KR20220169966A - Aerosol-generating apparatus with smokeless function and aerosol-generating article used with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

An aerosol-generating apparatus having a smokeless function and an aerosol-generating article used therewith are provided. The aerosol-generating article according to some embodiments of the present disclosure can include a tobacco rod comprising a first filter segment, a second filter segment, and a cavity segment, wherein the cavity segment can be filled with tobacco granules, and the tobacco granules have a low content of moisture and/or aerosol formers compared to other types of tobacco materials, which can greatly reduce the generation of visible smoke. In addition, according to the same, the smoke-free function of the aerosol-generating apparatus can be easily implemented.

Description

Aerosol-generating device with smoke-free function and aerosol-generating article used therewith

The present disclosure relates to aerosol-generating devices with smoke-free capabilities and aerosol-generating articles used therewith.

In recent years, demand for alternative products that overcome the disadvantages of traditional cigarettes is increasing. For example, there is an increasing demand for devices that generate aerosols by electrically heating a cigarette stick (e.g. cigarette-style electronic cigarettes). Accordingly, research on an electrically heated aerosol generating device and a cigarette stick (or aerosol generating article) applied thereto is being actively conducted.

On the other hand, if visible smoke is not generated during smoking, there is an advantage in that a user can enjoy smoking without restrictions of a location or environment. In addition, due to these advantages, smokeless tobacco products such as snuff, snus, and chewing tobacco have been developed. However, the exemplified smokeless tobacco products have a disadvantage in that they cannot provide a smoking sensation like a combustion cigarette or a heated cigarette stick.

A technical problem to be solved through some embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide an aerosol generating device having a smokeless function.

Another technical problem to be addressed through some embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide an aerosol-generating article that can be used with an aerosol-generating device having a smokeless function.

Another technical problem to be solved through some embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide an aerosol generating device capable of operating in a set mode of a smokeless mode and a flexible mode and an aerosol generating article that can be used together therewith.

The technical problems of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned technical problems, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

In order to solve the above technical problem, an aerosol-generating article according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is an aerosol-generating article used together with an aerosol-generating device, and includes a cigarette including a first filter segment, a second filter segment, and a cavity segment. It includes a rod, the cavity segment is formed by the first filter segment and the second filter segment, the cavity segment may be filled with tobacco granules.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating device may have a smoke-free function.

In some embodiments, further comprising a filter rod located downstream of the tobacco rod, wherein the filter rod may include a cooling segment and a mouthpiece segment.

In some embodiments, the tobacco granules may contain less than 10% moisture by weight.

In some embodiments, the tobacco granules may contain no aerosol former or less than 3% aerosol former by weight.

In some embodiments, the first filter segment, located downstream of the cavity segment, may include a paper material.

In order to solve the above technical problem, an aerosol generating device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure includes a housing forming an accommodation space in which an aerosol-generating article is accommodated and a heater unit for heating the aerosol-generating article accommodated in the accommodation space, , The aerosol-generating article includes a tobacco rod comprising a cavity segment and a filter rod, wherein the cavity segment may be filled with tobacco granules.

In some embodiments, the cartridge may further include a cartridge that stores an aerosol former, a cartridge heater that heats the cartridge, and a control unit that controls the aerosol generating device to operate in a mode set among a smokeless mode and a flexible mode.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure described above, an aerosol-generating article suitable for implementing a smoke-free function of an aerosol-generating device may be provided. Specifically, the provided aerosol-generating article comprises a tobacco rod having a cavity filled with tobacco granules, wherein the tobacco granules form moisture and/or aerosol compared to tobacco material, such as cut filler (e.g. leaf tobacco cut filler, leaf leaf cut filler), leaf leaf cut filler, and the like. Since the content of the agent is significantly less, generation of visible smoke can be greatly reduced. In addition, since tobacco granules develop sufficient flavor even at relatively low temperatures compared to other types of tobacco materials, the heating temperature of the aerosol generating device can be set relatively low, thereby further reducing visible smoke generation. It can be.

In addition, as the smoke-free function is provided, the user can use the aerosol-generating device without being restricted by location or environment. Accordingly, user convenience may be improved.

In addition, a cavity segment may be formed by filter segments located upstream and downstream of the tobacco rod, and tobacco granules may be filled in the cavity segment. Accordingly, a tobacco rod capable of minimizing the drop-off of tobacco granules can be easily manufactured.

Also, the filter segment forming the cavity segment of the tobacco rod may be made of a paper filter. In this case, a problem in which physical properties of the filter segment are changed due to heating of the heater unit can be prevented.

In addition, the tobacco rod may be designed such that a swirling airflow is generated inside the cavity segment during puffing. In this case, since the tobacco granules are well mixed and heated by the generated airflow, a plurality of tobacco granules can be uniformly heated, and the smoking taste can be further improved.

Effects according to the technical spirit of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

1 is an exemplary diagram schematically illustrating an aerosol-generating device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
2 and 3 are exemplary views schematically showing an aerosol generating device according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure.
4 illustrates an aerosol-generating device operating in a smokeless mode according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure.
5 illustrates an aerosol-generating device operating in a flexible mode according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure.
6 and 7 are exemplary diagrams schematically illustrating an aerosol-generating article according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 8 is an exemplary diagram for explaining principles and conditions for generating turbulent air currents in an aerosol-generating article according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
9 is an exemplary diagram for explaining a heating structure of a heater unit according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.
10 is an exemplary diagram for explaining a heating structure of a heater unit according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.
11 is an exemplary diagram for explaining a heating structure of a heater unit according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure.
12 is an exemplary diagram for explaining a heating structure of a heater unit according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure.
13 is a view showing the experimental results of the effect of tobacco granules and platelets on smokeless function.
14 and 15 are diagrams showing experimental results on the effect of the size of tobacco granules on the generation of vortices.
16 to 18 are views showing the experimental results of the effect of the filling rate of tobacco granules on the generation of vortices.
19 to 21 are views showing experimental results on the effect of the thickness and shape of the internal heating element on the degree of damage to the filter segment.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Advantages and features of the present disclosure, and methods of achieving them, will become clear with reference to the embodiments described below in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the technical idea of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments and can be implemented in various different forms, and only the following embodiments complete the technical idea of the present disclosure, and in the technical field to which the present disclosure belongs. It is provided to completely inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the present disclosure, and the technical spirit of the present disclosure is only defined by the scope of the claims.

In adding reference numerals to components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same components have the same numerals as much as possible even if they are displayed on different drawings. In addition, in describing the present disclosure, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known configuration or function may obscure the gist of the present disclosure, the detailed description will be omitted.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this specification may be used with meanings commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. In addition, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are not interpreted ideally or excessively unless explicitly specifically defined. Terminology used herein is for describing the embodiments and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. In this specification, singular forms also include plural forms unless specifically stated otherwise in a phrase.

Also, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used in describing the components of the present disclosure. These terms are only used to distinguish the component from other components, and the nature, order, or order of the corresponding component is not limited by the term. When an element is described as being “connected,” “coupled to,” or “connected” to another element, that element is directly connected or connectable to the other element, but there is another element between the elements. It will be understood that elements may be “connected”, “coupled” or “connected”.

As used in this disclosure, "comprises" and/or "comprising" means that a stated component, step, operation, and/or element is one or more other components, steps, operations, and/or elements. Existence or additions are not excluded.

Prior to description of various embodiments of the present disclosure, some terms used in the following embodiments will be clarified.

In the following embodiments, “aerosol former” may refer to a substance capable of facilitating the formation of visible smoke and/or aerosol. Examples of aerosol formers include, but are not limited to, glycerin (GLY), propylene glycol (PG), ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol and oleyl alcohol. In the art, aerosol formers may be used interchangeably with terms such as moisturizers and humectants.

In the following embodiments, "aerosol-forming substrate" may mean a material capable of forming an aerosol. Aerosols may contain volatile compounds. Aerosol-forming substrates may be solid or liquid.

For example, the solid aerosol-forming substrate may include a solid material based on tobacco raw materials such as leaf tobacco, cut filler, and reconstituted tobacco, and the liquid aerosol-forming substrate may contain nicotine, tobacco extract, and/or various flavoring agents. It may contain a liquid composition based on it. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to these examples. The aerosol-forming substrate may further comprise an aerosol former to stably form visible smoke and/or an aerosol.

In the following embodiments, an “aerosol generating device” may refer to an aerosol generating device using an aerosol forming substrate to generate an aerosol that can be directly inhaled into the user's lungs through the user's mouth. See FIGS. 1-3 for some examples of aerosol-generating devices.

In the following embodiments, "aerosol-generating article" may mean an article capable of generating an aerosol. An aerosol-generating article may include an aerosol-forming substrate. A representative example of an aerosol-generating article would be a cigarette, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

In the following embodiments, "upstream" or "upstream direction" means a direction away from the user's (smoker's) mouth, and "downstream" or "downstream" means a direction closer to the user's mouth. can mean direction. The terms upstream and downstream may be used to describe the relative positioning of elements that make up an aerosol-generating article. For example, in the aerosol-generating article 2 illustrated in FIG. 6 , the tobacco rod 21 is positioned upstream or upstream of the filter rod 22, and the filter rod 22 is downstream or upstream of the tobacco rod 21. located in the downstream direction.

In the following embodiments, "puff" means user's inhalation, and inhalation may mean a situation in which the user's mouth or nose is pulled into the user's oral cavity, nasal cavity, or lungs. .

In the following embodiments, “longitudinal direction” may mean a direction corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating article.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described according to the accompanying drawings.

1 is an exemplary diagram for explaining an aerosol generating device 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In particular, FIG. 1 and subsequent figures show the state in which the aerosol-generating article 2 is inserted (received) as an example.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the aerosol generating device 1 according to the present embodiment may include a housing, a heater unit 13, a battery 11 and a control unit 12. However, only components related to the embodiment of the present disclosure are shown in FIG. 1 . Accordingly, those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs may know that other general-purpose components may be further included in addition to the components shown in FIG. 1 . For example, the aerosol generating device 1 includes an input module (e.g. a button, a touchable display, etc.) for receiving commands from a user and an output module (e.g. LED, etc.) for outputting information such as device status and smoking information. display, vibration motor, etc.) may be further included. Hereinafter, each component of the aerosol generating device 1 will be described.

The housing may form the exterior of the aerosol-generating device 1 . In addition, the housing may form an accommodation space for accommodating the aerosol-generating article 2 . The housing may be preferably implemented with a material capable of protecting internal components.

Next, the heater unit 13 may heat the aerosol-generating article 2 accommodated in the accommodation space. Specifically, when the aerosol-generating article 2 is accommodated in the accommodation space of the aerosol-generating device 1, the heater unit 13 may heat the aerosol-generating article 2 with power supplied from the battery 11. .

The heater unit 13 may be configured in various forms and/or methods.

For example, the heater unit 13 may be configured to include an electrical resistive heating element. For example, the heater unit 13 includes an electrically insulating substrate (for example, a substrate made of polyimide) and an electrically conductive track, and a heating element that generates heat as current flows through the electrically conductive track. can include However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the above examples, and the heating element may be applicable without limitation as long as it can be heated to a desired temperature. Here, the desired temperature may be previously set in the aerosol generating device 1 (e.g. when a temperature profile is previously stored) or may be set to a desired temperature by the user.

As another example, the heater unit 13 may include a heating element operating in an induction heating method. Specifically, the heater unit 13 may include an inductor (e.g. an induction coil) for heating the aerosol-generating article 2 by an induction heating method and a susceptor for induction heating by the inductor. The susceptor may be located inside or outside the aerosol-generating article 2 .

In addition, for example, the heater unit 13 is a heating element for heating the aerosol-generating article 2 from the inside (hereinafter, abbreviated as “internal heating element”), and a heating element for heating from the outside (hereinafter, “external heating element”). element") or a combination thereof. The internal heating element may be arranged to pass through at least a portion of the aerosol-generating article 2, for example, in the form of a tube, needle, or rod, and the external heating element may be in the form of a plate or cylinder, such as an aerosol-generating article ( At least a part of 2) may be arranged in an enclosing form. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the shape, number, and arrangement of heating elements may be designed in various ways. In order to exclude redundant descriptions, a more detailed description of the heating structure of the heater unit 13 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12 .

Next, the battery 11 may supply power used for the operation of the aerosol generating device 1 . For example, the battery 11 may supply power so that the heater unit 13 can heat the aerosol-generating article 2 and supply power necessary for the controller 12 to operate.

In addition, the battery 11 may supply power necessary for operating electrical components such as a display (not shown), a sensor (not shown), and a motor (not shown) installed in the aerosol generating device 1.

Next, the controller 12 may control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 1 . For example, the controller 12 may control the operation of the heater unit 13 and the battery 11, and may also control the operation of other components included in the aerosol generating device 1. The control unit 12 may control the power supplied by the battery 11 and the heating temperature of the heater unit 13 . In addition, the controller 12 may determine whether or not the aerosol generating device 1 is in an operable state by checking the state of each component of the aerosol generating device 1 .

The controller 12 may be implemented by at least one processor. The controller may be implemented as an array of a plurality of logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microcontroller and a memory storing programs that may be executed by the microcontroller. In addition, those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains can clearly understand that the control unit 12 may be implemented with other types of hardware.

The aerosol-generating article 2 may have a structure similar to that of a conventional combusted cigarette. For example, the aerosol-generating article 2 may be divided into a first part comprising tobacco material (or aerosol-forming substrate) (e.g. tobacco rod) and a second part comprising a filter or the like (e.g. filter rod). The entirety of the first part may be inserted into the aerosol generating device 1, and the second part may be exposed to the outside. Alternatively, only a part of the first part may be inserted into the aerosol-generating device 1, or the whole of the first part and a part of the second part may be inserted. The user can smoke while holding the second part with his or her mouth.

Meanwhile, in some embodiments, the aerosol-generating device 1 may have a smoke-free function (ie, a function in which no visible smoke is generated or a function in which generation of visible smoke is minimized). Additionally, the aerosol-generating article 2 may be designed to achieve a smoke-free function. Specifically, the aerosol-generating article 2 is an article filled with tobacco granules, and the aerosol-generating device 1 is operable to heat the aerosol-generating article 2 to a heating temperature of about 270 degrees or less. In this case, no visible smoke may be generated or generation of visible smoke may be minimized during smoking, which is because the tobacco granules are more moisture and/or aerosol than tobacco substances such as cut filler (e.g. leaf tobacco cut filler, plate leaf cut filler), leaf leaf cut filler, etc. This is because the content of the forming agent is remarkably low and the generation of visible smoke can be reduced. In addition, tobacco granules can exhibit sufficient taste (i.e., nicotine can be sufficiently transferred) even at a lower heating temperature than tobacco materials such as cut filler and leaf blade (e.g., the heating temperature of cut filler is usually 270 degrees or higher). Heater This is because the heating temperature of the unit 13 can be lowered, and generation of visible smoke can be further reduced as the heating temperature is lowered. This embodiment will be described in more detail together with the structure of the aerosol-generating article 2 with reference to the drawings below in FIG. 6 .

Hereinafter, another type of aerosol generating device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5 . However, for clarity of the present disclosure, descriptions of overlapping contents in the previous embodiments will be omitted.

2 and 3 are views for explaining an aerosol generating device 1 according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the aerosol generating device 1 according to this embodiment may further include a cartridge 15 and a cartridge heater unit 14 . FIG. 2 illustrates that the heater unit 13 (or aerosol-generating article 2) and the cartridge heater unit 14 are arranged in a line, and FIG. 3 illustrates the heater unit 13 (or aerosol-generating article 2) and the cartridge heater. It is exemplified that the parts 14 are arranged in parallel. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 1 is not limited to the examples of FIGS. 2 and 3, and the arrangement of components can be changed as desired.

Cartridge 15 may include a liquid reservoir and liquid delivery means. However, it is not limited thereto, and the cartridge 15 may further include other components. In addition, the cartridge 15 may be manufactured to be detachable from/attached to/from the cartridge heater unit 14, or may be manufactured integrally with the cartridge heater unit 14.

The liquid reservoir may store a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid containing a tobacco-containing substance (or a nicotine-containing substance) and may be a liquid containing a non-tobacco substance. For example, the liquid composition may include water, solvent, ethanol, plant extract (e.g. tobacco extract), nicotine, flavoring agent, aerosol former, flavoring agent or vitamin mixture. Fragrance may include menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, various fruit flavoring ingredients, etc., but is not limited thereto. Flavoring agents can include ingredients that can provide a variety of flavors or flavors to the user. The vitamin mixture may be a mixture of at least one of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, and vitamin E, but is not limited thereto. In addition, examples of aerosol formers may include, but are not limited to, glycerin or propylene glycol.

Next, the liquid delivery unit may deliver the liquid composition stored in the liquid reservoir to the cartridge heater unit 14 . For example, the liquid delivery means may be a wick element such as cotton fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, or porous ceramic, but is not limited thereto.

Next, the cartridge heater unit 14 may form an aerosol by heating the liquid aerosol-forming substrate (eg, liquid composition) stored in the cartridge 15 . For example, the cartridge heater unit 14 may form an aerosol by heating the liquid composition delivered by the liquid delivery means. The formed aerosol can pass through the aerosol-generating article 2 and be delivered to the user. In other words, the aerosol formed by the heating of the cartridge heater unit 14 can move along the air flow path of the aerosol generating device 1, and the air flow path allows the formed aerosol to pass through the aerosol generating article 2 and be delivered to the user. It can be configured so that Operation, heating temperature, etc. of the cartridge heater unit 14 may be controlled by the control unit 12 .

The cartridge heater unit 14 may be, for example, a metal hot wire, a metal hot plate, or a ceramic heater unit, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the cartridge heater unit 14 may be formed of a conductive filament such as nichrome wire, and may be disposed in a structure wound around a liquid delivery means. However, it is not limited thereto.

For reference, in the art, the cartridge heater unit 14 and the cartridge 15 may be referred to by terms such as a cartomizer, an atomizer, and a vaporizer.

Meanwhile, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the aerosol generating device 1 illustrated in FIG. 2 or 3 may operate in a smokeless mode or flexible mode. Specifically, the aerosol generating device 1 may operate in a set mode among smokeless mode and flexible mode, and the operation mode may be set by a user. Hereinafter, each operation mode and the operation of the aerosol generating device 1 will be further described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 again.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the smokeless mode may refer to a mode in which aerosol is generated by the aerosol generating device 1 but no visible smoke is generated (or a mode in which visible smoke is minimized). In order to implement the smokeless mode, the control unit 12 may operate only the heater unit 13 among the cartridge heater unit 14 and the heater unit 13 . In other words, in response to determining that the set mode is smokeless mode, the control unit 12 may operate only the heater unit 13. In this case, the cartridge 15 is not heated and only the aerosol-generating article 2 is heated, so that visible smoke can be prevented from being generated. Specifically, the liquid phase stored in the cartridge 15 generates an aerosol containing visible smoke as it is heated, and since the heating of the liquid phase is prevented, generation of visible smoke can also be prevented.

In some embodiments, as mentioned above, the aerosol-generating article 2 may be an article filled with tobacco granules. Since tobacco granules have a very low content of moisture and/or aerosol formers, the smokeless mode of the aerosol-generating device 1 can be implemented more easily using such aerosol-generating articles 2 . The aerosol-generating article 2 according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings below in FIG. 6 .

Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the flexible mode may mean a mode in which aerosol is generated by the aerosol generating device 1, but visible smoke is also generated. There may be various ways to implement the flexible mode, and specific implementation methods may vary depending on embodiments.

In some embodiments, the control unit 12 may operate both the cartridge heater unit 14 and the heater unit 13 . In this case, as the liquid stored in the cartridge 15 is heated, an aerosol containing visible smoke is formed, and the formed aerosol is discharged through the aerosol-generating article 2, thereby implementing a soft mode. At this time, the heating temperature of the heater unit 13 may be set lower than that of the smokeless mode. This is because in the soft mode, since the high-temperature aerosol formed in the cartridge 15 passes through the aerosol-generating article 2, sufficient taste can be guaranteed even when the aerosol-generating article 2 is heated to a relatively low temperature. For example, the heating temperature of the heater unit 13 may be about 230 degrees or more (e.g. about 230 to 270 degrees) in the lead-free mode, and about 230 degrees or less (eg about 220 degrees) in the flexible mode.

In some other embodiments, the control unit 12 may operate only the cartridge heater unit 14. This is because even if only the cartridge 15 is heated, an aerosol containing visible smoke is formed. In order to form a higher temperature aerosol, the heating temperature of the cartridge heater unit 14 according to this embodiment may be higher than that of the previous embodiment.

So far, the aerosol generating device 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure has been described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 . According to the foregoing, an aerosol generating device 1 having a smokeless function can be provided. For example, an aerosol generating device 1 that operates only in a smokeless mode or operates in a set mode among a smokeless mode and a flexible mode may be provided. Accordingly, since the user can use the aerosol generating device without being restricted by location or environment, user convenience can be greatly improved.

Hereinafter, an aerosol-generating article 2 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings below in FIG. 6 .

6 is an exemplary diagram schematically illustrating an aerosol-generating article 2 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the aerosol-generating article 2 may include a filter rod 22 and a tobacco rod 21 with a cavity formed therein. However, only components related to the embodiment of the present disclosure are shown in FIG. 6 . Accordingly, those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs may know that other general-purpose components may be further included in addition to the components shown in FIG. 6 . Hereinafter, each constituent element of the aerosol-generating article 2 will be described.

The filter rod 22 may be positioned downstream of the tobacco rod 21 to perform a filtering function for aerosol. To this end, the filter rod 22 may include a filter material such as paper, cellulose acetate fibers, or the like. The filter rod 22 may further include a wrapper wrapping the filter material.

The filter rod 22 may be manufactured in various shapes. For example, the filter rod 22 may be a cylindrical rod or a tubular rod having a hollow inside. Also, the filter rod 22 may be a recessed rod. If the filter rod 22 is composed of a plurality of segments, at least one of the plurality of segments may be manufactured in a different shape.

The filter rod 22 may be manufactured to generate flavor. As an example, flavoring liquid may be sprayed onto the filter rod 22 , or a separate fiber coated with flavoring liquid may be inserted into the filter rod 22 . As another example, the filter rod 22 may include at least one capsule (not shown) containing hyangaek.

6 illustrates that the filter rod 22 is composed of a single segment as an example, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the filter rod 22 may be composed of a plurality of segments. For example, as shown in FIG. 7 , the filter rod 22 may be composed of a cooling segment 222 for cooling the aerosol and a mouthpiece segment 221 for filtering the aerosol. there is. Alternatively, in some cases, the filter rod 22 may further include at least one segment performing other functions.

For reference, the cooling segment 222 may be manufactured in various shapes. For example, the cooling segment 222 may be manufactured in the form of a branch pipe, a hollow cellulose acetate filter, a cellulose acetate filter having a plurality of holes, a filter filled with a polymer material or a biodegradable polymer material, and the like. However, it is not limited thereto, and the cooling segment 222 may be manufactured in any shape as long as it can perform a function of cooling the aerosol. The polymer material or biodegradable polymer material may be a woven material of polylactic acid (PLA), but is not limited thereto.

In addition, the mouthpiece segment 221 may be, for example, a cellulose acetate filter (ie, a filter made of cellulose acetate fibers), but is not limited thereto. The above description of the filter rod 22 can also be applied to the mouthpiece segment 221 .

It will be described with reference to FIG. 6 again.

Tobacco rod 21 is a tobacco rod that includes a cavity or cavity segment 212 and is capable of dispensing tobacco components (or tobacco components) such as nicotine as it is heated. As shown, the tobacco rod 21 comprises a first filter segment 211, a second filter segment 213 and a cavity segment 212 formed by the first filter segment 211 and the second filter segment 213. can include Then, the cavity segment 212 may be filled with tobacco granules 214 (that is, tobacco material in the form of granules). The tobacco rod 21 may further include a wrapper wrapping the rod.

The first filter segment 211 is a filter segment forming the cavity segment 212 and may be located downstream of the cavity segment 212 . In addition to the cavity forming function, the first filter segment 211 may further perform filtering and cooling functions for aerosol.

In some embodiments, the first filter segment 211 may include a paper material. In other words, the first filter segment 211 may be made of a paper filter. It may be preferable that the paper material is arranged in the longitudinal direction to secure a smooth air flow path. However, it is not limited thereto. According to this embodiment, a tobacco rod 21 suitable for the heated aerosol generating device 1 can be manufactured. Specifically, since the cellulose acetate fibers melt or shrink when heated above a certain temperature, it is difficult to apply them to the portion of the tobacco rod heated by the heater unit 13. On the other hand, since the paper material is hardly denatured by heat, it can be easily applied to the tobacco rod portion, and through this, the tobacco rod 21 suitable for the heated aerosol generating device 1 can be manufactured. However, in some other embodiments, the first filter segment 211 may be made of a cellulose acetate filter. In this case, the effect of improving the removal performance of the first filter segment 211 can be achieved.

Also, in some embodiments, the first filter segment 211 may include a water or oil resistant paper material. In this case, the smoke component (e.g. moisture, aerosol former component) contained in the aerosol is absorbed while passing through the first filter segment 211, and the visible amount of atomization is reduced (e.g., the problem of reducing the amount of atomization in the soft mode) can be greatly reduced. For example, when the first filter segment 211 includes a general paper material, the above-described smoke component may be absorbed due to the hygroscopicity of the paper material, thereby reducing the amount of visible atomization. However, when a water- or oil-resistant paper material is applied, absorption of the above-described smoke component hardly occurs, and thus the problem of reducing the amount of atomization can be solved.

Also, in some embodiments, the suction resistance of the first filter segment 211 or the second filter segment 213 may be about 50 mmH ₂ 0/60 mm to 150 mmH ₂ 0/60 mm, preferably about 50 mmH ₂ 0 /60 mm to 130 mmH ₂ 0/60 mm, about 50 mmH ₂ 0/60 mm to 120 mmH ₂ 0/60 mm, about 50 mmH ₂ 0/60 mm to 110 mmH ₂ 0/60 mm, about 50 mmH ₂ 0/60 mm to 100 mmH ₂ 0/60 mm, about 50 mmH ₂ 0/60 mm to 90 mmH ₂ 0/60 mm, about 50 mmH ₂ 0/60 mm to 100 mmH ₂ 0/80 mm or about 50 mmH ₂ 0/60 mm to 70 mmH ₂ 0/60 mm. Within this numerical range, appropriate suckability can be ensured. In addition, the probability of occurrence of vortices in the cavity segment 212 is increased by appropriate sucking, so that the effect of uniformly heating a plurality of tobacco granules 214 can be achieved. In this regard, see FIG. 8 So, let me elaborate later. In addition, when the filter segments 211 and 213 are paper filters, it was confirmed that an appropriate amount of atomization is guaranteed within the illustrated numerical range.

Next, the second filter segment 213 is a filter segment forming the cavity segment 212 and may be located upstream of the cavity segment 212 . The second filter segment 213 may further perform a function of preventing the tobacco granules 214 from falling off. In addition, the second filter segment 213 can ensure that the cavity segment 212 is positioned at an appropriate location within the aerosol-generating device 1 when the aerosol-generating article 2 is inserted into the aerosol-generating device 1. . In addition, the second filter segment 213 can prevent the tobacco rod 21 from escaping to the outside, and prevent the aerosol liquefied from the tobacco rod 21 from flowing into the aerosol generating device 1 during smoking. may be

In some embodiments, the second filter segment 213 may include a paper material. In other words, the second filter segment 213 may be made of a paper filter. It may be preferable that the paper material is arranged in the longitudinal direction to secure a smooth air flow path. However, it is not limited thereto. According to this embodiment, a tobacco rod 21 suitable for the heated aerosol generating device 1 can be manufactured. Specifically, the cellulose acetate fibers may be melted or contracted when in contact with the internal heating element, accelerating the removal of the tobacco granules 214. However, paper materials that are resistant to heat can greatly mitigate this phenomenon.

Also, in some embodiments, the second filter segment 213 may include a water or oil resistant paper material. In this case, as mentioned above, the problem of reducing the amount of visible atomization can be greatly reduced.

Meanwhile, physical properties of paper materials included in the filter segments 211 and 213 may vary.

In some embodiments, the oil resistance of the paper material can be about 4 or greater (ie, about 4 or greater on a scale of 1 to 12) as measured by the 3M Kit Test, and is preferably about 5, 6, 7 or may be 8 or more. Within this numerical range, the problem of reducing the amount of visible atomization (ie, the amount of visible smoke generated) due to moisture absorption of the paper material (e.g. the decrease in the amount of visible atomization in the softening mode) can be solved.

Also, in some embodiments, the thickness of the paper material may be between about 30 μm and 50 μm, preferably between about 33 μm and 47 μm, between about 35 μm and 45 μm, or between about 37 μm and 42 μm.

Also, in some embodiments, the basis weight of the paper material may be between about 20 g/m ² and 40 g/m ² , preferably between about 23 g/m ² and 37 g/m ² , and between about 25 g/m ² and 35 g/m 2 . ² , about 27 g/m ² to 33 g/m ² .

Also, in some embodiments, the tensile strength of the paper material may be greater than or equal to about 2.5 kgf/15 mm, preferably greater than or equal to about 2.8 kgf/15 mm, 3.2 kgf/15 mm, or 3.5 kgf/15 mm.

Also, in some embodiments, the elongation of the paper material may be greater than about 0.8%, preferably greater than about 1.0%, 1.2%, or about 1.5%.

Also, in some embodiments, the paper material may have a stiffness of about 100 cm ³ or more, preferably about 120 cm ³ , 150 cm ³ or 180 cm ³ or more.

Also, in some embodiments, the ash content of the paper material may be less than about 1.5%, preferably less than about 1.2%, 1.0% or 0.8%.

Also, in some embodiments, the paper material may have a paper width of about 80 mm to 250 mm, preferably about 90 mm to 230 mm, about 100 mm to 200 mm, about 120 mm to 180 mm, or about 120 mm to 150 mm. Within this numerical range, it was confirmed that the filter segments 211 and 213 had an appropriate suction resistance and an appropriate amount of atomization was ensured.

Next, the cavity segment 212 is a segment having a cavity and may be positioned between the first filter segment 211 and the second filter segment 213 . That is, the cavity segment 212 may be formed by the filter segment 211 and the second filter segment 213 .

Cavity segment 212 can be manufactured in a variety of ways. As an example, the cavity segment 212 may be manufactured in a form including a tubular structure such as a branch pipe. As another example, the cavity segment 212 may be fabricated by wrapping the cavity formed by the two filter segments 211 and 213 with a wrapper of a suitable material. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and if the tobacco granules 214 can be filled, the cavity segment 212 may be manufactured in any way.

The length of the cavity segment 212 may be freely selected within about 8 mm to 12 mm, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to this numerical range.

As shown, the cavity segment 212 may be filled with tobacco granules 214. Generally, the tobacco granules 214 have significantly less moisture and/or aerosol former content than other types of tobacco material (e.g. leaf tobacco cut filler, leaf leaf, etc.), thereby greatly reducing the generation of visible smoke; Accordingly, the smoke-free function of the aerosol generating device 1 can be easily implemented. However, the diameter, density, filling rate, composition ratio of constituent materials, heating temperature, etc. of the tobacco granules 214 may vary, which may vary depending on the embodiment.

In some embodiments, the tobacco granules 214 may have a diameter between about 0.3 mm and 1.2 mm. Within this numerical range, proper hardness and ease of manufacture of the tobacco granules 214 are ensured, and the probability of airflow in the cavity segment 212 can be increased. Regarding the occurrence of the turbulence flow, a further description will be made later with reference to FIG. 8 .

Also, in some embodiments, the size of the tobacco granules 214 may be between about 15 mesh and 50 mesh, preferably between about 15 mesh and 45 mesh, between about 20 mesh and 45 mesh, and between about 25 mesh and 45 mesh. 45 mesh or about 25 to 40 mesh. Within this numerical range, the proper hardness and ease of manufacture of the tobacco granules 214 are ensured, the drop-off phenomenon is minimized, and the probability of airflow in the cavity segment 212 can be increased.

Also, in some embodiments, the density of the tobacco granules 214 may be between about 0.5 g/cm ³ and 1.2 g/cm ³ , preferably between about 0.6 g/cm ³ and 1.0 g/cm ³ , 0.7 g / cm ³ to 0.9 g/cm ³ or 0.6 g/cm ³ to 0.8 g/cm ³ . Within this numerical range, the proper hardness of the tobacco granules 214 is ensured, and the probability of airflow in the cavity segment 212 can be increased. Regarding the occurrence of the turbulence flow, a further description will be made later with reference to FIG. 8 .

Additionally, in some embodiments, the tobacco granules 214 may have a hardness of greater than about 80%, preferably greater than 85% or 90%, more preferably greater than 91%, 93%, 95% or 97%. there is. Within this numerical range, the ease of manufacture of the tobacco granules 214 is improved, and the crumb phenomenon is minimized, so that the ease of manufacture of the aerosol-generating article 2 can also be improved. In this embodiment, the hardness of the tobacco granules 214 may be a value measured in accordance with the national standard test method KSM-1802 (“Activated Carbon Test Method”). Refer to the national standard KSM-1802 for the details of the hardness measurement method and the meaning of the measured value.

Also, in some embodiments, the filling ratio of tobacco granules 214 to cavity segment 212 may be less than or equal to about 80% by volume, preferably less than or equal to about 70%, 60% or 50% by volume. Within this numerical range, the probability of occurrence of vortex flow in the cavity segment 212 may be increased. Regarding the occurrence of the turbulence flow, a further description will be made later with reference to FIG. 8 . In addition, the filling rate of the tobacco granules 214 may be preferably about 20% by volume, 30% by volume, or about 40% by volume or more to ensure an appropriate taste.

Further, in some embodiments, the tobacco granules 214 may comprise less than about 20% moisture by weight, preferably about 15%, 12%, 10%, 7% or 5% moisture. It may contain the following moisture. Within this numerical range, generation of visible smoke can be greatly reduced, and the smoke-free function of the aerosol-generating device 1 can be easily implemented.

Further, in some embodiments, the tobacco granules 214 may include up to about 10% aerosol former by weight, preferably about 7%, 5%, 3% or 1% aerosol by weight. Formers may be included. Alternatively, the tobacco granules 214 may not include an aerosol former. Within this numerical range, generation of visible smoke can be greatly reduced, and the smoke-free function of the aerosol-generating device 1 can be easily implemented.

Also, in some embodiments, the heating temperature of the tobacco granules 214 may be less than or equal to about 270 degrees, 260 degrees, 250 degrees, 240 degrees, or 230 degrees. In other words, the heater unit 13 may heat the tobacco rod 21 to a heating temperature in the illustrated range. Within this numerical range, the problem that the tobacco granules 214 are overheated and the burnt taste is expressed can be solved. In addition, the smoke-free function of the aerosol-generating device 1 can be easily implemented by guaranteeing an appropriate taste and minimizing the generation of visible smoke. To explain further, tobacco materials such as cut fillers, plate leaves, etc. must be heated to about 270 degrees or more to develop sufficient taste, whereas tobacco granules 214 can exhibit sufficient taste even at a lower temperature, generating visible smoke This can be easily suppressed. Further, these properties may make the tobacco granules 214 more suitable than other types of tobacco materials to implement the smoke-free function of the aerosol-generating device 1 .

Further, in some embodiments, the nicotine content of the tobacco granules 214 is between about 1.0% and 4.0%, preferably between about 1.5% and 3.5%, 1.8% and 3.0%, or 2.0% and 2.0% on a wet basis. It may be 2.5%. Within this numerical range, an appropriate level of taste can be guaranteed.

Further, in some embodiments, the tobacco granules 214 have a nicotine content on a dry basis of about 1.2% to 4.2%, preferably about 1.7% to 3.7%, 2.0% to 3.2% or 2.2% to 2.2%. It may be 2.7%. Within this numerical range, an appropriate level of taste can be guaranteed.

On the other hand, although not clearly shown, the aerosol-generating article 2 may be wrapped by at least one wrapper. As an example, the aerosol-generating article 2 may be wrapped by a wrapper. As another example, the aerosol-generating article 2 may be overlappingly wrapped by two or more wrappers. For example, the tobacco rod 21 may be wrapped by a first wrapper and the filter rod 22 may be wrapped by a second wrapper. Then, the tobacco rod 21 and the filter rod 22 wrapped by individual wrappers are combined, and the entire aerosol-generating article 2 can be re-wrapped by the third wrapper. If each of the tobacco rod 21 or filter rod 22 is composed of a plurality of segments, each segment may be wrapped by an individual wrapper. Then, the entire aerosol-generating article 2 in which the segments wrapped by individual wrappers are combined can be re-wrapped by another wrapper. At least one hole through which external air is introduced or internal gas is discharged may be formed in the wrapper.

An aerosol-generating article 2 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure has been described so far with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 . According to the foregoing, an aerosol-generating article 2 suitable for realizing the smoke-free function of the aerosol-generating device 1 can be provided. Specifically, the aerosol-generating article 2 comprises a tobacco rod 21 filled with tobacco granules 214, which tobacco granules 214 are tobacco such as cut filler (e.g. leaf tobacco cut filler, leaf cut leaf), leaf leaf cut filler, and the like. Due to the significantly lower content of moisture and/or aerosol formers compared to the material, the generation of visible smoke can be greatly reduced. In addition, since the tobacco granules 214 exhibit sufficient taste even at a relatively low temperature compared to other types of tobacco materials, the heating temperature of the aerosol generating device 1 can be set relatively low, and the heating temperature is lowered. Accordingly, generation of visible smoke can be further reduced.

In addition, as the smoke-free function is provided, the user can use the aerosol generating device 1 without being restricted by location or environment. Accordingly, user convenience may be improved.

In addition, the cavity segment 212 may be formed by the filter segments 211 and 213 located upstream and downstream of the tobacco rod 21, and the tobacco granules 214 may be filled in the cavity segment 212. Accordingly, the tobacco rod 21 that can minimize the drop-off phenomenon of the tobacco granules 214 can be easily manufactured.

Also, the filter segments 211 and 213 may be made of paper filters. In this case, a problem in which physical properties of the filter segments 211 and 213 are changed by heating of the heater unit 13 can be prevented.

On the other hand, the inventors of the present disclosure, when a specific condition is satisfied, a whirlpool is generated in the cavity segment 212 at the time of puff, and a plurality of tobacco granules 214 are mixed and heated uniformly due to the generated whirlpool It was confirmed that this appeared. Hereinafter, the principles and conditions for generating vortices will be described with reference to FIG. 8 .

FIG. 8 is an exemplary diagram for explaining the principle and condition of generating vortices in the aerosol-generating article 2 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ease of understanding, the following drawings of FIG. 8 show only the tobacco rod 21 excluding the filter rod 22.

As shown in FIG. 8, when a specific condition is satisfied, a phenomenon in which the airflow introduced through the second filter segment 213 by the puff (see the dotted line arrow) vortexes in the cavity segment 214 may occur. there is. For example, an irregular air flow may be formed while the air flow introduced by the puff meets a plurality of tobacco granules 214 moving in a downstream direction by the puff, and turbulent air flow may be generated during this process. In addition, the plurality of tobacco granules 214 may be well mixed and uniformly heated by the generated airflow. For example, as the more heated tobacco granules 214 and less heated tobacco granules 214 are mixed and the position of the tobacco granules 214 is changed, the effect of uniformly heating a plurality of tobacco granules 214 can be achieved there is. Accordingly, burnt taste during smoking can be reduced and smoking taste can be improved.

The present inventors confirmed that the above vortex generation phenomenon appeared during the continuous research process, and confirmed that the probability of vortex generation greatly increased under the following conditions through experiments. Hereinafter, the conditions for generating vortices will be described.

First, the first condition relates to the filling factor of the cavity segment 212 . This is because the plurality of tobacco granules 214 can be easily moved and mixed only when there is sufficient empty space in the cavity segment 212. According to the experimental results, it was confirmed that when the filling rate of the tobacco granules 214 for the cavity segment 212 was about 80 vol% or less, the vortex flow was generated well, and when about 70 vol% or less, the probability of generating the vortex flow was more confirmed to increase.

Next, the second condition relates to the density of the tobacco granules 214. This is because if the weight of the tobacco granules 214 is too heavy, it is difficult to move by the puff or air flow, and may act as a strong resistance to the incoming air flow. According to the experimental results, when the density of the tobacco granules 214 is about 1.2 g / cm ³ or less, it was confirmed that vortices occur well, and when it is about 1.0 g / cm ³ or less, the probability of generating vortices is further increased. Confirmed.

Next, the third condition relates to the diameter of the tobacco granules 214. This is because even if the diameter of the tobacco granules 214 is too large, it can act as a strong resistance to the incoming air flow. According to the experimental results, it was confirmed that when the diameter of the tobacco granules 214 was about 1.2 mm or less, the vortex flow was generated well, and when the diameter was about 1.0 mm or less, the probability of vortex flow was further increased.

Next, the fourth condition relates to the suction resistance of the first filter segment 211 . This is because if the suction resistance is too low, sucking may occur and the suction force by the puff may not be transmitted to the cavity segment 212 . According to the experimental results, when the suction resistance of the first filter segment 211 is about 50 mmH ₂ 0/60 mm or more, it was confirmed that the vortex flow is generated well, and when it is about 70 mmH ₂ 0/60 mm or more, the probability of generating the vortex flow is more confirmed to increase.

Up to now, referring to FIG. 8 , conditions related to the generation principle of vortices have been described. Hereinafter, a heating structure of the heater unit 13 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12 .

First, a heating structure of the heater unit 13 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 9 .

As shown in FIG. 9 , the heater unit 13 according to the present embodiment may be configured to include an external heating element 131, and the external heating element 131 may be arranged to heat only the cavity segment 131. can For example, the external heating element 131 may be disposed in a form surrounding at least a portion of the cavity segment 131 .

In this case, due to the problem that the physical properties of the filter segments 211 and 213 are changed by the heat of the heater unit 13 and the moisture absorption of the filter segments 211 and 213, the amount of visible atomization (ie, the amount of visible smoke generated) This decreasing problem can be solved. For example, when the filter segments 211 and 213 are cellulose acetate filters, heat from the heater unit 13 may cause melting or contraction of cellulose acetate fibers. This problem can be solved. As another example, when the filter segments 211 and 213 are paper filters, as the hygroscopicity of the paper material increases due to the heat of the heater unit 13, a problem in which the amount of atomization is reduced in the soft mode may occur. This problem is also solved. It can be.

Hereinafter, a heating structure of the heater unit 13 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 10 . For clarity of the present disclosure, descriptions of overlapping contents with the previous embodiments will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 10 , the heater unit 13 according to the present embodiment may be configured to include an external heating element 131 . In addition, the external heating element 131 is arranged to heat only the cavity segment 212 , and may be arranged such that an unheated portion 215 is formed near a downstream end of the cavity segment 212 . For example, the external heating element 131 may be disposed in a form surrounding the remaining portion of the cavity segment 212 except for the unheated portion 215 .

In this case, the heating efficiency of the heater unit 13 can be improved, and the probability of generating vortices can be further improved. Specifically, while power consumption is reduced by reducing the heating area of the external heating element 131, heating performance for the tobacco granules 214 is maintained as it is, so heating efficiency can be improved. In other words, during smoking, most of the tobacco granules 214 are located upstream of the cavity segment 212 by gravity, and the external heating element 131 heats the upstream portion where most of the tobacco granules 214 are located. Even if the bar heating area is reduced, the amount of heat substantially transferred to the tobacco granules 214 may not decrease. In addition, a temperature difference may occur within the cavity segment 212, so that the probability of generating vortices may be improved. For example, due to a temperature difference (e.g., an upstream portion is heated to a relatively high temperature) within the cavity segment 212, an air current flow in a downstream direction is promoted, and thus the probability of occurrence of turbulent air flow may further increase.

On the other hand, in some embodiments, the heater unit 13 may be configured to include a first external heating element for heating the upstream of the cavity segment 212 and a second external heating element for heating the downstream, the control unit 12 ) may control the heating temperature of the first external heating element to be higher than that of the second external heating element. Even in this case, effects similar to those described above can be achieved.

Also, in some embodiments, the heater unit 13 may be configured to include a plurality of external heating elements that heat various parts of the cavity segment 212 to different temperatures. For example, the heater unit 13 includes a first external heating element for heating a first portion of the cavity segment 212, a second external heating element for heating a second portion, and a third external heating element for heating a third portion of the cavity segment 212. It may be configured to include, and the control unit 12 may operate each external heating element at different temperatures. In this case, as each part of the cavity segment 212 is heated to a different temperature, an internal airflow flow may become complicated, and as a result, the probability of occurrence of turbulent airflow may further increase.

Hereinafter, a heating structure of the heater unit 13 according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 11 .

As shown in FIG. 11 , the heater unit 13 according to the present embodiment may include an internal heating element 132 and an external heating element 131 . The heater unit 13 can uniformly heat the plurality of tobacco granules 214 by heating the cavity segment 212 from the inside and outside through the two heating elements 131 and 132. However, a specific implementation method of the heater unit 13 may be different.

As an example, the internal heating element 132 and the external heating element 131 may be implemented in a form controlled by the controller 12 at the same time. At this time, the two heating elements 131 and 132 may be physically manufactured integrally as shown, or may be manufactured separately from each other. In any case, the complexity of the circuit configuration between the control unit 12 and the heater unit 13 can be reduced.

As another example, the internal heating element 132 and the external heating element 131 may be independently controlled by the control unit 12 . For example, the two heating elements 131 and 132 may be manufactured in separate forms and controlled to different temperatures by the control unit 12 . In this example, the controller 12 may operate the internal heating element 132 at a lower heating temperature than the external heating element 131 or operate the internal heating element 132 only under certain conditions (e.g. every puff). operation, operation only during warm-up time, etc.). In this case, the problem that the tobacco granules 214 are overheated due to the internal heating element 132 to develop a burnt taste can be greatly reduced. For example, as some of the tobacco granules 214 are heated while being continuously in contact with the internal heating element 132, the problem of developing a burnt taste can be greatly reduced.

Meanwhile, in some embodiments, the internal heating element 132 may have a thickness of about 4.0 mm or less, preferably about 3.0 mm, 2.5 mm, or 2.0 mm or less. Within this numerical range, the problem of the cigarette rod 21 being pushed during insertion or the filter segment (e.g. 213) being damaged by the internal heating element 132 can be easily solved, and the filter segment (e.g. 213) The dropping phenomenon of the tobacco granules 214 through the damaged area can also be minimized. For example, if the second filter segment 213 is a paper filter and the thickness of the internal heating element 132 is thick, the internal heating element 132 is blocked by the paper material and the tobacco rod 21 is pushed when inserted. there is. Alternatively, the second filter segment 213 may be greatly damaged by the penetration of the internal heating element 132, and the tobacco granules 214 may fall out through the damaged portion. However, when the thickness of the internal heating element 132 has the illustrated numerical range, the illustrated problem can be solved.

Also, in some embodiments, the internal heating element 132 may have a pointed shape, such as a semi-conical shape. In this case, damage to the second filter segment 213 by the internal heating element 132 and dropping of the tobacco granules 214 may be minimized.

Hereinafter, a heating structure of the heater unit 13 according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 12 .

As shown in FIG. 12, the heater unit 13 according to this embodiment may be configured to include an external heating element 131 and a heat conduction element 133 for heating the inside of the tobacco rod 21. Here, the heat conducting element 133 is made of a thermally conductive material and is disposed to be in thermal contact with the external heating element 131, and serves to transfer heat generated from the external heating element 131 to the inside of the tobacco rod 21. can be performed.

In this case, since the tobacco granules 214 are heated by conduction heat inside the cavity segment 212, the problem of overheating of the tobacco granules 214 can be greatly reduced. In addition, since only the controller 12 and the external heating element 131 are circuit-connected, the complexity of the circuit configuration can be reduced.

Hereinafter, a heating structure of the heater unit 13 according to the fifth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

The heater unit 13 according to the present embodiment may heat the cavity segment 212 using an induction heating method through a particle-type susceptor material (hereinafter referred to as “susceptor particle”). Specifically, the heater unit 13 may be configured to include an inductor (eg, an induction coil) for inductively heating the susceptor material, and a plurality of susceptor particles may be disposed inside the cavity segment 212 . In this case, while the plurality of susceptor particles are mixed with the tobacco granules 214 inside the cavity segment 212, the tobacco granules 214 are heated, and the tobacco granules 214 can be uniformly heated.

A method of arranging the susceptor particles may vary. For example, the susceptor particles may be filled inside the cavity segment 212 with tobacco granules 214. As another example, the susceptor particles may constitute part of tobacco granules 214 . For example, the tobacco granules 214 including the susceptor particles may be produced by introducing the susceptor particles during the manufacture of the tobacco granules 214.

So far, the heating structure of the heater unit 13 according to the first to fifth embodiments of the present disclosure has been described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12 . In order to provide convenience of understanding, the embodiments have been separately described, but the above-described first to fifth embodiments may be combined in various forms. For example, the heater unit 13 according to some embodiments may include an internal heating element and an external heating element for heating only the cavity segment 212 .

Hereinafter, the composition and effect of the tobacco granules 214 and/or the aerosol generating article 2 will be described in more detail through Examples and Comparative Examples. However, since the following embodiments are only some examples of the present disclosure, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited by the following embodiments.

Example 1

Tobacco granules having a size of about 30 mesh to 45 mesh were prepared, and a cigarette having the same structure as the article (2) illustrated in FIG. 7 was prepared by introducing the prepared tobacco granules to have a filling rate of about 75% by volume. As the two filter segments (e.g. 211, 213) constituting the tobacco rod (e.g. 21), filters made of paper materials having oil resistance (oil resistance measured according to 3M Kit Test) of about 2 were used.

Example 2

The same cigarette as in Example 1 was prepared, except that a filter made of a paper material having an oil resistance of about 6 was used.

Example 3

A cigarette identical to Example 1 was prepared, except that the size of the tobacco granules was about 20 mesh to 30 mesh.

Example 4

The same cigarette as in Example 1 was prepared, except that tobacco granules were added so that the filling rate was about 50% by volume.

Example 5

The same cigarette as in Example 1 was manufactured, except that tobacco granules were added so that the filling rate was about 100% by volume.

Comparative Example 1

Tobacco rods were prepared by using sheet leaf instead of tobacco granules, and cigarettes were manufactured by connecting a shear plug and a filter rod to the tobacco rod. A front end plug was disposed adjacent to the front end of the tobacco rod, a filter rod was disposed adjacent to the rear end of the tobacco rod, and the filter rod consisted of a cooling segment and a mouthpiece segment.

Experimental Example 1: Evaluation of the effect of tobacco granules on smoke-free function

In order to evaluate the effect of tobacco granules on smokeless function, an experiment to measure the migration amount of aerosol formers (e.g. PG, GLY) and moisture by analyzing the smoke components of the cigarettes according to Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 in smokeless mode proceeded. Specifically, a smoking experiment was conducted using the hybrid aerosol generating device as illustrated in FIG. 4 in a smoking room with a temperature of about 20 ° C and a humidity of about 62.5%, and smoke collection for component analysis was performed three times per sample, It was repeated based on 8 puffs per time, and the amount of migration of the aerosol former and moisture was measured as the average value for the three collection results. The hybrid aerosol generator used in the experiment was designed so that only the cigarette heater unit (e.g. 13) operates without the cartridge heater unit (e.g. 14) in smokeless mode, and the cigarette heater unit is heated at 260 degrees for 30 seconds and at 90 degrees at 230 degrees. It is designed to operate according to a temperature profile of heating for seconds, heating to 220 degrees for 160 seconds. Experimental results are shown in FIG. 13 .

Referring to FIG. 13, it was found that both the migration amount of the aerosol former (PG, GLY) and the moisture migration amount of the cigarette according to Example 1 were significantly lower than those of Comparative Example 1. This is determined to be due to the difference in aerosol former and water content between the tobacco granules and the sheet leaf, and through these experimental results, it can be seen that the tobacco granules are more suitable for realizing the smokeless function of the aerosol generating device.

In addition, when smoking the cigarette according to Example 1, almost no visible smoke was generated, but when smoking the cigarette according to Comparative Example 1, it was confirmed that visible smoke was intermittently generated despite the smokeless mode.

Experimental Example 2: Evaluation of the effect of oil resistance of paper material on atomization amount

In order to evaluate the effect of the oil resistance of the paper material put into the filter segment (e.g. 211, 213) on the amount of smoke, the smoke components of the cigarettes according to Examples 1 and 2 were analyzed in the softening mode to determine the Total Particulate Matter (TPM) content An experiment was conducted to measure The experimental method was performed in the same manner as in Experimental Example 1, and the experimental results are shown in Table 1 below.

division TPM (mg/cigar) Example 1 37.23 Example 2 44.40

Referring to Table 1, it was found that the TPM content of the cigarette according to Example 2 (that is, the cigarette into which the paper material having high oil resistance was added) was significantly higher than that of Example 1. This is considered to be the result of the fact that the amount of aerosol-forming agent and moisture is increased because the paper material with high oil resistance reduces moisture absorption in the aerosol passing through the filter segment. Through these experimental results, it can be seen that the amount of atomization can be improved when a paper material having a high oil resistance is introduced.

Experimental Example 3: Evaluation of the effect of the size of tobacco granules on the generation of vortices

In order to evaluate the effect of the size of the tobacco granules on the generation of airflow inside the cavity segment (e.g. 212), a smoking experiment was conducted on the cigarettes according to Examples 1 and 3, and the degree of aggregation of the tobacco granules after smoking was confirmed. An experiment was conducted. This is because the more airflow is generated inside the cavity segment (e.g. 212), the more evenly the tobacco granules are mixed and the agglomeration of the tobacco granules is reduced. The experimental results are shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, and FIGS. 14 and 15 are photographs of the degree of aggregation of tobacco granules after smoking, Example 1 (about 30 to 45 mesh) and Example 3 (about 20 mesh to 30 mesh) shows the experimental results.

Referring to Figures 14 and 15, it was found that the degree of aggregation of the tobacco granules (ie, large-sized tobacco granules) according to Example 3 was more severe than that of Example 1. That is, while the tobacco granules according to Example 1 were relatively evenly spread, it was confirmed that strongly clumped portions appeared in the tobacco granules according to Example 3. It is believed that this is because larger tobacco granules act as a greater resistance to airflow (e.g. can better block airflow due to increased weight, size, etc.), reducing the probability of airflow.

Experimental Example 4: Evaluation of the effect of the filling rate of tobacco granules on the generation of air currents

In order to evaluate the effect of the filling rate of the tobacco granules on the generation of airflow inside the cavity segment (e.g. 212), smoking experiments were conducted on the cigarettes according to Examples 1, 4 and 5, and the degree to which the tobacco granules clumped after smoking An experiment was conducted to confirm Experimental results are shown in FIGS. 16 to 18 . 16, 17 and 18 are photographs of the degree of aggregation of tobacco granules after smoking, Example 4 (filling rate of about 50% by volume), Example 1 (filling rate of about 75% by volume) and Example 5 (filling rate of about 50% by volume) About 100% by volume) shows the experimental results.

Referring to Figures 16 to 18, it was confirmed that the degree of aggregation of the tobacco granules is severe as the filling rate of the tobacco granules increases. For example, it was confirmed that the degree of aggregation of the tobacco granules according to Example 4 having a filling rate of about 50% by volume was significantly lower than that of Example 5 having a filling rate of about 100% by volume. This is considered to be because the empty space of the cavity segment (e.g. 212) increases as the filling factor is lowered, thereby promoting air flow, and as the air flow is promoted, the probability of occurrence of turbulent air flow increases. Through these experimental results, it can be seen that the filling rate of the tobacco granules is preferably about 75% by volume or about 80% by volume or less.

Experimental Example 5: Evaluation of the effect of the thickness and shape of the heating element on the degree of damage to the filter segment

Since the greater the degree of damage of the filter segment, the dropping of the tobacco granules can be accelerated, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of the thickness and shape of the internal heating element (e.g. 132) on the degree of damage of the filter segment (e.g. 213). . Specifically, an experiment was conducted to check the degree of damage to the filter segment of the cigarette according to Example 1 while changing the thickness and shape of the internal heating element. Experimental results are shown in FIGS. 19 to 21 . 19 to 21 are cross-sections of a filter segment (e.g. 213) penetrated by an internal heating element, a half-conical heating element about 2 mm thick, a cylindrical (rod) heating element about 2 mm thick, and about 3 mm thick, respectively. The experimental results for the thick cylindrical heating element are shown.

Referring to FIGS. 19 to 21 , it can be seen that the degree of damage to the filter segment increases as the thickness of the heating element increases. Through this, it can be seen that in order to minimize the damage of the filter segment and the drop-off of the tobacco granules, it is preferable that the thickness of the heating element be about 3 mm or less.

In addition, it can be seen that in order to minimize damage to the filter segment, it is preferable to use a pointed heating element such as a semi-conical shape rather than a cylindrical shape.

For reference, it has been confirmed that when the thickness of the heating element is greater than about 4 mm, the filter segment is pushed during insertion, making the insertion difficult and further increasing the degree of damage to the filter segment.

So far, the composition and effect of the tobacco granules 214 and / or the aerosol generating article 2 have been described in more detail through Examples and Comparative Examples.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art may implement the present disclosure in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features. can understand that there is Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not limiting. The protection scope of the present disclosure should be construed by the following claims, and all technical ideas within the equivalent range should be construed as being included in the scope of rights of the technical ideas defined by the present disclosure.

1: aerosol generating device
11: battery
12: control unit
13: heater part
14: cartridge heater unit
15: cartridge
2: aerosol generating article
21: Tobacco rod
22: filter load
211, 213: filter segment
212: cavity segment
214 Tobacco granules
215: unheated area
221: mouthpiece segment
222: cooling segment
131, 132: heating element
133: heat conduction element

Claims (13)

An aerosol-generating article for use with an aerosol-generating device comprising:
A tobacco rod comprising a first filter segment, a second filter segment and a cavity segment;
The cavity segment is formed by the first filter segment and the second filter segment,
Tobacco granules are filled in the cavity segment,
Aerosol-generating articles. According to claim 1,
The aerosol generating device has a smoke-free function,
Aerosol-generating articles. According to claim 1,
Further comprising a filter rod located downstream of the tobacco rod;
the filter rod comprises a cooling segment and a mouthpiece segment;
Aerosol-generating articles. According to claim 1,
The tobacco granules contain less than 10% by weight of moisture,
Aerosol-generating articles. According to claim 1,
wherein the tobacco granules are free of aerosol formers or contain less than 3% by weight of aerosol formers.
Aerosol-generating articles. According to claim 1,
The first filter segment,
Located downstream of the cavity segment,
containing paper material,
Aerosol-generating articles. According to claim 1,
The filling ratio of the tobacco granules to the cavity segment is 80% by volume or less,
The density of the tobacco granules is 0.5 g/cm ³ to 1.2 g/cm ³ ,
The tobacco granules have a diameter of 0.3 mm to 1.2 mm,
The suction resistance of the first filter segment located downstream of the cavity segment is 50 mmH ₂ 0/60 mm to 150 mmH ₂ 0/60 mm,
Aerosol-generating articles. a housing forming an accommodation space in which an aerosol-generating article is accommodated; and
A heater unit for heating an aerosol-generating article accommodated in the accommodation space,
wherein the aerosol-generating article comprises a tobacco rod comprising a cavity segment and a filter rod;
Tobacco granules are filled in the cavity segment,
Aerosol generating device. According to claim 8,
The heating temperature of the heater part is 270 degrees or less,
Aerosol generating device. According to claim 8,
a cartridge containing an aerosol former;
a cartridge heater unit for heating the cartridge; and
Further comprising a control unit for controlling the aerosol generating device to operate in a mode set among a smokeless mode and a soft mode,
Aerosol generating device. According to claim 10,
The control unit,
In response to determining that the set mode is the lead-free mode, operating only the heater unit among the heater unit and the cartridge heater unit.
Aerosol generating device. According to claim 10,
The control unit,
In response to determining that the set mode is the flexible mode, both the heater unit and the cartridge heater unit are operated, or only the cartridge heater unit is operated.
Aerosol generating device. According to claim 10,
The control unit,
In response to determining that the set mode is the lead-free mode, operating the heater unit at a first heating temperature;
In response to determining that the set mode is the flexible mode, both the heater unit and the cartridge heater unit are operated, but the heater unit is operated at a second heating temperature lower than the first heating temperature,
Aerosol generating device.

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