JP7659064B2 - Articles for use in aerosol delivery systems - Google Patents

Description

The following relates to articles for use in non-combustion aerosol delivery systems, methods of forming the articles, and non-combustion aerosol delivery systems including the articles.

background

Certain tobacco industry products generate an aerosol during use, which is inhaled by the user. For example, tobacco heating devices heat an aerosol-generating substrate, such as tobacco, to form an aerosol by heating the substrate without burning it. Such tobacco industry products typically include a mouthpiece through which the aerosol passes to the user's mouth.

overview

In some embodiments described herein, in a first aspect, an article is provided for use as or as part of a non-combustible aerosol delivery system, the article comprising an aerosol generating material including at least one aerosol-forming material, and a cylindrical body disposed downstream of the aerosol generating material, the distance between the downstream end of the aerosol generating material and the upstream end of the cylindrical body being less than about 22 mm.

In some embodiments described herein, in a second aspect, a method of forming an article for use as or as part of a non-combustible aerosol delivery system is provided, the method including providing an aerosol-generating material comprising at least one aerosol-forming material, and positioning a cylinder downstream of the aerosol-generating material such that an upstream end of the cylinder is less than about 22 mm from a downstream end of the aerosol-generating material.

In some embodiments described herein, in a third aspect, a system is provided that includes an article according to the first aspect and a non-combustible aerosol delivery device that includes a heater.

In some embodiments described herein, in a fourth aspect, a system is provided comprising a non-combustible aerosol delivery device and an article according to the first aspect above, wherein the aerosol generating material comprises a quantity of nicotine, and in use, the aerosol generated by the system comprises at least 30% of the amount of nicotine delivered to the aerosol generating material prior to use, or at least 35% of the amount of nicotine delivered to the aerosol generating material prior to use, or at least 40% of the amount of nicotine delivered to the aerosol generating material prior to use.

In some embodiments described herein, in a fifth aspect, a system is provided that includes a non-combustible aerosol delivery device and an article according to the first aspect above, wherein the aerosol generating material includes an amount of glycerol, and in use, the aerosol generated by the system includes at least 15% of the amount of glycerol delivered to the aerosol generating material prior to use, or at least 20% of the amount of glycerol delivered to the aerosol generating material prior to use.

In some embodiments described herein, in a sixth aspect, an article is provided for use as or as part of a non-combustible aerosol delivery system, the article comprising: an aerosol-generating material including at least one aerosol-forming material; a hollow tubular body disposed downstream of the aerosol-generating material, the hollow tubular body having one or more vent regions; and a substantially cylindrical body disposed downstream of the hollow tubular body, the downstream end of the substantially cylindrical body forming the downstream end of the article, the distance between the downstream end of the article and the downstream end of the hollow tubular body being at least 8 mm, the one or more vent regions being located 12 mm to 21 mm from the downstream end of the article.

In some embodiments described herein, in a seventh aspect, there is provided a method of forming an article according to the sixth aspect, the method comprising the steps of providing an aerosol-generating material comprising at least one aerosol-forming material, disposing a hollow tubular body downstream of the aerosol-generating material, disposing a substantially cylindrical body downstream of the hollow tubular body, the downstream end of the cylindrical body forming the downstream end of the article, the distance between the downstream end of the cylindrical body and the downstream end of the hollow tubular body being at least 8 mm, and providing at least one vent region 12 mm to 21 mm from the downstream end of the article.

According to an eighth aspect, there is provided an article for use as or as part of a non-combustible aerosol delivery system, the article comprising: an aerosol-generating material comprising at least one aerosol-forming material; a hollow tubular member disposed downstream of the aerosol-generating material, the hollow tubular member having one or more vent regions; and a substantially cylindrical body disposed downstream of the hollow tubular member, the downstream end of the substantially cylindrical body forming the downstream end of the article, the distance between the downstream end of the article and the downstream end of the hollow tubular member being at least 8 mm, the one or more vent regions being located less than 3.5 mm from the downstream end of the hollow tubular member.

In some embodiments described herein, in a ninth aspect, a system is provided that includes an article according to the sixth or eighth aspect and a non-combustible aerosol delivery device that includes a heater.

Some embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an article for use as, or as part of, a non-combustible aerosol delivery system, the article comprising an oral end section comprising a cylindrical body. FIG. 2 is a diagram of an article for use as, or as part of, a non-combustible aerosol delivery system, the article having an oral end section comprising a capsule. 1 is a schematic diagram of steps of a method for manufacturing an article. FIG. 2 is a diagram of an article for use as, or as part of, a non-combustible aerosol delivery system, the article comprising an oral end section comprising a cylindrical body. 1 is a schematic diagram of steps of a method for manufacturing an article. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a non-combustion aerosol delivery device for generating aerosols from the aerosol-forming materials of the articles of FIGS. 1, 2, and 4. FIG. 7 is a view of the device of FIG. 6 with the outer cover removed and no article present. FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the device of FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the device of FIG. 6 with the outer cover omitted. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the device of FIG. 6. FIG. 10B is an enlarged view of a region of the device of FIG. 10A.

Detailed Description

As used herein, the term "delivery system" is intended to include a system that delivers at least one substance to a user;
Combustible aerosol delivery systems, such as cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, and tobacco for pipes or for rolling or hand-made cigarettes, whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, tobacco substitutes, or other smoking materials;
a non-combustion aerosol delivery system that releases a compound from an aerosol-generating material without combusting the aerosol-generating material, such as e-cigarettes, tobacco heating products, and hybrid systems that use a combination of aerosol-generating materials to generate an aerosol;
and aerosol-free delivery systems that deliver at least one substance, which may or may not contain nicotine, to a user orally, nasally, transdermally, or otherwise, without forming an aerosol, including, but not limited to, lozenges, gums, patches, articles containing inhalable powders, and oral products such as oral tobacco products (including snus and moist snuff).

In accordance with this disclosure, a "combustible" aerosol delivery system is one in which an aerosol-generating component of the aerosol delivery system (or a component thereof) is combusted or burned during use to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.

In accordance with the present disclosure, a "non-combustible" aerosol delivery system is one in which the aerosol-generating constituent material (or components thereof) of the aerosol delivery system is not combusted or is not combusted to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.

In the embodiments described herein, the delivery system is a non-combustion aerosol delivery system, such as a powered non-combustion aerosol delivery system.

In some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system is an e-cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it should be noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating material is not a requirement.

In some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system is an aerosol-generating material heating system, also known as a non-combustion heating system. One example of such a system is a tobacco heating system.

In one embodiment, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system is a hybrid system for generating an aerosol using a combination of aerosolizable materials, one or more of which may be heated. Each of the aerosolizable materials may be, for example, in solid, liquid, or gel form and may or may not include nicotine. In one embodiment, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosolizable material and a solid aerosolizable material. The solid aerosolizable material may include, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.

Typically, a non-combustible aerosol delivery system may include a non-combustible aerosol delivery device and a consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol delivery device.

In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to consumables comprising an aerosol-generating material and configured for use with a non-combustible aerosol delivery device. These consumables may also be referred to as articles throughout this disclosure. The aerosol-generating material, also referred to as an aerosol-generating material, may be tobacco material as described herein.

A consumable is an article that comprises or consists of an aerosol-generating material, some or all of which are intended to be consumed during use by a user. A consumable may comprise one or more other components, such as an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transport component, an aerosol-generating area, a housing, a wrapper, a mouthpiece, a filter, and/or an aerosol modifier. A consumable may also comprise an aerosol generator, such as a heater that emits heat during use to cause the aerosol-generating material to generate an aerosol. The heater may comprise, for example, a combustible material, a material heatable by electrical conduction, or a susceptor.

In some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system, e.g., the non-combustion aerosol delivery device, may include a power source and a controller. The power source may be, for example, an electrical power source or a heat generating power source. In some embodiments, the heat generating power source includes a carbon substrate that can be energized to distribute power in the form of heat to an aerosol generating material or a heat transfer material in proximity to the heat generating power source.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol delivery system may include a consumable, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation region, a housing, a mouthpiece, a filter, and/or a region for receiving an aerosol modifier.

In some embodiments, consumables for use with non-combustible aerosol delivery devices may include an aerosol generating material, an aerosol generating material storage region, an aerosol generating material transport component, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generating region, a housing, a wrapper, a filter, a mouthpiece, and/or an aerosol modifier.

In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered may be an aerosol-generating material or a material that is not intended to be aerosolized. Optionally, either material may include one or more active ingredients, one or more flavorings, one or more aerosol-forming materials, and/or one or more other functional materials.

The aerosol generator is a device configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is a heater configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to thermal energy, thereby releasing one or more volatile components from the aerosol-generating material to form an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is configured to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material without heating. For example, the aerosol generator may be configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to one or more of vibration, increased pressure, or electrostatic energy.

An aerosol-generating material is a material that can generate an aerosol when, for example, heated, irradiated, or in any other way energized. The aerosol-generating material may be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid, or gel, and may or may not include actives and/or flavorings. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may include an "amorphous solid" (which may alternatively be referred to as a "monolithic solid" (i.e., non-fibrous)). In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may be a dry gel. An amorphous solid is a solid material that can hold some fluid therein, such as a liquid. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may include, for example, about 50%, 60%, or 70% to about 90%, 95%, or 100% amorphous solid by weight.

The aerosol-generating materials may include one or more active substances and/or flavorings, one or more aerosol-forming materials, and, optionally, one or more other functional materials.

The aerosol-forming material may include one or more components capable of forming an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material may include one or more of glycerin, glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, mesoerythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenylacetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.

The one or more other functional ingredients may include one or more of a pH adjuster, a colorant, a preservative, a binder, a filler, a stabilizer, and/or an antioxidant.

The material may be on or in a support to form a substrate. The support may be or include, for example, paper, card, corrugated board, cardboard, recycled material, plastic material, ceramic material, composite material, glass, metal, or alloy. In some embodiments, the support comprises a susceptor. In some embodiments, the susceptor is embedded within the material. In some alternative embodiments, the susceptor is on one or both sides of the material.

An aerosol modifier is a substance that is typically disposed downstream of the aerosol-generation region and configured to modify the generated aerosol, for example by changing the taste, flavor, acidity, or another characteristic of the aerosol. The aerosol modifier may be provided in an aerosol modifier-releasing component that is operable to selectively release the aerosol modifier.
The aerosol modifier may be, for example, an additive or an adsorbent. The aerosol modifier may include, for example, one or more of a flavoring, a colorant, water, and a carbon adsorbent. The aerosol modifier may be, for example, a solid, liquid, or gel. The aerosol modifier may be in the form of a powder, a string, or granules. The aerosol modifier may be free of a filtration material.

A susceptor is a material that can be heated by the penetration of a varying magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. The susceptor may be an electrically conductive material, such that the penetration of the varying magnetic field therein results in induction heating of the heating material. The heating material may be a magnetic material, such that the penetration of the varying magnetic field therein results in magnetic hysteresis heating of the heating material. The susceptor may be both electrically conductive and magnetic, such that the susceptor is heatable by both heating mechanisms. A device configured to generate a varying magnetic field is referred to herein as a magnetic field generator.

Induction heating is a process in which a conductive object is heated by penetrating a changing magnetic field into the object. The process is described by Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction and Ohm's law. An induction heater may comprise an electromagnet and a device for passing a changing electric current, such as an alternating current, through the electromagnet. When the electromagnet and the object to be heated are placed in a suitable relative position such that the changing magnetic field produced by the electromagnet penetrates the object, one or more eddy currents are generated in the object. The object has a resistance to the flow of electric current. Thus, when such eddy currents are generated in the object, they flow against the electrical resistance of the object, thereby heating the object. This process is called Joule heating, Ohmic heating, or resistive heating. Objects that can be inductively heated are known as susceptors.

In one embodiment, the susceptor is in the form of a closed circuit. It has been found that when the susceptor is in the form of a closed circuit, there is a stronger magnetic coupling between the susceptor and the electromagnet during use, which results in increased or improved Joule heating.

Magnetic hysteresis heating is the process by which an object made of a magnetic material is heated by the penetration of the object into a fluctuating magnetic field. A magnetic material can be thought of as containing many atomic-scale magnets, or magnetic dipoles. When a magnetic field penetrates such a material, the magnetic dipoles align themselves along the magnetic field. Thus, when a fluctuating magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field (e.g., produced by an electromagnet), penetrates a magnetic material, the orientation of the magnetic dipoles changes in response to the applied fluctuating magnetic field. This reorientation of the magnetic dipoles generates heat in the magnetic material.

When an object is both conductive and magnetic, the introduction of a varying magnetic field into the object can cause both Joule heating and magnetic hysteresis heating in the object. Furthermore, the use of magnetic materials can intensify the magnetic field, thereby intensifying Joule heating.

In each of the above processes, heat is generated within the object itself, rather than by conduction from an external heat source, so that rapid temperature rise and more uniform heat distribution within the object can be achieved, particularly by appropriate choice of object material and geometry, and appropriate choice of magnitude and orientation of the varying magnetic field relative to the object. Furthermore, induction heating and magnetic hysteresis heating do not require a physical connection between the source of the varying magnetic field and the object, allowing greater design freedom and control of the heating profile, as well as lower costs.

Articles, e.g. rod-shaped articles, are often designated according to the length of the product as "regular" (typically 68-75 mm, e.g. in the range of about 68 mm to about 72 mm), "short" or "mini" (68 mm or less), "king size" (typically 75-91 mm, e.g. in the range of about 79 mm to about 88 mm), "long" or "super king" (typically 91-105 mm, e.g. in the range of about 94 mm to about 101 mm), and "ultra long" (typically in the range of about 110 mm to about 121 mm).

The articles are also designated according to the circumference of the product: "regular" (about 23-25 mm), "wide" (over 25 mm), "slim" (about 22-23 mm), "demi-slim" (about 19-22 mm), "super slim" (about 16-19 mm), and "micro-slim" (less than about 16 mm).

Thus, a king size, super slim format item, for example, has a length of about 83 mm and a circumference of about 17 mm.

Each format can be made with a different length of tip. The tip length will be about 30mm to 50mm. The tipping paper connects the tip to the aerosol-generating material and is typically longer than the tip, for example 3-10mm longer, so that the tipping paper covers the tip and overlaps the aerosol-generating material, for example in the form of a rod of substrate, connecting the tip to the rod.

The articles and their aerosol-generating materials and mouthpieces described herein can be made in any of the formats described above, without limitation.

As used herein, the terms "upstream" and "downstream" are relative terms defined with reference to the direction of mainstream aerosol being drawn through an article or device, when used.
The filament tow or filter material described herein can include fiber tows of cellulose acetate. The filament tows can also be formed using other materials used to form fibers, such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), polylactic acid (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), poly(1-4 butanediol succinate) (PBS), poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), starch-based materials, cotton, aliphatic polyester materials, and polysaccharide polymers, or combinations thereof. The filament tow may be plasticized with a suitable plasticizer for the tow, such as triacetin if the material is cellulose acetate tow, or the tow may be unplasticized. The tow may have any suitable specifications, such as fibers having a "Y", "X", or "O" shaped cross section. The fibers of the tow have a single fineness value of 2.5 to 15 denier per filament, e.g., 8.0 to 11.0 denier per filament, and a total fineness value of 5,000 to 50,000 denier, e.g., 10,000 to 40,000 denier. When viewed in cross section, the fibers may have an isoperimetric ratio ^L2 /A of 25 or less, preferably 20 or less, and more preferably 15 or less, where L is the perimeter of the cross section and A is the area of the cross section. The filter materials described herein also include cellulosic materials, such as paper. Such materials may have a relatively low density, such as from about 0.1 to about 0.45 grams per cubic centimeter, to allow air and/or aerosols to pass through the material. Although such materials are described as filter materials, the primary purpose may not be related to filtration per se, such as to increase the resistance to draw of a component.

As used herein, the term "tobacco material" refers to any material that includes tobacco or its derivatives or substitutes. The term "tobacco material" may include one or more of tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, or tobacco substitutes. Tobacco material may include one or more of ground tobacco, tobacco fiber, cut tobacco, extruded tobacco, tobacco stems, tobacco stems, reconstituted tobacco, and/or tobacco extract.

In the tobacco materials described herein, the tobacco materials include an aerosol-forming material. In this context, an "aerosol-forming material" is an agent that facilitates the generation of an aerosol. The aerosol-forming material can facilitate the generation of an aerosol by encouraging the initial vaporization and/or condensation of a gas into an inhalable solid and/or liquid aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material can improve the delivery of flavorants from the aerosol-forming material. Generally, any suitable aerosol-forming material or agent may be included within the aerosol-generating materials of the present invention, including those described herein. Other suitable aerosol-forming materials include, but are not limited to, polyols such as sorbitol, glycerol, and glycols such as propylene glycol or triethylene glycol, non-polyols such as monohydric alcohols, high boiling point hydrocarbons, acids such as lactic acid, glycerol derivatives, esters such as diacetin, triacetin, triethylene glycol diacetate, triethyl citrate, or myristic acid, including ethyl myristate and isopropyl myristate, and aliphatic carboxylic acid esters such as methyl stearate, dimethyl dodecanedioate, and dimethyl tetradecanedioate. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material may be glycerol, propylene glycol, or a mixture of glycerol and propylene glycol. The total amount of glycerol, propylene glycol, or a mixture of glycerol and propylene glycol used may range from 10% to 30%, for example 15% to 25%, of the tobacco material, measured on a dry weight basis. Glycerol may be present in an amount of 10-20% by weight of the tobacco material, for example 13-16% by weight of the composition, or about 14% or 15% by weight of the composition. Propylene glycol, if present, may be present in an amount of 0.1-0.3% by weight of the composition.

In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered includes an active agent.

As used herein, an active substance may be a physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. The active substance may be selected from, for example, dietary supplements, nootropics, and psychotropic drugs. The active substance may be naturally occurring or synthetically derived. The active substance may include, for example, nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins (such as B6 or B12 or C), melatonin, cannabinoids, or components, derivatives, or combinations thereof. The active substance may include one or more components, derivatives, or extracts of tobacco, cannabis, or another botanical substance.

In some embodiments, the active agent includes nicotine. In some embodiments, the active agent includes caffeine, melatonin, or vitamin B12.

As described herein, the active material may include or be derived from one or more botanical substances, or components, derivatives, or extracts thereof. As used herein, the term "botanical substances" includes any material derived from a plant, including, but not limited to, extracts, leaves, bark, fibers, petioles, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, husks, skins, and the like. Alternatively, the material may include active compounds naturally occurring in the botanical substances or synthetically obtained. The material may be in the form of a liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles, granules, pellets, fragments, strips, sheets, and the like. Examples of botanical substances include tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, hemp, cacao, cannabis, fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint, rooibos, chamomile, flax, ginger, ginkgo, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, licorice, matcha, yerba mate, orange peel, papaya, rose, sage, tea (such as green tea or black tea), thyme, cloves, cinnamon, coffee, aniseed, basil, bay leaf, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lavender, Lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower, vanilla, wintergreen, shiso, turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro, bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle, blackcurrant, valerian, pimento, mace, damiane, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chives, Calvi, verbena, tarragon, geranium, mulberry, ginseng, theanine, theacrine, maca, ashwagandha, damiana, guarana, chlorophyll, baobab, or any combination thereof. Mints include Mentha arventis, Grapefruit mint (Mentha c.v.), Egyptian mint (Mentha niliaca), Peppermint (Mentha piperita), Lime mint (Mentha piperita citrate c.v.), Chocolate mint (Mentha piperita c.v.), Curly mint (Mentha spicata crispa), Wild mint (Mentha cardifolia), Horse mint (Mentha longifolia), Pineapple mint (Mentha suaveolens variegata), Pennyroyal mint (Mentha The mint may be selected from the mint varieties Mentha pulegium, English spearmint (Mentha spicata c.v.), and apple mint (Mentha suaveolens).

In some embodiments, the active agent comprises or is derived from one or more botanical substances, or components, derivatives, or extracts thereof, and the botanical substance is tobacco.

In some embodiments, the active agent comprises or is derived from one or more botanical substances, or components, derivatives, or extracts thereof, and the botanical substances are selected from eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, and hemp.

In some embodiments, the active agent comprises or is derived from one or more botanical substances, or components, derivatives, or extracts thereof, and the botanical substances are selected from rooibos and fennel.

In some embodiments, the substance delivered includes a fragrance.

As used herein, the terms "flavoring agent" and "flavoring agent" refer to materials that can be used in products for adult consumers to create a desired taste, aroma, or other somatic sensation, where permitted by local regulations. They may be naturally occurring flavoring materials, botanical substances, extracts of botanical substances, synthetically derived materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice, hydrangea, eugenol, magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese peppermint, aniseed (anise), cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spice, Asian spice, herb, wintergreen, cherry, berry, red berry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, clementine, lemon, lime, tropical fruit, papaya, Rhubarb, grapes, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberries, mulberries, citrus fruits, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, khat, naswar, betel, shisha, pine, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cassia, ca Lawei, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, wasabi, bell pepper, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, mint oil from any species of the genus Mentha, eucalyptus, star anise, cacao, lemongrass, rooibos, flax, ginkgo, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, yerba mate, orange peel, rose, tea (green or black), thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaf, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, shiso, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle, black currant, valerian , pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chives, Calvi, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), flavor enhancers, bitter receptor site blockers, sensory receptor site activators, or stimulants, sugars and/or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin, cyclamate, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath fresheners. They may be imitation, synthetic, or natural ingredients, or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, such as liquids (such as oils), solids (such as powders), or gases.

In some embodiments, the flavoring includes menthol, spearmint, and/or peppermint. In some embodiments, the flavoring includes cucumber, blueberry, citrus, and/or red berry flavor components. In some embodiments, the flavoring includes eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavoring includes flavor components extracted from tobacco. In some embodiments, the flavoring includes flavor components extracted from cannabis.

In some embodiments, the flavoring may include sensory agents intended to achieve somatic sensations that are typically chemically induced and perceived by stimulating the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve) in addition to or instead of the olfactory or gustatory nerves, and these may include agents that provide a heating effect, a cooling effect, a tingling effect, or a numbing effect. A suitable heating effect agent may be, but is not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether, and a suitable cooling agent may be, but is not limited to, eucalyptol, WS-3.

In the figures described herein, like reference numbers are used to indicate equivalent features, items, or components.

FIG. 1 illustrates an article 1 for use as or as part of a non-combustion aerosol delivery system. Article 1 may be a non-combustion aerosol delivery system itself, or alternatively, may be for use with a non-combustion aerosol delivery device to form a non-combustion aerosol delivery system. One suitable non-combustion aerosol delivery device 100 with a heater 101 is illustrated in FIGS. 6-10B. In other examples, other non-combustion aerosol delivery devices may be used. Article 1 and other articles described herein may be tobacco heating product consumables.

The article 1 comprises a rod of aerosol-generating material 2, which includes at least one aerosol-forming material, and an oral end section 20 disposed downstream of the aerosol-generating material 2. The oral end section 20 comprises a hollow tubular body 3 having a wall thickness greater than about 0.5 mm, and a cylindrical body 21 disposed immediately downstream of the hollow tubular body 3. The article 1 is configured such that the distance d between the downstream end of the aerosol-generating material 2 and the upstream end of the cylindrical body 21 is less than about 22 mm.

In this case, the article further comprises a hollow tubular member 5 disposed immediately upstream of the hollow tubular body 3. The hollow tubular member 5 is disposed between the aerosol-generating material 2 and the hollow tubular body 3. In this specification, the hollow tubular body 3 and the hollow tubular member 5 are also referred to as a cooling section.

The combined length of the hollow tubular member 5 and the hollow tubular body 3 is such that the cylindrical body 21 is spaced from the aerosol-generating material by a maximum distance d. In this example, the hollow tubular member has a length of 12 mm and the hollow tubular body has a length of 9 mm. Thus, the cylindrical body 21 is spaced from the aerosol-generating material by a distance of 21 mm. The maximum distance d is preferably 22 mm. The distance d is preferably 21 mm. Surprisingly, it has been found that providing a cooling section consisting of the hollow tubular member 5 and the hollow tubular body 3 configured to extend from the aerosol-generating material by a maximum of 22 mm can provide an improved aerosol. It is hypothesized that by limiting the combined length of the cooling section to less than 22 mm, condensation of the desired components of the aerosol on the inner surface of the cooling section can be reduced. For example, the hollow tubular member 5 may have a length of 11 mm and the hollow tubular body 3 may have a length of 10 mm. The hollow tubular member 5 may have a length of about 6 mm to about 15 mm, more preferably about 8 mm to about 12 mm, and/or the hollow tubular body 3 may have a length of about 6 mm to about 15 mm, more preferably about 8 mm to about 12 mm.

In addition, it has been surprisingly found that the use of a hollow tubular body 3 immediately upstream of the cylinder 21 can further reduce condensation of the desired components of the aerosol in the cylinder 21. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is hypothesized that this is because the hollow tubular body 3 forces the aerosol to flow through the center of the cylinder 21 at an increased flow rate. Additionally, by increasing the percentage of the aerosol that flows through the center of the cylinder 21, the cross-sectional area of the cylinder through which the aerosol passes is effectively reduced, further reducing the potential condensation of the desired components of the aerosol in the cylinder 21.

The hollow tubular member 5 preferably has a wall thickness of at least 300 microns and/or a permeability of at least 100 Coresta units. By configuring the hollow tubular member 5 to have a permeability of at least 100 Coresta units, the hollow tubular member is able to absorb moisture from the aerosol generated by the aerosol-generating material 2 when the article 1 is heated by the non-combustible aerosol delivery device 100. Additionally, papers with a permeability greater than 100 Coresta units are generally lighter and easier to work with during manufacturing.

The hollow tubular member 5 is configured to have an inner diameter larger than that of the hollow tubular body 3, for example, a wall thickness thinner than that of the hollow tubular body 3.

In this example, the hollow tubular member 5 is formed from paper. In particular, the hollow tubular member 5 is formed from multiple layers of paper that are wound in parallel and abutted at seams to form the tubular member 5 underlying the wrapper 6. The paper tube provides additional rigidity to the first cavity 5a. In this example, the first and second paper layers are provided as a double tube, but in other examples, three, four, or more paper layers can be used to form triple, quadruple, or more tubes. Other constructions may be used, such as helically wound paper layers, cardboard tubes, tubes formed using a paper mache type process, molded or extruded plastic tubes, etc.

The hollow tubular member 5 can also be formed using stiff plug wrap and/or tipping paper, for example as the wrapper 6 and/or the further wrapper 6', meaning that no separate tubular elements are required, as will be explained in more detail below. The stiff plug wrap and/or tipping paper is manufactured to have sufficient stiffness to withstand axial compressive forces and bending moments that may occur during manufacture and use of the article 1. For example, the basis weight of the stiff plug wrap and/or tipping paper is 70 gsm to 120 gsm, more preferably 80 gsm to 110 gsm. Additionally or alternatively, the thickness of the stiff plug wrap and/or tipping paper can be 80 μm to 200 μm, more preferably 100 μm to 160 μm, or 120 μm to 150 μm. It may be desirable to have values in these ranges for both the wrapper 6 and/or the further wrapper 6' to achieve an acceptable overall stiffness level for the hollow tubular member 5.

In other examples, the hollow tubular member 5 may be formed from other materials, such as molded or extruded plastic tubing, or fibrous materials, as described for the hollow tubular body 3.

The wall thickness of the hollow tubular member 5 can be measured, for example, using a vernier caliper and is preferably at least about 100 μm to about 1.5 mm, preferably 100 μm to 1 mm, more preferably 150 μm to 500 μm, or about 300 μm. In this example, the wall thickness of the hollow tubular member 5 is about 250 μm.

The length of the hollow tubular member 5 is preferably less than about 20 mm. More preferably, the length of the hollow tubular member 5 is less than about 18 mm. Even more preferably, the length of the hollow tubular member 5 is less than about 15 mm. Additionally or alternatively, the length of the hollow tubular member 5 is preferably at least about 5 mm. The length of the hollow tubular member 5 is preferably at least about 6 mm. In some preferred embodiments, the length of the hollow tubular member 5 is between about 10 mm and about 14 mm, more preferably between about 11 mm and about 13 mm, and most preferably about 12 mm. In this example, the length of the hollow tubular member 5 is 12 mm.

The hollow tubular body 3 is configured to act as a heat sink to reduce the phenomenon of "hot puffs". A "hot puff" is defined as an aerosol delivered to a user at an uncomfortably high temperature. A hot puff can be exacerbated when a user draws the aerosol through the heated article 1 at a high rate, thereby reducing the time for the heat of the aerosol to dissipate. When inserted into the non-combustible aerosol delivery device 100, the hollow tubular body 3 has its mouth end section away from the heater 101 to provide space for heat to dissipate before the aerosol reaches the downstream end of the article. It will further be appreciated that as the aerosol is drawn through the hollow tubular body 3, heat is conducted away from the aerosol to the hollow tubular body 3. In this manner, the hollow tubular body 3 acts as a heat sink.

In this example, the hollow tubular body 3 is formed from filament tow. In other embodiments, other constructions may be used, such as spirally wound layers of paper, cardboard tubes, tubes formed using a paper mache type process, tubes formed from paper filter material, molded or extruded plastic tubes, etc.

The wall thickness of the hollow tubular body 3 is preferably at least about 325 μm to about 2 mm, preferably 500 μm to 2 mm, and more preferably 750 μm to 1.5 mm. In this example, the hollow tubular body 3 has a wall thickness of about 1.4 mm. The "wall thickness" of the hollow tubular body 3 corresponds to the radial wall thickness of the hollow tubular body 3. This can be measured, for example, using a vernier caliper. The use of filament tows and/or wall thicknesses in these ranges has the advantage of insulating the hot aerosol passing through the second cavity 3a from the outer surface of the hollow tubular body 3.

The wall thickness together with the outer diameter of the hollow tubular body 3 defines the inner diameter or cavity size of the hollow tubular body 3.

In some embodiments, the wall thickness of the hollow tubular body 3 is at least 325 microns, and preferably at least 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, or 1000 microns. In some embodiments, the wall thickness of the hollow tubular body 3 is at least 1250 microns or 1500 microns.

In some embodiments, the wall thickness of the hollow tubular body 3 is less than 2000 microns, for example less than 1500 microns.

It has been found that a thicker wall thickness of the hollow tubular body 3 means a larger thermal mass, which helps to lower the temperature of the aerosol passing through the hollow tubular body 3 and to lower the surface temperature of the mouth end section 20 downstream of the hollow tubular body 3. This is believed to be because the greater thermal mass of the hollow tubular body 3 allows the hollow tubular body 3 to absorb more heat from the aerosol compared to a hollow tubular body 3 having a thinner wall thickness. Also, a thicker hollow tubular body 3 causes the aerosol to flow toward the center of the mouth end section 20, resulting in less heat from the aerosol being transferred to the outer portion of the mouth end section 20.

The density of the hollow tubular body 3 is preferably at least about 0.25 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cc), more preferably at least about 0.3 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cc). The density of the hollow tubular body 3 is preferably less than about 0.75 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cc), more preferably less than 0.6 g/cc. In some embodiments, the density of the hollow tubular body 3 is 0.25 to 0.75 g/cc, more preferably 0.3 to 0.6 g/cc, more preferably 0.4 g/cc to 0.6 g/cc or about 0.5 g/cc. These densities have been found to provide a good balance between the higher hardness provided by the higher density material and the lower heat transfer characteristics of the lower density material. For purposes of this example, the "density" of the hollow tubular body 3 refers to the density of the filament tow forming the element in which any plasticizer is incorporated. For purposes of the present invention, the "density" of the material forming the hollow tubular body 3 refers to the density of the filament tow forming the element with any plasticizer incorporated therein. The density may be determined by dividing the total weight of the material forming the hollow tubular body 3 by the total volume of the material forming the hollow tubular body 3, which may be calculated using appropriate measurements of the material forming the hollow tubular body 3 taken, for example, with a vernier caliper. If necessary, appropriate dimensions may be measured using a microscope.

The total fineness of the filament tows forming the hollow tubular body 3 is preferably less than 45,000 denier, more preferably less than 42,000 denier. It has been found that this total fineness allows the formation of tubular elements 13 that are not too dense. The total fineness is preferably at least 20,000 denier, more preferably at least 25,000 denier. In a preferred embodiment, the total fineness of the filament tows forming the hollow tubular body 3 is between 25,000 and 45,000 denier, more preferably between 35,000 and 45,000 denier. The cross-sectional shape of the filaments of the tow is preferably "Y" shaped, although in other embodiments other shapes of filaments such as "X" shaped can be used.

The filament tow forming the hollow tubular body 3 is preferably thicker than 3 denier per filament. It has been found that this fineness of filament allows the formation of tubular elements 13 that are not too dense. At least 4 denier per filament is preferred, and at least 5 denier is more preferred. In a preferred embodiment, the filament tow forming the hollow tubular body 3 is 4-10 denier per filament, and 4-9 denier is more preferred. In one example, the filament tow forming the hollow tubular body 3 is formed from cellulose acetate and has an 8Y40,000 tow with 18% plasticizer, e.g., triacetin.

The hollow tubular body 3 preferably contains 10% to 22% by weight of a plasticizer. For cellulose acetate tow, the plasticizer is preferably triacetin, although other plasticizers such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) can be used. The hollow tubular body 3 can contain less than about 18% by weight of a plasticizer such as triacetin, or less than about 17%, less than about 16%, or less than about 15%. More preferably, the tubular body 3 contains 10% to 20% by weight of a plasticizer, for example, about 11%, about 12%, about 13%, about 15%, about 17%, about 18%, or about 19%.

In some embodiments, the permeability of the material of the wall of the hollow tubular body 3 is at least 100 Coresta units, preferably at least 500 or 1000 Coresta units.

It has been found that the relatively high permeability of the hollow tubular body 3 increases the amount of heat transferred from the aerosol to the hollow tubular body 3, and therefore reduces the temperature of the aerosol. The permeability of the hollow tubular body 3 has also been found to increase the amount of moisture transferred from the aerosol to the hollow tubular body 3, which has been found to improve the feel of the aerosol in the user's mouth. The high permeability of the hollow tubular body 3 also makes it easier to use a laser to drill vents in the hollow tubular body 3, which means that a lower power laser can be used.

The hollow tubular body 3 may comprise a filament tow comprising filaments having a cross-section with an isoperimetric ratio ^L2 /A of 25 or less, 20 or less, or 15 or less, where L is the perimeter of the cross-section and A is the area of the cross-section. In other words, the filaments may have a substantially "O" shaped cross-section, or a cross-section as close as possible to that. For a given monofilament, filaments having a substantially "O" shaped cross-section have a smaller surface area than other cross-sectional shapes, such as "Y" or "X" shaped filaments. Thus, the delivery of the aerosol to the user is improved.

It will be appreciated that the aerosol drawn through the hollow tubular body 3 passes partially through the filaments of the hollow tubular body 3 itself as well as through the central second cavity 3a of the hollow tubular body 3. By providing filaments with a substantially "O" shaped cross section, a greater proportion of the aerosol passes through the filaments of the hollow tubular body 3 itself, further increasing heat transfer to the hollow tubular body 3.

In this example, the hollow tubular body 3 has a length of 9 mm. In other examples, the hollow tubular body may have a length of up to about 12 mm, for example a length of 10 mm.

The hollow tubular body 3 and the hollow tubular member 5 are also called cooling sections and define a first cavity 5a and a second cavity 3a, respectively.

The hollow tubular member 5 and the hollow tubular body 3 are each disposed around and define a respective cavity in the mouthpiece 20 that functions as a cooling segment. The cavity provides a chamber through which the heated volatile components generated by the aerosol-forming material 2 flow.

Preferably, the first cavity 5a has an internal volume of greater than about 300 ^mm3 and/or the second cavity 3a has an internal volume of greater than about 100 ^mm3 . For example, the first cavity 5a may have an internal volume of about 310 ^mm3 or about 330 ^mm3 and the second cavity 3a may have an internal volume of about 120 ^mm3 . It has been found that providing cavities of at least these volumes allows for improved aerosol formation while providing the cooling functionality described herein. Such cavity sizes provide sufficient space within the mouthpiece 20 to allow the heated volatile components to cool, thus allowing the aerosol-generating material 2 to be exposed to higher temperatures than would otherwise be possible (which would otherwise result in an aerosol that is too warm).

Surprisingly, it has been found that the relative inner diameters and lengths of the first and second cavities are important for improving the quality of the aerosol. Providing a tubular member 5 having a length less than 18 mm, or less than the length of the aerosol-generating material 2, has been advantageously found to reduce the likelihood of desirable components of the aerosol condensing on the inner surface of the tubular member 5. It has also been surprisingly found that providing a hollow tubular body 3 immediately downstream of the hollow tubular member 5, having a smaller inner diameter than the hollow tubular member 5, provides further improvement to the aerosol by forcing the hot aerosol to flow through the center of the hollow tubular member 5, further reducing condensation on the inner surface of the tubular member.

The inner diameter of each of the hollow tubular body 3 and the hollow tubular member 5 may be selected from the ranges of about 2 mm to about 6 mm, about 2 mm to about 5 mm, about 2.5 mm to about 4.5 mm, and about 3.0 mm to about 4 mm. The inner diameter of the tubular body 3 is selected to be smaller than the inner diameter of the tubular member 5.

The second cavity can have an internal volume greater than 75 ^mm3 , for example, greater than 90 ^mm3 , 100 ^mm3 , 140 ^mm3 , or 150 ^mm3 , allowing for further improvement of the aerosol. In some examples, the second cavity 3a comprises a volume of about 130 ^mm3 to about 180 ^mm3 , for example about 150 ^mm3 .

The first cavity may, for example, have an internal volume greater than 100 ^mm3 , such as greater than 200 ^mm3 , 300 ^mm3 , 350 ^mm3 , 400 ^mm3 , or 500 ^mm3 , allowing for further improvement of the aerosol. In some examples, the first cavity 5a comprises a volume of about 300 ^mm3 to about 400 ^mm3 , or about 340 ^mm3 to about 360 ^mm3 , for example about 350 ^mm3 .

The hollow tubular member 5 may be configured to provide a temperature difference of at least 40° C. between the heated volatile component entering the first upstream end of the hollow tubular member 5 and the heated volatile component exiting the second downstream end of the hollow tubular member 5. The hollow tubular member 5 is preferably configured to provide a temperature difference of at least 60° C., preferably at least 80° C., and more preferably at least 100° C., between the heated volatile component entering the first upstream end of the hollow tubular member 5 and the heated volatile component exiting the second downstream end of the hollow tubular member 5. The temperature difference across the length of the hollow tubular member 5 protects the second body of temperature-sensitive material 5 from the high temperatures of the aerosol-generating material 3 as the aerosol-generating material 3 is heated.

The hollow tubular body 3 can be configured to provide a temperature difference of at least 5°C between the heated volatile components entering the first upstream end of the hollow tubular body 3 and the heated volatile components exiting the second downstream end of the hollow tubular body 3. The hollow tubular body 3 is preferably configured to provide a temperature difference of at least 10°C, preferably to provide a temperature difference of at least 12°C, and more preferably to provide a temperature difference of at least 15°C, between the heated volatile components entering the first upstream end of the hollow tubular body 3 and the heated volatile components exiting the second downstream end of the hollow tubular body 3.

In each embodiment, the article further comprises a wrapper 6 at least partially surrounding the aerosol-generating material 2 and the hollow tubular member 5 and connecting the aerosol-generating material 2 to the hollow tubular member 5. In some examples, the wrapper may extend along the entire length of the article 1 to attach the aerosol-generating material 2 to components of the mouth end section 20. In this example, a further wrapper 6' underlies the wrapper 6 and extends along the mouth end section 20. The further wrapper 6' combines the hollow tubular member 5, the tubular body 3, the cylindrical body 21, and the second tubular body 22. In this example, the wrapper 6 extends partially along the length of the aerosol-generating material 2 to attach the aerosol-generating material to the wrapped mouth end section 20.

The plug wrap 23 surrounds the cylindrical body 21. A further wrapper 6' surrounds the second tubular body 22 and attaches it to the body of material 21, the hollow tubular body 3, and the hollow tubular member 5. The wrapped second tubular body 22, the cylindrical body 21, the hollow tubular body 3, and the hollow tubular member 5 are attached to the aerosol-generating material 2 by the wrapper 6.

The wrapper 6 may be a paper material that includes a citrate salt, such as sodium nitrate or potassium nitrate. In such examples, the wrapper 6 may have a citrate content of 2% by weight or less, or 1% by weight or less. This inhibits charring of the wrapper 6 when the article 1 is heated with the non-combustible aerosol delivery device 100.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material 2 described herein may be a first aerosol-generating material 2, and the hollow tubular body 3 may comprise a second aerosol-generating material. For example, the second aerosol-generating material may be disposed on an inner surface of the hollow tubular body 3.

The second aerosol-generating material includes at least one aerosol-forming material and may also include at least one aerosol modifier or other sensate material. The aerosol-forming material and/or aerosol modifier may be any aerosol-forming material or aerosol modifier described herein, or a combination thereof.

In use, the aerosol generated from the first aerosol-generating material 2 is drawn through the hollow tubular body 3 so that heat from the first aerosol can aerosolize the aerosol-forming material of the second aerosol-generating material to form a second aerosol. The second aerosol may include a flavoring that is in addition to or complementary to the flavoring of the first aerosol.

Providing a second aerosol-generating material in the second hollow tubular body 3 can produce a second aerosol that enhances or complements the flavor or appearance of the first aerosol.

The article 1 may further comprise at least one ventilation area 12 arranged to allow external air to flow into the article. In the illustrated embodiment, the ventilation area 12 comprises a row of ventilation openings or perforations cut into the wrapper 6. The ventilation openings may extend in a row around the periphery of the article 1. The ventilation area 12 may comprise two or more rows of ventilation openings. By providing the ventilation area 12, ambient air may be drawn into the article during use to further cool the aerosol.

In the illustrated embodiment, at least one ventilation area 12 is positioned to supply outside air to the second cavity 3a of the hollow tubular body 3. To accomplish this, one or more rows of ventilation openings extend around the article to cover the hollow tubular body 3.

The ventilation area 12 may be preferably located 12 mm to 20 mm downstream of the aerosol-generating member 2. For example, the ventilation area may be located approximately 14.5 mm or 18.5 mm downstream of the aerosol-generating material 2, or 14 mm to 20 mm downstream of the aerosol-generating member 2. In another example, the ventilation may be located 22.5 mm upstream from the mouth end of the article. Alternatively/additionally, the ventilation may be located less than 3.5 mm from the downstream end of the hollow tubular member. For example, the ventilation area may be located approximately 14.5 mm or 18.5 mm downstream of the aerosol-generating material 2. In another example, the ventilation may be located 22.5 mm upstream from the mouth end of the article.

In one example, the vent region 12 comprises a single row of perforations formed as laser drillings. In some other examples, the vent region comprises first and second parallel rows of perforations formed as laser drillings, e.g., located 17.925 mm and 18.625 mm, respectively, from the mouth end. The perforations pass through the wrapper 6 and the hollow tubular body 3. In alternative embodiments, the venting can be provided at other locations.

In some examples, the vents pass through the entire thickness of the wall of the hollow tubular body 3. In other examples, the vents may be formed through only a portion of the thickness of the wall of the tubular body. For example, the vents may extend into the tubular body to a depth of up to about 0.2 mm, or up to about 0.3 mm, or up to about 0.5 mm, or up to about 1 mm, or up to about 1.5 mm.

Alternatively, ventilation can be achieved through a single row of perforations, e.g. laser perforations, in the portion of the article 1 in which the hollow tubular body 3 is located. This has been found to improve aerosol formation, believed to be due to the fact that for a given ventilation level, the air flow through the perforations is more uniform than with multiple rows of perforations. In this example, the ventilation region 12 comprises a single row of laser perforations 18.5 mm downstream of the aerosol-generating material 2.

In another embodiment, at least one vent region 12 is positioned to supply outside air to the aerosol-generating material 2. To accomplish this, one or more rows of vent openings extend around the periphery of the article over the rod of aerosol-generating material 2.

The level of ventilation provided by the at least one ventilation region 12 is within the range of 40% to 70% of the amount of aerosol generated by the aerosol-generating material 2 passing through the article 1 when the article 1 is heated by the non-combustible aerosol delivery device 100.

It has been found that the temperature of the aerosol generally increases with decreasing ventilation level. However, the relationship between the temperature of the aerosol and the ventilation level does not appear to be linear, e.g., variations in ventilation due to manufacturing tolerances have less impact at lower target ventilation levels. For example, with a ventilation tolerance of ±15%, for a target ventilation level of 75%, the aerosol temperature may increase by about 6°C at the lower limit of ventilation (60% ventilation). However, at a target ventilation level of 60%, the aerosol temperature may increase by only about 3.5°C at the lower limit of ventilation (45% ventilation). Thus, the target ventilation level of the article may be in the range of 40% to 70%, e.g., 45% to 65%. The average ventilation level of at least 20 articles may be 40% to 70%, e.g., 45% to 70%, or 51% to 59%.

In some embodiments, the additional wrapper 10 at least partially surrounds the aerosol-generating material 2 between the aerosol-generating material 2 and the wrapper 6. In particular, during manufacture of the article, the aerosol-generating material is first wrapped by the additional wrapper 10 and then combined with other components of the article 1 by the wrapper 6.

In some embodiments, the additional wrapper 10 surrounding the aerosol-generating material has a high level of permeability, for example, greater than about 1000 Coresta units, or greater than about 1500 Coresta units, or greater than about 2000 Coresta units. The permeability of the additional wrapper 10 can be measured in accordance with ISO 2965:2009 for determination of air permeability of materials used as cigarette paper, filter plug wrap, and filter bonding paper.

The additional wrapper 10 may be formed from a material with an inherently high level of permeability, an inherently porous material, or may be formed from a material with any inherent level of permeability, where the final level of permeability is achieved by providing the additional wrapper 10 with permeable areas or regions. Providing a permeable additional wrapper 10 provides a path for air to enter the smoking article. The additional wrapper 10 may have a permeability such that the amount of air entering through the rod of aerosol-generating material 2 is relatively greater than the amount of air entering the article 1 through the mouthpiece vent region 12. An article 1 having this configuration may produce a better tasting aerosol, which may be more satisfying to the user.

The mouth end section 20 further comprises a second tubular body 22. The second tubular body 22 defines the mouth end of the article 1. The second tubular body 22 may comprise a tube of cellulose acetate stiffened with a plasticizer. For example, the second tubular body may be configured similarly to that described for the hollow tubular body 3 and may have a wall thickness and/or density in the ranges described for the hollow tubular body 3.

The second tubular body 22 defines a cavity 22a in the mouth end section 20 that opens at the mouth end.

Providing a second tubular body 22 at the downstream end of the article 1 has been found to advantageously significantly reduce the temperature of the outer surface of the article 1 at the downstream end of the mouthpiece that contacts the consumer's mouth when the article 1 is in use.

The use of the second hollow tubular body 22 has also been found to significantly reduce the temperature of the outer surface of the mouth end section 20, even upstream of the second hollow tubular body 22. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is hypothesized that this is because the second hollow tubular body 22 directs the aerosol closer to the center of the mouth end section 20, thus reducing the transfer of heat from the aerosol to the outer surface of the article.

The inner diameter of the second hollow tubular body 22 is preferably greater than 3.0 mm. A smaller diameter would increase the velocity of the aerosol passing through the oral end section 20 to the consumer's mouth at a higher than desired rate, which could result in the aerosol becoming too warm, e.g., reaching a temperature of greater than 40° C. or even greater than 45° C. More preferably, the inner diameter of the tubular body 22 is greater than 3.1 mm, and even more preferably greater than 3.5 mm or 3.6 mm. In one embodiment, the inner diameter of the tubular body 22 is about 3.9 mm.

The "wall thickness" of the second hollow tubular body 22 corresponds to the radial wall thickness of the tube 13. This can be measured in a similar manner as for the hollow tubular element 8. The wall thickness is advantageously greater than 0.9 mm, more preferably greater than or equal to 1.0 mm. The wall thickness is preferably substantially constant around the entire wall of the second hollow tubular element 11. However, if the wall thickness is not substantially constant, the wall thickness is preferably greater than 0.9 mm, more preferably greater than or equal to 1.0 mm, at any point around the second hollow tubular element 11.

The length of the second hollow tubular body 22 is preferably less than about 20 mm. More preferably, the length of the second hollow tubular body 22 is less than about 15 mm. Even more preferably, the length of the second hollow tubular body 22 is less than about 10 mm. Additionally or alternatively, the length of the second hollow tubular body 22 is at least about 5 mm. Preferably, the length of the second hollow tubular body 22 is at least about 6 mm. In some preferred embodiments, the length of the second hollow tubular body 22 is from about 5 mm to about 20 mm, more preferably from about 6 mm to about 10 mm, even more preferably from about 6 mm to about 8 mm, and most preferably about 6 mm, 7 mm, or about 8 mm. In this example, the length of the second hollow tubular body 22 is 6 mm.

In this example, the article 1 includes a body of material 21. The body of material is substantially cylindrical and is disposed immediately downstream of the hollow tubular body 3. The body of material 21 is wrapped with additional packaging material, such as a first plug wrap 23. In some examples, the first plug wrap 23 has a basis weight of less than 50 gsm, for example, a basis weight of about 20 gsm to 40 gsm. For example, the thickness of the first plug wrap 23 can be 30 μm to 60 μm, or 35 μm to 45 μm.

In other examples, the first plug wrap 23 has a basis weight of greater than 65 gsm, e.g., greater than 80 gsm, or greater than 95 gsm. In some examples, the first plug wrap 23 has a basis weight of about 100 gsm. It has been advantageously found that providing a first plug wrap having a basis weight in these ranges and with an embossed pattern can reduce the temperature of the outer surface of the article 1 at the location over the cylindrical body 21. For example, the first plug wrap 23 may have an embossed pattern that includes a repeating hexagonal pattern, a repeating linear pattern, or an embossed pattern that includes a series of raised areas having any suitable shape. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that providing an embossed first plug wrap 23 can provide an air gap between the plug wrap and the additional wrapper 10, which can reduce heat transfer to the outer surface of the article 1.

The first plug wrap 23 is preferably a non-porous plug wrap, e.g., having a permeability of less than 100 Coresta units, e.g., less than 50 Coresta units. However, in other embodiments, the first plug wrap 23 may be a porous plug wrap, e.g., having a permeability of greater than 200 Coresta units.

The second tubular body 22 is separated from the hollow tubular body 3 by the material body 21.

The length of the body of material 21 is preferably less than about 15 mm. More preferably, the length of the body of material 21 is less than about 10 mm. Additionally or alternatively, the length of the body of material 21 is at least about 5 mm. Preferably, the length of the body of material 21 is at least about 6 mm. In some preferred embodiments, the length of the body of material 21 is from about 5 mm to about 15 mm, more preferably from about 6 mm to about 12 mm, even more preferably from about 6 mm to about 12 mm, and most preferably about 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm, or 10 mm. In this example, the length of the body of material 21 is 10 mm.

The body of material 21, also referred to as cylindrical body 21, can be formed without any cavities or hollow portions, e.g., without any cavities or hollow portions having dimensions greater than 0.5 mm. For example, the cylindrical body of material can include a material that extends substantially continuously throughout its volume. It can have, for example, a substantially uniform density across its diameter and/or along its length.

In this example, the body of material 21 is formed from filament tow. In this example, the tow used in the body of material 21 has a single denier of 8.4 denier (d.p.f.: denier per filament) and a total denier of 21,000 denier. Alternatively, the tow may have, for example, a single denier of 9.5 denier (d.p.f.) and a total denier of 12,000 denier. Alternatively, the tow may have, for example, a single denier of 8 denier (d.p.f.) and a total denier of 15,000 denier. In this example, the tow comprises plasticized cellulose acetate tow. The plasticizer used in the tow constitutes about 7% by weight of the tow. In this example, the plasticizer is triacetin. In other examples, different materials can be used to form the body of material 21. For example, the body of material 21 can be formed from paper rather than tow, for example in a manner similar to paper filters known for use in cigarettes. Alternatively, the body 21 can be formed from tow other than cellulose acetate, for example polylactic acid (PLA), other materials described herein for filament tow, or similar materials, for example paper filter materials. The tow is preferably formed from cellulose acetate. Whether the tow is formed from cellulose acetate or other materials, it preferably has a d.p.f. of at least 5, more preferably at least 6, and even more preferably at least 7 d.p.f. These fineness values result in a tow with relatively coarse, thick fibers with a smaller surface area that results in a lower pressure drop across the body of material 21 than a tow with a smaller d.p.f. value. To achieve a sufficiently uniform body of material 21, the fineness of the tow is preferably less than 12 d.p.f. Preferably less than 11 d.p.f., more preferably less than 10 d.p.f.

The total fineness of the tows forming the material body 21 is preferably at most 30,000 denier, more preferably at most 28,000 denier, and even more preferably at most 25,000 denier. Tows of these total fineness values occupy a small percentage of the cross-sectional area of the article 1, resulting in a lower pressure drop across the article 1 than tows having higher total fineness values. To provide the material body 21 with an appropriate hardness, the total fineness of the tows is preferably at least 8,000 denier, and more preferably at least 10,000 denier. A total fineness of 10,000 to 25,000 denier while the single fineness is preferably 5 to 12 denier. A total fineness of 11,000 to 22,000 denier while the single fineness is more preferably 6 to 10 denier. Although it is preferred that the cross-sectional shape of the filaments of the tow is "Y" shaped, in other embodiments, the same d.p.f.f. as provided herein may be used. Other shapes such as "X" or "O" shaped filaments can be used, having a total fineness value of 0.1 to 1.5. The tow may include filaments having a cross section with an isoperimeter ratio of 25 or less, preferably 20 or less, and more preferably 15 or less. In some examples, the body of material 21 may include an adsorbent material (e.g., charcoal) dispersed within the tow.

Regardless of the material used to form the body 6, the pressure drop across the body 6 can be, for example, 0.2-5 mm water column per mm length of the body 6, for example, 0.5-3 mm water column per mm length of the body 6. The pressure drop can be, for example, 0.5-2.5 mm water column/mm length, 1-1.5 mm water column/mm length, or 1.5-2.5 mm water column/mm length. The total pressure drop across the body 6 can be, for example, 2-8 mm water column, or 4-7 mm water column. The total pressure drop across the body 6 can be about 5, 6, or 7 mm water column.

2 shows an article 1' for use as or as part of a non-combustible aerosol delivery system. Article 1' is the same as article 1 except that the cylindrical body 21 of the mouth end section 20' is provided with a capsule 24. The capsule 24 may constitute a breakable capsule, for example a capsule having a solid brittle shell surrounding a liquid payload. In this example, a single capsule is used. The capsule is entirely embedded within the body of material 21. In other words, the capsule is completely surrounded by the material forming the body of material. In other examples, multiple breakable capsules may be disposed within the body of material 21, for example two, three or more breakable capsules. The length of the body of material 21 may be extended to accommodate the number of capsules required. In examples where multiple capsules are used, the individual capsules may be the same as each other or may differ from each other in terms of size and/or capsule payload. In other examples, multiple bodies of material may be provided, each body of material containing one or more capsules.

The capsule 24 has a core-shell structure. In other words, the capsule 24 comprises a shell that encapsulates a liquid agent, such as a flavoring or other agent, which may be any one of the flavorings or aerosol modifiers described herein. The shell of the capsule 24 can be burst by a user to release the flavoring or other agent into the body of material 21. The first plug wrap 23 can comprise a barrier coating to render the material of the plug wrap substantially impermeable to the liquid payload of the capsule. Alternatively or additionally, the further wrapper 6' and/or packaging material 6 can comprise a barrier coating to render the material of the further wrapper 6' and/or packaging material 6 substantially impermeable to the liquid payload of the capsule.

In some examples, the capsule is spherical and has a diameter of about 3 mm. In other examples, capsules of other shapes and sizes can be used. The total weight of the capsule can be in the range of about 10 mg to about 50 mg.

For a given tow specification (such as 8.4Y21000), it is known to generate a tow performance curve that represents the pressure drop through the length of a rod formed using the tow for each of a range of tow weights. Parameters such as the length and circumference of the rod, wrapper thickness, and tow plasticizer level are specified and combined with the tow specification to generate a tow performance curve. The tow performance curve shows the pressure drop provided by different tow weights between a minimum and a maximum weight achievable using standard filter rod forming machines. Such tow performance curves can be calculated, for example, using software available from tow suppliers. It has been found to be particularly advantageous to use a material body 21 that includes a filament tow having a weight per mm of material body 21 length that is about 10% to about 30% of the range between the minimum and maximum weights of the tow performance curve generated for the filament tow. This can provide an acceptable balance between providing a tow weight sufficient to avoid shrinkage after the body 21 is formed, providing an acceptable pressure drop, while also aiding capsule placement within the tow for capsules of the size described herein.

To determine the distribution of the desired aerosol components nicotine and glycerol throughout the article after use, the control samples and the claimed articles according to the present invention were tested as described below. Pre-use levels of glycerol and nicotine in the aerosol-generating materials were also determined using mass balance analysis as described below.

The control sample comprises an aerosol-generating material section having a length of 30 mm, a tubular member 5 located immediately downstream of the aerosol-generating section and having a length of 17 mm, a cylindrical body 21 having a length of 10 mm, and a second tubular body 22 having a length of 6 mm. Sample A has the same general structure as shown in and described with reference to FIG. 1 and comprises an aerosol-generating material section having a length of 30 mm, a tubular member 5 located immediately downstream of the aerosol-generating section and having a length of 8 mm, a first tubular body 3 having a length of 9 mm, a cylindrical body 21 having a length of 10 mm, and a second tubular body 22 having a length of 6 mm.

Samples for mass balance analysis were taken from the aerosol-generating material 2, the cooling section comprising the first tubular body 3 and, if present, the tubular member 5, and the mouth end comprising the cylindrical body 21 and the second tubular body 22.

The amount of nicotine and glycerol in each of the mouth end section, the cooling section, and the aerosol generation section after use of the article can be determined using mass balance analysis. Also, the amount of nicotine and glycerol present in the delivered aerosol can be determined using excretion analysis. Mass balance analysis and excretion analysis are techniques known to those skilled in the art.

上の表１及び表２に示したデータを得るために、質量バランス分析が実施されて、使用後に物品の所与のセクションに存在する所与の物質（本明細書の表１及び表２の例では、それぞれニコチン及びグリセロール）の量を決定した。また、物質バランス分析を用いて、使用前に物品の所与のセクションに存在するニコチン及びグリセロールの量を決定し、その結果、物品中の物質の分布及び物品から生成されるエアロゾル中に存在する量の両方を、最初に与えられた物質の総量と比較することができた。

To obtain the data shown in Tables 1 and 2 above, a mass balance analysis was performed to determine the amount of a given substance (nicotine and glycerol, respectively, in the examples of Tables 1 and 2 herein) present in a given section of the article after use. A mass balance analysis was also used to determine the amount of nicotine and glycerol present in a given section of the article before use, so that both the distribution of the substances in the article and the amount present in the aerosol generated from the article could be compared to the total amount of the substance initially given.

As will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, when an "article" is referred to in connection with these data and the experimental methods by which they were obtained, the "article" does not refer to a single particular article, but rather to an article having a particular design or configuration, and is therefore comparable to other articles having the same particular design or configuration. As explained in more detail below, several such articles were analyzed to obtain the values presented herein (which represent average values). As will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, the same individual articles were not tested both before and after use to obtain the before and after use data points. Instead, the before use data is obtained from several articles having a particular design or configuration, and the after use data is obtained from several separate articles having the same particular design or configuration.

To obtain samples for mass balance analysis, the article is broken down into sections. The number of articles broken down to obtain samples is such that the total mass of the samples analyzed is at least 1 gram. Each sample includes several related components of the broken down article (e.g., aerosol-generating material sections 2, or the cylindrical body 21 and the second tubular body 22) in sufficient numbers that the total mass of the components taken from the several articles together is at least 1 gram. The mass balance analysis should be repeated at least three times, with each repeat being performed on a new sample obtained from a new set of articles. The average amount of material in mg is then obtained from the average of at least three repeats (three repeats x typically 5-8 articles sampled per repeat = 15-24 articles sampled for each average).

As above, mass balance analysis was performed using the sampling protocol described in the previous paragraph to determine the nicotine and glycerol content of the articles prior to use.

Emission analysis may be performed using a standard smoking regime and a heating device intended for use with the article to determine the nicotine and glycerol content of the aerosol produced. The smoking regime is according to the ISO intensity regime (here including a 55ml puff volume, 30 second interval between puffs, and 2 second puff duration), but in an open configuration with optional venting. If the device has any "boost" or additional smoking features, these should not be used to perform the test.

Following use in a standard smoking regime as described above, samples were taken from the articles for mass balance analysis according to the sampling protocol described above to determine the post-use distribution of nicotine and glycerol in the articles.

A comparison of the nicotine and glycerol content of the aerosol from the control article and Sample A indicates that there was 78% more nicotine and 85% more glycerol in the aerosol generated from Sample A. Thus, in articles made in accordance with the present disclosure, significantly increased amounts of the desirable components of the aerosol are available for delivery to the user.

The data presented in Tables 1 and 2 above show that Sample A had less nicotine and glycerol present in both the mouth end section and the cooling section after use compared to the control article. As explained above, this is hypothesized to be due to reduced condensation of the aerosol on the inner surface of the tubular body and within the material of the cylindrical body.

3, a method of manufacturing an article for use with a non-combustion aerosol delivery device 100 that includes a heater 101 is described. The method comprises:
providing an aerosol-generating material 2 comprising at least one aerosol-forming material;
and step S2 of positioning the cylinder 21 downstream of the aerosol-generating material 2 such that the upstream end of the cylinder 21 is less than about 22 mm from the downstream end of the aerosol-generating material 2.

Figure 4 shows article 1" for use as or as part of a non-combustible aerosol delivery system. Article 1" includes many of the same features as articles 1 and 1', and like reference numbers refer to like features. Article 1" differs from article 1 in that it does not include a hollow tubular body 3. Instead, hollow tubular member 5 defines a cavity 5a to form the entire length of the cooling section.

In addition, in the example of FIG. 4, article 1" differs from article 1 in that it does not include a second hollow tubular body 22 downstream of the body of material 21. Instead, the downstream end of the body of material 21 forms the downstream end of article 1". However, the second hollow tubular body 22 may be provided downstream of the body of material 21 according to some examples.

In the example of FIG. 4, the length of the body of material 21 is about 12 mm. Preferably, the length of the body of material 21 is less than about 17 mm. Additionally or alternatively, the length of the body of material 21 is at least about 8 mm. In some preferred embodiments, the length of the body of material 21 is from about 8 mm to about 17 mm, more preferably from about 10 mm to about 14 mm, even more preferably from about 11 mm to about 13 mm, and most preferably about 11 mm, 12 mm, or 13 mm, 9 mm, or 10 mm. In other preferred embodiments, the length of the body of material is from 15 mm to 17 mm, more preferably about 16 mm. In some examples, at least one additional body of material is provided downstream of the aerosol-generating material, such as between the aerosol-generating material and the body of material 21. The combined length of the body of material 21 and the at least one additional body of material may have a combined length corresponding to any of the lengths described above with reference to the body of material 21.

The article 1'' may comprise a rod of aerosol-generating material 2 having a length of about 26 mm. However, the rod of aerosol-generating material 2 may be of any suitable length, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

The distance d' between the downstream end of the article and the ventilation area 12 in FIG. 4 is 12 mm to 21 mm from the downstream end of the article. In some examples, the distance d' between the downstream end of the article is 16 mm to 20 mm, or 18 mm to 19 mm from the downstream end of the article. The distance d' between the downstream end of the article and the ventilation area is preferably about 18.5 mm from the downstream end of the article. In other examples, the ventilation area may be located about 15 mm, 16 mm, 17 mm, or 18 mm from the downstream end of the article. Alternatively or additionally, the ventilation area is preferably located 3.5 mm or less from the downstream end of the hollow tubular member. In this example, the ventilation area is located 2.5 mm from the downstream end of the hollow tubular member.

Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the closer the vent location is to the mouth end of the article, the lower the aerosol temperature. Thus, by locating the vent closer to the mouth end, the cooling of the aerosol can be improved.

The ventilation area may be provided in the wrapper 6 surrounding the hollow tubular member 5, similar to the article 1 of FIG. 1. In some examples, the ventilation area is provided as a hole or perforation. Alternatively or additionally, the hole or perforation may be provided in the hollow tubular member 5.

Surprisingly, it has been found that by locating the ventilation region 12 near the mouth end of the article, the reduction in certain harmful substances from the generated aerosol passing through the article and out the mouth end is greater than the reduction in harmful substances when the ventilation region is located near the aerosol-generating material.

In the example of FIG. 4, the ventilation area 12 is provided by two rows of perforations located 18.5 mm from the mouth end. The ventilation level in this example is 60%. The reduction in NNK was found to be 91.2% compared to 87.2% for a corresponding article with a ventilation area 22.5 mm from the mouth end of the article. It can thus be seen that the reduction in NNK is approximately 4% lower for the article with a ventilation area 22.5 mm from the mouth end of the article compared to article 1'' with a ventilation area 18.5 mm from the mouth end of the article.

Similarly, the reduction in NNN was found to be 80.6%, compared to 55.5% for a corresponding article with a ventilation area 22.5 mm from the mouth end of the article. Thus, it can be seen that the reduction in NNN is approximately 25% lower for the article with a ventilation area 22.5 mm from the mouth end of the article compared to Article 1'', which has a ventilation area 18.5 mm from the mouth end of the article.

However, it has also been found that placing the vent closer to the mouth end delivers more nicotine than articles with vents located closer to the aerosol-generating material.

In particular, the article shown in Figure 4 was found to deliver 0.84 mg/cig of nicotine compared to 0.71 mg/cig for a corresponding article having a ventilation area 22.5 mm from the mouth end of the article.

Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is also believed that providing a vent closer to the mouth end delivers more of the aerosol-forming agent (e.g., glycerol) to the user compared to articles having a vent closer to the aerosol-generating material.

It can therefore be seen that article 1'' as shown in FIG. 4 can deliver more nicotine and aerosol while reducing the levels of undesirable harmful substances by providing a ventilation area closer to the mouth end of the article.

5, a method of manufacturing an article 1'' for use with a non-combustion aerosol delivery device 100 comprising a heater 101 is described. The method comprises:
providing an aerosol-generating material 2 comprising at least one aerosol-forming material;
Step S2 of disposing a hollow tubular member downstream of the aerosol-generating material 2;
Step S3 of disposing a cylindrical body substantially downstream of the hollow tubular member, the downstream end of the cylindrical body forming the downstream end of the article, the distance between the downstream end of the cylindrical body and the downstream end of the hollow tubular member being at least 8 mm;
and step S4 of providing at least one vent area between 12 mm and 21 mm from the downstream end of the article.

The method can also be performed in combination with the method described in connection with FIG. 3, such that the cylinder is less than about 22 mm from the downstream end of the aerosol-generating material.

Figure 6 shows an example of a non-combustion aerosol delivery device 100 with a heater 101 for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-generating medium/material, such as the aerosol-generating material 2 of any of the articles 1, 1', 1" described herein. In the examples described herein, the general article 110 shown in Figures 6-10B can be considered to correspond to any of the articles 1, 1', 1" described herein. Generally, the device 100 can be used to heat a replaceable article 110 with an aerosol-generating medium, such as the article 10 described herein, to generate an aerosol or other inhalable medium that is inhaled by a user of the device 100. The device 100 and the replaceable article 110 together form a system.

The device 100 comprises a housing 102 (in the form of an outer cover) that surrounds and contains the various components of the device 100. The device 100 has an opening 104 at one end through which an item 110 can be inserted for heating by a heater 101 (hereafter referred to as the heating assembly). In use, the item 110 can be fully or partially inserted into the heating assembly and heated by one or more components of the heater assembly.

The device 100 in this example includes a first end member 106 with a lid 108 movable relative to the first end member 106 to close the opening 104 when the article 110 is not in place. In FIG. 6, the lid 108 is shown in an open configuration, but the lid 108 can be moved to a closed configuration. For example, a user can slide the lid 108 in the direction of arrow "B."

Device 100 may also include a user-operable control element 112, such as a button or switch that, when pressed, operates device 100. For example, a user may turn device 100 on by operating switch 112.

The device 100 may also include an electrical component, such as a socket/port 114 that can accept a cable to charge a battery of the device 100. For example, the socket 114 may be a charging port, such as a USB charging port.

7 shows the device 100 of FIG. 6 with the outer cover 102 removed and without the article 110 present. The device 100 defines a longitudinal axis 134. As shown in FIG. 7, the first end member 106 is disposed at one end of the device 100 and the second end member 116 is disposed at an opposite end of the device 100. The first end member 106 and the second end member 116 together at least partially define an end surface of the device 100. For example, the bottom surface of the second end member 116 at least partially defines the bottom surface of the device 100. An edge of the outer cover 102 may also define a portion of the end surface. In this example, the lid 108 also defines a portion of the top surface of the device 100.

The end of the device closest to the opening 104 is sometimes known as the proximal end (or mouth end) of the device 100 because it is closest to the user's mouth during use. In use, a user inserts an article 110 into the opening 104 and operates a user control 112 to initiate heating of the aerosol-generating material and draw in the aerosol generated within the device. This causes the aerosol to flow along a flow path through the device 100 toward the proximal end of the device 100.

The other end of the device furthest from the opening 104 is sometimes known as the distal end of the device 100 because it is the end furthest from the user's mouth when in use. When a user draws in aerosol generated within the device, the aerosol flows away from the distal end of the device 100.

The device 100 further comprises a power source 118. The power source 118 may be, for example, a battery, such as a rechargeable or non-rechargeable battery. Examples of suitable batteries include, for example, lithium batteries (such as lithium ion batteries), nickel batteries (such as nickel cadmium batteries), and alkaline batteries. The battery is electrically coupled to the heating assembly to provide power to heat the aerosol generating material when needed under the control of a controller (not shown). In this example, the battery is connected to a central support 120 that holds the battery 118 in place.

The device further comprises at least one electronic module 122. The electronic module 122 may comprise, for example, a printed circuit board (PCB). The PCB 122 may support at least one controller, such as a processor, and a memory. The PCB 122 may also comprise one or more electrical tracks for electrically connecting together various electronic components of the device 100. For example, battery terminals may be electrically connected to the PCB 122 so that power can be distributed throughout the device 100. The socket 114 may also be electrically coupled to the battery via electrical tracks.

In the exemplary device 100, the heating assembly is an induction heating assembly, which includes various components for heating the aerosol-generating material of the article 110 by an induction heating process. Induction heating is a process of heating an electrical conductor (such as a susceptor) by electromagnetic induction. The induction heating assembly can include an induction element, for example one or more inductor coils, and a device for passing a varying current, such as an alternating current, through the induction element. The varying current in the induction element produces a varying magnetic field. The varying magnetic field penetrates a susceptor, which is suitably positioned relative to the induction element, and generates eddy currents in the susceptor. The susceptor has an electrical resistance to the eddy currents, and thus the susceptor is heated by Joule heating due to the eddy currents flowing against this resistance. If the susceptor includes a ferromagnetic material, such as iron, nickel, or cobalt, heat can also be generated by magnetic hysteresis losses in the susceptor, i.e., the orientation of magnetic dipoles in the magnetic material varies as a result of aligning with the varying magnetic field. In induction heating, heat is generated inside the susceptor, which allows for rapid heating, as compared to, for example, heating by conduction. Furthermore, no physical contact between the induction heater and the susceptor is required, which allows for greater flexibility in design and application.

The induction heating assembly of the exemplary device 100 includes a susceptor structure 132 (referred to herein as a "susceptor"), a first inductor coil 124, and a second inductor coil 126. The first inductor coil 124 and the second inductor coil 126 are made from an electrically conductive material. In this example, the first inductor coil 124 and the second inductor coil 126 are made from a Litz wire/cable that is wound in a helical shape to provide the helical inductor coils 124, 126. The Litz wire includes multiple individual wires that are individually insulated and twisted together to form a single wire. The Litz wire is designed to reduce the skin effect losses of the conductor. In the exemplary device 100, the first inductor coil 124 and the second inductor coil 126 are made from copper Litz wire with a rectangular cross section. In other examples, the Litz wire can have other shaped cross sections, such as circular.

The first inductor coil 124 is configured to generate a first varying magnetic field for heating a first section of the susceptor 132, and the second inductor coil 126 is configured to generate a second varying magnetic field for heating a second section of the susceptor 132. In this example, the first inductor coil 124 is adjacent to the second inductor coil 126 in a direction along the longitudinal axis 134 of the device 100 (i.e., the first inductor coil 124 and the second inductor coil 126 do not overlap). The susceptor structure 132 may comprise a single susceptor, or two or more separate susceptors. Ends 130 of the first inductor coil 124 and the second inductor coil 126 may be connected to the PCB 122.

It will be appreciated that in some examples, the first inductor coil 124 and the second inductor coil 126 may have at least one characteristic that differs from one another. For example, the first inductor coil 124 may have at least one characteristic that differs from the second inductor coil 126. More specifically, in one example, the first inductor coil 124 may have a different inductance value than the second inductor coil 126. In FIG. 5, the first inductor coil 124 and the second inductor coil 126 are of different lengths, such that the first inductor coil 124 is wound on a smaller section of the susceptor 132 than the second inductor coil 126. Thus, the first inductor coil 124 may have a different number of turns than the second inductor coil 126 (assuming that the spacing between the individual turns is substantially the same). In yet another example, the first inductor coil 124 may be made of a different material than the second inductor coil 126. In some examples, the first inductor coil 124 and the second inductor coil 126 may be substantially identical.

In this example, the first inductor coil 124 and the second inductor coil 126 are wound in opposite directions. This can be useful when the inductor coils are operating at different times. For example, the first inductor coil 124 may initially be operating to heat a first section/portion of the article 110, and then the second inductor coil 126 may be operating to heat a second section/portion of the article 110. Winding the coils in opposite directions helps reduce current induced in the inactive coil when used with certain types of control circuits. In FIG. 5, the first inductor coil 124 is a right-handed spiral and the second inductor coil 126 is a left-handed spiral. However, in other embodiments, the inductor coil 124 and the inductor coil 126 may be wound in the same direction, or the first inductor coil 124 may be a left-handed spiral and the second inductor coil 126 may be a right-handed spiral.

The susceptor 132 in this example is hollow and thus defines a receptacle therein for receiving the aerosol-generating material. For example, the article 110 can be inserted into the susceptor 132. In this example, the susceptor 120 is tubular with a circular cross-section.

The susceptor 132 may be made from one or more materials. Preferably, the susceptor 132 comprises carbon steel coated with nickel or cobalt.

In some examples, the susceptor 132 may include at least two materials that can be heated at two different frequencies to selectively aerosolize at least two materials. For example, a first section of the susceptor 132 (heated by the first inductor coil 124) may include a first material, and a second section of the susceptor 132 (heated by the second inductor coil 126) may include a different second material. In another example, the first section may include a first and a second material, and the first and second materials may be heated differently based on the operation of the first inductor coil 124. The first and second materials may be adjacent along an axis defined by the susceptor 132 or may form different layers within the susceptor 132. Similarly, the second section may include a third and a fourth material, and the third and fourth materials may be heated differently based on the operation of the second inductor coil 126. The third material and the fourth material may be adjacent along an axis defined by the susceptor 132 or may form different layers within the susceptor 132. For example, the third material may be the same as the first material and the fourth material may be the same as the second material. Alternatively, each of the materials may be different. For example, the susceptor may include carbon steel or aluminum.

7 further includes an insulating member 128, which may be generally tubular and at least partially surround the susceptor 132. The insulating member 128 may be constructed from any insulating material, such as, for example, plastic. In this particular example, the insulating material is constructed from polyether ether ketone (PEEK). The insulating material 128 may help insulate various components of the device 100 from heat generated by the susceptor 132.

The insulating member 128 may also fully or partially support the first inductor coil 124 and the second inductor coil 126. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the first inductor coil 124 and the second inductor coil 126 are disposed around the insulating member 128 and are in contact with the radially outward surface of the insulating member 128. In some examples, the insulating member 128 does not abut the first inductor coil 124 and the second inductor coil 126. For example, there may be a slight gap between the outer surface of the insulating member 128 and the inner surfaces of the first inductor coil 124 and the second inductor coil 126.

In a particular example, the susceptor 132, the insulating member 128, and the first and second inductor coils 124 and 126 are concentric about a central longitudinal axis of the susceptor 132.

Figure 8 is a partial cross-sectional side view of device 100, with outer cover 102 present in this example. The rectangular cross-sectional shapes of first inductor coil 124 and second inductor coil 126 can be seen more clearly.

The device 100 further includes a support 136 that engages one end of the susceptor 132 to hold the susceptor 132 in place. The support 136 is connected to the second end member 116.

The device may also include an associated second printed circuit board 138 within the control element 112.

The device 100 further includes a second lid/cap 140 and a spring 142 disposed toward the distal end of the device 100. The spring 142 allows the second lid 140 to be opened to access the susceptor 132. A user can open the second lid 140 to clean the susceptor 132 and/or the support 136.

The device 100 further comprises an expansion chamber 144 extending away from the proximal end of the susceptor 132 toward the opening 104 of the device. A retaining clip 146 is at least partially disposed within the expansion chamber 144 for abutting and retaining the article 110 when the article 110 is received within the device 100. The expansion chamber 144 is connected to the end member 106.

Figure 9 is an exploded view of the device 100 of Figure 8, omitting the outer cover 102.

10A shows a cross-section of a portion of the device 100 of FIG. 8. FIG. 10B shows an enlarged view of an area of FIG. 10A. FIGS. 10A and 10B show the article 110 received within the susceptor 132, where the article 110 is dimensioned such that the outer surface of the article 110 abuts the inner surface of the susceptor 132. This ensures that heating is most efficient. The article 110 in this example comprises an aerosol-generating material 110a. The aerosol-generating material 110a is disposed within the susceptor 132. The article 110 may also comprise other components, such as a filter, packaging material, and/or cooling structures.

FIG. 10B shows that the outer surface of the susceptor 132 is spaced a distance 150 from the inner surfaces of the inductor coils 124, 126, measured in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 158 of the susceptor 132. In one particular example, the distance 150 is about 3 mm to 4 mm, about 3 to 3.5 mm, or about 3.25 mm.

10B further illustrates that the outer surface of the insulating member 128 is spaced from the inner surfaces of the inductor coils 124, 126 by a distance 152 measured in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 158 of the susceptor 132. In one particular example, the distance 152 is about 0.05 mm. In another example, the distance 152 is substantially 0 mm, such that the inductor coils 124, 126 are in abutting contact with the insulating member 128.

In one example, the susceptor 132 has a wall thickness 154 of about 0.025 mm to 1 mm, or about 0.05 mm.

In one example, the susceptor 132 has a length of about 40 mm to 60 mm, about 40 mm to 45 mm, or about 44.5 mm.

In one example, the insulating member 128 has a wall thickness 156 of about 0.25 mm to 2 mm, 0.25 mm to 1 mm, or about 0.5 mm.

In use, the articles 1, 1', 1'' described herein can be inserted into a non-combustible aerosol delivery device, such as the device 100 described with reference to Figures 6-10B. At least a portion of the mouthpiece 20 of the article 110 protrudes from the non-combustible aerosol delivery device 100 and can be placed into the mouth of a user. An aerosol is generated by heating an aerosol-generating material 2 using the device 100. The aerosol generated by the aerosol-generating material 2 passes through the mouthpiece 20 to the user's mouth.

The various embodiments described herein are presented only to aid in the understanding and teaching of the claimed features. These embodiments are provided as merely representative examples of the embodiments, and are not exhaustive or exclusive of all embodiments. The advantages, embodiments, examples, features, structures, and/or other aspects described herein should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention as defined by the claims, or the equivalents of the claims, and it is understood that other embodiments can be utilized and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. The various embodiments of the present invention may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of any suitable combination of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc., other than those specifically described herein. In addition, the present disclosure may include other inventions that are not currently claimed but may be claimed in the future.

Claims (20)

1. An article for use as, or as part of, a non-combustion aerosol delivery system, comprising:
an aerosol-generating material comprising at least one aerosol-forming material;
a cylinder disposed downstream of the aerosol-forming material;
a hollow tubular body disposed downstream of the aerosol-forming material, the hollow tubular body having a wall thickness greater than 0.325 mm;
a hollow tubular member disposed immediately upstream of the hollow tubular body;
the distance between the downstream end of the aerosol-forming material and the upstream end of the cylinder is less than 22 mm ;
the cylindrical body is disposed immediately downstream of the hollow tubular body;
The article , wherein the hollow tubular body has a density of 0.25 g/cm ³ to 0.75 g/cm ³ . the hollow tubular body having a first inner diameter and the hollow tubular member having a second inner diameter;
The article of claim 1 , wherein the second inner diameter is greater than the first inner diameter. 3. The article of claim 2 , wherein the second inner diameter is at least about 1 mm, 1.5 mm, or 2 mm larger than the first inner diameter. 3. The article of claim 2 , wherein the second inner diameter is between 4 mm and 7.5 mm and the first inner diameter is between 2 mm and 4.5 mm. The article of claim 1 , wherein the aerosol-forming material is provided in an aerosol-forming material section, the aerosol-forming material section having a length greater than a length of the hollow tubular member. The article of claim 1 , wherein the hollow tubular member has a length less than 20 mm, or less than 19 mm, or less than 18 mm. The article of claim 1 , wherein the hollow tubular member is formed from paper, plastic, or filament tow. The article of claim 1 , wherein the hollow tubular body is formed from paper, plastic, or filament tow. 2. The article of claim 1 , wherein the hollow tubular body comprises triacetin in an amount less than 16 % by weight of the hollow tubular body, or less than 15 % by weight of the hollow tubular body, or less than 13% by weight of the hollow tubular body. a second hollow tubular body disposed at a downstream end of the article ;
The article of claim 1 , wherein the hollow tubular body comprises a first hollow tubular body . 11. The article of claim 10 , wherein the second hollow tubular body is formed from paper, plastic, or filament tow, and/or the second hollow tubular body has a wall thickness of at least 0.5 mm. The article of claim 10 , wherein the second hollow tubular body has a density of from 0.25 g/cc to 0.75 g/cc. The article of claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical body is surrounded by a packaging material, the packaging material comprising an embossed pattern. The article of claim 1 , wherein the cylinder is substantially continuous throughout its volume. 1. A method of forming an article , comprising:
Providing an aerosol-generating material comprising at least one aerosol-forming material;
positioning a cylinder downstream of the aerosol-generating material such that an upstream end of the cylinder is less than 22 mm from a downstream end of the aerosol-generating material ;
disposing a hollow tubular body downstream of the aerosol-generating material, the hollow tubular body having a wall thickness greater than 0.325 mm and a density between 0.25 g/cm ³ and 0.75 g/cm ³ ;
disposing a hollow tubular member disposed immediately upstream of the hollow tubular body;
and disposing said cylindrical body immediately downstream of said hollow tubular body. An article according to any one of claims 1 to 14 ;
and a non-combustion aerosol delivery device having a heater. a non-combustible aerosol delivery device;
and the article of any one of claims 1 to 14 , wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises a quantity of nicotine,
A system, wherein, when in use, the aerosol generated by the system comprises at least 30% of the amount of nicotine supplied to the aerosol generating material prior to use, or at least 35% of the amount of nicotine supplied to the aerosol generating material prior to use, or at least 40% of the amount of nicotine supplied to the aerosol generating material prior to use. 17. The system of claim 16 , used in accordance with a standard smoking regimen including a puff volume of 55 ml, an interval between puffs of 30 seconds, and a puff duration of 2 seconds. a non-combustible aerosol delivery device;
and the article of any one of claims 1 to 14 , wherein the aerosol-generating material comprises a quantity of glycerol,
A system, wherein, during use, the aerosol generated by the system comprises at least 15% of the amount of glycerol provided to the aerosol generating material prior to use, or at least 20% of the amount of glycerol provided to the aerosol generating material prior to use. 20. The system of claim 19 , used in accordance with a standard smoking regimen including a puff volume of 55 ml, an interval between puffs of 30 seconds, and a puff duration of 2 seconds.

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