Method for producing a product including an aerosol-forming material

Abstract

A method of making an article (2) is disclosed. The article includes an aerosol-generating material (6), a support (4), and a mask (8). The method includes the steps of providing a support (4) having a first surface (10) and a second surface (11), providing a mask (8) configured such that when the mask (8) is applied to the first surface (10) of the support (4) in an application orientation relative to the support (4), there is at least one area on the first surface (10) of the support (4) that is not covered by the mask (8), and each area that is not covered by the mask (8) is a support area, applying the aerosol-generating material to the first surface of the support (4) where at least one of the support areas is at least partially covered by the aerosol-generating material (6), and applying the mask (8) to one of the first surface (10) and the second surface of the support (4) in an application orientation.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of non-combustion aerosol delivery systems, and in particular to methods of manufacturing products including aerosol generating materials for use as consumables for use with aerosol delivery devices, methods of manufacturing consumables for use with aerosol delivery devices, and aerosol delivery systems including consumables and aerosol delivery devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Aerosol producing articles release compounds from a substrate material by heating without combustion, thereby releasing an inhalable aerosol or vapor. These may be referred to as non-combustible articles, aerosol generating assemblies, or aerosol delivery devices.

[0003] One example of such a product is a heating device that releases a compound by heating an aerosolizable material, which may be referred to as a solid aerosol-generating material. The heating volatilizes at least one component of the material, typically forming an inhalable aerosol. These products are sometimes referred to as non-combustion heating devices.

[0004] Another example is a hybrid device, which includes a liquid source (which may or may not contain an active substance) that is vaporized by heating to produce an inhalable vapor or aerosol. The device further includes a solid aerosol-generating material (which may or may not include botanical material), the components of which are entrained in the inhalable vapor or aerosol to produce the inhalation medium. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of manufacturing a product comprising an aerosol-generating material, a support, and a mask, the method comprising the steps of: providing a support, the support having a first surface and a second surface that are the same size and on opposing surfaces of the support; providing a mask, the mask configured such that when the mask is applied to a front first surface of the support in an application orientation relative to the support, there is at least one area on the first surface of the support that is not covered by the mask, and each area that is not covered by the mask is an active area; applying the aerosol-generating material to the first surface of the support, where at least one of the active areas is at least partially covered by the aerosol-generating material; and applying the mask to one of the first and second surfaces of the support in the application orientation.

[0006] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an article of manufacture for use in the manufacture of a consumable for use with a non-flammable aerosol delivery system, comprising an aerosol generating material, a support, and a mask. The support has a first surface and a second surface that are the same size and are on opposing surfaces of the support. The aerosol generating material is supported on the first surface of the support, and the mask is configured such that when the mask is applied to the first surface of the support in an application orientation relative to the support, there is at least one support area on the first surface of the support that is not covered by the mask. At least one of the support areas is at least partially covered by the aerosol generating material, and the mask is applied to one of the first and second surfaces of the support in an application orientation.

[0007] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a consumable for use with a non-flammable aerosol delivery system, the consumable being a portion of a product according to the second aspect of the present disclosure shaped and dimensioned into a desired configuration.

[0008] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an aerosol delivery apparatus for use with a consumable according to the third aspect of the present disclosure, the apparatus comprising an aerosol generator configured to heat at least a portion of an aerosol-generating material supported on the consumable.

[0009] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an aerosol delivery system comprising an aerosol delivery device according to the second aspect of the present disclosure and a consumable item.

[0010] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of generating an aerosol from a consumable according to the second aspect of the present disclosure using an aerosol generating device having at least one aerosol generator arranged to heat but not combust the consumable during use, wherein the at least one aerosol generator is a resistive heating element or a magnetic field generator and a susceptor.

[0011] Further features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of embodiments of the disclosure, given by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a first embodiment of a product according to the present disclosure; [Diagram 2] 2 shows an exploded view of the product in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 shows a plan view of the support of the product of FIG. 1; [Figure 4] 2 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line AA' in FIG. [Diagram 5] 1 shows a plan view of a support of a second embodiment of a product according to the present disclosure; [Figure 6] 1. FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the second embodiment product of FIG. 5 along a line corresponding to line AA' of FIG. [Figure 7] 1 shows a plan view of a support of a third embodiment of a product according to the present disclosure; [Figure 8] 8 shows a cross-sectional view of the product of the third embodiment of FIG. 7 taken along a line corresponding to line AA' of FIG. [Figure 9] 8 shows a cross-sectional view of the third embodiment product of FIG. 7 taken along a line equivalent to line AA' of FIG. 1, the product having an alternative adhesive configuration. [Figure 10] 1 shows a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a method for manufacturing the product of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] 11 shows an enlarged view of a portion of the embodiment of FIG. 10. [Figure 12] 10 shows an alternative storage roll to the schematic diagram of FIG. 9. [Figure 13] 11 shows a product made according to the method of FIG. 10. [Figure 14] 14 shows a consumable product made from the product of FIG. 13. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Consumables herein may alternatively be referred to as articles.

[0014] In some embodiments, the consumable comprises an aerosol-generating material. The consumable may comprise an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generator, an aerosol-generating area, a housing, a wrapper, an aerosol modifier, one or more active ingredients, one or more flavorings, one or more aerosol former materials, and / or one or more other functional materials.

[0015] The device for heating the aerosol-generating material with which the consumable is used is part of a non-combustion aerosol delivery system that releases compounds from an aerosol-generating material without combusting the aerosol-generating material, such as e-cigarettes, tobacco heating products, and hybrid systems that generate an aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials.

[0016] According to the present disclosure, a "non-combustion" aerosol delivery system is one in which the constituent aerosol-generating materials (or components thereof) of the aerosol delivery system are not combusted or burned to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.

[0017] In some embodiments, the delivery system is a non-combustion aerosol delivery system, such as a powered non-combustion aerosol delivery system.

[0018] In some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system is an e-cigarette, also known as a vaporizer or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it should be noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating material is not a requirement.

[0019] In some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system is an aerosol-generating material heating system, also known as a non-combustion heating system. One example of such a system is a tobacco heating system.

[0020] In some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system is a hybrid system that generates an aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials, one or more of which may be heated. Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid, or gel, and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system includes a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may, for example, include tobacco or a non-tobacco product.

[0021] Typically, a non-combustion aerosol delivery system may include a non-combustion aerosol delivery device and a consumable item for use with the non-combustion aerosol delivery device.

[0022] In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to consumables that include aerosol-generating materials and are configured for use with non-combustion aerosol delivery devices. These consumables may be referred to as articles throughout this disclosure.

[0023] In some embodiments, a non-combustion aerosol delivery system, such as the non-combustion aerosol delivery device, may include a power source and a controller. The power source may be, for example, a power source or a heat generating power source. In some embodiments, the heat generating power source includes a carbon substrate that can be energized to deliver power in the form of heat to an aerosol generating material or a heat transfer material in proximity to the heat generating power source.

[0024] In some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system may include an area for receiving a consumable, an aerosol generator, an aerosol-generating area, a housing, a mouthpiece, a filter, and / or an aerosol modifier.

[0025] In some embodiments, consumables for use with non-combustion aerosol delivery devices may include aerosol generating materials, aerosol generating material storage areas, aerosol generating material transfer components, aerosol generators, aerosol generating areas, housings, packaging materials, filters, mouthpieces, and / or aerosol modifiers.

[0026] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing a product comprising an aerosol-generating material, a support, and a mask is provided. The method includes providing a support, the support having a first surface and a second surface that are the same size and are opposing surfaces of the support. The method also includes providing a mask, the mask configured such that when the mask is applied to the first surface of the support in an application orientation relative to the support, there is at least one area on the first surface of the support that is not covered by the mask, each area that is not covered by the mask is a support area. Applying the aerosol-generating material to the first surface of the support, at least one of the support areas is at least partially covered by the aerosol-generating material, and applying the mask to one of the first and second surfaces of the support in an application orientation.

[0027] The mask has a first surface and a second surface that are the same size and are opposing sides of the mask.

[0028] Both the mask and the support are sheets of material and therefore have two surfaces joined by one or more edges.

[0029] The application orientation is a predetermined, constant orientation of the mask relative to the first surface of the support. When the mask is applied to the second surface of the support in the application orientation, the mask has the same orientation as when applied to the first surface of the support, the only difference being that the first surface of the mask contacts the first surface of the support, whereas the second surface of the mask contacts the second surface of the support.

[0030] The support area is defined by a portion of the first support surface that is not covered by the mask when the mask is applied to the first surface. The support area is an area at least a portion of which is covered by the aerosol-generating material.

[0031] In one embodiment of the above embodiments, a mask is applied to a first surface of the support.

[0032] In an alternative embodiment to the above embodiment, a mask is applied to a second surface of the support.

[0033] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the application of the aerosol-forming material is the application of an aerosol-forming material slurry.

[0034] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the method further includes allowing or curing the aerosol-generating material slurry applied to the substrate, where the aerosol-generating material slurry at least partially hardens into an aerosol-generating material film. Allowing or curing the aerosol-generating material slurry at least partially hardens after applying the aerosol-generating material to the substrate.

[0035] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the application of the aerosol-forming material to the first surface of the substrate is the application of at least one distinct portion of the aerosol-forming material.

[0036] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the application of the aerosol-forming material to the substrate is the application of at least two separate portions of the aerosol-forming material.

[0037] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the at least two separate portions of aerosol-generating material each include the same predetermined volume of aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, this is measured at the time of application of the aerosol-generating material slurry. In some embodiments, this is measured when the aerosol-generating material is cured.

[0038] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the at least one separate portion of the aerosol-generating material comprises a first volume of aerosol-generating material and the at least one separate portion of the aerosol-generating material comprises a second volume of aerosol-generating material, the first and second volumes being different.

[0039] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, each of the at least two separate portions of aerosol-forming material have the same shape as one another.

[0040] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, at least one distinct portion of the aerosol-generating material has a first shape and at least one distinct portion of the aerosol-generating material has a second shape, and the first and second shapes are different.

[0041] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, at least one distinct portion of the aerosol-generating material is formed from an aerosol-generating material having a first composition and at least one distinct portion of the aerosol-generating material is formed from an aerosol-generating material having a second composition, wherein the first and second compositions are different.

[0042] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, there are at least two support regions, and at least two of the support regions are at least partially covered by the same amount of aerosol-generating material as each other, and the amount of aerosol-generating material is determined by one of the surface area, mass, or volume in the plane of the first surface of the support.

[0043] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, each support region is at least partially covered with the same amount of aerosol-forming material as each other.

[0044] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, at least one support area is entirely covered by the aerosol-generating material.

[0045] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, each support region has a perimeter, and in at least one of the support regions, the aerosol-forming material is constructed and arranged such that the aerosol-forming material is spaced from the perimeter of that support region.

[0046] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, in at least one of the support regions, the aerosol-generating material extends from the support region. The aerosol-generating material may extend from all of the support region, or from less than all but at least one surface region.

[0047] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the aerosol-generating material extends between at least two support regions.

[0048] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the method further includes using an adhesive to adhere the mask to one or both of the support and the aerosol-generating material applied to the first surface of the support.

[0049] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, an aerosol-generating material slurry is used as the adhesive. The aerosol-generating material slurry is viscous and forms an adhesive upon curing. This is advantageous because the components of the aerosol-generating material are known and acceptable for use in the manufacture of consumable products.

[0050] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the method further includes ultrasonically welding at least a portion of the mask to at least a portion of the first or second surface of the support. Other suitable fastening means may be used and fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0051] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the adhesive is applied to the substrate or mask in beads or strips. In some embodiments, the beads or strips are positioned on the substrate or mask such that the beads or strips extend between distinct portions of the aerosol-generating material on the substrate.

[0052] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the adhesive is applied to the support, aerosol-generating material and / or mask by an adhesive roller, an adhesive spray, or any other known adhesive application means.

[0053] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the aerosol-generating material slurry is allowed to partially harden or is hardened, and a mask is applied to the first surface of the support when the aerosol-generating material slurry is partially hardened.

[0054] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask is a flexible sheet material.

[0055] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask comprises paper, card, metal foil, aluminum foil, felt, non-woven material, spun material, or woven material. In other embodiments, the mask may comprise other sheet materials or may be a laminate material including two or more layers of material.

[0056] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask comprises a material that is a relatively flexible material compared to the rigid card, a plastically deformable material, or an elastically deformable material.

[0057] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask comprises a material that is heat resistant or at least heat resistant to temperatures typically encountered in an aerosol delivery device.

[0058] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask comprises a material that is porous or non-porous, water repellent, or that absorbs or adsorbs water.

[0059] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask comprises a surface that can be printed on. In some embodiments, the mask may have printing applied to its surface before the mask is applied to the surface of the support.

[0060] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the thickness of the mask in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the support when the mask is applied to the support is equal to or greater than the thickness of the aerosol-generating material applied to the first surface of the support. In some embodiments, the thickness of the aerosol-generating material is measured when the aerosol-generating material is cured or at least partially cured. In some embodiments, the thickness of the cured aerosol-generating material is in the range of 0.1 mm to 2.0 mm, 0.05 mm to 1.5 mm, 0.05 mm to 1.0 mm, 0.1 mm to 0.8 mm, or 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm.

[0061] An advantage of a mask that is the same thickness as or thicker than the cured aerosol-generating material is that the mask protects the aerosol-generating material that at least partially covers at least one support region because the material of the mask stops or at least reduces physical damage to the aerosol-generating material, such as that caused by friction or abrasion of the aerosol-generating material, that may occur during manufacture, storage or transportation of the product or consumables made using the product.

[0062] An additional advantage of a mask that is the same thickness as or thicker than the cured aerosol-generating material is that the mask protects the aerosol-generating material from contamination through contact with other substances, or at least reduces the risk of this occurring, which is important from a hygiene standpoint.

[0063] A further advantage of a mask that is the same thickness as or thicker than the cured aerosol-generating material is that because the aerosol-generating material does not extend higher than the surface of the mask away from the support, the combined support / aerosol-generating material / mask can be rolled, folded, or otherwise configured into a stack of multiple layers of support / aerosol-generating material / mask without the risk that any tackiness of the aerosol-generating material will cause adjacent layers of support / aerosol-generating material / mask to adhere to each other when the mask is applied to the first surface of the support.

[0064] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask defines one or more openings that extend through the mask in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the support when the mask is applied to the support, each opening defining a support region.

[0065] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the support is a flexible sheet material.

[0066] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the support is an aluminum foil. In some other embodiments, the support comprises one or more of a flexible sheet material, a metal foil, a metal film, a plastic film, or an aluminum foil. In some embodiments, the support is a laminate material. In some embodiments, the laminate material comprises at least two layers, and one of the layers is a metal foil, a metal film, a plastic film, or an aluminum foil.

[0067] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the support is a laminated flexible sheet material comprising at least two layers, one of the layers being paper and one of the layers being one of a metal foil, a metal film, a plastic film, or an aluminum foil.

[0068] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask is thinner than the support in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the support. Such a configuration may result in a product that is easily folded or rolled.

[0069] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask is of equal thickness to the support.

[0070] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask is thicker than the support in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the support.

[0071] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask is sufficiently thick in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the support that the mask alone is sufficiently rigid to be handled without bending, folding, or being damaged, e.g., 0.5 mm to 2.5 mm of material. In such an embodiment, the support need not impart rigidity to the consumables made from the products of the disclosed methods. The support can have an aluminum foil having a thickness of 0.005 mm to 0.040 mm, e.g., 0.007 mm.

[0072] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, at least partially curing the aerosol-generating material slurry applied to at least one of the support regions comprises exposing the aerosol-generating material slurry to infrared radiation.

[0073] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, at least partially curing the aerosol-generating material slurry applied to at least one of the support regions includes exposing the aerosol-generating material slurry to an electromagnetic energy source and / or environmental conditions that cure the aerosol-generating material, which is advantageous because it reduces the amount of time it takes for the aerosol-generating material to cure or partially cure.

[0074] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, at least partially curing the aerosol-generating material slurry applied to the support includes controlling the rate and / or conditions under which the aerosol-generating material slurry cures. The ability to control the rate and / or conditions of curing of the aerosol-generating material slurry has the consequence that the quality and properties of the cured or partially cured aerosol-generating material can be controlled. For example, the rate of curing may be maintained at a rate that does not induce the formation of cracks or other discontinuities in the aerosol-generating material.

[0075] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the method further comprises forcing the support and the aerosol-generating material to cool after the aerosol-generating material slurry applied to the support is allowed to at least partially harden or has hardened.

[0076] The advantage of forcibly cooling the support and the aerosol-generating material is that such cooling reduces the evaporation rate of any residual solvent in the aerosol-generating material (solvent that was present during the formation of the aerosol-generating material slurry), or the volatilization rate of any volatile elements in the aerosol-generating material, compared to when the support and the aerosol-generating material are at a higher, uncooled temperature. This helps preserve the aerosol-generating material in the state it was in when cooled, minimizing interruptions to further processing of the product after the cooling step. For example, cooling can help prevent evaporation of solvent that would interfere with the function of the adhesive used in bonding the mask to the support and the aerosol-generating material.

[0077] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, forced cooling can be accomplished by using a cooled gas stream or mixture of cooled gases on one or both of the substrate and the aerosol generating material, in some embodiments, the cooled gas or mixture of gases may be treated to remove water vapor or any undesirable gases from the gas before being used to cool the substrate and / or the aerosol generating material.

[0078] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the method further comprises forming one or more perforations extending through one or both of the support and the aerosol-generating material. The perforations are small in size, for example less than 0.5 mm in size, in the plane of the surface of the support on which the aerosol-generating material is supported. The perforations are positioned such that the end of the perforation closest to the mask is covered by the opening. The perforations have the advantage of reducing the possibility that the aerosol-generating material will peel off from the support when the consumable made from the product of the present disclosure is used. This is to minimize aerosols that may accumulate between the support and the aerosol-generating material.

[0079] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the support is a discontinuous sheet configured such that the support is present at all locations of the support area and is secured to portions of the mask adjacent edges of the mask that define the support area.

[0080] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the method further comprises configuring the product for storage.

[0081] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask is applied to a first surface of the support, and configuring the product for storage includes winding the product onto a bobbin, folding the product into an accordion-like shape, or cutting the product into a flat sheet for storage.

[0082] If the product is intended to be wound onto a bobbin for storage, the thickness of the mask relative to the thickness of the aerosol-generating material at least partially covering at least one support area is desirably selected to allow for any dimensional changes, e.g., increases in thickness, that the aerosol-generating material may undergo as a result of winding.

[0083] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the product is cut into sheets for storage and a mask is applied to the second surface of the support, the distance between the cuts and the configuration of the mask being such that when the second sheet is placed over the first sheet and the edges of the supports of the first and second sheets are adjacent and parallel to one another, the support area of ​​the first sheet is adjacent to the portion of the second surface of the support of the second sheet that is not covered by the mask applied to the second sheet.

[0084] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, configuring the product for storage further comprises cutting the product into longitudinally extending strips.

[0085] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the product is larger than is compatible for use in the non-flammable aerosol delivery system, and the method further includes separating the product into two or more product portions, each product portion shaped and dimensioned for use as a consumable for use in the non-flammable aerosol delivery system. The separation of the product into two or more product portions may occur directly or immediately after the mask is layered on the support and aerosol-generating material, or may occur after the product has been configured for storage, stored, and retrieved from storage.

[0086] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, separating the product into two or more product portions includes forming the product portions into appropriate shapes and discarding excess material from the product.

[0087] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the product is shaped and dimensioned for use as a consumable for use with a non-flammable aerosol delivery system.

[0088] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the provision of the support and the application of the aerosol-generating material can occur separately from other parts of the method of making the product. Such an approach to the method of making the product has the advantage that it allows the application of the aerosol-generating material to the support and the subsequent curing of the aerosol-generating material, or the curing, is a process that can proceed at a slower rate of production than the rate at which the support and aerosol-generating material are used in the remainder of the method.

[0089] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, providing the substrate and applying the aerosol generating material can be accomplished by using two or more sets of apparatus for applying and curing the aerosol generating material onto the substrate.

[0090] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an article of manufacture for use in the manufacture of a consumable for use with a non-flammable aerosol delivery system, comprising an aerosol generating material, a support, and a mask. The support has a first surface and a second surface that are the same size and are on opposing surfaces of the support. The aerosol generating material is supported on the first surface of the support, and the mask is configured such that when the mask is applied to the first surface of the support in an application orientation relative to the support, there is at least one support area on the first surface of the support that is not covered by the mask. At least one of the support areas is at least partially covered by the aerosol generating material, and the mask is applied to one of the first and second surfaces of the support in an application orientation.

[0091] In one embodiment of the above embodiments, a mask is applied to a first surface of the support.

[0092] In one embodiment of the above embodiments, a mask is applied to the second surface of the support.

[0093] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the aerosol-forming material is an aerosol-forming material film.

[0094] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the aerosol-forming material is in the form of at least one separate portion of aerosol-forming material.

[0095] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the aerosol-forming material is in the form of at least two separate portions of aerosol-forming material.

[0096] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, there are at least two support regions, and at least two of the support regions are at least partially covered by the same amount of aerosol-generating material as each other, the amount of aerosol-generating material being determined by the surface area, mass, or volume in the plane of the first surface of the support.

[0097] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, each support region is at least partially covered with the same amount of aerosol-forming material as each other.

[0098] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, at least one support area is entirely covered by the aerosol-generating material.

[0099] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, each support region has a perimeter, and in at least one of the support regions, the aerosol-forming material is constructed and arranged such that the aerosol-forming material is spaced from the perimeter of that support region.

[0100] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, in at least one of the support regions, the aerosol-generating material extends from the support region. The aerosol-generating material may extend from all of the support regions, or from less than all but at least one of the support regions.

[0101] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the aerosol-generating material extends between at least two support regions.

[0102] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask is secured to one or both of the support and the aerosol-generating material.

[0103] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, an adhesive is used to secure the mask to one or both of the support and the aerosol-generating material.

[0104] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the adhesive is an aerosol-generating material slurry.

[0105] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, ultrasonic welding is used to secure at least a portion of the mask to one or both of the support and the aerosol-generating material.

[0106] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask is a flexible sheet material.

[0107] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask comprises paper, card, metal foil, aluminum foil, felt, non-woven material, spun material, or woven material. In other embodiments, the mask may comprise other sheet materials or may be a laminate material including two or more layers of material.

[0108] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask comprises a material that is a relatively flexible material compared to the rigid card, a plastically deformable material, or an elastically deformable material.

[0109] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask comprises a material that is heat resistant or at least heat resistant to temperatures typically encountered in an aerosol delivery device.

[0110] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask comprises a material that is porous or non-porous, water repellent, or that absorbs or adsorbs water.

[0111] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask comprises a surface that can be printed on. In some embodiments, the mask may have printing applied to its surface before the mask is applied to the surface of the support.

[0112] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the thickness of the mask in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the support when the mask is applied to the support is greater than or equal to the thickness of the aerosol-generating material applied to the first surface of the support.

[0113] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the thickness of the aerosol-generating material is measured when the aerosol-generating material is cured or at least partially cured, in some embodiments, the thickness of the cured aerosol-generating material is in the range of 0.1 mm to 2.0 mm, 0.05 mm to 1.5 mm, 0.05 mm to 1.0 mm, 0.1 mm to 0.8 mm, or 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm.

[0114] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask has a thickness of between 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm.

[0115] An advantage of a mask that is the same thickness as or thicker than the cured aerosol-generating material is that the mask protects the aerosol-generating material that at least partially covers at least one support region because the material of the mask stops or at least reduces physical damage to the aerosol-generating material, such as that caused by friction or abrasion of the aerosol-generating material, that may occur during manufacture, storage or transportation of the product or consumables made using the product.

[0116] An additional advantage of a mask that is the same thickness as or thicker than the cured aerosol-generating material is that the mask protects the aerosol-generating material from contamination through contact with other substances, or at least reduces the risk of this occurring, which is important from a hygiene standpoint.

[0117] A further advantage of a mask that is the same thickness as or thicker than the cured aerosol-generating material is that because the aerosol-generating material does not extend higher than the surface of the mask away from the support, the combined support / aerosol-generating material / mask can be rolled, folded, or otherwise configured into a stack of multiple layers of support / aerosol-generating material / mask without the risk that any tackiness of the aerosol-generating material will cause adjacent layers of support / aerosol-generating material / mask to adhere to each other when the mask is applied to the first surface of the support.

[0118] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask is not of substantially uniform thickness, and at least a portion of at least one portion of the mask adjacent to the support region when the mask is applied to the first surface of the support in an application orientation relative to the support is greater than or equal to the thickness of the aerosol-generating material applied to the first surface of the support in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the support when the mask is applied to the support.

[0119] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask is not of substantially uniform thickness, and at least a portion of the mask is configured to include one or more grooves, channels, or ridges across portions of a surface of the mask that are not in contact with the support, as measured in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the support. In some embodiments, the mask includes thicker and thinner regions.

[0120] An advantage of such an arrangement is that the grooves, channels or ridges, thick and thin regions can add structural rigidity to the mask. An additional advantage is that the channels or ridges can assist in the direction of aerosols around or across the surface of the mask when a consumable comprising such a mask is in use.

[0121] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the support is a flexible sheet material.

[0122] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the support is one of an aluminum foil, a metal foil, a metal film, a plastic film, or a laminate comprising at least two layers.

[0123] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the support is an aluminum foil. In some other embodiments, the support comprises one or more of a flexible sheet material, a metal foil, a metal film, a plastic film, or an aluminum foil. In some embodiments, the support is a laminate material. In some embodiments, the laminate material comprises at least two layers, and one of the layers is a metal foil, a metal film, a plastic film, or an aluminum foil.

[0124] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the support is a laminated flexible sheet material comprising at least two layers, one of the layers being paper and one of the layers being one of a metal foil, a metal film, a plastic film, or an aluminum foil.

[0125] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask is thinner than the support in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the support. Such a configuration may result in a product that is easily folded or rolled.

[0126] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask is of equal thickness to the support.

[0127] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask is thicker than the support in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the support.

[0128] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the mask is sufficiently thick in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the support that the mask alone is sufficiently rigid to be handled without bending, folding, or being damaged, e.g., 0.5 mm to 2.5 mm of material. In such an embodiment, the support need not impart rigidity to consumables made from the products of the present disclosure. The support can have an aluminum foil having a thickness of 0.005 mm to 0.040 mm, e.g., 0.007 mm.

[0129] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the product further comprises one or more perforations extending through one or both of the support and the aerosol-generating material. The perforations are small in size, for example less than 0.5 mm in size, in the plane of the surface of the support on which the aerosol-generating material is supported. The perforations are positioned such that the end of the perforation closest to the mask is covered by the opening. The perforations have the advantage of reducing the possibility that the aerosol-generating material will peel off from the support when the consumable made from the product of the present disclosure is used. This is to minimize the aerosol that may accumulate between the support and the aerosol-generating material.

[0130] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the support is a discontinuous sheet configured such that the support is present at all locations of the support area and is secured to portions of the mask adjacent the edges of the mask that define the support area. In such an embodiment, the amount of support used is minimized and limited to locations where support is needed.

[0131] An aerosol-forming material is one that is capable of generating an aerosol when, for example, heated, irradiated, or otherwise energized. The aerosol-forming material can be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid, or semi-solid (such as a gel), which may or may not contain active agents and / or fragrances.

[0132] The aerosol-generating materials may include one or more active agents and / or flavors, one or more aerosol-forming materials, and optionally one or more other functional materials.

[0133] The aerosol-generating material may include a binder, such as a gelling agent, and an aerosol-forming agent. Optionally, a substance to be delivered and / or a filler material may also be present. Optionally, a solvent, such as water, is also present, and one or more other components of the aerosol-generating material may or may not be soluble in the solvent. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is substantially free of plant material. In particular, in some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is substantially free of tobacco.

[0134] The aerosol-generating material may include or be in the form of an aerosol-generating film. The aerosol-generating film may include a binder, such as a gelling agent, and an aerosol-forming agent. Optionally, a substance to be delivered and / or a filler material may also be present. The aerosol-generating film may be substantially free of plant material. In particular, in some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is substantially free of tobacco.

[0135] The aerosol-generating film may have a thickness of about 0.015 mm to about 1 mm. For example, the thickness may be in the range of about 0.05 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.15 mm, 0.2 mm, or 0.3 mm, or about 0.015 mm to 0.3 mm, 0.015 mm to 0.25 mm, or 0.015 mm to 0.2 mm.

[0136] The aerosol-generating film can be formed by combining a binder, such as a gelling agent, with one or more other ingredients, such as a solvent, such as water, an aerosol-forming agent, and one or more substances to be delivered, to form a slurry, and then heating the slurry to volatilize at least a portion of the solvent to form the aerosol-generating film.

[0137] The slurry may be heated to remove at least about 60 wt%, 70 wt%, 80 wt%, 85 wt%, or 90 wt% of the solvent.

[0138] An aerosol-generating material may include or be an "amorphous solid." In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material includes an aerosol-generating film that is an amorphous solid. The amorphous solid may be a "monolithic solid." The amorphous solid may be substantially non-fibrous. In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may be a dry gel. An amorphous solid is a solid material that may retain some fluid, such as a liquid, within the amorphous solid. In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may include, for example, about 50 wt%, 60 wt%, or 70 wt% amorphous solid to about 90 wt%, 95 wt%, or 100 wt% amorphous solid.

[0139] The amorphous solid may be substantially free of plant material.The amorphous solid may be substantially free of tobacco.

[0140] A susceptor is a material that can be heated by penetration by a varying magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. The susceptor may be a conductive material, such that penetration of the susceptor by the varying magnetic field causes inductive heating of the susceptor by resistive heating as a result of electrical eddy currents. The susceptor may be a magnetic material, such that penetration of the susceptor by the varying magnetic field causes magnetic hysteresis heating of the susceptor. The susceptor may be both conductive and magnetic, such that the susceptor is heatable by both heating mechanisms. An apparatus configured to generate a varying magnetic field is called a magnetic field generator.

[0141] The susceptor may include a ferromagnetic metal such as iron, or an iron alloy such as steel or an iron-nickel alloy. Some exemplary ferromagnetic metals are 400 series stainless steel, such as grade 410 stainless steel, or grade 420 stainless steel, or grade 430 stainless steel, or similar grade stainless steel. Alternatively, the susceptor may include a suitable non-magnetic, especially paramagnetic, conductive material, such as aluminum. With paramagnetic conductive materials, induction heating occurs only by resistive heating due to eddy currents. Alternatively, the susceptor may include a non-conductive ferrimagnetic material, such as a non-conductive ferrimagnetic ceramic. In that case, heat is generated only by hysteresis losses. The susceptor may include a commercially available alloy, such as Phytherm 230 (having a composition (weight %=wt%) of 50 wt% Ni, 10 wt% Cr, and the remainder Fe) or Phytherm 260 (having a composition of 50 wt% Ni, 9 wt% Cr, and the remainder Fe).

[0142] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the aerosol-forming material includes an active agent.

[0143] The active substance used herein may be a physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. The active substance may be selected from, for example, dietary supplements, nootropics, and psychostimulants. The active substance may be naturally derived or synthetically obtained. The active substance may include, for example, nicotine, caffeine, taurine, non-cannabinoid-derived terpenes, theine, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or components, derivatives, or combinations thereof. The active substance may include one or more components, derivatives, or extracts of tobacco, cannabis, or another plant.

[0144] The active substance may include one or more components, derivatives or extracts of cannabis, such as one or more cannabinoids or terpenes.

[0145] In some embodiments, the active agent comprises nicotine, hi some embodiments, the active agent comprises caffeine, melatonin, or vitamin B12.

[0146] The active material may include or be derived from one or more botanical materials or components, derivatives, or extracts thereof. As used herein, the term "botanical material" includes any material derived from a plant, including, but not limited to, extracts, leaves, bark, fibers, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, husks, or shells. Alternatively, the material may include active compounds naturally occurring in plants that are synthetically obtained. The material may be in the form of a liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles, granules, pellets, chips, strips, or sheets, etc. Exemplary botanicals include tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, hemp, cocoa, cannabis, fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint, rooibos, chamomile, flax, ginger, ginkgo, hazel, hibiscus, bay, licorice, matcha, yerba mate, orange peel, papaya, rose, sage, tea, such as green or black tea, thyme, cloves, cinnamon, coffee, aniseed, basil, bay leaf, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, and lavender. The mint may be selected from the following mint varieties: peppermint, lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower, vanilla, wintergreen, shiso, curcuma, turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro, bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle, blackcurrant, valerian, pimento, mace, damiane, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, caraway, verbena, tarragon, geranium, mulberry, ginseng, theanine, theacrine, maca, ashwagandha, damiana, guarana, chlorophyll, baobab, or any combination thereof. The mint may be selected from the following mint varieties: peppermint, mentha, Egyptian mint, peppermint, cologne mint, candy mint, curly mint, Kentucky kernel mint, horse mint, pineapple mint, benny royal mint, green peppermint, and apple mint.

[0147] In some embodiments, the active agent comprises or is derived from one or more botanical substances or components, derivatives, or extracts thereof, and the botanical substance is tobacco.

[0148] In some embodiments, the active agent comprises or is derived from one or more botanical substances or components, derivatives, or extracts thereof, and the botanical substances are selected from eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, and hemp.

[0149] In some embodiments, the active agent comprises or is derived from one or more botanical substances or components, derivatives, or extracts thereof, and the botanical substances are selected from rooibos and fennel.

[0150] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises a flavoring or fragrance.

[0151] As used herein, the terms "flavor" and "flavoring agent" refer to materials that may be used, where local regulations permit, to create a desired taste, odor, or other somatic sensation in products intended for adult consumers.They may be any naturally derived flavoring material, botanical substance, extract of botanical substance, synthetically derived material, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice, hydrangea, eugenol, magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese peppermint, aniseed, cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herbs, wintergreen, cherries, berries, red berries, cranberries, peaches, apples, oranges, mangoes, clementines, lemons, limes, Tropical fruits, papaya, rhubarb, grapes, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus fruits, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascaria, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, khat, naswar, betel nut, shisha, pine, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine , ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, wasabi, pimenta, ginger, coffee, hemp, peppermint oil from any species of the genus Mentha, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, rooibos, flax, ginkgo, hazel, hibiscus, bay, yerba mate, orange peel, rose, tea such as green or black tea, thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaf, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, shiso, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle, black currant, valerian, pimento, mace, damiento, marjoram. The flavor enhancers may include other additives such as rum, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chives, caraway, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), flavor enhancers, bitter taste receptor site blockers, sensory receptor site activators or stimulants, sugars and / or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin, cyclamate, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), as well as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath fresheners.They may be man-made, synthetic, or naturally occurring, or a blend thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example a liquid such as an oil, a solid such as a powder, or a gas.

[0152] In some embodiments, the flavor comprises menthol, spearmint, and / or peppermint. In some embodiments, the flavor comprises cucumber, blueberry, citrus, and / or red berry flavor components. In some embodiments, the flavor comprises eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavor comprises flavor components extracted from tobacco. In some embodiments, the flavor comprises flavor components extracted from cannabis.

[0153] In some embodiments, the flavor may include a sensory elicitor, which is intended to achieve somatic sensations that are usually chemically induced and perceived by stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve) in addition to or instead of the aroma or taste nerves, and these may include agents that produce a heating, cooling, tingling, or numbing effect. A suitable heat effect agent may be, but is not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether, and a suitable cooling agent may be, but is not limited to, eucalyptol, WS-3.

[0154] The aerosol generating material includes an aerosol generating agent. In some embodiments, the aerosol generating agent may include one or more components capable of forming an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol generating agent may include one or more of glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, mesoerythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenylacetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate. In a particular example, the aerosol generating agent includes glycerol.

[0155] In some embodiments, the aerosol generating agent comprises one or more polyhydric alcohols, such as propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol, and glycerin, esters of polyhydric alcohols, such as glycerol mono-, di-, or triacetate, and / or aliphatic esters of mono-, di-, or polycarboxylic acids, such as dimethyl dodecanedioate and dimethyl tetradecanedioate.

[0156] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may comprise from about 0.1 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 1 wt%, 3 wt%, 5 wt%, 7 wt%, or 10% to about 50 wt%, 45 wt%, 40 wt%, 35 wt%, 30 wt%, or 25 wt% of the aerosol-generating agent (all calculated on a dry weight basis). The aerosol-generating agent may act as a plasticizer. For example, the aerosol-generating material may comprise from 0.5 to 40 wt%, from 3 to 35 wt%, or from 10 to 25 wt% of the aerosol-generating agent.

[0157] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may comprise from about 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 20 wt%, 25 wt%, 27 wt%, or 30 wt% to about 60 wt%, 55 wt%, 50 wt%, 45 wt%, 40 wt%, or 35 wt% of the aerosol-generating agent (DWB). For example, the aerosol-generating material may comprise from 10 to 60 wt%, 20 to 50 wt%, 25 to 40 wt%, or 30 to 35 wt% of the aerosol-generating agent.

[0158] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may include up to about 80 wt% aerosol-generating agent (DWB), such as about 40-80 wt%, 40-75 wt%, 50-70 wt%, or 55-65 wt%.

[0159] The aerosol-generating material may also include a gelling agent. In some embodiments, the gelling agent includes a hydrocolloid. In some embodiments, the gelling agent includes one or more compounds selected from the group including alginates, pectins, starches (and derivatives), celluloses (and derivatives), gums, silica or silicone compounds, clays, polyvinyl alcohols, and combinations thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the gelling agent includes one or more of alginates, pectins, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, pullulan, xanthan gum guar gum, carrageenan, agarose, acacia gum, fumed silica, PDMS, sodium silicate, kaolin, and polyvinyl alcohol. In some cases, the gelling agent includes alginates and / or pectins and may be combined with a hardening agent (such as a calcium source) during formation of the aerosol-generating material. In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may include calcium cross-linked alginates and / or calcium cross-linked pectins.

[0160] In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises one or more compounds selected from cellulosic gelling agents, non-cellulosic gelling agents, guar gum, acacia gum, and mixtures thereof.

[0161] In some embodiments, the cellulosic gelling agent is selected from the group consisting of hydroxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), methylcellulose, ethylcellulose, cellulose acetate (CA), cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB), cellulose acetate propionate (CAP), and combinations thereof.

[0162] In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises (or is) one or more of hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), carboxymethyl cellulose, guar gum, or acacia gum.

[0163] In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises (or is) one or more non-cellulosic gelling agents, including, but not limited to, agar, xanthan gum, gum arabic, guar gum, locust bean gum, pectin, carrageenan, starch, alginate, and combinations thereof. In preferred embodiments, the non-cellulosic gelling agent is alginate or agar.

[0164] In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises alginate, and the alginate is present in the aerosol-generating material in an amount of 10-30 wt % of the aerosol-generating material (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some embodiments, the alginate is the only gelling agent present in the aerosol-generating material. In other embodiments, the gelling agent comprises alginate and at least one further gelling agent, such as pectin.

[0165] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises from about 1 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, or 25 wt% to about 60 wt%, 50 wt%, 45 wt%, 40 wt%, or 35 wt% of gelling agent (all calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the aerosol-forming material may comprise from 1 to 50 wt%, 5 to 45 wt%, 10 to 40 wt%, or 20 to 35 wt% of gelling agent.

[0166] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises about 20 wt%, 22 wt%, 24 wt%, or 25 wt% to about 30 wt%, 32 wt%, or 35 wt% gelling agent (all calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the aerosol-forming material may comprise 20-35 wt% or 25-30 wt% gelling agent.

[0167] In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may include from about 1 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, or 20 wt% to about 60 wt%, 50 wt%, 40 wt%, 30 wt%, or 25 wt% of the gelling agent (DWB). For example, the aerosol-generating material may include from 10 to 40 wt%, 15 to 30 wt%, or 20 to 25 wt% of the gelling agent (DWB).

[0168] In examples, the aerosol-generating material comprises the gelling agent and the filler together in an amount between about 10 wt%, 20 wt%, 25 wt%, 30 wt%, or 35 wt% to about 60 wt%, 55 wt%, 50 wt%, or 45 wt% of the aerosol-generating material. In examples, the aerosol-generating material comprises the gelling agent and the filler together in an amount between about 20-60 wt%, 25-55 wt%, 30-50 wt%, or 35-45 wt% of the aerosol-generating material.

[0169] In examples, the aerosol-generating material comprises gelling agent in an amount of about 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, 25 wt%, 30 wt%, or 35 wt% to about 60 wt%, 55 wt%, 50 wt%, or 45 wt% of the aerosol-generating material (i.e., not considering the amount of filler). In examples, the aerosol-generating material comprises gelling agent in an amount of about 5-60 wt%, 20-60 wt%, 25-55 wt%, 30-50 wt%, or 35-45 wt% of the aerosol-generating material (i.e., not considering the amount of filler).

[0170] In some examples, the alginate is included in the gelling agent in an amount of about 5-40 wt%, or 15-40 wt%, of the aerosol-generating material. That is, the aerosol-generating material comprises alginate in an amount of about 5-40 wt%, or 15-40 wt%, of the aerosol-generating material by dry weight. In some examples, the aerosol-generating material comprises alginate in an amount of about 20-40 wt%, or about 15 wt% to 35 wt%, of the aerosol-generating material.

[0171] In some examples, the pectin is included in the gelling agent in an amount of about 3-15 wt% of the aerosol-forming material, i.e., the aerosol-forming material comprises pectin in an amount of about 3-15 wt% of the aerosol-forming material by dry weight, in some examples, the aerosol-forming material comprises pectin in an amount of about 5-10 wt% of the aerosol-forming material.

[0172] In some examples, the guar gum is included in the gelling agent in an amount of about 3-40 wt% of the aerosol-generating material. That is, the aerosol-generating material includes guar gum in an amount of about 3-40 wt% of the aerosol-generating material by dry weight. In some examples, the aerosol-generating material includes guar gum in an amount of about 5-10 wt% of the aerosol-generating material. In some examples, the aerosol-generating material includes guar gum in an amount of about 15-40 wt%, or about 20-40 wt%, or about 15-35 wt% of the aerosol-generating material.

[0173] In examples, the alginate is present in an amount of at least about 50 wt% of the gelling agent. In examples, the aerosol-forming material includes alginate and pectin, and the ratio of alginate to pectin is 1:1 to 10:1. The ratio of alginate to pectin is typically >1:1, i.e., the alginate is present in an amount greater than the amount of pectin. In examples, the ratio of alginate to pectin is about 2:1 to 8:1, or about 3:1 to 6:1, or approximately 4:1.

[0174] The aerosol-generating material may be formed by (a) forming a slurry including components of the aerosol-generating material or its precursors, (b) forming a layer of the slurry, (c) curing the slurry to form a gel, and (d) drying to form the aerosol-generating material.

[0175] (b) forming the layer of the slurry typically includes spraying, casting, or extruding the slurry. In an example, the slurry layer is formed by electrospraying the slurry. In an example, the slurry layer is formed by casting the slurry.

[0176] In some examples, (b) and / or (c) and / or (d) are performed at least partially simultaneously (e.g., during electrospraying). In some examples, (b), (c), and (d) are performed sequentially.

[0177] In some examples, the slurry is applied to a substrate and a layer may be formed on the substrate.

[0178] In an example, the slurry includes a gelling agent, an aerosol forming agent, and an active agent. The slurry may include these components in any of the proportions given herein for the composition of the aerosol-generating material. For example, the slurry may include (on a dry weight basis): a gelling agent and optionally a filler, the amount of the gelling agent and the filler taken together being about 10-60 wt. % of the slurry; - an aerosol former material in an amount of about 40-80 wt% of the slurry; Optionally, an active material in an amount of up to about 20 wt. % of the slurry; and may include.

[0179] Hardening the gel (c) may include providing a hardening agent to the slurry. For example, the slurry may include sodium alginate, potassium alginate, or ammonium alginate as a gel precursor, and a hardening agent including a calcium source (such as calcium chloride) may be added to the slurry to form a calcium alginate gel.

[0180] In examples, the sclerosing agent comprises or consists of calcium acetate, calcium formate, calcium carbonate, calcium bicarbonate, calcium chloride, calcium lactate, or combinations thereof. In some examples, the sclerosing agent comprises or consists of calcium formate and / or calcium lactate. In certain examples, the sclerosing agent comprises or consists of calcium formate. The inventors have determined that employing calcium formate as a sclerosing agent typically results in aerosol generating materials having greater tensile strength and greater resistance to elongation.

[0181] The total amount of hardening agent, such as a calcium source, may be 0.5 to 5 wt % (calculated on a dry weight basis). Suitably, the total amount may be from about 1 wt %, 2.5 wt %, or 4 wt % to about 4.8 wt % or 4.5 wt %. The inventors have found that adding too little hardening agent may result in an aerosol-generating material in which the aerosol-generating material components are not stabilized and these components fall off the aerosol-generating material. The inventors have found that adding too much hardening agent results in an aerosol-generating material that is very sticky and therefore difficult to handle.

[0182] If the aerosol-forming material does not contain tobacco, it may be necessary to apply a larger amount of stiffening agent. Thus, in some cases, the total amount of stiffening agent may be 0.5 to 12 wt%, such as 5 to 10 wt%, calculated on a dry weight basis. Suitably, the total amount may be from about 5 wt%, 6 wt%, or 7 wt% to about 12 wt% or 10 wt%. In this case, the aerosol-forming material will generally be tobacco-free.

[0183] In an example, adding the hardening agent to the slurry includes spraying the hardening agent onto the slurry, such as onto the top surface of the slurry.

[0184] Alginates are derivatives of alginic acid and are typically high molecular weight polymers (10-600 kDa). Alginic acid is a copolymer of β-D-mannuronic acid (M) units and α-L-guluronic acid (G) units (blocks) linked together by (1,4)-glycosidic bonds to form a polysaccharide. Upon addition of calcium cations, alginates crosslink to form gels. Alginates with a high G monomer content have been found to form gels more readily upon addition of a calcium source. Thus, in some cases, the gel precursor may include alginates in which at least about 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, or 70% of the monomer units in the alginate copolymer are α-L-guluronic acid (G) units.

[0185] In examples, drying (d) removes from about 50 wt%, 60 wt%, 70 wt%, 80 wt%, or 90 wt% to about 80 wt%, 90 wt%, or 95 wt% (WWB) of the water in the slurry.

[0186] In an example, drying (d) reduces the thickness of the cast material by at least 80%, preferably 85% or 87%. For example, the slurry is cast at a thickness of 2 mm and the resulting dried aerosol-generating material has a thickness of 0.2 mm.

[0187] In some examples, the slurry solvent consists essentially of or consists of water, hi some examples, the slurry comprises about 50 wt%, 60 wt%, 70 wt%, 80 wt%, or 90 wt% solvent (WWB).

[0188] In instances where the solvent comprises water, the dry weight content of the slurry can match the dry weight content of the aerosol-forming material. Thus, any discussion herein of solids compositions is expressly disclosed in conjunction with the slurry aspects of the invention.

[0189] The aerosol-generating material may include a flavoring. Suitably, the aerosol-generating material may include up to about 80 wt%, 70 wt%, 60 wt%, 55 wt%, 50 wt%, or 45 wt% of the flavoring. In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may include at least about 0.1 wt%, 1 wt%, 10 wt%, 20 wt%, 30 wt%, 35 wt%, or 40 wt% of the flavoring (all calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the aerosol-generating material may include 1-80 wt%, 10-80 wt%, 20-70 wt%, 30-60 wt%, 35-55 wt%, or 30-45 wt% of the flavoring. In some cases, the flavoring includes, consists essentially of, or consists of menthol.

[0190] The aerosol-forming material may include a bulking agent.

[0191] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material contains less than 60 wt% filler, such as between 1 wt% and 60 wt%, or between 5 wt% and 50 wt%, or between 5 wt% and 30 wt%, or between 10 wt% and 20 wt%.

[0192] In other embodiments, the aerosol forming material contains less than 20 wt%, preferably less than 10 wt%, or less than 5 wt% filler. In some cases, the aerosol forming material contains less than 1 wt% filler, and in some cases, no filler.

[0193] In some such cases, the aerosol-forming material comprises at least 1 wt% filler, e.g., at least 5 wt%, at least 10 wt%, at least 20 wt%, at least 30 wt%, at least 40 wt%, or at least 50 wt% filler, hi some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises between 5 and 25 wt% filler.

[0194] The filler, when present, may include one or more inorganic filler materials, such as calcium carbonate, perlite, vermiculite, diatomaceous earth, colloidal silica, magnesium oxide, magnesium sulfate, magnesium carbonate, and suitable inorganic adsorbents, such as molecular sieves. The filler may include one or more organic filler materials, such as wood pulp, cellulose, and cellulose derivatives, such as methylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). In certain cases, the aerosol-generating material does not include calcium carbonate, such as chalk.

[0195] In certain embodiments that include a filler, the filler is fibrous. For example, the filler may be a fibrous organic filler material such as wood pulp, hemp fiber, cellulose or a cellulose derivative (methylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), etc.).

[0196] Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the inclusion of fibrous fillers in the aerosol-generating material may increase the tensile strength of the material, which may be particularly useful in instances where the aerosol-generating material is provided as a sheet, such as when the sheet circumscribes a rod of aerosolizable material.

[0197] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material does not include tobacco fibers, hi certain embodiments, the aerosol-forming material does not include fibrous materials.

[0198] The aerosol-generating materials may include one or more active agents and / or flavors, one or more aerosol-forming materials, and optionally one or more other functional materials.

[0199] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material further comprises an active agent. For example, in some cases, the aerosol-generating material further comprises tobacco material and / or nicotine. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises powdered tobacco and / or nicotine and / or a tobacco extract.

[0200] In some cases, the aerosol-forming material may comprise between 5 and 60 wt% tobacco material and / or nicotine (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some cases, the aerosol-forming material may comprise between about 1 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, or 25 wt% to about 70 wt%, 60 wt%, 50 wt%, 45 wt%, 40 wt%, 35 wt%, or 30 wt% active agent (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some cases, the aerosol-forming material may comprise between about 1 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, or 25 wt% to about 70 wt%, 60 wt%, 50 wt%, 45 wt%, 40 wt%, 35 wt%, or 30 wt% tobacco material (calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the aerosol-generating material may include 10-50 wt%, 15-40 wt%, or 20-35 wt% tobacco material. In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may include from about 1 wt%, 2 wt%, 3 wt%, or 4 wt% to about 20 wt%, 18 wt%, 15 wt%, or 12 wt% nicotine (calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the aerosol-generating material may include 1-20 wt%, 2-18 wt%, or 3-12 wt% nicotine.

[0201] In some cases, the aerosol-generating material includes an active agent such as tobacco extract. In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may include 5-60 wt% tobacco extract (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may include about 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, or 25 wt% to about 60 wt%, 50 wt%, 45 wt%, 40 wt%, 35 wt%, or 30 wt% tobacco extract (calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the aerosol-generating material may include 10-50 wt%, 15-40 wt%, or 20-35 wt% tobacco extract. The tobacco extract may contain nicotine in a concentration such that the aerosol-forming material contains from 1 wt%, 1.5 wt%, 2 wt%, or 2.5 wt% to about 6 wt%, 5 wt%, 4.5 wt%, or 4 wt% nicotine (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some cases, there may be no nicotine present in the aerosol-forming material other than the nicotine originating from the tobacco extract.

[0202] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material does not include tobacco material, but does include nicotine. In some such cases, the aerosol-generating material may include from about 1 wt%, 2 wt%, 3 wt%, or 4 wt% to about 20 wt%, 18 wt%, 15 wt%, or 12 wt% nicotine (calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the aerosol-generating material may include from 1 to 20 wt%, 2 to 18 wt%, or 3 to 12 wt% nicotine.

[0203] In some cases, the total content of actives and / or flavorings may be at least about 0.1 wt%, 1 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 20 wt%, 25 wt%, or 30 wt%. In some cases, the total content of actives and / or flavorings may be less than about 90 wt%, 80 wt%, 70 wt%, 60 wt%, 50 wt%, or 40 wt% (all calculated on a dry weight basis).

[0204] In some cases, the total content of tobacco material, nicotine, and flavorings may be at least about 0.1 wt%, 1 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 20 wt%, 25 wt%, or 30 wt%. In some cases, the total content of actives and / or flavorings may be less than about 90 wt%, 80 wt%, 70 wt%, 60 wt%, 50 wt%, or 40 wt% (all calculated on a dry weight basis).

[0205] The aerosol-generating composition may include one or more active agents. In examples, the aerosol-generating material includes one or more active agents, for example, up to about 20 wt% of the aerosol-generating material. In examples, the aerosol-generating material includes the active agents in an amount of about 1 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, or 15 wt% to about 20 wt%, 15 wt%, 15 wt%, or 5 wt% of the aerosol-generating material.

[0206] Active substances may include physiologically and / or olfactory active substances that are included in the aerosol generating composition to achieve a physiological and / or olfactory response.

[0207] The tobacco material may be present in the aerosol forming composition in an amount of about 50-95 wt%, or about 60-90 wt%, or about 70-90 wt%, or about 75-85 wt%.

[0208] The tobacco material may be present in any form, but is typically shredded (e.g., cut into narrow strips). The shredded tobacco material may be suitably blended with the aerosol-forming material to provide an aerosol-forming composition having a uniform distribution of the tobacco material and the aerosol-forming material throughout the aerosol-forming composition.

[0209] In examples, the tobacco material comprises one or more of ground tobacco, tobacco fiber, shredded tobacco, extruded tobacco, tobacco stems, reconstituted tobacco, and / or tobacco extract. Surprisingly, the inventors have determined that it is possible to use relatively large amounts of flake tobacco in the aerosol-generating composition and still provide an acceptable aerosol when heated by a non-combustion aerosol delivery system. The flake tobacco typically provides superior sensory properties. In examples, the tobacco material comprises flake tobacco in an amount of at least about 50 wt%, 60 wt%, 70 wt%, 80 wt%, 85 wt%, 90 wt%, or 95 wt% of the tobacco material. In certain examples, the tobacco material comprises shredded tobacco in an amount of at least about 50 wt%, 60 wt%, 70 wt%, 80 wt%, 85 wt%, 90 wt%, or 95 wt% of the tobacco material.

[0210] The tobacco used to make the tobacco material may be any suitable tobacco, such as a single grade or blend, cut rag or whole leaf, including Virginia and / or Burley and / or Oriental.

[0211] In some embodiments, the one or more other functional ingredients may include one or more of a pH adjuster, a colorant, a preservative, a binder, a filler, a stabilizer, and / or an antioxidant.

[0212] In some cases, the aerosol-forming material may further include an emulsifier that emulsifies the molten flavoring during manufacture. For example, the aerosol-forming material may include about 5 wt% to about 15 wt% (calculated on a dry weight basis), preferably about 10 wt%, of an emulsifier. The emulsifier may include gum acacia.

[0213] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is a hydrogel and contains less than about 20 wt% water, calculated on a wet weight basis. In some cases, the hydrogel may contain less than about 15 wt%, 12 wt%, or 10 wt% water, calculated on a wet weight basis. In some cases, the hydrogel may contain at least about 1 wt%, 2 wt%, or at least about 5 wt% water (WWB).

[0214] The aerosol-forming material may have any suitable water content, such as from 1 wt% to 15 wt%. Preferably, the water content of the aerosol-forming material is from about 5 wt%, 7 wt%, or 9 wt% to about 15 wt%, 13 wt%, or 11 wt% (WWB), and most preferably about 10 wt%. The water content of the aerosol-forming material may be determined, for example, by Karl Fischer titration or gas chromatography with thermal conductivity detection (GC-TCD).

[0215] In some cases, the aerosol-forming material may consist essentially of or consist of a gelling agent, water, an aerosol-forming agent, a flavoring agent, and optionally an active agent.

[0216] In some cases, the aerosol-forming materials may consist essentially of or consist of a gelling agent, water, an aerosol-forming agent, flavorants, and optionally tobacco materials and / or a nicotine source.

[0217] In examples, the aerosol-generating material consists essentially of or consists of a gelling agent, an aerosol-generating agent, an active agent, and water.In examples, the aerosol-generating material consists essentially of or consists of a gelling agent, an aerosol-generating agent, and water.

[0218] In examples, the aerosol-forming material does not include a fragrance, and in certain examples, the aerosol-forming material does not include an active agent.

[0219] In some embodiments, the aerosol forming material comprises an aerosol forming material, the aerosol forming material comprising: 1 to 60% by weight of a gelling agent, 0.1 to 50% by weight of an aerosol generating agent, and - 0.1 to 80% by weight of flavorings, These weights are calculated on a dry weight basis. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises 1 to 80% by weight flavoring (on a dry weight basis).

[0220] In some embodiments, 1 to 50 wt. % of a gelling agent, - 0.1 to 50 wt.% of an aerosol generating agent, and - Contains 30 to 60 wt% flavorings, These weights are calculated on a dry weight basis of the aerosol-forming material.

[0221] In an alternative embodiment of the aerosol-forming material, the aerosol-forming material comprises an aerosol-forming material, the aerosol-forming material comprising: 1 to 60 wt. % of a gelling agent, - 5 to 60 wt. % of an aerosol generating agent, and -Containing 10-60 wt% tobacco extract; These weights are calculated on a dry weight basis.

[0222] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises: 1 to 60 wt. % of a gelling agent, - 20 to 60 wt. % of an aerosol generating agent, and -Containing 10-60 wt% tobacco extract; These weights are calculated on a dry weight basis.

[0223] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises 20-35 wt.% gelling agent, 10-25 wt.% aerosol former material, 5-25 wt.% fiber-containing filler, and 35-50 wt.% flavoring and / or active.

[0224] In some cases, the aerosol-forming materials may consist essentially of or consist of a gelling agent, an aerosol-forming agent, a tobacco extract, water, and optionally a flavoring. In some cases, the aerosol-forming materials may consist essentially of or consist of glycerol, alginate and / or pectin, a tobacco extract, and water.

[0225] In some embodiments, the aerosol generating material may comprise a gelling agent (preferably including alginate) in an amount of about 5 wt% to about 40 wt%, or about 10 wt% to 30 wt%, or about 15 wt% to about 25 wt%, a tobacco extract in an amount of about 30 wt% to about 60 wt%, or about 40 wt% to 55 wt%, or about 45 wt% to about 50 wt%, and an aerosol generating agent (preferably including glycerol) in an amount of about 10 wt% to about 50 wt%, or about 20 wt% to about 40 wt%, or about 25 wt% to about 35 wt% (DWB), having the following composition (DWB).

[0226] In one embodiment, the aerosol forming material comprises about 20 wt% alginate gelling agent, about 48 wt% Virginia tobacco extract, and about 32 wt% glycerol (DWB).

[0227] The "thickness" of an aerosol-generating material refers to the shortest distance between a first surface and a second surface. In embodiments in which the aerosol-generating material is in the form of a sheet, the thickness of the aerosol-generating material is the shortest distance between a first planar surface of the sheet and a second planar surface of the sheet opposite the first planar surface of the sheet.

[0228] In some cases, the layer of aerosol-forming aerosol-generating material has a thickness of about 0.015 mm to about 1.5 mm, preferably about 0.05 mm to about 1.5 mm, or 0.05 mm to about 1.0 mm. Preferably, the thickness may be in the range of about 0.1 mm or 0.15 mm to about 1.0 mm, 0.5 mm, or 0.3 mm.

[0229] In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may have a thickness of about 0.015 mm to about 1.0 mm. Suitably, the thickness may range from about 0.05 mm, 0.1 mm, or 0.15 mm to about 0.5 mm or 0.3 mm.

[0230] Materials having a thickness of 0.2 mm are particularly suitable. The aerosol-generating material may comprise two or more layers, and the thicknesses mentioned herein refer to the combined thicknesses of the layers.

[0231] It has been found that if the aerosol generating material is too thick, the heating efficiency is compromised, which has a negative impact on power consumption during use. Conversely, if the aerosol generating material is too thin, it is difficult to manufacture and handle, and very thin materials are difficult to cast and brittle, which can impair aerosol formation during use.

[0232] The thicknesses specified herein are the average thickness of the material. In some cases, the thickness of the aerosol-generating material may vary by 25%, 20%, 15%, 10%, 5%, or 1% or less.

[0233] In some examples, the aerosol-generating material in sheet form may have a tensile strength of about 200 N / m to about 900 N / m. In some examples, such as when the aerosol-generating material does not include a filler, the aerosol-generating material may have a tensile strength of 200 N / m to 400 N / m, or 200 N / m to 300 N / m, or about 250 N / m.

[0234] Such tensile strengths may be particularly suitable for embodiments in which the aerosol-generating material is formed as a sheet and then chopped into an aerosol product. In some examples, such as when the aerosol-generating material includes a filler, the aerosol-generating material may have a tensile strength of 600 N / m to 900 N / m, or 700 N / m to 900 N / m, or about 800 N / m. Such tensile strengths may be particularly suitable for embodiments in which the aerosol-generating material is included in an aerosol product / assembly as a rolled sheet, preferably in the form of a tube.

[0235] In some examples, the aerosol generating material in sheet form may have a tensile strength of about 200 N / m to about 2600 N / m. In some examples, the aerosol generating material may have a tensile strength of 600 N / m to 2000 N / m, or 700 N / m to 1500 N / m, or about 1000 N / m. Such tensile strengths may be particularly suitable for embodiments in which the aerosol generating material constituting the aerosol generating material is formed and incorporated into an aerosol generating consumable as a sheet.

[0236] The aerosol-forming material, including the aerosol-forming material, may have any suitable areal density, such as between 30 g / m2 and 350 g / m2. In some cases, the sheet may have a mass per unit area of ​​between 50 and 250 g / m2, or between about 70 and 210 g / m2, or between about 90 and 190 g / m2, or preferably between about 100 g / m2 (so that it has a similar density to cut rag tobacco and mixtures of these materials do not easily separate). In some cases, the sheet may have a mass per unit area of ​​between about 30 and 70 g / m2, between 40 and 60 g / m2, or between 25 and 60 g / m2, and may be used to wrap aerosolizable material, such as tobacco.

[0237] All weight percentages (expressed as wt%) described herein are calculated on a dry weight basis unless expressly stated otherwise. All weight ratios are also calculated on a dry weight basis. Weights quoted on a dry weight basis refer to the totality of the extract, slurry or material other than water, and may include ingredients that are themselves liquids at room temperature and pressure, such as glycerol. In contrast, weight percentages quoted on a wet weight basis refer to all ingredients, including water.

[0238] As used herein, the term "sheet" refers to an element having a width and length that are substantially greater than its thickness. A major surface of a sheet is the surface that extends in both the width and length dimensions when the sheet is flat. A sheet may be, for example, a strip.

[0239] The aerosol-generating material may include a colorant. The addition of a colorant may change the visual appearance of the aerosol-generating material. The presence of a colorant in the aerosol-generating material may enhance the aerosol-generating material and the visual appearance of the aerosol-generating material. By adding a colorant to the aerosol-generating material, the aerosol-generating material may be color-matched with other components of the aerosol-generating material or other components of an article comprising the aerosol-generating material.

[0240] Depending on the desired color of the aerosol-generating material, various colorants may be used. The color of the aerosol-generating material may be, for example, white, green, red, purple, blue, brown, or black. Other colors are also envisioned. Natural or synthetic colorants may be used, such as natural or synthetic dyes, food-grade colorants, and pharmaceutical-grade colorants. In certain embodiments, the colorant is caramel, which may impart a brown appearance to the aerosol-generating material. In such embodiments, the color of the aerosol-generating material may be similar to the color of other components (such as tobacco materials). In some embodiments, the addition of the colorant to the aerosol-generating material makes it visually indistinguishable from other components in the aerosol-generating material.

[0241] The colorant may be incorporated during the formation of the aerosol-generating material (e.g., when forming a slurry with the materials that form the aerosol-generating material), or the colorant may be applied to the aerosol-generating material after its formation (e.g., by spraying the colorant onto the aerosol-generating material).

[0242] In some embodiments of any of the above embodiments, talcum powder, calcium carbonate powder, or other powder is applied to an exposed surface of at least one distinct portion of the aerosol-generating material, which may reduce the level of tackiness or adhesiveness of the aerosol-generating material.

[0243] In the following description of the accompanying drawings, when an identical element is present in more than one embodiment, the same reference number is used for that element throughout, and when similar elements are present, similar reference numbers (the same numbers plus a multiple of 100) are used.

[0244] 1 and 2, an article 2 for use in manufacturing a consumable for use with a non-flammable aerosol delivery system is shown. The article 2 comprises a substrate 4, an aerosol-generating material 6, and a mask 8. The aerosol-generating material 6 is supported on a first surface 10 of the substrate 4. In another embodiment, not shown, the aerosol-generating material 6 is supported on a second surface 11 of the substrate 4.

[0245] The support 4 and mask 8 are sheet materials and may be of any suitable dimensions in the plane of their major (larger) surfaces. The support 4 and mask 8 are substantially the same size and shape.

[0246] The mask 8 comprises a number of openings 12 extending between the main surfaces of the mask 8 , each opening 12 defining a support area on a first surface 10 of the support 4 .

[0247] The aerosol-generating material 6 is in the form of multiple separate portions 6A of aerosol-generating material 6 in Fig. 2. The aerosol-generating material 6 is in the form of an aerosol-generating material film. In Fig. 2, four portions 6A of aerosol-generating material are shown, and the present disclosure includes other numbers of portions 6A ranging from one to many portions. The number of portions may be limited only by the dimensions of the surface 10 of the mask 8 and support 4, the desired spacing of the openings 12 from one another, and the practicality of handling the support 4 and mask 8.

[0248] The portion 6A of aerosol-generating material is shown as rectangular in the plane of the surface 10 of the substrate 4. The present disclosure includes portions 6A having other or varying shapes.

[0249] Portions 6A of aerosol-generating material are disposed on surface 10 within support areas defined by openings 12 in mask 8. The openings 12 are in a spatial arrangement relative to one another that is approximately a square grid pattern, resulting in support areas on surface 10 of support 4 having the same pattern. Portions of surface 10 of support 4 that are not within the support areas separate the support areas.

[0250] Substrate 4 has a mask 8 applied to a first surface 10, with portions 6A of aerosol-forming material each covering a portion of the substrate area and spaced from the periphery of the substrate area as indicated by lines 12A.

[0251] 3, surface 10 of substrate 4 is shown in plan view with portions 6A of aerosol-generating material disposed on surface 10. Dashed lines 12A represent the edges of apertures 12 and the perimeter of the support area when mask 8 is applied to surface 10. As can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, portions 6A are shaped and dimensioned such that the faces of mask 8 that define the faces that define apertures 12 intimately surround each of portions 6A.

[0252] The mask 8 has a first and a second surface 16, 20, which are the first and second main surfaces of the mask 8. The second surface 20 is intended to be adjacent to the surface 10 of the support 4, the first surface 16 being further from the surface 10 of the support 4 than the second surface 20 when the mask is applied to the first surface 10 of the support 4. The thickness of the mask (the distance between the first surface 16 and the second surface 20 of the mask 8 in a direction perpendicular to the surface 10 of the support 4) is greater than the maximum thickness (direction perpendicular to the surface 10 of the support 4) of the portion 6A of the aerosol-generating material. This has the consequence that, as shown in FIG. 4, the surface 14 of the portion 6A is closer to the surface 10 of the support 4 than the surface 16 of the mask 8, and the portion 6A is at least partially protected by the mask 8 from contact and damage by external objects. It also has the consequence that the product 2 can be stacked or rolled without the aerosol-generating material 6 coming into contact with and potentially adhering to the next layer of the product 2.

[0253] Surface 16 of mask 8 may be used to support branding, instructions, product information, and / or decorative materials.

[0254] The mask 8 is adhered to the support 4 by an adhesive 18. With further reference to Figure 4, the adhesive 18 is applied in this first embodiment such that there is a layer of adhesive between the surface 10 of the support 4 and the second surface 20 of the mask 8. An aerosol-generating material is used as the adhesive 18 because it is sufficiently tacky to achieve the required adhesive strength between the mask 8 and the support 4, and because of the known properties of the aerosol-generating material when the adhesive 18 is heated.

[0255] 5 and 6, in a second embodiment, product 102 is of similar construction to product 2 described above, with the following differences. As shown in FIG. 5, surface 10 of support 4 is shown in plan view, with portions 6A of aerosol-generating material disposed on surface 10. Dashed lines 112A represent edges of openings 112 / support area when mask 108 is applied to surface 10. As seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, openings 112 are shaped and dimensioned such that the surface of mask 108 defining openings 112 surrounds each of portions 6A, but is spaced apart from portions 6A. As a result, openings 112 overlap portions 6A and portions of surface 10 of support 4 surrounding portions 6A.

[0256] The mask 108 is adhered to the support 4 by an adhesive 118. With further reference to Figure 6, in this embodiment, the adhesive 118 is applied such that a bead or thin strip of adhesive 118 extends across the portion of the surface 10 of the support 4 that does not support the aerosol-generating material 6. The bead of adhesive 118 extends between the surface 10 of the support 4 and a second surface 120 of the mask 108. The bead of adhesive 118 is indicated by the long dashed line 118 in Figure 5.

[0257] 7 and 8, in a third embodiment, the product 202 is of a similar structure to the product 2 described above, with the following differences. As shown in FIG. 7, the surface 10 of the support 4 is shown in plan view, with the portions 206A of aerosol-generating material disposed on the surface 10. The dashed lines 212A represent the edges of the openings 212 / support areas when the mask 208 is superimposed on the surface 10 and the portions 206A of the aerosol-generating material. As seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, the openings 212 are shaped and dimensioned such that the faces of the mask 208 that define the openings 212 surround only a portion of the portions 206A of the aerosol-generating material, with the portions 206A extending between the respective adjacent support areas. As a result, no portion of the surface 10 of the support 4 is accessible through any of the openings 212.

[0258] The mask 208 is adhered to the support 4 and the portion 206A of aerosol-generating material by an adhesive 218. In this embodiment, the adhesive 218 is applied such that the adhesive 218 extends between a face 220 of the mask 208 and the portions of the surface 10 of the support 4 that do not support the portion 206A of aerosol-generating material and that are not covered by the openings 212 of the portion 206A of aerosol-generating material.

[0259] In an alternative bonding configuration to that shown in Figure 8, as shown in Figure 9, the mask 208 is bonded to the support 4 and the portion 206A of aerosol-generating material by an adhesive 218. The adhesive 218 is applied in this embodiment such that the adhesive 218 extends between a face 220 of the mask 208 and the portion of the surface 10 of the support 4 that does not support the portion 206A of aerosol-generating material.

[0260] The portion 206A of aerosol-generating material includes one or more perforations 240 extending through the support 4 and the portion 206A of aerosol-generating material. The perforations 240 are small in size in the plane of the surface 10 of the support 4 and are positioned in a position such that the end of the perforation 240 closest to the surface 216 of the mask 208 is covered by the opening 212. The perforations 240 reduce the likelihood of the aerosol-generating material flaking off the support 4 when a consumable made from the product 202 is used in a non-flammable aerosol delivery system.

[0261] 10, a support 4 in the form of a roll 22 of support 4 is provided for producing products 2, 102, 202 as described above. The width of the roll 22 (in the axial direction of the roll 22) is the width of one or more products 2, 102, 202. The roll 22 is supported on a shaft that is part of a manufacturing apparatus (not shown). The support 4 is continuously fed off the roll 22 with the surface 10 of the support uppermost (arrow 26 pointing up) along a flat bed 24 that supports the support 4. The flat bed 24 prevents the support 4 from deflecting or changing position as it moves along the bed 24.

[0262] As the substrate 4 moves along the flatbed 24, portions 6A of aerosol-generating material (for clarity, not all of the portions 6A are labeled) are applied to the surface 10 of the substrate 4 in a predetermined pattern. The pattern includes areas of the surface 10 of the substrate 4 without aerosol-generating material 6 present between the portions 6A of aerosol-generating material.

[0263] Portions 6A of aerosol-generating material are applied to substrate 4 in the form of an aerosol-generating material slurry by a suitable application technique, such as rotary screen printing, using a suitable application device (not shown). Portions 6A may be rectangular, as shown, or may have an alternative shape. They may contain a predetermined amount of aerosol-generating material.

[0264] Once the portion 6A of aerosol-generating material has been applied to the substrate 4, the portion 6A of aerosol-generating material is allowed to cure or at least partially cured. This can be achieved by having a long period of travel for the portion 6A of aerosol-generating material before further processing of the substrate / portion 6A takes place (for ease of representation, the long bed over which the substrate 4 travels is not shown).

[0265] Alternatively, the substrate 4 and portion 6A may be exposed to one or more environmental conditions or energy sources (not shown) that increase and / or control the rate at which portion 6A of the aerosol-generating material is cured. For example, portion 6A may be exposed to infrared radiation to increase the rate at which portion 6A is cured. The ability to control the rate at which portion 6A of the aerosol-generating material is cured has the consequence that the quality and characteristics of the cured or partially cured aerosol-generating material can be controlled. For example, the rate of curing may be maintained at a rate that does not induce the formation of cracks or other discontinuities in the aerosol-generating material.

[0266] The manufacture of the product 2, 102, 202 as described above also includes the provision of a mask 8 with one or more openings 12. The mask 8 is provided in the form of a roll 28 of material with the openings 12 already formed in the mask 8 to form the mask 8. The formation of the openings may occur at a different time and / or in a different location than the use of the mask 8 in the manufacture of the product 2, 102, 201. The formation of the openings may be performed by known methods.

[0267] 11 and with further reference to FIG. 10, the openings 12 (for clarity, not all openings 12 are labeled) of the mask 8 are arranged in groups 30. Each group 30 of openings 12 corresponds to an opening that will be part of the product 2, 102, 202, and ultimately forms a consumable opening when the product is separated into individual consumables that can be used in conjunction with a non-flammable aerosol delivery system.

[0268] The roll 28 of mask 8 is the same width (in the axial direction of the roll 28) as the roll 22 of substrate 4. The roll 28 is supported on a shaft that is part of the manufacturing apparatus (not shown). The mask 8 is continuously advanced from the roll 28 along a path that carries the mask 8 through an adhesive application apparatus 32.

[0269] Adhesive applicator 32 may be any known adhesive application means, such as an adhesive roller, and is configured to apply adhesive 18 (not shown in FIG. 10 ) to portions of surface 20 of mask 8 that correspond to portions of surface 10 of support 4 that do not support aerosol-generating material 6.

[0270] The mask 8 is tracked to a position where the mask 8 overlies the substrate 4 and where each opening 12 overlies, in this embodiment, a portion of the portion 6A of aerosol-generating material. As the mask enters that position, the adhesive 18 on the surface 20 of the mask 8 contacts the surface 10 of the substrate 4.

[0271] The support 4 and mask 8 then pass through a compression roller (not shown) which presses the support 4 and mask 8 together. This ensures that the adhesive 18 adheres to the support 4.

[0272] After compression, the support 4 and mask 8 are provided on a storage roll 34. The support 4 and mask 8 can be stored as a storage roll 34. The mask 8 is of a thickness such that the aerosol-generating material in portion 6A is no thicker than the distance between surface 20 and surface 16 of mask 8 in a direction perpendicular to surface 10 of the support 4, so that the aerosol-generating material in each opening 12 does not contact the support 4 when the support 4 and mask 8 are on the storage roll 34.

[0273] Optionally, as the support 4 and mask 8 are fed onto the roll 34, the support 4 and mask 8 are cut in the direction of travel of the support 4 and mask 8 to form a plurality of thinner rolls 34A. As shown in Figure 12, in the illustrated embodiment, five thinner rolls 34A are formed.

[0274] Optionally, at some point between unwinding of support 4 from roll 22 and winding of support 4 and mask 8 onto storage roll 34 or storage roll 34A, support 4 passes through a perforation device (not shown) that introduces one or more perforations 240 through one or both of support 4 and portion 6A of aerosol-generating material. Perforations 240 are small in size, e.g., less than 0.5 mm in size, in the plane of surface 10 of support 4, and are positioned such that the ends of perforations 240 closest to surface 16 of mask 8 are covered by openings 12.

[0275] Storage roll 34 or storage roll 34A may be stored until needed for the production of multiple consumables.

[0276] 13 and 14, when it is desired to produce a consumable 38, a storage roll, such as storage roll 34A, is unwound and separated along separation lines 36. Between each separation line 36 are groups 30 of openings 12. The consumable 38 can then be used in a non-flammable aerosol delivery system.

[0277] The above description is intended to be illustrative only, and those skilled in the art will recognize that changes can be made to the described embodiments without departing from the scope of the disclosed invention. Still other modifications that fall within the scope of the invention will be apparent to those of skill in the art in light of a consideration of the present disclosure.

[0278] Various aspects of the methods, products, and consumables disclosed in the various embodiments may be used alone, in combination, or in various configurations not specifically described in the above embodiments. Thus, the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details and arrangements of components set forth in the foregoing description or illustrated in the drawings. For example, aspects described in one embodiment may be combined in any manner with aspects described in other embodiments. Although specific embodiments have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications can be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects. The following claims should not be limited by the embodiments described in the examples, but should be accorded the broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.

Claims

1. 1. A method of manufacturing an article comprising an aerosol-generating material, a substrate, and a mask, comprising: providing a support, the support being of the same size and having a first surface and a second surface on opposing surfaces of the support; providing a mask configured such that when the mask is applied to the first surface of the support in an application orientation relative to the support, there is at least one area on the first surface of the support that is not covered by the mask, each area that is not covered by the mask being a support area; applying an aerosol-forming material to the first surface of the support such that at least one of the support regions is at least partially covered by the aerosol-forming material; applying the mask to one of the first and second surfaces of the support in the application orientation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mask is applied to the first surface of the support.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mask is applied to the second surface of the support.

4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the application of the aerosol-forming material is the application of a slurry of the aerosol-forming material.

5. 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of allowing or curing the aerosol-generating material slurry applied to the support, wherein the aerosol-generating material slurry at least partially hardens into an aerosol-generating material film.

6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the application of an aerosol-forming material to the first surface of the substrate is the application of at least one separate portion of an aerosol-forming material.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the application of the aerosol-forming material to the substrate is the application of at least two separate portions of the aerosol-forming material.

8. 8. The method of claim 6 or 7, wherein the at least two separate portions of aerosol-generating material each comprise the same predetermined volume of aerosol-generating material.

9. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein there are at least two support regions, at least two of the support regions being at least partially covered by the same amount of aerosol-generating material as each other, the amount of the aerosol-generating material being determined by one of a surface area, a mass, or a volume in the plane of the first surface of the support.

10. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein each support area is covered with the same amount of aerosol-forming material as each other.

11. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one support area is entirely covered by the aerosol-forming material.

12. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein each support region has a perimeter, and in at least one of the support regions, the aerosol-forming material is constructed and arranged such that the aerosol-forming material is spaced from the perimeter of that support region.

13. The method of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein in at least one of the support regions, the aerosol-forming material extends from the support region.

14. 14. The method of any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising the use of an adhesive to adhere the mask to one or both of the support and the aerosol-generating material applied to the first surface of the support.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein an aerosol-generating material slurry is used as the adhesive.

16. The method of any one of claims 1 to 15, further comprising ultrasonically welding at least a portion of the mask to at least a portion of the first or second surface of the support.

17. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the mask is a flexible sheet material.

18. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mask is paper or card.

19. 19. The method of any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the thickness of the mask in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the support when the mask is applied to the support is equal to or greater than the thickness of the aerosol-generating material applied to the first surface of the support.

20. 20. The method of any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the mask defines one or more openings extending through the mask in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the support when the mask is applied to the support, each opening defining a support region.

21. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support is a flexible sheet material.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the support is an aluminum foil.

23. 23. The method of any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein at least partially curing the aerosol-forming material slurry applied to the substrate comprises exposing the aerosol-forming material slurry to infrared radiation.

24. 24. The method of any one of claims 1 to 23, wherein the method further comprises forcing cooling of the support and aerosol-generating material after allowing or causing the aerosol-generating material slurry applied to the support to at least partially harden.

25. The method of any one of claims 1 to 26, wherein the method further comprises configuring the product for storage.

26. 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the mask is applied to the first surface of the support and configuring the product for storage comprises winding the product onto a bobbin, folding the product into an accordion-like shape, or cutting the product into a flat sheet for storage.

27. 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the product is cut into sheets for storage and the mask is applied to the second surface of the support, the distance between cuts and the configuration of the mask being such that when the second sheet is placed over the first sheet and edges of the supports of the first and second sheets are adjacent and parallel to one another, the support area of ​​the first sheet is adjacent to the portion of the second surface of the support of the second sheet that is not covered by the mask applied to the second sheet.

28. A method according to any one of claims 25 to 27, wherein configuring the product for storage further comprises cutting the product into longitudinally extending strips.

29. 29. The method of any one of claims 1 to 28, wherein the product is larger than is compatible for use in a non-flammable aerosol delivery system, the method further comprising separating the product into two or more product portions, each product portion shaped and sized for use as a consumable for use in a non-flammable aerosol delivery system.

30. The method of any one of claims 1 to 28, wherein the product is shaped and dimensioned for use as a consumable for use with a non-flammable aerosol delivery system.

31. 31. The method of any one of claims 1 to 30, wherein the support is a discontinuous sheet, the support being present at all locations of the support area and configured to be secured to portions of the mask adjacent edges of the mask that define the support area.

32. 1. An article of manufacture for use in manufacturing a consumable for use with a non-flammable aerosol delivery system, comprising: the article comprises an aerosol-generating material, a substrate, and a mask; the support has a first surface and a second surface that are opposed to each other and have the same size; an aerosol-forming material is supported on the first surface of the support; the mask is configured such that when the mask is applied to the first surface of the support in an application orientation relative to the support, there is at least one area on the first surface of the support that is not covered by the mask and is a support area; at least one of the support regions is at least partially covered by an aerosol-forming material; The product, wherein the mask is applied to one of the first and second surfaces of the substrate in the application orientation.

33. 33. The article of claim 32, wherein the mask is applied to the first surface of the substrate.

34. 33. The article of claim 32, wherein the mask is applied to the second surface of the substrate.

35. The article of manufacture of any one of claims 32 to 34, wherein the aerosol-forming material is an aerosol-forming material film.

36. A product according to any one of claims 32 to 35, wherein the aerosol-forming material is in the form of at least one separate portion of aerosol-forming material.

37. 37. The article of manufacture of claim 36, wherein the aerosol-forming material is in the form of at least two separate portions of aerosol-forming material.

38. 38. The product of any one of claims 32 to 37, wherein there are at least two support regions, each at least partially covered by the same amount of aerosol-generating material, the amount of aerosol-generating material being determined by the surface area, mass, or volume in the plane of the first surface of the support.

39. 40. The article of claim 38, wherein each support area is at least partially covered by the same amount of aerosol-forming material as each other.

40. 40. A product according to any one of claims 32 to 39, wherein at least one support area is entirely covered by the aerosol-forming material.

41. 40. The article of manufacture of any one of claims 32 to 39, wherein each support region has a perimeter, and in at least one of the support regions, the aerosol-forming material is constructed and arranged such that the aerosol-forming material is spaced from the perimeter of that support region.

42. 42. A product according to any one of claims 32 to 41, wherein in at least one of the support regions, the aerosol-forming material extends from the support region.

43. 43. A product according to any one of claims 32 to 42, wherein the aerosol-forming material extends between at least two support regions.

44. 44. A product according to any one of claims 32 to 43, wherein the mask is fixed to one or both of the support and the aerosol-generating material.

45. 45. The article of manufacture of claim 44, wherein an adhesive is used to secure the mask to one or both of the support and the aerosol-generating material.

46. 46. ​​The article of claim 45, wherein the adhesive is an aerosol-forming material slurry.

47. 47. The article of manufacture of any one of claims 32 to 46, wherein ultrasonic welding is used to secure at least a portion of the mask to one or both of the support and the aerosol-generating material.

48. The article of manufacture of any one of claims 32 to 47, wherein the mask is a flexible sheet material.

49. 49. The article of manufacture of claim 48, wherein the mask comprises paper, card, metal foil, aluminum foil, felt, a nonwoven material, a spun material, or a woven material.

50. 50. A product according to any one of claims 32 to 49, wherein the mask comprises a material that is relatively flexible, plastically deformable, or elastically deformable compared to a rigid card.

51. 51. An article of manufacture according to any one of claims 32 to 50, wherein the mask comprises a material that is heat resistant, or at least heat resistant to temperatures typically encountered in an aerosol delivery device.

52. The article of manufacture of any one of claims 32 to 46, wherein the mask comprises a printable surface.

53. 53. The product of any one of claims 32 to 52, wherein the thickness of the mask in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the support when the mask is applied to the support is equal to or greater than the thickness of the aerosol-generating material applied to the first surface of the support.

54. 51. The article of claim 32, wherein a thickness of the aerosol-generating material is measured when the aerosol-generating material is cured or at least partially cured, and the thickness of the cured aerosol-generating material is in the range of 0.1 mm to 2.0 mm, 0.05 mm to 1.5 mm, 0.05 mm to 1.0 mm, 0.1 mm to 0.8 mm, or 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm.

55. 55. The article of manufacture of any one of claims 32 to 54, wherein the mask is between 0.5mm and 2.5mm thick.

56. 56. The product of any one of claims 32 to 55, wherein the mask is not of substantially uniform thickness, and at least a portion of at least one portion of the mask adjacent a support region when the mask is applied to the first surface of the support in an application orientation relative to the support is greater than or equal to a thickness of the aerosol-generating material applied to the first surface of the support in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the support when the mask is applied to the support.

57. 57. The article of manufacture of any one of claims 32 to 56, wherein the mask is not of substantially uniform thickness and at least a portion of the mask is configured to include one or more channels or ridges across portions of a surface of the mask that are not in contact with the support.

58. A product according to any one of claims 32 to 57, wherein the support is a flexible sheet material.

59. 60. The article of claim 58, wherein the substrate is one of an aluminum foil, a metal foil, a metal film, a plastic film, or a laminate comprising at least two layers.

60. 60. A product according to any one of claims 32 to 59, wherein the mask has a thickness in the range 0.5mm to 2.5mm and the support has a thickness in the range 0.005mm to 0.040mm.

61. 61. The product of any one of claims 32 to 60, wherein the product further comprises one or more perforations extending through one or both of the substrate and the aerosol-forming material.

62. 62. The product of any one of claims 32 to 61, wherein the support is a discontinuous sheet, the support being present at all locations of the support area and configured to be secured to portions of the mask adjacent edges of the mask that define the support area.

63. 63. A consumable for use with a non-flammable aerosol delivery system, said consumable being part of the product of any one of claims 32-62 shaped and sized into a desired configuration.

64. 64. An aerosol delivery device for use with the consumable of claim 63, comprising an aerosol generator configured to heat at least a portion of the aerosol-generating material supported on the support.

65. 64. An aerosol delivery system comprising an aerosol delivery device and the consumable of claim 63.

66. 64. A method of generating an aerosol from the consumable product of claim 63 using an aerosol generating device having at least one aerosol generator arranged to heat but not combust the product during use, wherein the at least one aerosol generator is a resistive heating element or a magnetic field generator and a susceptor.

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