Cigarette Smoking Means

Abstract

A cigarette unit having a tobacco filled cigarette body portion including a tubular thin walled filter core portion embedded coaxially in the tobacco of the cigarette body, extending coextensive therewith, and formed of thin combustible paper material, burning away as the cigarette is smoked. The cigarette unit has a filter tip portion including a filter mass and a trap socket recess to catch liquid condensate and impurities of combustion of a burning cigarette. The invention preferably further includes a match detachably fitted in the forward interior of the tubular filter core of the cigarette body and a striking surface formed on the exterior surface of a cigarette package for igniting a match in lighting a cigarette.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to personal cigarette smoking apparatus generally and particularly relates to filter type cigarettes and to match means for lighting cigarettes.

2. Description of the Prior Art

At the present time, a large campaign is underway publicizing the harmful physiological effects resulting from smoking tobacco; the current anti-smoking effort particularly publicizes the potential dangers of cigarette smoking. Although most cigarette smokers recognize the potential ill-effects of smoking and many may give up the habit, a great number are so addicted to the tobacco habit that they may not reduce or stop smoking. In order to reduce the harmful effects of tobacco usage, a user may not inhale the tobacco smoke during smoking or may smoke cigarettes having filter means for filtering out nicotine and other harmful substances of combustion. Many of the prior art filter cigarettes filter out a major portion of the harmful tobacco substances, however, there is significant continual effort underway to increase the efficiency of filtering without adversely affecting the so-called tobacco taste craved by the cigarette smoker. A problem of particular import in the design of a filter cigarette is the problem of dealing with the moisture of combustion of a burning cigarette. Such moisture is drawn toward the mouthpiece end of the cigarette during the smoking process and provides a medium causing adverse effect in carrying the harmful substances through the filter tip into the mouth and respiratory system of a smoker. Also, the rate and heat of combustion may be rather high in a cigarette smoked rapidly by a user and in such instances, the moisture of combustion may not evaporate but be drawn through the filter tip of the cigarette. The heat generated by a rapid burning cigarette may also cause a so-called hot smoke, familiar to the typical cigarette smoker.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The instant invention obviates many of the above-mentioned objectionable features in prior art filter cigarettes: The cigarette of the instant invention incorporates a feature for controlling the rate and heat of a cigarette during smoking. The perforated tubular core embedded axially in the tobacco body permits fresh air passage through the tobacco and slows the burning process during rapid or intense puffing of a cigarette. The tubular core structure of the cigarette also provides conduit means for conducting the moisture of combustion rearwardly and toward a chamber in the tip section of a cigarette. The moisture is trapped in the chamber and does not serve as a medium for carrying the harmful tobacco substances into the mouth or respiratory system of a smoker. A cooler smoke is also afforded by mixing fresh air with combustion air as the cigarette is smoked. Further advantages in the cigarette of this invention is afforded through the fact that a cigarette of conventional size and shape may be fabricated using less tobacco material than a conventional cigarette of comparative form. A lesser quantity of tobacco in each cigarette results in the generation during combustion of a less amount of nicotine and harmful substances and also affords increased economy in manufacture. An ancillary but desirable feature afforded in the design of the instant invention is that feature whereby an ignition match element may be inserted in the tubular filter core of the cigarette and provide match means for igniting the cigarette; a friction surface also preferably is provided on the cigarette package, affording convenient striking surface means for striking the match in smoking the cigarette.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a sectionalized perspective view of a cigarette-match combination of the instant invention, illustrating the match in a disposition displaced from the cigarette;

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken as on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectionalized view taken as on the line 3--3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cigarette package means of the invention particularly showing the match-striking surface for lighting the cigarettes of the package.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred embodiment of the invention includes a plurality of cigarette-match units 12, 14 contained in a rectangular packaging enclosure 16 having a match-striking surface 18. The cigarette part 12 of the invention primarily includes a cylindrical mass of shredded tobacco 20 and a tubular perforated core 22 coaxially embedded in the tobacco 20 and forming a cigarette body section 24; a tip section 26 including a cylindrical filter mass 28 and a socket-strainer member 30, 32 coaxially fitted in the forward end of the filter 28; and cylindrical cigarette paper wrapper means 34 rolled around the body and tip sections 24, 26 and providing means unitarily supporting the cigarette structure. In a preferred manufacturing process, the body and tip sections 24 and 26 are individually formed and coaxially brought together, abutting at arrow indication 38 in FIG. 3; the coaxially arranged body and tip sections are secured in abutting relation by rolling the cigarette paper wrapper element 34 around the cylindrical sections 24 and 26 and sealing the wrapper edges together along a longitudinal seam 36.

The tubular perforated core 22 of the body section 24 is preferably formed of paper material having properties of combustion permitting uniform burning of the tubular core as the cigarette body is consumed in combustion. The plurality of perforations 40 in the tubular core 22 preferably are circumferentially and longitudinally uniformly spaced and if desired may be arranged in a plurality of equiangularly spaced longitudinal rows of perforations, as shown in the drawing.

The cylindrical filter mass 28 of the tip section 26 preferably is of unitary configuration, formed by combining a multiplicity of longitudinal fibers 42 defining interstitial structure permitting longitudinal passage of smoke and combustion gases through the filter. In certain applications of the invention the filter 28 may be formed of shredded tobacco. The socket-strainer member 30, 32 of the tip section 26 preferably is of integral form and with the strainer element 32 being concentrically arranged in external flange configuration, adjacent the forward terminus of the socket element 30. The socket opening 44 preferably is of cylindrical form and of diametric proportion corresponding with the inside diameter of the tubular filter core 22 of the body section 24. The socket opening 44 is arranged in abutting coaxial relation with the rearward terminus of the perforated core 22 and provides chamber means for receiving combustion moisture and harmful impurities generated as the cigarette is smoked.

The strainer portion 32 of the socket-strainer member 30, 32 is provided with a plurality of apertures 46 extending axially of the socket-strainer member and providing passageway means for the air and combustion gases passing rearwardly from the tobacco mass to the filter mass 28 of the cigarette. The circumferential periphery 48 of the strainer element 32 preferably is of smooth circular form and continuously engages the cylindrical interior surface 50 of the cigarette paper wrapper 34. The socket element 30 is received in an aperture 52 formed in the forward portion of the cylindrical filter mass 28; the outer surface 54 of the socket 30 preferably is frusto conical in form corresponding with the interior surface of the opening 52 and provides friction fit means for holding the socket-strainer member and filter mass 28 together and in forming the tip section.

In smoking the cigarette 12, fresh air is drawn into the forward opening 56 of the tubular filter core 22, as shown by the arrows 58; in puffing the cigarette, the fresh air mixes with the combustion gases of the burning cigarette progressively as the air is drawn rearwardly through the cigarette tip section; the longitudinally spaced series of arrows, generally indicated 58a, 58b, 58c, represent the outward passage of air through the perforations 40 as the cigarette is smoked. The mixture of fresh air and combustion gases permeating the tobacco mass 20 pass rearwardly through the apertures 46 of the annular strainer element 32, pass rearwardly through the filter mass 28 of the tip section and into the mouth of the smoker. The combustion moisture and liquid impurities are conducted rearwardly in the filter core 22, collected in the chamber 44, and discarded as waste as the cigarette butt is discarded.

The ignition match 14 includes a friction-ignition head portion 60 and a slender splint portion 62 transversely sized for slight friction fit in the forward interior of the tubular filter core 22; the match splint 62 is inserted in the opening 56 of the filter core 22 with only the head portion protruding, permitting finger retraction of the match and its use for lighting the cigarette; a user has only to remove the match 14 from the cigarette filter core strike the match on the striking surface 18 of the cigarette package and ignite the cigarette in smoking.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention includes cigarette lighting means including a match 14 in a cigarette 12, and a striking surface 18 on a cigarette package, it will be understood that the use of the cigarette lighting means is optional and it is contemplated that in certain applications of the invention that the cigarettes 12 will be packaged and marketed without the cigarette lighting structure.

While the instant invention is shown in an embodiment presently considered as being a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that certain changes and modification may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. Cigarette smoking means including a cigarette unit having a forward and rearward end, comprising a body section including a cylindrical particulate tobacco mass and primary filter means including a perforated tubular core co-axially embedded in and extending the full length of said tobacco mass; a tip section including secondary filter means including a cylindrical filter mass of material having property only slightly resistant to air passage, and a socket element coaxially fitted in the forward end portion of said filter mass defining a forward opening socket opening; and cylindrical wrapping means of cigarette paper material, rolled around said tobacco mass, coaxially joining said body section and tip section together with the opening of said socket element directly communicating with the rearward end opening of said tubular filter core of said primary filter means; said cigarette unit additionally including a perforated annular strainer element concentrically engaging said socket element, interposed between and engaging end portions respectively of said cylindrical tobacco mass and filter mass, and having a plurality of axial apertures intermittently spaced about the circumferential extension of said annular element, defining passageway means communicating the interstitial structure of said cylindrical tobacco mass and filter mass respectively of the cigarette body section and tip section; the paper wrapping means of said cigarette unit extending longitudinally substantially fully the combined lengths of said body section and tip section, said socket element of the tip section of said cigarette unit and said strainer element thereof being of integral form defining a socket-strainer member, said strainer element of said socket-strainer member being of thin axially flattened configuration and is concentrically joined flange-like with said socket element adjacent the forward opening thereof.

2. Cigarette smoking means as set forth in claim 1 wherein the circumferential periphery of said strainer element of said socket-strainer member substantially continuously intersects the circumferential interior surface of said cigarette paper wrapping means.

3. Cigarette smoking means as set forth in claim 2 which additionally includes cigarette lighting means including a match having a friction ignition head portion and a slender splint portion transversely sized for slight friction fit in the forward tubular interior of said filter core of said cigarette body section and defining a cigarette-match unit; the match being detachably engaged with the cigarette with the splint portion being removably inserted in the forward open end of said filter core with the head portion only protruding, permitting finger extraction of the match and use in lighting the cigarette.

4. Cigarette smoking means as set forth in claim 3 including a plurality of cigarette-match units, packaging wall means defining a rectangular enclosure receiving the plurality of cigarette-match units, and striking surface means formed on an exterior surface of said enclosure for use in friction-igniting the match of a cigarette-match unit for lighting and smoking the cigarette of that unit.