Cigarette Filter Capsule Viscosity Control to Prevent Liquid Soakage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional cigarette filters with flavor capsules fail to prevent the soakage of content liquid to the surface of the tipping paper and cigarette paper, leading to poor usability and difficulties in mass production due to residue from liquid-impermeable materials used to suppress soakage.

Innovation Solution

A cigarette filter design featuring filter plugs separated by a cavity with a flavor capsule and an oilproof, liquid-impermeable filter wrapper made from materials like oilproof paper, using medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride as a solvent and sucrose diacetate hexaisobutyrate as a thickener to achieve a viscosity of 30 mPa·s or more, preventing soakage without adhering residues.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a liquid-impermeable filter wrapper (such as cellophane or plastic) is used to prevent soakage of content liquid, then soakage prevention is improved, but residue adheres to the filter making machine causing difficulties in mass production

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesoakage of content liquidVSAvoidmass production
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical parameter of the content liquid by adjusting its viscosity to 30 mPa·s or more at 25°C through specific formulation (using medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride as solvent and sucrose diacetate hexaisobutyrate as thickener). This parameter change allows the liquid to be sufficiently viscous to prevent unwanted soakage while remaining processable during manufacturing, eliminating the need for liquid-impermeable wrapper materials that cause residue issues.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts and removes the liquid-impermeable filter wrapper material (cellophane, plastic, or coated materials) from the cigarette filter structure. By formulating the content liquid with appropriate viscosity, the patent eliminates the need for these problematic wrapper materials, thereby removing the source of residue that interferes with mass production while still achieving soakage prevention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the content liquid viscosity is increased to prevent soakage, then soakage prevention is improved, but the liquid may not flow properly during manufacturing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesoakage of content liquidVSAvoidmanufacturing efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the viscosity parameter of the content liquid to a specific range (30 mPa·s or more at 25°C) that balances two opposing requirements: high enough viscosity to prevent soakage through the tipping paper and cigarette paper, but not so high as to impede manufacturing processes. This is achieved through careful selection of solvent (medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride) and thickener (sucrose diacetate hexaisobutyrate) components and their proportions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Effectively prevents the soakage of content liquid to the tipping paper and cigarette paper, ensuring better usability and facilitating mass production by maintaining the filter's cleanliness.

Implementation Method 1

the content liquid has a viscosity of 30 mPa·s or more at 25°C

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectViscosity:

Data Source

PatentEP2578093B1Filter for cigarette, and cigarette
Publication Date: 2018.10.03 JAPAN TOBACCO INC
  • EP2578093B1 patent drawingFigure 1(a)~2(c)
  • EP2578093B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2578093B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

A cigarette filter comprising filter plugs separated from each other and arranged through a cavity, a flavor capsule encapsulating a content liquid including a flavor in a shell and provided in the cavity between the filter plugs, and a liquid-impermeable tipping paper and/or filter wrapper wrapped around the filter plugs and the flavor capsule, characterized in that the content liquid comprises the flavor and a thickener and has a viscosity of 30 mPa·s or more.