JP2023517125A - Aerosol-generating article comprising porous tobacco solids and method of making porous tobacco solids - Google Patents

Abstract

a first portion comprising an aerosol-generating element; a second portion comprising a tobacco element; a third portion comprising a cooling element; and a fourth portion comprising a filter element; Four portions are provided sequentially along the length of the aerosol-generating article, and an aerosol-generating article is provided in which a second portion comprises porous tobacco solids comprising tobacco elements.

Description

The present invention relates to aerosol-generating articles comprising porous tobacco solids and methods of making porous tobacco solids.

Recently, there has been an increasing demand for alternative methods to overcome the shortcomings of common cigarettes and smoking articles. For example, there is an increasing demand for methods of generating an aerosol by heating the aerosol-generating material within the cigarette rather than by burning the cigarette to generate an aerosol. Accordingly, researches on smoking articles and devices that operate in various ways are being actively pursued.

The problem addressed by the present invention is to provide an aerosol-generating article comprising porous tobacco solids and a method of making porous tobacco solids.

The problem to be solved by the present disclosure is not limited to the technical problems described above, and other technical problems can be inferred from the following examples.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an aerosol-generating article includes a first portion including an aerosol-generating element, a second portion including a tobacco element, a third portion including a cooling element, and a fourth portion including a filter element, The first portion, the second portion, the third portion and the fourth portion are arranged in order with respect to the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article, and the second portion is a porous tobacco solid comprising the tobacco element. Including things.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method of making porous tobacco solids comprises providing a tobacco composition comprising tobacco powder, a binder and a humectant; and inserting the at least one gas injection tube into the cylindrical frame to inject gas into the tobacco composition inserted into the cylindrical frame to produce porous tobacco solids.

Aerosol-generating articles according to the present disclosure can provide abundant nicotine migration through the porous structure of tobacco solids.

Also, the method of making porous tobacco solids according to the present disclosure can provide a technique for making tobacco solids with a porous structure that can provide abundant nicotine transfer in a relatively simple manner.

FIG. 4 is a drawing showing an example of an aerosol-generating article inserted into an internally heated aerosol-generating device. FIG. 4 is a drawing showing an example of an aerosol-generating article inserted into an externally heated aerosol-generating device. Fig. 10 is a drawing showing another example in which an aerosol-generating article is inserted into an externally heated aerosol-generating device; It is drawing which shows an example of the aerosol generator using an induction heating system. 1 is a drawing that schematically illustrates the construction of an aerosol-generating article according to an illustrative embodiment; FIG. 11 is a drawing schematically showing the construction of an aerosol-generating article according to another illustrative embodiment; FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a second portion of an aerosol-generating article according to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a second portion of an aerosol-generating article in accordance with another illustrative embodiment; FIG. 7 illustrates an aerosol-generating article according to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 inserted into an aerosol-generating device according to an exemplary embodiment; 7 illustrates a method of making porous tobacco solids for an aerosol-generating article according to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an aerosol-generating article includes a first portion including an aerosol-generating element, a second portion including a tobacco element, a third portion including a cooling element, and a fourth portion including a filter element, The first portion, the second portion, the third portion and the fourth portion are provided sequentially longitudinally of the aerosol-generating article. The second portion includes porous tobacco solids containing the tobacco elements. The porous tobacco solids also include at least one passage extending from upstream of the aerosol-generating article to downstream of the aerosol-generating article, and an outer peripheral surface of the porous tobacco solids includes the at least one A plurality of pores may be formed that are connected to the passageway.

Also, the average diameter of said at least one passage is between 1 mm and 4 mm.

Moreover, the average diameter of the plurality of pores is also 0.1 mm to 1 mm.

The specific surface area of said porous tobacco solids is also between 200m ² /g and 1000m ² /g.

The second portion also includes a thermally conductive wrapper provided over the porous tobacco solids.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of making porous tobacco solids comprises providing a tobacco composition comprising tobacco powder, a binder, and a humectant; and injecting gas from the at least one gas injection tube into the tobacco composition inserted into the cylindrical frame to form porous tobacco solids.

Also, the tobacco composition comprises 60% to 80% by weight of the tobacco powder, 15% to 30% by weight of the binder, and 5% to 10% by weight of the humectant.

Also, the at least one gas injection tube has a plurality of holes for injecting gas onto the outer peripheral surface of the porous tobacco solids.

Also, in the method for producing porous tobacco solids, the outside of the tobacco composition inserted into the cylindrical frame is removed after the step of inserting the tobacco composition into the cylindrical frame and before the step of injecting the gas. A drying step may be further included.

Also, the temperature of the gas injected from the gas injection pipe is 80.degree. C. to 120.degree.

Also, the pressure of the gas injected from the gas injection pipe is 0.5 mmbar to 3 mmbar.

Also, the gas injected from the at least one gas injection pipe may further include a flavor component.

The terminology used in the various exemplary embodiments has been selected to be general terminology currently in widespread use as much as possible in view of the functionality of this disclosure, but it should be understood by those skilled in the art. It also depends on intentions or judicial precedents, the emergence of new technologies, and so on. Also, in certain cases, some terms are arbitrarily chosen by the applicant, and their meanings are set forth in detail in the description portion of the invention. Therefore, terms used in the present disclosure should be defined based on the meanings of the terms and the general content of the present disclosure, rather than just the names of the terms.

Throughout the specification, when a part "includes" a component, it does not exclude other components, and may further include other components, unless specifically stated to the contrary. That means. In addition, terms such as "... unit" and "... module" described in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which is embodied by hardware or software, or It can also be embodied by a combination of hardware and software.

Also, as used herein, terms including ordinal numbers such as “first” or “second” are used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. not. Terms are only used to distinguish one component from another.

As used herein, when a phrase such as “at least one” precedes an arrayed element, it modifies the entire arrayed element but not each of the elements. For example, the phrase "at least one of a, b, and c" should be interpreted to include a, b, c, or a and b, a and c, b and c, or a, b and c. I have to.

When a component or layer is referred to as being "on", "above", "coupled" or "coupled with" another component or layer, it is directly on the other component or layer. , directly connected or directly coupled, or that there are other intermediate components or intermediate layers. Conversely, when a component is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly coupled to,” or “directly bonded to” another component or layer, there are no intermediate components or layers present. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

Throughout the specification, an aerosol-generating article is also an article used to smoke. For example, the aerosol-generating article can be a general burning cigarette used by a method that is ignited and burned, or a heated cigarette used by a method that is heated by an aerosol-generating device. As another example, the aerosol-generating article is also an article that is used in a manner in which the liquid contained in the cartridge is heated.

Throughout the specification, a tobacco element is also an element that contains tobacco material.

Throughout the specification, tobacco material is also all forms of material that contain components derived from tobacco leaves.

A cooling element throughout the specification is also an element that causes a substance to cool. For example, the cooling element can cool the aerosol generated by the tobacco element.

Throughout the specification, a filter element is also an element containing filtering material. For example, a filter element includes a plurality of fiber strands.

Throughout the specification, the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article is also the direction along which the length of the aerosol-generating article extends or the direction in which the aerosol-generating article is inserted into the aerosol-generating device.

Throughout the specification, a porous tobacco solid is also a solid phase material comprising tobacco material having a structure with a multiplicity of pores formed therein and/or on its surface.

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present disclosure belongs can easily implement the exemplary embodiments. This disclosure may, however, be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the illustrative examples set forth herein.

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example in which an aerosol-generating article is inserted into an internally heated aerosol-generating device.

Referring to FIG. 1, the aerosol generator 10000 includes a battery 11000, a processor 12000 and a heater 13000. FIG. Also, an aerosol-generating article 20000 can be inserted into the internal space of the aerosol-generating device 10000 .

The aerosol generating device 10000 illustrated in FIG. 1 illustrates components according to an exemplary embodiment. Therefore, those of ordinary skill in the art related to exemplary embodiments will appreciate that the aerosol generator 10000 may further include other general-purpose components in addition to the components illustrated in FIG. , would be understandable.

FIG. 1 shows a battery 11000, a processor 12000 and a heater 13000 arranged in line. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generator 10000 is not limited to that illustrated in FIG. For example, the arrangement of the battery 11000, the processor 12000 and the heater 13000 can be changed depending on the design of the aerosol generator 10000. FIG.

When the aerosol-generating article 20000 is inserted into the aerosol-generating device 10000 , the aerosol-generating device 10000 heats the heater 13000 . Heated heater 13000 raises the temperature of the aerosol-generating substance in aerosol-generating article 20000 to generate an aerosol.

Aerosol generated by heater 13000 passes through filter 220000 of aerosol-generating article 20000 and is transmitted to the user, as illustrated in FIG.

Even when the aerosol-generating article 20000 is not inserted into the aerosol-generating device 10000, the aerosol-generating device 10000 can heat the heater 13000 as necessary. For example, the battery 11000 supplies power to heat the heater 13000 and supplies power necessary for the operation of the processor 12000 . Also, the battery 11000 supplies power necessary for operating the display, sensor, motor, etc. provided in the aerosol generator 10000 .

Processor 12000 controls the operation of aerosol generator 10000 . For example, processor 12000 controls the operation of battery 11000 and heater 13000 as well as other components included in aerosol generator 10000 . The processor 12000 can also check the status of each configuration of the aerosol generator 10000 and determine whether the aerosol generator 10000 is operable.

The processor 12000 is embodied by an array of logic gates, and is also embodied by a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing programs that can be executed by the microprocessor. It will also be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments pertain that they may be embodied by other forms of hardware.

The heater 13000 can be heated by power supplied from the battery 11000 . For example, if the aerosol-generating article 20000 is inserted into the aerosol-generating device 10000 , the heater 13000 is located outside the aerosol-generating article 2000 . Heated heater 13000 can thus increase the temperature of the aerosol-generating material in aerosol-generating article 20000 .

Heater 13000 is also an electrical resistive heater. For example, the heater 13000 may include conductive tracks, and the heater 13000 may be heated by passing current through the conductive tracks. However, the heater 13000 is not limited to the above example, and includes all types of heaters that can be heated to a desired temperature. Here, the desired temperature may be preset in the aerosol generator 10000, or may be set to the desired temperature by the user.

For example, the heater 13000 can be elongated (eg, rod-shaped, needle-shaped, blade-shaped) or even cylindrical, and can heat the interior or exterior of the aerosol-generating article 20000 depending on the shape of the heating element.

Also, a plurality of heaters 13000 may be arranged in the aerosol generator 10000 . At this time, the plurality of heaters 13000 may be arranged to be inserted into the aerosol-generating article 20000 and may be arranged outside the aerosol-generating article 20000 . Also, some of the plurality of heaters 13000 may be arranged to be inserted into the aerosol-generating article 20000, and the rest of the plurality of heaters 13000 may be arranged outside the aerosol-generating article 20000. . Also, the shape of the heater 13000 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 1, and may be manufactured in various shapes.

On the other hand, the aerosol generator 10000 may further include general-purpose components in addition to the battery 11000, processor 12000 and heater 13000. FIG. For example, the aerosol generation device 10000 includes a display configured to output visual information and/or a motor for output of tactile information. Also, the aerosol generating device 10000 includes at least one sensor, such as a puff sensor, a temperature sensor, an aerosol-generating article insertion sensor, and the like. In addition, the aerosol generator 10000 is also manufactured with a structure in which external air flows in or internal gas flows out even when the aerosol generating article 20000 is inserted.

The aerosol generator 10000 may constitute a system together with a separate cradle. For example, the cradle can be used to charge the battery 11000 of the aerosol generator 10000. FIG. According to another embodiment, the heater 13000 can be heated while the cradle and the aerosol generator 10000 are coupled.

Aerosol-generating article 20000 also resembles a typical cigarette. For example, the aerosol-generating article 20000 can include at least one of tobacco material and aerosol-generating material. For example, at least one of the tobacco substance and the aerosol-generating substance can be inserted into the first portion or the second portion of the aerosol-generating article 20000 .

As an example, external air can be admitted through at least one air passageway formed in the aerosol generator 10000 . For example, the opening and closing of the air passage formed in the aerosol generator 10000 and/or the size of the air passage can be adjusted by the user. Thereby, the amount of atomization, the feeling of smoking, etc. can be adjusted by the user. As another example, external air can enter the interior of the aerosol-generating article 20000 through at least one hole formed in the surface of the aerosol-generating article 20000 .

FIG. 2 is a drawing showing an example in which an aerosol-generating article is inserted into an externally heated aerosol-generating device.

Referring to FIG. 2, the aerosol generator 10000 further includes a vaporizer 14000 in addition to the configuration shown in FIG. Aerosol-generating article 20000, battery 11000, processor 12000 and heater 13000 of FIG. 2 may correspond to aerosol-generating article 20000, battery 11000, processor 12000 and heater 13000 of FIG. Therefore, redundant description is omitted.

The aerosol generating device 10000 illustrated in FIG. 2 illustrates components according to an exemplary embodiment. Therefore, those of ordinary skill in the art related to exemplary embodiments will appreciate that the aerosol generator 10000 may further include other general-purpose components in addition to the components illustrated in FIG. , would be understandable.

Also, although FIG. 2 shows that the aerosol generator 10000 includes the heater 13000, the heater 13000 may be omitted if necessary.

FIG. 2 shows a battery 11000, a processor 12000, a vaporizer 14000 and a heater 13000 arranged in line. However, the placement is not so limited.

When the aerosol-generating article 20000 is inserted into the aerosol-generating device 10000, the aerosol-generating device 10000 can activate the heater 13000 and/or the vaporizer 14000 to generate an aerosol. Aerosol generated by heater 13000 and/or vaporizer 14000 passes through aerosol-generating article 20000 and is transmitted to the user.

A battery 11000 provides power for the vaporizer 14000 to be heated. Processor 12000 controls the operation of vaporizer 14000 .

Vaporizer 14000 heats the liquid composition to generate an aerosol, which can pass through aerosol-generating article 20000 and be transmitted to a user. For example, the aerosol generated by vaporizer 14000 travels along the airflow path of aerosol generator 10000 . The airflow passageway can be configured such that the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 14000 is transmitted through the aerosol-generating article to the user.

For example, vaporizer 14000 may include, but is not limited to, a liquid storage portion, a liquid delivery means, and a heating element. For example, the liquid reservoir, liquid delivery means and heating element can be included in the aerosol generating device 10000 as separate modules.

The liquid storage part stores the liquid composition. For example, a liquid composition can be a liquid containing tobacco-containing substances, including volatile tobacco flavor components, or a liquid containing non-tobacco substances. The liquid reservoir can also be made to be detached/attached to/from the vaporizer 14000 or can be made integral with the vaporizer 14000 .

For example, liquid compositions include water, solvents, ethanol, botanical extracts, fragrances, flavors, or vitamin mixtures. Flavors may include, but are not limited to, menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, various fruit flavoring ingredients, and the like. Flavoring agents include ingredients that provide a variety of flavors or flavors to the user. A vitamin mixture is also a mixture of at least one of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C and vitamin E, but is not limited thereto. Liquid compositions also contain aerosol forming agents such as glycerin and propylene glycol.

A liquid transfer means transfers the liquid composition of the liquid reservoir to the heating element. For example, the liquid transfer means can be a wick such as, but not limited to, cotton fibres, ceramic fibres, glass fibres, porous ceramics.

A heating element is an element for heating the liquid composition conveyed by the liquid conveying means. For example, the heating element can be a metal hot wire, a metal hot plate, a ceramic heater, etc., but is not limited to them. Alternatively, the heating element may consist of a conductive filament, such as Nichrome wire, wound around the liquid transfer means. The heating element can be heated by an electrical current supply to transfer heat to the liquid composition in contact with the heating element to heat the liquid composition. An aerosol can be generated as a result of heating the liquid composition.

For example, vaporizer 14000 may also be referred to as, but not limited to, a cartomizer or atomizer.

FIG. 3 is a drawing showing another example in which an aerosol-generating article is inserted into an externally heated aerosol-generating device.

Aerosol-generating article 20000, battery 11000, processor 12000, heater 13000 and vaporizer 14000 of FIG. 3 may correspond to aerosol-generating article 20000, battery 11000, processor 12000, heater 13000 and vaporizer 14000 of FIG. Therefore, redundant description is omitted.

FIG. 3 shows an example in which a vaporizer 14000 and a heater 13000 are arranged in parallel. For example, evaporator 14000 and heater 13000 may be arranged in line as illustrated in FIG. 2 and in parallel as illustrated in FIG. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generator 10000 is not limited to that shown in FIGS. For example, the arrangement of the battery 11000, the processor 12000, the heater 13000 and the vaporizer 14000 can be changed depending on the design of the aerosol generator 10000. FIG.

FIG. 4 is a drawing showing an example of an aerosol generator using an induction heating system.

Referring to FIG. 4, the aerosol generator 10000 includes a battery 11000, a processor 12000, a coil C and a susceptor S. Also, at least a portion of the aerosol-generating article 20000 can be housed in the cavity V of the aerosol-generating device 10000 . Aerosol-generating article 20000, battery 11000 and processor 12000 of Figure 4 may correspond to aerosol-generating article 20000, battery 11000 and processor 12000 of Figures 1-3. Coil C and susceptor S may also be included in heater 13000 . Therefore, redundant description is omitted.

The aerosol generating device 10000 illustrated in FIG. 4 illustrates components according to an exemplary embodiment. Therefore, those of ordinary skill in the art related to exemplary embodiments will appreciate that the aerosol generator 10000 may further include other general-purpose components in addition to the components illustrated in FIG. , would be understandable.

A coil C may be provided around the cavity V. Although FIG. 4 illustrates coil C as being positioned to surround cavity V, embodiments are not so limited.

When the aerosol-generating article 20000 is housed in the cavity V of the aerosol-generating device 10000, the aerosol-generating device 10000 powers the coil C such that it generates a magnetic field. A magnetic field generated by the coil C penetrates the susceptor S, so that the susceptor S can be heated.

Such an induction heating phenomenon is a well-known phenomenon explained by Faraday's Law of induction. Specifically, when the magnetic induction within the susceptor S changes, an electric field is generated within the susceptor S, causing eddy currents to flow within the susceptor S. The eddy currents generate heat within the susceptor S that is proportional to the current density and conductor resistance.

The susceptor S is heated by eddy currents, and the aerosol-generating substance in the aerosol-generating article 20000 is heated by the heated susceptor S, thereby generating an aerosol. Aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substance passes through the aerosol-generating article 20000 and is transmitted to the user.

Battery 11000 powers coil C to generate a magnetic field. Processor 12000 may be electrically coupled to coil-C.

Coil C is also a conductive coil that generates a magnetic field with power supplied from battery 11000 . A coil C may be arranged to surround at least a portion of the cavity V. As shown in FIG. A magnetic field generated by the coil C can be applied to a susceptor S located at the inner end of the cavity V. FIG.

The susceptor S can be heated by the magnetic field generated by the coil C penetrating therethrough. The susceptor S contains metal or carbon. For example, the susceptor S includes at least one of ferrite, ferromagnetic alloy, stainless steel, and aluminum (Al).

The susceptor S is composed of graphite, molybdenum, silicon carbide, niobium, nickel alloys, metal films, ceramics such as zirconia, nickel ( At least one of transition metals such as Ni) and cobalt (Co) and semimetals such as boron (B) and phosphorus (P) may be included. However, the susceptor S is not limited to the above example, and can be applied without limitation as long as it can be heated to a desired temperature by applying a magnetic field. Here, the desired temperature may be preset in the aerosol generator 10000, or may be set to the desired temperature by the user.

If the aerosol-generating article 20000 is housed in the cavity V of the aerosol-generating device 10000, the susceptor S can be arranged to surround at least a portion of the aerosol-generating article 20000. FIG. Accordingly, the heated susceptor S can increase the temperature of the aerosol-generating substance within the aerosol-generating article 20000 .

Although FIG. 4 illustrates that the susceptor S is positioned to surround at least a portion of the aerosol-generating article 20000, embodiments are not so limited. For example, the susceptor S may include a tubular heating element, a plate heating element, a needle heating element, or a rod heating element, and can heat the interior or exterior of the aerosol generating article 20000 depending on the shape of the heating element.

Also, a plurality of susceptors S can be arranged in the aerosol generator 10000 . At this time, the plurality of susceptors S are also arranged outside the aerosol-generating article 20000 and are also arranged so as to be inserted inside. Also, some of the plurality of susceptors S may be arranged to be inserted into the aerosol-generating article 20000 and the rest may be arranged outside the aerosol-generating article 20000 . Also, the shape of the susceptor S is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 4, but may have various shapes.

FIG. 5 is a drawing that schematically illustrates the structure of an aerosol-generating article 20000 according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 5, the aerosol-generating article 20000 includes a first portion 21000, a second portion 22000, a third portion 23000 and a fourth portion 24000. As shown in FIG. For example, first portion 21000, second portion 22000, third portion 23000, and fourth portion 24000 each include an aerosol-generating element, a tobacco element, a cooling element, and a filter element. As an example, a first portion 21000 includes an aerosol-generating substance, a second portion 22000 includes a tobacco substance and a humectant, and a third portion 23000 cools airflow passing through the first portion 21000 and the second portion 22000. and the fourth portion 24000 contains the filter material.

Referring to FIG. 5, first portion 21000, second portion 22000, third portion 23000, and fourth portion 24000 can be sequentially aligned in the longitudinal direction of aerosol generating article 20000. Referring to FIG. Here, the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article 20000 is also the direction in which the length of the aerosol-generating article 20000 extends. For example, the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article 20000 is the direction from the first portion 21000 to the fourth portion 24000 . As a result, the aerosol generated in at least one of the first portion 21000 and the second portion 22000 sequentially passes through the first portion 21000, the second portion 22000, the third portion 23000, and the fourth portion 24000 to form an airflow. , thereby allowing the user to inhale the aerosol from the fourth portion 24000 .

A first portion 21000 includes an aerosol-generating element. It also contains other additives such as flavorants, humectants and/or organic acids, and perfumery liquids such as menthol or humectants. Here, the aerosol-generating component includes, for example, at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol and oleyl alcohol. However, examples are not limited to the foregoing exemplification, and the present disclosure includes any of the wide variety of types of aerosol-generating elements commonly known in the art.

The first portion 21000 comprises a crimped sheet and the aerosol-generating element can be contained in the first portion 21000 impregnated with the crimped sheet. Also, other additives such as flavors, humectants and/or organic acids and flavoring liquids may be included in the first portion 21000 while being absorbed into the crimped sheet.

A crimped sheet is also a sheet made of polymeric material. For example, the polymeric material includes at least one of paper, cellulose acetate, lyocell, and polylactic acid. For example, a crimped sheet is also a paper sheet that does not generate an offensive odor due to heat even when heated to a high temperature. However, embodiments are not so limited.

The first portion 21000 extends from the distal end of the aerosol-generating article 20000 from about 7 mm to about 20 mm. The second portion 22000 extends from about 7mm to about 20mm from the point where the first portion 21000 ends. However, the embodiment is not necessarily limited to such a numerical range, and the extending lengths of the first portion 21000 and the second portion 22000 can be appropriately adjusted within a range that can be easily changed by ordinary engineers.

The second portion 22000 includes tobacco elements. A tobacco element is also a particular form of tobacco material. For example, the tobacco element has the form of cut tobacco, tobacco particles, tobacco sheets, tobacco beads, tobacco granules, tobacco powder or tobacco extract. The tobacco material may also include, for example, one or more of tobacco leaves, tobacco veins, puffed tobacco, cut tobacco, flat leaf tobacco, and reconstituted tobacco.

The third portion 23000 may cool airflow passing through the first portion 21000 and the second portion 22000 . The third part 23000 is made of polymer or biodegradable polymer and has a cooling function. For example, the third portion 23000 can be made of polylactic acid (PLA) fibers, but is not so limited. According to another embodiment, the third portion 23000 can be made of a cellulose acetate filter with a plurality of holes formed therein. However, the third portion 23000 is not limited to the above examples, and any substance that performs a cooling function of the aerosol can be applied thereto without limitation. For example, the third part 23000 can also be a tube filter containing a hollow or a paper tube filter.

The fourth portion 24000 contains filter material. For example, the fourth portion 24000 is also a cellulose acetate filter. On the other hand, the shape of the fourth portion 24000 is not limited. For example, the fourth portion 24000 may be a cylindrical rod or a tubular rod containing a hollow inside. The fourth portion 24000 is also a recessed rod. If the fourth portion 24000 is composed of multiple segments, at least one of the multiple segments is also fabricated in a different shape.

The fourth portion 24000 produces flavor. For example, the fourth part 24000 may be sprayed with a perfume liquid, and a separate fiber coated with the perfume liquid may be inserted into the fourth part 24000 .

The aerosol-generating article 20000 includes a wrapper 25000 that wraps at least a portion of the first to fourth portions 21000 to 24000 . The aerosol-generating article 20000 also includes a wrapper 25000 that wraps around the first portion 21000 through the fourth portion 24000 . Wrapper 25000 is positioned at the outermost portion of aerosol-generating article 20000, and wrapper 25000 may be a single wrapper or a combination of multiple wrappers.

As an example, the first portion 21000 of the aerosol-generating article 20000 comprises a crimped, crumpled sheet comprising an aerosol-generating material and the second portion 22000 comprises cut tobacco as the tobacco material and glycerin as the humectant. , the third portion 23000 may include a paper tube, and the fourth portion 24000 may include cellulose acetate (CA) fibers, although embodiments are not necessarily so limited.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the construction of an aerosol-generating article 100 according to an illustrative embodiment.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the aerosol-generating article 100 includes a first portion 110 including an aerosol-generating element, a second portion 120 including a tobacco element, a third portion 130 including a cooling element, and a fourth portion including a filter element. Includes portion 140 .

The first portion 110, the second portion 120, the third portion 130, and the fourth portion 140 described above with reference to FIG. can be applied as well.

The first portion 110 , the second portion 120 , the third portion 130 , and the fourth portion 140 may be sequentially aligned along the length of the aerosol-generating article 100 .

In some embodiments, first portion 110 includes an aerosol-generating element. Aerosol-generating elements include, for example, at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. However, examples are not limited to the foregoing exemplification, and the present disclosure includes any of the wide variety of types of aerosol-generating elements commonly known in the art. It also contains other additives such as flavorants, humectants and/or organic acids, and perfumery liquids such as menthol or humectants.

The first portion 110 comprises a crimped sheet, and the aerosol-generating element can be contained in the first portion 110 impregnated with the crimped sheet. Also, other additives such as flavors, humectants and/or organic acids and flavoring liquids may be included in the first portion 110 while being absorbed into the crimped sheet.

In some embodiments, third portion 130 includes a cooling element. The third portion 130 may cool the airflow created by the generated aerosol. The third part 130 is made of polymer or biodegradable polymer and has a cooling function. For example, third portion 130 may be made of polylactic acid (PLA) fibers, but is not so limited. According to another embodiment, the third portion 130 can be made of a cellulose acetate filter with a plurality of holes formed therein. However, the third portion 130 is not limited to the above examples, and any substance that performs the cooling function of the aerosol can be applicable without limitation. For example, the third portion 130 may be a hollow tube filter or a paper tube filter.

In some embodiments, fourth portion 140 includes a filter element. The filter element performs the function of filtering aerosols and also functions as a mouthpiece. The filter element may include filter segments and hollows.

The second portion 120 of the aerosol-generating article 100 is described in greater detail below.

In some embodiments, second portion 120 includes porous tobacco solids that include tobacco elements.

As will be discussed below, the aerosol-generating article 100 according to the exemplary embodiment includes tobacco solids having a porous structure in the second portion 120 to enable uniform heating throughout the second portion 120. . For example, when the second portion is heated by an external heating type aerosol generator, heat is supplied relatively smoothly not only to the outside of the second portion adjacent to the heater, but also to the inside of the second portion, resulting in uniform heating. It is possible. Uniform heating throughout the second portion reduces the amount of nicotine residue contained in the tobacco element after smoking has ended, providing the user with a high level of nicotine transfer. In addition, the porous structure reduces the removal rate of the aerosol generated in the first portion, thereby providing a rich atomization amount to the user.

In an embodiment, second portion 120 comprises a piece of porous tobacco solid, and the porous tobacco solid has a cylindrical shape. When one porous tobacco solid is included, heating to a more uniform temperature is possible compared to when a plurality of porous tobacco solids are included.

FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view 200 of the second portion 120 of the aerosol-generating article according to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG.

The porous tobacco solids include at least one passageway 201 extending through the aerosol-generating article from upstream to downstream (i.e., extending longitudinally of the aerosol-generating article), and the porous tobacco solids perimeter surface includes at least A plurality of pores 202 connected with one passage may be formed.

At least one passage 201 penetrating from upstream to downstream can serve as a passage through which provided heat is transferred, and can smoothly transfer nicotine in the second portion and aerosol generated in the first portion. .

Also, at least one passageway 201 penetrating from upstream to downstream may be connected to a plurality of pores 202 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the porous tobacco solids. The plurality of pores 202 allow the heat provided by the aerosol generator to smoothly enter and exit the porous tobacco solids, and uniformly heat the entire porous tobacco solids to generate heat inside the porous tobacco solids. It is possible that it plays a role in the transmigration pathway of nicotine. Accordingly, it is possible to adjust the amount of nicotine transferred from the aerosol of the aerosol-generating article by adjusting the size, number, etc. of the plurality of pores 202 .

At least one passageway 201 through from upstream to downstream has a diameter of 1 mm to 4 mm when considering smooth heat transfer and aerosol-to-nicotine transition, based on an aerosol-generating article having a diameter of 4.5 mm to 8 mm. have an average diameter. For example, at least one passageway 201 has an average diameter of 1.2 mm to 3 mm, or 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm.

Also, the plurality of pores 202 have an average diameter of 0.1 mm to 1 mm when considering heat transfer and nicotine migration, based on an aerosol-generating article having a diameter of 4.5 mm to 8 mm. For example, pores 202 have an average diameter of 0.2 mm to 0.9 mm, or 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm. However, the embodiments are not necessarily limited to the above. For example, the porous structure includes passageways 201 and pores 202 of varying sizes and configurations.

For example, based on an aerosol-generating article having a diameter of 4.5 mm to 8 mm, at least one passageway 201 penetrated from upstream to downstream has an average diameter of 1.2 mm to 3 mm, and the plurality of pores 202 are: It has an average diameter of 0.2 mm to 0.9 mm. In this case, the nicotine transfer rate can be improved by facilitating the inflow and outflow of heat applied to the externally heated aerosol generator. For example, for an aerosol-generating article comprising tobacco solids without a porous structure, after the user finishes smoking, the residual amount of nicotine is between about 40% and 70%, while the porous tobacco according to an illustrative embodiment Aerosol-generating articles containing solids have nicotine residuals of 10% or less. In addition, the porous structure can appropriately adjust the suction resistance and prevent excessive temperature rise of the aerosol-generating article during smoking.

As illustrated in FIG. 7A, the porous tobacco solids include three at least one passageways 201 extending from upstream to downstream, but embodiments are not so limited. For example, the size of the passageway 201 considering factors such as the size of the aerosol-generating article, the diameter of at least one passageway through which it passes from upstream to downstream, the nicotine transfer rate, the suction resistance of porous tobacco solids, and the aerosol removal performance. Adjust the number appropriately. For example, the porous tobacco solids contain 1 to 5 at least one passageway extending from upstream to downstream.

FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of second portion 300 of an aerosol-generating article, according to another illustrative embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 7B, the porous tobacco solids contain one passageway 301 penetrating from upstream to downstream. Although the number of pores 302 is proportional to the number of passages 301 extending from upstream to downstream, the number of passages extending from upstream to downstream is reduced compared to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7A. As a result, the number of pores 302 formed on the outer peripheral surface is also reduced.

By adjusting the number of pores 302, the specific surface area of the porous tobacco solids can also be adjusted. Porous tobacco solids have a specific surface area between 200 m ² /g and 1000 m ² /g. For example, the specific surface area of porous tobacco solids is also between 300 m ² /g and 800 m ² /g. By adjusting the specific surface area of the porous tobacco solids, the nicotine transfer rate and heat sensation of the aerosol-generating article can be adjusted.

In some embodiments, the second portion includes a thermally conductive wrapper positioned over the porous tobacco solids. The thermally conductive wrapper 117 may be aluminum (Al), gold (Au), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), conductive carbon (C), graphite, mild steel, It can be made of stainless steel, copper (Cu), or bronze. The thermally conductive wrapper has a thickness of several μm to several hundred μm, but is not necessarily limited thereto. The thermally conductive wrapper is capable of uniformly transferring the transferred heat to the longitudinally extending porous tobacco solids of the aerosol-generating article.

By changing the material, thickness, etc. of the thermally conductive wrapper, the thermal conductivity of the thermally conductive wrapper can be adjusted and, as a result, the composition of the aerosol provided to the user can be adjusted.

FIG. 8 illustrates aerosol-generating article 400 according to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 inserted into aerosol-generating device 10 according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 8, the aerosol-generating device 10 includes a housing space 12 that houses the aerosol-generating article 400, a heating element 11 that heats the aerosol-generating article 400, and a battery that powers the heating element 11. 10, an aerosol generating system is provided.

Aerosol-generating article 400 may be applied to the exemplary embodiments of aerosol-generating articles described above.

In an embodiment, the heating element 11 has a cylindrical shape that is arranged to surround the receiving space 12 . However, the heating element 11 is not limited thereto, the heating element 11 is arranged inside the receiving space 12 and has a needle shape.

In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating article 400 is also arranged such that a portion of the first portion and a portion of the second portion are covered by the heating element in the longitudinal direction when the aerosol-generating article is inserted into the receiving space. .

When the heating element 11 is activated, the aerosol generating element contained in the first portion 410 and the tobacco element contained in the second portion 420 can be heated. The generated aerosol passes through third portion 430 and fourth portion 440 to the outside of aerosol-generating article 400 .

Referring to FIG. 8, as described above, even when the aerosol-generating article 400 is heated by the externally heated heating element 11, the porous structure of the second portion 420 more uniformly supplies heat to the center, An improved nicotine transfer rate can be provided to the user.

According to an embodiment, a method for producing porous tobacco solids comprises the steps of: providing a tobacco composition comprising tobacco powder, a binder and a humectant; and injecting gas from the at least one gas injection tube into the tobacco composition inserted into the cylindrical frame to form porous tobacco solids.

Here, the porous tobacco solids are also a configuration included in the second portion of the aerosol-generating article of Figures 6-7B.

FIG. 9 is a drawing showing a method of making porous tobacco solids for an aerosol-generating article according to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. A method for producing porous tobacco solids will now be described with reference to FIG.

Tobacco composition 20 is also a mixed composition of tobacco powder, binder and humectant. Tobacco powder is also a pulverized product of at least one of the aforementioned tobacco materials. The binder can also be, for example, guar gum, xanthan gum, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) or hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC). Humectants include, for example, at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol and oleyl alcohol.

In embodiments, the tobacco composition 20 comprises 60% to 80% tobacco powder, 15% to 30% binder, and 5% to 10% humectant by weight. The composition of the tobacco composition 20 affects the porous structure formed by the gas injection from the gas injection tube 21, especially the formation of pores formed on the outer peripheral surface of the porous tobacco solids. If the composition of the tobacco powder, the binder, and the moisturizing agent is out of the above range, pores having a desired size may not be uniformly distributed on the surface of the tobacco solid during the gas injection process, and irregularly sized pores may be formed. .

In an exemplary embodiment, the manufactured porous tobacco solids may have at least one passage penetrating from upstream to downstream at the position where the gas injection tube 21 is inserted.

In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one gas injection pipe 21 may have a plurality of holes 22 for injecting gas on its outer circumference. A plurality of pores connected to at least one passage may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the porous tobacco solids by the gas injected from the plurality of holes 22 of the gas injection pipe 21 .

In an exemplary embodiment, the method of making porous tobacco solids comprises: between inserting the tobacco composition into the cylindrical frame and producing the porous tobacco solids, tobacco inserted into the cylindrical frame; A step of drying the exterior of composition 20 may be further included. The external hardness of the tobacco composition 20 prior to gas jetting can affect the formation of the porous structure. The gas injected from the plurality of holes 22 of the gas injection pipe 21 escapes to the outside of the tobacco composition 20 to form pores. If the external hardness of the tobacco composition 20 from which gas escapes is below a certain level, the injected gas cannot form pores and remains inside and is compressed. As a result, tobacco composition 20 may explode. Therefore, the method may further include drying the outside of the tobacco composition 20 to improve the hardness of the outside before injecting the gas through the gas injection tube 21 .

According to an exemplary embodiment, the outer circumference of the cylindrical frame has gas discharge holes having a larger diameter than the plurality of holes 22 formed in the outer circumference of the gas injection tube 21 . The gas discharge hole guides the smooth discharge of the gas injected from the gas injection pipe 21, and enables the porous tobacco solids to maintain a cylindrical shape that can be easily used in the assembly process of the aerosol-generating article.

In an exemplary embodiment, the gas injected from gas injection tube 21 has a temperature of 80.degree. C. to 120.degree. When the temperature of the gas injected from the gas injection pipe 21 is less than 80°C, it is difficult to form pores of uniform size on the outer peripheral surface of the porous tobacco solids, and when the temperature of the gas exceeds 120°C, Tobacco composition 20 may burn or explode during the manufacturing process.

Also, the gas injected from the gas injection pipe 21 has a pressure of 0.5 mmbar to 3 mmbar. If the pressure of the injected gas is less than 0.5 mmbar, pores will not be formed due to insufficient gas pressure, and if it exceeds 3 mmbar, the tobacco composition 20 will explode in the cylindrical frame due to excessively strong pressure. , the pore size may increase and the specific surface area may decrease.

In an exemplary embodiment, the gas injected from the gas injection pipe 21 is, for example, water vapor or an inert gas, but is not limited to the above examples, and any gas that can form pores is limited. can be used without

In an exemplary embodiment, the gas injected from the gas injection tube 21 may further contain a flavor component. Flavoring elements include fragrances or flavoring agents. Flavors may include, but are not limited to, menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, various fruit flavoring ingredients, and the like. Flavoring agents include ingredients that provide a variety of flavors or flavors to the user.

Flavor elements contained in the gas can remain in the finished porous tobacco solids to provide the user with a variety of flavors or flavors during smoking. For example, water vapor containing a flavoring agent can be used as the gas injected from the gas injection pipe 21 .

At least one of the components, elements, modules or units illustrated in blocks in the drawings (collectively "components" in this paragraph) may be the various It can be embodied by hardware, software and/or firmware structures. For example, at least one such component may employ direct circuit structures such as memories, processors, logic circuits, look-up tables of one or more microprocessors or other controllers. Also, at least one of such components is a module executed by one or more microprocessors or other controllers containing one or more executable instructions for performing specified logic functions. , can be tangibly embodied by a portion of a program or code. Also, at least one of these components may include or be embodied by a processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), microprocessor, etc., for performing their respective functions. Two or more of these components are combined by one single component that performs all the operations or functions of the two or more components. Also, at least part of the function of at least one of these components is also performed by other components of these components. Also, although the block diagram does not show a bus, communication between components takes place through the bus. Functional aspects of the exemplary embodiments are embodied by algorithms running on one or more processors. Also, the components represented by blocks or processing steps may use any number of related techniques for electronic configuration, signal processing and/or control, and data processing.

Those of ordinary skill in the art pertaining to the exemplary embodiments will appreciate that the exemplary embodiments may be embodied in modified forms without departing from the essential characteristics described above. Accordingly, the disclosed method should be considered in an illustrative rather than a restrictive perspective.

Claims (13)

In an aerosol-generating article,
a first portion including an aerosol-generating element;
a second portion comprising tobacco elements;
a third portion including a cooling element;
a fourth portion including a filter element;
said first portion, said second portion, said third portion and said fourth portion are provided sequentially longitudinally of said aerosol-generating article;
The aerosol-generating article, wherein said second portion comprises porous tobacco solids comprising said tobacco elements. said porous tobacco solids comprising at least one passage extending therethrough from upstream of said aerosol-generating article to downstream of said aerosol-generating article;
2. The aerosol-generating article of claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral surface of said porous tobacco solids is formed with a plurality of pores that communicate with said at least one passageway. 3. The aerosol-generating article of claim 2, wherein the at least one passageway has an average diameter between 1 mm and 4 mm. 3. The aerosol-generating article of claim 2, wherein the average diameter of said plurality of pores is between 0.1 mm and 1 mm. 2. The aerosol-generating article of claim 1, wherein the specific surface area of said porous tobacco solids is between ^200m2 /g and ^1000m2 /g. 2. The aerosol-generating article of claim 1, wherein said second portion comprises a thermally conductive wrapper provided on said porous tobacco solids. providing a tobacco composition comprising tobacco powder, a binder and a humectant;
inserting the tobacco composition into a cylindrical frame provided with at least one gas injection tube;
and injecting gas from said at least one gas injection tube onto said tobacco composition inserted into said cylindrical frame to form porous tobacco solids. 8. The porous tobacco solid of claim 7, wherein said tobacco composition comprises 60% to 80% by weight of said tobacco powder, 15% to 30% by weight of said binder and 5% to 10% by weight of said humectant. A method of making things. 8. The method for producing porous tobacco solids according to claim 7, wherein said at least one gas injection tube has a plurality of holes for injecting gas onto the outer peripheral surface of the porous tobacco solids. 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising drying the outside of the tobacco composition inserted into the cylindrical frame after the step of inserting the tobacco composition into the cylindrical frame and before the step of injecting the gas. A method for producing porous tobacco solids. The method for producing porous tobacco solids according to claim 7, wherein the temperature of the gas injected from the gas injection pipe is 80°C to 120°C. The method for producing porous tobacco solids according to claim 7, wherein the pressure of the gas injected from the gas injection pipe is 0.5 mmbar to 3 mmbar. 8. The method of making porous tobacco solids according to claim 7, wherein the gas injected from the at least one gas injection tube further comprises a flavor component.

Images