerosol-forming material disposed between, but physically separate from, each of the heat generation segment and the mouth end; a piece of outer wrapping material that provides an overwrap around at least a portion of the aerosol-generating segment, the heat-generation segment, and at least a portion of the smokable segment; those segments being connected together by the overwrap to provide a cigarette rod; that is connected to the cigarette rod using tipping material.

First claim

We claim:

1. A cigarette comprising:
a lighting end and a mouth end;
a mouth end piece segment disposed at the mouth end;
an aerosol-generation system disposed between the lighting end and the mouth end piece segment, the aerosol-generation system including
(i) a heat generation segment disposed at the lighting end, said heat generation segment having a length and including a heat source and an insulation layer of flame-retardant material, the insulation layer configured with an inward-facing geometry configured to complementarily engage and longitudinally retain the heat source within the heat generation segment, where the insulation layer inward-facing geometry comprises a generally frustoconical space fitted securely with a generally frustoconical heat source, where an outward-facing geometry of the heat source includes at least one generally elongate channel configured to facilitate airflow; and
(ii) an aerosol-generating segment incorporating aerosol-forming material, said aerosol-generating segment having a length and being disposed between, but physically separate from, each of the heat generation segment and the mouth end;

a piece of outer wrapping material oriented to provide an overwrap (i) around the aerosol-generating segment for at least a portion of its length, and (ii) around the heat generation segment for the length of that segment; those segments being connected together by the overwrap to provide a cigarette rod; and
the mouth end piece segment being connected to the cigarette rod using tipping material.

2. The cigarette of claim 1 , wherein the insulation layer further comprises c-glass fiber.

3. The cigarette of claim 2 , wherein the c-glass fiber comprises about 20 percent, by weight, of the insulation layer.

4. The cigarette of claim 1 , wherein the heat generation segment and the aerosol-generating segment are in a heat exchange relationship with one another and the insulation provides an insulative layer about at least a portion of the heat source.

5. The cigarette of claim 1 , wherein the insulation layer further comprises a carbon fiber material.

6. The cigarette of claim 5 , wherein the carbon fiber material comprises about 20 percent, by weight, of the insulation layer.

7. The cigarette of claim 5 , wherein the carbon fibers include at least 95% carbon.

8. The cigarette of claim 1 , further comprising a buffer between the heat generation segment and the aerosol-generating segment.

9. The cigarette of claim 1 , wherein the insulation layer comprises a treatment of sodium bicarbonate.

10. The cigarette of claim 1 , wherein the heat source outward-facing geometry comprises at least one of a plurality of exterior channels and at least one longitudinal central aperture extending along at least most of its length, each configured to facilitate airflow.

11. The cigarette of claim 1 , wherein the outward-facing geometry of the heat source comprises a plurality of exterior grooves, and the inward-facing geometry of the insulation layer comprises at least one protrusion engaged with at least one of the plurality of exterior grooves.

12. A cigarette comprising:
a lighting end and a mouth end;
a mouth end piece segment disposed at the mouth end;
an aerosol-generation system disposed between the lighting end and the mouth end piece segment, the aerosol-generation system including
(i) a heat generation segment disposed at the lighting end, said heat generation segment having a length and including a heat source and an insulation layer of flame-retardant material, the insulation layer configured with an inward-facing geometry configured to complementarily engage and longitudinally retain the heat source within the heat generation segment, where an outward-facing geometry of the heat source includes at least one generally elongate channel configured to facilitate airflow; and
(ii) an aerosol-generating segment incorporating aerosol-forming material, said aerosol-generating segment having a length and being disposed between, but physically separate from, each of the heat generation segment and the mouth end;

a piece of outer wrapping material oriented to provide an overwrap (i) around the aerosol-generating segment for at least a portion of its length, and (ii) around the heat generation segment for the length of that segment; those segments being connected together by the overwrap to provide a cigarette rod; and
the mouth end piece segment being connected to the cigarette rod using tipping material,
wherein the outward-facing geometry of the heat source comprises one of a flared tongue and a flared groove, and the inward-facing geometry of the insulation comprises the other of a flared tongue and a flared groove configured to fit complementarily together to longitudinally retain the heat source.

13. The cigarette of claim 12 , wherein the heat source includes a flared region opposite the lighting end, and the insulation is configured to engage the flared region in a manner configured to longitudinally retain the heat source.

14. The cigarette of claim 12 , wherein the heat source includes a decreased-diameter cylindrical segment region at the lighting end, and the insulation is configured to engage the decreased-diameter cylindrical segment region in a manner configured to longitudinally retain the heat source.

15. The cigarette of claim 12 , wherein the insulation layer further comprises c-glass fiber.

16. The cigarette of claim 15 , wherein the c-glass fiber comprises about 20 percent, by weight, of the insulation layer.

17. The cigarette of claim 12 , wherein the heat generation segment and the aerosol-generating segment are in a heat exchange relationship with one another and the insulation provides an insulative layer about at least a portion of the heat source.

18. The cigarette of claim 12 , wherein the insulation layer further comprises a carbon fiber material.

19. The cigarette of claim 18 , wherein the carbon fiber material comprises about 20 percent, by weight, of the insulation layer.

20. The cigarette of claim 19 , wherein the carbon fibers include at least 95% carbon.

21. The cigarette of claim 12 , further comprising a buffer between the heat generation segment and the aerosol-generating segment.

22. The cigarette of claim 12 , wherein the insulation layer inward-facing geometry comprises a generally frustoconical space fitted securely with a generally frustoconical heat source.

23. The cigarette of claim 12 , wherein the heat source outward-facing geometry comprises at least one of a plurality of exterior channels and at least one longitudinal central aperture extending along at least most of its length, each configured to facilitate airflow.

Assignees

• Reynolds Tobacco Co R

Inventors

• Thomas Timothy Frederick
• Conner Billy Tyrone
• Sebastian Andries Don
• Crooks Evon Llewellyn

Classifications

• A24F47/006 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A24B15/165 Primary

  comprising as heat source a carbon fuel or an oxidized or thermally degraded carbonaceous fuel, e.g. carbohydrates, cellulosic material · CPC title

• A24D1/22

  Cigarettes with integrated combustible heat sources, e.g. with carbonaceous heat sources · CPC title