CN115581312A

CN115581312A - Method and apparatus for producing aerosol-generating material rod segments and products including same

Info

Publication number: CN115581312A
Application number: CN202211399059.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 汤姆·伍德曼; 威廉姆·英格兰
Original assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd
Current assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd
Priority date: 2017-09-22
Filing date: 2018-09-19
Publication date: 2023-01-10
Also published as: EP3684201B1; CA3075903C; PT3684201T; KR102472104B1; RU2746545C1; PL3684201T3; CN111132563A; JP2022165990A; JP2020533979A; EP4223153A1; MX2020002946A; CA3075903A1; ES2941515T3; LT3684201T; JP7111804B2; WO2019057796A1; AU2021240163A1; BR112020005578A2; RU2021110239A; AU2018335829B2

Abstract

A method of producing a rod segment (126) of aerosol-generating material, comprising longitudinally cutting a sheet (104) of aerosol-generating material to produce a plurality of bundles (112) of aerosol-generating material; gathering together bundles (112) to form a rod (120) of aerosol-generating material, wherein each of the plurality of bundles (112) of aerosol-generating material is substantially non-coiled; and cutting the rod of aerosol-generating material (120) into segments (126) to produce the rod segments (126). An apparatus for producing a segment (126) of an aerosol-generating material rod is also disclosed, as well as a product comprising an aerosol-generating material rod (120).

Description

Method and apparatus for producing aerosol-generating material rod segments and products including same

The application is a divisional application of a Chinese patent invention application 'aerosol generating material rod segment' with an application date of 2018, 9, 19 and an application number of 201880061431.5.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing a rod segment of aerosol-generating material.

Background

In one known cigarette making process, tobacco leaves are shredded into short strands, also known as shredded tobacco. The tobacco is then dispersed on a continuous web of cigarette paper. One machine, also known as a cigarette making machine, folds paper around tobacco shreds to form a continuous rod. The rod is cut into segments of desired length. Filters are added to each tobacco rod segment to produce cigarettes.

Smoking articles (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, etc.) burn tobacco during use to produce tobacco smoke. Attempts have been made to provide alternatives to these articles by creating products that release compounds from tobacco or other materials without burning. Examples of such products are so-called "heat-not-burn" products, or tobacco heating devices or products, or aerosol-generating devices or products, which release a compound by heating but not burning a material (e.g. tobacco).

Disclosure of Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of producing a rod segment of aerosol-generating material comprising: cutting a sheet of aerosol-generating material longitudinally to produce a plurality of strands of aerosol-generating material; gathering together bundles of material to form a rod of aerosol generating material in which each of a plurality of bundles of aerosol generating material is substantially uncoiled; and cutting the aerosol-generating material rod into segments to produce the aerosol-generating material rod segments.

The aggregation may include: the bundles are grouped together to form a rod of aerosol generating material in which a plurality of bundles of aerosol generating material are substantially parallel to one another.

The aggregation may include: the bundles are gathered together to form a rod of aerosol generating material, wherein each of the bundles of aerosol generating material is substantially straight.

The sheet of aerosol-generating material may be a sheet of tobacco.

The tobacco sheet may be a reconstituted tobacco sheet.

The sheet of aerosol-generating material may comprise glycerol.

The sheet of aerosol-generating material may have a substantially constant mass per unit length.

The method can comprise the following steps: the sheet of aerosol-generating material is provided from a roll of the sheet of aerosol-generating material.

The method can comprise the following steps: providing a parent spool of a sheet of aerosol-generating material; and cutting the parent reel to produce the roll.

The method can comprise the following steps: selecting a mass per unit length of a rod segment of aerosol-generating material; determining a web width based on a mass per unit area of the sheet of aerosol-generating material and based on a selected mass per unit length of the rod segment of aerosol-generating material; and slitting the parent spool to produce a roll having the determined roll width.

The method can comprise the following steps: selecting a number of beams and/or a beam width of a rod segment of aerosol generating material; and determining a number of cuts and/or a cutting pitch based on the selected number of beams and/or beam width; and cutting the sheet of aerosol-generating material may comprise cutting the sheet of aerosol-generating material by the determined number of cuts and/or cutting pitch.

The method can comprise the following steps: feeding a sheet of aerosol-generating material in a sheet feed direction; and cutting the sheet of aerosol-generating material may comprise cutting the sheet of aerosol-generating material substantially parallel to the sheet feed direction.

The aggregation may include: each of the bundles is gathered towards an axis lying in a plane that includes the feeding direction and is perpendicular to a plane defined by the plurality of bundles prior to gathering.

The aggregation may include: each of the beams is focused toward an axis located at the center of the plurality of beams.

The aggregation may include: each of the bundles is gathered substantially laterally to form a rod.

The aggregation may include: the beam is fed through a funnel to focus the beam.

The method may comprise, prior to said cutting the sheet of aerosol-generating material: feeding a sheet of aerosol-generating material through a hopper to form a rod of aerosol-generating material of non-cut tobacco sheet.

Each of the plurality of bundles may have a width substantially in the range of 0.25mm to 3mm or substantially in the range of 0.5mm to 1.5 mm.

The method can comprise the following steps: the rod of aerosol-generating material is wrapped in a wrapping material.

The wrapping material may be or include one or both of paper and aluminum foil.

The aerosol-generating material rod segments may each have an outer diameter substantially in the range 5.4mm to 7.8mm or substantially in the range 6.7mm to 7.8 mm.

The aerosol-generating material rod segment may be a consumable for an aerosol-generating device.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for producing a rod segment of aerosol-generating material, the apparatus comprising: a first cutter arranged to cut a sheet of aerosol-generating material longitudinally to produce a plurality of strands of aerosol-generating material; a collector arranged to collect the bundles together to form a rod of aerosol generating material, wherein each of the plurality of bundles of aerosol generating material is substantially non-coiled; and a second cutter arranged to cut the aerosol-generating material rod into segments to produce the aerosol-generating material rod segments.

The collector may be arranged to collect the beams together to form a rod of aerosol generating material, wherein the plurality of beams of aerosol generating material are substantially parallel to each other.

The collector may be arranged to collect the beams together to form a rod of aerosol generating material in which each beam of aerosol generating material is substantially straight.

The apparatus may be arranged to provide a sheet of aerosol-generating material from a roll of the sheet of aerosol-generating material.

The first cutter may be adjustable to adjust the number and/or width of the beams.

The first cutter may be adjustable to cut the sheet of aerosol-generating material to produce the plurality of bundles of aerosol-generating material, or not to cut the sheet of aerosol-generating material.

The apparatus may be arranged to feed a sheet of aerosol-generating material in a sheet feed direction to a first cutter; and the first cutter may be arranged to cut the sheet of aerosol-generating material substantially parallel to the sheet feed direction.

The collector may be arranged to collect each of the bundles towards an axis lying in a first plane including the feed direction and perpendicular to a second plane defined by the plurality of bundles prior to collection.

The concentrator may be arranged to concentrate each of the beams towards an axis located at the centre of the plurality of beams.

The collector may be arranged to collect each of the bundles substantially laterally to form the rod.

The concentrator may comprise a funnel.

The first cutter may be arranged to cut the sheet of aerosol generating material longitudinally to produce a plurality of bundles of aerosol generating material each having a width substantially in the range 0.25mm to 3mm or substantially in the range 0.5mm to 1.5 mm.

The device may comprise a wrapper arranged to wrap the rod of aerosol-generating material in a wrapping material.

The wrapping material may be or include one or both of paper and aluminum foil.

The apparatus may be arranged to produce aerosol generating material rod segments having an outer diameter substantially in the range 5.4mm to 7.8mm or substantially in the range 6.7mm to 7.8 mm.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a product comprising a rod of aerosol-generating material, wherein the rod of aerosol-generating material is formed from a plurality of longitudinal strands of aerosol-generating material, wherein each of the plurality of longitudinal strands of aerosol-generating material is substantially non-coiled.

The plurality of beams may be substantially parallel to each other.

Each of the plurality of bundles may be substantially straight.

One or more of the bundles may be or include tobacco.

One or more of the bundles may be or include reconstituted tobacco.

One or more of the bundles may comprise glycerol.

The product may comprise a wrapper wrapped around a rod of aerosol-generating material.

The wrapping material may be or include one or both of paper and aluminum foil.

The product may have an outer diameter substantially in the range 5.4mm to 7.8mm or substantially in the range 6.7mm to 7.8 mm.

The product may be a consumable for an aerosol-generating device.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, given by way of example only, which is made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

Figure 1 schematically shows a perspective view of an apparatus for producing tobacco rod segments according to a first example;

figure 2 schematically shows a side view of an apparatus for producing tobacco rod segments according to a second example;

figure 3 schematically illustrates a perspective view of a parent spool of tobacco sheet material according to one example;

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a flow diagram of a method of producing tobacco rod segments according to an example; and

fig. 5a and 5b schematically illustrate insertion of a leaf heater into a tobacco rod segment according to one example.

Detailed Description

Referring to fig. 1, in broad overview, an example apparatus 100 for producing tobacco rod segments 126 includes a first cutter 106, an accumulator 114, and a second cutter 124. The first cutter 106 is arranged to longitudinally cut the tobacco sheet 104 to produce a plurality of tobacco strands 112. The accumulator 114 is arranged to accumulate the tobacco strands 112 together to form a tobacco rod 120, wherein each of the plurality of tobacco strands 112 is substantially non-coiled. The second cutter 124 is arranged to cut the tobacco rod 120 into segments to produce tobacco rod segments 126.

As explained in more detail below, the collector 114 is arranged to group the tobacco strands 112 together to form a tobacco rod 120, wherein each of the plurality of tobacco strands 112 is substantially non-coiled, which allows for the production of a plurality of tobacco rod segments 126 into which, in use, the blade-type heater of the aerosol-generating device can be easily inserted (see, e.g., fig. 5a and 5 b) and which facilitate transport of volatile material therethrough, thereby reducing loss of volatile material when heating the tobacco rod segments 126.

Returning to fig. 1, the first cutter 106 is arranged to cut the tobacco sheet 104.

The tobacco sheet 104 may be a sheet or web of reconstituted tobacco. Reconstituted tobacco sheets can be produced, for example, by papermaking, casting, or extrusion. For example, the reconstituted tobacco sheet can be paper reconstituted tobacco. Paper reconstituted tobacco refers to a tobacco material formed by the process of: in this process, the tobacco raw material is extracted with a solvent to provide an extract of soluble matter and a residue comprising fibrous material, and then the extract is recombined (typically after concentration and optionally after further processing) with the fibrous material from the residue (typically after refining of the fibrous material and optionally adding a portion of non-tobacco fibres) by depositing the extract onto the fibrous material. The process of recombination is similar to the papermaking process. The feedstock may comprise or consist of one or more of tobacco rod, tobacco stalk and/or whole leaf tobacco. Crumb, fines and winnings may alternatively or additionally be used in the feedstock. It should be understood that reconstituted tobacco sheet 104 formed by any method may be used.

The reconstituted tobacco sheet 104 is extensible.

The tobacco sheet 104 may be provided from a roll 102 of tobacco sheet 104. The roll 102 comprises a mandrel 102a around which a continuous sheet of tobacco 104 is wound. The reel 102 is arranged to rotate to feed tobacco sheets 104 from the reel 102 to a first cutter 106 in a sheet feed direction (arrow a). In some examples, the apparatus 100 may be arranged to drive the spool 102 in rotation. In other examples, the roll 102 may be free to rotate, and pulling the tobacco sheet 104 from the roll 102 may cause the roll to rotate by a downstream component of the apparatus, such as a roller or belt (not shown in fig. 1).

The tobacco sheet 104 may comprise glycerin. For example, the reconstituted tobacco sheet 104 can be impregnated with glycerin or otherwise formed. When heated, the glycerin may volatilize to form an aerosol, which may enhance the user experience of the aerosol-generating device or any suitable "no-burn-with-heat" device with which the tobacco rod segment 126 may be used.

The tobacco sheet 104 is of known dimensions. For example, the width and thickness of the tobacco sheet 104 fed from the roll 102 may be constant and known. For example, the tobacco sheet 104 may have a given and constant mass per unit length. This ensures that the tobacco rod segments 126 produced have a constant weight per unit length. Thus, the use of tobacco sheets 104 of known (and constant) size allows for weight control of the tobacco rod segments 126 produced without the need for a weighing system for weighing the tobacco rods 120 or tobacco rod segments 126.

The first cutter 106 is arranged to longitudinally cut the tobacco sheet 104 to produce a plurality of tobacco strands 112. The tobacco strands 112 produced are elongate. The first cutter 106 includes a cutter array 106a. The cutter array 106a includes a plurality of discs 108 arranged along a shaft 110. The disks 108 each have sharp edges. The shaft 110 is arranged substantially perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction (arrow a), and each circular disc 108 is arranged such that the cutting edge of the disc 108 extends substantially parallel to the sheet feeding direction (arrow a). Each tray 108 is arranged to cut the tobacco sheet 104 longitudinally, i.e. cut the tobacco sheet 104 along its length as the tobacco sheet 104 is fed through the first cutter 106. For example, the cutter array 106a may cut the tobacco sheet 104 against a support surface (not shown) disposed on an opposite side of the tobacco sheet 104 from the cutter array 106a. The plurality of trays 108 are used to cut the tobacco sheet 104 into a plurality of substantially parallel elongated tobacco strands 112.

The number of tobacco strands 112 produced depends on the number of cutting discs 108 included in the cutter array 106a. For example, a cutter array 106a comprising eight cutting discs 108 will produce a total of nine tobacco strands. Typically, a cutter array 106a comprising n cutting discs 108 will produce n +1 tobacco strands 112.

The width of the tobacco strands 112 is dependent on the spacing between successive ones of the cutting discs 108. The discs 108 are equally spaced along the length of the shaft 110 and along the width of the tobacco sheet 104 such that each elongate tobacco bundle 112 has a substantially equal width. Such an arrangement may help ensure consistency of the tobacco rod segments 126 produced. The cutter array 106a may be arranged such that each of the plurality of elongate tobacco strands 112 has a width substantially in the range of 0.25mm to 3mm or substantially in the range of 0.5mm to 1.5 mm. This would correspond to, for example, cutting discs 108 spaced apart by substantially 0.25mm to 3mm or substantially 0.5mm to 1.5mm, respectively.

The first cutter 106 may be adjustable to adjust the number and/or width of the strands 112 into which the tobacco sheet 104 is cut. For example, the cutting discs 108 may be adjustable on the shaft 110 to adjust the number of discs 108 on the shaft and/or to adjust the spacing between each disc 108 along the shaft 110. As another example, the cutter array 106a may be replaced by another cutter array 106a having a different number of discs 108 and/or a different spacing between discs 108. This allows flexibility in the number and/or width of the bundles 112 in the tobacco rod segments 126 produced, and thus flexibility in the characteristics of those tobacco rod segments 126.

The accumulator 114 is arranged to accumulate the plurality of tobacco strands 112 together to form the tobacco rod 120. The concentrator 114 is a funnel 114. The funnel 114 includes a funnel portion 116 and a stem portion 118. The cross-sections of the funnel portion 116 and the stem portion 118 are circular and coaxial. The funnel 114 is symmetrical about its axis. The funnel portion 116 narrows from a relatively wide mouth 116a to a relatively narrow stem portion 118. The tobacco strands 112 pass from the funnel portion 116 through the funnel 114 to the rod portion 118. As the tobacco strands 112 pass through the funnel 114, the narrowed diameter of the funnel portion 116 gathers the tobacco strands 112 together to form the tobacco rod 120.

The funnel 114 is aligned with and positioned centrally of the plurality of tobacco strands 112. Thus, the funnel 114 substantially laterally gathers each bundle 112 to form a rod 120. Specifically, the funnel 114 focuses each beam 112 toward an axis located at the center of the plurality of beams 112. A funnel 114 aligned with a tobacco bundle 112 in this manner may allow the bundle 112 to be uniformly and centrally gathered in the funnel 114.

The funnel 114 is aligned with and positioned centrally of the tobacco sheet 104. In particular, the axis towards which the bundles 112 gathered by the funnel 114 are directed lies in a first plane that includes the feeding direction (arrow a) and is perpendicular to a second plane defined by the plurality of bundles 112 before they are gathered. Such alignment may help ensure uniform tension on the plurality of beams 112 as they are focused by the funnel 114.

As the beam 112 passes through the funnel 114, the funnel 114 applies a substantially lateral force to the beam, the lateral force being directed substantially toward the center of the plurality of beams 112. The tobacco strand 112 is not wrapped as it is gathered, i.e., remains substantially unwrapped as it is gathered (i.e., during gathering), i.e., as it passes through the funnel 114. For example, when the tobacco strands 112 are gathered, the tobacco strands are untwisted, non-helical, non-wrapped or non-interlaced relative to each other, e.g., when gathered, they do not form a twisted or helical or spiral structure or shape. Thus, the hopper 114 gathers the strands 112 together to form a tobacco rod 120, wherein each of the plurality of tobacco strands 112 is substantially uncoiled. As the strands 112 converge, i.e., as they pass through the hopper 114, the strands remain substantially parallel to one another. Thus, the funnel 114 groups the strands 112 together to form a tobacco rod 120, wherein the plurality of tobacco strands 112 are substantially parallel to each other. The tobacco strands 112 are substantially unbent, uncreped, uncrimped, or undeformed, etc., upon gathering, i.e., as they pass through the funnel 114, and remain substantially straight upon gathering. Thus, the hopper 114 groups the strands 112 together to form the tobacco rod 120, wherein each of the plurality of tobacco strands 112 is substantially straight.

The apparatus 100 comprises a wrapper 122 arranged to wrap the tobacco rod 120 in a wrapping material 128. The wrap 122 may be, for example, the same or similar to the wrap 222 described below with reference to fig. 2. Briefly, the wrapper 122 wraps the continuous sheet of wrapping material 128 around the perimeter of the continuous tobacco rod 120, and an adhesive is applied to the wrapping material 128 to seal the wrapping material 128 in place around the rod 120. The wrapping material may be or include, for example, one or both of paper and aluminum foil. For example, the wrapping material may be a laminate of aluminum foil and paper. Such a laminate may help prevent ignition of the tobacco rod segment 126, which may be useful, for example, where the tobacco rod segment 126 is used as a consumable in a "hot no burn" device or a tobacco heating product device or an aerosol generating device.

The outer diameter of the tobacco rod 120 once wrapped may depend on, for example, the mass per unit length of the tobacco sheet 104 used, the thickness and width of the tobacco sheet 104 used, the level of compression in the garniture during formation of the tobacco rod, and/or the characteristics of, for example, the wrapper 122 and/or wrapping material 128 used. The outer diameter of the wrapped tobacco rod 120 may be constant during a given operating cycle of the apparatus 100. For example, the outer diameter may be substantially in the range 5.4mm to 7.8mm or substantially in the range 6.7mm to 7.8 mm.

The second cutter 124 is arranged to cut the tobacco rod 120 (e.g. after it has been wrapped in wrapping material 128 by wrapper 122) into segments 126 to produce tobacco rod segments 126. The second cutter 124 cuts transversely through the tobacco rod 120 to produce a length of the tobacco rod 120 (i.e., the tobacco rod segment 126). The second cutter 124 may comprise, for example, a blade (not shown) having a cutting surface (not shown) arranged perpendicular to the length of the tobacco rod 120 and controllable to cut through the tobacco rod 120. The tobacco sheet 104, tobacco strands 112 and tobacco rod 120 may advance through the apparatus 100 at a constant rate. The second cutter 124 may be arranged to cut through the continuous tobacco rod 120 at regular intervals of time so as to produce equal lengths of tobacco rod segments 126. The tobacco rod segment 126 may have a length in the range of 12mm to 60mm, for example. For example, the tobacco rod segment 126 may be 12mm in length, or may be 42mm in length, or may be 60mm in length. Other lengths may be obtained, for example, by varying the spacing between successive cuts.

In use, the first cutter 106 longitudinally cuts the tobacco sheet 104 to produce the plurality of tobacco strands 112. The accumulator 114 aggregates the tobacco strands 112 together to form a tobacco rod 120, wherein each of the plurality of tobacco strands 112 is substantially uncoiled, e.g., substantially straight. The second cutter 124 cuts the tobacco rod 120 into segments to produce tobacco rod segments 126.

The apparatus 100 thereby produces tobacco rod segments 126, each comprising a tobacco rod 130 formed from a plurality of longitudinal strands of tobacco (not shown), i.e., strands of tobacco extending along the length of the tobacco rod 130, wherein each of the plurality of longitudinal strands (not shown) is substantially non-coiled.

The first cutter 106 may be adjustable to cut the tobacco sheet 104 into a plurality of strands 112, or not cut the tobacco sheet 104 at all. In use, when the apparatus 100 is first used with a given tobacco sheet 104, the first cutter 106 may be adjusted so as not to cut the tobacco sheet 104 into the plurality of bundles 112. The non-cut tobacco sheet 104 may then be fed through the hopper 114 to form a tobacco rod (not shown) of non-cut tobacco sheet 104, and the resulting rod (not shown) of non-cut tobacco sheet 104 may be fed through the wrapper 122 and the second cutter 124 to form a segment (not shown) of the rod (not shown) of non-cut tobacco sheet 104. Once the formation of the rod (not shown) of uncut tobacco sheet material 104 is stable, for example, once several segments (not shown) of the rod (not shown) of uncut tobacco sheet material 104 have been produced, the first cutter 106 may be adjusted to cut the tobacco sheet material 104 into a plurality of strands 112 as described above, thereby producing tobacco rod segments 126 each comprising a tobacco rod 130 formed from the plurality of tobacco strands 112, wherein each of the plurality of strands 112 is substantially uncurled. Several segments (not shown) of the rod (not shown) of non-cut tobacco sheet material 104 produced prior to producing the tobacco rod segment 126 comprising the plurality of tobacco strands 112 may be discarded. This may allow for simpler and more consistent setup of the apparatus 100, e.g., the roll 102 of tobacco sheet material 104, when installing or replacing the tobacco sheet material 104.

Referring now to fig. 2, an apparatus 200 for producing tobacco rod segments 226 according to another example is schematically illustrated. The components of the apparatus 200 shown in fig. 2 that are the same as or similar to the components already described with reference to fig. 1 will not be described again in detail but are given the same reference numerals as in fig. 1, increased by 100.

The apparatus 200 includes a first cutter 206, an accumulator 214, and a second cutter 224. The first cutter 206 is arranged to longitudinally cut the tobacco sheet 204 to produce a plurality of tobacco strands 212. The accumulator 214 is arranged to aggregate the strands 212 together to form a tobacco rod 220, wherein each of the plurality of tobacco strands 212 is substantially uncoiled, e.g., substantially straight. The second cutter 224 is arranged to cut the tobacco rod 220 into segments 226 to produce tobacco rod segments 226.

The apparatus 200 includes a roll 202 of tobacco sheet material 204. The tobacco sheet 204 is fed from the roll 202 of tobacco sheet 204 towards a first cutter 226.

The apparatus 200 includes a tensioning device 205 comprising a plurality (four in this example) of

tensioning rollers

205a, 205b, 205c, 205d. The tobacco sheet 104 is fed from the reel 202

past tensioning rollers

205a, 205b, 205c, 205d before being fed in the sheet feeding direction (arrow a) to the first cutter 206. This may help ensure that the tobacco sheet 204 has sufficient tension, e.g., longitudinal tension, to be effectively cut by the first cutter 206. This may also help smooth the tobacco sheet 104, for example to remove any creases that may be in the tobacco sheet 104.

The first cutter 206 includes two cutting

arrays

206a, 206b arranged to contact opposite major surfaces of the tobacco sheet 204. Each cutting

array

206a, 206b may be the same as or similar to cutting array 106a described above with reference to fig. 1. The cutting

arrays

206a, 206b are arranged to press the tobacco sheet towards each other, thereby cutting the tobacco sheet 204 longitudinally into a plurality of tobacco strands 112 (the plurality of tobacco strands 112 are distributed along a plane extending into the page of fig. 2). For example, the cutting

arrays

206a, 206b may be offset from each other in a direction perpendicular to the feed direction of the tobacco sheet (i.e., offset in a direction extending into the page of fig. 2).

The concentrator 214 includes a funnel 214 that includes a funnel portion 216 and a stem portion 218. The axis of the hopper 114 is located in the centre of the plurality of tobacco strands 112 and in the plane along which the plurality of tobacco strands are distributed. The plurality of tobacco strands 112 are gathered together as they travel through the hopper 214 to form a tobacco rod 220.

The apparatus 200 comprises a wrapper 222 arranged to wrap the tobacco rod 220 in a wrapping material 228. The wrapping material 222 may be or include, for example, a rod making machine known in the art, such as a KDF (powered fluid media) filter rod making machine, to control the orientation and tension of the wrapping material 228.

Wrapping 222 includes a drive belt 246, a roll of wrapping material 252, an appendage 240, an adhesive segment 242, and a heating segment 244.

The drive belt 246 is a continuous flexible strip of material surrounded and supported by two

rollers

248a, 248 b. The drive belt 246 is held in tension between the

rollers

248a, 248b to define a substantially flat upper drive belt surface 246a. The

rollers

248a, 248b are arranged to rotate about their respective axes such that the belt surface 246a can translate between the two

rollers

248a, 248 b. One or both of the

rollers

248a, 248b are driven to rotate about their axes (clockwise in the sense of fig. 2) to cause the upper drive belt surface 246a to translate (left to right in the sense of fig. 2).

The roll of wrapping material 252 supplies a continuous sheet or web of wrapping material 228 to the upper carousel surface 246a. The wrapping material 228 may be fed onto the upper conveyor belt surface 246a by friction of the moving upper conveyor belt surface 246a with the wrapping material 228. Thus, the sheet of wrapping material 228 travels on top of the upper belt surface 246a (from left to right in the sense of fig. 2). The tobacco rod 220 is fed onto the sheet of wrapping material 228 on the upper conveyor belt surface 246a. Friction between the moving wrapping material 228 and the tobacco rod 220 may at least partially cause the tobacco rod 220 to be fed onto the wrapping material 228, moving with the wrapping material 228. Alternatively or additionally, the tobacco rod 220 may be fed onto the moving wrapping material 228 by other means (e.g., one or more feed rollers, etc.). In either case, the tobacco rod 220 is fed onto the wrapping material 228 such that the tobacco rod 220 moves with (i.e., at the same rate as) the wrapping material 228, which in turn moves with (i.e., at the same rate as) the upper conveyor belt surface 246a.

As is known per se, the garniture 240 folds the wrapping material 228 around the tobacco rod 220 as it moves through the garniture 240. The garniture 240 wraps the wrapping material 228 around the circumference of the tobacco rod 220. The garniture wraps the wrapping material 228 around the tobacco rod 220 on a circumference slightly larger than the tobacco rod 120 so that there is a portion (not shown) where the wrapping material 228 overlaps itself.

The adhesive segment 242 applies adhesive to the wrapping material 228 to secure the wrapping material 228 in place around the tobacco rod 220. In particular, the adhesive segment 242 applies adhesive to the portion of the wrapping material 228 that overlaps itself to secure the wrapping material 228 to itself around the tobacco rod 220.

The heater section 244 heats the tobacco rod 220 to aid in the drying and/or curing of the adhesive. This helps ensure that the binder is sufficiently dried/cured before the tobacco rod is cut into tobacco rod segments 226.

The second cutter 224 is arranged to cut the tobacco rod 220 into segments to produce tobacco rod segments 226. The second cutter 224 may be the same as or similar to the second cutter 124 described above with reference to fig. 1.

In use, the first cutter 206 longitudinally cuts the tobacco sheet 204 to produce a plurality of tobacco strands 212. The accumulator 214 accumulates the strands 212 together to form a tobacco rod 220, wherein each of the plurality of tobacco strands 212 is substantially non-coiled. The second cutter 224 cuts the tobacco rod 220 into segments to produce tobacco rod segments 226.

The apparatus 200 thereby produces tobacco rod segments 226, each comprising a tobacco rod 230 formed from a plurality of longitudinal strands of tobacco (not shown), i.e. strands of tobacco extending along the length of the tobacco rod 230, wherein each of the plurality of longitudinal strands (not shown) is substantially non-coiled, e.g. substantially straight.

Similar to that described with reference to the apparatus 100 of fig. 1, the first cutter 206 of the apparatus 200 of fig. 2 may be adjustable to cut the tobacco sheet 104 into the plurality of longitudinal strands 112, or not cut the tobacco sheet 104 at all. As described above, this may allow for easier and more consistent setup of the apparatus 200, e.g., the roll 202 of tobacco sheet material 204, when installing or replacing the tobacco sheet material 204.

As described above, in some examples, the

tobacco sheet

104, 204 is provided from a

roll

102, 202 of

tobacco sheet

104, 204.

Referring to fig. 3, a roll 302a of tobacco sheet 304 (which may be used, for example, as the

rolls

102, 202 described above with reference to fig. 1 and 2) may be provided from a parent roll 370 of tobacco sheet 304. The parent spool 370 may be transversely slit (see dashed lines 372) to produce a roll 302a of tobacco sheet material 304.

The parent reel 307 may be slit to produce a roll 302a having a certain width W. This provides the tobacco sheet material 304 of the log 302a with a certain mass per unit length and, consequently, the tobacco rod segments (not shown in figure 3) produced with a certain mass per unit length. Thus, at the beginning of the manufacturing process, the desired mass per unit length of the tobacco rod segment (not shown in fig. 3) may be selected. The web width W may then be determined based on the selected mass per unit length for the tobacco rod segment (not shown) and based on the known mass per unit area of the tobacco sheet 304 of the parent roll 370. For example, the mass per unit area (also referred to as grammage) of the tobacco sheet 304 may be 100g/m ² . The parent spool 370 may then be slit to produce a roll 302a having a determined roll width W. The reel 302a may then be used to produce tobacco rod segments (not shown in figure 3) having a desired mass per unit length, for example in the

apparatus

100, 200 described above with reference to figures 1 and 2. Parent reel 370 may be slit multiple times to produce

rolls

302b, 302c, 302d, 302e as desired, e.g., having the same or different roll widths W. This may allow convenient and inexpensive control of the mass per unit length of the tobacco rod segments (not shown in figure 3) produced.

Fig. 4 schematically illustrates a flow diagram of a method of producing

tobacco rod segments

126, 226 according to one example. For example, the method may be performed using the

apparatus

100, 200 described above with reference to fig. 1 and 2, respectively. Therefore, the reference numerals used in fig. 1 and 2 are also used as appropriate hereinafter.

In step S402, the method includes longitudinally cutting the

tobacco sheet

104, 204 to produce a plurality of

tobacco strands

112, 212.

The

tobacco sheet

104, 204 may have a substantially constant mass per unit length, may be a reconstituted tobacco sheet and/or may comprise glycerin.

The method may comprise, prior to step S402, providing the

tobacco sheet

104, 204 from the

roll

102, 202 of

tobacco sheet

104, 204. This may include providing a parent spool 307 of

tobacco sheets

104, 204, 304, and slitting the parent spool to produce the

log

102, 202, 302a. This may itself include selecting a mass per unit length of the

tobacco rod segment

126, 226, determining a log width W based on the mass per unit area of the

tobacco sheet material

104, 204, 304 and based on the mass per unit length selected for the tobacco rod segment, and slitting the parent spool 307 to produce a

log

102, 202, 302a having the determined log width W.

The method may comprise, prior to step S402, feeding the

tobacco sheets

104, 204 in a sheet feed direction a. Cutting the

tobacco sheet

104, 204, 304 in S402 may then comprise cutting the

tobacco sheet

104, 204, 304 substantially parallel to the sheet feeding direction a.

Step S402 may include cutting the

tobacco sheet

104, 204 by the determined number of cuts and/or cutting pitch. The number of cuts and/or the cutting spacing may be determined by selecting the number of

strands

112, 212 and/or the width of the

strands

112, 212 for the

tobacco rod segments

126, 226 and determining the number of cuts and/or the cutting spacing based on the selected number of strands and/or width of the strands. Each of the plurality of bundles may have a width substantially in the range of 0.25mm to 3mm or substantially in the range of 0.5mm to 1.5 mm.

In step S404, the method includes gathering the

strands

112, 212 together to form the

tobacco rod

112, 212, wherein each of the plurality of

tobacco strands

112, 212 is substantially non-coiled. Step S404 may include gathering the

strands

112, 212 together to form the

tobacco rod

120, 220, wherein the plurality of

tobacco strands

112, 212 are substantially parallel to each other and/or are each substantially straight. Step S204 may include focusing each

elongated bundle

112, 212 substantially transversely toward an axis located at the center of the plurality of

bundles

112, 212 to form the rod 120. The axis towards which the

bundles

112, 212 are concentrated may lie in a plane that includes the feed direction a and is perpendicular to the plane defined by the plurality of

bundles

112, 212 prior to their concentration. Step S204 may include feeding the

beam

112, 212 through a

funnel

114, 214 to focus the

beam

112, 212.

The method may comprise, prior to applying the

cut tobacco sheets

104, 204 as described in step S402, feeding the

tobacco sheets

104, 204 through a

hopper

114, 214 to form a tobacco rod (not shown) of

non-cut tobacco sheets

114, 214.

In step S406, the method comprises cutting the tobacco rod 120 (of the tobacco bundle 112, 212) into segments to produce said

tobacco rod segments

126, 226.

The process may include, prior to step S406, wrapping the

tobacco rod

120, 220 in a

wrapping material

128, 228. The wrapping

material

128, 228 may be or include one or both of paper and aluminum foil. For example, the wrapping

material

128, 228 may be a laminate of paper and aluminum foil. The tobacco rod segments 126, 226 (being wrapped) may each have an outer diameter substantially in the range of 5.4mm to 7.8mm or substantially in the range of 6.7mm to 7.8 mm. The

tobacco rod segments

126, 226 may be consumables for an aerosol-generating device.

Figure 5a schematically illustrates a tobacco rod segment 526 placed on a blade heater 580 of an aerosol-generating device (not shown) according to an example. Specifically, fig. 5a shows the tobacco rod segment 526 prior to installation on the blade heater 580, and fig. 5b shows the tobacco rod segment 526 after it has been installed on the blade heater 580.

For example, the tobacco rod segment 526 may be the same as or similar to the

tobacco rod segments

126, 226 described above with reference to fig. 1 and 2, respectively. For example, the tobacco rod segments 526 may be produced by the

apparatus

100, 200 described above with respect to fig. 1 and 2, respectively, and/or by the method described above with respect to fig. 4.

Referring to fig. 5a and 5b, the tobacco rod segment 526 comprises a tobacco rod 530 formed of a plurality of longitudinal strands 512, i.e. a plurality of strands 512 extending in a length direction of the tobacco rod 530, wherein each of the plurality of longitudinal strands 512 is substantially non-coiled. The plurality of bundles 512 are substantially parallel to each other, substantially straight, and each extend along substantially the entire length of the tobacco rod segment 526. The tobacco rod segment 526 includes a wrapping material 528 wrapped around a tobacco rod 530.

The blade heater 580 may take the form of an elongated rectangular parallelepiped that is significantly thinner than it is wide or long. The width of the blade heater 580 is less than the outer diameter of the tobacco rod segment 526. The blade heater 538 may comprise a resistive heater (not shown) powered by a battery (not shown) of the hand-held aerosol-generating device (not shown) and controllable by the user to heat. In some examples, the blade heater 580 may have a tip (not shown) to facilitate insertion of the blade heater into the tobacco rod segment 526.

The vane heater 580 may be inserted into the tobacco rod segment 526 (arrow B in figure 5 a), or likewise, the tobacco rod segment 526 may be pushed onto the vane heater 580 such that the vane heater 580 extends longitudinally into the tobacco rod segment 526 (as shown in figure 5B).

The plurality of longitudinal strands 512 of the substantially non-coiled tobacco rod segment 526 allow the vane heater 580 to be easily inserted into the tobacco rod segment 526. This is because the non-coiled longitudinal bundle 512 presents relatively little resistance to longitudinal insertion of the blade heater 580. This may facilitate installation or replacement of the tobacco rod segment 528 to the blade heater 580, which tobacco rod segment 526 may be a consumable for the entire aerosol-generating device (not shown). This may reduce damage to the tobacco rod segment 526 upon insertion of the blade heater 580 and allow for more consistent and correct placement of the tobacco rod segment 526 relative to the blade heater 580. This may be contrasted, for example, with a hypothetical tobacco rod segment comprising coiled longitudinal strands arranged, for example, in a helical configuration: in this case, the insertion of the leaf heater would be limited by the bundle passing through the insertion path, and the leaf heater may deform and compress portions of the tobacco, which may result in relatively difficult and inconsistent placement of the hypothetical tobacco rod segment, and may result in an increased risk of damage to the hypothetical tobacco rod segment.

The plurality of longitudinal strands 512 of tobacco rod segments 526 that are parallel and/or similarly straight to one another allow for the easy insertion of the vane heater 580 into the tobacco rod segments 526. In this case, the insertion axis of the blade heater 580 is parallel to the axis of each longitudinal bundle 512, and when the blade heater 580 is inserted, only a small surface area of tobacco is provided to the leading edge of the blade heater. Similar to that mentioned above, this may provide for convenient installation or replacement of the tobacco rod segments 526 and/or reduce damage to the tobacco rod segments 526 and/or provide for more consistent and correct placement of the tobacco rod segments 526 relative to the vane heater 580. This may be contrasted, for example, with a hypothetical tobacco rod segment comprising randomly oriented shredded tobacco or comprising a crimped or corrugated tobacco sheet: in this case, the insertion of the vane heater may deform and compress portions of shredded tobacco or edges of the crimped or corrugated tobacco sheet material, which may result in relatively difficult and inconsistent placement of the hypothetical tobacco rod segments, and may result in an increased risk of damage to the hypothetical tobacco rod segments.

Once the tobacco rod segment 526 is inserted onto the blade heater 580 of the entire aerosol-generating device (not shown), the blade heater 580 may be controlled to heat (e.g., via resistive heating inside the blade heater 580) so as to heat, but not burn, the tobacco strand 512. This may release constituents, such as volatile constituents, from the tobacco strands 512. As described above, the tobacco strands 512 may contain glycerin, which may volatilize to form an aerosol when heated by the blade heater 580.

The plurality of substantially non-coiled longitudinal strands 512 of the tobacco rod segment 526 establish a corresponding plurality of substantially non-coiled longitudinal passageways 513 through the tobacco rod segment 526 between the plurality of longitudinal strands 512. These passageways 513 facilitate transport of volatile materials (e.g., volatile components of the tobacco itself or volatilized glycerin, or both) released from the tobacco strands 512 upon heating through the tobacco rod segments 526. This may reduce the loss of these materials through the tobacco rod segment 526, e.g., the relatively short and uninterrupted passageway 513 may reduce the occurrence of condensation of volatile materials back onto portions of the tobacco rod segment 526. This may be contrasted, for example, with a hypothetical tobacco rod segment (e.g., in a standard cigarette) that includes randomly oriented shredded tobacco, in which the path length for volatilized material leaves the hypothetical tobacco rod is relatively long. This may also be contrasted with a hypothetical tobacco rod segment comprising a plurality of wrapped longitudinal strands, in which the path length for volatilised material to leave the hypothetical tobacco rod is also relatively long.

As noted above, the wrapping material 528 may be or include, for example, one or both of paper and aluminum foil, such as a laminate of paper and aluminum foil. A laminate of paper and aluminum foil may be used to prevent the tobacco rod segments 526 from being ignited by the blade heater 580.

Each of the plurality of beams 512 may have a width substantially in the range of 0.25mm to 3mm or substantially in the range of 0.5mm to 1.5 mm. The tobacco rod segment 526 may have an outer diameter substantially in the range of 5.4mm to 7.8mm or substantially in the range of 6.7mm to 7.8 mm. This may allow for the use of a relatively large vane heater 580, thus increasing the heating surface area of the vane heater 580, thus increasing the rate at which tobacco may be heated and/or the amount of tobacco that may be heated by the vane heater 580.

The above examples should be understood as illustrative examples of the invention.

For example, although the

tobacco sheet

104, 204, 304 is described as a reconstituted tobacco sheet in the above examples, this is not required, and in other examples, the

tobacco sheet

104, 204, 304 may be made of other materials. The tobacco sheet 104 may or may not contain glycerin, and may contain other materials, such as additives or enhancers instead of or in addition to glycerin.

Although in some of the above examples, the

tobacco sheets

104, 204, 304 are described as being provided from a

reel

102, 202, 302, this is not essential and may be supplied, for example, from another device or source (not shown) that does not necessarily form part of the

apparatus

100, 200.

Although in the above example, the first cutter 106, 206 is described as comprising an array of discs 108, this is not required, and in other examples, the first cutter 106, 206 may be any suitable cutter or cutting device for cutting the tobacco sheet 104 longitudinally to form the plurality of

bundles

112, 212 of tobacco.

Although in the above examples the

concentrators

114, 214 are described as

funnels

114, 214 having circular cross-sections, this is not required and in other examples the

concentrators

114, 214 may take different forms. For example, the

accumulator

114, 214 may be or comprise a so-called stuff jet nozzle (not shown) arranged to supply and accumulate the plurality of

beams

112, 212 by using air pressure. As another example, the cross-section of the

funnel

114, 214 need not be circular, and may, for example, have another cross-section such as rectangular or square. Indeed, the accumulator may be any suitable device for accumulating the

strands

112, 212 together to form the

tobacco rod

120, 220, wherein each of the plurality of

tobacco strands

112, 212 is substantially non-coiled.

Although in the above examples the

apparatus

100, 200 comprises a

wrapper

122, 222 arranged to wrap the

tobacco rod

120, 220 in a

wrapping material

128, 228 before the tobacco rod is cut into

segments

126, 226 by the second cutter 124 to produce

tobacco rod segments

126, 226, this is not essential and in other examples the

apparatus

100, 200 may not comprise a

wrapper

122, 222 and the (unwrapped)

tobacco rod

120, 220 may be cut into

segments

126, 226 by the

second cutter

124, 224 to produce

tobacco rod segments

126, 226. In this example, the

tobacco rod segments

126, 226 produced do not necessarily include wrapping

material

128, 228.

It should be understood that fig. 1 and 2 schematically illustrate an example of an apparatus for producing

tobacco rod segments

126, 226 according to one example, and in other examples, the

apparatus

100, 200 may include additional (or fewer) components, such as one or more feed rollers for feeding the tobacco sheet 104204 and/or the plurality of

bundles

112, 212, one or more tension rollers for tensioning the tobacco sheet 104204 and/or the plurality of

bundles

112, 212, and/or one or more belts for conveying the

tobacco sheet

104, 204 and/or the plurality of

bundles

112, 212 and/or the

tobacco rods

120, 220 and/or the segments of the

tobacco rods

120, 220.

Although in the above examples, the

tobacco strands

112, 212 are described as being straight and parallel to one another, this is not required, and in other examples, the

tobacco strands

112, 212 may not be substantially straight and/or may not be substantially parallel to one another. For example, the

tobacco strands

112, 212 may be treated to include longitudinal waves or corrugations or zig-zags, etc., or indeed the tobacco sheet 104 may inherently include longitudinal waves or corrugations or zig-zags, etc., or be treated to have such a shape or configuration. Indeed, the

tobacco rod segment

126, 226 may comprise any

tobacco rod

130, 530 formed from a plurality of

longitudinal strands

112, 212, wherein each of the plurality of

longitudinal strands

112, 212 is substantially non-coiled.

Although in the above examples, the

tobacco rod segments

126, 226, 526 are described as being produced by the

apparatus

100, 200 and/or by the method described with reference to fig. 3, this is not required, and in other examples, any suitable method or apparatus for producing

tobacco rod segments

126, 226, 526 comprising a

tobacco rod

130, 530 formed from a plurality of

longitudinal tobacco strands

112, 212, 512 may be used, wherein each of the plurality of

longitudinal strands

112, 212, 512 is substantially uncoiled.

Although in some of the above examples, the

tobacco rod segments

126, 226, 526 are described as consumables for a "heating but non-burning" apparatus or the like that includes the vane heater 580, this is not required, and in other examples, the

tobacco rod segments

126, 226, 526 may be used for other apparatuses and/or for other purposes. For example, the

tobacco rod segments

126, 226, 526 may be consumables of any aerosol-generating device, such as a tobacco heating product or device that does not necessarily include a blade heater 580.

Although in the above examples, the

tobacco sheet

102, 204, 304 is described as being or comprising tobacco, such as reconstituted tobacco, this is not essential and in other examples the

sheet

104, 204, 304 may be or comprise a sheet of any aerosol-generating material. The aerosol-generating material may be a material that produces an aerosol when heated, for example by a blade heater 580 of the entire aerosol-generating device. For example, the sheet of aerosol-generating

material

104, 204, 304 may be or comprise a flavour substrate. The

flavor base

104, 204, 304 may include a flavorant, such as a tobacco flavorant or other flavorant, and/or may include glycerin or other additives or enhancers in lieu of or in addition to glycerin. The fragranced substrate with or without glycerin or other additives may be heated to produce an aerosol.

It may be noted that, in general, an aerosol is a colloid of fine solid particles or droplets in air or other gas, where the colloid is a substance in which micro-dispersed insoluble particles are suspended throughout other substances. On the other hand, a vapor is a substance in the gas phase at a temperature below its critical temperature, which means that, for example, the vapor can be condensed into a liquid by increasing its pressure without decreasing the temperature. It is to be understood that the term aerosol as used herein includes aerosols and/or vapors.

It will be appreciated that in some examples, the aerosol-generating

material rod segments

126, 226, 526 may be made from the sheet of aerosol-generating

material

102, 204, 304 as described above for reconstituted

tobacco sheets

102, 204, 304, for example by cutting the sheet of aerosol-generating

material

102, 204, 304 longitudinally to produce a plurality of bundles of aerosol-generating

material

112, 212, 512; gathering together the

bundles

112, 212, 512 to form an aerosol-generating

material rod

130, 530, wherein each of the plurality of aerosol-generating

material bundles

112, 212, 512 is substantially non-coiled; and cutting the aerosol-generating

material rod

130, 530 into

segments

126, 226, 526 to produce aerosol-generating

material rod segments

126, 226, 526.

Similarly, it will be appreciated that the product may comprise a rod of

aerosol generating material

130, 530, wherein the rod of

aerosol generating material

130, 530 is formed from a plurality of longitudinal bundles of

aerosol generating material

112, 212, 512, wherein each of the plurality of longitudinal bundles of

aerosol generating material

112, 212, 512 is substantially uncoiled.

It is to be understood that any feature described in relation to any one example may be used alone, or in combination with other features described, and may also be used in combination with one or more features of any other of the examples, or any combination with any other of the examples. Furthermore, equivalents and modifications not described above may also be employed without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A method of producing a rod segment of aerosol-generating material comprising:

cutting a sheet of aerosol-generating material longitudinally to produce a plurality of strands of aerosol-generating material;

gathering the plurality of strands of aerosol-generating material together to form a rod of aerosol-generating material in which each of the plurality of strands of aerosol-generating material is substantially uncoiled; and

cutting the aerosol-generating material rod into segments to produce the aerosol-generating material rod segments.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the aggregating comprises:

gathering the plurality of strands of aerosol generating material together to form the aerosol generating material rod in which the plurality of strands of aerosol generating material are substantially parallel to one another.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the aggregating comprises:

gathering the plurality of strands of aerosol-generating material together to form the aerosol-generating material rod in which each of the plurality of strands of aerosol-generating material is substantially straight.

4. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sheet of aerosol-generating material is a sheet of tobacco.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the tobacco sheet is a reconstituted tobacco sheet.

6. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sheet of aerosol-generating material comprises glycerol.

7. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sheet of aerosol-generating material has a substantially constant mass per unit length.

8. The method according to claim 1 or 2, the method comprising:

the sheet of aerosol-generating material is provided from a roll of the sheet of aerosol-generating material.

9. The method of claim 8, the method comprising:

providing a parent spool of a sheet of aerosol-generating material; and

cutting the parent spool to produce the roll.

10. The method of claim 9, the method comprising:

selecting a mass per unit length of the rod segment of aerosol-generating material;

determining a web width based on a mass per unit area of the sheet of aerosol-generating material and based on the selected mass per unit length of the rod segment of aerosol-generating material; and

cutting the parent spool to produce a roll having the determined roll width.

11. The method according to claim 1 or 2, the method comprising:

selecting a number of beams and/or a beam width of the aerosol-generating material rod segment; and

determining a number of cuts and/or a cutting pitch based on the selected number of bundles and/or width of bundles;

wherein cutting the sheet of aerosol-generating material comprises:

cutting the sheet of aerosol-generating material by the determined number of cuts and/or cutting pitch.

12. The method according to claim 1 or 2, the method comprising:

feeding the sheet of aerosol-generating material in a sheet feed direction;

wherein cutting the sheet of aerosol-generating material comprises:

cutting the sheet of aerosol-generating material substantially parallel to the sheet feed direction.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the aggregating comprises:

gathering each of the plurality of aerosol generating material beams towards an axis lying in a plane which includes the feed direction and is perpendicular to a plane defined by the plurality of aerosol generating material beams prior to gathering.

14. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the aggregating comprises:

focusing each of the plurality of aerosol generating material beams towards an axis located centrally of the plurality of aerosol generating material beams.

15. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the aggregating comprises:

gathering each of the plurality of aerosol-generating material bundles substantially laterally to form the rod of aerosol-generating material.

16. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the aggregating comprises:

feeding the plurality of aerosol-generating material strands through a funnel to gather the plurality of aerosol-generating material strands.

17. A method according to claim 16, the method comprising, prior to cutting the sheet of aerosol-generating material:

feeding the sheet of aerosol-generating material through the hopper to form a rod of aerosol-generating material of non-cut tobacco sheet material.

18. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the plurality of aerosol-generating material strands has a width substantially in the range 0.25mm to 3mm or substantially in the range 0.5mm to 1.5 mm.

19. The method according to claim 1 or 2, the method comprising:

wrapping the rod of aerosol-generating material in a wrapping material.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the wrapping material is or comprises one or both of paper and aluminum foil.

21. A method according to claim 19, wherein the aerosol-generating material rod segments each have an outer diameter substantially in the range 5.4mm to 7.8mm or substantially in the range 6.7mm to 7.8 mm.

22. A method according to claim 19, wherein the aerosol-generating material rod segment is a consumable for an aerosol-generating device.

23. Apparatus for producing a rod segment of aerosol-generating material, the apparatus comprising:

a first cutter arranged to cut the sheet of aerosol-generating material longitudinally to produce a plurality of bundles of aerosol-generating material;

a collector arranged to gather the plurality of bundles of aerosol generating material together to form a rod of aerosol generating material in which each of the plurality of bundles of aerosol generating material is substantially non-coiled; and

a second cutter arranged to cut the aerosol-generating material rod into segments to produce the aerosol-generating material rod segments.

24. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the collector is arranged to collect the plurality of bundles of aerosol generating material together to form the rod of aerosol generating material in which the plurality of bundles of aerosol generating material are substantially parallel to one another.

25. An apparatus according to claim 23 or 24, wherein the collector is arranged to collect the plurality of bundles of aerosol generating material together to form the rod of aerosol generating material in which each of the plurality of bundles of aerosol generating material is substantially straight.

26. A device according to claim 23 or 24, wherein the device is arranged to provide the sheet of aerosol-generating material from a roll of sheet of aerosol-generating material.

27. Apparatus according to claim 23 or 24, wherein the first cutter is adjustable to adjust the number and/or width of the plurality of aerosol generating material strands.

28. Apparatus according to claim 23 or 24, wherein the first cutter is adjustable to cut the sheet of aerosol-generating material to produce the plurality of bundles of aerosol-generating material or not to cut the sheet of aerosol-generating material.

29. Apparatus according to claim 23 or 24, wherein the apparatus is arranged to feed the sheet of aerosol-generating material to the first cutter in a sheet feed direction; wherein the first cutter is arranged to cut the sheet of aerosol-generating material substantially parallel to the sheet feed direction.

30. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the collector is arranged to collect each of the plurality of aerosol generating material strands towards an axis lying in a first plane which includes the feed direction and is perpendicular to a second plane defined by the plurality of aerosol generating material strands prior to collection.

31. An apparatus according to claim 23 or 24, wherein the collector is arranged to focus each of the plurality of aerosol generating material strands towards an axis located centrally of the plurality of aerosol generating material strands.

32. An apparatus according to claim 23 or 24, wherein the collector is arranged to collect each of the plurality of aerosol-generating material strands substantially laterally to form the rod of aerosol-generating material.

33. The apparatus of claim 23 or 24, wherein the concentrator comprises a funnel.

34. Apparatus according to claim 23 or 24, wherein the first cutter is arranged to cut the sheet of aerosol generating material longitudinally to produce the plurality of bundles of aerosol generating material each having a width substantially in the range 0.25mm to 3mm or substantially in the range 0.5mm to 1.5 mm.

35. Apparatus according to claim 23 or 24, wherein the apparatus comprises a wrapper arranged to wrap the rod of aerosol generating material in a wrapping material.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the wrapping material is or comprises one or both of paper and aluminum foil.

37. Apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the apparatus is arranged to produce the aerosol-generating material rod segments having an outer diameter substantially in the range 5.4mm to 7.8mm or substantially in the range 6.7mm to 7.8 mm.

38. Apparatus according to claim 23 or 24, wherein the aerosol-generating material rod segment is a consumable for an aerosol-generating device.

39. A product comprising a rod of aerosol-generating material, wherein the rod of aerosol-generating material is formed from a plurality of longitudinal strands of aerosol-generating material, wherein each of the plurality of longitudinal strands of aerosol-generating material is substantially uncoiled.

40. The product of claim 39, wherein the plurality of longitudinal strands are substantially parallel to each other.

41. The product of claim 39 or 40, wherein each of the plurality of longitudinal strands is substantially straight.

42. The product of claim 39 or 40, wherein each of the plurality of longitudinal bundles has a width substantially in the range of 0.25mm to 3mm or substantially in the range of 0.5mm to 1.5 mm.

43. The product of claim 39 or 40, wherein one or more of the plurality of longitudinal strands is or comprises tobacco.

44. The product of claim 43, wherein one or more of the plurality of longitudinal strands is or comprises reconstituted tobacco.

45. The product of claim 39 or 40, wherein one or more of the plurality of longitudinal strands comprises glycerin.

46. A product according to claim 39 or 40, wherein the product comprises a wrapper wrapped around the rod of aerosol-generating material.

47. The product of claim 46, wherein the wrapping material is or comprises one or both of paper and aluminum foil.

48. A product according to claim 46, wherein the product has an outer diameter substantially in the range 5.4mm to 7.8mm or substantially in the range 6.7mm to 7.8 mm.

49. A product according to claim 39 or 40, wherein the product is a consumable for an aerosol-generating device.