EP3960002A1

EP3960002A1 - Tobacco mousse dispenser

Info

Publication number: EP3960002A1
Application number: EP20193737.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Michael Plattner; Michael Orth; Layth BOUCHUIGUIR; Thomas JOHAENTGES
Original assignee: JT International SA
Current assignee: JT International SA
Priority date: 2020-08-31
Filing date: 2020-08-31
Publication date: 2022-03-02

Abstract

The invention provides a tobacco mousse dispenser that comprises a filter and a tobacco mousse portion wrapped in a hollow and rod-shaped receptacle; and a shiftable filter and rod wrap configured to surround at least a portion of the hollow and rod-shaped receptacle on its circumferential periphery. The tobacco mousse dispenser is configured to enable a release of the tobacco mousse portion by pressing the filter through the shiftable filter and rod wrap in direction of the tobacco mousse portion while holding the shiftable filter rod wrap.

Description

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a tobacco mousse dispenser for a tobacco mousse portion.

Background Art

Tobacco mousse products are a type of smokable material, and are known from prior art, for example from International publication WO2018/122375A1 . Tobacco mousse generally is embodied by a foam that comprises a tobacco ingredient containing agent and/or an inhalable agent, an aerosol forming agent, a foam stabilizing agent, and a foam forming agent. Tobacco mousse provides a comparatively homogeneous evaporation profile, and thereby provides a smoker with an even smoking profile.
The tobacco mousse may be formed into various presentation shapes, such as for example into a foam pipe, disc, etc., with optionally one or more tunnels and/or holes for the airflow, and a mousse stick, etc. can for example be cut into pod-sized pieces to be placed in a pod.
In further examples, the tobacco mousse can be arranged as a pod, disc, or stick, and may be wrapped in a porous paper, for example with a filter at the tip proximal the user. The porous paper is not particularly limited and may be made of wood pulp and/or hemp fibers or combinations thereof. The filtering material of the filter is not particularly limited and may be any filamentary material conventionally employed for tobacco smoke filter manufacture. The filtering material may be a natural or synthetic filamentary tow, e.g. of cotton or plastics such as polyethylene or polypropylene, or cellulose acetate filamentary tow.
According to prior art, the tobacco mousse may be sold in packaging, e.g., a hermetically sealed wrapper, which may for example be removed by the user or perforated by the e-cigarette when operatively housed. Another example can be a blister pack containing one or several foam units, either together or separate, e.g., separated, i.e., in separated packaging units that can be opened separately. According to certain embodiments, the packaging at least prevents water from contacting the tobacco mousse.
US publication US2015/0274401A1 discloses a dispensing system that is enabled to dispense a tobacco-related product, although no tobacco mousse is explicitly mentioned therein. The dispensing system includes a tubular member having a dispensing end, and a heterogeneous tobacco-related product received within the tubular member. A dispensing mechanism is operably engaged with the tubular member, and is configured to direct an amount of the heterogeneous tobacco-related product outwardly of the tubular member through the dispensing end for consumption by a user. One specific embodiment shows that the dispensing mechanism further comprises a plurality of spaced-apart separation members, which each separation member being configured to separate adjacent portions of the heterogeneous tobacco-related product from each other.
The invention aims at providing an alternative packaging and dispenser means for tobacco mousse, in particular, which provides improved hygiene and convenient dispensing.

Summary of Invention

The invention provides a tobacco mousse dispenser that comprises a filter and a tobacco mousse portion wrapped in a hollow and rod-shaped receptacle; and a shiftable filter and rod wrap configured to surround at least a portion of the hollow and rod-shaped receptacle on its circumferential periphery. The tobacco mousse dispenser is configured to enable a release of the tobacco mousse portion by pressing the filter through the shiftable filter and rod wrap (in direction of the tobacco mousse portion while holding the shiftable filter rod wrap.
In a preferred embodiment, the filter and the tobacco mousse portion are both disposable and biodegradable.
In a further preferred embodiment, the tobacco mousse dispenser has an overall cylindrical shape.
In a further preferred embodiment the hollow and rod-shaped receptable is made from filter paper.

Brief Description of Drawings

The invention will be better understood through the description of example embodiments, and in reference to the figures, wherein:

figure 1 illustrates an example of a smokable article according to an example embodiment of the invention in a 3-dimensional view and in transparency; and
figure 2 illustrates the same example as in figure 1, after release of a tobacco mousse portion.

Same references will be used to designate same or similar features throughout all the figures.

Description of Embodiments

As used herein, the term "smokable material" includes materials that provide vaporized components upon heating, typically in the form of an aerosol. "Smokable material" includes any tobacco-containing material and may, for example, include one or more of tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes. "Smokable material" also may include other, non-tobacco, products.
"Smokable material" may for example be in the form of a solid, a liquid, a gel or a wax or the like. "Smokable material" may for example also be a combination or a blend of materials.
A "smokable article" is an article or component that includes or contains in use the smokable material which in use is heated to volatilize.
An aerosol generation apparatus is known that heats smokable material to vaporize at least one component of the smokable material, typically to form an aerosol which can be inhaled, without burning or combusting the smokable material. Such apparatus is sometimes described as a "heat-not-burn" apparatus or a "tobacco heating product" or "tobacco heating device" or similar. Similarly, there are also so-called e-cigarette devices, which typically vaporize a smokable material in the form of a liquid. The smokable material may be in the form of or provided as part of a rod, cartridge or cassette or the like which can be inserted into the apparatus. A heater for heating and vaporizing the smokable material may be provided as a "permanent" part of the apparatus.
There is a need for new easy and hygienic devices to dispense tobacco mousse portions for determined use scenarios. A tobacco mousse portion may typically correspond to a quantity of smokable material that is dimensioned for at least a single smoking session, similar for example to that of smoking a single conventional cigarette. As such the tobacco mousse portion is inserted into an aerosol generation apparatus in a known fashion such that the smokable material of the tobacco mousse portion may be heated to vaporize at least one component of the smokable material. The tobacco mousse portion can be included in a smokable article, which in turn may be used to insert the tobacco mousse portion into the aerosol generation apparatus.
Figure 1 illustrates an example of a smokable article 100 according to an example embodiment of the invention in a 3-dimensional view and in transparency. The smokable article 100 is configured as a tobacco mousse dispenser for a tobacco mousse portion 101. The terms smokable article 100 and tobacco mousse dispenser 100 are interchangeable and designate the same object with the same reference 100 in the context of the present invention.
The tobacco mousse dispenser 100 further comprises a shiftable filter and rod wrap 102 and a filter 103. The tobacco mousse portion 101 and the filter 103 are wrapped in a hollow and rod-shaped receptacle, which in figure 1 corresponds to the longitudinal wall of the successively arranged filter 103 and tobacco mousse portion 101. Preferably the hollow and rod-shaped receptacle is made out of filter paper. The shiftable filter and rod wrap 102 is configured to surround at least a portion of the rod-shaped receptacle on its circumferential periphery, in particular the tobacco mousse portion and at least a portion of the filter, in such manner that it may be shifted along the successively arranged tobacco mousse portion 101 and filter 103, effectively sliding to allow the tobacco mousse portion 101 to be positioned mostly outside of the shiftable filter and rod wrap 102, such that it becomes released by the tobacco mousse dispenser 100. This is schematically indicated in figure 1 by a push-arrow 104 showing that a pressure may be exerted on the filter 103 toward the shiftable filter and rod wrap 102, while holding the shiftable filter and rod wrap 102, causing the tobacco mousse portion 101 to be released from the shiftable filter and rod wrap 102 as indicated by an explanatory release-arrow 105.
The tobacco mousse dispenser 100 and its components, particularly the shiftable filter and rod wrap 102 and the hollow and rod-shaped receptable are preferably cylindrically shaped as illustrated in figure 1. However other longitudinal shapes, such as for example a longitudinal rectangular stick, are also possible in different preferred embodiments.
Figure 2 illustrates the tobacco mousse dispenser 100 after the tobacco mousse portion 101 is released, i.e., it is positioned outside of the shiftable filter and rod wrap 102.
As previously briefly suggested herein above, the tobacco mousse portion 101 can be introduced directly in a vaporization chamber of an aerosol generation apparatus (not illustrated in the figures. The shiftable filter and rod wrap 102 may then be entirely removed from the hollow and rod-shaped receptacle, thereby uncovering the filter 103 for use between lips of a user. This non-illustrated scenario allows to smoke the tobacco mousse portion 101 in a known manner using the aerosol generation apparatus and inhaling the produced aerosol through the filter 103.
The tobacco mousse dispenser 100 allows a particularly convenient and simple manipulation of the tobacco mousse portion 101, during which the user never gets to touch the filter 103 and tobacco mousse portion 101 during release of the tobacco mouse portion 101. For this reason, the tobacco mousse dispenser 100 may be considered to be particularly hygienic.
In a preferred embodiment the filter 103 and the tobacco mousse portion 101 are disposable and biodegradable.

Claims

A tobacco mousse dispenser (100) comprising:
a filter (103) and a tobacco mousse portion (101) wrapped in a hollow and rod-shaped receptacle; and

a shiftable filter and rod wrap (102) configured to surround at least a portion of the hollow and rod-shaped receptacle on its circumferential periphery;

whereby the tobacco mousse dispenser (100) is configured to enable a release of the tobacco mousse portion (101) by pressing the filter (103) through the shiftable filter and rod wrap (102) in direction of the tobacco mousse portion (101) while holding the shiftable filter rod wrap (102).
The tobacco mousse dispenser of claim 1, whereby
the filter (103) and the tobacco mousse portion (101) are both disposable and biodegradable.
The tobacco mousse dispenser of any one of claims 1 and 2, whereby
the tobacco mousse dispenser (100) has an overall cylindrical shape.
The tobacco mousse dispenser of any one of claims 1 to 3, whereby
the hollow and rod-shaped receptable is made from filter paper.