Flat consumable article for an aerosol generating device, and related aerosol generating assembly and manufacturing method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a flat consumable article for an aerosol generating device, the flat consumable article extending along an article axis (X) and comprising a tobacco substrate (32), the tobacco substrate (32) defining an outer surface including a plurality of contact areas designed to be in direct or indirect contact with an external heater for heating the tobacco substrate (32), and a plurality of non-contact areas extending between the contact areas, the consumable article being characterized in that at least some of the non-contact areas are coated with a flavor substance.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a flat consumable article for an aerosol generating device, and also to an aerosol generating assembly and manufacturing method associated with such a flat consumable article.

[0002] In particular, the aerosol-generating assembly according to the present invention comprises an aerosol-generating device configured to operate with a flat consumable article, for example comprising a tobacco substrate that can be heated to form an aerosol. Thus, these types of aerosol-generating devices, also known as heat-and-burn devices, are adapted to generate an aerosol for inhalation by heating rather than burning. [Background technology]

[0003] The popularity and use of risk-reducing or risk-modifying devices (also known as vaporizers) has grown rapidly in recent years as aids to assist regular smokers who wish to quit smoking traditional tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, and cigarettes. A variety of devices and systems are available that heat or warm a vaporizable substance, as opposed to burning tobacco in traditional tobacco products.

[0004] Commonly available risk reduction or risk modification devices are substrate-heated aerosol generating devices or heat-and-burn devices. This type of device generates an aerosol or vapor by heating an aerosol substrate, usually contained in a separate consumable item. Typically, such aerosol substrates contain moist tobacco or other suitable vaporizable material, typically to temperatures ranging from 150°C to 350°C. By heating, rather than burning or combusting, the aerosol substrate releases an aerosol containing the ingredients desired by the user but without the toxic and carcinogenic by-products of combustion and burning. Furthermore, because aerosols generated by heating tobacco or other vaporizable material typically do not contain the burnt or bitter taste resulting from combustion and burning, which can be unpleasant to users, the substrate therefore does not require the sugars and other additives typically added to such materials to make the smoke and / or vapor more palatable to the user.

[0005] Some aerosol generating devices are configured to operate with certain types of consumable articles that define a flat shape. These types of consumable articles have reduced dimensions while ensuring good vapor generation capacity. These consumable articles can also include flavoring substances to enhance the user experience.

[0006] However, it has been observed that flavor development by existing flat consumable articles is not entirely satisfactory. In some cases, the flavor is too strong, and in other cases, it is too weak. In particular, the method of flavor application should be improved so that its intensity can be better controlled and its release more predictable. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a flat consumable article that can generate steam together with flavor in an optimized manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To this end, the present invention relates to a flat consumable article for an aerosol generating device, the flat consumable article extending along an article axis and comprising a tobacco substrate, the tobacco substrate defines an outer surface including a plurality of contact areas designed for direct or indirect contact with an external heater for heating the tobacco substrate, and a plurality of non-contact areas extending between the contact areas; The consumable article is characterized in that at least some of the non-contact areas are coated with a flavoring substance.

[0009] Due to the above-described features of the consumable article, the flavor material is applied directly onto the tobacco substrate. Therefore, heating of the tobacco substrate causes flavor release, and the flavor is uniformly mixed with the vapor generated by the tobacco substrate. This ensures a consistent flavor experience for the user throughout the entire vaping session. In addition, with the above-described features, the flavor material is not in contact with an external heater, which avoids overheating and possible combustion of the flavor material. This also allows for less intense heating of the flavor material, resulting in a more uniform and extended flavor release throughout the entire vaping session.

[0010] The flavoring substance is preferably a flavoring with a solvent such as ethanol, water, oil, propylene glycol, hexane, triacetin, and combinations thereof. The flavoring may be a natural flavoring material, a plant, a plant extract, a synthetically derived material, a cooling agent, or a combination thereof. Examples of flavorings include menthol, eugenol, fruit, berry, spice, root, licorice, and the like. The flavoring may be releasable upon reaching a temperature suitable for aerosol generation from the tobacco substrate. The flavoring may be encapsulated in or coated with a thermally decomposable or meltable polymer matrix or gel, such as a polysaccharide.

[0011] According to some embodiments, the non-contact region is designed to form an air gap with the external heater.

[0012] Thus, the air gap can act as an insulator for an external heater so that overheating or combustion of the flavoring can be avoided. In some embodiments, the air gap can also be used as an air flow channel to guide and mix the vapor produced by the tobacco substrate with the flavoring material.

[0013] According to some embodiments, the non-contact region forms a recess on the outer surface of the tobacco substrate, and the flavor substrate is at least partially coated within the recess.

[0014] These features avoid contact between the flavoring material and the external heater. Additionally, the recesses allow the flavoring volatiles to expand and flow within the consumable article.

[0015] According to some embodiments, the contact areas form protrusions on the outer surface of the tobacco substrate that do not contain flavoring substances.

[0016] These features ensure that the flavoring substance coats only at least a portion of the non-contact area.

[0017] According to some embodiments, the exterior surface of the tobacco substrate defines a plurality of air flow channels extending along the article axis.

[0018] The airflow channels are therefore used to guide the vapor generated by the tobacco substrate, and the dimensions and shape of the airflow channels may be selected to ensure a desired pressure drop caused by the consumable article and / or amount of vapor generated by the tobacco substrate.

[0019] In some embodiments, the air flow channels may exhibit the same cross-sectional shape and / or dimensions, which may be constant or variable along the corresponding channel. In some embodiments, the air flow channels may be evenly distributed along the outer surface of the tobacco substrate. In some other embodiments, the air flow channels may be unevenly distributed along the outer surface. For example, at least one air flow channel may be divided into two sub-channels in its downstream section and / or upstream section.

[0020] In the general case, the geometry of the air flow channels, their concentration, number and arrangement along the outer surface can be determined by specially designed optimization methods such as those described in co-pending EP21204012.5.

[0021] According to some embodiments, the coated non-contact area is formed at the bottom of the airflow channel.

[0022] These features avoid contact of the flavoring material with the external heater, and in addition, the vapor produced by the tobacco substrate flows along the airflow channels, allowing the flavoring material to be released and mixed evenly with the vapor.

[0023] According to some embodiments, the exterior surface of the tobacco substrate forms two opposing outer surfaces and two opposing wider surfaces extending between the outer surfaces, and the air flow channels extend through both of the wider surfaces.

[0024] These features allow both surfaces of the flat consumable article to form airflow channels. This can be advantageous, for example, when the external heater includes a pair of heating plates extending along both sides of the flat consumable article. In some embodiments, the airflow channels can have the same arrangement and / or geometry on both sides of the flat consumable article. According to some other embodiments, at least the geometry of the channels or their arrangement may be different.

[0025] According to some embodiments, the tobacco substrate forms an undulating shape when viewed in cross section in a transverse plane perpendicular to the article axis.

[0026] These features allow the air flow channels on one surface of the flat consumable article to be offset relative to the air flow channels on the other surface, and therefore the tobacco substrate of the flat consumable article can be easily manufactured using, for example, a tobacco sheet embossing / debossing process.

[0027] According to some embodiments, the article further comprises a wrapper wrapping the tobacco substrate and forming gaps with at least some of the non-contact regions and / or adjacently contacting the contact regions.

[0028] The wrapper prevents condensation of steam inside the device, e.g., inside the heating chamber. Additionally, according to some embodiments, because the wrapper covers the airflow channels, steam is efficiently directed into the airflow channels. The wrapper may be made at least partially of a thermally conductive material, e.g., aluminum foil. The wrapper may be made of both paper and aluminum, e.g., an outer paper layer and an inner aluminum layer. Preferably, the wrapper is made of the same laminate with aluminum and paper along the article axis. In some embodiments, the wrapper may also assemble the non-tobacco portion and the tobacco substrate to form, for example, the cooling portion and / or the filter portion of the article. In some embodiments, the wrapper may be interposed between the contact area of ​​the tobacco substrate and the heater.

[0029] The present invention also provides an aerosol generating device; - a flat consumable article as defined above, which is designed to operate together with an aerosol generating device; The present invention relates to an aerosol generating assembly comprising:

[0030] The present invention also relates to a method for producing a flat tobacco article as defined above, comprising the step of coating at least some of the non-contact areas with a flavor substance.

[0031] These features allow the flavoring material to be placed in non-contact areas of the tobacco substrate.The coating step can be carried out according to any suitable process.

[0032] According to some embodiments, the coating step is carried out by spraying the flavoring substance.

[0033] The spray ensures very precise placement of the flavor material on the corresponding surface of the tobacco substrate. In addition, the spray intensity can be adjusted to ensure the desired thickness of the layer formed by the flavor material. In some embodiments, the gap between the spray nozzle and the corresponding surface of the tobacco substrate, as well as the spray angle, can be adjusted to ensure the desired precision. The gap can be selected, for example, to be substantially equal to 1.7 mm (e.g., ±10%). The spray angle can be selected, for example, to be substantially equal to 0°. In this case, the spray is performed substantially perpendicular to the corresponding surface. In addition, a shield attached to each nozzle can be used to prevent any spread of the spray.

[0034] In embodiments in which flavoring materials are disposed within the airflow channels, a single flavoring material can be used. Alternatively, a single flavoring material can be used for a group of channels, and a different flavoring material can be used for another group of channels. Thus, different groups of channels can be sprayed with different flavoring materials. For example, a group of channels can be formed by airflow channels disposed on the same surface of the tobacco substrate, and another group can be formed by airflow channels disposed on an opposing surface.

[0035] According to some embodiments, the coating step is carried out by a gravure process of the flavoring substance.

[0036] The gravure process can be advantageously integrated into the standard manufacturing process of flat consumable articles by stamping. In this case, the manufacturing equipment only needs to be slightly modified to integrate a coating system including a gravure mechanism, for example, between an embossing roller system or a molding system and a cutting system. Thus, existing equipment for manufacturing flat consumable articles can be easily adapted to manufacture consumable products with such flavor substances.

[0037] In embodiments where the coating is achieved by spraying, existing manufacturing equipment can also be easily adapted to integrate one or several nozzles for spraying the substance onto at least some non-contact areas of the substrate, in which case the nozzles can be located after the embossing roller system and possibly after the cutting system.

[0038] According to some embodiments, the gravure process comprises at least: a gravure roller that rotates in a solution of flavoring substances to define small ridge and valley regions; -Doctor blade that works in conjunction with the gravure roller to remove flavor materials from the valley areas is executed by

[0039] These features allow the gravure system to be similar to an embossing roller system. For example, the gravure system can be arranged in series with the embossing roller system so that after embossing the tobacco sheet, gravure with a flavoring substance can be performed in the corresponding non-contact areas. The operation of the embossing roller system and the coating system can be synchronized to properly match the non-contact areas formed by the embossing roller system.

[0040] According to some embodiments, the method further comprises an embossing step to form non-contact areas on the outer surface of the tobacco sheet, and a cutting step to cut the embossed tobacco sheet to form a plurality of tobacco substrates.

[0041] According to some embodiments, the coating step is performed between the embossing and cutting steps.

[0042] The invention and its advantages will be better understood on reading the following description, given by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0043] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating assembly including an aerosol generating device and a consumable article according to the present invention, the consumable article being usable with the aerosol generating device. [Figure 2] 2 is a perspective view of the consumable article of FIG. 1, the consumable article including a tobacco substrate. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the tobacco substrate of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of equipment suitable for producing the tobacco substrate of FIG. 2. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of element V of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a coating system including multiple nozzles. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0044] Before the present invention is described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction set forth in the following description. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure that the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways.

[0045] As used herein, the terms "aerosol-generating device" or "device" may include a vaping device for delivering an aerosol, including an aerosol for vaping, to a user using a heater element, as described in more detail below. The device may be portable. "Portable" may refer to a device used 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), e.g., by activating a heater element, e.g., for a variable amount of time, which may be controlled by a trigger. The trigger may be user-activated, such as a vaping button and / or an inhalation sensor. The inhalation sensor may be sensitive to inhalation intensity and inhalation duration, allowing for the provision of a variable amount of vapor (to mimic the smoking effect of a conventional combustible smoking article, such as a cigarette, cigar, or pipe). The device may include a temperature regulation control for driving the temperature of the heater and / or heated aerosol-generating material (aerosol precursor) to a specific target temperature and then maintaining the temperature at that target temperature to enable efficient generation of aerosol.

[0046] As used herein, the term "aerosol" can include a suspension of vaporizable material, such as one or more of solid particles, liquid droplets, or gas. The suspension can be in a gas, including in air. Aerosol herein generally refers to / can include a vapor. Aerosol can include one or more components of vaporizable material.

[0047] As used herein, the terms "vaporizable material" or "precursor" may refer to smokable material, which may include, for example, nicotine or tobacco and an aerosol-forming agent. Tobacco may take the form of various materials, such as cut tobacco, granulated tobacco, tobacco leaf, and / or reconstituted tobacco. Suitable aerosol-forming agents include polyols (sorbitol, glycerol), glycols (such as propylene glycol or triethylene glycol), non-polyols (such as monohydric alcohols), acids (such as lactic acid), glycerol derivatives, esters (such as triacetin), triethylene glycol diacetate, triethyl citrate, glycerin, or vegetable glycerin. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating agent may be glycerol, propylene glycol, or a mixture of glycerol and propylene glycol. The substrate may also include at least one of a gelling agent, a binder, a stabilizer, and a humectant.

[0048] By the restriction "direct or indirect contact" applied in relation to the external heater and the first element of the consumable article, it is understood that this first element may form a surface that may be in direct or indirect contact with the external heater. In particular, advantageously, no air gap is formed between the external heater and the first element. In the case of indirect contact, the first element may be separated from the external heater by a second element of the consumable article. This second element advantageously exhibits a thickness that is smaller than that of the first element. It may, for example, be 50%, advantageously 70%, preferably 80% smaller than the thickness of the first element. Advantageously, the second element is at least partially made of a thermally conductive material. In some embodiments, the second element is formed by a wrapper.

[0049] 1 shows an aerosol generating assembly 10 according to the present invention, including an aerosol generating device 11 and a consumable item 12. The aerosol generating device 11 is intended to operate with the consumable item 12, which is shown in more detail in FIG.

[0050] Referring to FIG. 1 , the aerosol generating device 11 includes a device body 15 extending along a device axis Y. The device body 15 includes a mouthpiece 16 and a housing 17 arranged consecutively along the device axis Y. According to the example of FIG. 1 , the mouthpiece 16 and the housing 17 form two distinct parts. In particular, according to this example, the mouthpiece 16 is designed to be fixed to or received within an insertion opening formed in one of the ends of the housing 17. In this case, the consumable article 12 can be inserted into the device 11 when the mouthpiece 16 is removed from the housing 17. According to another example (not shown), the mouthpiece 16 and the housing 17 form one distinct part. In this case, the consumable article 12 can be inserted into the device 11, for example, through an exit hole. According to both examples, the mouthpiece 16 at least partially defines a through-hole adapted to receive the consumable article 12. In particular, the through-hole can be adapted to receive at least the oral end of the consumable article 12, which will be described in more detail below. According to yet another embodiment (not shown), the mouthpiece 16 is not provided on the aerosol generating device 11. In this case, the mouth end of the consumable article 12 may form a mouthpiece designed to contact the user's lips and / or mouth during a vaping session.

[0051] The housing 17 defines an interior space of the device 11 that accommodates various elements designed to perform different functions of the device 11. This interior space can accommodate, for example, a battery for powering the device 11, a control module for controlling the operation of the device 11, a heating chamber for heating the consumable article 12, etc. In particular, the heating chamber is designed, at least in part, to accommodate the consumable article 12. In the example of FIG. 1 , the heating chamber can be disposed, for example, in the extension of the through-hole of the mouthpiece 16, along the device axis Y. The heating chamber can be, for example, cup-shaped and can include a heater designed to heat at least a portion of the consumable article 12. The heater can include, for example, a pair of heating plates facing each other and designed to heat opposing walls of the consumable article 12, as described in more detail below.

[0052] 2, the consumable article 12 is a flat rectangular parallelepiped extending along the article axis X between the inlet end 18 and the mouth end 19 and having outer dimensions L x W x D. In a typical example, the length L of the article 12 along the article axis X is substantially equal to 33 mm, while its width W and depth D are substantially equal to 12 mm and 1.2 mm, respectively. According to different examples, the values ​​L, W, and D can be selected within a range of, for example, ±40%. The depth D of the tobacco article 12 is formed by a pair of parallel walls 23A, 23B, hereinafter referred to as side walls 23A, 23B, and the width W of the tobacco article 12 is formed by a pair of parallel walls 24A, 24B, hereinafter referred to as wider walls 24A, 24B. Each wider wall 24A, 24B has a width that is, for example, at least five times, and advantageously ten times, wider than the respective side wall 23A, 23B. Thus, the flat shape of the consumable article 12 is defined by a ratio between each wider wall 24A, 24B and each side wall 23A, 23B of greater than 5, advantageously greater than 10. In some embodiments, the edges between the wide walls and side walls 23A, 23B, 24A, 24B may be rounded. According to other embodiments of the present invention, the tobacco article 12 may have any other suitable flat shape and / or external dimensions.

[0053] The tobacco article 12 includes a substrate portion 25 and a cooling and / or filtering portion 26 disposed along the article axis X. The substrate portion 25 may, for example, be slightly longer than the cooling and / or filtering portion 26. For example, the length L2 of the substrate portion 25 along the article axis X may be substantially equal to 18 mm, and the length L1 of the cooling and / or filtering portion 26 along the article axis X may be substantially equal to 15 mm. The substrate portion 25 defines the inlet end 18 of the article 12, and the cooling and / or filtering portion 16 defines the mouth end 19 of the article 12. The substrate portion 25 and the cooling and / or filtering portion 26 may be secured to one another by a wrapper 31 extending around the article axis X. In this case, the wrapper 31 forms the side walls and wider walls 23A, 23B, 24A, 24B of the consumable article 12. In some embodiments, the wrapper 31 is formed from the same wrapping sheet. In other embodiments, the wrapper 31 is formed from separate wrapping sheets that separately wrap the sections 25, 26 and are secured one to the other by any other suitable means. The wrapper 31 may comprise, for example, paper, and / or a nonwoven fabric, and / or aluminum foil. The wrapper 31 may be porous or air-impermeable. In some embodiments, when the wrapper 31 comprises aluminum, the aluminum may wrap only the tobacco substrate to prevent condensation and / or vapor leakage, as described in more detail below. In one embodiment, the wrapper is a laminate of paper and aluminum extending along the entire length of the article axis X. Additionally, the aluminum allows for better heat transfer. In some embodiments, the consumable article 12 can be provided and used without the wrapper 31.

[0054] The portion of each wider wall 23A, 23B corresponding to substrate portion 25 of article 12 is designed to be heated by the heating chamber of device 11. In particular, each of these portions is designed to contact a heating plate forming a heater, as described above. In some embodiments, the corresponding portion of only one of wider walls 23A, 23B is designed to be heated by the heater.

[0055] The cooling and / or filtering portion 26 includes a core 37 intended to function as a cooler and / or filter, for example, to slightly cool and / or filter the vapor before the user inhales it. The core 37 may include, for example, corrugated cardboard. The core 37 may be formed into a stable shape via an extrusion and / or rolling process. Advantageously, the core 37 is disposed inside the cooling and / or filtering portion 26 so as to be in full contact with the inner surface of the wrapper 31 that defines the boundary of the cooling and / or filtering portion 26. In some embodiments, no core is provided, and the cooling and / or filtering portion 26 may be hollow, for example. According to yet some other embodiments, the cooling and / or filtering portion 26 is not provided, and the consumable article 12 is formed by the substrate portion 25.

[0056] Substrate portion 25 includes a tobacco substrate 32 that includes a vaporizable material, as defined above, that is, for example, compressed to form a solid structure that can release an aerosol when heated.

[0057] As shown in Figure 3, the tobacco substrate 32 may be, for example, a generally flat rectangular parallelepiped defining a pair of opposing outer surfaces 33A, 33B (represented in Figure 3 as the right and left sides of the substrate) and a pair of opposing wider surfaces 34A, 34B (represented in Figure 3 as the upper and lower surfaces), each extending along the article axis X. The outer surfaces 33A, 33B and the wider surfaces 34A, 34B form the exterior of the substrate 32. When the consumable article is in use in a device, the wider surfaces 34A, 34B are placed in intimate contact with a heating element of the apparatus such that they are heated by the heater element, e.g., with a wrapper disposed therebetween. In embodiments in which the consumable article 12 includes a wrapper 31, the outer surfaces 33A, 33B are at least partially adjacent to the inner surfaces of the side walls 23A, 23B formed by the wrapper 31, and the wider surfaces 34A, 34B are at least partially adjacent to the inner surfaces of the wider walls 24A, 24B formed by the wrapper 31.

[0058] The tobacco substrate 32 further defines a pair of transverse surfaces 36A, 36B (represented in FIG. 3 as the back and front surfaces of the substrate) that extend transversely to the article axis X. The transverse surface 36A forms the inlet end 18 of the consumable article 12, and the transverse surface 36B is adjacent the cooling and / or filtering portion 26 of the consumable article 12.

[0059] At least one, and advantageously each, of the wider surfaces 34A, 34B of the tobacco substrate 32 defines one or more grooves extending between the transverse surfaces 36A, 36B, each groove forming an air flow channel designed to direct air flow along the corresponding wider surface 34A, 34B.

[0060] Each air flow channel can extend generally along the article axis X, meaning that the air flow channeled therethrough is primarily directed from the inlet end 18 toward the cooling and / or filtering portion 26. At least some of the air flow channels can be straight, and / or at least some of the air flow channels can be curved. At least some of the air flow channels can exhibit variable cross-sectional dimensions and / or shapes along their length. In particular, the width and / or depth of the grooves forming the air flow channel can vary along the length of the channel. The cross-sectional shapes of the grooves can also vary. For example, in some cross-sections, the grooves can have a rounded shape, and in some other cross-sections, they can have a rectangular shape. The change in shape and / or dimensions can be smooth (gradual) or discontinuous. Additionally, at least some of the air flow channels can be divided into two or more sub-channels.

[0061] In the example of Figure 3, three air flow channels 40A, 40B are formed in each of the wider surfaces 34A, 34B. These air flow channels are straight and define a substantially constant cross-section along their length. Additionally, the air flow channel 40B in the wider surface 34B is offset relative to the air flow channel 40A in the wider surface 34A. Thus, in this example, the tobacco substrate 32 defines a corrugated shape when viewed in a transverse plane perpendicular to the article axis X.

[0062] The outer surface of the tobacco substrate 32 forms wider surfaces 34A, 34B and includes a plurality of contact areas designed to be in direct or indirect contact with the heater of the heating chamber, and a plurality of non-contact areas extending between the contact areas. The outer surfaces 33A, 33B may also be in direct or indirect contact with the heater. The contact areas are advantageously located on the wider surfaces 34A, 34B, preferably corresponding to the protruding portions of these surfaces 34A, 34B that extend between the air channels. The non-contact areas therefore correspond to the bottoms of the air flow channels and the outer surfaces 34A, 34B.

[0063] In embodiments in which the consumable article 12 includes a wrapper 31, the contact region is in contact with the inner surface of the wrapper 31 and is therefore in indirect contact with the heater. Advantageously, an air gap is formed between the non-contact region and the wrapper 31. In embodiments in which the consumable article 12 is provided without a wrapper 31, the contact region is advantageously in direct contact with the heater. In either case, the non-contact region is not in direct or indirect contact with the heater. Advantageously, an air gap is formed between the non-contact region and the heater.

[0064] According to the invention, at least some of the non-contact areas are coated with at least one flavoring substance. Advantageously, only the non-contact areas of the wider surfaces 34A, 34B are coated with at least one flavoring substance. Thus, in this embodiment, only the bottom of the air flow channels is coated with at least one flavoring substance.

[0065] The flavoring material is intended to be released upon heating and / or interaction with vapor generated by the tobacco substrate 25. The flavoring material is advantageously a solvent-based flavoring, such as ethanol, water, oil, propylene glycol, hexane, triacetin, and combinations thereof. The flavoring material can be a natural flavoring material, a plant, a plant extract, a synthetically derived material, a cooling agent, or a combination thereof. Examples of flavoring materials include menthol, eugenol, fruit, berry, spice, root, licorice, and the like. The flavoring material can be releasable upon reaching a temperature suitable for aerosol generation from the tobacco substrate. The flavoring material can be encapsulated in or coated with a pyrolyzable or meltable polymer matrix or gel, such as a polysaccharide.

[0066] Different manufacturing equipment can be used to produce the tobacco substrate 32 included in the consumable article 12 according to the present invention.

[0067] An example of such a manufacturing facility 100 is shown in Figure 4. Referring to Figure 4, the manufacturing facility 100 includes a receiving mechanism 105, an embossing roller system 110, a coating system 115, a cutting system 125, and a delivery mechanism 130.

[0068] The receiving mechanism 105, e.g., a hopper, can receive vaporizable material intended to form the tobacco substrate 32, e.g., in the form of tobacco dough. In some embodiments, the receiving mechanism 105 can be combined with a pre-rolling system that can pre-roll the tobacco dough in the lamination device to form a flat sheet. For this purpose, the pre-rolling system can include, for example, pairs of rollers connected to the receiving mechanism 105. The number of pairs of rollers and the spacing between the rollers of each pair can be adapted to the desired final thickness of the sheet. In other embodiments, the receiving mechanism 105 is directly connected to the embossing roller system 110.

[0069] The embossing roller system 110 includes, for example, a pair of embossing rollers 112, 114 facing each other. Each embossing roller 112, 114 is configured to emboss or deboss a predetermined pattern on tobacco fabric to form at least one tobacco substrate 32 containing one or several air flow channels, as described above. Advantageously, each embossing roller 112, 114 is configured to emboss / deboss multiple predetermined patterns to form multiple tobacco substrates 32. These patterns can be identical or different. In this latter case, different air flow channel arrangements can be obtained on different tobacco substrates 32 and / or on different wider surfaces 34A, 34B of the same tobacco substrate 32. Each embossing roller 112, 114 can include, for example, a solid surface (such as metal) on which a predetermined pattern has been formed using any suitable method (such as cold spray, SLS, 6-axis CNC, etc.). In embodiments in which only one wider surface 34A, 34B of the tobacco substrate 32 defines an airflow channel, one of the embossing rollers 112, 114 can be replaced by a guide roller.

[0070] The tobacco dough can be a substrate containing tobacco particles and / or at least one stimulant, such as nicotine and / or flavor, an aerosol-forming agent, and an inhalable agent, including a gelling agent or binder. The aerosol-forming agent may represent 20-70% by weight of the substrate on a dry basis. The gelling agent may represent 1-8% by weight of the substrate on a dry basis. The gelling agent may be guar gum, gellan gum, non-proteinaceous polysaccharides, and mixtures thereof. The substrate may further include an antidegradant and / or a thickening stabilizer, such as carboxymethylcellulose. The substrate can be a crushed tobacco substrate having a soft granular texture, such as those described in WO2021094366. Examples of pressed tobacco substrates are described in WO2021094365. The mixture can include solid tobacco milled to a particle size (D90) of less than 300 microns, preferably 20-220 microns. The tobacco particles may be mixed with an aerosol-forming agent, a gelling agent, optionally a stabilizer, and water. A tobacco dough with a moisture content of less than 50% by weight, for example about 30-40%, may be obtained. The production of the tobacco dough may be carried out as described in EP 3852554.

[0071] 4, the coating system 115 is configured to perform a gravure process to coat at least some of the non-contact regions of the tobacco substrate 32. For example, the coating system 115 includes a pair of gravure rollers 116, 117. Each gravure roller 116, 117 is configured to rotate in a solution of flavoring material and is associated with a doctor blade 118, 119 configured to remove the flavoring material from areas of the corresponding gravure roller 116, 117 that are not intended to contact the non-contact regions of the tobacco substrate 32. In other words, each doctor blade 118, 119 is configured to remove the flavoring material from the corresponding gravure roller 116, 117 so as to coat only the non-contact regions of the tobacco substrate 32. To this end, each gravure roller 116, 117 may include a pattern corresponding to the pattern used to form the airflow channels. As shown in FIG. 5, which corresponds to an enlarged view of the blade 119 cooperating with the gravure roller 117, the pattern of the gravure roller 117 includes raised areas 120 corresponding to the protrusions on its surface and valley areas 121 corresponding to the recesses on its surface. The doctor blade 119, as shown in FIG. 5, has a substantially complementary shape adapted to remove flavor substance only from the valley areas 121 and not from the raised areas 120. To this end, the protrusions formed on the surface of the blade can be slightly longer than the depth of the valley areas 121. The difference between this depth and the length of the protrusions on the surface of the blade defines the thickness of the flavor substance layer. In embodiments in which only one wider surface 34A, 34B of the tobacco substrate 32 defines an airflow channel, one of the gravure rollers 117, 119 can be replaced by a guide roller. In either case, the operation of the coating system 115 and the embossing roller system 110 is synchronized so that the raised areas 120 of the gravure rollers 117,119 can conform to the air flow channels formed by the embossing rollers 112,114.

[0072] Other embodiments of the coating system 115 are also possible. For example, in some embodiments, the coating system 114 is configured to coat the flavoring material in the corresponding non-contact areas by spraying it. Spraying can be performed using one or several nozzles, as shown in FIG. 6. In the case of multiple nozzles, different flavoring materials can be used by different nozzles. Thus, at least some non-contact areas of the tobacco substrate 32 can be coated with different flavoring materials. For example, different flavoring materials can be used on different wider surfaces 34A, 34B. Alternatively or additionally, in the case of multiple nozzles, a nozzle can be associated with each air flow channel 40A, 40B. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the nozzles 140 can be arranged parallel to each other to form a series of nozzles that can simultaneously spray the flowering material while moving along the corresponding air flow channel 40A. Another series of nozzles can be provided to spray the flavoring material into the air flow channel 40B. Alternatively, the tobacco substrate 32 can move between two stationary series of nozzles.

[0073] In some embodiments, the gap between the nozzles 140 and the corresponding surface of the tobacco substrate 32, as well as the spray angle, can be adjusted to ensure the desired spray precision. The gap can be selected, for example, to be substantially equal to 1.7 mm (e.g., ±10%). The spray angle can be selected, for example, to be substantially equal to 0°. In this case, the spray is substantially perpendicular to the corresponding surface, as shown in both examples A and B of Figure 6. In addition, as shown in example B of Figure 6, a shield 142 attached to each nozzle 140 can be used to prevent any spread of the spray.

[0074] The cutting system 125 includes a guide roller 126 and a cutting roller 127 configured to cut the tobacco sheet using embossed air flow channels to form a plurality of tobacco substrates 32 .

[0075] The delivery mechanism 130 is configured to create the formed tobacco substrates 32 after cutting. In some cases, it may also be configured to form wrappers around these substrates 32 and / or assemble these substrates 32 with the cooling and / or filtering portion 25 to form the flat consumable article 12, as described above.

[0076] The method for manufacturing the tobacco substrate 32 is performed, for example, by the manufacturing equipment 100 of FIG. 4 . The method includes the initial step of laminating tobacco dough onto a tobacco sheet, followed by the step of embossing / debossing the tobacco sheet with a plurality of patterns corresponding to the intended airflow channel arrangements to be formed in the tobacco substrate 32. The method may additionally or alternatively include the step of extruding the dough through an extrusion nozzle. For example, the dough may be extruded into pellets, which are then fed into a lamination device such as that described in WO2021144676. This step is performed by an embossing roller system 110. The method then includes the step of coating at least some non-contact areas of the tobacco substrate 32, which is performed by a coating system 115. Depending on different embodiments of the coating system 115, the coating can be performed using a gravure process or by spraying a flavor substance, as previously described. The method further includes the step of cutting the embossed tobacco sheet to form a plurality of tobacco substrates 32 by a cutting system 125. Finally, the tobacco substrate 32 is delivered by the delivery mechanism 130 and wrapped and / or assembled with a cooling and / or filtering section, for example, as described above.

Claims

1. A flat consumable article (12) for an aerosol generating device (11), the flat consumable article (12) extending along an article axis (X) and comprising a tobacco substrate (32); the tobacco substrate (32) defines an outer surface including a plurality of contact areas designed to be in direct or indirect contact with an external heater for heating the tobacco substrate (32), and a plurality of non-contact areas extending between the contact areas; The consumable article (12) is characterized in that at least some of the non-contact areas are coated with a flavoring substance. Flat consumable article (12).

2. The flat consumable article (12) of claim 1, wherein the non-contact area is designed to form an air gap with the external heater.

3. The flat consumable article (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the non-contact area forms a recess on the outer surface of the tobacco substrate (32), and the flavor substrate is at least partially coated within the recess.

4. The flat consumable article (12) of claim 3, wherein the contact areas form protrusions on the outer surface of the tobacco substrate (32) that do not contain flavoring substances.

5. The flat consumable article (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the outer surface of the tobacco substrate (32) forms a plurality of air flow channels (40A, 40B) extending along the article axis (X).

6. 6. The flat consumable article (12) of claim 5, wherein the coated non-contact areas are formed at the bottoms of the air flow channels (40A, 40B).

7. 7. The flat consumable article (12) of claim 5 or 6, wherein the outer surface of the tobacco substrate (32) forms two opposing outer surfaces (33A, 33B) and two opposing wider surfaces (34A, 34B) extending between the outer surfaces (33A, 33B), and the air flow channels (40A, 40B) extend into both of the wider surfaces (34A, 34B).

8. The flat consumable article (12) according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the tobacco substrate (32) forms a wave shape when viewed in cross section in the transverse plane perpendicular to the article axis (X).

9. The flat consumable article (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a wrapper (31) wrapping the tobacco substrate and forming gaps with at least some of the non-contact regions and / or adjacently contacting the contact regions.

10. An aerosol generating assembly (10) comprising: an aerosol generating device (11), - a flat consumable article (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which is designed to work together with the aerosol generating device (11); An aerosol-generating assembly (10) comprising:

11. A method for producing a flat tobacco article (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising the step of coating at least some of the non-contact areas with said flavour substance.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the coating step is carried out by spraying the flavoring substance.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the coating step is carried out by a gravure process of the flavoring substance.

14. The gravure process includes at least - gravure rollers (116, 117) rotating in the solution of said flavoring substances and defining raised areas (120) and valley areas (121); doctor blades (118, 119) which cooperate with the gravure rollers (116, 117) to remove the flavoring substances from the valley regions (121); The method of claim 13, which is carried out by

15. 15. The method of any one of claims 11 to 14, further comprising an embossing step to form non-contact areas on an outer surface of the tobacco sheet, and a cutting step to cut the embossed tobacco sheet to form a plurality of tobacco substrates (32).

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