Patent Application
20240277036
The present invention relates to a component for a non-combustible aerosol provision article, and a method of forming the component.
Certain delivery systems produce an aerosol during use, which is inhaled by a user. For example, tobacco heating devices heat an aerosol-generating substrate such as tobacco to form an aerosol by heating, but not burning, the substrate. Such delivery systems commonly include a heating device with a heating element, which, when heated, heat the aerosol-generating substrate to release an aerosol.
In accordance with embodiments of the invention, in a first aspect there is provided a component for a non-combustible aerosol provision article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system, the component comprising: a core section extending longitudinally; and an outer section extending longitudinally comprising an aerosol-generating substrate which surrounds the core section and is configured to generate aerosol when heated; wherein the core section comprises a first material configured to receive a heating element.
In some embodiments, the core section and the outer section may be formed coaxially.
In some embodiments, the core section may comprise a tube having a cavity, the cavity being configured to receive a heating element.
In some embodiments, the cavity may extend the full length of the core section.
In some embodiments, the tube may be configured to maintain a gap from a heating element, when a heating element is inserted into the tube.
In some embodiments, an inner surface of the tube may be embossed, the embossed portion being configured to minimise contact with a heating element when a heating element is inserted into the tube.
In some embodiments, the tube may have a hardness in the range of about 50% to about 98%.
In some embodiments, the first material forming the core section may be paper.
In some embodiments, the core section may comprise a loose gathered sheet.
In some embodiments, the loose sheet may be gathered to form a central column of material.
In some embodiments, the first material forming the loose sheet may be at least one of a paper material, bandcast tobacco, paper reconstituted tobacco, or an amorphous solid material.
In some embodiments, the first material may be a paper material which is porous.
In some embodiments, the porosity of the first material may be the range of about 50 Coresta units to about 10000 Coresta units.
In some embodiments, the first material may comprise at least one active substance, and/or aerosol modifying substance, and/or flavour.
In some embodiments, the first material may comprise a coating configured to provide an aerosol.
In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating substrate may comprise a plurality of elongate strips extending substantially parallel to one another in the longitudinal direction.
In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating substrate may be crimped, optionally to a depth in the range of about 20 um to about 1 mm.
In some embodiments, the component may be an aerosol-generating component of a non-combustible aerosol provision system.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided an article comprising a component.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of forming a component for a non-combustible aerosol provision article, the method comprising: providing an assembly comprising a sheet of aerosol-generating substrate and a first material; arranging the sheet of aerosol-generating substrate and the first material into a component such that the sheet of aerosol generating substrate forms an outer section, which surrounds a core section formed by the first material.
In some embodiments, the first material and the aerosol-generating substrate may be formed coaxially.
The method may further comprise the step of gathering the aerosol-generating material around the first material to form a coaxial rod.
In some embodiments, the step of gathering may comprise providing a stream of aerosol-generating material to a gatherer, and gathering the stream of aerosol-generating material around the first material.
In some embodiments, the step of gathering may comprise providing a plurality of streams of aerosol-generating material to a gatherer, the plurality of streams of aerosol-generating material being located at various positions around the first material.
In some embodiments, providing the assembly may comprise the step of providing a pre-formed tube of first material.
In some embodiments, providing the assembly may comprise the step of providing a sheet of first material, and forming a tube from the sheet of first material.
In some embodiments, providing the assembly may comprise the step of providing adhesive on the sheet of first material, and drying the adhesive before gathering the aerosol-generating substrate around the first material.
In some embodiments, providing the assembly may comprise the step of providing a sheet of first material and gathering the sheet material together with the sheet of aerosol-generating material to form a coaxial rod.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The present invention relates to an article for consumable for use in a delivery system.
As used herein, the term “delivery system” is intended to encompass systems that deliver at least one substance to a user, and includes:
According to the present disclosure, a “combustible” aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is combusted or burned during use in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.
In some embodiments, the delivery system is a combustible aerosol provision system, such as a system selected from the group consisting of a cigarette, a cigarillo, and a cigar.
In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to a component for use in a combustible aerosol provision system, such as a filter, a filter rod, a filter segment, or an aerosol-modifying agent release component.
According to the present disclosure, a “non-combustible” aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is not combusted or burned in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.
In some embodiments, the delivery system is a non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a powered non-combustible aerosol provision system.
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating material is not a requirement.
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a hybrid system to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials, one or a plurality of which may be heated. Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid, or gel and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may comprise a plant-based material, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.
Typically, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise a non-combustible aerosol provision device and a consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device.
In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to consumables comprising aerosol-generating material and configured to be used with non-combustible aerosol provision devices. These consumables are sometimes referred to as articles throughout the disclosure.
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise an area for receiving the consumable, an aerosol generator, and aerosol generation area, a housing, a mouthpiece, a filter, and/or an aerosol-modifying agent.
In some embodiments, the consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise aerosol-generating material, an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a filter, a mouthpiece, and/or an aerosol-modifying agent.
In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered may be an aerosol-generating material or a material that is not intended to be aerosolised. As appropriate, either material may comprise one or more active constituents, one or more flavours, one or more aerosol-former materials, and/or one or more other functional materials.
In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises an active substance.
The active substance as used herein may be a physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. The active substance may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics, psychoactives. The active substance may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. The active substance may comprise for example nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or constituents, derivatives, or combinations thereof. The active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of tobacco, cannabis or another botanical.
In some embodiments, the active substance comprises nicotine. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises caffeine, melatonin or vitamin B12.
As noted herein, the active substance may comprise or be derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof. As used herein, the term “botanical” includes any material derived from plants including, but not limited to, extracts, leaves, bark, fibres, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, husk, shells or the like. Alternatively, the material may comprise an active compound naturally existing in a botanical, obtained synthetically. The material may be in the form of liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles, granules, pellets, shreds, strips, sheets, or the like. Example botanicals are tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, hemp, cocoa, cannabis, fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint, rooibos, chamomile, flax, ginger, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, licorice (liquorice), matcha, mate, orange skin, papaya, rose, sage, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, clove, cinnamon, coffee, aniseed (anise), basil, bay leaves, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lavender, lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower, vanilla, wintergreen, beefsteak plant, curcuma, turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro, bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, geranium, mulberry, ginseng, theanine, theacrine, maca, ashwagandha, damiana, guarana, chlorophyll, baobab or any combination thereof. The mint may be chosen from the following mint varieties: Mentha arventis, Mentha c.v., Mentha niliaca, Mentha piperita, Mentha piperita citrata c.v., Mentha piperita c.v, Mentha spicata crispa, Mentha cardifolia, Mentha longifolia, Mentha suaveolens variegata, Mentha pulegium, Mentha spicata c.v. and Mentha suaveolens
In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or is derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is tobacco.
In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is selected from eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa and hemp.
In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is selected from rooibos and fennel.
In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises a flavour.
As used herein, the terms “flavour” and “flavourant” refer to materials which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste, aroma or other somatosensorial sensation in a product for adult consumers. They may include naturally occurring flavour materials, botanicals, extracts of botanicals, synthetically obtained materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice (liquorice), hydrangea, eugenol, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed (anise), cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herb, wintergreen, cherry, berry, red berry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, clementine, lemon, lime, tropical fruit, papaya, rhubarb, grape, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus fruits, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, khat, naswar, betel, shisha, pine, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, wasabi, piment, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, a mint oil from any species of the genus Mentha, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, rooibos, flax, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, mate, orange skin, rose, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, beefsteak plant, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), flavour enhancers, bitterness receptor site blockers, sensorial receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and/or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath freshening agents. They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example, liquid such as an oil, solid such as a powder, or gas.
In some embodiments, the flavour comprises menthol, spearmint and/or peppermint. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components of cucumber, blueberry, citrus fruits and/or redberry. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from tobacco. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from cannabis.
In some embodiments, the flavour may comprise a sensate, which is intended to achieve a somatosensorial sensation which are usually chemically induced and perceived by the stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve), in addition to or in place of aroma or taste nerves, and these may include agents providing heating, cooling, tingling, numbing effect. A suitable heat effect agent may be, but is not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether and a suitable cooling agent may be, but not limited to eucolyptol, WS-3.
Aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. Aerosol-generating material may, for example, be in the form of a solid, liquid or gel which may or may not contain an active substance and/or flavourants. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may comprise an “amorphous solid”, which may alternatively be referred to as a “monolithic solid” (i.e. non-fibrous). In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may be a dried gel. The amorphous solid is a solid material that may retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may for example comprise from about 50 wt %, 60 wt % or 70 wt % of amorphous solid, to about 90 wt %, 95 wt % or 100 wt % of amorphous solid.
In some embodiments, the amorphous solid comprises: 1-60 wt % of a gelling agent; 0.1-50 wt % of an aerosol-former agent; and 0.1-80 wt % of a flavour; wherein these weights are calculated on a dry weight basis.
In some further embodiments, the amorphous solid comprises: 1-50 wt % of a gelling agent; 0.1-50 wt % of an aerosol-former agent; and 30-60 wt % of a flavour; wherein these weights are calculated on a dry weight basis.
In some further embodiments, the amorphous solid comprises: aerosol-former material in an amount of from about 40 to 80 wt % of the amorphous solid; gelling agent and optional filler (i.e. in some examples filler is present in the amorphous solid, in other examples filler is not present in the amorphous solid), wherein the amount of gelling agent and filler taken together is from about 10 to 60 wt % of the amorphous solid (i.e. the gelling agent and filler taken together account for about 10 to 60 wt % of the amorphous solid); and optionally, active substance and/or flavourant in an amount of up to about 20 wt % of the amorphous solid (i.e. the amorphous solid comprises ≤20 wt % active substance).
The amorphous solid material may be formed from a dried gel. It has been found that using the component proportions discussed above means that as the gel sets, flavour compounds are stabilised within the gel matrix allowing a higher flavour loading to be achieved than in non-gel compositions. The flavour (e.g. menthol) is stabilised at high concentrations and the products have a good shelf life.
In some cases, the amorphous solid may have a thickness of about 0.015 mm to about 1.5 mm. Suitably, the thickness may be in the range of about 0.05 mm, 0.1 mm or 0.15 mm to about 0.5 mm, 0.3 mm or 1 mm. The inventors have found that a material having a thickness of 0.2 mm is particularly suitable in some embodiments. The amorphous solid may comprise more than one layer, and the thickness described herein refers to the aggregate thickness of those layers.
If the amorphous solid is too thick, then heating efficiency is compromised. This adversely affects the power consumption in use. Conversely, if the amorphous solid is too thin, it is difficult to manufacture and handle; a very thin material is harder to cast and may be fragile, compromising aerosol formation in use.
Suitably, the amorphous solid may comprise from about 1 wt %, 5 wt %, 10 wt %, 15 wt %, 20 wt %, 25 wt %, 30 wt % or 35 wt % to about 60 wt %, 55 wt %, 50 wt %, 45 wt %, 40 wt % or 35 wt % of a gelling agent (all calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the amorphous solid may comprise 1-60 wt %, 5-60 wt %, 20-60 wt %, 25-55 wt %, 30-50 wt %, 35-45 wt %, 5-45 wt %, 10-40 wt % or 20-35 wt % of a gelling agent.
The amorphous solid may comprise a gelling agent. The gelling agent may comprise one or more compounds selected from cellulosic gelling agents, non-cellulosic gelling agents, guar gum, acacia gum and mixtures thereof.
In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises a hydrocolloid. In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises one or more compounds selected from the group comprising alginates, pectins, starches (and derivatives), celluloses (and derivatives), gums, silica or silicones compounds, clays, polyvinyl alcohol and combinations thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises one or more of alginates, pectins, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, pullulan, xanthan gum guar gum, carrageenan, agarose, acacia gum, fumed silica, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), sodium silicate, kaolin and polyvinyl alcohol. In some cases, the gelling agent comprises alginate and/or pectin, and may be combined with a setting agent (such as a calcium source) during formation of the amorphous solid. In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise a calcium-crosslinked alginate and/or a calcium-crosslinked pectin.
The cellulosic gelling agent can be selected from the group consisting of: hydroxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate (CA), cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB), cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) and combinations thereof.
In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises (or is) one or more of hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), carboxymethylcellulose, guar gum, or acacia gum.
In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises (or is) one or more non-cellulosic gelling agents, including, but not limited to, agar, xanthan gum, gum Arabic, guar gum, locust bean gum, pectin, carrageenan, starch, alginate, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the non-cellulose based gelling agent is alginate or agar.
In some embodiments, the amorphous solid comprises alginate and pectin, and the ratio of the alginate to the pectin is from 1:1 to 10:1. The ratio of the alginate to the pectin is typically >1:1, i.e. the alginate is present in an amount greater than the amount of pectin. In examples, the ratio of alginate to pectin is from about 2:1 to 8:1, or about 3:1 to 6:1, or is approximately 4:1.
In some embodiments, the amorphous solid comprises filler in an amount of from 1 to 30 wt % of the amorphous solid, such as 5 to 25 wt %, or 10 to 20 wt %. In examples, the amorphous solid comprises filler in an amount greater than 1 wt %, 5 wt %, or 8 wt % of the amorphous solid. In examples, the amorphous solid comprises filler in an amount less than 40 wt %, 30 wt %, 20 wt %, 15 wt %, 12 wt % 10 wt %, 5 wt %, or 1 wt % of the amorphous solid. In other examples, the amorphous solid does not comprise filler.
In examples, the amorphous solid comprises gelling agent and filler, taken together, in an amount of from about 10 wt %, 20 wt %, 25 wt %, 30 wt %, 35 wt %, 40 wt %, 45 wt %, 50 wt %, 55 wt % or from about 60 wt %. In examples, the amount of gelling agent and filler, taken together, is no more than 85 wt %, 80 wt %, 75 wt %, 70 wt %, 65 wt %, or no more than 60 wt % of the amorphous solid. In examples, the amorphous solid comprises gelling agent and filler, taken together, in an amount of from about 20 to 60 wt %, 25 to 55 wt %, 30 to 50 wt %, or 35 to 45 wt % of the amorphous solid.
The filler, if present, may comprise one or more inorganic filler materials, such as calcium carbonate, perlite, vermiculite, diatomaceous earth, colloidal silica, magnesium oxide, magnesium sulphate, magnesium carbonate, and suitable inorganic sorbents, such as molecular sieves. The filler may comprise one or more organic filler materials such as wood pulp, cellulose and cellulose derivatives. In particular cases, the amorphous solid comprises no calcium carbonate such as chalk.
In some examples which include filler, the filler may be fibrous. For example, the filler may be a fibrous organic filler material such as wood pulp, hemp fibre, cellulose or cellulose derivatives. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that including fibrous filler in an amorphous solid may increase the tensile strength of the material.
In some examples, the amorphous solid does not comprise tobacco fibres. In particular examples, the amorphous solid does not comprise fibrous material.
In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may comprise from about 0.1 wt %, 0.5 wt %, 1 wt %, 3 wt %, 5 wt %, 7 wt % or 10 wt % to about 80 wt %, 50 wt %, 45 wt %, 40 wt %, 35 wt %, 30 wt % or 25 wt % of an aerosol former material (all calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the amorphous solid may comprise 0.5-40 wt %, 3-35 wt % or 10-25 wt % of an aerosol former material.
The aerosol former material may act as a plasticiser. If the content of the plasticiser is too high, the amorphous solid may absorb water resulting in a material that does not create an appropriate consumption experience in use. If the plasticiser content is too low, the amorphous solid may be brittle and easily broken.
In some embodiments, the aerosol former included in the amorphous solid comprises one or more polyhydric alcohols, such as propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol and glycerin; esters of polyhydric alcohols, such as glycerol mono-, di- or triacetate; and/or aliphatic esters of mono-, di- or polycarboxylic acids, such as dimethyl dodecanedioate and dimethyl tetradecanedioate.
In some cases, the aerosol former material comprises one or more compound selected from erythritol, propylene glycol, glycerol, triacetin, sorbitol and xylitol. In some cases, the aerosol former material comprises, consists essentially of or consists of glycerol.
The amorphous solid material may comprise a combustion retarding salt. The combustion retarding salt used herein is a chemical compound consisting of an ionic assembly of cations and anions. The salts used herein are those whose anion and/or whose cation may be effective in retarding combustion. In some embodiments, the salt is an inorganic salt.
In some embodiments, the salt is a halide salt, i.e. has a halide anion. In some embodiments, the salt is a chloride salt or a bromide salt. The presence of high concentrations of chloride or bromide has been shown to retard combustion.
In some embodiments, the salt may be an alkali metal salt, i.e. has an alkali metal cation. In some embodiments, the salt has an alkali earth metal cation. In some embodiments, the salt has a zinc cation or an iron cation, such as ferric or ferrous cation. In some embodiments, the salt has an ammonium cation or phosphonium cation.
In some embodiments, the salt mat be an alkali metal halide, such as sodium chloride or potassium chloride. The salt may be an alkali earth metal halide, such as magnesium chloride, calcium chloride. The salt may be another metal halide, such as zinc chloride or sodium bromide.
In some embodiments, the salt has a carboxylate anion. For example, the salt may be an alkali metal carboxylate, such as potassium citrate, potassium succinate, potassium malate, potassium acetate, potassium tartrate, potassium oxalate, sodium citrate, sodium succinate, sodium acetate, or sodium malate.
In other embodiments, the salt has an anion selected from: borate, carbonate, phosphate, sulphate, or sulphamate.
Factors that may influence the selection of salt will include, for example, melting point, which may be at least 450° C. In some embodiments, the salt is soluble in water. In some embodiments, the salt is selected to provide a desired pH to the material it is added to. In some embodiments, the salt will not significantly change the pH of the material.
In some embodiments, the combustion retarding salt selected may have one or more advantageous properties, such as: inertness, solubility in a precursor liquid, solubility, or distribution in the amorphous solid material or precursor material to the amorphous solid material, density or other properties known in the art.
In some embodiments, the combustion retarding slat comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium bromide, and/or potassium bromide.
Depending on the combustion retarding or other physical properties desired, the components of the salt may be in free base form, salt form, or as a complex, or as a solvate. The combustion retarding salt may be of any density and any crystalline structure.
In some embodiments, the combustion retarding salt is incorporated into or added to the amorphous solid material dissolved in a solvent or liquid carrier. In some embodiments, the combustion retarding salt is suspended in a liquid carrier. The solvent or liquid carrier may be an aqueous or organic liquid, and may be polar or non-polar depending on it suitable application.
The liquid carrier or precursor solvent may be advantageously selected to be readily removed during the manufacture of the combustion retarding material to leave the combustion retarding slat in or on the amorphous solid material.
In some embodiments, the liquid carrier is a mixture of liquids, including aqueous liquid (water) and no-aqueous liquid (e.g. glycerol). Upon removal of the water following application of the salt, the glycerol will be retained in the amorphous solid material, where it offers flexibility and assists in aerosol formation upon heating.
The amorphous solid may comprise a colourant. The addition of a colourant may alter the visual appearance of the amorphous solid. The presence of colourant in the amorphous solid may enhance the visual appearance of the amorphous solid and the aerosol-generating material. By adding a colourant to the amorphous solid, the amorphous solid may be colour-matched to other components of the aerosol-generating material or to other components of an article comprising the amorphous solid.
A variety of colourants may be used depending on the desired colour of the amorphous solid. The colour of amorphous solid may be, for example, white, green, red, purple, blue, brown or black. Other colours are also envisaged. Natural or synthetic colourants, such as natural or synthetic dyes, food-grade colourants and pharmaceutical-grade colourants may be used. In certain embodiments, the colourant is caramel, which may confer the amorphous solid with a brown appearance. In such embodiments, the colour of the amorphous solid may be similar to the colour of other components (such as tobacco material) in an aerosol-generating material comprising the amorphous solid. In some embodiments, the addition of a colourant to the amorphous solid renders it visually indistinguishable from other components in the aerosol-generating material.
The colourant may be incorporated during the formation of the amorphous solid (e.g. when forming a slurry comprising the materials that form the amorphous solid) or it may be applied to the amorphous solid after its formation (e.g. by spraying it onto the amorphous solid).
The aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more active substances and/or flavours, one or more aerosol-former materials, and optionally one or more other functional material.
The aerosol-generating material may comprise an acid. The acid may be an organic acid. In some of these embodiments, the acid may be at least one of a monoprotic acid, a diprotic acid and a triprotic acid. In some such embodiments, the acid may contain at least one carboxyl functional group. In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least one of an alpha-hydroxy acid, carboxylic acid, dicarboxylic acid, tricarboxylic acid and keto acid. In some such embodiments, the acid may be an alpha-keto acid.
In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least one of succinic acid, lactic acid, benzoic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, fumaric acid, levulinic acid, acetic acid, malic acid, formic acid, sorbic acid, benzoic acid, propanoic and pyruvic acid.
Suitably the acid is lactic acid. In other embodiments, the acid is benzoic acid. In other embodiments the acid may be an inorganic acid. In some of these embodiments the acid may be a mineral acid. In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least one of sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, boric acid and phosphoric acid. In some embodiments, the acid is levulinic acid.
In some embodiments, an acid is included when the aerosol-generating material comprises nicotine. In such embodiments, the presence of an acid may stabilise dissolved species in the slurry from which the aerosol-generating material is formed. The presence of the acid may reduce or substantially prevent evaporation of nicotine during drying of the slurry, thereby reducing loss of nicotine during manufacturing.
In certain embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises a gelling agent comprising a cellulosic gelling agent and/or a non-cellulosic gelling agent, an active substance and an acid.
In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises one or more cannabinoid compounds selected from the group consisting of: cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabinol (CBN), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabivarin (CBV), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabichromevarin (CBCV), cannabigerovarin (CBGV), cannabigerol monomethyl ether (CBGM) and cannabielsoin (CBE), cannabicitran (CBT).
The aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more cannabinoid compounds selected from the group consisting of cannabidiol (CBD) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).
The aerosol-generating material may comprise cannabidiol (CBD).
The aerosol-generating material may comprise nicotine and cannabidiol (CBD).
The aerosol-generating material may comprise nicotine, cannabidiol (CBD), and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).
The aerosol-former material may comprise one or more constituents capable of forming an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol-former material may comprise one or more of glycerine, glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate. In some embodiments, the aerosol former comprises one or more polyhydric alcohols, such as propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol and glycerin; esters of polyhydric alcohols, such as glycerol mono-, di- or triacetate; and/or aliphatic esters of mono-, di- or polycarboxylic acids, such as dimethyl dodecanedioate and dimethyl tetradecanedioate.
The one or more other functional materials may comprise one or more of pH regulators, colouring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and/or antioxidants.
As used herein, the term “tobacco material” refers to any material comprising tobacco or derivatives or substitutes thereof. The term “tobacco material” may include one or more of tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes. The tobacco material may comprise one or more of ground tobacco, tobacco fibre, cut tobacco, extruded tobacco, tobacco stem, tobacco lamina, reconstituted tobacco and/or tobacco extract.
The tobacco material may contain a filler component. The filler component is generally a non-tobacco component, that is, a component that does not include ingredients originating from tobacco. The filler component may be a non-tobacco fibre such as wood fibre or pulp or wheat fibre. The filler component may also be an inorganic material such as chalk, perlite, vermiculite, diatomaceous earth, colloidal silica, magnesium oxide, magnesium sulphate, magnesium carbonate. The filler component may also be a non-tobacco cast material or a non-tobacco extruded material. The filler component may be present in an amount of 0 to 20% by weight of the tobacco material, or in an amount of from 1 to 10% by weight of the composition. In some embodiments, the filler component is absent.
The tobacco material may contain an aerosol-former material. In some embodiments, the aerosol-former material of the tobacco material may be glycerol, propylene glycol, or a mixture of glycerol and propylene glycol. Glycerol may be present in an amount of from 10 to 20% by weight of the tobacco material, for example 13 to 16% by weight of the composition, or about 14% or 15% by weight of the composition. Propylene glycol, if present, may be present in an amount of from 0.1 to 0.3% by weight of the composition.
The aerosol-former material may be included in any component, for example any tobacco component, of the tobacco material, and/or in the filler component, if present. Alternatively or additionally the aerosol-former material may be added to the tobacco material separately. In either case, the total amount of the aerosol-former material in the tobacco material can be as defined herein.
In one example, the aerosol-former material may comprise an amorphous solid material comprising 40% menthol, 16% glycerol, 20% binder (alginate/pectin mix), and 20% fibres (wood pulp).
A consumable is an article comprising or consisting of aerosol-generating material, part or all of which is intended to be consumed during use by a user. A consumable may comprise one or more other components, such as an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a mouthpiece, a filter and/or an aerosol-modifying agent. A consumable may also comprise an aerosol generator, such as a heater, that emits heat to cause the aerosol-generating material to generate aerosol in use. The heater may, for example, comprise combustible material, a material heatable by electrical conduction, or a susceptor. The consumable may be any shape or size that is appropriate to the smoking device. In an embodiment of the invention, the consumable is a rod shape.
A susceptor is a material that is heatable by penetration with a varying magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. The susceptor may be an electrically-conductive material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes induction heating of the heating material. The heating material may be magnetic material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes magnetic hysteresis heating of the heating material. The susceptor may be both electrically-conductive and magnetic, so that the susceptor is heatable by both heating mechanisms. The device that is configured to generate the varying magnetic field is referred to as a magnetic field generator, herein.
An aerosol-modifying agent is a substance, typically located downstream of the aerosol generation area, that is configured to modify the aerosol generated, for example by changing the taste, flavour, acidity or another characteristic of the aerosol. The aerosol-modifying agent may be provided in an aerosol-modifying agent release component, that is operable to selectively release the aerosol-modifying agent
The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be an additive or a sorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, comprise one or more of a flavourant, a colourant, water, and a carbon adsorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be a solid, a liquid, or a gel. The aerosol-modifying agent may be in powder, thread or granule form. The aerosol-modifying agent may be free from filtration material.
Articles, for instance those in the shape of rods, are often named according to the product length: “regular” (typically in the range 68-75 mm, e.g. from about 68 mm to about 72 mm), “short” or “mini” (68 mm or less), “king-size” (typically in the range 75-91 mm, e.g. from about 79 mm to about 88 mm), “long” or “super-king” (typically in the range 91-105 mm, e.g. from about 94 mm to about 101 mm) and “ultra-long” (typically in the range from about 110 mm to about 121 mm).
They are also named according to the product circumference: “regular” (about 23-25 mm), “wide” (greater than 25 mm), “slim” (about 22-23 mm), “demi-slim” (about 19-22 mm), “super-slim” (about 16-19 mm), and “micro-slim” (less than about 16 mm).
Accordingly, an article in a king-size, super-slim format will, for example, have a length of about 83 mm and a circumference of about 17 mm.
Each format may be produced with mouthpieces of different lengths. The mouthpiece length will be from about 30 mm to 50 mm. A tipping paper connects the mouthpiece to the aerosol generating material and will usually have a greater length than the mouthpiece, for example from 3 to 10 mm longer, such that the tipping paper covers the mouthpiece and overlaps the aerosol generating material, for instance in the form of a rod of substrate material, to connect the mouthpiece to the rod.
Articles and their aerosol generating materials and mouthpieces described herein can be made in, but are not limited to, any of the above formats.
The filamentary tow or filter material described herein can comprise cellulose acetate fibre tow. The filamentary tow can also be formed using other materials used to form fibres, such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), polylactic acid (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), poly(1-4 butanediol succinate) (PBS), poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), starch based materials, cotton, aliphatic polyester materials and polysaccharide polymers or a combination thereof. The filamentary tow may be plasticised with a suitable plasticiser for the tow, such as triacetin where the material is cellulose acetate tow, or the tow may be non-plasticised. The tow can have any suitable specification, such as fibres having a cross section which is ‘Y’ shaped, ‘X’ shaped or ‘O’ shaped. The fibres of the tow may have filamentary denier values between 2.5 and 15 denier per filament, for example between 8.0 and 11.0 denier per filament and total denier values of 5,000 to 50,000, for example between 10,000 and 40,000. The cross section of the fibres may have an isoperimetric ratio L2/A of 25 or less, 20 or less, or 15 or less, where L is the length of the perimeter of the cross section and A is the area of the cross section. Such fibres have a relatively low surface area for a given value of denier per filament, which improves delivery of aerosol to the consumer. Filter material described herein also includes cellulose-based materials such as paper. Such materials may have a relatively low density, such as between about 0.1 and about 0.45 grams per cubic centimetre, to allow air and/or aerosol to pass through the material. Although described as filter materials, such materials may have a primary purpose, such as increasing the resistance to draw of a component, that is not related to filtration as such.
In the present embodiment, the article 1 comprises a mouthpiece 2, and a component 3 connected to the mouthpiece 2. The component 3 is an aerosol-generating section which comprises an aerosol-generating substrate formed from a source of aerosol-generating material. The source of aerosol-generating material may be in the form of a cylindrical rod of aerosol-generating material 4, as shown. In other examples, the aerosol-generating section may comprise a cavity for receiving a source of aerosol-generating material.
The aerosol-generating material may comprise a plurality of elongate strips 5 of aerosol-generating material. For example, in some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material 4 may comprise a plurality of elongate strips 5 of an aerosolisable material and/or a plurality of elongate strips 5 of an amorphous solid material. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material 4 consists of a plurality of elongate strips 5 of aerosolisable material. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material 4 may be crimped. Optionally, the aerosol-generating material 4 may be crimped to a depth in the range of about 20 um to about 1 mm. A sheet of aerosol-generating material 4 may have a thickness of about 200 um to about 250 um.
In the present embodiment, the cylindrical rod of aerosol-generating material 4 is circumscribed by a wrapper 6. The wrapper 6 may be a moisture impermeable wrapper.
In embodiments where the aerosol-generating material 4 comprises a plurality of elongate strips 5, the plurality of elongate strips 5 of aerosol-generating material 4 may be aligned within the aerosol-generating section such that their longitudinal dimension is in parallel alignment with the longitudinal axis X of the component 3. Alternatively, the strips 5 may generally be arranged such that their longitudinal dimension is aligned transverse to the longitudinal axis of the component 3.
Where the shredded sheet comprises a plurality of strips of material 5, the dimensions of each strip 5 may vary between different strips. For example, a shredded sheet or aerosol-generating material may comprise a first population of strips 5 and a second population of strips 5, wherein the dimensions of the strips of the first population are different to the dimensions of the strips of the second population. In other words, the plurality of strips 5 may comprise a first population of strips having a first aspect ratio and a second population of strips 5 having a second aspect ratio that is different to the first aspect ratio. A first dimension, or cut width, of the strips 5 of aerosolisable material 4 is between about 0.8 mm and 5 mm, in some embodiments between about 0.9 mm and 2 mm, in some embodiments between about 0.9 mm and 1.5 mm.
The component 3 is configured for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision device comprising an aerosol generator for insertion into the aerosol generating section of the component 3. The aerosol generator may be a heating element which is a resistive heating element or an inductive heating element. The component 3 is configured to receive the aerosol generator in the rod of aerosol-generating material 4.
In some embodiments, the mouthpiece 2 may comprises a cooling section 8, which is positioned immediately downstream of and adjacent to the component 3 of aerosol-generating material 4. In the present embodiment, the cooling section 8 is in an abutting relationship with the source of aerosol-generating material 4. The mouthpiece 2 comprises a body of material 7 downstream of the cooling section 8, and a hollow tubular element 9 downstream of the body of material 7, at the mouth end of the article 1.
The cooling section 8 may comprises at least one hollow channel. The cooling section 8 may be formed from, for example, but not limited to, a plurality of layers of paper which are parallel wound, with butted seams, or spirally wound layers of paper, cardboard tubes, tubes formed using a papier-mâché type process, moulded or extruded plastic tubes or similar. The cooling section 8 is manufactured to have a rigidity that is sufficient to withstand the axial compressive forces and bending moments that might arise during manufacture and whilst the article 1 is in use.
The body of material 7 and hollow tubular element 9 each define a substantially cylindrical overall outer shape and share a common longitudinal axis. The body of material 7 is wrapped in a first plug wrap 12. In the present example, the body of material 7 is formed from a filamentary tow. The tow may comprises plasticised cellulose acetate tow.
In other examples, different materials can be used to form the body of material 7. For instance, rather than tow, the body 7 can be formed from paper, for instance in a similar way to paper filters known for use in cigarettes. For instance, the paper, or other cellulose-based material, can be provided as one or more portions of sheet material which is folded and/or crimped to form body 7. Alternatively, the body 7 can be formed from tows other than cellulose acetate, for instance polylactic acid (PLA), other materials described herein for filamentary tow or similar materials. The hollow tubular element 9 may be formed as described above in relation to the body of material 7.
In the present example, the hollow tubular element 9, body of material 7 and cooling section 8 are combined using a second plug wrap 13 which is wrapped around all three sections. It will be appreciated that any one of the sections may be omitted from the mouthpiece 2.
A tipping paper 15 is wrapped around the full length of the mouthpiece 2 and over part of the rod of aerosol-generating material 4 and has an adhesive on its inner surface to connect the mouthpiece 2 and rod of aerosol-generating material 4. In the present example, the rod of aerosol-generating material 4 is wrapped in the wrapper 10, which forms a first wrapping material, and the tipping paper 15 forms an outer wrapping material which extends at least partially over the rod of aerosol-generating material 4 to connect the mouthpiece 2 and rod of aerosol-generating material 4. In some examples, the tipping paper 15 can extend only partially over the rod of aerosol-generating material 4.
As shown in
The capsule 17 can comprise a breakable capsule, for instance a capsule which has a solid, frangible shell surrounding a liquid payload. In the present example, a single capsule 17 is used. The capsule 17 is entirely embedded within the body of material 7. In other words, the capsule 17 is completely surrounded by the material forming the body 7. In other examples, a plurality of breakable capsules may be disposed within the body of material 7, for instance 2, 3 or more breakable capsules 17.
The capsule 17 has a core-shell structure. In other words, the capsule 17 comprises a shell encapsulating a liquid agent, for instance a flavourant or other agent, which can be any one of the flavourants or aerosol modifying agents described herein. The shell of the capsule 17 can be ruptured by a user to release the flavourant or other agent into the body of material 7.
Referring to
In the present embodiment, the first end 21 is a free end of the component 3, which is furthest from the mouthpiece 2, and the second end 22 is in abutment with the mouthpiece 2, i.e. closest to the mouthpiece 2. The first end 21 comprises a first surface 23 and the second end 24 comprises a second surface 24. In the present embodiment, the first and second surfaces 23, 24 are congruent.
As shown in
The outer section 27 comprises a first end surface 28 and an opposing second end surface 29. In the present embodiment, the first end surface 28 extends in the same plane as the first surface 23 of the first end 21 of the component 3, and the second end surface 29 extends in the same plane as the second surface 24 of the second end 22 of the component 3. In the present embodiment, the first and second end surfaces 28, 29 are congruent
The outer section 27 surrounds the core section 26. Thus, the core section 26 is located radially inward of the outer section 27. The outer section 27 comprises the aerosol-generating material 4, which is configured to generate an aerosol when heated. The aerosol-generating material 4 of the outer section 27 of the component 3 may be a sheet material or a plurality of elongate strips 5, as previously discussed. The core section 26 comprises a first material 30. The first material 30 is configured to receive a heating element, during use.
In the present embodiment, the core section 26 and the outer section 27 are formed coaxially. That is, the longitudinal axis extending through the centre of the core section 26 is coincident with the longitudinal axis extending through the centre of the outer section 27.
Therefore, the outer section 27 has a cross-section that is annular in shape in a plane perpendicular to its longitudinal axis. Thus, the first and second end section 28, 29 have an annular cross-section.
The aerosol-generating material 4 forming the outer section 27 may comprise tobacco material. The sheet or shredded sheet of aerosol generating material 4 forming the outer section 27 may comprise a plant-based material, such as a tobacco material.
The plant-based material may be a particulate or granular material. The tobacco material may be a particulate or granular material. In some embodiments, the tobacco material is a powder. Alternatively or in addition, the tobacco material may comprise may comprise strips, strands or fibres of tobacco. For example, the tobacco material may comprise particles, granules, fibres, strips and/or strands of tobacco. In some embodiments, the tobacco material consists of particles or granules of tobacco material. The tobacco material can comprise reconstituted tobacco material.
The sheet or shredded sheet of aerosol-generating material may comprise nicotine in an amount of between about 0.1% to about 0.3% by weight of the sheet or sheet material.
Paper reconstituted tobacco may also be present in the aerosol-generating material described herein. The paper reconstituted tobacco may be any type of paper reconstituted tobacco that is known in the art.
The aerosol-generating material comprises an aerosol-former material. The aerosol-former material comprises one or more constituents capable of forming an aerosol. The aerosol-former material comprises one or more of glycerine, glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate. In some examples the aerosol-former material is glycerol or propylene glycol.
The sheet or shredded sheet comprises a binder. The binder is arranged to bind the components of the aerosol-generating material to form the sheet or shredded sheet. The binder may at least partially coat the surface of the tobacco material. Where the tobacco material is in a particulate form, the binder may at least partially coat the surface of the particles of tobacco and bind them together.
The aerosol-generating material may comprise a filler. In some embodiments, the sheet or shredded sheet comprises the filler. The filler is generally a non-tobacco component, that is, a component that does not include ingredients originating from tobacco. The filler may comprise one or more inorganic filler materials, such as calcium carbonate, perlite, vermiculite, diatomaceous earth, colloidal silica, magnesium oxide, magnesium sulphate, magnesium carbonate, and suitable inorganic sorbents, such as molecular sieves. The filler may be a non-tobacco fibre such as wood fibre or pulp or wheat fibre. The filler can be a material comprising cellulose or a material comprises a derivate of cellulose. The filler component may also be a non-tobacco cast material or a non-tobacco extruded material.
In particular embodiments which include filler, the filler is fibrous. For example, the filler may be a fibrous organic filler material such as wood, wood pulp, hemp fibre, cellulose or cellulose derivatives. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that including fibrous filler may increase the tensile strength of the material.
The aerosol-generating material herein can comprise an aerosol modifying agent, such as any of the flavours described herein. In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating material comprises menthol. When the aerosol-generating material is incorporated into an article for use in an aerosol-provision system, the article may be referred to as a mentholated article.
In some embodiments, the outer section 27 may comprise an aerosol-forming “amorphous solid”, which may alternatively be referred to as a “monolithic solid” (i.e. non-fibrous). In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may comprise a dried gel. The amorphous solid is a solid material that may retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it. The amorphous solid may comprise a flavour. In some embodiments, the amorphous solid additionally comprises an active substance. The active substance may be tobacco extract. In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may comprises one or more active substances and/or flavours, one or more aerosol-former materials, and optionally one or more other functional materials. The amorphous solid may be provided as a plurality of elongate strips.
The aerosol-generating material may comprise a blend of the aerosolisable material and the amorphous solid material as described herein. Such aerosol-generating material can provide an aerosol, in use, with a desirable flavour profile, since additional flavour may be introduced to the aerosol-generating material by inclusion in the amorphous solid material component. Flavour provided in the amorphous solid material may be more stably retained within the amorphous solid material compared to flavour added directly to the tobacco material, resulting in a more consistent flavour profile between articles produced.
In the present embodiment, the core section 26 comprises a hollow tube 31. The hollow tube 31 may be generally cylindrical. Thus, in the present embodiment, the cross-section of the hollow tube 31 is annular in shape in a plane extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the core section 26. The hollow tube 31 comprises a first end surface 32 located in the same plane as the first end 21 of the aerosol-generating material 4 of the component 3 and a second end surface 33 located in the same plane as the second end 22 of the aerosol-generating material 4 of the component 3. In the present embodiment, both the first end surface 32 and the second end surface 33 have an annular cross-section.
In the present embodiment, the hollow tube 31 comprises a perimeter wall 34 surrounding a cavity 35 or hollow. In the present embodiment, the perimeter wall 34 is annular in cross-section. The perimeter wall 34 may have a thickness in the range of about 50 um to about 1 mm. Additionally or alternatively, the perimeter wall 34 has a hardness, or firmness, in the range of about 50% to about 98%. That is, the perimeter wall may be able to withstand a crushing force of in the range of about 0.1 N before deformation occurs. The crushing force may be applied in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X.
The cavity 35 extends longitudinally along the length of the tube 31 from the first end surface 32 to the second end surface 33. The cavity 35 is configured to receive a heating element, during use. Therefore, the cavity 35 may have a diameter in the range of about 1 mm to about 5 mm, in some embodiments in the range of about 2 mm to about 4 mm
In the present embodiment, the first material is paper. Therefore, the hollow tube 31 is formed from paper. Thus, the paper tube 31 may be formed from a plurality of layers of paper which are parallel wound, with butted seams or spirally wound layers of paper, cardboard tubes, or tubes formed using a papier-mâché type process.
However, it will be appreciated that in alternative embodiments, the first material may be one of, for example, but not limited to, another paper material, bandcast tobacco, paper reconstituted tobacco, or an amorphous solid.
The tube 31 is configured to maintain a gap between the outer section 27 of the component 3 and a heating element when a heating element is inserted into the component 3 during use. The tube 31 is configured to prevent contact between the outer section 27 of the component 3 and the heating element. Therefore, the core section 26 is able to prevent residue forming and/or sticking to the heating element. This in turn improves hygiene and the efficiency of the heating element for subsequent uses.
The tube 31 comprises an inner surface 37. The inner surface 37 may comprise at least one embossed portion 38, shown in dotted lines in
In addition, the at least one embossed portion 38 may be configured to correctly align the component 3 with the heating element. That is, the at least one embossed portion 38 may limit the ways in which the heating element can be inserted into the cavity 35 of the core section 26 to ensure proper alignment between an article 1 and the heating element of a device.
Referring now to
In the present embodiment, the core section 26 comprises a loose gather sheet 41. The loose gathered sheet 41 is gathered to form a central column 42 of material 30. The central column 42 of material 30 is located inside the outer section 27. The loose gather sheet 41 may be gathered such that the density of the column 42 is in the range of about 50 mg/cm3 to about 800 mg/cm3, in some embodiments about 60 mg to about 600 mg/cm3. In addition or alternatively, the loose gathered sheet 41 may be gathered such that the pressure drop across the core section 26 is in the range of about 0.01 mm/Wg to about 1 mm/Wg
The loose gathered sheet 41 is formed by a first material 30. The first material 30 may be at least one of, for example, but not limited to, a paper material, bandcast tobacco, paper reconstituted material, or an amorphous solid material. The loose gathered sheet 41 may be provided in the form of a plurality of elongate strips 5, as discussed above.
In the present embodiment, the loose gathered sheet 41 is formed by a paper material. The paper material may be porous. The porosity of the paper material may be in the range of about 50 Coresta units to about 10000 Coresta units.
The loose gather sheet 41 is configured to prevent contact between the outer section 27 of the component 3 and a heating element, when a heating element is inserted into the core section 26 of the component. Reducing contact between the outer section 27 and a heating element can prevent residue forming and/or sticking to the heating element. This in turn improves hygiene and the efficiency of the heating element for subsequent uses.
In all of the embodiments described above, the first material 30 may comprise at least one active substance. Furthermore, in all of the embodiments described above, the first material 30 may comprise an aerosol-modifying substance. In addition, in all of the embodiments described above, the first material 30 may comprise a flavour. Thus, during use, when the component 3 is heated by a heating element, the first material 30 forming the core section 26 may release at least one active substance and/or aerosol-modifying substance and/or flavour.
Furthermore, in some embodiments, the first material 30 may comprise a coating 45. The coating 45 may be configured to provide an aerosol. In some embodiments, the first material 30 may comprise a barrier coating 46 configured to prevent the first material 30 burning or being otherwise damaged during heating. As shown in
A method of forming a component 3 will now be described with reference to
The method may further comprise forming the first material and the aerosol-generating substrate 51 coaxially. The aerosol-generating substrate 51 and first material 30 may be transported through a manufacturing apparatus 53 separately.
The method may further comprise the step of gathering the aerosol-generating substrate 51 around the first material 30 to form a coaxial rod. A stream of aerosol-generating substrate 51 is fed into a gatherer 54 and gathered around the stream of the first material 30. In some embodiments, a plurality of streams of aerosol-generating substrate 51 is fed into a gatherer 54 and gathered around the stream of the first material 3. The plurality of streams of aerosol-generating material may be fed into the gatherer 54 at various positions around the first material 30.
The method step of providing the assembly may comprise providing a pre-formed tube 31 of the first material 31. The pre-formed tube 31 may be provided to the gatherer 53. The apparatus 53 may comprise a tube feeder 55 that is configured to feed a tube 31 into the centre of the gatherer 53. The tube 31 may be a continuous tube 31.
Alternatively, the method step of providing the assembly may comprise providing a sheet of first material 30, and forming a tube 31 from the sheet of first material 30, as illustrated in
The method step of providing the assembly may further comprise providing adhesive on the sheet of first material 30, and drying the adhesive before gathering the aerosol-generating substrate 51 around the first material 30. To adhere the first material 30 to form a tube 31, the apparatus 53 may further comprise a gluing station 57. The gluing station may be upstream of the tube forming device 56 or integrated therein. To drying the adhesive, the apparatus 53 may comprise a drying device 58 downstream of the of the tube forming device 56 or integrated therein.
In an alternative method, the method step of providing the assembly may comprise providing a sheet of first material 30 and gathering the sheet of first material together with the sheet of aerosol-generating material to form a coaxial rod having a loose gathered sheet in the core section 26. Therefore, the tube forming device 59 may be omitted.
The various embodiments described herein are presented only to assist in understanding and teaching the claimed features. These embodiments are provided as a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects described herein are not to be considered limitations on the scope of the inventions as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilised and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. Various embodiments of the invention may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, appropriate combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc other than those specifically described herein. In addition, this disclosure may include other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be in future.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2108816.6 | Jun 2021 | GB | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/GB2022/051554 | 6/17/2022 | WO |
