JP7496428B2 - Aerosol-generating articles including porous tobacco solids and methods for making porous tobacco solids - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an aerosol-generating article that includes a porous tobacco solid and a method for producing the porous tobacco solid.

Recently, there has been an increasing demand for alternative methods to overcome the shortcomings of conventional cigarettes and smoking articles. For example, there is an increasing demand for methods that generate aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating material in a cigarette, rather than by burning a cigarette. As a result, active research is being conducted into smoking articles and devices that operate in a variety of ways.

The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide an aerosol-generating article that includes a porous tobacco solid and a method for producing the porous tobacco solid.

The problems that this disclosure aims to solve are not limited to the technical problems described above, and other technical problems can be inferred from the following examples.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an aerosol-generating article includes a first portion including an aerosol-generating element, a second portion including a tobacco element, a third portion including a cooling element, and a fourth portion including a filter element, the first portion, the second portion, the third portion, and the fourth portion being aligned in sequence with respect to the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article, and the second portion including a porous tobacco solid including the tobacco element.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method for producing a porous tobacco solid includes the steps of preparing a tobacco composition including tobacco powder, a binder, and a humectant, inserting the tobacco composition into a cylindrical frame having at least one gas injection tube located therein, and injecting gas into the tobacco composition inserted into the cylindrical frame by the at least one gas injection tube to produce a porous tobacco solid.

Aerosol-generating articles according to the present disclosure can provide rich nicotine transfer through the porous structure of the tobacco solids.

In addition, the method for producing porous tobacco solids according to the present disclosure can provide a technology for producing tobacco solids with a porous structure that can provide abundant nicotine transfer in a relatively simple manner.

1 is a diagram showing an example of an aerosol-generating article inserted into an internally heated aerosol generating device. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an aerosol-generating article inserted into an externally heated aerosol generating device. 13 is a diagram showing another example in which an aerosol-generating article is inserted into an externally heated aerosol generating device. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an aerosol generating device using an induction heating method. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of an aerosol-generating article according to an exemplary embodiment. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an aerosol-generating article according to another exemplary embodiment. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a second portion of the aerosol-generating article according to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 6. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a second portion of an aerosol-generating article according to another illustrative embodiment. 7 is a diagram showing the aerosol-generating article according to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 6 inserted into an aerosol generating device according to the exemplary embodiment. 7 illustrates a method of manufacturing porous tobacco solids for an aerosol-generating article according to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 6 .

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an aerosol-generating article includes a first portion including an aerosol-generating element, a second portion including a tobacco element, a third portion including a cooling element, and a fourth portion including a filter element, and the first portion, the second portion, the third portion, and the fourth portion are provided sequentially in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article. The second portion includes a porous tobacco solid including the tobacco element. The porous tobacco solid also includes at least one passage penetrating from the upstream of the aerosol-generating article to the downstream of the aerosol-generating article, and a plurality of pores connected to the at least one passage may be formed in the outer peripheral surface of the porous tobacco solid.

The average diameter of the at least one passage is also between 1 mm and 4 mm.

The average diameter of the pores is also 0.1 mm to 1 mm.

The specific surface area of the porous tobacco solids is also from 200 m ² /g to 1000 m ² /g.

The second portion also includes a thermally conductive wrapper provided on the porous tobacco solids.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for producing a porous tobacco solid includes providing a tobacco composition including tobacco powder, a binder, and a humectant, inserting the tobacco composition into a cylindrical frame provided with at least one gas injection tube, and injecting gas from the at least one gas injection tube into the tobacco composition inserted into the cylindrical frame to form a porous tobacco solid.

The tobacco composition also contains 60% to 80% by weight of the tobacco powder, 15% to 30% by weight of the binder, and 5% to 10% by weight of the humectant.

In addition, the at least one gas injection tube has a plurality of holes for injecting gas onto the outer peripheral surface of the porous tobacco solid.

The method for producing a porous tobacco solid may further include a step of drying the exterior of the tobacco composition inserted into the cylindrical frame after the step of inserting the tobacco composition into the cylindrical frame and before the step of injecting the gas.

The temperature of the gas injected from the gas injection pipe is also between 80°C and 120°C.

The pressure of the gas injected from the gas injection tube is also 0.5 mmbar to 3 mmbar.

The gas injected from the at least one gas injection tube may further include a flavor component.

The terms used in the various exemplary embodiments are currently common terms that are widely used as much as possible while taking into consideration the functions in this disclosure, but they may differ depending on the intentions or precedents of engineers in this field, the emergence of new technologies, etc. In addition, in certain cases, the applicant may arbitrarily select terms, and in such cases, the meanings of the terms will be described in detail in the description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in this disclosure must be defined based on the meanings that the terms have and the overall content of this disclosure, not simply the names of the terms.

Throughout the specification, when a part "includes" a certain component, this does not mean to exclude other components, but means that it may further include other components, unless specifically stated to the contrary. Furthermore, terms such as "... unit" and "... module" used in the specification refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and may be realized by hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

In addition, terms including ordinal numbers such as "first" or "second" used in this specification are used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms are used only to distinguish one component from another component.

As used herein, when a phrase such as "at least one" precedes an array of elements, it modifies the entire array of elements and not each individual member of the array. For example, the phrase "at least one of a, b, and c" should be interpreted as including a, b, c, or a and b, a and c, b and c, or a, b, and c.

When a component or layer is referred to as being "on," "above," "connected," or "bonded" to another component or layer, it should be interpreted as being directly connected or bonded directly onto the other component or layer, or there may be other intermediate components or layers present. Conversely, when a component is referred to as being "directly on," "directly connected," or "directly bonded" to another component or layer, there are no intermediate components or layers present. Like numbers refer to like components throughout.

Throughout the specification, an aerosol-generating article is also an article used for smoking. For example, an aerosol-generating article may be a general combustion cigarette that is used by being lit and burned, or a heated cigarette that is used by being heated by an aerosol generating device. As another example, an aerosol-generating article may be an article that is used by being heated by a liquid contained in a cartridge.

Throughout the specification, a tobacco element is also an element that contains tobacco material.

Throughout the specification, tobacco material also refers to any form of material that contains components derived from tobacco leaf.

Throughout the specification, a cooling element may also be an element that cools a substance. For example, a cooling element may cool an aerosol generated by a tobacco element.

Throughout the specification, a filter element is also an element that includes a filtering material. For example, the filter element includes a plurality of fiber strands.

Throughout the specification, the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article is also the direction in which the length of the aerosol-generating article extends or the direction in which the aerosol-generating article is inserted into an aerosol generating device.

Throughout the specification, a porous tobacco solid is also a solid material having a structure with numerous pores formed therein and/or on its surface and containing tobacco material.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains can easily implement the exemplary embodiments. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein.

Below, an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 shows an example of an aerosol generating article inserted into an internally heated aerosol generating device.

Referring to FIG. 1, the aerosol generating device 10000 includes a battery 11000, a processor 12000, and a heater 13000. In addition, an aerosol generating article 20000 can be inserted into the internal space of the aerosol generating device 10000.

The aerosol generating device 10000 shown in FIG. 1 illustrates components related to an exemplary embodiment. Therefore, a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field related to the exemplary embodiment would understand that the aerosol generating device 10000 further includes other general-purpose components in addition to the components illustrated in FIG. 1.

1 shows the battery 11000, the processor 12000 and the heater 13000 arranged in a row. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 10000 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 1. For example, the arrangement of the battery 11000, the processor 12000 and the heater 13000 may be changed depending on the design of the aerosol generating device 10000.

When the aerosol-generating item 20000 is inserted into the aerosol-generating device 10000, the aerosol-generating device 10000 heats the heater 13000. The heated heater 13000 increases the temperature of the aerosol-generating material in the aerosol-generating item 20000, generating an aerosol.

The aerosol generated by the heater 13000 passes through the filter 220000 of the aerosol-generating article 20000 and is delivered to the user, as shown in FIG. 5.

Even when the aerosol generating article 20000 is not inserted into the aerosol generating device 10000, the aerosol generating device 10000 can heat the heater 13000 as necessary. For example, the battery 11000 supplies power to heat the heater 13000 and supplies the power required for the operation of the processor 12000. The battery 11000 also supplies the power required for the operation of a display, a sensor, a motor, etc. provided in the aerosol generating device 10000.

The processor 12000 controls the operation of the aerosol generating device 10000. For example, the processor 12000 controls the operation of not only the battery 11000 and the heater 13000, but also other components included in the aerosol generating device 10000. The processor 12000 can also check the status of each component of the aerosol generating device 10000 and determine whether the aerosol generating device 10000 is operable.

The processor 12000 may be implemented as an array of a large number of logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory in which a program that can be executed by the microprocessor is stored. Those skilled in the art to which the embodiment pertains will understand that the processor 12000 may also be implemented as other forms of hardware.

The heater 13000 may be heated by power supplied from the battery 11000. For example, when the aerosol-generating article 20000 is inserted into the aerosol-generating device 10000, the heater 13000 is located outside the aerosol-generating article 2000. Thus, the heated heater 13000 may increase the temperature of the aerosol-generating material within the aerosol-generating article 20000.

The heater 13000 may also be an electrically resistive heater. For example, the heater 13000 may include a conductive track, and the heater 13000 may be heated by passing a current through the conductive track. However, the heater 13000 is not limited to the above examples, and may include any type of heater that can be heated to a desired temperature. Here, the desired temperature may be preset in the aerosol generating device 10000, or may be set to a desired temperature by a user.

For example, the heater 13000 can be elongated (e.g., rod-shaped, needle-shaped, blade-shaped) or cylindrical, and depending on the shape of the heating element, can heat the inside or outside of the aerosol-generating article 20000.

In addition, a plurality of heaters 13000 may be arranged in the aerosol generating device 10000. In this case, the plurality of heaters 13000 may be arranged to be inserted inside the aerosol generating article 20000, or may be arranged outside the aerosol generating article 20000. In addition, some of the plurality of heaters 13000 may be arranged to be inserted inside the aerosol generating article 20000, and the remaining of the plurality of heaters 13000 may be arranged outside the aerosol generating article 20000. In addition, the shape of the heater 13000 is not limited to the shape illustrated in FIG. 1, and various shapes may be produced.

Meanwhile, the aerosol generating device 10000 may further include general-purpose components in addition to the battery 11000, the processor 12000, and the heater 13000. For example, the aerosol generating device 10000 includes a display configured to output visual information and/or a motor for outputting tactile information. The aerosol generating device 10000 also includes at least one sensor, for example, a puff detection sensor, a temperature detection sensor, an aerosol-generating article insertion detection sensor, etc. The aerosol generating device 10000 may also be fabricated with a structure in which external air flows in or internal gas flows out even when the aerosol-generating article 20000 is inserted.

The aerosol generating device 10000 may form a system together with a separate cradle. For example, the cradle may be used to charge the battery 11000 of the aerosol generating device 10000. According to another embodiment, the heater 13000 may be heated when the cradle and the aerosol generating device 10000 are combined.

The aerosol-generating article 20000 may also be similar to a typical cigarette. For example, the aerosol-generating article 20000 may include at least one of a tobacco substance and an aerosol-generating substance. For example, the at least one of the tobacco substance and the aerosol-generating substance may be inserted into a first portion or a second portion of the aerosol-generating article 20000.

As an example, external air may flow in through at least one air passage formed in the aerosol generating device 10000. For example, the opening and/or closing of the air passage formed in the aerosol generating device 10000 and/or the size of the air passage may be adjusted by the user. This allows the amount of atomization, smoking sensation, etc. to be adjusted by the user. As another example, external air may flow into the interior of the aerosol generating article 20000 through at least one hole formed on the surface of the aerosol generating article 20000.

Figure 2 shows an example of an aerosol generating article inserted into an externally heated aerosol generating device.

Referring to FIG. 2, the aerosol generating device 10000 further includes a vaporizer 14000 in addition to the configuration shown in FIG. 1. The aerosol generating article 20000, the battery 11000, the processor 12000, and the heater 13000 in FIG. 2 may correspond to the aerosol generating article 20000, the battery 11000, the processor 12000, and the heater 13000 in FIG. 1. Therefore, repeated explanations will be omitted.

The aerosol generating device 10000 shown in FIG. 2 illustrates components related to an exemplary embodiment. Therefore, a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field related to the exemplary embodiment would understand that the aerosol generating device 10000 further includes other general-purpose components in addition to the components illustrated in FIG. 2.

In addition, although FIG. 2 illustrates the aerosol generating device 10000 as including a heater 13000, the heater 13000 may be omitted if necessary.

In FIG. 2, the battery 11000, the processor 12000, the vaporizer 14000, and the heater 13000 are illustrated as being arranged in a line. However, the arrangement is not limited to this.

When the aerosol-generating article 20000 is inserted into the aerosol-generating device 10000, the aerosol-generating device 10000 may operate the heater 13000 and/or the vaporizer 14000 to generate an aerosol. The aerosol generated by the heater 13000 and/or the vaporizer 14000 passes through the aerosol-generating article 20000 and is delivered to the user.

The battery 11000 provides power so that the vaporizer 14000 is heated. The processor 12000 controls the operation of the vaporizer 14000.

The vaporizer 14000 heats the liquid composition to generate an aerosol, which can be transmitted to a user through the aerosol-generating article 20000. For example, the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 14000 travels along an airflow passage of the aerosol generating device 10000. The airflow passage can be configured such that the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 14000 can be transmitted to a user through the aerosol-generating article.

For example, the vaporizer 14000 may include, but is not limited to, a liquid storage unit, a liquid transfer means, and a heating element. For example, the liquid storage unit, the liquid transfer means, and the heating element may be included in the aerosol generating device 10000 as independent modules.

The liquid storage unit stores a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid containing a tobacco-containing substance including a volatile tobacco aroma component, or a liquid containing a non-tobacco substance. The liquid storage unit may be fabricated to be detachable/attachable to/from the vaporizer 14000, or may be fabricated as an integral part of the vaporizer 14000.

For example, the liquid composition may include water, a solvent, ethanol, a botanical extract, a fragrance, a flavoring agent, or a vitamin mixture. The fragrance may include, but is not limited to, menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, various fruit fragrance components, and the like. The flavoring agent includes components that provide a variety of flavors or tastes to the user. The vitamin mixture may include, but is not limited to, a mixture of at least one of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, and vitamin E. The liquid composition may also include an aerosol forming agent, such as glycerin and propylene glycol.

The liquid transfer means transfers the liquid composition in the liquid storage portion to the heating element. For example, the liquid transfer means can be, but is not limited to, a wick such as cotton fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, or porous ceramic.

The heating element is an element for heating the liquid composition transmitted by the liquid transmission means. For example, the heating element can be, but is not limited to, a metal hot wire, a metal hot plate, a ceramic heater, etc. Also, the heating element is composed of a conductive filament such as a nichrome wire and is wound around the liquid transmission means. The heating element is heated by a current supply and can transmit heat to the liquid composition in contact with the heating element, thereby heating the liquid composition. Heating the liquid composition can result in the generation of an aerosol.

For example, the vaporizer 14000 may also be referred to as a cartomizer or atomizer, but is not limited thereto.

Figure 3 shows another example in which an aerosol generating article is inserted into an externally heated aerosol generating device.

The aerosol-generating article 20000, battery 11000, processor 12000, heater 13000, and vaporizer 14000 in FIG. 3 may correspond to the aerosol-generating article 20000, battery 11000, processor 12000, heater 13000, and vaporizer 14000 in FIG. 2. Therefore, duplicated explanations will be omitted.

Figure 3 illustrates an example in which the vaporizer 14000 and the heater 13000 are arranged in parallel. For example, the vaporizer 14000 and the heater 13000 may be arranged in line as illustrated in Figure 2, or in parallel as illustrated in Figure 3. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 10000 is not limited to that illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. For example, the arrangement of the battery 11000, the processor 12000, the heater 13000, and the vaporizer 14000 may be changed depending on the design of the aerosol generating device 10000.

Figure 4 shows an example of an aerosol generating device using an induction heating method.

Referring to FIG. 4, the aerosol generating device 10000 includes a battery 11000, a processor 12000, a coil C, and a susceptor S. Also, at least a portion of the aerosol generating article 20000 may be housed in the cavity V of the aerosol generating device 10000. The aerosol generating article 20000, the battery 11000, and the processor 12000 in FIG. 4 may correspond to the aerosol generating article 20000, the battery 11000, and the processor 12000 in FIGS. 1 to 3. Also, the coil C and the susceptor S may be included in the heater 13000. Therefore, a duplicated description will be omitted.

The aerosol generating device 10000 shown in FIG. 4 illustrates components related to an exemplary embodiment. Therefore, a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field related to the exemplary embodiment would understand that the aerosol generating device 10000 further includes other general-purpose components in addition to the components illustrated in FIG. 4.

The coil C may be provided around the cavity V. Although FIG. 4 illustrates the coil C being positioned to surround the cavity V, the embodiment is not so limited.

When the aerosol-generating article 20000 is placed in the cavity V of the aerosol generating device 10000, the aerosol generating device 10000 supplies power to the coil C so that the coil C generates a magnetic field. The magnetic field generated by the coil C penetrates the susceptor S, thereby heating the susceptor S.

This induction heating phenomenon is a well-known phenomenon that can be explained by Faraday's Law of Induction. Specifically, when the magnetic induction in the susceptor S changes, an electric field is generated in the susceptor S, causing eddy currents to flow in the susceptor S. The eddy currents generate heat in the susceptor S that is proportional to the current density and conductor resistance.

The susceptor S is heated by the eddy current, and the aerosol-generating material in the aerosol-generating article 20000 is heated by the heated susceptor S, thereby generating an aerosol. The aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating material passes through the aerosol-generating article 20000 and is transmitted to the user.

The battery 11000 provides power to the coil C to generate a magnetic field. The processor 12000 may be electrically connected to the coil C.

The coil C is also a conductive coil that generates a magnetic field using power supplied from the battery 11000. The coil C can be positioned to surround at least a portion of the cavity V. The magnetic field generated by the coil C can be applied to a susceptor S that is positioned at the inner end of the cavity V.

The susceptor S can be heated by passing through it with the magnetic field generated by the coil C. The susceptor S includes metal or carbon. For example, the susceptor S includes at least one of ferrite, ferromagnetic alloy, stainless steel, and aluminum (Al).

The susceptor S may include at least one of graphite, molybdenum, silicon carbide, niobium, nickel alloy, metal film, ceramic such as zirconia, transition metal such as nickel (Ni) or cobalt (Co), and semi-metal such as boron (B) or phosphorus (P). However, the susceptor S is not limited to the above examples, and may be any material that can be heated to a desired temperature by application of a magnetic field. Here, the desired temperature may be preset in the aerosol generating device 10000, or may be set to a desired temperature by the user.

When the aerosol-generating article 20000 is housed in the cavity V of the aerosol-generating device 10000, the susceptor S may be positioned to surround at least a portion of the aerosol-generating article 20000. Thus, the heated susceptor S may increase the temperature of the aerosol-generating material within the aerosol-generating article 20000.

Although FIG. 4 illustrates the susceptor S disposed to surround at least a portion of the aerosol-generating article 20000, examples are not limited thereto. For example, the susceptor S may include a tubular heating element, a plate-shaped heating element, a needle-shaped heating element, or a rod-shaped heating element, and depending on the shape of the heating element, the interior or exterior of the aerosol-generating article 20000 may be heated.

In addition, a plurality of susceptors S may be arranged in the aerosol generating device 10000. In this case, the plurality of susceptors S may be arranged both outside and inside the aerosol generating article 20000. In addition, some of the plurality of susceptors S may be arranged so as to be inserted inside the aerosol generating article 20000, and the rest may be arranged outside the aerosol generating article 20000. In addition, the shape of the susceptor S is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 4, and may have various shapes.

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of an aerosol-generating article 20000 according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 5, the aerosol-generating article 20000 includes a first portion 21000, a second portion 22000, a third portion 23000, and a fourth portion 24000. For example, the first portion 21000, the second portion 22000, the third portion 23000, and the fourth portion 24000 each include an aerosol-generating element, a tobacco element, a cooling element, and a filter element. As an example, the first portion 21000 includes an aerosol-generating material, the second portion 22000 includes a tobacco material and a humectant, the third portion 23000 cools the airflow passing through the first portion 21000 and the second portion 22000, and the fourth portion 24000 includes a filter material.

Referring to FIG. 5, the first part 21000, the second part 22000, the third part 23000, and the fourth part 24000 may be aligned sequentially in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article 20000. Here, the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article 20000 is also the direction in which the length of the aerosol-generating article 20000 extends. For example, the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article 20000 is a direction from the first part 21000 to the fourth part 24000. As a result, aerosol generated in at least one of the first part 21000 and the second part 22000 passes sequentially through the first part 21000, the second part 22000, the third part 23000, and the fourth part 24000 to form an airflow, and thus a user can inhale the aerosol from the fourth part 24000.

The first portion 21000 includes an aerosol generating element. It may also include other additives such as flavoring agents, humectants, and/or organic acids, and may include a flavoring liquid such as menthol or a moisturizer. Here, the aerosol generating element may include, for example, at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. However, the embodiments are not limited to the above examples, and the present disclosure includes any of various types of aerosol generating elements that are widely known in the art.

The first portion 21000 includes a rolled sheet, and the aerosol generating element may be included in the first portion 21000 in a state in which it is impregnated in the rolled sheet. In addition, other additives and flavoring liquids, such as flavoring agents, humectants, and/or organic acids, may be included in the first portion 21000 in a state in which they are absorbed in the rolled sheet.

The crimped sheet may also be a sheet made of a polymeric material. For example, the polymeric material may include at least one of paper, cellulose acetate, lyocell, and polylactic acid. For example, the crimped sheet may also be a paper sheet that does not emit an unpleasant odor due to heat even when heated to a high temperature. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto.

The first portion 21000 extends from about 7 mm to about 20 mm from the end of the aerosol-generating article 20000. The second portion 22000 extends from about 7 mm to about 20 mm from the end of the first portion 21000. However, the embodiment is not necessarily limited to such a numerical range, and the extension length of each of the first portion 21000 and the second portion 22000 can be appropriately adjusted within a range that can be easily changed by a person of ordinary skill in the art.

The second portion 22000 includes a tobacco element. The tobacco element may be a tobacco material in a particular form. For example, the tobacco element may be in the form of tobacco shreds, tobacco particles, tobacco sheets, tobacco beads, tobacco granules, tobacco powder, or tobacco extract. The tobacco material may also include one or more of tobacco leaves, tobacco veins, expanded tobacco, cut tobacco, flat tobacco, and reconstituted tobacco.

The third part 23000 may cool the airflow passing through the first part 21000 and the second part 22000. The third part 23000 is made of a polymeric material or a biodegradable polymeric material and has a cooling function. For example, the third part 23000 may be made of polylactic acid (PLA) fiber, but is not limited thereto. According to another embodiment, the third part 23000 may be made of a cellulose acetate filter having a plurality of holes formed therein. However, the third part 23000 is not limited to the above examples, and any material that performs the function of cooling the aerosol may be applicable thereto without limitation. For example, the third part 23000 may be a tube filter or a paper tube filter including a hollow.

The fourth portion 24000 includes a filter material. For example, the fourth portion 24000 may be a cellulose acetate filter. However, the shape of the fourth portion 24000 is not limited. For example, the fourth portion 24000 may be a cylindrical rod or a tubular rod having a hollow interior. The fourth portion 24000 may also be a recessed rod. If the fourth portion 24000 is composed of multiple segments, at least one of the multiple segments may be made to have a different shape.

The fourth part 24000 generates a flavor. As an example, a flavoring liquid may be sprayed onto the fourth part 24000, and separate fibers coated with the flavoring liquid may be inserted into the fourth part 24000.

The aerosol-generating article 20000 includes a wrapper 25000 that encases at least a portion of the first portion 21000 to the fourth portion 24000. The aerosol-generating article 20000 also includes a wrapper 25000 that encases all of the first portion 21000 to the fourth portion 24000. The wrapper 25000 is located at the outermost portion of the aerosol-generating article 20000, and the wrapper 25000 may be a single wrapper or a combination of multiple wrappers.

As an example, the first portion 21000 of the aerosol-generating article 20000 may include a crinkled, wrinkled sheet containing the aerosol-generating material, the second portion 22000 may include flat cut tobacco as the tobacco material and glycerin as a humectant, the third portion 23000 may include a paper tube, and the fourth portion 24000 may include cellulose acetate (CA) fibers, although the embodiment is not necessarily limited thereto.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of an aerosol-generating article 100 according to an exemplary embodiment.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the aerosol-generating article 100 includes a first portion 110 including an aerosol-generating element, a second portion 120 including a tobacco element, a third portion 130 including a cooling element, and a fourth portion 140 including a filter element.

The first part 110, the second part 120, the third part 130, and the fourth part 140 described above with reference to FIG. 5 can be similarly applied to the first part 110, the second part 120, the third part 130, and the fourth part 140.

The first portion 110, the second portion 120, the third portion 130, and the fourth portion 140 may be aligned sequentially in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article 100.

In an embodiment, the first portion 110 includes an aerosol generating element. The aerosol generating element may include, for example, at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. However, the embodiments are not limited to the above examples, and the present disclosure includes any of various types of aerosol generating elements that are widely known in the art. Also, the aerosol generating element may include other additives such as flavorants, humectants, and/or organic acids, including flavoring liquids such as menthol or moisturizers.

The first portion 110 includes a rolled sheet, and the aerosol generating element may be included in the first portion 110 in a state in which it is impregnated in the rolled sheet. In addition, other additives and flavoring liquids, such as flavoring agents, humectants, and/or organic acids, may be included in the first portion 110 in a state in which they are absorbed in the rolled sheet.

In an embodiment, the third part 130 includes a cooling element. The third part 130 can cool the airflow formed by the generated aerosol. The third part 130 is made of a polymeric material or a biodegradable polymeric material and has a cooling function. For example, the third part 130 can be made of polylactic acid (PLA) fiber, but is not limited thereto. According to another embodiment, the third part 130 can be made of a cellulose acetate filter having a plurality of holes formed therein. However, the third part 130 is not limited to the above examples, and any material that performs the function of cooling the aerosol can be used without limitation. For example, the third part 130 can be a tube filter including a hollow or a paper tube filter.

In an embodiment, the fourth portion 140 includes a filter element. The filter element performs the function of filtering the aerosol and also functions as a mouthpiece. The filter element may include a filter segment and a hollow core.

The second portion 120 of the aerosol-generating article 100 is described in further detail below.

In an embodiment, the second portion 120 includes a porous tobacco solid that includes tobacco elements.

As described below, the aerosol-generating article 100 according to the exemplary embodiment includes a porous tobacco solid in the second portion 120, which allows uniform heating throughout the second portion 120. For example, when the second portion is heated by an externally heated aerosol generating device, heat is provided relatively smoothly not only to the outside of the second portion adjacent to the heater, but also to the inside of the second portion, allowing uniform heating. By uniformly heating the entire second portion, the amount of nicotine remaining in the tobacco element after smoking is terminated is reduced, providing the user with a high level of nicotine transfer rate. In addition, the porous structure reduces the removal rate of the aerosol generated in the first portion, providing the user with a rich amount of atomization.

In an embodiment, the second portion 120 includes one porous tobacco solid, which has a cylindrical shape. When the second portion 120 includes one porous tobacco solid, it is possible to heat the second portion 120 to a more uniform temperature than when the second portion 120 includes multiple porous tobacco solids.

Figure 7A is a cross-sectional view 200 of the second portion 120 of the aerosol-generating article according to the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 6.

The porous tobacco solid includes at least one passage 201 that penetrates from the upstream to the downstream of the aerosol-generating article (i.e., extending in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article), and a plurality of pores 202 that are connected to the at least one passage may be formed in the outer peripheral surface of the porous tobacco solid.

At least one passage 201 that runs from upstream to downstream can act as a passage for the transfer of the provided heat and can smoothly transfer the nicotine in the second portion and the aerosol generated in the first portion.

In addition, at least one passage 201 penetrating from upstream to downstream can be connected to a plurality of pores 202 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the porous tobacco solid. The plurality of pores 202 can allow the heat provided by the aerosol generating device to smoothly enter and exit the porous tobacco solid, and can act as a transfer passage for the nicotine generated inside the porous tobacco solid by uniformly heating the entire porous tobacco solid. Thus, the amount of nicotine transferred from the aerosol of the aerosol generating article can be adjusted by adjusting the size and number of the plurality of pores 202.

The at least one passage 201 that runs from upstream to downstream has an average diameter of 1 mm to 4 mm, taking into consideration smooth heat transfer and transfer of aerosol and nicotine, based on an aerosol-generating article having a diameter of 4.5 mm to 8 mm. For example, the at least one passage 201 has an average diameter of 1.2 mm to 3 mm, or 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm.

Furthermore, the plurality of pores 202 have an average diameter of 0.1 mm to 1 mm, taking into consideration heat transfer and nicotine migration, based on an aerosol-generating article having a diameter of 4.5 mm to 8 mm. For example, the plurality of pores 202 have an average diameter of 0.2 mm to 0.9 mm, or 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm. However, the embodiments are not necessarily limited to those described above. For example, the porous structure includes passages 201 and pores 202 of various sizes and shapes.

For example, based on an aerosol-generating article having a diameter of 4.5 mm to 8 mm, at least one passage 201 penetrating from upstream to downstream has an average diameter of 1.2 mm to 3 mm, and the plurality of pores 202 have an average diameter of 0.2 mm to 0.9 mm. In this case, the inflow and outflow of heat provided by the external heating type aerosol generating device can be smoothed, and the nicotine transfer rate can be improved. For example, in the case of an aerosol-generating article including tobacco solids without a porous structure, the nicotine remaining amount after the user has finished smoking is about 40% to 70%, while in the case of an aerosol-generating article including a porous tobacco solid according to an exemplary embodiment, the nicotine remaining amount is 10% or less. In addition, the porous structure allows the resistance to be appropriately adjusted, and excessive temperature rise of the aerosol-generating article during smoking can be prevented.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the porous tobacco solid includes at least three passages 201 penetrating from upstream to downstream, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, the number of passages 201 is appropriately adjusted taking into consideration factors such as the size of the aerosol-generating article, the diameter of the at least one passage penetrating from upstream to downstream, the nicotine transfer rate, the drawing resistance of the porous tobacco solid, and the aerosol removal performance. For example, the porous tobacco solid includes 1 to 5 passages penetrating from upstream to downstream.

Figure 7B is a cross-sectional view of a second portion 300 of an aerosol-generating article according to another illustrative embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 7B, the porous tobacco solid includes one passage 301 penetrating from upstream to downstream. The number of pores 302 is proportional to the number of passages 301 penetrating from upstream to downstream, but since the number of passages penetrating from upstream to downstream is reduced compared to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 7A, the number of pores 302 formed on the outer peripheral surface is also reduced.

The specific surface area of the porous tobacco solid can also be adjusted by adjusting the number of the plurality of pores 302. The porous tobacco solid has a specific surface area of 200 m ² /g to 1000 m ² /g. For example, the specific surface area of the porous tobacco solid can be 300 m ² /g to 800 m ² /g. By adjusting the specific surface area of the porous tobacco solid, the nicotine transfer rate and the heat sensation of the aerosol-generating article can be adjusted.

In an embodiment, the second portion includes a thermally conductive wrapper disposed to encase the porous tobacco solid. The thermally conductive wrapper 117 may be formed of aluminum (Al), gold (Au), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), conductive carbon (C), graphite, mild steel, stainless steel, copper (Cu), or bronze. The thermally conductive wrapper has a thickness of several μm to several hundred μm, but is not necessarily limited thereto. The thermally conductive wrapper can uniformly transfer the transferred heat to the porous tobacco solid extending in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article.

By changing the material and thickness of the thermally conductive wrapper, the thermal conductivity of the thermally conductive wrapper can be adjusted, and as a result, the composition of the aerosol provided to the user can be adjusted.

Figure 8 illustrates an aerosol generating article 400 according to the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 6 inserted into an aerosol generating device 10 according to the exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 8, the aerosol generating device 10 provides an aerosol generating system including an aerosol generating device 10 that includes a storage space 12 for storing an aerosol generating article 400, a heating element 11 for heating the aerosol generating article 400, and a battery for supplying power to the heating element 11.

The aerosol-generating article 400 may be any of the exemplary embodiments of the aerosol-generating article described above.

In the embodiment, the heating element 11 has a cylindrical shape arranged to surround the accommodation space 12. However, the heating element 11 is not limited thereto, and the heating element 11 is arranged inside the accommodation space 12 and has a needle shape.

In an embodiment, when the aerosol-generating article is inserted into the storage space, the aerosol-generating article 400 is also arranged such that a portion of the first portion and a portion of the second portion are covered by the heating element in the longitudinal direction.

When the heating element 11 is activated, the aerosol-generating element contained in the first portion 410 and the tobacco element contained in the second portion 420 may be heated. The generated aerosol passes through the third portion 430 and the fourth portion 440 toward the outside of the aerosol-generating article 400.

Referring to FIG. 8, as described above, even when the aerosol-generating article 400 is heated by the external heating element 11, the porous structure of the second portion 420 allows heat to be more evenly distributed to the center, providing the user with an improved nicotine transfer rate.

According to an embodiment, a method for producing a porous tobacco solid includes the steps of preparing a tobacco composition including tobacco powder, a binder, and a humectant, inserting the tobacco composition into a cylindrical frame having at least one gas injection tube located therein, and injecting gas from the at least one gas injection tube into the tobacco composition inserted into the cylindrical frame to form a porous tobacco solid.

Here, the porous tobacco solids are also included in the second portion of the aerosol-generating article of Figures 6 to 7B.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing a method for manufacturing a porous tobacco solid for an aerosol-generating article according to the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 6. The method for manufacturing the porous tobacco solid will be described below with reference to Figure 9.

The tobacco composition 20 is also a composition in which tobacco powder, a binder, and a humectant are mixed. The tobacco powder is also a ground product of at least one of the tobacco substances described above. The binder is, for example, guar gum, xanthan gum, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC), or hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC). The humectant includes, for example, at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol.

In an embodiment, the tobacco composition 20 includes 60% to 80% by weight of tobacco powder, 15% to 30% by weight of binder, and 5% to 10% by weight of humectant. The composition of the tobacco composition 20 affects the porous structure formed by gas injection from the gas injection tube 21, in particular the formation of pores formed on the outer periphery of the porous tobacco solid. If the composition ranges of the tobacco powder, binder, and humectant are not met, pores of the desired size may not be uniformly distributed on the surface of the tobacco solid during the gas injection process, and pores of irregular sizes may be formed.

In an exemplary embodiment, the completed porous tobacco solid may have at least one passage formed that penetrates from upstream to downstream at the position where the gas injection tube 21 is inserted.

In an exemplary embodiment, at least one gas injection tube 21 may have a plurality of holes 22 formed therein for injecting gas onto its outer circumferential surface. A plurality of pores may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of the porous tobacco solid, which are connected to at least one passage by the gas injected from the plurality of holes 22 of the gas injection tube 21.

In an exemplary embodiment, the method for producing a porous tobacco solid may further include a step of drying the outside of the tobacco composition 20 inserted into the cylindrical frame between the step of inserting the tobacco composition into the cylindrical frame and the step of producing a porous tobacco solid. The external hardness of the tobacco composition 20 before the gas is injected may affect the formation of a porous structure. The gas injected from the multiple holes 22 of the gas injection tube 21 escapes to the outside of the tobacco composition 20 and forms pores. If the external hardness of the tobacco composition 20 from which the gas escapes is below a certain level, the injected gas cannot form pores and remains inside and is compressed. As a result, the tobacco composition 20 may explode. Therefore, the method may further include a step of drying the outside of the tobacco composition 20 to improve the external hardness before injecting the gas through the gas injection tube 21.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical frame has gas exhaust holes having a larger diameter than the multiple holes 22 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the gas injection tube 21. The gas exhaust holes guide the smooth exhaust of the gas injected from the gas injection tube 21 and enable the porous tobacco solids to maintain a cylindrical shape that can be easily utilized in the subsequent assembly process of the aerosol-generating article.

In an exemplary embodiment, the gas injected from the gas injection tube 21 has a temperature of 80°C to 120°C. If the temperature of the gas injected from the gas injection tube 21 is less than 80°C, it is difficult to form pores of uniform size on the outer surface of the porous tobacco solid, and if the temperature of the gas exceeds 120°C, the tobacco composition 20 may be burned or explode during the manufacturing process.

In addition, the gas injected from the gas injection tube 21 has a pressure of 0.5 mmbar to 3 mmbar. If the pressure of the injected gas is less than 0.5 mmbar, pores will not be formed due to insufficient gas pressure, and if it exceeds 3 mmbar, the tobacco composition 20 may explode in the cylindrical frame due to excessively strong pressure, or the pore size may increase and the specific surface area may decrease.

In an exemplary embodiment, the gas injected from the gas injection pipe 21 may be, for example, water vapor or an inert gas, but is not limited to the above examples and may be any gas capable of forming pores without limitation.

In an exemplary embodiment, the gas ejected from the gas ejection tube 21 may further include a flavoring element. The flavoring element includes a fragrance or flavoring agent. The fragrance may include, but is not limited to, menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, various fruit scent components, and the like. The flavoring agent includes components that provide a variety of flavors or tastes to the user.

The flavor elements contained in the gas remain in the completed porous tobacco solids and can provide the user with a variety of flavors or tastes when smoking. For example, water vapor containing flavoring agents can be used as the gas injected from the gas injection tube 21.

At least one of the components, elements, modules or units (collectively, in this paragraph, "components") illustrated in the drawings as blocks may be embodied by various hardware, software and/or firmware structures performing the respective functions described above according to the exemplary embodiments. For example, at least one of such components may use direct circuit structures such as memory, processor, logic circuit, look-up table of one or more microprocessors or other control devices. At least one of such components may be embodied by a module, program or part of code that includes one or more executable instructions for performing a particular logical function and is executed by one or more microprocessors or other control devices. At least one of these components may include or be embodied by a processor, microprocessor, etc., such as a central processing unit (CPU), that performs the respective function. Two or more of these components are combined by one single component that performs all the operations or functions of the two or more components. At least a portion of the function of at least one of these components is also performed by other of these components. Although the block diagram does not show a bus, communication between the components is performed through the bus. The functional aspects of the exemplary embodiments are embodied by algorithms running on one or more processors. Additionally, the components represented by blocks or processing steps may use any number of related techniques for electronic configuration, signal processing and/or control, and data processing.

Those of ordinary skill in the art to which the exemplary embodiments relate will understand that the embodiments may be embodied in modified forms without departing from the essential characteristics of the above description. Therefore, the disclosed method should be considered in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

Claims (13)

In the aerosol-generating article,
a first portion including a paper sheet impregnated with an aerosol-generating element;
a second portion comprising a tobacco element;
a third portion including a cooling element;
a fourth portion including a filter element;
the first portion, the second portion, the third portion and the fourth portion are provided sequentially in a longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article,
The second portion comprises a porous tobacco solid comprising the tobacco element. the porous tobacco solids include at least one passageway extending from an upstream portion of the aerosol-generating article to a downstream portion of the aerosol-generating article;
The aerosol-generating article of claim 1 , wherein the outer peripheral surface of the porous tobacco solid has a plurality of pores formed therein that are connected to the at least one passageway. The aerosol-generating article of claim 2, wherein the average diameter of the at least one passage is between 1 mm and 4 mm. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 2, wherein the average diameter of the plurality of pores is between 0.1 mm and 1 mm. 2. The aerosol-generating article of claim 1, wherein the specific surface area of the porous tobacco solids is from 200 m ² /g to 1000 m ² /g. The aerosol-generating article of claim 1, wherein the second portion includes a thermally conductive wrapper provided on the porous tobacco solids. providing a tobacco composition comprising tobacco powder, a binder and a humectant;
inserting said tobacco composition into a cylindrical frame provided with at least one gas injection tube;
injecting gas from said at least one gas injection tube into said tobacco composition inserted into said cylindrical frame to form porous tobacco solids. The method for producing a porous tobacco solid according to claim 7, wherein the tobacco composition comprises 60% to 80% by weight of the tobacco powder, 15% to 30% by weight of the binder, and 5% to 10% by weight of the humectant. The method for producing a porous tobacco solid according to claim 7, wherein the at least one gas injection tube has a plurality of holes for injecting gas onto the outer peripheral surface of the porous tobacco solid. The method for producing a porous tobacco solid according to claim 7, further comprising a step of drying the exterior of the tobacco composition inserted into the cylindrical frame after the step of inserting the tobacco composition into the cylindrical frame and before the step of injecting the gas. The method for producing a porous tobacco solid according to claim 7, wherein the temperature of the gas injected from the gas injection tube is 80°C to 120°C. The method for producing a porous tobacco solid according to claim 7, wherein the pressure of the gas injected from the gas injection tube is 0.5 mmbar to 3 mmbar. The method for producing a porous tobacco solid according to claim 7, wherein the gas injected from the at least one gas injection tube further contains a flavoring element.

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