Cigarette containing pinching heat release type aroma enhancement beads and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a cigarette containing pinching heat release type aroma enhancement beads, which comprises a tobacco section, a filter tip section and friction aroma production flavor type tipping paper positioned on the outer sides of the tobacco section and the filter tip section, the filter tip section comprises an aroma enhancement bead placement area, aroma enhancement microspheres and aroma enhancement blasting beads are arranged in the aroma enhancement bead placement area, and the aroma enhancement beads are arranged in the aroma enhancement microsphere placement area. The aroma enhancement microsphere comprises a microsphere inner core and a slow-release film layer coated on the outer surface of the microsphere inner core; the microsphere core comprises a microsphere core and a microsphere core layer, the microsphere core layer is located on the outer surface of the microsphere core, the microsphere core comprises calcium chloride, and the aroma-enhancing blasting bead contains water. According to the invention, the aroma-enhancing blasting beads containing water and the aroma-enhancing microspheres containing calcium chloride are put into the cigarette together. When the aroma-enhancing microspheres are not crumbled, water in the aroma-enhancing blasting beads does not make contact with calcium chloride in the aroma-enhancing microspheres, however, when the cigarette is smoked, consumers manually crumb the aroma-enhancing microspheres and the aroma-enhancing blasting beads, the calcium chloride makes contact with the water to react, heat is released, and therefore the heat is supplemented for smoke while aroma enhancement is conducted.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cigarette additive technology, specifically to a cigarette containing a crushable heat-releasing flavoring bead and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] In the ongoing pursuit of quality upgrades in the cigarette industry, adding flavoring carriers to the filter section to optimize cigarette taste and enrich aroma layers has become a widely used key technology in the industry. Currently, the mainstream flavoring carriers are mainly divided into two categories: cigarette flavoring capsules and cigarette flavoring dry beads. Cigarette flavoring capsules usually adopt a capsule structure, with an outer layer of a material with a certain elasticity and strength (such as sodium alginate, gelatin, etc.) and an inner layer encapsulating liquid flavoring components. Liquid flavorings are mostly oil-soluble or water-soluble complex aroma substances, which can be precisely blended according to the target aroma style. Cigarette flavoring dry beads, on the other hand, are mostly solid granular structures. Their core is to load flavorings (which can be liquid, semi-solid, or solid powder) into a porous carrier matrix through adsorption, encapsulation, and other processes. The carrier matrix is ​​often made of materials with high adsorption performance.

[0003] Regarding cigarette flavoring capsules, their aroma release is characterized by a typical "trigger-based" mechanism. Before or during smoking, the consumer must physically squeeze the filter tip with their fingers to rupture the outer membrane of the capsule, releasing the liquid flavoring instantly. This flavoring is then introduced into the mouth along with the smoke, providing immediate aroma replenishment and flavor adjustment. The aroma release is concentrated and highly concentrated, significantly altering the cigarette's aroma characteristics in a short time. Furthermore, in terms of user experience, the clear trigger-based aroma release mechanism allows consumers to choose whether and when to pop the capsule, greatly enhancing the personalization and interactivity of the experience.

[0004] However, despite the significant advantages of cigarette flavoring capsules in aroma control and consumer experience, the difficulty in breaking them remains a key bottleneck restricting their performance improvement and widespread application, especially for capsules containing multiple small flavoring beads. The difficulty in breaking the capsules not only prevents consumers from successfully triggering aroma release and thus negates the flavoring function, but also can cause filter deformation and tobacco shedding due to excessive pressure from the consumer, severely impacting the consumer experience. To address this issue, the industry has conducted extensive research and proposed various solutions, but these methods all have significant limitations and are insufficient to meet actual production and consumer needs.

[0005] First, some studies have reduced the crushing resistance by decreasing the thickness of the outer membrane of the flavor capsule. However, when the membrane thickness is reduced, the mechanical strength of the flavor capsule decreases significantly. During the conveying and filling processes in cigarette production, it is very easy to break due to collisions and compression, resulting in leakage of liquid flavoring. This not only wastes raw materials but also contaminates production equipment and affects the quality of subsequent cigarette products.

[0006] Secondly, other studies have proposed optimizing the force distribution and reducing the difficulty of breaking the capsule by changing its shape (such as using elliptical, polyhedral, or other non-spherical structures). However, non-spherical capsules are more difficult to form during production, resulting in lower production efficiency and higher costs, making large-scale industrial production difficult. Furthermore, non-spherical capsules are prone to stacking and jamming during filter filling, leading to uneven distribution and affecting the consistency of cigarette products.

[0007] Third, some studies have considered improvements to the design of cigarette filter sections, such as adding grooves or protrusions at the location of the flavor capsule to help consumers pop it. However, this design requires large-scale modifications to the filter production molds, increasing the investment cost of production equipment. Furthermore, the presence of grooves or protrusions may alter the airflow channel of the filter, affecting the flow characteristics and filtration efficiency of the smoke, leading to changes in the cigarette's smoking experience. Additionally, different sizes and shapes of flavor capsules require filters with different structures, resulting in poor versatility and hindering flexible adjustments to the production line and diversified product development.

[0008] Therefore, current solutions to the problem of cigarette flavor capsules being difficult to break either sacrifice the mechanical strength and flavor stability of the capsules, increase production costs and difficulties, or affect the smoking performance and product consistency of cigarettes. None of these solutions can achieve an effective balance between ensuring the mechanical strength of the capsules, the stability of the flavor, production adaptability, and a good consumer experience.

[0009] Currently, most cigarette flavoring beads on the market are made by directly granulating a single carrier (such as β-cyclodextrin or gum arabic) after adsorbing the flavoring. While this achieves a basic flavor enhancement effect, it has significant technical drawbacks: First, the aroma release rate is rapid: due to the lack of a protective structure on the surface of the beads, the flavoring is easily affected by environmental temperature and humidity, causing rapid evaporation during storage and use. This results in a short aroma retention time; typically, the aroma intensity decreases by more than 50% after 1-2 months of storage, failing to meet the requirements for long-term cigarette storage. Second, the mechanical strength is poor: the existing beads have a loose structure, making them prone to breakage during subsequent screening, packaging, and mixing with tobacco, producing powdery impurities that affect the appearance quality and smoking experience of the cigarettes. Third, the stability is insufficient: some flavorings (such as menthol) have poor compatibility with the carrier, easily leading to stratification and precipitation, resulting in a decrease in the aroma uniformity of the beads and consequently affecting the consistency of the cigarette aroma. To address these issues, researchers in related fields have made attempts. For example, patent CN112315678A discloses a composite carrier cigarette flavoring bead that uses a combination of β-cyclodextrin and maltodextrin as a carrier. Although it increases the flavor loading to a certain extent, it does not involve the design of a sustained-release aroma structure, and the problem of rapid aroma release remains unsolved.

[0010] Therefore, developing a cigarette flavoring capsule technology that can ensure sufficient mechanical strength during production and storage to prevent premature breakage and flavor leakage, reduce the difficulty for consumers to break the capsule, and guarantee the slow release of aroma has become an important technical problem that the cigarette industry urgently needs to solve. It is of great significance for promoting the upgrading of cigarette flavoring technology and improving the quality of cigarette products.

[0011] Furthermore, when consumers smoke cigarettes, the smoke contains numerous volatile organic compounds. While holding the cigarette, the hot smoke from the cigarette's surface directly contacts the skin on the fingers. These substances' odor molecules are relatively stable and linger on the skin even after smoking, especially in enclosed spaces (such as cars and offices), where the odor is more pronounced. For consumers, the smell of cigarette smoke on their hands not only causes social embarrassment but also diminishes their olfactory experience. In practical applications, preventing the lingering smell of cigarette smoke on consumers' fingers after smoking is also a direction for improving product market competitiveness.

[0012] On the other hand, in the current cigarette consumption experience, many smokers often feel that existing cigarettes do not provide enough calories to fully satisfy their pursuit of a rich taste and satisfaction. This problem of insufficient calories is particularly prominent in cold weather or when smokers have high requirements for tobacco flavor. For example, outdoors in winter, smokers will clearly feel that the aroma and strength of cigarettes are insufficient, failing to provide the same enjoyment as indoors or in a warm environment. This lack of calories not only affects the taste of cigarettes, greatly reducing the mellowness and richness of the smoke, but may also lead smokers to smoke more cigarettes to achieve satisfaction, thereby increasing the amount of smoking and health risks. Therefore, developing a cigarette that can release heat from its internal materials during smoking is of significant practical importance.

[0013] To address the above problems, this invention is proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0014] To address the technical shortcomings of existing cigarette flavoring beads, such as rapid aroma release, poor mechanical strength, and insufficient stability, as well as the problem of insufficient heat generation during smoking, this invention aims to provide a cigarette comprising crushable heat-releasing flavoring beads and its preparation method. By constructing a slow-release film layer on the surface of the flavoring beads (the flavoring beads in this invention are small in size, hence also referred to as flavoring microspheres), a slow release of flavoring is achieved, prolonging the aroma retention time while simultaneously improving the mechanical strength and stability of the beads. Furthermore, this invention places water-containing flavoring capsules and calcium chloride-containing flavoring microspheres together in the cigarette. When the flavoring microspheres are not crushed, the water inside the flavoring capsules and the calcium chloride inside the flavoring microspheres do not come into contact. However, when the consumer smokes the cigarette, they manually crush the flavoring microspheres and flavoring capsules, causing the calcium chloride and water to react and release heat, thereby supplementing the heat of the smoke while enhancing the aroma. In addition, by manually rubbing the outer coating of the visible ring window (either actively or passively when the flavor capsule is broken), consumers can release the flavoring components in the inner and outer flavoring coatings of the outer coating at the corresponding location of the visible ring window. The flavoring molecules released from the inner flavoring coating of the outer coating at the corresponding location of the visible ring window can enhance the aroma of the smoke, while some of the flavoring molecules released from the outer flavoring coating of the outer coating at the corresponding location of the visible ring window will transfer to the fingers that touch it, masking the original smell of smoke on the hands through the sense of smell.

[0015] The present invention relates to cigarette flavor-enhancing microspheres comprising a microsphere core and a sustained-release membrane layer coating the outer surface of the microsphere core; the microsphere core comprises a microsphere core and a microsphere core layer, the microsphere core layer being located on the outer surface of the microsphere core, the microsphere core comprising calcium chloride, and the microsphere core layer comprising a porous carrier and flavor-enhancing substances adsorbed within the porous carrier, wherein the mass ratio of the porous carrier to the flavor-enhancing substances is 1:0.2-1.5; the porous carrier is a plant material, the particle size of the microsphere core is 0.2-0.5 mm, and the particle size of the microsphere core is 0.8-1.8 mm; the sustained-release membrane layer has a mesh structure, and the thickness of the sustained-release membrane layer is 10-100 nm. The preparation method comprises five steps: preparation of porous carrier powder, preparation of the microsphere core, adsorption of flavor-enhancing substances, preparation of sustained-release membrane solution, and coating of the sustained-release membrane layer. This invention effectively slows down the release rate of flavoring substances within the microspheres by forming a mesh-like slow-release film layer on the surface of the microspheres, thus extending the aroma retention time of the cigarette flavoring microspheres. At the same time, it improves the mechanical strength and stability of the microspheres, making it suitable for large-scale industrial production.

[0016] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0017] The first aspect of the present invention provides a cigarette with added mixed flavoring beads, comprising a tobacco segment, a filter segment, and an outer wrapping layer located outside the tobacco segment and the filter segment, wherein the filter segment comprises a cellulose acetate tow body and a flavoring bead placement area located within the cellulose acetate tow body;

[0018] A visible annular window is provided on the filter section corresponding to the area where the flavor-enhancing beads are placed;

[0019] The flavoring bead placement area contains multiple flavoring microspheres and multiple flavoring burst beads, wherein the particle size of the flavoring burst beads is 2-2.6 mm;

[0020] The flavor-enhancing microspheres are cigarette flavor-enhancing microspheres with a slow-release aroma function. The flavor-enhancing microspheres include a microsphere core and a slow-release membrane layer covering the outer surface of the microsphere core.

[0021] The microsphere core includes a microsphere core and a microsphere core layer. The microsphere core layer is located on the outer surface of the microsphere core. The microsphere core includes calcium chloride. The microsphere core layer includes a porous carrier and flavoring substances adsorbed within the porous carrier. The ratio of the porous carrier to the flavoring substances is 1:0.2-1.5 by mass.

[0022] The porous carrier comprises plant material and activated carbon powder, the microsphere core has a particle size of 0.2-0.5 mm, and the microsphere core has a particle size of 0.8-1.8 mm;

[0023] The sustained-release membrane has a mesh structure and a thickness of 10-100 nm.

[0024] The outer wrapping layer includes a friction-generating aroma-flavored tipping paper;

[0025] The inner and outer sides of the outer wrapping layer corresponding to the visible annular window are coated with a fragrance-enhancing coating.

[0026] The flavor-enhancing microspheres contain calcium chloride, and the flavor-enhancing popping beads contain water.

[0027] The inner side of the outer wrapping layer corresponding to the visible annular window is the side facing the flavoring beads inside the cigarette.

[0028] The outer side of the outer wrapping layer corresponding to the visible annular window, that is, the side facing away from the flavoring beads inside the cigarette, is the side facing the consumer's hand.

[0029] Preferably, the outer wrapping layer further includes a friction-generating aroma-enhancing forming paper, which consists of the friction-generating aroma-enhancing forming paper and the friction-generating aroma-enhancing tipping paper, arranged sequentially from the side closest to the filter rod to the side furthest from the filter rod. In this case, the inner side of the friction-generating aroma-enhancing forming paper and the outer side of the friction-generating aroma-enhancing tipping paper are coated with an aroma-enhancing coating. That is to say, regardless of how many layers there are in the outer wrapping layer, the innermost and outermost layers are coated with an aroma-enhancing coating.

[0030] Preferably, the flavor-enhancing coating comprises microcapsule flavoring, and the preparation method of the microcapsule flavoring includes gelatin-gum arabic composite coagulation method, interfacial polymerization method, and spray drying method; the thickness of the inner and outer flavor-enhancing coatings on the outer coating layer is 0.1-0.5 mm.

[0031] Specifically, the gelatin-gum arabic composite coagulation method involves forming an electrostatic composite membrane by controlling the pH value; the membrane itself has high toughness. Microcapsules obtained using this method require significant friction (such as rubbing fabric) to trigger membrane rupture, thus releasing the fragrance. Interfacial polymerization involves a rapid reaction at the oil-water interface to form a dense microcapsule shell. Its advantage lies in its suitability for encapsulating highly volatile fragrances, effectively locking in aroma. Friction causes the microcapsule shell to shatter instantly, achieving rapid fragrance release. When prepared using interfacial polymerization, the particle size is controlled at 40-60 μm. Microcapsules prepared by interfacial polymerization have a wall thickness of 2-3 μm. Spray drying involves mixing a wall material solution with a fragrance emulsion, atomizing it, and then drying it to form microcapsules. The finished product has a porous structure. Friction causes wear at the pore edges of the microcapsules, gradually releasing the fragrance.

[0032] Furthermore, to enhance the aroma experience, a blend of regular fragrance and microcapsule fragrance is used to create a layered effect. Regular oil-soluble fragrance quickly provides a rich aroma upon initial application, satisfying immediate olfactory needs and delivering the top note (initial aroma). Upon friction triggering, the microcapsule fragrance begins to release, ensuring a sustained aroma supply that connects with the top note and guarantees the delivery of the base note (lasting aroma).

[0033] Preferably, the number of flavor-enhancing microspheres and flavor-enhancing burst beads are 20-75 and 1-3, respectively. In this technical solution, the flavor-enhancing beads are added in two ways depending on the filter tip form: one is that the flavor-enhancing beads can be directly dispersed into the cellulose acetate tow (suitable for ordinary cellulose acetate tow filters); the other is that a separate cavity is provided in the filter rod for filling the flavor-enhancing beads (suitable for composite filters with a cavity (flavor-enhancing bead placement area)). When directly dispersed into the cellulose acetate tow, the number of flavor-enhancing microspheres added is preferably 20-30. When a separate cavity is provided in the filter rod for filling the flavor-enhancing beads, the number of flavor-enhancing microspheres added is preferably 50-75. Furthermore, in this invention, flavor-enhancing microspheres and flavor-enhancing burst beads are collectively referred to as flavor-enhancing beads, so the cavity containing the flavor-enhancing microspheres and flavor-enhancing burst beads is called the flavor-enhancing bead placement area.

[0034] Preferably, a visible annular window is provided on the filter section corresponding to the flavoring bead placement area. The visible annular window is formed by wrapping two sections of acetate fiber with transparent molding paper, wherein the middle part of these two sections of acetate fiber is hollow; this hollow area is the flavoring bead placement area. Then, a window attaching paper is placed on the outside, with patterns printed only at both ends, while the middle section corresponding to the filter rod window remains transparent. This visible annular window design allows consumers to clearly see the position of the flavoring bead while smoking and accurately break it, allowing the flavoring and fragrance within the bead to infuse into the filter rod fibers. This increases smoke humidity, improves filter retention, enhances aroma, and enriches the flavor profile. The visible annular window has a ring structure, meaning that the entire circumference of the cigarette corresponding to the cavity position is transparent and visible.

[0035] In this technical solution, the cigarette includes a tobacco segment and a filter segment. The filter segment includes a cellulose acetate tow body and a flavoring bead placement area located within the cellulose acetate tow body. A visible annular window is provided on the filter segment corresponding to the flavoring bead placement area. Flavoring microspheres and flavoring capsules are placed in the flavoring bead placement area. The visible window has an annular structure, meaning that the circumference of the cigarette corresponding to the cavity position is transparent and visible.

[0036] Preferably, the flavoring substances include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following cigarette flavorings: menthol, blueberry flavoring, and orange flavoring;

[0037] The natural plant materials include one or more of the following: kudzu root, strawberry, blueberry, pineapple, lemon, orange, mango, orange peel, lemongrass, thyme, moringa, vanilla, peppermint, orange blossom, eucalyptus leaves, lemongrass, tree moss, rose, lily, osmanthus, lavender, coffee, cocoa, black tea, and licorice.

[0038] The sustained-release membrane layer comprises a film-forming polymer material and a solvent. The film-forming polymer material includes one or more of the following: ethyl cellulose, shellac, carnauba wax, carboxymethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, chitosan, and sodium alginate. The solvent is an alcohol, including anhydrous ethanol, with a concentration of 0.1-0.5%.

[0039] Preferably, the amount of calcium chloride added to the flavor-enhancing microspheres is 0.4-0.9 mg, and the calcium chloride is located in the core of the flavor-enhancing microspheres;

[0040] The flavor-enhancing capsules contain 12-16 microliters of water.

[0041] Preferably, the porous carrier has a porosity ≥ 60% and a specific surface area ≥ 100 m². 2 / g.

[0042] Film-forming polymers (taking ethyl cellulose as an example) dissolve in ethanol to form a homogeneous solution. When sprayed onto the particle surface, the ethanol evaporates rapidly, causing the ethyl cellulose molecular chains to entangle and solidify, ultimately forming a continuous network film on the particle surface. Specifically, ethyl cellulose, as a film-forming polymer, is dispersed and dissolved in ethanol to form a homogeneous and transparent polymer solution. The key to this step is that ethanol can disrupt the intermolecular forces of ethyl cellulose, allowing it to disperse uniformly. After the solution is sprayed onto the particle surface, the ethanol, due to its high volatility, escapes rapidly. As the solvent decreases, the concentration of ethyl cellulose molecules on the particle surface gradually increases, causing them to move closer together. As the solvent continues to evaporate, the molecular chains, losing solvent support, become entangled through interactions such as van der Waals forces, gradually transforming from a liquid to a solid state, ultimately forming a continuous network film that tightly adheres to the particle surface. Furthermore, there is an optimal concentration range for the ethyl cellulose film solution; only within this range can a network-like sustained-release film with good sustained-release effect, mechanical strength, and stability be formed. Concentrations that are too high or too low will lead to a decline in film performance.

[0043] The second aspect of this invention provides a method for preparing cigarettes with added mixed flavoring beads as described in the first aspect of this invention. The method involves first preparing flavoring microspheres, and then placing the flavoring microspheres and flavoring capsules in the flavoring bead placement area of ​​a cigarette filter rod segment. The method for preparing the flavoring microspheres includes the following steps:

[0044] S1: Preparation of porous carrier powder: Take plant material, wash and cut it into pieces, place it in a vacuum freeze dryer, freeze dry it to obtain porous plant freeze-dried blocks; put the freeze-dried blocks into an ultra-micro pulverizer, grind them into powder, and sieve them to obtain porous carrier powder;

[0045] S2: Adsorption of flavoring substances: The porous carrier powder obtained in step S1 is mixed with activated carbon powder in a certain proportion, and then the flavoring substance solution is added to the mixed powder. After stirring, the mixture is left to stand at room temperature for a certain period of time until a moist material is formed.

[0046] S3, Preparation of the microsphere core: Prepare calcium chloride-containing particles with a particle size of 0.2-0.5 mm as the microsphere core. Place the microsphere core in the wet material obtained in step S2. By rolling and wrapping, the wet material is uniformly attached to the surface of the microsphere core and forms the microsphere core layer, finally obtaining wet particles of the microsphere core. Place the wet particles in a dryer and dry them until the moisture content is ≤3%. Then, granulate and sieve to obtain the microsphere core.

[0047] S4: Preparation of sustained-release membrane solution: Add the main material of the sustained-release membrane layer to the solvent, stir to dissolve, and obtain the sustained-release membrane solution;

[0048] S5: Slow-release membrane coating: The microsphere cores prepared in step S3 are added to a fluidized bed coating machine, and the slow-release membrane liquid prepared in step S4 is sprayed onto the surface of the microsphere cores at a certain rate for coating treatment until a slow-release membrane layer is formed on the surface of the microsphere cores; then the microsphere cores coated with the slow-release membrane layer are placed in a vacuum drying oven to dry, complete the curing of the slow-release membrane layer and the formation of the network structure, and obtain cigarette aroma-enhancing microspheres with slow-release aroma function.

[0049] Preferably, in step S1, fresh or dried plant material is selected, washed, and cut into small pieces of 0.5-1 cm. The pieces are placed in a vacuum freeze dryer and pre-frozen for 2-4 hours at -40°C to -50°C and a vacuum degree ≤10 Pa. Then, the temperature is raised to -10°C to 0°C for sublimation drying for 8-12 hours, and then raised to 25-35°C for desorption drying for 4-6 hours to obtain porous plant freeze-dried blocks. The freeze-dried blocks are then put into an ultra-micro pulverizer, ground under inert gas protection, and sieved to obtain porous carrier powder.

[0050] Preferably, in step S2, the activated carbon powder accounts for 5%-20% of the total mass of the porous carrier powder and the activated carbon powder;

[0051] After stirring for 5-10 minutes, let stand at room temperature for 30-60 minutes until a moist material is formed.

[0052] Preferably, in step S3, the wet particles are placed in a dryer and dried to a moisture content of ≤3% under the conditions of an inlet air temperature of 40-50℃ and an outlet air temperature of 25-30℃. Then, the particles are sized and sieved to obtain the microsphere core with a particle size of 0.8-1.8mm.

[0053] If it is difficult to granulate, add 1%-5% of microcrystalline cellulose by weight of the moistened material mass, mix and make granules of 0.8-1.8mm.

[0054] Preferably, in step S4, the main material of the sustained-release membrane layer is added to the solvent and stirred and dissolved for 10-20 minutes at 50-60°C and 300-400 r / min to obtain a sustained-release membrane solution with a mass concentration of 0.1-0.5%.

[0055] Preferably, in step S5, the microsphere core prepared in step S3 is added to a fluidized bed coating machine, with the inlet air temperature set to 40-50℃, the outlet air temperature to 25-30℃, and the atomization pressure to 0.2-0.3MPa. The sustained-release membrane liquid prepared in step S4 is sprayed onto the surface of the microsphere core at a rate of 5-8mL / min for coating treatment until a sustained-release membrane layer is formed on the surface of the microsphere core. The microsphere core coated with the sustained-release membrane layer is then air-dried at a temperature of 25-30℃ for 5-15min to complete the curing of the sustained-release membrane layer, thereby obtaining cigarette aroma-enhancing microspheres with sustained-release aroma function.

[0056] In a more preferred embodiment, food coloring, such as methylene blue, tartrazine, sunset yellow, carmine, brilliant blue, allura red, etc., can be added to the slow-release film liquid of the present invention. This allows the slow-release film layer formed on the surface of the flavor-enhancing microspheres after treatment with the slow-release film liquid to give the flavor-enhancing microspheres a specific color. This color is different from the inherent color of the plant material in the core of the flavor-enhancing microspheres and is more eye-catching, making it easier for consumers to notice. Furthermore, the transparent packaging further reminds consumers to crush the flavor-enhancing microspheres before use.

[0057] In this technical solution, the flavor enhancer bead placement area is located at the front end (closest to the tobacco end) and middle of the filter rod, and cannot be located at the rear end (lip end). The position of the flavor enhancer bead placement area can be adjusted depending on whether the filter rod is three-sectioned or two-sectioned. If the filter rod is two-sectioned, the flavor enhancer bead placement area is located at the front end; if the filter rod is three-sectioned, the flavor enhancer bead placement area is located in the middle. Furthermore, in this invention, the tipping paper and forming paper corresponding to the flavor enhancer bead placement area are transparent, allowing consumers to visually see the flavor enhancer beads and thus indicating to consumers that flavor enhancer beads have been added for crushing. Alternatively, the position of the flavor enhancer bead placement area can be disregarded, and transparent forming paper and tipping paper can be used for the entire filter section.

[0058] The preferred tobacco material for cigarettes in this invention is shredded tobacco.

[0059] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following significant advantages:

[0060] Regarding the issue of insufficient heat when smoking cigarettes:

[0061] This invention incorporates a water-containing flavoring capsule and a calcium chloride-containing flavoring microsphere into a cigarette. When the flavoring microspheres are not crushed, the water inside the capsule and the calcium chloride (located in the core of the microsphere) do not come into contact. However, when the consumer smokes the cigarette, they manually crush the microspheres and capsules. The calcium chloride and water react, releasing heat, thus adding heat to the smoke while enhancing the flavor. Tests show that crushing the calcium chloride-containing microspheres and the water-containing capsules raises the temperature of the smoke entering the mouth by 5-10°C compared to crushing the microspheres without calcium chloride or the capsules without water.

[0062] A fragrance-enhancing coating is applied to both the inner and outer sides of the outer wrapping layer corresponding to the visible annular window.

[0063] 1. In this invention, both the inner and outer sides of the outer wrapping layer corresponding to the visible annular window are coated with a flavor-enhancing coating. This invention does not directly apply the flavoring to the forming paper or tipping paper at the visible annular window; instead, it first forms a flavor-enhancing coating and then uses a special carrier material (such as cyclodextrin or polymer resin) to "encapsulate" or "adsorb" the flavoring. This step prevents the flavoring from evaporating prematurely during storage and transportation, and also avoids affecting the taste of the cigarette itself. When consumers rub the flavored cigarette paper with their fingers, or when they break the flavor capsule, the friction on the cigarette paper (which produces flavor through friction while breaking the capsule) can, on the one hand, break the structure of the carrier material, breaking the "encapsulation"; on the other hand, it generates a small amount of heat, accelerating the activity of the flavoring molecules. Consumers can release flavor components from the inner and outer flavoring coatings of the outer layer at the visible ring window by manually rubbing it (either actively or passively when the flavor capsule is popped). The flavor molecules from the inner flavoring coating at the visible ring window are released, some remaining on the inner surface of the cigarette paper, while others enter the cigarette, enhancing the flavor of the smoke. Conversely, the flavor molecules from the outer flavoring coating at the visible ring window are released, some remaining on the outer surface of the cigarette paper, while others transfer to the fingers, masking the original smell of smoke on the hands through olfaction.

[0064] Regarding the issue of cigarette flavor capsules bursting when squeezed:

[0065] 1. This invention mixes flavor-enhancing burst beads and flavor-enhancing microspheres and places them into the filter section of a cellulose acetate tow. Compared to flavor-enhancing burst beads, flavor-enhancing microspheres have greater mechanical strength and are harder in texture. Through the friction and compression of flavor-enhancing burst beads by flavor-enhancing microspheres, the success rate of popping flavor-enhancing burst beads is improved, solving the problem of existing products being "difficult to pop and requiring repeated compression".

[0066] Regarding the issue of easy volatile aroma from cigarette flavoring microspheres:

[0067] 1. The mesh-like slow-release membrane layer of this invention can enhance the stability of cigarette flavoring microspheres. This invention uses freeze-dried and ground porous plant material as a carrier, and forms a mesh-like slow-release membrane layer on the surface of the microspheres. On the one hand, the porous structure of the plant-based carrier can "encapsulate" the flavoring substances within the pores, forming a physical barrier; on the other hand, the surface slow-release membrane layer has good isolation properties, further isolating the interior of the particles from the external environment and preventing the loss of flavoring substances due to volatilization and oxidation. Experimental verification shows that flavoring microspheres with a mesh-like slow-release membrane layer can effectively delay the volatilization of flavoring substances and significantly improve the stability of the microspheres. The mesh-like slow-release membrane layer can limit the free diffusion of flavor molecules through physical barrier effects, thereby reducing the loss of flavoring substances during storage. In contrast, the flavoring substances in Comparative Example 1 (cigarette flavoring microspheres with discontinuous slow-release membranes) are directly exposed to the environment, resulting in rapid evaporation and poor stability; the slow-release membranes in Comparative Example 2 (cigarette flavoring microspheres with fully encapsulated slow-release membranes) lack a mesh structure, and their ability to bind flavoring substances is not as good as that in Example 1, resulting in a relatively low flavor retention rate.

[0068] 2. The mesh-like slow-release membrane layer of this invention can significantly improve the aroma-releasing performance of cigarette flavoring microspheres. Because the flavoring substances are located within the pores of the porous plant material carrier, and the microsphere surface has a mesh-like slow-release membrane layer, the flavoring substances of the microspheres can be slowly released during inhalation, ensuring consistent quality before and after smoking. Sensory evaluation shows...

[0069] During inhalation, the cigarette flavoring microspheres of Example 1 can continuously and stably release flavor substances, ensuring that the smoke maintains a rich and lasting aroma, providing consumers with a more pleasant smoking experience. In Comparative Example 1 (cigarette flavoring microspheres with a discontinuous slow-release film), the flavor substances are released rapidly at the beginning of inhalation, resulting in a high initial aroma concentration that quickly becomes weak and lacks persistence. Comparative Example 2 (cigarette flavoring microspheres with a fully encapsulated slow-release film) does not adequately control the release of flavor substances, resulting in less persistent and concentrated aroma compared to Example 1, and a relatively lower taste comfort.

[0070] 3. The mesh-like sustained-release membrane layer of this invention can effectively improve the mechanical strength of cigarette flavoring microspheres. The sustained-release membrane layer is tightly bonded to the microsphere core, forming a "core-membrane" composite structure, which significantly improves the compressive strength and wear resistance of the microspheres. Tests show that the mesh-like sustained-release membrane layer of this invention can uniformly disperse external forces. When the microspheres are subjected to mechanical action, the mesh structure can effectively buffer and absorb energy, preventing stress concentration that could lead to microsphere breakage. In contrast, the core particles of Comparative Example 1 (cigarette flavoring microspheres with a discontinuous sustained-release membrane layer) directly bear external forces and are easily broken; the sustained-release membrane layer of Comparative Example 2 (cigarette flavoring microspheres with a fully encapsulated sustained-release membrane layer) has a weaker ability to disperse external forces, resulting in a relatively higher breakage rate.

[0071] 4. The present invention features cigarette flavoring microspheres with slow-release aroma function and high flavoring substance loading efficiency. This invention uses freeze-dried and ground porous plant materials and activated carbon powder as carriers. The freeze-drying process maximizes the preservation of the original porous structure of the plants, resulting in high porosity and a large specific surface area. Flavoring substances can be efficiently adsorbed through physical adsorption and capillary action, achieving a flavoring substance loading capacity of 5-30 times the carrier mass. This effectively increases the flavoring substance content per unit of flavoring microsphere, achieving the goal of adding a high content of flavoring substances with a small amount of flavoring microspheres.

[0072] 5. The sustained-release membrane solution of this invention has an optimal concentration range. Only within this range can a network-like sustained-release membrane with good sustained-release effect, mechanical strength, and stability be formed. Too high or too low a concentration will lead to a decline in membrane performance. Specifically, when the concentration of the sustained-release membrane solution is too low, the number of molecular chains in the solution is small, and the spacing between the molecular chains after evaporation is too large, making it impossible to achieve sufficient and continuous entanglement. Therefore, a complete and continuous film cannot be formed, resulting in breakage and incompleteness. The resulting cigarette flavoring microspheres with sustained-release aroma function have poor sustained-release effect, cannot effectively control the release of substances, and also have low mechanical strength and insufficient stability. Conversely, when the concentration of the sustained-release membrane solution is too high, the molecular chains in the solution are too dense. During evaporation, the molecular chains do not have time to arrange themselves in an orderly manner to form a network, but instead directly and tightly stack, resulting in a dense, non-networked membrane structure with excessively dense molecular chain stacking. The sustained-release effect of the cigarette flavoring microspheres obtained at this time is still not good. This may be because the membrane layer is too dense, making it difficult for the flavoring substances inside to be released through the dense membrane layer. The mechanical strength and stability are also poor, possibly because the sustained-release membrane layer is too dense, resulting in insufficient flexibility, which leads to cracking and volatilization of flavoring substances.

[0073] 6. The sustained-release membrane layer of this invention has a mesh structure. Compared with a single, non-mesh sustained-release membrane layer, the mesh structure has the following three advantages: First, although the mesh structure exists, it can still effectively lock the aroma components inside the microspheres, reducing loss. Second, the mesh structure is thinner, ensuring a larger microsphere core (larger porous carrier) for the same microsphere size, thus accommodating more aroma components. Third, the mesh structure is easier to break, allowing for a more complete release of the aroma.

[0074] 7. The core of the carrier of this invention is made of plant material. After freeze-drying, it not only retains the advantages of the plant itself, but also has high safety when used in cigarettes.

[0075] 8. Simple process and easy industrialization: The preparation method of this invention uses conventional equipment such as granulators and fluidized bed coating machines. The process parameters are easy to control, and no toxic or harmful waste is generated during the production process, making it suitable for large-scale industrial production. Furthermore, all raw materials are food-grade or cigarette-grade, ensuring high safety and meeting the quality requirements of cigarette products.

[0076] Regarding cigarette products:

[0077] 1. Regarding aroma quality: Both flavor-enhancing capsules and flavor-enhancing microspheres have their advantages and disadvantages. Flavor-enhancing capsules have a concentrated aroma release and high aroma concentration, which can significantly change the aroma characteristics of cigarettes in a short time. As for flavor-enhancing microspheres, because the flavor-enhancing substances are located inside the pores of the porous plant material carrier, and the surface of the microspheres has a network-structured slow-release membrane, the flavor-enhancing substances of the microspheres can be slowly released during inhalation. The combination of the two ensures both rapid flavor enhancement in the early stages of inhalation and continuous flavor replenishment in the later stages, ensuring consistency in aroma quality before and after inhalation.

[0078] 2. In terms of structure: A visible ring window is opened on the filter section corresponding to the flavoring bead placement area. The visible ring window design makes it easy for consumers to clearly see the position of the flavoring bead when smoking, and accurately crush the flavoring bead so that the flavoring and fragrance inside the flavoring bead can be integrated into the filter rod fiber, thereby increasing the humidity of the smoke, improving the filter rod's retention, enhancing the aroma effect, and enriching the taste layers. Attached Figure Description

[0079] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the cigarette structure of the present invention.

[0080] The names of the reference numerals in the attached figures are: 1-filter section, 2-tobacco section, 11-cellulose acetate tow body, 12-flavoring bead placement area, 13-flavoring microspheres, 14-flavoring burst beads. Detailed Implementation

[0081] The present invention will be further described below through embodiments, but is not limited to these embodiments. Experimental methods not specifically described in the embodiments generally use conventional conditions and conditions described in manuals, or conditions recommended by the manufacturer. The general equipment, materials, reagents, etc., used are all commercially available unless otherwise specified.

[0082] like Figure 1 In this embodiment, the cigarette structure is as follows: the cigarette includes a tobacco segment 2 and a filter segment 1. The filter segment 1 includes a cellulose acetate tow body 11 and a flavoring bead placement area 12 located within the cellulose acetate tow body 11. A visible annular window is provided on the filter segment corresponding to the flavoring bead placement area 12. Flavoring microspheres 13 and flavoring burst beads 14 are placed in the flavoring bead placement area 12. The number of flavoring microspheres in one cigarette is 50, and the number of flavoring burst beads is 1 (the number shown in the figure is not an exact number, but only for illustration). The core particle size of the microspheres is 1 mm, and the particle size of the flavoring burst beads is 2.5 mm. The flavoring coating includes microcapsule flavoring, and the preparation method of the microcapsule flavoring includes a gelatin-gum arabic composite coagulation method; the thickness of the inner and outer flavoring coatings on the outer coating layer is 0.3 mm.

[0083] Comparative Example 1, Comparative Example 2, and Example 1 all involve the preparation of samples.

[0084] Example 1 (Cigarette Flavor-Enhancing Microspheres with a Mesh Slow-Release Membrane Layer)

[0085] The flavor-enhancing microspheres are cigarette flavor-enhancing microspheres with a slow-release aroma function. The flavor-enhancing microspheres include a microsphere core and a slow-release membrane layer covering the outer surface of the microsphere core.

[0086] The microsphere core includes a microsphere core and a microsphere core layer. The microsphere core layer is located on the outer surface of the microsphere core. The microsphere core includes calcium chloride. The microsphere core layer includes a porous carrier and flavoring substances adsorbed within the porous carrier. The ratio of the porous carrier to the flavoring substances is 1:1 by mass.

[0087] The porous carrier comprises plant material and activated carbon powder, the microsphere core has a particle size of 0.3 mm, and the microsphere core has a particle size of 1 mm;

[0088] The sustained-release membrane has a mesh structure and a thickness of 20 nm.

[0089] The outer wrapping layer includes a friction-generating aroma-flavored tipping paper;

[0090] The inner and outer sides of the outer wrapping layer at the location corresponding to the visible annular window are coated with a fragrance-enhancing coating.

[0091] The flavor-enhancing capsules contain water.

[0092] The flavoring coating includes microcapsule flavoring, which is prepared by a gelatin-gum arabic composite coagulation method; the thickness of both the inner and outer flavoring coatings on the outer coating layer is 0.3 mm.

[0093] The number of flavor-enhancing microspheres and flavor-enhancing burst beads are 50 and 1, respectively.

[0094] A visible annular window is made on the filter section corresponding to the fragrance bead placement area. The visible annular window is formed by wrapping two sections of acetate with transparent molding paper. The middle part of these two sections of acetate is hollow, and the hollow area is the fragrance bead placement area. Then, a window attaching paper is put on the outside. The attaching paper is printed with patterns only at both ends, and the middle part corresponding to the filter rod window is transparent.

[0095] The flavoring agent includes menthol;

[0096] The natural plant materials include a combination of kudzu root and strawberry;

[0097] The sustained-release membrane layer comprises a film-forming polymer material and a solvent. The film-forming polymer material includes ethyl cellulose, and the solvent is an alcohol, including anhydrous ethanol at a concentration of 0.5%.

[0098] The porous carrier has a porosity ≥60% and a specific surface area ≥100m². 2 / g.

[0099] The amount of calcium chloride added to the flavor-enhancing microspheres is 0.5 mg;

[0100] The flavor-enhancing capsules contain 14 microliters of water.

[0101] The method for preparing cigarettes containing pop-up heat-releasing flavoring beads is characterized by first preparing flavoring microspheres, and then placing the flavoring microspheres and flavoring burst beads in the flavoring bead placement area of ​​the cigarette filter rod segment. The method for preparing flavoring microspheres includes the following steps:

[0102] S1: Preparation of porous carrier powder: Take plant material, wash and cut it into pieces, place it in a vacuum freeze dryer, freeze dry it to obtain porous plant freeze-dried blocks; put the freeze-dried blocks into an ultra-micro pulverizer, grind them into powder, and sieve them to obtain porous carrier powder;

[0103] S2: Adsorption of flavoring substances: The porous carrier powder obtained in step S1 is mixed with activated carbon powder in a certain proportion, and then the flavoring substance solution is added to the mixed powder. After stirring, the mixture is left to stand at room temperature for a certain period of time until a moist material is formed.

[0104] S3, Microsphere Core Preparation: Prepare calcium chloride-containing particles with a particle size of 0.3 mm as the microsphere core. Place the microsphere core in the wet material obtained in step S2. By rolling and wrapping, the wet material is uniformly attached to the surface of the microsphere core to form the microsphere core layer, finally obtaining wet particles of microsphere core. Place the wet particles in a dryer and dry them until the moisture content is ≤3%. Then, granulate and sieve to obtain the microsphere core.

[0105] S4: Preparation of sustained-release membrane solution: Add the main material of the sustained-release membrane layer to the solvent, stir to dissolve, and obtain the sustained-release membrane solution;

[0106] S5: Slow-release membrane coating: The microsphere cores prepared in step S3 are added to a fluidized bed coating machine, and the slow-release membrane liquid prepared in step S4 is sprayed onto the surface of the microsphere cores at a certain rate for coating treatment until a slow-release membrane layer is formed on the surface of the microsphere cores; then the microsphere cores coated with the slow-release membrane layer are placed in a vacuum drying oven to dry, complete the curing of the slow-release membrane layer and the formation of the network structure, and obtain cigarette aroma-enhancing microspheres with slow-release aroma function.

[0107] In step S1, fresh or dried plant materials are selected, washed, and cut into 1cm pieces. They are placed in a vacuum freeze dryer and pre-frozen for 3 hours at -40℃ to -50℃ and a vacuum degree ≤10Pa. Then, the temperature is raised to -10℃ to 0℃ for sublimation drying for 10 hours, and then raised to 30℃ for desorption drying for 5 hours to obtain porous plant freeze-dried blocks. The freeze-dried blocks are then put into an ultra-micro pulverizer, ground under inert gas protection, and sieved to obtain porous carrier powder.

[0108] In step S2, activated carbon powder accounts for 10% of the total mass of porous carrier powder and activated carbon powder; after stirring for 10 minutes, it is left to stand at room temperature for 40 minutes to form a moist material.

[0109] In step S3, the wet particles are placed in a dryer and dried until the moisture content is ≤3% under the conditions of inlet air temperature of 45°C and outlet air temperature of 25°C. Then, the particles are sized and sieved to obtain the microsphere core.

[0110] In step S4, the main material of the sustained-release membrane layer is added to the solvent and stirred and dissolved for 10 minutes at 55°C and 350 r / min to obtain a sustained-release membrane solution with a mass concentration of 0.015%.

[0111] In step S5, the microsphere cores prepared in step S3 are added to a fluidized bed coating machine. The inlet air temperature is set to 45℃, the outlet air temperature to 25℃, and the atomization pressure to 0.2MPa. The slow-release membrane liquid prepared in step S4 is sprayed onto the surface of the microsphere cores at a rate of 5mL / min for coating treatment until a slow-release membrane layer is formed on the surface of the microsphere cores. The microsphere cores coated with the slow-release membrane layer are then air-dried at 25℃ for 10min to complete the curing of the slow-release membrane layer, thus obtaining cigarette aroma-enhancing microspheres with slow-release aroma function.

[0112] Comparative Example 1 (Cigarette Flavor-Enhancing Microspheres with Discontinuous Slow-Release Membrane Layer)

[0113] This is essentially the same as Example 1, except that the concentration of the sustained-release membrane solution in step S4 is 0.05%. This comparative example yields cigarette flavor-enhancing microspheres with a discontinuous sustained-release membrane layer.

[0114] Comparative Example 2 (Cigarette Flavor-Enhancing Microspheres with Fully Encapsulated Sustained-Release Membrane Layer)

[0115] This is essentially the same as Example 1, except that the concentration of the sustained-release membrane solution in step S4 is 0.6%. This comparative example yields cigarette flavor-enhancing microspheres with a fully encapsulated sustained-release membrane layer.

[0116] Examples 2-5 are performance tests.

[0117] Example 2: Stability Test

[0118] Five groups of each type of cigarette flavoring microsphere (Example 1, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2) were taken, with 10g in each group. The samples were placed in a constant temperature and humidity chamber at (22±1)℃ and (60±3)% relative humidity. After 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days, the content of aroma substances in the microspheres was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and the aroma retention rate was calculated. Aroma retention rate (%) = (aroma substance content in microspheres after a certain period of time / aroma substance content in initial microspheres) × 100%. The stability of the flavoring microspheres was evaluated by comparing the aroma retention rates at different time points. The aroma retention rate data of the three types of cigarette flavoring microspheres at different storage times are shown in Table 1.

[0119] Table 1. Aroma retention rate of three types of cigarette flavoring microspheres at different storage times.

[0120]

[0121] According to the data above, the aroma retention rate of the cigarette flavoring microspheres in Example 1 was consistently significantly higher than that of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 throughout the entire storage period. After 28 days of storage, the aroma retention rate of Example 1 remained at 81%, while that of Comparative Example 1 was only 45.5%, and that of Comparative Example 2 was 74%. This fully demonstrates that the flavoring microspheres with a mesh-like slow-release membrane can effectively delay the volatilization of aroma substances and significantly improve the stability of the microspheres. The mesh-like slow-release membrane can limit the free diffusion of aroma molecules through physical barrier effects, thereby reducing the loss of aroma substances during storage. In contrast, the aroma substances in Comparative Example 1 (cigarette flavoring microspheres with a discontinuous slow-release membrane) are directly exposed to the environment, resulting in a fast volatilization rate and poor stability; the slow-release membrane in Comparative Example 2 (cigarette flavoring microspheres with a fully encapsulated slow-release membrane) lacks a mesh structure and is relatively thick, making it relatively brittle and prone to cracking. Therefore, its ability to bind aroma substances is not as good as that of Example 1, resulting in a relatively low aroma retention rate.

[0122] Example 3: Sustained-release effect test

[0123] The cigarette flavoring microspheres from Example 1, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2 were added to blank cigarette filters of the same brand and model in the same proportion, with 30 cigarettes prepared for each type. A panel of 10 professionally trained sensory evaluators with extensive experience in cigarette sensory evaluation, capable of accurately perceiving and describing the aroma, taste, and other characteristics of the cigarettes, was formed. The sensory evaluators conducted smoking evaluations of the cigarettes with different added microspheres according to GB5606.4-2005 "Cigarettes Part 4: Sensory Technical Requirements," which specifies the setting of sensory evaluation indicators, evaluation procedures, and scoring rules. The evaluation indicators included six aspects: gloss, aroma, harmony, off-flavors, irritation, and aftertaste. A comprehensive score was then calculated. The indicators are explained as follows: Gloss: 0-5 points, the higher the score, the fuller the gloss and the better the surface condition of the cigarette; Aroma: 0-32 points, the higher the score, the richer and purer the aroma, and the more stable and lasting the release of flavor substances; Harmony: 0-6 points, the higher the score, the better the integration of the tobacco aroma with the added flavor substances, and the less abrupt the smell; Off-flavors: 0-12 points, the higher the score, the weaker the off-flavors felt during smoking; Irritation: 0-20 points, the higher the score, the milder the irritation felt in the mouth and throat, and the more comfortable the smoking experience; Aftertaste: 0-25 points, the higher the score, the stronger the lingering comfort in the mouth after smoking, and the absence of bitter, dry, or other unpleasant aftertastes; Total Score: 0-100 points, the higher the total score, the better the overall smoking experience and the better the overall quality of the cigarette. During the evaluation process, evaluators smoked cigarettes in a well-ventilated, odor-free environment, pausing for 15 minutes after each cigarette to avoid sensory fatigue affecting the evaluation results. The sensory evaluation team obtained the comprehensive scores for cigarettes with different microspheres added after smoking and evaluating them, as shown in Table 2 below.

[0124] Table 2 Evaluation results of cigarette smoking with different microspheres added (based on GB5606.4-2005)

[0125]

[0126] The sensory evaluation results show that Example 1 performed excellently in terms of aroma, off-flavors, and aftertaste, with a significantly higher overall score than Comparative Example 1 and Comparative Example 2. During smoking, the cigarette flavoring microspheres of Example 1 continuously and stably released flavor substances, maintaining a rich and lasting aroma in the smoke, providing consumers with a more pleasant smoking experience. Comparative Example 1 (cigarette flavoring microspheres with a discontinuous slow-release film layer) released flavor substances rapidly at the beginning of smoking, resulting in a high initial aroma concentration that quickly faded and lacked persistence. Comparative Example 2 (cigarette flavoring microspheres with a fully encapsulated slow-release film layer) had a thicker slow-release film layer, resulting in insufficient control over the release of flavor substances; its aroma and aftertaste were inferior to Example 1, and its taste comfort was also relatively low.

[0127] Example 4: Mechanical Strength Test

[0128] Fifty microspheres each from Example 1, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2 were taken. A drum testing machine with a drum diameter of 30 cm and a rotation speed of 50 r / min was used. The microspheres were placed in the drum and rotated for 10 minutes. After rotation, the microspheres were removed, and the breakage was checked to calculate the breakage rate. Breakage rate (%) = (Number of broken microspheres / Total number of microspheres) × 100%. The mechanical strength was evaluated by comparing the breakage rates of different types of microspheres. The breakage rate data of the three types of cigarette flavoring microspheres after rotation testing in the drum testing machine are shown in Table 3.

[0129] Table 3 Breakage rate of three types of cigarette flavoring microspheres

[0130]

[0131] The results showed that Example 1 had the lowest breakage rate, at only 6%, while Comparative Example 1 had the highest breakage rate, reaching 18%, and Comparative Example 2 had a breakage rate of 8%. This indicates that the flavor-enhancing microspheres with the mesh-like sustained-release membrane layer have stronger mechanical strength and are less prone to breakage during actual production and use. The mesh-like sustained-release membrane layer can uniformly disperse external forces. When the microspheres are subjected to mechanical action, the mesh structure can effectively buffer and absorb energy, preventing stress concentration that could lead to microsphere breakage. In Comparative Example 1 (microspheres with discontinuous sustained-release film), the core particles of the microspheres directly bear external force, making them prone to breakage. In Comparative Example 2 (microspheres with fully encapsulated sustained-release film), the sustained-release film is thicker, making it relatively brittle and less effective at dispersing external force, thus increasing its breakage rate. The experiments demonstrate that the microspheres with a mesh-like sustained-release film (Example 1) exhibit significant advantages over Comparative Example 1 (microspheres with discontinuous sustained-release film) and Comparative Example 2 (microspheres with fully encapsulated sustained-release film) in key performance aspects such as stability, sustained-release effect, and mechanical strength. The mesh-like sustained-release film effectively improves the stability of the microspheres, maintaining a high aroma retention rate for a longer period; it regulates the release of aroma substances, enhancing the smoking experience; and it strengthens mechanical strength, reducing the risk of breakage.

[0132] Example 5: Test of the success rate of flavor-enhancing popping beads.

[0133] A comparative test was conducted between existing flavor-enhancing popping beads (control group) and the flavor-enhancing popping beads and flavor-enhancing microspheres of the present invention (experimental group), as detailed below:

[0134] The control group consisted of 5 flavor-enhancing popping beads (without flavor-enhancing microspheres) with a size of 2.5 mm.

[0135] The experimental group consisted of the control group 1 plus 15 flavor-enhancing microspheres, prepared using the same method as in Example 1.

[0136] The control and experimental groups were placed in a standard palm simulator (simulating the squeezing force of an adult palm, with a pressure range of 20-50N), and each was squeezed for 5 seconds. The number of flavoring beads that successfully burst (the capsule ruptured and the flavoring substance flowed out) was recorded. Each test was repeated 3 times, and the average value was taken. The test results are shown in Table 4.

[0137] Table 4. Test of the success rate of flavor-enhancing popping beads in the control and experimental groups.

[0138]

[0139] The test data shows that the average number of capsules that popped in the experimental group (1 capsule) was significantly higher than that in the control group (4 capsules), with a popping success rate increase of 65 percentage points. This is because, during compression, the flavoring microspheres mixed among the flavoring capsules in the experimental group increased the friction between the capsules, reducing slippage and allowing more capsules to receive effective compression. Furthermore, the microspheres formed "support points" inside the capsules, transferring external compression to the weak areas of the capsule shell, creating localized high pressure and accelerating the rupture of the capsule shell.

[0140] Example 6: Temperature Test of Smoking Beads for Heat-Releasing Cigarettes

[0141] Comparative Samples: Cigarette Preparation. Flavor-enhancing microspheres prepared according to the method of Example 1 (flavor-enhancing microspheres do not contain calcium chloride). Flavor-enhancing capsules prepared according to conventional methods (flavor-enhancing capsules do not contain water).

[0142] Samples used: Flavor-enhancing microspheres with a calcium chloride microsphere core, water-containing flavor-enhancing capsules, and cigarette preparation. Flavor-enhancing microspheres containing calcium chloride were prepared using the method described in Example 1. The amount of calcium chloride added was 0.5 mg, and the calcium chloride was located at the core of the flavor-enhancing microspheres.

[0143] Flavor-enhancing capsules containing water were prepared based on the above comparative samples, and the water content of the flavor-enhancing capsules was 14 microliters.

[0144] Under standard smoking conditions (temperature 22±2℃, humidity 55±5%RH), a smoking machine was used to simulate human smoking (smoking capacity 35mL, smoking time 2s, smoking interval 30s). An oral cavity temperature sensor (accuracy ±0.1℃) was used to monitor the temperature of the smoke entering the oral cavity in real time during smoking. Ten cigarettes were tested in each sample group, and the average value was taken. The test results showed that the average temperature of the smoke entering the oral cavity during the smoking process of the control sample cigarettes was 34.2℃, with no significant fluctuation in temperature with the number of smokes, exhibiting only the natural temperature characteristics of regular cigarette smoke. In contrast, the control sample cigarettes were manually crushed before smoking. The calcium chloride in the core of the microspheres came into contact with the water in the core of the flavor capsule and underwent a hydration reaction (releasing heat). During smoking, the average temperature of the smoke entering the oral cavity after crushing the flavor capsule was 39.5℃, an increase of 5.3℃ compared to the control sample. Furthermore, the smoke temperature remained stable throughout the smoking process without significant cooling, effectively supplementing the smoke temperature.

[0145] The above test results show that by embedding flavor-enhancing microspheres containing calcium chloride and flavor-enhancing capsules containing water into cigarettes, the present invention can achieve flavor enhancement while supplementing the cigarette smoke with heat, solving the problem of low smoke temperature and cool taste of conventional cigarettes, and improving the oral temperature and comfort during smoking.

[0146] The present invention has been described above by way of example. It should be noted that any simple modifications, alterations or other equivalent substitutions that can be made by those skilled in the art without creative effort without departing from the core of the present invention fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cigarette comprising a kneaded exothermic flavoring bead, characterized in that, It comprises a tobacco segment, a filter segment and an outer wrapping layer outside the tobacco segment and the filter segment, the filter segment comprises an acetate fiber filament body and a flavoring bead placement area inside the acetate fiber filament body; A visible annular window is formed on the filter segment at the corresponding position of the flavoring bead placement area; The flavoring bead placement area has a plurality of flavoring microspheres and a plurality of flavoring burst beads, the particle size of the flavoring burst beads is 2-2.6 mm; The flavoring microspheres are cigarette flavoring microspheres with slow-release aroma function, the flavoring microspheres comprise a microsphere core and a slow-release film layer coated on the outer surface of the microsphere core; The microsphere core comprises a microsphere core and a microsphere core layer, the microsphere core layer is located on the outer surface of the microsphere core, the microsphere core comprises calcium chloride, the microsphere core layer comprises a porous carrier and a flavoring substance adsorbed in the porous carrier, the mass ratio of the porous carrier to the flavoring substance is 1:0.2-1.5; The porous carrier comprises plant material and activated carbon powder, the particle size of the microsphere core is 0.2-0.5 mm, and the particle size of the microsphere core is 0.8-1.8 mm; The slow-release film layer has a reticular structure, and the thickness of the slow-release film layer is 10-100 nm; The outer wrapping layer comprises a rubbing aroma flavor type tipping paper; The inner side and the outer side of the outer wrapping layer at the corresponding position of the visible annular window are coated with a flavoring coating; The flavoring burst beads contain water.

2. The cigarette comprising the breakage exotherm type flavoring bead of claim 1, wherein, The outer wrapping layer further comprises a rubbing aroma flavor type plug wrap, from the side close to the filter rod to the side away from the filter rod, the rubbing aroma flavor type plug wrap and the rubbing aroma flavor type tipping paper are sequentially arranged, and the inner side of the rubbing aroma flavor type plug wrap and the outer side of the rubbing aroma flavor type tipping paper are coated with a flavoring coating; The flavoring coating comprises microcapsule perfume, and the preparation method of the microcapsule perfume comprises gelatin-arabic gum complex coagulation method, interfacial polymerization method and spray drying method; the thickness of the inner side and the outer side flavoring coating on the outer wrapping layer is 0.1-0.5 mm.

3. The cigarette comprising the breakage exotherm type flavoring bead of claim 1, wherein the cigarette is a cigarette comprising the breakage exotherm type flavoring bead. The number of the flavoring microspheres and the flavoring burst beads is 20-75 and 1-3, respectively.

4. The cigarette comprising the breakage exotherm type flavoring bead of claim 1, wherein, A visible annular window is formed on the filter segment at the corresponding position of the flavoring bead placement area, and the formation method of the visible annular window is as follows: transparent plug wrap is used to wrap two acetate fibers, the middle part of the two acetate fibers is in a hollow state, the hollow area is the flavoring bead placement area, and then a window tipping paper is sleeved on the outer side, the window tipping paper is transparent only at the two ends and the middle position corresponding to the filter rod window.

5. The cigarette comprising the breakage exotherm type flavoring bead of claim 1, wherein the cigarette is a cigarette comprising the breakage exotherm type flavoring bead. The flavoring substance comprises but is not limited to one or more cigarette flavoring spices selected from menthol, blueberry essence, orange essence; The natural plant material comprises a combination of one or more of gualou, strawberry, blueberry, pineapple, lemon, orange, mango, orange peel, citronella, thyme, moringa, vanilla, peppermint, orange flower, eucalyptus, lemon grass, tree moss, rose, lily, osmanthus, lavender, coffee, cocoa, black tea and licorice. The slow-release film layer comprises a film-forming polymer material and a solvent, the film-forming polymer material comprises a combination of one or more of ethyl cellulose, shellac, carnauba wax, carboxymethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, chitosan, and sodium alginate, and the solvent is an alcohol, including anhydrous ethanol, and the concentration is 0.1-0.5%; The added amount of calcium chloride in the flavoring microspheres is 0.4-0.9 mg; The water content in the flavoring burst beads is 12-16 μL.

6. The cigarette comprising the breakage exotherm type flavoring bead of claim 1, wherein the cigarette is a cigarette comprising the breakage exotherm type flavoring bead. The porous support has a porosity of > 60%, a specific surface area of > 100 m2 / g 2 / g.

7. A method of producing a cigarette comprising the breakage exotherm type flavoring bead according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by, The flavoring microspheres are prepared first, and then the flavoring microspheres and the flavoring burst beads are placed in the flavoring bead placement area of the cigarette filter rod section, and the preparation method of the flavoring microspheres comprises the following steps: S1: porous carrier powder preparation: taking plant material, washing and cutting into small pieces, placing in a vacuum freeze dryer, freeze-drying to obtain porous plant freeze-dried blocks; the freeze-dried blocks are put into a supermicro grinder, ground into powder, sieved to obtain porous carrier powder; S2: flavoring substance adsorption: the porous carrier powder obtained in step S1 is mixed with activated carbon powder at a certain ratio, then a flavoring substance solution is added to the mixed powder, and after stirring, the wet material is formed after standing at room temperature for a certain period of time; S3, microsphere core preparation: a particle containing calcium chloride with a particle size of 0.2-0.5 mm is prepared as the microsphere core, and the microsphere core is placed in the wet material obtained in step S2, and the wet material is evenly attached to the surface of the microsphere core and forms the microsphere core layer by rolling wrapping, and finally the wet particle of the microsphere core is obtained; the wet particle is placed in a drying machine, dried to a moisture content of ≤3%, and then sieved to obtain the microsphere core; S4: slow-release film liquid preparation: the main material of the slow-release film layer is added to the solvent, stirred and dissolved to obtain the slow-release film liquid; S5: slow-release film layer coating: the microsphere core prepared in step S3 is added to the fluidized bed coating machine, and the slow-release film liquid prepared in step S4 is sprayed at a certain rate on the surface of the microsphere core for coating treatment until the slow-release film layer is formed on the surface of the microsphere core; then the microsphere core coated with the slow-release film layer is placed in a vacuum drying box for drying, and the slow-release film layer is solidified and the network structure is formed, thereby obtaining cigarette flavoring microspheres with slow-release aroma function.

8. The preparation method according to claim 7, characterized in that, In step S1, fresh or dried plant material is selected, washed and cut into small pieces of 0.5-1 cm, placed in a vacuum freeze dryer, pre-frozen at-40℃ to-50℃ and a vacuum degree of ≤10 Pa for 2-4 h, then warmed to-10℃ to 0℃ for sublimation drying for 8-12 h, and then warmed to 25-35℃ for desorption drying for 4-6 h to obtain porous plant freeze-dried blocks; the freeze-dried blocks are put into a supermicro grinder and ground under the protection of inert gas, and sieved to obtain porous carrier powder; In step S2, the activated carbon powder accounts for 5%-20% of the total mass of the porous carrier powder and the activated carbon powder; After stirring for 5-10 min, the wet material is formed after standing at room temperature for 30-60 min.

9. The preparation method according to claim 7, characterized in that, In step S3, the wet particle is placed in a drying machine and dried to a moisture content of ≤3% at an inlet air temperature of 40-50℃ and an outlet air temperature of 25-30℃, and then sieved to obtain the microsphere core with a particle size of 0.8-1.8 mm; If it is not easy to granulate, add 1%-5% of microcrystalline cellulose to the total mass of the humidified material, mix and make 0.8-1.8mm granules; In step S4, the main material of the slow-release film layer is added into a solvent, stirred and dissolved at 50-60℃ and a rotating speed of 300-400r / min for 10-20min to obtain a slow-release film liquid with a mass concentration of 0.1-0.5%.

10. The preparation method according to claim 7, characterized in that, In step S5, the microsphere inner core prepared in step S3 is added into a fluidized bed coating machine, the inlet air temperature is set to 40-50℃, the outlet air temperature is set to 25-30℃, the atomization pressure is set to 0.2-0.3MPa, the slow-release film liquid prepared in step S4 is sprayed onto the surface of the microsphere inner core at a rate of 5-8mL / min for coating treatment until the slow-release film layer is formed on the surface of the microsphere inner core; the microsphere inner core coated with the slow-release film layer is air-dried at a temperature of 25-30℃ for 5-15min to complete the solidification of the slow-release film layer, thereby obtaining the cigarette flavoring microspheres with slow-release aroma function.

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