AEROSOL-GENERATING ARTICLE AND AEROSOL-GENERATING DEVICE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The following description relates to an aerosol-generating article and an aerosol-generating device.

BACKGROUND ART

Recently, the demand for alternative items that overcome the disadvantages of traditional cigarettes has increased. For example, there is increasing demand for devices (e.g., cigarette-type electronic cigarettes) that generate aerosol by electrically heating cigarette sticks. Accordingly, research on electrically heated aerosol-generating devices and cigarette sticks (or aerosol-generating items) applied thereto is being actively conducted. For example, KR Patent Publication No. 10-2017-0132823 discloses a non-combustible type of a flavor aspirator, a flavor and aroma taste unit, and an atomization unit.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Technical Goals

One or more embodiments provide an aerosol-generating article and an aerosol-generating device to transition nicotine through indirect heating of a medium through aerosol.

One or more embodiments provide an aerosol-generating article and an aerosol-generating device for improving a taste of smoking by increasing the maximum amount of flavoring agent filled in the aerosol-generating article.

Technical Solutions

According to an aspect, there is provided an aerosol-generating article, according to an example embodiment, that may include a first filter segment disposed at the upstream end of the aerosol-generating article, a second filter segment disposed downstream of the first filter segment, and a cavity segment disposed between the first filter segment and the second filter segment, and the cavity segment may be filled with medium pulp and flavoring agent pulp. A proportion of the medium pulp may be 50% or more of the total amount of pulp included in the cavity segment.

The medium pulp and the flavoring agent pulp may have the same density or the same particle size.

The aerosol-generating article may further include a filter rod disposed at the bottom downstream of the aerosol-generating article and the filter rod may include a cooling segment and a mouthpiece segment.

The mouthpiece segment may include a flavoring agent material.

The mouthpiece segment may include a transfer jet nozzle system (TJNS) filter and the TJNS filter may be flavored with the flavoring agent material.

The medium pulp may include a pH adjuster, and the pH adjuster may be alkaline.

The flavoring agent pulp may be manufactured by a fluidized bed granulation process. According to another aspect, there is provided an aerosol-generating device, according to an example embodiment, that may include a receiver for receiving the above-described aerosol-generating article, an atomizer that generates aerosol, and a power supply to the atomizer, and the aerosol generated by heating of the atomizer passes through the aerosol-generating article such that the medium pulp and the flavoring agent pulp are vaporized and transferred by the aerosol.

The atomizer may include a liquid storage tank for storing a liquid composition material configured to generate the aerosol when heated, a heater for heating the liquid composition material, and a liquid transfer means configured to transfer of the liquid composition material from the liquid storage tank to the heater.

The liquid composition material may further include a flavoring agent.

The heating temperature of the heater may be 300 degrees (° C.) or less.

Advantageous Effects

An aerosol-generating article and an aerosol-generating device, according to an example embodiment, may transfer nicotine through indirect heating of a medium by aerosol.

The aerosol-generating article and the aerosol-generating device, according to an example embodiment, may improve a taste of smoking by increasing the maximum amount of a flavoring agent filled in the aerosol-generating article.

The effects of the aerosol-generating article and the aerosol-generating device, according to an example embodiment, are not limited to those described above, and other effects not mentioned may be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1a is a diagram schematically illustrating a structure of an aerosol-generating article according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 1b is a diagram schematically illustrating a structure of an aerosol-generating article according to another example embodiment;

FIG. 2a is a diagram schematically illustrating a granulation process of a top spraying method among fluidized bed granulation processes;

FIG. 2b is a diagram schematically illustrating a granulation process of a bottom spraying method among fluidized bed granulation processes;

FIG. 2c is a diagram schematically illustrating a granulation process of a rotor spraying method among fluidized bed granulation processes;

FIG. 3a is a diagram schematically illustrating an aerosol-generating device according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 3b is a diagram schematically illustrating an aerosol-generating device according to another example embodiment;

FIG. 4a is a diagram schematically illustrating an aerosol-generating system in which an aerosol-generating article is received in an aerosol-generating device according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 4b is a diagram schematically illustrating an aerosol-generating system in which an aerosol-generating article is received in an aerosol-generating device according to another example embodiment; and

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a principle and a condition in which a vortex is generated in an aerosol-generating article according to an example embodiment.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, example embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, various alterations and modifications may be made to the example embodiments. Here, the example embodiments are not construed as limited to the disclosure. The example embodiments should be understood to include all changes, equivalents, and replacements within the idea and the technical scope of the disclosure. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not to be limiting of the example embodiments. The singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises/comprising” and/or “includes/including” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and/or groups thereof.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms including technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which example embodiments belong. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly-used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

When describing the examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, like reference numerals refer to like constituent elements and a repeated description related thereto will be omitted. In the description of the example embodiments, a detailed description of well-known related structures or functions will be omitted when it is deemed that such description will cause ambiguous interpretation of the present disclosure.

Also, in the description of the components, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b) or the like may be used herein when describing components of the present disclosure. These terms are used only for the purpose of discriminating one constituent element from another constituent element, and the nature, the sequences, or the orders of the constituent elements are not limited by the terms. When one constituent element is described as being “connected”, “coupled”, or “attached” to another constituent element, it should be understood that one constituent element can be connected or attached directly to another constituent element, and an intervening constituent element can also be “connected”, “coupled”, or “attached” to the constituent elements.

The constituent element, which has the same common function as the constituent element included in any one example embodiment, will be described by using the same name in other example embodiments. Unless disclosed to the contrary, the configuration disclosed in any one example embodiment may be applied to other example embodiments, and the specific description of the repeated configuration will be omitted.

In the following example embodiments, a “moisturizer” may mean a material that may facilitate the formation of visible smoke and/or aerosol. Examples of the moisturizer may include glycerin (GLY), propylene glycol (PG), ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol, but are not limited thereto. In the art, the moisturizer may be used interchangeably in terms such as an aerosol-forming agent, a wetting agent, and the like.

In the following example embodiments, the “aerosol-forming substrate” may mean a material that may form aerosol. The aerosol may include a volatile compound. The aerosol-forming substrate may be solid or liquid.

For example, a solid aerosol-forming substrate may include a solid material based on raw tobacco materials such as reconstituted tobacco leaves, cut tobacco, and restructured tobacco, and the like, and a liquid aerosol-forming substrate may include a liquid composition material based on nicotine, tobacco extract, and/or various flavoring agents. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to these examples.

In the following example embodiments, the “aerosol-generating device” may mean a device that generates aerosol using the aerosol-forming substrate to generate aerosol that may be directly inhaled into lungs of a user through a mouth of a user.

In the following example embodiments, the “aerosol-generating article” may mean an article that includes a medium that refers to tobacco components (e.g., tobacco leaves) and/or other components that generate nicotine by vaporizing when heated. During smoking, the medium (i.e., nicotine) is transferred as the aerosol generated in the aerosol-generating device passes through the aerosol-generating article inserted in the aerosol-generating device. A representative example of the aerosol-generating article may be a cigarette, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

In the following example embodiments, the “upstream” or “upstream direction” may mean a direction away from the oral region of a user (a smoker), and the “downstream” or “downstream direction” may mean a direction close to the oral region of a user. The terms upstream and downstream may be used to describe the relative positions of elements including the aerosol-generating article. For example, in an aerosol-generating article 100 illustrated in FIG. 3a, a cavity rod 120 is positioned at the upstream or upstream direction of a filter rod 140, and the filter rod 140 is positioned at the downstream or downstream direction of the cavity rod 120.

In the following example embodiments, the “puff” means inhalation of a user, and inhalation means a situation in which smoke is pulled into an oral cavity, nasal cavity, or lungs of a user through a mouth or nose of a user.

Hereinafter, various example embodiments according to the accompanying drawings will be described.

FIGS. 1a and 1b are diagrams schematically illustrating a structure of an aerosol-generating article 100 according to some example embodiments.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1a and 1b, the aerosol-generating article 100 may include the cavity rod 120 and the filter rod 140. The aerosol-generating article 100 may further include a wrapper wrapping the cavity rod 120 and the filter rod 140. Although only relevant components are illustrated in the example of FIGS. 1a and 1b, it may be apparent to those skilled in the art that other general-purpose components may be further included in addition to the components illustrated in FIGS. 1a and 1b. Hereinafter, each component of the aerosol-generating article 100 will be described.

The cavity rod 120 is a rod including a cavity or cavity segment 126 and may supply tobacco components such as nicotine or other components that provide a taste of smoking as they are heated. As illustrated, the cavity rod 120 may include a first filter segment 122, a second filter segment 124, and the cavity segment 126 may be disposed between the first filter segment 122 and the second filter segment 124.

The first filter segment 122 may be disposed at the upstream end of the aerosol-generating article 100. The first filter segment 122 may perform a function of preventing a medium pulp P1 from falling off and may allow the cavity segment 126 to be disposed at the appropriate position in an aerosol-generating device 200 when the aerosol-generating article 100 is inserted into the aerosol-generating device 200. In addition, the first filter segment 122 may prevent aerosol liquefied during smoking from flowing into the aerosol-generating device 200. In addition, the first filter segment 122 may include a paper filter, and it may be desirable that the paper material is arranged in a longitudinal direction in order to secure a smooth airflow path, but embodiments are not limited thereto.

The second filter segment 124 may be disposed downstream of the first filter segment 122 and, particularly, may be disposed downstream of the cavity segment 126. The second filter segment 124 may further perform filtration and cooling functions for aerosol in addition to a function of forming a cavity with the first filter segment 122. In addition, the second filter segment 124 may include a paper filter, and it may be desirable that the paper material is arranged in a longitudinal direction in order to secure a smooth airflow path, but embodiments are not limited thereto.

The cavity segment 126 is a segment having a cavity and may be positioned between the first filter segment 122 and the second filter segment 124.

In addition, the cavity segment 126 may be filled with a medium and a flavoring agent. The medium may be in the form of a medium pulp P1, reconstituted tobacco, general cut tobacco leaves, and the like. Desirably, the medium may be in the form of the medium pulp P1 (i.e., medium pulp particles). The medium pulp P1 may be a tobacco pulp or nicotine pulp, but is not limited thereto. The flavoring agent may be in the form of a flavoring agent pulp P2 (i.e., flavoring agent pulp particles), a liquid flavoring material, and the like. Desirably the flavoring agent may be in the form of the flavoring pulp P2. In this case, for example, the flavoring agent may include at least one or more of menthol, cis-3-hexenyl, linalool, hexanal, eucalyptol, methyl salicylate, guaiacol, orange oil, lemon oil, star anise oil, peppermint oil, spearmint oil, lime oil, and ginger oil.

Hereinafter, the relationship between the medium pulp P1 and the flavoring agent pulp P2 in the cavity segment 126 will be described.

According to an example embodiment, up to about 70% of the total volume of the cavity segment 126 may be filled with the medium pulp P1 and the flavoring agent pulp P2, and a proportion of the medium pulp P1 in the cavity segment 126 may be at least 50% or more, desirably 60% or more, and more desirably 70% or more of the total amount of pulp included in the cavity segment 126. When the medium pulp P1 meets the above filling ratio, a sufficient medium may be transferred to a user when the user uses the aerosol-generating article 100, and degradation of a taste of smoking due to the excessive amount of the flavoring agent pulp P2 may be prevented.

The size or density of the medium pulp P1 and the flavoring agent pulp P2 according to an example embodiment may be different from each other by up to 20%, but it is preferable that the medium pulp P1 and the flavoring agent pulp P2 have the same size and/or the same density. When the size or density of the medium pulp P1 and the flavoring agent pulp P2 satisfies the above difference range, the medium pulp P1 and the flavoring agent pulp P2 may be uniformly mixed and filled in the cavity segment 126. In addition, as will be described later with reference to FIG. 5, when a user puffs on the aerosol-generating system 10, a vortex is easily formed in the cavity segment 126, so that the medium pulp P1 and the flavoring agent pulp P2 may be uniformly heated.

Hereinafter, the characteristics of the medium pulp P1 and the flavoring agent pulp P2 will be described in detail.

The medium pulp P1 according to an example embodiment may include a pH adjuster. The pH adjuster may desirably be a basic salt, and may be, for example, potassium carbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate, calcium oxide, and the like, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the pH adjuster, which generates the least negative scent during puffing, may be selected and used. When the pH adjuster is included in the medium pulp P1, the pH of the medium pulp P1 increases, and accordingly, even when the medium is heated with a relatively low temperature, nicotine may be sufficiently transferred from the medium pulp P1. Accordingly, as a result, nicotine may be transferred by a small amount of heat delivered to the medium pulp P1 while hot aerosol generated by heating a cartridge 222 by a heater 224 of the aerosol-generating device 200 flows along the airflow path to the aerosol-generating article 100, without directly heating the cavity segment 126. The pH adjuster may be included in the pulp itself by being mixed together during a manufacturing process of the medium pulp P1 or may be disposed separately from the medium pulp P1.

The medium pulp P1, according to an example embodiment, may be manufactured by a compression granulation process. The compression granulation process corresponds to a wet process, and has a relatively higher nicotine transition rate of the generated medium pulp P1 compared to the fluidized bed granulation process. Accordingly, when the temperature at which the medium pulp P1 is heated is relatively low, it may be more advantageous in terms of the nicotine transition to include the medium pulp P1 manufactured by the compression granulation process than the medium pulp P1 manufactured by the fluidized bed granulation process.

The flavoring agent pulp P2 may or may not include a pH adjuster. Since the flavoring agent pulp P2 has a lower vaporization temperature than the medium pulp P1, the flavor may be sufficiently generated even when the flavoring agent pulp P2 is heated at a low temperature even without the pH adjuster. When the flavoring agent pulp P2 is heated at a temperature excessively higher than the vaporization temperature of the flavoring agent pulp P2, most of the flavoring materials may be transferred at the beginning of smoking, making it difficult to last the scent by the flavoring agent pulp P2. As will be described later with reference to FIGS. 4a and 4b, the aerosol-generating article 100 according to an example embodiment is not directly heated by a heater, and aerosol generated by heating in the atomizer 220 of the aerosol-generating device 200 passes through the aerosol-generating article 100 in the direction of the arrow to transition a medium and flavoring agent material. Accordingly, since the flavoring agent pulp P2 is indirectly heated by the heated aerosol, the temperature at which the flavoring agent pulp P2 is heated is lower than in a method where the aerosol-generating article 100 is directly heated or burned, the flavoring agent material may be continuously transferred.

The flavoring agent pulp P2 according to an example embodiment may be manufactured by a fluidized bed granulation process. The flavoring agent pulp P2 may be manufactured by a method of coating a flavoring material on the medium pulp P1 or by a method of layering the flavoring material on a seed material. The fluidized bed granulation process is a process in which a powder material is mixed with hot air heated in a sealed container 500, the powder flows in the container, and a pulp is formed through mixing, granulation and drying processes. The fluidized bed granulation process may include a top-spraying method, a bottom-spraying method, a rotor-spraying method, and the like. The fluidized bed granulation process is divided into the top-spraying method, the bottom-spraying method, and the rotor-spraying method depending on the relationship between a direction in which a liquid binder 510 serving as an adhesive for powder 530 to stick together is sprayed and a direction in which a fluidized air 520 flows. As shown in FIG. 2a, in the top-spraying method, a direction in which the liquid binder 510 is sprayed is generally opposite to a direction in which the fluidized air 520 flows. As shown in FIG. 2b, in the bottom-spraying method, a direction in which the liquid binder 510 is sprayed is generally the same as a direction in which the fluidized air 520 flows. As shown in FIG. 2c, in the rotor-spraying method, a direction in which the liquid binder 510 is sprayed is generally perpendicular to a direction in which the fluidized air 520 flows.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the filter rod 140 will be described in detail. The filter rod 140 may be positioned downstream of the cavity rod 120 and perform a filtering function for aerosol. For this, the filter rod 140 may include filter materials such as a paper, cellulose acetate fiber, and the like. The filter rod 140 may further include a wrapper wrapping the filter material.

The filter rod 140 may include a cooling segment 142 and a mouthpiece segment 144. The cooling segment 142 may perform a cooling function for aerosol, and the mouthpiece segment 144 may perform a filtering function for aerosol.

In addition, the mouthpiece segment 144 may include a flavoring agent material. For example, a flavoring liquid may be sprayed onto the mouthpiece segment 144, or fibers to which the flavoring liquid is applied may be inserted into the mouthpiece segment 144, and, referring to FIG. 1b, the mouthpiece segment 144 may include flavoring agent capsule C. In addition, the mouthpiece segment 144 may include a TJNS filter. The TJNS filter is a filter on which the flavoring agent material is flavored. For example, flavoring agent materials that are flavored may include at least one or more of menthol, cis-3-hexenyl, linalool, hexanal, eucalyptol, methyl salicylate, guaiacol, orange oil, lemon oil, star anise oil, peppermint oil, spearmint oil, lime oil, and ginger oil.

In some cases, the filter rod 140 may further include at least one segment that performs other functions.

The aerosol-generating article 100 may be a disposable cigarette that is received in the aerosol-generating device 200 and discarded after being used once or may be a multiple-use cigarette that is used several times even after being used once.

FIGS. 3a and 3b are diagrams schematically illustrating an aerosol-generating device according to some example embodiments. FIG. 3a illustrates the cartridge 222 and the heater 224 disposed in a line, and FIG. 3b illustrates the cartridge 222 and the heater 224 disposed in parallel.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3a and 3b, the aerosol-generating device 200 according to the present example embodiment may include a housing, a receiver 210, an atomizer 220, and a power supply 230. The atomizer 220 may include the cartridge 222 and the heater 224, and the atomizer 220 may generate aerosol. Although only relevant components are illustrated in the example of FIGS. 3a and 3b, it may be apparent to those skilled in the art that other general-purpose components may be further included in addition to the components illustrated in FIGS. 3a and 3b. For example, the aerosol-generating device 200 may further include an input module for receiving a command from a user, and an output module for outputting information such as a state of the device, smoking information, and the like. Hereinafter, each component of the aerosol-generating device 200 will be described.

The housing may form an exterior of the aerosol-generating device 200. In addition, the housing may form the receiver 210 for receiving the aerosol-generating article 100. It may be desirable that the housing is implemented with a material that may protect internal components.

Next, the receiver 210 may be a space for receiving the aerosol-generating article 100.

When the aerosol-generating article 100 is received in the receiver 210, the receiver 210 may include a coupling structure in order to firmly hold the aerosol-generating article 100 without falling out. The coupling structure may be implemented by, for example, a coupling structure using interference fit. Also, the coupling structure may be implemented using a magnetic material, a coupling structure using an electromagnetic material, and the like. In addition, the aerosol-generating article 100 received in the receiver 210 may be in the form of a stick or cigarette that is replaced after being used once as will be described later.

Next, the atomizer 220 may further include a liquid storage tank, a liquid transfer means, and a heater. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the atomizer 220 may further include other components. In addition, the cartridge 222 may be manufactured to be detachable from the heater 224 or may be manufactured integrally with the heater 224. The liquid storage tank may store liquid composition materials. The liquid composition materials may be a liquid including tobacco-containing materials or nicotine-containing materials, or non-tobacco materials. For example, the liquid composition materials may include water, solvent, ethanol, plant extract (e.g., tobacco extract), a flavoring agent, an aerosol-forming agent, or a vitamin mixture. The flavoring agent may include ingredients that may provide various flavors to a user. For example, the flavoring agent may be cis-3-hexenol, linalool, hexanal, eucalyptol, methyl salicylate, guaiacol, orange oil, lemon oil, star anise oil, peppermint oil, spearmint oil, lime oil, ginger oil, or a mixture of two or more thereof, but is not limited thereto. The liquid composition material may further include a moisturizer. The moisturizer may be glycerin (VG), polypropylene glycol (PG), sorbitol, or a mixture thereof, but is not limited thereto.

The liquid transfer means may transfer the liquid composition material stored in the liquid storage tank to the heater 224. For example, the liquid transfer means may be a wick element such as cotton fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, and porous ceramic, but is not limited thereto.

Next, the heater 224 may form aerosol by heating the liquid composition material stored in the cartridge 222. For example, the heater 224 may form aerosol by heating the liquid composition material transferred by the liquid transfer means. The formed aerosol may pass through the aerosol-generating article and be delivered to a user. That is, the aerosol formed by heating of the heater 224 may move along the airflow path of the aerosol-generating article, and the airflow path may be configured such that aerosol formed by the liquid composition material stored in the cartridge may pass through the aerosol-generating article and be delivered to a user. For example, the heater 224 may be made of a coil, ceramic, a metal mesh, a conductive filament, and the like, but is not limited thereto. Also, the heating temperature of the heater 224 may be 300° C. or less, desirably 270° C. or less, and more desirably 200° C. or less. As will be described later, when a medium pulp P1 includes a pH adjuster, the minimum temperature at which nicotine may be transferred is lowered, and thus the heating temperature of the heater 224 may be lowered, and accordingly, an aerosol-generating system having better electrical efficiency may be configured.

For reference, in the art, the cartridge 222 and the heater 224 may be collectively referred to as terms such as a cartomizer, an atomizer, a vaporizer, and the like.

Next, the power supply 230 may supply power used to operate the aerosol-generating device 200. For example, the power supply 230 may supply power so that the heater 224 may heat the aerosol-generating article. In addition, the power supply 230 may supply power required for operating electrical components such as a display (not shown), a sensor (not shown), and a motor (not shown) installed in the aerosol-generating device 200.

FIGS. 4a and 4b illustrate the aerosol-generating system 10 according to some example embodiments and illustrate an example of a state in which the aerosol-generating article 100 is received in the aerosol-generating device 200. FIG. 4a illustrates an aerosol-generating system 10 in which the cartridge 222 and the heater 224 are disposed in line, and FIG. 4b illustrates an aerosol-generating system 10 in which the cartridge 222 and the heater 224 are disposed in parallel.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4a and 4b, the aerosol-generating system 10, according to the present disclosure, may generate aerosol by heating the liquid composition material in the cartridge 222 by the heater 224 of the aerosol-generating device 200. As the generated aerosol passes through the aerosol-generating article 100, the medium pulp P1 and the flavoring agent pulp P2 are indirectly heated by the aerosol, thereby generating nicotine and flavoring materials. As described above, the minimum transferable temperature of nicotine is lowered by the pH adjuster included in the medium pulp P1, and thus nicotine may be transferred even when the medium pulp P1 is heated at a relatively low temperature compared to the case where nicotine is transferred by burning tobacco leaves. In addition, as described above, since the expression temperature of the flavoring agent pulp P2 is relatively lower than that of the medium pulp P1, the flavoring material included in the flavoring agent pulp P2 may also be transferred normally by the heated aerosol.

The aerosol-generating system 10 according to an example embodiment may indirectly heat the cavity segment 126 of the aerosol-generating article 100 including the medium pulp P1 and the flavoring agent pulp P2 as described above, and the aerosol-generating system 10 may heat the cavity segment 126 filled with pulp particles to a lower temperature than in the case of the aerosol-generating system (hereinafter, “directly heated electronic cigarettes”) directly heating a medium through a heater or the like. That is, if the medium pulp P1 and the flavoring agent pulp P2 of the cavity segment 126 are indirectly heated through aerosol generated in the atomizer heated to temperatures 300° C. or less (desirably 270° C. or less, more desirably 200° C. or less), depletion of the flavoring agent pulp P2 at the early stage of smoking, which is often caused because the flavoring agent pulp P2 is vaporized at a lower temperature than the medium pulp P1, may be prevented. As a result, the flavoring agent pulp P2 may be continuously generate a flavor from the beginning to the end of smoking. Due to the above-described characteristics of the aerosol-generating system 10, according to an example embodiment, flavoring agent pulps P2 may be additionally filled in the cavity segment 126 compared to directly heated electronic cigarettes, and as a result, the mobility and persistence of flavoring materials may be increased to improve a taste of smoking. The nicotine and flavoring materials generated in this way may be delivered to a user along the airflow path (refer to the arrow direction in FIGS. 4a and 4b) with aerosol.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a vortex is generated in the aerosol-generating article 100 according to an example embodiment. When a certain condition is satisfied, a vortex may be generated in the cavity segment 126 during puffing. As a result, a plurality of medium pulp particles P1 and flavoring agent pulp particles P2 are mixed and uniformly heated due to the generated vortex. As the airflow introduced by the puff meets a plurality of medium pulp particles P1 and flavoring agent pulp particles P2 that are moved in the downstream direction by the puff, an irregular airflow may be formed, thereby generating a vortex. A plurality of medium pulp particles P1 and flavoring agent pulp particles P2 may be mixed well and uniformly heated by the generated vortex. As a result, the burnt taste may be reduced, and a taste of smoking may be improved.

In order for the vortex to occur, there must be sufficient empty space in the cavity segment 126. It was confirmed that, according to the experimental results, when the density of medium pulp P1 is less than or equal to about 1.2 g/cm³, the probability of occurrence of the vortex is relatively high. Also, when the diameter of medium pulp P1 is less than or equal to about 1.2 mm, the probability of occurrence of the vortex is relatively high.

While this disclosure includes specific examples, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made in these examples without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims and their equivalents. The examples described herein are to be considered in a descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation. Descriptions of features or aspects in each example are to be considered as being applicable to similar features or aspects in other examples. Suitable results may be achieved if the described techniques are performed in a different order, and/or if components in a described system, architecture, device, or circuit are combined in a different manner, and/or replaced or supplemented by other components or their equivalents.

Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.

AEROSOL-GENERATING ARTICLE AND AEROSOL-GENERATING DEVICE

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