EP4775053A1

EP4775053A1 - Flavor-generating article

Info

Publication number: EP4775053A1
Application number: EP23951523.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Tetsuya Motodamari
Original assignee: Japan Tobacco Inc
Current assignee: Japan Tobacco Inc
Priority date: 2023-09-07
Filing date: 2023-09-07
Publication date: 2026-07-15
Also published as: WO2025052625A1; KR20260047248A; CN121752134A; JPWO2025052625A1

Abstract

A flavor-generating article comprises: a first rod portion including a flavor source and a first wrapper covering the periphery of the flavor source; an upstream portion disposed upstream of the first rod portion; a second wrapper covering the periphery of the first rod portion and the upstream portion; and a first bonding portion for bonding the first wrapper and the second wrapper. The second wrapper covers the entire periphery of the first wrapper.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a flavor-generating article.

BACKGROUND ART

Flavor inhalers for inhaling flavors, etc., without combustion of materials are conventionally known. A flavor inhaler comprises, for example, a chamber accommodating a flavor-generating article, and a heater for heating the flavor-generating article accommodated in the chamber (e.g., see PTL 1).

CITATION LIST

PATENT LITERATURE

PTL 1: WO 2020/084775 A1
PTL 2: JP 2022-528046 A
PTL 3: JP 6949043 B2

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

TECHNICAL PROBLEM

An aerosol base material, a flavoring, or other additives may be added to a flavor-generating portion of the flavor-generating article which is used in a flavor inhaler such as disclosed in PTL 1. Additives such as these may penetrate into a wrapping paper and crystallize on the surface of the wrapping paper. When this kind of crystallization occurs, there is a risk of compromising the appearance of the flavor-generating article or staining the user's hands, etc. Moreover, there is also a known aerosol-generating article which comprises a first wrapper and a second wrapper in order to inhibit leakage of liquid components from the wrapping paper (see PTL 2).
Furthermore, there is also a known aerosol-generating article in which a plug element is disposed upstream of an aerosol-forming substrate. This kind of aerosol-generating article requires suitable connection of the plug element (upstream portion) and the aerosol-forming substrate.
One objective of the present invention lies in inhibiting liquid components from penetrating into or crystallizing on the wrapping paper surface.

SOLUTION TO PROBLEM

According to a first aspect, a flavor-generating article is provided. The flavor-generating article comprises: a first rod portion including a flavor source and a first wrapper covering the periphery of the flavor source; an upstream portion disposed upstream of the first rod portion; a second wrapper covering the periphery of the first rod portion and the upstream portion; and a first bonding portion for bonding the first wrapper and the second wrapper. The second wrapper covers the entire periphery of the first wrapper.
According to the first aspect, the second wrapper covers the entire periphery of the first wrapper so it is possible to inhibit additives contained in the flavor source from soaking through to the surface of the second wrapper, and crystallization on the surface of the second wrapper can therefore be inhibited. Furthermore, according to the first aspect, an end portion of the flavor source is covered by the upstream portion, so the flavor source can be prevented from falling out from the flavor-generating article. Furthermore, the second wrapper covers the first rod portion and the upstream portion, and the first wrapper and the second wrapper are bonded by means of the first bonding portion, thereby enabling the first rod portion and the upstream portion to be suitably connected.
The first bonding portion may be provided on a region of no greater than 50% of the entire periphery of the second wrapper.
There is a risk of the second wrapper being creased when the first wrapper and the second wrapper are bonded by an adhesive such as a glue. In contrast to this, the first wrapper and the second wrapper are not bonded over the entire periphery when the first bonding portion is provided in the region indicated above, and creasing of the second wrapper can therefore be inhibited. The amount of adhesive which is used in order to bond the first wrapper and the second wrapper can furthermore be limited, therefore making it possible to also inhibit an increase in production costs and soiling of the device caused by this adhesive. Note that the first bonding portion is more preferably provided on a region of no greater than 35% of the entire periphery of the second wrapper, and is even more preferably provided on a region of no greater than 25% thereof.
The flavor-generating article may comprise a second bonding portion for bonding the second wrapper and the upstream portion, and the second bonding portion may be provided over the entire periphery on at least part of the upstream portion in a longitudinal direction.
The second wrapper and the upstream portion are securely bonded in this case, which can therefore inhibit the upstream portion from dropping out from the second wrapper.
An area of the second bonding portion per unit length in the longitudinal direction may be greater than an area of the first bonding portion per unit length in the longitudinal direction.
In this case, a bonding area of the upstream portion and the second wrapper is greater than a bonding area of the first rod portion and the second wrapper, so the second wrapper and the upstream portion can be securely bonded while inhibiting creasing of the part of the second wrapper bonded to the first rod portion.
The second bonding portion may comprise a first part, and a second part coated with a greater amount of an adhesive than the first part.
In this case, the first part which is coated with a relatively small amount of adhesive can inhibit the flavor-generating article (upstream portion) from catching fire due to the presence of adhesive, if a user accidentally brings a flame close to the flavor-generating article. Furthermore, the second part which is coated with a relatively large amount of adhesive is capable of securely bonding the second wrapper and the upstream portion. In addition, creasing of the second wrapper at the second bonding portion can be inhibited to a greater extent than when the entire second bonding portion is coated with a relatively large amount of adhesive.
The second part may extend along a circumferential direction of the upstream portion.
In this case, the second wrapper and the upstream portion can be securely bonded by the second part along the circumferential direction, which can therefore further inhibit the upstream portion from dropping out from the second wrapper.
The second part may extend over a region of at least 50% of the entire periphery of the upstream portion.
In this case, the second wrapper and the upstream portion can be more securely bonded by the second part along the circumferential direction, which can therefore even further inhibit the upstream portion from dropping out from the second wrapper. Note that the second part more preferably extends over a region of at least 65% of the entire periphery of the upstream portion, and even more preferably extends over a region of at least 80%.
The second wrapper may have portions at both circumferential ends, and the second part may be arranged separated from the portions at both circumferential ends.
In this case it is possible to inhibit the adhesive from protruding from the portions at both circumferential ends of the second wrapper.
The length of the upstream portion in the longitudinal direction may be 5 mm-10 mm.
If the upstream portion has a length of less than 1 mm, then there is a risk of deformation such as crushing occurring, for example, because the shape cannot be maintained during cutting. The upstream portion can be produced relatively easily when the length of the upstream portion is 1 mm or greater in the longitudinal direction. The upstream portion can be produced even more easily especially when the length of the upstream portion is 5 mm or greater in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, if the upstream portion exceeds 10 mm, then there is a risk of the flavor-generating article having excessively high airflow resistance. Accordingly, the upstream portion can be easily produced while excessively high airflow resistance of the flavor-generating article is inhibited, by setting the length of the upstream portion in the range above. In addition, a sufficient bonding area can be maintained between the second wrapper and the upstream portion if the length of the upstream portion in the longitudinal direction is 5 mm or greater, which can therefore further inhibit the upstream portion from dropping out from the second wrapper.
The flavor-generating article may comprise a second rod portion disposed on a downstream side of the first rod portion, and the second wrapper may cover the periphery of at least part of the second rod portion.
In this case, the first rod portion and the upstream portion can be connected with the second rod portion by means of the second wrapper.
The flavor-generating article may comprise a third bonding portion for bonding the second wrapper and the second rod portion, and the third bonding portion may be provided over the entire periphery on at least part of the second rod portion in the longitudinal direction.
The second wrapper and the second rod portion are securely bonded in this case, which can therefore inhibit the second rod portion from dropping out from the second wrapper.
An area of the third bonding portion per unit length in the longitudinal direction may be greater than the area of the first bonding portion per unit length in the longitudinal direction.
In this case, a bonding area of the second rod portion and the second wrapper is greater than the bonding area of the first rod portion and the second wrapper, so the second wrapper and the second rod portion can be securely bonded while inhibiting creasing of the part of the second wrapper bonded to the first rod portion.
The third bonding portion may comprise a third part, and a fourth part coated with a greater amount of an adhesive than the third part.
In this case, the third part which is coated with a relatively small amount of adhesive can inhibit the flavor-generating article (second rod portion) from catching fire due to the presence of adhesive, if a user accidentally brings a flame close to the flavor-generating article. Furthermore, the fourth part which is coated with a relatively large amount of adhesive is capable of securely bonding the second wrapper and the second rod portion. In addition, creasing of the second wrapper at the third bonding portion can be inhibited to a greater extent than when the entire third bonding portion is coated with a relatively large amount of adhesive.
The fourth part may extend along a circumferential direction of the second rod portion.
In this case, the second wrapper and the second rod portion can be securely bonded by the fourth part along the circumferential direction, which can therefore further inhibit the second rod portion from dropping out from the second wrapper.
The fourth part may extend over a region of at least 50% of the entire periphery of the second rod portion.
In this case, the second wrapper and the second rod portion can be more securely bonded by the fourth part along the circumferential direction, which can therefore even further inhibit the second rod portion from dropping out from the second wrapper. Note that the fourth part more preferably extends over a region of at least 65% of the entire periphery of the second rod portion, and even more preferably extends over a region of at least 80%.
The second rod portion may have an exposed portion not covered by the second wrapper, and the longitudinal length of the exposed portion may be 3 mm or greater.
In this case, even if the adhesive protrudes from between the second rod portion and the second wrapper, this adhesive protrudes on the exposed portion, and the adhesive can therefore be inhibited from protruding from the end portion of the second rod.
The flavor-generating article may comprise perforations formed penetrating the exposed portion of the second rod portion.
In this case, air can flow into the second rod portion from the outside during use of the flavor-generating article, enabling a reduction in the temperature of air and components flowing in from the flavor source. Moreover, when an aerosol base material is contained in the flavor source, a vapor containing the aerosol base material and the tobacco flavor component generated as a result of the flavor-generating article being heated is liquefied by a reduction in temperature caused by contact with external air, making it possible to promote aerosol generation. Furthermore, when these perforations are formed by a laser after the flavor-generating article has been assembled, the perforations are formed in the exposed portion which is not overlapped by the wrapping paper, therefore making it possible to reduce laser output. In addition, the third bonding portion is not provided on the exposed portion, so when the perforations are formed by a laser after the flavor-generating article has been assembled, it is possible to inhibit the formation of adhesive-containing dust and to reduce the frequency of cleaning the apparatus which forms the perforations.
The flavor-generating article may comprise: a filter portion disposed downstream of the second rod portion; and a third wrapper covering the periphery of the second rod portion and the filter portion.
In this case, the second rod portion and the filter portion can be connected by means of the third wrapper.
The third wrapper may cover the exposed portion of the second rod portion.
In this case, the second rod portion and the filter portion can be connected by means of the third wrapper while the second rod portion is inhibited from being exposed.
The third wrapper may partially overlap the second wrapper.
In this case, the second rod portion and the filter portion can be more securely connected while the second rod portion is completely prevented from being exposed.
The first wrapper may be at least partially coated with a liquid permeation-inhibiting material.
In this case, it is possible to further inhibit additives contained in the flavor source from soaking through to the surface of the second wrapper, and crystallization on the surface of the second wrapper can therefore be further inhibited.
The liquid permeation-inhibiting material may comprise kaolin.
In this case, it is possible to inhibit crystallization on the surface of the second wrapper using a relatively inexpensive material which is readily available.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a drawing showing a smoking system according to the embodiment.
Fig. 2 is an exploded oblique view of a flavor-generating article.
Fig. 3 is a schematic view in cross section of the flavor-generating article.
Fig. 4 is an exploded oblique view of a flavor-generating article according to another embodiment.
Fig. 5 is a developed plan view of an outer plug wrap shown in fig. 2 and 3

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings described below, identical or corresponding components are assigned the same reference numbers and duplicate descriptions will not be given. Fig. 1 is a drawing showing a smoking system 100 according to the embodiment. As shown in fig. 1, the smoking system 100 comprises a flavor-generating article 110 having a flavor source, and a flavor inhaler 120 for heating the flavor-generating article 110. Air to be inhaled by the user is directed into the oral cavity of the user, for example in the order of air flow 100A, air flow 100C, and air flow 100B. That is to say, the smoking system 100 shown in fig. 1 has what is known as a counterflow-type air flow path.
The flavor-generating article 110 is a substrate containing a flavor source such as tobacco capable of generating a smokable flavor, and has, for example, a columnar shape extending along the longitudinal direction. The flavor-generating article 110 may be a tobacco stick, for example. The flavor-generating article 110 may have a cylindrical shape, a columnar shape with a polygonal cross section, or a flat shape. It should be noted that "longitudinal direction" in the present specification means a length direction of the flavor-generating article 110, or a direction of adjacency of a tip-end plug 112 and a flavor-generating portion 220 which will be described later.
The flavor inhaler 120 comprises a battery 10, a control unit 20, and a heating unit 30. The battery 10 stores electrical power for use by the flavor inhaler 120. The battery 10 is a lithium ion battery, for example. The battery 10 may be rechargeable by means of an external power source.
The control unit 20 is configured by a CPU and a memory, etc. and controls operation of the flavor inhaler 120 including the heating unit 30. For example, the control unit 20 starts heating of the flavor-generating article 110 in response to a user operation on an input device such as a push-button or slide switch (not depicted), and terminates heating of the flavor-generating article 110 once a given time has elapsed. When the number of puffing actions by the user has passed a fixed value, the control unit 20 may terminate heating of the flavor-generating article 110 even if the given time has not yet elapsed from the start of heating of the flavor-generating article 110. Puffing actions are detected by a sensor (not depicted), for example.
Alternatively, the control unit 20 may start heating of the flavor-generating article 110 in response to the start of a puffing action, and may terminate heating of the flavor-generating article 110 in response to the end of the puffing action. When a given time has elapsed from the start of the puffing action, the control unit 20 may terminate heating of the flavor-generating article 110 even if the puffing action has not yet finished. In the embodiment, the control unit 20 is disposed between the battery 10 and the heating unit 30, and inhibits transfer of heat from the heating unit 30 to the battery 10.
The heating unit 30 may be configured to accommodate the flavor-generating article 110. The heating unit 30 furthermore comprises a heating source 40. The heating source 40 is a heat-generating body which generates heat by means of electrical power from the battery 10, which is to say that the temperature thereof rises. In the example depicted, the heating source 40 is a heater arranged in the flavor inhaler 120. The heater may comprise a heating wire. The heater is configured to heat the flavor-generating article 110 accommodated in the heating unit 30 from the outside of the flavor-generating article 110. The flavor inhaler 120 is thus preferably what is known as a flavor inhaler of the external heating type. Note that the flavor-generating article 110 may have a susceptor inside, instead of the heating source 40. In that case, the susceptor may be inductively heated by means of an induction coil arranged in the flavor inhaler 120. Alternatively, the flavor inhaler 120 may have a microwave radiation source instead of the heating source 40. In that case, a microwave absorber such as water or glycerol contained in the flavor-generating article 110 may be heated by means of microwaves from the microwave radiation source. Configurations such as these allow the flavor-generating article 110 to be heated without the need to insert a pin-type or other heater into the flavor-generating article 110, and it is possible to inhibit adhesion of parts of the flavor-generating article 110 to such a heater, which would cause a drop in heating efficiency. Note that the flavor inhaler 120 may also comprise a pin- or blade-type heater which is inserted into the flavor-generating article 110.
Fig. 2 is an exploded oblique view of the flavor-generating article 110. Furthermore, fig. 3 is a schematic view in cross section of the flavor-generating article 110. Specifically, fig. 3(a) is a schematic view in side section of the flavor-generating article 110. Fig. 3(b) is a view in cross section seen along the arrows b-b in fig. 3(a). As shown in fig. 2 and 3(a), the flavor-generating article 110 comprises: a flavor source 221 for generating a flavor; and a tip-end plug 112 (corresponding to an example of an upstream portion) disposed on the upstream side of the flavor source 221 (flavor-generating portion 220). More specifically, in the example depicted, the flavor-generating article 110 comprises, in order from the tip-end side (i.e., the opposite side to a mouthpiece): the tip-end plug 112; a flavor-generating portion 220 (corresponding to an example of a first rod portion); a hollow tube portion 132 (corresponding to an example of a second rod portion); a hollow filter portion 240; and a filter plug 250. These five components are joined by using an outer plug wrap 280, an outer plug wrap 260, and a tipping paper 270.
There is no particular restriction on the airflow resistance in the long axis direction per flavor-generating article 110, but, from the viewpoint of ease of drawing, it is normally 8 mmH₂O or greater, preferably 10 mmH₂O or greater, and more preferably 12 mmH₂O or greater, and is also normally 150 mmH₂O or less, preferably 100 mmH₂O or less, more preferably 80 mmH₂O or less, and still more preferably 60 mmH₂O or less. As a specific example, the airflow resistance of the flavor-generating article 110 is preferably 30 mmH₂O-150 mmH₂O. In this case the user can be provided with comfortable drawing resistance. The airflow resistance is measured by using a filter airflow resistance measurement instrument produced by Cerulean, for example, in accordance with the ISO standard method (ISO6565:2015). The airflow resistance denotes an air pressure difference between one end face (a first end face) and another end face (a second end face) when air at a predetermined air flow rate (17.5 cc/sec) flows from the first end face to the second end face in a state in which air does not pass through the side face of the flavor-generating article 110. The units are generally expressed in mmH₂O. The relationship between airflow resistance and length of a heat-not-burn cigarette is known to be a proportional relationship in a normal length range (a length of 5 mm-200 mm), and the airflow resistance of the heat-not-burn cigarette doubles when the length doubles.
The rod-shaped flavor-generating article 110 preferably has a columnar shape satisfying a shape in which the aspect ratio as defined below is 1 or greater. $Aspect ratio = h / w$ w is the width of a bottom face of a columnar body (in the present specification, this is the width of the bottom face on the flavor-generating portion 220 side), h is the height, and preferably h≥w. In the present specification, the long axis direction is the direction represented by h. Thus, for the sake of convenience, the direction represented by h is still referred to as the long axis direction even when w≥h. There is no limitation as to the shape of the bottom face, and it may be polygonal, rounded-corner polygonal, circular, or elliptical, etc. The width w is the diameter when the bottom face is circular, the major diameter when the bottom face is elliptical, and the diameter of a circumscribed circle or the major diameter of a circumscribed ellipse when the bottom face is polygonal or rounded-corner polygonal.
There is no particular restriction on the length h of the flavor-generating article 110 in the long axis direction, and it is normally 40 mm or greater, preferably 45 mm or greater, and more preferably 50 mm or greater, for example. Furthermore, the length h is normally 100 mm or less, preferably 90 mm or less, and more preferably 80 mm or less.
There is no particular restriction on the width w of the bottom face of the columnar body constituting the flavor-generating article 110, and it is normally 5 mm or greater, and preferably 5.5 mm or greater, for example. Furthermore, the width w is normally 10 mm or less, preferably 9 mm or less, and more preferably 8 mm or less.
There is no particular restriction on a ratio (hollow tube portion 132 : filter segment) between the lengths of the hollow tube portion 132 and the filter segment (total length of the hollow filter portion 240 and the filter plug 250), in the length of the flavor-generating article 110, but from the viewpoint of the amount of flavoring delivered and the appropriate aerosol temperature, this ratio is normally 0.60-1.40:0.60-1.40, preferably 0.80-1.20:0.80-1.20, more preferably 0.85-1.15:0.85-1.15, even more preferably 0.90-1.10:0.90-1.10, and particularly preferably 0.95-1.05:0.95-1.05. By setting the ratio of the lengths of the hollow tube portion 132 and the filter segment (hollow filter portion 240 and filter plug 250) within the above ranges, a balance is achieved between the cooling effect, the effect of suppressing losses due to adhesion of the generated vapor and aerosol to the inner wall of the hollow tube portion 132, and the function of the filter in adjusting the volume of air and the flavor, thereby making it possible to achieve the effect of providing a pleasing and intense flavor. In particular, a longer hollow tube portion 132 can promote aerosol particle formation, etc. and produce a good flavor, but if it is too long, substances passing through will end up adhering to the inner wall.
The flavor-generating portion 220 is arranged adjacently downstream of the tip-end plug 112. The flavor-generating portion 220 comprises: the flavor source 221, and a wrapping paper 222 (corresponding to an example of a first wrapper) wrapped around the flavor source 221. There is no particular restriction on the form of the flavor-generating portion 220 provided that it has a well-known form, and it is normally in a form in which the flavor source 221 is wrapped with the wrapping paper 222. The flavor-generating portion 220 is formed by wrapping the flavor source 221 with the wrapping paper 222 so that the flavor source 221 is on the inside. The flavor source 221 may contain a tobacco filling material. There is no particular restriction on the tobacco filling material, and it is possible to use a first tobacco filling material or a second tobacco filling material which will be described later. Furthermore, in the specification of this application, dried tobacco molded articles such as cut tobacco, tobacco sheets or tobacco grains may be referred to simply as "dried tobacco leaf". Furthermore, the flavor-generating portion 220 may comprise a mating portion which mates with the heating source 40 for heating the tobacco product.
The flavor-generating portion 220 formed by wrapping the flavor source 221 with the wrapping paper 222 preferably has a columnar shape, in which case the aspect ratio, which is expressed by the height in the long axis direction of the flavor-generating portion 220 to the width of the bottom face of the flavor-generating portion 220, is preferably 1 or greater. There is no limitation as to the shape of the bottom face, and it may be polygonal, rounded-corner polygonal, circular, or elliptical, etc. The width of the bottom face is the diameter when the bottom face is circular, the major diameter when the bottom face is elliptical, and the diameter of a circumscribed circle or the major diameter of a circumscribed ellipse when the bottom face is polygonal or rounded-corner polygonal.
The length of the flavor-generating portion 220 in the long axis direction may be appropriately varied according to the size of the product, but it is normally 10 mm or greater and preferably 12 mm or greater, and is normally 70 mm or less, preferably 50 mm or less, more preferably 30 mm or less, even more preferably 25 mm or less, and still more preferably 20 mm or less.
Furthermore, there is no particular restriction on the ratio of the length of the flavor-generating portion 220 to the overall length of the flavor-generating article 110 in the long axis direction, but, from the point of view of a balance between delivery amount and aerosol temperature, this ratio is normally 10% or greater and preferably 20% or greater, and is normally 80% or less, preferably 70% or less, more preferably 60% or less, even more preferably 50% or less, particularly preferably 45% or less, and most preferably 40% or less.
There is no particular restriction on the content of dried tobacco leaf in the flavor-generating portion 220, but between 150 mg/rod portion and 800 mg/rod portion may be cited, and between 200 mg/rod portion and 600 mg/rod portion is preferred.
The description will start from the first tobacco filling material (also referred to simply as the "first filling material"). There is no particular limitation as to the material of the cut tobacco contained in the first filling material, and it is possible to use a well-known material such as lamina or midrib. Furthermore, in order to produce cut tobacco, ground tobacco may be formed by grinding dried tobacco leaves to an average particle size of 20 µm-200 µm, then the material may be homogenized and processed into a sheet, and the homogenized sheet may be cut. In addition, the cut tobacco may be of what is known as the "strand-type", where the wrapping paper 222 is packed with a material obtained by cutting, in the longitudinal direction of the flavor-generating portion 220 and substantially horizontally, a homogenized sheet having a length similar to that of the flavor-generating portion 220 in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the width of the cut tobacco is preferably 0.5 mm-2.0 mm in order to fill the wrapping paper 222.
Various types of tobacco may be used for the tobacco leaves used in the production of the cut tobacco and the homogenized sheet. Examples that may be cited include flue-cured, Burley, Oriental, or native type, and other Nicotiana tabacum and Nicotiana rustica varieties, and mixtures thereof. A suitable blend of the abovementioned varieties may be used in a mixture to achieve the intended taste. Details on the abovementioned tobacco varieties are disclosed in "Encyclopedia of Tobacco, Tobacco Academic Studies Center, March 31, 2009". Several conventional methods are known for producing the homogenized sheet, that is, methods for grinding tobacco leaves and processing them into a homogenized sheet. According to a first method, a paper sheet is produced by using a papermaking process. According to a second method, a suitable solvent such as water is mixed with ground tobacco leaves and homogenized, after which the homogenized material is thinly cast on a metal plate or a metal plate belt and dried, to produce a cast sheet. According to a third method, a suitable solvent such as water is mixed with ground tobacco leaves and homogenized, and the homogenized material is extruded into the form of a sheet and shaped to produce a calendered sheet. Details on the abovementioned types of homogenized sheets are disclosed in "Encyclopedia of Tobacco, Tobacco Academic Studies Center, March 31, 2009".
The amount of moisture contained in the tobacco filling material is 10 wt%-15 wt%, and preferably 11 wt%-13 wt% with respect to the total weight of the tobacco sheet, for example. A moisture content such as this inhibits the formation of wrapping stains and improves rolling suitability during production of the flavor-generating portion 220. There is no particular restriction on the size or method of preparation of the cut tobacco contained in the first tobacco filling material. For example, a material obtained by cutting dried tobacco leaves to a width of 0.5 mm-2.0 mm may be used for the first tobacco filling material. Furthermore, when ground material is used in the homogenized sheet, dried tobacco leaves may be ground to an average particle size of around 20 µm-200 µm, then homogenized and formed into a sheet which may then be cut to widths of 0.5 mm-2.0 mm for use as the first tobacco filling material.
The first tobacco filling material may comprise an aerosol base material for generating an aerosol. There is no particular limitation as to the type of aerosol base material, and various types of natural extracts and/or components thereof may be selected, according to the application. Aerosol base materials that may be cited include glycerol, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and mixtures thereof.
There is no particular limitation as to the amount of the aerosol base material contained in the first tobacco filling material, and the amount is normally 5 wt% or greater and preferably 10 wt% or greater, and normally 50 wt% or less, and preferably 15 wt% or greater and 25 wt% or less, with respect to the total amount of tobacco filling material, from the viewpoint of sufficient aerosol generation and imparting a good flavor.
The first tobacco filling material may contain a flavoring. There is no particular limitation as to the type of flavoring, and, from the point of view of imparting a pleasant flavor, examples of flavorings that may be cited include: acetanisole, acetophenone, acetylpyrazine, 2-acetylthiazole, alfalfa extract, amyl alcohol, amyl butyrate, trans-anethole, star anise oil, apple juice, Peru Balsam oil, beeswax absolute, benzaldehyde, benzoin resinoid, benzyl alcohol, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenylacetate, benzyl propionate, 2,3-butanedione, 2-butanol, butyl butyrate, butyric acid, caramel, cardamom oil, carob absolute, β-carotene, carrot juice, L-carvone, β-caryophyllene, cassia bark oil, cedar wood oil, celery seed oil, chamomile oil, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamyl cinnamate, citronella oil, DL-citronellol, clary sage extract, cocoa, coffee, cognac oil, coriander oil, cuminaldehyde, davana oil, δ-decalactone, γ-decalactone, decanoic acid, dill herb oil, 3,4-dimethyl-1,2-cyclopentanedione, 4,5-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-2,5-dihydrofuran-2-one, 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoic acid, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, 2-ethyl methylbutyrate, ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl isovalerate, ethyl lactate, ethyl laurate, ethyl levulinate, ethyl maltol, ethyl octanoate, ethyl oleate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl phenylacetate, ethyl propionate, ethyl stearate, ethyl valerate, ethyl vanillin, ethyl vanillin glucoside, 2-ethyl-3,(5 or 6)-dimethylpyrazine, 5-ethyl-3-hydroxy-4-methyl-2(5H)-furanone, 2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazine, eucalyptol, fenugreek absolute, genet absolute, gentian root infusion, geraniol, geranyl acetate, grape juice, guaiacol, guava extract, γ-heptalactone, γ-hexalactone, hexanoic acid, cis-3-hexen-1-ol, hexyl acetate, hexyl alcohol, hexyl phenylacetate, honey, 4-hydroxy-3-pentenoic acid lactone, 4-hydroxy-4-(3-hydroxy-1-butenyl)-3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one, 4-(para-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone, 4-hydroxyundecanoic acid sodium, immortelle absolute, β-ionone, isoamyl acetate, isoamyl butyrate, isoamyl phenylacetate, isobutyl acetate, isobutyl phenylacetate, jasmine absolute, kola nut tincture, labdanum oil, lemon terpeneless oil, glycyrrhiza extract, linalool, linalyl acetate, lovage root oil, maltol, maple syrup, menthol, menthone, acetic acid L-menthyl, paramethoxybenzaldehyde, methyl-2-pyrrolyl ketone, methyl anthranilate, methyl phenylacetate, methyl salicylate, 4'-methylacetophenone, methylcyclopentenolone, 3-methylvaleric acid, mimosa absolute, molasses, myristic acid, nerol, nerolidol, γ-nonalactone, nutmeg oil, δ-octalactone, octanal, octanoic acid, orange flower oil, orange oil, orris root oil, palmitic acid, ω-pentadecalactone, peppermint oil, petitgrain Paraguay oil, phenethyl alcohol, phenethyl phenylacetate, phenylacetic acid, piperonal, plum extract, propenyl guaethol, propyl acetate, 3-propylidene phthalide, prune juice, pyruvic acid, raisin extract, rose oil, rum, sage oil, sandalwood oil, spearmint oil, styrax absolute, marigold oil, tea distillate, α-terpineol, terpinyl acetate, 5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinoxaline, 1,5,5,9-tetramethyl-13-oxacyclo(8.3.0.0(4.9))tridecane, 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine, thyme oil, tomato extract, 2-tridecanone, triethyl citrate, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexenyl)-2-buten-4-one, 2,6,6-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1,4-dione, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1,3-cyclohexadienyl)-2-buten-4-one, 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine, γ-undecalactone, γ-valerolactone, vanilla extract, vanillin, veratraldehyde, violet leaf absolute, N-ethyl-p-menthane-3-carboamide (WS-3), and ethyl-2-(p-menthane-3-carboxamide) acetate (WS-5), with menthol being especially preferred. Furthermore, one type of these flavorings may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination.
There is no particular limitation as to the amount of flavoring contained in the first tobacco filling material, and, from the point of view of imparting a good flavor, the content is normally 10,000 ppm or greater, preferably 20,000 ppm or greater, and more preferably 25,000 ppm or greater, and is normally 70,000 ppm or less, preferably 50,000 ppm or less, more preferably 40,000 ppm or less, and even more preferably 33,000 ppm or less.
There is no particular limitation as to the packing density of the first tobacco filling material, and it is normally 250 mg/cm³ or greater and preferably 300 mg/cm³ or greater, and normally 400 mg/cm³ or less, and preferably 350 mg/cm³ or less, from the viewpoint of ensuring the performance of the flavor-generating article 110 and imparting a good flavor.
The second tobacco filling material is formed from a tobacco sheet which is packed in a filled object (e.g., the wrapping paper 222). There may be one tobacco sheet, or two or more tobacco sheets. When the second tobacco filling material comprises one tobacco sheet, for example, there may be cited a form of filling in which a tobacco sheet having one side of comparable length with the longitudinal direction of the filled object is folded multiple times along creases substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the filled object (forming what is known as a "gathered sheet"). As the abovementioned form of filling, there may also be cited a form in which a tobacco sheet having one side of comparable length with the longitudinal direction of the filled object is wound around a longitudinal axis of the filled material.
When the second tobacco filling material comprises two or more tobacco sheets, for example, there may be cited a form of filling in which a plurality of tobacco sheets each having one side of comparable length with the longitudinal direction of the filled object are wound about a longitudinal axis of the filled object so that the plurality of tobacco sheets are concentrically arranged. "Concentrically arranged" means that the centers of all of the tobacco sheets are arranged at substantially the same position. Furthermore, there is no particular restriction on the number of tobacco sheets, and forms with two sheets, three sheets, four sheets, five sheets, six sheets or seven sheets may be cited. The two or more tobacco sheets may all have the same composition or physical properties, or some or all of the tobacco sheets may have different compositions or physical properties. Furthermore, the tobacco sheets may each have the same thickness or different thicknesses.
The second tobacco filling material may be produced by preparing multiple tobacco sheets with different widths, constructing a laminate which is stacked in such a way that the width decreases from the bottom portion toward the top portion, and winding and shaping this laminate by passing the laminate through a winding tube. By virtue of this production method, the plurality of tobacco sheets are concentrically arranged about the longitudinal axis while also extending in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, a longitudinally-extending mating portion may be formed between the longitudinal axis and the tobacco sheet on the innermost layer.
In this production method, the laminate is preferably constructed so that non-contact portions are formed between adjacent tobacco sheets after the laminate has been wound and shaped. When non-contact portions (gaps) where there is no contact between tobacco sheets are present between the plurality of tobacco sheets, this makes it possible to maintain a flavor flow path to enhance the efficiency of delivering flavor components. Meanwhile, high heat transfer efficiency can be ensured because heat from the heater can be transferred to the outer tobacco sheets through the contacting parts of the plurality of tobacco sheets. Examples that may be cited of methods for providing non-contacting portions, where the tobacco sheets are not in contact with each other, between the plurality of tobacco sheets include: a method of using embossed tobacco sheets; a method of laminating the tobacco sheets without bonding the entire surfaces of adjacent tobacco sheets; a method of laminating the tobacco sheets with partial bonding between adjacent tobacco sheets; or a method of constructing a laminate by laminating the tobacco sheets with light bonding between adjacent tobacco sheets over the entire surface or a portion thereof so that the tobacco sheets peel after the winding and shaping. When a flavor-generating portion 220 including the wrapping paper 222 is prepared, the wrapping paper 222 may be arranged on the bottommost portion of the laminate. Furthermore, it is also possible to form a mating portion by forming the second tobacco filling material with a cylindrical dummy such as a mandrel placed on the topmost portion of the laminate, and then removing this dummy.
There is no particular limitation as to the packing density of the second tobacco filling material, and it is normally 250 mg/cm³ or greater and preferably 300 mg/cm³ or greater, and normally 400 mg/cm³ or less, and preferably 350 mg/cm³ or less, from the viewpoint of ensuring the performance of the flavor-generating article 110 and imparting a good flavor.
The tobacco sheet may comprise an aerosol base material which generates an aerosol as it is heated. An aerosol source such as a polyol, including glycerol, propylene glycol or 1,3-butanediol is added as the aerosol base material. The amount of this aerosol base material which is added is preferably 5 wt%-50 wt%, and more preferably 15 wt%-25 wt%, with respect to the dry weight of the tobacco sheet.
The tobacco sheet may be appropriately produced by well-known methods such as sheet-forming, slurry or rolling. Moreover, the homogenized sheet described above in relation to the first tobacco filling material may also be used. In the case of sheet-forming, the tobacco sheet may be produced by a method comprising the following steps. 1) Dried tobacco leaf is coarsely ground, extracted with water and then separated into water extract and residue. 2) The water extract is dried under reduced pressure and concentrated. 3) Pulp is added to the residue, the materials are fiberized using a refiner and then formed into paper. 4) The concentrated water extract is added to a sheet formed from the paper and dried to form a tobacco sheet. In this case, a step for removing some of the components such as nitrosamines may also be added (see JP 2004-510422 A ). In the case of a slurry process, the tobacco sheet may be produced by a method comprising the following steps. 1) Ground tobacco leaf is mixed with water, pulp, and a binder. 2) The mixture is thinly spread (cast) and dried. In this case, a step may be added where the slurry that has been obtained by mixing the ground tobacco leaf with water, pulp, and a binder is exposed to ultraviolet or X-ray radiation to remove some components such as nitrosamine.
In addition to the above, a nonwoven fabric tobacco sheet produced by means of a method comprising the following steps may also be used, as disclosed in WO 2014/104078 A1 . 1) Granular tobacco leaf and a binder are mixed. 2) The mixture is interposed between nonwoven fabrics. 3) The laminate is molded into a fixed shape by means of thermal fusion bonding, and a tobacco sheet in the form of a nonwoven fabric is obtained. The tobacco leaf starting material used in the methods above may be the same type as described above in relation to the first tobacco filling material.
There is no particular limitation as to the composition of the tobacco sheet, but, for example, the content of tobacco starting material (tobacco leaf) is preferably 50 wt%-95 wt% with respect to the total weight of the tobacco sheet. Furthermore, the tobacco sheet may comprise a binder, and examples of such binders which may be cited include: guar gum, xanthan gum, CMC (carboxymethylcellulose), and CMC-Na (carboxymethylcellulose sodium salt), etc. The amount of binder is preferably 1 wt%-10 wt% with respect to the total weight of the tobacco sheet. The tobacco sheet may further comprise other additives. Examples of other additives which may be cited include fillers such as pulp. Furthermore, when several tobacco sheets are used in this embodiment, these tobacco sheets may all have the same composition or physical properties, or some or all of the tobacco sheets may have different compositions or physical properties.
There is no restriction on the thickness of each tobacco sheet, and the thickness is preferably 150 µm-1000 µm, and more preferably 200 µm-600 µm, from the point of view of a balance between heat transfer and strength. The tobacco sheets may have the same thickness or different thicknesses.
The flavor-generating portion 220 may contain dried tobacco leaf (tobacco leaves which have been dried) and a flavoring-containing material incorporating the flavoring in a polysaccharide gel. The flavoring-containing material is a material incorporating the flavoring in a polysaccharide gel, and blending the flavoring-containing material into the flavor-generating portion 220 makes it possible to suppress variations in the amount of flavoring delivered with each puff, and to sustain a good flavor from the start of smoking until the later stages. The present inventors infer that the reasons for this are as follows. The flavor-generating article 110 is first of all inserted into the flavor inhaler 120 shown in fig. 1 and preheating is performed for a given time, after which smoking is started, but it is thought that if the flavoring is directly blended into the flavor-generating portion 220, the flavoring is volatilized during the preheating, with the majority thereof being delivered during the initial period of smoking, and the amount of flavoring delivered in the later stages of smoking is therefore insufficient. In contrast to this, when the flavoring-containing material is blended into the flavor-generating portion 220, volatilization of the flavoring during preheating is inhibited because the flavoring is coated with the polysaccharide gel, and the flavoring is gradually released during smoking. It is therefore inferred that a sufficient delivery amount of the flavoring can also be maintained in the later stages of smoking.
Components of the flavoring-containing material are described below. There is no particular limitation as to the type of flavoring, and, from the point of view of imparting a favorable taste, examples of flavorings that may be cited include: acetanisole, acetophenone, acetylpyrazine, 2-acetylthiazole, alfalfa extract, amyl alcohol, amyl butyrate, trans-anethole, star anise oil, apple juice, Peru Balsam oil, beeswax absolute, benzaldehyde, benzoin resinoid, benzyl alcohol, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenylacetate, benzyl propionate, 2,3-butanedione, 2-butanol, butyl butyrate, butyric acid, caramel, cardamom oil, carob absolute, β-carotene, carrot juice, L-carvone, β-caryophyllene, cassia bark oil, cedar wood oil, celery seed oil, chamomile oil, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamyl cinnamate, citronella oil, DL-citronellol, clary sage extract, cocoa, coffee, cognac oil, coriander oil, cuminaldehyde, davana oil, δ-decalactone, γ-decalactone, decanoic acid, dill herb oil, 3,4-dimethyl-1,2-cyclopentanedione, 4,5-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-2,5-dihydrofuran-2-one, 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoic acid, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, 2-ethyl methylbutyrate, ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl isovalerate, ethyl lactate, ethyl laurate, ethyl levulinate, ethyl maltol, ethyl octanoate, ethyl oleate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl phenylacetate, ethyl propionate, ethyl stearate, ethyl valerate, ethyl vanillin, ethyl vanillin glucoside, 2-ethyl-3,(5 or 6)-dimethylpyrazine, 5-ethyl-3-hydroxy-4-methyl-2(5H)-furanone, 2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazine, eucalyptol, fenugreek absolute, genet absolute, gentian root infusion, geraniol, geranyl acetate, grape juice, guaiacol, guava extract, γ-heptalactone, γ-hexalactone, hexanoic acid, cis-3-hexen-1-ol, hexyl acetate, hexyl alcohol, hexyl phenylacetate, honey, 4-hydroxy-3-pentenoic acid lactone, 4-hydroxy-4-(3-hydroxy-1-butenyl)-3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one, 4-(para-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone, 4-hydroxyundecanoic acid sodium, immortelle absolute, β-ionone, isoamyl acetate, isoamyl butyrate, isoamyl phenylacetate, isobutyl acetate, isobutyl phenylacetate, jasmine absolute, kola nut tincture, labdanum oil, lemon terpeneless oil, glycyrrhiza extract, linalool, linalyl acetate, lovage root oil, maltol, maple syrup, menthol, menthone, acetic acid L-menthyl, paramethoxybenzaldehyde, methyl-2-pyrrolyl ketone, methyl anthranilate, methyl phenylacetate, methyl salicylate, 4'-methylacetophenone, methylcyclopentenolone, 3-methylvaleric acid, mimosa absolute, molasses, myristic acid, nerol, nerolidol, γ-nonalactone, nutmeg oil, δ-octalactone, octanal, octanoic acid, orange flower oil, orange oil, orris root oil, palmitic acid, ω-pentadecalactone, peppermint oil, petitgrain Paraguay oil, phenethyl alcohol, phenethyl phenylacetate, phenylacetic acid, piperonal, plum extract, propenyl guaethol, propyl acetate, 3-propylidene phthalide, prune juice, pyruvic acid, raisin extract, rose oil, rum, sage oil, sandalwood oil, spearmint oil, styrax absolute, marigold oil, tea distillate, α-terpineol, terpinyl acetate, 5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinoxaline, 1,5,5,9-tetramethyl-13-oxacyclo(8.3.0.0(4.9))tridecane, 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine, thyme oil, tomato extract, 2-tridecanone, triethyl citrate, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexenyl)-2-buten-4-one, 2,6,6-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1,4-dione, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1,3-cyclohexadienyl)-2-buten-4-one, 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine, γ-undecalactone, γ-valerolactone, vanilla extract, vanillin, veratraldehyde, violet leaf absolute, N-ethyl-p-menthane-3-carboamide (WS-3), and ethyl-2-(p-menthane-3-carboxamide) acetate (WS-5), with menthol being especially preferred. Furthermore, one type of these flavorings may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination.
The amount of flavoring contained in the flavoring-containing material is normally 18 mass% or greater, preferably 50 mass% or greater, and more preferably 60 mass% or greater, and is normally 90 mass% or less, and preferably 80 mass% or less, although this also depends on the type of flavoring and the type of polysaccharide, etc.
There is no particular limitation as to the type of polysaccharide, but it is preferably a single-component system comprising carrageenan, agar, gellan gum, tamarind gum, psyllium seed gum, or konjac glucomannan; or is preferably a composite system comprising a combination of two or more components selected from the group consisting of carrageenan, locust bean gum, guar gum, agar, gellan gum, tamarind gum, xanthan gum, tara gum, konjac glucomannan, starch, cassia gum, and psyllium seed gum. These polysaccharides form a gel simply by heating at 30°C-90°C in an aqueous solution so there is no need for a gelling agent such as a metal chloride when the flavoring-containing material is prepared, which is desirable because it means that no undesirable components such as chloride decomposition products are produced in mainstream smoke during smoking.
An emulsifier which is used to emulsify the starting material during preparation of the flavoring-containing material may also be included. There is no particular limitation as to the type of emulsifier, and examples that may be cited include lecithin, glycerol fatty acid ester, polyglycerol fatty acid ester, sorbitan fatty acid ester, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, propylene glycol fatty acid ester, and sucrose fatty acid ester, etc., with lecithin being preferred. Moreover, one type of these emulsifiers may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination.
There is no particular limitation as to the method of preparing the flavoring-containing material, and it may be prepared in accordance with a well-known method. Well-known methods that may be cited include the methods disclosed in WO 2011/118040 A1 , JP 2013-099349 A , and WO 2012/118034 A1 , etc. More specifically, the flavoring-containing material may be prepared by means of a method comprising the following steps (i) and (ii), for example:

(i) a step in which a polysaccharide and water mixture is heated, normally at 30°C-90°C, preferably at 60°C-90°C, to prepare a polysaccharide aqueous solution; and
(ii) a step in which a flavoring is kneaded with the aqueous solution, with the addition of an emulsifier as required, in order to obtain an emulsion slurry.

The amount of flavoring-containing material contained in the flavor-generating portion 220 also depends on the amount of flavoring contained in the flavoring-containing material, but the content is normally 1 mass% or greater and preferably 5 mass% or greater, and normally 20 mass% or less, and preferably 10 mass% or less, with respect to the dried tobacco leaf. Furthermore, the flavor-generating portion 220 comprises the flavoring-containing material such that the content of flavoring contained in the flavoring-containing material is normally 1 mg or greater, preferably 5 mg or greater, and more preferably 10 mg or greater, and normally 30 mg or less, and preferably 20 mg or less. By setting the amount of flavoring-containing material contained in the flavor-generating portion 220 within this range, it is not only possible to impart a favorable taste, it is also possible to suppress variations in the amount of flavoring delivered with each puff from the start of smoking until the later stages, and furthermore to ensure a sufficient delivery amount throughout all stages of smoking, including the start, middle and end.
There is no particular limitation as to the form of blending the flavoring-containing material with the flavor-generating portion 220, and the flavoring-containing material may be arranged inside and/or outside the wrapping paper 222 wrapped around the flavor source 221, the wrapping paper 222 may be impregnated with the flavoring-containing material, or the flavoring-containing material may be blended into the flavor source 221. When the flavoring-containing material is arranged inside and/or outside the wrapping paper 222 wrapped around the flavor source 221, the wrapping paper 222 may be coated with the emulsion slurry, or the emulsion slurry may be successively cast onto a base material and dried to form a flavoring-containing sheet which is then wrapped around the flavor source 221 together with the wrapping paper. The wrapping paper 222 impregnated with the flavouring-containing material may be produced by impregnating the wrapping paper 222 with the emulsion slurry and then drying the materials. Furthermore, when the flavoring-containing material is blended into the flavor source 221, the dried tobacco leaf may be coated or impregnated with the emulsion slurry, or the abovementioned flavoring-containing sheet or cut material or ground material therefrom may be mixed with dried tobacco.
As shown in fig. 2 and 3(a), the flavor source 221 may be block-shaped, or may be cylindrical, for example. When the flavor source 221 is cylindrical, a void extending in the direction of adjacency of the flavor source 221 and the tip-end plug 112 may be formed on the inside of the flavor source 221. In this case, the flavor source 221 is positioned on the outside of the flavor-generating article 110, and the void is positioned on the inside of the flavor source 221, so when the flavor-generating article 110 is heated from the outside in the flavor inhaler 120, the flavor source 221 can be efficiently heated. Furthermore, when a flavor inhaler 120 which heats the flavor-generating article 110 from the outside is used, the flavor source 221 is not disposed on the inside of the flavor-generating article 110, which would be a position that is not conducive to heat transmission or conducive to contributing to vapor or aerosol generation, so it is possible to save on the amount of flavor source 221 while inhibiting a reduction in the amount of vapor or aerosol. The cylindrical flavor source 221 may be formed into a cylindrical shape by rounding a sheet-shaped flavor source 221, for example.
There is no particular restriction on the configuration of the wrapping paper 222 used in the flavor-generating article 110, and it may be in a general form. Specifically, the wrapping paper may comprise pulp as its main component, for example. Pulps which may be used include wood pulps such as softwood pulp and hardwood pulp, flax pulp, hemp pulp, sisal pulp, and esparto, etc., and it is possible to use a pulp which is generally used in a wrapping paper for a tobacco product, and the wrapping paper may be obtained by a papermaking process employing one or more of these pulps. These pulps may be used alone, or several types of pulps may be combined in any proportions for use. Forms of pulp which may be used include chemical pulp, ground pulp, chemiground pulp, and thermomechanical pulp, etc. which are obtained by means of kraft digestion, acid/neutral/alkaline sulfite digestion, and soda digestion, etc.
The wrapping paper may be produced by using the abovementioned pulp in a paper making process employing a Fourdrinier machine, a cylinder paper machine, or a round-short combination paper machine, etc., then adjusting the texture and homogenizing the resulting paper. It should be noted that, if necessary, a wet strength agent can be added to impart water resistance to the wrapping paper, or a sizing agent can be added to adjust a printing condition of the wrapping paper. A papermaking internal sizing agent and a paper manufacturing additive may further be added to the wrapping paper. Papermaking internal sizing agents may include, for example, aluminum sulfate, various types of anionic, ionic, nonionic or amphoteric yield improving agents, water filtration improving agents, and paper strength agents, etc. Paper manufacturing additives may include, for example, dyes, pH regulators, defoaming agents, pitch control agents, and slime control agents, etc.
The basis weight of the base paper of the wrapping paper is normally 30 gsm or greater, and preferably 35 gsm or greater, for example. Meanwhile, the basis weight is normally 70 gsm or less, preferably 50 gsm or less, and even more preferably 45 gsm or less. There is no particular limitation as to the thickness of the wrapping paper having the characteristics above, but it is preferably 40 µm or greater, and is normally 100 µm or less, preferably 75 µm or less, and more preferably 60 µm or less, from the viewpoint of rigidity and air permeability, and ease of making adjustments during papermaking. Square or rectangular may be cited as shapes of the wrapping paper of the flavor-generating article 110. In the case of a wrapping paper 222 for wrapping the flavor source 221 (for producing the flavor-generating portion 220), the length of one side of the wrapping paper 222 may be around 12 mm-70 mm, and the length of the other side (the side connecting to said one side) may be 15 mm-28 mm, may preferably be 22 mm-24 mm, and may even more preferably be around 23 mm.
When the flavor source 221 is wrapped into a columnar shape by the wrapping paper 222, an end portion of the wrapping paper 222 in the width direction may be glued to an end portion on the opposite side with an overlap of around 2 mm, for example. As a result, the wrapping paper 222 has the shape of a columnar paper tube internally filled with the flavor source 221. The size of a rectangular wrapping paper 222 may be determined by the size of the flavor-generating portion 220. In the case of a wrapping paper for joining and wrapping the flavor-generating portion 220 and another member adjacent to the flavor-generating portion 220, the length of one side may be 20 mm-60 mm, and the length of the other side (the side connecting to said one side) may be 15 mm-28 mm.
In addition to the abovementioned pulp, the wrapping paper may also comprise a loading material. The content of the loading material may be 10 wt% or greater and less than 60 wt%, and is preferably 15 wt%-45 wt%, with respect to the total weight of the wrapping paper. The content of the loading material is preferably 15 wt%-45 wt% when the basis weight of the wrapping paper is in the preferred range (35 gsm-50 gsm). In addition, the content of the loading material is preferably 25 wt%-45 wt% when the basis weight of the wrapping paper is greater than 35 gsm and no greater than 50 gsm. Calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, or kaolin, etc. may be used as the loading material, but calcium carbonate is preferably used from the point of view of improving flavor and whiteness, etc.
Various auxiliaries other than the base paper and the loading material may also be added to the wrapping paper. A water-resistance improving agent may be added to the wrapping paper in order to improve water resistance, for example. Water-resistance improving agents may include wet-strength agents (WS agents) and sizing agents. The wet strength agent may comprise, for example, a urea formaldehyde resin, a melamine formaldehyde resin, and polyamide epichlorohydrin (PAE), etc. Furthermore, the sizing agent may comprise, for example, rosin soap, alkyl ketene dimer (AKD), alkenyl succinic anhydride (ASA), and high saponification polyvinyl alcohol having a degree of saponification of 90% or greater, etc. A paper strength agent may be added to the wrapping paper as an auxiliary. The paper strength agent may comprise, for example, polyacrylamide, cationic starch, oxidized starch, CMC, polyamide epichlorohydrin resin, and polyvinyl alcohol, etc. Using a minute amount of oxidized starch in particular as an auxiliary in the wrapping paper is known to improve air permeability (e.g., see JP 2017-218699 A ).
A coating agent may be added to at least one of the front surface and the rear surface of the wrapping paper. There is no particular restriction on the coating agent, but a coating agent that can form a film on the surface of the paper and reduce liquid permeability is preferred. Examples of coating agents that may be cited include polysaccharides such as alginic acid and salts thereof (e.g., sodium salt), and pectin; cellulose derivatives such as ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, and nitrocellulose; and starch and derivatives thereof (e.g., ether derivatives such as carboxymethyl starch, hydroxyalkyl starch, and cationic starch, and ester derivatives such as acetate starch, phosphate starch, and octenyl succinate starch).
As shown in fig. 2 and 3(a), the tip-end plug 112 is positioned at the tip end of the flavor-generating article 110 and is configured to cover the end portion of the flavor source 221. This makes it possible to prevent the flavor source 221 from falling out from the flavor-generating article 110. Specifically, the tip-end plug 112 comprises a first filtration material 211, and a first inner plug wrap 212 wrapped around the first filtration material 211. The tip-end plug 112 may further include an aerosol source supported by the first filtration material 211.
The first filtration material 211 may employ a material which is generally usable as a filtration material in a flavor-generating article. Specifically, the first filtration material 211 may be, for example: paper, plastic film, cellulose acetate, or nonwoven fabric, etc. The first filtration material 211 is preferably paper. The length of the tip-end plug 112 in the long axis direction may be 1 mm or greater, and is preferably 3 mm or greater and more preferably 5 mm or greater, and may be 10 mm or less, and preferably 8 mm or less. More specifically, the length of the tip-end plug 112 in the longitudinal direction is preferably 5 mm-10 mm. The tip-end plug 112 may be produced to a predetermined length, and may then be produced by being cut to any length. If the tip-end plug 112 has a length of less than 1 mm, then there is a risk of deformation such as crushing occurring, for example, because the shape cannot be maintained during cutting. The tip-end plug 112 can be produced relatively easily when the length of the tip-end plug 112 is 1 mm or greater in the longitudinal direction. The tip-end plug 112 can be produced even more easily especially when the length of the tip-end plug 112 is 5 mm or greater in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, if the tip-end plug 112 exceeds 10 mm, then there is a risk of the flavor-generating article 110 having excessively high airflow resistance. Accordingly, the tip-end plug 112 can be easily produced while excessively high airflow resistance of the flavor-generating article 110 is inhibited, by setting the length of the tip-end plug 112 in the range above.
Paper which is used as a paper filter in a flavor-generating article may be employed for the paper serving as the first filtration material 211. The thickness of the paper serving as the first filtration material 211 is 20 µm-1500 µm, for example, and the basis weight is 20 g/m²-50 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 112, 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.
Here, the first filtration material 211 may be formed from a sheet which is shaped into a corrugated form and folded in the direction of arrangement of the corrugations. This sheet is preferably paper. The first filtration material 211 is formed when a corrugated sheet such as above is folded in the direction of arrangement of the corrugations so as to form a cylindrical shape overall. Here, a plurality of air flow passages extending in the length direction of the first filtration material 211 may be formed reaching to the upstream end and the downstream end of the first filtration material 211.
The first filtration material 211 need not contain a tobacco material such as cut tobacco or sheet tobacco. There is no particular restriction on the material of the first inner plug wrap 212 and a well-known material may be used. The first inner plug wrap 212 may contain a filler such as calcium carbonate, or the like. There is no particular restriction on the thickness of the first inner plug wrap 212, and it is normally 20 µm-140 µm, preferably 30 µm-130 µm, and more preferably 30 µm-120 µm. There is no particular restriction on the basis weight of the first inner plug wrap 212, but it is normally 20 gsm-100 gsm, preferably 22 gsm-95 gsm, and more preferably 23 gsm-90 gsm. Furthermore, the first inner plug wrap 212 may be coated or uncoated, but is preferably coated with a desired material from the point of view of enabling functions other than strength and structural rigidity to be imparted.
As shown in fig. 2, the flavor-generating article 110 preferably comprises a downstream portion 130 disposed on the downstream side of the flavor source 221. In this case, the vapor or aerosol generated by the flavor source 221 can be cooled and filtered in the downstream portion 130. Specifically, the downstream portion 130 preferably includes a filter plug 250. This enables the vapor or aerosol generated by the flavor source to be cooled and filtered in the filter plug 250.
The filter plug 250 is positioned at the end portion of the flavor-generating article 110 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. There is no particular restriction as to the filter material used in the second filtration material 251, provided that it has the general functions of a filter. Examples of general functions of the filter which may be cited include adjusting the amount of air which is mixed when the aerosol, etc. is drawn in, lightening the flavor, and lightening nicotine and tar, etc., but the filter material used in the second filtration material 251 need not have all of these functions. Furthermore, in an electrically heated tobacco product, which generates fewer components and tends to have a lower filling rate of tobacco filling material than a cigarette product, an important function of the filter also lies in preventing the tobacco filling material from falling out, while controlling a filtration function.
The filter plug 250 has a substantially circular shape in a cross section orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. The diameter of the circle may be suitably varied according to the size of the product, but it is normally 4.0 mm-9.0 mm, preferably 4.5 mm-8.5 mm, and more preferably 5.0 mm-8.0 mm. It should be noted that when the filter plug 250 does not have the abovementioned circular cross section, the diameter which is applied is the diameter of a circle having the same area as the area of the cross section thereof.
The circumferential length of the filter plug 250 in a cross section orthogonal to the longitudinal direction may be appropriately varied according to the size of the product, but it is normally 14.0 mm-27.0 mm, preferably 15.0 mm-26.0 mm, and more preferably 16.0 mm-25.0 mm.
The length of the filter plug 250 in the longitudinal direction may be appropriately varied according to the size of the product, but is normally 15 mm-35 mm, preferably 17.5 mm-32.5 mm, and more preferably 20.0 mm-30.0 mm. The shape and dimensions of the filter material used in the second filtration material 251 may be suitably adjusted so that the shape and dimensions of the filter plug 250 are in the ranges above.
There is no particular restriction on the airflow resistance per 120 mm length of the filter plug 250 in the longitudinal direction, but it is normally 40 mmH₂O-300 mmH₂O, preferably 70 mmH₂O-280 mmH₂O, and more preferably 90 mmH₂O-260 mmH₂O. The airflow resistance is measured by using a filter airflow resistance measurement instrument manufactured by Cerulean, for example, in accordance with the ISO standard method (ISO 6565). The airflow resistance of the filter plug denotes an air pressure difference between one end face (a first end face) and another end face (a second end face) when air at a predetermined air flow rate (17.5 cc/sec) flows from the first end face to the second end face in a state in which air does not pass through the side face of the filter plug. The units are generally expressed in mmH₂O. The relationship between airflow resistance of the filter plug and length of the filter plug is known to be a proportional relationship in a normal length range (a length of 5-200 mm), and the airflow resistance of the filter plug 250 doubles when the length doubles.
A material produced by means of a production method to be described below, for example, may be used for the filter material constituting the second filtration material 251 of the filter plug 250, and it is also possible to use a commercially available product. Furthermore, there is no particular restriction on the form of the filter plug 250, and it is possible to form a plain filter comprising a single filter segment, or a multi-segment filter comprising multiple filter segments, such as a dual filter or a triple filter, or the like.
The filter plug 250 may be produced by a well-known method, and when synthetic fibers such as a cellulose acetate tow are used as the material of the second filtration material 251, for example, the filter plug 250 may be produced by means of a method in which a polymer solution comprising a polymer and a solvent are spun and then crimped. For this method, it is possible to use the method disclosed in WO 2013/067511 A1 , for example. The airflow resistance and additives which are added to the second filtration material 251 (well-known adsorbents and flavorings (e.g., menthol), granular activated charcoal, and flavoring retention agents, etc.) may be appropriately designed in the production of the filter plug 250.
There is no particular restriction on the form of the second filtration material 251 constituting the filter plug 250, and a well-known form may be adopted. For example, a component obtained by processing cellulose acetate tow into a cylindrical shape may be used as the second filtration material 251. There is no particular limitation as to the single-yarn fineness and total fineness of the cellulose acetate tow, but in the case of a filter plug 250 having a circumference of 22 mm, the single-yarn fineness is preferably 5 g/9000 m-12 g/9000 m, and the total fineness is preferably 12,000 g/9000 m-35,000 g/9000 m. Cross-sectional shapes of the fibers of cellulose acetate tow that may be cited include circular, elliptical, Y-shaped, I-shaped, and R-shaped, etc. In the case of a filter filled with cellulose acetate tow, triacetin may be added in an amount of 5 wt%-10 wt% with respect to the weight of the cellulose acetate tow, in order to improve filter hardness. Furthermore, a paper filter filled with sheet-like paper pulp may also be used instead of the acetate filter.
There is no particular restriction on the density of the second filtration material 251, but it is normally 0.10 g/cm³-0.25 g/cm³, preferably 0.11 g/cm³-0.24 g/cm³, and more preferably 0.12 g/cm³-0.23 g/cm³.
The filter plug 250 may comprise a second inner plug wrap 252 (wrap paper) wrapped around the second filtration material 251 (to be described later), from the point of view of improving strength and structural rigidity. There is no particular restriction on the form of the second inner plug wrap 252, and it may include a seam comprising one or more lines of adhesive. There is no particular limitation as to the adhesive, but it may comprise a vinyl acetate-based adhesive or a hot-melt adhesive, and the hot-melt adhesive may comprise polyvinyl alcohol. Furthermore, when the filter segment comprises two or more segments, the second inner plug wrap 252 is preferably wrapped around both of these two or more segments.
There is no particular restriction on the material of the second inner plug wrap 252, and a well-known material may be used, and it may furthermore comprise a filler such as calcium carbonate, etc. There is no particular restriction on the thickness of the second inner plug wrap 252, and it is normally 20 µm-140 µm, preferably 30 µm-130 µm, and more preferably 30 µm-120 µm. There is no particular restriction on the basis weight of the second inner plug wrap 252, but it is normally 20 gsm-100 gsm, preferably 22 gsm-95 gsm, and more preferably 23 gsm-90 gsm. Furthermore, the second inner plug wrap 252 may be coated or uncoated, but is preferably coated with a desired material from the point of view of enabling functions other than strength and structural rigidity to be imparted.
As shown in fig. 2 and 3(a), the hollow filter portion 240 and the filter plug 250 may be connected by the outer plug wrap 260 (outside wrap paper), for example. The outer plug wrap 260 may be a cylindrical paper, for example.
The second filtration material 251 may comprise a crushable additive release container (e.g., a capsule) comprising a crushable outer shell made of gelatin or the like. There is no particular restriction on the form of the capsule (also referred to as an "additive release container" in this technical field), and a well-known form may be adopted. For example, it is possible to adopt a crushable additive release container comprising a crushable outer shell made of gelatin or the like. In this case, when a capsule is ruptured before use, during use or after use by a tobacco product user, a liquid or a substance (normally a flavorant) contained inside the capsule is released, the liquid or substance is then transmitted to tobacco smoke while the tobacco product is being used, and is transmitted to the ambient environment after use.
There is no particular limitation as to the form of the capsule, and it may be an easily-breakable capsule, for example, and the shape thereof is preferably spherical. Any of the abovementioned additives may be contained as the additive included in the capsule, but a flavorant or activated carbon is especially preferably contained. Furthermore, one or more types of materials serving as an aid to filtering smoke may be added as an additive. There is no particular limitation as to the form of the additive, and it is normally a liquid or a solid. It should be noted that use of a capsule containing an additive is well known in this technical field. Easily-breakable capsules and methods for producing same are well known in this technical field. Examples of flavorants include: menthol, spearmint, peppermint, fenugreek, or clove, and medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides (MCT), etc. The flavorant is menthol, or menthol, etc. may be used in combination.
A flavoring may be added to the second filtration material 251 in this embodiment. By adding a flavoring to the second filtration material 251, the amount of flavoring delivered during use is increased as compared to the prior art, where flavoring is added to the tobacco filling material constituting the tobacco rod. The degree of increase in the amount of flavoring delivered is further increased according to the position of perforations provided in the hollow tube portion 132 which will be described later. There is no particular restriction on the method of adding the flavoring to the second filtration material 251, and the flavoring should be added so as to be roughly uniformly dispersed in the second filtration material 251 which has the flavoring added thereto. As the amount of flavoring added to the second filtration material 251, there may be cited a form in which the flavoring is added to a 10-100 vol% portion of the second filtration material 251. The method of addition may comprise adding the flavoring in advance to the second filtration material 251, before the filter segment is constructed, or adding the flavoring after a filter cigarette has been constructed.
There is no particular limitation as to the type of flavoring, and, from the point of view of imparting a pleasant flavor, examples of flavorings that may be cited include: acetanisole, acetophenone, acetylpyrazine, 2-acetylthiazole, alfalfa extract, amyl alcohol, amyl butyrate, trans-anethole, star anise oil, apple juice, Peru Balsam oil, beeswax absolute, benzaldehyde, benzoin resinoid, benzyl alcohol, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenylacetate, benzyl propionate, 2,3-butanedione, 2-butanol, butyl butyrate, butyric acid, caramel, cardamom oil, carob absolute, β-carotene, carrot juice, L-carvone, β-caryophyllene, cassia bark oil, cedar wood oil, celery seed oil, chamomile oil, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamyl cinnamate, citronella oil, DL-citronellol, clary sage extract, cocoa, coffee, cognac oil, coriander oil, cuminaldehyde, davana oil, δ-decalactone, γ-decalactone, decanoic acid, dill herb oil, 3,4-dimethyl-1,2-cyclopentanedione, 4,5-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-2,5-dihydrofuran-2-one, 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoic acid, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, 2-ethyl methylbutyrate, ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl isovalerate, ethyl lactate, ethyl laurate, ethyl levulinate, ethyl maltol, ethyl octanoate, ethyl oleate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl phenylacetate, ethyl propionate, ethyl stearate, ethyl valerate, ethyl vanillin, ethyl vanillin glucoside, 2-ethyl-3,(5 or 6)-dimethylpyrazine, 5-ethyl-3-hydroxy-4-methyl-2(5H)-furanone, 2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazine, eucalyptol, fenugreek absolute, genet absolute, gentian root infusion, geraniol, geranyl acetate, grape juice, guaiacol, guava extract, γ-heptalactone, γ-hexalactone, hexanoic acid, cis-3-hexen-1-ol, hexyl acetate, hexyl alcohol, hexyl phenylacetate, honey, 4-hydroxy-3-pentenoic acid lactone, 4-hydroxy-4-(3-hydroxy-1-butenyl)-3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one, 4-(para-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone, 4-hydroxyundecanoic acid sodium, immortelle absolute, β-ionone, isoamyl acetate, isoamyl butyrate, isoamyl phenylacetate, isobutyl acetate, isobutyl phenylacetate, jasmine absolute, kola nut tincture, labdanum oil, lemon terpeneless oil, glycyrrhiza extract, linalool, linalyl acetate, lovage root oil, maltol, maple syrup, menthol, menthone, acetic acid L-menthyl, paramethoxybenzaldehyde, methyl-2-pyrrolyl ketone, methyl anthranilate, methyl phenylacetate, methyl salicylate, 4'-methylacetophenone, methylcyclopentenolone, 3-methylvaleric acid, mimosa absolute, molasses, myristic acid, nerol, nerolidol, γ-nonalactone, nutmeg oil, δ-octalactone, octanal, octanoic acid, orange flower oil, orange oil, orris root oil, palmitic acid, ω-pentadecalactone, peppermint oil, petitgrain Paraguay oil, phenethyl alcohol, phenethyl phenylacetate, phenylacetic acid, piperonal, plum extract, propenyl guaethol, propyl acetate, 3-propylidene phthalide, prune juice, pyruvic acid, raisin extract, rose oil, rum, sage oil, sandalwood oil, spearmint oil, styrax absolute, marigold oil, tea distillate, α-terpineol, terpinyl acetate, 5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinoxaline, 1,5,5,9-tetramethyl-13-oxacyclo(8.3.0.0(4.9))tridecane, 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine, thyme oil, tomato extract, 2-tridecanone, triethyl citrate, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexenyl)-2-buten-4-one, 2,6,6-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1,4-dione, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1,3-cyclohexadienyl)-2-buten-4-one, 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine, γ-undecalactone, γ-valerolactone, vanilla extract, vanillin, veratraldehyde, violet leaf absolute, N-ethyl-p-menthane-3-carboamide (WS-3), and ethyl-2-(p-menthane-3-carboxamide) acetate (WS-5), with menthol being especially preferred. Furthermore, one type of these flavorings may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination.
The filter plug 250 in this embodiment may comprise the second filtration material 251, and activated charcoal may be added to at least a portion of the second filtration material 251. The amount of activated charcoal which is added may be 15.0 m²/cm²-80.0 m²/cm², as a value which is specific surface area of activated charcoal × weight of activated charcoal / cross-sectional area of second filtration material 251 in a direction perpendicular to air flow direction, in one flavor-generating article 110. For convenience, the abovementioned "specific surface area of activated charcoal × weight of activated charcoal / cross-sectional area of second filtration material 251 in a direction perpendicular to air flow direction" may also be expressed as "surface area of activated charcoal per unit cross-sectional area". The surface area of activated charcoal per unit cross-sectional area may be calculated on the basis of the specific surface area of the activated charcoal added to the second filtration material 251 of one flavor-generating article 110, the weight of activated charcoal added, and the cross-sectional area of the second filtration material 251. It should be noted that the activated charcoal need not be uniformly dispersed in the filter material to which it is added, and it is not necessary for the range above to be satisfied over the entire cross section of the filter material (the cross section in a direction perpendicular to the air flow direction).
In this embodiment, as a result of the surface area of activated charcoal per unit cross-sectional area being within the range above, components generated by heating can be delivered in the desired amount to the user, and the user can also be provided with the desired sense of flavor. If the surface area of activated charcoal per unit cross-sectional area is smaller than the lower limit of the range above, then the effect of adding the activated charcoal cannot be sufficiently achieved. Meanwhile, if the surface area of activated charcoal per unit cross-sectional area is greater than the upper limit of the range above, then the components generated by heating decrease more than necessary. The surface area of activated charcoal per unit cross-sectional area is more preferably 17.0 m²/cm² or greater, and even more preferably 35.0 m²/cm² or greater. Meanwhile, the surface area of activated charcoal per unit cross-sectional area is more preferably 77.0 m²/cm² or less, and even more preferably 73.0 m²/cm² or less.
The surface area of activated charcoal per unit cross-sectional area may be adjusted, for example, by adjusting the specific surface area of the activated charcoal and the added amount thereof, and by adjusting the cross-sectional area of the second filtration material 251 in the direction perpendicular to air flow direction. The surface area of activated charcoal per unit cross-sectional area is calculated on the basis of the filter material to which the activated charcoal is added. When the filter plug 250 is formed from multiple filter materials, the calculation above is based on the cross-sectional area and length of only the filter material to which the activated charcoal is added.
Examples of activated charcoal which may be used in this embodiment that may be cited include those comprising wood, bamboo, coconut shell, walnut shell, and coal, etc. as a starting material. Furthermore, as the activated charcoal which may be used in this embodiment, activated charcoal having a BET specific area of 1100 m²/g-1600 m²/g may be used, activated charcoal having a BET specific surface area of 1200 m²/g-1500 m²/g may preferably be used, and activated charcoal having a BET specific surface area of 1250 m²/g-1380 m²/g may more preferably be used. The BET specific surface area may be determined by the nitrogen gas adsorption method (BET multipoint method).
Furthermore, as the activated charcoal which may be used in this embodiment, activated charcoal having a pore volume of 400 µL/g-800 µL/g may be used, activated charcoal having a pore volume of 500 µL/g-750 µL/g may preferably be used, and activated charcoal having a pore volume of 600 µL/g-700 µL/g may more preferably be used. The pore volume may be calculated from a maximum adsorption amount obtained using the nitrogen gas adsorption method.
In this embodiment, the amount of activated charcoal which is added per unit length, in the air flow direction, of the second filtration material 251 to which the activated charcoal has been added, is preferably 5 mg/cm-50 mg/cm, more preferably 8 mg/cm-40 mg/cm, and even more preferably 10 mg/cm-35 mg/cm. In this embodiment, the surface area of the activated charcoal per unit cross-sectional area may be adjusted to the desired value as a result of the specific surface area of the activated charcoal and the amount of activated charcoal added being in the ranges above.
Furthermore, for the activated charcoal which may be used in this embodiment, the cumulative 10 vol% particle size (particle size D10) of activated charcoal particles is preferably 250 µm-1200 µm. Furthermore, the cumulative 50 vol% particle size (particle size D50) of activated charcoal particles is preferably 350 µm-1500 µm. It should be noted that D10 and D50 are measured by means of a laser diffraction scattering method. Apparatuses suitable for this measurement that may be cited include the "LA-950" laser diffraction/scattering particle size distribution measurement apparatus produced by HORIBA, Ltd. A powder is poured into cells of the apparatus together with pure water, and the particle size is detected on the basis of light scattering information of the particles. The measurement conditions used in this apparatus are as follows.

Measurement mode: manual flow mode-type cell measurement
Dispersion medium: ion exchange water
Dispersion method: measurement after 1 minute of ultrasound irradiation
Refractive index: 1.92-0.00i (sample refraction)/1.33-0.00i (dispersion medium refractive index)
Number of measurements: two measurements with different samples

In this embodiment, there is no particular restriction on the method of adding the activated charcoal to the second filtration material 251, and the activated charcoal should be added so as to be roughly uniformly dispersed in the second filtration material 251 to which the activated charcoal is added.
It should be noted that a commercially available article may be used for the filter plug 250, for example. Furthermore, there is no particular restriction on the form of the filter plug 250, and it is possible to form a filter comprising a single filter segment, or a multi-segment filter comprising multiple filter segments, such as a dual filter or a triple filter, or the like. When the filter plug 250 comprises a single filter segment, the second filtration material 251 to which activated charcoal is added serves as the filter plug 250 without further modification. Meanwhile, when the filter plug 250 is formed by multiple filter segments, the second filtration material 251 comprising the filter material to which activated charcoal has been added is preferably disposed on the upstream side of the filter material constituting the mouthpiece end. Meanwhile, activated charcoal may also be added to the filter material constituting the mouthpiece end. It should be noted that when the filter segments constitute a multi-segment filter, the length of the filter segments, which is the basis for the amount of activated charcoal added, corresponds to the length of the filter material to which the activated charcoal has been added. The amount of activated charcoal added is, for example, 4.0 mg-24.0 mg, preferably 4.5 mg-23.0 mg, and more preferably 10.5 mg-22.0 mg, in terms of weight in relation to all of the filter segments.
The downstream portion 130 may further comprise the hollow tube portion 132 and the hollow filter portion 240. The hollow filter portion 240 is arranged adjacently downstream of the hollow tube portion 132. 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. Furthermore, the hollow filter portion 240 may be omitted.
The hollow filter portion 240 may comprise: the third filtration material 241 having one or more hollow portions; and the third inner plug wrap 242 covering the third filtration material 241. The hollow filter portion 240 has the function of increasing the strength of the downstream portion 130. The third filtration material 241 may be formed, for example, as a rod having an inner diameter of φ1.0 mm-φ5.0 mm packed with a high density of cellulose acetate fibers, a plasticizer comprising triacetin being added thereto in an amount of 6 mass%-20 mass%, in relation to the mass of cellulose acetate, and the plasticizer being cured. The third filtration material 241 has a high packing density of fibers, so only the air and aerosol flow through the hollow portion during drawing, with virtually none flowing through the third filtration material 241. The third filtration material 241 inside the hollow filter portion 240 is a fiber filled layer, and the user will therefore have little sense of incongruity when touching the outside during use.
The hollow filter portion 240 may comprise the third inner plug wrap 242 (wrap paper) wrapped around the third filtration material 241, from the point of view of improving strength and structural rigidity. There is no particular restriction on the form of the third inner plug wrap 242, and it may include a seam comprising one or more lines of adhesive. There is no particular limitation as to the type of adhesive, but it may comprise a vinyl acetate-based adhesive or a hot-melt adhesive. The hot-melt adhesive may comprise polyvinyl alcohol. Furthermore, when the hollow filter portion 240 comprises two or more segments, the third inner plug wrap 242 is preferably wrapped around both of these two or more segments.
There is no particular restriction on the material of the third inner plug wrap 242, and a well-known material may be used, and it may furthermore comprise a filler such as calcium carbonate, etc. There is no particular restriction on the thickness of the third inner plug wrap 242, and it is normally 20 µm-140 µm, preferably 30 µm-130 µm, and more preferably 30 µm-120 µm. There is no particular restriction on the basis weight of the third inner plug wrap 242, but it is normally 20 gsm-100 gsm, preferably 22 gsm-95 gsm, and more preferably 23 gsm-90 gsm. Furthermore, the third inner plug wrap 242 may be coated or uncoated, but is preferably coated with a desired material from the point of view of enabling functions other than strength and structural rigidity to be imparted.
The hollow tube portion 132 is arranged on the downstream side of the flavor-generating portion 220. More specifically, the hollow tube portion 132 is a rod-shaped member which is adjacently interposed between the flavor-generating portion 220 and the hollow filter portion 240 or the filter plug 250 (when there is no hollow filter portion 240), and is normally provided with a cavity which is cylindrical or the like, a circumferential cross section thereof forming a hollow (enclosed space). The length of the hollow tube portion 132 in the long axis direction may be appropriately varied according to the size of the product, but it is normally 15 mm or greater and preferably 20 mm or greater, and is normally 40 mm or less, preferably 35 mm or less, and more preferably 30 mm or less. By setting the length of the hollow tube portion 132 in the long axis direction at or above the abovementioned lower limit, it is possible to ensure a sufficient cooling effect and to obtain a pleasant flavor, and by setting the length at or below the abovementioned upper limit, it is possible to inhibit loss caused by adhesion of the generated vapor and aerosol to an inner wall of the hollow tube portion 132.
When the hollow tube portion 132 is filled with a sheet, etc. for cooling (e.g., a polylactic acid sheet, etc. packed in a gathered form), there is no particular restriction on the total surface area of the hollow tube portion 132, and it may be 300 mm²/mm-1000 mm²/mm, for example. This surface area is the surface area per length (mm) of the hollow tube portion 132 in the air flow direction. The total surface area of the hollow tube portion 132 is preferably 400 mm²/mm or greater and more preferably 450 mm²/mm, while preferably being 600 mm²/mm or less, and more preferably 550 mm²/mm or less.
The hollow tube portion 132 preferably comprises an internal structure having a large total surface area. Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment, the hollow tube portion 132 may be formed by a sheet which is a thin material that is creased and then fluted, gathered and folded in order to form channels. When the hollow tube portion 132 has many folds or flutes, this increases the total surface area of the hollow tube portion 132. There is no particular restriction on the thickness of the material constituting the hollow tube portion 132, and it may be 5 µm-500 µm, or may be 10 µm-250 µm.
As shown in fig. 2 and 3(a), the hollow tube portion 132 may be provided with perforations vf (also referred to as a "ventilation filter" in this technical field) which are in the circumferential direction and concentric. The presence of the perforations vf enables air to flow into the hollow tube portion 132 from the outside during use, and enables a reduction in the temperature of air and components flowing in from the flavor-generating portion 220. The perforations vf may be provided in a region lying at least 4 mm in the direction of the hollow tube portion 132 side from a boundary between the hollow tube portion 132 and the hollow filter portion 240 or the filter plug 250 (when there is no hollow filter portion 240). In this case, the perforations vf can not only enhance the cooling capability of the hollow tube portion 132, but also suppress stagnation of components generated by means of heating inside the hollow tube portion 132, and increase the amount of delivery of those components. It should be noted that when an aerosol base material is used in the flavor-generating portion 220, a vapor containing the aerosol base material and the tobacco flavor component generated as a result of the flavor-generating article 110 being heated is liquefied by a reduction in temperature caused by contact with external air, making it possible to promote aerosol generation.
Furthermore, if concentric perforations vf are treated as a single group of perforations, then there may be one group of perforations, or there may be two or more groups of perforations. When there are two or more groups of perforations, the groups of perforations are preferably not provided in a region lying less than 4 mm in the direction of the hollow tube portion 132 side from the boundary between the hollow tube portion 132 and the hollow filter portion 240 or the filter plug 250 (when there is no hollow filter portion 240), from the point of view of increasing the amount of delivery of components generated by means of heating.
Furthermore, when the hollow tube portion 132 is wrapped with the tipping paper 270, perforations are preferably provided in the tipping paper 270 at positions directly above the perforations vf provided in the hollow tube portion 132. When a flavor-generating article 110 such as this is produced, it is possible to prepare a tipping paper 270 in which perforations have been provided in such a way as to lie over the perforations vf, and then to wrap this tipping paper 270 around, but from the perspective of ease of production, a flavor inhalation article 110 is preferably produced by using a hollow tube portion 132 without the perforations vf, after which holes simultaneously penetrating the hollow tube portion 132 and the tipping paper 270 are preferably formed.
The region where the perforations vf are present is preferably a region lying at least 4.5 mm, more preferably a region lying at least 5 mm, and even more preferably a region lying at least 5.5 mm in the direction of the hollow tube portion 132 side from the boundary between the hollow tube portion 132 and the hollow filter portion 240 or the filter plug 250 (when there is no hollow filter portion 240), from the point of view of increasing delivery of components generated by means of heating. Furthermore, the region where the perforations vf are present is preferably a region lying no more than 15 mm, more preferably a region lying no more than 10 mm, and even more preferably a region lying no more than 7 mm in the direction of the hollow tube portion 132 side from the boundary, from the point of view of ensuring a cooling function.
The region where the perforations vf are present is preferably a region lying at least 24 mm, preferably a region lying at least 24.5 mm, preferably a region lying at least 25 mm, and more preferably a region lying at least 25.5 mm in the direction of the hollow tube portion 132 side from the mouthpiece end of the flavor-generating article 110, from the point of view of increasing delivery of components generated by means of heating. Furthermore, the region where the perforations vf are present is preferably a region lying no more than 35 mm, more preferably a region lying no more than 30 mm, and even more preferably a region lying no more than 27 mm in the direction of the hollow tube portion 132 side from the mouthpiece end of the flavor-generating article 110, from the point of view of ensuring a cooling function.
Furthermore, the perforations vf are preferably formed penetrating the hollow tube portion 132 at a position between 2 mm and 12 mm from a downstream end portion of the hollow tube portion 132 in the longitudinal direction. In this case, air can flow into the hollow tube portion 132 from the outside during use of the flavor-generating article 110, enabling a reduction in the temperature of air and components flowing in from the flavor-generating portion 220. When the perforations vf are provided at a position in the range above in particular, the perforations vf can not only enhance the cooling capability of the hollow tube portion 132, but also suppress stagnation of components generated by means of heating inside the hollow tube portion 132, and increase the amount of delivery of those components. Moreover, when an aerosol base material is contained in the flavor-generating portion 220, a vapor containing the aerosol base material and the tobacco flavor component generated as a result of the flavor-generating article 110 being heated is liquefied by a reduction in temperature caused by contact with external air, making it possible to promote aerosol generation.
Furthermore, when the axial length of the hollow tube portion 132 is 20 mm or greater, the region where the perforations vf are present is preferably a region lying at least 5 mm, more preferably a region lying at least 10 mm, and even more preferably a region lying at least 13 mm in the direction of the hollow tube portion 132 side from the boundary between the hollow tube portion 132 and the flavor-generating portion 220, from the point of view of ensuring a cooling function. Furthermore, when the axial length of the hollow tube portion 132 is 20 mm or greater, the region where the perforations vf are present is preferably no more than 16 mm, more preferably a region lying no more than 15.5 mm, even more preferably a region lying no more than 15 mm, and particularly preferably a region lying no more than 14.5 mm, from the boundary between the hollow tube portion 132 and the flavor-generating portion 220, from the point of view of improving delivery of components generated by means of heating.
The perforations vf may be provided so that an air inflow ratio from the perforations vf when the article is sucked by an automatic smoking machine at 17.5 cc/sec (a volume ratio of air that has flowed in from the perforations vf when the ratio of air sucked from the mouthpiece end is 100 vol%) is 10-90 vol%, preferably 50-80 vol%, and more preferably 55-75 vol%. This air inflow ratio may be achieved by selecting a number of perforations vf per group of perforations from a range of 5-50, and by selecting the diameter of the perforations vf from a range of 0.1-0.5 mm. The air inflow ratio may be measured by a method based on ISO9512, using a wound article measurement machine (e.g., SODIMAX d74/SODIM, produced by S.A.S.).
There is no particular restriction on the configuration of the outer plug wrap 280, and it may be in a general form. Specifically, the outer plug wrap 280 may comprise pulp as its main component, for example. Pulps which may be used include wood pulps such as softwood pulp and hardwood pulp, flax pulp, hemp pulp, sisal pulp, and esparto, etc., and it is possible to use a pulp which is generally used in a wrapping paper for a tobacco article, and the outer plug wrap 280 may be obtained by a papermaking process employing one or more of these pulps. These pulps may be used alone, or several types of pulps may be combined in any proportions for use. Forms of pulp which may be used include chemical pulp, ground pulp, chemiground pulp, and thermomechanical pulp, etc. which are obtained by means of kraft digestion, acid/neutral/alkaline sulfite digestion, and soda digestion, etc. It should be noted that a commercially available article may be used for the outer plug wrap 280. There is no particular restriction on the shape of the outer plug wrap 280, and it may have a square or rectangular shape, for example.
There is no particular restriction on the basis weight of the outer plug wrap 280, but it is normally 20 gsm-70 gsm, preferably 30 gsm-50 gsm, and more preferably 34 gsm-38 gsm. There is no particular restriction on the thickness of the outer plug wrap 280, but it is normally 30 mm-80 mm, preferably 33 mm-50 mm, and more preferably 35 mm-40 mm, for example. There is no particular restriction on the air permeability of the outer plug wrap 280, and it is normally 0 CORESTA units-30,000 CORESTA units, and preferably greater than 0 CORESTA units and no greater than 10,000 CORESTA units. The air permeability is a value measured in accordance with ISO 2965:2009, and is expressed as the flow rate (cm³) of a gas passing through a surface area of 1 cm² per minute at a differential pressure of 1 kPa on both surfaces of the paper. 1 CORESTA unit (1 C.U.) constitutes cm³/(min·cm²) under 1 kPa.
The outer plug wrap 280 may comprise a loading material. Examples of loading materials which may be cited include metal carbonates such as calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate, metal oxides such as titanium oxide, titanium dioxide, and aluminum oxide, metal sulfates such as barium sulfate and calcium sulfate, metal sulfides such as zinc sulfide, quartz, kaolin, talc, diatomaceous earth, and gypsum, etc. The outer plug wrap 280 preferably comprises calcium carbonate, especially from the point of view of improving whiteness and opaqueness, and increasing heating rate. These loading materials may be used alone, or two or more may be used in combination.
Various types of auxiliaries may be added to the outer plug wrap 280. The outer plug wrap 280 may comprise a water-resistance improving agent, for example. Water-resistance improving agents may include wet-strength agents (WS agents) and sizing agents. The wet strength agent may comprise, for example, a urea formaldehyde resin, a melamine formaldehyde resin, and polyamide epichlorohydrin (PAE), etc. Furthermore, the sizing agent may comprise, for example, rosin soap, alkyl ketene dimer (AKD), alkenyl succinic anhydride (ASA), and high saponification polyvinyl alcohol having a degree of saponification of 90% or greater, etc.
A coating agent may be added to at least one of the front surface and the back surface of the outer plug wrap 280. There is no particular restriction on the coating agent, but a coating agent that can form a film on the surface of the paper and reduce liquid permeability is preferred.
There is no particular restriction on the configuration of the tipping paper 270, and it may be in a general form. Specifically, the tipping paper 270 may comprise pulp as its main component, for example. Pulps which may be used include wood pulps such as softwood pulp and hardwood pulp, flax pulp, hemp pulp, sisal pulp, and esparto, etc., and it is possible to use a pulp which is generally used in a wrapping paper for a tobacco article, and the tipping paper 270 may be obtained by a papermaking process employing one or more of these pulps. These pulps may be used alone, or several types of pulps may be combined in any proportions for use. Forms of pulp which may be used include chemical pulp, ground pulp, chemiground pulp, and thermomechanical pulp, etc. which are obtained by means of kraft digestion, acid/neutral/alkaline sulfite digestion, and soda digestion, etc. It should be noted that a commercially available article may be used for the tipping paper 270. There is no particular restriction on the shape of the tipping paper 270, and it may have a square or rectangular shape, for example. Furthermore, the flavor-generating article 110 may comprise one tipping paper 270, but it may equally comprise multiple tipping papers 270.
There is no particular restriction on the basis weight of the tipping paper 270, but it is normally 32 gsm-40 gsm, preferably 33 gsm-39 gsm, and more preferably 34 gsm-38 gsm, for example. There is no particular restriction on the air permeability of the tipping paper 270, and it is normally 0 CORESTA units-30,000 CORESTA units, and preferably greater than 0 CORESTA units and no greater than 10,000 CORESTA units. The air permeability is a value measured in accordance with ISO 2965:2009, and is expressed as the flow rate (cm³) of a gas passing through a surface area of 1 cm² per minute at a differential pressure of 1 kPa on both surfaces of the paper. 1 CORESTA unit (1 C.U.) constitutes cm³/(min·cm²) under 1 kPa.
The tipping paper 270 may comprise a loading material. Examples of loading materials which may be cited include metal carbonates such as calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate, metal oxides such as titanium oxide, titanium dioxide, and aluminum oxide, metal sulfates such as barium sulfate and calcium sulfate, metal sulfides such as zinc sulfide, quartz, kaolin, talc, diatomaceous earth, and gypsum, etc. The tipping paper 270 preferably comprises calcium carbonate, especially from the point of view of improving whiteness and opaqueness, and increasing heating rate. These loading materials may be used alone, or two or more may be used in combination.
Various auxiliaries may be added to the tipping paper 270. The tipping paper 270 may comprise a water-resistance improving agent, for example. Water-resistance improving agents may include wet-strength agents (WS agents) and sizing agents. The wet strength agent may comprise, for example, a urea formaldehyde resin, a melamine formaldehyde resin, and polyamide epichlorohydrin (PAE), etc. Furthermore, the sizing agent is, for example, rosin soap, alkyl ketene dimer (AKD), alkenyl succinic anhydride (ASA), and high saponification polyvinyl alcohol having a degree of saponification of 90% or greater, etc.
A coating agent may be added to at least one of the front surface and the back surface of the tipping paper 270. There is no particular restriction on the coating agent, but a coating agent that can form a film on the surface of the paper and reduce liquid permeability is preferred.
A portion of an outer surface of the tipping paper 270 may be coated with a lip-release material. A lip-release material means a material for assisting in easy separation, substantially without adhesion, of the lips and the tipping paper 270 when the user holds the mouthpiece of the flavor-generating article 110 in their mouth. The lip-release material may comprise ethyl cellulose or methyl cellulose, etc., for example. For example, the outer surface of the tipping paper 270 may be coated with a lip-release material by applying an ethyl cellulose-based or methyl cellulose-based ink to the outer surface of the tipping paper 270. In this embodiment, the lip-release material is provided at least on a predetermined mouthpiece region contacted by the user's lips when the user holds the mouthpiece in their mouth. More specifically, the lip-release material may be provided on the outer surface of the tipping paper 270 between the mouthpiece end (end portion of the filter plug 250) and the perforations vf.
A mode of joining of the components constituting the flavor-generating article 110 will be described next. In fig. 2, gaps are provided between the components to make it easier to see how the components are joined, but the components of the actual flavor-generating article 110 are adjacent without gaps, as shown in fig. 3. In the flavor-generating article 110 shown in fig. 2, the five components are joined by using the outer plug wrap 280, the outer plug wrap 260, and the tipping paper 270. As shown in fig. 2, the outer plug wrap 280 covers the periphery of the flavor-generating portion 220 and the tip-end plug 112. In particular, the outer plug wrap 280 preferably covers the entire periphery of the wrapping paper 222 of the flavor-generating portion 220. In this case, the flavor source 221 is double-wrapped with the wrapping paper 222 and the outer plug wrap 280, therefore making it possible to inhibit additives contained in the flavor source 221 from soaking through to the surface of the outer plug wrap 280, and making it possible to inhibit crystallization on the surface of the outer plug wrap 280. The wrapping paper 222 is especially preferably at least partially coated with a liquid permeation-inhibiting material. In this case, it is possible to further inhibit additives contained in the flavor source 221 from soaking through to the surface of the outer plug wrap 280, and crystallization on the surface of the outer plug wrap 280 can therefore be further inhibited. The liquid permeation-inhibiting material preferably comprises kaolin. In this case, it is possible to inhibit crystallization on the surface of the outer plug wrap 280 using a relatively inexpensive material which is readily available. More specifically, when the liquid permeation-inhibiting material comprises a resin as the main component thereof, this resin may be polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or polyvinyl acetate (PVAc), or a composition (mixture) obtained by mixing these resins may also be used. When the liquid permeation-inhibiting material comprises a resin as the main component thereof, the resin may be formed as a composition further containing a loading material. The loading material may be any one of calcium carbonate, aluminum hydroxide, aluminum oxide, titanium dioxide, kaolin, talc, or silica, or it may be a mixture of several of the above.
As shown in fig. 2, the outer plug wrap 280 joins the tip-end plug 112, the flavor-generating portion 220, and the hollow tube portion 132. That is to say, the outer plug wrap 280 may cover the periphery of at least part of the hollow tube portion 132. As a result, the flavor-generating portion 220 and tip-end plug 112, and the hollow tube portion 132 can be connected by means of the outer plug wrap 280. Here, the outer plug wrap 280 is wound so as to cover the whole of the tip-end plug 112 and the flavor-generating portion 220, and part of the hollow tube portion 132. 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 (corresponding to an example of a filter portion). The second joined body 265 thus preferably includes the filter plug 250. In this case, the vapor or aerosol generated by the flavor-generating portion 220 can be cooled and filtered in the second joined body 265. The second joined body 265 may be formed solely by the filter plug 250 or solely by the hollow filter portion 240.
The tipping paper 270 further joins the first joined body 285 and the second joined body 265. Here, the tipping paper 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. It should be noted that in the example shown in fig. 2, the outer plug wrap 280 exposes the hollow tube portion 132 at its downstream end, without covering the hollow tube portion 132 as far as its downstream end, but the hollow tube portion 132 may equally be covered as far as its downstream end. In this case, perforations are preferably provided in the outer plug wrap 280 at positions directly above the perforations vf provided in the hollow tube portion 132. As a result, the perforations vf are preferably provided so as to penetrate the tipping paper 270, the outer plug wrap 280, and the hollow tube portion 132.
Fig. 4 is an exploded oblique view of a flavor-generating article 110 according to another embodiment. The flavor-generating article 110 shown in fig. 4 differs from the flavor-generating article 110 shown in fig. 2 and 3 only in the mode of joining thereof. In the flavor-generating article 110 shown in fig. 4, the five components are joined by using the outer plug wrap 280, the outer plug wrap 260, and the tipping paper 270. Specifically, as shown in fig. 4, the outer plug wrap 280 is wound so as to join the tip-end plug 112 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, in the example shown in fig. 4, 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 tipping paper 270 further joins the first joined body 285, the hollow tube portion 132, and the second joined body 265. Here, the tipping paper 270 covers the whole of the hollow tube portion 132 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 outer plug wrap 280 may equally expose the flavor-generating portion 220 at its downstream end, without covering the flavor-generating portion 220 as far as its downstream end.
As shown in fig. 2 and 4, the first joined body 285 and the second joined body 265 are preferably adjacently arranged. Furthermore, in this case, the first joined body 285 preferably has an exposed portion 285a, not covered by the outer plug wrap 280, on an end portion thereof on the second joined body 265 side. In addition, the longitudinal length of the exposed portion 285a is preferably 3 mm or greater. In this case, even if the adhesive protrudes from between the hollow tube portion 132 and the outer plug wrap 280, this adhesive protrudes on the exposed portion 285a, and the adhesive can therefore be inhibited from protruding from the end portion of the hollow tube portion 132.
As shown in fig. 2 and 4, the perforations vf are preferably formed penetrating the exposed portion 285a of the hollow tube portion 132. In this case, when the perforations vf are formed by a laser after the flavor-generating article 110 has been assembled, the perforations vf are formed in the exposed portion 285a which is not overlapped by the wrapping paper, therefore making it possible to reduce laser output. In addition, the outer plug wrap 280 is not bonded to the exposed portion 285a, that is, no adhesive is provided on the exposed portion 285a, so when the perforations vf are formed by a laser after the flavor-generating article 110 has been assembled, it is possible to inhibit the formation of adhesive-containing dust and to reduce the frequency of cleaning the apparatus which forms the perforations vf.
Furthermore, as shown in fig. 2, the flavor-generating article 110 comprises the tipping paper 270 covering the second joined body 265. The tipping paper 270 preferably covers the periphery of the hollow tube portion 132 and the second joined body 265. In this case, the hollow tube portion 132 and the second joined body 265 can be connected by means of the tipping paper 270. More specifically, the tipping paper 270 preferably covers the exposed portion 285a of the hollow tube portion 132. In this case, the hollow tube portion 132 (first joined body 285) and the tipping paper 270 can be connected by means of the tipping paper 270 while the hollow tube portion 132 is inhibited from being exposed.
As shown in fig. 2 and 4, the tipping paper 270 preferably partially overlaps the outer plug wrap 280. In this case, the first joined body 285 and the hollow tube portion 132 (second joined body 265) can be more securely connected while the first joined body 285 is completely prevented from being exposed.
As shown in fig. 1, when the flavor-generating article 110 has been suitably inserted into the heating unit 30 of the flavor inhaler 120, part of the flavor-generating article 110 may be exposed to the outside of the flavor inhaler 120. Specifically, in the state shown in fig. 1, part or all of the second joined body 265 shown in fig. 2 or 4 is exposed to the outside of the flavor inhaler 120. Furthermore, in the state shown in fig. 1, part of the hollow tube portion 132 shown in fig. 2 or 4 may be exposed to the outside of the flavor inhaler 120. In this case, the perforations vf formed in the hollow tube portion 132 may be exposed to the outside of the flavor inhaler 120, or the perforations vf may be positioned on the inside of the flavor inhaler 120 (upstream of an opening for insertion of the flavor-generating article 110). The perforations vf formed in the hollow tube portion 132 are preferably on the inside of the flavor inhaler 120 so that the perforations vf cannot easily be blocked by the user.
As described above, the tip-end plug 112 and the flavor-generating portion 220 need to be suitably connected in a flavor-generating article 110 such as shown in fig. 2 and 3. Fig. 5 is a developed plan view of the outer plug wrap 280 shown in fig. 2 and 3 As shown in fig. 5, the outer plug wrap 280 comprises: a first region A1 covering the tip-end plug 112; a second region A2 covering the flavor-generating portion 220; and a third region A3 covering the hollow tube portion 132. A direction in which the first region A1, second region A2 and third region A3 are arranged is the longitudinal direction of the outer plug wrap 280 or the flavor-generating portion 110. The vertical direction in fig. 5 therefore corresponds to a circumferential direction of the outer plug wrap 280 or the flavor-generating article 110.
The outer plug wrap 280 has a first end portion 280a and a second end portion 280b in the circumferential direction (portions at both circumferential ends). The first end portion 280a and the second end portion 280b are arranged so as to overlap each other when the flavor-generating portion 220 and the tip-end plug 112 have been wrapped with the outer plug wrap 260.
As shown in fig. 5, the outer plug wrap 280 comprises, in the second region, a first bonding portion 81 for bonding the wrapping paper 222 and the outer plug wrap 280. This enables the flavor-generating portion 220 and the tip-end plug 112 to be suitably connected because the outer plug wrap 280 covers the flavor-generating portion 220 and the tip-end plug 112, and the wrapping paper 222 and the outer plug wrap 280 are bonded by means of the first bonding portion 81. Note that the first bonding portion 81 could, in other words, also be considered as the portion of the outer plug wrap 280 in the second region A2 which is coated with an adhesive.
As shown in fig. 5, a non-bonded portion 82 is preferably provided in the second region A2. The non-bonded portion 82 is especially preferably disposed between first bonding portions 81 in the circumferential direction. As a result, the first end portion 280a and the second end portion 280b can be bonded by means of the first bonding portion 81 when the flavor-generating portion 220 and the tip-end plug 112 have been wrapped with the outer plug wrap 280. Specifically, the first bonding portion 81 is preferably provided on a region of no greater than 50% of the entire periphery of the outer plug wrap 280. There is a risk of the outer plug wrap 280 being creased when the outer plug wrap 280 and the wrapping paper 222 are bonded by an adhesive such as a glue. In contrast to this, the wrapping paper 222 and the outer plug wrap 280 are not bonded over the entire periphery when the first bonding portion 81 is provided in the region indicated above, and creasing of the outer plug wrap 280 can therefore be inhibited. The amount of adhesive which is used in order to bond the wrapping paper 222 and the outer plug wrap 280 can furthermore be limited, therefore making it possible to also inhibit an increase in production costs and soiling of the device caused by this adhesive. The first bonding portion 81 is more preferably provided on a region of no greater than 35% of the entire periphery of the outer plug wrap 280, and is even more preferably provided on a region of no greater than 25% thereof. Note that the entire periphery of the outer plug wrap 280 as referred to here corresponds to the overall length between the first end portion 280a and the second end portion 280b.
The flavor-generating article 110 preferably comprises, in the first region A1, a second bonding portion 83 for bonding the outer plug wrap 280 and the tip-end plug 112. The second bonding portion 83 is preferably provided over the entire periphery on at least part of the tip-end plug 112 in the longitudinal direction. The outer plug wrap 280 and the tip-end plug 112 are securely bonded in this case, which can therefore inhibit the tip-end plug 112 from dropping out from the outer plug wrap 280. In the example shown in fig. 5, the second bonding portion 83 is provided over the entire periphery of the outer plug wrap 280 between the first end portion 280a and the second end portion 280b, as a result of which the second bonding portion 83 is provided over the entire periphery of the tip-end plug 112 when the tip-end plug 112 and the outer plug wrap 280 have been bonded.
An area of the second bonding portion 83 per unit length in the longitudinal direction of the flavor-generating article 110 is preferably greater than an area of the first bonding portion 81 per unit length in the longitudinal direction. In this case, a bonding area of the tip-end plug 112 and the outer plug wrap 280 is greater than a bonding area of the flavor-generating portion 220 and the outer plug wrap 280, so the outer plug wrap 280 and the tip-end plug 112 can be securely bonded while inhibiting creasing of the part of the outer plug wrap 280 bonded to the flavor-generating portion 220. In the example shown in fig. 5, the second bonding portion 83 is provided over roughly the entirety of the first region A1 of the outer plug wrap 280, whereas the first bonding portion 81 is partially provided in the second region A2 because of the non-bonded portion 82 being provided in the second region A2. As a result, the area of the second bonding portion 83 is greater than that of the first bonding portion 81, per unit length in the longitudinal direction. It should be noted that in the example shown in fig. 5, a non-bonded portion 84 is provided in the first region A1 but this is formed along with providing the non-bonded portion 82 in the second region A2. The non-bonded portion 84 need not be formed.
As shown in fig. 5, the second bonding portion 83 preferably comprises a first part 83a, and a second part 83b coated with a greater amount of adhesive than the first part 83a. In this case, the first part 83a which is coated with a relatively small amount of adhesive can inhibit the flavor-generating article 110 (tip-end plug 112) from catching fire due to the presence of adhesive, if a user accidentally brings a flame close to the flavor-generating article 110. Furthermore, the second part 83b which is coated with a relatively large amount of adhesive is capable of securely bonding the outer plug wrap 280 and the tip-end plug 112. In addition, creasing of the outer plug wrap 280 at the second bonding portion 83 can be inhibited to a greater extent than when the entire second bonding portion 83 is coated with a relatively large amount of adhesive (i.e., when the entire second bonding portion 83 constitutes the second part 83b).
As shown in fig. 5, the second part 83b preferably extends along the circumferential direction of the tip-end plug 112. In this case, the outer plug wrap 280 and the tip-end plug 112 can be securely bonded by the second part 83b along the circumferential direction, which can therefore further inhibit the tip-end plug 112 from dropping out from the outer plug wrap 280. In the example shown in fig. 5, the second part 83b is provided along the circumferential direction between the first end portion 280a and the second end portion 280b of the outer plug wrap 280, as a result of which the second part 83b extends along the circumferential direction of the tip-end plug 112 when the tip-end plug 112 and the outer plug wrap 280 have been bonded.
The second part 83b preferably extends over a region of at least 50% of the entire periphery of the tip-end plug 112. In this case, the outer plug wrap 280 and the tip-end plug 112 can be more securely bonded by the second part 83b along the circumferential direction, which can therefore even further inhibit the tip-end plug 112 from dropping out from the outer plug wrap 280. Note that the second part 83b more preferably extends over a region of at least 65% of the entire periphery of the tip-end plug 112, and even more preferably extends over a region of at least 80%. Furthermore, as shown in fig. 5, the second part 83b is preferably arranged separated from the first end portion 280a and the second end portion 280b of the outer plug wrap 280. In this case, the adhesive can be inhibited from protruding from the first end portion 280a and the second end portion 280b of the outer plug wrap 280. A predetermined region of the portions at both circumferential ends of the outer plug wrap 280, including the first end portion 280a and the second end portion 280b, may be coated with a relatively smaller amount of adhesive than other parts.
The first region A1 and the second bonding portion 83 described above may also be provided on the outer plug wrap 280 of the flavor-generating article 110 shown in fig. 4.
As shown in fig. 5, the flavor-generating article 110 preferably comprises, in the third region A3, a third bonding portion 85 for bonding the outer plug wrap 280 and the hollow tube portion 132. The third bonding portion 85 is preferably provided over the entire periphery on at least part of the hollow tube portion 132 in the longitudinal direction. The outer plug wrap 280 and the hollow tube portion 132 are securely bonded in this case, which can therefore inhibit the hollow tube portion 132 from dropping out from the outer plug wrap 280. In the example shown in fig. 5, the third bonding portion 85 is provided over the entire periphery of the outer plug wrap 280 between the first end portion 280a and the second end portion 280b, as a result of which the third bonding portion 85 is provided over the entire periphery of the hollow tube portion 132 when the hollow tube portion 132 and the outer plug wrap 280 have been bonded.
An area of the third bonding portion 85 per unit length in the longitudinal direction of the flavor-generating article 110 is preferably greater than the area of the first bonding portion 81 per unit length in the longitudinal direction. In this case, a bonding area of the hollow tube portion 132 and the outer plug wrap 280 is greater than the bonding area of the flavor-generating portion 220 and the outer plug wrap 280, so the outer plug wrap 280 and the hollow tube portion 132 can be securely bonded while inhibiting creasing of the part of the outer plug wrap 280 bonded to the flavor-generating portion 220. In the example shown in fig. 5, the third bonding portion 85 is provided over roughly the entirety of the third region A3 of the outer plug wrap 280, whereas the first bonding portion 81 is partially provided in the second region A2 because of the non-bonded portion 82 being provided in the second region A2. As a result, the area of the third bonding portion 85 is greater than that of the first bonding portion 81, per unit length in the longitudinal direction. It should be noted that in the example shown in fig. 5, a non-bonded portion 86 is provided in the third region A3 but this is formed along with providing the non-bonded portion 82 in the second region A2. The non-bonded portion 86 need not be formed.
As shown in fig. 5, the third bonding portion 85 preferably comprises a third part 85a, and a fourth part 85b coated with a greater amount of adhesive than the third part 85a. In this case, the third part 85a which is coated with a relatively small amount of adhesive can inhibit the flavor-generating article 110 (hollow tube portion 132) from catching fire due to the presence of adhesive, if a user accidentally brings a flame close to the flavor-generating article 110. Furthermore, the fourth part 85b which is coated with a relatively large amount of adhesive is capable of securely bonding the outer plug wrap 280 and the hollow tube portion 132. In addition, creasing of the outer plug wrap 280 at the third bonding portion 85 can be inhibited to a greater extent than when the entire third bonding portion 85 is coated with a relatively large amount of adhesive (i.e., when the entire third bonding portion 85 constitutes the fourth part 85b).
As shown in fig. 5, the fourth part 85b preferably extends along the circumferential direction of the hollow tube portion 132. In this case, the outer plug wrap 280 and the hollow tube portion 132 can be securely bonded by the fourth part 85b along the circumferential direction, which can therefore further inhibit the hollow tube portion 132 from dropping out from the outer plug wrap 280. In the example shown in fig. 5, the fourth part 85b is provided along the circumferential direction between the first end portion 280a and the second end portion 280b of the outer plug wrap 280, as a result of which the fourth part 85b extends along the circumferential direction of the hollow tube portion 132 when the hollow tube portion 132 and the outer plug wrap 280 have been bonded.
The fourth part 85b preferably extends over a region of at least 50% of the entire periphery of the hollow tube portion 132. In this case, the outer plug wrap 280 and the hollow tube portion 132 can be more securely bonded by the fourth part 85b along the circumferential direction, which can therefore even further inhibit the hollow tube portion 132 from dropping out from the outer plug wrap 280. Note that the fourth part 85b more preferably extends over a region of at least 65% of the entire periphery of the hollow tube portion 132, and even more preferably extends over a region of at least 80%. Furthermore, as shown in fig. 5, the fourth part 85b is preferably arranged separated from the first end portion 280a and the second end portion 280b of the outer plug wrap 280. In this case, the adhesive can be inhibited from protruding from the first end portion 280a and the second end portion 280b of the outer plug wrap 280.
The adhesive used for the second bonding portion 83 or the third bonding portion 85 may comprise, for example, at least one selected from the group consisting of: gum arabic, starch, sodium alginate, pectin, carboxymethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC).
Embodiments of the present invention were described above, but the present invention is not limited to those embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the technical concept disclosed in the claims, specification and drawings. Moreover, any shape or material not directly stated in the specification or drawings is also within the scope of the technical concept of the invention of this application, provided that it exhibits the action and effect of the invention of this application. For example, the flavor inhaler 120 in the embodiments above employs a configuration in which air flows in what is known as a counterflow system, but this is not limiting, and it may equally employ a configuration in which air flows in what is known as a bottom-flow system.
A number of aspects disclosed in the present specification are given below.

(1) A flavor-generating article comprising:
- a first rod portion including a flavor source and a first wrapper covering the periphery of the flavor source;
- an upstream portion disposed upstream of the first rod portion;
- a second wrapper covering the periphery of the first rod portion and the upstream portion; and
- a first bonding portion for bonding the first wrapper and the second wrapper,
- wherein the second wrapper covers the entire periphery of the first wrapper.
(2) The flavor-generating article as disclosed in (1), wherein
the first bonding portion is provided on a region of no greater than 50% of the entire periphery of the second wrapper.
(3) The flavor-generating article as disclosed in (1) or (2),
- comprising a second bonding portion for bonding the second wrapper and the upstream portion,
- wherein the second bonding portion is provided over the entire periphery on at least part of the upstream portion in a longitudinal direction.
(4) The flavor-generating article as disclosed in (3), wherein
an area of the second bonding portion per unit length in the longitudinal direction is greater than an area of the first bonding portion per unit length in the longitudinal direction.
(5) The flavor-generating article as disclosed in (3) or (4), wherein
the second bonding portion comprises a first part, and a second part coated with a greater amount of an adhesive than the first part.
(6) The flavor-generating article as disclosed in (5), wherein
the second part extends along a circumferential direction of the upstream portion.
(7) The flavor-generating article as disclosed in (6), wherein
the second part extends over a region of at least 50% of the entire periphery of the upstream portion.
(8) The flavor-generating article as disclosed in any of (5) to (7), wherein
- the second wrapper has portions at both circumferential ends, and
- the second part is arranged separated from the portions at both circumferential ends.
(9) The flavor-generating article as disclosed in any of (1) to (8), wherein
the length of the upstream portion in the longitudinal direction is 5 mm-10 mm.
(10) The flavor-generating article as disclosed in any of (1) to (9),
comprising a second rod portion disposed on a downstream side of the first rod portion, wherein the second wrapper covers the periphery of at least part of the second rod portion.
(11) The flavor-generating article as disclosed (10),
- comprising a third bonding portion for bonding the second wrapper and the second rod portion,
- wherein the third bonding portion is provided over the entire periphery on at least part of the second rod portion in the longitudinal direction.
(12) The flavor-generating article as disclosed in (11), wherein
an area of the third bonding portion per unit length in the longitudinal direction is greater than an area of the first bonding portion per unit length in the longitudinal direction.
(13) The flavor-generating article as disclosed in (11) or (12), wherein
the third bonding portion comprises a third part, and a fourth part coated with a greater amount of an adhesive than the third part.
(14) The flavor-generating article as disclosed in (13), wherein
the fourth part extends along a circumferential direction of the second rod portion.
(15) The flavor-generating article as disclosed in (14), wherein
the fourth part extends over a region of at least 50% of the entire periphery of the second rod portion.
(16) The flavor-generating article as disclosed in any of (10) to (15), wherein
- the second rod portion has an exposed portion not covered by the second wrapper, and
- the longitudinal length of the exposed portion is 3 mm or greater.
(17) The flavor-generating article as disclosed (16),
comprising perforations formed penetrating the exposed portion of the second rod portion.
(18) The flavor-generating article as disclosed in any of (10) to (17), comprising:
- a filter portion disposed downstream of the second rod portion; and
- a third wrapper covering the periphery of the second rod portion and the filter portion.
(19) The flavor-generating article as disclosed in (18) citing (16), wherein
the third wrapper covers the exposed portion of the second rod portion.
(20) The flavor-generating article as disclosed in (18) or (19), wherein
the third wrapper partially overlaps the second wrapper.
(21) The flavor-generating article as disclosed in any of (1) to (20), wherein
the first wrapper is at least partially coated with a liquid permeation-inhibiting material.
(22) The flavor-generating article as disclosed in (21), wherein
the liquid permeation-inhibiting material comprises kaolin.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

81: First bonding portion
83: Second bonding portion
83a: First part
83b: Second part
85: Third bonding portion
85a: Third part
85b: Fourth part
110: Flavor-generating article
112: Tip-end plug
132: Hollow tube portion
220: Flavor-generating portion
221: Flavor source
222: Wrapping paper
280: Outer plug wrap
280a: First end portion
280b: Second end portion
285a: Exposed portion

Claims

A flavor-generating article comprising:
a first rod portion including a flavor source and a first wrapper covering the periphery of the flavor source;

an upstream portion disposed upstream of the first rod portion;

a second wrapper covering the periphery of the first rod portion and the upstream portion; and

a first bonding portion for bonding the first wrapper and the second wrapper,

wherein the second wrapper covers the entire periphery of the first wrapper.
The flavor-generating article as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the first bonding portion is provided on a region of no greater than 50% of the entire periphery of the second wrapper.
The flavor-generating article as claimed in claim 1 or 2,
comprising a second bonding portion for bonding the second wrapper and the upstream portion,

wherein the second bonding portion is provided over the entire periphery on at least part of the upstream portion in a longitudinal direction.
The flavor-generating article as claimed in claim 3, wherein
an area of the second bonding portion per unit length in the longitudinal direction is greater than an area of the first bonding portion per unit length in the longitudinal direction.
The flavor-generating article as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein
the second bonding portion comprises a first part, and a second part coated with a greater amount of an adhesive than the first part.
The flavor-generating article as claimed in claim 5, wherein
the second part extends along a circumferential direction of the upstream portion.
The flavor-generating article as claimed in claim 6, wherein
the second part extends over a region of at least 50% of the entire periphery of the upstream portion.
The flavor-generating article as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein
the second wrapper has portions at both circumferential ends, and

the second part is arranged separated from the portions at both circumferential ends.
The flavor-generating article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein
the length of the upstream portion in the longitudinal direction is 5 mm-10 mm.
The flavor-generating article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9,
comprising a second rod portion disposed on a downstream side of the first rod portion,

wherein the second wrapper covers the periphery of at least part of the second rod portion.
The flavor-generating article as claimed in claim 10,
comprising a third bonding portion for bonding the second wrapper and the second rod portion,

wherein the third bonding portion is provided over the entire periphery on at least part of the second rod portion in the longitudinal direction.
The flavor-generating article as claimed in claim 11, wherein
an area of the third bonding portion per unit length in the longitudinal direction is greater than an area of the first bonding portion per unit length in the longitudinal direction.
The flavor-generating article as claimed in claim 11 or 12, wherein
the third bonding portion comprises a third part, and a fourth part coated with a greater amount of an adhesive than the third part.
The flavor-generating article as claimed in claim 13, wherein
the fourth part extends along a circumferential direction of the second rod portion.
The flavor-generating article as claimed in claim 14, wherein
the fourth part extends over a region of at least 50% of the entire periphery of the second rod portion.
The flavor-generating article as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 15,
wherein
the second rod portion has an exposed portion not covered by the second wrapper, and

the longitudinal length of the exposed portion is 3 mm or greater.
The flavor-generating article as claimed in claim 16,
comprising perforations formed penetrating the exposed portion of the second rod portion.
The flavor-generating article as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 17, comprising:
a filter portion disposed downstream of the second rod portion; and

a third wrapper covering the periphery of the second rod portion and the filter portion.
The flavor-generating article as claimed in claim 18 citing claim 16, wherein
the third wrapper covers the exposed portion of the second rod portion.
The flavor-generating article as claimed in claim 18 or 19, wherein
the third wrapper partially overlaps the second wrapper.
The flavor-generating article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein
the first wrapper is at least partially coated with a liquid permeation-inhibiting material.
The flavor-generating article as claimed in claim 21, wherein
the liquid permeation-inhibiting material comprises kaolin.