WO2022224434A1

WO2022224434A1 - Manufacturing method for flavour-inhaler cartridge

Info

Publication number: WO2022224434A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/016436
Authority: WO
Inventors: 仁丹保
Original assignee: 日本たばこ産業株式会社
Priority date: 2021-04-23
Filing date: 2021-04-23
Publication date: 2022-10-27

Abstract

Provided is a novel manufacturing method for a flavour-inhaler cartridge.　The manufacturing method for a flavour inhaler cartridge includes: holding a flavour source by suction and placing the same on a conveyor; placing a cooling part on the conveyor so as to be adjacent to the flavour source; conveying the flavour source and the cooling part; placing the flavour source and the cooling part on a piece of case paper which is a material for a case; and rolling the flavour source and the cooling part up in the case paper.

Description

Manufacturing method of cartridge for flavor inhaler

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a cartridge for a flavor inhaler.

Conventionally, a device for manufacturing smoking articles such as tobacco rods is known (see Patent Document 1). Patent Literature 1 discloses manufacturing a tobacco rod by performing cutting, paper winding, etc., while conveying a rod using a plurality of conveying drums. Further, conventionally, a flavor inhaler for inhaling flavor or the like without burning materials is known. A smoking article used in such a flavor inhaler includes, for example, a smoking material made of tobacco containing a volatile component and an aerosol cooling member that cools the volatilized material (aerosol) before it reaches the user's mouth. A product is known (see Patent Document 2).

Patent No. 6438063 Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-518041

An object of the present invention is to provide a new method for manufacturing a cartridge for a flavor inhaler.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a sheet-like flavor source that generates an aerosol when heated, a cooling section that is configured to cool the aerosol, and the flavor source and the cooling section are contained therein. A method of manufacturing a cartridge for a flavor inhaler is provided, comprising: a housing; In this manufacturing method, the flavor source is adsorbed and held and arranged on a conveyor, the cooling section is arranged on the conveyor so as to be adjacent to the flavor source, and the flavor source and the cooling section are conveyed by the conveyor. and placing the flavor source and the cooling unit on a case paper that is a raw material of the case, and winding the case paper around the flavor source and the cooling unit.

It is a schematic perspective view of the cartridge for flavor inhalers which concerns on this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the flavor inhaler cartridge with the case unfolded; It is an expansion perspective view of a cooling part. 1 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing cartridges; FIG. 4A is a schematic plan view of the cooling section sheet as viewed from arrow 4A shown in FIG. 3. FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of a cooling section sheet immediately after being cut by a slit cutter; FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of a cooling section sheet immediately after being cut by a cutter; Fig. 3 shows a schematic plan view of a chill section sheet cut on a cutting drum; FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing two cooling sections and stopper material separated by a separating drum; FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of a plurality of cooling units and stopper material transferred to a conveyor; The schematic plan view of the cooling part sheet|seat manufactured with the manufacturing method which concerns on other embodiment is shown. FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing two cooling sections separated by a separation drum; FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of two cooling units transferred to a conveyor; FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of two cooling units transferred to a conveyor; 1 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing cartridges; FIG. Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of a case containing two cooling units, two flavor sources and a stopper material; 7B is a schematic plan view of the case shown in FIG. 7A cut by a cutter; FIG. Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of a case containing two cooling units and two flavor sources; 8B is a schematic plan view of the case shown in FIG. 8A cut by a cutter; FIG. Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of a case containing two cooling units and one flavor source; 9B is a schematic plan view of the case shown in FIG. 9A cut by a cutter; FIG. FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a folding drum and a suction drum when folding the case paper; FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a folding drum and a suction drum when folding the case paper; FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a folding drum and a suction drum when folding the case paper; FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a folding drum and a suction drum when folding the case paper; FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a folding drum and a suction drum when folding the case paper; FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a folding drum and a suction drum when folding the case paper;

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings described below, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

FIG. 1A is a schematic perspective view of the flavor inhaler cartridge according to this embodiment. FIG. 1B is a schematic perspective view of the flavor inhaler cartridge with the case unfolded. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a flavor inhaler cartridge 100 according to this embodiment includes a flavor source 110, a cooling unit 10, and a case 120. As shown in FIGS. Flavor source 110 generates an aerosol when heated. Cooling unit 10 is configured to cool the aerosol generated by flavor source 110 . The cooling unit 10 also has a function of reinforcing the cartridge 100 . The case 120 accommodates the flavor source 110 and the cooling unit 10 inside. Moreover, as in the present embodiment, the cartridge 100 may have a stopper 130 that prevents the flavor source 110 accommodated in the case 120 from dropping from the case 120 .

As shown in FIG. 1A, the case 120 has a thin, substantially tubular shape, and includes a first wall portion 123, a second wall 120a, and a pair of connection walls 120b. The first wall portion 123 and the second wall 120a face each other so as to be substantially parallel to each other. A pair of connection walls 120b connect both ends of the first wall portion 123 and both ends of the second wall 120a. Specifically, one of the connection walls 120b extends between one end of the first wall portion 123 and one end of the second wall 120a, and the other one of the connection walls 120b extends between the first wall portion 123 and one end of the second wall portion 120a. It extends between one end and the other end of the second wall 120a. Therefore, the first wall portion 123, the second wall 120a, and the pair of connection walls 120b form a substantially cylindrical case 120, and an air flow path through which the aerosol generated from the flavor source 110 passes is formed inside the case 120. be done. The connecting wall 120b shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B may be constructed by a single flat panel, but may be arcuately formed by multiple panels connected via embossing, debossing, or half-cutting. may be formed. In this case, the strength of the entire case 120 can be improved by directing the concave portion formed by embossing, debossing, or half-cutting toward the inside of the case 120 .

The case 120 also has a first opening 121 and a second opening 122 facing the first opening 121 . The first opening 121 and the second opening 122 are defined by a first wall portion 123, a second wall 120a and a pair of connecting walls 120b. The first opening 121 allows the passage of the aerosol that originates from the flavor source 110 and has passed through the cooling section 10 . The first opening 121 and the second opening 122 can have substantially the same opening shape. When the cartridge 100 is mounted on the flavor inhaler, either the first opening 121 or the second opening 122 can face the mouthpiece side of the flavor inhaler. The first opening 121 or the second opening facing the mouthpiece side may be filled with a rectangular filter.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the case 120 can be formed by cylindrically forming a sheet of case paper 125 . A sheet of case paper 125 accommodates the flavor source 110, the cooling unit 10, and the stopper 130 in a winding manner. As shown in FIG. 1B, a piece of case paper 125 has two

first walls

123a, 123b. An adhesive 126 may be applied to the inner surface of each

first wall

123a, 123b. As the adhesive 126, for example, a vinyl acetate resin adhesive or a CMC (carboxymethyl cellulose) adhesive can be used. The adhesive 126 is not applied to a portion of the inner surface of one first wall 123 a corresponding to the flavor source 110 so that the adhesive 126 does not adhere to the flavor source 110 . That is, the inner surface of the first wall 123a is coated with the adhesive 126 so as to adhere to the cooling unit 10 and the stopper 130. As shown in FIG. Also, the adhesive 126 may be applied to substantially the entire inner surface of the other first wall 123b. The inner surface of the first wall 123b is adhered to the outer surface of the first wall 123a, which is adhered to the cooling unit 10 and the stopper . Thereby, the first wall portion 123 of the case 120 is composed of two

first walls

123a and 123b.

The thickness of the case 120 (the length between the outer surface of the first wall 123 and the outer surface of the second wall 120a) can be, for example, about 1.0 mm to about 5.0 mm, preferably about 1.5 mm. to about 3.0 mm. The length of case 120 (the length between first opening 121 and second opening 122) can be, for example, about 15 mm to about 100 mm, preferably about 30 mm to about 70 mm. The width of the case 120 (the length orthogonal to the thickness direction and the length direction) can be, for example, about 5 mm to about 20 mm, preferably about 10 mm to about 15 mm. The case 120 can be made of, for example, a predetermined cardboard. Specifically, the basis weight of the paper forming the case 120 can be, for example, 50 g/m ² or more and 200 g/m ² or less, preferably 70 g/m ² or more and 120 g/m ² or less. If the basis weight of the paper forming the case 120 exceeds ²⁰⁰ g/m ² , the heat transfer speed becomes slow when the cartridge 100 is directly heated.

By housing the flavor source 110 in the case 120, the shape of the flavor source 110, which is relatively easily deformed, can be maintained. Further, since the case 120 is made of paper, it is easy to dispose of the cartridge 100 after use, and it can absorb a part of the vapor or aerosol generated from the flavor source 110, making it a flavor inhaler. Condensation of vapor or aerosol inside can be suppressed.

The flavor source 110 may contain, for example, tobacco and polyhydric alcohol. Polyhydric alcohols may include glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbitol, xylitol and erythritol. These polyhydric alcohols can be used for the flavor source 110 either singly or in combination of two or more. Specifically, for example, the flavor source 110 may be formed by mixing powdered tobacco and polyhydric alcohol with a binder, and then tableting or injection molding. As the binder, for example, guar gum, xanthan gum, CMC (carboxymethylcellulose), CMC-Na (sodium salt of carboxymethylcellulose), pullulan and hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC), methylcellulose, hydroxylmethylcellulose and the like can be used.

The thickness of the flavor source 110 (the length corresponding to the thickness direction of the case 120) can be, for example, approximately 0.1 mm to approximately 4.5 mm, preferably approximately 0.3 mm to approximately 2.5 mm. The length of flavor source 110 (corresponding to the lengthwise direction of case 120) can be, for example, from about 10 mm to about 30 mm, preferably from about 15 mm to about 20 mm. The width of flavor source 110 (the length corresponding to the width direction of case 120) can be, for example, about 5 mm to about 20 mm, preferably about 10 mm to about 15 mm. As the flavor source 110, a molded product manufactured by extrusion or tableting, a tobacco sheet manufactured by a papermaking method, a casting method, or a rolling method, or a folded tobacco sheet can be used.

On the surface of the flavor source 110 facing the first wall portion 123 or the surface facing the second wall 120a, there is a direction extending between the first opening 121 and the second opening 122 of the case 120 (hereinafter referred to as the length direction). ) may be formed along the grooves 112 (see FIG. 6). This makes it easier for the aerosol generated from the flavor source 110 to pass through the grooves 112 on the surface of the flavor source 110 and move to the first opening 121 . That is, the grooves 112 on the surface of the flavor source 110 can function as aerosol channels.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the flavor source 110 and the cooling section 10 can be arranged adjacent to each other in the length direction. Also, the stopper 130 is arranged adjacent to the flavor source 110 on the side opposite to the cooling section 10 . That is, the flavor source 110 is sandwiched between the stopper 130 and the cooling section 10 in the longitudinal direction.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the cooling unit 10. FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the cooling section 10 has corrugated sections 12 having a plurality of tops 13 and bottoms 14 between the tops 13 . In this specification, the direction in which the plurality of apexes 13 extend is referred to as the first direction, and the direction in which the plurality of apexes 13 are adjacent, that is, the direction orthogonal to the first direction is referred to as the second direction. Although the corrugated portion 12 shown in FIG. 2 has a substantially sinusoidal shape when viewed from the first direction, the corrugated portion 12 may have a rectangular wave shape or a triangular wave shape. The corrugated portion 12 may be made of one or more materials selected from the group consisting of paper, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polylactic acid, cellulose acetate, and aluminum foil, for example.

The cooling section 10 may further have a base sheet 17 provided on one of the surfaces of the corrugated section 12, that is, the convex surface of the top portion 13 or the concave surface of the bottom portion 14. In this embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , the base sheet 17 is provided on the concave side surface of the bottom portion 14 . The base sheet 17 may be provided on both sides of the corrugated portion 12 . The base sheet 17 can be made of, for example, one or more materials selected from the group consisting of paper, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polylactic acid, cellulose acetate, and aluminum foil. When the base sheet 17 is provided on only one side of the corrugated portion 12, the base sheet 17 is provided on the surface of the corrugated portion 12 facing the second wall 120a when the cooling portion 10 is accommodated in the case 120. preferably.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the cooling section 10 is accommodated in the case 120 oriented such that the first direction in which the top portion 13 of the corrugated section 12 extends coincides with the longitudinal direction of the cartridge 100 . This allows the aerosol generated by the flavor source 110 to pass through the space between the top portions 13 and the space between the bottom portions 14 of the corrugated portion 12 . That is, the space between the top portions 13 and the space between the bottom portions 14 of the corrugated portion 12 can function as an aerosol channel.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the stopper 130 can have the same structure as the cooling section 10 in this embodiment. However, the stopper 130 is not limited to this, and may be made of any material that allows passage of air from the second opening 122 and that can prevent the flavor source 110 from falling from the case 120 . Also, the stopper 130 may not be provided on the cartridge 100 .

The cartridge 100 shown in FIG. 1A generates vapor and aerosol of the aerosol source or flavor source 110 by being heated by the heating portion of the flavor inhaler. Vapor and aerosol generated in the flavor source 110 of the cartridge 100 are cooled by passing through the cooling section 10 and reach the mouth of the user upon inhalation by the user. Vapor generated in the cartridge 100 can be cooled by the cooling unit 10 and atomized into an aerosol. In this embodiment, the cartridge 100 is thin plate-like or card-like.

The cartridge 100 shown in FIG. 1A can be heated from either the first wall 123 or the second wall 120a of the case 120 by the heating portion of the flavor inhaler. In this case, heat is gradually transferred from one side of the flavor source 110, and smoking time can be lengthened. Also, the cartridge 100 may be heated from both sides of the first wall portion 123 and the second wall portion 120a of the case 120 by the heating portion of the flavor inhaler. Further, by providing a susceptor in the cartridge 100, the susceptor may be induction-heated by an induction coil, thereby heating the flavor source 110. FIG. The cartridge 100 can be heated to, for example, 200° C. or higher and 300° C. or lower.

Next, a method for manufacturing the cartridge 100 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B will be described. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing the cartridge 100. As shown in FIG. Specifically, the apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 3 is an apparatus for manufacturing the cooling portion 10 and supplying the cooling portion 10 to the flavor source 110 . In FIG. 3 the direction of rotation of the drum or roller is indicated by an arrow. The apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 3 manufactures the cooling portion 10 shown in FIGS. 1B and 2 by appropriately cutting the cooling portion sheet 20, which is the raw material of the cooling portion 10 of the cartridge 100, while conveying it with a plurality of drums. do. Further, in the apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 3, the manufactured cooling section 10 is placed adjacent to the flavor source 110 as shown in FIG. 1B.

The device 200 has a pair of first delivery rollers 205, a cutting drum 210, a second delivery roller 250, an acceleration drum 220, and a separation drum 230 (separate drum). The cutting drum 210 conveys the cooling section sheet 20 while sucking it, and the cooling section sheet 20 is cut by the cutting drum 210 . Acceleration drum 220 receives cut chill sheet 20 from cutting drum 210 . The acceleration drum 220 rotates in the opposite direction to the cutting drum 210 . The separation drum 230 separates the cooling units 10 from the cut cooling unit sheet 20 in the width direction of the separation drum 230 (the depth direction of the paper surface in FIG. 3). Separating drum 230 rotates in the same direction as cutting drum 210 . In this embodiment, the cartridge 100 is manufactured using the cutting drum 210, the acceleration drum 220, and the separation drum 230, but the number of drums is not limited to this. If the cooling section sheet 20 is separated by a single separation drum 230, the diameter of the separation drum 230 may increase, or the cooling section sheet 20 may fall off due to the increased separation speed. Therefore, when separating the cooling section sheet 20, it is preferable to provide two separation drums 230 and separate the cooling section sheet 20 in stages.

The cooling section sheet 20 is preferably wound into a roll. Thereby, the arrangement space of the cooling part sheet 20 can be reduced, and the cooling part 10 can be continuously manufactured in the apparatus 200 . Also, the cooling section sheet 20 is preferably wound so that the corrugated section 12 faces outward and the base sheet 17 faces inward.

First, the device 200 feeds out the roll-shaped cooling section sheet 20 . The cooling part sheet 20 is wound so that the first direction in which the top part 13 extends faces the width direction of the roll. FIG. 4A is a schematic plan view of the cooling section sheet 20 viewed from arrow 4A shown in FIG. In FIG. 4A, an arrow C1 indicates the direction in which the cooling section sheet 20 is conveyed. As shown in FIG. 4A, when the cooling part sheet 20 is conveyed, the first direction in which the top part 13 of the cooling part sheet 20 extends is perpendicular to the conveying direction C1. When the cooling section sheet 20 is delivered, the pair of first delivery rollers 205 sandwich the cooling section sheet 20 and deliver the cooling section sheet 20 in a predetermined direction according to the rotating direction of the first delivery rollers 205 . One of the pair of first delivery rollers 205 can have a plurality of concave portions and a plurality of convex portions corresponding to the top portion 13 and the bottom portion 14 of the cooling portion sheet 20 . As a result, the first delivery rollers 205 are engaged with the top portion 13 and the bottom portion 14 of the cooling section sheet 20 , so that even if the pair of first delivery rollers 205 do not strongly sandwich the cooling section sheet 20 , the first delivery rollers 205 are In contrast, the cooling section sheet 20 can be prevented from slipping.

The cooling unit sheet 20 delivered by the first delivery roller 205 is conveyed while being attracted to the cutting drum 210 . Subsequently, the cooling section sheet 20 delivered to the cutting drum 210 is cut. Specifically, the cooling section sheet 20 conveyed by the cutting drum 210 is cut along the conveying direction C1 by the slit cutter 240 . 4B is a schematic plan view of the cooling section sheet 20 immediately after being cut by the slit cutter 240. FIG. In FIG. 4B, the cut locations by the slit cutter 240 are indicated by dashed lines. As shown in FIG. 4B, the cooling section sheet 20 is cut along the second direction. In the example shown in FIG. 4B, the cooling section sheet 20 is cut along the second direction at two locations.

Also, the cooling section sheet 20 is cut by the cutter 255 . FIG. 4C is a schematic plan view of cooling section sheet 20 immediately after being cut by cutter 255 . In FIG. 4C, the cutting location by the cutter 255 is indicated by a dashed line. As shown in FIG. 4C, the cooling section sheet 20 is cut along the first direction so as to be separated at predetermined intervals in the second direction. The cutter 255 is preferably provided on the second delivery roller 250 . The second feeding roller 250 has a plurality of concave portions 250a and a plurality of convex portions 250b corresponding to the top portion 13 and the bottom portion 14 of the cooling portion sheet 20, and further feeds the cooling portion sheet 20 attracted to the cutting drum 210. The cutter 255 is preferably provided on at least one of the plurality of protrusions 250b of the second delivery roller 250. As shown in FIG. Thereby, the cooling part sheet 20 can be cut at a position corresponding to the bottom part 14 of the cooling part sheet 20 while the second delivery roller 250 delivers the cooling part sheet 20 . In the present embodiment, the cooling section sheet 20 is cut by the cutter 255 after being cut by the slit cutter 240, but the order of cutting is not limited to this. That is, the cooling section sheet 20 may be cut by the slit cutter 240 after being cut by the cutter 255 .

A plurality of cooling part sheets 20 are formed by cutting the cooling part sheet 20 with the slit cutter 240 and the cutter 255 on the cutting drum 210 . It is preferable that the cutting drum 210 rotates at a higher speed than the peripheral speed of the first delivery roller 205 that delivers the cooling unit sheet 20 to the cutting drum 210 . As a result, the cutting drum 210 can apply tension to the cooling section sheet 20 to remove slack in the cooling section sheet 20 , thereby assisting the cutting by the slit cutter 240 and the cutter 255 . Also, the cutting drum 210 slides against the cooling section sheet 20 before being cut along the first direction shown in FIG. Gaps may be formed between the cooling section sheets 20 . As a result, the subsequent drums (the accelerating drums 220 in the present embodiment) can easily attract the respective cooling section sheets 20 separately.

4D shows a schematic plan view of the cooling section sheet 20 cut on the cutting drum 210. FIG. As shown in FIG. 4D, the cut cooling section sheet 20 has at least two cooling sections 10 adjacent in the first direction. In the present embodiment, the cooling unit sheet 20 is cut at two locations along the second direction by the slit cutter 240, so that the pair of cooling units 10 located at both ends in the first direction and the stopper located in the center are formed. material 130'. Note that the central stopper material 130' is finally cut in two to form the two stoppers 130 shown in FIG. 1B.

The cooling section sheet 20 cut by the cutting drum 210 is adsorbed by the adsorption section 220 a of the acceleration drum 220 and conveyed to the separation drum 230 . The separation drum 230 preferably rotates at a peripheral speed higher than that of the cutting drum 210 . The adsorption portion 220 a of the acceleration drum 220 is movable in the circumferential direction of the acceleration drum 220 . The peripheral speed of the suction part 220 a when receiving the cooling part sheet 20 from the cutting drum 210 is the same as that of the cutting drum 210 . On the other hand, the peripheral speed of the adsorption portion 220 a when transferring the cooling portion sheet 20 to the separation drum 230 is the same as the peripheral speed of the separation drum 230 . Thereby, the acceleration drum 220 can transfer the cooling section sheet 20 to the separation drum 230 after increasing the gap in the conveying direction C1 between the cooling section sheets 20 . It is preferable that the surface of the adsorption part 220a that adsorbs the cooling part sheet 20 is formed in a concave shape. As a result, the cooling part sheet 20 can be sucked more easily than when the cooling part sheet 20 is sucked on a flat surface.

At least two cooling sections 10 adjacent in the first direction formed from the cut cooling section sheet 20 are separated from each other in the first direction on the separating drum 230 . FIG. 4E is a schematic plan view showing two cooling sections 10 and stopper material 130' separated by a separating drum 230. FIG. As shown in FIG. 4E, the two cooling portions 10 are separated from each other from the stopper material 130', forming a gap S1 therebetween.

Subsequently, the separation drum 230 transfers the two cooling units 10 and the stopper material 130 ′ shown in FIG. 4E to the conveyor 260 that conveys the flavor source 110 . Two flavor sources 110 are placed on the conveyor 260 in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction with a gap corresponding to the stopper material 130' shown in FIG. 4E. As a result, when the two cooling units 10 and the stopper material 130' are transferred to the conveyor 260, the flavor source 110 is placed in each of the gaps S1 between the two cooling units 10 and the stopper material 130' shown in FIG. 4E. is placed.

FIG. 4F is a schematic plan view of a plurality of cooling units 10 and stopper materials 130' transferred to the conveyor 260. FIG. As shown, each flavor source 110 is positioned between the two cooling sections 10 and the stopper material 130'. The two cooling units 10, the stopper material 130' and the two flavor sources 110 shown in FIG. 4F are wrapped in a sheet of case paper 125 shown in FIG. 1B in a subsequent step. After that, it is cut at the central portion in the length direction (horizontal direction) shown in FIG. 4F to manufacture two cartridges 100 shown in FIG. 1A.

In the method for manufacturing the cartridge 100 described above, the cooling section sheet 20 is cut along the second direction at two locations by the slit cutter 240, but this is not the only option. The cooling section sheet 20 may be cut along the second direction at one point by the slit cutter 240 . FIG. 5A shows a schematic plan view of a cooling section sheet 20 manufactured by a manufacturing method according to another embodiment. In FIG. 5A, the cut locations by the slit cutter 240 are indicated by dashed lines. As shown, the cooling section sheet 20 is cut along the second direction at one point in the first direction. In the illustrated example, the cooling section sheet 20 is cut along the second direction at the central portion in the first direction. Thereby, two cooling portions 10 adjacent to each other in the first direction are formed.

Subsequently, the cooling section sheets 20 shown in FIG. 5A are separated from each other in the first direction on the separation drum 230 . 5B is a schematic plan view showing two cooling sections 10 separated by a separation drum 230. FIG. As shown in FIG. 5B, a gap S2 is formed between the two cooling units 10. As shown in FIG.

Subsequently, the separation drum 230 transfers the two cooling units 10 shown in FIG. 5B to the conveyor 260 that conveys the flavor sources 110 shown in FIG. One flavor source 110′ or two flavor sources 110 are placed on the conveyor 260 at positions corresponding to the gap S2 between the two cooling units 10 shown in FIG. 5B. Thereby, when the two cooling units 10 are transferred to the conveyor 260, one flavor source 110' or two flavor sources 110 are arranged in the gap S2 between the two cooling units 10 shown in FIG. 5B. .

FIG. 5C is a schematic plan view of two cooling units 10 transferred to the conveyor 260. FIG. As shown, one flavor source 110' may be positioned between two cooling sections 10. FIG. Flavor source 110 ′ may have, for example, approximately twice the length of flavor source 110 . Two cooling units 10 and one flavor source 110' shown in FIG. 5C are wrapped in a sheet of case paper 125 shown in FIG. 1B in a subsequent step. After that, it can be cut at the central portion in the length direction (horizontal direction) shown in FIG. 5C. In this case, two cartridges 100 shown in FIG. 1A with the stopper 130 omitted are manufactured.

5D is a schematic plan view of two cooling units 10 transferred to the conveyor 260. FIG. As shown, two flavor sources 110 may be positioned between the two cooling sections 10 . A gap S3 may be provided between the two flavor sources 110 . The two cooling units 10 and the two flavor sources 110 shown in FIG. 5D are wrapped in a sheet of case paper 125 shown in FIG. 1B in a subsequent step. After that, it is cut at the central portion in the length direction (horizontal direction) shown in FIG. 5D, that is, at the gap S3. In this case, two cartridges 100 shown in FIG. 1A with the stopper 130 omitted are manufactured. Also, in the case of the example shown in FIG. 5D, two flavor sources 110 pre-cut to the same length may be arranged with a gap S3. In this case, even if the cutting positions in the length direction (horizontal direction) shown in FIG. 5D are slightly misaligned, the lengths of the two flavor sources 110 can be equalized by cutting at the gap S3. As a result, it is possible to suppress the difference in flavor and taste due to the length of the flavor source 110 between the two cartridges 100 . It should be noted that the flavor source 110 may be glued to the case 120 when the stopper 130 is omitted as shown in FIG. 5D.

Next, the process of housing the flavor source 110 and the cooling unit 10 in the case 120 will be described. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing the cartridge 100. As shown in FIG. Specifically, the device 300 shown in FIG. 6 is a device that accommodates the flavor source 110, the cooling unit 10, and the stopper material 130' in the case 120. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 6, the direction of rotation of the drum is indicated by an arrow. The apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 6 manufactures the cartridge 100 by transporting the flavor source 110, the cooling section 10, and the stopper material 130' and wrapping them with the case paper 125. As shown in FIG.

The device 300 has a folding drum 40 , a suction drum 50 and a drum 51 that drive a conveyor 260 , and a suction robot 80 . The folding drum 40 transports the case paper 125, which is the raw material of the case 120, while sucking it, and wraps the flavor source 110, the cooling unit 10, and the stopper material 130' with the case paper 125 cut to a predetermined length. The adsorption drum 50 and the drum 51 drive the conveyor 260 shown in FIG. The adsorption drum 50 can adsorb the flavor source 110, the cooling unit 10, and the stopper material 130' placed on the conveyor 260. As shown in FIG.

The adsorption robot 80 has a plurality of adsorption hands 82 that adsorb and hold the sheet-like flavor source 110 , and arranges the adsorbed flavor source 110 on the conveyor 260 . The adsorption hand 82 can adsorb the flavor source 110 by, for example, vacuum adsorption or electrostatic adsorption. In the illustrated example, the adsorption robot 80 adsorbs and holds a plurality of flavor sources 110, and arranges two flavor sources 110 side by side on the conveyor 260 in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction. Specifically, the adsorption robot 80 adsorbs and holds at least two flavor sources 110 and arranges the two flavor sources 110 on the conveyor 260 with a gap provided between the two flavor sources 110 . When the two flavor sources 110 are conveyed by the conveyor 260 , the suction robot 80 repeats placing two more flavor sources 110 sucked by the suction hand 82 on the conveyor 260 .

The flavor source 110 may have a first surface 110a with grooves 112 and a second surface 110b without grooves 112 facing the first surface 110a. In this case, the adsorption hand 82 of the adsorption robot 80 preferably adsorbs the second surface 110 b of the flavor source 110 . Thereby, the flavor source 110 can be adsorbed and held more reliably.

When the two flavor sources 110 are transported by the conveyor 260, the cooling section 10 is placed on the conveyor 260 adjacent to the flavor sources 110 by the apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 3, for example. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4F and 5D, two cooling units 10 can be arranged on the conveyor 260 such that the cooling units 10 are positioned on both sides in the direction in which the two flavor sources 110 are adjacent. . A stopper material 130' may also be placed in the gap between the two flavor sources 110, as shown in Figure 4F. In this embodiment, an example in which two cooling units 10 and a stopper material 130' are arranged on the conveyor 260 will be described. The two cooling units 10, the two flavor sources 110, and the stopper material 130' are transported by the conveyor 260 and then transported while being adsorbed by the adsorption drum 50. As shown in FIG.

On the other hand, the case paper 125, which is the raw material of the case 120, is sucked by the folding drum 40 and fed out. The folding drum 40 is provided with a cold glue feeder 310 , a rotary cutter 60 , a folding guide 72 , a heater 74 , a cutter 76 and a tucker 78 . Case paper 125 on folding drum 40 is supplied with adhesive 126 shown in FIG. 1B by cold glue supply 310 . Also, the case paper 125 on the folding drum 40 is cut to a predetermined length by the rotary cutter 60 . Rotary cutter 60 may have a cutting portion 64 and a half-cut or debossed portion 62 . The cutting unit 64 is configured to cut the case paper 125 into a predetermined length. The half-cut or deboss forming unit 62 cuts the surface of the case paper 125, cuts a part of the surface of the case paper 125, compresses the surface of the case paper 125, and cuts the case paper 125 in half. Configured to form cuts or debosses. Alternatively, the half-cut or debossed portion 62 may be half-cut or debossed by laser processing. That is, half-cutting or debossing can also be referred to as cutting lines or indentation lines formed on the surface of the case paper 125 . This makes it easier for the case paper 125 to fold along the half-cut or deboss. Note that the half-cut or debossed portion 62 may not be provided on the rotary cutter 60 . Alternatively, the case paper 125 may be pre-cut on another drum and then fed to the folding drum 40 .

The adsorption drum 50 arranges the two cooling units 10, the two flavor sources 110, and the stopper material 130' on the case paper 125 cut to a predetermined length by the rotary cutter 60. Tucker 78 and folding guide 72 then fold the two

first walls

123a, 123b shown in FIG. be wrapped around. As a result, a case 120 is formed inside which accommodates the two cooling units 10, the two flavor sources 110, and the stopper material 130'. Thereafter, the case 120 containing the two cooling units 10, the two flavor sources 110, and the stopper material 130' is heated by the heater 74 to promote hardening of the adhesive 126. FIG. Finally, the case 120 containing the two cooling units 10, the two flavor sources 110 and the stopper material 130' is cut by the cutter 76. FIG. The cutter 76 may be provided on another drum in the subsequent stage. Moreover, when cutting with the cutter 76, it is preferable to cut the center of the case 120 while pressing both side end faces of the case 120. As shown in FIG. Before or after the cutting of the case 120 by the cutter 76, an inspection device may be provided for inspecting whether or not the case 120 can be cut at the desired position. The inspection device may include, for example, an infrared sensor, a transmitted light sensor, a capacitive sensor, or an image sensor. Means may be provided for removing the cartridge 100 manufactured from the case 120 when the case 120 is cut at an undesired position.

FIG. 7A is a schematic plan view of a case 120 containing two cooling units 10, two flavor sources 110, and a stopper material 130'. In FIG. 7A, the cutting location by the cutter 76 is indicated by a dashed line. 7B is a schematic plan view of case 120 shown in FIG. 7A cut by cutter 76. FIG. As shown in FIG. 7A, a stopper material 130' is arranged between two flavor sources 110, and two cooling units 10 are arranged on both sides in the direction in which the two flavor sources 110 are adjacent. The cutter 76 shown in FIG. 6 cuts the substantially central portion in the longitudinal direction of the case 120 shown in FIG. 7A, that is, the portion including the stopper material 130'. As shown in FIG. 7B , two cases 120 are formed by cutting with the cutter 76 , and each case 120 accommodates the flavor source 110 , the cooling section 10 and the stopper 130 . As a result, two cartridges 100 are manufactured.

In the apparatus 300 shown in FIG. 6, the stopper material 130' does not have to be fed onto the conveyor 260. In this case, the tucker 78 and folding guide 72 shown in FIG. 6 fold the two

first walls

123 a, 123 b of the case paper 125 to wrap the case paper 125 around the two cooling units 10 and the two flavor sources 110 .

8A is a schematic plan view of a case 120 that houses two cooling units 10 and two flavor sources 110. FIG. In FIG. 8A, the cutting location by the cutter 76 is indicated by a dashed line. 8B is a schematic plan view of case 120 shown in FIG. 8A cut by cutter 76. FIG. As shown in FIG. 8A, a gap S3 is provided between the two flavor sources 110, and two cooling units 10 are arranged on both sides in the direction in which the two flavor sources 110 are adjacent to each other. Note that, in the example shown in FIG. 8A, the stopper material 130' is not arranged inside the case 120. As shown in FIG. The cutter 76 cuts the substantially central portion in the longitudinal direction of the case 120 shown in FIG. 8A, that is, the portion including the gap S3. As shown in FIG. 8B , two cases 120 are formed by cutting the cutter 76 , and each case 120 accommodates the flavor source 110 and the cooling unit 10 . As a result, two cartridges 100 without stoppers 130 are manufactured. In this case, even if the cutting positions in the length direction (horizontal direction) shown in FIG. 8B are slightly misaligned, the lengths of the two flavor sources 110 can be equalized by cutting at the gap S3. As a result, it is possible to suppress the difference in flavor and taste due to the length of the flavor source 110 between the two cartridges 100 .

In the apparatus 300 shown in FIG. 6, the adsorption robot 80 has been described as placing two flavor sources 110 on the conveyor 260, but the adsorption robot 80 adsorbs and holds one flavor source 110 to produce one flavor. Source 110 ′ may be placed on conveyor 260 . As noted above, flavor source 110 ′ may have, for example, approximately twice the length of flavor source 110 . In this case, the tucker 78 and folding guide 72 shown in FIG. 6 fold the two

first walls

123a, 123b of the case paper 125 to wrap the case paper 125 around the two cooling units 10 and one flavor source 110'.

FIG. 9A is a schematic plan view of a case 120 that houses two cooling units 10 and one flavor source 110'. In FIG. 9A, the cutting location by the cutter 76 is indicated by a dashed line. 9B is a schematic plan view of case 120 shown in FIG. 9A cut by cutter 76. FIG. As shown in FIG. 9A, two cooling units 10 are arranged on both sides of one flavor source 110'. Note that in the example shown in FIG. 9A, the stopper material 130' is not arranged inside the case 120. As shown in FIG. The cutter 76 cuts the substantially central portion of the case 120 shown in FIG. 1A in the longitudinal direction, that is, substantially the central portion of the flavor source 110'. As shown in FIG. 9B , two cases 120 are formed by cutting the cutter 76 , and each case 120 accommodates the flavor source 110 and the cooling unit 10 . As a result, two cartridges 100 without stoppers 130 are manufactured.

Next, a detailed process of folding the case paper 125 on the folding drum 40 shown in FIG. 6 will be described. 10A to 10F show schematic cross-sectional views of the folding drum 40 and the suction drum 50 when folding the case paper 125. FIG. The case paper 125 cut to a predetermined length by the rotary cutter 60 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10A , the folding drum 40 has a recess 42 having a shape corresponding to the shape of the case 120 and a pusher 44 for pushing the case 120 positioned in the recess 42 out of the recess 42 . In the state shown in FIG. 10A, case paper 125 has a substantially flat shape so as to cover recess 42 .

The adsorption drum 50 adsorbs and holds the flavor source 110 and the cooling section 10 (and the stopper material 130', if any) conveyed from the conveyor 260 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10A , the adsorption drum 50 has a recess 52 having a shape corresponding to the shape of the flavor source 110 and the cooling portion 10 (and the stopper material 130 ′, if any) placed on the conveyor 260 , and the recess 52 . and a pusher 54 for pushing the cooling portion 10 (and stopper material 130 ′, if any) out of the recess 52 . The attraction drum 50 further has a mouthpiece 56 for pressing the case paper 125 attracted to the folding drum 40 against the concave portion 42 to form a mold. The mouthpiece 56 has a pressing portion 56a having an outer shape corresponding to the shape of the recess 42 of the folding drum 40, and a cavity 56b for the pusher 54 to pass through.

When the folding drum 40 conveys the case paper 125 and arranges the case paper 125 at a position corresponding to the mouthpiece 56 as shown in FIG. 10A, the case paper 125 is recessed by the mouthpiece 56 as shown in FIG. 10B. pressed against 42. Specifically, the pressing portion 56 a of the mouthpiece 56 enters the recess 42 , and the case paper 125 enters the recess 42 while deforming along the recess 42 . As a result, the case paper 125 is molded in a concave shape corresponding to the concave portion 42 .

When the case paper 125 is molded in a concave shape, the mouthpiece 56 is separated from the case paper 125 as shown in FIG. 10C. The case paper 125 is folded along the half-cuts or debosses formed by the half-cut or deboss forming part 62 of the rotary cutter 60 shown in FIG. A portion corresponding to the pair of connection walls 120b is formed. Half-cutting or debossing the case paper 125 allows the case paper 125 to be folded into a desired shape even for a very thin case 120 (for example, about 1.5 mm to about 4.0 mm thick). be able to.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 10D, cavity 56b of mouthpiece 56 is enlarged and pusher 54 recesses flavor source 110 and cooling portion 10 (and stopper material 130', if present) as shown in FIG. 10E. Place flavor source 110 and cooling portion 10 (and stopper material 130 ′, if any) on case paper 125 , pushing from 52 and through cavity 56 b of mouthpiece 56 . That is, pusher 54 places flavor source 110 and cooler 10 (and stopper material 130', if present) on case paper 125 after case paper 125 has been recessed. Note that only the flavor source 110 is illustrated in FIGS. 10A to 10F. The flavor source 110 is in sheet form as described above and can be very fragile. According to this embodiment, since the case paper 125 is provided with a concave mold in advance, when the pusher 54 is used to place the flavor source 110 and the cooling unit 10 (and the stopper material 130 ′, if any) on the case paper 125 , At the same time, the stress applied to the flavor source 110 and the cooling section 10 (and the stopper material 130', if present) can be reduced compared to the case where the case paper 125 is provided with a concave mold. As a result, destruction of the flavor source 110 and the cooling portion 10 (and the stopper material 130', if any), especially the brittle flavor source 110, can be suppressed.

Once the case paper 125 has the flavor source 110 and cooling portion 10 (and stopper material 130 ′, if any) positioned, the case paper 125 is folded along the half-cut or deboss so that the case paper 125 is aligned with the flavor source 110 . and the cooling part 10 (and the stopper material 130' if present). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10F, the pusher 54 returns to the position shown in FIG. 10F, and the portion corresponding to the first wall 123a of the case paper 125 is folded by the tucker 78 along the half-cut or deboss. This causes the adhesive 126 applied to the first wall 123a shown in FIG. 1B to adhere to the cooling portion 10 (and the stopper material 130', if present).

After that, the folding drum 40 rotates, and the folding guide 72 shown in FIG. 6 folds the portion corresponding to the first wall 123b of the case paper 125 along the half-cut or deboss. As a result, the first wall 123b shown in FIG. 1B is overlapped with the first wall 123a, and the adhesive 126 applied to the first wall 123b adheres to the first wall 123a, and the first wall 123a shown in FIG. 7A, FIG. 8A, or FIG. 9A A case 120 is formed as shown in FIG. The folding drum 40 is then rotated, the heater 74 heats the adhesive 126, and the case 120 is cut by the cutter 76 to form the two cartridges 100 shown in Figures 7B, 8B, or 9B. . Finally, the two cartridges 100 are pushed out of the recesses 42 by the pusher 44 of the folding drum 40 shown in FIGS. 10A-10F.

10A-10F, the two

first walls

123a, 123b of the case 120 face the first surface 110a (see FIG. 6) of the flavor source 110, and the second wall 120a faces the flavor source 110. Case paper 125 is preferably wrapped around flavor source 110 and cooling portion 10 (and stopper material 130' if present) so as to face second surface 110b (see FIG. 6). By heating the flavor source 110 from the second wall 120a side with the heating part of the flavor inhaler, the flavor source 110 is heated more efficiently than when the two

first walls

123a and 123b are heated. can do. In addition, the second surface 110b of the flavor source 110 on which the grooves 112 are not formed has a larger contact area with the case 120 than the first surface 110a on which the grooves 112 are formed. , the flavor source 110 can be efficiently heated.

10A to 10F, the corrugated portion 12 shown in FIG. Case paper 125 is preferably wrapped around flavor source 110 and cooling portion 10 (and stopper material 130' if present) so as to do so. As a result, one surface of the cartridge 100 has two

first walls

123a and 123b, and the other surface has one second wall 120a and the base sheet 17. As shown in FIG. Therefore, compared to the case where the cooling unit 10 is arranged so that the base sheet 17 faces the two

first walls

123a and 123b of the case 120, the strength and heat insulating properties of the cartridge 100 can be made uniform.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, specification and drawings. is possible. Any shape or material that is not directly described in the specification and drawings is within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention as long as it produces the action and effect of the present invention.

Some of the aspects disclosed in this specification are described below.
According to the first aspect, a sheet-shaped flavor source that generates an aerosol when heated, a cooling section configured to cool the aerosol, and the flavor source and the cooling section are housed inside. A method of manufacturing a cartridge for a flavor inhaler having a case is provided. In this manufacturing method, the flavor source is adsorbed and held and arranged on a conveyor, the cooling section is arranged on the conveyor so as to be adjacent to the flavor source, and the flavor source and the cooling section are conveyed by the conveyor. and placing the flavor source and the cooling unit on a case paper that is a raw material of the case, and winding the case paper around the flavor source and the cooling unit.

A second aspect is the first aspect, wherein the case paper is half-cut or debossed, the case paper is folded along the half-cut or debossed, and the case paper is wrapped around the flavor source and the cooling unit. The gist is to include,

A third aspect is the first aspect or the second aspect, wherein the case paper is formed with a concave shape, and after the case paper is formed with the concave shape, the flavor source and the cooling unit are arranged on the case paper. The gist is to do, including.

A fourth aspect is any one of the first aspect to the third aspect, wherein the flavor source has a first surface having grooves and a second surface having no grooves facing the first surface. , the manufacturing method is such that two first walls of the case face the first surface of the flavor source, and one second wall of the case facing the first wall faces the second wall of the flavor source. wrapping the case paper around the flavor source and the cooling unit so as to face the surface.

A fifth aspect is any one of the first aspect to the fourth aspect, wherein at least two of the flavor sources are adsorbed and held, and a gap is provided between the two flavor sources to move the two flavor sources on the conveyor. , the two cooling units are arranged on the conveyor so that the cooling units are located on both sides in the direction in which the two flavor sources are adjacent, and the case paper is placed on the two flavor sources and the two The gist of the matter includes wrapping around the cooling section.

A sixth aspect is the fifth aspect, wherein a stopper material is placed in the gap between the two flavor sources, and the case paper is wrapped around the two flavor sources, the two cooling units, and the stopper material. The gist is to include

A seventh aspect is any one of the first aspect to the fourth aspect, wherein one flavor source is adsorbed and held and arranged on a conveyor, and the cooling units are positioned on both sides of the one flavor source. , placing two said cooling units on said conveyor and wrapping said case paper around said one flavor source and said two cooling units.

An eighth aspect is any one of the first aspect to the seventh aspect, wherein the cooling section comprises a corrugated section having a plurality of tops and bottoms between the tops, and a base sheet provided on one surface of the corrugated section. and wherein the corrugated portion faces two first walls of the case, and the base sheet faces one second wall that faces the first wall of the case. and wrapping the case paper around the flavor source and the cooling unit.

Reference Signs List 10: cooling section 12: corrugated section 13: top section 14: bottom section 17: base sheet 100: cartridges 110, 110': flavor source 110a: first surface 110b: second surface 112: groove 120: case 120a:

second wall

123, 123a, 123b: first wall 125: case paper 130: stopper 130': stopper material 260: conveyor S1: gap S2: gap

Claims

a sheet-like flavor source that generates an aerosol when heated;
a cooling unit configured to cool the aerosol;
A method for manufacturing a cartridge for a flavor inhaler, comprising a case for housing the flavor source and the cooling unit therein,
Adsorbing and holding the flavor source and placing it on a conveyor,
placing the cooling unit on the conveyor so as to be adjacent to the flavor source;
Conveying the flavor source and the cooling unit on the conveyor,
Arranging the flavor source and the cooling unit on a case paper that is a raw material of the case,
A method of manufacturing a cartridge for a flavor inhaler, comprising wrapping the case paper around the flavor source and the cooling unit.
In the method of manufacturing a cartridge for a flavor inhaler according to claim 1,
Forming a half cut or deboss on the case paper,
A method of manufacturing a cartridge for a flavor inhaler, comprising folding the case paper along the half-cuts or debosses and wrapping the case paper around the flavor source and the cooling unit.
In the method for manufacturing a cartridge for a flavor inhaler according to claim 1 or 2,
Molding the case paper in a concave shape,
A method of making a cartridge for a flavor inhaler, comprising placing the flavor source and the cooling section on the case paper after the case paper is recessed.
In the method for manufacturing a cartridge for a flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The flavor source has a first surface with a groove and a second surface without the groove facing the first surface,
The manufacturing method is
Two first walls of the case face the first surface of the flavor source, and one second wall of the case facing the first wall faces the second surface of the flavor source. and wrapping the case paper around the flavor source and the cooling unit.
In the method for manufacturing a cartridge for a flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
At least two of the flavor sources are held by suction, and the two flavor sources are arranged on the conveyor with a gap between the two flavor sources;
Arranging the two cooling units on the conveyor so that the cooling units are located on both sides in the direction in which the two flavor sources are adjacent,
A method of manufacturing a cartridge for a flavor inhaler, comprising wrapping the case paper around the two flavor sources and the two cooling sections.
In the method of manufacturing a cartridge for a flavor inhaler according to claim 5,
placing a stopper material in the gap between the two flavor sources;
A method of making a cartridge for a flavor inhaler, comprising wrapping said case paper around said two flavor sources, said two cooling sections and said stopper material.
In the method for manufacturing a cartridge for a flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
Adsorbing and holding one flavor source and placing it on a conveyor,
Arranging the two cooling units on the conveyor so that the cooling units are located on both sides of the one flavor source;
A method of manufacturing a cartridge for a flavor inhaler, comprising wrapping the case paper around the one flavor source and the two cooling sections.
In the method for manufacturing a cartridge for a flavor inhaler according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The cooling part has a corrugated part having a plurality of top parts and a bottom part between the top parts, and a base sheet provided on one surface of the corrugated part,
The manufacturing method is
The case paper is arranged so that the corrugated portion faces two first walls of the case, and the base sheet faces one second wall that faces the first wall of the case. A method of manufacturing a cartridge for a flavor inhaler, comprising wrapping around the cooling portion.