Adjustable Filtering Device For Smoking Articles

Abstract

This invention relates to a means for filtering the smoke in cigars, cigarettes and the like by means of an adjustable filter which may be compressed to provide maximum filtration or partially compressed to effect a lesser filtration of the smoke.

Description

The present invention offers an improvement over known methods of effecting wet filtration of tobacco smoke, and is especially directed toward a means for governing the extent of such filtration, to suit the preference of the individual smoker.

The present invention used certain features set forth in U.S. Patent No. 3,366,121 and in copending applications, Serial Nos. 662,920, filed Aug. 27, l967, now U.S. Patent No. 3,502,084 and 680,837, filed Nov. 6, 1967, now U.S. Patent No. 3,515,859, all of which have been assigned to and are owned in their entirety by the assignee hereof. In all of said applications there is taught the use of containers having fluid content in combination with compressed absorbent, expansible material, said material being activated by the rupture of said containers to release the moisture content thereof and to cause absorption of the fluid by the sponge material and the consequent expansion of the latter.

The principle of using a wet filter to entrap certain combustion products resulting from the burning of tobacco is extended by this invention through the provision of means for telescopic compression of the filter element to reduce the permeability of the moistened sponge material, thus forcing all smoke to be drawn through the sponge and not around it.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the filter device of the present invention attached to a cigarette;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the two parts of the housing;

FIG. 3 is a cross section taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is the view of FIG. 3 after compression of the projecting portion of the filter rod to force the same into the end of the housing.

With more particular reference to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate corresponding parts in all views,

In FIG. 1 there is shown a filter device 10 attached to cigarette 11, with housing 12 severed at 13 to create an annular member 14 surrounding the end of the filter member 15.

The view of FIG. 2 shows housing 12 and member 14 in cross section.

In FIG. 3, projecting filter member 15 and filter member 16 are shown within opposite ends of the housing 12 and disposed therebetween, sponge material 17 and hollow bodies 18 partially filled with fluid 19.

FIG. 4 shows the cross section of FIG. 3 after compression of the filter to force filter member 15 into the housing 12, rupturing the fluid containers and releasing their contents into sponge 17 to cause expansion thereof.

In operation, the filter is activated by the removal of the annular member 14 and pressure of the filter rod at the smoker's end of the filter, to force said rod into the housing, thus by such force causing the rupture of the fluid containers and the release of their contents into the adjacent sponge material which, being compressed and absorbent, is caused to expand when moistened and thereby fills the space previously occupied by the dry sponge and the fluid containers. Such expansion, however, is limited by the reduction in the space within the housing when said filter rod is forced into the end of the housing, so that the closely packed moistened sponge material prevents any smoke from traveling through the filter without being subjected to the moistening and filtering effect of the sponge, to cool the smoke and entrap among the sponge material certain particulate matter which would otherwise pass through the filter and into the smoker's mouth.

For a smoker who desires maximum filtration of the smoke, the projecting filter rod is pressed all the way into the housing so that the outer end of the filter rod is flush with the end of the housing.

For other smokers who desire less than maximum filtration, the tobacco rod may be pressed into the housing only part of the way so that the sponge material is less closely packed.

As one of the steps in the manufacture of the filter, and in conformity with the general practice of making double length filters for simultaneous attachment to two tobacco rods at opposite ends of the filter and subsequent separation at the center thereof, cutting means are suggested for severing the filter housing at points opposite and equidistant from the center of the double length filter, and other cutting means for severing the housing and the filter rod at the center point between the two halves of the double length filter.

The suggested cutting of the filter housing leaves an annular part 14 thereof severed from the housing 12 but surrounding the outer end of the filter rod 15. Such annular member serves to protect the device from premature or inadvertent compression of the filter rod.

In preparing to smoke a cigarette having attached thereto the filter device of the present invention, the severed annular member 14 is removed and the projecting end of the filter rod is pressed telescopically into the housing, thus rupturing the fluid containers 18 and releasing the contents 19 thereof into the sponge material 17. Continued pressure upon the filter rod reduces the space available to accommodate the moistened sponge, thereby increasing the filtering effectiveness of said sponge, as above described.

Claims

The invention having been thus disclosed, what I claim is:

1. In a filter for smoking devices having a substantially cylindrical housing and disposed within each end thereof a conventional filter rod, and disposed between and in contact with said filter rods, compressed absorbent, expansible sponge material, and at least two rupturable containers having a fluid content, and longitudinally spaced from each other within said sponge material, the improvement of having one of said filter rods slidably fitted within one end of said cylindrical housing and projecting beyond the outer and thereof, whereby said one filter rod may be controllably pushed inwardly selective distances to vary the amount of compression on said sponge material to selectively control the rupturing of said containers in sequence.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said projecting end of said filter rod is protected by an annular member severed from said housing and surrounding said projecting end, said member being removed from said projecting end prior to the compression thereof into said housing.