JP7782020B2 - Flavor sheet for use in non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation product - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a flavor sheet for use in a non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation product.

Patent Document 1 discloses a sheet of homogeneous tobacco material produced by forming a slurry containing a blended tobacco powder mixture and casting the slurry on a support surface. Patent Document 2 discloses a reconstituted tobacco sheet produced by extracting water-soluble products of tobacco, then separating the water-soluble products from tobacco fibers, then refining the tobacco fibers, passing the fibers through a paper machine to form a base sheet, and then introducing concentrated water-soluble products of tobacco into the base sheet. Patent Document 3 discloses a reconstituted tobacco sheet produced by rolling a mixture containing shredded tobacco.

Patent Document 4 discloses a tobacco rod in which a tobacco sheet containing homogenized tobacco particles and susceptor particles is compressed, folded, and filled. Patent Document 5 discloses a tobacco rod in which ground tobacco material is mixed with an aerosol-generating substance and water to form a slurry, a tabular tobacco sheet is formed from this slurry, and multiple finely cut tobacco strands are filled in the same direction or randomly aligned from this tobacco sheet.

Patent No. 6929300 Patent No. 6946306 International Publication No. 2021/181327 International Publication No. 2015/177252 Special table 2021-519604 publication

The tobacco sheets described in Patent Documents 1 to 5 are formed through steps such as slurry casting, fiber papermaking, or material rolling and crimping, resulting in high sheet density, thin sheet thickness, and low air permeability. Flavor rods manufactured by filling them with such tobacco sheets (in other words, flavor sheets, including those containing flavors other than tobacco) require an increased filling amount of the flavor sheet. As a result, flavor segments cut from the flavor rods, and ultimately flavor inhalation articles (hereinafter simply referred to as articles) containing these flavor segments, have increased air resistance.

As a result of the increased airflow resistance of the article, the amount of airflow through the flavor segment when inhaling the article, and therefore the amount of air inhaled by the user, tends to decrease. This prevents the flavor components contained in the flavor sheet from volatilizing efficiently, and also prevents the efficient generation of aerosols of the flavor components. Furthermore, if the airflow resistance of the flavor rod is high, the amount of airflow through the flavor segment decreases, causing the heated and volatilized flavor components to be adsorbed onto the flavor rod itself and filtered.

As a result, fewer flavor components are delivered to the downstream portion of the flavor rod in the direction of the airflow, and ultimately, fewer flavor components are available for the user to inhale. In particular, non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation articles generally have lower heating temperatures than combustion heating type flavor inhalation articles, so the amount of volatilized flavor components is smaller and the amount of flavor components available for the user to inhale is also smaller, making it difficult to provide a satisfying flavor to the user.

On the other hand, when a flavor rod is formed by folding or stacking thin flavor sheets, as in the tobacco rods described in Patent Documents 4 and 5, gaps are likely to form between the flavor sheets. When the article is inhaled, the amount of airflow through these gaps inevitably increases. Because the volatilization and aerosolization of the flavor components contained in the flavor sheets primarily occurs in the gaps with a high amount of airflow, efficient volatilization and efficient aerosolization of the flavor components are hindered.

Furthermore, when a flavor rod is formed by folding or stacking a thin flavor sheet and filling it, variations in the degree of filling of the flavor sheet occur, and the size and shape of the voids are likely to vary. The amount of flavor components volatilized from the flavor sheet and the amount of aerosol generated vary depending on the size and shape of the voids. Therefore, variations in the formation of voids and the degree of filling of the flavor sheet make it difficult to provide a consistent flavor to the user.

In particular, in the case of the tobacco rod described in Patent Document 4, variations in the degree of filling of the flavor sheet can result in variations in the contact state between the tobacco particles and the susceptor particles. This causes variations in the heating distribution of the tobacco particles, resulting in significant fluctuations in the amount of volatilization of flavor components and, ultimately, the amount of aerosol generated, making it even more difficult to provide users with a consistent flavor.

The present invention was made in consideration of these problems, and aims to provide a flavor sheet for use in a non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation product that can efficiently and quantitatively supply flavor components to the user.

The flavor sheet used in a non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article is made of nonwoven fabric and includes a sheet formed from fibers , an adhesive added to one side of the sheet, and particles supplied to the other side of the sheet.

Flavor inhalation articles using the aforementioned flavor sheets can efficiently and quantitatively supply flavor components to users.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a flavor sheet. 1 is a schematic diagram of a flavor sheet manufacturing device. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a method for producing a flavor sheet. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of one embodiment of a flavor rod. FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram of another embodiment of a flavor rod. FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the volume filling rate of a filling rod. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a flavor inhalation article.

1. Flavor Sheet The flavor sheet includes a sheet formed from fibers, an adhesive applied to one side of the sheet, and particles applied to the other side of the sheet. The flavor sheet is formed from a nonwoven fabric, in which the sheet is formed, the adhesive is applied, and the particles are applied by the airlaid process described below. The flavor sheet is used in a non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article, and there are various ways in which the flavor sheet can be formed and placed on the article.

For example, a flavor sheet can be folded or randomly gathered and wrapped in a wrapping paper (wrapper) to form a flavor rod, which can then be cut to form flavor segments, which can then be combined with other segments to form a rod-shaped article.

(1) Particles The particles contained in the sheet are formed to a size that allows them to be easily embedded within the sheet. Specifically, the particle size of the particles is preferably in the range of 14 Mesh to 500 Mesh on a standard sieve (ASTM E11). More preferably, the particle size is 14 Mesh to 70 Mesh, in which case the particles are embedded in a dispersed state in the gaps between the fibers that make up the sheet. Furthermore, by setting the particle size to 70 Mesh to 500 Mesh, the particles adhere to the surfaces of the fibers that make up the sheet, and as a result, are embedded in the sheet. When particles with a particle size of 70 Mesh to 500 Mesh are supplied to the sheet, they may be dispersed in a liquid to form a paste or suspension, which is then applied to the surface of the sheet.

The particles are flavor component-releasing agents, which are materials that contain a substance and a carrier that holds the substance so that it can be released, or materials that themselves release the substance. In the former case, the substance can be a flavoring such as menthol, or a tobacco extract as a flavor component, and the carrier can be an inclusion compound such as cyclodextrin, or a porous material such as calcium carbonate or alumina.

Examples of the latter include particles such as mint leaf pulverization obtained by pulverizing mint leaves and tobacco pulverization obtained by pulverizing tobacco plants. Mint leaf particles release menthol and the like, while tobacco particles release flavor. All particles may be composed of the component-releasing agent, or only a portion of all particles may be composed of the component-releasing agent. In the latter case, the lower limit of the total amount of component-releasing agent in all particles is preferably 80% by weight or more, more preferably 90% by weight or more, and even more preferably 95% by weight or more. The upper limit is preferably 99% by weight or less, more preferably 98% by weight or less.

More specifically, the amount of flavor components contained in the sheet is adjusted to match the quality target of the product. When incorporating a specified amount of particles onto a sheet of a specified area, simply increasing or decreasing the amount of particles can make it difficult to adjust the conditions in the product manufacturing equipment. Therefore, from the perspective of stable product production, it is preferable to mix particles that do not release ingredients (bulk-increasing particles) with ingredient-releasing particles, adjust the ratio between them, and prepare so that the total amount of particles supplied does not change.

(2) Fibers The fibers are not particularly limited as long as they can form the matrix of the sheet. Examples include synthetic fibers or semi-synthetic fibers made from cellulose acetate, PP, PE, PET, polylactic acid, etc. Natural fibers such as plant fibers made from cellulose, etc. are also included, but from the perspective of reducing environmental impact, plant-derived natural fibers are preferred.

The length of the fibers is not particularly limited, but relatively short fibers are preferred to form the matrix of the sheet, and the fiber length is preferably 5 mm or less. The fineness of the fibers is not particularly limited, but in the case of synthetic or semi-synthetic fibers, the monofilament fineness is preferably 1 to 30 (denier/filament), and more preferably 1 to 10 (denier/filament).

In the case of natural fibers, roughness can be used as an index of thickness and length. From the perspective of more easily achieving an airflow resistance suitable for suction, the roughness is preferably 0.15 to 0.25 mg/m, more preferably 0.16 to 0.24 mg/m, and even more preferably 0.18 to 0.22 mg/m. The roughness is measured in accordance with JIS P8120:1998.

When using synthetic or semi-synthetic fibers, the cross-sectional shape of the fibers is not limited, but an R-shape or Y-shape is preferred, with a Y-shape being more preferred from a cost perspective. Furthermore, plasticizers and binders can be used to bond the contact points between fibers during sheet molding and improve sheet strength. When using natural fibers such as cellulose, water-soluble binders such as starch, modified starch, modified cellulose, PVA, or PVAc can be used alone or in combination, or latex can also be used.

When acetate fiber is used as the fiber, the binder for natural fibers mentioned above can be used, and a plasticizer (triacetin) capable of dissolving cellulose acetate can also be used. Among these, plant-derived natural fibers are preferred because they have a smaller environmental impact than synthetic or semi-synthetic fibers, and wood pulp fiber is particularly preferred from the perspective of its excellent heat resistance. In this case, from the perspective of manufacturability when processing the sheet into a flavor sheet and hardness after processing into a flavor sheet, it is preferable that the weight of wood pulp fiber contained per unit area of the sheet be 25 to 50 g/m2.

(3) Adhesive Known adhesives can be used, including starch-based adhesives, modified starch-based adhesives, modified cellulose-based adhesives such as CMC, HPC, and PPMC, polysaccharide adhesives such as alginate, carrageenan, and guar gum, and polymer adhesives such as polyvinyl alcohol. Among these, from the viewpoints of relatively little impact on the flavor of the product, relatively excellent water resistance, and excellent heat resistance, the adhesive is preferably selected from polyvinyl alcohol, vinyl acetate acrylic copolymer, or a mixture thereof. The adhesive weight (solid weight) per unit area of the sheet is preferably 4 to 40 g/m2. An excessively large amount of adhesive is economically disadvantageous and may affect the flavor. Furthermore, an excessively small amount of adhesive may result in a small number of bonded points between fibers, which may lead to problems such as fiber separation and an inability to maintain the sheet's tensile strength.

(4) Particle Distribution Ratio Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a flavor sheet. In the figure, 1 denotes the flavor sheet, 2 denotes the base sheet, 4 denotes particles, 6 denotes fibers, A denotes one side of the flavor sheet 1, a denotes the region from the center of the sheet 2 in the thickness direction Z to one side A, B denotes the other side B of the flavor sheet 1, and b denotes the region from the center of the sheet 2 in the thickness direction Z to the other side B. Particles 4 are distributed in the flavor sheet 1 at a predetermined distribution ratio. The distribution ratio CA of particles 4 in region a of the flavor sheet 1 and the distribution ratio CB of particles 4 in region b of the flavor sheet 1 are defined as follows:
CA = weight of particles present in region a / total particle weight CB = weight of particles present in region b / total particle weight

The particles 4 in the sheet 2 are distributed so that CA > CB. That is, the particles 4 are distributed in greater numbers on the side of region a, which includes one surface A of the sheet 2. CA:CB is preferably 60-100:0-40, and more preferably 70-90:10-30. The total weight of the particles 4 per unit area of the flavor sheet 1 is preferably 7-80 g/m2, and more preferably 10-40 g/m2. If the weight of the particles 4 is below the lower limit, the function of the particles 4 cannot be fully expressed, and if it exceeds the upper limit, it is economically disadvantageous.

It is preferable that the distribution ratio of particles 4 near the surface layer of the flavor sheet 1 is low. This is because if a large number of particles 4 are present near the surface layer of the flavor sheet 1, there is a risk of damaging the manufacturing equipment described below during manufacturing. From this perspective, the distribution ratios CAs and CBs of particles 4 near the surface layer are defined as follows.
CAs = weight of particles present in a region of 5% in the thickness direction from one surface (surface A) / total particle weight CBs = weight of particles present in a region of 5% in the thickness direction from the other surface (surface B) / total particle weight

The distribution ratio CAs is preferably 0 to 10, more preferably 0 to 5, and even more preferably 0 to 3. The distribution ratio CBs is preferably 0 to 5, more preferably 0 to 3, and even more preferably 0 to 1. From the perspective of protecting the manufacturing equipment, it is more preferable that CAs and CBs are both 0. If CAs and CBs are not both 0, it is preferable that the particles 4 are embedded in the flavor sheet 1.

These distribution rates can be determined by image analysis of the cross section of flavor sheet 1, or by dividing flavor sheet 1 along a plane parallel to the main surface at a portion 5% from the center or surface in the thickness direction Z and measuring the weight of particles 4 and sheet 2. The former method is preferred from the perspective of simplicity. Because the distribution rate of particles 4 in flavor sheet 1 is uniform in the planar direction, in this method, image analysis of one cross section of flavor sheet 1 can be used to determine the distribution rate of particles 4 in the entire sheet.

(5) Shape of Flavor Sheet, etc. The shape of the flavor sheet 1 is appropriately adjusted depending on the application. For example, in the case of a flavor rod for a cylindrical product having a diameter of 24 mm and a height of 27 mm, the flavor sheet 1 has a length of 27 mm, a width of 50 to 150 mm, and a thickness of 0.5 to 3.0 mm. When the flavor sheet 1 is manufactured by the airlaid process described below, it becomes thicker and more breathable than conventional sheets. The thickness of the flavor sheet 1 can be measured by optically measuring the cross section of the sheet, such as by image analysis. It can also be measured using the thickness measurement method for paper and paperboard specified in JISP8118:2014.

The apparent density of the flavor sheet 1 is not limited, but in one embodiment it is 30 to 200 g/m3. The apparent density here can be calculated by dividing the basis weight of the sheet including all of the sheet components, namely, the fibers 6, adhesive, and particles 4, by the volume of the sheet. The air permeability of the flavor sheet 1 is in the range of 1000 l/ ^m2 /s to 50000 l/ ^m2 /s, which is higher than conventional air permeability. The air permeability of the flavor sheet 1 is measured using a measurement method in accordance with ISO 9073-15.

2. Method for Manufacturing Flavor Sheet Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of a manufacturing apparatus for flavor sheet 1, and Figure 3 shows a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing flavor sheet 1. In Figure 2, 8 denotes a mesh, 10 and 12 denote sheet conveyors, 2 denotes a particle-free sheet, 1 denotes a flavor sheet, 14 denotes a fiber feeder, 16 denotes an adhesive feeder, 18 denotes an aspirator, 20 denotes a dryer, 22 denotes a particle feeder, 24 denotes an adhesive feeder, and 26 denotes a dryer. Although Figure 2 shows multiple sheets 2, the sheet 2 on mesh 8 may be continuous with the flavor sheet 1. The flavor sheet 1 is manufactured using this manufacturing apparatus by an airlaid process including the following steps.

(1) Sheet forming process S1
When the production of the flavor sheet 1 is initiated, in this process, fibers 6 are supplied from a fiber supplying machine 14 to a mesh 8 to form a sheet 2. The fibers 6 are preferably natural fibers derived from plants, and the fibers 6 are preferably supplied to the mesh 8 by dropping from the fiber supplying machine 14. The mesh 8 is not limited as long as it is one used in the production of dry nonwoven fabrics, and examples thereof include wire mesh. More specifically, this process includes a fiber supplying process P1 in which fibers 6 are supplied from the fiber supplying machine 14 to one side (specifically, the upper side) of the mesh 8 using a gas medium, and a fiber holding process P2 in which the other side (specifically, the lower side) of the mesh 8 is sucked by an aspirator 18 to hold the fibers on the mesh 8. Air can be used as the gas medium.

(2) Adhesive addition step S2
In this step, adhesive is applied from adhesive supply machine 16 to one side A (specifically, the upper side) of sheet 2. In the particle supply step S5 described below, the airlaid process of this manufacturing process may also apply adhesive to the other side B (specifically, the lower side) of sheet 2. Specific adhesives are as described above, and the amount is adjusted as appropriate. The amount of adhesive added in this step is adjusted, taking into account the amount of adhesive supplied to side B in particle supply step S5, so that the amount ultimately contained per unit area of sheet 2 is approximately 4 to 40 g/m2 in terms of adhesive solid weight.

For example, approximately 2 to 20 g/m2 of adhesive can be added to surface A, and then approximately 2 to 20 g/m2 of adhesive can be added to surface B in particle supply step S5. The adhesive supply device 16 is a spray, and the adhesive is preferably sprayed. The sheet 2 to which the adhesive has been added is transferred to the sheet conveyor 10 and is preferably dried. Drying may be performed using a dryer 20 or by air drying. A belt conveyor, for example, can be used as the sheet conveyor 12. In this step, adhesive is applied to surface A, and the fibers 6 are fixed together.

(3) Drying process S3
In this manufacturing method, the drying step S3 can be provided at any position. FIG. 2 shows two cases in which this step is performed in the dryer 20 between the adhesive adding step S2 and the sheet inverting step S4 described below, as described above, and in which this step is performed in the dryer 26 after the particle supplying step S5 described below. In this manufacturing method, at least the latter drying step S3 is performed. This step is preferably performed when a water-soluble adhesive is used in the adhesive adding step S2. Drying may be performed by air drying. Furthermore, when latex is used as the adhesive in the adhesive adding step S2, air drying may be performed without using the dryers 20 and 26, or the drying step S3 may not be provided.

(4) Sheet reversing step S4
In this step, the sheet 2 obtained in the adhesive adding step S2 is inverted. Specifically, the sheet 2 is transferred from the sheet conveying machine 10 to the sheet conveying machine 12, and is inverted so that the other side B faces upward.

(5) Particle supply step S5
In this process, particles 4 are supplied to side B of the inverted sheet 2 to form the flavor sheet 1. Specifically, this process includes a simultaneous adhesive addition process P3 in which adhesive is added from the adhesive supply machine 24 simultaneously with the particles 4, or a post-adhesive addition process P4 in which adhesive is added from the adhesive supply machine 24 after the particles 4 have been supplied. This allows adhesive to be added to side B of the sheet, and the particles 4 are fixedly held to the sheet 2, thereby completing the production of the flavor sheet 1.

Figure 2 shows an embodiment in which the simultaneous adhesive addition process P3 is performed. The adhesive supply device 24 is preferably a spray device, similar to the adhesive supply device 16. As mentioned above, the amount of adhesive added in this process is adjusted so that the final weight of the adhesive solids is approximately 4 to 40 g/m2. The amount of particles is adjusted appropriately to achieve the desired amount. The flavor sheet 1 produced in this manner has a large number of particles 4 on side A of the sheet 2.

3. Flavor Rod Fig. 4 shows a conceptual diagram of one embodiment of a flavor rod 100. A flavor rod 100 to be used in an article is prepared from a flavor sheet 1. For example, as shown in Fig. 4, a filled rod 28 is formed by converging a cut flavor sheet 1 in a width direction X that intersects with its longitudinal direction Y (in other words, the conveyance direction of the flavor sheet 1 in Fig. 2, or the axial direction of the filled rod 28) to reduce its diameter. The flavor rod 100 can be formed by wrapping a wrapper paper 30 around the filled rod 28.

(1) S-Shaped Sheet Cross Section As shown in Figure 4, the filling rod 28 is formed by stacking multiple flavor sheets 1 and folding them in the width direction X to reduce the diameter. The folded shape of each flavor sheet 1 in the filling rod 28 results in an S-shaped sheet cross section. The filling rod 28 includes a susceptor 32 that inductively heats each flavor sheet 1. The susceptor 32 is a heating material that converts electrical energy into heat, and generates an induced current when an article is attached to the device and placed in an electromagnetic field.

The susceptor 32 generates heat due to electrical resistance generated by the induced current, heating each flavor sheet 1 that makes up the flavor rod 100 and volatilizing the flavor components together with the aerosol. The susceptor 32 is, for example, sheet-shaped, and is overlapped with each flavor sheet 1 and folded together with each flavor sheet 1 into an S-shape.

(2) Omega-Shaped Sheet Cross Section Figure 5 shows a conceptual diagram of another embodiment of the flavor rod 100. As shown in Figure 5, the folded shape of each flavor sheet 1 in the filling rod 28 may have an ω-shaped sheet cross section. In this case, the susceptor 32 is overlapped with each flavor sheet 1 and folded together with each flavor sheet 1 into an ω-shape.

4 and 5, the susceptor 32 is preferably positioned between each flavor sheet 1, and more preferably positioned in the center of the filling rod 28. This increases the contact area between the susceptor 32 and each flavor sheet 1, allowing each flavor sheet 1 to be heated evenly and promoting the evaporation of flavor components. The susceptor 32 may be plate-shaped, in which case the susceptor 32 is positioned at least inside the filling rod 28. Furthermore, in embodiments in which the article is heated by a heating method other than induction heating, the susceptor 32 is not positioned on the filling rod 28.

(3) Volume Filling Ratio of Filling Rod Figure 6 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the volume filling ratio of the filling rod 28. Note that Figure 6 illustrates an embodiment in which the filling rod 28 does not include a susceptor 32. t is the thickness of each flavor sheet 1 in the thickness direction Z when stacked before being formed into the filling rod 28, w is the sheet width in the width direction X of the flavor sheet 1 before being formed into the filling rod 28, and r is the radius of the filling rod 28. The total sheet cross-sectional area Ss, which is the sum of the sheet cross-sectional areas in the width direction X of the flavor sheets 1, the rod cross-sectional area Sr, which is the sheet cross-sectional area in the radial direction of the filling rod 28, and the volume filling ratio R of the filling rod 28, calculated as a percentage, are defined as follows:
Ss = t × w
Sr = r x r x π
R=(Ss/Sr)×100

By adjusting the total sheet cross-sectional area Ss and the rod cross-sectional area Sr, the volumetric filling rate R of the filling rod 28 is set to 100% or greater. To achieve a volumetric filling rate R of 100% or greater, in other words, a void rate of 0% for the filling rod 28, the thickness t1 of each flavor sheet 1 is adjusted appropriately within the range of 0.5 to 3.0 mm, as described above, the number of flavor sheets 1 filled into the filling rod 28 is adjusted, and the degree of diameter reduction of each flavor sheet 1 is also adjusted.

This results in a filling rod 28 that is free of voids, suppressing variations in the amount of airflow through the filling rod 28 due to voids during inhalation. This suppresses variations in the amount of flavor components volatilized from the flavor sheet 1 and aerosol generation. Note that if the filling rod 28 includes a susceptor 32, the cross-sectional area of the susceptor 32 is taken into account when calculating the volume filling rate R.

(4) Airflow Resistance of Filler Rod The airflow resistance per 10 mm length in the axial direction of the filling rod 28 is set to 5 _mmH2O to 50 _mmH2O . The airflow resistance of the filling rod 28 is measured in accordance with the ISO standard method (ISO 6565) that specifies the method for measuring filter airflow resistance, for example, using an "Airflow Resistance Meter A11 (manufactured by Burghart)." This results in a filling rod 28 that is free of voids and has greater air permeability than conventional filling rods. The flavor rod 100 formed from such a filling rod 28 is cut into flavor segments, which are combined with other segments such as filter segments to form a non-combustion and heating type flavor inhalation article.

4. Flavor Inhalation Article (1) Non-Combustion Heating Type Flavor Inhalation Article Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a flavor inhalation article. In the figure, reference numeral 200 denotes a non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article, and the article 200 comprises a flavor segment 34 and a mouthpiece segment 36. The mouthpiece segment 36 comprises a cooling segment 38, a center hole segment 40, a first filter segment F1, and a second filter segment F2. The first filter segment F1 and the second filter segment F2 are collectively referred to as the "filter section." When inhaling the article 200, the flavor segment 34 is heated, and inhalation occurs from the end of the first filter segment F1. Note that although the susceptor 32 is not shown in Figure 7, if a susceptor 32 is provided, the flavor segment 34 would be induction heated by the susceptor 32.

The flavor segment 34 is formed by cutting the flavor rod 100 and includes a sheet filling section 42 formed by the filling rod 28 and the aforementioned cylindrical cigarette paper 30 that covers the sheet filling section 42. The sheet filling section 42 contains an aerosol-generating base material and may further contain volatile flavor components and water. Various types of tobacco are available for obtaining the tobacco extract or tobacco powder contained in the particles of the sheet filling section 42. Flue-cured tobacco, Burley, Oriental, native tobacco, and other Nicotiana tabacum and Nicotiana rustica varieties can be appropriately blended to achieve the desired flavor.

The aerosol-generating substrate is a material that can generate an aerosol when heated. Examples of the aerosol-generating substrate include, but are not limited to, glycerin, propylene glycol (PG), triethyl citrate (TEC), triacetin, and 1,3-butanediol. These may be used alone or in combination.

The type of volatile fragrance component is not particularly limited, and from the perspective of imparting a good flavor, acetanisole, acetophenone, acetylpyrazine, 2-acetylthiazole, alfalfa extract, amyl alcohol, amyl butyrate, trans-anethole, star anise oil, apple juice, Peru balsam oil, beeswax absolute, benzaldehyde, benzoin resinoid, benzyl alcohol, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenylacetate, benzyl propionate, 2,3-butanedione, 2-butanol, butyl butyrate, butyric acid, caramel, cardamom oil, carob absolute Lute, β-carotene, carrot juice, L-carvone, β-caryophyllene, cassia bark oil, cedarwood oil, celery seed oil, chamomile oil, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamyl cinnamate, citronella oil, DL-citronellol, clary sage extract, cocoa, coffee, cognac oil, coriander oil, cuminaldehyde, davana oil, δ-decalactone, γ-decalactone, decanoic acid, dill herb oil, 3,4-dimethyl-1,2-cyclopentanedione, 4,5-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-2,5-dihydrofuran -2-one, 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoic acid, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl isovalerate, ethyl lactate, ethyl laurate, ethyl levulinate, ethyl maltol, ethyl octanoate, ethyl oleate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl phenylacetate, ethyl propionate, ethyl stearate, ethyl valerate, ethyl vanillin, ethyl vanillin glucoside, 2-ethyl-3,(5 or 6)-dimethylpyrazine, 5-ethyl-3-hydroxybenzoate Hydroxy-4-methyl-2(5H)-furanone, 2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazine, eucalyptol, fenugreek absolute, gene absolute, gentian root infusion, geraniol, geranyl acetate, grape juice, guaiacol, guava extract, gamma-heptalactone, gamma-hexalactone, hexanoic acid, cis-3-hexen-1-ol, hexyl acetate, hexyl alcohol, phenylhexyl acetate, honey, 4-hydroxy-3-pentenoic acid lactone, 4-hydroxy-4-(3-hydroxy-1-butenyl)-3,5,5-trimethyl 2-Cyclohexen-1-one, 4-(para-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone, sodium 4-hydroxyundecanoate, inmortell absolute, beta-ionone, isoamyl acetate, isoamyl butyrate, isoamyl phenylacetate, isobutyl acetate, isobutyl phenylacetate, jasmine absolute, cola nut tincture, labdanum oil, lemon terpeneless oil, licorice extract, linalool, linalyl acetate, lovage root oil, maltol, maple syrup, menthol, menthone, L-menthyl acetate, paramethoxybenzaldehyde, Methyl 2-pyrrolyl ketone, methyl anthranilate, methyl phenylacetate, methyl salicylate, 4'-methylacetophenone, methylcyclopentenolone, 3-methylvaleric acid, mimosa absolute, honey, myristic acid, nerol, nerolidol, γ-nonalactone, nutmeg oil, δ-octalactone, octanal, octanoic acid, orange flower oil, orange oil, orris root oil, palmitic acid, ω-pentadecalactone, peppermint oil, petitgrain Paraguay oil, phenethyl alcohol, phenethyl phenylacetate, phenylacetic acid, piperonal, plum extract Ingredients: lactic acid, propenylguaethol, propyl acetate, 3-propylidenephthalide, prune juice, pyruvic acid, raisin extract, rose oil, rum, sage oil, sandalwood oil, spearmint oil, styrax absolute, marigold oil, tea distillate, α-terpineol, terpinyl acetate, 5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinoxaline, 1,5,5,9-tetramethyl-13-oxacyclo(8.3.0.0(4.9))tridecane, 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine, thyme oil, tomato extract, 2-tridecanone, Examples of volatile flavor components include triethyl enoate, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexenyl)2-buten-4-one, 2,6,6-trimethyl-2-cyclohexene-1,4-dione, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1,3-cyclohexadienyl)2-buten-4-one, 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine, γ-undecalactone, γ-valerolactone, vanilla extract, vanillin, veratraldehyde, violet leaf absolute, and extracts of tobacco plants (tobacco leaves, tobacco stems, tobacco flowers, tobacco roots, and tobacco seeds), with menthol being particularly preferred. These volatile flavor components may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The content of the aerosol-generating base material in the sheet filling portion 42 is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of generating sufficient aerosol and imparting a good flavor, it is typically 5 to 50% by weight, and preferably 10 to 20% by weight. If the sheet filling portion 42 contains a volatile flavor component, the content thereof is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of imparting a good flavor, it is typically 100 ppm or more, preferably 10,000 ppm or more, and more preferably 25,000 ppm or more, relative to the weight of the sheet filling portion 42, and is typically 100,000 ppm or less, preferably 50,000 ppm or less, and more preferably 33,000 ppm or less.

When the sheet filling section 42 is heated, the flavor components, aerosol-generating base material, and water contained in the sheet filling section 42 vaporize and are inhaled, transferring them to the mouthpiece segment 36. The cooling segment 38 is composed of a tubular member 44. The tubular member 44 is, for example, a paper tube made by processing cardboard into a cylindrical shape. The tubular member 44 and the mouthpiece lining paper 54, described below, have perforations 46 that penetrate both.

The presence of the perforations 46 allows outside air to be introduced into the cooling segment 38 during inhalation. This allows the vaporized aerosol components generated by heating the flavor segment 34 to come into contact with the outside air, causing their temperature to drop and liquefy, generating an aerosol. The diameter (distance) of the perforations 46 is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 0.5 to 1.5 mm. The number of perforations 46 is not particularly limited, and may be one, two, or more. Multiple perforations 46 may also be provided around the circumference of the cooling segment 38.

The center hole segment 40 is composed of a filling layer 48 with a hollow portion and an inner plug wrapper 50 that covers the filling layer 48. The center hole segment 40 functions to increase the strength of the mouthpiece segment 36. The filling layer 48 is a rod with an inner diameter of 5.0 to 1.0 mm, which is densely packed with cellulose acetate fibers and hardened by adding a plasticizer containing triacetin in an amount of 6 to 20% by weight based on the weight of the cellulose acetate.

Because the packed fiber density of the packed layer 48 is high, when inhaled, air and aerosol flow only through the hollow portion and barely within the packed layer 48. When it is desired to reduce the loss of aerosol components due to filtration in the filter section, shortening the length of the filter section and replacing it with a center hole segment 40 is effective in increasing the delivery amount of aerosol components. Because the packed layer 48 inside the center hole segment 40 is a fiber packed layer, it feels pleasant to the touch from the outside when in use.

The center hole segment 40 and the filter section are connected by an outer plug wrapper 52. The outer plug wrapper 52 is, for example, a cylindrical piece of paper. The sheet filling section 42, the cooling segment 38, and the connected center hole segment 40 and filter section are connected by a mouthpiece lining paper 54. These connections can be made, for example, by applying glue such as vinyl acetate glue to the inner surface of the mouthpiece lining paper 54, and then inserting and rolling the three segments.

The length of the axial direction of the item 200, i.e., the horizontal direction in Figure 7, is not particularly limited, but is preferably 40 to 90 mm, more preferably 50 to 75 mm, and even more preferably 50 to 60 mm. The circumferential length of the item 200 is preferably 16 to 25 mm, more preferably 20 to 24 mm, and even more preferably 21 to 23 mm.

For example, the length of the flavor segment 34 may be 20 mm, the length of the cooling segment 38 may be 20 mm, the length of the center hole segment 40 may be 6 mm, and the lengths of the first filter segment F1 and the second filter segment F2 may each be 7.0 mm. The lengths of these individual segments may be changed as appropriate depending on manufacturing suitability, required quality, etc. Furthermore, it is also possible to arrange only the filter section downstream of the cooling segment 38 without using the center hole segment 40.

(2) Flavor Inhalation System The non-combustion heating type product 200 is preferably used in combination with a device that heats the product 200. This combination is also referred to as a non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation system. A known device can be used as the device, and it is preferable to use, for example, a heater that uses electric resistance. Furthermore, when the flavor segment 34 includes a susceptor 32, an induced current flows in the susceptor 32 when the product 200 is attached to the device, and the product 200 is heated by the electric resistance generated by the induced current.

As described above, the flavor sheet 1 of this embodiment comprises a sheet 2 formed from fibers 6, an adhesive applied to one side A of the sheet 2, and particles 4 supplied to the other side B of the sheet 2, and is formed from a nonwoven fabric in which the formation of the sheet 2, the addition of the adhesive, and the supply of the particles 4 are carried out by an airlaid process. The flavor inhalation article 200 formed from this flavor sheet 1 can efficiently and quantitatively supply flavor components to the user.

Specifically, because the flavor sheet 1 is formed from a dry nonwoven fabric by an airlaid process, the density of the sheet 2 is lower, the thickness of the sheet 2 is greater, and the breathability of the sheet 2 is higher than conventional sheets. The airflow resistance of the article 200 using such a flavor sheet 1 is significantly reduced. As a result, when the article 200 is inhaled, the flavor components contained in the flavor sheet 1 can be efficiently volatilized, and an aerosol of the flavor components can be efficiently generated.

In addition, by reducing the airflow resistance of the product 200, the amount of flavor components adsorbed and filtered by the flavor rod 100 itself can be reduced. Therefore, even a non-combustion heating type product 200 that can contain a small amount of flavor components can provide a satisfying flavor to the user.

Furthermore, by forming the flavor sheet 1 from a nonwoven fabric in which the sheet 2 is formed, the adhesive is added, and the particles 4 are supplied by an airlaid process, it is possible to eliminate voids in the filling rod 28 formed by filling the flavor sheet 1. This promotes efficient volatilization of the flavor components and efficient aerosolization of the flavor components, allowing the flavor to be efficiently supplied to the user.

Furthermore, due to the absence of voids in the filling rod 28, and the low density and thick thickness of the sheet 2, variations in the degree of filling of the flavor sheet 1 in the filling rod 28 and, in turn, the flavor rod 100 are reduced. This makes it possible to suppress variations in the amount of flavor components and aerosols volatilized from the flavor sheet 1 in the flavor rod 100, thereby providing a consistent flavor to the user.

Furthermore, by reducing the variation in the degree of filling of the flavor sheet 1, when a susceptor 32 is placed on the flavor rod 100, the variation in the contact pattern between the flavor sheet 1 and the susceptor 32 is also reduced. This makes it possible to suppress variations in the amount of flavor component volatilization, and ultimately the amount of aerosol generated, that accompany variations in the heating distribution of the susceptor 32. This therefore makes it possible to further stabilize the flavor supplied to the user.

Furthermore, adhesive is also added to the other side B of the sheet 2 by the airlaid process. Specifically, adhesive is added to side B of the sheet in the simultaneous adhesive addition process P3 or post-adhesive addition process P4 of the particle supply step S5. This increases the tensile strength of the sheet 2 and allows the particles 4 to be more securely held to the sheet 2.

The flavor sheet 1 has a thickness of 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm. By using a thicker sheet 2 than conventional ones, it is possible to reliably form a flavor sheet 1 having a low density and high breathability of the sheet 2. Specifically, the flavor sheet 1 preferably has an air permeability of 1000 l/m ² /s to 50000 l/m ² /s. This allows the flavor components contained in the flavor sheet 1 to be efficiently volatilized, and also allows an aerosol of the flavor components to be efficiently generated.

The particles 4 supplied to the sheet 2 preferably have a particle size of 14 Mesh to 70 Mesh. Furthermore, when the particles 4 are supplied to the sheet 2 in a paste form to the fibers 6, they are preferably powder having a particle size of 70 Mesh to 500 Mesh. This allows the particles 4 to be reliably embedded and held in the sheet 2.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the particles 4 supplied to the sheet 2 contain tobacco powder or tobacco extract. This allows the non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article 200, which can contain a small amount of flavor components, to provide the user with a more satisfying flavor. Furthermore, it is preferable that the fiber 6 used in the flavor sheet 1 is a natural fiber derived from plants. This allows the environmental impact of the flavor sheet 1 to be reduced.

The adhesive added to the sheet 2 is preferably a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol and vinyl acetate acrylic copolymer suspended in water. This can more effectively increase the tensile strength of the sheet 2 and more reliably hold the particles 4 to the sheet 2.

This concludes the explanation of the embodiment, but the above embodiment is not limiting and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the aforementioned flavor sheet 1 manufacturing device shows one aspect, and as long as the flavor sheet 1 can be manufactured using the aforementioned airlaid process, the device configuration is not limited to what has been described. Furthermore, the flavor sheet 1 of the embodiment can be used in various ways, not just as the aforementioned flavor rod 100 and the aforementioned flavor inhalation article 200 using the same.

For example, the flavor sheet 1 can be laid flat to form a sheet-like flavor segment 34, and this flavor segment 34 can be laminated with other segments or a sheet-like susceptor 32 to produce a laminated flavor inhalation article 200. Furthermore, the flavor rod 100 of the embodiment is not limited to the flavor inhalation article 200 having the above-described configuration, and can be used in flavor inhalation articles 200 of various types.
The claims of this application as filed are set forth below.
[Appendix 1]
A flavor sheet for use in a non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article,
a sheet formed from fibers;
an adhesive applied to one side of the sheet;
particles provided on the other side of the sheet;
Including,
A flavor sheet formed from a nonwoven fabric, in which the formation of the sheet, the addition of the adhesive, and the provision of the particles are carried out by an airlaid process.
[Appendix 2]
2. The flavored sheet of claim 1, wherein the adhesive is also added to the other side of the sheet by the airlaid process.
[Appendix 3]
3. The flavor sheet according to claim 1 or 2, having a thickness of 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm.
[Appendix 4]
4. The flavor sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, having an air permeability of 1000 l/m ² /s to 50000 l/m ² /s.
[Appendix 5]
The flavor sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the particles have a particle size of 14 Mesh to 70 Mesh.
[Appendix 6]
The flavor sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the particles have a particle size of 70 Mesh to 500 Mesh.
[Appendix 7]
7. The flavor sheet of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the particles include ground tobacco.
[Appendix 8]
8. The flavor sheet of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the particles comprise tobacco extract.
[Appendix 9]
The flavor sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the fiber is a natural fiber derived from a plant.
[Supplementary Note 10]
10. The flavor sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the adhesive is a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol and vinyl acetate acrylic copolymer suspended in water.

1 Flavor sheet 2 Sheet 4 Particles 6 Fiber 200 Flavor suction article A One side of the sheet B Other side of the sheet

Claims (10)

A flavor sheet for use in a non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article,
a sheet formed from fibers;
an adhesive applied to one side of the sheet;
and particles provided on the other side of the sheet;
A flavor sheet formed from nonwoven fabric . The flavor sheet of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive is also applied to the other side of the sheet. The flavor sheet according to claim 1 or 2, having a thickness of 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm. The flavor sheet according to claim 1 , having an air permeability of 1000 l/m ² /s to 50000 l/m ² /s. A flavor sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the particles have a particle size of 14 Mesh to 70 Mesh. A flavor sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the particles have a particle size of 70 Mesh to 500 Mesh. The flavor sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the particles include ground tobacco. The flavor sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the particles contain tobacco extract. The flavor sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the fibers are natural fibers derived from plants. The flavor sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the adhesive is a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol and vinyl acetate acrylic copolymer suspended in water.