A smoke-generating body

Abstract

The present invention discloses a smoke-generating body, comprising a wrapping layer and a smoke-generating matrix located in the wrapping layer. Without the wrapping layer, the overall density of the smoke-generating body is 450-550 mg / cm 3 The mass percentage of the atomizer in the smoke-generating body is 15-30%, and the volume ratio of the air inside it is 40-60%. The smoke-generating body of the present invention can effectively increase the amount of smoke produced during smoking, and the smoke is uniform, the inhalation resistance is moderate, and it has a more comfortable taste.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of tobacco, in particular to a heat-not-burn smoke-generating body. Background Art

[0002] When smoking heat-not-burn (HNB) tobacco products, compared to traditional cigarettes, both involve smoking tobacco, including shredded tobacco, tobacco shreds, tobacco particles, and tobacco dust. However, HNB products maintain a lower temperature within the tobacco, heating it without burning it, significantly reducing tar production. Electrically heated HNB devices, in particular, offer more precise temperature control, effectively preventing overheating and the release of harmful substances.

[0003] However, compared to traditional combustion-type smoking products, heat-not-burn smoking products still have the problem of insufficient smoke production when electrically heated. In addition, heat-not-burn smoking products still have room for improvement in terms of smoking experience. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention provides a smoke-generating body to solve the above problems.

[0005] The embodiment of the present invention discloses a smoking body, comprising a wrapping layer and a smoking matrix located within the wrapping layer. Without the wrapping layer, the overall density of the smoking body is 450-550 mg / cm 3 The mass percentage of the atomizer in the smoke body is 15-30%, and the volume ratio of the air inside it is 40-60%.

[0006] The inner area of ​​the smoke body mentioned in the present invention refers to the portion of the entire smoke body excluding the wrapping layer.

[0007] The total mass of the inner region of the smoke body mentioned in the present invention refers to the mass of the entire smoke body excluding the mass of the wrapping layer.

[0008] The calculation of the following parameters (such as volume, mass, density, etc.) does not include the wrapping layer.

[0009] The overall density (denoted by ρ) of the present invention refers to the apparent density of the smoke body in the inner area of ​​the smoke body surrounded by the wrapping layer, excluding the mass of the wrapping layer, and the interior of the smoke body contains the smoke matrix and the air between the smoke matrix. The apparent density is determined by the volume formed by the inner area surrounded by the wrapping layer and filled with materials and the weight of all substances in the volume. Its numerical value is calculated as the ratio of the weight of all substances in the area to the volume, which is jointly determined by the mass of air, the mass of the smoke matrix, the volume occupied by air, and the volume occupied by reconstituted tobacco leaves. Therefore, the calculation formula of the overall density ρ of the smoke body is shown in the following formula (1):

[0010] ρ=m 总 / V 总 (1)

[0011] where m 总 is the total mass of the area inside the smoke body, that is, the total mass of the smoke matrix and air. 总 It can be obtained by weighing the total mass of the smoke body minus the mass of the wrapping layer. Since the mass of air can be ignored, the total mass of the inner area of ​​the smoke body can be replaced by the mass of the smoke matrix. 总 The total volume of the smoky matrix and air inside the smoke body. For cylindrical or strip-shaped smoke bodies, the volume can be calculated by dividing the bottom area by the height. For example, for cylindrical smoke bodies, the volume can be calculated by measuring the bottom diameter and height. The volume of the wrapping layer, such as cigarette paper, is negligible, so the volume of the inside area of ​​the smoke body can be replaced by the total volume of the smoke body.

[0012] The mass percentage of the atomizer in the above-mentioned smoke body (expressed in ω 雾 The mass percentage of the atomizer is the mass of the atomizer in the smoke body (expressed as m) as a percentage of the mass of the entire smoke body excluding the mass of the wrapping layer. As mentioned above, since the mass of air can be ignored, the mass percentage of the atomizer is the mass of the atomizer in the smoke body (expressed as m) 雾 The calculation formula is shown in the following formula (2):

[0013] ω 雾 =m 雾 / m 总 ×100% (2)

[0014] The air volume ratio of the inner area of ​​the smoke body (denoted by V 空比 (denoted by) is the percentage of the volume of the air in the inner area of ​​the smoke body to the volume of the entire inner area of ​​the smoke body. As mentioned above, the volume of the inner area of ​​the entire smoke body is the total volume of the smoke matrix and air enclosed in the smoke body V 总 The volume of air inside the smoke chamber (denoted by V 空 The total volume can be expressed as the volume of the smoking matrix minus the volume of the smoking matrix (V 基 ) is obtained, and V 基 It can be obtained through measurement. The calculation formulas for the air volume ratio in the inner area of ​​the smoke body are shown in the following formulas (3) and (4):

[0015]

[0016] V 空 =V 总 -V 基 (4)

[0017] Heat-not-burn (HNB) smoking products often suffer from insufficient smoke production and poor puffing experience. This is primarily due to their electrical heating, which results in poor heat conduction. Furthermore, the ratio of the atomizer, the smoke-generating component, is also a crucial factor in the smoking effect.

[0018] The combination of the overall density of the smoke body of the present invention, the mass percentage of the atomizer, and the air volume ratio of the inner area of ​​the smoke body can advantageously improve the thermal conductivity of the smoke body and control the liquid components in the smoke body within a reasonable range, so that the overall smoking effect is more excellent.

[0019] The density of the smoke-generating body is determined by the density of the smoke-generating matrix, the filling amount, and the air volume. The amount of mass per unit volume affects the energy absorption and transmission capacity, as well as the ability to produce smoke components (such as nicotine) per unit volume. The present invention sets the overall density of the smoke-generating body to 450-550 mg / cm 3 , ensuring the maximum optimization of the smoke-generating matrix itself in energy absorption and transmission and the release efficiency of smoke components.

[0020] At the same time, the volume of interstitial air reflects the compactness of the cigarette roll, which affects the thermal performance of the smoke body. Larger interstitial air indicates less contact between the smoke-generating substrates, hindering solid heat transfer within the smoke-generating substrates. Heat released by the heating element is absorbed by the smoke-generating substrates near the heating element, making it difficult for the heat to be transferred to the lower-temperature smoke-generating substrates through solid conduction. However, due to the large interstitial air flow, the air within the interstitial air can transfer heat between the high-temperature and low-temperature reconstituted tobacco leaves via convection. This heat exchange efficiency is far greater than that of solid-to-solid heat transfer, thus increasing the overall temperature of the smoke body. However, due to the volume expansion of the heated air, it will flow outside the smoke body, dissipating heat and reducing heat utilization efficiency. The same principle applies in reverse. Therefore, there must be an optimal balance between heat utilization efficiency and the temperature rise rate of the smoke body, depending on the smoke body density. Research has found that the optimal smoke performance of the smoke body is achieved when the air volume ratio within the smoke body is between 40-60%.

[0021] Furthermore, a 15-30% atomizer content ensures sufficient atomizer in the smoke body to heat and form smoke. Excessive atomizer content prevents excessive liquid content in the smoke body, which increases specific heat and adversely affects temperature increases. For the smoke body of the present invention, a suitable atomizer content of 15-30%, preferably 20-25%, provides a noticeable smoke sensation and ensures low water absorption. The atomizer includes, but is not limited to, one or more of glycerol and propylene glycol. More preferably, glycerol is used as the atomizer.

[0022] The smoke-generating element of the present invention can serve solely as a heating element in a heat-not-burn smoking device. For example, the smoke-generating element can be placed in a heating chamber and heated using a peripheral heating method. In other embodiments, end heating or central heating by a heating needle can also be employed. Furthermore, a filter can be attached to the end of the smoke-generating element to form a heat-not-burn cigarette. This heat-not-burn cigarette can then be inserted into the heating needle, and the filter portion can directly serve as a mouthpiece for the user to smoke.

[0023] Preferably, in order to achieve a better match between the overall density of the smoke body and the volume ratio of air, a density of 0.9-1.1g / cm 3 The smokable substrate is used as the filling substrate of the smokable body. The smokable substrate can be, for example, tobacco, or further reconstituted tobacco. Reconstituted tobacco can be made into forms such as shredded tobacco and tobacco dust. The density of the smokable substrate of the present invention is the ratio of the mass of the entire smokable substrate to its volume. The mass of the smokable substrate includes the mass of the tobacco, as well as the mass of the atomizer, flavoring agent, and moisture.

[0024] Preferably, the air volume ratio is 45-55%, which not only can better obtain the smoke output, but also can improve the nicotine migration and increase the nicotine concentration in each puff.

[0025] The volume of the smoke-generating body of the present invention can be 0.6cm 3 And above, can be easily prepared and can ensure sufficient nicotine content. In addition, as a strip-shaped smoke body or a columnar smoke body, its maximum cross-sectional area does not exceed 0.5cm 2 The larger the cross-sectional area, the more difficult it is to maintain the integrity of the end face, and the end is more likely to drop tobacco, which in turn affects the quality of the cigarette. At the same time, in order to facilitate the distribution and filling of the smoking matrix in the radial and axial directions, the cross-sectional area is 0.2-0.5cm 2 More suitable.

[0026] Preferably, the density distribution of the smoke body is uniform. For ease of illustration and examination of the uniform density distribution requirement of the present invention, the present invention provides a simple method for measuring uniformity in cylindrical or strip-shaped smoke bodies. Specifically, the smoke body is divided into two first halves of equal volume at any plane passing through the longitudinal mid-axis of the smoke body, with the difference in mass between the two first halves not exceeding 5% of the total mass of the inner region of the smoke body. Furthermore, the smoke body is cut into two second halves of equal volume at a point halfway along the longitudinal mid-axis of the smoke body, with the difference in mass between the two second halves not exceeding 5% of the total mass of the inner region of the smoke body. Density uniformity in both directions of the smoke body is tested by transverse and longitudinal sectioning. Meeting one or both of the aforementioned criteria satisfies the requirement for uniform density distribution of cigarettes. Furthermore, the present invention is particularly applicable to smoke bodies with randomly arranged smoke substrates. While meeting the aforementioned requirement for uniform density distribution, a randomly arranged smoke substrate is more conducive to uniform smoke release.

[0027] The smoke-generating substrate of the present invention is composed of reconstituted tobacco leaves, to which ingredients such as atomizers and flavorings may be added. The moisture content of the reconstituted tobacco leaves of the present invention is no more than 8%, that is, the mass percentage of water in the reconstituted tobacco leaves is no more than 8%. Water has a high specific heat capacity, and an excessively high moisture content will cause the overall temperature of the smoke-generating body to rise after absorbing heat, which will be adversely affected by the high moisture content, increasing the amount of heat required for the smoke-generating body to smoke and also affecting the smoke-generating effect of the smoke-generating body. On the other hand, an excessively low moisture content can easily make the reconstituted tobacco leaves brittle, causing them to break and fall during rolling.

[0028] Furthermore, the reconstituted tobacco shreds in the smoke body of the present invention are randomly arranged, and the average length of the reconstituted tobacco shreds within the smoke body is greater than half the length of the smoke body. The length of the reconstituted tobacco shreds used in the rolling process is, for example, controlled to be approximately twice the length of the smoke body, to ensure that the average length of the reconstituted tobacco shreds ultimately present in the smoke body is greater than half the length of the smoke body. If the shreds of a smoke body composed of randomly arranged reconstituted tobacco shreds are too short, its filling capacity is reduced, often leading to end-of-line dropout. To prevent end-of-line dropout, the filler weight of the shreds in the smoke body is often increased, resulting in an overly dense smoke body and a reduced air volume. This is not conducive to heat rise and affects the smoothness of the inhalation airflow.

[0029] Furthermore, the smoke-generating body of the present invention can have a draw resistance controlled within a range of 180-300 Pa. Within this range, the smoke-generating section can be combined with other cigarette structures (cooling section, filtering section, supporting section, etc.) to form an overall cigarette draw resistance of about 300-400 Pa, providing users with a more comfortable smoking experience. At the same time, within this range of draw resistance, air can effectively circulate inside the smoke-generating body, which helps heat transfer, improves thermal conductivity, increases smoke production, and ensures that each puff of the user has sufficient nicotine concentration and smoke sensation, providing a more comfortable experience. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The following is an explanation of the embodiments of the present invention by specific specific examples. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present invention will be introduced in conjunction with the preferred embodiment, this does not mean that the features of this invention are limited to this embodiment. On the contrary, the purpose of introducing the invention in conjunction with the embodiment is to cover other options or modifications that may be extended based on the claims of the present invention. In order to provide a deep understanding of the present invention, the following description will contain many specific details. The present invention can also be implemented without using these details. In addition, in order to avoid confusion or blurring the focus of the present invention, some specific details will be omitted in the description. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0031] The terms “first”, “second”, etc. are only used for distinguishing descriptions and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0032] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clear, the embodiments of the present invention are described in further detail below.

[0033] The smoke-generating body of the present invention is generally realized by the following method steps: shredding reconstituted tobacco leaves, regulating the moisture content of reconstituted tobacco leaf shreds, rolling tobacco rods, and cutting tobacco rods.

[0034] Shredded reconstituted tobacco leaves are cut into strips with a width of about 1 mm and a length of more than 1 cm by cutting the reconstituted tobacco leaves used for heating cigarettes through a shredder.

[0035] Moisture regulation of reconstituted tobacco shreds refers to the control of the moisture content of the reconstituted tobacco leaves. If the moisture content of the reconstituted tobacco leaves deviates from the target moisture content of the smoke, such as during shredding, storage, and flavoring, drying or rehydration is necessary. For example, if the moisture content of the reconstituted tobacco leaves is below 4%, appropriate rehydration is required, while if the moisture content is above 8%, appropriate drying is required to ensure that the moisture content of the reconstituted tobacco leaves remains within the range of 4%-8%. In addition, atomizers may be added to the reconstituted tobacco leaves.

[0036] Tobacco rod rolling involves rolling and wrapping reconstituted tobacco shreds with a wrapping layer, such as cigarette paper, to form a uniformly packed, continuous strip with a defined circumference, hardness, and diameter. Furthermore, the smoking body can be made into a prismatic shape. Adjustments to the cigarette rolling process and the tobacco sheet preparation process can be made to adjust parameters such as the overall density and air volume ratio of the smoking body. In the following examples and comparative examples, the smoking body is uniformly manufactured into a cylindrical shape.

[0037] Tobacco rod cutting refers to cutting continuous tobacco rods into short tobacco rods or smoke columns of fixed length according to the overall design of heated cigarettes. This is the smoke-generating body of the heated cigarette. The smoke-generating body can be spliced ​​and compounded with structures such as filter rods through a cigarette connecting machine to form a heated non-combustion cigarette.

[0038] The reconstituted tobacco leaves in the smoke bodies in the following embodiments and comparative examples are all arranged in a disordered manner and meet the following conditions: the smoke body can be divided into two first halves of smoke bodies of equal volume by any plane passing through the central axis in the longitudinal direction of the smoke body, and the difference in mass between the two first halves of smoke bodies does not exceed 5% of the total mass of the inner area of ​​the smoke body; the smoke body can be cut into two second halves of smoke bodies of equal volume at 1 / 2 of the length of the central axis in the longitudinal direction of the smoke body, and the difference in mass between the two second halves of smoke bodies does not exceed 5% of the total mass of the inner area of ​​the smoke body.

[0039] In the following examples and comparative examples, the volume of the smoke-generating body can be calculated by measuring the bottom diameter and height. The volume of the reconstituted tobacco leaves within the smoke-generating body can be calculated by calculating their mass and available density. Using the above formulas (1) to (4), the overall density of the smoke-generating body, the mass percentage of the atomizer, and the air volume ratio are obtained. The available density of the reconstituted tobacco leaves is calculated by measuring the mass and volume of the uncut reconstituted tobacco leaves. The average length of the reconstituted tobacco leaf shreds can be measured using existing methods, and the length can also be controlled by a cutting device.

[0040] The moisture content of the smoke in the following examples and comparative examples was measured by a conventional gas chromatography method.

[0041] The total particulate matter in the smoke, nicotine migration rate, draw resistance, and smoke yield were measured by electrically heating the heat-not-burn (HNB) cigarettes described in the following examples and comparative examples. The total particulate matter in the smoke was measured by weighing the particulate matter from each cigarette using a Cambridge filter, with the difference in Cambridge filter weight representing the total particulate matter weight. Nicotine migration was measured by gas chromatography, with the nicotine content in the smoke captured by the Cambridge filter and the nicotine content in the reconstituted tobacco shreds from each cigarette being measured. The ratio of the two was the nicotine migration rate. Draw resistance was measured by measuring the physical properties of YC / T28.5 cigarettes. Smoke yield was measured by electrically heating cigarettes made from the same smoking device and under the same heating conditions, and then having professional smoke evaluators evaluate and summarize the smoke quality of each puff.

[0042] The following is a detailed description of the embodiments and comparative examples in Tables 1 and 2:

[0043] As can be seen from the examples, because the smoke-generating bodies meet the required overall density, atomizer mass percentage, and internal air volume ratio, the resulting smoke-generating bodies can achieve a draw resistance of 180-300 Pa. Testing has shown that this draw resistance range provides suitable suction, facilitates heat transfer, improves thermal conductivity, increases smoke production, and ensures uniform and sufficient smoke volume during inhalation. Furthermore, all examples achieve high mobility. The mobility of the smoke-generating bodies of the present invention can reach over 35%. Because the air volume ratios of Examples 1-3 and Example 6 meet the range of 45-55%, the nicotine mobility is higher when smoked as heat-not-burn cigarettes.

[0044] It can be seen from the comparative examples that the overall density of the smoke-generating body in comparative example 1 is too high, and the air volume ratio is too low, resulting in excessive resistance to inhalation. Although a certain amount of smoke-generating matrix is ​​filled, it still cannot produce sufficient smoke. Similarly, the overall density of the smoke-generating body in comparative example 4 is relatively high, the air volume is relatively low, and the resistance to inhalation is too large, resulting in poor thermal conductivity of the smoke-generating body, inability to heat up quickly, and low smoke production. The overall density of the smoke-generating body in comparative example 2 is too low, resulting in poor thermal conductivity, and because the air volume is relatively high, the air expands when heated, resulting in heat loss, making the smoke-generating body heat up slowly and the amount of smoke small. In addition, the high moisture content is not conducive to the temperature increase of the smoke-generating body. The overall density and atomizer content of the smoke-generating body in comparative example 3 are low, and the moisture content is low, the average length of the tobacco shreds is low, and the ends of the formed cigarettes are easy to fall off.

[0045] Although the present invention has been described with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the above description is provided to further illustrate the present invention in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, and that the present invention is not limited to these descriptions. Those skilled in the art may make various changes in form and detail, including simple deductions or substitutions, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0046]

[0047]

Claims

1. A smokable body comprising a wrapping layer and a smokable matrix located within the wrapping layer, characterized in that: Without the wrapping layer, the overall density of the smoke body is 450-550 mg / cm 3 The mass percentage of the atomizer in the smoke body is 15-30%, the volume ratio of the air in the inner area of ​​the smoke body is 40-60%, and the density of the smoke substrate is 0.9-1.1g / cm 3 The smoke body is a columnar smoke body or a strip-shaped smoke body. Any plane passing through the longitudinal central axis of the smoke body can divide the smoke body into two first half smoke bodies of equal volume. The difference in mass between the two first half smoke bodies does not exceed 5% of the total mass of the inner area of ​​the smoke body. The smoke matrix is ​​reconstituted tobacco leaves, and the moisture content of the reconstituted tobacco leaves is 4-8%.

2. The smoke-generating body according to claim 1, wherein The air volume ratio is 45-55%.

3. The smoke-generating body according to claim 1, wherein The smoke body is a columnar smoke body or a strip smoke body, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the columnar smoke body or the strip smoke body is less than or equal to 0.5 cm 2 .

4. The smoke-generating body according to claim 1, wherein The mass percentage of the atomizer is 20-25%.

5. The smoke-generating body according to claim 1, wherein The smoke body is cut into two second half smoke bodies of equal volume at 1 / 2 of the longitudinal center axis length of the smoke body, and the difference in mass between the two second half smoke bodies does not exceed 5% of the total mass of the inner area of ​​the smoke body.

6. The smoke-generating body according to claim 1, wherein The reconstituted tobacco leaves in the smoke-generating body are arranged in disorder, and the average length of the reconstituted tobacco leaves is greater than half the length of the smoke-generating body.

7. The smoke-generating body according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The absorption resistance of the smoke-generating body is 180-300 Pa.

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