Plugged Cigarette Sleeve Design for Spillage Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pre-rolled cigarettes with brittle materials like rolling paper, dried leaves, or petals face issues with structural integrity and spillage during transport, as they can chip, tear, or unfurl, and existing solutions like plastic or silicone end-caps are environmentally costly and prone to damage.
Innovation Solution
A cigarette design that uses a second, more flexible rolling paper to plug the distal end, forming a sleeve that is deformed to close, preventing spillage and maintaining structural integrity, while minimizing material waste and environmental impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a plastic or silicone end-cap is used to prevent spillage, then spillage prevention is improved, but environmental impact increases and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful plastic/silicone end-cap from the system and replaces it with a biodegradable paper-based plug made from the same rolling material as the cigarette body. This eliminates the environmental harm while maintaining the spillage prevention function.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameter of the plug from synthetic (plastic/silicone) to natural (paper/organic material), transforming it from non-biodegradable to biodegradable, thereby resolving the environmental impact issue while maintaining structural integrity for spillage prevention.
2Reliability
If a plastic or silicone end-cap is used to prevent spillage, then spillage prevention is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rolling material serves multiple functions: it forms the cigarette body and is also used to create the plug at the distal end. This eliminates the need for separate plastic/silicone end-caps, reducing material costs and simplifying the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses inexpensive paper/organic material for the plug instead of expensive plastic or silicone end-caps. The plug is designed to be disposable and biodegradable, aligning with the single-use nature of cigarettes while reducing manufacturing costs.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the first rolling material is used to plug the distal end, then material consistency is improved, but flexibility for deformation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies different qualities to different parts of the plug: the portion inserted into the cigarette body uses the first rolling material for consistency and stability, while the portion extending beyond uses the second rolling material with higher flexibility for easier deformation and closing.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug is constructed as a composite of two different rolling materials: the first rolling material (matching the cigarette body) and the second rolling material (with higher flexibility). This composite structure allows the plug to maintain material consistency where needed while providing flexibility for deformation where required.
Data Source
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AI summary
A cigarette (1) including a first rolling material (2) defining a body (2.1) with an inner volume. The body (2.1) includes a support tip (2.2) arranged inside of a proximal end (2.3) of the body (2.1). A smokeable material (A) is disposed within the body (2.1). A second rolling material (3.1) is plugged at a distal end (2.5) of the body (2.1), the second rolling paper (2.5) forming a sleeve of which a first portion (4.1) extends within the body (2.1) and of which a second portion (4.2) projects from the body (2.1) out from the distal end (2.5) in a longitudinal direction of the body (2.1). The second portion (4.2) includes a physical deformation such that the sleeve is closed thereby. Various other embodiments and methods of manufacturing the same are disclosed.