Perforated Cigarette Paper

Abstract

The invention relates to cigarette paper ( 1 ) providing self-extinguishing properties to a cigarette made therefrom, wherein the cigarette paper comprises at least one discrete region ( 2 ) that is perforated and comprises a permeability to air that is greater than the permeability to air outside of the perforated region. The perforated region is preferably present in a finished filter cigarette in the vicinity of the filter ( 5 ).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cigarette paper that provides a cigarette manufactured therefrom with self-extinguishing properties, wherein the base paper has a CO 2  diffusivity of less than 0.35 cm/s and the cigarette paper comprises at least one discrete area, wherein this area is perforated and has an air permeability greater than the air permeability beyond the perforated area. 
     
     
         2 . The cigarette paper according to  claim 1 , wherein the air permeability within the perforated area is constant over the entire perforated area. 
     
     
         3 . The cigarette paper according to  claim 1 , wherein the air permeability within the perforated area is from 50 CU to 2000 CU. 
     
     
         4 . The cigarette paper according to  claim 1 , wherein the air permeability within the perforated area is from 100 CU to 1000 CU. 
     
     
         5 . The cigarette paper according to  claim 1 , wherein the width of the perforated area is between 2 mm and 25 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The cigarette paper according to  claim 1 , wherein the width of the perforated is between 4 mm and 12 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The cigarette paper according to  claim 1 , wherein the width of the perforated is between 5 mm and 9 mm. 
     
     
         8 . The cigarette paper according to  claim 1 , further comprising a short side A for facing a filter in the finished cigarette, wherein the perforated area is within the third of the cigarette paper length adjacent to the short side A, preferably within the quarter of the cigarette paper length adjacent to the short side A, and more preferably within the fifth of the cigarette paper length adjacent to the short side A. 
     
     
         9 . The cigarette paper according to  claim 1 , further comprising a short side A for facing a filter of the finished cigarette, wherein the mean air permeability within the half or third of the length of the cigarette paper adjacent to short side A is greater than the mean air permeability of the remaining part of the cigarette paper. 
     
     
         10 . The cigarette paper according to  claim 1 , comprising at least a second discrete area that is perforated and separated from the first perforated area by a non-perforated area. 
     
     
         11 . The cigarette paper according to  claim 10 , further comprising a short side A for facing a filter of the finished cigarette, wherein the second perforated area is located further away from the short side A than the first perforated area. 
     
     
         12 . The cigarette paper according to  claim 10 , wherein the air permeability within the second perforated area is lower than the air permeability within the first perforated area. 
     
     
         13 . The cigarette paper according to  claim 10 , comprising at least one further discrete area that is perforated and separated from the first perforated area and from the second perforated area by at least one non-perforated area. 
     
     
         14 . The cigarette paper according to  claim 13 , further comprising a short side A for facing a filter of the finished cigarette, wherein the further perforated area is located further away from the short side A than the first perforated area and the second perforated area. 
     
     
         15 . The cigarette paper according to  claim 13 , wherein the air permeability within the further perforated area is lower than the air permeability within the first perforated area and the second perforated area. 
     
     
         16 . The cigarette paper according to  claim 1 , wherein the air permeability beyond a perforated area is less than 15 CU. 
     
     
         17 . The cigarette paper according to  claim 1 , wherein the air permeability beyond a perforated area is less than 10 CU. 
     
     
         18 . The cigarette paper according to  claim 1 , having a mean CO2 diffusivity of less than 0.25 cm/s. 
     
     
         19 . The cigarette paper according to  claim 1 , having a mean CO2 diffusivity of less than 0.20 cm/s. 
     
     
         20 . A cigarette comprising a cigarette paper according to  claim 1  and furthermore comprising a filter and a tipping paper, wherein the distance between the tipping paper and the first perforated area is less than 10 mm. 
     
     
         21 . The cigarette of  claim 20 , wherein the distance between the tipping paper and the first perforated area is less than 5 mm. 
     
     
         22 . A method for producing a cigarette paper according to  claim 1 , comprising a perforation step to create at least one perforated area by at least one of electrostatic perforation, laser perforation, and mechanical perforation. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the perforation step is carried out on a cigarette machine or on a device separated from the cigarette machine. 
     
     
         24 . Use of a paper to produce a cigarette paper according to  claim 1 , wherein the paper is provided in the form of a paper web having a width of 0.3 m to 5 m or of 9 mm to 35 mm. 
     
     
         25 . Use of a cigarette paper according to  claim 1  to produce a cigarette according to  claim 20 .