US3113575A - Mouthpiece for tobacco-containing products - Google Patents

Description

Dec l0, 1963 A. H. cREuzlGl-:R

MOUTHPIECE FoR ToBAcco-coNTAmING PRODUCTS 2 Sheets-Sheet l IIIIIIIIIIIIIIINIII.2

#PAL Am l IIIIIIII Q Y Filed April 11, 1962 ATTORNEY Dec. 10, 1963 A. H. cREuzlGER MOUTHPIECE FOR ToBAcco-coNTAmING PRODUCTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April l1, 1962 Fig. 9

INVENTOR 9am /f @uff United States Patent Office 3,ll3,575 liltlliJl-EIECE FR TBACC-CGNTAINlN-G PRBUCTS Albert H. Creuziger, 89 Lager-strasse, Zurich, Switzerland Filed Apr. ll, 1%2, Ser. No. 156,701 i3 Claims. Cl. lill-mld) present invention relates to holders or mouthpieces for tobacco-containing products, and more pmticularly to mouthpieces provided with one or more internal filters through which the smoke must pass before reaching the mouth of a smoker. Still more particularly, the invention relates to longitudinally extensible and collapsible filter-containing mouthpieces which may but need not be permanently connected with the tobacco-containing products.

An important object of the invention is to provide a longitudinally extensible and collapsible filter-containing mouthpiece which is constructed and assembled in such a way that the material of the filter or filters at least nearly lls the interior of the mouthpiece when the latter is extended.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mouthpiece of the just outlined characteristics which may be constructed as a throw-away expendable article or which may be reused with one or more tobacco-containing products.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mouthpiece for tobacco-containing products whose filter or filters are constructed and mounted in such a way that they prevent excessive extension and eventual destruction of the mouthpiece.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an improved filtering element for extensible and collapsible rnouthpieces which are utilized in connection with cigarettes, ciars, cigarillos and similar types of elongated tobacco-containing products.

Still another object of the instant invention is to provide a mouthpiece and a filtering element of the above outlined characteristics which may be mass-manufactured at very low cost so that each cigarette, cigar or cigarillo may be equipped with a mouthpiece without appreciably increasing the cost of the tobacco-containing products.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mouthpiece whose shell may be made of a single strip of readily available paper-like material, which can be readily manipulated by the smoker, and whose filtering action is superior to the filtering action or" conventional mouthpieces of which am aware at this time. The mouthpiece may be made of any suitable material, for instance a paper, a plastics, as eg. polyvinyl chloride, or the like.

With the above objects in view, the invention resides in the provision of a mouthpiece for tobacco-containing products which comprises a longitudinally extensible and collapsible tubular shell having a iirst and a second portion the latter of which is more distant from the iirst portion in the extended than in the collapsed position of the shell, and a collapsible and extensible filtering element received in the interior of the shell and having first and second portions respectively secured to the first and second portions or" the shell. The filtering element is in collapsed position intermediate the first and second portions thereof when the shell is collapsed and is eX- tensible in response to extension of the shell.

rl`he filtering element may assume the form of a wick comprising a body of fibrous (eg. cotton-like) absorbent material and one or more flexible carriers of synthetic plastic or like material having high tensile strength (eg. nylon). The purpose of the carrier or carriers is to support the body of fibrous material and to determine anatra Patented ec. l0, i963 the extent to which the shell may be extended. lf the filtering element comprises one or more cordor bandlike carriers, it is sufficient to connect spaced portions of the carrier or carriers to the shell so that the body of ltering material is supported only by the carrier or carriers and is collapsed or extended in response to extension or collapse of the carriers. rhe material of the filtering element is preferably such that it may expand transversely of the shell so as to at least partially fill the interior of the shell and to make sure that tobacco smoke passing through the mouthpiece comes into repeated contact with the filtering element.

The novel features which are considered as characteristie of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following detailed description of certain specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FG. 1 is a side elevational View of a tobacco-containing product in the form of a cigarette which is permanently connected with a mouthpiece or holder, the latter embodying one form of my invention and being shown in collapsed position;

FIG. 2 is a similar side elevational view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1, but showing the mouthpiece in extended position;

FIG. 3 is a greatly enlarged axial section through the mouthpiece and through a portion of the cigarette as seen in the direction of arrows from the line .'i-S of FIG. l; y

FIG. 4 is an enlarged axial section through the mouthpiece which is shown in extended position and whose filtering element is also shown in section to illustrate a cord-like carrier which forms part thereof and which prevents excessive lengthening of the mouthpiece;

FIG. 5 is a transverse section as seen in the direction of arrows from the line 5 5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary axial section through a modilied mouthpiece whose filtering element comprises a plurality of cord-like carriers;

FIG. 7 is a similar fragmentary axial section through a mouthpiece which comprises a single carrier in the form of a flexible nylon band;

FG. 8 is an enlarged axial section through a further mouthpiece which is shown in collapsed position and which comprises a specially configurated dispensing receptacle for the filtering element;

FlG. 9 is an am'al section through a mouthpiece which is provided with a cylindrical end portion adapted to detachably receive a cigarette;

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of a mouthpiece which is connected to a cigar;

FlG. 1l is an axial section through a different mouthpiece which comprises a series of telescopically connected substantially cylindrical sections; and

FIG. 12 shows a partial axial section through the rearward portion of a cigar with a mouthpiece according to the invention fitted therein.

Referring now in greater detail to the illustrated embodiments, and first to FIGS. l to 3, there is shown a tobacco-containing product in the form of cigarette lt) one end of which is permanently secured to a tubular mouthpiece or holder 11. The cigarette l@ comprises a stick of tobacco 13 which is wrapped into a sheet of cigarette paper l2 in the customary manner.

The tubular mouthpiece 11 comprises a longitudinally extensible and collapsible shell or tube which includes an outer end portion in the form of ya cylinder Ztl secured to and surrounding the adjacent end portion of the cigarette 1li, an inner end portion in the form of a nipple 17 which may be received in the mouth of a smoker, and a helically convoluted strip helices or turns 15 are telescoped into each other :and which includes a larger-diameter outermost helix 15a secured to and preferably received in the cylinder 2d, a smaller-diameter innermost helix 15b secured to and preferably surrounding the nipple 17, and a plurality of intermediate helices 15C. The manner in which the helices 15a-15C cooperate is shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 `which illustrate the mouthpiece 11 in extended position. When the mouthpiece is collapsed (see FlGS. l and 3), the helix 15a receives the helices 15C, 15b, and the innermost intermediate helix 15C receives the helix 15b. For example, the mouthpiece 11 may be extended by a smoker who inserts the nipple 17 between his teeth and who thereupon exerts a pull on the cigarette or on the cylinder 2li in a direction away from the nipple. lt is equally possible to grasp the cigarette or the cylinder 2li with the lingers or one hand and to pull the nipple 17 with the iingernails of the other hand in a direction away trom the cigarette. The entire mouthpiece may be made of a strip of waxed paper or the like which is convoluted into the form of a spiral. The outermost helix a of the spiral is thereupon secured to, as by means of 'a suitable adhesive, to the innerside of the cylinder 201. The nipple 17 may be formed by cirmping one, two or more innermost helices 16 which are located within the helix 15h Owing to such crimping, the helices 16 forming the nipple 17 cannot be separated from each other when the mouthpiece 11 is caused to expand. As shown in FIG. 3, the bulbose terminal of the nipple 17 also prevents complete penetration of helices 16 into the helix 15b so that the smoker can readily grasp the nipple in order to extend the mouthpiece after ('but preferably before) he lights the cigarette. Of course, the coil or roll of helices 1S is wound with sufficient tightness so that no air can penetrate into the interior of the mouthpiece when the user draws tobacco smoke therethrough.

Referring again to FIG. 3, it will be seen that the helices 15 are spaced from the cigarette 10` so as to define in the cylinder 20 a chamber whose main portion 2da accommodates an elongated iltering element 25. In this embodiment, one end portion of the collapsed liltering element is secured to .an end wall in the form of a diskshaped lilter member 32 which is received in and which is secured to the cylinder 20'. The point at which the end portion of the ltering element is secured to the lter mem-ber 32 is indicated by the reference numeral 34. For example, the filtering element 2S may consist of fibrous material, such as cotton, and may assume the shape of a wick which is glued to the tiltcr member 32. The other end portion of the iiltering element is received in an extension 2-8 of the internal chamber in the mouthpiece 11. This extension 28 is =at least partially defined by `the helix 15b, and the other end portion of the element 2S is secured to the nipple 17 (Le. to the lower end wall of the extension 28 which is defined by the edge portions of the helices 16) by a dot of adhesive 3l) or in any other suitable way, e.g. byI clamping. Consequently, when the mouthpiece 11 is extended, the filtering element Z5 will extend in la fully automatic way to assume the form shown in FIG. 4, and the element 2S will be free to expand transversely toward the inner sides of the helices 15a-15C so `as to at 'least partially lill the interior of the mouthpiece in order to insure that tobacco smoke ilowing from the cigarette lil to the nipple 17 will be compelled to pass therethrough and to deposit therein all such impurities which the material of the element 25 can absorb. The smoke is also cooled, which is another important advantage of the mouthpiece 111. lt has been found that the extended element 25 completely fills at least a portion of the mouthpiece between the end portions 17 and 2G so that the smoke must pass at least once through the `absorbent material.

When the mouthpiece is extended to assume the position of FlG. 2 or 4, the material of the filtering element 25 is loosened up to insure that at least the major part of the smoke passing to the nipple 17 is caused to repeatedly contact the material of this element. As -a matter of fact, it was observed that the material of the element 25 causes turbulence or eddying in the stream of smoke. Of course, this 'also contributes to improved filtering action of the mouthpiece. At least some solid or liquid ingredients of the smoke 4are deposited on the non-overlapped inner sides of the helices 15a-15e and on the inner side of the innermost helix 16. The body of ilamentary material forming part of the element 25 is somewhat twisted which insures that the filtering element can resist at least some tensional stresses and will not tear when the mouthpiece 11 is extended.

FlGS. 4 and 5 show that the filtering element 25 may comprise an elongated iiexible carrier in the form of a thread or cord 36 whose ends are respectively connected to the filter member 32 (at 3ft) and to the helices 16 (at 3d). The purpose of the carrier 36 is to prevent excessive extension or lengthening of the mouthpiece which could permit entry of air between the helices or which could lead to destruction of the mouthpiece. In addition, the carrier 36 insures that the material of the Wickshaped filtering element 25 extends with the mouthpiece and that, after expanding in transverse direction of the element `25, this material lills or nearly iills the entire internal space of the extended mouthpiece.

The mouthpiece 1111 of FIG. 6i is very similar to the mouthpiece 11, excepting that it comprises several ilexible cord-like carriers 37 which insure that the mouthpiece 111 is not overly extended even if a clumsy smoker exerts a substantial pull on the end portions of the mouthpiece. In the extended position of the mouthpiece 111, the carriers 37 lare preferably parallel to each other; this can Ibe achieved by securing the ends of these carriers in spaced relation to the respective end portions of the mouthpiece, e.g. in the same manner as shown for the carrier 36 in FIG. 4. Of course, it is also possible to join two or more carriers into -a composite cord, to secure one end of -this composite cord to 1a selected portion of the filter member 32 (as by the adhesive 34), and to secure the other end of the composite cord to a selected portion of the nipple 17.

FlG. 7 .illustrates a further embodiment of my invention wherein the mouthpiece 211 comprises a liexible `carrier in the form of a band or tape 33 to which the liltering element 25 is secured to make sure that it expands when the mouthpiece 211 is extended. It Will be readily understood that, if the mouthpiece of my invention utilizes one or more iilamentary or band-like carriers, Athe fibrous body of the iltering element 25 need not be directly connected to the mouthpiece but may be secured solely to the carrier or carriers. This might be of some `advantage because it is normally less difiicult to provide -a strong connection between the mouthpiece and the carrier than to provide a satisfactory connection between a batch of cotton or the like and the mouthpiece.

The carriers 36, 37 and/or 38 may be Iformed with roughened surfaces to insure that the fibrous body of the filter will adhere thereto. lt is also possible to provide these carriers with coats of adhesive so as to make sure that the fibrous material extends when the mouthpiece is extended. The material of the carriers should be capable of withstanding the temperature of the smoke, and their tensile strength should be sufiicient to prevent excessive: extension ofthe mouthpiece. Good `results were obtained with carriers of synthetic plastic material having the properties of nylon.

FIG. 8 illustrates a mouthpiece 1311 which is identical with the mouthpiece 11 excepting that the main portion' 20a of the internal chamber deined by the shell of the mouthpiece 311 accommodates a receptacle 4tlwhich may consist of suitable synthetic plastic material and which is provided with a conically converging nozzle 41 projecting into the extension 28, i.e. tout-ard the nipple 17 and having a concentric opening 42 through which the `flexible element 25 extends. The ends of this flexible element are again connected to the end wall defined by the helices 16 (as at 30) and to the filter member 32 (as at 34). The upper end of the receptacle itl (as viewed in FIG. 8) is open so that the filtering element 25 may be readily inserted into this receptacle. 1n the embodiment of FIG. 8, the receptacle 40 is assumed to be secured to the inner side of the cylinder by -a suitable adhesive and receives at least a portion of the `disk shaped filter member 32. An important advantage of the receptacle 4t?, and particularly of the nipple 41, is that it pays out the filtering element at a constant rate when the mouthpiece 311 is ybeing extended. The member 32. may be a fine-mesh acetate filter and is normally received in the outer end portion of the cylinder 26, i.e. in that end portion which is distant `from the nipple 17 4and is immediately adjacent to the end portion of the cigarette 10.

FIG. 9 shows a slightly ydifferent mouthpiece 411 which comprises a cylindrical end portion 5% adapted to receive one end yof ya cigarette 51. This cigarette is insertable into the cylinder and is retained therein solely by friction. One end of the filtering element is secured directly to the inner side `of the cylinder 50, as at 52, `and the other end of this filtering element is scoured at 53 to the mouthpiece 54. The manner in which the helices S5 cooperate to permit extension of the mouthpiece 411 is the same as described in connection with FIGS. 1 to 8. An important advantage of the mouthpiece 411 is that it may be reused if desired, and that it may be used in connection with cigarettes or other tobacco-containing products which are Without filters, i.e. with so-called filter-free regular or king-size cigarettes. For example, a package or box -o-f cigarettes may be sold with one or more mouthpieces 411 of the type shown in FIG. 9. The smoker may utilize the same mouthpiece while smoking two or more cigarettes. Of course, it is equally possible to sell each package or box containing say 2O cigarettes with an equal number of mouthpieces, or to sell the mouthpieces independently of the cigarettes.

Referring lto FIG. 10, the mouthpiece 511 comprises an outer end portion 60 which is configurated in such a way that it may receive or that it may be secured to a cigar 61. Otherwise, the construction of the mouthpiece 511 may be the same as that of the mouthpiece 411.

FIG. l2 shows a combination of a mouthpiece 711 with a cigar 61. The latter is at its backward end portion fitted with a recess, e.g. of cylindrical shape, in which the mouthpiece 711 is inserted and, if necessary, fastened by suitable means. Such an arrangement has Ithe advantage that the mouthpiece 711 may, in its essential parts, be identical with those used in connection with cigarettes.

It will be readily understood that, even though FIGS. l-lO show mouthpieces Whose convolutions are o-f equal Width, the mouthpiece of my invention may be assembled by utilizing a helically convoluted strip lof paper-like material whose width need not be uniform, that two or more differently colored strips may be assembled to produce an eye-pleasing effect and to enhance the sales appeal of the tobacco-containing products equipped with such mouthpieces, that each mouthpiece may accommodate two or more filtering elements, and that the extensibility of the mouthpiece may be lachieved by means other than a helically convoluted strip. For example, and as shown in FIG. ll, the mouthpiece 611 may comprise a plurality of substantially cylindrical yor slightly conical sections including a larger-diameter section 7i); and a smallerdiameter section 71 which may be at least partly telescoped into `or withdrawn from the section 70. The mouthpiece 611 of FIG. l1 also comprises a series of intermediate sections '72. The section '71 forms a nipple,

not by crimping as shown in FIGS. 1 4 -and 8-10, but rather by supporting at its outer end an annulus 73 which :may consist of suitable plastic `and which is glued or otherwise secured to the section 71. The deformable ltering element 25 is secured to the inner sides of the sections 70 and 71 so that it is automatically extended when the user extends the mouthpiece.

Of course it is equally possible to secure spaced portions of the element 25 to the section 70 and to one of the intermediate sections 72, to the section 71 and to one of the sections 72, or to a pair of intermediate sections. In :such instances, the element 25 will not extend throughout the full length of the mouthpiece when the 'latter is extended.

An important advantage of the improved mouthpiece is that the originally compressed and/for 'deformed filtering element expands and increases its length in a fully automatic way 'as soon as the tubular shell `of the mouthpiece is extended. Thus, the length of that portion of the .filtering element through which the smoke must pass is increased to improve the filtering effect of the mouthpiece. This is due to the fact that the extended filtering element presents a very large surface to the stream of smoke because the smoke may come into contact with all or nearly all libres of the filtering element. It Will be readily understood that the fibrous material forming the body of the filtering element may ybe impregnated with one or more substances which improve the filtering action or which impro-ve the taste `of the smoke. For example, the filtering element may be impregnated with menthol.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so: fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applicati-ons Without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, -fairly constitute essential charac- .teristics of the generic and specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intende-d to be comprehended Within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A mouthpiece for tobacco-containing products comprising, in combination, a longitudinally extensible and collapsible tubular shell having a first and a second portion, said portions being more distant from each other in the extended than in the collapsed position of said shell, said second portion being located in the region of that end of said shell which is adapted to be secured to a tobacco-containing product; and a collapsible and extensible filtering element received in the interior of said shell and having first and second portions respectively secured to the rst and second portions of said shell, said filtering element being in collapsed position intermediate said first and second portions thereof when the shell is collapsed and being extensible in response to extension of said shell in such a manner as to substantially fill the extended shell at least at an intermediate portion thereof while leaving said second portion of said extended shell only partly filled so as to form an air space adjacent said tobacco-containing product.

2. A mouthpiece for tobacco-containing products comprising, in combination, a longitudinally extensible and collapsible tubular shell having a first and a second portion, said portions being more distant from each other in the extended than in the collapsed position of said shell, said second portion being located in the region of that end of said shell which is adapted to be secured to a tobacco-containing product; and a collapsible and extensible filtering element of cotton-like compressible filter material received in the interior of said shell and having first and second portions respectively secured to the first and second portions of said shell, said filtering element being in collapsed position intermediate said rst and second portions thereof and at least some of its filter material being in compressed condition when the shell is collapsed, said element being extensible and its filter material being free to expand in response to extension of said shell in such a manner as to substantially fill the n extended shell at least at an intermediate portion thereof while leaving said second portion of said extended shell only partly filled so as to form an air space adjacent said tobacco-containing product.

3. A mouthpiece for tobacco-containing products comprising, in combination, a longitudinally extensible and collapsible tubular shell having a rst and a second portion, said portions being more distant from each other in the extended than in the collapsed position of said shell, said second portion being located in the region of that end of said shell which is adapted to be secured to a tobacco-containing product; and a collapsible and extensible substantially wick-shaped filtering element consisting at least in part of compressible filter material, said element being received in the interior of said shell and having first and second portions respectively secured to the first and second portions of said shell, said filtering element being in collapsed position intermediate said first and second portions thereof and at least some of its filter material being in compressed condition when the shell is collapsed, said element being extensible and its filter material being free to expand in response to extension of said shell in such a manner as to substantially fill the extended shell at least at an intermediate portion thereof while leaving said second portion of said extended shell only partly filled so as to form an air space adjacent said tobacco-containing product.

4. A mouthpiece for tobacco-containing products comprising, in combination, a longitudinally extensible and collapsible tubular shell having a first end portion adapted to be received in the mouth of a smoker and a second end portion adapted to be secured to a tobacco-containing product, said end portions being more distant from each other in the extended than in the collapsed position of said shell, said shell defining an internal chamber and having substantially transversely extending first and second end wall means bounding said chamber and respectively located in the proximity of the first and second end portions of said shell, said end wall means being movable toward and away from each other in response to collapsing and extension of said shell; and a collapsible and extensible filtering element consisting at least in part of compressible filter material, said element being received in said chamber and having first and second end portions respectively secured to said rst and second end wall means, said filtering element being in collapsed position and at least some of its filter material being in cornpressed condition when the shell is collapsed, said element being automatically extensible with resultant automatic expansion of its filter material in response to extension of said shell in such a manner as to substantially fill the extended shell at least at an intermediate portion thereof While leaving said second end portion of said extended shell only partly filled so as to form an air space adjacent said tobacco-containing product.

5. A mouthpiece as set forth in claim 4 wherein said chamber comprises a main portion adjacent to said second end wall means and wherein the collapsed filtering element is received in said main chamber portion when the shell is in collapsed position and wherein said 'mouthpiece further comprising a receptacle for the collapsed filtering element, said receptacle being received in the main portion of said chamber and having opening means through which the filtering element extends toward the first end portion of said shell.

6. A mouthpiece as set forth in claim 4, wherein said second end wall is a substantially disk-shaped filter member received in the second end portion of said shell.

7. A mouthpiece as set forth in claim 6, wherein the second end portion of said shell is of cylindrical shape and has an outer end portion distant from the first end portion of said shell, said filter member being received in the outer end portion of said cylinder.

8. A mouthpiece for tobacco-containing products comprising, in combination, a longitudinally extensible and collapsible tubular shell having a first and a second portion, said portions being more distant from each other in the extended than in the collapsed position of said shell, said second portion being located in the region of that end of said shell which is adapted to be secured to a tobacco-containing product; and a collapsible and extensible filtering element comprising a body of compressible filter material, said element being received in the interior of said shell and further comprising at least one flexible carrier having spaced first and second portions respectively secured to the first and second portions of said shell, said filtering element being in collapsed position intermediate said first and second portions thereof and at least some of said lter material being in compressed condition when the shell is collapsed, said element being extensible with resultant automatic expansion of said filter material in response to extension of said shell.

9. A mouthpiece as set forth in claim 8, wherein said body of filter material is absorbent and is secured to said carrier.

l0. A mouthpiece for tobacco-containing products comprising, in combination, a longitudinally extensible and collapsible tubular shell having a first and a second portion, said portions being more distant from each other in the extended than in the collapsed position of said shell, said second portion being located in the region of that end of said shell which is adapted to be secured to a tobacco-containing product; and a collapsible and extensible filtering element comprising a body of compressible filter material, said element being received in the interior of said shell and further comprising at least one flexible carrier having spaced first and second portions respectively secured to the first and second portions of said shell, said filtering element being in collapsed position intermediate said first and second portions thereof and at least a portion of said body of filter material being in compressed condition when the shell is collapsed, said element being extensible With resultant automatic expansion of said body of filter material in response to extension of said shell to the extent determined by the length of said carrier intermediate said first and second portions thereof.

11. As a novel article of manufacture, an elongated tobacco-containing product; and a mouthpiece comprising a longitudinally extensible and collapsible tubular shell having a rst end portion receiving one end of and permanently secured to said tobacco-containing product and a second end portion adapted to be received in the mouth of a user, said end portions being more distant from each other in the extended than in the collapsed position of said shell, and a collapsible and extensible filtering element consisting at least in part of compressible filter material, said element being received in the interior of said shell and having first and second portions respectively secured to the shell in the proximity of said rst and second end portions thereof, said filtering element being in collapsed position intermediate said portions thereof and at least some of its filter material being in compressed condition when the shell is collapsed, said element being extensible with resultant automatic expansion of said filter material in response to extension of said shell in such a manner as to substantially fill the extended shell at least at an intermediate portion thereof While leaving said second end portion of said extended shell only partly filled so as to form an air space adjacent said tobacco-containing product.

l2. As a novel article of manufacture, an elongated tobacco-containing product; and a mouthpiece comprising a longitudinally extensible and collapsible tubular shell having a cylindrical first end portion receiving one end of and permanenty secured to said tobacco-containing product and a nipple-like second end portion adapted to be received in the mouth of a user, said end portions being more distant from each other in the extended than in the collapsed position of said shell, and a collapsible and extensible filtering element consisting at least in part of compressible iilter material, said element being received in the interior of said shell and having first and second portions respectiveiy secured to the shell in the proximity of said first and second end portions thereof, said ltering element being in collapsed position intermediate said portions thereof and at least some of its filter material being in compressed condition when the shell is collapsed, said element being extensible With resultant automatic expansion of said filter material in response to extension of said shell in such a manner as to substantially iill the extended shell at least at an intermediate portion thereof While leaving said second end portion of said extended shell only partly lled so as to form an air space adjacent said tobacco-containing product.

13. A mouthpiece for tobacco-containing products comprising, in combination, a longitudinally extensible and collapsible tubular shell having a substantially nipplelike first end portion adapted to be received in the mouth of a smoker and a substantially cylindrical second end portion adapted to receive one end of a tobacco-containing product, said end portions being more distant from each other in the extended than in the collapsed position of said shell, said shell deiining an internal chamber and having substantially transversely extending rst and second end wall means bounding said chamber and respectively located in the proximity of the iirst and second end portions of said shell, said end wall means being movable toward and away from each other in response to collapsing and extension oi` said shell; and a collapsible and extensible ltering element consisting at least in part of compressible lter material, said element being received in said chamber and having rst and second end portions respectively secured to said iirst and second end wall means, said filtering element being in collapsed position and at least some of its lter material being in compressed condition when the shell is collapsed, said element being automatically extensible with resultant automatic expansion of said iilter material in response to extension of said shell in such a manner as to substantially iill the extended shell at least at an intermediate portion thereof While leaving said second end portion of said extended shell only partly lled so as to form an air space adjacent said tobacco-containing product.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 216,160 Du Bois June 3, 1879 591,471 Hara Oct. 12, 1897 2,669,238 Rawlings Feb. 16, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 10,664 Great Britain of 1889 301,484 Germany Oct. 27, 1917

Claims (1)

1. A MOUTHPIECE FOR TOBACCO-CONTAINING PRODUCTS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENSIBLE AND

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