EP4691276A1 - Flavor inhalation article and flavor inhalation system - Google Patents

Flavor inhalation article and flavor inhalation system

Info

Publication number
EP4691276A1
EP4691276A1 EP23931966.8A EP23931966A EP4691276A1 EP 4691276 A1 EP4691276 A1 EP 4691276A1 EP 23931966 A EP23931966 A EP 23931966A EP 4691276 A1 EP4691276 A1 EP 4691276A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
flavor
tip
generating portion
flavoring material
end plug
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
EP23931966.8A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Inventor
Makoto Akai
Tetsuya Motodamari
Kojiro TOKUNAGA
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Japan Tobacco Inc
Original Assignee
Japan Tobacco Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Japan Tobacco Inc filed Critical Japan Tobacco Inc
Publication of EP4691276A1 publication Critical patent/EP4691276A1/en
Pending legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24D—CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES OF CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES
    • A24D3/00—Tobacco smoke filters, e.g. filter tips or filtering inserts; Filters specially adapted for simulated smoking devices; Mouthpieces of cigars or cigarettes
    • A24D3/06—Use of materials for tobacco smoke filters
    • A24D3/08—Use of materials for tobacco smoke filters of organic materials as carrier or major constituent
    • A24D3/10—Use of materials for tobacco smoke filters of organic materials as carrier or major constituent of cellulose or cellulose derivatives
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24D—CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES OF CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES
    • A24D1/00—Cigars; Cigarettes
    • A24D1/04—Cigars; Cigarettes with mouthpieces or filter-tips
    • A24D1/045—Cigars; Cigarettes with mouthpieces or filter-tips with smoke filter means
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24D—CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES OF 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 OF CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES
    • A24D3/00—Tobacco smoke filters, e.g. filter tips or filtering inserts; Filters specially adapted for simulated smoking devices; Mouthpieces of cigars or cigarettes
    • A24D3/02—Manufacture of tobacco smoke filters
    • A24D3/0275—Manufacture of tobacco smoke filters for filters with special features
    • A24D3/0287—Manufacture of tobacco smoke filters for filters with special features for composite filters
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
    • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
    • A24F40/20—Devices using solid inhalable precursors
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
    • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
    • A24F40/40—Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
    • A24F40/46—Shape or structure of electric heating means

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a flavor inhalation article and to a flavor inhalation system.
  • Heated flavor inhalers in which a tobacco filling material is heated, rather than burned, to deliver a tobacco flavor to users, are used as an alternative to combustion-type flavor inhalers such as cigarettes.
  • Heated flavor inhalers comprise the tobacco filling material together with an aerosol source.
  • moisture in the tobacco filling material and the aerosol source are vaporized, tobacco flavor components migrate from the tobacco filling material into the vapor produced, and an aerosol (also referred to below as tobacco vapor) is generated.
  • An electrically-heated flavor inhaler comprising a flavor inhalation article which includes a tobacco filling material and a wrapper wrapped around the tobacco filling material; and a heating device for electrically heating the flavor inhalation article is known as a typical example of a heated flavor inhaler (see PTL 1).
  • the objective of the present invention lies in providing technology enabling stable release of a flavoring material throughout an inhalation period of a flavor inhalation article.
  • a first aspect provides a flavor inhalation article having a columnar shape and comprising:
  • a second aspect provides
  • the present invention is capable of providing technology enabling stable release of a flavoring material throughout an inhalation period of a flavor inhalation article.
  • a smaller amount of flavoring material tends to be released as more puffs are taken.
  • the present inventors found that a greater amount of flavoring material can be released in the latter half of an inhalation period by arranging a tip-end plug on a tip end side (that is, the side opposite a mouthpiece) of the flavor inhalation article, and supporting the flavoring material in combination with a specific flavoring material retaining agent on a filtration material in the tip-end plug, and thereby arrived at the present invention.
  • a flavor inhalation article has a columnar shape and comprises:
  • the flavor inhalation article containing a tobacco flavor source as a flavor source will also be referred to as a "tobacco stick".
  • tobacco stick An example of the tobacco stick will be described below with reference to fig. 1 .
  • a tobacco stick 200 comprises, in succession from a tip end side (i.e., the opposite side to the mouthpiece): a tip-end plug 210, a flavor-generating portion 220, a hollow tube portion 230, a hollow filter portion 240, and a filter plug 250. These five components are joined by means of a second wrapper 270.
  • the tip-end plug 210 preferably adjoins the flavor-generating portion 220, and the filter plug 250 is preferably spaced apart from the flavor-generating portion 220.
  • the tip-end plug 210 adjoining the flavor-generating portion 220 readily causes continuous release of a flavoring material from the flavor-generating portion 220 and release of a flavoring material from the tip-end plug 210 when the user draws on the tobacco stick 200.
  • the filter plug 250 is spaced apart from the flavor-generating portion 220, the aerosol generated from the tip-end plug 210 and the flavor-generating portion 220 by heating of the tobacco stick 200 is readily cooled while being transported to the filter plug 250.
  • the tobacco stick 200 has a columnar shape extending along one direction.
  • the tobacco stick 200 preferably has a cylindrical shape extending along one direction.
  • the tobacco stick 200 has a length of 50-100 mm, for example.
  • the diameter thereof is 4-10 mm, for example.
  • the tip-end plug 210 has a length of 5-20 mm, for example, the flavor-generating portion 220 has a length of 5-20 mm, for example, the hollow tube portion 230 has a length of 10-30 mm, for example, the hollow filter portion 240 has a length of 5-15 mm for example, and the filter plug 250 has a length of 5-15 mm, for example.
  • the lengths of these individual components may be modified, as appropriate, according to manufacturability and required quality, etc.
  • the tip-end plug 210 is positioned at the tip end of the tobacco stick 200.
  • the tip-end plug 210 comprises a first filtration material 211, and a first inner plug wrap 212 wrapped around the first filtration material 211.
  • the tip-end plug 210 further comprises a flavoring material composition supported on the first filtration material 211, the flavoring material composition comprising hydroxypropyl cellulose and a first flavoring material.
  • the first filtration material 211 may be a material which is generally usable as a filtration material in a flavor inhalation article, and examples of materials which may be cited include paper, plastic film, cellulose acetate, and nonwoven fabric, etc.
  • the first filtration material 211 is preferably paper.
  • Paper which is used as a paper filter in a flavor inhalation article may be employed for the paper serving as the first filtration material 211.
  • the paper serving as the first filtration material 211 has a thickness of 20-1500 ⁇ m, for example, and a basis weight of 20-50 g/m 2 , for example.
  • the paper serving as the first filtration material 211 preferably has a rectangular shape, in which case one side thereof may have largely the same length as the length of the tip-end plug 210, and the other side thereof may have a length of 100 mm-300 mm.
  • the thickness, basis weight and size of the paper used as the first filtration material 211 have been described, but these values denote values for the paper prior to a shaping treatment (e.g., fluting treatment, etc.).
  • a shaping treatment e.g., fluting treatment, etc.
  • the first filtration material 211 does not contain a tobacco material such as shredded tobacco or sheet tobacco.
  • Fig. 2 shows an example of the tip-end plug 210.
  • the tip-end plug 210 comprises the first filtration material 211, and the first inner plug wrap 212 wrapped around the first filtration material 211.
  • the first filtration material 211 comprises a sheet which is shaped into a corrugated form and folded in a direction of arrangement of corrugations. As indicated above, this sheet is preferably paper.
  • Fig. 3 schematically shows the sheet before being folded, that is, the sheet shaped into a corrugated form (referred to below as a corrugated sheet).
  • the corrugated sheet has an alternating arrangement of ridge portions 211a and valley portions 211b.
  • the thickness of the corrugated sheet (that is, the sheet after the shaping treatment) may also be measured in the manner described below after the corrugated sheet has been incorporated into the tip-end plug 210 as the first filtration material 211.
  • the corrugated sheet has a corrugation (i.e., flute) pitch of 0.4-1.6 mm, and preferably 0.6-1.0 mm, for example.
  • the corrugation pitch indicates the mean value of intervals between adjacent flutes when the flutes of the corrugated sheet are stretched out in a planar form.
  • the corrugated sheet may be prepared by subjecting a film to a well-known treatment of forming flutes in an accordion shape.
  • This well-known treatment may also be referred to as pleating, crimping or creping.
  • JP H9-294577 A discloses a fluting treatment where a starting material sheet for a cigarette paper filter is passed between a pair of fluting rollers.
  • Fig. 3 shows a corrugated sheet with triangular corrugations, but the shape of the corrugations is not limited to this, and the shape may equally be that of a sine wave or a rectangular wave, etc.
  • the corrugation pitch may be the mean value of intervals between peaks of adjacent ridge portions 211a.
  • the corrugation pitch may be the mean value of intervals between centers of adjacent ridge portions 211a.
  • the first filtration material 211 shown in fig. 2 is formed when the corrugated sheet is folded in the direction of arrangement of the corrugations (i.e., a direction D shown in fig. 3 ) so as to form a cylindrical shape overall.
  • the ridge portions 211a and the valley portions 211b of the corrugated sheet form a plurality of air flow passages extending in a length direction of the first filtration material 211.
  • the first filtration material 211 comprises a sheet which is shaped into a corrugated form and folded in the direction of arrangement of the corrugations, it is possible to increase the surface area of the first filtration material 211 contained in the tip-end plug 210, and thereby increase the amount of flavoring material composition supported on the first filtration material 211.
  • the amount of flavoring material released from the tip-end plug 210 can be increased as a result.
  • a paper corrugated sheet is superior in that it has dead-fold properties (that is, the property of being capable of maintaining a folded structure when subjected to folding deformation).
  • the first inner plug wrap 212 wrapped around the first filtration material 211 which is used may be the same as a plug wrap used in cigarettes.
  • the flavoring material composition supported on the first filtration material 211 comprises hydroxypropyl cellulose and a first flavoring material.
  • the hydroxypropyl cellulose functions as a flavoring material retaining agent. That is to say, the hydroxypropyl cellulose has the role of stably retaining the first flavoring material during storage of the tobacco stick 200 in such a way that there is no volatilization of the first flavoring material, and the role of stably releasing the first flavoring material during use (i.e., during heating) of the tobacco stick 200.
  • the first flavoring material is a substance providing an aroma or taste.
  • the first flavoring material may be a natural flavoring material or may be a synthetic flavoring material.
  • the first flavoring material may be one type of flavoring material or may be a mixture of several types of flavoring materials. Any material which is used in combination with a tobacco filling material in a tobacco product may be employed as the first flavoring material.
  • the first flavoring material is, for example: a synthetic flavoring material such as menthol, jasmonate, maltol, ⁇ -ionone, citral, ethyl butyrate, or undecalactone; an essential oil such as mint oil, orange oil, styrax, or green tea extract; an oleoresin such as vanilla oleoresin; a plant extract such as tobacco extract; or a combination thereof.
  • the first flavoring material is preferably menthol.
  • the first flavoring material may be contained in the flavoring material composition in an amount such that the user can be provided with a pleasing aroma or taste.
  • the flavoring material composition preferably further comprises a first aerosol source.
  • the first aerosol source is a liquid which is heated at a predetermined temperature to generate a vapor.
  • Examples of the first aerosol source that may be cited include glycerol, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and mixtures thereof.
  • the first aerosol source preferably contains glycerol.
  • the first aerosol source may also consist of glycerol.
  • composition of the flavoring material composition may be, for example: 2-40 mass% of hydroxypropyl cellulose, 8-98 mass% of menthol, 0-90 mass% of glycerol, and 0-60 mass% of propylene glycol.
  • the flavoring material composition may be supported on the first filtration material 211 by applying a liquid composition containing hydroxypropyl cellulose and the first flavoring material to the first filtration material 211, then drying the first filtration material 211 to which the liquid composition has been applied, for example.
  • the liquid composition may further comprise the first aerosol source.
  • the liquid composition may further comprise a solvent such as ethanol.
  • the liquid composition may be applied to the first filtration material 211 by means of coating or spraying, for example. The drying may be carried out by leaving the first filtration material 211 to which the liquid composition has been applied to stand at room temperature (e.g., 15-25°C).
  • the flavoring material composition is therefore a dry composition formed on the first filtration material 211, that is to say, a solid composition. Note that the drying should be be performed until the liquid composition is visually in a solid state, and liquid such as the solvent may be completely removed or may remain in part.
  • the first aerosol source (e.g., glycerol) may be supported on the first filtration material 211 by preparing in advance the liquid composition described above also containing the first aerosol source, and applying this liquid composition to the first filtration material 211, or may be supported on the first filtration material 211 by applying the first aerosol source to the first filtration material 211 separately from the liquid composition described above.
  • the first aerosol source may be supported on the first filtration material 211 by drying the liquid composition described above to form the flavoring material composition, and then applying the first aerosol source over the flavoring material composition.
  • the first aerosol source may be supported on the first filtration material 211 by applying the first aerosol source to a different region of the first filtration material 211 from a region where the liquid composition described above has been applied.
  • the flavor-generating portion 220 is arranged adjacently downstream of the tip-end plug 210.
  • the flavor-generating portion portion 220 comprises: the flavor source 221, and a first wrapper 222 wrapped around the flavor source 221.
  • the first wrapper 222 which is used may be the same as a wrapper used to wrap a tobacco filling material in cigarettes.
  • the flavor source 221 is a tobacco filling material, for example.
  • the tobacco filling material comprises leaf tobacco and releases a tobacco flavor when heated.
  • Leaf tobacco means dried tobacco leaves that are ready to be incorporated into a tobacco product.
  • the tobacco filling material preferably constitutes a plurality of shaped bodies each comprising leaf tobacco.
  • the plurality of shaped bodies are chopped pieces of sheet tobacco.
  • Sheet tobacco means a shaped body which is a tobacco material, such as tobacco debris or tobacco shreds produced from leaf debris, shredded debris, etc. in raw material factories and manufacturing plants, that is formed into a sheet.
  • the plurality of shaped bodies are preferably chopped pieces of sheet tobacco obtained by chopping the sheet tobacco into the shape of strips. That is to say, the plurality of shaped bodies preferably each have a shape extending in the length direction of the flavor-generating portion 220. In this case, each of the shaped bodies has a width of 0.5-1.5 mm, for example, and a length of 1-20 mm, for example.
  • the tobacco filling material may be one sheet of sheet tobacco.
  • the first wrapper 222 may be filled with one sheet of sheet tobacco in an accordion-folded state, or the first wrapper 222 may be filled with one sheet of sheet tobacco in a spiral-wound state.
  • the size of the sheet tobacco in the length direction when the first wrapper 222 is filled therewith is preferably comparable with the length of the flavor-generating portion 220.
  • the flavor source 221 may comprise a polysaccharide-based flavoring-containing sheet, in addition to the tobacco filling material.
  • the flavoring-containing sheet is a sheet in which a flavoring is contained in a polysaccharide gel, and is well known in this technical field.
  • the flavoring-containing sheet contains a flavoring which is covered by the polysaccharide, and can therefore demonstrate high storage stability of the flavoring.
  • the flavoring-containing sheet may be cut to a similar size to the tobacco filling material and mixed and blended with the tobacco filling material, or may be placed inside or outside the first wrapper 222 so as to enclose the tobacco filling material.
  • the flavor-generating portion 220 may further comprise a second flavoring material in addition to the flavor source.
  • the flavor-generating portion 220 may further comprise a second flavoring material of the same type as the first flavoring material, in addition to the flavor source.
  • the first flavoring material is the flavoring material contained in the tip-end plug 210.
  • the tip-end plug 210 comprises menthol as the first flavoring material
  • the flavor-generating portion 220 may also comprise menthol, in addition to the flavor source.
  • an "amount of the first flavoring material per unit length of the tip-end plug 210" is preferably greater than an "amount of the second flavoring material per unit length of the flavor-generating portion 220".
  • the flavor-generating portion 220 need not comprise a second flavoring material of the same type as the first flavoring material.
  • the first flavoring material contained in the tip-end plug 210 can still be released in a sufficient amount in the latter half of the inhalation period of the tobacco stick 200. This enables stable release of the flavoring material without any drop in the amount of flavoring material released even as more puffs are taken.
  • the flavor-generating portion 220 optionally comprises a second flavoring material of the same type as the first flavoring material (that is, the flavor-generating portion 220 may comprise or need not comprise a second flavoring material of the same type as the first flavoring material), and the "amount of the first flavoring material per unit length of the tip-end plug 210" is preferably greater than the "amount of the second flavoring material per unit length of the flavor-generating portion 220".
  • the "amount of the first flavoring material per unit length of the tip-end plug 210" is 0 mg/mm-5 mg/mm, preferably 1.0-4.5 mg/mm, and more preferably 1.5-4.0 mg/mm, for example, and the "amount of the second flavoring material per unit length of the flavor-generating portion 220" is 0-1.0 mg/mm, and preferably 0-0.9 mg/mm, for example.
  • the second flavoring material may be supported on the flavor source of the flavor-generating portion 220 in the form of a flavoring material composition comprising hydroxypropyl cellulose and the second flavoring material, or the second flavoring material may be incorporated into the flavor-generating portion 220 in the form of the flavoring material alone (that is, a form not in combination with a flavoring material retaining agent such as hydroxypropyl cellulose).
  • the second flavoring material may be contained in the flavor-generating portion 220 as a mixture of the form of the flavoring material composition described above and the form of the flavoring material alone.
  • the second flavoring material in the form of the flavoring material alone is released more readily toward the start of the inhalation period of the tobacco stick 200 than the second flavoring material in the form of the flavoring material composition.
  • the flavoring material when the second flavoring material is contained in the flavor-generating portion 220 as the mixture described above, a large amount of the second flavoring material in the form of the flavoring material alone is released, after which a large amount of the second flavoring material in the form of the flavoring material composition is released toward the start of the inhalation period of the tobacco stick 200, and a large amount of the first flavoring material contained in the tip-end plug 210 is released in the latter half of the inhalation period. As a result, the flavoring material can be stably released throughout the whole inhalation period.
  • the flavor-generating portion 220 may further comprise a second aerosol source in addition to the tobacco filling material.
  • the second aerosol source may be of the same type as the first aerosol source described above, or may be of a different type.
  • the first aerosol source is the aerosol source contained in the tip-end plug 210.
  • the second aerosol source is a liquid which is heated at a predetermined temperature to generate a vapor, similarly to the first aerosol source. Examples of the second aerosol source that may be cited include glycerol, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and mixtures thereof.
  • the second aerosol source preferably contains glycerol.
  • the second aerosol source may also consist of glycerol.
  • the hollow tube portion 230 is arranged adjacently downstream of the flavor-generating portion 220.
  • the hollow tube portion 230 is a paper tube formed by winding cardboard into a cylindrical shape with a cavity on the inside.
  • the hollow tube portion 230 may be a filter (center hole filter) having a center hole formed penetrating through the center in a transverse section of a cylindrical cellulose acetate fiber bundle.
  • the hollow tube portion 230 is capable of cooling the aerosol generated from the tip-end plug 210 and the flavor-generating portion 220 by heating of the tobacco stick 200.
  • the hollow tube portion 230 may be omitted.
  • an opening portion may be provided in the hollow tube portion 230 for taking in external air.
  • the air inflow hole may be provided at a position within 10 mm from the downstream end of the hollow tube portion 230.
  • An air inflow ratio from the air inflow hole is 30-80%, and preferably 40-70%, for example.
  • the hollow filter portion 240 is arranged adjacently downstream of the hollow tube portion 230.
  • the hollow filter portion 240 comprises: a third filtration material 241, and a third inner plug wrap 242 wrapped around the third filtration material 241.
  • the third inner plug wrap 242 which is used may be the same as a plug wrap used in cigarettes.
  • the third inner plug wrap 242 may be omitted.
  • the third filtration material 241 is formed by high-density packed fibers and has one or more channels (hollow portions). Each of the one or more channels extends in the length direction of the tobacco stick 200 (referred to below as the longitudinal direction). When a user draws on the tobacco stick 200, air and aerosol therefore flow only through the channel, largely without flowing through gaps between fibers.
  • the length of the filter plug 250 may be reduced and the filter plug 250 may be replaced with the hollow filter portion 240 when it is desirable to reduce a decrease in aerosol components due to filtration by the filter plug 250 in the tobacco stick 200. Replacing a portion of the filter plug 250 with the hollow filter portion 240 is effective for increasing the amount of aerosol delivered. Alternatively, the hollow filter portion 240 may be omitted.
  • the filter plug 250 is positioned at the end portion of the tobacco stick 200 on the mouthpiece side.
  • the filter plug 250 comprises: a second filtration material 251, and a second inner plug wrap 252 wrapped around the second filtration material 251.
  • the second inner plug wrap 252 which is used may be the same as a plug wrap used in cigarettes.
  • the airflow resistance of the filter plug 250 is 0-50 mmH 2 O, and preferably 10-30 mmH 2 O, for example.
  • the second filtration material 251 may be a material which is generally usable as a filtration material on the mouthpiece side of a flavor inhalation article, and cellulose acetate may be cited as an example thereof.
  • the components described above i.e., the tip-end plug 210, flavor-generating portion 220, hollow tube portion 230, and joined body comprising the hollow filter portion 240 and filter plug 250
  • the second wrapper 270 is wrapped around so as to cover the entirety of the components except for the tip-end plug 210, and a portion of the tip-end plug 210, thereby exposing the tip-end plug 210 at the upstream end.
  • the second wrapper 270 may be wrapped around so as to cover the entirety of all components including the tip-end plug 210, without exposing the tip-end plug 210 at the upstream end.
  • the second wrapper 270 which is used may be the same as a tipping paper used in cigarettes.
  • An outer surface of the second wrapper 270 close to the end on the filter plug 250 side may be coated with a lip-release agent for facilitating separation of the user's lips from the second wrapper 270.
  • the part which is coated with the lip-release agent functions as a mouthpiece of the tobacco stick 200.
  • FIG. 4 and 5 are exploded oblique views showing different examples of a tobacco stick.
  • elements having identical or similar functions to the components of the tobacco stick shown in fig. 1 are assigned the same reference signs and will not be described again.
  • gaps are provided between adjacent components to make it easier to see how the components are joined, but the components of the actual tobacco stick are adjoining without gaps.
  • the five components are joined by using the outer plug wrap 280, the outer plug wrap 260, and the second wrapper 270.
  • the outer plug wrap 280 is wound so as to join the tip-end plug 210 and the flavor-generating portion 220 while also covering same in their entirety.
  • This joined body will be referred to as a first joined body 285.
  • the outer plug wrap 260 is wound so as to join the hollow filter portion 240 and the filter plug 250 while also covering same in their entirety.
  • This joined body will be referred to as a second joined body 265.
  • the second wrapper 270 further joins the first joined body 285, the hollow tube portion 230, and the second joined body 265.
  • the second wrapper 270 covers the whole of the hollow tube portion 230 and the second joined body 265, and part of the first joined body 285, while exposing the first joined body 285 at its upstream end.
  • the five components may be joined in a form such as shown in fig. 4 .
  • the outer plug wrap 280 covers the flavor-generating portion 220 as far as its downstream end, but the flavor-generating portion 220 may equally be exposed at its downstream end, without the flavor-generating portion 220 being covered as far as its downstream end.
  • the five components are joined by using the outer plug wrap 280, the outer plug wrap 260, and the second wrapper 270.
  • the outer plug wrap 280 joins the tip-end plug 210, the flavor-generating portion 220, and the hollow tube portion 230.
  • the outer plug wrap 280 is wound so as to cover the whole of the tip-end plug 210 and the flavor-generating portion 220, and part of the hollow tube portion 230.
  • This joined body will be referred to as a first joined body 285.
  • the outer plug wrap 260 is wound so as to join the hollow filter portion 240 and the filter plug 250 while also covering same in their entirety.
  • This joined body will be referred to as a second joined body 265.
  • the second wrapper 270 further joins the first joined body 285 and the second joined body 265.
  • the second wrapper 270 covers the whole of the second joined body 265, and part of the first joined body 285, while exposing the first joined body 285 at its upstream end.
  • the five components may be joined in a form such as shown in fig. 5 .
  • the outer plug wrap 280 exposes the hollow tube portion 230 at its downstream end, without covering the hollow tube portion 230 as far as its downstream end, but the hollow tube portion 230 may equally be covered as far as its downstream end.
  • the flavor inhalation article according to the present invention comprises a tip-end plug upstream of a flavor-generating portion which contains a flavor source, and this tip-end plug includes a first filtration material and a flavoring material composition supported on the first filtration material, the flavoring material composition comprising hydroxypropyl cellulose and a first flavoring material.
  • a conventional flavor inhalation article that does not have a tip-end plug a smaller amount of flavoring material is released from the flavor source as more puffs are taken, whereas the flavor inhalation article according to the present invention enables flavoring material originating from the tip-end plug to be released in the latter half of the inhalation period.
  • the flavor inhalation article according to the present invention enables stable release of the flavoring material throughout the inhalation period.
  • the flavoring material composition is supported on the first filtration material of the tip-end plug in the flavor inhalation article according to the present invention, so the amount of flavor source which is used can be reduced in comparison with a conventional flavor inhalation article that does not have a tip-end plug.
  • the tobacco stick 200 described above may be combined with a heating device to construct a flavor inhalation system. That is, another aspect provides a flavor inhalation system comprising: the flavor inhalation article described above; and a heating device including a heater for heating the flavor inhalation article.
  • the flavor inhalation system is formed by an aerosol-generating device 100 and the tobacco stick 200.
  • the aerosol-generating device 100 is an example of a heating device.
  • An X-Y-Z orthogonal coordinate system may be applied to the drawings for convenience of description.
  • the Z-axis is oriented vertically upwards
  • the X-Y plane is arranged cutting across the aerosol-generating device 100 in a horizontal direction
  • the Y-axis is arranged extending from the front surface to the rear surface of the aerosol-generating device 100.
  • the Z-axis may also refer to a direction of insertion of the tobacco stick, which is accommodated in a cylindrical body 150 of an atomization unit 130 to be described later, or an axial direction of the cylindrical body 150.
  • the X-axis is a direction orthogonal to the Y-axis and Z-axis, and the X-axis and Y-axis are radial directions orthogonal to the axial direction of the cylindrical body 150, or a radial direction of the chamber 150.
  • the aerosol-generating device 100 comprises an outer housing 101 (corresponding to an example of an enclosure), a slide cover 102, and a switch unit 103.
  • the outer housing 101 constitutes the outermost housing of the aerosol-generating device 100, and is sized to fit in a user's hand. When the user is using the flavor inhalation system, the user can inhale the aerosol while holding the aerosol-generating device 100 in their hand.
  • the outer housing 101 may be configured by assembling a plurality of members.
  • the outer housing 101 is, for example, made of resin, and may in particular be formed from e.g. a polycarbonate (PC), an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin, polyether ether ketone (PEEK), a polymer alloy containing multiple types of polymer, or a metal such as aluminum.
  • PC polycarbonate
  • ABS acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
  • PEEK polyether ether ketone
  • the outer housing 101 comprises an opening (not depicted) for receiving the tobacco stick, and the slide cover 102 is slidably attached to the outer housing 101 so as to close this opening.
  • the slide cover 102 is configured to be movable along an outer surface of the outer housing 101 between a closed position (the position shown in fig. 6A and 6B ) for closing the opening of the outer housing 101, and an open position (the position shown in fig. 7 ) for opening the opening.
  • the user can manually operate the slide cover 102 to move the slide cover 102 between the closed position and the open position.
  • access of the tobacco stick to the inside of the aerosol-generating device 100 can be permitted or restricted.
  • the switch unit 103 is used to switch operation of the aerosol-generating device 100 on and off. For example, a user may heat-not-burn the tobacco stick by operating the switch unit 103, with the tobacco stick inserted in the aerosol-generating device 100, to supply power to a heating element (see reference sign 140 in fig. 7 ) from a power source (see reference sign 121 in fig. 7 ).
  • the switch unit 103 may be a switch provided outside the outer housing 101, or may be a switch located inside the outer housing 101. If the switch is located inside the outer housing 101, the switch is indirectly pressed by pressing the switch unit 103 on the surface of the outer housing 101. In the example described here, the switch of the switch unit 103 is located inside the outer housing 101.
  • the aerosol-generating device 100 may further comprise a terminal (not depicted).
  • the terminal may be an interface for connecting the aerosol-generating device 100 to an external power source, for example. If the power source included in the aerosol-generating device 100 is a rechargeable battery, connecting an external power source to the terminal allows a current to flow from the external power source to the power source, thereby charging the power source.
  • a data transmission cable may also be connected to the terminal to allow data relating to the operation of the aerosol-generating device 100 to be sent to an external device.
  • Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view along a line III-III of the aerosol-generating device 100 shown in fig. 6B .
  • an inner housing 110 (corresponding to an example of an enclosure) is provided on the inside of the outer housing 101 of the aerosol-generating device 100.
  • the inner housing 110 is, for example, made of resin, and may in particular be formed from e.g. a polycarbonate (PC), an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin, polyether ether ketone (PEEK), a polymer alloy containing multiple types of polymer, or a metal such as aluminum.
  • the inner housing 110 is preferably PEEK.
  • a power source unit 120 and the atomization unit 130 are provided in an internal space of the inner housing 110.
  • the power source unit 120 comprises a power source 121.
  • the power source 121 may be a rechargeable battery or a non-rechargeable battery, for example.
  • the power source 121 is electrically connected to the atomization unit 130.
  • the power source 121 is thereby able to supply power to the atomization unit 130 so that the tobacco stick 200 is suitably heated.
  • the atomization unit 130 comprises: the metallic cylindrical body 150 extending in the direction of insertion of the tobacco stick 200 (Z-axis direction); the heating element 140 covering a portion of the cylindrical body 150; a heat insulating portion 132; and a substantially cylindrical insertion guide member 134 abutting the opening of the cylindrical body 150.
  • the cylindrical body 150 is configured to surround the periphery of the tobacco stick 200.
  • the heating element 140 is substantially cylindrical overall and is arranged so as to cover the cylindrical body 150.
  • the heating element 140 contacts an outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical body 150 and heats the tobacco stick 200 which has been inserted into the cylindrical body 150.
  • the heating element 140 may be a meandering conductor line which is provided on a flexible insulating layer 141 (see fig. 8 ).
  • the heating element 140, insulating layer 141, and cylindrical body 150 are components of a heater 160.
  • a bottom member 136 is provided at a bottom portion of the cylindrical body 150.
  • the bottom member 136 abuts the tobacco stick 200 inserted in the cylindrical body 150 in the direction of insertion of the tobacco stick 200, and may function as a stopper for positioning the tobacco stick 200.
  • an accommodating portion for accommodating at least a portion of the tobacco stick 200 is formed by the cylindrical body 150 and the bottom member 136.
  • the bottom member 136 may be formed by a resin material, for example.
  • the bottom member 136 may have unevenness on the surface thereof which is abutted by the tobacco stick 200, and this unevenness may define a first air flow path which enables air to be supplied to an air intake port of the tobacco stick 200 (i.e., which communicates with the tobacco stick 200 accommodated in the accommodating portion).
  • the bottom member 136 is, for example, made of resin, and may in particular be formed from e.g. a polycarbonate (PC), an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin, polyether ether ketone (PEEK), a polymer alloy containing multiple types of polymer, or a metal such as aluminum.
  • the bottom member 136 is preferably formed by a material having low thermal conductivity, in order to inhibit heat transfer to the heat insulating portion 132, etc.
  • the heat insulating portion 132 is substantially cylindrical overall and is arranged so as to cover the cylindrical body 150.
  • the heat insulating portion 132 may comprise an aerogel sheet, for example.
  • the heat insulating portion 132 is held by means of a first holding portion 137 and a second holding portion 138 which will be described later.
  • a cover element 133 may be arranged so as to cover the cylindrical body 150, and the heat insulating portion 132 may be arranged so as to cover the cover element 133, as shown in fig. 8 .
  • the insertion guide member 134 is provided between the slide cover 102 in the closed position and the cylindrical body 150.
  • the insertion guide member 134 is, for example, made of resin, and may in particular be formed from e.g. a polycarbonate (PC), an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin, polyether ether ketone (PEEK), a polymer alloy containing multiple types of polymer, or a metal such as aluminum.
  • PC polycarbonate
  • ABS acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
  • PEEK polyether ether ketone
  • the insertion guide member 134 may be formed by a metal, glass or ceramic, etc.
  • the insertion guide member 134 is preferably made of PEEK.
  • the insertion guide member 134 communicates with the outside of the aerosol-generating device 100 when the slide cover 102 is in the open position, and guides the insertion of the tobacco stick 200 into the cylindrical body 150 when the tobacco stick 200 is inserted into the insertion guide member 134. Providing the insertion guide member 134 allows the tobacco stick 200 to be easily inserted into the cylindrical body 150.
  • the aerosol-generating device 100 further comprises the first holding portion 137 and the second holding portion 138 for holding both ends of the cylindrical body 150 and the heat insulating portion 132.
  • the first holding portion 137 is arranged to hold end portions of the cylindrical body 150 and the heat insulating portion 132 on the Z-axis negative direction side.
  • the second holding portion 138 is arranged to hold end portions of the cylindrical body 150 and the heat insulating portion 132 on the slide cover 102 side (Z-axis positive direction side).
  • the outer circumferential surface of the tobacco stick 200 may or may not contact the cylindrical body 150 when the tobacco stick 200 is inserted in the cylindrical body 150. Furthermore, a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the tobacco stick 200 may contact the cylindrical body 150 when the tobacco stick 200 is inserted in the cylindrical body 150. When a perfectly circular tobacco stick 200 is inserted in an elliptical cylindrical body 150, a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the tobacco stick 200 may be allowed to contact the cylindrical body 150.
  • the cylindrical body 150, the heating element 140 surrounding the cylindrical body 150, and the flexible insulating layer 141 supporting the heating element 140 constitute the heater 160.
  • the cover element 133 is further arranged so as to cover the cylindrical body 150, and the heat insulating portion 132 is further arranged so as to cover the cover element 133.
  • the aerosol-generating device 100 comprises the bottom member 136 which is abutted by the tip-end plug 210 when the tobacco stick 200 is inserted in the cylindrical body 150.
  • the length of the heating element 140 is denoted by L1
  • the length of a part of the heating element 140 facing the flavor-generating portion 220 is denoted by L2
  • the length of a part of the heating element 140 facing the tip-end plug 210 is denoted by L3
  • the length of a part of the heating element 140 facing the hollow tube portion 230 is denoted by L4.
  • L1 is 5-20 mm, for example.
  • L2 is 4-20 mm, preferably 5-15 mm, and more preferably 5-10 mm, for example.
  • L3 is 0-5 mm, preferably 0-3 mm, and more preferably 0-1 mm, for example.
  • L4 is 0-5 mm and preferably 0-3 mm, for example.
  • L2 is preferably greater than L3.
  • most of the heating element 140 is thus preferably located at a position facing the flavor-generating portion 220 rather than the tip-end plug 210. More specifically, an "area of a region of the heating element 140 facing the flavor-generating portion 220" when the tobacco stick 200 is inserted in the cylindrical body 150 and the tip-end plug 210 is abutting the bottom member 136 is preferably greater than an "area of the region of the heating element 140 facing the tip-end plug 210".
  • the "region of the heating element 140 facing the flavor-generating portion 220" indicates a region in which the heating element 140 is facing the flavor-generating portion 220 with the cylindrical body 150 interposed therebetween.
  • the "region of the heating element 140 facing the flavor-generating portion 220” is thus not limited to a region in which the heating element 140 is directly facing the flavor-generating portion 220, and may also be a region in which the heating element 140 is facing the flavor-generating portion 220 with another component interposed therebetween.
  • the "region of the heating element 140 facing the tip-end plug 210" is not limited to a region in which the heating element 140 is directly facing the tip-end plug 210, and may also be a region in which the heating element 140 is facing the tip-end plug 210 with another component interposed therebetween.
  • the "area of the region of the heating element 140 facing the flavor-generating portion 220" is 89.2-446 mm 2 , and preferably 111.5-334.5 mm 2 , for example, and the "area of the region of the heating element 140 facing the tip-end plug 210" is 0-111.5 mm 2 , and preferably 0-66.9 mm 2 , for example.
  • the heat of the heating element 140 is first transmitted to the flavor-generating portion 220, and then transmitted to the tip-end plug 210.
  • Flavor components are therefore readily released from the flavor source and the second flavoring material contained in the flavor-generating portion 220 in the first half of the inhalation period of the tobacco stick 200, and the first flavoring material contained in the tip-end plug 210 is readily released in the latter half of the inhalation period of the tobacco stick 200.
  • flavor components can be released throughout the whole inhalation period.
  • an "area of a region of a circumferential surface of the tip-end plug 210 not facing the heating element 140" when the tobacco stick 200 is inserted in the cylindrical body 150 and the tip-end plug 210 is abutting the bottom member 136 is more preferably greater than an "area of a region of a circumferential surface of the flavor-generating portion 220 not facing the heating element 140".
  • the "ratio S 1/S FP of an area S1 of a first region of a circumferential surface of the tip-end plug 210 not facing the heating element 140, which occupies an area S FP of the circumferential surface of the tip-end plug 210" when the tobacco stick 200 is inserted in the cylindrical body 150 and the tip-end plug 210 is abutting the bottom member 136 is 0.375-1, preferably 0.625-1, and more preferably 0.875-1, for example, and the "ratio S2/S FG of an area S2 of a second region of the circumferential surface of the flavor-generating portion 220 not facing the heating element 140, which occupies an area S FG of the circumferential surface of the flavor-generating portion 220" is 0-0.667, preferably 0-0.583, and more preferably 0.167-0.583
  • the heat of the heating element 140 is likewise first transmitted to the flavor-generating portion 220, and then transmitted to the tip-end plug 210.
  • Flavor components are therefore readily released from the flavor source and the second flavoring material contained in the flavor-generating portion 220 in the first half of the inhalation period of the tobacco stick 200, and the first flavoring material contained in the tip-end plug 210 is readily released in the latter half of the inhalation period of the tobacco stick 200.
  • flavor components can be released throughout the whole inhalation period.
  • a flavoring material-supporting paper filter was incorporated into a commercially-available Ploom X tobacco stick (Japan Tobacco, Inc.) to produce a tobacco stick of Example 1A.
  • a commercially-available Ploom X tobacco stick has the structure of the tobacco stick shown in fig. 1 , without the tip-end plug. That is to say, a commercially-available Ploom X tobacco stick comprises, in succession from a tip end side (i.e., the opposite side to the mouthpiece): a flavor-generating portion (length 20 mm), a hollow tube portion (length 20 mm), a hollow filter portion (length 12 mm), and a filter plug (length 8 mm).
  • the flavor-generating portion of this tobacco stick contains chopped pieces of sheet tobacco as a flavor source, but the flavor-generating portion does not contain menthol.
  • Paper (thickness: 88 ⁇ m, basis weight: 35 g/m 2 , air permeability: 3000 CORESTA units) was shaped into a corrugated form to prepare a paper filter (see fig. 3 ).
  • the paper which was used was rectangular, with the length in the direction of arrangement of the corrugations (i.e., the direction D shown in fig. 3 ) being 180 mm, and the length in a direction orthogonal to the direction of arrangement of the corrugations being 8 mm.
  • a flavoring material composition having the composition given below was supported on the surface of the paper filter in such a way that the amount of menthol supported was 18 mg.
  • the flavoring material-supporting paper filter was prepared by this means.
  • a 70 mass% menthol dilution (ethanol dilution) was injected by syringe into the filter plug of the commercially-available Ploom X tobacco stick so that the amount of menthol injected was 18 mg.
  • the tobacco stick produced in this way will be referred to as the "tobacco stick of Comparative Example 1A".
  • the tobacco stick of Comparative Example 1A does not have a tip-end plug, contains 18 mg of glycerol in the flavor-generating portion, and contains 18 mg of menthol in the filter plug.
  • a 70 mass% menthol dilution (ethanol dilution) was injected by syringe into the flavor-generating portion of the commercially-available Ploom X tobacco stick so that the amount of menthol injected was 18 mg.
  • the tobacco stick produced in this way will be referred to as the "tobacco stick of Comparative Example 2A".
  • the tobacco stick of Comparative Example 2A does not have a tip-end plug, and contains 18 mg of menthol and 18 mg of glycerol in the flavor-generating portion.
  • a 70 mass% menthol dilution (ethanol dilution) was injected by syringe into the flavor-generating portion of the commercially-available Ploom X tobacco stick so that the amount of menthol injected was 14 mg.
  • a 70 mass% menthol dilution (ethanol dilution) was injected by syringe into the filter plug of the commercially-available Ploom X tobacco stick so that the amount of menthol injected was 4 mg.
  • the tobacco stick produced in this way will be referred to as the "tobacco stick of Comparative Example 3A".
  • the tobacco stick of Comparative Example 3A does not have a tip-end plug, contains 14 mg of menthol and 18 mg of glycerol in the flavor-generating portion, and contains 4 mg of menthol in the filter plug.
  • a tobacco stick was produced by the same procedure as for producing the tobacco stick of Example 1A, except that the flavoring material composition described above was supported on the surface of the paper filter in such a way that the amount of menthol supported was 12 mg.
  • the tobacco stick produced in this way will be referred to as the "tobacco stick of Example 1B".
  • the tip-end plug contains 12 mg of menthol
  • the flavor-generating portion contains 18 mg of glycerol.
  • a 70 mass% menthol dilution (ethanol dilution) was injected by syringe into the flavor-generating portion of the commercially-available Ploom X tobacco stick so that the amount of menthol injected was 12 mg.
  • the tobacco stick produced in this way will be referred to as the "tobacco stick of Comparative Example 1B".
  • the tobacco stick of Comparative Example 1B does not have a tip-end plug, and contains 12 mg of menthol and 18 mg of glycerol in the flavor-generating portion.
  • a smoking test was carried out by heating the produced tobacco sticks with the aerosol-generating device 100 shown in fig. 6A-6C and 7 . As shown in fig. 8 , the tobacco sticks were heated with said tobacco sticks inserted in the cylindrical body 150 so that the tip-end plug 210 abuts the bottom member 136. In Examples 1A and 1B, the positional relationship of the heating element 140 and the tobacco stick during heating of the tobacco stick was as follows (see fig. 8 ).
  • Analysis specimens were obtained by shaking the Cambridge filter following the smoking test in 10 mL of methanol (manufactured by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.; special grade chemical) for 10 minutes. 1 ⁇ L of the analysis specimens obtained was collected in a microsyringe, and the amount of menthol was analyzed in a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (manufactured by Agilent; GC-FID/TCD, GC: 7890B).
  • Fig. 9 and 10 show the relationship between the number of puffs and the amount of menthol.
  • the results of Example 1A and Comparative Examples 1A-3A (when the amount of menthol added was 18 mg) are shown in fig. 9 .
  • the results of Example 1B and Comparative Example 1B (when the amount of menthol added was 12 mg) are shown in fig. 10 .
  • Example 1A could release the flavoring material, without a drop in the amount of flavoring material released, in the latter half of the inhalation period also.
  • Comparative Examples 1A-3A on the other hand, a larger amount of flavoring material was released in the first half of the inhalation period, but there was a drop in the amount of flavoring material released as more puffs were taken.
  • the tobacco stick of Example 1B could release the flavoring material, without a drop in the amount of flavoring material released, in the latter half of the inhalation period also.
  • a larger amount of flavoring material was released in the first half of the inhalation period, but there was a drop in the amount of flavoring material released as more puffs were taken.
  • the tobacco stick comprises a flavor-generating portion downstream of the tip-end plug, similarly to a conventional tobacco stick, and the flavor-generating portion contains chopped pieces of sheet tobacco as a flavor source. It is thought that the flavoring material originating from the flavor-generating portion is mainly released in the first half of the inhalation period, similarly to a conventional tobacco stick.
  • the tobacco sticks of Examples 1A and 1B can release the flavoring material originating from the flavor-generating portion in the first half of the inhalation period, and can release the flavoring material originating from the tip-end plug in the latter half of the inhalation period, and that the flavoring material can be stably released throughout the whole inhalation period as a result.
  • the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and may be modified in various ways at the implementation stage within a scope that does not depart from the essential point of the present invention.
  • the embodiments may be implemented in suitable combinations, in which case the combined effects thereof are achieved.
  • the embodiments further include various inventions, and various inventions may be extracted using combinations selected from the plurality of constituent requirements disclosed. For example, if the problem can still be solved and the effects can still be achieved when some of the constituent requirements are deleted from the constituent requirements disclosed as a whole in the embodiments, then a configuration from which those constituent requirements have been deleted may be extracted as an invention.
  • Aerosol-generating device 101... Outer housing, 102... Slide cover, 103... Switch unit, 110... Inner housing, 120... Power source unit, 121... Power source, 130... Atomization unit, 132... Heat insulating portion, 133... Cover element, 134... Insertion guide member, 136... Bottom member, 137... First holding portion, 138... Second holding portion, 140... Heating element, 141... Insulating layer 150... Cylindrical body, 160... Heater 200... Tobacco stick, 210... Tip-end plug, 211... First filtration material, 211a... Ridge portion, 211b... Valley portion, 212... First inner plug wrap, 220... Flavor-generating portion, 221... Flavor source, 222... First wrapper, 230...

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Cigarettes, Filters, And Manufacturing Of Filters (AREA)
  • Manufacture Of Tobacco Products (AREA)

Abstract

A flavor inhalation article (200) having a columnar shape and comprising: a tip-end plug (210) which is positioned at one end of the flavor inhalation article (200) and includes a first filtration material (211) and a flavoring material composition supported on the first filtration material (211), the flavoring material composition comprising hydroxypropyl cellulose and a first flavoring material; a filter plug (250) which is positioned at another end of the flavor inhalation article (200) and includes a second filtration material (251); and a flavor-generating portion (220) which is positioned between the tip-end plug (210) and the filter plug (250) and contains a flavor source (221).

Description

    TECHNICAL FIELD
  • The present invention relates to a flavor inhalation article and to a flavor inhalation system.
    • BACKGROUND ART
  • Heated flavor inhalers, in which a tobacco filling material is heated, rather than burned, to deliver a tobacco flavor to users, are used as an alternative to combustion-type flavor inhalers such as cigarettes. Heated flavor inhalers comprise the tobacco filling material together with an aerosol source. When the tobacco filling material is heated in a heated flavor inhaler, moisture in the tobacco filling material and the aerosol source are vaporized, tobacco flavor components migrate from the tobacco filling material into the vapor produced, and an aerosol (also referred to below as tobacco vapor) is generated.
  • An electrically-heated flavor inhaler comprising a flavor inhalation article which includes a tobacco filling material and a wrapper wrapped around the tobacco filling material; and a heating device for electrically heating the flavor inhalation article is known as a typical example of a heated flavor inhaler (see PTL 1).
    • CITATION LIST PATENT LITERATURE
    • SUMMARY OF INVENTION TECHNICAL PROBLEM
  • The objective of the present invention lies in providing technology enabling stable release of a flavoring material throughout an inhalation period of a flavor inhalation article.
    • SOLUTION TO PROBLEM
  • A first aspect provides
    a flavor inhalation article having a columnar shape and comprising:
    • a tip-end plug which is positioned at one end of the flavor inhalation article and includes a first filtration material and a flavoring material composition supported on the first filtration material, the flavoring material composition comprising hydroxypropyl cellulose and a first flavoring material;
    • a filter plug which is positioned at another end of the flavor inhalation article and includes a second filtration material; and
    • a flavor-generating portion which is positioned between the tip-end plug and the filter plug and contains a flavor source.
  • A second aspect provides
    • a flavor inhalation system comprising: the flavor inhalation article according to the first aspect; and
    • a heating device including a heater for heating the flavor inhalation article.
    ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION
  • The the present invention is capable of providing technology enabling stable release of a flavoring material throughout an inhalation period of a flavor inhalation article.
    • BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
    • Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing an example of a tobacco stick.
    • Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a tip-end plug.
    • Fig. 3 is a schematic view showing an example of a first filtration material.
    • Fig. 4 is an exploded oblique view showing a different example of a tobacco stick.
    • Fig. 5 is an exploded oblique view showing a different example of a tobacco stick.
    • Fig. 6A is a schematic front view showing an example of an aerosol-generating device.
    • Fig. 6B is a schematic top view of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 6A.
    • Fig. 6C is a schematic bottom view of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 6A.
    • Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view along a line III-III of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 6B.
    • Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a positional relationship of a heating element of the aerosol-generating device and the tobacco stick.
    • Fig. 9 is a graph showing a relationship between number of puffs and amount of menthol.
    • Fig. 10 is a graph showing a relationship between number of puffs and amount of menthol.
    DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
  • The present invention will be described below with reference to embodiments. The aim of the following description is to describe the details of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. The embodiments described below are more specific embodiments of any of the aspects given above or any of the inventions disclosed in the original claims. The matters set forth below may be incorporated, either alone or in combination, into each of the aspects given above or each of the inventions disclosed in the original claims.
  • Furthermore, the embodiments described below illustrate configurations for embodying the technical concept of the present invention, which does not limit the materials, shapes and structures, etc. of components to those specified below. Various modifications may be added to the technical concept of the present invention within the technical scope defined by the claims made in the patent claims.
    • 1. Flavor inhalation article
  • In a flavor inhalation article used in a conventional heated flavor inhaler, a smaller amount of flavoring material tends to be released as more puffs are taken. In response to this, the present inventors found that a greater amount of flavoring material can be released in the latter half of an inhalation period by arranging a tip-end plug on a tip end side (that is, the side opposite a mouthpiece) of the flavor inhalation article, and supporting the flavoring material in combination with a specific flavoring material retaining agent on a filtration material in the tip-end plug, and thereby arrived at the present invention.
  • That is to say, a flavor inhalation article according to an embodiment
    has a columnar shape and comprises:
    • a tip-end plug which is positioned at one end of the flavor inhalation article and includes a first filtration material and a flavoring material composition supported on the first filtration material, the flavoring material composition comprising hydroxypropyl cellulose and a first flavoring material;
    • a filter plug which is positioned at another end of the flavor inhalation article and includes a second filtration material; and
    • a flavor-generating portion which is positioned between the tip-end plug and the filter plug and contains a flavor source.
  • In the present description, the flavor inhalation article containing a tobacco flavor source as a flavor source will also be referred to as a "tobacco stick". An example of the tobacco stick will be described below with reference to fig. 1.
  • As shown in fig. 1, a tobacco stick 200 comprises, in succession from a tip end side (i.e., the opposite side to the mouthpiece): a tip-end plug 210, a flavor-generating portion 220, a hollow tube portion 230, a hollow filter portion 240, and a filter plug 250. These five components are joined by means of a second wrapper 270.
  • As shown in fig. 1, the tip-end plug 210 preferably adjoins the flavor-generating portion 220, and the filter plug 250 is preferably spaced apart from the flavor-generating portion 220. The tip-end plug 210 adjoining the flavor-generating portion 220 readily causes continuous release of a flavoring material from the flavor-generating portion 220 and release of a flavoring material from the tip-end plug 210 when the user draws on the tobacco stick 200. Furthermore, when the filter plug 250 is spaced apart from the flavor-generating portion 220, the aerosol generated from the tip-end plug 210 and the flavor-generating portion 220 by heating of the tobacco stick 200 is readily cooled while being transported to the filter plug 250.
  • The tobacco stick 200 has a columnar shape extending along one direction. The tobacco stick 200 preferably has a cylindrical shape extending along one direction. The tobacco stick 200 has a length of 50-100 mm, for example. When the tobacco stick 200 has a cylindrical shape, the diameter thereof is 4-10 mm, for example. The tip-end plug 210 has a length of 5-20 mm, for example, the flavor-generating portion 220 has a length of 5-20 mm, for example, the hollow tube portion 230 has a length of 10-30 mm, for example, the hollow filter portion 240 has a length of 5-15 mm for example, and the filter plug 250 has a length of 5-15 mm, for example. The lengths of these individual components may be modified, as appropriate, according to manufacturability and required quality, etc.
  • The components will be described in order below.
    • Tip-end plug
  • As shown in fig. 1, the tip-end plug 210 is positioned at the tip end of the tobacco stick 200. The tip-end plug 210 comprises a first filtration material 211, and a first inner plug wrap 212 wrapped around the first filtration material 211. The tip-end plug 210 further comprises a flavoring material composition supported on the first filtration material 211, the flavoring material composition comprising hydroxypropyl cellulose and a first flavoring material.
  • The first filtration material 211 may be a material which is generally usable as a filtration material in a flavor inhalation article, and examples of materials which may be cited include paper, plastic film, cellulose acetate, and nonwoven fabric, etc. The first filtration material 211 is preferably paper.
  • Paper which is used as a paper filter in a flavor inhalation article may be employed for the paper serving as the first filtration material 211. The paper serving as the first filtration material 211 has a thickness of 20-1500 µm, for example, and a basis weight of 20-50 g/m2, for example. The paper serving as the first filtration material 211 preferably has a rectangular shape, in which case one side thereof may have largely the same length as the length of the tip-end plug 210, and the other side thereof may have a length of 100 mm-300 mm. The thickness, basis weight and size of the paper used as the first filtration material 211 have been described, but these values denote values for the paper prior to a shaping treatment (e.g., fluting treatment, etc.). When the first filtration material 211 comprises a material other than paper and is in the shape of a sheet, such a first filtration material 211 may have the same thickness and size as for the paper.
  • The first filtration material 211 does not contain a tobacco material such as shredded tobacco or sheet tobacco.
  • Fig. 2 shows an example of the tip-end plug 210. In fig. 2, the tip-end plug 210 comprises the first filtration material 211, and the first inner plug wrap 212 wrapped around the first filtration material 211. Here, the first filtration material 211 comprises a sheet which is shaped into a corrugated form and folded in a direction of arrangement of corrugations. As indicated above, this sheet is preferably paper. Fig. 3 schematically shows the sheet before being folded, that is, the sheet shaped into a corrugated form (referred to below as a corrugated sheet). The corrugated sheet has an alternating arrangement of ridge portions 211a and valley portions 211b.
  • The thickness of the corrugated sheet (that is, the sheet after the shaping treatment) may also be measured in the manner described below after the corrugated sheet has been incorporated into the tip-end plug 210 as the first filtration material 211.
    • Measurement apparatus: VHX-8000 and VHX-H5M (3D profile measurement module), manufactured by KEYENCE.
    • Measurement method: An end face of the tip-end plug is observed under a microscope while fixed to a base with said end face facing directly upward
    • Measurement magnification: 80 times
    • The thickness of the corrugated sheet is largely the same as the thickness of the sheet before the shaping treatment. The thickness of the corrugated sheet is therefore 20-1500 µm, for example.
  • The corrugated sheet has a corrugation (i.e., flute) pitch of 0.4-1.6 mm, and preferably 0.6-1.0 mm, for example. The corrugation pitch indicates the mean value of intervals between adjacent flutes when the flutes of the corrugated sheet are stretched out in a planar form.
  • The corrugated sheet may be prepared by subjecting a film to a well-known treatment of forming flutes in an accordion shape. This well-known treatment may also be referred to as pleating, crimping or creping. For example, JP H9-294577 A discloses a fluting treatment where a starting material sheet for a cigarette paper filter is passed between a pair of fluting rollers.
  • Fig. 3 shows a corrugated sheet with triangular corrugations, but the shape of the corrugations is not limited to this, and the shape may equally be that of a sine wave or a rectangular wave, etc. When the shape of the corrugations is a triangular wave or a sine wave, the corrugation pitch may be the mean value of intervals between peaks of adjacent ridge portions 211a. When the shape of the corrugations is a rectangular wave, the corrugation pitch may be the mean value of intervals between centers of adjacent ridge portions 211a.
  • The first filtration material 211 shown in fig. 2 is formed when the corrugated sheet is folded in the direction of arrangement of the corrugations (i.e., a direction D shown in fig. 3) so as to form a cylindrical shape overall. At this time, the ridge portions 211a and the valley portions 211b of the corrugated sheet form a plurality of air flow passages extending in a length direction of the first filtration material 211.
  • In this way, when the first filtration material 211 comprises a sheet which is shaped into a corrugated form and folded in the direction of arrangement of the corrugations, it is possible to increase the surface area of the first filtration material 211 contained in the tip-end plug 210, and thereby increase the amount of flavoring material composition supported on the first filtration material 211. The amount of flavoring material released from the tip-end plug 210 can be increased as a result. Furthermore, a paper corrugated sheet is superior in that it has dead-fold properties (that is, the property of being capable of maintaining a folded structure when subjected to folding deformation).
  • The first inner plug wrap 212 wrapped around the first filtration material 211 which is used may be the same as a plug wrap used in cigarettes.
  • The flavoring material composition supported on the first filtration material 211 comprises hydroxypropyl cellulose and a first flavoring material. The hydroxypropyl cellulose functions as a flavoring material retaining agent. That is to say, the hydroxypropyl cellulose has the role of stably retaining the first flavoring material during storage of the tobacco stick 200 in such a way that there is no volatilization of the first flavoring material, and the role of stably releasing the first flavoring material during use (i.e., during heating) of the tobacco stick 200.
  • The first flavoring material is a substance providing an aroma or taste. The first flavoring material may be a natural flavoring material or may be a synthetic flavoring material. The first flavoring material may be one type of flavoring material or may be a mixture of several types of flavoring materials. Any material which is used in combination with a tobacco filling material in a tobacco product may be employed as the first flavoring material. The first flavoring material is, for example: a synthetic flavoring material such as menthol, jasmonate, maltol, β-ionone, citral, ethyl butyrate, or undecalactone; an essential oil such as mint oil, orange oil, styrax, or green tea extract; an oleoresin such as vanilla oleoresin; a plant extract such as tobacco extract; or a combination thereof. The first flavoring material is preferably menthol. The first flavoring material may be contained in the flavoring material composition in an amount such that the user can be provided with a pleasing aroma or taste.
  • The flavoring material composition preferably further comprises a first aerosol source. The first aerosol source is a liquid which is heated at a predetermined temperature to generate a vapor. Examples of the first aerosol source that may be cited include glycerol, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and mixtures thereof. The first aerosol source preferably contains glycerol. The first aerosol source may also consist of glycerol.
  • The composition of the flavoring material composition may be, for example: 2-40 mass% of hydroxypropyl cellulose, 8-98 mass% of menthol, 0-90 mass% of glycerol, and 0-60 mass% of propylene glycol.
  • The flavoring material composition may be supported on the first filtration material 211 by applying a liquid composition containing hydroxypropyl cellulose and the first flavoring material to the first filtration material 211, then drying the first filtration material 211 to which the liquid composition has been applied, for example. As indicated above, the liquid composition may further comprise the first aerosol source. Furthermore, the liquid composition may further comprise a solvent such as ethanol. The liquid composition may be applied to the first filtration material 211 by means of coating or spraying, for example. The drying may be carried out by leaving the first filtration material 211 to which the liquid composition has been applied to stand at room temperature (e.g., 15-25°C).
  • The flavoring material composition is therefore a dry composition formed on the first filtration material 211, that is to say, a solid composition. Note that the drying should be be performed until the liquid composition is visually in a solid state, and liquid such as the solvent may be completely removed or may remain in part.
  • Moreover, the first aerosol source (e.g., glycerol) may be supported on the first filtration material 211 by preparing in advance the liquid composition described above also containing the first aerosol source, and applying this liquid composition to the first filtration material 211, or may be supported on the first filtration material 211 by applying the first aerosol source to the first filtration material 211 separately from the liquid composition described above. For example, the first aerosol source may be supported on the first filtration material 211 by drying the liquid composition described above to form the flavoring material composition, and then applying the first aerosol source over the flavoring material composition. Alternatively, the first aerosol source may be supported on the first filtration material 211 by applying the first aerosol source to a different region of the first filtration material 211 from a region where the liquid composition described above has been applied.
    • Flavor-generating portion
  • The flavor-generating portion 220 is arranged adjacently downstream of the tip-end plug 210. The flavor-generating portion portion 220 comprises: the flavor source 221, and a first wrapper 222 wrapped around the flavor source 221. The first wrapper 222 which is used may be the same as a wrapper used to wrap a tobacco filling material in cigarettes.
  • The flavor source 221 is a tobacco filling material, for example. The tobacco filling material comprises leaf tobacco and releases a tobacco flavor when heated. Leaf tobacco means dried tobacco leaves that are ready to be incorporated into a tobacco product.
  • The tobacco filling material preferably constitutes a plurality of shaped bodies each comprising leaf tobacco. The plurality of shaped bodies are chopped pieces of sheet tobacco. Sheet tobacco means a shaped body which is a tobacco material, such as tobacco debris or tobacco shreds produced from leaf debris, shredded debris, etc. in raw material factories and manufacturing plants, that is formed into a sheet. The plurality of shaped bodies are preferably chopped pieces of sheet tobacco obtained by chopping the sheet tobacco into the shape of strips. That is to say, the plurality of shaped bodies preferably each have a shape extending in the length direction of the flavor-generating portion 220. In this case, each of the shaped bodies has a width of 0.5-1.5 mm, for example, and a length of 1-20 mm, for example.
  • Alternatively, the tobacco filling material may be one sheet of sheet tobacco. For example, the first wrapper 222 may be filled with one sheet of sheet tobacco in an accordion-folded state, or the first wrapper 222 may be filled with one sheet of sheet tobacco in a spiral-wound state. When one sheet of sheet tobacco is used as the tobacco filling material, the size of the sheet tobacco in the length direction when the first wrapper 222 is filled therewith is preferably comparable with the length of the flavor-generating portion 220.
  • The flavor source 221 may comprise a polysaccharide-based flavoring-containing sheet, in addition to the tobacco filling material. The flavoring-containing sheet is a sheet in which a flavoring is contained in a polysaccharide gel, and is well known in this technical field. The flavoring-containing sheet contains a flavoring which is covered by the polysaccharide, and can therefore demonstrate high storage stability of the flavoring. The flavoring-containing sheet may be cut to a similar size to the tobacco filling material and mixed and blended with the tobacco filling material, or may be placed inside or outside the first wrapper 222 so as to enclose the tobacco filling material.
  • The flavor-generating portion 220 may further comprise a second flavoring material in addition to the flavor source. The flavor-generating portion 220 may further comprise a second flavoring material of the same type as the first flavoring material, in addition to the flavor source. As indicated above, the first flavoring material is the flavoring material contained in the tip-end plug 210. For example, when the tip-end plug 210 comprises menthol as the first flavoring material, the flavor-generating portion 220 may also comprise menthol, in addition to the flavor source.
  • When the flavor-generating portion 220 contains a second flavoring material of the same type as the first flavoring material contained in the tip-end plug 210, an "amount of the first flavoring material per unit length of the tip-end plug 210" is preferably greater than an "amount of the second flavoring material per unit length of the flavor-generating portion 220". Such a configuration enables a sufficient amount of the first flavoring material contained in the tip-end plug 210 to be released in the latter half of the inhalation period of the tobacco stick 200 also. This enables stable release of the flavoring material without any drop in the amount of flavoring material released even as more puffs are taken.
  • Alternatively, the flavor-generating portion 220 need not comprise a second flavoring material of the same type as the first flavoring material. In this case also, the first flavoring material contained in the tip-end plug 210 can still be released in a sufficient amount in the latter half of the inhalation period of the tobacco stick 200. This enables stable release of the flavoring material without any drop in the amount of flavoring material released even as more puffs are taken.
  • To summarize the matters above, the flavor-generating portion 220 optionally comprises a second flavoring material of the same type as the first flavoring material (that is, the flavor-generating portion 220 may comprise or need not comprise a second flavoring material of the same type as the first flavoring material), and the "amount of the first flavoring material per unit length of the tip-end plug 210" is preferably greater than the "amount of the second flavoring material per unit length of the flavor-generating portion 220".
  • For example, when the first flavoring material and the second flavoring material are menthol, the "amount of the first flavoring material per unit length of the tip-end plug 210" is 0 mg/mm-5 mg/mm, preferably 1.0-4.5 mg/mm, and more preferably 1.5-4.0 mg/mm, for example, and the "amount of the second flavoring material per unit length of the flavor-generating portion 220" is 0-1.0 mg/mm, and preferably 0-0.9 mg/mm, for example.
  • Similarly to the first flavoring material, the second flavoring material may be supported on the flavor source of the flavor-generating portion 220 in the form of a flavoring material composition comprising hydroxypropyl cellulose and the second flavoring material, or the second flavoring material may be incorporated into the flavor-generating portion 220 in the form of the flavoring material alone (that is, a form not in combination with a flavoring material retaining agent such as hydroxypropyl cellulose).
  • Alternatively, the second flavoring material may be contained in the flavor-generating portion 220 as a mixture of the form of the flavoring material composition described above and the form of the flavoring material alone. The second flavoring material in the form of the flavoring material alone is released more readily toward the start of the inhalation period of the tobacco stick 200 than the second flavoring material in the form of the flavoring material composition. Accordingly, when the second flavoring material is contained in the flavor-generating portion 220 as the mixture described above, a large amount of the second flavoring material in the form of the flavoring material alone is released, after which a large amount of the second flavoring material in the form of the flavoring material composition is released toward the start of the inhalation period of the tobacco stick 200, and a large amount of the first flavoring material contained in the tip-end plug 210 is released in the latter half of the inhalation period. As a result, the flavoring material can be stably released throughout the whole inhalation period.
  • The flavor-generating portion 220 may further comprise a second aerosol source in addition to the tobacco filling material. The second aerosol source may be of the same type as the first aerosol source described above, or may be of a different type. As indicated above, the first aerosol source is the aerosol source contained in the tip-end plug 210. The second aerosol source is a liquid which is heated at a predetermined temperature to generate a vapor, similarly to the first aerosol source. Examples of the second aerosol source that may be cited include glycerol, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and mixtures thereof. The second aerosol source preferably contains glycerol. The second aerosol source may also consist of glycerol.
    • Hollow tube portion
  • The hollow tube portion 230 is arranged adjacently downstream of the flavor-generating portion 220. According to one example, the hollow tube portion 230 is a paper tube formed by winding cardboard into a cylindrical shape with a cavity on the inside. According to another example, the hollow tube portion 230 may be a filter (center hole filter) having a center hole formed penetrating through the center in a transverse section of a cylindrical cellulose acetate fiber bundle.
  • The hollow tube portion 230 is capable of cooling the aerosol generated from the tip-end plug 210 and the flavor-generating portion 220 by heating of the tobacco stick 200. The hollow tube portion 230 may be omitted.
  • Furthermore, in order to suitably adjust airflow resistance of the tobacco stick 200, an opening portion (air inflow hole) may be provided in the hollow tube portion 230 for taking in external air. The air inflow hole may be provided at a position within 10 mm from the downstream end of the hollow tube portion 230. An air inflow ratio from the air inflow hole is 30-80%, and preferably 40-70%, for example.
    • Hollow filter portion
  • The hollow filter portion 240 is arranged adjacently downstream of the hollow tube portion 230. The hollow filter portion 240 comprises: a third filtration material 241, and a third inner plug wrap 242 wrapped around the third filtration material 241. The third inner plug wrap 242 which is used may be the same as a plug wrap used in cigarettes. The third inner plug wrap 242 may be omitted.
  • The third filtration material 241 is formed by high-density packed fibers and has one or more channels (hollow portions). Each of the one or more channels extends in the length direction of the tobacco stick 200 (referred to below as the longitudinal direction). When a user draws on the tobacco stick 200, air and aerosol therefore flow only through the channel, largely without flowing through gaps between fibers.
  • The length of the filter plug 250 (to be described below) may be reduced and the filter plug 250 may be replaced with the hollow filter portion 240 when it is desirable to reduce a decrease in aerosol components due to filtration by the filter plug 250 in the tobacco stick 200. Replacing a portion of the filter plug 250 with the hollow filter portion 240 is effective for increasing the amount of aerosol delivered. Alternatively, the hollow filter portion 240 may be omitted.
    • Filter plug
  • The filter plug 250 is positioned at the end portion of the tobacco stick 200 on the mouthpiece side. The filter plug 250 comprises: a second filtration material 251, and a second inner plug wrap 252 wrapped around the second filtration material 251. The second inner plug wrap 252 which is used may be the same as a plug wrap used in cigarettes. The airflow resistance of the filter plug 250 is 0-50 mmH2O, and preferably 10-30 mmH2O, for example.
  • The second filtration material 251 may be a material which is generally usable as a filtration material on the mouthpiece side of a flavor inhalation article, and cellulose acetate may be cited as an example thereof.
  • The hollow filter portion 240 and the filter plug 250 are joined by an outer plug wrap 260. The outer plug wrap 260 which is used may be the same as an outer plug wrap which is used to join filter segments of a multisegment filter of a cigarette.
    • Second wrapper
  • As shown in fig. 1, the components described above (i.e., the tip-end plug 210, flavor-generating portion 220, hollow tube portion 230, and joined body comprising the hollow filter portion 240 and filter plug 250) are joined by the second wrapper 270. In fig. 1, the second wrapper 270 is wrapped around so as to cover the entirety of the components except for the tip-end plug 210, and a portion of the tip-end plug 210, thereby exposing the tip-end plug 210 at the upstream end. Alternatively, the second wrapper 270 may be wrapped around so as to cover the entirety of all components including the tip-end plug 210, without exposing the tip-end plug 210 at the upstream end.
  • The second wrapper 270 which is used may be the same as a tipping paper used in cigarettes. An outer surface of the second wrapper 270 close to the end on the filter plug 250 side may be coated with a lip-release agent for facilitating separation of the user's lips from the second wrapper 270. The part which is coated with the lip-release agent functions as a mouthpiece of the tobacco stick 200.
    • Method of joining components
  • Fig. 1 shows an example in which the five components (i.e., the tip-end plug 210, flavor-generating portion 220, hollow tube portion 230, hollow filter portion 240, and filter plug 250) are joined by using the outer plug wrap 260 and the second wrapper 270, but the method of joining the five components is not limited to this example.
  • A different example of the method of joining the components will be described with reference to fig. 4 and 5. Fig. 4 and 5 are exploded oblique views showing different examples of a tobacco stick. In fig. 4 and 5, elements having identical or similar functions to the components of the tobacco stick shown in fig. 1 are assigned the same reference signs and will not be described again. In fig. 4 and 5, gaps are provided between adjacent components to make it easier to see how the components are joined, but the components of the actual tobacco stick are adjoining without gaps.
  • In the tobacco stick 200 shown in fig. 4, the five components are joined by using the outer plug wrap 280, the outer plug wrap 260, and the second wrapper 270. Specifically, as shown in fig. 4, the outer plug wrap 280 is wound so as to join the tip-end plug 210 and the flavor-generating portion 220 while also covering same in their entirety. This joined body will be referred to as a first joined body 285. Furthermore, the outer plug wrap 260 is wound so as to join the hollow filter portion 240 and the filter plug 250 while also covering same in their entirety. This joined body will be referred to as a second joined body 265. The second wrapper 270 further joins the first joined body 285, the hollow tube portion 230, and the second joined body 265. Here, the second wrapper 270 covers the whole of the hollow tube portion 230 and the second joined body 265, and part of the first joined body 285, while exposing the first joined body 285 at its upstream end. The five components may be joined in a form such as shown in fig. 4. It should be noted that in fig. 4, the outer plug wrap 280 covers the flavor-generating portion 220 as far as its downstream end, but the flavor-generating portion 220 may equally be exposed at its downstream end, without the flavor-generating portion 220 being covered as far as its downstream end.
  • In the tobacco stick 200 shown in fig. 5, the five components are joined by using the outer plug wrap 280, the outer plug wrap 260, and the second wrapper 270. Specifically, as shown in fig. 5, the outer plug wrap 280 joins the tip-end plug 210, the flavor-generating portion 220, and the hollow tube portion 230. Here, the outer plug wrap 280 is wound so as to cover the whole of the tip-end plug 210 and the flavor-generating portion 220, and part of the hollow tube portion 230. This joined body will be referred to as a first joined body 285. Furthermore, the outer plug wrap 260 is wound so as to join the hollow filter portion 240 and the filter plug 250 while also covering same in their entirety. This joined body will be referred to as a second joined body 265. The second wrapper 270 further joins the first joined body 285 and the second joined body 265. Here, the second wrapper 270 covers the whole of the second joined body 265, and part of the first joined body 285, while exposing the first joined body 285 at its upstream end. The five components may be joined in a form such as shown in fig. 5. It should be noted that in fig. 5, the outer plug wrap 280 exposes the hollow tube portion 230 at its downstream end, without covering the hollow tube portion 230 as far as its downstream end, but the hollow tube portion 230 may equally be covered as far as its downstream end.
    • Advantageous effects
  • As described above, the flavor inhalation article according to the present invention comprises a tip-end plug upstream of a flavor-generating portion which contains a flavor source, and this tip-end plug includes a first filtration material and a flavoring material composition supported on the first filtration material, the flavoring material composition comprising hydroxypropyl cellulose and a first flavoring material. In a conventional flavor inhalation article that does not have a tip-end plug, a smaller amount of flavoring material is released from the flavor source as more puffs are taken, whereas the flavor inhalation article according to the present invention enables flavoring material originating from the tip-end plug to be released in the latter half of the inhalation period. By this means, the flavor inhalation article according to the present invention enables stable release of the flavoring material throughout the inhalation period.
  • Furthermore, the flavoring material composition is supported on the first filtration material of the tip-end plug in the flavor inhalation article according to the present invention, so the amount of flavor source which is used can be reduced in comparison with a conventional flavor inhalation article that does not have a tip-end plug.
    • 2. Flavor inhalation system
  • The tobacco stick 200 described above may be combined with a heating device to construct a flavor inhalation system. That is, another aspect provides
    a flavor inhalation system comprising: the flavor inhalation article described above; and a heating device including a heater for heating the flavor inhalation article.
  • An example of a flavor inhalation system will be described below with reference to fig. 6A, 6B, 6C and 7. In this example, the flavor inhalation system is formed by an aerosol-generating device 100 and the tobacco stick 200. The aerosol-generating device 100 is an example of a heating device.
  • Fig. 6A is a schematic front view of an example of an aerosol-generating device. Fig. 6B is a schematic top view of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 6A. Fig. 6C is a schematic bottom view of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 6A. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view along a line III-III of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 6B.
  • An X-Y-Z orthogonal coordinate system may be applied to the drawings for convenience of description. In this coordinate system, the Z-axis is oriented vertically upwards, the X-Y plane is arranged cutting across the aerosol-generating device 100 in a horizontal direction, and the Y-axis is arranged extending from the front surface to the rear surface of the aerosol-generating device 100. The Z-axis may also refer to a direction of insertion of the tobacco stick, which is accommodated in a cylindrical body 150 of an atomization unit 130 to be described later, or an axial direction of the cylindrical body 150. Furthermore, the X-axis is a direction orthogonal to the Y-axis and Z-axis, and the X-axis and Y-axis are radial directions orthogonal to the axial direction of the cylindrical body 150, or a radial direction of the chamber 150.
  • The aerosol-generating device 100 is configured to generate an aerosol containing a flavor by heating the tobacco stick 200.
  • As shown in fig. 6A-6C, the aerosol-generating device 100 comprises an outer housing 101 (corresponding to an example of an enclosure), a slide cover 102, and a switch unit 103. The outer housing 101 constitutes the outermost housing of the aerosol-generating device 100, and is sized to fit in a user's hand. When the user is using the flavor inhalation system, the user can inhale the aerosol while holding the aerosol-generating device 100 in their hand. The outer housing 101 may be configured by assembling a plurality of members. The outer housing 101 is, for example, made of resin, and may in particular be formed from e.g. a polycarbonate (PC), an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin, polyether ether ketone (PEEK), a polymer alloy containing multiple types of polymer, or a metal such as aluminum.
  • The outer housing 101 comprises an opening (not depicted) for receiving the tobacco stick, and the slide cover 102 is slidably attached to the outer housing 101 so as to close this opening. Specifically, the slide cover 102 is configured to be movable along an outer surface of the outer housing 101 between a closed position (the position shown in fig. 6A and 6B) for closing the opening of the outer housing 101, and an open position (the position shown in fig. 7) for opening the opening. For example, the user can manually operate the slide cover 102 to move the slide cover 102 between the closed position and the open position. As a result, access of the tobacco stick to the inside of the aerosol-generating device 100 can be permitted or restricted.
  • The switch unit 103 is used to switch operation of the aerosol-generating device 100 on and off. For example, a user may heat-not-burn the tobacco stick by operating the switch unit 103, with the tobacco stick inserted in the aerosol-generating device 100, to supply power to a heating element (see reference sign 140 in fig. 7) from a power source (see reference sign 121 in fig. 7). It should be noted that the switch unit 103 may be a switch provided outside the outer housing 101, or may be a switch located inside the outer housing 101. If the switch is located inside the outer housing 101, the switch is indirectly pressed by pressing the switch unit 103 on the surface of the outer housing 101. In the example described here, the switch of the switch unit 103 is located inside the outer housing 101.
  • The aerosol-generating device 100 may further comprise a terminal (not depicted). The terminal may be an interface for connecting the aerosol-generating device 100 to an external power source, for example. If the power source included in the aerosol-generating device 100 is a rechargeable battery, connecting an external power source to the terminal allows a current to flow from the external power source to the power source, thereby charging the power source. A data transmission cable may also be connected to the terminal to allow data relating to the operation of the aerosol-generating device 100 to be sent to an external device.
  • The tobacco stick used in the aerosol-generating device 100 denotes the tobacco stick 200 described in the "1. Flavor inhalation article" section above.
  • The internal structure of the aerosol-generating device 100 will be described next. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view along a line III-III of the aerosol-generating device 100 shown in fig. 6B. As shown in fig. 7, an inner housing 110 (corresponding to an example of an enclosure) is provided on the inside of the outer housing 101 of the aerosol-generating device 100. The inner housing 110 is, for example, made of resin, and may in particular be formed from e.g. a polycarbonate (PC), an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin, polyether ether ketone (PEEK), a polymer alloy containing multiple types of polymer, or a metal such as aluminum. Note that from the perspective of heat resistance and strength, the inner housing 110 is preferably PEEK. A power source unit 120 and the atomization unit 130 are provided in an internal space of the inner housing 110.
  • The power source unit 120 comprises a power source 121. The power source 121 may be a rechargeable battery or a non-rechargeable battery, for example. The power source 121 is electrically connected to the atomization unit 130. The power source 121 is thereby able to supply power to the atomization unit 130 so that the tobacco stick 200 is suitably heated.
  • As shown in fig. 7, the atomization unit 130 comprises: the metallic cylindrical body 150 extending in the direction of insertion of the tobacco stick 200 (Z-axis direction); the heating element 140 covering a portion of the cylindrical body 150; a heat insulating portion 132; and a substantially cylindrical insertion guide member 134 abutting the opening of the cylindrical body 150.
  • The cylindrical body 150 is configured to surround the periphery of the tobacco stick 200. The heating element 140 is substantially cylindrical overall and is arranged so as to cover the cylindrical body 150. The heating element 140 contacts an outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical body 150 and heats the tobacco stick 200 which has been inserted into the cylindrical body 150. For example, the heating element 140 may be a meandering conductor line which is provided on a flexible insulating layer 141 (see fig. 8). The heating element 140, insulating layer 141, and cylindrical body 150 are components of a heater 160.
  • Furthermore, as shown in fig. 7, a bottom member 136 is provided at a bottom portion of the cylindrical body 150. The bottom member 136 abuts the tobacco stick 200 inserted in the cylindrical body 150 in the direction of insertion of the tobacco stick 200, and may function as a stopper for positioning the tobacco stick 200. Here, an accommodating portion for accommodating at least a portion of the tobacco stick 200 is formed by the cylindrical body 150 and the bottom member 136.
  • The bottom member 136 may be formed by a resin material, for example. The bottom member 136 may have unevenness on the surface thereof which is abutted by the tobacco stick 200, and this unevenness may define a first air flow path which enables air to be supplied to an air intake port of the tobacco stick 200 (i.e., which communicates with the tobacco stick 200 accommodated in the accommodating portion). The bottom member 136 is, for example, made of resin, and may in particular be formed from e.g. a polycarbonate (PC), an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin, polyether ether ketone (PEEK), a polymer alloy containing multiple types of polymer, or a metal such as aluminum. Note that the bottom member 136 is preferably formed by a material having low thermal conductivity, in order to inhibit heat transfer to the heat insulating portion 132, etc.
  • The heat insulating portion 132 is substantially cylindrical overall and is arranged so as to cover the cylindrical body 150. The heat insulating portion 132 may comprise an aerogel sheet, for example. In fig. 7, the heat insulating portion 132 is held by means of a first holding portion 137 and a second holding portion 138 which will be described later. Alternatively, a cover element 133 may be arranged so as to cover the cylindrical body 150, and the heat insulating portion 132 may be arranged so as to cover the cover element 133, as shown in fig. 8.
  • The insertion guide member 134 is provided between the slide cover 102 in the closed position and the cylindrical body 150. The insertion guide member 134 is, for example, made of resin, and may in particular be formed from e.g. a polycarbonate (PC), an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin, polyether ether ketone (PEEK), a polymer alloy containing multiple types of polymer, or a metal such as aluminum. Note that the insertion guide member 134 may be formed by a metal, glass or ceramic, etc. Furthermore, from the perspective of heat resistance, the insertion guide member 134 is preferably made of PEEK. The insertion guide member 134 communicates with the outside of the aerosol-generating device 100 when the slide cover 102 is in the open position, and guides the insertion of the tobacco stick 200 into the cylindrical body 150 when the tobacco stick 200 is inserted into the insertion guide member 134. Providing the insertion guide member 134 allows the tobacco stick 200 to be easily inserted into the cylindrical body 150.
  • The aerosol-generating device 100 further comprises the first holding portion 137 and the second holding portion 138 for holding both ends of the cylindrical body 150 and the heat insulating portion 132. The first holding portion 137 is arranged to hold end portions of the cylindrical body 150 and the heat insulating portion 132 on the Z-axis negative direction side. The second holding portion 138 is arranged to hold end portions of the cylindrical body 150 and the heat insulating portion 132 on the slide cover 102 side (Z-axis positive direction side).
  • 3. Positional relationship of heating element of aerosol-generating device, and tobacco stick A preferred positional relationship of the heating element 140 of the aerosol-generating device 100, and the tobacco stick 200 will be described with reference to fig. 8.
  • Fig. 8 shows a state in which the tobacco stick 200 is inserted in the cylindrical body 150 of the aerosol-generating device 100. Fig. 8 shows a gap provided between the outer circumferential surface of the tobacco stick 200 and the cylindrical body 150 in order to show a clear distinction between the tobacco stick 200 and the cylindrical body 150, but the outer circumferential surface of the tobacco stick 200 is preferably inserted in the cylindrical body 150 in a state of contact with the cylindrical body 150 in order for the tobacco stick 200 to be efficiently heated by the heat of the cylindrical body 150.
  • The outer circumferential surface of the tobacco stick 200 may or may not contact the cylindrical body 150 when the tobacco stick 200 is inserted in the cylindrical body 150. Furthermore, a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the tobacco stick 200 may contact the cylindrical body 150 when the tobacco stick 200 is inserted in the cylindrical body 150. When a perfectly circular tobacco stick 200 is inserted in an elliptical cylindrical body 150, a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the tobacco stick 200 may be allowed to contact the cylindrical body 150.
  • As shown in fig. 8, the cylindrical body 150, the heating element 140 surrounding the cylindrical body 150, and the flexible insulating layer 141 supporting the heating element 140 constitute the heater 160. The cover element 133 is further arranged so as to cover the cylindrical body 150, and the heat insulating portion 132 is further arranged so as to cover the cover element 133. Furthermore, as shown in fig. 8, the aerosol-generating device 100 comprises the bottom member 136 which is abutted by the tip-end plug 210 when the tobacco stick 200 is inserted in the cylindrical body 150.
  • In fig. 8, the length of the heating element 140 is denoted by L1, the length of a part of the heating element 140 facing the flavor-generating portion 220 is denoted by L2, the length of a part of the heating element 140 facing the tip-end plug 210 is denoted by L3, and the length of a part of the heating element 140 facing the hollow tube portion 230 is denoted by L4. L1 is 5-20 mm, for example. L2 is 4-20 mm, preferably 5-15 mm, and more preferably 5-10 mm, for example. L3 is 0-5 mm, preferably 0-3 mm, and more preferably 0-1 mm, for example. L4 is 0-5 mm and preferably 0-3 mm, for example. L2 is preferably greater than L3.
  • When the tobacco stick 200 is inserted in the cylindrical body 150 and the tip-end plug 210 is abutting the bottom member 136, most of the heating element 140 is thus preferably located at a position facing the flavor-generating portion 220 rather than the tip-end plug 210. More specifically, an "area of a region of the heating element 140 facing the flavor-generating portion 220" when the tobacco stick 200 is inserted in the cylindrical body 150 and the tip-end plug 210 is abutting the bottom member 136 is preferably greater than an "area of the region of the heating element 140 facing the tip-end plug 210".
  • In fig. 8, the "region of the heating element 140 facing the flavor-generating portion 220" indicates a region in which the heating element 140 is facing the flavor-generating portion 220 with the cylindrical body 150 interposed therebetween. In the present description, the "region of the heating element 140 facing the flavor-generating portion 220" is thus not limited to a region in which the heating element 140 is directly facing the flavor-generating portion 220, and may also be a region in which the heating element 140 is facing the flavor-generating portion 220 with another component interposed therebetween.
  • Similarly, in the present description, the "region of the heating element 140 facing the tip-end plug 210" is not limited to a region in which the heating element 140 is directly facing the tip-end plug 210, and may also be a region in which the heating element 140 is facing the tip-end plug 210 with another component interposed therebetween.
  • For example, if the length of the heating element 140 is 14 mm, the length of the flavor-generating portion 220 is 12 mm, and the length of the tip-end plug 210 is 8 mm, then the "area of the region of the heating element 140 facing the flavor-generating portion 220" is 89.2-446 mm2, and preferably 111.5-334.5 mm2, for example, and the "area of the region of the heating element 140 facing the tip-end plug 210" is 0-111.5 mm2, and preferably 0-66.9 mm2, for example.
  • When such a configuration is adopted, the heat of the heating element 140 is first transmitted to the flavor-generating portion 220, and then transmitted to the tip-end plug 210. Flavor components are therefore readily released from the flavor source and the second flavoring material contained in the flavor-generating portion 220 in the first half of the inhalation period of the tobacco stick 200, and the first flavoring material contained in the tip-end plug 210 is readily released in the latter half of the inhalation period of the tobacco stick 200. As a result, flavor components can be released throughout the whole inhalation period.
  • In addition to the configuration described above, an "area of a region of a circumferential surface of the tip-end plug 210 not facing the heating element 140" when the tobacco stick 200 is inserted in the cylindrical body 150 and the tip-end plug 210 is abutting the bottom member 136 is more preferably greater than an "area of a region of a circumferential surface of the flavor-generating portion 220 not facing the heating element 140". More specifically, a "ratio S1/SFP of an area S1 of a first region of the circumferential surface of the tip-end plug 210 not facing the heating element 140, which occupies an area SFP of the circumferential surface of the tip-end plug 210" when the tobacco stick 200 is inserted in the cylindrical body 150 and the tip-end plug 210 is abutting the bottom member 136 is more preferably greater than a "ratio S2/SFG of an area S2 of a second region of the circumferential surface of the flavor-generating portion 220 not facing the heating element 140, which occupies an area SFG of the circumferential surface of the flavor-generating portion 220".
  • For example, if the length of the heating element 140 is 14 mm, the length of the flavor-generating portion 220 is 12 mm, and the length of the tip-end plug 210 is 8 mm, then the "ratio S 1/SFP of an area S1 of a first region of a circumferential surface of the tip-end plug 210 not facing the heating element 140, which occupies an area SFP of the circumferential surface of the tip-end plug 210" when the tobacco stick 200 is inserted in the cylindrical body 150 and the tip-end plug 210 is abutting the bottom member 136 is 0.375-1, preferably 0.625-1, and more preferably 0.875-1, for example, and the "ratio S2/SFG of an area S2 of a second region of the circumferential surface of the flavor-generating portion 220 not facing the heating element 140, which occupies an area SFG of the circumferential surface of the flavor-generating portion 220" is 0-0.667, preferably 0-0.583, and more preferably 0.167-0.583, for example.
  • When such a configuration is adopted also, the heat of the heating element 140 is likewise first transmitted to the flavor-generating portion 220, and then transmitted to the tip-end plug 210. Flavor components are therefore readily released from the flavor source and the second flavoring material contained in the flavor-generating portion 220 in the first half of the inhalation period of the tobacco stick 200, and the first flavoring material contained in the tip-end plug 210 is readily released in the latter half of the inhalation period of the tobacco stick 200. As a result, flavor components can be released throughout the whole inhalation period.
    • EXAMPLES 1. Production of tobacco stick Example 1A
  • A flavoring material-supporting paper filter was incorporated into a commercially-available Ploom X tobacco stick (Japan Tobacco, Inc.) to produce a tobacco stick of Example 1A.
  • A commercially-available Ploom X tobacco stick has the structure of the tobacco stick shown in fig. 1, without the tip-end plug. That is to say, a commercially-available Ploom X tobacco stick comprises, in succession from a tip end side (i.e., the opposite side to the mouthpiece): a flavor-generating portion (length 20 mm), a hollow tube portion (length 20 mm), a hollow filter portion (length 12 mm), and a filter plug (length 8 mm). The flavor-generating portion of this tobacco stick contains chopped pieces of sheet tobacco as a flavor source, but the flavor-generating portion does not contain menthol.
  • Paper (thickness: 88 µm, basis weight: 35 g/m2, air permeability: 3000 CORESTA units) was shaped into a corrugated form to prepare a paper filter (see fig. 3). The paper which was used was rectangular, with the length in the direction of arrangement of the corrugations (i.e., the direction D shown in fig. 3) being 180 mm, and the length in a direction orthogonal to the direction of arrangement of the corrugations being 8 mm. A flavoring material composition having the composition given below was supported on the surface of the paper filter in such a way that the amount of menthol supported was 18 mg. The flavoring material-supporting paper filter was prepared by this means.
    • 2 mass% of hydroxypropyl cellulose
    • 98 mass% of menthol
    A portion of the tobacco filling material (an 8 mm section from the tip end) was removed from the flavor-generating portion of the commercially-available Ploom X tobacco stick, and the flavoring material-supporting paper filter (length 8 mm) was inserted therein so as to be folded in the direction of arrangement of the corrugations (see fig. 2). A tobacco stick having the structure shown in fig. 1 was produced by this means. This tobacco stick will be referred to as the "tobacco stick of Example 1A". In the tobacco stick of Example 1A, the length of the tip-end plug was 8 mm, the length of the flavor-generating portion was 12 mm, the length of the hollow tube portion was 20 mm, the length of the hollow filter portion was 12 mm, and the length of the filter plug was 8 mm. In the tobacco stick of Example 1A, the tip-end plug contains 18 mg of menthol, and the flavor-generating portion contains 18 mg of glycerol. Comparative Example 1A
  • A 70 mass% menthol dilution (ethanol dilution) was injected by syringe into the filter plug of the commercially-available Ploom X tobacco stick so that the amount of menthol injected was 18 mg. The tobacco stick produced in this way will be referred to as the "tobacco stick of Comparative Example 1A". The tobacco stick of Comparative Example 1A does not have a tip-end plug, contains 18 mg of glycerol in the flavor-generating portion, and contains 18 mg of menthol in the filter plug.
    • Comparative Example 2A
  • A 70 mass% menthol dilution (ethanol dilution) was injected by syringe into the flavor-generating portion of the commercially-available Ploom X tobacco stick so that the amount of menthol injected was 18 mg. The tobacco stick produced in this way will be referred to as the "tobacco stick of Comparative Example 2A". The tobacco stick of Comparative Example 2A does not have a tip-end plug, and contains 18 mg of menthol and 18 mg of glycerol in the flavor-generating portion.
    • Comparative Example 3A
  • A 70 mass% menthol dilution (ethanol dilution) was injected by syringe into the flavor-generating portion of the commercially-available Ploom X tobacco stick so that the amount of menthol injected was 14 mg. A 70 mass% menthol dilution (ethanol dilution) was injected by syringe into the filter plug of the commercially-available Ploom X tobacco stick so that the amount of menthol injected was 4 mg. The tobacco stick produced in this way will be referred to as the "tobacco stick of Comparative Example 3A". The tobacco stick of Comparative Example 3A does not have a tip-end plug, contains 14 mg of menthol and 18 mg of glycerol in the flavor-generating portion, and contains 4 mg of menthol in the filter plug.
    • Example 1B
  • A tobacco stick was produced by the same procedure as for producing the tobacco stick of Example 1A, except that the flavoring material composition described above was supported on the surface of the paper filter in such a way that the amount of menthol supported was 12 mg. The tobacco stick produced in this way will be referred to as the "tobacco stick of Example 1B". In the tobacco stick of Example 1B, the tip-end plug contains 12 mg of menthol, and the flavor-generating portion contains 18 mg of glycerol.
    • Comparative Example 1B
  • A 70 mass% menthol dilution (ethanol dilution) was injected by syringe into the flavor-generating portion of the commercially-available Ploom X tobacco stick so that the amount of menthol injected was 12 mg. The tobacco stick produced in this way will be referred to as the "tobacco stick of Comparative Example 1B". The tobacco stick of Comparative Example 1B does not have a tip-end plug, and contains 12 mg of menthol and 18 mg of glycerol in the flavor-generating portion.
    • 2. Evaluation by smoking test
  • A smoking test was carried out by heating the produced tobacco sticks with the aerosol-generating device 100 shown in fig. 6A-6C and 7. As shown in fig. 8, the tobacco sticks were heated with said tobacco sticks inserted in the cylindrical body 150 so that the tip-end plug 210 abuts the bottom member 136. In Examples 1A and 1B, the positional relationship of the heating element 140 and the tobacco stick during heating of the tobacco stick was as follows (see fig. 8).
    • Length (L1) of the heating element 140: 14 mm
    • Length (L2) of the part of the heating element 140 facing the flavor-generating portion 220: 12 mm
    • Length (L3) of the part of the heating element 140 facing the tip-end plug 210: 0.5 mm
    • Length (L4) of the part of the heating element 140 facing the hollow tube portion 230: 1.5 mm Area of the region of the heating element 140 facing the flavor-generating portion 220: 267.6 mm2
    • Area of the region of the heating element 140 facing the tip-end plug 210: 11.15 mm2
    • Ratio S1/SFP of the area S1 of the first region of the circumferential surface of the tip-end plug 210 not facing the heating element 140, which occupies the area SFP of the circumferential surface of the tip-end plug 210: 0.9375
    • Ratio S2/SFG of the area S2 of the second region of the circumferential surface of the flavor-generating portion 220 not facing the heating element 140, which occupies the area SFG of the circumferential surface of the flavor-generating portion 220: 0
    • A Cambridge filter (manufactured by Borgwaldt KC Inc., CM-133) was connected to the mouthpiece end of the tobacco sticks. The tobacco sticks were provided for a smoking test employing a smoking machine. Specifically, samples were automatically smoked using an automatic smoking machine (manufactured by Borgwaldt KC Inc., LM5E-SP) under conditions of smoking volume 27.5 ml/second, smoking time 2 seconds/puff, smoking frequency 2 puffs/minute, and particulates in tobacco smoke from each puff were trapped in the Cambridge filter.
  • Analysis specimens were obtained by shaking the Cambridge filter following the smoking test in 10 mL of methanol (manufactured by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.; special grade chemical) for 10 minutes. 1 µL of the analysis specimens obtained was collected in a microsyringe, and the amount of menthol was analyzed in a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (manufactured by Agilent; GC-FID/TCD, GC: 7890B).
    • 3. Results
  • Fig. 9 and 10 show the relationship between the number of puffs and the amount of menthol. The results of Example 1A and Comparative Examples 1A-3A (when the amount of menthol added was 18 mg) are shown in fig. 9. The results of Example 1B and Comparative Example 1B (when the amount of menthol added was 12 mg) are shown in fig. 10.
  • The tobacco stick of Example 1A could release the flavoring material, without a drop in the amount of flavoring material released, in the latter half of the inhalation period also. With the tobacco sticks of Comparative Examples 1A-3A, on the other hand, a larger amount of flavoring material was released in the first half of the inhalation period, but there was a drop in the amount of flavoring material released as more puffs were taken.
  • The tobacco stick of Example 1B could release the flavoring material, without a drop in the amount of flavoring material released, in the latter half of the inhalation period also. With the tobacco stick of Comparative Example 1B, on the other hand, a larger amount of flavoring material was released in the first half of the inhalation period, but there was a drop in the amount of flavoring material released as more puffs were taken.
  • These results show that by arranging a tip-end plug on the tip end side of the tobacco stick, and supporting a flavoring material together with hydroxypropyl cellulose on the filtration material in the tip-end plug, the flavoring material can be stably released, without a drop in the amount of flavoring material released, in the latter half of the inhalation period. At the same time, the tobacco stick comprises a flavor-generating portion downstream of the tip-end plug, similarly to a conventional tobacco stick, and the flavor-generating portion contains chopped pieces of sheet tobacco as a flavor source. It is thought that the flavoring material originating from the flavor-generating portion is mainly released in the first half of the inhalation period, similarly to a conventional tobacco stick. It is therefore thought that the tobacco sticks of Examples 1A and 1B can release the flavoring material originating from the flavor-generating portion in the first half of the inhalation period, and can release the flavoring material originating from the tip-end plug in the latter half of the inhalation period, and that the flavoring material can be stably released throughout the whole inhalation period as a result.
  • It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and may be modified in various ways at the implementation stage within a scope that does not depart from the essential point of the present invention. Furthermore, the embodiments may be implemented in suitable combinations, in which case the combined effects thereof are achieved. The embodiments further include various inventions, and various inventions may be extracted using combinations selected from the plurality of constituent requirements disclosed. For example, if the problem can still be solved and the effects can still be achieved when some of the constituent requirements are deleted from the constituent requirements disclosed as a whole in the embodiments, then a configuration from which those constituent requirements have been deleted may be extracted as an invention.
    • REFERENCE SIGNS LIST
  • 100... Aerosol-generating device, 101... Outer housing, 102... Slide cover, 103... Switch unit, 110... Inner housing, 120... Power source unit, 121... Power source, 130... Atomization unit, 132... Heat insulating portion, 133... Cover element, 134... Insertion guide member, 136... Bottom member, 137... First holding portion, 138... Second holding portion, 140... Heating element, 141... Insulating layer 150... Cylindrical body, 160... Heater
    200... Tobacco stick, 210... Tip-end plug, 211... First filtration material, 211a... Ridge portion, 211b... Valley portion, 212... First inner plug wrap, 220... Flavor-generating portion, 221... Flavor source, 222... First wrapper, 230... Hollow tube portion, 240... Hollow filter portion, 241... Third filtration material, 242... Third inner plug wrap, 250... Filter plug, 251... Second filtration material, 252... Second inner plug wrap, 260... Outer plug wrap, 265... Second joined body, 270... Second wrapper, 280... Outer plug wrap, 285... First joined body

Claims (17)

  1. A flavor inhalation article having a columnar shape and comprising:
    a tip-end plug which is positioned at one end of the flavor inhalation article and includes a first filtration material and a flavoring material composition supported on the first filtration material, the flavoring material composition comprising hydroxypropyl cellulose and a first flavoring material;
    a filter plug which is positioned at another end of the flavor inhalation article and includes a second filtration material; and
    a flavor-generating portion which is positioned between the tip-end plug and the filter plug and contains a flavor source.
  2. The flavor inhalation article as claimed in any claim 1, wherein the tip-end plug adjoins the flavor-generating portion, and the filter plug is spaced apart from the flavor-generating portion.
  3. The flavor inhalation article as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the first filtration material comprises a sheet which is shaped into a corrugated form and folded in a direction of arrangement of corrugations.
  4. The flavor inhalation article as claimed in claim 3, wherein the sheet is a paper.
  5. The flavor inhalation article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the flavoring material composition further comprises a first aerosol source.
  6. The flavor inhalation article as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first aerosol source contains glycerol.
  7. The flavor inhalation article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first flavoring material is menthol.
  8. The flavor inhalation article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the flavor source is a tobacco filling material.
  9. The flavor inhalation article as claimed in claim 8, wherein the tobacco filling material constitutes a plurality of shaped bodies each comprising leaf tobacco.
  10. The flavor inhalation article as claimed in claim 9, wherein the plurality of shaped bodies each have a shape extending in a length direction of the flavor-generating portion.
  11. The flavor inhalation article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the flavor-generating portion further comprises a second flavoring material of the same type as the first flavoring material.
  12. The flavor inhalation article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the flavor-generating portion further comprises a second aerosol source.
  13. The flavor inhalation article as claimed in claim 12, wherein the second aerosol source contains glycerol.
  14. The flavor inhalation article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the flavor-generating portion optionally comprises a second flavoring material of the same type as the first flavoring material, and
    an amount of the first flavoring material per unit length of the tip-end plug is greater than an amount of the second flavoring material per unit length of the flavor-generating portion.
  15. A flavor inhalation system comprising: the flavor inhalation article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14; and
    a heating device including a heater for heating the flavor inhalation article.
  16. The flavor inhalation system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the heater comprises a cylindrical body into which the flavor inhalation article is inserted, and a heating element surrounding the cylindrical body,
    the heating device further includes a bottom member which is abutted by the tip-end plug when the flavor inhalation article is inserted in the cylindrical body, and
    an area of a region of the heating element facing the flavor-generating portion when the flavor inhalation article is inserted in the cylindrical body and the tip-end plug is abutting the bottom member is greater than an area of a region of the heating element facing the tip-end plug.
  17. The flavor inhalation system as claimed in claim 16, wherein a ratio S 1/SFP of an area S1 of a first region of a circumferential surface of the tip-end plug not facing the heating element, which occupies an area SFP of the circumferential surface of the tip-end plug when the flavor inhalation article is inserted in the cylindrical body and the tip-end plug is abutting the bottom member is greater than a ratio S2/SFG of an area S2 of a second region of a circumferential surface of the flavor-generating portion not facing the heating element, which occupies an area SFG of the circumferential surface of the flavor-generating portion.
EP23931966.8A 2023-04-04 2023-04-04 Flavor inhalation article and flavor inhalation system Pending EP4691276A1 (en)

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Citations (2)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH09294577A (en) 1996-04-30 1997-11-18 Japan Tobacco Inc System for winding up paper filter for cigarette
WO2010110226A1 (en) 2009-03-23 2010-09-30 日本たばこ産業株式会社 Non-combustion article for flavor inhalation

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KR20200144049A (en) * 2019-06-17 2020-12-28 주식회사 케이티앤지 An aerosol generating device and an aerosol generating article
KR102353865B1 (en) * 2019-08-08 2022-01-20 주식회사 케이티앤지 Aerosol generating system
KR102275791B1 (en) * 2019-08-16 2021-07-09 주식회사 케이티앤지 Aerosol generating article, device and system
KR20220148213A (en) * 2020-02-28 2022-11-04 필립모리스 프로덕츠 에스.에이. Aerosol-generating article comprising novel substrate and upstream element
GB202011965D0 (en) * 2020-07-31 2020-09-16 Nicoventures Trading Ltd Article for use in a aerosol provision system
KR20240001712A (en) * 2021-05-13 2024-01-03 니뽄 다바코 산교 가부시키가이샤 Non-combustible heated flavor aspiration article and non-combustible heated flavor aspiration system

Patent Citations (2)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH09294577A (en) 1996-04-30 1997-11-18 Japan Tobacco Inc System for winding up paper filter for cigarette
WO2010110226A1 (en) 2009-03-23 2010-09-30 日本たばこ産業株式会社 Non-combustion article for flavor inhalation

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Title
See also references of WO2024209554A1

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