CN217284757U - Atomization device for heating non-burning tobacco - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to a tobacco atomizing device is not burnt in heating, a serial communication port, include: a disposable tobacco delivery unit comprising a cup having a wall configured to deform inwardly under negative suction pressure applied by a user, the cup containing a wet tobacco product comprising glycerin, water and tobacco, the cup further at least partially containing a heating element substantially surrounded by and in contact with the wet tobacco product; and a base unit adapted to receive the delivery unit and comprising a controller configured to supply current to the heating element; wherein the apparatus is configured to atomize the wet tobacco product and atomize the discrete liquid portion of the wet tobacco product by boiling the liquid portion in contact with the heating element.

Description

Atomization device for heating non-burning tobacco

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application serial No. 63/022160, filed on 8/5/2020 and U.S. patent application serial No. 16/913477, filed on 26/6/2020, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Each of the documents cited herein is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

Technical Field

The utility model relates to a tobacco atomizing device is not burnt in heating.

Background

Over the past few years, the use of e-cigarettes or e-cigarette smoking machines has been made popular as an alternative way of providing nicotine to the end user. Electronic cigarettes or related products currently on the market generally comprise a housing or pack having a heating element connected to a metallic conductor for evaporating or generating an aerosol of nicotine juice mixture for inhalation by a user. The resulting vapor or aerosol is typically a byproduct of the nicotine or nicotine juice mixture, flavor and solvent. Electronic cigarettes and methods of smoking electronic cigarette devices often result in a "smoking experience" without a true tobacco taste and flavor. Thus, while safer than smoking traditional tobacco products, the experience is far less satisfactory than traditional cigarette-type products.

One of the values of traditionally produced tobacco that is lacking in current e-vaping devices is the complex flavor imparted by cured, prepared tobacco. For centuries, the tobacco industry has developed protocols for providing desirable and complex flavors to consumer products that provide specific flavors to the user upon inhalation, through breeding of tobacco plants, specific tobacco crop growth methods, harvesting methods, and various tobacco curing processes. For example, these products include cigarettes, cigars, snuff, chewing tobacco, snuff, pipe tobacco and other products. In modern electronic cigarettes and inhalation devices, the complexity of such flavors during inhalation is often missed or masked by the flavoring agents.

As another alternative to conventional cigarettes, hookah apparatus uses heat (e.g., charcoal heat) to generate tobacco vapor that is passed through a water container prior to inhalation. The tobacco product used in these devices is commonly referred to as "hookah". These hookah or hookah devices may include a hose outlet or a plurality of hose outlets so that multiple consumers may use the device simultaneously. The tobacco used in the hookah apparatus may be mixed with other ingredients to alter the flavor or smoke generating characteristics of the apparatus.

In recent years, a new category of tobacco products has emerged: "heat not burn". As early as 1994, r.j. reynolds tobacco company introduced Eclipse series heat non-combustible cigarette products, and since the mid 1990's, other heat non-combustible systems were commercialized and sold to smokers. Heating non-combustible tobacco products typically use battery-powered heating systems to heat the tobacco sufficiently to heat it but not burn it. When the heating system begins to heat the tobacco, it produces an aerosol containing nicotine and other chemicals that are inhaled. Gaseous, liquid and solid particulates and tars are typically present in the emissions of conventional heat-not-burn products. Heat not burned products typically contain additives not present in tobacco and are often flavored. Heating of non-combustible products typically heats tobacco leaves at lower temperatures than conventional cigarettes, typically about 250-400 ℃, rather than 500 ℃ or more where combustion of the tobacco takes place.

In contrast to heating non-combustible tobacco products, electronic smoking products typically operate by providing a nicotine-containing liquid in a container that contains a wicking system to draw the liquid into the air channel. As shown in us patent No. 10653180 assigned to Juul Labs, a portion of which is shown in fig. 4, the cartridge 14 includes two compartments 114, 214 that are impregnated with liquid permeable batting 6, 7. The silicone wick 9 draws the nicotine-containing liquid into the air channel 26 and into contact with the heating element 31. The heating element atomizes the nicotine-containing liquid, thereby producing an inhalable aerosol form.

Typical heating element temperatures in conventional e-vapor extraction devices are about 150-230 ℃. Such atomization temperatures are lower than typical heated non-burning devices, and as a result, e-vaping devices typically produce less and less Harmful and Potentially Harmful Components (HPHC). According to data published by a leading tobacco company, lowering the atomization temperature from 300 ℃ to 200 ℃ can reduce HPHC by a factor of two, while lowering the atomization temperature from 300 ℃ to 100 ℃ can reduce HPHC by a factor of four, five, or six.

One major drawback of electronic cigarette products is that they contain higher concentrations of nicotine and flavoring than cigarettes. A Juul cartridge (called a pack) contains approximately the same amount of nicotine as a pack of cigarettes. An elevated concentration of nicotine may increase the risk of addiction. It has also been reported that e-cigarettes have adverse short-term health effects, such as rapid deterioration of vascular function, accelerated heart rhythm, and elevated diastolic blood pressure.

Returning to conventional heated non-combustible devices, they include a delivery system designed to heat a mixture of nicotine juice, flavors and other additives to convert it into vapor/smoke for inhalation by the end user. The current market of heating non-burning devices is limited in that they cannot be used with unaltered real tobacco leaves. Such devices typically utilize fines and scraps of tobacco plants formed into reconstituted or reconstituted tobacco sheets that cannot retain high levels of tobacco leaf tobacco after processing and are chemically altered.

One particularly popular heat non-combustible device is IQOS, which is sold under the brands Marlboro and Parliament by Philip Morris International and described in U.S. published patent application No. 2015/0150302a 1. The IQOS product consists of a cell phone sized charger and a pen looking cradle. The disposable tobacco rod known as a HeatStick is described as a mini-cigarette. The tobacco rod comprises a dried processed reconstituted tobacco that has been soaked in propylene glycol and dried to a target moisture content. The mini-cigarette is inserted into the holder and the rolled dry tobacco sheet product is then heated to a temperature of up to 350 and 400 ℃.

The interface of IQOS mini-cigarette and rack is shown in fig. 1. The support 201 comprises a heating blade 202 for heating a rod of a dry tobacco product 203 that has been impregnated with propylene glycol and formed from a rolled tobacco sheet. The user draws on the mouth end 204 of the mini-cigarette and heats the tobacco to a temperature of about 375 ℃. At this temperature, volatile compounds are emitted from the two different pieces of cast leaf tobacco of the rod 203. These compounds condense to form an aerosol. The aerosol is inhaled through a filter (also indicated by reference numeral 204) and into the mouth of the user.

The combination of the relatively high heat (350 to 400 ℃) and the aerosolized propylene glycol produces a relatively strong vapor and a stronger taste than some electronic cigarette products. However, the increased heat also increases the concentration of HPHC. IQOS can only reduce HPHC (known carcinogens) by about 80% compared to smoking. At lower temperatures, substantially higher HPHC reductions of over 90% can be achieved.

In addition, propylene glycol, which is the moisture carrier of reconstituted tablets, is synthetic and may present certain risk factors compared to natural glycerin. Glycerol is a non-toxic liquid made from natural forms of vegetable oils. In contrast, propylene glycol is a synthetic fluid derived from propylene oxide. Although it is recognized as a generally safe chemical for human use in liquid form, the amount of propylene glycol in the product is generally small due to its higher toxicity than glycerol. Traces of propylene glycol can be found in many products because it does not react by itself and does not affect other ingredients. However, when propylene glycol is heated, it may change chemical composition and produce propylene oxide, which is known as a carcinogen. Therefore, IQOS products may produce unhealthy propylene oxide content because it heats propylene glycol-containing dried tobacco to relatively high temperatures above 350 ℃ in a unique manner.

IQOS products include a number of synthetic ingredients that are added to provide an acceptable taste. According to the website of Philip Morris, heated tobacco products (such as IQOS healsticks) contain a number of additives listed in table 1 below, which are added to tobacco in versions sold in the uk. No additional information is provided for the IQOS Heatstick version sold in the united states.

TABLE 1

Although some of these flavors may be considered safe for consumption at room temperature, the combination of aldehydes and Propylene Glycol (PG) from the flavors results in the formation of acetals, which may have toxicological properties. In one study, various flavor aldehydes were mixed together with PG at varying concentrations. (Bai, flavoring and propylene glycol in the electronic cigarette form noxious irritants when mixed, American Journal of Managed Care, 11.2.2018) vanillin, ethyl vanillin, benzaldehyde, cinnamaldehyde, acetal were produced in each of the flavoring aldehydes tested. Researchers have also observed that as PG concentration increases, the amount of acetal produced increases.

According to St.Helen G, Jacob III P, Nardone N et al, "IQOS: evolution of Philip Morris International' close of reduced exposure", Tobacco Control, 27.Suppl 1(2018): s30-s36, IQOS produces aerosols containing much higher levels of emissions than the reference cigarette. As shown in table 2 below, the IQOS emissions of 22 components of unknown toxicity are at least 200% higher and seven components are at least 1000% higher than the conventional 3R4F cigarette.

TABLE 2

While not wishing to be bound by any particular theory, applicants presently believe that the heating and atomization of large amounts of flavoring and synthetic additives, particularly in the presence of PG, produces many of these emissions of unknown toxicity over the long term use of adults. In particular, acetal may be produced by heating a flavoring agent in the presence of PG.

Another heat not to burn product is GLO sold by England tobacco corporation and described in U.S. published patent application No. 2018/0049469A 1. As shown in fig. 2, the GLO device 1 has a heating chamber 4 which, in use, contains smokable material to be heated and volatilised. The smokable material is a cylinder 5 formed from a dry tobacco product which, like the IQOS tobacco product, has been soaked in propylene glycol and then dried. One end of the smoking material article 5 protrudes from the apparatus 1 through the open end 3 of the housing 2. Like IQOS Heatstick, the article 5 typically includes a filter element at its outermost end. The heating chamber 4 comprises a heating element 10 made of ceramic material.

In use, the heating element 10 atomizes the tobacco product within the cylinder 5 in a manner similar to that described above in connection with IQOS. The user inhales the aerosol through the proximal end of the barrel 5. The operation of the GLO product is similar to IQOS in that the heater atomizes the dry tobacco product and the user inhales the aerosol.

While the ingredients added to tobacco products in GLO are not known, it is believed that the amount, type and type of additive is similar to that used in IQOS. Thus, GLO is believed to produce an aerosol comprising many of the same components as IQOS.

Another popular heat not burn product is Ploom sold by Nippon tobacco industry Co., Ltd, and is described in U.S. published patent application No. 2015/0208729. As shown in fig. 3, the Ploom warmer 305 atomizes the humectant-containing tobacco product 306 as air is drawn through the inlet 321. The vapour emitted from the tobacco product condenses in the condensation chamber 303. The vapor phase humectant vapor begins to cool and condense into droplets. In this way, the user forms and inhales an aerosol. In certain Ploom variants, heat is provided by butane gas, from which the user also inhales combustion products. The Ploom product also has the same disadvantages described above with respect to IQOS and GLO.

In the recently released Ploom Tech/Tech + product, the liquid in the reservoir is evaporated by a heater and the vapour is passed through a dry tobacco product which has been treated with a mixture of propylene glycol and glycerol (30: 70 by weight). The vapor cools and condenses into droplets, which absorb nicotine and tobacco flavors from the dry tobacco product. According to the above-cited patent application, propylene glycol together with natural glycerin produces "a denser, more concentrated aerosol, containing more particles than would otherwise be produced".

Although the Ploom Tech/Tech + product operates at lower temperatures than the other heated non-combustible products described above, and therefore produces less HPHC, the product produces vapors that have limited ability to extract flavors and nicotine from the vapor-passed dry tobacco product. The resulting user experience is correspondingly reduced.

These conventional heated non-combustible products all produce a taste and user experience that consumers typically find lacking. The aerosol of conventional heat-not-burn products provides less abundant and satisfying taste than conventional tobacco products, and as a result, conventional heat-not-burn products have not achieved the established goal of reducing smoking in conventional cigarettes. Conventional cigarettes have also not been substantially alleviated in many countries by the slow rate of use of heated non-combustible products by users due to poor taste and user experience.

Accordingly, conventional heat-not-burn products have one or more of the following disadvantages. First, to achieve an acceptable taste, many synthetic and potentially toxic ingredients are added. Second, the resulting taste and user experience is far lower than that required to encourage widespread migration from a traditional cigarette. Third, conventional products include propylene glycol, the atomization of which can produce harmful effluents, especially when heated in the presence of common flavors. Fourth, the tobacco products used in conventional products are not organic. The use of non-organic tobacco products further limits the potential health benefits of these heat not burned products, as they may contain various agricultural fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. Fifth, conventional tobacco products produce various carcinogens that do not naturally occur in tobacco. These additional carcinogens have a cross-use with the intended goal of heating non-burning devices to provide a safer, healthier alternative for smoking conventional cigarettes.

In addition, conventional heated non-combustion delivery devices are relatively expensive to manufacture. Many include inhalation sensing or "puff detection" systems that automatically control heating. Some include large, expensive and relatively bulky gas powered heating mechanisms or portable charging and/or heating units. Still others include complex and expensive induction heating systems. Some products use both a fluid reservoir and a separate supply of dried or partially moistened reconstituted tobacco material. The result has heretofore been a series of heat non-combustible devices that are relatively expensive and complicated to manufacture, both with respect to the base unit, charger and/or heater, and with respect to the consumable liquid and/or tobacco product.

Certain embodiments described herein address one or more of the foregoing problems. Certain embodiments exemplified herein address most or all of these issues. However, the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, and the foregoing discussion of the disadvantages of conventional heated non-combustible products should not be construed to limit the claims by implication or otherwise. The specific problem or problems stated above may not be solved by the various embodiments described herein and within the scope of the claims. Again, however, the presently most preferred embodiments address many, most, or all of these issues.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The conventional heated non-combustion devices discussed above use dry tobacco products to facilitate heating and atomization of the tobacco products. Atomization of tobacco products requires air, and therefore, each conventional heat not burn product comprises a dry tobacco product through which air can flow as in a conventional cigarette. Even in conventional vaping devices, the wick is used to draw the nicotine-containing liquid into the air stream, which ensures that an air deficit does not occur during aerosolization.

The applicant has found that, surprisingly, by careful design of the tobacco product and the conveying means, it is possible to atomize the moist tobacco product even when the heating element is substantially surrounded by the moist tobacco product. This atomization process keeps the temperature at a very low level (about 100 ℃), with a reduction in HPHC of up to 4, 5 or 6 or more times relative to conventional heat-not-burn products. However, in contrast to conventional electronic cigarette products, the aerosolized product is a real tobacco leaf and does not contain any nicotine or flavoring. Thereby avoiding the increased risk of addiction and short-term health effects associated with modern electronic vaping devices.

In addition, unlike conventional heated non-burning or e-vaping products, the embodiments exemplified herein provide an improved taste and user experience that is more likely to replace smoking a traditional cigarette, thereby providing substantial health benefits to the public. Conventional e-vapor devices are not generally considered smoking substitutes because users often continue to smoke while smoking an e-vapor and often forget to smoke the e-vapor in the process. The result is that users sometimes become dual product users rather than single product users. It is believed that these disadvantages result from the lack of the unpleasant taste and experience of natural tobacco. The preferred embodiments of the present invention overcome these disadvantages by providing improved taste and adult user experience, thereby potentially replacing traditional cigarettes without increased nicotine, associated addiction risks, and short term health effects of e-cigarettes, and without the elevated HPHC levels associated with conventional non-heat-burn devices and flavors

In smoke tests involving twenty-one participants, they sampled IQOS heat (currently the most popular heat not burn product internationally) and exemplified the embodiments of the invention herein, considering that the products of the invention provide greatly improved taste and ease of use. As for taste, on a scale of 1 to 5(5 being the best), IQOS achieved a score of 1.29(1 being the worst), while the product of example 4 achieved a score of 4.57(5 being the best). For ease of use, IQOS achieved a score of 1.05, whereas the preferred embodiment of the invention exemplified herein achieved a score of 4.95. None of the twenty-one smoke test participants was aware of the association between the study performer and either product.

Applicants have also found that in order to achieve atomisation of the wet tobacco product, it is advantageous to carefully control the viscosity of the ingredients of the material and the manner in which they come into contact with the heating element. While conventional heated non-combustible and e-vaping products use a dry tobacco product or a cotton wick to ensure that sufficient air flow is provided to the heated tobacco product or nicotine-containing liquid, it has previously been thought that it was not feasible to immerse the heating element in a wet tobacco product, as it was thought that the wet tobacco product would suffocate the heating element and hinder or eliminate effective atomization. Indeed, applicants have found that in many potential embodiments, the heating element is effectively fully choked, and therefore performs poorly, and draws power quickly from the battery, further impeding performance.

As shown in comparative example 1, if the tobacco product is too wet or surrounds the heating element too much, one or more of the following problems are encountered. First, as described above, the heating element may be choked, preventing effective atomization. Second, only a small fraction of the total amount of consumable tobacco product relative to the total amount contained in the pack or receptacle. Third, aerosolization may occur in the event of an insufficient number of puffs, such as 1-30 puffs, where an exemplary embodiment requires 200 or more puffs to substantially exhaust the supply of tobacco product in the cartridge or receptacle. Fourth, the heating element may need to be raised to an elevated temperature, such as near or above 300 degrees celsius, in order for atomization to occur. At such temperatures, high levels of HPHC are typically produced.

Applicants have found that at certain wet tobacco viscosities, tobacco products can be enclosed in a deformable or collapsible cigarette pack that substantially enhances atomization of the tobacco product. For example, a cigarette pack made of silicone with a wall thickness of about 1mm may be used. While not wishing to be bound by a particular theory, it is believed that during inhalation, the walls of the cartridge partially collapse or change shape and deform due to the negative pressure applied by inhalation, thereby bringing the moist tobacco product into intimate contact with the heating element. After removal of the suction, the packet expands to its original shape, which advantageously draws air into the interstices of the moist but relatively high viscosity tobacco product. The physical characteristics of the box made of silicone, with a wall thickness of about 1mm, give sufficient flexibility to be balanced to deform by the suction under-pressure, but sufficient rigidity to recover its original shape and advantageously draw air into the tobacco products between puffs. During the next puff, the tobacco product comes again into intimate contact with the heating element as the element heats up. In this way, the wall of the box has a bellows-like function, aerating and agitating the tobacco product, thus enhancing the atomisation during the next puff or inhalation.

This is fundamentally different from conventional heat-not-burn and e-cigarette products, which use either a static stack of dry tobacco or a static wetted wrapped core of reconstituted tobacco product, through which air flows naturally or through a wicking system to bring a nicotine-containing liquid into a high flow stream where it is heated and atomized.

The systems and methods described herein benefit from a careful balance of the composition and design of the delivery device. By appropriate selection of the composition and delivery means, in a preferred embodiment, a pack containing only 1.3 grams of tobacco product can provide 150 puffs, while a typical cigarette or IQOS Heatstick provides 12 to 14 puffs.

As noted above, embodiments of the invention exemplified herein will reduce HPHC by four, five or six times relative to IQOS, even though the former uses tobacco products containing the same array of synthetic ingredients as added to IQOS heat. However, exemplary embodiments use a simple organic formulation that includes (or alternatively, consists essentially of) three components: about 65-75% natural or organic glycerin, about 5-15% distilled water, tap or purified water, and about 20% organic whole leaf or leaf/sheet tobacco. Thus, exemplary embodiments may produce less than one sixth of the HPHC of IQOS, such as seven, eight, nine, or one tenth of the HPHC of IQOS. Moreover, unlike IQOS and other conventional heat-not-burn products, the exemplary products do not produce specific carcinogens that do not occur naturally in tobacco.

The illustrated consumable unit is also substantially less complex and expensive to manufacture. In particular, the manufacture of IQOS Heatstick involves a complex process for producing tobacco in sheet form that is post-processed and rolled into rods containing filters and other elements. Like the manufacture of conventional cigarettes, the manufacture of Heatstick is a multi-step process that involves expensive and relatively large manufacturing facilities. In contrast, the process of making the compositions of the exemplary embodiments merely involves autoclaving the tobacco product, then drying, grinding, and mixing about a 1:1 weight ratio of the ground tobacco product with glycerin prior to adding the tobacco product to the cigarette pack.

In another aspect, the heated non-combustion system disclosed herein is the first to achieve acceptable atomization without propylene glycol or an auxiliary moisture or vapor source. As noted above, conventional heat not burn products use real or reconstituted tobacco, but rely on propylene glycol or an additional source of water vapor to provide enhanced user taste and experience. None of the exemplary embodiments described herein are used, which avoids the adverse effects of propylene glycol, such as acetal formation in the presence of common flavors and the complexity and expense of providing an auxiliary source of water vapor.

Another advantage of the embodiments exemplified herein is that the tobacco products contained in the disposable cartridge or cup unit do not need to be consumed in a single smoking session. Conventional heated non-combustible tobacco products (e.g., IQOS and GLO) provide a mini cigarette or cigarette pack that must be used during one sitting or smoking session because the dry tobacco product carbonizes upon heating and is therefore not suitable for reheating during another smoking session. But instead must replace the mini-cigarette or pack. In contrast, the embodiments exemplified herein provide more than about ten times the puff per cartridge (about 150 and 250 versus about 10-15) and do not require full consumption in a single smoking session. While not wishing to be bound by a particular theory, applicants believe that this is due to the unique composition of the wet tobacco product and the unique mechanism of action that prevents carbonization of the wet tobacco product. A user of one of the exemplary embodiments may thus use a single cigarette pack in about ten smoking sessions spaced tens of hours or even days apart.

Accordingly, in one embodiment, there is provided a heated non-burning tobacco atomizer device having: a disposable mouthpiece unit having a cup with a wall that can be configured to deform inwardly under negative inhalation pressure applied by a user, the cup containing a wet tobacco product having at least about 65% by weight glycerin, at least about 5% by weight water, and at least about 15% by weight tobacco, the cup further containing, at least in part, a heating element substantially surrounded by and in contact with the wet tobacco product; and a base unit comprising a controller configured to supply current to the heating element. The apparatus may be configured to atomize the wet tobacco product at a temperature of no more than about 150 ℃, measured in the wet tobacco product 1mm from the heating element, during a heating cycle lasting about one to five seconds (or a value therebetween), and atomize the liquid portion of the wet tobacco product by boiling the liquid portion in contact with the heating element.

The device may be configured, for example, to aerosolize the moist tobacco product to produce an aerosolized inhalant that may be inhaled by a user through the mouthpiece unit. The HPHC of the aerosolized inhalant may be, for example, at least four times or at least six times less than the inhaled smoke of a 3R4F conventional cigarette. The apparatus may be configured to atomize the moist tobacco product at a temperature of no more than about 100 ℃, 120 ℃ or 140 ℃, measured in moist tobacco 1mm from the heating element, for example, over a heating cycle lasting about one to five seconds (or values therebetween). The viscosity of the wet tobacco product in the device may be, for example, about 10000 to 50000cp or about 20000 to 40000 cp. The wet tobacco product may consist of or consist essentially of tobacco, glycerin and water. In one aspect, the wet tobacco product does not comprise propylene glycol.

The mouthpiece unit may for example surround the cup and may comprise a surface substantially sealing the open end of the cup and comprising apertures partially exposing the wet tobacco product. In one aspect, the wet tobacco product does not contain additional nicotine not present in the tobacco leaf used to make the wet tobacco product. The wet tobacco product may, for example, have processed tobacco leaves and the aerosol inhalant does not include carcinogens that do not naturally occur in the aerosol produced by merely nebulizing processed tobacco leaves at the same temperature.

In another aspect, a heated non-combustible tobacco aerosolization device is provided having a disposable mouthpiece unit having a cup containing a wet tobacco product having a viscosity of about 10000 to 50000cp and having at least about 65 wt.% glycerin, at least about 5 wt.% water, and at least about 15 wt.% tobacco. The cup at least partially contains a heating element that is substantially surrounded by and in contact with the wet tobacco product; and a base unit configured to supply current to the heating element. The device can atomize the wet tobacco product at a temperature of no more than about 150 ℃, measured in the wet tobacco product at 1mm from the heating element, over a heating cycle lasting one to five seconds (or values therebetween), wherein the device can atomize the wet tobacco product to produce an atomized inhalant for inhalation by a user through the mouthpiece unit, wherein the aerosolized inhalant has an HPHC that is at least four times less than the inhaled smoke of a 3R4F conventional cigarette.

In one aspect, the cup may have walls that deform inwardly under negative suction pressure applied by the user. The apparatus may be configured to atomize the liquid portion of the wet tobacco product by boiling the liquid portion in contact with the heating element. The HPHC of the aerosolized inhalant may be, for example, at least six times less than the inhaled smoke of a 3R4F conventional cigarette. The apparatus may be configured to atomize the moist tobacco product at a temperature of less than about 100 ℃, 120 ℃ or 140 ℃ measured in the moist tobacco 1mm from the heating element over a heating period lasting less than five seconds. The viscosity of the wet tobacco product in the apparatus may be, for example, about 20000 to 40000 cp. The wet tobacco product in the device may consist of or consist essentially of, for example, tobacco, glycerin and water. In another aspect, the wet tobacco product does not include propylene glycol. The mouthpiece unit may surround the cup and may comprise a surface substantially sealing the open end of the cup and comprising an aperture partially exposing the wet tobacco product. In one aspect, the wet tobacco product in the apparatus does not contain additional nicotine not present in the tobacco leaf used to make the wet tobacco product.

In yet another aspect, the moist tobacco product inserted into the aerosolization and inhalation device can comprise processed tobacco leaves, and the aerosolization inhaler does not include carcinogens not naturally present in the aerosol produced by aerosolizing only the processed tobacco leaves at the same temperature.

On the other hand, the tobacco product may be wet and may be prepared by first separating the dry tobacco leaves into pieces or strips or sheets having a maximum dimension of 50 to 2000 microns or more preferably 100 to 1000 microns. In some embodiments, the size of the tobacco product particles, pieces, strips or pieces has an average maximum size or diameter of about 50-100, 100-200, 200-300, 300-400, 400-500, 500-600, 600-700, 700-800, 800-900, 900-1000, 1000-1100, 1100-1200, 1200-1300, 1300-1400, 1400-1500, 1500-1600, 1600-1700, 1700-1800, 1800-1900, 1900-1900 or 1900-2000 microns.

On the other hand, the cut/ground tobacco may be mixed with a solvent or "suspending agent" such as glycerin or, less preferably, Propylene Glycol (PG), polyethylene glycol, polysorbate 80, and mixtures thereof. The ratio (w/w) of tobacco to suspending agent may be about 3:1, 2:1, 1.5:1, 1.2:1, 1:1.2, 1:1.5, 1:2, or 1:3 or values therebetween.

In one aspect, water is optionally added to the mixture after the tobacco is combined with the suspending agent. For example, in one embodiment, about 1%, 5%, 7%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 40%, 50%, or 60% water (w/w) may be added to the mixture.

On the other hand, the resulting wet tobacco product inserted into the heat non-combustion device is organic and is a mixture of three components: water, glycerin, and tobacco. The tobacco product may comprise about 20-25, 25-30, 30-35, 35-40, 40-55, 50-55, 55-60, 60-65, 65-70, 70-75, or 75-80% by weight of glycerin. The tobacco product may comprise about 1-5, 5-10, 10-15, 15-20, 20-25, 25-30, 30-35, 35-40, or 40-50% water by weight or values therebetween. The tobacco product may comprise about 1-5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25-30, 30-35, 35-40, or 40-50% by weight tobacco or values therebetween. In a currently preferred embodiment, the product comprises about 65-75% by weight glycerin, 5-15% water, and 20% tobacco or values therebetween.

On the other hand, tobacco product compositions have a flowable, relatively thick, jam-like consistency. The viscosity of the tobacco product can be between about 5000 and 80000 cp. In various embodiments, the viscosity is about 5000-. In the currently most preferred embodiment, the viscosity is between about 20000 and 50000 cp.

The foregoing general description of illustrative embodiments and the following detailed description are merely exemplary aspects of the teachings of the present disclosure, and are not limiting. As noted above, certain embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure and claims may not provide the particular advantages set forth above. That is, the most preferred embodiments provide many, most, or all of the foregoing advantages over conventional heated non-burning and smoking e-vapor devices.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more embodiments and, together with the description, explain these embodiments. The figures are not necessarily to scale. Any values or dimensions shown in the figures are for illustrative purposes only and may or may not represent actual or preferred values or dimensions. Where applicable, some or all of the features may not be shown to help describe the underlying features. In the figure:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a conventional IQOS Heatstick heating non-combustion apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a conventional GLO-heated non-combustion apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a conventional PLOOM heat non-combustion apparatus;

figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a conventional JUUL e-vaping device;

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating an example method for preparing a suspension of tobacco and/or other plant material;

FIG. 6A is a flow chart illustrating an example method for preparing a tobacco suspension;

FIG. 6B is a flow chart illustrating an example method for preparing a disposable tobacco delivery unit filled with a tobacco suspension;

figures 7A to 7C illustrate an example electronic tobacco conveying device for receiving and heating a tobacco suspension;

FIG. 7D illustrates an example transport unit for use with an electronic tobacco transport device, such as the electronic unit of the device of FIG. 7A;

fig. 8A and 8B show a first example external design of an electronic tobacco transport device;

fig. 8C and 8D show a second example external design of an electronic tobacco transport device;

9A-9E illustrate exploded views of components of an example electronic tobacco delivery device;

10A and 10B illustrate an example cup and lid design of an electronic tobacco delivery device for receiving and holding a tobacco suspension liquid;

FIG. 11 illustrates an exploded view of components of another example electronic tobacco delivery device;

FIG. 12 illustrates an exploded view of components of yet another example electronic tobacco delivery device; and

fig. 13 shows an exploded view of a cover element for use with an example electronic tobacco delivery device.

Detailed Description

The description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various illustrative embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. The specific features and functions are described in connection with each illustrative embodiment; it will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the disclosed embodiments may be practiced without each of those specific features and functions.

Reference throughout the specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the subject matter disclosed. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Further, it is intended that the embodiments of the disclosed subject matter encompass modifications and variations thereof.

All patents, applications, published applications and other publications cited herein are incorporated by reference herein as if fully set forth.

It must be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. That is, as used herein, the words "a", "an", "the", and the like have the meaning of "one or more", unless expressly specified otherwise. In addition, it should be understood that terms such as "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "front," "back," "side," "height," "length," "width," "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," and the like, as may be used herein, merely describe points of reference and do not necessarily limit embodiments of the present disclosure to any particular orientation or configuration. Furthermore, terms such as "first," "second," "third," and the like, merely identify one of the various portions, components, steps, operations, functions, and/or reference points disclosed herein, and as such, do not necessarily limit embodiments of the disclosure to any particular configuration or orientation.

Moreover, the terms "approximately," "about," "approximately," "minor variations," and the like generally refer to a range of identified values that, in some embodiments, includes within 20%, 10%, or preferably 5%, and any value therebetween.

The term "tobacco curing" means that the tobacco leaves are partially dried once removed. The cellular contents of tobacco leaves (such as carotenoids, chlorophyll, and other components) are partially degraded to become more palatable than in fresh tobacco. This process may occur, for example, by air curing, flue curing, solar curing, fire curing, and fermentation curing (e.g., pearl oil). Depending on the process used, the fermentation setting process takes a period of days to weeks or even months.

The term "organic" or "organically grown" refers to tobacco leaves grown under organic standards, for example, by allowing the use of naturally occurring substances to promote growth or reduce pests, while prohibiting or severely limiting the synthetic substances placed on the plants or the soil on which the plants are grown.

The term "pesticide-free" refers to tobacco leaves which have not been treated with a pesticide during the growing period.

The term "glycerol" (also known as glycerol or propane-1, 2, 3-triol) is a three carbon compound having three alcohol groups. It is a sweet, viscous, non-toxic and essentially colorless liquid.

The term "propylene glycol" (also known as propane-1, 2-diol) refers to a three-carbon compound having two alcohol groups. It is a viscous and essentially colorless liquid.

All functions described in connection with one embodiment are intended to apply to the additional embodiment described below unless explicitly stated or the features or functions are incompatible with the additional embodiment. For example, where a given feature or function is explicitly described in connection with one embodiment but not explicitly mentioned in connection with an alternative embodiment, it should be understood that the inventors intend that the feature or function to be deployed, utilized, or implemented in connection with the alternative embodiment unless the feature or function is incompatible with the alternative embodiment.

An illustrative method 100 for preparing an exemplary tobacco product is shown in fig. 5. Turning to fig. 5, in some embodiments, process 100 begins with curing and/or drying tobacco and/or other plant material (102). If two or more plant materials are used, such as tobacco and herbs, each plant material may be cured or dried separately to achieve the desired state.

In some embodiments, the entire tobacco leaf material or only the lamina portion of the tobacco leaf is cut or ground (104). The following provides example processes for cutting, grinding or shredding tobacco and/or other plant material. If two or more plant materials are used, for example whole or only tobacco lamina and whole or only herb lamina, each plant material may be cut or ground separately to achieve the desired size and/or shape.

In some embodiments, the suspension composition is measured (106). The weight may be measured, for example, on a weight basis. In one example, the suspension component is glycerin, and is measured as 1g glycerin to 1g tobacco. To be suitable for small-scale and large-scale preparation, these amounts are generally expressed herein as a ratio of the weight of tobacco to the weight of the suspension ingredients. Examples of suspension components that can be used are shown below. In various embodiments, the ratio of tobacco and/or other plant material to suspension ingredients may be 1:10, 1:5, 1:2, 2:3, 3:2, 2:1, 5:1, or 10:1, or values therebetween, by weight.

In some embodiments, suspension ingredients are added (108) to cut/ground tobacco/and or other plant material. In some embodiments, the formulation contains only the suspension ingredients and tobacco and/or other plant material, with no other added ingredients. In some embodiments, this may be preferred by the user as a more "pure" or "natural" formulation. In a preferred embodiment, the tobacco and/or herbs and the resulting tobacco product mixture are organic.

Alternatively, in some embodiments, additional components (110) are included. Care was taken to use PG as a suspension ingredient with added flavoring. As described above, it is known that heating these two components in the presence of each other can produce acetal.

In some embodiments, the tobacco and/or other plant material is then mixed to form a suspension mixture (114). The mixing step can be performed at various mixing speeds, at various temperatures, and in various types of processing equipment. The mixing may be carried out intermittently and the ingredients may be added all at once or stepwise. In some embodiments, some of the ingredients are pre-mixed together and then mixed into the suspension mixture.

In one embodiment that may be used to prepare the tobacco products exemplified herein, the tobacco product is a tobacco and/or herbal product heated for 5-60 minutes in the presence of distilled, purified or tap water at a pressure of 5-20 atmospheres, optionally with low speed mixing (10-100rpm) at a temperature of 85-100 ℃. The tobacco product is then removed from the water bath and optionally dried under radiant heat for one hour. The product is then cut or ground into strips or sheets having a maximum dimension of 50 to 2000 microns, or more preferably 100 to 1000 microns. Thereafter, the cut or ground tobacco and/or herbal product is combined with water, wherein the tobacco and/or herbal product, about 1:1 by weight of the ground tobacco product and glycerin are mixed and allowed to stand for one hour.

In some embodiments, the suspension mixture is then dispensed into a package (116) for use with an electronic delivery device. The dispensing process can be carried out, for example, by means of an automated machine or by hand or another conveying device.

Although described as a particular series of operations, in other embodiments more or fewer steps may be involved, or the steps may be performed in a different order. For example, in some embodiments, the plant material may be cut (104) prior to drying (102). In further embodiments, one or more additional ingredients (110), such as preservatives or flavoring agents, may be added to the plant material before or after cutting and grinding (104) and before the plant material is added to the suspension (108). In an alternative embodiment, rather than adding an amount of tobacco to the suspended components (108), an amount of suspended components may be added to the plant material. Other modifications of the process 100 are possible while remaining within the scope and intent of the process 100.

Fig. 6A and 6B are flow diagrams illustrating another example process 200 and 220 for preparing and dispensing material into packaging containers. Turning now to fig. 6A, in some embodiments, process 200 begins with curing and/or drying tobacco (202) to have at least a 20% reduction in moisture compared to freshly picked leaves. Various types of tobacco curing and/or drying processes may be used. In addition to whole tobacco leaves or leaf parts of tobacco leaves, other parts of the tobacco plant may be used, such as stems, flowers, stalks and roots. Ingredients may be added to the tobacco during curing to improve flavor.

In some embodiments, the tobacco is cut or ground into pieces (204) of less than two millimeters. The tobacco may also be ground into a coarse powder or a fine powder. Mixtures of different sized tobacco sheets may also be used. For example, a mixture of ground tobacco powder and tobacco lamina may be used, with an average size of about 1 mm.

In some embodiments, the suspension ingredients are measured (206) and tobacco is added such that the ratio of tobacco to suspension ingredients is about 1:2 to 2:1 (208). The weight may be measured on a weight basis. Alternatively, volumetric measurements may be used. In one embodiment, tobacco is mixed with glycerin as a suspension component in a 1:1 ratio (w/w).

In some embodiments, the ingredients are mixed to form a suspension mixture (214). The mixing can be carried out at various temperatures. The mixing can be carried out, for example, at various mixing speeds. The components may be added all at once or one by one. In one embodiment, the ingredients are incorporated at a low rate and then increased once initial mixing has occurred. The mixing may be performed, for example, by hand, by using a machine, by using an automated system, or a combination of these.

The various steps or preparation of the tobacco suspension mixture may be performed at different times or in different combinations. For example, if desired (e.g., by processing using a blender-type device), a tobacco cutting/pulverizing step can be performed during the blending process. The ratio of each component can be adjusted as necessary. The viscosity can be varied as desired, for example to facilitate packaging or to optimize delivery of the mixture to the user.

Turning to fig. 6B (220), in some embodiments, the suspension mixture is dispensed for packaging into a disposable delivery unit of an electronic tobacco delivery system (222). The dispensing process may be performed manually, with machine assistance, or automatically. The dispensing process may be performed at room temperature or various other temperatures.

In some embodiments, the portion is encapsulated in a non-toxic, combustible (or dissolvable) material (224) by wrapping or surrounding the suspension mixture in the material (226).

In some embodiments, a portion of the suspension mixture is deposited into a cup of the disposable delivery unit proximate the heating element (228). In particular, an example cup is shown in fig. 10A and 10B. The individual portions may also be packaged in multiple portions, for example by using a "unit dose package" or "blister pack" to help keep the individual portions stable and moist prior to use.

In some embodiments, the suspension mixture (230) is contained by covering the cup with a mouthpiece portion of the disposable delivery unit. As shown in fig. 7B and 7C, for example, a cup 312 (shown in an open view in fig. 7B) may be provided for insertion of the suspension mixture. The cup 312 may then be covered by the portion 310, thereby maintaining the suspension mixture within the cup 312 below the cover portion 316, as described in further detail below. Additional examples are shown and described with respect to fig. 9A-D.

In some embodiments, disposable delivery units are provided for sale with respective electronic units configured to releasably engage (232) with the disposable delivery units as electronic tobacco delivery systems. An example delivery device is provided in fig. 7A-12, described in more detail below. For example, the electronic unit may be sold with one or more disposable delivery units. Further, the disposable delivery unit may be sold separately or packaged for interoperable use with the electronics. The different suspensions may be sold separately or in multi-pack form for a user to sample different tobacco strains, curing types, flavors, suspension ingredients (e.g., organic, flavored, herbal infused, etc.) using an electronic tobacco delivery system. Disposable units having two or more mouthpiece designs such as the designs shown in figures 7A-12 can be used interoperatively with the same electronic unit. The electronic units may be sold in different colors, materials and/or designs to suit the individual's taste. In further embodiments, a charging cord and/or docking unit may be sold with the electronic tobacco delivery system for charging the battery with the base unit.

Various tobacco strains or mixtures thereof may be used to prepare processed tobacco, including flue-cured tobacco, cigar wrap adhesives, burley tobacco, maryland, oriental tobacco, pennsylvania, karilong, cuba, madurao, naga, dark air-cured, cured reconstituted tobacco, and other parts of processed tobacco stems or whole tobacco plants.

Thus, in one embodiment, the tobacco is from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), yellow flower tobacco (Nicotiana rustica), or a combination thereof. Several other tobaccos can be used alone or in combination with others. These other species include, but are not limited to, stemless tobacco (Nicotiana acutilis), Nicotiana acutifolia (Nicotiana acutilis), Alata tobacco (Nicotiana alata), Aceghinoi tobacco (Nicotiana acutifolia), ARENSISi tobacco (Nicotiana acutilis), Attenuata tobacco (Nicotiana attentus), Azambuaceae tobacco (Nicotiana azambujae), Benavissii tobacco (Nicotiana navissii), bonariensis tobacco (Nicotiana bonariensis), clevelandii tobacco (Nicotiana clavulan), cordifolia tobacco (Nicotiana cordifolia), excelsiocola tobacco (Nicotiana indicata), Nicotiana (Nicotiana indicaria), Nicotiana (Nicotiana), Nicotiana (Nicotiana), Nicotiana (Nicotiana), Nicotiana (Nicotiana), Nicotiana (Nicotiana), Nicotiana indicia (Nicotiana), Nicotiana (Nicotiana), Nicotiana (Nicotiana), Nicotiana (Nicotiana), Nicotiana (Nicotiana), Nicotiana (Nicotiana), Nicotiana (Nicotiana), Nicotiana (Nicotiana), Nicotiana (Nicotiana), Nicotiana (Nicotiana), Nicotiana (Nicotiana), Nicotiana), Nicotiana (Nicotiana), Nicotiana (Nicotiana), Nicotiana (Nicotiana ), Nicotiana (Nicotiana, Nicotiana (Nicotiana, Nicotiana (Nicotiana, Nicotiana), Nicotiana), nicotian, paniculata tobacco (Nicotiana paniculata), papcifora tobacco (Nicotiana paniculata), petunia tobacco (Nicotiana petunias), plumbaginifolia tobacco (Nicotiana paniculata), reimbulatoa tobacco (Nicotiana paniculata), setaria tobacco (Nicotiana paniculata), resulta tobacco (Nicotiana reptans), rosella tobacco (Nicotiana rosella), sethoxyella tobacco (Nicotiana crispula), solanifolia tobacco (Nicotiana solanacearum), trichoderma tobacco (Nicotiana reticulata), trichoderma tobacco (Nicotiana sylvestris), thyrsia tobacco (Nicotiana thyrsira), Nicotiana tobacco (Nicotiana japonica), Nicotiana japonica, and other Nicotiana plants including but not limited to Nicotiana and Nicotiana benthamiana, and Nicotiana species including but not limited to Nicotiana species, and Nicotiana species including but not limited to a species including Nicotiana species, and other plants, Nicotiana species, and Nicotiana species, and Nicotiana species, and other plants, and Nicotiana species including but including Nicotiana species, and Nicotiana species, and other plants, and Nicotiana species, or Nicotiana species, and other plants, and Nicotiana species, or Nicotiana species, and Nicotiana species, including, and Nicotiana species, including, or plants, including.

In a presently preferred embodiment, organic tobacco is used to prepare the wet tobacco product. In one embodiment, the process may utilize organic (non-chemically altered) tobacco to ensure an optimally healthy product for the end user.

The natural nicotine content of tobacco material may depend on the agronomic conditions under which the tobacco plant is grown and the genetics of the tobacco variety. The nicotine content in tobacco is typically about 1% to 1.5% (10-15 mg nicotine per gram of tobacco). However, tobacco varieties, such as type 35, type 36 or type 37 tobacco designated by the U.S. department of agriculture (USDA), have a higher nicotine content. The natural nicotine content of tobacco variety nicotiana annua is typically in the range of about 6% to 10%. In addition, commercial flue-cured tobacco designated by the USDA as type 11-34 and burley tobacco designated by the USDA as type 31 have naturally higher nicotine content, particularly in the upper stem leaves.

In one embodiment, the nicotine content of the tobacco material is about 0.1% -1%, 1% -2%, 2% -3%, 3% -4%, 4% -5%, 5% -6%, 6% -7%, 7% -8%, 8% -9%, 9% -10%, 10% -11%, 11% -12%, 12% -13%, 13% -14%, 14% -15%, 15% -16%, 17% -18%, 18% -19%, or 19% -20%. In yet another embodiment, less than 0.1% or no nicotine is present in the tobacco.

Other types of plants may be used in addition to or in place of tobacco. Examples include, but are not limited to, tea, mint leaf, sage, houttuynia cordata (camomile, ca), yerba mate tea (yerba manta), marshmallow, rose petals, mullein, catnip, clover, clove, and other suitable herbs. For example, plants may be selected for a particular overall or medicinal value. In another example, the plant may be selected for flavor or aroma purposes. In another example, plants of traditional value may be selected, such as native plants used by indigenous populations for etiquette smoking compounds, such as hopwood species in oceania and amazon.

The tobacco material (lamina, stem, vein, flower, root, and/or midvein) may be dried, partially dried, or cured using various methods or combinations thereof, such as air drying, vacuum drying, microwave energy, solar energy, ovens, fluidized bed dryers, tray dryers, belt dryers, vacuum tray dryers, spray dryers, and rotary dryers.

In some embodiments, the tobacco leaf drying process may be a curing process. Exemplary types of flue-cured tobacco include flue-cured tobacco, dark air flue-cured tobacco, fire-cured tobacco, reconstituted tobacco and processed tobacco stems.

The drying step may reduce the moisture in the leaves by about 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95% or more.

The drying step or curing step may be carried out with constant mixing, batch mixing, or without mixing with the tobacco material. In some embodiments, the drying step is performed relatively slowly over a period of days to produce the natural fragrance. For example, the drying step may take about 2 hours, 8 hours, 12 hours, 16 hours, 14 hours, 36 hours, 48 hours, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, or 4 weeks or more. The drying step may be performed at a temperature of about 4 deg.C, 6 deg.C, 8 deg.C, 10 deg.C, 12 deg.C, 20 deg.C, 50 deg.C, 70 deg.C or higher. In another embodiment, the leaves are freeze dried to rapidly dry the material without developing additional flavor.

In one embodiment, the drying step is carried out at a temperature at or below ambient temperature. In certain embodiments, the drying process comprises heating the plant or portion thereof at an elevated temperature. The temperature may range from about room temperature to about 200 ℃. In another embodiment, the tobacco may be dried using a freeze drying step.

Although described with respect to tobacco material, in certain embodiments, other types of plants, such as those described above, may be treated using various treatment means.

Various types of cutting means may be used to cut the tobacco used in the process into various sizes. Moreover, the grinding/cutting action applied to the raw tobacco leaves can be performed manually or by machine means.

Exemplary cutting means include, but are not limited to, mixing, milling, pulverizing, shredding, grinding, pulverizing, and chopping. The tobacco shreds may be cut into various sizes. For example, the average diameter of the tobacco shred may be about 0.1mm, 0.25mm, 0.5mm, 0.75mm, 1.0mm, 1.2mm, 1.5mm, 2mm, 3mm, 4mm, and about 5 mm. In some embodiments, the tobacco may also be ground into a powder form. Cutting, grinding or pulverizing means may also be used in combination. In another embodiment, the tobacco may be a combination of both cut tobacco and finely ground tobacco.

The dried tobacco product may be cut or ground into strips or pieces having a maximum dimension of 50-2000 microns or more preferably 100-1000 microns. In some embodiments, the size of the tobacco product particles, pieces, strips, or pieces has an average maximum size or diameter of about 50-100, 100-200, 200-300, 300-400, 400-500, 500-600, 600-700, 700-800, 800-900, 900-1000, 1000-1100, 1100-1200, 1200-1300, 1300-1400, 1400-1500, 1500-1600, 1600-1700, 1700-1800, 1800-1900, or 1900-2000 microns.

Although described with respect to tobacco, in certain embodiments, the cutting device may be used to cut other types of vegetation, as listed in the examples provided above.

To prepare the tobacco product, the cut/ground tobacco discussed above is mixed with a solvent or "suspending agent". The solvent or suspending agent may be, for example, in liquid or gel form. In another example, the solvent or suspending agent may be a stable emulsion. Exemplary solvents or suspending agents include, but are not limited to, water, Propylene Glycol (PG), polyethylene glycol, vegetable oils, glycerin, and polysorbate 80 and mixtures thereof. In a currently preferred embodiment, the solvent or suspending agent is pure glycerol.

The ratio (w/w) of tobacco to suspending agent may be about 3:1, 2:1, 1.5:1, 1.2:1, 1:1.2, 1:1.5, 1:2, or 1:3 or values therebetween. In a currently preferred embodiment, this ratio is about 1:1.

In one embodiment, water is optionally added to the mixture after the tobacco is combined with the suspending agent. For example, in one embodiment, about 1%, 5%, 7%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 40%, 50%, or 60% water (w/w) may be added to the mixture.

In a currently preferred embodiment, the final tobacco product inserted into the heat non-combustible device is organic and is a mixture of the three ingredients water, glycerin and tobacco. The tobacco product may include about 20% -25%, 25% -30%, 30% -35%, 35% -40%, 40% -55%, 50% -55%, 55% -60%, 60% -65%, 65% -70%, 70% -75%, or 75% -80% glycerin by weight. The tobacco product may include about 1% -5%, 5% -10%, 10% -15%, 15% -20%, 20% -25%, 25% -30%, 30% -35%, 35% -40%, or 40% -50% water by weight or values therebetween. The tobacco product can include about 1% -5%, 5% -10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%, 19%, 20%, 21%, 22%, 23%, 24%, 25% -30%, 30% -35%, 35% -40%, or 40% -50% tobacco or values therebetween by weight. In a currently preferred embodiment, the product comprises about 65% -75% by weight of glycerin, 5% -15% by weight of water, and 20% by weight of tobacco or values therebetween.

In a currently preferred embodiment, the composition has a flowable, relatively thick, jam-like consistency. The viscosity of the tobacco product can be between about 5000 to 80000 cp. In various embodiments, the viscosity is about 5000-. In the presently most preferred embodiment, the viscosity is between about 20000-50000 cp.

The amount of tobacco product inserted into the cup of each delivery device may be about 0.1-0.25, 0.25-0.5, 0.5-0.75, 1-1.25, 1.25-1.5, 1.5-1.75, 1.75-2, 2-2.25, 2.25-2.5, 2.5-2.75, 2.75-3.0, 3-3.25, 3.25-3.5, 3.5-3.75, 3.75-4, 4-4.25, or 4.25-4.5 grams. The presently preferred embodiment uses about 1-2.5mg of tobacco product in each cup of the delivery device.

In contrast to conventional heated non-burning devices, the most preferred embodiment exemplified herein comprises about 20% tobacco material by weight of the finished product. IQOS and other heat not burn devices contain about 25-35% by weight tobacco. Even wet tobacco products such as snuff and hookah use widely different tobacco contents. Snuff typically comprises about 24-35% by weight tobacco, and hookah tobacco typically comprises about 10-15% by weight tobacco. While wet hookah tobacco is typically cut into strips, the embodiments exemplified herein utilize a wet tobacco product formed from ground tobacco leaves.

In contrast to the exemplary embodiments, conventional heated non-combustion devices use dry tobacco products to facilitate heating and atomization of the tobacco products. Atomization of tobacco products requires air, so each conventional product provides a dry tobacco product through which air can flow relatively freely as in a conventional cigarette. In conventional vaping devices, a wick is used to draw the nicotine-containing liquid into the air stream to ensure complete aeration of the liquid during the aerosolization process.

It was previously thought that it was not feasible to immerse the heating element in the wet mixture of tobacco and suspending agent, as it was thought that the wet tobacco product would suffocate the heating element and hinder or prevent effective atomization. Indeed, applicants have found that in many potential embodiments, the heating element is actually asphyxiated.

As shown in comparative example 1 below, if the tobacco product is too wet or surrounds too much of the heating element, one or more of the following problems may be encountered. First, as described above, the heating element may become choked, preventing effective atomization. In the absence of oxygen, pyrolysis causes the tobacco product to decompose in the vicinity of the heating element, which substantially hinders or prevents the desired atomization of the tobacco product. A layer of decomposed or carbonized tobacco product may cover the heating element, thereby substantially terminating the desired atomization process.

Second, only a small portion of the wet mixture of tobacco and suspending agent (hereinafter alternatively referred to as "tobacco product") may be consumed relative to the total amount contained in the cup, pack or reservoir. Even if some atomization occurs, most or most of the tobacco product may be wasted.

Third, the number of puffs that may occur before the aforementioned mechanism stops the desired aerosolization process is insufficient. For example, the use of a mixture of tobacco and suspending agent that is too wet or too dry may result in the user obtaining only 1-5, 1-10 or 1-20 puffs per cup, pack or dose, typically 1-3 grams of tobacco product, as described above. Although this may be equivalent to a cigarette and IQOS device, it still leaves many tobacco products unused and therefore less desirable. By controlling the viscosity of the tobacco product as taught herein, the tobacco products and devices disclosed herein can provide 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, or 120 puffs per gram of tobacco product, or values therebetween. In the most preferred embodiment, 120 puffs are generated per gram of tobacco product. This exceeds at least three times the draw per gram achieved by conventional heating non-fired devices.

Fourth, the heating element may need to be raised to an elevated temperature, such as near or above 300 degrees celsius, in order for atomization to occur. At such temperatures, high levels of HPHC are typically produced. According to a large tobacco manufacturer's study, if the tobacco product is heated only to 150 ℃ relative to cigarette smoking, the HPHC is reduced by 99% in a heated non-burning unit; if the tobacco product is heated to only 200 ℃ the reduction will be 95%, if the tobacco product is heated to only 220 ℃ the reduction will be 93%; if the tobacco product is heated to 300 ℃, the reduction is 90%. From the disclosed data, it can be predicted that if the tobacco product is heated to about 400 ℃, the HPHC is reduced by about 80% relative to cigarette smoking.

It is important to note that these noted reductions in HPHC are only for known HPHC and do not represent compounds of unknown toxicity. As mentioned above, it is suspected that the addition of various flavoring agents in known heat not burn devices will result in the production of acetal and many other compounds of unknown toxicity.

To reiterate the HPHC reduction resulting from the use of lower temperatures in a heat non-combustible device, heating the tobacco product to 200 ℃ reduced the HPHC production by a factor of two relative to heating the tobacco product to 300 ℃ and four relative to heating the tobacco product to about 400 ℃. Heating the tobacco product to 100 ℃ reduces HPHC production by a factor of three relative to heating the tobacco product to 300 ℃ and a factor of six relative to heating the tobacco product to about 400 ℃.

Likewise, the actual reduction may be even greater when one considers that low temperature heating also reduces the production of many compounds of unknown toxicity. For example, acetals produced by heating PG in the presence of flavoring agents common in IQOS products are believed to be carcinogenic.

The applicant has found that, surprisingly, it is possible to atomise a moist tobacco product even though the heating element is substantially surrounded by the moist tobacco product. The applicant has also found that in order to achieve atomisation of the moist tobacco product, it is advantageous to carefully control the viscosity of the ingredients and their manner of contact with the heating element, and at the same time the structure and operating mechanism of the cartridge contained in the inhalation device.

Applicants have found that at certain wet tobacco viscosities, tobacco products can be enclosed in a deformable or collapsible cigarette pack that substantially enhances atomization of the tobacco products. For example, a cigarette pack having a silicone cup with a wall thickness of about 1mm may be used. Alternatively, the wall thickness may be about 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, or 2.0mm or a value therebetween.

While not wishing to be bound by a particular theory, it is believed that during inhalation, the walls of the cartridge collapse or change shape, thereby bringing the moist tobacco product into intimate contact with the heating element. The flexible wall of the box is pulled inwardly by the suction provided by inhalation. The wall is preferably designed to deform at a negative pressure of about 1 to 20 millibar (mb). In various embodiments, the cartridge wall deforms at a pressure of about 1,2,3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, 18, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, or 50mb or values therebetween.

After removal of the puff, the packet expands to its original shape, which advantageously draws air into the interstices of the high viscosity tobacco product. The viscosity of the tobacco product is advantageously controlled to be about 10000 to 50000cp to facilitate this mechanism of action. This process inflates the tobacco product in a reciprocating action similar to that performed by a bellows, except that the region of interest is similarly within the pocket of the bellows.

During the next inhalation, the user presses a button on the device and the element is heated. The deformation of the cartridge wall brings the tobacco product into close contact again with the heating element. The aerated tobacco product is then ready for another aerosolization step, which typically lasts a few seconds when the user inhales while pressing a button to activate the heating element.

In this way, the walls of the box can greatly improve the aeration and atomisation of the tobacco products. Careful control of these parameters has been shown to produce a three-fold improvement in atomization/use of the tobacco product, thereby producing a more desirable vapor and better taste. In turn, a degree of user satisfaction is provided which is sufficient to replace or replace the smoking of a conventional cigarette. In this regard, conventional heated non-combustion devices have been unsuccessful in this regard, due in large part to their poor atomization and increased HPHC production.

In the most preferred embodiments, the devices described herein are capable of achieving atomization at very low temperatures, about 100 ℃, which reduces HPHC by as much as 4, 5, or 6 times or more relative to conventional heating of non-combustible products such as IQOS. The overall reduction in actual carcinogens (i.e., known HPHC and unknown toxic compounds that actually have carcinogenicity) may be much greater, on the order of 7, 8, 9, or 10 times or more.

In a preferred embodiment, the user presses the heater button for about 1 to 5 seconds (or a value therebetween) while inhaling, which results in a "puff" of about 1 to 3 seconds duration, since the aerosolization process begins almost immediately after heating, and about 0.5 seconds into the process occurs when the tobacco product reaches a temperature of about 75-85 ℃. The puff or heat cycle (the time the user presses the heat button and inhales) may last for about 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4.5, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 seconds or values in between. In another preferred embodiment, the pumping or heating cycle may last less than about five seconds.

During heating, the temperature of the tobacco product, which is about 1mm from the heating element, is increased to about 125 ℃. In certain embodiments, the temperature of the tobacco product is increased by about one millimeter from the heating element to a temperature of about 100 ℃, 110 ℃, 120 ℃, 130 ℃, 140 ℃, 150 ℃, 160 ℃, 170 ℃, 180 ℃, 190 ℃, 200 ℃, 210 ℃, 220 ℃, 230 ℃, 240 ℃, or 250 ℃ or a value therebetween during the heating process. In certain embodiments, the temperature of the tobacco product is increased to a temperature of about 100 ℃, 110 ℃, 120 ℃, 130 ℃, 140 ℃, 150 ℃, 160 ℃, 170 ℃, 180 ℃, 190 ℃, 200 ℃, 210 ℃, 220 ℃, 230 ℃, 240 ℃, or 250 ℃ or a value therebetween, about two millimeters from the heating element during the heating process. In certain embodiments, during heating, the temperature of the tobacco product within 0.5mm of the heating element is increased to a temperature of about 100 ℃, 110 ℃, 120 ℃, 130 ℃, 140 ℃, 150 ℃, 160 ℃, 170 ℃, 180 ℃, 190 ℃, 200 ℃, 210 ℃, 220 ℃, 230 ℃, 240 ℃, or 250 ℃ or a value therebetween.

As mentioned above, the increase in temperature may lead to an increase in emissions of harmful products. Thus, in some embodiments, the heating controller may be configured to provide heat only for a specified period of time, e.g., about 0.5, 1, 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, or 2 seconds or a value therebetween, after the button is pressed to limit heating of the tobacco product to a temperature range of about 100 ℃ to 125 ℃. Alternatively, the current to the heating element may be turned on and off during a single button press to allow heat to be more evenly distributed throughout the tobacco product. The wet tobacco product enhances the lateral heat transfer throughout the tobacco product, which allows for more uniform heating of the tobacco product. This in turn allows the tobacco product to be preferentially atomised at a relatively low and controlled temperature compared to known heated non-combustion devices.

While not wishing to be bound by a particular theory, it is believed that there are two mechanisms of action in the presently preferred embodiment. First, a solid ground tobacco product (containing both glycerin and water) is heated and atomized. Second, boiling at the interface of the heating element and the liquid suspension agent (a mixture of glycerin, water, and natural ingredients dissolved from the ground tobacco). Depending on the relative concentrations of glycerol, water and other solutes, this may occur at temperatures of 101 ℃ to 170 ℃. In certain embodiments, the boiling occurs at about 110 ℃ to 120 ℃, 120 ℃ to 130 ℃, 130 ℃ to 140 ℃, 140 ℃ to 150 ℃, 150 ℃ to 160 ℃, or 160 ℃ to 170 ℃ or values therebetween. In this embodiment, this boiling action can be highly localized on the heating element, depending on the viscosity and composition and the degree of agitation of the tobacco material in the liquid caused by the suction and release during inhalation, thereby helping the overall atomization process not to significantly increase HPHC emissions caused by overheating or pyrolysis of the tobacco product as in conventional heated non-combustion devices.

This dual mechanism of action (atomization of the solid tobacco product and the liquid containing water, natural tobacco extract, and glycerin) is unique to the embodiments described herein and is different from existing heat not burn products. As mentioned above, conventional heat not burn products provide the tobacco product in a dry form, allowing air or a mixture of air and water vapor to actively flow through the heated dry tobacco product during inhalation.

The exemplary embodiments are also fundamentally different from known electronic cigarette products that use a wicking system to bring nicotine-containing liquid into the airflow and heat it therein. In addition, the aerosolized product is genuine tobacco and does not contain any nicotine, as compared to conventional electronic cigarette products. This avoids the increased risk of addiction and short term health effects associated with modern electronic vaping devices.

Moreover, unlike conventional heated non-burning or e-vaping products, the presently preferred embodiments described herein provide an improved taste and user experience that is more likely to replace the smoking of a traditional cigarette, which is the intended goal of heated non-burning devices. The preferred embodiments of the present invention provide an improved taste and user experience that is possible to replace traditional cigarettes without the increased nicotine, associated risk of addiction and short term health effects of e-smoking, and without the elevated HPHC levels associated with conventional non-heat burn devices.

As detailed in the examples section below, the product of the invention is believed to provide greatly improved taste and ease of use in smoke testing involving twenty participants in sampling IQOS Heatstick and the embodiments of the invention exemplified herein. With respect to taste, IQOS achieves a score of 1.27 (1 being worst) on a scale of 1 to 5(5 being best), and the embodiments of the invention exemplified herein give a score of 4.55 (5 being best). With respect to ease of use, IQOS achieved a score of 1.05(1 being worst) compared to 4.95(5 being best) for the preferred embodiment of the invention exemplified herein. None of the twenty-one smoke test participants was aware of the association between the study performers and either product.

The use of pasteurization on tobacco advantageously preserves the tobacco product without the addition of preservatives. As mentioned above, heating a mixture of compounds to temperatures in excess of 100 ℃ can produce carcinogenic compounds and compounds of unknown toxicity. Thus, most preferably, organically pasteurized tobacco is used to prepare the tobacco product.

In some embodiments, the packaged tobacco product is used as part of an Electronic Tobacco Delivery System (ETDS) that includes an electronic tobacco delivery device for heating and converting the packaged tobacco product into a smoke or vapor state. Turning to fig. 7A, in some embodiments, the electronic tobacco delivery device 300 includes a disposable delivery portion 302 for receiving and heating the tobacco suspension and a non-disposable body or electronics portion 304 housing a power source and electronics for activating a heating mechanism of the electronic tobacco delivery device 300 to deliver smoke or vapor to an end user through a mouthpiece portion 306 of the electronic tobacco delivery device 300. As shown, the transport portion 302 is separate from the electronics portion 304. In some embodiments, the transport portion 302 may be released from the electronics portion 304 to add tobacco products to the electronic tobacco transport device 300. For example, the delivery portion 302 may be released to refill the product cup with more tobacco product. In some, but not all embodiments, the delivery portion 302 is disposable. For example, the transport portion 302 may be pre-filled with tobacco products as a tobacco product package and sold as a "pack" or dose. In addition to this example, after use, the delivery portion 302 may be deployed and replaced with a new delivery portion 302.

Turning to fig. 7B, a cross-sectional view of the delivery portion 302 illustrates the cap portion 310 below the mouthpiece portion 306. As shown, the lid portion 310 is designed to nest with the product cup portion 312. The wet tobacco product described in detail above is added to the cup 312 such that the tobacco product fills the cup 312 to the top edge of the cup and exposes the uppermost portion of the heating element 324.

The package is sized to contain a desired amount of tobacco product and to provide the tobacco product with a desired degree of heating and uniformity or periodicity. The overall width of cup 312 may be 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, or 30mm or values therebetween. The width of the cup (measured along the z-axis, into and out of the page in fig. 7C) may be 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, or 20mm or values in between. The walls of cup 312 may be formed of silicone and have a wall thickness of about 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, or 2.0mm or values therebetween.

The dose of tobacco product contained in the cup may be about 0.1-0.25, 0.25-0.5, 0.5-0.75, 1-1.25, 1.25-1.5, 1.5-1.75, 1.75-2, 2-2.25, 2.25-2.5, 2.5-2.75, 2.75-3.0, 3-3.25, 3.25-3.5, 3.5-3.75, 3.75-4, 4.25, or 4.50 grams or values therebetween. The presently preferred embodiment uses about 1-2.5mg per pack or dose.

The volume of cup 312 may be 100 to 15000mm ³ . In a preferred embodiment, the volume of cup 312 may be about 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000, 3500, 4000, 4500, 5000, 5500, 6500, 7000, 7500, 8000, 8500, 9500, or 10000mm ³ Or a value therebetween.

The heating element 324 may be a 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, or 3 ohm (or values therebetween) resistive element that receives a 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, or 20 watt (or values therebetween) supply from a battery housed in the body 304. In the embodiment illustrated herein, the heating element is a 1.5 nichrome alloy, supplied by 14 watts from a 1200 milliamp-hour battery.

Fig. 7C shows the product cup portion 312 nested in the lid portion 310. The cover portion 310 includes an outlet 314 in a cover 316. The outlet 314 is aligned with the mouthpiece outlet 328 to deliver smoke or vapor to the user. When nested (as shown in fig. 7C), the lid 316 may cover the cup area 312 except for the opening of the outlet 314. The outlet 314 may be circular or oval, for example. As shown, the outlet 314 may be substantially centered within the cover portion 310. To avoid spillage of the tobacco product upon tilting the electronic tobacco transport device 300, in certain embodiments, the tobacco product is produced in a manner that achieves the above-described viscosity. The lid 316 may be flexible or deformable to press against one or more surfaces of the mouthpiece portion and/or the cup 312 to form a seal. The cover 316 may be formed, for example, from a high temperature food grade elastomer such as heat resistant silicone, Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) rubber, Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR), or fluoro elastomer (FKM, FPM). Rather, in some embodiments, the interior wall 318 of the lid portion 310 (e.g., in which the cup 312 nests) is formed from a rigid material such as plastic or metal. As shown in fig. 7C, the heating element 324 is partially disposed in the outlet of the cap 314.

Returning to fig. 7B, in some embodiments, the cup 312 is deformable such that it can be expanded to be packaged with the tobacco product and then retracted as the tobacco product is aerosolized. For example, the deformable cup 312 may push the tobacco product toward the heating element 324 (e.g., heating coil) when the electronic tobacco delivery device 308 is used and negative pressure is applied to the interior of the cup 312. For example, cup 312 may be formed from a high temperature food grade elastomer, such as heat resistant silicone, Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) rubber, Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR), or fluoroelastomers (FKM, FPM).

In selected embodiments, cup 312 may be preformed to have a shape that does not match opening 318 because the wall curves inwardly toward the heating element at one or more locations when in a resting or unfilled state. In this embodiment, when the cup is filled with tobacco product and the cup is mounted in the mouthpiece, as shown in figure 7C, the resilient nature of the wall will provide an inward biasing force to the tobacco product which urges it towards the heating element. The magnitude of the inward biasing force will depend on the static configuration of the cup wall and the extent to which the cup wall must be pushed outwardly to accommodate the tobacco product. This "inwardly projecting wall" approach may be used to enhance the bellows effect described above and in more detail below.

As shown, the heating coil 324 is horizontally disposed. In other embodiments, the heating coils may be vertically aligned, such as heating coil 344 shown in FIG. 7D.

Referring to fig. 7A and 7C, in use, a user presses the button 308 while inhaling. As indicated by the passing arrows, the suction draws air through the holes 330. Air is drawn across the top of the heating element 324, which is preferably at least partially exposed. The tobacco product is atomized, preferably according to the dual action method described above. During inhalation, the walls of the cup 312 optionally flex inwardly and contact the tobacco product with the heating element 324. This effect becomes increasingly important at certain tobacco viscosities as the tobacco product is consumed and the cup is only partially filled with tobacco product. In many embodiments, the tobacco product adjacent to the heating element 324 is consumed first. The bellows-like action of the cup 312 helps to bring tobacco products that may adhere to the walls of the cup 312 into intimate contact with the heating element. Still further, the volume of the cup is reduced, which will tend to cause the liquid of the glycerin/water solution to rise higher around the heating element, which may increase the boiling mechanism described above. The aerosolized components of the tobacco product are carried out of the apertures 328 and inhaled by the user.

When inhalation ceases, the walls of the cup 312 return to their normal shape (unless the cup is designed with inwardly projecting walls, they are no longer flexed inwardly), which increases the volume of the cup and draws air into the cup area. This corrugated effect inflates the tobacco product in preparation for the next puff or puff.

Turning to fig. 7D, in some embodiments, the cup 342 includes a movable floor 346 biased by one or more biasing elements, such as a coil spring 348. In other embodiments, the biasing element may comprise two or more coil springs, one or more leaf springs, or other compressible shape memory material, such as foam. The cup 342 may be deformable, as described with respect to fig. 7B, or may be formed of a more rigid material, such as rigid heat resistant silicone, metal, or other high temperature food grade elastomer. When initially filled with tobacco product, spring 348 is in a fully compressed state. As the tobacco product is consumed, the weight of the movable floor 346 is reduced and the movable floor 346 lifts the remaining tobacco product toward the heating coil 344. In other embodiments, rather than using a biasing member, the movable floor 346 may be raised manually by the user, such as by an externally provided actuation mechanism (e.g., a thumb wheel, a sliding mechanism with a detent, etc.). In this manner, the alternative configuration of fig. 7D helps to promote atomization, complete consumption of the tobacco product, and the dual mechanism of action described above.

Returning to fig. 7B, in some embodiments, a bottom region of the cup 312 houses a set of electrodes 320a, B. The electrodes 320a, b may, for example, provide power to the heating element 324 from a power source enclosed in the electronics portion 304. For example, the electrodes 320a, b may be electrically connected to one or more disposable batteries, such as AAA or AA batteries housed in the electronics portion 304. Alternatively, the electrodes 320a, b may be connected with one or more rechargeable batteries housed in the electronics portion 304, such as 18650 lithium ion batteries, 26650 lithium ion batteries, or 20700 lithium ion batteries. A charging port (not shown) may be included in the electronics portion 304 to charge the rechargeable battery.

In some embodiments, a bottom region of the cup 312 houses one or more magnets 322a, b. For example, magnets 322a, b may be used to releasably engage transport portion 302 with electronics portion 304 by magnetizing to corresponding magnets (not shown) in electronics portion 304. In some embodiments, the magnets 322a, b are two discrete magnets. In other embodiments, the magnets 322a, b are part of a ring magnet that surrounds the electrodes 322a, b. In alternative embodiments, a latching mechanism, such as a spring latch or a detent, is used to ensure that the transport portion 302 is properly aligned with the electronics portion 304. This may, for example, enable proper alignment of the electrodes with corresponding power connectors in electronics portion 304 (not shown).

Returning to fig. 7A, in use, a user may press the activation button 308 to direct energy to the heating coil 324 of fig. 7B and 7C. In some embodiments, the activation button 308 is pressed during use of the electronic tobacco delivery device 300. As described above, the delivery of current to the heating element can be controlled while the button is depressed.

Cup 312 may be provided with a temperature probe to facilitate this control. The probe may be mounted directly to the outer surface of the electrode 320a, b or may protrude into the body of the cup interior in order to measure the temperature of the tobacco product at a desired location in accordance with the teachings set forth above with respect to the aerosolization temperature.

In some embodiments, an inlet 330 in the side of the mouthpiece region 306 draws outside air into the e-tobacco delivery device 300 to inflate the delivery portion 302. The inlet 330 may include a filter (not shown) or a screen to prevent contaminants from entering. In other embodiments, the inlet 330 may be designed as a collection of small inlets or openings, for example arranged in a decorative pattern, to allow air to move within the transport portion 302 while reducing the likelihood of product leakage and/or the introduction of external contaminants (e.g., pet fur).

In some embodiments, the mouthpiece outlet 328 includes a filter 330 for filtering smoke or vapor generated by the heating coils 324 and/or for preventing the tobacco suspension from leaking from the cup 312. In some embodiments, filter 330 comprises natural or synthetic fibers, such as cotton. In some embodiments, the filter comprises one or more minerals, such as charcoal or carbon. In further embodiments, the filter comprises Cellulose Acetate (CA) nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) or Hollow Acetate Tube (HAT). In other embodiments, filter 330 is an electrostatic or electrolytic filter. Although shown as two separate components, in further embodiments, the heating coil 324 may be combined with the filter 314 to heat and filter the smoke or vapor prior to inhalation by the user.

Fig. 8A-8D illustrate an alternative embodiment of electronic tobacco delivery similar to the device 300 of fig. 7A-7D. Turning to fig. 8A, a first example electronic tobacco transport device 400 includes a transport portion 402 and an electronics portion 404. Similarly, in fig. 8C, a second example electronic tobacco transport apparatus 450 includes a transport portion 452 and an electronics portion 454. The mouthpiece region 418 (468 in fig. 8C) surrounding the delivery portion 402(452) of the device 400(450) forms the mouth of the user, as shown at 422a, b (472a, b) and 424(474), to use the device 400 (450). As shown in 420(470), controls 408(458) are provided for activating the internal heating element to deliver smoke or vapor to the end user through the outlet 406(456) of the mouthpiece region 418 (wand 458), as shown in 426 and 424 (474). Upon inhalation, inlet 410(460), shown at 422a (472a), allows air to be introduced into apparatus 400 (450).

In some embodiments, the apparatus 400(450) includes a rechargeable battery for powering the heating element. For example, as shown at 428(478), a charging port 412(462) is provided for charging the internal rechargeable battery.

Turning to fig. 8B-8D, the transport portion 402(452) is separated from the electronics portion 404 (454). As shown in 438(488), the delivery portion 402(452) includes a set of magnets 414a, b (464a, b) for releasably engaging the electronics portion 404(454) of the apparatus 400(450) and a set of electrical contacts 416a, b (466a, b) for receiving electrical current from the electronics portion 404(454) of the apparatus 400 (450). The electrical contacts 416a, B (466a, B) may be connected to a heating element, such as the heating coil 324 of fig. 7B and 7C or the heating coil 344 of fig. 7D, for example. In some embodiments, delivery portion 402(452) includes one or more detents or protrusions, such as detent or protrusion 440(490) shown in each of 430(480), 432a, B (482a, B), and 434(484) of fig. 8B (8D). Detents or protrusions 440(490) may, for example, mate with corresponding detents or protrusions on the inner surface of electronics portion 404(454) of device 400 (450).

Fig. 9A-9E illustrate exploded views of exemplary components for constructing an electronic tobacco delivery device, such as the device 300, the device 400, or the device 450 of fig. 7A-7D. Many of the components are identical throughout the figures and are therefore labeled the same. Since fig. 7A is fully described, only the differences between fig. 7A and subsequent figures will be discussed below.

Turning to fig. 9A, in some embodiments, an electronic tobacco delivery device 500 includes a mouthpiece 502, a cap 504, a heating coil 506, a cup 508, a cup base 510, a set of magnets 512, a set of electrodes 514, an O-ring 516, a battery holder 518, a battery 520 connected to electronics 536 (e.g., a Printed Circuit Board (PCB)), and an electronics portion outer body 522. The components 502, 504, 506, 508, 510, 512a-d and 514a, b may be considered part of a transport portion of the apparatus 500, for example, while the components 518, 520 and 522 may be considered part of an electronics portion of the apparatus 500. The O-ring 516 may help seal against any leakage of product (e.g., tobacco in a liquid suspension) into the electronics portion of the device 500.

Turning to the mouthpiece portion, in some embodiments, the mouthpiece 502 is formed from a generally rigid material such as a polymer (e.g., plastic). The cap 504 is designed to nest in the bottom of the mouthpiece 502 with the outlet 548 of the cap 504 aligned with the mouthpiece opening (not shown). The cap 504 may be formed of a flexible or deformable material such as silicone.

In some embodiments, the cap 504 partially receives an upper portion of a heating coil 506 designed to be disposed within a cup 508. Accordingly, the cap 504 and cup 508 may be formed of similar or identical heat resistant materials, such as silicone. The cap 504 may be frictionally retained on the cup 508 such that the cap 504 may be removed and replaced when the cup 508 is refilled with tobacco product.

In some embodiments, the cup 508 is designed to be coupled to a cup base 510. In other embodiments, the cup 508 and the cup base 510 are formed from a unitary material. As shown, the cup base 510 includes a set of outer openings 532a, b for receiving the magnets 512a, b and a set of inner openings 534a, b for receiving the electrodes 514a, b. The cup base 510 may be formed of a rigid material such as plastic. As shown, the cup 508 and cup base 510 include corresponding features (e.g., protrusions and detents) for connecting the cup base 510 to the cup 508.

Turning to the electronics, in some embodiments, magnets 512c and 512d are inserted into openings or recesses (not shown) in battery bracket 518. For cooperating with the magnets 512a, b of the conveying section when the device 500 is assembled. The battery bracket 518 includes an opening 540 for receiving the battery 520. In some embodiments, the electrical contacts 546a, 546b extend from the electronics 536 connected to the battery 520 to physically connect with the electrodes 514a, 514b of the delivery portion when the device 500 is assembled.

In some embodiments, the charging connector 538, which is connected to the battery 520, is designed for insertion through a charging connector opening 544 in the battery bracket 518. The charging connector 538 may be, for example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) type charging connector, such as a mini-USB, micro-USB or USB-C connector for connecting with a corresponding USB charging port.

In some embodiments, after inserting the battery 520 into the battery bracket 518, the activation controls 542 of the electronics 536 are disposed below the opening 530a of the battery bracket 518. Activation control 542 can be activated by actuating a button located above activation control 542. As shown, the button 524, button pad 526, and button guide 528 may be mounted within an opening 530a above the activation control 542. Each of the button 524, button pad 526 and button guide 528 may be constructed of a polymer, such as plastic. To activate the device 500, the user may press the button 524.

In some embodiments, the battery bracket 518 is covered by the electronics portion outer body 522. The outer body 522 includes a corresponding opening 530b to the opening 530a in the battery bracket 518 to provide external access to the button 524. In some embodiments, outer body 522 is constructed from a polymeric material, such as plastic. In other embodiments, the outer body 522 is constructed of a metal such as aluminum. In other embodiments, the outer body 522 is constructed of a natural material such as wood or bamboo. The outer body 522 may include a decorative design.

Turning to fig. 9B, in the second example apparatus 550, in some embodiments, a movable floor 552 and an advancement spring 554 are positioned between the cap 504 and the cup base 510 to urge tobacco product toward the heating element 506 as the tobacco product vaporizes and/or combusts during use. Initially, for example, the advancement spring 554 may be fully compressed with the movable floor 552 positioned as close as possible to the cup base 510. In addition to this example, tobacco product may fill the cup 508 from the movable floor 552 to the cup cover 504, at least partially covering the coil of heating element 506. When the device 550 is in use and the tobacco product is reduced, the force of the spring 554 exceeds the force of the weight of the tobacco product, or otherwise urges the tobacco product toward the "ceiling" of the cup (316 in FIG. 7B). The movable floor 552 is pushed upward toward the coils of the heating element 506, thereby bringing the tobacco product closer to the coils of the heating element 506, thereby encouraging consistent heating of the tobacco product within the cup 508 and more complete consumption of the tobacco product (which may otherwise adhere to the walls of the cup 508).

In some embodiments, movable floor 552 is constructed of a rigid material such as plastic. The movable base 552 may be constructed of rigid silicone, for example, to improve heat resistance. In other embodiments, the movable floor 552 is constructed of a thermally conductive material to improve heating of the tobacco product from the lower region of the cup 508. For example, the movable base 552 may be composed of a metal such as aluminum.

In some embodiments, the movable floor 552 includes a deformable edge or O-ring to resist leakage of the tobacco product. In addition, the openings 556a, 556b of the movable floor 552 may include deformable edges or O-rings to resist leakage along the ends of the heating element 506.

To assemble the device 550, in some embodiments, the ends of the heating element 506 are inserted through the openings 556a, 556b in the movable floor 552 and into the rods of the electrodes 514a, 514 b. In other embodiments, turning to fig. 9C, instead of the heating element 506 extending through the openings 556a, 556b of the movable base plate 552 to connect with the electrodes 514a, b, a wraparound heating element 562 may be provided to extend around the edge of the movable base plate 564 and connect into a set of L-shaped rod electrodes 566a, 566 b.

In some embodiments, instead of a horizontally placed heating coil, the heating coil may be oriented vertically. Turning to fig. 9D, for example, the example electronic tobacco delivery device 570 includes vertical heating coils 572 disposed between the cup cover 504 and the cup base 510. As shown, the ends of the heating coil 572 are designed to fit through the openings 556a, 556b of the movable base plate 552 and into the electrodes 514a, b. In other embodiments (not shown), moveable floor 552 and spring element 554 may be removed. For example, the vertical heating coils 572 may be positioned to heat a greater surface area of the suspension mixture in the cup 508 without pushing the suspension mixture toward the heating coils 572. In the illustration, the vertical heating coils 572 can replace the heating coils 506 in the electronic tobacco delivery device 500 of fig. 9A.

In some embodiments, rather than the movable floor applying spring-loaded pressure to move the tobacco product closer to the coil of the heating element as shown in fig. 9B, a movable wall or spring-loaded push plate may be used to apply lateral pressure to or otherwise urge the tobacco product toward the heating element. Since fig. 9B is fully described, only the differences between fig. 9B and fig. 9E are discussed below. Turning to FIG. 9E, for example, the lateral push plate 550 is positioned within the cup 508 along the wall of the cup including the hole 554. The spring 552 is positioned within the bore 554 and is compressed between the wall of the mouthpiece 502 and the pusher plate 550 when the base unit 510 and cup 508 are installed within the mouthpiece 502. A spring 552 urges each push plate 550 toward the heating element 506. For example, after loading the tobacco product, the advancement spring 552 may be in a fully compressed position and the push plate 550 may be in contact with the inner wall of the cup, effectively covering and closing the aperture 554. When the device 580 is used and the tobacco product is consumed, the force of the spring 552 applies pressure to the push plate and pushes the remaining tobacco product into contact with the heating element. In some embodiments, the push plate 550 is formed from a generally rigid material, such as a heat resistant polymer or metal.

Fig. 10A and 10B illustrate an example cup design and corresponding lid design for containing a suspension mixture including tobacco or other plant matter mixed with the suspension. For example, the cup and lid design may be used in an electronic tobacco delivery device, such as the device 300 of fig. 7A, the device 400 of fig. 8A, or the device 450 of fig. 8C. Turning to fig. 10A, a cup 600 with a corresponding lid 610 is shown. The cup 600 may correspond, for example, to the cup 508 of fig. 9A-9E, although the lid 610 may correspond to the cup lid 504 of fig. 9A-9D. For example, the cup 600 may be designed to mate with a cup base that includes an electrode connection for supplying current to a heating element (e.g., the cup base 510 of fig. 9A-9E). The cup 600, for example, includes a recess 602 for mating with a corresponding recess in the cup base. The cup 600 is shaped to be wider in the center region and narrower along the edges, for example, to provide a larger volume of suspension mixture surrounding a heating element (not shown) located centrally in the interior 606 of the cup 600.

In some embodiments, the cup 600 includes one or more raised members 604 (e.g., ridges) surrounding the exterior of the cup 600. The raised member 604 may provide a seal between adjacent surfaces of the cup walls, i.e., the disposable mouthpiece units 302, 402, 502. Preferably, the cup described herein has a bottom surface or floor such that the cup is capable of containing liquids secreted from the tobacco product without relying on a seal formed between the cup wall and the base. In such embodiments, small holes are provided in the cup bottom plate to allow the wires of the heating element to extend therethrough in a water-tight manner.

In some embodiments, the upper edge of the cup 600 cooperates with the lid 610 to retain the suspension mixture within the interior 606 of the cup 600. The lid 610 includes an outlet 612 (e.g., the outlet 548 of the lid 504 of fig. 9A-C) to direct smoke or vapor from the heated suspension mixture to a mouthpiece of the electronic tobacco delivery device. In some embodiments, the outlet 612 includes a raised surface 616 that can mate with an outlet of a mouthpiece (not shown) of an electronic tobacco delivery device. Further, in some embodiments, the lid 610 includes an inlet 614 for directing an air flow into the cup interior 606.

Turning to fig. 10B, a cup 620 with a corresponding lid 630 is shown. The cup 620 can be designed to mate with a cup base that includes an electrode connection for supplying current to a heating element, such as the cup base 510 of fig. 9A-9E. The cup 620 may, for example, include a recess, such as recess 622 for mating with a corresponding recess in the cup base.

In some embodiments, the cup 620 includes one or more raised members 624 (e.g., ridges) around the exterior of the cup 620. The raised member 624 may, for example, provide a seal against an adjacent surface of the mouthpiece housing 302, 402, 502.

In some embodiments, the cup 620 cooperates with the lid 630 to retain the suspension mixture within the interior 626 of the cup 620. The lid 630 includes an outlet 632 (e.g., such as the outlet 548 of the lid 504 of fig. 9A-9C) to direct smoke or vapor from the heated suspension mixture to a mouthpiece of the e-cigarette delivery device. In some embodiments, the outlet 632 includes a raised surface 636 that can mate with an outlet of a mouthpiece (not shown) of an electronic tobacco delivery device. Further, in some embodiments, the cover 630 includes an inlet 634 for directing the flow of air into the cup interior 626.

Fig. 11 shows an exploded view of example components of an electronic tobacco delivery device 700 having a battery 712. In some embodiments, the electronic tobacco delivery device 700 includes a mouthpiece 702, a cap 704, a heating coil 706, a housing 708, a housing base 710, a battery 712 connectable to a conductor element or wire harness 714, a base 716, a housing 718, a chip 728, and an outer tip 720. For example, the electronic tobacco delivery device 700 may be disposed after use and may be enclosed by the outer housing 700 or lid such that the overall appearance of the device 700 resembles a cigarette. In this embodiment, the entire device 700 is disposable.

In other embodiments, a portion of the tobacco delivery device 700 can be used as a rechargeable and reusable body portion. For example, the portion of the tobacco delivery device 700 that includes the elements 720, 718, 716, 712, 726a, 726b, 714 and 728 may comprise a reusable base unit that is similar in principle to the body portion 304 described above, and the remaining components may be combined to form a disposable mouthpiece unit that is similar in principle to the delivery unit 302 described above. In such embodiments, the reusable base unit and the disposable mouthpiece or delivery unit may be attached and detached by the user via means including, for example, magnetic means as discussed above. The user may charge the reusable base unit of the tobacco delivery device 700 by connecting to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) style charging connector, for example, such as a mini-USB, micro-USB or USB-C connector for connecting with a corresponding USB charging port. Alternatively, the device 700 may be configured with a removable cover element (not shown) to allow removal and reinstallation of conventional batteries, such as AAA batteries.

The disposable mouthpiece unit of the tobacco delivery device 700 may include elements 710, 706, 708, 704, 702, 722 and 724. The disposable mouthpiece unit may be attached to the reusable electronics or base unit by a magnetic coupling which cooperates with a mating collar element on both units to ensure that the units are held together sufficiently firmly to remain intact during normal use.

The structure and operation of the device 700 will now be described in more detail. The mouthpiece 702 is formed from a generally rigid material such as a polymer. The cap 704 is configured for insertion into the bottom of the mouthpiece 702 with the outlet 724 of the cap 704 aligned with the mouthpiece opening 722. Current is supplied to the heating element 706 by the battery 712 through the contacts 726a, b. The application of current from the battery to the heating element is controlled by the chip 728 through the connector harness 714. In some embodiments, there may be voids or spaces occupied by air near the tip 720 at the distal end of the device 700. A cylindrical housing 718 is connected to the base 710 at the proximal end of the housing 718, optionally in a releasable manner as described above.

In some embodiments, there is an opening or groove in the tip 720 through which air is drawn by the inhalation of the user. This air passes through the holes 734 in the element 716 and then the gap between the inner wall of the mouthpiece cylindrical shell 718 and the battery 712 by negative pressure suction applied to the mouthpiece 702. The air flows through a groove in the bottom of the base 710 and through a hole or groove (not shown) to the proximal side of the base unit. The air then flows along four channels 736, each formed by the housing 708, the outer surface of the deformable cup 730, and the rib members 732 of the deformable cup 730. The air then flows through the grooves in the bottom of the cover 704 and over the top of the heating element 706. The aerosolization of the tobacco product loaded into the cup 730 occurs in substantially the same manner as described in detail above. Air and atomized tobacco product pass through the apertures 724 and 722 and into the mouth of the user.

Optionally, the base 716 may be equipped with an LED that lights up when triggered by a pressure sensor (not shown) disposed within the cup 708 or mouthpiece 702. Optionally, the body 718 may be equipped with an LED that lights up when a negative pressure is created within the device when the user inhales. The pressure sensor may be conveniently located on element 716 proximal to control circuit element 783. In some embodiments, light from the LEDs within the base 716 is transmitted through the cylindrical body 718 to the optional transparent or translucent cover 720. Thus, during inhalation, end cap 720 may glow red with light from the LED to simulate a conventional cigarette.

Figure 12 shows another disposable mouthpiece unit for a portable electronic tobacco delivery device. In some embodiments, the disposable mouthpiece unit 800 includes a flexible cup element 802, a porous filter element 803, a heating element 804, a flow channel 805, pores 806, and pores 807. The lower assembly shown, comprising elements 803, 804 and 805, is inserted into the upper assembly comprising elements 802, 806 and 807 such that the housing surrounding the filter 803 seals the inwardly projecting ribs of the cup 802. The flexible cup element 802 may be filled with a tobacco product, such as a suspension mixture including tobacco or other plant matter mixed with the suspension, as described above.

When a user applies negative pressure to the holes 807 by inhalation, air is drawn into the device 800 through the holes 806, passing through the channel 805. While inhaling by the user, electricity is delivered to the heating element 804 as described above. The user draws liquid from the tobacco product contained within the flexible cup element 802 and into the porous filter element 803 and into intimate contact with the heating element 804 by the negative pressure within the device created by the inhalation. The liquid carries volatile compounds derived from the tobacco product, which can be atomized when heated by contact with the heating element 804 and carried through the channel 805 and the holes 807 into the mouth of the user.

In this embodiment, the solid tobacco product is not contacted with the heating element, but is contacted only with the liquid component of the tobacco product mixture. The liquid component saturates the filter element 803 and surrounds the heating element. As described below, in certain tests, this design chokes the heating element and prevents effective atomization of the liquid portion of the tobacco product.

Fig. 13 depicts a tobacco delivery device 900 substantially as shown and described above in connection with fig. 7A-7D. The delivery device 900 includes a disposable mouthpiece unit 901, a reusable body unit 802, a top cover 904 and a bottom cover 903. The cover 904 may be constructed of a flexible polymeric material and include a plug element configured to seal the suction port in the mouthpiece 904. This may prevent the liquid portion of the tobacco product from exiting through the port, for example, when the device 900 is carried in a pocket in an inverted orientation. The cover 903 may protect the charging components at the distal end of the body portion 902. At manufacture, each disposable mouthpiece unit 901 may be fitted with a lid 904 to prevent leakage of the liquid portion of the tobacco product during transport and storage. The cover 904 may also advantageously cover and optionally provide a plug (not shown) for the inlet 330. Providing this plug has the added benefit of holding the lid 904 in place and preventing it from sliding off the mouthpiece unit 901 in an undesirable manner.

Certain teachings herein may be applicable to substances other than tobacco having similar properties, e.g., plant-based, having leaves that can be processed in the manner described herein and used in conjunction with portable electronic delivery systems.

As various changes could be made in the above subject matter without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, it is intended that all subject matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and explanatory only and not in a limiting sense.

Examples of the invention

Comparative example 1

Organic pasteurized tobacco leaves are heated at a temperature of 85-100 ℃ for a duration of 5-60 minutes under a pressure of 5-20 atm in the presence of distilled, purified or tap water, optionally mixed at low speed (10-100 rpm). Thereafter, the tobacco product is removed from the water bath and optionally dried under radiant heat for up to one hour. The product is then cut or ground into strips or sheets having a maximum dimension of 50 to 2000 microns or more preferably 100 to 1000 microns. Combining cut or ground tobacco and/or herbal products with water, wherein the tobacco and/or herbal products are mixed, ground tobacco product and glycerin in a weight ratio of about 1:1, and allowed to stand for one hour. The viscosity of the resulting tobacco product is about 20000 to 40000 cp.

2 to 2.5g of wet tobacco product is placed in the cup 802 of the device 800 of figure 12. A filter 803 is positioned between the tobacco product and the heating element 804. Air is drawn through inlet 806 and through the filter element via passage 805. Air is exhausted and drawn in through port 807. Otherwise, the device operates in a manner similar to that described above.

The device generates 0-5 puffs, after which the device stops generating additional puffs from the dose of tobacco product.

Example 2

Organic pasteurized tobacco leaves are heated at a temperature of 85-100 ℃ for a duration of 5-60 minutes under a pressure of 5-20 atm in the presence of distilled, purified or tap water, optionally mixed at low speed (10-100 rpm). Thereafter, the tobacco product is removed from the water bath and optionally dried under radiant heat for up to one hour. The product is then cut or ground into strips or sheets having a maximum dimension of 50 to 2000 microns or more preferably 100 to 1000 microns. Combining cut or ground tobacco and/or herbal products with water, wherein the tobacco and/or herbal products are mixed, ground tobacco product and glycerin in a weight ratio of about 1:1, and allowed to stand for one hour. The viscosity of the resulting tobacco product is about 20000 to 40000 cp.

2 to 2.5g of wet tobacco product is placed in the cup 312 of the device 300 of fig. 7A-7D. The device operates in the manner described above in connection with this embodiment.

The device produces a 20-30 puff of dense atomized vapor, which simulates the taste and user experience associated with smoking traditional tobacco products.

Example 3

Organic pasteurized tobacco leaves are heated at a temperature of 85-100 ℃ for a duration of 5-60 minutes under a pressure of 5-20 atm in the presence of distilled, purified or tap water, optionally mixed at low speed (10-100 rpm). Thereafter, the tobacco product is removed from the water bath and optionally dried under radiant heat for up to one hour. The product is then cut or ground into strips or sheets having a maximum dimension of 50 to 2000 microns or more preferably 100 to 1000 microns. Combining cut or ground tobacco and/or herbal products with water, wherein the tobacco and/or herbal products are mixed, ground tobacco product and glycerin in a weight ratio of about 1:1, and allowed to stand for one hour. The viscosity of the resulting tobacco product is about 20000 to 40000 cp.

2.3g of wet tobacco product was placed in the cup of the apparatus 400 of FIGS. 8A-8D. The device operates in the manner described above in connection with this embodiment.

The device generates 235 a puff of dense atomized vapor that simulates the taste and user experience associated with smoking traditional tobacco products. This is an order of magnitude higher than the amount of draw per pack or dose provided by IQOS or regular cigarettes (10-14 puffs).

The system produces about 100 puffs per gram of tobacco product, well above IQOS, which produces about 30-47 puffs per gram of tobacco product (10-14 puffs per Heatstick 0.3 grams of tobacco product).

Example 4

Organic pasteurized tobacco leaves are heated at a temperature of 85-100 ℃ for a duration of 5-60 minutes under a pressure of 5-20 atm in the presence of distilled, purified or tap water, optionally mixed at low speed (10-100 rpm). Thereafter, the tobacco product is removed from the water bath and optionally dried under radiant heat for up to one hour. The product is then cut or ground into strips or sheets having a maximum dimension of 50 to 2000 microns or more preferably 100 to 1000 microns. Combining cut or ground tobacco and/or herbal products with water, wherein the tobacco and/or herbal products are mixed, ground tobacco product and glycerin in a weight ratio of about 1:1, and allowed to stand for one hour. The viscosity of the resulting tobacco product is about 20000 to 40000 cp.

1.3g of wet tobacco product was placed in the cup of the device 500 of FIGS. 9A-9E. The device operates in the manner described above in connection with this embodiment.

The device generates 155 a puff of dense atomized vapor that simulates the taste and user experience associated with smoking traditional tobacco products. This is an order of magnitude higher than the amount of draw per dose provided by IQOS or regular cigarettes (10-14 puffs).

The system produces about 120 puffs per gram of tobacco product, which is much higher than IQOS, which produces about 30-47 puffs per gram of tobacco product (10-14 puffs per Heatstick 0.3 gram of tobacco product).

Example 5

Smoke tests were performed on 21 participants, and none of the participants known any membership between the test performer and any of the devices. Participants were asked to use the IQOS device and the device of example 4 simultaneously. Each participant aspirates the device at least 10-14 aspirates each, which in the case of IQOS products would consume the entire Heatstick. Participants were asked to score each product on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the worst or most negative and 5 being the best or most positive. The results are shown below, consistent with the results observed in several smoke tests previously conducted by an independent third party.

TABLE 3

The data show that the product of example 4 is believed to provide greatly improved taste and ease of use. As for taste, on a scale of 1 to 5(5 being best), IQOS achieved a score of 1.29(1 being worst) and the product of example 4 achieved a score of 4.57(5 being best). For ease of use, the IQOS obtained score was 1.05 compared to 4.95 for the example of example 4.

The tobacco product of example 4 was atomized at a lower temperature of about 75-125 ℃, which reduced HPHC by a factor of four to six or more relative to conventional heat-not-burn products such as IQOS. A reduction of 4, 5 or 6 fold can be achieved even if the tobacco product used for the product of example 4 contains an array of identical synthetic ingredients added to the IQOS Heatstick. However, the product of example 4 uses a simple organic formulation consisting of only three ingredients: about 65-75% glycerin, about 5-15% water, and about 20% organic tobacco. Thus, the product of example 4 produced less product of unknown toxicity than IQOS. The acetals produced by these products are usually produced when the flavouring agent and propylene glycol, both present in IQOS Heatstick, are heated in the same mixture. The total reduction in harmful emissions is reduced by a factor of 7, 8, 9, or 10 relative to IQOS.

The product of example 4 is also much less complex and costly to manufacture than IQOS and other conventional heated non-combustible products. Manufacturing the IQOS Heatstick is a multi-step process involving expensive and relatively large manufacturing facilities. In contrast, the method of making the ingredients of the exemplary embodiments merely involves autoclaving the tobacco product, then drying, grinding and combining the ground tobacco product with glycerin in a weight ratio of about 1:1 prior to adding the tobacco product to the cigarette pack.

On the other hand, it is believed that the products exemplified herein are the first to achieve acceptable atomization and taste without propylene glycol or a secondary water or steam source. As noted above, conventional heat-not-burn products using real tobacco rely on propylene glycol or an additional source of water vapor to provide enhanced user taste and experience. For example, the product of example 4 avoids the adverse effects of propylene glycol, such as acetal formation in the presence of common flavors and the complexity and expense of providing an auxiliary source of water vapor.

A further advantage of certain embodiments exemplified herein is that the tobacco product contained in the disposable mouthpiece unit can be aerosolized or "consumed" in multiple smoking sessions separated by hours or even days. As mentioned above, conventional heat not burn tobacco products provide mini cigarettes, such as IQOS and GLO, that must be used during one sitting or smoking session, possibly because the dry tobacco product carbonizes after heating and is thereafter not suitable for reheating during another smoking session. The embodiments exemplified herein advantageously do not need to be consumed in their entirety during a single smoking session, which may be because the wet tobacco product ingredients and dual mechanisms of action substantially prevent carbonization of the wet tobacco product. In various embodiments, a user may consume a single disposable unit or cartridge in 1,2,3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, or 20 smoking sessions each separated by at least 10, 20, 30, 60, 90, 180, 360, or 720 minutes or values therebetween. Thus, a user of an exemplary embodiment may use a single disposable unit for approximately ten smoking sessions, for example, at intervals of hours or even days.

On the other hand, in contrast to conventional electronic cigarette products, the aerosolized product is real tobacco and does not contain added nicotine. This avoids the increased risk of addiction and short term health effects associated with modern e-vaping devices.

The foregoing general description of the illustrative embodiments, and the following detailed description thereof, are merely exemplary aspects of the teachings of the present disclosure and are not limiting. As noted above, certain embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure and claims may not provide the particular advantages set forth above. That is, the most preferred embodiments provide many, most, or all of the foregoing advantages over conventional heated non-burning and smoking e-vapor devices.

While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Indeed, the novel methods, apparatus and systems described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the methods, devices, and systems described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosure.

Claims (6)

1. A tobacco atomizing device that heats without burning, characterized by comprising:

a disposable tobacco delivery unit comprising a cup having a wall configured to deform inwardly under negative suction pressure applied by a user, the cup containing a moist tobacco product, the cup further at least partially containing a heating element substantially surrounded by and in contact with the moist tobacco product; and

a base unit adapted to receive the delivery unit and comprising a controller configured to supply current to the heating element;

wherein the apparatus is configured to atomize the wet tobacco product and atomize the discrete liquid portion of the wet tobacco product by boiling the liquid portion in contact with the heating element.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to aerosolize the wet tobacco product to produce an aerosolized inhalant suitable for inhalation by a user through the disposable tobacco delivery unit, and wherein the aerosolized inhalant has at least six times less HPHC than the inhaled smoke of a 3R4F conventional cigarette.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the disposable tobacco delivery unit is configured to releasably engage with the base unit via a release mechanism to provide for disconnecting the disposable tobacco delivery unit from the cup.

4. A tobacco atomizing device that heats without burning, characterized by comprising:

a disposable tobacco delivery unit comprising a cup containing a wet tobacco product, the cup further at least partially containing a heating element substantially surrounded by and in contact with the wet tobacco product, the delivery unit further comprising an air inlet coupled to an air flow channel intersecting an area including at least an exposed portion of the heating element protruding from the wet tobacco product, whereby the delivery unit is adapted to direct an air flow through and in contact with the wet tobacco product and the exposed portion of the heating element; and

a base unit adapted to receive the delivery unit and comprising a controller configured to supply current to the heating element;

wherein the device is configured to atomize the solid portion of the wet tobacco product and the discrete liquid portion of the wet tobacco product, wherein the atomization of the discrete liquid portion occurs by boiling the liquid portion in contact with the heating element.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the cup comprises a wall configured to deform inwardly under negative inhalation pressure applied by a user.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the device is configured to aerosolize the wet tobacco product to produce an aerosolized inhalant suitable for inhalation by a user through the disposable tobacco delivery unit, and wherein the aerosolized inhalant has at least six times less HPHC than 3R4F inhaled smoke of a conventional cigarette.

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