Filter Opening Placement for Smoke Diffusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional filter chip manufacturing for tobacco products requires a specialized processing step for obliquely cutting the mouthpiece-end, which complicates the manufacturing process and reduces efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A smoking article design featuring a tobacco portion, a filter portion with a mouthpiece, and a tubular covering portion that includes openings near the mouthpiece, allowing smoke to diffuse and mix with air, eliminating the need for a special cutting process and enhancing smoking taste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a specialized processing step for obliquely cutting the mouthpiece-end is added to achieve improved smoking taste, then the smoking taste is improved, but the manufacturing process complexity increases and manufacturing efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of the oblique cut (smoke diffusion improvement) and implements it through a different structure - the tubular covering portion with openings. This eliminates the need for specialized cutting equipment while achieving the same smoke diffusion effect in the oral cavity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of modifying the filter chip geometry through oblique cutting to achieve smoke diffusion, the patent inverts the approach by using a tubular covering portion with openings to create the diffusion effect. This reverses the conventional method of achieving the desired smoke flow pattern.
2Ease of manufacture
If a specialized processing step for obliquely cutting the mouthpiece-end is added to achieve improved smoking taste, then the smoking taste is improved, but the manufacturing efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the specialized oblique cutting step from the manufacturing process entirely. The tubular covering portion with openings can be integrated into standard filter manufacturing processes, eliminating the need for additional specialized equipment and operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The tubular covering portion serves multiple functions: it provides the smoke diffusion effect, acts as a structural component, and can be manufactured using standard processes. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate specialized processing steps.
3Ease of manufacture
If openings are provided in the covering portion near the mouthpiece, then smoke diffusion is improved and smoking taste is enhanced, but the structural integrity of the filter may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The openings are localized to specific regions of the tubular covering portion near the mouthpiece, allowing smoke diffusion where needed while maintaining the overall structural integrity of the filter. The openings do not compromise the strength of the entire filter structure.
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
The design simplifies the manufacturing process, prevents quality degradation, and improves smoking taste by promoting smoke diffusion in the oral cavity without requiring a special filter cutting process.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of openings provided in the covering portion near the mouthpiece
Implementation Method 2
a mixing portion provided in the filter portion to mix smoke from the tobacco portion and air from the air intake
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
A smoking article according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a tobacco portion; a filter portion having a mouthpiece; a tubular covering portion covering the tobacco portion and the filter portion; a plurality of openings are provided in the covering portion, and are provided at a position closer to a side of the mouthpiece than a position 8 mm from the mouthpiece in an axial direction of the filter portion; an air intake provided in the tobacco portion at the position deviating from a position closer to a side of the mouthpiece than a position 8 mm from the mouthpiece in an axial direction of the filter portion; and a mixing portion provided in the filter portion to mix smoke from the tobacco portion and air from the air intake, characterized in that the mixing portion is a cavity provided in the filter portion and is provided in the position overlapping with the air intake in an axis direction of the filter portion, the air intake contains a plurality of holes passing through the covering portion and the plurality of holes are provided within a range of a predetermined length in the axis direction of the covering portion and a value obtained by subtracting the predetermined length from a length of the mixing portion in the axis direction is 1.0 mm or more Fig. 2