A Smoking Article and Attachable Unit Therefor

Abstract

An attachable unit ( 3 ) to be attached to a smoking article rod ( 2 ) by a user to modify one or more properties of an aerosol generated by the smoking article rod. The attachable unit can include a recess ( 30 ) to receive at least a portion of the smoking article rod and a raised area ( 50 ) extending around an inner surface of the recess for contacting an outer surface of the smoking article rod. The attachable unit can include a tubular element ( 31 ) to receive at least a portion of the smoking article rod. The attachable unit can include an element ( 20 ) arranged to be inserted at least partially into a recess ( 13 ) of the smoking article rod and the attachable unit can also be arranged to form a further recess ( 330 ) for receiving at least a portion of the smoking article rod.

1 . An attachable unit to be attached to a smoking article rod by a user to modify an aerosol generated by the smoking article rod, the attachable unit comprising:
 a cylindrical element; and   a tubular element, wherein the cylindrical element and tubular element are aligned on a longitudinal axis and connected together by a sheet material wrapping at least a portion of the cylindrical element and tubular element and wherein the tubular element defines a recess to receive at least a portion of the smoking article rod when the attachable unit is attached to the smoking article rod.   
     
     
         2 . An attachable unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the tubular element comprises a resiliently deformable material. 
     
     
         3 . An attachable unit according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the tubular element has a wall thickness of between 0.2 mm and 5 mm, between 0.2 mm and 2 mm, between 0.2 mm and 1 mm or between 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm. 
     
     
         4 . An attachable unit according to any one of  claims 1  to  3 , wherein the tubular element has an internal diameter of between 4 mm and 10 mm and a manufacturing tolerance for said internal diameter of less than +/−0.1 mm, +/−0.05 mm, +/−0.04 mm, +/−0.03 mm or +/−0.02 mm. 
     
     
         5 . An attachable unit according to any one of  claims 1  to  4 , wherein the attachable unit is arranged such that the smoking article rod and attachable unit are aligned on a longitudinal axis when the attachable unit is attached to the smoking article rod and wherein a longitudinal end surface of the cylindrical element is arranged to abut a longitudinal end surface of the smoking article rod when the attachable unit is attached to the smoking article rod. 
     
     
         6 . An attachable unit according to any one of  claims 1  to  5 , wherein the element comprises filtration material. 
     
     
         7 . An attachable unit according to any one of  claims 1  to  6 , wherein the element comprises fibrous filtration material. 
     
     
         8 . An attachable unit according to any one of  claims 1  to  7 , wherein the element comprises a flavour modifying agent. 
     
     
         9 . An attachable unit according to any one of  claims 1  to  8 , further comprising a raised area extending from an inner surface of the recess for contacting an outer surface of the smoking article rod when the at least a portion of the smoking article rod is received in the recess. 
     
     
         10 . An attachable unit according to  claim 9 , wherein the raised area is annular and extends circumferentially around the inner circumferential surface of the recess. 
     
     
         11 . A kit comprising an attachable unit according to any one of the preceding claims and a smoking article rod, the attachable unit to be attached to the smoking article rod by a user. 
     
     
         12 . A smoking article comprising:
 a smoking article rod; and   an attachable unit according to any one of the preceding claims attached to the smoking article rod, wherein at least a portion of the smoking article rod is received in the recess defined by the tubular element.   
     
     
         13 . An attachable unit to be attached to a smoking article rod by a user to modify an aerosol generated by the smoking article rod, the attachable unit comprising:
 a recess to receive at least a portion of the smoking article rod when the attachable unit is attached to the smoking article rod; and   a raised area extending from an inner surface of the recess for contacting an outer surface of the smoking article rod when the at least a portion of the smoking article rod is received in the recess.   
     
     
         14 . An attachable unit according to  claim 13 , further comprising a sleeve, wherein at least a portion of the sleeve defines the recess. 
     
     
         15 . An attachable unit according to  claim 14 , wherein the attachable unit further comprises:
 a cylindrical element; and   a sheet material at least partially surrounding the cylindrical element and forming the sleeve.   
     
     
         16 . An attachable unit according to  claim 15 , wherein the attachable unit is arranged such that the smoking article rod and attachable unit are aligned on a longitudinal axis when the attachable unit is attached to the smoking article rod and wherein the recess of the attachable unit is formed by the sheet material extending longitudinally beyond a longitudinal end of the cylindrical element, and wherein the raised area extends around an inner surface of the sheet material. 
     
     
         17 . An attachable unit according to  claim 15 , wherein the attachable unit is arranged such that the smoking article rod and attachable unit are aligned on a longitudinal axis when the attachable unit is attached to the smoking article rod and wherein the recess of the attachable unit is formed by a tubular element held within a portion of the sheet material extending longitudinally beyond a longitudinal end of the cylindrical element, and wherein the raised area extends around an inner surface of the tubular element. 
     
     
         18 . An attachable unit according to any one of  claims 13  to  17 , wherein the raised area is annular and extends circumferentially around the inner circumferential surface of the recess. 
     
     
         19 . An attachable unit according to any one of  claims 13  to  18 , wherein the raised area is for contacting an outer circumferential surface of the smoking article rod when the at least a portion of the smoking article rod is received in the recess. 
     
     
         20 . An attachable unit according to any one of  claims 13  to  19 , wherein the raised area comprises a seal which is configured to restrict the ingress of air into the smoking article between the inner surface of the recess of the attachable unit and the outer surface of the smoking article rod. 
     
     
         21 . An attachable unit according to any one of  claims 13  to  20 , wherein the raised area comprises a deformable material. 
     
     
         22 . An attachable unit according to any one of  claims 13  to  21 , wherein the raised area comprises a resiliently deformable material. 
     
     
         23 . An attachable unit according to any one of  claims 13  to  22 , wherein the raised area comprises an adhesive. 
     
     
         24 . An attachable unit according to any one of  claims 13  to  23 , wherein the element comprises filtration material. 
     
     
         25 . An attachable unit according to any one of  claims 13  to  24 , wherein the element comprises fibrous filtration material. 
     
     
         26 . An attachable unit according to any one of  claims 13  to  25 , wherein the element comprises a flavour modifying agent. 
     
     
         27 . A kit comprising an attachable unit according to any one of  claims 13  to  26  and a smoking article rod, the attachable unit to be attached to the smoking article rod by a user. 
     
     
         28 . A smoking article comprising:
 a smoking article rod; and   an attachable unit according to any one of  claims 13  to  26  attached to the smoking article rod, wherein at least a portion of the smoking article rod is received in the recess and the raised area is in contact with the outer surface of the smoking article rod.   
     
     
         29 . An attachable unit to be attached to a smoking article rod by a user to modify an aerosol generated by the smoking article rod, the smoking article rod comprising a first recess, the attachable unit comprising:
 an element arranged to be inserted at least partially into the first recess of the smoking article rod; and   a second recess arranged to receive at least a portion of the smoking article rod.   
     
     
         30 . An attachable unit according to  claim 29 , wherein the second recess surrounds the element. 
     
     
         31 . An attachable unit according to  claim 29  or  30 , further comprising an outer sleeve surrounding the element, wherein:
 the element comprises a cylindrical element; and 
 the second recess is formed between the cylindrical element and the outer sleeve. 
 
     
     
         32 . An attachable unit according to  claim 31 , further comprising a cylindrical body of material surrounded by the sleeve, the cylindrical body of material having a diameter greater than the cylindrical element and the cylindrical element arranged coaxially with the cylindrical body of material and extending from an end thereof. 
     
     
         33 . An attachable unit according to  claim 32 , wherein the attachable unit is arranged such that the smoking article rod and attachable unit are aligned on a longitudinal axis when the attachable unit is attached to the smoking article rod and wherein the cylindrical body of material has a longitudinal end surface which is arranged to abut a longitudinal end surface of the smoking article rod when the attachable unit is attached to the smoking article rod. 
     
     
         34 . An attachable unit according to any one of  claims 29  to  33 , wherein the element comprises filtration material. 
     
     
         35 . An attachable unit according to any one of  claims 29  to  34 , wherein the element comprises a flavour modifying agent. 
     
     
         36 . An attachable unit according to any one of  claims 29  to  35 , further comprising a raised area extending from an inner surface of the second recess for contacting an outer surface of the smoking article rod when the at least a portion of the smoking article rod is received in the second recess. 
     
     
         37 . A kit comprising an attachable unit according to any one of  claims 29  to  36  and a smoking article rod, the attachable unit to be attached to the smoking article rod by a user. 
     
     
         38 . A smoking article comprising:
 a smoking article rod comprising a first recess; and   an attachable unit according to any one of  claims 29  to  36  attached to the smoking article rod, wherein the element of the attachable unit is inserted at least partially into the first recess of the smoking article rod and at least a portion of the smoking article rod is received in the second recess of the attachable unit.