EP0308108A1

EP0308108A1 - Cigarette

Info

Publication number: EP0308108A1
Application number: EP88308111A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Urs Nyffeler
Original assignee: Fabriques de Tabac Reunies SA
Current assignee: Philip Morris Products SA
Priority date: 1987-09-16
Filing date: 1988-09-01
Publication date: 1989-03-22
Also published as: GB8721778D0

Abstract

Cigarettes yielding substantially less sidestream smoke components than conventional cigarettes with similar delivery have a total length of 50 to 70 mm, a filter (2) from 19 to 28 mm long and a tobacco rod (1) having a packing density of 270 to 320 mg/cm³. The filter is secured to the tobacco rod in conventional manner by tipping material (3), which is impervious to air if no ventilating air is to be admitted, or may be air-permeable or perforated if ventilation is desired, for example up to a level of 60%.

Description

The present invention relates to filter cigarettes having improved smoke characteristics.
Perhaps the most fundamental factor affecting the total yield of products of combustion during the smoking of a cigarette is the weight of tobacco contained in the cigarette. In the search for cigarette constructions having reduced delivery of various combustion products to the smoker, one measure adopted has been a reduction in the weight of tobacco present. Conventional cigarettes have dimensions ranging from 80-85 mm length and 7.5-8 mm diameter in the case of regular size cigarettes to 85-100 mm length and a similar diameter in the case of so-called "extra long" cigarettes. Most conventional cigarettes employ filler densities in the range 230 to 250mg/cm³.
One measure adopted to reduce the weight of tobacco is that of reducing the density of the filler. There have been many proposals for reducing the density of tobacco filler, for example, by using expanded tobacco, but these usually involve additional processes and complex technology.
Another measure which results in a reduction in the weight of tobacco is that of reducing one or more dimensions of the cigarette. This has been done, for example, by reducing the diameter to 5-7.5 mm while maintaining the length, as in "slim" cigarettes or by reducing both the length and diameter to 65-80 mm and 7-7.4 mm respectively, as in certain "economy" cigarettes, whereby the volume of tobacco is decreased while the density remains within conventional values.
We have now discovered that it is possible to obtain highly desirable combustion characteristics with cigarettes having filler densities greater than normal, by selecting a combination of values of other parameters.
The cigarettes in accordance with the present invention are characterised by a total length of 50 to 70 mm, a filter length of 19 to 28 mm and a tobacco density of 270 to 320 mg/cm³, preferably 290 to 300 mg/cm³.
The preferred cigarettes have diameters from 7.0 to 8.3mm, exhibit an overall resistance to draw of 120 to 170 mm of water and a puff count (under standard conditions) of 5 to 7. The nature and characteristics of the filter material are not critical, and conventional filter rods can be used.
The cigarettes according to the invention yield substantially less sidestream smoke components than conventional cigarettes with similar delivery to the smoker and, for example, can deliver up to 40% less particulate matter to the sidestream than conventional cigarettes. The visibility of the sidestream is reduced correspondingly.
Since the cigarettes according to the invention use substantially less tobacco than conventional cigarettes of similar mainstream smoke delivery, while affording a smaller number of puffs, they are eminently suitable for consumption by smokers having limited smoking time at their disposal, while obtaining the benefits of strong flavour and delivery per puff. At the same time they improve the quality of the environment by a reduction in the sidestream smoke delivery.
Although the advantages of the invention can be achieved without ventilation by diluting air, provision can be made for ventilation at levels up to 60%. This will result in lower delivery and even in delivery in the "ultra-low" range.
In the accompanying drawings Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate by way of example only, cigarettes according to this invention respectively without and with perforations in the filter region for the admission of ventilating air.
The cigarette of Fig. 1 comprises a wrapped tobacco rod 1 and an abutting filter 2, interconnected by a tipping wrapper 3, the cigarette having the dimensions and other parameters characteristic of the invention.
The cigarette of Fig. 2 is similar to that of Fig. 1 with the exception that means are provided for the admission of a desired proportion of air to dilute the smoke drawn into the mouth of the smoker. In this case, these means take the form of an annular zone of perforations 4 in the tipping material 3, the filter 2 (whether wrapped or otherwise) having an air-permeable peripheral wall.
The following Table sets out the design parameters of a preferred cigarette according to the invention alongside those of a conventional cigarette made from the same tobacco blend and having similar mainstream tar, carbon monoxide and nicotine deliveries as the cigarette according to the invention.

Table 2 sets out the mainstream smoke delivery values for these two cigarettes, while Table 3 sets out the sidestream smoke parameter values for the same two cigarettes.

TABLE 1

	Invention	Conventional
Overall length (mm)	60	84
Overall diameter (mm)	7.88	7.91
Overall R.T.D.	160	112
Filter length (mm)	25	25
Filter R.T.D.	99	110
Ventilation (%)	0	32
Oven volatiles (%)	13.3	13.5
Tobacco Weight (12.5% moisture mg)	511	689
Density (mg/cm³)	299	238

TABLE 2

Mainstream Components	Invention	Conventional
CO (mg/cigarette)	10.7	11.6
NO (mg/cigarette)	0.19	0.17
Nicotine (mg/cigarette)	0.63	0.66
Tar (mg/cigarette)	9.5	9.8
CO/Tar ratio	1.13	1.18
Puff Count	6.1	8.7

TABLE 3

Sidestream Smoke Parameter	Conventional	Invention	Reduction %
Relative visibility (%)	100	63	37
APM (mg/cigarette)	16.8	8.8	48
CO	70	43	39
CO2	463	241	48
NO	2.1	0.9	57
Nicotine	3.3	2.5	24
NH3	5.9	2.5	58
HCN	0.24	0.12	50
Formaldehyde	0.99	0.59	40
Acetaldehyde	2.22	1.04	53

Claims

1. A filter cigarette characterised by the following combination of characteristics in the unsmoked state:
a total length of 50 to 70 mm, a filter length of 19 to 28 mm and a tobacco density of 270 to 320 mg/cm³.

2. A cigarette according to claim 1, characterised in that the filler density is in the range 290 to 300 mg/cm³.

3. A cigarette according to claim 1 or 2 having a diameter of 7.0 to 8.3 mm.

4. A cigarette according to claim 1, 2 or 3, including means for admitting ventilating air during smoking to a level between 0 and 60%.

5. A cigarette according to any preceding claim having a puff count of from 5 to 7.

6. A cigarette according to claim 1 having the following characteristics:
total length about 60 mm, filter length about 21 mm, diameter about 7.9 mm, tobacco density about 300 mg/m³, overall resistance to draw about 150 mm of water, filter resistance to draw about 100 mm of water and puff count about 6.