JP7725608B2 - Smoking article with enhanced aroma persistence and method for manufacturing same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a smoking article with improved aroma retention and a method for manufacturing the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a smoking article with improved aroma retention by applying a flavored sheet or its composition to the trumpet portion, and a method for manufacturing the smoking article.

To satisfy the tastes of smokers, smoking articles (e.g., cigarettes) are flavored using a variety of methods. A typical example of a flavoring method is adding (e.g., "spraying") liquid flavor directly to smoking materials such as tobacco shreds or filter plugs. However, these methods have various problems, such as limitations on the amount of liquid flavor that can be added, failure to express the intended flavor, or a rapid decline in flavor expression during smoking.

Specifically, when adding liquid fragrance to smoking materials, the liquid fragrance tends to clump together with the smoking material, making it difficult to add large amounts. Furthermore, when smoking, the high heating temperature (or combustion temperature) can cause the liquid fragrance to degrade, potentially resulting in the release of unintended aromas. Next, while adding liquid fragrance to a filter plug can tolerate larger amounts of liquid fragrance than the aforementioned methods, there is still a limit to the amount that can be added.

However, regardless of the method used, the added flavor liquid is released too quickly at the beginning of smoking, resulting in a decrease in flavor release towards the end of smoking. Furthermore, if too much flavor liquid is added, the filter plug or the wrapper that encases the smoking material may become wet, causing contamination.

The technical problem that some embodiments of the present disclosure aim to solve is to provide smoking articles with improved aroma persistence.

Another technical problem that some embodiments of the present disclosure aim to solve is to provide a method for manufacturing smoking articles with enhanced aroma persistence.

The technical problems of the present disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art of the present disclosure from the description below.

In order to solve the above technical problems, smoking articles according to some embodiments of the present disclosure also include a smoking material portion, a filter portion, and a wrapper that encases at least a portion of the smoking material portion. In this case, a flavored sheet containing a hydrocolloid substance and a flavoring may be applied to the wrapper.

In order to solve the above technical problems, some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for manufacturing a smoking article, which includes the steps of: manufacturing a wrapping material using a flavoring composition containing a hydrocolloid substance and a flavoring, or a flavoring sheet manufactured from the flavoring composition; and wrapping at least a portion of a smoking material portion with the manufactured wrapping material to manufacture a smoking article containing the smoking material portion.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a flavored sheet or a composition thereof may be applied to the trumpet portion of a smoking article. The flavored sheet is a solid-phase material, which, unlike liquid flavoring, can delay the evaporation of flavoring, effectively resolving the problem of most flavors being released in the early stages of smoking, thereby significantly improving the flavor persistence of the smoking article. Furthermore, this allows for precise adjustment of the amount and location of flavoring. For example, applying a flavored sheet to the trumpet has the advantage of making it easier to adjust the amount of flavoring added and the location of flavor release than applying shredded flavored sheets to the smoking material portion (e.g., blending shredded flavored sheets with shredded tobacco).

In addition, wrapping materials for smoking articles can be easily manufactured by laminating wrapping paper for smoking articles with a flavoring sheet or by applying the flavoring sheet composition to wrapping paper. Furthermore, by using the manufactured wrapping material, there is an advantage that existing manufacturing equipment (i.e., equipment for wrapping smoking articles) can be used to manufacture smoking articles.

Furthermore, because the fragrance sheet contains a hydrocolloid substance, the fragrance sheet can be easily attached to the wrapper portion without the need for adhesives. For example, the fragrance sheet and wrapping paper can be easily laminated together without the need for adhesives. This simplifies the manufacturing process for the wrapping material and eliminates safety issues associated with adhesives.

The effects of the technical ideas of this disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art from the description below.

1A-1C are exemplary diagrams that schematically illustrate smoking articles with enhanced flavor persistence, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. 1A-1C are exemplary diagrams illustrating various application methods of perfume sheets according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. 1A-1C are exemplary diagrams illustrating various application methods of perfume sheets according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. 1A-1C are exemplary diagrams illustrating various application methods of perfume sheets according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. 10A-10C are exemplary diagrams that schematically illustrate smoking articles with enhanced flavor persistence according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure. 10A-10C are exemplary diagrams that schematically illustrate smoking articles with enhanced flavor persistence according to still other embodiments of the present disclosure. 1A-1C are exemplary diagrams illustrating a wrapping material manufacturing method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. 10A to 10C are exemplary diagrams for explaining a wrapping material manufacturing method according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure.

Smoking articles according to some embodiments of the present disclosure also include a smoking material portion, a filter portion, and a wrapper enclosing at least a portion of the smoking material portion. Here, a flavored sheet containing a hydrocolloid material and a flavoring may be applied to the wrapper.

In some embodiments, the scented sheet may be applied to the trumpet.

In some embodiments, the thickness of the scented sheet is between 40 μm and 150 μm.

In some embodiments, the scented sheet may be attached to the inside of the wrapper.

In some embodiments, at least a portion of the wrapper may be made of metal foil, and the scented sheet may be disposed inside the metal foil.

In some embodiments, the inside of the wrapper may be coated with the perfume sheet composition.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing a smoking article also includes the steps of: producing a wrapping material using a flavoring composition containing a hydrocolloid substance and a flavoring, or a flavoring sheet produced from the flavoring composition; and wrapping at least a portion of a smoking material portion with the produced wrapping material to produce a smoking article containing the smoking material portion.

In some embodiments, the step of preparing the wrapping material also includes spraying a non-sticky or non-adhesive liquid and laminating the fragrance sheet and wrapping paper.

In some embodiments, the step of preparing the wrapping material also includes applying the fragrance composition to wrapping paper and allowing it to dry.

Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The advantages, features, and methods for achieving the same of the present disclosure will become clearer with reference to the embodiments described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the technical concept of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments and may be embodied in a variety of different forms. However, the following embodiments are provided to complete the technical concept of the present disclosure and to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art, and the technical concept of the present disclosure is defined only by the scope of the claims.

When assigning reference symbols to components in each drawing, it should be noted that identical components will be assigned the same symbols whenever possible, even if they appear in different drawings. Furthermore, when describing this disclosure, if it is determined that a detailed description of related publicly known structures or functions may obscure the gist of this disclosure, such a detailed description will be omitted.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein are used in the same manner as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Furthermore, commonly used, predefined terms should not be construed as ideal or excessive unless expressly and specifically defined. The terms used herein are intended to describe one embodiment and do not limit the present disclosure. In this specification, the singular form includes the plural form unless otherwise specified in the text.

In addition, when describing components of the present disclosure, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. Such terms are used only to distinguish the component from other components, and do not limit the nature, order, or sequence of the components. When a component is described as being "coupled," "bonded," or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly coupled or connected to the other component, but that there may also be other components "coupled," "coupled," or "connected" between each component.

As used in this disclosure, "comprises" and/or "comprising" does not mean that a referenced component, step, operation and/or element excludes the presence or addition of one or more other components, steps, operations and/or elements.

First, let us clarify some terminology used in the various embodiments of this disclosure.

In the following embodiments, "smoking article" may refer to any product that can be smoked or that can provide a smoking experience, regardless of whether it is based on tobacco, a tobacco derivative, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, or a tobacco substitute. For example, smoking articles may include smokable products such as cigarettes, cigars, and cigarillos. As another example, smoking articles may include combustible smoking articles and heated smoking articles.

In the following embodiments, "smoking material" may refer to a substance that generates smoke and/or aerosol or is used for smoking. For example, the smoking material may include tobacco material. The tobacco material may include, for example, tobacco shreds, tobacco stems, or materials processed therefrom. More specific examples of the tobacco material include ground tobacco leaf, ground reconstituted tobacco, expanded shredded tobacco, expanded midrib, and flat tobacco. However, the tobacco material is not limited to these.

In the following embodiments, "upstream" or "upstream direction" may refer to a direction away from the smoker's mouth, and "downstream" or "downstream direction" may refer to a direction closer to the smoker's mouth. The terms upstream and downstream may be used to describe the relative positions of elements that make up a smoking article. For example, in the smoking article 100 illustrated in FIG. 1, the filter portion 120 is located downstream or downstream of the smoking material portion 110, and the smoking material portion 110 is located upstream or upstream of the filter portion 120.

In the following embodiments, "longitudinal direction" may mean the direction corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the smoking article.

In the following embodiments, "puff" refers to the inhalation of a user (smoker), which may refer to the act of drawing in a puff through the user's mouth or nose into the user's oral cavity, nasal cavity, or lungs.

In the following embodiments, "sheet" may refer to a thin element having a width and length that are substantially greater than its thickness. In the art, the term sheet is also used interchangeably with terms such as web and film.

In the following embodiments, "flavor sheet" or "flavoring sheet" may refer to a fragrance-containing material manufactured in sheet form.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is an exemplary diagram that schematically illustrates a smoking article 100 with enhanced flavor persistence according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 1, the smoking article 100 also includes a filter portion 120, a smoking material portion 110, and a wrapper 130. However, FIG. 1 only illustrates components relevant to the embodiment of the present disclosure. Therefore, a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains will understand that other general components may also be included in addition to the components illustrated in FIG. 1. Furthermore, FIG. 1 only illustrates a partial example of a smoking article according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and the detailed structure of the smoking article may differ from that illustrated in FIG. 1. For other examples of the detailed structure of the smoking article, please refer to FIGS. 5 and 6. Each component of the smoking article 100 will be described below.

The filter portion 120 can perform a filtering function on the smoke and/or aerosols generated by the smoking material portion 110. To that end, the filter portion 120 also includes a filter (i.e., filtering) material. Examples of the filter material include cellulose acetate fiber, paper, etc., but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The filter portion 120 also includes a wrapper 130 that encases the filter material (i.e., plug).

The filter unit 120 may be located downstream of the smoking material unit 110 and connected to the downstream end of the smoking material unit 110. For example, the filter unit 120 and the smoking material unit 110 may have a cylindrical (i.e., rod) shape, be aligned longitudinally, and be connected by a tipping wrapper. The tipping wrapper may wrap at least a portion of the filter unit 120 and at least a portion of the smoking material unit 110 together, connecting the filter unit 120 and the smoking material unit 110. When the filter unit 120 forms the downstream end of the smoking article 100, the filter unit 120 may also function as a mouthpiece that comes into contact with the smoker's mouth during smoking.

The filter unit 120 is manufactured in a rod shape and is therefore sometimes referred to as a "filter rod 120." However, the filter unit 120 can be manufactured in various shapes, such as a cylindrical shape, a tube shape with a hollow interior, or a recessed shape.

Next, the smoking material portion 110 includes smoking material that can generate smoke and/or aerosol when burned or heated. The smoking material portion 110 further includes a wrapper 130 that encases the smoking material.

The smoking material portion 110 is located upstream of the filter portion 120 and may be connected to the upstream end of the filter portion 120. Smoke and/or aerosol generated in the smoking material portion 110 may be delivered to the smoker's mouth through the filter portion 120 by puffs.

The smoking material portion 110 is also manufactured in rod form, and is therefore sometimes referred to as a "smoking material rod 110."

Smoking materials include, for example, tobacco materials. Examples of tobacco materials include tobacco shreds, tobacco stems, or materials processed therefrom. More specific examples of tobacco materials include ground tobacco leaves, ground reconstituted tobacco, expanded shredded tobacco, expanded midribs, and tabular tobacco. However, these are not intended to be limiting. Furthermore, tobacco materials can be in the form of shredded tobacco, tobacco particles, tobacco sheets, tobacco beads, tobacco granules, or tobacco extract, but are not limited thereto.

In some embodiments, the smoking material further includes additives such as humectants, flavoring agents, and/or organic acids. For example, the humectants may include at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. The humectants may maintain an appropriate level of moisture within the tobacco material, soften the inherent flavor, and enrich the atomization yield. The flavoring agent may also include, for example, licorice, sucrose, fructose syrup, isosweet, cocoa, lavender, cinnamon, cardamom, celery, fenugreek, cascarilla, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, mint oil, cinnamon, caraway, cognac, jasmine, chamomile, menthol, ylang-ylang, sage, spearmint, ginger, coriander, clove extract (or clove substance), or coffee.

Next, the wrapper 130 may refer to something that encases at least a portion of the smoking material portion 110 and/or the filter portion 120. The wrapper 130 may refer to an individual wrapper for the smoking material portion 110 or the filter portion 120, or to a tipping wrapper that encases at least a portion of both the smoking material portion 110 and the filter portion 120, or may be used to collectively refer to all wrappers used in the smoking article 100. The wrapper 130 may be made of porous or non-porous wrapping paper, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the wrapper 130 may be made of metal foil or a laminate of wrapping paper and metal foil.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in the drawings, a flavoring material 10 manufactured in sheet form (hereinafter referred to as a "flavoring sheet") may be applied to the smoking material portion 110 or the wrapper 130 of the filter portion 120. The flavoring sheet 10 thus applied can enhance the flavor release and flavor persistence of the smoking article 100 by continuously releasing a flavor during smoking. That is, the flavoring sheet is a substance manufactured in a solid phase, and unlike liquid flavoring, can delay the evaporation of the flavor, effectively solving the problem of most flavors being released in the early stages of smoking. However, the specific application method may vary.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the flavored sheet 10 may be disposed inside the wrapper 130 (e.g., attached by a paper insert or coating). While FIG. 2 illustrates an example in which the flavored sheet 10 completely envelops the smoking material portion 110, this is for ease of understanding only; the flavored sheet 10 may also be disposed to envelop only a portion of the smoking material portion 110. Furthermore, if at least a portion of the wrapper 130 is made of metal foil, the flavored sheet 10 may be disposed inside the metal foil. In such a case, heat transferred through the metal foil may further promote the flavor development of the flavored sheet 10. The process of disposing the flavored sheet 10 on the wrapper 130 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the flavored sheet 10 may form at least a portion of the wrapper 130. That is, the flavored sheet 10 may function as the wrapper 130 of the smoking article 100. In this case, at least a portion of the wrapper 130 may be formed solely by the flavored sheet 10, or may be formed by integrating the flavored sheet 10 with wrapping paper. In such cases, the process of arranging the flavored sheet 10 on the wrapper 130 (e.g., an attachment process using a paper insert or coating) does not need to be performed, which may further simplify the manufacturing process of the smoking article 100.

Note that, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the flavored sheet 10 may be applied to other parts besides the wrapper 130. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the flavored sheet 10 may also be applied to the inside of the smoking material portion 110. More specifically, the flavored sheet 10 may be placed in the smoking material portion 110 together with a tobacco sheet 20 (e.g., tobacco material in sheet form such as a tabular leaf). In other words, the flavored sheet 10 may be attached to the tobacco sheet 20 and then placed in the smoking material portion 110.

The composition and composition ratio, thickness, and manufacturing method of the fragrance sheet 10 can be designed in a variety of ways, some examples of which will be described later.

The smoking article 100 according to several embodiments of the present disclosure has been described above with reference to Figures 1 to 4. As described above, a flavored sheet 10 can be applied to the wrapper 130 portion of the smoking article 100. Because the flavored sheet 10 is a solid-state material, unlike liquid flavoring, it can delay the evaporation of flavor, effectively solving the problem of most of the flavor being released at the beginning of smoking. As a result, the flavor persistence of the smoking article 100 can be significantly improved. In addition, applying the flavored sheet 10 to the wrapper has the advantage of making it easier to adjust the amount of flavor added and the location of flavor release compared to applying shredded flavored sheet 10 to the smoking material portion 110 (e.g., blending shredded flavored sheet with shredded tobacco).

Below, smoking articles 200, 300 with enhanced aroma persistence according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. However, for the sake of clarity of this disclosure, descriptions of content that overlaps with the smoking article 100 described above will be omitted.

Figure 5 is an illustrative diagram showing a smoking article 200 with enhanced flavor persistence according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 5, the smoking article 200 includes a smoking material portion 210 and a filter portion 220, and the filter portion 220 includes a plurality of segments 221, 222.

The smoking material portion 210 may correspond to the smoking material portion 110 described above. Therefore, a description thereof will be omitted.

Next, the filter unit 220 can be composed of a first segment 221 and a second segment 222. It goes without saying that the filter unit 220 may further include a third segment (not shown).

The first segment 221 can perform a cooling function for the smoke and/or aerosol generated in the smoking material portion 210. Therefore, in some cases, the first segment 221 is also referred to as the "cooling segment 221."

The first segment 221 may be manufactured in various shapes. For example, the first segment 221 may be a cylindrical paper tube made of paper and having a hollow center. For another example, the first segment 221 may be made of a polymeric material or a biodegradable polymeric material. For example, the first segment 221 may be made of polylactic acid (PLA) fibers, but is not limited thereto. For another example, the first segment 221 may be made of a cellulose acetate filter having a plurality of holes. As yet another example, the first segment 221 may be a tube filter having a hollow center. For example, the first segment 221 may be a cellulose acetate filter having a hollow center. However, the first segment 221 is not limited thereto and may be manufactured in any other shape that can perform the cooling function.

In some embodiments, a scented sheet 10 may be applied to the first segment 221. For example, the scented sheet 10 may be disposed in a rolled-up form within the hollow of the first segment 221, or may be attached to the inner wall of the hollow. As another example, a scented sheet 10 processed (e.g., punched) to have multiple holes may be disposed in a rolled-up form within the hollow. In such a case, an airflow path is easily ensured through the multiple holes, and the cooling effect may also be improved due to the increased contact area between the scented sheet 10 and the airflow.

The second segment 222 can then perform a filtering function on the smoke and/or aerosols that have passed through the first segment 221. Therefore, in some cases, the second segment 222 is also referred to as the "filter segment 222." Alternatively, although the second segment 222 is also located in the mouthpiece region, it is also referred to as the "mouthpiece segment 222."

In some embodiments, the second segment 222 also includes at least one capsule 240. Here, the capsule 240 can perform the function of generating a flavor or the function of generating an aerosol. For example, the capsule 240 has a structure in which a liquid containing a flavoring agent is enclosed in a coating. The capsule 240 can also have a spherical or cylindrical shape, but is not limited thereto.

Next, the wrapper 230 may correspond to the wrapper 130 described above. Therefore, a description thereof will be omitted. As described above, the flavored sheet 10 may be applied to the wrapper 230. This may significantly improve the flavor retention of the smoking article 200.

Although not shown in FIG. 5, the smoking article 200 may further include a plug (not shown) disposed at its end. For example, the plug may be disposed at the upstream end of the smoking article 200 and may function to appropriately adjust the overall length of the smoking article 200. Furthermore, when the smoking article 200 is inserted into an aerosol generating device (not shown), the plug may also function to adjust the smoking material portion 210 so that it is disposed at an appropriate position within the aerosol generating device.

Figure 6 is an illustrative diagram that schematically illustrates a smoking article 300 according to still other embodiments of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 6, the smoking article 300 also includes a smoking material portion 310 and a filter portion 320, each of which includes a plurality of segments 311, 312, 321, and 322.

As shown, the smoking material portion 310 may be composed of a first segment 311 and a second segment 312. It goes without saying that the smoking material portion 310 may further include a third segment (not shown).

The first segment 311 may also contain a humectant. For example, the first segment 311 may contain crepe paper impregnated with a humectant. The humectant may include, for example, at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol.

The second segment 312 may also include a nicotine-generating substrate such as a tobacco substance. The nicotine-generating substrate may include, for example, cut tobacco, tobacco particles, tobacco sheets, tobacco beads, or tobacco granules. As another example, the nicotine-generating substrate may include crepe paper impregnated with tobacco extract. When the nicotine-generating substrate is heated, nicotine is produced from the nicotine-generating substrate, and the nicotine may be transferred to the filter portion 320.

Next, the filter unit 320 also includes multiple segments 321 and 322. For example, the filter unit 320 includes a third segment 321 that performs a cooling function and a fourth segment 322 that performs a filtering function. The details related to the filter unit 220 in Figure 5 above can be equally applied to the filter unit 320, so further explanation will be omitted.

Next, the wrapper 330 may correspond to the wrapper 130 described above. Therefore, a description thereof will be omitted. As described above, the flavored sheet 10 may be applied to the wrapper 330. This may significantly improve the flavor retention of the smoking article 300.

The smoking articles 200, 300 according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Below, we will briefly describe the flavored sheet 10 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure and its manufacturing method.

The fragrance sheet 10 can be manufactured through the following steps: manufacturing a liquid (e.g., slurry) fragrance composition; molding the manufactured fragrance composition into a sheet; and drying the fragrance composition. Here, the liquid state includes not only a liquid state but also a state in which a liquid and a solid are mixed (e.g., a slurry state). For example, the fragrance sheet 10 can be manufactured by spreading (i.e., casting) the fragrance composition onto a predetermined substrate and drying it. However, this is not limited to this, and specific manufacturing methods may vary.

The detailed composition of the fragrance composition can be designed in a variety of ways.

In some embodiments, the flavoring composition includes distilled water, a hydrocolloid material, and a flavoring. A flavoring sheet 10 made from such a flavoring composition has excellent flavor retention and can, for example, significantly enhance the flavor development and flavor persistence of the smoking article 100. In addition, the hydrocolloid material allows the flavoring sheet 10 to be attached to, for example, the wrapper 130 without the need for a separate adhesive, simplifying the placement process of the flavoring sheet 10 and eliminating safety issues associated with adhesives.

Distilled water is also an element used to adjust the viscosity of the slurry-type fragrance composition.

The hydrocolloid material is a substance that coats and fixes the flavoring agent, and also serves as a sheet-forming agent. Examples of hydrocolloid materials include, but are not limited to, gelatin, agar, gellan gum, pectin, guar gum, xanthan gum, glucomannan, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), methylcellulose (MC), ethylcellulose (EC), carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), and starches.

Examples of flavorings include menthol, nicotine, nicotine salts, tobacco extract, tobacco extract containing nicotine, natural botanical flavors (e.g., cinnamon, sage, herbs, chamomile, reeds, sweet tea, clove, lavender, cardamom, clove, nutmeg, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, lemon, orange, cinnamon bark, caraway, jasmine, ginger, coriander, vanilla extract, spearmint, peppermint, cassia, coffee, celery, cascarilla, sandalwood, cocoa, ylang-ylang, panel, anise, licorice, St. John's Bread). Bread), plum extract, peach extract, etc.), sugars (e.g., glucose, fructose, isomerized sugar, caramel, etc.), cocoa (powder, extract, etc.), esters (e.g., isoamyl acetate, linalyl acetate, isoamyl propionate, linalyl butyrate, etc.), ketones (e.g., menthone, ionone, damascenone, ethyl maltol, etc.), alcohols (e.g., geraniol, linalool, anethole, eugenol, etc.), aldehydes (e.g., vanillin, benzaldehyde, anisaldehyde, etc.), lactones (e.g., γ-undecalactone, γ-nonalatone, etc.), animal flavorings (e.g., musk, ambergris, civet, castoreum, etc.), hydrocarbons (e.g., limonene, pinene, etc.). The fragrance may be used in a solid state, or may be dissolved or dispersed in an appropriate solvent, such as propylene glycol, ethyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, or triethyl citrate. Fragrances that are easily dispersed in a solvent by the addition of an emulsifier, such as hydrophobic fragrances and oil-soluble fragrances, may also be used. These fragrances may be used alone or in mixtures. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited by the examples provided above.

In some embodiments, the fragrance composition may also include modified cellulose, among other hydrocolloid materials. Here, "modified cellulose" refers to cellulose with a specific functional group substituted within its molecular structure. Examples of modified cellulose include, but are not limited to, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), methyl cellulose (MC), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and ethyl cellulose (EC). For example, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) may have a grade ranging from approximately 4 to 40,000 depending on the molecular weight and the substitution ratio of hydroxypropyl and methyl (or methoxy) groups. The viscosity of the modified cellulose may be determined by the grade. More specifically, the physicochemical properties of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) are related to the ratio of methoxy groups, the ratio of hydroxypropyl groups, and their molecular weight. According to the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), types of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) can be classified into HPMC1828, HPMC2208, HPMC2906, HPMC2910, etc., depending on the ratio of methoxy groups and hydroxypropyl groups. Here, the first two numbers represent the ratio of methoxy groups, and the last two numbers represent the ratio of hydroxypropyl groups. As a result of extensive experiments by the inventors, it has been confirmed that perfumed sheets 10 made from fragrance compositions containing modified cellulose have excellent sheet physical properties and fragrance retention.

In some embodiments, the fragrance composition further comprises LM pectin (low methoxyl pectin). Alternatively, the fragrance composition may comprise LM pectin as a sheet-forming agent in a hydrocolloid material. The LM pectin is a low-ester pectin or low-methoxyl pectin that is relatively less esterified. Specifically, the LM pectin may refer to a pectin containing less than about 50% carboxyl groups within its molecular structure. Unlike carrageenan, the LM pectin does not gel when cooled, allowing the viscosity of the slurry-type fragrance composition to be low (e.g., about 600 cp to 800 cp). Additionally, the slurry-type fragrance composition can be produced without an emulsifier, eliminating the safety issues associated with the emulsifier.

LM pectin may also contain less than about 50%, less than about 40%, less than about 30%, less than about 20%, or less than about 10% of carboxyl groups within its molecular structure. The lower the carboxyl group content within the molecular structure of the LM pectin, the lower the viscosity of a slurry containing the LM pectin may be.

In some embodiments, the fragrance composition further comprises a bulking agent. The bulking agent is a substance that increases the total mass (i.e., dry matter amount) of the components other than distilled water, thereby increasing the volume of the fragrance sheet 10 produced, without affecting the original function of the fragrance sheet 10. Specifically, the bulking agent may have properties that increase the volume of the fragrance sheet 10 but do not substantially increase the slurry viscosity or adversely affect the fragrance retention function of the fragrance sheet 10. Preferably, the bulking agent is a starch, modified starch, or starch hydrolysate. However, the bulking agent is not limited to these.

Modified starch includes starch acetate, oxidized starch, hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate, hydroxypropyl starch, distarch phosphate, monostarch phosphate, phosphorylated distarch phosphate, etc.

Starch hydrolysate refers to a substance obtained by a process that includes a step of hydrolyzing starch. Examples of starch hydrolysates include substances obtained by direct hydrolysis of starch (i.e., dextrins) and substances obtained by heat-treating starch and then hydrolyzing it (i.e., resistant dextrins). Examples of bulking agents include dextrins and, more specifically, cyclodextrins.

The starch hydrolysate may have a DE value ranging from about 2 to about 40, preferably from about 2 to about 20. Examples of starch hydrolysates having a DE value ranging from about 2 to about 20 include Pine Index #100 (Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.), Pine Fiber (Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.), and TK-16 (Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.).

Here, "DE" is an abbreviation for "dextrose equivalent," and the DE value indicates the degree of starch hydrolysis, i.e., the saccharification rate of starch. The DE value in this disclosure is also a value measured by the Willstatter-Schudel method. The properties of hydrolyzed starch (starch hydrolysate), such as the molecular weight of the starch hydrolysate and the arrangement of the sugar molecules that make up the starch hydrolysate, are not constant for each starch hydrolysate molecule but exist with a certain distribution or variation. Depending on the distribution or variation of the starch hydrolysate properties or differences in the cut sections, the starch hydrolysate may exhibit different physical properties (e.g., DE value) for each molecule. Thus, although the starch hydrolysate is a collection of molecules that exhibit different physical properties, the measurement result by the Willstatter-Schudel method (i.e., DE value) is treated as a representative value indicating the degree of starch hydrolysis.

Preferably, the starch hydrolysate is selected from the group consisting of dextrin having a DE value of about 2 to about 5, resistant dextrin having a DE value of about 10 to about 15, and mixtures thereof. An example of a dextrin having a DE value of about 2 to about 5 is Pine Index #100 (Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.). An example of a resistant dextrin having a DE value of about 10 to about 15 is Pine Fiber (Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.).

In some embodiments, the fragrance composition further includes a plasticizer. The plasticizer can improve the physical properties of the fragrance sheet 10 by imparting appropriate flexibility to the sheet. Examples of the plasticizer include, but are not limited to, at least one of glycerin and propylene glycol.

In some embodiments, the fragrance composition further contains an emulsifier. The emulsifier allows the highly fat-soluble fragrance and the water-soluble hydrocolloid material to mix well, thereby increasing the fragrance retention capacity of the fragrance sheet 10. Examples of such emulsifiers include, but are not limited to, lecithin.

On the other hand, the fragrance sheet 10 made from the above-mentioned fragrance composition may have a variety of content ratios (composition ratios).

In some embodiments, the perfume sheet 10 comprises, based on a total of 100 parts by weight, about 2 to about 15 parts by weight of moisture, about 25 to about 90 parts by weight of modified cellulose, and about 0.1 to about 60 parts by weight of perfume.

In some embodiments, the fragrance sheet 10 also contains, based on a total of 100 parts by weight, about 2 to about 15 parts by weight of water, about 25 to about 90 parts by weight of LM pectin, and about 0.1 to about 60 parts by weight of fragrance.

In some embodiments, the fragrance sheet 10 also contains, based on a total of 100 parts by weight, about 2 to about 15 parts by weight of water, about 1 to about 60 parts by weight of hydrocolloid material, about 1 to about 60 parts by weight of LM pectin, and about 0.1 to about 60 parts by weight of fragrance.

In some embodiments, the plasticizer is included in an amount of about 0.1 to about 15 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the total fragrance sheet 10. Within this range, a sheet with appropriate flexibility can be formed. For example, if too little plasticizer is added, the flexibility of the sheet decreases and the fragrance sheet is easily damaged during processing, while if too much plasticizer is added, the sheet is not properly formed.

The flavored sheet 10 and its manufacturing method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above. Below, with reference to Figure 7 and subsequent drawings, a manufacturing method for, for example, smoking articles 100, 200, and 300 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. Below, for the sake of convenience, reference numbers relating to, for example, smoking articles 100, 200, and 300 and their components will be omitted.

In one embodiment, a method for manufacturing a smoking article also includes a step of manufacturing a wrapping material, and a step of wrapping at least a portion of the smoking article with the manufactured wrapping material to manufacture the smoking article. For example, a smoking article can be manufactured by wrapping at least a portion of a smoking material portion with the wrapping material.

The step of manufacturing the wrapping material also includes a step of manufacturing the wrapping material using the aforementioned fragrance sheet 10 or the fragrance composition that is the raw material for the fragrance sheet 10. However, the specific manufacturing method varies depending on the embodiment.

In some embodiments, wrapping materials can be manufactured through a process of laminating the scented sheet 10 with wrapping paper. For ease of understanding, this embodiment will be explained in more detail with reference to Figure 7.

As shown in FIG. 7, wrapping paper is supplied through a first bobbin 410 on which the wrapping paper is wound, and simultaneously, a flavored sheet 10 is supplied through a second bobbin 420 on which the flavored sheet 10 is wound. The supplied wrapping paper and flavored sheet 10 can then be laminated by a press roller 440. At this time, if the flavored sheet 10 is made of a hydrocolloid material, a predetermined liquid can be sprayed through a sprayer 430. The sprayed liquid makes the flavored sheet 10 sticky, allowing the flavored sheet 10 to be firmly laminated to the wrapping paper without the need for a separate adhesive. This also makes it possible to easily manufacture a wrapping material 450 for a smoking article. The manufactured wrapping material 450 can be cut to an appropriate size and used as a wrapper for a smoking article.

The specified liquid may be, for example, water (distilled water), ethanol, etc., but is not limited to these.

Furthermore, the thickness of the scented sheet 10 supplied through the second bobbin 420 is approximately 10 μm to 150 μm, preferably approximately 30 μm to 150 μm, approximately 40 μm to 150 μm, approximately 60 μm to 150 μm, or approximately 60 μm to 120 μm. Within such a numerical range, the scented sheet 10 can be easily laminated to the wrapping paper, the problem of the wrapping material 450 becoming excessively thick can be prevented, and appropriate flexibility can be ensured. Furthermore, the scent retention of the scented sheet 10 can also be improved.

In some other embodiments, the wrapping material may be produced through a coating process in which a liquid fragrance composition is applied to wrapping paper and dried. For ease of understanding, this embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 8.

As shown in FIG. 8, wrapping paper may be supplied via a bobbin 510 on which the wrapping paper is wound. Then, a liquid (e.g., slurry) flavor composition 530 may be applied onto the supplied wrapping paper via an applicator 520 (e.g., a nozzle). The flavor composition 530 may be dried naturally during the wrapping paper transfer process (540) or in a separate drying facility. As a result, the wrapping paper is coated with the flavor composition 530, and a wrapping material 550 may be produced. The produced wrapping material 550 may be cut to an appropriate size and used as a wrapper for a smoking article.

In this case, the thickness of the coated fragrance composition 530 is approximately 100 μm or less, and preferably approximately 90 μm, 80 μm, 70 μm, 60 μm, or 50 μm or less. Within such a numerical range, the wrapping material 550 can be prevented from becoming excessively thick and appropriate flexibility can be ensured.

With reference to Figures 7 and 8, methods for manufacturing wrapping materials 450, 550 and smoking articles according to some embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above. According to the above-described methods, for example, the wrapping paper of the smoking article 100 and the flavored sheet 10 can be laminated together, or the composition of the flavored sheet 10 can be applied to the wrapping paper. This allows, for example, the wrapping material for the smoking article 100 to be easily manufactured. Furthermore, using the manufactured wrapping material has the advantage that, for example, the smoking article 100 can be manufactured using existing manufacturing equipment (i.e., equipment that wraps smoking articles).

The following describes the configuration and effects of the aforementioned scented sheet 10 through embodiments and experimental examples. However, the following embodiments are merely partial examples of the scented sheet 10, and the scope of this disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments.

Examples 1 to 7

A flavor sheet having the content ratios shown in Table 1 below was produced, and the produced flavor sheet was laminated with wrapping paper (or the flavor composition was coated on the wrapping paper) to produce a wrapper for the smoking material portion. Cigarettes were then produced using the produced wrapper.

Experimental Example 1: Evaluation of manufacturability and properties

Experiments were conducted to comprehensively evaluate the flavor sheets, wrappers, and cigarettes of Examples 1 to 7 in terms of ease of manufacturing the composition liquid (i.e., flavor composition), quality characteristics such as appearance, flavor retention characteristics, and sensory characteristics when smoking. The sensory characteristics were evaluated by a panel with five or more years of smoking experience, and were rated using the following three grades. The evaluation results are shown in Table 2 below.

○：Excellent

△: Good

X: Bad

Referring to Table 2 above, the fragrance sheets according to this embodiment were evaluated as excellent in terms of ease of manufacturing the liquid composition, sheet, and wrapper.

Furthermore, the fragrance sheets according to Examples 6 and 7 were evaluated as having slightly inferior quality characteristics compared to the other embodiments. In other words, the fragrance sheets manufactured based on gellan gum and gelatin were evaluated as having slightly inferior quality characteristics compared to fragrance sheets based on other sheet-forming agents (e.g., hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), methylcellulose (MC), LM pectin, etc.).

Furthermore, the flavored sheets of Examples 4, 6, and 7 were evaluated as having inferior sensory properties when smoking compared to other embodiments. Specifically, flavored sheets containing hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), gellan gum, and gelatin were evaluated as producing an unpleasant odor when smoking, and the resulting unpleasant odor was confirmed to have a negative impact on the tobacco taste (see Experimental Example 2).

Experimental Example 2: Sensory Evaluation

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the detailed sensory characteristics of cigarettes according to Examples 1 to 7 on a panel of people with five or more years of smoking experience. Specifically, the evaluation items were the inherent tobacco taste, refreshing menthol sensation, unpleasant odor, and refreshing tobacco taste, and a sensory evaluation was conducted on a scale of 1 to 7. The evaluation results are shown in Table 3 below. For reference, a higher score for unpleasant odor indicates a more negative evaluation, while a higher score for the other items indicates a more positive evaluation.

Referring to Table 3, the cigarettes of Examples 4, 6, and 7 are evaluated as having relatively more off-flavors due to hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), gellan gum, and gelatin.

Furthermore, the cigarettes of Examples 2, 3, and 5 are evaluated as having a relatively superior menthol refreshing feeling. The relatively superior menthol refreshing feeling of the cigarettes means that even when a flavor sheet is applied to the wrapper, flavor release is sufficiently improved, and this may mean that a flavor sheet manufactured based on methylcellulose (MC) and LM pectin has excellent performance in terms of both flavor retention and flavor release.

Experimental Example 3: Evaluation of ease of manufacture and characteristics depending on sheet thickness

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the ease of manufacturing the sheet and wrapper, the flavor retention properties, and the ease of manufacturing cigarettes by varying the thickness of the flavor sheet according to Example 3. As in Experimental Example 1, the evaluation was conducted using three levels, and the evaluation results are shown in Table 4 below. For reference, the sheet thickness may refer to the thickness of the flavor sheet itself or the coating thickness after the flavor composition has dried.

Referring to Table 4, when the thickness of the flavored sheet is approximately 150 μm or more, the ease of manufacturing the sheet and wrapper, and the ease of manufacturing the cigarette, are evaluated as being slightly reduced. This is thought to be because the thicker the sheet, the less flexible it becomes.

Furthermore, it was evaluated that fragrance retention properties were slightly reduced when the thickness of the fragrance sheet was approximately 40 μm or less. Therefore, in order to simultaneously ensure fragrance retention properties and ease of manufacturing, it is desirable to manufacture fragrance sheets with a thickness of approximately 40 μm to 150 μm.

The above describes in further detail the configuration and effects of the aforementioned scented sheet 10 through this embodiment and experimental example.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand that the present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without changing the technical idea or essential features thereof. Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be understood to be illustrative in all respects and not limiting. The scope of protection of the present disclosure should be interpreted by the claims, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of rights of the technical ideas defined by the present disclosure.

Claims (9)

a smoking substances section;
A filter unit;
a wrapper enclosing at least a portion of the smoking material portion;
A fragrance sheet made of a fragrance composition containing a hydrocolloid substance and a fragrance is applied to the trumpet,
The wrapping paper is a smoking article, and the wrapping paper is laminated with the flavoring sheet. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the wrapper is composed solely of the flavored sheet, or the flavored sheet and the wrapping paper are integrated into one piece. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the flavored sheet is between 40 μm and 150 μm. The smoking article of claim 1 , wherein the flavoring sheet is laminated to the wrapping paper without adhesive. At least a portion of the wrapper is made of metal foil;
The smoking article according to claim 1 , wherein the flavored sheet is disposed inside the metal foil. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the hydrocolloid material comprises methylcellulose. The hydrocolloid material includes low methoxyl (LM) pectin;
2. The smoking article according to claim 1, wherein the LM pectin is a substance that contains less than 50% carboxyl groups and has the property of not gelling when left to cool. producing a wrapping material using a fragrance composition containing a hydrocolloid material and a fragrance, or a fragrance sheet produced from the fragrance composition;
and wrapping at least a portion of a smoking material portion with the produced wrapping material to produce a smoking article including the smoking material portion;
The step of manufacturing the wrapping material comprises:
A method for manufacturing a smoking article, comprising the steps of spraying a non-sticky or non-adhesive liquid and laminating the flavoring sheet and wrapping paper. The step of manufacturing the wrapping material comprises:
The method for producing a smoking article according to claim 8 , comprising the step of applying the flavor composition to wrapping paper and drying it.