Rolling Paper Filter Tip Having a Flavor Pod Holder

The present application relates generally to the technical field of tobacco and herbal smoking articles, and more specifically, to a device to secure a flavor releasing mechanism within a handmade smoking article.

Smoking articles such as cigarettes may be formed from paper tubes that are stuffed with finely cut tobacco leaves and/or herbs. Most cigarettes may be manufactured by large tobacco manufacturing companies. However, some people prefer to hand make their own cigarettes rather than purchasing them. Handmade smoking articles, such as cigarettes and the like, is a well-known practice.

In one process, handmade smoking articles may be made by grinding tobacco leaves and/or herbs. Rolling paper may be formed into a cone and used to scoop up small amounts of the grounded smokable tobacco and/or herbs. The maker of the smoking article may then hold the open end of the cone upward allowing small amounts of the scooped up grounded smokable tobacco and/or herbs to fall into the cone. This process continues until a desired amount of ground smokable tobacco and/or herbs is held within the cone. The maker may use a rod or similar object to compact the ground smokable tobacco and/or herbs into the cone. This process may be repeated until the cone is filled and compacted with the desired amount of ground smokable tobacco and/or herbs. The open end of the cone is then sealed forming the smoking article. Alternatively, the ground tobacco and/or herbs may be placed on a paper which is then rolled into a tube. A filter may be included in the pre-rolled paper tube or added after to the pre-rolled paper tube.

Recently, there has been a desire to provide customization of the handmade smoking articles by allowing the user to include different flavor releasing mechanisms within the handmade smoking article. One way to include the flavor releasing mechanisms within the handmade smoking article may be to place a small sphere filled with a flavoring substance (also known as click balls) into an insert placed within the handmade smoking article. For example, the click ball may be placed within the filter and then placed in the pre-rolled paper tube. The click ball may then be crushed by the user which may release the flavoring into the filter. This would allow the user to enjoy the flavoring on demand when smoking the handmade smoking article.

However, it may be difficult to add the click ball into existing filters. Many existing filters do not have any way to secure the click ball into the filters. Even those filters which may provide a holding mechanism to position the click ball in the filters do not hold the click ball securely in the filter allowing the click ball to fall out.

Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a system and method that overcomes the above.

In accordance with one embodiment, an insert for use in a smokable item device is disclosed. The insert has a sheet of material having a front side, a rear side, a top edge, a bottom edge, and a pair of opposing side edges. A pair of leg members is formed within one of the pair of opposing side edges and extends inwards towards an interior of the sheet of material. The pair of leg members are rolled inwards. A slot is formed between the pair of leg members. A flavor pod is positioned within the slot and held within the slot by the pair of leg members rolled inwards.

In accordance with one embodiment, an insert for use in a smokable item device is disclosed. The insert has a sheet of material having a front side, a rear side, a top edge, a bottom edge, and a pair of opposing side edges. The sheet of material is planar, the top edge is convex in shape, the bottom edge is concave in shape so the sheet of material forms an arch. A pair of leg members is formed within one of the pair of opposing side edges and extends inwards towards an interior of the sheet of material. Each of the pair of leg members follow the arch of the sheet of material. The pair of leg members are rolled inwards following the direction of the arch to form a pair of scroll members. A slot is formed between the pair of leg members. The pair of scroll members is used to hold a flavor pod within the slot.

In accordance with one embodiment, an insert for use in a smokable item device is disclosed. The insert has a sheet of material having a front side, a rear side, a top edge, a bottom edge, and a pair of opposing side edges. A pair of leg members is formed within one of the pair of opposing side edges and extends inwards towards an interior of the sheet of material. The leg members are used to hold a flavor pod between the pair of leg members.

The description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of presently preferred embodiments of the disclosure and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present disclosure can be constructed and/or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the disclosure in connection with the illustrated embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions and sequences can be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

The present disclosure relates to an insert which may be placed in a preformed conical paper wrapper forming a handmade smoking article. The insert may have a holding mechanism to secure a flavor pod within the insert. The flavor pod may be crushed by the user while positioned within the insert thereby releasing the flavoring into the insert. This may allow a user to enjoy the flavoring of the flavor pod on demand when smoking the handmade smoking article.

Referring to the, an insertmay be shown. The insertmay be placed within one end of a smoking article. In accordance with one embodiment, the insertmay be placed at one end of a coneto form the smoking article. The insertmay be used as a filter. Thus, the insertmay be used to filter out particles and provide filtered smoke to the user.

The insertmay be formed of a sheet member. The sheet membermay be formed of paper, cardboard, and/or other types of filter material. The sheet membermay be formed of materials that may be non-toxic, flavorless, and burnable without adding any residual flavor to the smokable. The material forming the sheet membermay be porous so that it may disperse flavoring released by a flavor podheld there within the insertas may be described below.

In accordance with one embodiment, the sheet membermay have a curved or arched configuration. The sheet membermay have a top edgeA, a bottom edgeB and a pair of opposing side edgesC andD respectively. The sheet membermay have a front surfaceE and a rear surfaceF. In accordance with one embodiment, the top edgeA may be convex having an outward curved edge. The bottom edgeB may be concave having an inward curved edge. A flat sectionBmay be formed in the inward curved bottom edgeB. The flat sectionBmay be located adjacent to one of the side edgesC andD.

The side edgesC andD may be cut at an angle. In accordance with one embodiment, the angle of the side edgeC and the angle of the side edgeD may be the same but measured in the opposite direction, i.e. +X° and −X° as measured from the same vertical axis (for example, 45° and −45°. The outward curved top edgeA, the inward curved bottom edgeB and the angled cut of the side edgesC andD may cause the sheet memberto have the curved or arched shape.

Located on one of the opposing side edgesC andD may be a holding unit. The flat sectionBmay be formed in the inward curved bottom edgeB on the opposite side of where the holding unitmay be formed. In the present embodiment, the holding unitmay be formed in the side edgeC and the flat sectionBmay be formed in the inward curved bottom edgeB adjacent the side edgeD. However, this is shown as an example and the location of the holding unitand the flat sectionBmay be reversed. The holding unitmay be used to secure the flavor podwithin the insert. In accordance with one embodiment, the flavor podmay be a small sphere filled with a flavoring substance (also known as a click ball). When the flavor podis positioned within the holding unit, the flavor podmay be crushed by the user which may release the flavoring into the insert. This may allow the user to enjoy the flavoring when smoking the smoking article.

In accordance with one embodiment, the holding unitmay be formed of a pair of leg membersA andB. The pair of leg membersA andB may be formed within the side edgeC and run inwards towards an interior of the sheet member. The pair of leg membersA andB may have the same curved configuration as the sheet member. A slotmay be formed between the pair of leg membersA andB. The slotmay be formed in the side edgeC and run inwards. The slotmay have a similar shaped curve as the sheet memberand the pair of leg membersA andB. The width of the slotmay be similar to the width/height of the flavor pod. This may allow the flavor podto be placed within the slotand held between the pair of leg membersA andB as may be disclosed below. A notchmay be formed in the side edgeC and along the bottom edgeB of the sheet member. The combination of the slotand the notchmay form the pair of leg membersA andB. In accordance with an embodiment, the pair of leg membersA andB may be similar in width and length.

In operation, the user may remove the sheet memberfrom a container. To ease in the rolling process of the insert, the sheet membermay be positioned flat on a clean surface. In accordance with one embodiment, the sheet membermay be positioned flat on a rolling tray or a similar type of device. However, the user may use other surfaces or even roll the insert in the user's hands.

The user may begin to roll each of the pair of leg membersA andB. The user may follow the arc/curve of the corresponding leg membersA andB when rolling the respective leg memberA orB. For example, the user may take the edgeAof the leg membersA and tuck the edgeAinwards. The user may then roll the leg memberA inwards towards the interior of the sheet memberfollowing the curve/arc of the leg memberA so that the leg memberA forms a scrollA′ as may be seen in. The user may take the edgeBof the leg memberB and tuck the edgeBinwards. The user may then roll the leg memberB inwards towards the interior of the sheet memberfollowing the curve/arc of the leg memberB so that the leg memberB forms a scrollBas may be seen in.

Once both leg membersA andB are rolled inwards to form a pair of scrollsAandBrespectively, the flavor podmay be positioned within the slotbetween the pair of scrollsAandB. The pair of scrollsAandBmay then be used to hold the flavor podwithin the slot.

With the flavor podpositioned within the slotbetween the pair of scrollsAandB, the user may continue to roll the pair of scrollsAandBinwards following the curve/arc of the sheet memberand making sure the flavor podstays positioned within the slotbetween the pair of scrollsAandB. The continued rolling may secure the flavor podwithin the interior of the sheet member. The rolling may continue until the entire sheet memberis rolled into a scroll forming the insertas may be seen in. The curved shape of the sheet memberand the flat sectionBformed in the inward curved bottom edgeB adjacent the side edgeD may allow the sheet memberto be rolled into a scroll so that the insertmay have a level top areaA and bottom areaB. The insertmay then be placed at one end of the coneto form the smoking article.

The foregoing description is illustrative of particular embodiments of the application, but is not meant to be a limitation upon the practice thereof. The following claims, including all equivalents thereof, are intended to define the scope of the application.