JP7793020B2 - Smoking substitute consumables - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to consumables for use in smoking substitution systems, and particularly, but not exclusively, to heat-not-burn (HNB) consumables.

Tobacco smoking is generally considered to expose smokers to potentially harmful substances. It is generally believed that significant amounts of potentially harmful substances are produced through the burning of tobacco and/or the heat caused by tobacco combustion, as well as through the burned tobacco components in the tobacco smoke itself.

Conventional combustible smoking articles, such as cigarettes, typically include a cylindrical tobacco rod comprising strips of tobacco surrounded by a wrapper, and typically also include a cylindrical filter axially aligned in abutting relationship with the wrapped tobacco rod. The filter typically includes a filtration material circumscribed by plug wrap. The wrapped tobacco rod and filter are held together by a rolled strip of tipping paper that circumscribes the entire length of the filter and an adjacent portion of the wrapped tobacco rod. This type of conventional cigarette is used by lighting the end opposite the filter and burning the tobacco rod. The smoker receives mainstream smoke through their mouth by drawing on the mouth or filter end of the cigarette.

The combustion of organic materials such as tobacco is known to produce tar and other potentially harmful by-products. To avoid tobacco smoking, various smoking substitution systems (or "substitute smoking systems") have been proposed.

Such smoking substitution systems could form part of nicotine replacement therapy aimed at people wishing to quit smoking and overcome their dependence on nicotine.

Smoking substitution systems include electronic systems that allow users to simulate the act of smoking by producing an aerosol (also called a "vapor") that is drawn into the lungs (inhaled) through the mouth and then exhaled. The inhaled aerosol typically contains nicotine and/or flavorings without or with fewer of the odors and health risks associated with traditional smoking.

Generally, smoking substitution systems are intended to provide a substitute for the habit of smoking while providing users with an experience and satisfaction similar to that experienced with traditional smoking and combustible tobacco products. Some smoking substitution systems use smoking substitution articles, which are designed to resemble traditional cigarettes and are cylindrical in shape with a mouthpiece at one end.

The popularity and use of smoke-substitution systems have grown rapidly over the past few years. Although originally marketed as an aid to assist habitual smokers wishing to quit smoking cigarettes, consumers increasingly view smoke-substitution systems as a desirable lifestyle accessory.

There are several different categories of smoking substitution systems, each of which utilizes a different smoking substitution approach.

One approach for smoking substitution systems is the so-called "heat-not-burn" ("HNB") approach, in which tobacco (not "e-liquid") is heated or warmed to release a vapor. The tobacco may be leaf tobacco or reconstituted tobacco. The vapor may contain nicotine and/or flavorings. In the HNB approach, the intention is that the tobacco is heated without being burned, i.e., the tobacco does not undergo combustion.

A typical HNB smoking substitution system may include a device and a consumable. The consumable may include tobacco material. The device and consumable may be configured to be physically coupled together. In use, heat may be applied to the tobacco material by a heating element of the device, and airflow through the tobacco material causes moisture in the tobacco material to be released as vapor. The vapor may also be formed from a carrier in the tobacco material (which may include, for example, propylene glycol and/or vegetable glycerin), as well as volatile compounds released from the tobacco. The released vapor may be entrained in the airflow drawn through the tobacco.

As the vapor passes through the consumable (entrained in the airflow) from the inlet to the mouthpiece (outlet), it cools and condenses to form an aerosol for inhalation by the user. The aerosol typically contains volatile compounds.

In HNB smoking substitution systems, heating, as opposed to burning, tobacco material is believed to result in fewer or lower amounts of the more harmful compounds typically produced during smoking. As a result, the HNB approach can reduce odor and/or health risks that can arise through tobacco burning, tobacco combustion, and pyrolytic degradation.

In some cases, the aerosol that comes from the mouthpiece (i.e., is inhaled by the user) may not be in a desired state. Therefore, it may be desirable to alter one or more characteristics of the aerosol before it is inhaled by the user.

Improved designs of HNB consumables are needed to enhance the user experience and improve the functionality of HNB smoking substitution systems.

This disclosure was devised in light of the above issues.

Most generally, the present disclosure relates to aerosol-forming articles, such as smoking substitute articles such as HNB consumables, in which a thin-walled, hollow filter element is sandwiched between two other filter elements.

According to a first aspect, there is provided an aerosol-forming article (e.g., a smoking substitute article such as an HNB consumable) comprising an aerosol-forming substrate and an axially adjacent downstream filter arrangement, the filter arrangement comprising an upstream filter element, an intermediate filter element, and an end filter element, the upstream and end filter elements being independently selected from solid filter elements and hollow filter elements, and the intermediate filter element being a hollow filter element having a larger aperture than any other hollow filter element in the filter arrangement.

An intermediate hollow filter element is provided axially downstream of the substrate within the filter arrangement and interposed between two other filter elements, and can act as a cooling/mixing chamber by allowing cooling/mixing of the aerosol/vapor generated by heating the substrate within its axial pores. The intermediate filter element thus helps reduce heat transfer to the user's lips without significantly affecting the volume of visible vapor (unlike known polylactic acid cooling elements, which reduce visible vapor).

Optional features are described below. These may be applied alone or in any combination with any aspect.

The aerosol-forming article is preferably a heat-not-burn (HNB) consumable product.

The aerosol-forming substrate is capable of being heated to release at least one volatile compound capable of forming an aerosol. The aerosol-forming substrate may be located at the upstream end of the article/consumable.

As used herein, the terms "upstream" and "downstream" are intended to refer to the direction of vapor/aerosol flow; i.e., the downstream end of the article/consumable is the mouth end or outlet where the aerosol exits the article/consumable for inhalation by the user. The upstream end of the article/consumable is the end opposite the downstream end.

To generate an aerosol, the aerosol-forming substrate comprises at least one volatile compound that is intended to be vaporized/aerosolized and that, when inhaled, can provide a recreational and/or medicinal effect to the user. Suitable chemically and/or physiologically active volatile compounds include the group consisting of nicotine, cocaine, caffeine, opiates and opioids, cathine and cathinones, kavalactones, mysticin, beta-carboline alkaloids, salvinorin A, along with any combinations, functional equivalents, and/or synthetic substitutes of the above.

The aerosol-forming substrate may include plant material. Plant materials include Amaranthus dubius, Arctostaphylos va-ursi (Bearberry), Argemone mexicana, Amica, Artemisia vulgaris, Yellow Tees, Galea zacatechichi, Canavalia maritima (Baybean), Cecropia mexicana (Guamura), Cestrum noctumum, Cynoglossum virginianum (wild comfrey), Cytisus scoparius, Damiana, Entada rheedii, Eschscholzia califomica (California Poppy), Fittonia albivenis, Hippobroma longiflora, Humulus japonica (Japanese Hops), Humulus lupulus (Hops), Lactuca virosa (Lettuce Opium), Laggera alata, Leonotis Leonurus, Leonurus cardiaca (Motherwort), Leonurus sibiricus (Honeyweed), Lobelia cardinalis, Lobelia inflata (Indian-tobacco), Lobelia siphilitica, Nepeta cataria (Catnip), Nicotiana species (Tobacco), Nymphaea alba (White Lily), Nymphaea caerulea (Blue Lily), Opium poppy, Passiflora incamata (Passionflower), Pedicularis densiflora (Indian Warrior), Pedicularis groenlandica (Elephant's Head), Salvia divinorum, Salvia dorrii (Tobacco Sage), Salvia species (Sage), Scutellaria galericulata, Scutellaria lateriflora, Scutellaria nana, Scutellaria species (Skullcap), Sida acuta (Wireweed), Sida rhombifolia, Silene capensis, Syzygium The composition may include at least one plant material selected from the list including: Aromatherapy, ...

Preferably, the plant material is tobacco. Any type of tobacco may be used, including, but not limited to, flue-cured tobacco, burley tobacco, Maryland tobacco, dark air-cured tobacco, Oriental tobacco, dark flue-cured tobacco, perique tobacco, and rustica tobacco. This also includes blends of the aforementioned tobaccos.

Any suitable part of the tobacco plant may be used, including the leaves, stems, roots, bark, seeds, and flowers.

The tobacco may include one or more of leaf tobacco, stem tobacco, tobacco powder, tobacco dust, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, homogenized tobacco, cut tobacco, extruded tobacco, cut rag tobacco, and/or reconstituted tobacco (e.g., slurry recon or paper recon).

The aerosol-forming substrate may comprise a homogeneous (e.g., paper/slurry recon) tobacco collecting sheet, or a collecting strip/strip formed from such a sheet.

In some embodiments, the sheet used to form the aerosol-forming substrate has a basis weight of 100 g/m ² or more, for example 110 g/m ² or more, such as 120 g/m ² or more.

The sheet may have a basis weight of 300 g/m ² or less, such as 250 g/m ² or less, or 200 g/m ² or less.

The sheet may have a basis weight of 120 to 190 g/m ² .

The aerosol-forming substrate may comprise at least 50% by weight of plant material, for example at least 60% by weight of plant material, for example about 65% by weight of plant material. The aerosol-forming substrate may comprise up to 80% by weight of plant material, for example up to 75 or 70% by weight of plant material.

The aerosol-forming substrate may contain one or more additives selected from humectants, flavoring agents, fillers, aqueous/non-aqueous solvents, and binders.

Humectants are provided as a vapor generator; the resulting vapor helps retain volatile active compounds and increases the visible vapor. Suitable humectants include polyhydric alcohols (e.g., propylene glycol (PG), triethylene glycol, 1,2-butanediol, and vegetable glycerin (VG)) and their esters (e.g., glycerol monoacetate, diacetate, or triacetate). Humectants may be present in an amount of 1 to 50% by weight in the aerosol-forming substrate.

The humectant content of the aerosol-forming substrate may have a lower limit of at least 1% by weight of the plant material, such as at least 2% by weight, such as at least 5% by weight, such as at least 10% by weight, such as at least 20% by weight, such as at least 30% by weight, or such as at least 40% by weight.

The humectant content of the aerosol-forming substrate may have an upper limit of at most 50% by weight of the plant material, such as at most 40% by weight, such as at most 30% by weight, or such as at most 20% by weight.

Preferably, the humectant content is 1 to 40% by weight of the aerosol-forming substrate, such as 1 to 20% by weight.

Suitable binders are known in the art and can act to bind together the components that form the aerosol-forming substrate. Binders can include starch and/or cellulose binders such as methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, and methyl cellulose; gums such as xanthan gum, guar gum, gum arabic, and/or locust bean gum; organic acids and their salts such as alginic acid/sodium alginate, agar, and pectin.

Preferably, the binder content is 5-10% by weight of the aerosol-forming substrate, for example, about 6-8% by weight.

Suitable fillers are known in the art and can act to enhance the aerosol-forming substrate. Fillers can include fibrous (non-tobacco) fillers such as cellulose fibers, lignocellulosic fibers (e.g., wood fibers), jute fibers, and combinations thereof.

Preferably, the filler content is 5-10% by weight of the aerosol-forming substrate, for example, about 6-9% by weight.

The aerosol-forming substrate may comprise an aqueous and/or non-aqueous solvent. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming substrate has a moisture content of 5-10% by weight, e.g., 6-9% by weight, such as 7-9% by weight.

Flavoring agents may be provided in solid or liquid form. Flavoring agents may include menthol, licorice, chocolate, fruit flavors (e.g., including citrus, cherry, etc.), vanilla, spices (e.g., ginger, cinnamon), and tobacco flavors. The flavoring agents may be uniformly dispersed throughout the aerosol-forming substrate or may be provided in discrete locations and/or varying concentrations throughout the aerosol-forming substrate.

The aerosol-forming substrate may be formed in a substantially cylindrical shape so that the article/consumable resembles a conventional cigarette. The aerosol-forming substrate may have a diameter of 5 to 10 mm, for example 6 to 9 mm or 6 to 8 mm, for example about 7 mm. The aerosol-forming substrate may have an axial length of 10 to 15 mm, for example 11 to 14 mm, such as about 12 or 13 mm.

The aerosol-forming substrate may be at least partially circumscribed by a wrap layer, for example a paper wrap layer. The wrap layer may overlie an inner foil layer or may comprise a paper/foil laminate (foil innermost).

The filter arrangement includes an upstream filter element located axially adjacent to/immediately downstream of the aerosol-forming substrate, a terminal filter element located at the downstream axial end of the article/consumable, and an intermediate filter element abutting and interposed between the other two filter elements.

The upstream and intermediate filter elements may be at least partially (e.g., entirely) circumscribed by a (paper) wrap layer.

The filter element or at least one filter element (e.g., the terminal filter element, the upstream filter element, or the middle filter element) may be constructed from cellulose acetate or polypropylene tow. The filter element or at least one filter element (e.g., the terminal filter element, the upstream filter element, or the middle filter element) may be constructed from activated carbon. The filter element or at least one filter element (e.g., the terminal filter element, the upstream filter element, or the middle filter element) may be constructed from paper. The filter element or at least one filter element (e.g., the terminal filter element, the upstream filter element, or the middle filter element) may be constructed from plant material, e.g., extruded plant material. The filter element or each filter element may be circumscribed by plug wrap, e.g., paper plug wrap.

The or each filter element may have a substantially cylindrical shape, the diameter of which substantially corresponds to the diameter of the aerosol-forming substrate (with or without its associated wrap layer). The axial length of the upstream filter element and/or the terminal filter element may be less than 20 mm, e.g., 8-15 mm, e.g., 9-13 mm, e.g., 10-12 mm. The axial length of the intermediate filter element may be 10-15 mm, e.g., 12-14 mm or 13-14 mm, e.g., about 14 mm.

The intermediate filter element is a hollow filter element that has a larger diameter than any of the other hollow filter elements in the filter arrangement.

In some embodiments, the diameter of the openings in the intermediate filter element is greater than 3 mm, e.g., 4 mm or greater, such as 5 or 6 mm or greater. It is noted that the intermediate hollow filter element is preferably a thin-walled hollow filter element, since the outer diameter of the intermediate filter element preferably matches the diameter of the substrate (e.g., having a diameter of about 7 mm). This maximizes the axial pore volume and maximizes vapor mixing/cooling.

The terminal filter element and/or the upstream filter element may be solid filter elements.

The terminal filter element and/or the upstream filter element may be hollow filter elements. In that case, the upstream and/or terminal hollow filter elements may have a diameter of 1 to 5 mm, for example, 2 to 4 mm, or 2 to 3 mm. If both the upstream and terminal filter elements are hollow filter elements, the upstream filter element may have a larger diameter than the terminal filter elements (the intermediate filter element has the largest diameter in the filter arrangement).

In a preferred embodiment, the upstream filter element is a hollow filter element (having a smaller bore diameter than the bore diameter of the intermediate hollow filter element). In this way, steam passing through the axial bore of the upstream hollow filter element can expand into the larger axial bore in the intermediate hollow filter element, resulting in effective cooling/mixing.

Providing a distal hollow filter element can help vapor/aerosol components within the larger axial holes of the intermediate filter element to share space prior to inhalation by the user.

A terminal filter element (the downstream end of the article/consumable) can be joined to an upstream element to form the article/consumable by a circumscribing tipping layer, e.g., a tipping paper layer. The tipping paper can have an axial length greater than the axial length of the terminal filter element, such that the tipping paper completely circumscribes the terminal filter element and the wrap layer surrounding any adjacent upstream elements.

If one of the upstream/terminal filter elements is a solid filter element, it may contain a capsule, such as a crushable capsule (crush ball), containing a liquid flavorant, such as any of the flavorants listed above. The capsule can be crushed by the user to release the flavorant while smoking the article/consumable. The capsule may be located axially at the center of the solid filter element.

In a second aspect, there is provided a smoking substitution system comprising an aerosol-forming article according to the first aspect and a device including a heating element.

The device may be an HNB device, i.e. a device adapted to heat an aerosol-forming substrate without combustion.

The device may include a body for housing a heating element. The heating element may include an elongated, e.g., rod, tubular, or blade, heating element. The heating element may project into or surround a cavity in the body for receiving the above-mentioned items/consumables.

The device (e.g., main body) may further include a power source, e.g., a (rechargeable) battery, for supplying power to the heating element. The device may further include a control unit for controlling the supply of power to the heating element.

In a third aspect, there is provided a method of using a smoking substitution system according to the second aspect, the method comprising:
Inserting an item/consumable into the device;
and heating the item/consumable using a heating element.

In some embodiments, the method includes inserting the article/consumable into a cavity within the body and penetrating a heating element into the article/consumable as the article/consumable is inserted. For example, the heating element may penetrate an aerosol-forming substrate within the article/consumable.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that, except where mutually exclusive, any feature or parameter described in connection with any one of the above aspects may also apply to any other aspect. Furthermore, except where mutually exclusive, any feature or parameter described herein may apply to any aspect and/or may be combined with any other feature or parameter described herein.

So that the present invention may be understood, and further aspects and features thereof may be appreciated, embodiments illustrating the principles of the invention will now be described in more detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of an HNB consumable. FIG. 1 illustrates a second embodiment of an HNB consumable. FIG. 10 illustrates a third embodiment of an HNB consumable. 1 shows a first embodiment of a device forming an HNB system;

As shown in FIG. 1, the HNB consumable 1 includes an aerosol-forming substrate 2 at the upstream end of the consumable 1.

The aerosol-forming substrate includes reconstituted tobacco, which includes nicotine as a volatile compound.

The aerosol-forming substrate 2 comprises 65% by weight tobacco provided in the form of collected shreds produced from a slurry/paper-reconstituted tobacco sheet. The tobacco has 20% by weight of a humectant, such as propylene glycol (PG) or vegetable glycerin (VG), attached thereto, and has a moisture content of 7-9% by weight. The aerosol-forming substrate further comprises a cellulose pulp filler and a guar gum binder.

The aerosol-forming substrate 2 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape so that the consumable resembles a conventional cigarette. The aerosol-forming substrate 2 has a diameter of approximately 7 mm and an axial length of approximately 12 mm.

The aerosol-forming substrate 2 is circumscribed by the paper wrap layer 3.

The consumable 1 includes an upstream filter element 4 and a downstream (terminal) filter element 5. The upstream filter element 4 and the terminal filter element 5 are separated by an intermediate hollow filter element 6. All filter elements 4, 5, and 6 are formed from cellulose acetate tow and wrapped with respective paper plug layers (not shown).

All filter elements have a substantially cylindrical shape. The diameters of the upstream filter element 4 and the intermediate hollow filter element 6 correspond to the diameter of the aerosol-forming substrate 2. The diameter of the terminal filter element 5 is slightly larger and corresponds to the combined diameter of the aerosol-forming substrate 2 and the wrap layer 3.

The upstream filter element 4 is slightly shorter in axial length than the terminal filter element 5, having an axial length of 10 mm compared to 12 mm for the terminal filter element 5. The middle filter element 6 is longer than each of the two filter elements 4, 5, having an axial length of approximately 14 mm.

Each filter element 4, 5, 6 is a hollow filter element having a hollow axial bore extending longitudinally. The diameter of the bore in the upstream filter element 4 is slightly larger than the diameter of the bore in the terminal filter element 5, having a diameter of 3 mm compared to 2 mm for the terminal filter element 5.

The intermediate hollow filter element 6 has a largest diameter of approximately 5 or 6 mm.

The upstream filter element 4 and the intermediate filter element 6 are circumscribed by the wrap layer 3.

The terminal filter element 5 is joined to the upstream element by a circumscribing paper tip layer 7 to form the consumable. The tip layer 7 surrounds the terminal filter element 5 and has an axial length of approximately 20 mm, thus overlapping a portion of the intermediate filter element 6.

Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of the consumable 1', which is the same as that shown in Figure 1, except that the terminal filter element 5 is a solid filter element and includes a crushable capsule 8 (crushed ball) having an outer wall containing liquid menthol or cherry or vanilla flavoring. The capsule 8 is spherical and has a diameter of 3.5 mm. The capsule 8 is positioned axially at the center of the terminal filter element 5.

Figure 3 shows a third embodiment of the consumable 1", which is the same as the first embodiment except that the wrap layer 3 does not completely circumscribe the paper tube spacer 6, and therefore an annular gap 9 exists between the tip layer 7 and the intermediate filter element 6 downstream of the end of the wrap layer 3.

Figure 4 shows a first embodiment inserted into an HNB device 10, which includes a rod-shaped heating element 20. The heating element 20 protrudes into a cavity 11 within the body 12 of the device.

The consumable 1 is inserted into the cavity 11 of the body 12 of the device 10 so that the heating rod 20 penetrates the aerosol-forming substrate 2. Heating of the reconstituted tobacco in the aerosol-forming substrate 2 is achieved by supplying power to the heating element (e.g., by a rechargeable battery (not shown)). As the tobacco is heated, moisture and volatile compounds (e.g., nicotine) within the tobacco and humectant are released as vapor and are entrained in the airflow generated by inhalation by the user at the terminal filter element 5.

As the vapor cools within the upstream filter element 4 and the intermediate filter element 6, it condenses to form an aerosol containing volatile compounds for inhalation by the user.

The features disclosed in the above description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, are appropriately expressed in their specific form, or in terms of means for performing a disclosed function, or a method or process for obtaining a disclosed result, and may be utilized separately or in any combination of such features to realize the invention in its diverse forms.

While the present invention has been described in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments set forth above, many equivalent modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art given this disclosure. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments of the invention set forth above are considered to be illustrative rather than limiting. Various changes may be made to the described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.

For the avoidance of any doubt, any theoretical explanations provided herein are provided for the purpose of improving the reader's understanding. The inventors do not wish to be bound by any of these theoretical explanations.

All headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the subject matter described.

Throughout this specification, including the claims that follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the words "have," "comprise," and "include," as well as variations such as "having," "comprises," "comprising," and "including," will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

As used in this specification and the appended claims, it should be noted that the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from "about" one particular value and/or to "about" another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, by use of the prefix "about," when values are expressed as approximations, it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. The term "about" in connection with numerical values is optional and means, for example, ±10%.

The words "preferred" and "preferably" are used herein to refer to embodiments of the invention that may provide certain benefits, under some circumstances. It is understood, however, that other embodiments may also be preferred, under the same or different circumstances. Thus, reference to one or more preferred embodiments does not mean or imply that other embodiments are not useful, nor is it intended to exclude other embodiments from the scope of the present disclosure or the claims.

Claims (15)

1. An aerosol-forming article comprising an aerosol-forming substrate and a filter arrangement axially adjacent to and downstream of the aerosol-forming substrate ,
the filter arrangement includes an upstream filter element, an intermediate filter element, and a terminal filter element;
the upstream filter element is a hollow filter element;
the terminal filter element is a solid filter element or a hollow filter element;
the intermediate filter element is a hollow filter element made of at least one of cellulose acetate tow, polypropylene tow, or activated carbon;
the intermediate filter element has a larger diameter than the upstream filter element;
the upstream filter element is axially adjacent to the intermediate filter element, and the intermediate filter element is axially adjacent to the terminal filter element;
the upstream filter element is located at the most upstream end of the filter arrangement;
the terminal filter element is located at a downstream axial end of the aerosol-forming article;
Aerosol-forming articles. The aerosol-forming article of claim 1, which is a heat-not-burn (HNB) consumable product. The aerosol-forming article of claim 1 or 2, wherein the upstream filter element has an axial length that is shorter than that of the terminal filter element. The aerosol-forming article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the aperture in the intermediate filter element is greater than 3 mm, 5 mm or greater, or 6 mm or greater. The aerosol-forming article of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the intermediate filter element has an outer diameter of approximately 7 mm. The aerosol-forming article of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the terminal filter element has an axial length of 8 to 20 mm, 8 to 15 mm, 9 to 13 mm, or 10 to 12 mm. The aerosol-forming article described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the upstream filter element has an axial length of 8 to 15 mm. The aerosol-forming article described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the upstream filter element has a diameter of 1 to 5 mm, 2 to 4 mm, or 2 to 3 mm. The aerosol-forming article according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the upstream filter element and the intermediate filter element each have a diameter that matches the diameter of the aerosol-forming substrate. The aerosol-forming article according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the aerosol-forming substrate has an axial length of 10 to 15 mm, 11 to 14 mm, 12 mm, or 13 mm. the terminal filter element is a hollow filter element;
11. The aerosol-forming article according to claim 1, wherein the terminal filter element has a smaller diameter than the intermediate filter element and/or has a smaller diameter than the upstream filter element. The aerosol-forming article according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the terminal filter element is a solid filter element. A system comprising the aerosol-forming article of any one of claims 1 to 12 and a device including a heating element. the device comprises a body for housing the heating element, the heating element comprising an elongated heating element; and/or
the aerosol-forming article is a heat-not-burn (HNB) consumable product, and the device is an HNB device including a heating element configured to heat the aerosol-forming substrate without burning it.
The system of claim 13. A method of using a system according to claim 13 or 14, comprising the steps of:
inserting the aerosol-forming article into the device;
and/or heating the aerosol-forming article using the heating element.
Instead of inserting the aerosol-forming article into the device, the aerosol-forming article is inserted into a cavity in a body of the device, and the heating element penetrates the aerosol-forming article when inserting the aerosol-forming article.
method.