Aerosol products

Abstract

The present invention provides an aerosol product that can suppress excessive heating of the nozzle end caused by high-temperature steam. [Solution] The aerosol product 1 includes an aerosol generating segment 2 that generates an aerosol when heated, a cooling segment 4 having a hollow section 12 for cooling the generated aerosol, and a mouthpiece segment 6 having a suction end 18 for inhaling the cooled aerosol. The cooling segment 4 includes a first tube 20 having a first inner surface 20a, a second tube 22 connected to the first tube 20 and having a second outer surface 22b that slidably and airtightly engages with the first inner surface 20a, and a discharge mechanism 30 that discharges at least a portion of the gas inside the aerosol product 1 to the outside after heating the aerosol generating segment 2 by adjusting the engagement state of the second outer surface 22b with respect to the first inner surface 20a.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol generating article.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an extendable smoking article 10 including a first member 11 and a second member 12. The first member 11 is composed of a tobacco rod 13 and a first filter section 15, and the second member 12 is composed of a sleeve 20 and a second filter section 21. The tobacco rod 13 and the first filter section 15 of the first member 11 are axially slidable within the sleeve 20. When the first member 11 is axially slid within the sleeve 20, the length and volume of a chamber (hollow portion) 24 formed within the sleeve 20 change.

[0003] The smoking article 10 is said to be able to be boxed in the above storage state before use, and is said to be in the above extended state during use. Also, after the tobacco rod 13 has burned to some extent or completely, it is said that it may be returned to the above storage state. Since the chamber 24 is the volume between the first filter section 15 and the second filter section 21, by extending the smoking article 10, the user can adjust the filtration performance of the airflow generated within the smoking article 10 during use.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Incidentally, when aerosol products such as the above-mentioned smoking products are stored in a high-humidity environment, moisture is adsorbed onto the aerosol-generating segment, such as the tobacco rod. This adsorbed moisture volatilizes when the aerosol-generating segment is heated, generating high-temperature water vapor inside the product. This airflow containing high-temperature water vapor excessively heats the mouthpiece of the product during the user's initial puffing stage, hindering the user's use of the product.

[0006] While the conventional smoking products described above allow for adjustment of the airflow filtration performance within the product, no special consideration has been given to suppressing excessive heating of the mouthpiece end caused by the generation of high-temperature water vapor. Therefore, it is conceivable to suppress the generation of high-temperature water vapor by adding a moisture adsorbent to the airflow path of the product to dehumidify it. However, if the amount of moisture adsorbed by the moisture adsorbent reaches equilibrium during storage of the product, sufficient dehumidification cannot be obtained when the product is used, and the generation of high-temperature water vapor cannot be effectively suppressed.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of these problems, and aims to provide an aerosol product that can suppress excessive heating of the nozzle end caused by high-temperature steam. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objective, the aerosol product of the present invention comprises an aerosol generating segment that generates an aerosol when heated, a cooling segment having a hollow portion for cooling the generated aerosol, and a mouthpiece segment having a suction end for inhaling the cooled aerosol, wherein the cooling segment comprises a first tube having a first inner circumferential surface, a second tube connected to the first tube and having a second outer circumferential surface that slidably and airtightly engages with the first inner circumferential surface, and a discharge mechanism that discharges the gas from the hollow portion to the outside after heating the aerosol generating segment by adjusting the engagement state of the second outer circumferential surface with respect to the first inner circumferential surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the aerosol product of the present invention, excessive heating of the nozzle end caused by high-temperature steam can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the aerosol product according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the first tube in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the second tube in Figure 1. [Figure 4] This figure shows the state of the aerosol product before the discharge mechanism shown in Figure 1 is activated. [Figure 5] This figure shows the state of the aerosol product when the discharge mechanism shown in Figure 1 is in operation. [Figure 6] This figure shows the state of the aerosol product discharge mechanism during operation, according to a modified example of Figure 1. [Figure 7] This figure shows the engagement region between the first tube and the second tube of the aerosol product according to a modified example of Figure 1. [Figure 8] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the aerosol product according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the first tube. [Figure 10] Figure 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the second tube. [Figure 11] This figure shows the state of the aerosol product before the discharge mechanism shown in Figure 8 is activated. [Figure 12] This figure shows the state of the aerosol product when the discharge mechanism shown in Figure 8 is in operation. [Figure 13] This is a side view of an aerosol product according to the first embodiment, which has an indicator. [Figure 14] This is a side view of an aerosol product according to the second embodiment, which has an indicator. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, an aerosol generating article according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal sectional view of an aerosol generating article (hereinafter, also simply referred to as an article) 1 according to the first embodiment. The article 1 includes an aerosol generating segment 2, a cooling segment 4, and a mouthpiece segment 6. The aerosol generating segment 2 is formed by filling a filler 8 and winding it with a wrapper 10. The filler 8 includes, for example, tobacco shreds and / or a homogenizing sheet, an aerosol substrate, and a flavor composition. The material of the tobacco shreds contained in the filler 8 is not particularly limited, and known materials such as laminas and midribs can be used.

[0012] The homogenizing sheet is obtained by pulverizing dried tobacco leaves into tobacco pulverized matter and processing this into a sheet after homogenization. The material of the tobacco shreds contained in the filler 8 may be a material obtained by cutting the homogenizing sheet. Further, the filler 8 may be a so-called strand type in which a homogenizing sheet having a length approximately the same as the length of the aerosol generating segment 2 in the longitudinal direction (axial direction X) is cut along the longitudinal direction of the aerosol generating segment 2 and formed into a string shape for filling.

[0013] The homogenizing sheet may contain tobacco pulverized matter (tobacco leaves) and an aerosol substrate. Further, the homogenizing sheet may contain any components such as a binder, a fiber, a pH adjuster, a medium-chain fatty acid, and a flavor composition. The fiber contained in the homogenizing sheet may be, for example, of plant origin. Note that the filler 8 may be a non-tobacco filler containing a non-tobacco material. The non-tobacco material is not particularly limited, and for example, non-tobacco plants used as herbs or spices can be used.

[0014] In addition, the base material composed of non-tobacco materials contains an aerosol source and an active ingredient as essential additives, and may further contain a flavor composition and a gelling agent as optional additives. Known components can be used for the aerosol source, the active ingredient, the flavor composition, and the gelling agent, and the active ingredient is preferably nicotine. Further, the base material composed of non-tobacco materials may be, for example, a sheet-like material, and is preferably composed of paper, a plastic film, cellulose acetate, a non-woven fabric, paraffin paper, or the like. When using paper as the sheet-like material, in particular, from the viewpoint of carrying the above-described additives, it is preferable to use porous paper.

[0015] Further, the aerosol generation segment 2 is a non-combustion heating type that is heated without combustion, and generates an aerosol by being heated by a heating source 42 of a device 40 described later. The cooling segment 4 has a hollow portion 12 for cooling the aerosol generated in the aerosol generation segment 2. The mouthpiece segment 6 is formed, for example, by filling a filter material 14 and winding it with a filter wrapper 16, and has a suction end 18 for sucking the aerosol cooled in the cooling segment 4.

[0016] The filter material 14 is not particularly limited, and known ones may be used. For example, those obtained by processing cellulose acetate tow into a columnar shape can be used, and instead of an acetate filter, a paper filter filled with sheet-like pulp paper or a non-woven fabric may be used. Further, the filter material 14 may contain a plasticizer such as triacetin. By adding a plasticizer to cellulose acetate tow, the mouthpiece segment 6 can be given appropriate hardness and elasticity.

[0017] Furthermore, activated carbon, a fragrance composition, or an easily breakable capsule containing a fragrance composition or adsorbent may be added to at least a portion of the mouthpiece segment 6. In addition, the material of the filter wrapper 16 is not particularly limited and any known material can be used, and it may be paper, or it may contain fillers such as calcium carbonate. Furthermore, the filter wrapper 16 may or may not be coated, and may be made of water-resistant paper, oil-resistant paper, non-permeable paper, or highly permeable paper.

[0018] In addition, when the article 1 is being sucked (puffed), the side with the suction port end 18 of the article 1 is defined as the downstream side, and the side with the tip of the aerosol generation segment 2 opposite the suction port end 18 of the article 1 is defined as the upstream side. Here, the cooling segment 4 in this embodiment is formed by connecting the first tube 20 and the second tube 22, and the second tube 22 is configured to slide relative to the first tube 20 in the direction of extension or contraction of the cooling segment 4 along the axial direction X of the cooling segment 4.

[0019] Figure 2 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the first tube 20 in Figure 1, and Figure 3 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the second tube 22 in Figure 1. The first tube 20 is a paper tube made by processing cardboard into a cylindrical shape, for example, and has a first inner surface 20a and a first outer surface 20b. An aerosol generation segment 2 is attached inscribed on the upstream side of the first inner surface 20a. The downstream side of the first inner surface 20a is positioned facing the first hollow section 12A of the hollow section 12. Specifically, the first tube 20 has a basis weight of, for example, 100 g / m². 2 It is manufactured using cardboard with a thickness of 125 μm, and has a circumference of approximately 21.75 mm and an axial length of 20 mm.

[0020] Alternatively, the first tube 20 may be formed by laminating two pieces of cardboard together, in which case the thickness of the first tube 20 will be approximately 250 μm. The second tube 22 is, for example, a paper tube similar to the first tube 20, and has a second inner surface 22a and a second outer surface 22b. The mouthpiece segment 6 is attached inscribed on the downstream side of the second inner surface 22a. The downstream side of the second inner surface 22a is positioned facing the second hollow portion 12B of the hollow portion 12. The first and second tubes 20 and 22 may also be made of resin.

[0021] Here, the second outer surface 22b of the second tube 22 is slidably and airtightly engaged with the first inner surface 20a of the first tube 20. This allows the second tube 22 to slide smoothly relative to the first tube 20 in the extension or contraction direction of the cooling segment 4 without gas leakage from the article 1. The cooling segment 4 is also equipped with a discharge mechanism 30 (see Figure 1) that discharges at least a portion of the gas inside the article 1 to the outside after heating the aerosol generation segment 2 by adjusting the engagement state of the second outer surface 22b with respect to the first inner surface 20a.

[0022] Figure 4 shows the state of article 1 before the discharge mechanism 30 in Figure 1 is activated. Before the discharge mechanism 30 is activated, article 1 is inserted into the housing section 43 of the device 40. Specifically, the device 40 includes a heat transfer section 41 where a heat source 42 for heating article 1 is located, a housing section 43 in which article 1 is housed, a battery 45 that supplies power to the heat source 42, and a control circuit 47 that controls the power supplied from the battery 45 to the heat source 42. The heat source 42 is a heater that heats the aerosol generation segment 2 from the outer periphery of article 1, as shown in Figure 4, for example. With article 1 housed in the housing section 41, the aerosol generation segment 2 is preheated by the heat source 42 for a predetermined time.

[0023] As a result, the moisture adsorbed on the packing material 8 volatilizes, generating high-temperature water vapor Va inside the article 1. This airflow containing high-temperature water vapor Va excessively heats the mouthpiece end 18 of the article 1 during the user's initial puffing phase, hindering the user's use of the article 1. Therefore, to avoid this problem, the user pushes the mouthpiece end 18 upstream with their finger, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 4. This pushes the second tube 22 into the first tube 20. Note that the heating source 42 is not limited to a heater; it may also be a susceptor built into the article 1. In this case, the aerosol generation segment 2 is inductively heated via the susceptor by an induction coil located in the device 40.

[0024] Alternatively, the heating source 42 may be a microwave absorber such as water or glycerin contained in the article 1. In this case, the aerosol generation segment 2 is heated by microwaves from a microwave radiation source located in the device 40. The heating temperature by the heating source 42 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 200°C or higher and 400°C or lower, and more preferably 250°C or higher and 350°C or lower. The heating temperature is the temperature of the heating source 42 that imparts heat to the aerosol generation segment 2 when the article 1 is inserted into the device 40 and used, or the temperature of the heated aerosol generation segment 2.

[0025] Figure 5 shows the state of article 1 when the discharge mechanism 30 of Figure 1 is in operation. Note that the battery 45 and control circuit 47 are not shown in Figure 5 and subsequent figures of the device 40. The discharge mechanism 30 of this embodiment is operated by pushing the second tube 22 in with a finger and sliding the second tube 22 along the axial direction X of the cooling segment 4 in the direction of shortening the cooling segment 4. As a result, the space of the hollow section 12 is reduced by the amount of the first hollow section 12A, and the hollow section 12 becomes the volume of the second hollow section 12B. Note that the pushed-in length of the second tube 22 is 20% or more and 100% or less of the total length of article 1. The gas from the volume of the first hollow section 12A, accompanied by high-temperature water vapor Va, flows through the aerosol generation segment 2 into the gap 44 formed between it and the inner surface 40a of the device 40, as shown by the arrow in Figure 5.

[0026] Furthermore, the gas in the first hollow section 12A, which contains high-temperature water vapor Va, is discharged to the outside of the device 40 through the gap 44. The second tube 22 also has ventilation holes 24 that connect the hollow section 12 to the outside both before and after sliding in the shortening direction. In other words, the ventilation holes 24 are not blocked by the operation of the discharge mechanism 30. Note that multiple ventilation holes 24 are formed concentrically around the axis of the second tube 22, and when these ventilation holes 24 are considered as a single opening group, there may be one opening group or two or more opening groups.

[0027] Furthermore, the vent holes 24 are opened, for example, by laser drilling, and when the proportion of air drawn in from the suction port end 18 is set to 100% by volume, the proportion of air flowing in from the vent holes 24 is preferably 30% to 80% by volume, more preferably 40% to 70% by volume, and even more preferably 50% to 65% by volume. In any case, if it falls below the lower limit of the above range, the cooling of the aerosol components will not be sufficient, on the other hand, if it exceeds the upper limit of the above range, the delivery of the aerosol components will not be sufficient due to excessive dilution. The above air inflow ratio is measured by a method in accordance with ISO 9512. In addition, a smooth layer 26 having a predetermined degree of smoothness is formed on the second outer surface 22b of the second tube 22. The smooth layer 26 may be formed by adding a smoothing agent to the second outer surface 22b, or it may be formed from a metal layer such as aluminum foil.

[0028] The smoothness of the smooth layer 26 is determined by the Beck smoothness measurement method (JIS P 8119), and is preferably 200 to 2000 seconds, more preferably 300 to 1500 seconds, in order to ensure smooth sliding of the second tube 22. If the smoothness is less than 200 seconds, smooth sliding of the second tube 22 becomes difficult, and if the smoothness is more than 2000 seconds, the second tube 22 slides too much, making it difficult to handle in the manufacturing equipment.

[0029] Furthermore, the first inner circumferential surface 20a of the first tube 20 has a covering region 28. The covering region 28 is exposed to the hollow portion 12 before the second tube 22 is slid in the shortening direction of the cooling segment 4. On the other hand, the covering region 28 is covered by the second outer circumferential surface 22b after the second tube 22 is slid in the shortening direction of the cooling segment 4. An adsorption layer 32 that adsorbs moisture is formed in such a covering region 28. The adsorption layer 32 is formed by adding an adsorbent to the covering region 28, and the adsorbent is expected to be one with physical adsorption capacity, such as activated carbon, zeolite, porous aluminum oxide, or silica gel.

[0030] Alternatively, the adsorbent may be a deliquescent adsorbent such as citric acid, sodium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, magnesium chloride, or calcium chloride. Alternatively, the adsorbent may be a plasticizer such as triethyl citrate, acetyl triethyl citrate, acetyl tributyl citrate, dibutyl tartrate, ethyl phthalyl ethyl glycolate, methyl phthalyl ethyl glycolate, triacetin, triethyl phosphate, triphenyl phosphate, or trippropionine, or an inclusion compound such as cyclodextrin. Furthermore, a volatile layer 34 that volatilizes aerosols is formed on the second inner surface 22a of the second tube 22. The volatile layer 34 is formed by adding aerosol components to the second inner surface 22a, for example.

[0031] Figure 6 shows the state of the discharge mechanism 30 of article 1 during operation, according to a modified example of Figure 1. In the configuration shown in Figure 6, a gas trap segment 36 is connected to the outer end of the aerosol generation segment 2 on the upstream side in the axial direction X. The gas trap segment 36 includes a porous body 38 and adsorbs moisture from the gas in the hollow section 12 discharged through the aerosol generation segment 2. The porous body 38 is composed of a filler such as cellulose fibers such as paper or nonwoven fabric, or cellulose-based semi-synthetic fibers such as acetate, but is not limited to these.

[0032] Specifically, the above-mentioned filler can be made from plant fibers such as cotton, hemp, Manila hemp, coconut, and rush; animal fibers such as wool and cashmere; cellulose-based regenerated fibers such as rayon; cellulose-based semi-synthetic fibers such as diacetate and triacetate; synthetic fibers such as nylon, polyester, acrylic, polyethylene, and polypropylene; or a combination thereof. To provide a higher gas trapping function, an adsorbent such as charcoal particles may be added to the aforementioned filler.

[0033] Figure 7 shows the engagement region 46 between the first tube 20 and the second tube 22 of article 1 according to a modified example of Figure 1. The cooling segment 4 has a stopper mechanism 50 in the engagement region 46 where the second outer surface 22b engages with the first inner surface 20a. Specifically, a first folded piece 52 is formed at the downstream circumferential end of the first tube 20 in the axial direction X, by folding the circumferential end radially inward of the first tube 20, i.e., towards the first inner surface 20a. On the other hand, a second folded piece 54 is formed at the upstream circumferential end of the second tube 22 in the axial direction X, by folding the circumferential end radially outward of the second tube 22, i.e., towards the second outer surface 22b. The stopper mechanism 50 prevents the second tube 22 from coming loose and falling out of the first tube 20 by engaging the first folded piece 52 with the second folded piece 54 when the cooling segment 4 is in an extended state, thereby engaging the first inner circumferential surface 20a with the second outer circumferential surface 22b in the engagement region 46.

[0034] As described above, the article 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a discharge mechanism 30, which, by adjusting the engagement state of the second outer surface 22b with respect to the first inner surface 20a, discharges at least a portion of the gas inside the article 1, more specifically the gas in the hollow section 12 (first hollow section 12A), to the outside after heating the aerosol generation segment 2. As a result, the high-temperature water vapor Va generated by heating the article 1 and flowing into the first hollow section 12A is discharged to the outside of the article 1. Therefore, even when the article 1 is stored in a high-humidity environment, excessive heating of the inlet end 18 of the article 1 by high-temperature water vapor Va during the user's initial puffing stage is suppressed, and the user can comfortably use the article 1.

[0035] In detail, the discharge mechanism 30 of this embodiment slides the second tube 22 along the axial direction X of the cooling segment 4 in the direction of shortening the cooling segment 4, thereby reducing the space of the hollow portion 12 and discharging the gas from the hollow portion 12 to the outside through the aerosol generation segment 2. This makes it possible to discharge the high-temperature water vapor Va generated by heating the article 1 to the outside of the article 1. Alternatively, the space of the hollow portion 12 may be reduced by sliding the first tube 20 instead of the second tube 22.

[0036] Furthermore, the second tube 22 has ventilation holes 24 that connect the hollow section 12 to the outside both before and after sliding the cooling segment 4 in the shortening direction. As a result, when the second tube 22 is slid in the shortening direction of the cooling segment 4, outside air is drawn into the second hollow section 12B through the ventilation holes 24. Therefore, the gas accumulating in the second hollow section 12B is diluted by the outside air, promoting a further decrease in the temperature of the airflow reaching the suction end 18 in the initial puffing stage, thus more effectively suppressing heating of the suction end 18.

[0037] Specifically, a sensory test was conducted to determine how the temperature of the mouthpiece tip 18 was perceived. Each tester was asked to choose one of the following ratings: 0: not hot, 1: slightly warm, 2: warm, 3: hot, 4: quite hot, 5: very hot. The average rating was 2.4, indicating that, on average, the mouthpiece tip 18 is perceived as "warm," but not as "hot."

[0038] Furthermore, the second outer surface 22b of the second tube 22 has a smooth layer 26 that has a smoothness of 200 to 2000 seconds according to the Beck smoothness measurement method (JIS P 8119). This ensures the smoothness and airtightness of the first inner surface 20a of the first tube 20 relative to the second outer surface 22b of the second tube 22. Therefore, the second tube 22 can be smoothly slid relative to the first tube 20 in the stretching or shortening direction of the cooling segment 4 without gas leakage from the article 1. Note that the smooth layer 26 may be formed on the first inner surface 20a instead of the second outer surface 22b, or it may be formed on both the first inner surface 20a and the second outer surface 22b.

[0039] Furthermore, the covering region 28 formed on the first inner circumferential surface 20a of the first tube 20 has an adsorption layer 32 that adsorbs moisture. The covering region 28 is exposed to the hollow portion 12 before the cooling segment 4 is slid in the shortening direction, while it is covered by the second outer circumferential surface 22b of the second tube 22 after the sliding in the shortening direction. This allows the adsorption layer 32 of the covering region 28 to remove moisture from the hollow portion 12 before the discharge mechanism 30 is activated, while after the discharge mechanism 30 is activated, the adsorption layer 32 of the covering region 28 is covered by the second outer circumferential surface 22b and does not function. Therefore, in the initial puffing stage of article 1 after the discharge mechanism 30 is activated, aerosols volatilized from the filler 8 are not adsorbed by the adsorption layer 32. As a result, the taste of article 1 is not impaired by aerosol adsorption in the adsorption layer 32, and the generation of high-temperature water vapor Va is suppressed by dehumidifying the hollow portion 12 before the discharge mechanism 30 is activated.

[0040] Furthermore, the second inner surface 22a of the second tube 22 has a volatile layer 34 that vaporizes aerosol. Since the second inner surface 22a moves toward the heater 42 after the discharge mechanism 30 is activated, heat from the heater 42 is more easily transferred to the volatile layer 34, and the aerosol is suitably vaporized from the volatile layer 34. As a result, the timing of aerosol delivery from the volatile layer 34 to the user is controlled to occur after the discharge mechanism 30 is activated, in other words, during the user's initial puff stage. By controlling the timing of aerosol delivery in this way, the taste of the item 1 can be further improved.

[0041] Furthermore, a gas trap segment 36 is connected to the outer end of the aerosol generation segment 2 in the axial direction X, which adsorbs moisture from the gas in the hollow section 12 discharged through the aerosol generation segment 2. The gas trap segment 36 adsorbs high-temperature water vapor Va that remains in the packing material 8 even after the discharge mechanism 30 has been activated. This further effectively suppresses heating of the inlet end 18.

[0042] Furthermore, the cooling segment 4 has a stopper mechanism 50 in an engagement region 46 where the second outer surface 22b engages with the first inner surface 20a, which locks the second outer surface 22b to the first inner surface 20a. This prevents the second tube 22 from detaching and falling out of the first tube 20 before, during, or after the discharge mechanism 30 is activated, thus preventing interference with the use of the article 1.

[0043] <Second Embodiment> Figure 8 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the aerosol product 1 according to the second embodiment, Figure 9 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the first tube 20 in Figure 8, and Figure 10 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the second tube 22 in Figure 8. In describing this embodiment, we will mainly describe features that differ from the first embodiment, and features that are the same as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings and will not be described. In this embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the cooling segment 4 has the second tube 22 slid in the contraction direction along the axial direction X and is in a contracted state even before the discharge mechanism 30 is activated.

[0044] The space in the hollow section 12 is reduced by the volume of the first hollow section 12A, and the hollow section 12 becomes the volume of the second hollow section 12B. In addition, the first tube 20 has a first opening 60, and the second tube 22 has a second opening 62. Specifically, the first opening 60 is formed by cutting a rectangular notch in the first tube 20 from its upstream end toward the downstream side. The second opening 62 is formed by perforating a rectangular hole in the second tube 22. Note that the second opening 62 shown in Figure 8 appears as a rectangular notch shown in Figure 10 when the second tube 22 is rotated approximately 90 degrees in the circumferential direction.

[0045] Figure 11 shows the state of article 1 before activating the discharge mechanism 30 shown in Figure 8. Before activating the discharge mechanism 30, the aerosol generation segment 2 is heated by the heater 42 of the device 40, as in the first embodiment. This causes the moisture adsorbed on the packing material 8 to volatilize, generating high-temperature water vapor Va inside article 1. To remove this high-temperature water vapor Va, the user rotates the second tube 22 approximately 90 degrees relative to the first tube 20 by rotating the mouthpiece segment 6 approximately 90 degrees circumferentially with their finger, as indicated by the arrow.

[0046] Figure 12 shows the state of article 1 when the discharge mechanism 30 of Figure 8 is in operation. The discharge mechanism 30 of this embodiment is operated by rotating the second tube 22 with a finger, forming a discharge port 64 in an engagement region 46 where the second outer surface 22b engages with the first inner surface 20a, with the first opening 60 and the second opening 62 overlapping. As a result, the hollow section 12, i.e., the second hollow section 12B, is opened through the discharge port 64, and the gas in the second hollow section 12B, along with the high-temperature water vapor Va retained in the second hollow section 12B, is discharged to the outside of the device 40 by passing through the gap 44 formed between the inner surface 40a of the device 40 and the gas. This discharge of high-temperature water vapor Va occurs naturally and smoothly because high-temperature water vapor Va is under higher pressure than atmospheric pressure.

[0047] Furthermore, after the gas from the second hollow section 12B containing high-temperature water vapor Va is discharged to the outside of article 1, the outlet 64 is closed by rotating the first tube 20 or the second tube 22 in the circumferential direction of the cooling segment 4. As a result, article 1 is in the state shown in Figure 11, and the user can suitably aspirate the aerosol volatilized from the packing material 8. Moreover, as shown in Figure 12, the outlet 64 is positioned at a distance L in the axial direction from the aerosol generation segment 2.

[0048] The separation distance L is, for example, 0 mm to 5 mm. The outlet 64 has an area of ​​10% or more and 50% or less of the total area of ​​the outer surface of the cooling segment 4, i.e., the first outer surface 20b of the first tube 20. The ventilation holes 24 formed in the second tube 22 communicate the hollow portion 12 with the outside both before and after the formation of the outlet 64. In other words, the ventilation holes 24 are not blocked by the operation of the discharge mechanism 30.

[0049] As described above, the article 1 of this embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, is equipped with a discharge mechanism 30 that discharges the gas from the hollow section 12 (second hollow section 12B) to the outside after heating the aerosol generation segment 2 by adjusting the engagement state of the second outer peripheral surface 22b with respect to the first inner peripheral surface 20a. As a result, the high-temperature water vapor Va generated by heating the article 1 is discharged to the outside of the article 1. Therefore, even when the article 1 is stored in a high-humidity environment, excessive heating of the mouthpiece end 18 of the article 1 by high-temperature water vapor Va during the user's initial puffing stage is suppressed, and the user can use the article 1 comfortably.

[0050] More specifically, in this embodiment, the discharge mechanism 30 forms an outlet 64 in an engagement region 46 where the second outer surface 22b of the second tube 22 engages with the first inner surface 20a of the first tube 20, with the first opening 60 of the first tube 20 and the second opening 62 of the second tube 22 overlapping. The hollow section 12 is then opened through the outlet 64, and the gas in the hollow section 12 is discharged to the outside. As a result, the high-temperature water vapor Va generated by heating the article 1 is discharged to the outside of the article 1. Alternatively, the outlet 64 may be formed by rotating the second tube 22 instead of the first tube 20.

[0051] Furthermore, after the gas in the hollow section 12 is discharged to the outside, the outlet 64 is closed by rotating the first tube 20 or the second tube 22 in the circumferential direction of the cooling segment 4. This allows the user to use the article 1 after the high-temperature water vapor Va has been discharged by suction. The outlet 64 is positioned at a distance of 0 mm to 5 mm in the axial direction from the aerosol generation segment 2. This allows the high-temperature water vapor Va volatilized from the packing material 8 to be smoothly and naturally exhausted from the outlet 64, which is close to the packing material 8.

[0052] Furthermore, the outlet 64 has an area of ​​10% or more and 50% or less of the total area of ​​the outer circumferential surface of the cooling segment 4, i.e., the first outer circumferential surface 20b of the first tube 20. This allows high-temperature water vapor Va volatilized from the packing material 8 to be smoothly and reliably naturally exhausted through the outlet 64, which has as wide an area as possible, while ensuring the rigidity of the cooling segment 4. In addition, the second tube 22 has ventilation holes 24 that connect the hollow section 12 to the outside both before and after the formation of the outlet 64. As a result, when the second tube 22 is rotated in its circumferential direction, outside air is taken into the second hollow section 12B through the ventilation holes 24. Therefore, the gas remaining in the second hollow section 12B is diluted by the outside air, and a further temperature reduction of the airflow reaching the suction end 18 in the initial puffing stage is promoted, thus more effectively suppressing the heating of the suction end 18.

[0053] This concludes the description of embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the initial state of article 1 of the first embodiment, the first tube 20 and the second tube 22 are connected. However, the invention is not limited to this, and in the initial state of article 1, the first tube 20 and the second tube 22 may be separated. In this case, article 1 is used after connecting the first tube 20 and the second tube 22 after removing them from the package. In this embodiment, the stopper mechanism 50 shown in Figure 7 is not provided.

[0054] Furthermore, in the initial state of article 1 of the first embodiment, the first opening 60 of the first tube 20 and the second opening 62 of the second tube 22 are offset by approximately 90 degrees in the circumferential direction of the first tube 20 and the second tube 22, and the first opening 60 and the second opening 62 do not overlap. However, the invention is not limited to this, and in the initial state of article 1, the first opening 60 and the second opening 62 may overlap to form the discharge port 64. Also, in the second embodiment, it is possible to provide a stopper mechanism 50 similar to that of the first embodiment.

[0055] This prevents the second tube 22 from falling out of the first tube 20, even in the second embodiment. In addition, the first tube 20 and the second tube 22 may be separated in the initial state of article 1 in the second embodiment. In this case, article 1 is used after connecting the first tube 20 and the second tube 22 after removing them from the package. In this embodiment, the stopper mechanism 50 described above is not provided. In the second embodiment, the first opening 60 is formed by cutting a rectangular notch in the first tube 20, and the second opening 62 is formed by perforating a rectangular hole in the second tube 22. However, the first opening 60 may be formed by perforating instead of cutting, and the first opening 60 and the second opening 62 may have shapes other than rectangular, and multiple openings of each may be formed. If the first opening 60 and the second opening 62 are not rectangular, the separation distance L described above is defined as the shortest distance from the aerosol generation segment 2.

[0056] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, the second outer surface 22b of the second tube 22 on the mouthpiece segment 6 side engages with the first inner surface 20a of the first tube 20 on the aerosol generation segment 2 side. In other words, article 1 has a structure in which the second tube 22 is inscribed inside the first tube 20. However, article 1 is not limited to this, and may have a structure in which the second tube 22 is inscribed outside the first tube 20. Also, the aerosol generation segment 2 may not be inscribed inside the first tube 20, but may be connected to the first tube 20 with chipping paper (not shown). Also, the mouthpiece segment 6 may not be inscribed inside the second tube 22, but may be connected to the second tube 22 with chipping paper (not shown).

[0057] Furthermore, article 1 only needs to include at least an aerosol generating segment 2, a cooling segment 4, and a mouthpiece segment 6, and various forms including other segments are conceivable. In addition, the mouthpiece segment 6 may include a filter segment filled with filter material 14, or a center hole segment with a hollow portion formed in the filled filter material 14. In addition, the cooling segment 4 only needs to be a segment having a hollow portion 12, and may be formed in a tubular shape from a material other than paper.

[0058] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 13, in the first embodiment, indicators 70 may be formed on the first outer surface 20b of the first tube 20 and the second outer surface 22b of the second tube 22, respectively. The indicator 70 is, for example, an arrow mark, and by forming the indicator 70, the user can visually confirm the amount the second tube 22 is pushed into the first tube 20. For example, the user can visually confirm from the indicator 70 that there is still room to push the second tube 22 in, from the partially pushed-in state of the second tube 22 shown by the dashed line to the fully pushed-in state of the second tube 22 shown by the solid line.

[0059] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14, in the second embodiment as well, similar indicators 70 may be formed on the first outer surface 20b of the first tube 20 and the second outer surface 22b of the second tube 22, respectively. This allows the user to visually confirm the amount of rotation of the second tube 22 relative to the first tube 20, and consequently, the opening area of ​​the exhaust port 64. For example, the user can visually confirm from the indicator 70 that there is still room for rotation of the second tube 22, from the intermediate rotation state shown by the dashed line to the full rotation state shown by the solid line. Note that the indicator 70 is not limited to arrow marks; various marks are conceivable, and the aforementioned amount of indentation and rotation may be visually confirmed in stages using colors or numbers.

[0060] Furthermore, some or all of the above embodiments can be expressed by the descriptions of the respective embodiments shown below. (Aspect 1) an aerosol generation segment that generates aerosols when heated, A cooling segment having a hollow portion for cooling the generated aerosol, A mouthpiece segment having a mouthpiece end for inhaling the cooled aerosol, an aerosol product containing, The cooling segment is A first tube having a first inner circumferential surface, A second tube connected to the first tube and having a second outer surface that slidably and airtightly engages with the first inner surface, By adjusting the engagement state of the second outer surface with respect to the first inner surface, a discharge mechanism is provided that discharges at least a portion of the gas inside the aerosol product to the outside after heating the aerosol generation segment. Aerosol product having the following characteristics.

[0061] (Aspect 2) The aerosol product according to embodiment 1, wherein the discharge mechanism slides the first tube or the second tube along the axial direction of the cooling segment in the direction of shortening the cooling segment, thereby reducing the space of the hollow portion and discharging at least a portion of the gas inside the aerosol product to the outside through the aerosol generating segment. (Aspect 3) The aerosol product according to embodiment 2, wherein the second tube has a vent hole that connects the hollow portion to the outside both before and after sliding in the shortening direction.

[0062] (Aspect 4) The aerosol product according to embodiment 2, wherein at least one of the first inner surface and the second outer surface has a smooth layer that has a smoothness of 200 seconds to 2000 seconds according to the Beck smoothness measurement method (JIS P 8119). (Aspect 5) The first inner circumferential surface has a covering region that is exposed to the hollow portion before sliding in the shortening direction, and is covered by the second outer circumferential surface after sliding in the shortening direction. The aerosol product according to embodiment 2, wherein the coated region has an adsorption layer that adsorbs moisture.

[0063] (Aspect 6) The aerosol product according to embodiment 2, wherein the second inner surface formed on the second tube has a volatile layer that volatilizes the aerosol. (Aspect 7) The aerosol product according to embodiment 2, wherein a gas trap segment for adsorbing moisture from the gas in the hollow portion discharged through the aerosol generating segment is connected to the outer end of the aerosol generating segment in the axial direction.

[0064] (Pattern 8) The aerosol product according to embodiment 2, wherein the cooling segment has a stopper mechanism that locks the second outer surface to the first inner surface in an engagement region where the second outer surface engages with the first inner surface. (Aspect 9) The first tube has a first opening, The second tube has a second opening, The aerosol product according to embodiment 1, wherein the discharge mechanism forms an outlet where the first opening and the second opening overlap in an engagement region where the second outer surface engages with the first inner surface, thereby opening the hollow portion through the outlet and discharging the gas from the hollow portion to the outside.

[0065] (Aspect 10) The aerosol product according to embodiment 9, wherein, after the gas in the hollow portion is discharged to the outside, the discharge port is closed by rotating the first tube or the second tube in the circumferential direction of the cooling segment. (Aspect 11) The aerosol product according to embodiment 9, wherein the discharge port is located at a distance of 0 mm to 5 mm in the axial direction from the aerosol generation segment.

[0066] (Aspect 12) The aerosol product according to embodiment 9, wherein the discharge port has an area of ​​10% or more and 50% or less of the total area of ​​the outer surface of the cooling segment. (Aspect 13) The aerosol product according to embodiment 9, wherein the second tube has a vent hole that connects the hollow portion to the outside both before and after the formation of the outlet.

[0067] (Aspect 14) The aerosol product according to embodiment 9, wherein the cooling segment has a stopper mechanism that locks the second outer surface to the first inner surface in an engagement region where the second outer surface engages with the first inner surface. (Aspect 15) The aerosol product according to any one embodiment of embodiments 1 to 14, wherein the aerosol generating segment is of the non-combustion heating type, which is heated without combustion. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0068] 1. Aerosol products 2. Aerosol generation segment 4 Cooling Segments 6 Mouthpiece Segments 12 Hollow part 18 Mouth end 20 First tube 20a 1st inner surface 20b First outer surface (outer surface of the cooling tube) 22 Second Tube 22a Second inner surface 22b Second outer surface 24 ventilation holes 26 Smooth layer 28 Covered area 30 Ejection mechanism 32 Adsorption layer 34. Volatile layer 36 Gas trap segments 46 Engagement area 50 Stopper mechanism 60 First opening 62. Second opening 64 Outlet X-axis direction L separation distance

Claims

1. an aerosol generation segment that generates aerosols when heated, A cooling segment having a hollow portion for cooling the generated aerosol, A mouthpiece segment having a mouthpiece end for inhaling the cooled aerosol, an aerosol product containing, The cooling segment is A first tube having a first inner circumferential surface, A second tube connected to the first tube and having a second outer surface that slidably and airtightly engages with the first inner surface, By adjusting the engagement state of the second outer surface with respect to the first inner surface, a discharge mechanism is provided that discharges at least a portion of the gas inside the aerosol product to the outside after heating the aerosol generation segment. Aerosol product having the following characteristics.

2. The aerosol product according to claim 1, wherein the discharge mechanism slides the first tube or the second tube along the axial direction of the cooling segment in the direction of shortening the cooling segment, thereby reducing the space of the hollow portion and discharging at least a portion of the gas inside the aerosol product to the outside through the aerosol generating segment.

3. The aerosol product according to claim 2, wherein the second tube has a vent that connects the hollow portion to the outside both before and after sliding in the shortening direction.

4. The aerosol product according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the first inner surface and the second outer surface has a smooth layer that has a smoothness of 200 seconds to 2000 seconds according to the Beck smoothness measurement method (JIS P 8119).

5. The first inner circumferential surface has a covering region that is exposed to the hollow portion before sliding in the shortening direction, and is covered by the second outer circumferential surface after sliding in the shortening direction. The aerosol product according to claim 2, wherein the coated region has an adsorption layer that adsorbs moisture.

6. The aerosol product according to claim 2, wherein the second inner surface formed on the second tube has a volatile layer that volatilizes the aerosol.

7. The aerosol product according to claim 2, wherein a gas trap segment for adsorbing moisture from the gas in the hollow portion discharged through the aerosol generating segment is connected to the outer end of the aerosol generating segment in the axial direction.

8. The aerosol product according to claim 2, wherein the cooling segment has a stopper mechanism that locks the second outer surface to the first inner surface in an engagement region where the second outer surface engages with the first inner surface.

9. The first tube has a first opening, The second tube has a second opening, The aerosol product according to claim 1, wherein the discharge mechanism forms a discharge port in an engagement region where the second outer surface engages with the first inner surface, where the first opening and the second opening overlap, thereby opening the hollow portion through the discharge port and discharging the gas from the hollow portion to the outside.

10. The aerosol product according to claim 9, wherein, after the gas in the hollow portion is discharged to the outside, the discharge port is closed by rotating the first tube or the second tube in the circumferential direction of the cooling segment.

11. The aerosol product according to claim 9, wherein the discharge port is located at a distance of 0 mm to 5 mm in the axial direction from the aerosol generation segment.

12. The aerosol product according to claim 9, wherein the discharge port has an area of ​​10% or more and 50% or less of the total area of ​​the outer surface of the cooling segment.

13. The aerosol product according to claim 9, wherein the second tube has a vent that connects the hollow portion to the outside both before and after the formation of the outlet.

14. The aerosol product according to claim 9, wherein the cooling segment has a stopper mechanism that locks the second outer surface to the first inner surface in an engagement region where the second outer surface engages with the first inner surface.

15. The aerosol product according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the aerosol generating segment is of the non-combustion heating type, which is heated without combustion.

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