Tobacco smoke filter

Abstract

A tobacco smoke filter or filter element comprising: a longitudinally extending core which includes first and second longitudinally extending rods of tobacco smoke filtering material, wherein the first rod of tobacco smoke filtering material is distanced longitudinally from the second rod of tobacco smoke filtering material; a wrapper engaged around the first and second longitudinally extending rods such that the wrapper defines a cavity between the first and second rods of tobacco smoke filtering material; and at least one receptacle for an additive located in the cavity, wherein the maximum width or diameter of the receptacle for an additive is less than half the maximum diameter of the cavity and the void space remaining in the cavity is greater than 50% of the volume of the cavity, the receptacle being free to move within the cavity.

1 . A tobacco smoke filter or filter element comprising:
 a longitudinally extending core which includes first and second longitudinally extending rods of tobacco smoke filtering material, wherein the first longitudinally extending rod of tobacco smoke filtering material is distanced longitudinally from the second longitudinally extending rod of tobacco smoke filtering material;   a wrapper engaged around the first and second longitudinally extending rods of tobacco smoke filtering material such that the wrapper defines a cavity between the first and second longitudinally extending rods of tobacco smoke filtering material; and   at least one receptacle for an additive located in the cavity, wherein a maximum width or diameter of the at least one receptacle for the additive is less than half a maximum diameter of the cavity and a void space remaining in the cavity is greater than 50% of a volume of the cavity, the at least one receptacle being free to move within the cavity.   
     
     
         2 . The tobacco smoke filter or filter element according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one receptacle for the additive is a capsule. 
     
     
         3 . The tobacco smoke filter or filter element according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one receptacle for the additive includes the additive in the form of a flavourant. 
     
     
         4 . The tobacco smoke filter or filter element according to  claim 1 , wherein the void space remaining in the cavity is 51 to 90% of the volume of the cavity. 
     
     
         5 . The tobacco smoke filter or filter element according to  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinally extending core is a substantially cylindrical core. 
     
     
         6 . The tobacco smoke filter or filter element according to  claim 1 , wherein the tobacco smoke filtering material of the first and/or second longitudinally extending rod of tobacco smoke filtering material comprises a natural or synthetic filamentary tow. 
     
     
         7 . The tobacco smoke filter or filter element according to  claim 1 , wherein the tobacco smoke filtering material includes carbon. 
     
     
         8 . The tobacco smoke filter or filter element according to  claim 1 , wherein the tobacco smoke filtering material of the first longitudinally extending rod of tobacco smoke filtering material and the tobacco smoke filtering material of the second longitudinally extending rod of tobacco smoke filtering material are different. 
     
     
         9 . The tobacco smoke filter or filter element according to  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinally extending core is of perimeter or circumference 14 to 28 mm. 
     
     
         10 . The tobacco smoke filter or filter element according to  claim 1 , wherein the wrapper is transparent. 
     
     
         11 . The tobacco smoke filter or filter element according to  claim 1 , wherein the cavity is of length 3.5 mm to 32 mm. 
     
     
         12 . The tobacco smoke filter or filter element according to  claim 1 , wherein a region of the cavity is free of adhesive. 
     
     
         13 . The tobacco smoke filter or filter element according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one receptacle for the additive is of width 2 to 5 mm. 
     
     
         14 . The tobacco smoke filter or filter element according to  claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the longitudinally extending core is at least 0.7 mm greater than the maximum width of the at least one receptacle for the additive. 
     
     
         15 . A smoking article comprising the tobacco smoke filter or the tobacco smoke filter including the filter element according to  claim 1 , joined to a wrapped tobacco rod with one end of the tobacco smoke filter towards the wrapped tobacco rod. 
     
     
         16 . A multiple rod comprising a plurality of tobacco smoke filters or filter elements according to  claim 1  integrally joined end-to-end. 
     
     
         17 . The tobacco smoke filter or filter element according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one receptacle for the additive supplies a greater yield of flavourant to a user. 
     
     
         18 . The tobacco smoke filter or filter element according to  claim 1 , wherein the cavity has a diameter from 5 mm to 10 mm. 
     
     
         19 . The tobacco smoke filter or filter element according to  claim 1 , wherein the wrapper is opaque with an opacity of 71% or more. 
     
     
         20 . A method of making a tobacco smoke filter or filter element, the method comprising steps of:
 (a) arranging plugs of tobacco smoke filtering material on a filter wrapper longitudinally at intervals so as to leave spaces between the plugs;   (b) applying adhesive to the filter wrapper in register with the arranged plugs, so there is no adhesive in register with the spaces between the plugs;   (c) gathering the wrapper and the plugs together such that the adhesive will be in register with the plugs but not in register with the spaces between the plugs;   (d) inserting receptacles for an additive into the spaces between the plugs of tobacco smoke filtering material; and   (e) securing the wrapper around the plugs of tobacco smoke filtering material to form a continuous rod of alternating wrapped plugs and cavities, such that no adhesive is present in the cavities.   
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 20  in which alternating plugs are made of first and second filtering materials. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 20  in which two or more receptacles are inserted into the spaces between the plugs of tobacco smoke filtering material. 
     
     
         23 . A tobacco smoke filter or filter element comprising:
 a longitudinally extending core which includes first and second longitudinally extending rods of tobacco smoke filtering material, wherein the first longitudinally extending rod of tobacco smoke filtering material is distanced longitudinally from the second longitudinally extending rod of tobacco smoke filtering material;   a wrapper engaged around the first and second longitudinally extending rods of tobacco smoke filtering material such that the wrapper defines a cavity between the first and second longitudinally extending rods of tobacco smoke filtering material; and   at least one receptacle for an additive located in the cavity, the at least one receptacle being free to move within the cavity.   
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 20 , further including:
 cutting the resulting continuous product rod to form individual filters or filter elements.