Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24D—CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES FOR CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES
  • A24D1/00—Cigars; Cigarettes
  • A24D1/02—Cigars; Cigarettes with special covers
  • A24D1/025—Cigars; Cigarettes with special covers the covers having material applied to defined areas, e.g. bands for reducing the ignition propensity
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24D—CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES FOR CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES
  • A24D1/00—Cigars; Cigarettes
  • A24D1/20—Cigarettes specially adapted for simulated smoking devices
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24D—CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES FOR CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES
  • A24D3/00—Tobacco smoke filters, e.g. filter-tips, filtering inserts; Filters specially adapted for simulated smoking devices; Mouthpieces for cigars or cigarettes
  • A24D3/04—Tobacco smoke filters characterised by their shape or structure

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an aerosol-generating article comprising a humidity absorbing wrapper.
• the present invention also relates to an aerosol-generating system comprising the aerosol-generating article and a method of manufacturing the aerosolgenerating article.
• Aerosol-generating system is an electrically operated aerosol-generating system.
• Known handheld electrically operated aerosol-generating systems typically comprise an aerosol-generating device comprising a battery, control electronics and an electric heater for heating an aerosol-generating article designed specifically for use with the aerosolgenerating device.
• the aerosol-generating article comprises an aerosol-forming substrate.
• the aerosol-forming substrate is in the form of a plug, such as a tobacco plug, and the electric heater contained within the aerosol-generating device is inserted into the aerosol-forming substrate when the smoking article is inserted into the aerosol-generating device.
• HnB articles Electrically heated aerosol-generating articles are heated but not burned during consumption and are therefore also referred to as heat-not burn articles (HnB articles). HnB articles may not necessarily change their appearance during consumption such that a user may have a hard time distinguishing between used and unused HnB articles. This can be a problem when a consumer puts back a used aerosol-generating article in its original packaging together with other new (unused) aerosol-generating articles, as it could be the case when there is no bin nearby to dispose of the used/consumed aerosol-generating article.
• the term “heated aerosol-generating article” refers to an aerosolgenerating article for producing an aerosol comprising an aerosol-generating substrate that is intended to be heated rather than combusted in order to release volatile compounds that can form an aerosol. Such articles are commonly referred to as “heat-not-burn” products.
• the change of color or opacity of the hydrochromic portion of the stick wrap may be irreversible.
• the change of color or opacity of the hydrochromic portion of the stick wrap may be irreversible at least at when considering a time scale at which a user can be reasonably expected to carry with himself an used aerosol-generating article. In order to qualify as an irreversible change of color, the change shall be lasting for at least 10 days, for at least 5 days or for at least 3 days.
• the change of color or opacity of the hydrochromic portion of the stick wrap may last at least 24 hours.
• the humidity with which the hydrochromic portion comes into contact may be humidity that is generated upon heating of the aerosol-generating article and subsequent condensation of air and the generated aerosol during a user experience.
• the aerosol generated from aerosol-generating substrates of aerosol-generating articles described herein may include vapours as well as gases and liquid droplets of condensed vapours. Accordingly, an increase in humidity is indicative of the occurrence of a user experience. In turn this increase in humidity is used in the mechanisms described herein in order to distinguish used from unused aerosol-generating articles.
• Using a stick wrap comprising a hydrochromic portion is a suitable and inexpensive way of introducing a differentiating feature that allows a user to recognize a used aerosol-generating article.
• the hydrochromic portion of the stick wrap may be formed from conventional paper used in manufacture of aerosol-generating articles. When such paper is contacted with humidity it may become more transparent than in the dry state. This may be caused by the similarity of the index of refraction of water and the cellulose fibers of the paper. The increased humidity leads to wetting of the stick wrap, and the water droplets occupying the cavities between the cellulose fibers lead to a higher homogeneity of the overall index of refraction of the wet humid stick wrap. Accordingly, the light going through the wet stick wrap undergoes less internal total reflection increasing transparency of the stick wrap. The stick wrap becomes less opaque and the marking underneath such hydrochromic portion of the stick wrap becomes apparent. It was discovered that this effect does not disappear completely upon drying-up of the stick wrap. Thus, even after the humidity level in the stick wrap has returned to ambient conditions, the marking may still be visible as compared with an unused aerosol-generating article.
• the hydrochromic portion of the stick wrap may be formed from a paper sheet material having a thickness of less than 100 micrometers.
• the hydrochromic portion of the stick wrap may be formed from a paper sheet material having a thickness of less than 65 micrometers, of less than 60 micrometers, of less than 55 micrometers, of less than 50 micrometers, of less than 45 micrometers, of less than 40 micrometers or of less than 35 micrometers. The thinner the paper material the more enhanced may be the effect on change of opacity upon wetting of the paper material.
• the hydrochromic portion of the stick wrap may be formed from a paper sheet material having a higher porosity as compared with cigarette papers typically used for HnB products.
• the hydrochromic portion of the stick wrap may be formed from a paper sheet material having a porosity that leads to an increased air permeability.
• the air permeability of the paper sheet material used for the hydrochromic portion of the stick wrap may be above 30 corresta units (CU) at an applied pressure difference of 1 kilopascal (kPa).
• paper material is generally opaque because the cellulose fiber material forms a porous structure that includes hollow air filled cavities in addition, paper material typically also comprises mineral fillers located in between the cellulose fibers.
• the mineral fillers are provided in a crystalline form.
• a dray paper sheet in which the mineral fillers are surrounded by air, light is scattered at these filler materials due to the high difference in the index of refraction between the air and the mineral fillers. Hence, the paper material appears opaque.
• the stick wrap may have an outer layer or coating that extends at least over the hydrochromic portion of the stick wrap.
• the coating may be hydrophobic and transparent. The coating may prevent the coated areas of the stick wrap of coming into contact with ambient humidity.
• Fig. 4 shows an aerosol-generating article with covered and revealed marking
• Fig. 5 shows a further mechanism for revealing a marking on an aerosol-generating article
• Fig. 6 shows an embodiment of an aerosol-generating article comprising a transparent stick wrap
• Fig. 7 shows an aerosol-generating article comprising a colour pigment
• Fig. 8 shows various features of a marking provided on an aerosol-generating article
• Fig. 9 shows an aerosol-generating article comprising a capillary thread.
• Each of the elements is separately wrapped in a wrapping material (not shown), the so-called plug wrap to hold the material of each element together.
• These wrapped elements are in turn wrapped together by the stick wrap 30 to form the stick structure of the aerosolgenerating article 10 as depicted in Fig. 1 .
• Outside air 22 drawn into the aerosol-generating article 10 by the user, enters mainly through the front plug 12 at the distal or upstream end 24 of the aerosol-generating article 10.
• the outside air 22 is guided through the aerosol-forming substrate 15 and mixes with vapours and other volatiles created upon heating of the aerosol-forming substrate 15 to form an aerosol 26.
• Heated air and aerosol 26 is then guided onwards through the further elements of the aerosol-generating article 10 and exits the aerosol-generating article 10 at the proximal or downstream end 28 through the mouthpiece filter 18. All elements form an internal airflow path 29 through the aerosol-generating article 10.
• Fig. 2 illustrates an aerosol-generating article 10 comprising three elements 12, 14, 16, each being wrapped by a plug wrap 32, 34, 36.
• the individual elements 12, 14, 16 are being aligned and aubbed to each other, as indicated by the two arrows at either end of the aerosol-generating article 10.
• the elements 12, 14, 16 are wrapped in an outer wrapping material, the stick wrap 32.
• the tipping paper usually denotes a stick wrap covering the mouthpiece filter and connecting the mouthpiece filter to the rest of the aerosol-generating article 10.
• the aerosol-generating articles of the present invention are in principle comprising corresponding elements and are manufactured as explained with the illustrations of Figs. 1 and 2.
• Fig. 3 shows a schematic of an aerosol-generating article 10 according to the present invention.
• the aerosol-generating article 10 again comprises four rod-shaped elements, a front plug 12, a sensorial media plug 14, comprising aerosol-forming substrate 15, a hollow acetate tube 16, and a mouthpiece filter 18. Each of these elements is wrapped individually in a plug wrap 32, 34, 36, 38.
• the stick wrap 30 has a hydrochromic portion 50.
• the hydrochromic portion 50 is a portion of the stick wrap 30, which is printed with a hydrochromic ink. In a dry state the hydrochromic ink has a color that corresponds to the color of the remaining portions of the stick wrap 30. Thus, in a dry state the hydrochromic portion 50 is not optically perceivable by the user.
• the hydrochromic ink of the hydrochromic portion 50 Upon contact with humidity 46 generated during a user experience, the hydrochromic ink of the hydrochromic portion 50 irreversibly changes its color from the initial paper-like color to a blue color, which represents a strong contrast with the initial paper color. Thus, a user can readily perceive the hydrochromic portion 50 after use. Accordingly, the hydrochromic portion 50 forms a visually perceivable marking, which allows the user to easily distinguish a used aerosol-generating article 10 from unused aerosol-generating articles 10.
• Fig. 4 at least the depicted portion of the stick wrap 30 of the aerosol-generating article 10 is made from normal cigarette paper.
• This cigarette paper is opaque in a dry state but becomes less opaque when being subjected to humidity 46.
• the depicted portion of the stick wrap forms a hydrochromic portion 50 in the sense of the present invention.
• the depicted portion of the stick wrap 30 is opaque and a user cannot recognize the permanent marking 60 provided at the plug wrap 36 underneath the stick wrap 30.
• humidity 46 is created in the interior volume of the aerosol-generating article 10. A part of this humidity 46 travels towards the stick wrap 30, thereby increasing the humidity level in the stick wrap 30.
• the depicted portion of the stick wrap 30 covering the marking 60 has been exposed to humidity 46 and becomes less opaque. Therefore, a user can visually perceive the marking 60 below the stick wrap 30 after use of the aerosol-generating article 10, as indicated in the right-hand view of Fig. 4.
• Fig. 5 shows a further embodiment of an aerosol-generating article comprising a stick wrap with a hydrochromic portion 50.
• Fig. 5 shows only the area of the aerosol-generating article 10 that comprises the hydrochromic portion 50 and the marking 60.
• the left-hand view in Fig. 5 shows an unused aerosol-generating article 10, and the right-hand view in Fig. 5 shows the same aerosol-generating article 10 after having been used.
• the construction of the aerosol-generating article 10 is largely identical to the construction of the aerosol-generating article 10 depicted in Fig. 4.
• the stick wrap is now provided with a stripe of hydrochromic ink that forms a hydrochromic portion 50.
• the color of the stripe-shaped hydrochromic portion 50 is chosen to be more or less identical to the color of the stick wrap. Thus, in the unused aerosol-generating article 10 the hydrochromic portion 50 on the stick wrap 30 is not visually perceivable by a user. Instead, the outer surface of the aerosol-generating article appears to have a homogeneous color.
• humidity 46 is created in the interior volume of the aerosol-generating article 10. A part of this humidity travels towards the stick wrap 30, thereby increasing the humidity level in the stick wrap 30 and also in the hydrochromic portion 50 printed on the inner surface thereof.
• the hydrochromic ink changes its opacity and becomes transparent. Due to the change of opacity of the hydrochromic portion 50, the marking underneath the hydrochromic portion 50 is revealed. Thus, a user can again visually perceive the marking 60 through the stick wrap 30 after use of the aerosol-generating article 10.
• the stick wrap 30 might be provided with a hydrophobic and transparent outer coating.
• Fig. 7 shows a further embodiment of an aerosol-generating article comprising a stick wrap with a hydrochromic portion 50.
• the left-hand view in Fig. 7 shows an unused aerosolgenerating article 10, and the right-hand view in Fig. 7 shows the same aerosol-generating article 10 after having been used.
• the construction of the aerosol-generating article 10 is largely identical to the construction of the aerosol-generating article 10 depicted in Fig. 4.
• the color pigment is not mobile in the unused aerosol-generating article 10.
• the color pigment 62 is covered by the opaque stick wrap 30 such that the color pigment 62 is not visible in the unused article.
• At least the hydrochromic portion 50 of the stick wrap 30 has an increased capillarity.
• the term “increased capillarity” means that the capillarity is larger than the capillarity of the plug wrap 36.
• humidity 46 is created in the interior volume of the aerosol-generating article 10. A part of this humidity travels radially through the plug wrap 36 towards the stick wrap 30.
• the color pigment 62 is carried by the internal humidity 46 and the increased capillarity of the stick wrap 30 toward the outer surface of the stick wrap 30. On the outer surface of the stick wrap the color pigment becomes visible. Thus, the color pigment forms a visually perceivable marking 60 showing that the aerosol-generating article 10 has been used.
• This embodiment is less susceptible to ambient humidity, since the increased capillarity keeps ambient humidity within the stick wrap 30 and thereby prevents that the ambeint humidity comes into contact with the color pigment 62. Nevertheless, it would still be possible to provide the stick wrap with a hydrophobic and transparent outer coating to further reduce influence of ambient humidity.
• the marking could for example consist in the word “used” being revealed at the outer surface of the aerosolgenerating article 10.
• the marking comprises a progressive portion, which is indicative of the level of depletion of the aerosol-generating article 10.
• the progressive marking is an arrow symbol comprising four segments. The first and the second segment is already visible. The further segments are not yet visible and are only indicated by the dotted lines. Thus, the user can derive from this progressive marking that the aerosol-generating article 10 is already depleted by 50 percent.
• the amount of the appearing segments of the marking depends on the quantity of humidity created, which in turn is indicative of how intense the aerosol-generating article 10 was used.
• Such progressive markings cannot easily be obtained with thermochromic ink, since thermochromic ink is sensitive on the absolute temperature only, and is not able to give an indication of how long an aerosolgenerating article has been subjected to such temperature.
• Fig. 9 depicts an aerosol-generating article 10 comprising a plurality of rod-shaped elements 12, 14, 16, 18 that are connected to each other by a stick wrap 30.
• the stick wrap 30 is made from conventional cigarette paper.
• the aerosol-generating article 10 comprises four elements, a front plug 12, a sensorial media plug 14, comprising aerosol-forming substrate 15, a hollow acetate tube 16, and a mouthpiece filter 18.

Landscapes

• Cigarettes, Filters, And Manufacturing Of Filters (AREA)
• Packaging Of Annular Or Rod-Shaped Articles, Wearing Apparel, Cassettes, Or The Like (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=83283208

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Family Cites Families (8)

• 2023
  • 2023-09-11 EP EP23768852.8A patent/EP4586833A1/de active Pending
  • 2023-09-11 WO PCT/EP2023/074920 patent/WO2024056613A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2023-09-11 CN CN202380063512.XA patent/CN119816212A/zh active Pending
  • 2023-09-11 KR KR1020257007263A patent/KR20250054069A/ko active Pending
  • 2023-09-11 JP JP2025515371A patent/JP2025528594A/ja active Pending

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