The present invention relates to a container, and more particularly to a container for an apparatus for generating an inhalable material.
Smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigars and the like burn tobacco during use to create tobacco smoke. Attempts have been made to provide alternatives to these articles that burn tobacco by creating products that release compounds without burning.
Examples of such products are heating devices which release compounds by heating, but not burning, the material. The material may be for example tobacco or other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine.
As another example, there are so-called e-cigarette devices. These devices typically contain a liquid which is heated to vaporize the liquid to produce an inhalable vapor or aerosol. The liquid may contain nicotine and/or flavorings and/or aerosol-generating substances, such as glycerol. The known e-cigarette devices typically do not contain or use tobacco.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a container for an aerosol provision device for providing an inhalable medium comprising an aerosol, the container comprising: a first section and second and third sections either side of the first section, wherein the first section and the second and third sections each comprises a respective material that permits the aerosol generated in the device to flow into and through the container and wherein a first substance is distributed in the material of the first section, the first substance for modifying a property of the aerosol when the aerosol flows through the container and wherein the material of at least one of the second and third sections is substantially free of the first substance and acts as a barrier to prevent first substance exiting the container.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a container for an aerosol provision device, the container comprising: a first section that comprises cut rag tobacco that has a density that is in the range of 150 to 500 mg/cm3 for imparting flavor to an aerosol generated in the aerosol provision device and which, in use, flows through the first section; a second section at one side of the first section, wherein the second section comprises a material that permits the vapor and/or aerosol generated in the device to flow there through and acts as a barrier to prevent tobacco from the cut rag tobacco exiting the container.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a container for an aerosol provision device for providing an inhalable medium comprising an aerosol, the flavor container comprising: a first section containing a first substance for modifying a property of the aerosol generated in the device and which aerosol, in use, flows through the first section; a second section at one side of the first section, wherein the second section comprises a material that defines a multiplicity of elongate flow channels that permit the aerosol generated by the device to flow there through and wherein the second section is substantially free of the first substance and acts as a barrier to prevent first substance exiting the container.
Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention, given by way of example only, which is made with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like features appearing in different ones of the drawings are giving the same reference numerals in the different drawings.
Referring to
In this respect, first it may be noted that, in general, a vapor is a substance in the gas phase at a temperature lower than its critical temperature, which means that for example the vapor can be condensed to a liquid by increasing its pressure without reducing the temperature. On the other hand, in general, an aerosol is a colloid of fine solid particles or liquid droplets, in air or another gas. A colloid is a substance in which microscopically dispersed insoluble particles are suspended throughout another substance. For reasons of convenience, as used herein the term aerosol should be taken as meaning an aerosol, a vapor or a combination of an aerosol and vapor.
Returning to
The device 100 has the mouthpiece 102 removably connected to the upper portion 106 of the outer body 104. The mouthpiece 102 has received therein the flavor container 200 for imparting a flavor to a flow of aerosol or vapor that passes through the mouthpiece 102. Examples of flavor elements 200 will be discussed in more detail below.
The device 100 is arranged so that as the liquid 116 is volatilized so as to produce an aerosol of liquid droplets or sufficiently heated to produce a vapor, at least some and preferably all or substantially all of the aerosol or vapor passes through the flavor container 200 received in the mouthpiece 102 for example so as to entrain constituents of the flavor container 200 therein. In at least some examples a vapor is produced that then at least partly condenses to form an aerosol before exiting the device 100.
The liquid container 114 is provided generally centrally of the cartridge 108. The liquid container 114 is frusto-conical in shape, but may have a different shape, such as conical, cylindrical, etc. The liquid container 114 is annular in shape and defines a cylindrical channel 114a running through the length of the liquid container 114. The liquid container 114 may be formed of rigid, watertight and airtight materials, such as metal, suitable plastics, etc.
The cartridge 108 is provided with a heater 118 and a wick (not shown) in (thermal) contact with the heater 118. In this example, the heater 118 and the wick are provided as a single unit, sometimes known as an “atomizer”. In this case, where the cartridge 108 includes an atomizer, such a cartridge 108 is often referred to as a “cartomizer”.
The orientation of the heater 118 is shown schematically and for example the heater 118 may be a coil having its longitudinal axis perpendicular or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge 108.
The wick (not shown) is in contact with the liquid 116. This may be achieved, for example, by the wick (not shown) being inserted through a through hole (not shown) in an end wall 124 of the liquid container 114. Alternatively or additionally, the end wall 124 may be a porous member which allows liquid to pass through from the liquid container 114, and the wick (not shown) may be in contact with the porous end wall 124. The end wall 124 may be for example in the form of a porous ceramic disk. A porous end wall 124 of this type helps to regulate the flow of liquid onto the wick (not shown). The wick (not shown) is generally absorbent and acts to draw in liquid 116 from the liquid container 114 by capillary action (shown schematically in
The cartridge 104 is (electrically) connected to a battery in the battery portion 112 to enable the heater 118 to be powered. When the heater 118 is powered (which may be instigated for example by the user operating a button (not shown) of the device 100 or by a puff detector (not shown) of the overall device 100, as is known per se), liquid 116 drawn (shown in
In use, the liquid 116 may be heated to a temperature of between around 100-300° C. or more particularly around 150° C. to 250° C. The liquid 116 may, or may not, comprise nicotine.
As the user draws on the mouthpiece 102, air is drawn through an air inlet 126. The liquid 116 is volatized or vaporized by the heater 110 into the air from the air inlet 126 thereby to produce a flow of one of a vapor and an aerosol. The flow of vapor or aerosol is drawn through a channel 114a of the liquid container 114, through the flavor container 200 received in the mouthpiece 102, and out from the device 100 for inhalation by a user (this flow is shown by arrow B in
The vapor or aerosol picks up (entrains) flavor (and/or other constituents) from the flavor container 200. One or more constituents of the flavor element is thereby mixed with the flow of at least one of a vapor and an aerosol thereby enhancing the sensory experience of a user.
Referring first to
In some examples, the elongate body 202 comprises a fibrous material and may be, for example, a fibrous material that is typically used as a filter material in traditional cigarette, examples including cellulose acetate fibers, polypropylene fibers, polyester fibers and paper, including crimped paper. Other materials may be used for example, nylon and the like.
In this example, the elongate body of material 202 comprises a first middle or intermediate section 208, and two second and third end sections 210, 212, one either side of the middle section 208. In this example, the end section 210 is at the ‘upstream’ end 204 of the flavor container 200 and the end section 212 is at the ‘downstream’ end 206.
In this example, a first substance 216 which is a flavor component is distributed in the material in the middle section 208 but the material in the two end sections 210, 212 is substantially free of the first flavor component 216. In a preferred example, the first flavor component comprises a flavor material that has been ground or otherwise treated or formed so that it is in the form of particles, for example, powder, granules, grains, fibers, beads, pellets or the like so as, for example, to increase the active surface area or amount of the flavor material in order to maximize the amount of flavor imparted to a vapor and/or aerosol stream flowing through the flavor container 200. In one example, the particles are distributed substantially evenly throughout the material of the middle section 208.
In some examples, the first flavor component comprises tobacco although other botanicals or flavor agents may also be used.
Advantageously, the material of the two end sections 210, 212 each of which is substantially free of the first flavor component 216 causes the end sections 210, 212 to act as barriers that prevent fragments or particles of the first flavor component 216 exiting the flavor container 200. The end section 210 prevents flavor component 216 entering into the interior of the device 100 (where damage might be caused) and the end section 212 prevents flavor component 216 entering into the mouth of a user. This is particularly advantageous when the first flavor component 216 comprises particles of tobacco.
In one example, the material of the middle section 208 and the material in the two end sections 210, 212 comprises a continuous CA fiber formed into the elongate body of material 202 (e.g. the body of material 202 is what is known in the art as a ‘dalmatian’ type filter). In another example, the material of the middle section 208 and the material in the two end sections 210, 212 comprises a multiplicity of short cut CA fibers (e.g. fibers cut using a so called Turmalin apparatus) randomly orientated to form the elongate body of material 202.
Short cut CA fibers with for example ground tobacco as the first flavor component 126, may use just enough of the fibers to hold the ground tobacco in a rod form. Benefits of this arrangement allow for a lower pressure drop of vapor and/or aerosol flow and additionally there is reduced or no need for a plasticizer, for example, triacetine to hold the rod form as is required for a continuous fiber CA. Furthermore, use of short cut CA fibers enables the use of less CA and more tobacco than in the case of using a long continuous CA fiber.
In some examples the length of the middle section 208 is in the range 7 mm to 17 mm and preferably in the range 10 mm to 13 mm, the length of each of the end sections 210, 212 is in the range 3 mm to 15 mm and preferably in the range 4 mm to 6 mm and the diameter of the flavor container is in the range 5 mm to 8.5 mm.
In some examples the particles have an average diameter in the range of 0.1 mm to 3 mm, and preferably in the range of 0.3 mm to 2 mm.
In some examples, the weight of first flavor component present in the middle section 208 is 1 mg to 15 mg per mm of the middle section 208.
In the specific case of the material of the middle section comprising a continuous fiber and the first flavor component comprising ground tobacco the tobacco weight is preferably in the range of 2 mg to 6 mg per mm of the middle section 208.
In the specific case of the material of the middle section comprising short cut fibers and the first flavor component comprising ground tobacco the tobacco weight is preferably in the range of 6 mg to 15 mg per mm of the middle section 208.
In some examples, the percentage weight of first flavor component (and any other components e.g. charcoal, plasticizer) to the weight of the material of the middle section 208 is in the range 10% to 90% and preferably in the range 70% to 90%.
In the specific case of the material of the middle section comprising a continuous fiber and the first flavor component comprising ground tobacco the tobacco weight to the fiber weight is preferably in the range of 40% to 60% and most preferably in the range of 45% to 55%.
In the specific case of the material of the middle section comprising short cut fibers and the first flavor component comprising ground tobacco the tobacco weight to the fiber weight is preferably in the range of 75% to 95% and most preferably in the range of 80% to 90%.
The flavor container 200 may further comprise an outer wrapper layer 218 that surrounds the elongate body of material 202 along its length to provide additional structural security to the flavor container 200. The outer wrapper layer 218 may comprise any suitable material, for example, paper. In some examples, the outer wrapper layer 218 is configured so that its acts as a liquid resistant barrier that prevents liquid, for example, condensation that forms around the flavor container 200 when it is in use, from getting into the interior of the flavor container 200 and making the flavor container soggy. In one example, a liquid resistance wrapper layer 218 comprises paper impregnated with a barrier material or Natureflex or other suitable thin polymer film.
Although in the example illustrated in
In some examples, at least one second additional substance which also may be a flavor component may be provided in one of, or both of, the two end sections 210, 212. The at least one additional flavor component may take any suitable form. For example, as is schematically illustrated in
In other examples, the additional flavor component may be in an additional section (not shown) between either of the end sections 210, 212 and the middle section 208.
In an alternative example, as illustrated in
In a variation of the example of
In an alternative example, as illustrated in
The material of the end sections 210, 212 is arranged so that the vapor and/or aerosol stream can flow through the elongate channels but fragments or particles of the first flavor component 216 cannot pass through the elongate channels (e.g. because the channels are too narrow) and hence are prevented from exiting the flavor container 200. In some examples, when the first flavor component comprises particles or fragments, the maximum cross sectional area of each channel is smaller than the average cross sectional area of the particles or fragments so as to prevent particles or fragments passing down the channels.
In some examples, the material of the end sections 210, 212 is a crimped material in which the material is formed into a series of parallel ridges that run parallel to the longitudinal axis of the flavor container 200 with each pair of adjacent ridges defining one of the channels.
In some examples the material comprises an extruded thermoplastic material, for example, Polylactic Acid (PLA) or polypropylene. In other examples, the material may comprise nylon.
In some examples, the material is moisture resistant so that the end sections 210, 212 maintain their shape in use.
In variations of the example shown in
It will be appreciated also that one or other or both of the end sections 210, 212 in the examples of
In all the described examples, the pressure difference across the flavor container 200 in use when a user takes a draw is preferably in the range of 5 to 40 mm water gauge (wg) and more preferably is in the range 10 to 30 mm wg. In some examples, the pressure difference across either of the end sections 210, 212 is in the range 0.1 mm to 2 mm wg per mm length of the section.
Referring now to
It is envisaged that after a certain number of draws, for example 20-50, the flavor of a flavor container 200 will be exhausted and at this point a user may replace a used flavor container 200 in a device 100 with a replacement flavor container 200. Replacement flavor containers 200 may of course be provided in packs. Each flavor container 200 may therefore be used over the course of multiple use sessions of the smoking device 1.
In some examples, sufficient liquid 116 is provided in the liquid container 114 to last multiple user sessions. In some examples, the liquid container 114 is arranged so that it can be re-filled or topped up with fresh liquid 116 by a user when the user so chooses. In other examples, a user cannot access the liquid container to 114 to add liquid to it and so in some examples, when the liquid 116 provided in the liquid container 114 is depleted or runs low a user may simply replace the used cartridge 108 with a new one.
In some examples, the cartridge 108 and the container 200 may be provided in combination together as a consumable that can be connected to, but removable from, the battery portion 112. This consumable may be designed to be a single session consumable (or at least limited number of sessions consumable) in that it contains sufficient liquid 116 and sufficient flavor substance in the container 200 to last a single user session (or limited number of user sessions) after which the user disposes of the consumable and replaces it with a new one.
Although in the examples described above, the container 200 is described as being a flavor container and contains a first substance 216 for modifying a flavor of the aerosol when the aerosol flows through the body of material, this is not essential and instead (or in addition) the first substance 216 may be for modifying a property of the aerosol other than (or in addition) to flavor.
In some examples, the first substance 216 may modify one or more other organoleptic properties of the aerosol (e.g. modifying the feel or smell or look of the aerosol to the user).
In some examples, the first substance 216 may be a substance that modifies the PH of the aerosol by either lowering or raising the PH (e.g. modifying the acidity or the basicity of the aerosol).
In some examples, the first substance 216 may modify (e.g. reduce) the amount of aldehydes in the aerosol.
In some examples, the first substance 216 may be a substance that modifies different combinations of two or more of these or indeed other properties of the aerosol.
Similarly, the at least one second additional substance may be a substance that modifies one or more of these properties indeed other properties of the aerosol.
Although in the above described examples, the device 100 generates the aerosol by heating a liquid (the device is of type commonly referred to as an e-cig), this is not essential and in other examples, the device may generate the aerosol by heating, but not burning, a material, that may contain for example tobacco (e.g. a device sometimes referred to as a Tobacco Heating Product (THP) device).
Indeed, in any of the examples, the device 100 may include any suitable material for generating the aerosol and be in any suitable form, for example, a gel.
It will be appreciated that the container 200 may be provided in packs containing multiple containers.
As used herein, the terms “flavor” and “flavorant” may refer to materials which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste or aroma in a product for adult consumers. They may include extracts (e.g., licorice, hydrangea, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed, cinnamon, herb, wintergreen, cherry, berry, peach, apple, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, piment, ginger, anise, coriander, coffee, or a mint oil from any species of the genus Mentha), flavor 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, oil, liquid, solid, or powder. For example, a liquid, oil, or other such fluid flavorant may be impregnated in a porous solid material so as to impart flavor and/or other properties to that porous solid material. As such, the liquid or oil is a constituent of the material in which it is impregnated.
The above embodiments are to be understood as illustrative examples of the invention. It is to be understood that any feature described in relation to any one embodiment may be used alone, or in combination with other features described, and may also be used in combination with one or more features of any other of the embodiments, or any combination of any other of the embodiments. Furthermore, equivalents and modifications not described above may also be employed without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the accompanying claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1615608.5 | Sep 2016 | GB | national |
The present application is a National Phase entry of PCT Application No. PCT/EP2017/073057, filed Sep. 13, 2017, which claims priority from GB Patent Application No. 1615608.5, filed Sep. 14, 2016, which is hereby fully incorporated herein by reference.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2017/073057 | 9/13/2017 | WO | 00 |