CA1042304A - Air vent particle filter cap - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

An improved filter cartridge for use in cigar and cigarette holders is formed by a cylindrical cup having an inlet perforation in its side wall and a barrier wall extending from the bottom wall of the cup past and closely adjacent to the inlet perforation. The cartridge is used with a cigar or cigarette holder of the type having an internal cavity in which the cartridge is dis-posed and having conformations with which the open end of the cartridge interfits such that the flow of smoke pro-ceeds from the cigarette recess of the holder to the cavity surrounding the cartridge and then through the inlet per-foration against and past the barrier at the interior of the cartridge.

Description

10423(~4 BACl~GROUND OF THE INVENTION
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- This invention relates to filter elements of ; the kind that are incorporated in a cigar or cigarette ~, holder and which rsly on acceleration and deceleration of -smoX~ through a labryn~h to condensa a~ent~a~ ~ars and 5~: ~ ; other nicotine bearing constituents of ¢~garet~e s~oXe.

he invention provide an improved filter car-tridge for use with cigar and cigarette holder~ ~uch a~
the holder shown in the United State~ Letters Patent No.~3,472,~238.

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~0~2304 SU~RY OF THE INVE~TIO~

It is an object of this invention to provide an imprDved filter cartridge for use with a cigar or cigarette holder of the kind that has a recess at its upstream end of size to receive the end of a cigarette, and a bit at tis downstream end, and which is fo~med with a cavity intermediate its ends which cor~lunicate~ ~ith the recesc, and wi~h a draw passage for smoke that extends through the holder from that cavity to a~ opening at the bit. In preferred form, the cartridge of the inviPntion .0 is cup-shaped and adapted to be held in the cigarette holder by conformations on the interior surface o the ,holder, preerab1y by a nipple that fits partly withi~
th~ cup s~ that the cup is held with its axis coincident with the axis of the holder. The cup is held such that L5 its exterior surface is in communication with the cigzrette receiving ~ecess and so that the interior of the cup is in communication with the draw passage.
., It is an object of the invention to provide a filter cartridge which can be easily manufactured by ~olding it as a single unitary structu~e of plastic material whereby it can be produced at lower cost and with ~i greater dimensional uniformity than has been possi~le with previou~ filter cartridges of its class.
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S~all passage opening~, baffles, and e~pansion c~a~bers have been combined with considerable success in smokers' withdrawal kits in which a quantity of ambient air is admitted to the smoke flow path upstream from the accelerating openings and the associated baffle~. This invention is the product of an attempt to ~tilize those structural features to accomplish removal of the major portion o tars and nicotine from cigarette smoke passing through the filter without the aid of pre~coolin~ by ad-mission of ambient air, and in ~uch a way that the tars and nicotine are collected in the interior of a cartridge that can be removed and disposed of without soiling the user's fingers. To accomplish the~e results is another ob;ect of the invention.
: ' ' ` ' ' - ' -5 These several objects, a~d other objects and advantages of the invention which will hereinafter become apparen~, are realized, in part, by the provision of a cartridge which is generally cup-shaped, having a cylindrical side wall and an imperforate end wall. Smo~e is admitted ~-~0 to the interior of the cup through a pin hole formed in the side wall. Immediately upon entering the cup, the ~ s~o~e stream impinges upon a baffle wall the cent~al area f of one ~ide of which is placed oppos~te the pin hole. The side of the ba~fle which faces the pin hole is closely ~5 adjacent to the pin hole and its area is many times greater , , .

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~ 0423Q4 than the pin ~ole. In the preferred form of the in~ention, the baffle wall is formed integrally with the cup and ex~
tend~ from the bottom wall of the cup suah that the surface which faces the pin hole is substanti~lly per~endicular to the central axis of the cup. That front face may be tilted slightly so that its spacing from the inner wall of the cup is slightly less ;n the region of cup botto~.
That construction called "draft~ facilitate~ removal of the tool by which the cartridge is molded. However, any draft is slight in the preferred em~odiment because perfor-mance of the filter i~ improved if the baf1e is arranged' ~so that air flow from the baffle proceeds rather uniformly ~ ~ .
~: in all directions over the surface of the baf1e fro~ the point of impingement of the incoming smoXe.
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'~:!5~ The b'affle is formed aq a wall, and in the pre-ferred embodiment it is a relatively thin wall so that the baffle occupie~ onIy a small portion of the interior volume of the cup. In the preferred form, the rear face of the wall is parallel with the axis of the cup and is , 0~ substantially flat. The forward face of the wall, the face toward the smoke inlet perforation, is arcuate in the preferred embodiment so that there is uniform spacing : between all portions of that forward face of the baffle ~ and the inner surface of the cup. The arcuate surface is j ~25 preferred 80 that the forward cusface of the baffle may be ; ~
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placed closely adjacent to the pin hole wi.thout re~tricting the flow area past the ~ide edges of the baffle wall.
If that area i5 restricted unduly a disproportionate amoun~
of flow will proceed in the direction of the length of the cup over the top edge of the baffle wall. Nonetheles~, baffle walls whose for~.ard faces ae flat and lie in a plane that is perpendicular to a line that extends through the axis of the cup an~ through the perforation all within the invention.

. In the preferred form in which tbe forward face of the barrier wall is arcuate, the width of the wall i5 such that it extends over a 45 degree to 90 degree segment of a circle having its axis coincident with the axis of the cup. However, if the forward face of the barrier wall is flat, it is preferred that the width of the wall extend over a s~milar~l.y measured angle of 45 to 60 degree~

The space within the cup serves as an expansion damber and the.~nlet.perforation and the baffle~ are placed to insure the expansion of the smo~e and the swirling such that virtually all of the tars and nico-tine will be condensed and will be caused to impinge upon the ~nterior wall of the cup or the rear of the baffle wall after passing by the forward surface of ~he baffie.
A purpose of the baffle and cup arrangement i5 to insure :,........................... .
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that the filtering action will be substantially complete over a wide range of inhalation suction pressures. When inhalation suc-tion is very light, tars tend to collect on the inner surface of the cup and on the baffle at points near the inlet pin hole. When inhalation suction is heavy, the tars tend to be deposited at points removed from the pin hole. As a consequence, the invention permits substantially complete filtering over a wide range of in-halation suction pressure, and the deposition of tars occurs at the inside of the cup over the whole range of suction pressures.
While not important to the function of the filter cart-ridge, one of the objects in creating this cartridge was to pro-vide one whose ornamentation would encourage its sale and its use.
Accordingly, another object of the invention is to provide a cart-ridge having an oramental appearance which does not interfere with its function as a cigarette tar and nicotine filter.
In one particular aspect the present invention provides for use with a cigarette holder of the kind having a recess at its upstream end of size to receive the end of the cigarette, a bit at ~ its downstream end, a cavity intermediate its ends in communica-20 tion with said recess, a draw passage for smoke extending through said holder from said cavity to said bit, and conformations at the wall of said cavity for retaining a filter in said cavity such that the exterior of the filter is in communication with said recess such that the interior of said filter is in communication with said draw passage, a disposable filter comprising: a cup having a generally cylindrical side wall and an imperforate end wall; said side wall having a perforation formed therethrough; a baffle wall extending at its upstream end from said end wall into the interior of said cup and spaced from said side wall and disposed such that an axial line through said perforation intersects a mid-region of said baffle wall, the face of said baffle wall to~ard said perfor-ation being substantially parallel with the central axis of said jc/ ~ir~

5104;~
cup; the surface of said baffle wall being spaced from the in-terior surface of the side wall of said cup a distance from 0.025 to 0.075 inches; and said cup having an interior diameter of be-tween 0.20 and 0.27 inches and being approximately 0.5 inches long, said perforation being formed at a point approximately 0.1 inches from the bottom wall of said cup and said baffle wall extending approximately 0.2 inches from said bottom wall of said cup.
In a further aspect the present invention provides for use with a cigarette holder of the kind having a recess at its upstream end of size to receive the end of the cigarette, a bit at its downstream end, a cavity intermediate its ends in communication with said recess, a draw passage for smoke extending through said holder from said cavity to said bit, and conformations at the wall of said cavity for retaining a filter in said cavity such that the exterior of the filter is in communication with said recess and such that the interior of said filter is in communication with said ::
:~ draw passage, a disposable filter comprising; a cup having a gen-erally cylindrical side wall and an imperforate end wall; said side . wall having a perforation formed therethrough; a baffle wall ex-tending at its upstream end from said end wall into the interior ~:~ of said cup and spaced from said side wall and disposed such that ~- an axial line through said perforation intersects a mid-region of :~.
- said baffle wall, the face of said baffle wall toward said per-foration being substantially parallel with the central axis of - said cup and forming a segment of a cylinder from 45 to 90 in . width; said perforation having a diameter between 0.02 and 0.027 inches and the surface of said baffle wall being spaced from the ~:
interior surface of the side wall of said cup a distance from 0.025 to 0.075 inches; said cup having an inside diameter from 30 0.20 to 0.25 inches and an inside volume of not less than 0.1 square inches; said baffle being formed with a rear wall which is substantially planar and substantially coincident with the chord -7a-jc/ Do of the segment defined by said first mentioned surface of the baffle; said cup having an interior diameter of between 0.20 and 0.27 inches and being approximately 0.5 inches long, and in which said perforation is formed at a point approximately 0.1 inches from the bottom wall of said cup and in which said baffle wall extends approximately 0.2 inches from said bottom wall of said cup.
For convenience, the term "cigarette" is used herein to mean cigars and cigarettes.
Certain preferred forms of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, it being understood that other em-bodiments of the invention are possible and that the invention is to be measured by the appended claims.

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In the drawings:

Figure l is an isometric view of a cigarette holder which contains a fil~er cartridge;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectionaL view taken on line 2-2 of Figure l and which includes a filter cartridge according to the inventioD;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the ; : filter cartridge taken on line 3-3 o~ Figure 2;
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. Figure 4 is a view in vertical cross-section LO of the filter cartridge of Figures 2 and 3;
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Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view, corres-. : ponding to Figure 3, but showing an altennative : . fonm of the invention; . -Figure 6 is a view in vertical cross-section ;.
of still another embodiment of the invention; and :;. .
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Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view ta~en on line 7-7 of Figure 6.
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104;23V4 The cigarette holder of Figure 1 is conventional in appearance. It comprises a shank 10 which terminates at its downstream end at a bit 12 which the user holds between his teeth. The shank is attached to the downstream end of a body portion 14. In the preferred embodiment, both the shank and the body are formed o-plastic. They - are separated by an annular trim piece 16 which is si~ply a washer of plastic. Another trim piece 18 at the upstream end of the holder is formed of metal in this embodLment.
0 It comprises a short cylindrical sleeve which is press-- fitted into the end of the holder and an integral, ourwardly..
~ extending flange which overlies the forward rim o~ the body .
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~- - The upstrea~ end of the shanX 1~ is fonmed with .5~ ~ conformations that interfit with the downstream end of the .
ody 14 and with the filter cartridge. In this case, tho-~e conformations include shoulders that define a nipple 22 upon which the body 14 has sliding fit. The body is ~ easily removed from the shank by twisting a~d pulling it - free of the nipple. Removing the body exposes the filter ~.~
cartridge to view. ~he fi~ter cartridge is a cup-shaped member whose open end has a sliding fit on another con~or-mation which, in this case, is an inner nipple 20 at the forward end of the shank 10 as best shown in Figure 2. The n~pple 20 is superimposed-on the nipple 22.

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~04Z304 The bodv 14 is generally cylindrical. Its orward or upstream end is adapted by being rec~ssed to receive the end of the cigarette such as the cigaretta 24. A preferred embodiment includes an inwardly ex~ending annular flange 26 near the forward end of the body which serves to limit the degree of insertion of cigarettes. Whether that inner flange is included or not, the upstream portion o~ the interior of the body is here called a "recessn, or "cigaret~e ~ recess", and its function is to accommodate the end o a O cigarette and to hold the cigarette so that it extends in the direction of the access of the holder and to serve as the entry point for cigarette smoke. That portion o the . .
interior of the body between the cigarette cavity and the forward portion of the shank 10 is called a ~cavity", or filter cartridge cavityn, and it is identified in Figure 2 .
~ - by the reference numeral 30. When the filter cartxidge 32 ~ :.
is asse~bled on the shanX nipple 20 it extends forwardly, or upstream, of the shank 10 such that its axis is substan-~ tially coincident with the central axis of the shank.
O When the Sody 14 is assembled on the shank by slipping its `
downstream margin over the oy~indrical nipple 22, tha filter .
~ cartridge 32 is disposed within the cavi~y 30 so that its .
~Xi5 iS substan~ially coaxial with the body 14.

The shank 10 is provided with a dra~ passage 34 ~5 which is fonmed through the shanX and opens at its upstream . , (~ . ( in the forward face of the nipple 20 and at its downstream end at the bit 12. Thus, in the assembled condition shown in Figure 2, the interior of the filter cartridye is in communication with the draw passage 34. The exterior sur-face of the filter cartridge is spaced from the interior wall of the bod~ 14. It cooperates with that intexior wall to define an annular cavity through which the exterior surface of the filter cartridge is in commun~cation with - the cigarette recess identified in ~igure 2 by the reerence numeral 36.
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~he filter cartridge is formed with at least one perforation in its side wall to complete a flow path from the cigarette recess 36 through the cavity 30 and the ~ perforation in the side wall of the filte~ cartridge and then through the draw passage 34 to the bit 12. The cavity .
30 serves as a storage chamber for smoXe drawn through the cigarette 24 and into the cavity 30 as an incident to the precedi~g inhalation. In a succeeding inhalation, smoke is drawn from the cavity 30 through the perforation in the filter cartridge. That perforation is no more than a pin hole. As a concequence, the velocity of the smoXe is greatly increased and it is compres~ed. ~pon being drawn through the perforation, ~he smoke expands and cools. ~he tars and nicotine in the smoke are condensed as a conse~uence of that cooling. The baffle forces a change in flo~ direction of the smo~e and the condensate. It is placed closely ad-jacent to the pin hole and the baffle surfac~ is arranged so :

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~:104;~3~4 that expansion ana cooling is postponed until after the smoke has been made to change direction and is proceeding ~ radially away from the opening. In all three for~s of ; filter ~artridges shown in the drawings, tar col.lection ~S occurs on the side walls toward the end wall of the cup, and until those walls are covered with tar, tar deposits tend to remain confined to the region of the cup below, or forward of, ~he reanrard or downstream end ~: of the baffles. In the case of filter cartridge 32, the .. 0 downstream end of the baffle is identified by the refer-~ . .
~ ence numeral 38.
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The filter cartridge is shown enlarged in thP
. cross-se.ctional views o~ Figures 3 and 4. ~eferring to ., , those f~gures, the side wall 40 is cylindrical exce~t S at the open end of the cup where the wall is tapered . .
. from the inner to the outer diameter to form a rim 42 which is wedge-shaped in cross-section. ~he preferred cartridge is formed of a plastic material and the wedge construction of its rim makes it easier to assemble on .20~ the shan~ of the cigarette holder and permits upsetting of.that rim to form a better seal whereby smoke is pre-cluded from entering the interior of the cartridge except through the perforation 44. The barrier wall 46 is inte-grally fon~ed with the bottom wall 48 and it extends in 2S a direction parallel to the side walls 40 and the axis 50 : of the cup. That is true at least o the forward face 52 of the barrier wall wh~ch is that face which is exposed 12- ' , ' .
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toward the pin hole perforation 44. As explained abovQ, som~ small amount of draft may be permitted in the design of that wall to facilitate production, but the amount of draft should be minimal. A greater degree of draft is i permitted at the rearward face 54 of the barrier wall.
In the embodiment shown, Figures 3 and 4, the amount of draft is negligible. In the embodLment of Figures 6 and 7, there is a draft at the rear face of the barrier walls.
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0 To some extent the dimensions of the cup are - limited by the diameter of cigarettes and the cigarette holder diameter that has bec~me conventional and standard. `
Except for that constraint, and except that the size of the pin hole must be selected such that the unit must S "~eel right" when subjected to normal inhalation suction - pressure, the dimensions of the cartridge and its parts are selected on the basis of discovery that certain propor-tions best meet the objectives of the invention.
'' ' '' In the preferred construction as shown in ~0 Figures 3 and 4, the outside diameter of the cup is 0.25 inches. The side walls are 1/32na of an inch thick. The barrier wall is 1/32nd of an inch thick at its greatest width. The end wall 48 is between 1/16th and l/8th of an inch thic~. The cup is 0.5 inches deep-.
'S The ba~fle is 0.2 inches high. The peroration is formed ' ' .

~042304 opposite ~he mid-region of the baffle wall and i9 0.025 inches in diameter. The baffle has a width such that it occupies a segment X in Figure 3, measured circumferentially from the central axis 50 of the cup, of 60 degrees. That width may vary between 45 and 90 degrees. If the barrier wall is wider, the spacing between the forward wall 52 of the barrier wall and the inner wall of the inner surface of the side wall of the cup may be increased. That spaclng may vary from .025 inches to 0.075 inches. In the embodi-ment illustrated, it is 0.03 inches.

When the other dimensions fall within the ranges set out above, the inside diameter of the cup is advantageously held from 0.20 inches to 0.25 inches and the conformations of the shank which interfit with the cup to hold it in place should be such that the internal volume of the cup i8 not less than 0.1 cubic inches, to insure a su~ficiently turbulent flow and velocity re-duction to enable all of the condensate to be deposited upon the cartridge walls.

The perforation may vary from ab~ut0.02 inches ,,~
to 0.027 inches in diameter.

In the preferred form of the invention, there is only one barrier wall and only one inlet perforation.

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: ' ~04;~3~4 ~owever, the invention will work, and the objects ~et forth above will be achieved, if two barrier walls are provided.
Such a construction is shown in the embodiment of Figure 5 and in the embodiments of Figures 6 and ~. In Figure 5 the cartridge is designated by the reference numeral 64. One Qf the ~arriers is designated 66 and the other is desig-nated 68. ~hey are located diametrically opposite one another. There are two inlet perforations. One of them ` ~ is designated 70 and is located opposite barrier 66. The .-.0 o~her is numbered 72 and it i~ located opposite ba~rier wall 68. The dimensions in this embodiment are like those : described for the embodiments in Figures 3 and 4 with the ~- ~ exception that the area of the perforations 70 and 72 should each be reduced to hal of the area of the inlet ,:
5~ per,oration 44 of F gures 3 and 4.

igures 6 and 7 illustrate an embodiment similar~to that shown in Figure 5. Two barriers a~e pro-vided. ~They are arranged to face diametric inlet perfora-tions 80 and 82. This embodiment differs from that ~;0 ~ shown in Figure 5 in that the forward face of the barrier walls, that is, face 84 of barrier 86 and face 88 of barrier 90, are flat. They lie in a plane that i5 perpen-::, .~ ~
di~cular to a line that ext-nds from the central axls 92 of the~cup through a respectively associated inlet perfora-5~ tion 80, in the case of surface 84, and 82, in the case of surface 88. In this construction, the spacing between ~ . .
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~ 4 the forward face of the barrier and the inlet perforation is less than the separation between the side edges of the barrier wall and the interior surface of the cylindrical cup wall. That is considered to be a less desirable con-:-i struction because there is less resi~tance to flow from the space between the barrier and the side wall in the direction of the length of the barrier wall. ~.owever, in practice, tars tend to collect upon the surfaces 84 ~- and 88 of the barrier in a manner that limit~ smoke flow over the top of the barrier so that an effect similar to that provided by~the construction of the embodiment of ; ~ Figures 3 and 4 is achieved within a short time after the~cartridge is put into use. .

Althouah I have shown ana described certain ~5 ~ specific embodiments of ~y invention, I am fully aware . that many modifications thereof are possible. My inven-tion, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art.

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Claims (4)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. For use with a cigarette holder of the kind having a recess at its upstream end of size to receive the end of the cigarette, a bit at its downstream end, a cavity intermed-iate its ends in communication with said recess, a draw passage for smoke extending through said holder from said cavity to said bit, and conformations at the wall of said cavity for retaining a filter in said cavity such that the exterior of the filter is in communication with said recess such that the interior of said filter is in communication with said draw passage, a disposable filter comprising:
a cup having a generally cylindrical side wall and an imperforate end wall;
said side wall having a perforation formed there-through;
a baffle wall extending at its upstream end from said end wall into the interior of said cup and spaced from said side wall and disposed such that an axial line through said perforation intersects a mid-region of said baffle wall, the face of said baffle wall toward said perforation being substantially parallel with the central axis of said cup;
the surface of said baffle wall being spaced from the interior surface of the side wall of said cup a distance from 0.025 to 0.075 inches; and said cup having an interior diameter of between 0.20 and 0.27 inches and being approximately 0.5 inches long, said perforation being formed at a point approximately 0.1 inches from the bottom wall of said cup and said baffle wall extending approximately 0.2 inches from said bottom wall of said cup.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 in which said baffle wall forms a segment of a cylinder from 45 degrees to 90 degrees in width.

3. The invention defined in claim 1 in which said baffle is formed with a rear wall which is substantially planar and substantially coincident with the cord of the segment defined by said first mentioned surface of the baffle.

4. For use with a cigarette holder of the kind having a recess at its upstream end of size to receive the end of the cigarette, a bit at its downstream end, a cavity intermediate its ends in communication with said recess, a draw passage for smoke extending through said holder from said cavity to said bit, and conformations at the wall of said cavity for retaining a filter in said cavity such that the exterior of the filter is in communication with said recess and such that the interior of said filter is in communication with said draw passage, a disposable filter comprising:
a cup having a generally cylindrical side wall and an imperforate end wall;
said side wall having a perforation formed there-through;
a baffle wall extending at its upstream end from said end wall into the interior of said cup and spaced from said side wall and disposed such that an axial line through said perforation intersects a mid-region of said baffle wall, the face of said baffle wall toward said perforation being substan-tially parallel with the central axis of said cup and forming a segment of a cylinder from 45° to 90° in width;

said perforation having a diameter between 0.02 and 0.027 inches and the surface of said baffle wall being spaced from the interior surface of the side wall of said cup a distance from 0.025 to 0.075 inches said cup having an inside diameter from 0.20 to 0.25 inches and an inside volume of not less than 0.1 square inches;
said baffle being formed with a rear wall which is substantially planar and substantially coincident with the chord of the segment defined by said first mentioned surface of the baffle;
said cup having an interior diameter of between 0.20 and 0.27 inches and being approximately 0.5 inches long, and in which said perforation is formed at a point approximately 0.1 inches from the bottom wall of said cup and in which said baffle wall extends approximately 0.2 inches from said bottom wall of said cup.