EP4585067A1

EP4585067A1 - Smoking article including lyocell tow

Info

Publication number: EP4585067A1
Application number: EP25151949.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Min Hee Hwang; Sung Min Moon; Sung Jong Ki; Jin Chul Yang; Sung Hoon Ha; John Tae Lee; Kyeng Bae Ma; Ki Jin AHN; Jong Cheol Jeong; Sang Woo Jin; Eun Young Park; Jeong Hun Lee; Seung Dong SEO; Yeong Nam Hwang
Original assignee: Kolon Industries Inc; KT&G Corp
Current assignee: Kolon Industries Inc; KT&G Corp
Priority date: 2024-01-15
Filing date: 2025-01-15
Publication date: 2025-07-16
Also published as: WO2025155073A1

Abstract

Provided is a smoking article. The smoking article includes a medium portion, a front-end filter segment arranged on one side of the medium portion and including lyocell tow including a plurality of lyocell fibers, and a mouthpiece portion arranged spaced apart from the other side opposite to the one side of the medium portion.

Description

[Technical Field]

The present invention relates to a smoking article in which a front-end filter segment, which is located upstream of a medium portion and comes into contact with the medium portion, is composed of lyocell tow including a plurality of lyocell fibers, thereby preventing a liquefied aerosol from flowing into an aerosol generation device from the medium portion during smoking, preventing the tow from melting due to heat applied to heat the medium portion, and improving the dispersion uniformity of a humectant in the front-end filter segment.

[Background Art]

In smoking articles, the transfer of tobacco components (e.g., nicotine, tar) and the generation of an atomized aerosol (vapor) have a significant impact on the user's smoking experience. In general, the smoking articles operate by heating a stick to a high temperature of approximately 150 to 300°C using a device and transferring the heat of the heated stick to a medium portion so that the tobacco components such as nicotine and the like can be smoothly transferred as the temperature of the medium portion rises. Meanwhile, in order to increase the temperature of the medium portion, a separate heating rod may be inserted into the medium portion to heat the medium portion.
However, such a structure has the following problems.
First, when the heating rod is heated to a high temperature, a problem occurs where residual substances (extracts, contaminants) generated from the tobacco components stick to the heating rod. These residual substances cause a decrease in the performance of the device during use, and require periodic cleaning to remove the contamination.
Second, in a process of separating the smoking article from the device after smoking, some of the tobacco components are introduced into the device, causing inconvenience to the user. These introduced components may deteriorate the operation and hygiene of the device, and have a negative impact on the user's experience.

[Disclosure]

[Technical Problem]

One object of the present invention is to provide a smoking article including a front-end filter segment, a medium portion, a support structure, a cooling structure, and a mouthpiece portion, wherein the front-end filter segment, which is located upstream of the medium portion and comes into contact with the medium portion, is composed of lyocell tow including a plurality of lyocell fibers, thereby preventing a liquefied aerosol from flowing into an aerosol generation device from the medium portion during smoking, preventing the tow from melting due to heat applied to heat the medium portion, and improving the degree of dispersion of a humectant in the front-end filter segment.
The objects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned objects can be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains from the description below.

[Technical Solution]

One aspect of the present application for achieving the one object provides a smoking article including: a medium portion, a front-end filter segment arranged on one side of the medium portion and including lyocell tow including a plurality of lyocell fibers, and a mouthpiece portion arranged spaced apart from the other side opposite to the one side of the medium portion.
In some embodiments, the smoking article may further include a cooling structure arranged between the medium portion and the mouthpiece portion.
In some embodiments, the smoking article may further include a support structure arranged between the medium portion and the cooling structure.
In some embodiments, the support structure may include at least one of a lyocell filter and a cellulose acetate filter.
In some embodiments, the support structure may have a tube shape having a hollow formed therein.
In some embodiments, the support structure may include at least one of a lyocell filter and a cellulose acetate filter, and the support structure may have a tube shape having a hollow formed therein.
In some embodiments, the cooling structure may include at least one of a lyocell filter, a paper tube filter, and a cellulose acetate filter.
In some embodiments, the cooling structure may have a tube shape having a hollow formed therein.
In some embodiments, the cooling structure may include at least one of a lyocell filter, a paper tube filter, and a cellulose acetate filter, and the cooling structure may have a tube shape having a hollow formed therein.
In some embodiments, the front-end filter segment may further include one or more humectants.
In some embodiments, the humectant may be dispersed throughout the entire region of the lyocell tow.
In some embodiments, the humectant may include at least one of glycerin or propylene glycol.
In some embodiments, the medium portion may have a length of 5 mm to 14 mm.
In some embodiments, the front-end filter segment may have a length of 3 mm to 12 mm.
In some embodiments, the medium portion may be characterized by having a length of 5 mm to 14 mm, and the front-end filter segment may be characterized by having a length of 3 mm to 12 mm.
Another aspect of the present application provides a system including the above-described smoking article and an aerosol generation device to which the smoking article is applied.

[Advantageous Effects]

The present invention can provide a smoking article in which a front-end filter segment, which is located upstream of a medium portion and comes into contact with the medium portion, is composed of lyocell tow including a plurality of lyocell fibers, thereby preventing a liquefied aerosol from flowing into an aerosol generation device from the medium portion during smoking, preventing the tow from melting due to heat applied to heat the medium portion, and improving the degree of dispersion of a humectant in the front-end filter segment.
Advantageous effects according to the technical spirit of the present disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned advantageous effects can be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art from the description below.

[Description of Drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a smoking article according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a smoking article according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an image obtained by photographing filters of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 before and after heating so as to compare the heat resistance characteristics of the filters of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1.
FIG. 4 is an image obtained by photographing filters of Example 2 and Comparative Example 2 after one week of conditioning so as to compare the glycerin dispersibility of the filters of Example 2 and Comparative Example 2.
FIGS. 5 to 7 show various types of aerosol generation devices to which smoking articles according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied.

[Mode for Invention]

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Advantages and features of the present disclosure and methods of achieving the same should become clear with embodiments described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the technical spirit of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments and may be implemented in various different forms. The following embodiments are only provided to make the technical spirit of the present disclosure complete and completely inform those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains of the scope of the present disclosure. The technical spirit of the present disclosure is defined only by the scope of the claims.
In assigning reference numerals to components in each of the drawings, it should be noted that the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components wherever possible even when the components are shown in different drawings. Also, in describing the present disclosure, when it is determined that the detailed description of a known related configuration or function may obscure the gist of the present disclosure, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical or scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. Also, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. Terms used herein are for describing the embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. In the present specification, a singular expression includes a plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
Also, in describing components of the present disclosure, the terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. Such terms are only used for distinguishing one component from another component, and the essence, order, sequence, or the like of the corresponding component is not limited by the terms. In a case in which a certain component is described as being "connected," "coupled," or "linked" to another component, it should be understood that, although the component may be directly connected or linked to the other component, still another component may also be "connected," "coupled," or "linked" between the two components.
The terms "comprises" and/or "comprising" used herein do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more components, steps, operations, and/or devices other than those mentioned.
First, some terms used herein will be clarified.
In the present specification, a "smoking article" may refer to any product that can be smoked or any product that can provide a smoking experience, regardless of whether the product is based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, or tobacco substitutes. For example, the smoking article may include products that can be smoked, such as cigarettes, cigars, and cigarillos.
In the present specification, a "smoking material" may refer to any type of material that may be used in a smoking article.
In the present specification, "user" may be used interchangeably with a "consumer."
In the present specification, "upstream" or "upstream direction" may refer to a direction moving away from an oral region of a smoker, and "downstream" or "downstream direction" may refer to a direction approaching the oral region of the smoker.
In the present specification, a "longitudinal direction" may refer to a direction corresponding to the longitudinal axis of a smoking article. The "longitudinal axis" of the smoking article may refer to an imaginary line that extends along the main longitudinal direction of the smoking article. This axis typically runs from one end of the smoking article (e.g., the mouthpiece or filter end) to the opposite end (e.g., the combustion or heat source end).
In the present specification, a "lyocell filter" refers to a filter that includes or is composed of lyocell tow.
In the present specification, "lyocell tow" includes or is composed of a plurality of lyocell fibers. In some embodiments, the lyocell tow may refer to a bundle formed by cross-linking adjacent lyocell fibers.
In the present specification, "lyocell fiber" may refer to a fiber made of lyocell cellulose. In particular, the lyocell fiber may be a fiber made of cellulose derived from or mainly derived from wood pulp, particularly a semi-synthetic fiber.
In the present specification, a "reconstituted tobacco leaf" refers to a tobacco leaf reconstituted from tobacco materials.
In the present specification, a "reconstituted tobacco leaf" or "reconstituted tobacco sheet" may refer to a sheet made by combining tobacco by-products selected from the group consisting of stems, dust, particulates, and a combination thereof with a binder. In some embodiments, the reconstituted tobacco leaf is a homogenized tobacco leaf.
In the present specification, a "recessed filter" may refer to a filter including one or more pores.
In the present specification, a "hollow" may refer to a channel extending along in the longitudinal direction.
In the present specification, the "wrapping" of a medium portion, a support structure, a cooling structure, a front-end filter segment, and/or a mouthpiece portion with a wrapper may refer to at least a portion of the peripheral surface along the longitudinal axis of the medium portion, the support structure, the cooling structure, the front-end filter segment, and/or the mouthpiece portion being surrounded by the wrapper.
In the present specification, the "single fiber fineness" of lyocell tow or cellulose acetate tow refers to a fiber fineness of a single strand of monofilament separated from a multifilament of lyocell fibers or cellulose acetate fibers constituting the lyocell tow or cellulose acetate tow.
In the present specification, the hardness of a filter is a value obtained by quantifying the degree to which the diameter of the filter is maintained when the filter is pressed with a certain level of force in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the filter, and may be the ratio of the diameter of the filter after the force is applied to the diameter of the filter before the force is applied expressed as a percentage. For example, the hardness (%) of the filter may be calculated as (D-a)/D × 100%. Here, D represents the diameter of the filter, and a represents the distance at which the filter is lowered by a 300 g weight (i.e., the filter is pressed). The measured value necessary for calculating the hardness may be obtained using, for example, DHT 200^™ of Filtrona. In measuring the hardness, the force applied to the filter may be considered to be a value equivalent to the force applied when an actual user holds a smoking article.
In the present specification, the "total fiber fineness" of lyocell tow or cellulose acetate tow refers to a fiber fineness of a multifilament of lyocell fibers or cellulose acetate fibers constituting the lyocell tow or cellulose acetate tow.
A filter of the smoking article according to one aspect of the present invention may collect at least a portion of smoke components generated when the smoking article is smoked. In some embodiments, the filter of the smoking article may collect the total particulate matter (hereinafter, may be abbreviated as "TPM") including at least a portion of at least one of nicotine (hereinafter, may be abbreviated as "Nic"), tar, propylene glycol (hereinafter, may be abbreviated as "PG"), and glycerin (hereinafter, may be abbreviated as "Gly") included in the smoke components generated when the smoking article is smoked.
In the present specification, "roundness" refers to a degree of deviation from a geometric circle. For example, the roundness of a filter may be defined as (radius of smaller circle/radius of larger circle) × 100% when two imaginary circles that come into contact with at least one point of the outer circumference of the filter in the cross-section of the filter and have the smallest distance from each other among concentric circles with different radii are drawn.
In the present specification, "resistance to draw" refers to a difference in static pressure between both ends of a sample when an airflow passes through the sample. In the present specification, "PDC" refers to a value obtained by measuring the resistance to draw in a state in which the medium portion is open, the perforations of the filter portion are blocked, and the inflow of outside air is blocked, and "PDO" refers to a value obtained by measuring the resistance to draw in a state in which the medium portion is open, the perforations of the filter portion are not blocked, and the inflow of outside air is allowed. For example, the resistance to draw may be measured using the method specified in ISO standard 6565:2015. According to ISO standard 6565:2015, the resistance to draw may refer to a difference in static pressure between both ends of the sample when an airflow passes through the sample under normal conditions (22 ± 2 °C and 60 ± 5% relative humidity) with a volume flow rate of 17.5 mm/s at the discharge end.
In the present specification, an organic acid is a general term for organic compounds that are acidic.
In some embodiments, room temperature may refer to 20 °C to 25 °C.
In the present specification, when no separate physical quantity is indicated, "component %" and "component proportion" refer to the weight % of the component and the weight proportion of the component, respectively.
In the present specification, "puff" refers to an action of drawing or inhaling the air through a smoking article to produce and inhale smoke or vapor. "Puff count" may refer to the total number of drawing and inhalation actions during use of the smoking article. Alternatively or additionally, the puff count may represent the maximum number of drawing and inhalation actions that the smoking article can provide before it is completely consumed or ceases to function.
In the present specification, Health Canada (HC) conditions may include a puff volume of 55 ml, a puff frequency of 30 seconds, and a puff duration of 2 seconds. Particularly, the HC conditions may be based on a state in which the perforations of a filter are blocked. In measurement under the HC conditions, the puff count may be 9.
In the present specification, the "ventilation rate (hereinafter, may be abbreviated as "Vent")" of a smoking article may be defined as the ratio (expressed as a percentage) of the total volume flow rate (e.g., mL/s) of air entering the smoking article without burning or heating through the front region, that is, the longitudinal upstream end, of the smoking article to the total volume flow rate (e.g., mL/s) of air at the outlet, that is, the longitudinal downstream end, of the smoking article. For example, the ventilation rate may be measured according to ISO 9512:2019. For example, the total volume flow rate of air entering the smoking article without burning or heating through the front region of the smoking article may be the total volume flow rate of air entering in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the smoking article. For example, the total volume flow rate of air entering the smoking article without burning or heating through the front region of the smoking article may be the total volume flow rate of air entering the smoking article through wrapping paper.
The content of the components in the total particulate matter (TPM) of the collected smoke may be analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). For example, in the case of tar or nicotine, a Cambridge filter (Cambridge filter pad (CFP)) on which the smoke components are collected is immersed in isopropyl alcohol (IPA) for a predetermined time (for example, 20 minutes to 16 hours). In the case of PG and Gly, a Cambridge filter (Cambridge filter pad (CFP)) on which the smoke components are collected is immersed in methanol for a predetermined time (for example, 2 hours to 16 hours), treated using a shaker device, and then passed through a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) syringe filter to remove impurities. Thereafter, the content of the components included in the total particulate matter (TPM) of the collected smoke may be measured using a GC/MS device. The immersion time may be 20 minutes or more, particularly for tar or nicotine, and 2 hours or more for PG and Gly.
The amount of components (particularly the amount of nicotine components) remaining inside a front-end filter segment (particularly, a lyocell filter and/or lyocell tow; particularly a front-end filter segment) and/or segments and the like after smoking may be measured by immersing the filter and/or segments and the like (particularly the front-end filter segment) in water (distilled water) after smoking to extract the residual components (particularly the nicotine components) and analyzing the residual components using a GC/MS device. At this time, the filter and/or segments and the like (particularly the front-end filter segment) are immersed overnight (for example, for 12 to 16 hours) in a container containing distilled water, and a solution containing the components extracted thereby may be utilized for GC/MS analysis. The immersion time may be particularly 16 hours.
The GC/MS may be, for example, a measuring device from Agilent.
Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a smoking article according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a smoking article according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Referring to FIG. 1, a smoking article 100 may include a medium portion 110, a mouthpiece portion 140, and a front-end filter segment 111. In some embodiments, the smoking article 100 may further include at least one of a support structure 120, a cooling structure 130, and a wrapper 150. In some embodiments, the smoking article 100 may further include a support structure 120 and a cooling structure 130. The cooling structure 130 may be arranged downstream (or on the other side, where the other side refers to the opposite side of one side) of the medium portion 110 and spaced apart from the medium portion 110. The support structure 120 may be arranged between the medium portion 110 and the cooling structure 130. In particular, the smoking article 100 may include a medium portion 110, a front-end filter segment 111 arranged upstream (or on one side) of the medium portion 110 and in contact with the medium portion 110, and a mouthpiece portion 140 arranged on one side (i.e., downstream) of the support structure 120 with a cooling structure 130 therebetween. That is, the smoking article 100 may include a medium portion 110, a front-end filter segment 111 arranged upstream (or on one side) of the medium portion 110 and in contact with the medium portion 110, and a mouthpiece portion 140 arranged in an opposite direction of the support structure 120 with respect to the cooling structure 130. In some embodiments, the smoking article 100 may include a wrapper 150 configured to wrap at least a portion of the medium portion 110, the support structure 120, the cooling structure 130, the mouthpiece portion 140, and the front-end filter segment 111. In some embodiments, the smoking article 100 may be arranged in the order of the front-end filter segment 111, the medium portion 110, and the mouthpiece portion 140 along the longitudinal direction of the smoking article 100. In some embodiments, the smoking article 100 may be arranged in the order of the front-end filter segment 111, the medium portion 110, the cooling structure 130, and the mouthpiece portion 140 along the longitudinal direction of the smoking article 100. In some embodiments, the smoking article 100 may be arranged in the order of the front-end filter segment 111, the medium portion 110, the support structure 120, the cooling structure 130, and the mouthpiece portion 140 along the longitudinal direction of the smoking article 100.
The medium portion 110 may include an aerosol-forming substrate. Since the medium portion 110 includes the aerosol-forming substrate, the medium portion 110 may generate an aerosol when heated. The medium portion 110 may have a length of approximately 5 mm to 14 mm (for example, 7mm or 12 mm), but the present invention is not limited thereto. The medium portion 110 may be inserted into an aerosol generation device to generate an aerosol when heated. The generated aerosol (e.g., mainstream smoke) may be inhaled through the user's oral region.
In some embodiments, although the aerosol-forming substrate may include a tobacco material, the processed form of the tobacco material may vary. For example, the aerosol-forming substrate may include a reconstituted tobacco sheet such as a reconstituted tobacco leaf sheet. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming substrate may include a reconstituted tobacco leaf sheet. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming substrate may also include a plurality of tobacco strands (which may also be referred to as a cut filler) formed from shredded reconstituted tobacco sheets. In some embodiments, the medium portion 110 may be filled with the plurality of tobacco strands arranged in the same (e.g., parallel) direction and/or randomly. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming substrate may also include a cut filler of leaf tobacco.
In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming substrate may include a reconstituted tobacco sheet and/or a cut filler of leaf tobacco.
In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming substrate or the medium portion 110 may include at least one humectant. The humectant may include glycerin and/or propylene glycol, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming substrate or the medium portion 110 may contain at least one flavoring agent (or, may be referred to as a "flavoring material") and/or other additives such as an organic acid. For example, the flavoring agent may include licorice, sucrose, fructose syrup, an artificial sweetener (e.g., Isosweet^™), cocoa, lavender, cinnamon, cardamom, celery, fenugreek, cascarilla, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, mint oil, cinnamon, caraway, cognac, jasmine, chamomile, menthol, ylang ylang, sage, spearmint, ginger, coriander, and/or coffee, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
The front-end filter segment 111 is located upstream (on one side) of the medium portion 110, and the downstream side of the front-end filter segment 111 may come into contact with the upstream side of the medium portion 110. The front-end filter segment 111 may prevent the medium portion 110 from escaping to the outside of the smoking article 100. The front-end filter segment 111 may also prevent the liquefied aerosol from flowing into the aerosol generation device ( the reference numeral "1000" in FIGS. 5 to 7) from the medium portion 110 during smoking. In some embodiments, the front-end filter segment 111 may have a length of 3 mm to 12 mm (for example, 5 mm or 10 mm), but the present invention is not limited thereto.
In one embodiment, the front-end filter segment 111 may include or may be composed of lyocell tow including a plurality of lyocell fibers.
In the present invention, the lyocell fibers included in the front-end filter segment 111 are environmentally-friendly fibers made of cellulose extracted from wood pulp. The lyocell tow may refer to a bundle formed by cross-linking adjacent lyocell fibers.
In some embodiments, the lyocell fibers may have a Y-shaped cross-section with three protrusions branching from the center thereof, a cross-shaped cross-section with four protrusions, and/or a star-shaped cross-section with five protrusions, or may also have an O-shaped cross-section, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
Since the front-end filter segment 111 according to the present invention includes a lyocell material, compared to a case where the front-end filter segment 111 includes cellulose acetate, the front-end filter segment 111 may not be deformed by high-temperature heat applied during heating for smoking due to the characteristics of the heat-resistant lyocell material. That is, since the front-end filter segment 111 includes or is composed of lyocell tow that does not melt even at high temperatures, the high heat resistance characteristics of lyocell tow may minimize deformation of the structure of the front-end filter segment 111 when a heating rod is inserted into the front-end filter segment 111 and heat is applied for heating and/or when heat is applied to the front-end filter segment 111 arranged adjacent to the medium portion 110 using an external heater. Accordingly, the smoke components may also be generally maintained uniformly over the smoking time, thereby providing the user with a more improved smoking experience.
Also, since the front-end filter segment 111 according to the present invention includes or is composed of the lyocell material, compared to a case where the front-end filter segment 111 is composed of paper, when inserting a heater rod (assigned to the reference numeral "1300" in FIG. 5) for heating, the heater rod may be easily inserted due to the characteristics of a plurality of lyocell fibers that are randomly arranged unlike paper filters in which a grain direction is present.
In some embodiments, the front-end filter segment 111 may further include one or more humectants dispersed in the lyocell tow. The humectants may be uniformly dispersed in the entire region of the lyocell tow. The humectant may include glycerin and/or propylene glycol, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
The support structure 120 may be located downstream (i.e., on the other side opposite to one side) of the medium portion 110, and the upstream side of the support structure 120 may come into contact with the downstream side of the medium portion 110. The support structure 120 may function as a support member for the medium portion 110. For example, when a heating element of the aerosol generation device is inserted into the medium portion 110 and/or aligned to the outside of the medium portion 110, the support structure 120 may function to prevent the medium portion 110 from moving downstream. The support structure 120 may also serve as a passage for aerosol (e.g., mainstream smoke) formed in the medium portion 110.
In some embodiments, the support structure 120 includes a tubular structure having a hollow 120H formed therein, and the hollow 120H may function as a channel for the aerosol (i.e., through which the aerosol moves). The hollow 120H may extend along the longitudinal direction of the support structure 120. The hollow 120H is located at the center of a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the support structure 120 and may extend along the longitudinal direction of the support structure 120. The hollow 120H and the support structure 120 may have a coaxial structure along the longitudinal direction. The support structure 120 may have a length of approximately 8 mm to 14 mm (for example, 10 mm or 12 mm), but the present invention is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the length of the support structure 120 may be shorter than or equal to the length of a cooling structure 130 described below, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
The downstream end of the tubular structure included in the support structure 120 may come into contact with the upstream end of the tubular structure included in the cooling structure 130. In other words, one end located on one side (downstream) of the support structure 120 may come into contact with an end located on the other side (upstream) opposite to the one side of the cooling structure 130, and the other end located on the other side (upstream) of the support structure 120 may come into contact with one side end of the medium portion 110. Accordingly, the aerosol formed in the medium portion 110 may move toward the mouthpiece portion 140 (i.e., in the downstream direction) through the hollow 120H or 130H.
The support structure 120 may include at least one of cellulose acetate or lyocell. In particular, the support structure 120 may include a tubular structure made of a cellulose acetate material and/or a tubular structure made of a lyocell material including a plurality of lyocell fibers. In some embodiments, the support structure 120 may be a tube filter composed of cellulose acetate fibers or a tube filter composed of lyocell fibers. In some embodiments, the support structure 120 may be a tubular structure (for example, a tube filter) including cellulose acetate fibers. In some embodiments, the support structure 120 may be a tubular structure (for example, a tube filter) made of a lyocell material including a plurality of lyocell fibers. The support structure 120 may effectively prevent the medium portion 110 from moving in a downstream direction in a situation in which a heating element is inserted, and may also provide filtration and cooling effects for the aerosol.
Preferably, the support structure 120 may include a tubular structure that includes or is composed of lyocell tow including a plurality of lyocell fibers. Alternatively or additionally, the support structure 120 may also include a tubular structure that includes or is composed of a cellulose acetate material, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Since the support structure 120 has a hollow formed therein and includes or is composed of lyocell tow including a plurality of lyocell fibers, due to the high heat resistance characteristics of lyocell tow that does not melt even at high temperatures, deformation of the support structure 120 caused by heat applied to heat the smoking article 100 and/or high-temperature aerosol passing through the hollow 120H of the support structure 120 may be prevented. Accordingly, since the support structure 120 may maintain its shape during smoking, the smoke components passing through the hollow 120H of the support structure 120 may also be maintained uniformly without variation depending on the smoking time, thereby providing the user with a more improved smoking experience.
Meanwhile, it may be desirable for the support structure 120 to be manufactured to have appropriate hardness and/or durability for its support role. In some embodiments, when the support structure 120 includes cellulose acetate, the hardness of the support structure 120 may be adjusted by adjusting the amount of plasticizer added when the support structure 120 is manufactured using the cellulose acetate. Also, as the inner diameter of the support structure 120 increases (i.e., as the difference between the outer diameter and the inner diameter of the support structure 120 decreases), the content of the added plasticizer may also increase. In some other embodiments, the support structure 120 may be manufactured by inserting a structure made of the same or different material, such as a film, a tube, and/or the like, into the interior (i.e., the hollow 120H) of the support structure 120.
In some other embodiments, when the support structure 120 includes lyocell fibers, the support structure 120 may be a lyocell filter which has a hollow 120H formed therein and to which a binder is added. Unlike cellulose acetate, the lyocell fibers do not have a plasticizer material that hardens lyocell fibers. Instead, a binder may be added to impart appropriate hardness to the support structure 120. That is, when the support structure 120 further includes a binder, excellent hardness may be achieved even though the support structure 120 is a lyocell filter including lyocell tow.
In some embodiments, the binder may include at least one of a cellulose-based binder, a vinyl-based binder, a polyester-based binder, a dextrin-based binder, a starch-based binder, guar gum, xanthan gum, gum arabic, carrageenan, konjac, and agar, but is not limited thereto as long as the binder is a material capable of binding between a plurality of lyocell fibers to impart appropriate hardness. For example, the cellulose-based binder may include hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), ethyl cellulose (EC), methyl cellulose (MC), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and the like, the vinyl-based binder may include polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVAc), and the like, the polyester-based binder may be a polyester including one or more selected from the group consisting of alkylenes, arylenes, and heteroarylenes having 5 to 12 carbon atoms, the dextrin-based binder may include dextrin and the like, and the starch-based binder may include starch (for example, tapioca, corn, wheat, potato, sweet potato, and the like), cationic starch, esterified starch, and the like, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
In some embodiments, the binder may include at least one of a polyester including one or more selected from the group consisting of alkylenes, arylenes, and heteroarylenes having 5 to 12 carbon atoms, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), ethyl cellulose (EC), methyl cellulose (MC), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVAc), dextrin, tapioca starch, corn starch, wheat starch, potato starch, sweet potato starch, cationic starch, esterified starch, guar gum, xanthan gum, gum arabic, carrageenan, konjac, and agar.
In some embodiments, the support structure 120 may be a flavored filter to which a flavoring material such as menthol and the like has been added (i.e., flavored). In this case, the flavor development of the smoking article 100 may be enhanced. In some embodiments, the support structure 120 may be a flavored filter to which a flavoring material such as menthol has been added (i.e., flavored).
The cooling structure 130 may function as a cooling member for a high-temperature aerosol generated as the medium portion 110 is heated. In particular, the cooling structure 130 may include a tubular structure having a hollow 130H formed therein, and may cool an aerosol passing through the hollow 130H. The hollow 130H may extend along the longitudinal direction of the cooling structure 130. The hollow 130H is located at the center of a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cooling structure 130, and may extend along the longitudinal direction of the cooling structure 130. The hollow 130H and the cooling structure 130 may have a coaxial structure along the longitudinal direction. The hollow 120H of the support structure 120 and the hollow 130H of the cooling structure 130 are located at the center of a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the support structure 120 and the cooling structure 130, respectively, and may extend along the longitudinal direction of the support structure 120 and the cooling structure 130. The hollow 120H of the support structure 120 and the hollow 130H of the cooling structure 130 may extend along the same axis along the longitudinal direction. The hollow 120H of the support structure 120 and the hollow 130H of the cooling structure 130 may each have the same or different diameters in a cross-section perpendicular to the axis. In particular, the aerosol formed in the medium portion 110 may move to the hollow 130H of the cooling structure 130 through the hollow 120H of the support structure 120, and may move toward the mouthpiece portion 140 (i.e., in a downstream direction). Accordingly, the user may inhale an aerosol having an appropriate temperature, and the mainstream smoke may be smoothly aerosolized, thereby improving an amount of vapor.
In some embodiments, the cooling structure 130 may include at least one of a tubular structure made of a paper material, a tubular structure made of a cellulose acetate material, and a tubular structure made of a lyocell material. The cooling structure 130 may have a length of approximately 12 mm to 16 mm (for example, 14 mm), but the present invention is not limited thereto.
Preferably, the cooling structure 130 may include a tubular structure that includes or is composed of lyocell tow including a plurality of lyocell fibers. Alternatively or additionally, the cooling structure 130 may also include a tubular structure and/or a paper tube made of cellulose acetate, but the present invention is not limited thereto. When the cooling structure 130 has a hollow formed therein and includes or is composed of lyocell tow including a plurality of lyocell fibers, due to the high heat resistance characteristics of the lyocell tow that does not melt even at high temperatures, deformation of the cooling structure 130 caused by heat applied to heat the smoking article 100 and/or high-temperature aerosol passing through the hollow 130H of the cooling structure 130 may be prevented. Accordingly, since the cooling structure 130 may maintain its shape during smoking, the smoke components passing through the hollow 130H of the cooling structure 130 may also be maintained uniformly without variation according to the smoking time, thereby providing the user with a more improved smoking experience. When the cooling structure 130 includes lyocell tow, the cooling structure 130 may further include one or more binders dispersed in the lyocell tow so as to provide a predetermined hardness.
In some embodiments, the binder included in the cooling structure 130 may include the exemplary materials listed as the binder included in the support structure 120, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
In some embodiments, the binder included in the cooling structure 130 may be the same as or different from the binder included in the support structure 120.
In some embodiments, the binder included in the cooling structure 130 may include at least one of a polyester including one or more selected from the group consisting of alkylenes, arylenes, and heteroarylenes having 5 to 12 carbon atoms, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), ethyl cellulose (EC), methyl cellulose (MC), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVAc), dextrin, tapioca starch, corn starch, wheat starch, potato starch, sweet potato starch, cationic starch, esterified starch, guar gum, xanthan gum, gum arabic, carrageenan, konjac, and agar.
The mouthpiece portion 140 may serve as a mouthpiece that comes into contact with the user's oral region and as a filter that ultimately delivers the aerosol delivered from the upstream side to the user. The mouthpiece portion 140 may be located downstream of the cooling structure 130 and the upstream side of the mouthpiece portion 140 may come into contact with the downstream side of the cooling structure 130, and/or the mouthpiece portion 140 may form the downstream end of the smoking article 100.
In some embodiments, the mouthpiece portion 140 may be made of a cellulose acetate filter and/or a lyocell filter. That is, the mouthpiece portion 140 may be manufactured using cellulose acetate fibers (i.e., cellulose acetate tow) as a filter material and/or using lyocell fibers (i.e., lyocell tow) as a filter material. Although not shown, the mouthpiece portion 140 may also be made of a recessed filter. The mouthpiece portion 140 may have a length of approximately 10 mm to 14 mm (for example, 12 mm), but the present invention is not limited thereto.
In some embodiments, the mouthpiece portion 140 may include at least one capsule. Here, the capsule may have a structure in which a liquid including a flavoring is wrapped with a film. For example, the capsule may have a spherical or cylindrical shape.
For reference, the support structure 120, the cooling structure 130, and the mouthpiece portion 140 may all function as filters for aerosols. In this case, each component may be referred to as a "filter segment" to emphasize their function as the filters. For example, the support structure 120, the cooling structure 130, and the mouthpiece portion 140 may be referred to as a first filter segment, a second filter segment, and a third filter segment, respectively.
The wrapper 150 surrounds at least one of the medium portion 110, the support structure 120, the cooling structure 130, the front-end filter segment 111, and the mouthpiece portion 140, and may wrap the medium portion 110, the support structure 120, the cooling structure 130, the front-end filter segment 111, and the mouthpiece portion 140. Although not shown, at least one of the medium portion 110, the support structure 120, the cooling structure 130, the front-end filter segment 111, and the mouthpiece portion 140 may be wrapped with a separate wrapper before being wrapped with the wrapper 150. For example, the medium portion 110 may be wrapped with a medium portion wrapper (not shown), and the support structure 120, the cooling structure 130, and the mouthpiece portion 140 may be wrapped with a first filter wrapper (not shown), a second filter wrapper (not shown), and a third filter wrapper (not shown), respectively. However, a method of wrapping the smoking article 100 and components thereof is not limited thereto and may vary.
In some embodiments, the wrapper 150 may have perforations 160 (see FIG. 1) formed therein, the perforations 160 being arranged along the circumference of the cooling structure 130, or may not have perforations (no perforations, see FIG. 2) formed therein. In some embodiments, the wrapper 150 may have perforations 160 (see FIG. 1) formed therein, the perforations 160 being arranged along the circumference of the cooling structure 130, particularly along the circumference of a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cooling structure 130. When the perforations 160 are formed in the wrapper 150, outside air may be introduced into the cooling structure 130 through the plurality of perforations 160. The plurality of perforations 160 may serve to lower the surface temperature of the mouthpiece portion and the temperature of mainstream smoke delivered to the smoker through the introduction of outside air. However, no perforations may be formed in the wrapper 150, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Even when no perforations are formed in the wrapper 150, as described later, the lyocell material constituting the support structure 120 may have excellent moisture absorption performance in the mainstream smoke due to its excellent moisture affinity, thereby significantly reducing the feeling of heat of the mainstream smoke passing through the support structure 120.
Hereinafter, the configurations of the present invention and the advantageous effects according thereto will be described in more detail with reference to examples and comparative examples. However, it should be understood that these examples are merely for describing the present invention in more detail, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

Example 1 and Comparative Example 1

A lyocell filter was manufactured using lyocell tow having a single fiber fineness of 3.33 dtex (a mono denier of 3.0) and a total fiber fineness of 3,889 tex (a total denier of 35,000) under the conditions shown in Example 1 in Table 1, and a cellulose acetate filter in which a plasticizer was added to cellulose acetate tow having a single fiber fineness of 3.00 dtex (a mono denier of 2.7) and a total fiber fineness of 3,889 tex (a total denier of 35,000) was manufactured under the conditions shown in Comparative Example 1 in Table 1. [Table 1]

Classification Weight (mg) Circumference (mm) Resistance to draw (mmH₂0)

Example 1 570 21.96 350

Comparative Example 1 540 21.94 387

Experimental Example 1: Evaluation of heat resistance according to filter material

To evaluate the heat resistance according to the filter material, the filters of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 were heated to 250°C or higher using an external heating method under internal conditions of an internal temperature of approximately 22 ± 2°C and an internal relative humidity of approximately 60 ± 5%. The filter before heating was photographed and shown in FIG. 3A, and the filter after heating was photographed and shown in FIG. 3B.
In FIG. 3A, the left side is the filter of Comparative Example 1 before heating, and the right side is the filter of Example 1 before heating. In FIG. 3B, the left side is the filter of Comparative Example 1 after heating, and the right side is the filter of Example 1 after heating.
Referring to FIG. 3, it can be seen that the shape of the cellulose acetate filter of Comparative Example 1 is significantly different before and after heating, and no substantial shape remains because the cellulose acetate filter melts due to heat after heating. On the other hand, it can be seen that the lyocell filter of Example 1 maintains a substantially similar shape before and after heating although only some soot is generated after heating. This indicates that cellulose acetate is a fiber having an amorphous structure and completely melts due to its weak heat resistance characteristics but lyocell has strong heat resistance characteristics.

Example 2 and Comparative Example 2

A lyocell filter having a length of 84 mm was manufactured under the conditions shown in Example 2 in Table 2 by wrapping lyocell tow having a single fiber fineness of 3.33 dtex (a mono denier of 3.0) and a total fiber fineness of 3,889 tex (a total denier of 35,000) with wrapping paper, and a cellulose acetate filter having a length of 84 mm was manufactured under the conditions shown in Comparative Example 2 in Table 2 by adding a plasticizer to cellulose acetate tow, which has a single fiber fineness of 3.00 dtex (a mono denier of 2.7) and a total fiber fineness of 3,889 tex (a total denier of 35,000) and then wrapping the cellulose acetate tow with wrapping paper. [Table 2]

Classification Weight (mg) Circumference (mm) Roundness (%) Resistance to draw (mmH₂0)

Example 2 925.9 22.08 92.0 414.1

Comparative Example 2 900.0 21.967 91.35 404.4

Experimental Example 2: Evaluation of glycerin dispersibility (diffusibility) according to filter material

Using a nozzle, 4 mg/mm (i.e., 4 mg per 1 mm in a longitudinal direction) of glycerin was injected into the interior of each tow of the filters of Example 2 and Comparative Example 2 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and each of the glycerin-injected filters was then conditioned at an internal temperature of approximately 22 ± 2°C and an internal relative humidity of approximately 60 ± 5% for one week. Thereafter, cross-sections of the respective filters of Example 2 and Comparative Example 2 were photographed so as to confirm the degree of diffusion in the filters. The results are shown in FIG. 4.
Referring to FIG. 4A, it can be seen that the cross-section of the filter of Comparative Example 2, in which glycerin was injected into the cellulose acetate filter, shows that after the glycerin was added, it was concentrated mostly in the center of the filter and spread only in one direction, thereby forming spots. On the other hand, referring to FIG. 4B, it can be seen that the cross-section of the filter of Example 2, in which glycerin was injected into the lyocell filter, shows that no spots were formed. Accordingly, it can be seen that in the case of the cellulose acetate filter, glycerin did not move and diffuse smoothly within the cellulose acetate tow, but in the case of the lyocell filter, glycerin moved and diffused smoothly within the lyocell tow.
Therefore, when the front-end filter segment 111 is composed of lyocell tow, it is implied that even when a humectant (e.g., glycerin) is added to the front-end filter segment 111, the humectant may be uniformly dispersed inside the front-end filter segment 111 arranged at the frontmost end of the smoking article 100, thereby minimizing leakage to the outside from the front-end filter segment 111. Also, it is implied that since the humectant is uniformly dispersed inside the lyocell tow during the storage and/or distribution process of the smoking article 100, the humectant leaks out of the smoking article 100 to reduce an amount of the humectant remaining inside the front-end filter segment 111, thereby preventing a decrease in the amount of vapor produced during smoking.

Example 3

A lyocell filter was manufactured under the conditions as shown in Table 3 below using lyocell tow having a single fiber fineness of 3.33 dtex (a mono denier of 3.0) and a total fiber fineness of 3,889 tex (a total denier of 35,000). Wrapping paper (wrapping paper not treated to be grease-resistant) having a basis weight of 75 gsm was used as the wrapper used to manufacture the filters. [Table 3]

Classification Weight (mg) Length (mm) Circumference (mm) Resistance to draw (mmWG) Hardness (%)

Example 3 831.10 112 22.04 713.9 91.43
Next, the filter of Example 3 was cut to 5 mm, and a heating-type cigarette (as the smoking article 100 shown in FIG. 1), which has a structure including a front-end filter segment including the filter of Example 3 having a length of 5 mm; a medium portion having a length of 7 mm; a support structure made of a cellulose acetate material and having a hollow having an inner diameter of 2.7 mm, an outer diameter of 7 mm, and a length of 10 mm; a cooling structure made of a paper tube and having an inner diameter of 6 mm and a length of 14 mm; and a mouthpiece portion composed of cellulose acetate tow and having a length of 12 mm, was manufactured, and the smoking article was then manufactured under the conditions shown in Table 4 below.
Hereinafter, unless otherwise further specified herein, PDC may refer to a value obtained by measuring the resistance to draw in a state in which the medium portion is open, the perforations of the filter portion are blocked, and the inflow of outside air is blocked, and PDO may refer to a value obtained by measuring the resistance to draw in a state in which the medium portion is open, the perforations of the filter portion are not blocked, and the inflow of outside air is allowed. [Table 4]

Classification Weight (mg) Circumference (mm) Vent (%) PDO (mmH₂0) PDC (mmH₂0)

Smoking article of Example 3 579.5 22.692 21.44 69.7 80.5

(In Table 3 above, Vent represents a ventilation rate (VR).)

Experimental Example 3: Evaluation of aerosol components according to filter material

The medium portion of the smoking article of Example 3 was heated to a heating temperature of 190°C to 280°C using an external heating method, and the total particulate matter (TPM), nicotine components, moisture content, and the like in the generated aerosol were measured, and the residual amount of nicotine in the front-end filter segment was measured. The results are shown in Table 5 below.
In particular, this experiment was conducted on the smoking article according to Example 3 in a smoking room having an internal temperature of approximately 22 ± 2°C and an internal relative humidity of approximately 60 ± 5% (specifically, a temperature of approximately 21.9°C and a relative humidity of 64.3%). In this case, the experiment was conducted under smoking conditions, that is, HC conditions (Puff volume: 55 mL/Puff frequency: 30 s/Puff duration: 2 s/Puff count: 9 puffs). The generated smoke was collected on a Cambridge filter (i.e., a Cambridge filter pad (CFP)), and analyzed. The total particulate matter (TPM) is a value obtained by measuring the change in weight of the Cambridge filter before and after smoking using a smoking device. For the remaining components, the collected smoke was analyzed by gas chromatography (GC). [Table 5]

Classification TPM (mg) Tar (mg) Nic (mg) PG (mg) Gly (mg) Moisture (mg) Residual amount of nicotine in filter (mg)

Example 3 29.49 13.63 0.72 0.48 3.81 15.15 0.19
Referring to Table 5 above, it can be seen that the moisture transfer amount in the aerosol is 15.15 mg, and thus the smoking article has an excellent effect of reducing the smoker's feeling of heat, thereby improving the user's smoking quality. Also, it can be seen that the residual amount of nicotine in the front-end filter segment after smoking is 0.19 mg, indicating that some of the nicotine in the medium portion moves upstream in a direction opposite to the direction in which the mouthpiece is located after smoking. Accordingly, it can be seen that the smoking article functions to prevent the nicotine remaining in the front-end filter segment from escaping into the aerosol generation device due to the front-end filter segment being arranged to come into contact with the upstream side of the medium portion. Therefore, the smoking article has the advantages of preventing the aerosol generation device from being contaminated with the extract generated during smoking and keeping the aerosol generation device clean.
FIGS. 5 to 7 show various types of aerosol generation devices to which smoking articles according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied. In particular, FIG. 5 is an exemplary block diagram showing a cigarette-type aerosol generation device 1000, and FIGS. 6 and 7 are exemplary configuration diagrams showing a hybrid-type aerosol generation device 1000 in which a liquid and cigarette are used together. Hereinafter, the aerosol generation device 1000 will be briefly described.
As shown in FIG. 5, the aerosol generation device 1000 may be a device configured to generate an aerosol through a cigarette 2000 inserted into an internal space. Here, the cigarette 2000 may correspond to the smoking article 100 described above. Accordingly, the cigarette 2000 may include the medium portion 110, the front-end filter segment 111, and the mouthpiece portion 140 described above. More specifically, when the cigarette 2000 is inserted into the aerosol generation device 1000, the aerosol generation device 1000 may operate the heater portion 1300 to generate an aerosol from the cigarette 2000. The generated aerosol may be delivered to the user through the cigarette 2000.
As shown, the aerosol generation device 1000 may include a battery 1100, a controller 1200, and a heater portion 1300. However, only the components related to the embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in FIG. 5. Therefore, a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains may understand that other general-purpose components may be further included in addition to the components shown in FIG. 5. For example, the aerosol generation device 1000 may further include a display capable of outputting visual information and/or a motor configured to output tactile information, and/or at least one sensor (such as a puff detection sensor, a temperature detection sensor, and/or a cigarette insertion detection sensor). Hereinafter, each of the components of the aerosol generation device 1000 will be described.
The battery 1100 supplies the power used to operate the aerosol generation device 1000. For example, the battery 1100 may supply power to heat the heater portion 1300, and may supply the power required for the controller 1200 to operate. Also, the battery 1100 may supply the power required for the display, sensor, motor, and the like (not shown) installed in the aerosol generation device 1000 to operate.
Next, the controller 1200 may control the overall operation of the aerosol generation device 1000. In particular, the controller 1200 may control the operation of not only the battery 1100 and the heater portion 1300, but also other components that may be included in the aerosol generation device 1000. Also, the controller 1200 may also check the status of each of the components of the aerosol generation device 1000 to determine whether the aerosol generation device 1000 is in an operable state.
The controller 1200 may include at least one processor. The processor may be implemented as an array of multiple logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory in which a program that may be executed by the microprocessor is stored. Also, it will be understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains that the processor may be implemented as other types of hardware.
Next, the heater portion 1300 may heat the cigarette 2000 using power supplied from the battery 1100. For example, when the cigarette 2000 is inserted into the aerosol generation device 1000, a heating element of the heater portion 1300 may be inserted into a portion of the inner region of the cigarette 2000 to increase the temperature of an aerosol-forming substrate in the cigarette 2000.
In some embodiments, the heater portion 1300 may alternatively or additionally include an external heating element, unlike that shown in FIG. 5. In this case, the heating element of the heater portion 1300 may be arranged on the outside of the cigarette 2000 inserted into the device 1000. Unlike that shown herein, the heater portion 1300 may also include a plurality of heating elements. For example, the heater portion 1300 may include a plurality of internal heating elements or a plurality of external heating elements. As another example, the heater portion 1300 may also include one or more internal heating elements and one or more external heating elements.
The heating elements may include or may be composed of an electrically resistant material and/or any material capable of induction heating. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, but any material may be used as long as it may be heated to a desired temperature under the control of the controller 1200. Here, the desired temperature may be preset in the aerosol generation device 1000 or may also be set to a desired temperature by the user.
Meanwhile, although FIG. 5 shows that the battery 1100, the controller 1200, and the heater portion 1300 are arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction, the inner structure of the aerosol generation device 1000 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 5. In other words, the arrangement of the battery 1100, the controller 1200, and the heater portion 1300 may vary depending on the design of the aerosol generation device 1000.
Hereinafter, a hybrid-type aerosol generation device 1000 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. For clarity of the present disclosure, the description of overlapping components (1100, 1200, 1300) will be omitted.
As shown in FIG. 6 or 7, the aerosol generation device 1000 may further include a vaporizer 1400.
When the cigarette 2000 is inserted into the aerosol generation device 1000, the aerosol generation device 1000 may operate the heater portion 1300 and/or the vaporizer 1400 to generate an aerosol from the cigarette 2000 and/or the vaporizer 1400. The aerosol generated by the heater portion 1300 and/or the vaporizer 1400 may be delivered to a user through the cigarette 2000. When the cigarette 2000 is inserted into the aerosol generation device 1000, the heating element of the heater portion 1300 may come into contact with a portion of the outer region of the cigarette 2000 or may be arranged adjacent to the outer region of the cigarette 2000 to increase the temperature of an aerosol-forming substrate inside the cigarette 2000 from the outside.
The vaporizer 1400 may heat a liquid composition to generate an aerosol, and the generated aerosol may be delivered to the user through the cigarette 2000. In other words, the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 1400 may move along an airflow passage of the aerosol generation device 1000, and the airflow passage may be configured to deliver the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 1400 to the user through the cigarette 2000.
The vaporizer 1400 may include, but is not limited to, a liquid reservoir, a liquid delivery means, and a liquid heating element. For example, the liquid reservoir, the liquid delivery means, and the liquid heating element may also be included as separate modules in the aerosol generation device 1000.
The liquid reservoir may store a liquid composition (i.e., a liquid aerosol-forming substrate). The liquid reservoir may be manufactured to be detachable from/attachable to the vaporizer 1400 or may also be manufactured integrally with the vaporizer 1400.
Next, the liquid delivery means may deliver a liquid composition in the liquid reservoir to the liquid heating element. For example, the liquid delivery means may be, but is not limited to, a wick such as cotton fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, or a porous ceramic.
The liquid heating element is an element configured to heat the liquid composition delivered by the liquid delivery means. For example, the liquid heating element may include, but is not limited to, a metal heating wire, a metal heating plate, a ceramic heater, and the like. Also, the liquid heating element may be composed of a conductive filament such as a nichrome wire, and may be arranged in such a structure that is wound around the liquid delivery means. The liquid heating element may be heated by the current supply of the controller 1200, and may transfer heat to the liquid composition in contact with the liquid heating element to heat the liquid composition. As a result, an aerosol may be generated.
As shown in FIG. 6 or 7, the vaporizer 1400 and heater portion 1300 may be arranged in parallel or series. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to this arrangement.
For reference, the vaporizer 1400 may be used interchangeably with terms such as cartomizer or atomizer in the relevant technical field.
The controller 1200 may further control the operation of the vaporizer 1400, and the battery 1100 may also further supply power to enable the vaporizer 1400 to operate.
So far, various types of aerosol generation devices 1000 to which the smoking articles 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied have been described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7.
Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains should understand that the present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present disclosure. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as being illustrative, instead of limiting, in all aspects. The scope of protection of the present disclosure should be interpreted by the claims below, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent to the claims should be interpreted as falling within the scope of rights of the technical spirit defined by the present disclosure.

[EXPLANATION OF DRAWING SYMBOLS]

100: smoking article
111: front-end filter segment
110: medium portion
120: support structure
130: cooling structure
140: mouthpiece portion
150: wrapper

Claims

A smoking article comprising:
a medium portion;

a front-end filter segment arranged on one side of the medium portion and including lyocell tow including a plurality of lyocell fibers; and

a mouthpiece portion arranged spaced apart from the other side opposite to the one side of the medium portion.
The smoking article of claim 1, further comprising a cooling structure arranged between the medium portion and the mouthpiece portion.
The smoking article of claim 2, further comprising a support structure arranged between the medium portion and the cooling structure.
The smoking article of claim 3, wherein the support structure includes at least one of a lyocell filter or a cellulose acetate filter, and
the support structure has a tube shape having a hollow formed therein.
The smoking article of claim 2, wherein the cooling structure includes at least one of a lyocell filter, a paper tube filter, or a cellulose acetate filter, and
the cooling structure has a tube shape having a hollow formed therein.
The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the front-end filter segment further includes a humectant.
The smoking article of claim 6, wherein the humectant is dispersed throughout the entire region of the lyocell tow.
The smoking article of claim 7, wherein the humectant further includes at least one of glycerin or propylene glycol.
The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the medium portion has a length of 5 mm to 14 mm, and
the front-end filter segment has a length of 3 mm to 12 mm.