Pre-Roll Body Having Integral Ceramic Mouthpiece

Abstract

A pre-rolled cigarette includes a pre-roll body and a filtering mouthpiece preassembled with the pre-roll body at an attachment end. The filtering mouthpiece includes an open mouthpiece end disposed opposite to the attachment end, and a passage providing fluid communication between the open mouthpiece end and one or more filtration holes disposed through the attachment end.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A pre-rolled cigarette, comprising:
 a pre-roll body; and   a filtering mouthpiece preassembled with the pre-roll body at an attachment end;   wherein the filtering mouthpiece includes an open mouthpiece end disposed opposite to the attachment end, and a passage providing fluid communication between the open mouthpiece end and one or more filtration holes disposed through the attachment end.   
     
     
         2 . The pre-rolled cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein the filtering mouthpiece is preassembled with the pre-roll body via an airtight seal. 
     
     
         3 . The pre-rolled cigarette of  claim 2 , further comprising a ring of flexible material having an adhesive on a surface thereof, wherein the filtering mouthpiece is preassembled with the pre-roll body via an airtight seal formed by the ring of flexible material wrapped around and adhered to a side surface of the filtering mouthpiece proximate to the attachment end and to a side surface of the pre-roll body proximate to an end of the pre-roll body. 
     
     
         4 . The pre-rolled cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible material is selected from the group consisting of natural paper, synthetic paper, vinyl, polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene (PE). 
     
     
         5 . The pre-rolled cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein the filtering mouthpiece is manufactured from a ceramic material. 
     
     
         6 . The pre-rolled cigarette of  claim 5 , wherein the pre-roll body is filled with plant material that is ground into particulate having a predetermined average maximum particle dimension, and the one or more filtration holes are sized during manufacturing of the filtering mouthpiece to filter the particulate. 
     
     
         7 . The pre-rolled cigarette of  claim 6 , wherein the filtering mouthpiece is manufactured by injection or compression molding. 
     
     
         8 . The pre-rolled cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more filtration holes have a maximum cross-sectional dimension in a range from about 0.5 mm to about 1.5 mm. 
     
     
         9 . A pre-rolled cigarette, comprising:
 a pre-roll body;   a filtering mouthpiece preassembled with the pre-roll body at an attachment end, wherein the filtering mouthpiece includes an open mouthpiece end disposed opposite to the attachment end, and a passage providing fluid communication between the open mouthpiece end and one or more filtration holes disposed through the attachment end; and   a ring of flexible material having an adhesive on a surface thereof, wherein the filtering mouthpiece is preassembled with the pre-roll body via an airtight seal formed by the ring of flexible material wrapped around and adhered to a side surface of the filtering mouthpiece proximate to the attachment end and to a side surface of the pre-roll body proximate to an end of the pre-roll body.   
     
     
         10 . The pre-rolled cigarette of  claim 9 , wherein the flexible material is selected from the group consisting of natural paper, synthetic paper, vinyl, polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene (PE). 
     
     
         11 . The pre-rolled cigarette of  claim 10 , wherein the filtering mouthpiece is manufactured from a ceramic material. 
     
     
         12 . The pre-rolled cigarette of  claim 11 , wherein the pre-roll body is filled with plant material that is ground into particulate having a predetermined average maximum particle dimension, and the one or more filtration holes are sized during manufacturing of the filtering mouthpiece to filter the particulate. 
     
     
         13 . The pre-rolled cigarette of  claim 11 , wherein the filtering mouthpiece is manufactured by injection or compression molding. 
     
     
         14 . The pre-rolled cigarette of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more filtration holes have a maximum cross-sectional dimension in a range from about 0.5 mm to about 1.5 mm. 
     
     
         15 . A filtering mouthpiece adapted to be preassembled with a pre-roll body via an airtight seal, the mouthpiece comprising:
 an open mouthpiece end disposed opposite to an attachment end, and a passage providing fluid communication between the open mouthpiece end and one or more filtration holes disposed through the attachment end.   
     
     
         16 . The filtering mouthpiece of  claim 15 , wherein the filtering mouthpiece is manufactured from a ceramic material by injection or compression molding. 
     
     
         17 . The filtering mouthpiece of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more filtration holes are sized during manufacturing of the filtering mouthpiece to filter particulate having a predetermined average maximum particle dimension. 
     
     
         18 . The filtering mouthpiece of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more filtration holes have a maximum cross-sectional dimension in a range from about 0.5 mm to about 1.5 mm. 
     
     
         19 . The filtering mouthpiece of  claim 16 , wherein the filtering mouthpiece tapers from the attachment end toward the open mouthpiece end. 
     
     
         20 . The filtering mouthpiece of  claim 15 , further comprising a ring of flexible material having an adhesive on a surface thereof, wherein the ring of flexible material is adhered around a side surface of the filtering mouthpiece proximate to the attachment end to form an airtight seal therewith and is adapted to be wrapped around and adhered to a side surface of the pre-roll body proximate to an end of the pre-roll body to form an airtight seal therewith, wherein the flexible material is selected from the group consisting of natural paper, synthetic paper, vinyl, polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene (PE).