SMOKING ARTICLE FILTERS
The present invention relates to improvements in filters for use in smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos. The improvements, particularly but not exclusively, relate to filter capabilities and to the manufacture of such filters. In one example, a filter for a smoking article comprises a first fibrous filter material having an average fibre denier in the range 7 to 9 and a second fibrous filter material having an average fibre denier of below 7. The application also describes a filter for a smoking article comprising various other filter arrangements including absorbent and/or adsorbent materials.
1 . A smoking article filter, comprising:
a first fibrous filter material having an average fiber denier in a range between and including 7 and 9, and
a second fibrous filter material having an average fiber denier of less than 7,
the second fibrous filter material being dispersed within the first fibrous filter material, and
the first fibrous filter material and the second fibrous filter material having discrete short length fibers that are randomly oriented in the filter.
2 . The filter according to claim 1 , wherein the randomly oriented short length fibers are held together without the use of a plasticizer.
3 . The filter according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first fibrous filter material and/or the second fibrous filter material comprises fibers having an average length in a range from about 5 mm to about 20 mm when extended.
4 . The filter according to claim 1 , wherein the second fibrous filter material has an average fiber denier in a range between and including 1 and 6.
5 . The filter according to claim 1 , wherein the second fibrous filter material comprises a plurality of nanofibers.
6 . The filter according to claim 5 , wherein the nanofibers carry an additive configured to selectively reduce at least one smoke constituent drawn through the filter when in use.
7 . A filter for a smoking article comprising a sheet material dispersed within randomly oriented short length fibers.
8 . The filter according to claim 7 , wherein said sheet material comprises shredded sheet material including at least one of polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), polylactic acid (PLA), poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), poly(1-4 butanediol succinate) (PBS), poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), starch based materials, paper, aliphatic polyester materials, and/or polysaccharide polymers.
9 . A smoking article filter, comprising: randomly oriented short length fibers of a first material and randomly oriented short length fibers of a second material, wherein the second material comprises at least one material including at least one of polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), polylactic acid (PLA), poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), poly(1-4 butanediol succinate) (PBS), poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), starch based materials, paper, and/or aliphatic polyester materials and polysaccharide polymers.
10 . The filter according to claim 9 , wherein the first material comprises cellulose acetate.
11 . The filter according to claim 9 , wherein the second material comprises a non-crimped material.
12 . The filter according to claim 1 , wherein the filter has a non-cylindrical shape.
13 . The filter according to claim 1 , further comprising a flavor release component.
14 . A smoking article comprising the filter according to claim 1 .
15 . The filter according to claim 9 , wherein the filter has a non-cylindrical shape.
16 . The filter according to claim 9 , further comprising a flavor release component.
17 . A smoking article comprising the filter according to claim 9 .
18 . The filter according to claim 1 , wherein the filter has a cylindrical shape and a circumference less than 16 mm or greater than 25 mm.
19 . The filter according to claim 9 , wherein the filter has a cylindrical shape and a circumference less than 16 mm or greater than 5 mm.