KR102715275B1 - Aerosol generating article and aerosol generating device having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

An aerosol generating article according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a tobacco medium portion, a filter portion disposed spaced apart from the tobacco medium portion, and a tubular cooling portion disposed between the tobacco medium portion and the filter portion, and may include a nicotine component on an inner surface of the cooling portion.

Description

{AEROSOL GENERATING ARTICLE AND AEROSOL GENERATING DEVICE HAVING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to an aerosol generating article and an aerosol generating device.

Tobacco generally refers to a perennial herb of the Solanaceae family in the dicotyledonous order, but recently it has also been used to refer to a product manufactured for smoking, with tobacco leaves wrapped in cigarette paper and a filter section on one side. There are thousands of types of these cigarettes worldwide, and they are released in various shapes and forms.

Among these, in the case of combustible tobacco such as cigarettes, cigars, and pipes, the smoke contains many components such as tar, nitramines, hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide in addition to aerosol containing nicotine.

As an alternative to compensate for the shortcomings of such combustible cigarettes, a method of generating aerosol by heating aerosol-generating substances in a cigarette rather than burning the cigarette to generate aerosol is widely used, and demand for this is increasing. Accordingly, research on heated cigarettes or heated aerosol generating devices is actively being conducted.

Specifically, the aerosol generating device has a form similar to that of a conventional combustion cigarette, and generates mainstream smoke containing an aerosol by heating the aerosol generating material in the heated cigarette using a heater or ultrasonic vibration, thereby satisfying the smoker's desire to smoke while having the advantage of minimizing the emission of components such as tar, and is thus creating a new market that replaces conventional combustion cigarettes.

Heated cigarettes, or aerosol-generating articles, used in these aerosol-generating devices can deliver a high amount of nicotine to the user during the first half of a smoke session. However, the amount of nicotine delivered to the user can decrease dramatically during the second half of a smoke session.

In order to solve the above problem, an object of the present invention is to provide an aerosol generating article in which the amount of nicotine transferred to a user during the latter half of smoking is not reduced.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an aerosol generating article capable of effectively cooling high-temperature aerosol heated in a tobacco medium.

An aerosol generating article according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a tobacco medium portion, a filter portion disposed spaced apart from the tobacco medium portion, and a tubular cooling portion disposed between the tobacco medium portion and the filter portion, and may include a nicotine component on an inner surface of the cooling portion.

The nicotine component of the inner surface can be uniformly arranged on the inner surface along the longitudinal direction of the cooling section.

The nicotine component of the above inner surface can be arranged at 0.1 to 1.0 mg/mm along the longitudinal direction of the cooling section.

The nicotine component of the inner surface may be unevenly arranged on the inner surface along the longitudinal direction of the cooling section.

The concentration of the nicotine component of the inner surface may be higher at the inlet side of the cooling unit adjacent to the tobacco medium section than at the outlet side of the cooling unit adjacent to the filter section.

The concentration of the nicotine component of the inner surface may be lower at the inlet side of the cooling unit adjacent to the tobacco medium section than at the outlet side of the cooling unit adjacent to the filter section.

The concentration of the nicotine component in the inner surface of the cooling unit may be higher in the central region than in the end regions on both sides of the cooling unit.

The concentration of the nicotine component in the inner surface of the cooling unit may be lower in the central region than in the end regions on both sides of the cooling unit.

The nicotine component of the inner surface may be placed only in a portion of the inner surface along the longitudinal direction of the cooling section.

The above cooling member may include cellulose acetate tow.

The interior of the wall forming the above cooling unit may further contain a flavoring substance.

The nicotine component of the above inner surface may be a liquid nicotine solution or a nicotine salt.

The nicotine component of the above inner surface can also be placed inside the wall forming the cooling section.

The above tobacco medium may include a plurality of segments.

At least one of said plurality of segments may comprise a tobacco medium.

An aerosol generating device according to another aspect of the present invention may include a heating unit that heats at least a portion of an aerosol generating article, a power supply unit that supplies power to the heating unit, and a control unit that controls power supplied to the power supply unit.

The invention further includes an aerosol generating unit that heats the liquid composition to generate an aerosol, and the aerosol generated from the aerosol generating unit can be introduced into the aerosol generating article.

As described above, an aerosol generating article according to one aspect of the present invention can provide a high nicotine transfer amount to a user even in the latter half of smoking.

In addition, it is possible to effectively cool high-temperature aerosol heated in the tobacco medium.

FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view of an aerosol generating article according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an aerosol generating article according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is an enlarged drawing of the interior of area A of Figure 2.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating article according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 5 to 7 are modified examples of the tobacco medium portion of an aerosol generating article according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8 is a modified example of a filter section of an aerosol generating article according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 9 is a drawing schematically illustrating the process of adding nicotine and cooling mainstream smoke by means of a tobacco medium in a cooling unit.
Figure 10 is a graph showing the amount of nicotine transferred from an aerosol generating article according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 11 is a drawing schematically illustrating the process of applying tobacco medium to the inner surface of a cooling unit.
Figures 12 to 19 are modified examples of the cooling section of an aerosol generating article according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating device having an aerosol generating article inserted therein according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention can be modified in various ways and has various embodiments, and specific embodiments are illustrated and described in detail in the detailed description. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, but should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, or substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

The terminology used herein is only used to describe specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "comprise" or "have" and the like are intended to specify that a feature, number, step, operation, component, part or combination thereof described in the specification is present, but do not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. At this time, it should be noted that the same components in the attached drawings are indicated by the same symbols as much as possible. In addition, detailed descriptions of well-known functions and configurations that may obscure the gist of the present invention will be omitted. For the same reason, some components in the attached drawings are exaggerated, omitted, or schematically illustrated.

Hereinafter, an aerosol generating article according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view of an aerosol generating article according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an aerosol generating article according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the interior of area A of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating article according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, an aerosol generating article (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a tobacco medium portion (110), a cooling portion (130), a filter portion (150), and a wrapper (170). Here, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art related to the present embodiment that, in addition to the components illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, other general components may be further included in the aerosol generating article (100).

The aerosol generating article (100) according to the present embodiment can be inserted into an aerosol generating device (300, see FIG. 20) described below and heated. At this time, when the aerosol generating article (100) is heated, mainstream smoke can be delivered to the user. The mainstream smoke can be an airflow flowing from upstream to downstream inside the aerosol generating article (100). Here, upstream can mean the tobacco medium (110) side, and downstream can mean the filter (150) side. The user of the aerosol generating article (100) can inhale the mainstream smoke through the downstream end of the aerosol generating article (100).

The aerosol generating article (100) may be formed into a cylindrical shape. At this time, the diameter of the aerosol generating article (100) may be 4.7 mm to 9.9 mm. The tobacco medium portion (110), the cooling portion (130), and the filter portion (150) may also be cylindrical in shape with a diameter of 4.7 mm to 9.9 mm.

Additionally, the aerosol generating article (100) may have a length of 31 mm to 60 mm. The length of the tobacco medium portion (110) may be 17 mm to 30 mm. The length of the cooling portion (130) may be 4 mm to 10 mm, and the length of the filter portion (150) may be 10 mm to 20 mm.

The shapes, diameters and lengths of the aerosol generating article (100) and its components are exemplified, but are not necessarily limited thereto. The shape and dimensions of the aerosol generating article (100) may be partially changed within a range that can be adopted by those skilled in the art.

The tobacco medium (110) is located upstream of the aerosol generating article (100) and may include a tobacco medium that generates an aerosol. The tobacco medium of the tobacco medium (110) contains nicotine, allowing users who smoke mainstream smoke to experience the taste and aroma characteristic of cigarettes.

When the aerosol generating article (100) according to the present embodiment is heated by the aerosol generating device (300) described below, and the aerosol generated in the aerosol generating device (300) flows into the aerosol generating article (100), nicotine may be adsorbed on the surface of the aerosol and delivered to the user during the process in which the introduced aerosol passes through the tobacco medium (110).

At this time, the nicotine contained in the tobacco medium may be at least one of free base nicotine and a nicotine salt, and the nicotine may be naturally occurring nicotine or synthetic nicotine.

Nicotine salts can be formed by adding an appropriate acid, including an organic acid or an inorganic acid, to nicotine. The acid for forming the nicotine salt can be appropriately selected in consideration of the rate of nicotine absorption in the blood, the heating temperature of the heater, flavor or taste, solubility, etc. For example, the acid for forming the nicotine salt can be, but is not limited to, a single acid selected from the group consisting of benzoic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, lauric acid, sorbic acid, levulinic acid, pyruvic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, citric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, phenylacetic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, gluconic acid, saccharic acid, malonic acid or malic acid, or a mixture of two or more acids selected from the group.

Meanwhile, the tobacco medium of the tobacco medium portion (110) can be manufactured in various forms. For example, the tobacco medium can be manufactured in sheets or in strands. In addition, the tobacco medium can be manufactured in the form of finely chopped tobacco sheets. In addition, the tobacco medium can be manufactured in the form of granules containing tobacco.

The tobacco medium (110) may be formed in a cylindrical shape. However, the shape of the tobacco medium (110) is not necessarily limited to this, and may be formed in a bar shape with a cross-section of various shapes.

At this time, the tobacco medium (110) can be manufactured by folding a tobacco sheet into a cylindrical shape, or by forming a tobacco strand, a tobacco shaving, or a tobacco granule into a cylindrical shape.

When the tobacco medium (110) is formed of a plurality of tobacco strands in which the tobacco sheet is cut, the tobacco medium (110) may be formed by combining the plurality of tobacco strands in the same direction (parallel) or randomly. Specifically, the tobacco medium (110) is formed by combining the plurality of tobacco strands, and a plurality of longitudinal channels through which the aerosol can pass may be formed. At this time, depending on the size and arrangement of the tobacco strands, the longitudinal channels may be uniform or non-uniform.

The tobacco medium (110) may further include an aerosol generating material to increase the amount of vapor. For example, the aerosol generating material may include, but is not limited to, at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol.

The tobacco medium (110) may further include a flavoring agent to add flavor to the aerosol. For example, the tobacco medium (110) may contain other additives such as a flavoring agent, a humectant, and/or an organic acid. Additionally, a flavoring agent such as menthol or a humectant may be added to the tobacco medium (110) by spraying it onto the tobacco medium (110).

At this time, the flavoring agent may include licorice, sucrose, fructose syrup, iso-sweetener, cocoa, lavender, cinnamon, cardamom, celery, fenugreek, cascarilla, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, mint oil, cinnamon, caraway, cognac, jasmine, chamomile, menthol, cinnamon, ylang-ylang, sage, spearmint, ginger, coriander or coffee, etc. In addition, the humectant may include glycerin or propylene glycol, etc.

The tobacco medium (110) may be surrounded by a heat-conducting material. The heat-conducting material may evenly distribute heat transferred to the tobacco medium (110) to improve the heat conductivity transferred to the tobacco medium (110), thereby improving the taste of the tobacco. The heat-conducting material may be a metal foil, for example, the heat-conducting material may be aluminum. However, the heat-conducting material is not necessarily limited thereto, and various metal foils used as the heat-conducting material may be applied.

Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, the tobacco medium (110) may be composed of at least one segment. For example, the tobacco medium (110) may be composed of one segment, two segments, or three segments. Specifically, the tobacco medium (110) according to the present embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4 may be composed of one segment. In addition, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the tobacco medium (110) may be composed of two segments. In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the tobacco medium (110) may be composed of three segments.

Referring to FIG. 4, the tobacco medium portion (110) of the present embodiment may be formed of one segment. The segment of the tobacco medium portion (110) may be filled with a tobacco medium. That is, in the present embodiment, the tobacco medium portion (110) may be formed of one segment filled with a tobacco medium.

At this time, the segment may be manufactured by folding a tobacco sheet into a cylindrical shape as described above, or by forming a tobacco strand, a tobacco shaving, or a tobacco granule into a cylindrical shape. In addition, the segment may further include an aerosol generating material and/or a flavoring material capable of increasing the amount of vapor.

In addition, the segment of the tobacco medium (110) may be heated by being combined with a heating member (370, see FIG. 20) of an aerosol generating device (300) that heats the aerosol generating article (100). In FIG. 20, the heating member (370) is illustrated as being arranged around the aerosol generating article (100), but is not limited thereto, and the heating member may be inserted into the inside of the tobacco medium (110) to heat the tobacco medium (110).

The tobacco medium (110) may further include a configuration for identifying the aerosol generating article (100). The aerosol generating article (100) may exhibit various tastes and scents, and may include a configuration (not shown) for identifying these various types of aerosol generating articles (100) from each other. For example, the tobacco medium (110) may include a metal foil that changes the inductance of an aerosol generating article recognition coil included in the aerosol generating device (300). At this time, the metal foil may be arranged on an outer surface of the tobacco medium (110).

Meanwhile, in the modified examples shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the tobacco medium portion (110) may be composed of two segments. One of the two segments may include the tobacco medium, and the other may not include the tobacco medium.

Referring to FIG. 5, the tobacco medium portion (110) may include a first segment (111) and a second segment (119). The first segment (111) is a segment filled with tobacco medium and may be identical to the segment of the tobacco medium portion (110) of FIG. 4 described above.

The second segment (119) is positioned at the upstream end of the aerosol generating article (100) to prevent the first segment (111) including the tobacco medium from escaping to the outside. That is, the tobacco medium portion (110) of the present modified example can be arranged in the order of the second segment (119) and the first segment (111) from the upstream side.

The second segment (119) can prevent impurities from entering the first segment (111) from the outside and prevent liquefied aerosol from flowing into the aerosol generating device (300, see FIG. 20) during smoking.

Additionally, when the aerosol generating article (100) is inserted into the aerosol generating device (300), the second segment (119) can support the aerosol generating article (100) so that the aerosol generating article (100) is fixed to the aerosol generating device (300).

The second segment (119) may be a cellulose acetate filter. For example, the second segment (119) may be manufactured by adding a plasticizer such as triacetin to cellulose acetate tow. Additionally, the cellulose acetate tow may include an aerosol generating material.

The aerosol generating material included in the second segment (119) may exclude nicotine. For example, the second segment (119) may include at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. However, the aerosol generating material included in the second segment (119) is not necessarily limited thereto. For example, the second segment (119) may include a material in which glycerin and propylene glycol are mixed at a ratio of about 8:2. However, the mixing ratio described above is not limited thereto.

In addition, the second segment (119) may contain other additives such as a flavoring agent, a humectant, and/or an organic acid. However, the material and type of the second segment (119) are not necessarily limited thereto and may be changed within a range that can be adopted by those skilled in the art.

The second segment (119) may be formed with a perforation for introducing aerosol from the outside to form a mainstream inside the aerosol generating article (100). The perforation formed in the second segment (119) may have a circular or Y-shaped cross-section. However, the cross-sectional shape of the perforation is not necessarily limited thereto and may have various cross-sectional shapes.

Meanwhile, when the second segment (119) includes a compressed sheet impregnated with an aerosol generating material, a perforation may not be formed in the second segment (119).

When a part of an aerosol generating article (100) is inserted into an aerosol generating device (300), an aerosol generated in the aerosol generating device (300) flows into the aerosol generating article (100) through the second segment (119), and the aerosol can form a mainstream smoke inside the aerosol generating article (100) and be delivered to a user. In addition, an aerosol generated inside the second segment (119) including an aerosol generating material can also form a mainstream smoke and be delivered to a user.

The second segment (119) may further include a configuration for identifying the aerosol generating article (100). The aerosol generating article (100) may exhibit various tastes and scents, and may include a configuration for identifying these various types of aerosol generating articles (100) from each other. For example, the second segment (119) may include a metal foil that changes the inductance of an aerosol generating article recognition coil included in the aerosol generating device (300). However, the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto, and the configuration for identifying the aerosol generating article (100) may be included in the first segment (111) in addition to the second segment (119).

Referring to FIG. 6, the tobacco medium (110) may include a first segment (111) and a second segment (117).

The first segment (111) is located at the upstream end, and the first segment (111) is a segment filled with tobacco medium and may be made of the same material as the first segment (111) of FIG. 5 described above.

The second segment (117) can prevent the tobacco medium of the first segment (111) from escaping to the cooling unit (130) described later. For example, when a heating unit for heating an aerosol generating article (100) is inserted into the first segment (111), the tobacco medium in the first segment (111) can be escaping and moving toward the cooling unit (130). As the second segment (117) is arranged between the first segment (111) and the cooling unit (130), the tobacco medium in the first segment (111) can be prevented from escaping toward the cooling unit (130).

The second segment (117) may be made of the same material as the second segment (119) of FIG. 5 described above.

In addition, the second segment (117) may be formed with a perforation for introducing an aerosol formed in or penetrating the first segment (111). The perforation formed in the second segment (117) may have a circular or Y-shaped cross-section. However, the cross-sectional shape of the perforation is not necessarily limited thereto and may have various cross-sectional shapes.

In this way, each of the first segment (111) and the second segment (117) of the tobacco medium (110) may be made of the same material as the first segment (111) and the second segment (119) of the tobacco medium (110) of FIG. 5 described above. However, the first segment (111) and the second segment (117) of the tobacco medium (110) may be arranged in a different order from the first segment (111) and the second segment (119) of FIG. 5. That is, the tobacco medium (110) of the present modified example may be arranged in the order of the first segment (111) and the second segment (117) from the upstream side.

Meanwhile, in the modified example illustrated in Fig. 7, the tobacco medium (110) may be composed of three segments. At least one of the three segments may include the tobacco medium.

Referring to FIG. 7, the tobacco medium (110) may include a first segment (111), a second segment (113), and a third segment (115). In this modified example, the first segment (111) including the tobacco medium may be arranged in the center, and the second segment (113), the first segment (111), and the third segment (115) may be arranged in that order from the upstream side.

The first segment (111) is located in the middle of the three segments of the tobacco medium (110), and the first segment (111) is a segment filled with tobacco medium and may be made of the same material as the first segment (111) of FIG. 5 described above.

The second segment (113) and the third segment (115) are arranged on both sides centered on the first segment (111), and the second segment (113) and the third segment (115) can be made of the same material as the second segment (119) of FIG. 5 described above.

The second segment (113) can prevent impurities from entering the first segment (111) from the outside and prevent liquefied aerosol from flowing into the aerosol generating device (300) during smoking. In addition, the second segment (113) can have the same structure, function, and material as the second segment (119) of FIG. 5 described above.

The third segment (115) can prevent the tobacco medium of the first segment (111) from escaping to the cooling unit (130). In addition, the third segment (115) can have the same structure, function, and material as the second segment (117) of FIG. 6 described above.

In this way, in this modified example, the tobacco medium portion (110) can be formed by arranging the second segment (113) and the third segment (115) on both sides of the first segment (111) including the tobacco medium.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 to 4, in the present embodiment, the filter portion (150) may be located at the downstream end, spaced apart from the tobacco medium portion (110). The filter portion (150) may filter at least one of the substances included in the mainstream smoke.

The filter unit (150) may be a cellulose acetate filter, and may be manufactured by adding a plasticizer such as triacetin to cellulose acetate tow. However, the material and type of the filter unit (150) are not necessarily limited thereto, and may be changed within a range that can be adopted by those skilled in the art.

The filter part (150) may be cylindrical. However, the shape of the filter part (150) is not necessarily limited to this, and may have various shapes corresponding to the shape of the tobacco medium part (110).

The filter unit (150) may be manufactured to generate a flavor. For example, a flavoring agent may be sprayed onto the filter unit (150), and separate fibers onto which the flavoring agent is applied may be included within the filter unit (150).

Alternatively, the filter unit (150) may include at least one capsule (not shown). The capsule may generate a flavor or may generate an aerosol. For example, the capsule may have a structure that encases a liquid containing a flavoring agent with a film. At this time, the capsule may have a spherical or cylindrical shape, but the shape of the capsule is not necessarily limited thereto.

In this embodiment, the filter part (150) is described as being formed on the most downstream side of the aerosol generating article (100), but as illustrated in FIG. 8, a recessed part (190) may be formed on the downstream side of the filter part (150). The recessed part (190) has a structure in which a wrapper (170) surrounding the filter part (150) extends further downstream than the filter part (150). That is, in this embodiment, the wrapper (170) extends further outward from the filter part (150) than the aerosol generating article (100) of the aforementioned embodiment. With this shape of the wrapper (170), the filter part (150) may have a recessed rod shape.

It is possible to prevent nicotine marks formed at the end of the downstream filter section (150) by the recess section (190) from being easily exposed to the outside. Accordingly, nicotine marks formed on the filter section (150) of the aerosol generating article (100) during or after smoking are not exposed to the outside, which may be aesthetically pleasing.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, in the aerosol generating article (100) according to the present embodiment, a cooling unit (130) is arranged between the tobacco medium unit (110) and the filter unit (150) to cool the high temperature aerosol passing through the interior. The high temperature aerosol from the tobacco medium unit (110) is cooled while moving through the interior of the cooling unit (130), and the cooled aerosol can be delivered to the user by passing through the filter unit (150). As a result, the high temperature aerosol can be prevented from being directly delivered to the user.

The cooling unit (130) may be formed into a tubular shape through which an aerosol may pass. Specifically, the cooling unit (130) may include a body (135) having a perforation (133) formed therein. The perforation (133) is a space formed in the center of the cooling unit (130) through which the aerosol may move from the tobacco medium unit (110) to the filter unit (150).

The high-temperature aerosol introduced into the inlet of the cooling unit (130) can be cooled while passing through the perforation (133) of the cooling unit (130). During the cooling process of the aerosol, some of the heat contained in the aerosol can pass through the body (135) of the cooling unit (130) and be discharged to the outside. At this time, a separate member including PLA (polylactic acid) can be placed within the perforation (133) of the cooling unit (130). For example, the inside of the perforation (133) can be at least partially filled with PLA.

The body (135) of the cooling unit (130) may be manufactured by adding a plasticizer such as triacetin to cellulose acetate tow. Alternatively, the body (135) of the cooling unit (130) may be formed of a composite paper composed of a plurality of papers. For example, the body (135) may be a composite paper composed of outer paper, middle paper, and inner paper, but is not necessarily limited thereto and may also be a single paper. At this time, a cooling material may be coated on the inside of the composite paper or a cooling film may be attached thereto. Here, the cooling material or the cooling film may include various materials having high thermal efficiency. However, the material and type of the body (135) of the cooling unit (130) are not necessarily limited thereto and may be changed within a range that can be adopted by those skilled in the art.

When the body (135) of the cooling unit (130) is made of cellulose acetate tow, the mono denier of the filaments constituting the cellulose acetate tow may be 3 to 20. Preferably, the mono denier of the filaments of the body (135) may be 9 to 15.

Additionally, the cross-section of the filaments constituting the body (135) may be Y-shaped. Here, the filaments may mean long, single-stranded fibers constituting cellulose acetate tow.

Meanwhile, the body (135) may contain other additives such as a flavoring agent, a humectant, and/or an organic acid. At this time, the flavoring agent may include licorice, sucrose, fructose syrup, isosweetener, cocoa, lavender, cinnamon, cardamom, celery, fenugreek, cascarilla, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, mint oil, cinnamon, caraway, cognac, jasmine, chamomile, menthol, cinnamon, ylang-ylang, sage, spearmint, ginger, coriander, or coffee. In addition, the humectant may include glycerin or propylene glycol, or the like.

The body (135) may have a donut-shaped cross-section due to the through hole (133). At this time, the inner diameter of the body (135) may be 2 mm or more. Preferably, the inner diameter of the body (135) may be 3.8 to 4.2 mm.

At this time, a plurality of openings (160) may be formed in the body (135) to allow outside air to flow in or internal air to flow out. The plurality of openings (160) may be formed spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the body (135).

In this embodiment, a plurality of openings (160) may be arranged on the outlet side of the cooling unit (130), i.e., adjacent to the filter unit (150). The aerosol passing through the cooling unit (130) may be additionally cooled by the outside air introduced through the plurality of openings (160). As a result, the aerosol introduced into the filter unit (150) may be cooled once again, thereby preventing the high-temperature aerosol from being inhaled into the user's mouth.

In this embodiment, it is described that a plurality of openings (160) are arranged on the outlet side of the cooling unit (130), but the positions of the plurality of openings (160) are not necessarily limited thereto, and the plurality of openings (160) may be arranged at other positions of the cooling unit (130), for example, on the inlet side of the cooling unit (130) or in the central region of the cooling unit (130).

According to the present embodiment, the inner surface of the body (135) of the cooling unit (130) may include a tobacco medium (131). More specifically, the tobacco medium (131) may be applied to the inner surface of the body (135) or impregnated into the inner surface of the body (135). That is, the tobacco medium (131) may be disposed on the inner surface or the tobacco medium (131) may penetrate and permeate the inner surface. In the present embodiment, the tobacco medium (131) may be a liquid nicotine solution or a nicotine salt.

At this time, the tobacco medium (131) may contain nicotine in the same manner as the tobacco medium included in the aforementioned tobacco medium section (110). In this way, in the present embodiment, the tobacco medium (131) containing nicotine may be placed on the inner surface of the body (135) through which the aerosol passes.

When a tobacco medium (131) is placed on the inner surface of the body (135), nicotine is additionally contained in the mainstream smoke, so that abundant nicotine can be provided to the user. More specifically, nicotine can be additionally contained in the mainstream smoke containing nicotine while passing through the tobacco medium (110) within the cooling unit (130).

At this time, the tobacco medium (131) arranged on the inner surface of the body (135) may be a liquid nicotine solution or a nicotine salt. In the present embodiment, the tobacco medium (131) on the inner surface of the body (135) may be formed by spraying a liquid nicotine solution or a nicotine salt toward the inner surface of the body (135). The sprayed liquid nicotine solution or nicotine salt may be impregnated into the body (135), or may form a deposition film or a coating film on the inner surface of the body (135) as the included solvent evaporates.

As illustrated in FIG. 11, a spray nozzle (S) is inserted into the tubular cooling unit (130), and a liquid nicotine solution or a nicotine salt (NS) is sprayed toward the inner surface of the body (135) through the spray nozzle (S). As a result, while the liquid nicotine solution or the nicotine salt (NS) is applied to the inner surface of the body (135), a tobacco medium can be arranged on the inner surface of the body (135). In addition, a separate fiber impregnated with a nicotine salt may be included inside the body (135) of the cooling unit (130). However, the tobacco medium (131) of the present embodiment is not necessarily limited to a nicotine salt, and may be formed in various forms including nicotine.

Nicotine salts can be formed by adding an appropriate acid, including an organic acid or an inorganic acid, to nicotine. The acid for forming the nicotine salt can be appropriately selected in consideration of the rate of nicotine absorption in the blood, the heating temperature of the heater, flavor or taste, solubility, etc. For example, the acid for forming the nicotine salt can be, but is not limited to, a single acid selected from the group consisting of benzoic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, lauric acid, sorbic acid, levulinic acid, pyruvic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, citric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, phenylacetic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, gluconic acid, saccharic acid, malonic acid or malic acid, or a mixture of two or more acids selected from the group.

Figure 9 is a drawing schematically illustrating the process of adding nicotine and cooling mainstream smoke by means of a tobacco medium in a cooling unit.

Referring to Fig. 9, the mainstream smoke (M) that has passed through the tobacco medium (110) can pass through the perforation (133) formed in the cooling unit (130). The mainstream smoke (M) that flows into the perforation (133) may contain nicotine generated from the tobacco medium (110). At this time, the mainstream smoke (M) may flow into the perforation (133) while containing nicotine at a high temperature.

The tobacco medium (131) included in the inner surface of the body (135) is heated by the heat of the mainstream smoke (M), so that nicotine (N) may be volatilized from the tobacco medium (131). The nicotine (N) volatilized from the tobacco medium (131) of the body (135) flows into the mainstream smoke (M), so that the mainstream smoke (M) may further contain nicotine (N) from the cooling section (130) in addition to the nicotine of the tobacco medium portion (110).

According to the present embodiment, since the tobacco medium (131) is included on the inner surface of the body (135) of the cooling unit (130), the amount of nicotine included in the mainstream smoke (M) increases, thereby providing abundant nicotine to the user.

In addition, the cooling effect of the mainstream smoke (M) in the cooling unit (130) can be increased by the tobacco medium (131) on the inner surface of the body (135). As the nicotine in the tobacco medium (131) on the inner surface of the body (135) evaporates due to heat, the mainstream smoke (M) can be further cooled.

In addition to the natural cooling of the mainstream smoke (M) as it passes through the perforations (133) of the body (135), additional cooling occurs as the heat of the mainstream smoke (M) is used in the process of evaporating nicotine from the tobacco medium (131) of the body (135).

Meanwhile, according to the present embodiment, since the cooling unit (130) includes the tobacco medium (131), it is possible to prevent a rapid decrease in the amount of nicotine transferred in the latter half of smoking. That is, according to the aerosol generating article (100) according to the present embodiment, since the tobacco medium (131) of the cooling unit (130) provides additional nicotine, it is possible to supplement the amount of nicotine transferred that decreases in the latter half of smoking.

Figure 10 shows the amount of nicotine transferred in each puff during the smoking process. The horizontal axis indicates the order of the puffs (e.g., first puff, second puff, etc.), and the vertical axis is a value that shows the relative amount of nicotine transferred to the user in each puff.

Overall, as the number of puffs increases during the smoking process, the amount of nicotine released initially increases, but after reaching a certain number of puffs, the amount of nicotine released subsequently decreases.

As illustrated in FIG. 10, when comparing a conventional aerosol generating article that does not include a tobacco medium in the cooling unit (130) with an aerosol generating article according to the present embodiment, the amount of nicotine transferred in both cases decreases from the fourth puff onwards.

However, in the latter half of smoking (after the fourth puff), the aerosol generating article according to the present embodiment exhibits a higher nicotine transfer amount than the conventional aerosol generating article. That is, according to the present embodiment, even in the latter half of smoking, the nicotine transfer amount is increased compared to the conventional aerosol generating article due to the tobacco medium (131) included in the cooling unit (130), so that sufficient nicotine can be provided to the user until smoking is finished.

According to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the tobacco medium (131) can be uniformly arranged in the cooling unit (130). More specifically, along the longitudinal direction of the body (135) of the cooling unit (130), the tobacco medium (131) can be uniformly arranged on the inner surface of the body (135) at a uniform concentration.

That is, as one goes from the tobacco medium section (110) to the filter section (150), the concentration of the tobacco medium (131) in the cooling section (130) can be constant. Here, the concentration of the tobacco medium (131) represents the amount of the tobacco medium (131) contained within the body (135) per unit length. At this time, the tobacco medium (131) can be uniformly arranged in the range of 0.1 to 1.0 mg/mm along the longitudinal direction of the cooling section (130).

Meanwhile, in the cooling unit (130), the tobacco medium (131) may be arranged unevenly. More specifically, as in the modified example according to the present embodiment in FIGS. 12 to 19, the tobacco medium (131) may be arranged in an uneven concentration along the longitudinal direction of the body (135) of the cooling unit (130).

Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, the concentration of the tobacco medium (131) of the cooling unit (130) may be placed higher at the inlet side of the cooling unit (130) adjacent to the tobacco medium unit (110) than at other locations of the cooling unit (130).

In Fig. 12, the tobacco medium (131) is arranged throughout the body (135) along the length direction of the body (135), but the tobacco medium (131) may be arranged at a higher concentration at the inlet side of the cooling unit (130). On the other hand, in Fig. 13, the tobacco medium (131) is arranged only at the inlet side of the cooling unit (130), and the tobacco medium (131) may not be arranged at the remaining cooling unit (130) except for the inlet side.

Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, the concentration of the tobacco medium (131) of the cooling unit (130) may be placed higher at the outlet side of the cooling unit (130) adjacent to the filter unit (150) than at other locations of the cooling unit (130).

In Fig. 14, the tobacco medium (131) is arranged throughout the body (135) along the length direction of the body (135), but the tobacco medium (131) may be arranged at a higher concentration on the outlet side of the cooling unit (130). On the other hand, in Fig. 15, the tobacco medium (131) is arranged only on the outlet side of the cooling unit (130), and the tobacco medium (131) may not be arranged on the remaining cooling unit (130) except for the outlet side.

Referring to FIGS. 16 and 17, the concentration of the tobacco medium (131) of the cooling unit (130) may be placed higher in the central region of the cooling unit (130) than in other locations of the cooling unit (130). That is, the concentration of the tobacco medium (131) may be placed higher in the central region of the cooling unit (130) than in the end regions on both sides of the cooling unit (130).

In Fig. 16, the tobacco medium (131) is arranged throughout the body (135) along the longitudinal direction of the body (135), but the tobacco medium (131) may be arranged at a higher concentration in the central region of the cooling unit (130). That is, the concentration of the tobacco medium (131) may be higher in the central region between the inlet side and the outlet side of the cooling unit (130). On the other hand, in Fig. 17, the tobacco medium (131) may be arranged only in the central region, and the tobacco medium (131) may not be arranged in the remaining cooling unit (130) except for the central region.

Referring to FIG. 18 and FIG. 19, the concentration of the tobacco medium (131) of the cooling unit (130) may be placed lower in the central region of the cooling unit (130) than in other locations of the cooling unit (130). That is, the concentration of the tobacco medium (131) may be placed lower in the central region of the cooling unit (130) than in the two ends of the cooling unit (130).

In Fig. 18, the tobacco medium (131) is arranged throughout the body (135) along the longitudinal direction of the body (135), but the tobacco medium (131) may be arranged at a lower concentration in the central region of the cooling unit (130). That is, the concentration of the tobacco medium (131) may be lower in the central region between the inlet side and the outlet side of the cooling unit (130). On the other hand, in Fig. 19, the tobacco medium (131) may be arranged only in the end regions on both sides of the cooling unit (130), and the tobacco medium (131) may not be arranged in the central region.

Referring again to FIG. 4, the aerosol generating article (100) according to the present embodiment may be wrapped by a wrapper (170). The wrapper (170) may surround the tobacco medium portion (110), the cooling portion (130), and the filter portion (150) arranged in a row. In this way, when the wrapper (170) surrounds the tobacco medium portion (110), the cooling portion (130), and the filter portion (150), the cylindrical shape, which is the unique shape of the aerosol generating article (100), may be maintained.

The wrapper (170) can surround the entire outer surface of the tobacco medium (110), cooling unit (130), and filter unit (150).

Each of the tobacco medium (110), the cooling unit (130), and the filter unit (150) constituting the aerosol generating article (100) according to the present embodiment may be individually packaged by a separate wrapper (not shown). When the tobacco medium (110) includes a plurality of segments, each of the plurality of segments may be packaged by a separate wrapper, and the plurality of segments may also be packaged by one wrapper. In this way, when the tobacco medium (110), the cooling unit (130), and the filter unit (150) are individually packaged, the individually packaged tobacco medium (110), the cooling unit (130), and the filter unit (150) may be repackaged by a wrapper (170).

The wrapper (170) may be formed with a plurality of openings (not shown) to allow outside air to enter or inside air to exit the aerosol generating article (100). The plurality of openings may be formed at positions corresponding to the plurality of openings (160) of the cooling unit (130).

The wrapper (170) can be made of a general paper. For example, the wrapper (170) can be a porous paper or a non-porous paper.

The wrapper (170) may include a predetermined material. Here, the predetermined material may be silicon, but is not necessarily limited thereto. For example, silicon may have properties such as heat resistance with little change depending on temperature, oxidation resistance that does not oxidize, resistance to various chemicals, water repellency, or electrical insulation. However, even if it is not silicon, any material having the aforementioned properties may be applied to the wrapper (170) without limitation.

In addition, the wrapper (170) may include a non-combustible material to prevent the aerosol generating article (100) according to the present embodiment from burning. For example, if the tobacco medium (110) is heated by the heating unit (370) of the aerosol generating device (300), the aerosol generating article (100) may burn. Specifically, if the temperature rises above the ignition point of any one of the materials included in the tobacco medium (110), the aerosol generating article (100) may burn.

The wrapper (170) can prevent the aerosol generating device (300) from being contaminated by substances generated from the aerosol generating article (100) according to the present embodiment. Liquid substances may be generated within the aerosol generating article (100) during smoking. For example, a liquid substance such as moisture may be generated when the aerosol generated from the aerosol generating article (100) is cooled by external air.

As the wrapper (170) wraps the tobacco medium (110), the cooling unit (130), and the filter unit (150), liquid substances generated within the aerosol generating article (100) can be prevented from leaking out of the aerosol generating article (100). Accordingly, the interior of the aerosol generating device (300) can be prevented from being contaminated by liquid substances generated in the aerosol generating article (100).

As the wrapper (170) forms the outermost surface of the aerosol generating article (100), the shape of the aerosol generating article (100) can be changed according to the shape of the wrapper (170). For example, letters, patterns, symbols, images, etc. can be printed on the wrapper (170), and letters, patterns, symbols, images, etc. printed on the wrapper (170) can be changed so that the aerosol product (100) can provide different visual information.

Hereinafter, an aerosol generating device having an aerosol generating article inserted therein according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating device having an aerosol generating article inserted therein according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 20, the aerosol generating device (300) according to the present embodiment may include a heating unit (370), a power supply unit (330), a control unit (310), and an aerosol generating unit (350). Here, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art related to the present embodiment that, in addition to the components illustrated in FIG. 20, other general-purpose components may be further included in the aerosol generating device (300).

Meanwhile, in FIG. 20, the power supply unit (330), the control unit (310), and the aerosol generating unit (350) are depicted as being arranged in a row, but the arrangement of the power supply unit (330), the control unit (310), and the aerosol generating unit (350) may be changed as needed. In addition, in FIG. 20, the aerosol generating unit (350) is depicted as being included, but the aerosol generating unit (350) may be excluded and the aerosol generating article (100) may be operated only by being heated by the heating unit (370).

An aerosol generating article (100) may be inserted into the aerosol generating device (300). The aerosol generating article (100) may be inserted and fixed into the aerosol generating device (300) by a fixing means. In the present embodiment, the tobacco medium portion (110) of the aerosol generating article (100) may correspond to the fixing means. However, other fixing means may be added in addition to the tobacco medium portion (110).

The heating unit (370) can heat the aerosol generating article (100). The heating unit (370) is heated by power supplied from the power supply unit (330), and thereby the heating unit (370) can transfer heat to the aerosol generating article (100).

The heating element (370) may be an electrical resistance heater. The heating element (370) may include an electrically conductive track, and as current flows through the electrically conductive track by power supplied from the power supply element (330), the heating element (370) may heat the aerosol generating article (100).

As another example, the heating element (370) may be an induction heating heater. The heating element (370) may include an electrically conductive coil for inductively heating the aerosol generating article (100), and the aerosol generating article (100) may include a susceptor that may be heated by the induction heating heater.

The heating element (370) of FIG. 20 is illustrated as being positioned on the outside of the aerosol generating article (100), but is not necessarily limited thereto. The heating element (370) may include at least one of a tubular heating element, a plate-shaped heating element, a needle-shaped heating element, or a rod-shaped heating element, and may heat the inside or the outside of the aerosol generating article (100) depending on the shape of at least one heating element included in the heating element (370), and may also heat the inside and the outside together.

The power supply unit (330) supplies power used in the aerosol generating device (300). For example, the power supply unit (330) can supply power so that the heating unit (370) can be heated, and can supply power necessary for the control unit (310) to operate. In addition, the power supply unit (330) can supply power necessary for the display, sensor, motor, etc. of the aerosol generating device (300) to operate.

The control unit (310) controls the overall operation of the aerosol generating device (300). Specifically, the control unit (310) controls the operation of other components included in the power supply unit (330) and the aerosol generating device (350). In addition, the control unit (310) can check the status of each component of the aerosol generating device (300) to determine whether the aerosol generating device (300) is operable.

The aerosol generating unit (350) can generate an aerosol by heating a liquid composition, and the generated aerosol can be delivered to a user by passing through the aerosol generating article (100). In other words, the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating unit (350) can be introduced into the tobacco medium unit (110) of the aerosol generating article (100).

The aerosol generating unit (350) may include, but is not limited to, a liquid storage unit, a liquid delivery means, and a heating element. For example, the liquid storage unit, the liquid delivery means, and the heating element may be included in the aerosol generating device (300) as independent modules.

The liquid storage unit can store a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition can be a liquid containing a tobacco-containing material including a volatile tobacco flavoring component, or can be a liquid containing a non-tobacco material. The liquid storage unit can be manufactured to be detachable/attachable, or can be manufactured as an integral part of the aerosol generating device (300).

In a case where the aerosol generating unit (350) according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a liquid containing a non-tobacco substance, the liquid composition stored in the liquid storage unit included in the aerosol generating unit (350) may not contain nicotine, and the aerosol generated from the aerosol generating unit (350) may flow into the tobacco medium unit (110) without containing nicotine. In this case, the aerosol not containing nicotine passes through the tobacco medium unit (110) and adsorbs nicotine, and the aerosol passing through the tobacco medium unit (110) contains nicotine.

The liquid composition included in the aerosol generating unit (350) may include water, a solvent, ethanol, a plant extract, a flavor, a flavoring agent, or a vitamin mixture. The flavoring agent may include, but is not limited to, menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, various fruit flavoring ingredients, etc. The flavoring agent may include an ingredient that can provide a variety of flavors or tastes to the user. The vitamin mixture may be a mixture of at least one of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, and vitamin E, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the liquid composition may include an aerosol forming agent such as glycerin and propylene glycol.

Above, one embodiment of the present invention has been described, but those skilled in the art will be able to modify and change the present invention in various ways by adding, changing, deleting or adding components, etc., within the scope that does not depart from the spirit of the present invention described in the claims, and this will also be considered to be included within the scope of the rights of the present invention.

100 Aerosol generating articles
110 Tobacco Medium
130 Cooling Unit
131 Tobacco Medium
133 Public
135 body
150 filter section
170 rapper
190 recessed section
300 Aerosol generating device
330 power supply
350 Aerosol generating unit
370 Heating Unit

Claims (17)

Tobacco medium;
A filter portion arranged apart from the tobacco medium portion; and
It includes a tubular cooling unit arranged between the tobacco medium unit and the filter unit,
The above cooling unit has a tubular body and a perforation formed inside the body,
The body of the above cooling unit is made of cellulose acetate tow having a mono denier of filaments of 9 to 15, and a flavoring substance is included inside the wall surface of the body,
The inner surface of the body of the above cooling unit contains a nicotine component,
The nicotine component of the above inner surface is a liquid nicotine solution or nicotine salt,
An aerosol generating article, wherein mainstream smoke penetrating the above tobacco medium passes through the perforations of the tubular cooling section. In the first paragraph,
An aerosol generating article, wherein the nicotine component of the inner surface is uniformly arranged on the inner surface along the longitudinal direction of the cooling section. In the second paragraph,
An aerosol generating article, wherein the nicotine component of the inner surface is arranged at 0.1 to 1.0 mg/mm along the longitudinal direction of the cooling section. In the first paragraph,
An aerosol generating article, wherein the nicotine component of the inner surface is unevenly arranged on the inner surface along the longitudinal direction of the cooling section. In the fourth paragraph,
An aerosol generating article, wherein the concentration of nicotine component in the inner surface of the article is higher at the inlet side of the cooling section adjacent to the tobacco medium section than at the outlet side of the cooling section adjacent to the filter section. In the fourth paragraph,
An aerosol generating article, wherein the concentration of nicotine component in the inner surface of the article is lower at the inlet side of the cooling section adjacent to the tobacco medium section than at the outlet side of the cooling section adjacent to the filter section. In the fourth paragraph,
An aerosol generating article, wherein the concentration of nicotine component in the inner surface of the cooling unit is higher in the central region than in the end regions on both sides of the cooling unit. In the fourth paragraph,
An aerosol generating article, wherein the concentration of nicotine component in the inner surface of the cooling unit is lower in the central region than in the end regions on both sides of the cooling unit. In the fourth paragraph,
An aerosol generating article, wherein the nicotine component of the inner surface is disposed only in a portion of the inner surface along the length direction of the cooling section. delete delete delete In the first paragraph,
An aerosol generating article, wherein the nicotine component of the inner surface is also disposed on the inside of the wall forming the cooling section. In paragraph 1,
An aerosol generating article, wherein the tobacco medium comprises a plurality of segments. In Article 14,
An aerosol generating article, wherein at least one of said plurality of segments comprises a tobacco medium. A heating unit for heating at least a portion of an aerosol generating article according to any one of claims 1 to 9 and 13 to 15;
A power supply unit for supplying power to the above heating unit; and
An aerosol generating device comprising a control unit that controls power supplied to the power supply unit. In Article 16,
Further comprising an aerosol generating unit for generating an aerosol by heating the liquid composition,
An aerosol generating device, wherein the aerosol generated from the aerosol generating unit flows into the interior of the aerosol generating article.

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