Tobacco smoke filter

Claim 1

A smoke filter means including a filter element comprising: a. an axially elongated, hollow, outer member; b. an axially elongated inner member disposed within said outer member; c. said outer member including an inner surface and having spaced end portions; d. said inner member comprising a filtering material and including an outer surface and having spaced end portions; e. integral circumferentially continuous peripheral portions of said outer surface of said inner member being juxtaposed to portions of said inner surface of said outer member at at least one end portion of said inner and outer members to at least substantially preclude axial passage of smoke across the area therebetween; f. limited portions of the remaining outer surface of said inner member, excluding said peripheral portions, being spaced from said inner surface of said outer member to define outer cavity means therebetween which offer less resistance to passage of smoke than said filtering material and said areas at which said outer surface of said inner member and said inner surface of said outer member are juxtaposed; g. a major portion of the total outer surface of said inner member, including said peripheral portions, being juxtaposed to said inner surface of said outer member to provide substantially uniform support to said outer member by said inner member throughout its length; h. integral first portions of said inner member extending transversely substantially completely across said inner member in the form of an uncrimped plug of filtering material offering substantially the same resistance to passage of smoke as other portions of the filtering material of said inner member and defining a tortuous path for smoke therethrough; i. integral second portions of said inner member axially spaced from said first portions, defining an area extending across the interior of said inner member which offers less resistance to passage of smoke than said filtering material and said areas at which said outer surface of said inner member and said inner surface of said outer member are juxtaposed; j. integral additional portions of said inner member between said first and second portions defining inner cavity means offering less resistance to passage of smoke than said filtering material and said areas at which said outer surface of said inner member are juxtaposed to said inner surface of said outer member; k. whereby smoke passing through said filter element must travel through both said cavity means and through said filtering material.