Tobacco article comprising a vaporizable material with viscosity, related aerosol generation device and assembly method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a tobacco article (14) comprising a viscous vaporizable material (63) and a support (51), the support (51) being formed from one or more rigid sheets (61, 62) arranged or bent to hold the viscous vaporizable material (63) and to form an air flow path.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a tobacco article comprising a vaporizable material having viscosity. The present invention also relates to an aerosol generation device and an assembly method associated with such a tobacco article.

Background Art

[0002] Various types of aerosol generation devices are known in the art. Generally, such devices include a storage portion for storing a vaporizable material, also known as an aerosol-forming precursor, which can be, for example, liquid or solid, or even viscous. The heating system is formed from one or more electrically operated resistive elements arranged to heat the aforementioned precursor to generate an aerosol. The aerosol is discharged into a flow path extending between an inlet and an outlet of the device. The outlet may be disposed within a mouthpiece through which a user inhales to deliver the aerosol.

[0003] An aerosol generation device generally includes a battery capable of supplying power to the heating system. This power supply may be controlled by a control module that connects the heating system to the battery via an electrical circuit.

[0004] In some aerosol generation devices, the precursor is stored within a removable cartridge. Thus, when the precursor is consumed, the cartridge can be easily removed and replaced.

[0005] Cartridges for storing vaporizable materials in liquid form generally include a ceramic or cotton wick to deliver the liquid to a heating system. However, wicks of such types may experience poor flow or even burn after a limited number of puffing cycles. In other types of cartridges, liquid or viscous materials can be held within a metallic container and heated using resistive heating. However, in such cartridges, a large amount of condensate forms within the mouthpiece, requiring cleaning effort for the consumer. Additionally, high-efficiency insulation is needed to avoid the housing temperature becoming overly high for the consumer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0006] The present invention aims to avoid these problems and proposes a tobacco article without a wick that minimizes condensate within the mouthpiece and avoids overheating of the external housing.

MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0007] To this end, the present invention relates to a tobacco article comprising a viscous vaporizable material and a support, the support being formed from one or more rigid sheets configured or bent to hold the viscous vaporizable material and form an air flow path.

[0008] In particular, by having these features, the use of a wick can be avoided, since the viscous material can be directly heated by a resistive heater or electromagnetic induction to release an aerosol into the air flow path. The air flow path can also avoid condensate within the mouthpiece. Further, since the vaporizable material can be isolated from the heating chamber by the support and condensate can be minimized, the heating chamber does not need to be cleaned even with intensive use.

[0009] In the context of the present invention, a "rigid sheet" means that the sheet within the assembled tobacco article cannot be forced to distort its shape during normal use of the tobacco article. In other words, the rigidity of this sheet enables the formation of a given shape (e.g., a cylindrical shape) without losing mechanical integrity and good mechanical contact with adjacent layers.

[0010] Advantageously, the viscosity of the vaporizable material is included between 45,000 mPa·s and 250,000 mPa·s, preferably between 50,000 mPa·s and 130,000 mPa·s, even more preferably between 55,000 mPa·s and 100,000 mPa·s. The viscosity of the vaporizable material may, for example, be substantially equal to 60,000 mPa·s. The viscosity of the vaporizable material can be measured using a known viscometer, such as a Brookfield viscometer LVT. The viscosity of the vaporizable material can be selected as a function of the tobacco content within the vaporizable material. For example, when the content of the tobacco material is low, a more viscous vaporizable material may be required to maintain the desired mechanical integrity.

[0011] The Young's modulus of the vaporizable material may be included between 5 kPa and 30 kPa, advantageously between 7 kPa and 25 kPa. The Young's modulus may, for example, be substantially equal to 10 kPa. The Young's modulus can be measured with a known tensile testing machine.

[0012] In some embodiments, the tobacco content within the vaporizable material is included between 15% and 20%, and may advantageously be equal to, for example, 20% or 21%.

[0013] According to some embodiments, the single rigid sheet or each rigid sheet is made of metal.

[0014] Thanks to these features, the support can be heated by an external resistive heater, for example by conduction and / or convection, and the heat received can be directly transferred to the vaporizable material. Therefore, the aerosol generation efficiency can be increased.

[0015] According to some embodiments, the one rigid sheet or each rigid sheet is advantageously bent to form a cylindrical shape having a circular cross-section.

[0016] The cylindrical shape is particularly advantageous because an air flow path can be formed at the center of this shape. Therefore, an aerosol can be formed by the vaporizable material around the entire circumference of the air flow path, and the aerosol can be efficiently guided to the mouthpiece.

[0017] The cylindrical shape may have any suitable cross-section. For example, it may have a circular, rectangular, or square cross-section.

[0018] In the case of a circular cross-section, the tobacco article may have the same appearance as a conventional cigarette or a stick used in some HNB devices (heat-not-burn devices). Further, in some embodiments, the tobacco article may have an elongated shape and dimensions similar to those of a conventional cigarette. According to other embodiments, the tobacco article may be smaller than a conventional cigarette. For example, the diameter of the tobacco article may be between 4 and 15 mm, advantageously between 5 and 10 mm. This may be, for example, substantially equal to 6 mm. The length of the tobacco article can also be shorter compared to a conventional cigarette. For example, the length of the tobacco article may be between 6 mm and 20 mm, advantageously between 10 and 15 mm. This may be, for example, substantially equal to 12 mm.

[0019] According to some embodiments, the tobacco article includes an outer sheet and an inner sheet, and a viscous vaporizable material is held between those sheets.

[0020] Thanks to these features, the vaporizable material with viscosity can be efficiently retained between those sheets. Therefore, the vaporizable material is sandwiched between those sheets to form, for example, a thin tobacco layer. The thickness of the tobacco layer may be included between 0.1 mm and 5 mm, preferably between 0.5 mm and 3 mm, and even more preferably between 0.5 mm and 2 mm. Therefore, the tobacco layer can be heated almost instantaneously without requiring a special preheating stage. Furthermore, each rigid sheet can also form a thin layer. The thickness of the rigid sheet may be included, for example, between 0.01 mm and 1 mm, preferably between 0.05 mm and 0.5 mm. In some embodiments, this thickness may be substantially equal to 0.1 mm.

[0021] According to some embodiments, the inner sheet defines the boundary of the air flow path.

[0022] Therefore, the air flow path is bounded by one of the rigid sheets, and the vaporizable material can completely surround the air flow path. Due to these features, an aerosol can be formed by the vaporizable material around the entire circumference of the air flow path, and the aerosol can be efficiently guided to the mouthpiece.

[0023] According to some embodiments, the inner sheet is perforated.

[0024] The perforations in the inner sheet enable the direct release of the aerosol from the vaporizable material into the air flow path. The perforations may be arranged along the inner sheet according to any suitable pattern. For example, the perforations can be evenly distributed along the inner sheet. According to another embodiment, the perforations are mainly distributed within a predetermined portion of the inner sheet. This portion can form, for example, an upstream portion or a central portion or a downstream portion with respect to the air flow path. The dimensions of the perforations are preferably included between 0.3 mm and 0.7 mm and are preferably substantially equal to 0.5 mm.

[0025] According to some embodiments, the tobacco article further includes a gauze sheet sandwiched between the vaporizable material and at least one of those rigid sheets or those rigid sheets.

[0026] The gauze sheet can prevent leakage to the outside of the tobacco article and / or the air flow path. In a preferred embodiment, the gauze sheet is sandwiched between the inner sheet and the vaporizable material. The gauze sheet can extend, for example, according to the entire region of the corresponding rigid sheet. The gauze sheet can also ensure mechanical support for the vaporizable material. The gauze sheet can be made of or include cotton, nylon, glass fiber, cellulose, composite materials, and / or tea bag paper. The tea bag paper may be a mixture of wood and plant fibers. According to another embodiment, the tea bag paper is a porous element made of paper or optionally a polymer mesh.

[0027] According to some embodiments, the tobacco article further includes an outer package that assembles those rigid sheets or each rigid sheet and the filter / cooling part.

[0028] Thanks to these features, the aerosol formed by the vaporizable material can be filtered and / or cooled by the filter / cooling part.

[0029] According to some embodiments, the viscous vaporizable material is selected from at least one of the following elements: - Viscous T liquid; - Viscous E liquid; - Tobacco kneaded powder; - Tobacco wax.

[0030] According to some embodiments, the viscous vaporizable material includes solid inclusions and liquid inclusions, and the ratio of the solid inclusions is included between 80% and 120% of the liquid inclusions, and preferably is equal to 100% of the liquid inclusions.

[0031] Thanks to these features, the vaporizable material can form an appropriate viscosity to be held between the rigid sheets.

[0032] According to some embodiments, the solid inclusion comprises ground tobacco.

[0033] Thanks to these features, the aerosol formed by the vaporizable material can provide a tobacco flavor. The proportion of ground tobacco in the solid inclusion is included between 40% and 60%, and may preferably be substantially equal to 50%.

[0034] According to some embodiments, the liquid inclusion comprises glycerin, preferably propylene glycol and advantageously water.

[0035] According to some embodiments, - The proportion of glycerin is included between 50% and 100% of the liquid inclusion. - The proportion of propylene glycol is included between 0% and 50% of the liquid inclusion. - The proportion of water is included between 0% and 20% of the liquid inclusion.

[0036] Thanks to these features, the vaporizable material can generate vapor while being heated. By adapting these ratios within a given interval, the amount of vapor generated during the entire vapor inhalation session can be adjusted. Therefore, the user experience can be improved.

[0037] According to some embodiments, the aforementioned outer sheet forms the only outer sheet, and the aforementioned inner sheet forms the only inner sheet of this article.

[0038] According to some embodiments, the viscous vaporizable material is in direct contact with the outer sheet.

[0039] According to some embodiments, the viscous vaporizable material forms the only layer of vaporizable material within the article.

[0040] The present invention also relates to an aerosol-generating device comprising a cavity configured to receive and heat a tobacco article as defined above.

[0041] According to some embodiments, the cavity is configured to receive and heat at least two tobacco articles simultaneously, and the air flow path of one of the tobacco articles extends the air flow path of the other tobacco article.

[0042] The tobacco articles can, for example, be stacked one on top of the other to form a continuous air flow path. The air flow path can, for example, extend through the center of the article. In some embodiments, the articles can provide fixing means that enable the articles to be fixed to each other. The articles may, for example, be assembled before being inserted into the cavity. Alternatively, the articles may be assembled by inserting them successively into the cavity. The fixing means can be configured to prevent aerosol leakage between the articles.

[0043] Using multiple tobacco articles within the same device can be advantageous when a long vaping session is required for the user. In some cases, multiple articles can be used to adjust the compatibility with different types of aerosol-generating devices having different cavity lengths.

[0044] The present invention also relates to a method of assembling a tobacco article as defined above, the method comprising the following steps, namely: (A) applying a vaporizable viscous material onto one of the rigid sheets, (C) applying the other rigid sheet onto the vaporizable material, (D) bending the resultant about the article axis to form an air flow path.

[0045] The present invention and its advantages will be better understood by reading the following description, given by way of non-limiting example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0046]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0047] Before describing the present invention, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the details of the structures described in the following description. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art who benefit from the present disclosure that other embodiments are possible and that the present invention can be practiced or carried out in various ways.

[0048] As used herein, the terms "aerosol generating device" or "device" may include a vapor inhalation device for delivering an aerosol containing an aerosol for vapor inhalation to a user by an aerosol generating unit (e.g., an aerosol generating element that generates vapor that condenses into an aerosol before being delivered to the outlet of the device, such as in a mouthpiece, for the user to inhale). The device may be portable. "Portable" may refer to a device for use while held by a user. The device may be adapted to generate a variable amount of aerosol (as opposed to a fixed amount of aerosol), for example, by operating a heating system over a variable length of time, the generation of which can be controlled by a trigger. The trigger may be something actuated by the user, such as a vaping button and / or an inhalation sensor. The inhalation sensor may be highly sensitive to inhalation intensity and duration of inhalation and may enable the provision of a variable amount of vapor (so as to mimic the smoking effect of conventional combustible smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigars or pipes). The device may include a temperature control unit for driving the temperature of the heater and / or the heated aerosol-forming substance (aerosol precursor) to a specific target temperature and then maintaining the temperature at the target temperature to enable efficient generation of the aerosol.

[0049] As used herein, the term "aerosol" may include a suspension of precursors as one or more of solid particles, droplets, and gases. The aforementioned suspension may be in a gaseous state containing air. The aerosol herein generally refers to or may include vapor. The aerosol may include one or more components of the precursor.

[0050] As used herein, the term "vaporizable material" or "aerosol - forming precursor" may refer to one or more of a liquid, solid, gel, mousse, foam, or other substance. The vaporizable material may be processable by a heating system of a device to form an aerosol, as defined herein. The vaporizable material may include one or more of nicotine, caffeine, or other active ingredients. The active ingredient may be carried by a carrier which may be a liquid. The carrier may include propylene glycol or glycerin. Flavorings may also be present. The flavorings may include ethyl vanillin (vanilla), menthol, isoamyl acetate (banana oil), or the like. The solid aerosol - forming substance may be rod - shaped and include processed tobacco material, a corrugated sheet, or strips or shreds of re - oriented reconstituted tobacco (RTB). The vaporizable material may be viscous.

[0051] As used herein, the term "length" with respect to an object is used to represent the longitudinal dimension of the object measured along its elongation axis.

[0052] The first embodiment of the present invention FIG. 1 shows an aerosol - generating set 10 including an aerosol - generating device 12 according to the first embodiment of the present invention and a tobacco article 14 configured to operate with the aerosol - generating device 12. The tobacco article 14 is preferably detachable and can be inserted into and removed from the device 12, as will be described in more detail below.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 1, the aerosol generating device 12 includes a housing 21 that extends along a device axis X and defines a boundary of a cavity 23 configured to at least partially receive a tobacco article 14. The cavity 23 is defined, for example, by a bottom wall 25 that extends along the device axis X and is perpendicular to the device axis X, and at least one side wall 27 that extends along the device axis X. The cavity 23 forms a heating chamber of the device 12 designed to heat the tobacco article 14, as will be described in more detail below. The cavity 23 can take any suitable shape designed to receive the tobacco article 14. For example, the cavity 23 can form a shape complementary to the shape of the tobacco article 14. Further, according to a first embodiment of the present invention, the length of the cavity 23 may be substantially equal to or longer than the length of the tobacco article 14. For example, the length of the cavity 23 may be included between 90% and 150% of the length of the tobacco article 14, preferably between 100% and 110%.

[0054] In some embodiments, the aerosol generating device 12 may further include a mouthpiece (not shown), which is attached to the housing 21 so as to close the cavity 23 and is designed to interact with the user's mouth during a vapor inhalation session. The mouthpiece can be hinged or screwed to an end of the housing 21 and can form an outlet hole that extends perpendicular to the device axis X. According to another example, the mouthpiece is formed by an end of the tobacco article 14 that protrudes from the cavity 23 in this example.

[0055] The housing 21 defines the boundary of the internal space of the device 12 and receives various elements designed to perform different functions of the device 12. This internal space can receive, for example, a power block 31 for supplying power to the device 12, a control module 32 for controlling the operation of the device 12, and at least the device part 39 of a heating system configured to heat the vaporizable material contained in the tobacco article 14, as will be described in more detail below. The internal space of the housing 21 may further comprise other internal components that perform different functions of the device 12, which are known per se. These internal components will not be described in detail below.

[0056] It should also be noted that FIG. 1 presents only a schematic view of the various components of the aerosol generation set 10 and does not necessarily show the actual physical arrangement and dimensions of these components. In particular, such an arrangement can be selected according to the design of the aerosol generation set 10 and the technical characteristics of the components of this set.

[0057] The power block 31 comprises a battery 35 and a battery charger 36. The battery 35 is a known battery designed to be charged using a power source provided by an external supply source and to supply a direct current at a predetermined voltage. The battery charger 36 can connect the battery 35 to an external supply source and for this purpose comprises a power connector (such as a mini-USB or USB-C connector, for example) or a wireless charging connector.

[0058] The control module 32 is configured to control the operation of the aerosol generation device 12, in particular the operation of the heating system, so as to generate an aerosol by controlling the power supply of this heating system by the battery 35. For this purpose, the control module 32 is connected to the battery 35. The control performed by the control module 32 is known per se and will not be described in detail hereinafter.

[0059] According to the example of FIG. 1, the heating system includes a device portion 39 and an article portion (not shown) designed to interact with the device portion 39 to generate heat. For example, the device portion 39 includes a magnetic coil disposed around the cavity 23 and capable of generating a magnetic field inside the cavity 23. In this case, the article portion can include one or more susceptors, which can generate heat for heating the vaporizable material when placed in the magnetic field. According to different embodiments, the one susceptor or each susceptor can be included in the vaporizable material of the tobacco article 14 and / or in one or more rigid sheets.

[0060] According to other embodiments, the heating system can include only the device portion 39 arranged to heat the tobacco article 14 by conduction and / or convection. For example, the device portion 39 can include a resistive element such as a heating plate, blade, film, etc., which is disposed in the cavity to conductively heat the tobacco article 14 in contact with and / or through the tobacco article 14. According to another example, such a resistive element is disposed at a distance from the tobacco article 14 to heat the tobacco article 14 by convection.

[0061] In the example of FIG. 1, the bottom wall 25 of the cavity 23 is provided with fixing means capable of fixing the tobacco article 14 when the tobacco article 14 is received within the cavity 23. Further, according to the same example, the tobacco article 14 is received within the cavity 23 by forming a gap with the side wall 27. This gap can be used to form the upstream portion of the flow path extending through the device 12 and the tobacco article 14. This upstream portion can extend from outside the cavity 23 to the end of the tobacco article 14 in contact with the bottom wall 25 of the cavity. According to another embodiment, no gap is provided between the side wall 27 and the tobacco article 14, and the upstream portion extends, for example, from an inlet hole formed within the housing 21 into the device 12, for example. In any case, the downstream portion of the flow path extends into the tobacco article 14. This downstream portion corresponds to the air flow path formed by the tobacco article 14, as will be described in more detail below.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 2, the tobacco article 14 includes a support 51 extending along the article axis Y between a distal end 52 designed to contact or face the bottom wall 25 of the cavity 23 and a proximal end 53 located on the opposite side of the distal end 52 and designed to be received within the cavity 23 or to protrude from the cavity 23. In the latter case, the proximal end 53 can form a mouthpiece as described above. When the tobacco article 14 is received within the cavity 23, it is preferable that the article axis Y coincides with the device axis X.

[0063] The support 51 is formed by an inner sheet 61 and an outer sheet 62, and these sheets are arranged or bent so as to hold the viscous vaporizable material 63 contained in the tobacco article 14 between them. In other words, the viscous vaporizable material 63 is sandwiched between the sheets 61 and 62 and is held in this position by its viscosity. In particular, in the example of FIG. 2, each of the sheets 61, 62 is a rigid sheet made of, for example, metal, which is bent so as to form a substantially cylindrical shape of the support 51. This cylindrical shape advantageously has a circular cross-section extending across the article axis Y.

[0064] The thickness of each of the sheets 61, 62 is included between 0.01 and 1 mm, advantageously between 0.05 and 0.5 mm. In some embodiments, this thickness may be substantially equal to 0.1 mm.

[0065] The inner sheet 61 is bent around the article axis Y so as to form an air flow path extending along the article axis Y between the distal end 52 and the proximal end 53. Thus, this air flow path forms the downstream part of the flow path described above. Further, the inner sheet 61 defines a plurality of perforations 65. These perforations may be arranged along the inner sheet 61 according to any suitable pattern. For example, the perforations can be uniformly distributed along the inner sheet as shown in FIG. 3. According to another embodiment, the perforations 65 are mainly distributed within a predetermined portion of the inner sheet 61. This portion can form, for example, an upstream part or a central part or a downstream part with respect to the air flow path. The size of the perforations is advantageously included between 0.3 mm and 0.7 mm and preferably is substantially equal to 0.5 mm. The outer sheet 62 is continuous, for example. Further, at least one of the sheets 61, 62 and / or the vaporizable material 63 can include or form one or more susceptors capable of interacting with the device part 39 of the heating system to heat the vaporizable material 63.

[0066] The viscous vaporizable material 63 forms a tobacco layer and is selected from at least one of the following elements: - Viscous T Liquid; - Viscous E Liquid; - Tobacco Paste; - Tobacco Wax.

[0067] In some embodiments, the vaporizable viscous material 63 includes a solid inclusion and a liquid inclusion, and the ratio of the solid inclusion is between 80% and 120% of the liquid inclusion, and preferably equal to 100% of the liquid inclusion. The solid inclusion includes, for example, ground tobacco. The liquid inclusion includes, for example, glycerin, preferably propylene glycol, and advantageously water. The ratio of glycerin may be between 50% and 100% of the liquid inclusion. The ratio of propylene glycol may be between 0% and 50% of the liquid inclusion. The ratio of water may be between 0% and 20% of the liquid inclusion.

[0068] In some embodiments, the tobacco article 14 may further include a gauze sheet 70 (shown in FIG. 3) sandwiched between the vaporizable material 63 and at least one of the sheets 61, 62. In the example of FIG. 3, the gauze sheet 70 is sandwiched between the vaporizable material 63 and the inner sheet 61. The gauze sheet 70 can extend, for example, throughout the region of the inner sheet 61. The gauze sheet 70 can be made of or include cotton, nylon, glass fiber, cellulose, composites, and / or tea bag paper. The tea bag paper may be a mixture of wood and plant fibers.

[0069] In some embodiments, the tobacco article 14 may further include a filter / cooling portion attached to the proximal end 53. This portion can include a filter and / or cooler known as such. Such a portion can be assembled with at least one of the sheets 61, 62 by an outer wrapper.

[0070] Here, with reference to FIG. 4, a method of assembling a tobacco article 14 according to the present invention will be described. As shown in this figure, initially, each of the sheets 61, 62, and 70 is in a flat rectangular shape. These sheets can have substantially the same dimensions. In some embodiments, the inner sheet 61 and the gauze sheet 70 may be slightly shorter than the outer sheet 62. The inner sheet 61 may also be considered to initially have perforations 65.

[0071] In step A, a vaporizable material 63 is applied onto one of these sheets, to a standard example on the outer sheet 62. The vaporizable material 63 can be adhered, for example, to the corresponding surface of the outer sheet 62. In step B, the gauze sheet 70 is applied onto the vaporizable material 63. In step C, the other sheet, for example the inner sheet 61, is applied onto the gauze sheet 70 to enclose the vaporizable material 63 and the gauze sheet 70 between the sheets 61 and 62. In step D (not shown), the entire structure is bent around the article axis Y to form a cylindrical body as shown in FIG. 3. Advantageously, at least the ends of both the inner sheet 61 and the outer sheet 62, preferably the outer sheet 62, are fixed between them to maintain the cylindrical shape. The fixing may be done, for example, by adhesion. If a filter / cooling portion is provided, this portion can be fixed onto the proximal end 53 of the tobacco article 14 by an outer wrapper.

[0072] The second embodiment of the present invention An aerosol generation set 110 according to the second embodiment is shown in FIG. 4. According to this embodiment, the aerosol generation set 110 includes an aerosol generation device 112 and a plurality of tobacco articles 14.

[0073] Each tobacco article 14 is, for example, the same as the tobacco article 14 described in connection with the first embodiment of the present invention. In a second embodiment, the tobacco articles 14 can be stacked one on top of another to form a stick extending along the article axis Y. In this case, the air flow path of each tobacco article 14 is extended by the air flow path of an adjacent tobacco article 14. In some embodiments, fixing means can be provided at the ends of the tobacco articles 14 to enable stacking. In the example of FIG. 4, two tobacco articles 14 are stacked.

[0074] The aerosol-generating device 112 according to the second embodiment may differ from the aerosol-generating device 12 according to the first embodiment only in that the cavity 123 is different. In particular, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the length of the cavity 123 is at least substantially twice as long as the length of the tobacco article 14. For example, the length of the cavity 123 may be longer than 180% of the length of the tobacco article 14. In a general case, the length of the cavity 123 is adapted to the number of tobacco articles 14 that this cavity 123 can receive. In the example of FIG. 4, the cavity 123 is designed to receive two tobacco articles 14. Thus, the length of the cavity 123 may be included between 180% and 220% of the length of each article 14.

[0075] The other elements of the aerosol-generating device 112 are substantially the same as those described above. Their shape and / or dimensions can be adapted to the shape and dimensions of the cavity 123 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A tobacco article (14) comprising a viscous vaporizable material (63) and a support (51), wherein the support (51) is formed from one or more rigid sheets (61, 62) arranged or bent to hold the viscous vaporizable material (63) and form an air passage.

2. The tobacco article (14) according to claim 1, wherein one or each of the rigid sheets (61, 62) is made of metal.

3. The tobacco article (14) according to claim 1, wherein one or each of the rigid sheets (61, 62) is preferably bent to form a cylindrical shape having a circular cross-section.

4. The tobacco article (14) according to claim 3, comprising an outer sheet (62) and an inner sheet (61), wherein the viscous vaporizable material (63) is held between the sheets (61, 62).

5. The inner sheet (61) defines the boundary of the air passage, as described in claim 4, for the tobacco article (14).

6. The tobacco article (14) according to claim 4, wherein the inner sheet (61) is perforated.

7. The tobacco article (14) according to claim 4, wherein the outer sheet (62) forms a single outer sheet (62), and the inner sheet (61) forms a single inner sheet (61) of the article (14).

8. The tobacco article (14) according to claim 4, wherein the viscous vaporizable material (63) is in direct contact with the outer sheet (61).

9. The tobacco article (14) according to claim 1, further comprising a gauze sheet (70) sandwiched between the vaporizable material (63) and the rigid sheets (61, 62) or at least one thereof.

10. The tobacco article (14) according to claim 1, further comprising the rigid sheets (61, 62) or an external packaging for assembling each rigid sheet (61, 62) with the filter / cooling portion.

11. The tobacco article (14) according to claim 1, wherein the viscous vaporizable material (63) comprises a solid component and a liquid component, the proportion of the solid component being between 80% and 120% of the liquid component, preferably equal to 100% of the liquid component, and preferably the solid component comprising crushed tobacco.

12. The tobacco article (14) according to claim 11, wherein the liquid-containing substance comprises glycerin, preferably propylene glycol, and, advantageously, water.

13. - The proportion of glycerin is between 50% and 100% of the liquid content. - The proportion of propylene glycol is between 0% and 50% of the liquid content. - The proportion of water is between 0% and 20% of the liquid content. The tobacco article (14) according to claim 12.

14. The tobacco article (14) according to claim 1, wherein the viscous vaporizable material (63) forms the only layer of vaporizable material within the article (14).

15. an aerosol generating device (12; 112) comprising a cavity (23; 123) configured to receive and heat a tobacco article (14) according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. The aerosol generating device (112) according to claim 15, wherein the cavity (123) is configured to accept and heat at least two tobacco articles (14) simultaneously, and the air passage of one of the tobacco articles (14) extends the air passage of the other tobacco article (14).

17. A method for assembling a tobacco article (14) according to claim 4, comprising the following steps: (A) The step of applying the viscous vaporizable material (63) onto one of the rigid sheets (61, 62), (C) The step of applying the other rigid sheet (61, 62) onto the vaporizable material (63), (D) The step of bending the resulting material around the article axis Y to form the air passage, Methods that include...

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