Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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AEROSOL GENERATION
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method of making an aerosol-generating
material, the aerosol-generating material obtainable or obtained by said
method, and
articles and systems incorporating said aerosol-generating material.
Background
Smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigars and the like burn tobacco during
use to create tobacco smoke. Alternatives to these types of articles release
an
inhalable aerosol or vapour by releasing compounds from a substrate material
by
heating without burning These may be referred to as non-combustible smoking
articles or aerosol generating assemblies or non-combustible aerosol provision
systems.
One example of such a product is a heating device which release compounds
by heating, but not burning, a solid aerosol-generating composition. This
solid aerosol-
generating composition may, in some cases, contain a tobacco material. The
heating
volatilises at least one component of the material, typically forming an
inhalable
aerosol. These products may be referred to as heat-not-burn devices, tobacco
heating
devices or tobacco heating products. Various different arrangements for
volatilising at
least one component of the solid aerosol-generating composition are known.
As another example, there are hybrid devices. These hybrid devices contain a
liquid source (which may or may not contain nicotine) which is vaporised by
heating to
produce an inhalable vapour or aerosol. The device additionally contains a
solid
aerosol-generating composition (which may or may not contain a tobacco
material)
and components of this material are entrained in the inhalable vapour or
aerosol to
produce the inhaled medium.
Su mmary
A first aspect of the invention provides a method of forming an aerosol-
generating material comprising: a constituent, derivative or extract of
cannabis, an
antioxidant, aerosol-former material, and gelling agent, the method
comprising:
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(a) mixing together the gelling agent, a solvent and any optional further
components of the aerosol-generating material;
(b) separately mixing together the constituent, derivative or extract of
cannabis
with the aerosol-former material and an antioxidant;
(c) forming a slurry by combining the mixtures of parts (a) and (b);
(d) forming a layer of the slurry; and
(e) drying the slurry to form the aerosol-generating material.
A second aspect of the invention provides an aerosol-generating material
obtainable or obtained by methods of the first aspect.
A third aspect of the invention provides an article for use in a non-
combustible
aerosol provision system, the article comprising an aerosol-generating
material
according to the second aspect. Such articles may alternatively be referred to
herein
an as an aerosol generating article, consumable, or the like.
A fourth aspect of the invention provides a non-combustible aerosol provision
system comprising the article according to the third aspect and a non-
combustible
aerosol provision device, the non-combustible aerosol provision device
comprising an
aerosol-generation device configured to generate aerosol from the article when
the
article is used with the non-combustible aerosol provision device. In some
cases, the
device may comprise a heater which is configured to heat the aerosol-
generating
material without burning. Such systems may alternatively be referred to herein
as an
aerosol generating assembly.
Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from
the following description, given by way of example only, and with reference to
the
accompanying figures.
Brief Description of the Figures
Figure 1 shows a section view of an example of an article.
Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the article of Figure 1.
Figure 3 shows a sectional elevation of an example of an article.
Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the article of Figure 3.
Figure 5 shows a perspective view of an example of a non-combustible aerosol
provision system.
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Figure 6 shows a section view of an example of a non-combustible aerosol
provision system.
Figure 7 shows a perspective view of an example of a non-combustible aerosol
provision system.
Figure 8 shows an exploded diagram of an example article.
Figure 9 shows an example of an article comprising a plurality of discrete
portions of aerosol-generating material.
Detailed Description
The method described herein generates an aerosol-generating material which
may be an "amorphous solid". In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating
material
comprises an aerosol-generating film that is an amorphous solid. In some
embodiments, the amorphous solid is a "monolithic solid". The aerosol-
generating
material may be non-fibrous or fibrous. For example, the aerosol-generating
material
may be substantially non-fibrous. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating
material may be a "dried gel". The aerosol-generating material is a solid
material that
may retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it.
As described above, the invention provides a method of forming an aerosol-
generating material comprising: a constituent, derivative or extract of
cannabis, an
antioxidant, aerosol-former material, and gelling agent, the method
comprising:
(a) mixing together the gelling agent, a solvent and any optional further
compounds of the aerosol-generating material;
(b) separately mixing together the constituent, derivative or extract of
cannabis
with the aerosol-former material and an antioxidant;
(c) forming a slurry by combining the mixtures of parts (a) and (b);
(d) forming a layer of the slurry; and
(e) drying the slurry to form the aerosol-generating material.
An issue that can arise when using a constituent, derivative or extract of
cannabis in aerosol-generating materials is that the constituent, derivative
or extract of
cannabis can oxidise during the manufacturing process, resulting in an
undesirable
colour change. The inventors have established that by separately mixing
together the
constituent, derivative or extract of cannabis and aerosol-former material
with an
antioxidant, and then adding this mixture to a mixture comprising gelling
agent, solvent
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and any optional components, the undesirable colour change can be reduced or
avoided.
The aerosol-generating material may form part of an aerosol-generating
composition. An aerosol-generating composition is a composition that is
capable of
generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any
other way.
In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating composition may for example
comprise from about 50 wt%, 60 wt% or 70 wt% of aerosol-generating material,
to
about 90 wt%, 95 wt% or 100 wt% of aerosol-generating material, based on the
weight
of the aerosol-generating composition. These wt% values are calculated on a
wet
weight basis (VWVB), i.e. including any water or other solvent present in the
aerosol-
generating composition or the aerosol-generating material.
In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating composition consists of the
aerosol-generating material.
In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is a hydrogel and
comprises less than about 20 wt% of water calculated on a wet weight basis. In
some
cases, the hydrogel may comprise less than about 15 wt%, 12 wt% or 10 wt% of
water
calculated on a wet weight basis (VWVB). In some cases, the hydrogel may
comprise
at least about 1 wt%, 2 wt% or at least about 5 wt% of water (VWVB).
In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may contain less than
about 20 wt%, such as less than about 15 wt%, 12 wt% or 10 wt% of water
calculated
on a wet weight basis (VVVVB). For example, the aerosol-generating material
may
contain about 1-15 MVO of water, such as 3-12 wt% of water (VWVB). In some
embodiments the aerosol-generating material may contain about 1-5 wt% of water
(VWVB).
With respect to the components of the slurry and/or the aerosol-generating
material, any amount of a component which is specified herein as being present
in the
slurry corresponds to the amount of that component which is present in the
slurry after
all of the components have been added (i.e. after step (b) in the method of
the
invention).
Gelling agent
In some cases, the slurry (or aerosol-generating material) may comprise
1-60wt% of a gelling agent wherein these weights are calculated on a dry
weight basis.
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Suitably, the slurry may comprise from about 1wt%, 5wt%, lOwt%, 15wrio, 20wt%
or
25wt% to about 60wV/0, 50wr/o, 45wr/o, 40wt%, 35wt%, 30wV/0 or 27wt% of a
gelling
agent (all calculated on a dry weight basis).
For example, the slurry may comprise 1-50wt%, 5-45%, 10-40wt%, 15-40%, or
5 20-40wt% of a gelling agent.
In some cases, the gelling agent comprises a hydrocolloid. In some cases, the
gelling agent comprises (or is) one or more compounds selected from
polysaccharide
gelling agents, such as alginate, pectin, starch or a derivative thereof,
cellulose or a
derivative thereof, pullulan, carrageenan, agar and agarose; gelatin; gums,
such as
xanthan gum, guar gum and acacia gum; silica or silicone compounds, such as
PDMS
and sodium silicate; clays, such as kaolin; and polyvinyl alcohol.
For example, in some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises one or more
of alginate, pectin, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose,
carboxymethylcellulose, pullulan, xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan, agarose,
acacia gum, fumed silica, 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
aerosol-generating material. In some cases, the aerosol-generating material
may
comprise a calcium-crosslinked alginate and/or a calcium-crosslinked pectin.
In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises (or is) one or more
polysaccharide gelling agents.
In some embodiments, the polysaccharide is selected from alginate, pectin,
starch or a derivative thereof, or cellulose or a derivative thereof. In some
embodiments, the polysaccharide gelling agent is selected from alginate and a
cellulose derivative.
In some cases, the gelling agent comprises alginate. In some cases, alginate
is the only gelling agent present in the aerosol-generating material. In other
embodiments, the gelling agent comprises alginate and at least one further
gelling
agent, such as pectin.
In some embodiments, the gelling agent is a cellulose derivative.
In some embodiments, the gelling agent is selected from the group consisting
of: hydroxynnethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose,
carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), methyl
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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 is CMC.
In some embodiments, the gelling agent is not crosslinked. The absence of
crosslinks in the gelling agent facilitates quicker delivery of the
constituent, derivative
or extract of cannabis (and any optional additional active substances and/or
flavours)
from the aerosol-generating material.
In some embodiments, the weight ratio of the total amount of gelling agent to
the total amount of constituents, derivatives or extracts of cannabis is from
about 2:1
to 1:2, such as about 1.5:1 to 1:1.5 or 1.2:1 to 1:1.2.
Aerosol-former material
As used herein, the term "aerosol-former material" refers to an agent that
promotes the generation of an aerosol. An aerosol-former material may promote
the
generation of an aerosol by promoting an initial vaporisation and/or the
condensation
of a gas to an inhalable solid and/or liquid aerosol.
Suitably, the slurry (or the aerosol-generating material) may comprise from
about 5w1%, 10wt%, 15wt%, or 20wt% to about 80wt%, 70wtcY0, 60wt%, 55wt%,
50wt%, 45wt% 40wt%, or 35wt% of an aerosol forming material (all calculated on
a dry
weight basis).
For example, the slurry (or the aerosol-generating material) may comprise 5-
80wt%, 10-70wt%, 20-70wt%, 30-70wr/o, 30-60wt%, 35-50wt% of an aerosol forming
material. The slurry (or the aerosol-generating material) may alternatively
comprise
10-60wrYo, 15-50wt%, 20-40wtcYci or 20-30wP/0 of an aerosol forming material.
The aerosol forming material may act as a plasticiser. If the content of the
plasticiser is too high, the aerosol-generating material may absorb water
resulting in a
material that does not create an appropriate consumption experience in use. If
the
plasticiser content is too low, the aerosol-generating material may be brittle
and easily
broken. The plasticiser content specified herein provides an aerosol-
generating
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material flexibility which allows the aerosol-generating material sheet to be
wound onto
a bobbin, which is useful in manufacture of articles for use in aerosol
generation.
Suitable aerosol forming materials include, but are not limited to: a polyol
such
as erythritol, sorbitol, glycerol, and glycols like propylene glycol or
triethylene glycol; a
non-polyol such as monohydric alcohols, high boiling point hydrocarbons, acids
such
as lactic acid, glycerol derivatives, esters such as diacetin, triacetin,
triethylene glycol
diacetate, Methyl citrate or myristates including ethyl myristate and
isopropyl myristate
and aliphatic carboxylic acid esters such as methyl stearate, dimethyl
dodecanedioate
and dimethyl tetradecanedioate. The aerosol forming material may suitably have
a
composition that does not dissolve menthol. The aerosol forming material may
suitably
comprise, consist essentially of or consist of glycerol.
In some cases, the aerosol forming material comprises one or more compound
selected from erythritol, propylene glycol, glycerol, triacetin, sorbitol and
xylitol. In
some cases, the aerosol forming material comprises, consists essentially of or
consists
of glycerol.
In some embodiments, the aerosol forming material 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 forming material comprises, consists essentially of
or consists of glycerol and propylene glycol. In some cases, the slurry (or
the aerosol-
generating material) may comprise about 5-35% propylene glycol and about 10-
50%
glycerol. In some cases, the slurry (or the aerosol-generating material) may
comprise
about 10-30wt% propylene glycol and about 20-40wt% glycerol.
Constituents, derivatives or extracts of cannabis
Suitably, the slurry (or the aerosol-generating material) may comprise from
about 1 to about 50 wt% of one or more constituent, derivative or extract of
cannabis.
For example, the slurry (or the aerosol-generating material) may comprise
about from about 1.5wt% or 2wtcY0 to about 12wt%, lOwt%, 8wt%, 7wt% or 6wtcY0
of
constituent(s), derivative(s) or extract(s) of cannabis (all calculated on a
dry weight
basis). For example, the slurry (or the aerosol-generating material) may
comprise
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about 1-12wt%, about 1.5-10wP/o, about 1.5-8wrio, about 2-8wt%, or about 2-
6wt%
constituent(s), derivative(s) of extract(s) of cannabis.
The slurry (or the aerosol-generating material) may comprise from about
15wt%, 20wt%, 25wt%, 30wt% or 35wWo to about 40wt%, 43wt% or 45wt% of one or
more constituents, derivatives or extracts of cannabis (all calculated on a
dry weight
basis). For example, the slurry (or the aerosol-generating material) may
comprise
about 15-50wt%, about 25-45wt%, abut 30-43wt% or about 35-40wt%
constituent(s),
derivative(s) or extract(s) of cannabis.
The slurry (or the aerosol-generating material) may comprise about from about
5wt% or 10wt% to about 40wt% or 30wtcY0 of constituent(s), derivative(s) or
extract(s)
of cannabis (all calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the slurry
(or the
aerosol-generating material) may comprise about 5-40wt% or about 10-30wt%
constituent(s), derivative(s) of extract(s) of cannabis.
Any compound or mixture of compounds which may be obtained from
cannabis may be a constituent derivative or extract thereof, including
synthetic
versions of such compound(s) or such compound(s) derived from other natural
sources.
In some embodiments, the constituent(s), derivative(s) or extract(s) of
cannabis comprises one or more compounds selected from: cannabinoids;
optionally
phytocannabinoids; or terpenes; optionally triterpenes.
In some embodiments, the constituent(s), derivative(s) or extract(s) of
cannabis comprises one or more cannabinoids, optionally phytocannabinoids.
Cannabinoids are a class of natural or synthetic chemical compounds which
act on cannabinoid receptors (i.e., CBI and CB2) in cells that repress
neurotransmitter release in the brain. Cannabinoids may be naturally occurring
(phytocannabinoids) from plants such as cannabis, from animals
(endocannabinoids), or artificially manufactured (synthetic cannabinoids).
Cannabis
species express at least 85 different phytocannabinoids, and are divided into
subclasses, including can nabigerols, cannabichromenes, cannabidiols,
tetrahydrocannabinols, cannabinols and cannabinodiols, and other cannabinoids.
Cannabinoids found in cannabis include, without limitation: cannabigerol
(CBG),
cannabichromene (CBC), cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC),
cannabinol (CBN), cannabinodiol (CBDL), cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabivarin
(CBV),
tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabichromevarin
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(CBCV), cannabigerovarin (CBGV), cannabigerol nnononnethyl ether (CBGM),
cannabinerolic acid, cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabinol propyl variant
(CBNV),
cannabitriol (CBO), tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), and
tetrahydricannabivarinic
acid (THCVA).
In some embodiments, the cannabinoids are phytocannabinoids.
In some embodiments, the terpenes are triterpenes.
In particular embodiments, the constituent, derivative or extract of cannabis
comprises, or is, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and/or cannabidiol (CBD).
In some embodiments, the constituent, derivative or extract of cannabis
comprises, or is, THC.
In particular embodiments, the constituent, derivative or extract of cannabis
comprises, or is, CBD.
Antioxidant
Suitably, the slurry (or the aerosol-generating material) may comprise from
about 0.01 wt%, 0.05 wt%, 0.08 wt% or 0.1 wt% to about 0.15 wt%, 0.25 wr/o,
0.5 wt%
or 1 wt% antioxidant (all calculated on a dry weight basis).
For example, the slurry (or the aerosol-generating material) may comprise
0.01-0.15wt%, 0.05-0.2wt%, 0.08-0.25wt%. 0.1-0.15wt% of antioxidant.
Any antioxidant may be used in the present invention. In some cases, the
antioxidant comprises an enediol, such as ascorbic acid. The antioxidant may
also be
selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate,
retinol,
cholecalciferol and combinations thereof.
In one embodiment, the one or more antioxidants comprise ascorbic acid and
one or more additional antioxidants. In one embodiment, the one or more
antioxidants
comprise sodium ascorbate and one or more additional antioxidants. In one
embodiment, the one or more antioxidants are ascorbic acid and/or sodium
ascorbate.
In one embodiment, the one or more antioxidants are ascorbic acid and sodium
ascorbate. In one embodiment, the antioxidant is ascorbic acid. In one
embodiment,
the antioxidant is sodium ascorbate.
Flavour
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In some cases, the slurry (and therefore the aerosol-generating material) may
also comprise a flavour. The flavour may be added to the slurry in step (a) or
step (b)
of the method of the invention, but is generally added in step (a).
Suitably, the slurry (or the aerosol-generating material) may comprise up to
5 about 60wt%, 50wt%, 40wt%, 30wt%, 20wt%, 10wt% or 5wt% of a flavour.
In some
cases, the slurry (or the aerosol-generating material) may comprise at least
about
0.5wt%, 1wt%, 2wt%, 5wt% 10wt%, 20wt% or 30wt% of a flavour (all calculated on
a
dry weight basis). For example, the slurry (or the aerosol-generating
material) may
comprise 0.1-60wt%, 1-60wt%, 5-60wt%, 10-60wt%, 20-50wt% or 30-40wt% of a
10 flavour. In some cases, the flavour (if present) comprises, consists
essentially of or
consists of menthol. In some cases, the slurry and the aerosol-generating
material do
not comprise a flavour.
As used herein, the terms "flavour and "flavourant" refer to materials which,
where 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,
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,
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, 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 receptor site blockers, sensorial receptor site
activators or
stimulators, sugars and/or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame
potassium,
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aspartame, saccharine, 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.
The flavour may suitably comprise one or more mint-flavours suitably a mint
oil
from any species of the genus Mentha. The flavour may suitably comprise,
consist
essentially of or consist of menthol.
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 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 eucalyptol,
WS-3.
Other actives
In some embodiments, constituent(s), derivative(s) or extract(s) of cannabis
is
or are the only active(s) present in the slurry and the aerosol-generating
material. In
particular embodiments, the constituent(s), derivative(s) or extract(s) of
cannabis is or
are the only active(s) present in the aerosol-generating composition. However,
the
aerosol-generating material and/or the aerosol-generating composition may
further
comprise additional active ingredients. In this case, the other active(s) may
be added
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to the slurry in step (a) or step (b) of the method of the invention, but are
generally
added in step (a).
In some cases, the slurry (or the aerosol-generating material) may comprise
from about 1 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt% or 25 wt% to about 60 wt%, 50
wt%, 45 wt%, 40 wt%, 35 wt%, or 30 wt% (calculated on a dry weight basis) of
another
active substance in addition to the constituent(s), derivative(s) or
extract(s) of
cannabis.
The additional active substance as used herein may be a physiologically
active material (other than a constituent, derivative or extract of cannabis),
which is a
material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. The
additional
active substance may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics
and
psychoactives. The additional active substance may be naturally occurring or
synthetically obtained. The additional active substance may comprise for
example
nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C,
melatonin, or
constituents, derivatives, or combinations thereof. The additional active
substance
may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of tobacco or
another
botanical.
In one embodiment the active substance is a legally permissible recreational
drug.
In some embodiments, the additional active substance comprises nicotine.
In some embodiments, the additional active substance comprises caffeine,
melatonin or vitamin B12.
As noted herein, the additional active substance may comprise or be derived
from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof.
As used
herein, the term "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, coffee, 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,
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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, Mentha longifolia, Mentha suaveolens variegata, Mentha pule glum,
Mentha
spicata c.v. and Mentha suaveolens
In some embodiments, the additional 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 additional 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 additional active substance comprises (or is) a botanical
selected
from eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa and hemp.
In some embodiments, the additional active substance comprises or derived
from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof
and the
botanical is selected from rooibos and fennel. In some embodiments, the
additional
active substance comprises (or is) a botanical selected from rooibos and
fennel.
In some cases, the slurry additionally comprises a tobacco material and/or
nicotine. For example, the slurry may additionally comprise powdered tobacco
and/or
nicotine and/or a tobacco extract. In some cases, the slurry (or the aerosol-
generating
material) may comprise from about 1wt%, 5wt%, lOwt%, 15wt%, 20wt% or 25wt% to
about 60wt%, 50wt%, 45wt% or 40wt% (calculated on a dry weight basis) of
active
constituent. In some cases, the slurry (or the aerosol-generating material)
may
comprise from about 1wt%, 5wt%, lOwt%, 15wt%, 20wt% or 25wt% to about 60wt%,
50wt%, 45wt% or 40wt% (calculated on a dry weight basis) of a tobacco material
and/or nicotine.
As used herein, the term "tobacco material" refers to any material comprising
tobacco or derivatives thereof. The term "tobacco material" may include one or
more
of tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or
tobacco
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substitutes. The tobacco material may comprise one or more of ground tobacco,
tobacco fibre, cut tobacco, extruded tobacco, tobacco stem, reconstituted
tobacco
and/or tobacco extract.
The tobacco used to produce tobacco material may be any suitable tobacco,
such as single grades or blends, cut rag or whole leaf, including Virginia
and/or Burley
and/or Oriental. It may also be tobacco particle 'fines' or dust, expanded
tobacco,
stems, expanded stems, and other processed stem materials, such as cut rolled
stems.
The tobacco material may be a ground tobacco or a reconstituted tobacco
material.
The reconstituted tobacco material may comprise tobacco fibres, and may be
formed
by casting, a Fourdrinier-based paper making-type approach with back addition
of
tobacco extract, or by extrusion.
In some cases, the slurry further comprises an active constituent such as
tobacco extract. In some cases, the slurry (or the aerosol-generating
material) may
comprise 5-60wt% (calculated on a dry weight basis) of tobacco extract. In
some
cases, the slurry (or the aerosol-generating material) may comprise from about
1wf/o,
5wt%, lOwt%, 15wt%, 20wt% or 25wt% to about 55wtcY0, 50wt%, 45wt% or 40wt%
(calculated on a dry weight basis) tobacco extract. For example, the slurry
(or the
aerosol-generating material) may comprise 5-60wt%, 10-55wt% or 25-55wt% of
tobacco extract. The tobacco extract may contain nicotine at a concentration
such that
the slurry (or the aerosol-generating material) comprises 1wt% 1.5wt%, 2wt% or
2.5wt% to about 6wt%, 5wt%, 4.5wt% or 4wV/0 (calculated on a dry weight basis)
of
nicotine. In some cases, there may be no nicotine in the slurry other than
that which
results from the tobacco extract.
In some embodiments the slurry comprises no tobacco material but does
comprise nicotine. In some such cases, the slurry (or the aerosol-generating
material)
may comprise from about 1wt%, 2wt%, 3wt% or 4wt% to about 20wt%, 15wt%, 10wt%
or 5wt% (calculated on a dry weight basis) of nicotine. For example, the
slurry (or the
aerosol-generating material) may comprise 1-20wt% 0r2-5wt% of nicotine.
In some cases, the total content of active constituent and/or flavour in the
slurry
(or the aerosol-generating material) may be at least about 0.1wt%, 1wt%, 5wt%,
10wt%, 20wt%, 25wt% or 30wt%.
In some cases, the total content of active
constituent and/or flavour in the slurry (or the aerosol-generating material)
may be less
than about 60wt%, 50wt% or 40wt% (all calculated on a dry weight basis).
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In some cases, the total content of tobacco material, nicotine and flavour in
the slurry (or the aerosol-generating material) may be at least about 0.1wt%,
1wt%,
5wt%, lOwt%, 20wt%, 25wt% or 30wF/0. In some cases, the total content of
tobacco
material, nicotine and flavour in the slurry (or the aerosol-generating
material) may be
5 less than about 60wP/o, 50wP/0 or 40wV/0 (all calculated on a
dry weight basis).
In some embodiments, the slurry and the aerosol-generating material do not
comprise tobacco fibres. In particular embodiments, slurry and the aerosol-
generating material does not comprise fibrous material.
In some embodiments, the slurry and the aerosol-generating material are
10 substantially free from botanical material. In some
embodiments, the slurry and the
aerosol-generating material do not comprise botanical material.
In some embodiments, the slurry and the aerosol-generating material are
substantially free from tobacco. In some embodiments, the slurry and the
aerosol-
generating material do not comprise tobacco.
Filler
In some embodiments, the slurry (or the aerosol-generating material)
comprises a filler. In some embodiments, the slurry (or the aerosol-generating
material)
comprises less than 60wt /o of a filler, such as from 1wt% to 60wt%, or 5wt%
to 50wt%,
or 5wt% to 30wt%, or 10wt% to 20wt% (all calculated on a dry weight basis).
In other embodiments, the slurry (or the aerosol-generating material)
comprises
less than 20wt%, suitably less than 10wt% or less than 5wt% of a filler. In
some cases,
the slurry comprises less than 1wt% of a filler, and in some cases, comprises
no filler.
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, 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 aerosol-generating material comprises no calcium
carbonate such
as chalk.
In particular embodiments which include filler, the filler is fibrous. For
example,
the filler 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
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that including fibrous filler in an aerosol-generating material may increase
the tensile
strength of the material. This may be particularly advantageous in examples
wherein
the aerosol-generating material is provided as a sheet, such as when an
aerosol-
generating material sheet circumscribes a rod of aerosol-generating
composition.
In some embodiments, the slurry (and the aerosol-generating material) does
not comprise tobacco fibres. In particular embodiments, the slurry (and the
aerosol-
generating material) does not comprise fibrous material. In some embodiments,
the
slurry (and the aerosol-generating material) does not comprise tobacco.
Acid
The slurry (and 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, dicarbo)(ylic acid, tricarboxylic acid 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
slurry 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.
Co/ourant
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The slurry and/or the aerosol-generating material may comprise a colourant.
The addition of a colourant may alter the visual appearance of the aerosol-
generating
material. The presence of colourant in the aerosol-generating material may
enhance
the visual appearance of the aerosol-generating material and an aerosol-
generating
composition comprising the aerosol-generating material. By adding a colourant
to the
aerosol-generating material, the aerosol-generating material may be colour-
matched
to other components of the aerosol-generating composition or to other
components of
an article comprising the aerosol-generating material.
A variety of colourants may be used depending on the desired colour of the
aerosol-generating material. The colour of aerosol-generating material 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 aerosol-generating
material with a brown appearance. In such embodiments, the colour of the
aerosol-
generating material may be similar to the colour of other components (such as
tobacco
material) in an aerosol-generating composition comprising the aerosol-
generating
material. In some embodiments, the addition of a colourant to the aerosol-
generating
material renders it visually indistinguishable from other components in the
aerosol-
generating composition.
The colourant may be incorporated during the formation of the aerosol-
generating material (e.g. in step (a) or (b) of the method of the invention)
or it may be
applied to the aerosol-generating material after its formation (e.g. by
spraying it onto
the aerosol-generating material).
In some cases, the slurry may consist essentially of, or consist of, a gelling
agent, an aerosol forming material, a tobacco material and/or a nicotine
source, water,
and optionally a flavour.
Drying process
In some cases, the drying step (e) may remove from about 50wt%, 60wtc/o,
70wP/o, 80wt% or 90wt% to about 80wt%, 90wt% or 95wt% (VWVB) of water in the
Slurry.
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In some cases, the resulting aerosol-generating material comprises from about
1wt% to about 15wt% water, calculated on a wet weight basis. Suitably, the
resulting
aerosol-generating material comprises from about 5wt% to about 15wt% water,
calculated on a wet weight basis (WVVB). Suitably, the water content of the
aerosol-
generating material may be from about 5wr/o, 7wt% or 9wt%i to about 15wV/0,
13wr/o
or 11wt% (VVWB), most suitably about lOwtcYo.
The drying process is important as it controls the final water content of the
aerosol-generating material.
In particular, if the water content of the aerosol-
generating material is too high, its performance in use is compromised. The
high heat
capacity of water means that if the water content is too high, more energy is
needed
to generate an aerosol, reducing operating efficiency. Further, if the water
content is
too high, the puff profile may be less satisfactory to the consumer due to the
generation
of hot and humid puffs (a sensation known in the field as "hot puff").
Moreover, if the
water content is too high, microbial growth may occur. Conversely, if the
water content
is too low, the material may be brittle and difficult to handle. The
hygroscopic nature
of the aerosol forming material may mean that water is drawn into the material
from
the atmosphere if the water content is too low, destabilising the material.
If the drying process occurs too quickly, the aerosol-generating material may
crack. The aerosol generated from a cracked aerosol-generating material on
heating
is less consistent as compared to a solid that is not cracked. The drying
process is
therefore important as it affects the aerosol generation and user
satisfaction.
In some cases, the drying results in an aerosol-generating material which has
a thickness that is between about 5% and 20% of the slurry thickness, suitably
about
10%. In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may have a thickness of
about
0.015mm to about 1.0mm. Suitably, the thickness may be in the range of about
0.05mm, 0.1mm or 0.15mm to about 0.5mm or 0.3mm. A material having a thickness
of about 0.2mm is particularly suitable. The aerosol-generating material may
comprise
more than one layer, and the thickness described herein refers to the
aggregate
thickness of those layers.
In some cases, the method comprises forming a layer of the slurry which is
less
than about 4nnnn thick. Suitably, the thickness of the slurry layer is in the
range of about
1mm to about 3mm, suitably about 1.5mm to about 2.5mm. In some cases, the
thickness of the slurry layer is about 2mm.
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If the slurry layer is too thick, it can be difficult to dry to form an
aerosol-
generating material with the required water content, whilst minimising
cracking of the
solid on drying.
If the aerosol-generating material is too thick, heating efficiency may be
compromised. This adversely affects the power consumption in use. Conversely,
if
the aerosol-generating material is too thin, it may be difficult to
manufacture and
handle; a very thin material is harder to cast and may be fragile,
compromising aerosol
formation in use.
The aerosol-generating material thicknesses stipulated herein optimise the
material properties in view of these competing considerations.
Any thickness stipulated herein is a mean thickness. In some cases, the
thickness may vary by no more than 25%, 20%, 15%, 10%, 5% or 1%.
In some cases, the drying step (e) comprises flowing air over the gel, wherein
the air temperature is in the range of about 80 C to about 140 C. In some
cases, the
air flow speed is less than about 30m/s, and is suitably in the range of 10m/s
to 30m/s.
In some cases, the air flow speed is about 20 m/s.
In some cases, the drying step (e) comprises heating the gel for less than
about
40 minutes, 30 minutes or 20 minutes. In some cases, it comprises heating the
gel for
at least about 10 minutes.
In some cases, the drying step (e) comprises heating the gel to a temperature
in the range of about 80 C, 85 C or 90 C to about 130 C, 120 C or 110 C.
In some cases, the surface temperature of the gel during drying does not
exceed about 100 C.
During step (e) the slurry may be heated to remove at least about 60 wt%, 70
wt%, 80 wt%, 85 wt% or 90 wt% of the solvent.
Setting agent
In some cases, the slurry is set to form a gel prior to drying step (e).
Setting the gel may require the addition of a setting agent to the slurry. For
example, the slurry may comprise sodium, potassium or ammonium alginate as a
gelling agent, and a setting agent comprising a calcium source (such as
calcium
chloride or calcium lactate), may be added to the slurry to form a calcium
alginate gel.
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In some cases, the setting agent may be added to the slurry after step (c). In
some
cases, the setting agent may be sprayed onto the slurry after step (d).
In examples, the setting agent comprises or consists of calcium acetate,
calcium formate, calcium carbonate, calcium hydrogencarbonate, calcium
chloride,
5 calcium lactate, or a combination thereof. In some examples, the
setting agent
comprises or consists of calcium formate and/or calcium lactate. In particular
examples, the setting agent comprises or consists of calcium formate.
Typically,
employing calcium formate as a setting agent results in an aerosol-generating
material
having a greater tensile strength and greater resistance to elongation.
10
The total amount of the setting agent, such as a calcium source, may be 0.5-
5wt% (calculated on a dry weight basis). Suitably, the total amount may be
from about
1wt%, 2.5wt% or 4wt% to about 4.8wt% or 4.5wt%. The addition of too little
setting
agent may result in an aerosol-generating material which does not stabilise
the
aerosol-generating material components and results in these components
dropping
15 out of the aerosol-generating material. Conversely, the addition of
too much setting
agent may result in an aerosol-generating material that is very tacky and
consequently
has poor handleability.
When the aerosol-generating material does not contain tobacco, a higher
amount of setting agent may need to be applied. In some cases the total amount
of
20 setting agent may therefore be from about 0.5 to about 12 wt% such
as about 5 to
about 10 wt%, calculated on a dry weight basis. Suitably, the total amount may
be
from about 5wt%, 6wt% or 7wt% to about 12wt% or lOwt%. In this case the
aerosol-
generating material will not generally contain any tobacco.
Alginate salts are derivatives of alginic acid and are typically high
molecular
weight polymers (10-600 kDa). Alginic acid is a copolymer of 8-D-mannuronic
(M)
and a-L-guluronic acid (G) units (blocks) linked together with (1,4)-
glycosidic bonds to
form a polysaccharide. On addition of calcium cations, the alginate crosslinks
to form
a gel. Alginate salts with a high G monomer content more readily form a gel on
addition
of the calcium source. In some cases therefore, the slurry may comprise an
alginate
salt in which at least about 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60% or 70% of the monomer
units
in the alginate copolymer are a-L-guluronic acid (G) units.
In some examples, the slurry has a viscosity of from about 10 to about 20 Pa-s
at 46.5 C, such as from about 14 to about 16 Pa.s at 46.5 C.
In some cases, the slurry layer is formed by casting the slurry.
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Solvent
In some embodiments the slurry solvent comprises, or is, one or more of water,
ethanol, methanol, dimethyl sulfoxide, acetone, hexane, and toluene.
In particular embodiments, the slurry solvent may comprise water. In some
cases, the slurry solvent may consist essentially of or consist of water.
In some cases, the slurry may comprise from about 50 wt%, 60 wt%, 70 wt%,
80 wt% or 90 wt% of solvent (VWVB).
In some examples, the slurry has a viscosity of from about 1 to about 20 Pa-s
at 46.5 C, such as from about 10 to about 20 Pa-s at 46.5 C, such as from
about 14
to about 16 Pa-s at 46.5 C.
The discussion herein relating to the aerosol-generating material is
explicitly
disclosed in combination with any slurry aspect of the invention. Thus, any
discussion
of a percentage or percentage range in relation to the slurry also applies to
the aerosol-
generating material, or vice versa, provided that the percentage is on a dry
weight
basis.
Carrier
In some cases, a carrier is provided and the layer of slurry is formed on the
carrier. Thus, the article of the invention may comprise aerosol-generating
material on
a carrier. When a carrier is used, the slurry (and aerosol-generating
material) may
comprise no filler. The carrier functions as a support on which the aerosol-
generating
material layer forms, easing manufacture. The carrier may provide rigidity to
the
aerosol-generating material layer, easing handling. The carrier may be any
suitable
material which can be used to support an aerosol-generating material. In some
cases,
the carrier may be formed from materials selected from metal foil, paper,
carbon paper,
greaseproof paper, ceramic, carbon allotropes such as graphite and graphene,
plastic,
cardboard, wood or combinations thereof. In some cases, the carrier may
comprise or
consist of a tobacco material, such as a sheet of reconstituted tobacco. In
some cases,
the carrier may be formed from materials selected from metal foil, paper,
cardboard,
wood or combinations thereof. In some cases, the carrier comprises paper. In
some
cases, the carrier itself be a laminate structure comprising layers of
materials selected
from the preceding lists. In some cases, the carrier may also function as a
flavour
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carrier. For example, the carrier may be impregnated with a flavourant or with
tobacco
extract.
Suitably, the thickness of the carrier layer may be in the range of about
lOpm,
15pm, 17pm, 20pm, 23pm, 25pm, 50pm, 75pm or 0.1mm to about 2.5mm, 2.0mm,
1.5mm, 1.0mm or 0.5mm. The carrier may comprise more than one layer, and the
thickness described herein refers to the aggregate thickness of those layers.
In some cases, the carrier may be non-magnetic.
In some cases, the carrier may be magnetic. This functionality may be used to
fasten the carrier to the assembly in use, or may be used to generate
particular aerosol-
generating material shapes. In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may
comprise one or more magnets which can be used to fasten the solid to an
induction
heater in use.
In some cases, the carrier may be substantially or wholly impermeable to gas
and/or aerosol. This prevents aerosol or gas passage through the carrier
layer, thereby
controlling the flow and ensuring it is delivered to the user. This can also
be used to
prevent condensation or other deposition of the gas/aerosol in use on, for
example,
the surface of a heater provided in a non-combustible aerosol provision
system. Thus,
consumption efficiency and hygiene can be improved in some cases.
In some cases, the surface of the carrier that abuts the aerosol-generating
material may be porous. For example, in one case, the carrier comprises paper.
A
porous carrier such as paper is particularly suitable for the present
invention; the
porous (e.g. paper) layer abuts the aerosol-generating material layer and
forms a
strong bond. The aerosol-generating material is formed by drying a gel and,
without
being limited by theory, it is thought that the slurry from which the gel is
formed partially
impregnates the porous carrier (e.g. paper) so that when the gel sets and
forms cross-
links, the carrier is partially bound into the gel. This provides a strong
binding between
the gel and the carrier (and between the dried gel and the carrier).
Additionally, surface roughness may contribute to the strength of bond between
the aerosol-generating material and the carrier. The paper roughness (for the
surface
abutting the carrier) may suitably be in the range of 50-1000 Bekk seconds,
suitably
50-150 Bekk seconds, suitably 100 Bekk seconds (measured over an air pressure
interval of 50.66-48.00 kPa). (A Bekk smoothness tester is an instrument used
to
determine the smoothness of a paper surface, in which air at a specified
pressure is
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leaked between a smooth glass surface and a paper sample, and the time (in
seconds)
for a fixed volume of air to seep between these surfaces is the "Bekk
smoothness")
Conversely, the surface of the carrier facing away from the aerosol-generating
material may be arranged in contact with the heater, and a smoother surface
may
provide more efficient heat transfer. Thus, in some cases, the carrier is
disposed so
as to have a rougher side abutting the aerosol-generating material and a
smoother
side facing away from the aerosol-generating material.
In one particular case, the carrier may be a paper-backed foil; the paper
layer
abuts the aerosol-generating material layer and the properties discussed in
the
previous paragraphs are afforded by this abutment. The foil backing is
substantially
impermeable, providing control of the aerosol flow path. A metal foil backing
may also
serve to conduct heat to the aerosol-generating material.
In another case, the foil layer of the paper-backed foil abuts the aerosol-
generating material. The foil is substantially impermeable, thereby preventing
water
provided in the aerosol-generating material to be absorbed into the paper
which could
weaken its structural integrity.
In some cases, the carrier is formed from or comprises metal foil, such as
aluminium foil. A metallic carrier may allow for better conduction of thermal
energy to
the aerosol-generating material. Additionally, or alternatively, a metal foil
may function
as a susceptor in an induction heating system. In particular embodiments, the
carrier
comprises a metal foil layer and a support layer, such as cardboard. In these
embodiments, the metal foil layer may have a thickness of less than 20pm, such
as
from about 1pm to about lOpm, suitably about 5pm.
In some cases, the carrier may have a thickness of between about 0.017mm
and about 2.0mm, suitably from about 0.02mm, 0.05mm or 0.1mm to about 1.5mm,
1.0mm, or 0.5mm.
In some cases, the layer of slurry may be formed on a conductive support
material. Where a carrier is present, the carrier may be provided on the
conductive
support material and the slurry is shaped on the carrier. The drying (e) may
comprise
heating the conductive support material.
In some cases, the drying (e) may comprise heating the conductive support
material to at least about 100 C and flowing air over the gel, wherein the air
temperature is in the range of about 80 C to about 140 C. Thus, the gel is
heated from
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both sides; this is a particularly advantageous drying process as it results
in an aerosol-
generating material with the desired properties. It has also been found to
reduce the
likelihood of delamination of the aerosol-generating material from the
substrate on
which it is formed, as compared to simply drying with a hot-air flow.
In some cases, the drying (e) comprises (ei) heating the conductive support
material to at least about 100 C, (ei) flowing air over the gel, wherein the
air
temperature is in the range of about 80 C to about 140 C, and (eiii) heating
the
conductive support material to at least about 100 C, wherein (ei) and (ei)
occur
simultaneously or sequentially and (eiii) occurs after (ei) and (ei) have
concluded.
The resulting aerosol-generating material may have any suitable area density,
such as from 30 g/m2 to 120 g/m2, suitably about 30 to 70 g/m2, or about 40 to
60
g/m2. In some embodiments, the resulting aerosol-generating material may have
an
area density of from about 80 to 120 g/m2, or from about 70 to 110 g/m2, or
particularly
from about 90 to 110 g/m2. Such area densities may be particularly suitable
where the
aerosol-generating material is included in an article/a non-combustible
aerosol
provision system in sheet form, or as a shredded sheet (described further
hereinbelow).
As noted above, further aspects of the invention provide
- an aerosol-generating material obtainable or obtained by methods of the
first aspect,
-
an article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system, the
article
comprising an aerosol-generating material obtainable or obtained by
methods of the first aspect, and
- a non-combustible aerosol provision system comprising the article
according to the third aspect and a non-combustible aerosol provision
device, the non-combustible aerosol provision device comprising an
aerosol-generation device to generate aerosol from the article when the
article is used with the non-combustible aerosol provision device. In some
cases, the device includes a heater which is configured to heat the aerosol-
generating, without burning.
In some cases, the heater may heat, without burning, the aerosol-generating
material to between 120 C and 350 C in use. In some cases, the heater may
heat,
without burning, the aerosol-generating material to between 140 C and 250 C in
use.
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In some cases in use, substantially all of the aerosol-generating material is
less than
about 4mm, 3mm, 2mm or 1mm from the heater. In some cases, the solid is
disposed
between about 0.010mm and 2.0mm from the heater, suitably between about 0.02
mm
and 1.0mm, suitably 0.1mm to 0.5mm. These minimum distances may, in some
cases,
5 reflect the thickness of a carrier that supports the aerosol-
generating material. In some
cases, a surface of the aerosol-generating material may directly abut the
heater.
The heater is configured to heat not burn the aerosol-generating material. The
heater may be, in some cases, an electrically resistive heater, such as a thin-
film,
electrically resistive heater. In other cases, the heater may comprise an
induction
10 heater or the like. The heater may be a combustible heat source or a
chemical heat
source which undergoes an exothermic reaction to product heat in use. The non-
combustible aerosol provision system may comprise a plurality of heaters. The
heater(s) may be powered by a battery.
The non-combustible aerosol provision system may additionally comprise a
15 cooling element and/or a filter. The cooling element, if present,
may act or function to
cool gaseous or aerosol components. In some cases, it may act to cool gaseous
components such that they condense to form an aerosol. It may also act to
space the
very hot parts of the apparatus from the user. The filter, if present, may
comprise any
suitable filter known in the art such as a cellulose acetate plug.
20
In some cases, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may be a heat-
not-burn device. That is, it may contain a solid tobacco-containing material
(and no
liquid aerosol-generating composition).
In some cases, the aerosol-generating
material may comprise the tobacco material. A heat-not-burn device is
disclosed in
WO 2015/062983 A2, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
25
In some cases, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may be a hybrid
system. That is, it may contain a solid aerosol-generating composition and a
liquid
aerosol-generating composition. In some cases, the aerosol-generating material
may
comprise nicotine. In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may comprise
a
tobacco material. In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may comprise
a
tobacco material and a separate nicotine source. The separate aerosol-
generating
compositions may be heated by separate heaters, the same heater or, in one
case, a
downstream aerosol-generating composition may be heated by a hot aerosol which
is
generated from the upstream aerosol-generating composition. A hybrid device is
disclosed in WO 2016/135331 Al, which is incorporated by reference in its
entirety.
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26
The article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system (which may
be referred to herein as an aerosol generating article, a cartridge or a
consumable)
may be adapted for use in a THP, a hybrid device or another aerosol generating
device.
In some cases, the article may additionally comprise a filter and/or cooling
element
(which have been described above). In some cases, the article may be
circumscribed
by a wrapping material such as paper.
The article may additionally comprise ventilation apertures. These may be
provided in the sidewall of the article. In some cases, the ventilation
apertures may be
provided in the filter and/or cooling element. These apertures may allow cool
air to be
drawn into the article during use, which can mix with the heated volatilised
components
thereby cooling the aerosol.
The ventilation enhances the generation of visible heated volatilised
components from the article when it is heated in use. The heated volatilised
components are made visible by the process of cooling the heated volatilised
components such that supersaturation of the heated volatilised components
occurs.
The heated volatilised components then undergo droplet formation, otherwise
known
as nucleation, and eventually the size of the aerosol particles of the heated
volatilised
components increases by further condensation of the heated volatilised
components
and by coagulation of newly formed droplets from the heated volatilised
components.
In some cases, the ratio of the cool air to the sum of the heated volatilised
components and the cool air, known as the ventilation ratio, is at least 15%.
A
ventilation ratio of 15% enables the heated volatilised components to be made
visible
by the method described above. The visibility of the heated volatilised
components
enables the user to identify that the volatilised components have been
generated and
adds to the sensory experience of the smoking experience.
In another example, the ventilation ratio is between 50% and 85% to provide
additional cooling to the heated volatilised components. In some cases, the
ventilation
ratio may be at least 60% or 65%.
In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may be included in the
article/a
non-combustible aerosol provision system in sheet form. In some cases, the
aerosol-
generating material may be included as a planar sheet. In some cases, the
aerosol-
generating material may be included as a planar sheet, as a bunched or
gathered
sheet, as a crimped sheet, or as a rolled sheet (i.e. in the form of a tube).
In some
such cases, the aerosol-generating material may be included in an article/a
non-
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27
combustible aerosol provision system as a sheet, such as a sheet
circumscribing a rod
of aerosol-generating composition (e.g. tobacco). In some other cases, the
aerosol-
generating material may be formed as a sheet and then shredded and
incorporated
into the article. In some cases, the shredded sheet may be mixed with cut rag
tobacco
and incorporated into the article.
In some examples, the aerosol-generating material in sheet form may have a
tensile strength of from around 200 N/m to around 900 N/m. In some examples,
such
as where the aerosol-generating material does not comprise a filler, the
aerosol-
generating material may have a tensile strength of from 200 N/m to 400 N/m, or
200
N/m to 300 N/m, or about 250 N/m. Such tensile strengths may be particularly
suitable
for embodiments wherein the aerosol-generating material is formed as a sheet
and
then shredded and incorporated into an article. In some examples, such as
where the
aerosol-generating material comprises a filler, the aerosol-generating
material may
have a tensile strength of from 600 N/m to 900 N/m, or from 700 N/m to 900
N/m, or
around 800 N/m. Such tensile strengths may be particularly suitable for
embodiments
wherein the aerosol-generating material is included in an article/a non-
combustible
aerosol provision system as a rolled sheet, suitably in the form of a tube.
The sheet may be in the form of a wrapper, it may be gathered to form a
gathered sheet or it may be shredded to form a shredded sheet. The shredded
sheet
may comprise one or more strands or strips of aerosol-generating material.
In one case, the article of the invention comprises a planar support with
complete coverage of the aerosol-generating material, which may be in the form
of an
aerosol-generating film. The aerosol-generating film may have a thickness of
about
0.015 mm to about 1 mm. For example, the thickness may be in the range of
about
0.05 mm, 0.1 mm or 0.15 mm to about 0.5 mm or 0.3 mm. Figure 8 provides a
schematic illustration of such an article, which includes a support layer 4
and an
aerosol-generating material layer 2.
Alternatively, the aerosol-generating material may be in the form of a
discontinuous sheet or film, For example, the article may comprise one or more
discrete portions or regions of aerosol-generating material, such as dots,
stripes or
lines, which may be supported on a support. In such embodiments, the support
may
be planar or non-planar. As mentioned above, when the aerosol-generating
material is
present on a support, the aerosol-generating material does not generally
comprise any
filler.
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In some cases, the discrete portions of aerosol-generating material are
substantially round, cylindrical or hemispherical. In some cases, there is a
grid-shaped
distribution of the substantially round, cylindrical or hemispherical aerosol-
generating
material.
In some cases, the article of the invention comprises a planar support with a
plurality of discrete portions of aerosol-generating material deposited on it.
Figure 9 provides an example of an article (401) wherein discrete portions of
aerosol-generating material (403) are provided on the article.
The non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise an integrated
article and heater, or may comprise a heater device into which the article is
inserted in
use.
The non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise an integrated
article and heater, or may comprise a heater device into which the article is
inserted in
use.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, there are shown a partially cut-away section
view
and a perspective view of an example of an article 101. The article 101 is
adapted for
use with a device having a power source and a heater. The article 101 of this
embodiment is particularly suitable for use with the device 1 shown in Figures
5 to 7,
described below. In use, the article 101 may be removably inserted into the
device
shown in Figure 5 at an insertion point 20 of the device 1.
The article 101 of one example is in the form of a substantially cylindrical
rod
that includes a body of aerosol-generating composition 103 and a filter
assembly 105
in the form of a rod. The aerosol-generating composition comprises the aerosol-
generating material described herein. In some embodiments, it may be included
in
sheet form. In some embodiments it may be included in the form of a shredded
sheet.
In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating composition described herein may
be
incorporated in sheet form and in shredded form.
The filter assembly 105 includes three segments, a cooling segment 107, a
filter segment 109 and a mouth end segment 111. The article 101 has a first
end 113,
also known as a mouth end or a proximal end and a second end 115, also known
as
a distal end. The body of aerosol-generating composition 103 is located
towards the
distal end 115 of the article 101. In one example, the cooling segment 107 is
located
adjacent the body of aerosol-generating composition 103 between the body of
aerosol-
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generating composition 103 and the filter segment 109, such that the cooling
segment
107 is in an abutting relationship with the aerosol-generating composition 103
and the
filter segment 103. In other examples, there may be a separation between the
body
of aerosol-generating composition 103 and the cooling segment 107 and between
the
body of aerosol-generating composition 103 and the filter segment 109. The
filter
segment 109 is located in between the cooling segment 107 and the mouth end
segment 111. The mouth end segment 111 is located towards the proximal end 113
of the article 101, adjacent the filter segment 109. In one example, the
filter segment
109 is in an abutting relationship with the mouth end segment 111. In one
embodiment,
the total length of the filter assembly 105 is between 37mm and 45mm, more
preferably, the total length of the filter assembly 105 is 41mm.
In one example, the rod of aerosol-generating composition 103 is between
34mm and 50mm in length, suitably between 38mm and 46mm in length, suitably
42mm in length.
In one example, the total length of the article 101 is between 71mnn and 95mm,
suitably between 79mm and 87mm, suitably 83mm.
An axial end of the body of aerosol-generating composition 103 is visible at
the
distal end 115 of the article 101. However, in other embodiments, the distal
end 115
of the article 101 may comprise an end member (not shown) covering the axial
end of
the body of aerosol-generating composition 103.
The body of aerosol-generating composition 103 is joined to the filter
assembly
105 by annular tipping paper (not shown), which is located substantially
around the
circumference of the filter assembly 105 to surround the filter assembly 105
and
extends partially along the length of the body of aerosol-generating
composition 103.
In one example, the tipping paper is made of 58GSM standard tipping base
paper. In
one example the tipping paper has a length of between 42mm and 50mm, suitably
of
46mm.
In one example, the cooling segment 107 is an annular tube and is located
around and defines an air gap within the cooling segment. The air gap provides
a
chamber for heated volatilised components generated from the body of aerosol-
generating composition 103 to flow. The cooling segment 107 is hollow to
provide a
chamber for aerosol accumulation yet rigid enough to withstand axial
compressive
forces and bending moments that might arise during manufacture and whilst the
article
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101 is in use during insertion into the device 1. In one example, the
thickness of the
wall of the cooling segment 107 is approximately 0.29mm.
The cooling segment 107 provides a physical displacement between the
aerosol-generating composition 103 and the filter segment 109. The physical
5 displacement provided by the cooling segment 107 will provide a
thermal gradient
across the length of the cooling segment 107. In one example the cooling
segment
107 is configured to provide a temperature differential of at least 40 degrees
Celsius
between a heated volatilised component entering a first end of the cooling
segment
107 and a heated volatilised component exiting a second end of the cooling
segment
10 107. In one example the cooling segment 107 is configured to provide
a temperature
differential of at least 60 C between a heated volatilised component entering
a first end
of the cooling segment 107 and a heated volatilised component exiting a second
end
of the cooling segment 107. This temperature differential across the length of
the
cooling element 107 protects the temperature sensitive filter segment 109 from
the
15 high temperatures of the aerosol-generating composition 103 when it
is heated by the
device 1. If the physical displacement was not provided between the filter
segment
109 and the body of aerosol-generating composition 103 and the heating
elements of
the device 1, then the temperature sensitive filter segment may 109 become
damaged
in use, so it would not perform its required functions as effectively.
20
In one example the length of the cooling segment 107 is at least 15mm. In
one
example, the length of the cooling segment 107 is between 20mm and 30mm, more
particularly 23nnnn to 27nnm, more particularly 25nnm to 27nnnn, suitably
25mm.
The cooling segment 107 is made of paper, which means that it is comprised
of a material that does not generate compounds of concern, for example, toxic
25 compounds when in use adjacent to the heater of the device 1. In one
example, the
cooling segment 107 is manufactured from a spirally wound paper tube which
provides
a hollow internal chamber yet maintains mechanical rigidity. Spirally wound
paper
tubes are able to meet the tight dimensional accuracy requirements of high-
speed
manufacturing processes with respect to tube length, outer diameter, roundness
and
30 straightness.
In another example, the cooling segment 107 is a recess created from stiff
plug
wrap or tipping paper. The stiff plug wrap or tipping paper is manufactured to
have a
rigidity that is sufficient to withstand the axial compressive forces and
bending
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moments that might arise during manufacture and whilst the article 101 is in
use during
insertion into the device 1.
The filter segment 109 may be formed of any filter material sufficient to
remove
one or more volatilised compounds from heated volatilised components from the
aerosol-generating material. In one example the filter segment 109 is made of
a mono-
acetate material, such as cellulose acetate. The filter segment 109 provides
cooling
and irritation-reduction from the heated volatilised components without
depleting the
quantity of the heated volatilised components to an unsatisfactory level for a
user.
In some embodiments, a capsule (not illustrated) may be provided in filter
segment 109. It may be disposed substantially centrally in the filter segment
109, both
across the filter segment 109 diameter and along the filter segment 109
length. In
other cases, it may be offset in one or more dimension. The capsule may in
some
cases, where present, contain a volatile component such as a flavourant or
aerosol
forming material.
The density of the cellulose acetate tow material of the filter segment 109
controls the pressure drop across the filter segment 109, which in turn
controls the
draw resistance of the article 101. Therefore the selection of the material of
the filter
segment 109 is important in controlling the resistance to draw of the article
101. In
addition, the filter segment performs a filtration function in the article
101.
In one example, the filter segment 109 is made of a 8Y15 grade of filter tow
material, which provides a filtration effect on the heated volatilised
material, whilst also
reducing the size of condensed aerosol droplets which result from the heated
volatilised material.
The presence of the filter segment 109 provides an insulating effect by
providing further cooling to the heated volatilised components that exit the
cooling
segment 107. This further cooling effect reduces the contact temperature of
the user's
lips on the surface of the filter segment 109.
In one example, the filter segment 109 is between 6mm to 10mm in length,
suitably 8mm.
The mouth end segment 111 is an annular tube and is located around and
defines an air gap within the mouth end segment 111. The air gap provides a
chamber
for heated volatilised components that flow from the filter segment 109. The
mouth
end segment 111 is hollow to provide a chamber for aerosol accumulation yet
rigid
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enough to withstand axial compressive forces and bending moments that might
arise
during manufacture and whilst the article is in use during insertion into the
device 1. In
one example, the thickness of the wall of the mouth end segment 111 is
approximately
0.29mm. In one example, the length of the mouth end segment 111 is between 6mm
to 10mm, suitably 8mm.
The mouth end segment 111 may be manufactured from a spirally wound paper
tube which provides a hollow internal chamber yet maintains critical
mechanical
rigidity. Spirally wound paper tubes are able to meet the tight dimensional
accuracy
requirements of high-speed manufacturing processes with respect to tube
length, outer
diameter, roundness and straightness.
The mouth end segment 111 provides the function of preventing any liquid
condensate that accumulates at the exit of the filter segment 109 from coming
into
direct contact with a user.
It should be appreciated that, in one example, the mouth end segment 111 and
the cooling segment 107 may be formed of a single tube and the filter segment
109 is
located within that tube separating the mouth end segment 111 and the cooling
segment 107.
Referring to Figures 3 and 4, there are shown a partially cut-away section and
perspective views of an example of an article 301. The reference signs shown
in
Figures 3 and 4 are equivalent to the reference signs shown in Figures 1 and
2, but
with an increment of 200.
In the example of the article 301 shown in Figures 3 and 4, a ventilation
region
317 is provided in the article 301 to enable air to flow into the interior of
the article 301
from the exterior of the article 301. In one example the ventilation region
317 takes the
form of one or more ventilation holes 317 formed through the outer layer of
the article
301. The ventilation holes may be located in the cooling segment 307 to aid
with the
cooling of the article 301. In one example, the ventilation region 317
comprises one or
more rows of holes, and preferably, each row of holes is arranged
circumferentially
around the article 301 in a cross-section that is substantially perpendicular
to a
longitudinal axis of the article 301.
In one example, there are between one to four rows of ventilation holes to
provide ventilation for the article 301. Each row of ventilation holes may
have between
12 to 36 ventilation holes 317. The ventilation holes 317 may, for example, be
between
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100 to 500prn in diameter. In one example, an axial separation between rows of
ventilation holes 317 is between 0.25mm and 0.75mm, suitably 0.5mm.
In one example, the ventilation holes 317 are of uniform size. In another
example, the ventilation holes 317 vary in size. The ventilation holes can be
made
using any suitable technique, for example, one or more of the following
techniques:
laser technology, mechanical perforation of the cooling segment 307 or pre-
perforation
of the cooling segment 307 before it is formed into the article 301. The
ventilation
holes 317 are positioned so as to provide effective cooling to the article
301.
In one example, the rows of ventilation holes 317 are located at least 11 mm
from the proximal end 313 of the article, suitably between 17mm and 20mm from
the
proximal end 313 of the article 301. The location of the ventilation holes 317
is
positioned such that user does not block the ventilation holes 317 when the
article 301
is in use.
Providing the rows of ventilation holes between 17mm and 20mm from the
proximal end 313 of the article 301 enables the ventilation holes 317 to be
located
outside of the device 1, when the article 301 is fully inserted in the device
1, as can be
seen in Figures 6 and 7. By locating the ventilation holes outside of the
device, non-
heated air is able to enter the article 301 through the ventilation holes from
outside the
device 1 to aid with the cooling of the article 301.
The length of the cooling segment 307 is such that the cooling segment 307
will be partially inserted into the device 1, when the article 301 is fully
inserted into the
device 1. The length of the cooling segment 307 provides a first function of
providing
a physical gap between the heater arrangement of the device 1 and the heat
sensitive
filter arrangement 309, and a second function of enabling the ventilation
holes 317 to
be located in the cooling segment, whilst also being located outside of the
device 1,
when the article 301 is fully inserted into the device I. As can be seen from
Figures 6
and 7, the majority of the cooling element 307 is located within the device 1.
However,
there is a portion of the cooling element 307 that extends out of the device
1. It is in
this portion of the cooling element 307 that extends out of the device 1 in
which the
ventilation holes 317 are located.
Referring now to Figures 5 to 7 in more detail, there is shown an example of a
device 1 arranged to heat aerosol-generating composition to volatilise at
least one
component of said aerosol-generating composition, typically to form an aerosol
which
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can be inhaled. The device 1 is a heating device which releases compounds by
heating, but not burning, the aerosol-generating composition.
A first end 3 is sometimes referred to herein as the mouth or proximal end 3
of
the device 1 and a second end 5 is sometimes referred to herein as the distal
end 5 of
the device 1. The device 1 has an on/off button 7 to allow the device 1 as a
whole to
be switched on and off as desired by a user.
The device 1 comprises a housing 9 for locating and protecting various
internal
components of the device 1. In the example shown, the housing 9 comprises a
uni-
body sleeve 11 that encompasses the perimeter of the device 1, capped with a
top
panel 17 which defines generally the 'top' of the device 1 and a bottom panel
19 which
defines generally the 'bottom' of the device 1. In another example the housing
comprises a front panel, a rear panel and a pair of opposite side panels in
addition to
the top panel 17 and the bottom panel 19.
The top panel 17 and/or the bottom panel 19 may be removably fixed to the
uni-body sleeve 11, to permit easy access to the interior of the device 1, or
may be
"permanently" fixed to the uni-body sleeve 11, for example to deter a user
from
accessing the interior of the device 1. In an example, the panels 17 and 19
are made
of a plastics material, including for example glass-filled nylon formed by
injection
moulding, and the uni-body sleeve 11 is made of aluminium, though other
materials
and other manufacturing processes may be used.
The top panel 17 of the device 1 has an opening 20 at the mouth end 3 of the
device 1 through which, in use, the article 101, 301 including the aerosol-
generating
composition may be inserted into the device 1 and removed from the device 1 by
a
user.
The housing 9 has located or fixed therein a heater arrangement 23, control
circuitry 25 and a power source 27. In this example, the heater arrangement
23, the
control circuitry 25 and the power source 27 are laterally adjacent (that is,
adjacent
when viewed from an end), with the control circuitry 25 being located
generally
between the heater arrangement 23 and the power source 27, though other
locations
are possible.
The control circuitry 25 may include a controller, such as a microprocessor
arrangement, configured and arranged to control the heating of the aerosol-
generating
composition in the article 101, 301 as discussed further below.
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The power source 27 may be for example a battery, which may be a
rechargeable battery or a non-rechargeable battery. Examples of suitable
batteries
include for example a lithium-ion battery, a nickel battery (such as a
nickel¨cadmium
battery), an alkaline battery and/ or the like. The battery 27 is electrically
coupled to
5 the heater arrangement 23 to supply electrical power when required
and under control
of the control circuitry 25 to heat the aerosol-generating composition in the
article (as
discussed, to volatilise the aerosol-generating composition without causing
the
aerosol-generating composition to burn).
An advantage of locating the power source 27 laterally adjacent to the heater
10 arrangement 23 is that a physically large power source 25 may be
used without
causing the device 1 as a whole to be unduly lengthy. As will be understood,
in general
a physically large power source 25 has a higher capacity (that is, the total
electrical
energy that can be supplied, often measured in Amp-hours or the like) and thus
the
battery life for the device 1 can be longer.
15
In one example, the heater arrangement 23 is generally in the form of a
hollow
cylindrical tube, having a hollow interior heating chamber 29 into which the
article 101,
301 comprising the aerosol-generating composition is inserted for heating in
use.
Different arrangements for the heater arrangement 23 are possible. For
example, the
heater arrangement 23 may comprise a single heating element or may be formed
of
20 plural heating elements aligned along the longitudinal axis of the
heater arrangement
23. The or each heating element may be annular or tubular, or at least part-
annular or
part-tubular around its circumference. In an example, the or each heating
element
may be a thin film heater. In another example, the or each heating element may
be
made of a ceramics material. Examples of suitable ceramics materials include
alumina
25 and aluminium nitride and silicon nitride ceramics, which may be
laminated and
sintered. Other heating arrangements are possible, including for example
inductive
heating, infrared heater elements, which heat by emitting infrared radiation,
or resistive
heating elements formed by for example a resistive electrical winding.
In one particular example, the heater arrangement 23 is supported by a
30 stainless steel support tube and comprises a polyimide heating
element. The heater
arrangement 23 is dimensioned so that substantially the whole of the body of
aerosol-
generating composition 103, 303 of the article 101, 301 is inserted into the
heater
arrangement 23 when the article 101, 301 is inserted into the device 1.
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The or each heating element may be arranged so that selected zones of the
aerosol-generating material can be independently heated, for example in turn
(over
time, as discussed above) or together (simultaneously) as desired.
The heater arrangement 23 in this example is surrounded along at least part of
its length by a thermal insulator 31. The insulator 31 helps to reduce heat
passing from
the heater arrangement 23 to the exterior of the device 1. This helps to keep
down the
power requirements for the heater arrangement 23 as it reduces heat losses
generally.
The insulator 31 also helps to keep the exterior of the device 1 cool during
operation
of the heater arrangement 23. In one example, the insulator 31 may be a double-
walled sleeve which provides a low pressure region between the two walls of
the
sleeve. That is, the insulator 31 may be for example a "vacuum" tube, i.e. a
tube that
has been at least partially evacuated so as to minimise heat transfer by
conduction
and/or convection. Other arrangements for the insulator 31 are possible,
including
using heat insulating materials, including for example a suitable foam-type
material, in
addition to or instead of a double-walled sleeve.
The housing 9 may further comprises various internal support structures 37 for
supporting all internal components, as well as the heating arrangement 23.
The device 1 further comprises a collar 33 which extends around and projects
from the opening 20 into the interior of the housing 9 and a generally tubular
chamber
35 which is located between the collar 33 and one end of the vacuum sleeve 31.
The
chamber 35 further comprises a cooling structure 35f, which in this example,
comprises
a plurality of cooling fins 35f spaced apart along the outer surface of the
chamber 35,
and each arranged circumferentially around outer surface of the chamber 35.
There
is an air gap 36 between the hollow chamber 35 and the article 101, 301 when
it is
inserted in the device 1 over at least part of the length of the hollow
chamber 35. The
air gap 36 is around all of the circumference of the article 101, 301 over at
least part
of the cooling segment 307.
The collar 33 comprises a plurality of ridges 60 arranged circumferentially
around the periphery of the opening 20 and which project into the opening 20.
The
ridges 60 take up space within the opening 20 such that the open span of the
opening
20 at the locations of the ridges 60 is less than the open span of the opening
20 at the
locations without the ridges 60. The ridges 60 are configured to engage with
an article
101, 301 inserted into the device to assist in securing it within the device
1. Open
spaces (not shown in the Figures) defined by adjacent pairs of ridges 60 and
the article
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101, 301 form ventilation paths around the exterior of the article 101, 301.
These
ventilation paths allow hot vapours that have escaped from the article 101,
301 to exit
the device 1 and allow cooling air to flow into the device 1 around the
article 101, 301
in the air gap 36.
In operation, the article 101, 301 is removably inserted into an insertion
point
20 of the device 1, as shown in Figures 5 to 7. Referring particularly to
Figure 6, in one
example, the body of aerosol-generating composition 103, 303, which is located
towards the distal end 115, 315 of the article 101, 301, is entirely received
within the
heater arrangement 23 of the device 1. The proximal end 113, 313 of the
article 101,
301 extends from the device 1 and acts as a mouthpiece assembly for a user.
In operation, the heater arrangement 23 will heat the article 101, 301 to
volatilise at least one component of the aerosol-generating composition from
the body
of aerosol-generating composition 103, 303.
The primary flow path for the heated volatilised components from the body of
aerosol-generating composition 103, 303 is axially through the article 101,
301,
through the chamber inside the cooling segment 107, 307, through the filter
segment
109, 309, through the mouth end segment 111, 313 to the user. In one example,
the
temperature of the heated volatilised components that are generated from the
body of
aerosol-generating composition is between 60 C and 250 C, which may be above
the
acceptable inhalation temperature for a user. As the heated volatilised
component
travels through the cooling segment 107, 307, it will cool and some
volatilised
components will condense on the inner surface of the cooling segment 107, 307.
In the examples of the article 301 shown in Figures 3 and 4, cool air will be
able
to enter the cooling segment 307 via the ventilation holes 317 formed in the
cooling
segment 307. This cool air will mix with the heated volatilised components to
provide
additional cooling to the heated volatilised components.
All percentages by weight described herein (denoted wt%) are calculated on a
dry weight basis, unless explicitly stated otherwise. All weight ratios are
also calculated
on a dry weight basis. A weight quoted on a dry weight basis refers to the
whole of the
extract or slurry or material, other than the water, and may include
components which
by themselves are liquid at room temperature and pressure, such as glycerol.
Conversely, a weight percentage quoted on a wet weight basis refers to all
components, including water.
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For the avoidance of doubt, where in this specification the term "comprises"
is
used in defining the invention or features of the invention, embodiments are
also
disclosed in which the invention or feature can be defined using the terms
"consists
essentially of" or "consists of" in place of "comprises". Reference to a
material
"comprising" certain features means that those features are included in,
contained in,
or held within the material.
The above embodiments are to be understood as illustrative examples of the
invention. It is to be understood that any feature described in relation to
any one
embodiment may be used alone, or in combination with other features described,
and
may also be used in combination with one or more features of any other of the
embodiments, or any combination of any other of the embodiments. Furthermore,
equivalents and modifications not described above may also be employed without
departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the
accompanying claims.
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