U.S. patent application number 13/853034 was filed with the patent office on 2014-02-20 for cooling filter for cigarettes and smoking articles.
This patent application is currently assigned to Borealis Technical Limited. The applicant listed for this patent is Borealis Technical Limited. Invention is credited to Rodney T. Cox.
Application Number | 20140048085 13/853034 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50099178 |
Filed Date | 2014-02-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140048085 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cox; Rodney T. |
February 20, 2014 |
COOLING FILTER FOR CIGARETTES AND SMOKING ARTICLES
Abstract
An integral cooling and filtering device designed to be fitted
on a smoking end of a cigarette or other smoking article is
provided to reduce the temperature of smoke produced by combustion
of smoking material and to filter the cooled smoke prior to contact
with a smoker's mouth. The device is configured with a receptacle
to hold a cigarette or like smoking article and a mouthpiece
section that directly contacts the smoker's mouth. A cooling
section and a filter section are positioned between the receptacle
and the mouthpiece section. Temperature reduction of the smoke is
provided by a thermionic cooling means. The filter section can
include a substantially permanent cleanable filter or a replaceable
filter. The mouthpiece section may be a heat-resistant metal, a
plastic, or another appropriate mouth contact material, while the
receptacle and cooling and filtering sections are preferably formed
of a suitable metal.
Inventors: |
Cox; Rodney T.; (North
Plains, OR) |
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Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Borealis Technical Limited; |
|
|
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Borealis Technical Limited
London
GB
|
Family ID: |
50099178 |
Appl. No.: |
13/853034 |
Filed: |
March 28, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61617034 |
Mar 28, 2012 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
131/187 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A24D 3/046 20130101;
A24F 13/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
131/187 |
International
Class: |
A24D 3/04 20060101
A24D003/04 |
Claims
1. A device for cooling and filtering smoke produced by the
combustion of a material to be smoked comprising a. receptacle
means for receiving and holding a smoking article including a
combustible smoking material to be burned to produce smoke and
smoked by a smoker; b. cooling means in heat transfer contact with
smoke produced by burning said smoking material designed to
transfer heat from said smoke, thereby cooling said smoke; c.
filter means positioned in filtering contact with smoke cooled by
said cooling means and configured to trap undesirable constituents
desired to be removed from the cooled smoke; and d. mouthpiece
means connected to said filter means for directing cooled and
filtered smoke to a smoker's mouth.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein said cooling means comprises
thermionic cooling means sized to be positioned within a cooling
section of said device between said receptacle means and said
filter means.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein said receptacle means and said
filter means are formed of a metal.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein said filter means comprises a
removable, cleanable element.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein said mouthpiece means is formed
of a heat-resistant plastic material.
6. The device of claim 2, wherein said thermionic cooling device
comprises a thermotunneling gap diode.
7. The device of claim 1, wherein said receptacle means, said
cooling means, said filter means, and said mouthpiece means are
formed as an integral structure designed to be used for a period of
time and then discarded.
8. The device of claim 1, wherein said cooling means is removably
connected to said receptacle means and to said filter means and
said filter means is removably connected to said cooling means and
to said mouthpiece means, whereby said receptacle means, said
cooling means, said filter means, and said mouthpiece means can be
separated from each other for cleaning or replacement.
9. The device of claim 1, wherein said smoking article is selected
from the group comprising cigarettes and cigars and said receptacle
means is sized to hold said selected smoking article.
10. The device of claim 1, wherein said smoking article comprises a
pipe and said receptacle means is modified to connect the cooling
and filtering device to a stem of said pipe.
11. A device for cooling and filtering combustible smoking material
in a smoking article comprising: a. a receptacle sized to receive
and hold a smoking article comprising combustible smoking material
selected to be smoked by a smoker of said smoking article; b. a
cooling section comprising thermionic cooling means in heat
transfer contact with smoke produced by burning said combustible
smoking material in said smoking article and designed to transfer
heat from said smoke; c. a filter element positioned in filtering
contact with smoke cooled by said thermionic cooling means and
configured to trap undesirable constituents desired to be removed
from the cooled smoke; and d. a mouthpiece connected at one end to
said filter and shaped at an opposite end to be held in a smoker's
mouth, wherein said receptacle, said cooling section, said filter
element, and said mouthpiece are all configured to direct the
passage of smoke from said smoking article to the smoker's
mouth.
12. The device of claim 11, wherein said thermionic cooling means
comprises a pair of nanoscale-sized electrodes separated by spacers
to create a gap therebetween, a first active area in heat transfer
contact with smoke to be cooled and one of said pair of electrodes,
and a second active area in heat transfer contact with another of
said pair of electrodes, wherein said second active area comprises
a heat sink.
13. The device of claim 12, further comprising a heat activated
nano-sized battery in contact with one of said pair of
electrodes.
14. The device of claim 11, wherein said filter element comprises a
filter element that is reusable or a filter element that is
disposable.
15. The device of claim 11, wherein said receptacle, said cooling
section and said filter element comprise a heat resistant metal and
said mouthpiece comprises a plastic material.
16. The device of claim 11, wherein said receptacle is connected to
said cooling section, said cooling section is connected to said
filter element, and said filter element is connected to said
mouthpiece by mating threaded connections.
17. The device of claim 11, wherein said receptacle, said cooling
section, said filter element, and said mouthpiece are formed as an
integral structure designed to be used for a period of time and
then discarded.
18. The device of claim 11, wherein said receptacle is sized to
hold smoking articles comprising cigarettes, cigars, pipes, or
hookahs.
Description
PRIORITY CLAIM
[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 61/617,034, filed Mar. 28, 2012, the
disclosure of which is fully incorporated herein.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND
[0002] The present invention relates generally to filtering
elements and devices for cigarettes and other smoking articles,
including cigars, pipes, and the like, and specifically to a filter
element designed specifically to effectively cool hot combustion
products produced by burning the smoking material in the cigarette
or other smoking article and effectively filter undesirable
constituents from the smoke.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Although the number has decreased in recent years, a sizable
portion of the world's population smokes cigarettes and other
smoking articles and/or devices, including cigars, pipes, and
hookas. Advances in the manufacture of cigarettes and other smoking
articles have reduced the levels of tar, nicotine, and other
harmful components produced by burning tobacco. Efforts to achieve
further reductions of these substances have encompassed a range of
approaches from modifications in the tobacco itself to changes in
the cigarettes and other articles being smoked.
[0004] Filters have long been used on cigarettes to reduce the tar
and nicotine in the smoke that actually reaches a smoker's mouth.
These constituents of tobacco smoke are, ideally, adsorbed or
trapped by the filter material so that the smoke inhaled by the
smoker contains only what has not been adsorbed or trapped. A
recent study, however, indicated that high temperatures present in
the filter, especially during frequent puffing and while the
cigarette is smoldering, can negatively affect adsorption of smoke
constituents. In addition, adsorbed smoke constituents were also
partly desorbed when filters contained carbon. Low tar cigarettes,
in particular, demonstrated a significant temperature rise when
smoked under intense conditions equated with frequent puffing.
[0005] Holders for cigarettes and cigars have long been available.
Such holders have ranged from a relatively simple extension of an
unfiltered cigarette that prevented the smoker from contact with
loose tobacco to more complex structures capable of filtering the
smoke. Some of these commercially available holders are intended to
function as permanent filters with metal components that can be
cleaned. Others include a replaceable disposable filter element. A
holder for cigarettes and cigars is described in U.S. Pat. No.
3,323,525 to Miller that includes a heat resistant metal tubular
sleeve that holds the cigarette or cigar and a plastic mouthpiece
adapted to be held in a smoker's mouth. A series of passageways in
the holder is positioned to draw outside air into the holder to
reduce the temperature of the tobacco combustion products, thereby
reducing the amount of tar that passes through the holder to the
smoker's mouth. If the passageways become clogged with deposits of
tar or other combustion products, however, effective cooling and
tar reduction are not likely to occur.
[0006] Various modifications to cigarettes, primarily to cigarette
filters, have been proposed to enhance the adsorption of harmful
and undesirable smoke constituents. For example, in U.S. Pat. No.
4,865,056, Tamaoki et al describes a water-filled breakable capsule
in a filter end of a cigarette, preferably positioned between a
pair of filter elements, one of which is formed of hydrophobic
fibers. The capsule is broken by squeezing the area of the
cigarette above the capsule, which releases the water to impregnate
the filter material. Since nicotine and tar are water soluble, they
are dissolved in the wet filter when the cigarette is lighted and
smoke is inhaled through the filter. Cooling the filter material is
not mentioned. Dube et al, in U.S. Patent Publication No.
US2011/0023896, describes a filtered cigarette with breakable
capsules that can contain moistening or cooling agents. These
moistening and/or cooling agents, however, are disclosed to be
eucalyptus and menthol, which do not have an actual cooling effect
on the filter itself.
[0007] Niederman describes the cooling of smoke in advance of
filtration to obtain more complete filtering in U.S. Pat. No.
2,827,903. A metal foil radiating device with a series of small
passages is provided within the cigarette so that heat in the smoke
is transferred to the metal foil and some of the objectionable
ingredients in the smoke are deposited in the passages before the
smoke enters the filter. This is indicated to direct cleaner, lower
temperature smoke to the filter. The placement of the metal
passages close to the circumference of the cigarette is stated to
allow heat to dissipate to the atmosphere through the cigarette
wrapper. Heat dissipation is not likely to occur as effectively if
the metal passages must be located close to the interior of the
cigarette. Starbuck et al describe a heat sink structure
incorporated within the body of a cigarette in U.S. Pat. No.
3,494,366 that can be used to cool and remove impurities by
condensation from smoke in filtered and unfiltered cigarettes. This
disposable structure is made from a fine metallic wire coiled to
form a disc-like wafer. While the arrangements described in these
patents provide some cooling and adsorption of harmful smoke
constituents, they do not dissipate heat effectively and, thus, are
not likely to maintain the ability to cool smoke effectively prior
to filtering during the entire time a cigarette is burning and
being smoked.
[0008] There is a need, therefore, for a more effective cooling and
filtering device capable of significantly reducing the temperature
of smoke in a cigarette or other smoking article or device and
maintaining a reduced temperature during substantially the entire
time the cigarette is burning and being smoked, thereby enhancing
the removal of undesirable smoke constituents by a filter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] It is a primary object of the present invention, therefore,
to provide a cooling and filtering device for cigarettes and other
smoking articles and devices that is capable of significantly
reducing the temperature of smoke in the cigarette or smoking
article and maintaining the reduced temperature during
substantially the entire time smoke is produced by the cigarette or
smoking article.
[0010] It is another object of the present invention to provide an
integral cooling and filtering device for cigarettes and other
smoking articles and devices that maintains an internal temperature
that is low enough to optimize the removal of undesirable and
harmful constituents of smoke during substantially the entire time
the cigarette or smoking article is burning.
[0011] It is an additional object of the present invention to
provide an integral cooling and filtering device useful for both
filtered or unfiltered cigarettes and other smoking articles that
employs a filter with an active cooling device to maintain the
temperature of smoke produced by the cigarette at an optimally cool
temperature to enhance removal of undesirable components of
smoke.
[0012] It is a further object of the present invention to provide
an integral cooling and filtering device for cigarettes and other
smoking articles and devices that employs a metal filter and a
thermionic cooling device to maintain smoke produced by the
cigarette or smoking article at an optimal temperature for removing
undesirable and harmful constituents from smoke.
[0013] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide
a cooling and filtering device for cigarettes and other smoking
articles that can be configured either to be permanent with proper
cleaning or to be disposable.
[0014] It is yet a further object of the present invention to
provide an integral cooling and filtering device useful with a wide
range of smoking devices to effectively cool and filter the
combustion products of the material being smoked and to maintain
the temperature of the these products at an optimum temperature for
preventing undesirable and harmful constituents from reaching a
smoker.
[0015] The aforesaid objects are achieved by providing an integral
cooling and filtering device designed to be fitted on an end of a
cigarette or other smoking article to reduce the temperature of
smoke produced by the combustion of the smoking material and to
filter the cooled smoke prior to contact with a smoker. The device
is configured with a receptacle to hold a cigarette or like smoking
article and with a mouthpiece section that directly contacts the
smoker's mouth. A cooling section and a filter section are
positioned between the receptacle and the mouthpiece section.
Temperature reduction and cooling of the smoke is provided by a
thermionic cooling means. The filter section can include a
substantially permanent cleanable filter or a replaceable filter.
The mouthpiece section may be a heat-resistant metal, plastic, or
another appropriate mouth contact material, while the receptacle
and cooling and filtering sections are preferably formed of a
suitable metal.
[0016] Other aspects of the cooling filter of the present invention
will become apparent from the following description, drawings, and
claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a
cooling filter in accordance with the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a thermionic cooling means
for cooling combustion products of smoking materials in the cooling
filter of the present invention; and
[0019] FIG. 3 is a schematic longitudinal cross-section of a
cooling filter in accordance with the present invention with a
cigarette in place showing the path of smoke through the cooling
filter.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0020] Depending on the kind of smoking material being smoked and
the puffing intensity with which smoking occurs, the temperature
inside commonly available cigarette filters has been found to range
from about 25.degree. C. (77.degree. F.) to about 100.degree. C.
(212.degree. F.). At temperatures in these ranges, undesirable and
harmful constituents intended to be removed from cigarette smoke
may be initially removed by widely used filter material, but may
then be partly desorbed from the filter material and returned to
the smoke. Reducing the temperature of the burning portion of a
cigarette or similar smoking article has been indicated to cause a
reduction in the production of harmful tars. Cooling the smoke
should also enhance adsorption of undesirable smoke constituents by
a cigarette filter as well as prevent the desorption of these
constituents that results from the high temperatures reached in the
filter. As noted above, available filtering and cooling devices for
smoking articles have drawbacks. The cooling and filtering device
for cigarettes and similar smoking articles of the present
invention overcomes these drawbacks and presents an efficient,
reliable cooling and filtering device capable of producing and
maintaining an optimum temperature to enhance removal of
undesirable and harmful constituents from the combustion of smoking
materials.
[0021] Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates schematically
a longitudinal cross-section of a cooling filter 10 according to
the present invention. This cooling filter 10 is intended to be
fitted on an end of a cigarette or similar smoking article, as
shown in FIG. 3, and to be inserted into the mouth of a smoker. The
cooling filter 10 includes a receptacle 12 with an opening 13
having a diameter d that is sized to receive a typically sized
cigarette. The edges of the opening can be substantially parallel
or slightly flared, as shown in FIG. 1, and could include ribs (not
shown) or other suitable structure to hold the cigarette more
securely within the receptacle. Some small cigars may also have
diameters similar to those of cigarettes and will fit into the
receptacle 12 when diameter d has been selected to accommodate
cigarettes. The cooling filter of the present invention can be
formed with a different diameter d having a size selected to hold
cigars or any other smoking article. The length l of the receptacle
12 should be selected so that enough of the cigarette or other
smoking article will be securely supported within the receptacle
and will not fall out easily as the cigarette or other smoking
article is smoked.
[0022] At an end opposite the receptacle 12, a mouthpiece section
14 is provided. The mouthpiece section 14 is designed to have a
shape that may be comfortably held in a smoker's mouth. Mouthpieces
with suitable shapes that achieve this function are available, and
a desired shape may be selected to form the mouthpiece section 14.
The length of the mouthpiece section does not affect the function
of the cooling filter, and a range of mouthpiece section lengths
may be used for the present cooling filter. A cooling section 16 is
located adjacent to the receptacle 12, and a filter section 18 is
located between the cooling section and the mouthpiece section
14.
[0023] The cooling filter of the present invention may be
constructed to be a substantially permanent, cleanable and reusable
device or a device that is intended to be used for a very limited
period of time and then discarded. If the cooling filter is
intended for limited use, the connections between the receptacle,
cooling section, filter section, and mouthpiece section,
designated, respectively, 11, 19, and 21, may be formed differently
than if reuse of the cooling filter is intended. The receptacle and
the other sections may be formed as an integral unit in a
disposable cooling filter, since they do not require separation for
cleaning or otherwise. If the cooling filter is intended to be a
substantially permanent, cleanable, and reusable device, the
respective connections 11, 19, and 21 between the receptacle,
cooling section, filter section, and mouthpiece section will be
formed to permit separation and detachment of these components for
easy access and cleaning. One convenient type of connection is a
threaded connection, wherein mating threads are provided on
adjacent sections, which are appropriately sized for threaded
engagement. Other separable connections, such as, for example,
press fitted configurations and releasable detents, are known and
may also be used for this purpose.
[0024] It is preferred that the receptacle, cooling section, and
filter section be made of a metal that is preferably heat
resistant, but is also capable of being configured to filter and
trap undesirable or harmful constituents of smoke and is
sufficiently lightweight to be held comfortably during smoking.
Aluminum is one suitable metal. Copper has been used to filter
smoke and may also be employed in the present invention. Any other
metal suitable for this purpose is also intended to be within the
scope of the present invention. The metal selected for the filter
section should readily trap tar, nicotine, and other undesirable
and/or harmful combustion products of tobacco and should, in
addition, be capable of being cleaned to remove these trapped
materials if the filter section is to be reusable and substantially
permanent. Alternatively, the receptacle and the filter section may
be formed of metal, and the cooling section and mouthpiece section
may be formed of a suitable plastic or like material. Other
combinations of materials are additionally intended to be within
the scope of the present invention.
[0025] The cooling section 16 employs a unique cooling device 20
that effectively reduces the temperature of the smoke and
combustion products of the tobacco or other smoking material in the
cigarette or like smoking article when the smoke passes through the
cooling section 16. This preferred cooling device, which employs
thermionic technology to cool the combustion products and smoke, is
shown schematically in FIG. 2. The cooling device 20 employs
nanotechnology and works on a subatomic level, using electron
migration to reduce heat. Electrons are moved across a gap, which
acts as an insulator, to trap heat on one side of the gap and to
prevent the return flow of heat by conduction. Devices which
accomplish this to produce cooling on a nanoscale are available
under the name COOL CHIPS.TM. These thermotunneling gap diode
devices, which function like microscopic heat pumps, are described
in U.S. Pat. No. 7,589,348 and European Patent Publication No.
1009958, both of which are owned in common with the present
invention and the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by
reference.
[0026] A representation of a gap diode device 20 suitable for use
in a cooling filter for cigarettes and other smoking articles
appears in FIG. 2. The device, which is small enough to fit within
the diameter of a typical cigarette, includes a pair of electrodes
22 and 24 separated by spacers 26 to create a gap 28 between the
electrodes, which are held together by a bond pad 30. An active
area 32, in heat transfer contact with electrode 22, represents
whatever is to be cooled, in the present invention smoke from a
burning cigarette or other smoking article. Another active area 34,
in heat transfer contact with electrode 24, represents a heat sink
to which heat is transferred, in the present invention preferably
at least one heat sink structure 15 within the cooling section 16.
The heat sink structure 15 should be located with respect to the
receptacle so that heat is not readily transferred to metal forming
the receptacle to avoid heating any part of the receptacle that is
likely to come into contact with a smoker's fingers. The location
of heat sink 15 shown in FIG. 1 is only one possible location.
Other locations may also be used effectively to lower the
temperature of the smoke passing through the filter device.
[0027] Heat transfer from the hot smoke 32 through the
thermotunneling gap diode 20 to the heat sink structure 15 follows
the path indicated by arrows 40, 42, and 44. The application of an
external voltage or an electric field is required to produce a
tunneling current and thus achieve the cooling described. This may
be accomplished, for example, by a heat activated nano-sized
battery 17 in contact with one of the electrodes 22 or 24 in the
thermotunneling gap diode 20. Other nanoscale structures sized to
fit within the cooling section 16 or in another convenient location
in the present device capable of applying an external voltage to
the gap diode 20 could also be employed.
[0028] The filter section 18 is preferably spaced a sufficient
distance from the cooling section gap diode 20 to ensure that the
smoke flowing into the filter section has been cooled and the
undesirable and harmful smoke constituents will be trapped in the
filter section and removed from the cooled smoke. As discussed
above, the filter section is preferably a filter element formed of
metal configured to trap these constituents. Filter configurations
able to trap tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide are available.
Filter sections with filter elements intended to be cleaned and
reused should also be configured so that they may be easily removed
from the cooling filter for cleaning and easily replaced after
cleaning. A wide range of filter configurations may be used to
effectively form the filter section of the present cooling filter.
The entire filter section 18 may be configured to function as a
filter element or, alternatively, a separate filter element (not
shown) may be positioned in the filter section to contact cooled
smoke from the cooling section 16.
[0029] FIG. 3 shows the cooling filter 10 of the present invention
with a cigarette 50 inserted into the opening 13 of the receptacle
12. The cigarette is lighted to start combustion of the tobacco or
other smoking material in the cigarette. As the smoker puffs on the
cigarette, smoke is drawn through the cigarette along a path
represented by arrow 52 into the receptacle portion of the cooling
filter 10 and into the cooling section 16. Hot smoke flowing
through the cooling section 16 will generally follow a path
represented by arrow 54 to contact the thermotunneling gap diode
cooling device 20. The hot smoke 54 contacts the cooling device 20,
and heat is removed, cooling the smoke to a temperature that will
enhance the removal of undesirable and harmful constituents of the
smoke. The cooled smoke, represented by arrow 56 flows from the
cooling section 16 to the filter section 18, where these
undesirable constituents are trapped and removed from the cooled
smoke before it flows into the mouthpiece section 14 along a path
represented by arrow 58 and then into the smoker's mouth.
[0030] The cooling and filtering device of the present invention
may be effectively used to cool filtered or unfiltered cigarettes.
When filtered cigarettes are inserted into the receptacle 12, the
smoke produced by the burning tobacco will be initially filtered by
the filter material that is attached to the cigarette, then cooled
by the cooling device 20, and further filtered by the filter
section 18 before entering a smoker's mouth. While the present
cooling and filtering device effectively cools and filters the
smoke produced by cigarettes, it can also be used to cool and
filter the smoke produced by cigars. In addition, the stem of a
pipe may be modified to insert a cooling section and a filtering
section to cool and filter the smoke from the pipe bowl before it
reaches the pipe mouthpiece and a smoker's mouth. Although hookas
and similar water pipes cool smoke with water, the mouthpiece end
of the hooka tubing may be also be modified to further cool and
filter the smoke produced by the hooka before it reaches a smoker's
mouth.
[0031] The smoking material most likely to be burned and the
combustion products cooled and filtered by the cooling filter of
the present invention will be tobacco. The present invention may
additionally be used to cool and filter the smoke from any type of
smoking material, such as, for example, marijuana that can be
smoked legally for medical reasons in some jurisdictions.
[0032] The present cooling filter for cigarettes and other smoking
articles has been described with respect to preferred embodiments.
Other, equivalent, structures and processes are also contemplated
to be within the scope of the present invention.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0033] The present invention will find its primary applicability
where it is desired to provide structure and method for
significantly reducing undesirable and harmful constituents
produced by the smoke generated by cigarettes and other smoking
articles and thereby reducing the levels of these constituents in
the smoke that contacts a smoker's mouth.
* * * * *