Grooved Thermoformed Smoke Filter Core for Crush-Resistant Ventilation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tobacco smoke filters, particularly those with ventilated outer wrappers, are prone to crushing during manufacturing and use, leading to an inferior taste sensation due to the lack of air and smoke mixing, and lack effective anti-counterfeiting measures.
Innovation Solution
A tobacco smoke filter with a profiled thermoformed core and a stiff outer wrapper, which includes longitudinally extending channels and a coherent, self-supporting structure, eliminating the need for an additional air-impermeable wrapper, allowing air and smoke mixing and enhancing product definition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a ventilated outer wrapper with grooves is used to allow air entry, then ventilation function is improved, but the wrapper is prone to crushing during manufacture and use
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is divided into functionally distinct segments: a rigid core providing structural support and a flexible outer wrapper providing ventilation. The grooves are formed in the core rather than the wrapper, separating the structural function from the ventilation function and preventing crushing of the ventilated wrapper.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid core acts as an intermediary structure that provides the groove geometry without requiring the outer wrapper to be deformed or crushed. The core serves as a mediator that enables ventilation function while maintaining wrapper integrity.
2Reliability
If a non-porous core wrapper is used to prevent air mixing with smoke, then air-impermeability is improved, but the structure becomes more complex and vulnerable to crushing
Solution Approach 1:
The air-impermeability function is extracted from the outer wrapper and assigned to the inner core structure. The outer wrapper is freed from the air-impermeability requirement, allowing it to be simpler and more flexible while the core provides the barrier function.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making the outer wrapper air-impermeable to prevent mixing, the invention inverts the approach by making the inner core air-impermeable and the outer wrapper ventilated. This reverses the traditional layering logic and resolves the contradiction between simplicity and air-impermeability.
3Reliability
If an additional air-impermeable wrapper is added to follow the groove profile, then air mixing is prevented, but manufacturing complexity and handling difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The groove structure and air-impermeable barrier function are merged into a single integrated core component. This eliminates the need for a separate air-impermeable wrapper, simplifying manufacturing and handling while maintaining air mixing control.
Solution Approach 2:
The core structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural rigidity, creates the groove geometry for air flow paths, and acts as the air-impermeable barrier. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for additional specialized components.
4Ease of operation
If the outer wrapper is made lighter weight, then ease of smoking is improved, but structural strength and resistance to crushing during manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The filter structure is segmented into a rigid inner core for strength and a lighter outer wrapper for ease of smoking. This functional segmentation allows each layer to be optimized for its specific purpose without compromise.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter employs a composite structure combining rigid core material (providing crush resistance) with a lighter outer wrapper material (providing ease of smoking). This composite approach allows both contradictory requirements to be satisfied simultaneously.
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 provides improved smoking quality by reducing the 'air and smoke' effect and offers robust anti-counterfeiting features through distinctive appearance and color contrast, maintaining structural integrity during manufacturing and use.
Implementation Method 1
the term 'thermoformed core' means a core which has been shaped or moulded into a coherent, self supporting, core using the action of heat on the tobacco smoke filtering material
Data Source
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AI summary
A filter element comprising a thermoformed core of filtering material having a profiled outer surface which includes at least one longitudinally extending groove which extends the length of the thermoformed core; wherein the thermoformed core does not include a further wrapper following the profile of the profiled outer surface; wherein the thermoformed core defines one or more further channels or bores which extend longitudinally through the thermoformed core and wherein there is at least 1.2 mm of thermoformed material between the further channels or bores and the closest part of the profiled outer surface