JP7425906B2 - Tobacco filler assembly and electronic cigarette cartridge - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tobacco filler assembly in which elongated tobacco fillers made of tobacco or non-tobacco plants are accumulated in a bundle, and an electronic cigarette cartridge having the same.

In recent years, in order to comply with the trend towards quitting smoking, electronic cigarette products have been developed that allow users to enjoy tobacco by heating an electronic cigarette cartridge containing tobacco components and inhaling the vaporized tobacco components without using a flame. It is starting to become popular. As a method for manufacturing tobacco filler to be filled into such electronic cigarette cartridges, there is a method of pulverizing tobacco leaves, making an aqueous slurry, forming a sheet, adding oil or glycerin to the sheet, and drying it (Patent Document (see 1).

Further, an article has been disclosed that is smoked by inserting and heating an electronic cigarette cartridge having a tobacco filler aggregate at the end thereof (see Patent Document 2). In electronic cigarettes, a heating element included in the electronic cigarette body is inserted into a tobacco filling assembly to heat the tobacco filling.

Special Publication No. 2010-520764 Special Publication No. 2015-519915

The tobacco filling material is filled at a filling rate of a certain level or higher in order to sufficiently generate suction components including aerosol by heating. On the other hand, when the filling rate of the tobacco filler is increased, the resistance increases and it becomes difficult to insert the heating body of the electronic cigarette body into the tobacco filler aggregate. In addition, if the filling rate of the tobacco filler is too high, the fluidity of the airflow inside the tobacco filler aggregate will be low, making it difficult for the user to inhale and reducing the amount of airflow that can be inhaled at once. The number of people smoking may increase and exceed the appropriate number of cigarettes. For this reason, it is required to improve the fluidity of the airflow inside the tobacco filler stack while ensuring the filling rate of the tobacco filler stack as a whole to be above a certain level.

In addition, in the tobacco filler assembly, when the user handles the electronic cigarette cartridge, such as when inserting the electronic cigarette cartridge into the electronic cigarette body or when removing the electronic cigarette cartridge from the electronic cigarette body after smoking, the tobacco filler is Some parts may fall. This may contaminate the inside of the electronic cigarette body and may even cause malfunction of the electronic cigarette body. Therefore, it is required that the tobacco filler in the tobacco filler aggregate be filled in such a way that it is difficult to fall off.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and while ensuring the filling rate of the tobacco filling material assembly as a whole is above a certain level, it improves the fluidity of the air flow inside the tobacco filling material collection, and also improves the electronic To provide a tobacco filler assembly and an electronic cigarette cartridge that are easy to insert into a cigarette body and at the same time prevent the tobacco filler from falling off .

In order to solve the above problem, an electronic cigarette cartridge according to the invention of claim 1 is provided, in which a tobacco filler stack in which long tobacco fillers are accumulated in a bundle, a support member, and a mouthpiece are arranged in such a manner that the tobacco filler has a long shape. An electronic cigarette cartridge arranged along the width direction and formed integrally by being wrapped with a sheet-like packaging member,
The support member has a peripheral edge that contacts the tobacco filling at an end surface, a flow path through which airflow can pass along the length, and a central portion divided into two by a partition wall. have,
The tobacco filler assembly includes long tobacco fillers stacked in a bundle, the outer periphery of which is wrapped in a sheet-like packaging body;
The tobacco filler has a length spanning the entire length of the tobacco filler aggregate, and is formed so that the dimension in the long side direction is longer than the dimension in the short side direction in a cross section perpendicular to the length direction,
The tobacco filler at the outermost periphery in contact with the package has its long sides oriented along the circumferential direction and its long sides are in contact with the package, or its long sides are in a direction other than the circumferential direction. The number of tobacco fillers whose short sides are in contact with the package and whose long sides are oriented along the circumferential direction and whose long sides are in contact with the package, Forming an arrangement pattern along the circumferential direction at least in a part of the outermost periphery by having more tobacco fillers whose short sides face in a direction other than the direction along the package and are in contact with the package;
The tobacco filling other than the outermost peripheral portion has a long side surface in contact with a long side surface of the adjacent tobacco filling, or a short side surface of the adjacent tobacco filling. and the number of the tobacco fillings whose long side surfaces are in contact with the long side surfaces of the adjacent tobacco fillings is such that the number of the tobacco fillings is such that the long side surfaces thereof are in contact with the short side surfaces of the adjacent tobacco fillings. By forming a plurality of filler groups by forming a plurality of filler groups than the number of fillers, and by forming an arrangement pattern that forms a void between the filler groups, a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tobacco filler bundle is formed. If the area on the center side and the area on the outer periphery are equally divided by area, the area on the center side has a higher porosity than the area on the outer periphery, and the voids formed between the filling groups are The tobacco filling is continuous in the longitudinal direction over the entire length .
According to this invention, it is possible to increase the filling rate of the tobacco filler in the outer peripheral part and relatively lower the fill rate of the tobacco filler in the central part, thereby heating the electronic cigarette main body while ensuring the amount of tobacco filler. can be easily inserted into the tobacco filler stack. Moreover, the fluidity of the airflow in the tobacco filler aggregate can be improved. Furthermore, since the tobacco filling forms a strong structure in the outer peripheral portion, the tobacco filling can be prevented from easily falling off when the electronic cigarette cartridge is handled.
Further, in the tobacco filling aggregate according to the present invention, when a center side area and an outer peripheral side area are equally divided by area in a cross section orthogonal to the length direction of the bundle of tobacco fillings, the center side area is is characterized by having a higher porosity than the region on the outer peripheral side.
According to this invention, the heating part of the electronic cigarette main body can be easily inserted into the tobacco filler assembly, and the fluidity of the airflow can be improved.
Furthermore, in the tobacco filler assembly according to the present invention, the tobacco filler in contact with the inner circumferential side of the tobacco filler at the outermost periphery contacting the package has a long side direction substantially along the circumferential direction. The number of the tobacco fillings is larger than the number of the tobacco fillings whose long sides are oriented in a direction other than the direction substantially along the circumferential direction.
According to this invention, since the long side direction of the tobacco filling material located on the second circumference from the outermost periphery is substantially along the circumferential direction, the filling rate at the outer periphery can be increased, and the amount of tobacco filling material can be increased. In addition, the structure of the tobacco filler can be made stronger to prevent it from falling off.
Furthermore, in the tobacco filling assembly according to the present invention, the longitudinal surface of the tobacco filling is in contact with the longitudinal surface of the adjacent tobacco filling, or The number of tobacco fillers that are in contact with the short side surface of the tobacco filler whose long side surface is in contact with the long side surface of the adjacent tobacco filler is greater than the number of tobacco fillers whose long side surfaces are in contact with the long side surface of the adjacent tobacco filler. The structure is characterized in that the number of tobacco fillings is greater than the number of tobacco fillings that are in contact with the surface in the side direction.
According to this invention, it is possible to form filler groups in which the tobacco fillers overlap each other on the long sides, and to form voids between the filler groups.
The tobacco filling material assembly according to the present invention is characterized in that the tobacco filling material is formed from a non-tobacco plant.
According to this invention, by not using tobacco as the tobacco filler, it is possible to form an electronic cigarette cartridge that can be enjoyed even when smoking cessation.
Further, the electronic cigarette cartridge according to the present invention includes any one of the tobacco filler aggregates, which is adjacent to the tobacco filler of the tobacco filler aggregate in the length direction, and allows airflow to pass along the length direction. The device is characterized by having a support member and a mouthpiece.
According to this invention, the airflow that has flowed through the voids of the tobacco filling assembly is caused to flow smoothly into the mouthpiece via the support member, allowing the user to inhale an appropriate amount of airflow.
Furthermore, in the electronic cigarette cartridge according to the present invention, the support member has a support part at least at the outermost circumference, and the support part is arranged in the longitudinal direction with respect to the tobacco filler at the outermost circumference in contact with the package. The structure is characterized by the fact that they are adjacent to each other.
According to this invention, since the support part and the tobacco filling material in the outermost peripheral part are in contact with each other, the tobacco filling material in the outermost peripheral part, which forms a strong structure by substantially along the circumferential direction, can be removed from the supporting part. By supporting the tobacco filling in the length direction, it is possible to prevent the tobacco filling from collapsing and falling off when the heating section is inserted.

According to the tobacco filler aggregate according to the present invention, since the filling rate in the outer peripheral portion is high, the filling rate as a whole of the tobacco filler aggregate can be increased, so that a sufficient amount of aerosol can be generated. Since the fluidity in the electronic cigarette cartridge is good, the airflow is easy to flow, so the airflow rate and the number of puffs in the electronic cigarette cartridge can be appropriately set. In addition, since the porosity of the central portion can be increased, it can be easily inserted into the electronic cigarette body. Further, a strong structure is formed by the tobacco filling along the circumferential direction at the outer peripheral portion, and the tobacco filling can be prevented from falling off easily .

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an electronic cigarette cartridge having a tobacco filler assembly according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing how the electronic cigarette cartridge is used. They are a side view (FIG. 3(a)) and a front view (FIG. 3(b)) of a tobacco filling. FIG. 3 is a front view of the tobacco filler assembly. FIG. 3 is a front view of another tobacco filler stack. It is a front view showing the process of wrapping tobacco filling in a package. It is a front view of a support member.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an electronic cigarette cartridge 1 having a tobacco filler assembly 10 according to the present embodiment. As shown in this figure, the electronic cigarette cartridge 1 includes a substantially cylindrical tobacco filler assembly 10 filled with a large number of tobacco fillers 20, a cylindrical support member 12, and a mouthpiece 14 serving as a mouthpiece. , are arranged along the length direction and are integrally formed by being wound with a sheet-like packaging member 16.

The tobacco filler assembly 10 is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape by forming a bundle of elongated tobacco fillers 20 along the length direction and wrapping the bundle with a sheet-like packaging body 25. . Tobacco filler 20 is formed from non-tobacco plants. Details of the tobacco filler 20 will be explained later.

The support member 12 has a flow path portion 30 in the center thereof in order to allow airflow containing aerosol generated in the tobacco filler assembly 10 to flow toward the mouthpiece 14 side. The support member 12 has a peripheral edge part 31 around the flow path part 30 and can support the inner peripheral side of the packaging member 16. The mouthpiece 14 is a sponge-like porous body and has a cylindrical shape.

In this embodiment, the electronic cigarette cartridge 1 is formed to have a diameter of 6.5 to 7.5 mm and a length of 40 to 49 mm. Further, the tobacco filling assembly 10 has a length of 11 to 13 mm. However, it may have dimensions other than this.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view showing how the electronic cigarette cartridge 1 is used. The electronic cigarette cartridge 1 is used by being attached to an electronic cigarette main body 2. The electronic cigarette main body 2 has an insertion portion 51 into which the electronic cigarette cartridge 1 is inserted. The insertion portion 51 is provided with a needle-shaped or blade-shaped heating portion 50 that is inserted into the tobacco filling 20 of the inserted electronic cigarette cartridge 1 . The heating unit 50 can generate aerosol from the tobacco filling 20 by generating heat while inserted into the tobacco filling 20. In this state, when the user inhales through the mouthpiece 14, the airflow containing the aerosol can be aspirated.

FIG. 3 shows a side view (FIG. 3(a)) and a front view (FIG. 3(b)) of the tobacco filler 20. The tobacco filling 20 is formed into an elongated shape as described above. Further, the tobacco filler 20 is formed such that the dimension a in the long side direction is longer than the dimension b in the short side direction in a cross section perpendicular to the length direction. That is, the tobacco filler 20 has a noodle-like shape that is a long, substantially rectangular parallelepiped.

The tobacco filling 20 is made by mixing dried and crushed non-tobacco plants with an aerosol former that generates an aerosol, microcrystalline cellulose, flavor additives, preservatives, adhesives, thickeners, etc. It is formed by molding it into a shape and then cutting it to have a predetermined width and length.

The non-tobacco plant forming the tobacco filling 20 is not particularly limited as long as it is a plant other than tobacco. Parts of plants used include, for example, roots (scales), tubers (including tubers, bulbs, etc.), stems, tubers, skins (including stem bark, bark, etc.), leaves, and flowers (petals, stamens, etc.). , pistils, etc.), tree trunks and branches, etc. can be used.

Scales include onions, amaryllis, tulips, hyacinths, garlic, rakkyo, lilies; corms include crocus, gladiolus, freesia, irises, taro, konjac; tubers include konjac, cyclamen, anemone, begonia, chorogi, and... Potatoes, apios (hodoimo), rhizomes such as canna, lotus (lotus root), ginger, tuberous roots such as dahlia, sweet potato, cassava, Jerusalem artichoke, root-bearing bodies such as Dioscorea (Japanese yam, Japanese yam, Japanese yam, etc.) ), and others include turnips, burdock, carrots, radish, and arrowroot. Examples of stems include asparagus, bamboo shoots, plums, daikon radish, and yacon.

The above-mentioned potatoes or the plants listed below contain carbohydrates and are preferably used as the material for at least a portion of the tobacco filling 20. For example, starch includes corn starch (corn), potato starch (potato), sweet potato starch (sweet potato), tapioca starch (tapioca), etc., and there are examples of their use as thickeners, stabilizers, etc. These starches improve acid resistance, heat resistance, and shear resistance through crosslinking, improve storage stability and promote gelatinization through esterification and etherification, and improve transparency, film properties, and storage stability through oxidation. It is possible to improve performance, etc.

Tamarind seed gum, guar gum, and locust bean gum are obtained from plant seeds, gum arabic and gum karaya are obtained from tree sap, pectin is obtained from fruits, and konjac mannan and soybean polysaccharides, which are mainly composed of cellulose and agarose, are obtained from other plants. Can be done. Furthermore, it can be used after being modified like cationized guar gum.

From seaweed, carrageenan, agar, and alginic acid, which are classified into three types: kappa carrageenan, iota carrageenan, and lambda carrageenan, can be obtained, and are also used as salts such as carrageenan metal salts and sodium alginate.

For example, plants used as herbs and spices include garden nuts, kaffir lime leaves, ginger, mugwort, wasabi, ajwain seeds, anise, alfalfa, echinacea, shallots, estragon, everlasting flower, elder, allspice, Orris root, oregano, orange peel, orange flower, orange leaf, cayenne chili pepper (cayenne chili pepper), chamomile german, chamomile roman, cardamom, curry leaf, garlic, catnip, caraway, caraway seed, osmanthus, Cumin, cumin seeds, cloves, green cardamom, green pepper, cornflour, saffron, cedar, cinnamon, jasmine, juniper berry, jolokia, ginger, star anise, spearmint, sumac, sage, savory, celery, celery Seeds, turmeric, thyme, tamarind, tarragon, chervil, chives, dill, dill seeds, dried tomatoes, tonka beans, dried cilantro, nutmeg, hibiscus, habanero, jalapeno, birdseye, basil, vanilla. , coriander, parsley, paprika, hyssop, pimentos despelettes, pink pepper, fenugreek seeds, fennel, brown mustard, black cardamom, black cumin, black pepper, vetiver, pennyroyal, peppermint, horseradish. , white pepper, white mustard, poppy seeds, boletus, marjoram, mustard seeds, maniguette, marigold, malva flower, mace, yarrow flower, eucalyptus, lavender, licorice, linden, red clover, red pepper, lemongrass, lemon Verbena, lemon balm, lemon peel, rose, rosebud (purple), rosehip, rose pedal, rosemary, rose red, laurel, long pepper, sesame (raw sesame, roasted sesame), golden chili pepper, flower pepper (Hoa Jiao), Mitaka, Japanese pepper, chili pepper, yuzu, etc. can be used. You can also use mixed spices (e.g. five-spice powder, garam masala, ras el hanout, baligoul, chicken curry masala, tandoori masala, Quatre Epice, Herbes de Provence) and mixtures of various plants used as potpourri, etc.

Also, edible fruits such as peaches, blueberries, lemons, oranges, apples, bananas, pineapples, mangos, grapes, kumquats, melons, plums, almonds, cacao, coffee, peanuts, sunflowers, olives, walnuts, and other nuts ( Pulp part) and seeds can be used.

Also, tea can be used. Not only do the plants used to make tea differ, but even the same plant can be made into different teas depending on the processing method. Specifically, for example, Japanese tea, black tea, tomorrow leaf tea, sweet tea, Jiaogulan tea, aloe tea, ginkgo biloba tea, oolong tea, turmeric tea, eulogna tea, eleuthero tea, plantain tea, persimmon leaf tea, persimmon leaf tea, Chamomile tea, chamomile tea, Kawahara Keimei tea, quince tea, chrysanthemum tea, gymnema tea, guava tea, goji tea, soft leaf tea, black soybean tea, gennoshoko tea, genmaicha, burdock tea, comfrey tea, bifu tea , cherry blossom tea, saffron tea, shiitake tea, perilla tea, jasmine tea, ginger tea, horsetail tea, red scallion tea, Japanese japonica tea, buckwheat tea, ataranoki tea, dandelion tea, sweet tea, dokudami tea, duchu tea, nut bean tea, elderberry tea , rat glutinous tea, pearl barley tea, habu tea, loquat leaf tea, puerh tea, safflower tea, pine needle tea, yerba mate tea, barley tea, meguslin tea, mugwort tea, eucalyptus tea, luohanguo tea, rooibos tea, and bitter melon tea. For these teas, used tea leaves may be used. By using used tea leaves, you can reuse expensive tea and other items effectively.

Other plants include Ulva, Aonori, Akamoku, Asakusanori, Arame, Iwanori (rock seaweed), Ego nori, Ogonori, Gagome kelp, Kajime, Ganiashi, Kubirezuta, Kurome, Kombu, Susabi nori, dulse, Chishimakronori, Tsurarame, Amanita, Tororo kelp, It goes without saying that Nekoashikonbu genus, Nori (seaweed), Habanori, Hijiki, Hitoegusa, Hirome, Funori, Bouaonori, Macomb, Mekabu, Mozuku, and Wakame can also be used.

In addition to brown rice, we also offer Indica (Indian type, continental type, long grain type), Glaberrima type (African rice), Sativa type (Asian rice), Javanica type (Java type, tropical island type, large grain type), Japonica type (Japanese type). , temperate island type, short-grained variety), and NERICA (an interspecific hybrid of Asian rice and African rice) can also be used, and can also be used as powder or bran.

In addition to wheat, millet, oats (also known as oats), barley, oats, millet, cordon millet, wheat, finger millet, teff, pearl millet, and barley Varieties), adlay (the fruit rather than the seed), millet, fonio, makomo, waxy barley (the waxy variety of barley), sorghum (hawk millet, kolyang, sorghum), corn, and rye (rye) can also of course be used.

Besides black beans, other examples of legumes include azuki bean, carob bean, kidney bean, pea cluster bean, grass pea, black bean, black-eyed pea, black bean, zeocarpa bean, fava bean, soybean, bamboo bean, jack bean, tamarind, tepary bean, soybean, and honey bean. , bambara beans, chickpeas, Fuji beans, safflower beans, horsegrams, moss beans, lima beans, peanuts, mung beans, lupins, lentils, and lentils can of course also be used.

In addition to buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa, and buckwheat can also be used.

In addition to shiitake, mushrooms include matsutake, hatsutake, shimeji, shoro, pine mushroom, and agaric.

In addition, trunks and branches of aromatic trees such as sugar cane (molasses pomace may also be used), sugar beet (beet), cypress, pine, cedar, cypress, camellia, and sandalwood, as well as their bark, leaves, and roots, can also be used. Ferns, mosses, etc. can also be used as non-tobacco plants. As plants, for example, by-products and pomace (sake lees, grape pomace (consisting of grape skins, seeds, fruit stalks, etc.)) during the production of fermented liquors such as sake and wine can be used. Furthermore, you may use a mixture of the various plants mentioned above. Of course, you can also use plants other than those listed here.

For example, those known as Chinese herbal medicines are also preferably used. For example: Indigo grass, madder root, red-eye oak, asenyaku, benzoin, ireisen, fungus chinsoba, fennel, turmeric ), Ubai (Ubai), Uyaku (Uyaku), Urajirogashi (Urajirogashi), Uwa Urushi (Eijitsu), Engosaku (Engosaku), Enmeiso (Enmeiso), Astragalus (Astragalus), Huanggen (Augon), Huangjing (Ousei), Oubaku (Oubaku), Ouren (Ouren), Cherry bark (Ouhi), Younger cut grass (Hypericum perforatum), Toshi (Onji), Sokka (Kaika), Gaihaku (Gaihaku), Summer dried grass (Kagosou), Neiko Oak, Kashu, Gajutsu, Cuckoo, Kakkon, Chamomile, Kalokon, Karonin, Gankyo, Licorice , Kantouka, Gaiyou, Bellflower, Kigushi, Kikoku, Kijitsu, Kikuka, Kippi, Kyoukatsu , apricot kernel, kumquat, gold and silver flower, goldweed, money plant, wolfberry, wolfberry, bitter ginseng, walnut, bitter ginseng Kurenpi, Kuromoji, Kubaku, Keigai, Keihi, Ketsumeishi, Kengoshi, Genjin, Koui, Kouka ), Goukanpi, Koukou, Incense drum, Koujiyu, Red ginseng, Koubushi, Kobei, Kouboku, and straw. Kouhon, Gokahi, Goshitsu, Goshuyu, Gojokon, Burdock, Gomish, Saiko, Hoso Spicy, Saffron, Sankirai, Hawthorn, Sanshishi, Sanshuyu, Sanzukon, Sansounin, Sansho, Sanryou ), wild medicine (Sanyaku), rhizome (Jiou), shion (Shion), earth skin (Jikoppi), purple root (Shikon), perilla (Shisoshi), perilla leaf (Shisoyou), Shitsuriko (Shitsurishi), persimmon obi Shitei, Jifushi, Paeonia, Jashoushi, Shajin, Shazenshi, Shazenso, Shukusha, Juyaku ), ginger, palm fruit, palm leaf, shoma, wheat, iris root, xinyi, joteishi, qinpi Shinpi, Shinkiku, Kanade, Juishi, Shokumoku, Seihi, Sekishokon, Sekiryujitsuhi, Sekisou (Sekkoku), Senkyu (Senkyu), Zenko (Zenko), Senkotsu (Senkotsu), Senpukuka (Sempukuka), boned tree (Sekkotsuboku), herbaceous fruit (Sōka), Japanese horn thorn (Sōkakushi), mulberry parasitism (Soukisei), Soujishi (Soujishi), Soujutsu (Sojutsu), Side oak leaf (Sokuhakuyou), Interrupted (Zokudan), Mulberry white bark (Souhakuhi), Soboku (Soboku), Soyou (Soyou), Sowpod ( Sokyo), Rhubarb, Rhubarb, Daijutsu, Daifukuhi, Takushiya, Danjin, Chikujo, Bamboo ginseng, Chikuyo , Chimo, Chiyu, Clove, Choudou, Chenpi, Tiannanxing, Tianma, Tianmendou, Winter Melon Chili pepper, Touki, Castor sesame, Tojin, Toshinso, Tonin, Spruce, Toshishi, Horse chestnut ), Eucommia, Dokatsu, Dokakon, Meat submission, Nikuzuku, Nindo, Carrot, Fritillary fritillary, Bakuga, Kashiwajin ( Hakushinin), white flat bean (Hakuhenzu), barley gate (Bakumontou), broken paper (Hakoshi), book cargo (Mentha), Bukka (Bangka), half summer (Hange), anti-nose (Hanbi), board blue root (Banwonkon) ), half-branched lily, lily root, white-flowered juniper, white-flowered snake-tongued grass, hyakubukon, byakujutsu, betel nut, betel nut Bowie, Boukon, Windproof, Houou, Houeikong, Botanpi, Maou, Masinin, Mankeishi, Pine resin, Mokutsu, Mokka, Mokko, myrrh, Mokuzoku, Yakan, Yakuchi, Yakoutou, Luohanguo, Orchid herb, Longan, Longtan, Liangjiang, Ganoderma, Lianxiang, Daqian Grass, Lotus Flesh ), Ashine (Lokon).

Alternatively, extracts of non-tobacco plants such as those exemplified above, so-called extracts, can also be used. Examples of the form of the extract include liquid, syrup, powder, granules, and solution.

The aerosol former added to the tobacco filling 20 includes glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbitol, triethylene glycol, lactic acid, diacetin (glycerin diacetate), triacetin (glycerin triacetate), triethylene glycol diacetate, triethyl citrate, Isopropyl myristate, methyl stearate, dimethyl dodecanedioate, dimethyl tetradecanedioate, etc. can be used, but glycerin and propylene glycol are particularly preferably used. These are used in an amount of 1% by mass or more and 80% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 10% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less, based on the tobacco filler 20.

Flavor additives that enhance flavor are also preferably used if necessary. Flavor additives include mint, cocoa, coffee, and tea extracts.

Furthermore, a food preservative may be added as necessary, such as sorbic acid, potassium sorbate, benzoic acid, sodium benzoate, etc.

As binders or thickeners etc., gums such as guar gum, xanthan gum, gum arabic and locust bean gum, cellulose binders such as hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose and ethyl cellulose, e.g. starch, alginic acid, etc. Polysaccharides such as conjugated base salts of organic acids such as sodium alginate, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, caranagin, agar and pectin, and combinations thereof are also used.

Microcrystalline cellulose is obtained, for example, by partially depolymerizing α-cellulose obtained from the pulp of a fibrous plant with an acid, and the soluble portion is removed from the cellulose, and the insoluble portion is It is a crystallized product.

After various studies, the following was found regarding the tobacco filling 20 containing non-tobacco plants, aerosol foam, and microcrystalline cellulose. When the tobacco filling 20 is placed under dry conditions, even if the filling made of non-tobacco plants and aerosol com- posed of water loses water, the cellulose microcrystals maintain the structure of the filling and prevent volume contraction and other problems. Suppress structural changes. Such an effect is obtained by using microcrystalline cellulose.

Microcrystalline cellulose may be used as a powder, or may be dispersed in a solvent such as water and added as a suspension liquid. In this case, a high-speed stirrer, a high-pressure homogenizer, or the like can be used for dispersion in a solvent.

The amount of microcrystalline cellulose to be added is approximately 1% or more and 15% or less in the tobacco filler 20. Preferably it is 3% or more and 12% or less, more preferably 5% or more and 10% or less.

The addition of microcrystalline cellulose is effective in improving moldability, improving workability during kneading with a roll mill, etc., and is particularly effective in suppressing shrinkage and volume change of the tobacco filler 20, and is effective for quality control of the electronic cigarette cartridge 1. It is also effective in homogenizing the feeling of use.

The average particle diameter of the microcrystalline cellulose used in the present invention is preferably 30 μm to 200 μm, more preferably 50 μm to 150 μm, and even more preferably 70 μm to 120 μm.

When the average particle diameter of the microcrystalline cellulose is 30 μm or more, it has an excellent effect of suppressing the shrinkage of the tobacco filler 20, and when it is 150 μm or less, it can have good moldability in addition to the effect of suppressing the shrinkage. can.

The average particle size of microcrystalline cellulose is determined by a sieving method. The above average particle diameter can be obtained by the method described in JIS K 0069:1992. Note that the average particle diameter refers to the diameter corresponding to 50% of the mass obtained by integrating the mass starting from the one with the largest opening, for example, for the trial results using a plurality of sieves. Furthermore, it is preferable that the residue on the sieve with a mesh opening of 250 μm is 8% by mass or less, and the residue on the sieve with a mesh opening of 75 μm is 45% by mass or more.

When the residue on the sieve with an opening of 250 μm is 8% by mass or less, the sieved microcrystalline cellulose has the effect of suppressing the shrinkage of the tobacco filling 20. When the residue on the sieve with an opening of 75 μm is 45% by mass or more, the moldability of the tobacco filler 20 can be made good.

The mass average molecular weight (Mw) of microcrystalline cellulose is preferably 10,000 or more and 200,000 or less. More preferably, it is 10,000 or more and 100,000 or less. When it is 10,000 or more, the effect of suppressing shrinkage of the tobacco filler 20 is excellent, and when it is 100,000 or less, in addition to the effect of suppressing the shrinkage, moldability can be made good. Particularly preferably, it is 20,000 or more and 60,000 or less. The molecular weight of cellulose can be measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). For example, a measurement method such as that described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-109715 is adopted, and polyethylene glycol or the like is appropriately used as a standard material.

The manufacturing process of the tobacco filler 20 will be explained. The manufacturing process of the tobacco filling 20 includes a drying/pulverizing process in which non-tobacco plants, which are the main raw materials, are dried and crushed and weighed, a preparation process in which other raw materials are pretreated, weighed, etc., and the raw materials are mixed. The method includes a mixing step for preparing a composition, and a filling molding step for molding the composition.

In the drying/pulverizing process, the parts of the non-tobacco plant used as the main raw material (for example, leaves, seeds, dried fruits, stems, bark, roots, etc.) are processed into a predetermined pulverized product in order to make a composition. At that time, it is preferable to adjust the amount of water to a level convenient for absorbing or supporting the aerosol former, water, and other components added later. In drying, the temperature is preferably 60°C or higher and 80°C or lower. By setting it within this range, it is easy to reach the desired moisture content while avoiding the dissipation of the necessary flavor components. Note that when the temperature is 65°C or higher, it is easier to reach the desired moisture content, and when the temperature is 75°C or lower, it is possible to further prevent the necessary flavor components from dissipating.

The moisture content after drying and pulverization is preferably 5% by mass or less. By doing so, it becomes easier to form a slurry in a later step. More preferably, the water content is 3% by mass or less. Moreover, when the water content is 0.1% by mass or more, a state of good compatibility with water etc. can be maintained. Furthermore, the drying/pulverizing step may include a sieving step for sieving the pulverized material, so that the particle size can be adjusted to a desired size and then fed into the mixing step.

In the preparation step, raw materials necessary for creating the tobacco filler 20 can be prepared. The aforementioned microcrystalline cellulose is weighed in the preparation step and introduced into the mixing step.

In the mixing step, a conventional mixer can be used. For example, a configuration is preferably used in which the raw materials in the mixing tank are mixed using a stirring blade while applying shearing force.

In the filler forming step, the tobacco filler 20 is formed by forming a composition in which various raw materials are mixed into a thin sheet and then cutting the sheet. In this embodiment, a three-roll mill is prepared to make a thin sheet. When a three-roll mill is used, it is possible to form a sheet of desired thickness using a doctor blade while performing kneading and dispersion through compression due to being pushed between narrow rolls and shearing due to the difference in roll speed. preferable. Moreover, it can also be created using a press roller or a press machine.

In the filling forming step, other means may be used, such as forming the composition by passing it through an orifice under pressure. In addition, in the filling forming process, non-tobacco plants, aerosol formers, binders or thickeners, flavor additives, preservatives, etc. may be further added, or water may be added. Good too.

In this embodiment, it is preferable to use water that has been sterilized or from which microorganisms have been removed, and it is preferable to use pure water obtained by a reverse osmosis membrane, ion exchange, or the like.

The thickness of the sheet obtained in the filling molding step is preferably in the range of 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm, more preferably in the range of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm. The obtained sheet is cut into a predetermined width using a cutter, a rotary cutter with a rotating blade, or the like.

In this embodiment, cutting of a sheet having a thickness of 0.3 mm will be explained as an example. First, the formed sheet is cut into a rectangle of, for example, 150 mm in length and 240 mm in width. This rectangular sheet is fed to a rotary cutter and cut into a shape of 1.5 mm in length and 240 mm in width to obtain a cut sheet. As a result, the dimension a of the tobacco filler 20 in the long side direction is 1.5 mm, and the dimension b in the short side direction is 0.3 mm. Fifty of these cut sheets are wrapped in a wrapping body 25 to create a roll having an outer diameter of about 6.9 mm. This roll is cut into a length of 12.0 mm using a cutter to obtain a tobacco filler aggregate 10. The mass of this tobacco filler assembly 10 is 0.29 g. If the ratio of the volume of the tobacco filler 20 to the volume of the tobacco filler aggregate 10 is defined as the volumetric filling rate, the volumetric filler of the tobacco filler aggregate 10 of this embodiment is about 0.60. Further, the density of the tobacco filler aggregate 10 is 1.07 g/cm 3 .

As a result, in the tobacco filler stack 10, the tobacco fillers 20 having the shape of elongated noodles are stacked in a bundle along the length direction.

The arrangement of the tobacco filling material 20 in the tobacco filling material assembly 10 will be described in detail. FIG. 4 shows a front view of the tobacco filler stack 10. FIG. 4 depicts a typical arrangement of tobacco filler 20. In the tobacco filler stack 10, the tobacco fillers 20 are in a dense state in contact with the packaging body 25 or other tobacco fillers 20.

Among the tobacco fillers 20, the outermost portion of the tobacco filler 20 that contacts the package 25 has its long side oriented in a direction substantially along the circumferential direction. In FIG. 4, the tobacco filler 20a has one entire long side in contact with the package 25. Further, both short sides of the tobacco filling material 20a are in contact with circumferentially adjacent tobacco filling materials 20b and 20c, respectively. The long sides of the tobacco fillers 20b and 20c are also in contact with the package 25, respectively. Similarly, the tobacco fillers 20 located at the outermost periphery have their long sides oriented substantially along the circumferential direction, and are in contact with each other at their short sides. As a result, the filling rate of the tobacco filling material 20 is high at the outermost peripheral portion, and since the tobacco filling materials 20 are in contact with each other in the circumferential direction, their positions are difficult to shift.

Among the tobacco fillings 20, many of the tobacco fillings 20 that are in contact with the inner circumferential side of the outermost tobacco filling 20 have their long sides oriented in a direction substantially along the circumferential direction. In FIG. 4, one of the long sides of the tobacco filling material 20d on the outer peripheral side is in contact with the outermost tobacco filling material 20a, and the long side direction is substantially along the circumferential direction. Like the tobacco filling 20e, some of the long sides are along the radial direction, but among the tobacco fillings 20 that are in contact with the inner peripheral side of the outermost tobacco filling 20, the long sides are along the circumferential direction. The number of tobacco fillers 20 along which the long side direction is substantially along is greater than the number of tobacco fillers 20 whose long side direction is along a direction other than the circumferential direction. Therefore, even in the region near the outermost periphery, the filling rate of the tobacco filling material 20 is high, and the position of the tobacco filling material 20 is difficult to shift.

The tobacco filler 20 has a long side surface in contact with a long side surface of an adjacent tobacco filler 20, or a long side surface in contact with a short side surface of an adjacent tobacco filler 20. There is. As mentioned above, in the outer periphery, in many cases, the long side surface of the tobacco filling material 20 contacts the short side surface of the adjacent tobacco filling material 20, but overall, the long side surface of the tobacco filling material 20 is in contact with the short side surface of the adjacent tobacco filling material 20. Many of them are in contact with the long side surface of the tobacco filling 20. Therefore, in the center of the tobacco filler assembly 10, most of the tobacco fillers 20 form a filler group 21 whose long sides are in contact with each other.

A plurality of filler groups 21 are formed within the tobacco filler assembly 10, and the long sides of the tobacco fillers 20 in each filler group 21 are in contact with the long sides of adjacent tobacco fillers 20. Since the tobacco fillers 20 in the filler group 21 are in contact with each other on their long sides, they do not have many gaps, but voids 22 are likely to be formed between the filler groups 21. In the outer peripheral part of the tobacco filling material assembly 10, since the tobacco filling material 20 is substantially along the circumferential direction as described above, the void part 22 is difficult to form. , voids 22 are likely to be formed between the filler groups 21. In a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tobacco filler aggregate 10, the central region α, which is the region on the center side divided into equal areas in the radial direction, has a higher porosity than the outer peripheral region β, the region on the outer peripheral side.

Since the tobacco filling 20 has a long side direction and a short side direction in a cross section perpendicular to the length direction, the tobacco filling 20 can be arranged along the circumferential direction at the outermost periphery and the tobacco filling at the center can be arranged. The packing group 21 of the objects 20 and the arrangement having the voids 22 are easily compatible.

Since the central region α has a high porosity, it is easy to insert the heating part 50 of the electronic cigarette main body 2 into the tobacco filler assembly 10. Further, the airflow containing the aerosol generated by heating in the heating section 50 can be made easier to flow within the tobacco filler assembly 10. On the other hand, since the outer peripheral region β has a low porosity, it is possible to increase the filling ratio of the entire tobacco filler assembly 10, and it is possible to generate a sufficient amount of aerosol.

Moreover, since the filling rate in the outer peripheral region β is high, the tobacco filling material assembly 10 can structurally firmly hold the tobacco filling material 20. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility of the tobacco filler 20 falling off during handling by the user.

The arrangement of the tobacco filler 20 changes each time it is wrapped in the package 25, so that it is different for each tobacco filler. FIG. 5 shows a front view of another tobacco filler stack 10. In FIG. As shown in this figure, some of the tobacco fillers 20 disposed at the outermost periphery may face in a direction other than the circumferential direction. However, even in this case, in the outermost peripheral part, the number of tobacco fillers 20 whose long sides are oriented in a direction substantially along the circumferential direction is If the number of tobacco fillers 20 is larger than the number of tobacco fillers 20 facing the direction, the same effect as in the case of FIG. 4 can be obtained. The same applies to the tobacco filling 20 that is in contact with the inner peripheral side of the outermost tobacco filling 20. Furthermore, although the arrangement of the tobacco fillings 20 disposed closer to the center differs from that in FIG. This is the same as in FIG. Thereby, also in the embodiment of FIG. 5, the porosity of the central region α is relatively higher than the porosity of the outer peripheral region β.

When the tobacco filling assembly 10 is heated in the heating section 50 and inhaled by the user, the airflow containing the aerosol flows toward the mouthpiece 14 side. As explained above, since the central region α has a higher porosity than the outer peripheral region β, the airflow flows in the length direction while gathering from the outer peripheral side to the center side. In this case, a large amount of aerosol is generated from the outer periphery where the filling rate is high, and this can flow smoothly.

FIG. 6 shows a front view showing the process of wrapping the tobacco filler 20 with the packaging body 25. As shown in FIG. 6(a), when wrapping the tobacco filling 20, the tobacco filling 20 is first placed on the package 25. The package 25 is placed on an opening/closing part 41 provided on the base 40. The opening/closing parts 41 can move in directions away from each other. At this time, it is desirable to place the tobacco filler 20 so that the long sides of the package 25 are in contact with each other as much as possible.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6(b), the opening/closing parts 41 are moved apart from each other to form a recess 42 into which the package 25 falls, and the tobacco filling 20 is filled with the package 25 that has fallen into the recess 42. Wrapping is continued, and finally, as shown in FIG. 6(c), the package 25 is closed to form the tobacco filler assembly 10. In the process of wrapping with the package 25, by adjusting the speed etc., most of the tobacco fillers 20 at the outermost periphery can be arranged substantially along the circumferential direction. Further, by adjusting the force for pushing the tobacco filling 20 into the inside of the packaging body 25 until the tobacco filling 20 is wrapped in the packaging body 25 and being closed, the porosity in the central region α can be adjusted to an appropriate range. Can be done.

The arrangement of the tobacco filling material 20 described so far is such that the cross-sectional shape of the tobacco filling material 20 formed in the shape of a long noodle is a substantially rectangular shape having a long side direction and a short side direction, and the tobacco filling material 20 at the outermost periphery is This is achieved by the fact that the filling 20 and most of the tobacco filling 20 adjacent thereto are arranged substantially along the circumferential direction. The applicant of the present invention experimented by changing the shape and arrangement of the tobacco filler 20 to determine the amount of aerosol that can be inhaled in one inhalation and the number of aerosols that can be inhaled in a single inhalation. The conditions and results are shown in Table 1. Condition 1 is that the tobacco filler 20 has a square cross-sectional shape (length: 0.60±0.10 mm, width: 0.60±0.10 mm). Conditions 2 to 6 are such that the cross-sectional shape of the tobacco filler 20 is rectangular (length: 1.50±0.10 mm, width: 0.28±0.02 mm). Condition 2 is an aspect of this embodiment.

Conditions 2, 3, and 5 are preferable from the viewpoint of the amount of aerosol and the number of suctionable aerosols. Moreover, conditions 2 and 3 are favorable for ease of insertion of the heating part 50 of the electronic cigarette body 2 into the tobacco filler 20.

In Conditions 2 to 6, the manner in which the tobacco fillings 20 are arranged is varied depending on the arrangement of the tobacco fillings 20 before wrapping with the packaging body 25 and the manner in which the tobacco fillings 20 are wrapped with the packaging body 25. Condition 2, which is an aspect of the present embodiment, is the aspect in which the tobacco filling material 20 is most easily rolled, and Conditions 3 and 5 are the conditions in which the tobacco filling material 20 is next most easily rolled. Conditions 4 and 6 are modes in which it is difficult to wrap the tobacco filling 20. Therefore, from the viewpoint of ease of manufacture, Conditions 2, 3, and 5 are preferable, and Condition 2 is particularly preferable.

Condition 1, in which the cross-sectional shape of the tobacco filler 20 is square, is that it is difficult to shape the tobacco filler 20 in this way, and the tobacco filler 20 falls off more easily than when the cross-sectional shape is rectangular. . In addition, the amount of airflow generated during heating is also small.

From the above, it can be said that condition 2, which is an aspect of the present embodiment, is the most preferable form from both the viewpoint of ease of manufacture and the viewpoint of the air flow rate and the number of suctionable pumps.

FIG. 7 shows a front view of the support member 12. As shown in FIG. 7(a), in this embodiment, the support member 12 has a substantially circular shape when viewed from the front, and a flow path portion 30 through which airflow flows is formed in the center portion. The periphery of the channel portion 30 is a peripheral edge portion 31 that contacts the packaging member 16 on the outer peripheral surface and the tobacco filling 20 on the end surface.

Support member 12 may have other shapes. As shown in FIG. 7(b), it may have four circumferential edge portions 34 projecting radially from the center, and a flow path portion 35 may be formed between the circumferential edge portions 34. Further, as shown in FIG. 7C, a flow path portion 37 may be formed in the center of the peripheral portion 38, and this flow path portion 37 may be divided into two by a partition wall portion 39. In either case, the peripheral edge of the support member 12 can contact the packaging member 16 at the outer peripheral surface and the tobacco filler 20 at the end surface in the length direction.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the application of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and can be applied in various ways within the scope of the technical idea. For example, in this embodiment, only the support member 12 is provided between the tobacco filler assembly 10 and the mouthpiece 14, but a cooling member may be provided between the support member 12 and the mouthpiece 14. Further, the long side dimension a and the short side dimension b in the cross section of the tobacco filling material 20 are not limited to the above-mentioned example, but can be set to arbitrary dimensions and ratios.

1 Electronic cigarette cartridge 2 Electronic cigarette body 10 Tobacco filler assembly 12 Support member 14 Mouthpiece 16 Packaging member 20 Tobacco filler 21 Filler group 22 Cavity 25 Packaging body 30 Channel portion 31 Peripheral portion 50 Heating portion 51 Insertion portion

Claims (1)

A tobacco filler aggregate in which elongated tobacco fillers are accumulated in a bundle, a support member, and a mouthpiece are arranged along the length direction and wrapped with a sheet-like packaging member to form a single body. An electronic cigarette cartridge formed by
The support member has a peripheral edge that contacts the tobacco filling at an end surface, a flow path through which airflow can pass along the length, and a central portion divided into two by a partition wall. have,
The tobacco filler assembly includes long tobacco fillers stacked in a bundle, the outer periphery of which is wrapped in a sheet-like packaging body;
The tobacco filler has a length spanning the entire length of the tobacco filler aggregate, and is formed so that the dimension in the long side direction is longer than the dimension in the short side direction in a cross section perpendicular to the length direction,
The tobacco filler at the outermost periphery in contact with the package has its long sides oriented along the circumferential direction and its long sides are in contact with the package, or its long sides are in a direction other than the circumferential direction. The number of tobacco fillers whose short sides are in contact with the package and whose long sides are oriented along the circumferential direction and whose long sides are in contact with the package, Forming an arrangement pattern along the circumferential direction at least in a part of the outermost periphery by having more tobacco fillers whose short sides face in a direction other than the direction along the package and are in contact with the package;
The tobacco filling other than the outermost peripheral portion has a long side surface in contact with a long side surface of the adjacent tobacco filling, or a short side surface of the adjacent tobacco filling. and the number of the tobacco fillings whose long side surfaces are in contact with the long side surfaces of the adjacent tobacco fillings is such that the number of the tobacco fillings is such that the long side surfaces thereof are in contact with the short side surfaces of the adjacent tobacco fillings. By forming a plurality of filler groups by forming a plurality of filler groups than the number of fillers, and by forming an arrangement pattern that forms a void between the filler groups, a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tobacco filler bundle is formed. If the area on the center side and the area on the outer periphery are equally divided by area, the area on the center side has a higher porosity than the area on the outer periphery, and the voids formed between the filling groups are An electronic cigarette cartridge characterized in that the tobacco filling is continuous in the length direction over the entire length .

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