Smokable Filler Material For Smoking Articles
Patent No. US6408856 (titled "Smokable Filler Material For Smoking Articles") was filed by British American Tobacco on Sep 1, 1998. The application was issued on Jun 25, 2002.
What is this patent about?
'856 is related to the field of smokable filler materials, specifically those used in smoking articles as a substitute for, or in conjunction with, traditional tobacco leaf. The background acknowledges the challenge of creating alternative filler materials that provide a smoke taste and flavor acceptable to consumers, as many existing substitutes detract from the smoking experience.
The underlying idea behind '856 is to mimic the simplest components of tobacco leaf to produce a less complex smoke. This is achieved by significantly reducing or excluding certain elements of the biological matrix that generates smoke when tobacco is burned. The taste and flavor can then be adjusted by carefully selecting biopolymers and their proportions within the filler material.
The claims of '856 focus on a smokable filler material comprising an aerosol generating agent, a substantially non-combustible inorganic filler, a binder, and an extract from a flavorful fuel source material. The fuel source extract provides the desired taste and flavor characteristics, while the other components contribute to the structure and aerosol generation of the filler.
In practice, the invention involves creating a mixture of the specified components, often in specific ratios (e.g., 2-30% aerosol generating agent, 20-80% inorganic filler). The mixture can then be formed into strands or sheets using extrusion or casting techniques. The resulting material is then used as a filler in a smoking article, either alone or blended with tobacco.
The key differentiation from prior approaches lies in the deliberate simplification of the filler material's composition and the use of a flavorful fuel source extract. Unlike some prior art that relies on complex mixtures or high levels of combustible materials, '856 aims for a cleaner, more controlled smoke profile by focusing on essential components and carefully selected biopolymers to modulate the taste and flavor.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical Landscape
In the mid-1990s when '856 was filed, smokable products typically relied on natural tobacco leaf or reconstituted tobacco. At a time when alternative filler materials were often used in conjunction with tobacco, achieving an acceptable taste and flavor without tobacco was a significant challenge. When systems commonly relied on tobacco, reducing or eliminating it while maintaining desirable smoking characteristics was non-trivial.
Prosecution Position
The disclosed invention provides a smokable filler material that mimics tobacco leaf by excluding or significantly reducing certain elements of the biological matrix. This simplifies the smoke composition and allows for altering or improving taste and flavor through careful selection of biopolymers and their proportions. The invention addresses the problem of unacceptable taste in alternative filler materials by using an extract of a fuel source material, combined with inorganic filler, a binder, and aerosol generating means, to create a tobacco-free or low-tobacco filler with acceptable taste and flavor characteristics.
Claims
This patent contains zero claims, therefore there are no independent or dependent claims to analyze. Consequently, there is no focus or role to describe.
Patent Family
File Wrapper
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Date
Description
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US6408856
- Application Number
- US14209698
- Filing Date
- Sep 1, 1998
- Publication Date
- Jun 25, 2002
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents