JP7827740B2 - Aerosol products - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates generally to aerosol product articles, and more particularly to aerosol product articles for use in an aerosol generating device that heats the aerosol product article to produce an aerosol for inhalation by a user. The present disclosure is particularly applicable to aerosol product articles for use in portable (handheld) aerosol generating devices.

In recent years, the popularity and use of risk-reducing or risk-modifying devices (also known as aerosol-generating or vapor-generating devices) has grown rapidly as an alternative to the use of traditional tobacco products. A variety of devices and systems are available that heat or warm aerosol-generating materials to produce an aerosol that is inhaled by the user.

A commonly available risk reduction or risk modification device is the substrate-heated aerosol-generating device, or so-called non-combustion-heated device. This type of device generates an aerosol or vapor by heating an aerosol-generating substrate, typically to a temperature in the range of 150°C to 300°C. Heating the aerosol-generating substrate to a temperature within this range, without burning or combusting the aerosol-generating substrate, produces a vapor that typically cools and condenses to form an aerosol that is inhaled by the device user.

Currently available aerosol-generating devices can provide heat to the aerosol-generating substrate using one of a number of different techniques, including resistive heating, which utilizes a resistive heating element, and inductive heating, which utilizes an induction coil and an inductively heatable susceptor.

Regardless of the technique used to heat the aerosol-generating substrate, the characteristics of the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating device will depend on several factors, including the structure of the aerosol product article used in the aerosol generating device. It is therefore desirable to provide an aerosol product article that allows for optimization of the characteristics of the aerosol generated during use of the article, while at the same time being easy to use in combination with the aerosol generating device.

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an aerosol product article for use in an aerosol generating device including a magnetic field generator, the aerosol product article comprising:
a substantially flat aerosol-generating substrate;
at least one airflow channel extending along the substantially flat aerosol-generating substrate;
a packaging member enclosing the substantially flat aerosol-generating substrate and the at least one air flow channel;
Including,
At least one airflow channel includes two or more portions having different cross sections.

The aerosol-producing article is for use in an aerosol-generating device that heats an aerosol-generating substrate without burning the aerosol-generating substrate to volatilize at least one component of the aerosol-generating substrate, thereby generating a heated vapor that cools and condenses to form an aerosol for inhalation by a user of the aerosol-generating device. The aerosol-generating device is a handheld, portable device.

Generally speaking, a vapor is a substance that is in the gas phase below its critical temperature, meaning that the vapor can be condensed into a liquid by increasing the pressure without decreasing the temperature, while an aerosol is fine solid particles or liquid droplets suspended in air or another gas. However, it should be noted that the terms "aerosol" and "vapor" may be used interchangeably herein, particularly with respect to the form of inhalable medium produced for inhalation by a user.

By providing at least one air flow channel having two or more portions with different cross sections, improved vapor and/or aerosol delivery can be achieved. Furthermore, by surrounding the at least one air flow channel with a packaging member, the vapor and/or aerosol generated during use of the aerosol product in the aerosol generating device flows along the at least one air flow channel and within the article before being inhaled by the user. This substantially eliminates or at least minimizes the formation of condensed matter on the interior surfaces of the aerosol generating device, which may provide several advantages. For example, it may help reduce the buildup of residue within the aerosol generating device, reducing the number of cleaning and maintenance tasks that must be performed by the user of the device. This may also help ensure that the maximum possible amount of vapor and/or aerosol is delivered to the user and that the delivered vapor and/or aerosol has optimal properties.

At least one airflow channel may include two or more portions having different cross-sectional shapes. Alternatively or additionally, at least one airflow channel may include two or more portions having different cross-sectional areas. This may facilitate vapor generation and efficient delivery of vapor and/or aerosol to a user for inhalation.

The aerosol product article may include a distal end, a mouth end, and a longitudinal axis that may extend between the mouth end and the distal end. The mouth end is located at an end of the aerosol product article opposite the distal end. More specifically, during use of the aerosol product article, for example in an aerosol generating device, the mouth end is located downstream of the distal end with respect to the direction of airflow through the aerosol product article. The at least one airflow channel may extend in a first direction that may be substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis. Air flows along the at least one airflow channel from the distal end to the mouth end during use of the aerosol product article, thereby ensuring that a maximum amount of volatile components is released into the air from the heated aerosol-generating substrate as the air flows along the airflow channel. This, in turn, ensures that a maximum possible amount of vapor and/or aerosol is generated and delivered to a user during use of the aerosol product article.

The two or more portions of the at least one airflow channel may include an upstream portion and a downstream portion. The upstream portion and the downstream portion correspond to the direction of airflow through the aerosol product article. In other words, the upstream portion is located at the distal end of the aerosol product article, and the downstream portion is located at the mouth end of the aerosol product article; i.e., during use of the aerosol product article in, for example, an aerosol generating device, the downstream portion is located downstream of the upstream portion with respect to the direction of airflow through the aerosol product article. The downstream portion may have a larger cross-sectional area than the upstream portion. This arrangement may facilitate the generation of vapor and the cooling and condensation of the generated vapor to form an aerosol having properties suitable for inhalation by a user.

The upstream portion of at least one air flow channel may include a groove that may be formed in the surface of the substantially flat aerosol-generating substrate. The downstream portion of at least one air flow channel may include a slit that may be formed in one end of the substantially flat aerosol-generating substrate.

The substantially flat aerosol-generating substrate may have a flat rectangular shape having a pair of major surfaces. The packaging member may include a pair of rectangular sheets that may be attached to the pair of major surfaces, respectively. The aerosol product may have a pleasing aesthetic appearance due to the flat rectangular shape of the aerosol-generating substrate. The aerosol-generating substrate may be easily covered by the packaging member, thereby preventing a user from directly touching the aerosol-generating substrate during handling of the aerosol product. The flat rectangular shape may also facilitate packaging and storage of multiple aerosol product articles.

The aerosol production article may include a support member that may form the mouth end of the article. The support member may have a tubular form, e.g., a rectangular tubular form, to accommodate the aerosol-generating substrate and the downstream end of the at least one airflow channel, e.g., a portion of the at least one airflow channel having a wider cross-sectional area. The support member may be self-supporting and may comprise, for example, cardboard or a plastic material. The support member may advantageously deliver vapor and/or aerosol generated during use of the article directly to the user's mouth. The support member may allow heated vapor generated during use of the aerosol production article to cool and condense to form an aerosol with optimal properties for inhalation by the user.

The packaging member may comprise a substantially electrically non-conductive and non-magnetically permeable material, such as a paper wrapper. The use of a paper wrapper may facilitate manufacturing and handling of the aerosol product and may enhance aerosol generation.

The packaging member may have a porous inner surface facing the aerosol-generating substrate for absorbing condensation. The porous inner surface may further help to ensure that the formation of condensation on the inner surface of the aerosol-generating device is substantially eliminated or at least minimized. The packaging member may have an anti-stick outer surface facing away from the aerosol-generating substrate. For example, the packaging member may include an anti-stick coating on its outer surface. The anti-stick outer surface may help to prevent the packaging member from sticking to the surface of the aerosol-generating device when the aerosol-generating device is heated. The porous inner surface and the anti-stick outer surface together help to reduce the buildup of residue within the aerosol-generating device, thereby reducing the number of cleaning and maintenance tasks that users of the device may have to perform.

The aerosol-forming substrate may comprise a non-liquid aerosol-forming material, such as any type of solid or semi-solid material. Exemplary types of aerosol-forming solids include powders, granules, pellets, shreds, strands, particles, gels, loose-leaf, cut-leaf, cut-filler, porous materials, foam materials, or sheets. The aerosol-forming substrate may comprise a plant-derived material, particularly tobacco. The aerosol-forming substrate may advantageously comprise reconstituted tobacco, for example, comprising tobacco and any one or more of cellulose fiber, tobacco stem fiber, and inorganic fillers such as CaCO3.

Accordingly, an aerosol-generating device intended for use with an aerosol-producing article may be referred to as a "heated tobacco device," "heated-not-burn tobacco device," "device for vaporizing tobacco products," or the like, and the device shall be interpreted as a device suitable for achieving these effects. The features disclosed herein are equally applicable to devices designed to vaporize any aerosol-generating substrate.

The aerosol-forming substrate may contain an aerosol-forming agent. Examples of aerosol-forming agents include polyhydric alcohols such as glycerin or propylene glycol, and mixtures thereof. Typically, the aerosol-forming substrate may contain from about 5% to about 50% aerosol-forming agent by dry weight. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming substrate may contain from about 10% to about 20% aerosol-forming agent by dry weight, and sometimes about 15% aerosol-forming agent by dry weight.

The aerosol-producing article may be configured for use with an electrically powered aerosol-generating device that includes a heater. The heater may be a resistive heater or an inductive heater. Upon heating, the aerosol-generating substrate may release volatile compounds. The volatile compounds may include flavor compounds such as nicotine or tobacco flavorings.

1 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a first example of an aerosol production article. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a second example of an aerosol product. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol generation system including an aerosol generating device and an aerosol product according to the present disclosure.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

1-3, a first example of an aerosol product article 1 for use in an electrically powered aerosol generating device 102 is shown. This example is described later in this specification with reference to FIG. 5. The aerosol product article 1 is substantially flat and has a distal end 10 and an oral end 12 (or proximal end) at the opposite end of the aerosol product article 1. The oral end 12 is downstream of the distal end 10 with respect to the direction of airflow through the aerosol product article 1, as represented by the three arrows in FIG. 1. A longitudinal axis extends between the distal end 10 and the oral end 12, defining the longitudinal direction of the aerosol product article 1.

The aerosol product article 1 includes a substantially flat aerosol-generating substrate 14. The aerosol-generating substrate 14 includes a bulk or mass of aerosol-generating material and has a flat, rectangular shape with a pair of oppositely disposed major surfaces 14a, 14b. The aerosol product article 1 is a consumable or disposable item in which the aerosol-generating substrate 14 may include tobacco or tobacco material.

The aerosol product article 1 includes a plurality of air flow channels 16, which in the illustrated example include a plurality of grooves 18 formed in the major surface 14a of the aerosol-generating substrate 14. The grooves 18 are arranged adjacent to one another in parallel, and extend longitudinally between the distal end 10 and the oral end 12, substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis. Together, the grooves 18 form a grooved surface 20. The grooves 18 may be formed in any suitable manner, for example, by pressing the major surface 14a of the aerosol-generating substrate 14 with a press tool of suitable shape. While three grooves 18 are shown in the example of FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be understood that any suitable number of grooves 18 may be provided, depending, for example, on the desired resistance to draw of the aerosol product article 1. It should also be noted that the grooves 18 may have any suitable cross-sectional shape, including, but not limited to, rectangular, square, trapezoidal, or semicircular, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Each air flow channel 16 includes a first portion 16a and a second portion 16b having different cross-sectional areas. In the example shown in Figures 1 to 3, the second portion 16b is located downstream of the first portion 16a. The first portion 16a (or upstream portion) has a first cross-sectional area, and the second portion 16b (or downstream portion) has a second cross-sectional area that is larger than the first cross-sectional area. The first portion 16a of each air flow channel 16 includes a first groove portion 18a formed in the major surface 14a of the aerosol-generating substrate 14. The second portion 16b of each air flow channel 16 includes a second groove portion 18b formed in the major surface 14a of the aerosol-generating substrate 14. The second groove portion 18b is wider and deeper than the first groove portion 18a, resulting in the second larger cross-sectional area. The second groove portion 18b (i.e., the second portion 16b of each air flow channel 16) terminates in a slit 19 formed in one end 30 of the aerosol-generating substrate 14.

The aerosol product article 1 further includes a packaging member 22 that surrounds the aerosol-generating substrate 14 and the groove 18 that forms the airflow channel 16. The aerosol-generating substrate 14 and the groove 18 are thus completely enclosed by the packaging member 22, which may comprise, for example, cigarette paper or a similar material. The packaging member 22 includes a pair of rectangular sheets 24, 26 attached to the major surfaces 14a, 14b, respectively, of the aerosol-generating substrate 14. The rectangular sheets 24, 26 are typically formed by a single piece of material that is wrapped around the aerosol-generating substrate 14 and may have overlapping edges that are adhered to one another to secure the packaging member 22 in place around the aerosol-generating substrate 14 and the groove 18.

In an illustrative and non-limiting example, the aerosol-generating substrate 14 may have a length (in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol product article 1) of about 18.0 mm, a width of about 11.8 mm, and a thickness (or depth) of about 1.2 mm. The aerosol-generating substrate 14 may be spaced inward from the distal end 10 of the aerosol product article 1 by a small distance, for example, about 3.0 mm, as shown in FIG. 1 . The aerosol product article 1 may have a width of about 12.0 mm and a thickness (or depth) of about 1.4 mm to accommodate the aerosol-generating substrate 14 inside the packaging member 22. The aerosol product article 1 may have any suitable length between the distal end 10 and the mouth end 12 by varying the length of the portion of the packaging member 22 extending between the downstream end of the aerosol-generating substrate 14 and the mouth end 12. During use of the aerosol product article 1 in the aerosol generating device 102, as vapor flows through this portion of the packaging member 22, the vapor can cool and condense to form an aerosol for inhalation by the user. Thus, the length of the portion of the packaging member 22 extending between the downstream end of the aerosol-generating substrate 14 and the mouth end 12 of the aerosol product article 1 can be selected during manufacture to provide an aerosol with desired characteristics.

In some embodiments, the packaging member 22 includes a porous inner surface 22a facing the aerosol-generating substrate 14 that is capable of absorbing condensation that may form during the heating process. Alternatively or additionally, the packaging member 22 may include an anti-stick outer surface 22b facing away from the aerosol-generating substrate 14 to reduce the risk of the packaging member 22 sticking to the surface of the aerosol-generating device 102 when heated. The anti-stick outer surface 22b may include an anti-stick coating on the outer surface 22b of the packaging member 22.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a second example of aerosol product item 2 is shown. Aerosol product item 2 is similar to aerosol product item 1 described above with reference to FIGS. 1-3, and corresponding features are identified using the same reference numerals.

The aerosol product article 2 includes a support member 28 disposed at the mouth end 12 of the aerosol product article 2 to form a mouth end 34 that can be engaged by a user's lips during use of the aerosol product article 2 in the aerosol generating device 102. The support member 28 typically comprises a self-supporting material, such as cardboard or a plastic material, and has a rectangular tubular configuration in cross section to receive the aerosol-generating substrate 14 and the downstream end of the groove 18 formed in the surface 14a. The packaging member 22 also surrounds the support member 28.

Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown an aerosol generation system 100 including an aerosol generation device 102 and the first example of the aerosol product item 1 described above with reference to FIGS. 1-3. It will be appreciated that the aerosol generation device 102 may be used in combination with alternative aerosol product items according to the present disclosure, such as the second example of the aerosol product item 2 described above with reference to FIG. 4.

The aerosol generating device 102 includes a storage chamber 106 and a heater 104 disposed within the device body 108 for supplying heat to the storage chamber 106. The heater 104 may be a resistive heater, or alternatively, may be an induction heater including a susceptor and an electromagnetic field generator including an induction coil.

During use, a user inserts the aerosol product item 1 into the storage chamber 106. The aerosol generating device 102 may include a cover 110 and a pivot mount 112 that allows the cover 110 to be moved between a closed position shown in FIG. 5 and an open position (not shown). As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the user must pivot the cover 110 to the open position to allow insertion of the aerosol product item 1 into the storage chamber 106, and then pivot the cover back to the closed position shown in FIG. 5 to hold the aerosol product item 1 in place within the storage chamber 106.

The aerosol generating device 102 includes a power source 114, e.g., a rechargeable battery, and a controller 116, both of which are connected to the heater 104. The heater 104 may be activated manually via a user interface, e.g., a button on the aerosol generating device 102, or automatically in response to a user inhaling into the mouthpiece 118 of the aerosol generating device 102. The aerosol generating device 102 includes one or more air inlets 120 for allowing air to flow into the aerosol product article 1 and through grooves 18 formed in the surface of the aerosol-generating substrate 14. The direction of the airflow is indicated by the arrows in FIG. 5.

With the aerosol product item 1 placed in the receiving chamber 106, power is supplied from the power source 114 to the heater 104 (either by manual or automatic activation of the heater 104, as described above), thereby heating the aerosol-generating substrate 14 without combustion and releasing one or more volatile components. The volatile components are entrained in the air flowing through the channels 18, thereby forming a vapor. As the vapor flows through the channels 18, it cools and condenses to form an aerosol that is inhaled by the user through the mouthpiece 118 of the aerosol-generating device 102.

When the aerosol-generating substrate 14 is used up and no longer emits enough volatile components to produce an aerosol of satisfactory quality, the aerosol product item 1 can be removed from the storage chamber 106 after the cover 110 is pivoted to the open position, and a replacement aerosol product item 1 can be inserted in its place.

When the aerosol generating device 102 is used in combination with an aerosol product having a support member 28, such as the second example of aerosol product 2 described above with reference to FIG. 4, the support member 28 may protrude from the open end 106a of the storage chamber 106, thereby allowing the user's lips to engage the mouth end 34 of the aerosol product 3 formed by the support member 28.

While exemplary embodiments have been described in the preceding paragraphs, it should be understood that various modifications to those embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, the breadth and scope of the claims should not be limited to the exemplary embodiments described above.

Unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context, any combination of the above-described features in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the present disclosure.

Unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, throughout this specification and the claims, the words "comprises," "including," and the like should be construed in an inclusive sense, i.e., "including but not limited to," rather than in an exclusive or exhaustive sense.

Claims (8)

An aerosol product (1, 2) for use in an aerosol generating device (102), comprising:
a substantially flat aerosol-generating substrate (14);
at least one air flow channel (16) extending along the substantially flat aerosol-generating substrate (14);
a packaging member (22) surrounding the substantially flat aerosol-generating substrate (14) and the at least one air flow channel (16);
Including,
The at least one air flow channel (16) comprises two or more portions (16a, 16b) having different cross sections . The aerosol product article of claim 1, comprising a distal end (10), a mouth end (12), and a longitudinal axis extending between the mouth end (12) and the distal end (10), and the at least one air flow channel (16) extends in a first direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis. The aerosol product according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the two or more portions (16a, 16b) include an upstream portion (16a) and a downstream portion (16b), and the downstream portion (16b) has a larger cross-sectional area than the upstream portion (16a). 3. The aerosol product article of claim 1, wherein the two or more portions (16a, 16b) comprise an upstream portion (16a) and a downstream portion (16b), the upstream portion (16a) of the at least one air flow channel (16) comprising a groove (18a) formed in a surface (14a) of the substantially flat aerosol-generating substrate (14), and the downstream portion (16b) of the at least one air flow channel (16) comprising a slit (19) formed in one end (30) of the substantially flat aerosol-generating substrate ( 14 ). 3. The aerosol product article of claim 1 or 2, wherein the substantially flat aerosol-generating substrate (14) has a flat rectangular shape with a pair of major surfaces (14a, 14b), and the packaging member (22) comprises a pair of rectangular sheets (24, 26) respectively attached to the pair of major surfaces (14a , 14b ). 3. The aerosol product article of claim 1, further comprising a support member (28) that forms a mouth end (34) of the aerosol product article, the support member (28) having a tubular shape for receiving the aerosol-generating substrate (14) and the downstream end of the at least one air flow channel (16). 3. The aerosol product article of claim 1, wherein the packaging member (22) has a porous inner surface (22a) facing the aerosol-generating substrate (14) for absorbing condensation, and an anti-stick outer surface (22b) facing away from the aerosol-generating substrate ( 14 ). 8. The aerosol product article of claim 7, wherein the packaging member (22) includes an anti-stick coating on the anti-stick outer surface (22b).