Aerosol-generating article and method for producing an aerosol-generating article

Abstract

The present invention relates to an aerosol-generating article for producing an inhalation upon heating in an aerosol-generating device, comprising a rod of aerosol-generating substrate, a mouthpiece comprising a plug of a filtering material, a wrapper, and a tobacco-containing layer comprising tobacco and an aerosol-forming agent, the rod of aerosol-generating substrate being enveloped by the wrapper and the tobacco-containing layer containing the aerosol-forming agent, the tobacco-containing layer being positioned in contact with a surface of the wrapper. The present invention is further directed to a method for manufacturing an aerosol-generating article, comprising the steps of preparing a tobacco-containing slurry, depositing the tobacco-containing slurry on a first sheet to form a sheet coated with the tobacco-containing layer, attaching the paper sheet to the first sheet before or after depositing the tobacco-containing slurry on the first sheet, such that the paper sheet and the tobacco-containing layer are on opposite sides of the first sheet to form a wrapper, and then wrapping the rod of aerosol-generating substrate in a wrapper comprising the first sheet coated with the tobacco-containing slurry, such that the tobacco-containing layer faces the rod of aerosol-generating substrate.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol-generating article for producing an inhalant upon heating in an aerosol generating device, and a method for making the aerosol-generating article. [Background technology]

[0002] The popularity and use of reduced risk devices (also known as vaporizers) has grown rapidly over the last few years. Reduced risk devices are used as an alternative to traditional tobacco products such as cigarettes. A variety of devices and systems are available that heat or warm an aerosol-generating material, as opposed to burning tobacco in traditional tobacco products. A commonly available reduced risk device is a heated aerosol generator, also known as a heat-not-burn device (HNB). This type of device generates an aerosol or vapor by heating an aerosol-generating substrate, which typically includes moist tobacco or other suitable aerosolizable material, to a temperature typically in the range of 150°C to 350°C. By heating rather than burning or combusting the aerosol-generating substrate, an aerosol is released that includes the components and flavors desired by the user, but without the production of toxic or carcinogenic by-products from combustion and burning. Additionally, the aerosols generated by heating tobacco or other aerosolizable material typically do not include the burnt or bitter taste that results from combustion and burning. Therefore, the aerosol-generating substrate does not require sugars and other additives that are typically added to make the smoke and / or vapour more palatable to the user.

[0003] A typical aerosol-generating device includes a heating chamber, or oven, configured to receive a solid aerosol-generating article (i.e., an article that includes an aerosol-generating substrate), such as a tobacco stick.

[0004] One problem with HNB products is that they do not deliver sufficient flavor on the first puff, especially when the aerosol-generating device is an external heating device (i.e., when the heater is external to the aerosol-generating article to heat the substrate from its outer surface). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to address the above problems and to provide an aerosol-generating article with improved delivery of flavor, particularly to improve the delivery of flavor from the aerosol-generating article upon the first puff with an HNB device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention solves this problem by providing an aerosol-generating article for producing an inhalant upon heating in an aerosol generating device, and a method for making the aerosol-generating article.

[0007] The aerosol-generating article includes a rod of aerosol-generating substrate (tobacco rod) wrapped by a wrapper and a tobacco-containing layer. The tobacco-containing layer, which includes tobacco and an aerosol-forming agent, contacts a surface of the wrapper. The wrapper contacts a heating chamber, allowing for more rapid heating of the tobacco-containing layer. Upon heating in the aerosol-generating device, the tobacco-containing layer generates sufficient vapor and / or aerosol on the first puff, even before the rod of aerosol-generating substrate is heated sufficiently to deliver a smoking taste. Thus, a sufficient smoking taste can be delivered even on the first puff.

[0008] In a first aspect, the present invention as defined in claim 1 provides an aerosol-generating article for generating an inhalant upon heating in an aerosol generating device, comprising: a rod of aerosol-generating substrate comprising tobacco; a mouthpiece including a plug of filtering material; Rapper and a tobacco-containing layer comprising tobacco and an aerosol-forming agent; Including, the rod of aerosol-generating substrate is surrounded by a wrapper and a tobacco-containing layer, the tobacco-containing layer being positioned in contact with a surface of the wrapper; This applies to aerosol-generating items.

[0009] In a second aspect, the invention as claimed in claim 18 provides a method for producing an aerosol-generating article, comprising the steps of: (i) preparing a tobacco-containing slurry; (ii) depositing a tobacco-containing slurry onto the first sheet to form a sheet coated with a tobacco-containing layer; (iii) attaching a paper sheet to the first sheet either before or after depositing the tobacco-containing slurry on the first sheet such that the paper sheet and the tobacco-containing layer are on opposite sides of the first sheet to form a wrapper; (iv) thereafter wrapping the rod of aerosol-generating substrate with a wrapper comprising the first sheet coated with the tobacco-containing slurry, such that the tobacco-containing layer faces the rod of aerosol-generating substrate; The present invention is directed to a method, comprising:

[0010] Preferred embodiments of the aerosol-generating article and the method for manufacturing an aerosol-generating article are the subject of the dependent claims. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] A typical aerosol-generating apparatus (2) is shown that includes a heating chamber (21), i.e., an oven, configured to receive a solid aerosol-generating article (1), such as a tobacco stick (i.e., an article that includes an aerosol-generating substrate). [Diagram 2]An aerosol-generating article (1) according to the present invention is shown comprising a rod of tobacco-containing aerosol-generating substrate (10) surrounded by a wrapper and a tobacco-containing layer, a mouthpiece (20) containing a plug of filtration material, and a tubular member (50). [Diagram 3] 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating article (1) for producing an inhalation when heated in an aerosol-generating device (2) according to the present invention. The aerosol-generating article (1) comprises a rod of aerosol-generating substrate (10) comprising tobacco, a mouthpiece (20) comprising a plug of filtration material, a wrapper (30) and a tobacco-containing layer (40) comprising tobacco and an aerosol-forming agent. The aerosol-generating article (1) may comprise a tubular member (50). The wrapper (30) may comprise an outer paper layer (32) and an inner layer (31). [Figure 4] A tobacco-containing layer (40), an inner layer (31) and an outer paper layer (32), in that order, are shown encasing the rod of aerosol-generating substrate (10). [Diagram 5] 5 is a flow chart illustrating an alternative sequence of steps of a method of the present invention for producing an aerosol-generating article, the method including the steps of (i) preparing a tobacco-containing slurry, (ii) depositing the tobacco-containing slurry onto a first sheet to form a sheet coated with a tobacco-containing layer, (iii) attaching a paper sheet to the first sheet after depositing the tobacco-containing slurry onto the first sheet to form a wrapper, and (iv) wrapping a rod of aerosol-generating substrate with the wrapper. [Figure 6] 6 is a flow chart illustrating an alternative sequence of steps of a method of the invention for producing an aerosol-generating article, the method including the steps of (i) preparing a tobacco-containing slurry, (ii) attaching a paper sheet to a first sheet to form a wrapper prior to depositing the tobacco-containing slurry on the first sheet, (iii) depositing the tobacco-containing slurry on the first sheet attached to the paper sheet to form a sheet coated with a tobacco-containing layer, and (iv) wrapping a rod of aerosol-generating substrate in a wrapper. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Aerosol-generating items The aerosol-generating article (1) for producing an inhalable product upon heating in an aerosol generating device (2) according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises: a rod of aerosol-generating substrate (10) comprising tobacco; a mouthpiece (20) containing a plug of filtration material; Rapper (30) and a tobacco-containing layer (40) containing tobacco and an aerosol-forming agent; Includes.

[0013] The rod of aerosol-generating substrate (10) is surrounded by a wrapper (30) and a tobacco-containing layer (40) such that the tobacco-containing layer (40) is positioned in contact with a surface of the wrapper (30).

[0014] The aerosol-generating article generates a vapor and / or an aerosol upon heating in the aerosol-generating device (2). A typical aerosol-generating device (2) as shown in FIG. 1 includes a heating chamber (21), i.e., an oven. The heating chamber (21) is configured to receive the aerosol-generating article (1). The aerosol-generating article can be inserted into the heating chamber. The heating chamber can be a metal cup with a heater affixed thereon. The heater can be, for example, a thin film heater. The aerosol-generating article (1) as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is inserted into the heating chamber (21) of the aerosol-generating device (2) such that the rod of the aerosol-generating substrate (10) is surrounded by the heating chamber (21) and the mouthpiece (20) is located outside the heating chamber (21).

[0015] In a variation relating to inductive heating, the aerosol generating apparatus may include a receiving chamber including an electromagnetic field generator, which may include an induction coil (e.g., a Litz wire or Litz cable) configured to generate an alternating electromagnetic field to inductively heat at least one inductively heatable susceptor inserted within the aerosol generating article.

[0016] Aerosol-generating substrate rod The length of the rod of tobacco-containing aerosol-generating substrate (10) (tobacco rod) may vary. The rod preferably has a length of at least 10 mm and not more than 50 mm. More preferably, the rod has a length of at least 15 mm and not more than 40 mm. Most preferably, the rod has a length of at least 20 mm and not more than 30 mm. The circumference of the tobacco rod may vary. The rod of aerosol-generating substrate preferably has a circumference in the range of from 16 mm to about 50 mm, more preferably in the range of from 20 to 50 mm, even more preferably in the range of from 20 to 25 mm, most preferably about 22 mm.

[0017] The aerosol-generating substrate comprises tobacco, preferably reconstituted tobacco. The tobacco generates an aerosol upon heating of the aerosol-generating article in an aerosol-generating device. The aerosol-generating substrate may comprise tobacco in the form of randomly oriented tobacco strands, randomly oriented tobacco shreds, gathered tobacco sheets, tobacco mousse, or combinations thereof. The aerosol-generating substrate may also comprise a material that is more readily aerosolizable, preferably a plant material and / or a cellulosic material. More specifically, the aerosol-generating substrate may also comprise tobacco leaf, tobacco blade, tobacco stem, tobacco shreds, reconstituted tobacco, cellulose pulp, or combinations thereof.

[0018] Reconstituted tobacco may be obtained by the "cast sheet process" in which tobacco is ground into a fine powder and mixed with water, binders, additives, humectants, and optional wood pulp fibers. To produce reconstituted tobacco sheets, a slurry of these ingredients is "cast" or poured onto a surface to form a thin film, then heated and dehydrated. Typically, cast sheet reconstituted tobacco is used to make cut filler. Alternatively, reconstituted tobacco may be obtained by the "papermaking process" according to the following procedure: Tobacco stems or leaves are refined (i.e., the fibers are separated) and extracted with water. The water-insoluble pulp is separated, further refined to a desired consistency, formed into a mat, and then dried to provide reconstituted tobacco sheets. Reconstituted tobacco may also be obtained by "extrusion". Tobacco and other raw materials are processed under controlled conditions of temperature, humidity, and pressure to provide reconstituted tobacco in the desired shape, e.g., strands, rods, or tubes.

[0019] These materials can improve aerosol generation upon heating of the aerosol-generating article in an aerosol-generating device.

[0020] The aerosol-generating substrate may include one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of binders, aerosol-forming agents, humectants, and non-tobacco flavoring agents.

[0021] The aerosol forming agent improves the generation of vapor and / or aerosol upon heating of the aerosol-generating article in the aerosol generating device. The preferred aerosol forming agent may act as a humectant. The aerosol forming agent may comprise one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of polyhydric alcohols, diols, esters of polyhydric alcohols, and aliphatic esters of mono-, di-, or polycarboxylic acids. The humectant is typically a molecule having several hydrophilic groups, such as hydroxyl groups, carboxyl groups, or esters thereof. Therefore, the above-mentioned preferred aerosol forming agents that exhibit such hydrophilic groups also act as humectants. The humectant is preferably glycerin and / or polypropylene glycol.

[0022] The aerosol forming agent preferably comprises one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of polypropylene glycol (PG), triethylene glycol, 1-3-butanediol, glycerin, glycerol monoacetate, glycerol diacetate, glycerol triacetate, triethyl citrate, ethyl myristate, isopropyl myristate, methyl stearate, dimethyl dodecanedioate, and dimethyl tetradecanedioate. The aerosol forming agent is most preferably glycerin and / or polypropylene glycol.

[0023] The non-tobacco flavoring agent may be one or more selected from the group consisting of cocoa, fruit extracts, licorice, vanillin, ethyl vanillin, coffee, tea, maple, menthol, mint, peppermint, spearmint, wintergreen, nutmeg, clove, lavender, cardamom, ginger, honey, anise, sage, cinnamon, sandalwood, jasmine, cascarilla. The non-tobacco flavoring agent may also include a syrup, such as high fructose corn syrup.

[0024] The binder may include a gum, a carbohydrate, or a combination thereof. The gum may be one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of gellan gum, xanthan gum, gum arabic, locust bean gum, and agar. The carbohydrate may be a monosaccharide, a disaccharide, a polysaccharide, a cellulose derivative, or a combination thereof. The binder may also include a sugar syrup. The binder is preferably one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of gellan gum, starch, and carboxymethylcellulose.

[0025] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the aerosol-generating substrate comprises randomly oriented tobacco strands, tobacco leaves, and at least one of glycerin and polypropylene glycol. In another particularly preferred embodiment, the aerosol-generating substrate comprises randomly oriented tobacco shreds, tobacco blades, and at least one of glycerin and polypropylene glycol. In a further particularly preferred embodiment, the aerosol-generating substrate comprises gathered tobacco sheet, tobacco leaves, and at least one of glycerin and polypropylene glycol.

[0026] Mouthpiece The mouthpiece (20) is used by a smoker to inhale the aerosol generated by the aerosol-generating article upon heating in an aerosol-generating device. The mouthpiece is preferably rod-shaped. The mouthpiece may include an opening or pore facing the rod of aerosol-generating substrate, the opening or pore being adapted for the aerosol generated by the aerosol-generating article to enter the mouthpiece. The opposite end of the mouthpiece may include an opening or pore adapted for inhalation of the aerosol by the smoker. The mouthpiece includes one or more plugs of filtering material.

[0027] The plug of filtration material is preferably cylindrical or tubular. The filtration material may preferably include one or more components selected from the group consisting of cellulose acetate, paper, humectants, activated carbon particles, and additives. The humectants may be one or more selected from the group consisting of diols and polyhydric alcohols. The humectants may more preferably be one or more selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and glycerol. The additives are preferably one or more selected from the group consisting of acetaldehyde, acetic acid, triacetin, and phenol.

[0028] Tubular Member A tubular member (50) may be present between the rod of the aerosol-generating substrate (10) and the mouthpiece (20), as can be seen in Figures 2 and 3. The tubular member (50) is preferably hollow, and more preferably is a paper tube or a polylactic acid (PLA) tube. Most preferably, a tipping paper is wrapped around the mouthpiece, tubular member and tobacco rod, and may at least partially overlap the wrapper (30). The tubular member may also be partially hollow. The tubular member may be filled with a filler material, such as a gathered PLA film, along some or all of its length.

[0029] The tubular member may be sized to provide a sufficient length for the aerosol to cool. Preferably, the tubular member has a length of 15-28 mm, preferably 18-25 mm, and most preferably about 20 mm. The tubular member may include chicanes, channels, flow barriers that allow for an increased aerosol flow path through the tubular member.

[0030] A ventilation zone may be provided through the tubular member to allow air to be drawn into the tubular member to dilute the aerosol. The ventilation zone may be formed by one or more rows of perforations. The perforations may be formed through the tubular member and wrapper by a laser or other technique.

[0031] Rapper The rod of aerosol-generating substrate (10) is surrounded by a wrapper (30) and a tobacco-containing layer (40) that includes tobacco and an aerosol-forming agent, the tobacco-containing layer (40) being positioned in contact with a surface of the wrapper (30). The tobacco-containing layer (40) is preferably coated on the inner surface of the wrapper (30). The inner surface of the wrapper (30) is the surface that faces the rod of aerosol-generating substrate (10) when the wrapper (30) is wrapped around the rod of aerosol-generating substrate (10).

[0032] Typically, a wrapper (30) is wrapped around the aerosol-generating substrate (10) to form a generally cylindrical rod of the aerosol-generating substrate. Preferably, the wrapper (30) is formed such that each end of the tobacco rod is open to expose the tobacco contained therein and to permit the passage of drawn air through each end of the tobacco rod.

[0033] The wrapper (30) may include a thermally conductive sheet. In a preferred embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4, the wrapper preferably includes an outer paper layer (32) and an inner layer (31) facing the rod of the aerosol-generating substrate (10), the inner layer (31) being a thermally conductive sheet. In this embodiment, the inner surface of the wrapper (30) facing the rod of the aerosol-generating substrate (10) is the surface of the thermally conductive sheet (31). The tobacco-containing layer (40) is most preferably coated on the surface of the thermally conductive sheet opposite the outer paper layer (32). The thermally conductive sheet may act as a carrier for the tobacco-containing layer (40) and improve heat dissipation and uniform heat supply to the tobacco-containing layer (40).

[0034] The aerosol-generating article, preferably a wrapper, may include an inductively heatable susceptor element, for example in the form of an inductive metal sheet, an inductive layer, and / or an inductive particle. The inductively heatable susceptor element may be in the form of a thin sheet, hereinafter referred to as a susceptor foil. When an alternating electromagnetic field is applied in the vicinity of the susceptor element, the susceptor element may generate heat due to eddy currents and magnetic hysteresis losses resulting in the energy conversion of electromagnetic energy to heat, thereby increasing the temperature of the tobacco-containing layer.

[0035] The outer paper layer (32) may be made of pulp-based paper. More specifically, the pulp-based paper may be made of wood, flax, or mixed pulp. The paper layer is preferably chlorine-free.

[0036] The thermally conductive sheet is preferably on the inside of the wrapper (30) facing the rod of the aerosol-generating article. The thermally conductive sheet is preferably made of metal, more preferably a metal selected from the group of aluminum, copper, and tin, most preferably aluminum. The thermally conductive sheet may have a thickness in the range of 0.005 mm to 0.2 mm, preferably 0.01 mm to 0.05 mm.

[0037] Tobacco-containing layer The tobacco-containing layer (40) is positioned in contact with the surface of the wrapper (30). When the aerosol-generating article (1) is placed in the aerosol-generating device (2), the wrapper (30) contacts the heating chamber (21) of the aerosol-generating device (2). Upon heating of the aerosol-generating article (1) in the aerosol-generating device, the tobacco-containing layer (40) in contact with the surface of the wrapper (30) is efficiently heated, and thus generates sufficient vapor and / or aerosol at the first puff, even before the rod of the aerosol-generating substrate (10) is sufficiently heated. The vapor and / or aerosol generated by the tobacco-containing layer (40) at the first puff has a tobacco flavor. Thus, a sufficient smoking taste can be delivered at the first puff. Therefore, the delivery of the smoking taste at the first puff is improved. At the point when the tobacco-containing layer (40) no longer generates sufficient tobacco flavor, the tobacco rod has been heated sufficiently to deliver aerosol and taste.

[0038] The tobacco-containing layer (40) may be coated on the inner surface of the wrapper (30). If the wrapper (30) includes a thermally conductive sheet, the tobacco-containing layer (40) may contact the thermally conductive sheet facing the aerosol-generating substrate (10) such that the tobacco-containing layer (40) is disposed between the thermally conductive sheet of the wrapper (30) and the aerosol-generating substrate (10). In a more preferred embodiment, the wrapper (30) includes an outer paper layer (32) and an inner layer (31) of the thermally conductive sheet, and the tobacco-containing layer (40) is coated on the surface of the thermally conductive sheet opposite the outer paper layer (32). In this embodiment, the tobacco-containing layer (40) faces the rod of the aerosol-generating substrate (10).

[0039] When the wrapper includes a susceptor foil as the inductively heatable susceptor element, the foil may be placed in contact with the tobacco-containing substrate. The susceptor foil may also be placed on the opposing surface of the tobacco-containing substrate (40), i.e., between the tobacco-containing substrate and the rod of the aerosol-generating substrate (10).

[0040] When the tobacco-containing layer (40) is in contact with the thermally conductive sheet, heat transferred to the aerosol-generating article through the oven or heater is supplied more uniformly and more efficiently to the tobacco-containing layer (40), thereby further improving the delivery of flavor during the first puff.

[0041] In an alternative embodiment, the outer layer of the wrapper is a thermally conductive sheet and the inner layer of the wrapper is a paper layer.

[0042] The tobacco-containing layer (40) may have a thickness preferably in the range of 0.1-0.5 mm, more preferably in the range of 0.1-0.2 mm. When the tobacco-containing layer (40) has a thickness within this range, the delivery of the smoking flavor at the first puff can be further improved. When the layer thickness is 0.1 mm or more, the period during which the tobacco-containing layer (40) delivers the smoking flavor is further extended. When the tobacco-containing layer (40) has a thickness of 0.5 mm or less, the delivery of the smoking flavor by the tobacco-containing layer (40) is further accelerated. Thus, when the tobacco-containing layer (40) has a thickness in the range of 0.1-0.5 mm, the continuous delivery of the tobacco flavor starting from the first puff is further improved.

[0043] The tobacco-containing layer (40) contains tobacco and an aerosol-forming agent. The tobacco in the tobacco-containing layer (40) can be tobacco particles, preferably micronized tobacco powder. The micronized tobacco powder can have a particle size of 40 μm or less, preferably 30 μm or less. The small particle size improves the delivery of flavor on the first puff. More specifically, the small particle size allows for more efficient heat dissipation in the tobacco-containing layer (40) by reducing the void volume between particles.

[0044] In this context, particle size refers to Dv90, which represents the maximum particle size below which 90% of the sample volume lies. Particle size is determined on dry samples of micronized tobacco powder by dispersion and laser diffraction analysis using a Malvern Mastersizer 3000 instrument equipped with an Aero dry dispersion unit with a nominal air line pressure set at 6 bar and a vacuum unit with an air flow rate of 39 L / s, a vacuum level of 20.4 kPa, and a vacuum hose diameter of 38 mm connected to the vacuum port of the optical unit.

[0045] The tobacco-containing layer (40) may contain further additives, such as binders, non-tobacco flavoring agents, and humectants. The total content of tobacco and optional non-tobacco flavoring agents in the tobacco-containing layer (40) is preferably 40% or more, more preferably 50% or more, and most preferably 60% or more by weight of the tobacco-containing layer (40). The total content of binders, humectants, and aerosol-forming agents is preferably 60% or less, more preferably 50% or less, and most preferably 40% or less by weight of the tobacco-containing layer (40). The total content of binders, humectants, and aerosol-forming agents is preferably more than 8% by weight, more preferably more than 10% by weight, and most preferably more than 12% by weight of the tobacco-containing layer (40).

[0046] The aerosol forming agent forms a vapor and / or an aerosol upon heating of the aerosol-generating article in an aerosol generating device. A preferred aerosol forming agent may act as a humectant. The aerosol forming agent may include one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of polyhydric alcohols, diols, esters of polyhydric alcohols, and aliphatic esters of mono-, di-, or polycarboxylic acids. The aerosol forming agent may generate a visible aerosol.

[0047] The polyhydric alcohol may be glycerol.

[0048] The diol may be one or more selected from the group consisting of polypropylene glycol (PG), triethylene glycol, and 1-3-butanediol.

[0049] The ester of a polyhydric alcohol may be one or more selected from the group consisting of glycerol monoacetate, glycerol diacetate, and glycerol triacetate.

[0050] The aliphatic ester of a mono-, di-, or polycarboxylic acid may be one or more selected from the group consisting of methyl stearate, ethyl stearate, isopropyl stearate, methyl myristate, ethyl myristate, isopropyl myristate, dimethyl dodecanedioate, diethyl dodecanedioate, diisopropyl dodecanedioate, dimethyl tetradecanedioate, diethyl tetradecanedioate, diisopropyl tetradecanedioate, trimethyl citrate, and triethyl citrate.

[0051] The aerosol forming agent preferably comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of polypropylene glycol (PG), triethylene glycol, 1-3-butanediol, glycerin, glycerol monoacetate, glycerol diacetate, glycerol triacetate, triethyl citrate, ethyl myristate, isopropyl myristate, methyl stearate, dimethyl dodecanedioate, and dimethyl tetradecanedioate. The aerosol forming agent is most preferably glycerin and / or polypropylene glycol (PG). The glycerin may be vegetable glycerin (VG). The vegetable glycerin is glycerin obtained from vegetable oils such as soybean oil, coconut oil, palm oil, etc.

[0052] The aerosol former can preferably act as a humectant. A humectant is a hygroscopic substance that is used to keep materials moist. A humectant is typically a molecule that has some hydrophilic groups, such as hydroxyl groups, carboxyl groups, or their esters. Therefore, the above-mentioned preferred aerosol former that exhibits such hydrophilic groups also acts as a humectant. Therefore, the humectant is most preferably glycerin and / or polypropylene glycol.

[0053] The tobacco-containing layer (40) may include a binder. The binder may include a gum, a carbohydrate, or a combination thereof. The gum may be one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of gellan gum, xanthan gum, gum arabic, locust bean gum, and agar. The carbohydrate may be a monosaccharide, a disaccharide, a polysaccharide, a cellulose derivative, or a combination thereof. The monosaccharide is preferably one or more selected from the group consisting of glucose, fructose, and galactose. The disaccharide is preferably one or more selected from the group consisting of lactose, maltose, and sucrose. The polysaccharide is preferably starch. The cellulose derivative is preferably one or more selected from the group consisting of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), hydroxyethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose (MC), and ethyl cellulose. The binder may also be a syrup, such as enzyme-converted syrup, acid-converted syrup, maltose syrup, high fructose corn syrup, reduced starch syrup, and honey. The binder is most preferably one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of gellan gum, starch, and carboxymethylcellulose.

[0054] The tobacco-containing layer (40) may comprise tobacco particles, preferably micronized tobacco powder, which preferably has an average particle size of 30 microns or less.

[0055] The tobacco-containing layer (40) may further include a non-tobacco flavoring agent. The non-tobacco flavoring agent may be one or more selected from the group consisting of cocoa, fruit extracts, licorice, vanillin, ethyl vanillin, coffee, tea, maple, menthol, mint, peppermint, spearmint, wintergreen, nutmeg, clove, lavender, cardamom, ginger, honey, anise, sage, cinnamon, sandalwood, jasmine, cascarilla, and cocoa. The fruit extracts may be apple, cherry, strawberry, peach, and citrus flavors including lime and lemon. The non-tobacco flavoring agent may also include a syrup, such as high fructose corn syrup. The non-tobacco flavoring agent is preferably one or more selected from the group consisting of cocoa, menthol, fruit extracts, and licorice. Preferably, the non-tobacco flavoring agent comprises less than 10%, preferably less than about 5%, of the total weight of the tobacco-containing layer (40).

[0056] In a preferred embodiment, the tobacco-containing layer (40) comprises powdered tobacco powder, a binder, and an aerosol-forming agent selected from the group consisting of polypropylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1-3-butanediol, glycerin, glycerol monoacetate, glycerol diacetate, glycerol triacetate, triethyl citrate, ethyl myristate, isopropyl myristate, methyl stearate, dimethyl dodecanedioate, and dimethyl tetradecanedioate.

[0057] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the tobacco-containing layer (40) comprises finely divided tobacco powder, at least one binder selected from the group consisting of gellan gum, starch, and carboxymethyl cellulose, and at least one of polypropylene glycol and glycerin.

[0058] Specifically, the tobacco-containing layer 40 may include micronized tobacco powder, carboxymethylcellulose, polypropylene glycol, and glycerin. The tobacco-containing layer 40 may also include micronized tobacco powder, gellan gum, polypropylene glycol, and glycerin. The tobacco-containing layer 40 may also include micronized tobacco powder, starch, polypropylene glycol, and glycerin.

[0059] Method for manufacturing an aerosol-generating article In a second aspect, the present invention is directed to a method for producing an aerosol-generating article.

[0060] The method comprises: preparing a tobacco-containing slurry; depositing a tobacco-containing slurry onto a first sheet to form a sheet coated with a tobacco-containing layer; attaching a paper sheet to the first sheet either before or after depositing the tobacco-containing slurry on the first sheet such that the paper sheet and the tobacco-containing layer are on opposite sides of the first sheet to form a wrapper; thereafter, wrapping the rod of aerosol-generating substrate with a wrapper comprising the first sheet coated with the tobacco-containing slurry, such that the tobacco-containing layer faces the rod of aerosol-generating substrate; Includes.

[0061] The aerosol-generating article according to the first aspect of the invention is preferably produced by the method according to the second aspect of the invention.

[0062] The tobacco-containing slurry may be prepared by dispersing tobacco particles in an aqueous dispersion medium. The tobacco particles are preferably tobacco powder having an average particle size of 30 μm or less. In a more preferred embodiment, the tobacco-containing slurry may be produced by adding tobacco powder to an aqueous medium and heating the dispersion containing the tobacco powder to a temperature of 120° C. or more. Heating the dispersion to 120° C. or more can decompose substances, such as hemicellulose, that cause thickening through interaction with water, thereby improving the viscosity of the slurry. The temperature is preferably 160° C. or more. The temperature is preferably not more than 200° C. Temperatures above 200° C. can cause degradation of active ingredients. The temperature is more preferably not more than 190° C., and most preferably not more than 180° C. Heating the dispersion to a temperature in the range of 160-180° C. can improve the viscosity of the slurry while retaining the active ingredients that deliver the taste when heated in the aerosol generating device. Heating can also be performed under pressure by using equipment such as a pressure cooker.

[0063] The slurry is preferably relatively viscous, which improves adhesion of the slurry to the thermally conductive sheet.

[0064] The slurry may include tobacco powder, an aerosol-forming agent, and an aqueous dispersion medium. In addition, the slurry may include non-tobacco flavoring agents, binders, and tobacco preservatives. The components of the slurry may be mixed in a ribbon blender and then subjected to shear in a high shear mixer. The slurry may then be cast onto a thermally conductive sheet, for example, onto a moving endless belt. The cast slurry may be passed through a drying assembly to remove moisture such that a reconstituted tobacco-containing sheet is formed. In another embodiment of the present invention, air entrapped in the slurry may be removed from the slurry prior to casting the slurry onto the thermally conductive sheet.

[0065] In this specification, the aqueous dispersion medium refers to a liquid medium containing water. The aqueous dispersion medium may be water alone or may contain an organic compound. The organic compound is preferably water-soluble, and more preferably selected from the group consisting of monohydric alcohols, diols, polyhydric alcohols, sugar alcohols, sugars, polyhydric alcohol esters, and combinations thereof. If the organic compound is insoluble in water, it can be dissolved in the aqueous dispersion medium by adding an amphiphilic organic compound, such as methanol.

[0066] Examples of monohydric alcohols include methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, 2-methyl-1-propanol, 2,2-dimethylethanol, cyclohexanol, and benzyl alcohol. The diol can be propylene glycol, and the polyhydric alcohol can be glycerol.

[0067] Examples of sugar alcohols include sorbitol, maltitol, xylitol, erythritol, lactitol, sorbitan, xylose, arabinose, mannose, and trehalose.

[0068] Examples of sugars include lactose, sugar, coupling sugar, glucose, enzyme-inverted syrup, acid-inverted syrup, maltose syrup, high fructose corn syrup, reduced maltose, reduced starch syrup, and honey.

[0069] Examples of polyhydric alcohol esters include fatty acid polyhydric alcohol esters, such as fatty acid triglycerides.

[0070] An aqueous dispersion medium can be used as the medium for wet-milling tobacco. For the wet-milling procedure, a mixed solvent of water and glycerol is preferably used. When the tobacco powder is obtained by dry milling, the tobacco-containing slurry can be prepared by mixing the milled tobacco particles with an aqueous medium.

[0071] The mixing ratio of water and organic compound is not particularly limited, and any suitable mixing ratio can be used, especially when a mixed solvent of water and glycerol is used. However, in consideration of handling characteristics and process safety, the water content in the aqueous dispersion medium is preferably 50% by weight or more, more preferably 80% by weight or more, and most preferably 90% by weight or more.

[0072] The tobacco powder, aerosol forming agent, non-tobacco flavouring agent, and binder are each preferably as described in the first aspect of the invention.

[0073] More particularly, the tobacco particles are preferably finely divided tobacco powder, more preferably tobacco powder having an average particle size of about 30 μm or less. The small particle size of the tobacco powder allows for an increase in the solids content of the slurry without increasing the viscosity of the slurry.

[0074] The aerosol forming agent may comprise one or more selected from the group consisting of polyhydric alcohols, diols, esters of polyhydric alcohols, and aliphatic esters of mono-, di-, or polycarboxylic acids. Most preferably, the aerosol forming agent comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of polypropylene glycol (PG), triethylene glycol, 1-3-butanediol, glycerin, glycerol monoacetate, glycerol diacetate, glycerol triacetate, triethyl citrate, ethyl myristate, isopropyl myristate, methyl stearate, dimethyl dodecanedioate, and dimethyl tetradecanedioate.

[0075] The binder may include a gum, a carbohydrate, or a combination thereof. The gum may be one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of gellan gum, xanthan gum, gum arabic, locust bean gum, and agar. The carbohydrate may be a monosaccharide, a polysaccharide, a cellulose derivative, or a combination thereof. The polysaccharide is preferably starch. The cellulose derivative is preferably one or more selected from the group consisting of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC), carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), hydroxyethylcellulose, methylcellulose (MC), and ethylcellulose.

[0076] The first sheet is preferably a thermally conductive sheet. The thermally conductive sheet is more preferably a thermally conductive sheet according to the first aspect of the present invention. In particular, the thermally conductive sheet is more preferably made of a metal, even more preferably a metal selected from the group of aluminum, copper and tin, most preferably aluminum. The thermally conductive sheet may have a thickness ranging from 0.005 mm to 0.2 mm, preferably from 0.01 mm to 0.05 mm. The thermally conductive sheet may be part of a wrapper comprising an outer paper layer (32) and an inner layer (31) of the thermally conductive sheet. In this case, the tobacco-containing slurry is deposited on the side of the thermally conductive sheet opposite the paper layer.

[0077] The method includes attaching a paper sheet to the first sheet to form a wrapper, either before or after depositing a tobacco-containing slurry on the first sheet. Figures 5 and 6 show these two alternative sequences of steps of the method of the invention, i.e., depositing the tobacco-containing slurry either before or after attachment of the paper sheet. When the paper sheet is attached after depositing the tobacco-containing slurry on the first sheet, the paper sheet is attached to the side of the first sheet opposite the tobacco-containing layer.

[0078] The method then comprises wrapping the rod of aerosol-generating substrate with a first sheet such that the tobacco-containing layer is located on the inside of the first sheet facing the rod of aerosol-generating substrate. The rod of aerosol-generating substrate (tobacco rod) may be a rod of aerosol-generating substrate as described in the first aspect of the invention.

Claims

1. An aerosol-generating article (1) for generating an inhalant when heated in an aerosol generating device (2), comprising: a rod of aerosol-generating substrate (10) comprising tobacco; a mouthpiece (20) containing a plug of filtering material; Rapper (30) and a tobacco-containing layer (40) comprising tobacco and an aerosol-forming agent; Including, The rod of aerosol-generating substrate (10) is surrounded by the wrapper (30) and the tobacco-containing layer (40); The tobacco-containing layer (40) is positioned in contact with a surface of the wrapper (30). An aerosol-generating article (1).

2. 2. The aerosol-generating article (1) of claim 1, wherein the tobacco-containing layer (40) is coated or bonded onto the inner surface of the wrapper (30) that faces the rod of the aerosol-generating substrate.

3. 3. The aerosol-generating article (1) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the wrapper (30) comprises a thermally conductive sheet and the tobacco-containing layer (40) is in contact with the thermally conductive sheet.

4. 4. The aerosol-generating article (1) according to claim 3, wherein the thermally conductive sheet is made of aluminium.

5. 4. The aerosol-generating article (1) of claim 3, wherein the wrapper (30) comprises an outer paper layer (32) and an inner layer (31) facing the rod of the aerosol-generating substrate, the inner layer (31) being the thermally conductive sheet.

6. The aerosol forming agent is Polyhydric alcohols such as glycerin, Diols such as polypropylene glycol, triethylene glycol, or 1-3-butanediol; Esters of polyhydric alcohols such as glycerol monoacetate, glycerol diacetate, or glycerol triacetate; Aliphatic esters of mono-, di-, or polycarboxylic acids such as methyl stearate, ethyl stearate, isopropyl stearate, methyl myristate, ethyl myristate, isopropyl myristate, dimethyl dodecanedioate, diethyl dodecanedioate, diisopropyl dodecanedioate, dimethyl tetradecanedioate, diethyl tetradecanedioate, diisopropyl tetradecanedioate, trimethyl citrate, or triethyl citrate.

3. The aerosol-generating article (1) according to claim 1 or 2, comprising one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of:

7. 3. The aerosol-generating article (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tobacco-containing layer (40) comprises a binder.

8. The binder is Gums such as gellan gum, xanthan gum, gum arabic, locust bean gum, or agar; Monosaccharides such as glucose, fructose, or galactose, Disaccharides such as lactose, maltose, or sucrose, Polysaccharides such as starch, and Cellulose derivatives such as hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, methylcellulose, or ethylcellulose 8. The aerosol-generating article (1) of claim 7, comprising one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of:

9. 3. An aerosol-generating article (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tobacco-containing layer (40) has a thickness of 0.1 to 0.5 mm, preferably 0.1 to 0.2 mm.

10. 3. The aerosol-generating article (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tobacco-containing layer (40) comprises finely divided tobacco powder.

11. 11. The aerosol-generating article (1) of claim 10, wherein the tobacco powder has a particle size (Dv90) of 30 μm or less.

12. The aerosol-generating article (1) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the tobacco-containing layer (40) further comprises a non-tobacco flavoring agent.

13. 3. The aerosol-generating article (1) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the tobacco contained in the aerosol-generating substrate is one or more types selected from the group consisting of randomly oriented tobacco strands, randomly oriented tobacco shreds, and gathered tobacco sheets.

14. 14. The aerosol-generating article (1) of claim 13, wherein the aerosol-generating substrate further comprises tobacco leaf, tobacco bladder, tobacco stems, tobacco shreds, reconstituted tobacco, cellulose pulp, or combinations thereof.

15. 3. The aerosol-generating article (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tubular member (50) is present between the rod of the aerosol-generating substrate (10) and the mouthpiece (20).

16. 16. An aerosol-generating article (1) according to claim 15, wherein the tubular member (50) is hollow, preferably a paper tube or a PLA tube.

17. 16. The aerosol-generating article (1) of claim 15, wherein tipping paper is wrapped over the mouthpiece (20), the tubular member (50) and the rod of aerosol-generating substrate (10) and at least partially overlaps the wrapper (30).

18. 3. An aerosol-generating article (1) according to claim 1 or 2, comprising an inductively heatable susceptor element in contact with the tobacco-containing layer (40).

19. A method for producing an aerosol-generating article (1), comprising the steps of: preparing a tobacco-containing slurry; depositing said tobacco-containing slurry onto a first sheet to form a sheet coated with a tobacco-containing layer (40); attaching the paper sheet to the first sheet either before or after depositing the tobacco-containing slurry on the first sheet such that the paper sheet and the tobacco-containing layer (40) are on opposite sides of the first sheet to form a wrapper (30); thereafter, wrapping the rod of aerosol-generating substrate (10) with the wrapper (30) comprising the first sheet coated with the tobacco-containing slurry such that the tobacco-containing layer (40) faces the rod of aerosol-generating substrate (10); A method comprising:

20. 20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the first sheet is a thermally conductive sheet, preferably made of aluminium.

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