Ventilated smoking article including sorbent material

Abstract

A smoking article ( 10 ) comprises: a tobacco rod ( 12 ); and a filter ( 14 ) connected to the tobacco rod and comprising one or more filter segments ( 16 ) circumscribed by a filter wrapper ( 18 ), including a sorbent material ( 20 ). The filter includes a ventilation zone ( 24 ) provided upstream of the sorbent material ( 20 ). The level of mainstream gas phase smoke constituents delivered ( 14 ) during smoking of the smoking article ( 10 ) with the ventilation zone ( 24 ) open is within up to 40% of the level of mainstream gas phase smoke delivered during smoking of the smoking article ( 10 ) with the ventilation zone ( 24 ) blocked.

1 . A smoking article comprising:
 a tobacco rod; and   a filter connected to the tobacco rod and comprising one or more filter segments circumscribed by a filter wrapper including a sorbent material, wherein the filter comprises a ventilation zone provided upstream of the sorbent material, wherein:   the ventilation zone provides between 10% and 80% dilution when the ventilation zone is fully open;   the ventilation zone is provided upstream of all of the sorbent material; and   the ventilation zone is between 20 mm and 30 mm from a mouth end of the smoking article,   such that the level of mainstream gas phase smoke constituents when the ventilation zone is open is within up to 40% of the level of mainstream gas phase smoke constituents when the ventilation zone is blocked.   
     
     
         2 . A smoking article according to  claim 1  wherein the level of mainstream gas phase smoke constituents with the ventilation zone open is within up to 20% of the level of mainstream gas phase smoke constituents with the ventilation zone blocked. 
     
     
         3 . A smoking article according to  claim 1  wherein the ventilation zone comprises one or more rows of perforations extending circumferentially around the filter. 
     
     
         4 . A smoking article according to  claim 3  wherein the rows of perforations are spaced at least 5 mm from each other. 
     
     
         5 . A smoking article according to  claim 1  wherein the filter wrapper is a plug wrap or a tipping wrapper. 
     
     
         6 . A smoking article according to  claim 1  wherein the filter wrapper comprises a layer of sorbent applied to at least a portion of the inner surface of the filter wrapper. 
     
     
         7 . A smoking article according to  claim 1  wherein the filter wrapper is substantially air permeable and wherein a layer of sorbent is applied to at least a portion of the outer surface of the filter wrapper. 
     
     
         8 . A smoking article according to  claim 6  wherein the filter wrapper comprises between about 40 mg and about 60 mg of sorbent material. 
     
     
         9 . A smoking article according to  claim 1  wherein the sorbent covers at least 60% of one of the inner or outer surfaces of the filter wrapper. 
     
     
         10 . A smoking article according to  claim 1  wherein the sorbent comprises particulate sorbent applied to a layer of adhesive on a surface of the filter wrapper. 
     
     
         11 . A smoking article according to  claim 1  wherein the sorbent material comprises a particulate sorbent incorporated into the filter wrapper. 
     
     
         12 . A smoking article according to  claim 1  wherein the filter comprises one or more segments of a fibrous filtration material. 
     
     
         13 . A smoking article according to  claim 1  wherein the most upstream portion of the ventilation zone is provided between 20 mm and 30 mm from the mouth end of the smoking article. 
     
     
         14 . A smoking article according to  claim 1  wherein the ventilation zone provides between 30% and 70% dilution of the mainstream smoke of the smoking article during smoking with the ventilation zone fully open. 
     
     
         15 . A smoking article according to  claim 1  wherein the ventilation zone is provided upstream of at least 80% of the sorbent of the filter wrapper. 
     
     
         16 . A smoking article according to  claim 2  wherein the ventilation zone comprises one or more rows of perforations extending circumferentially around the filter. 
     
     
         17 . A smoking article according to  claim 3  wherein the filter wrapper is a plug wrap or a tipping wrapper. 
     
     
         18 . A smoking article according to  claim 4  wherein the filter wrapper is a plug wrap or a tipping wrapper. 
     
     
         19 . A smoking article according to  claim 4  wherein the filter wrapper comprises a layer of sorbent applied to at least a portion of the inner surface of the filter wrapper. 
     
     
         20 . A smoking article according to  claim 5  wherein the filter wrapper comprises a layer of sorbent applied to at least a portion of the inner surface of the filter wrapper.