Filter, flavor inhalation article comprising said filter, and device and method for producing said filter

Abstract

A filter used in a flavor inhalation article, wherein: the filter comprises a sheet filling part in which sheets comprising a web material are gathered in a width direction Y intersecting the longitudinal direction X of the sheets and are reduced in size to or below the diameter of the filter, and a rolled paper in which the sheet filling part is wrapped; and the sheets have first crimped regions in which a prescribed number of crimped parts are formed by implementing a crimping treatment on a partial region extending over the entire longitudinal direction X.

1 . A filter used in a flavor inhalation article, the filter comprising:
 a sheet filling part formed by performing gathering in a width direction intersecting a longitudinal direction of a sheet formed of a web material so as to reduce a diameter to a value smaller than or equal to a diameter of the filter; and   a rolled paper with which the sheet filling part is wrapped,   wherein, when a crimping treatment is performed on a partial region of the sheet in the longitudinal direction, the sheet has a first crimped region in which a predetermined number of crimped parts are formed.   
     
     
         2 . The filter according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the sheet has a second crimped region in a region of the sheet adjacent to the first crimped region in the longitudinal direction, the second crimped region being formed by performing the crimping treatment to have a smaller number of the crimped parts than a number of the crimped parts in a case of the first crimped region.   
     
     
         3 . The filter according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the sheet has a non-crimped region in a region of the sheet adjacent to the first crimped region in the longitudinal direction, the non-crimped region having no crimped parts.   
     
     
         4 . The filter according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the sheet has a second crimped region in a region of the sheet adjacent to the first crimped region in the longitudinal direction, the second crimped region being formed by performing the crimping treatment to have the crimped parts having a smaller recessed area than a recessed area in a case of the first crimped region.   
     
     
         5 . The filter according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein an area of the first crimped region is smaller than or equal to an area of a region of the sheet adjacent to the first crimped region in the longitudinal direction.   
     
     
         6 . The filter according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first crimped region forms a first filling part in the sheet filling part,   a region of the sheet adjacent to the first crimped region in the longitudinal direction forms a second filling part adjacent to the first filling part in the sheet filling part, and   a length of the first filling part in an axial direction is smaller than or equal to a length of the second filling part in the axial direction.   
     
     
         7 . The filter according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first crimped region forms a first filling part in the sheet filling part,   a region of the sheet adjacent to the first crimped region in the longitudinal direction forms a second filling part adjacent to the first filling part in the sheet filling part, and   draw resistance of the sheet filling part per unit length in an axial direction in the first filling part is higher than or equal to 1.5 times draw resistance in the second filling part.   
     
     
         8 . The filter according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first crimped region forms a first filling part in the sheet filling part,   a region of the sheet adjacent to the first crimped region in the longitudinal direction forms a second filling part adjacent to the first filling part in the sheet filling part, and   the sheet filling part has a plurality of combinations of the first filling part and the second filling part in an axial direction thereof.   
     
     
         9 . The filter according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein at least a subset of the crimped parts is a longitudinal linear recess extending in the longitudinal direction of the sheet.   
     
     
         10 . The filter according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein at least a subset of the crimped parts is a recessed part or a protruding part having a dot shape in plan view of the sheet.   
     
     
         11 . The filter according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein at least a subset of the crimped parts is a lateral linear recess extending in the width direction of the sheet.   
     
     
         12 . A device for producing a filter used in a flavor inhalation article, the device comprising:
 a sheet processing section configured to process a sheet formed of a continuous web material while transporting the sheet through a transport path;   a gathering section configured to perform gathering, in a width direction intersecting a longitudinal direction of the sheet, on the sheet having been processed in the sheet processing section, the gathering being performed, in a transport process of the sheet through the transport path, to form a sheet filling rod having a diameter reduced to a value smaller than or equal to a diameter of the filter;   a wrapping section configured to wrap, with rolled paper, the sheet filling rod having been formed in the gathering section, the wrapping being performed so as to form a filter rod; and   a cutting section configured to cut, into the filter, the filter rod having been formed in the wrapping section,   wherein the sheet processing section includes a roller set configured to pinch and transport the sheet with a first roller and a second roller through the transport path,   protruding parts are formed in the first roller, the protruding parts protruding in parts of an outer circumferential surface of the first roller in a circumferential direction,   recessed parts are formed in parts of an outer circumferential surface of the second roller in the circumferential direction in the second roller, the recessed parts to be engaged with the protruding parts,   the roller set forms engagement parts where the protruding parts and the recessed parts are engaged with each other with the sheet interposed between the protruding parts and the recessed parts when the sheet is pinched and transported, the roller set having first engagement regions in partial regions of the outer circumferential surfaces in circumferential directions, a predetermined number of the engagement parts being formed in the first engagement regions, and   the first engagement regions form a first crimped region having a predetermined number of crimped parts corresponding to the engagement parts in number when a crimping treatment is performed on a partial region of the sheet in the longitudinal direction.   
     
     
         13 . The device for producing a filter according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein the roller set has second engagement regions in regions of the outer circumferential surfaces adjacent to the first engagement regions in the circumferential directions of the outer circumferential surfaces, the second engagement regions having a smaller number of engagement parts than a number of engagement parts in a case of the first engagement regions, and   the second engagement regions form a second crimped region having a smaller number of the crimped parts than a number of the crimped parts in a case of the first crimped region when the crimping treatment is performed on a region of the sheet adjacent to the first crimped region in the longitudinal direction.   
     
     
         14 . The device for producing a filter according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein the roller set has non-engagement regions having no engagement parts in regions of the outer circumferential surfaces adjacent to the first engagement regions in the circumferential directions of the outer circumferential surfaces, and   the non-engagement regions form a non-crimped region in a region of the sheet adjacent to the first crimped region in the longitudinal direction, the non-crimped region having no crimped parts.   
     
     
         15 . The device for producing a filter according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein the roller set has second engagement regions in regions of the outer circumferential surfaces adjacent to the first engagement regions in the circumferential directions of the outer circumferential surfaces, the second engagement regions having a smaller engagement area in the engagement parts than an engagement area in a case of the first engagement regions, and   the second engagement regions form a second crimped region having crimped parts having a smaller recessed area than a recessed area in a case of the first crimped region when the crimping treatment is performed on a region of the sheet adjacent to the first crimped region in the longitudinal direction.   
     
     
         16 . The device for producing a filter according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein an area of the first engagement regions is smaller than or equal to an area of regions of the outer circumferential surfaces adjacent to the first engagement regions.   
     
     
         17 . A method for producing a filter used in a flavor inhalation article, the method comprising the steps of:
 processing a sheet formed of a continuous web material while transporting the sheet;   in a transport process of the sheet, performing gathering, in a width direction intersecting a longitudinal direction of the sheet, on the sheet having been processed in the processing of the sheet, the gathering being performed to form a sheet filling rod having a diameter reduced to a value smaller than or equal to a diameter of the filter;   wrapping the sheet filling rod having been formed in the performing of the gathering with rolled paper to form a filter rod; and   cutting, into the filter, the filter rod having been formed in the wrapping,   wherein, in the transport process of the sheet in the processing of the sheet, crimping processing is performed to form a first crimped region having a predetermined number of crimped parts by performing a crimping treatment on a partial region of the sheet in a longitudinal direction of the sheet.   
     
     
         18 . The method for producing a filter according to  claim 17 ,
 wherein, in the crimping processing, a second crimped region having a smaller number of the crimped parts than a number of the crimped parts in a case of the first crimped region is formed by performing the crimping treatment on a region of the sheet adjacent to the first crimped region in the longitudinal direction.   
     
     
         19 . The method for producing a filter according to  claim 17 ,
 wherein, in the crimping processing, a second crimped region having the crimped parts having a smaller recessed area than a recessed area of the crimped parts in a case of the first crimped region is formed by performing the crimping treatment on a region of the sheet adjacent to the first crimped region in the longitudinal direction.   
     
     
         20 . The method for producing a filter according to  claim 17 ,
 wherein, in the processing of the sheet, a roller set configured to pinch and transport the sheet with a first roller and a second roller through the transport path is used to perform the crimping processing,   wherein the filter having been formed in the cutting has a sheet filling part formed by cutting the sheet filling rod,   the first crimped region forms a first filling part in the sheet filling part, and   a region of the sheet adjacent to the first crimped region in the longitudinal direction forms a second filling part adjacent to the first filling part in the sheet filling part, and   wherein the method further includes the steps of   inspecting a ratio between lengths of the first filling part and the second filling part in an axial direction,   determining whether the ratio having been inspected in the inspecting is a predetermined first threshold, and   controlling, when it is determined that the ratio is not the first threshold in the determining, a rotation speed of at least one of the first roller and the second roller in the crimping processing based on a difference between the ratio and the first threshold.