Filtered Smoking Articles

Abstract

A smoking article is provided including (a) a tobacco rod comprising a smokable filler material contained within a circumscribing outer wrapping material, wherein the smokable filler material comprises at least about 45% by weight flue-cured tobacco based on the total dry weight of the smokable filler material; (b) one or more inner wrapping strips positioned between the tobacco rod and the outer wrapping material and extending longitudinally along the tobacco rod and including a burley tobacco; and (c) a filter element connected to the tobacco rod, the filter element having an end proximal to the tobacco rod and an end distal from the tobacco rod, wherein the filter element includes at least one fibrous tow section of filter material, a general adsorbent, and an ion exchange resin.

1 . A cigarette comprising:
 (a) a tobacco rod comprising a smokable filler material contained within a circumscribing outer wrapping material, wherein the smokable filler material comprises at least about 45% by weight flue-cured tobacco based on the total dry weight of the smokable filler material;   (b) one or more inner wrapping strips positioned between said tobacco rod and said outer wrapping material and extending longitudinally along said tobacco rod, said inner wrapping strips comprising a tobacco material, said tobacco material being predominately burley tobacco; and   (c) a filter element connected to the tobacco rod, said filter element having an end proximal to the tobacco rod and an end distal from the tobacco rod, wherein said filter element comprises at least one fibrous tow section of filter material, a general adsorbent, and an ion exchange resin.   
   
   
       2 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said general adsorbent and said ion exchange resin are dispersed in said at least one fibrous tow section of filter material. 
   
   
       3 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein said ion exchange resin is a strong base anion exchange resin or a weak base anion exchange resin. 
   
   
       4 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein said fibrous tow section of filter material is a plasticized cellulose acetate tow. 
   
   
       5 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein said general adsorbent is selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, molecular sieves, clays, activated aluminas, silica gels, meerschaum, and mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       6 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein said general adsorbent is activated carbon. 
   
   
       7 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein said general adsorbent is an activated carbon having an activity of about 60 to about 150 Carbon Tetrachloride Activity. 
   
   
       8 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein said general adsorbent and said ion exchange resin are in granular form. 
   
   
       9 . The cigarette of  claim 8 , wherein each of said general adsorbent and said ion exchange resin has a particle size of about 8×16 mesh to about 30×70 mesh. 
   
   
       10 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more inner wrapping strips comprise a blend of flue-cured and burley tobacco, a binder, wood pulp, glycerin, and water. 
   
   
       11 . The cigarette of  claim 10 , wherein the binder is an alkali metal salt of alginate or a cellulose derivative or a mixture thereof. 
   
   
       12 . The cigarette of  claim 11 , wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting sodium alginate, potassium alginate, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, and mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       13 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more inner wrapping strips comprise 1 to about 8 strips, each strip having a width of about 2 to about 10 mm. 
   
   
       14 . The cigarette of  claim 13 , wherein said one or more inner wrapping strips comprise 2 to about 5 strips, each strip having a width of about 2 to about 6 mm. 
   
   
       15 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein the smokable filler material comprises at least about 55% by weight of flue-cured tobacco. 
   
   
       16 . The cigarette of  claim 15 , wherein the smokable filler material comprises at least about 60% by weight of flue-cured tobacco. 
   
   
       17 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein the smokable filler material comprises at least one flue-cured tobacco characterized by high threonine concentration. 
   
   
       18 . The cigarette of  claim 17 , wherein the high threonine flue-cured tobacco has a threonine concentration of at least about 0.5 nmoles of free threonine per milligram of dry leaf weight. 
   
   
       19 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein the overall length of the filter element is about 15 to about 65 mm. 
   
   
       20 . The cigarette of  claim 19 , wherein the overall length of the filter element is about 20 to about 40 mm. 
   
   
       21 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein said filter element comprises:
 (i) a first longitudinally extending section of fibrous tow filter material positioned at the end of the filter element proximal to the tobacco rod;   (ii) a second longitudinally extending section of fibrous tow filter material positioned at the end of the filter element distal from the tobacco rod and spaced apart from said first section of filter material, the two sections of filter material defining a compartment therebetween; and   (iii) a granular mixture of the general adsorbent material and the ion exchange resin contained within said compartment.   
   
   
       22 . The cigarette of  claim 21 , wherein the length of each of the first and second sections of filter material is about 5 to about 20 mm. 
   
   
       23 . The cigarette of  claim 22 , wherein the length of each of the first and second sections of filter material is about 5 to about 15 mm. 
   
   
       24 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one breakable capsule contained within said at least one section of fibrous tow filter material. 
   
   
       25 . The cigarette of  claim 24 , wherein the breakable capsule contains a flavoring agent. 
   
   
       26 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein the smokable filler material comprises an expanded and toasted cereal grain. 
   
   
       27 . The cigarette of  claim 26 , wherein the cereal grain is selected from the group consisting of milo, corn, wheat, rice, rye, millet, oats, and barley. 
   
   
       28 . The cigarette of  claim 26 , wherein the cereal grain is present in an amount up to about 25% by weight, based on the total dry weight of the smokable filler material. 
   
   
       29 . A cigarette comprising:
 (a) a tobacco rod comprising a smokable filler material contained within a circumscribing outer wrapping material, wherein the smokable filler material comprises at least about 50% by weight flue-cured tobacco based on the total dry weight of the smokable filler material;   (b) one to about eight inner wrapping strips positioned between said tobacco rod and said outer wrapping material and extending longitudinally along said tobacco rod, each strip having a width of about 2 to about 10 mm and comprising a tobacco material, said tobacco material being predominately burley tobacco; and   (c) a filter element connected to the tobacco rod, said filter element having an end proximal to the tobacco rod and an end distal from the tobacco rod, said filter element comprising (i) a first longitudinally extending section of fibrous tow filter material positioned at the end of the filter element proximal to the tobacco rod; (ii) a second longitudinally extending section of fibrous tow filter material positioned at the end of the filter element distal from the tobacco rod and spaced apart from said first section of filter material, the two sections of filter material defining a compartment therebetween; and (iii) a granular mixture of a general adsorbent material and an ion exchange resin contained within said compartment.   
   
   
       30 . The cigarette of  claim 29 , further comprising at least one breakable capsule contained within said second section of fibrous tow filter material. 
   
   
       31 . The cigarette of  claim 30 , wherein the breakable capsule contains a flavoring agent selected from the group consisting of vanilla, coffee, chocolate, cream, mint, spearmint, menthol, peppermint, wintergreen, lavender, cardamon, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, cascarilla, sandalwood, honey, jasmine, ginger, anise, sage, licorice, lemon, orange, apple, peach, lime, cherry, and strawberry.