CIGARETTE AND PACKAGING MEMBERS

Abstract

 A cigarette comprises a tobacco rod and a filter connected to one end of the tobacco rod and including a capsule in which contents is held inside a film, and a breaking volume of the capsule is 0.7 to 1.0 Vrms.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a technology of a cigarette having a capsule in a portion of a filter.

Background Art

[0002] Cigarettes in each of which a capsule holding a liquid including a flavor is set in a cigarette filter and each of which can enjoy a fragrance of the flavor by destroying the capsule when a smoker starts to smoke are known.

[0003] The capsule is arranged inside a filter for filtering mainstream smoke arranged at one end of a cigarette and the capsule arranged inside the filter is destroyed by the filter being pressurized with user's fingers (Patent Literature 1).

Prior Art

Patent Literature

[0004] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 2003-304856

Summary of Invention

[0005] As an additional value provided to a user by a capsule, it has been considered to change a smoking taste during smoking by a flavor in the capsule. In recent years, however, a new additional value is demanded.

[0006] The present invention is derived from the above circumstances and a main technical object thereof is to provide a new additional value which can be provided to the user by a capsule, and to provide a cigarette having a capsule, by which a user can enjoy a "feeling of break" when the capsule is broke as a new additional value.

[0007] According to a study by inventors of this invention, it is found that the "feeling of break" of the user relates to a sense of touch (change of pressure) sensed by a part of a finger or the like which applies a pressure to a capsule and a sound generated by a break of the capsule and sensed by the user through a sense of hearing. That is, there is a correlation between the sound generated by the break of the capsule (hereinafter, referred to as a "breaking volume") and the "feeling of break", and a stronger "feeling of break" can be sensed by raising the breaking volume.

[0008] Herein, the breaking volume is defined as a volume calculated by a measuring method described later.

[0009] According to the present invention, a cigarette comprising a tobacco rod and a filter connected to one end of the tobacco rod and including a capsule in which contents is held inside a film, a breaking volume of the capsule being 0.7 to 1.0 Vrms, is provided.

[0010] A breaking hardness of the capsule may be 25 to 70 N, preferably 25 to 40 N, and the film of the capsule may include starch and a gelling agent.

[0011] By the way, the breaking hardness is a power needed to break the capsule. That is, a capsule the breaking hardness of which is 25N means that it is a capsule which will be broken when a pressure of 25N is applied thereto.

[0012] Further, the capsule may be a tooth-break capsule to be broken by teeth, and it is preferable that a deformation rate of the capsule is 3/4 or less.

[0013] A center position of the tooth-break capsule is preferably arranged in a position apart from a holder end of the filter by 9 to 20 mm. It is preferable that the filter includes a sense of touch detecting portion that provides a sense of touch different from the sense of touch at the other part on an outer circumferential surface, and the sense of touch detecting portion is arranged in the same position as that where the capsule is arranged in a longitudinal direction of the cigarette. The sense of touch detecting portion may be formed by an embossed finish, and may be formed by an outer circumferential paper arranged in a periphery of a hollow portion.

[0014] Further, it may comprise a message displaying portion that displays the tooth-break capsule is a capsule to be broken by the teeth. According to the present invention, a packaging member is provided, the packaging member including a message displaying portion displaying that the tooth-break capsule is to be broken by the teeth.

[0015] According to the present invention, a cigarette having a capsule, by which a user can enjoy a "feeling of break" when the user breaks the capsule as a new additional value, is provided.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0016] 

FIG. 1 is a figure for explaining a cigarette of a first embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a figure for explaining a deformation rate.

FIG. 3 is a figure for explaining a cigarette of a second embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a figure for explaining a cigarette of a third embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a figure for explaining a cigarette in which a measure for preventing an exudation of a liquid for contents held in a capsule is strengthened.

FIG. 6 is a figure for explaining a cigarette of a fourth embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a figure for explaining an example of a message displaying marking portion.

FIG. 8 is a figure for explaining an example of a message displaying portion.

FIG. 9 is a figure for explaining a measuring system that measures a breaking volume.

FIG. 10 is a graph showing a relationship between a breaking volume and a breaking hardness (10 to 40 N) of a capsule.

FIG. 11 is a graph showing a relationship between a breaking volume and a breaking hardness (40 to 70 N) of a capsule.

FIG. 12 is a graph showing a relationship between a breaking volume and a breaking hardness (70 to 120 N) of a capsule.

Description of Embodiments

[0017] In the followings, embodiments of the present invention will be described, but the present invention is not limited to concrete forms of such embodiments of the present invention and is defined by recitations of claims and equivalents thereof.

<First Embodiment>

[0018] FIG. 1 shows a cigarette including a capsule filter as an embodiment of the present invention. The cigarette is formed by connecting a cylindrical tobacco rod 10 and a cylindrical filter 20 with a chip paper. The tobacco rod 10 is prepared by winding a wrapping paper 12 around a tobacco filler 11. And, the cylindrical filter 20 is prepared by winding a rolling paper 23 around a filter plug 22, and a capsule 21 is embedded in the filter plug 22. The capsule 21 has a structure in which a liquid for contents 21b including a flavor, as an example of contents, is held by a film 21a (a filter of a structure in which a capsule is embedded inside a filter plug is called as an "embedded filter" in this specification).

[0019] As a filter plug, for example, a filter plug formed by a following manner can be used. With this manner, cellulose acetate fibers of a filament denier 1.0 to 14.0 g/9000 m (preferably 5.0 to 14.0 g/9000 m and particularly preferably 5.0 to 6.0 g/9000 m) extending in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the cigarette are bound, for example, triacetin as a plasticizer is added with a plasticizer adding amount of 2 to 10% (preferably 3 to 6%) to fibers in weight percentage, a total denier is set at 17,000 to 44,000 g/9000 m (preferably 17,000 to 35,000 g/9000 m), a pressure drop is set at 100 to 700 mmH₂O/120 mm (preferably 260 to 680 mmH₂O/120 mm), ect. Alternatively, as the filter plug, papers each of which is made mainly of plant pulp having a basis weight of 15 to 60 g/m², a thickness of 20 to 150 µmm, and a width of 14 to 27 mm and which are bound may also be used. Activated carbon may also be included in the filter plug.

[0020] As the chip paper 30, a paper made mainly of plant pulp having a basis weight of 20 to 60 g/m² and a thickness 20 to 60 µmm can be used. As the rolling paper 23, a paper made mainly of plant pulp having a basis weight of 20 to 100 g/m², a thickness 20 to 150 µmm, and an air permeability of 5 to 30,000 CU (CORESTA unit) can be used. The cigarette can be structured, for example by setting a length of the tobacco rod ("a" in FIG. 1) at 53 to 67 mm, a length of the filter ("b" in FIG. 1) at 17 to 31 mm, an outer circumferential length of the chip paper at 14 to 26.1 mm, and a size of the capsule in the longitudinal direction of the cigarette at 1 to 8 mm.

<Capsule>

[0021] The capsule 21 has a structure in which a liquid for contents 21b including a flavor, as an example of contents, is held by the film 21a. A sphere shaped capsule or a cylindrical shaped capsule may be used.

[0022] A film forming material includes, for example, starch and a gelling agent. As the gelling agent, for example, gellan gum or gelatin is used. The film forming material may further include a gelling assistant. As the gelling assistant, for example, calcium chloride is used. In this invention, the film forming material may further include a plasticizer. As the plasticizer, glycerin and/or sorbitol is used. The film forming material may further include a coloring agent.

[0023] In addition, the capsule may hold granulated solid as its contents.

[0024] As the flavor included in the liquid for contents in the capsule, for example, menthol, plant essential oil or the like can be used. As a solvent for the flavor included in the liquid for contents, for example, medium chain triglyceride fatty acid (MCT) can be used. The liquid for contents may further includes other additives such as a pigment, emulsifying agent, thickener and so on.

[0025] A breaking volume of the capsule 21 according to the present embodiment is 0.7 to 1.0 Vrms (if the breaking volume is larger than 1.0 Vrms, a user may feel displeasure), a breaking hardness is 25 to 70 N, preferably 25 to 40 N (if the breaking hardness is too high, it may be difficult for the user to break the capsule), and a deformation rate is 3/4 or less. Since the breaking volume is 0.7 Vrms or more as described above, the user can enjoy a "feeling of break" through a breaking sound. It is preferable that the capsule is spherical and a diameter thereof is 4.0 to 6.0 mm. If the capsule is as described above, the user can sufficiently feel an existence of the capsule and the "feeling of break" is thereby improved.

<Deformation rate>

[0026] The breaking hardness and deformation rate of the capsule can be adjusted by changing a composition or thickness of a film forming material. The deformation rate is defined by (C-D)/C, where a distance between spots "e" of a filter plug 212a before the filter plug is not subject to an external pressure is C and a distance between spots "e'" of a filter plug 212b in a state that the spots of the filter plug is subject to external pressure is D, as shown in FIG. 2.

<Action to increase the "feeling of break">

[0027] In the present embodiment, the breaking hardness of the capsule is increased as a method of raising the breaking volume. If the breaking hardness is increased to raise the breaking volume, it may become difficult to break the capsule with fingers as in the past. In such a case, by using a tooth-breaking capsule which is needed to be broken by user's teeth as a capsule, the breaking volume can be raised and a strong "feeling of break" can be provided to the user.

[0028] By setting the deformation rate to 3/4 or less, a pressure given to the capsule by the user is increased in a shorter time (in other words, a total amount of pressure given to the capsule by the user is decreased) and a repulsive force from the capsule is released at once simultaneously with the break of the capsule so that a larger sense of touch (change of pressure) can be given to the user.

[0029] Further, in the present embodiment, the breaking hardness of the capsule is large so that the released repulsive force is larger than that in a conventional capsule, and therefore, a still larger sense of touch (change of pressure) can be given to the user.

[0030] As described above, by providing simultaneously the breaking sound and a large sense of touch (change of pressure) to the user, a still larger "feeling of break" can be provided to the user.

<Capsule forming method>

[0031] A capsule forming method for a flavor capsule is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to use a dropping method by which the flavor capsule having a seamless film can be formed. In this method, a double nozzle is used, and the liquid for contents is discharged from an inner nozzle while a liquid film material is discharged from an outer nozzle, so that the film liquid can seamlessly hold the liquid for contents. For example, by making a thickness of the film 21a thicker during a formation of the capsule, a capsule having a high breaking hardness can be formed.

<Tooth-breaking capsule>

[0032] If the capsule is a tooth-breaking capsule, by breaking the capsule by teeth, a user can feel vibration caused by the break of the capsule directly by auditory nerves through its skull, so that the user can obtain a stronger "feeling of break" than when the capsule is crushed by its fingers.

[0033] Such a bone conduction sound is not hampered while sounds are filled around the user, and therefore, a strong "feeling of break" can be obtained in any environment.

[0034] In addition, since the capsule can be broken without removing the cigarette from a user's mouth during smoking, so that the user can enjoy a smooth smoking style never experienced before.

[0035] Further, in a case of the tooth-breaking capsule, the capsule can be broken smoothly and a less reaction is generated when the capsule is broken. Therefore, even if the capsule is broken while smoking, it is less likely that ashes on an burning end of a cigarette fall.

[0036] Further, while a user wearing lipstick holds a filter between user's lips, even if the capsule is broken, there is no possibility that the lipstick adhering to the filter surface adheres to user's fingers.

<Second Embodiment>

[0037] FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. The same portions as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference characters denoting those of the first embodiment and explanations thereof are omitted. Only portions of the second embodiment different from those of the first embodiment will be described below.

[0038] In the cigarette shown in FIG. 3, a tooth-breaking capsule 21 having a breaking volume of 0.7 to 1.0 Vrms is arranged such that a distance L of a center position of the tooth-breaking capsule 21 from a holder end E of a filter is 9 to 20 mm, preferably 11 to 15 mm. By arranging the tooth-breaking capsule as described above, a user can more easily position his or her teeth to a position of the tooth-breaking capsule 21 and more easily break the tooth-breaking capsule 21 with his or her teeth.

[0039] An embossed finish as an example of a sense of touch detecting portion 40 is provided the same position of the chip paper 30 (hereinafter, called a "capsule corresponding position") as that where the capsule 21 is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the cigarette. When the user breaks the tooth-breaking capsule 21 with his or her teeth, the user cannot check the position of the tooth-breaking capsule 21 visually, but can feel the position on which the embossed finish is provided through contact of teeth or a tongue therewith. Therefore, the user can easily detect the position of the tooth-breaking capsule 21, and it becomes easier to break the tooth-breaking capsule 21. The sense of touch detecting portion 40 is defined as a portion that can be detected by the sense of touch.

[0040] The sense of touch detecting portion 40 is not limited to the embossed finish and may be anything whose presence can be felt through contact of teeth or a tongue therewith. Alternatively, as the sense of touch detecting portion, hardness of the capsule corresponding position of the filter 20 may be changed.

<Third Embodiment>

[0041] FIG. 4 shows a cigarette of a third embodiment. This cigarette is formed by connecting a cylindrical tobacco rod 10 and a cylindrical filter 20 by a chip paper 30. The tobacco rod 10 is prepared by winding a wrapping paper 12 is wound around a tobacco filler 11 and the filter 20 has a structure in which a tooth-breaking capsule 21 is provided in a hollow portion between two filter plugs 25 (a filter having a structure in which a hollow portion is formed between plural filter plugs as described above is herein called as a "cavity filter"). A rolling paper 26 is wound around each of the two filter plugs 25 and a molding paper 27 is wound around peripheries of the two filter plugs 25 spaced apart from each other via the hollow portion.

[0042] The capsule 21, the filter plugs 25, the chip paper 30, and the rolling paper 26 similar to those described in the first embodiment can be used, and also each dimension of the cigarette described in the first embodiment can be used as that of the cigarette of the present invention.

[0043] A forming method of a capsule is similar to that described in the first embodiment, and a description thereof is omitted herein.

[0044] A paper similar to the rolling paper 26 can be used as the molding paper 27, and a length of each of the filter plugs 25 is set to 5 mm or more in the longitudinal direction of the cigarette. The hollow portion needs only to have a size that can accommodate the capsule 21.

[0045] In the case of the filter 20 having the structure in which the tooth-breaking capsule 21 is provided in the hollow portion of the cavity filter, since a portion of the chip paper 30 (one example of an outer circumferential paper) positioned around the hollow portion is a capsule corresponding position and is deformed more easily than the other portions, the capsule corresponding position can perform as a sense of touch detecting portion. As described above, an application of the present invention to the cigarette having the cavity filter can preferably obtain a sense of touch detecting portion without needing any special structure. The outer circumferential paper is defined as a sheet-like object arranged on an outer circumference of the hollow portion in its radial direction and exposing its surface to an outside thereof.

<Measure against exudation>

[0046] As shown in FIG. 5, a structure that does not use the wrapping paper 26 but uses an exudation preventing molding paper 52 for preventing an exudation of a liquid for contents in the capsule as the molding paper may be used.

[0047] As an example of the exudation preventing molding paper 52, a water-resistant paper having a water resistance, an oil-resistant paper having an oil resistance, a water and oil resistant paper having a water resistance and oil resistance, or a paper on an inside of which a wax having a water resistance and/or an oil resistance and the like is coated may be used. In some cases, such molding paper has almost no air permeability.

[0048] Further, a gap filling layer 54 is formed between the exudation preventing molding paper 52 and each of the filter plugs 25, 25 to fill the gap between the exudation preventing molding paper 52 and each of the filter plugs 25, 25. As the gap filling layer 54, an adhesive such as a paste or a hot melt adhesive may be used. When the paper on the inside of which a wax having a water resistance and/or an oil resistance and the like is coated is used, the wax can perform as the gap filling layer.

[0049] By structuring as described above, a possibility that the liquid for contents exudes out from the hollow portion when the liquid for contents flew out from the capsule 21 in the hollow portion can be reduced.

[0050] Naturally, the embedded filter can also be structured by using the gap filling layer 54 and the rolling paper 26 that prevents an exudation of a liquid for contents of the tooth-breaking capsule 21 like the above described molding paper.

<Fourth Embodiment>

[0051] FIG. 6 shows a cigarette of a fourth embodiment. The cigarette of the fourth embodiment is provided by providing a message displaying portion 62 on a cigarette like each of the cigarettes according to the first to third embodiments, the message displaying portion displaying that the tooth-breaking capsule 21 is a capsule to be broken by teeth.

[0052] The displaying portion 62 may be anything which can inform the user of a message, such as a display only using characters like "BREAK BY TEETH" or an illustration as shown in FIG. 7. Further, it is possible to add a function as the sense of touch detecting portion to the message displaying portion by displaying an illustration as shown in FIG. 7 or characters with the embossed finish.

[0053] As an example of a packaging member accommodating cigarettes, a package as shown in FIG. 8A, a film wrapping a package, etc. may be cited. And, such a packaging member may include the message displaying portion 62. In addition to displaying the message directly on the packaging member, it is possible to realize the method for including the message displaying portion by entering a member such as a paper 64 provided with the message displaying portion 62 in the packaging member.

[0054] If it is not specifically mentioned, each element and each condition setting in each embodiment of the present invention described above can individually and independently be combined with each other.

<Breaking volume>

[0055] Hereinafter, a definition of a breaking volume in the present invention will be explained.

[0056] A measurement of the breaking volume is performed by a measuring system shown in FIG. 9. The capsule 21 placed on a stage 91 is broken by pressing the capsule from above with a rheometer 92 (Sun RHEOMETER CR3000EX (manufactured by Sun Scientific Corporation)), and sound data is obtained by a microphone 93 (AT9942 (manufactured by Audio-Technica Corporation)) and an amplifier 94 (Microphone Amplifier AT-MA2 (manufactured by Audio-Technica Corporation)) connected to the microphone 93 while the microphone 93 is installed such that a tip end thereof directed downward is positioned at a position which is spaced apart from a contact point between the capsule and the stage by 20 mm in a horizontal direction and by 15 mm in a vertical direction and a gain of the amplifier 94 is set to MAX). Then, the obtained sound data is sent to a Personal Computer 96 via an AD converter 95, and a numerical arithmetic calculation process is performed on the data by a software (an acoustic vibration diagnostic system "Visible Wave" (developed by Mitsubishi Electric Engineering Co. 1 td.)) to calculate an effective value (Vrms) as a sound volume. This sound volume is defined as the "breaking volume" in this specification (present invention).

[0057] The measurement is performed in an indoor environment where a temperature is 22 °C and a humidity is 60%. A capsule stored in an indoor environment where a temperature 22 °C and a humidity is 60% is used.

[0058] Next, a relationship between the breaking volume and a breaking hardness of a capsule will be described.

[0059] A plurality of capsules whose breaking hardness is changed by changing a film thickness of the capsule is prepared, and the breaking volume of each capsule is measured by the measuring system shown in FIG. 9. Measurement results are shown in FIGS. 10, 11 and 12. In each of FIGS. 10, 11 and 12, a vertical axis shows the breaking volume, a horizontal axis shows the breaking hardness and characteristics of each capsule is plotted. And, in each figure, a straight line indicating a ratio of an increase of the sound volume to an increase of the breaking hardness of the capsule (hereinafter, an "increasing ratio") determined by using a method of least squares for each plot is also shown.

[0060] It is found from FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 that the breaking volume increases with increasing the breaking hardness and the increasing ration decreases with increasing the breaking hardness of the capsule. When compared with the increasing ratio (inclination: 0.014) of the breaking hardness of 10 to about 40 N of the capsule, the increasing ratio of the breaking hardness of 40 to about 70 N significantly decreases (inclination: 0.0039) and the increasing ratio decreases still further when the breaking hardness is near 70 N or more (inclination: 0.0013).

[0061] The breaking hardness of the capsule is measured by the above described rheometer when the capsule is broken by the rheometer. The breaking hardness of each capsule is changed by changing the film thickness as described above and other conditions such as a composition are all the same.

[0062] Each capsule is prepared by a dropping method after mixing each of a film substance and a liquid for contents. The film substance and liquid for contents constructing the capsule are as follows:

(i) the Film substance (15% by weight with respect to a total weight of the capsule)
Main materials: gelatin, starch, gellan gum, glycerin, sorbitol, etc.

(ii) the liquid for contents (85% by weight with respect to the total weight of the capsule)
Medium chain triglyceride fatty acid (tricapryl/glycerin caprate): 83% of the whole of the liquid for contents
Flavor (menthol, citrus, orange and the like): 17% of the whole of the liquid for contents

[0063] The prepared flavor capsule is a sphere having a diameter of about 4.5 mm.

[0064] From the above, it is preferable that the breaking hardness of the capsule is 25 to 70 N from a viewpoint of setting the breaking volume to 0.7 to 1.0 Vrms by the breaking hardness of the capsule. Further, when the breaking hardness of the capsule is 25 to 40 N, the breaking volume can effectively be increased by increasing the breaking hardness of the capsule.

[0065] When the breaking volume of a plurality of conventional capsules is measured for reference by the same system as that described above for reference, the volume is about 0.4 to 0.64 Vrms.

Claims

1. A cigarette comprising a tobacco rod and a filter connected to one end of the tobacco rod and including a capsule in which contents is held inside a film, wherein
a breaking volume of the capsule is 0.7 to 1.0 Vrms.

2. The cigarette according to claim 1, wherein a breaking hardness of the capsule is 25 to 70 N.

3. The cigarette according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a breaking hardness of the capsule is 25 to 40 N.

4. The cigarette according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the film of the capsule includes starch and a gelling agent.

5. The cigarette according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the capsule is a tooth-break capsule to be broken by teeth.

6. The cigarette according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a deformation rate of the capsule is 3/4 or less.

7. The cigarette according to claim 5 or 6, wherein a center position of the tooth-break capsule is arranged in a position apart from a holder end of the filter by 9 to 20 mm.

8. The cigarette according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the filter includes a sense of touch detecting portion that provides a sense of touch different from the sense of touch at the other part on an outer circumferential surface, and the sense of touch detecting portion is arranged in the same position as that where the capsule is arranged in a longitudinal direction of the cigarette.

9. The cigarette according to claim 8, wherein the sense of touch detecting portion is formed by an embossed finish.

10. The cigarette according to claim 8, wherein the sense of touch detecting portion is formed by an outer circumferential paper arranged in a periphery of a hollow portion.

11. The cigarette according to any one of claims 5 to 10, further comprising a message displaying portion that displays the tooth-break capsule is a capsule to be broken by the teeth.

12. A packaging member, wherein the cigarette according to any one of claims 5 to 10 is accommodated and a message displaying portion is included, the message displaying portion displaying that the tooth-break capsule is to be broken by the teeth.

Drawing