WO2020089085A1

WO2020089085A1 - Smoking substitute consumable

Info

Publication number: WO2020089085A1
Application number: PCT/EP2019/079197
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kate FERRIE; Edward Ross SHENTON
Original assignee: Nerudia Limited
Priority date: 2018-10-29
Filing date: 2019-10-25
Publication date: 2020-05-07
Also published as: GB201817561D0

Abstract

Disclosed is a system comprising a device comprising an elongate heating element defining a longitudinal axis; and an aerosol-forming article, the article comprising an aerosol forming substrate for receipt of the heating element along the longitudinal axis,anda filter element downstream of the substrate and comprising one or more bores having respective openings in a side of the filter element facing the substrate, the openings arranged so as to be non-coincident with the longitudinal axis of the heating element.

Description

Smoking substitute consumable

Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates to a consumable for use in a smoking substitute system and particularly, although not exclusively, to a heat-not-burn (HNB) consumable.

Background

The smoking of tobacco is generally considered to expose a smoker to potentially harmful substances. It is generally thought that a significant amount of the potentially harmful substances are generated through the heat caused by the burning and/or combustion of the tobacco and the constituents of the burnt tobacco in the tobacco smoke itself.

Conventional combustible smoking articles, such as cigarettes, typically comprise a cylindrical rod of tobacco comprising shreds of tobacco which is surrounded by a wrapper, and usually also a cylindrical filter axially aligned in an abutting relationship with the wrapped tobacco rod. The filter typically comprises a filtration material which is circumscribed by a plug wrap. The wrapped tobacco rod and the filter are joined together by a wrapped band of tipping paper that circumscribes the entire length of the filter and an adjacent portion of the wrapped tobacco rod. A conventional cigarette of this type is used by lighting the end opposite to the filter, and burning the tobacco rod. The smoker receives mainstream smoke into their mouth by drawing on the mouth end or filter end of the cigarette.

Combustion of organic material such as tobacco is known to produce tar and other potentially harmful byproducts. There have been proposed various smoking substitute systems (or“substitute smoking systems”) in order to avoid the smoking of tobacco.

Such smoking substitute systems can form part of nicotine replacement therapies aimed at people who wish to stop smoking and overcome a dependence on nicotine.

Smoking substitute systems include electronic systems that permit a user to simulate the act of smoking by producing an aerosol (also referred to as a“vapour”) that is drawn into the lungs through the mouth (inhaled) and then exhaled. The inhaled aerosol typically bears nicotine and/or flavourings without, or with fewer of, the odour and health risks associated with traditional smoking.

In general, smoking substitute systems are intended to provide a substitute for the rituals of smoking, whilst providing the user with a similar experience and satisfaction to those experienced with traditional smoking and with combustible tobacco products. Some smoking substitute systems use smoking substitute articles that are designed to resemble a traditional cigarette and are cylindrical in form with a mouthpiece at one end.

The popularity and use of smoking substitute systems has grown rapidly in the past few years. Although originally marketed as an aid to assist habitual smokers wishing to quit tobacco smoking, consumers are increasingly viewing smoking substitute systems as desirable lifestyle accessories.

There are a number of different categories of smoking substitute systems, each utilising a different smoking substitute approach.

One approach for a smoking substitute system is the so-called "heat not burn" (“HNB”) approach in which tobacco (rather than an“e-liquid”) is heated or warmed to release vapour. The tobacco may be leaf tobacco or reconstituted tobacco. The vapour may contain nicotine and/or flavourings. In the HNB approach the intention is that the tobacco is heated but not burned, i.e. the tobacco does not undergo combustion.

A typical HNB smoking substitute system may include a device and a consumable. The consumable may include the tobacco material. The device and consumable may be configured to be physically coupled together. In use, heat may be imparted to the tobacco material by a heating element of the device, wherein airflow through the tobacco material causes moisture in the tobacco material to be released as vapour. A vapour may also be formed from a carrier in the tobacco material (this carrier may for example include propylene glycol and/or vegetable glycerine) and additionally volatile compounds released from the tobacco. The released vapour may be entrained in the airflow drawn through the tobacco.

As the vapour passes through the consumable (entrained in the airflow) from an inlet to a mouthpiece (outlet), the vapour cools and condenses to form an aerosol for inhalation by the user. The aerosol will normally contain the volatile compounds.

In HNB smoking substitute systems, heating as opposed to burning the tobacco material is believed to cause fewer, or smaller quantities, of the more harmful compounds ordinarily produced during smoking. Consequently, the HNB approach may reduce the odour and/or health risks that can arise through the burning, combustion and pyrolytic degradation of tobacco.

There is a need for improved design of HNB consumables to enhance the user experience and improve the function of the HNB smoking substitute system.

The present disclosure has been devised in the light of the above considerations. Summary of the Disclosure

At its most general, the present disclosure relates to an aerosol-forming article e.g. a smoking substitute article such as an HNB consumable comprising a filter having one or more bores.

According to a first aspect, there is provided a smoking substitute system comprising: a device comprising an elongate heating element; and an aerosol-forming article, the article comprising an aerosol-forming substrate having a longitudinal axis along which the heating element is received in use, and a filter element axially downstream of, and adjacent to, the substrate, the filter element comprising at least one bore having an opening at an upstream axial end of the filter element, the or each opening being arranged so as to be non-coincident with the longitudinal axis of the substrate.

When the heater is inserted into the aerosol-forming substrate, the material that forms the aerosol-forming substrate (e.g. plant material such as tobacco) may be displaced by the heating element. By arranging the openings in the filter element so as to be non-coincident with the longitudinal axis of the substrate (along which the heater is received), the openings (and corresponding bores) may be less susceptible to blockages caused by displaced substrate material entering the openings.

The term non-coincident means that the openings do not intersect with, or are not aligned with, the longitudinal axis. That is, the openings are spaced (in a transverse direction) from the longitudinal axis. The longitudinal axis of the substrate may be substantially coaxial with a central (longitudinal) axis of the aerosol-forming article.

As used herein, the terms’’upstream” and“downstream” are intended to refer to the flow direction of the vapour/aerosol i.e. with the downstream end of the article being the mouth end or outlet where the aerosol exits the article for inhalation by the user. The upstream end of the article is the opposing end to the downstream end.

Optional features will now be set out. These are applicable singly or in any combination with any aspect.

In some embodiments the upstream axial end of the filter element comprises a projected region defined by a projection (i.e. projected along the longitudinal axis) of the transverse profile of the heating element, when received in the substrate, onto the upstream axial end of the filter element. In general, when the heating element is received in substrate, a downstream end of the heating element (i.e. distal from its mounting to the device) may be longitudinally spaced from the upstream axial end of the filter element. However, if (in a hypothetical scenario) the heating element were to be moved along the longitudinal axis so as to extend through the upstream axial end of the filter element, the projected region would be equivalent to a region of the upstream axial end that intersects with the transverse profile of the heating element. For example, in embodiments where the heating element has a circular transverse profile aligned centrally on the longitudinally axis, the projected region would be a corresponding circular region on the upstream axial end of the filter element having the same diameter as the heating element and aligned centrally on the longitudinal axis.

In some embodiments, the or each opening may be located so as to be at least partially outside of the projected region. For example, the or each opening may have a portion of e.g. at least 30% of its area outside of the region, or e.g. at least 50% of its area outside of the projected region, or at least 80% of its area outside of the projected region. The or each opening may be arranged so as to be fully outside of the projected region.

In some embodiments, the or each opening may be arranged so as to be closer to a perimeter of the projected region than a periphery (i.e. a peripheral edge) of the upstream axial end of the filter element. In some cases, locating openings too close to a peripheral edge of the filter element could be detrimental to the structural integrity of the filter element.

In some embodiments, the or each opening may be arranged such that a perimeter of the or each opening is substantially contiguous with a perimeter of the projected region (i.e. the openings may be directly adjacent the projected region). In other words, the or each opening may be fully outside, but not spaced from, the projected region. Alternatively, the or each opening may be spaced from the projected region.

In some embodiment, the filter element may comprise a plurality of bores (e.g. two, three, four etc. bores), each comprising a respective opening at the upstream axial end of the filter element (i.e. the filter element may comprise a plurality of openings). The plurality of openings may be spaced (e.g. evenly) about the perimeter of the projected region. The plurality of bores may be arranged in a circle about the longitudinal axis. A plurality of bores may help to create a pressure drop in fluid flowing across the filter element, which may be desirable with respect to user experience.

The or each bore may extend so as to be substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis. Alternatively, the or each bore extend at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis, or may e.g. have a curved (rather than linear) path.

In some embodiments, the heating element may have a substantially circular transverse profile. In this case, and as is set forth above, the projected region would be substantially circular. The heating element may alternatively have a rectangular transverse profile (e.g. where the heating element is in the form of a blade heating element). As above, the corresponding projected region of the heating element would be rectangular. In other embodiments the heating element may have an elliptical, triangular, hexagonal, etc. transverse profile. The heating element may comprise an elongated e.g. rod, tube-shaped or blade heating element. When circular, the diameter of the heating element may be between 1 mm and 3 mm. The diameter of the heating element may be between 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm. The diameter of the heating element may be around 2 mm. Consequently, the diameter of the projected region may be between 1 mm and 3 mm, or between 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm, or around 2 mm.

The or each bore may extend partway or fully through the filter element (e.g. in a longitudinal direction). The or each opening may be circular (or may e.g. be square, rectangular, triangular, etc.). When circular, the or each opening may have a diameter of between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm. The or each opening may have a diameter of around 1 mm.

In some embodiments the or each opening may be arranged on the upstream axial end of the filter element such that a centre of the or each opening is spaced from the longitudinal axis of the filter element by a distance that is between 1 mm and 3 mm or e.g. between 1 mm and 2 mm, or e.g. around 1.5 mm. The centre of each opening may spaced from a central longitudinal axis of the filter element by a distance that is greater than 1 .5 mm (e.g. where each opening has a diameter of 1 mm and the heating element has a diameter of 2 mm).

In some embodiments the device comprises a main body for housing the heating element and a cavity for receipt of the aerosol-forming article. The cavity may be arranged such that, when the aerosol-forming article is received in the cavity, the heating element is received in (e.g. inserted into) the aerosol-forming substrate along the longitudinal axis. The device may comprise guide surfaces so as to align the aerosolforming substrate with the heating element (i.e. such that the heating element is aligned along the longitudinal axis). In this way, the position of the heating element may be consistent across aerosol-forming articles of the same type (e.g. same dimensions, shape, etc.)

The device may be a heat-not-burn (HNB) device i.e. a device adapted to heat but not combust the aerosolforming substrate. The device (e.g. the main body) may further comprise an electrical power supply e.g. a (rechargeable) battery for powering the heating element. It may further comprise a control unit to control the supply of power to the heating element.

The aerosol-forming article is preferably a HNB consumable.

The aerosol-forming substrate of the article/consumable may be capable of being heated to release at least one volatile compound that can form an aerosol. The aerosol-forming substrate may be located at the upstream end of the article/consumable.

In order to generate an aerosol, the aerosol-forming substrate comprises at least one volatile compound that is intended to be vaporised/aerosolised and that may provide the user with a recreational and/or medicinal effect when inhaled. Suitable chemical and/or physiologically active volatile compounds include the group consisting of: nicotine, cocaine, caffeine, opiates and opoids, cathine and cathinone, kavalactones, mysticin, beta-carboline alkaloids, salvinorin A together with any combinations, functional equivalents to, and/or synthetic alternatives of the foregoing.

The aerosol-forming substrate may comprise plant material. The plant material may comprise least one plant material selected from the list including Amaranthus dubius, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Bearberry), Argemone mexicana, Arnica, Artemisia vulgaris, Yellow Tees, Galea zacatechichi, Canavaiia maritima (Baybean), Cecropia mexicana (Guamura), Oestrum noctumum, Cynoglossum virginianum (wild comfrey), Cytisus scoparius, Damiana, Entada rheedii, Eschscholzia califomica (California Poppy), Fittonia albivenis, Hippobroma longi flora, Humulus japonica (Japanese Hops), Humulus lupulus (Hops), Lactuca virosa (Lettuce Opium), Laggera alata, Leonotis leonurus, Leonurus cardiaca (Motherwort), Leonurus sibiricus (Honeyweed), Lobelia cardinalis, Lobelia inflata (Indian-tobacco), Lobelia siphilitica, Nepeta cataria (Catnip), Nicotiana species (Tobacco), Nymphaea alba (White Lily), Nymphaea caerulea (Blue Lily), Opium poppy, Passiflora incamata (Passionflower), Pedicularis densiflora (Indian Warrior), Pedicularis groeniandica (Elephant's Head), Salvia divinorum, Salvia dorrii (Tobacco Sage), Salvia species (Sage), Scutellaria galericulata, Scutellaria lateriflora, Scutellaria nana, Scutellaria species (Skullcap), Sida acuta (Wireweed), Sida rhombi folia, Silene capensis, Syzygium aromaticum (Clove), Tagetes lucida (Mexican Tarragon), Tarchonanthus camphoratus, Tumera diffusa (Damiana), Verbascum (Mullein), Zamia latifolia (Maconha Brava) together with any combinations, functional equivalents to, and/or synthetic alternatives of the foregoing.

Preferably, the plant material is tobacco. Any type of tobacco may be used. This includes, but is not limited to, flue-cured tobacco, burley tobacco, Maryland Tobacco, dark-air cured tobacco, oriental tobacco, dark-fired tobacco, perique tobacco and rustica tobacco. This also includes blends of the above mentioned tobaccos.

Any suitable parts of the tobacco plant may be used. This includes leaves, stems, roots, bark, seeds and flowers.

The tobacco may comprise one or more of leaf tobacco, stem tobacco, tobacco powder, tobacco dust, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, homogenised tobacco, shredded tobacco, extruded tobacco, cut rag tobacco and/or reconstituted tobacco (e.g. slurry recon or paper recon).

The aerosol-forming substrate may comprise wt% plant material.

The aerosol-forming substrate may comprise one or more additives selected from humectants, flavou rants, fillers and binders. Humectants are provided as vapour generators - the resulting vapour helps carry the volatile active compounds and increases visible vapour. Suitable humectants include polyhydric alcohols (e.g. propylene glycol (PG), triethylene glycol, 1 ,2-butane diol and vegetable glycerine (VG)) and their esters (e.g. glycerol mono-, di- or tri-acetate). They may be present in the aerosol-forming substrate in an amount between 1 and 50 wt%.

The humectant content of the aerosol-forming substrate may have a lower limit of at least 1 % by weight of the plant material, such as at least 2 wt %, such as at least 5 wt %, such as at least 10 wt %, such as at least 20 wt %, such as at least 30 wt %, or such as least 40 wt %.

The humectant content of the aerosol-forming substrate may have an upper limit of at most 50 % by weight of the plant material, such as at most 40 wt %, such as at most 30 wt %, or such as at most 20 wt %.

Preferably, the humectant content is 1 to 40 wt % of the aerosol-forming substrate, such as 1 to 20 wt %.

Suitable binders are known in the art and may comprise starches and/or cellulosic binders such as methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose and methyl cellulose, gums such as xanthan, guar, arabic and/or locust bean gum, organic acids and their salts such as alginic acid/ sodium alginate, agar and pectins.

Preferably the binder content is 5 to 10 wt% of the aerosol-forming substrate e.g. around 6 to 8 wt%.

Suitable fillers are known in the art and may comprise fibrous fillers such as cellulose fibres.

Preferably, the filler content is 5 to 10 wt% of the aerosol-forming substrate e.g. around 6 to 9 wt%.

The flavourant may be provided in solid or liquid form. It may include menthol, liquorice, chocolate, fruit flavour (including e.g. citrus, cherry etc.), vanilla, spice (e.g. ginger, cinnamon) and tobacco flavour. The flavourant may be evenly dispersed throughout the aerosol-forming substrate or may be provided in isolated locations and/or varying concentrations throughout the aerosol-forming substrate.

The aerosol-forming substrate may be formed in a substantially cylindrical shape such that the article/consumable resembles a conventional cigarette. It may have a diameter of between 5 and 10mm e.g. between 6 and 9mm or 6 and 8mm e.g. around 7 mm. It may have an axial length of between 10 and 15mm e.g. between 1 1 and 14mm such as around 12 or 13mm.

The aerosol-forming substrate may be circumscribed by a wrapping layer e.g. a paper wrapping layer. The wrapping layer may overlie an inner foil layer or may comprise a paper/foil laminate (with the foil innermost). In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming article may comprise a further filter element in the form of a terminal hollow bore filter element located at a downstream (i.e. mouth) end of the aerosol-forming article/consumable. So as to differentiate from the terminal filter element, the filter element described above (having a plurality of bores) will hereafter be referred to as the‘upstream’ filter element.

The or at least one of the filter element(s) (e.g. the upstream filter element and/or terminal filter element) may be comprised of cellulose acetate or polypropylene tow. The at least one filter element (e.g. the upstream filter element and/or terminal filter element) may be comprised of activated charcoal. The terminal filter element may be comprised of paper. The or each filter element may be circumscribed with a plug wrap e.g. a paper plug wrap.

The or each filter element may have a substantially cylindrical shape with a diameter substantially matching the diameter of the aerosol-forming substrate (with or without its associated wrapping layer). The axial length of the or each filter element may be less than 20mm, e.g. between 8 and 15mm, for example between 9 and 13 mm e.g. between 10 and 12mm.

The terminal filter element may be a solid filter element. Alternatively, the terminal filter element may be a hollow bore filter element. The terminal filter element may have a bore diameter of between 1 and 5 mm, e.g. between 2 and 4 mm or between 2 and 3 mm.

There may be more than two filter elements which may be adjacent one another or which may be spaced apart. The upstream filter element, and/or any additional filter element(s) upstream of the terminal filter element, may be at least partly (e.g. entirely) circumscribed by the (paper) wrapping layer.

Additional filter element(s) upstream of the terminal filter element may be joined to the terminal filter element by a circumscribing tipping layer e.g. a tipping paper layer. The tipping paper may have an axial length longer than the axial length of the terminal filter element such that the tipping paper completely circumscribes the terminal filter element plus the wrapping layer surrounding any adjacent filter element (i.e. upstream of the terminal filter element).

The or at least one of the filter elements e.g. the terminal filter element may include a capsule e.g. a crushable capsule (crush-ball) containing a liquid flavourant e.g. any of the flavourants listed above. The capsule can be crushed by the user during smoking of the article/consumable to release the flavourant. The capsule may be located at the axial centre of the terminal filter element.

In some embodiments, the article/consumable may comprise an aerosol-cooling element which is adapted to cool the aerosol generated from the aerosol-forming substrate (by heat exchange) before being inhaled by the user. The aerosol-cooling element will be downstream from the aerosol-forming substrate. For example, it may be between the upstream filter element and the terminal filter. The aerosol cooling element may be at least partly (e.g. completely) circumscribed by the (paper) wrapping layer.

The aerosol-cooling element may be formed of a plastics material selected from the group consisting of polylactic acid (PLA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The aerosol-cooling element may be formed of a crimped/gathered sheet of material to form a structure having a high surface area with a plurality of longitudinal bores to maximise heat exchange and cooling of the aerosol.

The article/consumable may comprise a spacer element that defines a space or cavity or chamber between the aerosol-forming substrate and the downstream end of the article/consumable. The spacer may be located between the upstream filter element and the terminal filter. The spacer acts to allow both cooling and mixing of the aerosol. The spacer element may comprise a cardboard tube. The spacer element may be at least partly (e.g. entirely) circumscribed by the (paper) wrapping layer.

The spacer element may have an external diameter of between 5 and 10 mm e.g. between 6 and 9 mm or 6 and 8 mm e.g. around 7 mm. It may have an axial length of between 10 and 15 mm e.g. between 12 and 14 mm or 13 and 14 mm e.g. around 14mm.

In a second aspect there is provided an aerosol-forming article comprising an aerosol-forming substrate having a longitudinal axis along which a heater may be received in use, and a filter element axially downstream of, and adjacent to, the substrate, the filter element comprising at least one bore having an opening at an upstream axial end of the filter element, the or each bore being arranged so as to be noncoincident with the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-forming substrate.

In some embodiments the longitudinal axis may be centrally located with respect to the aerosol-forming substrate.

In some embodiment, the filter element may comprise a plurality of bores (e.g. two, three, four etc. bores), each comprising a corresponding opening at the upstream axial end of the filter element (i.e. the filter element may comprise a plurality of openings. The plurality of openings at the upstream axial end may be arranged in a circle about the longitudinal axis. Alternatively, the plurality of openings may be arranged in a rectangle about the longitudinal axis.

In some embodiments, the centre of each opening (in the upstream side of the filter element) may be spaced from the longitudinal axis by a distance of between 1 mm and 3 mm or e.g. between 1 mm and 2 mm, or e.g. around 1.5 mm. The centre of each opening may be spaced from the longitudinal axis by a distance that is greater than 1.5 mm (e.g. where each opening has a diameter of 1 mm and the heating element has a diameter of 2 mm).

In some embodiments the filter element may be in the form of an upstream filter element, and the aerosolforming article may comprise a further filter element in the form of a terminal hollow bore filter element located at a downstream end of the article (i.e. downstream of the substrate and the upstream filter element).

In some embodiments the aerosol-forming substrate may further comprise a spacer element located between the terminal hollow bore filter element and the upstream filter element.

In some embodiments the upstream axial end of the filter element may comprise a projected region defined by a projection (i.e. projected along the longitudinal axis) of the transverse profile of a heating element, when received in the substrate (i.e. in use, when the article is used in e.g. smoking substitute device), onto the upstream axial end of the filter element. For example, in embodiments where the article is for use with a heating element having a circular transverse profile aligned centrally on the longitudinally axis, the projected region would be a corresponding circular region on the upstream axial end of the filter element having the same diameter as the heating element and aligned centrally on the longitudinal axis.

In some embodiments, the or each opening may be arranged such that a perimeter of the or each opening is substantially contiguous with a perimeter of the projected region (i.e. the openings may be directly adjacent the projected region). In other words, the or each opening may be fully outside, but not spaced from, the projected region. Alternatively, the or each opening may be spaced from the projected region. In some embodiments, the article may be for use with a heating element having a substantially circular transverse profile. In this case, and as is set forth above, the projected region would be substantially circular. The article may alternatively be for use with a heating element having a rectangular transverse profile (e.g. where the heating element is in the form of a blade heating element). As above, the corresponding projected region would be elliptical.

When circular, the diameter of the projected region may be between 1 mm and 3 mm. The diameter of the projected region may be between 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm. The diameter of the projected region may be around 2 mm.

The aerosol-forming article of the second aspect may be as otherwise described with respect to the first aspect.

In a third aspect, there is provided a method of using a smoking substitute system according to the second aspect, the method comprising inserting the article/consumable into the device, and heating the article/consumable using the heating element.

In some embodiments, the method may comprise inserting the article/consumable into a cavity within the main body and, upon insertion of the article/consumable, penetrating the article/consumable with the heating element along the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-forming substrate.

The skilled person will appreciate that except where mutually exclusive, a feature or parameter described in relation to any one of the above aspects may be applied to any other aspect. Furthermore, except where mutually exclusive, any feature or parameter described herein may be applied to any aspect and/or combined with any other feature or parameter described herein.

Summary of the Figures

So that the invention may be understood, and so that further aspects and features thereof may be appreciated, embodiments illustrating the principles of the invention will now be discussed in further detail with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of an HNB consumable;

Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of an HNB consumable;

Figure 3 shows a third embodiment of an HNB consumable;

Figure 4 shows the first embodiment within a device forming an HNB system;

Figure 5A is an end view of a filter element of the first embodiment; Figure 5B is a schematic view of the filter element of the first embodiment and a heating element; and Figures 6A, 6B and 6C are end views of further embodiments of a filter element.

Detailed Description of the Figures

As shown in Figure 1 , the HNB consumable 1 comprises an aerosol-forming substrate 2 at the upstream end of the consumable 1.

The aerosol-forming substrate 2 comprises reconstituted tobacco which includes nicotine as a volatile compound.

The aerosol-forming substrate 2 is dosed with 20 wt% of a humectant such as propylene glycol (PG) or vegetable glycerine (VG).

The aerosol-forming substrate 2 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape such that the consumable resembles a conventional cigarette. It has diameter of around 7mm and an axial length of around 12 mm.

The aerosol-forming substrate 2 is circumscribed by a paper wrapping layer 3.

The consumable 1 comprises an upstream filter element 4 and a downstream (terminal) filter element 5. The two filter elements 4, 5 and spaced by a cardboard spacer tube 6. Both filter elements 4, 5 are formed of cellulose acetate tow and wrapped with a respective paper plug layer (not shown).

Both filter elements have a substantially cylindrical shape. The diameter of the upstream filter 4 matches the diameter of the aerosol-forming substrate 2. The diameter of the terminal filter element 5 is slightly larger and matches the combined diameter of the aerosol-forming substrate 2 and the wrapping layer 3. The upstream filter element 4 is slightly shorter in axial length than the terminal filter element 5 at an axial length of 10mm compared to 12mm for the terminal filter element 5.

The cardboard tube spacer 6 is longer than each of the two filter elements having an axial length of around 14mm.

The terminal filter element 5 is a hollow bore filter element with a hollow, longitudinally extending bore. The diameter of the bore in the terminal filter is 2 mm.

The upstream filter element 4 comprises a plurality of bores 8 extending longitudinally through the upstream filter element 4. Although not apparent from Figure 1 , the upstream filter element 4 includes four bores 8 with respective openings 9 in an upstream side 10 facing the aerosol-forming substrate 2. The openings are spaced radially from a central longitudinal axis of the upstream filter element 4 (and from central longitudinal axis of the substrate 2). The cardboard spacer tube 6 and the upstream filter portion 4 are circumscribed by the wrapping layer 3.

The terminal filter element 5 is joined to the upstream elements forming the consumable by a circumscribing paper tipping layer 7. The tipping layer 7 encircles the terminal filter element 5 and has an axial length of around 20mm such that it overlays a portion of the cardboard tube spacer 6.

Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of a consumable T which is the same as that shown in Figure 1 except that the terminal filter element 5 is a solid filter element and comprises a crushable capsule 1 1 (crush-ball) having a shell wall containing a liquid menthol or cherry or vanilla flavourant. The capsule 1 1 is spherical and has a diameter of 3.5mm. It is positioned within the axial centre of the terminal filter portion 5.

Figure 3 shows a third embodiment of a consumable 1” which is the same as the first embodiment except that the wrapping layer 3 does not completely circumscribe the cardboard spacer tube 6 such that there is an annular gap 12 between the tipping layer 7 and the cardboard spacer tube 6 downstream of the end of the wrapping layer 3.

Figure 4 shows the first embodiment inserted into an HNB device 10 comprising a rod-shaped heating element 13 (shown in dashed lines). The heating element 13 projects into a cavity 1 1 within the main body 12 of the device.

The consumable 1 is inserted into the cavity 1 1 of the main body 12 of the device 10 such that the heating element 13 penetrates the aerosol-forming substrate 2 along a longitudinal axis of the substrate 2. Heating of the reconstituted tobacco in the aerosol-forming substrate 2 is effected by powering the heating element (e.g. with a rechargeable battery (not shown)). As the tobacco is heated, moisture and volatile compound (e.g. nicotine) within the tobacco and the humectant are released as a vapour and entrained within an airflow generated by inhalation by the user at the terminal filter element 5.

As the vapour cools within the upstream filter element 4 and the cardboard spacer tube 6, it condenses to form an aerosol containing the volatile compounds for inhalation by the user.

As is apparent from Figure 4, the bores 8 of the upstream filter element 4 are arranged such their respective openings 9 are non-coincident with the longitudinal axis (along which the heating element 13 is received in the substrate 2). That is, the openings 9 are generally unaligned with the heating element 13 along the longitudinal axis. This is more apparent from a review of Figures 5A and 5B.

Figure 5A shows a front view of the upstream filter element 4 as described above (and shown in the previous figures). As is apparent from this figure, the upstream filter element 4 comprises four bores with four respective openings 9 (i.e. at the upstream axial end 14 of the upstream filter element 4). The upstream axial end 14 of the upstream filter element 4 further comprises a projected region 15 (shown in dashed lines). The projected region 15 is centrally located on the upstream side 10 and, in the illustrated embodiment, has a diameter of 2 mm. The openings 9 are located so as to be contiguous with the periphery of the projected region 15 (i.e. the peripheral edges of the openings 9 are adjacent the periphery of the projected region 15). The openings 9 are also spaced evenly about the projected region 15. The projected region 15 is defined by the shape and location of a heating element (i.e. received by an aerosol-forming article of which the upstream filter 4 forms part of). This is better described with reference to Figure 5B.

Figure 5B is a schematic side view of the heating element 13 and upstream filter element 4. The heating element 13 is elongate and extends along a longitudinal axis 16. A transverse profile of the heating element 13 is circular and has the same diameter (i.e. 2 mm) as the projected region 15 of the upstream filter element 4. The projected region 15 is defined by a projection (see projection lines 17) of the circular transverse profile of the heating element 13 onto the upstream axial end 14 of the upstream filter element 4.

Figure 6A, 6B and 6C are front views of further upstream filter element embodiments 4’, 4”, 4’” that have different arrangements of bores 9, and thus bore openings 10.

The upstream filter element 4’ of figure 6A shows a similar arrangement to that previously described, except that the upstream filter element 4’ comprises three openings 9 (to three respective bores) rather than four openings. The three openings 9 are arranged so as to be contiguous with a circular projected region 15 of the upstream filter element 4’, and are spaced evenly about the projected region 14.

Figure 6B depicts an upstream filter element 4” comprising four openings 9, but rather than being contiguous with a circular projected region 15, they are spaced from the projected region 15. The spacing of each opening 9 from the projected region 15 is such that the opening 9 is closer to the projected region 15 than a periphery of the upstream filter 4.

Figure 6B depicts an upstream filter element 4” comprising a projected region 15’ that has a rectangular shape. In this case, the filter element 4” is for use with a heating element having a rectangular transverse profile, such as a blade heating element. The upstream filter element 4’” comprises six openings 9’ that are located so as to be contiguous with a periphery of the projected region 15’. Each of the six openings 9’ is circular, but smaller than the openings 9 shown in Figures 6A and 6B.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or in the following claims, or in the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for obtaining the disclosed results, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments described above, many equivalent modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art when given this disclosure. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments of the invention set forth above are considered to be illustrative and not limiting. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

For the avoidance of any doubt, any theoretical explanations provided herein are provided for the purposes of improving the understanding of a reader. The inventors do not wish to be bound by any of these theoretical explanations.

Any section headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting the subject matter described.

Throughout this specification, including the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the words“have”,“comprise”, and“include”, and variations such as“having”,“comprises”,“comprising”, and “including” will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

It must be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms“a,”“an,” and“the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from“about” one particular value, and/or to“about” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by the use of the antecedent“about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. The term“about” in relation to a numerical value is optional and means, for example, +/- 10%.

The words "preferred" and "preferably" are used herein refer to embodiments of the invention that may provide certain benefits under some circumstances. It is to be appreciated, however, that other embodiments may also be preferred under the same or different circumstances. The recitation of one or more preferred embodiments therefore does not mean or imply that other embodiments are not useful, and is not intended to exclude other embodiments from the scope of the disclosure, or from the scope of the claims.

Claims

Claims:

1. A smoking substitute system comprising: a device comprising an elongate heating element; and an aerosol-forming article, the article comprising: an aerosol forming substrate having a longitudinal axis along which the heating element is received in use; and a filter element axially downstream of, and adjacent to, the substrate, the filter element comprising at least one bore having an opening at an upstream axial end of the filter element, the or each opening being arranged so as to be non-coincident with the longitudinal axis.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the filter element comprises a projected region defined by a projection of the transverse profile of the heating element, when received in the substrate, onto the upstream axial end of the filter element, and wherein the or each opening is located so as to be at least partially outside of the projected region.

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein the or each opening is arranged so as to be closer to a

perimeter of the projected region than a periphery of the upstream axial end of the filter element.

4. A system according to claim 2 or 3 wherein the or each opening is arranged such that a perimeter of the or each opening is substantially contiguous with a perimeter of the projected region.

5. A system according to claim 2 or 3 wherein the heating element has a transverse profile that is

substantially circular and has a diameter of between 1 .5 mm and 2.5 mm.

6. A system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the or each opening is substantially circular and has a diameter of between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm.

7. A system according to any one the preceding claims wherein a centre of each opening is spaced from the longitudinal axis by a distance of between 1 mm and 2 mm.

8. A system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the filter element is formed of tow.

9. A system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the device comprises a main body for housing the heating element, and a cavity for receipt of the aerosol-forming article, the cavity arranged such that, when the aerosol-forming article is received in the cavity, the heating element is received in the aerosol-forming substrate along the longitudinal axis.

10. A system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the aerosol-forming article further comprises a terminal hollow bore filter element located at a downstream end of the aerosol-forming article.

11. An aerosol-forming article comprising an aerosol-forming substrate having a longitudinal axis along which a heater may be received in use; and a filter element axially downstream of, and adjacent to, the substrate, the filter element comprising at least one bore having an opening at an upstream axial end of the filter element, the or each bore being arranged so as to be non-coincident with the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-forming substrate.

12. An aerosol-forming article according to claim 11 wherein the longitudinal axis is centrally located with respect to the aerosol-forming substrate.

13. An aerosol-forming article according to claim 12 or 13 comprising a plurality of bores, each bore

comprising a corresponding opening at the upstream axial end of the filter element.

14. An aerosol-forming article according to claim 13 wherein the plurality of openings at the upstream axial end of the filter element are arranged in a circle about the longitudinal axis.

15. An aerosol-forming article according to claim 13 or 14 wherein a centre of each opening is spaced from the longitudinal axis by a distance of between 1 mm and 3 mm.

16. An aerosol-forming article according to any one of claims 11 to 15 wherein the filter element is an upstream filter element, and the aerosol-forming article comprises a further filter element in the form of a terminal hollow bore filter element located at a downstream end of the article.

17. A method of using the system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, the method comprising:

inserting the aerosol-forming article into the device; and

heating the article using the heating element.

18. A method according to claim 17 comprising inserting the article into a cavity within a main body of the device main body and, upon insertion of the article, penetrating the article with the heating element along the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-forming substrate.