CN118524791A - Heated non-burn aerosol generating article with sealing closure on tobacco rod - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a tobacco heating rod of an electronic cigarette device, which comprises: tobacco rod (1), comprising: a first end (11); -a second end (13) opposite to said first end (11); -a peripheral wall (12) extending between the first end (11) and the second end (13); an extension (2) glued to said first end (11) and comprising a filter (4); -a sealing closure (3) secured to said second end (13) comprising a flap (5) comprising: a proximal portion (51) bonded to the second end (13); a distal portion (53) opposite to the proximal portion (51); -a middle portion (52) extending from the proximal portion (51) to the distal portion (53) and covering the second end (13), wherein: the distal portion (53) of the flap is folded over a portion of the peripheral wall (12) of the tobacco rod to be secured to the portion of the peripheral wall (12) of the tobacco rod.

Description

Heated non-burn aerosol generating article with sealing closure on tobacco rod

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the technical field of heated non-burning aerosol-generating articles (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "heated tobacco rods") for heated non-burning devices comprising an aerosol-generating substance formed as a rod having a sealing closure thereon. Such aerosol-generating material may be a reconstituted tobacco material or reconstituted tobacco substrate or a non-tobacco aerosol-forming material (e.g. foam).

Background

Devices that reduce risk have become popular as substitutes for traditional tobacco products (e.g., cigarettes). Devices with reduced risk typically produce vapors or aerosols for inhalation by the user compared to these traditional products that rely on burning tobacco.

Heated matrix aerosol generating devices (also known as heated non-burning devices) are a class of devices in which the risk is reduced. In a heated substrate aerosol generating device, a substrate comprising tobacco or other suitable material is heated to a temperature that is high enough to generate an aerosol from the material, but not so high as to burn the material. Such aerosols contain the composition of the material sought by the user, but do not contain undesirable combustion byproducts that are produced when the material burns.

A typical heated matrix aerosol generating device comprises a heating chamber or furnace defining a cavity adapted to receive a matrix rod to be heated. The matrix is heated within the cavity to produce the desired aerosol and once consumed, the matrix can be removed and replaced. Heated matrix aerosol generating devices are typically formed with very compact configurations to provide a hand-held device that is convenient to store and carry. The heating cavity of the device is typically narrow and deep and difficult to access for cleaning. Furthermore, the cavity may remain hot for a period of time after the inhalation, so removal of the hot residues is not recommended.

Thus, the sealing closure at the end (i.e., upstream end) of the stem of the aerosol-generating substrate prevents particles or fragments of the substrate from falling into the bottom end of the heating furnace of the aerosol-generating device. The presence of such a sealing closure on the tobacco rod reduces or eliminates the need for cleaning the oven. Such a sealing closure prevents the aerosol-generating substrate (e.g., reconstituted tobacco pieces (hereinafter simply "tobacco")) from falling off and/or prevents liquids or solvents (e.g., glycerin, water, etc.) within the oven from leaking or condensing.

This is very interesting when zero or near zero cleaning of the oven can be achieved, as it reduces the burden that would otherwise be present to the smoker of periodically cleaning the oven when tobacco and/or liquid (moisture or solvent) leaves the tobacco rod as it is inserted into the recess of the oven and then heated by the heater of the oven.

Such zero cleaning is an advantage that can be obtained from a fully sealed closure implemented at the bottom end of the tobacco rod, which is the deepest end that is inserted into the groove of the furnace, which fully sealed closure is implemented preferably prevents tobacco from falling in the bottom end of the furnace and preferably helps to absorb liquids (e.g., aerosols, moisture, or solvents) that would otherwise leak or condense in the furnace bottom end.

According to a first prior art, such a sealing closure on a tobacco rod is made of a preformed cup which is fitted and glued on the tobacco rod, as described for example in patent application WO 2019/123297.

However, according to the present invention, this first prior art presents some added complexity of manufacture due to such a completely added component (preformed cup) on the bottom end of the tobacco rod and a lack of solidity due to the fact that it is a completely separate component that is fastened to the tobacco rod. Furthermore, in order to be fastened into the bottom end of the tobacco rod, the preformed cup needs to completely wrap around the bottom end, thereby locally increasing the overall width or diameter of the bottom end of the tobacco rod, so that the risk of the cup getting stuck in the oven is high.

According to a second prior art, such as described in patent application KR 20090091756 or in patent application CN 109330017, such sealing closures on tobacco rods are made of tubular wrapper extensions of the tobacco rods, which are folded up and these folds are glued together on the bottom end of the tobacco rods.

However, according to the present invention, this second prior art technique still lacks robustness, since the extended wrap is therefore fastened only to the bottom end of the tobacco rod such that the bottom end of the tobacco rod is more easily broken from the remainder of the tobacco rod when inserted into and heated in a heating furnace of a heating non-burning device. Another problem may be the presence of a non-glued layer or a superposition of folds at the end of the tobacco. The outer surface of the folded wrapper at the end of the tobacco may not be uniform and some portions may not adhere well together.

According to a third prior art, an additional filter element is fastened to the bottom end of the tobacco rod. Such additional filter elements extend the length of the tobacco rod, add cost and complexity, and in any event do not render the tobacco rod stronger.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to at least partially alleviate the above-mentioned disadvantages.

More specifically, the present invention aims to provide a flap that covers not only the ends of the tobacco rod but also a portion of the peripheral wall of the tobacco rod, thereby providing a stronger and stable sealing closure for the tobacco rod.

In fact, this additional covering of a portion of the peripheral wall of the tobacco rod provides an additional second benefit greater than the first benefit of retaining the tobacco matrix in the heated tobacco rod, namely increasing the rigidity of the heated tobacco rod along a sufficient portion of its length, thereby increasing the rigidity of the heated tobacco rod, thereby preventing breakage of the tobacco rod, in particular the bottom end of the tobacco rod from breaking away from the remainder of the tobacco rod, thereby avoiding such broken ends remaining in the furnace of the device, and thus being difficult to remove from the recess of the furnace.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the fact that the wrapping paper of the tobacco rod, in particular in the areas of the rod which are subjected to high stresses and to torsion/bending forces, has such folded extensions will increase the overall rigidity of the bottom end of the tobacco rod. Furthermore, the manufacturing process is still relatively simple and the additional production costs remain reasonable, since no additional parts or wrapper elements are required.

The object of the present invention is achieved by a heated non-burning aerosol-generating article comprising: a tobacco rod, the tobacco rod comprising: a first end; a second end opposite the first end; a peripheral wall extending between the first end and the second end; an extension bonded to the first end and including a filter; a sealing closure at the second end; the sealing closure includes a flap comprising: a proximal portion bonded to the second end; a distal portion opposite the proximal portion; an intermediate portion extending from the proximal portion to the distal portion and covering the second end, wherein: the distal portion of the flap is folded over a portion of the peripheral wall of the tobacco rod to be secured to the portion of the peripheral wall of the tobacco rod.

The cover sheet also covers a portion of the outer peripheral wall of the tobacco rod, which means that when the tobacco rod is cylindrical with a circular cross-section, the cover sheet covers not only the opening at the end of the cylindrical tobacco rod, but also a portion of the lateral wall of the cylindrical tobacco rod.

It should be noted that the increase in width or diameter achieved by such a sealing closure of the tobacco rod according to the present invention is smaller than the increase in diameter or width achieved in the first prior art using a preformed cup.

In the configuration in which the flap extends (as shown in fig. 1E) but has not yet been bent (fig. 1D), the proximal and distal portions of the flap are named relative to the second end of the tobacco rod, which is opposite to the first end of the tobacco rod on the side of the extension comprising the filter.

The proximal end of the flap is first secured or even pre-secured to the second (free) end of the tobacco rod, then the intermediate portion is secured, and then the distal end is secured. This sequence "proximal/medial/distal" can be seen in the figure (e.g., fig. 1B).

The proximal portion of the flap is bonded to the second end of the tobacco rod, but is not bonded to or folded over any portion of the peripheral wall of the tobacco rod.

The proximal portion of the flap is not folded over any portion of the peripheral wall of the tobacco rod to avoid contact with any portion of the peripheral wall of the tobacco rod.

The object of the invention is also achieved by a tobacco rod for heating a tobacco heating rod of a non-burning device, comprising: a first end; a second end opposite the first end; a peripheral wall extending between the first end and the second end; a sealing closure at the second end, the sealing closure comprising a flap comprising: a proximal portion bonded to the second end; a distal portion opposite the proximal portion; an intermediate portion extending from the proximal portion to the distal portion and covering the second end, wherein: the distal portion of the flap is folded over a portion of the peripheral wall of the tobacco rod to be secured to the portion of the peripheral wall of the tobacco rod.

The object of the invention is also achieved by a heating non-burning device comprising a heating furnace in combination with a tobacco heating rod according to the invention.

The sealing closure may comprise only one flap or several flaps.

The peripheral wall extending between the first and second ends also preferably extends from the first end to the second end. Alternatively, the extension may include a supplemental element positioned between the tobacco rod and the filter (e.g., a tubular element such as a paper tube).

The distal portion of the flap is folded over a portion of the peripheral wall of the tobacco rod extending from the second end.

The distal portion of the cover sheet is folded over a portion of the peripheral wall of the tobacco rod, preferably glued to said portion of the peripheral wall of the tobacco rod.

The length of the distal portion of the cover sheet is comprised between 10% and 50% of the total length of the cover sheet (from the end of the proximal portion of the cover sheet to the end of the distal portion of the cover sheet), and preferably comprised between 20% and 35% of the total length of the cover sheet.

The distal portion of the cover sheet is folded over a portion of the peripheral wall of the tobacco rod, which portion of the peripheral wall of the tobacco rod preferably has a length of at least 3mm (mm = millimeter) or at least 5mm along the length of the tobacco rod, and/or preferably has a length of less than 2cm (cm = centimeter) and/or less than 1 cm.

Preferred embodiments include one or more of the following features, which may be employed separately or together, in partial combination or in complete combination with any particular object of the invention.

Preferably, the first glue layer is arranged between: a distal portion of the flap, and the portion of the peripheral wall of the tobacco rod.

Thus, the sealing closure of the tobacco rod is even stronger.

Preferably, the second glue layer is arranged between: the middle portion of the flap, and the second end.

Thus, the sealing closure of the tobacco rod is even stronger.

Preferably, the sealing closure comprises a supplementary flap disposed between: the second adhesive layer and the second end.

Thus, the sealing closure of the tobacco rod is even stronger.

Preferably, the supplementary patch comprises: a proximal portion bonded to the second end; a distal portion covering only the second end, and not covering any portion of the outer peripheral wall of the tobacco rod; an intermediate portion extending from the proximal portion to the distal portion and covering the second end. Advantageously, the proximal portion of the supplementary flap and the proximal portion of the flap are located at opposite sides of the width of the second end of the tobacco rod, or at opposite sides of the diameter, with respect to each other.

Thus, the supplemental flap is secured to the tobacco rod in a stronger manner.

Preferably, a third glue layer is provided between the middle portion of the cover sheet and the second glue layer.

Thus, the sealing closure of the tobacco rod is even stronger.

Preferably, the sealing closure comprises a further supplementary flap which is arranged between the third glue layer and the second glue layer.

Thus, the sealing closure of the tobacco rod is even stronger.

Preferably, the further supplementary flap comprises: a proximal portion bonded to the second end; a distal portion covering only the second end, and not covering any portion of the outer peripheral wall of the tobacco rod; an intermediate portion extending from the proximal portion to the distal portion and covering the second end.

Thus, the further supplementary flap is fastened to the tobacco rod in a stronger manner.

Preferably, the ratio of the first length from the proximal portion to the distal portion of the cover sheet divided by the second length from the proximal portion to the distal portion of the supplemental cover sheet is in the range of 1.5 to 3.

Thus, the sealing closure of the tobacco rod remains strong, but does not become too cumbersome.

Preferably, the second length from the proximal portion to the distal portion of the supplemental flap is in the range of 0.3cm to 0.7 cm.

Preferably, the first length from the proximal portion to the distal portion of the cover sheet is in the range of 0.8cm to 2 cm.

Preferably, the thickness of the cover sheet is less than 0.5mm, preferably less than 0.3mm, preferably less than 0.1mm, preferably greater than 40 microns, and/or the thickness of the supplementary cover sheet is less than 0.5mm, preferably less than 0.1mm, preferably less than 0.05mm, preferably greater than 40 microns.

Thus, the sealing closure of the tobacco rod remains strong, but does not become too cumbersome.

Preferably, the tobacco rod is a cylinder with a circular cross-section.

Preferably, both the first glue layer and the second glue layer are made as the same pre-glue layer provided on the cover sheet, preferably covering the cover sheet from a proximal portion to a distal portion of the cover sheet.

Thus, the manufacturing process is made easier.

Preferably, the flap has a pre-cut triangular or trapezoidal shape, the distal portion of the flap comprises a tip of the triangular or trapezoidal shape, and/or the complementary flap has a pre-cut triangular or trapezoidal shape, the distal portion of the complementary flap comprises a tip of the triangular or trapezoidal shape.

Thus, it is easier to fold the flap or flaps over the bottom end of the tobacco rod, thereby making the manufacturing process easier.

Alternatively, the cover sheet has a rectangular shape (if stretched in a plane) and/or the supplemental cover sheet has a rectangular shape (if stretched in a plane).

Preferably, the cover sheet is an extension of the wrapper of the tobacco rod. Preferably, the cover sheet is one-piece with the wrapper of the tobacco rod. The wrapper is advantageously an outer wrapper.

Alternatively or cumulatively, the supplementary flap is another extension of the outer wrapper of the tobacco rod. Preferably, the supplemental flap is one piece with the wrapper of the tobacco rod. In particular, the proximal portion of the flap may form a fold line between the peripheral wall and the second end of the tobacco rod.

Thus, the sealing closure of the tobacco rod is stronger while limiting the bulkiness of the tobacco rod, while making it easier for the flap or flaps to fold over the bottom end of the tobacco rod, thereby making the manufacturing process easier.

Preferably, the material of the cover sheet and/or the material of the supplementary cover sheet is paper. Preferably, the wrapper of the tobacco rod and the cover sheet and/or the supplementary cover sheet are formed from a single piece of paper.

Thus, the sealing closure of the tobacco rod is even stronger.

The glue may be, for example, a water-based latex (e.g., EVA or PVA).

Advantageously, the heated tobacco rod comprises a tobacco rod extending from the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece includes a cooling or spacing element (e.g., a paper tube) and a filter, which may include a single or multiple filter segments. During the inhalation, the tobacco rod is heated and the inhalation takes place at the free end of the mouthpiece. The tobacco rod comprises an aerosol-generating substrate and a tubular wrapper covering the aerosol-generating substrate. The aerosol-generating substrate comprises a homogenized tobacco material (sometimes also referred to as "reconstituted tobacco"). The homogenized tobacco material may take various forms, such as filaments, strips, powders, foams, sheets, and combinations thereof. The homogenized tobacco material may be formed from a sheet by a cast sheet process, a papermaking process, or extrusion, or a combination thereof. The homogenized tobacco material typically comprises a blend of tobacco powder and/or fibers with an aerosol former or humectant (e.g., any one or more of glycerin, propylene glycol, water). The material may further comprise small amounts of binders such as cellulose derivatives or gums and/or flavoring agents. The aerosol-generating substrate may further comprise tobacco lamina and/or cellulosic fibers. The tubular wrapper is preferably a paper wrapper which is rolled up and sealed in the longitudinal direction to form a sealing seam.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the following description of an embodiment of the invention given as a non-limiting example and with reference to the figures listed below.

Drawings

Fig. 1A to 1E show the main manufacturing steps of a first embodiment of a tobacco rod for a heated tobacco rod of an electronic cigarette device according to the present invention.

Fig. 2A to 2F show the main manufacturing steps of a second embodiment of a tobacco rod for a heated tobacco rod of an electronic cigarette device according to the present invention.

Fig. 3A to 2E show the main manufacturing steps of a third embodiment of a tobacco rod for a heated tobacco rod of an electronic cigarette device according to the present invention.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1A to 1E show the main manufacturing steps of a first embodiment of a tobacco rod for heating a heated tobacco rod of a non-burning device according to the present invention. The scale of fig. 1A is smaller than that of fig. 1B to 1D (the same scale).

In fig. 1A, there is a tobacco rod 1, which extends on one side an extension 2 comprising a filter 4 and on the other side a cover sheet 5. The tobacco rod 1 has an outer peripheral wall 12 extending from a first end 11 of the tobacco rod to a second end 13 of the tobacco rod. The extension 2 is glued to the first end 11 of the tobacco rod 1. The proximal portion 51 of the flap 5 is glued to the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1. The extension may further comprise a cooling or spacing element (e.g. a paper tube) (not shown) between the filter 4 and the tobacco rod 1. In general, a filter may comprise a single filtering section or two or more filtering sections. The filtration section may include, for example, a monoacetate filtration section, a hollow filtration section, a charcoal filtration section, a cavity section, and the like. Each segment may be wrapped by a wrapper (commonly referred to as a "filter plug wrapper") and the segments are joined by a combined wrapper (commonly referred to as a "filter plug wrapper"). The tobacco rod may be individually wrapped by a paper wrapper. The extension and tobacco rod may also be bonded by an additional paper wrapper (also referred to as "tipping paper"). The flap 5 has a middle portion 52 that extends from a proximal portion 51 of the flap to a distal portion 53 of the flap. The length of the cover sheet 5 is longer than the width w or diameter d of the tobacco rod 1, which is preferably a cylindrical rod with a circular cross section. For example, the length L5 of the flap 5 is about 10mm and the width w or diameter d of the tobacco rod is between about 5mm and 7 mm. The proximal portion 51 of the flap may be adhered to the tobacco rod, or the flap may be an integral extension of the paper wrapper of the tobacco rod. In the case of an integral part of the tobacco wrap, the manufacturing process is simplified and the individual elements are avoided from being cut and glued to the tobacco rod in the configuration of fig. 1A.

In fig. 1B, the glue layer 6 is applied on the peripheral wall 12 of the tobacco rod 1, close to the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1.

In fig. 1C, the flap 5 is folded such that the middle portion 52 of the flap covers the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1. The intermediate portion 52 of the flap 5 is pressed against the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1. The second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1 is completely covered by the lid sheet 5. For this purpose, the intermediate portion 52 is preferably sufficiently large in a direction transverse to the folding direction to cover the second portion without leaving the second end uncovered. The distal portion 53 of the flap 5 protrudes farther than the glue layer 6 and farther than the width w or diameter d of the tobacco rod 1.

In fig. 1D, the lid sheet 5 is further folded such that the distal portion 53 of the lid sheet is applied on the glue layer 6, whereby the distal portion 53 of the lid sheet 5 adheres to the peripheral wall 12 of the tobacco rod 1. The distal portion 53 of the cover sheet 5 is pressed onto the glue layer 6, which covers a portion of the peripheral wall 12 of the tobacco rod 1. The sealing closure 3 (which comprises the flap 5 and the glue layer 6) is glued to the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1. The overall length of the heated tobacco rod is limited from increasing because only a circumferential portion of the outer surface of the tobacco rod is overlapped by the cover sheet.

Fig. 1E is an example of a possible embodiment, showing a 3D diagram illustrating the geometry of the coverslip in space. The lid sheet 5 takes the shape of a portion of a cylinder having a circular cross section, thereby extending the peripheral wall 12 of the tobacco rod 1. The form of the flap is substantially rectangular before the flap is rolled up (i.e., when the shape of the flap is unfolded on a flat plane), but the flap may take other forms (e.g., a trapezoidal shape or a triangular shape).

Fig. 2A to 2F show the main manufacturing steps of a second embodiment of a tobacco rod for heating a tobacco rod according to the present invention. The scale of fig. 3A is smaller than that of fig. 2B to 2E (the same scale). The overall structure and arrangement of the different parts of the rod (tobacco rod, extension) remain the same as in the previous embodiment and are therefore not repeated later.

On fig. 2A, there is a tobacco rod 1, which extends on one side with an extension 2 comprising a filter 4 and on the other side with a lid sheet 5, a first supplementary lid sheet 7 and a second supplementary lid sheet 9. The tobacco rod 1 has an outer peripheral wall 12 extending from a first end 11 of the tobacco rod to a second end 13 of the tobacco rod. The extension 2 is glued to the first end 11 of the tobacco rod 1.

The proximal portion 51 of the flap 5 is glued to the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1. The flap 5 has a middle portion 52 that extends from a proximal portion 51 of the flap to a distal portion 53 of the flap. The length of the cover sheet 5 is longer than the width w or diameter d of the tobacco rod 1, which is preferably a cylindrical rod with a circular cross section.

The proximal portion 71 of the first supplemental flap 7 is bonded to the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1. The proximal portion 71 of the first supplementary flap 7 is glued to the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1, but is angularly offset with respect to the disk formed by the second end 13, compared to the proximal portion 51 of the flap 5. The first supplemental flap 7 has a middle portion 72 that extends from a proximal portion 71 of the first supplemental flap to a distal portion 73 of the first supplemental flap. The length of the first complementary flap 7 is as long as the width w or diameter d of the tobacco rod 1, which is preferably a cylindrical rod with a circular cross section. The length L7 of the first complementary flap 7 is shorter than the length L5 of the flap 5. The length L5 of the flap 5 is about 1cm. The length L7 of the first complementary flap 7 is about 0.5cm.

The proximal portion 91 of the second supplemental flap 9 is bonded to the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1. The proximal portion 91 of the second supplementary flap 9 is glued to the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1, but is angularly offset with respect to the disk formed by the second end 13, compared to the proximal portion 51 of the flap 5. The second supplemental flap 9 has a middle portion 92 that extends from a proximal portion 91 of the second supplemental flap to a distal portion 93 of the second supplemental flap. The length of the second complementary flap 9 is as long as the width w or diameter d of the tobacco rod 1, which is preferably a cylindrical rod with a circular cross section. The length L7 of the second supplementary flap 9 is equal to the length L7 of the first supplementary flap 7 and shorter than the length L5 of the flap 5. The length L5 of the flap 5 is about 1cm. The length L7 of the first and second supplementary flaps 7 and 9 are equal to each other and the length L7 is preferably about 0.5cm.

In fig. 2B, the first supplemental flap 7 is folded such that the intermediate portion 72 of the first supplemental flap and the distal portion 73 of the first supplemental flap cover the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1. The first supplementary flap 7 is pressed onto the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1. The second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1 is covered entirely or partially over more than half its area by the first supplementary flap 7. Any portion of the peripheral wall 12 of the tobacco rod 1 is not covered by the first supplementary flap 7.

In fig. 2C, a first glue layer 6 is applied on the peripheral wall 12 of the tobacco rod 1, close to the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1, and a second glue layer 8 is applied on a first supplementary cover sheet 7 covering the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1. Both the first glue layer 6 and the second glue layer 8 may be applied in a single manufacturing step. The second glue layer 8 is applied over the entire surface of the first supplementary flap 7.

The second supplemental flap 9 is folded such that the intermediate portion 92 of the second supplemental flap and the distal portion 93 of the second supplemental flap overlie the second adhesive layer 8. The second supplementary flap 9 is pressed onto the second glue layer 8. The second glue layer 8 is covered entirely by the second supplementary flap 9 or partly by the second supplementary flap over more than half its area. Any portion of the peripheral wall 12 of the tobacco rod 1 is not covered by the second supplementary flap 9.

A third glue layer 10 is applied on the second complementary flap 9. A third glue layer 10 is applied over the entire surface of the second supplementary flap 9.

In fig. 2D, the flap 5 is folded such that the middle portion 52 of the flap covers the third glue layer 10, which itself covers the second supplementary flap 9. The intermediate portion 52 of the cover sheet 5 is pressed onto the third glue layer 10. The distal portion 53 of the flap 5 protrudes farther than the third glue layer 10 and farther than the width w or diameter d of the tobacco rod 1.

In fig. 2E, the lid sheet 5 is further folded such that the distal portion 53 of the lid sheet is applied on the glue layer 6, whereby the distal portion 53 of the lid sheet 5 adheres to the peripheral wall 12 of the tobacco rod 1. The distal portion 53 of the cover sheet 5 is pressed onto the first glue layer 6, which covers a portion of the peripheral wall 12 of the tobacco rod 1. The sealing closure 3 (which comprises the lid sheet 5 and the first and second supplementary lid sheets 7 and 9, and the first and second and third glue layers 6 and 8 and 10) is glued to the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1. The overall length of the heated tobacco rod is greatly limited from increasing.

The proximal portion of the flap may be adhered to the tobacco rod, or the flap may be an integral extension of the paper wrapper of the tobacco rod. In the case of an integral part of the tobacco wrap, the manufacturing process is simplified and the individual elements are avoided from being cut and glued onto the tobacco rod in the configuration of fig. 2A.

Fig. 2F is an example of a possible embodiment, showing a 3D diagram showing the geometry and distribution of the coverslip in space. The lid sheet 5 takes the shape of a portion of a cylinder having a circular cross section, thereby extending the peripheral wall 12 of the tobacco rod 1. The first supplementary flap 7 takes the shape of a portion of a cylinder having a circular cross section, extending the peripheral wall 12 of the tobacco rod 1. The second supplementary flap 9 takes the shape of a portion of a cylinder having a circular cross section, extending the peripheral wall 12 of the tobacco rod 1. The lid sheet 5, the first supplementary lid sheet 7 and the second supplementary lid sheet 9 are angularly distributed around the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1, preferably regularly distributed, for example at 120 degrees to each other. Advantageously, the lid sheet 5, the first supplementary lid sheet 7 and the second supplementary lid sheet 9 are distributed along the entire periphery of the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1, thereby being consecutive to each other such that almost every part of the periphery of the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1 is covered. Before rolling up the flaps (i.e., when the shape of the flaps is spread out on a flat plane), each of these flaps is substantially rectangular in form, but these flaps may take other forms (e.g., trapezoidal shape or triangular shape).

Fig. 3A to 3E show the main manufacturing steps of a third embodiment of a tobacco rod for a tobacco rod according to the present invention. The scale of fig. 3A is smaller than that of fig. 3B to 3E (the same scale). The overall structure and arrangement of the different parts of the rod (tobacco rod, extension) remain the same as in the previous embodiment and are not repeated afterwards.

On fig. 3A, there is a tobacco rod 1, which extends on one side an extension 2 comprising a filter 4 and on the other side a lid sheet 5 and a supplementary lid sheet 7. The tobacco rod 1 has an outer peripheral wall 12 extending from a first end 11 of the tobacco rod to a second end 13 of the tobacco rod. The extension 2 is glued to the first end 11 of the tobacco rod 1.

The proximal portion 51 of the flap 5 is glued to the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1. The flap 5 has a middle portion 52 that extends from a proximal portion 51 of the flap to a distal portion 53 of the flap. The length of the cover sheet 5 is longer than the width w or diameter d of the tobacco rod 1, which is preferably a cylindrical rod with a circular cross section.

The proximal portion 71 of the supplementary flap 7 is glued to the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1. The proximal portion 71 of the supplementary flap 7 is glued to the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1 on the opposite side of the second end 13 compared to the proximal portion 51 of the flap 5. The supplemental flap 7 has a middle portion 72 that extends from a proximal portion 71 of the supplemental flap to a distal portion 73 of the supplemental flap. The length of the supplementary flap 7 is as long as the width w or diameter d of the tobacco rod 1, which is preferably a cylindrical rod with a circular cross section. The length L7 of the supplementary flap 7 is shorter than the length L5 of the flap 5. The length L5 of the flap 5 is about 1cm. The length L7 of the complementary flap 7 is about 0.5cm.

In fig. 3B, the supplemental flap 7 is folded such that the middle portion 72 of the supplemental flap and the distal portion 73 of the supplemental flap cover the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1. The supplementary flap 7 is pressed onto the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1. The second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1 is entirely covered by the supplementary flap 7. Any portion of the peripheral wall 12 of the tobacco rod 1 is not covered by the supplemental flap 7.

In fig. 3C, a first glue layer 6 is applied on the peripheral wall 12 of the tobacco rod 1, close to the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1, and a second glue layer 8 is applied on a supplementary cover sheet 7 covering the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1. Both the first glue layer 6 and the second glue layer 8 may be applied in a single manufacturing step. The second glue layer 8 is applied over the entire surface of the supplementary flap 7.

In fig. 3D, the lid sheet 5 is folded such that the middle portion 52 of the lid sheet covers the second glue layer 8, which itself covers the filling lid sheet 7, which itself covers the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1. The intermediate portion 52 of the lid sheet 5 is pressed onto the second glue layer 8, which covers the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1. The distal portion 53 of the flap 5 protrudes farther than the second glue layer 8 and farther than the width w or diameter d of the tobacco rod 1.

The proximal portion of the flap may be adhered to the tobacco rod, or the flap may be an integral extension of the paper wrapper of the tobacco rod. In the case of an integral part of the tobacco wrap, the manufacturing process is simplified and the individual elements are avoided from being cut and glued onto the tobacco rod in the configuration of fig. 3A.

In fig. 3E, the lid sheet 5 is further folded such that the distal portion 53 of the lid sheet is applied on the glue layer 6, whereby the distal portion 53 of the lid sheet 5 adheres to the peripheral wall 12 of the tobacco rod 1. The distal portion 53 of the cover sheet 5 is pressed onto the first glue layer 6, which covers a portion of the peripheral wall 12 of the tobacco rod 1. The sealing closure 3 (which comprises the lid sheet 5 and the supplementary lid sheet 7, and the first glue layer 6 and the second glue layer 8) is glued to the second end 13 of the tobacco rod 1. The overall length of the heated tobacco rod is greatly limited from increasing.

The invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. However, many variations are possible within the scope of the invention.

Claims (15)

1. A heated non-burning aerosol-generating article comprising:

tobacco rod (1), comprising:

the first end (11),

A second end (13) opposite to said first end (11),

An outer peripheral wall (12) extending between the first end (11) and the second end (13),

An extension (2) glued to said first end (11) and comprising a filter (4),-A sealing closure (3) at said second end (13), comprising a flap (5) comprising:

O a proximal portion (51) glued to said second end (13),

A distal portion (53) opposite to said proximal portion (51),

An intermediate portion (52) extending from said proximal portion (51) to said distal portion (53) and covering said second end (13),

Wherein:

The distal portion (53) of the flap is folded over a portion of the peripheral wall (12) of the tobacco rod to be secured to the portion of the peripheral wall (12) of the tobacco rod.

2. The heated non-firing aerosol-generating article of claim 1, wherein:

The first adhesive layer (6) is arranged between the following two:

the distal portion (53) of the flap,

O said portion of the peripheral wall (12) of the tobacco rod.

3. The heated non-firing aerosol-generating article of claim 2, wherein:

the second adhesive layer (8) is arranged between the following two:

The middle part (52) of the cover plate,

O and the second end (13).

4. A heated non-firing aerosol-generating article according to claim 3 in which:

The sealing closure (3) comprises a supplementary flap (7) arranged between:

The second glue layer (8),

O and the second end (13).

5. The heated non-firing aerosol-generating article of claim 4, wherein:

the third adhesive layer (10) is arranged between the following two:

The middle part (52) of the cover plate,

And the second glue layer (8).

6. The heated non-firing aerosol-generating article of claim 5, wherein:

the sealing closure (3) comprises a further supplementary flap (9) which is arranged between:

the third glue layer (10),

And the second glue layer (8).

7. The heated non-firing aerosol-generating article of any of claims 4 to 6, wherein:

the complementary flap (7) comprises:

O a proximal portion (71) bonded to the second end (13),

A distal portion (73) covering only said second end (13) and not any portion of the peripheral wall (12) of said tobacco rod,

An intermediate portion (72) extending from said proximal portion (71) to said distal portion (73) and covering said second end (13),

And/or the further complementary flap (9) comprises:

o a proximal portion (91) bonded to said second end (13),

A distal portion (93) covering only said second end (13) and not any portion of the peripheral wall (12) of said tobacco rod,

-An intermediate portion (92) extending from the proximal portion (91) to the distal portion (93) and covering the second end (13).

8. A heated non-firing aerosol-generating article according to any of claims 4 to 7, wherein the ratio of the first length (L5) from the proximal portion (51) to the distal portion (53) of the cover sheet (5) divided by the second length (L7) from the proximal portion (71) to the distal portion (73) of the supplementary cover sheet (7) is in the range 1.5 to 3.

9. A heated non-burning aerosol-generating article according to any of claims 4 to 8 in which the second length (L7) from the proximal portion (71) to the distal portion (73) of the supplementary cover sheet (7) is in the range 0.3cm to 0.7 cm.

10. A heated non-burning aerosol-generating article according to any of the preceding claims in which the first length (L5) from the proximal portion (51) to the distal portion (53) of the cover sheet (5) is in the range 0.8cm to 2 cm.

11. The heated non-firing aerosol-generating article of any preceding claim, wherein:

The thickness of the cover sheet (5) is less than 0.2cm, preferably less than 0.1cm, preferably less than 0.05cm, preferably more than 0.01cm,

And/or the thickness of the complementary flap (7) is less than 0.2cm, preferably less than 0.1cm, preferably less than 0.05cm, preferably more than 0.01cm.

12. A heated non-burning aerosol-generating article according to any of the preceding claims, wherein both the first glue layer (6) and the second glue layer (8) are made as the same pre-glue layer provided on the cover sheet (5), preferably covering the cover sheet (5) from a proximal portion (51) to a distal portion (53) of the cover sheet (5).

13. The heated non-firing aerosol-generating article of any preceding claim, wherein:

the flap (5) having a pre-cut triangular or trapezoidal shape, the distal portion (53) of the flap (5) comprising a tip of the triangular or trapezoidal shape,

And/or the supplementary flap (7) has a pre-cut triangular or trapezoidal shape, the distal portion (73) of the supplementary flap (7) comprising a tip of the triangular shape.

14. The heated non-firing aerosol-generating article of any preceding claim, wherein:

the cover sheet (5) is an extension of the wrapper of the tobacco rod (1),

Preferably in one piece with the wrapper of the tobacco rod (1),

And/or the supplementary flap (7) is another extension of the wrapper of the tobacco rod (1),

Preferably, the wrapper with the tobacco rod (1) is one-piece.

15. A tobacco rod for heating a tobacco heating rod of a non-burning device, the tobacco rod comprising:

a first end (11),

A second end (13) opposite to said first end (11),

A peripheral wall (12) extending between said first end (11) and said second end (13),

-A sealing closure (3) at said second end (13), comprising a flap (5) comprising:

O a proximal portion (51) glued to said second end (13),

A distal portion (53) opposite to said proximal portion (51),

An intermediate portion (52) extending from said proximal portion (51) to said distal portion (53) and covering said second end (13),

Wherein:

The distal portion (53) of the flap is folded over a portion of the peripheral wall (12) of the tobacco rod to be secured to the portion of the peripheral wall (12) of the tobacco rod.