Cigarette filter containing natural plant material, preparation method thereof, and cigarette including the filter

Abstract

Disclosed is a cigarette filter including: natural plant based granules composed of a natural plant material and a binder; and a filter portion to accommodate therein the natural plant based granules, in which the binder is hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), and a weight ratio of the natural plant material and the binder is in a range of 95 to 99%:5 to 1%. Further, disclosed are a preparation method of the cigarette filter, and a cigarette including the cigarette filter.

1 . A cigarette filter comprising:
 natural plant based granules composed of a natural plant material and a binder; and   a filter portion to accommodate therein the natural plant based granules,   wherein the binder is hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), and a weight ratio of the natural plant material and the binder is in a range of 95 to 99%:5 to 1%.   
     
     
         2 . The cigarette filter of  claim 1 , wherein the natural plant material includes at least one selected from the group consisting of rosemary, pine needle, peppermint, spearmint, coffee, pineapple, chamomile, orange, eucalyptus, thyme, geranium, jasmine, rosemary, lavender, lemongrass, pine needle, clover, sage, taxol, bergamot, basil, thyme, valerian, hyssop, tea tree, myrrh, and juniper. 
     
     
         3 . The cigarette filter of  claim 1 , wherein a hardness of the natural plant based granule is in a range of 90.0 to 99.0%. 
     
     
         4 . The cigarette filter of  claim 1 , wherein a size of the natural plant based granule is in a range of 0.25 to 2.0 mm. 
     
     
         5 . The cigarette filter of  claim 1 , wherein a moisture content of the natural plant based granule is in a range of 5 to 12% of a total weight of the natural plant based granules. 
     
     
         6 . The cigarette filter of  claim 1 , wherein the cigarette filter is a single filter or a multiple filter. 
     
     
         7 . The cigarette filter of  claim 1 , wherein the cigarette filter further includes a herb oil capsule containing an oil ingredient extracted from the natural plant material. 
     
     
         8 . A cigarette comprising the cigarette filter of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         9 . The cigarette of  claim 8 , wherein the cigarette reduces methyl mercaptan as a halitosis inducing ingredient. 
     
     
         10 . The cigarette of  claim 8 , wherein the cigarette reduces a cigarette odor inducing ingredient including ammonia, acrolein, crotonaldehyde, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), 1,3-butadiene, acrylonitrile, benzene, and pyridine by 9 to 55%. 
     
     
         11 . A preparation method of a cigarette filter, the method comprising:
 inserting a binder into a natural plant material to prepare natural plant based granules;   drying and classifying the natural plant based granules; and   adding the classified natural plant based granules to a cigarette filter,   wherein in the preparing of the natural plant based granules, the binder is hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) of a viscosity of 50 cps,   wherein a weight ratio of the natural plant material and the binder is in a range of 95 to 99%:5 to 1%.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the preparing of the natural plant based granules includes:
 adding and dissolving 2% of a hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) of a viscosity of 50 cps as a binder to 50% ethanol to produce a binder solution;   mixing pulverized natural plant powders and the produced binder solution with each other to form a mixture and stirring the mixture; and   shaping and classifying the mixture.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the drying of the natural plant based granules includes one of freeze-drying, hot air drying, warm air drying, and fluidized bed drying. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a size of the classified natural plant based granule be in a range of 0.25 to 2.0 mm. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the adding of the classified natural plant based granules to the cigarette filter includes adding a herb extract to acetate tow using a spray based spraying method or a nozzle based spraying (TJNS). 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the method further includes injecting a herb oil capsule containing an oil ingredient extracted from the natural plant material into the cigarette filter using a capsule injection facility. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein in the adding of the classified natural plant based granules to the cigarette filter, an added amount of the granules is in a range of 0.5 to 4 mg/mm Tip.