Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24D—CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES FOR CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES
  • A24D1/00—Cigars; Cigarettes
  • A24D1/02—Cigars; Cigarettes with special covers
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24C—MACHINES FOR MAKING CIGARS OR CIGARETTES
  • A24C5/00—Making cigarettes; Making tipping materials for, or attaching filters or mouthpieces to, cigars or cigarettes
  • A24C5/14—Machines of the continuous-rod type
  • A24C5/18—Forming the rod
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24D—CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES FOR CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES
  • A24D1/00—Cigars; Cigarettes
  • A24D1/02—Cigars; Cigarettes with special covers
  • A24D1/025—Cigars; Cigarettes with special covers the covers having material applied to defined areas, e.g. bands for reducing the ignition propensity
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24D—CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES FOR CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES
  • A24D1/00—Cigars; Cigarettes
  • A24D1/04—Cigars; Cigarettes with mouthpieces or filter-tips
  • A24D1/045—Cigars; Cigarettes with mouthpieces or filter-tips with smoke filter means
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24D—CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES FOR CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES
  • A24D1/00—Cigars; Cigarettes
  • A24D1/20—Cigarettes specially adapted for simulated smoking devices
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24D—CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES FOR CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES
  • A24D3/00—Tobacco smoke filters, e.g. filter-tips, filtering inserts; Filters specially adapted for simulated smoking devices; Mouthpieces for cigars or cigarettes
  • A24D3/04—Tobacco smoke filters characterised by their shape or structure
  • A24D3/043—Tobacco smoke filters characterised by their shape or structure with ventilation means, e.g. air dilution
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24D—CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES FOR CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES
  • A24D3/00—Tobacco smoke filters, e.g. filter-tips, filtering inserts; Filters specially adapted for simulated smoking devices; Mouthpieces for cigars or cigarettes
  • A24D3/17—Filters specially adapted for simulated smoking devices
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
  • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
  • A24F40/40—Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
  • A24F40/46—Shape or structure of electric heating means
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24B—MANUFACTURE OR PREPARATION OF TOBACCO FOR SMOKING OR CHEWING; TOBACCO; SNUFF
  • A24B3/00—Preparing tobacco in the factory
  • A24B3/14—Forming reconstituted tobacco products, e.g. wrapper materials, sheets, imitation leaves, rods, cakes; Forms of such products
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
  • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
  • A24F40/20—Devices using solid inhalable precursors

Definitions

• the present invention relates to smoking articles and specifically, although not exclusively, to a wrapper for an aerosolisable material, an aerosol generating article comprising a wrapped aerosolisable material, and an aerosol generating assembly containing an aerosol generating article, the aerosol generating article comprising a wrapped aerosolisable material.
• Smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigars and the like burn tobacco during use to create tobacco smoke.
• Alternatives to these types of articles release compounds by heating without burning an aerosolisable material.
• Apparatus that heats aerosolisable material to volatilise at least one component of the aerosolisable material, typically to form an aerosol which can be inhaled, without burning or combusting the aerosolisable material.
• Such apparatus is sometimes described as a“heat-not-burn” apparatus or a“tobacco heating product” (THP) or a“tobacco heating device” or similar.
• THP tobacco heating product
• Various different arrangements for volatilising at least one component of the aerosolisable material are known.
• the material may be for example tobacco, other non-tobacco products or a combination, such as a blended mix, which may or may not contain nicotine.
• a first aspect of the invention provides a wrapper for wrapping an aerosolisable material, the wrapper comprising at least three layers, wherein the peripheral layers comprise paper and an intermediate layer comprises a non-combustible material, and wherein at least the intermediate layer and one of the peripheral layers are provided as a laminate structure.
• peripheral layers may be referred to herein as the “innermost” and “outermost” layers. This refers to their location when the material is wrapped around an aerosolisable material.
• the laminate structure may comprise the intermediate layer and the peripheral layer which is disposed adjacent to the aerosolisable material in use (i.e. the innermost layer). This may then be circumscribed or wrapped by one or more further layers, wherein the peripheral layer of the composite structure comprises paper (i.e. the outermost layer).
• the laminate structure comprises each of the peripheral layers and the intermediate layer.
• the non-combustible material comprises a metal foil.
• the metal foil comprises aluminium.
• the wrapper comprises more than three layers. In some cases, the wrapper consists of three layers. In some cases, the wrapper may consist of a three layer laminate structure comprising the peripheral layers and the intermediate layer.
• a second aspect of the invention provides an aerosol generating article, the aerosol generating article comprising an aerosolisable material and a wrapper according to the first aspect of the invention wrapped around the aerosolisable material.
• the aerosolisable material comprises tobacco.
• the aerosolisable material is a rod of aerosolisable material and the wrapper circumscribes at least the end of the rod that is distant from the user’s mouth in use. In some cases, the wrapper circumscribes at least the rod over at least 25% of the rod length.
• the aerosol generating article may additionally a filter and/or a cooling element.
• the cooling element may be arranged between the aerosolisable material and the filter.
• the filter may be arranged between the aerosolisable material and the cooling element.
• a further aspect of the invention provides an aerosol generating assembly, the assembly comprising a heater and an aerosol generating article according to the second aspect.
• the aerosol generating assembly may be a tobacco heating product (also known as a heat not bum device).
• a further aspect of the invention provides a system comprising an aerosol generating device and an aerosol generating article according to the second aspect.
• a further aspect of the invention provides a process for making an aerosol generating article comprising wrapping an aerosolisable material in a wrapper according to the first aspect.
• a further aspect of the invention provides a method of preventing a user igniting or burning an aerosolisable material in an aerosol generating article, the method comprising wrapping an aerosolisable material in a wrapper according to the first aspect.
• Figure l is a schematic diagram of a side view of an aerosol generating article according to an example of the invention.
• Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a first end view of an aerosol generating article according to an example of the invention.
• Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a first end view of a different aerosol generating article according to an example of the invention.
• Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a side view of an aerosol generating article according to an example of the invention.
• Figure 5 is an exploded schematic diagram of a wrapper according to an example of the invention.
• Figure 6 is an exploded schematic diagram of a wrapper according to another example of the invention.
• the term“laminate structure” refers to a multi-layer structure in which the layers are fastened together to form a single body.
• the layers may be fastened with an adhesive, for example.
• the layers may be fastened by static interaction.
• the laminate structure might be formed by (partially) melting a first layer, contacting the first layer with a second layer and allowing the first layer to solidify. Any suitable mechanism for fastening the layers together including, but not limited to, the above examples, tying, sewing, screwing, nailing, bolting, hooking etc. may be employed to form the laminate structure.
• an adhesive may coat the surface of each layer. In other cases, an adhesive may be applied only to the periphery of the layers. In some cases, each layer in the laminate structure may be fastened to the adjacent layer(s). In some example laminate structures, the periphery of two layers may be fastened together with intermediate layers trapped in-between.
• the laminate structure may comprise the intermediate layer and the peripheral layer which is disposed adjacent to the aerosolisable material in use (i.e. the innermost layer). This may then be circumscribed or wrapped by one or more further layers, wherein the peripheral layer of the composite structure comprises paper (i.e. the outermost layer).
• Figure 6 is a schematic illustration of such an example.
• the laminate structure (indicated by dotted lines) includes a peripheral layer 501 and the intermediate layer 502.
• the wrapper additionally comprises peripheral layer 503, although this is not part of the laminate structure.
• the laminate structure comprises each of the peripheral layers and the intermediate layer. That is, in one example, the laminate wrapper for wrapping an aerosolisable material comprises at least three layers, wherein the peripheral (i.e. the innermost and outermost) layers comprise paper and an intermediate layer comprises a non-combustible material.
• Figure 5 is a schematic illustration of such an example.
• the laminate structure (indicated by dotted lines) includes the peripheral layers 501,503 and the intermediate layer 502.
• the non-combustible material comprises a metal foil. In some cases, it may consist essentially of or consist of a metal foil. Suitably, the metal foil may comprise, essentially consist of or consist of an aluminium foil. The metal foil is a non-combustible material that can nevertheless act to conduct heat to the aerosolisable material in use.
• the metal foil may be less than about 100 pm, 50 pm, 20 pm, 10 pm or 8 pm thick. In some cases, it may be more than about 1 pm, 3 pm or 5 pm thick.
• the wrapper may be a laminate wrapping material that consists of three layers (i.e. only the innermost and outermost layers comprising paper and the intermediate non-combustible layer). In some cases, the wrapper may consist of a three layer laminate structure comprising the peripheral layers and the intermediate layer.
• the innermost and outermost layers of the wrapper are tobacco wrapping paper.
• a consideration when preparing aerosol generating articles such as tobacco heating products is that they should not produce an acceptable smoking experience if combusted, so that the user is not minded to burn the aerosol generating article. This is because the formulation of the aerosolisable material is not configured for combustion (and the aerosol that results from combustion may be less suitable for inhalation than the aerosol that results from heating but not burning that aerosolisable material, or than the aerosol which results from combustion of traditional cigarettes).
• non-combustible layer in the wrapper prevents the aerosol generating article from being burned and smoked as a conventional combustible cigarette.
• non-combustible refers to a material that will not ignite or bum at temperatures normally associated with lighting (igniting) or burning of tobacco.
• a metal foil layer results in a wrapper that has a low porosity, reducing side stream air flow to the aerosolisable material. This further reduces the propensity to bum through limiting the oxygen levels at the aerosolisable material.
• the laminate wrapper can be more readily used in known cigarette manufacturing processes and machines.
• the laminate surfaces having a coefficient of friction equivalent to that of a cigarette paper allows the garniture belt of an aerosol generating article making machine to drive the laminate wrapper through the garniture during the aerosol generating article manufacturing process.
• the innermost layer may also comprise a flavourant, which is transferred to the aerosolisable material when wrapped around the aerosolisable material and heated.
• the flavourant is impregnated into paper in the innermost layer.
• the flavourant may comprise menthol.
• the paper in either or each of the innermost and outermost layers of the laminate may have a basis weight of at least about 10 g.m 2 , 15 g.m 2 , 20 g.m 2 or 25 g.m 2 to about 50 g.m 2 , 45 g.m 2 , 40 g.m 2 or 35 g.m 2 .
• Paper having a density in this range has a low porosity, which further reduces the propensity to bum through limiting the oxygen levels at the aerosolisable material.
• the paper in either or each of the innermost and outermost layers of the wrapper may be treated with one or more burn-retardant substances.
• the wrapper is a laminate structure that consists of:
• the wrapper comprises a laminate structure that consists of:
• the wrapper additionally comprises a second paper layer which is wrapped over the laminate in use, the second paper layer having a basis weight of 25- 35 g.m 2 .
• the laminate material can be wound onto a bobbin core for use with standard cigarette makers that are fed from a single paper bobbin.
• one or more ventilation apertures may be formed in the wrapper.
• the ventilation apertures may provide airflow into the aerosol-generating article during use, the air forming part of the inhaled aerosol.
• the laminate structure may be formed using any suitable lamination technique.
• the layers may be adhered together.
• At least part of the innermost layer is disposed in contact with the aerosolisable material.
• the aerosolisable material comprises tobacco.
• the tobacco may be any suitable solid tobacco, such as single grades or blends, cut rag or whole leaf, ground tobacco, tobacco fibre, cut tobacco, extruded tobacco, tobacco stem and/or reconstituted tobacco.
• the tobacco may be of any type including, but not limited to, Virginia and/or Burley and/or Oriental tobacco.
• the aerosolisable material may be a rod of aerosolisable material.
• the term“rod” generally refers to an elongate body which may be any suitable shape for use in an aerosol generating assembly. In some cases, the rod is substantially cylindrical.
• the wrapper circumscribes at least the end of the rod that is distant from the user’ s mouth in use (i.e. a distal-end rather than a mouth-end). This ensures that the non-combustible wrapper is disposed around the end of the rod which the user might try to ignite.
• the laminate wrapper circumscribes the rod over at least 25% of the rod length. In some cases, the wrapper extends over at least 35%, 40%, 45% or 50% of the rod length. As more of the rod is circumscribed, burning of the rod is more difficult.
• the wrapper does not extend over the entire length of the rod of aerosolisable material, resulting in cost savings. In some cases, the laminate wrapper extends over less than about 85%, 80%, 75%, 70%, 65% or 60% of the rod length.
• FIG 1 illustrates an example aerosol generating article.
• the aerosol generating article 101 includes an aerosolisable material 103 which is wrapped by a wrapper 102.
• this wrapper extends from the distal-end of the aerosolisable material over approximately 50% of the distance to the mouth-end of the aerosolisable material.
• the wrapper 102 comprises three layers, wherein the peripheral layers comprise paper and an intermediate layer comprises a non-combustible material.
• one peripheral layer and the intermediate layer are provided as a laminate structure (see figure 6).
• both peripheral layers and the intermediate layer are provided as a laminate structure (see figure 5).
• the wrapper may also be arranged over the distal-end of the aerosolisable material, so that the distal-end is completely enclosed in the wrapper.
• Figure 2 illustrates an example in which the wrapper 102 is wrapped around the circumference of the aerosolisable material 103. The distal-end of the aerosol generating article 101 is not covered by the wrapper.
• Figure 3 illustrates an alternative example of an aerosol generating article 101 in which the wrapper 102 completely encloses the distal-end of the aerosol generating article.
• Examples of the aerosol generating article may additionally comprise a filter and/or a cooling element.
• these additional components may not be circumscribed by all layers of the wrapper; instead, they may be circumscribed by a single layer of the wrapper which extends over a greater proportion of the aerosolisable material than the other layers.
• the additional components may be circumscribed by only the outermost peripheral layer of the wrapper (which also circumscribes the aerosolisable material) or alternatively, by only the innermost peripheral layer of the wrapper.
• the mouth-end of the aerosolisable material may be provided adjacent to one or more of a cooling element and a filter.
• a cooling element if present, allows vapour components to condense to form an aerosol and/or spaces the very hot parts of the apparatus from the user.
• a filter if present, may remove components from the fluid flow, affecting the chemical composition of the inhaled aerosol.
• Figure 4 illustrates an example of an aerosol generating article 101 which includes, in addition to the features of figure 1, a cooling element 104, a filter 105 and a mouth-end tube 106.
• the cooling element 104 and filter 105 may be arranged between the mouth-end of the aerosolisable material 103 and the mouth-end tube 106, so that flow from the aerosolisable material 103 passes through the cooling element 104 and filter 105 (or vice versa if the filter is arranged before the cooling element in the flow) before reaching the user.
• the example in Figure 4 illustrates a cooling element 104, a filter 105 and a mouth-end tube 106, one or more of these elements may be omitted in other examples.
• the mouth-end tube, if present, 106 may be formed of for example paper, for example in the form of a spirally wound paper tube, cellulose acetate, cardboard, crimped paper, such as crimped heat resistant paper or crimped parchment paper, and/or polymeric materials, such as low density polyethylene (LDPE), or some other suitable material.
• the mouth-end tube 106 may be a hollow tube. Such a hollow tube may provide a filtering function to filter volatilised aerosolisable material.
• the mouth-end tube 106 may be elongate, in order to be spaced from the very hot part(s) of the main apparatus (not shown) that heats the aerosolisable material.
• the filter 105 may be a filter plug, and may be made, for example, from cellulose acetate.
• the cooling element 104 may comprise a monolithic rod having first and second ends and comprising plural through holes extending between the first and second ends. The through holes may extend substantially parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the rod.
• the through holes of the cooling element 104 may be arranged generally radially of the element when viewed in lateral cross- section. That is, in an example, the element has internal walls which define the through holes and which have two main configurations, namely radial walls and central walls.
• the radial walls extend along radii of the cross-section of the element and the central walls are centred on the centre of the cross-section of the element.
• the central walls in one example are circular, though other regular or irregular cross-sectional shapes may be used.
• the cross-section of the element in one example is circular, though other regular or irregular cross-sectional shapes may be used.
• the cooling element 104 may comprise a hollow tube which spaces the filter 105, if present, from the very hot part(s) of the main apparatus that heats the aerosolisable material.
• the cooling element 104 may be formed of for example paper, for example in the form of a spirally wound paper tube, cellulose acetate, cardboard, crimped paper, such as crimped heat resistant paper or crimped parchment paper, and polymeric materials, such as low density polyethylene (LDPE), or some other suitable material.
• LDPE low density polyethylene
• the cooling element 104 may be substantially incompressible. It may be formed of a ceramic material, or of a polymer, for example a thermoplastic polymer, which may be an extrudable plastics material.
• the porosity of the element is in the range 60% to 75%. The porosity in this sense may be a measure of the percentage of the lateral cross-sectional area of the element occupied by the through holes. In an example, the porosity of the element is around 69% to 70%.
• the cooling element 104 may be formed from a sheet material that is folded, crimped or pleated to form through holes.
• the sheet material may be made, for example, from metal such as aluminium; polymeric plastics material such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, or polyvinyl chloride; or paper.
• the cooling element 104 and the filter 105 may be held together by a wrapper paper to form an assembly.
• the assembly may then be joined to the aerosolisable material by a further wrapper which circumscribes the assembly and at least the mouth end of the aerosolisable material to form the aerosol generating article 101.
• the aerosol generating article 101 is formed by wrapping the cooling element 104, the filter 105 and the aerosolisable material 103 effectively in one operation, with no separate tipping paper being provided for the cooling element and/or filter components (if present).
• one or more ventilation apertures may be formed in the aerosol- generating article.
• the ventilation apertures may provide airflow into the article during use which forms part of the inhaled aerosol. It may be desirable to reduce airflow over the distal-end of the article to reduce the propensity to burn, and so the apertures may be formed nearer to the mouth-end of the article than to the distal-end.
• the ventilation apertures may be formed in the cooling element and/or filter, if present.
• the ventilation holes may be formed in a part of the article that is not wrapped in the non-combustible material. The inventors have established that cutting the non combustible material to form ventilation apertures may not be straightforward.
• the aerosol generating article may be arranged at least partially within a heating device to form an aerosol generating assembly which heats the article to generate an aerosol without burning.
• the article may be provided in an assembly with a fuel source, such as a combustible fuel source or chemical heat source, which heats but does not burn the aerosolisable material.

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• Cigarettes, Filters, And Manufacturing Of Filters (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=60950649

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Families Citing this family (7)

Family Cites Families (13)

• 2017
  • 2017-11-24 GB GBGB1719521.5A patent/GB201719521D0/en not_active Ceased
• 2018
  • 2018-11-15 EP EP18814787.0A patent/EP3713430A1/en active Pending
  • 2018-11-15 KR KR1020237011007A patent/KR20230048172A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2018-11-15 RU RU2020115773A patent/RU2751709C1/ru active
  • 2018-11-15 WO PCT/EP2018/081395 patent/WO2019101623A1/en unknown
  • 2018-11-15 KR KR1020207014591A patent/KR20200075861A/ko active Application Filing
  • 2018-11-15 US US16/766,435 patent/US20210022390A1/en active Pending
  • 2018-11-15 JP JP2020518610A patent/JP2021503875A/ja active Pending
• 2022
  • 2022-12-16 JP JP2022201198A patent/JP2023027306A/ja active Pending

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