Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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AN ARTICLE FOR AN AEROSOL PROVISION SYSTEM
Field
The invention relates to an article, for instance an article for use as or as
part of an
aerosol provision system. The article may be a combustible aerosol provision
system or
a consumable for a non-combustible aerosol provision system. Also described is
a
package of articles, a non-combustible aerosol provision system and a method
of
manufacturing an article.
io Background of the Invention
Smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigars, and the like burn tobacco during
use to
create tobacco smoke. Attempts have been made to provide alternatives to these
article
by creating products that release compounds without combusting. Examples of
such
products are so-called "heat-not-burn" products or tobacco heating devices or
products,
/5 .. which release compounds by heating, but not burning, smokeable material.
Summary of the Invention
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an article.
The article is for
use as or as part of an aerosol provision system, the article comprising a
component
20 having an upstream end and a downstream end, the component comprising a
first
material and a second material, the second material comprising an amorphous
solid
material, wherein the amorphous solid material extends substantially
longitudinally
through the component between the upstream end and the downstream end and has
a
length of at least about 70% of the length of the component between the
upstream and
25 downstream ends.
In some embodiments, the second material comprises a plurality of elongate
strips of
amorphous solid material, wherein the plurality of elongate strips extend
substantially
parallel to each other.
In some embodiments, the plurality of elongate strips comprises between 2 and
50
strips, or between 5 and 25 strips , or between 7 and 21 strips.
In some embodiments, the second material comprises at least one strip having
an
upstream end and a downstream end, the upstream end of the strip extending to
within
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5mm of the upstream end of the component and the downstream end of the strip
extending to within 5mm of the downstream end of the component.
In some embodiments, the second material comprises a sheet material and
wherein the
tensile strength of the second material in the longitudinal direction is at
least about 4
N/i5mm, and/or in the range of about 170 N/i5mm to about 200 N/i5mm.
In some embodiments, the amorphous solid material comprises a substance to be
delivered. In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered is menthol.
In some embodiments, the amorphous solid material comprises in the range of
2mg to
about 20 mg of menthol.
In some embodiments, the second material at least partially surrounds the
first
/5 material.
In some embodiments, the second material is disposed within the first material
and/or
wherein the second material is disposed within and substantially surrounded on
all
sides by the first material.
In some embodiments, the first material is an aerosol-generating material.
In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises tobacco
material.
In some embodiments, the tobacco material is cut rag tobacco or reconstituted
tobacco
material.
In some embodiments, the component forms an aerosol generating portion of the
article.
In some embodiments, the first material comprises a filter material, and
optionally
wherein the first material comprises paper filter material having a density
between
about 0.1 and about 0.45 grams per cubic centimetre.
In some embodiments, the component forms an aerosol modifying portion of the
article.
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In some embodiments, the component forms an aerosol modifying portion of an
article
which is a combustible aerosol provision system.
In some embodiments, the article is rod shaped.
In some embodiments, the component further comprises a wrapper configured to
surround the first material and second material.
/o In a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a package of
articles comprising a
plurality of articles according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the
amount of a
substance to be delivered in each article varies by less than 5%.
In a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a non-combustible
aerosol
/5 provision system comprising an article according to any one of claims 1
to 19.
In a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided an amorphous solid
material for
use in an article according to any one of claim 1 to claim 19.
20 In some embodiments, the amorphous solid material is configured to
extend
substantially longitudinally through a component between the upstream end and
the
downstream end, and having a length of at least about 70% of the length of the
component between the upstream and downstream ends.
25 In some embodiments, when incorporated into the article, the amorphous
solid
material extends substantially longitudinally through the component between
the
upstream end and the downstream end, and has a length of at least about 70% of
the
length of the component between the upstream and downstream ends.
30 In some embodiments, the tensile strength of the amorphous solid
material is in the
range of about 2 N/15MM to about 300 N/15mm.
In some embodiments, the length of the amorphous solid material is in the
range of
about 8 mm to about 48 mm.
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In some embodiments, the width of the amorphous solid material is in the range
of
about 0.5 mm to about 3 mm.
In some embodiments, the aspect ratio of the amorphous solid material is in
the range
of about 2.5 to about loft
In some embodiments, the amorphous solid material comprises in the range of
0.25 mg
of a substance to be delivered per 50 mm2 and about 1 mg of a substance to be
delivered
per 50 mm2. In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered is menthol.
In a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a component for use in
an article as
claimed in any one of claims 1 to 19, the component having an upstream end and
a
downstream end, the component comprising a first material and a second
material, the
second material comprising an amorphous solid material, wherein the amorphous
solid
/5 material extends substantially longitudinally through the component
between the
upstream end and the downstream end and has a length of at least about 70% of
the
length of the component between the upstream and downstream ends.
In a sixth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of
manufacturing an
article according to any one of claims 1 to 19, the method comprising the
steps of:
preparing a first material for formation into a component of an article;
transporting the
first material continuously through an assembly apparatus; and adding at least
one
continuous amorphous solid material to the first material.
In some embodiments, the method further comprises unwinding a ribbon of
amorphous solid material from a bobbin and cutting the ribbon of amorphous
solid
material into a plurality of elongate strips.
In some embodiments, the method further comprises feeding the plurality of
elongate
strips of amorphous solid material directly into the assembly apparatus before
a
component forming device.
In some embodiments, the method further comprises winding the plurality of
elongate
strips of amorphous solid material onto a bobbin in preparation for adding to
the first
material in the assembly apparatus.
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In some embodiments, the method further comprises the step of winding the
ribbon of
amorphous solid material and first material simultaneously onto the same
bobbin.
In some embodiments, the ribbon of amorphous solid material and first material
are
co-wound.
In some embodiments, the method further comprises the steps of: unwinding the
ribbon of amorphous solid material and first material from the bobbin
simultaneously.
/o In some embodiments, cutting the ribbon of amorphous solid material and
first
material may be performed simultaneously.
In some embodiments, the first material is reconstituted tobacco.
/5 In some embodiments, the method may further comprise aligning at least
one
continuous amorphous solid material with the first material before the
amorphous
solid material and first material are fed into a component forming device of
the
assembly apparatus.
20 In some embodiments, the method may further comprise aligning a
plurality of ribbons
of continuous amorphous solid material with the first material and spaced
across the
width of the first material.
In some embodiments, the method may further comprise aligning the at least one
25 continuous amorphous solid material with the first material before
cutting the
amorphous solid material and first material simultaneously.
In some embodiments, the method may further comprises aligning a plurality of
ribbons of continuous amorphous solid material with the first material and
spaced
30 across the width of the first material such that there is a gap between
adjacent ribbons
of continuous amorphous solid material.
In some embodiments, the method may further comprise aligning the at least one
continuous amorphous solid material with the first material after the
amorphous solid
35 material and the first material have been cut.
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In some embodiments, the method may further comprise cutting a plurality of
ribbons
of continuous amorphous solid material into a plurality of strips to form a
plurality of
clusters of strips which are then aligned with the first material and spaced
across the
width of the first material such that there is a gap between adjacent clusters
of strips of
continuous amorphous solid material.
In some embodiments, the method further comprises spirally winding the
plurality of
elongate strips of amorphous solid material onto the bobbin in preparation for
adding
to the first material in the assembly apparatus.
In some embodiments, the method further comprises twisting the plurality of
elongate
strips of amorphous solid material to form a rope to be fed into the assembly
apparatus
before the component forming device before winding the plurality of elongate
strips
onto the bobbin.
In some embodiments, the method further comprises transporting the first
material
and the at least one strip of amorphous solid material through the component
forming
device; forming an endless component; wrapping the endless component in a
wrapper;
and cutting the endless component into discrete components.
In some embodiments, the method step of cutting the endless component releases
tension in the at least one strip of amorphous solid material and the
amorphous solid
material reduces in length into the ends of the component.
In some embodiments, the method further comprises combining the component with
other components of the article to form the article.
In a seventh aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of
manufacturing an
amorphous solid material comprising: unwinding a ribbon of amorphous solid
material
from a bobbin and cutting the ribbon of amorphous solid material into a
plurality of
elongate strips.
In a seventh aspect of invention, there is provided an amorphous solid
material formed
by the process according to claim 41.
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Brief Description of the Drawings
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only,
with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional side view of a first embodiment of
a
.. consumable for use with a non-combustible aerosol provision device;
Figure 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional side view of a second embodiment of
a
delivery system;
Figure 3 shows a schematic side view of a non-combustible aerosol provision
device for
generating aerosol from the aerosol-generating material of consumables of
Figure 1 or
io Figure 2;
Figure 4 shows schematic perspective view of a ribbon of amorphous solid
material;
Figure 5 shows a schematic side view of a plurality of elongate strips formed
into a
rope;
Figure 6 shows a front perspective view of a first embodiment of a bobbin of a
plurality
is of elongate strips of amorphous solid;
Figure 7 shows a front perspective view of a second embodiment of a bobbin of
a
plurality of elongate strips of amorphous solid;
Figure 8 shows a schematic perspective view of a cutting device for cutting a
ribbon of
amorphous solid;
20 Figure 9 shows a schematic perspective view of a plurality of elongate
strips of
amorphous solid being fed into a consumable component manufacturing machine;
Figure lo shows a schematic view of a ribbon of second material aligned over a
sheet of
first material;
Figure ii shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating
component
25 portion formed from the material configuration shown in Figure 10;
Figure 12 shows a schematic view of a plurality of ribbons of second material
aligned
over a sheet of first material;
Figure 13 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating
component
portion formed from the material configuration shown in Figure 12;
30 .. Figure 14 shows a schematic of part of an apparatus for forming a
delivery system; and
Figure 15 shows a schematic of part of an apparatus for forming a delivery
system.
Detailed Description
The present invention relates to an article for consumable for use in a
delivery system.
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As used herein, the term "delivery system" is intended to encompass systems
that
deliver at least one substance to a user, and includes:
combustible aerosol provision systems, such as cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars,
and
tobacco for pipes or for roll-your-own or for make-your-own cigarettes
(whether based
.. on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco,
tobacco
substitutes or other smokeable material); and
non-combustible aerosol provision systems that release compounds from an
aerosol-generating material without combusting the aerosol-generating
material, such
as electronic cigarettes, tobacco heating products, and hybrid systems to
generate
/o aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials.
According to the present disclosure, a "combustible" aerosol provision system
is one
where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision
system (or
component thereof) is combusted or burned during use in order to facilitate
delivery of
/5 at least one substance to a user.
In some embodiments, the delivery system is a combustible aerosol provision
system,
such as a system selected from the group consisting of a cigarette, a
cigarillo, and a
cigar.
In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to a component for use in a
combustible
aerosol provision system, such as a filter, a filter rod, a filter segment, or
an aerosol-
modifying agent release component.
According to the present disclosure, a "non-combustible" aerosol provision
system is
one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision
system (or
component thereof) is not combusted or burned in order to facilitate delivery
of at least
one substance to a user.
In some embodiments, the delivery system is a non-combustible aerosol
provision
system, such as a powered non-combustible aerosol provision system.
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an
electronic
cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery
system (END),
.. although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-
generating material is
not a requirement.
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In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a hybrid
system to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating
materials, one or
a plurality of which may be heated. Each of the aerosol-generating materials
may be, for
example, in the form of a solid, liquid, or gel and may or may not contain
nicotine. In
some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosol-
generating
material and a solid aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating
material
may comprise, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.
/o Typically, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise a
non-
combustible aerosol provision device and a consumable for use with the non-
combustible aerosol provision device.
In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to consumables comprising aerosol-
/5 generating material and configured to be used with non-combustible
aerosol provision
devices. These consumables are sometimes referred to as articles throughout
the
disclosure.
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise
an
20 area for receiving the consumable, an aerosol generator, and aerosol
generation area, a
housing, a mouthpiece, a filter, and/or an aerosol-modifying agent.
In some embodiments, the consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol
provision device may comprise aerosol-generating material, an aerosol-
generating
25 material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer
component, an aerosol
generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a filter, a
mouthpiece,
and/or an aerosol-modifying agent.
In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered may be an aerosol-
generating
30 material or a material that is not intended to be aerosolised. As
appropriate, either
material may comprise one or more active constituents, one or more flavours,
one or
more aerosol-former materials, and/or one or more other functional materials.
In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises an active
substance.
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The active substance as used herein may be a physiologically active material,
which is a
material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. The active
substance
may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics, psychoactives.
The active
substance may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. The active
substance
may comprise for example nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as
B6 or
B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or constituents, derivatives, or
combinations
thereof. The active substance may comprise one or more constituents,
derivatives or
extracts of tobacco, cannabis or another botanical.
In some embodiments, the active substance comprises nicotine. In some
embodiments,
the active substance comprises caffeine, melatonin or vitamin B12.
As noted herein, the active substance may comprise or be derived from one or
more
botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof. As used herein,
the term
is "botanical" includes any material derived from plants including, but not
limited to,
extracts, leaves, bark, fibres, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen,
husk, shells or
the like. Alternatively, the material may comprise an active compound
naturally
existing in a botanical, obtained synthetically. The material may be in the
form of
liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles, granules, pellets,
shreds, strips,
sheets, or the like. Example botanicals are tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise,
hemp, cocoa,
cannabis, fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint, rooibos, chamomile, flax,
ginger,
ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, licorice (liquorice), matcha, mate,
orange skin,
papaya, rose, sage, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, clove,
cinnamon, coffee,
aniseed (anise), basil, bay leaves, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg,
oregano,
paprika, rosemary, saffron, lavender, lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower,
vanilla,
wintergreen, beefsteak plant, curcuma, turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro,
bergamot,
orange blossom, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram,
olive,
lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, geranium, mulberry,
ginseng,
theanine, theacrine, maca, ashwagandha, damiana, guarana, chlorophyll, baobab
or
any combination thereof. The mint may be chosen from the following mint
varieties:
Mentha Arventis, Mentha c.v.,Mentha niliaca, Mentha piperita, Mentha piperita
citrata
c.v.,Mentha piperita c.v, Mentha spicata crispa, Mentha cardifolia, Memtha
longifolia,
Mentha suaveolens variegata, Mentha pulegium, Mentha spicata c.v. and Mentha
suaveolens
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In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or is derived from one or
more
botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical
is tobacco.
In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or
more
botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical
is selected
from eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa and hemp.
In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or
more
botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical
is selected
io from rooibos and fennel.
In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises a flavour.
As used herein, the terms "flavour" and "flavourant" refer to materials which,
where
/5 local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste, aroma
or other
somatosensorial sensation in a product for adult consumers. They may include
naturally occurring flavour materials, botanicals, extracts of botanicals,
synthetically
obtained materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice
(liquorice), hydrangea, eugenol, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile,
20 fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed
(anise), cinnamon,
turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herb, wintergreen, cherry, berry, red
berry,
cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, clementine, lemon, lime, tropical
fruit, papaya,
rhubarb, grape, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus
fruits,
Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint,
25 lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood,
bergamot,
geranium, khat, naswar, betel, shisha, pine, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla,
lemon oil,
orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine,
ylang-
ylang, sage, fennel, wasabi, piment, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, a mint
oil from any
species of the genus Mentha, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass,
rooibos, flax,
30 ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, mate, orange skin, rose, tea
such as green tea or
black tea, thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaves, cumin, oregano,
paprika,
rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, beefsteak plant, curcuma, cilantro,
myrtle, cassis,
valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil,
chive,
carvi, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), flavour enhancers,
bitterness
35 receptor site blockers, sensorial receptor site activators or
stimulators, sugars and/or
sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame,
saccharine,
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cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and
other
additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath
freshening
agents. They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends
thereof. They
may be in any suitable form, for example, liquid such as an oil, solid such as
a powder,
or gas.
In some embodiments, the flavour comprises menthol, spearmint and/or
peppermint.
In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components of cucumber,
blueberry, citrus fruits and/or redberry. In some embodiments, the flavour
comprises
eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components
extracted
from tobacco. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components
extracted from cannabis.
In some embodiments, the flavour may comprise a sensate, which is intended to
/5 achieve a somatosensorial sensation which are usually chemically induced
and
perceived by the stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve), in
addition to
or in place of aroma or taste nerves, and these may include agents providing
heating,
cooling, tingling, numbing effect. A suitable heat effect agent may be, but is
not limited
to, vanillyl ethyl ether and a suitable cooling agent may be, but not limited
to
eucolyptol, WS-3.
Aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating
aerosol, for
example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. Aerosol-
generating
material may, for example, be in the form of a solid, liquid or gel which may
or may not
contain an active substance and/or flavourants. In some embodiments, the
aerosol-
generating material may comprise an "amorphous solid", which may alternatively
be
referred to as a "monolithic solid" (i.e. non-fibrous). In some embodiments,
the
amorphous solid may be a dried gel. The amorphous solid is a solid material
that may
retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it. In some embodiments, the aerosol-
generating material may for example comprise from about 50wt%, 6ow1% or 70wt%
of
amorphous solid, to about 90wt%, 95wt% or mowt% of amorphous solid.
In some embodiments, the amorphous solid comprises: 1-60 wt% of a gelling
agent;
0.1-50 wt% of an aerosol-former agent; and 0.1-80 wt% of a flavour; wherein
these
weights are calculated on a dry weight basis.
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In some further embodiments, the amorphous solid comprises: 1-50 wt% of a
gelling
agent; 0.1-50 wt% of an aerosol-former agent; and 30-60 wt% of a flavour;
wherein
these weights are calculated on a dry weight basis.
In some further embodiments, the amorphous solid comprises: aerosol-former
material
in an amount of from about 40 to 80 wt% of the amorphous solid; gelling agent
and
optional filler (i.e. in some examples filler is present in the amorphous
solid, in other
examples filler is not present in the amorphous solid), wherein the amount of
gelling
agent and filler taken together is from about 10 to 60 wt% of the amorphous
solid (i.e.
/o the gelling agent and filler taken together account for about 10 to 60
wt% of the
amorphous solid); and optionally, active substance and/or flavourant in an
amount of
up to about 20 wt% of the amorphous solid (i.e. the amorphous solid comprises
20
wt% active substance).
/5 The amorphous solid material may be formed from a dried gel. It has been
found that
using the component proportions discussed above means that as the gel sets,
flavour
compounds are stabilised within the gel matrix allowing a higher flavour
loading to be
achieved than in non-gel compositions. The flavour (e.g. menthol) is
stabilised at high
concentrations and the products have a good shelf life.
In some cases, the amorphous solid may have a thickness of about 0.015 mm to
about
1.5 mm. Suitably, the thickness may be in the range of about 0.0 5mm, 0.1 mm
or 0.15
mm to about 0.5 mm, 0.3 mm or 1 mm. The inventors have found that a material
having a thickness of 0.2111111 is particularly suitable in some embodiments.
The
amorphous solid may comprise more than one layer, and the thickness described
herein refers to the aggregate thickness of those layers.
If the amorphous solid is too thick, then heating efficiency is compromised.
This
adversely affects the power consumption in use. Conversely, if the amorphous
solid is
too thin, it is difficult to manufacture and handle; a very thin material is
harder to cast
and may be fragile, compromising aerosol formation in use.
Suitably, the amorphous solid may comprise from about 1 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15
wt%,
20 Wt%, 25 Wt%, 30 wt% or 35 wt% to about 60 wt%, 55 wt%, 50 wt%, 45 wt%, 40
wt%
or 35 wt% of a gelling agent (all calculated on a dry weight basis). For
example, the
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amorphous solid may comprise 1-60 wt%, 5-60 wt%, 20-60 wt%, 25-55 wt%, 30-50
wt%, 35-45 wt%, 5-45 wt%, 10-40 wt% or 20-35 wt% of a gelling agent.
The amorphous solid may comprise a gelling agent. The gelling agent may
comprise
one or more compounds selected from cellulosic gelling agents, non-cellulosic
gelling
agents, guar gum, acacia gum and mixtures thereof.
In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises a hydrocolloid. In some
embodiments, the gelling agent comprises one or more compounds selected from
the
io group comprising alginates, pectins, starches (and derivatives),
celluloses (and
derivatives), gums, silica or silicones compounds, clays, polyvinyl alcohol
and
combinations thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the gelling agent
comprises
one or more of alginates, pectins, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl
cellulose,
carboxymethylcellulose, pullulan, xanthan gum guar gum, carrageenan, agarose,
acacia
gum, fumed silica, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), sodium silicate, kaolin and
polyvinyl
alcohol. In some cases, the gelling agent comprises alginate and/or pectin,
and may be
combined with a setting agent (such as a calcium source) during formation of
the
amorphous solid. In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise a calcium-
crosslinked alginate and/or a calcium-crosslinked pectin.
The cellulosic gelling agent can be selected from the group consisting of:
hydroxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose,
carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), methyl
cellulose, ethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate (CA), cellulose acetate butyrate
(CAB),
cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) and combinations thereof.
In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises (or is) one or more of
hydroxyethyl
cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC),
carboxymethylcellulose, guar gum, or acacia gum.
In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises (or is) one or more non-
cellulosic
gelling agents, including, but not limited to, agar, xanthan gum, gum Arabic,
guar gum,
locust bean gum, pectin, carrageenan, starch, alginate, and combinations
thereof. In
preferred embodiments, the non-cellulose based gelling agent is alginate or
agar.
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In some embodiments, the amorphous solid comprises alginate and pectin, and
the
ratio of the alginate to the pectin is from 1:1 to 10:1. The ratio of the
alginate to the
pectin is typically >1:1, i.e. the alginate is present in an amount greater
than the amount
of pectin. In examples, the ratio of alginate to pectin is from about 2:1 to
8:1, or about
3:1 to 6:1, or is approximately 4:1.
In some embodiments, the amorphous solid comprises filler in an amount of from
1 to
30 wt% of the amorphous solid, such as 5 to 25 wt%, or 10 to 20 wt%. In
examples, the
amorphous solid comprises filler in an amount greater than 1 wt%, 5 wt%, or 8
wt% of
io the amorphous solid. In examples, the amorphous solid comprises filler
in an amount
less than 4 ovvt%, 30 wt%, 20 Wt%, 15 Wt%, 12VVt% 10VVt%, 5w1%, or ivvt% of
the
amorphous solid. In other examples, the amorphous solid does not comprise
filler.
In examples, the amorphous solid comprises gelling agent and filler, taken
together, in
/5 an amount of from about 10 wt%, 20 wt%, 25 wt%, 30 wt%, 35 wt%, 40 wt%,
45 wt%,
50 wt%, 55 wt% or from about 60 wt%. In examples, the amount of gelling agent
and
filler, taken together, is no more than 85 wt%, 80 wt%, 75 wt%, 70 wt%, 65
wt%, or no
more than 60 wt% of the amorphous solid. In examples, the amorphous solid
comprises gelling agent and filler, taken together, in an amount of from about
20 to 60
20 wt%, 25 to 55 wt%, 30 to 50 wt%, or 35 to 45 wt% of the amorphous solid.
The filler, if present, may comprise one or more inorganic filler materials,
such as
calcium carbonate, perlite, vermiculite, diatomaceous earth, colloidal silica,
magnesium
oxide, magnesium sulphate, magnesium carbonate, and suitable inorganic
sorbents,
25 such as molecular sieves. The filler may comprise one or more organic
filler materials
such as wood pulp, cellulose and cellulose derivatives. In particular cases,
the
amorphous solid comprises no calcium carbonate such as chalk.
In some examples which include filler, the filler may be fibrous. For example,
the filler
30 may be a fibrous organic filler material such as wood pulp, hemp fibre,
cellulose or
cellulose derivatives. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed
that
including fibrous filler in an amorphous solid may increase the tensile
strength of the
material.
35 In some examples, the amorphous solid does not comprise tobacco fibres.
In particular
examples, the amorphous solid does not comprise fibrous material.
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In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may comprise from about 0.1 wt%, 0.5
wt%, 1 wt%, 3 wt%, 5 wt%, 7 wt% or 10 wt% to about 80 wt%, 50 wt%, 45 wt%, 40
wt%,
35 wt%, 30 wt% or 2 5w1% of an aerosol former material (all calculated on a
dry weight
basis). For example, the amorphous solid may comprise 0.5-40 wt%, 3-35 wt% or
10-
25 wt% of an aerosol former material.
The aerosol former material may act as a plasticiser. If the content of the
plasticiser is
too high, the amorphous solid may absorb water resulting in a material that
does not
/o create an appropriate consumption experience in use. If the plasticiser
content is too
low, the amorphous solid may be brittle and easily broken.
In some embodiments, the aerosol former included in the amorphous solid
comprises
one or more polyhydric alcohols, such as propylene glycol, triethylene glycol,
1 ,3-
butanediol and glycerin; esters of polyhydric alcohols, such as glycerol mono-
, di- or
triacetate; and/or aliphatic esters of mono-, di- or polycarboxylic acids,
such as
dimethyl dodecanedioate and dimethyl tetradecanedioate.
In some cases, the aerosol former material comprises one or more compound
selected
from erythritol, propylene glycol, glycerol, triacetin, sorbitol and xylitol.
In some cases,
the aerosol former material comprises, consists essentially of or consists of
glycerol.
The amorphous solid material may comprise a combustion retarding salt. The
combustion retarding salt used herein is a chemical compound consisting of an
ionic
assembly of cations and anions. The salts used herein are those whose anion
and/or
whose cation may be effective in retarding combustion. In some embodiments,
the salt
is an inorganic salt.
In some embodiments, the salt is a halide salt, i.e. has a halide anion. In
some
embodiments, the salt is a chloride salt or a bromide salt. The presence of
high
concentrations of chloride or bromide has been shown to retard combustion.
In some embodiments, the salt may be an alkali metal salt, i.e. has an alkali
metal
cation. In some embodiments, the salt has an alkali earth metal cation. In
some
embodiments, the salt has a zinc cation or an iron cation, such as ferric or
ferrous
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cation. In some embodiments, the salt has an ammonium cation or phosphonium
cation.
In some embodiments, the salt mat be an alkali metal halide, such as sodium
chloride
or potassium chloride. The salt may be an alkali earth metal halide, such as
magnesium
chloride, calcium chloride. The salt may be another metal halide, such as zinc
chloride
or sodium bromide.
In some embodiments, the salt has a carboxylate anion. For example, the salt
may be an
io alkali metal carboxylate, such as potassium citrate, potassium
succinate, potassium
malate, potassium acetate, potassium tartrate, potassium oxalate, sodium
citrate,
sodium succinate, sodium acetate, or sodium malate.
In other embodiments, the salt has an anion selected from: borate, carbonate,
phosphate, sulphate, or sulphamate.
Factors that may influence the selection of salt will include, for example,
melting point,
which will preferably be at least 450 C. In some embodiments, the salt is
soluble in
water. In some embodiments, the salt is selected to provide a desired pH to
the material
it is added to. In some embodiments, the salt will not significantly change
the pH of the
material.
In some embodiments, the combustion retarding salt selected may have one or
more
advantageous properties, such as: inertness, solubility in a precursor liquid,
solubility,
or distribution in the amorphous solid material or precursor material to the
amorphous
solid material, density or other properties known in the art.
In some embodiments, the combustion retarding slat comprises, consists
essentially of,
or consists of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium bromide, and/or
potassium
bromide.
Depending on the combustion retarding or other physical properties desired,
the
components of the salt may be in free base form, salt form, or as a complex,
or as a
solvate. The combustion retarding salt may be of any density and any
crystalline
structure.
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In some embodiments, the combustion retarding salt is incorporated into or
added to
the amorphous solid material dissolved in a solvent or liquid carrier. In some
embodiments, the combustion retarding salt is suspended in a liquid carrier.
The
solvent or liquid carrier may be an aqueous or organic liquid, and may be
polar or non-
polar depending on it suitable application.
The liquid carrier or precursor solvent may be advantageously selected to be
readily
removed during the manufacture of the combustion retarding material to leave
the
combustion retarding slat in or on the amorphous solid material.
In some embodiments, the liquid carrier is a mixture of liquids, including
aqueous
liquid (water) and no-aqueous liquid (e.g. glycerol). Upon removal of the
water
following application of the salt, the glycerol will be retained in the
amorphous solid
material, where it offers flexibility and assists in aerosol formation upon
heating.
The amorphous solid may comprise a colourant. The addition of a colourant may
alter
the visual appearance of the amorphous solid. The presence of colourant in the
amorphous solid may enhance the visual appearance of the amorphous solid and
the
aerosol-generating material. By adding a colourant to the amorphous solid, the
amorphous solid may be colour-matched to other components of the aerosol-
generating material or to other components of an article comprising the
amorphous
solid.
A variety of colourants may be used depending on the desired colour of the
amorphous
solid. The colour of amorphous solid may be, for example, white, green, red,
purple,
blue, brown or black. Other colours are also envisaged. Natural or synthetic
colourants, such as natural or synthetic dyes, food-grade colourants and
pharmaceutical-grade colourants may be used. In certain embodiments, the
colourant
is caramel, which may confer the amorphous solid with a brown appearance. In
such
embodiments, the colour of the amorphous solid may be similar to the colour of
other
components (such as tobacco material) in an aerosol-generating material
comprising
the amorphous solid. In some embodiments, the addition of a colourant to the
amorphous solid renders it visually indistinguishable from other components in
the
aerosol-generating material.
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The colourant may be incorporated during the formation of the amorphous solid
(e.g.
when forming a slurry comprising the materials that form the amorphous solid)
or it
may be applied to the amorphous solid after its formation (e.g. by spraying it
onto the
amorphous solid).
The aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more active substances
and/or
flavours, one or more aerosol-former materials, and optionally one or more
other
functional material.
io The aerosol-generating material may comprise an acid. The acid may be an
organic
acid. In some of these embodiments, the acid may be at least one of a
monoprotic acid,
a diprotic acid and a triprotic acid. In some such embodiments, the acid may
contain at
least one carboxyl functional group. In some such embodiments, the acid may be
at
least one of an alpha-hydroxy acid, carboxylic acid, dicarboxylic acid,
tricarboxylic acid
/5 and keto acid. In some such embodiments, the acid may be an alpha-keto
acid.
In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least one of succinic acid,
lactic acid,
benzoic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, fumaric acid, levulinic acid, acetic
acid,
malic acid, formic acid, sorbic acid, benzoic acid, propanoic and pyruvic
acid.
Suitably the acid is lactic acid. In other embodiments, the acid is benzoic
acid. In other
embodiments the acid may be an inorganic acid. In some of these embodiments
the
acid may be a mineral acid. In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least
one of
sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, boric acid and phosphoric acid. In some
embodiments, the acid is levulinic acid.
The inclusion of an acid is particularly preferred in embodiments in which the
aerosol-
generating material comprises nicotine. In such embodiments, the presence of
an acid
may stabilise dissolved species in the slurry from which the aerosol-
generating material
is formed. The presence of the acid may reduce or substantially prevent
evaporation of
nicotine during drying of the slurry, thereby reducing loss of nicotine during
manufacturing.
In certain embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises a gelling
agent
comprising a cellulosic gelling agent and/or a non-cellulosic gelling agent,
an active
substance and an acid.
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In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises one or more
cannabinoid compounds selected from the group consisting of: cannabidiol
(CBD),
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), cannabidiolic
acid
(CBDA), cannabinol (CBN), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC),
cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabivarin (CBV), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV),
cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabichromevarin (CBCV), cannabigerovarin (CBGV),
cannabigerol monomethyl ether (CBGM) and cannabielsoin (CBE), cannabicitran
(CBT).
The aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more cannabinoid compounds
selected from the group consisting of cannabidiol (CBD) and THC
(tetrahydrocannabinol).
/5 .. The aerosol-generating material may comprise cannabidiol (CBD).
The aerosol-generating material may comprise nicotine and cannabidiol (CBD).
The aerosol-generating material may comprise nicotine, cannabidiol (CBD), and
THC
(tetrahydrocannabinol).
The aerosol-former material may comprise one or more constituents capable of
forming
an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol-former material may comprise one
or
more of glycerine, glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene
glycol,
tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl
vanillate,
ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetin
mixture, benzyl
benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid,
myristic acid, and
propylene carbonate. In some embodiments, the aerosol former comprises one or
more
polyhydric alcohols, such as propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1 ,3-
butanediol and
glycerin; esters of polyhydric alcohols, such as glycerol mono-, di- or
triacetate; and/or
aliphatic esters of mono-, di- or polycarboxylic acids, such as dimethyl
dodecanedioate
and dimethyl tetradecanedioate.
The one or more other functional materials may comprise one or more of pH
regulators, colouring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers,
and/or
antioxidants.
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As used herein, the term "tobacco material" refers to any material comprising
tobacco
or derivatives or substitutes thereof. The term "tobacco material" may include
one or
more of tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco
or
tobacco substitutes. The tobacco material may comprise one or more of ground
tobacco, tobacco fibre, cut tobacco, extruded tobacco, tobacco stem, tobacco
lamina,
reconstituted tobacco and/or tobacco extract.
The tobacco material may contain a filler component. The filler component is
generally
io a non-tobacco component, that is, a component that does not include
ingredients
originating from tobacco. The filler component may be a non-tobacco fibre such
as
wood fibre or pulp or wheat fibre. The filler component may also be an
inorganic
material such as chalk, perlite, vermiculite, diatomaceous earth, colloidal
silica,
magnesium oxide, magnesium sulphate, magnesium carbonate. The filler component
is may also be a non-tobacco cast material or a non-tobacco extruded
material. The filler
component may be present in an amount of 0 to 20% by weight of the tobacco
material,
or in an amount of from 1 to 10% by weight of the composition. In some
embodiments,
the filler component is absent.
20 The tobacco material may contain an aerosol-former material. In some
embodiments,
the aerosol-former material of the tobacco material may be glycerol, propylene
glycol,
or a mixture of glycerol and propylene glycol. Glycerol may be present in an
amount of
from 10 to 20 % by weight of the tobacco material, for example 13 to 16 % by
weight of
the composition, or about 14% or 15% by weight of the composition. Propylene
glycol, if
25 present, may be present in an amount of from 0.1 to 0.3% by weight of
the composition.
The aerosol-former material may be included in any component, for example any
tobacco component, of the tobacco material, and/or in the filler component, if
present.
Alternatively or additionally the aerosol-former material may be added to the
tobacco
30 material separately. In either case, the total amount of the aerosol-
former material in
the tobacco material can be as defined herein.
In one example, the aerosol-former material may comprise an amorphous solid
material comprising 40% menthol, 16% glycerol, 20% binder (alginate/pectin
mix), and
35 20% fibres (wood pulp).
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A consumable is an article comprising or consisting of aerosol-generating
material, part
or all of which is intended to be consumed during use by a user. A consumable
may
comprise one or more other components, such as an aerosol-generating material
storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol
generation
area, a housing, a wrapper, a mouthpiece, a filter and/or an aerosol-modifying
agent. A
consumable may also comprise an aerosol generator, such as a heater, that
emits heat
to cause the aerosol-generating material to generate aerosol in use. The
heater may, for
example, comprise combustible material, a material heatable by electrical
conduction,
or a susceptor. The consumable may be any shape or size that is appropriate to
the
io smoking device. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the
consumable is a rod
shape.
An aerosol-modifying agent is a substance, typically located downstream of the
aerosol
generation area, that is configured to modify the aerosol generated, for
example by
/5 changing the taste, flavour, acidity or another characteristic of the
aerosol. The aerosol-
modifying agent may be provided in an aerosol-modifying agent release
component,
that is operable to selectively release the aerosol-modifying agent
The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be an additive or a sorbent. The
20 aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, comprise one or more of a
flavourant, a
colourant, water, and a carbon adsorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for
example, be a solid, a liquid, or a gel. The aerosol-modifying agent may be in
powder,
thread or granule form. The aerosol-modifying agent may be free from
filtration
material.
Articles, for instance those in the shape of rods, are often named according
to the
product length: "regular" (typically in the range 68 ¨ 75 mm, e.g. from about
68 mm to
about 72 mm), "short" or "mini" (68 mm or less), "king-size" (typically in the
range 75 ¨
91 mm, e.g. from about 79 mm to about 88 mm), "long" or "super-king"
(typically in the
range 91 ¨ 105 mm, e.g. from about 94 mm to about 101 mm) and "ultra-long"
(typically in the range from about no mm to about 121 mm).
They are also named according to the product circumference: "regular" (about
23 ¨ 25
mm), "wide" (greater than 25 mm), "slim" (about 22 - 23 mm), "demi-slim"
(about 19
- 22 mm), "super-slim" (about 16 ¨ 19 mm), and "micro-slim" (less than about
16 mm).
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Accordingly, an article in a king-size, super-slim format will, for example,
have a length
of about 83 mm and a circumference of about 17 mm.
Each format may be produced with mouthpieces of different lengths. The
mouthpiece
length will be from about 30 mm to 50 mm. A tipping paper connects the
mouthpiece
to the aerosol generating material and will usually have a greater length than
the
mouthpiece, for example from 3 to 10 mm longer, such that the tipping paper
covers
the mouthpiece and overlaps the aerosol generating material, for instance in
the form
of a rod of substrate material, to connect the mouthpiece to the rod.
Articles and their aerosol generating materials and mouthpieces described
herein can
be made in, but are not limited to, any of the above formats.
The filamentary tow or filter material described herein can comprise cellulose
acetate
is fibre tow. The filamentary tow can also be formed using other materials
used to form
fibres, such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), polylactic acid (PLA),
polycaprolactone (PCL),
poly(1-4 butanediol succinate) (PBS), poly(butylene adipate-co-
terephthalate)(PBAT),
starch based materials, cotton, aliphatic polyester materials and
polysaccharide
polymers or a combination thereof. The filamentary tow may be plasticised with
a
suitable plasticiser for the tow, such as triacetin where the material is
cellulose acetate
tow, or the tow may be non-plasticised. The tow can have any suitable
specification,
such as fibres having a cross section which is 'Y' shaped, 'X' shaped or '0'
shaped. The
fibres of the tow may have filamentary denier values between 2.5 and 15 denier
per
filament, for example between 8.0 and 11.0 denier per filament and total
denier values
of 5,00o to 50,000, for example between 10,000 and 40,000. The cross section
of the
fibres may have an isoperimetric ratio L2/A of 25 or less, preferably 20 or
less, and
more preferably 15 or less, where L is the length of the perimeter of the
cross section
and A is the area of the cross section. Such fibres have a relatively low
surface area for
a given value of denier per filament, which improves delivery of aerosol to
the
consumer. Filter material described herein also includes cellulose-based
materials such
as paper. Such materials may have a relatively low density, such as between
about 0.1
and about 0.45 grams per cubic centimetre, to allow air and/or aerosol to pass
through
the material. Although described as filter materials, such materials may have
a primary
purpose, such as increasing the resistance to draw of a component, that is not
related to
filtration as such.
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Referring now to Figure 1, a schematic cross-sectional side view of a first
embodiment
of an article 1 for use with a non-combustible aerosol provision device is
shown. The
article 1 may be for use as or as part of an aerosol provision system. The
article may be a
tobacco heated product consumable. The article 1 comprises at least one
component 2,
3, 4. The at least one component can be a tobacco heated product consumable
component. Each component 2, 3, 4 has an upstream end 5 and a downstream end
6.
The upstream and downstream ends 5, 6 are longitudinally spaced apart. That
is, the
upstream and downstream ends 5, 6 are spaced apart in a direction along the
longitudinal axis of the component 2, 3, 4.
Referring to Figure 1, the present embodiment, the article 1 comprises three
components 2, 3, 4. The three components are a filter component 2, heat
displacement
collar component 3, for instance a hollow tubular element, and an aerosol
generating
portion component 4. However, it will be appreciated that the article 1 may
comprise
/5 any number of components, i.e. one or more.
In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, the filter component 2 is in the
form of a
cylindrical rod. However, it will be appreciated that in alternative
embodiments, the
filter component 2 may take another form, as mentioned above.
In the present embodiment, the filter component 2 is formed from a single
segment 21.
However, it will be understood that in an alternative embodiment, the filter
component
2 may comprise a plurality of segments 21. Each segment 21 may have a similar
form to
the segment 41 described herein. The filter component 2 comprises an upstream
end 22
and a downstream end 23. The upstream end 22 abuts the heat displacement
collar
component 3. The downstream end 23 forms the mouthpiece end of the filter
component 2 out of which aerosol exits the article 1 when a user draws on the
filter
component 2.
The filter component 2 comprises a filtration material such as, for example,
but not
limited to, cellulose acetate tow. Alternatively or in addition, the filter
component 2
can include or consist of any of the filter materials or filamentary tow
materials
described herein, such as paper filter material having a density of between
about 0.1
and about 0.45 grams per cubic centimetre. In the present embodiment, the
filter
component 2 further comprises a wrapper 24. The wrapper 24 circumscribes the
filter
component. In some embodiments the wrapper 24 may be omitted.
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In the present embodiment, the heat displacement collar component 3 is in the
form of
a cylindrical rod. However, it will be appreciated that in alternative
embodiments, the
heat displacement collar component 3 may take another form, as mentioned
above.
In the present embodiment, the heat displacement collar component 3 is formed
from a
single segment 31. However, it will be understood that in an alternative
embodiment,
the heat displacement collar component 3 may comprise a plurality of segments
31.
Each segment 31 may have a similar form to the segment described herein. The
heat
io displacement collar component 3 is configured to cool the aerosol formed
in the aerosol
generating portion component 4.
The heat displacement collar component 3 is located between the filter
component 2
and the aerosol generating portion component 4. The heat displacement collar
/5 component 3 comprises an upstream end 32 and a downstream end 33. The
upstream
end 32 abuts the filter component 2. The downstream end 33 abuts the aerosol
generating portion component 4.
The heat displacement collar component 3 comprises a chamber 34. The chamber
14
20 extends longitudinally between the upstream end 32 and the downstream
end 33 of the
heat displacement collar component 3. In the present embodiment, the chamber
34
extends from the upstream end 32 to the downstream end 33 such that the
upstream
and downstream ends 32, 33 of the heat displacement collar component 3 are
open-
ended. In the present embodiment, the chamber 34 is cylindrical. That is, the
shape of
25 the chamber 34 matches the shape of the heat displacement collar
component 3.
However, it will be understood that in an alternative embodiment, the cross-
sectional
shape of the chamber 34 may differ from the cross-sectional shape of the heat
displacement collar component 3 in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal
axis of
the component 3. The chamber 34 is defined by at least one wall 35 of the heat
30 displacement collar component 3.
The at least one wall 35 of the heat displacement collar component 3 may
comprise a
filtration material such as, for example, but not limited to, cellulose
acetate tow, or any
of the filter materials and filamentary tow materials described herein. In the
present
35 embodiment, the heat displacement collar component 3 may further
comprise a
wrapper 36. The wrapper 36 circumscribes the heat displacement component 3. In
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some embodiments the wrapper 36 may be omitted, especially in the embodiments
where the walls 35 of the heat displacement collar component 3 are formed from
an
impermeable material, such as a plastic material, for example, but not limited
to, a
polymer-based plastic material such as polyethylene..
In the present embodiment, the aerosol generating portion component 4 is in
the form
of a cylindrical rod. However, it will be understood that in alternative
embodiments, the
form of the aerosol generating component 4 may take any other form, as
mentioned
above.
In the present embodiment, the aerosol generating portion component 4 is
formed
from a single segment 41. However, it will be understood that in an
alternative
embodiment, the aerosol generating portion component 4 may comprise a
plurality of
segments. Each segment 41 may have a similar form to the segment described
herein.
/5 The aerosol generating portion component 4 is configured to generate an
aerosol
during use.
In the present embodiment, the aerosol generating portion component 4 is
located
upstream of the heat displacement collar component 3. The aerosol generating
portion
component 4 comprises an upstream end 41 and a downstream end 42. The
downstream end 42 of the aerosol generating portion component 4 abuts the
upstream
end 32 of the heat displacement collar component 3.
Although described above in rod form, it will be understood that the aerosol
generating
portion segment 4 can be provided in other forms, for instance a plug, pouch,
or packet
of material within an article.
In the present embodiment, the aerosol generating portion component 4 further
comprises a wrapper 44. The wrapper 44 circumscribes the aerosol generating
component 4. The article 1 may further comprise a tipping wrapper 45 which
connects
one or more of the components 2, 3, 4 together. In the present embodiment, the
wrapper circumscribes each of the filter component 2, the heat displacement
collar
component 3, and the aerosol generating portion component 4.
In Figure 1, the aerosol generating portion component 4 of the article 1
comprises a first
material 7 and a second material 8. In the present embodiment, the first
material 7 of
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the aerosol generating portion component 4 comprises an aerosol generating
material
as described herein. In the present embodiment, the first material 7 is a
tobacco
material 45 as described herein. In the present embodiment, the tobacco
material 45
comprises cut rag tobacco. The cut rag tobacco mat be cut rag reconstituted
tobacco.
Alternatively, the tobacco material 45 can be any of the materials discussed
herein. For
example, the first material may be an amorphous solid material, as described
herein. In
another example, the first material 7 may be a tobacco material 45 such as a
reconstituted tobacco material
In the present embodiment, the tobacco material 45 is arranged in the aerosol
generating portion component 4 in a chaotic fashion. That is, the tobacco
material 45 is
not arranged in any specific orientation within the aerosol generating portion
segment
4. Additionally or alternatively, the tobacco material 45 can be in the form
of discrete
portions each having a length of less than half the length of the aerosol
generating
/5 portion component 4. In alternative examples, the tobacco material 45 or
other first
material can be arranged in a non-chaotic, or ordered, fashion, such as a
plurality of
strips of first material extending longitudinally through the length of the
aerosol
generating portion component 4.
In Figure 1, the second material 8 comprises an amorphous solid material 9.
The
amorphous solid material 9 may comprise, essentially consist of, or consist of
any of the
materials or combination of material mentioned above.
As illustrated in Figure 1, the amorphous solid material 9 extends
substantially
longitudinally through the aerosol generating portion component 4 between the
upstream end 5 and the downstream end 6. That is, the amorphous solid material
9
extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis A of the aerosol
generating
portion component 4. The length of the amorphous solid material 9 is at least
about
70% of the length of the aerosol generating portion component 4 between the
upstream
and downstream ends 5, 42, 6, 43. In some embodiments, the length of the
amorphous
solid material 9 may be at least about 80% of the length of the aerosol
generating
portion component 4 between the upstream and downstream ends 5, 42, 6, 43, or
at
least about 90% of the length of the aerosol generating portion component 4.
In some
embodiments, the length of the amorphous solid material 9 may be in the range
of
about 8 mm to about 70 mm, for instance about 10 mm to about 48 mm, about 12 1-
11111
to about 42 mm, or about 12 Mal to about 20 MM.
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In some embodiments, the second material 8 may comprise more than one
amorphous
solid material 9. For example, the second material 8 may comprise a first
amorphous
solid material 9 comprising a first substance to be delivered and a second
amorphous
solid material 9 comprising a second substance to be delivered. In other
embodiments,
the difference between the first and second amorphous solid materials 9 may be
the
amount of a substance to be delivered they comprise, i.e. the first and second
amorphous solid materials 9 may comprise the same substance to be delivered
but the
first amorphous solid material 9 may comprises more, or less, of the first
substance to
io be delivered than the second amorphous solid material 9. As will be
explained in more
detail hereinafter, the first and second amorphous solid materials 9 may also
be
provided in different forms in the component 4.
In the present embodiment, the second material 8 comprises a plurality of
elongate
/5 strips 10 of amorphous solid material 9. That is, the amorphous solid
material 9 is cut
into a plurality of elongate strips 10 and added to the first material 7 of
the component
4. Preferably, the plurality of elongate strips 10 of amorphous solid material
9 extend
substantially parallel to each other. In addition, the plurality of elongate
strips 10 of
amorphous solid material 9 may extend substantially parallel to the
longitudinal axis of
20 the aerosol generating portion component 4. The parallel and
longitudinal arrangement
of the amorphous solid material 8 may aid in orientating the first material 7
and/or
help to provide a flow path from the upstream end 5, 42 of the aerosol
generating
portion component 4 to the downstream end 6, 43 which allows for a greater
pressure
drop through the aerosol generating portion component 4. The pressure drop
across
25 the aerosol generating portion component 4 when closed, i.e. no
ventilation, may be
between about 50 mmWG and about 200 mmWG. The pressure drop across the aerosol
generation portion component 4 when open, i.e. ventilation, may be between
about 20
mmWG and about wo mmWG.
30 The plurality of elongate strips 10 may comprise between 2 and 50
strips. Preferably,
the plurality of elongate strips 10 may comprise between 5 and 25 strips. More
preferably, the plurality of elongate strips 10 may comprise between 7 and 21
strips.
Each of the plurality of elongate strips 10 may have a width between about 0.1
mm to
about 80 mm, preferably between about 0.5 mm to about 10 mm. More preferably,
35 each of the plurality of elongate strips 10 may have a width of between
about 0.75 mm
and 5 mm. Even more preferably, each of the plurality of elongate strips 10
may have a
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width of between about 1 mm and 3 mm. Even more preferably, each of the
plurality of
elongate strips 10 may have a width of about 2 mm and 3mm, specifically 2.25
mm.
In some embodiments, each of the plurality of elongate strips 10 may have the
same
width. However, it will be appreciated that in alternative embodiments, at
least one
elongate strip 10 of the plurality of elongate strips 10 may have a width that
is different
to at least one of the other elongate strips 10.
It will be appreciated that the width of each of the plurality of elongate
strips lo will
io have an impact on the pressure drop experiences across the component 2,
3, 4, in which
the plurality of elongate strips lo are incorporated. For example, the larger
the width of
each of the plurality of elongate strips, the smaller the pressure drop.
Conversely, the
smaller the width, i.e. thinner, of each of the plurality of elongate strips
10, the larger
the pressure drop.
In some embodiments, the aspect ratio of the amorphous solid material 9 may be
in the
range of about 2.5 to about wo. The aspect ratio is the ratio of the length of
the
amorphous solid material to the width of the amorphous solid material.
In the present embodiment, the second material 8 comprises at least one strip
lo
having an upstream end n and a downstream end 12. The upstream end ii of the
at
least one strip lo of the second material 8 is located within 5mm of the
upstream end 5
of the component 4. The downstream end 12 of the at least one strip lo of the
second
material 8 is located within 5mm of the downstream end 6 of the component 4.
In
alternative embodiments, the upstream end ii of the at least one strip lo of
the second
material 8 can be located within about 3mm of the upstream end 5 of the
component 4
and/or the downstream end 12 of the at least one strip 10 of the second
material 8 can
be located within about 3mm of the downstream end 6 of the component 4.
In some embodiments, the upstream end ii of the at least one strip lo of the
second
material 8 is located inside the aerosol generating portion component 4. That
is, the
upstream end ii of the at least one strip 10 of the second material 8 is
longitudinally
spaced from the upstream end 5, 42 of the aerosol generating portion component
4.
Preferably, the upstream end ii of the at least one strip lo of the second
material 8 is
obscured from view by the first material 7. In some embodiments, the
downstream end
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12 of the at least one strip 10 of the second material 8 is located inside the
component
4. That is, the downstream end 12 of the at least one strip 10 of the second
material 8 is
longitudinally spaced from the downstream end 6 of the component 4.
Preferably, the
downstream end 13 of the at least one strip 10 of the second material 8 is
obscured from
.. view by the first material 7. By obscuring the ends 11, 12 of the second
material 8 from
view at the end of the aerosol generating portion component 4, a negative user
perception of strips of the second material 8 in the aerosol generating
portion
component 4.
io The second material 8 may comprise a sheet material. That is, the
amorphous solid
material 9 or plurality of elongate strips 10 of amorphous solid material 9,
may
comprise a sheet material. Preferably, the tensile strength of the second
material in the
longitudinal direction is greater than about 2 N/15 mm, for instance greater
than about
3 N/15mm or greater than about 4 N/15mm. Preferably, the tensile strength of
the
is .. second material in the longitudinal direction is in the range of about 2
N/15 mm to
about 300 N/15mm. More preferably, the tensile strength of the second material
8 in
the longitudinal direction is in the range of about 120 N/15MM to about 250
N/15mm,
for instance about 170 N/15mm to about 200 N/15mm.
20 The amorphous solid material 9 may comprise a substance to be delivered.
The
substance to be delivered may be any one of the substances mentioned above.
The
substance to be delivered may be menthol. The amorphous solid material 9 in
the
aerosol generating portion component 4 may comprise in the range of about 2mg
to
about 20 mg of menthol. Preferably, the amorphous solid material 9 comprises
about
25 .. 15g of menthol.
In some embodiments, the amorphous solid material 9 may comprise in the range
of
0.25 mg of menthol per 50 mm2 and about 1 mg of menthol per 50 mm2.
30 The second material 8 may at least partially surround the first material
7. That is, in
some embodiments, the amorphous solid material 8 may at least partially
surround the
first material 7. In some embodiments, the solid material 8 may surround the
first
material 7. In the present embodiments, the plurality of elongate strips 10 of
amorphous solid material 9 at least partially surround the first material 7.
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In some embodiments, the at least one strip lo of second material 8 may be
coloured.
The at least one strip lo may be coloured such that it stands out against the
colour of
the first material 7. Thus, the coloured at least one strip lo signifies to
the consumer
that the article 1 comprises an amorphous solid material 9. The colour of the
at least
one strip lo of amorphous solid material 9 may indicate or identify the
substance to be
delivered by the at least one strip lo of amorphous solid material 9. In such
an
embodiment, an end ii of the at least one strip lo of amorphous solid material
9 may
be visible to a consumer before use.
io As shown in Figure 1, at least one elongate strip lo of amorphous solid
material 9 is
located on the outer surface of the first material 7. The at least one
elongate strip io
located on the outer surface of the first material 7 has a width which
partially surrounds
the first material. Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of the article 1 and
therefore
only shows two elongate strips lo of amorphous solid material 9 partially
surrounding
/5 the first material 7. However, it will be appreciated that more than two
elongate strips
lo may partially surround the first material 7. Furthermore, in some
embodiments, the
plurality of elongate strips lo of amorphous solid material 9 may be
distributed such
that they at least partially surround the first material 7 but have gaps
between adjacent
elongate strips 10.
In some embodiments, the second material 8 may disposed within the first
material 7,
as illustrated in Figure 1. That is, the amorphous solid material 9 may be
disposed in
the first material 7 such that it extends through the first material 7 and is
at least
partially surrounded by the first material 7. As shown in Fig. 1, the
plurality of elongate
strips lo of amorphous solid material 9 may be disposed in the first material
7 such that
the elongate strips lo extend through the first material 7 and are at least
partially
surrounded by the first material 7. This may aid the delivery of the substance
to be
delivered to a user.
.. As described above it will be understood that more than one amorphous solid
material
9 may be provided in the component 4. For example, a first amorphous solid
material 9
may at least partially surround the first material 7 and a second amorphous
material 9
may be disposed within the first material 7. In another example, each
amorphous solid
material may at least partially surround the first material 7 and/or be
disposed within
the first material 7. It will be understood that the amorphous solid materials
9 may be
provided in different forms. For example, one amorphous solid material 9 may
be
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provided as a ribbon of non-strip cut material and another amorphous solid
material 9
may be provided as a plurality of elongate strips 10, i.e. a strip cut ribbon.
The aerosol generating portion component 4 described above forms the aerosol
generating portion of an article for a non-combustible aerosol delivery
system.
Referring now Figure 2, an alternative embodiment of an article 50 according
to the
present invention is shown. The article 50 show in Figure 2 is generally the
same as the
first embodiment of the article 1 described above in relation to Figure 1 and
so a
io detailed description will be omitted herein. Furthermore, features and
components of
the alternative article 50 that are the same as the features and components of
the above
described article 1 will retain the same terminology and reference numerals.
However, the second embodiment of the article 50 differs from the first
embodiment of
is the article 1 in that the heat displacement collar 3 is omitted and that
the component
that comprises the amorphous solid material 9 is the filter component 2.
Furthermore, in the second embodiment of the article 50, the first material 7
of the
filter component 2 comprises a filtration material. The filtration material
may
20 comprise, for example, but not limited to, cellulose acetate tow or any
of the filter
material or filamentary tow materials described herein, such as cellulose
based
material, for instance paper filter material, with a density between about 0.1
and about
0.45 grams per cubic centimetre.
25 The filter component 2 described above may form the filter component 2
of an article
for a non-combustible aerosol delivery system or a combustible delivery
system.
It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the component comprising the
amorphous solid material 9 maybe the heat displacement collar component 3.
Referring to Figure 3, a schematic side view of a non-combustible aerosol
provision
device 100 for generating aerosol from the aerosol generating portion
component 4 of
an article 1 of Figure 1 is shown. The non-combustible aerosol provision
device 100
generates aerosol from an aerosol generating medium/material such as the
aerosol
material of a consumable no, as described above. In broad outline, the device
100 may
be used to heat a replaceable article 110 comprising the aerosol generating
medium or
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filter segment, for instance an article 1, 50 as illustrated in Figure 1 or
Figure 2 or
described elsewhere herein, to generate an aerosol or other inhalable medium
which is
inhaled by a user of the device loo. The device loo and replaceable article no
together
form a system.
The device loo comprises a housing 102 (in the form of an outer cover) which
surrounds and houses various components of the device loft The device wo has
an
opening 104 in one end, through which the article no may be inserted for
heating by a
heating assembly. In use, the article no may be fully or partially inserted
into the
io heating assembly where it may be heated by one or more components of the
heater
assembly.
The device loo may also include a user operable element 112, such as a button
or
switch, which operates the device loo when pressured. For example, a user may
turn on
is the device loo by operating the switch 112.
The device loo may also comprises an electrical component, such as a
socket/port 114,
which can receive a cable to charge a battery of the device loft For example,
the socket
114 may be a charging port, such as a USB charging port.
Referring briefly to Figure 4, an amorphous solid material 9 is shown. The
amorphous
solid material 9 is in the form of a ribbon 120. The ribbon 120 of amorphous
solid
material 8 is wound into a reel 121 which may be located on a bobbin (not
shown) for
being fed into an assembly apparatus (not shown), as will be described in more
detail
hereinafter. The ribbon 120 of amorphous solid material 9 is a mass of
amorphous solid
material 8 that has not been cut into a plurality of elongate strips.
Referring briefly now to Figure 5, an amorphous solid material 9 is shown
which has
been cut into a plurality of elongate strips 10. The amorphous solid material
9 may be
cut into a plurality of elongate strips 10 by a cutting device (not shown), as
will be
described in more detail hereinafter. As illustrated in Figure 5, the
plurality of elongate
strips 10 of amorphous solid material 8 are twisted into a rope 130. The rope
130 of
elongate strips 10 of amorphous solid material 9 may have a greater tensile
strength
than an untwisted plurality of elongate strips 10 or a ribbon 120 of amorphous
solid
material 9, which may aid in the manufacturing process. The rope 130 of
amorphous
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solid material 9 may be wound onto a bobbin (not shown) and fed directly from
the
bobbin into the assembly apparatus (not shown).
Referring to Figures 1 to 5, and the above description, it will be understood
that the
amorphous solid material 9 may be provided in the component 2, 3, 4 in any of
the
above mentioned forms, i.e. a ribbon, a plurality of elongate strips, or a
rope of twisted
elongate strips. Where more than one amorphous solid material 9 is present, it
will be
understood that the amorphous solid materials 9 may be present in more than
one
form.
Referring briefly to Figure 6, a plurality of elongate strips 10 of amorphous
solid
material 9 are shown wound onto a bobbin 140. The plurality of elongate strips
10 are
wound randomly onto the bobbin 140 after a ribbon has been strip-cut, i.e. cut
into
elongate strips. The plurality of elongate strips 10 of amorphous solid
material 9 may be
is unwound from the bobbin 140 and fed directly into an assembly apparatus
(not shown)
during manufacture of a component.
Referring now to Figure 7, a bobbin 150 is shown with a plurality of elongate
strips 10
of amorphous solid material 9 wound onto the bobbin 150. In the present
embodiment,
the plurality of elongate strips 10 of amorphous solid material 9 are wound
spirally
onto the bobbin i5o. That is, the plurality of elongate strips 10 of amorphous
solid
material 9 are wound around the bobbin 150 at an angle to the plane extending
perpendicularly to the rotational axis of the bobbin i5o. The plurality of
elongate strips
10 of amorphous material 9 are wound from one end of the bobbin to the other
end to
form a layer 151 of elongate strips 10 on the bobbin 150.
In between each layer 151 of elongate strips 10 of amorphous solid material 9
is a sheet
152. The sheet 152 is configured to prevent elongate strips 10 of amorphous
solid
material 9 in one layer 151 sticking to elongate strips 10 of amorphous solid
material 9
in an adjacent layer. The sheet 152 is sacrificial. That is, the sheet 152 is
removed from
the amorphous solid material 9 during the manufacturing process. The sheet 152
may
be formed from, for example, but not limited to, paper.
Referring now to Figure 8, an exemplary cutting device 160 configured to cut a
ribbon
161 of amorphous solid material 9 into a plurality of elongate strips 10 of
amorphous
solid material 9 is shown. The cutting device 160 comprises at least one
rotary cutting
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knife 162 connected to a rotatable shaft 163. In the present embodiment, the
shaft 163
extends substantially horizontally from a frame 164 of the cutting device 160
and the at
least one rotary knife extends substantially vertically from the shaft 163.
Preferably, the
cutting device 160 comprises a plurality of cutting knives 162. The plurality
of cutting
knives 162 cut the ribbon 161 of amorphous solid material 9 into a plurality
of elongate
strips lo of amorphous solid material 9.
The plurality of cutting knives 162 are spaced apart in a direction parallel
to the
longitudinal axis of the shaft 163. The plurality of cutting knives 163 are
spaced apart by
/o a distance equal to the desired width of the elongate strips 10.
Preferably, the cutting
knives 162 are spaced apart equally so that the width of the plurality of
elongate strips
lo are equal in order to provide a more consistent delivery of the substance
to be
delivered.
/5 The cutting device 160 further comprises a supporting member 165
configured to
support the weight of the amorphous solid material 8 as it is cut by the
rotary knives
162. The supporting member 165 may be a plate extending generally horizontally
from
the frame 164. The supporting member 165 may be slightly curved to maintain
the
amorphous solid material 9 under tension during the cutting process.
The support member 165 is located above the rotary shaft 163. The support
member
165 comprises at least one aperture or slit 166 configured to allow the at
least one rotary
knife 162 to extend through the support member 165. The support member 165 may
comprise one slit 166 per knife 162.
In some embodiments, the cutting device 160 may comprise additional rollers
167, 168.
The additional rollers 167, 168 may transport the amorphous solid material 9
through
the cutting device 160. The additional rollers 167, 168 may also keep the
amorphous
solid material 9 under tension as it passes through the cutting device 160.
The cutting
device 160 may comprise one roller 167 upstream of the cutting knives 162 and
one
roller 168 downstream of the knives 162.
The cutting device 160 may comprise a spreading mechanism. The spreading
mechanism is configured to spread the plurality of elongate strips 10 of
amorphous
solid material 9. The spreading mechanism spreads the plurality of elongate
strips lo
before the plurality of elongate strips 10 are incorporated into the first
material 7 of the
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article 1, 50. Advantageously, this reduces bunching of the plurality of
elongate strips.
That is, the spreading mechanism reduces the special concentration or grouping
of the
elongate strips 10 in the first material 7 and helps to keep them spaced apart
in the first
material 7.
In one example, the spreading mechanism may comprise a roller having a curved
surface. That is, a roller may have a curved surface in the form of a concave
curve across
its length. For example, the surface at the midpoint of the length of the
roller may have
a smaller radius than the surface at the ends of the length of the roller. The
roller which
io forms the spreading mechanism may be a roller 168 downstream of the
rotary cutting
knife 162 in the cutting device 160.
In another embodiment, a roller which forms the spreading mechanism may be
provided just upstream of an apparatus for assembling a component of the
article 1, 50.
/5 This has the advantage of reducing the amount of time available for the
plurality of
strips 10 to bunch or entangle before entering the apparatus. In some
embodiments,
the spreading mechanism may be formed by a device other than a concave roller.
In some embodiments, the cutting device 160 may be provided as a distinct
apparatus.
20 The cutting device 160 may be used to cut a ribbon 161 of amorphous
sheet material 9
into a plurality of elongate strips 10 of amorphous solid material 9 which is
then wound
onto a bobbin, as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7. Alternatively, the cutting
device 160
may be used to cut a ribbon 161 of amorphous sheet material 9 into a plurality
of
elongate strips 10 of amorphous solid material 9 online. That is, the
plurality of
25 elongate strips 10 of amorphous solid material 9 leaving the cutting
device 160 may be
transported directly into the component assembly apparatus (not shown).
In some embodiments, the cutting device 160 may be provided as a module that
is
configured to be attached to an existing component assembly apparatus (not
shown). It
30 will be understood that the cutting device 160 shown in Figure 8 is only
exemplary and
that other cutting devices may be used to cut a ribbon of amorphous solid
material into
a plurality of elongate strips.
In one embodiment, a ribbon 161 of amorphous solid material 9 may have a width
of 18
35 mm. The ribbon 120 is wound on a reel and/or bobbin. The ribbon 120 is
then
positioned to be fed into a cutting device 160, as shown in Fig. 8. In such an
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embodiment, the cutting device 160 may comprise seven cutting knives 162. The
seven
cutting knives 162 are configured to cut the ribbon 161 into eight elongate
strips 10. The
seven cutting knives 162 are evenly spaced such that the ribbon 161 is cut
into eight
elongate strips 10 having a width of about 2.25 mm each.
In embodiments where the first material 7 is a reconstituted tobacco material,
the
reconstituted tobacco material may be drawn through the cutting device 160
together
with the ribbon 161 of amorphous solid material 8. Thus, both the first and
second
materials, 7, 8 could be cut into a plurality of elongate strips at the same
time.
In some embodiments, the width of the reconstituted tobacco material sheet may
be the
same as the width of the ribbon 161 of amorphous solid material 9. In other
embodiments, the width of the reconstituted tobacco material sheet may be
wider than
the width of the ribbon 161 of amorphous solid material 9. In such
embodiments, some
is cutting knives 162 may cut both the reconstituted tobacco material sheet
and the
amorphous solid material 9, and some cutting knives may only cut the
reconstituted
tobacco material sheet.
Referring now to Figure 9, a perspective side view of a part of an assembly
apparatus
170 for manufacturing components for an article as described above. The
assembly
apparatus 170 comprises a first material transporter 171. In the present
embodiment,
the first material transporter 171 is a cut rag tobacco transporter, although
it will be
appreciated that in an alternative embodiment, the first material transporter
171 may
be a recon tobacco transporter which may transport reconstituted tobacco in
the form
of sheets or strips. The first material transporter 171 may comprise a
conveyor belt. The
first material transporter 171 may feed the first material 7 towards a
garniture 172 of the
apparatus 170. The assembly apparatus 170 further comprises a wrapping
material feed
173 comprising rollers 174 which feed wrapping material 175 into the garniture
172. The
apparatus 170 further comprises a second material transporter 176 configured
to feed
the second material into the garniture 172. The apparatus 170 may comprise the
cutting
device 160 or bobbins 140, 150 described above.
A method of manufacturing an article 1, 50 described above comprises the steps
of
preparing a first material for formation into a component 2, 3, 4 of an
article 1, 50. For
example, the first material 7 may be a tobacco material which may be prepared
by the
usual steps of drying and cutting, etc. The method further comprises the step
of
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transporting the first material 7 continuously through an assembly apparatus
170. For
example, the first material 7 may be transported towards a garniture along a
conveyor
belt. The method further comprises the step of adding at least one continuous
amorphous solid material 9 to the first material 7.
By adding the amorphous solid material 9 to the first material 7 just before
the
component is formed, the known steps of shredding the amorphous solid material
9
and adding it to a blending cylinder with the first material 7 can be avoided.
Avoiding
the shredding and blending steps for an amorphous solid material 9 is
advantageous for
io several reasons. Firstly, less of the volatile substances to be
delivered contained in the
amorphous solid material are lost because the amorphous solid material is
subject to
less kinetic excitation. Secondly, by controlling the delivery of the
amorphous solid
material 9 to the first material 7, a more homogeneous component 2, 3, 4 can
be
produced. The method allows for the variation in the substance to be delivered
between
individual components 2, 3, 4 to be less than 5%, and in some case less than
3%. In
addition, there is less chance of the amorphous solid degrading than in a
blending
cylinder. Finally, safety concerns regarding combustion of released substances
to be
delivered in the blending cylinder are avoided.
The disclosed method of forming a component comprising amorphous solid
material 9
enables a manufacturer to produce an end product with a higher content of the
substance to be delivered. For example, it has been proven that such a method
enables
a component to be produced comprising three times more of the substance to be
delivered, menthol, with the same amount of amorphous solid material 9, than
with the
known method. Advantageously, this means that either products with higher
content of
the substance to be delivered can be produced, or the amount of substance to
be
delivered that is required to produce a product with a given content is
reduced due to
the reduced losses of the substance to be delivered during the manufacturing
process
which can reduce manufacturing costs.
In one method, a single amorphous solid material 9 is to be added to the first
material
7. Such a method comprises the step of unwinding a ribbon 120 of amorphous
solid
material 9 from a bobbin and transporting the ribbon 120 directly into the
assembly
apparatus.
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In one method, a plurality of elongate strips lo of amorphous solid material 9
are to be
added to the first material 7. One such method comprises the step of unwinding
a
ribbon 120 of amorphous solid material 9 from a bobbin and cutting the ribbon
120 of
amorphous solid 9 into a plurality of elongate strips 10. The cutting step may
be
performed by a cutting device 160 as described above.
The method of forming an article comprising a plurality of elongate strips lo
of
amorphous solid material 9 may further comprise the step of feeding the
plurality of
elongate strips lo of amorphous solid material 9 directly from the cutting
device 160
io into the assembly apparatus 170. In one method, the plurality of
elongate strips lo of
amorphous solid material 9 is fed from the cutting device 160 directly into
the assembly
component 170 immediately before a component forming device, such as a
garniture.
Such a method is known as online cutting.
/5 The method of forming an article comprising amorphous solid material 9,
in ribbon 120
or elongate strip lo form, may further comprise the steps of transporting the
first
material 7 and the amorphous solid material 9 through the component forming
device,
forming an endless component, wrapping the endless component in a wrapper, and
cutting the endless component into discrete components.
The step of cutting the endless component releases tension in the amorphous
solid
material 9 such that the amorphous solid material 9 reduces in length into the
ends of
the component such that the ends of the amorphous solid material is obscured
from
view.
Where the first material 7 is cut-rag tobacco, it is envisaged that the
plurality of
elongate strips lo of amorphous solid material 9 may be incorporated into a
component
in one of at least two ways.
In the first method, the tobacco is 'air-lifted' onto the conveyor belt 171
and fed into the
garniture section 172 where the wrapping material 175 is applied. The
plurality of
elongate strips 10 are fed into the tobacco rod forming section of a component
maker.
That is, the plurality of elongate strips lo are fed into a part of the maker
which gathers
and forms the tobacco rod. Therefore, the plurality of elongate strips lo are
fed in
alongside the tobacco material. The position at which each of the plurality of
elongate
strips 10 meet the tobacco material on the conveyor belt 171 will determine
the location
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that each of the plurality of elongate strips 10 are likely to be in in the
final rod
component.
In the second method, the plurality of elongate strips lo are fed alongside
the wrapping
material 175 as the wrapping material 175 is fed into the garniture 172.
Therefore, the
plurality of elongate strips 10 are incorporated into the final component
adjacent to the
wrapping material 175. In some embodiments, this method may result in the
plurality
of elongate strips 10 being located substantially circumferentially in the
final
component.
Alternatively, where the first material 7 comprises a plurality of elongate
strips of
tobacco material or filter material, the plurality of elongate strips 10 of
amorphous solid
material 9 may be added to the first material 7 in the same way that a thread
would be
added to the first material, i.e. streamed into the filter material or tobacco
strips and
is positioned within the flow of filter material or tobacco strips.
As previously mentioned, in some embodiments, the first material 7 and the
second
material 8 are fed from separate bobbins and aligned and combined upstream of
the
cutting device 160 before simultaneously being cut into a plurality of strips.
It has been
found that the positioning of the ribbon 120 on the first material 7 can
influence the
positioning of the plurality of strips of second material 8 in the final
aerosol generating
component portion 4.
For example, referring to Figures lo to 11, it can be seen that the placement
of the
ribbon 120 of second material 8 centrally on the sheet of first material 7
causes the
plurality of strips of second material 8 to cluster together in one position.
This cluster
of the plurality of strips of second material 8 is generally positioned at a
random
distance from the centre of the aerosol generating component portion 4.
In another example, referring to Figures 12 to 13, it can be seen that the
placement of
the ribbon 120 of second material 8 in two sections that are separated by a
gap on the
sheet of first material causes the plurality of strips of second material 8 to
cluster
together in two distinct groups. These clusters of the plurality of strips of
second
material 8 are generally positioned at a random distance from the centre of
the aerosol
generating component portion 4 and at random angular positions relative to
each
other.
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Therefore, by spreading out the second material 8 into a plurality of smaller
ribbons
120 on the sheet of first material 7, the cut plurality of strips of second
material 8 are
more evenly spaced from each other on the sheet of first material 7 and a more
uniform
.. distribution of the plurality of strips of second material 8 in the first
material 7 can be
achieved in the final aerosol generating component portion 4, when the portion
4 is
formed using the method of simultaneously strip cutting the first and second
materials
7, 8. In some embodiments, the plurality of ribbons 120 of second material 8
may be
fed from a plurality of bobbins. Alternatively, a single ribbon may be cut
into smaller
/o ribbons which are positioned relative to the sheet of first material 7
before being fed
into the strip cutter 160.
The placement of the second material 8 relative to the first material 7 may be
determined using an apparatus 200 similar to the one shown in Figure 14. The
/5 apparatus 200 comprises a first bobbin 201 around which the first
material 7 is
wrapped and a second bobbin 202 around which the second material 8 is wrapped.
The
apparatus 200 is configured to perform simultaneous cutting of the first and
second
materials 7, 8 using a cutting device 160 similar to that already described.
20 In this embodiment, the second bobbin 202 may have at least one degree
of freedom,
indicated by the arrows in Figure 14. That is, the second bobbin 202 may be
able to
move parallel to the rotational axis of the bobbin 202 in order to change the
position of
the second material 8 relative to the first material 7.
25 The apparatus may further comprise at least one rotatable guide drum 203
provided
between the second bobbin 202 and the cutting device 160. The at least one
guide drum
203 may determine the material path of the second material 8 between the
second
bobbin 202 and the cutting device 160. The at least one guide drum 203 may
have at
least one degree of freedom. That is, the at least one guide drum 203 may be
able to
30 move parallel to the rotational axis of the guide drum 203 in order to
change the
position of the second material 8 relative to the first material 7. By moving
the second
bobbin 202 and the guide drums 203, the position of the strips of second
material 8 in
the final rod can be varied.
35 When two second bobbins 202 are used with their own respective guide
drums 203, the
two ribbons 120 of second material 8 can be moved relative to the first
material 7 and
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each other. Thus, a gap may be present between the two ribbons of second
material 8
when they are aligned with the first material 7.
In an alternative embodiment, shown in Figure 15, the first and second
materials 7, 8
may be configured to be cut separately. In such an arrangement, the apparatus
300
may have a first cutting device 301 configured to cut the first material 7 and
a second
cutting device 302 to cut the second material. Furthermore, the at least one
guiding
drum 203 may be located after the second cutting device 302 and before the
gatherer.
/o In this embodiment, the second bobbin 202 may have at least one degree
of freedom.
That is, the second bobbin 202 may be able to move parallel to the rotational
axis of the
bobbin 202 in order to change the position of the second material 8 relative
to the first
material 7. In addition, in this embodiment, the second cutting device 302 may
have at
least one degree of freedom. That is, the cutting disks of the second cutting
device 302
/5 may be able to move parallel to the rotational axis of the second
cutting device 302 in
order to change the width of the individual strips of second material 8.
Furthermore, the at least one guide drum 203 may have at least one degree of
freedom.
In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 15, a first guide drum 304 may be able
to move
20 parallel to the rotational axis of the guide drum 304 in order to change
the position of
the strips of the second material 8 relative to the first material 7. In
addition, a second
guide drum 305 has at least two degrees of freedom. That is, the second guide
drum
305 may be able to move parallel to the rotational axis of the guide drum 305
in order
to change the position of the strips of the second material 8 relative to the
first material
25 7, and in the other direction perpendicular to the width of the first
material 7, i.e.
towards and away from the first material 7, to effect the final position in
the radial
direction within the rod. Thus, a gap may be present between the two adjacent
clusters
of plurality of strips of second material 8 when they are aligned with the
first material 7.
30 Finally, the method may further comprise combining the component with
other
components to form the article.
In an alternative method of forming an article comprising a plurality of
elongate strips
of amorphous solid material 9, instead of performing online cutting, the
method
35 may comprise the step of winding the plurality of elongate strips 10 of
amorphous solid
material 9 onto a bobbin, after the cutting step, in preparation for adding
the plurality
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of elongate strips 10 of the amorphous solid material 9 to the first material
7 in the
assembly apparatus 170. In one method, the winding step may further comprise
the
step of spirally winding the plurality of elongate strips 10 of amorphous
solid material 9
onto a bobbin, after the cutting step, in preparation for adding the plurality
of elongate
strips 10 of the amorphous solid material 9 to the first material 7 in the
assembly
apparatus 170. In one method, the spiral winding step may further comprise
placing
sheets between the layers of elongate strips 10 of amorphous solid material 9.
In an alternative method, a ribbon of amorphous solid material and first
material
/o simultaneously onto the same bobbin. The ribbon of amorphous solid
material and first
material may be co-wound. That is, the two materials may be layered on each
other.
Therefore, when moving from the centre of the bobbin in a radial direction the
layers
may alternate.
/5 The method may further comprise the steps of unwinding the ribbon of
amorphous
solid material and first material from the bobbin simultaneously. When removed
from
the bobbin the materials will form a two layer ribbon. The ribbon of amorphous
solid
material and first material may be cut simultaneously. In some embodiments,
the first
material may be reconstituted tobacco.
In one method, the step of winding the plurality of elongate strips 10 of
amorphous
solid material 9 may further comprise twisting the plurality of elongate
strips 10 of
amorphous solid material 10 to form a rope 130 to be fed into the assembly
apparatus
170 before winding the plurality of elongate strips 10 onto the bobbin 140,
150.
The various embodiments described herein are presented only to assist in
understanding and teaching the claimed features. These embodiments are
provided as
a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or
exclusive.
It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions,
features,
structures, and/or other aspects described herein are not to be considered
limitations
on the scope of the invention as defined by the claims or limitations on
equivalents to
the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilised and modifications may
be
made without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. Various
embodiments
of the invention may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of,
appropriate
combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps,
means, etc,
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other than those specifically described herein. In addition, this disclosure
may include
other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future.
