Tobacco articles and related aerosol generating systems for heated, non-combustion aerosol generating devices

Abstract

The present invention relates to a tobacco article (12) for a heated non-combustion aerosol generating device (11), wherein the tobacco article extends between a proximal end (14) and a distal end (13) and comprises a tobacco portion (15) and a non-tobacco portion (16), the tobacco portion (15) comprises a first end (18) and the non-tobacco portion comprises a second end (19), the tobacco article (12) defines an upstream airflow passage and a downstream airflow passage, the downstream airflow passage extending from the distal end (13) to the proximal end (14) in contact with the tobacco portion (15) and the non-tobacco portion (16), the upstream airflow passage extending from an air inlet to the distal end (13) outside the tobacco portion (15), fluidly isolated from the downstream airflow passage upstream of the distal end (13), and at least partially parallel to the downstream airflow passage upstream of the distal end (13).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a tobacco article for a heat-not-burn aerosol generating device. The present invention also relates to an aerosol generating system comprising such a tobacco article.

[0002] Specifically, the tobacco article according to the present invention includes, for example, a solid substrate that can form an aerosol when heated. Thus, an aerosol generating device that operates with such a type of tobacco article, also known as a heat-not-burn device, is adapted to heat the substrate rather than burn it by conduction, convection, and / or radiation to generate an aerosol for inhalation.

Background Art

[0003] (Also known as a vaporizer) The popularity and use of risk reduction devices or risk modification devices has increased rapidly in recent years as an aid to assist habitual smokers who wish to quit smoking conventional tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, and roll-your-own tobacco. In contrast to burning tobacco in conventional tobacco products, various devices and systems for heating or warming a vaporizable substance are available.

[0004] Commonly available risk reduction or risk modification devices are substrate-heated aerosol generators or heated non-combustion devices. These types of devices typically generate aerosols or vapors by heating an aerosol substrate, usually containing moist tobacco leaves or other suitable vaporizable material, to a temperature typically in the range of 150°C to 350°C. By heating the aerosol substrate rather than burning or igniting it, an aerosol is released that contains the components desired by the user but does not contain toxic and carcinogenic by-products from combustion and burning. Furthermore, aerosols generated by heating tobacco or other vaporizable materials typically do not contain the burnt or bitter taste that can be unpleasant to the user, and therefore the substrate does not require sugars and other additives that are typically added to such materials to make the smoke and / or vapor more palatable to the user.

[0005] Tobacco articles usable with such types of aerosol generating devices can take various forms. Some may be elongated sticks, or any other suitable shape, such as a flat plate. Generally, such tobacco articles are at least partially received in a heating chamber of a device that has one or more heaters for heating the tobacco articles.

[0006] Aerosol-generating articles are configured to generate an aerosol when at least partially received into a heating chamber, and this aerosol is delivered to the user through a mouthpiece. In some devices, when tobacco articles are received into the heating chamber, they cause contamination and condensation inside the device during operation. Therefore, the device should be cleaned regularly by the user. In addition, the airflow distribution and pressure drop of some tobacco articles are unsatisfactory and should be improved. These issues with some conventional tobacco articles and aerosol-generating devices lead to an unsatisfactory user experience. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] One of the objectives of the present invention is to propose a tobacco article that enables the avoidance of contamination and condensation caused by aerosols within the heating chamber of an aerosol generating device. This provides a more reliable and cleaner aerosol generating system. Additionally, the airflow distribution and pressure drop inside the tobacco article are improved. Thus, the user experience can be significantly enhanced. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] For this purpose, the present invention relates to a tobacco article for a heated non-combustion aerosol generating device, wherein the tobacco article comprises a tobacco portion and a non-tobacco portion extending along the article axis between a proximal end and a distal end, The tobacco portion has a first end, and the non-tobacco portion has a second end, the first end being adjacent to the distal end or closer to the distal end than the second end, and the second end being adjacent to the proximal end or closer to the proximal end than the first end, Tobacco products define an upstream airflow path and a downstream airflow path. The downstream airflow passage extends from the distal end to the proximal end, in contact with the tobacco portion and the non-tobacco portion. The upstream airflow passage extends from the air inlet to the distal end on the outside of the cigarette portion, is fluidly isolated from the downstream airflow passage upstream of the distal end, and is at least partially parallel to the downstream airflow passage upstream of the distal end.

[0009] Given these characteristics, the airflow used to generate aerosols can be primarily guided through the tobacco article. Therefore, any contact between the airflow and the heating chamber can be avoided or at least minimized. These characteristics allow any contaminants and condensates that may be generated during the operation of the tobacco article to remain inside the article, and these contaminants and condensates can be easily discharged from the device when the tobacco article is removed. Additionally, the airflow used to generate aerosols can be completely controlled within the tobacco article by the arrangement of downstream and upstream airflow passages within the article. Therefore, the airflow distribution within the tobacco article can be optimized, and an optimal pressure drop can be achieved.

[0010] According to some embodiments, at least the tobacco portion of a tobacco article is housed within a wrapper. In some embodiments, both the tobacco and non-tobacco portions are housed within a common wrapper.

[0011] A wrapper can fluidly isolate the upstream airflow passage from at least a portion of the downstream airflow passage. In some embodiments, the upstream airflow passage can be isolated from the outside of the tobacco article by a wrapper or sleeve. More specifically, when the tobacco article is at least partially received in the cavity of the aerosol generating device, the wrapper or sleeve can fluidly isolate the upstream airflow passage from the walls defining the boundaries of the cavity. This means that any contact between the airflow used to generate aerosols by the tobacco article and the walls of the cavity is avoided. The cavity can form, for example, a heating chamber. Thus, at least some of the walls of the cavity can present a heating element. In this case, heating of the tobacco portion is carried out by conduction or convection. In other cases, heating can be carried out by induction. For this purpose, the cavity receiving the tobacco portion can comprise, for example, a coil arranged around the cavity.

[0012] In some embodiments, the wrapper may include paper. Alternatively or additionally, the wrapper may include a heat-conducting material such as aluminum. This can improve or optimize heat transfer from the heating chamber to the tobacco portion.

[0013] In some embodiments, the wrapper is porous.

[0014] In some other embodiments, the wrapper is fluid-impermeable. This can be achieved using a suitable material or coating. The coating may be a water-based lacquer or a hot-melt adhesive. For example, the wrapper or barrier coating may have a density of 0-10 g / m². 2 Water vapor transmission rate at 10 ccm / m² (23°C, 50% RH) per day. 2 It may have an oxygen permeability of less than 1 / day (23°C, 50%RH). Suitable materials for the outer and / or inner wrapper may be high-barrier papers such as AvantGuard S Gloss or AvantGuard S Nature. Given these characteristics, the wrapper can prevent any leakage from inside the tobacco article. For example, such a type of wrapper may contain condensates or other types of contaminants inside the tobacco article. Thus, contamination of the heating chamber can be avoided.

[0015] According to some embodiments, the distal end of the tobacco article is sealed together with the first end of the tobacco portion by a bottom wall that defines the boundary of a gap or end chamber, and the upstream and downstream air passages are in communication through the gap or end chamber.

[0016] A gap or end chamber ensures a smooth transition between the upstream and downstream airflow passages. For example, the upstream and downstream airflow passages can be positioned relative to the gap or end chamber to create a U-turn in the airflow passing from the upstream passage to the downstream passage. The upstream and downstream airflow passages can be positioned parallel to each other, for example, to guide the airflow in opposite directions.

[0017] In some embodiments, the bottom wall defining the boundary of the gap or end chamber can be formed by at least two wrapper sheets with at least a portion of their periphery sealed, or alternatively, by a folded wrapper sheet. This wrapper can be an outer wrapper that overlaps an inner wrapper that encloses the cigarette portion. In other words, in this case, the outer wrapper can form an envelope that receives the cigarette portion wrapped by the inner wrapper, and together with the first end of the cigarette portion, forms the gap or end chamber.

[0018] The gap or end chamber can be maintained by a suitable support inserted between the bottom wall and the first end of the cigarette portion. The support can be formed by a frame positioned at least partially around the cigarette portion between the inner wrapper and the outer wrapper or sleeve. The support can be made from, for example, heat-resistant plastic.

[0019] In some embodiments, the upstream airflow passage is formed by one or more upstream flow channels extending along the axis of the article.

[0020] Given these features, the airflow can flow into an upstream airflow passage through one or more inlets located close to the proximal end of the tobacco article. The airflow can then be guided by the upstream airflow passage, for example, to the distal end of the tobacco article. At the distal end, the airflow is guided into a downstream airflow passage, for example, by a U-turn. The upstream passage formed by the upstream airflow passage, or each upstream passage, can extend, for example, along the side wall of the tobacco article.

[0021] According to some embodiments, the tobacco article forms a flat shape.

[0022] This shape of the tobacco article can be particularly advantageous as it allows for very rapid preheating of the tobacco substrate to generate an aerosol while ensuring good vapor generation during the vaping stage. In further explanation, the flat shape of the tobacco article means that at least one cross-sectional dimension of the tobacco article, hereinafter referred to as the width, is at least 3 times, preferably 5 times, more preferably 10 times greater than another cross-sectional dimension of the tobacco article, hereinafter referred to as the depth. Preferably, these dimensions are measured along a vertical axis, each of which axes is perpendicular to the article axis.

[0023] According to some embodiments, the flat shape of the tobacco article defines at least two narrow sidewalls and two wide sidewalls.

[0024] In this case, the flat shape of the tobacco article means that the distance between its narrow sidewalls is at least 3 times, preferably 5 times, more preferably 10 times greater than the distance between its wide sidewalls.

[0025] According to some embodiments, the upstream flow path or each upstream flow path forming the upstream air flow path extends along each of the narrow sidewalls.

[0026] With these features, the flat shape of the tobacco article is not affected by one or more flow paths of the upstream air flow path. Additionally, in some cases, since the tobacco article is at least slightly compressed by applying pressure to the wide sidewalls of the tobacco article, the upstream flow path or each upstream flow path arranged along each of the narrow sidewalls can maintain its shape in a non-compressed state.

[0027] According to some embodiments, the upstream flow path or each upstream flow path forming the upstream air flow path is formed between an inner wrapper that at least encloses the tobacco portion and an outer wrapper that at least partially overlaps the inner wrapper.

[0028] The inner and outer wrappers may be the same as those disclosed above. More specifically, the outer wrapper may be at least partially sealed along its periphery to form an envelope that receives the cigarette portion wrapped in the inner wrapper.

[0029] A support can be used between the inner and outer wrappers to maintain the shape of the upstream channel or each upstream channel, such as a gap or end chamber formed between the end and bottom wall of the cigarette portion. The support can form a frame that extends at least partially around the cigarette portion. In some embodiments, the same support can be used to maintain the shape of the gap or end chamber and the shape of the upstream channel or each upstream channel extending along the respective narrow side walls of the cigarette article.

[0030] In some embodiments, no support is provided. In this case, at least the outer wrapper can be formed from a rigid material, such as cardboard.

[0031] According to some embodiments, an upstream channel extending along each narrow side wall of the tobacco article, or each upstream channel, opens into a gap or end chamber formed between a first end of the tobacco portion and the bottom wall of the tobacco article.

[0032] According to some embodiments, the tobacco portion forms a corrugated shape in cross-section. The corrugated shape may define two peripheral valley regions and one or more central valley regions. Each valley region advantageously extends from the first end of the tobacco portion to the non-tobacco portion.

[0033] The wavy shape of the tobacco portion is particularly advantageous because it allows airflow to pass through it. Therefore, the airflow can be evenly distributed to both sides of the tobacco portion.

[0034] According to some embodiments, the upstream channel or each upstream channel forming the upstream airflow passage is formed in the respective peripheral valley regions of the tobacco portion. In this case, the channel forming the downstream airflow passage can be formed by the central valley region.

[0035] In some embodiments, the inner wrap encloses the tobacco portion so as to be adjacent to a wall that defines the boundary of the peripheral valley region, while the outer wrap overlaps the inner wrap to form a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape of the tobacco article. In this case, the flow channel that forms the upstream airflow passage is formed in the gap between the inner and outer wrappers.

[0036] According to some embodiments, the non-tobacco portion comprises a flow guide element that forms a corrugated cross-sectional shape. Preferably, the flow guide element forms two peripheral channels and one or more central channels, each channel extending along the axis of the article.

[0037] Flow guide elements can be used to direct airflow within the non-tobacco portion to the proximal end of the tobacco article. Flow guide elements can also cool and / or filter aerosols before they reach the user's mouth. Flow guide elements may include, for example, paper and can further be used to maintain or strengthen the shape of the non-tobacco portion.

[0038] According to some embodiments, at least one peripheral channel extends along a side wall defining the boundary of the tobacco portion and forms at least partially an upstream airflow channel, and a central channel forms part of the downstream airflow channel.

[0039] In other words, in this case, the peripheral channels or each peripheral channel extend beyond the non-tobacco portion. For example, the peripheral channels or each peripheral channel extend from an air inlet formed near the proximal end of the tobacco article to the first end of the tobacco portion, while each central channel extends from the tobacco portion to the proximal end of the tobacco article.

[0040] According to some embodiments, the flow guide element is formed by a corrugated sheet. Additionally, in some embodiments, the at least one peripheral flow path extending along the side wall defining the boundary of the tobacco portion is formed by bending or rounding the periphery of the corrugated sheet or by placing a tubular element adjacent to the corrugated sheet.

[0041] If at least one peripheral channel is formed by folding or rounding the periphery of the corrugated sheet, the flow guide element can form a unique component together with a wall that defines the boundary of this peripheral channel. This can significantly simplify the manufacturing process of tobacco articles.

[0042] If at least one peripheral channel is formed adjacent to the tubular element, the tubular element can be bonded or fixed to the corrugated sheet by any other suitable method, for example. The tubular element can form a circular, triangular, rectangular or any other suitable cross-sectional shape.

[0043] According to some embodiments, the folded or rounded edges of a corrugated sheet or adjacent tubular element are attached by an outer wrapper that encloses at least the non-tobacco portion.

[0044] In this case, only one wrapper may be needed to form the tobacco article. This simplifies the manufacturing process of the tobacco article and reduces the number of components in the tobacco article.

[0045] According to some embodiments, the upstream passages forming the upstream airflow passages, or each upstream passage, extends substantially through the center of the cigarette portion.

[0046] For example, the upstream airflow channel or each upstream airflow channel forming the upstream airflow passage can be formed by a hollow tubular element inserted into the cigarette portion. The hollow tubular element can have any suitable cross-sectional shape. For example, the hollow tubular element can have a circular or rectangular cross-sectional shape. The air inlet to the hollow tubular element can be located in the wide side wall that defines the boundary of the non-cigarette portion. Therefore, the air inlet can be formed by a curved element extending from the surface of the wide side wall to the hollow tubular element. The hollow tubular element may contain paper or may be made of paper.

[0047] According to some embodiments, the tobacco article may further comprise a carrier comprising a frame, the frame defining a central space for receiving at least the tobacco portion. In some embodiments, the central space may also be configured to receive the non-tobacco portion. Advantageously, the frame may also be used to connect the tobacco article to an external mouthpiece, for example, which forms an additional cooling and / or filtering element. This external mouthpiece may present a tubular element attached to the frame in an extension of a downstream airflow passage.

[0048] According to some embodiments, the upstream passage or each upstream passage is formed by a frame and a sleeve sealed using the frame or a wrapper attached to the frame. Thus, the passage or each passage can extend laterally and be bounded by the narrow sidewalls of the tobacco article and the frame and the sleeve or wrapper. An air inlet to the upstream passage or each upstream passage can also be formed between the sleeve and the frame.

[0049] The carrier and / or sleeve may include, or be formed from, paper, plastic, aluminum, or any other suitable material. In some embodiments, the carrier may be formed from different parts made of different materials, for example. In some embodiments, the sleeve may be replaced by a wrapper.

[0050] During manufacturing, multiple carriers for tobacco articles can be connected laterally to each other to form a perforated strip. The tobacco articles can then be inserted into the corresponding central space of each carrier, either during manufacturing or manually by the user. The carriers with the accepted tobacco articles can then be separated from the strip by tearing the perforations.

[0051] In some embodiments, the carrier can be formed as a paper casing. The paper casing is configured to receive a tobacco article and may extend further to form a hollow mouthpiece. The casing may have one or more air inlets opening into a flow path that forms an upstream airflow passage.

[0052] In some embodiments, the frame comprises at least two layers, each layer having a notch that forms at least partially a corresponding upstream air passage. At least some portions of the notches can be overlapped to form an end chamber.

[0053] In some embodiments, the air inlet is formed by one or more calibrated holes or perforations in the wrapper that encloses at least the tobacco portion and / or the non-tobacco portion. The calibrated holes can be positioned in any suitable manner in the wrapper. For example, the calibrated holes can be positioned in the sidewalls formed by the wrapper. For example, the calibrated holes may be 0.5 mm 2 ~5mm 2 It forms the total opening area included between them.

[0054] The calibrated bore is calibrated to ensure the desired pressure drop by the tobacco article. In such cases, accurate suction resistance can be obtained. The calibrated bore can be formed, for example, by laser cutting.

[0055] According to some embodiments, the tobacco portion is receivable in the cavity of the aerosol generating device. Additionally, in some embodiments, the air inlet is designed to be located outside the cavity, closer to the proximal end than the distal end, preferably positioned in the first quarter of the length from the proximal end.

[0056] These characteristics allow the airflow to flow into the upstream airflow passage outside the cavity. Therefore, the airflow does not come into contact with the cavity walls.

[0057] Therefore, air can be drawn in from the outside of the device, and the internal components of the device do not come into contact with the airflow. In addition, contamination and condensation can be avoided not only inside the cavity but also inside the entire device.

[0058] According to some embodiments, the tobacco article further comprises a positioning member designed to position the tobacco portion inside the cavity of the aerosol generating device such that the air inlet is located outside the cavity.

[0059] The positioning member prevents the misinsertion of the tobacco article into the cavity so that the air inlet is always positioned outside the cavity. Preferably, the positioning member is formed by a shoulder formed on the side wall of the tobacco article. Thus, the non-tobacco portion can have a larger cross-sectional area, preventing the non-tobacco portion from being inserted into the cavity.

[0060] The present invention also, Tobacco products as defined above, A heated, non-combustible aerosol generating device configured to operate with tobacco articles and This relates to an aerosol generation system equipped with the following features.

[0061] The present invention and its advantages are given as non-limiting examples and will be better understood by reading the following description, which is made with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0062] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of an aerosol generating system comprising an aerosol generating device and tobacco articles that can be used with the aerosol generating device. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the aerosol generating system along plane II, in which a tobacco article is inserted into the aerosol generating device. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of a tobacco article according to a first embodiment of the present invention (with the left portion being complete and the right portion being partial). [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view of the cigarette article shown in Figure 3, along plane IV. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of a tobacco article according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the airflow circulation inside a tobacco product. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view of a tobacco article according to a third embodiment of the present invention (with the left portion being complete and the right portion being partial). [Figure 8] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of different examples of flow guide elements inserted into a tobacco product. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view of the cigarette article in Figure 7 along plane IX. [Figure 10] This is a perspective view of a tobacco article according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention (with the left portion being complete and the right portion being partial). [Figure 11] This is a cross-sectional view of the tobacco article in Figure 10 along plane XI. [Figure 12] This is a perspective view of a tobacco article according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] The left side of the diagram corresponds to the cross-sectional view of the tobacco product in Figure 12 along plane XIII, and this is a schematic diagram showing the airflow circulation inside the tobacco product in Figure 12. [Figure 14] This is a partial perspective view of a tobacco article according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] This is a cross-sectional view of a cigarette article in Figure 14 along plane XV. [Figure 16]Figure 14 shows a diagram of multiple carriers used to manufacture tobacco articles. [Figure 17] This is a partial perspective view of a tobacco article according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] This is an enlarged view of a tobacco article according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0063] Before describing the present invention, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the structural details described below. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure that other embodiments are possible and that the present invention can be implemented or carried out in various ways.

[0064] In the following, the expression "substantially equal" is understood to mean equal by ±10%, preferably ±5%.

[0065] As used herein, the terms “aerosol generating device” or “device” may include a vaping device for delivering an aerosol containing an aerosol for vaping to a user using a heater element, which is described in more detail below. The device may be portable. “Portable” may mean a device used when held by a user. The device may be adapted to generate a variable amount of aerosol by activating a heater element over a variable amount of time (as opposed to a fixed amount of aerosol), which may be controlled by a trigger. The trigger may be user-activated, such as a vaping button and / or an inhalation sensor. The inhalation sensor may be highly sensitive to inhalation intensity and duration, and may enable the delivery of a variable amount of vapor (to mimic the smoking effect of conventional combustion-type smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigars, or pipes). The device may include a temperature control unit to drive the temperature of the heater and / or heated aerosol generating material (aerosol precursor) to a specific target temperature, and then maintain that temperature at the target temperature to enable efficient aerosol generation.

[0066] As used herein, the term “aerosol” may include suspended matter of a vaporizable material as one or more solid particles, droplets, or gases. Such suspended matter may be present in a gas, including air. In general, an aerosol may refer to / include vapor. An aerosol may contain one or more components of a vaporizable material.

[0067] As used herein, the terms “vaporizable material” or “precursor” may refer to a smokeable material that may, for example, contain nicotine or tobacco and an aerosol former. Tobacco may take the form of various materials such as shredded tobacco, granular tobacco, tobacco leaves, and / or reconstituted tobacco. Suitable aerosol formers include polyols, e.g., sorbitol, glycerol, and glycols (such as propylene glycol or triethylene glycol), non-polyols, e.g., monohydric alcohols, acids (such as lactic acid), glycerol derivatives, esters (such as triacetin), triethylene glycol diacetate, triethyl citrate, glycerin, or vegetable glycerin. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator may be glycerol, propylene glycol, or a mixture of glycerol and propylene glycol. The base material may also contain at least one of gelling agents, binders, stabilizers, and humectants.

[0068] overview Figure 1 shows an aerosol generating system 10 comprising an aerosol generating device 11, also called a heated non-combustion aerosol generating device, and an aerosol generating article 12, also called a tobacco article 12. The aerosol generating device 11 is intended to operate together with the tobacco article 12. In the example in Figure 1, the tobacco article 12 is withdrawn from the aerosol generating device 11. In the example in Figure 2, the tobacco article 12 is inserted into the aerosol generating device 11.

[0069] The tobacco article 12 extends along the article axis X between a proximal end 14 and a distal end 13. The proximal end 14 is intended to be closer to the user than the distal end 13 when the tobacco article 12 is operated with the aerosol generating device 11 to generate an aerosol. The distal end 13 is designed to be received by the aerosol generating device 11, as will be described in more detail below.

[0070] As shown in Figure 2, the tobacco article 12 comprises a tobacco portion 15 and a non-tobacco portion 16 arranged along the article axis X. The tobacco portion 15 comprises a first end 18 adjacent to or facing the distal end 13 of the tobacco article 12. In detail, as will be described below with reference to different embodiments of the tobacco article 12, the first end 18 of the tobacco portion 15 can be adjacent to the distal end 13 of the tobacco article 12, or it can be spaced away from this distal end 13 to form a gap. The non-tobacco portion 16 comprises a second end 19 adjacent to or facing the proximal end 14 of the tobacco article 12, depending on the embodiment. In either case, the first end 18 is closer to the distal end 13 than the second end 19, and the second end 19 is closer to the proximal end 14 than the first end 18.

[0071] According to different embodiments, the tobacco article 12 has a substantially flat shape. In some embodiments, both the tobacco portion 15 and the non-tobacco portion 16 have a substantially flat shape. In this case, the tobacco portion 15 and the non-tobacco portion 16 may have similar cross-sections, for example, having substantially the same cross-sectional area. In a modified example, the cross-sectional area of ​​the non-tobacco portion 16 is larger than that of the tobacco portion 15. In some other embodiments, only the tobacco portion 15 has a substantially flat shape, and the non-tobacco portion 16 has any other suitable shape, for example, a substantially cylindrical shape. The flat shape of the tobacco article 12 forms at least one pair of narrow sidewalls and one pair of wide sidewalls extending along the tobacco article X. Advantageously, the flat shape of at least the tobacco portion 15 has a rectangular cross-section such that its boundary is defined by the pair of narrow and wide sidewalls.

[0072] The tobacco portion 15 may be slightly longer than, for example, the non-tobacco portion 16. For example, the length of the tobacco portion 15 along the article axis X may be between 10 and 25 mm, and may be substantially equal to, for example, 18 mm. The width and / or depth of the tobacco portion 15 may be substantially equal to or less than the width and / or depth of the non-tobacco portion 16, respectively. The length of the non-tobacco portion 16 along the article axis X may be substantially between 8 and 20 mm, and may be, for example, equal to 15 mm. The above length values ​​for both the tobacco portion 15 and the non-tobacco portion 16 can be selected within, for example, a range of ±40%. The tobacco portion 15 and the non-tobacco portion 16 may be fastened to each other by one or more wrappers, as described with reference to different embodiments of the tobacco article 12.

[0073] The non-tobacco portion 16 comprises a core intended to function as a cooling element for slightly cooling the vapor before it is inhaled by the user. For this purpose, the core may include, for example, corrugated cardboard. The core may be formed into a stable shape by an extrusion and / or rolling process. Advantageously, the core is positioned inside the non-tobacco portion 16 so as to be in full contact with the inner surface of the wrapper, defining the boundary of this non-tobacco portion 16. Additionally or alternatively, the core functions as a filter. The core may be formed by a flow guide element having a corrugated cross-sectional shape.

[0074] The tobacco portion 15 contains a vaporizable material and is intended to be heated by a heating chamber, as will be described in more detail below. The tobacco portion 15 may have a corrugated cross-sectional shape.

[0075] As described below with reference to different embodiments, the tobacco article 12 defines an upstream airflow passage and a downstream airflow passage. The downstream airflow passage extends from the distal end 13 to the proximal end 14, in contact with or adjacent to the tobacco portion 15 and the non-tobacco portion 16. The upstream airflow passage extends from the air inlet to the distal end 13 outside the tobacco portion 15. The upstream airflow passage comprises one or more upstream passages that guide fresh air from outside the tobacco article 12 to the tobacco portion 15. The downstream airflow passage comprises one or more downstream passages that guide aerosols further formed to heat the tobacco portion 15. Advantageously, the downstream passages, or each downstream passage, extend through both the tobacco portion 15 and the non-tobacco portion 16. Additionally, the upstream passages, or each upstream passage, are fluidly isolated from the downstream passages, or each downstream passage. As a result, air is forced through the upstream and downstream passages without any possible shortcuts from one to the other.

[0076] Referring to Figure 1, the aerosol generating device 11 comprises a device body 40 extending along the device axis Y between an open end 41 and a closed end 42. The open end 41 is designed to receive at least partially a tobacco article 12, particularly the tobacco portion 15 of the tobacco article 12. In some embodiments, the aerosol generating device 11 may further include a mouthpiece designed to be attached to the open end 41 of the device body 40 when, for example, a tobacco article 12 is inserted into the device body 40 through the open end 41. In this case, the mouthpiece may be designed to receive, for example, a non-tobacco portion 16. In some other embodiments, the mouthpiece is not provided on the device. In this case, the non-tobacco portion 16 can function as a mouthpiece, or an external mouthpiece can be used.

[0077] The device body 40 comprises various internal components of the aerosol generating device 11. In detail, these internal components may include, in particular, a battery, a controller, and at least one heating element (e.g., a ceramic or film heater) for heating the tobacco article when inserted into the heating chamber. Among these components, the heating chamber 60 will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 2. As shown in Figure 2, the heating chamber 60 is adapted to receive and heat the tobacco portion 15 of the tobacco article 12. The heating chamber 60 extends along the device axis Y between an open end 61 adjacent to the open end 41 of the device body 40 and a closed end 62 opposite the open end 61. The heating chamber 60 has a cross-sectional shape complementary to the cross-sectional shape of the tobacco portion 15 of the tobacco article 11. For example, if the tobacco portion 15 is flat, the heating chamber 60 also has a flat shape. In this case, the heating chamber 60 may be bounded, for example, by at least one pair of wide walls and one pair of narrow walls extending parallel to the device axis Y. The heating chamber 60 further includes a heating element powered by a battery to heat the tobacco portion 15. The heating element may comprise, for example, one or more resistive elements mounted on a broad wall of the heating chamber. In this case, the broad wall can function as a heat transfer element from the heating element to the tobacco portion. The broad wall contacts at least one wrapper enclosing the tobacco portion 15 and heats the tobacco portion 15 by conduction, and in some cases can be designed to slightly compress the tobacco portion 15 between the broad walls. According to another embodiment, a gap can be formed between the broad side walls of the tobacco article 12 to heat the tobacco portion 15 by convection. According to yet another embodiment, at least one heating element presents a coil arranged around the heating chamber 60, which is designed to heat the tobacco portion 15 by induction.

[0078] First Embodiment of a Tobacco Article Figures 3 and 4 show a tobacco article 12 according to the first embodiment. According to this embodiment, the tobacco article 12 comprises an inner wrapper 121 and an outer wrapper 122 that at least partially overlaps the inner wrapper 121.

[0079] The inner wrapper 121 wraps the tobacco portion 15 and the non-tobacco portion 16 together. In detail, the inner wrapper 121 can extend around the article axis X, with the first end 18 of the tobacco portion 15 and the second end 19 of the non-tobacco portion 16 defining its boundary along this axis, while keeping the first end 18 and the second end 19 open transversely to the article axis X. The inner wrapper 121 can be formed from one or more sheets. In detail, if the non-tobacco portion 16 and the tobacco portion 15 have substantially the same cross-sectional shape and dimensions, a single sheet can be used to form the inner wrapper 121. If the non-tobacco portion 16 and the tobacco portion 15 have different cross-sectional shapes or dimensions, the inner wrapper 121 can consist of several sheets, the sheets used to wrap portions 15, 16 that are similar in shape to their respective portions. The inner wrapper 121 can consist of paper and can be made impermeable, for example, by using an appropriate selection of a coating made of a material of appropriate thickness, density and / or impermeability.

[0080] The outer wrapper 122 partially overlaps the inner wrapper 121. As shown in Figure 3, the outer wrapper 122 is offset relative to the inner wrapper 121 along the article axis X. In detail, the outer wrapper 122 extends around the article axis X and is bounded along this axis X by the air inlet end 125 and distal end 13 of the tobacco article 12. The air inlet end 125 is advantageously located between the junction between the tobacco portion 15 and the non-tobacco portion 16 and the second end 19 of the non-tobacco portion 16. At the distal end 13 of the tobacco article 12, the outer wrapper 122 is sealed to form a gap or end chamber 128 together with the first end 18 of the tobacco portion 15. At the air inlet end 125, the outer wrapper 122 is open to form one or more air inlets 130 between the inner wrapper 121 and the outer wrapper 122. The outer wrapper 122 has a larger cross-section than the inner wrapper 121 so as to form one or more upstream channels 132 whose boundaries are defined by the outer surface of the inner wrapper 121 and the inner surface of the outer wrapper 122.

[0081] More specifically, the upstream channel 132, or each upstream channel 132, extends along the article axis X between the air inlet 130 and the distal end 13 of the cigarette article 12. Advantageously, in the case of a flat cigarette article 12, two channels are formed on both sides of the cigarette article 12. For example, if the cigarette portion 15 forms a pair of narrow side walls and a pair of wide side walls extending along the article axis X, each channel 132 is adjacent to the respective narrow side walls of the cigarette portion 15.

[0082] To form upstream passages 132 on both sides of the tobacco article 12, the outer wrapper 122 may include two rectangular sheets sealed to each other at the periphery of three sides of a rectangular sheet, including the bottom side and the two side sides. Thus, the air inlet 130 is formed on the unsealed side, i.e., the front side, as shown in Figure 3.

[0083] Supports 135 can be provided to maintain the shape of the upstream channel 132 or each upstream channel 132. Advantageously, the supports 135 can also maintain the shape of the gap or end chamber 128. In the example of Figure 3, the support 135 may comprise a frame comprising, for example, two longitudinal portions extending along the upstream channel 132 and a transverse portion connecting the longitudinal portions, which is located within the gap 128. The cigarette portion 15 can be received in a central space bounded by the frame.

[0084] Alternatively or additionally, the outer wrapper 122 may be made from a rigid material such as cardboard or molded cellulose pulp in order to maintain the shape of the upstream channel 132 or each upstream channel 132 and / or the gaps or end chambers 128.

[0085] The outer wrapper 122 and / or inner wrapper 121 may include paper. The outer wrapper 122, as the inner wrapper 121, can also be made fluid-impermeable by being given a barrier coating made of a fluid barrier material. The coating may be a water-based lacquer or a hot-melt adhesive. For example, the wrapper and barrier coating may be 0-10 g / m². 2 Water vapor transmission rate at 10 ccm / m² (23°C, 50% RH) per day. 2 It may have an oxygen permeability of less than 1 / day (23°C, 50%RH). Suitable materials for the outer and / or inner wrapper may be high-barrier papers such as AvantGuard S Gloss or AvantGuard S Nature.

[0086] As shown in Figure 4, the upstream channel 132 or each upstream channel 132 forms an upstream airflow passage intended to guide airflow from the outside of the tobacco article 11 to the gap or end chamber 128. From the gap or end chamber 128 to the second end 19 of the non-tobacco portion 16, one or more downstream channels are formed, forming a downstream airflow passage that guides airflow through both the tobacco portion 15 and the non-tobacco portion 16. Thus, the airflow changes direction by 180° within the gap or end chamber 128 and flows along the interior of the tobacco portion 15 and the non-tobacco portion 16 in opposite directions. In the example in Figure 4, solid arrows indicate the direction of airflow in the upstream airflow passage, and dashed arrows indicate the direction of airflow in the downstream airflow passage.

[0087] In the example shown in Figure 3, the non-tobacco portion 16 has a larger cross-section than the tobacco portion 15. More specifically, the non-tobacco portion 16 can have a greater depth than the tobacco portion 15. For example, the ratio of the depth of the non-tobacco portion to the depth of the tobacco portion can be between 5:1 and 1.5:1. For example, the depth of the non-tobacco portion is approximately 2.5 to 8 mm, and the depth of the tobacco portion is approximately 0.8 to 3 mm. In this case, the shoulder portion 140 is formed on at least one broad side wall of the tobacco article 12, preferably on each of the broad side walls of the article, at the transition between the tobacco portion 15 and the non-tobacco portion 16. This shoulder portion 140 can function as a positioning member while the tobacco article 12 is inserted into the heating chamber 60. More specifically, in this case, the shoulder portion prevents the non-tobacco portion 16 from being inserted into the heating chamber 60 and ensures that the air inlets 130 or each air inlet 130 are positioned outside the heating chamber 60. Advantageously, the air inlet 130 or each air inlet 130 is positioned outside the device body 40 or inside a chamber of the device that communicates with the outside.

[0088] Second embodiment of a tobacco article Figures 5 and 6 show a tobacco article 12 according to a second embodiment. Similar to the previously described embodiment, the tobacco article 12 according to the second embodiment comprises an inner wrapper 221 and an outer wrapper 222 that at least partially overlaps the inner wrapper 221. Also, similar to the previously described embodiment, a gap or end chamber 228 and at least one upstream channel 232, preferably a pair of lateral upstream channels 232, are formed between the wrappers 221 and 222. In detail, the upstream channels 232 or each upstream channel 232 extends between the air inlet 230 and the gap or end chamber 228. Similar to the previously described embodiment, the air inlet 230 or each air inlet 230 is located between the junction between the tobacco portion 15 and the non-tobacco portion 16 and the second end 19 of the non-tobacco portion 16.

[0089] According to the second embodiment, the tobacco portion 15 forms a corrugated shape in cross-section, as shown in the bottom portion of Figure 6. This corrugated shape defines two peripheral valley regions 242 and one or more central valley regions 244. Each valley region advantageously extends along the article axis X from the first end 18 of the tobacco portion 15 to the non-tobacco portion 16.

[0090] The central valley region 244 or each central valley region 244 forms part of the downstream channel. More specifically, the central valley region 244 or each central valley region 244 forms part of the corresponding downstream channel that extends through the tobacco portion 15 of the tobacco article 12. Conversely, at least one of the peripheral valley regions 242 forms the upstream channel 232. Advantageously, both peripheral valley regions 242 are used to form their respective upstream channels. In this case, the inner wrapper 221 wraps around the tobacco portion 15 so as to be adjacent to the walls of the tobacco article that define the boundaries of the peripheral valley regions 242, while the outer wrapper 222 overlaps the inner wrapper, forming a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape of the tobacco article 12. Thus, the gap formed between the inner wrapper 221 and the outer wrapper 222 forms the upstream channel 232. The distal end of the tobacco article also lacks an inner wrapper to leave the downstream channel open to the gap or end chamber 228. Conversely, the outer wrapper 222 extends rectangularly for a specific length beyond the distal end of the tobacco article, forming a gap or end chamber 228. For example, the length of the gap or end chamber in the axial direction X may be about 1 to 3 mm.

[0091] Similar to the embodiments described above, the airflow entering from the air inlet 230 first flows through the upstream channel 232 formed by the gap between the inner wrapper 221 and the outer wrapper 222, then changes direction within the gap or end chamber 228 and flows through the downstream channel formed by the central valley region 244 and the non-tobacco portion 16.

[0092] Third Embodiment of a Tobacco Article Figures 7 to 9 show a tobacco article 12 according to a third embodiment. In contrast to the embodiments described above, the third embodiment does not have an overlapper. For example, the tobacco article 12 may have a single wrapper 321 that assembles the tobacco portion 15 and the non-tobacco portion 16 together. The wrapper 321 can be wrapped around the article axis X to form a substantially rectangular cross-section of the tobacco article 12, which may have rounded edges. The wrapper 321 is sealed at the distal end 13 of the tobacco article 12, forming a gap or end chamber 328 between the first end 18 of the tobacco portion 15 and the distal end 13 of the tobacco article 12. The tobacco portion 15 may have a corrugated cross-sectional shape similar to the shape disclosed in connection with the second embodiment.

[0093] According to a third embodiment, the non-tobacco portion 16 comprises a core forming a flow guide element 325. This flow guide element 325 has a corrugated cross-sectional shape, for example, following a zigzag template. The corrugated cross-sectional shape of the flow guide element 325 forms two peripheral channels 342 and one or more central channels 344, each channel 342, 344 extending along the article axis X. The central channels 344 can be formed by the zigzag cross-sectional shape of the flow guide element 325.

[0094] The central channel 344 or each central channel 344 forms a portion of the downstream channel. More specifically, the central channel 344 or each central channel 344 forms a portion of the corresponding downstream channel that extends through the non-tobacco portion 16 of the tobacco article 12. In some cases, as described in connection with the embodiments above, the central valley region of the tobacco portion 15 can cause at least one central channel 344 to extend at least partially into the tobacco portion 15.

[0095] At least one of the peripheral channels 342 is used to form an upstream channel 332 that forms an upstream airflow passage. Advantageously, both peripheral channels 342 are used to form their respective upstream channels 332. In detail, the upstream channels 332, or each upstream channel 332, extend between the gap or end chamber 328 formed at the distal end 13 of the tobacco article 12 and the air inlet 330. As seen in Figure 8, the upstream channels 332, or each upstream channel 332, are offset relative to the central channel 344 along the article axis X. In other words, the upstream channels 332, or each upstream channel 332, extend along a portion of the non-tobacco portion 16 and across the entire tobacco portion 15. In detail, in the example of Figure 8, the upstream channel 332 extends along the entire length of the narrow side wall of the tobacco portion 15. In other words, the upstream channel 332 in this example is a pair of legs extending from the central portion of the non-tobacco portion 16, forming a pair of legs between which are adapted to receive the tobacco portion 15.

[0096] In the example shown in the right-hand portion of Figure 8, each upstream channel 332 extends along the entire length of the non-tobacco section 16, but presents a fully closed section 350A and a partially open section 350B. The partially open section 350A presents a lateral opening that forms the corresponding air inlet 330. In the example shown in the left-hand portion of Figure 8, each upstream channel 332 extends only partially along the length of the non-tobacco section 16, and presents only a lateral closed section 350A that opens to the corresponding air inlet 330.

[0097] The wrapper 321 is adapted to ensure that the air inlets 330 or each air inlet 330 opens to the outside of the tobacco article 12, preferably to the narrow side wall of the tobacco article 12. For this purpose, the wrapper 321 can define notches for each air inlet 330, forming openings that communicate with the air inlets 330 when the wrapper 321 is wrapped around the article axis. As shown in Figure 7, such notches can extend along the article axis X to the corresponding narrow wall of the tobacco article 12.

[0098] The upstream channels 332 or each upstream channel 332 can be formed from the same sheet as the central channel 344, as shown in Figure 9. For example, the upstream channels 332 or each upstream channel 332 can be formed by rounding or folding the periphery of the sheet that forms the central portion of the flow guide element 325. In the example in Figure 9, each upstream channel 332 has a circular cross-section.

[0099] In another example, the upstream channel 332 or each upstream channel 332 is formed from tubular elements separated from the sheet forming the central channel 344. In this case, the tubular elements can be attached to the sheet, for example, by a wrapper 321 and / or by any other suitable means, such as adhesive. For example, the tubular elements can be formed from roll paper, spirally wound paper, or by extrusion molding.

[0100] Similar to the embodiment described above, the airflow entering from the air inlet 330 first flows through the upstream channel 332 formed by the peripheral channel 342, then changes direction within the gap or end chamber 328, and flows through the downstream channel formed by the tobacco portion 15 and the central channel 344 of the non-tobacco portion 16.

[0101] Fourth Embodiment of a Tobacco Article Figures 10 and 11 show a tobacco article 12 according to a fourth embodiment. The tobacco article 12 according to this embodiment is similar to the tobacco article 12 according to the third embodiment and also comprises a wrapper 421, preferably an intrinsic wrapper 421, and flow guide elements 425 that form a non-tobacco portion 425. Similarly, the wrapper 421 is sealed at the distal end 13 of the tobacco article 12 and together with the first end 18 of the tobacco portion 15 forms a gap or end chamber 428. As in the previous cases, the flow guide elements 425 have a corrugated shape that forms two peripheral channels 442 and one or more central channels 444, each channel 442, 444 extending along the article axis X.

[0102] The central channel 444 is similar to the central channel 344 described with reference to the third embodiment. Also, as in the above case, at least one of the peripheral channels 442 is used to form the upstream channel 432. Advantageously, each peripheral channel 442 forms the upstream channel 432. As in the above case, the upstream channel 432, or each upstream channel 432, extends between the air inlet 430 and the gap or end chamber 428.

[0103] In contrast to the embodiments described above, the upstream channel 432 or each upstream channel 432 forms a non-circular cross-section. For example, the upstream channel 432 or each upstream channel 432 can form a triangular cross-section. Advantageously, as shown in Figure 11, the triangular cross-section is formed by folding the periphery of a sheet forming the central channel 444. Advantageously, this sheet has a zigzag cross-sectional shape such that the folding of the periphery of the sheet results in the triangular cross-section of the upstream channel 432 or each upstream channel 432, as shown in Figure 11. According to another example, the upstream channel 432 or each upstream channel 432 is formed by a separate tubular element attached to the sheet.

[0104] According to the fourth embodiment, the wrapper 421 is wrapped around the article axis X to form a general cross-sectional shape of the cigarette article 12 that differs from the cross-sectional shape of the cigarette article 12 according to the third embodiment. For example, in the case of the triangular cross-sectional shape of the upstream channel 432 or each upstream channel 432, the general cross-sectional shape of the cigarette article 12 may form a trapezoid, preferably an isosceles trapezoid. In some cases, the edges of the trapezoid can be rounded. As can be seen in Figure 10, the air inlet 430 is formed by a notch in the wrapper 421 at the position where the upstream channel terminates.

[0105] Fifth embodiment of a tobacco article Figures 12 and 13 show a tobacco article 12 according to a fifth embodiment. The tobacco article 12 according to this embodiment also includes at least one upstream passage 532 that forms an upstream air passage. In contrast to the embodiments described above, this upstream passage 532 extends from the air inlet 530, passing through the center of the tobacco portion 15, into a gap or end chamber 528 formed between the distal end 13 of the tobacco article 12 and the first end 18 of the tobacco portion 15. Similar to the embodiments described above, the gap or end chamber 528 can be formed by sealing a wrapper 521 at the distal end 13 of the tobacco article 12. The wrapper can also be axially sealed as an envelope by a single sealing seam (if the wrapper is formed of a single tubular containment layer) or alternatively by a pair of side seams (if the wrapper is formed of two containment layers).

[0106] According to this embodiment, the upstream channel 532 can be formed by a tubular insert 560, for example, inserted into the center of the cigarette portion 15, extending along the article axis X, and opening to an air inlet 530 using a curved element 561. In this case, the air inlet 530 can be located on the broad side wall of the cigarette article 12. Additionally, as shown in the right-hand portion of Figure 13, the air inlet 530 can be located between the junction between the cigarette portion 15 and the non-cigarette portion 16 and the second end 19 of the non-cigarette portion 16. In other words, the air inlet 530 can be located, for example, in the non-cigarette portion 16 where the thickness of the non-cigarette portion 16 gradually increases.

[0107] During the operation of the tobacco article, the airflow flows through the air inlet 530 into the upstream passage 532. The airflow then flows through the upstream passage 532 until it reaches the gap or end chamber 528, where it changes direction by 180° and flows into the downstream airflow passage that extends through both the tobacco portion 15 and the non-tobacco portion 16.

[0108] In some examples, similar to the first embodiment, the non-tobacco portion 16 of the tobacco article 12 according to the fifth embodiment can form a larger cross-sectional area than the tobacco portion 15. In this case, similar to the first embodiment, the shoulder portion 540 is formed at the transition between the tobacco portion 15 and the non-tobacco portion 16, preferably on one of the wider side walls of the tobacco article 12. This shoulder portion 540 can function as a positioning member while the tobacco article 12 is inserted into the heating chamber 60. In particular, in this case, the shoulder portion 540 ensures that the air inlet 530 is positioned outside the heating chamber 60, preferably outside the device body 40.

[0109] Sixth Embodiment of a Tobacco Article Figures 14 to 16 show a tobacco article 12 according to a sixth embodiment. According to this embodiment, the tobacco article 12 further comprises a carrier presenting a frame 620. The frame 620 defines a central space 623 that receives at least a tobacco portion 15, as previously defined. Advantageously, the central space 623 receives the tobacco portion 15 together with a non-tobacco portion 16. These portions can be wrapped together by a common wrapper 621.

[0110] According to a sixth embodiment, the tobacco article may further comprise a mouthpiece 624 mounted on the frame 620 within an extension of the downstream flow passage. In particular, the mouthpiece 624 may present a tubular element facing the second end 19 of the non-tobacco portion 16. In some examples, the mouthpiece 624 may comprise or be adapted to receive a filtering and / or cooling and / or flavoring element.

[0111] A sleeve 622 (not shown in Figure 14) can further be used to assemble the frame 620 and the mouthpiece 624 together with the tobacco portion 15 wrapped together with the non-tobacco portion 16 by an inner wrapper 621. Alternatively, an outer wrapper similar to the outer wrapper 122 described in relation to the first embodiment may be used instead of the sleeve 622.

[0112] At least one upstream passage forming an upstream airflow passage can be formed by a frame 620 and a sleeve 622. The sleeve 622 is sealed using, for example, the frame 620. In the example of Figure 15, four upstream passages 632 are formed. In detail, a pair of upstream passages 632 can be formed on both sides of the cigarette section 15 so as to be adjacent to the narrow side wall of the cigarette section 15. In some examples, a pair of upstream passages 632 located on the same side of the cigarette section 15 can be in fluid communication. For example, in this case, the frame 620 may be provided with holes.

[0113] As in the embodiments described above, each upstream passage 632 extends, for example, between the frame 620 and the first end 18 of the tobacco portion 15, or between the end chamber 628 and the air inlet 630. The air inlet, or each air inlet, can be formed by one or more holes in the sleeve 622 (or outer wrapper according to different examples). These holes can be calibrated to ensure a desired pressure drop through the tobacco article 12. The calibrated holes can be positioned in the sleeve 622 in any suitable manner.

[0114] Referring to Figure 16, multiple frames 620 can be produced in the form of perforated cut strips. More specifically, the frames 620 can be mounted laterally with breakable joints. In some examples, the mouthpiece 624 and frames 620 are formed from a single piece made of paper, cardboard, molded cellulose pulp, plastic, or a combination thereof. The mouthpiece may be formed, for example, by injection molding, casting, press molding, or extrusion molding.

[0115] Seventh Embodiment of a Tobacco Article Figure 17 shows a tobacco article 12 according to a seventh embodiment. Similar to the embodiments described above, the tobacco article 12 according to the seventh embodiment further comprises a carrier. In this embodiment, the carrier is a casing 720 that fully receives the tobacco portion 15 and the non-tobacco portion 16, and a casing 720 having a flat shape is presented. The casing 720 may include, for example, paper, or may be formed from paper. The tobacco portion 15 and the non-tobacco portion 16 may be wrapped together by an inner wrapper before being received into the casing 720.

[0116] The casing 720 extends along the article axis X and may further comprise a mouthpiece portion 724 located in an extension of the downstream flow passage that passes through the tobacco portion 15 and the non-tobacco portion 16, according to some examples. In detail, the mouthpiece portion 724 may extend from the second end 19 of the non-tobacco portion 16 to the proximal end 14 of the tobacco article 12. The mouthpiece portion 724 may be hollow. In some examples, the mouthpiece portion 724 may comprise or be adapted to receive a filtering and / or cooling and / or flavoring element.

[0117] The casing 720 further comprises an enlarged portion 726 extending between one or more air inlets 730 positioned to face the non-tobacco portion 16 and the distal end 13 of the tobacco article 12. In other words, the enlarged portion 726 of the casing 720 extends along the article axis X over the entire length of the tobacco portion 15 and a portion of the non-tobacco portion 16. The enlarged portion 726 has an enlarged cross-sectional shape to form at least one upstream channel between the tobacco portion 15 and the narrow wall of the casing 720. In the example of Figure 17, two upstream channels 732 are formed. In detail, the upstream channels 732 are formed on both sides of the tobacco portion 15 between the narrow side wall of the tobacco portion 15 and the narrow side wall of the casing 720. When the tobacco portion 15 and the non-tobacco portion 16 are wrapped by the inner wrapper, the inner wrapper can fluidly isolate each upstream channel 732 from those portions 15, 16. If an inner wrapper is not provided, each upstream channel 732 can be formed by a separate tubular element inserted between the corresponding narrow wall of the casing 720 and the tobacco portion 15.

[0118] Similar to the embodiments described above, each upstream channel 732 extends, for example, between the gap formed by the casing 720 between the first end 18 of the tobacco portion 15 and the distal end 13 of the tobacco article 12, or between the end chamber 728 and the corresponding air inlet 730.

[0119] The casing 720 further comprises a constricted portion 727 extending between the mouthpiece portion 724 and the expansion portion 726. More specifically, the constricted portion 727 extends along the article axis X over the portion of the non-tobacco portion 16 not covered by the expansion portion 726. The constricted portion 727 has a cross-section that conforms to the cross-section of the non-tobacco portion 16. More specifically, there is substantially no gap formed between the wall defining the boundary of the constricted portion 727 and the non-tobacco portion 16.

[0120] The air inlet 730, or each air inlet 730, is formed in the transition between the constricted portion 727 and the widened portion 726. This transition can form a shoulder perpendicular to the article axis X, or it can be at an angle of less than 90° with this axis.

[0121] Eighth embodiment of a tobacco article Figure 18 shows a tobacco article 12 according to the eighth embodiment. According to this embodiment, similar to the sixth embodiment described with reference to Figures 14-16, the tobacco article 12 further comprises a carrier presenting a frame 820. The frame 820 defines a central space 823 that receives at least the tobacco portion 15, as previously defined. Advantageously, as shown in Figure 18, the central space 823 receives only the tobacco portion 15 without the non-tobacco portion 16. The non-tobacco portion 16 can be secured to the frame 820 in extensions of the tobacco portion 15. These portions can be wrapped together by a common wrapper 821. According to this embodiment, the wrapper 821 may include at least two separate sheets 821A, 821B attached to the mutually opposite surfaces of the frame 820 to secure at least the tobacco portion 15 to the central space 823. In some embodiments, the sheets 821A, 821B can also secure the non-tobacco portion 15 to the frame 820. As previously described, the wrapper 821 may include aluminum and / or paper.

[0122] At least one upstream channel forming an upstream airflow passage can be formed by the frame 820. For this purpose, the frame 820 may comprise one or more layers, each layer comprising notches defining one or more upstream channels. Each layer may be made from paper, cardboard, molded cellulose pulp, plastic, or a combination thereof. The thickness of each layer may be, for example, between 0.3 mm and 0.8 mm, preferably between 0.45 mm and 0.5 mm.

[0123] In the example shown in Figure 18, the frame 820 includes two layers 820A and 820B. These layers 820A and 820B define notches that form a pair of upstream channels 832 on either side of the tobacco portion 15. In some cases, another upstream channel 832 may extend through the center of the frame 820.

[0124] Each upstream channel 832 extends between an air inlet 830 and an end chamber 828 formed by the frame 820 at the first end 18 of the cigarette section 15. The air inlet or each air inlet may be a wrapper 821. These holes can be calibrated to ensure a desired pressure drop through the cigarette article 12. The end chamber 828 or each end chamber 828 is formed by overlapping notches of layers 820A, 820B. In the example of Figure 18, layer 820A comprises a lateral notch that forms the lateral portion of the corresponding upstream channel 832 and a transverse notch that forms the transverse portion of the corresponding upstream channel 832. Layer 820B comprises only a transverse notch that at least partially overlaps with the transverse notch of layer 820A to form the corresponding end chamber 828. As in the embodiments described above, the cigarette section 15 may form a corrugated shape that defines the downstream channel. The end chambers 828 or each end chamber 828 can be located, for example, within the corresponding extension of the downstream flow path.

[0125] Other embodiments of tobacco articles Other embodiments are still possible. These embodiments may include any suitable combination of features disclosed in relation to the embodiments described above. It should also be noted that the embodiments disclosed above are described only in terms of differences. Therefore, features that may be common to at least some embodiments are not identified in relation to each embodiment.

Claims

1. A tobacco article (12) for a heated non-combustion aerosol generating device (11), wherein the tobacco article extends along an article axis (X) between a proximal end (14) and a distal end (13), and comprises a tobacco portion (15) and a non-tobacco portion (16) extending along the article axis (X), The tobacco portion (15) has a first end (18), and the non-tobacco portion has a second end (19), the first end (18) is adjacent to the distal end (13) or closer to the distal end (13) than the second end (19), and the second end (19) is adjacent to the proximal end (14) or closer to the proximal end (14) than the first end (19), The aforementioned tobacco article (12) defines an upstream airflow passage and a downstream airflow passage, The downstream air passage extends from the distal end (13) to the proximal end (14), in contact with the tobacco portion (15) and the non-tobacco portion (16). The upstream air passage extends from the air inlets (130; 230; 330; 430; 530; 630; 730; 830) to the distal end (13) outside the cigarette portion (15), and the upstream air passage is fluidly isolated from the downstream air passage upstream of the distal end (13) and is at least partially parallel to the downstream air passage upstream of the distal end (13), the cigarette article (12).

2. The tobacco article (12) according to claim 1, wherein the upstream air passage is fluidly isolated from the outside of the tobacco article (12).

3. The tobacco article (12) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the distal end (13) of the tobacco article (12) is sealed together with the first end (18) of the tobacco portion (15) by a bottom wall that defines the boundary of a gap or end chamber (128; 228; 328; 428; 528; 628; 728; 828), and the upstream air passage and the downstream air passage are in communication through the gap or end chamber (128; 228; 328; 428; 528; 628; 728; 828).

4. The tobacco article (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the upstream air passage is formed by one or more upstream passages (132; 232; 332; 432; 532; 632; 732; 832) extending along the article axis (X).

5. The tobacco article (12) has a flat plate shape that defines at least two narrow side walls and two wide side walls. The tobacco article (12) according to claim 4, wherein the upstream channels (132; 232; 332; 432; 632; 732; 832) or each upstream channel (132; 232; 332; 432; 632; 732; 832) extends along their respective narrow side walls.

6. The tobacco article (12) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the upstream channel (132;232;632) or each upstream channel (132;232;632) is formed between an inner wrapper (121;221;621) that encloses at least the tobacco portion (15) and an outer wrapper (122;222;622) that at least partially overlaps the inner wrapper (121;221;621).

7. The tobacco portion (15) has a wave-like shape in cross-section that defines two peripheral valley regions (242; 342; 442) and one or more central valley regions (244; 344; 444). The tobacco article (12) according to claim 6, wherein the upstream channels (232; 332; 432) or each upstream channel (232; 332; 432) are formed in the respective peripheral valley regions (242; 342; 442) of the tobacco portion (15).

8. The non-tobacco portion (16) comprises flow guide elements (325; 425) that form two peripheral channels (342; 442) and one or more central channels (344; 444), each channel extending along the article axis (X), At least one peripheral channel (342; 442) extends along the side wall defining the boundary of the tobacco portion (15) and forms at least partially the upstream air passage, The tobacco article (12) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the central flow path (344; 444) forms part of the downstream airflow passage.

9. The flow guide elements (325; 425) are formed by a corrugated sheet, The at least one peripheral channel (342; 442) extending along the side wall defining the boundary of the tobacco portion (15) is formed by bending or rounding the periphery of the corrugated sheet or by placing a tubular element adjacent to the corrugated sheet. Preferably, the folded or rounded edges of the corrugated sheet or the adjacent tubular element are attached by an outer wrapper (321; 421) that encloses at least the non-tobacco portion (16), the tobacco article (12) according to claim 8.

10. The tobacco article (12) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the upstream channel (532) or each upstream channel (532) extends substantially through the center of the tobacco portion (15).

11. The carrier further comprises a frame (620; 820), the frame (620; 820) defining at least a central space (623; 823) for receiving the tobacco portion (15), The tobacco article (12) according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the upstream channel (632; 832) or each upstream channel (632; 832) is formed by the frame and a sleeve (622) sealed using the frame (620) or using a wrapper (821) attached to the frame (820).

12. The tobacco article (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the air inlets (130; 230; 330; 430; 530; 630; 730; 830) are formed by one or more calibrated holes or perforations in a wrapper or sleeve that encloses or receives at least the tobacco portion (15) and / or the non-tobacco portion (16).

13. The tobacco portion (15) is receivable into the cavity of the aerosol generating device (11). The tobacco article (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the air inlets (130; 230; 330; 430; 530; 630; 730; 830) are designed to be located outside the cavity, and preferably outside the aerosol generating device (11), closer to the proximal end (14) than the distal end (13), and preferably positioned in the first quarter of the length from the proximal end (14).

14. The aerosol generating device (11) further comprises positioning members (140; 540) designed to position the cigarette portion (15) inside the cavity of the aerosol generating device (11) such that the air inlet (130; 530) is located outside the cavity, Preferably, the positioning members (140; 540) are formed by shoulders formed on the side wall of the tobacco article (12), as described in claim 14.

15. A tobacco article (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, A heated, non-combustible aerosol generating device (11) configured to operate together with the tobacco article (12) and an aerosol generating system (10) equipped with the following:

Images