U.S. patent application number 10/493316 was filed with the patent office on 2004-12-16 for filter segments or filter for cigarettes and method for the production thereof.
Invention is credited to Gosebruch, Harald.
Application Number | 20040250822 10/493316 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 7704380 |
Filed Date | 2004-12-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040250822 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gosebruch, Harald |
December 16, 2004 |
Filter segments or filter for cigarettes and method for the
production thereof
Abstract
A method for producing filter segments for one of multi-segment
filters and filters for tobacco products. The method includes
extruding a rod-shaped extrudate from a starting material, and
wrapping the extrudate with at least one of a compressible and an
elastic first material. The instant abstract is neither intended to
define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended
to limit the scope of the invention in any way.
Inventors: |
Gosebruch, Harald; (Verden,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GREENBLUM & BERNSTEIN, P.L.C.
1950 ROLAND CLARKE PLACE
RESTON
VA
20191
US
|
Family ID: |
7704380 |
Appl. No.: |
10/493316 |
Filed: |
May 4, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
October 25, 2002 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP02/11930 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
131/331 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A24D 3/04 20130101; A24D
3/0237 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
131/331 |
International
Class: |
A24D 003/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 5, 2001 |
DE |
101 53 820.0 |
Claims
1-15. (canceled)
16. A method for producing filter segments for one of multi-segment
filters and filters for tobacco products comprising: extruding a
rod-shaped extrudate from a starting material; and wrapping the
extrudate with at least one of a compressible and an elastic first
material.
17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising: heating
the extrudate before the wrapping.
18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the heating is
carried out at a temperature range of 600.degree. C. to
1000.degree. C.
19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising: heating
the extrudate by microwaves.
20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the first material is
one of impermeable to smoke and substantially impermeable to smoke
at least in a longitudinal axial direction.
21. The method according to claim 16, wherein the wrapping with the
first material is carried out by at least one of: a further
extrusion process, dipping in a melting bath, wrapping with a strip
of the first material, and by wrapping with the first material
arranged on a soft carrier strip.
22. The method according to claim 16, wherein the first material is
a hot melt adhesive.
23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the hot melt adhesive
is an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer.
24. The method according to claim 16, wherein the first material is
one of foamed and foamable.
25. The method according to claim 16, wherein the first material is
composed of a cellulose acetate tow of high density.
26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the cellulose acetate
tow is wrapped around the extrudate transverse to a rod direction
of the extrudate.
27. The method according to claim 24, wherein the cellulose acetate
tow is spirally wrapped around the extrudate transverse to a rod
direction of the extrudate.
28. The method according to claim 16 further comprising: wrapping
the extrudate wrapped with the first material with a second
material.
29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the extrudate is
wrapped in a rod process with at least one of the first material
and the second material.
30. The method according to claim 16, further comprising: cutting
the wrapped extrudate into segments of predeterminable lengths.
31. At least one of a filter and filter segment for a multi-segment
filter of a tobacco product produced according to the method claim
16 comprising: a core that is wrapped with at least one first
wrapping material that is at least one of compressible and elastic,
wherein the first wrapping material is one of substantially
impermeable to smoke and completely impermeable to smoke.
32. At least one of a filter and filter segment according to claim
31, wherein the core is composed of an extrudate.
33. At least one of a filter and filter segment for a multi-segment
filter of a tobacco product produced according to the method claim
16.
34. A tobacco product having one of a filter and filter segment for
a multi-segment filter, the one of a filter and filter segment
comprising: an extruded core that is wrapped with at least one
wrapping material that is at least one of compressible and elastic,
wherein the first wrapping material is at least substantially
impermeable to smoke.
35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the at least one
wrapping material is composed of a cellulose acetate tow.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a method for producing filter
segments for multi-segment filters or filters of the tobacco
processing industry, whereby an extrudate is initially produced
from components of the filter segments or filters by means of an
extrusion process. The invention further relates to a corresponding
filter segment for a multi-segment filter or a corresponding filter
of the tobacco processing industry.
[0002] A method for producing a filter rod is known, e.g., from
U.S. Pat. No. 5,523,036. This document describes how a filter rod
is first extruded by means of an extruder and subsequently wrapped
with a wrapping paper strip. At the end of the process the filter
rod is cut into filters of multiple unit lengths. According to U.S.
Pat. No. 5,523,036 the extruded filter material is a plastic
material that is extruded in an extrudate rod with a diameter which
is greater than the exit orifice of the extruder.
[0003] A smoke filter for cigarettes and a method for its
production are known from DE-OS 1 692 945. The smoke filter is a
body that is produced by sintering thermoplastic and hydrophobic
plastic foam that is pulverized into the smallest particle size,
and has a cross section adapted to a cigarette. This filter body
can be used by itself or in combination with a conventional, e.g.,
acetate filament filter or an identical type of filter body one
behind the other or parallel to one another, in order to thus
further improve or selectively influence the filter effect.
[0004] These filters or filter elements have the disadvantage that
they are relatively susceptible to shocks and in general are very
sensitive to mechanical strains so they can easily be damaged
during further processing.
[0005] In contrast, the object of the invention is to disclose a
method for producing filter elements or filters that makes it
possible in a simple and cost-effective manner to produce filters
and filter elements or filter segments for multi-segment filters
which are relatively unsusceptible to mechanical strains. Another
object of the invention is to disclose a filter or a filter segment
for a multi-segment filter of the tobacco processing industry that
itself is unsusceptible to mechanical stresses.
[0006] This object is attained through a method for producing
filter segments for multi-segment filters or filters of the tobacco
processing industry, whereby a rod-shaped extrudate is initially
produced from a starting material by means of an extrusion process,
which extrudate is further processed in that in a further process
step the extrudate is wrapped with a compressible and/or elastic
first material.
[0007] By providing the extrudate with a compressible and/or
elastic first material, it becomes less susceptible to mechanical
strains during further processing and during further transport. The
method according to the invention thus renders possible a very
simple and cost-effective way of developing filters or filter
segments more capable of bearing mechanical stress.
[0008] The extrudate cut into corresponding lengths is a filter
component and has a relatively low draft resistance and thus a low
density. Due to the powdery components this is very unsusceptible
to mechanical stresses if it is not wrapped according to the
invention. The permeability to air corresponds to that of
conventional filters or filter segments.
[0009] The extrudate is preferably heated before the process step
of wrapping, through which the extrudate can be further hardened or
also chemically altered. In a preferred exemplary embodiment the
process step of heating takes place at a temperature range of
600.degree. C. to 1000.degree. C. With an extrudate that features
e.g., activated carbon in granulate form and a binder such as,
e.g., polyfurfuryl alcohol, the treatment step of heating at a
temperature range of 600.degree. C. to 1000.degree. C. leads to the
carbonization of the binder. This step can also be called a
pyrolysis treatment.
[0010] Heating by means of microwaves is a particularly simple
method of heating.
[0011] The first wrapping material is preferably completely
impermeable to smoke or nearly impermeable to smoke in particular
in the longitudinal axial direction. The filter properties of the
extrudate and the draft resistance of the filter segment are thus
not influenced or only slightly influenced due to the wrapping with
the first material. In addition, providing a compressible and/or
elastic first material has the advantage that fluctuations in the
diameter of the extrudate can be compensated for so that a rod that
is uniform in terms of diameter and thus filters or filter segments
that are uniform in terms of diameter can be produced. In addition,
this material can also be used to compensate for any differences in
diameter of filter segments in a multi-segment filter, which is a
very great advantage. During the transport of the filter segments
of a multi-segment filter there is furthermore the advantage that
holding the segments in flutes by suction air is improved, since
the suction air is no longer applied to the air-permeable extrudate
but to the wrapping that is only slightly permeable to air or
impermeable to air.
[0012] Wrapping with the first material can take place through a
further extrusion process, by dipping in a melting bath or by
wrapping with strips of the first material and/or by wrapping with
a first material arranged on an in particular soft carrier strip.
These listed variants should be regarded as particularly effective
and quick.
[0013] If preferably the first material is a hot melt adhesive, in
particular an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, materials can be
used that are already very well known in the production of filters
of the tobacco processing industry. To this end the hot melt
adhesive is preferably applied in a relatively thick layer.
Preferably the first material is foamed, whereby in particular
preferably a closed-pore foam is produced. By using a closed-pore
foam as a first material in particular the desired impermeability
to smoke or an almost complete impermeability to smoke is achieved.
As an alternative, the first material can be a cellulose acetate
tow of high density which itself preferably is also essentially
impermeable to smoke. The cellulose acetate tow features a high
density if it is, e.g., greatly rippled. In one embodiment of the
invention, the cellulose acetate tow is wrapped around the
extrudate transverse to the rod direction of the extrudate, in
particular spirally. The preferred direction of the filaments in
the cellulose acetate tow is then aligned transverse to the rod
direction of the extrudate. The first wrapping material can also be
an air-layed fibrous web that is produced according to a process
that is described in EP 003 20 44 B 1.
[0014] Subsequently the extrudate that is wrapped with the first
material is preferably wrapped with a second material so that as
far as the outward appearance is concerned a per se customary
filter segment or a per se customary filter can be achieved. A
particularly simple realization of the wrapping of the extrudate is
achieved when the extrudate is wrapped in a rod process with the
first and/or the second material. To this end, e.g., the
applicant's KDF 2E machine known among experts is suitable.
[0015] Finally, the wrapped extrudate is preferably cut into
segments of predeterminable length.
[0016] The object is further attained through a filter or a filter
segment for a multi-segment filter of the tobacco processing
industry which is produced in particular according to the
above-mentioned method and that is provided with a core that is in
particular susceptible to shocks, that is wrapped with at least one
first wrapping material that is compressible and/or elastic and in
particular essentially impermeable to smoke or completely
impermeable to smoke. The impermeability to smoke or the
essentially present impermeability to smoke should hereby
preferably predominate in the longitudinal axial direction, whereby
longitudinal axial should be understood to mean the rod alignment
of the extrudate or of the core. The core is preferably composed of
an extrudate.
[0017] The invention is described below without restriction of the
general inventive concept on the basis of exemplary embodiments, to
which reference is expressly made regarding all inventive details
not explained in further detail in the text. They show:
[0018] FIG. 1 A diagrammatic side view of a device according to the
invention for producing filter segments for multi-segment filters
or filters
[0019] FIG. 2 A sectional drawing of a corresponding filter segment
or a corresponding filter, and
[0020] FIG. 3 Another exemplary embodiment of a device according to
the invention for producing filter segments for multi-segment
filters or filters of the tobacco processing industry.
[0021] In the following figures the same elements are labeled with
the same reference numbers, so that a new introduction has been
omitted respectively.
[0022] FIG. 1 shows in a diagrammatic view a device with which the
method according to the invention can be carried out. An extrusion
press 10, which can also be called an extruder, is provided in
order to form an extrudate 11. Extrusion presses are known per se
and are used in particular to produce corresponding, e.g., plastic
molding masses in different shapes, such as plates, strips, pipes,
hoses, casings, etc. Screw extrusion presses, also called
extruders, are in particular suitable for this. To this end the
molding mass is drawn from the supply container by the rotating
screw of the extrusion press, conveyed, if necessary melted, and
pressed out through a profiling nozzle. Regarding the process of
extruding filter segments or filters, reference is made in
particular to U.S. Pat. No. 5,523,036, in which this process is
described. Reference is also made in particular to the other
patents or patent applications cited in this patent which also
provide the possibility of extrusion, such as in particular UK
451,683, UK 1,271,274, UK 1,341,400, UK 1,442,631, UK 1,456,908, UK
1,482,216, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,536.
[0023] As a starting material, e.g., activated carbon in granulate
form can be provided which is mixed with a binder such as, e.g.,
polyfurfuryl alcohol. Zeolite grains (Al-Si oxide grains) mixed
with water glass as a binder can also be used as starting
materials. Other materials can also if necessary be added to
achieve certain rod or extrudate properties. The corresponding
materials are familiar to one skilled in the art from the prior art
(see the above-referenced publications).
[0024] After the extrudate 11 has left the extrusion press 10, the
extrudate is further processed in a processing device 14. As a
processing device, e.g., an oven can be provided that, e.g., at a
temperature range of 600.degree. C. to 1000.degree. C. converts the
polyfurfuryl alcohol binder into carbon in the manner of a
pyrolysis treatment. The processing device 14 can also be a
microwave oven, which leads to the water glass hardening through
the heat exposure.
[0025] The correspondingly processed rod of the extrudate 12 is
conveyed further as a filter core rod 12 in the direction 25 of a
rod-making machine 15 that can be, e.g., a KDF 2E of the applicant.
On the way there a first wrapping material 18 is pulled off from a
bobbin 17 and conveyed to the filter core rod 12 to wrap it. The
first wrapping material 18 can hereby be, e.g., a hot melt adhesive
such as ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, which is applied to a
thick, soft paper (tissue) as a thick adhesive layer, possibly also
as a foam. In this case it is not necessary to provide another
second wrapping material 21 that is pulled off from a bobbin 20. In
this variant of the first wrapping material, the exemplary
embodiment can thus be modified according to FIG. 1 such that the
bobbin 20 and the second wrapping material 21 are omitted. In this
exemplary embodiment the hot melt adhesive is applied so thickly
that on the one hand the susceptibility to shocks of the then
totally wrapped extrudate is reduced and also if necessary
fluctuations in diameter can be compensated for.
[0026] As a variant, as first wrapping material a greatly rippled
cellulose acetate tow can be used that is not mixed with a softener
such as triacetin and that is wrapped around the rod transverse to
the fiber direction. A wrapping can be carried out spirally such
as, e.g., with cigarillo production machines.
[0027] After the first wrapping material 18 has been brought into
the area of the extrudate 12, a second wrapping material 21, such
as, e.g., a conventional paper strip, is pulled off from a bobbin
20 and also applied on the outside of the first wrapping material.
After both the first wrapping material and the second wrapping
material or only the first wrapping material in the exemplary
embodiment with the hot melt adhesive that is applied to a thick,
soft paper, is brought into contact with the extrudate 12, it is
fed to a rod maker 15, e.g., of the type KDF 2E of the applicant.
In this rod maker the first and/or second wrapping material is
wound around the extrudate. Subsequently, the wrapped extrudate is
cut into filters 16 by means of a knife device that is a component
of each machine of type KDF. As a rule, these filters 16 are of
multiple unit lengths and are then joined to cut tobacco rods in a
filter tipping machine, e.g., a MAX 80E of the applicant, and
processed to form filter cigarettes or they are divided into filter
segments and processed with filter sections of the same or
different type to form multi-segment filters.
[0028] FIG. 2 shows a cross section through a filter 16 according
to the invention or a filter segment 24 according to the invention.
The filter 16 or the filter segment 24 comprises a filter core 22,
the first wrapping material 18 and the second wrapping material 21.
The first and second wrapping material can also be provided with
perforation holes in the course of further processing.
[0029] FIG. 3 shows another exemplary embodiment of a device by
means of which a different process sequence is rendered
possible.
[0030] As described above, an extrudate 11 is produced by means of
an extrusion press 10, conveyed in the longitudinal axial direction
25 and processed in a processing device 14 to form a processed
extrudate or filter core rod 12. The first wrapping material can
now, e.g., by means of a melting bath 23 through which the filter
core rod 12 is guided, be applied to this or wrapped around it. For
example a hot melt adhesive that is located in the melting bath 23
is also suitable as the first wrapping material. A round nozzle 26
arranged behind it ensures that the hot melt adhesive and thus the
wrapped filter core rod 12 is brought to the desired diameter. As a
further alternative, instead of the melting bath 23 a further
extrusion press can be provided (not shown in FIG. 3) that is used
to apply a layer of hot melt adhesive around the filter core rod 12
in the manner of a cable insulation. Subsequently, as already shown
in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, a second wrapping material
21 is pulled off from a bobbin 20 and brought into the area of the
filter core rod 12 wrapped with the first wrapping material in
order to then wrap by means of a rod maker 15 the second wrapping
material 21 around the filter core rod 12 provided with the first
wrapping material 18. Subsequently, filter elements 24 or filter
segments 24 are cut off from the rod.
[0031] List of Reference Numbers
[0032] 10 Extrusion press
[0033] 11 Extrudate
[0034] 12 Filter core rod
[0035] 14 Processing device
[0036] 15 Rod maker
[0037] 16 Filter
[0038] 17 1.sup.st bobbin
[0039] 18 1.sup.st wrapping material
[0040] 20 2.sup.nd bobbin
[0041] 21 2.sup.nd wrapping material
[0042] 22 Filter core
[0043] 23 Melting bath
[0044] 24 Filter element
[0045] 25 Longitudinal axial direction
[0046] 26 Round nozzle
* * * * *