Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Article with combustion retarding properties and uses thereof
Field
The present invention relates to an article for use in a non-combustible
aerosol
provision system, the article including a wrapper with a coating comprising a
combustion retarding salt. The invention further relates to methods for
manufacturing
and use of said articles.
Background
K.) Smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigars and the like burn tobacco
during use to
create tobacco smoke. Attempts have been made to provide alternatives to these
articles by creating products that release compounds without combusting.
Examples of
such products are so-called "heat not burn" products or tobacco heating
devices or
products, which release compounds by heating, but not burning, smokeable
material.
Summary
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided an article for
use in a non-
combustible aerosol provision system, the article comprising: a rod comprising
a
column of aerosol-generating material, the column of aerosol generating
material being
at least partially wrapped in a wrapper, wherein at least a portion of a
surface of said
wrapper comprises a coating comprising a combustion retarding salt.
In some embodiments, the coating comprising from about 3 wt% to about 70 wt%
of at
least one combustion retarding salt (dry weight basis).
In some embodiments, the coating comprises a binder. In some embodiments, the
binder is selected from one or more of the group consisting of polyvinyl
alcohol (PVA),
gelatin, gums, acacia gum, starches, polysaccharides, pectins, alginates, wood
pulp,
celluloses, and cellulose derivatives such as carboxymethylcellulose.
In some embodiments, the coating comprises from about 30 wt% to about 97 wt%
of at
least one binder.
In some embodiments, the combustion retarding salt is a metal halide salt,
optionally
selected from the group consisting of: sodium chloride, potassium chloride,
sodium
bromide, potassium bromide and combinations thereof.
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According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a non-
combustible
aerosol provision system comprising an article according to the first aspect.
According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a method for
manufacturing the article according to the first aspect, wherein the coating
is formed by
applying to the wrapper a precursor material comprising a binder and the
combustion
retarding salt.
In some embodiments, the mixture further comprises a solvent in which at least
some
of the mixture is soluble. In some embodiments, the solvent is selected from
the group
consisting of water, distilled water, benzyl alcohol, ethanol, methanol,
triacetin,
glycerol, propylene glycol and combinations thereof.
In some embodiments, the coating is applied to the wrapper prior to assembly
of the
article.
In some embodiments, the coating is applied to the wrapper of the assembled
article.
In some embodiments, the coating is applied to the wrapper using one or more
process
selected from the group consisting of: spraying, painting or printing.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided use of a
wrapper
comprising a coating comprising a combustion-retarding salt for retarding
combustion
of a consumable.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only,
with
reference to accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a side-on cross sectional view of a first embodiment of an article
comprising
a coating comprising combustion retarding salt with combustion retarding
properties;
and
Figure 2 is a perspective illustration of a non-combustible aerosol provision
device for
generating aerosol from the aerosol-generating material of the articles of
Figure 1.
Detailed Description
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The present invention seeks to provide an article with combustion retarding
properties
for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system. According to the
invention, an
article is provided comprising a rod comprising a column of aerosol-generating
material, the column of aerosol generating material being at least partially
wrapped in a
wrapper, wherein at least a portion of a surface of said wrapper comprises a
coating
comprising a combustion retarding salt.
The inventors have found that combustion retarding properties are afforded by
adding
at least one combustion retarding salt to the coating which is provided on a
surface of
io the wrapper. The presence of the coating comprising a combustion
retarding salt
makes it much harder to light the article and hinders combustion of the
article.
The invention enjoys the advantage that the article is capable of withstanding
higher
temperatures without burning, which in turn can allow for the release of more
volatiles.
This is desirable for the end user of the non-combustible aerosol provision
system. In
addition, this invention has the additional advantage that this is safer if
the consumer
attempts to ignite the article as the invention reduces the combustion of the
article.
In addition, this wrapper provides an environmentally friendly alternative to
other
wrappers known to perform a combustion-retarding role. For example, it is
common to
use aluminium as a wrapper to retard combustion in aerosol-generating
articles. As
aluminium is energy-intensive to produce and challenging to recycle after use,
the
wrapper described herein is a more sustainable alternative. As described
herein, the
combustion retarding properties may be achieved with a salt such as NaC1, a
sustainable and accessible resource. In addition, the wrapper may comprise
paper or a
paper-like material as described herein. These materials may be sustainably
sourced,
and are biodegradable. The biodegradability of the wrapper is environmentally
friendly
and an attractive feature to consumers.
In some embodiments, the coating on the wrapper comprises one or more
combustion
retarding salts in a total amount of at least about 3 wt%, about 3.5 wt%,
about 4 wt%,
about 4.5 wt%, about 5 wt%, about 5.5 wt% about, about 6 wt%, about 6.5 wt%,
about 7
wt%, about 7.5 wt%, about 8 wt%, about 9 wt%, about io wt%, about 20 wt%,
about 30
wt%, about 40 wt%, about 50 wt%, about 6o wt%, about 70 wt%, and/or in an
amount
of no more than about 70 wt%, about 65 wt%, about 60 wt%, about 55 wt%, or
about 50
wt% of the coating on the wrapper (all calculated on a dry weight basis). The
quantity
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of combustion retarding salt is selected to provide the desired combustion
retarding
effect.
For the avoidance of doubt, the reference to the amount of salt in the coating
is a
reference to the amount of added salt, and does not include any salt that may
be
present in the coating without the addition of the combustion retarding salt
as
described herein.
The combustion retarding salt
io The combustion-retarding salt used herein is a chemical compound
consisting of an
ionic assembly of cation and anions. The salts used herein are those whose
anion
and/or whose cation may be effective in retarding combustion. In some
embodiments,
the salt is an inorganic salt.
In some embodiments, the salt is a halide salt, i.e. has a halide anion. In
some
embodiments, the salt is a chloride salt or a bromide salt. The presence of
high
concentrations of chloride or bromide has been shown to retard combustion, as
discussed further below.
In some embodiments, the salt may be an alkali metal salt, i.e. has an alkali
metal
cation. In some embodiments, the salt has an alkaline earth metal cation. In
some
embodiments, the salt has a zinc cation or an iron cation, such as a ferric or
ferrous
cation. In some embodiments, the salt has an ammonium cation or a phosphonium
cation.
In some embodiments, the salt may be an alkali metal halide, such as sodium
chloride
or potassium chloride. The salt may be an alkaline earth metal halide, such as
magnesium chloride, calcium chloride. The salt may be another metal halide,
such as
zinc chloride or sodium bromide.
In some embodiments, the salt has a carboxylate anion. For example, the salt
may be
an alkali metal carboxylate, such as potassium citrate, potassium succinate,
potassium
malate, potassium acetate, potassium tartrate, potassium oxalate, sodium
citrate,
sodium succinate, sodium acetate, or sodium malate.
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In other embodiments, the salt has an anion selected from: borate, carbonate,
phosphate, sulphate or sulphamate.
Factors that may influence the selection of salt will include, for example,
melting point,
which will preferably be at least 450 C. In some embodiments, the salt is
soluble in
water. In some embodiments, the salt is selected to provide a desired pH to
the
material it is added to. In some embodiments, the salt will not significantly
change the
pH of the material.
ro In some embodiments, sodium chloride (NaC1) is the salt used. It has
been
demonstrated that wrapper with a high chloride content is difficult to
combust.
Further, sodium chloride is neutral, highly soluble and does not affect pH of
the
wrapper.
The combustion retarding salt may be one salt or a combination of any number
of salts
disclosed herein or known in the art, and is referred to as "combustion
retarding salt"
herein. The combustion retarding salt(s) may be advantageously selected to
give the
combustion retarding material desired characteristics.
In some embodiments, the combustion retarding salt comprises, consists
essentially of,
or consists of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium bromide and/or
potassium
bromide.
Depending on the combustion retarding or other physical properties desired,
the
components of the salt may be in free base form, salt form, or as a complex,
or as a
solvate. The combustion retarding salt may be of any density and any
crystalline
structure.
Binder
In some embodiments, the coating comprising a combustion retarding salt
further
comprises a binder.
The binder may be a film-forming material, which forms the basis of the
coating
comprising the combustion retarding salt. The combustion retarding salt may be
located in or on the film formed from the binder. In some embodiments, the
salt is
mixed with the binder and applied to the wrapper, as discussed in greater
detail below.
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The binder may adhere the combustion retarding salt to the wrapper. It may
also be
used to adhere the wrapper to itself and to other components of the article.
Suitable binders include, for example, film-forming agents such as polyvinyl
alcohol
(PVA), gelatin, gums such as acacia gum, starches and derivatives thereof,
polysaccharides, pectins, alginates, wood pulp, celluloses, cellulose
derivatives such as
carboxymethylcellulose, silica or silicones compounds, clays, and combinations
thereof.
Suitable binders also include, for example, gelling agents such as one or more
of
alginates, pectins, 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 binder may include alginate and/or pectin, and the precursor material may
further
comprise a setting agent (such as a calcium source) which may aid formation of
the
amorphous solid. In some cases, the binder may include a calcium-crosslinked
alginate
and/or a calcium-crosslinked pectin.
In some embodiments, the coating comprises at least about 0.1 wt%, about 1
wt%,
about 10 wt%, about 20 wt%, about 30 wt%, about 35 wt%, about 40 wt%, about 45
wt% or at least about 50 wt% of a binder (all calculated on a dry weight
basis). In some
cases, the coating comprises no more than about 70 wt%, about 65 wt%, about 6o
wt%,
about 55 wt%, about 50 wt%, about 45 wt%, about 40 wt%, about 35 wt%, or about
30
wt % of a binder (all calculated on a dry weight basis
The precursor material
In some embodiments, the combustion retarding salt is incorporated into or
added to
the precursor material which is used to form the coating on the wrapper.
In some embodiments, the combustion retarding salt is suspended in the
precursor
material. In some embodiments, the combustion retarding salt is dissolved in
the
precursor material, optionally in the presence of a solvent. The solvent may
be an
aqueous or organic liquid, and may be polar or non-polar depending on the
materials
that are to be dissolved and the extent to which they are to be dissolved.
The precursor material may comprise from about 3 wt%, about 3.5 wt%, about 4
wt%,
about 4.5 wt%, about 5 wt%, about 5.5 wt%, about 6 wt%, about 6.5 wt%, about 7
wt%,
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about 7.5 wt%, about 8 wt%, about 9 wt%, about io wt%, about 20 wt%, about 30
wt%,
about 40 wt%, or about 50 wt% of the combustion retarding salt (all calculated
on a dry
weight basis).
In some embodiments, a precursor material comprising the combustion retarding
salt
is applied to the surface of the wrapper. This deposits the combustion
retarding salt on
the surface of the wrapper and provides a coating on the surface of the
wrapper.
In some embodiments, the wrapper is contacted with the precursor material such
as a
ro solution or a suspension comprising the combustion retarding salt. This
technique may
be used to form a coating comprising the combustion retarding salt on the
surface or a
portion of the surface of the wrapper. In some embodiments, precursor material
may be
sprayed, printed, painted or otherwise locally applied onto the wrapper. This
is
advantageous because it can result in the formation of a coating of the
combustion
retarding salt evenly distributed over the wrapper. Some methods of
application, such
as spraying, printing and painting, may be more precise, providing a localised
coating
or capable of applying a higher concentration of combustion retarding salt
onto the
wrapper.
The wrapper may be contacted with the precursor material comprising the
combustion
retarding salt multiple times to form one or more layers comprising the
combustion
retarding salt. In some embodiments, one layer may be allowed to dry before
the next
layer is applied. In some embodiments, the composition of the layers may be
different,
for example comprising different combustion retarding salts and/or other
components
such as binders. This may provide a specific combustion¨retarding profile or
make use
of different adhesive properties of the binder. This process may also be
repeated to
provide a desired thickness of the layer of combustion retarding salt, and/or
a desired
amount or concentration of combustion retarding salt, which is a further
advantage.
The additional thickness where the coating has been added to the wrapper may
contribute to improved structural rigidity of the wrapper or increase its
tensile
strength.
In some embodiments, the precursor material and/or subsequent coating is in
the form
of an amorphous solid which may alternatively be referred to as a "monolithic
solid"
(i.e. non-fibrous). In some embodiments, the precursor material or coating may
be in
the form of a dried gel. An amorphous solid is a solid material that may
retain some
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fluid, such as liquid, within it. The precursor material or coating in the
form of an
amorphous solid may comprise a binder consisting of at least one gelling agent
as
described herein. A precursor material or coating which comprises an amorphous
solid
enjoys the advantage of providing increased tensile strength and rigidity to
the
wrapper.
In some embodiments, the precursor material used to form one layer may be in
the
form of a liquid in one layer and the precursor material used to form another
layer may
be in the form of a solid or an amorphous solid. In an exemplary embodiment, a
io precursor material in the form of a liquid and comprising a
binder such as PVA may
provide a first layer. A precursor material in the form of an amorphous solid
may
provide a second layer. The second layer may be in the form of the sheet. Such
an
embodiment provides a wrapper to which an amorphous solid sheet is adhered via
the
first layer. The layer(s) may be located on a specific portion of the wrapper
and thus
provide the advantages of the form of an amorphous solid locally. The
amorphous solid
may comprise additional components as described herein and advantageously
provide
the additional components locally to a portion of the wrapper.
The layers may comprise the same salt or different salts. Additionally, the
proportion of
the combustion retarding salt in the precursor material may be altered to
provide the
layer(s) on wrapper with desired properties.
In some embodiments, the coating comprising the combustion retarding salt is
applied
to a portion of the wrapper, for example a patch or section of the wrapper.
The coating
may be applied to the inner and/or outer surface of the wrapper.
In some embodiments, the coating is on the external surface of the article.
In some embodiments, the aforementioned wrapper circumscribes a consumable. As
described herein, the consumable may comprise a rod of aerosol-generating
material
with a first end and a second end. In use, the article has a downstream end,
usually
connected to or comprising a mouthpiece and/or filter, and an upstream end,
also
referred to as a distal end. The coating comprising a combustion retarding
salt may be
applied to the wrapper at or towards the distal end of the consumable, and
spans an
area of up to about 1 mm, about 2 mm, about 3mm, about 4 mm, about 5 mm, about
7
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mm, about 10 mm from the distal end. In some embodiments, it may be preferred
that
the coating spans the area from between about 5 to 7 mm from the distal end.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the precursor material is sprayed
on to a
distal portion of the wrapper. This has the advantage that the combustion
retarding salt
is only provided where it is necessary, thus reducing wastage and unnecessary
use of
the combustion retarding salt, the precursor material, and the ingredients
comprised
therein.
io The precursor material suitable for forming this coating may be in the
form of a liquid,
a solution or a suspension, and may further comprise an amorphous solid
material, as
described herein.
In another embodiment of the invention, the precursor material may be applied
in the
form of a printed patch. In this embodiment, the precursor material may have
properties that are tailored to this method of application, for example, the
precursor
material may have a suitable viscosity or may comprise a higher concentration
of the
combustion retarding salt. The advantage of this method of application is that
the print
patch may be of a precise size, shape and location on the wrapper and the
method
provides a more controlled application of the salt onto the wrapper. The print
patch
may be located on a portion or all of the wrapper. When the patch is located
at the
distal end of the wrapper, this provides the advantage of preventing the
aerosol-
generating material combusting if an attempt is made to light the consumable
like a
cigarette.
Components of the precursor material
In some embodiments, the precursor material comprises a binder and the
combustion
retarding salt.
In some cases, the precursor material comprises at least about 0.1 wt%, about
1 wt%,
about lo wt%, about 20 WM, about 30 wt%, about 35 wt%, about 40 wt%, about 45
wt% or at least about 50 wt% of a binder (all calculated on a dry weight
basis). In some
cases, the precursor material comprises no more than about 70 wt%, about 65
wt%,
about 6o wt%, about 55 wt%, about 50 wt%, about 45 wt%, about 40 wt%, about 35
wt%, or about 30 wt % of a binder (all calculated on a dry weight basis). In
some
embodiments, the precursor material comprises from about 20 to about 25 wt%
binder.
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The precursor material may comprise the appropriate amount of binder in order
to
provide an advantageous viscosity. For example, the precursor material must be
viscous
enough to form a film and provide a coating having the desired thickness or
other
physical characteristics. However, if the viscosity of the precursor material
is too great,
the material may be difficult to apply to the wrapper.
In some embodiments, the precursor material comprising a binder provides an
adhesive quality to the precursor material. The precursor material may be a
viscous
io composition with adhesive or "glue-like" qualities. In some embodiments,
the
precursor material, and the subsequent coating, may advantageously be used to
secure
the wrapper in place, or to hold the wrapper closed around the rod or aerosol-
generating material.
In some embodiments, the precursor material comprises one or more solvents.
The
solvent may be included to dissolve one or more components of the precursor
material.
Additionally or alternatively, the solvent may be included to control the
properties of
the precursor material, such as its viscosity or its drying behaviour under
certain
conditions. The viscosity of the precursor material can be reduced, for
example, to
facilitate its application to a wrapper, whilst maintaining the desired binder
and salt
content.
The solvent may comprise one or more liquid, including aqueous liquid and non-
aqueous liquid. For example, the solvent may be selected from the group
consisting of:
water (such as distilled water), benzyl alcohol, ethanol, methanol, triacetin,
glycerol,
propylene glycol, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the solvent is
distilled water.
The solvent may be advantageously selected to be readily removed following
application of the precursor material onto the wrapper to form a (dry) coating
comprising the combustion retarding salt on the surface of the wrapper. In
some
embodiments, the solvent may be removed as a result of a treatment step, as
discussed
in more detail below. In some embodiments, the liquid carrier is a volatile
solvent,
which may be advantageously be removed by evaporation.
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In some embodiments, the precursor material comprises at least about 5 wt%,
about 10
wt%, about 20 wt%, about 30 wt%, about 40 wt%, about 50 wt%, about 6o wt% or
at
least about 70 wt% of a combustion-retarding salt (all calculated on a dry
weight basis).
In some cases, the precursor material comprises no more than about 80 wt%,
about 75
wt%, about 70 wt%, about 65 wt%, about 6o wt%, about 55 wt%, about 50 wt%,
about
45 wt%, about 40 wt%, about 35 wt%, or about 30 wt % of a combustion-retarding
salt
(all calculated on a dry weight basis). In some embodiments, the precursor
material
comprises from about 50 wt% combustion-retarding salt, optionally with 20 to
about
25 wt% binder.
Treating the precursor material
The precursor material, once applied to the surface of a wrapper, may
optionally be
treated to provide the coating. The treatment may include a step comprising
drying,
curing, cross-linking of alginates or polymers, heating or any other suitable
treatment.
This provides the advantage that the coating may have different properties to
the
precursor material. For example, the precursor material may be a liquid but
may
hardened on the wrapper during a treatment step, providing a coating with a
suitable
rigidity. In a further example, the precursor material may be "sticky" prior
to treatment,
and may not be sticky after treatment in order to prevent the wrapper adhering
to
surfaces unintentionally.
The precursor material may be treated differently in different locations of
the wrapper.
This provides the advantage that the combustion retarding salt and properties
may be
provided in distinct sections of the wrapper.
In some embodiments, some components of the precursor material are removed,
for
example via evaporation, to leave the combustion retarding salt (and other non-
volatile
components) deposited on the wrapper in the coating.
In some embodiments, the precursor material or components of the precursor
material
may remain in the coating formed on the wrapper, and may provide the coating
with
additional combustion retardant, taste, flavour and/or physical
characteristics.
In some embodiments the precursor material is not treated, and forms the
coating
without further processing.
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The coating
In some embodiments, the coating may have a thickness of from about 0.2 p.m to
about
ro um. The coating may have a thickness of about 1 um, about 2 um, about 3 um,
about
4 rim, or about 5 vim.
The combustion retarding salt coating may comprise more than one layer, and
the
coating thickness described herein refers to the aggregate thickness of those
layers. The
coating may also contain other additives in addition to the combustion
retarding salt(s)
as disclosed herein. The coating may also be very thin, and inconsistent
across the
ro surface of the wrapper. The thickness of the coating may be
selected to provide
desirable combustion retarding characteristics, and to provide the wrapper
with
satisfactory rigidity and structural integrity.
The thickness of the coating of combustion retarding salt may be measured
using a
microscope such as a scanning electron microscope (SEM), as known to those
skilled in
the art, or any other suitable technique known to those skilled in the are.
In some cases, the coating thickness may vary by no more than about 25%, about
20%,
about 15%, about 10%, about 5% or about 1% across its area. This has the
advantage
that the rod may have a wrapper with a consistent thickness so that the rod
may fit
more easily into the non-combustible aerosol provision system.
In some embodiments of the invention, only a portion of the total area of a
surface of
the wrapper comprises the coating comprising the combustion retarding salt. In
other
embodiments, all of a surface of the wrapper comprises the coating comprising
the
combustion retarding salt.
In an article comprising the coating described herein, a portion of the
wrapper towards
or at the distal end of the consumable may comprise the coating comprising the
combustion retarding salt. This embodiment enjoys the advantage of preventing
the
wrapper combusting if an attempt is made to light the consumable like a
cigarette.
The portion of the wrapper with the coating comprising the combustion
retarding salt
may be from about 3 to about 15%, or from about 3 to about 8%, or from about 8
to
about 12%, of the total surface area of the wrapper. The portion of the
wrapper
comprising the coating combustion retarding salt may be from about 1 to about
10 mm,
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from about 3 to about 8 mm, or from about 4 to about 6 mm of the length of the
consumable from the distal end. Alternatively, the portion of the wrapper
comprising
the coating comprising the combustion retarding salt may be located at most
about 1
mm, about 3 mm, about 5 mm or about 7 mm from the distal end of the wrapper.
The
poition of the wrapper comprising the coating comprising the combustion
retarding
salt may be located at least about 1 mm, about 3 mm, about 5 mm or about 7 mm
from
the distal end of the wrapper.
The wrapper
_ro The wrapper may comprise or consist substantially of paper or a paper-
like material.
Said paper or paper-like material may be between about 20 gsm and about 90
gsm,
between about 25 gsm and about 35 gsm, or between about 55 gsm and 65 gsm. The
inventors have found that thicker papers perform better in this invention and
additionally thicker paper provides adequate structural integrity to the rod.
In some embodiments the wrapper may have a plurality of vents and/or
perforations.
This increases the ventilation in the article, can enhance the user's
experience of the
flavour properties of the aerosol generating material and provide the
appropriate
pressure drop for ease of use. The location of these vents and/or perforations
may be
from about 0.5 mm to about to mm, from about 1 mm to about 4 mm or from about
4mm to about 8 mm from the distal end of the rod. The vents and/or
perforations may
be of any suitable size and/or number. The size, number and location on the
wrapper of
the vents and/or perforations may be selected to provide the appropriate flow
through
of air. For example, more numerous and larger vents and/or perforations may
introduce more air into the rod, increase the flow-through of air and thus
provide the
appropriate pressure drop.
As used herein, the term "delivery system" is intended to encompass systems
that
deliver at least one substance to a user, and includes non-combustible aerosol
provision
systems that release compounds from an aerosol-generating material without
combusting the aerosol-generating material, such as electronic cigarettes,
tobacco
heating products, and hybrid systems to generate aerosol using a combination
of
aerosol-generating materials.
In some embodiments, the delivery system is a non-combustible aerosol
provision
system, such as a powered non-combustible aerosol provision system.
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According to the present disclosure, a "non-combustible" aerosol provision
system is
one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision
system (or
component thereof) is not combusted or burned in order to facilitate delivery
of at least
one substance to a user.
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an
electronic
cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery
system (END),
although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating
material is
not a requirement.
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an
aerosol-
generating material heating system, also known as a heat-not-burn system. An
example of such a system is a tobacco heating system.
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a hybrid
system to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating
materials, one or
a plurality of which may be heated. Each of the aerosol-generating materials
may be,
for example, in the form of a solid, liquid or gel and may or may not contain
nicotine.
In some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosol-
generating
material and a solid aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating
material
may comprise, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.
Typically, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise a non-
combustible aerosol provision device and a consumable for use with the non-
combustible aerosol provision device.
In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to consumables comprising aerosol-
generating material and configured to be used with non-combustible aerosol
provision
devices. These consumables are sometimes referred to as articles throughout
the
disclosure.
An aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating
aerosol, for
example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. Aerosol-
generating
material may, for example, be in the form of a solid, liquid or gel which may
or may not
contain an active substance and/or flavourants. In some embodiments, the
aerosol-
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generating material may comprise an "amorphous solid", which may alternatively
be
referred to as a "monolithic solid" (i.e. non-fibrous). In some embodiments,
the
amorphous solid may be a dried gel. The amorphous solid is a solid material
that may
retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it. In some embodiments, the aerosol-
generating material may for example comprise from about 50 wt%, about 6o wt%
or
about 70 wt% of amorphous solid, to about 90 wt%, 95 wt% or loo wt% of
amorphous
solid.
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a
non-
combustible aerosol provision device thereof, may comprise a power source and
a
controller. The power source may, for example, be an electric power source or
an
exothermic power source. In some embodiments, the exothermic power source
comprises a carbon substrate which may be energised so as to distribute power
in the
form of heat to an aerosol-generating material or to a heat transfer material
in
proximity to the exothermic power source.
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise
an
area for receiving the consumable, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation
area, a
housing, a mouthpiece, a filter and/or an aerosol-modifying agent.
In some embodiments, the consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol
provision device may comprise aerosol-generating material, an aerosol-
generating
material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an
aerosol
generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a filter, a
mouthpiece,
and/or an aerosol-modifying agent.
In some embodiments, the article, wrapper, carrier, amorphous solid, aerosol-
generating material or any component of the article may further comprise one
or more
of aerosol-former material(s), functional material(s), flavour(s),
botanical(s), active
substance(s) or aerosol-modifying agent.
The one or more other functional materials may comprise one or more of pH
regulators, colouring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers,
and/or
antioxidants.
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The aerosol-former material may comprise one or more constituents capable of
forming
an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol-former material may comprise one
or
more of glycerine, glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene
glycol,
tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl
vanillate,
ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetin
mixture, benzyl
benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid,
myristic acid, and
propylene carbonate.
The one or more other functional materials may comprise one or more of pH
regulators, colouring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers,
and/or
antioxidants.
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, aspartame,
saccharine,
cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and
other
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additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath
freshening
agents. They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends
thereof. They
may be in any suitable form, for example, liquid such as an oil, solid such as
a powder,
or gas.
In some embodiments, the flavour comprises menthol, spearmint and/or
peppermint.
In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components of cucumber,
blueberry, citrus fruits and/or redberry. In some embodiments, the flavour
comprises
eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components
extracted
io 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
eucolyptol, WS-3.
In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises a flavour.
The active substance as used herein may be a physiologically active material,
which is a
material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. The active
substance
may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics, and
psychoactives. The
active substance may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. The
active
substance may comprise for example nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine,
vitamins such
as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or constituents, derivatives, or
combinations thereof. The active substance may comprise one or more
constituents,
derivatives or extracts of tobacco, cannabis or another botanical. In some
embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises an active substance.
In some embodiments, the active substance comprises nicotine. In some
embodiments,
the active substance comprises caffeine, melatonin or vitamin B12.
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As noted herein, the active substance may comprise one or more constituents,
derivatives or extracts of cannabis, such as one or more cannabinoids or
terpenes.
As noted herein, the active substance may comprise or be derived from one or
more
botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof. As used herein,
the term
"botanical" includes any material derived from plants including, but not
limited to,
extracts, leaves, bark, fibres, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen,
husk, shells or
the like. Alternatively, the material may comprise an active compound
naturally
existing in a botanical, obtained synthetically. The material may be in the
form of
liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles, granules, pellets,
shreds, strips,
sheets, or the like. Example botanicals are tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise,
hemp, cocoa,
cannabis, fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint, rooibos, chamomile, flax,
ginger,
ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, licorice (liquorice), matcha, mate,
orange skin,
papaya, rose, sage, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, clove,
cinnamon, coffee,
aniseed (anise), basil, bay leaves, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg,
oregano,
paprika, rosemary, saffron, lavender, lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower,
vanilla,
wintergreen, beefsteak plant, curcuma, turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro,
bergamot,
orange blossom, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram,
olive,
lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, geranium, mulberry,
ginseng,
theanine, theacrine, maca, ashwagandha, damiana, guarana, chlorophyll, baobab
or
any combination thereof. The mint may be chosen from the following mint
varieties:
Mentha Arventis, Mentha c.v., Mentha niliaca, Mentha piperita, Mentha piperita
citrata
c.v., Mentha piperita c.v., Mentha spicata crispa, Mentha cardifolia, Mentha
longifolia,
Mentha suaveolens variegata, Mentha pulegium, Mentha spicata c.v. and Mentha
suaveolens
In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or is derived from one or
more
botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical
is tobacco.
In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or
more
botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical
is selected
from eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa and hemp.
In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or
more
botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical
is selected
from rooibos and fennel.
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An aerosol-modifying agent is a substance, typically located downstream of the
aerosol
generation area, that is configured to modify the aerosol generated, for
example by
changing the taste, flavour, acidity or another characteristic of the aerosol.
The aerosol-
modifying agent may be provided in an aerosol-modifying agent release
component
that is operable to selectively release the aerosol-modifying agent
The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be an additive or a sorbent. The
aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, comprise one or more of a
flavourant, a
colourant, water, and a carbon adsorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for
example, be a solid, a liquid, or a gel. The aerosol-modifying agent may be in
powder,
thread or granule form. The aerosol-modifying agent may be free from
filtration
material.
In some embodiments, the article comprises a substrate. The material may be
present
on or in a support, to form a substrate. The support may, for example, be or
comprise
paper, card, paperboard, cardboard, reconstituted material, a plastics
material, a
ceramic material, a composite material, glass, a metal, or a metal alloy. In
some
embodiments, the support comprises a susceptor. In some embodiments, the
susceptor
is embedded within the material. In some alternative embodiments, the
susceptor is on
one or either side of the material.
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system comprises a
consumable. A consumable is an article comprising or consisting of aerosol-
generating
material, part or all of which is intended to be consumed during use by a
user. A
consumable may comprise one or more other components, such as an aerosol-
generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer
component,
an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a mouthpiece, a filter
and/or an
aerosol-modifying agent. A consumable may also comprise an aerosol generator,
such
as a heater, that emits heat to cause the aerosol-generating material to
generate aerosol
in use. The heater may, for example, comprise combustible material, a material
heatable by electrical conduction, or a susceptor.
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system comprises a
susceptor. A susceptor is a material that is heatable by penetration with a
varying
magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. The susceptor may be an
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electrically-conductive material, so that penetration thereof with a varying
magnetic
field causes induction heating of the heating material. The heating material
may be
magnetic material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field
causes
magnetic hysteresis heating of the heating material. The susceptor may be both
electrically-conductive and magnetic, so that the susceptor is heatable by
both heating
mechanisms. The device that is configured to generate the varying magnetic
field is
referred to as a magnetic field generator, herein.
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system comprises an
io aerosol generator. An aerosol generator is an apparatus configured to
cause aerosol to
be generated from the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the
aerosol
generator is a heater configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to
heat
energy, so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosol-generating
material to
form an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is configured to
cause an
aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material without heating.
For
example, the aerosol generator may be configured to subject the aerosol-
generating
material to one or more of vibration, increased pressure, or electrostatic
energy.
Figure 1 is a side-on cross sectional view of a consumable or article 1 for
use in an
aerosol delivery system. The article 1 comprises a mouthpiece segment 2, and
an
aerosol generating segment 3.
The aerosol generating segment 3 is in the form of a cylindrical rod and
comprises an
aerosol-generating material 4 comprising, in this example, cut rag
reconstituted
tobacco. The aerosol-generating material can be any suitable material.
The mouthpiece segment 2, in the illustrated embodiment, includes a body of
material
5 such as a fibrous or filamentary tow.
The rod-shaped consumable 1 further comprises a wrapper 6 circumscribing the
mouthpiece segment 2 and aerosol generating segment 3, such as a paper
wrapper. The
wrapper 6 includes coating 7 at the distal end.
Figure 2 shows an example of a non-combustible aerosol provision device mo for
generating aerosol from an aerosol-generating medium/material such as the
aerosol-
generating material of a consumable 110, as described herein. In broad
outline, the
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device 100 may be used to heat a replaceable article no comprising the aerosol-
generating medium, for instance an article 1 as illustrated in Figure 1 or as
described
elsewhere herein, to generate an aerosol or other inhalable medium which is
inhaled by
a user of the device 100. The device 100 and replaceable article no together
form a
system.
The device 100 comprises a housing 102 (in the form of an outer cover) which
surrounds and houses various components of the device 100. The device 100 has
an
opening 104 in one end, through which the article 110 may be inserted for
heating by a
ro heating assembly. In use, the article no may be fully or
partially inserted into the
heating assembly where it may be heated by one or more components of the
heater
assembly.
The device 100 of this example comprises a first end member 106 which
comprises a lid
108 which is moveable relative to the first end member 106 to close the
opening 104
when no article llo is in place. In Figure 2, the lid 108 is shown in an open
configuration, however the lid 108 may move into a closed configuration. For
example,
a user may cause the lid 108 to slide in the direction of arrow "B".
The device 100 may also include a user-operable control element 112, such as a
button
or switch, which operates the device 100 when pressed. For example, a user may
turn
on the device 100 by operating the switch 112.
The device loo may also comprise an electrical component, such as a
socket/port 114,
which can receive a cable to charge a battery of the device 100. For example,
the socket
114 may be a charging port, such as a USB charging port.
Examples
Articles comprising cut rag aerosol-generating material were prepared, using a
variety
of different wrappers.
For testing, the articles were lit in the manner of a combustible cigarette
and attempts
were made to smoke them by puffing. The greater the combustion resistance of
the
wrapper materials, the less of the article was combusted.
Example 1
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In a first example, various coatings on the wrappers surrounding a rod of
aerosol-
generating material were prepared by applying two layers of precursor
material. The
different tests used different concentrations of combustion retarding salt and
binder, as
shown in Table 1. The combustion retarding salt was NaCl, and the binder was
PVA
glue. All the articles did not ignite upon attempted combustion and performed
similarly
to the known combustion retardant foil.
Table 1
Test Combustion Binder: First layer Second layer Total
Coating
retarding salt distilled water (g) (g)
(g)
(%)
1 5.0 50:50 0.0156 0.0132 0.0288
2 7.0 25:75 0.0207 0.0148 0.0355
3 7.5 50:50 0.0161 0.0137 0.0298
io Example 2
In another series of tests, the coating according to the invention was
combined with an
additional sheet of an amorphous solid comprising combustion retarding salt.
The wrappers comprised coatings containing various amounts of combustion
retarding
salt and binder. The sheet of amorphous solid circumscribed the article at the
distal
end, covering the distal 5 mm of the paper wrapper.
The tests showed that the combination of the amorphous solid material
comprising
sodium chloride and the coating comprising binder and combustion retarding
salt
resisted combustion well and performed similarly to the known combustion
retardant
foil.
Table 2
Test Combustion Binder:distilled Amorphous solid
comprising
retarding salt (%) water combustion retarding
salt
4 7-5 50:50 Yes
5 7.0 25:75 Yes
6 5.0 5o:5o No
7 7.0 25:75 No
8 7.5 50:50 No
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The various embodiments described herein are presented only to assist in
understanding and teaching the claimed features. These embodiments are
provided as
a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or
exclusive.
It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions,
features,
structures, and/or other aspects described herein are not to be considered
limitations
on the scope of the invention as defined by the claims or limitations on
equivalents to
the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilised and modifications may
be
made without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. Various
embodiments of the invention may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist
essentially
ro of, appropriate combinations of the disclosed elements, components,
features, parts,
steps, means, etc., other than those specifically described herein. In
addition, this
disclosure may include other inventions not presently claimed, but which may
be
claimed in future.
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