Cigarette Filter with Dual-Plug Ventilation and Flavor Capsule

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional cigarettes do not efficiently deliver flavor in tobacco smoke, as the existing designs focus more on odor reduction and ventilation rather than flavor permeability.

Innovation Solution

A cigarette design featuring a filter structure with a flavor capsule positioned between two filter plugs, where the second filter plug has a lower ventilation resistance than the first, allowing ambient air to increase contact time with the flavor capsule content, enhancing flavor delivery through tobacco smoke by increasing the flavor-to-tar ratio.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If conventional filter designs are used, then odor reduction is achieved, but flavor delivery is inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveodor reductionVSAvoidflavor delivery
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The filter is divided into multiple segments with different functions: a first filter plug for odor reduction, a flavor capsule for flavor delivery, and a second filter plug with different ventilation resistance for enhanced flavor delivery. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its specific function without compromising others.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the filter are given different properties: the first filter plug has higher ventilation resistance for odor control, while the second filter plug has lower ventilation resistance to facilitate flavor delivery. The flavor capsule is positioned strategically to receive ambient air and deliver flavor to the tobacco smoke.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Object-affected harmful factors

If ventilation resistance is increased, then odor control is improved, but flavor permeability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveodor controlVSAvoidflavor permeability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The filter is segmented into two distinct plugs with different ventilation resistance values. The first plug maintains higher resistance for odor control, while the second plug has lower resistance specifically for flavor delivery, resolving the contradiction between odor control and flavor permeability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The flavor capsule acts as an intermediary that receives ambient air through the second filter plug and transfers flavor to the tobacco smoke. This intermediary mechanism allows flavor delivery without requiring the entire filter to have low ventilation resistance, thus maintaining odor control while enabling flavor permeability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Quantity of substance

If filter ventilation rate is optimized for flavor delivery, then flavor-to-tar ratio increases, but overall ventilation efficiency may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflavor-to-tar ratioVSAvoidventilation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The second filter plug is designed with locally optimized low ventilation resistance specifically in the region where flavor delivery occurs, while maintaining overall filter ventilation efficiency through the combined structure of both plugs and the flavor capsule positioning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The ventilation resistance parameter is changed locally in the second filter plug to optimize flavor delivery, creating a gradient from high resistance in the first plug to low resistance in the second plug. This parameter variation allows simultaneous optimization of odor control and flavor delivery.

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

This design efficiently increases the flavor-to-tar ratio in tobacco smoke, improving the overall flavor delivery and smoking experience by optimizing the ventilation resistance and filter ventilation rate.

Implementation Method 1

the second filter plug has a lower ventilation resistance than the first, allowing ambient air to increase contact time with the flavor capsule content

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVentilation resistance: Pressure Gradient

Implementation Method 2

efficient delivery of a flavor is not taken into consideration... enhancing flavor delivery through tobacco smoke by increasing the flavor-to-tar ratio

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDiffusion: Diffusion

Data Source

PatentEP2692252B1cigarette
Publication Date: 2018.06.06 JAPAN TOBACCO INC
  • EP2692252B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP2692252B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6
  • EP2692252B1 patent drawingFigure 7~8

AI summary

A cigarette comprising: a tobacco rod; and a filter comprising a first filter plug on a tobacco rod side connected to an end of the tobacco rod, a second filter plug on a cigarette end side, and a flavor capsule arranged between the first and second filter plugs or in the second filter plug, characterized in that the first filter plug has a ventilation hole, and ventilation resistance of the second filter plug is lower than that of the first filter plug.