Aerosol-generating article and method for producing same

Abstract

To provide methods for facilitating the manufacture of aerosol generating articles.SOLUTION: A method for manufacturing an aerosol generating article 1 includes: (i) providing a first material 10 containing a plant-based aerosol generating material 12; (ii) arranging a second material 16, which forms a mouthpiece 18, in line with the first material 10; and (iii) wrapping the first material 10 and the second material 16 with a sheet 26 to form a substantially cylindrical aerosol generating article 1. The step (i) includes: (a) providing the plant-based aerosol generating material 12 as a foam material; or (b) providing a cylindrical cup and filling the cylindrical cup with the plant-based aerosol generating material 12 and a third material.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to aerosol-generating articles, and more particularly to aerosol-generating articles for use in an aerosol generating device for heating the aerosol-generating article to generate an aerosol for inhalation by a user. Embodiments of the present disclosure relate in particular to methods of making the aerosol-generating articles. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, devices that heat, rather than burn, aerosol-generating materials to produce an aerosol for inhalation have become popular with consumers. Such devices can provide heat to the aerosol-generating material using one of several different methods.

[0003] One approach is to provide an aerosol generating device that employs a resistive heating system in which a resistive heating element is provided to heat an aerosol-generating material, and an aerosol is generated as the aerosol-generating material is heated by heat transferred from the heating element.

[0004] Another approach is to provide an aerosol generating device that employs an induction heating system. In such devices, an induction coil is provided with the device and a susceptor is provided, usually with the aerosol-generating material. When a user activates the device, electrical energy is supplied to the induction coil, which in turn generates an alternating electromagnetic field. The susceptor couples with the electromagnetic field to generate heat, which is transferred, for example, by conduction, to the aerosol-generating material, which heats up and generates an aerosol. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Whatever approach is used, it may be convenient to provide the aerosol-generating material in the form of an aerosol-generating article that a user can insert into an aerosol-generating device. Thus, there is a need to provide methods that facilitate the manufacture of aerosol-generating articles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of producing an aerosol-generating article, comprising the steps of: (i) providing a first material that contains a plant-derived aerosol-generating material; (ii) placing a second material constituting the mouthpiece in series with the first material; (iii) packaging the first material and the second material with the sheet to form a substantially cylindrical aerosol-generating article. and step (i) comprises (a) providing a plant-based aerosol-generating material as a foaming material; or (b) providing a cylindrical cup and filling the cylindrical cup with the plant-based aerosol-generating material and a third material; A method is provided, comprising:

[0007] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an aerosol-generating article comprising: An aerosol-generating article is provided, comprising a first cylindrical material containing a plant-derived aerosol-generating material, a second cylindrical material, the first cylindrical material and the second cylindrical material being arranged in series and wrapped by a sheet, the first cylindrical material comprising a foam material or a cylindrical cup containing the plant-derived aerosol-generating material and a third material.

[0008] The aerosol-generating article is for use in an aerosol-generating device to heat a plant-derived aerosol-generating material without burning the aerosol-generating material to volatilize at least one component of the plant-derived aerosol-generating material, thereby generating an aerosol for inhalation by a user of the aerosol-generating device.

[0009] Generally speaking, a vapor is a substance that is in the gas phase at a temperature below its critical temperature. This means that the vapor can be condensed into a liquid by increasing the pressure without decreasing the temperature. On the other hand, an aerosol is a dispersion of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in air or another gas. However, it should be noted that the terms "aerosol" and "vapor" can be used interchangeably herein, particularly with respect to the form of inhalable medium that is generated for inhalation by the user.

[0010] The present disclosure provides a rapid and relatively simple method for manufacturing an aerosol-generating article that includes a plant-derived aerosol-generating material and a mouthpiece, particularly one that facilitates mass production of the aerosol-generating article.

[0011] The foam material may include a plurality of particulates (e.g., tobacco particles) and may also include a quantity of water and / or moisture additives such as humectants. The foam material may be porous and / or allow the flow of air or steam through the foam material.

[0012] The cylindrical cup can be a paper cup, and can be a molded paper cup. The paper cup can be cheap and easy to manufacture, and can be used safely at high temperatures. The paper cup can also be deformable, and the deformable ability of the paper cup can facilitate the packaging of the first material (i.e. the cup filled with the plant-derived aerosol-generating material and the third material) and the second material with the sheet in step (iii).

[0013] The cylindrical cup may have an open end and a closed end. The cylindrical cup may include a substantially cylindrical sidewall and may include a bottom wall at the closed end. The bottom wall may be substantially circular.

[0014] The bottom wall of the cylindrical cup may be air permeable. For example, the bottom wall may comprise a material that is air permeable, for example a material with a porous structure that allows air to flow through the bottom wall. Alternatively or additionally, the bottom wall may comprise one or more openings or holes. In the latter case, the bottom wall may comprise a material that is itself air impermeable, such that an opening or hole is necessary to allow air to flow through the bottom wall. Providing an air permeable bottom wall advantageously promotes air flow through the aerosol generating article, thereby optimizing the generation of aerosol and the transfer of the aerosol to the user via the mouthpiece.

[0015] The third material may include an inductively heatable susceptor. The use of an inductively heatable susceptor provides a convenient, effective and energy-efficient method for heating the plant-derived aerosol-generating material. When the aerosol-generating article is positioned in the aerosol-generating device and exposed to a time-varying electromagnetic field, heat is generated in the inductively heatable susceptor due to eddy currents and magnetic hysteresis losses, which convert energy from electromagnetic energy to thermal energy. The heat generated in the inductively heatable susceptor is transferred to the plant-derived aerosol-generating material, which is then heated to generate an aerosol having desired properties.

[0016] The inductively heatable susceptor may include, but is not limited to, one or more of aluminum, iron, nickel, stainless steel and alloys thereof, such as nickel chromium or nickel copper.

[0017] The inductively heatable susceptor may comprise a plurality of substantially planar inductively heatable susceptor elements, and step (b) may comprise alternating positioning of the plant-derived aerosol-generating material and the substantially planar inductively heatable susceptor elements within the cylindrical cup to ensure uniform distribution of the substantially planar inductively heatable susceptor elements throughout the plant-derived aerosol-generating material, which in turn ensures optimal transfer of heat from the inductively heatable susceptor elements to the plant-derived aerosol-generating material during use of the aerosol-generating article in the aerosol-generating device.

[0018] The inductively heatable susceptor may be substantially tubular, and step (b) may comprise positioning the plant-derived aerosol-generating material and the tubular susceptor within the cylindrical cup such that the plant-derived aerosol-generating material is located both inside and outside the tubular susceptor, which arrangement ensures optimal transfer of heat from the tubular susceptor to the plant-derived aerosol-generating material during use of the aerosol-generating article in the aerosol-generating device.

[0019] The inductively heatable susceptor may comprise a particulate susceptor material, and step (b) may comprise filling the cylindrical cup with a mixture of the plant-derived aerosol-generating material and the particulate susceptor material. The particulate susceptor material may be dispersed in the plant-derived aerosol-generating material and may be substantially uniformly dispersed in the plant-derived aerosol-generating material. This arrangement ensures optimal transfer of heat from the particulate susceptor material to the plant-derived aerosol-generating material during use of the aerosol-generating article in the aerosol generating device, and provides uniform heating of the plant-derived aerosol-generating material. Filling the cylindrical cup with a mixture of the plant-derived aerosol-generating material and the particulate susceptor material may also facilitate the manufacture of the aerosol-generating article.

[0020] The step of filling the cylindrical cup with the plant-derived aerosol-generating material and the third material, e.g., the inductively heatable susceptor, may be carried out on a rotating table. The use of a rotating table allows for accurate and reliable positioning of the plant-derived aerosol-generating material and the third material, e.g., the inductively heatable susceptor, within the cylindrical cup. The use of a rotating table may be particularly advantageous in embodiments in which step (b) comprises alternating positioning of the plant-derived aerosol-generating material and the substantially planar inductively heatable susceptor element within the cylindrical cup.

[0021] After filling the cylindrical cup with the plant-derived aerosol-generating material and the third material, the method may further include, for example, closing the open end of the cylindrical cup with an air-permeable lid to retain the plant-derived aerosol-generating material in the cup. The air-permeable lid may comprise a material that is air-permeable, for example a material with a porous structure that allows air to flow through the air-permeable lid. Alternatively or additionally, the air-permeable lid may comprise one or more openings or holes. In the latter case, the air-permeable lid may comprise a material that is itself air-impermeable, such that an opening or hole is necessary to allow air to flow through the air-permeable lid. In addition to retaining the plant-derived aerosol-generating material in the cup, the air-permeable lid advantageously facilitates air flow through the aerosol-generating article, thereby optimizing aerosol generation and transfer of the aerosol to the user via the mouthpiece.

[0022] The second material may include a filter material. By way of example, the filter material may include cellulose acetate fibers. Of course, one skilled in the art will appreciate that other filter materials may be used.

[0023] Step (ii) may comprise arranging two bodies of a second material in series with the first material such that the first material is positioned between the two bodies of the second material. One of the two bodies may constitute a mouthpiece. The other body may constitute aerosol generation in the aerosol generating device. During use of the generating article, this may help promote an evenly distributed airflow through the plant-derived aerosol-generating material. Manufacture of the aerosol-generating article may also be facilitated by this method.

[0024] The hollow body may be positioned between the first material and the second material. The hollow body may thus be positioned between the plant-derived aerosol-generating material and the mouthpiece. The hollow body advantageously allows the heated aerosol and the volatile components therein to cool and condense to form an aerosol with optimal properties for inhalation by the user. The hollow body may be easily positioned at the desired location during manufacture of the aerosol-generating article.

[0025] The method may be carried out using an apparatus that may include multiple drums. Each drum may include multiple axially extending and circumferentially arranged grooves that may be adapted to carry out the positioning of step (ii) or the wrapping of step (iii). Drums having multiple axially extending and circumferentially arranged grooves are commonly used to manufacture conventional smoking articles, such as end-lighting cigarettes, and aerosol-generating articles according to the present disclosure may be manufactured using conventional machinery, possibly on existing production lines. Furthermore, the use of such an apparatus facilitates mass production of aerosol-generating articles.

[0026] The sheet used to package the first and second materials during step (iii) may comprise paper. The use of paper to package the first and second materials, such as the plant-derived aerosol-generating material and the mouthpiece, may facilitate manufacture and assembly of the aerosol-generating article, and may also help control the flow of air and heated aerosol through the article.

[0027] In embodiments in which the plant-derived aerosol-generating material is provided as a foamed material, the foamed material may include an inductively heatable susceptor. The inductively heatable susceptor may be as described above and may thus include a plurality of substantially planar inductively heatable susceptor elements, a tubular susceptor, or a particulate susceptor material. As described above, the use of an inductively heatable susceptor provides a convenient, effective, and energy-efficient method for heating the foamed material.

[0028] The aerosol-generating article may be elongated and substantially cylindrical, the cylindrical shape of the aerosol-generating article having a circular cross-section may advantageously facilitate insertion of the aerosol-generating article into a cavity of an aerosol-generating device that includes a helical induction coil defining the cavity.

[0029] The plant-derived aerosol-generating material can be any type of solid or semi-solid material. Exemplary types of aerosol-generating solids include granules, pellets, powders, flakes, strands, particles, gels, strips, loose-leaf, cut filler, porous materials, foamed materials or sheets. The plant-derived aerosol-generating material can include tobacco.

[0030] The plant-derived aerosol-generating material may include an aerosol-forming agent. Examples of aerosol-forming agents include polyhydric alcohols, such as glycerin or propylene glycol, and mixtures thereof. Typically, the plant-derived aerosol-generating material may include an aerosol-forming agent content of about 5% to about 50% on a dry weight basis. In some embodiments, the plant-derived aerosol-generating material may include an aerosol-forming agent content of about 10% to about 20% on a dry weight basis, and in some cases, 15% on a dry weight basis.

[0031] Upon heating, plant-derived aerosol-generating materials can release volatile compounds. The composition may include flavor compounds such as nicotine or tobacco flavorings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a first example of an aerosol-generating article. [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic diagram of a method for producing the first example of the aerosol-generating article shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a second example of an aerosol-generating article. [Figure 4a] 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the second example of the aerosol-generating article of FIG. 3, showing an inductively heatable susceptor of a different configuration. [Figure 4b] 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the second example of the aerosol-generating article of FIG. 3, showing an inductively heatable susceptor of a different configuration. [Figure 4c] 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the second example of the aerosol-generating article of FIG. 3, showing an inductively heatable susceptor of a different configuration. [Figure 4d] 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the second example of the aerosol-generating article of FIG. 3, showing an inductively heatable susceptor of a different configuration. [Figure 4e] 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the second example of the aerosol-generating article of FIG. 3, showing an inductively heatable susceptor of a different configuration. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a method for producing the second example of the aerosol-generating article shown in FIG. [Figure 6a] 4a is a schematic diagram of an apparatus and method for manufacturing a second example of the aerosol-generating article shown in FIG. 3, having an alternative susceptor configuration as shown in FIG. 4a. [Figure 6b-1] 4a is a schematic diagram of an apparatus and method for manufacturing a second example of the aerosol-generating article shown in FIG. 3, having an alternative susceptor configuration as shown in FIG. 4a. [Figure 6b-2] 4a is a schematic diagram of an apparatus and method for manufacturing a second example of the aerosol-generating article shown in FIG. 3, having an alternative susceptor configuration as shown in FIG. 4a. [Figure 7] 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating system including an aerosol generating device and a second example of an aerosol-generating article as shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0033] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0034] 1, there is shown a first example of an aerosol-generating article 1 for use with an aerosol generating device, an example of which is described later in this specification. The aerosol-generating article 1 is elongated and substantially cylindrical. The circular cross-section facilitates handling of the article 1 by a user and insertion of the article 1 into a heating compartment of the aerosol generating device.

[0035] The aerosol-generating article 1 comprises a first cylindrical material 10 containing a plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12. The plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12 comprises a foamed material and thus has a semi-solid form. The plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12 typically comprises tobacco and is therefore sometimes referred to as a tobacco foam or tobacco mousse.

[0036] The plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12 includes an aerosol-forming agent, such as glycerin or propylene glycol. Typically, the plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12 may include an aerosol-forming agent content of about 5% to about 50% on a dry weight basis. When heated, the plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12 releases volatile compounds, optionally including flavor compounds such as nicotine or tobacco flavorings.

[0037] The plant-based aerosol-generating material 12 includes inductively heatable susceptors 14 in particulate form dispersed throughout the plant-based aerosol-generating material 12. During use of the article 1 in an aerosol generating device, application of a time-varying electromagnetic field in the vicinity of the particulate inductively heatable susceptors 14 results in: Heat is generated in the particulate inductively heatable susceptor 14 by eddy currents and magnetic hysteresis losses and is transferred from the particulate susceptor material to the plant-based aerosol-generating material 12 to heat the aerosol-generating material 12 without combustion, thereby generating an aerosol for inhalation by the user. The particulate inductively heatable susceptor 14 is typically uniformly dispersed throughout the plant-based aerosol-generating material 12, thus allowing direct and efficient heat transfer from the particulate susceptor material to the plant-based aerosol-generating material 12.

[0038] The aerosol-generating article 1 comprises a second cylindrical material 16 disposed in series with the first cylindrical material 10. The second cylindrical material 16 comprises a filter material, such as cellulose acetate fibers, and constitutes a mouthpiece 18 of the aerosol-generating article 1, through which a user can inhale aerosol generated during use of the article 1 in an aerosol generating device.

[0039] For example, a hollow body 20 comprising cellulose acetate fibres defining a passageway 22 is positioned in series with the first and second cylindrical materials 10, 16 and between the first and second cylindrical materials 10, 16, i.e. between the plant-based aerosol-generating material 12 and the mouthpiece 18. As the heated aerosol flows through the passageway 22 in the hollow body 20 from the plant-based aerosol-generating material 12 towards the mouthpiece 18, the heated aerosol cools and condenses to form an aerosol having optimal properties (including temperature) for inhalation by a user through the mouthpiece 18.

[0040] In the embodiment shown, the further cylinder 24 of the second material is arranged in series with the first cylindrical material 10 on the side of the plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12 opposite the mouthpiece 18 and the hollow body 20. The plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12 is therefore positioned between the second cylindrical material 16 constituting the mouthpiece 18 and the further cylinder 24 of the second material, and more specifically directly between the hollow body 20 and the further cylinder 24 of the second material.

[0041] The components of the aerosol-generating article 1, i.e. the first cylindrical material 10 containing the plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12, the hollow body 20, the second cylindrical material 16 constituting the mouthpiece 18 and the further cylinder of the second material 24, are typically wrapped by a sheet 26 in the form of a wrapper to ensure that the components are held together in line with one another. It will be seen that in the illustrated embodiment, the hollow body 20 and the second cylindrical material 16 constituting the mouthpiece 18 are typically wrapped by a sheet 28 in the form of a wrapper to hold the two components in line. In this arrangement, the sheet 26 surrounds the sheet 28 along part of its length in the overlapping region, thereby holding the components of the article 1 in line with one another.

[0042] Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown an example of a method for producing the aerosol-generating article 1 described above in relation to FIG.

[0043] In a first step 30, the method includes providing a first cylindrical material 10 containing a plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12 as a foamed material. As explained above, the plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12 may include particulate inductively heatable susceptor material 14 dispersed throughout the foamed material.

[0044] In a second step 32, the method involves placing a second cylindrical material 16 constituting the mouthpiece 18 in series with the first cylindrical material 10 containing the plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12. It should be noted that in the illustrated example of the second step 32, the second cylindrical material 16 constituting the mouthpiece 18 and the hollow body 20 are already placed in series and wrapped by a sheet 28 to fix their relative positions. The first cylindrical material 10 containing the plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12 is then positioned between and in series with the hollow body 20 (and thus the mouthpiece 18) and the further cylinder 24 of the second material.

[0045] In a third step 34, gaps between the components of the article 1 are closed and both the first cylindrical material 10 containing the plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12 and the further cylinder of second material 24 are wrapped with a sheet 26 to form a cylindrical aerosol-generating article 1. By wrapping with the sheet 26, the first cylindrical material 10 containing the plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12 and the further cylinder of second material 24 are fixed in series with each other, and the first cylindrical material 10 containing the plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12 and the further cylinder of second material 24 are further fixed by the overlapping areas of the sheets 26 and 28 to the second cylindrical material 16 and hollow body 20 that make up the pre-packaged mouthpiece 18.

[0046] Referring now to Figure 3, there is shown a second example of an aerosol-generating article 2 similar to the aerosol-generating article 1 described above in relation to Figures 1 and 2, and corresponding elements are indicated using the same reference numbers.

[0047] In the aerosol-generating article 2, the first cylindrical material 10 comprises a cylindrical cup 40 filled with a plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12 and a third material 42. In this example, the plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12 is typically a solid or semi-solid material. Examples of suitable aerosol-forming solids include powders, shreds, strands, porous materials, foamed materials and sheets. The plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12 comprises an aerosol-forming agent, as described above, typically tobacco.

[0048] Cylindrical cup 40 is typically a paper cup, such as a molded paper cup. As best seen in Figure 5, cylindrical cup 40 has an open end 44, a closed end 46 defined by a substantially circular bottom wall 48, and a substantially cylindrical side wall 50. Bottom wall 48 is air permeable and includes a plurality of openings or holes 52 in the illustrated embodiment.

[0049] The third material 42 comprises an inductively heatable susceptor 14. In the embodiment of Figure 3, the inductively heatable susceptor 14 is a tubular inductively heatable susceptor 54 that extends completely along the length of the cylindrical cup 40 between the open end 44 and the closed end 46. The plant-based aerosol-generating material 12 is disposed both inside and outside the tubular inductively heatable susceptor 54. During use of the article 2 in the aerosol generating device, application of a time-varying electromagnetic field in the vicinity of the tubular inductively heatable susceptor 54 generates heat in the tubular inductively heatable susceptor 54 by eddy currents and magnetic hysteresis losses, which is transferred from the tubular inductively heatable susceptor 54 to the plant-based aerosol-generating material 12, heating it without burning it, thereby generating an aerosol for inhalation by a user. The tubular inductively heatable susceptor 54 is in contact with the plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12 over substantially its entire inner and outer surfaces, thereby enabling direct and efficient heat transfer from the tubular inductively heatable susceptor 54 to the plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12.

[0050] 4a-4e are schematic diagrams of cylindrical cups 40 having inductively heatable susceptors 14 of different configurations.

[0051] In the example of FIG. 4a, the inductively heatable susceptor 14 includes a plurality of substantially planar susceptor elements 56, such as disks or rings 56, which are arranged in a cylindrical cup shape. 40 and is axially spaced apart between an open end 44 and a closed end 46 .

[0052] In the example of FIG. 4b, the inductively heatable susceptor 14 includes a tubular susceptor 58 that is similar to the tubular susceptor 54 described above in connection with FIG. 3, but extends only partway along the length of the cylindrical cup 40 between the open end 44 and the closed end 46.

[0053] 4c, the inductively heatable susceptor 14 includes particulate susceptor material 60 dispersed throughout the plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12. The cylindrical cup 40 may contain, for example, a mixture of the plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12 and the particulate susceptor material 60.

[0054] In the example of FIG. 4 d , the inductively heatable susceptor 14 includes a needle-like or plate-like susceptor 62 axially disposed within the cylindrical cup 40 such that the needle-like or plate-like susceptor 62 extends between the open end 44 and the closed end 46 .

[0055] In the example of FIG. 4 e , the inductively heatable susceptor 14 includes a plurality of susceptor strips or plates 64 dispersed throughout the plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12 .

[0056] It will be understood that the configurations of the inductively heatable susceptor 14 described above in relation to Figures 3 and 4a-4e are given by way of example only, and that other configurations apparent to those skilled in the art are fully within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0057] 3, the cylindrical cup 40 includes an air-permeable lid 66 at the open end 44 for holding the plant-based aerosol-generating material 12 and the inductively heatable tubular susceptor 54 inside the cup 40. The cylindrical cup 40 is positioned in-line with the hollow body 20 and the second cylindrical material 16 that constitutes the mouthpiece 18, with the lid 66 positioned adjacent to the hollow body 20. The cylindrical cup 40, the hollow body 20 and the second cylindrical material 16 that constitutes the mouthpiece 18 are typically wrapped by a sheet 68 in the form of a wrapper. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the lid 66 needs to be air-permeable so that the aerosol generated upon heating the plant-based aerosol-generating material 12 can flow from the cylindrical cup 40 along the passageway 22 through the mouthpiece 18 during use of the aerosol-generating article 2 in the aerosol generating device.

[0058] Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown an example of a method for producing the aerosol-generating article 2 described above in relation to FIG.

[0059] In a first step 70 and a second step 72, a cylindrical cup 40 as described above is provided and filled with the plant-based aerosol-generating material 12 and a third material 42, i.e., the inductively heatable tubular susceptor 54. In a third step 74, the open end 44 of the cylindrical cup 40 is closed with an air permeable lid 66 to ensure that the plant-based aerosol-generating material 12 and the tubular susceptor 54 are retained inside the cylindrical cup 40 regardless of their orientation.

[0060] In a fourth step 76, the second cylindrical material 16 that comprises the mouthpiece 18 is placed in-line with the cylindrical cup 40 with the air permeable lid 66 positioned adjacent to the hollow body 20. Note that in the illustrated example of the fourth step 76, the second cylindrical material 16 that comprises the mouthpiece 18 and the hollow body 20 have already been placed in-line and wrapped with the sheet 28 to fix their relative positions.

[0061] In a fifth step 78, the cylindrical cup 40 and the prepackaged hollow body 20 and second The cylindrical material 16 (mouthpiece 18) are wrapped by a sheet 68 and secured in-line relative to one another to form a cylindrical aerosol-generating article 2. Note that the sheet 68 extends only partway along the exterior surface of the side wall 50 of the cylindrical cup 40 from the end sealed by the air permeable lid 66 toward the closed end 46. This is sufficient to secure the components of the aerosol-generating article 2 together, although in other embodiments the sheet 68 can extend further and possibly completely along the exterior surface of the side wall 50 of the cylindrical cup 40 toward the closed end 46.

[0062] 6a and 6b-1,2 there is shown generally an apparatus and method for manufacturing a second example of an aerosol-generating article 2 as described above in relation to Figure 3, having an alternative susceptor configuration as described above in relation to Figure 4a. The apparatus and method are particularly suitable for mass production of aerosol-generating articles 2.

[0063] Referring first to Figure 6a, the apparatus includes a turntable 80 (shown in plan view in Figure 6a) having a plurality of recesses 82 for receiving cylindrical cups 40 as described above. The turntable 80 is typically indexed by a motor in a counterclockwise direction as indicated by the arrow in Figure 6a, such that each recess is indexed to a different rotational position. Operation of the turntable 80 of Figure 6a will be described in the context of a single cylindrical cup 40 contained within a single recess 82 at different indexed positions indicated by reference numerals 82a-82j. Of course, it will be appreciated that in the illustrated embodiment, each adjacent recess will typically contain a cylindrical cup 40 at a different stage of preparation, such that multiple cylindrical cups 40 are typically prepared simultaneously using the turntable 80.

[0064] To prepare the cylindrical cup 40 filled with plant-based aerosol-generating material 12 and an inductively heatable susceptor disk / ring 56, the empty cylindrical cup 40 is first positioned in the recess 82 at position 82a. The turntable 80 is then indexed counterclockwise to position 82b where a first layer of plant-based aerosol-generating material 12 is positioned within the cylindrical cup 40. The turntable 80 is then indexed counterclockwise to position 82c where the first inductively heatable susceptor disk / ring 56 is positioned on top of the previously deposited first layer of plant-based aerosol-generating material 12. Further counterclockwise indexing of the turntable 80 allows further layers of plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12 and further inductively heatable susceptor disks / rings 56 to be successively positioned within the cylindrical cup 40 such that at position 82d a second layer of plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12 is positioned within the cup 40, at position 82e a second inductively heatable disk / ring 56 is positioned within the cup 40 on the previously deposited second layer of plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12, at position 82f a third layer of plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12 is positioned within the cup 40, at position 82g a third inductively heatable disk / ring 56 is positioned within the cup 40 on the previously deposited third layer of plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12, and at position 82h a fourth and final layer of plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12 is positioned within the cup 40 to completely fill the cup 40.

[0065] To complete the preparation of the cylindrical cup 40, the turntable 80 is again indexed counterclockwise to move the cup 40 to position 82i where the air permeable lid 66 is positioned at the open end 44 of the cup 40 to ensure that the plant-based aerosol-generating material 12 and the inductively heatable disk / ring 56 are retained within the cup 40. Finally, the turntable 80 is indexed counterclockwise to move the cup 40 to position 82j where the prepared cup 40 is transferred to a number of drums 84a-84g as shown in Figs. 6b-1, 2. Each drum 84a-g includes a number of axially extending and circumferentially arranged grooves around the outer surface of each drum 84a-g, and the drums 84a-g are arranged to assemble the various components described above for mass production of a number of aerosol-generating articles 2.

[0066] More specifically, in step 1, each groove of the first drum 84a receives two axially spaced cups 40 from recesses 82 at positions 82j on the respective turntables 80. The axially spaced cups 40 are transferred from the first drum 84a to the second drum 84b as the first drum 84a and the second drum 84b rotate. Each of the grooves of the third drum 84c receives a second cylindrical material 16 as described above and a hollow body 20 positioned on one side of the second cylindrical material 16 in step 2. The second cylindrical material 16 and the hollow body 20 are pre-wrapped by a sheet 28 to secure them in series relative to each other.

[0067] The second drum 84b and the third drum 84c are arranged such that the packaged second cylindrical material 16 and hollow bodies 20 are transferred from their respective grooves in the third drum 84c into the grooves in the second drum 84b, thereby positioning the packaged second cylindrical material 16 and hollow bodies 20 between the two cups 40 from the grooves in the third drum 84c into the grooves in the second drum 84b to form a partially assembled article as shown in step 3. As the partially assembled article is transferred by the second drum 84b and the fourth drum 84d, the cylindrical cups 40 are pushed towards and contact the adjacent hollow bodies 20 in step 4.

[0068] In step 5, the partially assembled articles are each transferred into the groove of the fifth drum 84e and wrapped with individual sheets 68 provided by the sixth drum 84f. The cups 40 are compressed as they are wrapped with the sheets 68, and therefore the use of paper cups 40 is particularly advantageous as the cups 40 can be deformed without breaking.

[0069] The partially assembled article is finally transferred in step 6 to a seventh drum 84g where a cutter 86 is used to cut the second cylindrical material 16 approximately at its midpoint, thereby producing two aerosol-generating articles 2, with the second cylindrical material 16 acting as a mouthpiece 18 for each article 2.

[0070] 7, there is shown an aerosol generation system 90 for generating an inhalable aerosol. The aerosol generation system 90 includes an aerosol generator 92. The aerosol generator 92 includes a housing 94, a power source 96, and a control circuit 98, which may be configured to operate at high frequencies. The power source 96 typically includes one or more batteries, which may be inductively charged, for example. The aerosol generator 92 also includes an air inlet 100.

[0071] The aerosol generating device 92 includes an induction heating assembly 102 for heating the plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12. The induction heating assembly 102 includes a generally cylindrical heating compartment 104 that is arranged to receive a correspondingly shaped, generally cylindrical aerosol-generating article according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0072] Figure 7 shows a third example of an aerosol-generating article 3 positioned within a heating compartment 104. The aerosol-generating article 3 is similar to the aerosol-generating article 2 described above in relation to Figure 3, and additionally includes a further cylinder 24 of the second material 16 as shown in Figure 1. The further cylinder 24 of the second material 16 provides an even distribution of air entering the heating compartment 104 through the air inlet 100 and across the surface of the circular bottom wall 48 of the cylindrical cup 40.

[0073] The heating compartment 104 and the aerosol-generating article 3 are positioned such that the second cylindrical material 16 constituting the mouthpiece 18 protrudes from the heating compartment 104, thereby enabling a user to engage their lips with the mouthpiece 18 to inhale the aerosol generated during operation of the system 90.

[0074] The induction heating assembly 102 includes a helical induction coil 106 having a first axial end and a second axial end, extending around a cylindrical heating compartment 104 and capable of being energized by a power source 96 and a control circuit 98. The induction coil 106 thus defines a cavity in the form of the heating compartment 104 within which the aerosol-generating article 3 is positioned. It should be noted that the heating compartment 104 and the aerosol-generating article 3 each have respective longitudinal axes which are substantially aligned with one another when the aerosol-generating article 3 is positioned inside the heating compartment 104.

[0075] The control circuitry 98 includes, among other electronic components, an inverter arranged to convert direct current from the power supply 96 to alternating high frequency current for the induction coil 106. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, when the induction coil 106 is energized with an alternating high frequency current, an alternating time-varying electromagnetic field is generated. This electromagnetic field couples with the inductively heatable tubular susceptor 54, generating eddy currents and / or magnetic hysteresis losses within the inductively heatable tubular susceptor 54, causing the susceptor to heat. The heat is then transferred from the tubular susceptor 54 to the plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12, for example, by conduction, radiation and convection, to heat the plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12 without burning it, thereby generating an aerosol. Aerosolization of the plant-derived aerosol-generating material 12 is facilitated by the addition of air from the surrounding environment through an air inlet 100. The aerosol generated by heating the plant-based aerosol-generating material 12 flows through the air permeable lid 66, along the passageway 22, and through the mouthpiece 18, where the aerosol is typically inhaled by a user of the system 90.

[0076] Although exemplary embodiments have been described in the preceding paragraphs, it should be understood that various modifications to these embodiments can be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims. Thus, the breadth and scope of the claims should not be limited to the above-described exemplary embodiments.

[0077] Any combination of the above-described features in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the present disclosure unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

[0078] Unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, throughout this specification and the claims, the words "comprise", "comprising", and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense, i.e., "including but not limited to," as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense.

Claims

1. A method for producing an aerosol-generating article (1, 2, 3), comprising the steps of: (i) providing a first material (10) containing a plant-derived aerosol-generating material (12); (ii) placing a second material (16) constituting a mouthpiece (18) in series with said first material (10); (iii) packaging said first material (10) and said second material (16) with a sheet (26, 68) to form a substantially cylindrical aerosol-generating article (1, 2, 3). and step (i) comprises (a) providing a cylindrical cup (40) and filling said cylindrical cup (40) with said plant-derived aerosol-generating material (12) and a third material (42); A method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical cup (40) is a paper cup.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the bottom wall (48) of the cylindrical cup (40) is air permeable.

4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the third material (42) comprises an inductively heatable susceptor (14).

5. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the inductively heatable susceptor (14) comprises a plurality of substantially planar inductively heatable susceptor elements (56), and step (a) comprises alternating positioning of the plant-derived aerosol-generating material (12) and the substantially planar inductively heatable susceptor elements (56) within the cylindrical cup (40).

6. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the inductively heatable susceptor (14) is substantially tubular, and step (a) includes positioning the plant-derived aerosol-generating material (12) and the tubular susceptor (54, 58) within the cylindrical cup (40) such that the plant-derived aerosol-generating material (12) is disposed both inside and outside of the tubular susceptor (54, 58).

7. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the inductively heatable susceptor (14) comprises a particulate susceptor material (60), and step (a) comprises filling the cylindrical cup (40) with a mixture of the plant-derived aerosol-generating material (12) and the particulate susceptor material (60).

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the step of filling the cylindrical cup (40) with the plant-based aerosol-generating material (12) and the third material (42) is carried out on a rotating platform (80).

9. 9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, after the step of filling the cylindrical cup (40) with the plant-based aerosol-generating material (12) and the third material (42), closing an open end (44) of the cylindrical cup (40) with an air-permeable lid (66) to retain the plant-based aerosol-generating material (12) within the cup (40).

10. The method of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the second material (16) comprises a filter material.

11. 11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein step (ii) comprises placing two bodies of the second material (16), one of which constitutes the mouthpiece (18), in series with the first material (10) such that the first material (10) is positioned between the two bodies of the second material (16).

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a hollow body (20) is positioned between the first material (10) and the second material (16).

13. 13. The method of any one of claims 1 to 12, performed using an apparatus having a plurality of drums (84a-g), and each drum including a plurality of axially extending and circumferentially arranged grooves adapted to perform said placing of step (ii) or said wrapping of step (iii).

14. An aerosol-generating article (1, 2, 3), comprising: A first cylindrical material (10) containing a plant-derived aerosol-generating material (12); A second cylindrical material (16) Including, the first cylindrical material (10) and the second cylindrical material (16) are arranged in series and wrapped by a sheet (26, 68); The aerosol-generating article (1, 2, 3), wherein the first cylindrical material (10) comprises a cylindrical cup (40) filled with a plant-derived aerosol-generating material (12) and a third material (42).

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