Disintegratable plug wraps and their applications

Abstract

A filter rod used in manufacture of a smoking article contains: (a) a rod of filter material, and (b) a plug wrap surrounding the rod of filter material. The overlapping side edges of the plug wrap are secured together with a plug wrap adhesive and the plug wrap adhesive comprises a disintegration accelerating agent. Alternatively or in addition, the plug wrap may contain perforations.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A filter rod used in manufacture of a smoking article, comprising: (a) a rod of filter material, and (b) a plug wrap surrounding the rod of filter material with overlapping side edges of the plug wrap being secured together with a plug wrap adhesive, wherein the plug wrap comprises two or more rows of perforations. 
     
     
         2 . The filter rod of  claim 1 , wherein the plug wrap comprises two or more rows of perforations with about 30 to about 120 holes per inch. 
     
     
         3 . The filter rod of  claim 1 , wherein the plug wrap comprises two or more rows of perforations with about 60 to about 90 holes per inch. 
     
     
         4 . The filter rod of  claim 1 , wherein the plug wrap adhesive comprises a disintegration accelerating agent. 
     
     
         5 . The filter rod of  claim 4 , wherein the disintegration accelerating agent comprises an enzyme. 
     
     
         6 . A smoking article comprising: (a) a tobacco rod, and (b) a filter segment attached to one end of the tobacco rod, wherein the filter segment comprises a segment of the filter rod of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         7 . The smoking article of  claim 6 , wherein the smoking article is a cigarette. 
     
     
         8 . The smoking article of  claim 6 , further comprising: (c) a tipping paper circumscribing the filter segment and the tobacco rod. 
     
     
         9 . The smoking article of  claim 8 , wherein the tipping paper and the plug wrap are bonded with an anchoring adhesive comprising a disintegration accelerating agent. 
     
     
         10 . The smoking article of  claim 9 , wherein the disintegration accelerating agent comprises an enzyme. 
     
     
         11 . The smoking article of  claim 9 , wherein the disintegration accelerating agent, upon activation, increases a disintegration rate of the plug wrap. 
     
     
         12 . The smoking article of  claim 10 , wherein the enzyme, upon activation, increases a disintegration rate of the plug wrap. 
     
     
         13 . The smoking article of  claim 9 , wherein the holes are equally spaced, have the same shape and/or have the same size. 
     
     
         14 . The smoking article of  claim 9 , wherein the filter material comprises cellulose acetate. 
     
     
         15 . The smoking article of  claim 9 , wherein the plug wrap adhesive comprises a water soluble adhesive. 
     
     
         16 . The smoking article of  claim 9 , wherein the holes are ellipses with sizes of about 0.13 to about 0.23 mm along a major axis and about 0.10 to about 0.20 mm along a minor axis. 
     
     
         17 . The smoking article of  claim 9 , wherein the holes are ellipses with sizes of about 0.16 to about 0.20 mm along a major axis and about 0.13 to about 0.17 mm along a minor axis. 
     
     
         18 . The smoking article of  claim 9 , wherein the holes are ellipses with sizes of about 0.19 mm along a major axis and about 0.16 mm along a minor axis. 
     
     
         19 . The smoking article of  claim 9 , wherein the holes are ellipses with sizes of about 0.18 mm along a major axis and about 0.14 mm along a minor axis. 
     
     
         20 . The smoking article of  claim 10 , wherein the enzyme is incorporated in an amount of about 1 to about 100 mg per gram of plug wrap paper.