RU2751709C1 - Smoking apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: smoking articles.SUBSTANCE: invention relates to an aerosol-generating article, an aerosol-generating apparatus and a system comprising said apparatuses. An aerosol-generating article comprises an aerosol-forming material and a wrapper wound around the aerosol-forming material, as well as at least three layers the innermost layer whereof contacts the aerosol-forming material, the outermost layer contains paper and the intermediate layer contains a non-flammable material, wherein at least the intermediate layer and one of the outermost and innermost layers are made in form of a multilayer structure.EFFECT: ensured possibility to put the wrapper in motion by the conveyor belt of the machine for direct wrapping of the aerosol-forming material, thus, the aerosol-forming material does not require to be wrapped in a separate wrapper before the multilayer wrapper can be applied to the article.10 cl, 6 dwg

Description

The technical field to which the invention relates

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to smoking articles, in particular, to wrappers for aerosol-forming material, to articles for generating aerosol, which contain aerosol-forming material in the wrapper, and to devices for generating aerosol, which contain articles for generating aerosol with aerosol-forming material in the wrapper.

State of the art

Smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigars, etc. during use, the tobacco is burned to generate tobacco smoke. Alternative smoking articles release compounds by heating the aerosol material without burning.

A device is known that heats an aerosol material to vaporize at least one component of an aerosol material to form an aerosol that can be inhaled by a user without burning or incinerating the aerosol material. Such a device is sometimes referred to as a “non-combustible tobacco heating device” or a “heated tobacco product” (THP) or a “tobacco heating device” and the like. A number of different designs are known for vaporizing at least one component of an aerosol forming material.

This material can be, for example, tobacco or a product that does not contain tobacco, or a combination, for example, a mixture that may or may not contain nicotine.

Disclosure of invention

A first aspect of the invention is a wrapper for wrapping an aerosol-forming material comprising at least three layers, the outer layers containing paper, the intermediate layer containing non-combustible material, and at least the intermediate layer and one of the outer layers in the form of a multilayer structure.

The outer layers may be referred to herein as the "innermost" and "outermost" layers. This concerns their arrangement when the material is wound around the aerosol-forming material.

The multilayer structure may comprise an intermediate layer and an outer layer that, in use, is located adjacent to the aerosol-forming material (i.e., the innermost layer). Then all of this can be limited or wrapped in one or more additional layers, while the outer layer of the composite structure contains paper (i.e., the outermost layer).

The multilayer structure can contain both outer layers and an intermediate layer.

The non-combustible material may contain metal foil. The metal foil may contain aluminum.

In some cases, the wrapper contains more than three layers. In some cases, the wrapper has three layers. In some cases, the wrapper may consist of a three-layer multilayer structure that contains outer layers and an intermediate layer.

A second aspect of the invention is an aerosol-generating article comprising an aerosol-forming material and a wrapper which corresponds to the first aspect of the invention and which is wound around the aerosol-forming material.

The aerosol forming material may contain tobacco.

In some cases, the aerosol-forming material is in the form of a rod, and the wrap defines at least the end of the rod, which in use is farthest from the mouth of the user. The wrapper can delimit at least the core by at least 25% of its length.

In some examples, the aerosol generating article may further comprise a filter and / or a cooling element. The cooling element can be located between the aerosol-forming material and the filter. In some cases, the filter may be located between the aerosol forming material and the cooling element.

Another aspect of the invention is an aerosol generating apparatus that includes a heater and an aerosol generating article according to a second aspect of the invention. In some cases, the aerosol generating device may be a tobacco heating product (also called a “no-burn” device).

Another aspect of the invention is a system comprising an aerosol generating apparatus and an aerosol generating article, which corresponds to a second aspect of the invention.

Another aspect of the invention is a method of making an article for generating an aerosol comprising the step of wrapping the aerosol forming material in a wrapper that complies with the first aspect of the invention.

Another aspect of the invention is a method for preventing a user from igniting or burning an aerosol material in an aerosol generating article, including the step of wrapping the aerosol material in a wrapper that complies with the first aspect of the invention.

Subject to compatibility, features of the invention inherent in one aspect of the invention may be combined with those of another aspect of the invention.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention with reference to the drawings.

Brief Description of Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an aerosol generating article according to one embodiment of the invention;

in fig. 2 is a first end view of an aerosol generating article according to one embodiment of the invention;

in fig. 3 is a first end view of an aerosol generating article according to another embodiment of the invention;

in fig. 4 is a schematic side view of an aerosol generating article according to another embodiment of the invention;

in fig. 5 is a schematic exploded view of a wrapper according to one embodiment of the invention;

in fig. 6 is a schematic exploded view of a wrapper according to another embodiment of the invention.

Implementation of the invention

As used herein, the term "multilayer structure" refers to a multi-layer structure in which the layers are attached to each other to form a single body. The layers can be attached, for example, with glue. In other examples, the layered structure can be formed by (partially) melting the first layer, contacting the first layer with the second layer, and solidifying the first layer. Any suitable mechanism for attaching the layers to each other can be used to form the multilayer structure, including, in addition to the above examples, bonding, sewing, screwing, nailing, bolting, bonding, etc.

In some cases, glue can cover the surface of each layer. In other cases, the adhesive can only be applied to the periphery of the layers. In some cases, each layer in a multilayer structure may be attached to an adjacent layer (s). In some examples of the implementation of multilayer structures, the periphery of the two layers can be attached to the intermediate layers placed between them.

The multilayer structure may comprise an intermediate layer and an outer layer that, in use, is located adjacent to the aerosol-forming material (ie, the innermost layer). They can then be delimited or wrapped in one or more additional layers, with the outer layer of such a composite structure comprising paper (ie, the outermost layer). FIG. 6 schematically shows an example of such an implementation. The multilayer structure (shown in dashed lines) contains an outer layer 501 and an intermediate layer 502. The wrapper further comprises an outer layer 503, although it is not part of the multilayer structure.

In another example, the multilayer structure contains both outer layers and an intermediate layer, i. E. the multilayer wrapper for wrapping the aerosol material comprises at least three layers, with the outer (ie, innermost and outermost) layers containing paper and the intermediate layer containing non-combustible material. An example of such an implementation is shown schematically in FIG. 5. The multilayer structure (shown in dashed lines) comprises outer layers 501, 503 and an intermediate layer 502.

The non-combustible material may contain metal foil. It can consist or essentially consist of metal foil. It is advisable that the metal foil can contain, consist of or essentially consist of aluminum foil. Metallic foil is a non-combustible material which, in use, can nevertheless act as a conductor of heat to the aerosol-forming material.

The thickness of the metal foil can be less than 100, 50, 20, 10 or 8 microns. The thickness of the metal foil can be more than 1, 3 or 5 microns.

In some cases, the wrapper may be a multi-layer wrapping material that consists of three layers (i.e., only the innermost and outermost layers that contain paper and an intermediate non-combustible layer). In some cases, the wrapper can be composed of three layered layers, which contains the outer layers and the intermediate layer.

In some cases, the innermost and outermost wrapper layers are tobacco wrapping paper.

The principle of preparing aerosol products, such as tobacco heating products, is that they do not give an acceptable smoking feeling when burned, so that the user does not think about burning the aerosol product. This is because the composition of the aerosol-forming material is not suitable for combustion (and the aerosol that is obtained after combustion is less suitable for inhalation than the aerosol that is obtained by heating, this material without burning it, or compared to the aerosol that is obtained from burning regular cigarettes).

The use of a non-combustible layer in the wrapper prevents the aerosol product from burning and smoking like a conventional combustible cigarette.

In the present description, the term “non-combustible” refers to a material that does not ignite or does not burn at temperatures that are usually associated with the ignition (ignition) or combustion of tobacco.

The use of a layer of metal foil results in the wrapper having a low porosity and reducing the lateral air flow towards the aerosol-forming material. This further reduces the propensity for combustion by limiting the oxygen concentration of the aerosol forming material.

In addition, it has been found that the presence of paper in the innermost and outermost layers of a multi-layer wrapper can be beneficial, since the multi-layer surfaces then have the coefficient of friction of the paper. This means that the multilayer wrapper is more likely to be used in prior art cigarette manufacturing processes and machines. Multilayer surfaces having a coefficient of friction equal to that of the tissue paper allow the conveyor belt of the aerosol product making machine to drive the multilayer wrapper during the aerosol production process.

In some cases, the innermost layer may also contain flavoring, which is transferred to the aerosol-forming material when the material is wrapped and when heated. In some cases, the paper in the innermost layer is impregnated with flavor. The fragrance may contain menthol.

It has been found that the presence of paper in the innermost layer of a laminate can be beneficial as it can carry a flavor.

Paper weight or in the innermost layer or the outermost layer in the laminate, or both of these layers may be about 10, 15, 20 or 25 g / m ² to 50, 45, 40 or 35 g / m ^2. Paper with a density in this range has low porosity, which further reduces the tendency to burn by limiting the oxygen level of the aerosol forming material.

In some cases, the paper in either the innermost layer or the outermost layer of the laminate, or both, may be treated with one or more flame retardants.

In one example, the wrapper is a layered structure that consists of:

(a) a middle layer of aluminum foil with a thickness of 1.0-7 microns, preferably 6.0-6.3 microns; and

(b) two layers of paper, which are located on each side of the foil, with a weight of 25-35 g / m ² .

In another example, the wrapper is a layered structure that consists of:

(a) a layer of paper with a density of 25-35 g / m ² located adjacent to the aerosol-forming material; and

(b) a layer of aluminum foil with a thickness of 1.0-7 microns, preferably 6.0-6.3 microns.

In this example, the wrapper further comprising a second layer of paper having a density of 25-35 g / m ^2, which in use is wound around the laminate.

In some cases, the laminate can be wound on a bobbin core for use in standard cigarette making machines that use a single-layered paper bobbin.

In some cases, one or more vents may be formed in the wrapper. Vents can allow air to flow into the product for aerosol production during use, with air forming part of the aerosol being inhaled.

The multilayer structure can be made using any suitable technology for its formation, for example, the layers can be glued to each other.

In some exemplary embodiments of the aerosol generating article, at least a portion of the innermost layer contacts the aerosol forming material.

In some cases, the aerosol material contains tobacco. The tobacco can be any suitable hard tobacco, such as single-grade tobacco or tobacco blends, shredded or whole leaf tobacco, shredded tobacco, tobacco fiber, shredded tobacco, compressed tobacco, tobacco stem and / or reconstituted tobacco. The tobacco can be of any type, including Virginia and / or Burley and / or Oriental tobacco.

In some embodiments, the aerosol material may be formed as a rod. As used herein, the term “rod” refers to an elongated member that can have any shape suitable for use in an aerosol generating device. In some cases, the rod is substantially cylindrical.

When the aerosol-forming material is in the form of a rod, at least the end farthest from the user's mouth (i.e., the distal end, not the mouthpiece) is delimited by the wrapper. Thus, a non-combustible wrap is positioned around the end of the rod that the user can try to ignite. The multilayer wrap can restrict the core to at least 25, 35, 40, 45, or 50% of the length of the core. The more constrained the rod is, the more difficult it is for the rod to burn.

The wrap may not extend the entire length of the aerosol material rod, which reduces costs. The multi-layer wrap can extend no more than 85, 80.75, 70, 65 or 60% of the length of the core.

FIG. 1 shows an example of the implementation of an article for the production of aerosol. The aerosol generating article 101 comprises an aerosol material 103 which is wrapped in a wrap 102. In this example, the wrap extends from the distal end of the aerosol material about 50% of the distance to the mouth end of the aerosol material. The wrapper 102 may contain three layers, with the boundary layers containing paper and the intermediate layer containing non-combustible material. In some examples, one boundary layer and an intermediate layer are a multi-layer structure (Fig. 6). In other examples, both the boundary layers and the intermediate layer are a multilayer structure (FIG. 5).

If desired, the wrapper can also be positioned over the distal end of the aerosol former so that the distal end is completely enclosed by the wrapper. FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment in which the wrapper 102 is wrapped around an aerosol-forming material 103. The distal end of the aerosol-generating article 101 is not covered by the wrapper. FIG. 3 shows an alternative example of an aerosol generating article 101 in which the wrapper 102 completely covers the distal end of the aerosol article.

Articles for generating aerosol may further comprise a filter and / or a cooling element. These additional components can be limited to all layers of the wrapper, or they can be limited to a single layer of the wrapper that extends over most of the aerosol forming material compared to other layers. Desirably, the additional components are limited to only the outermost boundary layer of the wrapper (which also delimits the aerosol forming material) or only the innermost boundary layer of the wrapper.

For example, the mouth end of the aerosol forming material may be located adjacent to the cooling element and / or filter. The cooling element, if present, allows the vapor components to condense to form an aerosol and / or separates very hot parts of the device from the user. The filter, if present, can remove components from the flowing stream that adversely affect the chemical composition of the inhaled aerosol.

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary embodiment of an article 101 for generating aerosol, which, in comparison with the article of FIG. 1 additionally contains a cooling element 104, a filter 105 and a mouthpiece tube 106. FIG. 4 shows that cooling element 104 and filter 105 may be positioned between the mouthpiece end of the aerosol material 103 and the mouthpiece tube 106 so that the flow from the aerosol forming material 103 passes through the cooling element 104 and filter 105 (or vice versa if the filter is located upstream cooling element) before reaching the user. Although in the example of FIG. 4 shows a cooling element 104, a filter 105 and a mouthpiece tube 106, in other examples one or more of these elements may be missing.

In some cases, the mouthpiece tube 106, if present, may be made of, for example, paper, for example, in the form of a spirally wound tube of paper, cellulose acetate, cardboard, corrugated paper such as heat-resistant corrugated paper or corrugated parchment paper, and / or polymeric materials such as low density polyethylene (LDPE), or some other polymeric material. The mouthpiece tube 106 may be hollow. Such a hollow tube can serve as a filtration function for the vaporized aerosol-forming material. The mouthpiece tube 106 may be elongated to separate from the very hot portion (s) of the main assembly (not shown) that heats the aerosol-forming material.

In some cases, the filter 105, if present, may be a filter rod such as cellulose acetate.

In some cases, the cooling element 104, if present, may comprise a monolithic rod with multiple through holes between its ends. These through holes can extend substantially parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the rod. These through holes of the cooling element 104 can be substantially radially when viewed from the side in longitudinal section. Thus, the cooling element can include inner walls that define the through holes and have two main configurations, namely, they can be radial walls and center walls. Radial walls run along the radius of the cross-section of the specified element, and the central walls are centered relative to the center of the cross-section of the element. The center walls can be circular, although other regular or irregular cross-sectional shapes can be used. Likewise, the cross-section of said member is circular, although other regular or irregular cross-sectional shapes can be used.

Most of the through holes may be hexagonal or substantially hexagonal in cross-section, i. E. the element can be called having a "honeycomb" structure when viewed from one end.

The cooling element 104 may comprise a hollow tube that separates the filter 105, if present, from the very hot portion (s) of the main assembly that heats the aerosol-forming material. Cooling element 104 can be made, for example, of paper, for example, in the form of a spirally wound tube of paper, cellulose acetate, cardboard, corrugated paper such as heat-resistant corrugated paper or corrugated parchment paper, and polymeric materials such as low density polyethylene ( LDPE), or some other polymer material.

Cooling element 104, if present, may be substantially incompressible. It can be made of a ceramic material or a polymer such as a thermoplastic polymer, which can be an extrudable plastic material. The porosity of such an element is in the range from 60 to 75%. In this sense, porosity can be measured as a percentage of the cross-sectional area of the element occupied by the through holes. The porosity of the element can be from about 69 to 70%.

Other examples of an aerosol cooling element are described in PCT / GB2015 / 051253, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety, with particular reference to FIGS. 1-8 and descriptions on pages 8, line 11, to page 18, line 16.

In additional examples, the cooling element 104 may be formed from a sheet material that is folded, corrugated, or folded to provide through holes. The sheet material can be made, for example, of a metal such as aluminum; polymeric plastic material such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate or polyvinyl chloride; or made of paper.

In some examples, the cooling element 104 and filter 105 may be held together by wrapping paper to form a single assembly. This assembly can then be bonded to the aerosol forming material by means of an additional wrap that wraps around the assembly and at least the mouth end of the aerosol forming material to form the aerosol generating article 101. In other examples, the aerosol generating article 101 is formed by efficiently wrapping cooling element 104, filter 105, and aerosol forming material 103 in a single operation, with no separate wrapping paper provided for the cooling element and / or filter components (if any).

In some cases, one or more vents may be provided in the aerosol generating article. Vents allow air to flow into the product during use, with air forming part of the inhaled aerosol. It may be desirable to reduce the flow of air over the distal end of the article to reduce the tendency to burn so that the holes can be made closer to the mouth end of the article rather than the distal end. For example, ventilation holes can be provided in the cooling element and / or filter, if any. In addition, ventilation holes can be formed in a part of the product that is not wrapped in non-combustible material. It has been found that cutting through non-combustible material to form ventilation holes can be difficult.

When used in some cases, the aerosol generating article may be disposed at least partially in a heating device to provide an aerosol generating device that heats the aerosol generating article without combustion. In some other cases, the article may be located in a device with a fuel source, such as a combustible material or chemical heat source, that heats but does not burn the aerosol-forming material.

It should be understood that the above examples are illustrative. It should also be appreciated that any feature applied to any example may be used alone or in conjunction with one or more features of any of the other examples. In addition, equivalents and modifications not described above may also be used without departing from the scope of the claims.

Claims (10)

1. An article for generating an aerosol containing an aerosol-forming material and a wrapper wound around the aerosol-forming material and containing at least three layers, of which the innermost layer contacts the aerosol-forming material, the outermost layer contains paper, and the intermediate layer contains a non-combustible material, while at least the intermediate layer and one of the outermost and innermost layers are in the form of a multilayer structure. 2. The article of claim. 1, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises tobacco. 3. Product according to any one of paragraphs. 1 or 2, in which the aerosol-forming material is in the form of a rod, and the wrap defines at least the end of the rod, which in use is farthest from the mouth of the user. 4. An article according to claim 3, wherein the wrapper defines at least the rod over at least 25% of its length. 5. Product according to any one of paragraphs. 1-4, additionally containing a filter and / or a cooling element. 6. An article according to claim 5, comprising a filter and a cooling element, wherein the cooling element is located between the aerosol-forming material and the filter. 7. An aerosol generating device containing an article for generating an aerosol according to any one of claims. 1-6 and heater. 8. A device according to claim 7, which is a tobacco heating product. 9. Device according to any one of paragraphs. 7 or 8, wherein the heater is a device into which, in use, an article for generating an aerosol is at least partially inserted. 10. A system comprising a device for generating aerosol and an article for generating aerosol according to any one of claims. 1-6.

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