Filter structure for tobacco products particularly for cigarettes and cigars, as well as for cigarette holders, tobacco pipes and the like

Claim 1

A filter structure for use with cigars and cigarettes comprising: a. a first member comprising a cylindrical casing, an internal coaxially positioned exhaust tube and an annular closure joining one end of said casing to one end of said exhaust tube, both ends of said exhaust tube being open and the end opposite said one end of said casing being open, the axial length of said casing being greater than the axial length of said exhaust tube and including a portion adapted to receive the end of a cigar or cigarette and support said cigar or cigarette axially with respect to said cylindrical casing, b. said exhaust tube including an annular shoulder extending radially therefrom transverse to the axis of the exhaust tube, the perimeter thereof being spaced from the interior surface of said casing, said shoulder being a spaced distance from said annular closure forming an annular pocket defined by said shoulder, closure and casing, c. a second member comprising a diverting tube closed at one end and open at the opposite end and having a length greater than the distance between said shoulder and the end of said exhaust tube opposite said one end, said diverting tube being positioned coaxially a spaced distance from said casing and said exhaust tube and including a plurality of inwardly projecting ribs contacting said exhaust tube to maintain said second member in position, said opposite end of said diverting tube contacting said shoulder and said closed end of said diverting tube being a spaced distance from the opposite end of said exhaust tube, d. said diverting tube having a plurality of recesses substantially equally spaced about the opposite end thereof which with said shoulder form a plurality of fine radially oriented passages, and e. an annular tapered portion about said exhaust tube and extending axially from said shoulder to a position a relatively short axial distance beyond said passages, f. whereby initially hot smoke is directed sequentially through an outer annular passage defined by said casing and diverting tube, through said fine passages, through an intermediate passage defined by said diverting tube and exhaust tube, the intermediate passage being narrower between said fine passages and annular tapered portion, and through said exhaust tube; said diverting tube being heated by said smoke while said exhaust tube remains cooler resulting in distillation of said smoke in said outer passage with accumulation of tar in said annular pocket and subsequent condensation of said smoke in said intermediate passage.