Smoking article including a combustible heat source with airflow holes formed therein

Abstract

The present invention provides a smoking article including a combustible heat source, the smoking article including a first portion including a combustible heat source, a second portion including a tobacco material, airflow holes extending from a downstream end of the first portion to an upstream side of the combustible heat source, and a buffer space located between the first and second portions and connected to the airflow holes, wherein the airflow holes do not penetrate the combustible heat source.By using a combustible heat source to which airflow holes are applied, the smoking article has the effect of improving combustion sustainability.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a smoking article that includes a combustible heat source having airflow holes formed therein. [Background technology]

[0002] Many smoking articles have been proposed in which the smoking article is heated rather than burned. Unlike conventional cigarettes, such non-combustion smoking articles do not burn the medium of the smoking article, but are used by inhaling the aerosol generated by heating the medium of the smoking article. One type of such heated smoking article is a smoking article that uses a combustible carbon heat source.

[0003] Smoking articles to which the combustible carbon heat source is applied generate aerosol by heat transfer from the combustible carbon heat source to a medium in the smoking article located downstream of the carbon heat source.

[0004] Unlike typical heated electronic smoking articles, which use dedicated devices, smoking articles that use a combustible carbon heat source have a smoking style similar to that of traditional cigarettes, and demand for them is increasing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] WO2009 / 022232(2009.02.19) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a smoking article including a combustible heat source in which airflow holes are formed to improve combustion sustainability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides a smoking article 100 including a combustible heat source, comprising a first portion 110 including the combustible heat source, a second portion 120 including tobacco material, airflow holes 210 extending from the downstream end of the first portion to the upstream side of the combustible heat source, and a buffer space 220 located between the first portion 110 and the second portion 120 and connected to the airflow holes 210, wherein the airflow holes do not penetrate the combustible heat source.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the diameter d2 of the airflow hole may be 5 to 60% of the diameter d1 of the combustible heat source, and the depth l2 of the airflow hole may be 10 to 80% of the length l1 of the combustible heat source.

[0009] In another embodiment of the present invention, the diameter d1 of the combustible heat source may be 6 to 12 mm, and the diameter of the airflow hole d2 may be 1 to 5 mm.

[0010] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the length l1 of the combustible heat source may be 10 to 16 mm, and the depth l2 of the airflow hole may be 1 to 12 mm.

[0011] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the buffer space 220 may have a length of 0.5 to 3 mm.

[0012] In a further embodiment of the present invention, a metal barrier 300 may be formed on an end of the second portion 120 in contact with the buffer space 220 .

[0013] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the first portion 110 and the second portion 120 may include a thermally conductive wrapper 160 .

[0014] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the thermally conductive wrapper 160 may include one or more perforations 161 on its outer periphery.

[0015] In further embodiments of the present invention, the smoking article can include an outer cigarette paper 150 that encases the smoking article containing a combustible heat source.

[0016] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the thermally conductive wrapper 160 and the outer cigarette paper 150 may include one or more perforations 161, 151 on their outer periphery.

[0017] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the size of the perforations may be less than 0.5 mm.

[0018] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the smoking article 100 including a combustible heat source may further include a third portion 130 including a cooling material, and a fourth portion 140 including a filter material. Effect of the Invention

[0019] The smoking article including a combustible heat source of the present invention is characterized by excellent combustion durability using a combustible heat source having airflow holes. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a smoking article including a combustible heat source of the present invention. [Figure 2a] 1 is a diagram illustrating the transmission path of heated airflow when smoking the smoking article of the present invention. [Figure 2b] 1 is a diagram showing the path through which outside air flows when smoking the smoking article of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a combustible heat source of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the specific embodiments set forth herein, but rather may be practiced in a manner that is readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains.

[0022] In addition, when describing the present embodiment with reference to the drawings, the same reference numerals are used for the same components regardless of the reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions thereof will be omitted. If a detailed description of a related known technology in the description of the present embodiment is determined to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the embodiment, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0023] Throughout the specification, "the longitudinal direction of a smoking article containing a combustible heat source" means the direction in which the length of a smoking article containing a combustible heat source extends, or the direction in which combustion takes place when a smoking article containing a combustible heat source is combusted.

[0024] Throughout the specification, the terms "upstream" and "downstream" refer to the portion where air enters from the outside of a smoking article containing a combustible heat source to the inside when a user inhales outside air using a smoking article containing a combustible heat source, and the portion where air exits from the inside of a smoking article containing a combustible heat source to the outside, respectively. The terms "upstream" and "downstream" may be used to indicate the relative position or direction between parts or segments constituting a smoking article containing a combustible heat source. For example, the upstream end of the heat source refers to the end surface of the smoking article on the heat source side, and the downstream end of the heat source refers to the surface in contact with the buffer space.

[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the structure of a smoking article including a combustible heat source.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 1, a smoking article 100 including a combustible heat source includes, for example, a first portion 110 including a combustible heat source and a second portion 120 including a tobacco material, and the first portion 110 and the second portion 120 are aligned in sequence based on the longitudinal direction of the smoking article 100 including a combustible heat source.

[0028] The smoking article 100 is characterized by having an airflow hole 210. The airflow hole 210 is formed in a concave shape inside the combustible heat source, and extends from the downstream end of the first portion of the combustible heat source to the upstream side of the combustible heat source. When the smoking article is smoked, the shear portion of the combustible heat source, which is the most upstream portion of the smoking article, is ignited to progress combustion. The airflow hole is characterized by having a structure that does not "penetrate" the entire heat source. By not penetrating the entire heat source, the combustion temperature of the heat source advances to a smokable temperature while providing a smoking time of 180 seconds or more.

[0029] Here, the first portion 110 and the second portion 120 are disposed with a certain distance from each other, and include a buffer space 220 therebetween, which is connected to an airflow hole. The airflow hole 210 and the buffer space 220 are substantially connected to each other and share an empty space. A metal barrier 300 is formed at an end of the second portion 120 that contacts the buffer space 220, i.e., an upstream end of the second portion.

[0030] The combustible heat source may be, for example, a carbonaceous heat source. The combustible heat source may also have a porous structure. As used herein, the term "carbonaceous" is used to describe a combustible heat source that includes carbon. Preferably, the combustible carbonaceous heat source for use in the smoking article of the present invention may include at least about 40% by dry weight of the combustible heat source, at least about 50% by dry weight, at least about 60% by dry weight, or at least about 70% by dry weight, or at least about 80% by dry weight of the combustible heat source.

[0031] Optionally, one or more binders may be combined with the one or more carbon-containing materials. Preferably, the one or more binders may be organic binders. Known suitable organic binders include, but are not limited to, gums (e.g., guar gum), modified cellulose and cellulose derivatives (e.g., methylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose), flours, starches, sugars, vegetable oils, and combinations thereof.

[0032] Instead of or in addition to a binder, a combustible heat source for use in a smoking article according to the present invention may include one or more additives to improve the properties of the combustible heat source. Suitable additives include, but are not limited to, additives that promote consolidation of the combustible heat source (e.g., sintering aids), additives that promote ignition of the combustible heat source (e.g., oxidizers such as perchlorates, chlorates, nitrates, peroxides, permanganates, zirconium and combinations thereof), additives that promote combustion of the combustible heat source (e.g., potassium and potassium salts such as potassium citrate), and additives that promote decomposition of one or more gases produced by combustion of the combustible heat source (e.g., catalysts such as CuO, Fe2O3 and Al2O3).

[0033] The combustible heat source is preferably formed by mixing one or more carbon-containing materials with one or more binders and any other additives (if included) and preforming the mixture into a desired shape. The mixture of one or more carbon-containing materials, one or more binders, and optional other additives may be preformed into a desired shape using any suitable known ceramic forming method, such as, for example, slip casting, extrusion, injection molding, and die compression or pressing.

[0034] Preferably, the combustible heat source is formed by a pressing or extrusion process. Most preferably, the combustible heat source is formed by a pressing process.

[0035] Preferably, the combustible heat source has a density of about 0.8 g / cm 3 ~About 3.0g / cm 3 and preferably, the combustible heat source may have a mass between about 300 mg and about 500 mg, and more preferably, between about 400 mg and about 450 mg.

[0036] However, the heat sources of the present invention are not necessarily limited to those described above, and the present invention can include heat sources made of any known material capable of providing heat to the smoking article 100, including combustible heat sources.

[0037] The second portion 120 may include a tobacco material. The tobacco material may include at least one of, for example, shredded grass, shredded grass sheets, smoking article leaves, puffed smoking articles, and nicotine extracts. The smoking article may include a nicotine component. In addition to the smoking article, an aerosol-generating material may be included. The aerosol-generating material may be a polyhydric alcohol, an ester of a polyhydric alcohol such as glycerol mono-, di-, or triacetate, and an aliphatic ester of a mono-, di-, or polycarboxylic acid such as dimethyl dodecanedioate and dimethyl tetradecanedioate. More specifically, the aerosol-generating material may include at least one of, for example, glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. For example, the second portion 120 may include shredded grass sheets soaked in glycerin. However, this is merely an example and the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto.

[0038] The second portion 120 may have a length between 5 mm and about 20 mm, more preferably between about 8 mm and about 12 mm. The second portion 120 may be in the form of a plug or section surrounded by a paper or other wrapper and containing a material capable of releasing a volatile compound in response to heating. As noted above, when the second portion is in the form of a plug or section, the entire plug or section, including any wrappers, is considered to be the second portion 120.

[0039] In accordance with the present invention, the smoking article 100 containing a combustible heat source may further include a third portion 130 containing a cooling material and a fourth portion 140 containing a filter material.

[0040] The third section 130 may include a cooling material. The third section 130 may include a tubular hollow body with open ends, and may cool the airflow passing through the first section 110 and the second section 120. The third section 130 may be made of a polymeric material or a biodegradable polymeric material and may have a cooling function. For example, the third section 130 may be paper, paperboard, plastic, such as cellulose acetate, ceramic, and combinations thereof. Additionally, the cooling element may include a crinkled sheet of material selected from the group consisting of metal foil, polymeric material, and substantially non-porous paper or paperboard. In certain embodiments, the aerosol cooling element may include a crinkled sheet of material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polylactic acid (PLA), cellulose acetate (CA), and aluminum foil.

[0041] The fourth part 140 may include a filter material. The fourth part 140 may be, for example, an acetyl cellulose filter. Meanwhile, the shape of the fourth part 140 is not limited. For example, the fourth part 140 may be a cylindrical type rod, or a tube type rod including a hollow part inside. The fourth part 140 may also be a resin type rod. If the fourth part 140 is composed of a plurality of segments, at least one of the plurality of segments may be manufactured to have a different shape.

[0042] In addition, a tipping paper in contact with the opening enclosing the fourth portion may be further included. The tipping paper may have one or more perforations formed therein.

[0043] The fourth portion 140 may be manufactured to emit a flavor. For example, a fragrant liquid may be sprayed onto the fourth portion 140, or separate fibers coated with the fragrant liquid may be inserted into the fourth portion 140.

[0044] The third and fourth parts may include an aerosol modifier. For example, one or more of the third part, the fourth part, and the tipping paper of the smoking article of the present invention may include one or more aerosol modifiers. Suitable aerosol modifiers include, but are not limited to, flavorants; chemesthetic agents. The flavorant is used to describe any substance that imparts one or all of a taste or aroma to the aerosol generated by the tobacco material and aerosol-generating material of the smoking article in use.

[0045] A smoking article according to the present invention may include one or more aerosol modifiers downstream that are both flavorants and object-sensing agents. For example, one or more of the third and fourth parts of a smoking article according to the present invention may include menthol or a further flavorant that provides a cooling object-sensing effect.

[0046] The smoking article 100 containing a combustible heat source also includes a thermally conductive wrapper 160 surrounding the first portion 110 and the second portion 120. The thermally conductive wrapper may completely surround the first portion and the second portion, may surround a portion of the first portion and a portion of the second portion, or may surround a portion of the first portion and all of the second portion.

[0047] The thermally conductive wrapper transfers heat generated from a combustible heat source to the tobacco material, and the wrapper may be a metal wheel wrapper, such as an aluminum foil wrapper, a steel wrapper, an iron wheel wrapper, or a copper wheel wrapper, or a metal alloy wheel wrapper, and is not limited to the above materials as long as the material is capable of efficiently transferring heat.

[0048] A metal barrier 300 is formed at the end of the second portion in contact with the buffer space (the upper, upstream end of the second portion). Here, the metal barrier can prevent the combustible heat source from directly contacting the medium portion, and can prevent some of the components generated at the combustible heat source from migrating to the medium portion.

[0049] The thickness of the barrier can be appropriately adjusted to obtain good smoking performance. In a particular implementation, the barrier may have a thickness between about 10 microns and about 500 microns. The barrier may include one or more metallic materials that are substantially thermally stable and non-combustible at temperatures obtained by a combustible heat source upon ignition and combustion. Suitable materials are known in the art and may include, but are not limited to, aluminum, copper, stainless steel, and combinations thereof.

[0050] Furthermore, the smoking article 100 including a combustible heat source may further include an outer cigarette paper 150 that wraps a part or the entire smoking article 100 including a combustible heat source. For example, the outer cigarette paper 150 may wrap all of the first portion 110, the second portion 120, the third portion 130, and the fourth portion 140, or may wrap the first portion 110, the second portion 120, and the third portion 130 except for the filter portion.

[0051] One or more perforations 161, 151 may be formed in the thermally conductive wrapper 160 and the outer cigarette paper 150. The perforations 161, 151 may completely overlap and be substantially connected to each other to function as the same perforation, and heat generated from a heat source may be discharged to the outside of the smoking article or outside air may be introduced into the smoking article through the perforations formed in the thermally conductive wrapper and the outer cigarette paper. The size of the perforations is preferably 0.5 mm or less so that outside air can be efficiently introduced while the internal air can be released.

[0052] The perforation may be performed by wrapping the first and second parts with a thermally conductive wrapper and an outer cigarette paper and then perforating the wrapped material (on-line), or the thermally conductive wrapper and the outer cigarette paper may be perforated independently (off-line) and the perforations may overlap and be connected to each other during the process of assembling the materials. The perforation may be performed by mechanical perforation, electrical perforation, laser perforation, or the like.

[0053] When the outer cigarette paper 150 encases each component of the smoking article 100 including the combustible heat source, the bonding strength between each component is increased. For example, the outer cigarette paper 150 may cause the first portion 110, the second portion 120, the third portion 130, and the fourth portion 140 to be adjacent to each other with a bonding strength. The outer cigarette paper 150 may be formed of, for example, cellulose cigarette paper, although the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0054] As an example, when the smoking article 100 including a combustible heat source is used by a user, the first portion 110 is ignited and the user can inhale the fourth portion 140 through the mouth. Therefore, the outside air of the smoking article 100 including a combustible heat source flows into the first portion 110. That is, the outside air can form an airflow within the smoking article 100 including a combustible heat source.

[0055] 2a, when the smoking article 100 including a combustible heat source is ignited, the heated airflow formed in the first portion 110 is transferred to the buffer space 220 through the airflow holes 210, and then transferred to the second portion 120 through the thermally conductive wrapper and the metal barrier 300. The buffer space 220 may have a thickness of 0.5 to 3 mm so that the combustible heat source and the metal barrier have a certain distance therebetween, and may preferably have a length of 0.8 to 1.5 mm.

[0056] For example, as shown in FIG. 2a, the heated airflow formed in the first portion 110 is discharged to the outside through the perforations 161 of the thermally conductive wrapper and the perforations 151 of the outer cigarette paper according to the flow indicated by the arrows, and as shown in FIG. 2b, the outside air can be introduced into the inside through the perforations 161 of the thermally conductive wrapper and the perforations 151 of the outer cigarette paper according to the flow indicated by the arrows. Generally, the combustible heat source and the metal barrier must be as closely attached as possible to increase the efficiency of heat transfer, but perfect adhesion is difficult in the manufacturing process, so the above-mentioned configuration is provided. According to the present invention, the above-mentioned configuration allows the outside air to be continuously introduced into the airflow hole of the combustible heat source and into the space between the combustible heat source and the barrier. The introduced outside air can move through the above process, and thus the air is continuously provided to the combustible heat source, thereby improving the combustion sustainability.

[0057] 3 is a diagram specifically illustrating the structure of the combustible heat source of the first portion 110. The combustible heat source has an overall cylindrical shape, and has a trapezoidal cross section in which the diameter of the heat source decreases toward the front side and the end becomes narrower. However, without being limited thereto, the heat source may have a constant diameter and a rectangular cross section, or the diameter may converge to 0 and the cross section may be a triangular cross section.

[0058] Referring to FIG. 3, the diameter d2 of the airflow hole may be 5 to 60% of the diameter d1 of the combustible heat source, and preferably 20 to 40% of the diameter d1.

[0059] As described above, the airflow hole does not "penetrate" the entire heat source, and extends in the longitudinal direction but does not extend to the front surface of the heat source. The depth l2 of the airflow hole may be 10-80% of the length l1 of the combustible heat source, and preferably 50-70%.

[0060] As an example, the diameter d1 of the combustible heat source may be 6 to 12 mm, and the diameter d2 of the airflow hole may be 1 to 5 mm.

[0061] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, various modifications may be made to the embodiments, and the scope of the patent application is not limited or restricted by these embodiments. It should be understood that all modifications, equivalents, or alternatives to the embodiments are included in the scope of the patent.

[0062] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Commonly used predefined terms should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning they have in the context of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted as ideal or overly formal unless expressly defined in this specification. EXAMPLES

[0063] 1. Heat source manufacturing method <Embodiment 1> A heat source was prepared according to the following conditions, and a buffer space was formed with a thickness of 1 mm using the heat source. A tobacco material, a cooling material, and a filter material were then assembled to prepare a smoking article. A metal barrier was included between the buffer space and the tobacco material.

[0064] Length of heat source: 12mm, diameter of heat source: 8mm, diameter of airflow hole: 2mm, depth of airflow hole: 7.2mm, end shape of airflow hole: circular

[0065] After assembling the smoking article, four perforations with a size of 0.5 mm were formed by laser drilling in the thermally conductive wrapper enclosing the heat source and the tobacco material and in the portion of the outer cigarette paper where the buffer space was formed.

[0066] <Embodiment 2> The manufacturing process was the same as in the first embodiment, but the end shape of the airflow hole was changed to a sharp shape.

[0067] <Embodiment 3> It was manufactured in the same manner as in the first embodiment, but the length of the heat source was changed to 10 mm, and the depth of the airflow hole was changed to 5 mm.

[0068] <Embodiment 4> It was manufactured in the same manner as in embodiment 1, but the length of the heat source was changed to 10 mm, and the depth of the airflow hole was changed to 7 mm.

[0069] <Embodiment 5> The manufacturing process was the same as in the first embodiment, but the thickness of the buffer space was changed to 2 mm.

[0070] <Embodiment 6> It was manufactured in the same manner as in embodiment 1, but the thickness of the buffer space was changed to 2 mm, the length of the heat source was changed to 14 mm, the diameter of the airflow hole was changed to 2.5 mm, and the depth of the airflow hole was changed to 11.2 mm.

[0071] <Embodiment 7> It was manufactured in the same manner as in embodiment 1, but the size of the perforations was changed to 0.7 mm.

[0072] <Comparative Example 1> Smoking articles were produced in the same manner as in embodiment 1, except that no airflow holes were formed in the heat source.

[0073] <Comparative Example 2> Smoking articles were produced in the same manner as in the first embodiment, but without forming a buffer space.

[0074] <Comparative Example 3> It was manufactured in the same manner as in the first embodiment, but the depth of the airflow holes was changed to 11 mm.

[0075] <Comparative Example 4> Smoking articles were produced in the same manner as in the first embodiment, but without forming any perforations.

[0076] 2. Confirmation of combustion durability The smoking articles of the above-mentioned embodiments 1 to 7 and comparative examples 1 to 4 were smoked in an automatic smoking machine under ISO smoking conditions (smoking a smoking volume of 35 ml up to 3 mm above the tipping paper in a smoking time of 2 seconds with a smoking cycle of 1 minute with the perforations of the tipping paper not blocked) and the burning duration was confirmed.

[0077] The results are shown in Table 1 below. [Table 1]

[0078] Based on the above results, it was confirmed that the smoking article having the configuration of the present invention has good combustion durability of more than 180 seconds, while the smoking article using a heat source without airflow holes has a combustion durability of less than about 160 seconds.

[0079] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and a person having ordinary skill in the art can apply various technical modifications and variations based on the above. For example, the described techniques may be performed in an order different from that described, and / or the components of the described systems, structures, devices, circuits, etc. may be combined or combined in a form different from that described, or may be replaced or substituted by other components or equivalents to achieve appropriate results.

[0080] Accordingly, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents of the claims are within the scope of the following claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 100: Smoking articles containing a combustible heat source 110: Part 1 120:Second part 130: 3rd part 140: 4th part 150: External cigarette paper 151: Perforation 160: Thermally conductive wrapper 161: Perforation 210: Airflow Hall 220: Buffer space 300: Metal Barrier d1: Heat source diameter d2: Airflow hole diameter l1: length of heat source l2: length of airflow hole

Claims

1. A smoking article comprising a combustible heat source, a first portion including the combustible heat source; a second portion comprising a tobacco material; and an airflow hole extending from a downstream end of the first portion to an upstream side of the combustible heat source; a buffer space connected to the airflow hole and located between the first portion and the second portion; Including, The airflow holes do not penetrate the combustible heat source; The depth of the airflow hole is 50% to 70% of the length of the combustible heat source; a thermally conductive wrapper enclosing said first portion and said second portion, and an outer cigarette paper enclosing a smoking article including said combustible heat source; one or more perforations in the outer circumferential surface of said thermally conductive wrapper and said outer cigarette paper; Smoking articles that contain a combustible heat source.

2. 2. The smoking article including a combustible heat source of claim 1, wherein the diameter of the airflow hole has a length of 5% to 60% of the diameter of the combustible heat source.

3. The diameter of the combustible heat source is between 6 mm and 12 mm; 3. The smoking article containing a combustible heat source according to claim 2, wherein the diameter of the airflow holes is from 1 mm to 5 mm.

4. The length of the combustible heat source is between 10 mm and 16 mm; 3. The smoking article containing a combustible heat source of claim 2, wherein the depth of the airflow holes is from 1 mm to 12 mm.

5. A smoking article comprising a combustible heat source according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the buffer space has a thickness of 0.5 mm to 3 mm.

6. A smoking article comprising a combustible heat source according to claim 1 , wherein an end of the second portion in contact with the buffer space further comprises a metal barrier.

7. 2. The smoking article containing a combustible heat source according to claim 1, wherein the size of the perforations is 0.5 mm or less.

8. 5. A smoking article comprising a combustible heat source as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a third portion comprising a cooling material and a fourth portion comprising a filter material.

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