WO2023032088A1

WO2023032088A1 - Dried tobacco filler, non-combustion heating-type flavor inhalation article, non-combustion heating-type flavor inhaler, and packaging product

Info

Publication number: WO2023032088A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/032156
Authority: WO
Inventors: 裕継若林; 佑太柳井; 和宏野田
Original assignee: 日本たばこ産業株式会社
Priority date: 2021-09-01
Filing date: 2021-09-01
Publication date: 2023-03-09

Abstract

This dried tobacco filler includes a dried tobacco material and an aerosol source, and has a moisture content greater than 5 mass% and equal to or less than 7.5 mass%.

Description

Dry tobacco fillers, non-combustion heating flavor inhalation articles, non-combustion heating flavor inhalers and packaging products

The present invention is directed to technology related to non-combustion heating flavor inhalation articles.

As tobacco products, in addition to smoking articles (e.g., cigarettes) that provide users with tobacco flavor by burning tobacco materials such as shredded tobacco, tobacco materials are heated without burning to provide users with tobacco flavor. Non-combustion heated flavor inhalation articles are known (see for example WO96/32854 and WO2010/110226). The non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article includes a tobacco material and an aerosol source, and vapor is generated from the moisture of the tobacco material and the aerosol source by heating. mainstream smoke) is produced.

A known type of non-combustion heating type flavor inhaling article is heated by a heating device that is detachable from the article. Non-combustion heating flavor inhalers and heating devices are collectively referred to herein as non-combustion heating flavor inhalers. Heating devices are also referred to as aerosol generators.

The present inventors have found that, unlike smoking articles such as cigarettes, the non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article does not diffuse the moisture of the tobacco material and the vapor generated from the aerosol source by heating from the tip of the article, so that the user can inhale. I found a new problem that sometimes I feel the heat of the aerosol and the heat of the mouth end of the article.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a technology related to a non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article in which the user hardly feels the heat of the aerosol or the heat of the mouth end of the article when inhaling, and the quality stability of the tobacco filler is excellent. .

According to a first aspect, there is provided a dry tobacco filler comprising a dry tobacco material and an aerosol source and having a moisture content of greater than 5% by mass and no more than 7.5% by mass.

According to the second aspect,
A tobacco rod comprising a dry tobacco filler comprising a dry tobacco material and an aerosol source and having a moisture content of greater than 5% by mass and no more than 7.5% by mass; and a wrapping paper wrapped around the dry tobacco filler. ,
a filter;
A non-combustion heated flavor inhalation article is provided comprising a tipping member connecting said tobacco rod and said filter.

According to the third aspect, there is provided a non-combustion heating flavor inhaler including the above non-combustion heating flavor inhalation article and an aerosol generator.

According to the fourth aspect,
a package;
at least one non-combustion heated flavor inhalation article contained within said package and comprising a tobacco filler comprising tobacco material and an aerosol source;
a desiccant incorporated within the package in an amount necessary for the tobacco filler to reach an equilibrium moisture content of greater than 5% and no more than 7.5% by weight;
A packaged product is provided in which the tobacco filler reaches an equilibrium moisture content of greater than 5% by weight and less than or equal to 7.5% by weight within the package.

According to the fifth aspect,
A method of producing a dry tobacco filler comprising drying a tobacco filler comprising a tobacco material and an aerosol source to prepare a dry tobacco filler having a moisture content of greater than 5% and no greater than 7.5% by weight. is provided.

The present invention can provide a technology related to a non-combustion heating flavor inhalation article that makes it difficult for the user to feel the heat of the aerosol or the heat of the mouthpiece of the article when inhaling, and in which the quality stability of the tobacco filler is excellent.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the production of dry tobacco filler. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a non-combustion heated flavor inhalation article. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the aerosol generator. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a cigarette pack in a closed state. 6 is a perspective view showing the opened state of the cigarette pack of FIG. 5. FIG. FIG. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the heating time of the microwave oven and the moisture content of the tobacco filler, and the relationship between the heating time of the microwave oven and the surface temperature of the tobacco filler. FIG. 8 is a graph showing the relationship between the amount of silica gel and the moisture content of the tobacco filler. FIG. 9 is a graph showing the relationship between tobacco filler moisture content and mainstream smoke temperature, and the relationship between tobacco filler moisture content and chip temperature. FIG. 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the moisture content of the tobacco filler and the nicotine content in the tobacco filler. FIG. 11 is a graph showing the relationship between the moisture content of the tobacco filler and the glycerin content in the tobacco filler. FIG. 12 is a graph showing the relationship between the moisture content of the tobacco filler and the content of propylene glycol in the tobacco filler.

Although the present invention will be described in detail below, the following description is for the purpose of describing the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention.

<1. Dry tobacco filler>
According to one aspect, a dry tobacco filler is provided that includes a dry tobacco material and an aerosol source and has a moisture content of greater than 5% and less than or equal to 7.5% by weight. Dry tobacco fillers can be incorporated into non-combustion heated flavor inhalation articles. As used herein, the term "non-combustion heating flavor inhalation article" means a flavor inhalation article that provides tobacco flavor to a user by heating tobacco material without burning it.

The "dry tobacco filler" has a moisture content of more than 5% by mass and 7.5% by mass or less, preferably 5.1 to 7.5% by mass, more preferably 5.1 to 7.0% by mass. and more preferably a water content of 5.5 to 7.0% by weight (see Examples 2 and 3 below). In this specification, the moisture content of the dry tobacco filler represents the ratio (% by mass) of water to the total mass of the dry tobacco filler.

As shown in Fig. 1, the "dry tobacco filler" is obtained by drying the "tobacco filler compounded in existing non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation articles (hereinafter also referred to as untreated tobacco filler)". can be done. The untreated tobacco filler 3a comprises tobacco material 1a and aerosol source 2 and typically has a moisture content of 10-15% by weight. The water content of the untreated tobacco filler also represents the ratio (mass %) of water to the total weight of the untreated tobacco filler. Drying the untreated tobacco filler 3a removes moisture from the tobacco material 1a, thereby preparing a dry tobacco filler 3b. Accordingly, the tobacco material included in the "dry tobacco filler" is referred to herein as the "dry tobacco material". When the untreated tobacco filler 3a is dried, the tobacco material 1a becomes dry tobacco material 1b by removing moisture, but the aerosol source 2 is not removed and most of it remains. The aerosol source 2 may be present on the surface of the tobacco material 1a or the dry tobacco material 1b, or may be incorporated therein by penetrating the tobacco material 1a or the dry tobacco material 1b.

Specifically, the "tobacco material 1a" contained in the untreated tobacco filler 3a may be cut tobacco that is ready to be blended into a tobacco product, or raw material containing such cut tobacco may be made into an arbitrary shape. It may also be a tobacco molded article obtained by molding into. "Tobacco shredded ready to be blended into tobacco products" generally undergoes a drying process at a farm, followed by a long-term aging process of one to several years at a raw material factory, and then a manufacturing factory. It can be prepared via various processing treatments such as blending and chopping. Herein, "cut tobacco ready to be blended into tobacco products" includes cut deboned leaves, cut core ribs, reconstituted tobacco (i.e., leaf waste, cut waste, core waste, It may be shredded tobacco material processed into a reusable shape such as dust, or a mixture thereof.

"Tobacco material 1a" is preferably a tobacco molding. In addition to cut tobacco, the tobacco molded product may contain tobacco waste such as leaf waste and cut waste generated in a raw material factory or a manufacturing factory. The tobacco molded article may be molded in a size suitable for the non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article, or may be cut into a size suitable for the non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article after forming a large-sized molded article. good. The tobacco molded article may have any shape, for example, it may be a cylinder, a square prism, preferably a hexahedron, more preferably a rectangular parallelepiped, and even more preferably a regular square prism.

A tobacco molded product refers to a molded product obtained by molding a raw material including cut tobacco into an arbitrary shape. Tobacco moldings are, for example, sheet tobacco or tobacco granules. "Sheet tobacco" refers to a molded article obtained by molding a raw material containing cut tobacco into a sheet shape. Sheet tobacco can be formed by known methods such as a papermaking method, a casting method, and a rolling method. The sheet tobacco may be incorporated into the non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article in the form of a laminate of sheet tobacco, may be incorporated in the form of being spirally wound, or may be incorporated in the form of being folded into a bellows shape. Alternatively, it may be incorporated in the form of a fibrous molding obtained by cutting sheet tobacco into fibers. "Tobacco granules" refer to molded articles obtained by molding raw materials including cut tobacco into granules. Tobacco granules can be formed by known methods such as extrusion granulation, fluid bed granulation, and spray drying.

The tobacco molded article may contain, for example, at least one binder selected from the group consisting of pullulan and hydroxypropylcellulose in order to maintain the shape of the molded article. The binder can be contained in an amount that exerts its effect as a binder and does not reduce the releasability of the tobacco flavor component. %. Alternatively, if the tobacco molded article can maintain its shape without using a binder, it may not contain a binder. If the binder inhibits the release of the tobacco flavor component from the tobacco molded article, it is desirable not to include the binder.

The tobacco molded product may contain a humectant in order to adjust the water content. Moisturizers also function as aerosol sources. Polyhydric alcohols can be used as moisturizing agents, such as glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbitol, xylitol, and erythritol. These polyhydric alcohols can be used singly or in combination of two or more. When a humectant is contained, it can be usually contained in an amount of 5 to 15% by mass with respect to the total mass of the tobacco molded product.

In addition, the tobacco molded product may additionally contain a flavoring material, and the flavoring material can be solid or liquid. Examples of flavoring agents include menthol, spearmint, peppermint, cocoa, carob, coriander, licorice, orange peel rosepips, chamomile flower, lemon verbena, sugars (such as fructose and sucrose), and the like. The flavoring agent can be contained in an amount of 0.5 to 45% by mass with respect to the total mass of the tobacco molded product.

"Aerosol source" is a source (liquid) for generating vapor (gas) when the dry tobacco filler is blended into the non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article and heated. An “aerosol source” is a source (liquid) for generating a dispersion medium (gas) of an aerosol (mainstream smoke), and does not include fine particles (tobacco flavor components, etc.) in the aerosol. That is, the tobacco flavor component migrates from the dry tobacco material into the vapor generated by heating the aerosol source to produce an aerosol (mainstream smoke). When the tobacco material is a tobacco form, the aerosol source may be incorporated during the preparation of the tobacco form, as described above, or added after the tobacco form is prepared.

Aerosol sources can include glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and mixtures thereof. The aerosol source is preferably a mixture of glycerin and propylene glycol. In the case of a mixture of glycerin and propylene glycol, the weight ratio of glycerin and propylene glycol can be, for example, 80:20 to 97.5:2.5. The aerosol source can be included in the untreated tobacco filler in an amount of, for example, 15-19% by weight relative to the untreated tobacco filler.

The dry tobacco filler may optionally contain additional ingredients such as the flavoring agents described above.

In this specification, the "moisture content" of dry tobacco fillers and the "moisture content" of untreated tobacco fillers can be determined using GC-TCD as follows.

First, after weighing the dry tobacco filler, add a predetermined amount of methanol (reagent special grade or higher), seal, and shake (200 rpm) for 40 minutes. After leaving this overnight, it is shaken again (200 rpm) for 40 minutes and then allowed to stand still. The supernatant liquid after standing is used as the measurement solution.

The measurement solution is subjected to GC-TCD, and the water content is determined by the calibration curve method. GC-TCD conditions can be, for example, the following conditions.
GC-TCD; Hewlett Packard 6890 gas chromatograph Column; HP Polapack Q (packed column) Constant Flow mode 20.0 mL/min
Injection ；1.0μL
Inlet ；EPC purge packed column inlet Heater；230℃
Gas；He total flow；21.1 mL/min
Oven ；160℃（hold 4.5min）→（60℃/min）→220℃（hold 4.0min）
Detector ；TCD detector Reference gas (He) flow rate ；20 mL/min
Make-up gas (He) 3.0mL/min
Signal rate ；5Hz

<2. Method for producing dry tobacco filler>
As described above, dry tobacco fillers can be produced by drying "tobacco fillers to be blended into existing non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation articles" (i.e., untreated tobacco fillers) to a desired moisture content. can be done. As noted above, the untreated tobacco filler comprises tobacco material and an aerosol source and typically has a moisture content of 10-15% by weight.

Specifically, the method for producing a dry tobacco filler comprises:
Drying a tobacco filler comprising a tobacco material and an aerosol source (i.e., an untreated tobacco filler) to prepare a dry tobacco filler having a moisture content of greater than 5% and no more than 7.5% by weight. include.

Drying may be carried out by drying the untreated tobacco filler itself, or by wrapping the untreated tobacco filler with wrapping paper to produce a tobacco rod, and then drying the tobacco rod. Alternatively, after manufacturing the non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article by connecting the tobacco rod and the filter, the non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article may be dried. Drying the untreated tobacco filler can remove some of the water content of the tobacco filler without substantially removing the aerosol source because the aerosol source has a high boiling point.

Drying can be performed by any drying method as long as a dried tobacco filler having a desired moisture content is obtained. For example, drying can be done by microwave heating. In the case of microwave heating, the moisture content of the tobacco filler can be adjusted by adjusting the heating time (Fig. 7). Microwave heating can typically be done with a microwave oven. When using a 500 W microwave oven, a heating time of, for example, 30-40 seconds can be employed for 5 g of untreated tobacco filler (FIG. 7).

Alternatively, drying can be performed by placing the untreated tobacco filler together with a desiccant under sealed conditions. For example, drying can be carried out at a temperature of 15-25° C. for 10-15 days. Silica gel or the like can be used as the desiccant. When using a desiccant, the moisture content of the tobacco filler can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of the desiccant (Fig. 8). When silica gel is used as a desiccant, for example, 2-4 g of silica gel can be used for 5 g of untreated tobacco filler (FIG. 8). Alternatively, drying may be performed by hot air drying or by vacuum drying.

The drying is preferably carried out under conditions where the surface temperature of the tobacco filler is 65°C or less. Drying is more preferably carried out under the condition that the surface temperature of the tobacco filler is normal temperature (ie, 20°C) to 65°C. If the surface temperature of the tobacco filler becomes too high, the content of the aerosol source contained in the tobacco filler may decrease. On the other hand, if the surface temperature of the tobacco filler becomes too high, the cell membranes and cell walls of the tobacco material will be damaged, and the tobacco flavor components will be easily released from the tobacco material. may be too much.

　The surface temperature of the tobacco filler refers to the temperature measured by a thermography camera, FLIR-C2 machine manufactured by FLIR System Inc.

In this specification, the term "tobacco filler" distinguishes between tobacco filler before drying (i.e., untreated tobacco filler), tobacco filler in the process of drying, and dried tobacco filler. It is used when you want to call it without

According to another aspect, there is provided a dry tobacco filler produced by the above method.

<3. Non-combustion heating flavor inhaler and non-combustion heating flavor inhaler>
The "dry tobacco filler" described above can be incorporated into a non-combustion heated flavor inhalation article (hereinafter also simply referred to as a flavor inhalation article). That is, according to another aspect,
a tobacco rod comprising the above-described "dry tobacco filler" and a wrapping paper wrapped around the dry tobacco filler;
a filter;
A non-combustion heated flavor inhalation article is provided comprising a tipping member connecting said tobacco rod and said filter. Here, the tipping member means a member having a function as tipping paper generally used in cigarettes (that is, a function of connecting a tobacco rod and a filter). As a tipping member, in addition to paper (ie, tipping paper), sheets of any polymeric material can be used.

Non-combustion heated flavor inhalers and heating devices are collectively referred to herein as "non-combustion heated flavor inhalers" or simply "flavor inhalers." That is, according to another aspect,
The above-mentioned "non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article",
A non-combustion heating flavor inhaler is provided that includes a heating device (hereinafter also referred to as an aerosol generator) that heats the non-combustion heating flavor inhalation article to generate an aerosol.

As a non-combustion heating flavor inhaler, for example, an electrically heated inhaler provided with a flavor inhaling article and a heating device for electrically heating the flavor inhaling article is known (for example, WO96/32854 and WO2010 /110226).

An example of this non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a non-combustion heating type flavor inhaler. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a non-combustion heated flavor inhalation article. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the aerosol generator.

As shown in FIG. 2, the flavor inhaler 100
a flavor inhalation article 110 comprising the aforementioned "dry tobacco filler" comprising dry tobacco material and an aerosol source;
an aerosol generator 120 for heating the flavor inhalation article 110 to atomize the aerosol source and release flavor components from the dry tobacco material.

The flavor inhaling article 110 is a replaceable cartridge and has a columnar shape extending along one direction. Flavor inhalation article 110 is configured to generate an aerosol containing a flavor component when heated while being inserted into aerosol generator 120 .

As shown in FIG. 3, the flavor inhaling article 110 forms one end thereof and includes a base portion 110A including a filler 111 and a first wrapping paper 112 around which the filler 111 is wrapped, and a base portion 110A. and a mouthpiece portion 110B forming the opposite end. The base material portion 110A and the mouthpiece portion 110B are connected by the second wrapping paper 113 .

The mouthpiece portion 110B has a paper tube portion 114 and a filter 118 adjacent thereto. The filter 118 has a filter plug 115, a hollow plug 116 and a forming paper 117 connecting them by covering them. The paper tube portion 114 is a paper tube formed by rolling paper into a cylindrical shape, and the inside is hollow. The hollow plug 116 is arranged adjacent to the paper tube portion 114, and the filter plug 115 is arranged at the end of the mouthpiece portion 110B.

The filter plug 115 includes a filter medium 102 such as acetate tow, and a first plug winding paper 101 around which the filter medium 102 is wound.

The hollow plug 116 includes a filling layer 104 and a second plug winding paper 103 around which the filling layer 104 is wound. The packing layer 104 is composed of densely packed fibers and has one or more channels (hollow portions). Each of the one or more channels extends along the length of the flavor inhaling article 110 (hereinafter referred to as the longitudinal direction). Therefore, during suction, air or aerosol flows only through the channels and hardly flows through the gaps between the fibers. In the flavor inhalation article 110, when it is desired to reduce the reduction of the aerosol component due to filtration at the filter plug 115, shortening the length of the filter plug 115 and replacing it with the hollow plug 116 is effective for increasing the delivery amount of the aerosol. is.

The filter 118 may consist of two plugs, as shown in FIG. 3, three or more plugs, or only one plug. For example, filter 118 may omit hollow plug 116 and consist only of filter plug 115 . That is, the filter plug 115 and the paper tube portion 114 can be arranged adjacent to each other to form the mouthpiece portion 110B.

The mouthpiece portion 110B is composed of two segments, the paper tube portion 114 and the filter 118, but the mouthpiece portion 110B may be composed of one segment, or composed of three or more segments. may

Although not shown in the drawings, in order to appropriately adjust the ventilation resistance of the flavor inhaling article 110, the mouthpiece 110B may be provided with an opening to take in air from the outside. In this case, it is desirable to provide an opening in the paper tube portion 114 .

The longitudinal dimension of the flavor inhaling article 110, that is, the length is preferably 40 to 90 mm, more preferably 50 to 75 mm, even more preferably 50 to 60 mm. The circumference of the flavor inhaling article 110 is preferably 15 to 25 mm, more preferably 17 to 24 mm, even more preferably 20 to 23 mm. Further, in the flavor inhaling article 110, the length of the base material portion 110A may be 20 mm, the length of the paper tube portion 114 may be 20 mm, the length of the hollow plug 116 may be 8 mm, and the length of the filter plug 115 may be 7 mm. , the length of each of these segments can be changed as appropriate according to manufacturability, required quality, and the like.

Filler 111 includes the aforementioned "dry tobacco filler" including dry tobacco material and an aerosol source. From the viewpoint of the effect of the invention, it is preferable that the filler 111 is composed only of the above-described "dried tobacco filler". However, as long as the effect of the invention is exhibited, the filler 111 may contain a tobacco filler other than the above-described "dried tobacco filler".

The aerosol source is heated to a predetermined temperature to generate vapor. As noted above, aerosol sources can include, for example, glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and mixtures thereof. As noted above, the aerosol source may be included in the untreated tobacco filler in an amount of, for example, 15-19% by weight relative to the untreated tobacco filler.

The content of the filler 111 in the flavor inhaling article 110 is, for example, 200 to 400 mg, preferably 250 to 320 mg, when the base portion 110A has a circumference of 22 mm and a length of 20 mm.

As the first wrapping paper 112 and the second wrapping paper 113, the same wrapping paper and tipping paper used in cigarettes can be used, respectively. As the first plug winding paper 101, the second plug winding paper 103 and the forming paper 117, the same plug winding paper and forming paper used for cigarettes can be used.

As shown in FIG. 4, the aerosol generator 120 has an insertion hole 130 into which the flavor inhalation article 110 can be inserted. That is, the aerosol generator 120 has an inner cylindrical member 132 that forms the insertion hole 130 . The inner tubular member 132 may be made of a thermally conductive material such as aluminum or stainless steel (SUS).

Also, the aerosol generator 120 may have a lid portion 140 that closes the insertion hole 130 . The lid portion 140 is slidable and can change between a state in which the insertion hole 130 is closed and a state in which the insertion hole 130 is exposed (see FIG. 2).

The aerosol generator 120 may have an air flow path 160 communicating with the insertion hole 130 . One end of the air channel 160 is connected to the insertion hole 130 , and the other end of the air channel 160 communicates with the outside (outside air) of the aerosol generator 120 at a location different from the insertion hole 130 .

The aerosol generator 120 may have a lid portion 170 that covers the end of the air flow path 160 on the side communicating with the outside air. The lid portion 170 can cover the end of the air flow path 160 on the side communicating with the outside air, or can leave this end exposed.

Here, the lid portion 170 is in a state of covering the end portion of the air flow path 160, but does not airtightly block the air flow path 160. That is, the lid portion 170 covers the air flow path 160, but is separated from the end portion of the air flow path 160, so that outside air can flow into the air flow path 160 through the gap between them. ing.

With the flavor suction article 110 inserted into the aerosol generator 120, the user holds one end of the flavor suction device 110, specifically, the mouthpiece 110B shown in FIG. 3, and performs a suction operation. Outside air flows into the air flow path 160 due to the suction action of the user. The air flowing into the air channel 160 passes through the flavor inhaling article 110 inside the insertion hole 130 and is guided into the user's oral cavity.

The aerosol generator 120 may have a temperature sensor inside the air flow path 160 or on the outer surface of the wall forming the air flow path 160 . The temperature sensor may be, for example, a thermistor, a thermocouple, or the like. When the user sucks the mouthpiece portion 110B of the flavor inhaling article 110, the internal temperature of the air channel 160 or the air channel temperature changes due to the influence of the air flowing in the air channel 160 from the lid portion 170 side toward the later-described heater 30 side. The temperature of the walls that make up 160 is reduced. A temperature sensor can detect the user's sucking action by measuring this temperature drop.

The aerosol generator 120 has a battery 10, a control unit 20, and a heater 30. Battery 10 stores power for use in aerosol generator 120 . The battery 10 may be a rechargeable secondary battery. Battery 10 may be, for example, a lithium-ion battery.

The heater 30 may be provided around the inner cylindrical member 132 . The space accommodating the heater 30 and the space accommodating the battery 10 may be separated from each other by the partition wall 180 . As a result, the air heated by heater 30 can be prevented from flowing into the space housing battery 10 . Therefore, the temperature rise of battery 10 can be suppressed.

The heater 30 preferably has a tubular shape capable of heating the outer circumference of the columnar flavor inhaling article 110 . The heater 30 may be, for example, a film heater. The film heater may have a pair of film-like substrates and a resistance heating element sandwiched between the pair of substrates. The film-like substrate is preferably made of a material with excellent heat resistance and electrical insulation, typically made of polyimide. The resistance heating element is preferably made of one or more metal materials such as copper, nickel alloy, chromium alloy, stainless steel, platinum rhodium, etc. For example, it can be formed of a stainless steel base material. Furthermore, the resistance heating element may be plated with copper on the connection part and its lead part in order to connect with the power supply through the flexible printed circuit (FPC).

A heat-shrinkable tube is preferably provided outside the heater 30 . A heat-shrinkable tube is a tube that shrinks radially by heat, and is made of, for example, a thermoplastic elastomer. The heater 30 is pressed against the inner cylindrical member 132 by the contraction action of the heat-shrinkable tube. As a result, the adhesion between the heater 30 and the inner tubular member 132 is enhanced, so that the thermal conductivity from the heater 30 to the flavor inhaling article 110 via the inner tubular member 132 is enhanced.

The aerosol generator 120 may have a cylindrical heat insulator radially outside the heater 30, preferably outside the heat-shrinkable tube. The heat insulating material can serve to prevent the outer surface of the housing of the aerosol generating device 120 from reaching excessively high temperatures by blocking the heat of the heater 30 . Insulators can be made from aerogels, such as silica aerogels, carbon aerogels, alumina aerogels, for example. The airgel as a thermal insulator may typically be a silicic aerogel with high thermal insulation performance and relatively low manufacturing cost. However, the heat insulating material may be a fiber heat insulating material such as glass wool or rock wool, or may be a foamed heat insulating material such as urethane foam or phenol foam. Alternatively, the insulation may be vacuum insulation.

An outer cylindrical member 134 is provided outside the heat insulating material. Thermal insulation may be provided between the inner tubular member 132 facing the flavor inhaling article 110 and the outer tubular member 134 . The outer tubular member 134 may be made of a thermally conductive material such as aluminum or stainless steel (SUS). It is preferable that the heat insulating material is provided within a closed space.

The control unit 20 may include a circuit board, central processing unit (CPU), memory, and the like. Also, the aerosol generator 120 may have a notification unit for notifying the user of various information under the control of the control unit 20 . The notification portion may be a light emitting element, such as a light emitting diode (LED), or a vibrating element, or a combination thereof.

When the control unit 20 detects the user's activation request, the control unit 20 starts supplying power from the battery 10 to the heater 30 . The user's activation request is made, for example, by the user's operation of a push button or slide switch, or by the user's suction action. A user activation request may be made by pressing a push button 150 . More specifically, the user's activation request may be made by pressing the push button 150 while the lid 140 is open. Alternatively, the user activation request may be made by sensing the user's sucking action. The user's sucking action can be detected, for example, by a temperature sensor as described above.

<4. Packaging products>
As described above, the "dried tobacco filler" can be produced by placing an untreated tobacco filler together with a desiccant under sealed conditions (see the section <2. Method for producing dried tobacco filler> above). reference). In this case, after producing a "dried tobacco filler" having a desired moisture content, the "dried tobacco filler" may be distributed as a commercial product in the form of a flavor inhalation article containing it, or may be untreated. At a time when the tobacco filler is placed under sealed conditions with the desiccant but has not yet reached the desired moisture content, the tobacco filler may be commercially distributed in the form of flavor inhalation articles containing it. In the latter case, drying of the tobacco filler takes place and the tobacco filler reaches the desired moisture content while the flavor inhalation article containing the tobacco filler is in commercial distribution.

That is, according to another aspect,
a package;
at least one non-combustion heated flavor inhalation article contained within said package and comprising a tobacco filler comprising tobacco material and an aerosol source;
a desiccant incorporated within the package in an amount necessary for the tobacco filler to reach an equilibrium moisture content of greater than 5% and no more than 7.5% by weight;
A packaged product is provided in which the tobacco filler reaches an equilibrium moisture content of greater than 5% by weight and less than or equal to 7.5% by weight within the package. The non-combustion heated flavor inhalation article is preferably contained within the package under sealed conditions.

As the “packaging body”, it is possible to use a sealing packaging body that is used as a packaging body for tobacco products such as cigarettes in the relevant technical field. The package is, for example,
It may be a cigarette pack generally used as a cigarette package, that is, a cigarette pack composed of an outer pack consisting of a paper box with a hinge lid and an inner pack consisting of an inner wrapping paper that wraps a bundle of cigarettes;
There may be a can container having a can container body, a can lid, and a metal inner lid that covers the opening of the can container body and shuts off the internal space of the can container body from the outside air;
It may be a PTP package (press through pack) used in drug packaging, that is, a package in which the contents are contained between a plastic part having a containing space and a plate-like aluminum part;
It may be an SP package (strip package) used for drug packaging, that is, a package in which the peripheries of two thermoadhesive film sheets are heat-sealed and the contents are contained between them; Or it may be a sealed plastic bag.

An example of a cigarette pack is shown in Figures 5 and 6. 5 shows the closed state of the cigarette pack, and FIG. 6 shows the opened state of the cigarette pack. The cigarette pack 4 has a box 5 and a lid 6. The box 5 includes a box body 5a and an inner frame 5b. Box 5 has an opening at its upper end. A lid 6 is connected to the rear edge of the open end of the box 5 via a self-hinge 7 . Lid 6 pivots about self hinge 7 to open and close the open end of box 5 . As shown in FIG. 6, the inner frame 5b is partially inserted into the box body 5a and protrudes from the opening of the box body 5a to form the open end of the box 5. As shown in FIG. On the other hand, the lid 6 can close the open end of the box 5 by covering the open end of the box 5 (that is, the protrusion of the inner frame 5b). At this time, the opening of the lid 6 and the opening of the box body 5a match each other. The cigarette pack usually further comprises an inner pack (not shown) inside the box 5 and made of inner wrapping paper for wrapping the bundle of cigarettes. In addition, the cigarette pack usually further comprises a film wrapping material (not shown) having a tear tape on the outside of the box 5. As shown in FIG.

The "non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article" to be housed in the package is a flavor inhalation article containing the "untreated tobacco filler 3a" shown in FIG. The "non-combustion heating flavor inhalation article" to be housed in the package may be a commercially available tobacco stick for a non-combustion heating flavor inhaler, or an existing non-combustion heating flavor inhaler. Flavor inhalation articles manufactured using tobacco fillers prepared for flavor inhalers (eg, moisture content of 10-15% by mass) may also be used.

The number of non-combustion-heating flavor inhalation articles housed in the package is at least one, for example, 40 or less. When the package is a cigarette pack, generally 10 to 20, for example, 20, non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation articles are accommodated in the package.

As the "drying agent", it is possible to use a drying agent that is normally used as a drying agent for foods and medicines, such as silica gel. The desiccant is incorporated into the package in an amount necessary to reach an equilibrium moisture content of greater than 5% and no more than 7.5% by weight of the tobacco filler. The moisture content of the tobacco filler can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of desiccant. To prepare a dry tobacco filler material having an equilibrium moisture content of greater than 5% and no greater than 7.5% by weight from an untreated tobacco filler having a moisture content of about 14% by weight when silica gel is used as the desiccant. For example, 2 to 4 g of silica gel can be used for 5 g of tobacco filler.

In the above packaging products, the moisture content of the tobacco filler changes over time. That is, immediately after the non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article is stored in the package, the moisture content of the tobacco filler is almost the same as the moisture content of the tobacco filler before drying, for example, 10 to 15% by mass. . After that, when the non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article is accommodated in the package, the drying of the tobacco filler progresses due to the action of the desiccant, and the moisture content of the tobacco filler decreases. Finally, the tobacco filler has an equilibrium moisture content of greater than 5% by weight and not more than 7.5% by weight, preferably an equilibrium moisture content of 5.1 to 7.5% by weight, more preferably 5.5% by weight. An equilibrium moisture content of ~7.0 wt% is reached.

Thus, in the above-mentioned package product, the tobacco filler changes over time, but all of the "tobacco filler before drying", "tobacco filler during drying", and "tobacco filler after drying" are collectively referred to as "tobacco fillers".

<5. Effect>
According to the present invention, when the water content of the tobacco filler is reduced to 7.5% by mass or less, the mainstream smoke temperature and the surface temperature of the tipping paper are lowered in the non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article containing the tobacco filler. (see Example 2 below). This makes it difficult for the user to feel the heat of the aerosol or the heat of the mouth end of the article when inhaling.

Further, according to the present invention, if the lower limit of the water content of the tobacco filler is set to a water content of more than 5% by mass, for example, a water content of 5.1% by mass or more, the aerosol source in the tobacco filler will remain even after the drying process. and the content of tobacco flavor sources (such as nicotine) can be maintained without reduction (see Example 3 below). In this specification, the property of stably maintaining the aerosol source or tobacco flavor source (such as nicotine) after drying without reducing the content of the aerosol source or tobacco flavor source (such as nicotine) during drying of the tobacco filler is defined as " quality stability of tobacco fillers. "Quality stability of the tobacco filler" is closely related to transferring the tobacco flavor source to the vapor generated by heating the aerosol source and delivering it to the user, so it is an important property for the flavor inhalation article. .

From the above, if the water content of the tobacco filler is reduced to more than 5% by mass and 7.5% by mass or less, preferably 5.1 to 7.5% by mass, the user will feel the heat of the aerosol and the mouthpiece of the article when inhaling. It is possible to provide a non-combustion-heating flavor inhalation article in which the heat of the edges is hardly felt and the quality stability of the tobacco filler is excellent.

<6. Preferred embodiment>
Preferred embodiments are summarized below.
[A1] A dry tobacco filler comprising a dry tobacco material and an aerosol source and having a moisture content of more than 5% by mass and not more than 7.5% by mass.
[A2] The water content according to [A1], wherein the water content is 5.1 to 7.5% by mass, preferably 5.1 to 7.0% by mass, more preferably 5.5 to 7.0% by mass. Dry tobacco filler.
[A3] The dry tobacco filler according to [A1] or [A2], wherein the dry tobacco material is a shaped tobacco product.
[A4] The dry tobacco filler according to any one of [A1] to [A3], wherein the aerosol source is a mixture of glycerin and propylene glycol.

[B1] A dry tobacco filler comprising a dry tobacco material and an aerosol source and having a moisture content of more than 5% by mass and not more than 7.5% by mass, and a wrapping paper wrapped around the dry tobacco filler. a tobacco rod and
a filter;
A non-combustion heated flavor inhalation article comprising a tipping member connecting said tobacco rod and said filter.
[B2] The water content according to [B1], wherein the water content is 5.1 to 7.5% by mass, preferably 5.1 to 7.0% by mass, more preferably 5.5 to 7.0% by mass. A non-combustion heated flavor inhalation article.
[B3] The non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article according to [B1] or [B2], wherein the dry tobacco material is a tobacco molded article.
[B4] The non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article according to any one of [B1] to [B3], wherein the aerosol source is a mixture of glycerin and propylene glycol.

[C1] A non-combustion heating flavor inhaler comprising the non-combustion heating flavor inhalation article according to any one of [B1] to [B4] and an aerosol generator.

[D1] a package;
at least one non-combustion heated flavor inhalation article contained within said package and comprising a tobacco filler comprising tobacco material and an aerosol source;
a desiccant incorporated within the package in an amount necessary for the tobacco filler to reach an equilibrium moisture content of greater than 5% and no more than 7.5% by weight;
The packaging product, wherein said tobacco filler achieves an equilibrium moisture content of greater than 5% and less than or equal to 7.5% by weight within said package.
[D2] According to [D1], the equilibrium water content is 5.1 to 7.5% by mass, preferably 5.1 to 7.0% by mass, more preferably 5.5 to 7.0% by mass. packaging products.
[D3] The packaging product according to [D1] or [D2], wherein the tobacco material is a molded tobacco product.
[D4] The packaging product according to any one of [D1] to [D3], wherein the aerosol source is a mixture of glycerin and propylene glycol.

[E1] A dry tobacco filler comprising drying a tobacco filler comprising a tobacco material and an aerosol source to prepare a dry tobacco filler having a moisture content of more than 5% by mass and not more than 7.5% by mass. manufacturing method.
[E2] The method of [E1], wherein the drying is performed by microwave heating.
[E3] The method according to [E1] or [E2], wherein the drying is performed under the condition that the surface temperature of the tobacco filler is 65°C or lower.
[E4] The method according to any one of [E1] to [E3], wherein the drying is performed by placing the tobacco filler in the presence of a desiccant.
[E5] [E1] to [E4] wherein the moisture content is 5.1 to 7.5% by mass, preferably 5.1 to 7.0% by mass, more preferably 5.5 to 7.0% by mass ] The method according to any one of the above.
[E6] The method according to any one of [E1] to [E5], wherein the tobacco material is a molded tobacco product.
[E7] The method of any one of [E1] to [E6], wherein the aerosol source is a mixture of glycerin and propylene glycol.

[F1] A dry tobacco filler produced by the method according to any one of [E1] to [E7].

[Example 1] Moisture content of tobacco filler 1-1. Manufacture of flavor inhalation products Tobacco sticks for Ploom S manufactured by Japan Tobacco Inc. (trade name: Mevius Regular Taste for Plume S) were dried in (A) microwave oven or (B) silica gel. did one of This reduced the moisture content of the tobacco filler in the tobacco stick. The Ploom S proprietary cigarette stick has the structure shown in FIG.

Each tobacco stick before drying contains 0.25 g of tobacco filler (i.e., a mixture of tobacco compact and aerosol source), and the tobacco filler has a moisture content of 13.69% by mass. , containing 15.60% by weight of the aerosol source relative to the tobacco filler in the tobacco filler. The aerosol source is a mixture of glycerin and propylene glycol with a weight ratio of glycerin and propylene glycol of 93.48:6.52.

On the other hand, as a control, tobacco sticks for Ploom S manufactured by Japan Tobacco Inc. (trade name: Mevius Regular Taste for Plume S) were placed in a 22°C 60% conditioning room for about 48 to 72 hours. , harmonized.

(A) Microwave Oven Drying A commercially available microwave oven (DR-D219W5 (2014), 50 Hz, manufactured by Twinbird Industry Co., Ltd.) was used at 500W. Twenty tobacco sticks (tobacco filler; total 5.0 g) were heated in a microwave oven for a predetermined time. Heating times were 20, 40, 60, 80, or 100 seconds. After heating, 20 tobacco sticks were packed in a polypropylene (PP) chuck bag and sealed with an aluminum pouch bag. This produced a flavor inhalation article. Moisture content of the tobacco filler was measured immediately after manufacturing the flavor inhalation article.

(B) Drying of Silica Gel Silica gel used was a commercial product for drying food (HD 1 g (blue), manufactured by Toyoda Kako Co., Ltd.). 20 tobacco sticks (tobacco filler; total 5.0 g) and a predetermined amount of silica gel were packed in a polypropylene (PP) zipper bag, sealed with an aluminum pouch, and left to stand for 3 weeks. Drying was performed at room temperature (20° C.). The amount of silica gel was 2g, 4g, 6g, 8g, or 10g. This produced a flavor inhalation article. Moisture content of the tobacco filler was measured immediately after manufacturing the flavor inhalation article.

1-2. Analysis of Moisture Content of Dry Tobacco Filling Materials Tobacco filling materials were removed from the manufactured flavor inhaling article and the control flavor inhaling article, and the moisture content (% by mass) of the tobacco filler was determined using GC-TCD as described above. rice field.

1-3. Results FIG. 7 shows the relationship between the heating time of the microwave oven and the moisture content of the tobacco filler, and the relationship between the heating time of the microwave oven and the surface temperature of the tobacco filler. FIG. 8 shows the relationship between the amount of silica gel and the moisture content of the tobacco filler.

The results in Figure 7 reveal the following. Increasing the microwave heating time decreased the moisture content of the tobacco filler. In addition, the surface temperature of the tobacco filler increased as the heating time in the microwave oven increased. For 20 tobacco sticks (tobacco filler; total 5.0 g), when a heating time of 30 to 40 seconds is adopted in a 500 W microwave oven, a dried product having a moisture content of more than 5% by mass and 7.5% by mass or less is obtained. A tobacco filler could be prepared.

The results in Figure 8 reveal the following. Increasing the amount of silica gel decreased the moisture content of the tobacco filler. Using 2 to 4 g of silica gel for 20 tobacco sticks (tobacco filler: total 5.0 g), a dry tobacco filler having a moisture content of more than 5% by mass and not more than 7.5% by mass is prepared. was made.

From these results, it can be seen that a dried tobacco filler having a desired moisture content can be prepared by changing the degree of drying by adjusting the heating time and the amount of desiccant.

[Example 2] Mainstream smoke temperature and chip temperature 2-1. Analysis of Mainstream Smoke Temperature and Chip Temperature The flavor inhalation article produced in Example 1 and the control flavor inhalation article were heated with a Ploom S heating device (Japan Tobacco Inc.). The heating device has the structure shown in FIG. After heating, the flavor sucking article was sucked with an automatic sucker.

After inhalation, the temperature of mainstream smoke and the surface temperature of the mouthpiece of the flavor inhalation article (hereinafter referred to as chip temperature) were analyzed.

(mainstream smoke temperature)
A thermocouple (product name: manufactured by Toa Denki Co., Ltd., model number TI-SP-K) is installed at a position 7 mm downstream from the mouthpiece of the flavor suction article, and the temperature of mainstream smoke is measured every 0.1 seconds. Measured. The highest value during the measurement period was determined as the "mainstream smoke temperature".

(chip temperature)
On the surface of the chip paper, a thermocouple (manufactured by Toa Denki Co., Ltd., model number TI-SP-K) is installed at a position 5 mm upstream from the mouthpiece of the flavor suction article, and mainstream smoke is detected every 0.1 seconds. was measured. The highest value during the measurement period was determined as the "chip temperature".

2-2. Results FIG. 9 shows the relationship between tobacco filler moisture content and mainstream smoke temperature, and the relationship between tobacco filler moisture content and chip temperature.

The results in Figure 9 reveal the following. In both cases of microwave oven drying and silica gel drying, mainstream smoke temperature could be lowered when the moisture content of the tobacco filler was lowered. In both cases of microwave oven drying and silica gel drying, the tip temperature could be lowered when the moisture content of the tobacco filler was lowered.

From these results, it can be seen that when a tobacco filler with a low moisture content is used in a flavor inhaler, the user does not feel the heat of the aerosol or the heat of the mouthpiece of the article when inhaling. Also, in order to sufficiently lower mainstream smoke temperature and chip temperature, the tobacco filler preferably has a moisture content of 7.5% by mass or less, more preferably 7.0% by mass or less. I understand.

[Example 3] Contents of nicotine, glycerin and propylene glycol in tobacco filler 3-1. Analysis of Contents of Nicotine, Glycerin, and Propylene Glycol in Tobacco Filling Material The contents of nicotine, glycerin, and propylene glycol in the tobacco filling material of the flavor inhaling article manufactured in Example 1 and the control flavor inhaling article were measured.

The tobacco filler was removed from the flavor inhalation article, and the contents of nicotine, glycerin, and propylene glycol in the tobacco filler were determined as follows. The removed tobacco filler was extracted with a predetermined amount of ethanol (10 mL to 100 mL, adjusted appropriately according to the amount of tobacco filler), and the amount of each component was measured using GC-MS.

3-2. Results FIG. 10 shows the relationship between the moisture content of the tobacco filler and the nicotine content in the tobacco filler. FIG. 11 shows the relationship between the moisture content of the tobacco filler and the glycerin content in the tobacco filler. FIG. 12 shows the relationship between the moisture content of the tobacco filler and the content of propylene glycol in the tobacco filler.

The following can be seen from the results in Figures 10-12. In both cases of microwave oven drying and silica gel drying, the nicotine content in the tobacco filler did not change even when the moisture content of the tobacco filler decreased. In both cases of microwave oven drying and silica gel drying, the glycerin content in the tobacco filler did not change even when the moisture content of the tobacco filler decreased.

On the other hand, in the case of microwave drying, the content of propylene glycol in the tobacco filler sharply decreased when the moisture content of the tobacco filler became 5% by mass or less. In addition, the content of propylene glycol in the tobacco filler gradually decreased as the moisture content of the tobacco filler decreased in the case of silica gel drying. Therefore, in order to dry the tobacco filler while maintaining the amount of propylene glycol (aerosol source) in the tobacco filler, the water content of the tobacco filler is preferably greater than 5% by mass, and 5.1% by mass. % or more is more preferable.

In addition, in the case of microwave oven drying, the results in Fig. 7 indicate that the surface temperature of the tobacco filler rises to about 65°C when the moisture content of the tobacco filler is lowered to about 5% by mass. Therefore, in order to dry the tobacco filler while maintaining the amount of propylene glycol (aerosol source) in the tobacco filler, the tobacco filler should be dried so that the surface temperature of the tobacco filler is 65° C. or less. It turns out that it is preferable to carry out under the conditions.

Claims

A dry tobacco filler comprising a dry tobacco material and an aerosol source and having a moisture content of greater than 5% by mass and less than or equal to 7.5% by mass.
The dry tobacco filler according to claim 1, wherein the aerosol source is a mixture of glycerin and propylene glycol.
A tobacco rod comprising a dry tobacco filler comprising a dry tobacco material and an aerosol source and having a moisture content of greater than 5% by mass and no more than 7.5% by mass; and a wrapping paper wrapped around the dry tobacco filler. ,
a filter;
A non-combustion heated flavor inhalation article comprising a tipping member connecting said tobacco rod and said filter.
The non-combustion heating flavor inhalation article according to claim 3, wherein the aerosol source is a mixture of glycerin and propylene glycol.
A non-combustion heating flavor inhaler comprising the non-combustion heating flavor inhalation article according to claim 3 or 4 and an aerosol generator.
a package;
at least one non-combustion heated flavor inhalation article contained within said package and comprising a tobacco filler comprising tobacco material and an aerosol source;
a desiccant incorporated within the package in an amount necessary for the tobacco filler to reach an equilibrium moisture content of greater than 5% and no more than 7.5% by weight;
The packaging product, wherein said tobacco filler achieves an equilibrium moisture content of greater than 5% and less than or equal to 7.5% by weight within said package.
The packaging product according to claim 6, wherein said aerosol source is a mixture of glycerin and propylene glycol.
A method of producing a dry tobacco filler comprising drying a tobacco filler comprising a tobacco material and an aerosol source to prepare a dry tobacco filler having a moisture content of greater than 5% and no greater than 7.5% by weight. .
The method according to claim 8, wherein the drying is performed by microwave heating.
The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the drying is performed under the condition that the surface temperature of the tobacco filler is 65°C or less.
The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the aerosol source is a mixture of glycerin and propylene glycol.
A dry tobacco filler produced by the method according to any one of claims 8 to 11.