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US 4,649,944 AGranted
Filter cigarette
AssigneePhilip Morris Incorporated
InventorsWillie G. Houck, Jr., Walter A. Nichols, Reginald W. Newsome
Life of this patent
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AssigneePhilip Morris Incorporated
InventorsWillie G. Houck, Jr., Walter A. Nichols, Reginald W. Newsome
Estimating the term…
A filter cigarette is provided which is adjustable to provide a wide range of air dilution and/or RTD values and which comprises a tobacco rod, a wrapped, substantially cylindrical filter plug, and tipping paper. The filter plug comprises a first, mouth-end segment and a second, axially aligned, rod-end segment spaced apart from the first segment. The wrapping circumscribes the first and second segments defining a substantially cylindrical void therebetween which may include means of releasing varying amounts of a flavorant. The first segment is movable towards the second segment thereby compressing the plug wrap between the segments which decreases the volume of the void and increases the RTD value of the cigarette. Variable air dilution is achieved by providing at least one opening in the tipping paper and at least one opening in the underlying plug wrap positioned such that, as the first segment is moved axially towards the second segment, the first and second openings are moved into varying degrees of registry, thereby admitting varying amount of air to the filter.
A filter cigarette comprising a tobacco rod, a substantially cylindrical filter plug assembly having a first mouth-end filter plug segment and a second, axially aligned rod-end filter plug segment spaced apart from the first segment, means joining the tobacco rod to the second segment in axially aligned, abutting end-to-end relation, plug wrapping fixed to the first segment and to the second segment and defining a substantially cylindrical void therebetween, said plug wrapping being compressible in the region of said void, and tipping paper circumscribing the filter plug and the mouth end of the tobacco rod, either or both of said plug wrapping and said tipping paper being substantially air-impermeable, said first segment being movable along the longitudinal axis of the cigarette towards the second segment, whereby the plug wrapping in the region of said void between the first segment and the second segment is compressed, thereby decreasing the volume of said void and varying the resistance-to-draw of the cigarette.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.