Alternating patterns in cigarette wrapper, smoking article and method

Abstract

A cigarette wrapper includes transversely extending banded regions applied by a printing technique, such as gravure printing. The banded regions may be applied in a one or more application of a printing composition that may be an aqueous starch solution also containing an anti-wrinkling agent such as propylene glycol, and calcium carbonate. The pattern of banded regions may be bands or stripes and the like along and/or around the tobacco rod. The banded regions may be solid or contain any number of cross-web and/or longitudinal discontinuities. The pattern may be configured so that when a smoking article is placed on a substrate, at least two longitudinal locations along the length of the tobacco rod have film-forming compound located only on sides of the smoking article not in contact with the substrate.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A tobacco rod comprising:
 a quantity of tobacco;   a wrapper paper surrounding the quantity of tobacco; and   an add-on material applied to the wrapper paper with alternating first and second pattern elements,
 the add-on material including starch, chalk, an anti-wrinkling agent, or any combination thereof, 
 the first pattern element including a first quantity of the add-on material, and 
 the second pattern element including a second quantity of the add-on material that is different from the first quantity of the add-on material. 
   
     
     
         3 . The tobacco rod of  claim 2 , wherein the add-on material includes greater than 0 weight precent to less than or equal to about 25 weight percent of the starch. 
     
     
         4 . The tobacco rod of  claim 2 , wherein the add-on material includes greater than or equal to about 7 weight percent to less than or equal to about 10 weight precent of the anti-wrinkling agent. 
     
     
         5 . The tobacco rod of  claim 2 , wherein the anti-wrinkling agent includes propylene glycol. 
     
     
         6 . The tobacco rod of  claim 2 , wherein the add-on material includes greater than or equal to about 9 weight precent to less than or equal to about 13 weight percent of the chalk. 
     
     
         7 . The tobacco rod of  claim 2 , wherein the first pattern element includes a first geometrical pattern and the second element includes a second geometrical pattern. 
     
     
         8 . The tobacco rod of  claim 7 , wherein the second geometrical pattern is different from the first geometrical pattern. 
     
     
         9 . The tobacco rod of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first and second pattern elements includes a cross-web discontinuity measuring greater than or equal to about 1 millimeter to less than or equal to about 2 millimeters. 
     
     
         10 . The tobacco rod of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first and second pattern elements includes at least two discontinuities in cross-web direction, each of the discontinuities measuring greater than or equal to about 1 millimeter to less than or equal to about 2 millimeters. 
     
     
         11 . The tobacco rod of  claim 9 , wherein the at least two discontinuities are spaced less than about 27 millimeters apart. 
     
     
         12 . The tobacco rod of  claim 2 , wherein the wrapper paper has a permeability of about 60 CORESTA. 
     
     
         13 . The tobacco rod of  claim 2 , wherein the first pattern element has a first ignition propensity performance and the second pattern element has a second ignition propensity performance, and wherein:
 (a) the first ignition propensity performance is 0% and the second ignition propensity performance is less than or equal to about 25%;   (b) the first ignition propensity performance in combination with the second ignition propensity performance is less than or equal to about 25%;   (c) the first ignition propensity performance is less than or equal to about 25% and the second ignition propensity performance is less than or equal to about 25%;   (d) the first ignition propensity performance is less than or equal to about 15% and the second ignition propensity performance is less than or equal to about 15%;   (e) the first ignition propensity performance is less than or equal to about 10% and the second ignition propensity performance is less than or equal to about 10%;   (f) the first ignition propensity performance is less than the second ignition propensity performance; or   (g) the second ignition propensity performance is less than the first ignition propensity performance.   
     
     
         14 . The tobacco rod of  claim 2 , wherein:
 (a) the wrapper paper has a self-extinguishment average value of less than or equal to about 50%;   (b) the wrapper paper has a self-extinguishment average value of less than or equal to about 25%; or   (c) the wrapper paper has a self-extinguishment average value of less than or equal to about 10%.   
     
     
         15 . The tobacco rod of  claim 2 , wherein the first and second pattern elements are each formed from a single layer of the add-on material. 
     
     
         16 . The tobacco rod of  claim 2 , wherein the first pattern element is axially spaced from the second pattern element by greater than or equal to about 12 millimeters to less than or equal to about 42 millimeters. 
     
     
         17 . The tobacco rod of  claim 2 , wherein the first pattern element has a first thickness and the second pattern element has a second thickness that is different from the first pattern element. 
     
     
         18 . The tobacco rod of  claim 2 , wherein the tobacco rod has a first end and a second end and a filter is attached to the first end. 
     
     
         19 . A tobacco rod comprising:
 a quantity of tobacco;   a wrapper paper surrounding the quantity of tobacco; and   an add-on material applied to the wrapper paper with alternating first and second pattern elements,
 the first pattern element including a first quantity of the add-on material in a first geometrical pattern, and 
 the second pattern element including a second quantity of the add-on material in a second geometrical pattern, the second quantity of the add-on material being is different from the first quantity of the add-on material and the second geometrical pattern being different form the first geometrical pattern. 
   
     
     
         20 . The tobacco rod of  claim 19 , wherein the add-on material includes starch, chalk, an anti-wrinkling agent, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The tobacco rod of  claim 20 , wherein the add-on material includes:
 greater than 0 weight precent to less than or equal to about 25 weight percent of the starch;   greater than or equal to about 7 weight percent to less than or equal to about 10 weight precent of the anti-wrinkling agent; and   greater than or equal to about 9 weight precent to less than or equal to about 13 weight percent of the chalk.