WO2023112292A1 - Atomization unit, inhalation device, and atomization unit production method - Google Patents

Abstract

An atomization unit (12) comprises: an atomization part (40) which atomizes a liquid (Ld) to generate an aerosol; an aerosol flow path (23) through which the aerosol generated by the atomization part (40) passes; and a tobacco molded body (60) which is disposed in the aerosol flow path (23), wherein an exposure surface (620) that is exposed to the aerosol flow path (23) is formed on the tobacco molded body (60), and the exposure surface (620) includes a liquid capture part (CP).

Description

Atomization unit, suction tool, and method for manufacturing the atomization unit

The present invention relates to an atomization unit, a suction tool, and a method for manufacturing an atomization unit.

Conventionally, as a non-combustion heating type suction tool, there is a liquid storage part that stores a predetermined liquid, and an electric load that introduces the liquid in the liquid storage part and atomizes the introduced liquid to generate an aerosol. and , wherein powder of tobacco leaves is dispersed in the liquid of the liquid container (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In addition, Patent Document 2, Patent Document 3, and Non-Patent Document 1 can be cited as other prior art documents. Patent Literature 2 discloses a basic configuration of a non-combustion heating suction tool. Patent Document 3 discloses information on tobacco leaf extracts. Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a technique related to nicotine.

International Publication No. 2019/211332 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-141705 WO2015/129679

In the case of the conventional suction tool as exemplified in Patent Document 1 as described above, the aerosol is cooled in the aerosol flow path and becomes a liquid, and the liquid may be sucked by the user or adversely affect the operation of the suction tool. be. In this regard, the prior art has room for improvement.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and one of the objects thereof is to provide a technique capable of suppressing the movement of the liquid adhering to the aerosol flow path.

(Aspect 1)
To achieve the above object, an atomization unit according to an aspect of the present invention includes an atomization unit that atomizes a liquid to generate an aerosol, and an aerosol flow path through which the aerosol generated by the atomization unit passes. and a tobacco molded body disposed in the aerosol flow path, wherein the tobacco molded body has an exposed surface exposed to the aerosol flow path, and the exposed surface includes a liquid capturing portion.

According to this aspect, the liquid adhering to the aerosol flow path is captured by the liquid capturing portion of the tobacco molded body, and movement of the liquid can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to provide a suction tool that prevents the liquid from being sucked into the user, giving the user an undesirable taste, or adversely affecting the operation of the user.

(Aspect 2)
In the above aspect 1, the tobacco molded body may have a hollow portion, and the exposed surface may be formed as an inner surface of the hollow portion.

According to this aspect, since the exposed surface is formed so as to surround the aerosol channel, it is possible to efficiently capture the liquid adhering to the aerosol channel.

(Aspect 3)
In the above aspect 1, the tobacco molded body may have at least one of a folded structure and a rolled structure.

According to this aspect, the surface area of the liquid capturing portion per volume of the aerosol flow path can be increased, and the liquid can be efficiently captured.

(Aspect 4)
In aspects 1 to 3 above, the liquid trapping portion may be formed in a portion having a density of 1 g/cm ³ or less.

According to this aspect, the liquid capturing section can more efficiently capture the liquid adhering to the aerosol flow path.

(Aspect 5)
In the above aspects 1 to 4, the arithmetic mean surface roughness Sa of the liquid trapping portion may be 30 μm or more and 1000 μm or less.

According to this aspect, the liquid capturing section can more efficiently capture the liquid adhering to the aerosol flow path.

(Aspect 6)
In aspects 1 to 5 above, the atomization unit includes a liquid storage section that stores the liquid, and a wall section that defines the liquid storage section includes a first hole having a first inner diameter and the first hole. A second hole having a second inner diameter larger than the first inner diameter may be formed, and the tobacco molded body may be arranged in the second hole.

According to this aspect, the liquid containing portion, the aerosol flow path, and the tobacco molded body can be arranged close to each other, and the atomization unit can be made compact.

(Aspect 7)
In aspects 1 to 6 above, the atomizing liquid may further include at least one of tobacco extract, natural nicotine, and synthetic nicotine.

According to this aspect, the flavor can be adjusted by atomizing the natural nicotine or synthetic nicotine contained in the tobacco extract via the atomizing liquid.

(Aspect 8)
Moreover, in order to achieve the above object, a suction tool according to one aspect of the present invention includes the atomizing unit for a suction tool according to any one of aspects 1 to 7 above.

According to this aspect, the liquid adhering to the aerosol flow path is captured by the liquid capturing portion of the tobacco molded body, and movement of the liquid can be suppressed. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the liquid from being sucked by the user, giving an undesirable taste, and adversely affecting the operation of the suction tool.

(Aspect 9)
In order to achieve the above object, a method for manufacturing an atomization unit according to one aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing an atomization unit for a suction device according to aspects 1 to 7, wherein the shape of the aerosol flow path is molding said tobacco molded body into a shape based on.

According to this aspect, the liquid adhering to the aerosol flow path is captured by the liquid capturing portion of the tobacco molded body, and movement of the liquid can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to provide a suction tool that prevents the liquid from being sucked and giving an undesirable taste to the user and from adversely affecting the operation of the suction tool.

According to the aspect of the present invention, it is possible to suppress movement of the liquid adhering to the aerosol flow path of the atomization unit.

It is a perspective view which shows typically the external appearance of the suction tool which concerns on one Embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the main part of the atomization unit of the suction tool according to the embodiment; FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a cross section taken along line A1-A1 of FIG. 2; FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a cross section taken along line A2-A2 of FIG. 2; FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a molded body according to the embodiment; FIG. 4B is a diagram schematically showing a BB line cross section of FIG. 4A. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the results of measuring the TPM reduction rate with respect to the amount of carbonized components contained in 1 g of extract. It is a flow chart for explaining a manufacturing method concerning the above-mentioned embodiment.

A suction tool 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the drawings of the present application are schematically illustrated in order to facilitate understanding of the features of the embodiments, and the dimensional ratios and the like of each component are not necessarily the same as the actual ones. In addition, XYZ orthogonal coordinates are illustrated in the drawings of the present application as needed.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the appearance of a suction tool 10 according to this embodiment. The suction tool 10 according to the present embodiment is a non-combustion heating suction tool, specifically, a non-combustion heating electronic cigarette.

As an example, the suction tool 10 according to this embodiment extends in the direction of the central axis CL of the suction tool 10 . Specifically, for example, the suction tool 10 has a “longitudinal direction (the direction of the central axis CL),” a “width direction” perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and a “thickness direction” perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the width direction. , and has an external shape. The dimensions of the suction tool 10 in the longitudinal direction, width direction, and thickness direction decrease in this order. In this embodiment, of the XYZ orthogonal coordinates, the Z-axis direction (Z direction or -Z direction) corresponds to the longitudinal direction, and the X-axis direction (X direction or -X direction) corresponds to It corresponds to the width direction, and the Y-axis direction (Y direction or −Y direction) corresponds to the thickness direction.

The suction tool 10 has a power supply unit 11 and an atomization unit 12. The power supply unit 11 is detachably connected to the atomization unit 12 . Inside the power supply unit 11, a battery as a power supply, a control device, and the like are arranged. When the atomization unit 12 is connected to the power supply unit 11, the power supply of the power supply unit 11 and the load 40 of the atomization unit 12, which will be described later, are electrically connected.

The atomization unit 12 is provided with a discharge port 13 for discharging air (that is, air). Air containing aerosol is discharged from this discharge port 13 . When using the suction tool 10 , the user of the suction tool 10 can suck the air discharged from the discharge port 13 .

The power supply unit 11 is provided with a sensor that outputs the value of the pressure change inside the suction tool 10 caused by the user's suction through the discharge port 13 . When the user starts sucking air, the sensor senses the start of sucking air and notifies the control device, which starts energizing the load 40 of the atomization unit 12, which will be described later. Further, when the user finishes sucking air, the sensor senses the finish of sucking air and informs the control device, and the control device stops energizing the load 40 .

The power supply unit 11 may be provided with an operation switch for transmitting an air suction start request and an air suction end request to the control device by user's operation. In this case, the user can operate the operation switch to transmit an air suction start request or a suction end request to the control device. Upon receiving the air suction start request and suction end request, the control device starts and terminates energization of the load 40 .

It should be noted that the configuration of the power supply unit 11 as described above is the same as that of the power supply unit of a known suction device as exemplified in Patent Document 2, for example, so further detailed description will be omitted.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the main part of the atomization unit 12 of the suction tool 10. FIG. Specifically, FIG. 2 schematically shows a cross section of the main part of the atomization unit 12 taken along a plane including the central axis CL. 3A and 3B are diagrams schematically showing A1-A1 line cross-sections and A2-A2 line cross-sections (that is, cross-sections cut along a cutting plane normal to the central axis CL) of FIG. 2, respectively. The atomization unit 12 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3A and 3B.

The atomization unit 12 includes a plurality of walls (walls 70a to 70f, walls 710, and 720) extending in the longitudinal direction (direction of the central axis CL) and extending in the width direction. A plurality of walls (walls 71a to 71c, wall 730) are provided. The atomization unit 12 also includes an air passage 20 , a wick 30 , an electrical load 40 , a liquid container 50 and a molding 60 .

The air passage 20 is a passage through which air passes when the user inhales air (that is, inhales aerosol). The air passage 20 according to this embodiment includes an upstream passage portion, a load passage portion 22 and an aerosol passage 23 . As an example, the upstream passage portion according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of upstream passage portions, specifically, an upstream passage portion 21a (“first upstream passage portion”) and an upstream passage portion 21b. (“second upstream passage portion”).

The upstream passage portions 21a and 21b are arranged upstream of the load passage portion 22 (upstream in the direction of air flow). Downstream end portions of the upstream passage portions 21 a and 21 b communicate with the load passage portion 22 . The load passage portion 22 is a passage portion in which the load 40 is arranged. The aerosol flow path 23 is a passage portion arranged on the downstream side (downstream side in the air flow direction) of the load passage portion 22 . An upstream end portion of the aerosol flow path 23 communicates with the load passage portion 22 . Further, the downstream end of the aerosol channel 23 communicates with the discharge port 13 described above. Air that has passed through the aerosol flow path 23 is discharged from the discharge port 13 .

Specifically, the upstream passage portion 21a according to the present embodiment is provided in a region surrounded by the wall portion 70a, the wall portion 70b, the wall portion 70e, the wall portion 70f, the wall portion 71a, and the wall portion 71b. there is The upstream passage portion 21b is provided in a region surrounded by the wall portion 70c, the wall portion 70d, the wall portion 70e, the wall portion 70f, the wall portion 71a, and the wall portion 71b. The load passage portion 22 is provided in a region surrounded by the wall portion 70a, the wall portion 70d, the wall portion 70e, the wall portion 70f, the wall portion 71b, and the wall portion 71c.

The aerosol channel 23 includes a first aerosol passage 231 and a second aerosol passage 232. The first aerosol passage 231 and the second aerosol passage 232 are connected so that the aerosol can move. The first aerosol passage 231 is provided in a region surrounded by the tubular wall portion 710 . The second aerosol passage 232 is provided in a region surrounded by the cylindrical shaped body 60 .

A hole 72a and a hole 72b are provided in the wall portion 71a. Air flows into the upstream passage portion 21a through the hole 72a, and flows into the upstream passage portion 21b through the hole 72b. Further, holes 72c and 72d are provided in the wall portion 71b. Air passing through the upstream passage portion 21a flows into the load passage portion 22 through the hole 72c, and air passing through the upstream passage portion 21b flows into the load passage portion 22 through the hole 72d.

In the present embodiment, the direction of air flow in the upstream passage portions 21 a and 21 b is opposite to the direction of air flow in the aerosol channel 23 . Specifically, in the present embodiment, the direction of air flow in the upstream passages 21a and 21b is the -Z direction, and the direction of air flow in the aerosol channel 23 is the Z direction.

Further, referring to FIGS. 2, 3A and 3B, the upstream passage portion 21a and the upstream passage portion 21b according to the present embodiment are arranged such that the liquid storage portion 50 is formed by the upstream passage portion 21a and the upstream passage portion 21b. are arranged adjacent to the liquid containing portion 50 so as to sandwich the .

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the upstream passage portion 21a according to the present embodiment has the liquid storage portion 50 therebetween in a cross-sectional view cut along a cut plane normal to the central axis CL. It is arranged on one side (the side in the -X direction). On the other hand, the upstream passage portion 21b is arranged on the other side (the side in the X direction) across the liquid storage portion 50 in this cross-sectional view. In other words, the upstream passage portion 21 a is arranged on one side of the liquid containing portion 50 in the width direction of the suction tool 10 , and the upstream passage portion 21 b is arranged on the side of the liquid containing portion 50 in the width direction of the suction tool 10 . located on the other side.

The wick 30 is a member for introducing the liquid in the liquid storage section 50 to the load 40 in the load passage section 22 . The specific configuration of the wick 30 is not particularly limited as long as it has such a function. 50 liquids are introduced to the load 40;

The load 40 is an electrical load for introducing the liquid in the liquid containing portion 50 and atomizing the introduced liquid to generate an aerosol. A specific configuration of the load 40 is not particularly limited, and for example, a heating element such as a heater or an element such as an ultrasonic generator can be used. In this embodiment, a heater is used as an example of the load 40 . As this heater, a heating resistor (that is, a heating wire), a ceramic heater, a dielectric heating type heater, or the like can be used. In this embodiment, a heating resistor is used as an example of this heater. Moreover, in this embodiment, the heater as the load 40 has a coil shape. That is, the load 40 according to this embodiment is a so-called coil heater. This coil heater is wound around a wick 30 .

Further, the load 40 according to the present embodiment is arranged in the wick 30 portion inside the load passage portion 22 as an example. The load 40 is electrically connected to the power supply and the control device of the power supply unit 11 described above, and heats up when electricity from the power supply is supplied to the load 40 (that is, heats up when energized). Also, the operation of the load 40 is controlled by a control device. The load 40 heats the liquid in the liquid containing portion 50 introduced into the load 40 through the wick 30 to atomize the liquid to generate an aerosol.

The configurations of the wick 30 and the load 40 are the same as the wick and the load used in a known suction tool as exemplified in Patent Document 2, for example, so further detailed description will be omitted.

The liquid storage part 50 is a part for storing an atomization liquid such as tobacco leaf extract. This liquid is hereinafter referred to as an atomizing liquid Ld. The atomizing liquid Ld contains the flavor component of tobacco leaves. The liquid storage portion 50 according to the present embodiment is provided in a region surrounded by the wall portion 70b, the wall portion 70c, the wall portion 70e, the wall portion 70f, the wall portion 70g, the wall portion 71a, and the wall portion 71b. defined by a wall. Wall portion 70 g includes wall portion 710 , wall portion 720 , and wall portion 730 . The liquid containing portion 50 is provided with a through hole having cylindrical wall portions 710 and 720 as inner surfaces along the direction of the central axis CA. Moreover, in this embodiment, the aerosol flow path 23 described above is provided in the through hole.

The wall portion 710 and the wall portion 720 of the present embodiment are cylindrical with the center axis CL as an axis. The inner surface of the wall portion 710 is the inner surface of the first hole H1 having the first inner diameter W1. The inner surface of the wall portion 720 is the inner surface of the second hole H2 having the second inner diameter W2. The second inner diameter W2 is larger than the first inner diameter W1, and the compact 60 is arranged in the second hole H2. Here, the inner diameter is the maximum diameter in the cross section of the hole. In the present embodiment, the second hole H2 is formed downstream of the aerosol flow channel 23 rather than the first hole H1, and thus the compact 60 is arranged downstream of the aerosol flow channel 23. is not limited to The molded body 60 may be provided on the wick 30 side of the aerosol channel 23 or may be provided in the central portion of the aerosol channel. Also, the molded body 60 can be provided in any range of the aerosol flow path 23, for example, it may be provided over the wall portion 71a on the downstream side from the central portion. Since the first inner diameter W1 and the second inner diameter W2 are different, the walls 710 and 720 are physically connected by the wall 730 formed along the XY plane.

In the atomization unit 12 of the present embodiment, the wall portion 70g defining the liquid containing portion 50 has a first hole H1 having a first inner diameter W1 and a second inner diameter W2 larger than the first inner diameter W1. A through hole including the second hole H2 is formed, and the compact 60 is arranged in the second hole H2. As a result, the liquid containing portion 50, the molded body 60, and the aerosol flow path 23 formed in the through hole of the fluid containing portion 50 can be arranged at a short distance, so that the compact atomization unit 12 can be provided.

The atomizing liquid Ld is preferably a tobacco raw material extract. Tobacco raw materials refer to raw materials derived from tobacco plants such as tobacco leaves, backbones, stems and roots. "Tobacco leaf" broadly includes core bones, but in the following embodiments, the mesophyll portion called lamina is referred to as tobacco leaf. The lamina is a particularly fragrant portion, and the atomizing liquid Ld is more preferably tobacco leaf extract. As the extract of the tobacco material such as tobacco leaves, a liquid containing a flavor component extracted from the tobacco material such as tobacco leaves in a predetermined solvent can be used. Although the specific type of the predetermined solvent is not particularly limited, for example, one substance selected from the group consisting of glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and water, Alternatively, a liquid containing two or more substances selected from this group can be used. Glycerin and propylene glycol can be used as examples of predetermined solvents.

Specific examples of tobacco leaf flavor components contained in the atomizing liquid Ld include natural nicotine and neophytadiene. The atomizing liquid Ld may contain at least one of natural nicotine and synthetic nicotine instead of or in addition to flavor components extracted from tobacco materials such as tobacco leaves.

When natural nicotine or synthetic nicotine is contained in the predetermined solvent as the atomizing liquid Ld, nicotine contained in the atomizing liquid Ld may be natural nicotine alone or synthetic nicotine alone. , both natural and synthetic nicotine.

In addition, since natural nicotine is generally considered to be cheaper than synthetic nicotine, the manufacturing cost of the inhaler 10 is generally lower when natural nicotine is used than when synthetic nicotine is used. can be made cheaper. However, if for some reason it is not easy to obtain high-purity natural nicotine in the region where the suction device 10 is used, natural nicotine contained in the atomizing liquid Ld may be Synthetic nicotine is preferably used in conjunction with or in place of natural nicotine.

When natural nicotine is used as the nicotine contained in the atomizing liquid Ld, natural nicotine extracted and refined from tobacco leaves can be used as the natural nicotine. For such a method for producing natural nicotine, for example, a well-known technique as exemplified in Non-Patent Document 1 can be applied, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Further, when natural nicotine is used as the nicotine contained in the liquid for atomization Ld, the tobacco leaf extract is purified to remove components other than natural nicotine from the tobacco leaf extract as much as possible, thereby reducing natural nicotine. Purified and natural nicotine with this enhanced purity may be used. To give a specific numerical example, the purity of the natural nicotine contained in the predetermined solvent of the liquid for atomization Ld may be 99.9 wt% or more (that is, in this case, the impurities contained in the natural nicotine ( ingredients other than natural nicotine) is less than 0.1 wt%).

On the other hand, when synthetic nicotine is used as the nicotine contained in the atomizing liquid Ld, nicotine produced by chemical synthesis using chemical substances can be used as the synthetic nicotine. The purity of this synthetic nicotine may also be 99.9 wt% or more, like natural nicotine.

The method for producing synthetic nicotine is not particularly limited, and known production methods can be used.

The ratio (% by weight (wt %)) of at least one of natural nicotine and synthetic nicotine contained in the atomizing liquid Ld of the liquid storage unit 50 is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 0.1 wt % or more. Values selected from the range up to 0.5 wt% can be used.

4A is a schematic perspective view of the molded body 60, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 4A. The molded body 60 is formed by solidifying tobacco raw materials such as tobacco leaves into a predetermined shape. A molded body 60 according to the present embodiment has a first surface 61, a second surface 62 facing the first surface 61, and a connection surface 63 connecting the first surface 61 and the second surface 62. As shown in FIG. The molded body 60 has a cylindrical main body, the first surface 61 corresponds to the bottom surface, and the connecting surface 63 corresponds to the cylindrical surface. An opening 610 is formed in the first surface 61 and the second surface 62, and a hollow portion 600 passing through the molded body 60 is formed. An inner surface 620 of the hollow portion 600 is an exposed surface exposed to the aerosol flow path 23 (FIG. 2). A liquid capturing portion CP is formed on this exposed surface. Since the liquid capturing part CP is arranged on the inner surface 620 of the hollow part 600, the liquid capturing part CP can be arranged so as to surround the aerosol channel 23, and the liquid in the aerosol channel 23 can be efficiently captured. can be done.

The shape and size of the liquid capturing part CP are not particularly limited as long as it is the surface of a member that absorbs or retains liquid. The surface of tobacco leaves or residues of flavor components extracted from tobacco leaves absorbs liquid, and thus functions as a liquid capture portion CP. The liquid capturing portion CP is preferably formed in a portion of the compact 60 where the density is 1 g/cm ³ or less. This is because the lower the density, the more efficiently the liquid tends to be absorbed. In order to efficiently absorb the liquid, it is preferable that the surface roughness of the liquid trapping portion CP is within an appropriate range. From this point of view, the liquid trapping portion CP preferably has an arithmetic mean surface roughness Sa of 30 μm or more and 1000 μm or less, more preferably 30 μm or more and 500 μm or less, and even more preferably 30 μm or more and 100 μm or less.

The shape of the molded body 60 is not particularly limited as long as the surface that functions as the liquid capturing part CP is exposed to the aerosol flow path 23 . The molded body 60 may have a plurality of through-holes each serving as a hollow portion. The shape of the wall surface that defines the hollow portion is not particularly limited, and it may have the shape of the side surface of a polygonal prism as well as the cylindrical surface. For example, the molded body 60 may have a honeycomb structure. The molded body 60 does not necessarily require a hollow portion 600, and may be, for example, a rod-like shape (that is, a shape whose length is longer than its width) extending in a predetermined direction, or a cubic shape (having sides of the same length). shape), or a sheet shape, or any other shape. When a sheet-shaped molded article 60 is used, specifically, a sheet of tobacco leaves, a cast sheet of tobacco leaves, a rolled sheet of tobacco leaves, or the like can be used as the molded article 60 . From the viewpoint of efficiently capturing the liquid by increasing the surface area of the liquid capturing portion CP, the liquid capturing portion CP preferably has at least one of a folded structure and a wound structure. A folded structure is a structure that includes one or more fold lines. The wound structure is a structure in which the sheet-shaped molded bodies 60 overlap in the radial direction. For example, the sheet-shaped molded body 60 may be folded into a bellows shape, or may be wound so that the cross section perpendicular to the rotating shaft has a spiral shape and placed in the atomization unit 12 . The number of molded bodies 60 arranged in the atomization unit 12 is not particularly limited as long as the surface that functions as the liquid capturing part CP is exposed in the aerosol flow path 23 .

The size of the molded body 60 is not particularly limited as long as the surface that functions as the liquid capturing portion CP is exposed to the aerosol channel 23 . Specific values of the width (that is, outer diameter) (W), which is the length in the lateral direction of the molded body 60, and the total length (L), which is the length in the longitudinal direction of the molded body 60, are particularly limited. Although it is not a thing, an example of the numerical value is as follows. That is, as the width (W) of the molded body 60, a value selected from a range of, for example, 2 mm or more and 20 mm or less can be used. As the total length (L) of the molded body 60, a value selected from the range of, for example, 5 mm or more and 50 mm or less can be used. However, these values are merely examples of the width (W) and the total length (L) of the molded body 60, and the width (W) and the total length (L) of the molded body 60 are suitable for the size of the suction tool 10. value should be set.

The size and shape of the hollow portion 600 of the molded body 60 are not particularly limited as long as the user can inhale the aerosol through the aerosol flow path 23 . The cross-sectional shape and inner diameter of the hollow portion 600 should be substantially the same as the cross-sectional shape and inner diameter of the first aerosol flow path 231 defined by the wall portion 710 from the viewpoint of efficiently inhaling the aerosol. preferable.

Further, in the present embodiment, the density (mass per unit volume) of the compact 60 is, for example, 1100 mg/cm ³ or more and 1450 mg/cm ³ or less. However, the density of the compact 60 is not limited to this, and may be less than 1100 mg/cm ³ or greater than 1450 mg/cm ³ .

The suction using the suction tool 10 is performed as follows. First, when the user starts sucking air, the air passes through the upstream passage portions 21 a and 21 b of the air passage 20 and flows into the load passage portion 22 . Aerosol generated in the load 40 is added to the air that has flowed into the load passage portion 22 . This aerosol contains the flavor component contained in the atomizing liquid Ld. The air to which the aerosol has been added passes through the aerosol flow path 23 and is discharged from the discharge port 13 to be sucked by the user.

The atomization unit 12 according to the present embodiment is arranged in a load 40 that atomizes the atomizing liquid Ld to generate an aerosol, an aerosol channel 23 through which the aerosol generated by the load 40 passes, and the aerosol channel 23. The molded body 60 is formed with an inner surface 620 exposed to the aerosol flow path 23, and the inner surface 620 includes the liquid capturing portion CP. As a result, movement of the liquid adhering to the aerosol channel 23 can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to provide the suction device 10 that suppresses the liquid adhering to the aerosol flow path 23 from being sucked by the user and giving an undesirable taste or adversely affecting the operation.

Also, the amount (mg) of the carbonized component contained in 1 g of the extract used as the atomizing liquid Ld is preferably 6 mg or less, more preferably 3 mg or less.

According to this configuration, it is possible to enjoy the flavor of tobacco leaves while suppressing the amount of carbonized components adhering to the electrical load 40 as much as possible. As a result, it is possible to enjoy the flavor of tobacco leaves while minimizing the occurrence of scorching of the load 40 .

In addition, in the present embodiment, "carbonized component" refers to a component that becomes a carbide when heated to 250°C. Specifically, the term "carbonized component" refers to a component that does not form a carbide at a temperature of less than 250°C, but that forms a carbide when the temperature is maintained at 250°C for a predetermined period of time.

The "amount (mg) of carbonized components contained in 1 g of the extract" can be measured, for example, by the following method. First, a predetermined amount (g) of extract is prepared. Next, this extract is heated to 180° C. to volatilize the solvent (liquid component) contained in the extract, thereby obtaining a “residue composed of non-volatile components”. The residue is then heated to 250° C. to carbonize the residue to obtain a carbide. The amount (mg) of this carbide is then measured. By the above method, the amount (mg) of charcoal contained in a predetermined amount (g) of liquid extract can be measured. The amount (mg) of the component can be calculated.

Next, the relationship between the amount of carbonized components contained in 1 g of the extract and the TPM reduction rate will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the results of measuring the TPM reduction rate with respect to the amount of carbonized components contained in 1 g of the extract. The horizontal axis of FIG. 5 indicates the amount of carbonized components contained in 1 g of the extract, and the vertical axis indicates the TPM reduction rate (R _TPM ) (%).

The TPM reduction rate (R _TPM : %) in FIG. 5 was measured by the following method. First, a plurality of suction tool samples having different amounts of carbonized components contained in 1 g of the extract were prepared. Specifically, five samples (sample SA1 to sample SA5) were prepared as samples of the plurality of suction tools. These five samples were prepared by the following steps.

(Step 1)
20 (wt%) of potassium carbonate in terms of dry weight was added to tobacco raw material composed of tobacco leaves, and then heat distillation treatment was performed. The distillation residue after the heat distillation treatment is immersed in water of 15 times the weight of the tobacco raw material before the heat distillation treatment for 10 minutes, dehydrated with a dehydrator, and then dried with a dryer to obtain tobacco. A residue was obtained.

(Step 2)
Next, a portion of the tobacco residue obtained in step 1 was washed with water to prepare a tobacco residue containing a small amount of charcoal.

(Step 3)
Next, 25 g of an immersion liquid (propylene glycol 47.5 wt%, glycerin 47.5 wt%, water 5 wt%) as an extract liquid was added to 5 g of the tobacco residue obtained in step 2, and the temperature of the immersion liquid was raised to 60. °C and allowed to stand. By varying the standing time (that is, the immersion time in the immersion liquid), the amount of carbonized component eluted into the immersion liquid (extract) was varied.

Through the above steps, a plurality of samples with different amounts of carbonized components contained in 1 g of the immersion liquid (extract) were prepared.

Next, automatic smoking was performed on the plurality of samples prepared in the above-described steps using an automatic smoking machine ("Analytical Vaping Machine" manufactured by Borgwaldt) under "CRM (Coresta Recommended Method) 81 smoking conditions". rice field. The CRM 81 smoking condition is a condition in which 55 cc of aerosol is inhaled over 3 seconds, and is performed multiple times every 30 seconds.

The amount of total particulate matter collected by the Cambridge filter of the automatic smoking machine was then measured. Based on the measured amount of total particulate matter, the TPM reduction rate (R _TPM ) was calculated using the following formula (1). The TPM reduction rate (R _TPM ) in FIG. 5 was measured by the above method.

R _TPM (%) = (1-TPM (201 puff to 250 puff) / TPM (1 puff to 50 puff)) x 100 (1)

Here, TPM (Total Particle Molecule) indicates the total particulate matter captured by the Cambridge filter of the automatic smoking machine. “TPM (1 puff to 50 puff)” in the formula (1) indicates the amount of total particulate matter collected by the Cambridge filter from the 1st puff to the 50th puff of the automatic smoking machine. "TPM (201 puff to 250 puff)" in equation (1) indicates the amount of total particulate matter captured by the Cambridge filter from the 201st puff to the 250th puff of the automatic smoking machine.

That is, the TPM reduction rate (R _TPM ) in Equation (1) is defined as "the amount of total particulate matter collected by the Cambridge filter from the 201st puff to the 250th puff of the automatic smoking machine. 1 minus the value obtained by dividing by the amount of total particulate matter collected by the Cambridge filter from the 1st puff to the 50th puff, and multiplied by 100.

As can be seen from FIG. 5, there is a proportional relationship between the amount of carbonized components contained in 1 g of the extract and the TPM reduction rate. As can be seen particularly from samples SA1 to SA4 in FIG. 5, when the amount of carbonized components contained in 1 g of the extract is 6 mg or less, the TPM reduction rate can be suppressed to 20% or less.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the manufacturing method of the atomization unit 12 according to this embodiment. An example of extracting flavor components from tobacco leaves will be described below, but tobacco raw materials other than tobacco leaves may be used.

In the extraction process of step S10, flavor components are extracted from tobacco leaves. Although the specific method of step S10 is not particularly limited, for example, the following method can be used. First, an alkaline substance is applied to tobacco leaves (referred to as alkaline treatment). As the alkaline substance used here, for example, a basic substance such as an aqueous solution of potassium carbonate can be used.

Next, the alkali-treated tobacco leaves are heated at a predetermined temperature (for example, a temperature of 80°C or more and less than 150°C) (referred to as heat treatment). Then, during this heat treatment, for example, one substance selected from the group consisting of glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and water, or a substance selected from this group Two or more substances are brought into contact with tobacco leaves.

By this heat treatment, released components (flavor components are included here) released from tobacco leaves into the gas phase are collected in a predetermined collection solvent. As the collection solvent, for example, one substance selected from the group consisting of glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and water, or two types selected from this group The above substances can be used. As a result, a collection solvent containing flavor components can be obtained (that is, flavor components can be extracted from tobacco leaves).

Alternatively, step S10 can be configured without using the collection solvent as described above. Specifically, in this case, after subjecting the alkali-treated tobacco leaves to the above-described heat treatment, the components released from the tobacco leaves into the gas phase are cooled using a condenser or the like. can be condensed to extract flavor components.

Alternatively, step S10 may be configured without the alkali treatment as described above. Specifically, in this case, in step S10, tobacco leaves (tobacco leaves that have not been subjected to alkali treatment) are treated with glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and water. A selected substance or two or more substances selected from this group are added. Next, the tobacco leaves to which this has been added are heated, and the components released during this heating are collected in a collection solvent or condensed using a condenser or the like. Flavor components can also be extracted by such a process.

Alternatively, in step S10, an aerosol in which one substance selected from the group consisting of glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and water is aerosolized, or an aerosol selected from this group Tobacco leaves (tobacco leaves that have not been subjected to alkali treatment) are passed through the aerosol in which two or more kinds of substances are aerosolized, and the aerosol that has passed through the tobacco leaves is collected by a collection solvent. Flavor components can also be extracted by such a process.

In addition, step S10 (extraction step) according to the present embodiment reduces "the amount of carbonized components that become carbonized when heated to 250 ° C." contained in the flavor components extracted by the above-described method. It may further include According to this configuration, it is possible to effectively suppress adhesion of carbonized components to the load 40 . As a result, scorching of the load 40 can be effectively suppressed.

A specific method for reducing the amount of the carbonized component contained in the extracted flavor component is not particularly limited, but for example, the component precipitated by cooling the extracted flavor component is The amount of carbonized components contained in the extracted flavor component may be reduced by filtering with filter paper or the like. Alternatively, the amount of carbonized components contained in the extracted flavor component may be reduced by centrifuging the extracted flavor component with a centrifuge. Alternatively, a reverse osmosis membrane (RO filter) may be used to reduce the amount of carbonized components contained in the extracted flavor components.

After step S10, a molding process related to step S20 and a concentration process related to step S100 described below are executed.

In step S20, the "tobacco residue", which is the tobacco leaves extracted in the extraction step of step S10, is solidified into a shape based on the shape of the second aerosol flow path 232 (in this embodiment, a cylindrical shape as an example). ) to manufacture the molded body 60 . Tobacco raw materials such as tobacco leaves can absorb liquid, so if tobacco leaves or the like are exposed on the inner side surface 620 of the molded body 60 exposed in the second aerosol flow path 232, they function as the liquid capturing portion CP.

In step S20, the inner surface 620 or other surfaces of the molded body 60 may be coated, or a resin may be used to harden the tobacco residue into a predetermined shape. A material other than tobacco material that absorbs or retains liquid may be disposed on inner surface 620 . Alternatively, the coating or resin may be recessed to expose tobacco residue.

After step S20, the assembly process related to step S30 is executed. Specifically, in step S30, the atomization unit 12 in which the molded body 60 is not stored is prepared, and the second hole H2 defined by the wall portion 70g of the liquid storage portion 50 of the atomization unit 12 is , the compact 60 after step S20 is housed. Note that step S30 may be performed after step S40, which will be described later.

On the other hand, in the concentration process related to step S100, the flavor components extracted in step S10 are concentrated. Specifically, in step S100 according to the present embodiment, the flavor components contained in the collection solvent containing the flavor components extracted in step S10 are concentrated. A concentration step is preferable in that the amount of flavor components contained in the tobacco leaf extract can be increased.

After step S100, the liquid extract manufacturing process of step S200 is executed. Specifically, in step S200, by adding the flavor component extracted in step S10 (specifically, here, the flavor component after being concentrated in step S100) to a predetermined solvent, tobacco Manufacture leaf extract. Although the specific type of the predetermined solvent is not particularly limited, for example, one substance selected from the group consisting of glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and water, Alternatively, two or more substances selected from this group can be used.

After steps S30 and S200, the accommodation process related to step S40 is executed. Specifically, in step S40, the atomization unit 12 containing the compact 60 in step S30 is prepared. contain "liquid". Through the steps described above, the atomization unit 12 of the suction tool 10 according to the present modification is manufactured. The atomization unit 12 is connected with the power supply unit 11 to manufacture the suction tool 10 .

According to the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment as described above, the suction device 10 is atomized by suppressing the movement of the liquid in the aerosol flow path 23 while effectively utilizing the tobacco residue as the material of the molded body 60. Unit 12 can be manufactured.

The following modifications are also within the scope of the present invention, and can be combined with the above-described embodiment or other modifications. In the following modified examples, the same reference numerals are used to refer to parts having the same structures and functions as those of the above-described embodiment, and description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

(Modification 1)
In the manufacturing method of the above-described embodiment, a configuration that does not include step S100 is also possible. In this case, in step S200, the tobacco leaf extract may be produced by adding the flavor component extracted in step S10 to a predetermined solvent. Also in this modified example, the atomization unit 12 of the suction tool 10 that suppresses movement of the liquid in the aerosol flow path 23 can be manufactured.

(Modification 2)
In the manufacturing method of the above-described embodiment, a configuration that does not include step S40 is also possible. In this case, the user is provided with the atomization unit 12 that does not contain the liquid for atomization Ld, and the user can store the desired liquid for atomization Ld in the liquid storage section 50 .

(Modification 3)
In the manufacturing method of the above-described embodiment, steps S100 and S200 are omitted, and the atomizing liquid Ld containing a flavor component such as synthetic nicotine is prepared separately. may be accommodated in In the manufacturing method of this modified example, it is possible to manufacture the atomization unit 12 of the inhaler 10 that does not require natural tobacco raw materials and that suppresses movement of the liquid in the aerosol flow path 23 . Note that the liquid containing portion 50 may contain the atomizing liquid Ld containing purified natural nicotine. In this case, the use of pre-purified natural nicotine eliminates the need for an extraction operation.

The embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described in detail above, but the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments and modifications, and is within the scope of the gist of the invention described in the scope of claims. , various modifications and changes are possible.

10 Suction Tool 12 Atomization Unit 20 Air Passage 23 Aerosol Flow Path 40 Load 50 Liquid Storage Part 60 Molded Body 600 Hollow Part 620 Inner Surface CP of Hollow Part Liquid Capture Part H1 First Hole H2 Second Hole Ld Liquid for atomization

Claims (9)

1. an atomization unit that atomizes a liquid to generate an aerosol;
   an aerosol flow path through which the aerosol generated by the atomization unit passes;
   a tobacco molded body arranged in the aerosol flow path,
   The atomization unit, wherein the tobacco molded body has an exposed surface exposed to the aerosol flow path, and the exposed surface includes a liquid capturing portion.
2. The atomization unit according to claim 1, wherein the tobacco molded body is formed with a hollow portion, and the exposed surface is formed as an inner surface of the hollow portion.
3. The atomization unit according to claim 1, wherein the tobacco molded body has at least one of a folded structure and a rolled structure.
4. The atomization unit according to any one of claims 1 to ³ , wherein the liquid capturing portion is formed in a portion having a density of 1 g/cm3 or less.
5. The atomization unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the liquid capturing portion has an arithmetic mean surface roughness Sa of 30 µm or more and 1000 µm or less.
6. The atomization unit includes a liquid storage section that stores the liquid,
   A through hole including a first hole having a first inner diameter and a second hole having a second inner diameter larger than the first inner diameter is formed in a wall portion defining the liquid containing portion,
   6. The atomization unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the tobacco compact is arranged in the second hole.
7. The atomization unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the liquid contains at least one of tobacco extract, natural nicotine and synthetic nicotine.
8. A suction tool comprising the atomization unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
9. An atomization unit manufacturing method for manufacturing the atomization unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
   A method for manufacturing an atomization unit, comprising molding the tobacco molded body into a shape based on the shape of the aerosol flow path.

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