JP7688885B2 - Smoking cartridges - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cartridge for a smoking article.

In recent years, tobacco products that do not use a flame but heat a tobacco cartridge containing tobacco ingredients and inhale the vaporized tobacco ingredients have become widely known. In addition, due to the diversification of tastes, cartridge products that allow you to enjoy the aroma and flavor of plants that do not contain tobacco ingredients, without using a flame like tobacco, are also becoming known.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes that "a smoking article for use in an aerosol-generating device includes an aerosol-forming substrate located at the most upstream end of the smoking article and a support element located immediately downstream of the aerosol-forming substrate. The support element abuts the aerosol-forming substrate, and the aerosol-forming substrate is configured to be penetrable by a heating element of the aerosol-generating device having a diameter between about 40 percent and about 70 percent of the diameter of the aerosol-forming substrate without substantially deforming the smoking article. The support element is configured to resist downstream movement of the aerosol-forming substrate during insertion of the heating element of the aerosol-generating device into the aerosol-forming substrate" (see abstract).

Special Publication No. 2015-519915

The support element (support) described in Patent Document 1 is composed of a hollow cylindrical member with a flow path formed in the center, which causes problems such as a complex structure and high manufacturing costs. In addition, in Patent Document 1, the outer periphery (thick part) of the support element abuts against the aerosol-forming substrate, which causes problems such as unevenness in the amount of aerosol generated and the flow.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a cartridge for a smoking article that simplifies the structure of the support while suppressing unevenness in the amount of aerosol generated and the flow.

In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention is a cartridge for a smoking tool, comprising an aerosol-forming substrate made from a tobacco plant or a non-tobacco plant, a mouthpiece arranged coaxially with the aerosol-forming substrate, and a support arranged between the aerosol-forming substrate and the mouthpiece and supporting the aerosol-forming substrate, the support being made of an axial member formed by rolling a sheet-like member, the axial member being arranged so that its axial direction is aligned with the central axis of the smoking tool cartridge, and the aerosol generated by heating the aerosol-forming substrate is formed to be able to pass through the inside of the axial member.

The present invention provides a cartridge for a smoking article that simplifies the structure of the support while suppressing unevenness in the amount of aerosol generated and the flow. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become clear from the description of the embodiment below.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a cartridge for a smoking article according to a first embodiment. Cross-sectional view of FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a support (shaft-shaped member) shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is a cross-sectional view of the smoking article cartridge shown in FIG. 1 inserted into the smoking article. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a support according to Modification Example 1-1. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a support according to Modification 1-2. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the state before the support according to the modified example 1-3 is completed. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the support body according to the modified example 1-3 after completion. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a cartridge for a smoking article according to a second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the support (shaft-shaped member) shown in FIG. 8 . FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a support according to Modification 2-1. A cross-sectional view of a cartridge for a smoking article including a support body according to variant example 2-2. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge for a smoking article, showing a state in which the support body shown in FIG. 11 is displaced. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a support according to a third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a support according to Modification Example 3-1. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a support according to Modification 3-2.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment
Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a smoking article cartridge 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the smoking article cartridge 1 according to the first embodiment includes a heated body 20, a support body 30, and a mouthpiece 40. The heated body 20, the support body 30, and the mouthpiece 40 are arranged side by side on a central axis C1. The heated body 20, the support body 30, and the mouthpiece 40 are wrapped and integrated by a sheet-like exterior member 10. The exterior member 10 is made of, for example, paper.

The cartridge 1 for smoking articles shown in FIG. 1 is formed, for example, with a diameter of 6.5 to 7.5 mm and a length of 40 to 60 mm. The heated body 20 has a length of 10 to 25 mm. Of course, the cartridge 1 for smoking articles may be formed with other dimensions.

The heated object 20 is formed into a cylindrical shape by wrapping the aerosol-forming substrate 23, which is the filler, in a sheet-like wrapping member 25, and the aerosol-forming substrate 23 is exposed at both ends. In other words, both ends of the heated object 20 are not covered with a lid member (e.g., paper). The wrapping member 25 is made of, for example, paper, but any material can be used as long as it is a sheet-like member. Note that the wrapping member 25 may be omitted by wrapping the aerosol-forming substrate 23 directly in the exterior member 10, or the aerosol-forming substrate 23 may be covered with a lid member.

The aerosol-forming substrate 23 is composed of smoking material made from tobacco plants or non-tobacco plants, which will be described in detail later. The aerosol-forming substrate 23 is composed, for example, of a bundle of rectangular members, and is arranged so that its axial direction (longitudinal direction) is aligned with the central axis C1.

When the aerosol-forming substrate 23 is made of a strip-shaped member, the cross section perpendicular to the central axis C1 is substantially rectangular, and the ratio of the long side to the short side of the cross section is preferably in the range of, for example, 1.5:1 to 30:1. In addition, it is preferable that the length of the aerosol-forming substrate 23 is substantially the same as the length of the heated body 20. An example of the dimensions of the aerosol-forming substrate 23 is a long side of 1.5 mm, a short side of 0.3 mm, and a length of 12 mm.

Of course, the aerosol-forming substrate 23 is not limited to a strip-shaped member. For example, it may be a rod-shaped member, or a powder-like or paste-like member. The aerosol-forming substrate 23 may also be configured as a combination of a strip-shaped member and a powder-like member, a strip-shaped member and a rod-shaped member, a rod-shaped member and a powder-like member, or a strip-shaped member, a rod-shaped member and a powder-like member. In these cases, it is preferable to use at least a part of the raw materials of each member that are different, as this improves the aroma and taste.

The mouthpiece 40 is a part that constitutes the mouthpiece of the smoking device cartridge 1, and is made of, for example, paper. The mouthpiece 40 may also include a cellulose acetate filter that removes fine particles. Some of the fine particles in the water vapor and aerosol generated by the heated body 20 are filtered by the filter of this mouthpiece 40.

The support 30 is composed of a single shaft-shaped member 31 formed by rolling up a thin sheet-like material (e.g., paper, a polymer sheet, a rubber sheet, a metal sheet, etc.) into a cylindrical shape. The shaft-shaped member 31 is arranged so that its axial direction (longitudinal direction) is aligned with the central axis C1 of the smoking article cartridge 1. One end of the shaft-shaped member 31 abuts against the aerosol-forming substrate 23, and the other end abuts against the mouthpiece 40, thereby restricting the axial movement of the aerosol-forming substrate 23. In other words, the aerosol-forming substrate 23 is prevented from falling off the heated body 20.

In this embodiment, the diameter of the shaft-shaped member 31 is smaller than the diameter of the heated body 20, approximately 2/3. An annular space S1 is formed between the outer circumferential surface of the shaft-shaped member 31 and the exterior member 10. This space S1 constitutes a flow path through which the aerosol flows. The diameter of the shaft-shaped member 100 is arbitrary, and may be approximately equal to the diameter of the heated body 20. In this case, the space S1 is hardly formed. The shaft-shaped member 100 only needs to be arranged so as to be generally aligned with the central axis C1 of the smoking article cartridge 1, and may be arranged at a slight incline.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a perspective view of the support 30 (shaft-shaped member 31). As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the shaft-shaped member 31 is formed by winding a sheet-like member into a spiral shape multiple times, and is formed so that an aerosol can pass through it. Specifically, in a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction of the shaft-shaped member 31, a spiral-shaped flow path 35 is formed uniformly along the axial direction of the shaft-shaped member 31. The aerosol reaches the mouthpiece 40 while being cooled as it flows through this flow path 35.

The width W of the flow path 35 is set to a size that does not allow the aerosol-forming substrate 23 to pass through. This prevents the aerosol-forming substrate 23 from clogging the flow path 35. For example, if the aerosol-forming substrate 23 is formed in a powdery or granular form, the width W of the flow path 35 may be set smaller than the average particle size of the aerosol-forming substrate 23. If the aerosol-forming substrate 23 is formed in a strip or rod shape, the width W of the flow path 35 may be set smaller than the long side of the cross section of the aerosol-forming substrate 23.

Next, specific examples of raw materials used as the aerosol-forming substrate 23 will be described. The aerosol-forming substrate 23 is composed of any one or a combination of the raw materials listed below.

The aerosol-forming substrate 23 is made from tobacco plants or non-tobacco plants. Examples of tobacco plants include tobacco leaves, tobacco stems, expanded tobacco, homogenized tobacco, etc. Examples of non-tobacco plants include plants other than tobacco plants. Preferred parts of non-tobacco plants include leaves, pulp, seeds, roots (scale roots, tuberous roots, etc.), stems, tubers, skin (stem skin, bark, etc.), flowers (petals, stamens, pistils, etc.), trunks, branches, etc.

In this specification, "plants" refers to a group of organisms, as opposed to animals, and includes not only organisms that have roots and live in a fixed location, such as grass and trees, but also algae such as microalgae and seaweed, and fungi such as mushrooms.

The aerosol-forming substrate 23 is prepared, for example, by mixing aerosol formers that generate aerosols, microcrystalline cellulose, additives that add flavor, preservatives, binders, thickeners, etc. with dried and crushed non-tobacco plants as appropriate, and then crushing or classifying the mixture into powder or granules, or forming it into a paste. The aerosol-forming substrate 23 is also formed into a sheet, which is then cut to a predetermined width and length to form strips or rods.

For example, when the non-tobacco plant part is a leaf, teas can be preferably used. Not only do different plants produce different types of tea, but even the same plant can produce different types of tea depending on the processing method. Specific examples include Japanese tea, black tea, Angelica leaf tea, sweet tea, Gynostemma tea, aloe tea, ginkgo leaf tea, oolong tea, turmeric tea, Quercus salicina tea, Eleuthero tea, plantain tea, kakiodoshi tea, persimmon leaf tea, chamomile tea, chamomile tea, Kawara Kesmei tea, quince tea, chrysanthemum tea, gymnema tea, guava tea, wolfberry tea, soft leaf tea, black bean tea, gennoshoko tea, brown rice tea, burdock tea, comfrey tea, bifu tea, cherry blossom tea, Examples include saffron tea, shiitake mushroom tea, perilla tea, jasmine tea, ginger tea, horsetail tea, sekisho tea, swertia tea, buckwheat tea, taranoki tea, dandelion tea, sweet tea, dokudami tea, eucommia tea, sword bean tea, elderberry tea, nelumbo gracilis tea, pearl barley tea, hub tea, loquat leaf tea, pu-erh tea, safflower tea, pine needle tea, mate tea, barley tea, megusurinoki tea, mugwort tea, eucalyptus tea, monk fruit tea, rooibos tea, and bitter melon tea. For these teas, tea leaves after drinking can be used. Using tea leaves allows expensive tea to be reused and put to good use.

Furthermore, extracts of non-tobacco plants such as those listed above, so-called extracts and processed products, can also be used. The extracts may be in the form of liquid, starch syrup, powder, granules, solution, etc.

Examples of aerosol formers as raw materials for the aerosol-forming substrate 23 include glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbitol, triethylene glycol, lactic acid, diacetin (glycerin diacetate), triacetin (glycerin triacetate), triethylene glycol diacetate, triethyl citrate, isopropyl myristate, methyl stearate, dimethyl dodecanedione, and dimethyl tetradecanedione. Among these, glycerin and propylene glycol are preferred.

The microcrystalline cellulose used as the raw material for the aerosol-forming substrate 23 is obtained, for example, by partially depolymerizing α-cellulose obtained from the pulp of a fibrous plant with an acid, and is obtained by removing the soluble portion from the cellulose and, if necessary, crystallizing the insoluble portion.

Microcrystalline cellulose may be in powder form or may be dispersed in a solvent such as water to form a suspension. In this case, a high-speed stirrer or high-pressure homogenizer can be used to disperse the cellulose in the solvent.

Furthermore, flavor additives that add flavor are preferably used as ingredients of the aerosol-forming substrate 23 as needed. Examples of flavor additives include mint, cocoa, coffee, black tea extract, and tea extract catechin powder. Preservatives that are used in food are preferred, such as sorbic acid, potassium sorbate, benzoic acid, and sodium benzoate.

The aerosol-forming substrate 23 may contain menthol and a water-insoluble cross-linked polymer (preferably polyvinylpolypyrrolidone). By combining menthol with a water-insoluble cross-linked polymer, sublimation of menthol can be effectively suppressed, and the flavor of menthol can be maintained for a long period of time. Here, menthol is not limited to that obtained from natural products, but may also be a synthetic product. Also, peppermint, mint, peppermint oil, and other substances containing menthol may be used.

The flavor additive is provided in the mouthpiece 40, for example, by impregnating the wall of the mouthpiece 40. The manner in which the flavor additive is provided in the mouthpiece 40 is not limited to this manner, and for example, the flavor additive may be provided in the mouthpiece 40 by embedding a capsule containing the flavor additive in the wall of the mouthpiece 40. Alternatively, a capsule containing the flavor additive may be disposed between the mouthpiece 40 and the heated body 20. When the flavor additive is enclosed in a capsule, the smoker can break the capsule by pressing it with his or her finger, and the aromatic components of the flavor additive can be volatilized at the desired timing.

Furthermore, if the flavor additive is, for example, encapsulated in a microcapsule, the encapsulated microcapsule may be provided in the heated body 20. Of course, the microcapsule (capsule 60) may be provided in the support 30 (see FIG. 7B).

Binders or thickeners as raw materials for the aerosol-forming substrate 23 include gums such as guar gum, xanthan gum, gum arabic, and locust bean gum, cellulose binders such as hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, methylcellulose, and ethylcellulose, polysaccharides such as starch, organic acids such as alginic acid, sodium alginate, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, caranagin, agar, and conjugate base salts of organic acids such as pectin, and combinations thereof.

(Method for producing an aerosol-forming substrate)
The manufacturing method of the aerosol-forming substrate 23 described above will be described in detail below in terms of each step. The manufacturing process of the aerosol-forming substrate 23 includes a drying/grinding step of drying/grinding a tobacco plant or a non-tobacco plant as a main raw material and weighing the dried product, a preparation step of pretreating other raw materials and weighing the raw materials, a mixing step of mixing the raw materials to form a composition, and a filler molding step of molding the composition.

In the drying and grinding process, the parts of the tobacco plant or non-tobacco plant that are the main raw material (e.g., leaves, seeds, dried fruit, stems, bark, roots, etc.) that are used are processed into a specific ground material to make a composition. In this case, it is preferable to adjust the moisture content to a level that is convenient for absorbing or carrying the aerosol former, water, and other components that are added later. In the drying process, the temperature is preferably 60°C or higher and 80°C or lower. By setting it in this range, it is easy to reach the desired moisture content while avoiding the loss of the necessary flavor components. Furthermore, the drying and grinding process can also be provided with a sieving process to sieve the ground material, and it can be adjusted to the desired particle size before being fed into the mixing process.

In the preparation process, the raw materials required to produce the aerosol-forming substrate 23 can be prepared. The aforementioned microcrystalline cellulose is weighed in the preparation process and then fed into the mixing process.

In the mixing process, a conventional mixer can be used. For example, a mixing device that mixes the raw materials in a mixing tank while applying shear force with a stirring blade is preferably used.

In the filling forming process, the composition in which various raw materials are mixed is formed into a thin sheet and then cut to form a rectangular or rod-shaped aerosol-forming substrate 23. In this embodiment, multiple roll mills are prepared to make thin sheets. The use of multiple roll mills is preferable because it is possible to compress the material by forcing it between the narrow rolls and shear the material due to the difference in roll speed, while kneading and dispersing the material, and then form a sheet of the desired thickness using a doctor blade. It can also be made using a press roller or a press machine.

To obtain a powdered or granular aerosol-forming substrate 23, it is preferable to crush or classify the composition as appropriate. The average particle diameter of the powdered or granular aerosol-forming substrate 23 is preferably, for example, 0.1 to 3.0 mm, and more preferably 0.5 mm or less. The average particle diameter is determined, for example, by the sieving method described in JIS K 0069:1992. In other words, this average particle diameter is the diameter equivalent to 50% of the mass obtained by accumulating the mass from the larger openings in the test results using multiple sieves. The particle diameter at 50% of the accumulated value in the particle size distribution determined by the laser diffraction/scattering method may also be used as the average particle diameter.

In the filling forming step, other means may be used, such as passing the composition through an orifice under pressure to form the composition. In addition, in the filling forming step, non-tobacco plants, aerosol formers, binders or thickeners, flavor additives, preservatives, or water may be added as necessary.

The thickness of the sheet obtained in the filling molding process is preferably in the range of 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm, and more preferably in the range of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm. The obtained sheet is cut to a specified width using a cutter, a rotary cutter using a rotating blade, etc.

Here, when imparting adhesiveness to the surface of the aerosol-forming substrate 23, there are no particular limitations as long as the means is capable of imparting adhesiveness, and it is sufficient to attach the aforementioned binder to at least a portion of the substrate. By imparting adhesiveness, when a strip-shaped or rod-shaped aerosol-forming substrate 23 is combined with a powdery, granular, or pasty aerosol-forming substrate 23, the powdery, granular, or pasty aerosol-forming substrate 23 can be stably held on the surface of the strip-shaped or rod-shaped aerosol-forming substrate 23.

(How to use a smoking cartridge)
A method of using the cartridge 1 for a smoking tool will be described. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge 1 for a smoking tool inserted into the smoking tool 70. The cartridge 1 for a smoking tool is attached to the heated smoking tool 70 for use. The smoking tool 70 has an insertion section 72 for inserting the cartridge 1 for a smoking tool. The insertion section 72 is provided with a needle-shaped or blade-shaped heating section 75. When the cartridge 1 for a smoking tool is inserted into the insertion section 72, the heating section 75 generates heat, and an aerosol is generated from the aerosol-forming substrate 23. When a smoker holds the mouthpiece 40 in his/her mouth and inhales in this state, the aerosol flows through the support 30 (the flow path 35 and the space S1) and the mouthpiece 40, and then flows into the smoker's mouth.

The smoking article cartridge 1 according to the first embodiment configured in this manner can provide the following effects:

Since the support 30 is made of the shaft-shaped member 100 formed by winding a thin sheet-like member in a spiral shape, the structure of the support 30 is simple and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. In addition, the shaft-shaped member 100 is configured by winding a sheet-like member in a spiral shape, and a spiral-shaped flow path 35 is formed inside, so it does not have a thick outer periphery as in the above-mentioned conventional technology (Patent Document 1). Therefore, the end of the shaft-shaped member 100 (one side of the sheet-like member) abuts on the end surface of the aerosol-forming substrate 23 in a dispersed manner. In other words, the outer periphery of the support element does not abut locally on the end of the aerosol-forming substrate as in the above-mentioned conventional technology. Therefore, the amount of aerosol generated by heating the aerosol-forming substrate 23 and unevenness in the flow are suppressed. As a result, the aroma and taste of the aerosol are improved. In addition, the aerosol is effectively cooled by passing through the space S1 and the spiral flow path 35. In particular, because the support 30 is made of a rolled-up sheet-like material, the contact area between the aerosol and the sheet-like material is large when the aerosol passes through the flow path 35. Therefore, the heat of the aerosol is exchanged between the support 30 and the sheet-like material, and the aerosol is effectively cooled. As a result, the smoker can inhale the aerosol with a good feeling.

In addition, the support 30 is interposed between the aerosol-forming substrate 23 and the mouthpiece 40, and restricts the axial movement of the aerosol-forming substrate 23, preventing the aerosol-forming substrate 23 from shifting position when the cartridge 1 for the smoking tool is inserted into the smoking tool 70. This allows stable heating of the aerosol-forming substrate 23 by the heating unit 75, and produces good aerosol. Furthermore, the support 30 prevents axial deformation when the cartridge 1 for the smoking tool is inserted into the smoking tool 70.

When the diameter of the support 30 is made approximately equal to the diameter of the heated object 20, the exterior member 10 is supported by the outer circumferential surface of the support 30, which prevents radial deformation when the smoking article cartridge 1 is grasped with the fingers.

Next, we will explain a modified example of the smoking article cartridge 1 according to the first embodiment.

(Variation 1-1)
Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a support 30-1 according to modified example 1-1. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken at the same position as line II-II in Fig. 1. The shaft-shaped member 31-1 shown in Fig. 5 is formed into a square tube by spirally rolling up a sheet-like member, and the cross-sectional outer shape is approximately rectangular. A spiral flow path 35-1 is formed in the cross section shown in Fig. 5.

This configuration also provides the same effects as the first embodiment described above. The cross-sectional shape may be a square, or a polygon such as a pentagon or hexagon.

(Variation 1-2)
Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a support 30-2 according to modified example 1-2. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken at the same position as line II-II in Fig. 1. The shaft-shaped member 31-2 shown in Fig. 6 is formed into a triangular tube by spirally rolling up a sheet-like member, and the cross-sectional outline thereof forms a substantially equilateral triangle. A spiral-shaped flow path 35-2 is formed in the cross section shown in Fig. 6.

This configuration also provides the same effects as the first embodiment described above. The cross-sectional shape may be an isosceles triangle, a right triangle, etc.

(Variation 1-3)
Fig. 7A is a diagram showing the state before the support 30-3 according to the modified example 1-3 is completed, and Fig. 7B is a perspective view of the support 30-3 according to the modified example 1-3 (after completion). In this example, as shown in Fig. 7A, a rectangular sheet-like member is cut at the two-dot chain line portion to prepare a trapezoidal sheet-like member. Then, this trapezoidal member is rolled in the direction of the arrow in the figure around the short side, forming a conical recess 37 as shown in Fig. 7B.

As shown in FIG. 7B, the support 30-3 according to modification 1-3 has a capsule 60 provided in a recess 37 formed at its end. This capsule 60 changes the aroma and taste of the aerosol, and can use the various flavor additives described above.

According to this modification 1-3, the capsule 60 flavors the aerosol, improving the aroma and taste. Furthermore, a deeper taste can be achieved by crushing the capsule 60 with your hands or biting it. Furthermore, since the capsule 60 is provided inside the support 30-3, even if the cartridge for the smoking device is subjected to vibration or impact, the impact is unlikely to be transmitted to the capsule 60. As a result, the capsule 60 is prevented from breaking and the flavor is prevented from escaping. Furthermore, since the capsule 60 is provided at a position roughly along the central axis C, when the capsule 60 is crushed, the flavor additive spreads evenly inside the support 30-3 and is evenly mixed into the aerosol. This results in a deeper taste.

Second Embodiment
Next, a smoking article cartridge 2 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The smoking article cartridge 2 according to the second embodiment has basically the same configuration as the smoking article cartridge 1 according to the first embodiment, but differs in the configuration of the support. Therefore, the following description will focus on this difference, and descriptions that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of a smoking article cartridge 2 according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 9 is a perspective view of the support body 130 shown in Figure 8. As shown in Figure 8, the smoking article cartridge 2 according to the second embodiment includes a heated body 20, a support body 130, and a mouthpiece 40.

9, the support 130 is made of one shaft-shaped member 131 formed by spirally winding a thin sheet-like material (e.g., paper, a polymer sheet, a rubber sheet, a metal sheet, etc.) into a cylindrical shape. Inside the shaft-shaped member 131, a flow path 135 through which the aerosol flows is formed in a spiral shape. The shaft-shaped member 131 is configured by stretching its end 132 in the axial direction (longitudinal direction) so that the diameter decreases toward the tip side. This gives the shaft-shaped member 131 some elasticity in the axial direction. When the shaft-shaped member 131 is arranged so that its axial direction is aligned with the central axis C1 of the smoking article cartridge 1, one end of the shaft-shaped member 131 abuts the aerosol-forming substrate 23 so as to slightly press it, and the other end 132 abuts the mouthpiece 40 so as to slightly press it. In this way, the axial movement of the aerosol-forming substrate 23 is restricted.

This configuration provides the same effects as the first embodiment, and the aerosol-forming substrate 23 is supported better because the shaft-shaped member 131 has elasticity in the axial direction. When the smoking tool cartridge 2 is inserted into the smoking tool 70, the aerosol-forming substrate 23 may be pressed by the heating unit 75 and pushed inward. The pushed-out aerosol-forming substrate 23 presses the shaft-shaped member 131 in the axial direction. However, according to this embodiment, the end face of the shaft-shaped member 131 facing the aerosol-forming substrate 23 is recessed and has elasticity in the axial direction, so that the center of the end face is displaced inward in response to the pressure from the aerosol-forming substrate 23. This allows the smoking tool cartridge 2 to be smoothly inserted into the smoking tool 70.

Next, we will explain a modified example of the smoking article cartridge 2 according to the second embodiment.

(Variation 2-1)
Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a support 130-1 according to Modification 2-1. The shaft member 131-1 shown in Fig. 10 is formed by spirally winding a flexible sheet-like member (for example, a thermoplastic resin such as PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) or a thermosetting resin such as PI (polyimide)). Then, a flow path 135-1 through which the aerosol flows is formed inside the shaft member 131-1.

Even with this configuration, elastic force can be applied in the axial direction of the support 130-1, providing the same effect as the second embodiment described above.

(Variation 2-2)
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a cartridge 2 for a smoking article including a support 132-2 according to modified example 2-2, and FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge 2 for a smoking article showing a state in which the support 132-2 according to modified example 2-2 has been displaced.

As shown in FIG. 11, the support 132-2 according to the modified example 2-2 is made of a single shaft-shaped member 131-2 formed into a cylindrical shape by spirally rolling up a thin sheet-like member. Inside the shaft-shaped member 131-2, a flow path 135-2 through which the aerosol flows is formed in a spiral shape. When one end of the shaft-shaped member 131-2 is pressed in the axial direction, the center of one end face is depressed and the end on the other end side is stretched as shown in FIG. 9. When the external force applied in the axial direction is released, the shaft-shaped member 131-2 returns to its original shape. In other words, the shaft-shaped member 131-1 is configured to be elastically deformable in the axial direction.

This configuration itself is similar to the shaft-shaped member 31 shown in FIG. 1, but the axial length of the shaft-shaped member 131-2 is shorter than that of the shaft-shaped member 31. Therefore, a space S1 is formed between the shaft-shaped member 131-2 and the mouthpiece 40. In addition, the outer peripheral surface of the shaft-shaped member 131-2 is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the exterior member 10. In other words, the diameter of the support 130-2 and the diameter of the exterior member 10 are configured to be approximately equal.

This configuration provides the same effects as the second embodiment described above. Furthermore, the outer peripheral surface of the shaft-shaped member 131-2 prevents the exterior member 10 from deforming in the radial direction.

In addition, even if the aerosol-forming substrate 23 is pressed by the heating section 75 and pushed inward when the cartridge 2 is inserted into the smoking device 70, the central portion of the shaft-shaped member 131-2 is displaced so as to be recessed in the axial direction as shown in FIG. 12 (dotted line in the figure), so that the cartridge 2 can be smoothly inserted into the smoking device 70.

Third Embodiment
Next, a smoking article cartridge 3 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The smoking article cartridge 3 according to the third embodiment has basically the same configuration as the smoking article cartridge 1 according to the first embodiment, but differs mainly in the number of supports. Therefore, the following description will focus on this difference, and descriptions that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted.

Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of a support 230 used in a smoking article cartridge 3 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Note that Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view taken at the same position as line II-II in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 13, in this embodiment, the support 230 is made of two shaft-shaped members 231. The shaft-shaped member 231 is configured in the same manner as the shaft-shaped member 31 according to the first embodiment. That is, the shaft-shaped member 231 is formed into a cylindrical shape by spirally rolling up a thin sheet-like member, and a flow path 235 through which the aerosol flows is formed inside in a spiral shape. The two shaft-shaped members 231 are bound together by a sheet-like binding member 15. The binding member 15 is made of paper, for example, but a rubber member, a film sheet, or the like may also be used.

This configuration provides the same effects as the first embodiment. Furthermore, since the two shaft-shaped members 231 are bound and integrated by the binding member 15, the support 230 is easy to handle. This simplifies the task of wrapping the heated object 20, the support 230, and the mouthpiece 40 in the exterior member 10. Furthermore, since the support 230 is made up of two shaft-shaped members 231, the rigidity of the support 230 is increased, and deformation of the smoking article cartridge 3 in the axial direction can be further prevented. The number of shaft-shaped members 231 is not limited to two, and may be three or more.

Next, we will explain a modified example of the smoking article cartridge 3 according to the third embodiment.

(Variation 3-1)
FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the support 230-1 according to the modified example 3-1. Note that FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view cut at the same position as the line II-II in FIG. 1. The support 230-1 shown in FIG. 14 is configured by bundling two shaft-shaped members 231 and 232 with a bundling member 15 to form an integrated structure, but the shaft-shaped members 231 and 232 have different cross-sectional shapes (outer shapes) perpendicular to the axial direction (longitudinal direction). Specifically, the shaft-shaped member 231 has a substantially circular cross-sectional outer shape (see FIG. 2), whereas the shaft-shaped member 232 has a substantially triangular cross-sectional outer shape (see FIG. 6). Even if configured in this way, the same effects as those of the third embodiment can be achieved. Note that the cross-sectional outer shapes of the shaft-shaped members 231 and 232 may be different from each other, and are not limited to the combination of a round shape and a triangular shape shown in FIG. 14.

(Variation 3-2)
FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the support 230-2 according to the modified example 3-2. Note that FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view cut at the same position as the line II-II in FIG. 1. The support 230-2 shown in FIG. 15 is the same as the third embodiment in that it has two shaft-shaped members 231, but is different in the configuration for bundling the two shaft-shaped members 231. Specifically, in this example, one shaft-shaped member 231 (the shaft-shaped member on the left side) is wrapped with a bundling part 231a that is a part of the other shaft-shaped member 231 (the shaft-shaped member on the right side), and the end part 231b of this bundling part 231a is bonded to the outer circumferential surface of the other shaft-shaped member 231, thereby bundling the two shaft-shaped members 231. Even with this configuration, the same action and effect as the third embodiment is achieved. In addition, in this example, since the bundling member 15 is not necessary, there is an advantage in that the number of parts can be reduced.

In this example, the configuration in which one shaft-shaped member 231 is wrapped and bound by the binding portion 231a of the other shaft-shaped member has been described, but it is also possible to form two shaft-shaped members by spirally winding both ends of a single sheet-like member. Even with this configuration, the two shaft-shaped members are integrated without using a binding member 15, making it easy to handle and reducing the number of parts.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention. All technical matters included in the technical ideas described in the claims are the subject of the present invention. The above-described embodiment shows a preferred example, but a person skilled in the art can realize various alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements from the contents disclosed in this specification, and these are included in the technical scope described in the attached claims.

For example, as described above, the sheet-like member constituting the shaft-shaped member 31, 131, 231 can be made of any material, such as paper, polymer sheet, rubber sheet, metal sheet, or resin sheet, but if you want to increase the cooling effect of the aerosol, it is better to use a metal sheet. In addition, if a shape memory alloy is used as the sheet-like member, the shape will be stable, so the aerosol-forming substrate 23 can be well supported.

In addition, the sheet-like member constituting the shaft-shaped member 31, 131, 231 can be a member impregnated or printed with the flavor additive described above. In these cases, the variety of aromas and flavors can be easily increased by simply changing the flavor additive impregnated or printed on the shaft-shaped member 31, 131, 231 without changing the raw material of the aerosol-forming substrate 23. The same effect can be achieved by carrying microcapsules containing a flavor additive on the shaft-shaped member 31, 131, 231.

In addition, when the support 230 is configured to include multiple shaft-shaped members 231 (see, for example, FIG. 13), the flavor additives impregnated into each shaft-shaped member 231 may be different. In this way, different flavors are added to the aerosol, improving the aroma and taste.

In addition, the sheet-like material that constitutes the shaft-shaped members 31, 131, and 231 can be of any type, such as porous or embossed.

In addition, although the embodiment of the present invention has been described using an example in which there are two shaft-shaped members 231, the number of shaft-shaped members is not limited in the present invention. In other words, the number of shaft-shaped members may be three or more.

In addition, the shaft-shaped member 31, 131, 231 does not necessarily have to be a thin sheet-like member wound into a spiral shape. As long as it can support the aerosol-forming substrate 23, it may be, for example, a hollow cylinder formed by winding a sheet-like member once.

In addition to the above examples, various other raw materials can be used as the raw material for the aerosol-forming substrate 23. For example, the raw materials disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 6,371,927, Japanese Patent Publication No. 6,371,928, and Japanese Patent Publication No. 6,516,907 can be used in the present invention.

The shape of the aerosol-forming substrate 23 may be, for example, rod-like, granular, powdery, rectangular, rolled up sheet, folded sheet, fibrous, crimped sheet, crimped fiber, lump-like, flake-like, viscous clay-like, gel-like, slime-like, tablet-like, paste-like, etc. These shapes may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The aerosol-forming substrate 23 may be, for example, in the form of strands, porous, etc. Porous forms can be formed, for example, by piercing the dried sheet several times with multiple needles (other methods may also be used).

The powder or granular aerosol-forming substrate 23 may be in the form of, for example, granules, pellets, etc.

The powdered or granular aerosol-forming substrate 23 may be solidified into a block shape, or may be made into a paste by adding a small amount of water or oil.

Reference Signs List 1, 2, 3 Cartridge for smoking article 10 Exterior member 15 Binding member 20 Body to be heated 23 Aerosol-forming substrate 25 Packaging member 30, 130, 230 Support 31, 131, 231 Shaft-shaped member 35, 135, 235 Flow path 40 Mouthpiece 60 Capsule 231a Binding portion

Claims (9)

A cartridge for a smoking device comprising: an aerosol-forming substrate made from a tobacco plant or a non-tobacco plant; a mouthpiece arranged coaxially with the aerosol-forming substrate; and a support arranged between the aerosol-forming substrate and the mouthpiece, the support supporting the aerosol-forming substrate,
The support is
The shaft-shaped member is formed by rolling a sheet-shaped member.
the shaft-shaped member is disposed so that its axial direction is aligned with a central axis of the cartridge for the smoking article, and the aerosol generated by heating the aerosol-forming base material is formed to be able to pass through the inside of the shaft-shaped member and is formed to be elastically deformable in its axial direction;
A cartridge for a smoking device, characterized in that one end of the axial member is formed by spirally winding the sheet-like member so that the diameter decreases toward the tip, and one end of the axial member abuts against the mouthpiece and the other end abuts against the aerosol-forming substrate. The cartridge for a smoking article according to claim 1,
A cartridge for a smoking article, characterized in that the shaft-shaped member is formed in a spiral shape in a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction of the shaft-shaped member. The cartridge for a smoking article according to claim 1 or 2,
A cartridge for a smoking article, wherein the shaft-shaped member is formed so as not to allow the aerosol-forming substrate to pass therethrough. The cartridge for a smoking article according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The support body has a plurality of the shaft members,
A cartridge for a smoking article, wherein the plurality of shaft-shaped members are arranged so that their axial directions are aligned with a central axis of the cartridge for a smoking article. The cartridge for a smoking article according to claim 4 ,
A cartridge for a smoking article, wherein at least one of said plurality of shaft-shaped members has a cross-sectional shape different from the others. The cartridge for a smoking article according to claim 4 or 5 ,
A cartridge for a smoking article, wherein the plurality of shaft-shaped members are bound together by a binding member. The cartridge for a smoking article according to claim 4 or 5 ,
A cartridge for a smoking article, characterized in that one of the plurality of shaft-shaped members is used to bundle the other shaft-shaped members. The cartridge for a smoking article according to any one of claims 1 to 7 ,
A cartridge for a smoking article, wherein the sheet-like member is impregnated with a flavor additive. The cartridge for a smoking article according to any one of claims 1 to 7 ,
A cartridge for a smoking article, characterized in that a capsule containing a flavor additive is provided inside the shaft-shaped member.

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