British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited

Nicoventures Trading Limited

Tobacco Research and Development Institute (Proprietary) Limited

Short Brothers Plc

British American Tobacco Japan, Limited

Tobacco Research and Development Institute Limited

British American Tobacco Limited

John Richardson

Andrew Jonathan Bray

Gary Fallon

Karl Kaljura

Gerhard Malin Le Roux

Arnold Leslie Herholdt

John Major

John Roger Sampson

Michael Simpson

Richard Andrew Young

Aaron Brookbank

Walid Abi Aoun

Paul Clarke

Richard Hepworth

Graham Penrose

Andrew Gordon Davis

Rabya Khan-Dar

Lean Ho Ong

Jon Hindley

Kevin David Blick

David Richard Lewis

Gordon Rowatt Grierson

Joseph Peter Sutton

Matthew Knight

Kie Seon Park

Philip Russell Fawcus

Stuart Dunlop

Ian Dunckley

Peter Rex White

David Paton

Will England

Gary Fulcher

David Wake

Michael Malthouse

Ian King

Gerhard Malan Le Roux

Mark Austin

Mike Simpson

Glen Elgar

Thomas Brice

Samuel Paul Whiffen

Richard Young

Gordon Grierson

John Sampson

Thomas James Tweedie

Patrick Meredith

Peter Wan

Nelson Ong

Michael Malthous

Samuel Whiffen

Nicholas Walpole

Santiago Morales

Lance Mucalo

A die or die assembly for forming a bundle of fibres into a rod or tube includes a body defining a passage for conducting the bundle fibres through the die from an inlet to an outlet, a constriction in the passage having an entrance shaped to form the fibres of the bundle into a desired configuration as the bundle passes through the die, and one or more conduits through which a treatment fluid e.g. steam, for curing the bundle of fibres may be introduced into the passage, and wherein at last one conduit is arranged to discharge fluid in the immediate vicinity of the entrance to the constriction to facilitate passage of the fibres through the die and reduce the risk of blockage.

Die, die assembly, equipment and method for forming rods of fibrous material

A smoking article filter includes a recess to receive a filter insert unit. The filter insert unit is secured to the filter once inserted. The filter and the filter insert unit may include additives such as flavourants, colourants or sorbents.

Smoking article filter and insertable filter unit therefor

Equipment for forming a tubular rod from a bundle of fibrous material comprising a mandrel constructed to form a space within the bundle of fibres; the mandrel includes a passage for delivering a treatment fluid to facilitate the formation of the fibres into a tubular structure as the fibre bundle as the bundle passes over the mandrel.

Methods and equipment for forming tubes of fibrous material

A method of, and equipment for gathering fibres entrained a gas stream, for example by melt blowing, comprises an enclosure having an inlet, through which a gas stream carrying entrained fibres may be directed into the enclosure, a fibre outlet from which an assembly of gathered fibres may be withdrawn from the enclosure and an exhaust outlet through which gas may pass out of the enclosure. The enclosure is constructed to provide a pathway for the fibres from the inlet to the fibre outlet in which surplus gas in the gas stream is separated from the entrained fibres and directed to the exhaust outlet, thereby reducing turbulence in the fibres in the enclosure which may affect the quality of the finished assembly.

Methods and equipment for gathering fibres

Disclosed is a consumable for use with apparatus for heating aerosolisable material to volatilise at least one component of the aerosolisable material. The consumable comprises an outer tube, an inner member inside the outer tube, and at least one support that supports the inner member relative to the outer tube so that at least one air gap exists between the inner member and the outer tube. At least one of the inner member, the outer tube and the support comprises aerosolisable material that is heatable to generate aerosol in the air gap. The consumable has at least one outlet for permitting the aerosol to pass out of consumable from the air gap.

Consumable for use with apparatus for heating aerosolisable material

Equipment for forming a tubular rod of fibrous material comprises: a gathering station constructed to receive a continuous supply of fibres and to gather the fibres into a bundle as the fibres advance through the equipment; a divider arranged in the path of the fibres through the equipment and constructed to from a cleft along the length of the bundle as it advances through the equipment; a mandrel positioned in the path of the bundle of fibres in alignment with the divider and constructed to form the cleft into a passage through the bundle of fibres as the bundle of fibres advances over the mandrel; and a die constructed and arranged to cooperate with the mandrel to form the fibres in a tubular configuration around the mandrel.

A die or die assembly for forming a bundle of fibres into a rod or tube comprises a body () defining a passage) for conducting the bundle fibres through the die from an inlet to an outlet, a constriction () in the passage having an entrance shaped to form the fibres of the bundle into a desired configuration as the bundle passes through the die, and one or more conduits () through which a treatment fluid e.g. steam, for curing the bundle of fibres may be introduced into the passage, and wherein at last one conduit is arranged to discharge fluid in the immediate vicinity of the entrance to the constriction to facilitate passage of the fibres through the die and reduce the risk of blockage.

There is provided a filter unit for a smoking article having a tube formed from filter material and the tube having a first portion and a second portion, wherein an inner diameter of the first portion is different from an inner diameter of the second portion. There is also provided a tube having a longitudinal axis, wherein a straight line following at least a portion of an internal or external surface of the tube intersects the longitudinal axis at an angle other than 90&#xb0;. Also described is a body or tube of filter material having a longitudinal axis, a first end surface and a second end surface, said body or tube formed from a plurality of continuous fibres extending between said first and second end surfaces, wherein the density of said filter material is greater at said first end surface than at said second end surface. A body of filter material is also described having a longitudinal axis and a channel or recess formed in the body of filter material, the shape of said body of filter material having no lines of reflective symmetry, as well as a body formed from filter material, the body having an end surface and a recess formed in the end surface. A smoking article including the filter unit and a kit comprising a smoking article and a filter unit are also described.

Filter unit for a smoking article

A method of, and equipment for gathering fibres () entrained a gas stream, for example by melt blowing, comprises an enclosure () having an inlet (), through which a gas stream carrying entrained fibres () may be directed into the enclosure (), a fibre outlet () from which an assembly of gathered fibres () may be withdrawn from the enclosure () and an exhaust outlet () through which gas may pass out of the enclosure (). The enclosure () is constructed to provide a pathway for the fibres () from the inlet () to the fibre outlet () in which surplus gas in the gas stream is separated from the entrained fibres () and directed to the exhaust outlet (), thereby reducing turbulence in the fibres () in the enclosure () which may affect the quality of the finished assembly.

A smoking article filter () comprises a recess () to receive a filter insert unit (). The filter insert unit () is secured to the filter () once inserted. The filter () and the filter insert unit () may comprise additives such as flavourants, colourants or sorbents.

A smoking article component comprising a viscoelastic material ().

Smoking article component

The present invention relates to improvements in filters for use in smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos. The improvements, particularly but not exclusively, relate to filter capabilities and to the manufacture of such filters. In one example, a filter for a smoking article comprises a first fibrous filter material having an average fiber denier in the range 7 to 9 and a second fibrous filter material having an average fiber denier of below 7. The application also describes a filter for a smoking article comprising various other filter arrangements including absorbent and/or adsorbent materials.

Smoking article filters

A sleeve () for holding a plurality of elongate elements () positioned in end-to-end relationship is disclosed. The sleeve has an elongate body () with opposite ends () and a space () defined therebetween to receive the elongate elements (). The elongate body has an opening () between the ends () that is configured to enable a user to contact elongate elements () received in the sleeve () through the opening () and push them along, and out of one end of the sleeve ().

Sleeve

Smoking article and method of manufacturing a smoking article A smoking article (), comprises a first part, and a second part movable relative to the first part. An indexing mechanism comprises a first indexing surface () on one of the first part or second part; and a second indexing surface () on the other of the first and second parts. The second indexing surface () is configured to engage with the first indexing surface () to control relative movement between the first part and second part.

Smoking article and method of manufacturing a smoking article

Growing community of inventors

London, United Kingdom

John Richardson