Method for manufacturing products containing aerosol-generating materials

Abstract

This invention provides a method for manufacturing aerosol-generating products. [Solution] The product comprises an aerosol generating material, a support 4, and a mask 8. The method includes the steps of: providing a support having a first surface 10 and a second surface 11; providing a mask configured such that when the mask is applied to the first surface of the support in an application orientation to the support, at least one region exists on the first surface of the support that is not covered by the mask, and each region not covered by the mask is a support region; applying the aerosol generating material to the first surface of the support where at least one of the support regions is at least partially covered by the aerosol generating material; and applying the mask to one of the first and second surfaces of the support in an application orientation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of non-combustion aerosol supply systems, and in particular to a method for manufacturing a product comprising an aerosol-generating material for use as a consumable for use with an aerosol supply device, a method for manufacturing a consumable for use with an aerosol supply device, and an aerosol supply system comprising the consumable and the aerosol supply device.

Background Art

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

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

[0004] As another example, there are hybrid devices. These hybrid devices include a liquid source (which may or may not contain an active substance) that vaporizes by heating to produce an inhalable vapor or aerosol. The device further includes a solid aerosol-generating material (which may or may not contain a plant-based material), and the components of this material are entrained in an inhalable vapor or aerosol to produce an inhalation medium.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] A first aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a product comprising an aerosol-generating material, a support, and a mask, the method comprising the steps of: providing a support, wherein the support is of the same size and has a first surface and a second surface on opposing surfaces of the support; providing a mask, wherein the mask is configured such that when the mask is applied to the first surface of the support in an applied orientation, there is at least one region on the first surface of the support that is not covered by the mask, and each region not covered by the mask is an active region; applying the aerosol-generating material to the first surface of the support such that at least one of the active regions is at least partially covered by the aerosol-generating material; and applying the mask to one of the first and second surfaces of the support in an applied orientation.

[0006] A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a product for use in manufacturing consumables for use with a non-flammable aerosol supply system, comprising an aerosol-generating material, a support, and a mask. The support is of the same size and has a first surface and a second surface on opposing surfaces of the support. The aerosol-generating material is supported on the first surface of the support, and the mask is configured such that when the mask is applied to the first surface of the support in an applied orientation, there is at least one support region on the first surface of the support that is not covered by the mask. At least one of the support regions is at least partially covered by the aerosol-generating material, and the mask is applied to one of the first and second surfaces of the support in an applied orientation.

[0007] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, consumables are provided for use with a non-flammable aerosol supply system, the consumables being parts of the product according to a second aspect of the present disclosure, shaped and sized to a desired configuration.

[0008] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure provides an aerosol supply device for use with a consumable according to a third aspect of the present disclosure, the device comprising an aerosol generator configured to heat at least a portion of an aerosol-generating material supported on the consumable.

[0009] According to a fifth aspect of this disclosure, an aerosol supply system is provided comprising an aerosol supply device and consumables according to a second aspect of this disclosure.

[0010] A sixth aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for generating an aerosol from a consumable according to a second aspect of the present disclosure, using an aerosol generating apparatus having at least one aerosol generator positioned to heat the consumable in use but not to burn it, wherein the at least one aerosol generator is a resistive heating element or a magnetic field generator and susceptor.

[0011] Further features and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the following description of embodiments of this disclosure given as examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] A schematic perspective view of a first embodiment of the product according to this disclosure is shown. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows an exploded view of the product. [Figure 3] Figure 1 shows a plan view of the support structure of the product. [Figure 4] A cross-sectional view along line A-A' in Figure 1 is shown. [Figure 5] A plan view of the support of a second embodiment of the product according to this disclosure is shown. [Figure 6] Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the product of the second embodiment along the line corresponding to line A-A' in Figure 1. [Figure 7] A plan view of the support of a third embodiment of the product according to this disclosure is shown. [Figure 8] Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the product of the third embodiment along the line corresponding to line A-A' in Figure 1. [Figure 9] Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the product of the third embodiment along a line equivalent to line A-A' in Figure 1, and the product has an alternative adhesive configuration. [Figure 10] A schematic diagram of one embodiment of the manufacturing method of the product of this disclosure is shown. [Figure 11] Figure 10 shows a magnified view of a part of the embodiment. [Figure 12] Figure 9 shows another storage roll in the schematic diagram. [Figure 13] The product manufactured according to the method shown in Figure 10 is shown. [Figure 14] Figure 13 shows consumables made from the product shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

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

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

[0015] Devices for heating aerosol-generating materials, often used in conjunction with consumables, are part of non-combustible aerosol supply systems. Non-combustible aerosol supply systems release compounds from aerosol-generating materials without burning them, such as hybrid systems that use a combination of electronic cigarettes, tobacco heating products, and aerosol-generating materials to produce aerosols.

[0016] According to this disclosure, a “non-combustible” aerosol supply system is a system in which the aerosol-generating materials (or their components) that make up the aerosol supply system are not burned or incinerated in order to facilitate the delivery of at least one substance to the user.

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

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

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

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

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

[0022] In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to consumables that contain an aerosol-forming material and are configured to be used with a non-combustion aerosol supply device. These consumables may sometimes be referred to as articles throughout the present disclosure.

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

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

[0025] In some embodiments, consumables for use with a non-combustible aerosol supply device may include aerosol generating material, an aerosol generating material storage area, an aerosol generating material transfer component, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generating area, a housing, packaging material, a filter, a suction nozzle, and / or an aerosol modifier.

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

[0027] The masks are the same size and have a first surface and a second surface which are opposing surfaces of the mask.

[0028] Both the mask and the support are sheet-like materials and therefore have two surfaces joined by one or more edges.

[0029] The applied orientation is a predetermined, fixed orientation of the mask relative to the first surface of the support. When the mask is applied to the second surface of the support in the applied orientation, the mask has the same orientation as when it was applied to the first surface of the support, the only difference being that the first surface of the mask is in contact with the first surface of the support, whereas the second surface of the mask is in contact with the second surface of the support.

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

[0031] In one embodiment of the above-described model, the mask is applied to the first surface of the support.

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

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

[0034] In any one embodiment of the above embodiments, the method further includes enabling or curing at least partially an aerosol-generating material slurry applied to a support, such that the aerosol-generating material slurry hardens at least partially as an aerosol-generating material film. Enabling or curing at least partially the aerosol-generating material slurry is performed after the aerosol-generating material is applied to the support.

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

[0036] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the application of the aerosol-generating material to the support is the application of at least two distinct parts of the aerosol-generating material.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0045] In any one embodiment of the above embodiments, each support region has a periphery, and in at least one of the support regions, the aerosol-generating material is positioned such that the aerosol-generating material is spaced apart from the periphery of the support region.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0053] In one embodiment of any of the above embodiments, it is possible to partially cure or cure the aerosol-generating material slurry, and the mask is applied to the first surface of the support when the aerosol-generating material slurry is partially cured.

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

[0055] In any one embodiment of the above embodiments, the mask includes paper, card, metal foil, aluminum foil, felt, nonwoven material, spun material, or woven material. In other embodiments, the mask may include other sheet materials or may be a laminated material comprising two or more material layers.

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

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

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

[0059] In any one embodiment of the above embodiments, the mask includes a printable surface. In some embodiments, the mask may have a print applied to its surface before the mask is applied to the surface of the support.

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

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

[0062] A further advantage of a mask that is the same thickness as or thicker than the cured aerosol-generating material is that the mask protects the aerosol-generating material from contamination by contact with other substances, or at least reduces the risk of such contamination occurring. This is important from a hygienic standpoint.

[0063] A further advantage of a mask that is the same thickness as or thicker than the cured aerosol-generating material is that, because the aerosol-generating material does not extend higher than the surface of the mask away from the support, the combined support / aerosol-generating material / mask can be wound, folded, or otherwise constructed in a stack of multiple layers of support / aerosol-generating material / mask without any risk of the adhesiveness of the aerosol-generating material causing adjacent layers of the support / aerosol-generating material / mask to stick together when the mask is applied to the first surface of the support.

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

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

[0066] In any one embodiment of the above embodiments, the support is aluminum foil. In some other embodiments, the support includes one or more flexible sheet materials, metal foils, metal films, plastic films, or aluminum foils. In some embodiments, the support is a laminated material. In some embodiments, the laminated material includes at least two layers, one of which is a metal foil, metal film, plastic film, or aluminum foil.

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

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

[0069] In any one embodiment of the above-described embodiments, the mask has the same thickness as the support.

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

[0071] In any one embodiment of the above embodiments, the mask is made of a material that is sufficiently thick in the direction perpendicular to the first surface of the support and has sufficient rigidity to be handled by the mask alone without bending, folding, or damaging it, for example, 0.5 mm to 2.5 mm thick. In such embodiments, the support does not need to provide rigidity to the consumables made from the product of the method of the present disclosure. The support may have an aluminum foil having a thickness of 0.005 mm to 0.040 mm, for example, 0.007 mm.

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

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

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

[0075] In any one embodiment of the above embodiments, the method further includes the ability to at least partially cure an aerosol-generating material slurry applied to a support, or to forcibly cool the support and the aerosol-generating material after curing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0082] If the product is intended to be wound onto a storage bobbin, the thickness of the mask relative to the thickness of the aerosol-generating material covering at least one support area at least partially should preferably be selected to allow for any dimensional changes, such as an increase in thickness, which the aerosol-generating material may receive as a result of winding.

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

[0084] In any one embodiment of the above embodiments, configuring a product for storage further includes cutting the product into strips that extend in the longitudinal direction.

[0085] In any one embodiment of the above embodiments, the product is larger than that suitable for use in a non-flammable aerosol supply system, and the method further comprises separating the product into two or more product parts, each product part being shaped and sized for use as a consumable for use in a non-flammable aerosol supply system. The separation of the product into two or more product parts may be performed immediately after the mask is placed on the support and aerosol-generating material, or after the product has been configured for storage, stored, and retrieved from storage.

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

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

[0088] In any one embodiment of the above embodiments, the supply of the support and the application of the aerosol-generating material can be carried out separately from the other parts of the method for manufacturing the product. Such an approach to the method for manufacturing the product has the advantage that the application of the aerosol-generating material to the support and the subsequent curing of the aerosol-generating material can be a process in which the support and the aerosol-generating material can proceed at a slower generation rate than the rate at which they are used in the rest of the method.

[0089] In any one embodiment of the above embodiments, the supply of the support and the application of the aerosol-generating material can be achieved by using two or more sets of apparatus for applying and curing the aerosol-generating material onto the support.

[0090] A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a product for use in manufacturing consumables for use with a non-flammable aerosol supply system, comprising an aerosol-generating material, a support, and a mask. The support is of the same size and has a first surface and a second surface on opposing surfaces of the support. The aerosol-generating material is supported on the first surface of the support, and the mask is configured such that when the mask is applied to the first surface of the support in an applied orientation, there is at least one support region on the first surface of the support that is not covered by the mask. At least one of the support regions is at least partially covered by the aerosol-generating material, and the mask is applied to one of the first and second surfaces of the support in an applied orientation.

[0091] In one embodiment of the above-described model, the mask is applied to the first surface of the support.

[0092] In one embodiment of the above-described model, the mask is applied to the second surface of the support.

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

[0094] In any one embodiment of the above embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is in the form of at least one distinct part of the aerosol-generating material.

[0095] In any one embodiment of the above embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is in the form of at least two distinct parts of the aerosol-generating material.

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

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

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

[0099] In any one embodiment of the above embodiments, each support region has a periphery, and in at least one of the support regions, the aerosol-generating material is positioned such that the aerosol-generating material is spaced apart from the periphery of the support region.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0107] In any one embodiment of the above embodiments, the mask includes paper, card, metal foil, aluminum foil, felt, nonwoven material, spun material, or woven material. In other embodiments, the mask may include other sheet materials or may be a laminated material comprising two or more material layers.

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

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

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

[0111] In any one embodiment of the above embodiments, the mask includes a printable surface. In some embodiments, the mask may have a print applied to its surface before the mask is applied to the surface of the support.

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

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

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

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

[0116] A further advantage of a mask that is the same thickness as or thicker than the cured aerosol-generating material is that the mask protects the aerosol-generating material from contamination by contact with other substances, or at least reduces the risk of such contamination occurring. This is important from a hygienic standpoint.

[0117] A further advantage of a mask that is the same thickness as or thicker than the cured aerosol-generating material is that, because the aerosol-generating material does not extend higher than the surface of the mask away from the support, the combined support / aerosol-generating material / mask can be wound, folded, or otherwise constructed in a stack of multiple layers of support / aerosol-generating material / mask without any risk of the adhesiveness of the aerosol-generating material causing adjacent layers of the support / aerosol-generating material / mask to stick together when the mask is applied to the first surface of the support.

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

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

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

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

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

[0123] In any one embodiment of the above embodiments, the support is aluminum foil. In some other embodiments, the support includes one or more flexible sheet materials, metal foils, metal films, plastic films, or aluminum foils. In some embodiments, the support is a laminated material. In some embodiments, the laminated material includes at least two layers, one of which is a metal foil, metal film, plastic film, or aluminum foil.

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

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

[0126] In any one embodiment of the above-described embodiments, the mask has the same thickness as the support.

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

[0128] In any one embodiment of the above embodiments, the mask is made of a material that is sufficiently thick in the direction perpendicular to the first surface of the support and stiff enough that only the mask can be handled without bending, folding, or damaging it, for example, 0.5 mm to 2.5 mm thick. In such embodiments, the support does not need to provide stiffness to the consumables made from the products of the present disclosure. The support may have aluminum foil having a thickness of 0.005 mm to 0.040 mm, for example, 0.007 mm.

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

[0130] In any one embodiment of the above embodiments, the support is a discontinuous sheet configured such that the support is present at all locations in the support region and is fixed to portions of the mask adjacent to the edges of the mask defining the support region. In such embodiments, the amount of support used is minimized and limited to the locations where the support is required.

[0131] Aerosol-generating materials are materials that can generate aerosols when heated, irradiated, or electrically charged, for example, by other means. Aerosol-generating materials may be in the form of a solid, liquid, or semi-solid (such as a gel), which may or may not contain active substances and / or fragrances.

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

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

[0134] The aerosol-generating material may include an aerosol-generating film, or may be in the form of an aerosol-generating film. The aerosol-generating film may include a binder such as a gelling agent and an aerosol-forming agent. Optionally, a delivered substance and / or fillers may also be present. The aerosol-generating film may not contain substantially any plant material. In particular, in some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is substantially tobacco-free.

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

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

[0137] The slurry is heated, and at least about 60 wt%, 70 wt%, 80 wt%, 85 wt%, or 90 wt% of the solvent can be removed.

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

[0139] The amorphous solid does not need to contain substantially any plant-based material. The amorphous solid does not need to contain substantially any tobacco.

[0140] A susceptor is a material that can be heated by penetration through a fluctuating magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. The susceptor may be a conductive material, in which case penetration by a fluctuating magnetic field causes inductive heating of the susceptor by resistive heating as a result of electric eddy currents. The susceptor may also be a magnetic material, in which case penetration by a fluctuating magnetic field causes magnetic hysteresis heating of the susceptor. The susceptor may be both conductive and magnetic, and as a result, the susceptor can be heated by both heating mechanisms. A device configured to generate a fluctuating magnetic field is called a magnetic field generator.

[0141] The susceptor may include ferromagnetic metals such as iron, or iron alloys such as steel or iron-nickel alloys. Some exemplary ferromagnetic metals are 400 series stainless steels, such as Grade 410 stainless steel, Grade 420 stainless steel, Grade 430 stainless steel, or similar grade stainless steels. Alternatively, the susceptor may include suitable non-magnetic, particularly paramagnetic conductive materials such as aluminum. In paramagnetic conductive materials, induction heating occurs solely by resistance heating due to eddy currents. Alternatively, the susceptor may include non-conductive ferrimagnetic materials such as non-conductive ferrimagnetic ceramics. In this case, heat is generated solely by hysteresis loss. The susceptor may include commercially available alloys such as Phytherm 230 (having a composition with 50 wt% Ni, 10 wt% Cr, and the remainder Fe (wt%=wt%)) or Phytherm 260 (having a composition with 50 wt% Ni, 9 wt% Cr, and the remainder Fe).

[0142] In any one embodiment of the above embodiments, the aerosol generating material includes an active substance.

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

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

[0145] In some embodiments, the active substance includes nicotine. In some embodiments, the active substance includes caffeine, melatonin, or vitamin B12.

[0146] The active substance may include or be derived from one or more plant substances or their components, derivatives, or extracts. As used herein, the term “plant substance” includes, but is not limited to, any material derived from a plant, including extracts, leaves, bark, fibers, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, exoskeletons, or shells. Alternatively, the material may include naturally occurring active compounds in synthetically obtained plants. The material may be in the form of a liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles, granules, pellets, flakes, strips, or sheets. Examples of plant-based substances include tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, hemp, cocoa, cannabis, fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint, rooibos, chamomile, flax, ginger, ginkgo, hazelnut, hibiscus, bay leaf, licorice, matcha, mate, orange peel, papaya, rose, sage, tea (such as green or black tea), thyme, cloves, cinnamon, coffee, aniseed, basil, bay leaf, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, and lavender. - Lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower, vanilla, wintergreen, shiso, curcuma, turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro, bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle, blackcurrant, valerian, pimento, mace, damian, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chives, fennel, verbena, tarragon, geranium, mulberry, Korean ginseng, theanine, theacrine, maca, ashwagandha, damiana, guarana, chlorophyll, baobab, or any combination thereof. Mint may be selected from the following mint varieties: Mentha arvensis, Mentha genus, Egyptian mint, Peppermint, Eau de Cologne mint, Candy mint, Curly mint, Kentucky Colonel mint, Horse mint, Pineapple mint, Bennyroyal mint, Green mint, and Apple mint.

[0147] In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or is derived from one or more plant substances or their components, derivatives, or extracts, the plant substance being tobacco.

[0148] In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or is derived from one or more plant substances or their components, derivatives, or extracts, the plant substances being selected from eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, and hemp.

[0149] In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or is derived from one or more plant substances or their components, derivatives, or extracts, the plant substances being selected from rooibos and fennel.

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

[0151] As used herein, the terms “flavoring” and “flavoring agent” refer to materials that may be used to create a desired taste, aroma, or other somatosensory sensation in a product intended for adult consumers, where permitted by local regulations.These are naturally derived flavoring ingredients, plant substances, plant substance extracts, synthetically obtained materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice, hydrangea, eugenol, magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed, cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herbs, wintergreen, cherry, berry, red berry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, clementine, lemon, lime, Tropical fruits, papaya, rhubarb, grapes, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus fruits, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascaria, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, kurt, naswar, betel nut, shisha, pine, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine Ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, wasabi, pimento, ginger, coffee, hemp, peppermint oil from any species of the Mentha genus, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, rooibos, flax, ginkgo, hazelnut, hibiscus, bay leaf, mate, orange peel, rose, tea such as green or black tea, thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaf, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, shiso, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle, blackcurrant, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, majolica It may contain other additives such as lamb, olives, lemon balm, lemon basil, chives, fennel, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), flavor enhancers, bitter taste receptor site blockers, sensory receptor site activators or stimulants, sugars and / or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin, cyclamate, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), as well as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, plant-based substances, or breath fresheners.These may be artificially produced, synthesized, or natural raw materials, or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, such as a liquid like an oil, a solid like a powder, or a gas.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0159] The aerosol-generating material may also contain a gelling agent. In some embodiments, the gelling agent is a hydrophilic colloid. In some embodiments, the gelling agent is one or more compounds selected from the group including alginates, pectin, starch (and derivatives), cellulose (and derivatives), gums, silica or silicone compounds, clay, polyvinyl alcohol, and combinations thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the gelling agent is one or more of alginates, pectin, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, pullulan, xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan, agarose, acacia gum, fumed silica, PDMS, sodium silicate, kaolin, and polyvinyl alcohol. In some cases, the gelling agent may include alginates and / or pectin and may be combined with a curing agent (such as a calcium source) during the formation of the aerosol-generating material. In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may include calcium crosslinked alginates and / or calcium crosslinked pectins.

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

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

[0162] In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises (or is one or more of) one or more of hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), carboxymethylcellulose, guar gum, or acacia gum.

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

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

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

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

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

[0168] In the example, the aerosol-generating material contains together gelling agents and fillers in amounts of approximately 10 wt%, 20 wt%, 25 wt%, 30 wt%, or 35 wt% to approximately 60 wt%, 55 wt%, 50 wt%, or 45 wt% of the aerosol-generating material. In the example, the aerosol-generating material contains together gelling agents and fillers in amounts of approximately 20 to 60 wt%, 25 to 55 wt%, 30 to 50 wt%, or 35 to 45 wt% of the aerosol-generating material.

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

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

[0171] In some cases, pectin is present in the gelling agent in an amount of approximately 3–15 wt% of the aerosol-generating material. That is, the aerosol-generating material contains approximately 3–15 wt% of the aerosol-generating material in terms of dry weight pectin. In some cases, the aerosol-generating material contains approximately 5–10 wt% of the aerosol-generating material pectin.

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

[0173] In the example, alginate is present in an amount of at least about 50 wt% of the gelling agent. In the example, the aerosol-generating material contains alginate and pectin, with an alginate-to-pectin ratio of 1:1 to 10:1. The alginate-to-pectin ratio is typically >1:1, meaning that alginate is present in greater quantities than pectin. In the example, the alginate-to-pectin ratio is about 2:1 to 8:1, or about 3:1 to 6:1, or approximately 4:1.

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

[0175] (b) Forming a slurry layer typically involves spraying, casting, or extruding the slurry. In the example, the slurry layer is formed by electrospraying the slurry. In the example, the slurry layer is formed by casting the slurry.

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

[0177] In some examples, the slurry is applied to a support. The layer can be formed on top of the support.

[0178] In the example, the slurry comprises a gelling agent, an aerosol-forming agent, and an active substance. The slurry may contain these components in any proportion given herein with respect to the composition of the aerosol-generating material. For example, the slurry (on a dry weight basis) - A gelling agent and optionally a filler, wherein the total amount of the gelling agent and filler together is approximately 10-60 wt% of the slurry, - Approximately 40-80 wt% of the slurry is aerosol-forming agent material, -Optionally, the active substance is added in an amount of up to approximately 20 wt% of the slurry. It may include.

[0179] Curing the gel (c) may involve adding a curing agent to the slurry. For example, the slurry may contain sodium alginate, potassium alginate, or ammonium alginate as a gel precursor, and a curing agent containing a calcium source (such as calcium chloride) may be added to the slurry to form a calcium alginate gel.

[0180] In some examples, the curing agent includes or consists of calcium acetate, calcium formate, calcium carbonate, calcium bicarbonate, calcium chloride, calcium lactate, or a combination thereof. In some examples, the curing agent includes or consists of calcium formate and / or calcium lactate. In certain examples, the curing agent includes or consists of calcium formate. The inventors have typically identified that employing calcium formate as the curing agent yields aerosol-generating materials with greater tensile strength and greater stretch resistance.

[0181] The total amount of curing agent, such as a calcium source, may be 0.5 to 5 wt% (calculated on a dry weight basis). Preferably, the total amount may be about 1 wt%, 2.5 wt%, or 4 wt% to about 4.8 wt% or 4.5 wt%. The inventors have found that if too little curing agent is added, the aerosol-generating material components will not be stabilized, and an aerosol-generating material may be produced in which these components detach from the aerosol-generating material. The inventors have also found that if too much curing agent is added, an aerosol-generating material will be produced that is extremely sticky, resulting in a material that is difficult to handle.

[0182] If the aerosol-generating material does not contain tobacco, a larger amount of curing agent may need to be applied. Therefore, in some cases, the total amount of curing agent, calculated on a dry weight basis, may be 0.5 to 12 wt%, such as 5 to 10 wt%. Preferably, the total amount may be about 5 wt%, 6 wt%, or 7 wt% to about 12 wt% or 10 wt%. In this case, the aerosol-generating material will generally not contain tobacco.

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

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

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

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

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

[0188] In examples where the solvent is water, the dry weight content of the slurry may coincide with the dry weight content of the aerosol-generating material. Therefore, the discussion herein regarding solid composition is explicitly disclosed in conjunction with embodiments of the slurry of the present invention.

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

[0190] The aerosol-generating material may contain fillers.

[0191] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material includes less than 60 wt% of filler, such as 1 wt% to 60 wt%, or 5 wt% to 50 wt%, or 5 wt% to 30 wt%, or 10 wt% to 20 wt%.

[0192] In other embodiments, the aerosol-generating material includes less than 20 wt%, preferably less than 10 wt%, or less than 5 wt% of filler. In some cases, the aerosol-generating material includes less than 1 wt% of filler, and in some cases, it does not include any filler.

[0193] In some such cases, the aerosol-generating material includes at least 1 wt% of filler, for example, at least 5 wt%, at least 10 wt%, at least 20 wt%, at least 30 wt%, at least 40 wt%, or at least 50 wt% of filler. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material includes 5 to 25 wt% of filler.

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

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

[0196] While we do not wish to be bound by theory, it is thought that including fibrous fillers in aerosol-generating materials can increase the tensile strength of the material. This may be particularly effective in cases where the aerosol-generating material is provided as a sheet, such as when the aerosol-generating material sheet is in contact with a rod of aerosolizable material.

[0197] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material does not contain tobacco fibers. In certain embodiments, the aerosol-generating material does not contain fibrous material.

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

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

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

[0201] In some cases, the aerosol-generating material contains active substances such as tobacco extract. In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may contain 5 to 60 wt% tobacco extract (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may contain approximately 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, or 25 wt% to approximately 60 wt%, 50 wt%, 45 wt%, 40 wt%, 35 wt%, or 30 wt% tobacco extract (calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the aerosol-generating material may contain 10 to 50 wt%, 15 to 40 wt%, or 20 to 35 wt% tobacco extract. The tobacco extract may contain nicotine at concentrations such that the aerosol-generating material contains 1 wt%, 1.5 wt%, 2 wt%, or 2.5 wt% to approximately 6 wt%, 5 wt%, 4.5 wt%, or 4 wt% nicotine (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may not contain any nicotine other than that derived from the tobacco extract.

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

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

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

[0205] The aerosol-generating composition may contain one or more active substances. In the example, the aerosol-generating material contains one or more active substances, for example, up to about 20 wt% of the aerosol-generating material. In the example, the aerosol-generating material contains about 1 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, or 15 wt% to about 20 wt%, 15 wt%, 15 wt%, or 5 wt% of the aerosol-generating material in amounts of active substances.

[0206] The active substance may include physiological and / or olfactory active substances contained in the aerosol-generating composition to achieve physiological and / or olfactory responses.

[0207] Tobacco material may be present in the aerosol-generating composition in amounts of approximately 50-95 wt%, or approximately 60-90 wt%, or approximately 70-90 wt%, or approximately 75-85 wt%.

[0208] The tobacco material can exist in any form, but is typically finely chopped (e.g., cut into narrow strips). The finely chopped tobacco material can be suitably blended with the aerosol-generating material to provide an aerosol-generating composition in which the tobacco material and the aerosol-generating material are uniformly dispersed throughout the aerosol-generating composition.

[0209] In the example, the tobacco material comprises one or more of the following: ground tobacco, tobacco fiber, shredded tobacco, extruded tobacco, tobacco stems, reconstituted tobacco, and / or tobacco extract. Surprisingly, the inventors have found that even with relatively large amounts of tobacco flakes in the aerosol-generating composition, it is possible to provide an acceptable aerosol when heated by a non-combustible aerosol supply system. Tobacco flakes typically provide excellent sensory properties. In the example, the tobacco material comprises tobacco flakes in an amount of at least about 50 wt%, 60 wt%, 70 wt%, 80 wt%, 85 wt%, 90 wt%, or 95 wt% of the tobacco material. In a specific example, the tobacco material comprises shredded tobacco in an amount of at least about 50 wt%, 60 wt%, 70 wt%, 80 wt%, 85 wt%, 90 wt%, or 95 wt% of the tobacco material.

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

[0211] In some embodiments, one or more other functional materials may include one or more of the following: pH adjusters, colorants, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and / or antioxidants.

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

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

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

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

[0216] In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may essentially consist of, or be composed of, a gelling agent, water, an aerosol-generating agent, a flavoring agent, and optionally, tobacco material and / or a nicotine source.

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

[0218] In the example, the aerosol-generating material does not contain fragrance, and in a specific example, the aerosol-generating material does not contain active substances.

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

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

[0221] In alternative embodiments of aerosol-generating materials, the aerosol-generating material includes an aerosol-generating material, and the aerosol-generating material is -1 to 60 wt% gelling agent, -5~60 wt% aerosol generating agent, and Contains -10~60 wt% tobacco extract. These weights are calculated on a dry weight basis.

[0222] In some embodiments, the aerosol generating material is -1 to 60 wt% gelling agent, -20~60 wt% aerosol generating agent, and Contains -10~60 wt% tobacco extract. These weights are calculated on a dry weight basis.

[0223] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises 20-35 wt% of a gelling agent, 10-25 wt% of an aerosol-forming agent material, 5-25 wt% of a fiber-containing filler, and 35-50 wt% of a fragrance and / or active substance.

[0224] In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may essentially consist of, or be composed of, a gelling agent, an aerosol-generating agent, tobacco extract, water, and optionally a flavoring agent. In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may essentially consist of, or be composed of, glycerol, alginates and / or pectin, tobacco extract, and water.

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

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

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

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

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

[0230] Materials having a thickness of 0.2 mm are particularly suitable. The aerosol-generating material may comprise two or more layers, and the thickness described herein refers to the total thickness of those layers.

[0231] It has been found that if the aerosol-generating material is too thick, heating efficiency is impaired. This negatively impacts power consumption during use. Conversely, if the aerosol-generating material is too thin, it is difficult to manufacture and handle. Very thin materials are difficult to cast, brittle, and may impair aerosol formation during use.

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

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

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

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

[0236] Aerosol-generating materials, including aerosol-generating materials, may have any suitable area density, such as 30 g / m² to 350 g / m². In some cases, sheets may have a mass per unit area of ​​50 to 250 g / m², or about 70 to 210 g / m², or about 90 to 190 g / m², or preferably about 100 g / m² (therefore having a density similar to shredded rag tobacco, and mixtures of these materials will not easily separate). In some cases, sheets may have a mass per unit area of ​​about 30 to 70 g / m², 40 to 60 g / m², or 25 to 60 g / m² and may be used to wrap aerosolizable materials such as tobacco.

[0237] All weight percentages (indicated as wt%) used herein are calculated on a dry weight basis unless otherwise explicitly stated. All weight ratios are also calculated on a dry weight basis. Weights cited on a dry weight basis refer to the entirety of extracts, slurries, or materials other than water, and may include components that are liquid at room temperature and room pressure, such as glycerol. In contrast, weight percentages cited on a wet weight basis refer to all components, including water.

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

[0239] Aerosol-generating materials may contain colorants. The addition of colorants can alter the visual appearance of the aerosol-generating material. The presence of colorants in the aerosol-generating material can enhance the aerosol-generating material and its visual appearance. By adding colorants to the aerosol-generating material, the aerosol-generating material can be color-matched with other components of the aerosol-generating material or other components of the article comprising the aerosol-generating material.

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

[0241] The coloring agent may be incorporated during the formation of the aerosol-generating material (for example, when forming a slurry containing the material that forms the aerosol-generating material), or the coloring agent may be applied to the aerosol-generating material after its formation (for example, by spraying the coloring agent onto the aerosol-generating material).

[0242] In some of the embodiments described above, talcum powder, calcium carbonate powder, or other powder is applied to the exposed surface of at least one distinct portion of the aerosol-generating material. This can reduce the level of tackiness or adhesion of the aerosol-generating material.

[0243] In the following description of the attached drawings, if the same element exists in two or more embodiments, the same reference number is used for that element throughout, and if similar elements exist, the same reference number (the same number plus a multiple of 100) is used.

[0244] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, Product 2 is shown for use in manufacturing consumables for use with a non-flammable aerosol supply system. Product 2 comprises a support 4, an aerosol-generating material 6, and a mask 8. The aerosol-generating material 6 is supported on a first surface 10 of the support 4. In another embodiment not shown, the aerosol-generating material 6 is supported on a second surface 11 of the support 4.

[0245] The support 4 and mask 8 are sheet materials and may have any suitable dimensions within the plane of the main (larger) surface of these materials. The support 4 and mask 8 are substantially the same size and shape.

[0246] The mask 8 has several openings 12 extending between the main surfaces of the mask 8, and each opening 12 defines a support area on the first surface 10 of the support 4.

[0247] In Figure 2, the aerosol-generating material 6 is in the form of several distinct parts 6A of the aerosol-generating material 6. The aerosol-generating material 6 is in the form of an aerosol-generating material film. In Figure 2, four parts 6A of the aerosol-generating material are shown, and this disclosure includes other numbers of parts 6A ranging from one to many. The number of parts may be limited only by the dimensions of the surfaces 10 of the mask 8 and the support 4, the desired spacing of the openings 12 from each other, and the practicality of handling the support 4 and the mask 8.

[0248] The portion 6A of the aerosol-generating material is shown to be rectangular in the plane of the surface 10 of the support 4. The disclosure includes portions 6A of other shapes or various shapes.

[0249] The portion 6A of the aerosol-generating material is positioned on the surface 10 within the support region defined by the openings 12 of the mask 8. The openings 12 are spatially arranged relative to each other in a roughly square grid pattern, resulting in a support region on the surface 10 of the support having the same pattern. The portion of the surface 10 of the support 4 that is not within the support region separates the support region.

[0250] The support 4 has a mask 8 applied to the first surface 10, and each portion 6A of the aerosol-generating material covers a part of the support area and is spaced apart from the periphery of the support area indicated by the line 12A.

[0251] Referring to Figure 3, the surface 10 of the support 4 is shown in plan view, and portion 6A of the aerosol-generating material is placed on the surface 10. The dashed line 12A represents the edges of the opening 12 and the periphery of the support area when the mask 8 is applied to the surface 10. As seen in Figures 3 and 4, portion 6A is shaped and sized such that the faces of the mask 8 defining the faces defining the faces defining the opening 12 closely surround each of portion 6A.

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

[0253] The surface 16 of the mask 8 can be used to support branding, instruction manuals, product information, and / or decorative materials.

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

[0255] Referring to Figures 5 and 6, in the second embodiment, product 102 has a similar structure to product 2 described above, with the following differences. As shown in Figure 5, the surface 10 of the support 4 is shown in plan view, and a portion 6A of the aerosol-generating material is placed on the surface 10. The dashed line 112A represents the edge of the opening 112 / support area when the mask 108 is applied to the surface 10. As seen in Figures 5 and 6, the opening 112 is shaped and sized such that the surface of the mask 108 defining the opening 112 surrounds each of the portions 6A, but is spaced apart from the portions 6A. As a result, the opening 112 overlaps with the portions 6A and the portion of the surface 10 of the support 4 surrounding the portions 6A.

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

[0257] Referring to Figures 7 and 8, in the third embodiment, product 202 has a similar structure to product 2 described above, with the following differences. As shown in Figure 7, the surface 10 of the support 4 is shown in plan view, and a portion 206A of the aerosol-generating material is placed on the surface 10. The dashed line 212A represents the edge of the opening 212 / support area when the mask 208 is superimposed on the surface 10 and portion 206A of the aerosol-generating material. As seen in Figures 7 and 8, the opening 212 is shaped and sized such that the surface of the mask 208 defining the opening 212 encloses only a portion of the portion 206A of the aerosol-generating material, and the portion 206A extends between each adjacent support area. As a result, no portion of the surface 10 of the support 4 is accessible through any of the openings 212.

[0258] The mask 208 is bonded to the support 4 and portion 206A of the aerosol-generating material by adhesive 218. In this embodiment, the adhesive 218 is applied so as to extend between the surface 220 of the mask 208 and the portion of the surface 10 of the support 4 that does not support portion 206A of the aerosol-generating material and the portion of portion 206A of the aerosol-generating material that is not covered by the opening 212.

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

[0260] The portion 206A of the aerosol-generating material comprises one or more perforations 240 extending through the support 4 and the portion 206A of the aerosol-generating material. The perforations 240 are small in size within the plane of the surface 10 of the support 4 and are positioned so that the end of the perforation 240 closest to the surface 216 of the mask 208 is covered by the opening 212. The perforations 240 reduce the possibility of the aerosol-generating material detaching from the support 4 when consumables made from product 202 are used in a non-flammable aerosol supply system.

[0261] Referring to Figure 10, a support 4 is provided in the form of a roll 22 of support 4 for manufacturing products 2, 102, and 202 as described above. The width of the roll 22 (in the axial direction of the roll 22) is the width of one or more products 2, 102, and 202. The roll 22 is supported on an axis which is part of a manufacturing apparatus (not shown). The support 4 is fed out from the roll 22 along a flatbed 24 that supports the support 4, with the surface 10 of the support 4 facing upwards (arrow 26 pointing upwards). The flatbed 24 prevents the support 4 from deflecting or changing position as the support 4 moves along the bed 24.

[0262] As the support 4 moves along the flatbed 24, portions 6A of the aerosol-generating material (for clarity, not all portions 6A are labeled) are applied to the surface 10 of the support 4 in a predetermined pattern. The pattern includes areas of the surface 10 of the support 4 that are not aerosol-generating material 6, which are present between portions 6A of the aerosol-generating material.

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

[0264] When portion 6A of the aerosol-generating material is applied to the support 4, portion 6A of the aerosol-generating material can be cured or at least partially cured, or is cured or at least partially cured. This can be achieved by having a long transfer period for portion 6A of the aerosol-generating material before further processing of the support / part 6A takes place (for ease of representation, the long bed to which the support 4 moves at this time is not shown).

[0265] Alternatively, the support 4 and portion 6A may be exposed to one or more environmental conditions or energy sources (not shown) that increase and / or control the rate at which portion 6A of the aerosol-generating material hardens. For example, portion 6A may be exposed to infrared radiation to increase the rate at which it hardens. The ability to control the hardening rate of portion 6A of the aerosol-generating material has the consequence of being able to control the quality and properties of the hardening or partial hardening of the aerosol-generating material. For example, the hardening rate may be maintained at a rate that does not induce the formation of cracks or other discontinuities in the aerosol-generating material.

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

[0267] Referring to Figure 11, and further to Figure 10, the openings 12 of the mask 8 (for clarity, not all openings 12 are labeled) are located in groups 30. Each group 30 of openings 12 corresponds to an opening that becomes part of products 2, 102, and 202, and ultimately forms the openings of the consumables when the products are separated into individual consumables that can be used in connection with a non-flammable aerosol supply system.

[0268] The roll 28 of the mask 8 has the same width (in the axial direction of the roll 28) as the roll 22 of the support 4. The roll 28 is supported on an axis which is part of the manufacturing apparatus (not shown). The mask 8 is fed continuously from the roll 28 and along a path that leads the mask 8 to the adhesive application apparatus 32.

[0269] The adhesive application device 32 can be any known adhesive application means, such as an adhesive roller. The adhesive application device 32 is configured to apply adhesive 18 (not shown in Figure 10) to a portion of the surface 20 of the mask 8 that corresponds to a portion of the surface 10 of the support 4 that does not support the aerosol generating material 6.

[0270] The mask 8 follows a path until it overlaps the support 4 and each opening 12 overlaps a portion of the aerosol-generating material 6A in this embodiment. Once the mask is in that position, the adhesive 18 on the surface 20 of the mask 8 comes into contact with the surface 10 of the support 4.

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

[0272] After compression, the support 4 and mask 8 are supplied onto the storage roll 34. The support 4 and mask 8 can be stored as a storage roll 34. The mask 8 is such that the aerosol-generating material of portion 6A is not thicker than the distance between the surface 20 and surface 16 of the mask 8 in a direction perpendicular to the surface 10 of the support 4, so that the aerosol-generating material in each opening 12 does not come into contact with the support 4 when the support 4 and mask 8 are on the storage roll 34.

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

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

[0275] Storage roll 34 or storage roll 34A can be stored until required for the manufacture of multiple consumables.

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

[0277] The above description is for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art will recognize that modifications can be made to the described embodiments without departing from the scope of the disclosed invention. Further modifications that fall within the scope of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the considerations of this disclosure.

[0278] Various embodiments of the methods, products, and consumables disclosed in the various embodiments can be used individually, in combination, or in various configurations not specifically described in the embodiments above. Therefore, the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details and arrangement of components described in the preceding description or shown in the drawings. For example, an embodiment described in one embodiment may be combined in any way with an embodiment described in another embodiment. While specific embodiments have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications can be made to broader embodiments without departing from the invention. The following claims should not be limited by the embodiments described in the examples, and the broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the description as a whole should be given.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a product comprising an aerosol generating material, a support, and a mask, A step of providing a support, wherein the support is of the same size and has a first surface and a second surface on opposing surfaces of the support, A step of providing a mask, wherein the mask is configured such that when the mask is applied to the first surface of the support in an orientation toward the support, there is at least one region on the first surface of the support that is not covered by the mask, and each region not covered by the mask is a support region. The steps include applying an aerosol-generating material to the first surface of the support such that at least one of the support regions is at least partially covered by the aerosol-generating material, A method comprising the step of applying the mask to one of the first and second surfaces of the support in the application orientation.

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

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

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the application of the aerosol generating material is the application of an aerosol generating material slurry.

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

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the application of the aerosol-generating material to the first surface of the support is the application of at least one distinct portion of the aerosol-generating material.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the application of the aerosol-generating material to the support is the application of at least two distinct portions of the aerosol-generating material.

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

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein there are at least two support regions, and at least two of the support regions are at least partially covered with the same amount of aerosol-generating material, the amount of the aerosol-generating material is determined by one of the surface area, mass, or volume in the plane of the first surface of the support.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein each support region is covered with the same amount of aerosol-generating material.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein at least one support region is entirely covered by the aerosol-generating material.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein each support region has a periphery, and in at least one of the support regions, the aerosol generating material is configured and arranged such that it is spaced apart from the periphery of the support region.

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

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

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the aerosol generating material slurry is used as the adhesive.

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

17. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the mask is made of a flexible sheet material.

18. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the mask is made of paper or card.

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

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

21. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the support is a flexible sheet material.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the support is aluminum foil.

23. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the step of at least partially curing the aerosol-generating material slurry applied to the support includes the step of exposing the aerosol-generating material slurry to infrared light.

24. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 23, further comprising the step of forcibly cooling the support and the aerosol-generating material after the aerosol-generating material slurry applied to the support has been at least partially cured or cured.

25. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 26, further comprising the step of constituting the product for storage.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the mask is applied to the first surface of the support, and the steps of forming the product for storage include winding the product onto a bobbin, folding the product in an accordion shape, or cutting the product into a flat storage sheet.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the product is cut into storage sheets, the mask is applied to the second surface of the support, and the distance between the cuts and the configuration of the mask are such that, when the second sheet is placed on the first sheet and the edges of the support of the first and second sheets are adjacent and parallel to each other, the support area of ​​the first sheet is adjacent to the portion of the second surface of the support of the second sheet that is not covered by the mask applied to the second sheet.

28. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 27, wherein the step of constructing the product for storage further includes the step of cutting the product into longitudinally extending strips.

29. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 28, wherein the product is larger than that which would be suitable for use in a non-flammable aerosol supply system, and the method further comprises the step of separating the product into two or more product parts, each product part being shaped and sized for use as a consumable for use in a non-flammable aerosol supply system.

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

31. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 30, wherein the support is a discontinuous sheet, and the support is present at all positions in the support region and is configured to be fixed to the portion of the mask adjacent to the edge of the mask that defines the support region.

32. A product for use in the manufacture of consumables for use with a non-flammable aerosol supply system, The aforementioned product comprises an aerosol generating material, a support, and a mask. The support has two opposing surfaces, a first surface and a second surface of the same size. The aerosol generating material is supported on the first surface of the support, The mask is configured such that, when the mask is applied to the first surface of the support in an orientation that applies to the support, at least one region exists on the first surface of the support, which is a support region, that is not covered by the mask. At least one of the support regions is at least partially covered by the aerosol-generating material. A product in which the mask is applied to one of the first and second surfaces of the support in the application orientation.

33. The product according to claim 32, wherein the mask is applied to the first surface of the support.

34. The product according to claim 32, wherein the mask is applied to the second surface of the support.

35. The product according to any one of claims 32 to 34, wherein the aerosol generating material is an aerosol generating material film.

36. The product according to any one of claims 32 to 35, wherein the aerosol generating material is in the form of at least one distinct part of the aerosol generating material.

37. The product according to claim 36, wherein the aerosol generating material is in the form of at least two distinct parts of the aerosol generating material.

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

39. The product according to claim 38, wherein each support region is at least partially covered with the same amount of aerosol-generating material.

40. The product according to any one of claims 32 to 39, wherein at least one support region is entirely covered by an aerosol-generating material.

41. The product according to any one of claims 32 to 39, wherein each support region has a periphery, and in at least one of the support regions, the aerosol generating material is configured and arranged such that it is spaced apart from the periphery of the support region.

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

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

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

45. The product according to claim 44, wherein the mask is fixed to one or both of the support and the aerosol generating material using an adhesive.

46. The product according to claim 45, wherein the adhesive is an aerosol-generating material slurry.

47. The product according to any one of claims 32 to 46, wherein at least a portion of the mask is fixed to one or both of the support and the aerosol generating material using ultrasonic welding.

48. The product according to any one of claims 32 to 47, wherein the mask is made of a flexible sheet material.

49. The product according to claim 48, wherein the mask comprises paper, card, metal foil, aluminum foil, felt, nonwoven material, spun material, or woven material.

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

51. The product according to any one of claims 32 to 50, wherein the mask comprises a material that is heat-resistant or at least heat-resistant to temperatures typically experienced in an aerosol supply device.

52. The product according to any one of claims 32 to 46, wherein the mask includes a printable surface.

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

54. The product according to any one of claims 32 to 50, wherein the thickness of the aerosol-generating material is measured when the aerosol-generating material is cured or at least partially cured, and the thickness of the cured aerosol-generating material is in the range of 0.1 mm to 2.0 mm, 0.05 mm to 1.5 mm, 0.05 mm to 1.0 mm, 0.1 mm to 0.8 mm, or 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm.

55. The product according to any one of claims 32 to 54, wherein the mask has a thickness of 0.5 mm to 2.5 mm.

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

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

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

59. The product according to claim 58, wherein the support is one of aluminum foil, metal foil, metal film, plastic film, or a laminate comprising at least two layers.

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

61. The product according to any one of claims 32 to 60, further comprising one or more perforations extending through one or both of the support and the aerosol-generating material.

62. The product according to any one of claims 32 to 61, wherein the support is a discontinuous sheet, and the support is present at all positions in the support region and is configured to be fixed to the portion of the mask adjacent to the edge of the mask that defines the support region.

63. A consumable for use with a non-flammable aerosol supply system, wherein the consumable is a part of the product according to any one of claims 32 to 62, having been made into a desired configuration of shape and dimensions.

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

65. An aerosol supply device and an aerosol supply system including the consumables described in claim 63.

66. A method for generating an aerosol from a consumable product according to claim 63, using an aerosol generating apparatus having at least one aerosol generator positioned to heat the product in use but not to burn it, wherein at least one aerosol generator is a resistive heating element or a magnetic field generator and a susceptor.

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