WO2023140662A1

WO2023140662A1 - Aerosol generating article and aerosol generating device for receiving the same

Info

Publication number: WO2023140662A1
Application number: PCT/KR2023/000974
Authority: WO
Inventors: Seoksu JANG; Jeonghoo KIM; Dohyun Yun; Jungkyu SEO; Dongsung Kim; Yonghwan Kim; Hunil LIM
Original assignee: Kt&G Corporation
Priority date: 2022-01-24
Filing date: 2023-01-19
Publication date: 2023-07-27
Also published as: KR20230114056A

Abstract

An aerosol generating article is provided. The aerosol generating article includes an aerosol generating rod including a non-tobacco material coated with a liquid material, wherein the liquid material includes a tobacco component and a liquid binder, and the liquid binder includes water, alcohol, and starch.

Description

AEROSOL GENERATING ARTICLE AND AEROSOL GENERATING DEVICE FOR RECEIVING THE SAME

The present disclosure is related to an aerosol generating article and an aerosol generating device.

An aerosol generating device is a device that extracts certain components from a medium or a substance by producing an aerosol. The medium may contain a multicomponent substance. The substance contained in the medium may be a multicomponent flavoring substance. For example, the substance contained in the medium may include a nicotine component, an herbal component, and/or a coffee component. Recently, various research on aerosol generating devices has been conducted.

A cigarette used with an aerosol generating device may contain a tobacco medium. The medium included in the cigarette may be prepared by filling a non-tobacco material with tobacco granules. In this case, it is important to control the separation (or loss) rate of tobacco granules during cigarette processing.

It is an objective of the present disclosure to solve the above and other problems.

It is another objective of the present disclosure to increase the quality of an aerosol generating article by reducing the separation rate of tobacco granules during cutting when processing a non-tobacco material containing tobacco granules.

It is yet another objective of the present disclosure to reduce the cost of an aerosol generating article by lowering the separation rate of tobacco granules during cutting when processing a non-tobacco material containing tobacco granules.

It is yet another objective of the present disclosure to prevent the facility utilization rate from falling below a certain level when producing aerosol generating articles to thereby suppress a decrease in the production efficiency of the aerosol generating articles.

According to one aspect of the subject matter described in this application, an aerosol generating article includes an aerosol generating rod including a non-tobacco material coated with a liquid material, wherein the liquid material includes a tobacco component and a liquid binder, and the liquid binder includes water, alcohol, and starch.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the quality of an aerosol generating article may be increased by reducing the separation rate of tobacco granules during cutting when processing a non-tobacco material containing tobacco granules.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the cost of an aerosol generating article may be reduced by lowering the separation rate of tobacco granules during cutting when processing a non-tobacco material containing tobacco granules.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the facility utilization rate may be suppressed from falling below a certain level when producing aerosol generating articles to thereby suppress a decrease in the production efficiency of the aerosol generating articles.

The additional scope of applicability of the present disclosure will be apparent from the following detailed description. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and alterations are possible, without departing from the idea and scope of the present disclosure, and therefore it should be understood that the detailed description and specific embodiments, such as the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, are provided only for illustration.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate examples of an aerosol generating article according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a medium portion according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 4 to 6 illustrate examples of an aerosol generating device that receives an aerosol generating article according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

Description will now be given in detail according to exemplary embodiments disclosed herein, with reference to the accompanying drawings. For the sake of brief description with reference to the drawings, the same or equivalent components are provided with the same or similar reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

In the following description, a suffix such as "module" and "unit" may be used to refer to elements or components. Use of such a suffix herein is merely intended to facilitate description of the specification, and the suffix itself is not intended to give any special meaning or function.

In the present disclosure, that which is well known to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art has generally been omitted for the sake of brevity. The accompanying drawings are used to help easily understand the technical idea of the present disclosure and it should be understood that the idea of the present disclosure is not limited by the accompanying drawings. The idea of the present disclosure should be construed to extend to any alterations, equivalents, and substitutes besides the accompanying drawings.

It will be understood that although the terms "first", "second", etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another.

It will be understood that when a component is referred to as being "connected to" or "coupled to" another component, it may be directly connected to or coupled to another component, or intervening components may be present. On the other hand, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected to" or "directly coupled to" another component, there are no intervening components present.

As used herein, a singular representation is intended to include a plural representation unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Referring to FIG. 1, an aerosol generating article 2 includes a tobacco rod 21 and a filter rod 22.

The filter rod 22 in FIG. 1 is illustrated as a single segment, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In other words, the filter rod 22 may consist of a plurality of segments. For example, the filter rod 22 may include a segment for cooling an aerosol and a segment for filtering a predetermined component included in the aerosol. Also, if necessary, the filter rod 22 may further include at least one segment performing another function.

A diameter of the aerosol generating article 2 may be in a range of 5 mm to 9 mm, and a length of the aerosol generating article 2 may be about 48 mm. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, a length of the tobacco rod 21 may be about 12 mm, a length of a first segment of the filter rod 22 may be about 10 mm, a length of a second segment of the filter rod 22 may be about 14 mm, and a length of a third segment of the filter rod 22 may be about 12 mm. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

The aerosol generating article 2 may be packed or wrapped by at least one wrapper 24. The wrapper 24 may have at least one hole through which external air is introduced or internal gas is discharged. In one example, the aerosol generating article 2 may be wrapped by one wrapper 24. In another example, the aerosol generating article 2 may be wrapped by two or more wrappers 24 in an overlapping manner. For example, the tobacco rod 21 may be wrapped by a first wrapper 241, the filter rod 22 may be wrapped by

wrappers

242, 243, and 244. And then, the entire aerosol generating article 2 may be repacked or rewrapped by a single wrapper 245. When the filter rod 22 includes a plurality of segments, the plurality of segments may be respectively wrapped by

wrappers

242, 243, and 244.

A first wrapper 241 and a second wrapper 242 may be made of general filter wrapping paper. For example, the first wrapper 241 and the second wrapper 242 may be porous wrapping paper or non-porous wrapping paper. In addition, the first wrapper 241 and the second wrapper 242 may be made of paper with oil resistance and/or an aluminum laminate packaging material.

A third wrapper 243 may be made of hard wrapping paper. For example, a basis weight of the third wrapper 243 may be in a range of 88g/m² to 96g/m², and may preferably be in a range of 90g/m² to 94g/m². In addition, a thickness of the third wrapper 243 may be in a range of 120 μm to 130 μm, and may preferably be 125 μm.

A fourth wrapper 244 may be made of oil-resistant hard wrapping paper. For example, a basis weight of the fourth wrapper 244 may be in a range of 88 g/m² to 96 g/m², and may preferably be in a range of 90 g/m² to 94 g/m². In addition, a thickness of the fourth wrapper 244 may be in a range of 120 μm to 130 μm, and may preferably be 125 μm.

A fifth wrapper 245 may be made of sterile paper (MFW). Here, the sterile paper (MFW) may refer to paper specially designed to have improved tensile strength, water resistance, smoothness, and the like, compared to general paper. For example, a basis weight of the fifth wrapper 245 may be in a range of 57 g/m² to 63 g/m², and may preferably be 60 g/m². In addition, a thickness of the fifth wrapper 245 may be in a range of 64 μm to 70 μm, and may preferably be 67 μm.

A predetermined material may be added into the fifth wrapper 245. Here, an example of the predetermined material may be silicone, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, silicone may have properties such as heat resistance with little change with temperature, oxidation resistance, resistance to various chemicals, water repellency to water, electrical insulation, etc. However, other than the silicone, any material having the above-described properties may be applied to (or coated on) the fifth wrapper 245.

The fifth wrapper 245 may prevent combustion of the aerosol generating article 2. For example, when the tobacco rod 21 is heated by a heater 13 (see FIGS. 4 to 6), there may be a possibility of combustion of the aerosol generating article 2. In detail, when the temperature rises above the ignition point of any one of the materials or substances included in the tobacco rod 21, the aerosol generating article 2 may be burned. However, as the fifth wrapper 245 includes a non-combustible material, the combustion of the aerosol generating article 2 may be prevented.

Also, the fifth wrapper 245 may prevent a holder 1 (or aerosol generating device 1) from being contaminated by substances produced in the aerosol generating article 2. Liquids may be generated in the aerosol generating article 2 due to a puff by a user. For example, as an aerosol generated in the aerosol generating article 2 is cooled by external air, liquids (e.g., moisture, etc.) may be produced. As the aerosol generating article 2 is wrapped by the fifth wrapper 245, the liquids produced in the aerosol generating article 2 may be prevented from leaking outside of the aerosol generating article 2.

The tobacco rod 21 may include an aerosol generating material (or substance). For example, the aerosol generating material may include at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Also, the tobacco rod 21 may contain other additives such as a flavoring agent, a wetting agent, and/or an organic acid. In addition, a flavoring liquid, such as menthol or humectant, may be added to the tobacco rod 21 by being sprayed to the tobacco rod 21.

The tobacco rod 21 may be manufactured in various forms. For example, the tobacco rod 21 may be formed as a sheet or a strand. Also, the tobacco rod 21 may be formed as shredded tobacco obtained by finely cutting a tobacco sheet. In addition, the tobacco rod 21 may be surrounded by a thermally conductive material. For example, the thermally conductive material may be, but is not limited to, a metal foil such as aluminum foil. In one example, the thermally conductive material surrounding the tobacco rod 21 may evenly or uniformly distribute heat transferred to the tobacco rod 21, thereby increasing conduction of the heat applied to the tobacco rod 21. As a result, the taste of tobacco may be improved. Also, the thermally conductive material surrounding the tobacco rod 21 may serve as a susceptor that is heated by an induction heater. Although not shown in the drawing, the tobacco rod 21 may further include an additional susceptor, in addition to the thermally conductive material surrounding an outside thereof.

The filter rod 22 may be a cellulose acetate filter. Moreover, the filter rod 22 is not limited to a particular shape. For example, the filter rod 22 may be a cylinder-type rod or a tube-type rod including a hollow therein. Also, the filter rod 22 may be a recess-type rod. When the filter rod 22 consists of a plurality of segments, at least one of the plurality of segments may have a different shape from the others.

The first segment of the filter rod 22 may be a cellulose acetate filter. For example, the first segment may be a tube-type structure including a hollow therein. The first segment may prevent materials or substances in the tobacco rod 21 from being pushed back upon insertion of the heater 13, and may provide the aerosol cooling effect. A diameter of the hollow included in the first segment may be appropriately selected in a range of 2 mm to 4.5 mm, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

A length of the first segment may be appropriately selected in a range of 4 mm to 30 mm, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The length of the first segment may preferably be 10 mm, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

The hardness of the first segment may be controlled by adjusting the content of a plasticizer in the manufacture of the first segment. In addition, the first segment may be manufactured by inserting a structure such as a film or a tube made of the same material or different materials into an inside (e.g., a hollow) thereof.

The second segment of the filter rod 22 cools an aerosol generated when the heater 13 heats the tobacco rod 21. Thus, the user may inhale an aerosol cooled to an appropriate temperature.

A length or a diameter of the second segment may be variously determined according to the shape of the aerosol generating article 2. For example, the length of the second segment may be appropriately selected in a range of 7 mm to 20 mm. The length of the second segment may preferably be about 14 mm, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

The second segment may be made by weaving polymer fibers. In this case, a flavoring liquid may be applied to a fiber made of polymers. Alternatively, the second segment may be made by weaving a separate fiber coated with a flavoring liquid and a fiber made of polymers together. Alternatively, the second segment may be made of a crimped polymer sheet.

For example, a polymer may be made of a material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polylactic acid (PLA), cellulose acetate (CA), and aluminum foil.

As the second segment is made of the woven polymer fiber or the crimped polymer sheet, the second segment may include a single channel or a plurality of channels extending in a longitudinal direction. Here, the "channel" may refer to a passage through which gas (e.g., air or aerosol) passes.

For example, the second segment made of a crimped polymer sheet may be made from a material having a thickness between 5 μm and 300 μm, namely, between 10 μm and 250 μm. Also, a total surface area of the second segment may be between 300 mm²/mm and 1000 mm²/mm. In addition, an aerosol cooling element may be made from a material with a specific surface area between 10 mm²/mg and 100 mm²/mg.

Meanwhile, the second segment may include a thread containing a volatile flavor component. Here, the volatile flavor component may be menthol, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the thread may be filled with a sufficient amount of menthol to provide at least 1.5 mg of menthol to the second segment.

The third segment of the filter rod 22 may be a cellulose acetate filter. A length of the third segment may be appropriately selected in a range of 4 mm to 20 mm. For example, the length of the third segment may be about 12 mm, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

The third segment may be manufactured to generate a flavor by spraying a flavoring liquid to the third segment. Alternatively, a separate fiber coated with a flavoring liquid may be inserted into the third segment. An aerosol generated in the tobacco rod 21 is cooled while passing through the second segment of the filter rod 22, and the cooled aerosol is delivered to the user through the third segment. Accordingly, when a flavoring element is added to the third segment, the flavor delivered to the user may last longer.

In addition, the filter rod 22 may include at least one capsule 23. Here, the capsule 23 may function to generate a flavor, or may function to generate an aerosol. For example, the capsule 23 may have a structure in which a liquid containing a flavoring material is wrapped with a film. The capsule 23 may have a spherical or cylindrical shape, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 2, an aerosol generating article 3 may further include a front-end plug 33. The front-end plug 33 may be disposed on one side opposite a filter rod 32 with respect to a tobacco rod 31. The front-end plug 33 may prevent the tobacco rod 31 from being separated to the outside, and may prevent a liquefied aerosol from flowing into an aerosol generating device (reference numeral 1 of FIGS. 4 to 6) from the tobacco rod 31 while vaping.

The filter rod 32 may include a first segment 321 and a second segment 322. Here, the first segment 321 may correspond to the first segment of the filter rod 22 of FIG. 1, and the second segment 322 may correspond to the third segment of the filter rod 22 of FIG. 1.

A diameter and an overall length of the aerosol generating article 3 may correspond to the diameter and the overall length of the aerosol generating article 2 of FIG. 1. For example, a length of the front-end plug 33 may be about 7 mm, a length of the tobacco rod 31 may be about 15 mm, a length of the first segment 321 may be about 12 mm, and a length of the second segment 322 may be about 14 mm. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

The aerosol generating article 3 may be packed or wrapped by at least one wrapper 35. The wrapper 35 may have at least one hole through which external air is introduced or internal gas is discharged. For example, the front-end plug 33 may be wrapped by a first wrapper 351, the tobacco rod 31 may be wrapped by a second wrapper 352, the first segment 321 may be wrapped by a third wrapper 353, and the second segment 322 may be wrapped by a fourth wrapper 354. And then, the entire aerosol generating article 3 may be repacked or rewrapped by a fifth wrapper 355.

Also, the fifth wrapper 355 may have at least one perforation 36. For example, the perforation 36 may be formed in a region surrounding the tobacco rod 31, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The perforation 36 may serve to transfer heat generated by the heater 13 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 to an inside of the tobacco rod 31.

In addition, the second segment 322 may include at least one capsule 34. Here, the capsule 34 may function to generate a flavor, or may function to generate an aerosol. For example, the capsule 34 may have a structure in which a liquid containing a flavoring material is wrapped with a film. The capsule 34 may have a spherical or cylindrical shape, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

The first wrapper 351 may be made by coupling a metal foil, such as aluminum foil, to general filter wrapping paper. For example, a total thickness of the first wrapper 351 may be in a range of 45 μm to 55 μm, and may preferably be 50.3 μm. In addition, a thickness of the metal foil of the first wrapper 351 may be in a range of 6 μm to 7 μm, and may preferably be 6.3 μm. In addition, a basis weight of the first wrapper 351 may be in a range of 50 g/m² to 55 g/m², and may preferably be 53 g/m².

The second wrapper 352 and the third wrapper 353 may be made of general filter wrapping paper. For example, the second wrapper 352 and the third wrapper 353 may be porous wrapping paper or non-porous wrapping paper.

For example, porosity of the second wrapper 352 may be 35000 CU, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In addition, a thickness of the second wrapper 352 may be in a range of 70 μm to 80 μm, and may preferably be 78 μm. In addition, a basis weight of the second wrapper 352 may be in a range of 20 g/m² to 25 g/m², and may preferably be 23.5 g/m².

For example, porosity of the third wrapper 353 may be 24000 CU, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In addition, a thickness of the third wrapper 353 may be in a range of 60 μm to 70 μm, and may preferably be 68 μm. In addition, a basis weight of the third wrapper 353 may be in a range of 20 g/m² to 25 g/m², and may preferably be 21 g/m².

The fourth wrapper 354 may be made of PLA laminated paper. Here, the PLA laminated paper may refer to three-layer paper consisting of a paper layer, a PLA layer, and a paper layer. For example, a thickness of the fourth wrapper 354 may be in a range of 100 μm to 120 μm, and may preferably be 110 μm. In addition, a basis weight of the fourth wrapper 354 may be in a range of 80 g/m² to 100 g/m², and may preferably be 88 g/m².

The fifth wrapper 355 may be made of sterile paper (MFW). Here, the sterile paper (MFW) may refer to paper specially designed to have improved tensile strength, water resistance, smoothness, and the like, compared to general paper. For example, a basis weight of the fifth wrapper 355 may be in a range of 57 g/m² to 63 g/m², and may preferably be 60 g/m². In addition, a thickness of the fifth wrapper 355 may be in a range of 64 μm to 70 μm, and may preferably be 67 μm.

A predetermined material may be added into the fifth wrapper 355. Here, an example of the predetermined material may be silicone, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, silicone has properties such as heat resistance with little change with temperature, oxidation resistance, resistance to various chemicals, water repellency to water, electrical insulation, etc. However, other than the silicone, any material having the above-described properties may be applied to (or coated on) the fifth wrapper 355.

The front-end plug 33 may be made of cellulose acetate. In one example, the front-end plug 33 may be made by adding a plasticizer (e.g., triacetin) to cellulose acetate tow. A mono denier of a filament constituting the cellulose acetate tow may be in a range of 1.0 to 10.0, and may preferably be in a range of 4.0 to 6.0. More preferably, the mono denier of the filament of the front-end plug 33 may be 5.0. In addition, a cross section of the filament of the front-end plug 33 may be a Y-shape. A total denier of the front-end plug 33 may be in a range of 20000 to 30000, and may preferably be in a range of 25000 to 30000. More preferably, the total denier of the front-end plug 33 may be 28000.

In addition, if necessary, the front-end plug 33 may include at least one channel, and a cross section of the channel may be formed in various shapes.

The tobacco rod 31 may correspond to the tobacco rod 21 described above with reference to FIG. 1. Therefore, a detailed description of the tobacco rod 31 will be omitted.

The first segment 321 may be made of cellulose acetate. For example, the first segment may be a tube-type structure including a hollow therein. The first segment 321 may be made by adding a plasticizer (e.g., triacetin) to cellulose acetate tow. For example, a mono denier and a total denier of the first segment 321 may be the same as the mono denier and the total denier of the front-end plug 33.

The second segment 322 may be made of cellulose acetate. A mono denier of a filament of the second segment 322 may be in a range of 1.0 to 10.0, and may preferably be in a range of 8.0 to 10.0. More preferably, the mono denier of the filament of the second segment 322 may be 9.0. In addition, a cross section of the filament of the second segment 322 may be a Y-shape. A total denier of the second segment 322 may be in a range of 20000 to 30000, and may preferably be 25000.

Referring to FIG. 3, the tobacco rod 21 of the aerosol generating article 2 may include an aerosol generating portion 211 and a medium portion 212. The tobacco rod 21 may have a cylindrical shape.

The aerosol generating portion 211 may be located upstream of the medium portion 212, but the location of the aerosol generating portion 211 is not limited thereto. Meanwhile, the aerosol generating portion 211 and the medium portion 212 may be mixed in the tobacco rod 21 without distinction from each other.

Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience, the aerosol generating article 2 shown in FIG. 1 will be used for description, but this may be equally applied to the aerosol generating article 3 shown in FIG. 2.

Herein, the terms "upstream" and "downstream" may be determined based on a direction of air and/or aerosol flowing into the mouth or lungs of a user when the user puffs on an aerosol generating article. For example, in FIGS. 1 and 2, since an aerosol generated in the

tobacco rod

21, 31 is directed to the

filter rod

22, 32, it may be described that the

tobacco rod

21, 31 is located upstream of the

filter rod

22, 32, and the

filter rod

22, 32 is located downstream of the

tobacco rod

21, 31. The "upstream" and "downstream" may be determined according to the relative position between components.

The aerosol generating portion 211 includes an aerosol generating material (or substance). For example, the aerosol generating material may include at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

The aerosol generating material of the aerosol generating portion 211 may be impregnated into a non-tobacco material. The non-tobacco material, which is a material that is not a tobacco material, may include paper or polylactic acid (PLA). Due to the aerosol generating material included in the aerosol generating portion 211, the amount of atomization may increase when the user vapes (smokes).

The medium portion 212 may include a medium. The medium may include a tobacco component 2121. The medium may include a non-tobacco material 2122 to which a liquid material containing the tobacco component 2121 is applied.

The liquid material includes the tobacco component 2121. For example, the tobacco component 2121 may be tobacco granules or tobacco fine particles. The tobacco component 2121 may be tobacco leaf flakes, tobacco stems, and/or tobacco fine particles generated during tobacco processing. The tobacco component 2121 may be crystalline(regular) tobacco granules or amorphous(irregular) tobacco granules. The tobacco component 2121 may be shredded tobacco leaves, shredded reconstituted tobacco, reconstituted tobacco leaves, or the like.

The liquid material may be applied to the non-tobacco material 2122 by using a drop method, a rotary spray method (tangential spray), or a spray method (top spray, bottom spray). Alternatively, the liquid material may be applied to one surface of the non-tobacco material 2122 by using a slit nozzle. However, the method of liquid material application to the non-tobacco material 2122 is not limited thereto.

An application (or coating) thickness of the liquid material may be related to the amount (transition amount) of nicotine during vaping and the ease of loading the non-tobacco material 2122. The application thickness of the liquid material may preferably be less than the thickness of a sheet of the non-tobacco material 2122, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

The liquid material further includes a binder. The liquid material may include a liquid in which the tobacco component 2121 and the binder are mixed.

Due to the binder, the liquid material may be adsorbed to the non-tobacco material 2122. The non-tobacco material 2122, which is a material that is not a tobacco material, may include paper (cellulose fiber) or poly lactide (PLA) tow. The non-tobacco material 2122 may be processed by a conventionally known process such as mechanical pulping, refining, chemical pulping, bleaching, sulfate pulping, or a combination thereof.

The binder may be a liquid binder. An appropriate amount of the liquid binder may be mixed with the tobacco component 2121, so that the liquid material has an appropriate level of viscosity to be applied to the non-tobacco material 2122. The liquid material may be sprayed onto the non-tobacco material 2122 to adjust an overall particle size of the medium, thereby improving a surface property of the medium.

The liquid binder includes water, alcohol, and starch. The liquid binder may be prepared by mixing starch with water and alcohol. The liquid binder may further include gum. Due to the liquid binder, tobacco granules or tobacco fine particles contained in the liquid material may be evenly dispersed or distributed throughout the non-tobacco material.

The ratio of starch in the liquid binder may be controlled. For example, the liquid binder may contain 25 to 35 percent by weight (wt%) of starch.

The higher the content of starch in the liquid binder, the stronger the adhesion of a tobacco material to the non-tobacco material 2122. By contrast, when the content of starch is reduced to a certain level or less, the tobacco material may not be properly adhered to the non-tobacco material 2122.

Table 1 and Table 2 below show the separation rate, the amount of nicotine, the amount of glycerin, and the facility utilization rate according to the content ratio of water, alcohol, starch, and gum contained in the liquid binder in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Items	Water	Starch	Alcohol	Gum	Total (%)
#1	65	25	5	5	100
#2	55	35	5	5	100
#3	45	40	10	5	100

Items	Separation rate (%)	Nicotine (mg/cig)	Gly (mg/cig.)	Facility utilization rate (RPM_Rod per Min.)
#1	13.8	0.63	8.9	400
#2	11.6	0.61	8.4	250
#3	8.7	0.53	8.4	200

Table 1 above shows the content ratio of water, alcohol, starch, and Table 1 above shows the content ratio of water, alcohol, starch, and

Table 1 above shows the content ratio of water, alcohol, starch, and gum contained in the liquid binder. In Table 1, the ratio of water, alcohol, starch, and gum is a weight-based ratio (wt%).

In Table 2 above, "separation rate" which is a rate based on non-tobacco materials prior to processing, represents the percentage of tobacco components being separated or lost during cutting and coupling of non-tobacco materials coated with a liquid material containing tobacco components in the manufacturing process of aerosol generating articles. In Table 2 above, "nicotine" refers to the amount of nicotine (mg) generated per one manufactured aerosol generating article (one cigarette). In Table 2 above, "Gly" refers to the amount of glycerin (mg) generated per one manufactured aerosol generating article (one cigarette). In Table 2 above, "facility utilization rate" refers to the number of aerosol generating articles (rods) that can be produced per minute in a facility for manufacturing aerosol generating articles.

Referring to Table 1 and Table 2 above, as the content of starch in the liquid binder increases from 25 wt% to 40 wt% (Items #1 to #3 in Table 1), the separation rate decreases from 13.8% to 8.7%, the amount of nicotine decreases from 0.63 mg/cig to 0.53 mg/cig, and the facility utilization rate decreases from 400 RPM_rod/min to 200 RPM_rod/min.

The liquid binder according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include starch, which allows tobacco components included in the liquid material to be easily adsorbed to the non-tobacco material. Accordingly, the separation rate in the manufacturing process of aerosol generating articles may be reduced. However, as the content of starch in the liquid binder increases, the separation rate improves, whereas the facility utilization rate deteriorates. Therefore, the content ratio of starch in the liquid binder is required to be controlled in an appropriate range.

Items	Water	Starch	Alcohol	Gum	Total (%)
#4	45	39	15	1	100
#5	45	35	15	5	100
#6	45	30	15	10	100
#7	45	20	15	20	100

Items	Separation rate (%)	Nicotine (mg/cig)	Gly (mg/cig.)	Facility utilization rate (RPM_Rod per Min.)
#4	8.3	0.51	8.3	130
#5	8.6	0.52	8.5	250
#6	8.3	0.56	8.5	320
#7	12.5	0.59	8.6	440

Table 3 and Table 4 above show the separation rate, the amount of nicotine, the amount of glycerin, and the facility utilization rate according to a change in the content ratio of starch included in the liquid binder in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In Table 3, the content ratio of water and the content ratio of alcohol are constant at 45 wt% and 15 wt%, respectively.

Referring to Table 3 and Table 4 above, the higher the content of starch in the liquid binder, the higher the separation rate and the facility utilization rate.

Comparing Items #4 and #5 above, when the content of starch increases from 35 wt% to 39 wt%, the separation rate decreases (from 8.6% to 8.3%), and the facility utilization rate decreases significantly (from 250 RPM_rod/min to 130 RPM_rod/min) relative to a change in the starch content. Therefore, it can be seen that the content of starch is preferably about 35 wt% or less in consideration of deterioration of the facility utilization rate.

Comparing Items #6 and #7 above, when the content of starch decreases from 30 wt% to 20% wt%, the separation rate increases significantly (from 8.3% to 12.5%) relative to a change in the starch content, and the facility utilization rate increases (from 320 RPM_rod/min to 440 RPM_rod/min). Therefore, it can be seen that the content of starch is preferably about 25 wt% or more in consideration of deterioration of the separation rate.

The ratio of starch, water, and alcohol in the liquid binder may be controlled. For example, the liquid binder may contain 25 to 35 wt% of starch, 40 to 50 wt% of water, and 10 to 20 wt% of alcohol. The liquid binder may further contain 5 to 15 wt% of gum.

Items	Water	Starch	Alcohol	Gum	Total (%)
#2	55	35	5	5	100
#5	45	35	15	5	100
#8	40	35	20	5	100
#9	35	35	25	5	100

Items	Separation rate (%)	Nicotine (mg/cig)	Gly (mg/cig.)	Facility utilization rate (RPM_Rod per Min.)
#2	11.6	0.61	8.4	250
#5	8.6	0.52	8.5	250
#8	8.5	0.49	8.7	300
#9	7.7	0.46	8.8	300

Table 5 and Table 6 above show the separation rate, the amount of nicotine, the amount of glycerin, and the facility utilization rate according to a change in the content ratio of water and alcohol included in the liquid binder in association with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In Table 5, the content ratio of starch and the content ratio of gum are constant at 35 wt% and 5 wt%, respectively. Items #2 and #5 above are the same data as Items #2 and #5 specified in Table 1 to Table 4.

Referring to Table 5 and Table 6 above, as the content of water in the liquid binder decreases and the content of alcohol in the liquid binder increases, the separation rate decreases, and the facility utilization rate increases.

Comparing Items #5 and #2 above, when the content of water increases from 45 wt% to 55 wt% and the content of alcohol decreases from 15 wt% to 5 wt%, the separation rate increases significantly (from 8.6% to 11.6%), and the facility utilization rate remains unchanged (250 RPM_rod/min). Therefore, it can be seen that the content of water is preferably about 50 wt% or less, and the content of alcohol is preferably about 10 wt% or more, in consideration of deterioration of the separation rate.

Comparing Items #8 and #9 above, when the content of water decreases from 40 wt% to 35 wt% and the content of alcohol increases from 20 wt% to 25 wt%, the separation rate decreases significantly (from 8.5% to 7.7%), and the facility utilization rate remains unchanged (300 RPM_rod/min). Therefore, it can be seen that the content of water is preferably about 40 wt% or more, and the content of alcohol is preferably about 20 wt% or less, in consideration of deterioration of the separation rate.

The liquid binder according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may include 25 to 35 wt% of starch, 40 to 50 wt% of water, and 10 to 20 wt% of alcohol. In this case, the separation rate may be reduced to about 9% or less, and the facility utilization rate may be maintained at about 250 RPM_rod/min or more in the manufacturing process of aerosol generating articles.

The liquid binder may further include at least one of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, pullulan, and carboxymethyl cellulose.

The medium portion 212 may further include an additive. The additive may be at least one of a pH adjusting agent, a flavoring agent, an organic acid, and the like.

The pH adjusting agent may be added while manufacturing tobacco granules or reconstituted tobacco sheets. Alternatively, the pH adjusting agent may be added in a manner that a medium contains a granule composed of a pH adjusting agent. The pH adjusting agent may be at least one of calcium carbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate, calcium oxide, and the like. The pH adjusting agent may adjust the pH of a medium to the alkaline side, thereby facilitating the release of a flavor component from the medium.

The flavoring agent may include licorice, sucrose, fructose syrup, isosweet, cocoa, lavender, cinnamon, cardamom, celery, fenugreek, cascarilla, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, mint oil, cinnamon, caraway, cognac, jasmine, chamomile, menthol, cinnamon, ylang-ylang, sage, spearmint, ginger, coriander, coffee, or the like.

FIGS. 4 to 6 illustrate examples in which the aerosol generating article 2 is inserted into an aerosol generating device.

Referring to FIG. 4, an aerosol generating device 1 includes a battery 11, a controller 12, and a heater 13. Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the aerosol generating device 1 further includes a vaporizer 14. In addition, the aerosol generating article 2 may be inserted into an inner space of the aerosol generating device 1.

FIGS. 4 to 6 illustrate components of the aerosol generating device 1, which are related to the embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that other general-purpose components may be further included in the aerosol generating device 1, in addition to the components illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 6.

Also, FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate that the aerosol generating device 1 includes the heater 13. However, if necessary, the heater 13 may be excluded.

In FIG. 4, the battery 11, the controller 12, and the heater 13 are arranged in a row. In FIG. 5, the battery 11, the controller 12, the vaporizer 14, and the heater 13 are arranged in a row. In FIG. 6, the vaporizer 14 and the heater 13 are arranged in parallel. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 1 is not limited to those shown in FIGS. 4 to 6. In other words, the arrangement of the battery 11, the controller 12, the heater 13, and the vaporizer 14 may vary according to the design of the aerosol generating device 1.

When the aerosol generating article 2 is inserted into the aerosol generating device 1, the aerosol generating device 1 may operate the heater 13 and/or the vaporizer 14 to generate an aerosol. The aerosol generated by the heater 13 and/or the vaporizer 14 passes through the aerosol generating article 2 and is delivered to a user.

If necessary, the aerosol generating device 1 may heat the heater 13 even when the aerosol generating article 2 is not inserted into the aerosol generating device 1.

The battery 11 supplies power (electric power) used to operate the aerosol generating device 1. For example, the battery 11 may supply power to heat the heater 13 or the vaporizer 14, and may supply power required for the controller 12 to operate. In addition, the battery 11 may supply power required to operate a display, a sensor, a motor, and the like, installed at the aerosol generating device 1.

The controller 12 controls the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 1. In detail, the controller 12 controls the operation not only of the battery 11, the heater 13, and the vaporizer 14, but also of other components included in the aerosol generating device 1. In addition, the controller 12 may check the state of each of the components of the aerosol generating device 1 to determine whether the aerosol generating device 1 is in an operable state.

The controller 12 includes at least one processor. The processor may be implemented as an array of a plurality of logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory in which a program executable in the microprocessor is stored. It will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the processor may be implemented in other forms of hardware.

The heater 13 may be heated by the power supplied from the battery 11. For example, when a cigarette (or the aerosol generating article 2) is inserted into the aerosol generating device 1, the heater 13 may be located outside the cigarette. Thus, the heated heater 13 may cause the temperature of an aerosol generating material in the cigarette to rise.

The heater 13 may be an electro-resistive heater. For example, the heater 13 may include an electrically conductive track, and the heater 13 may be heated as current flows through the electrically conductive track. However, the heater 13 is not limited to the example described above, and any other heaters that can be heated to a desired temperature may be used. Here, the desired temperature may be preset in the aerosol generating device 1, or may be set by the user.

Alternatively, as another example, the heater 13 may be an induction heating type heater, namely, an induction heater. In detail, the heater 13 may include an electrically conductive coil for heating the aerosol generating article 2 in an induction heating method, and the aerosol generating article 2 may include a susceptor that can be heated by the induction heater.

For example, the heater 13 may include a tube-type heating element, a plate-type heating element, a needle-type heating element, or a rod-type heating element, and may heat the inside or outside of the aerosol generating article 2 according to the shape of the heating element.

In addition, a plurality of heaters 13 may be arranged in the aerosol generating device 1. Here, the plurality of heaters 13 may be inserted into the aerosol generating article 2, or may be disposed outside the aerosol generating article 2. Alternatively, some of the plurality of heaters 13 may be inserted into the aerosol generating article 2, and the others may be disposed outside the aerosol generating article 2. The shape of the heater 13 is not limited to the shapes shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, and may include various shapes.

The vaporizer 14 may generate an aerosol by heating a liquid composition, and the generated aerosol may pass through the aerosol generating article 2 to be delivered to the user. In other words, the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 14 may flow along an airflow path of the aerosol generating device 1, and the airflow path may be configured such that the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 14 passes through the aerosol generating article 2 to be delivered to the user.

For example, the vaporizer 14 may include a liquid storage, a liquid delivery element, and a heating element, but is not limited thereto. For example, the liquid storage, the liquid delivery element, and the heating element may be included in the aerosol generating device 1 as independent modules.

The liquid storage may store a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid including a tobacco-containing material having a volatile tobacco flavor component, or a liquid including a non-tobacco material. The liquid storage may be configured to be detachably attached to the vaporizer 14, or may be integrally formed with the vaporizer 14.

For example, the liquid composition may include water, a solvent, ethanol, a plant extract, a flavoring, a flavoring agent, or a vitamin mixture. The flavoring may include, but is not limited to, menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, various fruit-flavored ingredients, etc. The flavoring agent may include components capable of providing a variety of flavors or tastes to the user. The vitamin mixture may be a mixture of at least one of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, and vitamin E, but is not limited thereto. Also, the liquid composition may include an aerosol former such as glycerin and propylene glycol.

The liquid delivery element may deliver the liquid composition of the liquid storage to the heating element. For example, the liquid delivery element may be a wick such as cotton fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, or porous ceramic, but is not limited thereto.

The heating element is an element for heating the liquid composition delivered by the liquid delivery element. For example, the heating element may be a metal heating wire, a metal hot plate, a ceramic heater, or the like, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the heating element may include a conductive filament such as a nichrome wire, and may be disposed in a manner of being wound around the liquid delivery element. The heating element may be heated by a current supply, and may transfer heat to the liquid composition in contact with the heating element to thereby heat the liquid composition. As a result, an aerosol may be generated.

For example, the vaporizer 14 may be referred to as a cartomizer or an atomizer, but is not limited thereto.

Meanwhile, the aerosol generating device 1 may further include general-purpose components, in addition to the battery 11, the controller 12, the heater 13, and the vaporizer 14. For example, the aerosol generating device 1 may include a display capable of outputting visual information and/or a motor for outputting tactile information. Also, the aerosol generating device 1 may include at least one sensor (a puff detection sensor, a temperature sensor, a cigarette insertion detection sensor, etc.). In addition, the aerosol generating device 1 may be manufactured to have a structure in which external air may be introduced or internal gas may be discharged even when the aerosol generating article 2 is inserted therein.

Although not shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the aerosol generating device 1 may constitute a system together with an additional cradle. For example, the cradle may be used to charge the battery 11 of the aerosol generating device 1. Alternatively, the heater 13 may be heated when the cradle and the aerosol generating device 1 are coupled to each other.

As described above, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the quality of an aerosol generating article may be increased by reducing the separation rate of tobacco granules during cutting when processing a non-tobacco material containing tobacco granules.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, an aerosol generating article 2 according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an aerosol generating rod 21 including a non-tobacco material 2122 coated with a liquid material, wherein the liquid material includes a tobacco component 2121 and a liquid binder, and the liquid binder includes water, alcohol, and starch.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the liquid binder may contain 40 to 50 wt% of water and 10 to 20 wt% of alcohol.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the liquid binder may further include gum. The liquid binder may contain 40 to 50 wt% of water, 10 to 20 wt% of alcohol, 25 to 35 wt% of starch, and 5 to 15 wt% of gum.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the liquid binder may allow the liquid material to be adsorbed to the non-tobacco material 2122.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the liquid material may include a crystalline(regular) tobacco granule or an amorphous(irregular) tobacco granule.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the non-tobacco material 2122 coated with the liquid material may include paper or poly lactide (PLA).

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the aerosol generating rod 21 may include: an aerosol generating portion 211; and a medium portion 212. The aerosol generating portion 211 may include an aerosol generating material. The non-tobacco material 2122 coated with the liquid material may be included in the medium portion 212.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the aerosol generating material may include at least one of glycerin or propylene glycol. The aerosol generating portion 211 may include a non-tobacco material coated with the aerosol generating material.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a heating-type aerosol generating device 1 configured to generate an aerosol through the aerosol generating article 2 may be provided.

Certain embodiments or other embodiments of the disclosure described above are not mutually exclusive or distinct from each other. Any or all elements of the embodiments of the disclosure described above may be combined with another or combined with each other in configuration or function.

For example, a configuration "A" described in one embodiment of the disclosure and the drawings, and a configuration "B" described in another embodiment of the disclosure and the drawings may be combined with each other. Namely, although the combination between the configurations is not directly described, the combination is possible except in the case where it is described that the combination is impossible.

Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings, and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

An aerosol generating article comprising:

an aerosol generating rod comprising a non-tobacco material coated with a liquid material,

wherein the liquid material comprises a tobacco component and a liquid binder, and

wherein the liquid binder comprises water, alcohol, and starch.
The aerosol generating article of claim 1, wherein the liquid binder comprises 40 to 50 wt% of water and 10 to 20 wt% of alcohol.
The aerosol generating article of claim 2, wherein the liquid binder further comprises gum, and

wherein the liquid binder comprises 40 to 50 wt% of water, 10 to 20 wt% of alcohol, 25 to 35 wt% of starch, and 5 to 15 wt% of gum.
The aerosol generating article of claim 1, wherein the liquid binder allows the liquid material to be adsorbed to the non-tobacco material.
The aerosol generating article of claim 1, wherein the liquid material comprises a crystalline tobacco granule or an amorphous tobacco granule.
The aerosol generating article of claim 1, wherein the non-tobacco material comprises paper or poly lactide (PLA).
The aerosol generating article of claim 1, wherein the aerosol generating rod comprises:

an aerosol generating portion; and

a medium portion,

wherein the aerosol generating portion comprises an aerosol generating material, and

wherein the non-tobacco material coated with the liquid material is included in the medium portion.
The aerosol generating article of claim 7, wherein the aerosol generating material comprises at least one of glycerin or propylene glycol, and

wherein the aerosol generating portion comprises a non-tobacco material coated with the aerosol generating material.
A heating-type aerosol generating device configured to generate an aerosol through the aerosol generating article according to any one of claims 1 to 8.