KR20240000514A - Aerosol-generating article, method for producing the same, and aerosol-generating system - Google Patents

Abstract

An aerosol-generating article (1, 2, 3, 4) for use with an aerosol-generating device (102) comprises a substantially planar aerosol-generating substrate (14), extending along the substantially planar aerosol-generating substrate (14). It includes at least one channel-forming strip (40), and a wrapping member (22) surrounding the substantially planar aerosol-generating substrate (14) and the at least one channel-forming strip (40). The aerosol-generating substrate 14 includes an aerosol-generating material that generates an aerosol when heated by the aerosol-generating device 102. At least one channel-forming strip 40 includes a meltable material configured to melt upon heating by the aerosol-generating device 102 to form the airflow channel 16 . The meltable material does not contain any active agents that may release volatile components within the generated aerosol when the meltable material is heated by the aerosol generating device 102 and may include non-toxic materials such as waxes.

Description

Aerosol-generating article, method for producing the same, and aerosol-generating system

The present disclosure relates generally to aerosol-generating articles, and more particularly to aerosol-generating articles for use with an aerosol-generating device for heating the aerosol-generating article to generate an aerosol that can be inhaled by a user. . Embodiments of the present disclosure also relate to methods of making aerosol-generating articles and/or aerosol-generating systems comprising aerosol-generating articles and aerosol-generating devices. The present disclosure is particularly applicable to aerosol-generating articles for use with portable (hand-held) aerosol-generating devices.

The popularity and use of reduced-risk or modified-risk devices (also known as aerosol-generating devices or vapor-generating devices) has grown rapidly in recent years as an alternative to the use of traditional tobacco products. A variety of devices and systems are available that heat or warm an aerosol-generating material to generate an aerosol for inhalation by a user.

Commonly available reduced risk or modified risk devices are heated base aerosol generating devices or so-called heated non-combustion devices. Devices of this type generate aerosols or vapors by heating an aerosol-generating substrate to a temperature typically in the range of 150°C to 300°C. Heating the aerosol-generating substrate to a temperature within this range without burning or combusting the aerosol-generating substrate typically generates a vapor that cools and condenses to form an aerosol for inhalation by the user of the device.

Currently available aerosol-generating devices include a variety of devices that provide heat to an aerosol-generating substrate, including resistive heating using resistive heating elements and inductive heating using heating elements in the form of inductive coils and inductively heatable susceptors. You can use one of the options.

Whatever method is used to heat the aerosol-generating substrate, the properties of the aerosol generated by the aerosol-generating device depend on a number of factors, including the construction of the aerosol-generating article used with the aerosol-generating device. Accordingly, there is a desire to provide an aerosol-generating article that can optimize the properties of the aerosol generated during use of the article and at the same time is easy to use with an aerosol-generating device.

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an aerosol-generating article for use with an aerosol-generating device, the aerosol-generating article comprising:

A substantially planar aerosol-generating substrate;

at least one channel-forming strip extending along a substantially planar aerosol-generating substrate; and

comprising a substantially planar aerosol-generating substrate and a wrapping member surrounding the at least one channel-forming strip,

The at least one channel-forming strip includes a meltable material configured to melt upon heating by the aerosol-generating device to form an airflow channel.

The aerosol-generating article comprises an aerosol-generating article without burning the aerosol-generating substrate to volatilize at least one component of the aerosol-generating substrate and thereby generate a heated vapor that is cooled and condensed to form an aerosol for inhalation by a user of the aerosol-generating device. It is intended for use with an aerosol-generating device that heats the substrate. The aerosol-generating device is a hand-held portable device.

Generally, a vapor is a substance in the gaseous state at a temperature below its critical temperature, which means that the vapor can be condensed into a liquid by increasing the pressure without lowering the temperature, while an aerosol is a collection of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in air or other gases. It means that it is a suspension. However, it should be noted that the terms 'aerosol' and 'vapour' may be used interchangeably herein, particularly with regard to the form of inhalable medium that is produced to be inhaled by a user.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an aerosol generating system, the system comprising:

An aerosol-generating article according to the first aspect; and

An aerosol-generating device adapted to receive an aerosol-generating article, the aerosol-generating device comprising: a heating element configured to heat a substantially planar aerosol-generating substrate and at least one channel-forming strip, the heating element comprising: It is controlled during use to heat the at least one channel-forming strip to a temperature above a critical temperature to melt the at least one channel-forming strip and thereby form an airflow channel.

According to a third aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a method of making an aerosol-generating article for use with an aerosol-generating device, the method comprising:

providing a substantially planar aerosol-generating substrate;

providing at least one channel-forming strip extending along a substantially planar aerosol-generating substrate; and

Surrounding the substantially planar aerosol-generating substrate and at least one channel-forming strip with a wrapping member,

The at least one channel-forming strip includes a meltable material configured to melt upon heating by the aerosol-generating device to form an airflow channel.

By providing a channel-forming strip comprising a meltable material, an in-use airflow channel can be readily formed when an aerosol-generating article is placed in and heated by an aerosol-generating device, thereby allowing the preformed airflow channel (i.e., aerosol The risk of the airflow channels formed during the manufacture of the aerosol-generating article becoming clogged during processing and/or storage and/or handling of the aerosol-generating article, for example as a result of crushing or compression of the aerosol-generating article. The airflow channel thus formed is surrounded by a wrapping member, thereby preventing vapors and/or aerosols generated during use of the aerosol-generating article in an aerosol-generating device from flowing internally within the article along the airflow channel prior to inhalation by the user. guaranteed. This can help ensure that the largest possible amount of vapor and/or aerosol is delivered to the user and that the delivered vapor and/or aerosol has optimal properties.

Fusible materials are non-toxic materials that do not release toxic volatile components when heated by an aerosol-generating device. For example, the meltable material can be wax. The meltable material includes any active agent capable of releasing volatile components into the generated aerosol flowing through the airflow channel when the meltable material is heated by the aerosol-generating device, more specifically by the heating element of the aerosol-generating device. do not include. The term 'active agent' refers to any material that, when the meltable material is heated, is capable of releasing one or more volatile components, such as nicotine, aerosol formers, or flavoring agents, that can contribute to the formation of an inhalable aerosol, or Contains substances or ingredients. Accordingly, the meltable material is provided in addition to an aerosol-generating material that forms an aerosol-generating substrate and, when heated by an aerosol-generating device, releases one or more volatile components that generate an inhalable aerosol comprising one or more active agents, such as nicotine; , these are distinguished from aerosol-generating materials.

The aerosol-generating article may include a distal end, a mouth end, and a longitudinal axis that may extend between the mouth end and the distal end. The mouth end is located at an end opposite the distal end of the aerosol-generating article. More specifically, the mouth end is positioned downstream of the distal end with respect to the direction of airflow through the aerosol-generating article, for example, during use of the aerosol-generating article in an aerosol-generating device. The at least one channel-forming strip may extend in a first direction, which may be substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis. Accordingly, the airflow channel formed by melting the meltable material also extends in the first direction. Air flows along the airflow channel from the distal end to the mouth end during use of the aerosol-generating article, ensuring that the maximum amount of volatile components is released from the heated aerosol-generating substrate into the air as the air flows along the airflow channel. This in turn ensures that the greatest possible amount of vapor and/or aerosol is generated and delivered to the user during use of the aerosol-generating article.

The at least one channel-forming strip may be positioned in a groove formed in the surface of the substantially planar aerosol-generating substrate. Accordingly, the airflow channels formed by melting the meltable material may include grooves formed in the surface of the substantially planar aerosol-generating substrate. The manufacture of the aerosol-generating article is facilitated because the at least one channel-forming strip can be easily pressed into the surface of a substantially planar aerosol-generating substrate.

The aerosol-generating substrate may include a plurality of said grooves that may be arranged side by side to form a fluted surface, and a channel-forming strip may be positioned in each groove. Accordingly, a plurality of airflow channels are provided on the surface of the aerosol-generating substrate after melting the meltable material. By providing a plurality of airflow channels, increased amounts of vapors and/or aerosols can be generated and delivered to the user during use of the aerosol-generating article.

At least one channel-forming strip may be positioned in a passageway formed in the aerosol-generating substrate. Accordingly, the airflow channel formed after melting the meltable material may include at least one airflow passageway formed within the aerosol-generating substrate. The airflow passageway is completely surrounded by an aerosol-generating substrate. This allows the maximum amount of volatile components to be released into the air from the heated aerosol-generating substrate as the air flows along the airflow path, thereby generating the largest possible amount of vapor and/or aerosol during use of the aerosol-generating article in the aerosol-generating device. This ensures that it is delivered to the user.

In one example, a single channel-forming strip can be positioned within the aerosol-generating substrate, for example at a substantially central location within a cross-section of the aerosol-generating substrate. In another example, a plurality of channel-forming strips may be positioned internally within the aerosol-generating substrate, and the channel-forming strips may be arranged side by side, for example in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction (longitudinal). there is. By providing a plurality of channel-forming strips and thus providing airflow passages formed by melting the meltable material used to form the channel-forming strips, an increased amount of vapor and/or vapor can be produced during use of the aerosol-generating article in the aerosol-generating device. Alternatively, an aerosol may be generated and delivered to the user.

The aerosol-generating substrate comprises, for example, a plurality of aerosol-generating strips that can extend in a first direction parallel to the longitudinal axis and can be arranged intermittently in a second direction that can be substantially perpendicular to the first direction. can do. An aerosol-generating article may comprise a plurality of the channel-forming strips, and one of the airflow channels may be located between each pair of intermittently arranged aerosol-generating strips. This configuration allows the channel-forming strips to be easily positioned on the aerosol-generating substrate during manufacture of the aerosol-generating article, for example by spacing the aerosol-generating strips in the second direction to form a space for positioning the channel-forming strip. there is. By positioning the channel-forming strips in the space formed between the aerosol-generating strips, deformation of the aerosol-generating substrate can be carefully controlled or even prevented during the manufacture of the aerosol-generating article. Aerosol-generating articles can also be manufactured efficiently and mass-produced with relative ease.

A substantially planar aerosol-generating substrate may have a flat rectangular shape, which may have a pair of major surfaces. The wrapping member may include a pair of rectangular sheets that can each be attached to a pair of major surfaces. The aerosol-generating article can have a pleasing aesthetic appearance due to the flat, rectangular shape of the aerosol-generating substrate. The aerosol-generating substrate can be easily covered by a wrapping member, ensuring that the user does not directly touch the aerosol-generating substrate while handling the aerosol-generating article. The flat, rectangular shape can also facilitate packaging and storage of multiple aerosol-generating articles.

An aerosol-generating article may include a support member that may form a mouth-end portion of the article. The support member may have a tubular shape, for example a rectangular tubular shape, to receive the downstream end of the aerosol-generating substrate and the at least one channel-forming strip. The support member may be free-standing and may comprise, for example, cardboard or plastic material. The support member can advantageously deliver vapors and/or aerosols generated during use of the article directly to the user's mouth. The support member can cool and condense heated vapors generated during use of the aerosol-generating article to form an aerosol with optimal properties for inhalation by a user.

The wrapping member may include a material that is substantially non-conductive and non-magnetic-permeable and may include, for example, a paper wrapper. The use of paper wrappers can facilitate the manufacture and handling of aerosol-generating articles and can improve aerosol generation.

The wrapping member may have a porous inner surface that can face the aerosol-generating substrate to absorb condensation. The porous inner surface can help ensure that the formation of condensed material on the inner surface of the aerosol-generating device is substantially eliminated or at least minimized. The wrapping member may have an anti-stick outer surface facing away from the aerosol-generating substrate. For example, the wrapping member may include an anti-adhesive coating on its exterior surface. The anti-stick exterior can help ensure that the wrapping member does not adhere to the surface of the aerosol-generating device when the aerosol-generating device is heated. The porous inner surface and anti-stick outer surface may together help reduce the build-up of residue within the aerosol-generating device, thereby reducing the number of cleanings and maintenance that users of the device may need to perform.

The aerosol-generating substrate may comprise an aerosol-generating material for generating an aerosol upon heating by an aerosol-generating device, more specifically, upon heating by a heating element of the aerosol-generating device. Aerosol-generating substrates may include non-liquid aerosol-generating materials, such as any type of solid or semi-solid material. Examples of types of aerosol-generating solids include powders, granules, pellets, fragments, strands, particles, gels, strips, loose leaves, cut leaves, cut fillers, porous materials, foam materials or sheets. Aerosol-generating substrates may include plant-derived materials and, in particular, may include tobacco. The aerosol-generating substrate may advantageously comprise, for example, tobacco and regenerated tobacco comprising any one or more of cellulosic fibers, tobacco stem fibers and inorganic fillers such as CaCO ₃ .

As a result, aerosol-generating devices intended for use with aerosol-generating articles may be referred to as "heated tobacco devices", "non-combustible heated tobacco devices", "tobacco product vaporizing devices", etc., and may have devices suitable for achieving this effect. It can be interpreted as a device. The features disclosed herein are equally applicable to devices designed to vaporize any aerosol-generating substrate.

The aerosol-generating substrate may include an aerosol former. Examples of aerosol formers include polyhydric alcohols such as glycerin or propylene glycol and mixtures thereof. Typically, the aerosol-generating substrate may include an aerosol former content of about 5% to about 50% by dry weight. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating substrate may include an aerosol former content of about 10% to about 20% by dry weight, possibly about 15% by dry weight.

The heating element of the aerosol-generating device may include a resistive heating element. The heating element may alternatively comprise an inductively heatable susceptor and the aerosol-generating device may further comprise an electromagnetic field generator comprising, for example, an induction coil for inductively heating the susceptor. Aerosol-generating substrates can release volatile compounds when heated by a heating element. Volatile compounds may include flavor compounds such as nicotine or tobacco flavoring.

The aerosol-generating device may include a power source and controller. A power source and controller may be coupled to the heating element. The aerosol-generating device may also include a temperature sensor coupled to the controller to measure the temperature of the heating element. The controller may, for example, be configured to control the power supplied by the power source to the heating element for heating the at least one channel-forming strip to a temperature above the threshold temperature during the start-up phase of the aerosol-generating device.

1 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a first example of an aerosol-generating article having a plurality of channel-forming strips.
Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view similar to Figure 2 after the channel-forming strip has been melted.
Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view similar to Figure 2 of a second example of an aerosol-generating article having a plurality of channel-forming strips.
Figure 5 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a third example of an aerosol-generating article.
Figure 6 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a fourth example of an aerosol-generating article having a plurality of channel-forming strips.
Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Figure 6.
Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view similar to Figure 7 after the channel-forming strip has been melted.
9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating system including an aerosol-generating device and an aerosol-generating article according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring first to Figures 1-3, a first example of an aerosol-generating article 1 for use with a powered aerosol-generating device 102 is shown, an example of an aerosol-generating device being described herein with reference to Figure 9. This will be explained later. The aerosol-generating article 1 is substantially planar and has a distal end 10 and a mouth end 12 (or proximal end) at an opposite end of the aerosol-generating article 1 . The mouth end 12 is downstream of the distal end 10 with respect to the direction of airflow through the aerosol-generating article 1, as indicated by the three arrows in Figure 1. It should be noted that airflow through the aerosol-generating article 1 shown in Figure 1 is initially substantially prevented by the channel-forming strip 40, as explained in more detail below. The longitudinal axis extends between the distal end 10 and the mouth end 12 and defines the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article 1.

The aerosol-generating article (1) comprises a substantially planar aerosol-generating substrate (14). The aerosol-generating substrate 14 contains a bulk or agglomerate of aerosol-generating material and has a flat rectangular shape with a pair of opposingly arranged main surfaces 14a and 14b. The aerosol-generating article 1 is a consumable or disposable article in which the aerosol-generating substrate 14 may include tobacco or tobacco materials.

The aerosol-generating article 1 includes a plurality of grooves 18 formed in the main surface 14a of the aerosol-generating substrate 14 in the illustrated example. The grooves 18 are arranged side by side and parallel to each other, and the grooves 18 extend longitudinally between the distal end 10 and the mouth end 12 substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis. The grooves 18 together form a grooved surface 20 . The grooves 18 may be formed in any suitable manner, for example by pressing the main surface 14a of the aerosol-generating substrate 14 with a pressing tool of an appropriate shape.

The aerosol-generating article (1) includes a plurality of channel-forming strips (40) extending along the aerosol-generating substrate (14) and positioned in grooves (18). Channel-forming strip 40 includes a meltable material, for example a non-toxic meltable material such as wax. As described above, the channel-forming strips 40 initially substantially prevent airflow through the grooves 18. The meltable material is configured to melt upon heating by the aerosol-generating device 102, as discussed in more detail below. Once the meltable material has been melted, grooves 18 serve as airflow channels 16 as shown in FIG. 3 .

Although three grooves 18 are shown in the examples of FIGS. 1 to 3 , it is understood that any suitable number of grooves 18 may be provided depending, for example, on the desired resistance to attraction of the aerosol-generating article 1. You will understand. Additionally, it should be noted that groove 18 may have any suitable cross-sectional shape, including but not limited to square, rectangular, trapezoidal, or semicircular as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The aerosol-generating article (1) further comprises a wrapping member (22) surrounding the aerosol-generating substrate (14) and the channel-forming strip (40). Accordingly, the aerosol-generating substrate 14 and the channel-forming strip 40 (and thus the groove 18) are completely surrounded by a wrapping member 22, which may comprise, for example, cigarette paper or similar material. all. The wrapping member 22 includes a pair of rectangular sheets 24 and 26 respectively attached to the main surfaces 14a and 14b of the aerosol-generating substrate 14. Rectangular sheets 24, 26 are typically wrapped around the aerosol-generating substrate 14 and glued together to secure the wrapping member 22 in place about the aerosol-generating substrate 14 and the channel-forming strip 40. It is formed by a single sheet of material that may have overlapping edges.

In an illustrative, non-limiting example, the aerosol-generating substrate 14 may be about 18.0 mm long (in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article 1), about 11.8 mm wide, and have a thickness (or depth) of may be about 1.2 mm. The aerosol-generating substrate 14 may be spaced inwardly from the distal end 10 of the aerosol-generating article 1 a short distance, for example, approximately 3.0 mm as shown in FIG. 1 . The aerosol-generating article 1 may have a width of approximately 12.0 mm and a thickness (or depth) of approximately 1.4 mm to accommodate the aerosol-generating substrate 14 within the wrapping member 22. The aerosol-generating article (1) is positioned between the distal end (10) and the mouth end (12) by varying the length of the portion of the wrapping member (22) extending between the mouth end (12) and the downstream end of the aerosol-generating substrate (14). can have any suitable length. As the vapor flows through this portion of the wrapping member 22 during use of the aerosol-generating article 1 in the aerosol-generating device 102, the vapor may cool and condense to form an aerosol that can be inhaled by the user. there is. Accordingly, the length of the portion of the wrapping member 22 extending between the downstream end of the aerosol-generating substrate 14 and the mouth end 12 of the aerosol-generating article 1 can be selected during manufacture to provide an aerosol with desired properties. there is.

In some embodiments, wrapping member 22 includes a porous inner surface 22a that faces the aerosol-generating substrate 14 and can absorb condensation that may form during the heating process. Alternatively or additionally, the wrapping member 22 may be provided with an aerosol-generating substrate 14 to reduce the risk of the wrapping member 22 adhering to the surface of the aerosol-generating device 102 when the aerosol-generating device 102 is heated. ) may include an anti-adhesion outer surface 22b facing away from the. The anti-stick outer surface 22b may include an anti-stick coating on the outer surface 22b of the wrapping member 22.

Referring now to Figure 4, a second example of an aerosol-generating article 2 is shown. The aerosol-generating article 2 is similar to the aerosol-generating article 1 described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 and corresponding features are identified using the same reference numerals.

The aerosol-generating article 2 includes a plurality of airflow channels 16 in the form of airflow passages 30 formed internally within the aerosol-generating substrate 14, and the aerosol-generating article 2 is used in the aerosol-generating device 102. Before doing so, a channel-forming strip 40 is placed in each airflow passage 30 to prevent airflow through the airflow passage 30. Like groove 18, airflow passageway 30 extends longitudinally substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis between distal end 10 and mouth end 12. The airflow passages 30 are arranged side by side at approximately the midpoint between the main surfaces 14a and 14b of the aerosol-generating substrate 14, but each airflow passage 30 is completely covered by the material forming the aerosol-generating substrate 14. When surrounded, different positions may be adopted. Additionally, it should be noted that the airflow passageway 30 may have a variety of cross-sectional shapes, including but not limited to square, rectangular, circular, oval, or triangular as illustrated in FIG. 4 . 1-3, the meltable material from which the channel-forming strip 40 is formed is configured to melt upon heating by the aerosol-generating device 102, such that air flows into the airflow passageway 30. allows it to flow through.

Referring now to Figure 5, a third example of an aerosol-generating article 3 is shown. The aerosol-generating article 3 is similar to the aerosol-generating article 1 described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 and corresponding features are identified using the same reference numerals.

The aerosol-generating article 3 is configured to form a mouth-end portion 34 that can be engaged by the user's lips during use of the aerosol-generating article 3 in the aerosol-generating device 102. ) and a support member 28 located at the mouth end 12. The support member 28 typically comprises a free-standing material such as cardboard or plastic material and has a rectangular shape in cross-section to receive a groove 18 formed in the downstream end and surface 14a of the aerosol-generating substrate 14. It has a tubular form, with channel-forming strips 40 positioned within the grooves. The wrapping member 22 also surrounds the support member 28.

Referring now to Figures 6-8, a fourth example of an aerosol-generating article 4 is shown. The aerosol-generating article 4 is similar to the aerosol-generating article 1 , 2 , 3 described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 and corresponding features are identified using the same reference numerals.

In the aerosol-generating article (4), the aerosol-generating substrate (14) comprises a plurality of layers extending in a first direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article (4) between the distal end (10) and the mouth end (12). It includes an aerosol-generating strip (32). The aerosol-generating strips 32 are laterally spaced apart, that is, arranged intermittently and spaced apart in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. This intermittent arrangement (or spacing) of the aerosol-generating strips 32 allows a channel-forming strip 40 to be positioned between each adjacent pair of aerosol-generating strips 32 . 1-5, the meltable material from which the channel-forming strip 40 is formed is configured to melt upon heating by the aerosol-generating device 102. As shown in Figure 8, airflow channels 16 are formed when the meltable material is melted during use of the aerosol-generating article in an aerosol-generating device 102, wherein airflow channels 16 are connected to adjacent aerosol-generating strips. It is formed between each pair of (32).

The aerosol-generating article 4 is shown without a support member 28 at the mouth end 12. However, a support member 28 may be provided at the mouth end 12 of the aerosol-generating article 4 as described above in relation to the aerosol-generating article 3 in FIG. 5 .

Referring now to FIG. 9 , an aerosol-generating system 100 is shown including an aerosol-generating device 102 and a first example of an aerosol-generating article 1 as described above with reference to FIGS. 1-3 . The aerosol-generating device 102 may be an alternative aerosol according to the present disclosure, such as the second, third, or fourth example of the aerosol-generating article 2, 3, or 4 described above with reference to FIGS. 4-8. It will be appreciated that it may be used in combination with generating articles.

The aerosol-generating device 102 includes a receiving chamber 106 and a heater 104 located in the device body 108 to provide heat to the receiving chamber 106. Heater 104 may be a resistive heater comprising a resistive heating element, or alternatively may be an inductive heater comprising a susceptor and an electromagnetic field generator comprising an induction coil.

In use, a user inserts the aerosol-generating article (1) into the receiving chamber (106). The aerosol-generating device 102 may include a cover 110 and a pivot mount 112 that allows the cover 110 to be moved between the closed position shown in FIG. 9 and the open position (not shown). You can. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, a user may pivot cover 110 to an open position to allow insertion of aerosol-generating article 1 into receiving chamber 106 and then to the closed position shown in FIG. 9 . The cover must be pivoted again to keep the aerosol-generating article 1 in place in the receiving chamber 106.

The aerosol-generating device 102 includes a power source 114, such as a rechargeable battery, and a controller 116, all of which are connected to a heater 104. Heater 104 may be activated manually, for example, via a user interface, such as a button on aerosol-generating device 102, or in response to a user sucking on mouthpiece 118 of aerosol-generating device 102. It can be started automatically. Power supplied from power source 114 to heater 104 is initially controlled by a controller to heat channel-forming strip 40 to a temperature above the critical temperature at which the meltable material forming channel-forming strip 40 melts. 116). The airflow channels 16 are thus formed by grooves 18 in the surface of the aerosol-generating substrate 14 as described above after the meltable material has melted. Melting of the channel-forming strip 40 may occur during the start-up phase of the aerosol-generating device 102 , wherein the aerosol-generating device 102 adjusts the temperature of the heater 104 and thus the approximately A temperature sensor (not shown) may be included so that the desired temperature can be determined by the controller 116.

The aerosol-generating device 102 includes one or more air inlets 120 that allow air to flow into the aerosol-generating article 1 and through grooves 18 formed in the surface of the aerosol-generating substrate 14. The air flow direction is illustrated by arrows in Figure 9.

When power is continuously supplied from power source 114 to heater 104, aerosol-generating substrate 14 heats without burning and releases one or more volatile components. Volatile components are entrained in the air flowing through the grooves 18 to form vapor. As the vapor flows through the grooves 18, it cools and condenses to form an aerosol that is inhaled by the user through the mouthpiece 118 of the aerosol-generating device 102. The meltable material itself does not contain any active agents, such as nicotine, aerosol formers, flavoring agents, etc., that may release volatile components into the aerosol generated when the meltable material is heated by heater 104. It's important to pay attention.

When the aerosol-generating substrate 14 is depleted and no longer emits sufficient volatile components to generate aerosols of acceptable quality, the cover 110 is pivoted to an open position and the aerosol-generating article 1 is then accommodated. It can be removed from chamber 106 and a replacement aerosol-generating article 1 can be inserted in its place.

When the aerosol-generating device 102 is used with an aerosol-generating article having a support member 28, e.g., the third example of aerosol-generating article 3 described above with reference to FIG. 5, the support member 28 ) may protrude from the open end 106a of the receiving chamber 106 to allow the user's lips to engage the mouth-end portion 34 of the aerosol-generating article 3 formed by the support member 28.

Although example embodiments have been described in the preceding paragraphs, it should be understood that various modifications may be made to these embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, the breadth and scope of the claims should not be limited to the above-described exemplary embodiments.

Any combination of all possible variations of the above-described features is encompassed by this disclosure unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims, the terms “comprises,” “including,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense rather than an exclusive or exhaustive sense, i.e., “including.” The meaning is “but not limited thereto.”

Claims (12)

An aerosol-generating article (1, 2, 3, 4) for use with an aerosol-generating device (102), said aerosol-generating article comprising:
a substantially planar aerosol-generating substrate (14) comprising an aerosol-generating material for generating an aerosol upon heating by the aerosol-generating device (102);
at least one channel-forming strip (40) extending along the substantially planar aerosol-generating substrate (14); and
a wrapping member (22) surrounding the substantially planar aerosol-generating substrate (14) and the at least one channel-forming strip (40),
The at least one channel-forming strip (40) comprises a meltable material configured to melt upon heating by the aerosol-generating device (102) to form an airflow channel (16), the meltable material comprising: An aerosol-generating article that does not contain any active agent capable of releasing volatile components within the generated aerosol upon heating by the generating device (102). 2. The aerosol-generating article of claim 1, wherein the aerosol-generating article comprises a distal end (10), a mouth end (12), a longitudinal axis extending between the mouth end (12) and the distal end (10), and wherein the at least one An aerosol-generating article, wherein the channel-forming strip (40) extends in a first direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis. 3. The aerosol-generating strip according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one channel-forming strip (40) is located in a groove (18) formed in the surface (14a) of the substantially planar aerosol-generating substrate (14). article. 4. The aerosol-generating substrate (14) according to claim 3, wherein the aerosol-generating substrate (14) comprises a plurality of said grooves (18) arranged side by side to form a fluted surface (20), each groove (18) having a channel- An aerosol-generating article, wherein a forming strip (40) is located. 3. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one channel-forming strip (40) is located in an internally formed passageway (30) within the aerosol-generating substrate (14). 6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the aerosol-generating substrate (14) comprises a plurality of aerosol-generating strips extending in a first direction and intermittently arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction ( 32), wherein the aerosol-generating article comprises a plurality of the channel-forming strips (40), one of the channel-forming strips (40) being one of the intermittently arranged aerosol-generating strips (32). An aerosol-generating article positioned between each pair. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the substantially planar aerosol-generating substrate (14) has a flat rectangular shape with a pair of major surfaces (14a, 14b), and the wrapping member (22) has An aerosol-generating article comprising a pair of rectangular sheets (24, 26) respectively attached to the pair of main surfaces (14a, 14b). 8. The aerosol-generating article according to any preceding claim, wherein the aerosol-generating article comprises a support member (28) forming a mouth-end portion (34) of the article, the support member (28) comprising the aerosol-generating article. An aerosol-generating article having a tubular form for receiving a downstream end of a generating substrate (14) and said at least one channel-forming strip (40). 9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the wrapping member (22) has a porous inner surface (22a) facing the aerosol-generating substrate (14) to absorb condensation and from the aerosol-generating substrate (14). An aerosol-generating article having an anti-stick exterior surface (22b) facing away. 10. An aerosol-generating article according to claim 9, wherein the wrapping member (22) comprises an anti-adhesion coating on the outer surface (22b). An aerosol generating system (100), comprising:
An aerosol-generating article (1, 2, 3, 4) according to any one of claims 1 to 10; and
an aerosol-generating device (102) adapted to receive the aerosol-generating article,
The aerosol-generating device (102) includes a heating element (104) configured to heat the substantially planar aerosol-generating substrate (14) and the at least one channel-forming strip (40), wherein the heating element (104) ) is controlled during use to heat said at least one channel-forming strip (40) to a temperature above a critical temperature to melt said at least one channel-forming strip (40) and thereby form an airflow channel (16). , aerosol generating system. 1. A method of making an aerosol-generating article (1, 2, 3, 4) for use with an aerosol-generating device (102), comprising:
providing a substantially planar aerosol-generating substrate (14) comprising an aerosol-generating material for generating an aerosol upon heating by the aerosol-generating device (102);
providing at least one channel-forming strip (40) extending along the substantially planar aerosol-generating substrate (14); and
Surrounding the substantially planar aerosol-generating substrate (14) and the at least one channel-forming strip (40) with a wrapping member (22),
The at least one channel-forming strip (40) comprises a meltable material configured to melt upon heating by the aerosol-generating device (102) to form an airflow channel (16), the meltable material comprising: The method does not include any active agent capable of releasing volatile components within the generated aerosol upon heating by the generating device (102).