Heat Shrink Cigarette Filter for Self-Extinguishing Fire Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
The improper disposal of cigarettes, particularly when they are discarded as burning butts, poses a significant risk of damage to property and people due to the potential for fires, and existing cigarettes do not effectively self-extinguish or reduce pollutant inhalation.
Innovation Solution
A cigarette design featuring a tobacco column butt portion encased in a heat shrinkable material that compresses and restricts airflow as it heats up, causing the cigarette to self-extinguish and potentially reducing nicotine and pollutant intake, with the option to vary the shrinkable material's properties and configuration to control smoking characteristics and prevent damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cigarette is smoked down to a short length and discarded as a burning butt, then the smoker has consumed the desired nicotine and flavor, but the discarded butt constitutes a fire hazard and can cause damage to property and people
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the principle of converting harm into benefit by using the harmful heat from the burning tobacco to trigger a beneficial protective response. The heat-sensitive material in the filter assembly detects the heat from the burning tobacco and automatically responds by restricting airflow and potentially extinguishing the burn, thus converting the harmful heat into a useful safety mechanism that prevents fire hazards from discarded butts
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service by designing the filter assembly to automatically respond to the burning tobacco without requiring external intervention. The heat-sensitive material autonomously detects the heat and triggers the protective mechanism, allowing the cigarette to self-regulate and potentially self-extinguish, eliminating the need for the smoker to consciously extinguish the butt before disposal
2Ease of operation
If the tobacco column is completely burnt away leaving only the filter, then the cigarette structure is simplified, but the unburnt tobacco column acts as a preliminary filter that increases nicotine content in the smoke making the taste unpleasant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-positioning the heat-sensitive material and airflow restriction mechanism in the filter assembly before smoking begins. This pre-configured system is ready to activate when needed, controlling the airflow and nicotine delivery throughout the smoking process, particularly during the final stage when the burn approaches the filter, thereby preventing the unpleasant concentrated nicotine taste
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a burning butt is placed on a furniture surface, then the smoker may inadvertently cause damage, but the burning butt can significantly degrade the value of the furniture requiring costly repairs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful potential of the burning butt into a beneficial safety feature by using the heat from the burn to activate the heat-sensitive material in the filter assembly. This triggered response restricts airflow and can extinguish the burn automatically, transforming the fire hazard into a protected state that prevents furniture damage
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 heat shrinkable material ensures safer disposal of cigarettes by causing them to self-extinguish, reducing the risk of fires and minimizing pollutant inhalation, while also preventing damage from discarded butts by elevating the burning end away from surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
a cigarette having its tobacco column butt portion encased by a shrinkable material which shrinks upon the application of heat thereto whereby as the burning end of the cigarette approaches the butt the shrinkable material begins to contract and compress the encased tobacco column restricting the air flow therethrough
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A cigarette [10] is provided with the tobacco column portion [11] adjacent the filter assembly [12] encased by a heat shrink material [16] whereby as the burn approaches the butt [17] the heat shrink material [16] begins to contract radially and compress the encased tobacco column [11] restricting the air flow therethrough. This reduces the diameter of burning column [11] adjacent the filter assembly [12] and thus extinguishes or at least confines the remaining tobacco in the cigarette [10].