Puff-by-puff trapping device for cigarette sidestream particulate matter

Abstract

The utility model relates to cigarette manufacturing technical field discloses a kind of cigarette side stream smoke particle phase object mouth by mouth trapping device. Fish tail cover;Side stream smoke particle phase object mouth by mouth trapping unit, including multiple parallel side stream smoke particle phase object trapping air path, the inlet end of each air path is connected to the outlet of the fish tail cover in collection;Each side stream smoke particle phase object trapping air path has at least front end control valve, side stream smoke filter trap collector and sampling pump for providing suction side stream smoke power in turn;Suction simulation unit, including the cigarette holder for fixing cigarette, the suction power source for generating simulation suction power, and the three-way valve between the cigarette holder and the suction power source is arranged;The device realizes the technical improvement of the total amount trapping to mouth by mouth trapping to cigarette side stream smoke particle phase object, to accurately reveal its dynamic release law between different suction mouth sequence.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of cigarette manufacturing technology, specifically to a device for collecting particulate matter from cigarette sidestream smoke. Background Technology

[0002] Sidestream smoke is a complex aerosol that escapes from the tip and sides of a cigarette during smoldering and smoking. Its particulate matter contains various harmful components, including nicotine and tar. Due to different combustion conditions, the concentration of various harmful substances in sidestream smoke is much higher than in mainstream smoke, posing a significant threat to ambient air quality and the health of passive smokers. Therefore, accurate analysis of the chemical composition and release behavior of sidestream smoke particulate matter has become crucial for tobacco hazard assessment and environmental tobacco smoke research.

[0003] It is worth noting that cigarette combustion is a dynamic, unsteady process. The release characteristics of sidestream smoke (such as composition and release amount) are not uniform throughout the smoking cycle, but change significantly with each puff. Therefore, achieving puff-by-puff capture and analysis of particulate matter in sidestream smoke is an indispensable prerequisite for accurately revealing its dynamic release patterns and intrinsic distribution mechanisms.

[0004] Currently, sidestream smoke collection technologies primarily focus on capturing the total amount released throughout the entire cigarette. For example, Dai Lu et al. used a sealed cavity to collect sidestream smoke, achieving precise measurement of the particulate matter composition of the entire cigarette's sidestream smoke. However, this type of "total capture" method inherently obscures the release differences between different puff sequences, and the obtained data is only an average of the entire puffing process. It cannot analyze the specific release flux of particulate matter in each puff, resulting in the dynamic changes of sidestream smoke remaining unclear.

[0005] In summary, a clear technological gap exists in the current technology: the lack of a puff-by-puff capture device and method capable of effectively and physically separating particulate matter in cigarette sidestream smoke. This bottleneck severely restricts a deeper understanding of the release behavior of sidestream smoke and limits more objective health risk assessments based on this understanding. Developing an efficient and reliable puff-by-puff capture device has become an urgent technical challenge to be solved in this field. Utility Model Content

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned deficiencies or defects in the existing technology, the present invention aims to provide a cigarette sideflow smoke particulate matter collection device to solve the problem that the existing sideflow smoke collection devices cannot achieve physical separation and collection according to the order of the inhalation port, thus making it impossible to analyze the dynamic release law of particulate matter.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides a cigarette sidestream smoke particulate matter collection device, comprising: Fishtail cover, used to guide and capture sideflow smoke; The side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection unit includes multiple parallel side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection gas paths, and the inlet ends of each gas path are connected to the outlet of the fishtail hood; each side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection gas path is connected in series with at least a front-end control valve, a side-flow flue gas filter collector, and a sampling pump for providing the power to draw in the side-flow flue gas. The suction simulation unit includes a cigarette holder for fixing a cigarette, a suction power source for generating simulated suction power, and a three-way valve disposed between the cigarette holder and the suction power source; the three-way valve is configured to selectively connect the suction power source to the cigarette holder or the ambient atmosphere.

[0008] This device precisely segments the continuously generated sidestream smoke by guiding it through multiple controlled parallel gas paths to independent filter traps, synchronizing these traps with the simulated puffing process. This ensures that the particulate matter produced in each puff is physically and independently captured on different filters, providing a reliable sample basis for subsequent precise puff-by-puff weighing and chemical analysis. It overcomes the technical bottleneck of existing technologies that cannot analyze the dynamic distribution of particulate matter in sidestream smoke. This represents a technological leap from "total capture" to "physically separated capture" of particulate matter in cigarette sidestream smoke, enabling accurate revelation of its dynamic release patterns across different puff sequences.

[0009] In some embodiments, each of the side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection gas paths is further connected in series with a back-end control valve; the back-end control valve is located between the side-flow flue gas filter collector and the sampling pump.

[0010] In some embodiments, each of the side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection gas paths is further connected in series with a flow regulating valve; the flow regulating valve is disposed between the rear control valve and the sampling pump.

[0011] In some embodiments, each of the side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection gas paths is further connected in series with an absorption bottle and / or a filter; the absorption bottle and / or filter is disposed between the rear control valve and the flow regulating valve.

[0012] In some embodiments, the outlet pipes of the rear control valves in each of the side-flow flue gas particulate matter trapping gas paths are connected to a common pipe. The absorption bottle and / or filter, flow regulating valve, and sampling pump are connected in series on the common pipeline.

[0013] In some embodiments, the fishtail cover is arranged vertically, with a wide air inlet at the bottom for collecting smoke and a narrow air outlet at the top for connecting to a subsequent air path; the side wall of the fishtail cover is provided with an opening near the air inlet for cigarettes to be inserted, so that cigarettes fixed by the cigarette holder can be inserted into the internal cavity of the fishtail cover through the opening.

[0014] In some embodiments, an ashtray is provided below the air inlet of the fishtail cover to collect the ash that falls off when the cigarette is burning.

[0015] In some embodiments, the suction power source includes: Round glass tube; The piston is disposed inside the circular glass tube; A stepper motor, connected to the piston, is used to drive the piston to move inside the circular glass cylinder; The controller is connected to the stepper motor and is used to control the stepper motor to work according to the set instructions.

[0016] In some embodiments, the cigarette holder is provided with a labyrinth ring and a neoprene gasket.

[0017] In some embodiments, the suction simulation unit further includes a mainstream smoke filter trap; the mainstream smoke filter trap is connected in series in the pipeline between the three-way valve and the cigarette holder.

[0018] Other features and advantages of this invention will be described in detail in the following detailed description section. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the cigarette sideflow particulate matter collection device of this utility model.

[0020] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures 1. Suction power source; 2. Three-way valve; 3. Mainstream smoke filter trap; 4. Cigarette holder; 5. Ashtray; 6. Fishtail cover; 25. Absorption bottle; 26. Filter; 27. Flow regulating valve; 28. Sampling pump. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The specific embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model.

[0022] In this utility model, unless otherwise stated, directional terms such as "upper" and "lower" generally refer to the orientation in the assembled and used state. "Inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer sides relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0023] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this utility model are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate for the embodiments of the utility model described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0024] This invention provides a device for collecting particulate matter from the sidestream of cigarette smoke, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the cigarette sideflow particulate matter collection device includes a fishtail cover 6, a sideflow particulate matter collection unit, and a suction simulation unit.

[0025] Fishtail Cover 6 The fishtail cover 6 is manufactured according to the relevant provisions of standard YC / T 185-2004, and is used to guide and capture side-flow smoke. In an optional embodiment, the fishtail cover 6 includes an air inlet and an air outlet, with the air inlet being wider and the air outlet narrower. A notch is provided on the side wall of the fishtail cover 6 near the air inlet for the cigarette to enter. When the cigarette is held in the cigarette holder 4, it can enter the fishtail cover 6 through this notch. The fishtail cover 6 is placed vertically with the air inlet facing downwards and the air outlet facing upwards. An ashtray 4 can be placed below the air inlet of the fishtail cover 6 to collect the ash that falls during cigarette combustion; its area and shape should cover as much of the area where ash may fall as possible. The cigarette holder 4 is used to fix the cigarette to be tested.

[0026] Side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection unit The side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection unit is used to collect particulate matter from the side-flow flue gas. It includes multiple parallel side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection gas paths, and the inlet ends of each gas path converge and connect to the outlet of the fishtail hood 6. Each side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection gas path is connected in series with at least a front-end control valve, a side-flow flue gas filter collector, and a sampling pump 28.

[0027] The sampling pump 28 provides the suction power for the side-flow flue gas and can optionally use an adjustable diaphragm pump. The sampling pump 44 also includes a pump controller and a real-time flow indicator. The pump controller controls the pump's suction flow rate, which is adjustable from 0 to 6 L / min. The real-time flow indicator monitors the actual flow rate of the side-flow flue gas in the gas pipe. By setting the diaphragm pump's suction flow rate to a value slightly higher than a predetermined suction rate using the pump controller, and then fine-tuning it using the real-time flow indicator and multi-turn metering needle valve, the side-flow flue gas sampling flow rate can be adjusted to a fairly precise value.

[0028] The sideflow smoke filter trap 13~18 can be fitted with a 44mm Cambridge filter to capture particulate matter in the mainstream smoke. Since it is easy to think of eliminating the differences between samples and making the capture results closer to the true value by increasing the number of cigarettes tested, a 92mm Cambridge filter trap can also be used depending on the actual situation.

[0029] To create a physically isolated gas path, a rear control valve is connected in series in each of the side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection gas paths. The rear control valve is located between the side-flow flue gas filter collector and the sampling pump 28. The rear control valve works in conjunction with the front control valve to create a physically isolated gas path for each side-flow flue gas filter collector. This physically separates flue gas from different inlets, ensuring the accuracy and validity of the inlet-by-inlet collection data.

[0030] The front-end control valve can be a normally closed solenoid clamp valve to avoid direct contact between the valve core and the flue gas, which would affect the collection of particulate matter and prevent blockage. The rear-end control valve can be a solenoid three-way valve or a solenoid clamp valve to control the on / off of the collection path.

[0031] To achieve precise control and stable maintenance of the side-flow flue gas extraction flow rate, a flow regulating valve 27 is connected in series in each of the side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection gas paths. The flow regulating valve 27 is located between the rear control valve and the sampling pump 28. The flow regulating valve 27 enables precise control and stable maintenance of the side-flow flue gas extraction flow rate.

[0032] Furthermore, each of the side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection gas paths is also connected in series with an absorption bottle 25 and / or a filter 26. The absorption bottle 25 and / or filter 26 are disposed between the rear control valve and the flow regulating valve 27.

[0033] The absorption bottle 25 and filter 26 serve to expand analytical capabilities and protect the device, respectively. The absorption bottle, by containing a specific chemical solution, selectively captures and analyzes target gaseous components (such as ammonia and nitrogen oxides) in the side-flow flue gas, thereby extending the device's detection range from particulate matter to gaseous matter. The filter 26 is designed to capture droplets and tiny particles in the flue gas that may penetrate the upstream filter or be generated by the absorption bottle, preventing them from entering and contaminating or damaging the downstream precision flow control valve 27 and sampling pump 28, thus ensuring the long-term stable operation and measurement accuracy of these critical components.

[0034] In one embodiment of this utility model, the filter 26 is a micro-mist filter with a filtration capacity of 0.01μm.

[0035] In practice, each side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection gas path can be equipped with an absorption bottle 25, a filter 26, a flow regulating valve 27, and a sampling pump 28. While this approach achieves basic functionality, it suffers from high cost and complexity. Therefore, in a preferred embodiment of this invention, multiple parallel side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection gas paths share a set of absorption bottles 25, filters 26, flow regulating valves 27, and sampling pumps 28. That is, the outlet pipes of the rear control valves in each of the side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection gas paths converge and connect to a common pipeline. The absorption bottle 25 and / or filter 26, flow regulating valve 27, and sampling pump 28 are connected in series on the common pipeline.

[0036] Suction simulation unit The suction simulation unit includes a cigarette holder 4 for fixing the cigarette, a suction power source 1 for generating simulated suction power, and a three-way valve 2 disposed between the cigarette holder 4 and the suction power source 1. The three-way valve 2 is configured to selectively connect the suction power source 1 to the cigarette holder 4 or to the ambient atmosphere.

[0037] When the suction power source 1 draws in, the three-way valve 2 switches to connect with the cigarette holder 4 and cuts off the connection with the ambient atmosphere; when the suction power source 1 exhausts, the three-way valve 2 cuts off the connection with the cigarette holder 4 and switches to connect with the ambient atmosphere to exhaust.

[0038] The suction power source 1 includes a drive motor, a piston driven by the drive motor, and a cylinder housing the piston. The drive motor is electrically connected to a controller configured to control the drive motor so that the piston moves within the cylinder according to a predetermined suction program.

[0039] Furthermore, the suction power source 1 can be a suction syringe. The suction syringe has a piston structure, with a stepper motor driving the piston to move within a circular glass tube, thereby simulating human inhalation of a cigarette. The suction syringe also includes a controller to control the movement mode of the stepper motor. Those skilled in the art can easily understand that changing the controller parameters can alter the suction mode, such as suction duration, suction cycle, suction curve, and perform volume calibration, etc., which will not be elaborated further here.

[0040] Furthermore, the cigarette holder 4 is equipped with a labyrinth ring and a neoprene gasket to wrap around the cigarette butt, thus providing a sealing and fixing function.

[0041] The suction simulation unit also includes a mainstream smoke filter trap 3. The mainstream smoke filter trap 3 is connected in series in the pipeline between the three-way valve 2 and the cigarette holder 4. A 44mm Cambridge filter can be installed inside the mainstream smoke filter trap 3 to trap particulate matter in the mainstream smoke. Since it is easy to see that increasing the number of test cigarettes can eliminate differences between samples and make the trapping results closer to the true value, a 92mm Cambridge filter trap can also be used depending on the actual situation.

[0042] like Figure 1 As shown: The front-end control valve 7, the side-flow flue gas filter collector 13, and the rear-end control valve 19 constitute the first side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection path; The front-end control valve 8, the side-flow flue gas filter collector 14, and the rear-end control valve 20 constitute the second side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection path. The front-end control valve 9, the side-flow flue gas filter collector 15, and the rear-end control valve 21 constitute the third side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection path; The front-end control valve 10, the side-flow flue gas filter collector 16, and the rear-end control valve 22 constitute the fourth side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection path. The front-end control valve 11, the side-flow flue gas filter collector 17, and the rear-end control valve 23 constitute the fifth side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection path; The front-end control valve 12, the side-flow flue gas filter trap 18, and the rear-end control valve 24 constitute the sixth side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection path; Those skilled in the art will readily understand that to capture the smoke from more than six puffs one by one, it can be achieved by adding parallel capture paths.

[0043] Working principle (1) Calibrate the suction capacity, suction duration, and suction interval of the suction power source, adjust the side flow flue gas suction flow rate, and set the number of suction ports n; (2) The side-flow flue gas filter traps are numbered 1 to n, corresponding to the suction port numbers 1 to n respectively. Weigh the initial mass of the fishtail cover 6 and the side-flow flue gas filter traps. (3) Install the fishtail cover and the side flow smoke filter collector, and start the suction power source and sampling pump at the same time as igniting the cigarette to collect the side flow smoke particulate matter one by one; (4) Open the front and rear control valves on the collection path of the side-flow flue gas filter collector with the same number as the suction port, and close the front and rear control valves on other collection paths; (5) Before the next suction, if the number of suctions reaches the set number, then switch to (6); otherwise switch to (4). (6) Immediately remove the cigarette butt and weigh the fishtail cover and the side-flow flue gas filter trap respectively; (7) Calculate the difference between the mass of the side-flow smoke filter trap 1~n and the initial mass. This difference is the mass of particulate matter in the side-flow smoke captured by the cigarette sample. (8) Divide the mass of particulate matter captured by the fish tail cover by the number of suction ports n and distribute it evenly to the mass increase value of the side flow flue gas filter trap 1~n to reduce the error and obtain the final result.

[0044] The following detailed description is provided in conjunction with this embodiment.

[0045] Set the suction capacity, suction duration and suction interval according to the standard, adjust the side flow flue gas suction flow rate to 3L / min, and set the number of suction ports to 6. Calculations show that the volume from the fishtail cover 6 to the front control valve is about 300mL, so it takes about 6 seconds to draw this part of the gas through the side flow flue gas filter trap. Weigh the initial mass M0 of the fishtail hood and the initial mass M of the side-flow flue gas filter traps 13~18. 1~6 ; Open the front control valve 7 and the rear control valve 19, and keep the other valves closed; Install the fishtail cover 6 and the side-flow smoke filter collector 13~18, light the cigarette and start the suction syringe to take the first suction, and at the same time start the sampling pump to collect the particulate matter in the side-flow smoke. Six seconds after the second suction begins, close the front control valve 7 and the rear control valve 19, open the front control valve 8 and the rear control valve 20, and keep the rest closed; Six suctions were completed in sequence. After the interval between the sixth suctions was reached, the sideflow flue gas was captured for another 6 seconds to maintain the same test conditions as the first five suctions. Remove the fishtail cover 6 and the side-flow flue gas filter traps 13-18 and weigh them; their masses are M0 and M0, respectively. ’ and M 1~6 ’Therefore, the mass of particulate matter in the sidestream smoke produced by the first puff of this cigarette is M1. ’ -M1+(M0 ’ -M0)÷6, the mass of particulate matter in the side-flow flue gas produced by the second suction is M2. ’ -M2+(M0 ’ -M0)÷6, and so on.

[0046] To eliminate individual differences in cigarette samples and make the capture results closer to the true values, those skilled in the art can easily understand that this can be achieved by increasing the number of experimental samples and then averaging the results, which will not be elaborated here.

[0047] This device guides the sideflow smoke collected by the fishtail cover 6 through multiple controlled parallel gas paths to independent sideflow smoke filter traps, and switches these traps synchronously with the simulated puffing process. This precisely segments the continuously generated sideflow smoke over time, ensuring that the particulate matter produced in each puff is physically and independently captured on different filters. This provides a reliable sample basis for subsequent precise puff-by-puff weighing and chemical analysis, overcoming the technical bottleneck of existing technologies that cannot analyze the dynamic distribution of particulate matter in sideflow smoke. It represents a technological improvement in the capture of particulate matter in cigarette sideflow smoke, moving from total volume capture to puff-by-puff physical separation capture, thereby accurately revealing its dynamic release patterns across different puff sequences.

[0048] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific details of the above embodiments. Within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solution of the present invention, and these simple modifications all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0049] It should also be noted that the various specific technical features described in the above embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. To avoid unnecessary repetition, this utility model will not describe the various possible combinations separately.

[0050] Furthermore, various different embodiments of this utility model can be combined in any way, as long as they do not violate the spirit of this utility model, they should also be regarded as the content disclosed by this utility model.

Claims

1. A device for collecting particulate matter from cigarette sidestream smoke, characterized in that, include: Fishtail cover (6) is used to guide and capture sideflow flue gas; The side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection unit includes multiple parallel side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection gas paths, and the inlet ends of each gas path are connected to the outlet of the fishtail cover (6); each side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection gas path is connected in series with at least a front-end control valve, a side-flow flue gas filter collector, and a sampling pump (28) for providing the power to draw in the side-flow flue gas. The suction simulation unit includes a cigarette holder (4) for fixing the cigarette, a suction power source (1) for generating simulated suction power, and a three-way valve (2) disposed between the cigarette holder (4) and the suction power source (1); the three-way valve (2) is configured to selectively connect the suction power source (1) to the cigarette holder (4) or the ambient atmosphere.

2. The cigarette sideflow particulate matter collection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection gas paths is also connected in series with a rear control valve; the rear control valve is located between the side-flow flue gas filter collector and the sampling pump (28).

3. The cigarette sideflow particulate matter collection device according to claim 2, characterized in that, Each of the side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection gas paths is also connected in series with a flow regulating valve (27); the flow regulating valve (27) is located between the rear control valve and the sampling pump (28).

4. The cigarette sideflow particulate matter collection device according to claim 3, characterized in that, Each of the side-flow flue gas particulate matter collection gas paths is also connected in series with an absorption bottle (25) and / or a filter (26); the absorption bottle (25) and / or the filter (26) are located between the rear control valve and the flow regulating valve (27).

5. The cigarette sideflow particulate matter collection device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The outlet pipes of the rear control valves in each of the side-flow flue gas particulate matter trapping gas paths are connected to a common pipe. The absorption bottle (25) and / or filter (26), flow regulating valve (27) and sampling pump (28) are connected in series on the common pipeline.

6. The cigarette sideflow particulate matter collection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fishtail cover (6) is arranged vertically, with a wide air inlet at the bottom for collecting smoke and a narrow air outlet at the top for connecting to the subsequent air path; the side wall of the fishtail cover (6) near the air inlet has an opening for cigarettes to be inserted, so that cigarettes fixed by the cigarette holder (4) can be inserted into the internal cavity of the fishtail cover (6) through the opening.

7. The cigarette sideflow particulate matter collection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Below the air inlet of the fishtail cover (6) is an ashtray (5) for collecting the ash that falls off when the cigarette is burning.

8. The cigarette sideflow particulate matter collection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The suction power source (1) includes: Round glass tube; The piston is disposed inside the circular glass tube; A stepper motor, connected to the piston, is used to drive the piston to move inside the circular glass cylinder; The controller is connected to the stepper motor and is used to control the stepper motor to work according to the set instructions.

9. The cigarette sidestream smoke particulate matter collection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cigarette holder (4) is equipped with a labyrinth ring and a neoprene gasket.

10. The cigarette sideflow particulate matter collection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The suction simulation unit also includes a mainstream smoke filter trap (3); the mainstream smoke filter trap (3) is connected in series in the pipeline between the three-way valve (2) and the cigarette holder (4).

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