U.S. patent application number 11/895005 was filed with the patent office on 2009-02-26 for cigarette filter.
Invention is credited to Eugene J. Higgins.
Application Number | 20090050168 11/895005 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40381019 |
Filed Date | 2009-02-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090050168 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Higgins; Eugene J. |
February 26, 2009 |
Cigarette filter
Abstract
Cigarette filter with an outer housing, an inner smoke channel
member, the outer housing being approximately cylindrical in shape,
the outer housing having an aperture on its first end that is
equivalent to the diameter of a standard cigarette, the outer
housing having an aperture on the second end that is approximately
one tenth of an inch in diameter, the second end also being
flattened so that the end view of the second end is approximately
rectangular, the interior of the outer housing capable of
frictionally retaining the inner smoke channel member, the inner
smoke channel member including a quarter of an inch diameter disk
that is frictionally retained by the inner diameter of the outer
housing, the disk including six evenly spaced radially placed
apertures, the smoke channel member disk apertures being
approximately three thousandths of an inch in diameter.
Inventors: |
Higgins; Eugene J.; (Berlin,
NJ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
EUGENE J. HIGGINS
13 Coleman Rd
Berlin
NJ
08009
US
|
Family ID: |
40381019 |
Appl. No.: |
11/895005 |
Filed: |
August 22, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
131/340 ;
131/339 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A24D 3/045 20130101;
A24F 13/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
131/340 ;
131/339 |
International
Class: |
A24D 3/04 20060101
A24D003/04 |
Claims
1. Cigarette filter comprising: an outer housing; an inner smoke
channel member; said outer housing being approximately cylindrical
in shape; said outer housing having an aperture on its first end
that is equivalent to the diameter of a standard cigarette; said
outer housing having an aperture on the second end that is
approximately one tenth of an inch in diameter; said second end
also being flattened so that the end view of said second end is
approximately rectangular; said interior of said outer housing
capable of frictionally retaining said inner smoke channel member;
said inner smoke channel member including a quarter of an inch
diameter disk that is frictionally retained by the inner diameter
of said outer housing; said disk including six evenly spaced
radially placed apertures; said smoke channel member disk apertures
being approximately three thousandths of an inch in diameter; said
inner smoke channel member disk including a first centrally located
post attached to said disk and directed toward the said first end
of said outer housing, said first post being approximately one
hundred an twenty thousandths of an inch in diameter and seventy
thousandths of an inch long; said inner smoke channel member disk
including a second centrally located post attached to said disk and
directed toward the said second end of said outer housing, said
second post being approximately one hundred thousandths of an inch
in diameter and two hundred thousandths of an inch long; and said
radially placed apertures being placed evenly along a two tenths of
an inch diameter.
2. Cigarette filter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said outer
housing is constructed of molded transparent plastic.
3. Cigarette filter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said smoke
channel member disk is approximately forty thousandths of an inch
thick.
4. Cigarette filter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said disk
apertures are each funnel shaped in cross section and where the
wide side of the said funnel shape is approximately forty
thousandths of an inch in diameter and the narrow side is
approximately three thousandths of an inch in diameter.
5. Cigarette filter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said disk is
placed approximately three hundred and eighty thousandths of an
inch from the said first end aperture of said outer housing.
6. Cigarette filter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said outer
housing is approximately one inch in overall length.
7. Cigarette filter as claimed in claim 1 wherein when a user
inhales and draws smoke from a cigarette into said outer housing
and through said six disk apertures, the action of pulling said
smoke through said small apertures compresses said smoke and
thereby decreases the temperature of said expelled smoke causing
suspended tar and nicotine residing in said smoke to be forced out
of said smoke and to be deposited on the inner walls of said outer
housing thereby preventing ninety percent of said tar and nicotine
of said smoke from entering said user's lungs.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not Applicable
DESCRIPTION OF ATTACHED APPENDIX
[0003] Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] This invention relates generally to the field of gas
filtering devices and more specifically to a cigarette filter.
[0005] Cigarettes have been in use for over one hundred years. They
consist of dried and shredded tobacco leaves wrapped in a paper
cylinder and are smoked by millions of people worldwide.
[0006] In recent years, it has been proven beyond a doubt that the
tar and nicotine contained in cigarette smoke is very harmful to
the smoker's health. Cigarette companies have placed filters on
some cigarette brands, but they do little to remove the bulk of tar
and nicotine.
[0007] Since the desire for nicotine is habit forming, it is
difficult for smokers to quite smoking. Various ways to cut down on
smoking have been introduced into the market place in recent years,
including the wearing of a nicotine patch that can be worn on the
user's skin so that the user can retain access to the habit forming
nicotine without inhaling harmful cigarette smoke.
[0008] However, there is a deficiency in the prior technology in
that many smokers also find the act of smoking itself to be habit
forming. Therefore many smokers continue to smoke due to the
relaxing effect associated with the ritual of lighting up a
cigarette.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The primary object of the invention is to provide a
cigarette filter that easily attaches to most standard
cigarettes.
[0010] Another object of the invention is to provide a cigarette
filter that removes over ninety percent of tar and nicotine from
cigarette smoke.
[0011] Another object of the invention is to provide a cigarette
filter that can be used up to five times on five cigarettes before
needing to be replaced.
[0012] A further object of the invention is to provide a cigarette
filter that is easy and economical to manufacture.
[0013] Yet another object of the invention is to provide a
cigarette filter that allows the user to see the tar and nicotine
that has been removed from cigarette smoke.
[0014] Still yet another object of the invention is to provide a
cigarette filter that removes tar and nicotine but does not affect
the taste of the cigarette being smoked.
[0015] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in
connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of
illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is
disclosed.
[0016] In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention,
there is disclosed cigarette filter comprising: an outer housing,
an inner smoke channel member, said outer housing being
approximately cylindrical in shape, said outer housing having an
aperture on its first end that is equivalent to the diameter of a
standard cigarette, said outer housing having an aperture on the
second end that is approximately one tenth of an inch in diameter,
said second end also being flattened so that the end view of said
second end is approximately rectangular, said interior of said
outer housing capable of frictionally retaining said inner smoke
channel member, said inner smoke channel member including a quarter
of an inch diameter disk that is frictionally retained by the inner
diameter of said outer housing, said disk including six evenly
spaced radially placed apertures, said smoke channel member disk
apertures being approximately three thousandths of an inch in
diameter, said inner smoke channel member disk including a first
centrally located post attached to said disk and directed toward
the said first end of said outer housing, said first post being
approximately one hundred an twenty thousandths of an inch in
diameter and seventy thousandths of an inch long, said inner smoke
channel member disk including a second centrally located post
attached to said disk and directed toward the said second end of
said outer housing, said second post * being approximately one
hundred thousandths of an inch in diameter and two hundred
thousandths of an inch long, and said radially placed apertures
being placed evenly along the surface of said disk on a two tenths
of an inch diameter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The drawings constitute a part of this specification and
include exemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be
embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some
instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated
or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention.
[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention.
[0019] FIG. 2 is a side section view of the invention.
[0020] FIG. 3 is a first end view of the invention.
[0021] FIG. 4 is a second end view of the invention.
[0022] FIG. 5 is a side section view of an alternate embodiment of
the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0023] Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are
provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present
invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific
details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but
rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for
teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in
virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or
manner.
[0024] Referring now to FIG. 1 we see a perspective view of the
cigarette filter of the present invention. The invention is
comprised of an outer housing 2 and an inner smoke channeling
member 4 shown internally as represented by dotted line outline.
The outer housing 2 is made of injection molded plastic such as
polycarbonate. It is comprised of a first end 18 that whose inner
diameter 8 is equivalent to the diameter of a standard cigarette,
and a second end 20 which interfaces with the users mouth and whose
inner diameter 10 is approximately one tenth of an inch in
diameter. The second end 20 is flattened 21, 23 to allow for easier
holding in a user's lips and teeth. The inner smoke channeling
member 4 is made of injection molded plastic such as polypropylene.
It includes a disk shape approximately one quarter of an inch in
diameter having six radially placed apertures 6 that channel the
inhaled smoke from the cigarette to the opposite side of the disk 4
and finally into the user's mouth and lungs.
[0025] FIG. 2 shows a side section view of the outer housing 2 and
the inner smoke channeling member 6 as indicated by section line 40
shown in FIG. 3. The apertures 6 in disk 4 are funnel shaped. The
disk 4 thickness is approximately forty thousandths of an inch. The
funnel shaped apertures have approximately a forty thousandths of
an inch diameter on the wide side and a three thousandths of an
inch diameter on the narrow side. My experiments have shown that
the six apertures 6 each having a three thousandths of an inch
diameter produce the ideal amount of smoke compression effect and
smoke flow that causes the channeled smoke to rapidly cool thereby
causing tar and nicotine to be displaced from the smoke stream and
to be deposited on the inner walls of outer housing 2. The result
is that over ninety percent of tar and nicotine is trapped within
the filter of the present invention and does not travel into the
user's mouth, throat and lungs thereby dramatically reducing the
health risks of smoking. The user still receives the physiological
relaxing benefits and the normal cigarette taste associated with
the act of smoking, while minimizing the health dangers associated
with smoking. The filter of the present invention is intended to be
used as a tool to help a person on his or her way to quite smoking.
My experiments have shown that the filter of the present invention
can be used up to five times on five different cigarettes before it
becomes so saturated with tar and nicotine that it needs to be
replaced. Because of the simple design and easy molding process of
the outer housing 2 and the inner smoke channel member 4, the
filter of the present invention is inexpensive to manufacture and
therefore economical for the end user to purchase. In the preferred
embodiment, the outer housing 2 is molded of transparent plastic so
that the user can easily see the brown colored tar and nicotine
that is being trapped within the filter.
[0026] Continuing to refer to the inner smoke channel member in
FIG. 2, a first post 14 is centrally attached to the disk 4 and
points towards the first end 18 of the outer housing. Its diameter
is approximately one hundred and twenty thousandths of an inch and
its length is approximately seventy thousandths of an inch. A
second post 12 points towards the second end 20 of the outer
housing. Its diameter is approximately one hundred thousandths of
an inch and its length is approximately two hundred thousandths of
an inch. These posts 14, 12 help direct the flow of inhaled smoke
and increase the compression and displacement effect of removing
tar and nicotine from the smoke stream. The funnel shaped apertures
6 are spaced evenly on the disk 4 along a two tenths of an inch
diameter ark. The distance from the smoke channeling disk member 4
and the tip of first end 18 is approximately three hundred and
eighty thousandths of an inch as shown by dimension line 52. The
overall length of outer housing 2 is approximately one inch as
shown by dimension line 54. The chamfer 19 located on the inner
diameter 8 of the outer housing 2 allows the user to easily insert
a standard cigarette into aperture 8
[0027] FIG. 3 is an end view of first end 18. The six equally
spaced apertures 6 in disk 4 can be clearly seen. FIG. 4 shows an
end view of the second end 20 of outer housing 2. Flattened
portions 16 can be clearly seen as well as smoke exit aperture
10.
[0028] FIG. 5 shows an alternate embodiment of the cigarette filter
of the present invention 200 where the outer housing is lengthened
to accommodate a space for activated charcoal granules 208. The
granules are retained by perforated disks 204, 206. The addition of
activated charcoal into the filter can further remove unwanted
particulate matter from the smoke stream as the user inhales the
cigarette smoke.
[0029] While the invention has been described in connection with a
preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the
invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it
is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and
equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the
invention as defined by the appended claims.
* * * * *