Filters and smoking articles containing the same, to which a functional enhancement binder has been applied.

Abstract

The present invention provides a smoking article filter including a lyocell tow containing a plurality of lyocell fibers, a phenol-related functional substance, and a binder, and a manufacturing method thereof, and provides a smoking article including the smoking article filter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a filter to which a functionality-improving binder is applied and a smoking article including the same.

Background Art

[0002] Lyocell has a cellulose main component and, unlike cellulose acetate (CA), has almost no plasticizer harmless to the human body. For this reason, in order to manufacture a filter using Lyocell and impart a hardness above a certain level, a binder solution must be used. When a Lyocell filter is mixed with substances such as triethyl citrate (TEC) and triacetin (TA) together with a conventionally used binder solution, a layer separation phenomenon of the solution occurs. When using such a solution, there is a problem that the binder solution and substances such as TEC and TA cannot be uniformly sprayed onto the Lyocell tow.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] Therefore, in order to overcome the problems and / or limitations of the prior art as described above, the present invention aims to provide a Lyocell filter for a smoking article manufactured by uniformly mixing substances such as triethyl citrate (TEC) and / or triacetin (TA) with a binder in Lyocell fibers, and a smoking article including the same.

[0004] However, the problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those with ordinary knowledge in the relevant technical field from the following description.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a filter for a smoking article comprising a lyocell tow containing a plurality of lyocell fibers, The present invention provides a filter for smoking articles characterized by containing phenol-related functional substances and a binder.

[0006] According to one embodiment, a smoking article comprising a tobacco medium and a filter, The lyocell tofu containing the plurality of lyocell fibers, a phenol-related functional substance, an amphoteric binder, and an alcohol, The phenol-related functional substance is one or more selected from the group consisting of triethyl citrate (TEC) and triacetin (TA). The present invention provides a smoking article characterized in that the amphoteric binder is one or more selected from the group consisting of cellulose-based binders and vinyl-based binders.

[0007] In another embodiment, a method for manufacturing a filter for smoking articles, a) A step of preparing a lyocell tow containing multiple lyocell fiber bundles, b) A step in which an amphoteric binder and an alcohol are mixed, followed by the mixing of a phenol-related functional substance, c) The step of dispersing the mixed solution onto the lyocelto, The phenol-related functional substance is one or more selected from the group consisting of triethyl citrate (TEC) and triacetin (TA). The aforementioned amphoteric binder is one or more selected from the group consisting of cellulose-based binders and vinyl-based binders. The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a cigarette filter, characterized in that the alcohol is propylene glycol (PG). [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, a lyocell filter can be provided in which lipid-soluble substances such as triethyl citrate (TEC) and / or triacetin (TA) are more uniformly mixed, which has the advantage of being able to more effectively remove components such as phenols present in tobacco smoke during smoking. Furthermore, by using lyocell, an environmentally friendly filter can be manufactured.

[0009] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those described above, but should be understood to include all effects that can be inferred from the detailed description of the present invention or the configuration of the invention as described in the claims. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This figure shows a schematic configuration of a smoking article according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows a schematic configuration of a smoking article including a wrapper according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. However, various modifications can be made to the embodiments, and the scope of the patent application is not limited or restricted by such embodiments. All modifications, equivalents, and substitutions to the embodiments should be understood to be included within the scope of the patent.

[0012] The terms used in the examples are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as intended to be limiting. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless they are clearly meant differently in the portal tract. In this specification, terms such as “includes” or “having” are intended to specify the existence of features, figures, stages, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should not be understood as preemptively excluding the existence or possibility of adding one or more other features, figures, stages, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

[0013] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as those generally understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the examples pertain. Terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having the meaning consistent with their meaning in the portal of the relevant art, and not as ideal or overly formal unless explicitly defined in this application.

[0014] Furthermore, when explaining with reference to the attached drawings, the same components will be assigned the same reference numerals regardless of the reference numerals in the drawings, and redundant explanations related thereto will be omitted. When describing embodiments, if it is determined that a specific explanation of related prior art would obscure the gist of the embodiment, such detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0015] Furthermore, when describing the components of the embodiment, terms such as 1st, 2nd, A, B, (a), (b), etc., may be used. Such terms are merely for distinguishing the component from other components, and do not limit the nature, order, or sequence of the component.

[0016] Components included in any one of the embodiments and components having a common function shall be described using the same names in other embodiments. Unless otherwise stated, the descriptions given in any one of the embodiments can be applied to other embodiments, and specific descriptions within the overlapping scope will be omitted.

[0017] Throughout the specification, "smoking article" may mean something that can generate an aerosol, such as tobacco (cigarette), cigar, etc. The smoking article may contain an aerosol product substance or an aerosol-forming substrate. Also, the smoking article may contain a solid substance based on tobacco raw materials such as lamina tobacco, cut, reconstituted tobacco, etc. The smoking substance may contain volatile compounds.

[0018] Also, throughout the specification, "upstream" or "upstream direction" means the direction away from the mouth of the user smoking the smoking article 1, and "downstream" or "downstream direction" means the direction approaching the mouth of the user smoking the smoking article 1. For example, in the smoking article 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the tobacco material part 10 is located upstream or in the upstream direction of the tobacco filter part 20.

[0019] Also, in this specification, although the case of the combustion-type cigarette of the smoking article 1 has been described as an example, it is not limited thereto, and the smoking article 1 can also correspond to a heated cigarette used together with an aerosol generation device (not shown) such as an electronic cigarette device.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a filter for a smoking article, comprising a lyocell tow containing a plurality of lyocell fibers, characterized by comprising a binder solution containing a phenol-related functional substance and a binder.

[0021] Phenol-related functional substances correspond to substances that can specifically reduce phenols generated during smoking. Examples thereof include Triethyl citrate (TEC) or Triacetin (TA), and all of these can also correspond thereto.

[0022] When the TEC or TA is contained in the binder solution, its content may be 20 to 50% by weight. When it is less than 20% by weight, the phenol reduction effect becomes weak. When it exceeds 50% by weight, there may be a problem that the adhesive force of the binder solution decreases very much, making it difficult to realize an appropriate filter hardness.

[0023] The binder contained in the cigarette filter may be partially different in type depending on the method by which the filter is manufactured, and may correspond to a hydrophilic binder and / or an amphoteric binder having both water-soluble and oil-soluble properties.

[0024] When the cigarette filter contains a hydrophilic binder, during the manufacture of the cigarette filter, phenol-related functional substances such as oil-soluble TEC and TA cannot be easily mixed with the hydrophilic binder, and a phenomenon of separation of the solution layer occurs. Therefore, in this case, it is preferable to further add an emulsifier during the manufacture of the filter, and thus the cigarette filter to be manufactured will further contain an emulsifier.

[0025] As the type of the emulsifier, it is preferably a food emulsifier for reasons such as the health of smokers and environmental friendliness. Specific examples can correspond to Monoglyceride, Diglyceride, and / or Triglyceride.

[0026] When the aforementioned smoking filter contains an amphoteric binder, the environmentally friendly water-soluble solution used in the manufacture of the lyocell filter and lipid-soluble phenol-related functional substances such as TEC and TA can be homogeneously mixed. Through this, the phenol-related functional substances are uniformly dispersed in the lyocell, enabling an effective reduction of components such as phenols present in the tobacco smoke during smoking.

[0027] Such amphoteric binders may include cellulosic binders and / or vinyl binders. Specific examples of the cellulosic binders may be one or more selected from the group consisting of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), ethylcellulose (EC), methylcellulose (MC), and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). Specific examples of the vinyl binders may be one or more selected from the group consisting of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVAc).

[0028] Furthermore, among the types of amphoteric binders mentioned above, it is more preferable to include a vinyl-based binder, and more preferably polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP).

[0029] When polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) is used as an amphoteric binder, compared to other amphoteric binders, its lower viscosity allows for more uniform and effective mixing of lipid-soluble phenol-related functional substances. Consequently, when manufacturing filters for smoking products, it is possible to easily produce filters in which phenol-related functional substances are uniformly dispersed in lyocell.

[0030] Furthermore, in addition to the binder and phenol-related functional substances, alcohol may be added and mixed to prevent the growth of microorganisms and fungi in the binder solution. The type of alcohol may be a polyhydric alcohol, a monohydric alcohol such as ethyl alcohol, or a mixture thereof. Preferably, the polyhydric alcohol contains propylene glycol (PG).

[0031] Furthermore, when using propylene glycol (PG), the propylene glycol (PG) acts as a release agent, reducing the phenomenon of lyocellus adhering to the filter equipment rolls, thus increasing the efficiency of the filter manufacturing process.

[0032] When using ethyl alcohol as the monohydric alcohol, 5 to 10% by weight can be used, and when using propylene glycol as the polyhydric alcohol, 20 to 50% by weight can be used.

[0033] In addition, the aforementioned filters for smoking articles may, depending on their intended use (combustion-type cigarettes, e-cigarettes, etc.) and as needed during manufacturing, further contain capsules carrying fragrances or humectants.

[0034] When such fragrance-bearing capsules are included, they can provide a variety of flavor experiences and mask unpleasant odors, thereby improving satisfaction for smokers. Furthermore, by including the aforementioned humectant, the amount of atomization can be more effectively increased compared to conventional smoking products.

[0035] According to another aspect of the present invention, a smoking article comprising a tobacco medium and a filter, The lyocell tofu containing the plurality of lyocell fibers, a phenol-related functional substance, an amphoteric binder, and an alcohol, The phenol-related functional substance is one or more selected from the group consisting of triethyl citrate (TEC) and triacetin (TA). The present invention provides a smoking article characterized in that the amphoteric binder is one or more selected from the group consisting of cellulose-based binders and vinyl-based binders.

[0036] The amphoteric binders and alcohols described herein are substantially the same as the types of amphoteric binders contained in the aforementioned filters for smoking articles, and may preferably include a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) amphoteric binder and a propylene glycol (PG) alcohol.

[0037] The tobacco medium portion typically contains tobacco substances including nicotine, such as tobacco leaves, and may further contain excipients such as binders and other additives. For example, the tobacco medium contained in the tobacco medium portion of the present invention can be manufactured in the form of granules containing tobacco substances and excipients.

[0038] In the present invention, the tobacco substance is a substance that forms an aerosol generating base material, and may be tobacco leaf scraps, tobacco stems, tobacco dust generated during tobacco processing, and / or tobacco leaf strips. The tobacco leaf may be at least one selected from yellow tobacco, Burley tobacco, Oriental tobacco, cigar tobacco, and toast tobacco, but is not limited thereto.

[0039] Furthermore, the filter portion of a smoking article according to one embodiment of the present invention can be divided into two or more segments, and subdivided into a first filter portion, a second filter portion, etc. Regardless of their position in which they are arranged, if one of the two or more segments corresponds to the filter for a smoking article according to one embodiment of the present invention, it may be included within the scope of the present invention.

[0040] Furthermore, the smoking article may include a wrapper that encloses the tobacco medium and filter components, and the wrapper can be made from general filter paper. In addition, the tipping wrapper that connects the tobacco medium and the filter may have one or more perforations selectively formed along the circumferential direction to allow outside air to flow in and internal gas to flow out, thereby realizing the air dilution rate of the cigarette and regulating the amount of mainstream smoke components transferred.

[0041] The configuration of the present invention and its effects will be described in more detail below based on examples and comparative examples. However, these examples are provided to illustrate the present invention more specifically, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0042] -Examples 1) Method for manufacturing lyocell filters Lyocell tow was used, with a tow fiber bundle of approximately 35,000 denier, utilizing lyocell fibers where each fiber is approximately 3.0 denier. A binder solution, a mixture of binder, TEC, and solvent, was also prepared. Specifically, the binder solution was prepared by adding 10% by weight of PVP (Polyvinylpyrrolidone) to 60% by weight of solvent (a mixed solvent of 40% by weight of propylene glycol, 10% by weight of ethanol, and 10% by weight of water) and 30% TEC, based on the total weight of the binder solution. The prepared binder solution was sprayed onto the lyocell tow through a brush spray. The binder solution was prepared by spraying 10 or 15% by weight of the lyocell tow. The dried lyocell tow was wrapped in rolling paper to produce a cigarette filter with an axial length of approximately 108 mm and a circumference of approximately 24.20 mm.

[0043] 2) Viscosity differences depending on the type of binder The inventors have compared and shown the viscosity differences at different temperatures of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), one of the vinyl-based binders, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), one of the cellulose-based binders, and polyester according to one embodiment of the present invention (Table 1).

[0044] [Table 1]

[0045] Both HPMC, a cellulose-based binder, and PVP, a vinyl-based binder, are amphoteric binders. Both binders can be mixed with lipid-soluble TEC. However, as shown in Table 1, HPMC has a higher viscosity when dissolved compared to PVP, resulting in uneven dispersion during the filter manufacturing process. This can cause the tow to adhere to and get caught in the roll machine, leading to problems such as tow breakage. In contrast, PVP has a lower viscosity than HPMC, so it does not cause problems during the filter manufacturing process, and the TEC substance can be uniformly dispersed in the lyocell tow.

[0046] Polyester, like PVP, has low viscosity, but it has the limitation that it cannot be uniformly mixed with TEC, a phenol-related functional substance, and must be uniformly dispersed using a surfactant or emulsifier. However, when using such a surfactant or emulsifier (when dispersing TEC in a polyester binder solution containing a surfactant or emulsifier), the viscosity actually increases, which is a disadvantage.

[0047] 3) Preparation of polyester binder and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) binder solutions and verification of the effectiveness of applied filters. A polyester binder solution was prepared by mixing a polyester binder with water, propylene glycol (PG), and ethyl alcohol (EtOH). A PVP binder solution was prepared by mixing a PVP binder with water, PG, EtOH, and TEC. In the case of polyester, layer separation occurs when TEC is mixed together, making it difficult to produce a uniform binder solution. However, in the case of PVP, since it is an amphoteric binder, it mixes easily with TEC, making it easy to produce a binder solution.

[0048] Cigarettes were manufactured using lyocell filters to which the two types of binder solutions described above were applied. The phenol smoke component of each cigarette was measured and compared, and the results are shown in Table 2 below.

[0049] [Table 2]

[0050] As shown in Table 2 above, it can be confirmed that when a PVP binder solution is applied to a lyocell filter, the phenol component reduction effect is approximately 30% greater compared to when a polyester binder solution is applied to a lyocell filter.

[0051] Although the embodiments have been described above with limited drawings, a person with ordinary skill in the art can apply various technical modifications and variations based on the above. For example, the described techniques may be performed in a different order than described, and / or the components of the described systems, structures, devices, circuits, etc. may be combined or assembled in a different manner than described, or substituted or replaced by other components or equivalents, and still the appropriate results may be achieved.

[0052] Therefore, other embodiments, other embodiments, and equivalents to the claims described below also fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A filter for smoking items, Lyocell toe containing multiple lyocell fibers, A binder solution having phenol-related functional substances and a binder, and applied to the lyocelto. Filters for smoking items, including those for smoking products.

2. The filter for smoking articles according to claim 1, wherein the binder solution contains 20 to 50% by weight of the phenol-related functional substance.

3. The filter for smoking articles according to claim 1, wherein the phenol-related functional substance is one or more selected from the group consisting of triethyl citrate (TEC) and triacetin (TA).

4. The aforementioned binder is an amphoteric binder, as described in claim 1, for use in smoking articles.

5. The filter for smoking articles according to claim 1, wherein the binder is one or more selected from the group consisting of hydrophilic binders and amphoteric binders.

6. The binder is one or more hydrophilic binders selected from the group consisting of polyester and starch-based materials. The filter for smoking articles according to claim 1, further comprising an emulsifier.

7. The filter for smoking articles according to claim 6, wherein the emulsifier is a food-grade emulsifier.

8. The filter for smoking articles according to claim 6, wherein the emulsifier is at least one selected from the group consisting of monoglycerides, diglycerides, and triglycerides.

9. The binder is one or more binders selected from the group consisting of cellulose-based binders and vinyl-based binders. The cellulosic binder is one or more selected from the group consisting of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), ethylcellulose (EC), methylcellulose (MC), and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). The filter for smoking articles according to claim 1, wherein the vinyl binder is one or more selected from the group consisting of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVAc).

10. The filter for smoking articles according to claim 1, wherein the binder is one or more vinyl binders selected from the group consisting of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVAc).

11. The filter for smoking articles according to claim 1, wherein the binder is polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP).

12. The filter for smoking articles according to any one of claims 5 to 11, further comprising alcohol.

13. The filter for smoking articles according to claim 12, wherein the alcohol is propylene glycol (PG).

14. Smoking items, Including a tobacco medium part and a filter part, A lyocell tow containing multiple lyocell fibers, a binder solution having a phenol-related functional substance and an amphoteric binder applied to the lyocell tow, and an alcohol, The phenol-related functional substance is one or more selected from the group consisting of triethyl citrate (TEC) and triacetin (TA). The aforementioned amphoteric binder is one or more selected from the group consisting of cellulose-based binders and vinyl-based binders, in a smoking article.

15. The smoking article according to claim 14, wherein the amphoteric binder is one or more vinyl binders selected from the group consisting of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVAc).

16. The smoking article according to claim 14, wherein the amphoteric binder is polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP).

17. The smoking article according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the alcohol is propylene glycol (PG).

18. A method for manufacturing a filter for smoking articles, a) A step of preparing a lyocell tow containing multiple lyocell fiber bundles, b) The step of mixing the binder with phenol-related functional substances, c) A method for manufacturing a filter for a smoking article, comprising the step of dispersing the mixed solution onto the lyocelto.

19. The method for manufacturing a filter for smoking articles according to claim 18, wherein the binder is polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP).

20. The aforementioned binder is an amphoteric binder, The mixing step involves mixing the amphoteric binder and the alcohol, and then mixing in the phenol-related functional substance. The phenol-related functional substance is one or more selected from the group consisting of triethyl citrate (TEC) and triacetin (TA). The aforementioned amphoteric binder is one or more selected from the group consisting of cellulose-based binders and vinyl-based binders. The method for manufacturing a filter for smoking articles according to claim 18, wherein the alcohol is propylene glycol (PG).

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