Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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An article for use in an aerosol provision system
Technical Field
The present invention relates to an article for use in a non-combustible
aerosol
provision system, a method of manufacturing an article, and a system including
the
article and a device for heating aerosol generating material of the article.
Background
Certain tobacco industry products produce an aerosol during use, which is
inhaled by a
user. For example, tobacco heating devices heat an aerosol generating
substrate such
as tobacco to form an aerosol by heating, but not burning, the substrate. Such
tobacco
industry products commonly include mouthpieces, through which the aerosol
passes to
reach the user's mouth, and a wrapper (also known as a tipping paper)
extending
around the mouthpiece and at least part of the aerosol generating substrate.
Summary
In accordance with embodiments of the invention, in a first aspect there is
provided an
article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system, the article
comprising an
aerosol generating material, a mouthpiece downstream of the aerosol generating
material and a wrapper, wherein the wrapper comprises a sensate material.
In accordance with embodiments of the invention, in a second aspect there is
provided
a method of manufacturing an article according to the first aspect, the method
comprising coating at least a portion of the wrapper with the sensate
material.
In accordance with embodiments of the invention, in a third aspect there is
provided an
article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system, the article
manufactured
according to the second aspect.
In accordance with embodiments of the invention, in a fourth aspect there is
provided a
system comprising an article as set out in the first or third aspects and a
device for
heating the aerosol generating material.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only,
with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
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Figure 1 is a side-on cross sectional view of an article for use with a non-
combustible
aerosol provision device, the article including a mouthpiece;
Figure la is a side view of the mouthpiece comprising a wrapper and a sensate
material;
Figure lb is a top view of a flat sheet of the wrapper of Figure 1a;
Figure 2a is a side-on cross sectional view of a further article for use with
a non-
combustible aerosol provision device, in this example the article including a
capsule-
containing mouthpiece;
Figure 2b is a cross sectional view of the capsule-containing mouthpiece shown
in
Figure 2a;
/o Figure 3 is a perspective illustration of a non-combustible aerosol
provision device for
generating aerosol from the aerosol generating material of the articles of
Figures 1, 2a
and 2b;
Figure 4 illustrates the device of Figure 3 with the outer cover removed and
without an
article present;
/5 Figure 5 is a side view of the device of Figure 3 in partial cross-
section;
Figure 6 is an exploded view of the device of Figure 3, with the outer cover
omitted;
Figure 7A is a cross sectional view of a portion of the device of Figure 3;
Figure 78 is a close-up illustration of a region of the device of Figure 7A;
and
Figure 8 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing an article
for use with
20 a non-combustible aerosol provision device.
Detailed Description
As used herein, the term "delivery system" is intended to encompass systems
that
deliver a substance to a user, and includes:
25 combustible aerosol provision systems, such as cigarettes, cigarillos,
cigars, and
tobacco for pipes or for roll-your-own or for make-your-own cigarettes
(whether based
on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco,
tobacco
substitutes or other smokable material);
non-combustible aerosol provision systems that release compounds from an
30 aerosolisable material without combusting the aerosolisable material,
such as
electronic cigarettes, tobacco heating products, and hybrid systems to
generate aerosol
using a combination of aerosolisable materials;
articles comprising aerosolisable material and configured to be used in one of
these non-combustible aerosol provision systems; and
35 aerosol-free delivery systems, such as lozenges, gums, patches, articles
comprising inhalable powders, and smokeless tobacco products such as snus and
snuff,
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which deliver a material to a user without forming an aerosol, wherein the
material may
or may not comprise nicotine.
According to the present disclosure, a "combustible" aerosol provision system
is one
where a constituent aerosolisable material of the aerosol provision system (or
component thereof) is combusted or burned in order to facilitate delivery to a
user.
According to the present disclosure, a "non-combustible" aerosol provision
system is
one where a constituent aerosolisable material of the aerosol provision system
(or
io component thereof) is not combusted or burned in order to facilitate
delivery to a user.
In embodiments described herein, the delivery system is a non-combustible
aerosol
provision system, such as a powered non-combustible aerosol provision system.
In one embodiment, 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 aerosolisable
material is not a
requirement.
In one embodiment, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a tobacco
heating
system, also known as a heat-not-burn system.
In one embodiment, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a hybrid
system
to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosolisable materials, one or a
plurality of
which may be heated. Each of the aerosolisable materials may be, for example,
in the
form of a solid, liquid or gel and may or may not contain nicotine. In one
embodiment,
the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosolisable material and a solid
aerosolisable material. The solid aerosolisable 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 an article for use with the non-
combustible
aerosol provision system. However, it is envisaged that articles which
themselves
comprise a means for powering an aerosol generating component may themselves
form
the non-combustible aerosol provision system.
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In one embodiment, the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise a
power source and a controller. The power source may be an electric power
source or an
exothermic power source. In one embodiment, the exothermic power source
comprises
a carbon substrate which may be energised so as to distribute power in the
form of heat
to an aerosolisable material or heat transfer material in proximity to the
exothermic
power source. In one embodiment, the power source, such as an exothermic power
source, is provided in the article so as to form the non-combustible aerosol
provision.
In one embodiment, the article for use with the non-combustible aerosol
provision
io .. device may comprise an aerosolisable material, an aerosol generating
component, an
aerosol generating area, a mouthpiece, and/or an area for receiving
aerosolisable
material.
In one embodiment, the aerosol generating component is a heater capable of
/5 interacting with the aerosolisable material so as to release one or more
volatiles from
the aerosolisable material to form an aerosol. In one embodiment, the aerosol
generating component is capable of generating an aerosol from the
aerosolisable
material without heating. For example, the aerosol generating component may be
capable of generating an aerosol from the aerosolisable material without
applying heat
20 thereto, for example via one or more of vibrational, mechanical,
pressurisation or
electrostatic means.
In one embodiment, the aerosolisable material may comprise an active material,
an
aerosol forming material and optionally one or more functional materials. The
active
25 material may comprise nicotine (optionally contained in tobacco or a
tobacco
derivative) or one or more other non-olfactory physiologically active
materials. A non-
olfactory physiologically active material is a material which is included in
the
aerosolisable material in order to achieve a physiological response other than
olfactory
perception.
The aerosol forming 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.
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The one or more functional materials may comprise one or more of flavours,
carriers,
pH regulators, stabilizers, and/or antioxidants.
In one embodiment, the article for use with the non-combustible aerosol
provision
5 device may comprise aerosolisable material or an area for receiving
aerosolisable
material. In one embodiment, the article for use with the non-combustible
aerosol
provision device may comprise a mouthpiece. The area for receiving
aerosolisable
material may be a storage area for storing aerosolisable material. For
example, the
storage area may be a reservoir. In one embodiment, the area for receiving
m aerosolisable material may be separate from, or combined with, an aerosol
generating
area.
Aerosolisable material, which also may be referred to herein as aerosol
generating
material, is material that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when
heated,
/5 irradiated or energized in any other way. Aerosolisable material may,
for example, be
in the form of a solid, liquid or gel which may or may not contain nicotine
and/or
flavourants. In some embodiments, the aerosolisable 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
20 amorphous solid is a solid material that may retain some fluid, such as
liquid, within it.
In some embodiments, the aerosolisable material may for example comprise from
about 50w1%, 60vvt% or 70vvt% of amorphous solid, to about 90vvt%, 95vvt% or
wowt%
of amorphous solid.
25 The aerosolisable material may be present on a substrate. The substrate
may, for
example, be or comprise paper, card, paperboard, cardboard, reconstituted
aerosolisable material, a plastics material, a ceramic material, a composite
material,
glass, a metal, or a metal alloy.
30 An aerosol modifying agent is a substance that is able to modify aerosol
in use. The
agent may modify aerosol in such a way as to create a physiological or sensory
effect on
the human body. Example aerosol modifying agents are flavourants and sensate
materials. A sensate material creates an organoleptic sensation that can be
perceived
through the senses, such as a cool or sour sensation.
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A susceptor is material that is heatable by penetration with a varying
magnetic field,
such as an alternating magnetic field. The heating material may be an
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 heating material may be both
electrically-conductive and magnetic, so that the heating material is heatable
by both
heating mechanisms.
io Induction heating is a process in which an electrically-conductive
object is heated by
penetrating the object with a varying magnetic field. The process is described
by
Faraday's law of induction and Ohm's law. An induction heater may comprise an
electromagnet and a device for passing a varying electrical current, such as
an
alternating current, through the electromagnet. When the electromagnet and the
/5 object to be heated are suitably relatively positioned so that the
resultant varying
magnetic field produced by the electromagnet penetrates the object, one or
more eddy
currents are generated inside the object. The object has a resistance to the
flow of
electrical currents. Therefore, when such eddy currents are generated in the
object,
their flow against the electrical resistance of the object causes the object
to be heated.
20 This process is called Joule, ohmic, or resistive heating. An object
that is capable of
being inductively heated is known as a susceptor.
In one embodiment, the susceptor is in the form of a closed circuit. It has
been found
that, when the susceptor is in the form of a closed circuit, magnetic coupling
between
25 the susceptor and the electromagnet in use is enhanced, which results in
greater or
improved Joule heating.
Magnetic hysteresis heating is a process in which an object made of a magnetic
material
is heated by penetrating the object with a varying magnetic field. A magnetic
material
30 can be considered to comprise many atomic-scale magnets, or magnetic
dipoles. When
a magnetic field penetrates such material, the magnetic dipoles align with the
magnetic
field. Therefore, when a varying magnetic field, such as an alternating
magnetic field,
for example as produced by an electromagnet, penetrates the magnetic material,
the
orientation of the magnetic dipoles changes with the varying applied magnetic
field.
35 Such magnetic dipole reorientation causes heat to be generated in the
magnetic
material.
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When an object is both electrically-conductive and magnetic, penetrating the
object
with a varying magnetic field can cause both Joule heating and magnetic
hysteresis
heating in the object. Moreover, the use of magnetic material can strengthen
the
magnetic field, which can intensify the Joule heating.
In each of the above processes, as heat is generated inside the object itself,
rather than
by an external heat source by heat conduction, a rapid temperature rise in the
object
and more uniform heat distribution can be achieved, particularly through
selection of
suitable object material and geometry, and suitable varying magnetic field
magnitude
io and orientation relative to the object. Moreover, as induction heating
and magnetic
hysteresis heating do not require a physical connection to be provided between
the
source of the varying magnetic field and the object, design freedom and
control over the
heating profile may be greater, and cost may be lower.
Articles, for instance those in the shape of rods, are often named according
to the
product length: "regular" (typically in the range 68 ¨ 75 mm, e.g. from about
68 mm to
about 72 mm), "short" or "mini" (68 mm or less), "king-size" (typically in the
range 75 ¨
91 mm, e.g. from about 79 mm to about 88 mm), "long" or "super-king"
(typically in the
range 91 ¨ 105 mm, e.g. from about 94 mm to about 101 mm) and "ultra-long"
(typically in the range from about no mm to about 121 mm).
They are also named according to the product circumference: "regular" (about
23 ¨ 25
mm), "wide" (greater than 25 mm), "slim" (about 22 - 23 mm), "demi-slim"
(about 19
- 22 mm), "super-slim" (about 16 ¨ 19 mm), and "micro-slim" (less than about
16 mm).
Accordingly, an article in a king-size, super-slim format will, for example,
have a length
of about 83 mm and a circumference of about 17 mm.
Each format may be produced with mouthpieces of different lengths. The
mouthpiece
length will be from about 3omm to 50 mm. A tipping paper connects the
mouthpiece
to the aerosol generating material and will usually have a greater length than
the
mouthpiece, for example from 3 to io mm longer, such that the tipping paper
covers
the mouthpiece and overlaps the aerosol generating material, for instance in
the form
of a rod of substrate material, to connect the mouthpiece to the rod.
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Articles and their aerosol generating materials and mouthpieces described
herein can
be made in, but are not limited to, any of the above formats.
The terms 'upstream' and 'downstream' used herein are relative terms defined
in
relation to the direction of mainstream aerosol drawn though an article or
device in
use.
The filamentary tow material described herein can comprise cellulose acetate
fibre tow.
The filamentary tow can also be formed using other materials used to form
fibres, such
io as polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), polylactic acid (PLA), polycaprolactone
(PCL), poly(1-4
butanediol succinate) (PBS), poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)(PBAT),
starch
based materials, cotton, aliphatic polyester materials and polysaccharide
polymers or a
combination thereof. The filamentary tow may be plasticised with a suitable
plasticiser
for the tow, such as triacetin where the material is cellulose acetate tow, or
the tow may
is be non-plasticised. The tow can have any suitable specification, such as
fibres having a
'Y' shaped or other cross section such as 'X' shaped, filamentary denier
values between
2.5 and 15 denier per filament, for example between 8.0 and 11.0 denier per
filament
and total denier values of 5,000 to 50,000, for example between 10,000 and
40,000.
20 As used herein, the term "tobacco material" refers to any material
comprising tobacco
or derivatives or substitutes thereof. The term "tobacco material" may include
one or
more of tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco
or
tobacco substitutes. The tobacco material may comprise one or more of ground
tobacco, tobacco fibre, cut tobacco, extruded tobacco, tobacco stem, tobacco
lamina,
25 reconstituted tobacco and/or tobacco extract.
As used herein, the terms "flavour" and "flavourant" refer to materials which,
where
local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste or aroma in a
product for
adult consumers. In some embodiments, a sensate material may comprise or
consist of
30 a flavourant. One or more flavours can be used as the aerosol modifying
agent
described herein.
They may include extracts (e.g., licorice, hydrangea, Japanese white bark
magnolia leaf,
chamomile, fenugreek, clove, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed, cinnamon, herb,
35 wintergreen, cherry, berry, peach, apple, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch,
whiskey,
spearmint, peppermint, lavender, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg,
sandalwood,
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bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil,
cassia,
caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, piment, ginger, anise,
coriander,
coffee, or a mint oil from any species of the genus Mentha), 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
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, oil, liquid, or powder.
In the figures described herein, like reference numerals are used to
illustrate equivalent
features, articles or components.
Figure 1 is a side-on cross sectional view of an article for use with an
aerosol generation
device 1, also referred to herein as an article for use with a non-combustible
aerosol
provision device.
The article 1 comprises a mouthpiece 2, and a cylindrical rod of aerosol
generating
material 3, in the present case tobacco material, connected to the mouthpiece
2.
A mouthpiece wrapper 5, also described herein as a tipping paper 5, is wrapped
around
the full length of the mouthpiece 2 and over part of the rod of aerosol
generating
material 3 and has an adhesive on its inner surface to connect the mouthpiece
2 and
rod 3.
In the present example, the tipping paper 5 extends 5 mm over the rod of
aerosol
generating material 3 but it can alternatively extend between 3 mm and 10 mm
over the
rod 3, or more preferably between 4 mm and 6 mm, to provide a secure
attachment
between the mouthpiece 2 and rod 3. The tipping paper 5 can have a basis
weight
which is higher than the basis weight of plug wraps used in the article for
use with an
aerosol generation device 1, for instance a basis weight of 40 gsm to 80 gsm,
more
preferably between 50 gsm and 70 gsm, and in the present example 58 gsm. These
ranges of basis weights have been found to result in tipping papers having
acceptable
tensile strength while being flexible enough to wrap around the article 1 and
adhere to
itself along a longitudinal lap seam on the paper. The outer circumference of
the
tipping paper 5, once wrapped around the mouthpiece 2, is about 21MM.
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According to some embodiments of an aspect of the disclosure, there is
provided an
article for use in an aerosol provision system, the article including an
aerosol
generating material or substrate, a mouthpiece downstream of the aerosol
generating
5 material and a wrapper, wherein the wrapper comprises a sensate material.
A portion of the mouthpiece wrapper 5 close to the downstream end of the
mouthpiece
2 comes into contact with the consumer's lips during use.
io Referring to Figure la, the mouthpiece wrapper 5 comprises a first end
5c, which
terminates at the downstream end 2b of the mouthpiece 2, and a second end
opposite
the first end 5c.
The wrapper 5 is arranged to extend around at least a portion of the aerosol
generating
/5 material 3 and at least a portion of the mouthpiece 2 of the article for
use with an
aerosol generation device 1.
The mouthpiece wrapper 5 is thus arranged to wrap around and enclose the
mouthpiece 2 in a region between the upstream end 2b and downstream end 2a of
the
mouthpiece 2. The second end 5d extends beyond the upstream end 2a (not shown)
of
the mouthpiece 2 and extends partially over and around the aerosol generating
material
3 enclosed by an aerosol generating material wrapper lo (not shown),
terminating part
way along the length of the aerosol generating material wrapper 10. The
mouthpiece
wrapper 5 may be arranged such that, when the article 1 is inserted into
heating device,
a portion of the mouthpiece wrappers is heated to the same or a similar
temperature as
the aerosol generating material. In some embodiments, the first end 5c of the
mouthpiece wrappers may define the portion of the mouthpiece wrapper closest
to the
downstream end 2b of the mouthpiece, whilst the second end 5d of the
mouthpiece
wrappers may define a portion of the mouthpiece wrapper that is closest to the
aerosol
generating material 3.
The mouthpiece wrapper 5 comprises a sensate material 5a (illustrated by the
hatched
area). The sensate material may comprise a flavourant, as herein described. In
some
embodiments, the flavourant may suitably be liquorice, rose oil, vanilla,
lemon oil,
orange oil, a mint- flavour, suitably menthol and/or a mint oil from any
species of the
genus Mentha such as peppermint oil and/or spearmint oil, or lavender, fennel
or
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anise. In preferred embodiments, the sensate material comprises sugars and/or
sugar
substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine,
cyclamates,
lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol). Additionally or
alternatively,
the sensate material may comprise a material that delivers a cooling, heating
or sour
sensation to the consumer during use of the article.
In some embodiments, the sensate material may comprise one or more of pH
regulators, stabilizers, and/or antioxidants. These materials may help to
increase the
shelf-life of the mouthpiece wrapper 5 and thus the article 1.
The sensate material can be encapsulated in an encapsulating material. For
instance,
the sensate material can be provided in the form of microcapsules which are
applied to
the wrapper 5. Encapsulation of the sensate material may provide various
advantages.
For example, as discussed below, the sensate material may comprise or consist
of a
.. flavourant having a desired taste or aroma. Encapsulation may enhance the
longevity
of the taste and/or aroma.
In particular, encapsulation of the sensate material may improve the longevity
of the
aroma of the sensate material by reinforcing the flavour detected by the user.
Thus, the
aroma may continue to be detected by a user even after the flavour has
diminished (e.g.
when the flavour is no longer detectable by the user or is less detectable by
the
consumer), thereby enhancing the user's experience.
The encapsulated sensate material may also help to mask other aromas that may
be
emitted by components of the article for use in a non-combustible aerosol
provision
system before or during its use.
The encapsulated sensate material may exhibit an aroma that is indicative of
the
flavour of the sensate material. For example, the aroma may provide the user
with a
cue to the flavour of the sensate material. This may help the user to place
the flavour of
the sensate material rapidly.
The mouthpiece wrapper 5 may comprise an inwardly facing surface and an
outwardly
facing surface and the sensate material may be present on at least a portion
of the
.. inwardly facing surface and/or the outwardly facing surface of the wrapper.
As shown
in Figure la, the sensate material 5a may be disposed on an outwardly facing
surface of
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the mouthpiece wrapper 5 in an area which comes into contact with the
consumer's lips
during use. By disposing the sensate material 5a on the outwardly facing
surface of the
mouthpiece wrapper 5, the sensate material may be transferred to the
consumer's lips
during use. Transfer of the sensate material to the consumer's lips during use
of the
article may modify the organoleptic properties (e.g. taste) of the aerosol
generated by
the aerosol generating substrate 3. For example, the sensate material 5a may
impart
flavour to the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating substrate 3. The
sensate
material 5a may be at least partially soluble in water such that it may be
transferred to
the user via the consumer's saliva.
In some embodiments, the sensate material 5a may comprise an aerosol modifying
additive, which may be a sensate material that volatilises by, for example,
the heat
generated by the article 1. This may facilitate transfer of the sensate
material 5a to the
aerosol generated by the aerosol generating substrate 3.
Additionally or alternatively, the sensate material 5a may also be disposed on
an
inwardly facing surface of the mouthpiece wrappers. In such embodiments, the
sensate material 5a may modify the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating
substrate 3 as it passes from the aerosol generating substrate 3 to the
downstream end
of the mouthpiece 2.
The mouthpiece 2 temperature can be significantly higher than consumers may be
accustomed to when smoking, for instance, conventional cigarettes. As the
mouthpiece
wrappers is arranged to extend around at least a portion of the aerosol
generating
substrate 3 (which is heated during use of the article 1) and around at least
a portion of
the mouthpiece 2 of the article 1, the mouthpiece wrapper 5 heats up during
use of the
article 1. In some embodiments, the temperature of a portion of the mouthpiece
wrapper 5 closest to the aerosol generating substrate 3 reaches a temperature
of up to
about 300 C, about 350 C or about 400 C or more when in use. The
temperature of
the mouthpiece wrapper 5 decreases between an end of the mouthpiece wrapper 5
closest to the aerosol generating substrate 3 and an end of the mouthpiece
wrapper 5
closest to the mouthpiece 2 of the article. Relative to conventional
cigarettes 1 and the
like, the higher temperature attained by the mouthpiece 2 (and thus the
mouthpiece
wrappers) may assist with the transfer of the sensate material 5a to the
consumer.
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In some embodiments, the article 1 is arranged such that, when the aerosol
generating
substrate 3 is heated to above about 200 C, a temperature of a portion of the
mouthpiece wrapper 5 closest to the aerosol generating substrate 3 is at least
about
60%, at least about 70%, at least about 80% or at least about 90% higher than
a
temperature of a portion of the mouthpiece wrapper 5 closest to the downstream
end of
the mouthpiece.
In some embodiments, the temperature of the portion of the mouthpiece wrapper
5
closest to the downstream end of the mouthpiece 2 is between about 30 C and
about
45 C. In a preferred embodiment, the temperature of the portion of the
mouthpiece
wrappers closest to the downstream end of the mouthpiece 2 is between about 36
C
and 43 C.
The sensate material 5a may be located on a portion of the mouthpiece wrapper
5 that
/5 reaches a relatively high temperature (e.g. on the portion of mouthpiece
wrapper 5
closest to the aerosol generating material). The sensate material 5a may
volatilise at
these higher temperatures when the article 1 is in use and modify (e.g. by
becoming
entrained in) the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating substrate 3.
This may
alter (e.g. improve) the organoleptic properties of the aerosol.
Alternatively or in addition, the sensate material 5a may be disposed on a
portion of the
mouthpiece wrappers that is closer to the mouthpiece 2 of the article 1. This
portion
of mouthpiece wrapper 5 will be cooler than the portion of mouthpiece wrapper
5
closest to the aerosol generating substrate 3. This may be a more appropriate
position
on the mouthpiece wrapper 5 for certain sensate materials, such as those that
do not
tolerate high temperatures and/or those that are intended to be transferred
directly
from the outwardly facing surface of the mouthpiece wrappers to the consumer's
lips.
The mouthpiece wrapper 5 may be impregnated with the sensate material 5a such
that
it is present on the outwardly facing surface of the mouthpiece wrapper 5, the
inwardly
facing surface of the mouthpiece wrappers or in the body of the mouthpiece
wrappers.
Advantageously, a relatively low amount of sensate material 5a may be required
in
order to modify the sensory properties delivered to the consumer during use of
the
article 1, although this will, to some extent, depend on the properties of the
senate
material 5a because the minimum amount that is needed to modify the sensory
properties will vary between different sensate materials. This may have the
advantage
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14
that the addition of the sensate material to the mouthpiece wrapper 5 may not
significantly increase the overall weight of the article 1.
The mouthpiece wrapper 5 may comprise the sensate material 5a in an amount of
up to
about 0.3 g/m2 by weight of the mouthpiece wrapper 5, up to about 0.2 g/m2 by
weight
of the mouthpiece wrapper 5 or up to about 0.1 g/m2 by weight of the
mouthpiece
wrapper 5. The mouthpiece wrapper 5 may comprise the sensate material 5a in an
amount of between about 0.01 g/m2 and about 0.3 g/m2. In a preferred
embodiment,
the mouthpiece wrapper 5 comprises the sensate material in an amount of
between
/o about 0.02 g/m2 and about 0.2 g/m3.
It may be desirable for about 100% of the surface area of the inwardly facing
surface
and/or the outwardly facing surface to comprise the sensate material 5a. In
other
words, about 100% of the inwardly facing surface and/or the outwardly facing
surface
/5 may be coated with the sensate material 5a.
The sensate material 5a may not coat the entire inwardly and/or outwardly
facing
surface of the mouthpiece wrapper 5. A region 5b of the mouthpiece wrapper 5
may be
free from or substantially free from the sensate material 5a. In other words,
some of
20 the surface area of the inwardly facing surface and/or the outwardly
facing surface may
not comprise any of the sensate material 5a. By only coating certain portions
of the
inwardly and/or the outwardly facing surfaces with the sensate material, and
leaving
the remaining portions free from the sensate material, the cost of
manufacturing the
mouthpiece wrapper 5 may be reduced.
In some embodiments, a portion of the wrapper closest to the aerosol
generating
material or the downstream end of the mouthpiece comprises the sensate
material and
a portion of the wrapper closest to the other of the aerosol generating
material and the
downstream end of the mouthpiece does not comprise the sensate material.
In some embodiments, less than about 90%, 80%, 70%, 60%, 50%, 40%, 30%, 20% or
10% of a surface area of the inwardly facing surface and/or the outwardly
facing surface
comprises the sensate material 5a. The sensate material 5a may form a coating
which
extends from the first end of the mouthpiece wrapper 5 along up to about 10%,
about
20%, about 30%, about 40%, about 5o%, about 60%, about 70%, about 80% or about
90% on the inwardly and/or outwardly facing surfaces.
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The concentration of the sensate material 5a may vary between the first end of
the
mouthpiece wrapper 5 and a portion of the mouthpiece wrapper 5 closest to the
sensate
material. For example, a portion of the mouthpiece wrapper 5 closest to the
aerosol
5 generating material 3 may comprise a relatively low concentration of the
sensate
material 5a, whilst a portion of the mouthpiece wrapper 5 closest to the
downstream
end 2b of the mouthpiece 2 may comprise a relatively high concentration of the
sensate
material 5a. The concentration of sensate material 5a may gradually increase
from the
portion of the mouthpiece wrappers closest to the aerosol generating material
3 to the
io .. portion of mouthpiece wrapper 5 closest to the downstream end 2b of the
mouthpiece
2.
The mouthpiece wrapper 5 may comprise at least one sensate materials 5a. Where
the
mouthpiece wrapper 5 comprises more than one sensate material 5a, the inwardly
/5 .. and/or outwardly facing surfaces of the mouthpiece wrappers may comprise
a
homogeneous mixture of the sensate materials. Alternatively, the sensate
materials
may be disposed on separate discrete regions of the inwardly and/or outwardly
facing
surfaces of the mouthpiece wrappers. Including more than one sensate material
may
allow for the sensory characteristics of the aerosol generated by the aerosol
generating
substrate 3 to change during use of the article 1, thereby enhancing the
sensory
characteristics of the aerosol.
The sensate material 5a may be arranged to form a discontinuous coating on the
inwardly facing and/or the outwardly facing surfaces of the mouthpiece
wrappers.
Patterns may be formed by coating the sensate material on the inwardly and/or
outwardly facing surfaces of the mouthpiece wrapper 5. For example, the
sensate
material 5a may be coated on the outwardly facing surface of the mouthpiece
wrapper 5
as a series of discrete dots or lines of sensate material.
As shown in Figure lb, the mouthpiece wrapper 5 comprises the sensate material
disposed on a surface of a flat sheet of mouthpiece wrapper 5. The flat sheet
of
mouthpiece wrapper 5 may be wrapped around at least a portion of the
mouthpiece 2
and at least a portion of the aerosol generating material 3. This method may
be used in
the manufacture of an article 1 comprising the mouthpiece wrapper 5.
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16
The mouthpiece wrapper 5 may be manufactured by applying at least a portion of
the
mouthpiece wrapper 5 with the sensate material 5a. In some embodiments, at
least a
portion of the mouthpiece wrapper 5 is coated with the sensate material 5a.
This may
be achieved by, for example, printing the sensate material onto the surface of
the
mouthpiece wrapper 5 or by dipping at least a portion of the mouthpiece
wrapper 5 into
the sensate material. Printing the sensate material onto a surface of the
mouthpiece
wrapper 5 may be advantageous because it may allow for the rapid production of
the
mouthpiece wrapper 5.
Preferably, the mouthpiece wrapper 5 is made from a non-porous material, for
instance
having a permeability of less than about loo Coresta units, less than about 90
Coresta
units, less than about 80 Coresta units, less than about 70 Coresta units,
less than
about 60 Coresta units or less than about 50 Coresta units. In a preferred
embodiment,
the wrapper has a permeability of less than about 60 Coresta units. Forming
the
/5 mouthpiece wrappers from a non-porous material may help to prevent
leaching of the
sensate material from the mouthpiece wrappers into other regions of the
mouthpiece 2
during storage or during use of the article 1. For example, where the sensate
material is
disposed on the outwardly facing surface of the mouthpiece wrapper 5, it may
be
prevented from being absorbed into the body of the mouthpiece wrappers. This
may
improve the shelf-life of the article.
According to some embodiments of an aspect of the disclosure, there is
provided
method of manufacturing the article for use with an aerosol generation device
as
described herein, the method comprising coating at least a portion of the
wrapper with
the sensate material. According to some embodiments of an aspect of the
disclosure,
there is provided an article for use with an aerosol generation device
manufactured
according to this method.
According to embodiments of an aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a
system
comprising an article for use with an aerosol generation device as described
herein and
a device for heating the aerosol generating material. The device may be
arranged to
receive at least a portion of the article for use with an aerosol generation
device
comprising the aerosol generating material and to heat the portion of the
article for use
with an aerosol generation device comprising the aerosol generating material
and
generate the aerosol from the aerosol generating material.
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The device may be arranged to heat the aerosol generating material to at least
200 C
such that a temperature of a portion of the wrapper closest to the aerosol
generating
material is at least about 60%, at least about 70%, at least about 80% or at
least about
90% higher than a temperature of a portion of the wrapper closest to the
downstream
end of the mouthpiece.
The device may comprise a coil arranged to heat the portion of the article for
use with
an aerosol generation device comprising the aerosol generating material.
io Referring again to Figure 1, the aerosol generating material 3, also
referred to herein as
an aerosol generating substrate 3, comprises at least one aerosol forming
material. In
the present example, the aerosol forming material is glycerol. In alternative
examples,
the aerosol forming material can be another material as described herein or a
combination thereof. The aerosol forming material has been found to improve
the
.. sensory performance of the article, by helping to transfer compounds such
as flavour
compounds from the aerosol generating material to the consumer. However, an
issue
with adding such aerosol forming materials to the aerosol generating material
within an
article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system can be that,
when the
aerosol forming material is aerosolised upon heating, it can increase the mass
of
.. aerosol which is delivered by the article, and this increased mass can
maintain a higher
temperature as it passes through the mouthpiece. As it passes through the
mouthpiece,
the aerosol transfers heat into the mouthpiece and this warms the outer
surface of the
mouthpiece, including the area which comes into contact with the consumers
lips
during use. The mouthpiece temperature can be significantly higher than
consumers
may be accustomed to when smoking, for instance, conventional cigarettes, and
this
can be an undesirable effect caused by the use of such aerosol forming
materials.
As shown in Figure 1, the mouthpiece 2 of the article 1 comprises an upstream
end 2a
adjacent to the aerosol generating substrate 3 and a downstream end 2b distal
from the
aerosol generating substrate 3. The mouthpiece may comprise a hollow tube 4,
also
referred to herein as a hollow tubular element. As shown in Figure 1, at the
downstream end 2b, the mouthpiece 2 has a hollow tubular element 4 formed from
filamentary tow. This has advantageously been found to significantly reduce
the
temperature of the outer surface of the mouthpiece 2 at the downstream end 2b
of the
mouthpiece which comes into contact with a consumer's mouth when the article 1
is in
use. In addition, the use of the tubular element 4 has also been found to
significantly
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18
reduce the temperature of the outer surface of the mouthpiece 2 even upstream
of the
tubular element 4. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is hypothesised
that this
is due to the tubular element 4 channelling aerosol closer to the centre of
the
mouthpiece 2, and therefore reducing the transfer of heat from the aerosol to
the outer
surface of the mouthpiece 2.
In alternative embodiments, the mouthpiece 2 does not comprise a hollow
tubular
element 4. In such embodiments, the mouthpiece 2 may comprise a body of
material
(not shown) that permits the passage of fluid between the aerosol generating
substrate
/0 3 and the downstream end 2b of the mouthpiece 2. For example, the
mouthpiece may
comprise a porous body of material, such as a plug of filter material.
In the present example, the article 1 has an outer circumference of about 21
mm (i.e. the
article is in the demi-slim format). In other examples, the article can be
provided in
/5 any of the formats described herein, for instance having an outer
circumference of
between 15mm and 25mm. Since the article is to be heated to release an
aerosol,
improved heating efficiency can be achieved using articles having lower outer
circumferences within this range, for instance circumferences of less than
23mm. To
achieve improved aerosol via heating, while maintaining a suitable product
length,
20 article circumferences of greater than 19mm have also been found to be
particularly
effective. Articles having circumferences of between 19mm and 23mm, and more
preferably between 20MM and 22MM, have been found to provide a good balance
between providing effective aerosol delivery while allowing for efficient
heating.
25 The outer circumference of the mouthpiece 2 is substantially the same as
the outer
circumference of the rod of aerosol generating material 3, such that there is
a smooth
transition between these components. In the present example, the outer
circumference
of the mouthpiece 2 is about 20.8mm.
30 In the illustrated embodiment, the mouthpiece wrapper is wrapped around
the full
length of the mouthpiece 2 and over part of the rod of aerosol generating
material 3 and
has an adhesive on its inner surface to connect the mouthpiece 2 and rod 3. In
the
present example, the tipping paper 5 extends 5 mm over the rod of aerosol
generating
material 3 but it can alternatively extend between 3 mm and 10 mm over the rod
3, or
35 more preferably between 4 mm and 6 mm, to provide a secure attachment
between the
mouthpiece 2 and rod 3. The tipping paper 5 can have a basis weight which is
higher
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19
than the basis weight of plug wraps used in the article 1, for instance a
basis weight of
40 gsm to 80 gsm, more preferably between 50 gsm and 70 gsm, and in the
present
example 58 gsm. These ranges of basis weights have been found to result in
tipping
papers having acceptable tensile strength while being flexible enough to wrap
around
the article 1 and adhere to itself along a longitudinal lap seam on the paper.
The outer
circumference of the tipping paper 5, once wrapped around the mouthpiece 2, is
about
21MM.
The "wall thickness" of the hollow tubular element 4 corresponds to the
thickness of the
io wall of the tube 4 in a radial direction. This may be measured, for
example, using a
calliper. The wall thickness is advantageously greater than 0.9mm, and more
preferably
tomm or greater. Preferably, the wall thickness is substantially constant
around the
entire wall of the hollow tubular element 4. However, where the wall thickness
is not
substantially constant, the wall thickness is preferably greater than 0.9 mm
at any point
/5 around the hollow tubular element 4, more preferably 1. omm or greater.
Preferably, the length of the hollow tubular element 4 is less than about 20
mm. More
preferably, the length of the hollow tubular element 4 is less than about 15
mm. Still
more preferably, the length of the hollow tubular element 4 is less than about
10 mm.
20 In addition, or as an alternative, the length of the hollow tubular
element 4 is at least
about 5 mm. Preferably, the length of the hollow tubular element 4 is at least
about 6
mm. In some preferred embodiments, the length of the hollow tubular element 4
is
from about 5 mm to about 20 mm, more preferably from about 6 mm to about 10
mm,
even more preferably from about 6 mm to about 8 mm, most preferably about 6
mm, 7
25 mm or about 8 mm. In the present example, the length of the hollow
tubular element 4
is 6 mm.
Preferably, the density of the hollow tubular element 4 is at least about 0.25
grams per
cubic centimetre (g/cc), more preferably at least about 0.3 g/cc. Preferably,
the density
30 of the hollow tubular element 4 is less than about 0.75 grams per cubic
centimetre
(g/cc), more preferably less than 0.6 g/cc. In some embodiments, the density
of the
hollow tubular element 4 is between 0.25 and 0.75 g/cc, more preferably
between 0.3
and 0.6 g/cc, and more preferably between 0.4 g/cc and 0.6 g/cc or about 0.5
g/cc.
These densities have been found to provide a good balance between improved
firmness
35 afforded by denser material and the lower heat transfer properties of
lower density
material. For the purposes of the present invention, the "density" of the
hollow tubular
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element 4 refers to the density of the filamentary tow forming the element
with any
plasticiser incorporated. The density may be determined by dividing the total
weight of
the hollow tubular element 4 by the total volume of the hollow tubular element
4,
wherein the total volume can be calculated using appropriate measurements of
the
5 hollow tubular element 4 taken, for example, using callipers. Where
necessary, the
appropriate dimensions may be measured using a microscope.
The filamentary tow forming the hollow tubular element 4 preferably has a
total denier
of less than 45,000, more preferably less than 42,000. This total denier has
been found
io to allow the formation of a tubular element 4 which is not too dense.
Preferably, the
total denier is at least 20,000, more preferably at least 25,000. In preferred
embodiments, the filamentary tow forming the hollow tubular element 4 has a
total
denier between 25,000 and 45,000, more preferably between 35,000 and 45,000.
Preferably the cross-sectional shape of the filaments of tow are 'Y' shaped,
although in
/5 other embodiments other shapes such as 'X' shaped filaments can be used.
The filamentary tow forming the hollow tubular element 4 preferably has a
denier per
filament of greater than 3. This denier per filament has been found to allow
the
formation of a tubular element 4 which is not too dense. Preferably, the
denier per
20 filament is at least 4, more preferably at least 5. In preferred
embodiments, the
filamentary tow forming the hollow tubular element 4 has a denier per filament
between 4 and 10, more preferably between 4 and 9. In one example, the
filamentary
tow forming the hollow tubular element 4 has an 8Y40,000 tow formed from
cellulose
acetate and comprising 18% plasticiser, for instance triacetin.
The hollow tubular element 4 preferably has an internal diameter of greater
than
3.omm. Smaller diameters than this can result in increasing the velocity of
aerosol
passing though the mouthpiece 2 to the consumers mouth more than is desirable,
such
that the aerosol becomes too warm, for instance reaching temperatures greater
than
40 C or greater than 45 C. More preferably, the hollow tubular element 4 has
an
internal diameter of greater than 3.imm, and still more preferably greater
than 3.mm
or 3.6mm. In one embodiment, the internal diameter of the hollow tubular
element 4
is about 3.9mm.
The hollow tubular element 4 preferably comprises from 15% to 22% by weight of
plasticiser. For cellulose acetate tow, the plasticiser is preferably
triacetin, although
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other plasticisers such as polyethelyne glycol (PEG) can be used. More
preferably, the
tubular element 4 comprises from 16% to 20% by weight of plasticiser, for
instance
about 17%, about 18% or about 19% plasticiser.
The pressure drop or difference (also referred to a resistance to draw) across
the
mouthpiece, for instance the part of the article 1 downstream of the aerosol
generating
material 3, is preferably less than about 40 mmH2o. Such pressure drops have
been
found to allow sufficient aerosol, including desirable compounds such as
flavour
compounds, to pass through the mouthpiece 2 to the consumer. More preferably,
the
/o pressure drop across the mouthpiece 2 is less than about 32mmH20. In
some
embodiments, particularly improved aerosol has been achieved using a
mouthpiece 2
having a pressure drop of less than 31 mmH2o, for instance about 29 mmH2o,
about 28
mmH2o or about 27.5 mmH2o. Alternatively or additionally, the mouthpiece
pressure
drop can be at least 10 mmH2o, preferably at least 15 mmH2o and more
preferably at
/5 least 20 mmH2o. In some embodiments, the mouthpiece pressure drop can be
between
about 15 mmH2o and 40 mmH2o. These values enable the mouthpiece 2 to slow down
the aerosol as it passes through the mouthpiece 2 such that the temperature of
the
aerosol has time to reduce before reaching the downstream end 2b of the
mouthpiece 2.
20 The mouthpiece 2, in the present example, includes a body of material 6
upstream of
the hollow tubular element 4, in this example adjacent to and in an abutting
relationship with the hollow tubular element 4. The body of material 6 and
hollow
tubular element 4 each define a substantially cylindrical overall outer shape
and share a
common longitudinal axis. The body of material 6 is wrapped in a first plug
wrap 7.
25 Preferably, the first plug wrap 7 has a basis weight of less than 50
gsm, more preferably
between about 20 gsm and 40 gsm. Preferably, the first plug wrap 7 has a
thickness of
between 30 pm and 60 m, more preferably between 35 rn and 45 m. Preferably,
the
first plug wrap 7 is a non-porous plug wrap, for instance having a
permeability of less
than loo Coresta units, for instance less than 50 Coresta units. However, in
other
30 embodiments, the first plug wrap 7 can be a porous plug wrap, for
instance having a
permeability of greater than 200 Coresta Units.
Preferably, the length of the body of material 6 is less than about 15 mm.
More
preferably, the length of the body of material 6 is less than about 10 mm. In
addition, or
35 as an alternative, the length of the body of material 6 is at least
about 5 mm.
Preferably, the length of the body of material 6 is at least about 6 mm. In
some
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22
preferred embodiments, the length of the body of material 6 is from about 5 mm
to
about 15 mm, more preferably from about 6 mm to about 12 mm, even more
preferably
from about 6 mm to about 12 111111, most preferably about 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9
mm or
mm. In the present example, the length of the body of material 6 is 10 mm.
5
In the present example, the body of material 6 is formed from filamentary tow.
In the
present example, the tow used in the body of material 6 has a denier per
filament
(d.p.f.) of 8.4 and a total denier of 21,000. Alternatively, the tow can, for
instance, have
a denier per filament (d.p.f.) of 9.5 and a total denier of 12,000. In the
present
10 example, the tow comprises plasticised cellulose acetate tow. The
plasticiser used in
the tow comprises about 7% by weight of the tow. In the present example, the
plasticiser is triacetin. In other examples, different materials can be used
to form the
body of material 6. For instance, rather than tow, the body 6 can be formed
from
paper, for instance in a similar way to paper filters known for use in
cigarettes.
Alternatively, the body 6 can be formed from tows other than cellulose
acetate, for
instance polylactic acid (PLA), other materials described herein for
filamentary tow or
similar materials. The tow is preferably formed from cellulose acetate. The
tow,
whether formed from cellulose acetate or other materials, preferably has a
d.p.f. of at
least 5, more preferably at least 6 and still more preferably at least 7.
These values of
denier per filament provide a tow which has relatively coarse, thick fibres
with a lower
surface area which result in a lower pressure drop across the mouthpiece 2
than tows
having lower d.p.f. values. Preferably, to achieve a sufficiently uniform body
of material
6, the tow has a denier per filament of no more than 12 d.p.f., preferably no
more than
n d.p.f. and still more preferably no more than 10 d.p.f.
The total denier of the tow forming the body of material 6 is preferably at
most 30,000,
more preferably at most 28,000 and still more preferably at most 25,000. These
values
of total denier provide a tow which takes up a reduced proportion of the cross
sectional
area of the mouthpiece 2 which results in a lower pressure drop across the
mouthpiece
2 than tows having higher total denier values. For appropriate firmness of the
body of
material 6, the tow preferably has a total denier of at least 8,000 and more
preferably at
least 10,000. Preferably, the denier per filament is between 5 and 12 while
the total
denier is between 10,000 and 25,000. More preferably, the denier per filament
is
between 6 and 10 while the total denier is between 11,000 and 22,000.
Preferably the
cross-sectional shape of the filaments of tow are 'Y' shaped, although in
other
embodiments other shapes such as 'X' shaped filaments can be used, with the
same
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23
d.p.f. and total denier values as provided herein.
In the present example the hollow tubular element 4 is a first hollow tubular
element 4
and the mouthpiece includes a second hollow tubular element 8, also referred
to as a
.. cooling element, upstream of the first hollow tubular element 4. In the
present
example, the second hollow tubular element 8 is upstream of, adjacent to and
in an
abutting relationship with the body of material 6. The body of material 6 and
second
hollow tubular element 8 each define a substantially cylindrical overall outer
shape and
share a common longitudinal axis. The second hollow tubular element 8 is
formed
/o from a plurality of layers of paper which are parallel wound, with
butted seams, to form
the tubular element 8. In the present example, first and second paper layers
are
provided in a two-ply tube, although in other examples 3, 4 or more paper
layers can be
used forming 3, 4 or more ply tubes. Other constructions can be used, such as
spirally
wound layers of paper, cardboard tubes, tubes formed using a papier-mâché type
/5 process, moulded or extruded plastic tubes or similar. The second hollow
tubular
element 8 can also be formed using a stiff plug wrap and/or tipping paper as
the second
plug wrap 9 and/or tipping paper 5 described herein, meaning that a separate
tubular
element is not required. The stiff plug wrap and/or tipping paper is
manufactured to
have a rigidity that is sufficient to withstand the axial compressive forces
and bending
20 .. moments that might arise during manufacture and whilst the article 1 is
in use. For
instance, the stiff plug wrap and/or tipping paper can have a basis weight
between 70
gsm and 120 gsm, more preferably between 80 gsm and no gsm. Additionally or
alternatively, the stiff plug wrap and/or tipping paper can have a thickness
between 80
m and 200 m, more preferably between 100 pm and 160 pm, or from 120 VIM to
150
25 VIM. It can be desirable for both the second plug wrap 9 and tipping
paper 5 to have
values in these ranges, to achieve an acceptable overall level of rigidity for
the second
hollow tubular element 8.
The second hollow tubular element 8 preferably has a wall thickness, which can
be
30 .. measured in the same way as that of the first hollow tubular element 4,
of at least about
100 m and up to about 1.5mm, preferably between 100 pm and 1 mm and more
preferably between 150 pm and 500 m, or about 300 m. In the present example,
the
second hollow tubular element 8 has a wall thickness of about 290 VIM.
35 .. Preferably, the length of the second hollow tubular element 8 is less
than about 50 mm.
More preferably, the length of the second hollow tubular element 8 is less
than about
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24
40 mm. Still more preferably, the length of the second hollow tubular element
8 is less
than about 30 mm. In addition, or as an alternative, the length of the second
hollow
tubular element 8 is preferably at least about 10 mm. Preferably, the length
of the
second hollow tubular element 8 is at least about 15 mm. In some preferred
embodiments, the length of the second hollow tubular element 8 is from about
20 IT1111
to about 30 mm, more preferably from about 22 111111 to about 28 mm, even more
preferably from about 24 to about 26 mm, most preferably about 25 mm. In the
present
example, the length of the second hollow tubular element 8 is 25 mm.
/o The second hollow tubular element 8 is located around and defines an air
gap within
the mouthpiece 2 which acts as a cooling segment. The air gap provides a
chamber
through which heated volatilised components generated by the aerosol
generating
material 3 flow. The second hollow tubular element 8 is hollow to provide a
chamber
for aerosol accumulation yet rigid enough to withstand axial compressive
forces and
is bending moments that might arise during manufacture and whilst the
article 1 is in use.
The second hollow tubular element 8 provides a physical displacement between
the
aerosol generating material 3 and the body of material 6. The physical
displacement
provided by the second hollow tubular element 8 will provide a thermal
gradient across
the length of the second hollow tubular element 8.
Preferably, the mouthpiece 2 comprises a cavity having an internal volume
greater than
450 mm3. Providing a cavity of at least this volume has been found to enable
the
formation of an improved aerosol. Such a cavity size provides sufficient space
within
the mouthpiece 2 to allow heated volatilised components to cool, therefore
allowing the
exposure of the aerosol generating material 3 to higher temperatures than
would
otherwise be possible, since they may result in an aerosol which is too warm.
In the
present example, the cavity is formed by the second hollow tubular element 8,
but in
alternative arrangements it could be formed within a different part of the
mouthpiece 2.
More preferably, the mouthpiece 2 comprises a cavity, for instance formed
within the
second hollow tubular element 8, having an internal volume greater than 500
mm3, and
still more preferably greater than 550 mm3, allowing further improvement of
the
aerosol. In some examples, the internal cavity comprises a volume of between
about
550 mm3 and about 750 mm3, for instance about 600 mm3 or 700 mm3.
The second hollow tubular element 8 can be configured to provide a temperature
differential of at least 40 degrees Celsius between a heated volatilised
component
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entering a first, upstream end of the second hollow tubular element 8 and a
heated
volatilised component exiting a second, downstream end of the second hollow
tubular
element 8. The second hollow tubular element 8 is preferably configured to
provide a
temperature differential of at least 60 degrees Celsius, preferably at least
80 degrees
5 Celsius and more preferably at least loo degrees Celsius between a heated
volatilised
component entering a first, upstream end of the second hollow tubular element
8 and a
heated volatilised component exiting a second, downstream end of the second
hollow
tubular element 8. This temperature differential across the length of the
second hollow
tubular element 8 protects the temperature sensitive body of material 6 from
the high
io temperatures of the aerosol generating material 3 when it is heated.
In alternative articles, the second hollow tubular element 8 can be replaced
with an
alternative cooling element, for instance an element formed from a body of
material
which allows aerosol to pass through it longitudinally, and which also
performs the
15 function of cooling the aerosol.
In the present example, the first hollow tubular element 4, body of material 6
and
second hollow tubular element 8 are combined using a second plug wrap 9 which
is
wrapped around all three sections. Preferably, the second plug wrap 9 has a
basis
20 weight of less than 50 gsm, more preferably between about 20 gsm and 45
gsm.
Preferably, the second plug wrap 9 has a thickness of between 30 vtrn and 60
vtm, more
preferably between 35 vtrn and 45 vim. The second plug wrap 9 is preferably a
non-
porous plug wrap having a permeability of less than loo Coresta Units, for
instance less
than 50 Coresta Units. However, in alternative embodiments, the second plug
wrap 9
25 can be a porous plug wrap, for instance having a permeability of greater
than 200
Coresta Units.
In the present example, the aerosol generating material 3 is wrapped in a
wrapper 10.
The wrapper 10 can, for instance, be a paper or paper-backed foil wrapper. In
the
present example, the wrapper 10 is substantially impermeable to air. In
alternative
embodiments, the wrapper 10 preferably has a permeability of less than loo
Coresta
Units, more preferably less than 60 Coresta Units. It has been found that low
permeability wrappers, for instance having a permeability of less than loo
Coresta
Units, more preferably less than 60 Coresta Units, result in an improvement in
the
aerosol formation in the aerosol generating material 3. Without wishing to be
bound by
theory, it is hypothesised that this is due to reduced loss of aerosol
compounds through
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the wrapper 10. The permeability of the wrapper 10 can be measured in
accordance
with ISO 2965:2009 concerning the determination of air permeability for
materials
used as cigarette papers, filter plug wrap and filter joining paper.
.. In the present embodiment, the wrapper 10 comprises aluminium foil.
Aluminium foil
has been found to be particularly effective at enhancing the formation of
aerosol within
the aerosol generating material 3. In the present example, the aluminium foil
has a
metal layer having a thickness of about 6 m. In the present example, the
aluminium
foil has a paper backing. However, in alternative arrangements, the aluminium
foil can
io be other thicknesses, for instance between 4 m and 16 m in thickness.
The
aluminium foil also need not have a paper backing, but could have a backing
formed
from other materials, for instance to help provide an appropriate tensile
strength to the
foil, or it could have no backing material. Metallic layers or foils other
than aluminium
can also be used. The total thickness of the wrapper is preferably between 20
VIM and
60 pm, more preferably between 30 pm and 50 pm, which can provide a wrapper
having appropriate structural integrity and heat transfer characteristics. The
tensile
force which can be applied to the wrapper before it breaks can be greater than
3,000
grams force, for instance between 3,000 and 10,000 grams force or between
3,000 and
4,500 grams force.
In addition or as an alternative to applying the sensate material 5a as
described herein
to the mouthpiece wrapper 5, the a sensate material as described herein can be
applied
to the wrapper 10 which wraps the aerosol generating material. For instance, a
sensate
material can be applied to the wrapper 10 as a coating and/or impregnated into
the
material of the wrapper 10. The sensate material can be encapsulated within
microcapsules which can, for instance, be used as a coating on the wrapper 10
or
present within the fibrous structure of the wrapper 10. In these embodiments,
the
wrapper can comprise a metal foil, such as aluminium foil. The aluminium foil
can be
provided with a paper backing material as described above.
The article has a ventilation level of about 75% of the aerosol drawn through
the article.
In alternative embodiments, the article can have a ventilation level of
between 5o% and
80% of aerosol drawn through the article, for instance between 65% and 75%.
Ventilation at these levels helps to slow down the flow of aerosol drawn
through the
mouthpiece 2 and thereby enable the aerosol to cool sufficiently before it
reaches the
downstream end 2b of the mouthpiece 2. The ventilation is provided directly
into the
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27
mouthpiece 2 of the article 1. In the present example, the ventilation is
provided into
the second hollow tubular element 8, which has been found to be particularly
beneficial
in assisting with the aerosol generation process. The ventilation is provided
via first
and second parallel rows of perforations 12, in the present case formed as
laser
perforations, at positions 17.925 mm and 18.625 mm respectively from the
downstream, mouth-end 2b of the mouthpiece 2. These perforations pass though
the
tipping paper 5, second plug wrap 9 and second hollow tubular element 8. In
alternative embodiments, the ventilation can be provided into the mouthpiece
at other
locations, for instance into the body of material 6 or first tubular element 4-
In the present example, the aerosol forming material added to the aerosol
generating
substrate 3 comprises 14% by weight of the aerosol generating substrate 3.
Preferably,
the aerosol forming material comprises at least 5% by weight of the aerosol
generating
substrate, more preferably at least 10%. Preferably, the aerosol forming
material
/5 comprises less than 25% by weight of the aerosol generating substrate,
more preferably
less than 20%, for instance between 10% and 20%, between 12% and 18% or
between
13% and 16%.
Preferably the aerosol generating material 3 is provided as a cylindrical rod
of aerosol
generating material. Irrespective of the form of the aerosol generating
material, it
preferably has a length of about 10 mm to wo mm. In some embodiments, the
length
of the aerosol generating material is preferably in the range about 25 mm to
50 mm,
more preferably in the range about 30 mm to 45 mm, and still more preferably
about
mm to 40 mm.
The volume of aerosol generating material 3 provided can vary from about 200
MM3to
about 4300 mm3, preferably from about 500 mm3 to 1500 mm3, more preferably
from
about woo mm3 to about 1300 mm3. The provision of these volumes of aerosol
generating material, for instance from about 1000 mm3 to about 1300 mm3, has
been
advantageously shown to achieve a superior aerosol, having a greater
visibility and
sensory performance compared to that achieved with volumes selected from the
lower
end of the range.
The mass of aerosol generating material 3 provided can be greater than 200 mg,
for
instance from about 200 mg to 400 mg, preferably from about 230 mg to 360 mg,
more
preferably from about 250 mg to 360 mg. In some embodiments, the aerosol
generating
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28
substrate comprises between about 250 mg and about 380 mg, between about 300
mg
and about 360 mg, between about 320 mg and about 350 mg or between about 330
mg
and about 350 mg. It has been advantageously found that providing a higher
mass of
aerosol generating material results in improved sensory performance compared
to
aerosol generated from a lower mass of tobacco material.
Preferably the aerosol generating material or substrate is formed from tobacco
material
as described herein, which includes a tobacco component. Preferably, the
aerosol
generating material comprises a tobacco component.
In the tobacco material described herein, the tobacco component preferably
contains
paper reconstituted tobacco. The tobacco component may also contain leaf
tobacco,
extruded tobacco, and/or bandcast tobacco.
/5 The aerosol generating material 3 can comprise reconstituted tobacco
material having a
density of less than about 700 milligrams per cubic centimetre (mg/cc). Such
tobacco
material has been found to be particularly effective at providing an aerosol
generating
material which can be heated quickly to release an aerosol, as compared to
denser
materials. For instance, the inventors tested the properties of various
aerosol
generating materials, such as bandcast reconstituted tobacco material and
paper
reconstituted tobacco material, when heated. It was found that, for each given
aerosol
generating material, there is a particular zero heat flow temperature below
which net
heat flow is endothermic, in other words more heat enters the material than
leaves the
material, and above which net heat flow is exothermic, in other words more
heat leaves
the material than enters the material, while heat is applied to the material.
Materials
having a density less than 700 mg/cc had a lower zero heat flow temperature.
Since a
significant portion of the heat flow out of the material is via the formation
of aerosol,
having a lower zero heat flow temperature has a beneficial effect on the time
it takes to
first release aerosol from the aerosol generating material. For instance,
aerosol
generating materials having a density of less than 700 mg/cc were found to
have a zero
heat flow temperature of less than 164 C, as compared to materials with a
density over
700 mg/cc, which had zero heat flow temperatures greater than 164 C.
The density of the aerosol generating material also has an impact on the speed
at which
heat conducts through the material, with lower densities, for instance those
below 700
mg/cc, conducting heat more slowly through the material, and therefore
enabling a
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more sustained release of aerosol.
Preferably, the aerosol generating material 3 comprises reconstituted tobacco
material
having a density of less than about 700 mg/cc, for instance paper
reconstituted tobacco
material. More preferably, the aerosol generating material 3 comprises
reconstituted
tobacco material having a density of less than about 600 mg/cc. Alternatively
or in
addition, the aerosol generating material 3 preferably comprises reconstituted
tobacco
material having a density of at least 350 mg/cc, which is considered to allow
for a
sufficient amount of heat conduction through the material.
The tobacco material may be provided in the form of cut rag tobacco. The cut
rag
tobacco can have a cut width of at least 15 cuts per inch (about 5.9 cuts per
cm,
equivalent to a cut width of about 1.7mm). Preferably, the cut rag tobacco has
a cut
width of at least 18 cuts per inch (about 7.1 cuts per cm, equivalent to a cut
width of
/5 about 1.4mm), more preferably at least 20 cuts per inch (about 7.9 cuts
per cm,
equivalent to a cut width of about 1.27mm). In one example, the cut rag
tobacco has a
cut width of 22 cuts per inch (about 8.7 cuts per cm, equivalent to a cut
width of about
1.15mm). Preferably, the cut rag tobacco has a cut width at or below 40 cuts
per inch
(about 15.7 cuts per cm, equivalent to a cut width of about 0.64mm). Cut
widths
between 0.5 mm and 2.0 mm, for instance between 0.6 mm and 1.5 mm, or between
0.6 mm and 1.7mm, have been found to result in tobacco material which is
preferable
in terms of surface area to volume ratio, particularly when heated, and the
overall
density and pressure drop of the substrate 3. The cut rag tobacco can be
formed from a
mixture of forms of tobacco material, for instance a mixture of one or more of
paper
reconstituted tobacco, leaf tobacco, extruded tobacco and bandcast tobacco.
Preferably
the tobacco material comprises paper reconstituted tobacco or a mixture of
paper
reconstituted tobacco and leaf tobacco.
In the tobacco material described herein, the tobacco material may contain a
filler
component. The filler component is generally a non-tobacco component, that is,
a
component that does not include ingredients originating from tobacco. The
filler
component may be a non-tobacco fibre such as wood fibre or pulp or wheat
fibre. The
filler component may also be an inorganic material such as chalk, perlite,
vermiculite,
diatomaceous earth, colloidal silica, magnesium oxide, magnesium sulphate,
magnesium carbonate. The filler component may also be a non-tobacco cast
material or
a non-tobacco extruded material. The filler component may be present in an
amount of
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0 to 20% by weight of the tobacco material, or in an amount of from 1 to 10%
by weight
of the composition. In some embodiments, the filler component is absent.
In the tobacco material described herein, the tobacco material contains an
aerosol
5 forming material. In this context, an "aerosol forming material" is an
agent that
promotes the generation of an aerosol. An aerosol forming 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. In some embodiments, an
aerosol
forming material may improve the delivery of flavour from the aerosol
generating
/0 material. In general, any suitable aerosol forming material or agents
may be included in
the aerosol generating material of the invention, including those described
herein.
Other suitable aerosol forming materials include, but are not limited to: a
polyol such
as 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,
/5 glycerol derivatives, esters such as diacetin, triacetin, triethylene
glycol diacetate,
triethyl citrate or myristates including ethyl myristate and isopropyl
myristate and
aliphatic carboxylic acid esters such as methyl stearate, dimethyl
dodecanedioate and
dimethyl tetradecanedioate. In some embodiments, the aerosol forming material
may
be glycerol, propylene glycol, or a mixture of glycerol and propylene glycol.
Glycerol
20 may be present in an amount of from 10 to 20 % by weight of the tobacco
material, for
example 13 to 16 % by weight of the composition, or about 14% or 15% by weight
of the
composition. Propylene glycol, if present, may be present in an amount of from
0.1 to
0.3% by weight of the composition.
25 The aerosol forming material may be included in any component, for
example any
tobacco component, of the tobacco material, and/or in the filler component, if
present.
Alternatively or additionally the aerosol forming material may be added to the
tobacco
material separately. In either case, the total amount of the aerosol forming
material in
the tobacco material can be as defined herein.
The tobacco material can contain between 10% and 90% by weight tobacco leaf,
wherein the aerosol forming material is provided in an amount of up to about
10% by
weight of the leaf tobacco. To achieve an overall level of aerosol forming
material
between 10% and 20% by weight of the tobacco material, it has been
advantageously
found that this can be added in higher weight percentages to the another
component of
the tobacco material, such as reconstituted tobacco material.
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31
The tobacco material described herein contains nicotine. The nicotine content
is from
0.5 to 1.75% by weight of the tobacco material, and maybe, for example, from
0.8 to
1.5% by weight of the tobacco material. Additionally or alternatively, the
tobacco
material contains between 10% and 90% by weight tobacco leaf having a nicotine
content of greater than 1.5% by weight of the tobacco leaf. In a preferred
embodiment,
the tobacco material comprises leaf tobacco in an amount of between about 10%
and
about 30% by weight of the tobacco component. It has been advantageously found
that
using a tobacco leaf with nicotine content higher than 1.5% in combination
with a lower
/,9 nicotine base material, such as paper reconstituted tobacco, provides a
tobacco material
with an appropriate nicotine level but better sensory performance than the use
of paper
reconstituted tobacco alone. The tobacco leaf, for instance cut rag tobacco,
can, for
instance, have a nicotine content of between 1.5% and 5% by weight of the
tobacco leaf.
/5 The tobacco material described herein can contain an aerosol modifying
agent, such as
any of the flavours described herein. In one embodiment, the tobacco material
contains menthol, forming a mentholated article. The tobacco material can
comprise
from 3mg to 2omg of menthol, preferably between 5mg and 18mg and more
preferably
between 8mg and 16mg of menthol. In the present example, the tobacco material
20 comprises 16mg of menthol. The tobacco material can contain between 2%
and 8% by
weight of menthol, preferably between 3% and 7% by weight of menthol and more
preferably between 4% and 5.5% by weight of menthol. In one embodiment, the
tobacco material includes 4.7% by weight of menthol. Such high levels of
menthol
loading can be achieved using a high percentage of reconstituted tobacco
material, for
25 instance greater than 5o% of the tobacco material by weight.
Alternatively or
additionally, the use of a high volume of aerosol generating material, for
instance
tobacco material, can increase the level of menthol loading that can be
achieved, for
instance where greater than about 500 mm 3 or suitably more than about woo mm
3 of
aerosol generating material, such as tobacco material, are used.
In the compositions described herein, where amounts are given in % by weight,
for the
avoidance of doubt this refers to a dry weight basis, unless specifically
indicated to the
contrary. Thus, any water that may be present in the tobacco material, or in
any
component thereof, is entirely disregarded for the purposes of the
determination of the
weight %. The water content of the tobacco material described herein may vary
and
may be, for example, from 5 to 15% by weight. The water content of the tobacco
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32
material described herein may vary according to, for example, the temperature,
pressure and humidity conditions at which the compositions are maintained. The
water
content can be determined by Karl-Fisher analysis, as known to those skilled
in the art.
On the other hand, for the avoidance of doubt, even when the aerosol forming
material
is a component that is in liquid phase, such as glycerol or propylene glycol,
any
component other than water is included in the weight of the tobacco material.
However,
when the aerosol forming material is provided in the tobacco component of the
tobacco
material, or in the filler component (if present) of the tobacco material,
instead of or in
addition to being added separately to the tobacco material, the aerosol
forming material
io is not included in the weight of the tobacco component or filler
component, but is
included in the weight of the "aerosol forming material" in the weight % as
defined
herein. All other ingredients present in the tobacco component are included in
the
weight of the tobacco component, even if of non-tobacco origin (for example
non-
tobacco fibres in the case of paper reconstituted tobacco).
In an embodiment, the tobacco material comprises the tobacco component as
defined
herein and the aerosol forming material as defined herein. In an embodiment,
the
tobacco material consists essentially of the tobacco component as defined
herein and
the aerosol forming material as defined herein. In an embodiment, the tobacco
material
consists of the tobacco component as defined herein and the aerosol forming
material
as defined herein.
Paper reconstituted tobacco is present in the tobacco component of the tobacco
material described herein in an amount of from 10% to l00% by weight of the
tobacco
component. Preferably, the tobacco component comprises reconstituted tobacco
material in an amount of between about 70% and about 90% by weight of the
tobacco
component. In embodiments, the paper reconstituted tobacco is present in an
amount
of from io% to 80% by weight, or 20% to 70% by weight, of the tobacco
component. In
a further embodiment, the tobacco component consists essentially of, or
consists of,
paper reconstituted tobacco. In preferred embodiments, leaf tobacco is present
in the
tobacco component of the tobacco material in an amount of from at least io% by
weight
of the tobacco component. For instance, leaf tobacco can be present in an
amount of at
least io% by weight of the tobacco component, while the remainder of the
tobacco
component comprises paper reconstituted tobacco, bandcast reconstituted
tobacco, or
a combination of bandcast reconstituted tobacco and another form of tobacco
such as
tobacco granules.
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33
In a preferred embodiment, the tobacco component may comprise reconstituted
tobacco material in an amount of between about 70% and about 90% by weight of
the
tobacco component. In some embodiments, the leaf tobacco is present in an
amount of
between about 10% and about 30% by weight of the tobacco component.
Paper reconstituted tobacco refers to tobacco material formed by a process in
which
tobacco feedstock is extracted with a solvent to afford an extract of solubles
and a
residue comprising fibrous material, and then the extract (usually after
concentration,
io and optionally after further processing) is recombined with fibrous
material from the
residue (usually after refining of the fibrous material, and optionally with
the addition
of a portion of non-tobacco fibres) by deposition of the extract onto the
fibrous
material. The process of recombination resembles the process for making paper.
/5 The paper reconstituted tobacco may be any type of paper reconstituted
tobacco that is
known in the art. In a particular embodiment, the paper reconstituted tobacco
is made
from a feedstock comprising one or more of tobacco strips, tobacco stems, and
whole
leaf tobacco. In a further embodiment, the paper reconstituted tobacco is made
from a
feedstock consisting of tobacco strips and/or whole leaf tobacco, and tobacco
stems.
20 However, in other embodiments, scraps, fines and winnowings can
alternatively or
additionally be employed in the feedstock.
The paper reconstituted tobacco for use in the tobacco material described
herein may
be prepared by methods which are known to those skilled in the art for
preparing paper
25 reconstituted tobacco.
Figure 2a is a side-on cross sectional view of a further article 1' including
a capsule-
containing mouthpiece 2'. Figure 2b is a cross sectional view of the capsule-
containing
mouthpiece shown in Figure 2a through the line A-A' thereof. Article 1' and
capsule-
30 containing mouthpiece 2' are the same as the article 1 and mouthpiece 2
illustrated in
Figure 1, except that an aerosol modifying agent is provided within the body
of material
6, in the present example in the form of a capsule ii, and that an oil-
resistant first plug
wrap 7' surrounds the body of material 6. In some embodiments, the aerosol
modifying
agent may be encapsulated within a capsule. In other examples, the aerosol
modifying
35 agent can be provided in other forms, such as material injected into the
body of
material 6 or provided on a thread, for instance the thread carrying a
flavourant or
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34
other aerosol modifying agent, which may also be disposed within the body of
material
6. According to some embodiments, the body of material comprises an aerosol
modifying agent disposed therein.
The capsule 11 can comprise a breakable capsule, for instance a capsule which
has a
solid, frangible shell surrounding a liquid payload. In the present example, a
single
capsule 11 is used. The capsule 11 is entirely embedded within the body of
material 6.
In other words, the capsule 11 is completely surrounded by the material
forming the
body 6. In other examples, a plurality of breakable capsules may be disposed
within the
io body of material 6, for instance 2, 3 or more breakable capsules. The
length of the body
of material 6 can be increased to accommodate the number of capsules required.
In
examples where a plurality of capsules is used, the individual capsules may be
the same
as each other, or may differ from one another in terms of size and/or capsule
payload.
In other examples, multiple bodies of material 6 may be provided, with each
body
is containing one or more capsules.
The capsule ii has a core-shell structure. In other words, the capsule 11
comprises a
shell encapsulating a liquid agent, for instance a flavourant or other agent,
which can be
any one of the flavourants or aerosol modifying agents described herein. The
shell of
20 the capsule can be ruptured by a user to release the flavourant or other
agent into the
body of material 6. The first plug wrap 7' can comprise a barrier coating to
make the
material of the plug wrap substantially impermeable to the liquid payload of
the
capsule 11. Alternatively or in addition, the second plug wrap 9 and/or
tipping paper 5
can comprise a barrier coating to make the material of that plug wrap and/or
tipping
25 paper substantially impermeable to the liquid payload of the capsule 11.
In the present example, the capsule 11 is spherical and has a diameter of
about 3 mm.
In other examples, other shapes and sizes of capsule can be used. The total
weight of
the capsule 11 may be in the range about 10 mg to about 50 mg.
In the present example, the capsule 11 is located at a longitudinally central
position
within the body of material 6. That is, the capsule 11 is positioned so that
its centre is 4
mm from each end of the body of material 6. In other examples, the capsule 11
can be
located at a position other than a longitudinally central position in the body
of material
6, i.e. closer to the downstream end of the body of material 6 than the
upstream end, or
closer to the upstream end of the body of material 6 than the downstream end.
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Preferably, the mouthpiece 2' is configured so that the capsule ii and the
ventilation
holes 12 are longitudinally offset from each other in the mouthpiece 2'.
A cross section of the mouthpiece 2' is shown in Figure 2b, this being taken
through
5 line A-A' of Figure 2a. Figure 2b shows the capsule ii, the body of
material 6, the first
and second plug wraps 7', 9 and the tipping paper 5. In the present example,
the
capsule 11 is centred on the longitudinal axis (not shown) of the mouthpiece
2'. The
first and second plug wraps 7', 9 and tipping 5 are arranged concentrically
around the
body of material 6.
The breakable capsule ii has a core-shell structure. That is, the
encapsulating material
or barrier material creates a shell around a core that comprises the aerosol
modifying
agent. The shell structure hinders migration of the aerosol modifying agent
during
storage of the article 1' but allows controlled release of the aerosol
modifying agent, also
/5 referred to as an aerosol modifier, during use.
In some cases, the barrier material (also referred to herein as the
encapsulating
material) is frangible. The capsule is crushed or otherwise fractured or
broken by the
user to release the encapsulated aerosol modifier. Typically, the capsule is
broken
immediately prior to heating being initiated but the user can select when to
release the
aerosol modifier. The term "breakable capsule" refers to a capsule, wherein
the shell
can be broken by means of a pressure to release the core; more specifically
the shell can
be ruptured under the pressure imposed by the user's fingers when the user
wants to
release the core of the capsule.
In some cases, the barrier material is heat resistant. That is to say, in some
cases, the
barrier will not rupture, melt or otherwise fail at the temperature reached at
the capsule
site during operation of the aerosol provision device. Illustratively, a
capsule located in
a mouthpiece may be exposed to temperatures in the range of 30 C to 100 C for
example, and the barrier material may continue to retain the liquid core up to
at least
about 50 C to 120 C.
In other cases, the capsule releases the core composition on heating, for
example by
melting of the barrier material or by capsule swelling leading to rupture of
the barrier
material.
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36
The total weight of a capsule may be in the range of about 1 mg to about 100
mg,
suitably about 5 mg to about 60 mg, about 8 mg to about 50 mg, about lo mg to
about
20 mg, or about 12 mg to about 18 mg.
The total weight of the core formulation may be in the range of about 2 mg to
about 90
mg, suitably about 3 mg to about 70 mg, about 5 mg to about 25 mg, about 8 mg
to
about 20 mg, or about lo mg to about 15 mg.
The capsule according to the invention comprises a core as described above,
and a shell.
io .. The capsules may present a crush strength from about 4.5 N to about 40
N, more
preferably from about 5 N to about 30 N or to about 28 N (for instance about
9.8 N to
about 24.5 N). The capsule burst strength can be measured when the capsule is
removed from the body of material 6 and using a force gauge to measure the
force at
which the capsule bursts when pressed between two flat metal plates. A
suitable
/5 measurement device is the Sauter FK 50 force gauge with a flat headed
attachment,
which can be used to crush the capsule against a flat, hard surface having a
surface
similar to the attachment.
The capsules may be substantially spherical and have a diameter of at least
about 0.4
20 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.8 mm, 1.0 mm, 2.0 111111, 2.5 111111, 2.8 mm or 3.0 mm.
The diameter of
the capsules may be less than about 10.0 mm, 8.0 mm, 7.0 mm, 6.0 mm, 5.5 mm,
5.0
mm, 4.5 mm, 4.0 mm, 3.5 mm or 3.2 mm. Illustratively, the capsule diameter may
be in
the range of about 0.4 mm to about 10.0 mm, about 0.8 mm to about 6.0 mm,
about
2.5 mm to about 5.5 mm or about 2.8 mm to about 3.2 mm. In some cases, the
capsule
25 may have a diameter of about 3.0 mm. These sizes are particularly
suitable for
incorporation of the capsule into an article as described herein.
According to some embodiments, the body of material is in the form of a
cylinder
having a longitudinal axis, wherein the capsule is embedded within the body of
material
30 such that the capsule is surrounded on all sides by the material forming
the body, the
capsule having a shell encapsulating a liquid aerosol modifying agent, and
wherein the
largest cross sectional area of the capsule measured perpendicularly to the
longitudinal
axis is less than 28% of the cross sectional area of the body of material
measured
perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis.
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37
The cross-sectional area of the capsule 11 at its largest cross sectional area
is in some
embodiments less than 28% of the cross sectional area of the portion of the
mouthpiece
2' in which the capsule 11 is provided, more preferably less than 27% and
still more
preferably less than 25%. For instance, for the spherical capsule having a
diameter of
3.0 mm, the largest cross sectional area of the capsule is 7.07 mm2. For the
mouthpiece
2' having a circumference of 21 mm as described herein, the body of material 6
has an
outer circumference of 20.8 mm, and the radius of this component h will -..
-e 3.31 mm,
corresponding to a cross sectional area of 34.43 mm2. The capsule cross
sectional area
is, in this example, 20.5% of the cross-sectional area of the mouthpiece 2'.
As another
/0 example, if the capsule had a diameter of 3.2mm, its largest cross
sectional area would
be 8.04 mm2. In this case, the cross sectional area of the capsule would be
23.4% of the
cross sectional area of the body of material 6. A capsule with a largest cross
sectional
area less than 28% of the cross sectional area of the portion of the
mouthpiece 2' in
which the capsule 11 is provided has the advantage that the pressure drop
across the
/5 mouthpiece 2' is reduced as compared to capsules with larger cross
sectional areas and
adequate space remains around the capsule for aerosol to pass without the body
of
material 6 removing significant amounts of the aerosol mass as it passes
through the
mouthpiece 2'.
20 Preferably the pressure drop or difference (also referred to a
resistance to draw) across
the article, measured as the open pressure drop (i.e. with the ventilation
openings
open), reduces by less than 8 mmH20 when the capsule is broken. More
preferably, the
open pressure drop reduces by less than 6 mmH20 and more preferably less than
5
mmH20. These values are measured as the average achieved by at least 80
articles
25 made to the same design. Such small changes in pressure drop mean that
other aspects
of the product design, such as setting the correct ventilation level for a
given product
pressure drop, can be achieved irrespective of whether or not the consumer
chooses to
break the capsule.
30 In some embodiments, when the aerosol generating material 3 is heated to
provide an
aerosol, for instance within a non-combustible aerosol provision device as
described
herein, the part of the mouthpiece 2 in which the capsule is located reaches a
temperature of between 58 and 70 degrees Centigrade during use of the system
to
generate an aerosol. As a result of this temperature, the capsule contents are
warmed
35 sufficiently to promote volatisation of the capsule contents, for
instance an aerosol
modifying agent, into the aerosol formed by the system as the aerosol passes
through
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38
the mouthpiece 2. Warming the content of the capsule 11 can take place, for
instance,
before the capsule 11 has been broken, such that when the capsule 11 is
broken, its
contents are more readily released into the aerosol passing through the
mouthpiece 2.
Alternatively, the content of the capsule 11 can be warmed to this temperature
after the
capsule 11 has been broken, again resulting in the increased release of the
content into
the aerosol. Advantageously, mouthpiece temperatures in the range of 58 to 70
degrees
Centigrade have been found to be high enough that the capsule content can be
more
readily released, but low enough that the outer surface of the portion of the
mouthpiece
2 in which the capsule is located does not reach an uncomfortable temperature
for the
/o consumer to touch in order to burst the capsule 11 by squeezing on the
mouthpiece 2.
The temperature of the part of the mouthpiece 2 at which the capsule 11 is
located can
be measured using a digital thermometer with a penetration probe, arranged
such that
the probe enters the mouthpiece 2 through a wall of the mouthpiece 2 (forming
a seal to
/5 limit the amount of external air which could leak into the mouthpiece
around the
probe) and is located close to the location of the capsule 11. Similarly, a
temperature
probe can be placed on the outer surface of the mouthpiece 2 to measure the
temperature of the outer surface.
20 Table 1.0 below shows the temperature at the location of the capsule in
the mouthpiece
2 of an article used in an aerosol provision system during the first 5 puffs.
Data is
provided for an article when heated using a coil heating device as described
herein with
reference to Figures 3 to 7 using a 'standard' heating profile and for the
same article
when heated using the same device using a 'boost' heating profile. The 'boost'
heating
25 profile is user selectable and allows a higher heating temperature to be
achieved.
As shown in Table 1.0, the temperature of the mouthpiece 2 at the capsule 11
location
reaches a maximum temperature of 61.5 C under the 'standard' heating profile
and a
maximum of 63.8 C under the 'boost' heating profile. A maximum temperature in
the
30 range of 58 C to 70 C, preferably in the range of 59 C to 65 C and more
preferably in
the range of 60 C to 65 C has been found to be particularly advantageous in
relation to
helping to volatise the contents of the capsule 11 while maintaining a
suitable outer
surface temperature of the mouthpiece 2.
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39
Puff Number T C at capsule location in T C at capsule location
in
coil heating device under coil heating device under
'standard' heating profile 'boost' heating profile
1 58.5 54.7
2 56.5 60.5
3 61.5 63.8
4 57.2 53.0
52.9 46.7
Table 1.0
The capsule 11 is breakable by external force applied to the mouthpiece 2, for
instance
5 by a consumer using their fingers or other mechanism to squeeze the
mouthpiece 2. As
described above, the part of the mouthpiece in which the capsule is located is
arrange to
reach a temperature of greater than 58 C during use of the aerosol provision
system to
generate an aerosol. Preferably, the burst strength of the capsule ii when
located
within the mouthpiece 2 and prior to heating of the aerosol generating
material 3 is
/o between 1500 and 4000 grams force. Preferably, the burst strength of the
capsule 11
when located within the mouthpiece 2 and within 30 seconds of use of the
aerosol
provision system to generate an aerosol is between moo and 4000 grams force.
Accordingly, despite being subjected to a temperature above 58 C, for instance
between
58 C to 70 C, the capsule 11 is able to maintain a burst strength within a
range which
/5 has been found to enable the capsule 11 to be readily crushable by a
consumer, while
providing the consumer with sufficient tactile feedback that the capsule ii
has been
broken. Maintaining such a burst strength is achieved by selecting an
appropriate
gelling agent for the capsule, as described herein, such as a polysaccharide
including,
for instance, gum Arabic, gellan gum, acacia gum, xanthan gums or
carrageenans, alone
20 or in combination with gelatine. In addition, a suitable wall thickness
for the capsule
shell should be selected.
Suitably, the burst strength of the capsule when located within the mouthpiece
and
prior to heating of the aerosol generating material is between 2000 and 3500
grams
25 force, or between 2500 and 3500 grams force. Suitably, the burst
strength of the
capsule when located within the mouthpiece and within 30 s of use of the
system to
generate an aerosol is between 1500 and 4000 grams force, or between 1750 and
3000
grams force. In one example, the average burst strength of the capsule when
located
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within the mouthpiece and prior to heating of the aerosol generating material
is about
3175 grams force and the average burst strength of the capsule when located
within the
mouthpiece and within 30 s of use of the system to generate an aerosol is
about 2345
grams force.
5
The burst strength of the capsule can be tested using a force measuring
instrument
such as a Texture Analyser. For the present burst strengths, a Type TA.XTPlus
Texture
Analyser was used with a circular shaped metal probe having a 6mm diameter
centred
on the location of the capsule (i.e. 12MM from the mouth end of the mouthpiece
2).
io The test speed of the probe was 0.3 mm/second, while a pre-test speed of
5.00
mm/second was used and a post-test speed of 10 mm/second. The force used was
5000 g. The articles tested were drawn on using a Borgwaldt A14 Syringe drive
Unit
following the known Health Canada Intense puffing regime (55 ml puff volume
applied
for 2 seconds duration every 30 seconds) using standard testing equipment.
Three
/5 puffs were performed using this puffing regime and the capsule burst
strength was
measured within 30 seconds of the third puff. The article tested was
equivalent to the
article 1 illustrated in Figures la and lb and described in further detail
below, except
that an 8mm hollow tubular element 4 was provided at the mouth-end formed from
two layers of paper adhered together, each parallel wrapped with abutting
seams and
20 having a total thickness of 300 vim. The capsule was a 3mm diameter
capsule located
within an 8mm long body of cellulose acetate tow having a tow specification of
9.5Y12,000 and a target 9% triacetin plasticiser.
The barrier material may comprise one or more of a gelling agent, a bulking
agent, a
25 buffer, a colouring agent and a plasticiser.
Suitably, the gelling agent may be, for example, a polysaccharide or
cellulosic gelling
agent, a gelatin, a gum, a gel, a wax or a mixture thereof. Suitable
polysaccharides
include alginates, dextrans, maltodextrins, cyclodextrins and pectins.
Suitable alginates
30 include, for instance, a salt of alginic acid, an esterified alginate or
glyceryl alginate.
Salts of alginic acid include ammonium alginate, triethanolamine alginate, and
group I
or II metal ion alginates like sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium
alginate.
Esterified alginates include propylene glycol alginate and glyceryl alginate.
In an
embodiment, the barrier material is sodium alginate and/ or calcium alginate.
Suitable
35 cellulosic materials include methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose,
hydroxyethyl cellulose,
hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate and
cellulose ethers.
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The gelling agent may comprise one or more modified starches. The gelling
agent may
comprise carrageenans. Suitable gums include agar, gellan gum, gum Arabic,
pullulan
gum, mannan gum, gum ghatti, gum tragacanth, Karaya, locust bean, acacia gum,
guar,
quince seed and xanthan gums. Suitable gels include agar, agarose,
carrageenans,
furoidan and furcellaran. Suitable waxes include carnauba wax. In some cases,
the
gelling agent may comprise carrageenans and/or gellan gum; these gelling
agents are
particularly suitable for inclusion as the gelling agent as the pressure
required to break
the resulting capsules is particularly suitable.
io The barrier material may comprise one or more bulking agents, such as
starches,
modified starches (such as oxidised starches) and sugar alcohols such as
maltitol.
The barrier material may comprise a colouring agent which renders easier the
location
of the capsule within the aerosol generating device during the manufacturing
process of
is the aerosol generating device. The colouring agent is preferably chosen
among
colorants and pigments.
The barrier material may further comprise at least one buffer, such as a
citrate or
phosphate compound.
The barrier material may further comprise at least one plasticiser, which may
be
glycerol, sorbitol, maltitol, triacetin, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol
or another
polyalcohol with plasticising properties, and optionally one acid of the
monoacid, diacid
or triacid type, especially citric acid, fumaric acid, malic acid, and the
like. The amount
of plasticiser ranges from 1% to 30% by weight, preferably from 2% to 15% by
weight,
and even more preferably from 3 to 10% by weight of the total dry weight of
the shell.
The barrier material may also comprise one or more filler materials. Suitable
filler
materials include comprising starch derivatives such as dextrin, maltodextrin,
cyclodextrin (alpha, beta or gamma), or cellulose derivatives such as
hydroxypropyl-
methylcellulose (HPMC), hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC), methylcellulose (MC),
carboxy-methylcellulose (CMC), polyvinyl alcohol, polyols or mixture thereof.
Dextrin
is a preferred filler. The amount of filler in the shell is at most 98.5%,
preferably from
25 to 95% more preferably from 40 to 80% and even more preferably from 50 to
60 %
by weight on the total dry weight of the shell.
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The capsule shell may additionally comprise a hydrophobic outer layer which
reduces
the susceptibility of the capsule to moisture-induced degradation. The
hydrophobic
outer layer is suitably selected from the group comprising waxes, especially
carnauba
wax, candelilla wax or beeswax, carbowax, shellac (in alcoholic or aqueous
solution),
ethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, hydroxyl- propylcellulose,
latex
composition, polyvinyl alcohol, or a combination thereof. More preferably, the
at least
one moisture barrier agent is ethyl cellulose or a mixture of ethyl cellulose
and shellac.
The capsule core comprises the aerosol modifier. This aerosol modifier may be
any
io volatile substance which modifies at least one property of the aerosol.
For example, the
aerosol substance may modify the pH, the sensorial properties, the water
content, the
delivery characteristics or the flavour. In some cases, the aerosol modifier
may be
selected from an acid, a base, water or a flavourant. In some embodiments, the
aerosol
modifier comprises one or more flavourants.
The flavourant may suitably be licorice, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange
oil, a mint-
flavour, suitably menthol and/or a mint oil from any species of the genus
Mentha such
as peppermint oil and/or spearmint oil, or lavender, fennel or anise.
In some cases, the flavourant comprises menthol.
In some cases, the capsule may comprise at least about 25% w/w flavourant
(based on
the total weight of the capsule), suitably at least about 30% w/w flavourant,
35% w/w
flavourant, 40% w/w flavourant, 45% w/w flavourant or 50% w/w flavourant.
In some cases, the core may comprise at least about 25% w/w flavourant (based
on the
total weight of the core), suitably at least about 30% w/w flavourant, 35% w/w
flavourant, 40% w/w flavourant, 45% w/w flavourant or 5o% w/w flavourant. In
some
cases, the core may comprise less than or equal to about 75% w/w flavourant
(based on
the total weight of the core), suitably less than or equal to about 65% w/w
flavourant,
55% w/w flavourant, or 5o% w/w flavourant. Illustratively, the capsule may
include an
amount of flavourant in the range of 25-75% w/w (based on the total weight of
the
core), about 35-60% w/w or about 40-55% w/w.
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The capsules may include at least about 2 mg, 3 mg or 4 mg of the aerosol
modifier,
suitably at least about 4.5 mg of the aerosol modifier, 5 mg of the aerosol
modifier, 5.5
of mg the aerosol modifier or 6 mg of the aerosol modifier.
In some cases, the consumable comprises at least about 7 mg of the aerosol
modifier,
suitably at least about 8 mg of the aerosol modifier, 10 mg of the aerosol
modifier, 12
mg of the aerosol modifier or 15 mg of the aerosol modifier. The core may also
comprise
a solvent which dissolves the aerosol modifier.
io Any suitable solvent may be used.
Where the aerosol modifier comprises a flavourant, the solvent may suitably
comprise
short or medium chain fats and oils. For example, the solvent may comprise tri-
esters
of glycerol such as C2-C12 triglycerides, suitably C6-Cio triglycerides or Cs-
C12
/5 triglycerides. For example, the solvent may comprise medium chain
triglycerides (MCT
- C8-C12), which may be derived from palm oil and/or coconut oil.
The esters may be formed with caprylic acid and/or capric acid. For example,
the
solvent may comprise medium chain triglycerides which are caprylic
triglycerides
20 and/or capric tryglycerides. For example, the solvent may comprise
compounds
identified in the CAS registry by numbers 73398-61-5, 65381-09-1, 85409-09-2.
Such
medium chain triglycerides are odourless and tasteless.
The hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of the solvent may be in the range of
9 to 13,
25 suitably 10 to 12. Methods of making the capsules include co-extrusion,
optionally
followed by centrifugation and curing and/or drying. The contents of WO
2007/010407
A2 is incorporated by reference, in its entirety.
In the examples described above, the mouthpieces 2, 2' each comprise a single
body of
30 material 6. In other examples, either the mouthpiece of Figure 1 or of
Figures 2a and
2b may include multiple bodies of material. The mouthpieces 2, 2' may comprise
a
cavity between the bodies of material.
In some examples, the mouthpiece 2, 2' downstream of the aerosol generating
material
35 3 can comprise a wrapper, for instance the first or second plug wraps 7,
9, or tipping
paper 5, which comprises an aerosol modifying agent as described herein. The
aerosol
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44
modifying agent may be disposed on an inwardly or outwardly facing surface of
the
mouthpiece wrapper. For instance, the aerosol modifying agent may be provided
on an
area of the wrapper, such as an outwardly facing surface of the tipping paper
5, which
comes into contact with the consumer's lips during use. By disposing the
aerosol
modifying agent on the outwardly facing surface of the mouthpiece wrapper, the
aerosol modifying agent may be transferred to the consumer's lips during use.
Transfer
of the aerosol modifying agent to the consumer's lips during use of the
article may
modify the organoleptic properties (e.g. taste) of the aerosol generated by
the aerosol
generating substrate 3 or otherwise provide the consumer with an alternative
sensory
experience. For example, the aerosol modifying agent may impart flavour to the
aerosol generated by the aerosol generating substrate 3. The aerosol modifying
agent
may be at least partially soluble in water such that it is transferred to the
user via the
consumer's saliva. The aerosol modifying agent may be one that volatilises by
the heat
generated by the aerosol provision system. This may facilitate transfer of the
aerosol
modifying agent to the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating substrate
3.
A non-combustible aerosol provision device is used to heat the aerosol
generating
material 3 of the articles 1, 1' described herein. The non-combustible aerosol
provision
device preferably comprises a coil, since this has been found to enable
improved heat
transfer to the article 1, 1' as compared to other arrangements.
In some examples, the coil is configured to, in use, cause heating of at least
one
electrically-conductive heating element, so that heat energy is conductible
from the at
least one electrically-conductive heating element to the aerosol generating
material to
thereby cause heating of the aerosol generating material.
In some examples, the coil is configured to generate, in use, a varying
magnetic field for
penetrating at least one heating element, to thereby cause induction heating
and/or
magnetic hysteresis heating of the at least one heating element. In such an
arrangement, the or each heating element may be termed a "susceptor" as
defined
herein. A coil that is configured to generate, in use, a varying magnetic
field for
penetrating at least one electrically-conductive heating element, to thereby
cause
induction heating of the at least one electrically-conductive heating element,
may be
termed an "induction coil" or "inductor coil".
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The device may include the heating element(s), for example electrically-
conductive
heating element(s), and the heating element(s) may be suitably located or
locatable
relative to the coil to enable such heating of the heating element(s). The
heating
element(s) may be in a fixed position relative to the coil. Alternatively, the
at least one
5 .. heating element, for example at least one electrically-conductive heating
element, may
be included in the article 1, 1' for insertion into a heating zone of the
device, wherein the
article 1, 1' also comprises the aerosol generating material 3 and is
removable from the
heating zone after use. Alternatively, both the device and such an article 1,
1' may
comprise at least one respective heating element, for example at least one
electrically-
io conductive heating element, and the coil may be to cause heating of the
heating
element(s) of each of the device and the article when the article is in the
heating zone.
In some examples, the coil is helical. In some examples, the coil encircles at
least a part
of a heating zone of the device that is configured to receive aerosol
generating material.
15 In some examples, the coil is a helical coil that encircles at least a
part of the heating
zone.
In some examples, the device comprises an electrically-conductive heating
element that
at least partially surrounds the heating zone, and the coil is a helical coil
that encircles
20 at least a part of the electrically-conductive heating element. In some
examples, the
electrically-conductive heating element is tubular. In some examples, the coil
is an
inductor coil.
In some examples, the use of a coil enables the non-combustible aerosol
provision
25 device to reach operational temperature more quickly than a non-coil
aerosol provision
device. For instance, the non-combustible aerosol provision device including a
coil as
described above can reach an operational temperature such that a first puff
can be
provided in less than 30 seconds from initiation of a device heating program,
more
preferably in less than 25 seconds. In some examples, the device can reach an
30 operational temperature in about 20 seconds from the initiation of a
device heating
program.
The use of a coil as described herein in the device to cause heating of the
aerosol
generating material has been found to enhance the aerosol which is produced.
For
35 instance, consumers have reported that the aerosol generated by a device
including a
coil such as that described herein is sensorially closer to that generated in
factory made
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46
cigarette (FMC) products than the aerosol produced by other non-combustible
aerosol
provision systems. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is hypothesised
that this
is the result of the reduced time to reach the required heating temperature
when the
coil is used, the higher heating temperatures achievable when the coil is used
and/or
the fact that the coil enables such systems to simultaneously heat a
relatively large
volume of aerosol generating material, resulting in aerosol temperatures
resembling
FMC aerosol temperatures. In FMC products, the burning coal generates a hot
aerosol
which heats tobacco in the tobacco rod behind the coal, as the aerosol is
drawn through
the rod. This hot aerosol is understood to release flavour compounds from
tobacco in
io the rod behind the burning coal. A device including a coil as described
herein is
thought to also be capable of heating aerosol generating material, such as
tobacco
material described herein, to release flavour compounds, resulting in an
aerosol which
has been reported to more closely resemble an FMC aerosol.
/5 Using an aerosol provision system including a coil as described herein,
for instance an
induction coil which heats at least some of the aerosol generating material to
at least
200 C, more preferably at least 220 C, can enable the generation of an aerosol
from an
aerosol generating material that has particular characteristics which are
thought to
more closely resemble those of an FMC product. For example, when heating an
aerosol
20 generating material, including nicotine, using an induction heater,
heated to at least
250 C, for a two-second period, under an airflow of at least 1.50L/m during
the period,
one or more of the following characteristics has been observed:
at least 10 vtg of nicotine is aerosolised from the aerosol generating
material;
the weight ratio in the generated aerosol, of aerosol forming material to
nicotine
25 is at least about 2.5:1, suitably at least 8.5:1;
at least 100 vtg of the aerosol forming material can be aerosolised from the
aerosol generating material;
the mean particle or droplet size in the generated aerosol is less than about
moo nm; and
30 the aerosol density is at least 0.1 vtg/cc.
In some cases, at least 10 vtg of nicotine, suitably at least 30 vtg or 40 vtg
of nicotine, is
aerosolised from the aerosol generating material under an airflow of at least
1.50L/m
during the period. In some cases, less than about 200 iug, suitably less than
about 150
35 vtg or less than about 125 iug, of nicotine is aerosolised from the
aerosol generating
material under an airflow of at least 1.50L/m during the period.
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47
In some cases, the aerosol contains at least 100 vtg of the aerosol forming
material,
suitably at least 200 iug, 500 vtg or 1 mg of aerosol forming material is
aerosolised from
the aerosol generating material under an airflow of at least 1.50L/m during
the period.
Suitably, the aerosol forming material may comprise or consist of glycerol.
As defined herein, the term "mean particle or droplet size" refers to the mean
size of the
solid or liquid components of an aerosol (i.e. the components suspended in a
gas).
Where the aerosol contains suspended liquid droplets and suspended solid
particles,
the term refers to the mean size of all components together.
In some cases, the mean particle or droplet size in the generated aerosol may
be less
than about 900 nm, 800 nm, 700, nm 600 nm, 500nm, 45onm or 400 nm. In some
cases, the mean particle or droplet size may be more than about 25 nm, 50 nm
or
loonm.
In some cases, the aerosol density generated during the period is at least 0.1
vtg/cc. In
some cases, the aerosol density is at least 0.2 vtg/cc, 0.3 vtg/cc or 0.4
vtg/cc. In some
cases, the aerosol density is less than about 2.5 vtg/cc, 2.0 vtg/cc, 1.5
vtg/cc or 1.0 vtg/cc.
The non-combustible aerosol provision device is preferably arranged to heat
the aerosol
generating material 3 of the article 1, 1', to a maximum temperature of at
least 160 C.
Preferably, the non-combustible aerosol provision device is arranged to heat
the aerosol
forming material 3 of the article 1, 1', to a maximum temperature of at least
about
200 C, or at least about 220 C, or at least about 240 C, more preferably at
least about
270 C, at least once during the heating process followed by the non-
combustible
aerosol provision device.
Using an aerosol provision system including a coil as described herein, for
instance an
induction coil which heats at least some of the aerosol generating material to
at least
200 C, more preferably at least 220 C, can enable the generation of an aerosol
from an
aerosol generating material in an article 1, 1' as described herein that has a
higher
temperature as the aerosol leaves the mouth end of the mouthpiece 2, 2' than
previous
devices, contributing to the generation of an aerosol which is considered
closer to an
FMC product. For instance, the maximum aerosol temperature measured at the
mouth-end of the article 1, 1' can preferably be greater than 50 C, more
preferably
greater than 55 C and still more preferably greater than 56 C or 57 C.
Additionally or
alternatively, the maximum aerosol temperature measured at the mouth-end of
the
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48
article 1, 1' can be less than 62 C, more preferably less than 60 C and more
preferably
less than 59 C. In some embodiments, the maximum aerosol temperature measured
at
the mouth-end of the article 1, 1' can preferably be between 50 C and 62 C,
more
preferably between 56 C and 60 C.
Figure 3 shows an example of a non-combustible aerosol provision device wo for
generating aerosol from an aerosol generating medium/material such as the
aerosol
generating material 3 of the articles 1, 1' described herein. In broad
outline, the device
loo may be used to heat a replaceable article no comprising the aerosol
generating
medium, for instance the articles 1, 1' described herein, to generate an
aerosol or other
inhalable medium which is inhaled by a user of the device loft The device loo
and
replaceable article no together form a system.
The device loo comprises a housing 102 (in the form of an outer cover) which
/5 surrounds and houses various components of the device loft The device wo
has an
opening 104 in one end, through which the article no may be inserted for
heating by a
heating assembly. In use, the article no may be fully or partially inserted
into the
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 no is in place. In Figure 3, 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 loo may also include a user-operable control element 112, such as a
button
or switch, which operates the device loo when pressed. For example, a user may
turn
on the device loo 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 loft For example,
the socket
114 may be a charging port, such as a USB charging port.
Figure 4 depicts the device loo of Figure 3 with the outer cover 102 removed
and
without an article 110 present. The device 100 defines a longitudinal axis
134.
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As shown in Figure 4, the first end member 106 is arranged at one end of the
device wo
and a second end member 116 is arranged at an opposite end of the device loo.
The first
and second end members 106, 116 together at least partially define end
surfaces of the
device loft For example, the bottom surface of the second end member 116 at
least
partially defines a bottom surface of the device loo. Edges of the outer cover
102 may
also define a portion of the end surfaces. In this example, the lid 108 also
defines a
portion of a top surface of the device loft
io .. The end of the device closest to the opening 104 may be known as the
proximal end (or
mouth end) of the device wo because, in use, it is closest to the mouth of the
user. In
use, a user inserts an article no into the opening 104, operates the user
control 112 to
begin heating the aerosol generating material and draws on the aerosol
generated in the
device. This causes the aerosol to flow through the device wo along a flow
path towards
is the proximal end of the device loft
The other end of the device furthest away from the opening 104 may be known as
the
distal end of the device boo because, in use, it is the end furthest away from
the mouth
of the user. As a user draws on the aerosol generated in the device, the
aerosol flows
20 away from the distal end of the device loft
The device wo further comprises a power source 118. The power source 118 may
be, for
example, a battery, such as a rechargeable battery or a non-rechargeable
battery.
Examples of suitable batteries include, for example, a lithium battery (such
as a
25 lithium-ion battery), a nickel battery (such as a nickel¨cadmium
battery), and an
alkaline battery. The battery is electrically coupled to the heating assembly
to supply
electrical power when required and under control of a controller (not shown)
to heat
the aerosol generating material. In this example, the battery is connected to
a central
support 120 which holds the battery 118 in place.
The device further comprises at least one electronics module 122. The
electronics
module 122 may comprise, for example, a printed circuit board (PCB). The PCB
122
may support at least one controller, such as a processor, and memory. The PCB
122
may also comprise one or more electrical tracks to electrically connect
together various
electronic components of the device loft For example, the battery terminals
may be
electrically connected to the PCB 122 so that power can be distributed
throughout the
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device loft The socket 114 may also be electrically coupled to the battery via
the
electrical tracks.
In the example device loo, the heating assembly is an inductive heating
assembly and
5 comprises various components to heat the aerosol generating material of
the article no
via an inductive heating process. Induction heating is a process of heating an
electrically conducting object (such as a susceptor) by electromagnetic
induction. An
induction heating assembly may comprise an inductive element, for example, one
or
more inductor coils, and a device for passing a varying electric current, such
as an
io alternating electric current, through the inductive element. The varying
electric current
in the inductive element produces a varying magnetic field. The varying
magnetic field
penetrates a susceptor suitably positioned with respect to the inductive
element, and
generates eddy currents inside the susceptor. The susceptor has electrical
resistance to
the eddy currents, and hence the flow of the eddy currents against this
resistance
/5 causes the susceptor to be heated by Joule heating. In cases where the
susceptor
comprises ferromagnetic material such as iron, nickel or cobalt, heat may also
be
generated by magnetic hysteresis losses in the susceptor, i.e. by the varying
orientation
of magnetic dipoles in the magnetic material as a result of their alignment
with the
varying magnetic field. In inductive heating, as compared to heating by
conduction for
20 example, heat is generated inside the susceptor, allowing for rapid
heating. Further,
there need not be any physical contact between the inductive heater and the
susceptor,
allowing for enhanced freedom in construction and application.
The induction heating assembly of the example device loo comprises a susceptor
25 arrangement 132 (herein referred to as "a susceptor"), a first inductor
coil 124 and a
second inductor coil 126. The first and second inductor coils 124, 126 are
made from an
electrically conducting material. In this example, the first and second
inductor coils
124, 126 are made from Litz wire/cable which is wound in a helical fashion to
provide
helical inductor coils 124, 126. Litz wire comprises a plurality of individual
wires which
30 are individually insulated and are twisted together to form a single
wire. Litz wires are
designed to reduce the skin effect losses in a conductor. In the example
device loo, the
first and second inductor coils 124, 126 are made from copper Litz wire which
has a
rectangular cross section. In other examples the Litz wire can have other
shape cross
sections, such as circular.
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The first inductor coil 124 is configured to generate a first varying magnetic
field for
heating a first section of the susceptor 132 and the second inductor coil 126
is
configured to generate a second varying magnetic field for heating a second
section of
the susceptor 132. In this example, the first inductor coil 124 is adjacent to
the second
inductor coil 126 in a direction along the longitudinal axis 134 of the device
loo (that is,
the first and second inductor coils 124, 126 to not overlap). The susceptor
arrangement
132 may comprise a single susceptor, or two or more separate susceptors. Ends
130 of
the first and second inductor coils 124, 126 can be connected to the PCB 122.
/0 It will be appreciated that the first and second inductor coils 124,
126, in some
examples, may have at least one characteristic different from each other. For
example,
the first inductor coil 124 may have at least one characteristic different
from the second
inductor coil 126. More specifically, in one example, the first inductor coil
124 may
have a different value of inductance than the second inductor coil 126. In
Figure 4, the
/5 first and second inductor coils 124, 126 are of different lengths such
that the first
inductor coil 124 is wound over a smaller section of the susceptor 132 than
the second
inductor coil 126. Thus, the first inductor coil 124 may comprise a different
number of
turns than the second inductor coil 126 (assuming that the spacing between
individual
turns is substantially the same). In yet another example, the first inductor
coil 124 may
20 .. be made from a different material to the second inductor coil 126. In
some examples,
the first and second inductor coils 124, 126 may be substantially identical.
In this example, the first inductor coil 124 and the second inductor coil 126
are wound
in opposite directions. This can be useful when the inductor coils are active
at different
25 times. For example, initially, the first inductor coil 124 may be
operating to heat a first
section/portion of the article no, and at a later time, the second inductor
coil 126 may
be operating to heat a second section/portion of the article no. Winding the
coils in
opposite directions helps reduce the current induced in the inactive coil when
used in
conjunction with a particular type of control circuit. In Figure 4, the first
inductor coil
30 124 is a right-hand helix and the second inductor coil 126 is a left-
hand helix. However,
in another embodiment, the inductor coils 124, 126 may be wound in the same
direction, or the first inductor coil 124 may be a left-hand helix and the
second inductor
coil 126 may be a right-hand helix.
35 The susceptor 132 of this example is hollow and therefore defines a
receptacle within
which aerosol generating material is received. For example, the article 110
can be
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inserted into the susceptor 132. In this example the susceptor 120 is tubular,
with a
circular cross section.
The susceptor 132 may be made from one or more materials. Preferably the
susceptor
132 comprises carbon steel having a coating of Nickel or Cobalt.
In some examples, the susceptor 132 may comprise at least two materials
capable of
being heated at two different frequencies for selective aerosolization of the
at least two
materials. For example, a first section of the susceptor 132 (which is heated
by the first
io inductor coil 124) may comprise a first material, and a second section
of the susceptor
132 which is heated by the second inductor coil 126 may comprise a second,
different
material. In another example, the first section may comprise first and second
materials,
where the first and second materials can be heated differently based upon
operation of
the first inductor coil 124. The first and second materials may be adjacent
along an axis
/5 defined by the susceptor 132, or may form different layers within the
susceptor 132.
Similarly, the second section may comprise third and fourth materials, where
the third
and fourth materials can be heated differently based upon operation of the
second
inductor coil 126. The third and fourth materials may be adjacent along an
axis defined
by the susceptor 132, or may form different layers within the susceptor 132.
Third
20 material may the same as the first material, and the fourth material may
be the same as
the second material, for example. Alternatively, each of the materials may be
different.
The susceptor may comprise carbon steel or aluminium for example.
The device wo of Figure 4 further comprises an insulating member 128 which may
be
25 generally tubular and at least partially surround the susceptor 132. The
insulating
member 128 may be constructed from any insulating material, such as plastic
for
example. In this particular example, the insulating member is constructed from
polyether ether ketone (PEEK). The insulating member 128 may help insulate the
various components of the device wo from the heat generated in the susceptor
132.
The insulating member 128 can also fully or partially support the first and
second
inductor coils 124, 126. For example, as shown in Figure 4, the first and
second
inductor coils 124, 126 are positioned around the insulating member 128 and
are in
contact with a radially outward surface of the insulating member 128. In some
examples the insulating member 128 does not abut the first and second inductor
coils
124, 126. For example, a small gap may be present between the outer surface of
the
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insulating member 128 and the inner surface of the first and second inductor
coils 124,
126.
In a specific example, the susceptor 132, the insulating member 128, and the
first and
second inductor coils 124, 126 are coaxial around a central longitudinal axis
of the
susceptor 132.
Figure 5 shows a side view of device loo in partial cross-section. The outer
cover 102 is
present in this example. The rectangular cross-sectional shape of the first
and second
io inductor coils 124, 126 is more clearly visible.
The device loo further comprises a support 136 which engages one end of the
susceptor
132 to hold the susceptor 132 in place. The support 136 is connected to the
second end
member 116.
The device may also comprise a second printed circuit board 138 associated
within the
control element 112.
The device loo further comprises a second lid/cap 140 and a spring 142,
arranged
towards the distal end of the device loft The spring 142 allows the second lid
140 to be
opened, to provide access to the susceptor 132. A user may open the second lid
140 to
clean the susceptor 132 and/or the support 136.
The device wo further comprises an expansion chamber 144 which extends away
from
a proximal end of the susceptor 132 towards the opening 104 of the device.
Located at
least partially within the expansion chamber 144 is a retention clip 146 to
abut and hold
the article no when received within the device loft The expansion chamber 144
is
connected to the end member 106.
Figure 6 is an exploded view of the device loo of Figure 5, with the outer
cover 102
omitted.
Figure 7A depicts a cross section of a portion of the device loo of Figures.
Figure 7B
depicts a close-up of a region of Figure 7A. Figures 7A and 7B show the
article no
received within the susceptor 132, where the article no is dimensioned so that
the
outer surface of the article 110 abuts the inner surface of the susceptor 132.
This
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ensures that the heating is most efficient. The article no of this example
comprises
aerosol generating material noa. The aerosol generating material noa is
positioned
within the susceptor 132. The article no may also comprise other components
such as a
filter, wrapping materials and/or a cooling structure.
Figure 7B shows that the outer surface of the susceptor 132 is spaced apart
from the
inner surface of the inductor coils 124, 126 by a distance 150, measured in a
direction
perpendicular to a longitudinal axis 158 of the susceptor 132. In one
particular example,
the distance 150 is about 3mm to 4mm, about 3-3.5mm, or about 3.25mm.
Figure 7B further shows that the outer surface of the insulating member 128 is
spaced
apart from the inner surface of the inductor coils 124, 126 by a distance 152,
measured
in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis 158 of the susceptor 132.
In one
particular example, the distance 152 is about 0.05mm. In another example, the
distance
/5 152 is substantially omm, such that the inductor coils 124, 126 abut and
touch the
insulating member 128.
In one example, the susceptor 132 has a wall thickness 154 of about 0.025mm to
imm,
or about 0.05mm.
In one example, the susceptor 132 has a length of about 4omm to 60mm, about
4omm
to 5mm, or about 44.5mm.
In one example, the insulating member 128 has a wall thickness 156 of about
0.25mm
to 2MM, 0.25MM to imm, or about o.5mm.
In use, the articles 1, 1' described herein can be inserted into a non-
combustible aerosol
provision device such as the device loo described with reference to Figures 3
to 7. At
least a portion of the mouthpiece 2, 2' of the article 1, 1' protrudes from
the non-
combustible aerosol provision device loo and can be placed into a user's
mouth. An
aerosol is produced by heating the aerosol generating material 3 using the
device loft
The aerosol produced by the aerosol generating material 3 passes through the
mouthpiece 2 to the user's mouth.
The articles 1, 1' described herein have particular advantages, for instance
when used
with non-combustible aerosol provision devices such as the device 100
described with
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reference to Figures 3 to 7. In particular, the first tubular element 4 formed
from
filamentary tow has surprisingly been found to have a significant influence on
the
temperature of the outer surface of the mouthpiece 2 of the articles 1, 1'.
For instance,
where the hollow tubular element 4 formed from filamentary tow is wrapped in
an
5 .. outer wrapper, for instance the tipping paper 5, an outer surface of the
outer wrapper at
a longitudinal position corresponding to the location of the hollow tubular
element 4
has been found to reach a maximum temperature of less than 42 C during use,
suitably
less than 40 C and more suitably less than 38 C or less than 36 C.
io Table 2.0 below shows the temperature of the outer surface of the
article 1 as described
with reference to Figure 1 herein when heated using the device loo described
with
reference to Figures 3 to 7 herein. First, second and third temperature
measuring
probes were used as corresponding first, second and third positions along the
mouthpiece 2 of the article 1. The first position (numbered as position 1 in
table 2.0)
/5 was at 4mm from the downstream end 2b of the mouthpiece 2, the second
position
(numbered as position 2 in table 2.0) was at 8mm from the downstream end 2b of
the
mouthpiece 2, and the third position (numbered as position 3 in table 2.0) was
at
12MM from the downstream end 2b of the mouthpiece 2.
20 The first position was therefore on the outer surface of the part of the
mouthpiece 2 in
which the first tubular element 4 is disposed, while the second and third
positions were
on the outer surface of the part of the mouthpiece 2 in which the body of
material 6 is
disposed.
25 A control article was tested for comparison with the filamentary tow
tubular elements 4
described herein, and used instead of the filamentary tow tubular element 4 a
known
spirally wrapped paper tube having the same construction as the second hollow
tubular
element 8 described herein, but a length of 6mm rather than 25mm.
30 Testing was performed for the first 5 puffs on the article, since by the
5th puff
temperatures have generally peaked and are starting to fall, so that an
approximate
maximum temperature can be observed. Each sample was tested 5 times, and the
temperatures provided are an average of these 5 tests. The known Health Canada
Intense puffing regime was applied (55 ml puff volume applied for 2 seconds
duration
35 every 30 seconds) using standard testing equipment.
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As shown in the table below, surprisingly, it was found that the use of a
tubular element
4 formed from filamentary tow reduced the outer surface temperature of the
mouthpiece 2 as compared to the control article in every puff and at every
testing
position on the mouthpiece 2. The tubular element 4 formed from filamentary
tow was
particular effective at reducing the temperature at the first probe position,
where
consumer's lips will be positioned when using the article 1. In particular,
the
temperature of the outer surface of the mouthpiece 2 at the first probe
position was
reduced by more than 7 C in the first three puffs and by more than 5 C in the
fourth
and fifth puffs.
Probe Pos. Consumable Puff 1 Puff 2 Puff 3 Puff 4 Puff 5
Mouth End
1 Paper Tube 38.98 42.50 43.26 42.38 40.52
(control)
Tow tubular 31.79 35.00 35.72 35.46 34.64
element 4
2 Paper Tube 41.60 45.34 47.05 46.36 44.58
(control)
Tow Tubular 40.32 43.48 43.73 43.21 41.73
element 4
3 Paper Tube 46.71 48.93 50.51 53.14 54.63
(control)
Tow Tubular 45.43 47.73 47.64 47.72 47.36
element 4
Table 2.0
Figure 8 illustrates a method of manufacturing an article for use in a non-
combustible
aerosol provision system. At step Sioi, first and second portions of aerosol
generating
material, each comprising an aerosol forming material, are positioned adjacent
to
respective first and second longitudinal ends of a mouthpiece rod, the
mouthpiece rod
comprising a hollow tubular element rod formed from filamentary tow disposed
between the first and second ends. In the present example, the hollow tubular
element
rod comprises a double length first hollow tubular element 4 arranged between
first
and second respective bodies of material 6. At the outer end of each body of
material 6
is positioned a respective second tubular element 8 and it is adjacent to the
outer ends
of these second tubular elements 8 that the first and second portions of
aerosol
generating material are positioned. The mouthpiece rod is wrapped in the
second plug
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wrap described herein.
At step S102, the first and second portions of aerosol generating material are
connected
to the mouthpiece rod. In the present example, this is performed by wrapping a
tipping
paper 5 as described herein around the mouthpiece rod and at least part of
each of the
portions of aerosol generating material 3. In the present example, the tipping
paper 5
extends about 5mm longitudinally over the outer surface of each of the
portioned of
aerosol generating material 3.
At step S1o3, the hollow tubular element rod is cut to form first and second
articles,
each article comprising a mouthpiece comprising a portion of the hollow
tubular
element rod at the downstream end of the mouthpiece. In the present example,
double
length first hollow tubular element 4 of the mouthpiece rod is cut at a
position about
half-way along its length, so as to form first and second substantially
identical articles.
The various embodiments described herein are presented only to assist in
understanding and teaching the claimed features. These embodiments are
provided as
a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or
exclusive.
It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions,
features,
structures, and/or other aspects described herein are not to be considered
limitations
on the scope of the invention as defined by the claims or limitations on
equivalents to
the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilised and modifications may
be
made without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. Various
embodiments
of the invention may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of,
appropriate
combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps,
means, etc,
other than those specifically described herein. In addition, this disclosure
may include
other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future.
