EP4041006A1

EP4041006A1 - Consumable for aerosol generation device

Info

Publication number: EP4041006A1
Application number: EP20785990.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Andrew Robert John ROGAN; Alec WRIGHT
Original assignee: JT International SA
Current assignee: JT International SA
Priority date: 2019-10-09
Filing date: 2020-10-07
Publication date: 2022-08-17
Also published as: WO2021069525A1; JP2022551571A; CN114554880A

Abstract

A consumable comprising a plurality of adjacent layers comprising: a heater layer (11) comprising electrically conductive material; and a layer of aerosol substrate (12) on each side of the heater layer (11), each of the layers of aerosol substrate (12) being attached to the electrically conductive material.

Description

CONSUMABLE FOR AEROSOL GENERATION DEVICE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to aerosol generation devices and consumables for aerosol generation devices, and methods for manufacturing such consumables. The consumable may comprise tobacco or other suitable aerosol substrate materials to be heated, rather than burned, to generate an aerosol for inhalation.

BACKGROUND

The popularity and use of reduced-risk or modified-risk devices (also known as vaporisers) has grown rapidly in the past few years as an aid to assist habitual smokers wishing to quit smoking traditional tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, and rolling tobacco. Various devices and systems are available that heat or warm aerosolisable substances as opposed to burning tobacco in conventional tobacco products.

A commonly available reduced-risk or modified-risk device is the heated substrate aerosol generation device or heat-not-burn device. Devices of this type generate an aerosol or vapour by heating an aerosol substrate that typically comprises moist leaf tobacco or other suitable aerosolisable material to a temperature typically in the range 150°C to 350°C. Heating an aerosol substrate, but not combusting or burning it, releases an aerosol that comprises the components sought by the user but not the toxic and carcinogenic by-products of combustion and burning. Furthermore, the aerosol produced by heating the tobacco or other aerosolisable material does not typically comprise the burnt or bitter taste resulting from combustion and burning that can be unpleasant for the user and so the substrate does not therefore require the sugars and other additives that are typically added to such materials to make the smoke and/or vapour more palatable for the user.

It is desirable to provide a consumable or aerosol generation device that can generate an aerosol with improved energy efficiency or with a reduced heat-up time. It is further desirable to provide a method for manufacturing such a consumable.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In a first aspect of the following disclosure, there is provided a consumable comprising a plurality of adjacent layers comprising: a heater layer comprising electrically conductive material; and a layer of aerosol substrate on each side of the heater layer, each of the layers of aerosol substrate being attached to the electrically conductive material.

Optionally, the electrically conductive material comprises a metal and/or carbon.

Optionally, the heater layer is formed of one or more of a sintered metal, a wire wool, a mesh, a non-woven material and a meandering track such as a zig-zag or serpentine profile.

Optionally, the heater layer is resistive. In particular, the heater layer may have a resistance above 10 Ohms, preferably above 20 Ohms, for example of approximately 30 Ohms.

Optionally, the heater layer is a biodegradable conductive polymer layer, e.g., Kynol^® carbon material, or graphite tape.

Optionally, the heater layer is enclosed at its edges by the layers of aerosol substrate.

Optionally, the plurality of adjacent layers comprises a plurality of heater layers each of which has a layer of aerosol substrate on each side of the heater layer.

Optionally, the plurality of adjacent layers comprises alternating heater layers and aerosol substrate layers.

Optionally, each of the plurality of adjacent layers has a cross-section with a rectangular, serpentine, triangular or circular shape. Optionally, the plurality of adjacent layers is formed into a hollow tube.

Optionally, the consumable comprises one or more holes through the plurality of adjacent layers.

Optionally, the one or more holes are adapted to receive electrical contacts. The one or more holes may have a diameter of from about 0.5 to 2 mm.

Optionally, the consumable further comprises a plurality of electrical contacts embedded in the one or more holes and connected to the heater layer.

Optionally, the aerosol substrate comprises a foam comprising: an inhalable agent; an aerosol forming agent; a foam forming agent; and a foam stabilizing agent, wherein the inhalable agent is 0.1 - 33 wt% of the foam, and the aerosol forming agent is 10 - 80 wt%, preferably 40 - 70 wt%, of the foam.

Optionally, the inhalable agent is a tobacco ingredient.

Optionally, the aerosol substrate comprises tobacco powder with a particle size of 20 pm to 300 pm. Optionally, each layer of aerosol substrate has a thickness of 80 pm to 500 pm. Optionally, the heater layer is flexible.

In a second aspect of the following disclosure, there is provided a method for manufacturing an aerosol generation consumable comprising a plurality of adjacent layers. The method comprises: producing a consumable ribbon comprising a plurality of adjacent layers by attaching a first aerosol substrate ribbon and a second aerosol substrate ribbon on respective sides of a heater ribbon; and cutting the consumable ribbon to produce an individual consumable.

Optionally, the attaching comprises pressing the first aerosol substrate ribbon, the heater ribbon and the second aerosol ribbon together. Optionally, the pressing comprises embossing or debossing the first aerosol substrate ribbon and/or the second aerosol substrate ribbon.

Optionally, the pressing is performed at an elevated temperature.

Optionally, the cutting is performed using a blade having a curved edge arranged to shear the first and/or second aerosol substrate ribbon such that an end of a heater layer in the individual consumable is covered by the aerosol substrate.

Optionally, the cutting is performed using a punch adapted to define a shape of the individual consumable.

Optionally, the method further comprises perforating the consumable ribbon such that the individual consumable comprises one or more air flow channels.

Optionally, the method further comprises drying the consumable ribbon.

Optionally, one or more of the first aerosol substrate ribbon, the heater ribbon and the second aerosol substrate ribbon are drawn from a respective reel.

Optionally, the method further comprises producing the first aerosol substrate ribbon and/or the second aerosol substrate ribbon by cold drawing a slurry, a dough or a mousse of aerosol substrate.

Optionally, the cold drawing comprises using a series of rollers to gradually reduce a thickness of the first aerosol substrate ribbon and/or the second aerosol substrate ribbon. Optionally, the method further comprises storing the consumable ribbon on a reel.

Optionally, producing the consumable ribbon comprises attaching a plurality of heater ribbons and a plurality of aerosol substrate ribbons, wherein the heater ribbons and the aerosol substrate ribbons are arranged as alternating layers of the consumable ribbon. Optionally, the attaching comprises a plurality of pressing steps in each of which one or more additional ribbons is added to the plurality of adjacent layers.

Optionally, the heater ribbon is comprises electrically conductive material.

Optionally, the heater layer is formed of one or more of a sintered metal, a wire wool, a mesh, a non-woven material, a film, and a meandering track.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 schematically illustrates a cross-section of a consumable according to the invention;

Figs. 2A and 2B schematically illustrate cross-sections of an aerosol generation device, without and with a consumable;

Fig. 3 schematically illustrates plan views of consumables according to the invention;

Figs. 4A to 4D schematically illustrate a cross-section of another consumable according to the invention, and tools which may be used in a method of cutting a consumable ribbon to produce the another consumable;

Fig. 5 schematically illustrates a cross-section of another consumable according to the invention;

Fig. 6 schematically illustrates different types of piercing element which may be used in an aerosol generation device; Fig. 7 schematically illustrates a cross-section of another consumable according to the invention;

Figs. 8A and 8B schematically illustrate cross-sections of another aerosol generation device, without and with a consumable;

Fig. 9 illustrates a first method of producing a consumable ribbon; Fig. 10 schematically illustrates a second method of producing a consumable ribbon;

Fig. 11 schematically illustrates a third method of producing a consumable ribbon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention provides a layered consumable for an aerosol generation device, the basic principle of which can be understood by reference to Figs. 1 , 2A and 2B.

Fig. 1 schematically illustrates a cross-section of a consumable 10 comprising a plurality of adjacent layers. The adjacent layers comprise a heater layer 11 , which may comprise electrically conductive material. The adjacent layers additionally comprise a layer of aerosol substrate 12 on each side of the heater layer 11 and attached to the heater layer 11.

Fig. 2A schematically illustrates a cross-section of an aerosol generation device 20 in which the consumable 10 may be received, while Fig. 2B schematically illustrates a cross-section of the aerosol generation device 20 containing the consumable 10. As shown in Figs. 2A and 2B, the aerosol generation device comprises electrical contacts 23 which are arranged to supply power to the heater layer 11 of the consumable, through one or both outer layers of the plurality of adjacent layers of the consumable (in other words, through one or both of the first and last layers in the plurality of adjacent layers, which in this case are the aerosol substrate layers 12). Thus the aerosol generation device 20 can supply power to the electrically conductive material of the heater layer(s) 11 in order to heat the layers of aerosol substrate 12 and thereby generate an aerosol.

The sandwich-like arrangement of the adjacent layers of the consumable 10 has the effect that the heater layer 11 is electrically and thermally insulated by the aerosol substrate layers 12. This allows for a simple design of the consumable 10 while reducing a risk of the heater layer 11 damaging the aerosol generation device 20. Additionally, this eliminates the need for a separate electrical insulating layer such as polyimide. By attaching the aerosol substrate to the heater layer, without any intermediate insulating layer, the heating can be made faster and more efficient.

More specifically, in a first embodiment, the consumable is suitable for an aerosol generation device 20 in which the electrical contacts are piercing electrical contacts that form part of piercing elements 23. The piercing elements are adapted to pierce the consumable 10 through one or more of the layers of aerosol substrate 12, and to form an electrical connection between the piercing electrical contact and the heater layer(s) 11.

Referring again to Fig. 2A, in a first example of an aerosol generation device which is compatible with the first embodiment of the consumable, the aerosol generation device 20 comprises a housing 21 comprising a chamber 22 adapted to receive the consumable 10. The chamber 22 comprises an opening through which the consumable can be inserted and removed, and the aerosol generation device 20 further comprises a cover 24 arranged to move between an open position (shown in Fig. 2A) in which the opening is open, and a closed position (shown in Fig. 2B) in which the opening is closed. The cover 24 is attached to the housing 21 by a hinge 25.

More specifically, the chamber 22 is adapted such that, when the consumable is inserted, the consumable is positioned correctly for the electrical contacts to supply power to the heater layer. The chamber 22 may be dimensioned to ensure that the consumable is inserted with the correct orientation for piercing by the piercing elements through the one or more of the layers of aerosol substrate 12 in order to make electrical contact with the heater layer 11 or the multiple heater layers. Additionally, the chamber 22 may be dimensioned for the consumable to have a snug fit, or the heater layer of the consumable may be designed to tolerate different positioning of the electrical contacts. For example, the heater layer may be a uniform material such that no specific positioning of the electrical contacts is required to supply power to the heater layer.

The piercing elements 23 are attached to the cover 24. The cover 24 is arranged such that, when a user inserts the consumable 10 into the chamber 22 and moves the cover 24 to the closed position, the piercing elements 23 are pushed into the consumable 10, resulting in a configuration as shown in Fig. 2B. The chamber 22 is bounded when closed as shown in Fig. 2B, and the corresponding bounding is illustrated in Fig. 2A using a dashed line at the opening of the chamber.

The aerosol generation device 20 further comprises a mouthpiece 26 at which the aerosol generation device provides the generated aerosol to the user. The mouthpiece 26 may, for example, be connected to the chamber 22 via a pipe (not shown).

Additionally, the aerosol generation device 20 further comprises a power supply to the electrical contacts and means for the user to control heating by the heater layer.

The first embodiment of the consumable and the first example of the aerosol generation device also have various variants and optional features, non-limiting examples of which are explained in the following.

In the first embodiment of a consumable, the electrically conductive material may comprise a metal, carbon or a mixture of metal and carbon. Additionally, in the first embodiment of a consumable, the heater layer may be flexible or deformable, to assist in manufacturing the consumable and potentially make the consumable easier for a user to handle and insert in an aerosol generation device. These features may, for example, be achieved by using a thin solid conductive layer or a network of conductive fibres. The heater layer may, for example, be formed of one or more of a sintered metal, a wire wool, a mesh, a non-woven material, a film, or a meandering track. The heater layer may be a conductive layer having a resistance above 10 Ohms, preferably above 20 Ohms, for example of approximately 30 Ohms. Therefore, as opposed to a metal resistive circuit, the heater layer requires higher voltage but lower current to heat. The heater layer may, for example, comprise Kynol® carbon material.

The heater layer 11 may not form a complete barrier between the layers of aerosol substrate 12, for example in the case where it is formed of a track, and the layers 12 of aerosol substrate may be partially in contact with each other. Additionally, despite the above-mentioned benefit of placing heating part of the heater layer 11 in direct contact with the layers of aerosol substrate 12, the heater layer 11 may internally comprise an insulator.

In the first embodiment of a consumable, the aerosol substrate takes the form of a foam which is extruded into a layer. The foam structure in the foam is not particularly limited and can, for example, comprise trapped air bubbles. It can be provided as an open structure with a large surface area, which enables heat and aerosol to circulate through the foam, particularly during heating, thus providing uniform heating, a good quality aerosol, and extremely efficient extraction of the aerosol.

The foam comprises an inhalable agent which, when heated, generates or releases a component of the aerosol generated by the aerosol generation device. The inhalable agent may, for example, be a tobacco ingredient. Additionally, the foam comprises an aerosol forming agent, a foam forming agent and a foam stabilizing agent. The foam forming agent can generally trap bubbles when the foam is formed, e.g. whipped, and the foam stabilizing agent can reduce and even prevent breakdown of the foam. The inhalable agent may be configured to be released upon heating together with the aerosol forming agent.

The foam forming agent is not particularly restricted. The foam forming agent may, for example, comprise agar, gellan gum, lecithin, esters of fatty acids, and/or mixtures thereof, without being limited thereto. Furthermore, the aerosol forming agent is not particularly limited. The aerosol forming agent may, for example, comprise glycerol, glycol derivatives such as propylene glycol, sebacate esters and/or mixtures thereof, without being limited thereto.

In this embodiment, the inhalable agent is 0.1 wt% to 33 wt% of the foam, and the aerosol forming agent is 10 wt% to 80 wt% of the foam. More preferably, the aerosol forming agent is 40 wt% to 70 wt% of the foam. The aerosol substrate layers may, for example, be reconstituted tobacco sheets. As alternatives to a foam, the aerosol substrate may be extruded from a dough, a slurry or a mousse. In a specific example, the aerosol substrate may be produced by extruding a mixture comprising approximately 1 wt% to approximately 7 wt% carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), approximately 10 wt% to approximately 35 wt% glycerine, and tobacco power with particle size of approximately 20 pm to 300 pm.

In another specific example, each layer of aerosol substrate has a thickness of 80 pm to 2 mm, and preferably 1.4 mm. The moisture content may be of 10 wt% to 15 wt%, and preferably 12.5 wt%. Herein “moisture content” refers only to water, and does not include any humectant which may be present.

As shown in Fig. 3, the consumable 10 may be formed with a variety of plan-view shapes, by cutting, stamping or punching through a sheet or ribbon comprising the adjacent layers. In other words, the consumable may be shaped with a cross- section that is the same in each layer. For example, the consumable may have a rectangular shape 30A, or more specifically a sim-card shape. The consumable may alternatively have a meandering or serpentine track shape 30B or 30C. Furthermore, the consumable may have a triangular shape 30D or a circular shape 30E. Different shapes may be used to provide different heat profiles across the consumable. The plan-view shape of the consumable 10 may be formed with any suitable dimensions. In one specific example, the consumable 10 is formed with a rectangular shape 30A with length and width dimensions of 18 mm by 12 mm.

As shown in Fig. 4A, each layer of the consumable 10 need not have the same cross-section. For example, at an edge of the shape, the aerosol substrate layers 12 may extend beyond the heater layer 11 , such that the heater layer 11 is enclosed at the edge by the layers of aerosol substrate 12. This has the effect of also insulating the edge of the heater layer 11. In the example of Fig. 4A, the aerosol substrate layers are labelled distinctly as 12a and 12b, although they may be the same as each other.

Individual consumables may be cut to a required length from a consumable ribbon using a cutting means. Figs. 4B to 4D illustrate cutting which may be performed by such a cutting means. Herein, “cutting” comprises various methods of dividing the consumable ribbon into individual portions. For example, “cutting” comprises punching or stamping to define the individual consumable from the consumable ribbon in a single step, and also comprises cutting each end of an individual consumable to form the individual consumable from the consumable ribbon in two or more steps.

The shape of the consumable may be a result of the way the consumable shape is cut, stamped or punched. For example, the consumable 10 shown in Fig. 4A may be cut from a ribbon using a cutting tool 40 with a blade, as shown in Fig. 4B. In particular, the blade in this example is a curved blade arranged to shear the aerosol substrate layers 12a, 12b such that an end of the heater layer 11 is covered by aerosol substrate in the consumable. Furthermore, the heater layer 11 may be enclosed at all of its edges by the layers of aerosol substrate 12.

More generally, each layer of the individual consumable need not have the same cross-section, and the cutting means may alternatively be adapted to provide a vertical cut, a slanted cut, etc., as desired.

Fig. 4C illustrates an example of a cutting means 41 having blades to define both ends of the consumable. This can be used to punch the consumable ribbon and cut a consumable in a single step. In this example, the consumable ribbon is conveyed by at least the length of the punch 41 between each cut, with any additional length potentially being wasted. Multiple punches 41 may arranged adjacent to each other along the length of the ribbon and punched simultaneously into a corresponding length of consumable ribbon. Thus, for a given level of precision of moving the consumable ribbon between cuts, the wastage is reduced.

Fig. 4D illustrates an alternative cutting means 42 having a single blade configured to cut off a leading portion of the consumable ribbon as a first consumable, while also defining the leading end of the next consumable. This has the advantage that, even if reduced precision of the length by which the consumable ribbon is conveyed between cuts creates variation in the length of the individual consumables, this does not create wasted portions. In Figs. 4B to 4D, the consumable is cut symmetrically through both of the aerosol substrate layers 12a, 12b. However, this need not be the case. For example, the cutting means may instead have a blade facing one aerosol substrate layer 12a, and a flat reaction surface facing the other aerosol substrate layer 12b. When such cutting means are closed around the consumable ribbon, the reaction surface simply pushes the aerosol substrate layer 12a towards the blade.

In the above-described examples of Figs. 4B to 4D, a consumable ribbon is cut along the length of the consumable ribbon into individual consumables. However, it should also be noted that the consumable ribbon may be wider than an individual consumable in the “out-of-page” third direction not shown in the figures. For example, although described as a “ribbon” herein, the consumable ribbon may be wide enough that it could alternatively be referred to as a “consumable sheet”. In this case, the above described cutting means may also comprise means for cutting the consumable ribbon in the third direction, i.e. cutting the consumable ribbon with a cutting plane substantially parallel to the plane of the cross-sections shown Figs. 4A to 4D. Additionally, such cutting in the third direction may be performed using a curved blade as described above, such that the heater layer 11 is enclosed by aerosol substrate at all edges of the individual consumable. Additionally, as shown in Fig. 5, the consumable 50 may comprise a plurality of heater layers 11. There is a layer of aerosol substrate 12 on each side of each heater layer 11. In such cases, the piercing elements 23 of a corresponding aerosol generation device may be required to pierce multiple heater layers 11 , or additional piercing elements may be included to ensure that power is supplied to all of the heater layers 11 of the consumable 50.

By increasing the number of heater layers, the contact area between heater layers and aerosol substrate layers is increased. Additionally, the overall resistance of the electrical resistance may be reduced when the consumable receives power. Furthermore, by increasing the number of alternating heater layers and substrate layers, the uniformity of heat generation within the consumable is increased when the consumable is used in an aerosol generation device. An additional benefit of increasing the number of heater layers is that the heater layers are arranged electrically in parallel, which decreases the overall resistance of the total heater provided by the combination of multiple heater layers. In order to maintain a total thickness of the consumable, the thickness of each layer may be reduced as the total number of layers increases.

In Fig. 5, the plurality of adjacent layers of the consumable 50 comprises alternating heater layers 11 and aerosol substrate layers 12. In such embodiments, the thickness of the aerosol substrate layers 12 may vary. For example, the middle aerosol substrate layer 12b shown in Fig. 5 may have double the thickness of the outer aerosol substrate layers 12a, 12c in order to increase the uniformity of heat distribution when the aerosol substrate layers 12a, 12b, 12c are heated by the heater layers 11.

In the first example of an aerosol generation device, there are two piercing elements 23 each with a respective electrical contact. However, there may be only one piercing element with multiple electrical contacts arranged to supply power to the heater layer. For example a single piercing element may extend along the consumable and may have an electrical contact at each end of the piercing element. Alternatively, there may be more than two piercing elements each having zero or more electrical contacts arranged to supply power to the heater layer. Where a piercing element has zero electrical contacts, it simply serves to hold the consumable. Furthermore, each of the piercing elements 23 may be attached to the cover 24 or the housing 21.

As shown in Fig. 6, the consumable may receive a piercing element 23 with any suitable shape for piercing the materials of the consumable. The piercing elements 23 may, for example, each have a round cross-section 60A or a thin blade cross-section 60E. The piercing elements 23 may each have a needle-type tip 60B, a crown-type tip 60C, a punch-type tip 60D, or a blade-type tip 60F. The piercing elements 23 may be solid or hollow. In the first example of an aerosol generation device, the cover 24 is attached to the housing 21 by a hinge 25. However, the hinge may instead be replaced with another means for attaching the cover 24 to the housing 21. Furthermore, the cover 24 may be fully separate from the housing 21.

In the first example of an aerosol generation device, the cover 24 is arranged to push the piercing element into the consumable as a user moves the cover to the closed position. However, additionally or alternatively, the aerosol generation device may comprise an actuator arranged to drive the piercing element(s) into the consumable. This may, for example, be an electronically controlled actuator which activates when the cover is in the closed position, either automatically in response to closing of the cover, or based on a button-press by a user.

Fig. 7 illustrates a cross-section of a second embodiment of the consumable 70. The second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except for the following details, and the above described variants and modifications of the first embodiment are also applicable to the second embodiment.

As shown in Fig. 7, the consumable 70 is provided with a plurality of electrical contacts 73 which are connected to the heater layer. These pre-provided contacts eliminate the need for piercing elements in a corresponding aerosol generation device by providing external contacts to supply power to the heater layer 11.

More specifically, the electrical contacts 73 are embedded in respective holes through the plurality of adjacent layers 12, 11 , 12 of the consumable. Each hole may instead only extend through the heater layer 11 and one of the aerosol substrate layers 12. These holes correspond to holes which would otherwise be generated by the piercing elements in the first embodiment.

The electrical contacts 73 may be added as a further manufacturing step before or after cutting by the cutting means as described above.

Similarly to the first embodiment, it is also possible to provide a plurality of electrical contacts embedded in a single hole and arranged to supply power to the heater layer. For example, a single long hole may have an electrical contact embedded at each end of the hole.

Figs. 8A and 8B illustrate cross-sections of a second example of an aerosol generation device 80 which is suitable for use with a consumable of the second embodiment. The second example is the same as the first example except for the following details, and the above described variants and modifications of the first example are also applicable to the second example.

As shown in Fig. 8A, the piercing elements 23 of the first example are replaced with shorter electrical contacts 83. Each electric contact 83 is arranged to form an electrical connection with a respective electrical contact 73 of the consumable, the electrical contact 73 being connected in the consumable between the heater layer 11 and an outer layer 12 of the plurality of adjacent layers of the consumable.

Combinations and intermediate versions of the first and second embodiments are possible.

For example, the consumable may be provided with holes adapted to receive electrical contacts, as described in the second embodiment, but without actually comprising the electrical contacts. In this case, an aerosol generation device of the first example may be used with the consumable, and a smaller force is required to drive the piercing elements 23 into the pre-arranged holes of the consumable, as compared to driving the piercing elements 23 into a hole-free consumable of the first embodiment.

Additionally, the consumable may be provided with only one electrical contact 73 as described in the second embodiment, and may be used with an aerosol generation device having both a piercing element 23 as described in the first example and a contact 83 as described in the second example. This would improve safety by making it more difficult to use the consumable with a device for which it is not designed, and vice-versa.

Fig. 9 illustrates a method for manufacturing a consumable ribbon from which the consumable of Fig. 1 may be cut. In this and all diagrams herein representing manufacturing methods, it will be understood that the consumable components are conveyed from left to right.

As shown in Fig. 9, each of a first aerosol substrate ribbon 12a, a heater ribbon 11 , and a second aerosol substrate ribbon 12b may be drawn from a respective reel or bobbin 92a, 91 , 92b.

The first aerosol substrate ribbon 12a, heater ribbon 11 and second aerosol substrate ribbon 12b pass through an attaching means 93 configured to attach the layers together. The attaching means 93 may be a pair of rollers configured to press the first aerosol substrate ribbon 12a, the heater ribbon 11 and the second aerosol substrate ribbon 12b together as they are drawn past the rollers. Additionally, the attaching means may be configured to emboss or deboss the first aerosol substrate ribbon 12a and/or the second aerosol substrate ribbon 12b while pressing the layers together, in order to improve structural integrity. Furthermore, the pressing may be performed at an elevated temperature.

The attached layers of the consumable ribbon then pass through a drying oven 94. The length of the drying oven and speed of conveying the consumable ribbon are configured such that each aerosol substrate layer 12 is dried to achieve a required final moisture content. This may be achieved by heating the consumable ribbon in the drying oven to 30 °C to 70 °C, although this is dependent upon the length of the drying oven and speed of conveying the consumable ribbon.

The consumable ribbon may additionally be perforated to define one or more air flow channels which extend through the first aerosol substrate layer, the heater layer and the second aerosol substrate layer. Alternatively, the aerosol substrate layers may be perforated without perforating the heater layer. Perforations can increase airflow when the consumable is used to generate an aerosol, and can also increase heating efficiency. Perforation may, for example, be performed mechanically, electrostatically or by laser. In one example, perforation may be performed by the attaching means 93 together with the attaching. In the above described example, referring to Fig. 9, the first and second aerosol substrate ribbons are drawn from respective reels or bobbins, on which they have been previously stored. However, production of the first and second aerosol substrate ribbons may be integrated with production of the consumable ribbon, as shown in a second method illustrated by Fig. 10. This eliminates the need to store the aerosol substrate ribbons on a reel or bobbin and potentially reduces the total space and time required for manufacture of the consumable.

Referring to Fig. 10, each of the reels 92 of aerosol substrate ribbon is replaced with a mixture of aerosol substrate material 101a, 101 b from which a lobe to form each of the first and second aerosol substrate ribbons may respectively be extruded. As mentioned above, the aerosol substrate material may take the form of a foam, a dough, a slurry or a mousse.

The aerosol substrate material may be cold drawn at a low temperature, for example room temperature, to ensure that the foam, dough, slurry or mousse becomes solid enough for manufacturing the consumable ribbon. In the case of cold drawing, the drawing of the aerosol substrate ribbon may need to be performed at a distance from the heater ribbon 11 in order to avoid the heater ribbon 11 being damaged by the low temperature of the cold drawing.

The drawn aerosol substrate material is passed through one or more pairs of rollers to achieve a required thickness of the corresponding aerosol substrate ribbon 12. Preferably, a series of rollers 102a, 102b are used to gradually reduce the thickness of the aerosol substrate material. In the case of cold drawing, these rollers may be maintained at low temperatures in order to avoid suddenly heating the aerosol substrate material. The series of rollers may also be used to define a temperature gradient bringing the aerosol substrate material to room temperature before it meets the heater ribbon 11.

Fig. 11 illustrates a third method of manufacturing a consumable ribbon for producing a consumable as illustrated in Fig. 5. In the third method, a plurality of heater ribbons and a plurality of aerosol substrate ribbons are attached together as alternating layers of the consumable ribbon. Preferably, as shown in Fig. 11 , the third method comprises a plurality of attaching steps using respective attaching means 93a, 93b. In each step, one or more additional ribbons (heater ribbon and/or aerosol substrate ribbon) are added to the forming consumable ribbon. More specifically, in the example shown in Fig. 11 , the consumable ribbon starts comprising only a single aerosol substrate layer 12b. Then, at a first attaching means 93a, heater layers 11a and 11b are attached to the consumable ribbon. Then, at a second attaching means 93b, aerosol substrate layers 12a and 12c are attached to the consumable ribbon. This can continue with further attaching steps until a required number of layers have been added to the consumable ribbon. Additionally, although two layers are added in each attaching step of the example, it is possible for only one layer to be attached to the consumable ribbon by an attaching means. Furthermore, two or more layered ribbons each comprising multiple layers may be attached together at an attaching means.

After performing one of the above-described methods, the resulting consumable ribbon may be stored on a reel, or may be immediately conveyed to a cutting means. In either case, after passing through the drying oven 94, the consumable ribbon may be passed through a cooling means so that it is at room temperature before it is reeled or cut.

Beyond the above disclosure, additional consumables embodying the invention are possible.

For example, in the above description, consumables are used with an aerosol generation device having a chamber 22 in which the aerosol is generated and a mouthpiece 26 from which a user obtains the aerosol. However, the consumable may itself provide a chamber and/or a mouthpiece. For example, a layered sheet, with aerosol substrate layers attached to each side of a heater layer, may be rolled, bobbinized, or sealed to form a hollow tube. In such a case, the inside of the tube may provide the chamber, and an end of the tube may be used as the mouthpiece. Therefore, a corresponding aerosol generation device need only provide a power supply using, for example, one of the above-described types of electrical contacts. In a case where the aerosol generation device has piercing elements, these would also serve the function of holding the consumable in place relative to the device.

The consumables and the devices described above may be distributed separately, or may be supplied together as a system for generating an aerosol. In some examples, the aerosol generation device of the system may itself be disposable and may have a finite consumable, having the above-described speed and efficiency advantages, located therein. In such examples, a movable cover is unnecessary for the aerosol generation device. If the aerosol generation device has an actuator for a piercing element, the consumable may be arranged in the aerosol generation device such that at least one layer of aerosol substrate is arranged to be pierced by the piercing element.

Claims

1. A consumable comprising a plurality of adjacent layers comprising: a heater layer comprising electrically conductive material; and a layer of aerosol substrate on each side of the heater layer, each of the layers of aerosol substrate being attached to the electrically conductive material.

2. A consumable according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive material comprises a metal and/or carbon.

3. A consumable according to claim 2, wherein the heater layer is formed of one or more of a sintered metal, a wire wool, a mesh, a non-woven material and a meandering track.

4. A consumable according to claim 3, wherein the heater layer is resistive.

5. A consumable according to claim 4, wherein the heater layer has a resistance above 10 Ohms, preferably above 20 Ohms, for example of approximately 30 Ohms.

6. A consumable according to any preceding claim, wherein the heater layer is enclosed at its edges by the layers of aerosol substrate.

7. A consumable according to any preceding claim, wherein the plurality of adjacent layers comprises a plurality of heater layers each of which has a layer of aerosol substrate on each side of the heater layer.

8. A consumable according to any claim 3 to 5, wherein the plurality of adjacent layers comprises alternating heater layers and aerosol substrate layers.

9. A consumable according to any preceding claim, wherein each of the plurality of adjacent layers has a cross-section with a rectangular, serpentine, triangular or circular shape.

10. A consumable according to any preceding claim, wherein the plurality of adjacent layers is formed into a hollow tube.

11. A consumable according to any preceding claim, comprising one or more holes through the plurality of adjacent layers.

12. A consumable according to claim 11 , wherein the one or more holes are adapted to receive electrical contacts.

13. A consumable according to claim 12, further comprising a plurality of electrical contacts embedded in the one or more holes and connected to the heater layer.

14. A consumable according to any preceding claim, wherein the aerosol substrate comprises a foam comprising: an inhalable agent; an aerosol forming agent; a foam forming agent; and a foam stabilizing agent, wherein the inhalable agent is 0.1 - 33 wt% of the foam, and the aerosol forming agent is 10 - 80 wt%, preferably 40 - 70 wt%, of the foam.

15. A consumable according to claim 14, wherein the inhalable agent is a tobacco ingredient.

16. A consumable according to claim 15, wherein the aerosol substrate comprises tobacco powder with a particle size of 20 pm to 300 pm.

17. A consumable according to any preceding claim, wherein each layer of aerosol substrate has a thickness of 80 pm to 500 pm.

18. A consumable according to any preceding claim, wherein the heater layer is flexible.