Filter cigarette with variable ventilation

Abstract

A filter cigarette with variable ventilation includes a rod of smokable material, a mouthpiece including an element rotatable relative to the rest of filter cigarette about the longitudinal axis thereof to vary the ventilation of the filter cigarette, and a ventilation indicator including a scale extending circumferentially about the periphery of the filter cigarette and a cursor. The scale is symmetric about the longitudinal axis of the filter cigarette and the cursor and the scale are rotatable relative to one another about the longitudinal axis of the filter cigarette. One of the cursor and the scale rotate with the rotatable element of the mouthpiece, the level of ventilation being indicated by the longitudinal distance between the cursor and a longitudinally aligned point on the scale.

1 . A filter cigarette with variable ventilation comprising:
 a rod of smokable material;   a mouthpiece attached to the rod of smokable material, the mouthpiece including an element rotatable relative to the rest of filter cigarette about a longitudinal axis thereof to vary the ventilation of the filter cigarette; and   a ventilation indicator including a scale extending circumferentially about the periphery of the filter cigarette and a cursor,   wherein the scale is symmetric about the longitudinal axis of the filter cigarette and the cursor and the scale are rotatable relative to one another about the longitudinal axis of the filter cigarette, one of the cursor and the scale rotating with the rotatable element, the level of ventilation being indicated by the longitudinal distance between the cursor and a longitudinally aligned point on the scale.   
     
     
         2 . The filter cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein the scale includes a line at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the filter cigarette. 
     
     
         3 . The filter cigarette of  claim 2 , wherein the line is a continuous line. 
     
     
         4 . The filter cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein the scale includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart markers. 
     
     
         5 . The filter cigarette of  claim 4 , wherein the markers are longitudinally offset relative to one another. 
     
     
         6 . The filter cigarette of  claim 4 , wherein the markers are of different length in the longitudinal direction of the filter cigarette. 
     
     
         7 . The filter cigarette of  claim 6 , wherein the markers are longitudinally extending lines of bars. 
     
     
         8 . The filter cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein the ventilation indicator includes a tactile cursor and a tactile scale. 
     
     
         9 . The filter cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein the mouthpiece includes a filter including a filter plug circumscribed by a filter wrapper. 
     
     
         10 . The filter cigarette of  claim 9 , wherein the filter wrapper includes a mouth-end band, a central band and a rod-end band, the rod-end band and the mouth-end band being affixed to the filter and the central band being rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the filter cigarette, the filter cigarette further including:
 a band of tipping paper circumscribing the filter and an adjacent portion of the rod, the band of tipping paper including a first band extending from the mouth end of the filter to a position overlying the rod-end band of the filter wrapper and a second band extending from the first band to a position overlying the rod, the first band being affixed only to the central band for rotation therewith,   wherein one of the cursor and the scale of the ventilation indicator is provided on the outer surface of the first band of tipping paper and the other of the cursor and the scale of the ventilation indicator is provided on the second band of tipping paper.   
     
     
         11 . The filter cigarette of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the filter wrapper and the tipping paper is substantially air-impermeable and the rod-end band of the filter wrapper has at least one opening therein and the first band of tipping paper has at least one opening therein positioned such that rotation of the first band of tipping paper about the longitudinal axis of the filter cigarette rotates the at least one opening in the first band of tipping paper into varying degrees of registry with the at least one opening in the rod-end band of the filter wrapper thereby varying the level of ventilation obtained during smoking. 
     
     
         12 . The filter cigarette of  claim 9 , further including:
 a rod end band of tipping paper attaching the rod to the filter;   a mouth end band of tipping paper; and   a sleeve disposed between the rod end and mouth end bands of tipping paper,   wherein the sleeve overlies a portion of the filter wrapper and is rotatable relative thereto about the longitudinal axis of the filter cigarette and wherein one of the cursor and the scale of the ventilation indicator is provided on the outer surface of the sleeve and the other of the cursor and the scale of the ventilation indicator is provided on the rod end band of tipping paper or the mouth end band of tipping paper.   
     
     
         13 . The filter cigarette of  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the sleeve and the filter wrapper is substantially air-impermeable and the sleeve includes at least one opening therein and the portion of the filter wrapper underlying the sleeve includes at least one opening therein, such that rotation of the sleeve about the longitudinal axis of the filter cigarette rotates the at least one opening in the sleeve into varying degrees of registry with the at least one opening in the filter wrapper thereby varying the level of ventilation obtained during smoking.