Non-combustible aerosol generating article and aerosol generation system

Abstract

This application discloses a non-combustion smoke-generating article and an aerosol-generating system. The non-combustion smoke-generating article includes: a housing, the housing including a breathable portion that allows air to pass through; a flavor-producing segment, disposed in the housing; a hollow segment, disposed in the housing, located on a side of a near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment, and in fluid communication with the flavor-producing segment; and a mouthpiece segment, disposed in the housing, located on a side of a near-lip end of the hollow segment, and in fluid communication with the hollow segment. An air intake channel is formed in at least one position of the near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment, a far-lip end of the hollow segment, and a position between the flavor-producing segment and the hollow segment, and the air intake channel is directly opposite to and in communication with the breathable portion, so as to communicate an interior of the hollow segment with external atmosphere.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This application relates to the field of heat-not-burn atomization technologies, and in particular, to a non-combustion smoke-generating article and an aerosol-generating system.BACKGROUND

[0002] To introduce air for mixing with aerosol, a heat-not-burn apparatus is generally provided with an air channel in communication with atmosphere. After a non-combustion smoke-generating article is loaded into the heat-not-burn apparatus, the heat-not-burn apparatus may heat an aerosol-generating article to produce aerosol. Under an inhalation action of a user, the air is fully mixed with the aerosol after passing through the air channel in the heat-not-burn apparatus, and then sucked out by the user.

[0003] Because an arrangement manner of other structures in the heat-not-burn apparatus needs to be considered in a design of the air channel in the heat-not-burn apparatus, the design of the air channel in the heat-not-burn apparatus is complex.SUMMARY

[0004] A technical problem to be resolved in this application is to provide a non-combustion smoke-generating article and an aerosol-generating system, and an air channel does not need to be designed in a heat-not-burn apparatus, so as to simplify a structure and an air channel design manner of the heat-not-burn apparatus.

[0005] A technical solution used in this application to resolve a technical problem thereof is to provide a non-combustion smoke-generating article, which includes: a housing, the housing including a breathable portion that allows air to pass through; a flavor-producing segment, disposed in the housing; a hollow segment, disposed in the housing, located on a side of a near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment, and in fluid communication with the flavor-producing segment; and a mouthpiece segment, disposed in the housing, located on a side of a near-lip end of the hollow segment, and in fluid communication with the hollow segment, where an air intake channel is formed in at least one position of the near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment, a far-lip end of the hollow segment, and a position between the flavor-producing segment and the hollow segment, and the air intake channel is directly opposite to and in communication with the breathable portion, so as to communicate an interior of the hollow segment with external atmosphere.

[0006] In some embodiments, the breathable portion is a breathable film structure, the breathable portion includes a breathable segment that allows air to pass through, and the air intake channel is directly opposite to and in communication with the breathable segment.

[0007] In some embodiments, the housing further includes two non-breathable segments that are respectively connected to two axial ends of the breathable segment; and one non-breathable segment wraps at least the hollow segment; and the other non-breathable segment wraps at least the flavor-producing segment.

[0008] In some embodiments, the non-breathable segment and the breathable segment are separate structures, and the two non-breathable segments are axially connected and assembled to the breathable segment separately.

[0009] In some embodiments, the two non-breathable segments are located in an inner layer; and the breathable segment coats an outer layer of the two non-breathable segments.

[0010] In some embodiments, the hollow segment is made of a breathable material at least in a portion corresponding to the breathable segment, so that the breathable segment is in communication with the interior of the hollow segment.

[0011] In some embodiments, end surfaces of the flavor-producing segment and the hollow segment facing each other are at least partially not in contact to form the radially extending air intake channel.

[0012] In some embodiments, at least one of an end surface of the near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment and an end surface of the far-lip end of the hollow segment is recessedly provided with an air intake groove radially extending along the non-combustion smoke-generating article, and the air intake groove forms at least a portion of the air intake channel.

[0013] In some embodiments, the breathable portion is a vent hole that is in communication with the air intake groove in a one-to-one correspondence manner.

[0014] In some embodiments, a length direction of the air intake groove is perpendicular to a central axis of the flavor-producing segment; or an acute angle is formed between the length direction of the air intake groove and the central axis of the flavor-producing segment; and / or the length direction of the air intake groove is not collinear with a radial direction of the hollow segment.

[0015] In some embodiments, the end surface of the near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment is inclined toward a direction away from the hollow segment, so that an acute angle is formed between the end surface of the near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment and a central axis of the flavor-producing segment.

[0016] In some embodiments, the hollow segment is a hollow acetate fiber rod; or the hollow segment is pleated fiber paper wound inside the housing, and a slit that allows aerosol to pass through is formed between adjacent layers of the fiber paper.

[0017] In some embodiments, the end surfaces of the flavor-producing segment and the hollow segment facing each other are spaced apart from each other, and a gap between the flavor-producing segment and the hollow segment forms at least a portion of the air intake channel. In some embodiments, the flavor-producing segment includes a first vent hole, and the first vent hole is a through hole or a blind hole; and the air intake channel is in fluid communication with the first vent hole.

[0018] In some embodiments, a radial cross-sectional outline of the first vent hole is a curve, a polyline, or a combination of a curve and a polyline.

[0019] In some embodiments, the hollow segment is a hollow cavity formed by enclosing the flavor-producing segment and the mouthpiece segment; or the hollow segment is a tubular structure having an axial through cavity.

[0020] In some embodiments, the flavor-producing segment includes several micropores in communication with each other.

[0021] This application further provides an aerosol-generating system, which includes any of the foregoing non-combustion smoke-generating articles and a heating apparatus configured to heat the non-combustion smoke-generating article.

[0022] In some embodiments, the heating apparatus includes a casing, and a heating groove adapted to the non-combustion smoke-generating article is formed in the casing; and the breathable portion is at least partially located outside the heating groove.

[0023] This application has at least the following beneficial effects: The flavor-producing segment and the hollow segment are connected together through the housing, and the air intake channel is provided at a portion on the housing at which the flavor-producing segment and the hollow segment meet, and the air intake channel defined by the portion at which the flavor-producing segment and the hollow segment meet can be in communication with external atmosphere through the breathable portion. This realizes air intake of the non-combustion smoke-generating article, and avoids providing an air channel on the heating apparatus, and the structure is simple and easy to implement.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] The following further describes this application with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. In the accompanying drawings: FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vertical sectional structure of a non-combustion smoke-generating article according to an embodiment of this application; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a structure of the non-combustion smoke-generating article shown in FIG. 1 from another perspective; FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an overall structure of a non-combustion smoke-generating article according to an embodiment of this application; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure of a non-combustion smoke-generating article from a perspective according to an embodiment of this application; FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a flavor-producing segment according to an embodiment shown in FIG. 4; FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure of a non-combustion smoke-generating article from a perspective according to an embodiment of this application; FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing procedure of a hollow segment of a non-combustion smoke-generating article shown in FIG. 6; FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a vertical sectional structure of a non-combustion smoke-generating article according to an embodiment of this application; FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a non-combustion smoke-generating article according to an embodiment of this application; FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a non-combustion smoke-generating article whose air intake groove is rectangular; FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a non-combustion smoke-generating article whose air intake groove is V-shaped; FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a non-combustion smoke-generating article whose air intake groove is polygonal; FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a vertical sectional structure of a non-combustion smoke-generating article according to an embodiment of this application; FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of a vertical sectional structure of a non-combustion smoke-generating article according to an embodiment of this application; FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a non-combustion smoke-generating article according to an embodiment of this application; FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of a radial cross-sectional shape of a hollow segment of a non-combustion smoke-generating article shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 17A~FIG. 17D are schematic diagrams of a radial cross-sectional shape of a hollow segment of a non-combustion smoke-generating article according to several more embodiments of this application; FIG. 18~FIG. 20 are schematic diagrams of a structure of a hollow segment of a non-combustion smoke-generating article according to several more embodiments of this application; FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram of a structure of the non-combustion smoke-generating article shown in FIG. 1 when assembled with a heating apparatus; FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram of a structure of the non-combustion smoke-generating article shown in FIG. 4 when assembled with a heating apparatus; and FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram of a structure of the non-combustion smoke-generating article shown in FIG. 6 when assembled with a heating apparatus. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0025] To have a clearer understanding of technical features, objectives, and effects of this application, specific implementations of this application are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a non-combustion smoke-generating article in some embodiments of this application includes a flavor-producing segment 1, a hollow segment 2, a mouthpiece segment 3, and a housing 4. The housing 4 wraps the flavor-producing segment 1, the hollow segment 2, and the mouthpiece segment 3 therein. The flavor-producing segment 1, the hollow segment 2, and the mouthpiece segment 3 are successively arranged in an axial direction of the housing 4 and are in fluid communication. That is, the hollow segment 2 is located on a side of a near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment 1, and is in fluid communication with the flavor-producing segment 1; and the mouthpiece segment 3 is located on a side of a near-lip end of the hollow segment 2 and is in fluid communication with the hollow segment 2. In addition, the mouthpiece segment 3 and the hollow segment 2 are connected in the axial direction of the housing 4. It should be noted that fluid may be gas, aerosol, a mixture of gas and aerosol, or the like. Fluid communication between the flavor-producing segment 1, the hollow segment 2, and the mouthpiece segment 3 means that the fluid can flow between the flavor-producing segment 1, the hollow segment 2, and the mouthpiece segment 3. For subsequent description of "fluid communication", reference can be made to the explanation here. The housing 4 has a certain length, and the axial direction of the housing 4 may also be understood as a length direction thereof or a longitudinal direction in a used state; and a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the housing 4 or angled to a central axis of the axial direction of the housing 4 is a radial direction. The flavor-producing segment 1, the hollow segment 2, the mouthpiece segment 3, and the housing 4 may all be cylindrical, but are not limited to cylindrical, and may alternatively be square-cylindrical or in other regular or irregular shapes.

[0027] The flavor-producing segment 1 is mainly configured to release aerosol, smoke, and the like in a heated state for a user to inhale. The mouthpiece segment 3 is closer to a mouthpiece end of the non-combustion smoke-generating article than the flavor-producing segment 1. After successively flowing through the hollow segment 2 and the mouthpiece segment 3 for cooling and filtering, the aerosol, the smoke, and the like that are released from the flavor-producing segment 1 flow out from a near-lip end of the mouthpiece segment 3 for the user to inhale. A material of the flavor-producing segment 1 may include one or more of aromatic plant fibers or tobacco plant fibers, and may further include a perfume, an adhesive, a polyol, and the like. In some embodiments, the housing 4 includes a breathable portion that allows air to pass through. In some embodiments, an air intake channel 20 is formed in at least one position in three positions: "the near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment 1", "a far-lip end of the hollow segment 2", and "a position between the flavor-producing segment 1 and the hollow segment 2". That is, the air intake channel 20 is defined by the flavor-producing segment 1 and / or the hollow segment 2. The air intake channel 20 is directly opposite to and in communication with the breathable portion. Therefore, the air intake channel 20 can communicate the breathable portion with an interior of the hollow segment 2, so as to communicate the interior of the hollow segment 2 with external atmosphere.

[0028] Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 6, FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 show a first embodiment, and FIG. 4 and FIG. 6 respectively show a second embodiment and a third embodiment. A common feature of the first embodiment, the second embodiment, and the third embodiment is that end surfaces of the flavor-producing segment 1 and the hollow segment 2 facing each other are at least partially not in contact to form the radially extending air intake channel 20 between positions at which the end surfaces are not in contact with each other. The air intake channel 20 is in communication with the external atmosphere through a breathable segment 40. Therefore, after external air enters the air intake channel 20 from the breathable segment 40, and is mixed with aerosol generated in the flavor-producing segment 1, the mixture successively flows to the hollow segment 2 and the mouthpiece segment 3 for the user to inhale. The air entering from the breathable segment 40 and the air intake channel 20 can dilute and cool the aerosol generated in the flavor-producing segment 1, and facilitate flow of the aerosol and reduce suction resistance.

[0029] Or referring to FIG. 8, FIG. 8 shows a fourth embodiment. Different from the first embodiment to the third embodiment, in the fourth embodiment, the flavor-producing segment 1 and the hollow segment 2 are connected along an axial end surface of the housing 4, that is, there is no gap between the flavor-producing segment 1 and the hollow segment 2 in the axial direction of the housing 4 (at least in a state of no gap under observation of a naked eye). Correspondingly, the hollow segment 2 is made of a breathable material at least in a portion corresponding to the breathable segment 40 of the housing 4, so that the breathable segment 40 of the housing 4 is in communication with the interior of the hollow segment 2. Therefore, after external air enters the interior of the hollow segment 2 from the breathable segment 40, and is mixed with aerosol generated in the flavor-producing segment 1, the mixture flows to the near-lip end of the mouthpiece segment 3 for the user to inhale. Similarly, the air entering from the breathable segment 40 and the interior of the hollow segment 2 can dilute and cool the aerosol generated in the flavor-producing segment 1, and facilitate flow of the aerosol and reduce suction resistance. Specifically, the hollow segment 2 made of the breathable material has breathable micropores, the breathable micropores may be holes that cannot be observed by the naked eye, and the breathable micropores are naturally formed in a manufacturing procedure of the hollow segment 2.

[0030] If the air intake channel 20 with a through-hole structure is disposed on a side wall of the hollow segment 2, in a manufacturing procedure of the non-combustion smoke-generating article, an additional step of punching a hole is correspondingly required to be added each time a hollow segment 2 is manufactured, making the manufacturing procedure of the non-combustion smoke-generating article relatively complex and limiting production efficiency. Correspondingly, in this application, air intake of the non-combustion smoke-generating article is realized through the breathable segment 40 on the housing 4 and the air intake channel 20 defined by the flavor-producing segment 1 and / or the hollow segment 2. The breathable segment 40 and the air intake channel 20 are respectively formed in a molding process of the housing 4 and the flavor-producing segment 1 and / or the hollow segment 2, thereby eliminating a step of punching a hole for hollow segments 2 one by one after the components are molded, simplifying the manufacturing procedure of the non-combustion smoke-generating article, and improving production efficiency of the non-combustion smoke-generating article.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, in the first embodiment, the end surfaces of the flavor-producing segment 1 and the hollow segment 2 facing each other are spaced apart, that is, adjacent end surfaces of the flavor-producing segment 1 and the hollow segment 2 are completely not in contact with each other, but are separated from each other, and a gap between the flavor-producing segment 1 and the hollow segment 2 forms at least a portion of the air intake channel 20.

[0032] In some other embodiments, at least one position in two positions, namely an end surface of the near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment 1 and an end surface of the far-lip end of the hollow segment 2 is recessedly provided with an air intake groove 21 extending in a radial direction of the non-combustion smoke-generating article, and the air intake groove 21 forms at least a portion of the air intake channel 20. Specifically: As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, in the second embodiment, what is different from the first embodiment is that the adjacent end surfaces of the flavor-producing segment 1 and the hollow segment 2 are partially in contact and partially not in contact. Specifically, the flavor-producing segment 1 and the hollow segment 2 are connected in the axial direction of the housing 4, and the end surface of the near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment 1 is recessedly provided with at least one radially extending air intake groove 21, and the air intake groove 21 and the end surface of the hollow segment 2 enclose to define the air intake channel 20. A position at which the air intake groove 21 is located is a position at which the flavor-producing segment 1 and the hollow segment 2 are not in contact with each other, and thus the air intake channel 20 is formed at the position. Specifically, in a molding process of a solid-state flavor-producing segment 1, after a raw material enters a mold and is extruded, a solid-state flavor-producing segment 1 with a relatively stable shape is formed. Therefore, a shape matching the air intake groove 21 can be reserved on the mold, that is, a flavor-producing segment 1 with the air intake groove 21 on the end surface can be formed in an extrusion working procedure, thereby omitting a process step of punching a hole on hollow segments 2 one by one.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 6, in the third embodiment, what is different from the second embodiment is that the air intake groove 21 is not formed on the flavor-producing segment 1, but is formed on the hollow segment 2. Specifically, the end surface of the far-lip end of the hollow segment 2 is formed with at least one radially extending air intake groove 21, and the air intake groove 21 and the end surface of the flavor-producing segment 1 enclose to define the air intake channel 20. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, a cylinder can be provided with a through hole extending in a radial direction of the cylinder on an outer peripheral surface of the cylinder. Subsequently, the cylinder is cut into two halves at a middle position of the through hole to obtain two same hollow segments 2.

[0034] In addition, the end surface of the near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment 1 and the end surface of the far-lip end of the hollow segment 2 may each recessedly provided with at least one radially extending air intake groove 21, and both the air intake groove 21 on the flavor-producing segment 1 and the air intake groove 21 on the hollow segment 2 define the air intake channel 20 together.

[0035] In some embodiments shown in FIG. 1, a length direction of the air intake channel 20 is perpendicular to a central axis of the flavor-producing segment 1. The length direction of the air intake channel 20 refers to a central axis of the air intake channel 20 in an extension direction. However, in another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the length direction of the air intake channel 20 may not be perpendicular to the central axis of the flavor-producing segment 1, but an acute angle is formed between the length direction of the air intake channel 20 and the central axis of the flavor-producing segment 1, that is, an included angle greater than 0° and less than 90° is formed between the length direction of the air intake channel 20 and the central axis of the flavor-producing segment 1. In some other embodiments, the end surface of the near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment 1 is inclined toward a direction away from the hollow segment 2, so that an acute angle is formed between the end surface of the near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment 1 and the central axis thereof, which is equivalent to that an acute angle is formed between the length direction of the air intake channel 20 and the central axis of the flavor-producing segment 1. Therefore, an inclined air intake channel 20 is formed between the end surface of the near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment 1 and the end surface of the far-lip end of the hollow segment 2.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 8, in the fourth embodiment, what is different from the foregoing first to third embodiments, the end surface of the near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment 1 and the end surface of the far-lip end of the hollow segment 2 are connected along the axial end surface of the housing 4, that is, in the axial direction of the housing 4, there is no gap between the end surface of the near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment 1 and the end surface of the far-lip end of the hollow segment 2. In this case, the hollow segment 2 is made of a breathable material at least in a portion corresponding to the breathable segment 40 of the housing 4, so that the breathable segment 40 of the housing 4 is in communication with the interior of the hollow segment 2. The hollow segment 2 may be made of a breathable fiber material, such as cellulose acetate, which has breathable micropores in communication with each other.

[0037] The flavor-producing segment 1 may also have breathable micropores, and the breathable micropores of the flavor-producing segment 1 are formed by drying moisture of a raw material of the flavor-producing segment 1 in a molding procedure of the flavor-producing segment 1.

[0038] There is a positive correlation between an aperture of the breathable micropore of the flavor-producing segment 1 and a particle size of aerosol. Preferably, a porosity of the breathable micropore of the flavor-producing segment 1 may be 20%~80%. An aperture of the flavor-producing segment 1 may be 50 nm~20 µm. After the flavor-producing segment 1 is heated, aerosol generated by heating can be released through the micropores, allowing aerosol generated at different positions to be mixed to enable uniformity of the aerosol to be better, and then flows to the hollow segment 2. The hollow segment 2 can play a role of centrally storing and cooling the aerosol. When the user inhales the aerosol, the user first inhales the aerosol in the hollow segment 2, and after the aerosol in the hollow segment 2 is inhaled, newly generated aerosol flows into the hollow segment 2 again, which can effectively prevent the aerosol from directly flowing into the user's mouth, avoid burning the mouth, and improve a mouthfeel of the aerosol. For the breathable micropores on the hollow segment 2, reference can be made to the arrangement of the breathable micropores of the flavor-producing segment 1. Details are not described herein again.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 9 to FIG. 12, further, in one or more embodiments, a cross-sectional outline of the air intake groove 21 (that is, the air intake channel 20 indicated in the figure) on the flavor-producing segment 1 may be a curve, a polyline, or a combination of a curve and a polyline. It should be noted that the "cross-section" and the "longitudinal-section" are merely a set of relative concepts relative to the air intake groove 21. A direction in which the air intake groove 21 extends, that is, a radial direction, is a longitudinal direction of the air intake groove 21, and a section of the air intake groove 21 in the longitudinal direction thereof is referred to as a longitudinal section of the air intake groove 21. Correspondingly, a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the air intake groove 21 is a transverse direction of the air intake groove 21. Therefore, a cross section of the air intake groove 21 is a section of the air intake groove 21 in an axial direction of the flavor-producing segment 1. As shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 6, and FIG. 9, in some embodiments, the cross-sectional outline of the air intake groove 21 is arc-shaped, and has an arc-shaped edge. As shown in FIG. 10, in some other embodiments, the cross-sectional outline of the air intake groove 21 is rectangular, and has three straight edges. In some other embodiments shown in FIG. 11, the cross-sectional outline of the air intake groove 21 is V-shaped, and has two straight edges. In some other embodiments shown in FIG. 12, the cross-sectional outline of the air intake groove 21 is polygonal, and has eight straight edges. Certainly, the cross-sectional outline of the air intake groove 21 may alternatively be in another regular or irregular shape. Certainly, the air intake groove 21 in the third embodiment may alternatively be configured with a shape with reference to the shape of the air intake groove 21 in the second embodiment. A breathable structure on the housing 4 may be a vent hole 401, and the vent hole 401 is a hole visible to the naked eye. For example, as shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, in some embodiments, the breathable portion on the housing 4 is at least one vent hole 401 that is in communication with at least one air intake groove 21 in a one-to-one correspondence manner. Specifically, the vent hole 401 may be reserved in a molding process of the housing 4. When the air intake channel 20 is defined by the air intake groove 21, there is at least one air intake groove 21 and at least one vent hole 401. When there are a plurality of (at least two) air intake grooves 21 and vent holes 401, the plurality of air intake grooves 21 are distributed at intervals on the near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment 1 in a circumferential direction of the flavor-producing segment 1, or the plurality of air intake grooves 21 are distributed at intervals on the far-lip end of the hollow segment 2 in a circumferential direction of the hollow segment 2, and the plurality of vent holes 401 are distributed at intervals on the housing 4 in a circumferential direction of the housing 4. The air intake grooves 21 and the vent holes 401 are in communication with each other in a one-to-one correspondence manner. Further, when a plurality of air intake grooves 21 or vent holes 401 are provided, the plurality of air intake grooves 21 may be symmetrically distributed on the flavor-producing segment 1 or the hollow segment 2; and similarly, the vent holes 401 may also be symmetrically distributed on a package 4.

[0040] In the embodiments shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, the breathable portion on the housing 4 may be a breathable film structure, such as breathable paper, breathable cloth, breathable cotton, or another breathable fiber structure. A hole in the breathable film structure is a micropore invisible to the naked eye. In this case, the breathable portion includes a breathable segment 40 that allows air to pass through. Further, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in some embodiments, the housing 4 may further include two non-breathable segments 41 that are respectively connected to two axial ends of the breathable segment 40. One non-breathable segment 41 wraps at least the hollow segment 2. The other non-breathable segment 41 wraps at least the flavor-producing segment 1. That is, one non-breathable segment 41 may wrap only the hollow segment 2, or may wrap both the hollow segment 2 and the mouthpiece segment 3; and the other non-breathable segment 41 may wrap only the flavor-producing segment 1. In some other embodiments, a blocking member may be connected to an end surface of a far-lip end of the flavor-producing segment 1. The blocking member is configured to prevent aerosol and condensate from overflowing from a bottom. In this case, the other non-breathable segment 41 may wrap both the flavor-producing segment 1 and the blocking member. The non-breathable segment 41 of the housing 4 enables an interior of the housing 4 to have a certain degree of sealing, thereby reducing overflow of aerosol. The breathable segment 40 is configured to implement air intake of the interior of the housing 4, so as to facilitate flow of aerosol and reduce suction resistance. By properly setting parameters such as lengths, materials, and breathable degrees of the breathable segment 40 and the non-breathable segment 41, a suction resistance of the non-combustion smoke-generating article may be adjusted to a proper value. Further, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in some embodiments, the non-breathable segment 41 and the breathable segment 40 of the housing 4 are separate structures, and the two non-breathable segments 41 are axially connected and assembled to the breathable segment 40 separately. That is, the non-breathable segment 41 and the breathable segment 40 are two separately molded components, and are connected and assembled together in a form of bonding or the like. In addition, in the embodiments shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the two non-breathable segments 41 are located in an inner layer, and the breathable segment 40 coats outer layers of the two non-breathable segments 41. The outer layer is farther away from the flavor-producing segment 1 or the hollow segment 2 in a radial direction than the inner layer. Therefore, firstly one non-breathable segment 41 may be used to wrap a filter tip segment and the hollow segment 2 together and the other non-breathable segment 41 may be used to wrap the flavor-producing segment 1, and then the breathable segment 40 is attached between the two non-breathable segments 41, to form a complete non-combustion smoke-generating article. The manufacturing process is relatively simple.

[0041] Certainly, in some other embodiments, the breathable segment 40 may also be disposed in the inner layer. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, in a seventh embodiment, the breathable segment 40 of the housing 4 is located in the inner layer, and the two non-breathable segments 41 wrap an outer layer of the breathable segment 40. In addition, in some other embodiments, the non-breathable segment 41 and the breathable segment 40 may alternatively be a one-piece molded structure.

[0042] The flavor-producing segment 1 includes a first segment and a second segment, and the hollow segment 2 also includes a first segment and a second segment. The first segment and the second segment of the flavor-producing segment 1 are connected in respective axial directions and have an equal length, and the first segment and the second segment of the hollow segment 2 are connected in respective axial directions and have an equal length. An end surface of the first segment of the flavor-producing segment 1 is the end surface of the near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment 1, and an end surface of the second segment of the hollow segment 2 is the end surface of the far-lip end of the hollow segment 2. An air intake channel 20 is formed between the end surface of the first segment of the flavor-producing segment 1 and the end surface of the second segment of the hollow segment 2 (referring to the first to third embodiments). Alternatively, the end surface of the first segment of the flavor-producing segment 1 is connected to the end surface of the second segment of the hollow segment 2 (referring to the fourth embodiment).

[0043] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, further, in some embodiments, one non-breathable segment 41 is connected to an end of the breathable segment 40 and is connected and assembled to a side wall of the first segment of the flavor-producing segment 1, and the other non-breathable segment 41 is connected to an end of the breathable segment 40 and is connected and assembled to a side wall of the second segment of the hollow segment 2. The breathable segment 40 is connected and assembled to both the side wall of the first segment of the flavor-producing segment 1 and the side wall of the second segment of the hollow segment 2. Certainly, in another embodiment, the breathable segment 40 may be connected and assembled to only a side wall of the flavor-producing segment 1, and the flavor-producing segment 1 is a fibrous porous body to realize air intake; alternatively, the breathable segment 40 may be connected and assembled to only a side wall of the hollow segment 2, and the hollow segment 2 is a fibrous porous body to realize air intake.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, in some embodiments, the flavor-producing segment 1 further includes a first vent hole 11 running through the end surface of the near-lip end and the end surface of the far-lip end of the flavor-producing segment 1, and the air intake channel 20 is separately in communication with the first vent hole 11 and the breathable segment 40 that is on the housing 4. The first vent hole 11 is configured to collect and transport aerosol. Therefore, external air enters the vent hole 401 on the housing 4, the air intake channel 20 on the flavor-producing segment 1, and the first vent hole 11. In a heating procedure of the flavor-producing segment 1, aerosol released from the flavor-producing segment 1 is collected at the first vent hole 11, and flows to the hollow segment 2 after being mixed with the air flowing in from the air intake channel 20. The air flowing in from the air intake channel 20 serves to dilute and cool the aerosol. In addition, concentrated flow of the aerosol is further facilitated, and suction resistance is reduced.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 16, in some embodiments, a radial cross section of the first vent hole 11 is circular. As shown in FIG. 17A, in another embodiment, the radial cross section of the first vent hole 11 is oval. As shown in FIG. 17B, in another embodiment, the radial cross section of the first vent hole 11 is rectangular. As shown in FIG. 17C, in another embodiment, the radial cross section of the first vent hole 11 is star-shaped. As shown in FIG. 17D, in another embodiment, the radial cross section of the first vent hole 11 is petal-shaped. Certainly, the first vent hole 11 may alternatively be in another regular or irregular shape. In an axial direction, a radial cross-sectional shape of the first vent hole 11 may be the same everywhere, or may be different everywhere. For example, a radial cross section of one end of the first vent hole 11 is circular, and a radial cross section of the other end is rectangular.

[0046] In the axial direction, a radial size of the first vent hole 11 may be expressed in the following forms: The radial size gradually increases in a direction from the end surface of the far-lip end to the end surface of the near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment 1; or the radial size gradually decreases in a direction from the end surface of the far-lip end to the end surface of the near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment 1; or the radial size gradually decreases from the end surface of the far-lip end of the flavor-producing segment 1 to a middle position of the flavor-producing segment 1, and gradually increases from the middle position of the flavor-producing segment 1 to the end surface of the near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment 1, that is, the first vent hole 1 1 is in a position of a minimum radial size in an axial middle position of the flavor-producing segment 1, and a radial size of the first vent hole 11 at the end surface of the far-lip end of the flavor-producing segment 1 is greater than and different from a radial size of the first vent hole 11 at the end surface of the near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment 1, that is, the radial size of the first vent hole 11 in the axial direction exhibits a feature of small-minimum-large or large-minimum-small.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, in some embodiments, the hollow segment 2 is a physical component, which is a tubular structure having an axial through cavity. That is, the cavity on the hollow segment 2 forms a second vent hole 22 of the hollow segment 2. The second vent hole 22 is in communication with the first vent hole 11. The hollow segment 2 may be a hollow structure, that is, the second vent hole 22 may be located at a center of the hollow segment 2, but a position of the second vent hole 22 is not limited to the center of the hollow segment 2. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the hollow segment 2 may not be a physical component, and the hollow segment 2 is a cavity enclosed by the flavor-producing segment 1 and the mouthpiece segment 3. The aerosol released from the flavor-producing segment 1 is gradually collected at the first vent hole 11, and flows upward and is collected at the hollow segment 2 (cavity). In this procedure, the aerosol is mixed with the air flowing in from the air intake channel 20, and then flows to the mouthpiece segment 3.

[0048] The hollow segment 2 is configured to further collect the aerosol, and the aerosol is further diluted and cooled at the second vent hole 22, so that the aerosol arriving at the mouthpiece of the non-combustion smoke-generating article has a proper temperature. Correspondingly, the radially extending air intake channel 20 formed between the flavor-producing segment 1 and the hollow segment 2 is in communication with the second vent hole 22 of the hollow segment 2. Therefore, in a heating procedure of the flavor-producing segment 1, the aerosol released from the flavor-producing segment 1 is gradually collected at the first vent hole 11, and after being mixed with the air flowing in from the air intake channel 20, the aerosol flows upwards and is collected at the second vent hole 22 of the hollow segment 2, and then flows to the mouthpiece segment 3.

[0049] In an embodiment, the hollow segment 2 is a hollow acetate fiber rod. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 18, the hollow segment 2 is pleated fiber paper wound inside the housing 4, and a slit G that allows aerosol to pass through is formed between adjacent layers of the fiber paper. The slit G serves as the first vent hole 11, allowing aerosol to flow axially through the hollow segment 2.

[0050] For a shape of the second vent hole 22, reference can be made to arrangement of the first vent hole 11. Details are not described herein again.

[0051] Similar to the first vent hole 11, in an axial direction, a radial cross-sectional shape of the second vent hole 22 may be the same everywhere, or may be different everywhere. For example, a radial cross section of one end of the second vent hole 22 is circular, and a radial cross section of the other end is rectangular.

[0052] Similar to the first vent hole 11, in the axial direction, a radial size of the second vent hole 22 may be expressed in the following forms: The radial size gradually increases in a direction from the end surface of the far-lip end to an end surface of the near-lip end of the hollow segment 2; or the radial size gradually decreases in a direction from the end surface of the far-lip end to the end surface of the near-lip end of the hollow segment 2; or the radial size gradually decreases from the end surface of the far-lip end of the hollow segment 2 to a middle position of the hollow segment 2, and gradually increases from the middle position of the hollow segment 2 to the end surface of the near-lip end of the hollow segment 2, that is, the second vent hole 22 is in a position of a minimum radial size in an axial middle position of the hollow segment 2, and a radial size of the second vent hole 22 at the end surface of the far-lip end of the hollow segment 2 is greater than and different from a radial size of the second vent hole 22 at the end surface of the near-lip end of the hollow segment 2, that is, the radial size of the second vent hole 22 in the axial direction exhibits a feature of small-minimum-large or large-minimum-small.

[0053] After the flavor-producing segment 1 is heated, aerosol generated by heating can enter the first vent hole 11 through the breathable micropores to be collected, allowing aerosol generated at different positions to be mixed to enable uniformity of the aerosol to be better, and then flows to the second vent hole 22 of the hollow segment 2 from the first vent hole 11. The hollow segment 2 can play a role of centrally storing and cooling the aerosol. When the user inhales the aerosol, the user first inhales the aerosol in the second vent hole 22 of the hollow segment 2, and after the aerosol in the second vent hole 22 is inhaled, newly generated aerosol flows into the second vent hole 22 again, which can effectively prevent the aerosol from directly flowing into the user's mouth and avoid burning the mouth.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 19, in some embodiments, an acute angle is formed between a length direction of the air intake groove 21 and the central axis of the hollow segment 2, that is, the air intake groove 21 is inclined toward the near-lip end of the hollow segment 2, and the far-lip end of the hollow segment 2 is formed into a concave tapered surface. In some embodiments, the length direction of the air intake groove 21 may not be collinear with a radial direction of the hollow segment 2. As shown in FIG. 20, in some embodiments, a schematic diagram of the end surface of the far-lip end of the hollow segment 2 is shown. The length direction of the air intake groove 21 is inclined relative to the radial direction of the hollow segment 2, and is not collinear with any diameter of the hollow segment 2. When a plurality of air intake grooves 21 are inclined in a same direction (for example, in a clockwise direction) in a circumferential direction relative to the radial direction of the hollow segment 2, the air intake groove 21 is arranged in a vortex shape. In a procedure of user's inhalation, air entering the hollow segment 2 from the outside through each air intake groove 21 forms a vortex, which can accelerate cooling of the aerosol and improve mixing uniformity of the aerosol and the air.

[0055] For example, a cross-sectional width of the air intake groove 21 may be changed gradually or in a gradient manner in a direction close to the central axis of the hollow segment 2, for example, gradually increased or decreased, that is, the air intake groove 21 is substantially of a tapered structure.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 21, an aerosol-generating system in some embodiments of this application includes the non-combustion smoke-generating article in any embodiment and a heating apparatus 50. The heating apparatus 50 is configured to heat the non-combustion smoke-generating article, so that the non-combustion smoke-generating article generates and releases aerosol at a certain temperature.

[0057] Further, the heating apparatus 50 includes a casing 5, and a heating groove is formed in the casing 5. The heating groove is adapted to the non-combustion smoke-generating article in any embodiment of this application, allowing the non-combustion smoke-generating article to be inserted therein. The non-combustion smoke-generating article is detachably installed in the heating groove of the heating apparatus 50. The heating apparatus 50 further includes a heat generation assembly (not shown in the figure) disposed in the casing 5, a power supply assembly (not shown in the figure) that is mechanically and / or electrically connected to the heat generation assembly, and the like. The heat generation assembly heats, in a power-on state, the non-combustion smoke-generating article that is inserted in the heating groove, so that the non-combustion smoke-generating article generates aerosol, smoke, and the like. When the non-combustion smoke-generating article is installed in the heating groove, a bottom surface of the non-combustion smoke-generating article may be attached to a groove bottom surface of the heating groove, or a gap is left between the bottom surface of the non-combustion smoke-generating article and the groove bottom surface of the heating groove.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 21 to FIG. 23, in some embodiments, a top end of the breathable portion is located above an opening of the heating groove, so as to prevent the breathable segment 40 from being blocked by an inner wall surface of the heating groove, so that at least a portion of the breathable portion can be smoothly exposed, and is in communication with external air. It should be noted that the housing 4 includes a first end (referring to an upper end of the housing 4 in FIG. 22) away from the flavor-producing segment 1 and a second end (referring to a lower end of the housing 4 in FIG. 22) close to the flavor-producing segment 1. The top end of the breathable portion is an end that is of the breathable portion and that is farther away from the second end of the housing 4 (that is, an upper end of the breathable segment 40 in FIG. 321, and an upper end of the vent hole 401 in FIG. 22 and FIG. 23). On the contrary, a bottom end of the breathable segment 40 is an end that is of the breathable segment 40 and that is closer to the second end of the housing 4 (that is, a lower end of the breathable segment 40 in FIG. 21, and a lower end of the vent hole 401 in FIG. 22 and FIG. 23).

[0059] In a case that the non-combustion smoke-generating article is installed in the heating groove and an end surface of the second end of the non-combustion smoke-generating article is attached to the groove bottom surface of the heating groove, a depth of the heating groove is less than a distance between the top end of the breathable portion and the second end of the housing 4. The depth of the heating groove is a size of the heating groove in an axial direction. Specifically, when the depth of the heating groove is exactly equal to the distance between the top end of the breathable portion and the second end of the housing 4, after the non-combustion smoke-generating article is inserted in the heating groove, the breathable portion on the housing 4 is completely blocked by a groove wall surface of the heating groove, and in this case, air intake is relatively difficult. Therefore, the depth of the heating groove needs to be less than the distance between the top end of the breathable portion and the second end of the housing 4, so that after the non-combustion smoke-generating article is inserted in the heating groove, the breathable portion on the housing 4 is at least partially exposed above the heating groove to enable air to smoothly enter the breathable portion on the housing 4.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 21 to FIG. 23, in some embodiments, the depth of the heating groove is equal to a distance between a bottom end of the breathable portion and the second end of the housing 4, that is, the bottom end of the breathable segment 40 is exactly flush with an opening end surface of the heating groove. In this case, the breathable portion of the housing 4 is completely exposed, and air can smoothly enter the breathable portion.

Claims

1. A non-combustion smoke-generating article, comprising: a housing (4), the housing (4) comprising a breathable portion that allows air to pass through; a flavor-producing segment (1), disposed in the housing (4); a hollow segment (2), disposed in the housing (4), located on a side of a near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment (1), and in fluid communication with the flavor-producing segment (1); and a mouthpiece segment (3), disposed in the housing (4), located on a side of a near-lip end of the hollow segment (2), and in fluid communication with the hollow segment (2), wherein an air intake channel (20) is formed in at least one position of the near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment (1), a far-lip end of the hollow segment (2), and a position between the flavor-producing segment (1) and the hollow segment (2), and the air intake channel (20) is directly opposite to and in communication with the breathable portion, so as to communicate an interior of the hollow segment (2) with external atmosphere.

2. The non-combustion smoke-generating article according to claim 1, wherein the breathable portion is a breathable film structure, the breathable portion comprises a breathable segment (40) that allows air to pass through, and the air intake channel (20) is directly opposite to and in communication with the breathable segment (40).

3. The non-combustion smoke-generating article according to claim 2, wherein the housing (4) further comprises two non-breathable segments (41) that are respectively connected to two axial ends of the breathable segment (40); and one non-breathable segment (41) wraps at least the hollow segment (2); and the other non-breathable segment (41) wraps at least the flavor-producing segment (1).

4. The non-combustion smoke-generating article according to claim 3, wherein the non-breathable segment (41) and the breathable segment (40) are separate structures, and the two non-breathable segments (41) are axially connected and assembled to the breathable segment (40) separately.

5. The non-combustion smoke-generating article according to claim 3, wherein the two non-breathable segments (41) are located in an inner layer; and the breathable segment (40) coats an outer layer of the two non-breathable segments (41).

6. The non-combustion smoke-generating article according to claim 2, wherein the hollow segment (2) is made of a breathable material at least in a portion corresponding to the breathable segment (40), so that the breathable segment (40) is in communication with the interior of the hollow segment (2).

7. The non-combustion smoke-generating article according to claim 1, wherein end surfaces of the flavor-producing segment (1) and the hollow segment (2) facing each other are at least partially not in contact to form the radially extending air intake channel (20).

8. The non-combustion smoke-generating article according to claim 7, wherein at least one of an end surface of the near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment (1) and an end surface of the far-lip end of the hollow segment (2) is recessedly provided with an air intake groove (21) radially extending along the non-combustion smoke-generating article, and the air intake groove (21) forms at least a portion of the air intake channel (20).

9. The non-combustion smoke-generating article according to claim 8, wherein the breathable portion is a vent hole (401) that is in communication with the air intake groove (21) in a one-to-one correspondence manner.

10. The non-combustion smoke-generating article according to claim 8, wherein a length direction of the air intake groove (21) is perpendicular to a central axis of the flavor-producing segment (1); or an acute angle is formed between the length direction of the air intake groove (21) and the central axis of the flavor-producing segment (1); and / or the length direction of the air intake groove (21) is not collinear with a radial direction of the hollow segment (2).

11. The non-combustion smoke-generating article according to claim 8, wherein the end surface of the near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment (1) is inclined toward a direction away from the hollow segment (2), so that an acute angle is formed between the end surface of the near-lip end of the flavor-producing segment (1) and a central axis of the flavor-producing segment (1).

12. The non-combustion smoke-generating article according to claim 1, wherein the hollow segment (2) is a hollow acetate fiber rod; or the hollow segment (2) is pleated fiber paper wound inside the housing (4), and a slit (G) that allows aerosol to pass through is formed between adjacent layers of the fiber paper.

13. The non-combustion smoke-generating article according to claim 7, wherein the end surfaces of the flavor-producing segment (1) and the hollow segment (2) facing each other are spaced apart from each other, and a gap between the flavor-producing segment (1) and the hollow segment (2) forms at least a portion of the air intake channel (20).

14. The non-combustion smoke-generating article according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the flavor-producing segment (1) comprises a first vent hole (11), and the first vent hole (11) is a through hole or a blind hole; and the air intake channel (20) is in fluid communication with the first vent hole (11).

15. The non-combustion smoke-generating article according to claim 14, wherein a radial cross-sectional outline of the first vent hole (11) is a curve, a polyline, or a combination of a curve and a polyline.

16. The non-combustion smoke-generating article according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the hollow segment (2) is a hollow cavity formed by enclosing the flavor-producing segment (1) and the mouthpiece segment (3); or the hollow segment (2) is a tubular structure having an axial through cavity.

17. The non-combustion smoke-generating article according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the flavor-producing segment (1) comprises several micropores in communication with each other.

18. An aerosol-generating system, comprising the non-combustion smoke-generating article according to any one of claims 1 to 17 and a heating apparatus (50) configured to heat the non-combustion smoke-generating article.

19. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 18, wherein the heating apparatus (50) comprises a casing (5), and a heating groove adapted to the non-combustion smoke-generating article is formed in the casing (5); and the breathable portion is at least partially located outside the heating groove.

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