Cigarette with the amount of sidestream smoke reduced

A regenerative energy and/or mass exchange assembly, comprising:

• a) an exchange media;
• b) a first chamber having a first fluid channel adjacent the exchange media to pass a first fluid stream through the exchange media;
• c) at least a second chamber having a second fluid channel adjacent the exchange media to pass a second fluid stream through the exchange media, the first and at least second chambers separated by a divider;
• d) at least one fluid stream diverter adjacent the exchange media, the at least one diverter having an adjustable orientation and providing separate flow communications to the chambers through the respective fluid channels, the at least one fluid stream diverter having a radial extent that is less than the functional radial extent of the exchange media, this functional radial extent of the exchange media being defined by the fluid conducting area of the exchange media adjacent the fluid channels, and wherein, at any given diverter orientation, the separate flow communications are not in fluid communication with the same chamber, and
• e) at least one housing connected to one end of the exchange media, the fluid channels being provided in the housing, the at least one housing having interior walls defining an inner enclosure, the at least one fluid stream diverter being provided in the inner enclosure, the at least one housing further including a connection portion and a dispersion portion which are in fluid communication with each other, the dispersion portion comprising the first and at least second chambers, and wherein
• f) the exchange media is housed in a plurality of media cavities that are separated from one another in cross section and extend in parallel along the exchange media, the plurality of cavities that house the exchange media being disposed within a central housing, and the media cavities and the chambers being substantially equal in cross section and substantially evenly spaced about the axial direction.

A regenerative energy and/or mass exchange assembly, comprising:

• a) an exchange media;
• b) a first chamber having a first fluid channel adjacent the exchange media to pass a first fluid stream through the exchange media;
• c) at least a second chamber having a second fluid channel adjacent the exchange media to pass a second fluid stream through the exchange media, the first and at least second chambers separated by a divider;
• d) at least one fluid stream diverter adjacent the exchange media, the at least one diverter having an adjustable orientation and providing separate flow communications to the chambers through the respective fluid channels, the at least one fluid stream diverter having a radial extent that is less than the functional radial extent of the exchange media, this functional radial extent of the exchange media being defined by the fluid conducting area of the exchange media adjacent the fluid channels, and wherein, at any given diverter orientation, the separate flow communications are not in fluid communication with the same chamber;
• and wherein, at any given diverter orientation, the separate flow communications are not in fluid communication with the same chamber;
• and
• e) at least one housing connected to one end of the exchange media, the fluid channels being provided in the housing, the at least one housing having at least one interior wall defining an inner enclosure, the at least one fluid stream diverter being provided in the inner enclosure, the at least one housing further including a connection portion and a dispersion portion which are in fluid communication with each other, the dispersion portion comprising the first and at least second chambers, and wherein
• f) the exchange media is housed in a plurality of media cavities that are separated from one another in cross section and extend in parallel along the exchange media, the plurality of cavities that house the exchange media being disposed within a central housing, and wherein
• g) the fluid stream diverter comprises in sequence along the axial direction a first segment, a first reduced diameter portion, a second segment, a second reduced diameter portion, and a third segment;
• an inner bore defining an inner space within the fluid stream diverter;
• a first passage extending from a first port in the outer wall of the second reduced diameter portion through the inner space and then to a second port on the outer wall of the first segment;
• a second passage extending from a third port on the end wall of the first segment adjacent to the first reduced diameter portion to a fourth port on the outer wall of the first segment;
• and wherein the said first and second passages are isolated from each other.

A method of exchanging energy and/or mass between at least two fluid streams, the method comprising:

• (a) providing an exchange media;
• (b) passing a first fluid stream through a first flow path comprising a first chamber having a first fluid channel, the first fluid channel being in fluid communication with a first region of the exchange media;
• (c) passing at least a second fluid stream through at least a second flow path comprising at least a second chamber having a second fluid channel, the at least second fluid channel being in fluid communication with a second region of the exchange media, and the first and at least second chambers being separated by a divider;
• (d) providing at least one fluid stream diverter adjacent the exchange media, the fluid stream diverter having a radial extent less than the functional radial extent of the exchange media, the functional radial extent of the exchange media being defined by the fluid conducting area of the exchange media adjacent the fluid channels, the fluid stream diverter having an adjustable orientation relative to the chambers and providing separate flow communications to the chambers through the respective fluid channels;
• (e) changing the flow paths of the fluid streams to the exchange media by adjusting the orientation of the diverter so that at least one of the fluid streams is passed through one of the exchange media regions through which a different fluid stream had passed prior to changing the flow paths;
• and wherein at any one of before, after, and during the changing of the flow paths, the separate fluid streams are not in flow communication with the same chamber.

A regenerative energy and/or mass exchange assembly, comprising:

• a) an exchange media housed in a plurality of cavities that are separated from one another in cross section and extend in parallel along the direction of fluid stream flow, the plurality of cavities being disposed in a central housing and each cavity being thermally insulated from adjacent cavities;
• b) a first flow path to pass a fluid stream through the exchange media;
• c) at least a second flow path to pass a further fluid stream through the exchange media;
• d) at least one housing connected to one end of the exchange media, the flow paths being provided in the housing;
• e) at least one fluid stream diverter that cooperates with the housing to form the flow paths, the at lest one diverter having a radial extent that is generally less than the radial extent of the exchange media and being rotatably mounted within the housing to divert the different flow paths to pass the respective fluid streams through different cavities of the exchange media;
• and
• f) a shaft that extends through the exchange media, the at least one housing connected to one end of the exchange media, and the fluid stream diverter rotatably mounted within the housing;
• and wherein
• the at least one housing connected to one end of the exchange media comprises a connection portion and a dispersion portion which are in fluid communication with each other;
• the connection portion has at least two ports adapted to connect to external fluid stream sources and a radial extent that is generally less than the radial extent of the dispersion portion, the diverter being substantially disposed within the connection portion and having a radial extent that is substantially equal to the radial extent of an inner wall of the connection portion;
• the dispersion portion has an open end that is in fluid communication with the exchange media, the dispersion portion comprising a plurality of chambers that are separated from one another;
• and
• the plurality of cavities that house the exchange media are disposed within a central casing, each cavity being thermally insulated from adjacent cavities and being positioned in correspondence to the chambers of the dispersion portion, the cavities and the chambers being substantially equal in cross-section and substantially evenly spaced about the axial direction, the quantity of cavities and chambers be equal to each other and equal to a quantity of one of the group consisting of three and five;
• and wherein
• the fluid stream diverter comprises in sequence along the axial direction a first segment, a first reduced diameter portion, a second segment, a second reduced diameter portion, and a third segment;
• an inner bore defining an inner space within the fluid stream diverter;
• a first passage extending from a first port in the outer wall of the second reduced diameter portion through the inner space and then to a second port on the outer wall of the first segment;
• a second passage extending from a third port on the end wall of the first segment adjacent to the first reduced diameter portion to a fourth port on the outer wall of the first segment;
• and wherein the said first and second passages are isolated from each other.

A regenerative energy and/or mass exchange assembly, comprising:

• a) an exchange media housed in a plurality of cavities that are separated from one another in cross section and extend in parallel along the direction of fluid stream flow;
• b) a first flow path to pass a fluid stream through the exchange media;
• c) at least a second flow path to pass a further fluid stream through the exchange media;
• (d) at least one housing connected to one end of the exchange media, the flow paths being provided in the housing;
• (e) at least one fluid stream diverter that cooperates with the housing to form the flow paths, the at lest one diverter having a radial extent that is generally less than the radial extent of the exchange media and being rotatably mounted within the housing to divert the different flow paths to pass the respective fluid streams through different cavities of the exchange media;
• and
• (f) a shaft that extends through the exchange media, the at least one housing connected to one end of the exchange media, and the fluid stream diverter rotatably mounted within the housing;
• and wherein
• the at least one housing connected to one end of the exchange media comprises a connection portion and a dispersion portion which are in fluid communication with each other;
• the connection portion has at least two ports adapted to connect to external fluid stream sources and a radial extent that is generally less than the radial extent of the dispersion portion, the diverter being substantially disposed within the connection portion and having a radial extent that is substantially equal to the radial extent of an inner wall of the connection portion;
• the dispersion portion has an open end that is in fluid communication with the exchange media, the dispersion portion comprising a plurality of chambers that are separated from one another;
• the plurality of cavities that house the exchange media are disposed within a central housing;
• and
• the assembly further comprising snap-connection means provided between the central housing and the housing connected to one end of the exchange media.

A regenerative energy and/or mass exchange assembly, comprising:

• (a) an exchange media having a casing;
• (b) at least one housing attached to one end of the casing, the housing having:
• i) a dispersion end with a first and at least a second chamber adjacent the exchange media, the first and at least second chambers separated by a divider;
• ii) a connection end with first and at least second ports for connection to external fluid flows;
• and
• iii) an inner enclosure providing fluid communication between the chambers of the dispersion end and the ports of the connection end;
• (c) a fluid stream diverter substantially disposed in the inner enclosure of the housing, the fluid stream diverter having an adjustable orientation within the housing and cooperating with the housing to form at least two separate movable fluid channels extending between the ports and the chambers;
• and
• (d) sealing means provided between the housing and the fluid stream diverter for preventing fluid cross-flow between the at least two movable fluid channels, the movable fluid channels providing separate flow communications between the ports and the chambers independent of the attachment of the housing to the casing, and wherein, at any given diverter orientation, the separate flow communications are not in fluid communication with the same chamber.