JP2023551087A - Cartridges with added menthol and flavoring agents and aerosol generation systems containing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention includes a liquid storage containing an aerosol-generating substance and an atomizer for generating an aerosol from the aerosol-generating substance, the aerosol-generating substances including menthol, flavoring agents, propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG). ), and an aerosol generation system including the same.

Description

The present invention relates to menthol and flavored cartridges and aerosol generation systems.

Generally speaking, tobacco is a perennial plant belonging to the family Solanaceae of the order Dicotyledonous Plants, but recently, tobacco leaves are wrapped in cigarette paper and a filter part is configured on one side. Also known as. There are thousands of such cigarettes available on the market worldwide, in a variety of shapes and forms.

Among these, in the case of combustible tobacco, such as cigarettes, cigars, and pipe tobacco, the smoke contains aerosols containing nicotine, as well as components such as tar, nitroamines, hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide. Contains a lot.

As an alternative to compensate for the shortcomings of combustible cigarettes, a widely used method is to generate aerosols by heating an aerosol-generating substance in a cigarette or cartridge, rather than by burning a cigarette to generate aerosols. It is being used and the demand for it is increasing. Accordingly, research into heated (non-combustible) cigarettes or heated (non-combustible) aerosol generation systems is actively underway.

Specifically, aerosol generation systems conventionally have a form similar to combustible cigarettes, and use heaters, ultrasonic vibrations, etc. to aerosol-generating substances in heated (non-combusted) cigarettes or cartridges. It generates mainstream smoke containing aerosol by heating it using a method that satisfies the smoker's desire to smoke while minimizing the emission of components such as tar. It is forming a new market as an alternative to regular combustible cigarettes.

On the other hand, in the case of heat-not-burn cigarettes, the amount of nicotine transferred decreases the longer the puff lasts compared to traditional cigarettes, and as the tobacco flavor and atomization amount decrease, smokers experience less nicotine. There is a problem with not being able to provide satisfaction. In addition, menthol and other flavoring agents may be added to the stick, but even in such cases, the strength of the menthol flavor decreases as it puffs, maintaining the persistence of the tobacco aroma and taste. The problem is that it is difficult.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2021-0042744 (2021.04.20.)

Thus, in order to overcome the problems and/or limitations of the existing technology as mentioned above, the present invention aims to provide a cartridge containing both menthol and flavoring agent and an aerosol generation system containing the same. do.

However, the problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary knowledge in the relevant technical field from the following description. It will be.

According to one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a cartridge comprising a liquid reservoir containing an aerosol-generating substance and an atomizer for generating an aerosol from the aerosol-generating substance, the cartridge comprising:
The cartridge is characterized in that the aerosol-generating material includes menthol, flavoring agent, propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG).

According to one side, an aerosol generation system includes an aerosol generation stick, a cartridge, and an aerosol generation device including a tobacco media portion, a shear plug, and a filter portion, the aerosol generation system comprising:
The tobacco medium includes menthol, flavoring agent, propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG),
The cartridge has a liquid reservoir containing an aerosol-generating substance containing menthol, a flavoring agent, propylene glycol (PG), and vegetable glycerin (VG), and an atomizer that generates an aerosol from the aerosol-generating substance. ,
The aerosol generation device provides an aerosol generation system that includes an aerosol generation stick accommodating groove and a heating section that heats the aerosol generation stick.

When using a cartridge containing an aerosol-generating substance containing menthol, a flavoring agent, propylene glycol (PG), and vegetable glycerin (VG) and/or an aerosol-generating system containing the same according to one aspect of the present invention, when smoking, each puff Uniform menthol and flavor transfer can be achieved, improving taste persistence, and various combinations of sticks and cartridges allow for various smoking experiences, which can improve user satisfaction.

It should be understood that the effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, but include all effects that can be inferred from the detailed description of the present invention or the structure of the invention described in the claims. It is.

1 is a graph showing the menthol content (%) of a cartridge having MIA of the same degree as a stick having 1.10 mg/stick of menthol (Menthol In Aerosol; MIA) present in the aerosol. 1 is a graph showing the glycerin (VG) content of a cartridge according to the menthol content of the cartridge. A control group (left) to which a stick containing 2.6% menthol and a cartridge containing no menthol and 80% VG was applied, and a stick containing no menthol and a cartridge containing 60% VG and 3.5% menthol. It is a graph showing the difference in the nicotine content in the aerosol compared with the experimental group (right) to which a cartridge containing 6% was applied. A control group (left) to which a stick containing 2.6% menthol and a cartridge containing no menthol and 80% VG was applied, and a stick containing no menthol and a cartridge containing 60% VG and 3.5% menthol. It is a graph showing the difference in the glycerin content in the aerosol compared with the experimental group (right) to which a cartridge containing 6% was applied. A control group (left) to which a stick containing 2.6% menthol and a cartridge containing no menthol and 80% VG was applied, and a stick containing no menthol and a cartridge containing 60% VG and 3.5% menthol. It is a graph showing the difference in the menthol content in the aerosol compared with the experimental group (right) to which a cartridge containing 6% was applied. Comparing #1, which applied a stick containing 7 mg/stick of menthol and an unscented cartridge, and #2, which applied a stick containing 7 mg/stick of menthol and a melon cartridge containing melon scent (3.6%), It is a graph showing a change in glycerin content for each Puff. #1, which applied a stick containing 7 mg/stick of menthol and an unscented cartridge; and #1, which applied a stick containing 7 mg/stick of menthol, and a melon cartridge containing menthol (3.6%) and melon scent (3.6%). It is a graph showing the change in menthol content for each Puff in comparison with #2. 1 is a diagram illustrating an aerosol generation system including a cartridge and an aerosol generation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, since various changes may be made to the embodiments, the scope of the patent application is not limited or limited by these embodiments. All modifications, equivalents, or alternatives to the examples are to be understood as falling within the scope of the rights.

The terms used in the examples are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as limiting. A singular expression includes a plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. As used herein, terms such as "comprising" or "having" specify that the features, numbers, steps, acts, components, parts, or combinations thereof recited in the specification are present. It should be understood that this does not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, acts, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, are as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the examples pertain. has the same meaning as Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries shall be construed to have meanings consistent with the meanings they have in the context of the relevant art, and unless explicitly defined in this application, ideally shall not be construed in a formal or overly formal sense.

In addition, when explaining with reference to the accompanying drawings, the same components are given the same reference numerals regardless of the drawing numbers, and redundant explanations thereof will be omitted. In describing the embodiments, if it is determined that detailed explanations of related known techniques may unnecessarily cloud the gist of the embodiments, the detailed explanations will be omitted.

Further, in describing the constituent elements of the embodiment, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. can be used. These terms are used only to distinguish the component from other components, and do not limit the nature, order, or order of the components.

Components included in one embodiment and components having common functions will be described using the same names in other embodiments. Unless there is a statement to the contrary, the description given in any embodiment can be applied to other embodiments, and specific explanation will be omitted to the extent that it overlaps.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the invention includes a liquid storage unit containing an aerosol-generating substance and an atomizer for generating an aerosol from the aerosol-generating substance, the aerosol-generating substance including menthol, flavoring agent, propylene glycol, etc. (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG).

When adding menthol and flavoring agents into existing aerosol-generating sticks (cigarettes), the intensity of menthol and flavor decreases as the puff increases, whereas when adding menthol and flavoring agents into cartridges, By heating to a constant temperature, the menthol and flavor can be transferred continuously and uniformly, which has the effect of improving the longevity of the taste for smokers.

Meanwhile, the types of flavoring agents contained in the cartridge include mint, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, licorice, coriander, vanillin, ethyl vanillin, maltol, ethyl maltol, eucalyptol, acetic acid, and respiratory freshener ( breath fresher) incense, spice, bergamot oil, geranium oil, lemon oil, orange oil, lime oil, grapefruit oil, mint oil, ginger oil, isosweet, fruit flavor component, and tobacco flavor There may be one or more types, and it is not limited to the types listed above.

The cartridge includes a liquid storage section containing an aerosol-generating substance and an atomizer for generating an aerosol from the aerosol-generating substance, and the aerosol-generating substance contained in the liquid storage section is generally propylene glycol (PG). and vegetable glycerin (VG), and may further contain at least one of ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. , nicotine, water and flavoring agents.

However, in the present invention, the aerosol-generating substance can include menthol, flavoring agents, propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG), thus menthol and propylene glycol (PG). and vegetable glycerin (VG) are all included in the cartridge, unlike when added to existing aerosol-generating sticks, certain constraints are subject to the proportions of propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, and their The proportion will play a very important role in how menthol is added to the cartridge.

Specifically, propylene glycol (PG) can mix well with menthol due to its properties, but vegetable glycerin (VG) does not dissolve well with menthol, and is influenced by temperature, the lower the temperature, the more menthol The liquid aerosol-generating substance containing the liquid has no fluidity and often solidifies. Therefore, due to the characteristics of menthol, propylene glycol (PG), and vegetable glycerin (VG), the menthol content is determined by the VG content, and the results are as shown in Table 1, Figure 1a, and Figure 1b. It is.

Examining Table 1, Figures 1a and 1b described in this application, it can be confirmed that the content of VG changes depending on the content of menthol, since the degree to which menthol and VG can be dissolved at a certain temperature is determined. Based on this simple calculation, in order to have MIA of 1.10 mg/stick, which is equivalent to the existing aerosol-generating stick, the menthol content of the cartridge must be is 5.3%, which means that the VG content must be 55.6%.

However, unlike general liquid aerosol generation systems (liquid electronic cigarettes), in the case of a hybrid type in which an aerosol generation stick is inserted, the aerosol generated in the cartridge becomes a filter ring inside the stick, so a large amount of atomization can be achieved. The vegetable glycerin (VG) content must be higher than existing liquid e-cigarettes (over 80%) to provide menthol and flavoring agents, as they are also filtered within the aerosol-generating stick. It is important to select the appropriate content.

Therefore, as shown in Table 1, Figures 1a and 1b, setting the vegetable glycerin (VG) content to 55.6% (menthol content 5.3%) is a factor that determines the amount of atomization. Since the content of vegetable glycerin (VG) is low, it is unsuitable for hybrid aerosol generators.

Considering these points, the content of menthol contained in the cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention is preferably 0.5 to 4.0% by weight, and the content of vegetable glycerin (VG) is accordingly is preferably 80% to 59% by weight.

If the content of vegetable glycerin (VG) exceeds 80% by weight, the viscosity will exceed approximately 500 cP at a temperature of 25°C and a relative humidity of 60%, as shown in Table 2 below. , the aerosol-generating substances contained in the liquid storage part of the cartridge will be present in a thick, gel-like form rather than in liquid form, which can make aerosol generation difficult, and storage due to temperature and humidity changes. The above difficulties also appear.

Furthermore, if the content of vegetable glycerin (VG) is less than 59% by weight, a sufficient amount of atomized aerosol cannot be generated, resulting in a problem that smokers' satisfaction with smoking decreases. .

In order to obtain the results shown in Table 2 below, the inventor filled a 600 ml beaker with 400 ml of the sample, sealed the lid, and then conditioned it in a dryer at 25°C for 3 hours. The viscosity was measured using DV2TRVTJ0)). The results are shown in the table below.

On the other hand, the content of flavoring agents other than menthol contained in the aerosol-generating substance of the cartridge is preferably 10% by weight or less, more preferably 3 to 8% by weight.

If the content exceeds 10% by weight, as the content of PG for dissolving the flavoring agent increases, the content of VG will decrease relatively, and the performance of the atomization amount will decrease. A problem occurs.

Meanwhile, according to still another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an aerosol generation system including an aerosol generation stick, a cartridge, and an aerosol generation device including a tobacco medium part, a shear plug, and a filter part,
The tobacco medium includes menthol, flavoring agent, propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG),
The cartridge has a liquid reservoir containing an aerosol-generating substance containing menthol, a flavoring agent, propylene glycol (PG), and vegetable glycerin (VG), and an atomizer that generates an aerosol from the aerosol-generating substance. ,
The aerosol generation device provides an aerosol generation system that includes an aerosol generation stick accommodating groove and a heating section that heats the aerosol generation stick.

In this case, as described above, the cartridge may contain 0.5 to 4.0% by weight of menthol and 80 to 59% by weight of vegetable glycerin (VG); It may contain a flavoring agent in an amount of 10% by weight or less.

The "aerosol generation system" in the present invention can mean a device that generates an aerosol using an aerosol generation base material in order to generate an aerosol that can be directly inhaled into the user's lungs through the user's mouth. The aerosol generation system is a non-combustible tobacco article that is indirectly heated with electric energy rather than direct combustion, and there are two types of non-combustible tobacco articles: heated and non-heated tobacco articles. Preferably used in tobacco. In the case of heated tobacco articles, smoking is performed by inhaling the heated surrounding air through electrical energy to generate an aerosol, and such aerosol is inhaled by the user and then released. The article may include, for example, a hybrid aerosol generating device that uses both a liquid cartridge and a cigarette, and various other types of aerosol generating devices are further included, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned. The present invention is not limited to the above examples.

Additionally, the aerosol-generating stick can include a tobacco media portion, a shear plug, and a filter portion, wherein the tobacco media portion includes menthol and flavoring agents, according to one embodiment of the invention.

Aerosol-generating substrate can refer to a liquid composition that includes one or more aerosol-generating substances. For example, the aerosol generating material can include at least one of propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG), including ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol and oleyl alcohol. It is also possible to further include at least one of these. Further, the aerosol-generating substrate can include at least one of nicotine, moisture, and flavoring agent.

Meanwhile, Table 3 and FIGS. 3a to 3b below show an aerosol generation system (implemented) including an aerosol generation stick containing menthol and flavoring agent and a cartridge (melon cartridge) containing menthol and flavoring agent, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Example), we compared an aerosol generation stick containing menthol and flavoring agent with an aerosol generation system containing an unscented cartridge (comparative example), and confirmed the changes in the amount of glycerin and menthol transferred for each puff. The specific experimental method is as follows.

Aerosols generated at a temperature of 22°C and a relative humidity (RH) of 60% are collected on a filter and quantified through component extraction. At this time, the device is operated with HCI ( Health Canada Intense) smoking method was applied.

The Puff flow rate corresponds to 55 ml/2 seconds, the Puff interval corresponds to 19 seconds, and the number of Puffs corresponds to 14 Puffs.

As a result, the Example of the present application containing both menthol and flavoring agent in the stick and cartridge does not show a large difference in the amount of nicotine transferred compared to the Comparative Example containing the same stick and unflavored cartridge. It can be confirmed that the amount of migration appears higher (Fig. 3b). On the other hand, in the case of glycerin, the results of the comparative example were higher than those of the example (Figure 3a), but this was due to the fact that the unflavored cartridge contained a higher amount of VG than the melon cartridge. This can be seen as a result.

Therefore, by adding specific amounts of menthol and flavoring agents to both the stick and the cartridge, the aerosol generation system according to the present invention provides a more intense and uniform taste persistence even after the puff is sustained. In this case as well, there is an effect that a large amount of atomization and a high level of nicotine transfer can be obtained.

Meanwhile, in the aerosol generation system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the atomizer included in the cartridge may include a liquid delivery means for absorbing the aerosol-generating substance, and may also include a heater for generating the aerosol. .

Note that, as shown in FIG. 4 of the present application, the aerosol generation device may include a battery, a control unit, and a sensor, and FIG. 4 is only an example of the aerosol generation system, and the system, device, and The structure of the article, etc. is not limited to that shown in FIG. Additional configurations may also be included within a range that does not significantly change the function or use of the system.

On the other hand, the tobacco medium included in the aerosol-generating stick is an aerosol-forming material that releases volatile compounds when heated, and typically contains tobacco substances containing nicotine, such as leaf tobacco, binders and Excipients such as other additives and the like may further be included. As an example, the tobacco medium contained in the tobacco medium portion may be manufactured in the form of granules containing tobacco material and excipients, and the excipient may include tobacco material as a substance that may be included in the tobacco medium. It may include, but is not limited to, a pH adjuster, a binder, an aerosol forming agent, and other additives.

In the present invention, the tobacco material is the material forming the aerosol-generating substrate and can be tobacco leaf pieces, tobacco stems, tobacco dust generated during tobacco processing and/or tobacco leaf leaf strips. The tobacco leaf may be at least one selected from yellow variety, burley variety, orient variety, cigar leaf, and toast, but is not limited thereto.

In addition, the tobacco medium part may separately include a carrier carrying a flavoring agent, and the carrier may include an internal cavity capable of accommodating the flavoring agent, or may contain a flavoring agent in the form of a capsule. Components can be supported. The type of carrier is not particularly limited as long as it can support a specific flavoring agent, and examples include cyclodextrin.

In addition, the shear plug included in the aerosol generating stick can prevent the tobacco medium from separating to the outside, and prevent the aerosol liquefied from the tobacco medium from flowing into the aerosol generating device during smoking. can do. Examples of the types include cellulose acetate filters, paper filters, and filters made of polymeric substances.

Although the embodiments have been described with limited drawings as described above, those with ordinary knowledge in the relevant technical field can apply various technical modifications and variations based on the above. For example, the techniques described may be performed in a different order than in the manner described, and/or components of the systems, structures, devices, circuits, etc. described may be combined in a different manner than in the manner described. or may be combined, substituted or replaced by other components or equivalents to achieve appropriate results.

Accordingly, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents to the claims are within the scope of the following claims.

0: Aerosol generation system 1: Aerosol generation stick (cigarette)
2: Aerosol generation stick storage groove 3: Aerosol generation device (main body)
4: Cartridge 5: Control unit 6: Battery

Claims (10)

A cartridge comprising a liquid storage containing an aerosol-generating substance and an atomizer for generating an aerosol from the aerosol-generating substance, the cartridge comprising:
The cartridge, wherein the aerosol generating material includes menthol, flavoring agent, propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG). The flavoring agents include mint, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, licorice, coriander, vanillin, ethyl vanillin, maltol, ethyl maltol, eucalyptol, acetic acid, breath fresher scent, spices, bergamot oil. , geranium oil, lemon oil, orange oil, lime oil, grapefruit oil, mint oil, ginger oil, isosweet, fruit flavor components, and tobacco flavor. 1. The cartridge according to 1. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein among the aerosol-generating substances, the content of menthol is 0.5 to 4.0% by weight, and the content of vegetable glycerin (VG) is 80 to 59% by weight. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the content of flavoring agents other than menthol among the aerosol-generating substances is 10% by weight or less. 2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the atomizer includes a liquid delivery means for absorbing an aerosol-generating substance and a heater for generating an aerosol. An aerosol generation system comprising an aerosol generation stick, a cartridge and an aerosol generation device including a tobacco media portion, a shear plug and a filter portion, the aerosol generation system comprising:
The tobacco medium includes menthol, flavoring agent, propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG),
The cartridge is the cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The aerosol generation device is an aerosol generation system that includes an aerosol generation stick housing groove and a heating section that heats the aerosol generation stick. The aerosol generation system according to claim 6, wherein the aerosol generation device further includes a battery, a control unit, and a sensor. 7. The aerosol generation system of claim 6, wherein the tobacco medium portion includes a carrier carrying a flavoring agent. The aerosol generation system according to claim 6, wherein the shear plug is a cellulose acetate filter, a paper filter, or a filter made of a polymeric material. The aerosol generation system according to claim 6, wherein the aerosol generation system is of a non-combustion heating type.

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