Functional Material-Coated Tipping Paper for Smoking Articles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional tipping paper coatings can cause off-flavor issues during smoking and lead to ink removal problems, while attempts to address these often result in additional issues like cell clogging and ink curling.

Innovation Solution

A tipping paper coated with an overprint (OP) coating solution containing a functional material and an OP auxiliary agent, where the functional material can include sweeteners like malic acid and sucralose, or bacteria/bad breath reduction agents like rosemary oil, in specific weight ratios to enhance solubility and prevent ink removal.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional OP coating solution is used for printing process and ink prevention, then ink removal is prevented, but off-flavor occurs during smoking

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveink removal preventionVSAvoidoff-flavor
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes harmful substances (off-flavor causing components) from the OP coating solution by using a water-washable coating formulation that allows washing away of harmful substances while retaining the protective function against ink removal

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the OP coating solution by specifying particular components and their ratios, particularly using water-washable coating materials with controlled solvent content to eliminate off-flavor while maintaining ink protection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If components of printing solution or OP coating solution are changed to reduce off-flavor, then off-flavor is reduced, but additional problems occur such as cell clogging, curling, ink set-off, or ink removal

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoff-flavor reductionVSAvoidprinting process stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent carefully adjusts and controls the parameters of the OP coating solution including solvent type, concentration, and composition ratios to achieve off-flavor reduction while maintaining printing process stability and preventing defects like cell clogging and curling

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a composite OP coating solution formulation combining multiple components (water-washable coating material, specific solvents, and additives) in optimized ratios to simultaneously achieve off-flavor reduction and printing stability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Adaptability or versatility

If functional materials are added to OP coating solution to provide tastes and reduce harmful effects, then various tastes and harmful bacteria reduction is achieved, but solubility issues and ink removal may occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetaste provision and harmful bacteria reductionVSAvoidsolubility and ink protection
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses water-soluble carriers and surfactants as intermediaries to dissolve functional materials (flavoring agents, antibacterial compounds) in the OP coating solution, ensuring their solubility while maintaining the coating's protective functions and preventing ink removal

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite OP coating solution that integrates functional materials (sweeteners, antibacterial agents) with water-washable coating materials and appropriate solvents to achieve both functional benefits and technical reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

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 solution effectively minimizes off-flavor and provides various tastes, enhances sensory characteristics, and reduces harmful bacteria and bad breath without causing ink removal or other printing issues.

Implementation Method 1

an OP auxiliary agent which enhances the solubility of the at least one functional material are added to an OP ink

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSolvation: Solvation

Data Source

PatentEP3939441B1Functional material-coated tipping paper for smoking article, and method for coating tipping paper
Publication Date: 2024.06.05 KT&G CO LTD
  • EP3939441B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3939441B1 patent drawingFigure 4
  • EP3939441B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a smoking article including a smoking material portion which is wrapped with a smoking material wrapper, a filter portion which has an upstream end combined with the smoking material portion and is wrapped with a filter wrapper, and a tipping paper which wraps around at least a partial region of the smoking material portion and the filter portion so that the smoking material portion and the filter portion are combined, wherein the tipping paper is coated with an overprint (OP) coating solution in which at least one functional material and an OP auxiliary agent which enhances the solubility of the at least one functional material are added to an OP ink.