EP4114207A1

EP4114207A1 - Rolled mousse consumables

Info

Publication number: EP4114207A1
Application number: EP21707748.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Anthony DYLAN-HYDE; Theo Verlaan
Original assignee: JT International SA
Current assignee: JT International SA
Priority date: 2020-03-03
Filing date: 2021-03-02
Publication date: 2023-01-11
Also published as: JP2023516604A; WO2021175807A1

Abstract

Present invention relates to a rolled sheet (100), comprising a foam coated thereto, wherein the foam comprises an aerosol-generating substrate. The rolled sheet can be used as an aerosol-generating article for oven type vaping device or internal heating vaping device. Present invention also relates to a manufacturing process of the rolled sheet (100).

Description

Rolled Mousse Consumables

Technical field of the invention

The present invention relates to the field of tobacco, especially tobacco-containing foam-like or mousse-like aerosol-generating material for use in a heating type vaping device or an oven-type vaping device.

Background of the invention

Aerosol-generating articles comprising aerosol-generating material used in a heat-not-burn (HnB) vaping device have been known since 1980. It is nonetheless only becoming more popular since the turn of the 21^st century, as studies have shown that HnB vapour releases significantly less of most of the chemicals in tobacco smoke. Moreover, none of the combustion emission process occurs when the HnB smoking articles are used in the HnB holder Hence, it is generally agreed that the aerosol generated is not smoke, and thus such a smoking consumables could be better known as an aerosol-generating consumables or an aerosol-generating article.

Patent document US20170280769 relates to a cartridge for an electronic vaping device. A roll of material is impregnated with a coating of additive of tobacco products like a pH adjusting agent, a vapour former, flavourant, tobacco material, and nicotine. The roll of material is positioned between a heater and a mouth-end insert. The roll of material may be formed into a sheet having the additive spread on both the sides. Nevertheless, the cartridge as described therein has a poor vapour performance due to the materials chosen for the cartridge.

Although there exist different shapes and sizes of HnB aerosol generating articles in the market, consumers at the same time acknowledge that they do not offer a comparable taste and sensory experience to conventional smoking articles such as cigarettes or cigars. In particular, consumers find currently available products to lack real tobacco taste.

It would thus be advantageous to provide consumers with aerosol- generating articles and materials providing a more pleasant taste experience to consumers where consumables mimic closer to real tobacco. Moreover, a more economical and easy manufacturing method of the consumables is also envisaged such that the cost of the consumables can be lowered. Summary of the invention

The inventors of the present invention have found solutions to the above-discussed problems through a new and inventive aerosol-generating article as defined in the claims.

A first aspect of the invention relates to a rolled sheet coated on at least one of its surface with a foam of tobacco-containing aerosol-generating substrate.

A second aspect of the invention relates to a method of manufacturing an aerosol-generating article according to the present invention, comprising the steps of: a. Providing a sheet; b. Coating at least one face of the sheet with a foam of aerosol generating substrate; c. Rolling up the sheet to form the aerosol-generating article.

The rolled sheet having a foam coated thereon according to the present invention is suitable for the generation of aerosol. The large surface of the sheet provides large area for the foam to be applied on. Furthermore, the rolled sheet further increases the amount of the surface area of the sheet.

According to some embodiments, the foam is applied to both surface of the rolled sheet. The foam which comprises aerosol-generating substrate may be sufficient to be applied on only one surface of the sheet to provide sufficient vapour or aerosol. Both surfaces of the sheet can be applied with the foam when stronger, richer, or longer vaping session is desired.

In some other embodiments, the rolled sheet is only partially coated or fully coated with the foam. The foam may be provided to only about half of the surface on one side or each sides of the sheet in order to reduce the amount of unused foam. Nevertheless, the foam is preferably evenly coated to the surface of the rolled sheet compared to methods such as spraying to ensure a smooth release and constant release of aerosol.

In some further embodiments, a plurality of perforations are provided to the rolled sheet. The perforations provided to the sheet encourages the air flow, thereby higher aerosol can be released when heated air and flows through the perforations and contact with more surface of the sheet. A rolled sheet having no perforations means that the heated can only flow along the longitudinal axis of the rolled sheet. Having a plurality of perforations can thereby promote the interaction of the heated air and the surface of the coated sheet.

According to some preferred embodiments, the rolled sheet has a wavy surface, embossed or debossed surface, a studded surface, a pointed surface or a corrugated surface. These rolled sheets are thereby provided with an increased surface, vapour performance of the aerosol-generating article of the present invention is thereby increased.

In some particularly preferred embodiments, the rolled sheet has a corrugated sheet structure. This embodiment is particularly advantageous as a plurality of longitudinal axis of air channel can be created, thereby increases the vapour performance (aerosol performance) or the present invention. According to an embodiment, the rolled sheet comprises a multiple layers of sheets stacked on top of each other, wherein at least one, two, three or four sheets are coated with the foam to form the rolled sheet. Nevertheless, it is preferred that when more than one layer of the sheet are used, the surface of the rolled sheet are preferably provided with wavy surface, embossed or debossed surface, a studded surface, a pointed surface, a corrugated surface, or a plurality of perforations to avoid the sheets from lying completely to each other as no air flow between these sheets is possible. These uneven surfaces provided to the surface of the rolled sheet encourage air flow to flow between these stacked layers of sheets, thereby increases the vapour performance.

In other embodiments, the sheets coated with the foam are separated by one or more sheets without coating. The use of more layers of sheet may allow a longer vaping session, however the amount of the foam can be reduced by not coating on each layers of the rolled sheet. In further embodiments, the rolled sheet is an inert and/or porous and/or flexible material such as a plastic material, reconstituted tobacco. These materials are suitable as they are not being burnt but instead heated. Nevertheless, it is preferably that the plastic material is made of thermo resistance material. According to some further embodiments, the rolled sheet is fibrous material such as a woven or an unwoven material. These materials do not break off easily upon heated by high temperature, thereby reducing waste and ashes from the aerosol-generating article.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises one or more of the following steps: a. Stacking up multiple sheets on top of each other, wherein the sheets comprises only sheets coated with a said foam of aerosol generating substrate or a mix of coated or uncoated sheets; b. Cutting the rolled sheet perpendicular to its longitudinal axis; c. Providing a fastening means to the rolled sheet to prevent unrolling of the sheet; d. Providing a wrap to the rolled sheet for packaging purpose.

By “about” or “approximately” or “around” in relation to a given numerical value, it is meant to include numerical values within 10% of the specified value. All values given in the present disclosure are to be understood to be complemented by the word “about” unless it is clear to the contrary from the context. In a stricter sense, it is meant to include numerical values within 5% of the specified value. The indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality, thus should be treated broadly.

The term “comprise” as used herein can be replaceable with “is” when only one element is described or can be replaceable with “are” when more than one elements are described. Unless defined otherwise, technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs.

Any reference to the "cross section profile" of the aerosol-generating consumable article or a component of the aerosol-generating article refers to the transverse cross-section unless stated otherwise.

A “tobacco-containing” can be any compound, mixture, particle matter, and/or solution that contains and/or carries a constituent of tobacco, either artificially included or naturally contained in tobacco, e.g. tobacco, tobacco particles, tobacco flavor and/or nicotine in any available form (e.g. nicotine salts). In contrast, an example for an artificially added non-tobacco specific flavor would be menthol. As used herein, the term "aerosol-generating article" refers to an aerosol-generating article for producing an aerosol comprising an aerosol generating material that is intended to be heated rather than combusted in order to release volatile compounds that can form an aerosol. The consumable article can be heated in an oven-type or an internal heating type of vaping device.

As used herein, the term "aerosol-generating substrate " and the term “aerosol-generating material” are used interchangeably. The term “aerosol generating substrate” refers to a material capable of releasing upon heating volatile compounds, which can form an aerosol or a vapour. The aerosol generated from aerosol-generating substrate of the aerosol-generating articles described herein may be visible or invisible and may include vapours (for example, fine particles of substances, which are in a gaseous state, that are ordinarily liquid or solid at room temperature) as well as gases and liquid droplets of condensed vapours. As an example, the aerosol-generating substrate as used herein refers to a substance which is capable of releasing aerosol and/or vapour. The aerosol-generating substrate can for example be made up of tobacco- containing material which is provided in fine particles or in a powdery form, and/or comprises or made up of other aerosol-forming/stabilizing materials such as propylene glycol and glycerine such that the aerosol-generating substrate can be provided in a semi-solid state such as foam or mousse.

As used herein, the term “rolled sheet” refers to one or more sheets, staking on top of each other, being rolled in any direction. The rolled sheet can be obtained for example similar to the rolling paper for making a cigarette, where the rolling paper rolls over tobacco materials, forming a cigarette. In the present case, the sheet is rolled without having any substance containing within the sheet but having only foam being coated to the at least one surface of the rolled sheet.

An aerosol-forming agent can be any compound, mixture and/or solution that is capable of forming an aerosol, e.g. when heated, mixed, blended, aerated and/or in mixture with a tobacco ingredient containing agent. Well known examples include humectants such as glycerin and propylene glycol, other alcohols, such as ethanol, etc. As used herein, wt.-% is to be understood as weight percent, based on the total weight of element e.g. foam or material, unless explicitly otherwise specified. In the present disclosure, all amounts are given in wt.-%, unless clearly stated otherwise or obvious from context. In the present disclosure, furthermore all amounts given in wt.-% in a particular foam add up to 100 wt.-%. The weight percent are thereby calculated by dividing the mass of each component by the total mass of the foam, unless indicated otherwise or clear from context.

As used herein, the term “foam” is used interchangeably with the term “mousse”. The foam of the present invention is an open pored foam according to certain embodiments. An open pored foam as used herein is to be understood as a foam which can be considered as being formed of a plurality of interconnecting pores (formed out of a structural material derived from the foam forming agent cooperating with the interacting components such as the foam stabilizing agent, solid components such as tobacco particles and some solvent, etc.) which are able to contain fluid, in particular a mixture of humectant/liquid aerosol-forming substrate and air, wherein at least a significant portion (e.g. greater than 50% by volume) of the pores in the foam are fluidly connected with each other, contrary to a closed-cell foam, wherein the majority of the pores form discrete pockets, each completely enclosed by pore-forming material so as to substantially prevent fluid from passing freely between pores. It is currently believed that the foams, particularly mousses, formed as described herein are largely open-pored foams, particularly mousses, because after heating the foam, particularly mousse, to release vapour, substantially all of the humectant appears to be released based on measuring the weight of the foam, particularly mousse, portion before and after heating, which could not be readily explained if the humectant was not able to travel through neighbouring pores to reach the surface of the foam, particularly mousse, portion. However, alternative explanations cannot be totally excluded - for example closed pores could perhaps be opened by rupturing a closed cell wall as a result of the pressure of vaporized gas, etc. For example, according to the definition of the present invention, the term “foam” cannot be equated to terms like gel, cream, or slurry. According to the present invention, the foam may comprise aerosol generating substrate, tobacco-containing material, propylene glycol, glycerine, water, binder or glue, humectant, additives and/or flavourant.

Brief description of the drawings

Figures 1a and 1b show a schematic representative of a rolled sheet according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Figures 2a and 2b show a schematic representative of a rolled sheet according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Figures 3a and 3b show a schematic representative of a rolled sheet according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

Figures 4a and 4b show a schematic representative of a rolled sheet according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Figures 5a and 5b show a schematic representative of a rolled sheet according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed description of the invention

The rolled sheet 100 of the present invention comprises an aerosol- generating material which is suitable to be used as an aerosol-generating article. The rolled sheet 100 comprises a foam coated thereto, wherein the foam comprises an aerosol-generating substrate. The aerosol-generating substrate may comprise tobacco material, wherein the tobacco material may be fine particles in powdery form, having a mean diameter of about less than 1mm, preferably less than about 0.5 mm or between about 0.01 mm to 0.1 mm. The foam may further comprise other components such as propylene glycol, glycerine, humectant, water, flavourant, binder and /or additives.

It has been found out that conventional aerosol-generating consumables (e.g. aerosol-generating reconstituted tobacco material) have poor vaporizing performance, as a large portion of the consumable products have not been heated properly to release the vapour and/or aerosol, thereby resulting in the wasting of the consumables, as excess amount of the tobacco material have not been used. The rolled sheet 100 of the present invention is not only easy to manufacture and has lower cost, its vapour performance is also increased due to the foam coated on the surface of the rolled sheet 100 can be heated evenly and more effectively while minimising the amount of tobacco-containing foam applied on the rolled sheet 100. Thanks to the rolled sheet 100 which has a longitudinal axis X, it allows the formation of a mainstream smoke (hereinafter referred to aerosol and/or vapour) where air flows at the centre of the rolled sheet 100 from one end to another end. The heated air when passing through the rolled sheet 100 contacts the surface of the rolled sheet 100 which is coated with the foam of the present invention, thereby generating aerosol and/or vapour.

Figures 1a and 1b show a first embodiment of the present invention where the rolled sheet 100 is provided with a plurality of perforations 15. The perforations 15 are preferably circular, having a mean diameter of between about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm, or more preferably between about 1 mm to about 3 mm. Such a mean diameter is sufficient to allow air circulation to take place. These perforations 15 can be provided evenly or randomly spacing from each other. The sheet 100 can be rolled as shown in the Figure 1b.

It is foreseeable that the perforations 15 can also be provided in any other shapes or sizes, such as a mixed of ellipses (elongated circle) and circles, as illustrated in the Figures 2a and 2b. These mixed of perforations allow the heated air to flow at a higher rate for a smoother vaping experience. The sheet 100 can be rolled as shown in the Figure 2b. When the ellipse perforations are being provided, the longitudinal axis of the elongated circle is preferably parallel to the longitudinal axis X of the rolled sheet 100 such as to assist rolling and maintaining the rigidity in the axial direction.

Figures 3a shows that the rolled sheet 100 of the present invention, apart from being provided with a plurality of perforations, it can also be cut perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X of the rolled sheet 100 into smaller portions. The size of the portion (of the rolled sheet 100) can be cut and adjusted accordingly, so that it accustoms to the type of vaping devices used for the aerosol-generating article (e.g. rolled sheet 100). This embodiment of the present invention illustrates that multiple sheets 100 are stacked on top of each other to form a thicker sheet before being rolled into a rolled sheet 100’ having larger thickness. This allows a longer vaping session as well as richer vapour/aerosol.

Figures 4a and 4b show a fourth embodiment according to the present invention where the sheet 100 is firstly provided with a wavy surface (see Figure 4a) before being rolled into rolled sheet 100. This embodiment has the advantage that the mainstream smoke can be subdivided into a plurality of “sub mainstreams 19. This allows more air to pass through the rolled sheet 100 longitudinally, thereby generating richer aerosol and/or vapour.

Figures 5a and 5b shows another embodiment of the present invention where the sheet 100 is firstly being provided with corrugated surface before being rolled into rolled sheet 100. The plurality of the longitudinal channels from the corrugated sheet allow the formation of a plurality of “sub-mainstreams 19”. Similar as in the fourth embodiment as shown in the Figure 4b, this allows more air to pass through the rolled sheet 100 longitudinally, thereby generating richer aerosol and/or vapour. The corrugated sheet can be made of one flattened sheet and another wavy sheet, stacking on top of each other, where the contact points can be glued. Alternatively, two wavy surface sheets can be glued to form the rolled sheet 100 having corrugated surface. This gives a more rigid construction as well as well-defined plurality of airgaps and evaporation surfaces. The extra rigidity is particularly advantageous for further handling of the rolled sheet 100. In further embodiments, the rolled sheet 100 of the present invention apart from the wavy surface or corrugated surface, it can also be provided with embossed or debossed surface, a studded surface, a pointed surface or the like. These surfaces encourage the generation of higher volume of aerosol as high volume of air contacts with the rolled sheet 100.

In all embodiments of the present invention, the rolled sheet 100 can be coated only on one side, preferably to the side where the surface is rolled inwards such that when the mainstream smoke flows from one end to another end of the rolled sheet 100, the foam-coated surface contacted with heated air releases aerosol. The foam-coated surface can of course be applied to another surface or be applied to both surfaces to increase the generation of aerosol and vapour. Moreover, binding element or binding compounds can be provided to the rolled sheet 100 such that the sheet 100’ will not be unrolled again. The rolling of the sheet 100 according to the present invention is relatively loose so as to leave air gaps flow through the overlapping surfaces of the rolled sheet 100.

The sheet 100 according to the present invention can be made of any flexible and/or inert material suitable for heating up to the working temperature of a vaping consumables (about 300°). Materials suitable for the sheet 100 according to the present invention are for example thermos-resistant plastic material, reconstituted tobacco (RTB), synthetic or natural fibrous materials which may be woven or nonwoven or even metal materials. The sheet surface can be coated completely with the foam according to the present invention or coated in a specific pattern such that only between 30% and 70 % of the surface are coated with the foam yet this is sufficient to generate aerosol for each session (approximately 15 puffs).

To this end, it is disclosed that the perforations 19 can be provided to the rolled sheet 100 either before or after being coated. The perforations allow a number of “branch smoke streams” to be formed. This improves airflow and reduce the amount of foam needed to be coated on the surface of the sheet 100.

The rolled sheet 100 of the present invention can be used as an aerosol-generating article. The article can be further wrapped in an additional film to improve handling, or alternatively be integrated into a capsule. The aerosol generating article of the present invention can be used in an oven type heater as well as internal heating type of vaping device. Such vaping device may heat the aerosol-generating article with a heating element such as a heating pin or a blade.

Claims

1. An aerosol-generating article comprising a rolled sheet coated on at least one of its surface with a foam of tobacco-containing aerosol generating substrate.

2. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 1, wherein the foam is applied to both surface of the rolled sheet.

3. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the rolled sheet is only partially coated or fully coated with the foam.

4. The aerosol-generating article according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a plurality of perforations are provided to the rolled sheet.

5. The aerosol-generating article according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rolled sheet has a wavy surface, embossed or debossed surface, a studded surface, a pointed surface or a corrugated surface.

6. The aerosol-generating article according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rolled sheet has a corrugated sheet structure.

7. The aerosol-generating article according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rolled sheet comprises a multiple layers of sheets stacked on top of each other, wherein at least one, two, three or four sheets are coated with the foam to form the rolled sheet.

8. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 7, wherein the sheets coated with the foam are separated by one or more sheets without coating.

9. The aerosol-generating article according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rolled sheet is an inert and/or porous and/or flexible material such as a plastic material, reconstituted tobacco.

10. The aerosol-generating article according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rolled sheet is fibrous material such as a woven or an unwoven material.

11. A method of manufacturing an aerosol-generating article according to any one of claims 1-10, comprising the steps of a. Providing a sheet; b. Coating at least one face of the sheet with a foam of aerosol generating substrate, c. Rolling up the sheet to form the aerosol-generating article.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprises the step of stacking up multiple sheets on top of each other, wherein the sheets comprises only sheets coated with a said foam of aerosol-generating substrate or a mix of coated or uncoated sheets.

13. The method according to claim 11 or claim 12, further comprising a step of cutting the rolled sheet perpendicular to its longitudinal axis.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, further comprising a step of providing a fastening means to the rolled sheet to prevent unrolling of the sheet.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, further comprising a step of providing a wrap to the rolled sheet for packaging purpose.