Nicotine sheet and aerosol-generating article comprising the same

Abstract

To provide a nicotine sheet and an aerosol-generating article including the same.SOLUTION: A nicotine sheet 10 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may include a nicotine material which includes a nicotine component and a cellulose-based material which forms a sheet. The nicotine sheet may, when heated, slowly release the nicotine component fixed therein and thus can improve persistence of a tobacco smoke taste of an aerosol-generating article 100.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a nicotine sheet and an aerosol-generating article including the same. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a nicotine sheet that can enhance the smoking taste persistence of an aerosol-generating article, an aerosol-generating article including the same, and a manufacturing method thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for alternative products that overcome the shortcomings of traditional cigarettes, such as heated cigarettes that generate aerosols by electrically heating them with a dedicated device, and as a result, research on heated cigarettes has been intensively conducted.

[0003] A recent issue with heated cigarettes is the persistence of flavor. Many heated cigarettes have a good flavor at the initial puff, but the flavor tends to deteriorate rapidly as the puff continues. This has led to a demand for a method to replenish flavor at the middle and later puffs. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technical problem to be solved through some embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide a nicotine sheet capable of enhancing the lasting taste of tobacco and a method for producing the same.

[0005] Another technical problem to be solved by some embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide an aerosol-generating article having improved flavor persistence and a method for producing the same.

[0006] The technical problems of the present disclosure are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art of the present disclosure from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above technical problems, the nicotine sheet according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may include a nicotine substance containing a nicotine component and a cellulose-based material forming the sheet.

[0008] In some embodiments, the nicotine substance may include a nicotine salt formed with an organic acid.

[0009] In some embodiments, the organic acid may include at least one acid selected from benzoic acid, pyruvic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, and citric acid.

[0010] In some embodiments, the content of the nicotine component may be 2 parts by weight or more per 100 parts by weight of the nicotine sheet.

[0011] In some embodiments, the cellulosic material may include at least one material selected from hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), methylcellulose (MC), ethylcellulose (EC), carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), and agar.

[0012] In some embodiments, the nicotine sheet may further comprise an aerosol forming agent.

[0013] In some embodiments, the content of the aerosol forming agent may be 5 to 20 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the nicotine sheet.

[0014] In order to solve the above technical problems, an aerosol-generating article according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may include a filter portion, an aerosol-forming substrate portion, and a wrapper encasing at least a part of the filter portion and the aerosol-forming substrate portion. In this case, a nicotine sheet may be applied to the aerosol-forming substrate portion or the wrapper, and the nicotine sheet may include a cellulose-based substance and a nicotine substance.

[0015] In some embodiments, the nicotine sheet may be wrinkled or foldable.

[0016] In some embodiments, the nicotine sheet may have a plurality of holes formed therein.

[0017] In some embodiments, the nicotine sheet may be included in the aerosol-forming substrate in shredded form.

[0018] In some embodiments, the nicotine sheet may be included in the aerosol-forming substrate in a rolled form.

[0019] In some embodiments, the nicotine sheet may be disposed inside the wrapper. Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure described above, a sheet containing a nicotine component (e.g., nicotine, nicotine salt) can be provided. The provided nicotine sheet can increase the smoking taste duration of the aerosol-generating article by gradually releasing the nicotine component fixed therein when heated.

[0021] In addition, a nicotine sheet can be manufactured by blending a nicotine substance (e.g., nicotine, nicotine salt), a cellulose-based sheet forming agent, and an aerosol forming agent, and the nicotine sheet manufactured in this manner has excellent nicotine retention, retention, and transfer amount. Specifically, the cellulose-based substance can satisfactorily coat and fix the nicotine substance, thereby ensuring excellent nicotine retention and retention, and the aerosol formed by the aerosol forming agent can promote the transfer of the nicotine substance, thereby ensuring excellent nicotine transfer amount.

[0022] In addition, since the nicotine sheet is applied to the aerosol-generating article in various forms, it is possible to easily manufacture an aerosol-generating article with improved smoking taste persistence.

[0023] The effects of the technical ideas of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic illustration of an aerosol-generating article according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is an illustrative diagram for explaining the application method of a nicotine sheet according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is an illustrative diagram for explaining the application method of a nicotine sheet according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an illustrative diagram for explaining the application method of a nicotine sheet according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is an illustrative diagram for explaining the processing form of a nicotine sheet according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is an illustrative diagram for explaining the processing form of a nicotine sheet according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 1 is an illustrative diagram showing an aerosol-generating article according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 1 is an illustrative diagram showing an aerosol-generating article according to still other embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 illustrates various types of aerosol generating devices to which aerosol generating articles according to some embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 illustrates various types of aerosol generating devices to which aerosol generating articles according to some embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied. [Figure 11]FIG. 1 illustrates various types of aerosol generating devices to which aerosol generating articles according to some embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The advantages and features of the present disclosure, as well as the methods for achieving them, will become clear with reference to the following embodiments described in detail with the accompanying drawings. However, the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and may be embodied in various different forms. The following embodiments are merely provided to complete the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the present disclosure of the scope of the present disclosure, and the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure is only defined by the scope of the claims.

[0026] When adding reference symbols to components in each drawing, it should be noted that the same components are assigned the same symbols as much as possible even if they are displayed in different drawings. In addition, when describing the present disclosure, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known configurations or functions may obscure the gist of the present disclosure, the detailed description will be omitted.

[0027] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein may be used in a manner commonly understood by those having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. In addition, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are not idealized or overly analyzed unless specifically defined. The terms used herein are for describing the embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. In this specification, the singular form includes the plural form unless otherwise specified in the text.

[0028] In addition, when describing components of the present disclosure, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used. Such terms are merely used to distinguish the components from other components, and do not limit the essence, procedure, or order of the components. When a component is described as being "coupled," "coupled," or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly coupled or connected to the other component, but that other components may also be "coupled," "coupled," or "connected" between each component.

[0029] As used in this disclosure, "comprises" and / or "comprising" means that a referenced component, step, operation and / or element does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components, steps, operations and / or elements.

[0030] Prior to describing the various embodiments of the present disclosure, certain terminology used in the following embodiments will be clarified.

[0031] In the following embodiments, "aerosol-forming substrate" may refer to a substance capable of forming an aerosol. The aerosol may include a volatile compound. The aerosol-forming substrate may be solid or liquid.

[0032] For example, the solid aerosol-forming substrate may include solid substances based on tobacco raw materials, such as flat tobacco, shredded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, etc., and the liquid aerosol-forming substrate may include liquid compositions based on nicotine, tobacco extracts, and / or various flavoring agents. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the examples recited above.

[0033] In the following embodiments, the term "aerosol generating device" may refer to a device that generates an aerosol using an aerosol-forming substrate to generate an aerosol that can be directly inhaled into the lungs of a user through the mouth of the user. For some examples of aerosol generating devices, see Figures 9 to 11.

[0034] In the following embodiments, "aerosol-generating article" may refer to an article capable of generating an aerosol. The aerosol-generating article may include an aerosol-forming substrate. A representative example of an aerosol-generating article is a cigarette, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0035] In the following embodiments, "puff" refers to a user's inhalation, which may refer to drawing in through the user's mouth or nose into the user's oral cavity, nasal cavity, or lungs.

[0036] In the following embodiments, "longitudinal direction" may mean the direction corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating article.

[0037] In the following embodiments, a "sheet" may refer to a thin element having a width and length substantially greater than its thickness. In the art, the term sheet may be used interchangeably with terms such as web and film.

[0038] In the following embodiments, a "nicotine sheet" may refer to a material in sheet form containing a nicotine substance. Here, the nicotine substance is a substance that contains a nicotine component, and may include, for example, nicotine, a nicotine salt, or a combination thereof.

[0039] Various embodiments of the present disclosure are described below.

[0040] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a nicotine sheet capable of enhancing the smoking taste of an aerosol-generating article can be provided. The provided nicotine sheet can enhance the smoking taste of the aerosol-generating article by gradually releasing the nicotine component fixed therein when heated. For example, the nicotine sheet can provide the user with a sustained smoking taste by replenishing the smoking taste during the middle and latter puffs.

[0041] The nicotine sheet may include a sheet-forming agent and a nicotine substance. Each of the constituent substances of the nicotine sheet will be described below.

[0042] The sheet-forming agent may refer to a material that coats the nicotine substance and forms a sheet. The sheet-forming agent may include, for example, a cellulose-based material such as hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), methylcellulose (MC), ethylcellulose (EC), carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), agar, etc. However, it is not limited thereto. The cellulose-based material can not only form a sheet with excellent physical properties, but also coat and fix the nicotine substance well, so that the nicotine retention amount and retention of the sheet can be improved.

[0043] In some embodiments, the sheet-forming agent may be a modified cellulose material. Here, "modified cellulose" may refer to cellulose in which a specific functional group has been substituted in the molecular structure. Examples of modified cellulose include, but are not limited to, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), methylcellulose (MC), ethylcellulose (EC), and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). For example, HPMC may have a grade ranging from about 4 to 40,000 depending on the ratio of hydroxypropyl and methyl (or methoxy) groups substituted and the molecular weight. The grade determines the viscosity of the modified cellulose. More specifically, the physicochemical properties of HPMC are related to the ratio of methoxy groups, the ratio of hydroxypropyl groups, and the molecular weight. According to the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP), the types of HPMC are classified into HPMC1828, HPMC2208, HPMC2906, HPMC2910, etc. depending on the ratio of methoxy groups and hydroxypropyl groups. Here, the first two numbers may refer to the ratio of methoxy groups, and the last two numbers may refer to the ratio of hydroxypropyl groups. As a result of the inventors' continued experiments, it was confirmed that the nicotine sheet formed from the modified cellulose material has excellent sheet physical properties and nicotine retention.

[0044] In some embodiments, the sheet-forming agent may be a hydrocolloid material. Examples of hydrocolloid materials include, but are not limited to, gelatin, agar, gellan gum, pectin, guar gum, xanthan gum, glucomannan, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), methylcellulose (MC), ethylcellulose (EC), carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), starches, etc. Hydrocolloid materials become viscous by themselves when in contact with a solvent (e.g., distilled water, ethanol (alcohol)), so they can be attached to the wrapper of the aerosol-generating article without a separate adhesive, which simplifies the process of placing the nicotine sheet and eliminates safety issues caused by adhesives.

[0045] The nicotine substance, in turn, is a substance that contains a nicotine component, as described above, and may include nicotine, a nicotine salt, or a combination thereof.

[0046] Nicotine salts are nicotine substances that exist in a salt state, and are formed (produced) by, for example, mixing nicotine with an organic acid. Nicotine salts are absorbed less into the body than nicotine, and can provide a softer impact than nicotine. Examples of organic acids include, but are not limited to, benzoic acid, pyruvic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, and citric acid. Nicotine salts are formed by, but are not limited to, mixing nicotine and an organic acid in a ratio of about 1:1 (eg molar ratio).

[0047] Meanwhile, in some embodiments, the nicotine sheet may further include an aerosol forming agent. The aerosol forming agent can promote the transfer (release) of the nicotine component contained in the nicotine sheet by forming an aerosol when the nicotine sheet is heated. For example, as the aerosol is formed and promotes the release of the nicotine component fixed inside the sheet, the amount of the nicotine component transferred can be increased. In addition, the aerosol forming agent can act as a kind of plasticizer to give the nicotine sheet appropriate flexibility, thereby improving the overall physical properties of the nicotine sheet. Examples of the aerosol forming agent include, but are not limited to, glycerin, propylene glycol, etc. In the art, the aerosol forming agent can be used in combination with the terms moisturizer, humectant, etc.

[0048] In some embodiments, the nicotine sheet may further include LM-pectin (low methoxyl pectin). LM-pectin is a low ester pectin or low methoxyl pectin that is relatively little esterified, and specifically means a pectin that contains less than about 50% carboxyl groups inside the molecular structure. Unlike carrageenan, LM-pectin has the property of not gelling when cooled, so that the viscosity of the slurry sheet composition can be reduced (e.g., about 600 cp to 800 cp). This also improves the workability of the sheet manufacturing process.

[0049] LM-pectin may contain less than about 50%, less than about 40%, less than about 30%, less than about 20%, or less than about 10% carboxy groups within its molecular structure. The lower the carboxy group content within the molecular structure of the LM-pectin, the lower the viscosity of a slurry containing the LM-pectin.

[0050] In some embodiments, the nicotine sheet may further include a bulking agent. The bulking agent may be a substance that can increase the total mass (i.e., dry mass) of components other than distilled water to increase the volume of the nicotine sheet produced, and does not affect the original function of the nicotine sheet. Specifically, the bulking agent may have properties that increase the volume of the nicotine sheet and do not substantially increase the viscosity of the slurry (i.e., the sheet composition), while not adversely affecting the nicotine retention of the nicotine sheet.

[0051] Preferably, the bulking agent may be, but is not limited to, starches, modified starches, or starch hydrolysates.

[0052] Here, modified starch refers to starch acetate, oxidized starch, hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate, hydroxypropyl starch, distarch phosphate, monostarch phosphate, phosphorylated distarch phosphate, and the like.

[0053] The term "starch hydrolysate" refers to a substance obtained by a process including a step of hydrolyzing starch. The starch hydrolysate may include, for example, a substance obtained by directly hydrolyzing starch (i.e., dextrin), or a substance obtained by hydrolyzing starch after heat treatment (i.e., resistant dextrin). The bulking agent may be, for example, dextrin, or more specifically, cyclodextrin.

[0054] The starch hydrolysate may generally be a starch hydrolysate having a DE value in the range of about 2 to about 40, preferably a starch hydrolysate having a DE value in the range of about 2 to about 20. Examples of starch hydrolysates having a DE value in the range of about 2 to about 20 that can be used include Pine Index #100 (Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.), Pine Fiber (Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.), and TK-16 (Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.).

[0055] Here, "DE" is an abbreviation for dextrose equivalent, and the DE value indicates the degree of hydrolysis of starch, i.e., the saccharification rate of starch. In the present disclosure, the DE value may be a value measured by the Willstatter-Schudel method. The properties of hydrolyzed starch (starch hydrolysate), such as the molecular weight of the starch hydrolysate and the arrangement of sugar molecules constituting the starch hydrolysate, are not constant for each molecule of the starch hydrolysate, but exist with any distribution or variation. Depending on the distribution or variation of the properties of the starch hydrolysate, or the difference in the section to be cut, the starch hydrolysate can express different physical properties (e.g., DE value) for each molecule. In this way, the starch hydrolysate is a collection of molecules that exhibit different physical properties, but the measurement result by the Willstatter-Schudel method (i.e., DE value) is treated as a representative value indicating the degree of hydrolysis of starch.

[0056] Preferably, the starch hydrolysate may be selected from the group consisting of dextrin having a DE value of about 2 to about 5, resistant dextrin having a DE value of about 10 to about 15, and mixtures thereof. As a dextrin having a DE value of about 2 to about 5, for example, Pine Index #100 (Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) may be used. As a resistant dextrin having a DE value of about 10 to about 15, for example, Pine Fiber (Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) may be used.

[0057] Meanwhile, the detailed composition of the above-mentioned nicotine sheet can be designed in various ways, and this can be changed depending on the embodiment.

[0058] In some embodiments, the content of the nicotine substance (e.g., nicotine, nicotine salt) may be about 0.01 to 49.99 parts by weight, and preferably about 0.5, 1, 2, or 3 parts by weight or more, based on 100 parts by weight of the nicotine sheet. It has been confirmed that within such a numerical range, the smoking taste persistence of the aerosol-generating article is significantly improved.

[0059] In some embodiments, the content of the aerosol forming agent may be about 3 to 25 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the nicotine sheet (e.g., based on a dry nicotine sheet), and may be preferably about 3 to 22 parts by weight, about 5 to 20 parts by weight, about 8 to 20 parts by weight, about 10 to 20 parts by weight, about 6 to 18 parts by weight, about 6 to 15 parts by weight, or about 10 to 18 parts by weight. It has been confirmed that within such a numerical range, the amount of migration of the nicotine component increases significantly, and the physical properties of the sheet are improved.

[0060] In some embodiments, the nicotine sheet may contain, based on a total of 100 parts by weight, about 2 to about 15 parts by weight of water, about 25 to about 90 parts by weight of modified cellulose, and about 0.1 to about 30 parts by weight of the nicotine substance.

[0061] In some embodiments, the nicotine sheet may contain, based on a total of 100 parts by weight, about 2 to about 15 parts by weight of water, about 1 to about 60 parts by weight of a hydrocolloid substance, about 1 to about 60 parts by weight of LM-pectin, and about 0.1 to about 30 parts by weight of a nicotine substance.

[0062] The above-mentioned nicotine sheet can be manufactured, for example, by applying (casting) a liquid (eg, slurry state) sheet composition containing a solvent (eg, distilled water, ethanol (alcohol), etc.), a sheet forming agent, and a nicotine substance onto a predetermined substrate, and drying it. However, the method is not limited thereto, and the specific manufacturing method can be changed.

[0063] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an aerosol-generating article having improved smoking taste durability can be provided. Specifically, the above-mentioned nicotine sheet can be applied in various forms to improve the smoking taste durability of the aerosol-generating article, and the aerosol-generating article (eg100) will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0064] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an aerosol-generating article 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0065] As shown in Fig. 1, the aerosol-generating article 100 may include an aerosol-forming substrate portion 110, a filter portion 120, and a wrapper 130. However, Fig. 1 only illustrates components related to the embodiment of the present disclosure. Therefore, a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains will understand that the aerosol-generating article may further include other general components in addition to the components illustrated in Fig. 1. Also, Fig. 1 only illustrates a schematic example of some examples of aerosol-generating articles according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, and the detailed structure of the aerosol-generating article may differ from that illustrated in Fig. 1. Each component of the aerosol-generating article 100 will be described below.

[0066] The aerosol-forming substrate unit 110 can perform an aerosol forming function. Specifically, the aerosol-forming substrate unit 110 may include an aerosol-forming substrate, and can form an aerosol through the aerosol-forming substrate. For example, the aerosol-forming substrate unit 110 can form an aerosol by being heated by an aerosol generating device (e.g., 1000 in FIG. 9). The formed aerosol can be delivered to the mouth of a user through the filter unit 120 by a puff.

[0067] As shown, the aerosol-forming substrate section 110 is located upstream of the filter section 120 and can abut against the upstream end of the filter section 120. The aerosol-forming substrate section 110 may further include a wrapper 130 that encases the aerosol-forming substrate.

[0068] The aerosol-forming substrate portion 110 is manufactured in the form of a rod, and is therefore sometimes referred to as an "aerosol-forming rod 110" or a "tobacco rod 110", or sometimes referred to as a "medium portion 110".

[0069] Next, the filter unit 120 can perform a filtering function for the aerosol. To this end, the filter unit 120 may include a filter (filter) material. Examples of the filter material include cellulose acetate fiber and paper, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0070] As shown in the figure, the filter portion 120 is located downstream of the aerosol-forming substrate portion 110 and can abut against the downstream end of the aerosol-forming substrate portion 110. The filter portion 120 can also be located at the downstream end portion of the aerosol-generating article 100 and function as a mouthpiece that comes into contact with the mouth of a user. The filter portion 120 may further include a wrapper 130 that encases a filter material (plug).

[0071] The filter unit 120 is also manufactured in the form of a rod, and is therefore sometimes referred to as a "filter rod 120," and may be manufactured in various forms, such as a cylindrical type, a tube type having a hollow interior (e.g., a tube-shaped cellulose acetate filter), a recess type, etc. Alternatively, the filter unit 120 functions as a mouthpiece, and is therefore also referred to as a "mouthpiece unit 120."

[0072] Next, the wrapper 130 may mean wrapping at least a portion of the aerosol-forming substrate portion 110 and / or the filter portion 120. The wrapper 130 may refer to an individual wrapper for the aerosol-forming substrate portion 110 or the filter portion 120, or may refer to a wrapper that wraps at least a portion of both the aerosol-forming substrate portion 110 and the filter portion 120, such as a tipping wrapper, or may collectively refer to all wrappers used in the aerosol-generating article 100.

[0073] The wrapper 130 may be made of a porous or non-porous wrapping paper, although the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect. For example, the wrapper 130 may be made of a metal foil or a laminate of wrapping paper and metal foil.

[0074] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown, the nicotine sheet 10 is disposed (applied) on the aerosol-forming substrate 110 and / or the wrapper 130. However, the specific application manner and processing form of the nicotine sheet 10 may vary.

[0075] 2, the nicotine sheet 10 can be applied to the aerosol-forming substrate 110 in the form of shredded material 111. For example, the shredded material 111 of the nicotine sheet 10 can be mixed with shredded tobacco material 111 (e.g. shredded tobacco, shredded tabular tobacco) and then introduced into the aerosol-forming substrate 110.

[0076] In some other embodiments, as shown in Fig. 3, the nicotine sheet 10 may be put into the aerosol-forming substrate 110 together with the tobacco sheet 20. Here, the tobacco sheet 20 is a tobacco material manufactured in a sheet form, and may be, for example, but is not limited to, reconstituted tobacco such as a tabular leaf. In this example, the nicotine sheet 10 may be appropriately mixed with the tobacco sheet 20 (e.g., the nicotine sheet 10 may be laminated on the tobacco sheet 20, rolled together, etc.) and put into the aerosol-forming substrate 110.

[0077] In still other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the nicotine sheet 10 may be applied to the aerosol-forming substrate 110 in a rolled or folded form. For example, the nicotine sheet 10 may be applied to the aerosol-forming substrate 110 in an irregular pattern rolled or folded form (see 10-1), a spiral form (see 10-2), a concentric circle form (see 10-3), or a multi-fold form (see 10-4; e.g., a form folded to ensure an airflow path in the length direction). In this case, the nicotine sheet 10 may be introduced into the aerosol-forming substrate 110 together with the tobacco material, or may form an independent segment (i.e., a dedicated segment including only the nicotine sheet 10) within the aerosol-forming substrate 110. Alternatively, the nicotine sheet 10 may be introduced into a separate segment (e.g., a cooling segment) formed outside the aerosol-forming substrate 110. When the nicotine sheet 10 is applied in the illustrated form, an airflow path is secured in the length direction, ensuring smooth airflow and appropriate inhalation resistance. In addition, the contact area between the nicotine sheet 10 and the high-temperature airflow is increased, so the amount of nicotine transferred can be increased.

[0078] In still other embodiments, the nicotine sheet 10 is applied (e.g., attached) to the wrapper 130. For example, the nicotine sheet 10 may be disposed inside the wrapper 130. If the wrapper 130 includes a metal foil, the nicotine sheet 10 may be disposed inside the metal foil. Alternatively, the nicotine sheet 10 may constitute at least a part of the wrapper 130. For example, the nicotine sheet 10 itself may function (be used) as the wrapper 130, or a wrapping material manufactured in a form in which the nicotine sheet 10 and wrapping paper are integrated may be used as the wrapper 130.

[0079] Meanwhile, in the above embodiment, the nicotine sheet 10 may be one that has been processed through a predetermined process. However, the specific processing form is diverse.

[0080] For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the nicotine sheet 10 may be processed to be wrinkled or folded in the length direction (i.e., MD direction) of the aerosol-generating article 100. For example, the nicotine sheet 10 may be wrinkled or folded by at least one of a crimping process, a pleating process, a folding process, and a gathering process. Specifically, the crimping process is a process in which wrinkles are imparted to the surface of a sheet through the difference in roller pressure and speed of a crimping device, and is divided into a wet process and a dry process. The wet process may refer to a process in which the base paper is moistened with water, softened, crimped, and then dried again. The dry process may refer to a drying process using two dryers with different temperatures. Those skilled in the art are already familiar with the pleating, folding and gathering processes, so further description thereof will be omitted. According to this example, a number of channels are formed in the nicotine sheet 10 in the length direction through at least one of the illustrated processes, and smooth airflow and appropriate inhalation resistance can be ensured through the formed channels. In addition, the contact area between the nicotine sheet 10 and the high-temperature airflow increases, so the amount of nicotine transferred can also be increased.

[0081] As another example, as shown in FIG. 6, the nicotine sheet 10 may be processed to form a plurality of holes 101. For example, a plurality of holes 101 are formed in the nicotine sheet 10 through a punching process. In this case, the diameter of the hole 101 may be about 0.05 mm to 5 mm, preferably about 0.1 mm to 3 mm, about 0.2 mm to 2.5 mm, about 0.3 mm to 2.1 mm, or about 0.4 mm to 1.8 mm. Within such a numerical range, a smooth air flow and an appropriate inhalation resistance can be ensured. In addition, the contact area between the nicotine sheet 10 and the high-temperature air flow increases, and the amount of nicotine transferred can also be increased.

[0082] The aerosol-generating article 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure has been described above with reference to Figures 1 to 6. As described above, the nicotine sheet 10 can be applied to the aerosol-generating article 100 in various forms, thereby making it possible to easily manufacture the aerosol-generating article 100 with improved smoking taste persistence.

[0083] Aerosol-generating articles 200 and 300 according to other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Figures 7 and 8. However, for the sake of clarity of the present disclosure, a description of the same content as that of the aerosol-generating article 100 described above will be omitted.

[0084] FIG. 7 is an illustrative diagram showing an aerosol-generating article 200 according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0085] As shown in FIG. 7, the aerosol-generating article 200 may include an aerosol-forming substrate portion 210, a filter portion 220 and a wrapper 230, and the filter portion 220 may include a plurality of segments 221, 222.

[0086] The aerosol-forming substrate part 210 corresponds to the aerosol-forming substrate part 110 described above, and therefore, a description thereof will be omitted.

[0087] Next, the filter portion 220 may be composed of a first segment 221 and a second segment 222. Of course, the filter portion 220 may further include a third segment (not shown).

[0088] The first segment 221 can perform a cooling function for the aerosol generated in the aerosol-forming substrate portion 210. Therefore, the first segment 221 may also be referred to as a "cooling segment 221" or a "cooling portion 221" depending on the circumstances.

[0089] The first segment 221 may be manufactured in various forms. As an example, the first segment 221 may be a cylindrical paper tube made of a paper material and having a hollow (or cavity). As another example, the first segment 221 may be made of a polymeric material or a biodegradable polymeric material. For example, the first segment 221 may be made of polylactic acid (PLA) fiber, but is not limited thereto. As yet another example, the first segment 221 may be made of a cellulose acetate filter having a plurality of holes. As yet another example, the first segment 221 may be a tube filter having a hollow. For example, the first segment 221 may be a cellulose acetate filter having a hollow. However, the first segment 221 is not limited thereto, and if it can perform a cooling function, it may be manufactured in a form different from the exemplified one.

[0090] In some embodiments, the nicotine sheet 10 may be applied to the first segment 221. For example, the nicotine sheet 10 may be disposed inside the first segment 221 (e.g., inside a hollow or cavity) in the form illustrated in FIG. 4. Alternatively, the nicotine sheet 10 may be attached to the inner wall (e.g., the inner wall of a hollow) of the first segment 221. In any case, a smooth air flow in the length direction can be ensured, and the cooling performance of the first segment 221 can be improved by the nicotine sheet 10 absorbing the hot air from the high-temperature aerosol. Of course, the nicotine component is gradually released when the nicotine sheet 10 comes into contact with the high-temperature aerosol, so that the smoking taste of the aerosol-generating article 200 can be sufficiently guaranteed.

[0091] For reference, since cellulose-based materials have the property of undergoing a phase change when in contact with high-temperature airflow and absorbing a large amount of hot air, when a nicotine sheet 10 formed from a cellulose-based material is applied, the cooling performance of the first segment 221 can be further improved.

[0092] Next, the second segment 222 can perform a filtering function on the aerosol that has passed through the first segment 221. Therefore, the second segment 222 is sometimes also referred to as a "filter segment 222" or a "filter portion 222". Alternatively, since the second segment 222 is located in the mouthpiece portion, it is also referred to as a "mouthpiece segment 222" or a "mouthpiece portion 222".

[0093] In some embodiments, the second segment 222 may include at least one capsule 240. Here, the capsule 240 may perform a function of generating a flavor or a function of generating an aerosol. For example, the capsule 240 may have a structure in which a liquid containing a flavoring is enveloped in a coating. The capsule 240 may have a spherical or cylindrical shape, but is not limited thereto.

[0094] The wrapper 230, in turn, corresponds to the wrapper 130 described above, and therefore will not be described further.

[0095] Meanwhile, although not shown in Fig. 7, the aerosol-generating article 200 may further include a plug (not shown) disposed at an end. For example, the plug may be disposed at the upstream end of the aerosol-generating article 200 to function as a suitable adjustment for the overall length of the aerosol-generating article 200. In addition, when the aerosol-generating article 200 is inserted into an aerosol-generating device (e.g., 1000 in Fig. 9), the plug may also function as an adjustment so that the aerosol-forming substrate part 210 is disposed at a suitable position inside the aerosol-generating device (e.g., 1000 in Fig. 9).

[0096] FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of an aerosol-generating article 300 according to still further embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0097] As shown in FIG. 8, the aerosol-generating article 300 may include an aerosol-forming substrate portion 310 and a filter portion 320, and each of the aerosol-forming substrate portion 310 and the filter portion 320 may include a plurality of segments 311, 312, 321, 322, respectively.

[0098] As shown, the aerosol-forming substrate part 310 may be composed of a first segment 311 and a second segment 312. Of course, the aerosol-forming substrate part 310 may further include a third segment (not shown).

[0099] The first segment 311 may include a humectant (aerosol forming agent). For example, the first segment 311 may include a crimped paper impregnated with a humectant. The humectant may include, for example, at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol.

[0100] The second segment 312 may then include a nicotine-generating substrate such as a tobacco substance. The nicotine-generating substrate may include, for example, tobacco shreds, tobacco particles, tobacco sheets, tobacco beads, or tobacco granules. As another example, the nicotine-generating substrate may include tobacco extract or crinkled paper impregnated with nicotine liquid. When the nicotine-generating substrate is heated, nicotine may be generated from the nicotine-generating substrate and transferred to the filter portion 320.

[0101] Next, the filter unit 320 may also include a plurality of segments 321 and 322. For example, the filter unit 320 may include a third segment 321 performing a cooling function and a fourth segment 322 performing a filtering function. The above-mentioned contents regarding the filter unit 220 in FIG. 7 can be equally applied to the filter unit 320, so further description will be omitted.

[0102] The wrapper 330, in turn, corresponds to the wrapper 130 described above, and therefore will not be described further.

[0103] Aerosol-generating articles (200, 300) according to other embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to Figures 7 and 8. Hereinafter, various types of aerosol-generating devices 1000 to which the above-mentioned aerosol-generating articles (100 to 300) can be applied will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 11.

[0104] Figures 9 to 11 are exemplary block diagrams showing an aerosol generating device 1000. Specifically, Figure 9 illustrates a cigarette-type aerosol generating device 1000, and Figures 10 and 11 illustrate a hybrid-type aerosol generating device 1000 that uses both liquid and cigarette. Each aerosol generating device 1000 will be described below.

[0105] As shown in Fig. 9, the aerosol generating device 1000 may include a heater 1300, a battery 1100, and a control unit 1200. However, this is merely a preferred embodiment for achieving the object of the present disclosure, and it goes without saying that some components may be added or omitted as necessary. Also, each component of the aerosol generating device 1000 shown in Fig. 9 indicates a functional element that is functionally divided, and a plurality of components may be embodied in a form integrated with each other in an actual physical environment, or a single component may be embodied in a form separated into a plurality of detailed functional elements. Each component of the aerosol generating device 1000 will now be described.

[0106] The heater 1300 may be arranged to heat the cigarette 2000 inserted therein. The cigarette 2000 includes a solid aerosol-forming substrate, and can generate an aerosol by being heated. The generated aerosol can be inhaled through the mouth of a user. The operation, heating temperature, etc. of the heater 1300 can be controlled by the control unit 1200.

[0107] Next, the battery 1100 can supply power used to operate the aerosol generating device 1000. For example, the battery 1100 can supply power to enable the heater 1300 to heat the aerosol-forming substrate included in the cigarette 2000, and can supply power necessary for the control unit 1200 to operate.

[0108] In addition, the battery 1100 can supply the power necessary to operate electrical components installed in the aerosol generating device 1000, such as a display (not shown), a sensor (not shown), and a motor (not shown).

[0109] Next, the control unit 1200 can generally control the operation of the aerosol generating device 1000. For example, the control unit 1200 can control the operation of the heater 1300 and the battery 1100, and can also control the operation of other components included in the aerosol generating device 1000. The control unit 1200 can control the power supplied by the battery 1100, the heating temperature of the heater 1300, etc. The control unit 1200 can also check the state of each component of the aerosol generating device 1000 to determine whether the aerosol generating device 1000 is in an operable state.

[0110] The control unit 1200 may be implemented by at least one processor. The processor may be implemented by an array of a number of logic gates, or may be implemented by a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program executable by the microprocessor. In addition, a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains may obviously understand that the control unit 1200 may be implemented by other types of hardware.

[0111] A hybrid aerosol generating device 1000 will be briefly described below with reference to FIGS.

[0112] Fig. 10 illustrates an aerosol generating device 1000 in which a vaporizer 1400 and a cigarette 2000 are arranged in parallel, and Fig. 11 illustrates an aerosol generating device 1000 in which a vaporizer 1400 and a cigarette 2000 are arranged in series. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 1000 is not limited to that illustrated in Fig. 10 and Fig. 11, and the arrangement of the components can be changed depending on the design method.

[0113] 10 and 11, the vaporizer 1400 may include a liquid storage tank for storing a liquid aerosol-forming substrate, a wick for absorbing the aerosol-forming substrate, and a vaporization element for vaporizing the absorbed aerosol-forming substrate to generate an aerosol. The vaporization element may be embodied in various forms, such as a heating element, a vibration element, etc. In some embodiments, the vaporizer 1400 may be designed to have a structure that does not include a wick.

[0114] The aerosol generated by the vaporizer 1400 can be inhaled through the user's mouth by passing through the cigarette 2000. In addition, the vaporization element of the vaporizer 1400 can also be controlled by the control unit 1200.

[0115] An exemplary aerosol-generating device 1000 to which the aerosol-generating articles (100 to 300) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied has been described above with reference to FIGS.

[0116] The following examples and experimental examples will clarify the configuration and effects of the above-mentioned nicotine sheet 10. However, the following examples are merely partial examples of the nicotine sheet 10, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the following examples.

[0117] [Examples 1 to 11] Nicotine sheets having weight ratios as shown in Tables 1 and 2 below were prepared, and the prepared nicotine sheets were placed in an aerosol-forming substrate to prepare heat-type cigarettes.

[0118] [Table 1] (Grades A, B, C: 2% solution with viscosity of 15, 5, 50)

[0119] [Table 2] (Grades A, B, C: 2% solution with viscosity of 15, 5, 50)

[0120] [Experimental Example 1: Manufacturing Difficulty and Sensory Evaluation] For the nicotine sheets and cigarettes according to Examples 1 to 11, an experiment was conducted to comprehensively evaluate the difficulty of preparing the liquid, and the sensory characteristics such as smoking taste persistence, unpleasant odor, smoking taste strength, softness in the throat, and satisfaction after smoking. The sensory characteristics were evaluated by a panel with smoking experience of 5 years or more, and the evaluation was made based on the rank of high, medium, and low. The evaluation results are shown in Tables 3 and 4 below.

[0121] [Table 3]

[0122] [Table 4]

[0123] Referring to Tables 3 and 4, MC-based sheet compositions were generally evaluated as being easy to prepare (see Examples 2, 6, 7, and 9). Specifically, MC-based sheet compositions have appropriate viscosity and little gelling property, making them easy to prepare, whereas HPMC-based sheet compositions have high viscosity or gelling property at room temperature, making them difficult to prepare. In addition, it was confirmed that agar requires the trouble of having to heat water to about 80°C to 90°C in order to dissolve it in water.

[0124] In addition, it was shown that the nicotine sheets (or cigarettes) according to Examples 1, 3, 8, and 9 produced a stronger unpleasant odor during smoking than the other Examples. In other words, the nicotine sheets using HPMC or CMC were evaluated as having a stronger unpleasant odor than the nicotine sheets using MC, etc.

[0125] [Examples 12 to 21] Nicotine sheets having weight ratios as shown in Tables 5 and 6 below were prepared, and the prepared nicotine sheets were placed in the aerosol-forming substrate to prepare heat-type cigarettes.

[0126] [Table 5]

[0127] [Table 6]

[0128] [Experimental Example 2: Sheet properties and sensory evaluation depending on the content of aerosol forming agent] For the nicotine sheets and cigarettes according to Examples 12 to 20, experiments were conducted to comprehensively evaluate the sheet properties according to the content of the aerosol forming agent (egPG, GLY), and the sensory characteristics such as the amount of aerosol generated, unpleasant odor and taste, smoking taste strength, and feeling of satisfaction after smoking. The sensory characteristics were evaluated in the same manner as in Experimental Example 1, and the evaluation results are shown in Tables 7 and 8 below.

[0129] [Table 7]

[0130] [Table 8]

[0131] Referring to Tables 7 and 8, it was shown that the physical properties of the nicotine sheets according to Examples 14, 16 to 18 were generally excellent, and among them, it was shown that the physical properties of the nicotine sheets according to Examples 16 to 18 were even more excellent. Specifically, it was confirmed that when the content of the aerosol forming agent was too low (e.g., Examples 12 and 13), the sheet was torn apart, and when the content of the aerosol forming agent was too high (e.g., Examples 19 and 20), the sheet was sticky or saggy.

[0132] For reference, the aerosol-forming agent content of the nicotine sheets according to Examples 16 to 18 is about 8 to 20 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the dried (manufactured) sheet. This is because the alcohol and water added during preparation are mostly volatilized or evaporated as the sheet dries (e.g., generally, alcohol evaporates when dried, and about 6 to 10 parts by weight of water remains based on 100 parts by weight of the sheet).

[0133] It was also shown that the amount of aerosol generated increases as the content of the aerosol forming agent increases. And, it was confirmed that if the proportion of GLY is higher than that of PG, the amount of aerosol generated is even higher, but the physical properties of the sheet are relatively poor. For example, it was shown that Example 17 (or Example 15) generated a larger amount of aerosol than Example 18 (or Example 14) (Example 17 has the same aerosol forming agent content as Example 18, and Example 15 has a higher proportion of GLY than Example 14), and the physical properties of the nicotine sheet according to Example 15 were poorer than those of Example 14.

[0134] The configuration and effects of the above-mentioned nicotine sheet 10 have been described in more detail above through the embodiments and experimental examples.

[0135] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand that the present disclosure can be implemented in other specific forms without changing its technical ideas or essential features. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all respects and are not limiting. The scope of protection of the present disclosure should be interpreted according to the following claims, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of rights of the technical ideas defined by the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A nicotine substance containing a nicotine component; a sheet-forming cellulosic material; and an aerosol forming agent, The cellulose-based material includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), methylcellulose (MC), ethylcellulose (EC), and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC); A nicotine sheet, wherein the content of the aerosol forming agent is 5 to 20 parts by weight per 100 parts by total weight of the nicotine sheet.

2. The nicotine sheet according to claim 1 , wherein the nicotine substance comprises a nicotine salt formed with an organic acid.

3. The nicotine sheet according to claim 2 , wherein the organic acid includes at least one acid selected from the group consisting of benzoic acid, pyruvic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, and citric acid.

4. The nicotine sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the content of the nicotine component is 2 parts by weight or more per 100 parts by total weight of the nicotine sheet.

5. The nicotine sheet according to claim 1 , wherein the cellulose-based material further comprises agar.

6. The nicotine sheet of claim 1 , wherein the cellulosic material coats the nicotine material.

7. The nicotine sheet of claim 1, further comprising LM-pectin (low methoxyl pectin).

8. The nicotine sheet according to claim 1, wherein the content of the aerosol forming agent is in the range of 8 to 20 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the total of the nicotine sheet.

9. An aerosol-generating article comprising an aerosol-forming substrate, The aerosol-forming substrate portion includes a nicotine sheet, The nicotine sheet is a sheet-forming cellulosic material; an aerosol forming agent, and Contains a nicotine substance that contains a nicotine component, The cellulose-based material includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), methylcellulose (MC), ethylcellulose (EC), and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC); An aerosol-generating article, wherein the content of the aerosol forming agent is 5 to 20 parts by weight per 100 parts by total weight of the nicotine sheet.

10. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 9 , wherein the nicotine sheet is capable of being wrinkled or folded.

11. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the nicotine sheet has a plurality of holes formed therein.

12. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the nicotine sheet is included in the aerosol-forming substrate in a shredded form.

13. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the nicotine sheet is included in the aerosol-forming substrate in a rolled form.

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