WO2020128879A1

WO2020128879A1 - A sub-unit of a smoking article

Info

Publication number: WO2020128879A1
Application number: PCT/IB2019/060989
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ivan Eusepi; Massimo Sartoni; Luca Federici
Original assignee: G.D S.P.A.
Priority date: 2018-12-20
Filing date: 2019-12-18
Publication date: 2020-06-25
Also published as: EP3897241A1; KR20210102880A; IT201800020287A1; JP2022514673A

Abstract

A sub-unit of a smoking article, specifically an HNB smoking article, comprises a rod-shaped containing element into which is inserted a filling material with a cooling material applied to it.

Description

DESCRIPTION

A SUB-UNIT OF A SMOKING ARTICLE

Technical field

This invention addresses the technical field of the tobacco industry.

More specifically, this invention relates to a sub-unit of a smoking article, specifically a smoking article of the heat-not-burn (HNB) type.

Articles of this kind may be smoked by heating but not burning the active portion.

The active portion may in fact be a segment comprising an aerosol generating element, that is, a product containing tobacco of a heat-not-burn type.

In this case the tobacco may be for example of the type which is pre-treated, reconstituted, homogenized, or cast leaf, which in particular takes the form of loose material such as pellets or is in the form of a crimped ribbon.

Background art

In conventional smoking articles, the aerosol produced by combustion of the active portion may reach very high temperatures, where the water it contains is almost completely eliminated.

The aerosol generated thus tends to be perceived as low in temperature because it is relatively dry.

In HNB smoking articles, on the other hand, the aerosol generated contains a larger amount of water because the active portion is subjected to a lower temperature and the smoker may thus have the impression that the temperature is excessively high.

To overcome this problem, it is common practice to add cooling elements to these devices so as to lower the temperature of the aerosol flowing through them.

The Applicant has found, however that even this solution is relatively inefficient and involves technical complications that are all but negligible. Indeed, adding an element only for the specific purpose of cooling the aerosol flow means adding additional processes to the smoking article production chain, thus increasing its complexity because there are more components to assemble.

Aim of the invention

In this context, the technical purpose which forms the basis of this invention is to propose a sub-unit of a smoking article to overcome at least some of the above mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.

More specifically, the aim of this invention is to provide a sub-unit of a smoking article capable of reducing the complexity of the production process for making HNB smoking articles while at the same time improving the quality of the articles made.

The technical purpose indicated and the aims specified are substantially achieved by a sub-unit of a smoking article comprising the technical features described in one or more of the accompanying claims.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention

This invention discloses a sub-unit of a smoking article, specifically an HNB smoking article, comprising a rod-shaped containing element into which is inserted a filling material with a cooling material applied to it.

Advantageously, the sub-unit disclosed herein allows simplifying and optimizing smoking article production processes.

This invention also relates to a smoking article, specifically an HNB smoking article, that comprises an active portion of the tobacco industry configured to generate an aerosol to be inhaled by a user and a sub-unit that comprises a rod-shaped containing element into which is inserted a filling material with a cooling material applied to it.

The sub-unit is disposed downstream of the active portion.

This invention also relates to a method for making a sub-unit of a smoking article, specifically of the HNB type, comprising the following steps:

- preparing a mass of filling material; - applying a cooling material to the mass of filling material;

- shaping the mass of filling material to form a continuous stream;

- enclosing the filling material in the containing element;

- subdividing the continuous stream to make a succession of main rod shaped elements of the tobacco industry.

More specifically, the step of enclosing may be carried out by wrapping a wrapping material around the filling material, thus placing the containing element around the filling material.

Alternatively, the containing element may be pre-made in a process upstream, for example by making a tube of rigid or non-rigid wrapping material into which the filling material is inserted.

The dependent claims, which are incorporated herein by reference, correspond to secondary and/or different aspects of the invention.

Further features of the invention and its advantages are more apparent in the non-limiting description below, with reference to preferred but non exclusive embodiments of a sub-unit of a smoking article, of a smoking article comprising the sub-unit and of a method for making the sub-unit. The sub-unit of this invention comprises a containing element, a filling material and a cooling material.

Such a sub-unit is particularly suitable for use in making a heat-not-burn (HNB) smoking article: that is to say, a smoking article whose active portion is not burned but only heated.

The containing element has the shape of a rod, that is to say, a shape that is elongated along a main direction of extension and substantially cylindrical with a circular, elliptic or oval cross section.

More specifically, the containing element may have different shapes according to different possible embodiments suitable for the structural and constructional specifications of the smoking article in which the containing element will be inserted.

For example, the containing element may be made using a rigid tube or a flexible wrapping material. Inside the containing element there is a filling material.

In a preferred embodiment, the filling material is a filter material of the tobacco industry which may, for example, comprise cellulose acetate or paper.

Alternatively, the filling material may be at least partly metallic or metallized, comprising aluminium, for example.

The filling material may be formed from a sheet of suitable material that has been crimpled, pleated, gathered and/or folded to form a plurality of channels which are parallel or substantially parallel or which, more generally speaking, extend lengthways.

Alternatively, the filling material may be a segment formed from a continuous stream of material.

A cooling material is applied to this filling material.

In a preferred embodiment, the cooling material may comprise at least one of the following: polylactic acid (PLA), cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB), cellulose nitrate, Mater-Bi or other known materials such as, for example, those indicated in patent EP2814342.

More generally speaking, the filter material may comprise cellulose acetate, paper, polypropylene, activated carbon, silica gel, etc.

The cooling material may be applied to the filling material in the form of granules, confetti, ribbons or colloidal suspension.

The term“applied” is used to mean that the cooling material is combined with the filling material; more specifically, the cooling material may be added to the filling material in such a way that the filling material permanently retains it.

Alternatively, the cooling material may be applied to the filling material by spraying or coating.

It should be noted that at least one of the filling, cooling and/or containing materials may be provided with a metallization layer or a spread of metallic material for the purpose of increasing heat diffusion and thus enhancing the cooling effect. Broadly speaking, the length of the sub-unit, measured along its main axis of extension, is comprised between 3 and 50 mm, preferably between 5 and 30 mm or multiples thereof.

Advantageously, the sub-unit of this invention allows integrating the filtering and cooling functions in a single element, thus simplifying the production process of the smoking article in which the sub-unit is used.

In effect, this solution allows greater tolerance in respect of the length of the sub-unit in that it is unnecessary to have two separate sub-units, each having only one of these two functions, which means it is possible to make a single sub-unit which may be up to twice as long as the traditional sub units used in this field for products of this kind.

This feature also makes it easier for processing stations to handle the different components in the production plant in which the sub-unit is used. Also an object of this invention is a smoking article, specifically an HNB smoking article, comprising: an active portion of the tobacco industry configured to produce an aerosol inhalable by a user and a sub-unit according to what is described in the foregoing.

More specifically, the sub-unit is positioned downstream of the active portion relative to the direction of inhalation of the aerosol along the smoking article. In one particular embodiment, to prevent the sub-unit from coming into direct contact with the heating device during use, the smoking article may comprise a spacing element interposed between the active portion and the sub-unit.

Also an object of this invention is a method for making a smoking article, specifically an HNB smoking article, and which comprises preparing a mass of filling material and subsequently applying the cooling material to it.

The method of this invention thus comprises a step of shaping the mass of filling material to form a continuous stream.

The step of shaping may be carried out either before or after applying the cooling material to the filling material.

For example, the cooling material may be applied to the mass of filling material and, after that, the two materials together are shaped to form the continuous stream.

Alternatively, the mass of filling material may be processed to give it the required shape and the cooling material only added to the continuous stream in a subsequent step of the production process, after the continuous stream has been formed.

In both cases, depending on requirements, the cooling material may be applied either inside the filling material or on the surface of it.

The production process of the sub-unit can be ended according to different embodiments of this invention, depending on the shape and type of containing element used to hold the filling material with the added cooling material.

In a first possible embodiment, the filling material is enclosed within the containing element and the continuous stream is then subdivided to make a succession of smoking article sub-units.

This solution is ideal if the containing element is, for example, made using a flexible wrapping material.

In this case, it is advantageous to wrap the flexible wrapping material around the continuous stream of filling material to which the cooling material has been added, gradually forming the containing element around it to obtain a continuous cooling filter rod.

Alternatively, in a second possible embodiment, the continuous stream is subdivided into a succession of segments and only after that is each segments enclosed in one of a respective plurality of containing elements to obtain a succession of smoking article sub-units.

This solution is ideal if the containing element is, for example, made using a rigid wrapping material such as a rigid tube.

Advantageously, this invention achieves the preset aims and overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing the user with a single sub-unit of a smoking article combining both the filtering function and the cooling function.

Claims

1. A sub-unit of a smoking article, specifically an HNB smoking article, comprising:

- a rod-shaped containing element;

- a filling material inside the containing element;

- a cooling material applied to the filling material.

2. The sub-unit according to claim 1 , wherein the filling material is a filter material of the tobacco industry.

3. The sub-unit according to claim 1 or 2, whose length, along a main axis of extension, is comprised between 3 and 50 mm, preferably between 5 and 30 mm.

4. The sub-unit according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the cooling material is placed inside the filling material.

5. The sub-unit according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the filling material comprises at least one of the following: cellulose acetate, paper, aluminium.

6. The sub-unit according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the filling material is placed inside the containing element in the form of one more crimped, creased, corrugated or folded sheets or in the form of a segment.

7. The sub-unit according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the cooling element comprises at least one of the following: PLA, CAB, nitrocellulose.

8. The sub-unit according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the cooling element is applied in the form of granules, confetti, ribbons or colloidal suspension.

9. A smoking article, specifically of the HNB type, comprising:

- an active portion of the tobacco industry configured to produce an aerosol inhalable by a user;

- a sub-unit according to one or more of the preceding claims, located downstream of the active portion.

10. The smoking article according to claim 9, comprising a spacing element interposed between the active portion and the sub-unit.

11. A method for making a sub-unit of a smoking article, specifically of the HNB type, comprising the steps of:

- preparing a mass of filling material;

- applying a cooling material to the mass of filling material;

- shaping the mass of filling material to form a continuous stream;

12. The method according to claim 1 1 , comprising the following steps:

- enclosing the filling material in the containing element to make a continuous rod;

- subdividing the continuous rod to make a succession of sub-units of a smoking article.

13. The method according to claim 1 1 , comprising the following steps:

- subdividing the continuous stream to make a succession of segments. - enclosing each segment in a respective plurality of containing elements to make a succession of sub-units of a smoking article.